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It's officially named for the band that created it, but to listeners around the world, the 1968 double-album will forever be known as The White Album. Its sprawling, eclectic lineup of 30 tracks showcased every side of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, and cast its musical net wider from the baroque pop majesty of Sgt. Pepper's to a heavier celebration of all things, and all sounds, rock-and-roll. Just a few of its classic songs include "Back in the USSR," "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Blackbird," and "Birthday." The dissent behind-the-scenes has been well-chronicled, but now, The Beatles are placing the spotlight squarely where it should be - on the music - for a comprehensive look inside the album. The year's most anticipated release (and biggest open secret) has just been officially announced. The Beatles, a.k.a. The White Album, arrives in a variety of 50th anniversary formats on November 9 including a 6-CD/1-BD Super Deluxe box set. In a tip of the hat to the original album pressing, each copy of the Super Deluxe set will be individually numbered. As expected, this one's a doozy!
The album's original 30 tracks have been newly remixed into stereo and 5.1 surround sound by producers Giles Martin and Sam Okell, with the new remix joined by the 27 "Esher Demos" from May 1968 and a whopping 50 session takes, most of which are previously unreleased. (Dig a rehearsal of "Let It Be" among the surprises!) The remix will appear on CDs 1 and 2, with the Esher Demos on CD 3 and the session material on CDs 4-6. The Blu-ray disc will boast the new stereo mix in PCM Stereo, the new 5.1 surround mix in DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby TrueHD, and a direct transfer of the original 1968 mono mix.
The set's six CDs and Blu-ray disc are housed within a slipcased 164-page hardbound book, with reproductions of the original album's four glossy photos of John, Paul, George, and Ringo, as well as the album's large fold-out poster with a photo collage on one side and lyrics on the other. The comprehensive book's new text pieces include introductions by Paul McCartney and Giles Martin, and chapters incorporating track-by-track details and session notes reflecting The Beatles' year between the release of Sgt. Pepper's and the recording sessions for The Beatles.
Additionally, a 3-CD or 4-LP Deluxe Edition will offer the new remix and the Esher Demos, and a standard 2-LP set of the remix only will also be available. The Deluxe 3CD is packaged as an embossed digipak with the fold-out poster and portrait photos, plus a 24-page booklet abridged from the box set's book. The Deluxe 4LP vinyl will be presented in a lift-top box with a 4-page booklet. The remixed album is found within an embossed reproduction of the album's original gatefold sleeve with the poster and photos, and the 2-LP Esher Demos are in their own embossed gatefold sleeve.
When it arrived in stores on November 22, 1968, The White Album became the very first Beatles LP to be released on the band's own Apple Records label. It was originally issued in stereo and mono in the United Kingdom and in stereo only for the United States. It entered the U.K. and U.S. charts at No. 1, remaining in the U.K. survey for 22 weeks and in the U.S. for 65 weeks. It's since been certified 19x Platinum. A special "Back in the U.S.S.R." EP is available now at all digital services, featuring the 2018 Remix, the Esher Demo, and Take 5/Instrumental Backing Track (the original, slower version before it was sped up for the album version)!
Look for the various formats of The White Album from Apple/UMe on November 9. You'll find the full track listing and pre-order links for this monumental set just below. And watch this space for more news later this week!
The Beatles (The White Album): 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition (Apple/UMe, 2018)
6CD/1BD super deluxe box: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
3CD deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
4LP deluxe: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2LP new stereo mix: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
Disc 1-2: New stereo remix of original album by Giles Martin and Sam Okell (originally released as Apple PCS 7067/8 (U.K.)/SWBO 101 (U.S.), 1968)
- Back In The U.S.S.R.
- Dear Prudence
- Glass Onion
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
- Wild Honey Pie
- The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Happiness Is a Warm Gun
- Martha My Dear
- I'm So Tired
- Blackbird
- Piggies
- Rocky Raccoon
- Don't Pass Me By
- Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
- I Will
- Julia
- Birthday
- Yer Blues
- Mother Nature's Son
- Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey
- Sexy Sadie
- Helter Skelter
- Long, Long, Long
- Revolution 1
- Honey Pie
- Savoy Truffle
- Cry Baby Cry
- Revolution 9
- Good Night
Disc 3: Esher Demos
- Back In The U.S.S.R.
- Dear Prudence
- Glass Onion *
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
- The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps
- Happiness Is a Warm Gun *
- I'm So Tired
- Blackbird
- Piggies *
- Rocky Raccoon
- Julia
- Yer Blues
- Mother Nature's Son
- Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey
- Sexy Sadie
- Revolution
- Honey Pie *
- Cry Baby Cry
- Sour Milk Sea
- Junk *
- Child Of Nature
- Circles
- Mean Mr. Mustard *
- Polythene Pam *
- Not Guilty
- What's The New Mary Jane
Discs 4-6: Sessions (exclusive to super deluxe box)
- Revolution I (Take 18)
- A Beginning (Take 4)/Don't Pass Me By (Take 7)
- Blackbird (Take 28)
- Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me and My Monkey (Unnumbered Rehearsal)
- Good Night (Unnumbered Rehearsal)
- Good Night (Take 10 with a guitar part from Take 5)
- Good Night (Take 22)
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Take 3)
- Revolution (Unnumbered rehearsal)
- Revolution (Take 14 - Instrumental backing track)
- Cry Baby Cry (Unnumbered rehearsal)
- Helter Skelter (First version - Take 2) *
- Sexy Sadie (Take 3)
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Acoustic version - Take 2)
- Hey Jude (Take 1)
- St. Louis Blues (Studio jam)
- Not Guilty (Take 102)
- Mother Nature's Son (Take 15)
- Yer Blues (Take 5 with guide vocal)
- What's The New Mary Jane (Take 1)
- Rocky Raccoon (Take 8)
- Back In The U.S.S.R. (Take 5 - Instrumental backing track)
- Dear Prudence (Vocal, guitar & drums)
- Let It Be (Unnumbered rehearsal)
- While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Third version - Take 27)
- (You're So Square) Baby, I Don't Care (Studio jam)
- Helter Skelter (Second version - Take 17)
- Glass Onion (Take 10)
- I Will (Take 13)
- Blue Moon (Studio jam)
- I Will (Take 29)
- Step Inside Love (Studio jam) *
- Los Paranoias (Studio jam) *
- Can You Take Me Back? (Take 1)
- Birthday (Take 2 - Instrumental backing track)
- Piggies (Take 12 - Instrumental backing track)
- Happiness Is a Warm Gun (Take 19)
- Honey Pie (Instrumental backing track)
- Savoy Truffle (Instrumental backing track)
- Martha My Dear (Without brass and strings)
- Long, Long, Long (Take 44)
- I'm So Tired (Take 7)
- I'm So Tired (Take 14)
- The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill (Take 2)
- Why Don't We Do It In The Road? (Take 5)
- Julia (Two rehearsals)
- The Inner Light (Take 6 - Instrumental backing track)
- Lady Madonna (Take 2 - Piano and drums)
- Lady Madonna (Backing vocals from take 3)
- Across The Universe (Take 6)
Blu-Ray: Album mixes (exclusive to super deluxe box)
- PCM Stereo (2018 Stereo Mix)
- DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (2018)
- Dolby True HD 5.1 (2018)
- Mono (2018 Direct Transfer of 'The White Album' Original Mono Mix)
* previously released, some in edited form, on Anthology 3 (Apple 7243 8 34451 2 7, 1996)
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This looks fantastic. 50 years after the Esher Demos we finally get the release of what are rumoured to be all 27 demos.
I've had the Esher and other Beatles album demos for well over 10 years now in high quality audio on well-packaged CDs, presumably boots. All I really need is the 5.1 mixes from this very expensive package. It really pisses me off that they aren't issued separately in most packages these days. Back in the day for lots of albums you could just buy a DVD-Audio or SACD containing hi-res stereo and 5.1 mixes and later a BD with the high-res mixes. Not even as many of those around now, though XTC is a notable exception at $15 or £16 quid a pop.
I have about half a dozen bootlegs of the Esher Demos but still nice to see it get an official release, cleaned up and remastered. Shame it took 50 years for this to officially come out; it could easily have been released when the group existed or in the immediate aftermath of their break-up.
Yoko Ono has had the right idea with the box set extravaganza that is the 'Imagine – The Ultimate Collection' set. Tons of extras (pound for pound, more than this one?) and all for about half the price of the latest Beatles cash-grab.
I am very excited for this box set. I have been waiting for this news for a while. I am very happy that they did not waste CD space on the mono mix as I already own the mono mix on the Mono Box Set. That, and I feel the mono mix is inferior to the stereo White Album. Putting the mono mix on the Blu-ray satisfies the completists, and it allows 3 CD's of sessions plus the other disc of the Esher Demos.
I have one minor gripe and that is with the box dimensions. I was hoping and expecting that it would match the Pepper Deluxe box so they can sit side by side on the shelf exactly. Others have griped about Hey Jude and Revolution not getting remixed. I don't mind. For me, this set is all about the 4 discs of sessions and demos, and the detailed book too.
Odd. It looks like Amazon listing for the Super Deluxe Box is now listing as unavailable, but the other sets are listed for sale. Any word on what may have happened?
As of now (12:36 p.m. EST) the link is working (again).
Amazon US has it for $179.98 + 11.92 postage. It was about $128 earlier in the day but that price did not last. (don't you just love Amazon for that). Amazon UK has it for 116.67 pounds + 3 postage for a USD total of $157.15.
I meant to hop on it earlier today, but the day got away from me. By the time I got back to it, the product was listed as non-available.
I hope that price comes back down. $180 is a LOT of money to pay for one set.
Interesting the link at thebeatles.com has the Deluxe CD box at $159.98.
A cursory search for the digital ep hasn't yielded any results yet. For me, anyway. Perhaps you could provide additional info about this item if and when it's available. TY
Hi Bill, the EP is currently streaming on YouTube (see the video above) and on Spotify; I'm not sure when/whether it will arrive on iTunes, Amazon MP3, etc. but will attempt to find out!
The White album and Electric Ladyland in 5.1 on the same day?!!!! This might be the best re-issue day ever.
I'm not sure which one I will listen to first.
Lucky me, I ordered it immediately on Amazon at the $128 price. I'd have to rethink it at $180. I hope the price comes back down for everyone else. $180 seems a bit much for 6cds and a blu-ray (compared it to Electric Ladyland). Once again, I am glad they didn't put in a bunch of trinkets that are basically unnecessary but drive up the price, or make everyone buy the vinyl also driving up the price, so thanks for that.
Joe,
Any word on whether the Blu Ray with the 5.1 mix will be available other than with the SDE box? I’m guessing I’m not the only one not overly interested in about paying over $120 for the entire box. I know that Alan Parsons ultimately released the Blu Ray 5.1 mix for Eye In The Sky separately, albeit about 8 months after the SDE box set was released.
Hi Tod, I would be surprised if it’s released as a standalone disc (any time soon, at least) but nothing is impossible...I never say never!
Thanks for the quick reply. I guess if it wasn’t done for Sgt. Pepper then it probably won’t happen with this one either.
It's a fantastic season for archival "Classic RocK' releases: The Beatles, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Bob Dylan, The Kinks, Jethro Tull, The Rolling Stones, The Moody Blues and (possibly), The Who, Led Zeppelin & The Beach Boys. And also some good archival releases by second tier Classic Rock acts such as Badfinger, Mott The Hoople, Whitesnake, Be Bop Deluxe, Marillion & Procol Harum. Wow!
And rumour has it McCartney is holding back two more Archives sets as well — likely due to White Album and his new LP at the moment — while Pink Floyd may have an immersion set (at last) for Animals.
And don't forget the Bowie reissue box! Oh what an expensive time to love classic rock. 😉
Let's hope the next two Archive sets are Wings related. Paul's Archive series has slowed down since the Flowers In The Dirt fiasco (remember the download only B-sides?).
We need the reissues for Wings Wildlife, Red Rose Speedway, London Town, and Back To The Egg. The series must not forget those Wings Albums!!!
According to rumours, it's Wild Life and Red Rose Speedway next, followed by a non-album Archives set (possibly Wings Over Europe 1972)!
The Doors too.
While, we're talking remixes, any report on the Beach-Boys copyright-renewal release this year? They've done Wild Honey and the Smiley-Smile outtakes, so I'm guessing it is 'Friends' and '20/20' next up for release?
I am disappointed that the Blu-ray disc is not being sold alone. I am most interested in the 5.1 mix. $180 is an awful lot of money.
LAWRENCE SCHULMAN
Look further. $180 is the suggested list price. It can be obtained for less. I ordered mine for $138 with free shipping, albeit from a dealer (Bull Moose) who sells only to people in the U.S.A.
In the next 6 weeks, you'll see other dealers start to discount the set. They want to sell stuff, after all.
In GB it's still £124.99 at Amazon and HMV.