This album was a quick “cash-in” attempt to exploit the Beatles’ sudden rise in popularity, yet it offered very little genuine Beatles content. While most tracks have some association with the group, only four were actually performed by The Beatles. The remaining songs were by a little-known band called The Swallows. None of the four "authentic" Beatles tracks were written by the group themselves, and two had already appeared as a single the previous summer. Unsurprisingly, the album failed to chart.
Availability
This sole variation was released in late 1964, debuting on October 5, 1964. As noted by Piers Hemmingsen in his Discography Book Pt. 2, it was likely overshadowed during the holiday season by two far more appealing releases featuring genuinely new material: Beatles ’65 and The Beatles’ Story.
General Information
This album stands as a textbook example of a “cash-in” compilation. Since ATCO / London Records did not own the rights to any of Capitol’s Beatles recordings, the label capitalized on the band’s fame by promoting them prominently as the main act, while actually using only a few older Tony Sheridan–era tracks they were legally entitled to release under prior agreements (e.g., the Ain’t She Sweet single).
Like earlier compilations, this was an American production but was also issued in Canada, featuring a Canadian disc and cover, distributed by London Records for ATCO Records. The set included just two “new” Beatles tracks, as Ain’t She Sweet and Nobody’s Child had already appeared months earlier as a 45. Unsurprisingly, the album offered little appeal to Canadian fans and performed poorly. Overshadowed by stronger releases such as Beatles ’65 during the holiday season, it quickly ended up in bargain bins—many copies bearing the telltale delete hole through the cover.
Pressing Information
This mono-only edition was manufactured by Compo in Lachine, near Montreal, for London Records, which handled ATCO’s Canadian distribution. It features the earlier black-and-silver ATCO label and hand-etched matrix numbers. Additional markings appear in the trail-off area, including a stamped “CA2,” a handwritten “M,” and “AT.” The handwritten matrix suggests that the master was most likely prepared in Canada from tapes supplied by ATCO in the U.S., either at London Records or through a contracted third-party mastering facility.
C-12129-C CA2 AT M
C-12130-C ☖ AT M
Cover
Although the artwork closely mirrored its U.S. counterpart, the covers were produced in Canada and featured a distinct Canadian back slick referencing London Records. No stereo version of the cover was ever manufactured in Canada since it was only released in MONO up in the Great White North.
Packaging
These were packaged in a tight shrink wrap and records were housed directly inside the jacket, without any inner sleeve.