We now know what The Beatles were teasing with the recent enigmatic posts on their social media pages. As suspected, the posts were indeed hinting at a new project associated with the Fab Four’s 1990s Anthology compilations and docuseries.
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The Beatles have announced that a box set gathering together remastered versions of the three Anthology compilations with a newly created fourth volume will be released in November. In addition, an extended edition of The Beatles Anthology documentary series will be arriving the same month. Also, an expanded 25th anniversary edition of The Beatles Anthology book, which originally was published in 2000, will be released on October 14.
Coinciding with the announcement, a new mix of “Free as a Bird,” one of two new Beatles songs released with the original Anthology compilations, has been made available via digital formats. In addition, a restored version of the song’s music video has premiered at The Beatles’ YouTube channel.
Here are more details about each aspect of The Beatles’ Anthology re-release campaign:
The Anthology Collection Compilation Series
The Beatles’ three Anthology albums were released as two-CD sets titled Anthology 1, Anthology 2, and Anthology 3, respectively, in November 1995, March 1996, and October 1996. The volumes featured a collection of rare tracks, outtakes, and live performances from different periods of the band’s history. The Songs were presented mostly in chronological order.
The three Anthology volumes have been remastered and a new fourth compilation has been compiled to create The Anthology Collection, which will be released on November 21. The box set will be available as a 12-LP vinyl package, an eight-CD set, and digitally. The Anthology 4 album was curated by producer Giles Martin. It features 13 previously unreleased demos and session tracks, plus other rare recordings.
Among the tracks are new mixes of “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” created by original producer Jeff Lynne. The updated recordings feature John Lennon’s vocals enhanced by modern de-mixing technology. The 2023 Beatles song “Now and Then,” which utilized the same technology to enhance Lennon’s vocals, also will appear on Anthology 4.
As part of the Anthology compilation series, surviving Beatles Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr teamed up to complete two demo recordings the late Lennon had made during the 1970s—“Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” The finished versions of “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” appeared, respectively, on Anthology 1 and Anthology 2.
The Anthology Collection features a total of 191 tracks. The CD and LP box sets both contain the original sleeve notes for the first three Anthology volumes. Anthology 4 boasts track notes written by Kevin Howlett and an introduction compiled from 1996 interviews conducted with late Beatles adviser and friend Derek Taylor.
You can pre-order The Anthology Collection now.
About the Updated Beatles Anthology TV Series
The restored, expanded version of The Beatles Anthology docuseries will premiere as a nine-episode series on Disney+ starting November 26. The presentation’s ninth episode is brand-new. It includes previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage of McCartney, Harrison, and Starr reuniting in 1994 and 1995 to collaborate on the Anthology project and reflect on their shared experiences as members of The Beatles.
The original docuseries, which premiered on ABC in November 1995, aired as three feature-length episodes. It featured then-new interviews with The Beatles’ three surviving members, as well as archival audio of Lennon, while telling the band’s story from its inception until its 1970 breakup.
The restoration of The Beatles Anthology was overseen by the band’s Apple Corps production team, in collaboration with director Peter Jackson’s Wingnut Films and Park Road Post teams. Producer Giles Martin has created new audio mixes for most of the music featured in the series.
The Beatles Anthology Book: 25th Anniversary Reissue
The Beatles Anthology book was originally published in October 2000. It’s a 368-page volume book illustrated with more than 1,300 photos and images of documents, artwork, and other archival memorabilia. The coffee-table book features the four Beatles sharing recollections about of the band’s historic journey. Also featured are comments from such close friends and associates as Neil Aspinall, producer George Martin, and Derek Taylor.
The 25th anniversary reissue of The Beatles Anthology book can be pre-ordered now.
(Photo by Bruce McBroom/© Apple Corps Ltd.)
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