Anthology 3 Preview

By Joe Caldwell

The following is the official Capitol Records press-release relating to the track-listing and scheduled US release date for ANTHOLOGY 3, as just released to the wire-services this afternoon

NEW YORK, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY 3, the third and final chapter from the Anthology collection, will be released by Capitol Records on Tuesday, October 29th.

THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY 3 comprises 50 songs -- first takes, out-takes, andnever before heard recordings from the period of 1968-1970, a total of 2 1/2 hours of music.

This was the time of The White Album, Let It Be and Abbey Road and THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY 3 includes "stripped bare" alternative versions of Beatles classics from that period, including Helter Skelter, Come Together, Hey Jude, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Glass Onion, Don't Pass Me By and Something.

ANTHOLOGY 3 also includes Beatles tracks never released by the band before, among them Not Guilty, What's the New Mary Jane, Teddy Boy and Come and Get It.

And, revealed for the first time, Anthology 3 features seven tracks from the Beatles rarest private tape: acoustic demo sessions for The White Album, recorded not in the studio but at George Harrison's home.

The Beatles "at home" tracks are: Happiness Is A Warm Gun, Mean Mr. Mustard, Polythene Pam, Glass Onion, Junk, Piggies and Honey Pie.

The release of THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY 3 completes -- game, set, and match-- an extraordinary year in the life of The Beatles.

Since November 1995 The Beatles have set new benchmarks with the various Anthology projects:

  • -- The Beatles Anthology TV series was screened in a world record 94 countries.
  • -- The Beatles Anthology 1 set a world record for the biggest double album sale in a week.
  • -- Anthology 1 & 2 have sold 13 million double albums.
    The Beatles back catalog has sold in excess of six million albums.
  • -- In the past year The Beatles sold more albums in the USA alone than any other artist.
  • -- In 1996 Free As A Bird and Real Love were officially certified gold singles by the Record Industry Association of America, giving The Beatles their 21st and 22nd gold singles, the most for any group in history.
    In this year The Beatles have both revitalized the memories of millions and attracted the new interest of those too young to remember. And as always -- as Beatles press officer Derek Taylor notes -- their music preserves their role and influence "intact to infinity."

    CD One -- All 27 tracks previously unreleased (Track notes by Mark Lewisohn)
    1. A BEGINNING -- A short orchestral piece composed by George Martin as the original intro to Don't Pass Me By.
    2. HAPPINESS IS A WARM GUN -- John's blues, the first of seven tracks from demo sessions for The White Album recorded at George Harrison's home.
    3. HELTER SKELTER -- R & B version of Paul's legendary heavy metal rocker.
    4. MEAN MR. MUSTARD -- First soundings of John's Abbey Road classic taped at George's home.
    5. POLYTHENE PAM -- Acoustic demo, from the "home tapes", of John's witty Abbey Road number.
    6. GLASS ONION -- An acoustic "home taping" of John's White Album belter.
    7. JUNK -- Paul's early working of the ballad demoed at George's but issued on McCartney.
    8. PIGGIES -- George's "home taped" demo of his incisive comment for The White Album.
    9. HONEY PIE -- The final track from the "home tapes", Paul's acoustic demo of The White Album song.
    10. DON'T PASS ME BY -- An out-take of Ringo's first solo song composition.
    11. OB-LA-DI, OB-LA-DA -- A fully completed alternative version of Paul's calypso swinger.
    12. GOOD NIGHT -- An eavesdrop into a Beatles session, with ideas pitched from all as Ringo sings.
    13. CRY BABY CRY -- Take One of John's White Album song.
    14. BLACKBIRD -- A pure acoustic/vocal performance of Paul's ballad.
    15. SEXY SADIE -- John's slower version of the master.
    16. WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS -- A laid-back, acoustic demo of George's classic.
    17. HEY JUDE -- An alternative version, with ad-libs, of Paul's all-time great.
    18. NOT GUILTY -- A completely unreleased track written by George for The White Album.
    19. MOTHER NATURE'S SON -- A strictly solo rendition by Paul.
    20. GLASS ONION -- A then-unreleased experiment in music and sound-effects by John.
    21. ROCKY RACCOON -- A fun out-take of Paul's White Album comedy.
    22. WHAT'S THE NEW MARY JANE -- Another completely unreleased track, conceived by John in best experimental style.
    23. STEP INSIDE LOVE/LOS PARANOIAS -- Light-hearted jams from the White Album sessions. Paul wrote Step Inside Love as the theme for Cilla Black's TV series. Los Paranoias was made up on the spot.
    24. I'M SO TIRED -- A fine alternative of John's masterpiece.
    25. I WILL -- The master was take 67. This is Paul's take one.
    26. WHY DON'T WE DO IT IN THE ROAD -- Paul's acoustic guitar early take.
    27. JULIA -- A gentle studio work-out of John's ballad.
    CD TWO -- All 23 tracks previously unreleased
    1. I'VE GOT A FEELING -- The first of 12 selections from the Let It Be sessions at the Apple studio in January 1969, with Billy Preston on keyboards for Paul and John's doubleheader.
    2. SHE CAME IN THROUGH THE BATHROOM WINDOW -- A Let It Be rehearsal for Paul's song from Abbey Road.
    3. DIG A PONY -- Fine vocal performances highlight John's Let It Be out-take.
    4. TWO OF US -- Paul and John emulate The Everly Brothers in this duet.
    5. FOR YOU BLUE -- A good unreleased version of George's 12-bar blues.
    6. TEDDY BOY -- An unreleased Beatles track, written by Paul and issued on his 1970 solo debut album.
    7. MEDLEY: RIP IT UP/ SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL/BLUE SUEDE SHOES -- A jam from the Let It Be sessions.
    8. THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD -- The Let It Be version of this was dressed up with orchestra and choir -- this is the undressed version as Paul intended it to sound.
    9. OH! DARLING -- Another Let It Be rehearsal for Paul's song that would be taped anew for Abbey Road, the Beatles' final recorded album.
    10. ALL THINGS MUST PASS -- The first of three demos by George recorded solo at Abbey Road in February 1969, never released by The Beatles, but the title track of his first post-Beatles album.
    11. MAILMAN, BRING ME NO MORE BLUES -- The Beatles sing Buddy Holly.
    12. GET BACK -- Paul's rocker recorded live during The Beatles last live performance, on the roof at Apple.
    13. OLD BROWN SHOE -- The second of George's solo demos.
    14. OCTOPUS' GARDEN -- An early out-take of Ringo's song for Abbey Road.
    15. MAXWELL'S SILVER HAMMER -- Written by Paul during the White Album sessions, rehearsed during Let It Be, and recorded during Abbey Road.
    16. SOMETHING -- The last of George's solo demos from February 1969, an early beginning of a classic.
    17. COME TOGETHER -- First take of John's Abbey Road opener.
    18. COME AND GET IT -- Paul's demo, completed in under an hour, of the hit he gave to Badfinger.
    19. AIN'T SHE SWEET -- 1969 recording of the standard that The Beatles first taped in Hamburg in 1961.
    20. BECAUSE -- A stunning new remix of John's Abbey Road track.
    21. LET IT BE -- A live-in-the-studio out-take of Paul's anthem
    22. I ME MINE -- The last new song recorded by The Beatles for 24 years, taped in January 1970. This is the original version of George's Let It Be number.
    23. THE END -- A guitar-based version of Paul's aptly-titled last track on The Beatles' last recorded album. And still saying it all.
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    The only "big surprise" at first glance would be track 1 on CD 1, "A Beginning" -- A short orchestral piece composed by George Martin as the original intro to "Don't Pass Me By."

    - Joe Caldwell
    yellosub@netdoor.com





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