In the U.K., The Beatles were able to control how their records were issued, but in other countries extra singles and albums with different track listings were released at will. Nevertheless, at home, The Beatles were guided by the policy stated by John Lennon in a 1964 interview: “You can’t release singles off an LP after the LP’s been out.” Paul McCartney agreed. “In America they do that, but it’s a bit of a drag!” Their rule was broken just once when “Something"/”Come Together” was released a month after Abbey Road came out in 1969. Five of their albums feature no singles at all.
When The Beatles’ music was first transferred to compact disc in 1987, an opportunity was taken to standardize the catalogue throughout the world by following the form of the British albums – except for Magical Mystery Tour. Through the addition of recent singles, that British double-EP had been expanded to an LP in America and a CD version of the album entered the core catalogue. To round up the remaining Beatles tracks not included on any albums, two CDs were released in 1988 called Past Masters Volume One and Volume Two.
One of the remarkable things about listening to Past Masters is hearing many of The Beatles’ biggest hits – “She Loves You,” “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “I Feel Fine” and “Hey Jude” - and realizing they were not featured on a U.K. album. Who would dare do that now? Alongside those classics are high quality B-sides waiting to be discovered, such as “This Boy,” ”I’m Down,” “Rain” and “The Inner Light.” The compilation is also a reminder of the vast amount of work that was created in a little over seven years. It was accomplished in an era when even a pause of six months between single releases could be viewed as career-threatening. The way The Beatles kept up their pace, while consistently delivering innovative and memorable hits, is an extraordinary achievement. Viewed from today, it is nothing short of miraculous. — Kevin Howlett