1967-1970

1967–1970 (widely known as The Blue Album) is a compilation of many of The Beatles' most popular tracks from 1967 to 1970. It was released with 1962–1966 (The Red Album), which covered their earlier period. 1967–1970 made #1 on the U.S. Billboard chart and #2 on the U.K. Album Chart. This album was re-released in September 1993 charting at #4 in the UK.

The cover art shows the band once again looking down the stairwell of EMI's Manchester Square headquarters in London; the same pose, camera angle, setting and photographer (Angus McBean) as used for the cover on the Please Please Me and 1962–1966 albums, which used different photos from the same photo session. The image was originally shot for the Get Back album, which later became Let It Be, but in the end the photograph was not used for that project.

The album was compiled by Beatles manager Allen Klein, with his selections approved by the Beatles themselves. Songs performed by the Beatles as solo artists were also considered for inclusion, but like the cover songs on 1962–1966, limited space resulted in this idea having to be abandoned.

As with 1962–1966, this compilation was produced by Apple/EMI at least partially in response to a bootleg collection titled Alpha Omega, which had been sold on television the previous year.

Album covers
For the group's 1963 debut LP Please Please Me, photographer Angus McBean was asked to take the distinctive colour photograph of the group looking down over the stairwell inside EMI House (EMI's London headquarters in Manchester Square, now demolished).

In 1969, The Beatles asked McBean to recreate this shot. Although the 1969 photograph was originally intended for the then-planned Get Back album, it was not used when that project saw eventual release in 1970 as Let It Be. Instead, the 1969 photograph, along with an unused photograph from the 1963 photo shoot, was used for both this LP and 1962–1966.

The inner gatefold photo for both LPs is from the "Mad Day Out" photo session, London, 28 July 1968.

Release variations

 * Original 1973 release: Apple SKBO-3404 (Whole and sliced apples in blue background)
 * Second pressing: Capitol SKBO-3404 (Capitol target label on back of album cover, blue label with "Capitol" in light blue letters at bottom)
 * First blue vinyl release: Capitol SEBX-11843 (Capitol dome label on back of album cover, large dome logo at top of light blue labels)

Track listing
All tracks written by Lennon/McCartney, except where noted.


 * Side one
 * 1) "Strawberry Fields Forever" – 4:10
 * 2) "Penny Lane" – 3:03
 * 3) "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" – 2:02
 * 4) "With a Little Help from My Friends" – 2:44
 * 5) "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" – 3:28
 * 6) "A Day in the Life" – 5:06
 * 7) "All You Need Is Love" – 3:48


 * Side two
 * 1) "I Am the Walrus" – 4:37
 * 2) "Hello, Goodbye" – 3:31
 * 3) "The Fool on the Hill" – 3:00
 * 4) "Magical Mystery Tour" – 2:51
 * 5) "Lady Madonna" – 2:17
 * 6) "Hey Jude" – 7:08
 * 7) "Revolution" – 3:21


 * Side three
 * 1) "Back in the U.S.S.R." – 2:45
 * 2) "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Harrison) – 4:45
 * 3) "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" – 3:05
 * 4) "Get Back" – 3:14
 * 5) "Don't Let Me Down" – 3:33
 * 6) "Ballad of John and Yoko" – 2:59
 * 7) "Old Brown Shoe" (Harrison) – 3:18


 * Side four
 * 1) "Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison) – 3:05
 * 2) "Come Together" – 4:20
 * 3) "Something" (Harrison) – 3:03
 * 4) "Octopus's Garden" (Starkey) – 2:51
 * 5) "Let It Be" – 3:52
 * 6) "Across the Universe" – 3:48
 * 7) "The Long and Winding Road" – 3:38