It was mesmerizing to see this record lying by the home stereo around 1973 after "The Beatles 1962-1966" ("Red") and "The Beatles 1967-1970" ("Blue") were released. As a 6 year old I knew of The Beatles and recall "A Hard Days Night" and "The Essential Beatles" as other Beatle records in the family collection at the time. I also remember a television special featuring Paul McCartney (and being confused with a NZ TV newsreader Bill McCarthy!). That was the 1973 BBC special "James Paul McCartney".
Yes the young mind was in overtime with the "Red" album in the house, specifically the gate-fold cover. There they are in 1962, and there they are in 1970 ,of course in reality 1969), photographed in the same spot in the same pose by the same photographer (an idea they had when they were recording in early 1969 for the Get Back sessions but not utilized in the end)
So , I was thinking, they looked like that , then they looked like that? Whoa! some serious stuff seems to have gone on here I thought.
Well of course it had, and these images still sum it all up perfectly, bookends to the 60's , short hair to long hair , sepia tone to colour, "Get Back" indeed. Then there is the music - the dream is never over.