The Beatles in India, 1968. Image via BBC.
Four years ago this month, The Beatles released the 50th anniversary edition of their 1968 album, ‘The White Album.’
Over that Christmas holiday in 2018, I discovered the Esher demos, a single disc included in the new edition. Recorded by the four at George Harrison’s house in Esher on his recorder, these acoustic demos are drafts of what would become future Beatles songs, many that would eventually appear on ‘The White Album.’ Stories of that album are riddled with the band’s bickering, but on the Esher demos the band sounds “jovial,” an apt description from Rolling Stone. They had just returned from their famed trip to India. These recordings have the spirit of a new chapter arising after a unique life experience.
Like any great music, The Beatles come up in life when you need them most, but don’t realize it. I fluctuate between periods of deep engagement, research, and discovery, followed by months of minimal listening.
The Beatles with George Martin in 1968. Image via Apple Corps.
In the two years prior to the end of 2018, I had lost a few people close to me. While I had grieved, I still had more to process. I found myself in an odd funk that year, and could not quiet put my finger on it. Discovering the Esher demos that holiday season began a much-needed time of revitalization, energy, and joy.
Accompanying and propelling that boost was a dive I took into the Beatles’ catalogue and other 60s music. This discovery lasted throughout the year into the fall of 2019. There was much Beatles solo work that I was unfamiliar with, as well other songs from their group albums. A highlight included discovering George Harrison’s music and the Martin Scorsese documentary Living in the Material World, which I wrote about at the time.
I was lucky that I went further in depth with The Beatles as all of their great albums were at or near the 50th anniversary mark. ‘Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band’ got the first anniversary treatment in 2017, kicking off these new editions. ‘Abbey Road,’ which I always considered my favorite Beatles album, hit its 50th in fall 2019, with a new release that contained demos and drafts on the back discs. George Harrison’s 1970 ‘All Things Must Pass’ (out with a newer edition in 2021, already had a 2014 expanded version) contained demo tracks and various backing takes.
As with Esher demos on ‘The White Album,’ these anniversary editions allowed me to discover the raw material for some of the band’s greatest music. The Beatles growth in such a short career has astonished writers and musicians alike for years. These pieces of demos, outtakes, and unpolished cuts are a chance to further understand their work. What’s most apparent through listening is that the fun they are having—a sense of joy for the creative process underlies the Beatles output. This discovery makes the brilliance of The Beatles more approachable. Through their drafts, sketches, and demos, listeners can feel the emotion, passion, and fun that produced the recipe for their iconic music. This material became my favorite parts of the anniversary releases.
After 2019 I still listened to the Beatles—and I got into Paul McCartney’s solo work—but with less intensity than that previous year. They again went to my back burner: still an enjoyable listen, but not propelling a new creative period for me as they had in 2019.
Continuing my luck, Peter Jackson’s Get Back documentary series and the ‘Let It Be’ anniversary edition came out in the winter of 2021-22, resuming my interest.
What was always known as a fraught, tense time, the Get Back sessions emerge as a another fruitful creative period for the band. There are indeed scuffles included in the new footage, but what you ultimately find is a band clicking and continuing to elevate their sound and catalogue. One of my favorite moments from the series is a small bit where Ringo Starr and George Harrison compose “Octopus’s Garden”—Jackson highlights a simple interaction that contains an emotionally moving moment of musical composition.
Giles Martin, son of the Beatles producer George Martin, has stewarded and mixed the anniversary editions of these later Beatles albums. His mixes have been nothing short of exquisite.
The Beatles photographed by Robert Whitaker in 1996. Image via Harper’s Bazaar.
With the audio technology developed for the Get Back documentary, Martin has been able to revisit 1966’s ‘Revolver’ and released a special edition of the album last week with a brand new mix. The original album, a sonic push for the band and perhaps their greatest album, found the Beatles experimenting with the recording process. “Unlike their later albums,” the band recorded the “basic tracks direct to tape, standing in a circle, playing as a band” for ‘Revolver,’ according to the BBC. This approach ”made it almost impossible for future generations to separate and isolate the instruments and vocals.” Machine learning and artificial intelligence that “Peter Jackson's audio team created” have allowed Giles Martin to “de-mix” and separate sounds for this new edition. The results are fantastic. And, of course, the release includes demos and outtakes.
Inspired by the material in this new ‘Revolver’ release and my favorite demo and acoustic recordings from other anniversary editions and anthologies, I’ve assembled a 14-track playlist, “The Beatles Acoustics.” More than just architecture of the eventual songs, The Beatles acoustic tracks provide insights into their creative process. But more importantly, for me, these songs hit the heart and soul. The Beatles acoustic recordings are indeed worth listening to as standalone achievements in the band’s greater body of work.
I enjoyed navigating the particular qualities among these 14 songs. In “I’m So Tired” from the Esher demos, a contemplative tune turns into a steady thump of energy. On “The Continuing Journey of Bungalow Bill,” the thrill from the room is palpable. The demo of “Strawberry Fields Forever” is one of John Lennon’s most soulful and powerful recordings. “Child of Nature” (with elements of the eventual “Jealous Guy”) again finds Lennon at his most vulnerable. McCartney’s “Goodbye,” a reference track for singer Mary Hopkin, has an eclectic charm. Harrison’s acoustic sessions from ‘All Things Must Pass’ offer listeners a different connection to the material than the Phil Specter-produced finals. Starr’s vocals on “Octopus’s Garden” delight and form the foundation for the song’s fun. I’ve included some solo material from Lennon and McCartney, as well as a few other Esher demos. From the new ‘Revolver’ release, the playlist concludes with the two “songwriting work tape[s]” of “Yellow Submarine”—something that is best to experience without an introduction.
These recordings are all special. As much as we can now peel back the layers and try to parse what makes the Beatles so remarkable, I’m left with the conclusion that there was always an element of magic at play.
Listen via Tidal (with all but one track in Master Quality Authenticated audio), Apple Music, or Spotify. Also embedded below.
- GJF