I Feel Fine/She's A Woman | Fab forum

Our friends across the pond may be unaware of this, but when "I Feel Fine" and "She's A Woman" were released in the United States, George Martin added a layer of reverb that was absent from the original UK release. Before the 1987 CDs, these versions were how the majority of Americans heard those songs. I always wondered why they sounded so drastically different on my vinyl copy of Beatles '65 in comparison to my Past Masters CD.

Which versions of these songs do you prefer?

I place my vote for the American reverb versions. I realize that they aren't how The Beatles intended them to be heard, but they're the versions I grew up with. The original UK versions sound a bit too "naked" to my ears without the reverb, especially "She's A Woman". However, I will say that I do enjoy the British "dry" versions for letting you clearly hear what the band is playing.

NOTE: To those unfamiliar with the term, "reverb" (short for "reverberation") is a type of echo in which a sound is immediately "bounced back" to the listener (Whereas a regular echo is more delayed).

Upon further research, it appears that Capitol demanded that Martin add more reverb to American Beatles releases. In response, he added an extreme amount to that single, figuring that they would reject it in favor of the British mix. However, they put the reverb-soaked versions out, and for 23 years, that's how they sounded over here.