The Beatles White Album 50th Anniversary Edition

I splurged for the 6 CD/1 Blu Ray disc edition, which also comes with a book (without page numbers, I'm guessing it is over 160 pages). I started listening to the outtakes discs, which includes the Esher demos. 19 of the songs on the album were demoed, and there are 8 others that didn't make the cut (but aren't totally unfamiliar, as these include songs on ABBEY ROAD and various solo albums). Three discs are outtakes from the recording sessions, with the expected variations in arrangements and lyrics. The Blu-Ray has high rez versions (I have a Blu-Ray player, but no speakers hooked up to the TV) and the original mono mix from 1968.

The two discs I've not gotten to yet are the remixes of the '68 stereo version. I've read a lot of praise for what Giles Martin--son of legendary Beatles producer George Martin--has done to it, and I hope to have time later to experience it for myself.

AVOR

 

I was a teenager starting in 1971. I didn't know about the White Album until the summer of '72, when I heard it in a car--and didn't know it was "the White Album" because the shell of the 8-track simply said THE BEATLES.

I figured out what it was, even without the Internet, and asked my dad to get it for me for Christmas. He was not a Beatles fan, and when he saw it, said "you want me to pay $9.00 for an album?"

"Yes," I said, forgetting to point out it was two records--if I even knew that.

"If I buy that, you're not getting anything else," he said.

"OK," I replied, figuring he was bluffing.

He wasn't.

AVOR (who treasures the story now more than I would have any other gift I would have gotten that year.)

 

Great story. From a die hard Beatles fan, well worth the Christmas sacrifice...

 

I bought that album on vinyl, I bought it again on cassette, I bought it twice on cd (the George martin box set the second time) and I'm considering buying the HD tracks version online.

 

I realized yesterday that I have five copies of the White Album: Original vinyl from '72 and four CDs--'87, '09 stereo, '09 mono and '18 remix.

That doesn't quite come close to the one I own the most times: RUBBER SOUL. It's a bit of a cheat, because it comes in two variations (UK and US), but I still have a Beatles album named RUBBER SOUL six times. Three American variations: a Capitol LP, CAPITOL ALBUMS box set, and THE US ALBUMS box set. Three with the UK running order: '87 CD, 09 Stereo CD, 09 mono CD.

Those two boxes of the US albums pushed me to five of others that shared a name with a UK album--A HARD DAY'S NIGHT and HELP!--but since I didn't have a vinyl copy of either of them, so RUBBER SOUL has the edge because I bought the US album in '76 for a dollar from a guy that was selling his brother's albums. Said brother was getting married, and wanted some cash. At least, that is what little brother said as he took my money...

I also have five SGT. PEPPER issues, and don't count the two versions in the 2017 box set as a double. I guess I could say I had the '78 vinyl, and the CDs in '87, 09 (stereo and mono) and 2017 (stereo and mono) for six.

AVOR

 

I see now that I thought I had more RUBBER SOUL albums when I started that note--because five is DEFINITELY close to six!

AVOR