Yesterday (album)
Yesterday and Today is the ninth studio album by the English rock band the Beatles, released in the United States and Canada in June 1966. It is notable for being one of the most altered and controversial Beatles albums released by Capitol Records, due to its original "butcher cover," which depicted the band members surrounded by pieces of raw meat and dismembered baby dolls.
Background and Content
The album was intended by Capitol to bridge the gap between the band's recently completed recording sessions for Revolver and their upcoming summer tour. It featured tracks from the UK album Revolver and non-album tracks released as singles in the UK. Capitol's decision to combine these tracks and alter the running order was typical of their approach to Beatles releases in the US, much to the band's frustration.
The songs included on Yesterday and Today were:
- "Drive My Car"
- "I'm Only Sleeping"
- "Nowhere Man"
- "Doctor Robert"
- "Yesterday"
- "Act Naturally"
- "And Your Bird Can Sing"
- "If I Needed Someone"
- "We Can Work It Out"
- "What Goes On"
- "Day Tripper"
The Butcher Cover Controversy
The original album cover, photographed by Robert Whitaker, sparked immediate outrage. Capitol recalled the album and replaced the cover with a more innocuous image of the band posed around a steamer trunk. This recall made the original "butcher cover" a highly sought-after collector's item. There are three states of the butcher cover: first state (untouched), second state (the butcher cover pasted over with the trunk cover), and third state (the butcher cover completely removed). The value of each state varies greatly, with untouched first states being the most valuable.
Impact and Legacy
Despite the controversy surrounding the butcher cover, Yesterday and Today reached number one on the Billboard Top LPs chart and was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). The album remains a significant part of the Beatles' discography, not only for its musical content but also for its historical significance as an example of the conflict between the band and Capitol Records regarding artistic control. The album also highlights the differing approaches to album releases in the UK and the US during the 1960s.