Beatles’ “Anthology” Receives a Very Digital Remaster
So here’s some good news for Beatlemaniacs: the Anthology series, the three-volume clearinghouse of Beatles outtakes and vault material released in 1995-1996, is getting digitally remastered. The bad news? You’re not going to find it in your local record shop.
This new remaster of each two-disc set is actually going to be an iTunes exclusive – quite a difference from years ago, when no Beatles material was sold digitally. Not only did Apple Computer crack the code for Apple Records, they also offered unreleased bonus tracks when the Love soundtrack for the Cirque du Soleil show was offered through the digital retailer earlier this year.
EMI has already confirmed that this remaster will not be available physically, nor will the iTunes albums include the Anthology documentaries, either. For those whose interest in The Beatles was piqued by finally having the catalogue accessible on iTunes, this is obviously a good thing, but most collectors aren’t going to care one way or another. And isn’t a digital remaster in an uncompressed format a contradiction in terms?
A physical product would have made perfect sense for collectors or anyone still missing those sets – I don’t believe all three Anthology entries were ever packaged as a six-disc box set (nor were they ever combined with the Anthology documentaries on DVD for a whopper of a 10-disc set) – but it is what it is, at the moment.
The Beatles’ Anthology is on iTunes June 14. The full details for the digital sets are after the jump.Each two-disc Anthology set can be pre-ordered for $29.99, or bought as a digital box set for $79.99. A 23-track highlights collection will be sold for $12.99, and all tracks can be bought a la carte at $1.29 apiece.
The Beatles’ iTunes page also has a new radio featurette, Meet The Beatles, to listen to, which features testimonials from famous Beatle fans including Brian Wilson, Jackson Browne and more. All of that can be found here.
And here are the track lists. Starred tracks will be included in the highlights collection.
The Beatles, Anthology 1 (Apple/Capitol CDP 72438 34445 2 6, 1995)
Disc 1
- Free as a Bird *
- John Lennon speaking to Jann Wenner (interview #1)
- That’ll Be the Day (Mono) (Phillips Session, 1958 )
- In Spite of All the Danger (Mono) (Phillips Session, 1958 )
- Paul McCartney speaking to Mark Lewisohn (interview)
- Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Mono) (Home Recording, 1960)
- You’ll Be Mine (Mono) (Home Recording, 1960)
- Cayenne (Mono) (Home Recording, 1960)
- Paul McCartney speaking to Malcom Threadgill (interview)
- My Bonnie (Live @ Frierich-Ebert-Halle, Hamburg – 6/22/1961)
- Ain’t She Sweet (Live @ Frierich-Ebert-Halle, Hamburg – 6/22/1961)
- Cry for a Shadow (Live @ Frierich-Ebert-Halle, Hamburg – 6/22/1961)
- John Lennon speaking to David Wigg (interview)
- Brian Epstein from A Cellarful of Noise (interview #1)
- Searchin’ (Mono) (Decca Audition, 1962)
- Three Cool Cats (Mono) (Decca Audition, 1962)
- The Sheik of Araby (Mono) (Decca Audition, 1962)
- Like Dreamers Do (Mono) (Decca Audition, 1962)
- Hello Little Girl (Mono) (Decca Audition, 1962)
- Brian Epstein from A Cellarful of Noise (interview #2)
- Bésame Mucho (Mono) (EMI Session, 1962)
- Love Me Do (Mono) (EMI Session, 1962)
- How Do You Do It (Mono) (EMI Session, 1962)
- Please Please Me (Mono) (EMI Session, 1962)
- One After 909 (Sequence) (Mono) (EMI Session, 1963)
- One After 909 (Complete) (Mono) (EMI Session, 1963) *
- Lend Me Your Comb (BBC Session/Pop Goes The Beatles radio show, 1963)
- I’ll Get You (Mono) (Live on Val Parnell’s Sunday Night at the London Palladium – 10/13/1963
- John Lennon speaking to Jann Wenner (interview #2)
- I Saw Her Standing There (Mono) (Live @ the Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm, Sweden – 10/24/1963
- From Me to You (Mono) (Live @ the Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm, Sweden – 10/24/1963
- Money (That’s What I Want) (Mono) (Live @ the Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm, Sweden – 10/24/1963
- You Really Got a Hold on Me (Mono) (Live @ the Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm, Sweden – 10/24/1963
- Roll Over Beethoven (Mono) (Live @ the Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm, Sweden – 10/24/1963
Disc 2
- She Loves You (Mono) (Live @ the Prince of Wales Theatre, London – 11/4/1963)
- Till There Was You (Mono) (Live @ the Prince of Wales Theatre, London – 11/4/1963)
- Twist and Shout (Mono) (Live @ the Prince of Wales Theatre, London – 11/4/1963)
- This Boy (Mono) (Live on Morecambe and Wise – 12/2/1963)
- I Want to Hold Your Hand (Mono) (Live on Morecambe and Wise – 12/2/1963)
- Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise speaking to The Beatles
- Moonlight Bay (Mono) (Live on Morecambe and Wise – 12/2/1963)
- Can’t Buy Me Love (Takes 1 & 2) *
- All My Loving (Mono) (Live on The Ed Sullivan Show, CBS-TV, 2/9/1964)
- You Can’t Do That (Take 6)
- And I Love Her (Take 2)
- A Hard Day’s Night (Take 1)
- I Wanna Be Your Man (Live @ IBC Studios, London – 4/19/1964)
- Long Tall Sally (Live @ IBC Studios, London – 4/19/1964)
- Boys (Live @ IBC Studios, London – 4/19/1964)
- Shout (Live @ IBC Studios, London – 4/19/1964)
- I’ll Be Back (Take 2)
- I’ll Be Back (Take 3)
- You Know What to Do (Demo)
- No Reply (Demo)
- Mr. Moonlight (Takes 1 & 4) *
- Leave My Kitten Alone (Take 5) *
- No Reply (Take 2)
- Eight Days a Week (Sequence)
- Eight Days a Week (Take 5) *
- Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! (Take 2) *
The Beatles, Anthology 2 (Apple/Capitol CDP 7243 8 34448 2 3, 1996)
Disc 1
- Real Love *
- Yes It Is (Takes 2 & 14)
- I’m Down (Take 1)
- You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away (Takes 1, 2 & 5) (Mono)
- If You’ve Got Trouble (Take 1) *
- That Means a Lot (Take 1) *
- Yesterday (Take 1) *
- It’s Only Love (Takes 2 & 3) (Mono)
- I Feel Fine (Mono) (Live @ ABC Theatre, Blackpool – 8/1/1965)
- Ticket to Ride (Mono) (Live @ ABC Theatre, Blackpool – 8/1/1965)
- Yesterday (Mono) (Live @ ABC Theatre, Blackpool – 8/1/1965)
- Help! (Mono) (Live @ ABC Theatre, Blackpool – 8/1/1965)
- Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby (Mono) (Live @ Shea Stadium, New York City – 8/15/1965)
- Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Take 1)
- I’m Looking Through You (Take 1) *
- 12-Bar Original (Edited Take 2)
- Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1) *
- Got to Get You Into My Life (Take 5) (Mono)
- And Your Bird Can Sing (Take 2)
- Taxman (Take 11)
- Eleanor Rigby (Take 14 String Section)
- I’m Only Sleeping (Rehearsal) (mono)
- I’m Only Sleeping (Take 1) (Mono)
- Rock and Roll Music (Mono) (Live @ Budokan, Tokyo – 6/30/1966)
- She’s a Woman (Mono) (Live @ Budokan, Tokyo – 6/30/1966)
Disc 2
- Strawberry Fields Forever (Mono Demo Sequence)
- Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1) *
- Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7 & Edit Piece) (Mono)
- Penny Lane (Take 9 Horn Overdub)
- A Day in the Life” (Takes 1, 2, 6 & Orchestra)
- Good Morning Good Morning (Take 8 )
- Only a Northern Song (Takes 3 & 12)
- Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (Takes 1 & 2)
- Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (Take 7 & Effects Tape)
- Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (Takes 6-8 )
- Within You Without You (Instrumental Takes)
- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Take 5) (Mono)
- You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (Composite)
- I Am the Walrus (Take 16, No Overdubs)
- The Fool on the Hill (Mono Demo)
- Your Mother Should Know (Take 27)
- The Fool on the Hill (Take 4)
- Hello, Goodbye (Take 16 and Overdubs)
- Lady Madonna (Takes 3 & 4)
- Across the Universe (Take 2) *
The Beatles, Anthology 3 (Apple/Capitol CDP 7243 8 34451 2 7, 1996)
- A Beginning
- Happiness is a Warm Gun (Kinfauns Home Demo) (Mono)
- Helter Skelter (Edited Take 2) (Mono)
- Mean Mr. Mustard (Kinfauns Home Demo)
- Polythene Pam (Kinfauns Home Demo)
- Glass Onion (Kinfauns Home Demo)
- Junk (Kinfauns Home Demo)
- Piggies (Kinfauns Home Demo) (Mono)
- Honey Pie (Kinfauns Home Demo)
- Don’t Pass Me By (Takes 3 & 5)
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Take 5)
- Good Night (Rehearsal & Take 34) *
- Cry Baby Cry (Take 1)
- Blackbird (Take 4)
- Sexy Sadie (Take 6)
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Demo) *
- Hey Jude (Take 2)
- Not Guilty (Take 102) *
- Mother Nature’s Son (Take 2)
- Glass Onion (Take 33) (Mono)
- Rocky Raccoon (Take 8 )
- What’s the New Mary Jane (Take 4)
- Step Inside Love/Los Paranoias
- I’m So Tired (Takes 3, 6 and 9)
- I Will (Take 1)
- Why Don’t We Do It in the Road? (Take 4)
- Julia (Take 2)
Disc 2
- I’ve Got a Feeling (Savile Row)
- She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (Savile Row Rehearsal)
- Dig a Pony (Savile Row)
- Two of Us (Savile Row)
- For You Blue (Savile Row)
- Teddy Boy (Savile Row)
- Medley: Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle and Roll/Blue Suede Shoes (Savile Row)
- The Long and Winding Road (Savile Row) *
- Oh! Darling (Savile Row)
- All Things Must Pass (Demo) *
- Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (Savile Row)
- Get Back (Live on the Apple Building Rooftop, Savile Row, London – 1/30/1969)
- Old Brown Shoe (Demo)
- Octopus’s Garden (Takes 2 & 8 ) *
- Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (Take 5)
- Something (Mono Demo)
- Come Together (Take 1)
- Come and Get It (Demo) *
- Ain’t She Sweet (Jam)
- Because (A Cappella)
- Let It Be (Savile Row)
- I Me Mine (Take 16)
- The End (Remix)
The Second Disc 
I wouldn’t buy remastered versions whether they were on CD or not, but I really hope they don’t include any unreleased bonus tracks on these. I doubt they will though.
Anth
May 31, 2011 at 19:12
I only purchase physical CDs so I won’t be buying these. Anything that is download-only doesn’t get any of my money.
Mark Judkins
May 31, 2011 at 19:40
It costs them zero (that’s a fact we really tend to forget) and they hope we will pay $80 for the whole set? Come on…
Christophe
June 1, 2011 at 17:06
Mike –
I’m confused by your piece. Will the tracks be uncompressed, lossless? If so, that’s big news by itself because it would mark the first time iTunes has done such a thing, AFAIK.
best,
Scott Atkinson
Watertown NY
Scott Atkinson
May 31, 2011 at 21:50
Hey Scott,
Nothing I’ve read indicates that these will be uncompressed files. Which sort of defeats the purpose of remastering the material, when you think about it.
Mike Duquette
May 31, 2011 at 21:58
There’s an apparent typo in your article. The closing sentence of the third paragraph uses the word “uncompressed” where it appears you mean “compressed.” That may be the source of some confusion.
Randall
June 1, 2011 at 10:08
Ah man, that’s a real bummer! I was really looking forward to Live at the BBC and Anthology being remastered on CD. If Anthology isn’t released physically I doubt BBC will either. I was looking forward to those new slick digipacks all alined nicely together on my CD shelf!
Surely the decision to stay digital was probably a financial one, not wanting to “waste” $$ on physical product, BUT, if anyone has the fanbase to make a profit from physical CD’s from collector’s it’s The Beatles! I feel gipped, which is ironic since I was the one willing to pay. Unfortunately I’ll have to skip this Beatles release. Keep it physical Apple!!!
BradleyJames
May 31, 2011 at 22:06
… it’s ironic the McCartney franchise would invest $$ in the super deluxe book packages for Band on the Run, McCartney, and McCartney II, which I absolutely intend on picking up. Why wouldn’t Apple invest the $$ into a grandios Anthology package?!
Maybe they’re foolin’ – When the mono box was coming out they said only 3,000 would be made, to which I walked 4 mile round trip to pick up mine THE DAY it came out. They got me good on that one since you can find the mono set as easy as the stereo set now. Apple is totally playing with my fan dedication here, not right!
BradleyJames
May 31, 2011 at 22:18
I think the key word here is “Digitally” remastered. Which probably means they didn’t go back to the source elements for this, its probably just re-EQ’d. In that case, I have no problem with them dumping it on iTunes.
Ryan
June 1, 2011 at 03:10
I have them all and found them interesting but I wouldn’t buy them again even if they were remastered and had a few bonus songs. When I want to listen to some Beatles I reach for one of their official albums. The Anthology discs are nice to have to complete the collection. I think EMI realized that even serious fans might balk at buying remastered versions of the Anthology discs.
This sounds like a BS enhancement anyway, as many have noted what’s the point of remastering and them compressing for DD.
Bill B
June 1, 2011 at 07:06
I would by the highlights collection just for the “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love” singles if it was released as a CD. Not interested in downloads though.
I was really surprised (and a bit annoyed) that they didn’t add those two tracks to the reissue of “Past Masters.” They were both released as singles and both charted. I thought the whole point of “Past Masters” was to catch all the various singles and tracks of note that weren’t part of the main albums.
Scott
June 1, 2011 at 09:05
I meant “buy” not “by” in that first sentence. I guess there is no editing function on here. 🙂
Scott
June 1, 2011 at 09:07
What is annoying about this is that part of the appeal to the ANTHOLOGY was the booklet describing what the track is, when it was recorded and a bit of the info behind the recording and why its on the Anthology. It was for hardcore Beatles purists. To nail it down to a track by track basis is missing the point IMO.
Adam
June 1, 2011 at 10:47
Holy snap! Does ANYONE pay 30$ for digital downloads?!!! oO
I wouldn’t even pay that much for CDs – and they’re uncompressed, physical/manufactured copies, for goodness’ sake!
To me, that’s ridiculous… bordering on extrortion (if you can only get it digital format, that is 😦
The Thorn
June 1, 2011 at 11:27
Wow, this is sad news. If the Beatles empire no longer has faith in the viability of physical product, then the end of CDs is near. I mean, we all know it’s coming, but it may be sooner than we think. 😦
Don
June 1, 2011 at 14:54
Well, whatever itunes is doing to the Beatles music it’s working. Itunes versions sound better than the remastered ’09 CDs. And now the anthology sounds great. Why? I think something must happen at the production stage in the manufacturing of the CDs cause they sound like crap compared to itunes.
penny
June 2, 2011 at 16:28
You sure you don’t have a problem with your CD player? My CDs does not sound like crap at all…
Christophe
June 2, 2011 at 16:32
Probably just one of those young ‘uns who has only listened to compressed digital files their whole life and can’t tell the difference in quality 😉
The Thorn
June 2, 2011 at 16:54
That, Dear Penny, is impossible. They use the same 16-bit/44.1 kHz uncompressed masters to make both CD and iTunes ACC tracks.
The difference is that in the CD format must keeps its lossless/uncompressed form, but when it comes to iTunes traks, partial data got compressed (partial removal too) to reduce the final size of the AAC files.
Tormanoid
September 12, 2011 at 15:04
What is the point of remastering mostly crappy remixes only 15 years old? This whole set should have been REMIXED where possible. Those atrocious “Sessions” remixes, the mono mixes, and the sloppy stereo mixes should have all been redone.
Lance Hall
June 3, 2011 at 23:32
Firstly I’m not in favour of a downloads only re-issue but equally there were two 4 track singles released which have not been included. Both contained a reunion remake from a Lennon demo and three outtake tracks. If the power behind the throne wants a unique medium to re-issue Anthology then surely all these tracks should be included too.
Steve Brooks
June 6, 2011 at 14:35
I don’t see how ‘remastered’ Anthology LPs would sound particularly better. I can understand that the first CDs from 1987 could well be improved on, but as many of the tracks on Anthology are composite mixes anyway, any remastering will be done on these mixes alone. I doubt they’ll be remaking those Anthology mixes from scratch.
At the same time, I can’t help thinking ‘Free As A Bird’ would be worth redoing… try and give John’s voice more presence. Wishful-thinking I guess. It’s just how it sounds when you mix 2nd-generation cassette recordings with studio recordings.
Bless dem Beatles!
db
June 7, 2011 at 05:58
And while I’m up… Live at the BBC is one that probably could benefit from a remaster, especially as some of the tracks were sourced from fan recordings, of which there are probably superior-sounding sources now available, not to mention the TON of material that was left off (witness the Purple Chick/Yellow Dog sets)
db
June 7, 2011 at 06:08
I am a true music buff, and i am telling you that the point has been totally missed in all of these comments, the reason for remastering is simple there is more substance and as the technology for sound reproduction improves so does the need for more code(substance) , consider the frequency ranges that were available in the 60’s to now , it has changed its diposition for a start, we used to think of music as a 1 speaker thing then a two then three with a center image(more code for separation required) then 5.1 dolby and then 7.1, 9.1 and so on, and adding new source code, or even purifying it, is a natural proggression in a music quality context (or the amount of sound bits available) consider this metaphor, if a contemporary painting has more colour and fine strokes does it not appear to have more clarity than an impressionist painting because the clarity in fine detail would exsensuate its own definable beauty, where as the impressionist painting is looking to portray an overall picture, detail would only serve to hinder this effect, but the contemporarys beauty is in the detail and the richness of colours wich in turn makes the return far greater in so far as thier is more to look at and as a consequence more to enjoy, the genius that was lennon and mcartney has been enhanced for a new more tech aware generation.
These are sure fire steps to introducing the beatles to yet another generation, of wich many choose digital downloads for convenience and quality, the transition for us of a mature attitude will have the hardest time accepting these changes in the remasters, but the only constant in the universe is change, and having the 5.1 code is essential if you , like me , have 7.1 capability so as to fill the whole room with sound, and that requires dolby digital coding, i welcome this new era but i also must understand this is only 1 era change i talk of and there has been plenty of those and the future will be no diffrent in that respect wether we die hard beatles fans would like it or not , i tunes did not get where they are today by half heartedly releasing albums of sub standard quality, get yourself a burner, a decent copyable disc(verbatim) and then buy a theatre amp with all the accesories including optics and top quality speaker wire, your beatle experience will improve so dramatically that the only regret you will have is that you did not do i sooner. remasters for all origanal music, please!!!!!!!!!
danny
September 7, 2011 at 17:03
I think it’s just an “Quick EQ Enhacement” kind of thing. No real/proper remastering work here.
Think about it. An actual remastering treatment for such an extensive and varied collection like this would consume a lot of hard work and resources… and just to release them via iTunes? No way.
The fact that this is an exclusive iTunes release proves how cheap, simple and quick this “Remaster” is.
‘Nuff said.
Tormanoid
September 12, 2011 at 16:59