Way back in 2010, I posted here about a fun creative venture I had undertaken years earlier. After extensive research, I pulled songs from the earliest solo albums by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—songs that I knew had originally been written for and workshopped by the Beatles, or that could have worked really well as Beatles songs, and put them together as an album-length compilation.
The end result, Odds and Ends, was, I felt, a fair approximation of what the next Beatles album would have sounded like had the band stayed together past September 1969 and recorded another LP after Abbey Road.
In the alternate reality I envisioned, Odds and Ends would have been recorded sometime after the May 1970 release of the Let it Be album, and released in either late 1970 or early-to-mid 1971.
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| The album cover that I put together for Odds and Ends |
Eventually I put together a follow-up compilation, one for which I loosened up my rules a little bit. Instead of considering only what WOULD have probably ended up on a Beatles album, I decided to consider would COULD have been on a Beatles album. This meant I would consider songs that, even if they were definitely written after the breakup, had that certain Beatles quality to them, and you could, er, imagine them being recorded and performed by the group.
Appropriately enough, I titled this second compilation Imagine The Beatles. In my alternate reality, this would have come out in late 1971 or early 1972.
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| I actually found this image on the Internet—perfect for the cover of the compilation I put together! |
I should note that my piece about Odds and Ends and Imagine the Beatles, titled "Reuniting the Beatles (On CD)," remains the most-viewed post I've ever written for this blog.
I'm revisiting the topic now for a couple of reasons. First, I've since revised the track lists for both albums, as you'll see below.
But more importantly, I have finally put together a third compilation, one that completes an unplanned trilogy of post-breakup "Beatles" albums.
And this third one may be the best one of all.
It is certainly, in my opinion, the most cohesive one. In compiling the songs, I followed the same criteria that I used for Imagine the Beatles—and I found that I could create something of a concept album, one in which most of the songs touch upon the same themes, actually reflect each other, and even form a loose narrative.
I call this new compilation Piece of Love, because most of the songs are about love in its various forms, and also as a wink, nod, and tip of the hat to Ringo's favorite catch phrase over the last bunch of years. I envision this album coming out in 1972 or 1973.
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| The cover I put together for Piece of Love — no band name or title on the front, in the tradition of Abbey Road. |
I recently had the privilege and the pleasure of discussing these compilations with podcast host Robert Rodriguez on his absolutely wonderful show, Something About the Beatles, and the episode is now available for listening and downloading.
I hope you'll check it out!
In the meantime, here are the "liner notes" for the three albums I put together, with my explanations for why I chose each song.
ODDS AND ENDS
01 What is Life (George)
This catchy number is one of George's best songs and John and Paul would have been crazy to exclude it. I saw this as a great album opener, much like George's "Taxman" was for 1966's Revolver. In fact, in sequencing the songs for Odds and Ends, I looked to Revolver as my main source of inspiration.
02 Maybe I'm Amazed (Paul)
Definitely something that would have fit perfectly on a Beatles album. Linda was the sole source of inspiration, so it's highly conceivable that Paul would have written and recorded this song as a Beatle, had the band stayed together.
03 Jealous Guy (John)
Originally written in 1968 as "Child of Nature," John eventually rewrote all of the lyrics. This absolutely would have worked as a Beatles song. Some have suggested that the revised lyrics function as a message to Paul. McCartney himself once said as much in an interview.
04 It Don't Come Easy (Ringo)
With Ringo having written "Don't Pass Me By" for The Beatles (The White Album) and "Octopus's Garden" for Abbey Road, I figure by this point it would be standard operating procedure for a Beatles album to include at least one of his original compositions. (Though he did miss out on Let it Be.) Plus, George helped write this song, produced it, played on it, and even recorded a guide vocal for it.
05 Junk (Paul)
Paul created the demo for this song in 1968, in preparation for The White Album.
06 Well Well Well (John)
Possibly written after the band broke up, but regardless, I kind of see this song as filling the role that "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" had on Abbey Road—it's a swampy, extended performance led by John that repeats itself over and over and abruptly wraps up side one of the album. (I imagine that Paul would have had a really good time recording it, had he gotten the opportunity.)
07 Another Day (Paul)
Paul can be heard working on this song during the Let It Be sessions.
08 Oh My Love (John)
John wrote this in 1968 following the sessions for The White Album.
9 Teddy Boy (Paul)
This song was submitted by Paul during the Let it Be sessions, and the group rehearsed it during that period, with John turning it into a square-dance number as it went on.
10 Art of Dying (George)
George began writing this song in 1966 and had finished it by mid-1970, so it's reasonable to think that it might have eventually landed on a Beatles album had the band stayed together.
11 Give Me Some Truth (John)
The Beatles can be heard working on this song during the Let It Be sessions, with John and Paul singing it together. John later rewrote most of the lyrics when he recorded it proper for the Imagine album.
12 Every Night (Paul)
Paul can be heard working on this song at the piano during the sessions for Let It Be.
13 Love (John)
Possibly written after the band broke up, but this definitely would have fit perfectly on a Beatles album.
14 All Things Must Pass (George)
In the tradition of Revolver, George gets a third song on a single Beatles LP! I envision this as an acknowledgment of his superlative contributions to Abbey Road, namely "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun," with John and Paul agreeing—reluctantly, perhaps?—that George deserves to get more space on the albums going forward. (As you'll see, I stick to that notion on the next two compilations).
"All Things Must Pass" was actually rehearsed extensively by the Beatles during the Let It Be sessions, in many different takes and variations. Judging from the bootlegs, Paul was clearly interested in the song, and was more than willing to work with George to perfect it. John seemed to be a bit less enthusiastic about it. (In 2002, Paul performed a majestic version of “All Things Must Pass” at the Concert For George, and continued to perform it in 2004, during his European tour.)
So in addition to having three songs on this "album," George gets to both open and close it—a graduation of sorts, one that I'd like to think would have brought him the satisfaction and affirmation he had long been craving.
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IMAGINE THE BEATLES
01 Imagine (John)
It's a safe bet that this would have been on a Beatles album had they stayed together. Paul for one has expressed having liked this song.
02 Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (Paul)
This seems very much in keeping with the kind of productions that Paul had done on Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and especially side two of Abbey Road, along with the kind of whimsical lyrics he'd written for songs like “Yellow Submarine.” Plus, it's such a catchy song that even John couldn't help but sing it.
03 Let it Down (George)
In putting this collection together, I found that the screeching guitar at the end of "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" perfectly leads right into the powerful opening of this song, which George rehearsed with the Beatles during the Let it Be sessions. Paul seemed to enjoy playing it.
04 Back Off Boogaloo (Ringo)
Another Ringo song that George co-wrote, produced, and played on. There's been some speculation that the lyrics were meant to be an attack on Paul—supposedly Ringo wasn't particularly impressed with McCartney's solo work up to that point and took him to task for not living up to his potential. Ringo has always denied that it was aimed at Paul, so I give him the benefit of the doubt.
05 Look at Me (John)
John wrote this before the breakup, so it's reasonable to think that it might have ended up on a Beatles album had they stayed together.
06 That Would Be Something (Paul)
Paul may (or may not) have written this before the breakup. George said he thought it was "great" when the McCartney album first came out in 1970.
07 Wah Wah (George)
George wrote this in January 1969 right after he left the Beatles (temporarily, as it turned out) during the Let it Be sessions. This is another song that has been interpreted as a veiled attack on Paul, though it may well have been aimed at both McCartney and John Lennon. The opening guitar riff is somewhat reminiscent of "I've Got a Feeling," one of the songs the Beatles were working on during the time when George quit the group.
08 How? (John)
This was probably written after the breakup, but it's a fairly commercial sounding song from John that would fit in well on a Beatles album.
09 Eat at Home (Paul)
This is just a fun sounding McCartney song of the correct vintage. And it was reportedly John's favorite track on Ram.
10 Crippled Inside (John)
Despite the somewhat bleak lyrics, this is performed in an upbeat, rockabilly, commercial style that would have been well suited for the Beatles.
11 Isn't it a Pity (George)
This was written in 1966 and performed with the Beatles during the Let It Be sessions. Towards the end there's an obvious call-back to "Hey Jude," thus carrying on the tradition of the Beatles referencing their previous works in their songs. "Isn't it a Pity" COULD serve as the closing number for this album—it's got that epic quality to it that was also in "A Day in the Life." But there's a song that I feel functions as the perfect follow-up, and thus provides a stirring "encore"...
12 The Back Seat of My Car (Paul)
Paul can be heard working on this song at the piano during the Let It Be sessions. Apparently, when he played it for the other Beatles, they said that they liked its Beach Boys/Brian Wilson flavor. But they never got around to working on it extensively. It's one of McCartney's best, and would have been ideal for a Beatles album.
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PIECE OF LOVE
01 Mind Games (John)
The title track of John's Mind Games album, the vintage is certainly right. Plus, it's one of John's better songs from the period, and it sets the tone of this compilation right away, capturing the central theme with lyrics like "Love is the answer," "Peace on Earth," and "I want you to make love, not war." Those sentiments carry over to the next song, providing tight thematic continuity:
02 Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) (George)
The title says it all. Another one of George's best and most successful songs, and also right in line with the time period, since it comes from his second solo album, Living in the Material World.
03 My Love (Paul)
Again, this is the correct vintage, coming from the second Wings album, Red Rose Speedway. And the theme of love continues, though it now focuses on one person in particular instead of on a more global scale. (The song was a number-one hit for Wings in the U.S., so it presumably would have done just as well, if not better, for the Beatles—and, if nothing else, it would have given John another McCartney song to mock in the recording studio and to poke fun at in interviews.)
04 Photograph (Ringo)
Co-written by Ringo and George, this song is about a lost love, and the heartbreak that has resulted. It features the lyrics, "I thought I'd make it the day you went away, but I can't make it till you come home again to stay"—and that serves as the perfect set-up for the next song...
05 Some People Never Know (Paul)
As if in response to the lyrics above, Paul sings, "Like a fool I'm far away, every night I hope and pray, I'll be coming home to stay and it's so—some people never know." I've heard both songs countless times, but once I made that connection as I was putting together this compilation, I got goosebumps.
06 I Know (I Know) (John)
What better way to follow up a song titled "Some People Never Know" than with a song titled "I Know (I Know)"? This track, with an opening guitar riff that echoes the one from "I've Got a Feeling," also comes from John's Mind Games album, and some have speculated that it actually is a response to Paul's song, which had come out first, on Wings' debut album, Wild Life. Whatever the case, the central theme of the compilation carries through, with John singing, "Today, I love you more than yesterday, right now, I love you more right now."
07 Apple Scruffs (George)
This track comes from All Things Must Pass, so it's one of the older songs included here, but it works perfectly because it's George's expression of love and appreciation for the Apple Scruffs—a group of devoted Beatle fans who regularly waited outside the Apple Corps headquarters and the recording studios where the band members worked, hoping to see them and get a chance to interact with them in person.
08 It's So Hard (John)
The tone shifts somewhat here, with John singing about the struggles involved with going through life and love—though he acknowledges that it can be good.
09 Oh Woman, Oh Why (Paul)
Now the tone really shifts, with Paul singing about a relationship gone completely awry, with lyrics like, "Well I'm fed up with your lying cheating ways, but I get up every morning and every day; But I can't get by, my hands are tied, don't know why I ever wanted to try myself." Oh—and a gun is involved. Since most of Paul's songs in this collection are fairly soft and mellow, I wanted to give him at least one chance to show off his great "rocker" voice, the one he used so memorably in songs like "Oh! Darling" from Abbey Road and the 1965 B-side "I'm Down."
10 Tight A$ (John)
We shift away from anger and violence with this rockabilly-style song from John, the title of which is a tongue-in-cheek play on the term "tight ass." The lyrics are oozing with sexual innuendo.
11 Dont Let Me Wait Too Long (George)
We shift again, back to an expression of pure love, with this upbeat, incredibly catchy song, one of the real highlights from George's Living in the Material World album. There's been speculation that the lyrics are aimed at a woman, possibly George's then-wife Pattie, or at God, as a reflection of George's deep devotion to spirituality. Either way, the core sentiment is straightforward and fits perfectly with the overall theme of this compilation. The lyrics about being apart and yearning to be back together echo those in other songs like "My Love," "Photograph," and "Some People Never Know."
12 Tomorrow (Paul)
We conclude with an appreciation of the little things in our lives that get us through each day and the people we love most, and an expression of hope for a bright and happy future. Paul's plea, "Baby don't let me down tomorrow," is right in the same zone as the previous song's "I love you, baby, so don't let me wait too long," which creates a really nice connection between the two final tracks.
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So, will I do a fourth compilation? Not long ago, I didn't think I'd ever do a third! So... never say never.
© All text copyright Glenn Greenberg, 2021.
