The Beatles’ records in Japan were released on the Odeon label, owned by Toshiba. The LPs, singles and EPs were initially released on both red and black vinyl, with the red variants reportedly offering particularly good sound quality. They are particularly sought-after by audiophiles, and are considerably rarer than the black vinyl versions – red vinyl signifies first pressings of a release.
Interestingly, The Beatles’ first two UK albums, Please Please Me and With The Beatles, weren’t issued until the group toured in Japan in 1966, although songs from each were released there from 1964 onwards.
The Japanese LPs also came with a thin obi strip wrapped around the cover, which were often discarded by teenagers keen to hear the music as soon as possible. As such, the rarity offers collectors a challenge, as does the variety of different obi strips for individual pressings of each release.
Furthermore, the early 1960s Japanese LPs were adorned with half-obi strips. These, like the full ones which replaced them in the mid-1960s, are often faked by unscrupulous record sellers.
The LPs also came with a lyric sheet in both English and Japanese. The singles, meanwhile, were issued in picture sleeves. EP covers came with either liner notes in Japanese, or photographs of the group, and always came with a lyric sheet. Furthermore, EPs were 7″ in diameter but played at 33 1/3 rpm.
Odeon were slow to catch onto the Beatles phenomenon. However, they made up for lost time by issuing a total of nine singles within the first week of May 1964. A further six singles were released on the same day on 5 February 1965. Otherwise, it’s worth noting a tendency to issue records on the 5th, 10th or 15th of the month.
Albums
5 April 1964
Odeon OR 7041
‘She Loves You’
‘From Me To You’
‘Twist And Shout’
‘Love Me Do’
‘Baby It’s You’
‘Don’t Bother Me’
‘Please Please Me’
‘I Saw Her Standing There’
‘PS I Love You’
‘Little Child’
‘All My Loving’
‘Hold Me Tight’
‘Please Mister Postman’
5 June 1964
Odeon OR 7058
‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’
‘Thank You Girl’
‘A Taste Of Honey’
‘It Won’t Be Long’
‘I Wanna Be Your Man’
‘There’s A Place’
‘Roll Over Beethoven’
‘Misery’
‘Boys’
‘Devil In Her Heart’
‘Not A Second Time’
‘Money (That’s What I Want)’
‘Till There Was You’
‘I Should Have Known Better’
‘If I Fell’
‘I’m Happy Just To Dance With You’
‘And I Love Her’
‘Tell Me Why’
Can’t Buy Be Love
‘Any Time At All’
‘I’ll Cry Instead’
‘Things We Said Today’
‘When I Get Home’
‘You Can’t Do That’
‘I’ll Be Back’
‘I’m A Loser’
‘Baby’s In Black’
‘Rock And Roll Music’
‘I’ll Follow The Sun’
‘Mr Moonlight’
‘Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!’
‘Eight Days A Week’
‘Words Of Love’
‘Honey Don’t’
‘Every Little Thing’
‘I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party’
‘What You’re Doing’
‘Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby’
5 May 1965
Odeon OR 7103
‘Sie Liebt Dich’
‘Anna (Go To Him)’
‘Matchbox’
‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’
‘She’s A Woman’
‘Ask Me Why’
‘I Feel Fine’
‘Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand’
‘Chains’
‘Slow Down’
‘All I’ve Got To Do’
‘I Call Your Name’
‘This Boy’
‘The Night Before’
‘You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away’
‘I Need You’
‘Another Girl’
‘You’re Going To Lose That Girl’
‘Ticket To Ride’
‘Act Naturally’
‘It’s Only Love’
‘You Like Me Too Much’
‘Tell Me What You See’
‘I’ve Just Seen A Face’
‘Yesterday’
‘Dizzy Miss Lizzy’
‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’
‘You Won’t See Me’
‘Nowhere Man’
‘Think For Yourself’
‘The Word’
‘Michelle’
‘What Goes On’
‘Girl’
‘I’m Looking Through You’
‘In My Life’
‘Wait’
‘If I Needed Someone’
‘Run For Your Life’
‘Misery’
‘Anna (Go To Him)’
‘Chains’
‘Boys’
‘Ask Me Why’
‘Please Please Me’
‘Love Me Do’
‘PS I Love You’
‘Baby It’s You’
‘Do You Want To Know A Secret’
‘A Taste Of Honey’
‘There’s A Place’
‘Twist And Shout’
‘All I’ve Got To Do’
‘All My Loving’
‘Don’t Bother Me’
‘Little Child’
‘Till There Was You’
‘Please Mister Postman’
‘Roll Over Beethoven’
‘Hold Me Tight’
‘You Really Got A Hold On Me’
‘I Wanna Be Your Man’
‘Devil In Her Heart’
‘Not A Second Time’
‘Money (That’s What I Want)’
5 August 1966
Odeon OP 7553/4
How Beatlemania Began
Beatlemania In Action
Man Behind The Beatles – Brian Epstein
John Lennon
Who’s A Millionaire?
Beatles Will Be Beatles
Man Behind The Music – George Martin
George Harrison
A Hard Day’s Night – Their First Movie
Paul McCartney
Sneaky Haircuts And More About Paul
The Beatles Look At Life
‘Victims’ Of Beatlemania
Beatle Medley
Ringo Starr
Liverpool And All the World!
‘Eleanor Rigby’
‘I’m Only Sleeping’
‘Love You To’
‘Here, There And Everywhere’
‘Yellow Submarine’
‘She Said She Said’
‘Good Day Sunshine’
‘And Your Bird Can Sing’
‘For No One’
‘Doctor Robert’
‘I Want To Tell You’
‘Got To Get You Into My Life’
‘Tomorrow Never Knows’
5 February 1967
Odeon OP 8016
From Me to You
‘We Can Work It Out’
‘Help!’
‘Michelle’
‘Yesterday’
‘I Feel Fine’
‘Yellow Submarine’
‘Can’t Buy Me Love’
‘Bad Boy’
‘Day Tripper’
‘A Hard Day’s Night’
‘Ticket To Ride’
‘Paperback Writer’
‘Eleanor Rigby’
‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’
‘With A Little Help From My Friends’
‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds’
‘Getting Better’
‘Fixing A Hole’
‘She’s Leaving Home’
‘Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite!’
‘Within You Without You’
‘When I’m Sixty-Four’
‘Lovely Rita’
‘Good Morning Good Morning’
‘Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)’
‘A Day In The Life’
‘The Fool On The Hill’
‘Flying’
‘Blue Jay Way’
‘Your Mother Should Know’
‘I Am The Walrus’
‘Hello, Goodbye’
‘Strawberry Fields Forever’
‘Penny Lane’
‘Baby You’re A Rich Man’
‘All You Need Is Love’
‘Dear Prudence’
‘Glass Onion’
‘Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da’
‘Wild Honey Pie’
‘The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill’
‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’
‘Happiness Is A Warm Gun’
‘Martha My Dear’
‘I’m So Tired’
‘Blackbird’
‘Piggies’
‘Rocky Raccoon’
‘Don’t Pass Me By’
‘Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?’
‘I Will’
‘Julia’
‘Birthday’
‘Yer Blues’
‘Mother Nature’s Son’
‘Everybody’s Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey’
‘Sexy Sadie’
‘Helter Skelter’
Long, Long, Long
‘Revolution 1’
‘Honey Pie’
‘Savoy Truffle’
‘Cry Baby Cry’
‘Revolution 9’
‘Good Night’
‘Only A Northern Song’
‘All Together Now’
‘Hey Bulldog’
‘It’s All Too Much’
‘All You Need Is Love’
‘Pepperland’
‘Sea Of Time’
‘Sea Of Holes’
‘Sea Of Monsters’
‘March Of The Meanies’
‘Pepperland Laid Waste’
‘Yellow Submarine In Pepperland’
‘Something’
‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer’
‘Oh! Darling’
‘Octopus’s Garden’
‘I Want You (She’s So Heavy)’
‘Here Comes The Sun’
‘Because’
‘You Never Give Me Your Money’
‘Sun King’
‘Mean Mr Mustard’
‘Polythene Pam’
‘She Came In Through The Bathroom Window’
‘Golden Slumbers’
‘Carry That Weight’
‘The End’
‘Her Majesty’
21 April 1970
Apple AP 8940
‘I Should Have Known Better’
‘Paperback Writer’
‘Rain’
‘Lady Madonna’
‘Revolution’
‘Hey Jude’
‘Old Brown Shoe’
‘Don’t Let Me Down’
‘The Ballad Of John And Yoko’
‘Dig A Pony’
‘Across The Universe’
‘I Me Mine’
‘Dig It’
‘Let It Be’
‘Maggie Mae’
‘I’ve Got A Feeling’
‘One After 909’
‘The Long And Winding Road’
‘For You Blue’
‘Get Back’
Did they just release every single song as a single? Please Mister Postman? Matchbox?
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.363368407038417.79299.266092880099304&type=3
I have a few records in orange vinyl on First Records. Ever heard of them?
First Records was one of many Taiwanese counterfeit-labels in the late 60s/early 70s, releaseing western pop/rock illegally for the huge contingent of American GIs stationed on the island. Not very interesting for collectors. However, big artists like The Beatles and The Rolling Stones may fetch prices in the region of $20-40 among collectors.
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.463498870358703.99393.266092880099304&type=3
I have a japanese white album with red vinyl records instead of black. The number on the front of the album is. No A041365 with the words THE BEATLES embossed in the cover. The records are numbers AP-8570 and 8571 and on the back of the cover there is some Japanese lettering. The poster with the words to the songs is included and it also has some Japanese lettering. The photographs of each one of the Beatles is also there. I bought it years ago from the original owner who was in japan during the Vietnam conflict. It was made by Toshiba musical industries in Tokyo.
hi, gtsy.
this website is awesome!!
I have some information about Japanese albums.
Japanese album title is not match titles on covers.
“MEET THE BEATLES! called “Beatles!”. It is “?????!” in japanese.
“THE BEATLES SECOND ALBUM” called “Beatles No.2”. It is “????? No.2” in japanese.
“BEATLES FOR SALE” called “BEATLES ’65”. It is “????? ’65” in japanese.
“HELP!” called “Yonin wa idol” means “four are idols. It is “???????” in japanese.
“PLEASE PLEASE ME” called “Stereo! Kore ga Beatles Vol.1” means “Stereo! This is The Beatles Vol.1”. It is “????????????? Vol.1” in japanese.
“with the beatles” called “Stereo! Kore ga Beatles Vol.2” means “Stereo! This is The Beatles Vol.2”. It is “????????????? Vol.2” in japanese.
…in Japan.
“PLEASE PLEASE ME”, “with the beatles”, “A HARD DAY’S NIGHT”, BEATLES FOR SALE” and “HELP” were out of press in 1976.
And in UK format “PLEASE PLEASE ME”, “with the beatles”, “A HARD DAY’S NIGHT”, BEATLES FOR SALE” and “HELP” was released in 1976.
thank you.
Thank you!
Can I just check about Help!? That title appears on the image I have on this page. Did the different title (Yonin wa idol) appear on the spine/back cover?
hi, again.
about Japanese EPs.
it is not EP format. it is 33 1/3 record and called “Compact”
never release 45 EPs in Japan.
thank you.
Hi Joe.
thanks and happy to see you.
im glad to read your replay and update.
so, you are using back cover in Yonin wa idol.
Front cover is similar uk version.
i forgot one.
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT called “Beatles Ga Yattekuru Yah! Yah! Yah!” lol
meant the beatles will come.
I think …
’60’s-’70s in Japan.
Toshiba was thinking Title should be translated for Japanese people.
for example;
I Want To Hold Your Hand is “Dakishimetai”
This Boy is “Koitsu”
but now The translated title was almost abolished.
A HARD DAY’S NIGHT called “HARD DAY’S NIGHT” and This Boy called “This Boy” now.
But I Want To Hold Your Hand is still “Dakishimetai”
Dec. 6. , SHM-CD / paper sleeve of The Beatles’ 16 albums will out in Japan again.
these releases are re-issue in Japan.
Hi Joe,
Stereo! Kore ga Beatles Vol.1 & 2 has deferent song orders.
and they are commemorative issues of the Beatles visit to Japan.
“Stereo! Kore ga Beatles Vol.1” (meant “Stereo! This is the Beatles Vol.1”)
Odeon OP-7548 25 May 1966
Apple AP-8675 10 September 1969
Side One
Please Please Me
Anna (Go To Him)
I Saw Her Standing There
Boys
Misery
Chains
Ask Me Why
Side Two
Twist And Shout
A Taste Of Honey
Love Me Do
Do You Want To Know A Secret
Baby It’s You
There’s A Place
P.S. I Love You
“PLEASE PLEASE ME” vinyl in Japan
Apple EAS-80550 (stereo) 20 June 1976
Odeon EAS-70130 (mono) 21 January 1982
Odeon EAS-70130 (mono) 4 June 1986 Re-Issue
Odeon TOJP-7071 (mono) 25 March 1992 Re-Issue
Stereo! Kore ga Beatles Vol. 2 (meant “Stereo! This is the Beatles Vol.2”)
Odeon OP-7549 30 May 1966
Apple AP-8678 10 September 1969
Side One
All My Loving
Please Mister Postman
Don’t Bother Me
It Won’t Be Long
All I’ve Got To Do
Little Child
Till There Was You
Side Two
Roll Over Beethoven
Money (That’s What I Want)
I Wanna Be Your Man
Hold Me Tight
Devil In Her Heart
Not A Second Time
You Really Got A Hold On Me
“with the beatles” vinyl in Japan
Apple EAS-80551 (stereo) 5 June 1976
Apple EAS-50032 (stereo) 5 February 1979 (included in “The Beatles Collection”)
Odeon EAS-70131 (mono) 21 January 1982
Odeon EAS-70131 (mono) 4 June 1986 Re-Issue
Odeon TOJP-7072 (mono) 25 March 1992 Re-Issue
add…
“PLEASE PLEASE ME” vinyl in Japan
Apple EAS-50031 (stereo) 5 February 1979 (included in “The Beatles Collection”)
pardon if I am wrong, but I thought what came after hey jude was Let It Be Apple AP 9009? thank you so much for compiling all this. a must have for the beatles collector 😀
Intresting to note that in their original japanese LP format, they missed only “I`ll get you” and had “Can`t buy me love” twice.