The Beatles – Abbey Road And Beyond

Greatest Hits And Lost Sessions 1962-1966

 

This powerful six disc anthology features the very best of The Beatles in the studio, on the road and on the airwaves from 1962 to 1966. It is the perfect illustration of how, in just four short years, The Beatles evolved as writers and performers and created a musical phenomenon which has never been equalled.

 

Disc 1 -  The Lost Decca Tapes

 

The Beatles' audition for Decca Records on 1st January 1962 is the most notorious recording session in the history of popular music. On the strength of that one hour recording session Decca turned down the group, as it was felt the Decca session couldn’t capture the magic of the Cavern appearance which had led Decca to agree to the audition in the first place. 

 

With hindsight that was an astonishing decision especially as the lost Decca session tapes include a previously unreleased Lennon/McCartney track ‘Love Of The Loved.’ However despite the clamour from Beatles fans to hear the tapes, ten of the fifteen tracks recorded for Decca were not released by Apple. 

 

Now, at last, the remaining ten lost Decca tracks are finally released and everyone can judge the quality of the Decca sessions for themselves. The album includes an exclusive bonus interview with Pete Best which provides the listener with a unique insight into the Decca sessions and the events which led up to his sacking.

 

Also featured on the album is the original 1962 mono version of ‘Love Me Do’ featuring Ringo Starr and the best of the historic Polydor Beatles recordings with Pete Best on drums. There’s also a rare opportunity to compare and contrast the Pete Best line up’s versions of Beatles classics ‘Money (That’s What I Want )’ and ‘Till There Was You’ from the Decca demos with live versions performed by the Beatles with Ringo on the drum stool.

 

This authoritative release paints a powerful portrait of a unique and turbulent chapter in Beatles history and is a must have for every fan of the band.

 

Disc 2 - The Lost Abbey Road Tapes 1962-‘64

 

This remarkable collection is a privileged journey into the world of what might have been.  Here are the best of the alternative takes of the famous Beatles songs which were recorded by The Beatles during the legendary Abbey Road Sessions. 

Producer George Martin had the unenviable task of presiding over the Beatles’ sessions and choosing which take would see the light of day and which would languish in the vaults.

 

It was a very onerous  task as many of these overlooked recordings were real contenders and every single one is fascinating as a historical document. 

Take for example the 1962 mono recording of ‘Love Me Do’ with Ringo on drums which was initially chosen for release as the first UK single, but later rejected in favour of the version featuring Andy White with Ringo ignominiously relegated to tambourine. It is that version  which features on the Please Please Me album.   The EMI master, featuring Ringo’s drumming, which was used on the single release, was subsequently lost and this version has been re-mastered from an original 1962 single.

 

This is your chance to hear history in the making, essential listening for every Beatles fan.

 

Disc 3 – The Lost BBC Tapes And Much More

 

During 1963 and 1964 the impact of the frequent radio and TV broadcasts around the globe fuelled the global Beatlemania phenomenon and propelled the Beatles to new heights.  These rare recordings feature a string of immortal hits performed during live broadcasts in the UK and Sweden which were played live and broadcast straight to air.

 

Also featured are four unreleased tracks from the Hollywood Bowl sessions. This is the powerful proof of just how accomplished the Beatles actually were as live performers in the broadcasting studio and on stage.

 

Disc 4 – New York, Miami And Philadelphia: The First And Second US Tours

 

American audiences got their first taste of the Beatles in performance before a live audience with the record breaking 1964 broadcasts on the Ed Sullivan show on 9th February, and Miami on 16th February.  There was also a live cinema broadcast of a Washington concert - and the Beatles were gone.

 

The tour was short, but in the wake of those legendary broadcasts the Beatles crashed the Billboard charts in spectacular fashion.  By April 1964 the Beatles occupied all 5 top slots in the US Billboard Charts, a feat which has never been equalled.

 

On the first tour The New York performances were probably the better of the two live sessions in performance terms, but the technical recording standards were much higher in Miami and Beatles fans can at last enjoy a true Beatles performance recorded in a concert setting and captured before a live audience  at broadcast quality.

 

Also featured on this disc is the previously unreleased concert recording from the Philadelphia Convention Hall which was first broadcast live on WIBG-AM on 2nd September 1964 during the Beatles second visit to the USA.

 

This fascinating recording and provides a rare insight into the Beatles phenomenon as the whole saga was still unfolding.  Despite the technical limitations of the recording (the guitar is too high in the mix) this rare taste of the Beatles in concert from 1964 is essential listening for every Beatles fan.  Although the recording does not reach the same professional level of sound quality as the legendary Ed Sullivan shows, it nonetheless gives a true flavour of Beatlemania at its peak, and is a 'must have' for Beatles completists.

 

Disc 5 – Blackpool And Paris: The Legendary Broadcasts

 

By 1965 the Beatles were an established phenomenon.  Previously unreleased on record, the two live to air performances by the Beatles from Blackpool transmitted in 1964 and 1965 have long been the holy-grail for Beatles fans. These the two famous shows broadcast from the ABC Theatre feature the very first performance of ‘Yesterday’. Digitally re-mastered and released for the first time, these legendary sessions are a vital record of the Beatles in concert during 1965.

 

Also featured is the re-mastered recording of the Beatles evening Show from the Paris Palais Des Sports on 20th June 1965. This sublime performance was broadcast  Live on Europe 1 Radio.  1965 was the halcyon year for the Beatles  and this particular show is considered by Beatles authorities to be one of the best ever live performances given by the Beatles.

 

This powerful disc is the perfect illustration of the sheer genius of the Beatles; it’s hard to comprehend that this amazing collection is drawn from just three live  broadcasts.  Recorded in the space of little more than a year it is astonishing to realise that these three appearances  contain such an incredible array of  iconic hits which were being crafted during a relentless round of touring, broadcasting  and filming. These three legendary performances are essential listening for every Beatles fan and a delight for any newcomers. 

 

Disc 6 – Australia And Japan

 

This disc features two shows by the Beatles at two different points in their career as they continued their quest to take Beatlemania to fans around the globe.  The Melbourne show from 17th June 1964 features a powerful rendition of the songs which delighted audiences in Europe and the US during the Beatlemania era.  By June 1966 the group was beginning to experience burn out which would end their career as a live force, but the live broadcast of the Tokyo show was proof that in June 1966 they still had what it takes.  The set is very different from Melbourne but there is nonetheless still a sense of continuity which demonstrates perfectly how, in those two short years, the Beatles had evolved as writers and performers.

 

Please see images for detailed track listings.