Capitol Records

The American label that packaged the Beatles for US fans.

Capitol Records was the American record label that released the Beatles' music in the United States, beginning with the band's commercial breakthrough in the US. The label issued The Beatles' Story on 23 November 1964, a documentary double album featuring interviews, press conferences, and snippets of songs, with voice-over narration. It was produced by Gary Usher and Roger Christian, and narrated by John Babcock, Al Wiman, and Christian. The album peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Top LPs chart for one week (the week ending 2 January 1965) and was certified gold by the RIAA on 31 December 1964. Capitol also reissued the album in 2014 as part of The U.S. Albums box set.

Quick Facts

Parent

Universal Music Group (2012–present)
Previously
EMI (1955–1979; 1996–2012)
Thorn EMI (1979–1996)

Founded

27 March 1942 (as Liberty Records); 8 April 1942 (as Capitol Records)

Founder

Johnny Mercer
Buddy DeSylva
Glenn Wallichs

Country

United States

Facts from the source article.

Lore & Background

Capitol Records originally intended to create an album from the Beatles' show at the Hollywood Bowl on 23 August 1964, but the recording was deemed of insufficient quality due to poor sound and the volume of fans' screaming. Instead, The Beatles' Story included a 1-minute-and-2-second excerpt of "Twist and Shout" from that performance, making it the first US album to include a live concert recording. The album was produced by Los Angeles–based songwriter Gary Usher and disc jockey Roger Christian, with voice-over commentary written and narrated by John Babcock, Al Wiman, and Christian. The Hollyridge Strings performed easy listening versions of Beatles songs heard on the album. Capitol issued the album in response to the Vee-Jay Records LP Hear the Beatles Tell All and to compete with unauthorised Beatles interview records by the Radio Pulse Beat label.

Reader's Guide

Capitol Records served as the Beatles' primary US distributor during the band's active years, releasing albums adapted for the American market. The label's key action was repackaging albums for the US, as seen with The Beatles' Story, a documentary double album that was not a standard studio release. The album was produced by Gary Usher and Roger Christian, and narrated by John Babcock, Al Wiman, and Christian. It included segments devoted to each of the four Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—as well as their manager Brian Epstein and producer George Martin. The Hollyridge Strings performed easy listening versions of Beatles songs. The album was also issued in Canada and later in Japan by Toshiba EMI on the Apple label with a deluxe booklet. In 2014, Capitol reissued the album on CD for the first time as part of The U.S. Albums box set.