Mobile Fidelity Half-Speed Mastered by Stan Ricker @ MFSL, Los Angeles Audiophile.
Recorded 30 May – 14 October 1968 Original EMI Release 22 November 1968

Half-speed mastered with the Ortofon Cutting System from the original EMI stereo master tapes, released September 1982 Vinyl Pressed in Japan by JVC using Super High Definition Vinyl The Beatles is the ninth official British album and the fifteenth American album by The Beatles, a double album released in 1968. It is more commonly known as The White Album as it has no graphics or text other than the band's name (and, on the early LP and CD releases, a serial number) on its plain white sleeve. The album was the first The Beatles undertook following the death of their manager Brian Epstein. Originally entitled A Doll's House, the title was changed when the British progressive band Family released the similarly titled Music in a Doll's House earlier that year.

Most of the songs that would end up on The Beatles had been conceived during the group's visit to Rishikesh, India in the spring of 1968. There, they had undertaken a transcendental meditation course with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Although the retreat, which had required long periods of meditation, was initially conceived by the band as a spiritual respite from all worldly endeavours—a chance, in John Lennon's words, to "get away from everything" — both Lennon and Paul McCartney had quickly found themselves in songwriting mode, often meeting "clandestinely in the afternoons in each other's rooms" to review the new work. "Regardless of what I was supposed to be doing," Lennon would later recall, "I did write some of my best songs there." Close to 40 new compositions had emerged in Rishikesh, 23 of which would be laid down in very rough form at Kinfauns, George Harrison’s home in Esher, in May of 1968.

The Beatles had left Rishikesh before the end of the course, with Ringo Starr and then McCartney departing first, and Lennon and Harrison departing together later. According to some reports, Lennon left Rishikesh because he felt personally betrayed by rumours that Maharishi had made sexual advances toward Mia Farrow, who had accompanied The Beatles on their trip. Shortly after he decided to leave, Lennon wrote a song called "Maharishi" which included the lyrics, "Maharishi/You little twat"; the song became "Sexy Sadie". According to several authors, Alexis Mardas (aka "Magic Alex") deliberately engineered these rumours because he was bent on undermining the Maharishi's influence over each Beatle. Lennon himself, in a 1980 interview, acknowledged that the Maharishi was the inspiration for the song: "I just called him 'Sexy Sadie.."

The Beatles was recorded between 30 May 1968 and 14 October 1968, largely at Abbey Road Studios, with some sessions at Trident Studios. Although productive, the sessions were reportedly undisciplined and sometimes fractious, and they took place at a time when tensions were growing within the group. Concurrent with the recording of this album, The Beatles were launching their new multimedia business corporation Apple Corps, an enterprise that proved to be a source of significant stress for the band. ...wikipedia

Track Listing
All songs written and composed by Lennon/McCartney, except where noted.

Side One

1. "Back in the U.S.S.R."
2. "Dear Prudence"
3. "Glass Onion"
4. "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da"
5. "Wild Honey Pie"
6. "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill"
7. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (George Harrison)
8. "Happiness Is a Warm Gun"

Side Two

1. "Martha My Dear"
2. "I'm So Tired"
3. "Blackbird"
4. "Piggies" (Harrison)
5. "Rocky Raccoon"
6. "Don't Pass Me By" (Richard Starkey)
7. "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?"
8. "I Will"
9. "Julia"

Side Three

1. "Birthday"
2. "Yer Blues"
3. "Mother Nature's Son"
4. "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey"
5. "Sexy Sadie"
6. "Helter Skelter"
7. "Long, Long, Long" (Harrison)

Side Four

1. "Revolution 1"
2. "Honey Pie"
3. "Savoy Truffle" (Harrison)
4. "Cry Baby Cry"
5. "Revolution 9"
6. "Good Night"