Preliminary Anthologies

Envelope

Leaked, confidential EMI documents have come to light, revealing early stages of the development of the three Anthology albums. Star-Club tracks were initially planned before they were eventually scrapped. It also appears that the tracks from the Decca audition stem from an old tape, and not, as we all thought, from bootlegs.

The Decca audition tape is in a hand written letter dated 30th of May 1995 described as having come from a freshly baked tape, played back in a listening session attended by Paul.  Noticing that the tape ran a tad fast, Paul pitched it to a piano during the session. The letter instructs that a digital copy should be made immediately, in case of shedding of the tape layers due to oxidation over time.

From a track list dated 26 June 1995

The tracks intended for inclusion on the “Anthology 1” album omitted “Besame Mucho” and “Till There Was You” as not to duplicate songs as versions of these from EMI were also to be included. As we later found out, it was Geoff Emerick who came up with the “Besame Mucho” tape from the first EMI session which he rescued from being binned.

Bootleg LP from Circuit Records

The songs from the Decca audition originally included “Crying, Waiting, Hoping”, “Three Cool Cats”, “Love of the Loved”, “The Sheik of Araby”, “To Know Her is to Love Her”, “Searchin'”, “Memphis Tennesee”, “Sure to Fall”, “Like Dreamers Do”, “Take Good Care of my Baby”, “Hello Little Girl” and “September in the Rain”. In the first sheet a comment in parentheses beside “Sure to Fall” says to check for other versions.

The first track of the album was supposed to be a speech from Paul and John, with the Quarry men tape (referred to as “the auction disc”) of “Baby Let’s Play House” as soundbed.

From the Star-Club tapes, the following were suggested:

“My Girl is Red Hot” (George. Paul likes but end cut off. Think we should use)
“Shimmy Shimmy” (not very good. Don’t use)
“Reminiscing” (not very good. Don’t use)
“Red Sails in the Sunset” (not very good. Don’t use)
“Sweet Little Sixteen” (John – better – in fact OK. Use)
“Nothing Shaking Like The Leaves On A Tree” (George – OK. Use)
“Everybody’s Trying to be My Baby” (rough but good atmosphere. Use)
“Lend Me Your Comb” (Doubtful)
“Your Feet’s Too Big” (NO)
“I’m Talking About You” (NO)
“Roll Over Beethoven” (rough VO) presumably a “no”, there.

Also the aborted 1985 “Session” LP is in play here, noted as “Album mixed by Geoff for issue Feb 85 and aborted.” From that LP, instructions are to mix “Leave My Kitten Alone” anew, use the breakdown version of “One After 909”, remix “If You’ve Got Troubles” (noting that Ringo hates it), deciding between a 20 Feb and 30 March 1965 version of “That Means A Lot” (This mix Spectorish) and to keep the original end of George’s acoustuc “While MY Guitar Gently Weeps”. Which they eventually didn’t they went with the looped ending Emerick created for “Sessions”. Finally adressing “Mailman Bring Me No More Blues” they are doubtful of including it and “Christmas Time Is Here Again” needs to have its master tape checked again.

Also noted is a message – possibly from Paul – to have Mark Lewisohn to approach Eddie Klein to check the content of the Reg & Peter Hodgson tape.

The Hodgson Tape, containing rehearsals in Forthlin Road from 1960 on a tape recorder Paul had borrowed from Peter Hodgson’s granddad, was found by Peter in the attic and was purchased by Paul McCartney at an auction in 1995.

Three of the Forthlin Road recordings were eventually released officially on Anthology 1, including two of the original compositions: “You’ll Be Mine” and “Cayenne”. Also “Hallelujah, I Love Her So” was included.

The note also says to contact Peter Asher for demos of the songs Paul had given them, and the same goes for Cilla Black.

Radical rethink 28 June 1995

The three songs from the Hodgson tape has been added to the track list, Decca is shortened and some other changes:

Radical rethink June 28, 1995

“Disc 2” is also detailed:

Disc 3 and 4

Also, a “maybe” for a disc 3 is to start with “Real Love”, take 1 of “Yesterday”, and both of the outtakes from the “Shea Stadium 1965” soundtrack, “Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby” and “She’s A Woman”. “Norwegian Wood” from EMI studios October 20, 1965 is suggested, as is Take 1 of “I’m Looking Through You”. This disc cuts short as a “Fourth album” is layed out:

“Fourth album”

Disc 5 and 6

More notes are included among the leaked documents, including suggestions for “a fifth album” and “CD SIX”. The first of which is consisting of demos and alternate versions of “white album” songs, no mention of “Carnival of Light”, though. “CD Six” is dedicated to “Get Back” and “Abbey Road” sessions, bringing back into the project “Mailman Bring Me No More Blues” from the aborted “Sessions” album. The rock’n’roll jam “Shake, Rattle and Roll, “Kansas City”, “Miss Ann”, Lawdy iss Clawdy”, “Blue Suede Shoes” has the comment: “Very rough jam – I do not think we can use it all. Needs to be pruned if used at all”. What ended up on the disc was “Rip It Up”/”Shake Rattle And Roll”/”Blue Suede Shoes”.

The End

A special version of “The End” is supposed to end the final disc. The idea being to beginn with a fade-up extended piano. The orchestra to be re-recorded to bring it to stereo (the master orchestra is in mono) for a bigger finish, and a final piano chord in A to be added by the remaining three Beatles playing it simultaneously (like on “A Day In The Life”). Filming this is also suggested.

CD Six