Anthology 3 Explained

Anthology 3
Type:compilation
Artist:the Beatles
Cover:Anthology3cover.jpg
Recorded:28 May 1968 – 3 January 1970 (except 22 February 1967 for the final chord of "A Day in the Life")
Studio:EMI Studios and Apple Studios, London
Genre:Rock
Label:Apple, Capitol
Producer:George Martin

Anthology 3 is a compilation album by the Beatles, released on 28 October 1996[1] by Apple Records as part of The Beatles Anthology series. The album includes rarities and alternative tracks from the final two years of the band's career, ranging from the initial sessions for The Beatles (better known as "the White Album") to the last sessions for Let It Be and Abbey Road in 1969 and early 1970. It is the last in a trilogy of albums with Anthology 1 and Anthology 2, all of which tie in with the televised special The Beatles Anthology.

The album was certified 3× Platinum by the RIAA and was the group's third double album in a row to reach number one on the US charts, equalling a record set by Donna Summer in the 1970s.

The Anthology albums were remastered and made available digitally on the iTunes Store on 14 June 2011, individually and as part of the Anthology Box Set.

Content

Following "Free as a Bird" on Anthology 1 and "Real Love" on Anthology 2, a third John Lennon solo demo entitled "Now and Then" was to be reworked by the three surviving members of The Beatles (George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) for Anthology 3. However, this project was shelved due to Harrison's dislike of the quality of the song recording. McCartney later stated that Harrison called Lennon's demo recording "fucking rubbish".[2] McCartney told Q Magazine in 1997 that "George didn't like it. The Beatles being a democracy, we didn't do it."[3] The song would eventually be finished and released in 2023.[4] In its place is "A Beginning", an orchestral instrumental track by the band's producer George Martin, initially intended for the White Album as the intro to "Don't Pass Me By".

Connecting to the previous Anthology albums, the cover image painted by Klaus Voormann features a collage of Beatles-related imagery designed to appear as a wall of peeling posters and album covers. An updated picture of Voormann can be seen in Harrison's hair in a segment of the Revolver album cover.

Track listing

CD release

All tracks in stereo, except where noted.

Vinyl release

Side one:

  1. "A Beginning"
  2. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun"
  3. "Helter Skelter"
  4. "Mean Mr. Mustard"
  5. "Polythene Pam"
  6. "Glass Onion"
  7. "Junk"
  8. "Piggies"
  9. "Honey Pie"
  10. "Don't Pass Me By"
  11. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
  12. "Good Night"

Side two

  1. "Cry Baby Cry"
  2. "Blackbird"
  3. "Sexy Sadie"
  4. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
  5. "Hey Jude"
  6. "Not Guilty"
  7. "Mother Nature's Son"

Side three

  1. "Glass Onion"
  2. "Rocky Raccoon"
  3. "What's the New Mary Jane"
  4. "Step Inside Love" / "Los Paranoias"
  5. "I'm So Tired"
  6. "I Will"
  7. "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
  8. "Julia"

Side four

  1. "I've Got a Feeling"
  2. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window"
  3. "Dig a Pony"
  4. "Two of Us"
  5. "For You Blue"
  6. "Teddy Boy"
  7. Medley: "Rip It Up" / "Shake, Rattle and Roll" / "Blue Suede Shoes"

Side five

  1. "The Long and Winding Road"
  2. "Oh! Darling"
  3. "All Things Must Pass"
  4. "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues"
  5. "Get Back"
  6. "Old Brown Shoe"
  7. "Octopus's Garden"
  8. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"

Side six

  1. "Something"
  2. "Come Together"
  3. "Come and Get It"
  4. "Ain't She Sweet"
  5. "Because"
  6. "Let It Be"
  7. "I Me Mine"
  8. "The End"

Cassette release

Side one

  1. "A Beginning"
  2. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun"
  3. "Helter Skelter"
  4. "Mean Mr. Mustard"
  5. "Polythene Pam"
  6. "Glass Onion"
  7. "Junk"
  8. "Piggies"
  9. "Honey Pie"
  10. "Don't Pass Me By"
  11. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
  12. "Good Night"
  13. "Cry Baby Cry"
  14. "Blackbird"
  15. "Sexy Sadie"
  16. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"

Side two

  1. "Hey Jude"
  2. "Not Guilty"
  3. "Mother Nature's Son"
  4. "Glass Onion"
  5. "Rocky Raccoon"
  6. "What's the New Mary Jane"
  7. "Step Inside Love" / "Los Paranoias"
  8. "I'm So Tired"
  9. "I Will"
  10. "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
  11. "Julia"

Side three

  1. "I've Got a Feeling"
  2. "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window"
  3. "Dig a Pony"
  4. "Two of Us"
  5. "For You Blue"
  6. "Teddy Boy"
  7. Medley: "Rip It Up" / "Shake, Rattle and Roll" / "Blue Suede Shoes"
  8. "The Long and Winding Road"
  9. "Oh! Darling"
  10. "All Things Must Pass"
  11. "Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues"

Side four

  1. "Get Back"
  2. "Old Brown Shoe"
  3. "Octopus's Garden"
  4. "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"
  5. "Something"
  6. "Come Together"
  7. "Come and Get It"
  8. "Ain't She Sweet"
  9. "Because"
  10. "Let It Be"
  11. "I Me Mine"
  12. "The End"

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for Anthology 3! Chart (1996)! Peak
position
Italian Albums (FIMI)[5] 27
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[6] 5

Year-end charts

1996 year-end chart performance for Anthology 3! Chart (1996)! Position
Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[7] 62
Japanese Albums (Oricon)174
UK Albums (OCC)[8] 81
US Billboard 200[9] 159
1997 year-end chart performance for Anthology 3! Chart (1997)! Position
US Billboard 200[10] 107

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: BPI.
  2. [YouTube]
  3. https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/rec.music.beatles/7clhNbsz3jE Q Magazine, 1997
  4. Web site: The Beatles' 'Last Song,' 'Now and Then,' Is Set for Release, Along With Expanded, Remix-Filled 'Red' and 'Blue' Hits Collections. Variety. 26 October 2023. 26 October 2023.
  5. Web site: History. it. FIMI. 31 May 2022. Set "Ricerca per" on "Titolo", then search "Anthology 3" and click "Classifiche".
  6. Web site: ザ・ビートルズ・アンソロジー3/ザ・ビートルズ-リリース-ORICON STYLE-ミュージック. Highest position and charting weeks of Anthology 2 by The Beatles. ja. oricon.co.jp. Oricon Style. 1 January 2014.
  7. RPM Year End Top 100 Albums . RPM . 16 December 1996. 18 December 2013.
  8. Web site: End of Year Album Chart Top 100 – 1996. Official Charts Company. 21 February 2022.
  9. Web site: Billboard.BIZ - Year-end Charts - Billboard 200 - 1996.
  10. Web site: Billboard.BIZ - Year-end Charts - Billboard 200 - 1997.