Almost fifty years have passed since The Beatles released their self-titled ninth studio album, better known as the White Album, on November 22nd, 1968. The recording sessions came after the Fab Four’s trip to Rishikesh, India, for a Transcendental Meditation retreat. While Ringo Starr left the trip early due to not being able to stomach the food, both John Lennon and Paul McCartney‘s writing flourished as a result of the course, with George Harrison taking, perhaps, the greatest strides on a spiritual and musical level, which would be witnessed in years to come. The 30-track album includes “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Dear Prudence,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Blackbird,” “Rocky Raccoon,” “Helter Skelter,” “Revolution 1” and many, many more.

After returning from India, the band recorded demos of the new songs at George Harrison’s bungalow in Esher, Surrey. These sessions became known as the Esher Demos, and signify a point in the band’s career before everything went haywire.

As Rob Sheffield depicted in his book, Dreaming The Beatles: The Love Story of One Band And The World:

The end of May, 1968: the Beatles meet up at Kinfauns, George Harrison’s bungalow in Esher. Just back from India, gearing up to go hit Abbey Road and start their next album, the lads bang out some rough acoustic tunes into George’s newfangled Ampex reel-to-reel tape deck. The result is one of their weirdest and loveliest unreleased recordings: the Esher demos. There’s nothing else in their music quite like this. Most of the 27 songs ended up on the White Album, yet there’s none of that record’s tension and dread. At Esher, they’re having fun; they don’t realize all the tortures they’ll inflict on each other making the White Album. Instead, it’s a moment of jovial, intimate warmth – for almost the last time, you can hear they’re still in love with being Beatles together.

To commemorate the 50th anniversary of The White Album, the surviving members of The Beatles will release a deluxe reissue of the album–due out November 9th via their own Apple Corps Ltd. and Capitol/UMe. According to the announcement, the release features “a suite of lavishly presented ‘White Album’ packages including a super deluxe 7-disc set featuring 50 mostly previously unreleased recordings all newly mixed” by producer Giles Martin, son of George Martin, and engineer Sam Okell, “with 5.1 surround audio as well as the much-sought after Esher Demos.” The reissue will also feature 27 early acoustic demos and 50 session takes—most of which have never been released.

The album will be available in super-deluxe seven-disc, deluxe four-LP, deluxe three-CD, and two-LP editions, all of which contain the new stereo audio mixes. Pre-orders are available now. Watch the teaser for the reissue below, then check out the complete tracklist.


The White Album (50th Anniversary Box Set) Tracklist:

CD 1: 2018 Stereo Mix

Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Wild Honey Pie
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Martha My Dear
I’m so tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Rocky Raccoon
Don’t Pass Me By
Why don’t we do it in the road?
I Will
Julia

CD 2: 2018 Stereo Mix

Birthday
Yer Blues
Mother Nature’s Son
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide
Except Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Long, Long, Long
Revolution I
Honey Pie
Savoy Truffle
Cry Baby Cry
Revolution 9
Good Night

CD 3: Esher Demos

Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness is a Warm Gun
I’m so tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Rocky Raccoon
Julia
Yer Blues
Mother Nature’s Son
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide
Except Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Revolution
Honey Pie
Cry Baby Cry
Sour Milk Sea
Junk
Child of Nature
Circles
Mean Mr. Mustard
Polythene Pam
Not Guilty
What’s the New Mary Jane

CD 4: Sessions

Revolution I (Take 18)
A Beginning (Take 4) / Don’t Pass Me By (Take 7)
Blackbird (Take 28)
Everybody’s Got Something to Hide
Except Me and My Monkey (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Good Night (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Good Night (Take 10 with a guitar part from Take 5)
Good Night (Take 22)
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (Take 3)
Revolution (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Revolution (Take 14 – Instrumental backing track)
Cry Baby Cry (Unnumbered rehearsal)
Helter Skelter (First version – Take 2)

CD 5: Sessions

Sexy Sadie (Take 3)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Acoustic version – Take 2)
Hey Jude (Take 1)
St. Louis Blues (Studio jam)
Not Guilty (Take 102)
Mother Nature’s Son (Take 15)
Yer Blues (Take 5 with guide vocal)
What’s the New Mary Jane (Take 1)
Rocky Raccoon (Take 8)
Back in the U.S.S.R. (Take 5 – Instrumental backing track)
Dear Prudence (Vocal, guitar & drums)
Let It Be (Unnumbered rehearsal)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Third version – Take 27)
(You’re so Square) Baby, I Don’t Care (Studio jam)
Helter Skelter (Second version – Take 17)
Glass Onion (Take 10)

CD 6: Sessions

I Will (Take 13)
Blue Moon (Studio jam)
I Will (Take 29)
Step Inside Love (Studio jam)
Los Paranoias (Studio jam)
Can You Take Me Back? (Take 1)
Birthday (Take 2 – Instrumental backing track)
Piggies (Take 12 – Instrumental backing track)
Happiness is a Warm Gun (Take 19)
Honey Pie (Instrumental backing track)
Savoy Truffle (Instrumental backing track)
Martha My Dear (Without brass and strings)
Long, Long, Long (Take 44)
I’m so tired (Take 7)
I’m so tired (Take 14)
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill (Take 2)
Why don’t we do it in the road? (Take 5)
Julia (Two rehearsals)
The Inner Light (Take 6 – Instrumental backing track)
Lady Madonna (Take 2 – Piano and drums)
Lady Madonna (Backing vocals from take 3)
Across the Universe (Take 6)

Blu-ray

Audio Features:
: PCM Stereo (2018 Stereo Mix)
: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (2018)
: Dolby True HD 5.1 (2018)
: Mono (2018 Direct Transfer of ‘The White Album’ Original Mono Mix)

View The White Album (50th Anniversary Box Set) Tracklist