We’re getting ready for the November 9th launch of the 50th anniversary of “The White Album.” I recently attended the press conference where Giles Martin, son of the late great 5th Beatle, George Martin, played samples from the tracks. The package includes his 2018 remix of the album, as well as rehearsal tapes, and a disc devoted to the famous “Esher” demos (pronounced Eesher).
In 1968 George Harrison had the three other lads over and they each played their songs– as Giles says, “unplugged.” The Esher demos sound amazing considered they’re 50 years old and were just…demos.
So here are the three versions of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” from the 50th anniversary box set, which you can tell I am excited about. The Take 2 version was included on one of the Beatles Anthology albums, but now it’s all cleaned up.
PS A month after “The White Album” package arrives comes two new packages from Paul McCartney devoted to “Wings Wild Life” and “Red Rose Speedway.” When the Beatles broke up it was so horrifying that any solo work they issued was received like a buoy in a dark and forbidding sea. With McCartney it was the “McCartney” album, then “Ram,” “Another Day” and then– what? “Wings Wild Life” emerged, without any single (why? who knows? “I Am Your Singer” could have been, so could “Tomorrow”). It was a weird time as Paul figured out what he was going to do. Then came “Red Rose Speedway” with “My Love”– commercial hits. I’m very anxious to see what the box sets are like. Of course, after “Red Rose Speedway” came “Band on the Run,” and the rest is history!
Giles Martin 2018 mix from the White Album 50th anniversary
Take 2 version from the “White Album” 50th anniversary:
Esher (pronounced Eesher) version from “The White Album” 50th:
