An EP & an American #1

As 1965 began, Capitol Records surprisingly decided to issue a second Beatles EP.  Surprising because the previous year's Four by the Beatles had only hit number ninety-two on the Billboard chart, but it had inspired the label to start an entire "4-by" line for its artists.  Thus, on February 1st, 4-by the Beatles appeared.

SIDE A

Honey Don't
I'm a Loser

SIDE B

Mr. Moonlight
Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby

Of course, all four of these songs had already been released back in December on the album Beatles '65 but, as Bruce Spizer relates in his book The Beatles' Story on Capitol Records, Part One: Beatlemania and the Singles, the idea behind the "4-by" series was to "complement the artist's singles and albums and not compete with the performer's current hit single."  Still, this EP merely peaked at number sixty-eight on the charts even though, by leading off with Ringo's vocal showcase from the recent album, it seemed to be another attempt to cash in on the drummer's popularity with American fans.

Several years ago, I stumbled upon a copy of this record (minus its cardboard picture sleeve seen above) at a yard sale in a pile of singles.  Though it was very scratched up, I still considered it to be quite a find, and that was before I learned that Capitol deleted this item at the end of 1965.

On February 15th, only two weeks after the release of the EP, a new single arrived.  This one was a true stroke of genius on the part of Capitol (probably Dave Dexter, Jr., we should admit).  Two songs were chosen from the six still unreleased from Beatles for Sale to create the single Eight Days a Week b/w I Don't Want to Spoil the Party.  Whether Dexter or any other decision-makers at Capitol were aware of it or not, the Beatles themselves had considered releasing Eight Days a Week as a single before John came up with I Feel Fine, so it was clearly a wise choice.  Issued as it was in the dead of winter, this song was a natural hit and a breath of fresh air with its breezy pop sound, rising straight to number one and giving Capitol's repackaging campaign its first major victory.