Released today (November 9th), is the Beatles‘ massive six-CD, one Blu-ray “Super Deluxe” version of their 1968 double-album set, The Beatles, better known across the globe as the “White Album.” The album’s 30 tracks have been newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell in stereo and 5.1 surround audio, joined by 27 early acoustic demos and 50 session takes, most of which are previously unreleased in any form.

This is the first time the ‘White Album’ has been remixed and presented with additional demos and session recordings. The album’s new edition follows 2017’s universally acclaimed Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band ‘Anniversary Edition’ releases. To create the new stereo and 5.1 surround audio mixes, Martin and Okell worked with an expert team of engineers and audio restoration specialists at Abbey Road Studios in London. All the new ‘White Album’ releases include Martin’s new stereo album mix, sourced directly from the original four-track and eight-track session tapes. Martin’s new mix is guided by the album’s original stereo mix produced by his father, the late-George Martin.

‘WHITE ALBUM’ FAST FACTS

• The “White Album” was released five years to the day of the Beatles‘ second album — 1963’s With The Beatles — which was released the same day that President John F. Kennedy was assassinated.
• During sessions for the “White Album,” Ringo Starr quit the group and took an impromptu family vacation to Sardinia. While there he wrote “Octopus’ Garden.” In his absence, Paul McCartney drummed on “Back In The U.S.S.R” and “Dear Prudence.”
• The “White Album”holds the distinction of being the first album to feature the Beatles’ wives — or soon-to-be wives — on the actual recordings: Yoko Ono sings a line on “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill” and Yoko along with George Harrison‘s then-wife Pattie Boyd sings backup on “Birthday.”

• The night that Linda McCartney — then Linda Eastman — moved into McCartney’s St. John’s Wood townhouse, he came home in the early morning hours and played her a rough-mix acetate of “Happiness Is A Warm Gun.”
• George Martin left midway through the sessions and appointed his assistant Chris Thomas as the de-facto producer. Although Thomas produced a good portion of the “White Album,” he received no production credits. Thomas also played the harpsichord on “Piggies” and the harmonium on “The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill.”
• The “White Album” was originally going to be titled A Doll’s House after Henrik Ibsen‘s play — but was changed when they found out it was already taken by another band.

• The song “Julia” is the only song in the Beatles’ entire catalog to feature John Lennonperforming solo.
• Although the album was released on the band’s new Apple label, they weren’t actually signed to Apple. Capitol/EMI, which the Beatles were under contract to, also distributed Apple and permitted the band use the famed logo for their own recordings too.
• Throughout the years, a grand total of 12 of the songs recorded during the “White Album” sessions have been performed live by the former Beatles — John Lennon performed “Yer Blues,” Ringo Starr performed “Don’t Pass Me By”; George Harrison performed “Piggies” and “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”; and Paul McCartney has performed “Back In The U.S.S.R,” “Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da,” “Blackbird,” “I Will,” “Birthday,” “Mother Nature’s Son,” “Helter Skelter,” and “Hey Jude.”
• During his October 7th, 2016 performance at Indio, California’s Desert Trip festival, McCartney was joined by Neil Young for a very loose live world premiere of “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?”

SIDE NOTES

The BEATLES (‘White Album’) – Tracklists

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 I
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 I (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)

Blu-ray: The BEATLES (‘White Album’)
Audio Features:
– PCM Stereo (2018 Stereo Mix)
– DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (2018)
– Dolby True HD 5.1 (2018)
– Mono (2018 Direct Transfer of ‘The White Album’ Original Mono Mix)

Deluxe [3CD digipak / 180-gram 4LP vinyl box set (limited edition) / digital audio collection]
The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 Stereo Mix
Esher Demos

Standard 2LP Vinyl [180-gram]
The BEATLES (‘White Album’) 2018 Stereo Mix