A buddy of mine included the Hey Jude/The Beatles Again album as one of his favorite albums. There are some magnificent songs on it. But as someone who was purchasing the US Capitol albums, it was disappointing for what it left off. Then I was reminded of all the missed opportunities the Capitol Records compilers had to bring us more songs.
Side one
1. “Can’t Buy Me Love” 2:19 (in the US on the Hard Day’s Night soundtrack album on United Artists)
2. “I Should Have Known Better” 2:39 (ditto)
3. “Paperback Writer” 2:14 (Revolver-era single)
4. “Rain” 2:58 (ditto)
5. “Lady Madonna” 2:14 (the last Beatles single on the Capitol imprint)
6. “Revolution” 3:21 (the first Beatles single on the Apple imprint)
Total length: 15:45
Side two
7. “Hey Jude” 7:06 (ditto)
8. “Old Brown Shoe” 3:16 (B-side of The Ballad of John and Yoko single)
9. “Don’t Let Me Down” (B-side of the Get Back single) 3:30
10. “The Ballad of John and Yoko” 2:55 (single)
Total length: 16:47
It seems that I complained about the Capitol American albums before. So I’ll note what songs should have been added to which albums, to get them up to at least 12 songs, with links to each song. (Hey Jude album link above.)
The Capitol albums
Meet the Beatles! (1964) – 12 songs.
The Beatles’ Second Album (1964) – the first opportunity to add From Me To You (1:58), which finally appears on the 1962–1966 (Red) album.
Something New (1964) – From Me To You or Sie Liebt Dich (2:20), the German version of She Loves You. But it doesn’t show up on a Capitol/Apple US album until Rarities in 1980.
Beatles ’65 (1964) – If I understand correctly, Capitol had the rights to all the songs from the A Hard Day’s Night soundtrack. It just couldn’t actually put out a soundtrack album. So, theoretically, A Hard Day’s Night (2:33, first appearance on 1962–1966) could have shown up here. Or one of the two songs from Hey Jude: Can’t Buy Me Love (which shows up on the odd Capitol compilation Big Hits from England and the USA) or I Should Have Known Better.
The Early Beatles (1965)- much of this from the first UK album Please Please Me, which comprised most of the VeeJay album Introducing the Beatles. The two songs left off were Misery (1:49) and There’s A Place (1:51). At least one of these should have made it, or From Me To You.
Beatles VI (1965) – any of the preceding songs.
Help! (1965) in the US, a soundtrack album with 12 tracks.
Rubber Soul (1965) – in the US, 12 songs.
Talkin’ ’bout nineteen sixty-six
Yesterday and Today (1966) – another album that really bugs me. They stole three songs from the forthcoming Revolver album when they could have picked any of the previous songs, or I’m Down (2:33), the B-side of the Help single, which didn’t show up until the post-breakup Rock ‘n’ Roll Music album. BTW, it was the few songs I did not own. Yes, I bought it for essentially one song.
Revolver (1966) – even if they kept one of the three Lennon songs they stole – And Your Bird Can Sing breaks up two McCartney songs on Side 2 – that would have been a less savage pillaging.
Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) – not messing with that album!
Magical Mystery Tour (1967) – I wish Paperback Writer, or preferably Rain had gone here, 1st song on Side 2.
The Beatles (White Album) (1968) – not touching that.
Yellow Submarine (1969) – soundtrack.
Abbey Road (1969) – not touching that.
Hey Jude (Beatles Again) (1969) – all the songs that didn’t make it before then, plus The Inner Light (2:36, the B-side of Lady Madonna), which doesn’t show up until Rarities.
Let It Be (1970) – essentially a soundtrack.
