The Beatles
Yesterday And Today

Artist: The Beatles
Title: Yesterday And Today
Release Year: 1966
Pressing Year: 1968 (reissue, repress)
Label: Capitol Records
Catalog Number: ST 2553
Run-Out Etching: ST-1-2553 W4
Run-Out Stamping: ^ δ
Format: 33 RPM • 12” Album • Stereo
UPC: none

By the spring of 1966, The Beatles were neck-deep into the making of the ’Revolver’ album. When confronted with the proposed release of an 11-song U.S.-only album — ’Yesterday ... And Today’ — which assembled a bunch of singles and leftover U.K. LP tracks, they offered up the notorious "butcher” cover photograph. Depicting the quartet in butcher smocks while handling cuts of meat and pieces of dismembered baby dolls, it was a hodgepodge of satire, protest, and bad-taste foolishness. Somehow, Capitol Records' executives approved the initial design, but (oddly enough) most people were offended by the imagery. A new, tamer photo (the “trunk” cover) replaced the original, and untold thousands of copies of the original "butcher cover" sleeves were pasted over with the new picture. In the end, between the junking of artwork and some jackets, and the overtime needed to salvage the inventory, this album ended up as the only U.S. Beatles album to show a loss on Capitol's books.

As for the album itself, Capitol assembled four songs that had been removed from the British version of ’Rubber Soul, the singles Yesterday, We Can Work It Out, and Day Tripper, a pair of B-sides, and offered a "preview" of the upcoming ’Revolver’ album (released seven weeks later) in the form of And Your Bird Can Sing, I’m Only Sleeping, and Doctor Robert. If you're interested in alternate mixes of songs, this album on original vinyl is still worthwhile with the work-in-progress mixes of the three ’Revolver’ tunes, especially the different backward guitar lines of I'm Only Sleeping.

Despite origins ranging across 18 months of the band's history, this album hangs together very well, with the country-influenced Act Naturally and What Goes On -- both heavily featuring Ringo Starr -- adding some unexpected roots rock elements amid the cutting-edge, riff-driven glories of Day Tripper and others, and the latter contrasting beautifully with Paul McCartney’s romantic classic Yesterday. Despite being thrown together in a blender, the album could stand next to almost any of the competition in the summer of 1966, though it became clear with the release of ’Revolver’ two months later, that the band had left most of the sounds represented here far behind them.

Personnel: John Lennon (vocals, guitars, harmonium); Paul McCartney (vocals, bass, guitars, piano); George Harrison (vocals, guitars, percussion); Ringo Starr (vocals, drums, percussion); George Martin (harmonium).

VINYL GRADE: VG
Notes: Light surface noise. A good thorough cleaning will perk this one up considerably. No warping.

LABEL GRADE: VG+
Notes: No spindle marks, ring wear, tape, or writing. White Capitol logo in light-blue oval at top of label. Text is silver on black. Rainbow ring around the edge of the label.

SLEEVE GRADE: VG
Notes: Original plain white paper. No tape, no writing, no marks, no stains, some crinkling, some yellowing. Two-and-a-quarter inch split at center of bottom edge.

JACKET GRADE: VG
Notes: Visible ring wear, no marks, no tape, no writing, no tape, no stains, some crinkles. Edges and corners are lightly worn. Spine (readable) is in poor shape. (See my original scan.) Factory designator number 3 is on lower right corner on back of jacket.

Shipping is $4.49. NOTE: I will NOT be responsible for items lost or damaged in the mail.

Combined shipping: I will be happy to combine multiple items. If you buy more than one item from me, the shipping cost will be the highest original shipping fee plus $1 per additional item.

Payment and international shipping managed by eBay.

This is not a cut-out or a record-club issue. It is the original issue.

Note: I haven't cleaned this 56-year-old vinyl record because everybody seems to prefer their own methods. I'll leave the cleaning up to the buyer. Also, I'm not a professional vinyl seller or buyer. This comes from my own collection. Bought at Leggett’s Dept Store, downtown Radford VA.

Enjoy the auction — and good luck!