Sometimes when you go to the record store and flip through an artist’s section, you’ll find some odd albums that aren’t typically included in their discography. Whether it’s an alternative version of a record or a compilation (official or otherwise), there is often a larger story at play in a musician’s catalog than a simple list of their studio albums. The Beatles’ catalog is one that is far more extensive than it may appear.
The Beatles have many alternative versions of their records, albums that excluded songs that weren’t accepted in specific markets, and several compilations. Their discography is usually boiled down to 17 studio albums (in the U.S.), but there is a wealth of material awaiting any fans who are willing to dig deeper.
If you dig long enough, you might come across the Beatles’ rarest (and weirdest) album, Yesterday… And Today. Learn more about this hidden Beatles record below.
The Story Behind ‘Yesterday…And Today’
Yesterday… And Today was released in 1966. The record is a hodgepodge of songs that are more famously featured on other projects. “Nowhere Man,” “Yesterday,” “Drive My Car,” and “Day Tripper” are all featured on this Beatles album. As the title suggests, the project was intended to serve as a bridge between one stage of their career and the next. It was also an effort to introduce certain songs to an American audience. Though it technically served a purpose, it still feels very random in the grand scheme of their time as a band.
There isn’t much particularly astounding about the content of Yesterday… And Today. What really set this album apart was its odd album cover.
Album Cover
The sleeve for Yesterday… And Today is among the weirdest in the Beatles’ catalog. Donning butcher’s coats and holding disassembled dolls, the foursome posed with devious smiles on their faces. Although it seems far too random not to be intentional, according to the band members, it was simply an effort to cure boredom.
“It was inspired by our boredom and resentment at having to do another photo session and another Beatles thing,” John Lennon once said. “We were sick to death of it.”
“I don’t know how it came about,” George Harrison added elsewhere. “I don’t know how we ended up sitting in butchers’ coats with meat all over us. If you look at our eyes, you realize none of us really knew what we were doing. It was just one of those things that happened as life went on.”
If the band themselves can’t explain, we have no hope of trying to suss out how this off-kilter album cover came to be. At any rate, this remains one of the most memorable photo shoots in the Beatles’ short but iconic tenure.
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