[Review] The Beatles: The Beatles’ Hits (1963)
A double-single package to feed the faithful during the interminable wait for something new.
Kronomyth 1.8: Love me deux.
This is just a few of The Beatles’ recent singles, “From Me to You” b/w “Thank You Girl,” “Love Me Do” and “Please Please Me,” pressed into a single extended 7-inch disc with a nice picture of the lads for the ladies (an inverted version of this photo would grace the cover of Introducing The Beatles). Less than a year had passed since the original singles had been released, and yet such was the power of The Beatles that this seemingly superfluous EP reached #14 on the UK charts and was even reissued. What’s here is some of the best of the early Beatles, although Thank You Girl has slipped into deserved obscurity. Sung by John with harmony vocals by John (again) and Paul, “Thank You Girl” can be filed under “wannabe everly” and forgotten. If I haven’t mentioned this before, I don’t really expect to have anything to add to The Beatles in terms of criticism or insight, since their every accomplishment has been magnified and placed under a microscope.
Original 7-inch EP version
A1. From Me to You (Paul McCartney/John Lennon)
A2. Thank You Girl (Paul McCartney/John Lennon)
B1. Please Please Me (Paul McCartney/John Lennon)
B2. Love Me Do (Paul McCartney/John Lennon)
The Plastic
Released on 7-inch EP on September 6, 1963 in the UK (Parlophone, GEP 8880). Reached #14 on the UK charts.
Here’s a sigh for the days — those crazy late 1970s — when The Beatles weren’t demanding a big chunk of mindshare every few months, and one could laugh heartily at a spoof like The Rutles. Well, it’s not The Beatles’ fault I suppose. But someone is making damn sure that we will never forget them — as if we ever could.