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The Beatles' Million Sellers

EP by The Beatles • 6 December 1965 • Parlophone GEP 8946

Beatlemania (1962–1964) — Mod sharpness — sharp suits, sharper hooks.

About this release

The Beatles' Million Sellers is a UK extended play on Parlophone (catalogue GEP 8946), released 6 December 1965. Compilation of four No.1 singles for Christmas 1965.

The recording context is the band's Beatlemania (1962–1964) period, produced by George Martin with Norman Smith engineering. The track(s) were committed at EMI Studios, Abbey Road on Twin-track BTR-2 (1962); Studer J37 four-track from late-1963 via the REDD.37 / REDD.51 valve consoles.

What's distinctive

4 tracks; average length 2:18. Lennon dominates the lead vocals (3/4). Lead writing credit: Lennon–McCartney (3 of 4). 2 marquee song(s) on this release have hand-crafted extended essays.

Tracklist

Side A

Side B

Pattern analysis

Lead vocalists across The Beatles' Million Sellers
4
Lennon 3
McCartney 1
Songwriters credited on The Beatles' Million Sellers
Lennon–McCartney3McCartney1
Track lengths (seconds)
I Want to Hold Your Ha144She Loves You140I Feel Fine139Can't Buy Me Love132

Era technical context

MicrophonesNeumann U47, U48; AKG D19 (drums); STC 4038 (overheads)
OutboardEMI RS124 compressor (Altec 436B mod), EMT 140 plate reverb, STEED tape echo
GuitarsRickenbacker 325 (Lennon), Gretsch Country Gent / Tennessean (Harrison), Höfner 500/1 violin bass (McCartney), Ludwig Oyster Black Pearl kit (Starr)
AmplifiersVox AC30 (TB & non-Top-Boost variants)

References & external databases

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