Revolution 1, Take 20
Wow. This is incredible. I’ve been collecting Beatles bootlegs since high school and I haven’t heard anything this cool leak since the Anthology series came out. It’s been circulating all over for the past few days, but if you haven’t heard it yet, you’re in for a treat.
I prefer this take to either one of the Revolution tracks that ended up on the White Album. The final version of Revolution 1 always seemed more like a slow version of the “real” Revolution that was on the B-Side of the Hey Jude single. With the extended ending, Revolution 1 is almost like the bastard child of Hey Jude, with the Na-Na-Na’s replaced by a cacophony of rhythmic noise. But, unlike with Revolution 9, the noise works here. It less an exercise in studio dickery than an extended jam/fade-out that’s feels like a more organic version of the ending of I Am The Walrus. I’m shocked this didn’t make it onto Anthology 3.
Can you just imagine how much better the White Album would have ended up if this version had replaced Revolutions 1 & 9?
13 comments »
Copy link for RSS feed for comments on this post or for TrackBack URI
Leave a comment
Line and paragraph breaks automatic, e-mail address never displayed, HTML allowed: <a href="" title=""> <abbr title=""> <acronym title=""> <b> <blockquote cite=""> <cite> <code> <del datetime=""> <em> <i> <q cite=""> <strike> <strong>
The other stuff on this CD boot?
Comment by rippty — February 24, 2009 @ 4:42 pm
voices at the beginning sound fake
Comment by pigdog — February 24, 2009 @ 5:28 pm
Actually, there’s been a lot of speculation on message boards that the tape is fake, but there’s every reason to believe it’s legit. Moreover, the more hard-core Beatleg boards and various Beatles experts all accept its validity.
This take was previously released on a bootleg called “From Kinfauns to Chaos”, but the version on that was recorded from the mixing room and it overpowered by Yoko babbling away in the foreground. The mp3 I posted, matches what was heard on that track. Also, the track length and mix (“mama, papa” loops, etc.) match the description from the book “The Beatles Recording Sessions”, which was written ~20 years ago.
If this is a fake, then it’s the most impressive fake I’ve ever heard.
Comment by greg — February 24, 2009 @ 5:36 pm
Yoko is all over this and it’s wonderful!
Comment by Seamus McGarvey — February 25, 2009 @ 2:13 pm
>> But, unlike with Revolution 9, the noise works here.
RIIIIGGGGHT. Revolution 9 didn’t work? LOL let us know when you do something that affects so many people.
Comment by samiam — February 25, 2009 @ 3:01 pm
This is the real deal. EMI put a cease & desist and pulled it off YOUTUBE.
Comment by rippty — February 25, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Wow, we’re being spoilt! First Revolution 1, take 20; now Revolution 9, alternative mix! Is this real?!! :-) This is the new version which has surfaced along with take 20:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDRdMSTAnAg
Comment by tam — February 26, 2009 @ 4:32 am
> I’m shocked this didn’t make it onto Anthology 3
As far as I know George Harrison didn’t want it on, along with Carnival of Light on Anthology 2. There was talk of Carnival of Light being given an official release sometime soon, and I was wondering whether it would be released alone or be accompanied with something else… if this take of Revolution 1 is being prepared for official release, maybe that would explain the (otherwise unprecedented) leak?
Comment by J Clark — February 26, 2009 @ 8:39 am
Yeah, this is definately legit. I’ve had that Yoko version for years and have been praying to the spirit of John for the release of a clean version. Now we finally have it. Although there has obviously been some remixing of this version, it is complete. If it ever comes to pass that another Anthology comes out, I hope they put this on it in stereo and perhaps one step earlier, less the overdubs. I’m a purest when it comes to the Beatles and I loved the basic tracks of I Am The Walrus, Let It Be, The Long and Winding Road, I Me Mine, and Across The Universe that have been on Anthology and Let It Be Naked. There are two others I want to hear before I die, one being the 28 minute version of Helter Skelter and the other is an alternate version of I’m Fixing A Hole that Paul talks about in an interview he did back in the 70’s. He explained that he transferred it to a tape recorder and brought it home to listen to when he was lying in bed. As I recall, Paul said it was around 8 minutes long and very spacey. JJ
Comment by JJ johnson — February 26, 2009 @ 9:50 am
> This is the real deal. EMI put a cease & desist and pulled it off YOUTUBE.
I think it’s legit but EMI’s action here doesn’t prove this – if this was just fragments of Revolution 1 and Revolution 9 cleverly stuck together, that would still be enough Beatles content for EMI to insist it be removed from youtube.
Comment by J Clark — February 26, 2009 @ 6:53 pm
> one being the 28 minute version of Helter Skelter and the other is an alternate version of I’m Fixing A Hole
I had Carnival of Light on my list and that version of Helter Skelter; never knew about an alternate “spacey” version of Fixing A Hole. Thanks!
I have to say, I have been waiting to hear this take of Revolution 1 ever since the Anthologies came out. And I really do love it, although I have to side with those who say it complements rather than surpasses Revolutions 1 and 9 on the White Album. If anything I consider it an important “missing link” between those two tracks. It’s fascinating to hear things in the fade out that you recognise from Revolution 9, various fragments of “alriiiiiiiiiiiiiiight!” and larger pieces from right near the end.
Comment by J Clark — February 26, 2009 @ 7:06 pm
I prefer this version, personally, despite enjoying the album version all along. This one’s grittier, with more teeth.
Comment by Danko Ramone — March 9, 2009 @ 9:03 pm
Is there a way to get this on my iPod?
Comment by C Wood — April 24, 2009 @ 8:01 pm