The Beatles - Thirty Days: Disc 5/6

Label: Vigotone, VT-222/223

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part One
DISC 5 (67:12)
1 - Somethin' Else - NEW
2 - Daydream
3 - You Are My Sunshine
4 - Whispering
5 - (Improvisation) - NEW
6 - My Baby Left Me/That's All Right
7 - Milk Cow Blues
8 - "All I Want is You"
9 - In The Middle of an Island/Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea
10 - (Improvisation)/Good Rockin' Tonight
11 - Forty Days
12 - Too Bad About Sorrows
13 - Dig a Pony
14 - Dig a Pony
15 - You've Got Me Thinking
16 - I've Got a Feeling
17 - Don't Let Me Down
18 - "I Dig a Pygmy"
19 - Don't Let Me Down
20 - Dig a Pony
21 - Going Up the Country
22 - Dig a Pony
23 - I've Got a Feeling
24 - "You Want a Session Job?"
25 - Dig a Pony - NEW
26 - Don't Let Me Down - NEW
27 - Don't Let Me Down - NEW
28 - Don't Let Me Down

The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Two
DISC 6 (68:10)
I - Dig a Pony - NEW
2 - Dig a Pony
3 - I've Got a Feeling
4 - I've Got a Feeling - NEW
5 - I've Got a Feeling
6 - Get Back
7 - Get Back - NEW
8 - Get Back
9 - Get Back - NEW
10 - (Improvisation) - NEW
11 - Twenty Flight Rock - NEW
12 - Get Back - NEW
13 - Oh! Darting - NEW
14 - Oh! Darting - NEW
15 - Get Back - NEW
16 - On the Road to Marrakesh
17 - Two of Us - NEW
18 - Two of Us - NEW
19 - Two of Us-NEW
20 - Teddy Boy
21 - Two of Us
22 - Maggie Mae
23 - "I Fancy Me Chances"
24 - Two of Us - NEW
25 - Maggie Mae
26 - Her Majesty

DISC FIVE – 67.12
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part One
There’s quite a bit of newly available material on this disc, and what isn’t new is either longer, presented in better quality, or both. With the move to the Beatle’s studio in the basement of the Apple building, the sessions now revolved (somewhat loosely) around recording releasable takes. So, after the usual spate of warm–up numbers, rehearsal and generally clowning, serious attempts at recording "Dig a Pony", "I’ve Got a Feeling", and "Don’t Let Me Down" begin. Mid–way through the session Billy Preston arrived and was immediately offered a temporary spot with the band (track 24).


Wednesday, January 22
01 – Somethin' Else (1.00) – 22.NEW
Roll 401A – George performs this Eddie Cochran song.

02 – Daydream (0.55) – 22.1
Roll 402A – George, John and Ringo break into this Lovin’ Spoonful hit with George calling out the chords for John’s benefit, and both of them harmonizing on the vocal.

03 – You Are My Sunshine (2.00) – 22.2
Roll 402A – A loose and breezy rendition, not very much musically, but quite touching to hear as John and George musically mend fences.

04 – Whispering (1.44) – 22.3
Roll 402A – The band breaks into this 20’s standard song.

05 – (Improvisation) (2.34) – 22.NEW
Roll 402A – Bluesy improvisation lead by John.

06 – My Baby Left Me / That's All Right (3.09) –22.27
Roll 404A – John sings this frantic Elvis tribute consisting of two songs written by Arthur Crudup. This performance is quite rough, but it has more life than anything else attempted this session.

07 – Milk Cow Blues (2.10) – 22.25 + 22.26
Roll 404A – John takes lead vocal and trades guitar riffs with George.

08 – "All I Want is You" (1.22) – 22.32
Roll 405A – John improvises an entirely new number, borrowing a few lines from "Madman".

09 – In The Middle of an Island / Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzenellen Bogen By The Sea (0.56) – 22.33
Roll 405A – John sings the first couple lines from "In the Middle of the Island". The tempo reminds Paul of another song from the 50’s, and he and John harmonize nicely on "Gilly Gilly…".

10 – (Improvisation) / Good Rockin' Tonight (2.43) – 22.34
Roll 406A – John takes a phrase from Chuck Berry’s "Roll Over Beethoven", wraps a song around it and then tosses in a half remembered verse from "Good Rockin' Tonight".

11 – Forty Days (1.09) – 22.35
Roll 406A – Paul leads the band into this oldie and attempts to amuse them with his Elvis voice. Eventually John sings more lines from "Forty Days".

12 – Too Bad About Sorrows (1.00) – 22.36
Roll 406A – Paul spontaneously begins belting out this song and the others follow, although their backing is rages and off–key.

13 – Dig a Pony (3.51) – 22.37
Roll 406A – A light performance. Paul introduces a falsetto line to cap off the song’s introduction.

14 – Dig a Pony (3.56) – 22.44
Roll 406A – Although his singing is fine, John is still tinkering with the lyrics.

15 – You've Got Me Thinking (1.06) – 22.41
Roll 407A – Paul takes the lead vocal here, turning in an excellent imitations of Lomax’s style.

16 – I've Got a Feeling (3.54) – 22.55
Roll 408A – A complete run–through. The descending guitar part is temporarily replaced by a few sustained notes.

17 – Don't Let Me Down (2.06) – 22.NEW
Roll 408A – Run–through.

18 – "I Dig a Pygmy" (0.25)
Roll 409A – John utters his comment about Charles Hawtrey which went on the Let It Be album.

19 – Don't Let Me Down (3.10) – 22.NEW
Roll 410A – Run–though.


Thursday, January 23
20 – Dig a Pony (3.58) – 22.NEW
Roll 416A – Run–through.

21 – Going Up the Country (0.58) – 22.NEW
Roll 416A – Canned Heat Beatles’ style.

22 – Dig a Pony (4.00) – 22.NEW
Roll 417A – Run–through.

23 – I've Got a Feeling (3.09) – 22.NEW
Roll 418A – This pass is aborted in the dueling verse.

24 – "You Want a Session Job?" (1.04)
Roll 1016B – An excerpt is seen in the Anthology video series.

25 – Dig a Pony (3.51) – 22.NEW
Roll 420A – The song is presented to Billy. This version is fairly tight.

26 – Don't Let Me Down (3.09) – 22.NEW
Roll 420A – With accompaniment by Billy, but no electric piano ending.

27 – Don't Let Me Down (3.52) – 22.NEW
Roll 421A – John forgets the lyrics of the first verse. This pass features a piano ending from Billy and a short reprise.

28 – Don't Let Me Down (3.54) – 22.54
Roll 423A – The Beatles and Billy make it through a fine, if slightly lackluster performance. This one was chosen for inclusion on the aborted Get Back LP.



DISC SIX – 68.10
The Best Of The Apple Studio Sessions Part Two
A flood of new material, from multiple attempts to record "I’ve Got a Feeling", "Get Back", and "Two of Us", to a fun interlude with "Twenty Flight Rock" (finally available!). It’s possible that a minute of the jam heard on track 10 was what Glyn Johns recorded on multi track tape and named "Blues". Note the recording dates for the Get Back album versions of "Dig a Pony" and "I’ve Got a Feeling" were wrong on BOTH Mark Lewishon’s Recording Sessions and Get Back.


Thursday, January 23 (continued)
01 – Dig a Pony (3.57) – 22.NEW
Roll 423A – Loose run–though with a very approximative solo. Paul shout’s "Get Off" at the end of the song.

02 – Dig a Pony (4.07) – 23.35
Roll 424A – This performance is marred only by Ringo’s rather plodding drum part, and ragged falsetto harmonies from Paul. This take was chosen for the aborted Get Back LP.

03 – I've Got a Feeling (2.47) – 23.36
Roll 424A – An acceptable performance that breaks down as John and Paul reach the dueling verse because John’s playing is too loud. This take was chosen for inclusion on the unreleased Get Back LP.

04 – I've Got a Feeling (3.34) – 22.NEW
Roll 424A – Rehearsal.

05 – I've Got a Feeling (3.36) – 22.61
Roll 428A – A rehearsal take. George still can’t play the descending guitar riff.


Friday, January 24
06 – Get Back (2.34) – 23.8
Roll 1022B – Run–through.

07 – Get Back (2.09) – 23.NEW
Roll 434A – The musicianship has improved.

08 – Get Back (2.41) – 23.26
Roll 435A – Another run–through.

09 – Get Back (2.33) – 23.NEW
Roll 1027B – Paul blows the first verse’s lyrics.

10 – (Improvisation) (4.15) – 23.NEW
Roll 1028B – Bluesy improvisation.

11 – Twenty Flight Rock (2.09) – 23.NEW
Roll 1028B – Paul still remembers the words.

12 – Get Back (2.46) – 23.NEW
Roll 1028B – No reprise.

13 – Oh! Darling (2.14) – 23.NEW
Roll 1030B – Run–through.

14 – Oh! Darling (1.45) – 23.NEW
Roll 1031B – Another run–through.

15 – Get Back (2.49) – 24.NEW
Roll 439A – Piano solo bypassed. No reprise.

16 – On the Road to Marrakesh (1.46) – 24.17
Roll 439A – John’s unenthusiastic?? rendition of his 1969 composition. The band is horribly out of tune.

17 – Two of Us (2.00) – 24.NEW
Roll 440A – John alone during the first verse, joined by Paul on the second one. No reprise of the middle eight.

18 – Two of Us (2.26) – 24.NEW
Roll 442A – Run–through. No reprise of the middle eight.

19 – Two of Us (2.30) – 24.NEW
Roll 442A – Another run–through.

20 – Teddy Boy (4.25) – 24.22
Roll 1043A – A stop and start rehearsal, as Paul teaches the chords to George and John. It flows into a full–fledged performance.

21 – Two of Us (3.28) – 24.29
Roll 443A – A complete run–though.

22 – Maggie Mae (0.56) – 24.37
Roll 443A – A charming performance. John and Paul are obviously having fun.

23 – "I Fancy Me Chances" (0.34) – 24.38
Roll 443A – Without missing a beat, they go into this number but they remember very few of the lyrics beyond the title.

24 – Two of Us (3.20) – 24.NEW
Roll 443A – Run through.

25 – Maggie Mae (0.38) – 24.41
Roll 444A – Another duel from John and Paul. Although it’s lacking some of the energy of their attempts, multiple tried have allowed them to agree on the lyrics. This take was included on the album Let It Be.

26 – Her Majesty (2.08) – 24.48
Roll 446A? – Paul backs himself on acoustic guitar. Halfway through the song Ringo joins in on drums and John makes very poor effort to follow along on slide guitar.