Anthology 1 is a compilation album by The Beatles, released on Apple Records in November of 1995. It is the first of a three-volume collection, all of which tie-in with the televised special The Beatles Anthology, and contains "Free as a Bird," billed as the first new Beatles song in 25 years. It topped the Billboard 200 album chart, and was certified 4x Platinum by the RIAA.
Content
Anthology 1 features rarities and alternative tracks from the period 1958–1964, including their days as "The Quarrymen", through the Decca audition to sessions for the album Beatles for Sale. It is of historical interest for the only official release of performances with Stuart Sutcliffe and Pete Best during the time they were in the band. Sutcliffe, the band's original bass player during 1960 and sporadically during their second Hamburg season, is featured on the disc one tracks "Hallelujah, I Love Her So", "You'll Be Mine", and "Cayenne". Best, who was the band's drummer from just prior to their first departure for Hamburg in August of 1960 until 15 August 1962, is featured on the disc one tracks 10–12, 15–19, 21 and 22.
Disc one track ten has lead vocals and guitar by Tony Sheridan, a session at which the Beatles served as back-up on the song that would be their introductory single in England, "My Bonnie." Disc one track 22 is the original June 1962 EMI audition recording of "Love Me Do", which, after Ringo Starr replaced Best, would be re-recorded by the group four months later for their first single. Disc one track 23 features EMI session drummer Andy White in place of Starr.
Disc two contains performances from the popular Morecambe and Wise comedy programme, with disc two track 9 being their opening song at their famed performance on Ed Sullivan, which introduced the band to most of America in 1964.
The flashpoint for the set came with the song "Free As A Bird," the three remaining Beatles Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr re-working a John Lennon demo recording given to McCartney by Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Produced by Harrison's Traveling Wilburys band-mate Jeff Lynne, the three added additional music and lyrics, instrumentation, and backing vocals, with McCartney and Harrison both taking a turn at a lead vocal.
Reception
The album was a large success throughout the world. It was the first Beatles album to officially enter the Billboard 200 album chart straight at number 1 with 855,473 copies sold, making the 27th largest one-week sales in the Soundscan history, succeeding Fresh Horses by Garth Brooks. In its second week Anthology 1 sold 453,000 copies and maintained the top spot. This was repeated the following week, with 435,000 copies sold. In its fourth week the same quantity was sold, but the album fell to #2 behind Mariah Carey's Daydream. In the following week, the album fell to #3 but with 601,000 sales. Anthology 1 was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA after six weeks in the U.S. market. In all, the album spent 29 weeks inside the Billboard 200, reached cumulative sales of 3,639,000 scans as of April 2001. In the UK, reaction was similar, but the album only reached #2, behind Robson & Jerome's eponymous album. In Australia, the album spent two weeks at number-one in December 1995.
Pete Best's face was torn away from the Savage Young Beatles record jacket in the centre of the album cover, revealing the face of his successor, Ringo Starr, below. The missing piece was subsequently used on the cover of Best's Haymans Green album in 2008.
Track listing
All tracks in stereo, and written by Lennon/McCartney, except where noted.
- Disc one
- "Free as a Bird" (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey) – 4:25
- Lennon demo recorded at The Dakota, 1977; Beatles version recorded February and March, 1994
- "We were four guys ... that's all" (John Lennon speaking to Jann Wenner) – 0:12
- "That'll Be the Day" [Mono] (Allison-Holly-Petty) – 2:08
- "In Spite of All the Danger" [Mono] (Paul McCartney and George Harrison) – 2:45
- Tracks 3-4 recorded at Phillips Sound Recording Service, Liverpool, late spring or summer 1958
- "Sometimes I'd borrow ... those still exist" (Paul McCartney speaking to Mark Lewisohn) – 0:18
- "Hallelujah, I Love Her So" [Mono] (Charles) – 1:13
- "You'll Be Mine" [Mono] (Paul McCartney and John Lennon) – 1:39
- "Cayenne" [Mono] (Paul McCartney) – 1:14
- Tracks 6-8 recorded Liverpool, late spring or summer 1960
- "First of all ... it didn't do a thing here" (Paul McCartney speaking to Malcom Threadgill) – 0:07
- "My Bonnie" (traditional, arranged by Tony Sheridan) – 2:42
- "Ain't She Sweet" (Ager-Yellen) – 2:13
- "Cry for a Shadow" (Lennon/Harrison) – 2:22
- Tracks 10-12 recorded at Friedrich-Ebert Halle, Hamburg, 22 June 1961
- "Brian was a beautiful guy ... he presented us well" (John Lennon speaking to David Wigg) – 0:10
- "I secured them ... a Beatle drink even then" (Brian Epstein from A Cellarful of Noise) – 0:18
- "Searchin'" [Mono] (Leiber-Stoller) – 3:00
- "Three Cool Cats" [Mono] (Leiber-Stoller) – 2:25
- "The Sheik of Araby" [Mono] (Harry B. Smith, Francis Wheeler, Ted Snyder) – 1:43
- "Like Dreamers Do" [Mono] – 2:36
- "Hello Little Girl" [Mono] – 1:40
- "Well, the recording test ... by my artists" (Brian Epstein from A Cellarful of Noise) – 0:32
- "Bésame Mucho" [Mono] (Velázquez-Skylar) – 2:37
- "Love Me Do" [Mono] – 2:32
- "How Do You Do It?" [Mono] (Murray) – 1:57
- Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 4 September 1962
- "Please Please Me" [Mono] – 1:59
- Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 11 September 1962
- "One After 909" (Sequence) [Mono] – 2:23
- "One After 909" (Complete) [Mono] – 2:56
- Tracks 25-26 recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 5 March 1963
- "Lend Me Your Comb" [Mono] (Twomey-Wise-Weisman) – 1:50
- Recorded live at BBC Maida Vale Studios, London, 2 July 1963, for Pop Go The Beatles radio broadcast
- "I'll Get You" [Mono] – 2:08
- "We were performers ... in Britain" (John Lennon speaking to Jann Wenner) – 0:12
- "I Saw Her Standing There" [Mono] – 2:49
- "From Me to You" [Mono] – 2:05
- "Money (That's What I Want)" [Mono] (Gordy Jr.-Bradford) – 2:52
- "You Really Got a Hold on Me" [Mono] (Robinson) – 2:58
- "Roll Over Beethoven" [Mono] (Berry) – 2:22
- Tracks 30-34 recorded live at Karlaplansstudion, Stockholm, 24 October 1963
- Disc two
- "She Loves You" [Mono] – 2:50
- "Till There Was You" [Mono] (Meredith Willson) – 2:54
- "Twist and Shout" [Mono] (Russell-Medley) – 3:05
- "This Boy" [Mono] – 2:22
- "I Want to Hold Your Hand" [Mono] – 2:37
- "Boys, what I was thinking ..." (Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise speaking to The Beatles) – 2:06
- "Moonlight Bay" [Mono] (Madden-Wenrich) – 0:50
- "Can't Buy Me Love" (Takes 1 & 2) – 2:10
- "All My Loving" [Mono] – 2:19
- "You Can't Do That" (Take 6) – 2:42
- "And I Love Her" (Take 2) – 1:52
- Tracks 10-11 recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 25 February 1964
- "A Hard Day's Night" (Take 1) – 2:44
- Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 16 April 1964
- "I Wanna Be Your Man" – 1:48
- "Long Tall Sally" (Johnson-Penniman-Blackwell) – 1:45
- "Boys" (Dixon-Farrell) – 1:50
- "Shout" (Isley-Isley-Isley) – 1:31
- Tracks 13-16 recorded live IBC Studios, London, 19 April 1964, for the Around The Beatles television broadcast
- "I'll Be Back" (Take 2) – 1:13
- "I'll Be Back" (Take 3) – 1:58
- Tracks 17-18 recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 1 June 1964
- "You Know What to Do" (Demo) (Harrison) – 1:59
- "No Reply" (Demo) – 1:46
- Tracks 19-20 recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 3 June 1964
- "Mr. Moonlight" (Takes 1 & 4) (Johnson) – 2:47
- "Leave My Kitten Alone" (Take 5) (John-Turner-McDougal) – 2:57
- Tracks 21-22 recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 14 August 1964
- "No Reply" (Take 2) – 2:29
- Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 30 September 1964
- "Eight Days a Week" (Takes 1 & 2 assembled, & Take 4) – 1:25
- "Eight Days a Week" (Take 5) – 2:48
- Tracks 24-25 recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 6 October 1964
- "Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey" (Take 2) (Leiber-Stoller/Penniman) – 2:44
- Recorded at Abbey Road Studios, London, 18 October 1964
Chart positions
Notes
External links
