Artists whose American albums are different than their UK counterparts

Back in the 60’s and 70’s, it was common practice for American albums to be released in a modified form. Whereas the original British/European release was intended to be the correct sequence of songs, the US record company changed things. Several tracks were omitted from the album. Even artwork was tampered with. The result was a confusing mess that shortchanged the fans and destroyed the integrity of these original recordings.

What were the artists and bands that were the victims of this practice and what are some of their ‘butchered’ albums?

 

Flamin Groovies - Shake some action, UK and US have different track listing

Maynard Ferguson - MF Horn2, UK has different track edit from US version.

 

A ton of Beatles releases, obviously.

 

Beatles Revolver is probably the most famous one. American release left off Dr. Robert, And Your Bird Can Sing and I'm Only Sleeping--all three of them fantastic John Lennon songs. They were all released on Beatles Yesterday and Today.

 

Rolling Stones
The Kinks

 

Some good examples contained within-
The Difference(s) Between The Same Album In Different Countries

 

Made a mental bet with myself that the first response to this thread would be a Beatles reference.
I lost. It was the second response.

 

Pink Floyd - The piper at the gates of dawn

 

Fresh Cream-U.S. version had I Feel Free, U.K. had Spoonful. A later U.K. reissue added I Feel Free.
Are You Experienced-U.S. version had Purple Haze, The Wind Cries Mary and Hey Joe. U.K. had Remember, Red House and Can You See Me.

These two have probably been posted here several time before.

 

The Swinging Blue Jeans, like most Brit invasion groups, had the number of and selection of songs (as well as the artwork) changed in the US.

 

Jethro Tull - Benefit

UK Track listing
All music composed by Ian Anderson.
Side one
1. "With You There to Help Me" 6:15
2. "Nothing to Say" 5:10
3. "Alive and Well and Living in" 2:43
4. "Son" 2:48
5. "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" 3:47
Side two
6. "To Cry You a Song" 6:09
7. "A Time for Everything?" 2:42
8. "Inside" 3:38
9. "Play in Time" 3:44
10. "Sossity; You're a Woman" 4:31

US Track listing
Side one
1. "With You There to Help Me" 6:15
2. "Nothing to Say" 5:10
3. "Inside" 3:46
4. "Son" 2:48
5. "For Michael Collins, Jeffrey and Me" 3:47
Side two
6. "To Cry You a Song" 6:09
7. "A Time for Everything?" 2:42
8. "Teacher" 3:57
9. "Play in Time" 3:44
10. "Sossity; You're a Woman" 4:31

 

Happened even in the late 70s and 80s, lots of albums by Boomtown Rats, Elvis Costello, Thomas Dolby, Alison Moyet's Raindancing had the running order changed and that was 1987.

 

Lots of British groups had their records released with different running orders, covers and titles Stateside in the 1960s - Beatles, Rolling Stones, Kinks, the first two Who albums, Yardbirds, Zombies, Dave Clark Five, Hollies, Animals etc. It's a very long list. Even 1970s groups like the Clash and the Jam had US albums that were different than their UK counterparts.

 

You can add The Pretty Things first album to that list, too.

 

The Animals.

 

Whitesnake 1987
Whitesnake Slide It In

80's the practice still continued

 

Was Wrapping Paper on the original UK and/or US release of Fresh Cream? Fairly certain it was a single only but I've got it on my cd issue (circa 1990) of Fresh Cream.

 

Ace Of Base’s 1998 album was even titled differently! Cruel Summer in the US, Flowers elsewhere. Further, the song “Life is a Flower” wasn’t on the US album, but the same music was used for a different song, “Whenever You’re Near Me.”

Always puzzled when they go to great lengths to differentiate albums between territories.

 

Does anyone have a detailed breakdown of The Rolling Stones album differences?

 

Naked Eyes, Thompson Twins, Adam and the Ants-Kings of the wild frontier

 

That was a bonus track on your CD reissue. It wasn't on either the U.S. or U.K. originals.

 

You can probably find it here: The Rolling Stones discography - Wikipedia

 

Manic Street Preachers

Generation Terrorists - diferent track list and less songs, and they added real drums (not played by Sean) in some songs instead of drum machine.
The Holy Bible - same track list but diferent mix, very very diferent in some songs.

 

Very common in the British Invasion era. The Searchers is another prominent example not yet mentioned.

For most of these artists, some albums were created in the US that really had no UK equivalents. These were often padded out with songs that only appeared as B-sides or EP tracks in the UK.

A lot of this was down to the fact that UK albums did not routinely contain an artist's hit singles, whereas US albums nearly always did. Another factor: UK albums routinely had 14 tracks, whereas US ones almost never did…11 or 12 was the standard.

The Yardbirds, already mentioned, are a particularly notable example of this phenomenon. In the UK, they had only two albums (Five Live Yardbirds and The Yardbirds [aka Roger the Engineer]). In the US, there were five non-compilation albums:

For Your Love
Having a Rave-Up
Over, Under, Sideways, Down
Little Games
Live Yardbirds featuring Jimmy Page (albeit this one was an unauthorized, posthumous release)