Rock 'n' Roll Music is a compilation album by the Beatles containing previously released tracks. It was issued on 7 June 1976 in the United States, on Capitol Records (catalogue number SKBO 11537), and on 11 June on Parlophone (PCSP 719) in the United Kingdom.[2] A double album, the 28-track compilation includes 15 Lennon–McCartney songs, one George Harrison composition ("Taxman"), and a dozen cover versions of songs written by significant rock and roll composers of the 1950s, including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and Larry Williams. Not counting the 1971 Spanish compilation album, Por Siempre Beatles, Rock 'n' Roll Music was the first Beatles album to include "I'm Down", which had previously only been available as the B-side of the "Help!" single.[3]
Development and release
This album is described as "troubled" by Beatles producer George Martin in his autobiography, as he was asked by Bhaskar Menon, the president of Capitol Records at the time, to approve the tapes they intended to use, and he was "appalled" because they were some of the early twin-track mono tapes they had made and were going to be transferred to stereo for the issue. Instead of approving the album as it was presented to him, Martin reworked the already mixed tapes for every song, reversing the left and right channels and slightly narrowing the stereo on the tracks "Twist and Shout", "I Saw Her Standing There", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Boys", "Roll Over Beethoven", "Drive My Car" and "I'm Down". Some of the song editing is not clean: for instance, the beginning of the crossfade of "Dear Prudence" can be heard during the fade of "Back in the U.S.S.R.", as originally issued on the White Album.
EMI Records refused to use Martin's modified Capitol tapes, citing the Beatles' strict instructions that any reissues had to be exactly as originally recorded. The UK Parlophone double album[efn 1] contained the original UK mixes, including five stereo mixes of songs that had not yet been issued in stereo in the UK: the Long Tall Sally EP and "I'm Down". In October 1980, the album was divided into two single albums, and released as budget LPs in both the UK and the United States. Rock 'n' Roll Music: Volume 1[efn 2] contained the songs on the first half of the original album, while Rock 'n' Roll Music: Volume 2[efn 3] consisted of the second half. For these reissues, the UK versions were mastered using George Martin's reworked Capitol tapes.[4]
Singles
In both the United States and Britain, Rock 'n' Roll Music was accompanied by a single compiled from songs on the album. The US single (Capitol 4274), was originally planned as "Helter Skelter" on the A-side and "Got to Get You into My Life" on the reverse, but when the Helter Skelter TV movie was announced for April 1976, Capitol thought better of the connotations and flipped the sides. "Got to Get You Into My Life" hit number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100. The British single (Parlophone R 6016), which consisted of "Back in the U.S.S.R." backed by "Twist and Shout", hit number 19.[5][6]
Packaging
Controversy surrounded the album's artwork, which featured an embossed colour portrait of the Beatles against a shiny silver background, with the album's title spelled out in what is presumed to be neon lights. Symbols of the 1950s were used on the inside of the album's gatefold sleeve, including a jukebox, an outdoor movie screen with a picture of Marilyn Monroe, an ice cream, a 1957 Chevrolet, a cheeseburger, and a glass of Coca-Cola. 1950s nostalgia was at a peak around the time the album was released and Capitol was clearly attempting to cash in on the trend. As the Beatles were a 1960s band, the album cover prompted Ringo Starr to complain to Rolling Stone: "It made us look cheap and we never were cheap. All that Coca-Cola and cars with big fins was the Fifties!" John Lennon was also critical of the artwork and wrote an angry letter to Capitol Records complaining it "looks like a Monkees reject" and suggested the cover instead use famous photos of the Beatles by Astrid Kirchherr or Jürgen Vollmer, both of whom had photographed the band during their Hamburg days.[7] Lennon had also offered to design the cover himself, but was declined.[8]
The budget-line albums replaced the controversial original artwork with a picture based on a photo of the Beatles in 1964. The US editions of the cover set the group in a crowd, while the British cover eliminated the crowd and placed the group against a stark white background.
Commercial performance
Album sales benefited from a rather significant wave of Beatles nostalgia that was taking place during the summer of 1976. Interest in the band was undoubtedly boosted by Paul McCartney's "Wings over America" tour, which criss-crossed the United States and Canada shortly after Rock 'n' Roll Music was released. In addition, sales were not hurt by the fact that the album included the song "Helter Skelter", of which a cover version had been spotlighted in a made-for-television movie on the 1969 Charles Manson murders that aired shortly before the album was released. Rock 'n' Roll Music hit number 2 on the Billboard 200 in the US (kept off the top spot by McCartney's Wings at the Speed of Sound), and number 11 on the UK's Top 60 Albums Chart.[2][11] It marked the second time a Beatles album competed with a Paul McCartney album over the top two positions on the Billboard chart. During the week ending June 6, 1970, the Beatles' album Let It Be jumped to the number 2 position from its previous week's debut at number 104, while McCartney's self-titled debut album McCartney held at number 1 for a third straight week. The next week, Let It Be bumped up to number 1, while McCartney slid to number 2, where both albums remained positioned for four consecutive weeks.
Track listing
All songs written by Lennon-McCartney, except where noted
Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Twist and Shout" Phil Medley, Bert Russell 2:31
2. "I Saw Her Standing There" 2:56
3. "You Can't Do That" 2:38
4. "I Wanna Be Your Man" 1:59
5. "I Call Your Name" 2:09
6. "Boys" Luther Dixon, Wes Farrell 2:28
7. "Long Tall Sally" Enotris Johnson, Richard Penniman, Robert Blackwell 2:00
Total length: 16:41
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Rock and Roll Music" Chuck Berry 2:30
2. "Slow Down" Larry Williams 2:54
3. "Kansas City" / "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" (medley) Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller / Richard Penniman 2:35
4. "Money (That's What I Want)" Janie Bradford, Berry Gordy 2:47
5. "Bad Boy" Williams 2:20
6. "Matchbox" Carl Perkins 1:59
7. "Roll Over Beethoven" Berry 2:44
Total length: 17:49
Side three
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Dizzy Miss Lizzy" Williams 2:53
2. "Any Time at All" 2:13
3. "Drive My Car" 2:29
4. "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" Perkins 2:26
5. "The Night Before" 2:37
6. "I'm Down" 2:32
7. "Revolution" 3:25
Total length: 18:35
Side four
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Back in the U.S.S.R." 2:44
2. "Helter Skelter" 4:30
3. "Taxman" George Harrison 2:39
4. "Got to Get You into My Life" 2:31
5. "Hey Bulldog" 3:11
6. "Birthday" 2:43
7. "Get Back" (album version) 3:09
Total length: 21:27
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27n%27_Roll_Music_(album)
Listen to all the tracks here:
https://youtu.be/JdfnnNq2vqk?
Alternate Versions and Variations
Released just after the Beatles contract with EMI expired, Rock N’ Roll Music was the first in a series of releases by EMI featuring repackaged Beatles music. Many fans were disappointed by the release and subsequent repackaged releases, awaiting the release of previously unavailable material rather than music they already owned. The album marked the first appearance of I’m Down on an LP in the US. The cover art was controversial as it featured iconic 1950s imagery which predated the Beatles’ success, prompting Ringo to complain to Rolling Stone, “It made us look cheap and we never were cheap. All that Coca-Cola and cars with big fins was the Fifties!” Artwork by an artist named Ignacio Gomez was used for the cover. John hated the cover so much that he wrote to Capitol suggesting photos by Astrid Kirchherr be used and even offered to design the cover himself but was turned down. In 1980 the album was split into two separate single LP releases for release on EMI’s budget release label.
Rock N’ Roll Music is out of print and has not officially been released digitally or on compact disc. The digital-only collection Tomorrow Never Knows can be considered a replacement for Rock N’ Roll Music.
The George Martin remixes
Producer George Martin was “appalled” to learn that EMI planned on using twin track mono mixes for several early tracks. Rather than approve the album as it was presented to him, Martin remixed every track, modernizing the sound on Twist And Shout, I Saw Her Standing There, I Wanna Be Your Man, Boys, and Roll Over Beethoven by moving the vocal track in the mix and reversing the stereo. The Capitol US release used these remixes; Parlophone would not use them as the Beatles required all reissues had to be released exactly as originally recorded.
Track list
Disc 1, Side A
Twist And Shout
I Saw Her Standing There
You Can’t Do That
I Wanna Be Your Man
I Call Your Name
Boys
Long Tall Sally
Disc 1, Side BRock And Roll Music
Slow Down
Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey
Money
Bad Boy
Matchbox
Roll Over Beethoven
Disc 2, Side ADizzy Miss Lizzy
Any Time At All
Drive My Car
Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby
The Night Before
I’m Down
Revolution
Disc 2, Side BBack In The U.S.S.R.
Helter Skelter
Taxman
Got To Get You Into My Life
Hey Bulldog
Birthday
Get Back
Release historyCapitol SKBO 11537 (tracks remixed by George Martin), released June 7, 1976
Parlophone PCSP 719 (tracks NOT remixed), released June 10, 1976
After four years, EMI split the double album up into two releases, Volume 1 and Volume 2. The track listing remained the same for each disc, but the UK edition featured the new remixes by George Martin. The UK releases were issued by EMI’s budget release label Music For Pleasure.
Rock N’ Roll Music Volume 1
Release History:
Capitol SN-16020 (tracks remixed by George Martin), released October 24, 1980
Parlophone MFP 50506 (tracks remixed by George Martin), released October 24, 1980
Rock N’ Roll Music Volume 2
Release History:
Capitol SN-16021 (tracks remixed by George Martin), released October 24, 1980Parlophone MFP 50507 (tracks remixed by George Martin), released October 24, 1980
Other Variations on CD & DVD
A number of sources have also released CD & DVD versions including both US and UK mixes, along with the promotional video performances.
Pin
Email
Share
Tomorrow Never Knows
Rock N’ Roll Music is out of print and has not officially been released digitally or on compact disc. The digital-only collection Tomorrow Never Knows can be considered a replacement for Rock N’ Roll Music. Listen to Tomorrow Never Knows on Apple Music.
A successor to the out-of-print Rock N’ Roll Music compilation, Tomorrow Never Knows is an iTunes-only collection of songs showcasing the Beatles’ influence on rock. However, Tomorrow Never Knows contains only original compositions and is equivalent to only one LP in length.
The promo
To date, Tomorrow Never Knows is not available to purchase on compact disc or vinyl. However, a vinyl promo album was pressed in a limited edition (most commonly reported to be 1000) and distributed to EMI employees. The ring wear was printed on the sleeve, and the inner sleeve included a download code for the album on iTunes. It included a thank you letter which instructed recipients, should they decide they didn’t want it, to give it back. It threatened any recipient who sold or gave the record away with disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment..
Counterfeit editions were pressed in red, purple, and blue vinyl, and on CD.
Track list
Revolution
Paperback Writer
And Your Bird Can Sing
Helter Skelter
Savoy Truffle
I’m Down
I’ve Got A Feeling (Let It Be…Naked version)
Back In The U.S.S.R.
You Can’t Do That
It’s All Too Much
She Said She Said
Hey Bulldog
Tomorrow Never Knows
The End (Anthology 3 version)
Release history
Digital only, released July 24, 2012
Source: https://aboutthebeatles.com/tomorrow-never-knows-lp
