Thirteen unreleased Beatles tracks are set to feature on a new Anthology compilation – almost 30 years since the last.
The announcement comes following a big hint from Sir Paul McCartney and the other official Beatles social media channels, which all shared a carousel of images containing the numbers one to four on Instagram the day before the announcement.
Anthology 4 will feature 13 demos, session recordings and other rare tracks that have never been released before, similar to the first three Anthology compilations, which were released between 1995 and 1996.
Details of a full track listing are yet to be revealed. There is no indication the release will feature any completely previously unheard songs.
A book and documentary series, The Beatles Anthology, is also being remastered and streamed on Disney+, billed as “The Beatles’ story, in their own words”.
The series will include a new ninth episode featuring previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage of Sir Paul, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, filmed as they made the collections.
Exciting news for Fab Four fans – but don’t expect completely new songs
Let it Be? It would seem they just can’t.
The emergence of 13 previously unreleased Beatles tracks has got fans of the Fab Four sitting up in their seats.
The best-selling music act of all time, The Beatles are one of the most influential groups in the world – having achieved 18 number one singles in the UK and 15 number one albums.
So why haven’t we heard of this new music before? Well, it’s not exactly a case of Sir Paul or Sir Ringo having quietly sat on new songs for years.
Instead, it’s different versions of old songs – including remixes of Free As A Bird and Real Love.
The new anthology boasts a whopping 191 tracks – so fans may need a little Help! (sorry) finding time to listen to them all – but those hoping for something brand new may be disappointed to find they’ve heard it before.
Beatles producer George Martin’s son Giles has remastered versions of Anthology 1, 2 and 3, and all four will be released in a new box set in November.
The 191-track set will also feature new mixes of Free As A Bird and Real Love – the singles from Anthology 1 and 2 – using the late John Lennon‘s vocals. These have been mixed by the songs’ original producer, Electric Light Orchestra frontman Jeff Lynne.
Pic: Bruce McBroom/Apple Corps Ltd/PA
It comes after The Beatles topped the charts with their “last song” Now And Then, on which AI was used to extract Lennon’s vocals from an old demo, in 2023.
The box set will also include the original liner notes for the first three anthologies as well as a new set of notes on Anthology 4 by Beatles author Kevin Howlett, and an introduction compiled from 1996 interviews recorded with The Beatles’ close friend and adviser Derek Taylor.
The Beatles are the best-selling musical act of all time, having achieved 18 number one singles and 15 number one albums in the UK alone since they formed in 1960.
Four biopics are currently in the works – with each star getting his own film to share their side of the story of the band that changed the world.
