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| A quick guide to what's new and what's not. |
Imagine 2018 Ultimate Collection Super DeLuxe Box set (4 CD+2 Blu-ray Audio) vs bootlegs and Lennon Anthology
by Mike Carrera
This is a quick guide using ONLY the ‘Super Deluxe’ box set 2018 to be released in October, to guide you through the many tracks: which ones are new, which could be and which aren’t? We are only focusing on the alternate material, and not on sound quality, which with this new release of course will surpass any bootlegs or past releases.
This guide will be updated in October once we get deep access to all the contents!
The ‘Super Deluxe’ presentation will be the only one having all the audio contents, and some tracks are exclusive for the Blu-Ray Audio discs accompanying this 4 CD box set.
All discs, including CDs and Blu-rays are divided into the following chapters:
a)Remixed: Stereo Album, Singles & Extras
b)Outtakes: Album, Singles & Extras
c)Quadrosonic Album Remastered (Blu Ray Exclusive)
d)Raw Studio Mixes: Outtakes-Live
e)Raw Studio Mixes: Extended album versions-Live
f) Elements Mixes
g)Evolution Documentary
h)Elliot Mintz Interviews with John & Yoko (Blu Ray Exclusive)
All the contents from the CDs will also be included on the Blu-Ray Audio discs, but the Blu-Rays will get extra features.
Super DeLuxe Box Set: CDs vs Blu-Ray Audio discs
CD 1 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 1. Blu Ray Exclusive: 5.1. mixes
CD 2 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 1 and BLU RAY DISC TWO. Blu Ray Exclusive: Six (6) songs from the ELEMENTS MIXES chapter.
CD 3 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 2. Blu Ray Exclusive: 5.1 mixes, One song LONGER from the EXTENDED VERSIONS and five (5) exclusive tracks from the OUTTAKES LIVE chapters.
CD 4 is also included on BLU RAY DISC 2. Blu Ray Exclusive: Six (6) tracks “Singles and Extras” from the EVOLUTION documentary.
For this quick review we will use only the following chapters or sections:
‘OUTTAKES’ is basically a selection of alternate takes from proper sessions or re-make sessions mostly, but also a few from rehearsal sessions, vocal overdubs or alternate vocal tracks.
‘RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE’ are basically takes with rough or live vocal guides from John, no overdubs, some are like ‘rehearsal’ takes, others are actual alternate takes/outtakes.
‘RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE’ are basically the same takes as used for the final master but with rough vocals or unedited (longer), no overdubs, reverb, tape delays, etc.
‘ELEMENTS’ are the multi track tapes combined to showcase some instruments or vocals (sometimes together, others just one element), these have nothing to do with channel separations from 5.1. mixes or Rockband mogg files, which are similar but not the same.
‘EVOLUTION’ are collages or montages starting from the demo takes in some cases, early rehearsals and alternate takes up to the final version.
Note: some songs have the same Take number twice or three times, meaning one comes from a first warm up session, the other from a re-make session starting counting takes again from the beginning, others use the final backing track from that take but with different vocal overdubs.
You will see the name of the song, take number or description, running time, under which section it will be included and whether it’s new or not.
This is an attempt to present the tracks in chronological order, as the box set has it all jumbled around, in many cases. And to the surprise of many bootleg collectors, the majority of the tracks on this new official set has never been released before!
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| this is the clear vinyl 2LP edition. |
2018 DeLuxe Box Set vs bootlegs and Lennon Anthology
IMAGINE
Imagine (Original demo recorded at Ascot) 03:17 OUTTAKES
NEW *Different from the ‘other’ demo circulating on bootlegs (3:36) which was also used (but edited) on the 1988 Warner Bros soundtrack "Imagine - The Movie" and can be seen in the ‘Gimme Some Truth’ documentary.
Imagine (Take 1) 03:25 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE
Also known as "Version 1" on bootlegs. The Anthology version lacks the final comment from John lasting five seconds less (3:20), while the bootleg version is complete and with the same length of 3:25. So nothing new, but it will be little longer than the Anthology version.
Imagine (Take 1) 03:05 OUTTAKES
This is the re-make session, also known as “Version 2”. Lasting 3:12 on bootlegs, including some chat after the take, but it actually ends at 3:05. Nothing new here, apparently.
Imagine (Take 10) 03:12 OUTTAKES NEW
Imagine 06:00 EVOLUTION NEW
Imagine (Strings only) 02:13 ELEMENTS NEW
Similar to some 5.1. mixes and Rockband multi tracks, but this mix is a new one.
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| original imagine single, norway 1971 |
CRIPPLED INSIDE
Crippled Inside (Take 2) 05:23 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE *BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW From Rehearsal Session? (Take 2 from the session that gave us the final version is available on bootlegs but it’s different from this "Live outtake")
Crippled Inside (Take 6 alternate guitar solo) 03:50 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE *BLU-RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW From Rehearsal Session?
Crippled Inside (Take 3) 03:50 OUTTAKES
NEW Re-make Session? (a Different Take 3 is on bootleg, including engineer’s slate "Take Three", and lasting no longer than 1 minute because it's a breakdown take, so now we have a different Take 3, maybe one comes from the “Rehearsal/Live sessions” and the other from the ‘proper’ session?)
Crippled Inside (Take 6 alternate guitar solo) 03:47 OUTTAKES
NEW Re-make Session? (on bootlegs we have two different takes with this same length (3:47), one described as "Take 17" but without any slate it’s doubtful we are actually hearing a seventeenth take, so could be this Take 6, and the other described as "Rough Take", both with "alternate guitar solo", we will have to wait to get this upcoming official set to be able to really compare and decide.)
Crippled Inside (Take 6) 03:50 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS-LIVE
NEW From Re-make Session?
Crippled Inside 03:59 EVOLUTION NEW
Crippled Inside (upright bass & drums) 03:37 ELEMENTS *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW
JEALOUS GUY
Jealous Guy (Take 9) 02:16 OUTTAKESNEW
Jealous Guy (Take 11) 04:27 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVENEW
Jealous Guy (Take 29) 04:22 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS
NEW (a very similar but not the same as the official released version is available on bootlegs as "Take 7 Vocal Overdub", and also different from the take on the Anthology box set)
Jealous Guy 06:11 EVOLUTIONNEW
Jealous Guy (Piano, bass & drums) 04:12 ELEMENTS NEW
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| Record Store Day 2011 boxed vinyl set. |
IT’S SO HARD
It's So Hard (Take 6) 02:33 OUTTAKESNEW
It's So Hard (Take 11) 02:42 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONSNEW
It's So Hard 06:50 EVOLUTION NEW
It's So Hard (Strings) 00:57 ELEMENTS*BLU RAY EXCLUSIVENEW
I DON'T WANNA BE A SOLDIER MAMA I DON'T WANNA DIE
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier (Take 21) 05:17 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVENEW From the first session.
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier (Take 25) 04:34 OUTTAKESNEW From the first session.
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier (Take 4 - extended) 09:36 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE(CD 3 will get an edited 7:56 version)
NEW From the Re-make session.
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier 07:06 EVOLUTION NEW
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier (Guitar, Bass & Drums) 06:08 ELEMENTS *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW
GIMME SOME TRUTH
Gimme Some Truth (Take 4 – extended) 03:40 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS
NEW (Only the first three takes are available on bootleg in "Raw" form with a live vocal)
Gimme Some Truth (Take 4) 03:28 OUTTAKES NEW With an alternate vocal overdub.
Gimme Some Truth 05:12 EVOLUTION NEW
Gimme Some Truth 03:16 ELEMENTS *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE NEW
OH MY LOVE
Oh My Love (Take 6) 02:44 OUTTAKES
Already on bootleg, with more extra dialogue and post rehearsal.
Oh My Love (Take 20) 02:47 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE
NEW (Partially available on bootleg- less than 10 seconds).
Oh My Love 07:31 EVOLUTION NEW
Oh My Love (Vocals only) 01:56 ELEMENTSNEW Similar as from the Rockband multi tracks, but this mix is a new one.
HOW DO YOU SLEEP?
How Do You Sleep? (Take 1) 08:40 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE
From First Session? Already on Bootlegs, maybe we will get little more post-song chat banter.
How Do You Sleep? (Takes 5 & 6) 07:03 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE
Partially NEW- From First Session? (Takes 5 (a false start) and Take 6 are already on the Anthology boxed set, but Take 6 has a fadeout there, so we will get around 2 minutes more of unheard stuff).
How Do You Sleep? (Takes 1 & 2) 05:57 OUTTAKES
NEW From Re-make Session? (Do not confuse this with the "Rehearsal takes 1 and 2" on bootleg, those were rehearsals more than proper takes).
How Do You Sleep? (Take 11 – extended) 06:00 RAW MIXES EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVE
NEW From Re-make Session (even though we have two outtakes very close to the final version on bootleg, none of them are exactly 6:00, one is 6:46 and the other known as "Alternate Vocal B" is 6:13, maybe we will get that with early fade out? We will find out in October.)
How Do You Sleep? 07:34 EVOLUTION NEW
How Do You Sleep? (Strings) 05:03 ELEMENTS *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW
HOW?
How? (Takes 7-10) 06:18 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW
How? (Take 31) 03:47 OUTTAKES NEW
How? (Take 40 alternate vocal) 03:46 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE *BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW
How? (Take 40) 03:55 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVENEW
How? 08:45 EVOLUTIONNEW
How? (Strings only) 03:36 ELEMENTSNEW Already available from the Rockband multi tracks but this mix will be a new one.
OH YOKO!
Oh Yoko! (from Bed Peace Sheraton Hotel, Bahamas 1969) 05:00 OUTTAKES
Partially NEW (From the aborted Bed-In in Bahamas, wrongly listed before as being from the Montreal Bed Peace or a home demo from Surrey) 4:36 of it is already available, so now we will get the full rendition.
Oh Yoko! (Take 1 tracking vocal) 06:14 RAW STUDIO OUTTAKES LIVE*BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE
NEW
Oh Yoko! (Take 1 – extended) 06:15 RAW STUDIO EXTENDED ALBUM VERSIONS LIVENEW
Oh Yoko! 03:56 EVOLUTIONNEW
Oh Yoko! (Acoustic) 04:16 ELEMENTS*BLU RAY EXCLUSIVE NEW
SINGLES AND EXTRAS
Power To The People (Take 7) 03:25 OUTTAKESNEW
Power To The People 05:29 –EVOLUTION*BLU-RAY ONLY NEW
God Save Us (Original demo) 02:57 OUTTAKES
Partially NEW (the version on bootleg runs only 2:00 so now we will get now the full demo). A studio outtake with John’s lead vocal will also be available on CD 1/Blu Ray 1 under "Remixed Singles and Extras", which is the same version as on ‘Lennon Anthology’.
God Save Us/Oz 08:36 – EVOLUTION*BLU-RAY ONLY NEW
Do The Oz (Take 3) (Michael Ramsden vocal) 06:42 OUTTAKES
NEW (with Ringo on drums and Klaus on bass?, one of the highlights?)
Do The Oz 02:18 –EVOLUTION *BLU-RAY ONLY NEW
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (Alternate Mix) 03:41 OUTTAKESNEW (the alternate mixes circulating among collectors do not last as long as this one)
Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 04:05 – EVOLUTION *BLU-RAY ONLYNEW
Well (Baby Please Don't Go) 03:06 –EVOLUTION*BLU-RAY ONLY
NEW A complete studio outtake will be available also on CD 1/Blu Ray 1 under "Remixed Singles and Extras", which is the same version as on ‘Lennon Anthology’.
Tittenhurst Park 17:16- EVOLUTION*BLU-RAY ONLY
NEW A collage of improvisations and studio chats from the sessions, similar to the ‘Fly on the Wall’ disc from "Let it Be... Naked". Including snippets of ‘Mind Games’ (from the Oh My Love session and already available, even on bootleg video), and new ones: "My Babe" (Willie Dixon) and "What Am I living For?" (Chuck Willis).
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| The 1998 John Lennon Anthology boxed set |