A Hard Day's Night - First Pressing Front Cover 
A Hard Day's Night - First Pressing Back CoverLabel: Parlophone
Catalogue No.'s PMC 1230 (Mono) PCS 3058 (Stereo) CDP 7 46437 2 (C.D.)
Matrix No.'s:
Mono : XEX 481-3N XEX 482-3N
Stereo: YEX 126-1 YEX 127-1
1973 - Stereo: YEX 126-2 YEX 127-4
1995 - Mono : XEX 481-1-1-2 XEX 482-1-1-1
Release dates 10th July 1964
26th February 1987 (CD)
Side 1
A Hard Day's Night Lennon-McCartney Recorded 16th April 1964 in 9 takes (4 of which were breakdowns)
Final mix - take 9. 2:29
I Should Have Known Better Lennon-McCartney Recorded 25th February 1964 with 3 takes
Recorded 26th February 1964 a further 19 takes (4-22)
Final mix - take 9 with overdubs from take 22. 2:41
If I Fell Lennon-McCartney Recorded 27th February 1964 in 15 takes
Final mix - take 15. 2:18
I'm Happy Just To Dance With You Lennon-McCartney Recorded 1st March 1964 in 4 takes
Final mix - take 4. 1:55
And I Love Her Lennon-McCartney Recorded 25th February 1964 with 2 takes (discarded version)
Recorded 26th February 1964 a further 17 takes (3-19)
Recorded 27th February 1964 a further 2 takes (20-21)
Final mix - take 21 2:28
Tell Me Why Lennon-McCartney Recorded 27th February 1964 in 8 takes
Final mix - take 8. 2:06
Can't Buy Me Love Lennon-McCartney Recorded 29th January 1964 (in Paris !) in 4 takes
Final mix - take 4. 2:11
Side 2
Any Time At All Lennon-McCartney Recorded 2nd June 1964 in 11 takes
Final mix - take 11. 2:10
I'll Cry Instead Lennon-McCartney Recorded 1st June 1964 in 8 takes
Final mix - take 6 & take 8 edited together. 1:44
Things We Said Today Lennon-McCartney Recorded 2nd June 1964 in just 3 takes
Final mix - take 3. 2:35
When I Get Home Lennon-McCartney Recorded 2nd June 1964 in 11 takes
Final mix - take 11. 2:15
You Can't Do That Lennon-McCartney Recorded 25th February 1964 in 9 takes (5 breakdowns)
Final mix - take 9. 2:33
I'll Be Back Lennon-McCartney Recorded 1st June 1964 in 16 takes (Takes 1-9 backing track only)
Final mix - take 16. 2:20
Total time 29:45
U.K. Album Chart Detail : Entry Date : 18th July 1964
Highest Position : 1 ... for 21 weeks from 25th July 1964 (CONSECUTIVELY !)
Weeks in Chart : 38
+1 week 16th January 1971 (No.30)
+4 from 7th March 1987 (CD release, reached no.30)
Detail : The Beatles third official L.P. release.
Once again The Beatles had advance orders of over 250,000 copies, ensuring an immediate number 1.
By the end of the year it had sold 600,000, eventually selling almost 800,000 copies in Britain. Once again, the American version of this album was different, in that it only featured the tracks from the film, plus some George Martin film score. The remaining tracks appearing on a second L.P. entitled "Something New". With these two selling over three million in the States, global sales of "A Hard Day's Night" can be put at over 4,000,000.
For the week of 5th August 1964, for the first (and only ?) time in history The Beatles were No.1 in the album AND singles chart in the U.K. AND America with the same titled single and L.P. - "A Hard Day's Night".
This is the first and ONLY Beatles album to have every track written by Lennon/McCartney, with the seven tracks on side 1 all included in the film, and the six on side 2 not featured.
The album was also part of "The Beatles Collection" 13 album box set (see Beatles Collection).
On 26th February 1987 this album had it's first release on C.D. which was published in Mono(!) with a catalogue number of CDP 7 46437 2
And on the same day, the record shop H.M.V. produced a special 12" numbered 4 CD Box Set Comprising:
Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Days Night
Beatles For Sale
+ Bill Harry - "Book Of Beatle Lists" (see Book of Beatle Lists, The)
This set had a catalogue number of BEA CD 25, and was in a limited edition of just 2,500 copies.
The C.D. was also part of "The Beatles Box" 15 C.D. box set (see Beatles C.D. Box).
The album was also available on 4" reel-to-reel tape,
1964 - Catalogue number TA-PMC 1230 (3¾ ips twin-track mono tape) - first edition (mono only) in a cardboard box.
1968 - Catalogue number TA-PMC 1230 (3¾ ips twin-track mono tape)
TD-PCS 3058 (3¾ ips 4-track stereo) these editions in a "jewel" box.
Prior to 1973:
The album was released on stereo cassette tape (1⅞ ips) - Catalogue number - TC-PCS 3058.
The album was also released on 8-track stereo continuous play cartridge (3¾ ips) - catalogue no. 8X-PCS 3058
In November 1987 the album was re-released on cassette tape (mono only) - Catalogue number - TC-PMC 1230 (originally released August 1964).
U.S. Import
This was an essential import purchase in 1964 as the American version of the album contained the Beatle songs from the film (no extra's !) ... and four orchestral pieces from the film by The George Martin Orchestra.
This release was on the United Artists label (catno. UAS 6366) as they had the rights to the film soundtrack (they were the film distributors).
In the U.S. "A Hard Day's Night" had advance orders of over 1 million before it's release date of 26th June 1964, and had sold 2 million just three months later, making it one of the fastest selling albums ever.
It was number one in the U.S. for 14 weeks.
The sleeve for the U.S. release can be seen at the end of this page.
Mono/Stereo Differences
"A Hard Day's Night" The stereo version is a few seconds longer than the mono version.
"I Should Have Known Better" The stereo version has a brief gap in the harmonica intro, whereas the mono version is complete.
The stereo version has four repeats of the closing line, the mono has only three.
"If I Fell" The stereo version has John's opening solo vocal double-tracked, it is not double-tracked on the mono version.
"Tell Me Why" The stereo version has John's solo vocal double-tracked, it is not double-tracked on the mono version.
Released Versions
First pressings (1964)
The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label starts with "The Parlophone Co. Ltd."
The label DOES have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.
The word "mono" (or stereo) on the front cover is large.
First Pressing - Example Side 1 Label
Second pressings (1965)The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "The Gramophone Co. Ltd."
The label DOES have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.
The word "mono" (or stereo) on the front cover is smaller.
Third Pressings (1969)
The standard yellow block writing Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label starts with "The Gramophone Co. Ltd."
The label does NOT have "Sold in the U.K..." statement.
The word "mono" (or stereo) on the front cover is small.
Fourth Pressings (1969) - Stereo version ONLY
Now with a silver/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
The label has one EMI boxed logo.
Fifth Pressings (1973) - Stereo version ONLY
Silver/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
The label has TWO EMI boxed logos.
Sixth Pressings (1982) - Mono version ONLY
Now with a yellow/black Parlophone label.
The "All rights of the manufacturer" message around the edge of the label now starts with "EMI Records Ltd."
This release is on a lightweight vinyl.
Seventh Pressings (1995) - Mono version ONLY (But, do they all play in stereo ?! ... see scans below)
Now with a Black and Silver Parlophone label.
The cover and label both clearly state "Mono", but it plays in stereo. The matrix is the stereo matrix !
The sleeve has a printed statement which reads:
"This album has been Direct Metal Mastered From a Digitally Re-mastered Original Tape to give the best possible sound quality"
This release is (surprisingly) on a lightweight vinyl.
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