The Beatles' Story

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Template:For Template:EngvarB Template:Use dmy dates {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |{{#if: 23 November 1964 | Template:Short description}}}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=Hear the Beatles Tell All1964Beatles '651964otherThe Beatles' StoryBeatlesstoryalbumcover.jpgyesthe Beatles23 November 1964Hollywood Bowl, Los AngelesCapitol Records BuildingDocumentary, interview49:22CapitolGary Usher, Roger ChristianThe Beatles North Americanx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} The Beatles' Story is the sixth album by the English rock band the Beatles in the United States, issued on 23 November 1964 by Capitol Records. It is a documentary double album featuring interviews, press conferences, and snippets of original or orchestral versions of Beatles songs, with voice-over narration. The album's original liner notes described it as a "narrative and musical biography" of Beatlemania.Template:Sfn It was produced by Los Angeles–based songwriter and producer Gary Usher and disc jockey and lyricist Roger Christian, and narrated by John Babcock, Al Wiman and Christian.

Capitol issued the album in response to the Vee-Jay Records LP Hear the Beatles Tell All, a compilation of radio interviews with the band carried out by Los Angeles disc jockeys.Template:Sfn The company also sought to compete with unauthorised Beatles interview records issued by the Radio Pulse Beat label, which released three such LPs hosted by Ed Rudy.Template:Sfn The Beatles' Story peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top LPs chart and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America. In 2014, Capitol reissued the album as part of the Beatles' The U.S. Albums box set.

Development

Originally, Capitol Records intended to create an album from the group's show at the Hollywood Bowl,<ref name="Erlwine/AM" /> which took place on 23 August 1964.Template:Sfn A recording was made of the concert,Template:Sfn but the Beatles and their producer, George Martin, deemed it of insufficient quality due to the poor sound and the volume of the fans' screaming.Template:Sfn The Beatles' Story nevertheless contains a 48-secondTemplate:Sfn excerpt of "Twist and Shout" from the Hollywood Bowl performance.Template:Sfn It was the first record to include a recording of the Beatles in concert.Template:Sfn

Using audio from interviews and press conferences, interspersed with music,Template:Sfn The Beatles Story was produced by Gary Usher and Roger Christian.Template:Sfn Among the segments were items devoted to each of the four Beatles – John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr – and others on their manager, Brian Epstein, and Martin.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Hollyridge Strings performed the easy listening versions of the Beatles' songs heard on the album.Template:Sfn The voice-over commentary was written and narrated by John Babcock and, on behalf of radio station KFWB of Hollywood,<ref>Template:Cite AV media notes</ref> Al Wiman and Christian.Template:Sfn

Release and reception

Template:Album ratings Capitol released The Beatles' Story in the US on 23 November 1964,Template:Sfn on the same day as the band's "I Feel Fine" single.Template:Sfn The front cover of the LP contained individual photos of the band members, taken by photographer Joe Covello, above a Union Jack.Template:Sfn The album spent 17 weeks on the Billboard Top LPs chart.Template:Sfn It peaked at number 7 on 2 January 1965 and remained in that position for three further weeks while the band's new studio album, Beatles '65, was number 1.Template:Sfn The Beatles' Story was certified a gold record by the RIAA on 31 December 1964.Template:Sfn<ref>Template:Cite certification</ref> It was the Beatles' fifth Capitol album, all of which had been released within a year of the band's commercial breakthrough in the US.Template:Sfn Author Barry Miles comments that the documentary record was "blatantly exploitative" but this was insufficient to deter American fans.Template:Sfn

The album was also issued in Canada. It was released by Toshiba EMI in Japan on the Apple label (in stereo) in a box set with a deluxe 24-page 12"x12" booklet that contains the entire text of the script in English and Japanese.Template:Citation needed The album was being prepared for release on digital audio tape in 1996, but when the format failed commercially the plan was scrapped.Template:Citation needed

In 2014, The Beatles' Story was made available on CD for the first time as part of the Beatles' box set The U.S. Albums.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic describes it as "a tedious neo-documentary record" and "cornball show biz, with radio announcers delivering a spit-shined script designed to bridge segments between canned interviews".<ref name="Erlwine/AM" /> In his review for the Toronto Sun, Darryl Sterdan said The Beatles' Story was a "cash-grab" by the record company and a "50-minute mish-mash ... dashed off for early Christmas shoppers". He added: "Amazingly, it went gold. This one is also new on CD. Really, they needn't have bothered."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Track listing

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Songs

Portions of the following songs appear on the album:Template:Sfn

Charts and certifications

Chart performance

Chart (1964) Peak
position
US Billboard Top LPs<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation CitationClass=web

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7

Certifications

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See also

References

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Sources

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