The Beatles - 1962 - 1966

1962–1966 (also known as "The Red Album") is a compilation album by British rock band The Beatles, originally released in April 1973 via Apple Records.

This compilation album spans the years indicated in the title, 1962-1966.

Released with its counterpart 1967–1970 ("The Blue Album") in 1973, it reached No. 3 in the United Kingdom and No. 1 in the United States Cash Box album chart.

In the US Billboard album chart, 1962–1966 peaked at No. 3, while 1967–1970 reached the top spot. The album was re-released in September 1993 on compact disc, charting at No. 3 in the UK.

The album was compiled by Beatles manager Allen Klein. 

Even though the group had had success with cover versions of songs, most notably with "Twist and Shout", which made number 2 on the Billboard charts, only songs composed by the Beatles themselves were included.

Along with its 1967–1970 counterpart, it compiles every single A-side released by the band in the UK.

For the group's 1963 debut LP Please Please Me, photographer Angus McBean took the distinctive colour photograph of the group looking down over the stairwell inside EMI House (EMI's London headquarters in Manchester Square, now demolished).  Also in 1963, the cover for The Beatles (No. 1) used a picture from the same shoot.

In 1969, The Beatles asked McBean to recreate this shot.  Although the 1969 photograph was originally intended for the 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 the cover of 1967–1970.

The album was reissued on 180 gram vinyl in 2014, prepared from the original UK 1973 compilation master. The fake stereo mixes of "Love Me Do" and "She Loves You" were replaced by the true mono versions.

This double album 2LP record set is on 180 gram black vinyl housed in a gatefold sleeve with printed inner sleeves and remastered audio, pressed in Europe via Apple Records.