The Beatles’ Revolver Half-Speed-Mastered 180g 4LP/1 EP Special Edition Super Deluxe Box Set Is Coming Our Way October 28

Turn off your mind, relax, and drop the needle. If you’ve been wondering which Beatles album would next get the mega-deluxe treatment following last year’s Let It Be Super Deluxe 180g 4LP/1EP box set, wonder no more. On October 28, Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe will release August 1966’s seminal Revolver in a 180g 4LP/1EP Special Edition Super Deluxe box set.

There are other related deluxe and standard configurations being released at the same time as the vinyl box is, of course, but you can read about them elsewhere. That said (that said), you can see here now the following. . .

Revolver’s core 14 tracks have been newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell in stereo, and the album’s original mono mix is sourced from its 1966 mono master tape. The album’s new stereo mix is sourced directly from the original four-track master tapes. De-mixing technology developed by the award-winning sound team led by Emile de la Rey at Peter Jackson’s WingNut Films Productions Ltd has been deployed.

This Super Deluxe collection also features Revolver’s original mono mix, 28 early takes from the recording sessions, three home demos, and a four-track EP with new stereo mixes and remastered original mono mixes for “Paperback Writer” and “Rain.” (Note: Next week, I will be interviewing Giles Martin exclusively for AnalogPlanet about as many relevant Revolver analog details as possible, so keep an eye out for that post, which will arrive before the end of next week.)

The Revolver Special Edition Super Deluxe box set retails for $199.99, and you can pre-order it here. Also, you can hear the 2022 stereo mix of “Taxman” right here.

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The physical specs for the 4LP/1EP edition are these. (The full sidebreak breakdowns follow at the end of this story.) The 4LPs and 7-inch EP are on half-speed-mastered 180g vinyl, and the deluxe package comes with a 100-page hardbound book, all of it housed in a 12.56 x 12.36-inch slipcase. The first Revolver box set LP comprises the new stereo mixes of the album’s original 14 tracks. The next two LPs, subtitled Sessions One and Sessions Two, comprise 31 tracks in stereo and mono. The fourth LP features the original mono master of the core album’s 14 tracks. Finally, the 7-inch Revolver EP contains four tracks in total, including new stereo mixes and remastered original mono mixes of “Paperback Writer” and “Rain.”

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If you don’t want to splurge for the full Special Edition right out of the box (so to speak), an individual 1LP Revolver release featuring the new stereo mix on half-speed-mastered 180g vinyl ($29.99) and a limited edition 180g 1LP vinyl picture disc ($35.98) featuring the new stereo mix and delineated with the album cover art will also be made available. (Why not mono too? Don’t worry — I’ll ask!)

The Revolver Special Edition showcases the Grammy-winning original album artwork created by The Beatles’ longtime friend, German bassist and artist Klaus Voormann. The included hardbound book features a foreword from Paul McCartney; an introduction by Giles Martin; an essay by drummer/producer Questlove; and chapters and detailed track notes by Beatles historian, author, and radio producer Kevin Howlett. The book is illustrated with rare and previously unpublished photos; never before published images of handwritten lyrics, tape boxes, and recording sheets; 1966 print ads; and extracts from Voormann’s graphic novel, birth of an icon: REVOLVER.

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We all know quite a lot about the making of Revolver, but for some brief historical context, consider this — by 4 a.m. on June 22, 1966, The Beatles finished “She Said She Said,” wrapping up the album’s recording sessions. The final mono and stereo mixes for Revolver were completed that evening, and the next day, The Beatles were once again off and running on tour. That November, they reconvened at Abbey Road to begin work on Sgt. Pepper.

Finally, some chart-related stats. Released on August 5, 1966, Revolver spent seven weeks at No. 1 on the UK albums chart, and the double A-side single with “Eleanor Rigby” and “Yellow Submarine” topped the UK singles chart for four weeks in August and September. In the U.S., Capitol released an 11-track version of Revolver, which spent six weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s albums chart. “I’m Only Sleeping,” “And Your Bird Can Sing,” and “Doctor Robert” had been previously plucked from the sessions for Capitol’s North American release of the Yesterday And Today compilation album — one of the first half-dozen Beatles albums I ever owned myself, in fact! — that June.

How excited are you about this impending Revolver vinyl box set release? Chime in with your thoughts in the Comments section below.

Music Direct Buy It Now

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THE BEATLES
REVOLVER – SPECIAL EDITION SUPER DELUXE VINYL BOX SET

180g 4LP/1EP (Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe)

LP One: Revolver (new stereo mix)
Side 1
1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I’m Only Sleeping
4. Love You To
5. Here, There And Everywhere
6. Yellow Submarine
7. She Said She Said

Side 2
1. Good Day Sunshine
2. And Your Bird Can Sing
3. For No One
4. Doctor Robert
5. I Want To Tell You
6. Got To Get You Into My Life
7. Tomorrow Never Knows

LP Two: Sessions One
Side 1
1. Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1)
2. Tomorrow Never Knows (Mono mix RM 11)
3. Got To Get You Into My Life (First version) – Take 5
4. Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version) – Unnumbered mix - mono
5. Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version) – Take 8
6. Love You To (Take 1) - mono
7. Love You To (Unnumbered rehearsal) – mono

Side 2
1. Love You To (Take 7)
2. Paperback Writer (Takes 1 and 2) – Backing track – mono
3. Rain (Take 5 – Actual speed)
4. Rain (Take 5 – Slowed down for master tape)
5. Doctor Robert (Take 7)
6. And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) – Take 2
7. And Your Bird Can Sing (First version) – Take 2 (giggling)

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LP Three: Sessions Two
Side 1
1. And Your Bird Can Sing (Second version) – Take 5
2. Taxman (Take 11)
3. I’m Only Sleeping (Rehearsal fragment) - mono
4. I’m Only Sleeping (Take 2) - mono
5. I’m Only Sleeping (Take 5) - mono
6. I’m Only Sleeping (Mono mix RM1)
7. Eleanor Rigby (Speech before Take 2)
8. Eleanor Rigby (Take 2)

Side 2
1. For No One (Take 10) – Backing track
2. Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape – Part 1) - mono
3. Yellow Submarine (Songwriting work tape – Part 2) – mono
4. Yellow Submarine (Take 4 before sound effects)
5. Yellow Submarine (Highlighted sound effects)
6. I Want To Tell You (Speech and Take 4)
7. Here, There And Everywhere (Take 6)
8. She Said She Said (John’s demo) - mono
9. She Said She Said (Take 15) – Backing track rehearsal

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LP Four: Revolver (original mono master)
Side 1
1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. I’m Only Sleeping
4. Love You To
5. Here, There And Everywhere
6. Yellow Submarine
7. She Said She Said

Side 2
1. Good Day Sunshine
2. And Your Bird Can Sing
3. For No One
4. Doctor Robert
5. I Want To Tell You
6. Got To Get You Into My Life
7. Tomorrow Never Knows

Revolver EP (7-inch)
Side 1
1. Paperback Writer (New stereo mix)
2. Rain (New stereo mix)

Side 2
1. Paperback Writer (Original mono mix remastered)
2. Rain (Original mono mix remastered)

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COMMENTS
Tube123's picture

Wait six or seven months and the vinyl box set will be priced under $100. Same thing happened with the Let it Be vinyl box set.

Nothing Like Vinyl's picture

That's what I'm expecting to happen. I'm staying away from the "buy it now" button on Amazon, and it's not easy. I hope my patience will pay off.

RG's picture

I’d like to know if Mr. McCartney, Mr. Starkey, and the Lennon and Harrison states participated in the construction of these newly “reimagined” stereo tracks and approved the new mixes. I’d also like to know once Mr. Martin deconstructed the locked in mono tracks into their component parts, how did he decide how to put it back together again and who said ok to it? Who decided what went where?

garrard701's picture

Where to BEGIN with this?! I love all the Beatles albums, but the fidelity of "Revolver" always fell short, for me. Especially cuts like "She Said, She Said." This was the first LP after the group switched engineers, from Norman Smith to Geoff Emerick, while at the same time increasing their use of bouncing tracks. So those two factors, combined, seemed to be the reason that this disk just had a bit of a gritty veil over it compared to "Pepper" (which was recorded under very similar conditions, but sounds phenomenal). The remix of "Taxman" tells me that the veil is lifting! The stereo picture is also more cohesive, with less ping-pong. That's what Giles seems to have done with the soundstage on all of his remixes (except Let It Be, which was already fairly cohesive).
As for bouncing tracks, I always thought that the original, unbounced 4-track tapes were in the EMI archive. So it was just a matter of transferring everything into the digital domain and then syncing, as Mark Linett has done for so many Beach Boys projects since the 90s. So I'm not sure what the de-mixing technology did that old-fashioned elbow grease couldn't. When I first read about "de-mixing," I thought it would be more useful on the earlier material that was recorded on two tracks (i.e. everything before "I Want to Hold Your Hand") and really needed the elements to be re-separated. Anyhow, from what I've seen and heard, this is going to be excellent! The EP doesn't seem completely necessary, but it's nice to have... and the track list is packed for the two "Sessions" disks; no extra space there!
Bonus points for including the mono mix. The 2014 reissue has been going for $150! Hopefully future deluxe editions will include the mono versions as well. Or they could just re-press the whole mono box; maybe that's something to ask Giles! Or at least if the version in this box is pressed from the same metal parts as the 2014 issue.

vinyl listener's picture

half-wit remastered and digital !
Another Giles Martin Beatles fail.

captwillard's picture

Nobody will force you to listen to or buy it. I will be purchasing and am looking forward to it.

RG's picture

Such an articulate and interesting comment. You must make such a fascinating dinner party guest. Want more hat-wit and fail? Look in the mirror.

Grant M's picture

It has been confirmed by Miles Showell that the mono LP in the set was mastered by Sean Magee, was cut from the original tape, not as half-speed mastered like the stereo remixes. Apparently Miles had covid during the time, and they had Sean do the mono cut, as he did for the 2014 mono box.

StonedBeatles1's picture

I hate Giles Martin and Paul McCartney's guts! One could write a novel as to why but I'll leave it at just that.

RG's picture

You assert that one could write a novel, but you can’t even provide a single sentence. Thanks for your contribution to the conversation.

StonedBeatles1's picture

My contribution to the conversation was my pleasure. Glad you enjoyed it. Hope you also enjoy the horribly mixed, compressed and limited reissue.

RG's picture

Fascinating how you know so much about the record sounds given that it won’t be released until 10/28 and nobody’s heard it. Certainly not you. What other subjects do you know nothing about that you feel entitled to weigh in on?

StonedBeatles1's picture

"What other subjects do you know nothing about that you feel entitled to weigh in on?"
Well RG, apparently you have no life and nothing more to do than criticize someone's comment that you apparently don't agree with.
As far as you saying that I know nothing, that's your prerogative. I can assure all, I know more than you'll ever know and I'm greater than you'll ever be. It's a shame that my opinion upsets you so much.
Now grow up and f**k off.

CJB's picture

My later generation stereo Revolver sounds great, and my mono version from several years ago is great, so, while the early takes etc might be nice to have, I'd really prefer to put $200.00 into something else. I'll leave this one to the flippers and the "collectors". Let them succumb to the buzz.

Rashers's picture

is a no brainer: I really enjoyed the remix of Sgt Pepper. The absence of a Blu-Ray in the digital box is mind boggling. The price is eye watering.
There is no prospect of them reissuing the mono box when they can drip feed releases like this (all digitally sourced).

Mike Mettler's picture
Agreed re the headscratcher about the no-Blu-ray / no-Atmos inclusion in the 5CD box set version. Actually, that's become a disturbing trend of late -- not including Blu-rays in these bigger boxes, which is something I personally want on a physical disc, not just access codes to mixes in the cloud. Glad to soon enough have the fully tracklisted 4LP/1EP vinyl to revolve/spin, at least.
spencer1's picture

At $200 it seems WAY overpriced for 4 LP's an EP and a book.

Like a lot of Beatles fans I already have the stereo covered (original and Blue Box) and the mono covered (the "In Mono" box).
Like many I'm hoping the price drops significantly, then I'll be in.

fdroadrunner's picture

Last year I heard a de-mixed (and unofficial) version of this album that was floating around the interweb, and it truly blew my mind. A little blending across the channels truly was like a lifted veil; in fact, "Tomorrow Never Knows" finally made sense like never before.
If this official de-mixed version is as good (and the promo video indicates it is), then the new mix is a must-have.
I'll be opting for the single album version so I've got the important thing, the music in a final form, and leave the ephemera and musical building blocks for others.

Anton D's picture

Your post is so great, it made me overcome my Beatles ennui.

I was going to wait for the 2027 Revolver re-re-re-re-re-release of this album, but now, thanks to you, I will check this out!

texquad's picture

I have purchased all of the previous SDE editions for the multi-channel mixes. Yes, I do enjoy checking out the book and sometimes even listen to the extras. I've also picked up the single vinyl editions to hear the albums with less compression but in most cases the thing that go back to is the Blu-ray. I had actually pre-ordered the SDE before realizing that it didn't include a BR disc and have since canceled my order. I might consider purchasing the single vinyl, CD or even one of the SDE's if I can get it a deal. On the flip side the more recent Lennon box-sets I've purchased have included more material for less money and I thought that All Things Must Pass and the Let It Be SDE's were comparatively over priced. If this it the shape of things to come I may have to pass on the SDE's.

mb's picture

$200 for a pointless remix, 2 LPs I’ll listen to once and what I assume will be the same cut of the mono pressing I bought 8 years ago. Oh, and a 100 page book I’ll probably leaf through once.

Maybe if it comes down to $100 or less…

swimming1's picture

I'll stick with the 1978 Beatles blue box stereo version from the real original analog masters. Cheers,Chet

Anton D's picture

They are promising they got it right this time!

Trevor_Bartram's picture

I purchased the most improved 2009 stereo CDs from boxset returns at Newbury Comics and enjoyed revisiting the albums. A couple of years later when the sets were climbing in price, Newbury had the mono CD boxsets for $70, a steal. I assumed they were knockoffs but the sales guy insisted they were genuine. I bought a set and checked the documentation, they were genuine. I miss Newbury Comics!

rich d's picture

Plenty of people whose taste I respect have endorsed the Giles-ified reissues. I can't stand 'em. Leaving aside the obvious cash-in aspect of the whole business, the mixes just sound weird. If you eat a curry, you don't want the coconut milk and fenugreek to stand out, you just want them to blend together. Similarly, a guitar part which was originally meant to be a discrete component of an organic whole shouldn't leap out at the listener or otherwise call attention to itself. Mr. Martin has, in my view, squeezed the pleasure out of Beatles records in an effort to reveal what should remain hidden. Also, if you need immersive surround sound effects to enjoy Revolver, you are well and truly missing the point of the exercise.

Lastly, imagine my delight at receiving a text message 24 hours after I arrived in England saying the Ascot HiFi show was cancelled. Grr. Record shops and pubs did provide some solace, though.

Martin's picture

No thanks.
apparently all this will be done at 96/24 digital. So, No. No way.
The AAA Revolver from the mono box set sounds great. Apparently this mono is digital. Presumably Abbey Road did not want to use the mono box set plates because an A:B comoarison shows up the shortcomings of the digital mastering too blatantly.
And half speed mastering can most charitably be described as a marketing gimmixk. More honestly, it's bullshit.

rich d's picture

I wouldn't mind having a clean RM11 of Tomorrow Never Knows. Originals are stupidly expensive. Maybe they could do a 45 for Record Store Day and put an edit of 'Carnival of Light' on the B side. A fella can dream, right?

Mike Mettler's picture
Stay tuned to AP tomorrow (i.e., September14), as I will be posting the gist of my exclusive, just-completed interview with Giles Martin about Revolver (and more). . .
Mike Mettler's picture
Update: My interview with Giles Martin will post a few hours from now, as I type this Comment -- technically, it will be "tomorrow" in certain time zones and regions, depending on where you are. Stay tuned!
Mike Mettler's picture
My Giles Martin Revolver interview is now posted, and you can check it out here... (As in, click on the word here in the previous sentence, and you'll go right to it!)
steve3049's picture

I'm assuming de-mixing is not an audiophile endeavor. I much prefer my early all-analog pressings to the remasters from several years ago. The digital remasters often present to me as standardizing sound to make it more consumer comfortable. De-mixing certainly plays into that idea.

barfle's picture

I just don’t understand why a bunch of stuff retrieved from the cutting room floor makes a package that won’t fit on a regular record shelf worth so freakinfpg much money. If someone I know buys it, I’ll listen to it, but I’d be surprised if I were impressed.

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