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Tag Archives: Beatles Collecting
Collecting ‘Now and Then’ – and beyond….
There’s no doubt about it.
It has been a busy couple of weeks for collectors and completists in the Beatle community!
Not only have we had the release of the new/last Beatle single, ‘Now and Then’, but also a newly expanded Beatles 1962-1966 [Red] and Beatles 1967-1970 [Blue] in double CD and triple LP form.
One of our readers (Guy in the USA) prides himself on securing every possible variation and often sends us a tantalising image or two. For ‘Now and Then’ he points out that most collectors only show pictures of the outer covers. Here, he says, are the contents – photographed all together:
For collectors in the west there are no fewer than 9 variations to seek out. If you add in unique Japanese editions that number creeps up to 14.
Because there are enough different pressings we thought we’d create another visual representation to capture them all (we have previously created these for McCartney III and McCartney III Imagined too):
(Click on the image to see a larger version)
The Japanese ‘Now and Then’ vinyl pressings are unique in that they have a rear cover written in Japanese. They also come with a special lyric sheet with the lyrics in English and Japanese:
Additionally, the SHM-CD single comes with an OBI strip (and also the extra lyric insert):
To add to the onslaught on collector wallets there was also Black Friday Record Store Day.
No Beatle records that day, but for completists who also go for the George Harrison-affiliated Dark Horse Records label, we had music on vinyl from Splinter, Leon Russell, and Ravi Shankar.
Also released on that day were further coloured vinyl editions (in “Yellow Submarine Yellow”) of Ringo Starr’s Old Wave and Stop and Smell the Roses. Here’s Guy again:
You can see there on the bottom row the little Yoto kids toy card editions of the 2023 Red and Blue albums, plus a unique Paul McCartney card containing a selection of his hits for kids which also contains two hard-to-get instrumentals.
McCartney also weighed in with pre-sales of the 50th anniversary, Half Speed Mastered editions of Band On The Run, and then followed that up a week later with the 3rd anniversary release (yes, that’s right 3rd anniversary….) of McCartney III, which comes in a limited edition choice of 3 coloured vinyls with new artwork and inserts.
Phew.
McCartney III – Revisited?
A ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ for the Collector Who Must Have Everything
Ever heard of Yoto, the children’s educational toy?
Me either, until one of our readers named Tom pointed out that they exist, AND they have a couple of items that will be of keen interest to the absolute Beatle completists among us.
Yoto is a digital player that accepts specially pre-recorded cards (slightly larger than a credit card) which kids slot into the player to hear stories, podcasts, games and……..music:
The big news is that Yoto has just added two very special music cards.
One is for the The Beatles 1962-1966 Red Album (Yoto Edition), and one for the The Beatles 1967-1970 Blue Album (Yoto Edition):
Yoto describes the contents of their unique 12-track Red Album like this:
An introduction to The Beatles for kids. Enjoy timeless hits from their early years, 1962-1966.
Twelve special chosen tracks from the early years of The Beatles, 1962-1966. The perfect introduction for music-loving kids to the fab-four.
Discover the songs that broke them onto the world stage. Sing, dance and play along to these timeless classics, some of the most popular and indelible rock songs of all time.
Tracklist:
- Love Me Do (2023 mix)
- Please Please Me (2023 mix)
- From Me To You (2023 mix)
- She Loves You (2023 mix)
- Can’t Buy Me Love (2023 mix)
- Ticket To Ride (2023 mix)
- I Want To Hold Your Hand (2023 mix)
- If I Needed Someone (2023 mix)
- Drive My Car (2023 mix)
- Got To Get You Into My Life (2022 mix)
- I’m Only Sleeping (2022 mix)
- Yellow Submarine (2022 mix)
And their 12-track Blue Album like this:
An introduction to The Beatles for kids. Enjoy timeless hits from their later years, 1967-1970.
The second curated collection of tracks from the most iconic band of all time. Charting the later part of their career where they experimented with new sounds and created some songs that are loved across generations and around the world.
The perfect way to share music as a family and the ultimate inspiration for all the music-loving, dancing and singing little ones out there.
Tracklist:
- Penny Lane (2017 Mix)
- Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (2017 Mix)
- With A Little Help From My Friends (2017 Mix)
- All You Need Is Love (2015 Mix)
- Hello, Goodbye (2015 Mix)
- Magical Mystery Tour (2023 Mix)
- Hey Jude (2015 Mix)
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (2018 Mix)
- Blackbird (2018 Mix)
- Here Comes The Sun (2019 Mix)
- Octopus’s Garden (2019 Mix)
- Let It Be (2021 Mix)
But that’s not all the original Beatle content Yoto has. Also recently added is a unique Paul McCartney card, Say Hello To Paul McCartney:
Yoto says: Dance, sing and play along to a selection of songs, especially chosen for Yoto.
Say Hello To Paul McCartney is a unique collection of timeless songs from one of the greatest ever songwriters and performers. Paul McCartney has curated this collection of tracks from his legendary catalogue and it’s sure to get all of your family singing and dancing along.
Sway and jump to ‘Dance Tonight’, take a trip to the Scottish Coast with ‘Mull of Kintyre’ or sing along in chorus to ‘We All Stand Together’ – these and many more songs await you on this ultimate Yoto music card! This card also includes two tracks never before released on a music product – the ‘Hey Grandude’ and ‘Hey Nandude’ themes, from Paul’s highly acclaimed children’s books.
Tracklist:
- Grandude Theme
- Dance Tonight
- Little Willow
- Heart of the Country
- Mary had a Little Lamb
- We All Stand Together
- Great Day
- Mama’s Little Girl
- Calico Skies
- Let ‘Em In
- Mull of Kintyre
- Winter Bird, When Winter Comes
- Who Cares
- Nandude Theme
So, this is one way for you to get clean versions of two rare original McCartney tracks – the instrumental ‘Grandude Theme’ and ‘Nandude Theme’, taken from the audiobook recordings of his two children’s books Hey Grandude (2019), and Grandude’s Green Submarine (2021).
Sincere apologies if this news is going to cost you more money!
The official press announcement is up on the Paul McCartney site now as well.
Techmoan has done a great video explaining just how these little players and the cards work (you don’t have to have a player):
Our readers Tom and Guy have both confirmed that you don’t 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:
In Defence of the ‘Now and Then’ Cover Art
There’s been huge discussion on a lot of forums and socials about the cover art choices for the new ‘Now and Then’ Beatle single.
This post on Reddit (by PowerPlaidPlays) is an articulate argument for why it actually works:
“A lot of people have a lot of negative things to say about the new single art. I initially did not like it at first ether, but it’s grown on me and I thought a post defending it would be a good counterbalance to all of the “improved cover” mock ups lol.
The biggest thing I appreciate about it is how it stands on it’s own.
It reminds me of how The White Album was a deliberate departure from Sgt Pepper’s cover, or how Abbey Road lacked the band’s name on the front. It’s not rubbing the band’s legacy in your face or leaning too hard into nostalgia. We already have Anthology if you want references to their entire career, or the Red/Blue albums if you want the ‘Please Please Me’/’Get Back’ photos paired together. It’s not just a normal boring photo of the band like the ‘Real Love’ single got. It’s not focusing too much on John like the ‘Free as a Bird’ single did by using one of his drawings. The song has it’s own unique image.
I think the most it hearkens back to old Beatles imagery is the serif font (similar to the drop-T logo) and the color palate reminds me of Abbey Road, with the blue (like the sky), green (like the trees), grey (like the road), and white (like the crosswalk).
The back cover is where I think some more symbolism is present. With the “Then” being the I ‘Wanna Hold Your Hand’ photo, and the “Now” being a clock with 3 and 9, but missing 6 and 12. I think the assembled sculpture also is fitting for a song that is a mix of 1979, 1995, and 2023 recordings, with apparently some stuff sampled from a few other Beatles songs.
I also do like how it seems to be a painting and not digital typography. Looking at higher resolution images of it, you can see the canvas texture and paint imperfections.
Admittedly I am not in love with it, and probably like it more for the things it’s not, but I can appreciate it for being an interesting decision. I keep looking at it, and it keeps making me think. It’s not just an obvious “yep, it’s a Beatles single and it has a photo of the Beatles.”“
And this (from zosterpops) also on Reddit:
“To add to the interpretation, the angles are reminiscent of the covers on the Red & Blue comps and it has a decades-spanning quality to it with its colors, typography, and texture.
I think it’s also worth mentioning how the cover works as a minimalist design. It’s inspired paragraphs of both appreciative and unappreciative discussion on this sub. That’s always a hallmark of good art/design for me. Something that gets people talking about it.“
This make a lot of sense. Yes, it’s a very plain front cover but it has lots of references and room for interpretation.
As to the rear cover image, more information on the origins of the cute little clock image have come to light since the 7″, 10″ and 12″ records have landed in fan hands.
Inside the record sleeve is an insert with notes by John Harris which reveals the origins of the art piece shown:
(Thanks to @andrewdixonmusic for posting this info on Twitter).
So, it turns out this is an actual little clock owned by the Harrison estate, purchased by George in 1997. It was made by an Oregon artist named Chris Giffin, who is regarded as something of a local cultural treasure. She specialises in found object, assemblage and altered art.
“I create objects from materials that capture my eye, and that can be recycled materials or found objects. I make functional and sculptural and jewelry objects out of these materials that I collect. I try to take things that have had a past life and then give them a new life.”
Much of Giffin’s work involves metaphor, specifically concepts having to do with measurement, or man-made divisions applied to natural forms: “Time for me is a real metaphor, so I do make
a lot of clocks, and I have a lot of measurement objects in them. Because time is a measurement, and of course tape measures and rulers and protractors—all that kind of
stuff—to me is just the way we have chosen to decipher our need to organize our daily lives.”
What better way to depict “Now” and “Then”? You can see more of Giffin’s work on this Pinterest page. You get the feeling that the value of their pieces just went up 1000%!
Another Dark Horse Release on the way
Seems this blog is becoming more about Dark Horse Records records than the Beatles lately!
That’s because the label has had a bit of a rush of activity while the Beatle camp has been relatively quiet – unless of course you count all the speculation about a mysterious new release slated for later this year supposedly employing Artificial Intelligence. That’s something the mainstream media jumped on in a big way as AI is a topic du jour at the moment. So much so that Paul McCartney himself took to social media to hose the whole thing down a bit, something he almost never does when it comes to forthcoming releases:
Anyways, while we await news of just what that project is (or is it projects – meaning more than one?), we can focus on Dark Horse as it is Beatle-related, and something many of us collectors like to add into our libraries.
Earlier this week we got this email from Juno, a record store in the UK:
Looks like this will be the next Dark Horse title to look out for, available for pre-order now and out on August 18.
Joe Strummer & the Mescaleros Live at Acton Town Hall is remastered by Paul Hicks (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, George Harrison) and will be available on 2LP “cloudy clear” vinyl. It will also be issued for the first time on CD.
Recorded on November 15, 2002, the concert was a benefit for striking fire fighters and would be one of Strummer’s last performances as he passed away from a heart condition just a month later. The performance features a 3-song reunion with his former band mate from The Clash, Mick Jones, who reunited on stage for the first time in almost twenty years. It would also be their last time on stage together.
The double LP will be packaged in a gatefold sleeve featuring never-before-seen photos from the show, plus new liner notes from former Fire Brigade Union Secretary Andy Gilchrist, who introduced the band at the show and led the strikes Joe was supporting.
This will also be the first time the concert has been properly released with full packaging on vinyl, with its extremely limited previous incarnation being a very limited Record Store Day exclusive in 2012 featuring just a DIY-inspired clear plastic sleeve.
More Dark Horse Records News
As well as the new Yusef/Cat Stevens release next month there’s another title on the way from Dark Horse Records.
While we are STILL awaiting a release date from Mobile Fidelity for their audiophile vinyl re-issue of the George Harrison-produced Shankar Family & Friends, Dark Horse has decided to put it out on CD, and as a limited edition “orchid” purple coloured vinyl – remastered by Paul Hicks.
One of the first albums to be released on George’s original Dark Horse Records, its East-meets-West musical styles put Western musicians such as Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Klaus Voormann, and Nicky Hopkins side-by-side with Indian-music pioneers Alla Rakha, Ashish Khan, Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasi.
Shankar Family & Friends is released in 2023 for the first time as a “stand alone” CD (though it was on CD part of this lovely Collaborations box set from 2010).
The purple vinyl and CD were initially slated for a June 9 release, but the date has recently been pushed back to July 14.
There could also be a black vinyl version but we’re not exactly sure. This image is appearing on some store sites:
RSD 2023 Beatle-related Titles Announced
The Record Store Day 2023 release list has just come out and come April 23 there’ll be at least three titles of interest to Beatle collectors.
Probably the most interesting and hard-to-get will be a re-imagining of John Lennon’s Gimme Some Truth best-of compilation which is being re-issued as a boxset containing 9 x 10” white vinyl EPs. Each EP will feature four tracks. Only 500 copies of this will be produced, hence the ‘hard-to-get’ moniker….
Next is the highly speculated 50th anniversary release of Paul McCartney’s Red Rose Speedway in limited edition, Half Speed Master vinyl form:
According to the RSD list there will be 5,000 pressed so this should be much easier to secure. It follows similar Half Speed Master editions of McCartney, Wings Wild Life and RAM.
Then there’s a re-issue of the 1981 Ringo Starr title Stop and Smell the Roses. This is being re-issued on vinyl as a 2LP with six bonus tracks for the first time. It will come in a gatefold with printed inner sleeves, original record labels and specialty color vinyl described as lava lamp effect clear red/white for LP1 and lava lamp effect clear red/pink for LP2. There are 2,500 copies being pressed.
Stop and Smell the Roses will also be issued on RSD as a CD (500 copies).
So, that’s John, Paul, and Ringo for Record Store Day 2023.
But wait, there is a George connection too. Dark Horse, the record label he started up (now run by son Dhani Harrison) is releasing not one but two LPs.
The first is by Stairsteps, a band originally signed to the label back in 1975. For Record Store Day 2023 we’ll see their 1976 album 2nd Resurrection re-issued on black vinyl. Billy Preston played synthesizer and served as co-producer alongside Robert Margouleff.
Dark Horse will also have a 20th Anniversary edition of the Joe Strummer & The Mescaleros album Streetcore as a limited edition pressing on white vinyl for RSD:
A new Aussie Beatle Connection – Vintage Abbey Road Studio Mixing Console
It’s not often we get to bring you news relating to The Beatles directly from here (down under in Australia) – but there is some today.
It’s been announced that an original REDD.17 mixing console, used to record and mix music at the famous Abbey Road Studios studios in London, is now the centrepiece of a brand new new recording studio at the amazing Museum of New and Old Art (MONA) located just outside Hobart, Tasmania.
The vintage console, one of only four ever built, was one of those used to mix several Beatle albums. It is now part of Frying Pan Studios on the grounds of the museum, and has become the first working recording studio housed by a museum in Australia.
The console was purchased back in 2014 by Australian businessman David Roper. He started discussions with MONA’s artistic director of music (and Violent Femmes bassist) Brian Ritchie about the studio-in-a-museum idea. They took it to flamboyant MONA founder David Walsh who liked the concept and funded the creation of Frying Pan Studios, so named because it sits opposite Frying Pan Island right next to the museum and the beautiful Derwent River.
Frying Pan is a working studio and so it’s bookable facility. You can find more details here. Maybe you’d like to record your own album using the very same mixing desk that John, Paul, George and Ringo used!
You can also visit the studio as part of your ticketed entry into MONA and, if you time it right, actually see musicians at work. It does look like an incredible place to work and create:
Frying Pan Studios have built a great interactive website that gives you more on the history, the facilities, and the amazing location.
You can also check out this article from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for more.
More Info on the Photographs Used for the Revolver Cover
We’ve had readers doing a lot more detective work and research into the photographs that Klaus Voormann used for his collage and line drawings for the famous Revolver cover.
In case you’ve missed it the story on our blog started here and here when we stumbled across a terrific montage detailing all the then known images used for the cover.
Turns out the author of that montage was Ukrainian Beatle fan Sergey, one of our readers! He wrote to us letting us know he’d first created it (way back in 2012!) for a Russian Beatles discussion forum called beatles.ru.
Sergey has since tracked down the source of the image of Ringo used as inspiration for the line drawing of him Klaus placed at the bottom left of the Revolver cover – the one where he is looking skywards.
We’re still not sure of the photographer, but it was published in a German booklet Das sind die Beatles which features a series of black-and-white photographs and short comments about each. It was produced by Bravo magazine for the 1966 Bravo Blitztournee tour, under the auspices of Beat Publication Ltd. The photographer details are not indicated, but Sergey sent us these photographs of the actual publication:
We then published what we feel is another piece in the mystery – the photograph of John Lennon that was very likely the inspiration for Klaus’s line drawing of John at the top right-hand side of Revolver. You can read about that here.
That prompted two other readers – Tom and burnham42 – to offer up even more clues. These revolve around the source images for the three small Beatle faces (and two hands) on this part of the cover:
burnham42 wrote:
I think the one of the three small photos top left is in The Beatles Anthology book page 70 (in my French edition). You can also find it on pinterest. The photo was taken on the way to Hamburg. There is John, Paul, George and Gerry and the Pacemakers in the photo. The man on the floor (George?) is pulling a face and you even have the hands that Klaus also used.
Well, drag out your English edition of The Beatles Anthology book too if you have one because the image is also on page 70 there as well:
The Anthology Book says the photo is from George Harrison’s private collection. The caption in the book reads: In a lay-by on the road to Hamburg and the Ost See. Me, Paul and John with Gerry and the Pacemakers.
We have George and Paul, who are standing on the left, and John sitting on the ground pulling a funny face.
Voormann has cut out three sections of this image. Paul has been placed to the left, his raised arm now just below George’s face. And he’s cropped John’s face to make it appear he has a Beatles hair-cut, and tilted it so that it is more upright. His hand from the image is also used, but also at a different angle.
So, one more mystery solved!
Following all this, Sergey has been back in touch and has offered up a revised, updated version of his original Revolver cover “sources” montage. Here it is:
Please click on the image to see a larger version.
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