The Beatles Announce 30th Anniversary of 'Anthology'

Updated, revamped and revised for 2025 with a few gems tucked in for good measure

Having had a few interactions today on the announcement of The Beatles Anthology 2025, I’m publishing a special newsletter with some details about what many consider the most comprehensive telling of the Beatles history… by the Beatles themselves.

A quick rundown and back history: begun as a retrospective gathering by road manager and eventual Apple chief/caretaker Neil Aspinall as far back as 1970, the project was continually shelved again and again in the years leading up to 1994. Prior to John Lennon’s death in 1980, the Beatles as a collective never really cared much for or took an interest in the legacy and impact the band had in modern music. Except for the odd lawsuit here and there to keep unauthorized media off the shelves, a comprehensive film or documentary series was filled with hand swatting and grumblings about revisiting the ‘old days.’

After 1980, though, the wheels were set in motion for Apple Corps. to regain a little more control over the name, likeness, and money that could be gained from expert curation. It might have taken a few years and more than enough compromise from everyone involved, but what emerged in 1994 through 1996 was a cooperative event and an aged understanding from the ‘Threetles’ of how much they could meaningfully contribute to their own legacy.

But chief among the sticking points was how to approach a reworking of three songs on cassette, recorded by Lennon in the ‘70s, and their restoration to something… anything, worth listening to. With the help of producer Jeff Lynne (an agreed upon concession), “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love”, with the help of ‘90s technology, made it into the buying hands of Beatle fans. Along with the ABC television multi-part series, a gigantic coffee-table hardcover book, and a 3-part double CD collection, Anthology gave us The Beatles in their own words.

The Beatles – Anthology 2025 (The music, the book, the series)/℗© Apple Corps Ltd./YouTube

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Slam cut to the 21st century. With the release of Peter Jackson’s Get Back documentary and the single “Now and Then,’ we have reached the point where technology can turn a fuzzy film and buzzy cassette into a cultural event – and more. Hence, the call-to-arms for an update for Anthology and for some audiophiles, a begging to ‘fix’ those Lennon songs.

So here’s what’s happening, baby (as Murray The K would say)…

The documentary series: Anthology will now be a nine-part restored and remastered series, streaming on Disney+ beginning with a three-episode drop on November 26. The new ninth episode will include, according to the press release, “unseen behind-the-scenes footage of Paul, George and Ringo coming together between 1994 and 1995 to work on ‘The Anthology’ and reflect on their shared life as The Beatles.”

The book: Releasing October 14, the 368-page hardcover, oversize history of The Beatles, is illustrated with more than 1,300 photos, documents, artwork, and other memorabilia from the band’s archives.

The music collections: Here’s where we get into the meat of the matter and the inevitable variants, available as either 12LP vinyl, 8CD, digital or streaming options, releasing November 21. As with all previous Special Editions, these collections are remastered by Giles Martin and duly noted here from Apple:

It also has an important new element. Anthology 4, newly curated by Giles, includes 13 previously unreleased demos and session recordings and other rare recordings. Volume 4 includes track notes written by Kevin Howlett and an introduction compiled from 1996 interviews recorded with The Beatles’ close friend and adviser Derek Taylor. It also includes new mixes of The Beatles’ Anthology-associated hit singles: the GRAMMY-winning “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” given new life by their original producer, Jeff Lynne, using de-mixed John Lennon vocals. Both singles’ new mixes are placed alongside the band’s most recent UK No. 1 hit single, 2023’s GRAMMY-winning “Now And Then,” the last Beatles song.

The Beatles - Free As A Bird (Official Video)/℗© Apple Corps Ltd./YouTube

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The Beatles - Now And Then (Official Music Video)/℗© Apple Corps Ltd./YouTube

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The Beatles Anthology 2025 is available to pre-order at their official store here. The Beatles Store’s exclusive editions for both box sets add four 12-inch band photo art cards in a numbered envelope.