The Beatles' "Rubber Soul" - Putting together the proper tracklist

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by yesstiles, Dec 23, 2017.

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  1. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member Thread Starter

    So from what I've gathered, most people prefer the American tracklisting for Rubber Soul. However, it did leave off a couple great songs, such as "Nowhere Man" and "If I Needed Someone" for example. It's also apparent that the amazing double A-sided single of "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" was recorded during the Rubber Soul sessions and originally intended for release on the album proper before deciding to issue them as singles instead.

    So how would you have released the album if you were in charge, with a roughly 40-minute runtime to consider? Where would you place the extra tracks in the running order?

    I wanna make a cd-r of Rubber Soul in it's ultimate form. Thanks!
     
  2. Daniel Plainview

    Daniel Plainview God's Lonely Man

    I've Just Seen a Face
    Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
    You Won't See Me
    Nowhere Man
    Think For Yourself
    The Word
    Michelle
    It's Only Love
    Girl
    I'm Looking Through You
    In My Life
    Wait
    If I Needed Someone
    Run For Your Life
     
  3. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    Most people in America prefer the American tracklisting for Rubber Soul, for it is what they grew up with and are most familiar with.
    Most people in Britain and in my country prefer the British tracklisting for Rubber Soul, for it is what they grew up with and are most familiar with.
     
  4. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Yeah most Americans is more accurate - even then it's probably 50/50

    Personally I'd remove "What Goes On" & "Run For Your Life" from the UK and replace them with the single a and b sides.
     
  5. Cronverc

    Cronverc Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brooklyn,NY
    The proper tracklist was put together in 1965 by Beatles themselves. The alternate so called "American tracklist" was put together by suits at Capitol, because they thought that they know better how it should be. Frankly, it should have never exist in the first place. And this is not IMHO.
     
  6. I prefer any Beatles release (or personal comp, as the case may be) to follow first what the band intended, and then according to what was recorded during the actual sessions. Therefore, this is pretty simple for me - the U.K. track listing with both sides of the single tacked on at the end.
     
  7. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    I like it the way it is...no need for change.
     
  8. Michael

    Michael I LOVE WIDE S-T-E-R-E-O!

    it should have existed as the others...the extra tracks would have been cream...
     
    The Thin Man, musicfan37 and limoges like this.
  9. Tommyboy

    Tommyboy Senior Member

    Location:
    New York
    UK track listing. The way the album was intended.
     
  10. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member Thread Starter

    I grew up with the British tracklist, but I now prefer the American one.

    Why? I never liked the songs "Drive My Car" and "What Goes On." It was like Capitol read my mind when they replaced those tracks with two songs I love "I've Just Seen A Face" and "It's Only Love."

    And it further solidified it in my mind when Brian Wilson said the USA Rubber Soul influenced him immensely.
     
  11. Archtop

    Archtop Soft Dead Crimson Cow

    Location:
    Greater Boston, MA
    I'd like your post, but I disagree with too much of it (mainly that it isn't IYHO; yes it is IMHO). I do agree that what the Beatles released as Rubber Soul is what we should be hearing. And I also agree that the Beatles had very little, if anything, to do with the U.S. Rubber Soul. That said, it works quite nicely. Rubber Soul is a decent example of cobbling actually working. The same thing can't be said for the other butchered records, and that is IMHO.
     
  12. AKA

    AKA Senior Member

    If I could compile the perfect Rubber Soul, it would go something like this:

    SIDE 1:
    1. Drive My Car
    2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
    3. You Won't See Me
    4. Nowhere Man
    5. Think for Yourself
    6. The Word
    7. Michelle

    SIDE 2:
    1. What Goes On
    2. Girl
    3. I'm Looking Through You
    4. In My Life
    5. Wait
    6. If I Needed Someone
    7. Run for Your Life

    Sincerely,
    A 37-year-old American who grew up on the CDs
     
  13. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member Thread Starter

    :confused: You don't like "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper?"
     
  14. AKA

    AKA Senior Member

    I love 'em, but I think they work better as standalone double A-side single.
     
  15. feinstei9415

    feinstei9415 Forum Resident

    Location:
    South Bend, IN
    For those who don't like "What Goes On", please remember that it did two very important things for Rubber Soul...
    1) It gave Ringo his vocal showcase on that album (would you have rather had "Act Naturally????").

    2) It probably made Ringo a TON of money in royalties due to his writers credit (Lennon-McCartney/Starkey) on the worldwide release "Rubber Soul" and a year later on "Yesterday and Today".

    (I remember hearing it in stereo for the first time on "Yesterday and Today" and being amazed at Ringo on one channel and John & Paul with the harmony vocals on the other -- in those days, it was a privilege to hear the stereo LP's since they cost a dollar more and Mom & Dad seemed to think that the mono was quite enough).
     
    G E, goodiesguy, Scott57 and 6 others like this.
  16. RickH

    RickH Connoisseur of deep album cuts

    Location:
    Raleigh, NC
    Leaving "We Can Work It Out"/"Day Tripper" as a single, here's my version, which I think flows pretty well.

    1. Drive My Car
    2. The Word
    3. You Won't See Me
    4. I'm Looking Through You
    5. If I Needed Someone
    6. Nowhere Man
    7. Norwegian Wood

    1. Think For Yourself
    2. Michelle
    3. Run For Your Life
    4. Girl
    5. Wait
    6. What Goes On
    7. In My Life
     
    Last edited: Dec 24, 2017
  17. Carl Swanson

    Carl Swanson Senior Member

    They already did.

    Next?
     
  18. andrewskyDE

    andrewskyDE Island Owner

    Location:
    Europe
    By ignoring the album's running time I'd just merge the content from both the UK and US versions together plus throwing in 'Day Tripper' and 'We Can Work It Out'.^^
     
  19. DRM

    DRM Forum Resident

    Capitol Records knew what they were doing in America and the Beatles benefited from their knowledge of the American market.

    The Second Album personifies this.

    As does Rubber Soul.
     
  20. Diamond Star Halo

    Diamond Star Halo Forum Resident

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Day Tripper
    We Can Work It Out
    Norwegian Wood
    You Won't See Me
    Think For Yourself
    Nowhere Man
    In My Life

    I've Just Seen A Face
    Drive My Car
    It's Only Love
    If I Needed Someone
    I'm Looking Through You
    Girl
    Run For Your Life
     
    MitchLT, warewolf95, theMess and 2 others like this.
  21. yesstiles

    yesstiles Senior Member Thread Starter

    Okay, I think I did this wrong. Let me update my question.

    Where would you place "We Can Work It Out" and "Day Tripper" on the Rubber Soul album, restoring them to where they should have been all along?
     
  22. Psychedelic Good Trip

    Psychedelic Good Trip Beautiful Psychedelic Colors Everywhere

    Location:
    New York
    UK tracklist for me. Love either UK or American.
     
  23. Mr. Grieves

    Mr. Grieves Forum Resident

    I would leave Day Tripper as a single, as We Can Work It Out sounds like it fits this album better & I think Day Tripper works as a single better than than We Can Work It Out (imo)

    Drive My Car
    Norwegian Wood
    You Won't See Me
    Think For Yourself
    Nowhere Man
    The Word
    Michelle

    We Can Work It Out
    Girl
    I'm Looking Through You
    In My Life
    I've Just Seen A Face
    If I Needed Someone
    Run For Your Life

    What Goes On & Wait are easily my least favorite songs on the album. I'd put What Goes On as the B-Side for Tripper. Wait can go on Help!, I think it wouldn't feel too out of place there + it is written during that time any how.

    Also, this evens out Paul & John better, giving Paul 2 strong tracks to compete with the onslaught John laid down with this one, it's a better balance, like Revolver
     
  24. maui jim

    maui jim Forum Resident

    Location:
    West of LA
    It's funny I grew up with US version but since 72 when I bought the Brit importfor hs graduation that's how I know it
    But US Help with the orchestration is still My to go. And of course Y&T rules over them all:pineapple:
     
  25. Squealy

    Squealy Forum Hall Of Fame

    Location:
    Vancouver
    Drive My Car
    Norwegian Wood
    You Won’t See Me
    Nowhere Man
    We Can Work It Out
    Think for Yourself
    The Word
    Michelle

    Day Tripper
    If I Needed Someone
    Girl
    I’m Looking Through You
    What Goes On
    Run for Your Life
    Wait
    In My Life
     
    bhazen, warewolf95, whoompley and 2 others like this.
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