The Beatles Ballads is a compilation album featuring a selection of ballad songs by the English rock band the Beatles. The album was not released in the United States, but in Mexico, the United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Italy, Spain, India, Japan, South Korea and Australia. In Australia, the album was a big success, spending seven weeks at number one. It reached number 17 in the UK.

The Beatles Ballads
Compilation album by
Released13 October 1980
Recorded1963–1970 at EMI, Trident and Apple studios, London
GenreRock
Length59:00
LabelParlophone
ProducerGeorge Martin and Phil Spector
The Beatles British chronology
Rarities
(1978)
The Beatles Ballads
(1980)
The Beatles Box
(1980)

The cover art by "Patrick" (John Byrne) is often incorrectly cited as being made as a potential album cover for The Beatles ("The White Album"); however, it was originally created for Alan Aldridge's The Beatles Illustrated Lyrics.[1]

The album was released in 1985 on LP and cassette under the EMI-ODEON label in Brazil using identical front and back cover art. It has never been officially released on compact disc.

Track listing edit

All songs written by Lennon–McCartney, except where indicated.

Despite a running time of almost one hour, the vinyl edition of this release has only ever been available as a single LP, rather than as a double set as sometimes presumed.[2][3] "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" is the 1977 mix first used on the Love Songs compilation. The rest of the songs appear in their original stereo mixes, although four of these - "Yesterday", "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away", "She's Leaving Home" and "Here, There and Everywhere" - had the left and right channels reversed, as on Love Songs. In South Korea, "Norwegian Wood" was censored until 1993, so it was replaced with "Girl".

Side one
  1. "Yesterday" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  2. "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" (lead singer: John Lennon)
  3. "Do You Want to Know a Secret" (lead singer: George Harrison)
  4. "For No One" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  5. "Michelle" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  6. "Nowhere Man" (lead singer: John Lennon)
  7. "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" (lead singer: John Lennon)
  8. "Across the Universe" ("Wildlife" version from a British various artists charity album titled No One's Gonna Change Our World) (lead singer: John Lennon)
  9. "All My Loving" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  10. "Hey Jude" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
Side two
  1. "Something" (George Harrison) (lead singer: George Harrison)
  2. "The Fool on the Hill" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  3. "Till There Was You" (Willson) (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  4. "The Long and Winding Road" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  5. "Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison) (lead singer: George Harrison)
  6. "Blackbird" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  7. "And I Love Her" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  8. "She's Leaving Home" (lead singer: Paul McCartney, John Lennon)
  9. "Here, There and Everywhere" (lead singer: Paul McCartney)
  10. "Let It Be" (Single version) (lead singer: Paul McCartney)

Charts edit

References edit

  1. ^ https://www.beatlesbible.com/forum/albums/white-album/unused-artwork-for-the-self-titled-album/#google_vignette
  2. ^ [1] Archived March 2, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ "The Beatles Ballads". Norwegianwood.org. 20 October 1980. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
  4. ^ Kent, David (2005). Australian Chart Book (1940–1969). Turramurra: Australian Chart Book. ISBN 0-646-44439-5.
  5. ^ "Top RPM Albums: Issue 0898". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  6. ^ "Charts.nz – The Beatles – Rarities". Hung Medien. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  7. ^ "The Beatles | Artist | Official Charts". UK Albums Chart. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  8. ^ "Major fight economics with quirky rock originals". Billboard. 12 June 1982. Retrieved 14 September 2018.
  9. ^ "Canadian album certifications – The Beatles – The Beatles Ballads". Music Canada. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
  10. ^ "IFPIHK Gold Disc Award − 1982". IFPI Hong Kong. Retrieved 22 April 2020.
  11. ^ "New Zealand album certifications – The Beatles – The Beatles Ballads". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 16 November 2019.
  12. ^ "British album certifications – The Beatles – The Beatles Ballads". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved 17 May 2016.

External links edit