Listen to acoustic version of the Beatles’ While My Guitar Gently Weeps

(Image credit: John Downing - Getty)

Last month it was announced that the Beatles’ classic 1968 self-titled album, aka the White Album, was to be reissued on November 9.

The deluxe package will arrive on standard 2LP, deluxe version and a super deluxe package via Apple Corps Ltd/Capitol/UMe, with the latter featuring a wealth of bonus content.

Among the tracks is a previously unreleased acoustic version of While My Guitar Gently Weeps – and it’s now been released ahead of the album’s launch and can be listened to below.

Rolling Stone report that it was recorded on July 25, 1968, and features George Harrison on guitar and Paul McCartney on harmonium and was only discovered while the new package was being put together.

All 30 album tracks have been newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell in stereo and 5.1 surround audio. Also included are 27 early acoustic demos along with 50 session takes – most of which have been previously unreleased.

Martin and Okell worked with a team of engineers and audio restoration specialists at Abbey Road Studios in London, with the new White Albumincluding Martin’s new stereo album mix, which has been sourced directly from the original four-track and eight-track session tapes.

Find a list of contents below along with pre-order details.

The Beatles White Album

Standard 2LP
White Album 2018 stereo mix on 180g vinyl in gatefold sleeve with replicated original artwork

Deluxe
3CD, 180g 4LP vinyl box set with digital audio collections pairing the 2018 stereo album mix with the 27 Esher Demos.

Super Deluxe
CDs 1 & 2: White Album - 2018 stereo album mix
CD3: Esher Demos: Tracks one through 19 sequenced in order of the finished song’s placement on the album. Songs 20-27 were not originally included.
CDs 4, 5 & 6: Sessions: 50 additional recordings, most previously unreleased, from the White Album studio sessions – all newly mixed and sequenced in order of their recording start dates.

Blu-ray
2018 album mix in high resolution PCM stereo
2018 DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 album mix
2018 Dolby True HD 5.1 album mix
2018 direct transfer of the album’s original mono mix

Scott has spent 37 years in newspapers, magazines and online as an editor, production editor, sub-editor, designer, writer and reviewer. Scott joined our news desk in 2014 before moving into e-commerce in 2020. Scott maintains Louder’s buyer’s guides, highlights deals, and reviews headphones, speakers, earplugs and more. Over the last 12 years, Scott has written more than 11,500 articles across Louder, Classic Rock, Metal Hammer and Prog. He's previously written for publications including IGN, Sunday Mirror, Daily Record and The Herald, covering everything from news and features, to tech reviews, video games, travel and whisky. Scott's favourite bands are Fields Of The Nephilim, The Cure, New Model Army, All About Eve, The Mission, Cocteau Twins, Drab Majesty, Marillion and Rush.