THE BEATLES / CHRISTMAS COLLECTION (1CD)

01. 1963: The Beatles Christmas Record
02. 1964: Another Beatles Christmas Record
03. 1965: The Beatles Third Christmas Record
04. 1966: Pantomime-Everywhere it's Christmas
05. 1967: Christmas Time (Is Here Again)
06. 1968: Christmas 1968
07. 1969: Happy Christmas 1969 THE SONGS
08. Christmas Time (Is Here Again) (Longest version)
09. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
10. George's Christmas Message/Ding Dong Ding Dong
11. Stop and Listen to This Ringo Greeting/Christmas Eve
12. Rudolf The Red Nosed Reggae
13. Paul's Christmas Greeting/Paul's Jingle Bells
14. Wonderful Christmas Time
15. Rockestra Theme
16. A Nelson Wilbury Christmas Greeting
17. Happy New Year from John/The Great Wok
18. Christmas Time (Is Here Again)

A collection of Christmas music, primarily featuring Christmas flexi discs

A collection of Christmas music, primarily featuring Beatles Christmas flexi discs! As Christmas approaches, we often hear John's "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" and Paul's "Wonderful Christmas Time," but when it comes to Beatles Christmas, many fans likely think of the flexi discs they produced and distributed to members of the UK Beatles fan club for seven years, from 1963 to 1969. Each six- to seven-minute recording, centered around messages and skits, features a cappella singing, goofing around, and even a few musical riffs, making it a highly enjoyable experience. The band hadn't recorded together since 1968, and the compilation is made up of individual recordings. However, their diligent production remains a clear expression of their gratitude to their fans. Around Christmas 1970, an album containing the entire recording was distributed to members of the UK and US fan clubs. Since books introducing the albums have been available in Japan since the 1970s, many fans likely knew of the existence of flexi discs and their entertaining content, even if they hadn't heard them before. The flexi discs have long been the subject of bootlegging, and with the advent of the CD era, outtakes have become available, providing a welcome delight for enthusiasts. While a portion of the album was officially released on CD as the B-side of "Free As A Bird" in 1995, it's highly unlikely that the entire album will ever be released, and it will likely remain a staple, available only on bootlegs. Strange Apple's Christmas collection features a chronological compilation of flexi discs from 1963 to 1969, with the second half featuring Christmas songs recorded by the four members. The latter half begins with the longest version of The Beatles' only Christmas song, "Christmas Time," and includes a selection of Christmas-themed songs released during their solo careers, along with Christmas messages from each member.