Entertainment For Lively Minds
The EP the Beatles might have made?
There has been much talk since the break-up of the Beatles about possible track selections for a “would-be” 70s Fabs album drawn from solo albums. Mr Lennon himself even suggested, shortly after the split, that fans could go away and compile their own tapes if they missed the band that much!
Keeping things a bit more simple – would the massive care to nominate four songs, one by each member, for an imaginary post-Beatles EP. I think the main rule has to be that the selections all predate December 1980 though I think the selections should also be quite Beatley (so maybe best to avoid Temporary Secretary, good though it is)
Mine are
I’m The Greatest – Ringo Starr (because it has Harrison and Lennon and has a bit of a Sgt Pepper feel and its quite good by his standards)
You Gave Me the Answer – Paul McCartney & Wings (nice ditty from Venus and Mars which sounds a lot like Martha My Dear / Honey Pie)
Crackerbox Palace – George Harrison (the title alone sounds like a Beatles tune)
Number 9 Dream – John Lennon (captures the late Beatle spirit in much the same way as ELO – though I’m not sure the Fabs ever really sounded like this? Great tune though)
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Mine
John: Give Me Some Truth (George on guitar)
Paul: Live And Let Die (produced by George Martin)
George: What Is Life
Ringo: Photograph (co-written with George)
Spotify playlist
EP
'Ringo- 'Photograph'- easily his best single. Although strong competition from 'It Don't Come Easy' and 'You're Sixteen'.
Paul- 'Eat at Home'. You could really have anything off 'Ram'. Or 'Band on the Run'. Or 'Venus and Mars'. Or....
George- 'What Is Life?' His best solo song by miles. And I don't think he was sued for this either.
John- 'Whatever Gets You Thru The Night'. His solo career was quite possibly the least satisfying but this was great. Not sure if it's 'Beatly' enough to qualify though.
A game the whole family can play...
I actually occasionally create whole iPod playlists based on that Lennon assertion - here's my one for the imaginary December '73 Beatles album, "Band On The Run", made up of songs from that year's "Living In The Material World", "Ringo", "Red Rose Speedway", "Band On The Run" and "Mind Games" (a bit Macca-heavy, but what the hell...)
1. Band On The Run
2. Mind Games
3. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
4. Helen Wheels
5. Photograph
6. My Love
7. Jet
8. I’m the Greatest
9. Junior’s Farm
10. Let Me Roll It
11. Try Some Buy Some
12. I Know (I Know)
Not sure that John would have been happy with just the two songs
...but Mind Games was a weaker album than all of the others (even Ringo!).
Plus his contribution was waning towards the end of the Beatles (a combination of Macca’s increasing control, Harrison’s improving songwriting plus the fact that Lennon was largely strung out on skag!)
Stick the Nutopian National Anthem (also from Mind Games)
on there and John can have three credits.
Take Your PIck
1971
It Don't Come Easy
What Is Life?
Jealous Guy
Back Seat of My Car
1973
Band On The Run
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
Photograph
Out The Blue
1974/5
You
#9 Dream
Love In Song
Goodnight Vienna
Here's the unreleased 1971 Album
Side One
Gimme Some Truth
It Don’t Come Easy
Every Night
All Things Must Pass
Child of Nature
Back Seat of My Car
Side Two
Imagine
Isn’t It A Pity?
Junk
Wah Wah
God
Maybe I’m Amazed
It's certainly am improvement
on 'Let It Be' & gives 'Abbey Road' a run for it's money.
I love this game
You can actually spin out an extra 5 years of The Beatles' career.
First, Get Back has to become a viable album
Two Of Us
Dig A Pony
Teddy Boy (from Glynn Johns' 2nd remix cutting the fluffed intro & supressing the feedback)
Across The Universe (take 1 from Anthology)
For You Blue
The Long And Winding Road (from Anthology)
Dig It
Let It Be (both from Glynn Johns' 2nd remix)
One After 909
I Got A Feeling
Don't Let Me Down
Get Back (the single version with the proper ending but the rooftop chat added)
I like the chat between songs as long as it's kept at a minimum. Also leave no gaps between the tracks and the last four sound like a proper concert.
1970 - Abbey Road. Then All Things Must Pass in 1971 when they strip the sound down to more rustic.
I'll Have You Anytime (Harrison)
I Found Out (Lennon)
Come And Get It (McCartney from Anthology)
Let It Roll (Harrison)
Isolation (Lennon)
Early 1970 (Ringo)
Oo You (McCartney)
Love (Lennon)
I Dig Love (Harrison)
Every Night (McCartney)
Remember (Lennon)
Junk (McCartney)
All Things Must Pass (Harrison from Anthology)
The instruments are simple & basic and there is a fairly consistent feel. It's handy that Ringo played on Lennon's songs.
Then the big Phil Spector production double album in 1972, Gimme Some Truth.
Gimme Some Truth (Lennon)
Another Day (McCartney)
What Is Life (Harrison)
Oh My Love (Lennon)
Tomorrow (McCartney)
Art Of Dying (Harrison)
I Don't Want To Be A Soldier (Lennon)
Blindman (Ringo)
Isn't It A Pity (long version Harrison)
Dear Friend (McCartney)
Let It Down (Harrison)
Maybe I'm Amazed (McCartney)
Jealous Guy (Lennon)
It Don't Come Easy (Ringo)
The Back Seat Of My Car (McCartney)
Beware Of Darkness (Harrison)
How? (Lennon)
Too Many People (McCartney)
Wah-Wah (Harrison)
It's So Hard (Lennon)
Spector did actually produce Lennon & Harrison at the time and Paul's albums had moved on from being pretty basic, so there is a remarkable consistency of sound.
Dream On... in 1973
My Love (McCartney)
Tight A$ (Lennon)
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (Harrison)
Let Me Roll It (McCartney)
Bring On The Lucie (Freda People) (Lennon)
No Words (McCartney)
Photograph (Ringo)
Mind Games (Lennon)
Get On The Right Thing (McCartney)
Out of The Blue (Lennon)
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five (edit the Band On The Run reprise McCartney)
Meat City (Lennon his yelled 'Weeellll..' covers up for the previous edit)
Finally, in 1974, Goodnight Vienna
Goodnight Vienna (Ringo but written and counted in by Lennon)
Whatever Gets You Thru The Night (Lennon)
Love In Song (McCartney)
You Can't Catch Me (performed to pay back for Come Together's lines stolen from Berry)
Maya Love (Harrison which features the same horn section as many of the other tracks on this album)
Lettin Go (McCartney)
Move Over Ms L. (an out-take from Rock N Roll, written by Lennon)
Junior's Farm (McCartney)
Only You (And You Alone) (sung by Ringo, featuring many of the muscians from Walls And Bridges)
What You Got (Lennon)
Call Me Back Again (McCartney also with horns)
Old Dirt Road (Lennon & quite a poignant end.
The sound on this is held together by the common feature of the horn section.
It's amazing how much better their songs sound so much better sandwiched between songs from other Beatles. Create your own playlists, edit the tunes yourself - you can have hours of fun!!!