Anthology 1: Introduction
Due to the relative success of The Beatles’ album “Live At The BBC” in 1994, there was a need to release more material from the Fab Four. So, in 1995, we see the release of the “Anthology 1” album.
However, there was quite a bit of material available, and there were three Anthology album releases in quick succession. Therefore, we have a trilogy of albums: “Anthology 1” (1995) (this page), “Anthology 2” (1996), and “Anthology 3” (1996).
Indeed, the albums are just one part of The Beatles’ Anthology project. The other parts are a TV documentary as well as a book highlighting the history of the Fab Four.
Included in these compilation albums are a selection of rarities and outtakes, together with live performances. Furthermore, there are many speech clips that show the Fab Four’s humour at the time. In fact, you can sample all the tracks on this Anthology 1 album by clicking the play button in the sidebar to the top right.
In Detail
To begin with, The Beatles’ “Anthology 1” album contains a lot of material from the period between 1958 and 1964. Indeed, it even includes some tracks with the original bass player, Stuart Sutcliffe, and drummer, Pete Best.
- Release Date: November 20, 1995
- Recorded: July 12, 1958, to October 18, 1964; then around 1977; February–March 1994
- Album Duration: 124:54
- Label: Apple (UK), Capitol (US)
- Genre: Rock
- Producers: George Martin (and Jeff Lynne: Free As A Bird only)
Performers
- John Lennon
- Paul McCartney
- George Harrison
- Ringo Starr
- Stuart Sutcliffe
- Pete Best
- Brian Epstein
- Tony Sheridan
- Beat Brothers (Beatles as a backing group)
Other artists
Track Listing For The CD Version**
Anthology 1: Disc One
Tracks
Place & Date
01) Free As A Bird
02) Speech: John Lennon
03) That’ll Be The Day (Quarrymen)
04) In Spite Of All The Danger (Quarrymen)
05) Speech: Paul McCartney
06) Hallelujah, I Love Her So (home demo)
07) You’ll Be Mine (home demo)
08) Cayenne (home demo) (inst)
09) Speech: Paul
10) My Bonnie (Tony Sheridan & the Beat Brothers)
11) Ain’t She Sweet (Beat Brothers)
12) Cry For A Shadow (Beat Brothers)
13) Speech: John
14) Speech: Brian Epstein
15) Searchin’ (Decca audition)
01) The Dakota, US; Mill Studio, UK (77 & 94)
02) New York City (1970)
03) Phillips’ Sound Recording Services, UK (1958)
04) Phillips’ Sound Recording Services, UK (1958)
05) London, UK (1994)
06) 20 Forthlin Road, Liverpool (1960)
07) ” ” “
08) ” ” “
09) Hulme Hall, Port Sunlight, UK (1962)
10) Friedrich-Ebert-Halle, Hamburg (1961)
11) ” ” “
12) ” ” “
13) New York City (1971)
14) EMI Studios, London (1964)
15) Decca Studios, London (1962)
16) Three Cool Cats (Decca audition)
17) The Sheik Of Araby (Decca audition)
18) Like Dreamers Do ( Decca audition)
19) Hello Little Girl (Decca audition)
20) Speech: Brian Epstein
21) Besame Mucho
22) Love Me Do
23) How Do You Do It
24) Please Please Me
25) One After 909 (Sequence) (Takes 3, 4 & 5)
26) One After 909 (Complete)
27) Lend Me Your Comb (Pop Go the Beatles)
28) I’ll Get You
29) Speech: John
30) I Saw Her Standing There
31) From Me To You
32) Money (That’s What I Want)
33) You Really Got A Hold On Me
34) Roll Over Beethoven
16) ” ” “
17) ” ” “
18) ” ” “
19) ” ” “
20) EMI Studios, London (1964)
21) ” ” “
22) EMI Studios, London (1962)
23) ” ” “
24) ” ” “
25) ” ” “
26) ” ” “
27) Maida Vale Studios, London (1963)
28) The London Palladium (1963)
29) New York City (1970)
30) Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm (1963)
31) ” ” “
32) ” ” “
33) ” ” “
34) ” ” “
Anthology 1: Disc Two
Tracks
Place & Date
01) She Loves You
02) Till There Was You
03) Twist And Shout
04) This Boy
05) I Want To Hold Your Hand
06) Speech: Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise
07) Moonlight Bay
08) Can’t Buy Me Love
09) All My Loving
10) You Can’t Do That
11) And I Love Her
12) A Hard Day’s Night
13) I Wanna Be Your Man
14) Long Tall Sally
15) Boys
16) Shout
17) I’ll Be Back (Take 2)
18) I’ll Be Back (Take 3)
19) You Know What To Do
20) No Reply (Demo)
21) Mr Moonlight
22) Leave My Kitten Alone
23) No Reply (Take 2)
24) Eight Days A Week (Sequence)
25) Eight Days A Week (Complete)
26) Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!
01) Prince of Wales Theatre, London (1963)
02) ” ” “
03) ” ” “
04) ATV Studios, London (1963)
05) ” ” “
06) ” ” “
07) ” ” “
08) Pathé Marconi, Paris, France (1964)
09) CBS-TV Studio 50, New York City (1964)
10) EMI Studios, London (1964)
11) ” ” “
12) ” ” “
13) IBC Studios, London (1964)
14) ” ” “
15) ” ” “
16) ” ” “
17) EMI Studios, London (1964)
18) ” ” “
19) ” ” “
20) ” ” “
21) ” ” “
22) ” ” “
23) ” ” “
24) ” ” “
25) ” ” “
26) ” ” “
**Due to the limitations of vinyl, there are three LP’s and two cassettes covering the Anthology 1 album. Of course, it has a double CD release too.
Interesting Album Cover
In 1966, Klaus Voormann was responsible for the artistic cover on the “Revolver” album. So Neil Aspinall from Apple Records approached Voormann to design the covers for the Anthology series.
Indeed, the effect we get is pretty striking, and the images we get are basically an evolution of the Fab Four. Moreover, the effect is a collage of ripped-up photographs from their recording days.
The Anthology 1 album cover is a collage of early images of The Beatles because it covers the period between 1958 and 1964. Obviously, this takes in The Beatles as they evolve from The Quarrymen. Of course, their image from those days reflects that period of skiffle and rock ‘n’ roll. Once The Beatles became established, their mop-top image became more prominent.
In the centre of the collage, we see an original record by “The Savage Young Beatles,” when Tony Sheridan was the singer and Pete Best was the drummer. Voormann rather aptly and savagely ripped the face of Pete Best from that sleeve and replaced it with Ringo Starr, who became the main drummer, of course.
This was a clever and artistic move, but Pete Best didn’t like it. After all, he was a part of that image. However, Best does remain on the Anthology 1 cover in the bottom left corner (second right in that image).
Be that as it may, Pete Best got his ‘revenge’ when his 2008 album, “Haymans Green,” put that missing portion on the front cover.
In fact, the only image on the front cover of his album was the missing triangular bit torn off in The Beatles’ Anthology 1 collage.
Anthology 1: Chart Success
The Anthology 1 album sold well around the world, of course. After all, this was The Beatles in the making. Furthermore, people love the humour of the Fab Four.
So, together with outtakes and the band practicing the songs we all love, it is a “must-have” album. With this in mind, the album reached number one in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, and the United States. However, it only made number two in the UK.
Finally, what is very interesting is that a single from the album, “Free As A Bird,” got into the charts as well. Jeff Lynne, of the band Electric Light Orchestra, produced that single with input from the surviving members of The Beatles.
As a result, “Free As A Bird” charted in the top ten in many countries across the world. Not bad considering that The Beatles disbanded 25 years earlier and John Lennon was no longer with us.
Take A Listen
So, click the playback button and listen to the songs. Then, leave us some comments below.
