The Beatles | Proof for the "butcher cover" art, signed by three Beatles

The Beatles

Original Yesterday and Today cover art proof, [1966]

Artist's proof (455 x 355 mm). Laminated offset print, signed by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr; adhesive along top and bottom edge of the verso.

Yesterday and Today followed suit with Capitol Records' policy for releasing Beatles' LPs in North America, again being an entirely distinct entry from their discography in the UK. As with the others, it was a short record comprised of a selection of songs from their EMI releases, and thus though the band had recorded six albums by this time with EMI, it was their tenth Capitol record in North America.

The album's original cover art, as seen here, was immediately controversial, and Capitol Records quickly withdrew it—replacing it with an innocuous image of the Beatles and a steamer trunk. The "butcher cover" was photographed by Robert Whitaker in a session on 25 March 1955, in which both he and the band were hoping to find ways to go beyond the formulaic nature of pop music promotion. It was intended to be a commentary on fame and rock n' roll, though when the Beatles submitted it as the cover art for Yesterday and Today, Lennon and McCartney both stated that it was a statement against the Vietnam War.

Despite the disapproval of Capitol's president, Alan Livingston, the art director was pleased with the work. But after the immediate negative reaction upon release—with DJs refusing to spin the album and record stores refusing to stock it—Capitol initiated "Operation Retrieve," and began to recall all of the LPs and promotional materials which featured the photograph.