US version of the Beatles Help

Is the US version of the Beatles Help worth getting on LP?

 

Only if it's very cheap. I think it's horrible. The sound is awful - Ticket to Ride is in fake stereo. The soundtrack songs are interspersed with Jame Bond Indian music set to Beatles songs (A Hard Days Night, From Me To You, and others I think). Of all of the Capitol albums, this has to be the absolute worst.

 

Yep, it's blah.

It has the James Bond intro to the title track, and the rest is either poorly mastered Beatle tracks or the incidental music, which really could only be desireable if you like that sort of thing....

If you find like an Orange Label Capitol for cheep (like I did years ago) then bite. Other than that, nothing big.

 

I agree with all the sentiments above, but for me this version of Help! brings back many memories of enjoying this when I was a kid back in the 60's when I gave it endless spins.

The Japanese Apple Lp doesn't sound that great either.

The back photo of the group ranks amoung one of my favorites though.

 

A classic 'is what it is' album...the stereo edition of worthwhile mainly for the Bond-intro of "Help!" and Ken Thorne's incidental music, which is nice to have. The mono Lp is a better listening experience for the Beatles' stuff, though of course the original UK is still the best. But yeah, if you can get it cheap, good for reference and, like John, brings back pleasant youthful memories for me, a time when sound quality wasn't even a consideration.

 

The U.S. mono Help! LP is nothing special either, as it is a fold-down of the stereo.

Paul

 

Well, first of all, the whole thing isn't a fold-down, since the mono master for "Ticket To Ride" must have been used for the mono Lp...but even so, taking into account the fold-down for other tracks, for 1965, that would make it kinda unique, since that wasn't exactly common back then, even if the sound isn't any great shakes...

 

I'm going to go against the grain here and say I do enjoy this album. It brings back great memories of the film. I don't mind the Indian music at all. I don't listen to this album a lot but when I do I enjoy it. I will agree about the re-channeled job on "Ticket To Ride," one of the worst fake stereo songs you will ever hear.

I have the United Artists "A Hard Day's Night" and the Capitol "Help!" soundtrack on one CD-R that I do listen to every once in a while. To each his own, I guess.

 

I remember the US album well. I have fond memories of it, but I also have fond memories of my wind up Jack In The Box. The British version is the one to have!

 

I love this Album! There's an excellent version on the Beat Capital Versions Series on Cee Dee! I enjoy the instrumental music just as much.

 

Thanks for reminding me Joe. I also have a A Hard Day's Night / Help! soundtrack on CD-R that I made last year; mono of course. Think I'll give it a spin on the way to work today. I do agree though, that the U.S. Help! is not a great LP, especially the stereo version. The instrumental music on AHDN for me is much better.

I have 4 or 5 copies on vinyl including a couple of mono black rainbow Capitols, green target stereo Capitol, and a Japanese Apple stereo. The fake stereo "Ticket To Ride" is very bad.

 

ditto

I was just listening to this CD this morning on the way to work ("Capitol Versions" on BEAT).
The American Help LP on this label sounds very nice with a clean CD transfer.

Joe L.

 

I too have the Japanese Apple (AP-80060). I think it is the best of the lot of the US version. It really does bring back the memories and I too really enjoy it when i play it. I think the last time i played it i noticed the problems on TTR, I will have to listen again soon.

 

Yup, From tape, not a needle drop! and 2 fers to boot!
That series is irreplaceable

 

Y'know, it's been a long time since I've heard the song, "Help" with the James Bond intro, but I can remember a time when I thought that it was part of the song.

It was BETTER that way!

Can't speak to the rest of the album, though!

 

Ed, please check the "Ticket To Ride" mono again. It is a fold-down of the fake stereo mix. I'm pretty sure anyway. Capitol added reverb to the fake stereo mix and the reverb is there on the "mono" mix.

Check out Lennon's vocal especially on the elongated words: e.g. "I think it's today.......... yeah" and "is going away" throughout the song. Also compare Ringo's big downbeat on the last chorus before the coda. I do not know if this reverbed mix appeared on the U.S. single or any other Capitol LPs.

I pointed all this of this out to Joseph Brennan for his webiste and he included the US mono as another variation.

 

Your AP series Apple LP I'm betting probably sounds better than the later EAS series which I have. But that fake stereo Ticket To Ride sounds crappy all across the board.

 

All of the Beatle tracks on the Capitol mono pressing are Capitol "mono type B" mixes(folddowns of the stereo mixes), except "Ticket To Ride",which was taken from the Capitol 45 master. I have read this in numerous places, but after listening to "Ticket" it sounds more like a fold down of the Capitol fake stereo mix....a lot of reverb. I guess I have to go back and listen to the Capitol 45 again before I decide.

JF

 

Again, the "Ticket To Ride" Capitol 45 may be the drier UK mix but the one on the mono LP is not. Keep in mind that Capitol used the correct mix for the "Help!" 45 but used a fold-down of the stereo mix on the LP.

 

OK, The US Help Stereo LP used a Mono TTR, added reverb and processed it into Fake Stereo!...That was then folded down to mono on the American mono Help! LP! Go figure

 

Is it true that the Dr. Ebbetts discs are sometimes just clones of the BEAT discs? Somebody mentioned this once....

 

Yes, They are clones...

How coincidental...I watched the 6th Day tonight with Arnold!

 

I have this album on a CD that came from an east coast sound engineer, and it is mastered from a superb tape source. He has substituted the true stereo TTR.

It is vastly superior to the Beat disc.

 

I have it on Japanese EAS LP. Full stereo & the best version out there.

 

The Japanese EAS release is a clone of the US LP,including the duophonic "Ticket To Ride".

JF