It was only supposed to be in cinemas for one week, but The Beatles documentary Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years saw fans of the iconic British group come out in their droves. It made the release so popular that some cinemas are still showing it, well over a month after it was due to be pulled from screens. But in spite of this, the Ron Howard directed film has been confirmed for a home release in Australia in just a few weeks.
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years was produced with the full cooperation of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison, and it will be released in Australia next month as a digital download as well as on DVD, Blu-Ray and as a special two-disc collector’s edition.
This deluxe edition will come with a bonus disc full of approximately 100 minutes of extras, as well as a 64 page booklet with an introduction from director Ron Howard, essay by music journalist and author Jon Savage and rare photos from The Beatles’ private archive.
Here’s a look at the featurettes that will comprise the release’s bonus disc:
Words & Music (24 mins)
John, Paul, George & Ringo reflect on songwriting and the influence of music from their parents’ generation, Lennon/McCartney writing for other artists, The Beatles as individual musicians, and the band as innovators. Also featuring Howard Goodall, Peter Asher, Simon Schama and Elvis Costello. The interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.
Early Clues To A New Direction (18 mins)
A special feature touching on The Beatles as a collective, the importance of humour, the impact of women on their early lives and songwriting, and the band as a musical movement. Featuring John, Paul, George & Ringo, along with Paul Greengrass, Stephen Stark, Peter Asher, Malcolm Gladwell, Sigourney Weaver, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Curtis, Elvis Costello and Simon Schama. Again the interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.
Liverpool (11 mins)
The early days in Liverpool of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s are brought vividly to life by those who worked closely with them at that time including fan club secretary Freda Kelly, Allan Williams an early manager, and Leslie Woodhead multi-award winning documentary film director.
The Beatles in Concert (12 mins)
Five great but rarely seen full-length performances of The Beatles live in concert – Twist and Shout, She Loves You, Can’t Buy Me Love, You Can’t Do That and Help!
Additional features will include:
- Three Beatles’ Fans
- Ronnie Spector and The Beatles
- Shooting A Hard Day’s Night
- The Beatles in Australia
- Recollections of Shea Stadium
- The Beatles in Japan
- An alternative opening for the film
The Beatles: Eight Days a Week – The Touring Years will be available for digital and single disc Blu-Ray and DVD from the 18th of November. The two disc special edition on both formats will be available from 23rd of November. You can find out more about the release HERE.
———-
