When it was launched by The Beatles in 1968 Apple Records made musical history right from the start as the label built an eclectic roster of artists such as James Taylor, Badfinger, Billy Preston, Mary Hopkin, Doris Troy and Jackie Lomax.
Now, we’re very pleased to announce that Apple Corps Ltd and EMI Music are raising the curtain on remastered CD – mostly with bonus material – and digital download releases of 15 key albums from Apple Records. All titles will be released on October 25 (October 26 in the US).
Apple Records gave The Beatles the unique opportunity to sign both new and established artists who appealed to each of them, and its utopian artist-orientated mission instantly set it apart from other labels. Diversity was celebrated and artists were encouraged to record and release their music in a friendly and creative environment.
Between 1968 and 1973 Apple Records gave the world a hugely eclectic spectrum of releases, with fans well-informed about the individual involvements of The Beatles in nearly every project. The first release was the 1968 self-titled debut from US singer-songwriter James Taylor which included Paul McCartney and George Harrison on ‘Carolina In My Mind’.
Paul McCartney produced the debut single from Welsh singer Mary Hopkin, George Harrison produced and played on the Apple debut from Billy Preston and was also one and the producers and performers (along with Ringo Starr) on the first album by Jackie Lomax.
John Lennon was much taken with the music of The Modern Jazz Quartet, while Ringo Starr was intrigued by the music of contemporary British classical composer John Tavener. Badfinger (below from their 1972 album ‘Straight Up’) had a track on their debut album written and produced by Paul McCartney.
Each of the albums has been digitally remastered at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios in London by the same dedicated team of engineers behind The Beatles hugely successful remastered catalogue releases last year.
The 15 Apple Records’ reissues are:
‘James Taylor’ (1968) by James Taylor
‘Magic Christian Music’ (1970) by Badfinger
‘No Dice’ (1970) by Badfinger
‘Straight Up’ (1972) by Badfinger
‘Ass’ (1974) by Badfinger
‘Post Card’ (1969) by Mary Hopkin
‘Earth Song, Ocean Song’ (1971) by Mary Hopkin
‘That’s The Way God Planned It’ (1969) by Billy Preston
‘Encouraging Words’ (1970) by Billy Preston
‘Doris Troy’ (1970) by ‘Doris Troy’
‘Is This What You Want?’ (1968) by Jackie Lomax
‘Under The Jasmin Tree’ (1968) and ‘Space’ (1969) by Modern Jazz Quartet
‘The Whale’ (1970) and ‘Celtic Requiem’ (1971) by John Tavener
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3 Comments so far. Leave a comment below.As it turns out, the track listings briefly(accidentally) shown at the Apple Records website were indeed tentative and/or incomplete. Now that the finalised track listings have been revealed, Apple Records collectors will be delighted.
The James Taylor & Jackie Lomax albums WILL have bonus tracks, the “Radha Krishna Temple” album(with an unreleased bonus track) has been added to the reissue campaign, and consumers who are buying the CD’s will have to seek out fewer download albums. Buying the CD series plus the Badfinger & Mary Hopkin downloads will give you all of the tracks.
My only (mild) complaint: it will be neccessary to hold onto the previous CD of “Radha Krishna Temple” for the non-L.P. B-side bonus track “Prayer to The Spiritual Masters”. And we fans would like to see more CD compilations of Apple’s non-L.P. singles artists, specifically to get the remaining tracks by “Trash” & Chris Hodge on CD. But, overall, this series is a great start.
Those of us(including myself) who were underwhelmed by the vague advance information concerning the John Lennon reissue series are now hoping that more detailed information may reveal significant reasons for us to buy the Lennon catalogue again.
Love the remasters. I bought all the Beatles remasters and will buy all the Badfinger remasters. I still think they are the best power pop band ever. They are the band and had the songs I think George Harrison wished he had. He was great but they took it further. BUTTTTTTTTTTT…………..where is Splinter. Nowhere to find on compilations cd’s nothing. And Costafine Town was defnitely along with Apple of my eye the 2 best songs that came out of the Apple roster.
I’m playing the new Apple Records 17-CD box set as I type this. Generally it’s excellent. Naturally, as a fan, I’m also holding onto the previous CD’s by Badfinger & Jackie Lomax, as those discs also contain exclusive material amongst their bonus tracks.
The only fault I’ve found so far in the new 17-CD box is this: on the 2-disc set of bonus tracks, “Disc One” opens with what is supposed to be the mono single mix of “The Iveys(I.E. early Badfinger)-Dear Angie”, but instead, it’s a previously unissued intended mono album mix. In the actual single mix(issued only in France, Germany,Holland & Japan), Ron Griffiths’ lead vocal is single-tracked for the first 2 minutes of the song, then double-tracked for the remainder of the song. In all other mixes of the song that EMI & Apple Records have issued, the lead vocal is double-tracked for the entirety of the song. In my collection, I have the rare Apple French 7″ single “Dear Angie” b/w “No Escaping Your Love”(obtained in London in the early 1990′s for a pricey £60-£80), so I am certain of this.