by The Beatles have made available another rare archival track from their forthcoming Anthology 4 compilation, due out on November 21. The tune is identified as “Take 17” of a “second version” of the Fab Four’s classic 1968 rock tune “Helter Skelter.” You can check it out now at The Beatles’ YouTube channel.
The track begins with Paul McCartney giving some directions to his bandmates before the start of the song. McCartney’s vocals are treated with a heavy reverb effect. On this version of “Helter Skelter,” Paul sings slightly different lyrics, and sounds a bit sloppy and playful in his vocal delivery, with some words mumbled and his voice cracking at times. McCartney also hoots and hollers at numerous points during the recording.
At the end of the track, McCartney is heard commenting, “Keep that one. Mark it fab.” The actual take that was used for the released version of “Helter Skelter” was the 21st.
A social media post announcing the rare track’s premiere includes interview snippets with McCartney and Ringo Starr.
“[‘Helter Skelter’] was a track we did in total madness and hysterics in the studio,” Starr recalled. McCartney added, “We just tried to get it louder. Guitars: can we have them sound louder? The drums: Louder! We did it like that, because I like noise.”
“Helter Skelter” appeared on The Beatles’ self-titled 1968 double album, a.k.a. “The White Album.” Interestingly, McCartney played guitar on the track, while John Lennon played bass. During the recording, the band was playing their instruments so hard that Ringo yelled out at the end of one take, “I’ve got blisters on my fingers!” The comment is heard at the end of the version on “The White Album.”
More About Anthology 4 and The Anthology Collection Box Set
Anthology 4 will be included in the recently announced Anthology Collection box set, and also will be available as a standalone release.
Anthology 4, which can be pre-ordered now at The Beatles’ official online store, can be purchased as a two-CD set and a three-LP package. The collection, which was curated by producer Giles Martin, features 36 tracks, 13 of which are previously unreleased. Most of the recordings span from 1963 through 1969, and include studio outtakes, alternate takes, and a live performance.
The album also features the Fab Four’s 2023 single “Now and Then,” and new mixes of “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love,” the latter two of which originally appeared, respectively, on the Anthology 1 and Anthology 2 compilations. All three tracks were built around demos the late John Lennon recorded in the late 1970s to which the three surviving Beatles members later added parts to complete.
The new mix of “Free as a Bird” was made available as the first advance track from Anthology 4.
More About The Anthology Collection and Other Beatles News
As previously reported, The Anthology Collection, which can be pre-ordered now, will be available as a 12-LP vinyl package, an eight-CD set, and digitally. The box set includes remastered versions of the Anthology 1, Anthology 2, and Anthology 3 compilations, which were originally released in November 1995, March 1996, and October 1996, respectively.
The compilations feature rare tracks, outtakes, and live performances from different periods of the band’s history.
The Anthology Collection features a total of 191 tracks.
The first three Anthology compilations were released as companion pieces to The Beatles Anthology docuseries, which premiered on ABC in November 1995. The program, which aired as three feature-length episodes, told the band’s story from its inception until its 1970 breakup. The docuseries featured then-new interviews with The Beatles’ three surviving members, as well as archival audio of Lennon.
As previously reported, a restored and expanded version of The Beatles Anthology 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 Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr reuniting in 1994 and 1995 to collaborate on the Anthology project and reflect on their shared experiences as members of The Beatles.
In addition, The Beatles Anthology book, which originally was published in October 2000 as a companion to the docuseries and compilations, will be reissued on October 14 to mark its 25th anniversary. The 368-page coffee-table book is illustrated with more than 1,300 photos and images of documents, artwork, and other archival memorabilia. The publication also features the four Beatles sharing recollections about of the band’s historic journey.
The 25th anniversary reissue of The Beatles Anthology book can be pre-ordered now.
(Photo by Bruce McBroom/© Apple Corps Ltd.)
