This gem of an album hits No. 3 on my list not only for the great collection of post A Hard Day’s Night and pre Help! songs, but also because of its value as a memory-maker. This was the first U.S. album - or Beatles product for that matter - timed to be in stores during the holiday gift giving, (and receiving!), season. It was released on December 15, 1964. Most of the Beatles products including their first wave of Beatlemania albums and singles, toys, models, wallpaper, shampoo, trading cards and the notorious Beatle wigs had been in stores since The Ed Sullivan Show. The market continued be saturated with Fab Four products through the mania of A Hard Day’s Night and the August / September tour of North America. Whatever money we could scrape up, we used to by Beatles “stuff.” And then just when we thought we had it all, BAM here was a new album filled with new songs that we HAD to have. It quickly hit No. 1 on every loyal Beatle fan’s holiday gift wish list.
Beatles ’65 was the first in what has become over a four decade holiday tradition for original Beatles fans. Since Christmas 1964 we’re always waiting for a new Beatles holiday gift. And it could be almost anything such as a greatest hits / remastered package, book or DVD set, (Anthology was a huge holiday prize to receive and could be renamed Beatles ’95), or even a puzzle of an album cover. It’s become traditional fun for many of us to see the Fab’s faces when unwrapping a gift found under a Christmas tree.
My baby sitter gave me Beatles ’65 about a week before Christmas. Actually, she was my younger sister’s baby sitter, but had been mine first. She was I guess, about 16 or 17 at the time and I was 11 – so she knew probably more than most parents what a Beatle fan would want for Christmas.
Of couse this album includes many of the songs that the U.K. fans were hearing on Beatles For Sale, and one left over from A Hard Day’s Night, (I’ll Be Back), but we didn’t know anything about that. This was the U.S. and Beatles ’65 is what Capitol Records wanted us to buy, (or ask for Christmas). So the songs left off this collection would still be new to us the next summer on Beatles VI.
The opening track, No Reply, still gives me the excitement it did on first listen. It was new music and only the beginning of what was to follow. I’m A Loser was next and became one of my all-time favorites when The Beatles appeared on the TV show Shindig, (taped in England), and John played his harmonica with a metal “rack” holding it in place while also playing his guitar and singing. Up to that point, I had only seen that device used by Bob Dylan and the comical “one-man bands” that appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, The Hollywood Palace or other TV shows at the time. Plus it was noticable that The Beatles were growing their hair even longer than in A Hard Day’s Night. Their sound and look was maturing.
I once saw a list of the “worst” Beatles songs, (if there could ever be such a list), and the No. 1 worst was Mr. Moonlight. Well, I’ll admit it was never my favorite and it closes side one of Beatles ’65, but it still brings good vibes because this album is a special collection. It wouldn’t be Beatles ’65 without it. This also continued the legend John was putting together as a lead singer by having another vocal chord shredding song on an album. Think Twist and Shout and Money – and Mr. Moonlight fits right in.
The collection also includes the double-sided single I Feel Fine and She’s A Woman. The U.K. albums never included singles, which was The Beatles’ policy. They didn’t think fans should have to pay for the same songs twice. Of course Capitol Records didn’t think the same way. But I didn’t mind at all – and am glad both songs are on the album. I had the single when it came out, but it was always a bit of a pain to get up and flip the 45 rpm record over to hear the song on the other side. On Beatles ’65, (and others), you could just let the album side play and hear more than just one song – including the hit single - before changing sides, (or hearing them all again!).
Here’s the track list:
Side One:
- No Reply
- I’m A Loser
- Baby’s In Black
- Rock’n Roll Music
- I’ll Follow The Sun
- Mr. Moonlight
Side Two:
- Honey Don’t
- I’ll Be Back
- She’s A Woman
- I Feel Fine
- Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby
Some Beatles historians have described this as a time when the Beatles were getting worn down from the hectic pace of touring, writing, recording, and filming A Hard Day’s Night. I’m pretty sure that was written by someone who looked at the Beatles For Sale album cover and described them as “tired.” Hey, guess what – that was just ONE photo. There’s nothing tired about this album. It’s obvious these are songs the Beatles were into, had a blast recording and an even bigger blast playing live. Six out of the eleven songs were performed during their 1965 and 1966 world tours. Some songs were played during both tours, (I Feel Fine, Baby’s In Black, She’s A Woman).
Beatles ’65 lands in the No. 3 spot. Only two more to go, stay tuned…
<
Dave Schwensen is the author of The Beatles In Cleveland: Memories, Facts & Photos About The Notorious 1964 & 1966 Concerts. He also presents the multimedia program, Beatlemania on the Northcoast, to schools, universities and special interest groups. For more information visit www.BeatlemaniaOnTheNorthCoast.com.
Copyright 2010 – North Shore Publishing
