1962–1966 | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by The Beatles | ||||
Released | 2 April 1973[1] | |||
Recorded | 1962–1966, EMI Studios, London and Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris | |||
Genre | Rock | |||
Length | 63:00 | |||
Label | Apple | |||
Producer | George Martin | |||
Compiler | Allen Klein | |||
The Beatles chronology | ||||
|
Professional ratings | |
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Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Blender | [3] |
Rolling Stone | [4] |
1962–1966 (widely known as "The Red Album") is a compilation of songs by the English rock band The Beatles, spanning the years indicated in the title. It was released with its counterpart 1967–1970 ("The Blue Album") in 1973. 1962–1966 reached number 3 in the United Kingdom and managed to reach number 1 in the United States Cashbox albums chart. However, in the US, the official chart was administered by Billboard, where 1962–1966 peaked at number 3, while 1967–1970 reached the top spot. This album was re-released in September 1993 on compact disc, charting at number 3 in the UK.
The album was compiled by Beatles manager Allen Klein.[5] Even though the group had had success with cover versions of songs, most notably with "Twist and Shout", which made number 2 on the Billboard charts, only songs composed by the Beatles themselves were included.
As with 1967–1970, this compilation was produced by Apple/EMI at least partially in response to a bootleg collection titled Alpha Omega, which had been sold on television the previous year. Print advertising for the two records made a point of declaring them "the only authorized collection of the Beatles."[6]
Contents |
For the group's 1963 debut LP Please Please Me, photographer Angus McBean took the distinctive colour photograph of the group looking down over the stairwell inside EMI House (EMI's London headquarters in Manchester Square, now demolished). Also in 1963, the cover for The Beatles (No. 1) used a picture from the same shoot.
In 1969, The Beatles asked McBean to recreate this shot. Although the 1969 photograph was originally intended for the planned Get Back album, it was not used when that project saw eventual release in 1970 as Let It Be. Instead, the 1969 photograph, along with an unused photograph from the 1963 photo shoot, was used for both this LP and the cover of 1967–1970.
The inner gatefold photo for both LPs is from the "Mad Day Out"[7] photo session in London on Sunday 28 July 1968. Who the kid in front of the gate is, or why he is the only one standing on front, remains unknown.
The album cover was designed by Tom Wilkes.[8]
The British and American versions of the vinyl album contain notable differences; for example, "Help!" on the American edition includes the same pseudo-James Bond intro as the mix found on the American Help! soundtrack LP, while the same song on the British edition does not. Also, the British LP uses the stereo "whispering intro" mix of "I Feel Fine", while the US LP uses the mono mix from Beatles '65, which is drenched in additional reverb. (See Mix Variations below.)
The first compact disc version was released on 20 September 1993.[1] It was released on two discs for the price of two albums, though it could have fit on to a single disc; EMI stated that this was done to match the release of 1967–1970. The CD version used new digital masters. The first four tracks on the CD release are in mono; the rest of the tracks are in stereo. The tracks "All My Loving", "Can't Buy Me Love", "A Hard Day's Night", "And I Love Her" and "Eight Days a Week" made their CD stereo debut with this release.
EMI announced on 10 August 2010, that the album had been remastered for a second time and, once again, would be released as a two-CD package. The album was released worldwide on 18 October 2010, and 19 October 2010 in North America. [9]
There have been no changes made to the content of the album since the 1993 CD re-issue, apart from the sound quality itself. The short 'whispering' oddity found at the beginning of "I Feel Fine" on the original 1973 LP was not included on the 2010 CD. The stereo version of "From Me To You" found in the original 1973 release was not included on the 1993 and 2010 releases.
Side 1
Side 2
Side 1
Side 2
Song | Mix used on 1973 UK vinyl edition | Mix used on 1973 US vinyl edition | Mix used on 1993 & 2010 CD reissues |
---|---|---|---|
"Love Me Do" | 1963 fake stereo mix from Please Please Me (stereo version) |
1963 fake stereo mix from The Early Beatles (stereo version) same as UK vinyl album |
1962 mono mix from Please Please Me (mono version) and later single releases |
"Please Please Me" | 1963 stereo mix from Please Please Me (stereo version) |
1963 stereo mix from Introducing... The Beatles (stereo version); The Early Beatles (stereo version) same as UK vinyl album |
1963 mono mix from Please Please Me (mono version) and single release |
"From Me to You" | 1963 stereo mix from A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version) |
1963 stereo mix first appearance on an American LP same as UK vinyl album, except reversed channels |
1963 mono single mix |
"She Loves You" | 1966 fake stereo mix made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version) |
1966 re-EQed mono made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (mono version) |
1963 mono single mix |
"I Want to Hold Your Hand" | 1966 stereo mix made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version) |
1964 fake stereo mix made for the US Meet The Beatles (stereo version) |
1966 stereo mix made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version) same as UK vinyl album |
"All My Loving" | 1963 stereo mix from With the Beatles (stereo version) |
1963 stereo mix from Meet The Beatles (stereo version) same as UK vinyl album |
1963 stereo mix (1993 CD is narrowed) same as both vinyl albums |
"Can't Buy Me Love" | 1964 stereo mix from UK stereo version of A Hard Day's Night |
1964 stereo mix first released in the US on the Hey Jude album same as UK vinyl album |
1964 stereo mix (1993 CD is narrowed) same as both vinyl albums |
"A Hard Day's Night" | 1964 stereo mix from UK stereo version of A Hard Day's Night |
1964 mono mix from mono version of A Hard Day's Night |
1964 stereo mix same as UK vinyl album |
"And I Love Her" | 1964 stereo mix from UK stereo version of A Hard Day's Night |
1964 stereo mix from stereo version of Something New same as UK vinyl album |
1964 stereo mix same as both vinyl albums |
"Eight Days a Week" | 1964 stereo mix from Beatles for Sale (stereo version) |
1964 stereo mix from Beatles VI (stereo version) same as UK vinyl album |
1964 stereo mix same as both vinyl albums |
"I Feel Fine" | 1964 stereo mix (with "whispering" intro) | 1964 mono mix with additional reverb from US single and Beatles '65 (mono version) |
1964 stereo mix same as UK vinyl album |
"Ticket to Ride" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 mono mix from single and US mono version of Help! album |
1987 stereo remix |
"Yesterday" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 stereo mix from stereo version of Yesterday and Today same as UK vinyl album |
1987 stereo remix |
"Help!" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 stereo mix from US stereo version of Help! same as UK vinyl album but with a "James Bond" intro |
1987 stereo remix |
"You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 stereo mix from US stereo version of Help! same as UK vinyl album |
1987 stereo remix |
"We Can Work It Out" | 1966 stereo mix made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version) |
1965 stereo mix from stereo version of Yesterday and Today |
1966 stereo mix same as UK vinyl album |
"Day Tripper" | 1966 stereo mix made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version) |
1965 stereo mix from stereo version of Yesterday and Today |
1966 stereo mix same as UK vinyl album |
"Drive My Car" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Rubber Soul |
1965 stereo mix from stereo version of Yesterday and Today same as UK vinyl album |
1987 stereo remix |
"Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Rubber Soul |
1965 stereo mix from US stereo version of Rubber Soul same as UK vinyl album |
1987 stereo remix |
"Nowhere Man" | 1965 stereo mix made for UK stereo version of Rubber Soul |
1965 stereo mix from stereo version of Yesterday and Today same as UK vinyl album |
1987 stereo remix |
"Michelle" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Rubber Soul |
1965 stereo mix from US stereo version of Rubber Soul same as UK vinyl album, except reversed channels |
1987 stereo remix |
"In My Life" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Rubber Soul |
1965 stereo mix from US stereo version of Rubber Soul same as UK vinyl album |
1987 stereo remix |
"Girl" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Rubber Soul |
1965 stereo mix from US stereo version of Rubber Soul same as UK vinyl album, except reversed channels |
1987 stereo remix |
"Paperback Writer" | 1966 stereo mix made for UK stereo version of A Collection of Beatles Oldies |
1966 stereo mix first released in the US on the Hey Jude album same as UK vinyl album |
1966 stereo mix same as both vinyl albums |
"Eleanor Rigby" | 1966 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Revolver |
1966 stereo mix from US stereo version of Revolver |
1966 stereo mix same as both vinyl albums |
"Yellow Submarine" | 1966 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Revolver |
1966 stereo mix from US stereo version of Revolver |
1966 stereo mix same as both vinyl albums |
Chart (1973) | Peak position |
---|---|
Austrian Top 75 Albums[10] | 1 |
Canadian Top 100 Albums[11] | 4 |
French Top Albums[12] | 1 |
German Albums Chart[13] | 2 |
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[14] | 2 |
Norwegian Top 40 Albums[15] | 1 |
UK Albums Chart[16] | 3 |
US Billboard 200[17] | 3 |
Chart (1993) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Top 50 Albums[18] | 9 |
New Zealand Top 50 Albums[19] | 5 |
Swedish Top 60 Albums[20] | 22 |
Swiss Top 100 Albums[21] | 4 |
US Catalog Albums[22] | 2 |
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
Spanish Top 100 Albums[23] | 33 |
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
---|---|
Finnish Top 40 Albums[24] | 40 |
Chart (2008) | Peak position |
---|---|
Danish Top 40 Albums[25] | 26 |
Chart (2010) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Flanders) 100 Albums[26] | 37 |
Belgium (Wallonia) 100 Albums[27] | 55 |
Irish Top 75 Albums[28] | 45 |
Japanese Albums Chart[29] | 4 |
US Digital Albums[22] | 23 |
Region | Certification | Sales/shipments |
---|---|---|
Argentina (CAPIF)[30] | Platinum | 60,000x |
Australia (ARIA)[31] | 5× Platinum | 350,000^ |
Austria (IFPI Austria)[32] | 3× Platinum | 150,000x |
Canada (Music Canada)[33] | Diamond | 1,000,000^ |
Denmark (IFPI Denmark)[34] | Gold | 25,000^ |
France (SNEP)[35] | Platinum | 400,000* |
Germany (BVMI)[36] | 4× Platinum | 2,000,000^ |
Japan (RIAJ)[37] | Platinum | 250,000^ |
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[38] | Platinum | 50,000x |
United Kingdom (BPI)[39] | 2× Platinum | 600,000^ |
United States (RIAA)[40] | 15× Platinum | 7,500,000^ |
*sales figures based on certification alone |