The Beatles were the biggest band of the 1900s. And just about every little tune or recording they made has been thoroughly analyzed and celebrated in some way. From bootlegs to demos, fans and music historians have left few stones unturned. Let’s do the same by exploring three Beatles demos that I think deserve more love!
“Circles” (George Harrison Demo)
Some find this demo to be on the haunting or creepy side, but I simply see it as quite intimate. This demo was recorded in Escher at guitarist George Harrison’s home. This demo features Harrison on the organ, singing about the spiritual cycle of reincarnation.
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This early version of “Circles” would eventually make it to Harrison’s 1982 album Gone Troppo in a more polished form. The demo was recorded while The Beatles were still together in 1968, during the time that the group was studying Transcendental Meditation in India. However, while it was considered for the band’s double album known as the White Album, it was never formally released as Beatles material.
“Tomorrow Never Knows” (First Take)
“Tomorrow Never Knows” is one of The Beatles’ trippiest songs, but this first take of the tune is way trippier. Personally, this is my favorite Beatles demo of all time. It sounds both ahead of its time and of the psychedelic era in which it was recorded. The flange on the guitar riffs is heavy, the phased drums sound almost unsettling, and John Lennon’s vocals are perfectly imperfect.
The final, refined version of “Tomorrow Never Knows” would find its home on Revolver, but this demo version would find its way into my heart, as well as many other fans’ hearts.
“Strawberry Fields Forever” (Demo Version)
This is one of the most famous Beatles demos out there. In fact, it’s one of the most memorable moments from Anthology 2. The final version of the song was a famously chopped-together piece of work that resulted in something really beautiful. This demo, on the other hand, features Lennon singing away with a steel acoustic guitar. He trips over his words a bit at the beginning before starting over again, and the whole thing feels so intimate that I kind of feel like I shouldn’t be listening to it.
Regardless, this demo version of one of the Fab Four’s most famous songs proves that a good melody is all you need to succeed.
Photo by ITV/Shutterstock
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