FILE UNDER: BEATLES VOLUME TWO
Company: Gnat Records
Matrix Number: GN70077-1A :. L-22950 / GN70077-1B:. L-22950-X
Release Date: December 1985
Country: USA
SIDE A
1. NOT GUILTY
2. BESAME MUCHO
3. count-in CATSWALK
4. HERE WE GO AGAIN (incomplete)
5. WHILE MY GUITAR GENTLY WEEPS
6. SUICIDE
7. MAILMAN, BRING ME NO MORE BLUES
8. SPIRITUAL REGENERATION/HAPPY BIRTHDAY MIKE LOVE
9. THE INNER LIGHT
10. SHOUT!
SIDE B
11. I'M LOOKING THROUGH YOU
12. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
13. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER (false start)
14. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
15. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
16. STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
17. count-in A DAY IN THE LIFE
18. I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY)
sound quality: EX-stereo
source:
1: EMI Studios, August 12, 1968, take 102 (from SESSIONS LP)
2: EMI Studios, June 6, 1962 (from SESSIONS LP)
3: rehearsals, Liverpool Cavern Club, late 1962 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
4: John demo, 1973 (mono)
5: EMI Studios, July 25, 1968, take 1 (from SESSIONS LP)
6: Paul, from "One hand clapping'' soundtrack, EMI Studios, fall 1974 (mono)
7: Apple Studios, January 29, 1969 (from SESSIONS LP)
8: Rishikesh, India, March 15, 1968 (from STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER LP)
9: officially released versions, stereo mix (from STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER LP)
10: IBC Studios, April 19, 1964; "Around the Beatles'' studio recording (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
11: EMI Studios, October 24, 1965, take 1 (From SESSIONS LP)
12: EMI Studios, November 24, 1966, take 1 (from NOTHING IS REAL LP)
13, 14: EMI Studios, November 28, 1966, takes 3 and 4 (from NOTHING IS REAL LP)
15: EMI Studios, December 15, 1966, take 25 (instrumental backing track) (from NOTHING IS REAL LP)
16: EMI Studios, December 21, 1966, take 26 (from NOTHING IS REAL LP)
17: EMI Studios, February 22, 1967, alternate mix (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
18: John, Amsterdam Hilton, March 1969 for Radio Israeli journalist (from Lennon GOODNIGHT VIENNA LP)
COMMENTS
After the release of several European LPs with a large number of previously unheard tracks, the Los Angeles producers prepared this compilation as a companion volume to FILE UNDER: BEATLES, with the addition of two unreleased John and Paul solo tracks.
RELEASES
1. December 1984 (photo under the title). The first pressing used the same jacket as FILE UNDER: BEATLES, with rubber-stamped VOLUME TWO added below the title. Greg Lee Processing, near Long Beach, Ca., cut the metal parts. The acetates and the stampers were made on November 20, 1985 and the first batch of records was pressed in 500 copies on November 26, 1985. The discs had orange TMOQ labels and were on black vinyl. This version did not have the insert with titles, the film strip and the photo.
Between March 18 and August 13, 1986, 1450 more copies were pressed. These had a new brownish jacket, with the printed title, this time including the photo, the film strip and the insert with the track listing. Part of these records were used for the 2-LP sets, which included also a copy of the first volume of FILE UNDER (see below). The discs were usually on colored vinyl, red and orange was seen. Various labels were used: at first, the records had the orange TMOQ label, then other types followed, among them, red or green "Annuit Coeptis". One batch of records had regular labels by Troubador Records, a company operating in the early eighties; some were those originally used for a 1983 release by The Torrey Troupers, a group that published records for children inspired by classics of literature; Troubador Records labels by other artists were used as well. These last records were pressed at a different plant, with a pressing ring at 12 mm from the spindle hole.
1987. 1500 more copies were pressed between January 22 and April 6, 1987. Most, or all, of these records were used for the 2-LP sets (see below).
2-LP SETS - 1986
The two records FILE UNDER: BEATLES and FILE UNDER: BEATLES VOLUME TWO where joined in 2-LP sets.
1. 1986. Throughout 1986 a copy of FILE UNDER: VOLUME TWO was packaged with a copy of the first FILE UNDER. Both discs were pressed from the original stampers and sold as a 2-LP set. These were part of the BoxTop series, with a photo on the front, the rubber-stamped title FILE UNDER and the sticker with the two track listings on the back. Some copies with colored vinyl discs bearing colored TMOQ labels were packaged in the jacket made for MIXED BLESSING (a 2-LP set including a copy of THE GET BACK MASTERS plus a copy of FILE UNDER 2), with the additional title on a red rubber stamp saying FILE UNDER. In another version the discs were on black vinyl, FILE UNDER had blue TMOQ labels, FILE UNDER TWO had blank white labels (actually, a regular label of another record reversed). The 300 copies pressed on August 13, 1986 were used for the box FROM THE VAULTS, with the BoxTop jacket bearing the rubber-stamped title FILE UNDER 2.
THE NEW MASTER FOR FILE UNDER VOLUME ONE
In January 1987 a new master was cut for the first volume of FILE UNDER, on matrix GN 70075-2-A / GN 70075-2-B with a completely different track listing, mainly lifted from the SESSIONS and NOT FOR SALE LPs. The sound quality is much better than in the first version of FILE UNDER. As far as we know, this master was used only for inclusion in the 2-LP sets. This is its track listing:
SIDE A
1. COME AND GET IT
2. LEAVE MY KITTEN ALONE
3. YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW
4. I ME MINE
5. ONE AFTER 909
6. HOW DO YOU DO IT
7. I'VE GOT A FEELING
8. OB LA DI OB LA DA
9. CHRISTMAS TIME
​
SIDE B
10. GOODBYE
11. IF YOU'VE GOT TROUBLE
12. BIRTHDAY
13. THAT MEANS A LOT
14. DIG A PONY
15. BAD TO ME
16. ONE AFTER 909
17. WHAT'S THE NEW MARY JANE
​
Source:
1: EMI Studios, July 24, 1969, take 1 (Paul demo) (from SESSIONS LP)
2: EMI Studios, August 14, 1964, take 5 (from SESSIONS LP)
3: Chappell Studios, August 23, 1967, take 9 (backing track) (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
4: EMI Studios, January 3, 1970, take 16 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
5: rehearsals, Liverpool Cavern Club, late 1962 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
6: EMI Studios, September 4, 1962, take 2 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
7: Apple Studios, January 27, 1969 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
8: EMI Studios, July 5, 1968 (from OB-LA-DI OB-LA-DA LP)
9: EMI Studios, November 28, 1967 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
10: Paul demo (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
11: EMI Studios, February 18, 1965, take 1 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
12: EMI Studios, September 18, 1968, take 22 (vocal track only) (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
13: EMI Studios, February 20, 1965, take 2 (from SESSIONS LP)
14: Apple Studios, January 69
15: demo, May 1963 (from NOT FOR SALE LP)
16: EMI Studios, March 5, 1963; edit of takes 4 and 5 (from SESSIONS LP)
17: unreleased Plastic Ono Band single, December 5, 1969 (mono)
2-LP SETS - 1987-1991
1987. Based on the indications on the stamper sleeves, copies of both records were simultaneously pressed on January 22, February 24 and April 6, 1987. These records were distributed in a jacket similar to the file-folder one, with a photo directly printed on the front cover, along with a color reference scale, and the track listing on the back cover. The discs had various labels: January 22: cream colored label with Toasted Records and side indications; February 24: light blue TMOQ (disc 1) orange TMOQ (disc 2). After these two pressings, new stampers were cut, with the old numbers crossed out and the new numbers 1311-A / 1311-B (FILE UNDER ONE) and 1312-A / 1312-B (FILE UNDER TWO) added and used for the pressing of April 6, 1987, that had the red Blackbird labels.
November 1991. On November 21, 1991 the renumbered stampers were used for a final edition in a limited pressing of 150 copies on black vinyl with black labels, that came in a black box titled FILE UNDER: BEATLES. This release marked the very final step of the Los Angeles group of bootleggers, who quit all activities in early 1992, almost 22 years after the first original pre-TMOQ record. Many different producers worked over the years, releasing new records or repressing old ones, distributing new unreleased tracks or simply repackaging old stuff, but all of them contributed to the creation of a unique, unrivalled piece of musical history.
INTEREST. All these releases retain a good interest for collectors (***/**).