I see. There was a statement about the stereo of the first two UK albums, but then the part about Capitol reverb and narrowing referred only to the 2nd album.
Here's my solution. Collect ALL of the U.S. anomalies, such as SFF '66 mix, the correct Y&T stere9/duophonics, the "rebalanced" tracks on R&R Music and Love Songs, the unique tracks on the U.S. Rarities, the unique tracks on Reel Music, etc., that have not officially been released digitally and call it Ultimate U.S. Rarities or something to that effect. I'd buy it in a second, would be satisified, and would quit whining about wanting all of the unique U.S. versions.
Overjoyed that I found an edition of Volume II (corrected) in Amoeba for $9.99 - a tiny tear on the inner box was reason for being reduced! I snapped it up!
^^ This x1000!! [Maybe include the German rarities, too. I think there's only a couple but I could be wrong.]
Great diehard idea, I totally agree. The only thing I'd actually leave out are the German sung versions...but their inclusion certainly wouldn't stop me from buying this thing.
We've done this before... All of the genuine alternate mixes/edits from around the world would fit on a double CD. I'd do it: MONO Ask Me Why (UK single) Long Tall Sally (US) I Call Your Name (US) And I Love Her (US) I'll Cry Instead (US) Any Time At All (US) When I Get Home (US) I'll Be Back (US) I Feel Fine (US) She's A Woman (US) Michelle (US) I'm Only Sleeping (US) Doctor Robert (US) And Your Bird Can Sing (US) Tomorrow Never Knows (withdrawn UK) Penny Lane (US promo) I Am The Walrus (US single) STEREO I Want To Hold Your Hand (1963 mix) All My Loving (with hi-hat intro) Long Tall Sally (US) I Call Your Name (US) Help! (US with [non-Beatles, but I'll let this through] James Bond intro) The Word (US) I'm Looking Through You (US with false start) We Can Work It Out (US) Day Tripper (US) I'm Only Sleeping (US) Doctor Robert (US) And Your Bird Can Sing (US) Strawberry Fields Forever (US) A Day In The Life (Blue CD, with clean intro) I Am The Walrus (US/German [unedited on the latter]) Bonus - I Want To Hold Your Hand (1965 mix) Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand (US master [much better fidelity]) Everything else is on the 2009 remasters, or is otherwise just an alteration of original mixes.
I can't "like" this post enough. That is exactly the set I want to hear! And just for giggles you could [assuming timing permits] throw on the US Rarities versions of I Am The Walrus, And I Love Her, Penny Lane. And just for the sake of the rarity of it the ever-popular Beatles Movie Medley...
You mean the stereo mix that the released mono version was made from? Or something else? I suppose the live snippet of Twist And Shout could be on there too...
^^^ Two that I missed from the 'stereo' list earlier (both fairly minor, though they do offer something 'extra'): I Feel Fine (with 'whispering' intro) She's A Woman (with count-in)
I would rather listen to the American canon via initial release/paper label cassettes. That goes for the U.K. cannon as well. But when I used to listen to CD's, I really appreciated the Capitol Albums Volumes I and II. Because of the stereo, compared to the 1987 first 4 CD's that were in mono. It was quite a revelation and joy... when I first heard Vol I and II. And still have, in reserve, a backup sealed I and II. Although I have many more extra copies and variations of both canons via cassette. The U.K. cassettes sound the best. Followed by the Canadian and Yugoslavian cassettes. But I still greatly value and cherish my U.S. cassettes as well.
I Am The Walrus and Penny Lane on the US Rarities are just combinations of existing mixes though: IATW - UK stereo (on MMT) with middle section from US mono single (included in my list above) PL - stereo mix (on MMT) plus trumpet ending from mono US promo single (included in my list above) The extended And I Love Her is the regular stereo mix, but is edited to repeat two of the ending riffs for reasons unknown. If there was proof that it was intentionally made by EMI for Germany then I might possibly include it. But in any case, the extra riffs are not unique in any way (in mix or performance). I wouldn't go anywhere near the Movie Medley (which just features edited versions of regular mixes)...
Why do people want a reissue of the US "Rarities"? The "unique" tracks are frankenstein mono/stereo edits, for chrissakes, and not even authentic.
So? It's a cool tracklisting. I mean, sh-t, Willy, first time I heard Rarities I was like eleven years old and didn't know my mono from my stereo from my duophonic Dexterization from a hole in the ground...I just put the record on the turntable, dropped the needle down and enjoyed it, which it seems to me is what yer SUPPOSED to do when listening to music One of the problems with this forum is we get so g-ddamn hung up on sound quality/production minutae that maybe five percent of the population actually cares about that we lose all perspective of what really matters; does the music get you off when you listen to it, regardless of whether it's mono, stereo, Frankensteined, Brickwalled etc...it's enough to suck all the fun out of listening to music if you think about this crap too much, man... I'm perfectly happy with my 1980 Rarities LP but you know as well as I do if Capitol/Apple reissued it now somebody would buy it. It's a Beatles record, it'd sell...
That version of She's a Woman was officially released on CD in the early 90s EP box. I love that set, by the way.
Yes, I know those four were manufactured by Capitol years after the fact. And I know they are just re-edits of existing mixes. But the completist in me knows they are ... different. And they were officially released by The Beatles' US record label...
For me, the best reason not to put these tracks on a homemade rarities compilation is simply that, even when using the best sources possible, they sound effin' terrible and would stick out like the proverbial sore thumb.
But if every 'altered' variation from around the world was to be included, this would be a massive and unwieldy collection (all the fake stereo versions, mono folds, edits, etc). There's nothing 'different' in the US Rarities versions that is not present on one of the official mixes in its original state (i.e. middle of IATW, trumpet ending of PL, ending of AILH). Sticking to only primary sources makes the whole thing manageable and concise, IMO.
