In addition to the 14 vinyl LPs, available individually or collected in a deluxe boxed edition with a stunning, elegantly designed 252-page hardbound book, the mobile pop-up shops will offer The Beatles' acclaimed remastered studio album CDs in stereo and mono, as well as DVDs and Blu-rays for this year's beautifully restored Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine feature films, and several Beatles merch items. In each city, a special Beatles t-shirt (one unique to New York and another to Los Angeles) will be available exclusively on the bus with minimum purchase, while supplies last.
The Beatles' mobile pop-up shops will make stops next Tuesday, November 13 at the following confirmed locations:
New York: * Midtown (9:30am – 11am): Seventh Avenue, between 49th Street and 50th Street * SoHo (12pm – 1:30pm): Broadway, between Prince Street and Spring Street * Wall Street (2:30pm – 4pm): Broadway, between Cortlandt Street and Liberty Street
Los Angeles: * Hollywood (9:30am – 11am): Capitol Records, 1750 North Vine Street * Santa Monica (12pm – 1:30pm): 1324 5th Street at Arizona Avenue (ICE at Santa Monica ice skating rink) * Downtown (2:30pm – 4pm): L.A. Live (at Olympic Boulevard and South Figueroa Street)
Manufactured on 180-gram, audiophile quality vinyl with replicated artwork, the 14 albums return to their original glory with details including the poster in The Beatles (The White Album), the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart Club Band's cutouts, and special inner bags for some of the titles. The 252-page hardbound book, exclusive to the boxed edition, is authored by award-winning radio producer Kevin Howlett and features a dedicated chapter for each of the albums, as well as insight into the creation of the remasters and how the vinyl albums were prepared. The 12"x12" book showcases a wealth of photographs spanning The Beatles' recording career, including many images which were not included in the 2009 CD booklets.
The titles include The Beatles' 12 original UK albums, first released between 1963 and 1970, the US-originated Magical Mystery Tour, now part of the group's core catalogue, and Past Masters, Volumes One & Two, featuring non-album A-sides and B-sides, EP tracks and rarities. With this release, The Beatles' first four albums make their North American stereo vinyl debuts. In 2013, the remastered albums will make their mono vinyl debuts.
In September, 2009, The Beatles' remastered albums on CD graced charts around the world. Seventeen million album sales within seven months was resounding evidence of the timeless relevance of their legacy. In 2010, the albums debuted digitally, exclusively on iTunes. Through five decades, in every format, the music of The Beatles has captivated generation upon generation.
For producer Rick Rubin, surveying The Beatles' recorded achievements is akin to witnessing a miracle. "If we look at it by today's standards, whoever the most popular bands in the world are, they will typically put out an album every four years," Rubin said in a 2009 radio series interview. "So, let's say two albums as an eight year cycle. And think of the growth or change between those two albums. The idea that The Beatles made thirteen albums in seven years and went through that arc of change... it can't be done. Truthfully, I think of it as proof of God, because it's beyond man's ability."
Beginning November 19 and continuing into December, high-end audio retailers in several U.S. cities will host listening events for The Beatles' stereo vinyl remasters. Each retailer will present the new Beatles vinyl on completely hand-made British hifi systems, with demonstrations of audible improvements in the new vinyl on a variety of turntables and associated equipment. Confirmed locations include:
San Francisco: 7pm, Monday, Nov. 19 - AUDIO VISION SF (1603 Pine St., San Francisco, CA 94109)
Los Angeles: 5pm, Tuesday, Nov. 20 - AHEAD STEREO (7428 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036)
Atlanta: 7pm, Monday, Nov. 26 - AUDIO ALTERNATIVE (895 Indian Trail Rd., Ste. 15, Lilburn, GA 30047)
Dallas: 6pm, Tuesday, Nov. 27 - AUDIO CONCEPTS (11661 Preston Rd., Ste. 280, Dallas, TX 75230)
Austin: 7pm, Wednesday, Nov. 28 - WHETSTONE AUDIO (2401 East 6th St., #1001, Austin, TX 78702)
Chicago: 6pm, Monday, Dec. 3 - PRO MUSICA (2236 North Clark St., Chicago, IL 60614)
Boston: 6pm, Tuesday, Dec. 4 - GOODWIN'S HIGH END (899 Main St., Waltham, MA 02451)
New York: 7pm, Wednesday, Dec. 5 - IN LIVING STEREO (2 Great Jones St., New York, NY 10012)
Philadelphia: 7pm, Thursday, Dec. 6 - COMMUNITY AUDIO (8020 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia, PA 19118)
Washington, DC: 6pm, Friday, Dec. 7 - IQ HOME ENTERTAINMENT (10890 Fairfax Blvd., Fairfax, VA 22030)
