The Beatles' 2022 Revolver Reissue

Revolver Is Next Beatles Classic to Get Box Set Edition: Producer Giles Martin on Band's "Constant Evolution"
Three special expanded editions of the beloved Beatles record will be available this fall.
Billboard
9/7/2022

he Beatles' 1966 album Revolver is the next album to receive a remix and expanded special edition from Giles Martin, son of legendary producer George Martin. The box set is available for purchase on Friday, Oct. 28. During a Dolby Atmos listening event in Los Angeles with Apple Corps and Universal Music, Martin says he went into remixing the classic album with one question in mind: "what would the Beatles have done if they had today's technology?"

The announcement comes after wide speculation around which Beatles record would be repackaged and remixed by Martin next. Known for his work on the Beatles' Cirque du Soleil show "Love" and documentaries like Eight Days a Week and Get Back, Martin has received high marks for remixing the band's discography. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) was the first of the albums to receive the treatment; this was followed by the "White Album" (1968), Abbey Road (1969), and Let It Be (1970), the latter of which was released in 2021. At the end of the "long and winding road" of their discography, fans speculated if Martin would circle back to rework Revolver or start fresh at the top of their catalog, but technology constraints led other audiophile Beatle fans to question how possible it would be to remix these earlier albums with high fidelity.

At the time George Martin and the band recorded Revolver, there were only four tracks available to record onto, meaning elaborate compositions like "Eleanor Rigby" and "Tomorrow Never Knows" had to stack multiple instruments into one recorded track. Without differentiated tracks for each instrument, until recent breakthroughs in separating out each instrument, it would be nearly impossible to reconfigure the mix of the songs beyond a certain point. By the next year with Sgt. Pepper's, the number of tracks available to musicians grew, making the later remixes a much easier undertaking than Revolver.

"This is like seven different bands on a record. It's almost more of a concept album than Sgt. Pepper's," Martin remarks during the playback session. Known for its eclecticism and daring production choices, Revolver has become a fan favorite record. "The weird thing about this album is no song sounds the same as the other songs. I think that was deliberate. My dad always said 'I never want to make Jaws 2,' the same thing twice. It was that constant evolution with the Beatles. They got bored really quickly, and he was open minded enough to [trust them.] I think this was the point where my dad was learning just as much from them as they were from him."

The box set will include a set of outtakes ( or 'sketches," as Martin calls them), hand selected to reveal the humanness behind the recording of Revolver. This includes a melancholy, acoustic version of "Yellow Submarine," sung by John Lennon.

"I didn't realize it was very much a John Lennon song, that Paul commercialized in a way [until that clip,]" admits Martin. In it, Lennon sings longingly, "In the town where I was born / No one cared, no one cared..." Throughout the recordings, the song would transform into the lovable, kid friendly version version we know today.

Another outtake reveals banter between the foursome, their producer, and the strings players. "You'd think the strings players wouldn't like playing on a pop record too much, but they were actually engaged with how the record would sound. They had an opinion, and you can hear it on here." McCartney bantered with the players about whether or not to use vibrato, assuming the role of quasi-producer in that moment.

Through the listening of the selected "sketches," Martin says the band can be seen, developing in real time. "The thing about my dad and the Beatles is they always knew when they got it right," he explains.

The special package also includes other unheard recordings from the Revolver period, including their first take of "Tomorrow Never Knows" from the April 6, 1966 session and a mono mix that was issued on a small number of records before the LP was redone with the correct version; an unreleased mono mix and a special mix highlighting the overdubs of three trumpets and two tenor saxophones of "Got To Get You Into My Life;" the first take and a recently uncovered rehearsal for "Love You To" with George playing sitar and Paul playing tambourine; Take 11 of "Taxman," complete with high pitched backing vocals by John and Paul and alternate lyrics; The at-home demo and take 15 of "She Said She Said" as well as some light conversation between The Beatles while they arranged the song; takes 1 and 2 of "Paperback Writer" and "Rain," neither of which made it onto Revolver's final tracklist.

Fans can choose between the "Super Deluxe" (5CD + 100-page hardbound book in slipcase | digital audio collection), "Super Deluxe Vinyl" (limited edition 4LP+7-inch EP + 100-page hardbound book in slipcase), or "Standard" (1LP vinyl) packages for purchase. "I listen to this and think, these are 25, 26 year olds, here, in this recording. They will always be 25, 26," says Martin.

Reflective writings from Questlove, Martin and McCartney are included in all Revolver special editions, as well as detailed track-by-track notes from Beatles historian Kevin Howlett, rare photos, never before seen lyric sheets, tape boxes and recording sheets.

"With all due respect to the fans that know Revolver inside out, it's the kids, like my daughter, who asked me the other day 'hey dad, have you heard this amazing band called Fleetwood Mac?' that I am interested in reaching with this... A good song is a good song, a good band is a good band," he says defiantly. "I recently listened through the album together with Paul and he goes, 'actually, this is maybe some of my best work,' and he's certainly done a lot of good work. It's nice to get at that stage where he can talk about it openly and appreciate it."

---

The Beatles' Revolver special edition to be released next month
Get the full details of the newly mixed and expanded special edition here
New Musical Express
7th September 2022

special edition of The Beatles' classic album Revolver is set to be released next month.

First confirmed by Giles Martin -- the son of the late Beatles producer George Martin -- in August, Revolver is the latest Beatles album to be re-released as a remixed and expanded deluxe box set following Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017, "White Album" (2018), Abbey Road (2019) and Let It Be (2021).

Revolver, originally released by the four-piece in August 1966, will now be re-released in a range of newly mixed and expanded special edition packages.

All 14 tracks on the original album have been newly mixed by Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell in stereo and Dolby Atmos, while the album's original mono mix has been sourced from its 1966 mono master tape.

The physical and digital "super deluxe" Revolver collections also feature the album's original mono mix, 28 early takes from the sessions and three home demos. There is also a four-track EP with new stereo mixes and remastered original mono mixes for "Paperback Writer" and "Rain."

The Revolver special edition will be available in three formats -- "super Deluxe," "Deluxe" and 'standard" -- and will be released on vinyl, CD and digitally. All of the collections will be released on October 28, with pre-order available now.

You can see the full Revolver tracklist below.

SUPER DELUXE [5CD + 100-page hardbound book in slipcase | digital audio collection]

CD1: Revolver (New stereo mix)

1: Taxman
2: Eleanor Rigby
3: I'm Only Sleeping
4: Love You To
5: Here, There And Everywhere
6: Yellow Submarine
7: She Said She Said
8: Good Day Sunshine
9: And Your Bird Can Sing
10: For No One
11: Doctor Robert
12: I Want To Tell You
13: Got To Get You Into My Life
14: Tomorrow Never Knows

CD2: Sessions One

1: Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1)
2: Tomorrow Never Knows (Mono mix RM 11)
3: Got To Get You Into My Life (First version) - Take 5
4: Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version) - Unnumbered mix - mono
5: Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version) - Take 8
6: Love You To (Take 1) - mono
7: Love You To (Unnumbered rehearsal) - mono
8: Love You To (Take 7)
9: Paperback Writer (Takes 1 and 2) - Backing track - mono
10: Rain (Take 5 - Actual speed)
11: Rain (Take 5 - Slowed down for master tape)
12: Doctor Robert (Take 7)
13: And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) - Take 2
14: And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) - Take 2 (giggling)

CD3: Sessions Two

1: And Your Bird Can Sing (Second version) - Take 5
2: Taxman (Take 11)
3: I'm Only Sleeping (Rehearsal fragment) - mono
4: I'm Only Sleeping (Take 2) - mono
5: I'm Only Sleeping (Take 5) - mono
6: I'm Only Sleeping (Mono mix RM1)
7: Eleanor Rigby (Speech before Take 2)
8: Eleanor Rigby (Take 2)
9: For No One (Take 10) - Backing track
10: Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape - Part 1) - mono
11: Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape - Part 2) - mono
12: Yellow Submarine (Take 4 before sound effects)
13: Yellow Submarine (Highlighted sound effects)
14: I Want To Tell You (Speech and Take 4)
15: Here, There And Everywhere (Take 6)
16: She Said She Said (John's demo) - mono
17: She Said She Said (Take 15) - Backing track rehearsal

CD4: Revolver (Original mono master)

Album tracklist (same as above)

CD5: Revolver EP

1: Paperback Writer (New stereo mix)
2: Rain (New stereo mix)
3: Paperback Writer (Original mono mix remastered)
4: Rain (Original mono mix remastered)

SUPER DELUXE VINYL [limited edition 4LP+7-inch EP + 100-page hardbound book in slipcase]

LP One: Revolver (New stereo mix)

Side 1

1: Taxman
2: Eleanor Rigby
3: I'm Only Sleeping
4: Love You To
5: Here, There And Everywhere
6: Yellow Submarine
7: She Said She Said

Side 2

1: Good Day Sunshine
2: And Your Bird Can Sing
3: For No One
4: Doctor Robert
5: I Want To Tell You
6: Got To Get You Into My Life
7: Tomorrow Never Knows

LP Two: Sessions One

Side 1

Side 2

1: Love You To (Take 7)
2: Paperback Writer (Takes 1 and 2) - Backing track - mono
3: Rain (Take 5 - Actual speed)
4: Rain (Take 5 - Slowed down for master tape)
5: Doctor Robert (Take 7)
6: And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) - Take 2
7: And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) - Take 2 (giggling)

LP Three: Sessions Two

Side 1

Side 2

1: For No One (Take 10) - Backing track
2: Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape - Part 1) - mono
3: Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape - Part 2) - mono
4: Yellow Submarine (Take 4 before sound effects)
5: Yellow Submarine (Highlighted sound effects)
6: I Want To Tell You (Speech and Take 4)
7: Here, There And Everywhere (Take 6)
8: She Said She Said (John's demo) - mono
9: She Said She Said (Take 15) - Backing track rehearsal

LP Four: Revolver (Original mono master)

Album tracklist (same as above)

Revolver EP (7-inch vinyl)

Side 1

1: Paperback Writer (New stereo mix)
2: Rain (New stereo mix)

Side 2

1: Paperback Writer (Original mono mix remastered)
2: Rain (Original mono mix remastered)

DELUXE [2CD in digipak with 40-page booklet]

CD 1: Revolver (New stereo mix)

CD 2: Sessions

1: Paperback Writer (New stereo mix)
2: Rain (New stereo mix)
3: Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1)
4: Got To Get You Into My Life (Early mix)
5: Love You To (Take 7)
6: Doctor Robert (Take 7)
7: And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) Take 2
8: Taxman (Take 11)
9: I'm Only Sleeping (Take 2) - mono
10: Eleanor Rigby (Take 2)
11: For No One (Take 10) - Backing track
12: Yellow Submarine (Take 4 before sound effects)
13: I Want To Tell You (Speech and Take 4)
14: Here, There And Everywhere (Take 6)
15: She Said She Said (Take 15) - Backing track rehearsal

STANDARD [1CD | digital | 1LP vinyl | limited edition 1LP picture disc vinyl]

Revolver (New stereo mix)