The Beatles with Neil Aspinall, Murray “The K” Kaufman, and Miami Police Sgt. Buddy Dresner, February 1964
In November, 1964, Capitol Records released a 2-disc LP called The Beatles’ Story. It’s missing from the otherwise excellent series The Beatles: The Capitol Albums. The record was produced by Gary Usher and Roger Christian, both of whom had worked with Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys.
I’ll post each side of The Beatles’ Story separately, taken from a 70’s pressing. The album would have fit on a single disc, and thanks to it being so short, there was plenty of real estate to get an exceptionally good cut on the master. As a result, the sound quality is noticeably dynamic and full.
I’m glad you said Elliot Mintz can sound silly, because every time I heard him hosting “The Lost Lennon Tapes” he sounded so self-important and unctuous.
I bought this LP in the 70’s and at the time,the only thing I found interesting about it was the Hollywood Bowl concert snippet that opened side 4(The H’wood Bowl LP was still a couple of years away). Anyway, listening to it now,I find it suprisingly good. The narraration is sometimes a little overdone (Roger Christian can be even sillier sounding than Elliot Mintz) and the self-congratulation on Capitol Records’ part is simply ridiculous (notice how they convieniently sidestep Capitol’s refusal to issue the Beatles’ first few records) but otherwise,it’s fun to hear again. Just Jelly Babies and good clean fun!
Who needs “The Anthology” when we’ve had “The Beatles Story” for all these years! That’s “The Hollyridge Strings” in the background, conducted and produced by Stu Phillips. A few years later, he did the background music for the Monkees TV show! I have a few Hollyridge Strings cd’s and they’re fun to listen to if you want to get into an “Easy Listening Beatle Mood”.
The photograph was definitely posed, and was taken by Dezo Hoffman.
Leslie had just turned 13 when “The Beatles Story” was released.
One more insight, from a woman. Hearing girls talk and cry about their “crushes” on the Beatles, etc., was probably too embarrassing for Leslie to share with the rest of us Pratt kids. Remember, she was only about what, 14 or 15 when this came out? I know I lived in terror of anybody mentioning the name of my current crushes (remember when you sang “Alfred Mascia” to the tune of “Silver Bells?” I could have KILLED you then; now, it’s a great story for Molly. 😉
To quote Ed McMahon: “You are correct, sir!” Now, my comment on the photo above with Neil and the Miami fuzz: Whoever took it either posed it or was lucky to get an inadvertent good composition. John staring straight into the camera as if dissociated with what is going on is very intriguing.
(Our sister) Leslie owned this album for not even one day! She listened to it once and had Dad return it to Caldor. I bought this copy used at a record store in the early 80’s.
Wow! I forgot about this. I am assuming that this was Leslie’s copy? Is the background music from the infamous Hollywood Strings cover album of Beatles music? This post is great fun to listen to; somehow I missed it the day you posted it!