Today, Monday, November 25th, 2013 marks the fiftieth anniversary of the release of the album "Beatlemania ! With The Beatles" in Canada. On this day 50 years ago, the Beatles' very first North American LP was issued by Capitol Records of Canada. The album's title actually pre-dated the arrival of Beatlemania in North America by almost 3 months.
Here are the Top 10 things you need to know about this iconic Canadian Beatles LP on its 50th. birthday.
1. The Capitol T-6051 album was in fact the very first Beatles album to be issued in North America.
2. It was in reality the second Beatles album recorded for EMI, and featured all new material. The album was a huge advance over its British predecessor, Please Please Me (Parlophone UK, March 22nd, 1963).
3. The Beatlemania! With The Beatles album was identical in track listing to the British release "With The Beatles", which had been issued in England on Friday, November 22nd, just three days before.
4. Paul White and his team at Capitol had gone to exceptional effort to rush release the LP for Canada.
5. The LP was manufactured in Smiths Falls, Ontario by RCA Victor, under contract to Capitol. The album jackets used front slicks manufactured by Parrs on Yonge Street in Toronto. Some initial pressings from November 1963 used a very heavy gauge vinyl and feature a "deep groove" pressing that is noticeably louder. These early pressings are "loud cut" versions.
6. The album was only ever issued for the Canadian market in monophonic, and a stereophonic version was never issued during the 1960s.
7. The album would become the second most popular Canadian Beatles album during the life of the Beatles. It was only outsold in the 1960s by its successor album "Twist And Shout" (Capitol T-6054) which oddly contained earlier material.
8. The cover was modified with the addition of tabloid-style quotes, but otherwise the liner notes and packaging were the same as the British Parlophone "With The Beatles" LP.
9. Capitol created their own single from the LP, "Roll Over Beethoven / Please Mister Postman" (Capitol 72133) and thousands of copies were shipped to the USA in the wake of their appearances on Ed Sullivan.
10. When The Beatles appeared at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto on Monday, September 7th, 1964, Paul White and three other Capitol executives (Geoffrey Racine, Taylor Campbell, Edward Leetham) presented the Beatles with a special award for outstanding Canadian sales of the 1963 Beatlemania ! With The Beatles album.
So then, a very Happy 50th. Birthday to the Beatles very first North American album !
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