Tag Archives: Beatle Music

Three George Martin LPs Due for Re-Issue

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Rhino/Parlophone have announced the re-issue of three long-out-of-print George Martin & His Orchestra titles.

Off The Beatle Track was the first in a series of orchestral releases by George Martin and the first ever release under his own name. Originally released in 1964 at the height of Beatlemania, it was supported by the band and has liner notes written by John Lennon. Original copies of this vinyl are now in high demand due to its relatively limited release originally. Overseen by Martin’s son Giles, Off The Beatle Track has been faithfully remastered from the original master tapes, replicating the original release.

Help! was released the following year in 1965 and was the second release in the series. Featuring instrumental arrangements of Beatles songs, this reissue is true to the original UK release. (The original US release tracklisting omitted “Bahama Sound” and used some of the track working titles like ‘Auntie Gin’s Theme’ (I’ve Just Seen a Face), ‘That’s A Nice Hat’ (It’s Only Love) and ‘Scrambled Egg’ (Yesterday). The record came at a time when orchestral music had begun to embrace the sound of beat music – something it had initially dismissed as a ‘noisy’ genre, dismissing its integrity entirely. As Beatlemania grabbed hold of the world in the early 60s, and with respected ‘high-brow’ newspapers such as The Times of London giving serious analysis of Lennon and McCartney’s song writing, attitudes began to shift. This 2026 re-issue is also overseen by Giles Martin.

…And I Love Her dates from 1966 and is regarded by some as George Martin’s best instrumental project. Featuring his signature “Studio 2 Stereo” sound, which brought a lush, easy-listening sophistication to several popular hits of the mid-60s. Unlike the other two re-issues, this album not only has orchestral Beatles interpretations but Petula Clark’s ‘Downtown’, The Righteous Brothers’ ‘You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling’, as well as the original Martin composition ‘All Quiet On The Mersey Front’, a track he wrote for the Ferry Cross The Mersey soundtrack.

These three interesting re-issues are out on CD or 140g vinyl on November 6. They’ll also be available on streaming platforms globally for the first time.

Dungeon Lane – One More Variation!

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Just when you thought you’d seen every coloured vinyl and CD of The Boys of Dungeon Lane possible, another one quietly sneaks in…….

We’ve updated our chart. Can you see it? [click on the image to see a larger version]

It’s the little Yoto player edition on the bottom row.

Yoto players are designed for kids to listen to stories and music on pre-recorded digital cards that slot into the player, plus they can record their own creations onto blank cards and play them back. The Boys of Dungeon Lane card contains the full album, and it comes with unique cover art. So far it looks like this edition is only available through the UK Yoto store.

The company is slowly building up quite a relationship with McCartney and The Beatles. A couple of years back they issued short versions of The Beatles 1962-1966 [Yoto Edition]:

And of course its companion The Beatles 1967-1970 [Yoto Edition]:

They also have a unique compilation album called Say Hello to Paul McCartney, designed to introduce kids to McCartney’s back-catalogue:

This 14-song card includes two tracks never-before released on a music product – the ‘Hey Grandude’ and ‘Hey Nandude’ themes in full, from Paul’s two children’s books.

Speaking of which, in line with the kid’s storytelling aspect of the players, Yoto has audio book versions of the two titles, Hey Grandude and Grandude’s Green Submarine:

Now, if you’re thinking these cards look kind of cool and collectable but I don’t want to buy an expensive device just to listen to them, you don’t actually need a stand-alone Yoto player. The Yoto app can be downloaded for free to your phone, and a simple tap of the card gives you access to the contents. The cards are the size of a credit card:

For further info on Yoto see our post A ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ For The Collector Who Must Have Everything.

What Will You Be Doing For Global Beatles Day?

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This coming Wednesday is officially Global Beatles Day. How will you be celebrating?

25 June is increasingly being recognised as a day set aside to celebrate The Beatles and their music and cultural legacy around the world.

Why is GBD June 25?

Well, it was on this day in 1967 that the Beatles first premiered their song ‘All You Need Is Love’. And they did it live before an audience estimated to be between 400-700 million people. Those millions had tuned in their TV sets to the ground-breaking Our World broadcast – the first of its kind to link up national broadcasters from fourteen countries across the globe in one celebratory program using what was then-new satellite technology. The resulting two-hour show was seen across 24 countries. And when it came to the United Kingdom’s turn The Beatles allowed the TV cameras into the Abbey Road Studios and let the world witness them putting the finishing touches to a previously un-heard song, ‘All You Need Is Love’. It went something like this:

So, on Global Beatles Day why not dig out a few Beatle records or CDs and immerse yourself in the music one more time, and think about the phenomenon that somehow rolls on and on, from generation to generation.