1967–1970
Allen Klein stood at the center of a business storm in 1973. He was Apple Records manager during his final months before dismissal. Bootleg records flooded the market with unauthorized Beatles songs. A specific collection called Alpha Omega appeared on television sales that year. Klein commissioned an official response to stop these illegal copies. EMI and Capitol Records joined forces to create two double LPs. They released 1962, 1966 alongside this Blue Album in April 1973. Print ads declared them the only authorized collections available. The strategy worked immediately as fans rushed to buy the new sets.
Angus McBean captured the band looking down from a stairwell inside EMI House in 1963. That London headquarters sat on Manchester Square until its demolition in 1995. The group asked McBean to recreate that shot again in 1969. One photo from that session originally planned for Get Back never saw use. Instead, another image from 1969 combined with an unused 1963 picture covered both albums. Stephen Goldblatt and Don McCullin took the inner gatefold photos during Mad Day Out. This session occurred in London on Sunday the 28th of July 1968. Tom Wilkes designed the outer cover art. His credit appears in the bottom left corner of the US paper sleeve.
The United States edition played Strawberry Fields Forever in its original 1966 stereo mix. Penny Lane and Hello Goodbye appeared in mono format instead. I Am the Walrus opened with four beats of electric piano in America. The UK version used the more common six-beat introduction there. Get Back was labeled the album version in US liner notes despite being the single cut. Hey Jude ran nine seconds shorter than the original single release in both countries. A Day in the Life faded in through crowd noise differently across regions. Spain replaced The Ballad of John and Yoko with One After 909 due to censorship. That song faced airwave bans after its 1969 single release over lyrical references.
Billboard Top LPs & Tape placed this compilation at number one in the United States. The UK Albums Chart peaked at position two for the same record. Australian Kent Music Report reached eleven while Canadian RPM hit three. Dutch Mega Albums Chart showed a peak of two. Japanese Oricon LPs Chart climbed to second place. By the 31st of December 1973, American sales totaled 1,294,896 LP copies. Those numbers grew to 5,850,026 by decade end. The September 1993 CD reissue charted at number four in Britain. Austrian Albums Chart ranked it third in 1973. German Albums Chart held positions ranging from twenty-eight down to one between 1973 and 1978.
the 10th of November 2023 marked the release of an expanded version featuring Now and Then. This track served as the group's final original single ever recorded. Nine additional songs appeared on the new edition including Dear Prudence and Blackbird. Six tracks received fresh stereo mixes for this anniversary release. I Am the Walrus got remixed alongside Revolution and Hey Bulldog. Remaining tracks drew from previous reissues like Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: 50th Anniversary Edition. Dolby Atmos surround sound became available for listeners with compatible systems. Vinyl editions came in standard black plus colored variants matching each album theme. A Day in the Life opened cleanly without crossfading to Dear Prudence now.
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Common questions
What was the purpose of the 1967-1970 compilation album released in April 1973?
The United States edition played Strawberry Fields Forever in its original 1966 stereo mix. Penny Lane and Hello Goodbye appeared in mono format instead.
Who designed the outer cover art for the 1967-1970 Beatles compilation album?
Tom Wilkes designed the outer cover art. His credit appears in the bottom left corner of the US paper sleeve.
When did Allen Klein commission an official response to stop unauthorized Beatles bootleg records?
Allen Klein stood at the center of a business storm in 1973. He commissioned an official response to stop these illegal copies.
How many LP copies were sold in America by the 31st of December 1973?
By the 31st of December 1973, American sales totaled 1,294,896 LP copies. Those numbers grew to 5,850,026 by decade end.
What date marked the release of the expanded version featuring Now and Then?
the 10th of November 2023 marked the release of an expanded version featuring Now and Then. This track served as the group's final original single ever recorded.