Disc one:
- Intro: Puttin' On The Style
(Trad. arr. Donnegan)
Recorded Parish Church Hall, Woolton,Liverpool, 6 July, 1957
This is where it all began. At a garden Fete in Woolton, a suburb in Liverpool, where John Lennon's skiffle-group, the Quarrymen, played and where after the performace he and Paul McCartney met for the first time. Incredibly, a live recording was made on that fateful day-alas in a very poor quality, you can barely recognise John's youthful voice and we present you 30 seconds of it for the sake of history!
Blue Moon Of Kentucky
(Matt Monroe)
Recorded Sussex, England, 23 June, 1995
We found it fitting to combine this short 1957 segment with the very last recording (so far) the other three (Paul George & Ringo) made together at Paul's home studio, a short acoustic (skiffle)- version of Elvis' Blue Moon Of Kentucky. Originally Planned for inclusion in the Anthology Videos, this footage was eventually left out. A response to happenings 38 years time ago.
- Some Days
(Paul McCartney)- Wildcat
(Gene Vincent)- Matchbox
(Carl Perkins)
Recorded Liverpool, May 1960
...and by means of exploring the root of the 'skiffling' Beatles even further, we present you three more songs from the by now legendary "Quarrymen" - Rehearsal tape, recorded in the living room of the McCartney household in spring 1960. AGAIN from a better source tape than usually available. Some Days is an early McCartney original, while Wildcat (Vocals: Paul) and Matchbox (sung here by George) were regular features in the Beatles' stage sets.
- Take Good Care Of My Baby
(Goffin/King)- To Know Him Is To Love Him
(Phil Spector)
Recorded Decca Studios, London, 1 January, 1962
Two More Songs from the infamous Decca Sessions. The nervous young Beatles (too much in awe of the almighty record company) do as they are told and play clean and unoriginal cover version of two US hits of the day. This was clearly not the Beatles sound that later shook the world but a piece of history nonetheless.
- Dream Baby (Live)
(Walker)- Ask Me Why (Live)
(Lennon / McCartney)- A Picture Of You (Live)
(Beveridge/Oakman)
Recorded Playhouse Theatre, Mancester, 7 March [7] and 11 June, 1962
Yet another glimpse at the Beatles as a working live band in the early stages of their career, playing mostly coverversions of hit songs in order to please their audiences. These three live tracks (still with Pete Best on drums) are taken from first two broadcasts the group did for BBC Radio (Teenager's Turn and Here We Go were the names of the programmes). And on the second programme they were allowed to air one of their own compositions, Ask Me Why. A bold move!
- My Girl Is Red Hot (Live)
(Emerson)- I Saw Her Standing There (Live)
(Lennon / McCartney)
Recorded Star Club, Hamburg, late December 1962
Two previously unreleased live recordings from the Star Club. An altogether unreleased (albeit, brief) snippet of an obscure R'n'R cover sung by George and a different, but more energetic, performance of Paul's I Saw Her Standing There
- Beautiful Dreamer
(Foster)
Recorded Playhouse Theatre, London, 22 January, 1963
Another BBC Recording, this time for Saturday Club, a rarely played Rockabilly cover unavailable elsewhere.
- Catswalk
(McCartney)
Recorded Cavern Club, Liverpool, November 1962
Another early McCartney original a short instrumental which was later (in 1967, under the name Catscall) recorded by Chris Barber's Jazzband. Recorded during an afternoon rehearsal at the empty Cavern Club in November 1962. NOT in March, as was stated, very wrongly, in the liner notes to Anthology Plus and, therefore not with Pete Best on drums, but with Ringo!
- There's A Place (Take 2)
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 11 February, 1963
An early pass at John's composition, taken from the one day recording session to the Beatles' first LP Please Please Me.
- Thank You Girl (Take 1)
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 5 March, 1963
A Slower version of the b-side to From Me To You.
- In The Studio
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 1963/64
Just to prove that also the Beatles made mistakes, and to show how they worked in the studio (with George Martin as the headmaster) we've included five minutes of false starts and studio banter, collected here and there from those early sessions...
- I'm In Love
(Lennon/McCartney)- One And One Is Two
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded John's home [17], London Summer 1963
Dick James Publishing Studio [18], London, early February, 1964
Two simple piano/vocal demos made by John and Paul of two not too original compositions. These were never intended to be recorded by the group, as theywere given away to other artists (The Fourmost and Mike Shannon, respectively) to record.
- Long Tall Sally (Live)
(Johnson/Penniman/Blackwell)
Recorded Coliseum, Washington, USA 11 February, 1964
From their first American concert comes this storming live version of Long Tall Sally - probablynever heard before, as this song was always omitted whenever the existing film of this concert was shown on TV and cinemas (in the 60's).
- And I Lover Her
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studis, London, 27 February 1964
We've included this officially released version in a different and long deleted mono mix here. This is only one of the many examples of the many different mixes of Beatles songs (with minor variations of course) that were released on vinyl in the 60's. Here Paul's vocal is single-tracked (as opposed to his double-tracked vocal on the version we all know), and the guitar riff at the end is repeated six times rather than four times.
- A Hard Day's Night (Take 4)
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 16 April, 1964
Anthology 1 gave you Take 1 of this song, voila, we give you ...Take 4, complete with some variations of the Beatles searching for the last chord.
- I'm Happy Just To Dance With You
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded Paris Theatre, London, 17 July 1964
Besides recording this tune for their third LP, A Hard Day's Night, the group played it only once againl; For this BBC Radio Bank Holiday Special The Beatles Say From Us To You.
- If I Fell (Live)
(Lennon/McCartney)- Kansas City (Live)
(Leiber/Stoller)- I'm A Loser (Live)
(Lennon/McCartney)- Act Naturally (Live)
(Morrison/Russell)- Baby's In Black (Live)
(Lennon/McCartney)- I'm Down (Live)
(Lennon/McCartney)- Dizzy Miss Lizzy (Live)
(Williams)
Recorded Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles, 23 August 1964 [23], Shindig TV Show, London, 3 October 1964 [24], Palais des Sports, Paris [25], 20 June 1965 (evening), Blackpool Night Out TV Show, Blackpool, 1 August 1965 [26], Shea Stadium, New York, 15 August 1965 [27,28], Atlanta Stadium, Atlanta, 18 August 1965 [29].
Seven live-recordings NOT the hits again, but a not so obvious selection of album tracks, sequenced together to design a 'different' kind of Beatles concert.
Disc Two:
- John Lennon Poetry Slam
(John Lennon)
Recorded on various BBC TV and Radio Shows, London, 1964/65
Bits and pieces of John reading poetry from his book In His Own Write and A Spaniard In The Works. Includes 'Itroduction', 'The National Health Cow' (with the Beatles), 'I Sat Belonely', 'We Must Not Forget The General Erection', 'The Wonderlong' (or Magic Dog), 'The National Health Cow' (solo), and 'The Fat Budgie'.
- Yesterday (no strings)
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 14 June 1965
The Paul McCartney solo performance we all know and love. Take 2, the finished master but here without the 17 June string quartett overdub.
- We Can Work It Out
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded Weybridge, early October / EMI Studios, 20 October 1965
Acomposite mix of Paul's solo-demo (recorded, presumably at John's house, and studio takes 1 (backing track only) and 2 (the finished master).
- For No One
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London 9 May 1966
A Work-in-progress mix of the "released version", without the horn-overdub.
- Tomorrow Never Knows
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 6 April 1966
The ultimate psychedelic 'freak-out' version 1. With tape-loops and backwards guitars to the front - created by combining two long - deleted mono mixes together.
- And Your Bird Can Sing
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London 20 April 1966
This Track was released before on Anthology 2 but here it comes 'clean', without the giggles that destracts from this rather Byds-sy arrangement.
- Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 4)
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 28 November 1966
YES.... another version of Strawberry Fields. Another interesting one as well, one which falls halfway between takes 1 and 7, both presented on Anthology 2. Another missing link in the evolution og this psychedelic masterpiece.
- A Day In The Life
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London 19,20 January 1967
A Work - in- progress mix of take 6, with the beginning and first verse coming from take 1. These takes formed the base for that 'monster' composite mix released on Anthology 2. But here, A Day In The Life is presented in its purest recorded form, without the orchestra - overdub from 10 February 1967.
- She's Leaving Home
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 17 March 1967
This is the long-deleted mono mix. Its main difference is that it runs at the right speed. The stereo-mix was slowed down, presumably to introduce more drama to this sad ballad.
- Hello Goodby (Take 1)
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 2 October 1967
...the 'karaoke' version, the basic backing track.
- Spiritual Regeneration
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded Rishikesh, India, 20 March 1968
This is authentic! The Beatles and friends plonking happily away at Mararishi Mahesh Yogi's Meditation Camp celebrating him and fellow meditator Beach Boy Mike Love's birthday. This was evidently before relationships to their Guru turned sour and this little ditty eventually became Back In The USSR.
- Child Of Nature
(John Lennon)- Sour Milk Sea
(George Harrison)
Recorded Esher, late May 1968
Two more songs from the 'unplugged' sessions the Beatles undertook at George's house prior to record the White Album. And all of them never recorded by the group professionally! Child Of Nature became a solo sucess for John when he recorded the melody - with a new set of lyrics - as Jealous Guy for the Imagine LP in 1971. Sour Milk Sea was produced by his composer, George Harrison, for Apple - Rocker, Jackie Lomax and released sa a single in mid-1968. (If you listen closely to that single, you can hear at times, George's guide vocal underneath Jackie's lead).
- Helter Skelter
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 9 September 1968
ANOTHER long deleted mono-mix! Besides being even more noisier than the stereo-mix, the main difference here is that after the fade-out the song doesn't come in again at the end and the drumming is different, too!
- I'm So Tired
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded EMI Studios, London, 8 October 1968
An early mix with a differentt Lennon vocal as well as unused lead guitar and organ-overdubs.
- New Song Sessions Medley
(McCartney/Harrison/Lennon)
Recorded Twickenham Film Studios, London, 1-15 January 1969
During the recording and filming of Let It Be, the Beatles Paul and George in particular, came up with lots and lots of songs. Nearly all of the trakcs for Abbey Road were already written! There were numbers that were never recorded by the Beatles as a group, but by John, Paul and George seperately during the course of the next three years. Even tunes that are unreleased to this day!
'New Song' Medley for your enjoyment:
One by one, those songs included are: Oh Darling (just Paul on piano doing his 'Prince'-impersonation (12 years too early)) / Isn't It A Pity (All Things Must Pass track) / Another Day (Paul's 1971 solo-single) / Let It Down (another All Things Must Pass LP track) / Castle Of The King Of The Birds (later 1980) used for Paul's never released Rupert The Bear Film-Soundtrack) / Watching Rainbows (unreleased Lennon song) / Window, Window (unreleased Harrison) / Gimmie Some Truth (Imagine LP track).
- Rocker / The Walk
(McCartney/McCracklin)
Recorded Apple Studios, London, 22&27 January 1969
During Let It Be sessions, the Beatles jammed their way through many Rock 'n' Roll Songs that were once parts of their early stage-repertoire. Here are some brief examples.
- Jamming With Heather
(Harrison/Lennon/McCartney/Starkey)
Recorded Apple Studios, London, 26 January 1969
The Beatles were joined by Paul's then sex-years old stepdaughter Heather on this long 'groovy' jam which we present here in a condensed two-minute version. On this, Heather's singing-style is very much influenced by Yoko Ono (or is it the other way 'round??).
- Something
(George Harrison)
Recorded EMI Studio, London, 2 May 1969
- You Never Give Me Your Money
(Lennon/McCartney)
Recorded Olympic Studio, London, 6 May 1969
Two rough mixes still with guide vocals and longer in duration, from the Abbey Road LP-sessions, the last track ironically recorded, for once in a different studio.
- Free As A Bird
(John Lennon)
Recorded New York, 1977 / Sussex, England, February 1994
...and so ends the Anthology More 2 CD-set with an early rough mix of this late 'Beatles' recording. No Lead guitar and drums overdubs, John's original vocal still intact without Paul adding new lyrics to his dead friend's song. This mix has an overall warmer sound than the 'official' version (we think). Bye, bye!!
