Magical Mystery Tour (UK EP - Stereo)

BEATLES TO RELEASE NEW SINGLE, EP

A NEW Beatles single and EP may be released in Great Britain while the group is in India.

The Beatles were spending all this week recording numbers for the Magical Mystery Tour TV show at EMI’s St John’s Wood studios. They are recording the title track and either four or six other numbers. These will include a composition by George Harrison titled “Blue Jay Way,” written while George was in San Francisco and named after the house he rented in the Hollywood Hills, and an instrumental number the first ever by the group.

Press officer Tony Barrow told the MM: “No final decision has been made but the tracks will probably be released as a single and an EP. There is no definite release date because the final number of tracks has not been decided by the boys.” In all probability though, a single and an EP will come out while the group is in India.

The group are also working closely on the editing of the TV film. As soon as this is completed, they will start work on writing and recording the incidental music.

From Melody Maker – October 7, 1967

RINGO SOLO FILM – Beatles “Mystery” discs

BEATLE Ringo Starr is to have a solo acting role in a big-budget movie to be made by a major Hollywood company. Titled “Candy” and adapted from the best-selling satire of that name, it goes into production in the late autumn. Ringo will have the cameo role of a Mexican gardener, with other parts in the picture played by Richard Burton and Marlon Brando — but the title role has not yet been cast. The director is Christian Marquand.

The location of the film has still to be announced. but it is possible that Ringo will fly to America to film his contribution. It. is also probable that he will have to curtail his meditation visit to India in order to meet filming schedules.

In accepting this solo part, Ringo is following in the footsteps of fellow Beatle John Lennon, who made his solo debut in “How I Won The War”.

The Beatles’ TV spectacular “Magical Mystery Tour” will include up to seven brand new compositions by the group. It is probable that two of the songs will be issued as the Beatles’ next single, with the remainder forming a special EP release. The score includes an instrumental number — the first non-vocal composed by the group since it rose to stardom five years ago. Another track is “Blue Jay Way,” written by George Harrison during his visit to Los Angeles in August.

WRITING SCORE

Throughout week, the Beatles have been engaged in extensive soundtrack recording for the show. They will also be writing and recording all the incidental music for the spectacular but work on this cannot begin until editing has been completed, and the group is able to see exactly what is required.

The final decision on the exact number new songs in the Show has not yet been taken by the Beatles. An official statement from NEMS Enterprises says: “Apart from the title number, there will be four – perhaps – six new songs.” As previously reported, the Traffic appear in a guest spot in the show.

The complicated process of preparing the incidental score is likely to take some weeks. This will probably mean that The Beatles’ meditation visit to India is even further delayed, and may not now take place until November.

The Beatles have rejected an offer of a million dollars to play two concerts at New York’s Shea Stadium. It was submitted by U.S. promoter Sidney Bernstein, who presented the previous appearances at this venue. A spokesman for the Beatles commented: “The reason is that they cannot perform on stage the kind of music they are recording now”. […]

From New Musical Express – October 7, 1967

BEATLES MYSTERY TOUR DISCS OUT DECEMBER

BEATLES recordings from their TV film Magical Mystery Tour are to be released in a special book on December 1 — one week after their new single “Hello, Goodbye” is released.

The book will contain two 45 rpm seven inch records and 32 pages of colour and black and white illustrations. The price of the records and the book will be 19s 6d. The records will be issued in stereo (SMMT 1) and mono (MMMT 1).

The titles of the recordings are: Record One, Side One, “Magical Mystery Tour” and “Your Mother Should Know”; Side Two “I Am The Walrus”; Record Two, Side One, “The Fool On The Hill” and “Flying” Side Two, “Blue Jay Way.”

“Flying” is the first non-vocal Beatles’ record on Parlophone and also the first record which all four Beatles have written together.

The special book will have one record in a sleeve inside the front cover and the other in a sleeve inside the back cover. It will contain colour and black and white photographs from the TV film. It will also have six pages of colour cartoons of the story of the Magical Mystery Tour, drawn by Bob Wilson with words by Tony Barrow. In the centre of the book will be a pull-out supplement giving all the lyrics of the songs.

Press Officer Tony Barrow said on Monday: “The Beatles were anxious to keep the cost of the whole production under one pound and EMI co-operated in this.”

In America, the songs will be released as one side of an album with five Beatle singles – “Hello, Goodbye”, “Penny Lane”, “Strawberry Fields Forever”, “All You Need Is Love” and “Baby You’re A Rich Man” – on the reverse. The book will albso be published but as a separate production.

From Melody Maker – November 18, 1967

Six songs in Beatles’ Christmas bonus

SPECIAL two-record pack featuring six songs from the Beatles’ TV spectacular “Magical Tour,” will be issued on Friday, December 1.

As there were too few songs for either a conventional EP or LP, the pack takes the form of two 7 in. 45 r.p.m. singles -available either in mono or stereo – PLUS a 32-page, full-colour book. (Catalogue numbers of the Parlophone releases are Stereo – SMMT 1, and Mono – MMT 1.)

Side 1 of record 1 features “Magical Mystery Tour” and “Your Mother Should Know”; side 2 features “I Am The Walrus” — B-side of the new Beatles single out on Friday, November 24.

Side 1 of record 2 features “The Fool On The Hill” and “Flying”; side 2 comprises “Blue Jay Way.”

“Blue Jay Way” was written and is sung by George Harrison, who composed the piece when he was staying in Hollywood Hills outside Los Angeles at the beginning of August. He composed the piece on the electric organ in his Blue Jay Way house.

“Flying” is the Beatles’ first non-vocal for Parlophone and is the first composition jointly written by all four Beatles. Remaining titles are all Lennon-McCartney compositions.

The 32-page full-colour book contains a pull-out leaflet featuring the lyrics of all the songs on the two records. There are also pages in colour and black-and-white of scenes from “Magical Mystery Tour,” plus six pages in full colour featuring a strip cartoon telling in pictures and words the story of the film.

Drawings are by Bob Gibson, cartoonist for the “Beatles Monthly” Book, and the story was written by NEMS press officer, Tony Barrow, who also edited the book.

The record pack is being sold in the United Kingdom at the special price of 19s. 6d. Says Tony Barrow: “The Beatles wanted the package to be put out at under £1, and this has been done with the co-operation of EMI Records.” […]

‘Walrus’ words harmless — Paul

A NATIONAL newspaper has already attacked “I Am The Walrus” for its controversial lyric, saying that it may cause censorship headaches at the BBC and that some American stations might ban the song.

Part of the lyric goes “Crabalocker fishwife pornographic priestess boy you been a naughty girl you let your knickers down.”

Says John Lennon: “The words just appeared that way. You might just as well ask me to explain how any of our lyrics come to be written.”

Adds Paul: “The whole point is that this is quite a commonplace saying — to be caught with your knickers down is to be taken by surprise or to be caught on the hop. Naturally, this one line sounds different if you take it out on its own and make headlines out of it. It’s quite harmless, you know. I can’t see being shocked. Certainly, we weren’t out to create deliberate double meanings here.”

From Disc And Music Echo – November 18, 1967

Beatles ‘Tour’ two EP. set sells for 19/6d!

THE Beatles have again created their own rules. While fans want to know what is being done about the music of their “Magical Mystery Tour” TV show, the Beatles come up with the fact that there is not enough for an album and there is too much for one EP.

So, packaged on December 1, is a two-disc 7 inch EP release, along with a 32-page colour book. And the whole thing markets at 19s. 6d. The Beatles themselves were anxious that it should sell for less than £1… and EMI made the appropriate arrangements. It comes out in stereo and mono… numbers SMMT 1 and MMT 1, respectively… the MMT standing for “Magical Mystery Tour”.

Titles on the first EP: “Magical Mystery Tour”, “Your Mother Should Know” and “I Am The Walrus”. The second one: “The Fool On The Hill”, “Flying”, “Blue Jay Way’. The latter-named is George’s solo in the show, written and sung by him. He wrote it while on holiday in Los Angeles on a Hammond organ in the house he rented up in the Hollywood Hills, and near a highway called “Blue Jay Way”.

The book, which will not be sold separately from the EPs, contains colour pix of the scenes from the television show, plus strip cartoon work by Bob Gibson, who is official cartoonist to the Beatles’ Monthly. The words and editing by Press Officer Tony Barrow. Incidentally, a big point is that “Flying” is the first non-vocal record yet out by Beatles on their label.

From Record Mirror – November 18, 1967

Magical Beatles — in stereo

SINGLES should be released in stereo. If you don’t believe it, listen to the B side of the new Beatles’ single, “I Am The Walrus,” and then hear the stereo version which is part of the two-EP Magical Mystery Tour package.

The MM this week had a preview of the package — two EPs with a 32-page booklet of photos and cartoons which will be on sale at 19s 6d on December 1.

They’ve done it again — six tracks which no other pop group in the world could begin to approach for originality combined with the popular touch.

The set opens with “Magical Mystery Tour,” a massive, storming piece with Paul singing lead over a ten-ton beat. The effect is mainly of guitars and brass with piano taking over at the end. Next comes one of the two most instantly attractive songs, “Your Mother Should Know” like the title track, a Lennon-McCartney composition. At medium tempo it again features Paul and has a tune that sticks in the memory first time round. It includes prominent piano and steady four-to-the-bar rhythm.

“I’m A Walrus,” which completes the first disc, is also a Leanon-McCartney song and bits like the cello figures sound great in stereo.

The fourth Lennon-McCartney song is “The Fool On The Hill” which opens the second EP. It has immediate impact and is a typical Beatle lyrical ballad. The gimmick on this one is the highly effective use of penny whistles instead of flutes. It would make an excellent single A side.

“Flying” is an instrumental with all four Beatles jointly credited as composers. A weird piece, full of organ sounds — and can it be in 7/4 time?. It ends with a touch of the Dr. Who.

George Harrison wrote the final track, “Blue Jay Way,” and it has the requisite Eastern overtones. It also sounds like George singing the lead. it’s a sinister little tune and the most difficult of the six tracks to assimilate at one hearing.

The stereo recording increases the effect of the Beatles harmonies and the action-packed arrangements throughout the package.

Can we expect stereo singles in the near future? I’m afraid not. Some time back the record companies were producing them for stereo juke boxes, but the idea didn’t really take. The general feeling at the moment is that there is no real demand for stereo singles and too few singles buyers have the necessary equipment to play them. — BOB DAWBARN.

From Melody Maker – November 25, 1967

MAGICAL MYSTERY BEATLES

“MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR” is another example of a subject in which the Beatles have been able to exercise their vivid imaginations. With “Sgt. Pepper”, the effects were chiefly sound and only the album cover was visual – but with the latest project the visual side — in the shape of a TV film — has dominated the music, which comes in the form of six tunes on two EP’s in an adventurous booklet of EP size, for only 19/6. Everything from fantasy, children’s comics, acid (psychedelic) humour is included on the record and in the booklet. Depending on your involvement, you can read whatever you like into the “‘kiddies'” plots, told in the booklet with cartoons by Bob Gibson and captions by Tony Barrow.

“Magical Mystery Tour” is a shouting, loud effective item with a hollow overall sound and an unusually different piano ending. “Your Mother Should Know” is medium tempo ballad with a corny sort of tune — but the atmosphere developed is fantastic. lt’s a hazy, stoned kind of sensation which reminds you of hearing old tunes, in smoky rooms… one line is “Lift up your hearts and sing me a song, that was a hit before your mother was born”. You’ve all heard “l Am The Walrus” — it sounds even better in stereo. “The Fool On The Hill” is a thoughtful reflective type of number — a ballad dealing with a perceptive person and the attitudes of those around him. Deliberately disjointed. “Flying”, the only instrumental on the EP’s is a ponderous medium pace effort which becomes strangely exhilarating and features wordless vocal backing some way through. A disturbing tuning-note closes things and the instrumentation tapers off. “Blue Jay Way”, written by George, features his dry vocals up against a swooping church organ. The storyline, dealing with a human situation is enhanced by, to paraphrase Nick Jones, a ‘seashell sound’.

NORMAN JOPLING

From Record Mirror – December 1, 1967

Beatles ‘Magic’ disc-book held up, gold ‘Hello’, Traffic cut from TV

RELEASE of the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” disc-book package has been delayed by one week until this Friday (8th), because EMI has been overwhelmed by 400,000 advance orders. The main hold-up has been the book, which is more difficult to reprint than the pressing of additional records. However, 750,000 copies have now been supplied and distribution is in full swing. Provided there is no disruption due to the rail go-slow earlier this week, all advance orders should be met by this weekend.

Meanwhile, American sales of the “Hello Goodbye” single — it is No. 7 in “Cash Box” and No. 8 in “Billboard” this week — passed 900,000 on Tuesday, and were expected to have reached the million mark by today (Friday). In this country sales were nearing half a million on Wednesday.

Transmission details of the “Mystery Tour” TV spectacular are to be announced within the next few days. Meanwhile it was learned this week that Traffic’s contribution to the show has been “edited out” in the process of cutting down the six hours of filmed material to minutes. However, the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band has a spot in the show’s strip-club sequence.

The fifth annual Christmas record is being distributed to all Fan Club members within the next two weeks. Titled “Christmas Time (Is Here Again),” the EP runs over six minutes and features a specially written title song, a linked series of comedy items, and a guest appearance of “the feet and voice of Victor Spinetti”!

The disc has a full-colour sleeve, including an oil painting by four-year-old Julian Lennon. It is being made available to disc-jockeys for broadcasting during the pre-Christmas week. As usual, the record is being sent free to Fan Club members in Britain and America, but is not available to the general public.

FLASH! IT HAS JUST BEEN ANNOUNCED THAT THE BEATLES’ “MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR” TV SPECTACULAR WILL BE SCREENED BY BBC-1 ON BOXING DAY. IT WILL BE REPEATED IN COLOUR ON BBC-2 EARLY IN THE NEW YEAR.

From New Musical Express – December 9, 1967

Beatles hit top

THE Beatles grabbed number one from Long John Baldry this week with “Hello, Goodbye.” But their new “Magical Mystery Tour” recordings, released as a special disc-plus-book issue, was not in the Pop 30 chart list, even though advance orders topped 250,000.

EMI cleared up the mystery when Press Officer Sid Gillingham told the MM that the Magical Mystery Tour set had not yet reached the shops.

“We never announced a firm release date for it. All we said was that it would be released in the first week in December, and in fact it is going out to dealers today (Tuesday).”

FAN RECORD

Press officer Tony Barrow told the MM: “I think dealers are not sure how to deal with the record, because it isn’t a conventional single or album. But it should be treated as a single record.”

The Beatles issue another Special Christmas record for their fan club. This record, which is not available to the public, will be released simultaneously in America and is titled “Christmas Time (Is Here Again).” It lasts six minutes and is mailed to fans in a special four colour cover.

In America, “Hello, Goodbye” has sold more than 900,000 and is expected to qualify for a Gold Disc by this weekend.

From Melody Maker – December 9, 1967

BEATLES TOUR SET IN POP 30

THE Beatles notched up two chart entries this week – number one with “Hello Goodbye” and number 17 with “Magical Mystery Tour EP.”

The Magical Mystery Tour TV film will be screened on BBC-1 on Boxing Day at 8.35 pm in black and white. The colour version will be seen on BBC-2 within a fortnight of the Boxing Day screening.

From Melody Maker – December 16, 1967

BEATLES’ TOUR MAKE £2 1/2 M

BEATLES have produced a mammoth New Year bonus for Britain’s Chancellor of the Exchequer!

Their “Magical Mystery Tour” package has caused American record buyers to shell out to the tune of $8,000,000. Which, in British money, means over two-and-a-half million pounds!

In a cable to EMI chairman Sir Joseph Lockwood, American Capitol’s Voyle Gilmore said: “‘Magical Mystery Tour’ sales to date are 1,600,000.”

In America, “Magical Mystery Tour” – issued in Britain in EP form – is released as an LP with other Beatles hits.

Beatles single, “Hello, Goodbye”, has now hit the No. 1 slot in the American charts.

From Disc And Music Echo – December 30, 1967