Notes

---

John Barrets upgrade of The Beatles unreleased album

Excellent quality

1. Come And Get It (McCartney)
Demo
Barrett
24 Jul 1969
Stereo.
Paul McCartney's demo for Badfinger's first hit was originally mixed down to stereo the day it was recorded. When Geoff Emerick assembled "Sessions", he remixed it, but this a Barrett mix that predates the Emerick redo.

Voice is much more in the foreground than on usual versions. Vocals are double-tracked.

2. Leave My Kitten Alone (John/Turner/McDougal)
Take 5
Barrett
14 Aug 1964
SS.ETC.07.05.RM
Mono mix prepared by Barrett for the 1983 "Abbey Road Video Show".

Mono.
When this previously unreleased track appeared on "Sessions", it was in an odd mix that wasn't quite stereo and wasn't quite mono. This is a mono mix that was prepared by Barrett for the "Abbey Road Show"

3. Not Guilty (Harrison)
Take 102
Barrett
12 Aug 1968
Stereo.
This unreleased-by-the-Beatles George Harrison song was the worst crime perpetrated on any track for "Sessions". Emerick edited entire sections out, slowed the song down, and in general made it a less interesting track. Sadly, this was also the mix that was used for Anthology 3, so the crime has been perpetrated upon the masses. At any rate, this is the original full-length version of "Not Guilty" as mixed by John Barrett for himself.

4. I'm Looking Through You (Lennon/McCartney)
Alternate Version
Barrett
10-11 Nov 1965
Stereo.
The "Sessions" version was left alone for the most part and was on of Emerick's better jobs on the album. The Barrett version we have placed here is the one used on "Rubber Soul", yet this has a slate, two false starts (like the US LP featured by mistake) and ends cold.

5. What's The New Mary Jane (Lennon/McCartney)
Take 4
RS?
14 Aug 1968
Stereo.
What a difference exactly fout years between "Leave My Kitten Alone" and this track makes... At any rate, here is another mix of this marvelous Lennon-penned track, one that is 1968 vintage (different from the one prepared the same day, which can be found on "Turn Me On Dead Man"). This was actually a track Emerick improved, taking off much of the Yoko Ono input which helped to make the original mixes a bit, shall we say, challenging.

This mix fades out after the bell/ring.

6. How Do You Do It (Murray/Edmond)
4 Sep 1962
Mono. Mixed Sep 4, 1962.
Another Emerick hack-job for "Sessions", where he for no apparent reason re-edited the original unissued track making the boys repeat lines that didn't need repeating and weren't repeated on the original version! This is the unadulterated mono mix.

7. Besame Mucho (Velazquez/Skylar)
6 Jun 1962
Mono. Mixed on June 6, 1962.
All versions of this track, which was recorded at The Beatles' first recording test, are identical. This sole surviving mix, from a private collection, was returned to EMI in the early 80's. This is slightly flatter in equalization than the "Sessions" version, however.

8. The One After 909 (Lennon/McCartney)
Take 4 With Edit Piece Take 5
5 Mar 1963
Mono. Mixed March 5, 1963.
This is a mono mix prepared by Barrett of the first half of take 4 with the edit piece take 5. The Beatles were of course later to rescue this early Lennon/McCartney song from unissued limbo and use it for the Get Back/Let It Be project in 1969.

9. If You've Got Trouble (Lennon/McCartney)
Take 1
Barrett
18 Feb 1965
Stereo.
The mighty thumb of Geoff Emerick came down hard on the "Sessions" version of this rather lame Lennon/McCartney original, composed with the best intentions for Ringo to sing as his contribution to the "Help!" LP. Thankfully, along came Buck Owens to rescue the ringed one with "Act Naturally". When mixing for "Sessions", Emerick left out the entire first verse of "If You've Got Troubles", leading from the intro and editing directly into the second verse. Why ? Who knows ? It's no as though the track was made any worse by it being there in the first place, which was obviously echoed by the Fab Three and George Martin when assembling "Anthology 2", using the complete original take and ignoring the "Sessions" mix. Included here is another Barrett alternate stereo mix from 1982. "Rock on, anybody", indeed.

10. That Means A Lot (Lennon/McCartney)
Alternate Mix
RS?
20 Feb 1965
Stereo.
This unreleased "Help!" track is featured on our alternate lineup in a previously unheard dry mono mix.

11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison)
Take 1
25 Jul 1968
SS.WHI.07.01
Unedited take 1.

Stereo.
A gem of this collection, here is the unadultered take one of this White Album Harrison classic. When this was first heard in the "Abbey Road Show" in 1983 in a Barrett-mixed guise, it stunned all who heard in its beauty and simplicity, and Harrison's offhand comment "Let's hear that back" after strumming the last arpeggio seemed to bring it back to Earth. Unfortunately, Emerick on the "Sessions" mix saw fit to loop the last chords played before this arpeggio and fade it out, rather than allowing it to play to its actual conclusion. Even more unfortunately, this same version was used on Anthology 3. We're proud to feature the original mix, in its finest quality ever.

12. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (Roberts/Katz/Clayton)
Get Back Session
Barrett
29 Jan 1969
GB29.11
Stereo.
This Loyd Price song, most likely heard by The Beatles as a Buddy Holly cover, was one of the few coherent oldies performed uring the Get Back Sessions.
However, more Emerick trickery was involved here, primarily by fading in the track and the fading it out before its actual end. Here is the Barrett mix, shorter but with full ending included.

This version is shorter because it misses the beginning of the song.

13. Christmas Time (Is Here Again) (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey)
Reconstruction
28 Nov 1967
Stereo.
This version was issued in December 1995 as the B-side of "Free As A Bird". We've taken the liberty of restoring the original beginning.

14. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Lennon/McCartney)
Take 5
Alternate Mix
5 Jul 1968
Stereo.
This is an odd one, in that the mix of the alternate "Ob-La-Di..." included here is of rather muddy quality and it has previously appeared on some other releases. However, we figured you'd rather have it than not to have your alternate "Sessions" album contain all it should.

15. (Medley)

A particularly funny bit of Lennon wit featured in this "The Beatles At Abbey Road" bit. It comes from take one (NOTE: in fact, take 2), as the Fabs are trying to crash into the correct opening chord, and failing, much to John's amusement. When he comes down on a decisive "1-2-3-4!" count-in Barrett edited to the released take 9, though included an alternate stereo mix which he prepared, and which we've left in.

A Hard Day's Night (Lennon/McCartney)

Take 2
False Start
16 Apr 1964
SS.AHDN.01.02
This take is aborted just after the beginning chord which is sounding very strange.
John Barrett used this fragment for The Abbey Road Show.

Opening chord.
A Hard Day's Night (Lennon/McCartney)

Take 3a
False Start
16 Apr 1964
SS.AHDN.01.03a
Another false start.
John Barrett used this fragment for The Abbey Road Show.

Opening chord.
A Hard Day's Night (Lennon/McCartney)

Take 9
Barrett Mix
16 Apr 1964
SS.AHDN.01.09.RS?
Barrett remix of take 9 (released take).
Includes count-in from take 3b.

16. She's A Woman (Lennon/McCartney)
Take 1
Incomplete
8 Oct 1964
Stereo.
Unfortunately, only a bit of this take one survives on the "Abbey Road Show" tape, but it's so interesting that it begs inclusion.

17. 12-Bar Original (Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey)
RM1
Take 2
4 Nov 1965
SS.ETC.10.02.RM1
Take 2 was mixed into mono (RM1) on 30 Nov 1965.
This version is in much superior quality than Take 2 w/o mixing.
Three different versions appeared on bootlegs.

+ The first lasts more than six minutes.
+ The second fades out around the 3:50 mark.
+ The third one was found in John Barrett's private collection (not to be confused with the Barrett Mix !). It is not clear for now if this version is another mono mix or the same RM1 but it is presented by Vigotone as a 1965 mono mix and according to Lewisohn, 12-Bar Original was mixed into mono on 30 Nov 1965 between 4.45 PM and 5.00 PM ! This means it was mixed in 15 minutes ! Therefore, it's dubious they had the time to mix it twice, so, for now, this "Barrett" version is considered as RM1. The sound quality, however, is superior to the other versions of RM1.

No liner notes for this track except that it's a 1965 mono mix.

It is quite different than Take 2 RM1. I don't know if other mixes from 1965 exist but if not, it should be interesting to compare this track with the version released on "Turn Me On Dead Man".

The usual mono mix (RM1) that was prepared in 1965, was prepared in 15 minutes (Lewisohn, 1992). It seems dubious they had time to mix it twice in only 15 minutes, so this version is probably either an improved quality RM1, a fake RM1 by the bootlegger or another unknown mix by Barrett. For now, it is considered as an improved quality RM1

18. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Lennon/McCartney)
Take 1
Barrett
12 Oct 1965
Stereo.
Visitors attending "The Beatles At Abbey Road", in most cases, heard only pieces of unreleased songs in an attempt to foil bootleggers. Not a stupid move on their part since a complete recording was available within a month of the show's final performance.
However, Barrett still mixed complete versions of the songs included in the show, and here are two of his finished otherwise unissued mixes. In "Abbey Road", these tracks were played back-to-back so it made sense to present them the same way here!

19. I'm Looking Through You (Lennon/McCartney)
Take 1
Barrett
24 Oct 1965
Stereo.
From Barrett's tape for "Abbey Road Show".