There is one Beatles song that has taken on mythical status among fans, collectors and music historians. It has never been released, never leaked, and exists only in the archives of Abbey Road Studios. It is called Carnival of Light.
With all the disappointment Anthology 4 delivered last week, the absence of Carnival of Light is a glaring omission.
For decades, whispers of this unreleased track have circulated in Beatles lore, and yet more than half a century later, the world is still waiting to hear it. While almost every other corner of The Beatles’ recorded history has been issued, bootlegged, or remixed, Carnival of Light remains locked away.
Carnival of Light was recorded on 5 January 1967 at Abbey Road Studios. The Beatles had just finished work on “Penny Lane” and “Strawberry Fields Forever,” songs destined for Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. On that same day, Paul McCartney persuaded the band to join him in creating a piece for an avant-garde arts festival called The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave, held at the Roundhouse in London later that month.
The Beatles improvised for nearly 14 minutes, creating what has been described as a free-form sound collage. Eyewitness accounts suggest the recording features distorted organ, heavy percussion, random guitar bursts, tape effects, echo, distorted vocals, and spoken word fragments.
McCartney, Lennon, Harrison, and Starr each contributed, but not in the structured pop format we associate with The Beatles. Instead, it was a wall of experimental noise, an attempt to capture the spirit of the underground psychedelic scene.
Mark Lewisohn, the Beatles historian who has heard the track, once described it as “distorted, with echoes, reverb, and random bursts of sound … not unlike a cross between early Pink Floyd and John Lennon’s later Revolution 9.” Unlike Revolution 9, however, this was a one-take improvisation, a rare glimpse into the Beatles’ most uninhibited creative impulses.
The million-dollar question is why. With The Beatles’ catalogue so carefully curated and endlessly repackaged, why has Carnival of Light remained unheard?
The answer seems to be a combination of reluctance and reputation. George Harrison was said to have dismissed the track as indulgent, and Ringo Starr has referred to it as “just a jam.” Lennon, while a fan of the avant-garde, moved on to his own experimental projects with Yoko Ono, particularly on the Unfinished Music albums. Without unanimous enthusiasm from the band, the recording simply fell by the wayside.
Paul McCartney, however, has often championed Carnival of Light. He has confirmed its existence multiple times, and even pushed for its release during the production of The Beatles Anthology in the mid-1990s. According to McCartney, he wanted it included on Anthology 2, but George Harrison vetoed it, reportedly saying “avant-garde is French for shit.”
Here is Paul McCartney talking to Howard Stern album it:
McCartney also talked about it with Stuart Maconie:
McCartney has since stated that he would still like to see it released, and has even hinted at the possibility of putting it out as part of a solo project or a future Beatles collection. But with Harrison’s opposition and the song’s polarising reputation, Apple Corps never gave it the green light.
When The Beatles Anthology series was released between 1995 and 1996, fans were treated to a treasure trove of unreleased material – studio outtakes, alternate takes, and even two “new” Beatles songs, “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” completed from Lennon demos.
But conspicuously absent was Carnival of Light. Beatles fans had long hoped it would surface, and when it didn’t, disappointment was loud and widespread. Many assumed that if any project was going to unearth it, Anthology would be the one.
When Anthology 4, a “final chapter” collecting the scraps that never made it onto the original sets was announced, Carnival Of Light was one things the fans hoped for but again will not receive. Yet every time speculation rises, the same frustration emerges: why not release Carnival of Light? For some, its continued absence only adds to the mystery. For others, it’s a glaring omission in the story of the famous band.
Among collectors and Beatles scholars, the absence of Carnival of Light is something of a sore point. Bootleg culture has filled the gaps of Beatles history with hundreds of unreleased sessions, demos, and alternate takes. But Carnival of Light is different. It has never leaked. No copy circulates. No audience recording exists from its Roundhouse playback. All that exists are first-hand descriptions.
Anything you find on YouTube purporting to be Carnival of Light is fake.
This means that the song has become something of a holy grail. The Beatles’ story is otherwise so thoroughly documented that the very idea of a “lost” track feels almost impossible. And yet here it is, tantalisingly out of reach.
Some fans argue that the song would never live up to the hype, that it is little more than a noisy curiosity. Others believe it is an essential missing piece, a snapshot of The Beatles at their most experimental, bridging the gap between pop and the avant-garde underground.
The fate of Carnival of Light remains uncertain. With Paul McCartney the song’s chief advocate, and with both Lennon and Harrison gone, the decision now rests with McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the estates of the other Beatles. Given the appetite for every scrap of Beatles history, it feels inevitable that someday, in some form, it will emerge. But with many Beatles fans now in their “twilight years”, they might expire before it is released.
8CD Tracklist
Anthology 1-3 track listing remains as per original releases.
Anthology 1
CD Disc One:
1. Free As A Bird (1995 mix)
2. John Lennon Speech 1
3. That’ll Be The Day
4. In Spite Of All The Danger
5. Paul McCartney Speech 1
6. Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Home demo)
7. You’ll Be Mine (Home demo)
8. Cayenne (Home demo)
9. Paul McCartney Speech 2
10. My Bonnie
11. Ain’t She Sweet
12. Cry For A Shadow
13. John Lennon Speech 2
14. Brian Epstein Speech 1
15. Searchin’ (Decca audition)
16. Three Cool Cats (Decca audition)
17. The Sheik Of Araby (Decca audition)
18. Like Dreamers Do (Decca audition)
19. Hello Little Girl (Decca audition)
20. Brian Epstein Speech 2
21. Besame Mucho (June 1962 version)
22. Love Me Do (First version)
23. How Do You Do It
24. Please Please Me (First version)
25. One After 909 (Takes 3, 4 and 5)
26. One After 909 (Edit of Takes 4 and 5)
27. Lend Me Your Comb (BBC recording)
28. I’ll Get You (Sunday Night at the London Palladium)
29. John Lennon Speech 3
30. I Saw Her Standing There (Live in Stockholm)
31. From Me To You (Live in Stockholm)
32. Money (That’s What I Want) (Live in Stockholm)
33. You Really Got A Hold On Me (Live in Stockholm)
34. Roll Over Beethoven (Live in Stockholm)
CD Disc Two:
1. She Loves You (Royal Variety Performance)
2. Till There Was You (Royal Variety Performance)
3. Twist And Shout (Royal Variety Performance)
4. This Boy (The Morecambe And Wise Show)
5. I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Morecambe And Wise Show)
6. Speech From The Morecambe And Wise Show
7. Moonlight Bay (The Morecambe And Wise Show)
8. Can’t Buy Me Love (Take 2 with solo from Take 1)
9. All My Loving (The Ed Sullivan Show)
10. You Can’t Do That (Take 6)
11. And I Love Her (Take 2)
12. A Hard Day’s Night (Take 1)
13. I Wanna Be Your Man (Around The Beatles)
14. Long Tall Sally (Around The Beatles)
15. Boys (Around The Beatles session)
16. Shout (Around The Beatles)
17. I’ll Be Back (Take 2)
18. I’ll Be Back (Take 3)
19. You Know What To Do (Demo)
20. No Reply (Demo)
21. Mr Moonlight (Takes 1 and 4)
22. Leave My Kitten Alone (Take 5)
23. No Reply (Take 2)
24. Eight Days A Week (Takes 1, 2 and 4)
25. Eight Days A Week (Take 5)
26. Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! (Take 2)
Anthology 2
CD Disc One:
1. Real Love (1996 mix)
2. Yes It Is (Takes 2 and 14)
3. I’m Down (Take 1)
4. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (Take 5)
5. If You’ve Got Trouble (Take 1)
6. That Means A Lot (Take 1)
7. Yesterday (Take 1)
8. It’s Only Love (Takes 3 and 2)
9. I Feel Fine (Blackpool Night Out)
10. Ticket To Ride (Blackpool Night Out)
11. Yesterday (Blackpool Night Out)
12. Help! (Blackpool Night Out)
13. Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby (Live at Shea Stadium, New York)
14. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Take 1)
15. I’m Looking Through You (Take 1)
16. 12-Bar Original (Take 2 edited)
17. Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1)
18. Got To Get You Into My Life (Take 5)
19. And Your Bird Can Sing (Take 2)
20. Taxman (Take 11)
21. Eleanor Rigby (Take 14 – Strings only)
22. I’m Only Sleeping (Rehearsal)
23. I’m Only Sleeping (Take 1)
24. Rock And Roll Music (Live in Tokyo)
25. She’s A Woman (Live in Tokyo)
CD Disc Two:
1. Strawberry Fields Forever (Home demo sequence)
2. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1)
3. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7 and edit piece)
4. Penny Lane (Remix)
5. A Day In The Life (Takes 1, 2, 6 and orchestra)
6. Good Morning Good Morning (Take 8)
7. Only A Northern Song (Takes 3 and 12)
8. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite! (Takes 1 and 2)
9. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite! (Take 7)
10. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Takes 6, 7 and 8)
11. Within You Without You (Instrumental)
12. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Take 5)
13. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (Stereo remix)
14. I Am The Walrus (Take 16)
15. The Fool On The Hill (Demo)
16. Your Mother Should Know (Take 27)
17. The Fool On The Hill (Take 4)
18. Hello, Goodbye (Take 16)
19. Lady Madonna (Takes 3 and 4)
20. Across The Universe (Take 2)
Anthology 3
CD Disc One:
1. A Beginning
2. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (Esher demo with false start)
3. Helter Skelter (Take 2 edited)
4. Mean Mr Mustard (Esher demo)
5. Polythene Pam (Esher demo)
6. Glass Onion (Esher demo)
7. Junk (Esher demo)
8. Piggies (Esher demo)
9. Honey Pie (Esher demo edited)
10. Don’t Pass Me By (Take 3 with Take 5 vocal)
11. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (First version – Take 5)
12. Good Night (Rehearsal and Take 34)
13. Cry Baby Cry (Take 1)
14. Blackbird (Take 4)
15. Sexy Sadie (Take 6)
16. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Acoustic version – Take 1)
17. Hey Jude (Take 2)
18. Not Guilty (Take 102 edited)
19. Mother Nature’s Son (Take 2)
20. Glass Onion (Original mono mix)
21. Rocky Raccoon (Take 8)
22. What’s The New Mary Jane (Take 4)
23. Step Inside Love / Los Paranoias (Studio jam)
24. I’m So Tired (Edit of Takes 3, 6 and 9)
25. I Will (Take 1)
26. Why Don’t We Do It In The Road (Take 4)
27. Julia (Take 2)
CD Disc Two:
1. I’ve Got A Feeling (Apple Studio)
2. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window (Apple Studio)
3. Dig A Pony (Apple Studio)
4. Two Of Us (Apple Studio)
5. For You Blue (Apple Studio)
6. Teddy Boy (Apple Studio)
7. Medley: Rip It Up / Shake, Rattle And Roll / Blue Suede Shoes (Apple Studio jam)
8. The Long And Winding Road (Apple Studio)
9. Oh! Darling (Apple Studio)
10. All Things Must Pass (Demo)
11. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (Apple Studio jam)
12. Get Back (Third rooftop performance)
13. Old Brown Shoe (Demo)
14. Octopus’s Garden (Take 2)
15. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (Take 5)
16. Something (Demo)
17. Come Together (Take 1)
18. Come and Get It (Demo – 1996 remix)
19. Ain’t She Sweet (Studio jam)
20. Because (Vocals only)
21. Let It Be (Apple Studio)
22. I Me Mine (Take 16)
23. The End (Remix with the final chord of A Day In The Life)
Anthology 4
CD Disc One:
1. I Saw Her Standing There (Take 2)
2. Money (That’s What I Want) (RM7 undubbed)
3. This Boy (Takes 12 and 13)
4. Tell Me Why (Takes 4 and 5)
5. If I Fell (Take 11)
6. Matchbox (Take 1)
7. Every Little Thing (Takes 6 and 7)
8. I Need You (Take 1)
9. I’ve Just Seen A Face (Take 3)
10. In My Life (Take 1)
11. Nowhere Man (First version – Take 2)
12. Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version – unnumbered mix)
13. Love You To (Take 7)
14. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 26)
15. She’s Leaving Home (Take 1 – instrumental)
16. Baby, You’re A Rich Man (Takes 11 and 12)
17. All You Need Is Love (Rehearsal for BBC broadcast)
18. The Fool On The Hill (Take 5 – Instrumental)
19. I Am The Walrus (Take 19 – strings, brass, clarinet overdub)
CD Disc Two:
1. Hey Bulldog (Take 4 – instrumental)
2. Good Night (Take 10 with a guitar part from Take 5)
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Third Version – Take 27)
4. (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care (Studio jam)
5. Helter Skelter (Second version – Take 17)
6. I Will (Take 29)
7. Can You Take Me Back? (Take 1)
8. Julia (Two rehearsals)
9. Get Back (Take 8)
10. Octopus’s Garden (Rehearsal)
11. Don’t Let Me Down (First rooftop performance)
12. You Never Give Me Your Money (Take 36)
13. Here Comes The Sun (Take 9)
14. Something (Take 39 – instrumental – strings only)
15. Free As A Bird (2025 mix)
16. Real Love (2025 mix)
17. Now And Then
12LP Tracklist
Anthology 1-3 track listing remains as per original releases.
Anthology 1
LP1 – Side 1
1. Free As A Bird (1995 mix)
2. John Lennon Speech 1
3. That’ll Be The Day
4. In Spite Of All The Danger
5. Paul McCartney Speech 1
6. Hallelujah, I Love Her So (Home demo)
7. You’ll Be Mine (Home demo)
8. Cayenne (Home demo)
9. Paul McCartney Speech 2
10. My Bonnie
11. Ain’t She Sweet
12. Cry For A Shadow
LP1 – Side 2
1. John Lennon Speech 2
2. Brian Epstein Speech 1
3. Searchin’ (Decca audition)
4. Three Cool Cats (Decca audition)
5. The Sheik Of Araby (Decca audition)
6. Like Dreamers Do (Decca audition)
7. Hello Little Girl (Decca audition)
8. Brian Epstein Speech 2
9. Besame Mucho (June 1962 version)
10. Love Me Do (First version)
11. How Do You Do It
12. Please Please Me (First version)
LP2 – Side 3
1. One After 909 (Takes 3, 4 and 5)
2. One After 909 (Edit of Takes 4 and 5)
3. Lend Me Your Comb (BBC recording)
4. I’ll Get You (Sunday Night at the London Palladium)
5. John Lennon Speech 3
6. I Saw Her Standing There (Live in Stockholm)
7. From Me To You (Live in Stockholm)
8. Money (That’s What I Want) (Live in Stockholm)
9. You Really Got A Hold On Me (Live in Stockholm)
10. Roll Over Beethoven (Live in Stockholm)
LP2 – Side 4
1. She Loves You (Royal Variety Performance)
2. Till There Was You (Royal Variety Performance)
3. Twist And Shout (Royal Variety Performance)
4. This Boy (The Morecambe And Wise Show)
5. I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Morecambe And Wise Show)
6. Speech From The Morecambe And Wise Show
7. Moonlight Bay (The Morecambe And Wise Show)
8. Can’t Buy Me Love (Take 2 with solo from Take 1)
LP3 – Side 5
1. All My Loving (The Ed Sullivan Show)
2. You Can’t Do That (Take 6)
3. And I Love Her (Take 2)
4. A Hard Day’s Night (Take 1)
5. I Wanna Be Your Man (Around The Beatles)
6. Long Tall Sally (Around The Beatles)
7. Boys (Around The Beatles session)
8. Shout (Around The Beatles)
9. I’ll Be Back (Take 2)
10. I’ll Be Back (Take 3)
LP3 – Side 6
1. You Know What To Do (Demo)
2. No Reply (Demo)
3. Mr Moonlight (Takes 1 and 4)
4. Leave My Kitten Alone (Take 5)
5. No Reply (Take 2)
6. Eight Days A Week (Takes 1, 2 and 4)
7. Eight Days A Week (Take 5)
8. Kansas City / Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! (Take 2)
Anthology 2
LP1 – Side 1
1. Real Love (1996 mix)
2. Yes It Is (Takes 2 and 14)
3. I’m Down (Take 1)
4. You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away (Take 5)
5. If You’ve Got Trouble (Take 1)
6. That Means A Lot (Take 1)
7. Yesterday (Take 1)
8. It’s Only Love (Takes 3 and 2)
LP1 – Side 2
1. I Feel Fine (Blackpool Night Out)
2. Ticket To Ride (Blackpool Night Out)
3. Yesterday (Blackpool Night Out)
4. Help! (Blackpool Night Out)
5. Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby (Live at Shea Stadium, New York)
6. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Take 1)
7. I’m Looking Through You (Take 1)
8. 12-Bar Original (Take 2 edited)
LP2 – Side 3
1. Tomorrow Never Knows (Take 1)
2. Got To Get You Into My Life (Take 5)
3. And Your Bird Can Sing (Take 2)
4. Taxman (Take 11)
5. Eleanor Rigby (Take 14 – Strings only)
6. I’m Only Sleeping (Rehearsal)
7. I’m Only Sleeping (Take 1)
8. Rock And Roll Music (Live in Tokyo)
9. She’s A Woman (Live in Tokyo)
LP2 – Side 4
1. Strawberry Fields Forever (Home demo sequence)
2. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1)
3. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7 and edit piece)
4. Penny Lane (Remix)
5. A Day In The Life (Takes 1, 2, 6 and orchestra)
6. Good Morning Good Morning (Take 8)
7. Only A Northern Song (Takes 3 and 12)
LP3 – Side 5
1. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite! (Takes 1 and 2)
2. Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite! (Take 7)
3. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (Takes 6, 7 and 8)
4. Within You Without You (Instrumental)
5. Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (Take 5)
6. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) (Stereo remix)
LP3 – Side 6
1. I Am The Walrus (Take 16)
2. The Fool On The Hill (Demo)
3. Your Mother Should Know (Take 27)
4. The Fool On The Hill (Take 4)
5. Hello, Goodbye (Take 16)
6. Lady Madonna (Takes 3 and 4)
7. Across The Universe (Take 2)
Anthology 3
LP1 – Side 1
1. A Beginning
2. Happiness Is A Warm Gun (Esher demo with false start)
3. Helter Skelter (Take 2 edited)
4. Mean Mr Mustard (Esher demo)
5. Polythene Pam (Esher demo)
6. Glass Onion (Esher demo)
7. Junk (Esher demo)
8. Piggies (Esher demo)
9. Honey Pie (Esher demo edited)
10. Don’t Pass Me By (Take 3 with Take 5 vocal)
11. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da (First version – Take 5)
12. Good Night (Rehearsal and Take 34)
LP1 – Side 2
1. Cry Baby Cry (Take 1)
2. Blackbird (Take 4)
3. Sexy Sadie (Take 6)
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Acoustic version – Take 1)
5. Hey Jude (Take 2)
6. Not Guilty (Take 102 edited)
7. Mother Nature’s Son (Take 2)
LP2 – Side 3
1. Glass Onion (Original mono mix)
2. Rocky Raccoon (Take 8)
3. What’s The New Mary Jane (Take 4)
4. Step Inside Love / Los Paranoias (Studio jam)
5. I’m So Tired (Edit of Takes 3, 6 and 9)
6. I Will (Take 1)
7. Why Don’t We Do It In The Road (Take 4)
8. Julia (Take 2
LP2 – Side 4
1. I’ve Got A Feeling (Apple Studio)
2. She Came In Through The Bathroom Window (Apple Studio)
3. Dig A Pony (Apple Studio)
4. Two Of Us (Apple Studio)
5. For You Blue (Apple Studio)
6. Teddy Boy (Apple Studio)
7. Medley: Rip It Up / Shake, Rattle And Roll / Blue Suede Shoes (Apple Studio jam)
LP3 – Side 5
1. The Long And Winding Road (Apple Studio)
2. Oh! Darling (Apple Studio)
3. All Things Must Pass (Demo)
4. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (Apple Studio jam)
5. Get Back (Third rooftop performance)
6. Old Brown Shoe (Demo)
7. Octopus’s Garden (Take 2)
8. Maxwell’s Silver Hammer (Take 5)
LP3 – Side 6
1. Something (Demo)
2. Come Together (Take 1)
3. Come and Get It (Demo – 1996 remix)
4. Ain’t She Sweet (Studio jam)
5. Because (Vocals only)
6. Let It Be (Apple Studio)
7. I Me Mine (Take 16)
8. The End (Remix with the final chord of A Day In The Life)
Anthology 4
LP1 – Side 1
1. I Saw Her Standing There (Take 2)
2. Money (That’s What I Want) (RM7 undubbed)
3. This Boy (Takes 12 and 13)
4. Tell Me Why (Takes 4 and 5)
5. If I Fell (Take 11)
6. Matchbox (Take 1)
7. Every Little Thing (Takes 6 and 7)
8. I Need You (Take 1)
LP1 – Side 2
1. I’ve Just Seen A Face (Take 3)
2. In My Life (Take 1)
3. Nowhere Man (First version – Take 2)
4. Got To Get You Into My Life (Second version – unnumbered mix)
5. Love You To (Take 7)
6. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 26)
7. She’s Leaving Home (Take 1 – instrumental)
LP2 – Side 3
1. Baby, You’re A Rich Man (Takes 11 and 12)
2. All You Need Is Love (Rehearsal for BBC broadcast)
3. The Fool On The Hill (Take 5 – Instrumental)
4. I Am The Walrus (Take 19 – strings, brass, clarinet overdub)
LP2 – Side 4
1. Hey Bulldog (Take 4 – instrumental)
2. Good Night (Take 10 with a guitar part from Take 5)
3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Third Version – Take 27)
4. (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care (Studio jam)
5. Helter Skelter (Second version – Take 17)
6. I Will (Take 29)
7. Can You Take Me Back? (Take 1)
8. Julia (Two rehearsals)
LP3 – Side 5
1. Get Back (Take 8)
2. Octopus’s Garden (Rehearsal)
3. Don’t Let Me Down (First rooftop performance)
4. You Never Give Me Your Money (Take 36)
5. Here Comes The Sun (Take 9)
6. Something (Take 39 – instrumental – strings only)
LP3 – Side 6
1. Free As A Bird (2025 mix)
2. Real Love (2025 mix)
3. Now And Then
Pre-orders for the 2025 Anthology series are now open at TheBeatles.com
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