The Get Back Journals

The Beatles

Number

Year

Format

VIGO 101 - 108

1993

CD

  
Packaging:

This is an 8-disc set that comes packaged in film box (complete with straps).  It includes an exact reproduction of the "Get Back" book that was included with the initial copies of Let It Be.

You also get information about the Get Back sessions printed on "sticker" paper and a card that lists all of the songs.

The card included with the 1993 set.

The Get Back Journals was released three times by Vigotone.  All releases came with 8 CDs packed in a film box.  All included a reproduction of the "Get Back" book.  The major difference is in the packaging.  The 1993 original release had a card with gray printing stuck inside the box's "window".  The 1994 had a card with orange & white lettering and the 1995 releases had a card with pink & white lettering.  (The 1993 card is a bit wider than the 94/95 cards and as a result, it doesn't fit into the window very well...)

Some definite differences:

Both the front and back jewel case inserts were altered between the 1993 and 1994 releases.  (Apart from the labels on the CDs themselves, the 1995 release is identical to the 1994 release.)  The card stock used for the '94/'95 inserts is a bit heavier than the stock used for the '93 release.

The CD mastering was also changed between the 1993 release and the 1994 (1995) release, with track breaks being slightly different (see track time lists below).  

I also noticed a couple of other differences that may or may not be definite characteristics of each respective release:

- The information sticker included with the 1993 sets I've seen had been merely placed into the box - they hadn't been applied.  But, the sticker included with the 1995 sets I've seen had been applied to the inside of the box's front cover.

- The straps on the 1993 boxes are a bit narrower than the straps on the 1994/1995 boxes.

Disc Variations:

CD (1993 Original)

CD (1995 Reissue)

This set was reissued twice by Vigotone, but it was never released on CDR.  The matrix numbers on the 1994 & 1995 releases are identical (V-101, V-102, etc.).
 

Jewel Case Inserts:

The jewel case inserts have the following information:

- Basic liner notes about each disc (reproduced below)

VIGO 101 & 102

Front Cover (1993)

Front Cover (94/95)

VIGO 101 - 30 Tracks

VIGO 102 - 24 Tracks

Total Time:

Total Time:

VIGO 103 & 104

Front Cover (1993)

Front Cover (94/95)

VIGO 103 - 28 Tracks

VIGO 104 - 25 Tracks

Total Time:

Total Time:

VIGO 105 & 106

Front Cover (1993)

Front Cover (94/95)

VIGO 105 - 22 Tracks

VIGO 106 - 25 Tracks

Total Time:

Total Time:

VIGO 107 & 108

Front Cover (1993)

Front Cover (94/95)

VIGO 107 - 23 Tracks

VIGO 108 - 23 Tracks

Total Time:

Total Time:

Liner Notes:

The Get Back Journals

It's incredible to think how many hours of Get Back session rehearsals were recorded in January, 1969.  For almost the entire month The Beatles rehearsals were taped on several sets of tapes for eventual use in the film Let It Be.  Over fifteen hours of rehearsals have surfaced among collectors - usually excerpted from much longer (and perhaps less enjoyable) source tapes.  In 1988 the largest single block of rehearsals was released on vinyl on an eleven LP set entitled The Get Back Journals.   This set suffered from poor pressing quality and a defect on the plating of several of the LPs.  Needless to say, the set of CDs you're now holding in your hands corrects those problems.  We've used superior quality source tapes, supplementing the material where possible (there's at least a full album's worth of performances here which did not appear on the Get Back Journals vinyl) and reconstructing the tapes to reflect the original chronological sequence.
  

VIGO 101 (Disc One)
The bulk of these performances first appeared in the early '80s on an obscure vinyl release entitled Vegemite.  That double LP was subsequently issued in Europe as two single LPs - The Dream Is Over Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 and in America as Sweet Apple Trax Vol. III.  An edit of this material appeared several years ago on the CDs Songs From The Past Volumes 4 and 5.  For this collection the Vegemite lineup has been restored from the original source tape.   Special mention (and perhaps an apology) should be given for track 19 ("Don't Let Me Down") which has had to be reconstructed from several different source tapes, each incomplete by itself.  You'll find many enjoyable moments on this CD.   Highlights are George's cover version of Marvin Gaye's "Hitch Hike", Paul and George performing Elvis' "All Shook Up" and Carl Perkins' "Your True Love" (complete and from a tape source).  Historical highlights include early run-throughs of "Two Of Us" and "The One After 909".
  

VIGO 102 (Disc Two)
Tracks 1-12 here finish up what we've called the Vegemite tapes, supplemented with some additional "All Things Must Pass" rehearsals.  The remainder of this disc is taken from a variety of sources, most of which have never been released before.  Part of "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" rehearsals (track 18) have been shamelessly lifted from the Melvin LP The Beatles Vs. Don Ho since a source tape was not available for these precious few minutes.   This disc continues the oldies trend from disc 1.  It also features a lengthy rehearsal of George's song "All Things Must Pass", which was never professionally recorded by the group.  Prototype performances of "Let It Be" and "Oh! Darling" can also be heard.
  

VIGO 103 (Disc Three)
This above-standard material formed the core of the third LP of Audifon's famous vinyl release of The Beatles (a.k.a. The Black Album) more than a decade ago.  This is the first time this material has appeared from a tape source.   It is both longer and of better quality than on all previous issues.  The first performance of "I Me Mine," while still incomplete here, is significantly longer than in its appearance in the Let It Be film.  Also available here for the first time is the brief but pleasant cover of Chuck Willis' "What Am I Livin' For".
  

VIGO 104 (Disc Four)
Most of this fourth CD is drawn from the master tapes for the original Sweet Apple Trax, one of the most famous albums of Get Back outtakes.   Although some of these performances appeared on Sidewalk Music's Songs From The Past Vol. 3 CD, many have never been available on CD from a tape source, and several performances have never been available at all.  This disc features the earliest known performances of Paul's classic song "The Long And Winding Road", as well as a meticulous reconstruction of The Beatles discussion of the their proposed live performances.  Other highlights are the group's performances of Carl Perkins' song "Tennessee" and Cliff Richard's influential song "Move It".
  

VIGO 105 (Disc Five)
The first half of disc five concludes the Sweet Apple Trax collection, highlighted by George's medley of Dylan compositions, reproduced on compact disc from a tape source for the first time.  The remainder of this CD contains a series of loose rehearsals, informal chat, and an extended example of what happens when McCartney is left alone with a piano.
  

VIGO 106 (Disc Six)
The first third of this disc features what has become known among collectors at the "Watching Rainbow" session.  It's remarkable how this series of Lennon performances has been cut into five minute chunks and spread out over a variety of releases through the years.  For this disc, we have used the most complete available tape source, except for the final minute of "Watching Rainbows", which had to be reconstructed from several inferior sources, including a French radio broadcast from 1969.  While the remainder of this disc is hardly up to the performance quality of the "Watching Rainbows" session, it does offer a number of loose (very loose) rehearsals and jams which include some moments of quirky charm.
  

VIGO 107 (Disc Seven)
Unless you're a rabid Get Back junkie (and maybe even if you are) you're unlikely to pull this one off your shelf very often.   There are a couple of highlights - The Beatles' cover version of Jackie Lomax's "You've Got Me Thinking" and Arthur Alexander's "Soldier Of Love" and "Where Have You Been" are fun, but for the most part this CD is bogged down by half-hearted rehearsals of Lennon/McCartney originals.