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.

LIVE AT THE BBC - side three

Back cover of the vinyl edition

One major criticism of this collection is that the overall sound quality is rather poor, but there does not seem to be much that executive producer George Martin and the Abbey Road engineers could have done about this.  Many, if not most, of the original BBC session tapes no longer existed in the 1990's because nobody would have believed in the early 60's that they would one day be compiled for sale to the general public.  A good amount of the material was salvaged from people who had recorded the actual broadcasts on home equipment.  The quality therefore varies quite a bit depending on the source and, amazingly, many of the 1964 recordings are inferior to most of the 1963 offerings.

With news of a second BBC collection in the works as of this posting, it will be interesting to see if today's technology can make any significant improvement to these historic performances.

Crinsk Dee Night - John surmises that this would be the title of their film in Portuguese.

A Hard Day's Night - This performance of their latest single features a rare overdub for a BBC session.  George Martin's piano solo from the record is clearly dropped in...

Have a Banana! - ...forcing host Brian Matthew to insist that the group was playing live before he introduces the next song from Ringo...

I Wanna Be Your Man - ...though this performance of the drummer's vocal outing from With the Beatles was from a broadcast months earlier than that intro.

Just a Rumour - A little banter in which George reveals that he has been singing the next song for 28 years.

Roll Over Beethoven - A Chuck Berry classic which the group had recorded for With the Beatles.

All My Loving - Paul's rollicking composition, also from With the Beatles.

Things We Said Today - This tremendous reflective number by Paul had appeared as both the B-side of the single A Hard Day's Night and on the non-soundtrack side of that album.  Here, it features a spoken introduction by Brian Matthew.

She's a Woman - Paul's bluesy screamer was the B-side of the recent single I Feel Fine at the time of this broadcast from November 1964.

Sweet Little Sixteen - John takes the lead on this Chuck Berry classic.  His snarling delivery of "They're really rockin' in Boston..." was included in radio station WBCN's inventive Boston medley back in the 1980's.

1822! - Another witty intro by John before handling the lead vocal on...

Lonesome Tears in My Eyes - ...this oddity from 1957 by Johnny Burnette and his Rock 'n' Roll Trio.

Nothin' Shakin' - George sings this rockabilly number originally done by Eddie Fontaine.

The Hippy Hippy Shake - Paul sings this song by Chan Romero that is in the same mold as the Little Richard screamers he did so well.

Glad All Over - This rockabilly tune once done by Carl Perkins is sung by George, whose high number of lead vocals on this collection gives us a good indication of how important he was to the group in their pre-fame stage act, especially during their marathon sets in Hamburg.

I Just Don't Understand - John sings this strange obscurity recorded by Ann Margaret in 1961.

So How Come (No One Loves Me) - Paul and John (or is it Paul and George?  I admit that it's even hard for me to tell sometimes) do their best Everly Brothers impersonation.  For some reason, the CD case mistakenly adds the word Top onto the beginning of the song title.

I Feel Fine - The group plays their latest single during a November 1964 appearance on a program called Top Gear.

LIVE AT THE BBC - side two

Radio played a vital role in the British public's initial awareness of the Beatles in 1962 and had an even bigger impact in 1963, contributing greatly to the explosion known as Beatlemania.  Manager Brian Epstein secured John, Paul, George and Pete their first BBC appearance in March of '62, months before their inaugural recording session/audition at EMI.  Not only did the group's revised lineup with Ringo Starr eventually appear on all of the top programs like Saturday Club and Easy Beat, but they even headlined their own shows such as Pop Go the Beatles in 1963 and From Us to You in 1964.

A Little Rhyme - One of the delights of the collection for me is the bits of banter between some of the songs, giving a sense of what the actual broadcasts were like.  Here, John reads (and comments on, by his delivery) a poetic fan letter.

Clarabella - Paul performs one of his specialties, a screaming rocker originally done by the Jodimars.

I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) - John and Paul duet on this Elvis cover which the Beatles play at an absolutely manic tempo.  Those critical of Ringo's drumming should give this one a listen.

Crying, Waiting, Hoping - George handles the lead vocal on this Buddy Holly number, backed by John and Paul.

Dear Wack! - Another interpretive reading of a fan letter by John.

You Really Got a Hold on Me - A performance of the Smokey Robinson tune from around the same time the group recorded it for their upcoming album With the Beatles.

To Know Her Is to Love Her - John sings lead and he, Paul and George apply their three-part harmony skills to this Teddy Bears number written by Phil Spector.

A Taste of Honey - Paul once again handles the lead on this standard which the group had included on their album Please Please Me.

Long Tall Sally - The Little Richard rocker was performed here by Paul and the band almost a year before it appeared on their EP of the same name.  Of course, this version was also played live in the studio, but without producer George Martin's piano contribution as on the vinyl release.

I Saw Her Standing There - Paul's original rocker, the opening track of Please Please Me, was very well known by the time they played it for this October 1963 broadcast.

The Honeymoon Song - Like A Taste of Honey, this is one of those obscure standards that Paul would pull out during live sets for a change of pace.  According to the excellent liner notes by Kevin Howlett, a version of this song was released by Marino Marini and his Quartet in 1959.

Johnny B Goode - This is perhaps the weakest performance on the entire package, which is shocking given John's admiration for Chuck Berry.

Memphis, Tennessee - However, John and the boys do right by Mr. Berry with this fine rendition of another of his classics.

Lucille - A brief introduction by host Brian Matthew overlaps the opening bars of the Little Richard screamer sung by Paul.

Can't Buy Me Love - The group performs their brand new single on From Us to You in early '64.

From Fluff to You - On the same program, host Alan "Fluff" Freeman asks Paul about his influences as John repeatedly attempts to change the subject to his book In His Own Write.

Till There Was You - The third of Paul's standards on this side is this beautiful number from the Broadway show The Music Man, which the group had released on With the Beatles.

LIVE AT THE BBC - side one

It had been a long wait since the last official release from the Beatles - six years, in fact - and even longer since fans had had the pleasure of hearing something completely "new," but in 1994, that wait was finally over.  Was it worth it?  Sadly, many were unimpressed by this collection when it first appeared and quite a few maintain that opinion to this day.  And while I must admit that it took a while for it to grow on me, I now consider it to be an indispensable part of the group's canon - not for the renditions of their own numbers, mind you, but rather for the many covers of songs by other artists, revealing more than ever the Fab Four's encyclopedic knowledge of popular music.

Though this package was conceived as a two-CD release, it was also issued on vinyl.  Thus, as usual, I will be making my entries as the tracks appear on the four sides of the records, even though they are incredibly long sides.

Beatle Greetings - The band members introduce themselves to the radio audience from a 1963 broadcast.

From Us to You - The title song of a 1964 series, derived from their third hit single, of course.

Riding on a Bus - A brief discussion of life as celebrities.

I Got a Woman - The first real number on the collection is this great version of a Ray Charles song with John handling the lead vocal.

Too Much Monkey Business - John sings lead again on this high-energy Chuck Berry number.

Keep Your Hands Off My Baby - John yet again (with Paul and George backing him up this time) on a tune from Goffin and King.

I'll Be on My Way - One of the real finds of the collection is this Lennon/McCartney original first recorded by Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, sung as a duet by the composers.

Young Blood - George sings lead on this comedy number from Lieber and Stoller originally done by the Coasters.  Paul and John join in the vocal antics.

A Shot of Rhythm and Blues - John and Paul tackle a song released by Arthur Alexander, whose Anna (Go to Him) they had covered on their album Please Please Me.

Sure to Fall (In Love with You) - Paul takes the lead on a Carl Perkins cover.

Some Other Guy - This song and the next were recorded in front of an audience at the Playhouse Theatre in London.  John and Paul share the lead on this Lieber and Stoller rocker that was a favorite of every band in Liverpool.

Thank You Girl - At the time of this performance, this song was the B-side of their most recent single.

Sha la la la la! - The group engages in some amusing banter with Lee Peters, host of their Pop Go the Beatles series, before launching into...

Baby It's You - ...this Burt Bacharach tune which they had covered on Please Please Me.

That's All Right (Mama) - Paul boldly tackles Elvis Presley's debut single.

Carol - This Chuck Berry tune is given a surprisingly lackluster performance by John and the band.

Soldier of Love - A wonderfully strange song that had been recorded by Arthur Alexander.  With strong backing by Paul and George, John puts his all into this one.