55.jpg "The Beatles - Anthology 3 (Compilation) (1996) front album cover")
789.jpg "The Beatles - Anthology 3 (Compilation) (1996) back album cover")
The Beatles - Anthology 3 (Compilation) (1996)
Front and back image album covers
The Beatles – Anthology 3 (Compilation) (1996)
Rare Late-Era Recordings and the Band’s Final Studio Works
Anthology 3 is a 1996 compilation album by The Beatles, released on 28 October 1996 by Apple Records. It is the final installment of the Anthology trilogy, featuring rare outtakes, demos, and live recordings from 1965–1970, including material from the Let It Be and Abbey Road sessions. The album captures The Beatles’ later creative period, offering fans insight into their studio experimentation and post-Beatlemania artistry.
📌 Album Details
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Artist: The Beatles
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Title: Anthology 3
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Type: Compilation / Archival release
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Released: 28 October 1996
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Label: Apple Records
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Format: 2×CD, 3×LP, Cassette
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Genre: Rock / Psychedelic / Pop
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Recording Years: 1965–1970
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Producers: George Martin, Jeff Lynne (“Real Love”)
This volume completes the official Anthology series, pairing historical context with previously unreleased recordings from the band’s final years.
🎶 Tracklist – Anthology 3 (1996)
Disc One
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Real Love
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Free as a Bird (alternate mix)
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And Your Bird Can Sing (demo)
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For No One (demo)
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Now and Then (early demo – unfinished)
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I Will (demo)
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Two of Us (demo)
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If I Fell (demo)
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That Means a Lot (demo)
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Tomorrow Never Knows (take 1)
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You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)
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Hey Bulldog (demo)
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Mean Mr. Mustard / Polythene Pam (demo)
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Piggies (demo)
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Glass Onion (demo)
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Back in the U.S.S.R. (demo)
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Revolution (demo)
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Helter Skelter (take 1)
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Long, Long, Long (demo)
Disc Two
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Across the Universe (take 2)
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While My Guitar Gently Weeps (demo)
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I Me Mine (demo)
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Cry Baby Cry (demo)
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Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (take 6)
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Don’t Let Me Down (take 1)
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Dig It / Let It Be (rehearsals)
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Get Back (takes 1–3)
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The Long and Winding Road (alternate mix)
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Two of Us / Dig a Pony (rehearsals)
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Free as a Bird (final single release)
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Real Love (final single release)
Note: Real Love and the completed version of Free as a Bird were produced posthumously from John Lennon’s demos by Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Jeff Lynne.
🎸 Album Credits
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John Lennon – Vocals, Rhythm Guitar, Piano
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Paul McCartney – Vocals, Bass Guitar, Piano, Guitar
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George Harrison – Lead Guitar, Vocals
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Ringo Starr – Drums, Vocals
Producers:
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George Martin (original recordings)
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Jeff Lynne (for “Real Love” and posthumous overdubs)
Recording Studios:
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EMI Studios (Abbey Road), London
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Apple Studios, London
📈 Commercial Performance
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Debuted at No. 1 on the UK Albums Chart
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Reached No. 1 on the US Billboard 200
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Certified 4× Platinum in the UK
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Certified 3× Platinum in the US
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Sold over 5 million copies worldwide
The release was critically acclaimed and commercially successful, reflecting continued global interest in the Beatles’ unreleased material.
🤩 Fun Facts
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“Real Love” became the second and final new Beatles single created from John Lennon’s demos.
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Many of the tracks feature studio chatter, false starts, and experimental takes, offering insight into the band’s creative process.
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The album includes demos of songs that never made it onto studio albums, such as That Means a Lot and Now and Then.
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“I Me Mine” demo features George Harrison’s original vocal with minimal instrumentation.
❓ Trivia
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The Anthology 3 project provided an official release for many tracks previously available only on bootlegs.
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The posthumous singles Free as a Bird and Real Love reunited Paul, George, and Ringo in the studio for the first time since 1970.
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“Across the Universe” appears in an early take with alternate lyrics before the final album version on Let It Be.
🧠 Did You Know?
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The Anthology series as a whole (Volumes 1–3) included over 150 previously unreleased recordings.
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“Real Love” was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal.
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These late-era recordings reveal the band’s experimentation with progressive and psychedelic elements during their final years.
