TED Recommendation (Extract Factory EXT004)
(72:08): What’s The New Mary Jane (Demo Version), What’s The New Mary Jane (Sparse Mix), What’s The New Mary Jane (Intermediate Mix), What’s The New Mary Jane (Intermediate Mix variation), What’s The New Mary Jane (Dense Mix), What’s The New Mary Jane (“Sessions” Mix), What’s The New Mary Jane (“Anthology” Mix), What’s The New Mary Jane (Rejected Single Mix), Not Guilty(Demo Version), Not Guilty (Unedited Mono Mix), Not Guilty (Unedited Stereo Mix), Not Guilty (Anthology Mix), Not Guilty (Re-Edited Mix), You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)(Demo Version), You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)(Combined Version)
TED Recommendation is named after Ted Greenwald, who wrote an article for 901 detailing the various takes of “What’s The New Mary Jane.” These tracks were collected and released on CDR in the past, and Extract Factory give it the vote of authority on a silver pressed edition with nice artwork. The sound quality and packaging is really nice and is compiled from the best available sources.
Most of the space on the disc is devoted to John Lennon’s 1968 outtake from the sessions for The Beatles. An early vinyl 7″ boot, What A Shame, Mary Jane Had A Pain At The Party (R 8028) was released with “You Know My Name” as a B-side.
And early compact disc release What A Shame, Mary Jane Had A Pain At The Party (Apples 1002) was issued with the various takes in order. However, the versions all play back at a different speed and some are actually repeats with the stereo reversed and at a higher or lower pitch. TED Recommendation corrects those issues, presenting them all in the same pitch and all of the legitimate variations in order from the initial demo to the final mixing in late 1969 and the commercial version from Anthology 3.
The second part of the disc is devoted to George Harrison’s excellent “Not Guilty.” The outtakes are not as comprehensive as with “What’s The New Mary Jane.” It is nice having all of the relevant permutations available in such good sound quality.
Finally, the last two tracks are the demo for “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)” and the “combined version.”
Lennon wanted “What’s The New Mary Jane” on The Beatles, but thankfully the others had a say and the song didn’t appear. It is a tedious, dull and boring exercise in the avante garde which is a a precursor to Lennon and Ono’s worst experiments in the late sixties and early seventies.
“Not Guilty” is another mistake made by the band. This also was rejected for inclusion on The Beatles. It’s a great song, and this recording is superior to the George Harrison reworking in 1979. It’s hard to see why garbage like “Why Don’t We Do It In The Road” was included over this song. One can understand why Harrison was upset with the others. The final track “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)” is really inconsequential.
TED Recommendation is recommended for collectors who are really interested in hearing some of The Beatles’ mistakes in excellent sound quality.
6 Comments
The main point — aside from whether these songs should have or could have been included on the White Album (Not Guilty is a fine track and would have fit moreso than several of the redoubtable tracks on there) — is that this is one sorry excuse for a “new” bootleg release! All we keep getting is rehash! Been going on for years. Gone are the days…there *are* good “rehash” compilations every now and then, but Extract Factory has yet to be responsible for one.
I didnt say i dont like mary jane, not guilty or you know my name…..i do
but the white album is just fine as it is
its a simple observation ……by a very long term fan of the beatles
Actually, “What’s The New Mary Jane” and “You Know My Name” are two of my personal favorites from their psychedelic period, I think they illustrate the playful nature of the band as evidenced in their Xmas Flexi Singles. Now, a disc with nothing but these two songs (and a couple of takes of “Not Guilty”) IS admittedly a bit excessive, but these are both fun cuts, the boys gooning around in the studio; they’re a laugh.
“You Know My Name” is also noteworthy as it features the Rolling Stones Brian Jones on saxophone– the sessions for that one go back to 1967, IIRC, but as a single b-side it was not released until 1970, after Brian’s untimely murder/death.
“Not Guilty” is, on the other hand, one of George’s better songs; and certainly better than some songs that saw release: it certainly should have been on the White Album, or at least an A-side single.
I guess having and expressing an opinion is “being a waste of space on this planet.”
The only reason I can see why “Not Guilty” was not included on the white album was simply because Harrison had a one song per side quota. “Not Guilty” is superior to many of the songs that were included.
And regarding “What’s The New Mary Jane,” the band were correct in not including it. There’s a reason why it was buried for thirty years (until Anthology 3). It’s garbage.
Good God, people! You’re trashing 42-year-old songs from a classic album? Maybe you’re mentally superior to John and Paul, but that’s not an argument on which you should place a wager. The beauty of The White Album (let’s at least call it what FANS have called it for 42 years) is a funhouse of musical styles and genres. Some songs are better than others — is that suddenly a magical awareness that you’ve reached? But, to trash songs by saying that “none of these three merit inclusion” is pig-headed on your part, and makes REAL fans just laugh at you for being a waste of space on this planet.
lets face it, none of these three merit inclusion on the white album. but mary jane is hardly boring, and you know my name far from inconsequential.
the white album stands up as an overall piece, warts and all…………………
jm