the next Beatles thread

[Sir Stewart]

I question the claim that film is unreleased. I could swear I saw something like that on VH-1 around that time. 

 

"a restored, previously unreleased documentary film broadcast in 1992"

That is some spurious phrasing.

I think I'm gonna spring for the $150 package. Sgt Pepper's is my favorite.

[Analogman]

Maybe parts of it were used in the Anthology series - 

 

Billboard has the tracklists:

 

 

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Anniversary Edition

Track lists

CD (‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix)
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
2. With A Little Help From My Friends
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
4. Getting Better
5. Fixing A Hole
6. She's Leaving Home
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
8. Within You Without You
9. When I'm Sixty-Four
10. Lovely Rita
11. Good Morning Good Morning
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)
13. A Day In The Life

Deluxe [2CD, digital]
CD 1: ‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix (same as single-disc CD track list, above)
CD 2: Complete early takes from the sessions in the same sequence as the album, plus various versions of “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane”

1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 9]
2. With A Little Help From My Friends [Take 1 - False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Take 1]
4. Getting Better [Take 1 - Instrumental And Speech At The End]
5. Fixing A Hole [speech And Take 3]
6. She's Leaving Home [Take 1 – Instrumental]
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [Take 4]
8. Within You Without You [Take 1 - Indian Instruments]
9. When I'm Sixty-Four [Take 2]
10. Lovely Rita [speech And Take 9]
11. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 8]
12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [Take 8]
13. A Day In The Life [Take 1 With Hummed Last Chord]
14. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 7]
15. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 26]
16. Strawberry Fields Forever [stereo Mix - 2015]
17. Penny Lane [Take 6 - Instrumental]
18. Penny Lane [stereo Mix - 2017]

Deluxe Vinyl [180g 2LP]
LP 1: ‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix (same as single-disc CD track list, above)

SIDE 1 SIDE 2
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 1. Within You Without You
2. With A Little Help From My Friends 2. When I'm Sixty-Four
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds 3. Lovely Rita
4. Getting Better 4. Good Morning Good Morning
5. Fixing A Hole 5. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
6. She's Leaving Home 6. A Day In The Life
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!
LP 2: Complete early takes from the sessions in the same sequence as the album

SIDE 3
1. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 9 And Speech]
2. With A Little Help From My Friends [Take 1 - False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Take 1]
4. Getting Better [Take 1 - Instrumental And Speech At The End]
5. Fixing A Hole [speech And Take 3]
6. She's Leaving Home [Take 1 – Instrumental]
7. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [Take 4]

SIDE 4
1. Within You Without You [Take 1 - Indian Instruments]
2. When I'm Sixty-Four [Take 2]
3. Lovely Rita [speech And Take 9]
4. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 8]
5. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [Take 8]
6. A Day In The Life [Take 1 With Hummed Last Chord]

Super Deluxe [4CD/DVD/Blu-ray boxed set]

CD 1: ‘Sgt. Pepper’ 2017 Stereo Mix (same as single-disc CD track list, above)
CD 2: Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates
1. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 1]
2. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 4]
3. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 7]
4. Strawberry Fields Forever [Take 26]
5. Strawberry Fields Forever [stereo Mix - 2015]
6. When I'm Sixty-Four [Take 2]
7. Penny Lane [Take 6 – Instrumental]
8. Penny Lane [Vocal Overdubs And Speech]
9. Penny Lane [stereo Mix - 2017]
10. A Day In The Life [Take 1]
11. A Day In The Life [Take 2]
12. A Day In The Life [Orchestra Overdub]
13. A Day In The Life (Hummed Last Chord) [Takes 8, 9, 10 and 11]
14. A Day In The Life (The Last Chord)
15. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 1 – Instrumental]
16. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band [Take 9 And Speech]
17. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 1 - Instrumental, Breakdown]
18. Good Morning Good Morning [Take 8]

CD 3: Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates
1. Fixing A Hole [Take 1]
2. Fixing A Hole [speech And Take 3]
3. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [speech From Before Take 1; Take 4 And Speech At End]
4. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! [Take 7]
5. Lovely Rita [speech And Take 9]
6. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [Take 1 And Speech At The End]
7. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [speech, False Start And Take 5]
8. Getting Better [Take 1 - Instrumental And Speech At The End]
9. Getting Better [Take 12]
10. Within You Without You [Take 1 - Indian Instruments Only]
11. Within You Without You [George Coaching The Musicians]
12. She's Leaving Home [Take 1 – Instrumental]
13. She's Leaving Home [Take 6 – Instrumental]
14. With A Little Help From My Friends [Take 1 - False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]
15. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) [speech And Take 8]

CD 4: ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and bonus tracks in Mono
(Tracks 1-13: 2017 Direct Transfer of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ Original Mono Mix)
14. Strawberry Fields Forever [Original Mono Mix]
15. Penny Lane [Original Mono Mix]
16. A Day In The Life [unreleased First Mono Mix]
17. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds [unreleased Mono Mix - No. 11]
18. She's Leaving Home [unreleased First Mono Mix]
19. Penny Lane [Capitol Records U.S. Promo Single - Mono Mix]

DISCS 5 & 6 (Blu-ray & DVD)
Audio Features (both discs):
- New 5.1 Surround Audio mixes of ‘Sgt. Pepper’ album and “Penny Lane,” plus 2015 5.1 Surround mix of “Strawberry Fields Forever” (Blu-ray: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby True HD 5.1 / DVD: DTS Dolby Digital 5.1)
- High Resolution Audio versions of 2017 ‘Sgt. Pepper’ stereo mix and 2017 “Penny Lane” stereo mix, plus 2015 “Strawberry Fields Forever” hi res stereo mix (Blu-ray: LPCM Stereo 96KHz/24bit / DVD: LPCM Stereo)
Video Features (both discs):
- The Making of Sgt. Pepper [restored 1992 documentary film, previously unreleased]
- Promotional Films: “A Day In The Life;” “Strawberry Fields Forever;” “Penny Lane” [4K restored]

[jff]

I question the claim that film is unreleased. I could swear I saw something like that on VH-1 around that time. 

 

They probably mean it wasn't available as a commercial release that you could buy.

[Analogman]

Aha 

[calvino]

Somebody needs to ask Keith Richards his thoughts on the Pepper deluxe package. (har har har)

[TCP]

Pre-ordered the vinyl, I think this will be my 5th copy of Sgt. Peppers?? The original 80s CD, the mid-2000s CD reissue, an old Canadian vinyl pressing and the mono LP repress from a few years ago.... Yikes. You might think I love Sgt. Peppers but there's a handful of songs I don't like... Fixing A Hole, She's Leaving Home, and Being For Benefit of Mr. Kite. I love the rest though. 

I do wish the LPs came with the DVD. I watched an old VHS copy of the documentary (if it's the same one I'm thinking of) in 2006ish and I recall it being quite good. They go through the tapes and isolate channels. I guess it was a precursor to the Classic Albums documentary series.

Exciting none the less, we haven't received too much archive Beatles stuff in recent years. Maybe they'll do an official release of those White Album era acoustic demos...

[Analogman]

That would be nice.

 

When I was in my early teens - I had a picture disc of Sgt. Pepper's. I don't recall what happened to it.

[John Smith]

Not super interested in this one.  Maybe, but I would rather have Rubber Soul, Revolver, White Album, Abbey Road and Let it Be get this treatment.

 

I wonder if they will have the cardboard cut out inserts with the vinyl release that they had with the original album.

[choo-choo-charlie]

WOW! So I was looking at some Beatles setlist stats on setlist.fm It is amazing that only one song ever from Abbey Road was performed live by the Beatles (She's so Heavy), Only one from Sgt Peppers (When I'm Sixty Four) and only one from Magical Mystery Tour (all You Need is Love) ...Nothing was ever performed from Revolver or the White Album live!

None of the songs on Revolver could've been reproduced live with their setup. It was intended that way. And they quit touring in 1966...it's really strange that this is a surprise.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Ah.

 

It's funny. I've never paid attention to their setlists - but on that last tour, they were locked into the same 10 song list:

 

Rock N Roll Music

She's a Woman

If I Needed Someone

Day Tripper

Baby's in Black (the strangest song ever - The singer wants to get with this chick who is still in mourning, and he's ticked off about it - like, get over your dead boyfriend already.)

I Feel Fine

Yesterday

I Wanna Be Your Man

Nowhere Man

Paperback Writer

Long Tall Sally

 

I'm guessing each show clocked in around 30 minutes. Such a strange set list - they opened and closed with covers. George got one song,

Brian Epstein wouldn't let them perform their singles in concert for most of their touring career but they managed to squeeze some in before they retired from the road.

[TCP]

Can you imagine seeing a popular band who didn't play their singles and only played 10 songs? The sixties were weird.

[Sir Stewart]

Not to mention being lucky if your ears hear them actually playing at all.

[Albert Tatlock]

Brian Matthew passed away over the weekend. Was still broadcasting until this February. Still sounded exactly like in his days interviewing the Beatles.

[Analogman]

They had removed him before that, right? 

[Albert Tatlock]

A-Man, his 'Sounds of the Sixties' show was axed while he was ill for a while, but there was a petition to reinstate him and he came back for a series of farewell shows.

[Analogman]

Aha - I had not listened to the show for several years probably. 

[opsopcopolis]

The Pepper remix snippets I have heard sound fantastic. Really looking forward to that release

[Sir Stewart]

I'm glad they're doing the double vinyl w/the record on one disc and the alt takes on the second. Not splitting up the album and having the alt versions on vinyl make this an absolute must purchase for me.

[uncool2pillow]

https://youtu.be/NYD3QtyEGGM

[Winston Legthigh]

https://youtu.be/NYD3QtyEGGM

This is the best thing that Weird Al never did. May the Fourth be with you!

[lost highway]

Okay, I've been meaning to lay all this out somewhere to look at it, and it's a rainy day so I'll put this here:

 

As a Beatles fan at birth I've overthought just about everything in their career.  No issue has sustained my fascination more than the real/mythologized partnership/competition between Lennon and McCartney as songwriters. For my understanding as of Rubber Soul they were pretty much coming up with their own tunes, and offering each other some feedback, or the occasional middle 8. By Pepper (with the obvious exception of 'A Day in the Life') they were penning their own tunes alone, with just arrangement and production input for each other in tandem with Martin.

 

I think because of this, if you separate their contributions to different albums you can see two songwriters on two different trajectories. George Harrison, was kind of on his own trip, but the same exercise could be interesting for him.  Here's the best I can parse it out:

 

Rubber Soul

Lennon                                     McCartney

Norwegian Wood                    Drive My Car

Nowhere Man                         You Won't See Me

The Word                                Michelle

Girl                                          I'm Looking Through You

In My Life

Run for Your Life

 

* Wait shares lead vocals and feels pretty McCartney in origin, but I'm not sure

 

Revolver

Lennon                                     McCartney

I'm Only Sleeping                    Eleanor Rigby

She Said She Said                   Here There and Everywhere

And Your Bird Can Sing          Good Day Sunshine

Dr. Robert                                For No One

Tomorrow Never Knows          Got to Get You Into My Life

 

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Lennon                                     McCartney

Lucy in the Sky w/ Diamonds  Sgt. Peppers (and reprise)

Mr. Kite                                     She's Leaving

Good Morning                          Getting Better

                                                 Fixing a Hole

                                                 When I'm 64

                                                 Lovely Rita

 

* A Day in the Life- collaboration 

 

Magical Mystery Tour

Lennon                                     McCartney

I Am the Walrus                        Magical Mystery Tour

Strawberry Fields Forever        The Fool on the Hill

Baby You're a Rich Man           Your Mother Should Know

All You Need is Love                 Hello Goodbye

                                                  Penny Lane

 

The White Album

Lennon                                     McCartney

Dear Prudence                         Back in the U.S.S.R.

Glass Onion                              Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da

Bungalow Bill                           Honey Pie

Happiness=Warm Gun             Martha My Dear

I'm So Tired                             Blackbird

Julia                                          Rocky Raccoon

Yer Blues                                  Why Don't We Do It in the Road

Everybody cept Me/Monkey    I Will

Sexy Sadie                               Birthday

Revolution                                Mother Nature's Son

Cry Baby Cry                            Helter Skelter

                                                 Honey Pie

                                                 

 

Abbey Road

Lennon                                     McCartney

Come Together                        Maxwell Silver's Hammer

I Want You (She's So Heavy)   Oh Darling

Mean Mr. Mustard                   The Ending Suite (Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End, Her Majesty)

Polythene Pam

 

*Because seems legitimately collaborative

 

Let It Be

Lennon                                     McCartney

Dig a Pony                               Let It Be

Across the Universe                The Long and Winding Road

                                                Get Back

 

*Two of Us, Maggie Mae, One After 909 might also be collaborative

 

Seeing this all in one place is really interesting to me. A lot of what people have written about Lennon and McCartney's different songwriting strengths bares out in these lists. McCartney's optimism, Lennon's cynicism, McCartney's craft as a pillar of popular song, and Lennon's interest in pushing the Beatles boundaries. So much of Paul's material is classic "song about a girl" material for anyone to relate to, whereas Lennon's most hopeful love songs are a spiritual kind of love. In fact, some of John's songs about girls seem borderline misogynistic (Run for You Life).

 

I also think you can see their inspiration ebb and flow. Part of what makes Pepper kind of an overrated album to me is Lennon didn't have as much great material to contribute. Interesting considering he's the defining voice on Rubber Soul. Paul seemed to never run out of songs, and it's really in the eye (or ear) of the listener which of his contributions are classic and which are hokey. Either way, two titans at work.  I skipped over some important singles, and Magical Mystery Tour. The latter because it doesn't have more than a couple songs from each.

 

There's a whole other story about George Harrison, the late bloomer to be told, but that's another day.

 

I'd love to hear what others think of this perennial John vs. Paul story.

[chuckrh]

The new mix of Sgt Pepper is amazing. Like hearing it for the first time.

[Vacant Horizon]

The new mix of Sgt Pepper is amazing. Like hearing it for the first time.

 

Really? Wow, that's quite a statement. 

 

Edit: Damn, you're right!

[Vacant Horizon]

 

Okay, I've been meaning to lay all this out somewhere to look at it, and it's a rainy day so I'll put this here:

 

As a Beatles fan at birth I've overthought just about everything in their career.  No issue has sustained my fascination more than the real/mythologized partnership/competition between Lennon and McCartney as songwriters. For my understanding as of Rubber Soul they were pretty much coming up with their own tunes, and offering each other some feedback, or the occasional middle 8. By Pepper (with the obvious exception of 'A Day in the Life') they were penning their own tunes alone, with just arrangement and production input for each other in tandem with Martin.

 

I think because of this, if you separate their contributions to different albums you can see two songwriters on two different trajectories. George Harrison, was kind of on his own trip, but the same exercise could be interesting for him.  Here's the best I can parse it out:

 

Rubber Soul

Lennon                                     McCartney

Norwegian Wood                    Drive My Car

Nowhere Man                         You Won't See Me

The Word                                Michelle

Girl                                          I'm Looking Through You

In My Life

Run for Your Life

 

* Wait shares lead vocals and feels pretty McCartney in origin, but I'm not sure

 

Revolver

Lennon                                     McCartney

I'm Only Sleeping                    Eleanor Rigby

She Said She Said                   Here There and Everywhere

And Your Bird Can Sing          Good Day Sunshine

Dr. Robert                                For No One

Tomorrow Never Knows          Got to Get You Into My Life

 

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Lennon                                     McCartney

Lucy in the Sky w/ Diamonds  Sgt. Peppers (and reprise)

Mr. Kite                                     She's Leaving

Good Morning                          Getting Better

                                                 Fixing a Hole

                                                 When I'm 64

                                                 Lovely Rita

 

* A Day in the Life- collaboration 

 

Magical Mystery Tour

Lennon                                     McCartney

I Am the Walrus                        Magical Mystery Tour

Strawberry Fields Forever        The Fool on the Hill

Baby You're a Rich Man           Your Mother Should Know

All You Need is Love                 Hello Goodbye

                                                  Penny Lane

 

The White Album

Lennon                                     McCartney

Dear Prudence                         Back in the U.S.S.R.

Glass Onion                              Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da

Bungalow Bill                           Honey Pie

Happiness=Warm Gun             Martha My Dear

I'm So Tired                             Blackbird

Julia                                          Rocky Raccoon

Yer Blues                                  Why Don't We Do It in the Road

Everybody cept Me/Monkey    I Will

Sexy Sadie                               Birthday

Revolution                                Mother Nature's Son

Cry Baby Cry                            Helter Skelter

                                                 Honey Pie

                                                 

 

Abbey Road

Lennon                                     McCartney

Come Together                        Maxwell Silver's Hammer

I Want You (She's So Heavy)   Oh Darling

Mean Mr. Mustard                   The Ending Suite (Bathroom Window, Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight, The End, Her Majesty)

Polythene Pam

 

*Because seems legitimately collaborative

 

Let It Be

Lennon                                     McCartney

Dig a Pony                               Let It Be

Across the Universe                The Long and Winding Road

                                                Get Back

 

*Two of Us, Maggie Mae, One After 909 might also be collaborative

 

Seeing this all in one place is really interesting to me. A lot of what people have written about Lennon and McCartney's different songwriting strengths bares out in these lists. McCartney's optimism, Lennon's cynicism, McCartney's craft as a pillar of popular song, and Lennon's interest in pushing the Beatles boundaries. So much of Paul's material is classic "song about a girl" material for anyone to relate to, whereas Lennon's most hopeful love songs are a spiritual kind of love. In fact, some of John's songs about girls seem borderline misogynistic (Run for You Life).

 

I also think you can see their inspiration ebb and flow. Part of what makes Pepper kind of an overrated album to me is Lennon didn't have as much great material to contribute. Interesting considering he's the defining voice on Rubber Soul. Paul seemed to never run out of songs, and it's really in the eye (or ear) of the listener which of his contributions are classic and which are hokey. Either way, two titans at work.  I skipped over some important singles, and Magical Mystery Tour. The latter because it doesn't have more than a couple songs from each.

 

There's a whole other story about George Harrison, the late bloomer to be told, but that's another day.

 

I'd love to hear what others think of this perennial John vs. Paul story.

 

 

Dude, I'm with you on this. I'd say that even on Help you're seeing them separate. I think that is what set them into high gear with RS. Each was finding their own style and write most of a song and then the other wold come in and add the magic dust. I know I've heard stories where Paul is just dicking around on a piano and John tosses off some lyrical idea and bam! you got Hey Jude or whatever. It is forever fascinating to me how songwriting team solo stuff is just so so to bad, while the collaborations are, in this case, genius. What is that X-factor? 

[chuckrh]

Really? Wow, that's quite a statement. 

 

Edit: Damn, you're right!

Giles Martin did a phenomenal job on it. It's the first time the stereo mix has been something other than an afterthought. He definitely learned from his dad. I'm quite fond of the "Love" soundtrack. Yeah, it was different but is really cool. I've got the surround sound version of it. I've seen the show twice, several years apart. It is constantly evolving. I'd go again! Back to Pepper: It's never been my favorite Beatles record but was an important part of my childhood (I was 6 when it came out). This new mix is revelatory. For instance, I'm hearing some brilliant guitar parts I've never heard before & Ringo shines. Within You, Without You sounds much better, also.