Hey Steve,

Kudos to you and Mr. Spizer on the forth-coming Beatles box-set essay; to you for printing it, to Mr. Spizer for voicng the opinions of "THE SILENT MAJORITY" of American Beatle fans who have been clamoring for this release for years. One need only go to EBAY to see the prices people are paying to get bootlegged versions of the CAPITOL releases, as well as VEE-JAY. Speculation here on my part, but I can see why the bootleggers would hate to see these albums released.

I for one, look forward to the release. The PARLOPHONE release of at least the first 3 CD's are a sonic nightmare. The sounds just lay there like a dead skunk in the middle of the road. Granted, the sequencing is how the FABS wanted it, but the audio sucks. Not until "A HARD DAYS NIGHT" does the audio begin to show signs of improvement.

Bottom line here is no one is forcing anyone to shell out their hard earned money on this set. Face it, APPLE will continue to line its coffers with future releases ( i.e., remixed versions, DVD-A versions, SACD versions, future formats versions, etc. ) of Beatle music for years to come. I'm wondering when APPLE will release surround sound DVD's of the BEATLES music videos. And for that matter, MACCA if your reading this, when will you release a surround sound DVD of your music videos? The whole world wonders.

The Beatles box set, I anxiously await. The audio has to be a vast improvement over the PARLOPHONE releases, it can't get much worse!! And to have stereo versions of songs previously unavailable, finally, what can I say. Bring 'em on!!!

am looking forward to hearing the new Beatle Cds when they come out - I wish that the complainers would give it a rest. Life does not send us everything we want all the time. Would we all like to wallow in the Beatle music vaults? Of course we would - but it 's not going to happen. I came upon the Beatles in late 68 and played catch up for years. It was $5 an album and we weren't wealthy - so it took awhile. I will never forget the thrill of hearing a Beatles song on my transistor (AM) which was glued to my head when I was not in school. No one is going to force people to buy this stuff and there is much more important things to fret over in this world. I consider these things a little bit of sunshine.

Update (10/23/04)

Steve,

Great site, as always. If you can stand one more comment about the box: I love the unintentional irony of the Capitol announcement, which basically sounds like "we're going to remain absolutely faithful to the bastardizations!" This box is gonna be some trip down memory lane for most of us -- I just can't wait to blast those incredibly heavy stereo mixes of "Money" and "Tell Me Why". This box is about as unexpected (and welcome) as Brian's "Smile". Shame about the box cover. A black front with the Capitol rainbow around the drop-T Beatles bass drum logo would have been nice.

An important point of clarification regarding "The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1." Apple handled the packaging and accompanying booklet. Capitol handled the mastering of the CDs, which were mastered with the original Capitol tapes at Sterling Sound.

Steve,

Well, here's what I think about "The Capitol Years". First, I may be in the extreme minority here, but I like the packaging...looks very classy. Nice touch with the B & W photos. The background, which is a variation on the Capitol swirl. It looks great, to me.

Now about the contents. Like it or not, it is part of The Beatles recorded history. For those who have a serious problem with this release, please try to compare this to "Rarities" or "Anthology", a sidebar to their real musical legacy. And unlike those other two releases, these versions were around for more than 20 years, for heaven sakes. They just can't be ignored. Many of us were introduced to The Beatles this way. And, to some of us, probably, we're still looking to hear "I've Just Seen A Face" when we put on "Rubber Soul". This doeosn't justify what Capitol or Dave Dexter, Jr. did to The Beatles work, but the songs were far from ruined...as the response to them, and the requests for their being re-issued shows.

Look, 90 tracks from The Beatles otherwise unavailable on CD, plus a 48 page booklet and other inserts for about $60 is a pretty good deal. Maybe not for everyone. But Apple and EMI could have included much less and charged much more...knowing that the hard core fans...millions of them...would still go into the record stores, curse, but still plunk down the money for it.

I'm looking forward to it. Be great to have it. And I'm glad it's being treated as something special...like everything from any of The Beatles...or all of them...should be.

Thanks, Steve,
Casey Piotrowski

I don't understand all the complaints about the Capitol US box artwork. It's just what I had pictured back when I posted in the newsgroups about how they SHOULD package the albums on cd, with the "rainbow" label and design on the box. My only gripe (if I had one) is the picture, but maybe there is some signifigance that Capitol used it for. I would have probably gone for the picture of John, George, and Ringo around Paul sitting in the chair on the giant American flag backdrop. Just my opinion :)

Hello Steve,

I would like to add my opinion on this whole box set matter. I believe that this set is essential. Again this is the set that we all grew up with. As far as the sound goes, well yes they were slathered in echo and fake stereo. But it says something about the Beatles music. despite the technical limitations or abhorations it was still the Beatles and the songs were still great. After I started buying the British issues in the late seventies did I realize the difference in sound. However, I cant wait to hear "SOMETHING NEW" again on CD (the first Beatles album I ever got back in '74 and havent played in quite a long time)

For this set to come to light, Capitol may have had to work with what they had in their vaults with minimal involvement from Apple (Like the Hard Days Night DVD) And as someone wrote before, this is a separate release from the main catalogue. With releases like this, it is always easy to criticize, especially the artwork. I believe Apple who controls the image and likeness of the Beatles may had a hand in telling Capitol what it could and could not use for the artwork. So Capitol probably negotiated its creative input away just for this set to come to light. (losing the battle but winning the war)After all Apple is a British Company so their interest in the retro-Capitol look may be next to nil. I can assume that our British fan counterparts don't really care either as this is a world wide release.

Besides this release is SOMETHING NEW(sorry couldnt resist) to buy from the Beatles, and when they sonically overhaul the British UK catalogue, we will all buy it all over again.

Steve, keep up the good work!

Been reading all of the comments of the Capitol Box since I left my whining response last week My only additional comments are:

What about A Hard Days Night-Yes it came out on UA originally but it was 1965. It should have been the American issues for that year. Where will they stick that one later?

It should have been one full box of all of the American Albums, not year by year separate boxes. A complete series makes more sense.

And those who feel the Box cover is OK, I have two words for you: PAST MASTERS. A blind person probably designed those. Bootlegs look better.

Update (10/18/04)

Hi Steve,

I wonder how many of the folks complaining about this set also complained about the new special edition DVDs of the Star Wars movies? The chief complaint about the special editions is "these aren't the way we all experienced the movies when they were first released". Seems to me that Capitol is doing precisely that with this boxed set - releasing these albums the way most people in one of the largest markets in the world experienced them when they were first released. What Dave Dexter did happened 40 years ago - forget about him already. At the time none of us noticed there was anything "wrong". We just enjoyed the music. And lest we forget, many of us had the mono versions of the albums (who gives a hoot about "duophonic"?) and most record players at the time were decidedly inferior to the home theatre systems we own today.

I look forward to buying this set and plan to thoroughly enjoy it over the holiday season and for many years to come.

Hi Steve,

As a view from the “outside” of all American fans, I would say that as a second (or third) generation fan member, here in Mexico capitol did the same thing here that in the American market, so all my disc where let’s say “bastardized” versions of the American records and also from the English versions which is worst, that create a lot of confusion to my generation because we ask first why the US Records are different from what we have here and then when I became a serious Beatles scholar I realize that also they are different from the British counterparts, in that I became seriously offended by capitol because I knew by then that their albums were not really THE ALBUMS that the Beatles are intended to do; the British records are the real reflex of their progression as a musicians; from the cunning simplicity of please please me to the luxurious Abbey Road, imagine if here in Mexico we began to ask for “the discs we grew up with”? It will be madness, here, applies a comment from Mr. McCartney about the bootlegs: “If I put out all the versions of a song that we release it became a moment when no one knows what is the real one, the one that we really intend to do”. Saying that I have to add that am not going to buy this one (well maybe as an oddity), I rather wait until a better sounding version (DTS, Surround 5.1, Dolby, DVD sound, etc.) of the ORIGINAL (What the Beatles planned really) catalog came out (if such thing happened in this life), Really Supervised by The Beatles. Because that is other issue: The sound that capitol is about to put out is going to be bastardized as well. Not the quality that the Beatles want to gave us ever.

Hi Steve!

Just a few words on the upcoming Capitol box set:

There have been some complaints about the apparent plan to use the UK mono mixes. But for the most part, this makes perfect sense.

Some of the folks who have Bruce Spizer's book about the Capitol albums will have read that many of the "mono" mixes used on Capitol's early mono albums were, actually, the Capitol stereo mixes "collapsed" into mono. On "Meet the Beatles!," for instance, ten of the songs are the Capitol stereo mixes, combined onto one track. The other two songs, "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "This Boy," were provided to Capitol in mono only - identical to the UK single mixes. The "stereo" versions of these two songs are in "duophonic" (i.e., fake) stereo. Because of the way Capitol created the mono mixes from the stereo masters, there is really no significant difference between the mono and stereo versions, and including these particular mono mixes would be redundant.

There are, however, a few exceptions where Capitol did, in fact, have unique mono mixes. The most interesting example that comes to mind is "And I Love Her." On most versions of this song (including every UK version and the Capitol stereo mix), Paul's vocal is double-tracked the whole way through. But the Capitol mono mix has a single-tracked vocal for much of the song, with occasional double-tracked accents. It's a significant variation, and it would be a shame if Capitol left that mix in the vaults in favor of the already-available UK mono mix.

Of course, that elusive mix of "And I Love Her" also appeared on the Capitol single. Maybe we could see, someday, a box set of the Capitol singles? Picture sleeves and everything? That would also provide a home for some other interesting variations like the unedited "I Am The Walrus." Maybe they could even cheat and use the promo mix of "Penny Lane" with the horn riff at the end.

Other minor points:

People complain about the artwork on the front of the box, but we haven't seen the 48-page booklet and the scrapbook stuff. That could be very interesting, if done with proper care.

The speculation about "will there be a Volume 2?" seems to be settled by the fact that this box is called "Volume 1."

Pipe dream: either issue the U.S. version of "Rarities" on CD, or a similar odds-and-ends collection.

Also: Will they stop at "Revolver"? Or will we see the "Hey Jude" album? Some of the late-period albums are identical to the UK versions, so Capitol versions would be pointless. But the "Magical Mystery Tour" album features some unique mixes, so let's hope that doesn't get lost in the shuffle. I would think that Mr. Spizer's involvement would boost the chances of such material being released.

Finally: Anyone who doesn't like the idea of the Capitol albums box set doesn't have to buy it. I remember the torrent of complaints that scuttled the proposed "Hey Bulldog" single in 1999 - what was the B-side going to be? I would suspect maybe "A Day In The Life," the only song in "Yellow Submarine" not to make it onto the "Songtrack" album. I hope that the malcontents will spare us all another "favor" like that.

Thanks for keeping us up to date on the Capitol box and all the other Fab news!

Hello, I have an issue with Martin Lewis' comments in regards to the New Capitol Box Set. He makes it sound as though Capitol Records is the only organization in the world who have butchered Beatles recordings, or released product that was changed from the way they were originally recorded, and presented to the buying public. That is so not true. George Martin, EMI, and Apple do it all of the time. They did it for the horrible Rock and Roll Music LP in the 70's (Note I Call Your Name, I'm Down, Slow Down etc, etc.) George Martin did these things. He did it for the Love Song LP too. He changed original Beatle recordings, floated the vocals into the center channel, he remixed titles into True Stereo that originally did not even have True Stereo Mixes associated with them. Then to make matters worse, Apple issued CD's in the late 80's that had been completely remastered. ... The bottom line is that altered Beatles recordings are part of their history, and should be available to everyone in the world. If they existed, then we should have the right to hear them. We made the Beatles in the US based on these LP's!! Will the Capitol Mixes ever take away from the original Mixes, of course not. They won't replace them either. If Apple feels so strongly about this, then reissue all of the Beatles CD in the exact way that they were originally released in the UK on Vinyl. In unaltered mono, and in true stereo. If they would do this, then I would agree with Martin Lewis. If not then Martin needs to rethink his position because the rest of world does not agree with him, and I have the vinyl catalog to prove it. Thanks for listening.

Steve: After reading Martin Lewis' column on the upcoming box set of Capitol albums, a few thoughts occurred to me: 1. Sound Quality: There's no question that some of the Capitol mixes are not just different from the conventional British mixes, but are just flat-out "distorted" by the duphonic (fake stereo) process. Whether these mixes represent an improvement over the British versions is a purely subjective question. (For example, John Lennon himself loved to slather his voice in reverb and other effects, but I happen to love the pure sound of his unaltered voice.) So without saying which is better or worse, I would readily agree with anyone who suggested that these duophonic tracks lack the clarity of their British counterparts. Having said all that, we have to remember that relatively few of the tracks on these four American albums are duophonic. Most of the stereo tracks are true stereo, and they sound spectacular. In fact, each and every track on the stereo "Something New" album sounds infinitely better to my ears -- more dynamic range, more punch, more clarity -- than the compressed mono British mixes available on those mastered-in-1987 CDs of "A Hard Day's Night." So it's a mixed bag. I'd guess 99 percent of all Beatle fans will reach for this new box set when they want to hear "Tell Me Why" or "No Reply" or "Any Time At All" in the best possible sound. When they want to hear the best-sounding version of "This Boy" or "I Feel Fine" they'll reach for "Past Masters."

2. The Dave Dexter factor: I agree that Dexter really shouldn't have the word "producer" attached to his name. He should have had a credit line such as, "Compiled by Dave Dexter." But, as Bruce Spizer has pointed out, Dexter did put together some classic song line-ups. (To this day, many fans prefer the thematic unity of the American "Rubber Soul" over the more musically diverse British version.) As for Dexter's use of reverb, he did seem to go way overboard on "She's A Woman" and "I Feel Fine" -- with the duophonic process compounding the effect -- but I'd argue that he was otherwise fairly restrained in the use of reverb. And let's not forget that George Martin and the EMI engineers also created some notably different reverb effects. If I recall, there are at least three markedly different EMI-approved stereo mixes of "I'm So Tired" and "I Want To Hold Yoru Hand," plus three EMI-approved reverb variations of "And I Love Her." And the difference in reverb used on EMI's mono and stereo versions of "Paperback Writer" is night and day. My point is this: Who is to say what constitutes an "official" Beatle-approved mix when so many fully approved variations of the same song came out of Abbey Road itself?

3. Purity of the catalogue: Lewis and others argue that these American albums don't represent "albums" as envisioned by The Beatles and George Martin. That's absolutely, unequivocally true ... but a bit beside the point. Because the time to make that argument was 40 years ago, before they were created and marketed to an entiore generation (or two) of American fans. "Meet The Beatles," "The Beatles' Second Album," "Something New" and "Beatles '65" were issued as albums in 1964 and each sold millions of copies. They weren't gray-market releases or bootlegs or unauthorized compilations. They were, in every sense, the official Beatles catalogue for everyone living in America. As such, it only makes sense to have them back in print in some format. To do otherwise would be a denial of Beatles history from 1964 to 1990. Now, I agree that if these American albums were to be re-released today as stand-alone CDs, the Beatles catolgue as we now know would it be "polluted" in much the same way RCA polluted the Elvis catalogue with an endless array of poorly packaged compilations with overlapping track lists. Any new Beatles fan trying to navigate his or her way through the catalogue would have a terrible time and could wind up with an odd mix of British and American albums with unwanted overlap. Fortunately, that won't happen with this new set. Capitol is wisely packaging the four new discs in a box that will physically and thematically set them apart from "the classic thirteen." The availability of the American albums in such a clearly identified box set will no more diminish the artistic integrity of the current line-up of CDs than, say, the releases of "Past Masters 1," "Past Masters 2," "1962-66," "1966-70," "The Singles Collection" box set of CDs, "The EP Collection" box set of CDs and "1." Those are all official, Apple-sanctioned CD releases that, together, represent dozens of variations in mixes with plenty of overlap in song titles.

4. Choice: Those who complain about the release of this new box set seem to forget that Capitol Records isn't going to be forcing people at gunpoint to buy the set. All the company is doing is giving fans the option of buying the American albums. For the millions who have clamored for such a set, this is a plus. For the millions who see no need to add such a set to their collection, the box set is neither a plus or minus ... because the British versions will remain in print. I can understand why some fans wouldn't want to own these American albums, but I can't understand why they would begrudge other fans the opportunity to own them.

Hi, Steve: I just thought I'd put in my "two cents" about the boxset. I'm thrilled! I'm going to get it the instant I can get in through Best Buys doors. If Capitol didn't use the "duophonic" mixes (for stereo) and the UK stereo mixdowns to mono that were originally used, the CDs wouldn't be "authentic". And, the songs just wouldn't sound like my first copies of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "Meet The Beatles" bought in 1964. I can still hear that sound in my head. And, it doesn't sound like PM1 and "With The Beatles". The Capitol versions have more punch and power than the UK versions, on CD or vinyl, and I've had both. BTW, great job you're doing, Steve.

PS-To hell with the people who're complaining about the artwork!

Steve, just wanted to throw my two pence worth in that I'm for the new release(s). Not for the sonic mis-adventure (it will be a flashback hearing those LPs again), but for the running order. And let's face it, they have to sound better than they did on my parents old hi-fi that I first heard them on in '64! Thumbs up from me. It's how I hear them from the record player in my American head. It's what I grew up with. Just let us "oldies" have our little trip back...it's a limited edition, so it won't be around to aggro you naysayers very long anyway. So everyone, stop yer whinin', it's all BEATLES, fer cripes sake! The more the merrier! But, I must agree, the cover is a bit crap. Went to the link for Sean Murdock's vision of the cover, wow, it's gear fab!! Yes, I love it. That's the happy-sound Beatle-look we want! I think Sean should make available a box sized slick that we can slap right over our boxes when we get'em. I'm, at least, keeping a copy of it on the inside with my booklet...a reminder of what might have been. Great job, Sean, way to go, mate!! Steve, as always, I can't make it a day without my abbeyrd fix. Thanks!

All the best,
Sean

Wow! Get Sean Murdock a job at Capitol! That's EXACTLY what the box set should look like. Whatever your thoughs on the merits of such a release... and admittedly, the only possible reason to be excited about this set is PURE nostalgia... Sean's work should make everyone at Capitol feel like hacks. (For the record, I have no idea who Sean Murdock is!)

Why no word out of Apple on this release? It appears as if they don't fully endorse the release of the box set yet aren't trying to stop it from going forward.

I can’t wait to get it – the booklet sounds great also and I do agree about the lame cover art. Let’s hear it for Anthology!

I don't get all the complaining over the sound (reverb, echo, etc.). If it wasn't a duplicate of the original mixes, then the complaints would be about the lack of accuracy and the failure to be true to the original sound. Nostalgia requires the echo if they are going for recreating the "sound we grew up with."

This is a case of sell it while you can; this American material just wouldn't fly (or sell) if it followed 5.1 mixes or a definitive collection of SACD or DVD-Audio sets that will most likely show up eventually (maybe just as the formats are about to be obsolete?). Why sell something once if you can sell it two, three or thirty times?

There was a reader comment about the British mono versions maybe being included. Much of this was already remastered in '93 or so for the EP set; perhaps that's what will be included. I hope not. Ten years plus has passed since then, and I agree, I want the US versions. I like the echo, especially on I Feel Fine/She's A Woman.

Question: At one point, Capitol released a cassette of the UA A Hard Days Night. In the 80's I believe. Do they still have the rights and might we be seeing this at some point from Capitol?

Keep up the great work!

Hi Steve:

I think its great for the fans in the States to be getting their versions of the Beatles albums on CD. I used to love collecting them here in the UK for the groovy covers and odd alternate takes.

Can I state the obvious though -- when are we gonna get something really new that we would all like? How about a vote - Christmas Messages, Shea Stadium, Hollywood Bowl on CD anyone?

Or would you prefer "Help," "Cartoon Series" or "Let It Be" on DVD?

It does annoy me that these are denied us -- what is Apple waiting for?

Anyway, sorry to rant on - keep up the great work on the site. Always checking it out here in the UK.!

Hey Steve,

American Beatle fans have moaned for how many years about the lack of availability of the U.S. albums on CD? And now I see everyone is dismissing it as a stupid idea!

And even the people that want the box are kvetching about something as innocuous as the artwork. Don't forget that each disc is coming in a miniature LP sleeve replica, and will contain remastered mono and stereo versions of each album, plus a 60 page booklet. Who cares what the outer box looks like?

I do wonder, though, if the infamous Dave Dexter mixes will be used here. Does anyone know?

Hi Steve,

I read the news today, oh boy, about the release of the first four US albums. I'm a first generation fan that went through the whole rush of 1964 and heard all these songs in their original North American incarnations, with these mixes and running orders.

When I got a little older and finally heard the original British versions of the records (on vinyl), I felt like I had been totally cheated through those early years. It wasn't just the slapdash chop jobs done on the song selections --who can forget the Beatles themselves trying vainly to remember which songs were on what albums on their tours -- but the truly awful re-mixing. George Martin had not somehow forgotten to slather the Beatles in reverb and thereby committed some error that needed correcting.

With the standardizing of the Beatles catalogue when it went to CD in the 'eighties (yes, we all know there are big problems there but that's another discussion) accurately representing the way the group and Martin recorded, produced, and released them, one assumed that these early incarnations would be consigned to the dust-bin of history. But now they have risen from the grave like some horrific money-sucking vampire wearing one of Dave Dexter Junior's old suits.

As for the packaging, the cheap, garish, no-thought-behind-it look could not be more appropriate to the project. It is a shame, however, that something this shoddy-looking bears the Beatles name, and that another new generation of fans will now fall prey to these inferior versions and be misled about the band's progression and achievements. One can only pray that this project is a one-off and there is no re-release of Capitol's total desecrations of Rubber Soul and, heaven help us, Revolver.

I just wish everyone would just stop trashing the new box set release. There are too many "purists" out there. They should just be glad that these are finally coming out on CD!!! These songs are 40 years old!!! How good do they want them to sound??? I agree on one thing. The cover art is lousy. Maybe just the famous Beatles Drum logo on a black box??

Update II (10/14/04)

Update (10/14/04)

Hi Steve,

I also think the cover art is crap! And by the way, it would be nice if someone actually CHECKED to see how to spell the last name of "Famed Beatles Historian" Mark Lewisohn! They can't even get THAT right. Sheesh! He deserves better than that! I hope the insides are much better than the outside.

Have a great day.

Steve,

Too bad they misspelled Mark Lewisohn's surname on the press sheet-- TWICE! Also, why include the RIAA gold record logos on the cover of "Meet The Beatles" and "The Beatles Second Album?" I hope these intrusions are removed prior to the set's actual release. I'm surprised Spizer didn't catch this. And by the way, how come the famous Beatles CAPITOL releases historian, Bruce Spizer didn't do the liner notes? Seems to me a natural fit!!!! Bruce is the man!

Yes; the packaging is abysmal...but the whole project is a huge mistake, as well. The best thing that has ever happened to the original 1962-1970 Beatles releases was the world-wide standardization of the catalog. The best thing that could happen in the future is a remastering of that "standardized" catalog, deleting the two "Past Masters" discs and adding their various single and EP tracks to the appropriate CDs, and updating the entire original Beatles UK canon with better packaging.

Hi Steve,

I never thought I would see the day when Capitol Records would not only release its first four American releases on CD--with only eleven songs per disc--but would preserve all the substandard, horrible mixes that were originally included on the vinyl issues as well! My jaw dropped when I read Capitol's press release, which not only flat out stated proudly that the echo and reverb added to the Capitol tracks would be included on these issues, but that "duophonic" songs would also be included! Hey, folks, have you forgotten? "Duophonic" is a code word for "fake stereo". On CD?! And fans wonder why Apple is not backing this release?!?

I originally bought these albums when I first became a fan in 1977, wasting great amounts of money for fewer songs per album and lousier sound quality. A few years later, I got rid of these losers and sought out the vinyl British releases. I've never been sorry, and I breathed a huge sigh of relief when EMI issued the British records with the British mixes in 1987 on CD. Don't settle for less because of something as vague as nostalgia, people. If you want great sound, it's there on your current CD's. If you think it should be better, then petition EMI to remix *them* and/or issue them in stereo--but this junk is fit only for drink coasters.

Thanks for always providing the best Beatles information around! I may be the only one, however I WILL NEVER LISTEN TO THE BRITISH VERSION CDs ANY MORE! These were THE albums I grew up with and I plan to grow old listening to these too. Thank you CAPITOL RECORDS (and EMI and Apple)!!! I can’t wait for Vol. II American Rubber Soul!!!!!!! w00t!! Jeff Falkenstein

Hi Steve. This is amazing.... Today's LA Times (10-13-04) has an article in their Calendar section (page 1) on the new Capitol cd set. There is some nice info from Martin Lewis and the pres at Capitol. But what shocked me is they say the CD's will contain the American stereo versions and the BRITISH mono versions!! Maybe it's incorrect reporting, I hope so. If it's true, it's too bad, as the American monos are different than the British. Maybe this was a compromise from Apple in order for their permission on the project, that the monos not vary from the currently available (since 87), but maybe they'll be remastered. It just goes on and on...

Why is everybody whining about how the cover of the box set looks like? We’ve waited years for this to set to materialize. Come on people it’s a box. Just be thankful that it’s finally gonna happen and that we’ll get the “real” cds of our beloved American versions. I know where I’ll be on 11/16.
Dana Pannell's Beatles Karaoke
http://wsp3.wspice.com/~dpannell/beatles

Hello Steve, Just to drop in a word to tell you that the release date of the boxset in Japan is November 17. Bonus contents are the usual things: Japanese translation lyrics, and CCCD.

Leslie
www.thebeatles.hk

What do I say about the art work for the Beatles Box – at least make it look like “Reel Music” – I’ve always liked what Capitol did in 1982 for the Reel Music LP.

Update (10/13/04)

I agree with the comments about the box set packaging. This is just shockingly bad. But I guess this shoddy cover sums up the treatment the Beatles' catalog received at the hands of Capitol during the 1964-1966 years. I suppose they are going for intentional retro cheeziness?

I mean... I'm excited about it... and I'm going to buy it...

But during their active career, the Beatles took great pains to produce cover artwork that didn't look cheap and crappy. This makes that mid-70's silver Rock 'N' Roll package look like Sgt. Pepper in comparison.

And yet nothing on Beatles.com ? Odd when you compare it with the build up to 1 and Let it Be Naked ?

Update II (10/12/04)

Update (10/12/04)

Horrible cover package. Reminds me of the Roy Kohara artwork days at Capitol with the Rock and Roll two LP Beatles’ reissue. And the Reel Music LP. Real Crap! Looks like a bad K-Tell package. A slapped together Cosco release!

Update (10/10/04)

Don't know if someone's already pointed this out, but if you go to the Sterling Sound mastering house website and look at their top engineer, Ted Jensen's, profile, you'll notice some familiar titles under his "Current Projects" section: Early Beatles, Meet the Beatles, etc. Pretty cool to know he's doing the remastering (let alone the fact they're being remastered!) Take care!

The Beatles Capitol Box set is now listed on the Capitol records website,though there is no image or release date.

Update (10/8/04)

Update (9/29/04)

"Capitol Records will release The Capitol Albums, Volume 1 for The Beatles on November 16. Don't ask."

Update (9/14/04)

The Beatles "The Beatles American Boxset" Release [ September 12, 2004

Reliable source claimed that on November 16, 2004, Capitol and Apple will release a boxset of Beatles US albums, titled The Beatles American Boxset. Possibly albums included are Meet The Beatles, The Beatles' Second Album, Something New and Beatles '65. No bonus tracks will be included and the albums are digitally remastered.

Update (8/2/04)

... Are we Brits to be ignored in all of this? If the stereo versions of the early tracks are to be put out in the US, then why not in the UK versions? I bet there is a plan to revamp the catalogue and remaster it. We mustn't forget that the early catalogue becomes public domain in the near future and they MUST want to maximise their profits by then.

I was also having a chat with my local friendly record shop owner who reckoned that Warners have wanted to reissue the Traveling Wilburies stuff but have been prevented by Barbara Orbison. This seemed at odds with what we have read recently about the possible re-issues this year....but maybe this WAS a problem that has been solved?

Anyway, keep up the good work Steve...

Update (7/28/04)

Update (7/22/04)

Hi Steve,

A good friend works at Barnes & Nobles in the music and DVD division. I had dinner with him last night and the first thing he said is, "We met with Capitol Records today and do I have news for you!" To which I replied, "Don't tell me ... the November Beatle box." He said, "You know already?" Well, his impression is that Capitol is struggling to put this collection together. He gave me a release date, which was November 16th. Apparently, they do not know what the box will contain and if they have enough time to release it for the holiday season. My friend is not a Beatle fan and was not aware that Capitol's releases differ from the British LPs. Nor that the Beatles preferred mono over stereo. As more info is available he will pass it along.

Ciao,
Joe

Update (7/12/04) A couple of points: First, the albums included in the box are still being worked out. "Early Beatles" is not a certainty (it was released very late in '64), and we're told "Beatles Story" may not be included at all. "Meet the Beatles," "The Beatles' Second Album" and "Beatles '65" are more likely -- and given the $50 list, would seem to make sense that it'll be a three CD set. A second source confirmed the details we printed, but hadn't heard it had been added to the schedule. So at this point, it may still be tentative. One other important point: The fact this box is being considered and apparently planned at all is a MAJOR reversal for the Beatles triumverate, who were very much against this set in past years. It seems that we'll see a "Let It Be" DVD in the future, but one can only wonder what else might be under consideration now that this U.S. Capitol CD wall may have fallen -- possibly the long-ago mentioned "Live at the Hollywood Bowl"? A major overhaul of the UK CDs? (We can dream, can't we??)

Here's some details: