Beatles "Carnival of Light" Who has heard it?*

According to Giles Martin, we've heard barely about 40% of what's actually in the Beatles' tape vault. Both George Martin and the surviving Beatles surveyed it all for the Anthology project and picked out the best bits based on their quality and historical significance. Have we really had anything released since Anthology that's been absolutely mind-blowing like that early version of 'Tomorrow Never Knows', the completely unreleased 'Leave My Kitten Alone', John's early version of 'Strawberry Fields' or George's gentle demo of 'All Things Must Pass'? The only few tracks that it would be nice to have would be the re-working of 'That Means A Lot' and the early sitar drone version of 'Norwegian Wood'. Does anyone really care for a 45-minute version of 'Helter Skelter'?

 

So it's like a cross between 'Tomorrow Never Knows' and 'Revolution #9', roughly?...

 

Right, then let that happen...

It has nothing to do with how great the "music" is or whether or not anyone will listen to it more than two times. The Beatles transcend music at this point.

Like "What's the New Mary Jane," it holds some historical context. It adds to the study and appreciation of the group.

It doesn't make a difference that "What's the New Mary Jane" is horrible or fabulous -- Lennon cut, mastered, and had a catalog number assigned to this track as a single. When it came out officially 30 years after the fact, it added to understanding a bit more about the history of the band and what one of the members was doing artistically and where he wanted to go commercially.

 

Once again, everybody "Barcelona!" "Are you alright"?

 

My wish is to gain a copy and when I die it will be played as background music for my wake. . . and no one will know it was the Beatles Carnival of Lights.

 

That would have a chance of being halfway decent. It's probably more like a cross between "Revolution #9" and the run-out groove message from the Pepper album.

 

'Music composed by Paul McCartney'? Hmm. Maybe that's why it was vetoed from inclusion on Anthology 2. If COL was a free-form Beatles jam, why wouldn't it at least have been credited to Lennon/McCartney? Or is this referring to some other Roundhouse event?

 

I believe that Paul promised the organizers of those two "Rave" events to provide some music or sounds to be played over the sound system. The organizers probably printed up the posters, and had no idea what exactly Paul would give them. It just so happened that it was a musical sound collage (or whatever it really is) by The Beatles.

If it ever is released officially, my guess is that it would carry a Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starr songwriting credit.

 

Those people weren't going to enjoy it if it'd been released back in the day, either.

Yeah. Gimme. "I want it all."*

*wrong band but you get the idea.

 

Kinda leads me to believe that it’s really not that great. Anthology would have been the natural inclusion point for it. There must be a feeling within the powers that be that having it out there would tarnish the band’s reputation a bit.

 

Getting back to the second question the OP asked - yes, the rude Maharishi track is out there. It was originally on one of the 'Turn Me On Dead Man' boots.

 

Giles said he heard it!
And, I say...if it's THAT bad, just have Paul And Ringo add a hip 'rhythm' to it, and make it a 'dance-floor' hit!

 

I'd wager it's not that great. Most of us might not even listen to it more than once.

But the Anthology wasn't about tracks that would supersede their officially released core catalog -- 30 years after the fact, it was supposed to present the Beatles in a more historical and analytical context. A chance to see behind the curtain of what made these universally popular songs.

That said, it was slated to be on Anthology. McCartney was fine with it being there, and there wasn't a problem until Harrison (and probably only him) wanted it cut. I'd say it was more political than anything to do with tarnishing the legacy.

 

I heard it three times, on July 27 1999, February 19 2008, and August 2 2015.

 

Exactly - I don’t imagine that CoL will be something I spin frequently, but I still wish it was available to hear so we can all form our own opinions.

I’ve said before, I think they should release a digital-only album called The Beatles Go Too Far and release the full 12-Bar Blues, CoL, the Spring ‘67 jams, the full It’s All Too Much, the long version of HS, the full Mary Jane, and the Yoko jam from the day George quit and any other odds and ends.

 

The Beatles transcending music didn't stop them from being lambasted when the MMT film was released, which probably explains why Mary Jane was canned.

 

After listening to the Deluxe Special Editions, I've come to the conclusion, Apple is holding back good tracks for some future release. They didn't give us good versions of WMGGW, Something, IWYSSH, LLL, among others. So I can see another set with these tracks and COL.

 

You Know My Name and New Mary Jane are actually worth having.

 

No chance it has any Tomorrow Never Knows-like quality to it.
Like Arnie said, it's more likely a cross between Revolution Nine and Sgt Pepper Inner Groove noise.
There's no song on it.

In fact, I assume it's way more formless and random than Revolution 9, because Revolution 9 was released!

 

Oh, I think so. The three deluxe editions have many tracks that I consider mind blowing, even if we’re talking about alternates. Also, Revolution (Take 20) not officially released.

 

But many tracks are *not that great — and again it was apparently one camp of the four that vetoed it.

 

That is news to me. It’s not on my Turn Me on Dead Man, so I’ll have to search for that.

 

Considering the fetal heartbeat recording that made up part of one of John & Yoko's Apple releases, they really should just put the thing out in all it's concrète avantness.

I kind of want that entryway bird sounds thing Pink Floyd is reported to have made for a live appearance (also any film of the lifesize puppet manipulated from a balcony at the Winterland)...

 

Like Syd '68.

 

The only people who've ever heard it were the people at the light show back in '67 and the few people who were allowed to hear it since then.
Just going by what everyone's comments on it are, it's probably not even worth hearing.
I'm holding out for the 20+ minute take of Helter Skelter someday.