The Beatles Collection – Australian Blue Box

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Not one, but two large Beatles box sets from the collection to feature in this post….

Why?

Well, both are Australian editions of “The Beatles Collection” – a box containing all twelve official Beatles studio album releases, plus one disc of “Rarities”. But the two examples of this box-set here differ in quite a few ways and are worth noting.

“The Beatles Collection” first came out in Australia back in 1978. At the time this was the catalogue-spanning Beatles box set to buy. For a very short time in 1978 it was released with all the Australian-pressed albums contained in the more familiar (and sturdier) British-made box with a flip-top lid. However, only 2000 of these sets were released here. The following year (1979) an Australian-made box was created to hold all the albums – but it was different to both the UK and the European box in that it had a detachable, lift-off lid. It was also a lot more flimsy in construction:

These original Australian blue boxes were textured on the outside and had the title “The Beatles Collection” in gold lettering and the signatures of each band member reproduced along the bottom, but the rear of the box was plain:

The LP’s inside, if they were originally released on the Parlophone label, were on the orange Parlophone label – which was a version unique to Australia:

And, if the LP was originally released in Australia on the Apple label it came out in the box-set also on the Apple label. For example “Yellow Submarine”:

The box also came with the two unique covers produced in Australia for “With the Beatles” and “The Beatles For Sale”:

“Sgt Pepper” came in a single sleeve:

“The Beatles” double LP (aka “The White Album”) came with all the inserts included (i.e. the poster with lyrics and the four individual photographs):

“Let It Be” had the red Apple logo on the rear:

And there was a unique 13th LP called “Rarities”, which gathered together for the first time on one record songs and versions of songs previously unavailable on any album:

This too came out on the orange Parlophone label:

The other box I have is different. In copies of “The Beatles Collection” released from the mid-1980’s there were quite a few changes. Firstly, the textured look to the box was replaced with a flat cardboard finish, and all the LP titles were listed on the back of the box:

Also, all the LPs inside have the black and silver Parlophone label, including those titles previously released on Apple:

“With the Beatles” came in the UK cover, which featured the famous black-and-white Robert Freeman portrait of the band – not its distinctive Australian cover:

But, a little surprisingly, “The Beatles For Sale” was still in its unique yellow Australian cover:

“Sgt Pepper” is in a single cardboard sleeve, “The White Album” came with all the inserts, “Let It Be” has the red Apple logo on the back cover, and you still get the “Rarities” LP, only this time it’s on the black and silver Parlophone label:

Also, in my copy at least, there’s a single sheet insert (printed on both sides) detailing all the Beatles records and cassettes currently available through EMI Australia at the time:

I’m not sure that this sheet was originally included in the mid 1980’s box set as it has the catalogue number PLAY 1005 on it and this was an insert usually included with Australian copies of “The Beatles Ballads” LP from 1981. Anyway, it’s nice to have.

So, two “Beatles Collection” box sets with quite a few interesting and collectable variations.

(Many thanks to Jaesen Jones and his invaluable book “An Overview of Australian Beatles Records” for the release date information contained in this post).

The Beatles with Records – Part Six

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Some further photographs of the Beatles being photographed with records have been sent in – and so it’s time to add a Part Six to the series.

These photographs are all great and they come from Claude Defer, co-author of a recent book about all the French Beatles record releases. Claude’s first pic is of Paul, Linda and Denny Laine in the back of a limo and for some reason they have with them a copy of John and Yoko’s rather controversial 1968 release Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins. Paul might simply be re-acquainting himself with the quote he provided for the cover of the album: “When two great saints meet it is a humbling experience. The long battles to prove he was a Saint“….

As you can see below, John also quotes Genesis 2: 21-25:

Of course there are lots of photos available of the Beatles being presented with gold records in honour of their huge sales – but in this one for his work on Band on the Run with his new band Wings, Paul looks particularly pleased:

In this series on the Beatles with records we’ve had a lot of hastily-taken fan photographs sent in. These have been when the band members have stopped to talk and to autograph copies of their LPs and singles for waiting fans. This is another one of those, this time with John Lennon signing a copy of the single ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’/’Penny Lane’:

In the recent Martin Scorsese documentary on the life and times of George Harrison (called Living in the Material World) there’s a fantastic photograph featured of George holding up a copy of All Things Must Pass, his 1970 triple-LP box set. I remember sitting in the cinema watching the film and thinking “Hmmm. Must get that photograph and upload it to the Beatles with Records series!”

Well, Claude Defer found it and sent it in:

Finally, a fairly early publicity photograph of the Beatles in front of a display of some of their  releases, including A Hard Days Night, Please Please Me and With the Beatles:

If you have any other photographs you’d like to share please send them to: beatlesblogger@gmail.com

Oh, and I almost forgot…..of course there’s also this video of John and Yoko putting their Plastic Ono Band Live Peace in Toronto 1969 onto the turntable and playing it. It’s only the very first couple of seconds of this YouTube video – but it’s worth it.You can see the other parts in “The Beatles with Records” series here:

Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 , 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17.

For the Beatles Fan Who Has Everything?

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For a last-minute Christmas gift who could go past this really fine Beatles poster?

Too bad it’s sold out. Click on the image to see a larger version.

Originally released in the lead up to Christmas 2010, this has been re-printed again this year by popular demand. Only 250 copies were made though….

Visit artist Maxim Dalton’s site for more. I like his “Guitar Lessons” poster too.

Listen to “My Valentine” – New Paul McCartney Track

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Paul McCartney has issued a sneak preview of his forthcoming album of cover versions (plus two new McCartney originals). The full album will be released by Hear Music/Concord Records on February 7.

Wogblog has the full track-list, while the Beatles Examiner says that the album will definitely not be called “My Valentine” – this is despite the fact that it will be released in time for Valentine’s Day, 2012.

Special guests on the album include Diana Krall, Stevie Wonder and, as you can hear on the track below, Eric Clapton on guitar. The record is produced by the legendary Tommy LiPuma and looks to have a strong jazz-influenced tinge to it. It’ll certainly be interesting to hear McCartney exporing this new territory. The song “My Valentine”, while newly composed, sounds like it could have come from the same era as the other songs he has chosen to cover.

Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – 40th Anniversary

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Now in its 40th year – the peace campaign and song by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, the Plastic Ono Band and the Harlem Community Choir.

The single “Happy Christmas (War Is Over)” was released in December, 1971 in the United States (but due to a publishing dispute not until November the following year in the UK and worldwide). Here are some single releases from around the world – not all in my collection! (On most images you can click to see a larger version):

To find out more and to download the original poster in your language and in a range of sizes just click here.  And keep praying for peace in the world.

Happy Xmas (War is Over)

New Beatles iTunes Promotional Video

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From the MacRumours site:

“Apple has posted a new TV ad on their YouTube page promoting the Beatles on iTunes. The ad is called “Covers” and shows off many of different album covers from The Beatles in an animated fashion. The ad ends with “The Beatles on iTunes”.

The Beatles first appeared on the iTunes store back in November 2010. The new TV ad seems part of another promotion announced earlier today of a free animated version of the band’s Yellow Submarine book as an exclusive on Apple’s iBookstore.”

Also, speaking of iTunes and the Beatles, Rolling Stone magazine has just released “Rolling Stone’s Beatles Album-by-Album Guide“, which is an interactive iPad app with the stories behind each LP, photos, statistics and reviews.  The iPad Insight blog has more. This title is also available in hard copy from news stands as a special edition of Rolling Stone magazine.

Happy Christmas – Free Yellow Submarine iBook download

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The Beatles and iTunes are giving fans an early Christmas present this year – a free illustrated and interactive iBook download of “Yellow Submarine”.

You can go to the Beatles official website for more information, but basically the press release says:

“From today (9 December) an exclusive Beatles “Yellow Submarine” book that lets readers tap their iPad, iPhone and iPod touch to immerse themselves in the legendary film’s colourful sights and sounds is available for free download at itunes.com/thebeatles. Featuring animated illustrations and text from the 2004 book, 14 full-colour video clips from the original 1968 film, audio clips of classic Beatles hits and Sir George Martin’s original score, plus original dialogue from the film. Actor Dean Lennox Kelly narrates the book which includes interactive features that let you tap the story’s wild array of butterflies, starfish and sea monsters to make them come alive.

The book, designed by Fiona Andreanelli, uses Heinz Edelmann’s original artwork from the film and its story has been adapted by Charlie Gardner from the film’s original screenplay, co-written by Lee Minoff, Al Brodax, Jack Mendelsohn and Eric Segal.

Inspired by The Beatles’ song of the same name, “Yellow Submarine” dives 80,000 leagues beneath the sea to Pepperland, a musical paradise where Sergeant Pepper’s band plays on until the music-hating Blue Meanies invade, sealing the band inside a music-proof bubble and leaving it a silent wasteland.  But Old Fred, captain of the Yellow Submarine, escapes to Liverpool and persuades Ringo – with a little help from his friends John, Paul and George – to join him on a magical adventure to return music and love to Pepperland.”

On the Beatles site front page at the moment there’s a short promotional film about what you’ll get in the free download.

McCartney – The Love We Make

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This new McCartney feature film, made by Albert Mayles (of “The Beatles First US Visit” fame), is now out on BlueRay, on DVD, and as a digital download:

If you’d like to see this trailer in a larger format click here. And there are some short comments and further information on the film here.

The Mammoth Book of the Beatles

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Stumbled across yet another discount book this week. Not bad for A$5.95:

“The Mammoth Book of the Beatles” contains a LOT of information across its 594 pages.

This is a compilation book edited by Sean Egan who has gathered together more than 30 contemporary accounts, articles, and interviews about the Beatles (from Maureen Cleave’s “Beatles Bigger than Christ” feature, to their debunking in the News of the World just before the release of “Sgt Pepper”. Hmmm. Good timing News of the World. It was a dodgy newspaper back then, too). There are also latter-day memoirs and re-assessments. Contributors include Paul Gambaccini, Dave Marsh, Greil Marcus and Alan Clayson. There’s also a short section on the Beatles cartoon series – written by Mitch Axelrod (from the Fab Forum radio show and podcast). The book also includes reviews of each album and single release, interviews, and a comprehensive Beatles and solo Beatles UK discography.

Published by Constable and Robinson in the UK, and by Running Press in the US. I have the US paperback edition that came out in 2009.

There’s a pretty good review of the book here by blogger David Marx.

Guitar World Magazine “Ultimate Beatles” Edition

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Guitar World magazine in the US has released a special holiday edition that focuses on the Beatles as guitarists. They are calling it their “ultimate guide” to the recordings, songs and gear of the band.

The issue is devoted to an in-depth examination of the Beatles 13 albums – from “Please Please Me” to “Let It Be” – and includes commentary culled from original interviews with producer George Martin and engineers Geoff Emerick and Alan Parsons.  The magazine explores the Beatles through their musical instruments and the unique recording equipment inside EMI’s Abbey Road studios.

According to the press release I was sent by the magazine, each album is explored in detail – from the story behind its creation to the guitars and amps used in its making, for example the George Harrison Rickenbacker 360 12-string guitar used on “A Hard Day’s Night” and numerous other classic-era songs, as well as his custom-made rosewood Fender Telecaster, used during the making of  “Let It Be”. There’s also behind the scenes stories of selected tracks from each album including “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Ticket to Ride,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and others.

The Holiday 2011 issue of Guitar World is out now. To find out more visit the magazine’s website.