Real Love

On March 4th, 1996, the next component of the Anthology series appeared.  This time the process was reversed with the release of the single and EP Real Love in advance of Anthology 2.  The single featured Baby's in Black as the B-side.

Real Love - By the 1990's, the ex-Beatles paid so little attention to each others solo careers that Paul, George and Ringo were seemingly unaware that the demo version of this song had already been released as part of the soundtrack to the film Imagine: John Lennon.  Unlike Free as a Bird, this composition was complete, so it did not require as much original input from the Threetles.  The bulk of the work was left to producer Jeff Lynne and old friend engineer Geoff Emerick to make the sound of John's cassette blend with the overdubs, something they did much better on this number than they had on the previous one.  Once again, the highlights of the collaboration are the Beatlesque harmonies of Paul and George, and George's distinctive guitar work.

Baby's in Black - The inclusion of this number from the 1965 Hollywood Bowl concerts is nothing short of amazing considering that all four Beatles wanted nothing to do with The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl album when it was released in 1977.  For me, the best part of this track is not the performance of the song itself from August 30th, but rather John's typically outrageous introduction from the previous evening's show.  Of course, his remarks were most likely completely inaudible from the audience, but knowing that he was being recorded allowed him to express himself for posterity.  Given the great number of hits that the group had already compiled by this time, it strikes me as odd that they even chose this song for their live set.

Yellow Submarine - These next two tracks which adorned the EP are the first in the Anthology series to feature a new wrinkle - one that not all fans appreciated, either.  In this case, we have the same take we are all familiar with, but the sound effects have been brought to the forefront in order to showcase them.  Some are interesting when heard with such clarity, others less so.  The only truly fascinating addition here is Ringo's previously unheard spoken preamble to the song, though one can see why this incongruity was lopped off before the number was released.

Here, There and Everywhere - McCartney's perfect ballad from Revolver is given an unusual treatment, as well, but it is one that would be used multiple times on Anthology 2 and Anthology 3.  We first hear take 7 of the song with the group's simple but elegant backing track and Paul's guide vocal, but as the second bridge ends, a segue is made into a remastered take 13 to bring the number to an end.  While this combination of different takes is meant to be enlightening (and many listeners no doubt enjoyed it), the major criticism is that it simply does not illustrate the growth of a piece in the studio the same way a series of takes did so effectively on Anthology 1.

Free as a Bird

On December 4th, 1995, just a few weeks after the release of Anthology 1, Free as a Bird, which had already served as the lead track on that package, appeared as both a single backed with Christmas Time (Is Here Again) and a four song EP.  At first glance, the additional tracks on the EP - I Saw Her Standing There and This Boy - seemed redundant since they, too, were on Anthology 1, but these are studio takes instead of the live performances on the earlier release.

Free as a Bird - There was a quite a bit of nervous anticipation when it was announced that the Threetles would be overdubbing a John Lennon recording to create a "new" song for this project, and with good reason.  One of the main reasons that the group had not reunited during the 70's, even after they patched up their differences, was that they knew they could never live up to the hype.  But when Yoko offered a few of John's demo tapes to Paul, the temptation was simply too much to resist.  Paul, George and Ringo met in February of '94 to flesh out the tape of this song, which merely had John's vocal and piano.  Paul and George also added lyrics and a melody to the unfinished bridge.

Though fascinating, the end result could not escape being a disappointment, starting with the dirge-like tempo of the number.  Producer Jeff Lynne (of ELO and the Traveling Wilburys) is never quite able to mesh the thin sound of the demo tape with the 48-track studio technology at his disposal.  It is nice to hear Paul and George's Beatlesque harmony and backing vocals, and George plays his trademark slide guitar to great effect.  They add on a distinctly mid-60's coda to the song, featuring George on ukulele and a backwards message from John.    

I Saw Her Standing There - The version we have known for all these years was take 1 of this first great rocker by McCartney, but his famous count-in that opens the song is actually from this take - take 9.  The boys were clearly getting tired on their first full day in the studio, and multiple takes did not improve their performance of this number, especially George's guitar solo.

This Boy - By the end of 1963, they were already seasoned professionals in the studio, however, as evidenced by takes 12 and 13 of Lennon's three-part harmony tune.  They laugh off an early flub of take 12 and launch right into the next take, which holds up until John flubs a few lines in the final verse, causing another eruption of laughter from the boys.

Christmas Time (Is Here Again) - Though credited to all four Beatles, there isn't much to this little ditty, but it is one of the absolute joys of the Anthology series nonetheless.  The group sent out exclusive flexi-discs to members of their fan club every Christmas from 1963 to 1969 with little songs, skits and seasonal messages, and the '67 one featured the boys singing this tune along with producer George Martin and actor Victor Spinetti, who had appeared in all of their films to date.  We are also treated to some of those messages from '66 and a bit of Lennon gobbledygook over an organ playing Auld Lang Syne.

ANTHOLOGY 1 - side six

Many critics and fans now consider the group's fourth album Beatles for Sale (and its American counterpart Beatles '65) to be a low point in the band's career, but I can assure you few of us thought that when they were first issued in late 1964.  Indeed, these releases helped the Beatles solidify their position as the number one act in the world at that time, a feat that no one could have predicted at the start of that momentous year. 

You Know What To Do - The group was most likely scheduled to record a fourteenth track for A Hard Day's Night on June 4th, 1964, but Ringo was taken ill and a replacement drummer named Jimmy Nicol was hastily called in to rehearse with the band so that he could fill in for the first few dates of their world tour, which began the next day.  Following the rehearsal, the other three Beatles recorded demo versions of tunes they had ready to go.  When the Anthology was assembled in the 1990's, George Harrison had absolutely no memory of this pleasant early composition, only his second to date.  It would have been interesting to see how they would have arranged this number had it resurfaced during the Beatles for Sale sessions.

No Reply (Demo) - John's demo on that day was a song that would resurface and be chosen to open that next album.  The lineup for this version probably has Paul on drums and George on bass.  John and Paul crack each other up repeatedly as they play around with the lyrics, particularly the phrase "your face."

Mr. Moonlight - In August of '64, at the second session for their fourth album, the group tackled this oddity with an arrangement close to the final version they recorded a few months later.  The major difference is that George plays a deliberately wobbly guitar part which would eventually be replaced by Paul on Hammond organ.  On this session tape, we hear John's voice crack the first time he attempts the opening shout of the title phrase.

Leave My Kitten Alone - At the same session, the boys also recorded the song most fans wish had taken the place of the previous number on Beatles for Sale.  We'll never know why that tune was favored over this one, but thankfully we can all enjoy this scorching rocker here on the Anthology.

No Reply - Picking right up where they had left off a few months earlier, John and Paul revived the "your face" joke on take 2 of this number.  But the arrangement, now with Ringo on drums and producer George Martin on piano, was already heading toward the dramatic feel of the master, take 8.

Eight Days A Week (False Starts) - We get a great glimpse into the evolution of this McCartney composition as John and Paul try a few variations on a vocal intro that would ultimately be scrapped in favor of an instrumental fade-in. 

Eight Days A Week - The complete take 5 still has a vocal intro and features a few differences in the ways they sing "hold me, love me" and the song's title.  I love the kicks Ringo adds on the drums before "ain't got nothing but love" and wonder why it was decided to drop them.  The boys also sing "oohs" on the outro at this point.

Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! - The released version of Paul's Little Richard tribute was take 1, but they did make an additional attempt at the number before that decision was made.  Not a huge difference, but this second take is simply not quite as good.

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.