John Lennon – 8 LP Box Set

Posted on July 26, 2015 by beatlesblogger

Here at Beatlesblogger we have a few items that we are always on the lookout for. When we first heard about the impending box set reissue of eight John Lennon LPs on 180 gram vinyl – we knew we’d have to eventually get a copy….

This is a deluxe box set of Lennon’s solo albums released between 1970 and 1984. The studio albums are remastered from their original analogue masters and have been newly cut to vinyl from 96k digital files with faithfully replicated original album art.

The albums featured in the box are John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (1970); Imagine (1971); Some Time In New York City – a double album (1972); Mind Games (1973); Walls And Bridges (1974); Rock’n’Roll (1975); Double Fantasy (1980); and Milk And Honey (1984). The albums, which feature the 2010 remasters, will be available separately on August 21st.

It’s taken a little while with this one, but we finally got up the courage to visit Sandy’s Records, a great local independent record shop with an impressive range of CDs and LPs, to invest in a copy (it is a very expensive addition to the collection):

Rather than uploading a swathe of photographs of each LP here, this collector named Jordan has recorded quite a nice unboxing video (unfortunately though he doesn’t show all the actual discs and their authentically reproduced labels):

If you are after more of what is inside this official video promo clip takes comprehensive care of that:

As you can see, in keeping with the authentic UK album artwork for each LP: Imagine contains reproductions of its two postcards, poster and inner sleeve; Some Time In New York City includes reproductions of its original postcard and inner sleeves; Walls And Bridges includes its sleeve with two fold-over flaps, the original eight-page booklet and inner sleeve; Mind Games, Double Fantasy, and Milk And Honey also include faithful reproductions of their original inner sleeves. Nice.

However, the thing that has become really collectable about this box set is that it’s been temporarily withdrawn from sale while Universal Music sort out a BIG mistake with one of the albums in the set. In first pressings Lennon’s Rock’n’Roll LP has a production error. The song “Sweet Little Sixteen” appears twice, and “You Can’t Catch Me” is missing altogether….making it something of an instant collector’s item.

The good news for those who’ve paid out the big $$ for the box is that Universal Music has acknowledged the mistake and set up a website where you can request a replacement copy of that particular album. You’ll need to provide proof of purchase: Claim.LennonVinylBox.com

Beatles Stuff We Found on a Visit to France – Part Two

Posted on July 20, 2015 by beatlesblogger

Just back from a holiday in Europe where we picked up some Beatle and Beatle-related treasure along the way. This is the next instalment about what we found in France…

Last time we were in Paris (in 2012) we visited a great second-hand vinyl store in the Sorbonne area called Crocodisc (they’re at 42 Rue des Ecoles, Paris 5e) where we picked up some nice Beatle vinyl.

What we found this time though was a collectable Paul McCartney and Wings CD.

It’s the limited edition Advance Release of Venus and Mars. This came out in 2014 to promote the then latest instalment in the Paul McCartney Archive Collection series:

You can’t tell from the front cover that it is in any way different to the two CD Standard Edition of Venus and Mars (for which we have the Best Buy version, and which came with a limited edition vinyl single – and a different catalogue number).

However when you flip over the cover of the Advance Release there’s reference to a third disc in this set called “Bonus Film”:

Also, on the CD cover spine there are the words “Advance Release”:

The Advance Release also has a different catalogue number: HRM-35652ADV.

When you open out the triple gatefold cover this is what you see. On the first fold out on the left are the album credits, and on the right an advertisement for the three different, official versions (Deluxe CD, Standard CD and vinyl):

Then when you flip that open this is the inside of the set, fully open:

It contains three discs. Two CD’s and one DVD, each carrying the words “For promotional use only. Not for sale”:

The two CDs are exactly the same in content as the Standard Edition, while the DVD contains four short films: Recording My Carnival; Bon Voyageur; Wings at Elstree; and the Venus and Mars TV Ad. These are the same as those featured on the DVD which comes in the Deluxe version of Venus and Mars.

By way of providing a side-by-side comparison here’s the packaging for the Standard Edition CD:

Below is the Standard version’s first fold out of the gatefold cover. An 18 page booklet containing photos and album credits is attached to the left:

The inside fully open:And the Standard Edition CD’s:

So, another nice find in Paris, France.

McCartney at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

Posted on May 31, 2015 by beatlesblogger

This is nice…

Paul McCartney’s The Family Way – Record Store Day 2015

Posted on May 25, 2015 by beatlesblogger

Remember our 2015 Record Store Day failure to secure a copy of Paul McCartney’s limited edition The Family Way soundtrack vinyl reissue?

Well, thanks to good old eBay we now have a copy, and at only a small increase in price on what the LP would have cost new in Australia:

This Record Store Day edition is reportedly limited to 5000 copies worldwide. The small print at the bottom of the rear cover says:

180 gram Vinyl – Limited Collector’s Edition Reissue Produced by Cary E. Mansfield and Chip Madinger • Mastered for vinyl by Steve Massie for Steve Massie Productions • Prepared for release in the U.S.A. by Tom Moulton. This release 2015 CANAL+IMAGE UK Ltd., under licence to Varèse Sarabande Records, LLC • ©1967 CANAL+IMAGE UK Ltd. • Package design ©2015 Varèse Sarabande Records, LLC. Originally released as Decca [U.K.] album LK.4847, 1967 •….etc.”

It is on the Verèse Sarabande label and these have the company logo in green and yellow on Side 1, but the colours are reversed on Side 2:

This release joins the CD re-issue (from 2011 – also on the Varèse Sarabande label and which includes a bonus track not reproduced on this 2015 vinyl release).

Also in our collection is the original Australian edition on the Decca label (we detailed this in May 2011):

New John Lennon LP Box Set Pressed By Optimal Media

Posted on May 24, 2015 by beatlesblogger

The new John Lennon 8 LP box set (due in stores early next month) will all be pressed at a state-of-the-art German factory in the town of Robel in Germany.

Optimal Media are a large and experienced outfit which has impressive high-volume CD replication and vinyl pressing facilities as well as the ability to print and assemble the high quality LP covers, inner sleeves and custom boxes in which they are presented for back-catalogue (and new) collections of music.

Optimal is the same place that the Beatles Remastered Stereo box set was manufactured back in 2012. Their site (and the finished product) demonstrates that they do impressive work at a high quality.

They pressed the 40th anniversary vinyl box set edition of John Lennon’s “Imagine” LP – a limited edition two-disc set released for Record Store Day in 2011.

Our copy of the Beatles in Mono vinyl box set also originated at the same Optimal factory. All the printing and pressing of the box set was done there and like the Stereo Box, this was a large and complex project to pull off. It has to be said the quality and attention to detail is absolutely first-rate. The cardboard used for the covers is thick, and the 180g vinyl feels chunky and solid in your hands.

For a further discussion on the origin of recent Beatle vinyl releases see: Where “Made in the EU” Vinyl Might Be Pressed

Original TV Ads – The Beatles Red and Blue Albums

Posted on May 18, 2015 by beatlesblogger

Stumbled upon this on the weekend:

And here’s the 2010 advertisement released when the remastered CD sets came out:

Both reminded me of the recently re-issued vinyl now on the Universal Music label…..

Ringo Starr – Postcards From Paradise

Posted on May 5, 2015 by beatlesblogger

Our CD copy of Ringo’s Postcards From Paradise has finally arrived. Apparently Australia Post has recently installed new automated machines which sort packages – and they are not going well…..

It has cost A$500 million to install the new system, but since then over 20% of parcels are being delivered to the wrong address! I’m blaming this on the length of time it took this little CD to get from Canada to my front door…..

It’s actually a pretty good listen with some really catchy hooks, clever lyrics and musical ideas. Here’s Ringo himself with a YouTube update:

Here’s the link to that cover story in Rolling Stone magazine that he mentions. And here Ringo is interviewed about the recording of the album:

And finally an album review from the April edition of Rolling Stone which gives Postcards three stars:

It’s been more than 50 years since Ringo Starr declared himself a fan of Beethoven — “especially his poems.” But all that time, he’s reigned as one of rock & roll’s most beloved sages. Postcards From Paradise, his 18th solo effort, is a masterful summary of Ringo-ness: his cheer, his cheek, his wisdom. He gets a little help from old friends like Joe Walsh and Todd Rundgren — no Kanye or Rihanna on this track list — and builds the title tune out of Beat-les quips: “It’s like I said the night before/I’ll love you when I’m 64.” Best of all is “Rory and the Hurricanes,” celebrating his pre-Beatles band — the one that made Ringo a star in Liverpool when the other three Fabs were nobodies. ♦♦♦

And you can read an interview with Postcards From Paradise recording engineer Bruce Sugar at Beatles Examiner.

Warman’s “Beatles Field Guide” Book

Posted on May 2, 2015 by beatlesblogger

We found a cute little Beatle book the other day. It’s called Warman’s Beatles Field Guide. Published in 2005 it is a small (but thick at 512 pages), pocket-sized book listing prices and descriptions for a wide range of Beatle collectables.

Inside you’ll find articles on “Why the Beatles Still Matter” and “Ranking the Beatles” as well as commentary and information on their post-break-up and solo careers.

But the biggest and most interesting chapters are the sections on “Memorabilia” – which is a comprehensively illustrated price guide (in 2005 US$ of course!):

The “Singles” (again lavishly illustrated and with indicative prices):

And then a lengthy section detailing each of the “Albums”:

These sections are all based around the US releases only – but it’s a great ‘ready-reference’ style book with a huge number of photos, background information and examples for each of the entries. A really worthwhile little book to have.

New John Lennon Vinyl Box Set Coming

Posted on April 25, 2015 by beatlesblogger

Whenever new Beatle or Beatle-related vinyl is mentioned we get interested.

Yes, like most collectors we have these albums already (in some cases many times over….) but the completist in us has to have the latest. And the latest announcement is that a new box set of eight John Lennon LPs is due for release on June 8. For all the details go to johnlennonmusic.com – but in a nutshell these will be faithful reproductions on 180-gram vinyl of John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band; Imagine; Some Time in New York City; Mind Games; Walls and Bridges; Rock ‘n’ Roll; Double Fantasy and Milk and Honey:

All artwork, including inner bags, posters, postcards and original labels will be reproduced:

Looks like the LPs come in a white box with the same design cues as the John Lennon Signature Box from back in October, 2011:

That set contains the same titles – only on CD – plus it has two bonus discs of non-album tracks, studio outtakes and home recordings:

Of course there’s been a previous incarnation of a John Lennon , 8 LP vinyl box set.

The Beatles “Help” – 50th Anniversary Podcast

Posted on April 19, 2015 by beatlesblogger

As we mentioned in December last year, the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) is hosting an ongoing series celebrating the 50th anniversary of each British Beatle LP.

As each album marks its anniversary presenter Rod Quinn speaks to US John Lennon biographer and Beatle expert Jude Southerland Kessler. Jude is the author of the extraordinary and ambitious nine-volume John Lennon narrative biography. The latest instalment in her series is Volume 3: She Loves You.

Last weekend the pair began a two-part series on the Beatles fifth studio album Help!.

You can find Part One (examining Side One of the LP) here.

And you can find Part Two (examining Side Two of the LP) here.

Previous broadcasts have covered Please Please Me; With the Beatles; A Hard Day’s Night, and Beatles For Sale. Each is well worth a listen.

Beatles Blog

Adventures in collecting Beatles music

Tag Archives: Music

John Lennon – 8 LP Box Set

McCartney at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts

Paul McCartney’s The Family Way – Record Store Day 2015

New John Lennon LP Box Set Pressed By Optimal Media

Original TV Ads – The Beatles Red and Blue Albums

Warman’s “Beatles Field Guide” Book

New John Lennon Vinyl Box Set Coming

The Beatles “Help” – 50th Anniversary Podcast

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