ANTHOLOGY 1 - side five

On the set of Around the Beatles

In the first half of 1964, the Beatles maintained their hectic pace.  First up was the completely unexpected conquest of America, quickly followed by the demands of making a feature film and its accompanying soundtrack album.  Before they even had time to catch their breath, they starred in their own television special and set off on their first world tour.  Despite this barrage of projects, they began to get more comfortable during their still-infrequent studio sessions, taking a little more time to craft a song in the recording process if necessary.

All My Loving - The voice of Ed Sullivan opens this side with his introduction, "Ladies and gentlemen - the Beatles!"  Screams erupt from the studio audience and Paul counts the band in for a performance of this uptempo number from With the Beatles, or Meet the Beatles as the corresponding album was titled in America.  73 million viewers tuned in, instantly making this a watershed moment in television history.

You Can't Do That - John counts the boys in for take 6 of a song he wrote for the soundtrack of A Hard Day's Night.  They did perform it in the concert sequence of the film, but it was edited out of the final print.  On this take, all of the elements are already in place, including John's lead guitar solo.  Without Paul and George's backing vocals, however, he sounds positively flat on the words "green" and "seen" in the bridge.

And I Love Her -Take 2 of Paul's ballad for the soundtrack features Ringo on his full drum kit and George picking an electric guitar.  Paul also had yet to write the bridge (A love like ours...) at this point.  There would be not just one but two remakes over the next two days before they perfected the arrangement on take 21 with Ringo on bongos and claves and George playing a simple but beautiful part on acoustic guitar.

A Hard Day's Night - Take 1 of the film's title track has all the earmarks of a song hastily written, hastily rehearsed and hastily recorded.  George's opening guitar chord clangs instead of resonating, the guide vocals by John and Paul are sloppy and they laugh as the fadeout fizzles.  Incredibly, in only a few short hours, their next single was completed by producer George Martin's piano overdub onto take 9.

I Wanna Be Your Man - This is the first of four selections from the television special Around the Beatles.  The group recorded the music for the program on April 19th, 1964 on three-track tape and only mimed their performance in front of the studio audience days later.  This number was Ringo's most recent vocal outing from the album With the Beatles.

Long Tall Sally - The group had recently recorded this Little Richard screamer during the sessions for the film soundtrack, and it was currently being issued in the US on The Beatles' Second Album.  Fans in the UK would have to wait until June 19th, when it would appear as the title track of an EP.  This TV version is not quite as breathtaking as that one-take recording.  It also lacks George Martin's piano part.

Boys - For some reason, they also taped Ringo's lead vocal number from Please Please Me, but decided not to use it on the program. 

Shout - This precursor to the Isley Brothers' other hit Twist and Shout is an absolute delight.  All four Beatles take turns singing lead on this barn-burner, driving the crowd into a frenzy.  The performance is truncated by half a minute here on the Anthology, but you can find the whole number on YouTube, including John's sign-off, "You've got a lucky face.  The end."

I'll Be Back (Demo) - With the film complete, the group returned to the studio on June 1st to begin recording a new batch of songs for the non-soundtrack side of the album.  John originally wanted this dramatic number to be in waltz time but, as we hear him say here after take 2 breaks down, "It's too hard to sing."

I'll Be Back (Complete) - On this very next take, played in 4/4 time, the song suddenly works.  It would require a total of sixteen takes before they achieved the version that closes the album, but they already knew that they were on the right track.

ANTHOLOGY 1 - side four

Beatlemania flourished in Britain in the latter months of 1963.  Manager Brian Epstein kept the boys constantly in the public's consciousness, from BBC radio sessions to television appearances to an endless stream of concerts (including their one and only trip to Ireland), plus The Beatles' Christmas Show - a three-week engagement of a pantomime extravaganza at the Astoria Cinema in London from December 24th to January 11th.  The workload was daunting, but the Beatles were still hungry and, though no one could have predicted it at the time, they were on the cusp of worldwide fame on a level that few have ever known.

She Loves You - The first of three selections from the Royal Command Performance on November 4th, 1963 features the boys' monster hit from that summer.  Instead of the usual screaming fans, we hear enthusiastic but polite applause from the audience following the number.

Till There Was You - We are treated to a bit of the group's patented stage patter as Paul introduces this song from The Music Man and informs the crowd that it had also been done by "our favorite American group...Sophie Tucker."  Unlike the recording on With the Beatles which had featured bongos and acoustic guitar, Ringo plays his standard drum kit and George plays an inventive electric guitar line.

Twist and Shout - The most famous line of the evening came from John before this final number when he asked those in the cheaper seats to clap their hands and "the rest of you...if you'll just rattle your jewelry."  After a rousing version of the Isley Brothers hit, we hear the house band play the theme several times as the group takes its signature bow.

This Boy - This is the first of four selections from an appearance on The Morecambe and Wise Show taped on December 2nd, 1963.  The boys perform a rather shaky version of the B-side of their current single, demonstrating just how delicate those three-part harmonies are.

I Want to Hold Your Hand - They have no such trouble with the A-side, however, giving a strong performance of their latest hit.

Speech: Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise - Here is an absolutely delightful example of the type of comedy being done on TV at the time, with the Beatles fitting in as seamlessly as they had done on radio.  Their manner is so offhanded, it almost seems as if it's not scripted.  Listening to this banter never fails to make me smile, especially every time Eric refers to Ringo as "Bongo."

Moonlight Bay - John, Paul and George then join the hosts for a brief, but whacky rendition of this old standard.  It's no wonder they appealed to all ages in Britain before exploding upon the world stage.

Can't Buy Me Love - The final selection on this side is a studio track recorded in Paris on January 29th, 1964.  This is one of the first times that they altered an arrangement during the recording process, even though the entire track was completed in only four takes, plus a few overdubs added at Abbey Road on February 25th.  We have take two here with Paul singing (and muffing) a guide vocal and John and George singing backing vocals which were cut by the next take.  Though this song was only intended to be the A-side of their upcoming single, it was later added to the soundtrack of A Hard Day's Night.

ANTHOLOGY 1 - side three

Though they felt as if they had struggled for many years, the fact is that the Beatles were still very young when success came along.  The youngest member of the group, George, was only twenty and the oldest Beatle was also the newest, Ringo, a grizzled twenty-three years old.  They came seemingly out of nowhere and skyrocketed to worldwide fame as few have ever done, yet they never let the madness that surrounded them keep them from developing their craft at a remarkable pace, as evidenced even in these earliest recordings.

Please Please Me - One week after their first official recording session in September of 1962, producer George Martin summoned the boys back to the studio to re-record both sides of their first single with session drummer Andy White.  Though Ringo was surely disheartened by this turn of events, the work was quickly accomplished and there was enough time left over to attempt a third recording.  With White still on drums and John's harmonica noticeably absent, they laid down what amounted to a demo of the song that would ultimately be their second single.

One After 909 (False Starts) - This is the first example of something that I feel the Anthology series does very well - show the development of a song over a number of takes.  In this case, the song does not change, however, it simply breaks down a few times - once because Paul is playing without a pick and a second time because John comes in vocally before the guitar solo is over.

One After 909 - We then get an edited version of what the song would have sounded like had they completed it on this day - March 5th, 1963 - after recording both sides of their third single.  They did not return to this song until the Get Back sessions in 1969, giving a definitive performance during the rooftop concert.  This much earlier recording is played at a slower tempo and, of course, lacks Billy Preston's fine work on electric piano.

Lend Me Your Comb - A number from a July 1963 Pop Go the Beatles BBC session is inexplicably dropped into the sequence here.  This tune, once done by Carl Perkins, features a duet by Paul and John, except in the bridge where Paul sings solo.

I'll Get You - Here is part of the October 1963 appearance on the television show Sunday Night at the London Palladium that resulted in full-scale Beatlemania in Britain.  The boys perform the B-side of their fourth single, prompting handclaps from the audience at the outset.

Speech: John - In the Lennon Remembers interview, John maintains that in the early years the Beatles were a great live band and "there was nobody to touch us in Britain."  This audio clip sets up the next five selections from the group's live set for Swedish radio on October 24th, 1963.

I Saw Her Standing There - The boys launch into a raw version of their opening number from the album Please Please Me.

From Me to You - Paul introduces the A-side of their third single to the delight of the Stockholm audience.  John does not attempt to play his harmonica part live.

Money (That's What I Want) - They then choose to perform three numbers from their second album With the Beatles, which would not be released until November.  The boys give their all on this hard rocker, though they miss George Martin's piano line from the recording.

You Really Got a Hold on Me -Though all three of these as-yet-unreleased songs were covers of American rock and roll (this one by Smokey Robinson), they must have been relatively unfamiliar to the Swedish audience, which becomes rather subdued as a result.

Roll Over Beethoven - George and the band perform a smoking version of the Chuck Berry classic, though they omit one verse.  They also make a few variations from their own recent recording, especially when John and Paul join in vocally at the end.

ANTHOLOGY 1 - side two

The role of Pete Best in the development of the Beatles should not be taken lightly.  He was part of the group during their seminal Hamburg phase when they really honed their craft.  Upon their return to Liverpool, people were bowled over by how powerful and professional the group had become.  Pete's appearance on several of the tracks on Anthology 1 in 1995 finally gave him the payday he so richly deserved.  He travels the world to this day with the Pete Best Band and has a loyal following on Facebook and Twitter, even though he is often overlooked as being one of three surviving Beatles.

Speech: John - Lennon waxes nostalgic about manager Brian Epstein in a 1971 interview.

Speech: Brian Epstein - By 1964, Epstein had already written his autobiography, A Cellarful of Noise, and had begun working on a recorded version of it.  This excerpt introduces five selections from the group's famous Decca Records audition on January 1st, 1962.

Searchin' - Paul leads John and George in a Lieber and Stoller number originally done by the Coasters.  The nerves can clearly be heard in a few of George's guitar solos on these tracks.

Three Cool Cats - Another Lieber and Stoller number also done by the Coasters, but with George taking the lead this time.  Paul and John back him both ably and comically.  

The Sheik of Araby - Epstein had hand-picked the group's material for this all-important audition, wanting to demonstrate their versatility.  This comic treatment of an old standard once again has George handling the lead, with John and Paul throwing in the "not 'arf" bits.

Like Dreamers Do - To further impress the Decca brass, Epstein let the boys do a few of their self-penned tunes.  This uptempo one by McCartney features a complex intro and a breathless vocal by the composer.

Hello Little Girl - Lennon claimed that this was the first song he ever wrote, and it shows.  It's very telling that they chose to never record material this lightweight once they finally did get a contract with EMI.

Speech: Brian Epstein - Epstein recounts the group's disappointment with the rejection by Decca, then quickly moves on to his first meeting with Parlophone producer George Martin.

Besame Mucho - Paul sings this old standard at the June 6, 1962 audition/first session at Abbey Road Studios.

Love Me Do - The group also recorded this McCartney composition at that session.  Pete's drumming is all over the place, with numerous changes in style and tempo.  This may be the performance that sealed his fate.

How Do You Do It - On September 4th, with Ringo now in the fold, the Beatles recorded this tune which George Martin had chosen for their first single.  Though they wanted to record only their own material, they took the time to come up with a new arrangement for this song, which was eventually used by another Epstein-managed group from Liverpool - Gerry and the Pacemakers.

ANTHOLOGY 1 - side one

As ambitious as Live at the BBC had been, it was dwarfed by the Anthology series.  Neil Aspinall, a fellow Liverpudlian and the group's early road manager, had envisioned such a project for many years.  It finally came to fruition in 1995 with a sprawling documentary and this equally vast series of unreleased recordings and alternate takes, many of which had been available as bootlegs for decades.  The first double CD, Anthology 1, was issued on November 21, only days after the documentary made its television debut.

As usual, I will present the tracks as they were released on vinyl.  Since there are three records for each double CD, this will be the first of eighteen entries covering the Anthology - not to mention the two EPs containing the "new" songs and some additional material.

Free As a Bird - The series opens with the first new recording featuring all four Beatles since the break-up.  This song was also released as a single and on an EP, so I will discuss it in a later entry.

Speech: John Lennon - In a brief audio clip from the famous Lennon Remembers interview with Rolling Stone's Jann Wenner in 1970, John flatly states that the Beatles were simply a band that made it very big.

That'll Be the Day - The only Buddy Holly song that the group ever released during their career was Words of Love on 1964's Beatles for Sale, but proof that the early rock and roller was a seminal influence is presented here as the Quarry Men pooled their money to make their very first recording in 1958.  A 78rpm record was cut featuring John on lead vocal and guitar, Paul providing both harmony and backing vocals and guitar, plus George on guitar, John Lowe on piano and Colin Hanton on drums.

In Spite of All the Danger - For the B-side of that single, John and Paul assume the same vocal duties, though this composition was written by McCartney and Harrison, a unique songwriting credit demonstrating that even at this early stage the core members of the group had great aspirations.

Speech: Paul McCartney - In a 1994 interview, Paul tells Mark Lewisohn that the boys used to use a tape recorder in their pre-fame days to listen to themselves, and that "a couple of those (tapes) still exist." 

Hallelujah, I Love Her So - And Hallelujah, here are three of those recordings.  Paul leads John, George and Stuart Sutcliffe in a rousing rendition of this Ray Charles number sometime around 1960.  Sadly, we do not get the full performance as it fades both in and out.

You'll Be Mine - This one is an original credited to McCartney and Lennon in the style of the Ink Spots according to the liner notes.  Paul sings lead with John adding a falsetto backing and literally grabbing the microphone for an outrageous spoken section in the middle.  I realize they were young men in another era when this recording was made, but I don't think I am the only person who has ever felt uncomfortable with the racist overtones of this performance.

Cayenne - An instrumental credited to McCartney.  Again, we do not get the full performance, but we hear enough of what was a popular genre at the time.  The liner notes indicate that these tapes are the only known recordings made with Sutcliffe as a member of the group. 

Speech: Paul McCartney - In an early interview from 1962, Paul reflects back one full year to the Hamburg sessions with producer Bert Kaempfert and headliner Tony Sheridan.

My Bonnie - Fade in to the song that Liverpool fans asked for in Brian Epstein's record shop, leading to...well, you know the rest.  John, Paul, George and Pete Best backed Sheridan on a number of tracks, including this rocked up version of an old standard.

Ain't She Sweet - At these same sessions, the Beatles were allowed to lay down two tracks of their own.  John gets to deliver a growling lead vocal on another old standard given the rock 'n' roll treatment.  Once the Beatles conquered America, this was released as a single on Atco Records and my mother actually found it and bought it for me.  Ain't she sweet, indeed.

Cry for a Shadow - For their second solo track, the boys laid down this instrumental (though Paul can clearly be heard screaming throughout).  And we have yet another unique composer credit - Harrison and Lennon.

Baby It's You

In March of 1995, only a few months after the release of Live at the BBC, came a new collection of radio performances from the early 60's.  Technically, it was considered a single, though it contained four tracks like a standard EP.  To appease all potential levels of fandom, it was issued not only as a CD, but also on vinyl and even as a cassette.  And it was the most democratic of releases, featuring lead vocals from all four Beatles.

Baby It's You - The title track is the same performance as the one on Live at the BBC, minus the amusing Sha la la la la! intro that appears on that collection.

I'll Follow the Sun - This McCartney song from Beatles for Sale was performed in November 1964 to promote the upcoming release of that album.

Devil in Her Heart - This seems to be the only instance where a BBC session inspired the group to go into the studio and record a song for an album in the works, which they did only two days after this performance for With the Beatles.  The casual air of these sessions is apparent here as George, John and Paul clearly muff the lyrics on a few occasions, yet the recording was broadcast nonetheless.

Boys - Ringo's vocal spotlight from Please Please Me was recorded seven times for the BBC.

In the selection of tracks for the group's first new EP in almost thirty years, the inclusion of Baby It's You and Boys strikes me as being no coincidence, since they were the only songs from their first album Please Please Me which had not appeared on EPs back in 1963 and '64.

LIVE AT THE BBC - side four

Another common complaint about this collection is that the Beatles generally do not deliver top-notch performances on many of the songs.  In their defense, it must be noted once again that these recordings were made quickly and were not intended for posterity.  It was assumed that they would simply be broadcast and never heard thereafter.  And they often recorded anywhere from four to eight or more numbers in a single session.  The intent was merely to promote sales of their records, which contained the well-polished versions culled from multiple takes in the studio.

I'm a Loser - A solid rendition of one of John's compositions from Beatles for Sale.

Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby - This Carl Perkins tune was George's only lead vocal on Beatles for Sale.

Rock and Roll Music - Yet another Beatles for Sale item, with John singing a classic Chuck Berry number, minus one of its verses.  This BBC take also lacks George Martin's piano contribution from the released version.

Ticket to Ride - The group appeared for the final time on the BBC in June of 1965 on a special program called The Beatles Invite You to Take a Ticket to Ride, playing a rousing rendition of their latest hit.

Dizzy Miss Lizzy - Also on that final program, they performed this Larry Williams tune, one of John's favorites which would soon appear on the album Help!  They even use electric piano here, as they do on the studio version.

Medley: Kansas City/Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! - Almost a year before recording this Lieber and Stoller/Little Richard medley for Beatles for Sale, Paul and the boys broadcast this performance which I feel is better (except for George's guitar solo) than the one on that album.

Set Fire to That Lot! - Ringo and host Rodney Burke goofing around on Pop Go The Beatles as an intro to...

Matchbox - ...this Carl Perkins number, also performed here about a year before the boys did a proper recording for the EP Long Tall Sally.

I Forgot to Remember to Forget - George takes the lead on this Elvis cover.

Love These Goon Shows! - John explains the difference between a harmonica and a harp to the mock consternation of Rodney Burke as a lead-in to...

I Got to Find My Baby - ...another Chuck Berry tune.  Berry is easily the big winner among the group's rock and roll heroes on this collection, with the boys performing eight of his songs. 

Ooh! My Soul - Paul handles the lead vocal on another Little Richard screamer.

Ooh! My Arms - Host Rodney Burke cracks the boys up as he amusingly segues from the previous song to...

Don't Ever Change - ...this Goffin-King number originally done by The Crickets after leader Buddy Holly's death.  Here we are treated to a unique duet by Paul and George.

Slow Down - John sings lead on this Larry Williams rocker almost a year before the Beatles recorded it for the EP Long Tall Sally.  And again, it is odd to hear a song without George Martin's piano contribution when you are used to the released version.

Honey Don't - Another rarity for the die-hard fans is this rendition of the Carl Perkins tune with John singing lead as the group had always performed it.  A year later, they recorded it for Beatles for Sale with Ringo singing.  I may be in the minority on this one, but I feel the song is actually better served by the drummer's down-home style.

Love Me Do - The collection comes to a fitting end with the simple song that started it all, one which they performed on BBC radio nine times.