Beatles album of the week: Past Masters Volume One

[Brad]

When the Beatles' entire UK catalogue was released on CD in 1987, the powers that be were left with a dilemma: many of the Beatles' biggest hits were singles and b-sides that weren't included on any of their proper albums (a common practice in the '60s). Where would those songs fit on the new CDs?

Their solution was Past Masters Volume One and Past Masters Volume Two, two essential additions to the Beatles' catalogue. Both compilations were released on March 7, 1988. The albums included every officially-released Beatles track that didn't have a home on any of the original thirteen UK albums.

Past Masters Volume One included eighteen "stray" tracks from 1962-1965, in chronological order:

1. Love Me Do (version one) (Lennon/McCartney)
2. From Me To You (Lennon/McCartney)
3. Thank You Girl (Lennon/McCartney)
4. She Loves You (Lennon/McCartney)
5. I'll Get You (Lennon/McCartney)
6. I Want To Hold Your Hand (Lennon/McCartney)
7. This Boy (Lennon/McCartney)
8. Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand (Lennon/McCartney)
9. Sie Liebt Dich (Lennon/McCartney)
10. Long Tall Sally (Blackwell/Johnson/Penniman)
11. I Call Your Name (Lennon/McCartney)
12. Slow Down (Williams)
13. Matchbox (Perkins)
14. I Feel Fine (Lennon/McCartney)
15. She's A Woman (Lennon/McCartney)
16. Bad Boy (Williams)
17. Yes It Is (Lennon/McCartney)
18. I'm Down (Lennon/McCartney)

Steven Thomas Erlewine of the All Music Guide says:

When Capitol decided to release the original British editions of the Beatles' albums instead of the bastardized American versions, they were left with a bit of a quandary. Since the Beatles had an enormous number of non-LP singles, some of their greatest hits — from "I Want to Hold Your Hand" through "Hey Jude" — would not be included on disc if Capitol simply served up straight reissues. They had two options: They could add the singles as bonus tracks to the appropriate CDs, or they could release a compilation of all the non-LP tracks. It should come as no surprise that they chose the latter. In fact, they took it one further, issuing two separate compilations of non-LP tracks, which is fairly appropriate since the Beatles released far more singles and EPs in the first two years of their recording career than they did in the last five. Past Masters Volume One covers those first two years and, to be fair, there are some cuts that are unnecessary for anyone outside of the hardcore — only a handful of people will be able to spot the difference in the alternate "Love Me Do," while German versions of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "She Loves You" aren't even good for a chuckle. Still, the sheer number of astounding singles makes this essential, even with its faults. These 17 songs capture the exuberance of Beatlemania while confirming their talents as pop craftsmen ("This Boy," "Yes It Is") and proving that they could rock really, really hard ("I Feel Fine," "She's a Woman," the peerless "I'm Down"). Apart from the cuts that are merely rarities, this is a near-perfect compilation that captures the energy and spirit of the Beatles' early years.

Previous albums:
Please Please Me (1963)
With The Beatles (1963)
A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Beatles For Sale (1964)
Help! (1965)

See also:
Rubber Soul (1965)
Revolver (1966)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
Yellow Submarine (1969)
Let It Be (1970)
Past Masters Volume Two (1988)

Beatle Facts

[Brian]

My two favorites are "She Loves You" and "I Feel Fine." If I were to choose just one it would be "I Feel Fine."

[crystals]

"She Loves You" is my most fave song from that album.

The other songs I like from that album are:

"Love Me Do", "I Wanna Hold Your Hand", "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand", "Sie Liebt Dich" (yes, the same song as "She Loves You", but I like the english version better),
and "I Feel Fine".

[dlemond]

Woah, another toughy.

"This Boy" has always been a favorite.

But "I Feel Fine" is awesome too.

And "I'll Get You" is a very underated tune.

And of course many others, I can't decide on one right now.

[Brad]

Originally posted by dlemond
Woah, another toughy.

"This Boy" has always been a favorite.

But "I Feel Fine" is awesome too.

And "I'll Get You" is a very underated tune.

And of course many others, I can't decide on one right now.

Same for me, too. I eventually settled on "This Boy." Ask me what my favorite from the album is next week, though. It'll probably be different.

[Steve M.]

I'm going with "I Feel Fine," their best pre-September 1965 sngle.

[Jrnygrl]

"I Feel Fine", the opening is just awesome!

[Brad]

Originally posted by Jrnygrl
"I Feel Fine", the opening is just awesome!

I agree with that. The first use of feedback in a studio recording!

[Steve M.]

Various Past Masters, Volume One covers:

"From Me To You" - Jacky Ward

"I Want To Hold Your Hand" - Al Green

"I Call Your Name" - Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Mamas and the Papas

"I'm Down" - Aerosmith

[Brad]

Alternate versions of songs from Past Masters Volume One:

Beatles:
"Love Me Do"
-Official studio take (version that was released as single; Andy White on drums, Ringo on tambourine), 1962 - Please Please Me
-Parlophone audition, 1962 - The Beatles Anthology 1
-Live; Aeolian Hall Studios in London, 1963 - Live At The BBC

"From Me To You"
-Live; The BBC Paris Theatre in London, 1964 ("From Us To You") - Live At The BBC
-Live; Karlaplansstudion in Stockholm, Sweden, 1963 - The Beatles Anthology 1

"Thank You Girl"
Live; The Playhouse Theatre in London, 1963 - Live At The BBC

"She Loves You"
-Live; The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, 1964 - At The Hollywood Bowl (never issued on CD)
-Live; Prince of Wales Theatre in London, 1963 - The Beatles Anthology 1

"I'll Get You"
-Live; The London Palladium, 1963 - The Beatles Anthology 1

"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
-Live; ATV Studios in Borehamwood, England, 1963 - The Beatles Anthology 1

"This Boy"
-Live; ATV Studios in Borehamwood, England, 1963 - The Beatles Anthology 1

"Long Tall Sally"
-Live; The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, 1964 - At The Hollywood Bowl (never issued on CD)
-Live; The BBC Paris Theatre in London, 1963 - Live At The BBC
-Live; IBC Studios in London, 1964 - The Beatles Anthology 1

"Slow Down"
-Live; The BBC Paris Theatre in London, 1963 - Live At The BBC


"Matchbox"
-Live; Aeolian Hall Studios in London, 1963 - Live At The BBC

"I Feel Fine"
-Live; The Playhouse Theatre in London, 1964 - Live At The BBC
-Live; The ABC Theatre in Blackpool, England, 1965 - The Beatles Anthology 2

"She's A Woman"
-Live; The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, 1965 - At The Hollywood Bowl (never issued on CD)
-Live; The Playhouse Theatre in London, 1964 - Live At The BBC
-Live; Nippon Budokan Hall in Tokyo, 1966 - The Beatles Anthology 2

"Yes It Is"
-Edit of takes 2 and 14, 1965 - The Beatles Anthology 2

"I'm Down"
-Take 1, 1965 - The Beatles Anthology 2

Solo:
"Love Me Do"
-Studio take featuring Steven Tyler on harmonica and background vocals, 1998 - Ringo Starr - Vertical Man
-Live; Sony Studios in New York, 1998 - Ringo Starr - VH1 Storytellers

"She's A Woman"
-Live; Limehouse Studios in London, 1991 - Paul McCartney - Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)

"Im Down"
-Live; Madison Square Garden in New York, 2001 - Paul McCartney - The Concert For New York City

[jamier42]

1. Love Me Do
2. From Me To You
3. She Loves You
4. I Want To Hold Your Hand
5. This Boy
6. I Feel Fine
7. She's A Woman

[Steve M.]

Past Masters Volume One and Past Masters Volume Two were issued as separate albums on CD and vinyl. They were issued as a double album on cassette, with two cassettes packaged together.

Side one of Past Masters Volume One concluded with "Sie Liebt Dich" and side two began with "Long Tall Sally."

[laceyinthesky]

I chose "Love Me Do."

[MaryElizabeth]

Well :P I chose "Yes It Is."

[laceyinthesky]

This time I chose "I'm Down."