Review: Revolution take... your knickers off!

Label: His Master's Choice, HMC 006

Review

After years of a dwindling Beatles outtakes supply comes this release, featuring one of the most interesting takes to surface perhaps ever. The full 11-minute "Revolution 1" has the familiar recording we all know (minus additional orchestration) plus several minutes of jamming, which eventually went on to form the basis for "Revolution 9." The title of the bootleg comes from John's talk at the start; the engineer announces "Revolution take..." and John replies "Take your knickers off and let's go!" The recording apparently runs off-speed and some enterprising folks have gone through the trouble of speed correcting it (it now runs 10:46). Disc 1 continues with more outtakes from 1968, less exciting than "Revolution 1," but still nice to have. Their variations are described below. The remainder of the two discs are filled with Beatles-related session tapes. The "Step Inside Love" Cilla Black session features Paul McCartney on guitar and disc 2 has Badfinger sessions for "Come And Get It" and "No Escaping Your Love," with Paul on piano and vocals. Definitely one to seek out; listen to some audio samples below:









Footage from the Cilla Black session (January 28, 1968):



DISC ONE

1. Revolution #1 (RM 1) (11:32)
…Here for the first time in its full 10 minute+ glory…
2. Revolution (Single version, no piano) (3:26)
…from the initial session that the recording heard on this disc is taken, complete with cunt-in and no fade out…
3. Across the universe (Alternate mix take 8) (3:49)
…This version presented here, an alternate mix from take 8, contains various overdubs – some backwards – that were not used in the released version., together with pre-song banter and a full ending…
4. Dear Prudence (4:10)
…an alternate mono mix, complete with a post-song comment from John Lennon and other extraneous noises from the original master tape…
5. Julia (instrumental take 1+2) (4:38)
…a collection of John Lennon home recordings of his song Julia, in far better sound quality and from a longer tape source than has ever appeared before.
6. Julia (SI onto take 2) (3:03)
…a vocal track and a second guitar… The quality of this source tape is incredible…
7. Julia (SI onto take 2 2nd try) (4:13)
…a second try at overdubbing…
8. Step Inside Love (2:53)
9. Step Inside Love (4:37)
10. Step Inside Love (2:56)
11. Step Inside Love (4:16)
12. Step Inside Love (take 1) (3:23)
13. Step Inside Love (take 2) (3:04)
14. Step Inside Love (takes 3 & 4) (3:09)
15. Step Inside Love (chat) (2:28)

Total time: 61:56

DISC TWO

1. Come And Get It (take 1) (2:29)
2. Come And Get It (takes 2 & 3) (1:11)
3. Come And Get It (take 4) (0:59)
4. Come And Get It (take 5) (2:15)
5. Come And Get It (take 6) (2:43)
6. Come And Get It (take 7) (0:47)
7. Come And Get It (take 8) (0:47)
8. Come And Get It (take 9) (1:10)
9. Come And Get It (take 10) (2:41)
10. Come And Get It (take 11) (0:27)
11. Come And Get It (take 12) (0:48)
12. Come And Get It (take 13) (2:42)
13. Come And Get It (take 14) (2:30)
14. Come And Get It (take 15) (2:23)
15. Come And Get It (take 16) (0:35)
16. Come And Get It (take 17) (0:51)
17. Come And Get It (take 18) (2:29)
18. Come And Get It (takes 19 & 20) (2:41)
19. Come And Get It (take 21) (2:32)
20. Come And Get It (takes 22-25) (2:37)
21. Come And Get It (take 26) (2:24)
22. No Escaping Your Love (take 1) (2:20)
23. No Escaping Your Love (takes 2 & 3) (2:23)
24. No Escaping Your Love (take 4) (2:25)
25. No Escaping Your Love (take 5) (1:22)
26. No Escaping Your Love (take 6) (2:16)
27. No Escaping Your Love (take 7) (2:19)
28. No Escaping Your Love (take 8) (2:18)
29. No Escaping Your Love (take 9) (1:22)
30. No Escaping Your Love (take 10) (2:19)
31. No Escaping Your Love (take 11) (2:18)

Total time: 59:22