The first songs to be issued as a single from the Abbey Road were the double a-side ‘Something’/‘Come Together’.
It was released in the United States on this day as Apple 2654. It was the first time a song by George Harrison received top billing on a Beatles single.
The single entered the US charts on 18 October. At the time it was customary for sales and airplay for both sides of a single to be counted separately. As both songs were popular with the public, there was doubt as to whether either would reach the top.
On 29 November, however, Billboard began combining both sides to make a single chart placing. As a result, the single topped the charts for a week, before dropping down.
On the Cash Box chart, which continued to count both sides separately, ‘Something’ peaked at number two, while ‘Come Together’ spent three weeks at the top.
The single was certified gold three weeks after its release. In 1999 it was finally awarded a platinum disc.
Also on this day...
- 2024: Paul McCartney live: Estadio River Plate, Buenos Aires
- 2023: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Silver Creek Event Center, New Buffalo
- 2017: Eight Paul McCartney albums to be reissued on CD and vinyl
- 2015: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: CenturyLink Arena, Boise
- 1993: Paul McCartney live: Festhalle, Frankfurt
- 1989: Paul McCartney live: Festhalle, Frankfurt
- 1967: Recording: Blue Jay Way
- 1964: Recording: Eight Days A Week
- 1963: The Beatles live: Carlton Theatre, Kirkcaldy
- 1962: The Beatles live: Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight
- 1962: Autograph signing: The Music Shop, Widnes
- 1962: Autograph signing: Dawson’s music shop, Widnes
- 1960: The Beatles live: Kaiserkeller, Hamburg
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
Hi, I do not believe this single (Something/Come Together) was originally a double A side. It was rereleased in 1976 in the singles box set as such but originally Come Togerther was the B side. Since you are undouptedly the expert here, can you confirm you are right and I am wrong ??
Much obliged !!
Part 2 : I’ve checked the three disc «1» reissue and it writes that it was issued as a double A side in the US ! Can you tell me if it was re-released that way in 1976 in England??
Much obliged a second time around!!
Usually, the single Something/Come Together is treated as a double A side. I’ve always thought so too.
There is no doubt that both songs entered the UK and US charts. But according to Discogs in the UK, side A of the single was Something and side B was Come Together.
In turn, in the USA, both songs were on the A side (exactly: A – Something, AA – Come Together):
If so, why did Come Together enter the UK charts at all?
So was it a double A-side single in both countries (such as the single Eleanor Rigby/Yellow Submarine) or not?
I se clearly om the apple labels which side is a and which is b
Do we need to figure out which side is A or B? At this point and time, those informations are obsolete and do not help to understand the impact of those two songs. Sorry mates but keep talking about the story of each song, not the postion on the charts; it isn’t relevant today as it was back then.