The Beatles Apocryphal 70s Story

[Honorio]

THE BEATLES APOCRYPHAL 70s STORY

If the Beatles didn't break up after "Let It Be", and they made another album, which was comprised of the best songs the four band members released as solo artists, how would it compare to the band's other albums?

The question of Listyguy is very interesting and, as you're about to see, I don't have an easy (or at least short) answer to it. Obviously the Beatles split up at the right moment, but after that they released as solo artists a bunch of good songs (even some masterpieces). But the solo albums usually contained scattered great songs with others even crappy. When I hear some of these albums I always think, for instance, "this McCartney album could be perfect changing 3 o 4 songs by Lennon ones." And I can't help imagining the guitar solo of "#9 Dream" as played by Harrison or the drums of "Band on the Run" as played by Ringo. Moreover, the solo careers of the band members were not really so divergent. I mean, all of them continued doing 3 minutes pop songs and not electronica, jazz or polkas.
So…, what if the Beatles hadn't break up in 1970? Could their 1970s albums have been as good as the 1960s ones? What kind of moves they would have made? So I've decided to create an apocryphal story and a fake discography of the Beatles after "Let It Be," taking the whole thing to the limit. I've tried to combine the careers and discography of all four Beatles into one, inspired basically in Lennon's trajectory.
Obviously I've only made it for fun and I'm not trying to be exact and consistent (for instance, I know that "God" could have never been in a Beatles album, not to mention "How Do You Sleep"). And now we know that Paste magazine did it before (even if I began to write this text in 2006 but I abandoned the project soon after, leaving it unfinished until 2014). But I recommend to all of you, if you have the original or downloaded solo albums, to put in a tape or CD or playlist these false Beatles albums. At least it could be a pleasant listen.
I'm going to post the story by chapters. Hope you enjoy it (or at least I hope you don't bore so much). And for the ones already allergic to the "real" Beatles (I'm thinking of Moonbeam), don't bother reading or listening. If you don't like the 60s Beatles, you aren't going to like the 70s ones.
And sorry in advance for the vocabulary and grammar errors that will appear for sure. Please feel free to add comments to this thread, including pointing out the grammar mistakes or whatever you may think it could improve the story. If we can make a collective good story we can sell the idea to Apple Corporation and became millionaires (or better give all our profits to Acclaimed Music). But if you thing that this is the most stupid idea you've ever heard of, please (as the Elvis song) "don't be cruel / to a heart that's true."

[Honorio]

1970: Dream Is Over



There was good news for all the Beatles fans when in September of 1970 Paul McCartney announced to the press that the band were back in the studio to record a new Beatles album, after a long year from the last sessions for the "Abbey Road" album. During that year there were insistent rumours about the break-up of the band, breaking that almost came true in the spring of 1970 according to statements of every member. The release of the "Let It Be" album in May 70 didn't end up with the rumours, being an album of remixes by Phil Spector of material recorded back in early 1969. But the release that summer of the first official Beatles compilation as 2 double albums known as the "Red Album" and the "Blue Album", although it didn't end with the rumours too, proved that people were still willing to support the existence of the band, being the most sold albums in Beatles story.
The sessions for the new album took place at Abbey Road (for the last time) in summer-autumn of 1970 with two major changes. First the producer was not going to be George Martin anymore but Phil Spector, brought in by the insistence of Harrison and Lennon. McCartney, that didn't approve the Spector overdubs on "The Long and Winding Road" of the previous album, agreed but required in its first full collaboration a stripped approach (similar to the "Let It Be" sessions) and not the expected "wall of sound." The arrangements were basic and simple, with only a handful of collaborations here and there, ranging from The Jordanaires in "Beaucoups of Blues" to Yoko Ono in "Why" or Frank Zappa’s Mothers of Invention in "Scumbag."
The other major change was that they made room for each one's creativity, to flow freely inside the band, to allow personal development. Inspired by Dr. Janov's "primal scream" therapy (that some of the band members received that year) they created the most personal and sincere set of songs till then, especially the Lennon ones, like "Mother" about the stormy relationship with its parents or "Isolation" about the refusal of the media of his performances for peace. And it supposed the full blossoming of Harrison as a composer, creating the smash hit "My Sweet Lord," released as a single in November 1970 (backed by "Instant Karma") being a new worldwide #1 for The Beatles. Sadly, Harrison was going to face in the following years a court trial for plagiarism, with Bright Tunes Music Corp. accusing him of copying "He's So Fine" by The Chiffons for his "My Sweet Lord." After 5 years of legal battle, Harrison ended being condemned by an US court for unintentional appropriation.
The album finally was released in December 1970 as a triple album, with two "conventional" albums and an additional album of jam-sessions, under the name "All Things Must Pass." The album cover showed the four Beatles in black and white in a winter landscape with garden dwarfs all around (actually it was shot in Friar Park, George Harrison's 17th-Century castle). There were mixed reviews of the album and, while the detractors showed the lack of focus and consistency ("God" and "My Sweet Lord" in the same album were obviously confusing) and the bad quality of the jam album, the positive reviews pointed to the obvious highlights throughout the album. There was dispersion but there was a strong will of showing the real thing, the real feelings somewhat hidden till then for the band enormous success. They showed their fears ("Beware of Darkness"), their weak points ("My Mummy's Dead") but also their hopes ("Awaiting on You All") and wishes for renewal. "It's not always going to be this grey / All thing must pass away." But the most significant song from this period was undoubtedly "God" with devastating lines like "Dream is over / What can I say / Dream is over / Yesterday / I was the dreamweaver / But now I'm newborn / I was the walrus / But now I'm John / And so, dear friends, / You just have to carry on / Dream is over."
The 60s dream was over. Now it was time for the rougher 70s. A new decade had begun for The Beatles.


1970 DISCOGRAPHY:

Single (released March 1970, #1US #2UK):
- A-side: Let It Be
- B-side: You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)

LP "LET IT BE" (released May 1970, #1US #1UK):
- Side 1: Two of Us / Dig a Pony / Across the Universe / I Me Mine / Dig It / Let It Be / Maggie Mae
- Side 2: I've Got a Feeling / The One After 909 / The Long and Winding Road / For You Blue / Get Back

Single (released May 1970 only US, #1US):
- A-side: The Long and Winding Road
- B-side: For You Blue

2LP "1962-1966" a.k.a. "RED ALBUM" (released August 1970, #3US #1UK):
- Side 1: Love Me Do / Please Please Me / From Me to You / She Loves You / I Want to Hold Your Hand / All My Loving / Can’t Buy Me Love
- Side 2: A Hard Day's Night / And I Love Her / Eight Days a Week / I Feel Fine / Ticket to Ride / Yesterday
- Side 3: Help! / You've Got to Hide Your Love Away / We Can Work It Out / Day Tripper / Drive My Car / Norwegian Wood (This Bird Had Flown)
- Side 4: Nowhere Man / Michelle / In My Life / Girl / Paperback Writer / Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine

2LP "1967-1970" a.k.a. "BLUE ALBUM" (released August 1970, #1US #1UK):
- Side 1: Strawberry Fields Forever / Penny Lane / Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band / With a Little Help From My Friends / Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds / A Day in the Life / All You Need Is Love.
- Side 2: I Am the Walrus / Hello Goodbye / The Fool on the Hill / Magical Mystery Tour / Lady Madonna / Hey Jude / Revolution
- Side 3: Back in the USSR / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da / Get Back / Don't Let Me Down / The Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe
- Side 4: Here Comes the Sun / Come Together / Something / Octopus's Garden / Let It Be / Across the Universe / The Long and Winding Road

Single (released November 1970, #1US #1UK):
- A-side: My Sweet Lord
- B-side: Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)

3LP "ALL THINGS MUST PASS" (released December 1970, #1US #1UK):
- Side 1: Mother / My Sweet Lord / Every Night / I Found Out / Working Class Hero / I'd Have You Anytime
- Side 2: That Would Be Something / Bye Bye Blackbird / Teddy Boy / Behind That Locked Door / Man We Was Lonely / Beaucoups of Blues / Junk / Isolation
- Side 3: Wah Wah / Oo You / Well Well Well / Awaiting on You All / All Things Must Pass
- Side 4: Remember / Love / Maybe I'm Amazed / Beware of Darkness / God / My Mummy's Dead
- Side 5: Momma Miss America / Out of the Blue / Valentine Day
- Side 6: Why / Scumbag / Plug Me In / Kreen-Akrore




"ALL THINGS MUST PASS" (1970)

Side A:
1. Mother (5:34)
2. My Sweet Lord (4:37)
3. Every Night (2:31)
4. I Found Out (3:36)
5. Working Class Hero (3:47)
6. I'd Have You Anytime (2:54)
Total running time: 22:59

Side B:
1. That Would Be Something (2:38)
2. Bye Bye Blackbird (2:10)
3. Teddy Boy (2:23)
4. Behind That Locked Door (3:04)
5. Man We Was Lonely (2:56)
6. Beaucoups of Blues (2:31)
7. Junk (1:54)
8. Isolation (2:51)
Total running time: 20:27

Side C:
1. Wah Wah (5:34)
2. Oo You (2:48)
3. Well Well Well (5:57)
4. Awaiting on You All (2:45)
5. All Things Must Pass (3:44)
Total running time: 20:48

Side D:
1. Remember (4:32)
2. Love (3:21)
3. Maybe I'm Amazed (3:50)
4. Beware of Darkness (3:46)
5. God (4:09)
6. My Mummy's Dead (0:49)
Total running time: 20:27

Side E:
1. Momma Miss America (4:05)
2. Out of the Blue (11:13)
3. Valentine Day (1:41)
Total running time: 16:59

Side F:
1. Why (5:36)
2. Scumbag (4:27)
3. Plug Me In (3:17)
4. Kreen-Akrore (4:13)
Total running time: 17:33



Tracks A3, B1, B3, B5, B7, C2, D3, E1, E3, F4 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
Tracks A1, A4, A5, B8, C3, D1, D2, D5, D6 taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
Tracks A2, A6, B4, C1, C4, C5, D4, E2, F3 taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Track B2 taken from Ringo Starr's "Sentimental Journey"
Track B6 taken from Ringo Starr's "Beaucoups of Blues"
Track F1 taken from Yoko Ono's "Plastic Ono Band"
Track F2 taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"

Non album tracks:
1. Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (3:34)



Taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"

[DocBrown]

Only one little question so far, Honorio. Is this the first triple album to ever chart at #1? In both the U.S. and U.K? While your "All Things Must Pass" certainly has more drawing power than the one in my collection, I still think a triple LP may have difficulty reaching #1.

Loving your story so far.

[JimmyJazz]

Great start to your story so far, Honorio! I'm glad you, unlike the Paste article, focus exclusively on the music and art itself, rather than highly speculative and superficial squabbles between the band members, as well as clothing details and gig performances and facial hair descriptions. All of that banal detail turned me off from the Paste article to be perfectly honest, as I was feeling like I was reading an alternate history of The Beatles mixed with the plot for a bad soap opera. You get right to the most important thing, the art of these four brilliant men. Sounds like a really awesome album that was never made to me! Though your point about the contradiction between "God" and "My Sweet Lord" was priceless!

[Pierre]

Fascinating so far. An album with "My Sweet Lord", "God", "Mother", "Maybe I'm Amazed" or "Working Class Hero" sure sounds like a mess but also like a pop wonder. However, where I do believe the guy from Paste had a point is that the internal squabbles between the members were integral to the late Beatles history and early solo works history, so I have a hard time believing that they could have even let Yoko sing a duet on a Beatles album. Wasn't she hated by some members of the band? And why would Zappa play on a Beatles album while he often said he didn't like them (I read the Wiki page about the Lennon/Ono album and saw the Andy Warhol episode, but how is it computed in your version)? I would have liked more details about how, in your opinion, all of this would have come to happen.

Other thing, the whole "Beatles integrating Nick Lowe in the late 70s" history in the Paste version sure sounds farfetched, but I think it would still be interesting to know how major profile artists influenced by the Beatles, like Elton John, Bowie, Lowe or Elvis Costello could coexist with them.

Well, all of this might actually be nitpicking. If I understand correctly, this is essentially centered around the eventual Beatles creativity in the 70s. I love your work and appreciate your efforts so far. I'm looking forward to the next stages of this fantastic story.

[Miguel]

Tracks A3, B1, B3, B5, B7, C2, D3, E1, E3, F4 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"

Thanks for this great thread, Honorio!

I have a question: the fact to have included many songs from the first McCartney's album is due to a matter of proportionality? Or is it because you think that really deserve to be part of this imaginary album?

Personally I think their debut is better than "Plastic Ono Band", a good album, but a bit overrated. In my opinion, the solo discography by Paul McCartney has been too underrated, at least in our country. Perhaps this perception has changed in recent years, but for decades I got tired of reading many derogatory comments about his work by some brainy Spanish music critics (yes, I mean those of RockdeLux, etc.)

[Honorio]

Only one little question so far, Honorio. Is this the first triple album to ever chart at #1? In both the U.S. and U.K? While your "All Things Must Pass" certainly has more drawing power than the one in my collection, I still think a triple LP may have difficulty reaching #1.
Loving your story so far.

Thank you, DocBrown. The charts positions showed in this fake discography are based on the real chart positions of the Beatles solo works but "optimized," I mean using the best chart position of the real albums used as a source. In this case the real chart positions of the solo albums were:
- "Sentimental Journey": released March 1970, #22 US #7 UK
- "McCartney": released April 1970, #1 US #2 UK
- "Beaucoups of Blues": released September 1970, #65 US
- "All Things Must Pass": released November 1970, #1 US #1 UK
- "Plastic Ono Band": released December 1970, #6 US #8 UK
So, if Harrison's "All Things Must Pass" topped the charts it seems to me quite probable that a Beatles release could have done it too. By the way, Harrison's triple album was NOT the first rock triple album to get to #1, it was preceded (but only by six months) by the live album "Woodstock." It was however the first triple rock album from a solo artist.

Great start to your story so far, Honorio! I'm glad you, unlike the Paste article, focus exclusively on the music and art itself, rather than highly speculative and superficial squabbles between the band members, as well as clothing details and gig performances and facial hair descriptions. All of that banal detail turned me off from the Paste article to be perfectly honest, as I was feeling like I was reading an alternate history of The Beatles mixed with the plot for a bad soap opera. You get right to the most important thing, the art of these four brilliant men. Sounds like a really awesome album that was never made to me! Though your point about the contradiction between "God" and "My Sweet Lord" was priceless!

Thanks a lot, JimmyJazz. Well, it's true that, if the purpose was doing a realistic story, probably this discussion on the Paste article between John and George about "My Sweet Lord" and "I Found Out" is more plausible than a band agreeing to publish an album containing so divergent views about religion. Moreover "Plastic Ono Band" and "All Things Must Pass" are the quintessential solo works after a disbanding of a band, both trying to prove that they can do it alone without the others and both flowing freely without having to face the disagreements inside a band, boarding some themes (religion for instance) not allowed till then. But that's fiction after all.

Fascinating so far. An album with "My Sweet Lord", "God", "Mother", "Maybe I'm Amazed" or "Working Class Hero" sure sounds like a mess but also like a pop wonder. However, where I do believe the guy from Paste had a point is that the internal squabbles between the members were integral to the late Beatles history and early solo works history, so I have a hard time believing that they could have even let Yoko sing a duet on a Beatles album. Wasn't she hated by some members of the band? And why would Zappa play on a Beatles album while he often said he didn't like them (I read the Wiki page about the Lennon/Ono album and saw the Andy Warhol episode, but how is it computed in your version)? I would have liked more details about how, in your opinion, all of this would have come to happen.

Merci beaucoup, Pierre. When I was looking material for the "jam album" I wanted to include some material by John but, unlike George and Paul that included some jam material on their solo albums, John's "Plastic Ono Band" did not include experimental material. But he recorded a lot of these kind of experimental music in his 1969 albums with Yoko Ono, in Yoko Ono's first solo albums and in the second album of their 1972 album "Some Time in New York City" (in fact this album included an extra album of jam sessions similar to Harrison's with the only difference that it came from live performances and not from jams in the studio). So I decided to use a song from Ono's "Plastic Ono band" and part of the jam session with the Mothers that actually happened in June 6th of 1971 during a Zappa live performance at Fillmore East.
And yes, obviously Yoko Ono and Frank Zappa in a Beatles album is something hardly believable. Zappa made some anti-Beatles statements ("I didn't hate them. I actually like two or three of their songs. I just thought they were ridiculous. What was so disgusting was the way they were consumed and merchandised. No music has succeeded in America unless it was accompanied by something to wear, something to dance or a hairdo. A phenomenon is not going to occur unless you can dress up to it...") and parodied them in his "We're Only in It for the Money" but later in his career he even did some covers of The Beatles, notably "I Am the Walrus." It seems quite improbable that any Beatle other than John could jump on stage to do some jamming with the Mothers but, why not? Imagine the Beatles with the Mothers, it isn't hard to do.
On the other hand I don't find that improbable a situation in which Yoko could spontaneously perform (well, in fact scream) during a jam session in the studio with The Beatles (in fact it happened in 1968 with "What's the New, Mary Jane?," "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" or "Revolution 9"). The real improbable situation is the agreement of the other Beatles to release that (lol). By the way, Lennon's guitar work on Ono's "Why" is absolutely terrific (Lennon was a quite underrated guitar player).

I have a question: the fact to have included many songs from the first McCartney's album is due to a matter of proportionality? Or is it because you think that really deserve to be part of this imaginary album?
Personally I think their debut is better than "Plastic Ono Band", a good album, but a bit overrated. In my opinion, the solo discography by Paul McCartney has been too underrated, at least in our country.

Muchas gracias, Miguel. Well, not really proportionality. In fact if we add those two jams involving Lennon he would be the Beatle most represented with 11 songs. But I agree with you about the unfair criticism that Paul McCartney always had to face (and not only in Spain). He was (is, have you heard the song "New"?) a wizard of pop and his early solo albums, although sometimes irregular and inconsistent, always contained many pop gems. Of course many songs from Paul's first album deserved to be in this false "All Things Must Pass."

[Miguel]

He was (is, have you heard the song "New"?) a wizard of pop and his early solo albums, although sometimes irregular and inconsistent, always contained many pop gems.

Indeed, our friend Plastic Ram nominated his last album in the "Moderately Acclaimed Best Album of 2013".

[Pierre]

Merci beaucoup, Pierre. When I was looking material for the "jam album" I wanted to include some material by John but, unlike George and Paul that included some jam material on their solo albums, John's "Plastic Ono Band" did not include experimental material. But he recorded a lot of these kind of experimental music in his 1969 albums with Yoko Ono, in Yoko Ono's first solo albums and in the second album of their 1972 album "Some Time in New York City" (in fact this album included an extra album of jam sessions similar to Harrison's with the only difference that it came from live performances and not from jams in the studio). So I decided to use a song from Ono's "Plastic Ono band" and part of the jam session with the Mothers that actually happened in June 6th of 1971 during a Zappa live performance at Fillmore East.
And yes, obviously Yoko Ono and Frank Zappa in a Beatles album is something hardly believable. Zappa made some anti-Beatles statements ("I didn't hate them. I actually like two or three of their songs. I just thought they were ridiculous. What was so disgusting was the way they were consumed and merchandised. No music has succeeded in America unless it was accompanied by something to wear, something to dance or a hairdo. A phenomenon is not going to occur unless you can dress up to it...") and parodied them in his "We're Only in It for the Money" but later in his career he even did some covers of The Beatles, notably "I Am the Walrus." It seems quite improbable that any Beatle other than John could jump on stage to do some jamming with the Mothers but, why not? Imagine the Beatles with the Mothers, it isn't hard to do.
On the other hand I don't find that improbable a situation in which Yoko could spontaneously perform (well, in fact scream) during a jam session in the studio with The Beatles (in fact it happened in 1968 with "What's the New, Mary Jane?," "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" or "Revolution 9"). The real improbable situation is the agreement of the other Beatles to release that (lol). By the way, Lennon's guitar work on Ono's "Why" is absolutely terrific (Lennon was a quite underrated guitar player).

Thank you for the comments. I'm still quite busy so I'm not sure I will participate again before some time but I want you to know that I will keep on following this thread, just as I'm still following your other ones on Spanish music. Keep up the great work!

[Rocky Raccoon]

Good stuff so far. I'm looking forward to the rest. I just have one request, and if it's too much hassle, don't bother (but cut and paste would help). I was wondering if you could put the name of artist and album each song is from to the right of the song name and run time. This would be a lot more convenient than scrolling up and down to match songs with the key below. If not, no biggie. Thanks for considering it.

[Honorio]

Good stuff so far. I'm looking forward to the rest. I just have one request, and if it's too much hassle, don't bother (but cut and paste would help). I was wondering if you could put the name of artist and album each song is from to the right of the song name and run time. This would be a lot more convenient than scrolling up and down to match songs with the key below. If not, no biggie. Thanks for considering it.

Thank you, Rocky. I consider your suggestion a very good idea, it would made easier to check the sources. But, in my opinion, it could also remove any appearance of reality of these fake albums. So I've decided to post it according to your suggestion but at the end of the thread, when I post the complete false discography. Hope it's alright for you.

[Honorio]

1971: Living For Today



The success of the triple album encouraged The Beatles to continue recording. The last session in Abbey Road on February of 1971 produced a single with "Another Day" on the A side, a McCartney-penned tune, backed by Harrison's "What Is Life." The single topped the charts in UK but "only" made #5 in USA.
The recording of the new album took place in the spring of 1971 in Lennon's house in Tittenhurst Park, named for the occasion Ascot Sound Studios, with overdubs and orchestral arrangements recorded at The Record Plant in New York. The production relied again on Phil Spector who, allowed this time to introduce more instruments, made an interesting work combining his celebrated wall of sound with the distinct Fab Four talents, as could be clearly listened in songs like "Isn't It a Pity," "It's So Hard" or "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey." The songs were this time more pop-oriented, without the lengthy (and boring, some may say) jam sessions of the previous album.
The new album was released in June of 1971 under the name of "Imagine," simultaneously with a single with the title theme on side A and a gorgeous Paul homage to Brian Wilson's sound on side B, "The Back Seat of My Car." The album cover showed a photograph of the Beatles "head in the clouds," blurred by mist and clouds, referencing the dreamy idealism of the title track. The song "Imagine" was the obvious highlight of the album, being since then considered by many one of the best songs ever. The song suggests us to imagine a world with no heaven, with no countries, with no possessions. With "No hell below us / Above us only sky / Imagine all the people / Living for today." The ultimate (and naïve) hymn of the big ideals, rivalling with Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On" released the very same year.
But there was a lot more in the album. The charm of "Heart of the Country," the wryness of "Crippled Inside," the sweetness of "Dear Boy," the sadness of "Isn't It a Pity," the angriness of "Give Me Some Truth" and, of course, the third song written by Ringo Starr (and probably his best one), "It Don't Come Easy." Part of the sessions and additional images of the Fab Four in the gardens of Lennon's mansion were recorded for a TV special, really a collection of proto-video clips. The best known was the performance of "Imagine" in a white room with The Beatles playing white instruments while Yoko Ono opens the windows to let the sunshine come into the room.
The album was again a success in both critical and public acclaim, reaching #1 in every chart, but 1971 was going to introduce some major changes in Beatles story. First, when they moved to New York for the final sessions and mixing of the album, they decided to stay and live in the USA for a long time. In fact, Lennon will never return to England. Many English musicians will end leaving England (mostly for tax reasons), notably The Rolling Stones. Lennon said at the time about the reasons for moving to New York: "If I'd lived in Roman times, I'd have lived in Rome. Where else? Today America is the Roman Empire and New York is Rome itself."
And moreover, 1971 saw the return of The Beatles on stage, even if it was for an only concert. Ravi Shankar talked to George Harrison about the extreme situation of the 10 millions of refugees of Bangladesh to the neighbouring India, escaping from the genocide that murdered one million of East Bengalis. George, moved by Shankar words, decided to organize a big concert in order to obtain money for Bangladesh refugees. The concert took place in New York Madison Square Garden in 1 August and included the Beatles first live performance since 1966 and the collaboration of many artists (and friends) like Ravi Shankar, Leon Russell, Billy Preston or Eric Clapton. But the most significant collaborator was Bob Dylan, that played five songs backed by the Fab Four, making true the (wet) dream of every rock manager (and every fan, of course). The Beatles performance in the show was highly praised and the songs played live, although coming mainly from recent albums ("Imagine," "My Sweet Lord," "Maybe I'm Amazed" or "It Don't Come Easy" for instance), included some classics from the 1960s like "Come Together," "Yesterday" or "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (with wonderful simultaneous guitar solos by Eric Clapton and George Harrison), going back in time as early as 1963 with "I Saw Her Standing There." The concert was again a big success that created expectations about a Beatles tour, situation denied by statements of the band. And it supposed 250.000 dollars donated to United Nations Fund for Help to Refugees of Bangladesh.
The concert was preceded (the day before, on July 30th) by the release of a double A-side single with "Bangla Desh," a Harrison-penned song about the subject of the concert, and "Power to the People," a Lennon manifest that anticipated the next move of the band toward political subjects. Due to the delay of the release of the album from the concert, it was released a second single (only in US) from the "Imagine" album, with a funny number on the A-side that topped the charts, "Uncle Albert /Admiral Halsey." The B-side was a beautiful ballad, "Oh My Love." Both sides credited the Beatles wives as co-writers, Linda McCartney on side-A and Yoko Ono on side-B.
The record company delayed the release of the live album and documentary for discrepancies with the aid aspects. The album and documentary was going to generate 15 million dollars, but the part that arrived to the refugees was considerably reduced (and dramatically delayed) by bureaucratic problems and interests of the companies implied, bringing down somehow the expectations created especially for George Harrison. The album was finally issued on December as (again) a triple album as "The Concert for Bangladesh" and credited to The Beatles & Friends, receiving notable acclaim and sales and winning the Grammy prize as best album the following year.
But these events were not going to accommodate The Beatles. The next releases were going to show the most radical face of the Fab Four.


1971 DISCOGRAPHY:

Single (released March 1971, #5US #1UK):
- A-side: Another Day
- B-side: What Is Life

Single (released June 1971, #3US #1UK)
- A-side: Imagine
- B-side: The Back Seat of My Car

LP "IMAGINE" (released June 1971, #1US #1UK):
- Side 1: Imagine / What Is Life / Too Many People / Crippled Inside / Dear Boy / Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey
- Side 2: Jealous Guy / It Don't Come Easy / Heart of the Country / It's So Hard / Give Me Some Truth / Isn't It a Pity

Single (released July 1971, #11US #6UK):
- A-side: Bangla Desh
- A-side: Power to the People

Single (released October 1971 only US, #1US):
- A-side: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
- B-side: Oh My Love

3 LP "THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH" (released December 1971, #2US #1UK):
- Side 1: Introduction / Bangla Duhn
- Side 2: Come Together / My Sweet Lord / Maybe I'm Amazed / Awaiting on You All / That's the Way God Planned It
- Side 3: It Don't Come Easy / Imagine / Cold Turkey / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / The Mess
- Side 4: Medley: Jumpin' Jack Flash - Youngblood / Here Comes the Sun / Blackbird / Yesterday
- Side 5: A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall / It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry / Blowin' in the Wind / Mr. Tambourine Man / Just Like a Woman
- Side 6: Instant Karma! / Something / Lady Madonna / I Saw Her Standing There / Hound Dog / Bangladesh




"IMAGINE" (1971)

Side A:
1. Imagine (3:02)
2. What Is Life (4:16)
3. Too Many People (4:10)
4. Crippled Inside (3:47)
5. Dear Boy (2:15)
6. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (4:54)
Total running time:22:24

Side B:
1. Jealous Guy (4:14)
2. It Don't Come Easy (3:04)
3. Heart of the Country (2:24)
4. It's So Hard (2:26)
5. Give Me Some Truth (3:15)
6. Isn't It a Pity (7:07)
Total running time: 22:30



Tracks A1, A4, B1, B4, B5 taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
Tracks A3, A5, A6, B3 taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
Tracks A2, B6 taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Track B2 taken from Ringo Starr's "Blast From Your Past"




"THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH" (1971)

Side A:
1. Introduction (6:18)
2. Bangla Dhun (17:21)
Total running time: 23:39

Side B:
1. Come Together (4:20)
2. My Sweet Lord (4:50)
3. Maybe I'm Amazed (5:20)
4. Awaiting on You All (3:07)
5. That's the Way God Planned It (4:30)
Total running time: 22:07

Side C:
1. It Don't Come Easy (3:08)
2. Imagine (3:17)
3. Cold Turkey (6:15)
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (4:55)
5. The Mess (4:57)
Total running time: 22:32

Side D:
1. Medley: Jumpin’ Jack Flash / Youngblood (10:12)
2. Here Comes the Sun (3:28)
3. Blackbird (2:27)
4. Yesterday (1:49)
Total running time: 17:56

Side E:
1. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (6:22)
2. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (3:08)
3. Blowin' in the Wind (4:11)
4. Mr. Tambourine Man (5:17)
5. Just Like a Woman (5:26)
Total running time: 24:24

Side F:
1. Instant Karma! (3:40)
2. Something (4:53)
3. Lady Madonna (2:23)
4. I Saw Her Standing There (3:17)
5. Hound Dog (3:10)
6. Bangla Desh (5:06)
Total running time: 22:29



Tracks A1, A2, B2, B4, B5, C1, C4, D1, D2, E1, E2, E3, E4, E5, F2, F6 taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
Tracks B1, C2, F1, F5 taken from John Lennon's "Live in New York City"
Tracks B3, D3, D4, F3 taken from The Wings' "Wings Over America"
Track C3 taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
Track C5 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway (Bonus Tracks)"
Track F4 taken from Elton John's "Here and There CD"

Non album tracks:
1. Another Day (3:44)
2. The Back Seat of My Car (4:26)
3. Bangla Desh (3:57)
4. Power to the People (3:21)
5. Oh My Love (2:50)



Track 1 taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
Track 2 taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
Track 3 taken from George Harrison's "The Best of George Harrison"
Track 4 taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
Track 5 taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"

[jamieW]

Honorio: I just read through this entire thread and it’s truly awesome!! As you already know, I’ve always greatly admired your writing and musical observations—and now I can admire your creativity, as well. Just a few random items I enjoyed most:

1. When I first looked at your track list, I instantly wondered how “God” could possibly be approved by the other Beatles. However, you stated that the Beatles agreed to make room for individual creativity, which would explain the lack of “veto power” regarding personal tracks. (It would explain Yoko’s contributions, as well.) The primal scream therapy was a nice touch.
2. Love how you touched upon the “My Sweet Lord” lawsuit. It’s funny how I refused to admit the obvious similarities for so many years. (Perhaps because “My Sweet Lord” is one of my all-time favorites and I’ve always felt lukewarm about “He’s So Fine”?) I get it now…
3. The accurate (in my mind, anyway) observation of the naïve lyrics of “Imagine.” It’s something that’s always detracted from the song for me, in the same way as “People Are People” by Depeche Mode. (Though I still like both songs, and love both artists…)
4. I also really appreciated how you worked in the concert for Bangladesh and the political and corporate complications. You’re definitely (in the words of Lennon)“ imagining” all that would’ve transpired had the Beatles managed to restrain their egos and remain together. They are already widely considered the greatest pop artist of all-time. Can you imagine if just the two years you’ve documented so far were also factored into the equation?

Keep up the great work, Honorio. I’m looking really forward to all things yet to pass…

[Honorio]

You’re definitely (in the words of Lennon)“ imagining” all that would’ve transpired had the Beatles managed to restrain their egos and remain together. They are already widely considered the greatest pop artist of all-time. Can you imagine if just the two years you’ve documented so far were also factored into the equation?

Many thanks for your kind words, jamieW. And yes, if "the Beatles managed to restrain their egos and remain together" they could have continued releasing very good material. That's the point in fact, that's what I was trying to "prove," those first two albums (I mean those fake "All Things Must Pass" and "Imagine") could have been very good albums. Obviously there were not as cohesive as the real source albums but if you listen the last four "real" albums by The Beatles (I mean "Magical Mystery Tour," "White Album," "Abbey Road" and "Let It Be") there were not as cohesive as the previous material too. In a certain way they were already allowing room for individual creativity (think of "Revolution 9" for instance) but maybe not as extremely as in my false "All Things Must Pass."
Sadly you are going to witness the decline on the quality of the material, particularly the 1972 and 1973's fake albums were much worse. And that's something that could have happened too, the band beginning to lose its edge and releasing songs more formulaic and conventional. But this is another chapter, now let’s go to…

[Honorio]

1972: Qué pasa, New York?



1972 found the Beatles living in New York City, enjoying the success of the Bangladesh album and increasingly being involved in political underground scene, connecting with activists like members of the Chicago Seven (like Jerry Rubin or Abbie Hoffman), the Black Panthers (like Bobby Seale), and others like Huey Newton, Allen Ginsberg or John Sinclair (the band ended recording a song demanding the prison release of Sinclair for his 10 years sentence for selling two marijuana cigarettes). These dangerous relations and the resolute position of the band against the Vietnam War gained the enmity of the Nixon administration. The visas of the band (as temporary visitors) were scheduled to expire on February of 1972, and the FBI began an infamous investigation trying to deport the band focusing on possession or abuse of narcotics as the quickest way to achieve deportation. The FBI didn't succeed in proving that drug activities and ended the investigation that same 1972 alleging that the Beatles were so under the influence of drug abuse that they were not a real thread, not real revolutionaries. However the legal battle for the green card (named by the press the "Beatlegate" in reference to the "Watergate" Nixon scandal) will last until 1975.
Being or not real revolutionaries, the next Beatles release had a strong political content. As a quick reply to the Bloody Sunday, the massacre in Northern Ireland on January 30th of 1972 where the British troops killed 26 civil right protesters, the Beatles issued an EP on February 25th of 1972. The main track was "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" (written by Paul McCartney and recorded the day after the massacre, on February 1st of 1972) but the "Irish EP" included also two more songs written by Lennon about the subject (with vocal collaboration by Yoko Ono) and an instrumental version of the title track. It was banned by the BBC and it was a commercial failure, except in Ireland where it came to #1.
On March 1972 The Beatles began the recording of a new album in New York, while a documentary film of the Bangladesh Concert was premiered on movie theatres to considerable acclaim. On June of 1972 The Beatles released their new studio album named "Some Time in New York City". The album cover reproduced the first page of a newspaper with the lyrics of the songs printed as if there were the news, a nice cover but not entirely original, being preceded (although for only a few months) by Jethro Tull's "Thick as a Brick" album. The album was co-produced for The Beatles and Phil Spector, in their final collaboration. Serious discrepancies with the famous producer during the recording of the album ended that fruitful team. The album showed the explicitly political face of The Beatles, with lyrics about feminism ("Women Is the Nigger of the World"), ecology ("Wild Life") and topical subjects like the Irish conflict, the Sinclair imprisonment or the riots in Attica State. And "Hi, Hi, Hi," one of the few non-political songs, was again banned by the BBC but this time for sex and drug references.
The public and critic response to the album was awful. It reached only #10, an absolute failure in Beatles standards, being their least selling official album. And the critics showed no mercy at all. They pointed not only to the inconsistency of the political background (seen by the detractors as a caprice of millionaires) but primarily to the inconsistency of the songs, the most uninspired set of tunes of an almost immaculate career till then. It's significant that the band released what it's considered their worst album the very same year that The Stones, their long-time rivals, made their best achievement with "Exile on Main Street."
But, honestly, was the album that bad? Well, the sound was only half cooked and there were not the usual amount of memorable melodies, but there were some scattered fine moments. A new Starr song, "Back Off Boogaloo" was one of the highlights, with a terrific slide work of Harrison. And "Art of Dying," the rollicking "Hi, Hi, Hi" and the ancient-blues-flavoured "John Sinclair" were good songs too. Anyway the hostile reaction forced The Beatles to change its approach. They decided to step back a little and be again the most successful pop band in the world and to do what they knew to do like any other, to make good mainstream pop songs. The next releases of The Fab Four gained again the people favour, but somehow they've lost their connection with the current times, being surpassed by bolder artists and new styles like glam-rock, heavy metal or prog-rock.
At the end of the year they moved to Los Angeles to record a new album with a new producer, Richard Perry, recommended by long-time friend Harry Nilsson and responsible of successful albums (notably Carly Simon's "No Secrets"). The L.A. sessions will last till February of 1973 and was going to produce three consecutive #1 hit-singles, but the last release of 1972 came from the previous Phil Spector sessions. The A-side was a Lennon-penned Christmas song, "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)," recorded with a Harlem Children Choir, that will became one of the best-known Christmas songs of all time and another plea for peace ("War is over / If you want it"). The B-side was a shocking reworking of the nursery rhyme "Mary Had a Little Lamb" with McCartney on lead vocals. It was a successful single and prepared the audience for another assault of The Beatles to the pop charts, to the material world.


1972 DISCOGRAPHY:

EP (released February 1972, #21US #16UK)
- A-side: Give Ireland Back to the Irish / Luck of the Irish
- B-side: Sunday Bloody Sunday / Give Ireland Back to the Irish (Version)

LP "SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY" (released June 1972, #10US #11UK):
- Side 1: Woman Is the Nigger of the World / Give Ireland Back to the Irish / John Sinclair / Art of Dying / Wild Life
- Side 2: New York City / Back Off Boogaloo / Hi, Hi, Hi / Attica State / Apple Scruffs / Some People Never Know

Single (released December 1972, #3US #2UK):
- A-side: Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
- B-side: Mary Had a Little Lamb




"SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY" (1972)

Side A:
1. Woman Is the Nigger of the World (5:16)
2. Give Ireland Back to the Irish (3:43)
3. John Sinclair (3:30)
4. Art of Dying (3:40)
5. Wild Life (6:14)
Total running time: 22:23

Side B:
1. New York City (4:31)
2. Back Off Boogaloo (3:20)
3. Hi Hi Hi (3:08)
4. Attica State (2:55)
5. Apple Scruffs (3:08)
6. Some People Never Know (6:36)
Total running time: 23:38



Tracks A1, A3, B1, B4 taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
Tracks A4, B5 taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Tracks A5, B6 taken from Wings' "Wild Life"
Track A2 taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"
Track B2 taken from Ringo Starr's "Blast From Your Past"
Track B3 taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"

Non album tracks:
1. The Luck of the Irish (2:56)
2. Sunday Bloody Sunday (5:00)
3. Give Ireland Back to the Irish (Version) (3:43)
4. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (3:21)
5. Mary Had a Little Lamb (2:50)



Tracks 1, 2 taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
Track 3 still waiting to be released on CD
Track 4 taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
Track 5 taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"

[Honorio]

1973: The Material World



The sessions of the new album took place in Sunset Sound Studios in Los Angeles from December 1972 to February 1973 with Richard Perry as co-producer of the album. The new producer emphasized the brighter and humorous side of The Beatles and the sessions ran smooth, without the difficulties of the previous Phil Spector sessions. "My Love," a beautiful rock ballad written by Paul, was issued as a single in March as advance of the new album and it supposed a strong success, reaching the number 1 in the USA.
The new album, "Photograph ," was released in May 1973 simultaneously with a second single with "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)," a Harrison-penned idealistic hymn that reached #1 too. A third single from the album was issued in June with "Photograph," the first A-side for a Ringo tune (and his first number 1, but not his last one).
The album cover showed a drawing of a stage with big letters forming the word "Beatles" (like the ones on Elvis TV Special). In front of them the Fab Four: McCartney with a rose on his mouth, Lennon with combed-back hair, Harrison with the Om sign and Starr dressed as a star. The funny mood of the cover extended to the songs, especially the Ringo ones like "I'm the Greatest" or "Oh My My." The sound also was full, bright, easy and optimistic and the main theme of the songs was (again) love, with little signs of the political subjects of the previous album. The album was a sales success but didn't receive many good reviews, being tagged as superficial, conventional, conformist and formulaic. The songs were divided for the first time equally between the four band members, with three songs each. This fact undoubtedly reflected the beginning of the decline of Lennon as the creative force behind the band till then, being McCartney the one who was going to self-impose the charge of getting along with the band in the difficult times to come.
During the recording of the album The Beatles decided to stay in L.A. beginning a period that will be called later as the Beatles' "Lost Weekend." The Beatles began to live fully the life of a rock star, the typical "sex & drugs & rock'n'roll" way of life. At the time the couple relationships of the Beatles members were in serious troubles. John and Yoko agreed to spend a time apart from each other, with John being sentimentally involved with his Japanese secretary May Pang (with Ono's approval). Ringo and Maureen got divorced, with Ringo admitting having committed adultery with actress Nancy Andrews. During that year George and Patti split up too, and Patti later married with Harrison long-time friend Eric Clapton (oddly, this fact didn't break the friendship of the two musicians). Only Paul and Linda relationship proved to be solid as a rock.
The "Lost Weekend" period will last for eighteen months, with The Beatles members wildly partying almost every night with a group of drinking buddies that called themselves the "Hollywood Vampires" that included other rock stars like Harry Nilsson, Keith Moon, David Bowie, Elton John, Alice Cooper and Mickey Dolenz among others. Numerous confrontations with paparazzi and journalists (even physical aggressions) and diverse open legal battles characterized the period (as suggested by Harrison's-penned "Sue Me, Sue You Blues").
In fact, due to a legal imposition, The Beatles recorded that summer a TV Special called "The Beatles' Salute to Sir Lew Grade." Sir Lewis Grade was the owner of Northern Song Ltd. and the Beatles maintained a long legal battle against him that began in 1969 with the sale of the company (that supposed for The Beatles losing the rights of its own songs) and ended in 1973 with an arrangement that included the recording of the TV Special. The Fab Four played live some songs and others were recorded as video clips. Some of the songs played were "Big Barn Bed," "I'm the Greatest," "My Love," "Imagine," "Act Naturally," "John Sinclair" or "Hi, Hi, Hi," with "Yesterday" as the final song.
In that TV show The Beatles advanced their next single, "Live and Let Die," that surprisingly was part of the soundtrack for the upcoming James Bond film of the same name. It was also a surprise that the producer was again George Martin. He took charge of the film soundtrack and thought of his old pupils for the main theme. Paul McCartney wrote a song that perfectly fitted the James Bond style and supposed a new smash hit for the band, getting even an Oscar nomination as best song.
McCartney had plans for an upcoming American Tour of The Beatles but he only found a disintegrating band, a "band on the run." And the situation gave him the inspiration to push the band to make another studio effort. The new sessions were produced by the Beatles itself with some aid from Richard Perry and took place between Sunset Studios in Los Angeles and Record Plant in New York in the fall of 1973. In the middle of the chaotic relationships of that time, The Fab Four were able again to put together some fine material, retaining some of the sense of humour of the previous album. In December it was issued an advance single from the upcoming album with "Band on the Run" as A-side, supposing the fourth #1 of the band during the year. So 1973 passed with the band going up in public acclaim and sales but, like a song from this period, "going down on love."


1973 DISCOGRAPHY:

Single (released March 1973, #1US #7UK):
- A-side: My Love
- B-side: Sue Me, Sue You Blues

Single (released May 1973, #1US #8UK):
- A-side: Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
- B-side: Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)

LP "PHOTOGRAPH" (released May 1973, #1US #2UK):
- Side 1: I'm the Greatest / Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) / Mind Games / Big Barn Bed / Tight A$ / Living in the Material World
- Side 2: My Love / Photograph / Try Some, Buy Some / Oh My My / Out the Blue / Little Lamb Dragonfly

Single (released June 1973, #1US #4UK):
- A-side: Photograph
- B-side: One More Kiss

Single (released August 1973, #2US #7UK):
- A-side: Live and Let Die
- B-side: Six O'Clock

Single (released December 1973, #1US #3UK):
- A-side: Band on the Run
- B-side: Helen Wheels




"PHOTOGRAPH" (1973)

Side A:
1. I'm the Greatest (3:22)
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:38)
3. Mind Games (4:14)
4. Big Barn Bed (3:50)
5. Tight A$ (3:37)
6. Living in the Material World (5:31)
Total running time: 24:12

Side B:
1. My Love (4:07)
2. Photograph (3:56)
3. Try Some, Buy Some (4:08)
4. Oh My My (4:16)
5. Out the Blue (3:22)
6. Little Lamb Dragonfly (6:20)
Total running time: 26:09



Tracks A1, B2, B4 taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
Tracks A2, A6, B3 taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
Tracks A3, A5, B5 taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
Tracks A4, B1, B6 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"

Non album tracks:
1. Sue Me, Sue You Blues (4:49)
2. Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple) (4:12)
3. One More Kiss (2:28)
4. Live and Let Die (3:12)
5. Six O'Clock (2:28)
6. Helen Wheels (3:44)



Track 1 taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
Track 2 taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
Track 3 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
Track 4 taken from George Martin's "Live and Let Die"
Track 5 taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
Track 6 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run (Bonus Tracks)"

[Honorio]

1974: On the Run



January of 1974 saw the release of the 18th studio album of The Beatles (21st according to US discography) named "Band on the Run." It was released simultaneously a single that went to #1 with "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" on the A-side and "Snookeroo" on the B-side, with strong involvement of Elton John that played piano in both songs and was the writer of the B-side. The album cover was funny, showing the four Beatles and some friends (including actors like James Coburn and Christopher Lee and boxers like John Conteh) dressed as prisoners getting caught trying to escape from the jail. Again the humorous side won the battle, with songs as "Mrs. Vandebilt" or "No No Song" (oddly, this Starr anti-drug song was recorded amidst an increasing alcohol addiction especially for Ringo). But other songs showed the underlying turmoil, like "Going Down on Love" or "So Sad." The highlights of this album were mainly the McCartney-penned songs, especially the title track, the vigorous "Jet" and the sweet "Bluebird," not forgetting the splendid Lennon's "#9 Dream" (a song for what the word "dreamy" was made) that was issued as the third single, reaching on American charts precisely the #9 position.
The album sold very well again, lasting 4 weeks on the top of the American charts and 10 weeks on #1 of New Musical Express charts (re-achieving the recognition on its homeland somehow lost the previous years). The reviews were also better than the previous albums but not as ecstatic as earlier ones.
And in spring there were good news: the Beatles were on the road again, 8 years after the last (and controversial) American Tour in 1966. The tour covered only US locations for legal matters (the band members were still battling for the green card) and included 28 dates. The first of them was in the Cow Palace in San Francisco in 03 of May of 1974 and the last in the Madison Square Garden in New York in 23 June of 1974, in what turned to be the last Beatles concert ever. The band teamed again for the tour with Billy Preston on keyboards and a four-member brass section. The concerts began with "Beatles on Tour (Express)," an instrumental song (issued at the time as the B-side of "#9 Dream"). Some of the songs played live were from the last album (as "Band on the Run," "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" or "Dark Horse"), but there also played a lot of their 60s and 70s hits like "Imagine," "I've Just Seen a Face," "In My Life," "Something," "Mother," "It Don't Come Easy" or "Yesterday" (the last one played by Paul alone backed by the brass section, being one of the most moving moments of the show).
The 1974 Beatles American Tour was undoubtedly the rock event of the year, even shadowing other major live comebacks as the Bob Dylan Tour with The Band. Devoted audiences hailed the band with sold-out concerts in every tour location. But amidst the success the personal relationships were falling apart. Harrison was upset for touring with a laryngitis that began in the "Band on the Run" sessions (just llisten to his vocal performance on "Dark Horse"). But the main reason is that the relationship between Lennon and McCartney came to its lowest point after many long years of progressive estrangement. It was obvious to everyone that the long awaited tour came too late, with the band exhausted of many years working together and immersed in a process of disintegration.
Shortly after the tour, two events accentuated the breaking up of the band by the end of the year. First, John became reconciled with Yoko and she became pregnant. John then planned a retirement from the wild rock star life to live a placid family life and take care of his child. And secondly, the US Government conceded the citizenship to all four Beatles. This fact was used by Paul and George to return immediately to England, while John and Ringo decided to stay in the US. So, with the band geographically split in two parts and Lennon planning to leave musical activities, the end was approaching quickly.
But the band agreed to record a farewell album, an album consisting exclusively of covers of old rock & roll tunes, fulfilling a long-time dream of John Lennon. The sessions took place in New York Record Plant and were produced by The Beatles themselves. The mood of the sessions were easy and relaxed, with a band that had nothing to prove anymore and having real fun playing music together, performing the songs that supposed its musical initiation. In fact, the sessions lasted only 5 days, from 21 to 25 October of 1974. But The Beatles were going to face another legal battle that delayed the album release. An album of raw versions of rock & roll classics recorded during various Phil Spector sessions between 1971 and 1972 was announced for release (only by mail initially) under the name "Roots: The Beatles Sings Rock 'n' Roll Hits." The legal demand of The Beatles blocked that release, supposing the final confrontation with Phil Spector.
The final single of The Beatles was released in advance of the album in December. "You're Sixteeen," sung by Ringo, achieved again the #1 spot in Christmas, but the announcement of the breaking up of the band left the world astonished. It was the end of (undoubtedly) the most successful and influential rock band ever.


1974 DISCOGRAPHY:

Single (released January 1974, #1US #24UK):
- A-side: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night
- B-side: Snookeroo

LP "BAND ON THE RUN" (released January 1974, #1US #1UK):
- Side 1: Band on the Run / Jet / Going Down on Love / Dark Horse / (It's All Da-Da-Down to) Goodnight Vienna / #9 Dream
- Side 2: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night / Bluebird / No No Song / Mrs. Vandebilt / Let Me Roll It / So Sad

Single (released April 1974, #9US #23UK):
- A-side: #9 Dream
- B-side: Beatles on Tour (Express)

Single (released December 1974, #1US #4UK):
- A-side: You're Sixteen
- B-side: Move Over Ms. L




"BAND ON THE RUN" (1974)

Side A:
1. Band on the Run (5:09)
2. Jet (4:08)
3. Going Down on Love (3:56)
4. Dark Horse (3:55)
5. (It’s All Da-Da Down to) Goodnight Vienna (2:34)
6. #9 Dream (4:47)
Total running time: 24:29

Side B:
1. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (3:27)
2. Bluebird (3:21)
3. No No Song (2:34)
4. Mrs. Vanderbilt (4:37)
5. Let Me Roll It (4:47)
6. So Sad (5:02)
Total running time: 23:48



Tracks A1, A2, B2, B4, B5 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
Tracks A2, A6, B1 taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
Tracks A4, B6 taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"
Tracks A5, B3 taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"

Non album tracks:
1. Snookeroo (3:27)
2. Beatles on Tour (Express) (4:43)
3. Move Over Ms. L (2:56)



Track 1 taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"
Track 2 taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"
Track 3 taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
Track 4 taken from John Lennon's "The John Lennon Anthology"

[Pierre]

Still a fantastic thread Honorio, your knowledge of the post-Beatles history is amazing.

It was the end of (undoubtedly) the most successful and influential rock band ever.

A tease or is this it?

[Honorio]

A tease or is this it?

He,he,he. Wait a couple of days or so...

[Honorio]

1975-1979: Sitting Here Watching



The announcement of the Beatles break-up caused a world commotion. Although the discrepancies and problems between the two main creative forces of the band (Lennon and McCartney) were very well-known, the news surprised many fans, used to a yearly release by The Beatles (even two-per-year the first years) from 1963. The reasons expressed to the press ranged from the tiredness of the music business of John Lennon to the will of McCartney of proving that he can do it by himself. But basically there were two main reasons: first the four Beatles were playing around together from 1958 (almost twenty years) and, especially at the height of the called Beatlemania, had achieved the highest level of recognition, fame and acclaim a pop band had (and will) ever achieved. And, secondly, the last years showed an evident decline in inspiration and musical brightness and the last 3 albums couldn't stand beside its 60s masterpieces. It was the right time to part.
The farewell album was called "Rock 'n' Roll" (the cover featured a photograph taken by Astrid Kirchherr from the old Hamburg days) and, since its release in February of 1975, was received warmly by audience and critics. The idea was not entirely original (it was preceded by Bowie's "Pin Ups" and Ferry's "These Foolish Things"), but the simplicity, the sincerity and the honesty of a band rendering tribute to their early heroes was well appreciated. Some of those early heroes were rockabilly stars as Buddy Holly ("Peggy Sue"), Gene Vincent ("Be-Bop-a-Lula") or Eddie Cochran ("Twenty Flight Rock," the first song Paul played to John in a Quarrymen concert in 1957). And of course there was a lot of the first black Rock ’n’ Roll that all four Beatles loved, especially Little Richard ("Rip It Up," "Ready Teddy," "Slippin' and Slidin'") and Chuck Berry (whose "You Can't Catch Me" was included here to satisfy a demand for including some lines of this song in "Come Together"). The sound was quite straight and faithful with the originals with notable exceptions as the Starr-sang version of The Platters "Only You" and especially the cover of The Everly Brothers' "Bye Bye Love" where Harrison changed the melody and the lyrics, including references to his ex-wife Patti Boyd and her sentimental involvement with Eric Clapton ("There goes our lady / With a "you know who" / I hope she's happy / And old "Clapper" too").
The album sold quite well, reaching #6 on both sides of the Atlantic, and contributed to a prominent rockabilly revival on the second half of the 70s decade, with bands like Matchbox, Stray Cats or Robert Gordon. But the success didn't hide the fact that it was the last Beatles album, sadly for millions of fans around the world and that the future of the band members was kind of a mystery.
Ringo stayed in USA and became the unofficial drummer of the rock jet set, collaborating with his drumming with a lot of friends, including Harry Nilsson, Stephen Stills, Carly Simon, Keith Moon or Peter Frampton, even Bob Dylan in "Shot of Love." He also launched a solo career that produced three albums in the 70s second half, "Ringo's Rotogravure" (1976), "Ringo the 4th" (1977) and "Bad Boy" (1978), with involvement of many rock star including the other three ex-Beatles. The Ringo albums were not well received by critics and sold poorly, being his highest position of the charts the US #28 of "Ringo's Rotogravure." He continued acting in films and met in the set of "The Caveman" the actress Barbara Bach to whom later married.
Harrison also began a solo career recording two albums released under his own record company, Dark Horse Records. "Extra Texture" was released at the end of 1975 and "Thirty Three & 1/3" followed in 1976. The albums sold quite well, reaching #8 and #11 on US charts. Of the singles extracted from these albums the more successful were "You" (1975) and "This Song" (1976). By the end of the decade Harrison founded a film production company called Handmade Films whose first (and best) film was Monty Python's "Life of Brian." In 1978 Harrison married Olivia Arias and they had a son, Dhani Harrison.
But undoubtedly the most successful solo career of the ex-Beatles was McCartney's. Soon after the Beatles breaking-up Paul formed a new band, Wings, along with his wife Linda, Denny Laine (guitar player founder of The Moody Blues and old friend of McCartney), guitar player Jimmy McCulloch and drummer Joe English. The band released four hit albums from 1975 to 1979 and toured successfully in Europe and USA. The albums were "Venus and Mars" (1975), "Wings at the Speed of Sound" (1976), "London Town" (1978) and "Back to the Egg" (1979), with the two first albums topping the charts in both USA and UK. Several hit singles were released during this period, with number ones as "Listen to What the Man Said" (1975), "Silly Love Songs" (1976) or "With a Little Luck" (1978). Special mention for "Mull of Kintyre" that, with a traditional Scottish musical arrangement using bagpipes, became the UK best-selling single of all-time, surpassing The Beatles' own "She Loves You."
Things were very different for John Lennon. His second son (and first with Yoko Ono), Sean Ono Lennon, was born on 9 of November of 1975. John then declared that planned a temporary retirement from music activities to take care of his son Sean, alleging that he couldn't do the same for his first son Julian cause he was immersed into the madness of the Beatlemania. True to his word, John lived a placid family life with Yoko and Sean in the Dakota Building beside Central Park in New York from 1975 to 1979. Lennon later masterly described his life during this period in a song: "I'm just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round / I really love to watch them roll / No longer riding on the merry-go-round / I just have to let it go."
But with the change of the decade Lennon began to feel the need again of creating music. A call to the old friends and there they were again. It was the time for a Beatles comeback. Just like starting over.


1975-1979 DISCOGRAPHY:

LP "ROCK 'N' ROLL" (released February 1975, #6US #6UK):
- Side 1: Be-Bop-A-Lula / Twenty Flight Rock / You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine) / You Can’t Catch Me / I’m Gonna Be a Wheel Someday / Slippin’ and Slidin’ / Bye Bye Love
- Side 2: Stand By Me / Medley: Rip It Up - Ready Teddy / Ain’t That a Shame / Medley: Bring It On Home to Me - Send Me Some Lovin’ / Crackin' Up / Just Because / Peggy Sue / Only You (And You Alone)

2-LP "ROCK AND ROLL MUSIC" (released June 1976, #2US #10UK):
- Side 1: Twist and Shout / I Saw Her Standing There / You Can’t Do That / I Wanna Be Your Man / Long Tall Sally / Bad Boy / Roll Over Beethoven
- Side 2: Rock and Roll Music / Slow Down / Everybody’s Trying to Be My Baby / Dizzy Miss Lizzy / Drive My Car / I’m Down / Revolution
- Side 3: Back in the USSR / Helter Skelter / Taxman / Got to Get You Into My Life / Hey Bulldog / Birthday / Get Back
- Side 4: I Found Out / New York City / Hi, Hi, Hi / Tight A$ / Helen Wheels / You’re Sixteen (You’re Beautiful and You’re Mine) / Move Over Ms. L

2-LP "LOVE SONGS" (released October 1977, #24US #12UK):
- Side 1: Yesterday / I’ll Follow the Sun / Oh My Love / Girl / In My Life / I’d Have You Anytime / Here There and Everywhere
- Side 2: Something / And I Love Her / I Need You / My Love / If I Fell / Yes It Is / Love
- Side 3: Michelle / It’s Only Love / Bless You / Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) / Bluebird / For No One / She’s Leaving Home
- Side 4: The Long and Winding Road / Photograph / Jealous Guy / This Boy / Norwegian Wood (This Bird Had Flown) / You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away / I Will




"ROCK 'N' ROLL" (1975)

Side A:
1. Be-Bop-A-Lula (2:40)
2. Twenty Flight Rock (3:04)
3. You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful and You're Mine) (2:46)
4. You Can't Catch Me (4:51)
5. I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday (4:13)
6. Slippin' and Slidin' (2:17)
7. Bye Bye Love (4:09)
Total running time: 24:00

Side B:
1. Stand by Me (3:27)
2. Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy (1:34)
3. Ain't That a Shame (3:42)
4. Medley: Bring It On Home to Me/Send Me Some Lovin' (3:42)
5. Crackin' Up (3:54)
6. Just Because (3:34)
7. Peggy Sue (2:05)
8. Only You (And You Alone) (3:27)
Total running time: 25:25



Tracks A1, A4, A6, B1, B2, B4, B7 taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
Tracks A2, A5, B3, B5, B6 taken from Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP"
Track A3 taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
Track A7 taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"
Track B8 taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"

[Honorio]

I like the photographs of the Beatles on the last chapter. I did not selected them on purpose (I was only looking for pictures of the period) but looking again I realized that McCartney, Harrison and Starr are playing live (more exactly Paul is playing at Seattle with Wings on their 1976 Us Tour, George is playing with Paul Simon on Saturday Night Live in 1976 and Ringo is on Dutch TV also in 1976) while Lennon is just "sitting here watching." Very appropriate, isn't it?

[Honorio]

1980: Starting Over (and Ending)



The inspiration came to Lennon during a holiday in Barbados with Yoko. The songs began to come quickly after long years without writing anything remarkable. The new songs were good, showing the talent of Lennon dealing with maturity, with growing together ("(Just Like) Starting Over"), bringing up the kids ("Beautiful Boy"), being out of the hot spot ("Watching the Wheels") and, it couldn't have been any other way, love ("Woman"). He tried to record them by himself but soon he realized how he missed the boys. Some phone calls and the comeback of The Beatles was a reality.
The Fab Four reunited again in New York City to record the comeback album. But while Lennon dealt with his maturity, McCartney came with a bunch of songs that tried to prove he hadn't lost the connection with the current times, with numbers as "Coming Up" or "Temporary Secretary" sounding like the then fresh new wave and with a prominent use of synthesizers. The sessions took place between May and June of 1980 at Hit Factory Studios in New York produced by The Beatles themselves with some assistance by Jack Douglas. All the people involved later reported an easy and relaxed atmosphere during the sessions, with the boys simply being happy to be together again.
Geffen Records released the new album of The Beatles (David Geffen agreed without even listening to the songs previously) in September of 1980 named "Quadruple Fantasy," being preceded by a hit single with a Lennon tune that referenced the new beginning both in the long-term relationship with Yoko Ono and with the band, "(Just Like) Starting Over." The song, backed by "Love Comes to Everyone," got to number one in both sides of the Atlantic. The reviews of the album were mixed, some critics pointed out at the calm and collected view of adulthood and at the contemporary pop sound of the new compositions, while the detractors justified their criticism using the same reasons, to them the attitude of the songs showed accommodation and the update of the sounds showed opportunism (a critic at the time described "Temporary Secretary" as "McCartney spitting out ridiculous lyrics with a self-consciously atonal melody over gurgling synths; things rarely get worse than that"). But the answer of the audience was affectionate and warm, leading both the album and single to the top of the charts, and so it happened to the second single, "Coming Up."
In fact this warm welcome of the audience motivated the band to consider going on the road again. They wanted to reunite again in mid-December in New York City to make plans and begin the rehearsals for an upcoming World Tour. But all these plans were going to end abruptly in the most tragic way possible. On December 8th Lennon signed an autograph to a fan, Mark David Chapman, in front of his house at the Dakota Building. Lennon went to work to the Record Plant Studios and when he returned to the Dakota Building Chapman, who had been waiting for him, pulled out a .38 handgun and fired five shots at the musician, hitting Lennon four times. Lennon was carried to Roosevelt Hospital but he was certified "dead on arrival."
The murder of John Lennon left the whole world in a state of shock. The possibility that any mentally perturbed person could kill so easily a rock icon like John Lennon pushed the whole rock music scene to a state of paranoia. And for the audience it was inconceivable that a musician that wrote so much about peace and love could end in such a violent way. On December 14th more than 200,000 people gathered at New York's Central Park (close to the scene of the shooting) for ten minutes of silence to remember Lennon and millions of people around the world followed them. During those ten minutes every New York radio station went off the air. A wave of grief went across the world. The dream was finally over. And so were The Beatles.


1980 DISCOGRAPHY:

Single (released August 1980, #1US #1UK):
- A-side: (Just Like) Starting Over
- B-side: Love Comes to Everyone

LP "QUADRUPLE FANTASY" (released September 1980, #1US #1UK):
- Side 1: (Just Like) Starting Over / Not Guilty / Temporary Secretary / Private Property / I'm Losing You / Blow Away
- Side 2: Coming Up / Watching the Wheels / Wrack My Brain / Faster / Woman / Waterfalls

Single (released October 1980, #1US #2UK):
- A-side: Coming Up
- B-side: Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)




"QUADRUPLE FANTASY" (1980)

Side A:
1. (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56)
2. Not Guilty (3:31)
3. Temporary Secretary (3:14)
4. Private Property (2:45)
5. I'm Losing You (3:57)
6. Blow Away (4:02)
Total running time: 21:25

Side B:
1. Coming Up (3:52)
2. Watching the Wheels (3:30)
3. Wrack My Brain (2:19)
4. Faster (4:26)
5. Woman (3:31)
6. Waterfalls (4:42)
Total running time: 22:20



Tracks A1, A5, B2, B5 taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
Tracks A2, A6, B4 taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
Tracks A3, B1, B6 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
Tracks A4, B3 taken from Ringo Starr's "Stop and Smell the Roses"

Non album tracks:
1. Love Comes to Everyone (4:36)
2. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (4:01)



Track 1 taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
Track 2 taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"

[Pierre]

Ah, I was almost hoping you would spare John's life

Well, many thanks for the ride anyway, Honorio, an interesting alternate history. I guess you couldn't have saved John without having to invent songs. I'm thinking at the moment, what would have happened if the Beatles had gone (united) in direct competition against Michael, Prince and Madonna, interesting idea but completely speculative, so pointless maybe? OK, I'm getting digressive, thanks again for your work here, I hope to enjoy more of your storytelling in the future, you're good at this

[Honorio]

Many thanks, Pierre. I agree, I wish I could (even only in fiction) saved the life of John Lennon. But the story of the Beatles during the 80s would have been completely invented, since the music that Lennon would have released during the 80s is kind of a mystery...
But this apocryphal story is not over. It last a final chapter that I'm still writing. Since I'm going to be extremely busy during the next three days, I'm not going to be able to post it until Sunday or maybe even later.

[Honorio]

Sorry for this tremendous delay in posting the final chapter. Apart of my ever busy schedule I decided to expand the concept (that initially ended in 1981) to include also the compilations released after Lennon's death. So I needed to do some listening of solo Beatles outtakes (Lennon's "Anthology" and "Menlove Ave.", Harrison's "Early Takes" and McCartney bonus tracks on recent remasters) and mash-ups (McCartney's "Twin Freaks" and also Go Home Production's Imagine the Band) to be able to compile a false "Anthology" and "Love" albums. But it's almost done. Hopefully I would post the final chapter in a few days.

[Honorio]

1981-2014: Those Years Ago



The murder of John Lennon by Mark David Chapman closed the door on a Beatles career that was by then (just like) starting over. Amidst the pain the remaining Beatles decided to end their fruitful and successful career with a final single as a tribute to his deceased mate. In January of 1981, just when the third single from the last album, "Woman," was topping the UK charts in the wake of Lennon's death, they entered Harrison's own studio Friars Park to record two songs produced again by George Martin, the Harrison-penned "All Those Years Ago" and the McCartney-penned "Here Today." The single was released simultaneously with a compilation double album covering the "1970-1981" period, taking up when "1967-1970" left off, beginning with "My Sweet Lord" and ending with "All Those Years Ago," two songs written by Harrison. The photograph for the cover was taken again at the EMI offices (like the Beatles' first album and the "Blue Album") with Lennon substituted by his self-portrait. The compilation (also known as the "Green Album" because of the colour of the cover art) was a big success, ending the Beatles' career on a high note.
It was time for the three remaining Beatles to resume their solo careers but Ringo's and George's were by no means as prolific or successful as Paul's, who was able to maintain a solid career through more than four decades. Ringo's first album after Lennon's death, "Old Wave" (1983), was not even released in USA and UK, being only released in Canada and Germany. He waited almost a decade to release his next studio album, "Time Takes Time" (1992), produced by Jeff Lynne (probably his most acclaimed solo album) but in the meantime he began to tour successfully with a band of ever changing line-up called Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band. Some members of this All-Starr Band in its successive twelfth incarnations were Joe Walsh, Nils Lofgren, Clarence Clemons, Dr. John, Levon Helm, Todd Rundgren, Dave Edmunds, Billy Preston, John Entwistle, Peter Frampton, Gary Brooker, Jack Bruce, Roger Hodgson, Ian Hunter, Greg Lake, Sheila E., Paul Carrack, Rod Argent and many more. They toured discontinuously from 1989 until today and released at least four live albums. Ringo has also released seven studio albums from 1998 to 2012 and to this day he's one of the most likeable musicians on the rock business.
George Harrison, the Quiet Beatle, was the least prolific of the three. He released two albums after Lennon's murder, "Somewhere in England" (1981) and "Gone Troppo" (1982) but the commercial failure of the latter led him to a five year hiatus. He returned with a hit album produced by Jeff Lynne, "Cloud Nine" (1987) that included a #1 single, "Got My Mind Set on You," the last number one single for a Beatles-related release. During the sessions for this album he teamed with Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne to write and record a song called "Handle with Care" initially planned for a B-side. The results were so satisfying that they decided to form a super-group called The Traveling Wilburys, band that showed the humorous, relaxed and informal face of these rock stars and met with notable success. They released two albums, "Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 1" (1988) and "Traveling Wilburys, Vol. 3" (1990), the latter without Roy Orbison, deceased in December of 1988. Harrison retired from music business after a Japanese tour in 1991. In 1999 he suffered an assault at his Friars Park home, being seriously stabbed with a kitchen knife. He survived the attack but he died two years after, on November 29th of 2001, of metastatic lung cancer. A posthumous album, "Brainwashed" (2002), was completed by Jeff Lynne and Dhani Harrison.
Paul McCartney enjoyed instead a long and successful career. He disbanded his band Wings to pursue a solo career and he released a grand total of 30 albums from 1982 to 2014. Among these albums there were not only pop albums, he also released some classical works (five albums from "Liverpool Oratorio" in 1991 to "Ocean'sKingdom" in 2011) and five electronic ambient albums, three of them as a duo with producer Youth under the moniker The Fireman. Some of his pop albums were widely successful, like the first released after Lennon's death, "Tug of War" (1982) and "Pipes of Peace" (1983) that included #1 singles like the duets "Ebony and Ivory" with Stevie Wonder and "Say Say Say" with Michael Jackson, but there were also flops like the movie "GiveMy Regards to Broad Street" (1984) and the album "Press to Play" (1986). Anyway any McCartney release or tour met with notable audience support, and even occasionally with critical acclaim, like the albums "Flowers in the Dirt" (1989) with the collaboration of Elvis Costello, "Flaming Pie" (1997) or the Nigel Godrich-produced "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard" (2005).
But this unstoppable activity of Paul McCartney was not enough to make people forget The Beatles. They continued being immensely popular, so Apple Corps continued releasing compilations of Beatles material. The first one after 1981's "Green Album" was "Milk & Honey: The Beatles Rarities" (1984), a collection of B-sides that also included three leftovers from the "Quadruple Fantasy" sessions, like "Nobody Told Me" that was also released as a single. In 1988 the complete English discography of The Beatles was digitalized and released in the (then new) CD format, with three additional CDs named "Past Masters, Volume 1-3" (1988) including every song not included on the official albums. But despite having all the official songs properly released in CD many fans continued showing interest even on The Beatles unreleased material, as showcased by the significant sales of the many bootleg albums. That's why Apple Corp decided to release some of this bootlegged songs, first with a double CD with the Beatles sessions for the BBC named "Live at the BBC" (1994) and later with no less that 3 double-CDs and a six-part documentary series. This project was called "Anthology" (1995-1996) and featured for the first time since 1981 the reunion of the three remaining Beatles to work on two Lennon demos from the Dakota period, "Free as a Bird" and "Real Love," with Jeff Lynne as producer, in what was going to be the final sessions for The Beatles. Two other compilations, "1" (2000, including the 40 songs by The Beatles that went to #1 in UK or US) and "Love" (2006, a compilation made by George Martin and his son Giles Martin using mash-up mixing techniques for a Cirque du Soleil show) were also successful.
And every new compilation was going to be successful too because The Beatles had shown and intergenerational appeal, every new generation of music lovers consider the Beatles its favourite band, every new poll of greatest acts inevitably end with The Beatles at the top. Almost 25 after Lennon's death The Beatles are still, quoting a 1973 song from theirs, "the greatest." And you better believe it, baby!


1981-2014 DISCOGRAPHY:

Single (released January 1981, #2US #1UK):
- A-side: Woman
- B-side: One of These Days

Single (released May 1981, #2US #6UK):
- A-side: All Those Years Ago
- B-side: Here Today

2LP "1970-1981" a.k.a. "GREEN ALBUM" (released May 1981, #1US #1UK):
- Side 1: My Sweet Lord / Instant Karma / Love / Maybe I'm Amazed / Another Day / What Is Life / Imagine
- Side 2: Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey / Jealous Guy / It Don't Come Easy / Power to the People / Give Ireland Back to the Irish / Hi Hi Hi / Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
- Side 3: My Love / Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) / Photograph / Live And Let Die / Band on the Run / Jet / Number 9 Dream
- Side 4: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night / You're Sixteen / (Just Like) Starting Over / Blow Away / Coming Up / Woman / All Those Years Ago

Single (released January 1984, #5US #6UK):
- A-side: Nobody Told Me
- B-side: Borrowed Time

LP "MILK & HONEY: THE BEATLES RARITIES" (released January 1984, #11US #3UK):
- Side 1: I'm Stepping Out / Across the Universe / The Inner Light / She's a Woman / Nobody Told Me / You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) / Sie Liebt Dich
- Side 2: Borrowed Time / The Back Seat of My Car / Snookeroo / I'm Down / Bad Boy / Rain / I'll Get You / Long Tall Sally

CD "PAST MASTERS, VOLUME 1" (released March 1988, #149US #49UK):
- Love Me Do / From Me to You / Thank You Girl / She Loves You / I'll Get You / I Want to Hold Your Hand / This Boy / Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand / Sie Liebt Dich / Long Tall Sally / I Call Your Name / Slow Down / Matchbox / I Feel Fine / She's a Woman / Bad Boy / Yes It Is / I'm Down / Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out / Paperback Writer / Rain

CD "PAST MASTERS, VOLUME 2" (released March 1988, #121US #46UK):
- Lady Madonna / The Inner Light / Hey Jude / Revolution / Get Back / Don't Let Me Down / The Ballad of John and Yoko / Old Brown Shoe / Across the Universe / Let It Be / You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) / Instant Karma (We All Shine On) / Another Day / The Back Seat of My Car

CD "PAST MASTERS, VOLUME 3" (released March 1988, #135US #53UK):
- Power to the People / Bangla Desh / Oh My Love / The Luck of the Irish / Sunday Bloody Sunday / Happy Xmas (War Is Over) / Mary Had a Little Lamb / Snookeroo / Beatles on Tour (Express) / Move Over Ms. L / Love Comes to Everyone / Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) / One of These Days / All Those Years Ago / Here Today

2 CD "LIVE AT THE BBC" (released November 1994, #3US #2UK):
- CD 1: Beatle Greetings / From Us to You / Riding on a Bus / I Got a Woman / Too Much Monkey Business / Keep Your Hands Off My Baby / I'll Be on My Way / Young Blood / A Shot of Rhythm and Blues / Sure to Fall (In Love with You) / Some Other Guy / Thank You Girl / Sha La La La La! / Baby It's You / That's All Right, Mama / Carol / Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms) / A Little Rhyme / Clarabella / I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) / Crying, Waiting, Hoping / Dear Wack! / You've Really Got a Hold on Me / To Know Her Is to Love Her / A Taste of Honey / Long Tall Sally / I Saw Her Standing There / The Honeymoon Song / Johnny B. Goode / Memphis, Tennessee / Lucille / Can't Buy Me Love / From Fluff to You / Till There Was You
- CD 2: Crinsk Dee Night / A Hard Day's Night / Have a Banana! / I Wanna Be Your Man / Just a Rumour / Roll Over Beethoven / All My Loving / Things We Said Today / She's a Woman / Sweet Little Sixteen / 1822! / Lonesome Tears in My Eyes / Nothin' Shakin' / The Hippy Hippy Shake / Glad All Over / I Just Don't Understand / So How Come (No One Loves Me) / I Feel Fine / I'm a Loser / Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby / Rock and Roll Music / Ticket to Ride / Dizzy Miss Lizzy / Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey! / Set Fire to That Lot! / Matchbox / I Forgot to Remember to Forget / Love These Goon Shows! / I Got to Find My Baby / Ooh! My Soul / Ooh! My Arms / Don't Ever Change / Slow Down / Honey Don't / Love Me Do

2 CD "ANTHOLOGY 1" (released November 1995, #1US #2UK):
- CD 1: Free as a Bird / Speech: John Lennon / That'll Be the Day / In Spite of All the Danger / Speech: Paul McCartney / Hallelujah, I Love Her So / You'll Be Mine / Cayenne / Speech: Paul / My Bonnie / Ain't She Sweet / Cry for a Shadow / Speech: John / Speech: Brian Epstein / Searchin' / Three Cool Cats / The Sheik of Araby / Like Dreamers Do / Hello Little Girl / Speech: Brian Epstein / Bésame Mucho / Love Me Do / How Do You Do It / Please Please Me / One After 909 / Speech: John / I Saw Her Standing There / From Me to You / Money (That's What I Want) / She Loves You / Till There Was You / Twist and Shout
- CD2: I Want to Hold Your Hand / Speech: Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise / Moonlight Bay / Can't Buy Me Love / All My Loving / Roll Over Beethoven / All My Loving / And I Love Her / A Hard Day's Night / I Wanna Be Your Man / Long Tall Sally / Shout / I'll Be Back (Take 2) / I'll Be Back (Take 3) / You Know What to Do / No Reply / Leave My Kitten Alone / Eight Days a Week (Sequence) / Eight Days a Week (Complete) / Yes It Is / I'm Down / If You've Got Trouble / That Means a Lot / Yesterday / I Feel Fine / Yesterday / Help! / Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby / Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) / 12-Bar Original

2 CD "ANTHOLOGY 2" (released March 1996, #1US #1UK):
- CD 1: Real Love / Tomorrow Never Knows / Got to Get You into My Life / Taxman / Eleanor Rigby (Strings Only) / I'm Only Sleeping (Rehearsal) / I'm Only Sleeping (Take 1) / She's a Woman / Strawberry Fields Forever (Demo Sequence) / Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1) / Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7 & Edit Piece) / Penny Lane / A Day in the Life / Good Morning Good Morning / Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (Takes 1 & 2) / Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite! (Take 7) / Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds / Within You Without You (Instrumental) / You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)
- CD2: I Am the Walrus / The Fool on the Hill (Demo) / The Fool on the Hill (Take 4) / Hello, Goodbye / Lady Madonna / Across the Universe / Happiness Is a Warm Gun / Mean Mr. Mustard / Polythene Pam / Junk / Piggies / Honey Pie / Don't Pass Me By / Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da / Helter Skelter / Good Night / Cry Baby Cry / Sexy Sadie / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Hey Jude / Not Guilty / Mother Nature's Son /

2 CD "ANTHOLOGY 3" (released October 1996, #1US #4UK):
- CD 1: A Beginning / Glass Onion / What's the New Mary Jane / Step Inside Love-Los Paranoias / Why Don't We Do It in the Road? / Julia / I've Got a Feeling / She Came in Through the Bathroom Window / For You Blue / Teddy Boy / Medley: Rip It Up-Shake, Rattle and Roll-Blue Suede Shoes / The Long and Winding Road / Oh! Darling / All Things Must Pass / Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues / Get Back / Old Brown Shoe /Octopus's Garden / Something / Come Together / Come and Get It / Ain't She Sweet / Because / I Me Mine / The End
- CD2: Working Class Hero / My Sweet Lord / God / Behind That Locked Door / Suicide / I Live for You / Mind Games (I Promise) / Mind Games (Make Love, Not War) / Rode All Night / Hey Diddle / Imagine (Take 1) / Tragedy / Mama's Little Girl / Rock and Roll People / The Light That Has Lighted the World / Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out / Soily / Be My Baby / Watching the Wheels / Grow Old With Me

2 CD "1" (released November 2000, #1US #1UK):
- CD 1: Love Me Do / From Me to You / She Loves You / I Want to Hold Your Hand / Can't Buy Me Love / A Hard Day's Night / I Feel Fine / Eight Days a Week / Ticket to Ride / Help! / Yesterday / Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out / Paperback Writer / Yellow Submarine / Eleanor Rigby / Penny Lane / All You Need Is Love / Hello, Goodbye / Lady Madonna / Hey Jude / Get Back / The Ballad of John and Yoko
- CD 2: Something / Come Together / Let It Be / The Long and Winding Road / My Sweet Lord / Another Day / Imagine / Uncle Albert-Admiral Halsey / My Love / Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) / Photograph / Band on the Run / Whatever Gets You Thru the Night / You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful and You're Mine) / (Just Like) Starting Over / Coming Up / Woman

CD "LOVE" (released November 2006, #4US #3UK)
- Because / Get Back / Glass Onion / Eleanor Rigby-Julia (Transition) / I Am the Walrus / I Want to Hold Your Hand / Drive My Car-The Word-What You're Doing / Gnik Nus / Something-Blue Jay Way (Transition) / Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite!-I Want You (She's So Heavy)-Helter Skelter / Live and Let Die / Strawberry Fields Forever / Within You Without You-Tomorrow Never Knows / Octopus's Garden-Sun King (Transition) / Lady Madonna / Imagine the Band / Here Comes the Sun-The Inner Light (Transition) / Come Together-Dear Prudence-Cry Baby Cry (Transition) / Maybe I'm Amazed / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Junk / A Day in the Life / Hey Jude / Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) / All You Need Is Love





"1970-1981 (GREEN ALBUM)" (1981)

Side A:
1. My Sweet Lord (4:39)
2. Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (3:21)
3. Love (3:24)
4. Maybe I'm Amazed (3:50)
5. Another Day (3:44)
6. What Is Life (4:22)
7. Imagine (3:02)
Total running time: 26:22

Side B:
1. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (4:49)
2. Jealous Guy (4:14)
3. It Don't Come Easy (3:00)
4. Power to the People (3:21)
5. Give Ireland Back to the Irish (3:43)
6. Hi Hi Hi (3:08)
7. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (3:21)
Total running time: 25:36

Side C:
1. My Love (4:07)
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:36)
3. Photograph (3:56)
4. Live and Let Die (3:12)
5. Band on the Run (5:09)
6. Jet (4:08)
7. #9 Dream (4:47)
Total running time: 28:55

Side D:
1. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (3:27)
2. You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful and You're Mine) (2:46)
3. (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56)
4. Blow Away (4:02)
5. Coming Up (3:52)
6. Woman (3:31)
7. All Those Years Ago (3:44)
Total running time: 25:18



Tracks A2, B4, B7 taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
Tracks A1, A6 taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Tracks A5, B3 taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
Tracks A7, B2 taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
Tracks C3, D2 taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
Tracks C5, C6 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
Tracks C7, D1 taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
Tracks D3, D6 taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
Track A3 taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
Track A4 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
Track B1 taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
Track B3 taken from Ringo Starr's "Blast From Your Past"
Track B5 taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"
Track C1 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
Track C2 taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
Track C4 taken from George Martin's "Live and Let Die"
Track D4 taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
Track D5 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
Track D7 taken from George Harrison's "Somewhere in England"




"MILK & HONEY: THE BEATLES RARITIES" (1984)

Side A:
1. I'm Stepping Out (4:06)
2. Across the Universe
3. The Inner Light
4. She's a Woman
5. Nobody Told Me (3:34)
6. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)
7. Sie Liebt Dich
Total running time: 23:48

Side B:
1. Borrowed Time (4:29)
2. The Back Seat of My Car
3. Snookeroo
4. I'm Down
5. Bad Boy
6. Rain
7. I'll Get You
8. Long Tall Sally
Total running time: 24:22



Track A1, A5 and B1 taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Milk & Honey"




"PAST MASTERS, VOLUME TWO" (1988)

1. Lady Madonna
2. The Inner Light
3. Hey Jude
4. Revolution
5. Get Back
6. Don't Let Me Down
7. The Ballad of John and Yoko
8. Old Brown Shoe
9. Across the Universe
10. Let It Be
11. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)
12. Instant Karma (We All Shine On)
13. Another Day
14. The Back Seat of My Car
Total running time: 52:19

"PAST MASTERS, VOLUME THREE" (1988)

1. Power to the People
2. Bangla Desh
3. Oh My Love
4. The Luck of the Irish
5. Sunday Bloody Sunday
6. Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
7. Mary Had a Little Lamb
8. Snookeroo
9. Beatles on Tour (Express)
10. Move Over Ms. L
11. Love Comes to Everyone
12. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
13. One of These Days (3:34)
14. All Those Years Ago
15. Here Today (2:27)
Total running time: 53:43



Track 13 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
Track 14 taken from Paul McCartney's "Tug of War"




"ANTHOLOGY 3" (1996)

CD 2:
1. Working Class Hero (4:19)
2. My Sweet Lord (3:33)
3. God (3:32)
4. Behind That Locked Door (3:29)
5. Suicide (2:48)
6. I Live for You (3:35)
7. Mind Games (I Promise) (1:01)
8. Mind Games (Make Love, Not War) (1:14)
9. Rode All Night (8:44)
10. Hey Diddle (3:49)
11. Imagine (Take 1) (3:20)
12. Tragedy (3:19)
13. Mama's Little Girl (3:41)
14. Rock and Roll People (4:21)
15. The Light That Has Lighted the World (2:23)
16. Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out (5:02)
17. Soily (3:57)
18. Be My Baby (4:32)
19. Watching the Wheels (3:04)
20. Grow Old With Me (3:18)
Total running time: 73:01



Tracks 1, 3, 7, 8, 11, 18, 19, 20 taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
Tracks 2, 4, 15 taken from George Harrison's "Early Takes: Volume 1"
Tracks 9, 10 taken from Paul McCartney's "Ram (2012 Remaster)"
Track 5 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney (2011 Remaster)"
Track 6 taken from George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass (2011 Remaster)"
Track 12 taken from Paul McCartney's bootleg album "Hot Hits Cold Cuts"
Track 13 taken from Wings' "Wild Life (1993 Remaster)"
Track 14 taken from John Lennon's "Menlove Ave."
Track 16 taken from John Lennon's "Wonsaponatime"
Track 17 taken from Paul McCartney and Wings' "Band on the Run (2010 Remaster)"




"1" (2000)

CD 1:
1. Love Me Do (2:20)
2. From Me to You (1:56)
3. She Loves You (2:21)
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand (2:24)
5. Can't Buy Me Love (2:11)
6. A Hard Day's Night (2:33)
7. I Feel Fine (2:18)
8. Eight Days a Week (2:44)
9. Ticket to Ride (3:10)
10. Help! (2:18)
11. Yesterday (2:05)
12. Day Tripper (2:48)
13. We Can Work It Out (2:15)
14. Paperback Writer (2:18)
15. Yellow Submarine (2:38)
16. Eleanor Rigby (2:06)
17. Penny Lane (2:59)
18. All You Need Is Love (3:47)
19. Hello, Goodbye (3:27)
20. Lady Madonna (2:16)
21. Hey Jude (7:04)
22. Get Back (3:12)
23. The Ballad of John and Yoko (2:59)
Total running time: 64:09

CD 2:
1. Something (3:01)
2. Come Together (4:18)
3. Let It Be (3:50)
4. The Long and Winding Road (3:37)
5. My Sweet Lord (4:37)
6. Another Day (3:44)
7. Imagine (3:02)
8. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (4:54)
9. My Love (4:07)
10. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:38)
11. Photograph (3:56)
12. Band on the Run (5:09)
13. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (3:27)
14. You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful and You're Mine) (2:46)
15. (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56)
16. Coming Up (3:52)
17. Woman (3:31)
Total running time: 65:25



Tracks 11, 14 taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
Tracks 15, 17 taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
Track 5 taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Track 6 taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
Track 7 taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
Track 8 taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
Track 9 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
Track 10 taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
Track 12 taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
Track 13 taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
Track 16 taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"




"LOVE" (2006)

1. Because (2:44)
2. Get Back (2:05)
3. Glass Onion (1:20)
4. Eleanor Rigby/Julia (Transition) (3:05)
5. I Am the Walrus (4:28)
6. I Want to Hold Your Hand (1:22)
7. Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing (1:54)
8. Gnik Nus (0:55)
9. Something/Blue Jay Way (Transition) (3:29)
10. Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter (3:22)
11. Live and Let Die (3:26)
13. Strawberry Fields Forever (4:31)
14. Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows (3:17)
15. Octopus's Garden/Sun King (Transition) (3:18)
16. Lady Madonna (2:56)
17. Imagine the Band (2:09)
18. Here Comes the Sun/The Inner Light (Transition) (4:18)
19. Come Together/Dear Prudence/Cry Baby Cry (Transition) (4:45)
20. Maybe I'm Amazed (6:12)
21. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (3:46)
22. Junk (2:49)
23. A Day in the Life (5:08)
24. Hey Jude (3:58)
25. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (1:22)
26. All You Need Is Love (3:39)
Total running time: 79:18



Tracks 11, 20 taken from Twin Freaks' "Twin Freaks"
Track 17 taken from Go Home Productions' "Bones: A Collection Of GHP Snacks 2008-2012"
Track 22 taken from Paul McCartney's "Working Classical"

[Honorio]

EPILOGUE

If the Beatles didn't break up after "Let It Be", and they made another album, which was comprised of the best songs the four band members released as solo artists, how would it compare to the band's other albums?

So, Listyguy, maybe the answer to your question is this 1981's false "Green Album." Not sure if these songs were the "best" from their solo careers but surely they sound good side by side. Just listen to the Spotify playlist and judge for yourself. I especially like the way the piano fade-out at the end of "Love" fuses in silence with the piano fade-in at the beginning of "Maybe I'm Amazed," in fact I repeated this sequence both in the false "All Things Must Pass" and "Green Album."
Hope you enjoyed this apocryphal story. If this would have happened in real life probably it would have been completely different, some of the decisions (going to America for instance) wouldn't have happened without the other's approval, not to mention the songs that would have been quite different with the other's input. But I found too many coincidences and parallelisms in their lives and albums that trying to fuse it was too tempting to me. The confessional tone of their 1970 albums, the jam and experimental inclinations on their early solo works, their political views during the early 70s (even both Lennon and McCartney boarded with determination the Irish conflict), their drift to L.A. soft-rock sound during 1973 and 1974, their fondness from 50s rock & roll covers, their starting-over period in 1980 (before Lennon's comeback McCartney disbanded Wings to resume his solo career), etc. Probably these were not only coincidences, every ex-Beatle was aware and alert of the other's careers.
But, even if the real story would have been different, probably the overall evolution of their music would have been quite similar to the one showed in these fake albums. The first albums (during 1970-1971) would have been very good and also relevant to the music of its era. But after that, even if they could have continued being a well-greased hit-making machine, they surely would have lost their position at the forefront of the pop music scene. Glam-rock, prog-rock and (of course) punk-rock would have turn them into dinosaurs sooner or later.
Obviously this "show" would have been much better using some technology. If I knew how to design the fake album covers (just see above my pathetic attempt to the cover of "Quadruple Fantasy") or to create false photography shots of the four together the visual layout could be much enhanced. And, of course, if the solo songs could be remixed these fake albums would have a more homogeneous song, for instance "spectorizing" (I mean adding layers of echo wall-of-sound style) to the McCartney early solo songs. And (dreaming is free) a TV documentary with the whole story, false clips and fake interviews would be great. Who knows? Maybe if I send the story to Apple Corps they decide to release a box-set simultaneously with a TV documentary, ha ha ha.
Anyway I hope you liked this. I only made it for fun. Or more exactly as a labour of love, as my tribute to a group of four musicians that I admire so much and that put the soundtrack to many different moments of my life. Quoting a song by The House of Love: "The Beatles and the Stones / made it good to be alone."



Tomorrow… the complete discography (Rocky Raccoon-style).

[Honorio]

THE COMPLETE DISCOGRAPHY

(as requested by Rocky Raccoon)




Single "Let It Be" (released March 1970, #1US #2UK):
- A-side: Let It Be (3:50)
- B-side: You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (4:21)




LP "LET IT BE" (released May 1970, #1US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. Two of Us (3:37)
2. Dig a Pony (3:55)
3. Across the Universe (3:48)
4. I Me Mine (2:26)
5. Dig It (0:50)
6. Let It Be (4:03)
7. Maggie Mae (0:40)
Total running time: 19:16

Side 2:
1. I've Got a Feeling (3:38)
2. The One After 909 (2:54)
3. The Long and Winding Road (3:38)
4. For You Blue (2:32)
5. Get Back (3:09)
Total running time: 15:51




Single "The Long and Winding Road" (released May 1970 only US, #1US):
- A-side: The Long and Winding Road (3:38)
- B-side: For You Blue (2:32)




2LP "1962-1966" a.k.a. "RED ALBUM" (released August 1970, #3US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. Love Me Do (2:23)
2. Please Please Me (2:03)
3. From Me to You (1:57)
4. She Loves You (2:22)
5. I Want to Hold Your Hand (2:26)
6. All My Loving (2:08)
7. Can't Buy Me Love (2:13)
Total running time: 15:30

Side 2:
1. A Hard Day's Night (2:34)
2. And I Love Her (2:31)
3. Eight Days a Week (2:45)
4. I Feel Fine (2:19)
5. Ticket to Ride (3:10)
6. Yesterday (2:05)
Total running time: 15:25

Side 3:
1. Help! (2:19)
2. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (2:11)
3. We Can Work It Out (2:16)
4. Day Tripper (2:49)
5. Drive My Car (2:27)
6. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Had Flown) (2:05)
Total running time: 14:09

Side 4:
1. Nowhere Man (2:44)
2. Michelle (2:42)
3. In My Life (2:27)
4. Girl (2:31)
5. Paperback Writer (2:31)
6. Eleanor Rigby (2:08)
7. Yellow Submarine (2:37)
Total running time: 17:30




2LP "1967-1970" a.k.a. "BLUE ALBUM" (released August 1970, #1US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. Strawberry Fields Forever (4:10)
2. Penny Lane (3:03)
3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (2:02)
4. With a Little Help from My Friends (2:44)
5. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (3:28)
6. A Day in the Life (5:06)
7. All You Need Is Love (3:48)
Total running time: 24:19

Side 2:
1. I Am the Walrus (4:37)
2. Hello Goodbye (3:31)
3. The Fool on the Hill (3:00)
4. Magical Mystery Tour (2:51)
5. Lady Madonna (2:17)
6. Hey Jude (7:08)
7. Revolution (3:21)
Total running time: 26:47

Side 3:
1. Back in the USSR (2:45)
2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (4:45)
3. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (3:05)
4. Get Back (3:14)
5. Don't Let Me Down (3:33)
6. The Ballad of John and Yoko (2:59)
7. Old Brown Shoe (3:18)
Total running time: 23:52

Side 4:
1. Here Comes the Sun (3:05)
2. Come Together (4:20)
3. Something (3:03)
4. Octopus's Garden (2:51)
5. Let It Be (3:52)
6. Across the Universe (3:48)
7. The Long and Winding Road (3:38)
Total running time: 24:42




Single "My Sweet Lord" (released November 1970, #1US #1UK):
- A-side: My Sweet Lord (4:37), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
- B-side: Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"




3LP "ALL THINGS MUST PASS" (released December 1970, #1US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. Mother (5:34), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
2. My Sweet Lord (4:37), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
3. Every Night (2:31), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
4. I Found Out (3:36), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
5. Working Class Hero (3:47), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
6. I'd Have You Anytime (2:54), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Total running time: 22:59

Side 2:
1. That Would Be Something (2:38), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
2. Bye Bye Blackbird (2:10), taken from Ringo Starr's "Sentimental Journey"
3. Teddy Boy (2:23), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
4. Behind That Locked Door (3:04), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
5. Man We Was Lonely (2:56), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
6. Beaucoups of Blues (2:31), taken from Ringo Starr's "Beaucoups of Blues"
7. Junk (1:54), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
8. Isolation (2:51), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
Total running time: 20:27

Side 3:
1. Wah Wah (5:34), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
2. Oo You (2:48), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
3. Well Well Well (5:57), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
4. Awaiting on You All (2:45), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
5. All Things Must Pass (3:44), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Total running time: 20:48

Side 4:
1. Remember (4:32), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
2. Love (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
3. Maybe I'm Amazed (3:50), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
4. Beware of Darkness (3:46), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
5. God (4:09), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
6. My Mummy's Dead (0:49), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
Total running time: 20:27

Side 5:
1. Momma Miss America (4:05), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
2. Out of the Blue (11:13), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
3. Valentine Day (1:41), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
Total running time: 16:59

Side 6:
1. Why (5:36), taken from Yoko Ono's "Plastic Ono Band"
2. Scumbag (4:27), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
3. Plug Me In (3:17), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
4. Kreen-Akrore (4:13), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
Total running time: 17:33




Single "Another Day" (released March 1971, #5US #1UK):
- A-side: Another Day (3:44), taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
- B-side: What Is Life (4:16), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"




Single "Imagine" (released June 1971, #3US #1UK)
- A-side: Imagine (3:02), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
- B-side: The Back Seat of My Car (4:26), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"




LP "IMAGINE" (released June 1971, #1US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. Imagine (3:02), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
2. What Is Life (4:16), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
3. Too Many People (4:10), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
4. Crippled Inside (3:47), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
5. Dear Boy (2:15), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
6. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (4:54), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
Total running time:22:24

Side 2:
1. Jealous Guy (4:14, taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
2. It Don't Come Easy (3:04), taken from Ringo Starr's "Blast From Your Past"
3. Heart of the Country (2:24), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
4. It's So Hard (2:26), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
5. Give Me Some Truth (3:15), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
6. Isn't It a Pity (7:07), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
Total running time: 22:30




Single "Bangla-Desh / Power to the People" (released July 1971, #11US #6UK):
- A-side: Bangla-Desh (3:57), taken from George Harrison's "The Best of George Harrison"
- A-side: Power to the People (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"




Single "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" (released October 1971 only US, #1US):
- A-side: Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (4:54), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
- B-side: Oh My Love (2:50), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"




3 LP "THE CONCERT FOR BANGLADESH" (released December 1971, #2US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. Introduction (6:18), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
2. Bangla Dhun (17:21), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
Total running time: 23:39

Side 2:
1. Come Together (4:20), taken from John Lennon's "Live in New York City"
2. My Sweet Lord (4:50), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
3. Maybe I'm Amazed (5:20), taken from Wings' "Wings Over America"
4. Awaiting on You All (3:07), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
5. url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YE97w-MHz3Q]That's the Way God Planned It[/url] (4:30), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
Total running time: 22:07

Side 3:
1. It Don't Come Easy (3:08), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
2. Imagine (3:17), taken from John Lennon's "Live in New York City"
3. Cold Turkey (6:15), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (4:55), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
5. The Mess (4:57), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway (Bonus Tracks)"
Total running time: 22:32

Side 4:
1. Medley: Jumpin’ Jack Flash / Youngblood (10:12), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
2. Here Comes the Sun (3:28), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
3. Blackbird (2:27), taken from Wings' "Wings Over America"
4. Yesterday (1:49), taken from Wings' "Wings Over America"
Total running time: 17:56

Side 5:
1. A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall (6:22), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
2. It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry (3:08), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
3. Blowin' in the Wind (4:11), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
4. Mr. Tambourine Man (5:17), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
5. Just Like a Woman (5:26), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
Total running time: 24:24

Side 6:
1. Instant Karma! (3:40), taken from John Lennon's "Live in New York City"
2. Something (4:53), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
3. Lady Madonna (2:23), taken from Wings' "Wings Over America"
4. I Saw Her Standing There (3:17), taken from Elton John's "Here and There CD"
5. Hound Dog (3:10), taken from John Lennon's "Live in New York City"
6. Bangla Desh (5:06), taken from George Harrison and Friends' "The Concert for Bangladesh"
Total running time: 22:29




EP "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" (released February 1972, #21US #16UK):

Side 1:
1. Give Ireland Back to the Irish (3:43), taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"
2. The Luck of the Irish (2:56), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"

Side 2:
1. Sunday Bloody Sunday (5:00), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
2. Give Ireland Back to the Irish (Version) (3:43), taken from Wings' single "Give Ireland Back to the Irish," still not released on CD




LP "SOME TIME IN NEW YORK CITY" (released June 1972, #10US #11UK):

Side A:
1. Woman Is the Nigger of the World (5:16), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
2. Give Ireland Back to the Irish (3:43), taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"
3. John Sinclair (3:30), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
4. Art of Dying (3:40), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
5. Wild Life (6:14), taken from Wings' "Wild Life"
Total running time: 22:23

Side B:
1. New York City (4:31), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
2. Back Off Boogaloo (3:20), taken from Ringo Starr's "Blast From Your Past"
3. Hi Hi Hi (3:08), taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
4. Attica State (2:55, taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
5. Apple Scruffs (3:08), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
6. Some People Never Know (6:36), taken from Wings' "Wild Life"
Total running time: 23:38




Single "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (released December 1972, #3US #2UK):
- A-side: Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
- B-side: Mary Had a Little Lamb (2:50), taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"




Single "My Love" (released March 1973, #1US #7UK):
- A-side: My Love (4:07), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
- B-side: Sue Me, Sue You Blues (4:49), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"




Single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" (released May 1973, #1US #8UK):
- A-side: Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:38), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
- B-side: Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple) (4:12), taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"




LP "PHOTOGRAPH" (released May 1973, #1US #2UK):

Side 1:
1. I'm the Greatest (3:22), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:38), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
3. Mind Games (4:14), taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
4. Big Barn Bed (3:50), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
5. Tight A$ (3:37), taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
6. Living in the Material World (5:31), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
Total running time: 24:12

Side 2:
1. My Love (4:07), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
2. Photograph (3:56), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
3. Try Some, Buy Some (4:08), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
4. Oh My My (4:16), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
5. Out the Blue (3:22), taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
6. Little Lamb Dragonfly (6:20), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
Total running time: 26:09




Single "Photograph" (released June 1973, #1US #4UK):
- A-side: Photograph (3:56), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
- B-side: One More Kiss (2:28), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"




Single "Live and Let Die" (released August 1973, #2US #7UK):
- A-side: Live and Let Die (3:12), taken from George Martin's "Live and Let Die"
- B-side: Six O'Clock (4:06), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"




Single "Band on the Run" (released December 1973, #1US #3UK):
- A-side: Band on the Run (5:09), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
- B-side: Helen Wheels (3:44), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run (Bonus Tracks)"




Single "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" (released January 1974, #1US #24UK):
- A-side: Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (3:27), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
- B-side: Snookeroo (3:27), taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"




LP "BAND ON THE RUN" (released January 1974, #1US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. Band on the Run (5:09), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
2. Jet (4:08), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
3. Going Down on Love (3:56), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
4. Dark Horse (3:55), taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"
5. (It’s All Da-Da Down to) Goodnight Vienna (2:34), taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"
6. #9 Dream (4:47), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
Total running time: 24:29

Side 2:
1. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (3:27), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
2. Bluebird (3:21), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
3. No No Song (2:34), taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"
4. Mrs. Vanderbilt (4:37), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
5. Let Me Roll It (4:47), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
6. So Sad (5:02), taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"
Total running time: 23:48




Single "#9 Dream" (released April 1974, #9US #23UK):
- A-side: #9 Dream (4:47), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
- B-side: Beatles on Tour (Express) (4:43), taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"




Single "You're Sixteen" (released December 1974, #1US #4UK):
- A-side: You're Sixteen (2:46), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
- B-side: Move Over Ms. L (2:56), taken from John Lennon's "Signature Box"




LP "ROCK 'N' ROLL" (released February 1975, #6US #6UK):

Side 1:
1. Be-Bop-A-Lula (2:40), taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
2. Twenty Flight Rock (3:04), taken from Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP"
3. You're Sixteen (2:46), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
4. You Can't Catch Me (4:51), taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
5. I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday (4:13), taken from Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP"
6. Slippin' and Slidin' (2:17), taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
7. Bye Bye Love (4:09), taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"
Total running time: 24:00

Side 2:
1. Stand by Me (3:27), taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
2. Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy (1:34), taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
3. Ain't That a Shame (3:42), taken from Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP"
4. Medley: Bring It On Home to Me/Send Me Some Lovin' (3:42), taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
5. Crackin' Up (3:54), taken from Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP"
6. Just Because (3:34), taken from Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP"
7. Peggy Sue (2:05), taken from John Lennon's "Rock 'n' Roll"
8. Only You (And You Alone) (3:27), taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"
Total running time: 25:25




2-LP "ROCK 'N' ROLL MUSIC" (released June 1976, #2US #10UK):

Side 1:
1. Twist and Shout (2:32)
2. I Saw Her Standing There (2:50)
3. You Can't Do That (2:33)
4. I Wanna Be Your Man (1:59)
5. Long Tall Sally (2:00)
6. Bad Boy (2:17)
7. Roll Over Beethoven (2:44)
Total running time: 16:55

Side 2:
1. Rock and Roll Music (3:32)
2. Slow Down (2:54)
3. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby (2:24)
4. Dizzy Miss Lizzy (2:51)
5. Drive My Car (2:25)
6. I'm Down (2:30)
7. Revolution (3:21)
Total running time: 19:57

Side 3:
1. Back in the USSR (2:45)
2. Helter Skelter (4:30)
3. Taxman (2:36)
4. Got to Get You into My Life (2:31)
5. Hey Bulldog (3:09)
6. Birthday (2:40)
7. Get Back (3:09)
Total running time: 21:20

Side 4:
1. I Found Out (3:36), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
2. New York City (4:31), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
3. Hi Hi Hi (3:08), taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
4. Tight A$ (3:37), taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
5. Helen Wheels (3:44), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run (Bonus Tracks)"
6. You're Sixteen (2:46), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
7. Move Over Ms. L (2:56), taken from John Lennon's "Signature Box"




2-LP "LOVE SONGS" (released October 1977, #24US #12UK):

Side 1:
1. Yesterday (2:04)
2. I'll Follow the Sun (1:48)
3. Oh My Love (2:50), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
4. Girl (2:26)
5. In My Life (2:23)
6. I'd Have You Anytime (2:54), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
7. Here There and Everywhere (2:22)
Total running time: 16:47

Side 2:
1. Something (3:00)
2. And I Love Her (2:28)
3. I Need You (2:27)
4. My Love (4:07), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
5. If I Fell (2:18)
6. Yes It Is (2:38)
7. Love (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
Total running time: 20:19

Side 3:
1. Michelle (2:40)
2. It's Only Love (1:55)
3. Out the Blue (3:22), taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
4. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:38), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
5. Bluebird (3:21), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
6. For No One (1:59)
7. She's Leaving Home (3:35)
Total running time: 20:30

Side 4:
1. The Long and Winding Road (3:37)
2. Photograph (3:56), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
3. Jealous Guy (4:14, taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
4. This Boy (2:12)
5. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Had Flown) (2:02)
6. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (2:07)
7. I Will (1:46)
Total running time: 19:54




Single "(Just Like) Starting Over" (released August 1980, #1US #1UK):
- A-side: (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
- B-side: Love Comes to Everyone (4:36), taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"




LP "QUADRUPLE FANTASY" (released September 1980, #1US #1UK):

Side A:
1. (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
2. Not Guilty (3:31), taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
3. Temporary Secretary (3:14), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
4. Private Property (2:45), taken from Ringo Starr's "Stop and Smell the Roses"
5. I'm Losing You (3:57), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
6. Blow Away (4:02), taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
Total running time: 21:25

Side B:
1. Coming Up (3:52), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
2. Watching the Wheels (3:30), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
3. Wrack My Brain (2:19), taken from Ringo Starr's "Stop and Smell the Roses"
4. Faster (4:26), taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
5. Woman (3:31), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
6. Waterfalls (4:42), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
Total running time: 22:20




Single "Coming Up" (released October 1980, #1US #2UK):
- A-side: Coming Up (3:52), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
- B-side: Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (4:01), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"




Single "Woman" (released January 1981, #2US #1UK):
- A-side: Woman (3:31), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
- B-side: One of These Days (3:34), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"




Single "All Those Years Ago" (released May 1981, #2US #6UK):
- A-side: All Those Years Ago (3:44), taken from George Harrison's "Somewhere in England"
- B-side: Here Today (2:27), taken from Paul McCartney's "Tug of War"




2LP "1970-1981" a.k.a. "GREEN ALBUM" (released May 1981, #1US #1UK):

Side 1:
1. My Sweet Lord (4:39), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
2. Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
3. Love (3:24), taken from John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band"
4. Maybe I'm Amazed (3:50), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney"
5. Another Day (3:44), taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
6. What Is Life (4:22), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
7. Imagine (3:02), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
Total running time: 26:22

Side 2:
1. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (4:49), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
2. Jealous Guy (4:14), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
3. It Don't Come Easy (3:00), taken from Ringo Starr's "Blast From Your Past"
4. Power to the People (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
5. Give Ireland Back to the Irish (3:43), taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"
6. Hi Hi Hi (3:08), taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
7. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
Total running time: 25:36

Side 3:
1. My Love (4:07), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:36), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
3. Photograph (3:56), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
4. Live and Let Die (3:12), taken from George Martin's "Live and Let Die"
5. Band on the Run (5:09), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
6. Jet (4:08), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
7. #9 Dream (4:47), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
Total running time: 28:55

Side 4:
1. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (3:27), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
2. You're Sixteen (2:46), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
3. (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
4. Blow Away (4:02), taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
5. Coming Up (3:52), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
6. Woman (3:31), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
7. All Those Years Ago (3:44), taken from George Harrison's "Somewhere in England"
Total running time: 25:18




Single "Nobody Told Me" (released January 1984, #5US #6UK):
- A-side: Nobody Told Me (3:34), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Milk & Honey"
- B-side: Borrowed Time (4:29), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Milk & Honey"




2-LP "MILK & HONEY: THE BEATLES RARITIES" (released January 1984, #11US #3UK):

Side 1:
1. I'm Stepping Out (4:06), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Milk & Honey"
2. Across the Universe (3:50)
3. The Inner Light (2:36)
4. She's a Woman (3:03)
5. Nobody Told Me (3:34), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Milk & Honey"
6. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (4:21)
7. Sie Liebt Dich (2:18)
Total running time: 23:48

Side 2:
1. Borrowed Time (4:29), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Milk & Honey"
2. The Back Seat of My Car (4:26), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
3. Snookeroo (3:27), taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"
4. I'm Down (2:33)
5. Bad Boy (2:21)
6. Rain (2:59)
7. I'll Get You (2:05)
8. Long Tall Sally (2:02)
Total running time: 24:22




CD "PAST MASTERS, VOLUME 1" (released March 1988, #149US #49UK):

1. Love Me Do (2:24)
2. From Me to You (1:58)
3. Thank You Girl (2:04)
4. She Loves You (2:21)
5. I'll Get You (2:06)
6. I Want to Hold Your Hand (2:27)
7. This Boy (2:16)
8. Komm Gib Mir Deine Hand (2:27)
9. Sie Liebt Dich (2:20)
10. Long Tall Sally (2:03)
11. I Call Your Name (2:09)
12. Slow Down (2:56)
13. Matchbox (1:59)
14. I Feel Fine (2:20)
15. She's a Woman (3:03)
16. Bad Boy (2:21)
17. Yes It Is (2:43)
18. I'm Down (2:32)
19. Day Tripper (2:50)
20. We Can Work It Out (2:16)
21. Paperback Writer (2:19)
22. Rain (3:02)
23. Lady Madonna (2:18)
24. The Inner Light (2:37)
Total running time: 57:51

CD "PAST MASTERS, VOLUME TWO" (1988)
1. Hey Jude (7:08)
2. Revolution (3:25)
3. Get Back (3:15)
4. Don't Let Me Down (3:35)
5. The Ballad of John and Yoko (3:00)
6. Old Brown Shoe (3:18)
7. Across the Universe (3:49)
8. Let It Be (3:51)
9. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (4:19)
10. Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
11. Another Day (3:44), taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
12. The Back Seat of My Car (4:26), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
13. Bangla-Desh (3:57), taken from George Harrison's "The Best of George Harrison"
14. Power to the People (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
15. Oh My Love (2:50), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
16. The Luck of the Irish (2:56), taken from John Lennon & Yoko Ono's "Some Time in New York City"
Total running time: 60:46

CD "PAST MASTERS, VOLUME THREE" (1988)

1. Happy Xmas (War Is Over) (3:21), taken from John Lennon's "Shaved Fish"
2. Mary Had a Little Lamb (2:50), taken from Wings' "Wild Life (Bonus Tracks)"
3. Sue Me, Sue You Blues (4:49), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
4. Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple) (4:12), taken from John Lennon's "Mind Games"
5. One More Kiss (2:28), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
6. Live and Let Die (3:12), taken from George Martin's "Live and Let Die"
7. Six O'Clock (4:06), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
8. Helen Wheels (3:44), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run (Bonus Tracks)"
9. Snookeroo (3:27), taken from Ringo Starr's "Goodnight Vienna"
10. Beatles on Tour (Express) (4:43), taken from George Harrison's "Dark Horse"
11. Move Over Ms. L (2:56), taken from John Lennon's "Signature Box"
12. Love Comes to Everyone (4:36), taken from George Harrison's "George Harrison"
13. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (4:01), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
14. One of These Days (3:34), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
15. All Those Years Ago (3:44), taken from George Harrison's "Somewhere in England"
16. Here Today (2:27), taken from Paul McCartney's "Tug of War"
Total running time: 58:10




2 CD "LIVE AT THE BBC" (released November 1994, #3US #2UK):

CD 1:
1. Beatle Greetings (0:14)
2. From Us to You (0:27)
3. Riding on a Bus (0:54)
4. I Got a Woman (2:48)
5. Too Much Monkey Business (2:06)
6. Keep Your Hands Off My Baby (2:30)
7. I'll Be on My Way (1:58)
8. Young Blood (1:57)
9. A Shot of Rhythm and Blues (2:15)
10. Sure to Fall (In Love With You) (2:08)
11. Some Other Guy (2:01)
12. Thank You Girl (2:01)
13. Sha La La La La! (0:28)
14. Baby It's You (2:44)
15. That's All Right (Mama) (2:54)
16. Carol (2:35)
17. Soldier of Love (2:00)
18. A Little Rhyme (0:26)
19. Clarabella (2:39)
20. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You) (2:01)
21. Crying, Waiting, Hoping (2:09)
22. Dear Wack! (0:42)
23. You Really Got a Hold on Me (2:37)
24. To Know Her Is to Love Her (2:49)
25. A Taste of Honey (1:57)
26. Long Tall Sally (1:53)
27. I Saw Her Standing There (2:32)
28. The Honeymoon Song (1:39)
29. Johnny B Goode (2:51)
30. Memphis, Tennessee (2:13)
31. Lucille (1:49)
32. Can't Buy Me Love (2:06)
33. From Fluff to You (0:28)
34. 'Till There Was You (2:13)
Total running time: 65:02

CD 2:
1. Crinsk Dee Night (1:04)
2. A Hard Day's Night (2:24)
3. Have a Banana! (0:21)
4. I Wanna Be Your Man (2:09)
5. Just a Rumour (0:20)
6. Roll Over Beethoven (2:16)
7. All My Loving (2:04)
8. Things We Said Today (2:18)
9. She's a Woman (3:15)
10. Sweet Little Sixteen (2:20)
11. 1822! (0:10)
12. Lonesome Tears in My Eyes (2:36)
13. Nothin' Shakin' (2:59)
14. The Hippy Hippy Shake (1:49)
15. Glad All Over (1:51)
16. I Just Don't Understand (2:46)
17. So How Come (No One Loves Me) (1:53)
18. I Feel Fine (2:13)
19. I'm a Loser (2:32)
20. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby (2:21)
21. Rock and Roll Music (2:01)
22. Ticket to Ride (2:56)
23. Dizzy Miss Lizzy (2:42)
24. Kansas City / Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey! (2:37)
25. Set Fire to That Lot (0:27)
26. Matchbox (1:57)
27. I Forgot to Remember to Forget (2:09)
28. Love These Goon Shows! (0:26)
29. I Got to Find My Baby (1:55)
30. Ooh! My Soul! (1:36)
31. Ooh! My Arms! (0:35)
32. Don't Ever Change (2:02)
33. Slow Down (2:36)
34. Honey Don't (2:11)
35. Love Me Do (2:29)
Total running time: 68:20




2 CD "ANTHOLOGY 1" (released November 1995, #1US #2UK):

CD 1:
1. Free As a Bird (4:25)
2. Speech: John Lennon (0:12)
3. That'll Be the Day (2:08)
4. In Spite of All the Danger (2:45)
5. Speech: Paul McCartney (0:18)
6. Hallelujah, I Love Her So (1:13)
7. You'll Be Mine (1:39)
8. Cayenne (1:14)
9. Speech: Paul (0:07)
10. My Bonnie (2:42)
11. Ain't She Sweet (2:13)
12. Cry for a Shadow (2:22)
13. Speech: John (0:10)
14. Speech: Brian Epstein (0:18)
15. Searchin' (3:00)
16. Three Cool Cats (2:25)
17. The Sheik of Araby (1:43)
18. Like Dreamers Do (2:36)
19. Hello Little Girl (1:40)
20. Speech: Brian Epstein (0:32)
21. Bésame Mucho (2:37)
22. Love Me Do (2:32)
23. How Do You Do It (1:57)
24. Please Please Me (1:59)
25. One After 909 (2:56)
26. Speech: John (0:12)
27. I Saw Her Standing There (2:49)
28. From Me to You (2:05)
29. Money (That's What I Want) (2:52)
30. She Loves You (2:50)
31. Till There Was You (2:54)
32. Twist and Shout (3:05)
Total running time: 62:30

CD 2:
1. I Want to Hold Your Hand (2:37)
2. Speech: Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise (2:06)
3. Moonlight Bay (0:50)
4. Can't Buy Me Love (2:10)
5. All My Loving (2:19)
6. And I Love Her (1:52)
7. A Hard Day's Night (2:44)
8. I Wanna Be Your Man (1:48)
9. Long Tall Sally (1:45)
10. Shout (1:31)
11. I'll Be Back (Take 2) (1:13)
12. I'll Be Back (Take 3) (1:58)
13. You Know What to Do (1:59)
14. No Reply (1:46)
15. Leave My Kitten Alone (2:57)
16. Eight Days a Week (Sequence) (1:25)
17. Eight Days a Week (Complete) (2:48)
18. Yes It Is (1:50)
19. I'm Down (2:53)
20. If You've Got Trouble (2:48)
21. That Means a Lot (2:27)
22. Yesterday (2:34)
23. I Feel Fine (2:16)
24. Yesterday (2:43)
25. Help! (2:55)
26. Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby (2:45)
27. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (1:59)
28. 12-Bar Original (2:55)
Total running time: 61:53




Single "Free As a Bird" (released December 1995, #6US #2UK):
- A-side: Free As a Bird (4:26)
- B-side: Christmas Time (Is Here Again) (3:02)




Single "Real Love" (released March 1996, #11US #4UK):
- A-side: Real Love (3:54)
- B-side: Baby's in Black (3:03)




2 CD "ANTHOLOGY 2" (released March 1996, #1US #1UK):

CD 1:
1. Real Love (3:54)
2. Tomorrow Never Knows (3:14)
3. Got to Get You into My Life (2:54)
4. Taxman (2:32)
5. Eleanor Rigby (Strings Only) (2:06)
6. I'm Only Sleeping (Rehearsal) (0:40)
7. I'm Only Sleeping (Take 1) (2:59)
8. She's a Woman (2:55)
9. Strawberry Fields Forever (Demo Sequence) (1:42)
10. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 1) (2:35)
11. Strawberry Fields Forever (Take 7 & Edit Piece) (4:14)
12. Penny Lane (3:13)
13. A Day in the Life (5:05)
14. Good Morning Good Morning (2:40)
15. Only a Northern Song (2:44)
15. Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite (Takes 1 & 2) (1:05)
16. Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite (Take 7) (2:34)
17. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (3:06)
18. Within You Without You (Instrumental) (5:27)
19. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) (5:43)
Total running time: 61:22

CD 2:
1. I Am the Walrus (4:02)
2. The Fool on the Hill (Demo) (2:48)
3. The Fool on the Hill (Take 4) (3:45)
4. Hello, Goodbye (3:18)
5. Lady Madonna (2:22)
6. Across the Universe (3:29)
7. Happiness Is a Warm Gun (2:15)
8. Mean Mr. Mustard (1:58)
9. Polythene Pam (1:26)
10. Junk (2:25)
11. Piggies (2:01)
12. Honey Pie (1:19)
13. Helter Skelter (4:38)
14. Don't Pass Me By (2:42)
15. Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da (2:56)
16. Good Night (2:38)
17. Cry Baby Cry (2:47)
18. Sexy Sadie (4:06)
19. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (3:27)
20. Hey Jude (4:21)
21. Not Guilty (3:22)
22. Mother Nature's Son (3:17)
Total running time: 65:22




"ANTHOLOGY 3" (1996) (released October 1996, #1US #4UK):

CD 1:
1. A Beginning (0:50)
2. Glass Onion (2:08)
3. What's the New Mary Jane? (6:12)
4. Step Inside Love / Los Paranoias (2:30)
5. Why Don't We Do It on the Road (2:15)
6. Julia (1:57)
7. I've Got a Feeling (2:49)
8. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window (3:37)
9. For You Blue (2:23)
10. Teddy Boy (3:18)
11. Medley: Rip It Up / Shake Rattle and Roll / Blue Suede Shoes (3:10)
12. The Long and Winding Road (3:41)
13. Oh! Darling (4:08)
14. All Things Must Pass (3:05)
15. Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues (1:56)
16. Get Back (3:09)
17. Old Brown Shoe (3:03)
18. Octopus's Garden (2:49)
19. Something (3:19)
20. Come Together (3:40)
21. Come and Get it (2:30)
22. Ain't She Sweet (2:09)
23. Because (2:24)
24. I Me Mine (1:48)
25. The End (2:51)
Total running time: 71:41

CD 2:
1. Working Class Hero (4:19), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
2. My Sweet Lord (3:33), taken from George Harrison's "Early Takes: Volume 1"
3. God (3:32), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
4. Behind That Locked Door (3:29), taken from George Harrison's "Early Takes: Volume 1"
5. Suicide (2:48), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney (2011 Remaster)"
6. I Live for You (3:35), taken from George Harrison's "All Things Must Pass (2011 Remaster)"
7. Mind Games (I Promise) (1:01), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
8. Mind Games (Make Love, Not War) (1:14), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
9. Rode All Night (8:44), taken from Paul McCartney's "Ram (2012 Remaster)"
10. Hey Diddle (3:49), taken from Paul McCartney's "Ram (2012 Remaster)"
11. Imagine (Take 1) (3:20), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
12. Tragedy (3:19), taken from Paul McCartney's bootleg album "Hot Hits Cold Cuts"
13. Mama's Little Girl (3:41), taken from Wings' "Wild Life (1993 Remaster)"
14. Rock and Roll People (4:21), taken from John Lennon's "Menlove Ave."
15. The Light That Has Lighted the World (2:23), taken from George Harrison's "Early Takes: Volume 1"
16. Nobody Loves You When You're Down and Out (5:02), taken from John Lennon's "Wonsaponatime"
17. Soily (3:57), taken from Paul McCartney and Wings' "Band on the Run (2010 Remaster)"
18. Be My Baby (4:32), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
19. Watching the Wheels (3:04), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
20. Grow Old With Me (3:18), taken from John Lennon's "Anthology"
Total running time: 73:01




"1" (2000) (released November 2000, #1US #1UK):

CD 1:
1. Love Me Do (2:20)
2. From Me to You (1:56)
3. She Loves You (2:21)
4. I Want to Hold Your Hand (2:24)
5. Can't Buy Me Love (2:11)
6. A Hard Day's Night (2:33)
7. I Feel Fine (2:18)
8. Eight Days a Week (2:44)
9. Ticket to Ride (3:10)
10. Help! (2:18)
11. Yesterday (2:05)
12. Day Tripper (2:48)
13. We Can Work It Out (2:15)
14. Paperback Writer (2:18)
15. Yellow Submarine (2:38)
16. Eleanor Rigby (2:06)
17. Penny Lane (2:59)
18. All You Need Is Love (3:47)
19. Hello, Goodbye (3:27)
20. Lady Madonna (2:16)
21. Hey Jude (7:04)
22. Get Back (3:12)
23. The Ballad of John and Yoko (2:59)
Total running time: 64:09

CD 2:
1. Something (3:01)
2. Come Together (4:18)
3. Let It Be (3:50)
4. The Long and Winding Road (3:37)
5. My Sweet Lord (4:37), taken from George Harrison's "All Thing Must Pass"
6. Another Day (3:44), taken from Wings' "Wings Greatest"
7. Imagine (3:02), taken from John Lennon's "Imagine"
8. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (4:54), taken from Paul & Linda McCartney's "Ram"
9. My Love (4:07), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Red Rose Speedway"
10. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (3:38), taken from George Harrison's "Living in the Material World"
11. Photograph (3:56), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
12. Band on the Run (5:09), taken from Paul McCartney & Wings' "Band on the Run"
13. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night (3:27), taken from John Lennon's "Walls and Bridges"
14. You're Sixteen (2:46), taken from Ringo Starr's "Ringo"
15. (Just Like) Starting Over (3:56), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
16. Coming Up (3:52), taken from Paul McCartney's "McCartney II"
17. Woman (3:31), taken from John Lennon and Yoko Ono's "Double Fantasy"
Total running time: 65:25




"LOVE" (2006) (released November 2006, #4US #3UK):

1. Because (2:44)
2. Get Back (2:05)
3. Glass Onion (1:20)
4. Eleanor Rigby/Julia (Transition) (3:05)
5. I Am the Walrus (4:28)
6. I Want to Hold Your Hand (1:22)
7. Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing (1:54)
8. Gnik Nus (0:55)
9. Something/Blue Jay Way (Transition) (3:29)
10. Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite!/I Want You (She's So Heavy)/Helter Skelter (3:22)
11. Live and Let Die (3:26), taken from Twin Freaks' "Twin Freaks"
13. Strawberry Fields Forever (4:31)
14. Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows (3:17)
15. Octopus's Garden/Sun King (Transition) (3:18)
16. Lady Madonna (2:56)
17. Imagine the Band (2:09), taken from Go Home Productions' "Bones: A Collection Of GHP Snacks 2008-2012"
18. Here Comes the Sun/The Inner Light (Transition) (4:18)
19. Come Together/Dear Prudence/Cry Baby Cry (Transition) (4:45)
20. Maybe I'm Amazed (6:12), taken from Twin Freaks' "Twin Freaks"
21. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (3:46)
22. Junk (2:49), taken from Paul McCartney's "Working Classical"
23. A Day in the Life (5:08)
24. Hey Jude (3:58)
25. Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) (1:22)
26. All You Need Is Love (3:39)
Total running time: 79:18

[Rocky Raccoon]

Gracias. Hopefully it wasn't too much extra work.

[Honorio]

Gracias. Hopefully it wasn't too much extra work.

Absolutely not. It was a pleasure.

[Henrik]

Great work, Honorio! Another wonderful thread from you.

[Honorio]

Thanks a lot, Henrik!!

[Romain]

I agree with Henrik Honorio. This thread is wonderful and so interesting. Very great job.

[Honorio]

Many thanks, Romain!

[Pierre]

I'll add once again my voice to the praises. Wonderful topic, fantastic presentation, deep knowledge and imaginative adaptation of the Beatles history. One of the most interesting work on the Beatles I've read so far. Thanks, Honorio!

[Miguel]

Thank you very much for your work, Honorio. And when I have time, I'll try to follow your recommendation: to put in a CD or playlist these false Beatles albums.

[Honorio]

Sorry for the delay, I've been out (for professional reasons) the last few days. Many thanks Pierre and Miguel for your kind words. I'm glad you liked the story and I hope you like the playlists.

[Live in Phoenix]

Thanks for all your work here, Honorio. I once compiled an "extra" Beatles CD out of Get Back songs that made it onto to their solo albums, though of course I didn't put in nearly as much into it all as you did here. Glad to know I wasn't the only one obsessed with the Beatles continuing on!

[Honorio]

Thanks a lot, Live in Phoenix. Yes, I suppose we're not the only ones obsessed with this what-could-have-been. This CD you compiled sound interesting. Let me try myself (alphabetical order):
- All Things Must Pass
- Another Day
- The Back Seat of My Car
- Child of Nature (Jealous Guy)
- Every Night
- Gimme Some Truth
- Hear Me Lord
- Hot as Sun
- Isn’t It a Pity
- Junk
- Let It Down
- Teddy Boy
- Well, Well, Well

[Live in Phoenix]

A lot of those made it; I should have flown in some stuff from Anthology 3, but I ended up going to Anthology 2 for some reason (I did sort of need "If You've Got Trouble," so I could give Ringo a number).

It went: Isn't It a Pity / Gimme Some Truth / Hot as Sun / 12-Bar Original from Anthology 2 / If You've Got Trouble / Hear Me Lord / Jealous Guy / Let It Down / Every Night. (Anthology 1 ended up being used by me to create another fake release, by the "Silver Beatles.")

[Rob]

I agree that this is a great read. It would be great to hear those solo songs be given the Beatles treatment, but we can only dream. Personally I think that even the more acclaimed solo albums of the ex-Beatles tend to be somewhat uneven and these fake albums seem to make them more even.

Coincidentally, in two weeks a band is going to play Abbey Road in full at a local theater and follow this up with an extra program about what if the Beatles would have stayed together. I don't know how this will play out exactly, but I might go, especially after being stimulated by this topic.

[jamieW]

Amazing work, Honorio, all the way through the complete discography, which really demonstrates the incredible amount of music these four talented musicians were responsible for. After reading each segment of the story as you released them, I looked forward to an evening when I'd have time to read the story through again from beginning to end, and tonight I had that privilege. It truly fits together so remarkably well that it's easy to imagine it actually happened this way. Thanks so much for sharing this with us: the best tribute to the Beatles that I've ever read!

[Honorio]

Sorry boys for the late reply, I've been out on holidays for some days (visting the wonderful city of Donosti in the Basque Country). Many thanks for your kind words.
Rob, I agree, we will never know how could these song have sounded with the other Beatles input and I agree that the fake albums could be more even than the (quite uneven) original solo albums, except obviously the false "All Things Must Pass" that suffered from irreconcilable differences (the "God" vs. "My Sweet Lord" affair that was already mentioned). And Rob, if you finally go to this show please let me know which songs were played by the tribute band. By the way, in which city will this event take place?
And JamieW, many many many thanks for your kind words. I'm really glad that you liked it that much. I was thinking about entering some Beatles fan Forums and post there the link (for instance, Beatles Bible Forum) to see the reactions of the hardcore Beatles fans. But I'm slightly afraid of attracting some Beatles fans to the Acclaimed Music Forum. We had some of them in the past and they were absolutely narrow-minded and intolerant. Many Beatles fans tend to think that there was nothing before and after The Beatles. And I think (even as you can guess I'm also a big fan) that this is a far cry from the truth.

[Rob]

.
And Rob, if you finally go to this show please let me know which songs were played by the tribute band. By the way, in which city will this event take place?

I will keep you posted if I go, but it's a bit on a wrong day for me, so I hope I can make it and still get tickets. It's in a small city called Boxmeer in The Netherlands, but it tours the country, although this is one one of their last dates. The tribute band is called Her Majesty.

[Rob]

And Rob, if you finally go to this show please let me know which songs were played by the tribute band.

I did end up going. It was a very good show, played by a very talented band who really where able to honor the sound of The Beatles. There wasn't a note out of place and the guy who did the singing of Paul McCartney was particularly outstanding (Maybe I'm Amazed was truly elevating), while the guy who did most of the lead guitar work really knew how to rock, making I Want You (She's So Heavy) my favorite performance of the night. All four of them had assigned a specific voice of one of The Beatles, even if they didn't necessarily play the same instrument. It was very well done.

About the second part, the fictional solo album, that was interesting. They limited themselves to the years 1970 and 1971. Also the length would be about the same as Abbey Road, so no double album ambitions here. Why some famous songs where omitted wasn't really explained except that they thought that some of Lennon's more overt politically songs would be vetoed out by other members, especially McCartney. Only Imagine would be left in, because it was universal enough, but no Working Class Hero for example.

With the exception of Instant Karma they did talk about each song a bit, a short introduction about it's background, but really why this song was in and another not isn't necessarily clear. It doesn't really matter to me, because they where performing a concert, not a lecture. The only thing of note, besides the lack of political songs, is that they actually included the songs in which the Fab Four dissed each other (Wah-Wah, Too Many People and How Do You Sleep?), because the band thought the quartet could appreciate the humor of it. Interestingly, they played it not as three songs, but as a medley, Abbey Road-style. It worked surprisingly well.

On top of my head, this was how their fictional album (titled Imagine; though they based their album cover on All Things Must Pass) looked like:

1. Instant Karma (We All Shine On) (Lennon)
2. Isn't It a Pity (Harrison)
3. Maybe I'm Amazed (McCartney)
4. Isolation (Lennon)
5. It Don't Come Easy (Starr, though written by Harrison)
Medley:
6. Wah-Wah (Harrison)
7. Too Many People (McCartney)
8. How Do You Sleep? (Lennon)
9. Imagine (Lennon)
10. The Back Seat of My Car (McCartney)
11. Song by the band*
12. Love (Lennon)

* This is, like it says, a song written by the cover band, inspired by The Beatles. I forgot the title. It was an okay song, but a bit lost in between all the real gems.

The placing could be a bit off, I do it off the top of my head as I can't find a set list online. But this should be somewhat all right.

So a lot of Lennon and little Harrison and Starr. Surprisingly no My Sweet Lord and sadly personal favorite Jealous Guy was left off. Make of it what you will.

Performance-wise it was very interesting as they really took the effort to make it sound like Beatles-songs, produced by George Martin (especially noticeable by songs originally produced by Phil Spector). It did wonders for Imagine, a song I always only liked up til a point, because of it's saccharine production and over-earnest, high-pitched singing of Lennon. Now we got a more stripped back affair that worked wonders, at least to me.

[Honorio]

Many thanks Rob for this excellent concert review. It sounded really good and, if they ever come to Spain, I will surely go to see them playing live. In fact I found some yout tube videos of them including a fabulous medley with the "controversial songs." Enjoy…

Her Majesty – Wah Wah / Too Many People / How Do You Sleep

You can even see the complete concert (from a previous date in December of 2013) here

[Brad]

bumped because this is one of the best threads ever.

[Honorio]

Hey, thanks, Brad!