What's the New Mary Jane
October 28, 1996
What's the New Mary Jane is a song by The Beatles from the year 1968, which initially remained unpublished until 1996 and appeared on the album Anthology. It was written by John Lennon and was originally designed for the double album The Beatles (aka the White Album ) is provided.
Recording
The first known recording is from May 1968, when the Beatles George Harrison's estate met in Esher to take a series of new compositions as demo versions. This early version is significantly shorter (about two and a half minutes) than the späterere final version, which is more than six minutes.
On August 14, 1968 John Lennon along with Yoko Ono and George Harrison recorded the song at Abbey Road Studios in London. Producer was George Martin. The two other Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr did not participate in the recording. In contrast to the early demo version joins the actual song in the studio version a about four minutes long avant-garde part of which consists of a series of sonically distorted noises. After four takes and a number of overdubs the song was complete. On September 26, 1968 What's the New Mary Jane was mixed in mono. A short time later, the title was removed from the track list for the double album The Beatles, since the running time was too long, and the song disappeared unpublished in the archives.
Publication
On November 26, 1969 John Lennon together with Yoko Ono took more overdubs for the song on, to publish it along with the song You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) on a single - but under the name Plastic Ono Band. When the remaining Beatles learned of this plan, they immediately intervened, however, and the single was withdrawn. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) appeared a few weeks later on the B - side of the single Let It Be, while What's the New Mary Jane remained unpublished.
In the following years a number of mysteries about the song was written, and it appeared on a myriad of bootlegs. Only in 1996 the song was released in a newly manufactured stereo mix on the third double - album Anthology series.