Intermission: The Zion Sessions (2024)

By the time that the Beatles had finished their world tour in early 1974, they had already begun working on a successor album to Ziggy Stardust and His Band on the Run. And while the album in question would, over time, turn into Future Legend - Music from the Curiosity Shoppe, a classic Beatles album now, it originally started off quite different. Now known as The Zion Sessions, named after a working title of "Sweet Thing", a song that would be worked on throughout the early recording of the album but would eventually go unused, this would have accompanied the "Nineteen Eighty-Four" movie that the band was supposed to star in. When plans for the movie fell through, plans for the album were also changed, and the Beatles decided to go for a more eclectic, varied style of music that would assist in their transition to funk rock starting with Gouster. However, it was well known through the music scene that there were plenty of unreleased outtakes from these early 1974 sessions, and as the 70's became the 80's, people began to get their hands on these outtakes in the form of bootlegs. These bootlegs, taking differing titles such as ZionTragic Moments and others, were spread around record stores across the country, and in later decades, the internet and various message boards.

Finally, in 2024, Apple Corps. announced that the Tragic Moments outtakes would be officially released as part of Future Legends' 50th Anniversary edition. The set was released a little over the album's 50th anniversary on June 7. While the name of this collection proved controversial upon its announcement, fans realized how important this was to understanding where the band was at the time musically. Most of the songs were simply outtakes of previously existing songs, but a select few were brand new to many listeners. The vinyl boxset of the 50th Anniversary edition kept the heron engraving on Future Legend's disc, a reference to John Lennon's favorite bird.

THE BEATLES - THE ZION SESSIONS
Released: 7 June 2024
Genre: Rock, glam rock, art rock
Producer: The Beatles

Tracklist
Sweet Thing
Bless You
Let Me Roll It
Dodo
Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
4th of July
Steel and Glass
Mama's Little Girl
Candidate
One More Kiss
1984/Dodo
Goodnight Vienna

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