The Beatles - Cinema Impromptu

Oh boy, here we go.  I am now attempting to tackle some of the greatest composers of the rock and roll era.  The amount that The Beatles did in a mere seven years, from I Wanna Hold Your Hand to Here Comes The Sun, Paul, John, George and Ringo sure did revolutionize the way music was understood in a little more than half a decade.

On average, The Beatles created about 15 recordings every day they were together, meaning that there is simply no limit to how many potential best-of bootleg collections there can be.  But I will present you with my favorites, ordered for flow, of Beatles songs not available by normal means. 

This album has had many different iterations and drafts and has been essentially in development for years.  But less about my efforts, let's get to this wonderful album of obscure rarities that could easily stand among their canon.  And what's beautiful is that there is only one song that was on any official releases from The Beatles, and very few were off of Anthology, so get ready for some stuff you've never heard.  On top of that, besides one or two traditional ditties, ALL of these songs are written by members of The Beatles.

The Beatles - Cinema Impromptu

Side A:

1.  A Beginning
(original opening for The White Album, then known as A Doll's House - 1968)
2.  That Means A Lot
(the fast take not on Anthology, constructed into a new song - 1965)
3.  Sout Milk Sea 
(demo from The White Album, mixed with the official backtracking - 1968 / 1969)
4.  Junk
(demo from The White Album - 1968)
5.  I'll Be On My Way 
(BBC Sessions - 1963)
6.  Watching Rainbows / Song of Love
(An outtake during the Get Back sessions for Let It Be, followed by Paul having fun on the piano - 1969)
7.  While My Guitar Gently Weeps
(this is the Love version mixed with the original moog ending by Harrison - 1968)

Side B:

8.  Bad To Me 
(the original Lennon demo mixed with the original release - 1963)
9.  All Things Must Pass
(the full uncut Harrison demo from the Abbey Road era - 1969)
10.  Goodbye
(the demo recorded by Paul McCartney for Mary Hopkins - 1969)
11.  Isn't It A Pity
(the Harrison demo recorded around the time All Things Must Pass was - 1969)
12.  This One's On A Donkey
(quick excerpt from the Get Back sessions - 1969)
13.  Banjoes
(a traditional song recorded as part of their annual fan club The Beatles Christmas Message - 1967)
14.  Pedro The Fisherman
(a strange demo recorded by Lennon during their psychedelic years - 1967)
15.  What's The New Mary Jane
(desired as a full single release by Lennon, this is the fully overwhelming and scary final take - 1968)
16.  Christmas Time Is Here Again
(released officially on the obscure Free As A Bird single, this is also taken from their Christmas Message - 1967)
17.  An Ending
(credit music from HELP! - 1965)
18.  Mark It Fab
(vocal snippet from McCartney, taken from one of the mini-documentaries released in 2009 - 196? )

Bonus EP:

19.  Strawberry Fields Forever
(probably the best demo that Lennon recorded - 1967)
20.  Helter Skelter
(this is a strange mix of take 2 that I am guessing was mixed as a single to promote Anthology)
21.  Mamma, You've Been On My Mind
(a Dylan cover by Harrison during the Get Back sessions - 1969)
22.  Real Love
(this is the original take from Anthology with the Lennon-only demo - 1980 / 1994)
23.  Peace of Mind (The Candle Burns)
(it is unknown who made this song, as about half of the bootleggers believe it was The Beatles, and half don't... decide for yourself - 1967)
24.  Good Night 
(a fan reconstruction creating a fully acoustic version - 1968)
25.  Session Chat - Think For Yourself
(over 15 minutes of chatter including all The Beatles - 1965)
26.  Get Back (Reprise)
(originally on one of the mixes of the album Get Back, later renamed Let It Be - 1969)

Rather than reviewing this as an album, like I normally will do, I feel it needs to be a completely subjective experience, meaning that I will be more objective in this analysis.

The Beatles have so many songs.  To give you an idea, in January of 1969, The Beatles were taped the entire time they were in the studio for a film to be released along side Let It Be.  These leaked and were sourced together and released as A/B Road on a whopping 83 CDs.  The only reason they aren't the most bootlegged band is because they stopped touring so early.

It is highly safe to say that there will be much more I release from The Beatles, but in my 6 years of downloading, these are by far the best in my opinion.  It is a collection of all The Beatles had to offer, but for whatever reason, didn't actually offer it.  Each song on this album could fit into any of their official releases of the recorded year.

Speaking of which, let's break this album down.  Every year that The Beatles existed is featured on this collection except 1964, which is likely because they toured America, filmed A Hard Day's Night and I guess there were just no great outtakes from Beatles For Sale, and 1966, because they were dealing in creating scandal.  If the album were chronological, it'd look like this:

1963 (Please Please Me, With The Beatles)
8.  Bad To Me
5.  I'll Be On My Way
1964 (A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale)
1965 (HELP!, Rubber Soul)
2.  That Means A Lot
17. An Ending
1966 (Revolver)
1967 (Sgt Peppers, Magical Mystery Tour)
14. Pedro The Fisherman
13. Banjoes
16. Christmas Time Is Here Again
1968 (The White Album)
1. A Beginning
4.  Junk
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
15. What's The New Mary Jane
3. Sour Milk Sea
1969 (Yellow Submarine, Let It Be, Abbey Road)
6. Watching Rainbows
12. This One's On A Donkey
10. Goodbye
9.  All Things Must Pass
11.  Isn't It A Pity
18. Mark it Fab

There are essentially only four songs before they get experimental, and a majority of the tracks are from '68 and '69, their final two years.  This is partly because of technological advancements, but also because I feel that their more mature years are by far the best.  Nonetheless, it is obvious why I did not order these chronologically.

I feel The Beatles deserve a bootleg overhaul, as there are so many little gems that no one seems to know much about.  The Christmas Tapes, The Kinfauns Demos, a plethora of super early work, completely obscure tracks, the best of the Get Back sessions, plus plenty that aren't leaked, could all easily be assembled.  Perhaps I will tackle these daunting compilations, but for now, I am merely collecting the best-of's and packaging them as the unofficial unreleased album by the fab four.  Please enjoy and share.

- blashco