The Beatles: A Hard Day's Night (soundtrack, US mono edition) [UNITED ARTISTS / APPLE]

Why you'll love it

This 180g mono edition recreates the original U.S. United Artists album, cut analogue from the original master tapes with a fold-out essay insert. It holds "Can't Buy Me Love" and the title song, both transatlantic No. 1 singles.

This edition

• 180g vinyl
• Mono
• Analogue cut from the original master tapes
• Fold-out insert with essay
• Replica United Artists inner sleeve
• Pressed in France

About the album

American fans actually got A Hard Day's Night first. United Artists put out this soundtrack version on June 26, 1964, two weeks before Parlophone's British LP, with its own running order and four of George Martin's orchestral pieces from the film in among the songs.

It was the first Beatles album made up entirely of Lennon/McCartney originals. The title song opens with that famous ringing chord, "If I Fell" and "And I Love Her" show the band's tender side, George Harrison sings "I'm Happy Just to Dance with You," and "Tell Me Why" and "I Should Have Known Better" are pure Beatlemania. Harrison's Rickenbacker 12-string all over the record went on to shape the jangle of The Byrds. Martin's instrumentals include "Ringo's Theme (This Boy)." All the vocal tracks were produced by Martin in London, then United Artists compiled the album in the U.S., which is why the running order differs from the British LP.

The film, scripted by Alun Owen, followed the band through a fictional day and a half of being chased. Sixty years later, the music still sounds like it's running slightly ahead of the crowd.

Also at Kops: more The Beatles on vinyl · browse Rock

Tracklist

Listen

On United Artists / Apple (cat# UAL 3366), a reissue of the 1964 soundtrack.