Chapter 25: Won't Get Fooled Again (March - December 1971)

16 March 1971

Pete Townshend, 1971.

Trying to match Tommy, let alone even better it, was going to be no easy feat for Pete Townshend. Prior to the release of 7ft. Wide Car, 6ft. Wide Garage, he had envisioned a science fiction rock opera called Lifehouse, inspired from his experiences on the tour for Tommy where the vibrations in the crowd were so pure that he felt as if the world would just come to a stop, unifying the whole thing.

PETE TOWNSHEND: "The idea for Lifehouse was that it would be set in the future, like a fantasy where rock and roll music was banned, and the majority of the world's population lived indoors and were controlled by the government, wearing experience suits. Our hero, Bobby, would then broadcast music into the suits, giving the people the chance to take them off and become more enlightened." (1999)

To the people of today's world, this concept made sense, but in 1971, Roger Daltrey, John Entwistle and Keith Moon didn't understand Townshend's ambitious project. Wireless communication? Virtual reality? A Grid with a capital G? "That sounds totally alien, man," Daltrey commented. In return, Townshend had a frustrating time trying to articulate the concept. A series of concerts at the Young Vic theater in London were played in February for a proposed film adaptation of Lifehouse, but the experiment wasn't successful.

JOHN ENTWISTLE: "It could've worked out as Pete had said to us. The Beatles played at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight and presented material for the then-upcoming Get Back and that was a success. So he didn't know why the performances for Lifehouse didn't succeed as he had hoped." (1975)

The Who, 1971.

The recording sessions began proper at the Record Plant in New York with a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Baby Don't You Do It" and with Glyn Johns as co-producer and co-engineer. The only other cover song included was Mose Allison's "Young Man Blues", actually a recording from 1968 that was left off of Magic Bus for reasons unknown. The track was reworked to better fit the 1971 recordings.

At least fifteen songs overall were recorded for Lifehouse over the next three months, but the initial sessions were plagued by manager Kit Lambert's heroin addiction and inability to produce the album. Coupled with Townshend's alcoholism at the time, it looked as though history was about to repeat itself with the Beach Boys' Smile and result in the death of Pete Townshend. He had spiraled into a nervous breakdown and even attempted to jump out of a hotel window in frustration.

ROGER DALTREY: "Pete really cared for the Lifehouse project like it was his child. Actually, no. It was his child, and we weren't doing much to help him bring it into the world. We had an album to finish, regardless if it was Lifehouse." (1988)

5 April 1971

Glyn Johns. The date of the picture taken is unknown, but it is believed to be around the early 1970s.

GLYN JOHNS: "After that disaster where Pete nearly threw himself out the window, we relocated to Barnes to record new material and Kit Lambert was dropped from the project as producer. The sessions at Record Plant were satisfactory enough, though they did need a bit of tuning for the final release. Pete ended up giving up on the story for Lifehouse and reluctantly agreed to a more standard rock album." (2006)

Among the tracks being reworked was the future hit single "Won't Get Fooled Again", an eight and a half minute epic about a revolution that was intended to be the climax for Lifehouse. It would still be the penultimate track for the album despite the story being abandoned. Most of the original songs that ended up on Lifehouse - thirteen in total - were written by Pete Townshend; "When I Was a Boy" and "My Wife" were both by John Entwistle.

"Won't Get Fooled Again" came out as a single on 21 June with "Pure and Easy" as the B-side; the single charted at #9 in the United States and #2 in the United Kingdom, being kept off the top spot by the Ladders' "Bangla Desh/Imagine" double A-side. "Won't Get Fooled Again" had been cut down to three and a half minutes despite the band insisting that it be released in its full eight-plus minute glory. "We were more at home on albums than we were on singles," Daltrey remembered. (2001)

KEITH MOON: "We had so much material recorded for Lifehouse that we wanted to put it all out at once. John [Lennon] and George [Harrison] had both done so for Shine On, so why not The Who?" (1973)

13 August 1971

The Who - Lifehouse

Released: 13 August 1971

Recorded: 19 September 1968, 16 March - 28 June 1971

Producer: The Who, Glyn Johns and Kit Lambert

Track listing[1]

Side A

Baba O'Riley
When I Was a Boy
Young Man Blues
Going Mobile
Time is Passing

Side B
Love Ain't for Keeping
My Wife
Too Much of Anything
Bargain

Side C

Pure and Easy
Baby Don't You Do It
Behind Blue Eyes
Put the Money Down
Getting in Tune

Side D
Let's See Action
Won't Get Fooled Again
The Song is Over

Despite abandoning the story for Lifehouse, much of Pete Townshend's concept actually ended up on the final album, and some fans ended up believing that the tracks had been arranged to form a loose yet intriguing story with a hard rocking climax. Some of those fans even believed that this was Townshend's intention for Lifehouse, but in interviews since the album's release, he has repeatedly contradicted himself as to whether or not it really was the case.

Whether or not Townshend's concept made the final Lifehouse release or not, it was still a commercial and critical success, reaching #2 in the United States and #1 in the United Kingdom for a week. In retrospect reviews, Lifehouse has been regarded not only as one of the Who's best albums, but one of the greatest albums of 1970s rock, let alone of all time.

That October, two singles were put out, one each for the United Kingdom and the United States. "Let's See Action"/"When I Was a Boy" was released in the former on the 18th, topping out at #14, whilst "Behind Blue Eyes"/"Baba O'Riley" came out in the latter country the week after, barely managing to reach #20. Of course, there was now the issue as to how their rivals of three years was going to respond to Lifehouse.

5 July - November 1971

The Rolling Stones' logo from 1971 onwards, designed by John Pasche.

MICK JAGGER: "Just as the Who were working on the final touches for Lifehouse, we were working on our first two albums under Apple Records. David had been working on a concept of his own about an androgynous rock star called Ziggy Stardust, whom he claimed was inspired by Lou Reed and Iggy Pop." (1983)

Despite the renewed success by bringing in David Bowie into their lineup, the Rolling Stones did not have the money owed to them prior to Allen Klein's death and were forced to become tax exiles and ended up living in France along with their families until their financial affairs were sorted. It was also where Mick Jagger would marry his first wife Bianca Morena de Macias. Paul and Linda McCartney, Eric Clapton, Stephen Stills and Dennis Wilson, among others, attended the wedding in St. Tropez.

This period away from England would inspire the title for the Rolling Stones' first Apple-era album, Exile on Mars. The initial period was a very fertile one for the Jagger/Richards duo and David Bowie, having penned around 30 to 40 songs in total. A triple album was considered, but it was decided instead to record two individual albums; one single-disc album and one double-disc album, the latter of which would be a rock opera.

KEITH RICHARDS: "After nearly a decade of being together, we're finally making a rock opera. Took us long enough." (1971, to the other members of the Rolling Stones)

The wedding of Mick Jagger and Bianca Morena de Macias, 12 May, 1971.

The double album rock opera, tentatively titled Ziggy Stardust, featured the titular character as the main subject, with the first act showcasing his rise to stardom and the second would show his downfall from grace. Although it was being worked on at the same time as Exile on Mars (also titled for the Bowie song "Life on Mars"), the backing tracks for the latter album were finished up in August, with overdubs being worked on until November; by then, the full focus was on Ziggy Stardust.

During this period, David Bowie would make his appearance at the Concert for Bangladesh with "Space Oddity" and "Waiting for the Man" on 1 August, and on 21 October, Mick and Bianca Jagger would have their first daughter, Jade Jezebel Jagger. It was nearly three months after the birth of David and Angie's son Duncan Zowie Haywood Jones, born 30 May.[2]

10 December 1971

The Rolling Stones - Exile on Mars

Released: 10 December 1971

Recorded: July - November 1971

Producer: The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Miller and Ken Scott

Track listing[3]

Side A

Life on Mars
Sway
Kooks
Changes
Tumbling Dice
Quicksand

Side B
Happy
Bitch
Andy Warhol
Dead Flowers
The Bewlay Brothers
Soul Survivor

The first single off of Exile on Mars, "Changes" backed with "Happy", was released 6 December, reaching #15 in the United States but stalling at #2 in the United Kingdom, being kept off of the top by the Ladders' "Bangla Desh/Imagine". "Even on their label, we still struggle against the Beatles," Mick Jagger was believed to have said, but he has since denied the statement. Neither track was credited to Jagger/Richards or Bowie; instead, they were credited to the Rolling Stones as a whole, regardless as to who contributed what. "We all get equal royalties," Bowie explained. The second single "Tumbling Dice"/"Life on Mars", due out next year in February, would also be credited to all five members.

Exile on Mars reached the top of the charts in America and #2 in the United Kingdom; once again, left off of the top spot by the Ladders' Imagine. The album received positive reviews from critics, often being compared to the Beatles' 1968 self-titled release in terms of songwriting and performance. "Not only is Exile on Mars the Stones' most engaging album musically," Rolling Stone magazine wrote, "it also finds Bowie and the Glimmer Twins [Jagger and Richards] writing once more literally enough for the listener to examine their ideas comfortably, without having to withstand a barrage of seemingly impregnable verbiage before getting at some ideas."[4]

As 1971 drew to a close, the Rolling Stones were only just getting started for what they had planned for next year.

Footnotes

1. Tracks are sourced from the following:
1. Who's Next: "Baba O'Riley", "Going Mobile", "My Wife", "Bargain", "Getting in Tune", and "The Song is Over". "Love Ain't for Keeping" and "Won't Get Fooled Again" are alternate versions found on the 2003 reissue. "Pure and Easy" is a bonus track from the 1995 reissue. "Behind Blue Eyes" is the alternate version also found on the 1995 reissue.
2. Who's Missing: "When I Was a Boy".
3. Odds & Sods: "Young Man Blues", "Time is Passing", "Too Much of Anything", "Baby Don't You Do It", and "Put the Money Down".
4. Thirty Years of Maximum R&B: "Let's See Action". It can also be found on The Who Hits 50!.
2. Duncan Jones was born in Bromley, London in England, not France.
3. Tracks are sourced from Hunky Dory, Sticky Fingers and Exile on Main Street.
4. Actual review from Rolling Stone about David Bowie's Hunky Dory upon initial release, rewritten to reflect it being a Rolling Stones album.

Author's Comments

So here we are at the 25th chapter of the whole series; to celebrate this milestone, I give out the Strawberry Peppers take on the Who's ill-fated rock opera Lifehouse. The Lifehouse track listing was inspired by both of AEC's takes on the album either as a triple album including Pete Townshend demos or a double album with purely Who music. I went for the latter option and used the former's track listing as my template. I rearranged some tracks around after deleting what I'd already included on 7ft. Wide Car, 6ft. Wide Garage and included "Put the Money Down". The inclusion of that track is kind of questionable as it was recorded in 1972, but Wikipedia claims it was written for Lifehouse. Of course, I simply pretended it was written earlier.

As for the Rolling Stones' part of the chapter, there isn't much to say about it; it more or less follows what happened with them in OTL, minus the first dealings with Allen Klein (since he died in 1970) and with David Bowie involved for the ride. The next two chapters won't be very big; the 26th will focus on the leftover albums of 1971 that weren't on any of the previous few chapters, and the 27th will be about the solo CSNY projects of late 1971/early 1972.

Album cover for Lifehouse was made by IdesignAlbumCovers on Tumblr.

Chapter 24: Whole Lotta Love (March - November 1971)

March 9, 1971

Dennis Wilson, 1971.

DENNIS WILSON: "It was on that particular day that we were going through Brian's old belongings. There were some that Carl and I both wanted to keep for sentimental reasons. I then came across a box that had a cassette with some writing on it. It was labeled 'Till I Die' in handwriting that looked like Brian's. I then showed it to Carl who also expressed surprise upon seeing it. We didn't know what it was meant for as it had never been presented to us while we were the Beach Boys." (1992)[1]

CARL WILSON: "I took the tape from Dennis and then played it. That voice was undeniably Brian; we almost cried. It had been four years since he left the world, and it was almost like coming across a recording of your parents after they'd both gone. We then played it over and over again several times and after like, I dunno, the sixth or seventh time, I told Dennis, 'That's got potential to be on the next album. We should share Brian's last gift to the world.'" (1975)

But it wasn't just the Wilson brothers who had the rights to the Beach Boys' recordings following Brian's unexpected death in 1967. His widow, Marilyn Rovell, also shared the rights, and her in-laws had to consult with her first before making any further decisions. Like Carl and Dennis, she too was moved by the recording, even comparing it to a self-epitaph in a sense. With Marilyn's approval, the brothers gathered Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston to the studio to record the next Passions album.

However, there was a problem; they needed a producer.

AL JARDINE: "Our first choice was Phil Spector, but he was already off recording with the Ladders, and Alan Parsons and Tony Visconti were also out of the question. We couldn't even get Norman Smith back to help us like he did with Smile. But Dennis, of course, had another idea in mind." (2012)

Linda and Paul McCartney, 1971.

Paul McCartney had just completed the work for Cherry Wine, due out within two months, and it was to be his first solo album following the Beatles' split. The album was currently in post-production when he received an unexpected visit from one Dennis Wilson on his Scottish farm.

PAUL McCARTNEY: "So Dennis stops by the farm, y'know, and he shows me this tape Brian did before his death, which blew me away, and then he popped the question on if I was interested in helping 'em out with producing this song, to which I said, 'Of course!'" (1983)

To the public, there truly was camaraderie between the former Beatles and Beach Boys after Brian Wilson's death four years ago; the Beatles had sent in their condolences to Wilson's family and bandmates when they had received the news, and all profits made from Tribute to Brian Wilson went to the Wilson family as well as research towards mental illnesses. Now a former Beatle was going to be producing an album featuring four of the former Beach Boys. It seemed like a dream come true.

But of course, the sole obstacle in making this a reality was Marilyn, still bitter about the Beatles playing a role - albeit unintentionally - in her husband's early demise.

Brian Wilson with his wife Marilyn Rovell, 1966.

MARILYN ROVELL: "You just didn't get that Brian was mentally ill, and you and your fucking 'rivalry' with Brian ended up killing him! How do you fucking sleep at night?! And now you want to ruin his last song with your bullshit?! Fuck you! Fuck you! *sobs*" (to Paul McCartney, 1971)*

"...how do you think I feel..." was the first sentence Paul had said after Marilyn screamed in his face. At that point, he too was tearing up. Linda was now holding Marilyn in her arms, trying to calm her down.

"I'd been outright ditched by my former bandmates," Paul continued, "and they went and recorded an album behind my back, y'know." There was a hint of anger and resentment in his voice, but still clearly filled with sadness. Marilyn paused for a while, before she pulled Paul in for a tight embrace. Almost immediately, she had regretted what she had just screamed in his face.

"Maybe... Brian would have wanted you to help produce it," she said at last.

(* - Many years later, some journalists often misquoted Rovell's rant towards McCartney as being the inspiration behind John Lennon's "How Do You Sleep".)

May 10, 1971

Mike Love with his girlfriend Tamara Fitch, 1971.

BRUCE JOHNSTON: "We were in the midst of recording a song - I forget which exactly - when all of a sudden, we noticed Mike Love coming into the room. I was surprised; we hadn't played with him since the completion and release of Smile. After explaining the situation with him, he asked if he could provide some backing vocals to some of the songs. It really began to feel like a Beach Boys reunion album." (2001)

MIKE LOVE: "Yeah man, they played me that last Brian song, cut me deep in my core, and I thought, screw it, I'll help contribute to it! Plus Paul producing it really made it hit home for me. And whilst we were recording the album, the taps seemed to open up and I had begun to write up new songs. Not for Landlocked, but for a potential third post-Smile album." (1988)

LINDA McCARTNEY: "Something inside me told me that it was going to take more than venting her anger towards Paul to allow Marilyn to move on from her bitterness. I spoke her, gave her some advice on how to deal with her grief. Board games provided a great source of dealing with grief, as I'd learned after Paul was dumped by John, George and Ringo. Marilyn and I ended up bonding over it." (1979)

August 15, 1971

Steve Winwood, 1971.

Whilst Landlocked (working title, Till I Die) was undergoing the final stages of production, Dennis Wilson went down to a pub in Hollywood called Whisky a Go Go where he came across Steve Winwood of the jam band Traffic. According to Winwood, he and his group were playing a few gigs at the pub when he noticed Dennis come into the pub. For the past few years, Dennis had stayed away from drugs and alcohol of any kind, so it was surprising that he had decided to come down to Whisky a Go Go. "Hey man, can't keep away from alcohol forever," Dennis had told Winwood. Of course, Dennis had only drunk alcohol in moderation, usually a couple of shots at a time.

STEVE WINWOOD: "Dennis and I chatted for a bit and then he asked me if he'd like to play alongside Traffic for a one-off in tonight's gig. I told him, 'Alright, I'm sure our drummer [Jim Gordon] won't mind if you fill in for him.' Sadly, Jim was beginning to lose it at that point." (1984)

Despite drummer Jim Gordon's absence on stage, the performance of Traffic with Dennis Wilson went down well and was met with a positive audience response, especially since they were playing with a former Beach Boy. Winwood had even offered Dennis to perform a mini-set in the midst of the performance. The mini-set consisted of a few songs from the Passions' Sunflower album, as well as the Beach Boys' "In the Back of My Mind".

Following this performance, the band and Dennis went to have some drinks where he asked them if they wanted to do something else together another time. Winwood was in favor of the idea, whilst the other band members felt that they needed to think about that so they could discuss it further.

August 27, 1971

The Passions - Landlocked

Released: August 27, 1971

Recorded: 1967 - July 29, 1971

Producer: Dennis Wilson, Paul McCartney

Track listing[2]

Side A

Loop De Loop
Susie Cincinnati
San Miguel
Fallin' in Love
Disney Girls
4th of July

Side B
Long Promised Road
Feel Flows
Lookin' at Tomorrow
A Day in the Life of a Tree
Till I Die
(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again

Bruce Johnston's "Disney Girls" was chosen as the lead single off of Landlocked, with Dennis Wilson's "Lady" being the B-side. Released June 28, eight days after what could have been Brian Wilson's 29th birthday, the single soon reached #1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom. Critics and fans alike praised Johnston's performance, calling it the best song he had ever written. The "Lady" B-side as well as Paul McCartney's co-production were also met with similar appraisal.

The album was finally released at the end of August, soon reaching #1 in the United Kingdom for three nonconsecutive weeks and topping out at #2 in the United States. Landlocked was met with even better reviews than Sunflower, with critics likening it to a Beach Boys reunion album after Brian Wilson's untimely demise.

Billboard

August 27, 1971

The Passions bring Brian Wilson back to life in Landlocked

"Brian Wilson left us too early whilst the Beach Boys were working on their final album, Smile. Despite dying at the ripe age of twenty-five, along with the other members of the Beach Boys, Wilson left behind a legacy that will live on forever. His final gift to the world, 'Till I Die' - which some will interpret as Brian's last words to give to his fans, friends, and family alike - is a lovely piano demo piece polished up by brothers Dennis and Carl along with former Beach Boy bandmates Al Jardine and Bruce Johnston, as well as the surprise comeback of Mike Love to the music scene after being absent for four years. It almost sounds like the Beach Boys have reunited after Brian's death.

Speaking of which, Dennis' '(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again', the album's grand finale, could be seen as a plea to his older brother. It's a touching moment for the album, and even more touching closure between the brothers.

That isn't to say the songs prior to 'Till I Die' are in any way inferior. Johnston's 'Disney Girls' is a nice ode to the 50s about growing up, and 'Falling in Love' sounds like a lost track from the Pet Sounds sessions. In fact, if there was one complaint we had overall, it's that Landlocked leaves the listener wanting more. It's an album with six distinctive talents (and we include Mike Love and the late Brian Wilson) that leaves little room for each to express themselves. But that's neither here nor there; it's a special album for sure."

9 September 1971

The Ladders - Imagine

Released: 9 September 1971

Recorded: March - July 1971

Producer: Phil Spector, The Ladders

Track listing[3]

Side A

Imagine
What is Life
Jealous Guy
It Don't Come Easy
I Dig Love
Crippled Inside

Side B
Bangla Desh
Gimme Some Truth
Art of Dying
Oh My Love
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Loser's Lounge
Power to the People

The success of the Concert for Bangladesh, as well as the "Bangla Desh/Imagine" double A-side single, helped to propel the Ladders' second album, Imagine, straight to #1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom based off of pre-orders alone. Imagine was met with universal acclaim from fans and critics, and retrospective reviews have cited it as the second best album of the 1970s, beating out Jimi Hendrix's Black Gold and only being topped by Simon and Garfunkel's Bridge over Troubled Water. "Can't believe we were beaten by a bloody folk duo," John Lennon would state years later. (1990)

The second single off of the album, "What Is Life" would also top the charts in the United Kingdom, but topped out at #4 in the United States. The B-side, "It Don't Come Easy", also charted at #4 in the United Kingdom. But beyond the four songs that were released as singles, there were other tracks that also had the potential to be singles: Lennon's "Jealous Guy", "Gimme Some Truth" and "Power to the People", George Harrison's "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp" and "Art of Dying", and even Ringo Starr's vocal cover of "Loser's Lounge". It seemed as though the album had been recorded to give every song included the potential to become a single.

But alas, not every song recorded during the sessions were chosen for inclusion. Lennon had five tracks which didn't make the cut ("It's So Hard", "Oh Yoko!", "I Don't Wanna Be a Soldier", "How?", and "How Do You Sleep"), Harrison had three ("Run of the Mill", "Deep Blue", and "Hear Me Lord"), and Starr only had "Coochy Coochy". That being said, most of them would soon find their way on a later album whilst a select few were chosen for non-album B-sides.

17 September 1971

Yoko Ono - Fly

Released: 17 September 1971

Recorded: 1971

Producer: John Lennon, Yoko Ono

Track listing[4]

Side A

Midsummer New York
Mind Train
Mrs. Lennon

Side B
Mind Holes
Fly

Yoko Ono's first album on Apple Records, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, was released on 11 December 1970, the same day as the Ladders' Shine On. It had been met with mixed reception from critics and failed to chart in the United Kingdom, although it did reach #182 in the United States. The only single off of the album was "Why" backed with the non-album single "Who Has Seen the Wind", which also failed to hit the Top 100 on either side.

Nine months later, Ono came out with Fly, which, unlike Plastic Ono Band, was produced without any involvement from Phil Spector. Compared to the avant-garde sound of the latter album, Fly was given a more pop rock sound with "Mrs. Lennon", "Midsummer New York" (both of which were released as the lead single with the former being the A-side) and "Mind Holes", balanced out by the lengthy jams of "Mind Train" and the title track. Both album and single did not reach the Top 100 on either side of the Atlantic.

October 28 - November 24, 1971

The cover for the Ladders' non-album Christmas single, "Happy Xmas (War is Over)".

The Ladders reconvened with their spouses and producer Phil Spector at Record Plant East in New York to record a single for the Christmas market, much like the Beatles had done between 1963 and 1969. (There was none in 1970 due to the band splintering away from Paul.) John Lennon's "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was a protest song against the Vietnam War set to the traditional English ballad "Skewball" and included a children's choir at his request. Yoko, Maureen and Pattie provided backing vocals. "Paul was working with Linda at that point," said George. "As was John with Yoko. It seemed fair that Ringo and I brought in Maureen and Pattie." (1987)

The single was recorded very quickly over two sessions, taking place on October 28 and 31. For the B-side, the Imagine outtake "Deep Blue" was chosen, fitting with the A-side's message it wanted to spread.

"Happy Xmas (War is Over)" was released the day after Thanksgiving in America on the 24th of November, where it reached #3. It topped at #2 in the United Kingdom, being left off of the top spot by the "Bangla Desh/Imagine" double A-side. "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" received extensive airplay and promotion over the Christmas holidays, and the Ladders would film promo videos to be shown across various television shows in both the United Kingdom and the United States, which helped sales greatly.

Footnotes

1. "Till I Die" had actually been written in 1969 for 20/20, not 1967.
2. Tracks are sourced from Endless Harmony Soundtrack ("Loop De Loop"), 15 Big Ones ("Susie Cincinnati"), Good Vibrations: Thirty Years of The Beach Boys ("San Miguel", "4th of July"), Made in California ("Fallin' in Love", "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again"), and Surf's Up ("Disney Girls" and all of side B except for "(Wouldn't It Be Nice) To Live Again").
3. All of John's songs are sourced from Imagine excluding "Power to the People", taken from Power to the People: The Hits. All of George's songs are sourced from All Things Must Pass excluding "Bangla Desh", taken from Living in the Material World. "It Don't Come Easy" is sourced from Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr and "Loser's Lounge" is sourced from Beaucoups of Blues.
4. All tracks are sourced from Fly.

Author's Comments

Man, this chapter was a lot harder to write out than I initially thought possible. I received extensive help from The Lifehouse in order to write out the Passions' part of this chapter, so thanks goes to him for assisting in writing with the backstory for Landlocked. The Ladders' part of the chapter (plus Yoko Ono) was fairly simple. This hypothetical Imagine is one of my personal favorite albums that I've made for this series thus far; nine times out of ten, I can just picture John, George and Ringo being in the same room with Klaus and Billy along for the ride. The fact that they (as well as Ringo) played on the majority of the tracks by John and George helped the illusion greatly. I can almost "imagine" being this a true album. (See what I did there?)

Album cover for Landlocked was made by The Lifehouse.

Chapter 23: Bangla Desh (August 1 & 2, 1971)

August 1, 1971 - Madison Square Garden, 2:30 PM

George Harrison and Ravi Shankar at a press conference prior to the Concert for Bangladesh, 1971.

There was quiet chatter among the audience of twenty thousand as they waited patiently for the first of two shows to begin. As George Harrison walked up onto the stage to the microphone, they began to clap and cheer in his presence. In later years, he admitted to feeling nervous about turning up on stage on thought he would throw up.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said as the crowd continued cheering. "I'd just like to say before we start off with the concert, that, uh, to thank you all for coming here, and, uh, as you all know, it's a special benefit concert. We've got a good show lined up. I hope so, anyway. First part of the concert is gonna be an Indian music section. You're gonna hear a sitar and sarood duet. And, uh, as you realize, Hindi music's a little bit more serious than our music, and I'd appreciate it if you could, uh, try and settle down and get into the Hindi music section. So let me introduce, on sitar, Ravi Shankar." The crowd cheered again as they heard the famous sitarist's name. Harrison paused before continuing.

"And the master of sarood, Ustad Ali Akbar Khan. Sarood. I'm sure you all know Ravi's tabla player, Allah Rakha. And this evening, the drone instrument, the tamboora, is being played by Kamala." Each time, he paused to yet the audience clap and cheer for their names. "So I hope you enjoy the concert, thank you."[1] Harrison left the stage to more clapping and cheering as Ravi Shankar entered the stage to address the audience. He requested for the audience to be patient whilst listening to his, Khan's, Rakha's and Kamala's part of the show, acknowledging that they were anxious to listen to their favorite stars.

Ravi Shankar and friends performing "Bangla Dhun", August 1, 1971.

"We are trying to set the music to this special event, this historical program," he explained, "which is just not a program as usual but which has a message. And this is to just make you aware of a very serious situation that is happening. We are not trying to make any politic. We are artists, but through our music, we would like you to feel the agony and also the pain and lot of sad happenings in Bangladesh, and also the refugees who have come to India." After describing what they would be playing, Shankar asked the audience not to smoke during the performance.

The audience clapped in respect as Shankar and his fellow Hindi musicians performed a traditional dhun titled "Bangla Dhun". According to Harrison, Shankar's segment lasted about forty-five minutes, but only seventeen minutes of the performance appeared on the live album.[1]

3:30 PM
Following a brief intermission in which a Dutch TV film was put on display showing footage of the atrocities and natural tragedies taking place in East Pakistan, the first rock group of the setlist performing before the crowd was Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

"Hello, New York," Neil Young said into the microphone. "We're going to be your first Western music group for the day." This statement was met with more applause before Young continued.

"Now our first number for our setlist was written after the atrocities of Kent State," he explained. "Four students were killed and another nine were injured. And with what's been happening in East Pakistan, it only seems fitting that we give you 'Ohio'."

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young performing at the Concert for Bangladesh.

The audience cheered as the folk supergroup began to play their first song of the setlist. Following that was Stephen Stills' "Love the One You're With" from their recent album Remember Our Names.

"Our next number was written when Robert Kennedy was assassinated," said David Crosby. "It was featured on our debut album before Neil joined us. I believed in Bobby as he wanted to make some positive changes in America. I dedicate this next number not just to him, but also to those suffering in East Pakistan."

The band then played "Long Time Gone", shortly followed up by Neil Young's solo song, "Cowgirl in the Sand". The penultimate song for their setlist was a song written by Graham Nash but had not made Remember Our Names; "Chicago" referred to anti-Vietnam War protests that had taken place during the 1968 Democratic National Convention and the trial of the Chicago Eight that followed afterwards in which the protest leaders were charged with conspiracy to start a riot. Just before playing it, Nash had sarcastically dedicated it to the then-mayor of Chicago, Richard Daley, who was notoriously antagonistic against anti-war protesters. The setlist concluded with "Find the Cost of Freedom".[2]

When asked why they didn't play any of their most beloved songs such as "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" or "Marrakesh Express", Stephen Stills explained that they wanted to focus on the more politically themed numbers in their catalog. "This was at a time when Vietnam was a huge deal," he recounted in a 2005 interview. "Not only that, but people were dying in Bangladesh, and it gave our music a different meaning when playing it live. You have to get a message across or people won't notice."

3:55 PM

Badfinger, 1971.

The next band to perform was Badfinger. They only performed two songs from their most recent release No Dice - "Better Days" and "We're for the Dark". Despite being known for their power pop sound, the short performance proved that they could rock out just as well as their Apple stablemates.[3]

4:05 PM

Eric Clapton performing "Bottle of Red Wine" with Cream.

Shortly after Badfinger's setlist was finished, Cream was next to enter the stage. Their setlist also lasted two songs, "Bottle of Red Wine" from Let It Rain and "Presence of the Lord" from Layla.[4] Multi-instrumentalist Leon Russell played with Cream during their short setlist, and then the band served as backing musicians for him and Don Preston (not to be confused for the keyboardist for Frank Zappa and The Mothers of Invention) for their cover medley of the Rolling Stones' "Jumpin' Jack Flash" and the Coasters' "Young Blood".[1]

4:30 PM

James Taylor performing "Carolina in My Mind".

Whilst Badfinger and Cream focused on the deeper cuts of their respective catalogs, James Taylor focused on three of his most popular songs; "Fire and Rain", "Carolina in My Mind", and "Sweet Baby James".[5] Taylor's setlist is often cited as being one of the best of the entire concert as it focused solely on the musician and his acoustic guitar.

4:45 PM
For Elton John's setlist, both tracks were from his 1970 self-titled release; "Take Me to the Pilot" and his first major hit, "Your Song".[6] When the single first came out, John Lennon had described "Your Song" as being McCartney-esque, which later became a term used to describe a song that sounds like something Paul McCartney would record. McCartney had become annoyed by the comparison, another bullet point, albeit a very minor one, to why he would end up being ditched by the others.

David Bowie, 1971.

After Elton had finished up "Your Song", he introduced David Bowie to the audience, who then performed "Space Oddity" and a cover of the Velvet Underground's "Waiting for the Man".[7] The remaining Rolling Stones were not available at the time due to being tax exiles, although Mick Jagger would later regret the decision of declining the invitation.

5:10 PM
But there was now the big question on everyone's mind as the minute drew nearer; would Bob Dylan actually be willing to perform on stage? On the handwritten setlist, a question mark was written next to Dylan's name. George Harrison remembered Dylan looking nervous with his guitar and shades. "It was only at that moment that I knew for sure he was going to it," George recalled (1974). He returned on stage to introduce Bob Dylan and the audience went wild he appeared on stage.

George Harrison and Bob Dylan performing at the Concert for Bangladesh.

Accompanied by Harrison on guitar and Russell on bass, Bob Dylan played five of his most well-regarded songs from the 1960s; "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", and "Just Like a Woman".[1] Nearly fifty years since it was first performed, Bob Dylan's setlist has been regarded by many as the crowning glory of the Concert for Bangladesh.

But now would be time for the main event of the show; the Ladders.

5:35 PM
George Harrison was the first to enter the stage, followed by Ringo Starr on the drum kit, and then Billy Preston on keyboards and Klaus Voormann on bass. When John Lennon entered the stage, the crowd cheered wildly, and even more so when they performed the first song of their set, the Beatles classic "Come Together".[8] Their next song was Harrison's "My Sweet Lord", the Ladders' most recent single.[1] Lennon admitted in later years to have been feeling dodgy about performing a religious song live, and would have preferred to playing "Wah-Wah" instead.

Billy Preston performing "That's the Way God Planned It" with the Ladders.

Following this was Billy Preston's vocal spot on "That's the Way God Planned It".[1] Although he was a sideman to the Ladders, as well as having his own solo releases on Apple, John, George and Ringo still treated him like he was an equal and even allowed him to play alongside them for their setlist. Klaus Voormann was also seen as a member by the group, despite not contributing anything to the lyrics or vocals; he was just happy to be there.

Next was Ringo's vocal spot on "It Don't Come Easy", marking the first time that the public had heard the song.[1] Starr's performance was a bit sloppy, having forgotten some of the lyrics, but it was still regarded as a classic Ringo Starr moment. A cover of Elvis Presley's "Hound Dog" and the first ever live performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" followed, with Eric Clapton having a guest spot on the latter.[8][1]

"How's everyone enjoying the show so far?" Lennon asked the crowd. The response overall was extremely positive. "Alright, er, this song is another song from that album we made since, er, we left the Rolling Stones." There was some laughter in the audience at Lennon's deliberate mistake within the applause. "And a lot of people thought that it was just about my parents, but it's about 99% of the parents, alive or half-dead."

After counting off, the band delved into "Mother", dedicated not just to Lennon's parents Julia and Alfred, but also to the parents of the younger refugees who had died trying to support their families.[8] In a sense, especially after the death of his mother Louise the year before, the song had also resonated with George Harrison as well.

Pete Ham and George Harrison performing "Here Comes the Sun".

As a counter to the darkly depressing "Mother", Harrison next played "Here Comes the Sun", accompanied by Pete Ham on acoustic guitars.[1] The performance was lauded greatly by the audience, as where the next two songs, "Instant Karma!" and "Something".[8][1] Pattie Boyd was a part of the audience when the Ladders performed "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something", calling her then-husband's performance as magnificent.

6:20 PM
The Ladders then took a five-minute break before John Lennon returned to the stage for the encore.

John Lennon performing "Imagine" with the Ladders.

"This song is more about why we're here," he told the audience, "apart from rocking and that." He then began to play the opening notes to "Imagine" and began to sing the lyrics to it: "Imagine there's no heaven, it's easy if you try..."[8] For the twenty thousand people in the audience, this was the first time they'd ever heard "Imagine", and it was a memory that would resonate with them for the rest of their lives. When John finished the song, there was a rapturous applause. Their admiration for John Winston Ono Lennon had reached a new peak.

Joining the Ladders for the final song of the show were David Crosby, Graham Nash, Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Eric Clapton, Bobby Whitlock, Leon Russell, David Bowie and Elton John. George Harrison led the whole ensemble to a rendition of "Bangla Desh" to close out the show, exactly four hours since it first started.[1]

The second of the shows began at 10:00 PM and ended at 2:00 AM on August 2.[9] Despite staying up for very late, the artists involved were feeling more energetic and some even changed up their setlists slightly. For the album release, the best performances from both shows were chosen. Reception for both concerts were very positive, with many concertgoers being indecisive as to who was the best performer of the day and night.

Around half a million dollars in American money were raised as a result of both shows and were donated to UNICEF to administer.[10] The live album - a quadruple - was intended for release by the end of August, but the release was blocked by Columbia Records (Bob Dylan's label), resulting in a dispute between that and Capitol over who would a rightful claim to distribute the album; Capitol claimed that the majority of its artists were under the Apple label, so they claimed they should have the right to distribute the album.

Whilst the dispute was taking place, Harrison and head of Apple Films Michael Lindsay-Hogg went over the footage filmed during both shows to showcase the highlights from each artist. Around eight hours' worth of footage had been filmed for both shows but it had to be trimmed down to two and a half hours for a theatrical release, giving moviegoers the chance to see what they couldn't on August 1. Both album and documentary were expected to generate $15 million.

The cover for The Concert for Bangladesh live album, released December 1971.

The Concert for Bangladesh quadruple live album was finally released on December 17, with funds going to UNICEF. Despite the hefty price tag, it reached #1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom. The Ladders' double A-side single, "Bangla Desh"/"Imagine", also hit #1 on both sides. The documentary based around the concert was released November 19, having reduced the best of both four hour shows down to about two and a half hours' worth of screentime. By the end of 1971, the Ladders had achieved huge success with the biggest-selling single of the year in the United Kingdom (beating out the Beatles' very own "She Loves You"), their next album Imagine, the benefit concert, and a movie.

To many, the only downside to this success was that Paul McCartney wasn't with them.

Footnotes

1. The introduction, "Bangla Dhun", "Jumpin' Jack Flash/Youngblood", the Bob Dylan setlist, and the songs by George Harrison, Billy Preston and Ringo Starr during the Ladders' setlist are all sourced from The Concert for Bangladesh.
2. All tracks in Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young's setlist are sourced from 4 Way Street.
3. "Better Days" and "We're for the Dark" are both sourced from Badfinger's BBC in Concert 1972-1973.
4. "Bottle of Red Wine" and "Presence of the Lord" are both sourced from Derek and the Dominos' Live at the Fillmore. Alternatively, they're also available on In Concert.
5. All of James Taylor's songs in his setlist are sourced from Amchitka with Joni Mitchell and Phil Ochs.
6. "Take Me to the Pilot" and "Your Song" are both sourced from Elton John's 17-11-70.
7. "Space Oddity" and "Waiting for the Man" are both sourced from David Bowie's Live Santa Monica '72.
8. All songs by John Lennon during the Ladders' setlist are sourced from Live in New York City.
9. The second show in OTL began at 8:00 PM. With a bigger setlist than in OTL, the second show would likely have been held back.
10. In OTL, the Concert for Bangladesh raised close to $250,000.

Author's Comments

Well, here it is; the first major concert of the series being covered in full. Choosing images to represent this alternate Concert for Bangladesh was not an easy feat, especially when it came to finding images of the artists included performing live from 1970-1972 (the general period I chose to go for with live performances). But you know, sometimes you just got to make do with what you can find. With a lot more artists represented, is it better than the concert from OTL? You decide!

Chapter 22: One (Is the Loneliest Number) (December 1970 - July 1971)

In Loving Memory of Denise Nickerson

The Original Violet Beauregarde

1957 - 2019

11 December 1970

George Harrison, 1970.

The announcement of John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr parting ways with Paul McCartney to form a new group called the Ladders had sent shock waves across the rock and roll world. Why did the trio suddenly outright abandon Paul just as the Beatles were at a creative musical peak and about to star in a new movie? Was there something going on between the members that the public didn't know about? Would there ever be another Beatles album?

There were many more questions involved, but there was no simple answer to it.

JOHN LENNON: "If you've been around the others as long as we have, eventually you'll start to pick up on the small things. Paul was starting to go soft, George was becoming more spiritually outspoken, and I was becoming more politically outspoken. Ringo... was Ringo. Yet despite our different views in the political and religious world, George and I had been closer than we'd ever been following our trip to India. He was growing as a songwriter, but Paul was the only one who didn't see it. After we'd put out Back in Your Safely Beds, he ended up taking control of the band under Brian's [Epstein] orders and wanted things to go his way. That was pretty much why he and George got into a fight at the end of the Get Back sessions." (1975)

GEORGE HARRISON: "John and I both wanted to get our feelings out to the world on record, but we both knew that Paul would try to censor us. That's how Phil Spector took our planned solo albums and made them into the Shine On album we have today. If it hadn't been for that decision, we probably would never have carried on as a trio with Billy [Preston] and Klaus [Voormann] as our sidemen." (1980)

If anyone was more affected by this announcement than anyone else, it was James Paul McCartney himself. He'd had a difficult time processing the fact that after over a decade of performing in front of crowds big and small and recording music together in the studio, the other three Beatles had decided to abandon him and sort of reboot themselves as a different band altogether. The bombshell had greatly depressed Paul and he spent a week holed up in his Scottish farm.

Linda and Paul McCartney, 1971.

Right now, on the day that Shine On had been released in record stores, Paul McCartney was in New York to record a response to Shine On, and alongside his new wife Linda (née Eastman), he was backed by a new group of musicians; ex-Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine, guitarist Hugh McCracken, and drummer Denny Seiwell. Paul's backing group were known in the studio as the Rude Boys.

PAUL McCARTNEY: "Our first session as the Rude Boys consisted of 'Another Day', which was to be released as a single for February, and 'Too Many People', a tune that I had written as a response to John and George. John had been doing a lot of political preaching at this point, as did George on the religious side of things. And there was George, of course, wanting his share of the cake." (1975)

It has been rumored amongst Beatles fans that "Too Many People", which opened McCartney's first solo album, was written as a response to Harrison's "Wah-Wah" and Lennon's "God", both of which were written as attacks against Paul and the Beatles as an entity. Whilst Harrison did indeed confirm that his own song was about Paul, Lennon's was more about denouncing the Beatles myth as a whole, although, "It may have been an attack on Paul," he admitted in an interview around the release of Shine On (1970).

Some of McCartney's material for the album had been written prior to 1970 such as "Every Night", "Junk", "Teddy Boy", and "The Back Seat of My Car", but other than "Too Many People", he had also written up newer songs like "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey", a future single release, "Eat at Home" and "Heart of the Country". He had even brought back what many would call his masterpiece, "Maybe I'm Amazed", a piano ballad dedicated to Linda. Now that he was recording his first solo album after being dumped by his former bandmates, that song had a stronger meaning when he needed emotional support the most.

22 February 1971

The cover for Paul McCartney's debut solo single, "Another Day".

Paul McCartney's first ever solo release was the whimsy "Another Day", backed with the more raunchy "Oh Woman, Oh Why". The A-side was reminiscent of the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby", and drummer Denny Seiwell dubbed the single as "'Eleanor Rigby' in New York City", describing the misery an unnamed woman faces at work and at home in her life.

The single reached #3 in the United States and #2 in the United Kingdom, being kept off of the top spot by the Ladders' "My Sweet Lord", and was met with middling reviews from critics. New Musical Express wrote in its review, "[Another Day] is a whimsy, inoffensive mid-tempo number, but nothing spectacular. It brings the listener to mind of the Beatles' 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La'Da', which could be both a good and bad thing."

17 May 1971

Paul McCartney - Cherry Wine

Released: 17 May 1971

Recorded: 11 December 1970 - 1 March 1971

Producer: Paul McCartney

Track listing[1]

Side A

Too Many People
Three Legs
Every Night
That Would Be Something
Junk
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Smile Away

Side B
Maybe I'm Amazed
Heart of the Country
Dear Boy
Eat at Home
Man We Was Lonely
Teddy Boy
The Back Seat of My Car

Although the Rude Boys performed on the album, Cherry Wine was solely credited to Paul McCartney upon release. The album topped the charts in the United Kingdom but stalled at #2 in the United States. Critical reception for Cherry Wine was mixed; some even speculated that the breakup of the Beatles had been orchestrated by the members in order to sell more records, but this has been consistently denied by the members. The more negative reviews criticized the lack of consistency with the music, stating that "too much Paul McCartney gets too fluffy and whimsy. He needed the other three Beatles to keep him restrained."

On the flip side, the more positive reviews pointed out the highlights: "Too Many People", whilst viewed as an attack on Paul's former bandmates, was a catchy album opener, making it clear right out of the gate that it was a response to the Ladders' Shine On. But after that, the McCartney of old is still present with tracks like "Every Night", "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey", and especially "Maybe I'm Amazed". Even the most negative critics at the time saw it as the album's true highlight, and it received plenty of airplay despite McCartney not releasing it as a single - "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" was instead released as an American single in June, where it reached #1.

Each of the other ex-Beatles were asked for their thoughts on McCartney's solo debut, and their opinions ranged from indifferent to negative.

JOHN LENNON: "If Paul was trying to get a message across, then I don't think I got it. I liked maybe a few songs like 'Eat at Home' and 'Maybe [I'm] Amazed', but the whole thing's just rubbish Engelbert Humperdinck-like music. I don't think Shine On scared Paulie enough into making a half-decent album." (Lennon Remembers, 1971)

GEORGE HARRISON: "'Maybe I'm Amazed' and 'That Would Be Something' are great songs, but I don't care that much for the rest, except maybe 'Back Seat of My Car'. The only person he's got right now to tell him if a song is good or bad is Linda." (1971)

RINGO STARR: "It sounded like Paul hated all three of us when he wrote 'Three Legs'. The only good tune on it was 'Maybe I'm Amazed', but other than that, there's really nothing good on Cherry Wine. I think Paul's starting to go strange with his music." (1971)

11 June 1971

David Bowie - Man of Words

Released: 11 June 1971

Recorded: January - April 1971

Producer: Tony Visconti

Track listing[2]

Side A

Running Gun Blues
Savior Machine
Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed
After All

Side B
Janine
An Occasional Dream
She Shook Me Cold
God Knows I'm Good
The Supermen

The Rolling Stones' transfer from Decca to Apple was at first considered strange by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards. "We've been competing with the Beatles for a decade," Jagger said in an interview, "and now all of a sudden, we're under the same house as they are." But then again, as he later added, "Since they've sort of fallen apart as a group, that means we get to take over their empire."

David Bowie also saw this move as an opportunity to put out the leftover material from Space Oddity and The Men Who Sold the World onto a solo album. This was considered a healthy move by the band members as their newest member was a songwriting genius. Shortly after the Rolling Stones were signed into Apple, Bowie entered the studio with producer Tony Visconti to record the leftover material.

The resulting album was Man of Words, Bowie's first solo album since 1967, as well as his first since joining the Rolling Stones. The album was a mixture of psychedelic folk music ("Unwashed and Somewhat Slightly Dazed") and hard blues rock ("She Shook Me Cold"), and it charted at #16 and #17 in the United States and the United Kingdom, respectively. Critical reception to the album was generally positive, although no singles were released off of the album.

June 30, 1971

The DVD cover for the 30th anniversary release of Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, originally released 1971.

Despite the announcement of the split between the Beatles and Paul McCartney from seven months prior, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory had earned up to $5.5 million on opening weekend.[3] Critical reception for it was positive, with renowned film critic Roger Ebert calling it the best film of its sort since 1939's The Wizard of Oz. His future partner, Gene Siskel, however, was not so enthusiastic, calling the appearance of Wonka's factory a terrible letdown.

Still, many praised Ringo Starr's performance as Willy Wonka as well as his chemistry with Peter Ostrum's character Charlie Bucket. For Ostrum, it became his sole appearance on the big screen, having declined David Wolper's offer for a three-film contract, preferring instead to work as a veterinarian. Despite this, he and Starr kept close contact with each other, sometimes doing interviews together years after the release of Willy Wonka with the other former child actors.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory remains a family favorite to this day, especially with repeated television broadcasts for younger generations. Despite being made in the midst of growing conflict between the members, all four Beatles have spoken positively about working on the film.

March - July 1971

John Lennon, 1971.

Whilst John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr had intended to go their separate ways following the release of Shine On, the surprise success of the triple album as well as the release of Paul McCartney's "Another Day" single had inspired the other three ex-Beatles to regroup and record another album. The first song presented was "It Don't Come Easy", a track written by Starr during the sessions for Shine On.

RINGO STARR: "The initial sessions for what became Imagine went by very smoothly; we really felt like a group again sans Paul. It even got to the point that John and George even contributed lyrics to the other's songs such as 'What is Life' and 'Gimme Some Truth'." (1997)

The second Ladders album was recorded at Lennon's Ascot Sound Studios at Tittenhurst Park. Other songs presented to the sessions included "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)", "Jealous Guy", "Power to the People", "Art of Dying", and the new album's centerpiece, what many consider to be John Lennon's best song, "Imagine". Once again, Phil Spector was at the producer's seat, and instead of alternating between lo-fi music and Wall of Sound production like on Shine On, Imagine would have Spector's famous Wall of Sound production throughout.

Refugees during the Bangladesh Liberation War, 1971.

Whilst work on the Ladders' Imagine was going on, Lennon was working on his wife Yoko Ono's second album, Fly, and Harrison was making plans with his mentor Ravi Shankar to arrange a benefit concert to support the people struggling for survival in the Bangladesh Liberation War. East Pakistan had been struggling to become a separate state from Bangladesh, leading to many atrocities both from politics and the military, and the country had recently endured a devastation from the Bhola cyclone in November. At least seven million refugees had escaped to India by March when torrential rains and floods threatened a humanitarian disaster.

For the final recording sessions and mixing of Imagine, the Ladders were headed to New York City. Lennon and Ono were looking for the latter's daughter Kyoko; it was the midst of a custody battle with Yoko's ex-husband Tony Cox, who brought Kyoko to America two years previously to keep Lennon from influencing her. The other reason for being in America was simply to live there. "If I'd lived in Roman times," Lennon explained, "I'd have lived in Rome. Where else? Today America is the Roman Empire and New York is Rome itself." (1971)

Harrison and Shankar were also in America; in their case, it was in Los Angeles recording the soundtrack to Raga, a documentary film about Shankar's life and music. In between all of this, Harrison was producing Badfinger's fourth album Straight Up.

George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, 1971.

If money was going to be raised to support the millions of Bengali refugees, it would need several big artists to make it happen. With the assistance of Brian Epstein, Neil Aspinall and Lord Beeching, some of Apple's best artists were chosen to perform at the Concert for Bangladesh, to take place at Madison Square Garden in New York on August 1. Ravi Shankar would take part in the two shows, and soon, Badfinger, David Bowie, Cream, Elton John, James Taylor, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young all agreed to partake. But the biggest artist Harrison wanted in both shows was Bob Dylan, who had not performed live since the Isle of Wight two years previous. Although initially reluctant, Dylan eventually agreed to participate.

In the studio, the Ladders recorded Harrison's new composition "Bangla Desh", quickly planned to be released as a double A-side single with "Imagine". Both songs would make their debut at the Concert for Bangladesh along with Starr's "It Don't Come Easy". Like both the title track and "It Don't Come Easy", "Bangla Desh" was included on Imagine, albeit as a last-minute inclusion.

BRIAN EPSTEIN: "We were treading uncharted territory at the time. I had to contact UNICEF and quickly learned that we would have to be register George's as being a benefit concert. We even had to bring out a live album and produce a film under Apple without profit. It took a lot of convincing to EMI, Capitol and Warner Brothers in order to make it happen. And we only had six months to arrange this concert in the first place! It was all very hectic, but looking back, I think it was all worth it. Apart from my hair thinning." (1985)

Footnotes

1. Tracks are sourced from McCartney and Ram.
2. Tracks are sourced from David Bowie/Space Oddity and The Man Who Sold the World.
3. In OTL, Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory had earned $2.1 million on opening weekend. With the Beatles' involvement, it may have earned more than double.

Author's Comments

Now we're going deeper into 1971, as well as dipping our toes into political territory. We're just about to build up to the Concert for Bangladesh, which will be the main focus of the next chapter. Actually, the entire chapter will focus completely on the concert, as well as be the first to focus on one specific date. I'll tell you right now; this could be the greatest concert ever imagined. Pre-Live Aid, that is.