The Beatles’ sixth UK album Rubber Soul was released on this day as Parlophone PMC 1267 (mono) and PCS 3075 (stereo).
Rubber Soul had advance orders of more than 500,000. It entered the album charts on 11 December 1965, and spent nine weeks at the top from 25 December. In all it remained in the charts for 42 consecutive weeks.
The first Beatles album to contain songs composed by each group member, and with no cover versions, it was also the final time – barring the Yellow Submarine soundtrack in 1969 – that The Beatles would release two albums of original material in one year. It was also their first not to feature The Beatles’ name on the front cover.
Last updated: 30 June 2022
Also on this day...
- 2023: Paul McCartney live: Arena MRV, Belo Horizonte
- 2018: Paul McCartney live: Tauron Arena, Kraków
- 2009: Paul McCartney live: O2 World, Berlin
- 1993: Paul McCartney live: Estádio do Pacaembu, São Paulo
- 1991: George Harrison live: Osaka-jō Hall, Osaka
- 1989: Paul McCartney live: Rosemont Horizon, Rosemont
- 1979: Wings live: Lewisham Odeon, London
- 1973: US album release: Band On The Run by Paul McCartney and Wings
- 1969: George Harrison live: Town Hall, Birmingham with Delaney & Bonnie
- 1969: Television: 24 Hours: The World Of John And Yoko – day two
- 1965: The Beatles’ final UK tour begins in Glasgow
- 1965: UK single release: We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper
- 1963: The Beatles live: Guildhall, Portsmouth
- 1962: Television: Discs A Gogo
- 1961: The Beatles live: Casbah Coffee Club, Liverpool
- 1938: Julia Stanley marries Alfred Lennon
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
The Rubber Soul album I bought in 1965 did not have “Drive My Car” as first track. If I remember correctly(And I may not, lots of brain cells have died since then) that track was on the Revovler album. The first track on my Rubber Sould was “I’ve Just Seen A Face”. I do remember that, because that was song I sang to audition for a local garage band and had to buy the album to memorize lyrics. Why can’t I find Rubber Soul album with that track anymore?
Sounds like you had the North American version. It’s available on the Capitol Albums Vol 2 box set.
Yeq Drive my car was on the UK version I think Capitol version was better. I’ve just seen a face then right into Norwegian wood is a natural.
I have the one that had the song on it I’ve just seen a face if you are interested
Yeah, I got a Rubber Soul with I’ve Just Seen a Face as the first trackas well. Original Capitol 65 album. explain.
What do you mean by ‘explain’? This is an article about the UK release – have another look at the headline.
Happy Birthday Rubber Soul ! I prefer Rubber Soul by far (over Revolver) it was the Beatles zenith work. Rubber Soul is the last “John Lennon is man” album. Because after Rubber Soul and from then on unfortunately Lennon’s attitude was forever altered by all the drugs he was taking (mostly LSD, & Pot). This changed John’s leadership into a following-ship – Paul, seeing the damage then tried to pick up the leadership slack due to John’s incapacity. Thus we begin to see (in my opinion) a down-slide of the Beatles work product and of necessity resorting to more studio ‘tricks’ and gimmicks. The Beatles were John Lennon and John Lennon was the Beatles, he started the group gave them their name and no one was in without his agreement. Paul did not want to lead the group but John was just too ‘scared’ to function like a fully rational man (pot makes some people paranoid) Look at Lennon’s pictures from Sgt. Pepper on, he became more androgynous and was no longer a ‘man’s man’ that he natively was. (this happened to George too, to some degree, it affected Ringo the least – Paul was also mostly too creative to let anything stop him). Lennon was too paranoid play live, he admitted his-self that he was scared, trying all kinds of therapy – drinking eventually gave him some relief, but because it was never noticed (apparently) that POT and LSD did in his self, the real cause was never identified thus he suffered to some extents all the way to the end. With this theory of mine you will find that it explains all kinds of issues with the Beatles and why they broke up, it wasn’t ‘women’ ‘needing to find their own self’ or ‘business problems’ it was his inability to deal with all those NORMAL issues we all must face living on Earth. These people were artists and so who would destroy their main outlet of production of art ? I contend that were it not for D R U G S that the Beatles would have never broke up. Boo to Dylan – who started them on pot, notice how John’s songs change right after Aug. 1964 to much more introspective manner. Some will say it enhanced their creativity – no, it suppressed the thing that makes the music and art, their humanity and native selves.
The Beatles were on drugs (uppers) starting in Hamburg, and Rubber Soul is steeped in pot. You could argue that LSD had a negative effect, especially on Lennon. On the other hand, it seems in restrospect that he was getting depressed and dissatisfied with his life as a Beatle as early as 1965 and LSD was a means of escape, not the cause of his ennui.
Wow, so many things wrong with this analysis that it would take a long reply to enumerate them. Suffice it to say that at the time they achieved unprecedented international success the Beatles were only in their early 20s. Of course over the next several years they were going to develop and change as artists and as human beings. That they did so under the magnifying glass of the world’s attention while still retaining any amount of sanity is amazing, especially when you consider the crackup of many artists who didn’t receive one tenth the press the Beatles did. John battled demons that he carried from childhood and tried several different therapies (drugs being only one) before arriving at a more balanced place, and he should be lauded for the changes he made in his life. The statement that “The Beatles were John Lennon and John Lennon was the Beatles” is completely wrong. The success of the Beatles was due to the synergy of four individuals (and we shouldn’t forget others like Brian Epstein and George Martin). Each had his own talents and contributed an essential part, and it’s well-known that all four had a veto in any group decision. It was only when conflict arose over business decisions that this unanimity broke down.