First released: 1964, December 4

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Original Vinyl Recording Remastered (2012)

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Songs recording date and information:

1. No Reply - Recorded 30th September 1964 in 8 takes. Final mix - take 8
2. I'm a Loser - Recorded 14th August 1964 in 8 takes. Final mix - take 8
3. Baby's in Black - Recorded 11th August 1964 in 14 takes (only five complete). Final mix - take 14
4. Rock and Roll Music - Recorded 18th October 1964 in just 1 take
5. I'll Follow the Sun - Recorded 18th October 1964 in 8 takes. Final mix - take 8
6. Mr. Moonlight - Recorded 14th August 1964 the first 4 takes. Recorded 18th October 1964 a further 4 takes (5-8). Final mix - take 4 edited with take 8
7. Kansas City / Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey! - Incorrectly only listed on the cover as "Kansas City", this is in fact a medley. Recorded 18th October 1964 in 2 takes ... but ... Final mix was Take 1
8. Eight Days a Week - Recorded 6th October 1964 in 13 takes. Recorded 18th October 1964 takes 14-15, edit pieces for intro and outro. Final mix - take 13 edited together with take 15
9. Words of Love - Recorded 18th October 1964 in 3 takes. Final mix is take 2, with overdubs from take 3
10. Honey Don't - Recorded 26th October 1964 in 5 takes. Final mix - take 5
11. Every Little Thing - Recorded 29th September 1964 with 4 takes. Recorded 30th September 1964 a further 5 takes (5-9). Final mix - take 9
12. I Don't Want to Spoil the Party - Recorded 29th September 1964 in 19 takes (only 5 complete). Final mix - take 19
13. What You're Doing - Recorded 29th September 1964 first 7 takes - rhythm track only. Recorded 30th September 1964 a further 5 takes (8-12). Recorded 26th October 1964 a further 7 takes (13-19). Final mix - take 19
14. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby - Recorded 18th October 1964 in just 1 take
    

The Beatles fourth official L.P. release.
One month BEFORE it's release there were over half-a-million advance orders, which went up to 750,000 ... at the time, the highest advance orders for ANY album. Consequently it went straight to No.1 - knocking "A Hard Day's Night" off the top slot. It also entered the singles chart where it reached number 22.
Sales topped 1,000,000 in Britain alone.
The American equivalent album is "Beatles '65" which once again did NOT have a matching track list (what is wrong with these colonials ??) ... but counting the 3,000,000 sales of this album along with the U.K. proper release, we can estimate a worldwide sales figure of "Beatles For Sale" at over 4 million units.
We could actually count in the sales of the next U.S. album, "Beatles VI", as this included the six tracks left off of Beatles '65 ! ... this means an extra million could be added, making over 5 million sales.

Incredibly, even though studio techniques were advancing (four-track recorders had now been introduced), three of the tracks on this L.P. were recorded in just 1 take.
It should also be noted that during the sessions for this album, on 14th August 1964, The Beatles recorded another track for the album (with 5 takes) that was never returned to, nor remixed ... "Leave My Kitten Alone".

The cover to Beatles For Sale was one of the first "Gatefold" sleeves (was it ACTUALLY the first ??), and included cover photography by Robert Freeman, with sleeve notes by Derek Taylor.
The Collage in the inside sleeve (take a look at your copy of the album !) was only a segment taken from a larger print. You can see the full print above.

The Beatles' fourth LP in 21 months, and, of coursem a top seller worldwide. While no one would classify the album as weak - no Beatles album could be appended with that particular label - it is generally regarded as their weakest piece of work, although perhaps this was not entirely their fault. "THey were rather war weary during Beatles For Sale ," says George Martin. "One must remember that they'd been battered like mad throughout 1964, and much of 1963. Success is a wonderful thing but it is very, very tiring. They were always on the go. Beatles For Sale doesn't appeal to me very much now, it's not one of their most memorable ones. They perked up again after that..."

- Mark Lewishon "The Beatles Recording Sessions"