NEW YORK (EMI/Beatles Official Website) - On March 31st, eight years after The
Beatles themselves told the story of the world's greatest rock and roll band in The
Beatles Anthology, EMI will release the complete work on DVD - but now featuring the final chapter; never-released footage of the last jam session of Paul,
George and Ringo, playing non-Beatles material.
The Beatles Anthology DVD boxset features all of the original eight episodes that candidly reveal the story of how the four lads from Liverpool changed everything. The Beatles Anthology was shown in 1995, when John, Paul, George and Ringo told The Beatles' story for the first time. At that time the Anthology project caused a worldwide sensation as it launched a TV series, three double-CD sets that each topped the album charts in the USA, plus Free As A Bird and Real Love - the first new Beatles recordings in 25 years. All 10 hours of the original Anthology series will now be released across four DVD discs, plus an additional disc with 81 minutes of Special Features. Nearly all of the material included on this 5th disc has never been seen before.
For years, rumour has been rife among fans of the existence of intimate footage of Paul, George and Ringo jamming together during breaks in the making of the Anthology. This session and others were filmed over a 12-month period when the three Beatles met in private and at Abbey Road studios. It includes the trio warmly remembering personal moments from their early days, reflecting on how they made their music and footage of them shot in the studio as they recorded Free As A Bird and Real Love. David Munns of EMI Recorded Music said: "We are really pleased to be releasing The Beatles Anthology, which tells the story of their lives and careers in the medium of DVD. This was always a great series and the Special Features Disc will be a huge addition to the collection of any music lover and Beatles fan - it provides an intimate and fascinating chapter to the story that continues to captivate the world."
Technically, the DVDs offer a spectacular audio/visual experience, featuring re-graded picture quality and new audio mastering including 5.1-surround sound and a new stereo PCM soundtrack.
The Beatles Anthology DVD will be released in North America on Tuesday, April 1, 2003.
