When I was 11 at boarding school, one of the boys in my dormitory (a lad by the name of Adam Wolf) had a cassette of Beatles Love Songs, a compilation double album released by Capitol Records in 1977. We listened to those cassettes all day every day. Nothing reminds me more of my time in boarding school.
I bought the record myself when I was a bit older. But Beatles Love Songs was long out of print by the time CDs began to replace vinyl, and Capitol has never released the compilation on CD. I sold all my vinyl records (which I had not played for many years) when I left for the United States. This is one of the albums I most regret saying goodbye to.
Now that all my records are stored on my hard disk, however, I have been able to recreate the album simply by making a playlist of the tracks from the original albums. Though it was nearly thirty years ago, I actually remember the track order (though you can just make out the names of the tracks from the above picture of the cover). For the record, here are the songs, and the original albums you will find them on.
Side one: Yesterday (Help!), I’ll Follow the Sun (Beatles for Sale), I Need You (Help!), Girl (Rubber Soul) , In My Life (Rubber Soul), Words of Love (Beatles for Sale), Here, There, and Everywhere (Revolver)
Side two: Something (Abbey Road), And I Love Her (Hard Day’s Night), If I Fell (Hard Day’s Night), I’ll Be Back (Hard Day’s Night), Tell Me What You See (Help!), Yes It Is (Past Masters Vol 1).
Side three: Michelle (Rubber Soul), It’s Only Love (Help!), You’re Gonna Lose That Girl (Help!), Every Little Thing (Beatles for Sale), For No One (Revolver), She’s Leaving Home (Sgt Pepper),
Side four: Long And Winding Road (Let It Be), This Boy (Past Masters Vol 1), Norwegian Wood (Rubber Soul), You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (Help!), I Will (White Album), P.S. I Love You (Please Please Me)
I’m listening to the album I’ve created right now. It sure takes me back. This would have been possible, but time-consuming, in the days before digital music – I could have made a tape of the relevant tracks. Now it is a doddle.
46 responses to “Recreating Beatles Love Songs”
Thanks for this page,it has been really helpful as i have also had your problem.
I have been looking for the Love Songs on CD and no luck. Thank you for clarifying this issue. It was all of the best of the beatles and the words also included. It should be on CD especially since the beatles are coming back again with young people. My child is 13 and loves the Beatles!
Me too, can’t find it anywhere, gave up a while ago. A real shame, a great album.
Great post. I’m glad I found it. Thank you very much.
Just today, incidentally, I posted a somewhat similar story on our new blog at stereophile.com. If you’re interested: http://blog.stereophile.com/stephenmejias/092205not/
My mother was in love with this album, and lost it when my father gave away all of our LPs after buying a new stereo system which had no turntable!
Ugh.
I’m glad you were able to recreate the album on CD.
Hey there Owen –
Thanks so much for the info. I’ve been wanting to recreate this on cd for a while…
Just googled for Beatles and Love Songs and there you where. Thanks for your absoltutely fabulous help. *happy happy*
Hi. This album is by far my most favorate album. I’m still bummed that this album has not been remastered for digital recording. I just don’t understand.
Wow… What memories. I remember buying this LP in 1977(?) or so. My friend and I were complete Beatles’ fanatics. I think we wore grooves in all the Beatles’ albums. Thanks for clarifying the issue AND for the song list. I’ll be recreating this album tonight! Long live the Fab Four.
Thanks for this page. I’ve been looking for this album on CD. I just purchased Help & Rubber Soul on Amazon and am looking forward to listen to them. The first time I listened to The Beatles was when I was ten and in Viet Nam. 🙂
Back in 1977, I received ‘Love Songs The Beatles’ as a gift at Grey Cup ’77 in Montreal. Since then, it has been carefully packed away and still unopened and unplayed.
Does anyone know if this is a valuable collectable?
Two of the songs in your listing are incorrect and no other “Love Songs” fan noticed? Tsk tsk….
“Love Songs” was and is a great double album. From the faux leather to the faux parchment book inside, it’s brilliant through and through. I made my own CD compilation years ago but just stumbled onto your page.
You better fix the song listing error before too many Beatles fans stop by here and burn CDs that don’t accurately represent the “Love Songs” track listing that they remember 😉
Cheers!
Owen replies: Beatles Fan: You are right – I inadvertenly transposed ‘Yes It Is’ and ‘It’s only love’ – now fixed. Thanks.
Thanks for this information, i have been looking for this cd for ages and actually ordered one off a memorabillia site. Obviously i was conned as i have never received the cd! i will be making my own one thanks to the song list you have provided!!
I’ve been lucky enough to find this vinyl among my dad’s possessions the last time I was back in Venezuela. Love it! I was never paying enough attention to the Beatles until I heard this. Love it, just love it.
– Ravel.
I don’t know if this has posted yet, but I will anyways, I have been a Beatle fan myself like everyone here. I just recently downloaded all the 16 cd set which was released on a box set in 88′ I think. And I thought about recreating the The Beatles Love song and that is how I got into this blog. Thanks for putting all the song in order. Anyhow, I have all of them on my iPod and made a playlist of songs how it is listed on the original album. Thank god for the technology I am able to recreate this compilation on a fly. I am in fact I am listening to the playlist I just created during the time of writing this note. Beatles forever…
Thank you, thank you, thank you! My husband gave me this album when we were dating as teenagers and it is packed away at his mother’s home in another state. I’ve been looking for it on CD and now know why I couldn’t find it. I’ll be burning my own CD soon, thanks to your helpful information. Thanks again!
I too bought the vinyl in 1977 and have been searching for a CD version for many years. I can’t think why it hasn’t been remastered onto a CD. Definitely my number one album.
I tried to acquire through e-Bay without success so far. Thanks for info.
Cheers Owen! I had the same thoughts about this compilation.
Amazing that nearly 30 years later I too still automatically start singing the next track if I hear one of the songs on the radio or whatever!!!
Thanks for your help.
Jim
After my cassette of ‘Love Songs’ fell to pieces several years ago, I tried and tried to find another copy. In desperation I ‘Googled’ today and found your site. Wonderful. I am now in the process of making my own CD of what , in my opinion, is one of the best compilations of Beatle songs. Thank you for such an obvious and simple solution, and all the references make it so easy to put together. What an impression it must have made on you to remember the order of songs.
I stopped at traffic lights yesterday and two teenage ‘boy racers’ drew up beside me playing music very loudly. I wound down the window and congratulated them on their choice of music – ‘Help’ by the Beatles. They will live on in their music long after many of today’s ‘stars’ have been forgatten. You have made my day. Thank you again.
Flute 374
Does that mean that the Love Songs cds on the net are fakes?
Great Capitol record compilation of the greatest band of all time!!! I too always loved this double LP. About a year or so ago while surfing the web I came across and downloaded a great sounding ‘Dr. Ebbetts’ remastered stereo copy of the record complete with pristine CD front/back cover & disc art that can be found at bootlegzone.com. ENJOY!
Thanks
Thanks Owen, been trying (without Success) to get hold of this for years. The cassette my mum had was miss placed ages ago much to the disappointment of my sister and I. She and my mum are gonna be thrilled when I present them with your solution x
Thanks man!, I have been looking for the cover art for this compilations for a long time!
hello there i have love songs bouble album on vinyl in perfect condition and i was considering selling
Hi all the album was available on cd but is very hard to get one has just sold on ebay http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Beatles-love-songs-CD-MINT_W0QQitemZ150045274143QQihZ005QQcategoryZ307QQssPageNameZWD2VQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem have seen a couple over the years apart from my own 1 hope this clears things up
here is another interesting link if you are making your own copy has the cd artwork for download http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=SKBL-11711-2
Bought Love Songs in 1977 when a college freshman and played every morning when getting ready – very popular in dorm wing – helped me get through those early up/down dating college days. Still have record although only listen to Beatle CD’s now
Wow, I was 12 yrs old when the Beatles came out in the US. I was an avid Beach Boys feind!! The harmony you know. Well, here are these young Brits with 10,000% melodies, songs to knock your socks off and a mania the US couldn’t get enough of. I was smitten to say the least! The January 1964 Ed Sullivan Show was watched not only by me and my little brother but by our Mom and Grandparents!! They all approved , unheard of in the adult world of 1964!
Fast forward to 1982. My oldest daughter was 15. She knew every Beatles song by heart from me and my albums. For Christmas she bought me "Beatles, Love Songs". I wore the darn thing out and now I can’t find a CD of it!! It is and always be my favorite Beatles album! It’s their heart, soul and young men’s pathos of their era and apparently mine! Only Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band equals it.
Wow, I was 12 yrs old when the Beatles came out in the US. I was an avid Beach Boys feind!! The harmony you know. Well, here are these young Brits with 10,000% melodies, songs to knock your socks off and a mania the US couldn’t get enough of. I was smitten to say the least! The January 1964 Ed Sullivan Show was watched not only by me and my little brother but by our Mom and Grandparents!! They all approved , unheard of in the adult world of 1964!
Fast forward to 1982. My oldest daughter was 15. She knew every Beatles song by heart from me and my albums. For Christmas she bought me "Beatles, Love Songs". I wore the darn thing out and now I can’t find a CD of it!! It is and always be my favorite Beatles album! It’s their heart, soul and young men’s pathos of their era and apparently mine! Only Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Heart’s Club Band equals it.
Hey – several copies available on ebay as we speak…Phil
The "Girl" in Love Songs isn’t the same version as "Girl" on the Rubber Soul CD. It is a remix.
Love Songs is a great album. My wife and I bought the album after we were married in 1978. It is her favorite Beatles album. I still play the vinyl version. During the 60’s and 70’s, Capitol Records had control over Beatles releases in the US, and this was a Capitol release. When the Beatles CD ‘s were released, total control of the The Beatles catalogue was reverted back to British based EMI records, their original label. This was never an official Beatles release in England. That is why there is not an official CD version and Capitol is no longer able to release Beatles material without the consent of EMI and Apple. This is also true of the Beatles "Live at The Hollywood Bowl". Both of these gems should be considered released by EMI. But there is hope as evidence of the Capitol version albums released over the last 2 years, so it could happen. If you see one on Ebay it is a fake and not an official release. So make your own CD’s because it is "The Greatest Music Ever Sold".
I just saw a CD of this compilation listed on ebay. Looks like it could be a real import, but I’m not sure. It might be an option for someone who doesn’t have all the albums required to make their own compilation.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ih=009&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWN%3AIT&viewitem=&item=190055715480&rd=1&rd=1
and I thought that I was the only one… :o)
Why did you delete my original comment?
Bill – To be honest, I can’t remember. Was it an advert?
Apologies if I was trigger happy. I find it hard to keep the spam out and I may have mis-identified it.
Owen
What a super thing you did for all of us moldie oldies……… I really treasure the layout for the CD. I prefer to do my own CD anyway then buy one from Capitol, ugh! Thanks again – you are a true Day Tripper!
Many Thanks! I still have the LP/Vinyl Album… had I known how dificult it is to find it nowdays I would have taken much more care with it… It still plays… only Michelle is damaged, however, how delicious is when on a Sunday afternoon, while droplets of rain are falling in my patio, I can enjoy the music like no other, in its original format with all of its spledour, and the strange and deep feeling in my chest of beautiful days of younger years past… I don’t understand how Capitol Records and Apple seized this experience for the younger generation of fans of a group that is for ever… In the meanwhile, I keep zipping my glass of Merlot at the tune of Yesterday… cheers!
Well I was just whiling away some time updating my wife’s laptop and thought, I know, I’ll do some surfing and try to track down a copy of The Beatles Love Songs, one of the recordings I keep on telling myself I must get on CD and play to the children. Was really interested by this thread so whent to check out all that vinyl that my wife keeps telling me to throw out and sure enough, found my copy of the album.
I still haven’t bothered with ipods as yet but having come across this thread, am now going to look into how I can transfer a copy of the LP across into digital and then into the car….
Its a great compilation and thanks for making me realise that it would be worth the effort.
Speaking of the Beatles, there’s a petition up to have Ringo Starr knighted:
http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Ringostarr/
The idea came from a columnist on the Times (London):
http://timesonline.typepad.com/comme…p_to_supp.html
It’s already received hundreds of signatures and is being backed by press across the world:
http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/news/artslife/story.html?id=6eeda248-0638-44c2-938e-155a031a00ed – Canada National Post
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006580262,00.html – The Sun (London)
Sign away!
Hello! I have recreated this wonderful compilation in my iPod. All I had to do was create a "playlist" and "borrow" the tracks from their respective albums. HOWEVER! If you want to try to recreate it as closely as possible, you must remember that the original "Love Songs" album was in stereo and any tracks from the CD versions of "Please Please Me", "With The Beatles", "A Hard Days Night" and "Beatles For Sale" will all be in mono. That is…………if you stick with the legitimate releases (ahem!). By copying all the Beatles albums from "Please Please Me" through "Yellow Submarine" in both mono and stereo and including original and exclusive US mixes, I have the option of utilizing the stereo mixes of the tracks that are only legitimately available in mono! Fun! Even though "This Boy", "Yes It Is" and "P.S. I Love You" all appear in FAKE stereo on "Love Songs"- the latter of which will never find a true stereo release, I have completely ignored those horrible sounding mock ups and replaced them with the true stereo mixes available on "Past Masters" and the mono "P.S. I Love You". Confusing? Yup. Do I need a life? You betcha! LOL! Here’s how I did it:
Side one: Yesterday (Stereo "Yesterday…And Today" CD) (Pirate), I’ll Follow the Sun (Stereo "Beatles ’65" CD), I Need You (US stereo "Help!" CD), Girl (US stereo "Rubber Soul" CD) , In My Life (US stereo "Rubber Soul" CD), Words of Love (Stereo "Beatles VI" CD), Here, There, and Everywhere (Revolver)
Side two: Something (Abbey Road), And I Love Her (Stereo "Something New" CD), If I Fell (Stereo "Something New" CD), I’ll Be Back (Stereo "Beatles ’65" CD…with all the echo which is featured on the US "Love Songs" album), Tell Me What You See (Stereo "Beatles VI" CD), Yes It Is (Past Masters Vol 1).
Side three: Michelle (US stereo "Rubber Soul" CD), It’s Only Love (US stereo "Rubber Soul" CD), You’re Gonna Lose That Girl (US stereo "Help!" CD), Every Little Thing (Stereo "Beatles VI" CD), For No One (Revolver), She’s Leaving Home (Sgt Pepper),
Side four: Long And Winding Road (Let It Be), This Boy (Past Masters Vol 1), Norwegian Wood (US stereo "Rubber Soul" CD), You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (US stereo "Help!" CD), I Will (White Album), P.S. I Love You (Please Please Me…..though I have the option of using the lame fake stereo mix featured on the pirated stereo "Please Please Me" CD or the legitimate stereo "The Early Beatles")
Brilliant idea!!!
My brother has the original vinyl and also wanted it on CD.
It is not obtainable on CD, so to make it from other CD sources is a great idea.
Ran up against the same problem, although I still have the vinyl; I no longer have a turn-table on my music system. Such an excellent collection of songs; I believe the Beatles were unrivalled when it comes to producing great love ballads! Thx!
This has been an ongoing problem with Capitol records now controlled by Universal holdings.These guys employed young A&R’s without little or no background in music at all.No wonder “Love Songs” will never be released on CD format.I wrote Capitol Records thru E-mail and a physical letter begging for this 2 CD set reissue—–They did not bother to reply —Why would they? they have laid off 50 percent of their staff so,no one will be able to research this particular title on the catalogue again.The solution for this is to hire a knowledgeable “Beatles expert or consultant like Giles Martin but apparently,Giles will never be assigned to the Capitol versions hence,The record might not see the light of day.By the way,These albums are yet to be issued or released by Capitol/EMI. 1.RARITIES 2.A COLLECTION OF BEATLES OLDIES BUT GOLDIES 3.20 GREATEST HITS 4.REEL MUSIC 5.THE BEATLES “BALLADS” 6.ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC also,—-HEY JUDE which was deleted from the U.S. Box set Albums.It’s time for Capitol to wake up and release this long” Out of Print” Beatles record on CD.Make sure that they will do “Love Songs” first.I hope they remaster it with topnotch sound quality emphasizing on the warm sonic tone of the album.E-mail Capitol —-That’s the best thing we can do. Mike From Canada
This is related to “Love Songs” a double dark brown record which EMI Released in 1977.Buyers BEWARE!!!The copies sold on E-Bay,Amazon or elsewhere are “BOOTLEGS”.You should not waste your money –Wait for the official legal release from Universal, that is if they decide to put it out on Cd format.In the meantime,enjoy your scratchy vinyls and perhaps,we have to wait a bit longer.Enjoy/Bye for now. mike