| 1962–1966 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Greatest hits by The Beatles | ||||
| Released | 19 April 1973 | |||
| Recorded | 1962–1966, Abbey Road Studios, London and Pathé Marconi Studios,Paris |
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| Genre | Rock | |||
| Length | 63:00 | |||
| Language | English | |||
| Label | Apple | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| Compiler | George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr | |||
| Professional reviews | ||||
| The Beatles chronology | ||||
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1962–1966 (widely known as The Red Album) is a compilation of The Beatles' greatest hits from 1962 to 1966. It was released with its counterpart 1967–1970 (The Blue Album), a compilation of their greatest hits from 1967 to 1970. 1962–1966 reached #3 in the UK and managed to reach #1 in the U.S. Cashbox albums chart. However, in the U.S. the official chart was administered by Billboard, where 1962–1966 peaked at #3, while 1967–1970 managed to meet the summit. This album was re-released in September 1993 charting at #3 in the UK.
The album was compiled by Beatles manager Allen Klein, with his selections approved by the Beatles themselves.[1] Even though the group had had success with cover versions of songs, most notably with "Twist and Shout", which made #2 on the Billboard charts, only songs composed by The Beatles themselves were included.
It is recognised as the first Beatles compilation since their breakup on 31 December 1970. Both it and 1967–1970 were produced by Apple/EMI at least partially in response to a bootleg compilation titled Alpha Omega, which had been sold on television the previous year.
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For the group's 1963 debut LP Please Please Me, photographer Angus McBean was asked to take the distinctive colour photograph of the group looking down over the stairwell inside EMI House (EMI's London headquarters in Manchester Square, now demolished).
In 1969, The Beatles asked McBean to recreate this shot. Although the 1969 photograph was originally intended for the then-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 Beatles 1967 - 1970.
The inner gatefold photo for both LPs is from the "Mad Day Out" photo session, London, 28 July 1968.
The British and American versions of the vinyl album contain notable differences; for example, "Help!" on the American edition includes the same "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 mix from Beatles '65, which is the duophonic mix drenched in reverb. (See Mix Variations below.)
The Compact Disc version 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.
| Song | Mix used on 1973 UK vinyl edition | Mix used on 1973 US vinyl edition | Mix used on 1993 CD reissue |
|---|---|---|---|
| "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 single mix |
| "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 | 1962 mono single mix |
| "From Me to You" | 1966 stereo mix made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version) |
1966 stereo mix made for A Collection of Beatles Oldies (stereo version, 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) |
1992 new mono edit made for 1992 EP box set on CD, made from the 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) |
| "All My Loving" | 1963 UK stereo mix from With the Beatles (stereo version) |
1963 US stereo mix from Meet The Beatles (stereo version) |
Narrowed version of 1963 stereo mix |
| "Can't Buy Me Love" | 1964 stereo mix from UK stereo version of A Hard Day's Night |
1964 stereo mix from stereo version of A Hard Day's Night, same as UK vinyl album |
Narrowed version of 1964 stereo mix |
| "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 same as UK vinyl album |
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 UK vinyl album |
| "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 UK vinyl album |
| "I Feel Fine" | 1964 stereo mix unused until the UK version 1962–1966 |
1964 processed mono mix from US single and Beatles '65 (mono) |
1964 stereo mix same as UK vinyl album |
| "Ticket to Ride" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 mono mix for single a-side and from mono variants of the Help! albums |
1987 stereo remix |
| "Yesterday" | 1965 stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 stereo mix stereo version of Yesterday and Today same as UK vinyl album |
1987 stereo remix |
| "Help!" | 1965 UK stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 US stereo mix from US stereo version of Help!, with "James Bond Theme"-like intro |
1987 stereo remix |
| "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" | 1965 UK stereo mix from UK stereo version of Help! |
1965 US 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 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 |
| "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 made for UK stereo version of Revolver |
1966 stereo mix made for 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 |
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