Search - The Beatles :: Introducing The BEATLES / Meet The BEATLES w-11 bonus tracks

The birth of Beatlemania in America!

Timothy Swan | Boring, Oregon USA | 10/19/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Back in early 1964, Americans got their first glimpse into what would eventually become a mass-hysterical phenomenon called "Beatlemania", when these 2 legendary albums were released; Vee-Jay's "Introducing The Beatles" and Capitol's "Meet The Beatles!" Both albums showed how young people in the USA first became acquainted with the group, as these 2 albums were originally released in January 1964 before The Beatles came to America for the first time, when they arrived in New York to appear on The Ed Sullivan Show. The songs featured in these classic LPs were a driving force that surged album sales into new heights and had the songs dominate the radio airwaves. Now, these 2 albums are brought together onto a single CD. Both albums are presented here in their entirety and with the same running order as the original releases. Combining both LPs together, you get a total of 23 recordings, performed with zest and vitality by the lads from Liverpool. It is interesting to note that the only overlap between these 2 albums is the song "I Saw Her Standing There", which appears here twice, as it was featured in each album. You also get such hits as "This Boy", "All My Loving", "Do You Want To Know A Secret?" and "Twist And Shout". The song which launched Beatlemania in the USA, "I Want To Hold Your Hand", is also included. And because this CD contains version two of "Introducing The Beatles", the songs "Ask Me Why" and "Please Please Me" are presented here. In addition to these fine albums, there are also 11 extra bonus tracks included here, as well. Several of these songs were originally performed by The Beatles for the BBC radio network in England. Having these 2 albums together on 1 CD is a real treat for all Beatles fans. It's like being able to go back in time to those first glorious days when The Beatles invaded America and conquered the youth of the world. The epidemic known as "Beatlemania" lives on in this great double-play CD."

Early Beatles bonanza!

James Callahan | Orange County, CA 92677 | 09/18/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I recently became a Beatles fan despite being aware of them as a child and pre-teen.



I especially like their early music; both their own songs and the covers songs they did. It gives you an idea how they compared to other musicians at the time when you hear how their cover songs compare to other prominent artists and also how their originals compared to these. I thinks it also shows a lot of musicianship by the Beatles, that they were able to copy such diverse and popular groups and play them "by ear". They had a huge repertoire!



I recommend this set, although the sound quality will not be up to standards you would expect from a contemporary CD. It is a lot of listening pleasure for the money."

A forgotten Album that changed the world - The worlds best e

rockin randy | denver, colo, usa | 04/17/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Now the new way to rip off the Beatles! A two on one Russian import with 11 super rare BBC early recordings that are not available anywhere. I just had to buy it! After 20 years, introducing the Beatles on CD no more Warped LP sound. Also included the Everly brothers "lucille", Elvis's That's alright mama, An unreleased Beatles original the honey moon song with Paul on vocals. Also I got a woman and I forgot to remember to forget with john on vocals, Cats walk I think this is an original instrmental. I'm torn I feel bad I know I should not buy these bootlegs, but I'm don't get the Beatles? Why was this stuff never released? The only way to get this material and much of it is quite good is through Russia.

The music on this Album changed the world forever! If you love Early Beatles then you will love this one, it is there second record. The Beatles, forced to Include 6 cover songs on this L.P. There are also 6 Lennon / McCartney gems included here. Be careful when buying this L.P. as an investment, there are at least 15 different versions of this Record that I know of. They are currently worth from $10 to about $1800 dependent on which version and condition. It's hard rate this Album, 5 stars because it changed the face of music forever for the better. 5 stars because it contains some of the best songs ever (I saw her standing there, Please Please me, Do you want to know a secret). 3 stars because of the way the corporate idiots forced this effort to be about doing other peoples songs COVERS!! Oh but wait, the song "Chains: is one of my favorite Beatles songs, a song written by Louse Goffin and Carl King. 1 Star because if your holding a copy of Vee Jay's Introducing the Beatles and you did not buy it in the U.K. between 1962-1963 you probably have a bootlegged poor quality L.P.. Plenty has been written about the music I would like to tell a much lesser known tale of the rip off of the Beatles that this L.P. represents.

In 1962 the Beatles had been turned down by every major label on both sides of the ocean. Desperate they singed on with Vee Jay Records. Standard Pay at the time was .25 per record, the deal the Beatles got .01 cent per L.P. sold. A guy named Dick James gets 55% of that. The remaining 45 one hundredths of a cent would be split up equally between the 4 Beatles and Brian Epstien. That's a Whopping .09 cents for each record sold! If that wasn't bad enough when the Beatles finally got recognized in America Capital records realized they owned Vee Jay records and forced the Beatles onto Capital records for the same bad deal. At the same time Jay Lasker head of Vee Jay rushed into the production of its version of introducing the Beatles. An estimated 10,000,000 Vee Jay records where sold Illegally and without even paying the 1 penny to the Beatles! Also these sales did not count in the total sales figures. At about that same time Capital records released there version of Introducing the Beatles called Early Beatles (same songs minus a couple of songs that could be released in America at a later date). But there was still some more shenanigans ahead for this record. I got my copy in about 1975 at Kmart there was pile of Vee Jay records about 500 selling for 2.99 each. I was a big fan and knew these where rare records. The book value at the time was about $100 dollars new. The Beatles heard about this also, it didn't make sense the record was out of production for 10 years where were all these new copy's coming from? At the time almost anyone who sold L.P.'s had at least a case or more? The Beatles had to hire a private investigator to find out. It turned out that one of the executives at Capital was making copies of the Vee Jay L.P.`s at an illegal plant just down the road from Capital records and then slipping them into Capitals distribution. Once again cheating the Beatles out of there 1 cent and not counting toward there total sales figures. It also gave the Beatles a bad name because the quality of these bootlegged L.P.s were extremely poor. My copy has the center hole punched off center causing it to sound warped!"