Imagine – so what’s new?

A quick guide to what’s new and what’s not.

So this may be a somewhat nerdy blog post, aimed at those Lennon collectors who also look to bootlegs for completion. What’s new in the ultimate Imagine collection (details released today, see this page) and what’s already out there, either on bootlegs or the Lennon Anthology. Occasional guest blogger Mike Carrera has kindly provided us with this friendly, colour coded guide.

Imagine 2018 Ultimate Collection Super DeLuxe Box set (4 CD+2 Blu-ray Audio) vs bootlegs and Lennon Anthology

by Mike Carrera

This is a quick guide using ONLY the ‘Super Deluxe’ box set 2018 to be released in October, to guide you through the many tracks: which ones are new, which could be and which aren’t? We are only focusing on the alternate material, and not on sound quality, which with this new release of course will surpass any bootlegs or past releases.

This guide will be updated in October once we get deep access to all the contents!

The ‘Super Deluxe’ presentation will be the only one having all the audio contents, and some tracks are exclusive for the Blu-Ray Audio discs accompanying this 4 CD box set.

 All discs, including CDs and Blu-rays are divided into the following chapters:

a)Remixed: Stereo Album, Singles & Extras

b)Outtakes: Album, Singles & Extras

c)Quadrosonic Album Remastered (Blu Ray Exclusive)

d)Raw Studio Mixes: Outtakes-Live

e)Raw Studio Mixes: Extended album versions-Live

f) Elements Mixes

g)Evolution Documentary

h)Elliot Mintz Interviews with John & Yoko (Blu Ray Exclusive)

All the contents from the CDs will also be included on the Blu-Ray Audio discs, but the Blu-Rays will get extra features.

Super DeLuxe Box Set: CDs vs Blu-Ray Audio discs

CD 1 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 1. Blu Ray Exclusive: 5.1. mixes

CD 2 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 1 and BLU RAY DISC TWO. Blu Ray Exclusive: Six (6) songs from the ELEMENTS MIXES chapter.

CD 3 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 2. Blu Ray Exclusive: 5.1 mixes, One song LONGER from the EXTENDED VERSIONS and five (5) exclusive tracks from the OUTTAKES LIVE chapters.

CD 4 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 2. Blu Ray Exclusive: Six (6) tracks “Singles and Extras” from the EVOLUTION documentary. 

For this quick review we will use only the following chapters or sections:

‘OUTTAKES’ is basically a selection of alternate takes from proper sessions or re-make sessions mostly, but also a few from rehearsal sessions, vocal overdubs or alternate vocal tracks.

‘RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE’ are basically takes with rough or live vocal guides from John, no overdubs, some are like ‘rehearsal’ takes, others are actual alternate takes/outtakes.

‘RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE’ are basically the same takes as used for the final master but with rough vocals or unedited (longer), no overdubs, reverb, tape delays, etc.

‘ELEMENTS’ are the multi track tapes combined to showcase some instruments or vocals (sometimes together, others just one element), these have nothing to do with channel separations from 5.1. mixes or Rockband mogg files, which are similar but not the same.

‘EVOLUTION’ are collages or montages starting from the demo takes in some cases, early rehearsals and alternate takes up to the final version.

Note: some songs have the same Take number twice or three times, meaning one comes from a first warm up session, the other from a re-make session starting counting takes again from the beginning, others use the final backing track from that take but with different vocal overdubs.

You will see the name of the song, take number or description, running time, under which section it will be included and whether it’s new or not.

This is an attempt to present the tracks in chronological order, as the box set has it all jumbled around, in many cases. And to the surprise of many bootleg collectors, the majority of the tracks on this new official set has never been released before!

this is the clear vinyl 2LP edition.

2018 DeLuxe Box Set vs bootlegs and Lennon Anthology

IMAGINE

Imagine (Original demo recorded at Ascot) 03:17 OUTTAKES

NEW  *Different from the ‘other’ demo circulating on bootlegs (3:36) which was also used (but edited) on the 1988 Warner Bros soundtrack “Imagine – The Movie” and can be seen in the ‘Gimme Some Truth’ documentary.

 Imagine (Take 1) 03:25 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE

Also known as “Version 1” on bootlegs. The Anthology version lacks the final comment from John lasting five seconds less (3:20), while the bootleg version is complete and with the same length of 3:25. So nothing new, but it will be little longer than the Anthology version.

Imagine (Take 1) 03:05 OUTTAKES

This is the re-make session, also known as “Version 2”. Lasting 3:12 on bootlegs, including some chat after the take, but it actually ends at 3:05. Nothing new here, apparently.

Imagine (Take 10) 03:12  OUTTAKES  NEW

Imagine 06:00 EVOLUTION NEW

Imagine (Strings only) 02:13 ELEMENTS NEW

Similar to some 5.1. mixes and Rockband multi tracks, but this mix is a new one.

original imagine single, norway 1971

CRIPPLED INSIDE

Crippled Inside (Take 2) 05:23 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE  *BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW  From Rehearsal Session? (Take 2 from the session that gave us the final version is available on bootlegs but it’s different from this “Live outtake”)

Crippled Inside (Take 6 alternate guitar solo) 03:50  RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE  *BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW From Rehearsal Session?

 Crippled Inside (Take 3) 03:50  OUTTAKES

NEW Re-make Session? (a Different Take 3 is on bootleg, including engineer’s slate  “Take Three”, and lasting no longer than 1 minute because it’s a breakdown take, so now we have a different Take 3, maybe one comes from the “Rehearsal/Live sessions” and the other from the ‘proper’ session?)

Crippled Inside (Take 6 alternate guitar solo) 03:47  OUTTAKES

NEW Re-make Session? (on bootlegs we have two different takes with this same length (3:47), one described as “Take 17” but without any slate it’s doubtful we are actually hearing a seventeenth take, so could be this Take 6, and the other described as “Rough Take”, both with “alternate guitar solo”, we will have to wait to get this upcoming official set to be able to really compare and decide.)

Crippled Inside (Take 6) 03:50 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS-LIVE

NEW From Re-make Session?

Crippled Inside 03:59 EVOLUTION NEW

Crippled Inside  (upright bass & drums) 03:37 ELEMENTS  *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW

JEALOUS GUY

Jealous Guy (Take 9) 02:16  OUTTAKES NEW

Jealous Guy (Take 11) 04:27 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE NEW

Jealous Guy (Take 29) 04:22 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS

NEW (a very similar but not the same as the official released version is available on bootlegs as “Take 7 Vocal Overdub”, and also different from the take on the Anthology box set)

Jealous Guy 06:11 EVOLUTION NEW

Jealous Guy (Piano, bass & drums) 04:12  ELEMENTS  NEW

Record Store Day 2011 boxed vinyl set.

 IT’S SO HARD

It’s So Hard (Take 6) 02:33  OUTTAKES NEW

It’s So Hard (Take 11) 02:42  RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS NEW

It’s So Hard 06:50 EVOLUTION  NEW

It’s So Hard (Strings) 00:57 ELEMENTS *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE NEW

I DON’T WANNA BE A SOLDIER MAMA I DON’T WANNA DIE

I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier (Take 21) 05:17 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE NEW From the first session.

I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier (Take 25) 04:34  OUTTAKES NEW From the first session.

I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier (Take 4 – extended) 09:36 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS  *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE (CD 3 will get an edited 7:56 version)

NEW From the Re-make session.

I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier 07:06 EVOLUTION  NEW

I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier (Guitar, Bass & Drums)  06:08  ELEMENTS  *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW

GIMME SOME TRUTH

Gimme Some Truth (Take 4 – extended) 03:40 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS

NEW  (Only the first three takes are available on bootleg in “Raw” form with a live vocal)

Gimme Some Truth (Take 4) 03:28  OUTTAKES  NEW With an alternate vocal overdub.

Gimme Some Truth 05:12 EVOLUTION  NEW

Gimme Some Truth 03:16  ELEMENTS  *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE  NEW

OH MY LOVE

Oh My Love (Take 6) 02:44  OUTTAKES

Already on bootleg, with more extra dialogue and post rehearsal.

Oh My Love (Take 20) 02:47 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE

NEW (Partially available on bootleg- less than 10 seconds).

Oh My Love 07:31 EVOLUTION  NEW

Oh My Love (Vocals only) 01:56 ELEMENTS NEW Similar as from the Rockband multi tracks, but this mix is a new one.

HOW DO YOU SLEEP?

How Do You Sleep? (Take 1) 08:40 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE

From First Session? Already on Bootlegs, maybe we will get little more post-song chat banter.

How Do You Sleep? (Takes 5 & 6) 07:03  RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE

Partially NEW- From First Session? (Takes 5 (a false start) and Take 6 are already on the Anthology boxed set, but Take 6 has a fadeout there, so we will get around 2 minutes more of unheard stuff).

How Do You Sleep? (Takes 1 & 2) 05:57  OUTTAKES

NEW From Re-make Session? (Do not confuse this with the “Rehearsal takes 1 and 2” on bootleg, those were rehearsals more than proper takes).

How Do You Sleep? (Take 11 – extended) 06:00 RAW MIXES EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE

NEW From Re-make Session (even though we have two outtakes very close to the final version on bootleg, none of them are exactly 6:00, one is 6:46 and the other known as “Alternate Vocal B” is 6:13, maybe we will get that with early fade out? We will find out in October.)

How Do You Sleep? 07:34 EVOLUTION  NEW

 How Do You Sleep? (Strings)  05:03 ELEMENTS  *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW

HOW?

How? (Takes 7-10) 06:18 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE  *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW

How? (Take 31) 03:47  OUTTAKES  NEW

How? (Take 40 alternate vocal) 03:46 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE  *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW

How? (Take 40) 03:55 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE NEW

How? 08:45 EVOLUTION NEW

How? (Strings only) 03:36 ELEMENTS NEW Already available from the Rockband multi tracks but this mix will be a new one.

OH YOKO!

Oh Yoko! (from Bed Peace Sheraton Hotel, Bahamas 1969) 05:00  OUTTAKES

Partially NEW (From the aborted Bed-In in Bahamas, wrongly listed before as being from the Montreal Bed Peace or a home demo from Surrey) 4:36 of it is already available, so now we will get the full rendition.

Oh Yoko! (Take 1 tracking vocal) 06:14 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE

NEW

Oh Yoko! (Take 1 – extended) 06:15 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE NEW

Oh Yoko! 03:56 EVOLUTION NEW

Oh Yoko! (Acoustic) 04:16 ELEMENTS *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE NEW

SINGLES AND EXTRAS

Power To The People (Take 7) 03:25  OUTTAKES NEW

Power To The People 05:29 –EVOLUTION *BLU-RAY ONLY  NEW

God Save Us (Original demo) 02:57  OUTTAKES

Partially NEW (the version on bootleg runs only 2:00 so now we will get now the full demo). A studio outtake with John’s lead vocal will also be available on CD 1/Blu Ray 1 under “Remixed Singles and Extras”, which is the same version as on ‘Lennon Anthology’.

God Save Us/Oz 08:36 – EVOLUTION *BLU-RAY ONLY  NEW

Do The Oz (Take 3) (Michael Ramsden vocal) 06:42  OUTTAKES

NEW (with Ringo on drums and Klaus on bass?, one of the highlights?)

Do The Oz 02:18 –EVOLUTION  *BLU-RAY ONLY  NEW

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Alternate Mix) 03:41  OUTTAKES NEW (the alternate mixes circulating among collectors do not last as long as this one)

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 04:05 – EVOLUTION  *BLU-RAY ONLY NEW

Well (Baby Please Don’t Go) 03:06 –EVOLUTION *BLU-RAY ONLY

NEW A complete studio outtake will be available also on CD 1/Blu Ray 1 under “Remixed Singles and Extras”, which is the same version as on ‘Lennon Anthology’.

Tittenhurst Park 17:16- EVOLUTION *BLU-RAY ONLY

NEW A collage of improvisations and studio chats from the sessions, similar to the ‘Fly on the Wall’ disc from “Let it Be… Naked”. Including snippets  of ‘Mind Games’ (from the Oh My Love session and already available, even on bootleg video), and new ones: “My Babe” (Willie Dixon) and “What Am I living For?” (Chuck Willis).

The 1998 John Lennon Anthology boxed set