A new Beatles compilation, Tomorrow Never Knows, was today released exclusively on Apple’s iTunes Music Store.
Experience the songs that changed the world – and inspired today’s adventurous bands from Foo Fighters to Ratatat. This new compilation includes The Beatles’ hardest-rocking, most influential tracks – available at a special price, exclusively on iTunes, for a limited time.
The collection includes 14 of The Beatles’ rockier songs. Priced at $7.99 or £5.99, the tracklisting contains six songs primarily written by John Lennon, six by Paul McCartney, and two by George Harrison.
- ‘Revolution’
- ‘Paperback Writer’
- ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’
- ‘Helter Skelter’
- ‘Savoy Truffle’
- ‘I’m Down’
- ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ (Naked Version)
- ‘Back In The USSR’
- ‘You Can’t Do That’
- ‘It’s All Too Much’
- ‘She Said She Said’
- ‘Hey Bulldog’
- ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’
- ‘The End’ (Anthology 3 Version)
The promotional film for ‘Hey Bulldog’ is also available to stream and download via the service.
Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl has written liner notes for the digital album, in which he describes the impact The Beatles had on his life.
If it weren’t for The Beatles, I would not be a musician. It’s as simple as that. From a very young age I became fascinated with their songs, and over the years have drowned myself in the depth of their catalogue. Their groove and their swagger. Their grace and their beauty. Their dark and their light. The Beatles seemed to be capable of anything. They knew no boundaries, and in that freedom they seemed to define what we now know today as ‘Rock and Roll.’“Recently I showed my 6-year-old daughter, Violet, the brilliant Yellow Submarine movie. It was her introduction to The Beatles, and she instantly shared the same fascination I felt when I was her age discovering The Beatles for the first time. She wanted to know their names, which instruments they played, who sang what song, etc etc etc….it made me so incredibly happy (and proud!). Within days she knew the verses and choruses to every song on the album. But, there was one song that stood out for her….
‘”Hey Bulldog” is not one of The Beatles’ greatest hits. It’s what most people would consider a ‘deep cut.’ But it is a quintessential Beatles rocker. The rolling bass line, the trademark Ringo drum fills, the gritty distorted guitar, and that sound that only the back of Lennon’s throat could produce. It stomps. It grooves. It makes your head bob. It makes your hips shake. When Lennon sings, ‘If you’re lonely you can talk to me!’ it soothes your heart, like you’ve finally found something to believe in. It’s so raw and real. It is 100% timeless Rock and Roll…
From one generation to the next, The Beatles will remain the most important rock band of all time.
Just ask Violet.
The album contains no previously-unreleased recordings, although the Let It Be… Naked version of ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ is made available on iTMS for the first time. The service’s introduction to the album also hints that ‘Come Together’ was meant to have been included, although it is not one of the Tomorrow Never Knows tracks.
From John Lennon’s opening guitar crunch of ‘Revolution’ to the dizzying psychedelic wind-up of ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, this exclusive album collects The Beatles’ songs that rock the hardest. The early power of ‘I’m Down’ only hints at the band’s colossal statement of heaviness with ‘Helter Skelter’ – a song that came well before Zeppelin and AC/DC fully powered up. The stripped-down rock and soul of ‘I’ve Got A Feeling’ is set up with mid-period FM radio rockers like ‘Come Together’ and ‘And Your Bird Can Sing’.
What do you think? A good introduction for newcomers, or yet another Apple Corps shameless cash-in? And which songs would you have included? Let us know in the comments section below.
Also on this day...
- 2011: Paul McCartney live: Comerica Park, Detroit
- 2010: Paul McCartney live: Sprint Center, Kansas City
- 2010: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Horseshoe Casino, Hammond
- 2008: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Mountain Winery, Saratoga
- 2003: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Casino Rama, Rama
- 1991: Paul McCartney live: Falkoner Theatre, Copenhagen
- 1990: Paul McCartney live: Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough
- 1969: Recording, mixing: Come And Get It, Sun King, Mean Mr Mustard
- 1968: Recording: Sexy Sadie
- 1967: The Beatles go sightseeing in Greece
- 1967: The Beatles call for the legalisation of marijuana
- 1965: Ringo Starr buys Sunny Heights, Weybridge
- 1963: The Beatles live: Odeon Cinema, Weston-super-Mare
- 1962: The Beatles live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
- 1961: The Beatles live: Litherland Town Hall, Liverpool
Want more? Visit the Beatles history section.
As a playlist of hard rocking Beatles songs, it works. Not essential, and not really for newcomers, but still tons of fun. Think of it as this generation’s version of 1976’s Rock ‘n’ Roll Music comp. Personally I would added more stuff to what’s already here, such as Come Together, Yer Blues, and I Want You.
This is NOT another “shameless Apple Corps cash-in”! Its much worse: an Apple INC/iTunes cash-in!! Apple Inc has tried to completely take control of the Beatles affairs and this is perfect proof. They won the lawsuit against Apple Corps in 2007 only by outspending them severely and now, as a result, they own the complete rights to the name “Apple” and even the Granny Smith apple logo… This is a disgrace and they should not be allowed to milk the Beatles’ legacy like this by enslaving Apple Corps (which is nearly a decade older than Apple Inc)!
I just made $1000 selling one of my 3 copies. Not a bad return, I’d say…
Three copies of what? A digital music compilation?
Apple, Inc., has been paying The Beatles — Apple Corps. — millions per year for use of the “Apple” logo, which was appropriated from The Beatles by mega-huge Beatles fans Steve Jobs, et al.
I’m not sure that’s the case. When Apple Inc won the last lawsuit for some bizarre reason, they won the rights to the name and logo of Apple, which Apple Corps now have to license from Apple Inc. The judge was pretty clearly corrupt.
I think it sounds quite good, th song collection is possibly the best ever done.The hey bulldog video is already at number one in the music-video-itunes charts in austria: I didn’t (and won’t) buy this compilation because I’ve got every song on cd, but is the I’v got a feeling version really the naked version, it says naked version on itunes but the running time is the one of let it be. Can anyone tell me who bought the album?
Come together would have been nice.
But what the heck did they think when they left out I want you (She’s so heavy)?!
Instead of Savoy truffle (GREAT song, but not really THAT rocking) I would’ve chosen Old Brown Shoe.
Why don’t we do it in the road? is definitely missing, as well as Yer Blues.
Rain should have been included as well.
So, while I appreciate ANY project that gives the spotlight to TNK there’s a LOT missing.
OK collection, but wrong title for this group of songs. This should have been the title of a collection of Beatles’ psychedelic tunes. TNK, She Said, She Said,I Want To Tell You, Lucy in The Sky, Fixing a Hole, Within You, Without You, A Day in The Life, Walrus, Strawberry Fields, Baby You’re a Rich Man, Inner Light, Rev No 9, and wind it out with You Know My Name.
You get the idea. If they wanted to make a hard rock album, not sure TNK even belongs on it. I Want You does, though. So does Come Together. And Old Brown Shoe, And I Dig A Pony.
Just sayin’
I would have chosen Rain over Paperback Writer for this album. And what about Happiness Is A Warm Gun?
It is an awesome playlist however, and I’d definitely buy it if they release it as an Lp 🙂
Damn, I forgot to mention “Everybody’s got something to hide except for me and my monkey”, one of their very hardest rocking tunes.
And “Birthday” as well.
so not only did they assemble a compilation of stuff that every Beatles fan most likely has already, but they left out a bunch of songs that would classify as “rocking”, and the compilation title doesn’t even fit well… nice try (not really), Apple…
tkv.ktue – thank you! Yes I own every one of these tunes, as well as the songs that I think are missing and I can burn them anytime I want and in any order I want!!
This is beyond shameless and is, in my opinion, contrary to the Beatles ethos – especially the original Apple Corps ethos of not allowing some businessman in a suit in an office to make you get on your knees so you can make music.
All this is is an opportunity to spend $7.99.
Friends, it is time cue the slow bells from Plastic Ono Band – because indeed ‘the dream is over’
Actual mix..I’d be interested to hear comments regarding the mix of this release..I flicked from my cd master copy of Savoy Truffle and then to the store preview and the sound quality is really, really crisp and the detail is finer than say my cd copies..some of the stereo mixes such as you cant do that & back in the USSR are cleaner..any thoughts?
Beatles music is being handled by people who were not alive when it was being recorded
Whoa, let’s not get ageist here. I was born after the Beatles broke up, but if I were in charge of their releases (a dream job, if you ask me), I would treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve.
Besides, plenty of suits were exploiting them and their music who WERE alive while these albums were being recorded.
I’ve been laying low amidst the controversy of TNK. After roughly a month now, my initial reaction has not changed. I think the hardcore Beatles fans and “purists” (of which I consider myself to be both) are missing the point. The compilation isn’t for us, nor was it ever the intention. Rather, an inexpensive intro to lesser known Beatles tracks to the younger generation to give them an option over Justin Bieber and One Direction. It is not, IMO, a “shameless cash-in” considering that it is a download-only, budget-priced compilation. I could see crying “foul” if it were released on physical media with some little bonus feature to try to rope in the longtime fans. But it’s not. So, I applaud Apple/Apple for giving the kids an affordable collection to turn them on to some terrific music. This is my story both humble and true, tear it to pieces and mend it with glue.
I have lurked around this site for a bit (especially the Fab Forum, but I’m not allowed to join, yet 🙁 ), and thought I should comment! So here goes… Most of the Beatles albums I own are on vinyl (despite my age being somewhat near the bottom of the teen years) and/or CD (mainly vinyl), but ‘TNK’ is one of the three albums I own digitally (1 and ‘Rubber Soul’ being the other two). I personally love this album, though as others have noted above, albums such as 1 are a far-better choice for beginners, as they completely avoid all the obscure/particularly good material (though, of course I love ‘Hey Jude’, too – not so much the single version of ‘Let It Be’.) I bought this album back in April, I think, at a time when I’d been a Beatlemaniac for 1 1/2 years, and knew 85% of their material (I now know 100%!). I love the absolute dead rockers The Beatles produced (yes, Stones fans – The Beatles were a rock band! No offence…), and this was a perfect way to get them all together. I think there should have been more White Album tracks (as others had said), and maybe more of their psych rock stuff. But to finish up, I love this album – but ‘Rubber Soul’ is definitely the most-played album on my iPad.
Oh, and please check out my blog, All You Need Is The Beatles (yes, bad pun, I know). Can be seen by clicking on ‘tangerinetrees99’.
Late reply.
Why the bloody hell they didn’t include I Want You (She’s So Heavy) on this album/playlist is beyond me!