Rock 'n' Roll Music
is a compilation album
by
containing
previously released tracks.
It was issued on
June 7th 1976
in the United States,
on Capitol Records
and on
June 11th
on Parlophone
in the United Kingdom.
A double album,
the 28-track compilation
includes 15
Lennon–McCartney songs,
one
George Harrison composition
("Taxman"),
and a dozen
cover versions of
songs written by
significant
rock and roll composers
of the 1950s,
including
Chuck Berry,
Little Richard,
Carl Perkins
and
Larry Williams.
Not counting the
1971 Spanish compilation album,
Por Siempre Beatles,
Rock 'n' Roll Music
was the first Beatles album
to include
"I'm Down",
which had previously
only been available as
the B-side of the
"Help!" single
Controversy surrounded
the album's artwork,
which featured an embossed
colour portrait of
the Beatles against
a shiny silver background,
with the album's title
spelled out in what is
presumed to be neon lights.
Symbols of the 1950s
were used on the inside
of the album's gatefold sleeve,
including a jukebox,
an outdoor movie screen
with a picture of
Marilyn Monroe,
an ice cream,
a 1957 Chevrolet,
a cheeseburger,
and a glass of Coca-Cola.
1950s nostalgia
was at a peak around the time
the album was released
and Capitol was clearly
attempting to cash in
on the trend.
As the Beatles were
a 1960s band,
the album cover
prompted Ringo Starr
to complain to Rolling Stone:
"It made us look cheap
and we never were cheap.
All that Coca-Cola
and cars with big fins
was the Fifties!"
John Lennon
was also critical
of the artwork
and wrote an angry letter
to Capitol Records
complaining it
"looks like a Monkees reject"
and suggested the cover
instead use famous photos
of the Beatles
by Astrid Kirchherr
or Jürgen Vollmer,
both of whom had
photographed the band
during their Hamburg days.
Lennon had also offered to
design the cover himself,
but was declined.
The budget-line albums
replaced the controversial
original artwork with
a picture based on
a photo of the Beatles
in 1964.
The US editions
of the cover set the group
in a crowd,
while the British cover
eliminated the crowd
and placed the group
against a
stark white background.
TRACKLIST
Twist And Shout
I Saw Her Standing There
You Can't Do That
I Wanna Be Your Man
I Call Your Name
Boys
Long Tall Sally
Rock and Roll Music
Slow Down
Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!
Money (That's What I Want)
Bad Boy
Matchbox
Roll Over Beethoven
Dizzy Miss Lizzie
Any Time At All
Drive My Car
Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
The Night Before
I'm Down
Revolution
Back In The U.S.S.R
Helter Skelter
Taxman
Got To Get You Into My Life
Hello Goodbye [*]
Hey Bulldog
Birthday
Get Back
[*] Bonus Track Not On
Original Album
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