A Lennonology Exclusive - For You Blues (Exclusive Content On The Japanese Let It Be SDE)

For nearly 40 years, nearly since the advent of the CD, The Beatles and Apple have managed to keep the digital contents of the group and solo catalogs strictly consistent around the world. There have been a few exceptions, such as the run of Canadian Help! and Rubber Soul CDs that featured the original 1965 mixes and not George Martin's 1987 remixes, or the initial US pressing of The Capitol Albums Vol. Two which included “folddown” mono mixes rather than the true mono mixes. However, not since the original UK-manufactured CD of Paul McCartney’s Press To Play, with the 10" mix of 'Press', has a single anomaly slipped out to market. Until now.

While listening to the streaming version of Glyn Johns' May 1969 mix of the Get Back album, from the new Let It Be Super Deluxe Edition, keen-eared collector Yosi Noz noted that 'For You Blue' was actually Johns' 1970 mix, which contained a new lead vocal recorded in January of that year. It was once he played his physical copy of the Japanese SHM-CD Let It Be SDE, that he noted the correct "1969 Mix" of 'For You Blue' was in place, rather than the 1970 mix he had heard in the ether.

It has now been verified that the true 1969 mix of 'For You Blue' appears exclusively on the Japanese SHM-CD Let It Be SDE (Disc 4, Track 7). All other digital platforms, including the universal SDE and its hi-res counterpart, include the 1970 Glyn Johns mix (prefaced by the complete introduction with two false starts) which is erroneously labeled "1969 Mix."

Who knows what, if any, corrective action will be taken. It's unknown specifically which of the two mixes Apple intended to put on the package. It is unlikely that more SDEs will be manufactured, so substitution on future editions is unlikely. The most likely course of action would be to make corrected copies of the disc available for exchange. But with profit margins so thin, it is possible that this anomaly will remain buried on the Japanese SDE.

On a side note, in his overview of the SDE's contents, which has appeared in several online outlets, including the Steve Hoffman music forum and The Daily Beatle website, Mike Carrera's assertion that the universal SDE used a copy of Dr. Ebbetts’ fan-released disc Get Back - Glyn John's Mix #1 as its source, for this and other tracks, is unfounded. Other black-market releases of Get Back have used an edited reconstruction of the introduction (specifically Vigotone's 1999 release, Get Back - The Glyn Johns Final Compilation), not to mention that both the 1969 and 1970 editions of the Dr. Ebbetts Get Back discs run at a different speed with the channels reversed and the phase inverted when compared to the new commercial release. That's not to say that Apple didn't construct their own introduction, just that they used a source superior to any of the well-known bootleg releases.

In the end, what is exciting for collectors is that a genuine alternate version, the genuine 1969 Glyn Johns mix of 'For You Blue' has appeared exclusively on the Japanese SHM-CD SDE. It is an expensive proposition to spend an additional $200 on less than three minutes of music, but it is likely that this will remain a bona fide rarity and that copies will dry up quickly.

Chip Madinger & Mark Easter, with special thanks to Yosi Noz.
www.lennonology.com

 

Can I please have a link to Mike's comments in SDE? I only see the unboxing and interview on their site.

 

I don't suppose it has the feedback on "Teddy Boy" by any chance?!

 

Woo-Hoo! My Japan SDE arrived yesterday, and I haven't had the chance to open it yet. Now I'm really looking forward to the weekend when I'll have time to cue it up.

 

What the actual flup

I hope they will also replace the digital store version with the correct mix

 

I smell REFUND!

 

How to contact Apple/universal ?

I remember years ago I got a replacement disc for a blu ray copy of the Neverending story here in Germany, because the version that was put out had the audio out of sync in places.

if enough people contact them, they might act to some extend (replacement disc / digital copy of the 1969 mix / replacing the wrong mix for their digital store releases... who knows)

Probably the only shot we get at it.

 

I'll join in on this if someone knows who to contact.

 

What does “SDE” stand for? Standard Edition?

 

Super Deluxe Edition

 

Some people have way too much time on their hands..........

 

What the heck, man. I’m really irate lol

 

It's weird isn't it? With all the planning and editing only one country on the planet manages to manufacture the correct version? This is the kind of stuff that happened in the 60s & 70s. But who is in charge here? Is getting an agreed upon release really that difficult to execute?

 

I've seen "SDE" all over the place and figured out what it meant awhile back but somehow forgot and then had to re-figure it out. Maybe it didn't stick because deep down I dislike the term. Redundant stuff. It was kind of like the opposite of an "earworm", or should I say "eyeworm" since it was something I read, not heard. "Earworm" by the way is a word I cordially detest but at least it was immediately clear to me what was meant by the term. Perhaps we should we just abbreviate that one --"EW".

I know. I'm a hypocrite because I'm a worm. But at least I have my own phylum. Maybe I can't remember what SDE means because I have a worm brain. But I'm a sea worm, not an "earworm".

 

Make sure all the Japanese fans know they need to buy the import SDE to get the rare 1970 version.

 

I've now contacted HDtracks, Tidal & Qobuz to make them aware of the new "fixed" set and the issue overall. Also I shared this on r/TheBeatles & r/Beatles

Let's hope they will receive the updated track.

Normally I wouldn't go out this far, but I'm really sick and tired of record companies pulling crap like this.

<-"We made a mistake? Well, let's fix it now for the markets that haven't received it yet".
->"But what about the sets already in circulation or the people who have bought these digitally?"
<-"Shhhhh!!!! just keep quiet!"

No Universal/Apple. You failed to sweep this one under the rug. Be humane enough to admit your mistake.

Some people explained the false mix with the Harrison estate requesting this change. Now this could theoretically still be the case and by mistake the correct mix was still send to Japan, but I HIGHLY DOUBT this.
There are other takes of this song featuring totally different unfinished vocals by George released as well. Why would the estate take issue with this exact mix ?

 

...says a guy posting a pointless comment on a thread he has no interest in, on a music discussion forum he joined, on the internet.

 

Qobuz has allready responded. They were thankfull of the hint and are looking into it. *fingers crossed 5 times since I doubt anything will actually happen*

 

This is excellent news Chip! Thanks for sharing your findings!

 

What‘s the easiest way to identify if a version is from 69 or 1970?

 

It takes a small mind to do it and a smaller mind to notice.

 

George's vocals on the first verses are a different recording to the 1970 mix (wich used the same vocal take as the final spector version)
"Because you're sweet and lovely Girl, I love youuuuuuuuu...." (very long sustain on the u sound)

 

It is very weird, as you say. You'd figure that there would be one---and only one---version sent to every location around the world.

Would there be any reason why Japan would be outside of the usual chain of deployment used in every other manufacturing location?

 

My old bootleg LP with the actual 1969 mix of "For You Blue" will do for me, saving me the $200...