The Beatles – The Super-Rare Singles

Anybody reading this magazine will be able to name at least a dozen of The Beatles’ singles, and probably twice that number of their album tracks. I Saw Her Standing There, All My Loving, Got To Get You Into My Life, Back In The USSR, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Here Comes The Sun – the list goes on – are just as well known as many of The Beatles’ actual singles.

However, overseas, where the group and their producer George Martin had less control over their releases, all of the above songs, plus dozens of others, were issued on 45. In this feature, top UK collector PETE NASH spins a few discs from some of the more far-flung reaches of the Beatle empire...

When it comes to releasing records, most pop/rock artists can be classified as either an albums group or a singles group. In the case of The Beatles, however, as with most things relating to their unique career, they either bucked the trend or simply created new ways of doing things. From 1962 until the group’s break-up in 1970, The Beatles released an unparalleled run of classic hit singles, while at the same time virtually inventing the rock album as a format.

In 2000 EMI/Apple released 1, a compilation of their chart-topping singles, which went on to become one of the biggest selling albums of all time. It even outsold some of the groups own seminal albums such as …

by
<< Back to Issue 308

You must be a subscriber to view the full article, subscribe now for full access to all online content.

Already a Magazine Subscriber? Register now for online access.