TalkAwhile - The Folk Corporation Forum

If you haven't already got the original vinyl, reel to reel, cassette, CD, DVD, Remastered CD, here's the very limited edition thing for you...

http://www.thebeatles.com/

To put this as succinctly as possible: b*****ks.

It is a nice thing but I won't be getting it.

I have ordered the Magical Mystery Tour boxed set however, though I am not quite sure why as I could probably have managed with just the Blu Ray.

I take it your colection is complete Andy... It took me months to decide about guying Rematered. Absolutely NO chance or remastered vinly, limited edition or not.

My Beatles collection has been complete for many years. I don't have the means to play vinyl, anyhow.

Jeez, I didn't realise I'd had so much beer... Still not enough to convince me to buy this lot though.

Would I be right in thinking that on original release, the Mono Remastered was supposed to be a limited edition?

I honestly can't remember.  I think they may have lost track themselves.

I have no desire to buy vinyl to replace the vinyl I bought CDs to replace though!   ;)

Seems a wasted opportunity not to have done mono vinyl, to be honest.

Jules

I've no doubt that the vaults are full of Beatle-related ****. They broke up 42 years ago. Get over it and stop trying to maintain the fortunes of companies who bought the rights years ago.

How many formats will I be expected to buy their songs in before I die?

Bitter? No. Just annoyed.

Did anybody see the outstandingly appalling interview with the very averagely talented James Mccartney on Channel 4 News tonight? Embarrassing.  Now, I wouldn't be Macca's son for all the tea in China but that segment made both interviewer and interviewee look pathetic.  I hate the Beatles industry.

i dint see the interview but i saw the song he performed, he might have inherited his dads looks, but he got his mams voice!

It really doesn't bother me at all.  They make things I want to buy and they make other things I don't want to buy.  They're hardly Kiss, are they?

Jules

I too hate the Beatles industry. I love the Beatles though... And my collection is now complete (until they bring out the Official  Let It Be film)

I may be alone in possesing no Beatles albums whatsoever (unless you count Lennon solo) so this could be a place to strart. I like vinyl, if it's good.

It is very expensive! £300, which equates to about £24 per album.

Sharp intake of breath...

The Beatles mean an awful lot to me, more that any other band, fashion, style, whatever.
The thing about being a Beatles fan is that (I thought) you can have the lot, 'cos they have a beginning, a middle, and an end.
Apparently not.

Sorry, I diidn't look closely first time. I think I saw them advertised as individual albums elsewhere - this ad's for a boxed set.

£24 is okay for one album, if it's audiophile quality, or close. If they DO come out separately, or better still if the Red/Blue comps come out again, I might go for one or 2.

My collection includes Magical Mystery Tour DVD, and will exclude MMT Blu-ray...

£24 is ok for 1 album!!!
listen bud if youve got that much money to burn send some down here

I found the mono masters to be near perfect.
Then again, I've got Lemmy to thank for my hearing, or lack thereof.

I'm smiling Jim, because your remark isn't new to me. I'm a non- smoking, very moderate drinking, non- driving, non- home -owning single person, but I LOVE music and there's a little of the audiophile in me.  ;D

CDs, btw, if they're more than a tenner, are the real ripoff. I think twice if i can't get em for less.

I saw the 50 years of Fabdom TV slots in the breakroom at work today, god do I now feel old.
It was them that started the whole music thing off for me back in 1963, but I'm not going back to vinyl again.
Still miss my Thorens/Quad set up though.

When I were 'lad I always lusted after a Quad. I'd love an old style set-up, given the room. Which I have, but don't see Mrs Stick putting up with it.
Happy days (descends into nostalgic torpor). O0

I've still got a Quad..... 8)

Apparently the anniversary vinyl reissue of Love Me Do has been withdrawn at the eleventh hour as they used the wrong mix for the pressing. Genuine FUBAR or publicity generating PR stunt, do you think?

When in doubt, the cockup theory always wins.

I'd still really like a Quad pre and power amp and a pair of those electrostatic speakers.

Jules

Just be careful when you are riding it ..... You don't want to end up like Ozzy  

I have just devoured the entire contents of the Magical Mystery Tour Blu Ray disc and it was entirely wonderful.

I'm sure that it must have been shown on our television on Boxing Day 1967. I was only 3 so I don't remember but my brother was 9 and already a Beatles fan. How completely pointless and incomprehensible it must have been in black and white though. The Flying sequence in particular must have seemed very flat.

Spruced up for 21st century Blu Ray however it looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous. I haven't seen the film for about 20 years and it is much more engaging and amusing than I remembered. It is beautifully edited and the I Am The Walrus sequence remains a tour de force with Blue Jay Way not far behind.

There is a wealth of outtakes and extra material, all of it fascinating and I would have been happy to see more. Contrary to revisionist reputation, everybody seems to be enjoying themselves, perhaps George Harrison in particular. And the witty TOTP promo for Hello Goodbye, shot in a snow covered Hyde Park (I think) is almost worth the price on its own. I had never seen that before. Shame Ivor Cutler's solo spot was cut from the final edit but I can see why they didn't use the Traffic sequence.

I remember watching Magical Mystery Tour in 1967.

I recall the stunned silence as this self-indulgent claptrap played out in front of my family. The EP tracks may have been ok, but the film itself was just rubbish. I rewatched it the other night and my 1967 opinion stands.

The first mis-step of their careers.

Yeah, but we couldn't let on to our parents that we thought it was ****.

it was tripe, wasn't it
it had a couple of good ideas but the whole thing was rubbish

I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed it.  I saw it in 1976 and thought it was a bit s**t.  I saw it last week and smiled a lot, and even laughed twice.  And when I Am The Walrus came in, I even got excited.  That'll do for me, cock.

Jules

Thats not good to read GubGub. I was quite adamant that I would not be buying this again. Now I'm starting yto waver. This may end up on my Christmas list after all...

 :-\ :-\

You won't be disappointed David. I am not making any great claims for the film as a masterpiece but it does have its moments, notably the musical numbers. Where else can you get to see the Beatles play I Am The Walrus or Your Mother Should Know and they are beautifully staged. It is otherwise a touching snapshot of the time and an England that has very much gone. It really does look pristine, bursting with the colour that it really needs and the music sounds spectacular, especially if you are lucky enough to have a 5.1 set up.

The extras are all thoroughly worthwhile too, unlike much of the content on previous Beatles discs which has tended towards the dull and technical.

Each to their own, I suppose.  

I remember Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever being released that year and Richard Baker playing them (on a record deck on the News Desk!) on the news before Doctor Who was shown.  My memories of the films shown with those tracks are much more positive.

Incidentally, I rather enjoyed (and tend to agree with) this book review by one Jarvis Cocker.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/oct/10/john-lennon-letters-hunter-davies-review

Though no masterpiece,I think MMT is pretty good.Strange and surreal and even for Walrus,it's worth the money,in my opinion.

Electrostatic speakers....drool, they were out of my price range unfortunately.   I've still got the Love Me Do CD single from the last time it came out, I didn't know that there was another one slated for release,or was it on vinyl?  The next Beatles item for me will be the Mono box at Christmas.  I've got to watch the pennies though, as I've just started on the Frank Zappa re-re-masters (Hot Rats for the fifth time, oh dear!) and there's the Steve Miller Band re-masters out( The first 5 albums, yippee!).

I'm sure Love Me Do was to be out on vinyl again.Think they got re-called for some reason.
I've virtually everything I want apart from Let it Be Naked and the Decca sessions(though not sure if this
is still available).

It did get out though...copies are on ebay.  They used the 'wrong' mix...the one with Andy White on it instead of Ringo.

LOL. So it was the original version then...

Not quite.  They cut two versions in September 1962.  The Andy White one was used for the Please Please Me LP and the American single.  The Ringo one was used for the initial pressing of the UK 45, but subsequently replaced for later pressings by the Andy White one.  The Ringo version was cut on the 4th, the Andy White one on the 11th.  They had previously recorded the song with Pete Best earlier in the year, which arguably makes Pete's version the "original".

The master tapes for the Ringo version have long since disappeared.  Which means that a new vinyl pressing is actually sourced from....and old vinyl pressing!

EMI aim to have the 'proper' (ie Ringo) version of the single out before too long.  The copies that have slipped through the net featuring the Andy White version will no doubt very quickly become overpriced collector's items.

Jules

As presumably is the version on the Past Masters/Mono Masters CDs.

Interesting also to hear Andy White claiming on a recent BBC4 documentary that he is also the drummer on Please Please Me. He apparently recorded a version with the band and reckons it is his version that was actually released.

Correct.



Yes I saw that.  A claim I have never seen made before, so I tend not to believe him.  It would suggest that he also played on the flipside, Ask Me Why, as this was cut at the same session.

Most likely though, he is referring to the version of Please Please me cut at the Love Me Do session, and misremembering subsequent events.  He probably wasn't much of a pop music fan after all.  This version wasn't the master take.  It has been released, but only much later, on Anthology 1.

Jules

Andy White played drums on Trader Horne's Morning Way album. I had forgotten that... ::)

Although the basis of his assertion seemed to be that the drumming style on the single release was more like his than Ringo's. Probably time playing tricks with his memory as you say but it is hard to argue with him hearing his own "signature" as it were.

Sadly this is where the whole fallacy about the quality of Ringo's drumming began and was something of a humiliation for him in the context of what had happened to Pete Best, much to Best's glee as was clear from the film.

George Martin got it wrong, as have legions of jokers subsequently as a result of his mistake and an unfortunate one liner from Lennon. One listen to Rain, to name but a single example ought to have shut them all up by now.

Not to be confused with Yes & Plastic Ono Band drummer Alan White or indeed Oasis drummer Alan White who incidentally was replaced by Zak Starkey. Is there no end to these Beatles connections?

And yes, I was confused for a moment until I looked them all up on Wikipedia.

As for MMT, I bought it years ago on video and have the 2 EPs with the booklet. I enjoyed the documentary that was shown on BBC4 the other night but I don't feel the need to buy it in any other format. But I might rent the dvd.

 :)

I totally agree about Ringo.  One of the finest rock drummers ever.  See also A Day In The Life, and just about all of Abbey Road.

And though I think Pete Best was a bit overly geelful in his snarkiness regarding this episode, elsewhere in the programme he came across as very well balanced and philosophical.  Fair play to him.

Regarding drummers recognising themselves - well, maybe, but what about that man Bernard Purdie who claims to have replaced all Ringo's parts?  I'm sure he actually believes himself!

Jules

There is often a thin line between being a drummer and being a nutter!

I've never heard that Bernard Purdie claimed to have replaced all of Ringo's parts but he did play on the dreadful Bee Gees led version of Sgt Pepper
    Purdie is a great drummer though

http://bocktherobber.com/2011/04/ringo-starr-or-bernard-purdie/

Jules

oooh! some interesting comments about it being well known that Purdie replaced Pete Best on the hamburg tapes and then theres some barmy stuff as well, who knows which is which?

You got it right - the former is interesting, the latter are all barmy.   ::)

Jules

It is the most extraordinary blx isn't it? Even if Epstein had been minded to replace Ringo behind the drum stool, why on earth, recording in London in late '62 & early '63 would he have approached an 18 year old from & indeed in Alabama? Were there no capable British drummers then?

The troubling thing is that people seem to be buying it. I think some Americans forget that the Beatles didn't start in '64. They were a big band in Europe for 14 months before the first Ed Sullivan show.

Yeah, but, you know, some people will buy anything!   ::)

Jules

Oh yes, that was a good comment...

Quoted from http://bocktherobber.com/2011/04/ringo-starr-or-bernard-purdie/ The Bernard Purdie  / Ringo Starr argument is gathering pace again amid claims from Purdie that he played on TWENTY ONE Beatles tracks in place of the technically inferior Ringo Starr.
He also said in 2007 that Starr was sacked by the Beatles in the early 60′s. Purdie says that Starr didn’t open a hi-hat in the first three albums


The first three Beatles LPs contained a total of 41 tracks. Purdie is claiming he played on 21 tracks, that he can’t name them, and that Ringo didn’t open a hi-hat in the first three. My arithmetic isn’t too clever, bit even I know that 21 doesn’t equal 41…


For anyone interested, there is another good Beatles site at www.beatlesbible.com

Interesting that some people can't resist the notion of substitution, whether it's Dylan being replaced after the Motorbike crash, or Paul dying at 28 IF, and being replaced by Tara Browne or that other bloke. I didn't know anything about the Ringo theory. What about this idea of Clapton playing a lot of lead on late Beatle albums? Any mileage in it? Does it matter?

One thing that is odd about these "X played instead of Ringo" etc theories is that it suggests there must have been a massive X-Files style conspiracy to cover it up so that George Martin, the engineers and other studio personnel were all in on keeping it under wraps and the "truth" is only emerging now almost 50 years later..

It was?  Was it?   :-\

Jules

Indeed.  Utter nonsense!

Jules

Here's an interesting dissection of the Purdie claims:

http://www.jimvallance.com/03-projects-folder/purdie-project-folder/pg-purdie.html

Well that puts it to bed and waves goodbye to any claims Purdie made.

Which is as I'd have expected, really.

If someone has replaced all of Ringo's parts, how much of Ringo is left?  Is he now completely bionic??  ;D

Possibly pickled.

Couldn't be bothered to start a new thread...but this interview looks quite interesting, if you like that sort of thing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/oct/27/paul-mccartney-yoko-ono-beatles-david-frost

I spoke to my (much older more mature older) sister in Australia over the weekend. She said she had heard the new remasters on CD and they weren't a patch on the original vinyl nor how they sounded when she used to go to The Cavern.

Funny how I never win musical Top Trumps against her.

Ive always prefered the albums(at least up till Pepper)in mono.Just how the music was meant to be heard.

Bless their little cotton socks. For the vinyl reissue, the stereo remasters will be out in time for Christmas, but the mono versions won't be released until 2013.

The stereo versions are £300. What's the betting that the mono versions will be a "strictly limited edition" (pull the other one) at the bargain price of £400?  ::)

Just like the "limited" edition of the CD Mono Remasters. Only I don't believe they are any more.

Still, if someone is a completest, and has near on a thousand quid burning a hole in their pocket, these for them.

But they are most certainly not for me.

Someone's got it here for forty quid!
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/THE-BEATLES-CD-MONO-BOX-SET-185-REMASTERD-SONGS-/281018715351?pt=UK_Music_Music_Memorabilia_LE&hash=item416e054cd7
Hmm...

Somebody buy it!

Jules

Somebody don't buy it!

"THERE ARE NO RETURNS ON THIS ITEM -  BOUGHT AS IS. TO ALL BIDDERS I CAN NOT GUARANTEE THAT THE BOX SET IS NOT A COPY"

Caveat Emptor.

But Returns are enabled according to Ebay - and the listing.

I've reported the item as possibly counterfeit to Ebay.

Counterfeiting an entire box set - that's going some!

Jules

It seems a very odd comment to have put on the listing. The pictures certainly look genuine enough but I guess it is possible that they are generic and not the actual article. Nice fireplace though!

Large counterfeit quantities of the box sets were made in China and sold in bulk, minimum quantites 12, at ridiculously low prices. I viewed the websites at the time. Shady dealers picked them up and sold on ebay at slightly less than everyone else.
A friend of mine bought stereo and mono , found they were counterfeit and claimed the cash back off ebay. The seller wouldnt give his address so he couldnt send them back.  ;D

They looked reasonable apart from a few minor and one major problem.
The mono box contained stereo discs. ;D
There were no inserts, or inner sleeves for the white album.
The artwork was good enough to have been copied except one disc had the Beatles names spelled incorrectly and another had tracklisting problems.
A lot of folk would have been taken in, I mean who needs to look at the sleeve to know who The Beatles are or what song is playing?

Here we go again. Yet more re-releases for you to collect. And all for £18 quid. This time the re-release is the film HELP, but on blu-ray. Better picture quality is guaranteed, as will be sound. An hours worth of extras too. Anybody going for this one?

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Help-Blu-ray-US-Beatles/dp/B00CRVZRUS/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1369325389&sr=1-3&keywords=help+blu+ray

Nope.  They still can't turn sh!t into gold.  It was always a stinker of a movie, a few fun scenes notwithstanding.

Jules

My money will not be heading that way.

An hour's worth of extra's would doubtless lure me in a better economic climate. Doubtless will show up on You Tube or local library, the extra bits may even be on You Tube now, though possibly not in polished up form. Will always love John, seeming to speak very much in character, when he says, Careful Paulie, she'll deceive you with her filthy eastern way. Something like that or maybe those precise words.
If one likes or loves the Beatles the songs of course are not the problem with any of their movies. And I believe Help to be the top of the heap in that regard. In fact left to pick only one, it is my favorite of their albums, of course referering to the version that only has Beatles tracks on it, not the one we got on Capitol.
I recall on my ninth birthday my Father put it to a vote between my friends and I between the then new movie or a University of Illinois football game. Mine was the only vote for the Beatles, maybe I had a fit, not sure, but we did go to see the Beatles.

Kahleesii be praised,what was wrong with Help? 4 nice young lads whose fame never went to their heads, Rumpole, the jewish lad out of never mind the quality and the dad off father dear father, Eleanor Bron and a clutch of songs to die for, otr at least have your finger cut off for>
White cliffs of Dover?

Well, for one thing, the Indian characters seem increasingly silly and borderline offensive as the years go by.  Oh and what passes as a plot is paper thin.  It isn't fit to stand side-by-side with A Hard Day's Night, that's for sure.

Jules

All true. But it is shot beautifully. The musical sequences are great. The songs are of course fab. And...well... its The Beatles isn't it!

That's all true as well.  And the house with four doors is, of course, iconic.  Plus John lights up the screen several times with his own brand of sarcastic daftness.

Jules

Unlikely I shall be adding this to the collection. I already have the video that will never be watched again. And two copies of the DVD (one being an unwanted family chrismas pressie). The LP (original copy), the CD, and the mastered CD. Enough is enough... Even if it is The Beatles.

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/beatles-plan-second-volume-of-bbc-recordings-20130828

Home recordings this time...

Thanks for the info, terrrrrrrr.

Jules

It will be interesting to see what this is like. The similarly sourced material on the Fairport BBC box for example is interesting in an archival sort of way but does not bear repeated listening for purely pleasurable purposes. I hope we don't end up with a disc of muffled and distorted Beatle performances. That would do their legacy no good at all and if I wanted to hear that I would listen to the Star Club recordings.

Yeah, similar thoughts.  But if any group can afford the best engineers to apply the requisite amount of spit and polish, it's the Fabs.

Jules

The BBC Beatles Live at The Beeb recordings (Saturday Club etc) are not of a wonderful quality, and thats from the Beebs record vaults. If the new sources are from home reel to reels, I can imagine the quality, even given all the technical wizardry at the Fabs disposal, I'm not holding out a lot of hope.

http://www.mojo4music.com/6163/paul-mccartney-new/

Sounds like his voice is finally admitting it's age. Which to me at least, is a sad day.

Voice doesn't sound too bad to me but I'm not sure about the song.

It has been for a good few years now, alas.

Jules

Appalling.

That's really sad but at least we know  where the Penny Lane outtakes went. ;) and the drum track.....

I'm prepared to forgive a lot of what Macca does (and over the years there's been some proper dross). Maybe this should be a call to him to consider calling it a day. But I'll be sad whenever he does.

Is it not possible to sue Macca for plagiarism?
 That song is a gruesome distortion of beatles music

I thought it was an inprovement on what he has done in the last few years. I do see what Jim means though, perhaps thats why it sounded better?

Do I detect "auto-tune"?

Doesn't sound any worse (or any better for that matter) than the gruesome George Beatles' parody from a while back (When We Was Fab)..

I quite liked that one!

Jules

Me too. Still do.

I actually don't think it sounds like the Beatles at all. It is worse than that. It sounds like Take That doing Beatles homage.



And me. Macca has done the Beatles much better here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rOKhtqAY2Qc

I thought that as well.

The Beatles - All These Years: Volume One: Tune In (Hardcover)


Its out. Has anybody bought it yet?

Unfortunately, it looks as though it's something I will be purchasing.

I did have a look at it in Waterstones when I was in Manchester yesterday, somehow I was expecting something a little more impressive for that sort of money. Was a bit surprised to see they were selling it at the full £30 - in line with their usual practice I would have expected to see it fairly heavily discounted - for the first few weeks anyway - considering it's something that's going to sell by the truckload. Needless to say it stayed on the shelf. Amazon, meanwhile, currently have it for half price.

Having listened a few times I don't think so. I am actually enjoying the new album more and more despite that first impression. The song On My Way To Work is terrifically good.

Have just noticed a very welcome Beatles at the BBC special on Radio 2 on 14 November but accompanied by this write up in Radio Times.

"For years now the band have divided the British in a way not understood overseas. This nostalgia fix returns to the fresh and early days of adoration, chart saturation and UK wide fixation before the onset of overkill, fatigue and resistance."

What a load of revisionist cobblers!

Not sure how legit these will turn out to be, but Amazon UK are listing the infamous butchered US versions of the early Beatles albums as being ready for a January 2014 release:-

The Early Beatles - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROT8/?tag=imwan-21
Meet The Beatles - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROX4/?tag=imwan-21
The Beatles Second Album - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROV6/?tag=imwan-21
A Hard Day's Night - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROZW/?tag=imwan-21
Beatles VI - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7RP4C/?tag=imwan-21
Beatles '65 - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7RP10/?tag=imwan-21
Something New - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROXY/?tag=imwan-21
Help! - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7RORU/?tag=imwan-21
Rubber Soul - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7RP2O/?tag=imwan-21
Revolver - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROQG/?tag=imwan-21
"Yesterday" ...And Today - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROVG/?tag=imwan-21
Hey Jude - http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00GJ7ROYS/?tag=imwan-21

Fans are already suggesting that the Yesterday ...And Today CD have the notorious "butcher sleeve" printed with a peelable version of the sanitised replacement sleeve on top!

And that's the only album I'd consider getting.  It has interesting alternate mixes of three of John's Revolver-era songs.  The actual US Revolver is the worst of the lot - it has those three John songs missing and nothing else in their stead.  I hope nobody buys it accidentally!

Jules

These were out in a box in the US some years ago, albeit pre the recent remasters. I remember seeing them on sale in the gift shop when I went to see Love in Vegas.

They did two volumes of The Capitol Albums box, but they didn't get as far as "Yesterday" ...And Today, and not only that, but they messed up the second volume by using fold-downs of stereo instead of the genuine mono mixes.

I know these are Frankenstein's Monsters in our eyes, but the American still have a sentimental attachment to them, so I can see them selling well....if, of course, they are indeed legit.

Just thought - I may also pick up the US A Hard Day's Night soundtrack as it was the only place to find the full unedited version of I'll Cry Instead.  A repeat verse was edited out for the UK release.

Jules

I didn't know that. I didn't look closely as I had no intention of buying them. The T shirts were horrible and expensive too so I ended up with two mugs, one of which has faded in the dishwasher!

I can understand the Americans' affection. It is the way they first experienced that music so has a legitimate nostalgic kick. I might just wait and see if they appear on ITunes and download the rare tracks individually.

They look legitimate. the label is shown as Commercial Marketing which I believe is Universal who now own the EMI back catalogue (and pretty much everything else it seems).

Commercial Marketing - I quite like the name there.No music related aspect to the name,just flog the product.Fair play.

Had an e-mail from Amazon:
The Beatles's new album (it says)
They've only just released one,but here's another:

 http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00FQGPZIK/ref=pe_172801_41693641_nrn_desc

I think I'll pass.

Jules

As all things must,so will I.
Now if it was a quadrophonic press conference,with a Beatles' in each speaker......I'd still pass.

These seem to have disappeared from the Amazon listings now.

Indeed.  And nobody's sure if this means that they were bootlegs after all, or if they were pukka releases and have now been delayed.

Jules

They don't normally delete listings if they are being delayed....there's a book I'm waiting for that's been delayed for over 3 years and is still listed there.  They're obviously boots.  Well, they are aren't they?  Amazon sells enough of them to know...!

As I said earlier, the listed label would indicate that they are not boots. The Dylan box disappeared from Amazon for a while after its initial listing. I suspect they put them up before they had been authorised to do by the label so as there has not been an announcement by Apple/EMI/Universal/Commercial Marketing (whoever controls these things) who probably do not yet want to distract the public from the recently released BBC sets.

Yeah, some listings do indeed disappear for a while.  I think Gub's theory may well hold water.

Jules

May the Lord bless those fine people at Amazon. They so very kindly wrote an email to me (in fact, they actually write to me, sometimes two or three times each day now) to let me know that they can, if I like, sell me more Beatles products. Here is an extract from the list of things available.

The Beatles in Stereo Vinyl Box - £352.63
The Beatles In Mono - £187.58
The Beatles Box Set - Remastered in Stereo -  £134.99
The Beatles Box Vinyl - £276.19
The Beatles 2009 Digital Remaster USB Version - £181.75  


Can anyone guess what words I was tempted to use in the email I never dared write, to tell them that I may not be able to afford any of these? Admittedly they may compliment my original vinyls, some cassettes, early and later CDs, and the mono boxed set remastered.

I think I already have enough duplications...                      

http://www.mojo4music.com/7824/the-beatles-rubbish-according-to-1968-bbc-audience-research/

So, they still arrive... I wonder how well, or not, this might have already been covered in the new Mark Lewisohn book.

That only goes up to early '63.

I'm thinking ahead... lol

In a similar move to the Bob Dylan limited edition "copyright extension" release, it looks like The Beatles are about to do likewise.

From the Steve Hoffman forum:-

The Beatles are set to "beat the boots" by releasing their own bootleg series as downloads on iTunes. The recordings will be made available on 17 December.  More than 2 hours' worth of music will appear under the title Bootleg Recordings 1963. Here's the track list from iTunes:

 1. There's A Place - Takes 5, 6 (2:19)
 2. There's A Place - Take 8 (1:58)
 3. There's A Place - Take 9 (2:04)
 4. Do You Want To Known A Secret - Track 2, Take 7 (2:17)
 5. A Taste Of Honey - Track 2, Take 6 (2:12)
 6. I Saw Her Standing There - Take 2 (3:07)
 7. Misery - Take 1 (1:54)
 8. Misery - Take 7 (1:56)
 9. From Me To You - Take 1 & 2 (3:24)
 10. From Me To You - Take 5 (2:17)
 11. Thank You Girl - Take 1 (2:09)
 12. Thank You Girl - Take 5 (2:04)
 13. One After 909 - Take 1 & 2 (4:29)
 14. Hold Me Tight - Take 21 (2:42)
 15. Money (That's What I Want) - RM 7 Undubbed (2:48)
 16. Some Other Guy - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 26th January, 1963 (2:02)
 17. Love Me Do - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 26th January, 1963 (2:31)
 18. Too Much Monkey Business - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 26th January, 1963 (1:50)
 19. I Saw Her Standing There - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 16th March, 1963 (2:38)
 20. Do You Want To Know A Secret - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 26th January, 1963 (1:50)
 21. From Me To You - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 26th January, 1963 (1:54)
 22. I Got To Find My Baby - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 26th January, 1963 (1:59)
 23. Roll Over Beethoven - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 29th June, 1963 (2:29)
 24. A Taste Of Honey - Live At BBC For "Easy Beat" / 23rd June, 1963 (2:01)
 25. Love Me Do - Live At BBC For "Easy Beat" / 20th October, 1963 (2:29)
 26. Please Please Me - Live At BBC For "Easy Beat" / 20th October, 1963 (2:08)
 27. She Loves You - Live At BBC For "Easy Beat" / 20th October, 1963 (2:29)
 28. I Want To Hold Your Hand - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 21st December, 1963 (2:19)
 29. Till There Was You - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 21st December, 1963 (2:16)
 30. Roll Over Beethoveen - Live At BBC For "Saturday Club" / 21st December, 1963 (2:16)
 31. You Really Got A Hold On Me - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 4th June, 1963 (2:54)
 32. The Hippy Hippy Shake - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 4th June, 1963 (1:43)
 33. Till There Was You - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" /11th June, 1963 (2:14)
 34. A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 18th June, 1963 (2:06)
 35. A Taste Of Honey - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 18th June, 1963 (1:56)
 36. Money (That's What I Want) - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 18th June, 1963 (2:41)
 37. Anna - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 25th June, 1963 (3:02)
 38. Love Me Do - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 10th September, 1963 (2:29)
 39. She Loves You - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 24th September, 1963 (2:16)
 40. I'll Get You - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 10th September, 1963 (2:05)
 41. A Taste Of Honey - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 10th September, 1963 (2:00)
 42. Boys - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 17th September, 1963 (2:12)
 43. Chains - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 17th September, 1963 (2:22)
 44. You Really Got A Hold On Me - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 17th September, 1963 (2:57)
 45. I Saw Her Standing There - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 24th September, 1963 (2:41)
 46. She Loves You - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 10th September, 1963 (2:15)
 47. Twist And Shout - Live At BBC For "Pop Go The Beatles" / 24th September, 1963 (2:36)
 48. Do You Want To Know A Secret - Live At BBC For "Here We Go" / 12th March, 1963 (1:55)
 49. Please Please Me - Live At BBC For "Here We Go" / 12th March, 1963 (1:57)
 50. Long Tall Sally - Live At BBC For "Side By Side" / 13th May, 1963 (1:49)
 51. Chains - Live At BBC For "Side By Side" / 13th May, 1963 (2:23)
 52. Boys - Live At BBC For "Side By Side" / 13th May, 1963 (1:53)
 53. A Taste Of Honey - Live At BBC For "Side By Side" / 13th May, 1963 (2:04)
 54. Roll Over Beethoven - Live At BBC For "From Us To You" / 26th December, 1963 (2:17)
 55. All My Loving - Live At BBC For "From Us To You" / 26th December, 1963 (2:06)
 56. She Loves You - Live At BBC For "From Us To You" / 26th December, 1963 (2:21)
 57. Till There Was You - Live At BBC For "From Us To You" / 26th December, 1963 (2:12)
 58. Bad To Me - Demo (1:29)
 59. I'm In Love - Demo (1:32)

These songs have all appeared on bootlegs around the world, but these versions are from the official archives and should sound better than previously bootegged copies.

What's the betting that this will be available for a day (or whatever the minimum amount of time is required to legally be considered as released) and then deleted?  Assuming its official, of course.

Jules

This has reminded me of an edition of Saturday Club in the early sixties when the Beatles did a live session the same week as the Shadows during which they did a couple of songs together. I seem to remember one of the tracks was Matchbox but memory could be playing tricks after all these years.
I was wondering if these tracks were ever released.

I've never heard tell of any joint performances, Peter, so perhaps it is indeed the memory.

Jules

They definitely happened as I recorded them at the time. I just cant remember what the tracks were. I wish I still had the old tape.

Surely a Fabshads session would have turned up on the many boots which document the beatles
 everywaking moment sincethey landed in hamburg

Latest on the Beatles' US albums appears to be that they'll come out in a box set:-

http://theseconddisc.com/2013/12/12/british-invasion-the-beatles-unveil-the-u-s-albums-box-set-in-january/

Can't see anything about individual releases yet.

Jules

$160 from Amazon US..

Correction, looks like they will be individual as well:-

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/box-set-alert-meet-the-beatles-again-the-us-albums-box-set/#more-23637

And look what they've done with the "Yesterday"... and Today cover!  Too cool!

Jules

FFS. Is the stupidity of Beatle fans so overwhelming that they'll buy this? Jesus wept.

I may well buy the "Yesterday"... and Tomorrow CD simply because I like some of the alternate mixes that made that record.  The US mix of Dr Robert almost turns the middle eight melody on its head because of the way the vocal harmonies are balanced.  The backwards guitar comes in at different points in I'm Only Sleeping as well.

But primarily this is aimed at US fans who want CD versions of the albums they grew up with.  Now most of those albums may have been butchered and otherwise messed around with, but you can't knock the fans for having that yearning.

Jules

And they were not necessarily aware of that at the time. That is the way as huge audience first experienced the band. Fair play to them.

I am with Jules on Yesterday & Today but there is some concern that the 2009 remasters are being used for these reissues so the quirks of the original US vinyl releases will be lost which seems a bit pointless.

The Hard Days Night & Help releases are interesting too as they are genuine OST albums featuring incidental music from the films which was never released in the UK. Not saying that makes them essential but it does make them legitimate historical artifacts.

I thought that was just for the mixes that don't differ, no?

Jules

To be clear, most of my irritation at yet another reissue from the Beatles is that the pricing for 50-year-old recordings remains resolutely high. I *love* most of the Beatles' output and, thanks to my sister playing their records throughout my youth, know 99% of the lyrics by heart!

  :) Butchered......Yesterday and Today.......Butchered.....oh nevermind...

It was a semi-conscious word choice.

Jules

Only $127 from Amazon.ca, which is tempting, especially compared to the 145 quid from Amazon UK

All these different "takes" and versions, those with changes from the recordings we know, we love, and grew up with, are things that THE BEATLES themselves, in their day, would not have issued. I remember clearly reading Macca in NME or whatever, saying that The Beatles wouldn't issue a single on any of their LPs, or list a single from from one either. They regarded it as a cheat on their fans. They were always so strict on what was released. For instance, why hasn't Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl been re-issued, or the video recordings of At The Budokan and Live At Shea Stadium been officially released through Apple. Even the film Let It Be is only available (I think) on bootleg.

I'd like the legacy to remain as good as it was. I don't approve of the remix Love cd (even though I do have the occasional listen), and I don't like The Anthologies even though I do have to admit to buying...

Let it be...

I take your point, but I take the other side - I like to hear as much documentation of the greatest pop group of all time as possible.  Even the slightest variation can provide insight that is gold to my ears.

Jules

On BBC Breakfast programme, it has been acknowledged that this latest "release" is simply to ensure that these remain copyrighted for a bit longer. As someone has already poimnted out, there will be no surprise if the "release" is shortly withdrawn.

I'm drawn on this one. Part of me says that this and many others like them, are a cynical exercise in scraping even more money from the barrel. I hate the idea of being taken as a mug. However, the mug that I am has till gone out and bought the same LPs, Tapes, CDs, DVDs and Blu-Rays to give me the best quality available.  :-[

Still cant ever get away from the point made earlier about preserving the quality of the catalogue.

I think that the reputation of the core canonical works are set in stone.  I wouldn't worry over-much on that score.

Jules

These hadn't appeared on ITunes before I came to work this morning. What's the betting that they appear for a short period during the day and I miss em. I can't access ITunes from here.

I do actually think that this strategy defeats Apple's own object. To make them briefly available will just mean that high quality CD boots of the downloads will quickly appear and the files will become available from illicit download and torrent sites, thus depriving Apple of any income they may think they are going to maximise down the line.

I'm bound to miss 'em too.

But I don't think that they're too worried about the bootlegs and the torrenting, so much as retaining legal ownership for the future.  A few boots and illegal downloads will be small fry in the scheme of things, no?

Jules

I'm not so sure. The sales for On The Air have not been enormous. If an official CD release of the material that is allegedly appearing today cannot offer anything in sound quality terms better than the boots of the material that have preceded it and the material is freely available on the internet to those that know how, that diminishing market is further diminished, the very thing that the record industry keeps complaining about. Only in this case they will have directly provided the material to the bootleggers themselves. Apple will have shot themselves in the foot.

Nope -they're using the 'standard' UK mixes for all tracks on the new US editions. Rather missing the point, methinks.

And the Bootleg Box thing has been deliberately pulled from sale. They were up for ten minutes. And now they're gone again.

Really?  Well in that case, they just lost a sale.   :(



Blimey!  Which 10 minutes?   >:(

Jules

BBC news seems to think these tracks will be back up later:
 
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-25413838
 
"Some fans have said the songs appeared on iTunes briefly earlier, but the BBC understands they will reappear later on Tuesday and remain indefinitely."

Jules

This from the press release:-

"Great care was taken to preserve the specific mixes and edits that make these U.S. albums unique, the company said. “These tracks, originally sent to the U.S. by George Martin, have been remastered from the original 1960s U.S. master analog tapes. They have been combined with the U.K. approved masters to reproduce the same sequence, order, and levels as presented on the U.S. Beatles albums. The original U.S. albums were used as models and set the overall direction for the process.”

That rather suggests that the different mixes will be present and correct, in amongst the identical mixes from the 2009 remasters.

Jules

What a surprise. The thought as occured to me many times over the years that Apple are idiots. They continue to own the hottest property in music but have no idea how to market it with any imagination. It still amazes me that when the 1 album came out, Apple did not think to put out a DVD of promo films for all the singles. Seems a no brainer to me but they have never done it.

Apoplexy breaking out on the Steve Hoffman forum.

Allegedly it all appeared briefly on UK ITunes at midnight. I was on UK ITunes at midnight just after I got back from the Waterboys gig. I never saw any sign of it.

Meanwhile, it appeared in Australia & New Zealand for a longer period, despite it being an EU copyright that they are allegedly trying to protect and has now, as predicted, turned up on torrent sites.

Suggestions that it will reappear today that nobody believes. CBS in the US are reporting that there will be a new Anthology set in 2014.

This has been a "Universal" cock up.

Unless it was intended as such.

Jules

Indeed.

In other news, the US albums are now listed individually on Amazon, totally overpriced at £14.99 each and with completely the wron track listings in several cases.  ::)

I expected the unfriendly prices.  Always the way with The Fabs.

Bootleg Recordings 1963 is back up on iTunes.  Oh, and look, it's had a price hike too:-

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/beatles-bootleg-recordings/id778642269

 >:(

Guess I'll be getting it unofficially after all.

Jules

It's there now and £35 for the equivalent of a double album.

I'll wait and see if it is still there when I get home and then decide.

I suspect that Apple/Universal underestimated the demand, pulled the original product and then stirred up a fever so that they could increase the price and make a quick killing. It is all a bit shoddy.

Anyone noticed the copyright? Not Apple intriguingly - "℗ 2013 The copyright in these sound recordings is owned by Calderstone Productions Limited (a division of Universal Music Group)."

£7.99 when first listed apparently.   :'(

Jules

It has apparently just disappeared again from the US site. Little chance of it still being available in the UK in two hours then.

There's supposed to be a similar Beach Boys collection today - any sightings?

US site only at this moment in time.

Jules

Well, predictably, The Beatles collection is now available where it shouldn't be!

So, it's not about the music then? Wot a surprise...

OK, so I succumbed and am now listening. Clearly this was not designed as just some throwaway to preserve the copyright. It sounds gorgeous, has been remastered with great care and the studio outtakes have been mixed into stereo which would not have been how they were recorded. It does however raise a number of questions.

For example, the collection contains Misery takes 1 & 7. A further take is the definitive version which appears on the Please Please Me album. That leaves at least four further takes. If this was intended as a shelf clearing exercise to preserve the copyright and prevent exploitation of the unreleased material by any old Tom, Dick or Harry in the public domain, shouldn't all of the unreleased takes have been included? Just a thought.

?
£35!
Thats a decent box set

Cross purposes - Steve means there's a double CDs worth of material, not that it's a double CD price.

Jules

My theory is that they only used the takes already in the hands of the bootleggers.

Jules

Yes, that would make sense. I guess we can probably look forward to one of these sets per year for the next 6 years. I just hope they make less of a shambles of issuing them than they did with this one yesterday.

It would if I was right.  Here's a list of all the 1963 tracks that have been bootlegged that weren't included:-

http://wogew.blogspot.de/2013/12/more-bootleg-recordings-1963.html

Jules

Blimey! Volume 2 on the way then.  ;)

Not that this sort of thing should be regarded as "collectable". As tattoos go, it's pretty special, but it's something I wont aspire to. More images can be found  by image searching your preferred search engine.

Mods. If this is regarded as unsuitable, plse delete.

[Photo over 400 days old. Removed by Admin.]

Spin have the American Beatles CDs for £9.99 a pop.  I just pre-ordered the A Hard Day's Night soundtrack, and "Yesterday"... And Today.  Couldn't help myself.   ::)

Jules

Beatles' US albums CDs set to majorly disappoint by not using all available US mix variants.  Even allowing for the wish not to use fake stereo versions or "Dexterized" reverb-added versions, they should still have used all alternate pukka mixes.  All they needed to do was do a little research on the internet.  Next time, they should let the fans have a voice.   >:(

Jules

Sadly, it appears the only thing that fans are required for, is to pay up...

You said it, brother!   :(

Jules

I have at long last got round to transferring my Beatles Remastered Mono into flac, and noticed that Yellow Submarine was missing. Seems that it was a straight mix down from the stereo version, so it's something I won't be buying for the fourth time... I did find this article, which some of you may find of interest.

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct09/articles/beatlesremasters.htm

BTW, it's brill to hear the Fabs again, I'd not listened to these for a couple of years. Wanted to keep the stupidly expensive Box Set in as good a condition as possible. Now I can listen all I want, in lossless...

Correct - Yellow Submarine, Abbey Road, and Let It Be weren't mixed for mono, though some countries did sell mono versions that were simply folded down from the stereo.

All of the Beatles songs from Yellow Submarine (though not the George Martin orchestral tracks) have been released in mono versions on The Beatles In Mono set anyway.

Jules

So are those versions genuine mono mixes or fold downs (notwithstanding that there are genuine mono mixes of the earlier songs on other albums)?

Hark at us going all Steve Hoffman over here!  ;D

The odd one out being The Beatles (White Album), remastered in mono and stereo.

Genuine.  Apple have seemingly vetoed issuing fold-downs, duophonic versions or other kinds of fake stereo for any recent Beatles CDs.

Jules

Not really an odd one out - it was released before Yellow Submarine.  EMI were still making mono albums in 1968.  By 1969, when Yellow Submarine came out, LPs were stereo only.

Jules

Odd one out in so much as it is part of the Mono box set, and available separately as a remastered stereo too.

Not sure what you mean - the same is true for all of the earlier albums too, from Please Please Me through to Sgt Peppers.

Jules

The trainspotter's guide to The Beatles US Albums set - what's bin did and what's bin hid:-

http://wogew.blogspot.co.uk/

Even I can't spot the difference between the UK and the supposed US stereo mixes of And Your Bird Can Sing and remain unconvinced about that one.

Jules

Well, now, hmmm.

http://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=13872

5.1 mixes. I shouldn't fall for it but I probably will.

Meanwhile, in Japan....

http://theseconddisc.com/2014/05/05/meet-the-beatles-japan-style-new-box-set-collects-fabs-original-japanese-albums/

Jules

Yes. That really is a boxed set too far.

It's not for me either. I may fall for the films as and when they are available though. I really would like to see the Shea Stadium concert released, HD, the lot. Oh, and Let It Be, in HD too... Not the grainy stuff that can be seen on Youtube.

Me too and I'm a great Beatles fan. I also  agree on the films. Unfortunately I think Macca probably doesn't want Let It Be to see a release because it shows the cracks in the Beatles relationships and the famous scene with George where he clearly is fed up with Macca's domineering. But I think it's a great film and is a real insight into how things were towards the end. The film contains some fabulous music which shows just how creative the Beatles could be even with things falling apart and I think all the Beatles show through as likeable, creative individuals but growing apart. The roof top concert is wonderful with that amazing version of Don't Let Me Down. Come on Macca, sign that release document!

Amen to that!

Jules

Super Deluxe Edition have fun with the cover variations for the reissue of The Beatles' A Hard Day's Night movie:-

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/around-the-world-in-a-hard-days-night-blu-ray-cover-variations/#more-29198

Jules

It's all to much..

Unless, baby, you're a rich man.

But money can't buy you love  :)

That's what I want.

Yeah?

Yeah! (All you need is Love)

Chris

Here's one of the more unusual Beatles items to collect. Even if I could afford it, I can safely say I wouldn't want it...

http://gawker.com/5857193/john-lennons-rotten-tooth-sells-for-ungodly-amount-of-money

Too soon Chris! I was hoping Al would reply with a yeah. Then your post would have given us a yeah yeah yeah in true Beatley fashion. (These stupid things lighten up my sad existence.)

Sorry, I was rather premature. I will behave next time!

Chris

You were a bit premature....next time remember....Come Together!

Not that this can be collected, but it is of interest. Mark Lewisohn talks about "The Beatles: All These Years"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2nn4kExJMM

Looks like the price of The Beatles - All These Years - Extended Special Edition: Volume One: Tune In (Hardcover) is starting to come down. Today in Amazon it can be bought for £64.80 + £2.80 UK delivery. It's always nice to own something that not everyone will have. But is it worth all that money. Now going through on-line reviews. I suspect that Beatles lovers will love it, and the haters, well....

The other question on my mind is, is it worth going for the "cheaper" book? Is it likely that maybe the cover is torn, or some other problem.

(yes, I AM being tempted)

I'd buy a cheap one, torn cover or not.  You can always repair the cover.  But close to seventy quid is still too rich for me.

Jules

I got the original edition for £7, brand new, inc p&p from amazon sellers
Nearly 1000 pages, that'll do me

Still, it IS down a lot. Patience is probably what's required. For instance, brother-in-law found me a brand new copy of Harrisons Living In The Material World hardback for just £2.00. Even now, it's still £21.60 on Amazon.

Let it Be is "garbage"....by one who should know...

http://www.nme.com/news/the-beatles/81998

Discuss.  Nicely  ;)

Sounds a bit like he''s drumming up a bit of extra publicity. Johns book hasn't received the best of reviews...

Aye, I think you're right...

Thirty, or even 20 years ago I'd have taken exception to Johns making that sort of talk. Mind, I was one of those ones who could see no wrong in anything that the Beatles ever did. Today though, I can see that Johns is most probably correct in his "Spector" comments. He did produce some pap on Let It Be.

I mostly loathe what Spector did to those tapes.

But then Johns's original album was even worse - he choice of takes for many of the songs was just plain baffling - I've Got A Feeling was an incomplete run-through, and the version of Dig A Pony he picked was leaden.

Let It Be... Naked was a golden opportunity to finally get it right, but they failed on a few counts (not least by preserving Spector's structural edits to Dig A Pony).

The best version of that album is the one I did for myself, though I do say so myself, despite the hindrance of having my own trumpet placed firmly in my mouth.   ;D

Jules

After over 30 years of just about everyone whingeing about Spector ruining Let It Rot Be, which i think even the most rabid Beatles apologist will admit that it isnt a great record, Macca got hold of the tapes in order to give the album a decent reputation and all he could come up with was the vastly inferior LIB Nekkid.
     Just goes to show that you can sling all the great producers, engineers and musos you can lay your hands on but no matter how much buffing and polishing you apply, a turd is still just a turd.

I don't know, "turd" is a bit much. Two Of Us, I've Got A Feeling, Let It Be, the non-Spector-ized The Long And Winding Road, Get Back, Across The Universe. Pretty damn good songs, and performances.

I've Got A Feeling is one of my favourite Fabs tracks.

Let It Be and The Long & Winding Road are undeniably classic songs, even if you've heard them too many times.

Get Back b/w Don't Let Me Down is a first rate Beatles 45.  The latter song should definitely have made the album (score one for Let It Be... Naked).

True, John was short on songs (his heroin habit didn't help matters there).

And true, Across The Universe was from February 1968 and really has no business being here.  (You could argue the same for I Me Mine, cut in January 1970 without John.)

If only they'd worked up George's All Things Must Pass.

But, no, the album is certainly no "turd".  You could argue that Glyn Johns's shelved Get Back album is though.  It's a very shoddy piece of work (and I like Glyn Johns as a producer).

Jules

Not a lot to splash out this time. A decent article about McCartney in Esquire Magazine...

http://www.esquire.co.uk/culture/music/8511/paul-mccartney-interview/

Thanks for the pointer. Interesting.

Great interview.  Thanks from me too.

Jules

A great read...Thanks David !... :)

David Gilmour goes Fab.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6BeEp7-0LI

"A set of promos with remixed audio and restored video for Chrimble, sir?"

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Beatles/dp/B01576X99U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1442324616&sr=8-1&keywords=beatles&tag=shtv.uk-21

Jules

Ringo and Barbara are having a clearout, quite fancy one of Ringo's kits myself. It'll probably be a bit pricey, though... :)

http://www.juliensauctions.com/auctions/2015/ringo-starr-barbara-bach/index.html

He should have just waited until the cheques came in from the DVD sales.   ::)

Jules

"Their London Estate"? Unless he's moved recently, Ringo has a place in Cranleigh, along with Eric the God. Not really London.

I rather think so.  :)

I read that Ritchie and Barbara sold all their european bolt holes and have moved full time to the states.  He said that he thought all his memorabilia, now in storage, would be better off sold to good homes. Among them are one of John's old '64 rickenbackers, which he gave to the drummer, expected to fetch £600,000 or thereabouts.

Why on earth has this taken so long? I have been campaigning for this for years. At last. A must.

And as it happens, I don't have the 1 compilation on CD so the third disc won't be entirely superfluous. Can't wait.

Let It Be DVD next?  ;)

Neither have I, though some would argue that it still is!  Except, are we to presume that the CD will also be remixed?  That makes it more interesting.



Don't hold your breath!   ::)

Jules

I presume it will at least be stereo mixes of all of the tracks, which I do not have in many cases since the 2009 remasters were released as I went for the Mono box plus stereo White album, Abbey Road & Let It Be.

Actually that is not entirely true, I do still have the previous issues of the Red & Blue compilations so I do have stereo mixes, just not remastered stereo mixes. It is a minefield isn't it!

When explaining where Cranleigh is to Brits I usually have to plump for 'Guildford', so I imagine for a Beverly Hills audience 'London' is an even more convenient shorthand.  

I have no doubt you are on the button there.

Where is this "Guildford" of which you speak? London? What is a London?

 ;D

It's where we, from Ipswich, tell anyone under fifty who doesn't like football we're from when we're on holiday.

I know of Ipswich, i went there once in the 70's. A nil nil draw at portman rd, you may have seen me with Doc's Red Army, we toured much of the country to great acclaim.

More on the upcoming release, its content, and its variations:
http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/the-beatles-1-expanded-with-restored-videos-and-remixed-audio/

Jules

I am, quite literally, drooling. I am not sure that I can contain my excitement for a month and a half!

Price already dropping on Amazon.

It actually dropped further but is now inching back up again.

Jules

What was the lowest you saw Jules? I pre-ordered yesterday morning so I should be guaranteed the lowest price between then and release.

I can't wait for this. Brilliant.

Oh, not even as much as a quid less than what it is presently, but I'm sure it'll only go up in price now. Until release day at any rate.

Jules

Looking at it now on Amazon. Doesn't take much but I'm confused. What's the difference between the £32.99 and the £34.99 copy's ? They seem identical. Three discs,two being DVD.

Just checked and I see what you mean.  I think they're the same.  Maybe the lower price option will disappear once a certain quota of pre-orders is fulfilled.  But this is purely guesswork on my part.

Jules

Thanks Jules. Well, I'm gonna order it all the same.  :)

I think the lower priced one with the 1+ artwork (blue on red) is the correct one. The details on the other seem to be all over the place and it is only picturing a two disc edition. I think Amazon have got a bit confused.

From the Fabs site...

http://www.thebeatles.com/sites/one/index.html

As usual, yer pays yer money etc...

Well i was holding off but after reading all that I'll be paying my money.

What swayed you?

Or is this another example of your cutting wit, Jim?   ;)

What I really want to know is..... what would macademis do?   ::)

Jules

No, seroius, i wasnt really thinking of buying it, dont know why, then i saw her face.............
Macademia? He would have gone on a hunt for the fabled BYC , or BYO, or BLT whatever it was that got right up his nose

Talking of things fab, the new copy of Mojo mag has just landed and the cd is called "Songs The Beatles Taught Us"
!5 songs the beatles covered.
 The first is Shout by the isley Brothers which i rather associated with Lulu, but i suppose they did it in some hamburg club or other.

apparently its anthology 1, so fair play.

Old Cavern recordings found in desk drawer:

http://www.uncut.co.uk/news/early-beatles-live-recordings-found-in-desk-drawer-71037

Jules

Another excuse for Uncut to put them on the cover again?

ive never seen this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGLGzRXY5Bw
 or this
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5nARZKS-AY

i used to wonder why John had the fling with Alma Cogan but from the brief glimpse of her , i can now

I didn't know he had!

Jules

Seems there was a lot of confusion about this:

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/news/beatles-blu-ray-confusion-for-amazon-uk/

Jules

I received such an email. I ignored it.

No chance of you getting the wrong version is there?

Or, worse still, having your pre-order cancelled?

Jules

Certainly not the latter as i have just had a despatch confirmation email!  :)

The updated link on superdeluxeedition was to the version I have ordered (1CD, 2xDVD) so I think I am ok

Good.  And, furthermore, phew.

Jules

It is in my hot sweaty mits, along with artefacts by Messrs Dylan, Gregson & Collister.  :)

8 discs of loveliness for me to work my way through. Sadly I don't think I shall have time for any of them over the weekend or for much of the next week.

So spread them around the rest of us and we'll tell you what you should think of them  ;)  I bags the Gregson & Collister album...

Doing my maths, that sounds like a slim Dylan volume.  Not even the 6-disc set for you, Gub?

Jules

No. Just the 2 this time round. I have commented on this on the relevant thread.

I am administering an auto wrist slap as I type this.

Jules

I know this is heresy but I did not find the Basement Tapes box an especially satisfying listening experience and know that I will be unlikely to listen to much of it repeatedly The same will be true of this one. There are other releases in the series that I will keep going back to and other potential releases also. This one just doesn't appeal in extended form. Wild mercury Bob is not my favourite of his personas, groundbreaking though he no doubt was in this period.

Ultimately I can't have everything. The bank balance won't allow it. I had to talk myself down from Bowie's Five Years today. I had to make a choice with Bob and I think it was the right one. I would like to have enough time to listen to things in my collection more than once. 8 or 24 hours of Bob in one single release is too much of an investment.

This is the eternal problem......£100 for something in a nice box, of material previously deemed unfit for release, that will get one listen and go on a shelf with all the others; at best maybe one or two tracks will make a self made comp. If you're only going to hear it once you may as well save the cash and listen on Spotify, or something.

It landed this afternoon about 3.30.
Thats to ights viewing sorted.

I just want the Re:Call discs......which of course they're not selling separately.   >:(

Jules

This postcard from John to Paul, December 1971 made me smile:


[Photo over 400 days old. Removed by Admin.]

 8)

Been looking around to see if this Beatles 1 Blu Ray thingy is doing anything on price, and was offered this as an Amazon frequently bought together item. I don't recall seeing it before. I don't think I'll be seeing it in the flesh either. It might well be down from £120.00, but as I've got all the original LPs anyway (a bit battered about mind)...

The Beatles 50th Anniversary Box Set


•   Collectors limited edition box set of the most significant Beatles album covers
•   24 art prints on 250gsm matte art paper
•   Officially Licensed Beatles Product
•   Limited to 1963 individually numbered units
•   Produced in the UK


[Photo over 400 days old. Removed by Admin.]

Yeah, they dangled that at me too.  Looks like utterly pointless fluff to my eyes.

Jules

Now joined by a further two discs of other stuff and not a note single played. Cannot for the life of me see when I am going to find the time. Next weekend? Maybe?

There are just not enough hours in a day at the moment. Can we get a couple of those eight day weeks that the Fabs were so fond of?

EXPENSIVE pointless fluff too...

If anyone would like the Please Please Me album in stereo with vocals in the centre, I'll put it in dropbox!

What's the origin of this mix, Stephen?

Jules

Interesting, but I think I'm OK with the three other versions of this LP/CD/Remastered I already own. It's good of you to offer it though.

It's called Dr Ebbetts Stereo Remix

Oh.  He's good!

Jules

And I have finally watched it all, largely as a result of having been forced to take my foot off the work pedal this week. The main think that came across to me from this set is that, with the sanctification that has taken place over the last 35 years, it is easy to forget just how much fun John Lennon was. There are lots of highlights in the set but Version 3 of the Hello Goodbye promo is an unfettered joy.

That's good to hear, Gub.  He wasn't my first ever hero for nothing!  I have dropped a very unsubtle hint to my brother regarding its suitability as a Chrimbo present.   ;)

Jules

A shop that just buys The Beatles' "White Album":

http://hyperallergic.com/65570/we-sell-white-albums/

Jules

Truly bizarre!

Something tells me that John would approve.  It's very like his and Yoko's art exhibits.

Jules

I note Ringo is auctioning his White Album No. 00000001 (http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-news/ringo-starr-is-auctioning-his-copy-of-the-white-album-no-0000001/)

Indeed.  His mono copy.  That's what lead me to that web page.  They're tipped to be very interested, not surprisingly.

Jules

Talking of Ringo, much as I have enjoyed the new 1 video bonanza, it has to be said that his and Paul's brief new contributions do not exactly add a great deal of insight to things.  ::)

It is also very obvious that most of the directors clearly had no idea what to do with Ringo in most of the clips. It does not seem to have occured to them to let him drum. When the other three are posed amongst the greenery strumming their guitars during Paperback Writer for example, poor old Ringo is consigned to sitting on the ground tapping his fingers.

I'd love to visit that exhibit. There is something very appealing about it. The idea of all those first editions that were bought when the music was new and created such excitement amongst their owners, The shocking condition that many of them are now in that makes 1968 now seem such a long time ago. The ephemeral nature of the physical product when the music that it contains remains timeless...

Well, you can all stop collecting now http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-35166985

Never!  Streaming is for lightweights!   ;D

Jules

Despite my moral objection to Spotify (miserable royalty rates), methinks a Fab Four marathon may be in order tonight/tomorrow  :)

Well, that settles it. I don't own any Beatles albums, and now I will never need to! Once I get some sort of streaming device, that is.  :) 8)

Weirdo!   :P

Jules

You have one. My guess is that you typed that post on it.  ;)

As a brand, The Beatles have been going very well for over 60 years. Those like myself, have bought various formats ovver the years, of the same songs. I'm too old and set in my ways to change now. I have top class digital copies of all the music. I still await eagerly the videos/dvds/blu-rays of the films though. Shea Stadium and Let It Be are still out there, if anyone can convince Apple that they are worthy...

Plus, I've only got 1mb download speed, so streaming isn't the big answer for me...

You're sort of, Al. I type on public access, which means I can listen to stuff on tiny headphones while I'm here. I was thinking of something which would enable me to listen at home - -a connection, of course, and something else.

I have indeed got my grubby hands on the deluxe 1 blu ray, and so far, I'm not all that impressed. I'm only halfway through the first one though, so there's still time.

I got the 1+ DVD/CD version.  Still haven't had the opportunity to view or hear yet.  Soon come!

Jules

Finally got around to watching some of the DVDs.  Does it bother anyone else that there's been all this talk of restoration, yet there are still very noticeable big black hairs on much of the Let It Be-era footage?  How hard would that have been to clean up?

I'm also wondering why the studio footage for the alternate Rain promo is in black + white when the one for Paperback Writer is in colour.

Otherwise, a mighty fine collection.

Jules

I think that is explained somewhere in the book (or maybe somewhere else. I have definitely read about it). I can't remember what the explanation is though.

The hairs in the gate on the Let It Be footage will be on the original film negatives. Not sure how easy that would be to remove but I am no expert in these things. What surprises me more is that the fiming was so shoddy in the first place.

Indeed.  I have read that the hairs were trapped in the camera and that to remove them they'd need to do some digital colour matching rather than simple cleaning.  So, what's the problem?  Do it!

Jules

That would give them nothing to release next time.

Just been listening to some of various alternate takes of the Please Please Me album on Beatles Sessionography vol 1, and my goodness although some of the lead guitar playing was really awful, the vocals were always spot on.

What a supergroup The Big Three + John & Paul on vocals might have been!!

Have just noticed that the Beatles albums that I have bought from Amazon over the years have magically appeared in my Amazon digital music (Auto Rip) library for download. Not that I need them but this has crept in under the wire. I knew they were being made available to streaming services but thus far they have only been available for download from ITunes.

If you have Amazon prime they are all free to load into your amazon music player.

Hmm.  It suggests that no major clean-up of Let It Be footage has been done yet.  Or that, if it has, they're not letting any spoilers out just yet.

Jules

I'll take The Beatles as they were/are, thanks, limitations and all.

Jules

Not necessarily. The Let It Be footage on 1 consists of promos that were extracted for use on TV in 1969. The DVDs have been created from those promos, not from the negative of the cinema released movie. One give away is that the promos are in the standard 4:3 aspect ratio conforming to the shape of TV screens at the time whereas the film is in the cinema screen ratio of 1.37:1.

In other words, the movie and the promos are different items in their own right. They could well be working on the movie negative but have not bothered with the promos which were probably only preserved on telecine film (16mm I think) and for which the negatives are probably long lost.

I wouldnt swap Paulie on bass For John Gustafson or Ringo for anyone and George did just fine.

Yep. They just about scraped a career together didn't they...

Interesting.  Thanks for that, Gub.



Amen to what Gym said.

Jules

Gym! ;D
How very apt  ::)

Anyone got a spare £10,000 +?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-35660169?ocid=socialflow_facebook&ns_mchannel=social&ns_campaign=bbcnews&ns_source=facebook

An old recording of 'Til There Was You isn't my idea of a holy grail, but I'm sure somebody will enjoy owning it.

Jules

About time this showed up on CD. I bought the original vinyl when it came out in 76. The CDC has been remastered by Giles and has extra tracks:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01IO7OHTU/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=univemuisc-umc-21&linkCode=as2&ascsubtag=THEBEATLESLiveAtTheHollywoodBowlCDUmLi02

Cool. Looking forward to hearing what sort of "cleaning" up Giles has managed to achieve.

In order to help us celebrate it being 50 years since A Hard Days Night was released, a new cleaned up BluRay of the film is being release. And it'll only cost "19.09 (??) from a certain online supplier. OK, there will be a few bonus bits and interviews thrown in, the audio will probably be better, but I doubt it will be up to the Remastered Mono standard.

Eh? It is 52 years since A Hard Days Night was released and it has been available on Blu Ray for some time.

Given the general price of vinyls theses days, this seems a fairly reasonable collection, especially double and triple albums at £24.99
https://www.deagostini.com/uk/collections/beatles-vinyl-collection/

I saw Abbey Road in the newsagent for a tenner. Was nearly tempted.

It is sort of tempting but on the other hand, why do I need it when I already have all this music many times over. It also reeks a little of barrel scraping by Apple.

Our local Tiger (chainstore? ) had various LPs (please, not 'vinyls') for 8 quid. One Beatles included.

In something of a role reversal, my son buys me Lego!

[attachment deleted by admin]

I bought several of Deagostini's jazz albums last year and they were very good pressings. So today I bought their Abbey Road. It's fab. Flat as a pancake and free from pops and clicks. I have a 1971 pressing that I haven't played for a long time, having only played CD versions for several years. Tonight on headphones it really sounded very good.    

Stop trying to tempt me you naughty man. I think I have that same 1971 pressing, which was much played in the pre CD era.

I've caved in and taken out a subscription having also been impressed with the Abbey Road pressing.

Presumably though it's mastered using recent digital remasters rather than original analogue tapes?

Jules

Correct, I'm pretty sure it's the 2012 remaster

I gave in and bought it as well. Officially it's a one-off. Unofficially, I haven't made my mind up yet....

Same here. There are a few albums that I don't feel I need on vinyl, 1 and the Anthologies for example so a subscription seems excessive but the original albums and the red & blue are all attracting my interest. We'll see. Shame they haven't thought to do a special pressing of Oldies But Goldies as an exclusive for the magazine. Would've been a nice touch.

Abbey Road was the first Beatles album I ever owned and remains my favourite so a nice plece to start.

I was bought that for Christmas. Great isn't it!! And it did take me back a few years (ok a lot!) when building it.  ;D

So, if nothing else this is a good excuse to listen to the albums from start to finish, which I very rarely do these days. And I thoroughly enjoyed it. Unfortunately the pressing is not perfect. There was a bit of surface noise on a couple of tracks and an odd click after Maxwell's Silver Hammer. I notice that the individual tracks are not delineated on the vinyl. Is this a new thing? I am sure that was not the case on my original vinyl copy, at least not on side 1. What really impressed me was the amount of bass they managed to get into the vinyl and overall it is just a nice thing to have and hold.

I think I am in for the long haul (sigh). Sgt Pepper is up next. I will be interested to see if the packaging includes the inserts. Same goes for the White Album poster and the Magical Mystery Tour book. And will the early albums be mono or stereo? The latter I suspect.

I seem to recall that my vinyl original, probably a 70s pressing, didn't have clear spaces between the tracks.

Jules

Sgt Pepper does contain the inserts. :)

Just bought the Sgt Pepper LP; all the inserts are included.

The "new" insert of sleeve notes states that 2 of the faces from the original collage had been painted out:

Leo Gorcey (actor, one of The Bowery Boys) - his image would have appeared on the back row between The Varga Girl and the other Bowery Boy Huntz Hall; apparently Gorcey requested a fee.

And Mahatma Gandhi - from just behind Diana Dors - at the request of EMI.

As I no longer have an original sleeve to compare it with, have these changes been made for the re-issue(s) or did they not appear on the original?  I'm 99.999% sure I remember Gandhi being on there...

Pretty certain these changes wre made at the time before the album was issued. Certainly Leo Gorcey's request for payment forced that change ahead of release and I believe that EMI had considerable interests in India at the time and were fearful of causing offence.

My copy of the mag is apparently on its way to me along with issue three. Can't remember what that contains. Help possibly.

Anybody who subscribed within the last three weeks received issues 2/3 yet? I have been charged for them but nothing has arrived.

Same here, the tracking site shows it was sent out on 26th March, but nothing received as yet.

You have safety in numbers, or at least so I hope, gentlemen.

Jules

I saw "Help" in WHS today...

Mine have arrived this morning.

Ah. Will keep my eyes peeled for the postman then, usually about 11.30.

Sgt Pepper is soon to be re-released. I've read that it will include more tracks, presumably Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane. As much as I love Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane, the inclusion of them on Pepper will, imho, detract from both. Pepper is ingrained so much on my memory, any change will just grate. I know that both tracks were supposed to be on Pepper originally, but my compilation CD, made to include those tracks, for me, just doesn't work.

Ringo has said in the music press that the whole lot have been remastered. Would that be a further remaster of the remastered CDs and LPs issued just a few short years ago? He does also say that he hasn't listened to Pepper in decades, which might account for his thinking that the sound has really been improved.

Is there any advantage to a subscription?  Cost?  Any extras?  I rather like checking the copies out in town to make sure all is well (externally at least).  My experience of vinyl in the post is not good....

No, same masters as then.

Jules

I don't think there is any cost advantage in taking out a subscription but there are a number of "free" gifts which don't exactly get my heart racing!
Details are in the link.
My main reason for taking out a subscription was simply due to the fact that after a few weeks these things tend to disappear from the shops.
One thing I found strange was that when you take out a subscription, you are asked whether you also want to receive any "special edition" albums if and when they are released!
I have no idea what these could be!
http://www.deagostini.com/minisites/uk/collections/beatles-vinyl-collection/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&gclid=CLKmopqthtMCFQhuGwoddF4Kqw

Strawberry Fields and Penny Lane were taken off Sgt Pepper by EMI against the wishes if the Beatles and Geirfe Martin, so restoring them is ok by me.

Thanks Bill.  Do they get delivered in sturdy cardboard, or 'just' an envelope...?

They do come in a box which seems pretty sturdy.

I have heard a few complaints about damaged deliveries but also praise for D'Agostini for intantly replacing when this happens. Box on my latest delivery seemed pretty sturdy to me.



Chatter about this on the forums suggests that the original album will be preserved on a single disc with additional discs containing the extras, including Penny Lane & Strawberry Fields Forever which came from the same sessions. Only A Northern Song also rumoured to be included. I also don't see the point in reconfiguring the album but I guess it doesn't matter if the original remains available. A bit like Let It Be...Naked.

I dropped my car off at the garage Friday afternoon for some tyres, and wandered into the village newsagent/grocery store....There on the rack battling for space with Hello magazine and Word Search, was a solitary vinyl copy of The Beatles "Help" in a sort of collectors pack ... ;D

Not strictly true - they were recorded for the upcoming album project, then EMI wanted a single, so those two songs (only these and When I'm 64 had been finished) were the selected tracks.  They weren't taken off the album because the album didn't exist yet.

Jules

But they weren't put on the album because EMI had said that as they were released (as a double A side) they couldn't go on the album.

Anyone else remember Richard Baker playing these with a small record deck on his news desk on the BBC news before Doctor Who (Episode 1 of "The Moonbase"!) on Saturday 11 Feb 1967, 2 days before the actual release of the single? They even had little films with them, amongst the first music videos I ever saw.

Penny Lane (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-rB0pHI9fU)

Strawberry Fields Forever (https://youtu.be/8UQK-UcRezE)

Again, I don't think that was EMI's decision.  It was common in those days for singles to be separate from albums, yet many singles were placed on albums, and the decision about those songs would have been made by the band rather than the label.  By 1967 they were powerful enough to call the shots.

Jules

Fwiw, Wiki suggests it was entirely Epstein's call.

Certainly McCartney has said many times over the years that the band had a policy of not releasing singles from albums to provide better value for the fans, though this was not universally true as multiple singles were issued from both A Hard Days Night and Help and one double A side from Revolver. In the case of Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields I think there was a touch of panic from EMI. There had never been such a long period without new product from the band and nobody knew in those days whether an act's popularity could survive such a long time out of the public eye. It seems absurd to us now when Kate Bush takes decades to make new records and they still land at number 1.

It often depended if the parent album was already out.  Singles might be taken from parent albums, but if a single was out before the album, it usually wouldn't be included.  The exception was usually with soundtracks.

Jules

It's complicated.

Wikipedia actually says

"Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" were subsequently released as a double A-side in February 1967 after EMI and Epstein pressured Martin for a single.When it failed to reach number one in the UK, British press agencies speculated that the group's run of success might have ended, with headlines such as "Beatles Fail to Reach the Top", "First Time in Four Years" and "Has the Bubble Burst?"After its release, at Epstein's insistence the single tracks were not included on the LP. Martin later described the decision to drop these two songs as "the biggest mistake of my professional life"

So, Epstein, EMI and Martin were all to blame, in varying proportions.

Now I'm a thinking....where would they have been in the running order if they HAD been included ?
And would any of the other songs been left out ?

Probably not in the latter case. It is not a long album so probably room for them even on vinyl.

Shall, I try red, then?   ;) ;D

When a new Beatles single was requested by manager Brian Epstein, producer George Martin told him that the band had recorded "Penny Lane" and "Strawberry Fields Forever", which Martin considered to be the band's best songs up to that point.[26] At the suggestion of Epstein, the two songs were released as a double A-side single, in a fashion identical to that of their previous single, "Yellow Submarine" / "Eleanor Rigby".

I think both quotes prove that it was Epstein's call.  Martin is saying his biggest mistake was not to stand up to Epstein, isn't he?

Yes, it'd only be 47:55 with both tracks added. The engineer would probably lose a bit of bass or lower the overall level to fit.

Sure. It's 50 years later. They're both dead. At this point the real question is whether to buy the Remastered Remaster and if so, whether to get the Mono or Stereo version. Mono for me (because I'm deaf in my right ear!)

Also, will we get the original cover with extra faces (http://www.feelnumb.com/2012/05/16/the-5-removed-obscured-famous-people-on-the-beatles-sgt-peppers-lonely-hearts-club-band-album-cover/)? I'm not sure Hitler was ever included in a shot, although his cutout was there.

I think it's the latest MOJO wherein Meatloaf mentions that the only way they could fit Bat Out of Hell on to a single LP was to speed the whole thing up slightly.

That's a surprise, the original BOOH album was 46:43. Later versions added "Dead Ringer For Love" to add 4:23 to take it to 51:08. Since a vinyl LP can hold up to 40 minutes per side (at very poor quality) this would have been ok-ish.

Incidentally, Todd Rundgren's "Utopia" clocks in at 59:16 on the vinyl single LP release and "Deepest Purple - The Very Best Of Deep Purple" apparently clocked in at 63:37!

See this article (http://www.themasterdiskrecord.com/2014/06/deciding-long-make-side-vinyl-record/) for the science.

You'd have to take it up with him, Andy - it was his interview.
In passing though, I'd always assumed around twenty minutes per side was peak performance.
*does quick Google* Ah - http://www.chicagomasteringservice.com/vinyl.html

Yes, I read that. The interview almost made me want to pick up a copy of the album (I always quite liked the title track) but then I remembered that despite the presence of the divine Ms Foley, most of it is poppycock of the first order.

I disagree.  The norm was for The Beatles to release 14-song LPs.  Pepper ended up being a 13-song LP, which reflected the expanded running time of a couple of the songs on side 2.  And 47:55 would have been very long for a vinyl LP in 1967.  I can see that they might have squeezed 14 songs on there, but not 15.  Something would have been set aside for b-side status.

Jules

On the other hand, Sgt Pepper (Reprise) is how long? Not much more than a minute if that. How many tracks are on Abbey Road if you count all of the songs in the medley individually? Yes I know it was two years later and albums were beginning to expand but something like Days Of Future Passed also came out in '67, a pop album with an extended running length. I don't think the number of songs would have been any barrier, had they wanted to do it. But they didn't.

If you haven't already, see if you can find a copy of Mark Ellen's Rock Stars Stole My Life and gen up on the chapter on Meatloaf.  ;D  

1:19

Incidentally I put together a CD of Sgt Pepper with "Penny Lane" after "Being For the Benefit of Mr Kite" and "Strawberry Fields" after "Lovely Rita". The first works fine but Strawberry Fields doesn't quite fit where I put it.

Have read the book but I can't specifically remember that chapter. Will have to re-read.

I'd have to start from scratch if I were to add the three additional songs.  Like this perhaps:-

A
1. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite
4. Fixing A Hole
5. Lucy In the Sky With Diamonds
6. Getting Better
7. She's Leaving Home
8. Within You, Without You
B
1. Penny Lane
2. Strawberry Fields Forever
3. When I'm 64
4. Only A Northern Song
5. Lovely Rita
6. Good Morning, Good Morning
7. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [reprise]
8. A Day In The Life

Jules

You could free up 5.07 minutes by getting shot of Within without you. :D ::)

When I was a kid I'd have agreed with you, but I really enjoy it these days.

Jules

Yes, the lyrics are great and there is a great feel to the song when in the right mood. Really like your track listing Jules but could do with Rita which I find irritating and not really worthy of the rest of the album

FWIW I think "Northern Song" doesn't fit anywhere on Sgt Pepper.

With you on that one Andy

I like it.  It's a good pop song.  Great arrangement.  Great vocals, especially John's backgrounds.  Great piano and bass.

Jules

Yes, me too. I like the song but it wouldn't work on the album.

Whereas I think the song is below par yet would still fit perfectly well.

Jules

I am looking forward to finding out just which extra tracks are going to be included. For me, it won't make any difference where any extra tracks are inserted though. Pepper would never sound right if they messed about with any of the running order. It's not as if Pepper is broken, or in some way sub-standard. It is acknowledged as one of the greatest LPs ever issued. That said, the LOVE album really alters tracks. I do enjoy that, even if the switching and combining of tracks messes around with my head. Pepper will be one re-issue that I will not be going out and buying. The Mono Remasters are the last of the Beatles CDs/lps for me.

Now confirmed that there will be various versions.

1 CD
2 CDs
Double Vinyl
6 disc boxed set

...to name but a few. No details of content yet but it is beginning to look like this might be similar to the Beach Boys' Pet Sounds sessions box.

I'm betting the 6-disker will contain at least one vinyl and/or DVD/blu-ray disc.  There's no way it'll be 6 CDs of sessions.

Jules

I'm not doubting your word Al, I just have difficulty in thinking just how they are going to fill SIX discs. Lordy....

Maybe film could be included. A photo disk. And four different format versions of the same LP... All to compliment the single CD, the double CD and the double vinyl.  Milking it comes to mind.

I agree with you. The popular clamour seems to be for the South Bank Show film from the 20th anniversary to be included as a DVD. A new remix seems to be confirmed so theories are suggesting:

Original album (Stereo Remix)
Original album (Mono Remix)
Disc of associated songs and alternative versions.
Double Vinyl
DVD/Blu-Ray

I read that George wrote the song in response to a feeling that the Beatles could release any old cr@p under their name and their fans would lap it up. So he deliberately wrote a weird discordant rant to sum up how he felt about this. Oddly, I find it a strangely compelling song.

Mostly makes sense except for the notion of a mono remix.  What on earth would be the point of that?!

Jules

This just in...

[attachment deleted by admin]

From the Steve Hoffman forum:-

"Brand new stereo mix by Giles Martin and Sam Okell from the original master tapes.
Deluxe 2 CD set including CD of previously unreleased session takes.
6 disc Set includes two CDs of extras: a deeper dive with 100 minutes of outtakes, previously unheard and unreleased, plus new stereo mixes of Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane.
Mono album with six extra tracks including lost version of Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.
DVD and Blu-Ray The Making of Sgt Pepper fully restored, plus 5.1 surround sound and Hi Res stereo mixes.
144 page book featuring photos, lyrics, etc."

https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1SlZaoXPGS.mp4

Jules

Two thoughts. First. I bet the price for so many items will be mouthwateringly high. Second. If all this is being made available for Sgt. Pepper, I wonder how many  items will suddenly become available for next years celebration of The White Album/The Beatles.

The above guess was not too far off the mark then.

Listed US Amazon price is $150. It may come down from there. Got to admit I am tempted if it can be had for around £80.

I'm sure it's going to be stupidly expensive.

I'm also betting they'll do The White Album, they'll probably take the opportunity to release the famous Kinfauns demos.

Lots of folks wanting to know if the Carnival Of Light recording will make the Pepper box.  What's the betting that it won't?

Jules

To be fair, the FLAC version of "Kinfauns" knocking about is probably not commercially viable on its own but you won't get much better without significant techniques being applied, taking them to a level of artificiality that I wouldn't enjoy.

"Carnival of Light" demands the listener has taken many interesting substances in order that it is found interesting.

Or so I am told ;D

"Kinfauns"??

Was this Lennon's reply when asked what baby deer were called?

Anyroad, I won't be tempted to buy a megaPepperbox. Not when there's another Krim box mooted for the autumn...

I'm more interested in a White Album box if I have to stump up serious money, it was a period of great diversity and creativity in my book. I've not heard of the Kinfauns demos, I'll do some Googling!

See https://www.beatlesbible.com/1968/05/24/demo-recordings-for-the-white-album/

Sometimes I am very glad I am not a completist.

Hee hee. Try googling "Beatles Purple Chick AB Road"

Ludicrous UK pricing again. £140.

Hop over to Amazon Italy and it is €98. Not yet visible on Amazon Germany which is my usual fallback when rip off Britain comes into play. Sadly, probably only an option for another two years.

Aye, you ain't seen nothing yet...

Shouldn't that be in a "More Bachman Turner Overdrive to collect" thread?  ;)

£100 at the official Beatles online store. Still cheaper at Amazon Italy but let the UK price war begin. Amazon UK will have to respond to this.

£99.99 for the Sgt Pepper big box from Badlands in Chelt. (Pre-) orders being taken now.

as a slightly off topic note Stuart Sutcliffe, artist and Beatle, died 55 years ago today, at 21.

Shame it doesn't contain "Carnival of Light". Or maybe we're better of without it.

There is a lot of rather hysterical discussion of this elsewhere on the Web. I suspect that we are indeed better off without it. Revolution 9 exists. Why would we need something allegedly even more unlistenable?

I am quite excited about the box (if it can be had for sensible money) but I don't subscribe to the lunatic fringe view that every second the Beatles spent in the studio is a holy relic which we have a divine right to hear.

If you play Let it Be backwards it says ( allegedly).
Look we can get people to pay £100 for really bad recordings of stuff they already have!
Help backwards says(allegedly)
Look we can get people to pay£100 for inane noodlings that we thought was too **** to publish!

Let It Be is an interesting case in point. Do you prefer the album as issued originally - one might call it the accepted, they got it right version - or the one put out years later at the bass player's insistence, which is what it was supposed to sound like?

Neither.  I prefer the one I put together myself using these and other sources.  Nobody's got that album exactly right yet.  All the variations, official and unofficial, are flawed in some way or other.

Jules

Hence the ongoing market for remixes, remasters and reissues?
Isn't this where we came in?

I wouldn't pay £100 for it at all and it is also not the out takes that interest me, though I suspect that they are far from inane noodlings, being the building blocks towards the final songs which as a one off listen should be fascinating.

My enthusiasm is for the contemporary stereo remix, the 5.1 mix, the video elements and the book. Needs to get down somewhere close to £70 though and it probably won't. Britain will remain one of the most expensive places in the Western world in which to buy it.

or just dont.
much prefer Spector's LIB to Macca's, and i never thought i would say that until i heard Paulie's version

Got to love these French... This is a somewhat long winded extract from Amazon.fr description. Quite interesting, especially the translation of the word "Pepper"... Grammatical or spelling mistakes, please contact Google Translate. lol

'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 'is the biggest rock album ever made by the biggest rock & roll band of all time. A work whose concept, sound, composition, cover and studio technology are still unmatched. '
Rolling Stone Magazine

After their decision to stop shooting, the Beatles shut themselves up in the studio between December 1966 and April 1967 to record the album that will prove to be their masterpiece: Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Released on June 1, 1967, it is a real bomb that will transform the way of recording. The way to collect a rock album is upset by Sgt. Pepper. June 1, 2017 is the 50th anniversary of the release of this mythical album. On this occasion the album was completely remixed by Giles Martin. This is the first time a Beatles album has been remixed, and it is also the first time that a Beatles album has been reissued in multi-format.

Super Deluxe edition contents:
CD 1: Sgt. Pepper Remix 2017
CD 2: Complete Outtakes / Alternative Versions in the order in which the titles were recorded (Includes Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane)
CD 3: Complete Outtakes / Alternative Versions in the order in which the titles were recorded (Includes Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane)
CD 4: Album in mono mix
DVD: Making Of Sgt. Pepper (1997 documentary only broadcast in England). Mix 5.1 of the album
Blu-Ray Video: Making Of Sgt. Pepper (1997 documentary only broadcast in England). Mix 5.1 of the album

Critical
One of the official versions of the title of this masterpiece is that Sergeant Poivre owes its name to a play on words between Paul McCartney and Mal Evans, a party of salt and pepper. The concept of the marching band would raise him, a desire to offer the group an alter ego that would help him mark the beginning of a new era. Finally, solitary hearts would reflect the fear of not being followed in their new musical direction. The rest is part of the legend ...

Difficult to find album more cult. A packet with the paces of gift package, more and more sought-after compositions reaching tops of psychedelia, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is all this at once. And if his classification among the conceptual albums remains debatable, it nevertheless remains a major work in the history of the group and music in general because it puts everyone in agreement: there will now be a front and One after Sgt. Pepper's.

Let's start with his legendary cover. Designed by Peter Blake, she represents the Beatles in front of a veritable mosaic of famous faces including Marilyn Monroe, Laurel & Hardy, Bob Dylan and Stuart Sutcliffe. At their sides, their statues of wax as if to mark more clearly the passage to something else. Photographed by Michael Cooper, the band reconverted in brass band poses in colorful costumes with the rigorous instruments, which a trumpet, a clarinet, a flute or a tuba. Avant-garde to the last detail, it contains the lyrics of the songs and launches before the hour the beginnings of merchandising by proposing a cardboard effigy of the Sergeant Pepper with its accessories. And if the hand above Paul's head and the fact that he is back on the back of the cover later served as additional clues to fuel the rumors of his death, it is still to this day a model of the kind.

Musically, this album is the worthy sequel to his predecessors. What album could they get out after Revolver if not Sgt. Pepper? On its exit, it definitively propels the group to the firmament. Fans are reassured, voiceless critics and admiring competition. That same evening, as the Beatles roam the clubs to celebrate the event, they have proof when they enter a pub during the set of Jimi Hendrix who immediately improvises a resume of the title song under their astounded eyes. Mutual respect between the great ones of this world ...

Sgt Pepper is not the same as Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd six years later, that is to say, an album, each title is linked to Different episodes of a story. But it is true that the perfect transition between the first two pieces and the resumption of the opening song before lowering the curtain is enough to give the whole disc the necessary coherence. Not to mention that the alternation of sustained and slower rhythms actually gives the listener the impression of attending a circus performance or listening to a kind of modern symphony. Guided tour of a masterpiece.

"Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band "that opens the album sets the tone. The crowd settles in a few last whispers and the orchestra begins to play. On a tempo

Now who could argue with that????

Exactly...

More to the point, who can understand that?

Love the bit about Hendrix playing title track in a pub!!!  In reality I think it was the Shaftsbury or Saville Theatre...

Cheers
Slippy
 8)

The only ones who stand any chance, would/might be, Google, who's translator was used to give the "result". LOL. I did give fair warning at the top of the post...

Carnival Of Light was considered:-

http://www.superdeluxeedition.com/feature/the-beatles-remixed-sgt-pepper-unveiled-at-abbey-road-studios/

Jules

So, White Album was available in the shops 4 weeks ago.
Rubber Soul was available 2 weeks ago.
Magical Mystery Tour will become available on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, on subscription, I have received nothing since Help 6 eeks ago despite an alleged dispatch on 30 April!  >:(
How is anybody else's experience of this to date?

Not received mine yet either

Mine has just been delivered

Hopefully mine will turn up today too then. However, this has been such a shoddy experience that I have cancelled my subscription and asked a newsagent to reserve them in future. Picked up Magical Mystery Tour yesterday.

Sgt Pepper. Buy the Giles Martin remix. Don't argue - just do it. I've just listened to it on headphones and it all makes sense :-)  

Has anyone on here bought the £110-ish cd and bluray set? Penny for your thoughts...

Yes but for £75ish from Amazon Germany. It only arrived at 3pm this afternoon so I have not heard or watched any of it yet but as an artefact it is lovely.

Damn - I missed out on that deal!!

Jules

I've listened to the remixed version through my damaged ears and still find the mono has more aural depth.

And the verdict is...
Well, first let's put this in context. Hysteria and, frankly, insanity has broken out on audiphile forums about this release. People are carrying on as if the Beatles have personally mugged them and stolen their milk money. I am no audiophile and my hearing is compromised by my tinnitus but my own view is:

Disc 1: The stereo remix is revelatory and sounds very natural. The extreme separation of previous stereo mixes is gone. It is quite an achievement to produce this from 50 year old 4 track tapes. But, even for me, who is usually oblivious to these things, the mastering is harsh and too loud in places. which is kind of a shame.
Discs 2 & 3: The sound here is lovely and perhaps what Disc 1 should have been. The content is fascinating and some of the alternative takes are lovely but I guess it is debatable how often one would listen to them. If you like the Anthologies you will enjoy them. If you think those albums are historic documents rather than entertaining albums, the same applies here.
Disc 4: The mono mix and a few extra bits. It remains for me the most coherent and punchy way to listen to Pepper and is my favourite mix.
Discs 5 & 6: The documentary has been restored beautifully and the 5.1 mix of the album, if you have a 5.1 system is terrific. It sounds as though the band are in the room with you and it does not have the loudness problems of disc 1. Once again, how they have managed to create this, given the technical limitations of the original tapes is mind boggling.

All in all, I would say it is a qualified success. The main stereo remix is perhaps the least satisfactory element but as I say, that is a mastering not a mixing issue. I am glad I didn't pay more for it but it is probably worth what I paid bearing in mind that it also contains a big and detailed looking hardback book that I have not started to read yet and the packaging generally is top class.

Interesting, because another mate of mine can't stop playing the stereo remix and declares it to be audio nirvana.

Jules

Well, as is clear elsewhere on the 'net, no two people hear this thing (or anything) the same way. I had very high hopes but I don't think it could ever have been audio nirvana. That would have required making a digital silk purse from an analogue sow's ear. The digital technology to separate the various elements from a single track of tape may be very impressive but I don't think it can ever sound quite as natural as having each element on a separate track to manipulate.

One of the arguments that is raging online is that this does not sound stereo enough. Giles Martin has been very open about the fact that he has tried to create a stereo mix that preserves the character of the mono mix that the band authorised. Inevitably therefore, the stereo imaging is not especially dramatic. Personally I think he has made the right choice as it does sound reasonably natural. My only reservation is that Good Morning Good Morning (for example) comes at you so aggressively that it gives you a headache. That is not down to the mix. It is down to compression used at the mastering stage. I presume he has signed off on it but I think Giles would have a right to feel aggrieved that his mix has been somewhat undermined by the mastering technician.

I've just bought the 2CD version. I shall listen track by track, switching between the new stereo mix and the recent vinyl version, which I assume has the "original" stereo mix, and compare and contrast.

Maybe one day, a "standalone" BluRay/DVD containing the 5.1 mix will be released - for those many people unable/unwilling to fork out for the big box.

That is a controversial issue. The recent vinyl has the 2009 stereo mix which is essentially but not exactly George Martin's 1967 mix.

Thanks Al - I didn't realise that...

My original copy, bought for me by my auntie as a 14th birthday present  in 1967, was in mono.  About a year later, someone borrowed it and scratched it badly; he bought me a new copy - which was the stereo version.  As we only had a mono record player, it was a few years before I heard the album in proper stereophonic sound.  That copy - along with a fair few other "old" LPs - went to charity shops over 20 years ago when I was moving house due to, ahem, a change in personal circumstances.  ;)

In the absence of a '67 stereo LP, I guess the 2009 stereo mix will have to do. I'm looking forward to the exercise anyway - if not the exercise of leaping back and forth across the room to lift and lower the stylus onto the platter.  :)

 :o :o :o

What a tragedy! That would be the perfect way to listen. It still sounds best in mono to me.

No more Beatles for me; I bought the multi-CD box set a few years ago and replaced all my older CDs at that time.  I'm declaring an indefinite moratorium on remixes, demos, etc.  :)

For the record, I went to Waterloo Records at midnight on May 26, 1987, to purchase the original CD release of Sgt. Pepper's.  I still have it, together with the longbox (with all the cut-outs from the original LP).

Maybe, but it's worth noting that the original was also a heavily compressed recording.

Jules

My next issue of the Dagostini set has arrived.
It includes the free frame which just happens to be smashed to bits☹️

What a great service this has turned out to be. I have reverted to getting mine from the newsagent (reserved)

What was in your latest delivery? I am up to Yellow Submarine. For Sale is out on Wednesday.

Apparently there is also a pressing flaw on the copies of A Hard Days Night that have already been distributed in Europe. The opening chord from the title song is missing. That goes along with the missing run out groove noise from Sgt Pepper. Shame the latter album is so hard to find at the moment!  ;)

It has to be said, they are pretty sh1te.  I'm still waiting for 5 and 6 which have been in the shops for a month.  They tell me it's on it's way, but...

Latest was Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine.
This actually arrived earlier than I thought it would.
Just a shame about the frame.
I have emailed them and have received a reply in which I was addressed as Mr William Subscriber!

Sgt Pepper has just become the album with the longest gap between its two number one spots: http://www.officialcharts.com/chart-news/the-beatles-iconic-sgt-pepper-album-returns-to-the-top-on-its-50th-birthday__19326/

So you prefer "Bill Subscriber"?   ;D

Jules

😁😁😁

After the seemingly hundreds of hours of recent radio and TV covfefe and endless articles, books and discussions all devoted to the recent Sgt Pepper reissue, all asserting that Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane were integral parts of the Sgt Pepper sessions and should have been included on the album, I have had a go at compiling my own version that includes them.

Penny Lane slips in between Getting Better and She's Leaving Home.

Strawberry Fields Forever opens Side 2 before Within You Without You.

Works pretty well. They do indeed fit the feel of the album and slot in seemlessly.  :)

And by God, Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite is a gorgeous thing on the new remix.

Has anyone else got the DeAgostini copy of the "Love" album?

Disc 2 of my copy has the label for "Side C" on both sides. Is this a general error or just on mine?
All in all the series isn't going all that well for me!

Mine was fine, Bill. My only disappointment with the actual products so far is that the White Album was a very noisy pressing but I think we are all going to be saddled with the faulty pressing of A Hard Day's Night this week. We shall see.

My copy of Love is going back to WH Smith's next week - one of the disks has an off centre hole.

Was seriously tempted but now glad didn't go through with it.

What's the fault?  Title track opening?  Because that was faulty on the 2009 stereo masters too.  Maybe the master tape itself is now faulty.

Jules

Yes, apparently the start of the opening chord is missing. It is certainly present on every CD version of the album I have owned but they are all mono.

OK, it being completely missing is a new one!  Maybe they were planning to dub in an alternate source and forgot, because the stereo master apparently now has a damaged intro.  Opportunity screwed.

Jules

Well, this is derived from reports of copies that have already been issued in Italy. I guess we will find out on Wednesday.

Christmas is coming.

I quite fancy this but not at that price.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/TBC-VINYL-Tbc/dp/B077181T6W/ref=sr_1_2?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1509623406&sr=1-2&keywords=beatles

I used to have the '68 one.  Too scared to look how much that might be worth these days.  It does look like a very nice set.  

Vinyl only?

Jules