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Magical Mystery Tour 6-track Ep Test Pressing
Topic Started: Jun 3 2014, 09:25 PM (1,335 Views)
harveyw
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namralos,Jun 5 2014
07:37 PM
Beatles (Monthly) Book reported in the November, 1967, that there were still several format considerations being made. It looks as though your EP is one of them.

There were seven songs in the package, and the most popular idea seemed to be "an EP and a single." Apparently after testing the single EP, it proved to be impossible without some loss in sound quality.

That's a very interesting and historical pressing.

What was the 7th title? I assume it was Hello Goodbye, but AFAIK this was never to be included in the film. Were there any other titles up for inclusion on the soundtrack?
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namralos
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Yes, the 7th song was "Hello Goodbye." The Beatles had recorded 7 songs, which was not enough for an album, but too much for an EP. One idea was to release three singles (2 songs, 2 songs, and 3 songs), but the idea of an EP and a single made the most sense.

The original announcement also said that they might put out the single at the end of November and the EP in December in time for Christmas. Had they released a five-song EP and a single, there would have been no overlap. Apparently it made the most sense to put the show songs on a double EP.

We also know now that they wound up deciding to put the single and EP out together. However, printing of the EP booklet wound up delaying its release -- which is how the American LP wound up being put out ahead of the British EP.

By the way, MMT was the highest-charting EP of all time.

Oh yeah, and the ending to "Hello Goodbye" plays over the closing credits of the film.
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harveyw
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So, the guy that sold me this test pressing mentioned that he had two similar records he'd be interested in selling. After some back-and-forth, we struck a deal. And they are certainly curious EPs.

One of the test pressings contains the same three titles as the copy I'd already bought, but plays at 33 1/3 rpm. The mixes sound a little different this time, but that may simply be my imagination/wishful thinking. Again, the matrix number begins MTT, but this time it's MTT 10916-1.

The other test pressing is rather more interesting, as it contains Magical Mystery Tour, All Together Now and Only A Northern Song (rather than Blue Jay Way & Flying, as one might expect). Mixes are definitely different this time round, in many ways, but instantly identifiable in that the opening "Roll up, roll up for the magical mystery tour" voice over is missing, together with any sound effects. They are all mono mixes, and the matrix number is MTT 10916-2. They both bear all the characteristics of EMI test pressings, and look like the one previously pictured (though obviously with different handwritten titles). Curiously, the one commencing with Walrus has "1" written on it, while the one starting with MMT has "2".

As far as I know, neither All Together Now or Only A Northern Song were considered for inclusion in the film, but they were recorded (if not fully mixed) well before either Flying or Blue Jay Way were started. Session data indicates that McCartney's opening vocal & FX were added to the title track on November 7th, so presumably these pressings date from prior to 7 Nov.
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jimboo
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You know some nice people, the ones I know try to sell me beat up singles for £20 and wonder why I am not interested, usually their parting word is

Do you know how much these get on ebay?



:D
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jimboo
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harveyw,Jul 12 2014
08:21 PM


One of the test pressings contains the same three titles as the copy I'd already bought, but plays at 33 1/3 rpm.



Which returns to the initial idea of 7" 33 1/3 release. Brilliant stuff.
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namralos
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That's VERY interesting.

So an EP might have contained...
I am the Walrus
Fool on the Hill
Your Mother Should Know
Magical Mystery Tour
All Together Now
Only a Northern Song

That would have left off "Flying," as though it were a throwaway.

"Hello Goodbye" and "Blue Jay Way" would have been coupled as a single then...putting out all of the film tracks except for "Flying" and adding two additional songs as bonus tracks.

One can see why this wouldn't have worked: John would not have appreciated not having a single side. This COULD have resulted in "I am the Walrus" being swapped out with "Blue Jay Way," but that still would have been a crazy EP.

The standard mix of "Fool on the Hill" was not completed until October 20th. But if that's NOT on there, what you might have could just be a pressing of whatever was in the can as of the end of September. Starting an EP off with Walrus and ending it with "Northern Song" would have been too strange for words. More likely they were just running a test of songs that were more or less complete -- to see what they sounded like on record.
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muffmasterh
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and the total stupidity of releasing MMT at a similar time to HG meant that it was HG that kept MMT from the number 1 slot in the UK singles chart

total madness, maybe they did not expect a double ep to make xmas number one so thats why they released them at the same time......but had they the courage of their convictions they could have had two number ones back to back had the released been more staggered !
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namralos
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They always underestimated the Beatles.

* highest-charting LP on the singles chart ... ever
* highest-charting EP ... ever
* best-selling EP ... ever

true to date
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harveyw
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namralos,Jul 12 2014
10:24 PM
That's VERY interesting.

So an EP might have contained...
I am the Walrus
Fool on the Hill
Your Mother Should Know
Magical Mystery Tour
All Together Now
Only a Northern Song

That would have left off "Flying," as though it were a throwaway.

"Hello Goodbye" and "Blue Jay Way" would have been coupled as a single then...putting out all of the film tracks except for "Flying" and adding two additional songs as bonus tracks.

One can see why this wouldn't have worked: John would not have appreciated not having a single side. This COULD have resulted in "I am the Walrus" being swapped out with "Blue Jay Way," but that still would have been a crazy EP.

The standard mix of "Fool on the Hill" was not completed until October 20th. But if that's NOT on there, what you might have could just be a pressing of whatever was in the can as of the end of September. Starting an EP off with Walrus and ending it with "Northern Song" would have been too strange for words. More likely they were just running a test of songs that were more or less complete -- to see what they sounded like on record.

Exactly. I'm assuming that the band/label were considering a 6-track EP for issue, but didn't have the track listing finalised (or even composed at this stage), and simply wanted a test to see if they could get away with cramming this amount of music on a single EP. Clearly they found this to be unsatisfactory on either 33 or 45 format, so proceeded with the package we all know & love; the chances are we wouldn't have got the booklet with a single EP either.

And yet, of course, they briefly reconsidered a multitrack 33rpm EP when they were working on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack LP (they even reused two of the titles which appear on this test pressing). Has there been any evidence of this ever existing as a test pressing?

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muffmasterh
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Quote:
 
* highest-charting LP on the singles chart ... ever
* highest-charting EP ... ever
* best-selling EP ... ever


yep, I think WTB made something like number 18 on the singles chart - although didn't they stop LP's doing that a little later ?

it is a source on constant irritation to me that the Beatles were foiled into having another number one by their own single, as well as being robbed of Please Please Me by the bbc selecting the only chart where it only made number 2, not to mention two singles prevented from number one but all but novelty records, Release Me and Wandering Star....

And maybe Something would have fared better had it been released IN FRONT of Abbey Road....

and then Elvis gets a modern meaningless number one a few thanks to a UK commercial !!!

oh and that realising the unimpressive Free as a Bird BEFORE the much more complete and commercial REAL LOVE probably cost them another number one as well !!!
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rsinige
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What cost free as a bird the no.1 slot was putting it on anthology1 where it didn't belong, that goes for real love too! They both should've been stand alone singles like the majority of the fab's 45's!
They both would probably have been no.1's!
Marketing eh!!!
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muffmasterh
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WELL thats true too but Free was not a strong song but it was seen as more collaborative an effort whereas Real Love was Lennon really and it suffered for Free being a bit of a turkey, in that regard i blame egos.....sorry...
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jimboo
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A day in the life was banned by the BBC, along with I am the Walrus, Come Together,
Imagine (1990), Lucy was not and Ringo was allowed to "Get high with a little help from my friends"
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namralos
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Re -- "Something." Yes, the Beatles themselves got a lesson in why "you can't release singles off an LP after the LP's been out." It wasn't that it was considered socially unacceptable. The fact of the matter was that the sales of the LP killed the sales of the single.

In the USA Capitol also underestimated the Beatles a few times. Later on, they rather depended on the Beatles to do the impossible.

* US Rubber Soul -- #1 on the popular music charts without any singles (perhaps the first time ever); Sgt. Pepper, same thing; White Album, same thing
* White Album -- first double album to sell 2,000,000 copies; it is still the fourth highest-selling two-record set. The three doubles now higher than the White Album came out in 1977, 1985, and 1998. Only one of those three (The Wall) was a regular-issue album like the White Album was; the others were a greatest hits collection and a live album.
* Looking only at albums that came out before or while the Beatles were together, only five albums have sold 7 million units or more. Two are by other artists (Elvis' Christmas Album and Led Zeppelin). The Beatles have the other three albums fitting that distinction. All five of the above actually sold 10 million or more.
* In terms of what percentage of the American population bought a given record, "Hey Jude" is still way up on the list. In fact, as the first single for a label (Apple), "Hey Jude" is still the best-selling worldwide.
* The Beatles were used to introduce new formats to the American public. The Beatles featured prominently in Capitol's ads for its first four-track tapes and cassette tapes. The first CD's that Capitol made in the United States were Beatles discs.

* Parlophone had been reluctant to release new Beatles product as an EP, but MMT became the best-selling EP of all time. Capitol was sure the songs needed to be part of an LP. Parlophone had been right in keeping the EP, but Capitol was right, too. The LP sold tremendously well and was issued in or exported to almost every country in the world.
* Parlophone quickly eliminated almost every EP from their catalog (beginning in 1969). The Beatles' EP's basically stayed in print the whole time...or at least, they were pressed periodically because there was regular demand. MMT was on the top of that list...even after the LP was released in 1976.

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muffmasterh
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correct Frank the USA MMT was in constant demand over here too from the late 60's ( you will see one in clear shot at the record shop under the Chelsea drug store on the Kings Road in A Clockwork Orange filmed in 1970/1 ) but the EP still sold well too, albiet mostly special order.

The change was the late 60's Albums started to outsell singles, as standards of living continue to grow ( even despite Britains rubbish economy ) so taking singles from Albums became more acceptable as singles sales dropped off and would soon become the norm with Michael Jackson having 4 or 5 numbers ones from singles taken from a single album like Thriller or Off the Wall as you only had to sell about 3 copies to get to number one by then ( slight exaggeration lol )

Remember in the UK in the 60's an LP will be about 29/11 which is close to G 1.50, G 1.50 in 1965 would be something like G 50 or even more now ( somebody I am sure can give me the more exact figure it might even be as much as G 150 )...can you imagine spending 50 quid ( let alone 150 ), or 80 bucks on a new ( single ) LP today ???
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