''The Beatles Collection'' is a box set of

the Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup of the band comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are widely regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatle ...

' vinyl albums released in the United States in November 1978 and the following month in the United Kingdom. It contains the official catalogue of the Beatles in

stereo Stereophonic sound, commonly shortened to stereo, is a method of sound reproduction that recreates a multi-directional, 3-dimensional audible perspective. This is usually achieved by using two independent audio channels through a configurat ...

, and a new compilation called '' Rarities''. The American issue by

Capitol Records Capitol Records, LLC (known legally as Capitol Records, Inc. until 2007), and simply known as Capitol, is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group through its Capitol Music Group imprint. It was founded as the first West Coast-base ...

contained the British pressings of the same 12 original albums, with the American pressing of ''Rarities''. The latter differed from its British counterpart in that it included the previously released English-language versions of "

She Loves You "She Loves You" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney and released as a single in the United Kingdom on 23 August 1963. The single set and surpassed several sales records in the United Kingdom c ...

" and "

I Want to Hold Your Hand "I Want to Hold Your Hand" is a song by the English rock music, rock band the Beatles, written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Recorded on 17 October 1963 and released on 29 November 1963 in the United Kingdom, it was the first Beatles recor ...

", rather than the German-language version found on the British ''Rarities'' compilation. The American edition of the box set was a limited edition of only 3000 numbered copies. The limited availability of the American release resulted in the British release becoming popular as an import into the US. There is also a rare EMI New Zealand version which combines the British box with some elements of the American version, such as the US custom liner on a gatefold ''Rarities''.

''The Beatles Collection'' did not include a number of Beatles recordings, including those released on the '' Magical Mystery Tour'' album. This album had been released in the United States in 1967, but it was not counted among the group's official catalogue because it was not issued in the United Kingdom until 1976. The collection also omitted the non-album singles that had previously been released in 1973 on the twin compilation packages ''

1962–1966 ''1962–1966'', also known as the Red Album, is a compilation album of songs by the English rock band the Beatles, spanning the years indicated in the title. Released with its counterpart ''1967–1970'' (the "Blue Album") in 1973, the double ...

'' and ''

1967–1970 ''1967–1970'', also known as the Blue Album, is a compilation album of songs by the English rock band the Beatles, spanning the years indicated in the title. A double LP, it was released with ''1962–1966'' (the "Red Album") in April 1973. ...

''. The collection also includes the inserts contained in the individual albums, such as the cardboard cutout sheet in ''Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'' and the photos and poster in ''The Beatles''. A company specialising in audiophile vinyl pressings,

Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab Mobile Fidelity Sound Lab (MFSL or MoFi) is a record label that specialized in the production of audiophile issues. The company produces reissued vinyl LP records, compact discs, and Super Audio CDs and other formats. History Recording engine ...

, released a similar box set in 1982 called '' The Beatles: The Collection''. This set consisted of the 12 British albums – ''Rarities'' was not included, but ''Magical Mystery Tour'' was – pressed off the original Abbey Road studio master tapes (except for ''MMT''), using a technique called "Half Speed Mastering", and onto Japanese "virgin" vinyl. The set was highly acclaimed for its sonic accuracy and only approximately 25,000 were released. In this case, the actual covers for each album was a photo of a studio master tape, along with the engineer's log sheet. The original album covers were compiled in an LP-size booklet.

Album listing

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beatles Collection, The 1978 compilation albums The Beatles compilation albums Parlophone compilation albums Capitol Records compilation albums Albums produced by George Martin Albums produced by Phil Spector Albums arranged by George Martin Albums conducted by George Martin Albums arranged by George Harrison Albums conducted by George Harrison Albums arranged by Mike Leander Albums arranged by John Lennon Albums conducted by John Lennon Albums arranged by Paul McCartney Albums conducted by Paul McCartney Reissue albums Albums recorded at Olympic Sound Studios Albums recorded at Trident Studios Albums recorded at Apple Studios

Contents

Album listing

See also

References