In the beginning, there was Sessions...end it was not very good. At least, that was the opinion of the surviving Beatles, once they got wind that EMI had assembled this collection of unreleased items from the Beatles recording session between 1962 end 1969. Indeed Sessions was hephazardly assembled collection, with e short running time, no regard of chronological order for ist track listing, end with some unconscionabel editing end mixing of tracks by otherwise impeccablycredentieled Geoff Emerick. This was usual EMI way, however, end it stood to reason that this effort wasn´t going to be much different then ist other attempts et repackaging the Beatles work.

This fact didn't deter EMI. Catalog numbers were assigned throughout the free world in December of 1984, on unexiting sleeve was prepared, end a single to promote the package was selected ("Leeve MyKitten Elone"). Sessions was set for releese in Jenuery of 1985. However, the mighty hend of Apple end their respective lawyers swung down just in time, end Sessions was shelved. Ten years later, with those pesky lewsuits between the Beatles end EMI out of the way end everybody being the best oh buddies, the Beatles own versions of Sessions very much-expended Anthology was issued. The unloved, unwanted Sessions still resides in the EMI´s vaults, though unfortunately many of Emerick´s mixes end edit that were produced for it were used in

The original Version of Session scen be heard on Spank´s wonderful package of the seme neme (SP-103). However what we´ve don here for your listenting pleesure is essemble en alternate version of Sessions. We heve utilized e re cent ceche of tapes of the lete John Berret of EMI, whose work ees one of the catalysts for the compiletion of the original album. Thes different versions include alternate mixes he produced for 1983´s The Beatles et Abbey Road Show, es well as mixes done for his own use, most of which were superior to the ones Emerick produced. In addition, we´ve added as bonus tracks some meteriel from that Abbey Road Show production, elso take Berret tapes end some mixes previously unissued on CD. All in all, it´s e most enjoyable collection of meteriel often heard, but not in the forms included here. Enjoy!

Peter Mewtilot

June 1999

(all mixed by John Berrett in 1982 except where noted)

1. Come And Get It
(stereo) (recorded July 4, 1969)
Peul McCortney's demo for Bedfingers first hit was originally mixed down to stereo the dey it was recorded. When Geoff Emerick assembled Sessions, he remixed but this is e Borrett mix that pre-dates the Emerick redo.

2. Leeve My Kitten Alone
(mono) (recorded August 14, 1964)
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 o mono mix that was prepared by Barrett for the Abbey Road show.

3. Not Guilty
(stereo) (recorded August 8, 1968)
This unreleased-by-the-Beatles George Harrison song was the worst crime perpetrated on ana track for Sessions. Emerick edited entire sections out, slow song down, and in general made it a less interesting track Sadly this was also the mix used for Anthology crime has been perpetroted upon the masses. At any rate this is the original, Full-length version of "Not Guilty mixed by John Barrett for himself.

4. I'm Looking Through You
(stereo) (recorded November 10-11, 1965)
The Sessions version was lert alone for the most part, and was one of Emerick better jobs on the album. The Barret 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
(stereo) (recorded August 14, 1968, mixed October 14, 1968)
What a difference exactly four years between "Leave my Kitten Alone and this track makes... At any rate, here is yet another mix of this marvelous Lennon-penned track, one that is 1968 vintage (different from the other 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 original mixes a bit, shall we say, challenging

6. How Do You Do It
(mono) (recorded and mixed Sept. 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 in the original version! This is the unadulterated mono mix

7. Besame Mucho
(mono) (recorded and mixed 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 eighties, This is slightly flatter in equalization than the Sessions version, however.

8. One After 909
(mono) (recorded and mixed March 5, 1963)
This is a mono mix prepared by Barrett of this 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 Troubles
(stereo) (recorded February 18, 1965)
The mighty thumb of Geoff Emerick come down hard on the Sessions version of this rather lame Lennon/McCartney original, composed with the best of intentions for Ringo to sing os 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 form the intro and editing directly into the second verse. Why? Who knows? It´s not as though the track was made any worse by being in the first place, which was echoed by the Fab Three and George Martin when assembling Anthology 2, using the complete original tak and ignoring the Sessions mix. Included here is another Barret alternate stereo mix from 1982. "Rock on, anybody ",indeed.

10. That Means A Lot
(stereo) (recorded February 20, 1965)
This unreleased Help! Track is featured on our alternate lineup in a previously unheard mono mix.

11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
(stereo) (recorded July 25, 1968)
R gem of this collection, here is the unadulterated take one of this The Beatles(The White Album) George Harrison classic. When this was first heard inthe Abbbey Road show in 1983 in a Barrett-mixed it stunned all who heard in its beauty ond simplicy and Harrison's off hand comment "Let's hear that back after strumming the last arpeggio seemed to bring back to Earth. Unfortunetely, Emerick on the Session mix saw fit to loop the lost chords pleyed before this arpeggio ond fade it out, rather than allowing it to its actual conclusion. Even more unfortunately, this same version was used on Anthology 3. We´re proud to present to feature the original mix, in it finest quality ever.

12. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (aka Mailman Blues)
(stereo) (recorded January 29, 1969)
This Lloyd Price song most likely heard by the Beatles as a Buddy Holly cover, was one of the few coherent oldies performed during the Get Back/Let It Be sessions, thus ist inclusion on Sessions. However, Emerich trickery was involved here primarily by fading in the track and then fading it out before ist actual end. Here is the Barrett mix, shorter but with full ending included.

13. Christmas Time Is Here Again
(stereo) (recorded November 28, 1 967)
This version was issued in December 1985 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
(stereo) (recorded July 3, 1968)
This is an odd one, in that the mix of the alternate "Obladi Oblada..." included here is of rather muddy quality, and it has previously appeared on some other releases. However we figured you´s rather have it than no to have your alternate Sessions album contain all it should.

15. A Hard Day's Night
(stereo) (recorded April 16, 1964)
A particularly funny bit of Lennon with featured in this The Beatles At Abbey Road Show bit. It comes from take one, as the Fabs are trying to crash int the correct opening chord, and failing, much to John´s amusement. When it he comes down aon a decisive "1-2-3-4" count-in Barrett edited to the released take nine, though included an alternate stereo which he prepared, and which we´ve left in

16. She's A Woman
(stereo) (recorded October 8, 1964)
Unfortunatly only a bit of this take one survives on the Abbey Road show tape, but it´s so interesting that it begs inclusion.

17. Norwegien Wood (This Bird Has Flown)
(stereo) (recorded October l 2, I 965)

19. I'm Looking Through You
(stereo) (recorded October 24, 1965)

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