Anthology 3: Introduction
The “Anthology 3” album is the last one to feature in the trilogy, “The Beatles Anthology.” As with “Anthology 1” and “Anthology 2,” it contains a lot of interesting material, along with the Beatles’ rarities and alternative versions of certain tracks.
Since it is the final double album in this series, it covers the period from The Beatles’ “White Album” through to the “Let It Be” album. In other words, from 1968 onwards.
The “Anthology 3” album features a lot of material from the “White Album,” as you would expect since it was a double album just like those in the Anthology series. In fact, to hear clips of all the songs on “Anthology 3,” just click the play button in the top left.
In Detail
- Release Date: October 28, 1996
- Recorded: February 22, 1967, to January 3, 1970
- Studio: EMI, Olympic and Trident Studios, London
- Genre: Rock
- Album Duration: 145:33
- Record Label: Apple, Capitol
- Producer: George Martin
Performers
Anthology 3: CD Song Listing**
Anthology 3: Disc One
Tracks
Place & Date
01) A Beginning
02) Happiness Is A Warm Gun
03) Helter Skelter
04) Mean Mr Mustard
05) Polythene Pam
05) Glass Onion
07) Junk
08) Piggies
09) Honey Pie
10) Don’t Pass Me By
11) Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
12) Good Night
13) Cry Baby Cry
14) Blackbird
15) Sexy Sadie
16) While My Guitar Gently Weeps
17) Hey Jude
18) Not Guilty
19) Mother Nature’s Son
20) Glass Onion
21) Rocky Raccoon
22) What’s The New Mary Jane
23) Step Inside Love with Los Paranoias
24) I’m So Tired
25) I Will
26) Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?
27) Julia
01) EMI Studios, London (1968)
02) Kinfauns, Esher, UK ***(1968)
03) EMI Studios, London (1968)
04) Kinfauns, Esher, UK (1968)
05) Kinfauns, Esher, UK (1968)
06) Kinfauns, Esher, UK (1968)
07) Kinfauns, Esher, UK (1968)
08) Kinfauns, Esher, UK (1968)
09) Kinfauns, Esher, UK (1968)
10) EMI Studios, London (1968)
11) EMI Studios, London (1968)
12) EMI Studios, London (1968)
13) EMI Studios, London (1968)
14) EMI Studios, London (1968)
15) EMI Studios, London (1968)
16) EMI Studios, London (1968)
17) EMI Studios, London (1968)
18) EMI Studios, London (1968)
19) EMI Studios, London (1968)
20) EMI Studios, London (1968)
21) EMI Studios, London (1968)
22) EMI Studios, London (1968)
23) EMI Studios, London (1968)
24) EMI Studios, London (1968)
25) EMI Studios, London (1968)
26) EMI Studios, London (1968)
27) EMI Studios, London (1968)
Anthology 3: Disc Two
Tracks
Place & Date
01) I’ve Got A Feeling
02) She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
03) Dig A Pony
04) Two Of Us
05) For You Blue
06) Teddy Boy
07) Rip It Up/Shake, Rattle & Roll/Blue Suede Shoes
08) The Long And Winding Road
09) Oh! Darling
10) All Things Must Pass
11) Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues
12) Get Back
13) Old Brown Shoe
14) Octopus’s Garden
15) Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
16) Something
17) Come Together
18) Come And Get It
19) Ain’t She Sweet
20) Because
21) Let It Be
22) I Me Mine
23) The End
01) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
02) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London, UK (1969)
03) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
04) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
05) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
06) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
07) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London, UK (1969)
08) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
09) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
10) EMI Studios, London (1969)
11) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
12) Apple Building rooftop, Savile Row (1969)
13) EMI Studios, London (1969)
14) EMI Studios, London (1969)
15) EMI Studios, London (1969)
16) EMI Studios, London (1969)
17) EMI Studios, London (1969)
18) EMI Studios, London (1969)
19) EMI Studios, London (1969)
20) EMI Studios, London (1969)
21) Apple Studio, Savile Row, London (1969)
22) EMI Studios, London (1970)
23) EMI Studios, London (67–69)
**Due to space restrictions, the CD has two discs, while the LP release has three. There are also two cassette releases.
***Kinfauns is George Harrison’s home in Surrey, England.
Album Cover
The third and final album cover in the trilogy of albums in The Beatles Anthology series also has a similar theme to the first two.
Because “Anthology 3” deals with the period from 1968, we see their last few albums on the cover. The colourful collage includes ripped-up pictures from “Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Abbey Road,” and “Let It Be,” of course. However, as with Anthology 2, we can still see “A Hard Day’s Night” represented.
But there are many other clippings that make the cover look like posters peeling from a wall.
Klaus Voormann was responsible for the cover, just like volumes 1 & 2, of course. Indeed, the artist this time has put his name on the Abbey Road crossing. All in all, this is very effective cover art, which shows the peeling back of album covers over those glorious years.
Anthology 3: Chart Success
Obviously, those who bought Anthology 1 and Anthology 2 would need this album to complete the Beatles Anthology series. However, even though diehard Beatlemaniacs were always going to buy the Anthology trilogy without question, there was a new generation who just couldn’t get enough Beatles material, and it became a “must have.”
Although “Anthology 3” got to number one in America, it only reached number 4 in the UK charts. However, as with the previous two volumes, it reached the top ten in most countries, including Australia, where it got to number 3. That is not surprising since Australian fans of The Beatles were some of the most loyal anywhere.
No Single Release
Unlike Anthologies 1 and 2, there was no single release from “Anthology 3.” But there should have been a reworking of an old track. John Lennon’s song “Now and Then****” was the track due for a new lease of life.
However, George Harrison wasn’t happy about doing it. This is because he was not comfortable comfortable with the results of the very last Beatles single, “Real Love.” So, being democratic, the three surviving Beatles scrapped the idea.
In short, the replacement was the orchestral piece by George Martin, “A Beginning”. Indeed, that track was originally going to be the intro for “Don’t Pass Me By”, on The Beatles’ White Album.
****Updated Information: On November 2, 2023, they released the song that should have been on this album. Yes, after all these years, we finally got a hold of what they said would be their “last single.” That single became a number-one hit, 54 years after their last chart topper, “The Ballad Of John And Yoko!”
Take A Listen To The Album
Finally, have a listen to the tracks from the album. Then, share your thoughts below.
