Customer Reviews

Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records

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This is an Apple Records lovers dream! 21 classic Apple A-sides on CD, many which are very hard to find on original singles these days! The "crown jewel" of this set is the inlusion of the ultra-rare "King Of Fuh" by Brute Force. After all it's about "The Fuh King", it was quickly pulled and only an handful of of the original singles exist today, copies can easily fetch over a grand at auction! Of course there's lot's of hits here too, you get Badfinger's "Come and Get It" and "Day After Day", Mary Hopkin's "Those Were The Days" and "Goodbye", and young James Taylor's original version of "Carolina In My Mind", Jaclie Lomax's "Sour Milk Sea" and "New Day", Ronnie Spector's "Try Some Buy Some", Chris Hodge's "Were On Our Way", Lon and Derrek Van Eaton's "Sweet Music"(reminds me a lot of George Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity?") and Billy Preston's "That's The Way God Planned It" and his cover of the late George Harrison's "My Sweet Lord". Plus there are some unique and unusual singles too, you get The Hot Chocolate Band's reggeae cover of John Lennnon's "Give Peace A Chance", "Govinda" by The Radha Krsna Temple London, "Thingumybob" by The Black Dyke Mills Band,The The Sundown Playboys "Saturday Nite Special" and Trash's cover of The Beatles' "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight". For the 12.99 I spent on this was quite the bargain, plus the remastering is superb! I hope this set as well as the other Apple Reisssues sell well so that they will reissue some more Apple treats in the future! This great collection is tasty to the "core"!

Apple Records had some amazing releases. This disc just skims the surface, but is still a welcome addition. It's worth purchasing even if just for the remastered, CD reissue of Chris Hodge's "We're On Our Way" -- certainly one of my favorites ever. Come on Apple, give us the rest of the singles in subsequent volumes!

Ripe with possibilities Apple Records was The Beatles chance to establish a label that didn't play the same games that the big labels played and take artistic risks. It also gave them a tax shelter. The label fell short of its goal for a variety of reasons (including the dissolution of The Beatles themselves shortly after forming the label)BUT it did result in a variety of artists some of whom went on to much bigger careers AFTER Apple (James Taylor, Billy Preston, Hot Chocolate), some of whom had big hits for the label (Badfinger)and some of whom disappeared into obscurity.

This collection takes singles from albums released by Apple as well as single-only releases for a variety of artists. The only place to find these single only releases is here on this compilation. The only thing that MIGHT have improved this set is to include the b-sides for each artists singles. The mastering sounds pretty good and it was done by the same EMI team that remastered The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Badfinger catalogs for CD.

"Those Were The Days" was a hit single for Welsh singer Mary Hopkins who also turned the Paul McCartney penned "Goodbye" into a hit single as well.

"Carolina on My Mind"-James Taylor would go on to bigger hits after his producer and manager Peter Asher left Apple. Taylor would re-record this later.

"Maybe Tomorrow" was a single by Mal Evans' discovery The Iveys who would undergo a name change (Badfinger) and score four top 20 hits before tragedy struck the band.

"Thingumbob" is a McCartney penned song by The Black Dyke Mills Band a favorite brass band of McCartney's.(Exclusive to this release)

"King of Fuh" was a novelty song that Apple picked up and was recorded by Brute Force. It's the story of the Fuh King (yep, say that fast and you'll understand WHY it was never released and WHY John and George love it. (Exclusive to this release)

"Sour Milk Sea" written by George Harrison was recorded by Jackie Lomax a long time friend and musician that was signed to the label after his stint with The Undertakers was over. The song was a White Album demo that was rejected for the album and features George & Eric Clapton on guitars, Paul McCartney on bass, Ringo Starr on drums and Nicky Hopkins on keyboards. Lomax's R&B influenced "New Day" also appears.

"That's the Way God Planned It" and "My Sweet Lord" were singles from Billy Preston's two albums that he recorded for Apple.

"Try Some Buy Some" was a single recorded by Ronnie Spector written by George and produced by Phil Spector. It is exclusive to this set and although not a great track (and the music appeared with additional overdubbing on George's "Living in the Material World"). It's not a great track but it's nice to have it.

"Come and Get It" recorded by Badfinger was written and produced by Paul McCartney for the band's first album. We also get Badfinger's Pete Ham's songs "Day After Day" produced by and featuring George Harrison on slide with Ham included as well.

"Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight" recorded by Trash was a single of The Beatles tracks (exclusive to this set).

"Saturday Nite Special" by the Sundown Playboys and "We're On Our Way" by Hodge are both exclusive to this CD as well. (both exclusive to this set)

"God Save Us" by Bill Elliot and The Oz Band was written and performed by John Lennon and cohorts (no, not the other Beatles)and a single only release (exclusive to this set).

"Sweet Music" recorded and written by Lon and Derrek Van Eaton is exclusive to this set. We also get Radha Krsna Temple's "Govinda".

We also get a single recorded by Hot Chocolate who later went on to have more hit singles away from Apple ("You Sexy Thing").

The 12 page booklet includes information on each recording artist included in this set.

This is a nice set for those who only want the singles released from Apple or the exclusive songs to this set.

It's a pity that there aren't any unreleased tracks here such as George's original demo for "Sour Milk Sea" with the same line up (except for Lomax) as it's pretty darn close to the exact line up for "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" but what we do get it quite good and for an anthology of what Apple put out this is very good indeed.

It is a collection that is long overdue. When John, Paul, George and Ringo founded Apple Records back in 1968 they intended the label to be the home not only for their own music but also for deserving artists they had discovered or were supporters of. Apple would be a bit different from most other labels in that The Beatles had the financial wherewithal to take chances on unconventional artists and eclectic new sounds. The boys scoured the countryside for offbeat sounds and brand new artists they thought had potential. Likewise, they invited some established recording artists back into the studio to cut some new sides for the label. "Come And Get It: The Very Best of Apple Records" offers up 21 of these marvelous recordings packaged all together for the very first time. When I discovered this collection online recently I was extremely excited and ordered it immediately. Included were a number of tunes I had never even sampled before and several others that I had not heard in years. Add to all of this some familiar hits by Badfinger and Mary Hopkin and this looked to me like a very promising collection.

Mary Hopkin was just 17 years old when she was discovered by Paul McCartney in 1968. She was a Welch folk singer and Paul deemed her voice perfect for a 1920's Russian folk song he was longing to record called "Those Were The Days". Talk about unconventional! McCartney's instincts were right on the money and "Those Were The Days" became a worldwide smash. A year or so later Mary Hopkin would have another substantial hit in America called "Goodbye". Both songs are included in this collection. Perhaps you were unaware of this but the group Badfinger began life as The Iveys. Their debut single "Maybe Tomorrow" was also released on Apple in 1968. I heard this tune exactly once on the radio, loved it and never heard it again until I purchased this disc. This is a terrific song and one can hear the great potential in this group. It is no wonder that Apple signed them and as we all know Badfinger went on to have several huge hits. Many people are unaware that James Taylor also got his start at Apple. Take a listen to Taylor's debut single "Carolina In My Mind" and you will hear Paul McCartney on bass and the late George Harrison doing background vocals. Great stuff! The Beatles can also be credited with launching the highly successful recording career of the great Billy Preston during his his stint at Apple. Enjoy both "That's The Way God Planned It" and Billy's version of "My Sweet Lord" on "Come And Get It: The Best of Apple Records".

As I mentioned at the outset the folks at Apple were always on the lookout for new and unique sounds. Perhaps the most surprising act to be signed by Apple was an outfit known as The Sundown Playboys from Lake Charles, LA. This was essentially a pick-up band of Cajun players who had recorded a side for a small Louisiana record label. When one of the band members heard about the philosophy behind Apple Records he decided to send a copy of the disc to the label. According to the liner notes George Harrison absolutely loved it and decided to acquire the rights to this recording and issue it on Apple. Meanwhile, you can also sample a rather bizarre version of "Give Peace A Chance" by a group known as Hot Chocolate Band. The collection also includes a mighty fine version of Lennon/McCartney's "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight" by a band that called itself Trash. Check it out! One of my favorite cuts in this collection is a rockin' tune called "We're On Our Way" by Chris Hodge. This was a minor hit in the U.S.A. back in 1972 and I actually owned a copy at the time but had not heard it in years. I had always heard of Jackie Lomax who was a contemporary of The Beatles in England but because he never achieved popularity on this side of the pond I had never actually heard any of his work. You will find a pair or excellent Jackie Lomax numbers included here. I would have to say that after listening to this album several times my favorite song just might be "Ain't That Cute" by Doris Troy. The Beatles were huge fans of Doris Troy who was a very highly regarded R&B singer back in the day. Born in the Bronx, Troy had a Top Ten hit in America with "Just One Look" in 1963. But Troy was always more popular in England than in her native America and The Beatles were thrilled to sign her to Apple. Another legendary recording artist who signed with Apple was the former lead singer of The Ronettes Ronnie Spector . Her husband Phil was a producer at Apple in 1971 and the label signed Ronnie in the hopes of reviving her flagging career. While that was just not to be I was glad to see "Try Some, Buy Some" included here. This is a wonderful song that I had not heard in decades.

Now if you are an avid collector like I am and find yourself the least bit interested I recommend that you snap up a copy of "Come And Get It: The Best of Apple Records" as quickly as possible. It seems that this anthology was released with very little fanfare and that makes me wonder just how long it will be available. I must tell you that the re-mastering job on these 40 year old recordings is terrific and I garnered a whole lot of useful information from the 16 page booklet that is included. It is obvious to me that a whole lot of TLC went into putting this package together. Very highly recommended!

Beset by legal wrangles for much of its history, the music recorded for Apple has generally been less readily available than it would otherwise have been. Despite those problems, the important recordings, particularly by Badfinger and Mary Hopkin, have been available on CD. Nevertheless, a lot of other material has remained in the vaults. The release of this eclectic compilation apparently signifies the end of Apple's legal problems; let's hope so. The compilation is well presented, with the booklet containing copious notes about each song, which is particularly useful for learning a little about the obscure artist, though even the comments about the familiar songs may occasionally surprise you.

Of course, Mary Hopkin (Those were the days, Goodbye) and Badfinger (Come and get it, Day after day, plus Maybe Tomorrow, credited to the Iveys who evolved into Badfinger) are represented, .but the primary purpose of this compilation (apart from selling plenty of copies) is clearly to showcase the range of music recorded for Apple, and it does that superbly, with a great variety .of sounds and styles.

Aside from the tracks by Badfinger and Mary Hopkin, the compilation is notable for the inclusion of Carolina in my mind (James Taylor), Thingumybob (a TV theme by the Black Dyke Mills Band), two gospel recordings by Billy Preston (That's the way God planned it, plus a cover of My sweet Lord), an excellent track by the under-rated Doris Troy (Ain't that cute) and a cover of Give peace a chance, performed in a reggae style by the Hot Chocolate Band, who as Hot Chocolate became very successful throughout the seventies and early eighties.

There are a lot of other great tracks here, all of which were originally released as A-sides of singles, but not all of which charted. The story given about King of Fuh is somewhat amusing. It certainly isn't the best track here, but it never received airplay at the time so it is in effect a new release. The inclusion of such rarities makes the compilation is more interesting than it would have been had it focused exclusively on the big hits, but it also means that the compilation subtitle, Best of Apple records, is not entirely true. Still, those hits and other important recordings (such as Badfinger's original version of Without you) will surely appear on a future Apple compilation.

Enjoy this for what it is - a fascinating insight into the diverse music recorded for Apple records - and look forward to a follow-up compilation eventually.

as a young kid, i was a voracious collector of non beatle apple records releases. this collection does a good job of distilling various singles released on apple in the period between 1968 and 1973. a lot of tracks that i'd never heard pleasantly surprised me: those were the days, the king of fuh, and god save us are some of the standout tracks as wells as two really cool beatle covers golden slumbers/carry that weight by trash and give peace a chance by hot chocolate. also you get the phil spector produce track written by george harrison, try some buy some (wish that the b side, tandoori chicken would have also been included but hey, you can't have it all) the billy preston and badfinger songs included are all good as well as the chris hodge and jackie lomax songs. there's an instrumental by the black dyke mills band called thingumybob. all in all there ain't one "bad apple" in the bunch.

Growing up in the '60s and 70s, I was excited every time a new Apple Records release hit the stores. I couldn't wait to buy it, regardless of who the artist was. I played the records so much one would think I could have worn the groove right off the vinyl. The minute I read that Apple Records was reissuing remasters of its core album releases, that childhood excitement came right back! When I first listened to this compilation, memories of those days came rushing right back into my mind. The selections found on Come and Get It: The Best of Apple Records are a wonderful representation of that time in music history. The quality of the remastered tracks is exceptional. There is a clarity that never existed on the original vinyl. I heard nuances in the arrangements that were lost in translation between the original analog master tapes and the translation to vinyl. These sound as if we could have been standing right in the studio as they were being recorded. I recommend this collection to anyone who is interested in music history or who just wants to relive the "good old days". I give this an A+++.

Many years ago I remember wishing someone would put out a collection of Apple material. Apple music by artists other than the Beatles & their solo works have always been rather hard to find. But now we finally get an Apple album of non-Beatles artists. It's about time. It shows how diverse the label was in its 1968-1972 heyday. It has everything from 2 of Badfinger's greatest hits to Jackie Lomax's "Sour Milk Sea" (one of the best songs George Harrison wrote) to Indian spiritual music & even Louisiana Cajun music. The "King Of Fuh" produced by the Tokens of "Lion Sleeps Tonight" is a dirty funny song decades ahead of its time. The CD & booklet is packaged in an LP style gatefold sleeve. For some reason, record companies seem to have changed to selling CD's this way instead of the plastic jewel boxes. I think I like the jewel boxes better even though they break easy.

I'm enjoying this collection of songs from artist that recorded for the Beatles Apple label in the scant few years it was an active recording company. I've read about many of these artist and songs in Beatle books over the years and it's nice to finally hear a lot of these. It's like exploring a lesser known territory of the Beatle universe. Also a good value with so many tracks.

"Were you fortunate enough to be a child when these classic records were released- this significant collection of
the very "Best" that the Beatles and their "APPLE Corp" were able to attract, then the "second coming" of these works of art is nothing short of "sheer bliss".
If you were not so fortunate as to be there during these "heady times" which came to pass then do thyself a favor and fall inside this "wonderland" of pop, melody, soul, and free form exploration.

I never even liked "jazz" nor considered it until i lay in my room, stereo speakers surrounding my head, and was overcome by the mystical brilliance of "MJQ"-"The Modern Jazz Quartet".

And, the "George Harrison" produced discovery of "Jackie Lomax", the folk-pop brilliance of McCartney's "Mary Hopkin", the saddest and deepest musings of an early "James Taylor", and last but not least the wonderful melodic escapades of the,
"first chair" apprentices to the Beatles themselves, "The Iveys", (later to become "Badfinger") are one and all in themselves, a
"cut above", examples of the highest calibre of the art form of recorded music in the twentieth century.
Do thyself a favor and become enlightened...listen and become more than the sum of your parts, elevate the psyche that you may come to know and love, "sheer bliss."-OrangeStone