2019 Beatles UK Singles boxed set (Was: "Beatles Mystery Boxed Set")*

I loved the Christmas set, still do. Really fun and simple. Nice to listen to by the tree

 

The best disc, 1966, being at such a super low volume still bothers me.. but otherwise, a perfect set.

 

That raises another point. Polydor is also under the UMG umbrella at this point. Does this mean that the Beatles' 1961-62 Polydor recordings could be permanently attached to the core catalog? (Maybe the Beatles aren't particularly interested.)

I hoped that would happen, but I wasn't optimistic. My guess is that, because several of the Christmas records had to be sourced from flexidiscs, they couldn't clean them up enough for a digital medium.

 

We may not know for sure what the sleeves are going to be like in this set, we can after all only go on what someone with some insider knowledge is hinting at. But based on that, we are allowed to comment on it, and baulk at what is going to be an expensive set. If it turns out the sleeves are not what are being hinted at , then so be it. Who's wasting the most time though - those posting opinions on sleeves that may not be used or those commenting on these comments?

 

The master tapes are available, right?

 

There are plenty of international sleeves that look good and far better than some of the examples we have seen. So it's not that they are 'international' that is putting people off. It's that some of the examples are just plain s***.
And what is your argument by the way? - is it that we have to accept that some people are going to like the poor examples of international sleeves (when there are far better examples that meet the same 'nostalgic' international concept) or is it that we are being leaked one big gag of false information? in which case of course, they may not be international sleeves at all, and so all arguments about nostalgic values for the particular examples is pointless.

 

There's no denying Apple has the cability to make this new Beatles singles collection the most beautiful looking and best sounding set EVER. If they don't do it now......then when? I really hope I'm proven wrong. But I have my doubts.

 

Still holding out for this EP, something along the lines of the MMT EP

 

Well they licensed "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You" to Swan for only two years at the time, when they were still shopping them around at various labels in the US on a single-by-single basis. When that ran out Capitol retained sole ownership (both tunes appeared on The Beatles' Second Album while the Swan contract was still going). They also released "Sie Liebt Dich" but allegedly they never owned the rights to it but they released it anyway, but I personally have not heard of any issues otherwise regarding pulling it off the market. Swan closed down in 1967 well after the Beatles' contract ran out, which would've been around 1965 I'm guessing. All of the other Swan stuff by other artists are owned by Rollercoaster Records now, a UK reissue label.

 

We really know so little about all of this. Yes, I explored two possibilities regarding the international sleeves and it possibly being a gag.

My point is that there are countries and older people in these countries who are MAJOR Beatles fans and grew up with and fondly remember the sleeves that some are putting down and are repulsed by. If Apple loses some folks who won't buy...even if the product is AAA and sounds great...because they think the sleeves look ugly or other ones could have been chosen, it may be okay with Apple. If enough people around the world appreciate these sleeves, warts and all. It may be International Legacy Building time. Even Paul featured a song on his last album called Back In Brazil and named his album Egyptian Station.

 

Who cares about the song? The girl on the other hand...

 

Why do you think it would be a gag? Mike Carrera clearly has connections that have led him to give us a heads-up on projects for YEARS here. You think he’s just choosing to wind everyone up with this one?

The only thing I don’t get is his assertion the set would be “beautiful”. Sarcasm doesn’t seem to be his thing, but I’m puzzled by how most of these amateur-ish foreign sleeves will meet that description for now...

 

Yeah the sales in Belgium alone for the pent up demand for a reproduction Help sleeve will more than make up for lost sales in the US/UK.

Sorry there’s no way that’s happening.

Will this set even marketed to those countries?

 

The master tapes appear to be available for 1963,* 1964, 1965, and 1967. Those messages were taped at Abbey Road and should remain in the archives. But 1966 was recorded at Dick James' demo studio, and 1968 and 1969 were edited together from home tapes. Those appear to be gone; the Christmas records were privately pressed, so EMI would never have laid hands on the source tapes.

*Portions of the 1963 message play during the end credits of Eight Days a Week. EMI should have that tape, but there is audible surface noise during those credits.

 

Glad people are taking this in stride.

 

Many internationalists and collectors of native artwork will be scooping these up. Even if they aren't from Belgium. And collectors of all things Sixties. This forum is heavily skewed to the U.K. viewpoint when it comes to The Beatles. But we'll see.

 

Is there a link to the alleged artwork?

 

Someone did a major premature leakage of the contents of the upcoming Abbey Road products via the Abbey Road thread. After that, leakers may feel a need to pull back and provide reparations to Apple via bob and weave and smoke and mirrors techniques, while technically not deceiving.

I don't have the energy or desire to examine the context and words used when the leaker posted various sleeves over the last weeks. If it was definitively stated by the leaker that any given "ugly" sleeve posted was actually going to be a sleeve in the official release. Apple needs to tighten up, I do know that. Beauty is a thing to behold. In the eye of.

 

I like the cheesy “bad” artwork covers myself

 

Soon, but only in India and in the Philippines!
All songs will be needledrops.

 

Great! Maybe there'll be picture sleeves for them made from recycled paper bags.

 

Well they were a British band. If they are trying to appeal to the international markets and banking on the nostalgia of other countries why use the 22 U.K. Singles as the template?
I don’t think Apple is particularly aiming for the non U.S/U.K market, they are aiming at Beatles collectors in general who will buy every Beatles release (By the way my name is Joe and I am addicted to Beatles product ) and most of that market happens to be U.S./ U.K based

I and I’m sure other American fans, consider the U.K. stuff “canon”, simply because the Beatles themselves and George Martin more or less had final say, and everything else, even the million selling U.S. releases, as variations. Fun, and interesting variations sure. I totally understand not wanting to release a set with 20 Parlophone sleeves and 2 pic sleeves. It may be accurate but not visually appealing. Nobody is against the idea of using “foreign” sleeves, and since no one knows yet what the mastering will be, it’s probably safe to assume Apple will be marketing this more as a collectible rather then something people will listen to often, so I think the gripe here is if that is the case, they should make it as aesthetically pleasing as possible, especially since they have so many better options.
But you are right, we'll see. However the leakers have proven reliable over the last few years, so I don't know why there is still any doubt over whether their info is legit or not. The problem is if the sleeves they shared are correct, I doubt they will be changed no matter the response. I'm not sure how much time is needed to change the artwork on a multi disc box like this that is due in 3 months, or if they feel it would even be worth the effort for an already niche product.

 

The Box with 23 singles was placed to be pre-ordered on Amazon France, Amazon Japan and perhaps Amazon Italy and scheduled for release November 15, 2019. However, perhaps at Apple's request, they removed the price and the release date. If it were cheaper I would have already ordered from Amazon France (221.39 €). The item is alive on some pages but now without release date and price (its Amazon code (ASIN) is B07VQ9YLHS):

https://www.amazon.fr/Beatles-Singles/dp/B07VQ9YLHS

https://www.amazon.it/Beatles-Singles/dp/B07VQ9YLHS

https://www.amazon.es/Beatles-Singles-Vinilo/dp/B07VQ9YLHS

 

The Box looks beautiful (simple but beautiful, a continuity..), the sample sleeves as well, the inner... (we didn't saw the ugly or simple covers that's for sure)

 

Dear MikeCarrera, my question is about the single from Portugal (Get Back/Don't Let Me Down), because the cover we have is from the EP, the first one that follows below, but the true cover of the single is the second one that follows below.




I'm waiting for the new teasers...