Rocktrospectiva: The Beatles Compilation "Anthology 2" Turns 30

Released on 18 March 1996 "Anthology 2" was a compilation album by the Beatles, released by Apple Records as a part of The Beatles Anthology series. It featured rarities, outtakes and live performances from the 1965 sessions for Help! until the sessions immediately prior to their trip to India in February 1968. It was the second in a quartet of albums with Anthology 1, Anthology 3, and Anthology 4 and all of which tie in with the televised special The Beatles Anthology. The opening track "Real Love", was released as a single and like its predecessor, the album topped the Billboard 200 album chart.

 

"Real Love", as with "Free as a Bird", were based on a demo made by John Lennon and given to Paul McCartney by Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. The three surviving Beatles (McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr) added guitars, bass, drums, percussion and backing vocals, but unlike with the previous song, did not re-work the lyrics or music. "Real Love" remained solely credited to Lennon, becoming the only Beatles song to have Lennon by himself in the writing credit. 

 

The disc one contains three unreleased compositions, one being an instrumental entitled "12-Bar Original", recorded for Rubber Soul but subsequently unused. Two other songs recorded for Help!, "If You've Got Trouble" and "That Means a Lot", were abandoned and never returned to again by the band. The former was originally slated to be the usual vocal spot for Ringo Starr on Help!, and the latter was eventually given to singer P.J. Proby. The version of "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby" from the group's famed August 1965 show at Shea Stadium but left out of the documentary about the show appears for the first time. "I'm Down" was originally listed as Track 7 (in its correct place chronologically) but was shifted out of sequence to Track 3 at the last minute, at Paul McCartney's request. The album had already gone to press and McCartney reportedly paid the re-printing costs himself. 

 

Disc two contains work-in-progress versions of tracks from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and Magical Mystery Tour. The take of "Strawberry Fields Forever" that made up the first minute of the released record appears in its entirety on track three. Also included are three songs that were started during this period – "Only a Northern Song", "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" and "Across the Universe" – but would not see release until years later, in 1969 and 1970. 

 

McCartney had hoped to include "Carnival of Light", an unreleased experimental piece that the Beatles recorded during the sessions for Sgt. Pepper in 1967; however, the idea was vetoed by Harrison, Starr and Ono on the grounds that the track was never intended for a Beatles release. Among the songs that were in the running for inclusion on the compilation but ultimately passed over were the following: the 1965 Shea Stadium performance of "She's a Woman"; a live version of "Nowhere Man", recorded in Tokyo in 1966; "Paperback Writer", featuring only vocals; and out-takes of "Think for Yourself" and "Love You To".

 

Like its predecessor, Anthology 2 sold well. In the United States, it debuted at number one, selling 442,000 copies its first week. The album spent two more weeks on the top 10, at number four then number eight, remaining on the Billboard 200 for 22 consecutive weeks and then re-entering the charts twice, marking a number 96 reach during the Christmas season of 1996. In the United Kingdom, the success was similar. The first Anthology album had debuted at number two when it was released in November 1995, but its successor reached number one, where it remained for one week.

 

Anthology 2 Track List: 

 

Disc 1:  

 

1. Real Love

2. Yes It Is (takes 2 & 14

3. I'm Down (Take 1)

4. You've Got To Hide Your Love Away (Takes 1, 2, & 5 mono)

5. If You've Got Trouble

6. That Means A Lot

7. Yesterday (Take 1)

8. It's Only Love (Takes 3 & 2 mono)

9. I Feel Fine (live on Blackpool Night Out mono)

10. Ticket To Ride (Live on Blackpool Night Out mono)

11. Yesterday (Live on Blackpool Night Out mono) 

12. Help? (Live on Blackpool Night Out mono)

13. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby (Live At The Shea Stadium mono)

14. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Take 1) 

15. I'm Looking Through You (Take 1) 

16. 12-Bar Original (Take 2 edited) 

17. Tomorrow Never Knows (Mark 1/Take 1)

18. Got To Get You Into My Life

19. And Your Bird Can Sing (Take 2)

20. Taxman (Take 11)

21. Eleanor Rigby (Strings Only Take 14) 

22. I'm Only Sleeping (Rehearsal)

23. I'm Only Sleeping (Take 1)

24. Rock And Roll Music (Live In Tokyo Take 1 mono)

25. She's A Woman (Live In Tokyo mono) 

 

Disc 2: 

 

1. Strawberry Fields Forever (Demo sequence mono)

2. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1)

3. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7 and edit piece mono)

4. Penny Lane (remix)

5. A Day In The Life (Takes 1, 2, 6 & orchestra)

6. Good Morning Good Morning (Take 8)

7. Only A Northern Song (Takes 3 & 12)

8. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Takes 1 and 2)

9. Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite! (Take 7)

10. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Takes 6, 7 & 8)

11. Within You Without You (Instrumental)

12. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Take 5 mono)

13. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (Extended stereo remix)

14. I Am The Walrus (Take 16)

15. The Fool On The Hill (Demo)

16. Your Mother Should Know (Take 27)

17. The Fool On The Hill (Take 4)

18. Hello, Goodbye (Take 16)

19. Lady Madonna (Takes 3 & 4)

20. Across The Universe (Take 2)