| Label: | VigOtone |
| Part No.: | VIGO-180 |
| From | USA |
| Released | 1999 |
| Tr | Title | CD notes | Comments by Max Mismetti | Time |
| 1 | Come And Get It | 1982 alternate mix | Beautiful, true stereo mix of the song. It's dryer, features a single
track vocal in the center and the double tracked one on a lower volume on the right side.
Piano, percussion and drums are also panned instead of being like on 'Anthology 3' where
it's all mono with percussion and drums in fake stereo. This makes one wonder why didn't the people who compiled Anthology get the master tapes and did a good mix of it? |
2:30 |
| 2 | Leave My Kitten Alone | 1982 mono mix | Excellent mono mix, better than 'Anthology 1' mix, which features a mono mix with percussion and drums in fake stereo. This song was recorded in 4 tracks, it could have an excellent stereo mix on Anthology, or they could at least release a mono mix like this. Any of those would be better than what we have there. | 2:52 |
| 3 | Not Guilty | 1982 stereo mix | This mix just needed more volume and better EQ. But so far is the most complete and honest mix of the song, not having those loops and edits as on 'Anthology 3'. | 4:23 |
| 4 | I'm Looking Through You | take 4 - no fade | Pretty cool. Not only it features a tape source for the false starts (as on Capitol's vinyl stereo Rubber Soul) but it doesn't fade out in the end. Slate is also included at the begining as well as studio chat between Paul and Ringo. | 2:51 |
| 5 | What's The New Mary Jane | 1968 alternate stereo mix | I'm not a "What's the new Mary Jane" so I can't say which mix is this. All I've noticed is that is fades out earlier and so it hasn't the "let's hear it! before we get taken a[way]" | 5:43 |
| 6 | How Do You Do It? | unedited mono mix | Another good source for the unedited "How do you do it". I haven't compared it to other sources to say if it's better or not. | 1:56 |
| 7 | Besame Mucho | original mono mix | More hiss, which means no noise reduction was applied. | 2:34 |
| 8 | One After 909 | 1982 mono mix | In "true mono" instead of "sessions mono" (mono with percussion in fake stereo). | 2:56 |
| 9 | If You've Got Troubles | 1982 stereo mix | Complete take. Drums on the left, "twanging" guitar on the right. This mix was available previously in other boots (such as 'Artifacts') but in terrible quality. Here's clearer (not as good as 'Anthology 2' tho'). | 2:49 |
| 10 | That Means A Lot | 1982 stereo low reverb mix | Low reverb, dry mix, whatever. They all have reverb! The only dry mix of this is "take one" which is featured in some John Barrett's bootlegs (such as 'Turn me on dead man'). In "true mono" instead of "sessions mono". | 2:31 |
| 11 | While My Guitar Gently Weeps | 1982 stereo mix with original ending | Just what I wanted. A clean sounding, complete take on of "While my guitar gently weeps". To me, sound quality is as good as on 'Anthology 3'. | 3:14 |
| 12 | Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues | 1982 stereo mix - no fade | It starts suddenly and runs till the end. General public might prefer the original Sessions mix, which is less rough. | 1:33 |
| 13 | Christmas Time Is Here Again | 1995 B Side | 'Free as a bird' single b-side, with that little guitar chord that preceeds the complete version (as available on bootlegs) pasted before it. | 3:03 |
| 14 | Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da | muddy stereo mix | Same old "muddy" take 5. Strangely though, it has a little scream after it ends that was previously found on the begining of Unsurpassed Master's long stereo "Not guilty". | 2:50 |
| Bonus Tracks | ||||
| 15 | A Hard Day's Night | 1982 stereo mix w/false starts | Sounds very very clean. It's similar to the 'Abbey Road Show' track (which has false starts and the released version), but instead of the commonly released version, this features an alternate mix, which is in "sessions mono". Yes, it's mono-ish with percussion spreaded through the stereo picture. | 2:42 |
| 16 | She's A Woman | take one 1982 stereo mix - fragment | Another very clean track. Unfortunately is fades early just like 'Abbey Road Show'. | 1:17 |
| 17 | 12-Bar Original | 1965 mono mix | This sounds better than on 'Acetates'. Seems like was taken from a better tape. | 6:45 |
| 18 | Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) | 1982 stereo mix | Sounds good, but so does Anthology's version. Mixing is probably different, I haven't compared them yet. | 2:00 |
| 19 | I'm Looking Through You | 1982 stereo mix | Sounds good, but can't be compared to Anthogy's version (which sounds excellent). | 2:54 |
In the beginning, there was Sessions...and it was not very good.
At least, that was the opinion of the surviving Beatles, once they got wind that EMI had assembled this collection of unreleased items from the Beatles recording session between 1962 and 1969. Indeed, Sessions was haphazardly assembled collection, with a short running time, no regard of chronological order for its track listing, and with some unconscionable editing and mixing of tracks by otherwise impeccably credential Geoff Emerick. This was usual EMI way, however, and it stood to reason that this effort wasn't going to be much different than its other attempts at repackaging the Beatles' work.
This fact didn't deter EMI. Catalog numbers were assigned throughout the free world in December of 1984, an unexciting sleeve was prepared, and a single to promote the package was selected ("Leave My Kitten Alone"). Sessions was set for release in January of 1985. However, the mighty hand of Apple and their respective lawyers swung down just in time, and Sessions was shelved. Ten years later, with those pesky lawsuits between the Beatles and EMI out of the way and everybody being the best oh buddies, the Beatles own versions of Sessions, very much-expanded Anthology, was issued. The unloved, unwanted Sessions still resides in the EMI's vaults, though unfortunately many of Emerick's mixes and edits that were produced for it were used in Anthology.
The original Version of Sessions can be heard on Spank's wonderful package of the same name (SP-103). However what we've done here for your listening pleasure is assemble an alternate version of Sessions. We have utilized a recent cache of tapes of the late John Barrett of EMI, whose work was one of the catalysts for the compilation of the original album. These different versions include alternate mixes he produced for 1983's The Beatles at Abbey Road show, as well as mixes done for his own use, most of which were superior to the ones Emerick produced! In addition, we've also added as bonus tracks some material from that At Abbey Road production, also taken Barrett's tapes, and some mixes previously unissued on CD. All in all, it's a most enjoyable collection of material often heard, but not in the forms included here. Enjoy!
Peter Mewtilate
June 1999
The Songs:
(all mixed by John Barrett in 1982 except where noted)
1. Come And Get It
(stereo) (recorded July 24, 1969)
Paul McCartney's demo for Badfinger's first hit was originally mixed down to stereo the
day it was recorded. When Geoff Emerick assembled Sessions, he remixed it, but this
is a Barrett mix that pre-dates the Emerick redo.
2. Leave My Kitten Alone
(mono) (recorded August 14, 1964)
When this previously unreleased track appeared on Sessions, it was in an odd mix
that wasn't quite stereo, and wasn't quite mono. This is a mono mix that was prepared by
Barrett for the Abbey Road show.
3. Not Guilty
(stereo) (recorded August 8, 1968)
This unreleased-by-the-Beatles George Harrison song was the worst crime perpetrated on any
track for Sessions. Emerick edited entire sections out, slowed the song down, and
in general made it a less interesting track. Sadly, this was also the mix used for Anthology
3, so the crime has been perpetrated upon the masses. At any rate, this is the
original, full-length version of "Not Guilty" mixed by John Barrett for himself.
4. I'm Looking Through You
(stereo) (recorded November 10-11, 1965)
The Sessions version was left alone for the most part, and was one of Emerick's
better jobs on the album. The Barrett version we have placed here is the one used on Rubber
Soul, yet this has a slate, two false starts (like the US LP featured by mistake), and
ends cold.
5. What's The New Mary Jane (stereo) (recorded August 14, 1968, mixed October
14, 1968)
What a difference exactly four years between "Leave my Kitten Alone" and this
track makes... At any rate, here is yet another mix of this marvelous Lennon-penned track,
one that is 1968 vintage (different from the other one prepared the same day, which can be
found on Turn Me On Dead Man). This was actually a track Emerick improved, taking
off much of the Yoko Ono input which helped to make original mixes a bit, shall we say,
challenging.
6. How Do You Do It
(mono) (recorded and mixed Sept. 4, 1962)
Another Emerick hack-job for Sessions, where he for no apparent reason re-edited
the original unissued track, making the boys repeat lines that didn't need repeating, and
weren't repeated in the original version! This is the unadulterated mono mix.
7. Besame Mucho
(mono) (recorded and mixed June 6, 1962)
All versions of this track, which was recorded at the Beatles' first recording test, are
identical. This sole surviving mix, from a private collection, was returned to EMI in the
early 80's, This is slightly flatter in equalization than the Sessions version,
however.
8. One After 909
(mono) (recorded and mixed March 5, 1963)
This is a mono mix prepared by Barrett of the first half of take 4 with the edit piece
take 5. The Beatles were of course later to rescue this early Lennon / McCartney song from
unissued limbo and use it for the Get Back / Let It Be project in 1969.
9. If You've Got Troubles
(stereo) (recorded February 18, 1965)
The mighty thumb of Geoff Emerick come down hard on the Sessions version of this
rather lame Lennon / McCartney original, composed with the best of intentions for Ringo to
sing as his contribution to the Help! LP. Thankfully, along came Buck Owens to
rescue the ringed one with "Act Naturally". When mixing for Sessions,
Emerick left out the entire first verse of "If You've Got Troubles", leading
form the intro and editing directly into the second verse. Why? Who knows? It's not as
though the track was made any worse by being in the first place, which was echoed by the
Fab Three and George Martin when assembling Anthology 2, using the complete
original take and ignoring the Sessions mix. Included here is another Barrett
alternate stereo mix from 1982. "Rock on, anybody", indeed.
10. That Means A Lot
(stereo) (recorded February 20, 1965)
This unreleased Help! track is featured on our alternate lineup in a previously
unheard dry mono mix.
11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
(stereo) (recorded July 25, 1968)
A gem of this collection, here is the unadulterated take one of this The Beatles (The
White Album) George Harrison classic. When this was first heard in the Abbey Road
show in 1983 in a Barrett-mixed guise, it stunned all who heard in its beauty and
simplicity, and Harrison's offhand comment "Let's hear that back" after
strumming the last arpeggio seemed to bring it back to Earth. Unfortunately, Emerick on
the Session mix saw fit to loop the last chords played before this arpeggio and
fade it out, rather than allowing it to play to its actual conclusion. Even more
unfortunately, this same version was used on Anthology 3. We're proud to feature
the original mix, in its finest quality ever.
12. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (aka Mailman Blues)
(stereo) (recorded January 29, 1969)
This Lloyd Price song, most likely heard by the Beatles as a Buddy Holly cover, was one of
the few coherent oldies performed during the Get Back / Let It Be sessions, thus
its inclusion on Sessions. However, Emerick trickery was involved here, primarily
by fading in the track and then fading it out before its actual end. Here is the Barrett
mix, shorter but with full ending included.
13. Christmas Time Is Here Again
(stereo) (recorded November 28, 1967)
This version was issued in December 1995 as the B-side of "Free as a Bird".
We've taken the liberty of restoring the original beginning.
14. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
(stereo) (recorded July 3, 1968)
This is an odd one, in that the mix of the alternate "Ob-La-Di..." included here
is of rather muddy quality, and it has previously appeared on some other releases.
However, we figured you'd rather have it than not to have your alternate Sessions
album contain all it should!
Bonus Tracks:
15. A Hard Day's Night
(stereo) (recorded April 16, 1964)
A particularly funny bit of Lennon wit featured in this The Beatles At Abbey Road Show
bit. It comes from take one, as the Fabs are trying to crash into the correct opening
chord, and failing, much to John's amusement. When he comes down on a decisive
"1-2-3-4!" count-in Barrett edited to the released take nine, though included an
alternate stereo mix which he prepared, and which we've left in.
16. She's A Woman
(stereo) (recorded October 8, 1964)
Unfortunately only a bit of this take one survives on the Abbey Road show tape, but
it's so interesting that it begs inclusion.
17. 12-Bar Original
(mono) (recorded November 4, 1965)
18. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
(stereo) (recorded October 12, 1965)
19. I'm Looking Through You
(stereo) (recorded October 24, 1965)
Visitors attending The Beatles at Abbey Road, in most cases, heard only pieces of
unreleased songs in an attempt to foil bootleggers. Not a stupid move on their part, since
a complete recording was available within a month of the show's final performance.
However, Barrett still mixed complete versions of the songs included in the show, and here
are two of his finished, otherwise unissued mixes. In Abbey Road, these tracks were
actually played back-to-back, so it made sense to present them the same way here!
