The documentary was outstanding, and the book was a keeper. But for most diehard fans, the best part of The Beatles’ Anthology project was the music. Three double CDs worth of stuff from the Fab Four that, for the most part, had never been heard before.
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Throughout that collection, there are many alternate takes of familiar Beatles songs, takes that often offer fascinating insight into the band’s meticulous process. Here are the five that opened some ears back when first heard in 1995 and 1996.
“And Your Bird Can Sing” (Take 2) from Anthology 2
For the most part, the main construction of this song as it would be heard on the Revolver album in 1966 is in place on this early take. But the reason we love this version of “And Your Bird Can Sing” is the laughter. Though it’s impossible to tell what provoked it, the song’s two main vocalists, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, were hit by a major case of the giggles as they tried to lay this down. So much time is spent dissecting what went wrong that led to The Beatles’ breakup. It’s fun to have an aural document to hear just how famously they got along before all that mess.
“A Day in the Life” (Takes 1, 2, 6 and Orchestra) from Anthology 2
Most of the alternate versions included on the Anthology records were single takes that weren’t used. But there are a few occasions when several takes were jammed together so listeners could hear how the band progressed to get to its final iteration. Perhaps the most thrilling example of this comes on “A Day in the Life.” When you hear the finished version, it’s stunning how all those elements came together. The Anthology version fills in some of the mysterious gaps, but doesn’t diminish any of the magnificence of the song.
“Your Mother Should Know” (Take 27) from Anthology 2
When you hear how skeletal this version sounds as compared to the filled-out finished track, you might be surprised to find out it was Take 27. You might also be shocked at how different it sounds. The final version of “Your Mother Should Know,” which ended up on Magical Mystery Tour, is a bouncy, feel-good concoction. But in this earlier form, it takes on a somewhat eerie quality. There’s something about the organ just hanging around between McCartney’s vocal notes that’s unsettling. It makes the title phrase sound more ominous than reassuring.
“Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” (Take 5) from Anthology 3
Beatles scholars know this track found on The White Album caused a lot of consternation within the band, largely due to Paul McCartney’s insistence on keeping after it until it was just right. Most of the outtakes on the Anthology records can be seen as stepping stones to what we would eventually hear on the official takes. But this early swing at “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da” ends up being a road not taken. It features more of a Latin rhythm that churns without interruption, instead of the herky-jerky reggae beat that would adorn the version of the song we all know.
“The Long and Winding Road” (Take 5) from Anthology 3
Paul McCartney has long tried to reclaim this soulful track from the production touches added by Phil Spector without Macca’s approval. Paul famously tried to make a cease-and-desist legal ploy to keep Spector’s strings and choirs away. Many years after the fact, he would go back again and again to “The Long and Winding Road” with his original intent in mind. Here, it’s a pretty simple approach, as the track is simply stripped of whatever Spector added to it, putting the emphasis on the melody and heartfelt vocal performance.
Photo by Jeff Hochberg/Getty Images
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