George Harrison’s years at Apple Records were among his most productive.  The Quiet Beatle inaugurated Apple’s LP series with 1968’s Wonderwall Music soundtrack and nearly closed out the label with its final album of original material (1975’s Extra Texture (Read All About It)).  In between, Harrison released a series of solo records, oversaw the soundtrack to his groundbreaking Concert for Bangla Desh, and lent a helping hand to Apple artists including Badfinger, Jackie Lomax, Billy Preston, Doris Troy and Lon and Derrek Van Eaton.  Following the 2004 Dark Horse Years box set and 2010’s box of Collaborations with Ravi Shankar, the Harrison family has announced the release of The Apple Years 1968-1975 via Apple and Capitol/UMe.

This 7-CD/1-DVD box set, arriving on September 22 in the U.K. and September 23 in the U.S., includes expanded and newly-remastered versions of Harrison’s Apple albums beginning with 1968’s Wonderwall Music – the very first solo album by any Beatle – and continuing with the even more experimental Electronic Sound as issued on the Zapple label (1969), the acclaimed triple-album All Things Must Pass (1970), Living in the Material World (1973), Dark Horse (1974) and Harrison’s Apple swansong Extra Texture (Read All About It) (1975).  The all-star Concert for Bangla Desh is not included; it last saw a deluxe reissue in 2005.  All of the individual CDs will also be available as standalone releases, while the DVD will remain exclusive to the box set.

All Things Must Pass was last expanded and reissued on CD in 2001 with Harrison’s participation.  After his November 2001 death, a reissue arrived for Living in the Material World in 2006.  Dark Horse and Extra Texture haven’t been revisited on CD since Capitol’s reissues in 1992.  After the jump: we'll look at the contents of each disc!

Bonus tracks have been added to all but one of the albums (Electronic Music, which features only two lengthy cuts).  Wonderwall Music adds "In The First Place" by Liverpool group The Remo Four, the previously unreleased "Almost Shankara" raga, and most tantalizingly, "The Inner Light" (a previously unreleased alternate instrumental-only take of The Beatles' B-side).  All Things Must Pass retains the five bonus tracks from the 2001, George Harrison-supervised reissue.  Living in the Material World keeps non-LP sides “Deep Blue” and “Miss O’Dell” from the last edition but adds the studio version of “Bangla Desh” in its remixed form from 1976's The Best of George Harrison.  Dark Horse adds the single B-side “I Don’t Care Anymore” and an early, previously unreleased acoustic take of the title song.  Extra Texture has just one bonus – the Platinum Weird version of “This Guitar” previously available as a digital promotional release.  Platinum Weird was a duo formed by Dave Stewart of the Eurythmics and songwriter/former American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi.  Harrison sings lead on the track which he had recorded in 1992 as a demo for Stewart, who plays electric guitar on it; overdubs were added a decade later by Ringo Starr, Dhani Harrison and DioGuardi.  The box set-exclusive DVD contains a new film which has been directed by Olivia Harrison plus an array of clips and promo videos for a total running time of more than 30 minutes.

All albums have been remastered by Gavin Lurssen, Reuben Cohen and Paul Hicks at Lurssen Mastering, the same studio that regularly turns out splendid work for Omnivore Recordings, among others.  All titles will be packaged in digipaks.  Other than All Things Must Pass and Living In The Material World, each disc contains newly written notes by Kevin Howlett.  Wonderwall adds a new essay of appreciation by the acclaimed musician, producer and composer Nitin Sawhney, and Electronic Music additionally features essays by The Chemical Brothers’ Tom Rowlands and Dhani Harrison.  The liner notes will be available with each individual release and as part of the deluxe hardbound book in the box set.  All packages contain new photos, many of which have never before been published.

The Apple Years 1968-1975 and seven individual George Harrison reissues will be available from Apple and Universal on September 22 in the U.K. and September 23 in the U.S.;  track listings for all titles can be perused below.  You'll also find pre-order links for both the box set and each individual reissue!

George Harrison, The Apple Years 1968-1975 (Apple/Universal, 2014) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

CD 1: Wonderwall Music ((S)APCOR1, 1968) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Microbes
2. Red Lady Too
3. Tabla and Pakavaj
4. In the Park
5. Drilling a Home
6. Guru Vandana
7. Greasy Legs
8. Ski-ing
9. Gat Kirwani
10. Dream scene
11. Party Seacombe
12. Love Scene
13. Crying
14. Cowboy Music
15. Fantasy Sequins
16. On the Bed
17. Glass Box
18. Wonderwall to Be Here
19. Singing Om
20. In the First Place - The Remo Four (Bonus Track)
21. Almost Shankara (Bonus Track) (previously unreleased)
22. The Inner Light (Alternative Instrumental) (Bonus Track) (previously unreleased)

CD 2: Electronic Music (ZAPPLE 02, 1969) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Under the Mersey Wall
2. No Time or Space

CDs 3-4: All Things Must Pass (STCH 639, 1970) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. I’d Have You Anytime
2. My Sweet Lord
3. Wah-Wah
4. Isn’t It a Pity (Version One)
5. What is Life
6. If Not for You
7. Behind That Locked Door
8. Let It Down
9. Run of the Mill
10. I Live for You (Bonus Track) (included on All Things Must Pass, Capitol CDP 7243 5 30474 2 9, 2001)
11. Beware of Darkness (Acoustic Demo) (Bonus Track) (included on All Things Must Pass, Capitol CDP 7243 5 30474 2 9, 2001)
12. Let It Down (Alternate Version) (Bonus Track) (included on All Things Must Pass, Capitol CDP 7243 5 30474 2 9, 2001)
13. What is Life (Backing Track/Alternate Mix) (Bonus Track) (included on All Things Must Pass, Capitol CDP 7243 5 30474 2 9, 2001)
14. My Sweet Lord (2000) (Bonus Track) (included on All Things Must Pass, Capitol CDP 7243 5 30474 2 9, 2001)

1. Beware of Darkness
2. Apple Scruffs
3. Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
4. Awaiting on You All
5. All Things Must Pass
6. I Dig Love
7. Art of Dying
8. Isn’t It a Pity (Version Two)
9. Hear Me Lord
10. It’s Johnny’s Birthday
11. Plug Me In
12. I Remember Jeep
13. Thanks for the Pepperoni
14. Out of the Blue

CD 5:  Living in the Material World (PAS 10006, 1973) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
2. Sue Me, Sue You Blues
3. The Light That Has Lighted the World
4. Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
5. Who Can See It
6. Living in the Material World
7. The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)
8. Be Here Now
9. Try Some Buy Some
10. The Day the World Gets 'Round
11. That Is All
12. Deep Blue (Apple single R 5912-B, 1971) (Bonus Track)
13. Miss O'Dell (Apple single R 5988, 1973) (Bonus Track)
14. Bangla Desh (Apple single R 5912-A, 1971 as remixed for The Best of George Harrison, Parlophone PAS 10011, 1976) (Bonus Track)

CD 6: Dark Horse (PAS 10008, 1974) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. Hari's on Tour (Express)
2. Simply Shady
3. So Sad
4. Bye Bye Love
5. Maya Love
6. Ding Dong, Ding Dong
7. Dark Horse
8. Far East Man
9. It is 'He' (Jai Sri Krishna)
10. I Don't Care Anymore (Apple U.S. single 1877, 1974) (Bonus Track)
11. Dark Horse (Early Acoustic Take) (Bonus Track) (previously unreleased)

CD 7: Extra Texture (Read All About It) (PAS 10009, 1975) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K.)

1. You
2. The Answer’s at the End
3. This Guitar (Can’t Keep from Crying)
4. Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You)
5. World of Stone
6. A Bit More of You
7. Can't Stop Thinking About You
8. Tired of Midnight Blue
9. Grey Cloudy Lies
10. His Name is Legs (Ladies and Gentleman)
11. This Guitar (Can’t Keep from Crying) (previously unreleased Platinum Weird version) (Bonus Track)

DVD:

• George Harrison - The Apple Years Feature (2014) [7:27]
  Produced by Peacock, Directed By Olivia Harrison
• All Things Must Pass (bonus feature in 2001 album package) [8:03]
  Produced by Radical Media
• The Concert for Bangladesh EPK (2005) [6:03]
  Produced by Olivia Harrison and Jonathan Clyde, Edited by Claire Ferguson
• Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (video from Live In Japan, 1991) [3:43]
• Miss O’Dell (alternative version from 2006 deluxe edition of Living In The Material World) [2:31]
• Sue Me Sue You Blues (acoustic demo version from 2006 deluxe edition of Living In The Material World) [3:04]
• Living In The Material World (feature from 2006 deluxe edition of Living In The Material World) [3:34]
  Produced by Abbey Road Interactive
• Ding Dong, Ding Dong (original promo video, 1974) [3:46]
  Directed by George Harrison, Filmed by Nick Knowland
  Film Restoration: David Dean & Gwyn Evans
• Dark Horse (original promotional clip, 1974) [:30]
  Created by Capitol Records