Beatlopedia

Di solito la voce "Discografia" di un artista è una specie di agile sommario della sua parabola artistica ed esistenziale. Se oggi ci piace considerare i dischi (gli LP, soprattutto) come capitoli di una biografia, lo dobbiamo anche ai Beatles che sin dall'inizio cercarono di dare a ogni disco un'identità diversa dal precedente, una cosa che oggi sembra scontata ma nel 1963 no. Questa idea che i dischi dei Beatles fossero qualcosa di più di mere collezioni di canzoni ci mise un po' a passare, e nel frattempo i discografici più o meno speculatori avevano creato il caos (soprattutto in America). Un ginepraio di uscite in cui non ha senso infilarsi.

Qui sotto c'è solo un'agile mappa delle uscite dei Beatles. Ci sono i dodici LP 'canonici', ovvero gli undici pubblicati nel Regno Unito più la versione americana di Magical Mystery Tour, che contiene altri singoli importanti del 1967 e che sempre più spesso vedo inserita nel canone. C'è anche la colonna sonora originale di Yellow Submarine, ma solo il primo lato (nel secondo ci sono i brani strumentali di George Martin, che di solito non sono attribuiti ai Beatles). Ci sono i singoli, ma solo quelli usciti nel Regno Unito che non sono stati stampati su un album tra il 1962 e il 1970. Per lo stesso motivo c'è l'EP Long Tall Sally. Ci sono altri insiemi di canzoni che erano inedite fino all'uscita di Anthology e di altri cofanetti celebrativi, e per ora questo è tutto.



1963

Please Please Me (album, 22/3/1963, LP Parlophone).
– I Saw Her Standing There – Misery – Anna (Go To Him) – Chains – Boys – Ask Me Why – Please Please Me
– Love Me Do – PS I Love You – Baby It's You – Do You Want To Know A Secret – A Taste Of Honey – There's A Place – Twist And Shout

– From Me to You – Thank You Girl (singolo, Parlophone, 11/4/1963)

– She Loves You – I'll Get You (singolo, Parlophone, 23/8/1963)

With The Beatles (22/11/1963, Parlophone)
– It Won't Be Long – All I've Got To Do – All My Loving – Don't Bother Me – Little Child – Till There Was You – Please Mister Postman
– Roll Over Beethoven – Hold Me Tight – You Really Got A Hold On Me – I Wanna Be Your Man – Devil In Her Heart – Not A Second Time – Money (That's What I Want)

– I Want to Hold Your Hand – This Boy (singolo, Parlophone, 29/11/1963)

1964

Long Tall Sally (Extended Play, 19/6/1964, Parlophone).
– Long Tall Sally – I Call Your Name
– Slow Down – Matchbox

A Hard Day's Night (10/7/1964, Parlophone)
– A Hard Day's Night – I Should Have Known Better – If I Fell – I'm Happy Just To Dance With You – And I Love Her – Tell Me Why – Can't Buy Me Love
– Any Time At All – I'll Cry Instead – Things We Said Today – When I Get Home – You Can't Do That – I'll Be Back

– I Feel Fine – She's a Woman (singolo, 23/11/1964, Parlophone)

Beatles For Sale (4/12/1964, Parlophone)
– No Reply – I'm A Loser – Baby's In Black – Rock And Roll Music – I'll Follow The Sun – Mr Moonlight – Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!
– Eight Days A Week – Words Of Love – Honey Don't – Every Little Thing – I Don't Want To Spoil The Party – What You're Doing – Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby


1965

– Ticket to Ride – Yes It Is (singolo, 9/4/1965, Parlophone)

Help! (6/8/1965, Parlophone)
– Help! – The Night Before – You've Got To Hide Your Love Away – I Need You – Another Girl – You're Going To Lose That Girl – Ticket To Ride
– Act Naturally – It's Only Love – You Like Me Too Much – Tell Me What You See – I've Just Seen A Face – Yesterday – Dizzy Miss Lizzy

– Help! – I'm Down (singolo, 19/7/1965, Parlophone)

Rubber Soul (3/12/1965, Parlophone)
– Drive My Car – Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) – You Won't See Me – Nowhere Man – Think For Yourself – The Word – Michelle
– What Goes On – Girl – I'm Looking Through You – In My Life – Wait – If I Needed Someone – Run For Your Life

– We Can Work It Out – Day Tripper (3/12/1965, singolo, Parlophone)


1966

– Paperback Writer – Rain (singolo, 30/5/1966, Parlophone)

Revolver (5/8/1966, Parlophone)
– Taxman – Eleanor Rigby – I'm Only Sleeping – Love You To – Here, There And Everywhere – Yellow Submarine – She Said She Said
– Good Day Sunshine – And Your Bird Can Sing – For No One – Doctor Robert – I Want To Tell You – Got To Get You Into My Life – Tomorrow Never Knows


1967

Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1/6/1967, Parlophone)
– Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band – With A Little Help From My Friends – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds – Getting Better – Fixing A Hole – She's Leaving Home – Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!
– Within You Without You – When I'm Sixty-Four – Lovely Rita – Good Morning Good Morning – Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) – A Day In The Life


Magical Mystery Tour (27/11/1967, Capitol)
– Magical Mystery Tour – The Fool On The Hill – Flying – Blue Jay Way – Your Mother Should Know – I Am The Walrus
– Hello, Goodbye – Strawberry Fields Forever – Penny Lane – Baby You're A Rich Man – All You Need Is Love

1968

– Lady Madonna – The Inner Light (singolo, 15/3/1968, Parlophone)

– Hey Jude – Revolution (singolo, 26/8/1968, Apple)

The Beatles (il "Disco Bianco") (22/11/1968, Apple)
– Back In The USSR – Dear Prudence – Glass Onion – Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da – Wild Honey Pie – The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill – While My Guitar Gently Weeps – Happiness Is A Warm Gun
– Martha My Dear – I'm So Tired – Blackbird – Piggies – Rocky Raccoon – Don't Pass Me By – Why Don't We Do It In The Road? – I Will – Julia
– Birthday – Yer Blues – Mother Nature's Son – Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey – Sexy Sadie – Helter Skelter – Long, Long, Long
– Revolution 1 – Honey Pie – Savoy Truffle – Cry Baby Cry – (Can You Take Me Back?) – Revolution 9 – Good Night
(Outtakes: – (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care – St Louis Blues – Circles – Sour Milk Sea – Child of Nature – Blue Moon)


1969

Yellow Submarine (17/1/1969, Apple/Parlophone)
– Yellow Submarine – Only A Northern Song – All Together Now – Hey Bulldog – It's All Too Much – All You Need Is Love

– Get Back – Don't Let Me Down (singolo con Billy Preston, 11/4/1969, Apple)

– The Ballad of John and Yoko – Old Brown Shoe (singolo, 30/5/1969, Apple)

Abbey Road (26/9/1969, Apple)
– Come Together – Something – Maxwell's Silver Hammer – Oh! Darling – Octopus's Garden – I Want You (She's So Heavy)
– Here Comes The Sun – Because – You Never Give Me Your Money – Sun King – Mean Mr Mustard – Polythene Pam – She Came In Through The Bathroom Window – Golden Slumbers – Carry That Weight – The End – Her Majesty


1970

– Let It Be – You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (singolo, 6/3/1970, Apple)

Let It Be (8/5/1970, Apple)
– Two Of Us – Dig A Pony – Across The Universe – I Me Mine – Dig It – Let It Be – Maggie Mae
– I've Got A Feeling – One After 909 – The Long And Winding Road – For You Blue – Get Back


Appendice: Anthology

I
– Free as a Bird – That'll Be the Day – In Spite of All the Danger – Hallelujah, I Love Her So – You'll Be Mine – Cayenne – My Bonnie – Ain't She Sweet – Cry For A Shadow – Searchin' – Three Cool Cats – The Sheik of Araby – Like Dreamers Do – Hello Little Girl – Bésame Mucho – How Do You Do It – Lend Me Your Comb – Moonlight Bay – Shout – You Know What To Do – Leave My Kitten Alone

II
– Real Love – If You Got Trouble – That Means A Lot – 12-Bar Blues Original

III
– Junk – Not Guilty – What's the New Mary Jane – Step Inside Love – Los Paranoias – Teddy Boy – Medley: Rip It Up / Shake Rattle and Roll / Blue Suede Shoes – All Things Must Pass – Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues – Come and Get It – Ain't She Sweet