The Beatles’ “White Album” 50th-Anniversary Releases Out Now

The 30-track 1968 album is augmented by many unreleased acoustic demos and session takes.

Published on

November 9, 2018

The 50th anniversary of the landmark album The BEATLES, which came to be known universally as ‘The White Album’, is marked today with a lavish multi-format reissue via Apple Corps Ltd/Capitol/UMe.

The album’s original 30 tracks, which include such all-time Beatles classics as ‘Back In The U.S.S.R.,’ ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Dear Prudence,’ have been newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell in stereo and 5.1 surround audio.

Back In The U.S.S.R. (2018 Mix)

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The original album is augmented by 27 early acoustic demos and 50 session takes, most of which have never been released in any form. The November 2018 release marks the first time that The BEATLES has been remixed with the addition of demos and session recordings. It follows the 2017 release of the widely-acclaimed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Anniversary Edition, which took the album back to No. 1 in the UK.

Paul McCartney, in his written introduction which features in the new ‘White Album’ releases, says: ‘“We had left Sgt. Pepper’s band to play in his sunny Elysian Fields and were now striding out in new directions without a map.”

The Beatles (White Album) Anniversary Releases - Giles Martin & Sam Okell

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To create the new stereo and 5.1 surround audio mixes for ‘The White Album,’ Martin and Okell worked with an expert team of engineers and audio restoration specialists at London’s Abbey Road Studios. Martin’s new stereo album mix is part of all of the new ‘White Album’ releases, sourced directly from the original four-track and eight-track session tapes. Giles’ new mix is guided by the album’s original stereo mix which was produced by his father and longtime Beatles producer and mentor, George Martin.

“In remixing ‘The White Album,’ we’ve tried to bring you as close as possible to The Beatles in the studio,” writes Giles Martin in the new edition. “We’ve peeled back the layers of the ‘Glass Onion’ with the hope of immersing old and new listeners into one of the most diverse and inspiring albums ever made.”

The minimalist artwork for ‘The White Album,’ created by artist Richard Hamilton, has been recreated for the new Super Deluxe edition, down to the individual numbering on the front of the sleeve. The top-loading gatefold’s stark white exterior had ‘The BEATLES’ embossed on the front and printed on the spine with the album’s catalogue number.

The six CDs and Blu-ray disc in the Super Deluxe edition are housed in a slipsleeved 164-page hardbound book, with pull-out reproductions of the four glossy colour portrait photographs of John, Paul, George, and Ringo that were included with the original album. Its large fold-out poster with a photo collage on one side and lyrics on the other is also reproduced. The hardbound book is illustrated with rare photographs, reproductions of handwritten and notated lyrics, previously unpublished photos of recording sheets and tape boxes, as well as reproduced original ‘White Album’ print ads.

Along with the aforementioned new introductions by McCartney and Martin, the book offers in-depth chapters covering track-by-track details and session notes, reflecting the year between the release of Sgt. Pepper and recording sessions for ‘The White Album,’ the band’s famous “Mad Day Out” photo shoot of 28 July 1968, in locations around London, the album artwork and the lead-up to, and execution of, the album’s release, and its far-ranging influence. These overviews are written by Beatles historian, author and radio producer Kevin Howlett, journalist and author John Harris; and Tate Britain’s senior curator of modern and contemporary art Andrew Wilson.

The Deluxe 3CD is presented in an embossed digipak with the fold-out poster and portrait photos, along with a 24-page booklet abridged from the Super Deluxe book. The limited edition Deluxe 4LP vinyl set has a lift-top box with a four-page booklet, presenting the 2LP album in a faithful, embossed reproduction of its original gatefold sleeve with the fold-out poster and portrait photos, paired with the 2LP Esher Demos in an embossed gatefold sleeve.

The BEATLES ‘(White Album’) is out now. Scroll down for more information and to read the full tracklist, and order the box set here.

The Beatles (White Album) - Anniversary Releases

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The BEATLES (‘White Album’) releases include:

Super Deluxe: The comprehensive, individually numbered 7-disc and digital audio collections feature:

CDs 1 & 2: The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 stereo album mix

CD3: Esher Demos

– Esher Demo tracks 1 through 19 sequenced in order of the finished song’s placement on ‘The White Album.’ Tracks 20-27 were not included on the album.

CDs 4, 5 & 6: Sessions

– 50 additional recordings, most previously unreleased, from ‘White Album’ studio sessions; all newly mixed from the four-track and eight-track session tapes, sequenced in order of their recording start dates.

Blu-ray:

– 2018 album mix in high resolution PCM stereo

– 2018 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 album mix

– 2018 Dolby True HD 5.1 album mix

– 2018 direct transfer of the album’s original mono mix

Deluxe: The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 stereo album mix + Esher Demos

The 3CD; 180-gram 4LP vinyl box set (limited edition); and digital audio collections pair the 2018 stereo album mix with the 27 Esher Demos.

Standard 2LP Vinyl: The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 stereo mix

180-gram 2LP vinyl in gatefold sleeve with faithfully replicated original artwork

Super Deluxe [6CD+1Blu-ray set / digital audio collection]

CD 1: The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 Stereo Mix

Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Wild Honey Pie
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Martha My Dear
I’m so tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Rocky Raccoon
Don’t Pass Me By
Why don’t we do it in the road?
I Will
Julia

CD 2: The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 Stereo Mix

Birthday
Yer Blues
Mother Nature’s Son
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Long, Long, Long
Revolution 9
Honey Pie
Savoy Truffle
Cry Baby Cry
Revolution 9
Good Night

CD 3: Esher Demos

Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness is a Warm Gun
I’m so tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Rocky Raccoon
Julia
Yer Blues
Mother Nature’s Son
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Revolution
Honey Pie
Cry Baby Cry
Sour Milk Sea
Junk
Child of Nature
Circles
Mean Mr. Mustard
Polythene Pam
Not Guilty
What’s the New Mary Jane

CD 4: Sessions

Revolution 1 (Take 18)
A Beginning (Take 4) / Don’t Pass Me By (Take 7)
Blackbird (Take 28)
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Good Night (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Good Night (Take 10 with a guitar part from Take 5)
Good Night (Take 22)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Take 3)
Revolution (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Revolution (Take 14 – Instrumental backing track)
Cry Baby Cry (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Helter Skelter (First version – Take 2)

CD 5: Sessions

Sexy Sadie (Take 3)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Acoustic version – Take 2)
Hey Jude (Take 1)
St. Louis Blues (Studio jam)
Not Guilty (Take 102)
Mother Nature’s Son (Take 15)
Yer Blues (Take 5 with guide vocal)
What’s the New Mary Jane (Take 1)
Rocky Raccoon (Take 8)
Back in the U.S.S.R. (Take 5 – Instrumental backing track)
Dear Prudence (Vocal, guitar & drums)
Let It Be (Unnumbered rehearsal)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Third version – Take 27)
(You’re so Square) Baby, I Don’t Care (Studio jam)
Helter Skelter (Second version – Take 17)
Glass Onion (Take 10)

CD 6: Sessions

I Will (Take 13)
Blue Moon (Studio jam)
I Will (Take 29)
Step Inside Love (Studio jam)
Los Paranoias (Studio jam)
Can You Take Me Back? (Take 1)
Birthday (Take 2 – Instrumental backing track)
Piggies (Take 12 – Instrumental backing track)
Happiness is a Warm Gun (Take 19)
Honey Pie (Instrumental backing track)
Savoy Truffle (Instrumental backing track)
Martha My Dear (Without brass and strings)
Long, Long, Long (Take 44)
I’m so tired (Take 7)
I’m so tired (Take 14)
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (Take 2)
Why don’t we do it in the road? (Take 5)
Julia (Two rehearsals)
The Inner Light (Take 6 – Instrumental backing track)
Lady Madonna (Take 2 – Piano and drums)
Lady Madonna (Backing vocals from take 3)
Across the Universe (Take 6)