Alternate Peppers: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young Discography, 1967-1970

What would've happened if David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash had formed a group in 1966, and then in 1968, they were joined by Neil Young when they signed up for Apple Records?

Mind Gardens (CSN; July 1967)

Side A (18:39)

1. For What It's Worth - 2:40 (Stills) [Buffalo Springfield] - December 5, 1966

2. Stop Right There - 2:28 (Nash) [Evolution] - January 11 - March 17, 1967

3. Pretty Girl Why - 2:24 (Stills) [Last Time Around] - February 26, 1967

4. Renaissance Fair - 1:51 (Crosby) [Younger Than Yesterday] - December 5, 1966

5. On a Carousel - 3:07 (Nash) [Reflections] - January 11 and 13, 1967

6. Everybody's Been Burned - 3:05 (Crosby) [Younger Than Yesterday] - December 5, 1966

7. Lullaby to Tim - 3:04 (Nash) [Evolution] - January 11 - March 17, 1967

Side B (18:01)

8. Mind Gardens - 3:28 (Crosby) [Younger Than Yesterday] - November 28, 1966

9. Everydays - 2:38 (Stills) [Buffalo Springfield Again] - March 15, 1967 

10. Carrie Anne - 2:55 (Nash) [Reflections] - May 1, 1967

11. Bluebird - 9:00 (Stills) [Buffalo Springfield compilation album] - April 4, 1967

1966 was a tumultuous time for three bands, two American and the third British; David Crosby has been kicked out of the Byrds shortly after the release of Fifth Dimension, Graham Nash quit the Hollies before For Certain Because comes out, and Buffalo Springfield limped through the sessions of their first album, falling apart before it's even released. Crosby and Nash both look for an opportunity to start solo careers, but a chance meeting with Stills that autumn sparks a "eureka" moment. And the rest is history.

The sessions begin in late November 1966 and end in early April the following year; in between, they've put out their first single, "For What It's Worth"/"Everybody's Been Burned", which piques interest in the music scene. When it comes to put out a second single, it's a deadlock between Nash's "Carrie Anne" and Crosby's "Lady Friend", with the former being chosen for release that May whilst the latter comes out in September and later ends up on the next album.

Singles:
For What It's Worth / Everybody's Been Burned (January 1967)
Carrie Anne / Mind Gardens (May 1967)

Stampede (CSN; March 1968)

Side A (16:08)

1. Lady Friend - 2:36 (Crosby) [The Original Singles: 1967-1969, Volume 2] - April 26, 1967

2. Special Care - 3:30 (Stills) [Last Time Around] - January 3-20, 1968

3. Maker - 2:52 (Nash) [Butterfly] - August 1 - October 6, 1967

4. Four Days Gone - 2:53 (Stills) [Last Time Around] - late 1967 - early 1968

5. Postcard - 2:17 (Nash) [Butterfly] - August 1 - October 6, 1967

6. Dolphin's Smile - 2:00 (Crosby) [The Notorious Byrd Brothers] - August 14, 1967

Side B (15:26)

7. Hung Upside Down - 3:24 (Stills) [Buffalo Springfield Again] - September 1-5, 1967

8. King Midas in Reverse - 3:07 (Nash) [Reflections] - August 3 and 4, 1967

9. Rock and Roll Woman - 2:44 (Stills) [Buffalo Springfield Again] - June 22 - October 3, 1967

10. Triad - 3:29 (Crosby) [The Notorious Byrd Brothers] - August 14, 1967

11. Butterfly - 2:42 (Nash) [Butterfly] - August 1 - October 6, 1967

Recording for Crosby, Stills and Nash's second album begins before Mind Gardens is released, and in between recording sessions, the trio tours across America, with their harmonies becoming a part of their sound. The follow-up album, Stampede, comes out six months after the "Lady Friend"/"King Midas in Reverse" double A-side, but it is met with critical indifference. Stills then contacts his old Buffalo Springfield band mate Neil Young about joining the group, which proves effective in the long term when it comes to signing up for the Beatles' Apple Records label. Who knows what could've happened had Shakey not come on board?

Single:
Lady Friend / King Midas in Reverse (September 1967)

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young (May 1969)
Side A (17:10)
1. Suite: Judy Blue Eyes - 7:25 (Stills)
2. Everybody Knows This is Nowhere - 2:26 (Young)
3. Lady of the Island - 2:39 (Nash)
4. Guinnevere - 4:40 (Crosby)

Side B (17:11)
5. Down by the River - 9:13 (Young)
6. Blackbird - 2:17 (Lennon/McCartney)
7. You Don't Have to Cry - 2:45 (Stills)
8. Pre-Road Downs - 2:56 (Nash)

Side C (18:16)
9. Wooden Ships - 5:29 (Crosby)
10. Helplessly Hoping - 2:41 (Stills)
11. Cowgirl in the Sand - 10:06 (Young)

Side D (17:01)
12. Marrakesh Express - 2:39 (Nash)
13. Round and Round (It Won't Be Long) - 5:49 (Young)
14. Long Time Gone - 4:17 (Crosby)
15. 49 Bye-Byes - 5:16 (Stills)

Neil Young's tracks are sourced from Everybody Knows This is Nowhere whilst "Blackbird" is from the CSN box set with studio chatter removed.

Crosby, Stills and Nash's eponymous debut album and Neil Young's Everybody Knows This is Nowhere were recorded and released at similar times, which makes you wonder what would've happened if Neil had been part of the group from the get-go. Making it a single album wouldn't do it justice at all, so a double album would have to do if you wanted to include every song from the CSN album. It was all a matter of trying to keep the sides of roughly equal length and giving each of the members at least three vocal spots. I originally wasn't going to include "Blackbird", but Side B came up short at nearly fifteen minutes long, so I put it in so each side was at least seventeen minutes each. The resulting album is nearly seventy minutes long.

Singles:
Down by the River / Blackbird (May 1969)
Marrakesh Express / Everybody Knows This is Nowhere (July 1969)
Suite: Judy Blue Eyes / Long Time Gone (September 1969)

Déjà Vu (March 1970)
Side A (23:33)
1. Carry On - 4:26 (Stills)
2. Sea of Madness - 2:39 (Young)
3. Teach Your Children - 2:53 (Nash)
4. Almost Cut My Hair - 4:31 (Crosby)
5. Helpless - 3:33 (Young)
6. Woodstock - 3:54 (Mitchell)
7. You're Wrong Baby - 1:37 (Nash)

Side B (24:27)
8. Déjà Vu - 4:12 (Crosby)
9. Everybody's Alone - 2:22 (Young)
10. Our House - 2:59 (Nash)
11. 4 + 20 - 2:04 (Stills)
12. Country Girl - 5:11 (Young)
13. The Lee Shore - 5:18 (Crosby)
14. Everybody I Love You - 2:21 (Stills/Young)

"Sea of Madness" is the studio take that remains unreleased. "You're Wrong Baby" and "Everybody's Alone" also remain unreleased, but the aforementioned three songs can be found on the Studio Archives 1969 bootleg. "The Lee Shore" is sourced from the CSN box set. All tracks have had their studio chatter removed.

Something that bothered me about Déjà Vu was the fact that the number of vocal spots per member was unbalanced; Stills got four whilst the others each got two if we ignore the backing vocals for "Country Girl" and "Everybody I Love You". I tried to rectify that by giving Crosby, Nash and Young each one more song (Neil got two) to try and even the numbers a bit. I didn't use the extended version of "Almost Cut My Hair" because I didn't want to put myself through the stress of having to rearrange the album just to accommodate it. Plus, I didn't want two double-albums back to back. That's overkill if you ask me. I didn't include "Horses Through a Rainstorm" because I didn't want it to clash with So Far, which I consider to be an odds and ends album.

I'm really happy at having to include "Sea of Madness", "Everybody's Alone" and "The Lee Shore" on a CSNY album, but I am indifferent to "You're Wrong Baby". I couldn't think up another Graham Nash song from the period (barring "Horses Through a Rainstorm"), so I had to make do with what I could find. If anyone can think up of another song from him from that time frame, that'd be great. But for now, this more balanced Déjà Vu sounds good as is.

Singles:
Woodstock / Everybody's Alone (March 1970)
Teach Your Children / Carry On (May 1970)
Ohio / Find the Cost of Freedom (June 1970; non-album)
Our House / Déjà Vu (September 1970)

This was a surprisingly quick post to write up, especially when comparing it to the alternate Beatles discography I wrote last Wednesday. A prequel album to an official debut is an interesting thing to try and explore; with Crosby, Stills and Nash, you get hints not only as to where they came from, but also where they were going next. Add Neil Young into the mix, and you get pure magic. The best thing about this post is that they can co-exist alongside my 1971-1976 CSNY albums without any interference. Now how's that for a bonus?

But alas, their egos and drugs got in the way of music making, so you have to imagine what could've been if they cooperated just long enough to give us more...

Extra Scenes: The Best of Highway 61 Vol. 1 (July 1973 - December 1976)

Various Artists - The Best of Highway 61 Vol. 1: 1973-1976

Released: July 12, 2013

Recorded: 1973-1976

Producer: Various

Track listing[1]

Knockin' on Heaven's Door [Bob Dylan]
Amoureuse [Kiki Dee]
Strut Your Stuff [Tom Scott and The L.A. Express]
Sweet Home Alabama [Lynyrd Skynyrd]
Walk On [Neil Young]
I Am Missing You [Ravi Shankar]
Dreamer [Supertramp]
Only One Woman [Nigel Olsson]
Spin 'Round the Room [Stackridge]
Only Women Bleed* [Alice Cooper]
Baby, Get It On [Ike & Tina Turner]
Magic Man* [Heart]
Walk This Way [Aerosmith]
Bad Blood [Neil Sedaka]
A Song for You [Solution]
Blitzkrieg Bop [Ramones]
Gloria [Patti Smith]
Devil Woman [Cliff Richard]
Honey Don't Leave L.A. [Attitudes]
(Don't Fear) The Reaper* [Blue Öyster Cult]
Tonight's the Night (Gonna Be Alright) [Rod Stewart]
American Girl [Tom Petty & Mudcrutch]

The first Best of Highway 61 compilation was released close to the fortieth anniversary of Bob Dylan's first post-Columbia Records single, "Knockin' on Heaven's Door", from the album Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid. Despite the subtitle "1973-1976", there was barely any emphasis on 1973 (with Dylan and Kiki Dee both representing said year), with the majority of the music being from 1974 to 1976, largely due to Highway 61 Records finding its feet and some up-and-coming talent upon formation.

Apple's American sister branch did eventually find great talent from Lynyrd Skynyrd ("Sweet Home Alabama") to Alice Cooper ("Only Women Bleed") to Heart ("Magic Man") to the Ramones ("Blitzkrieg Bop") and to Tom Petty & Mudcrutch ("American Girl"), the majority of them being signed onto the label by ex-Beach Boys and Passions member Dennis Wilson and ex-Badfinger member Pete Ham. These two men would form a partnership that would define the label for years to come, eventually leading to talents such as Toto, the Buggles, Huey Lewis and the News and Pat Benatar, as well as bringing in veterans such as Carly Simon, Yes and Colin Blunstone.

The most popular track of the compilation was Blue Öyster Cult's "(Don't Fear) The Reaper", which saw a resurgence of popularity on Saturday Night Live in 2000 in a sketch called "More Cowbell", written by Will Ferrell and Donnell Campbell. In the sketch, Ferrell plays fictional cowbell player Gene Frenkle during the recording sessions of the song, whose overzealous cowbell playing got on the band's nerves but impressed producer Bruce Dickinson (guest host Christopher Walken), demanding for "more cowbell". Due to the sketch's popularity, "more cowbell" became a pop culture catchphrase.

The Best of Highway 61 Vol. 1 received positive reviews from critics, charting at #1 in the United States and #4 in the United Kingdom, calling it a fine start for Apple's sister label.

Footnotes

1. Tracks marked with an asterisk are single edits in order to fit on a single compact disc.

Author's Comments

Not a lot to say here; the artists featured on the compilation are a partial spoiler as to what's to come in a chapter for Phase Three, but there's no other way around it, to be honest. So far, I've got the roster mapped out to 1976, and I know what artists I'll have signed up to the label up to 1983. It's all a matter of deciding who stays on and later leaves the label.

Alternate Peppers: The Beatles Discography, 1968-1976

In the latest chapter to the Strawberry Peppers story, I mentioned that various blogs would've come up with their own theories and ideas as to what the Beatles' discography might've been like had they continued well into the 1970s. My personal take on the Beatles' discography up to 1976 is essentially what could've happened if Paul McCartney had recognized George Harrison's growing songwriting talent alongside John Lennon and the not-quite-so-quiet-as-we'd-think Beatle was allowed more room on the albums. A basic idea here is that things eventually flow more or less onto the Ladders' trajectory but with Paul along for the ride.

So let me take down a path the Beatles might've taken had things gone differently for them in this timeline:

Yellow Submarine (August 1968)

Side A (22:23)

1. Yellow Submarine - 2:48 ("Real Love" single)

2. Hey Bulldog - 3:11 (Yellow Submarine)

3. The Fool on the Hill - 3:00

4. Blue Jay Way - 3:50

5. All Together Now - 2:11 (Yellow Submarine)

6. I Am the Walrus - 4:35

7. Magical Mystery Tour - 2:48

Side B (23:44)

8. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - 2:02 (Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band)

9. Baby, You're a Rich Man - 3:07

10. Flying - 2:16

11. All You Need is Love - 3:57

12. Hello, Goodbye - 3:24

13. Your Mother Should Know - 2:33

14. It's All Too Much - 6:25 (Yellow Submarine)

All tracks are sourced from Magical Mystery Tour unless stated otherwise.

One of the things that might've been different is that the Alice in Wonderland film might not have happened, and Yellow Submarine is accepted as fulfilling the Beatles' contract with United Artists. I sometimes consider both Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine to be twin albums, with both sharing "All You Need is Love" and the fact that most of the songs were recorded in 1967 (barring the title track and "Hey Bulldog" for 1966 and 1968, respectively). I left off "Only a Northern Song", having already used it for Merseyside, used the alternate mix for "Yellow Submarine" with additional sound effects and a spoken vocal intro, and the title track from Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band had the orchestra tuning removed and the outro was extended to include the intro to "With a Little Help from My Friends", but fades out before the song starts. Track listing is based upon the Yellow Submarine Songtrack remix album from 1999.

Singles:

Lady Madonna / The Inner Light (March 1968; non-album)
Hey Jude / Revolution (August 1968; non-album)

The Beatles I/White (November 1968)

Side A (22:01)

1. Dear Prudence - 3:58 [Vocal, Guitar and Drums]

2. Glass Onion - 1:56 [Take 10]

3. Martha My Dear - 2:27 [Without Brass and Strings]

4. Blackbird - 2:20

5. Piggies - 2:05

6. Rocky Raccoon - 3:34

7. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill - 2:40 [Take 2]

8. Isn't It a Pity - 3:01

Side B (20:51)

9. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - 2:49 [Take 3]

10. Julia - 2:55

11. Mother Nature's Son - 2:49

12. I Will - 1:45

13. Long, Long, Long - 3:06

14. Cry Baby Cry - 2:35

15. Can You Take Me Back? - 2:21 [Take 1]

16. Good Night - 2:31 [Take 10]

All tracks are sourced from the 2018 remaster of The White Album, excluding the demo version of "Isn't It a Pity", taken from Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison.

This album and the next were partially what inspired this post. Not too long ago, Uncle Dan did his own take on The White Album by expanding it and making it two individual albums. For my approach, I stuck with two regular albums each running at between 40 and 46 minutes, the norm for this period, and separated the songs by style. The Beatles I is basically the more folksy-sounding music with some tracks utilizing different versions to fit the theme. "Isn't It a Pity" is the demo version of which I'm not sure when it was recorded, but as it was written in 1966, I felt it was fair game for inclusion. Plus, the primitive way George recorded it makes it fit like a glove.

The Beatles II/Black (November 1968)

Side A (22:27)

1. Back in the U.S.S.R. - 2:44

2. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - 4:45

3. Sexy Sadie - 3:15

4. Honey Pie - 2:41

5. Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey - 2:25

6. Don't Pass Me By - 3:52

7. Happiness is a Warm Gun - 2:45

Side B (22:13)

8. Not Guilty - 4:20

9. Birthday - 2:43

10. Yer Blues - 3:57

11. Why Don't We Do It in the Road? - 1:41

12. Savoy Truffle - 2:55

13. I'm So Tired - 2:04

14. Helter Skelter - 4:33

All tracks are sourced from the 2018 remaster of The White Album.

If The Beatles I had a more folksy sound, then The Beatles II is more hard rock with an experimental approach to some of the tracks. I picture both albums being released alongside each other.

Back in Your Safely Beds (March 1969)

Side A (17:17)

1. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) - 4:19 (Past Masters)

2. Los Paranoias - 3:58 (The Beatles, 2018 reissue)

3. What's the New Mary Jane? - 6:12 (Anthology 3)

4. Suicide - 2:48 (McCartney)

Side B (16:59)

5. Wonderwall [Dream Scene] - 5:26 (Wonderwall Music)

6. Wild Honey Pie - 1:00 (The Beatles)

7. Revolution 19 - 10:33 (soniclovenoize remix)

Essentially, the leftovers that didn't make either the White or Black Albums, only released four months earlier than in the Strawberry Peppers universe.

Single:
I'd Have You Anytime / The Ballad of John and Yoko (April 1969; non-album)

Get Back (September 1969)

Side A (23:26)

1. Get Back - 3:15 (Past Masters)

2. Dig a Pony - 3:38 (Let It Be... Naked)

3. Oh! Darling - 3:26 (Abbey Road)

4. Old Brown Shoe - 3:18 (Past Masters)

5. I've Got a Feeling - 3:30 (Let It Be... Naked)

6. One After 909 - 2:44 (Let It Be... Naked)

7. Don't Let Me Down - 3:35 (Past Masters)

Side B (22:39)

8. Come Together - 4:20 (Abbey Road)

9. Two of Us - 3:20 (Let It Be... Naked)

10. For You Blue - 2:27 (Let It Be... Naked)

11. Taking a Trip to Carolina - 0:46 (The Lost Album bootleg, disc 6)

12. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window - 3:03 (Anthology 3)

13. Give Peace a Chance - 4:52 (Power to the People: The Hits)

14. Let It Down - 3:51 (All Things Must Pass, alternate version)

Side A is pretty much the same as it is in the timeline, but side B received a reworking having utilized "Don't Pass Me By" for The Beatles II and bringing in "Taking a Trip to Carolina". To further flesh out the album, I included "Give Peace a Chance" and the acoustic version of "Let It Down" (written 1968); both are contemporary with when the album was recorded ITTL, but you could probably substitute in "Give Peace a Chance" with "Across the Universe" if you so choose.

Singles:
Get Back / Don't Let Me Down (August 1969)
Come Together / Old Brown Shoe (October 1969)

Everest (April 1970)

Side A (24:20)

1. Because - 2:45 (Abbey Road)

2. Something - 3:03 (Abbey Road)

3. Come and Get It - 2:30 (Anthology 3)

4. Cold Turkey - 5:01 (Power to the People: The Hits)

5. Octopus's Garden - 2:51 (Abbey Road)

6. Her Majesty - 0:23 (The Beatles: Rock Band audio rip)

7. I Want You (She's So Heavy) - 7:47 (Abbey Road)

Side B (24:21)

8. The Long and Winding Road - 3:34 (Let It Be... Naked)

9. Here Comes the Sun - 3:05 (Abbey Road)

10. Cosmically Conscious - 1:50 (Off the Ground)

11. Sun King/Mean Mr. Mustard - 3:32 (Abbey Road)

12. Polythene Pam/I Me Mine - 2:54 (Abbey Road/Anthology 3)

13. Let It Be - 3:51 (Past Masters)

14. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End - 5:35 (Abbey Road)

The only album from Strawberry Peppers that remains unedited. I did try thinking about what I could use in place of "Cosmically Conscious" and "I Me Mine", but I couldn't come up with anything so I left the album as is for now.

Singles:
Something / Cold Turkey (February 1970)
Let It Be / Octopus's Garden (April 1970)

Hot as Sun (December 1970)

Side A (17:13)

1. Mother - 3:53 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

2. My Sweet Lord - 3:24 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

3. Every Night - 2:31 (McCartney)

4. I Found Out - 3:37 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

5. Working Class Hero - 3:48 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

Side B (17:48)

6. Beaucoups of Blues - 2:33 (Beaucoups of Blues)

7. Love - 3:21 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

8. That Would Be Something - 2:38 (McCartney)

9. Behind That Locked Door - 3:29 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

10. Isolation - 2:51 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

11. Man We Was Lonely - 2:56 (McCartney)

Side C (17:41)

12. Beware of Darkness - 3:20 (All Things Must Pass Naked, bootleg)

13. Hot as Sun - 1:30 (McCartney)

14. Junk - 2:43 (McCartney)

15. Look at Me - 2:53 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

16. Awaiting on You All - 2:26 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

17. Coochy Coochy - 4:48 (Beaucoups of Blues)

Side D (16:54)

18. Teddy Boy - 2:22 (McCartney)

19. Apple Scruffs - 2:36 (All Things Must Pass Naked, bootleg)

20. Remember - 4:33 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

21. Maybe I'm Amazed - 3:53 (McCartney)

22. All Things Must Pass - 3:30 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

Now this is where this alternate path differs from what I've written; the Beatles reunite in the studio in September 1970, but rather than the complex production featured in Everest, they opt for a more lo-fi sound for their next album. In addition, they give each other room to express themselves, although no one bothers to tell George about "My Sweet Lord" sounding like "He's So Fine" until Bright Tunes speaks up. Ringo appears on John's and George's songs and Klaus Voormann appears on bass when Paul is busy with his own tunes, although "Maybe I'm Amazed" is the only track to feature all four members together, save for the title track, a quirky jam credited to all four members. No singles come from the album, although it is backed by a non-album single.

Single:
Instant Karma / Another Day (November 1970; non-album)

Imagine Clouds Dripping (September 1971)

Side A (22:03)

1. Imagine - 3:01 (Imagine)

2. What Is Life - 4:22 (All Things Must Pass)

3. Dear Boy - 2:12 (Ram)

4. Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll) - 3:48 (All Things Must Pass)

5. Jealous Guy - 4:14 (Imagine)

6. The Back Seat of My Car - 4:26 (Ram)

Side B (22:20)

7. It Don't Come Easy - 3:01 (Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr)

8. Gimme Some Truth - 3:16 (Imagine)

9. Heart of the Country - 2:21 (Ram)

10. Art of Dying - 3:37 (All Things Must Pass)

11. Oh My Love - 2:50 (Imagine)

12. Eat at Home - 3:18 (Ram)

13. Bangla Desh - 3:57 (Living in the Material World)

Contrasting their lo-fi sound on Hot as Sun, the Beatles rely on Phil Spector (although Paul is more reluctant) to produce their next album. Imagine Clouds Dripping is universally acclaimed and considered by many to be their second Merseyside, further affirmed by the Beatles' presence at the Concert for Bangladesh. Most bands would've stopped right there and then once they'd reached their peak, but the Beatles still had plenty left to say.

Singles:
What is Life / Crippled Inside (non-album B-side) (May 1971)
Imagine / Bangla Desh (August 1971)
It Don't Come Easy / I Dig Love (non-album B-side) (September 1971)
Happy Xmas (War is Over) / Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey (December 1971; non-album)

Bloody Sunday (June 1972)

Side A (24:28)

1. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) - 3:36 (Living in the Material World)

2. Big Barn Bed - 3:48 (Red Rose Speedway)

3. John Sinclair - 3:28 (Some Time in New York City)

4. Who Can See It - 3:52 (Living in the Material World)
5. The Luck of the Irish - 2:56 (Some Time in New York City)

6. Wild Life - 6:48 (Wild Life)

Side B (23:41)

7. Back Off Boogaloo - 3:19 (Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr)
8. Give Ireland Back to the Irish - 3:46 (Wild Life)

9. Sunday Bloody Sunday - 5:00 (Some Time in New York City)

10. The Day the World Gets 'Round - 2:53 (Living in the Material World)

11. Tomorrow - 3:28 (Wild Life)
12. Woman is the Nigger of the World - 5:15 (Some Time in New York City)

1972 was a controversial year for the Beatles, especially now that their music had become more politically-themed. As a result, Bloody Sunday ended up being a critical and commercial flop by their standards, with possibly worse reviews than their experimental Back in Your Safely Beds. Clearly, they needed a new direction after this.

Singles:
Give Ireland Back to the Irish / The Luck of the Irish (February 1972)
Power to the People / Smile Away (April 1972; non-album)
Back Off Boogaloo / Tomorrow (July 1972)
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) / Hi, Hi, Hi (non-album B-side) (December 1972)

Photograph (September 1973)

Side A (25:26)

1. I'm the Greatest - 3:21 (Ringo)

2. Living in the Material World - 5:31 (Living in the Material World)

3. Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple) - 4:12 (Mind Games)

4. Get on the Right Thing - 4:17 (Red Rose Speedway)

5. Photograph - 3:56 (Ringo)

6. Be Here Now - 4:09 (Living in the Material World)

Side B (24:15)

7. Mind Games - 4:13 (Mind Games)

8. My Love - 4:07 (Red Rose Speedway)

9. Don't Let Me Wait Too Long - 2:57 (Living in the Material World)

10. Step Lightly - 3:15 (Ringo)

11. Out the Blue - 3:23 (Mind Games)

12. Little Lamb Dragonfly - 6:20 (Red Rose Speedway)

With new producer Dennis Wilson, the Beatles were back on top once again, and for the first time, all four members had equal vocal spots, even Ringo. Critics compared this to The Beatles II from five years earlier, only with a more mature, gentle sound akin to The Beatles I. Meanwhile, John Lennon had broken up with Yoko Ono and now found himself dating a young actress called Madeline Kahn, but he had now been hit with a lawsuit claiming that "Come Together" had nicked a line from Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me". It wasn't helping that Bright Tunes was breathing down George's neck as well, leaving this band on the run...

Singles:
Live and Let Die / One Day (At a Time) (June 1973; non-album)
Photograph / My Love (August 1973)
Mind Games / Don't Let Me Wait Too Long (November 1973)

Band on the Run (October 1974)

Side A (25:30)

1. Band on the Run - 5:12 (Band on the Run)

2. Jet - 4:09 (Band on the Run)

3. Intuition - 3:08 (Mind Games)

4. Oh My My - 4:16 (Ringo)

5. Dark Horse - 3:54 (Dark Horse)

6. Let Me Roll It - 4:51 (Band on the Run)

Side B (25:38)

7. Tight A$ - 3:37 (Mind Games)

8. Junior's Farm - 4:20 (Venus and Mars)

9. Devil Woman - 3:50 (Ringo)

10. Only People - 3:23 (Mind Games)

11. So Sad - 5:00 (Dark Horse)

12. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five - 5:28 (Band on the Run)

1974 seemed to be a big year for the Beatles, especially for Paul McCartney, whose songwriting dominated their next album. John's songwriting seems to have stagnated by this point, and George's contributions were minimal, having gone through a bout of laryngitis. The iconic album cover included not only the Beatles, but Gene Wilder, Madeline Kahn, Dennis Wilson, Carl Reiner and Mel Brooks as well. After a legendary performance with Elton John (who collaborated with them on their August single) at Madison Square Garden, the Beatles went on their first American tour since 1966. Despite the excitement of the novelty, it seems the long-awaited tour may have come too late, but was there a way to keep the band from falling apart again?

Singles:
Helen Wheels / Simply Shady (June 1974; non-album)
Whatever Gets You Thru the Night / Snookeroo (August 1974; with Elton John, non-album)
Band on the Run / I Know (I Know) (non-album B-side) (October 1974)
Ding Dong, Ding Dong / Mrs. Vandebilt (December 1974; non-album)
Jet / Oh My My (January 1975)

Rock Show Vienna (July 1975)

Side A (23:51)

1. Venus and Mars/Rock Show - 6:47 (Venus and Mars)

2. Going Down on Love - 3:54 (Walls and Bridges)

3. Love in Song - 3:04 (Venus and Mars)

4. Easy for Me - 2:20 (Goodnight Vienna)

5. Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox) - 2:55 (Walls and Bridges)

6. Tired of Midnight Blue - 4:51 (Extra Texture (Read All About It))

Side A (23:21)

7. What You Got - 3:09 (Walls and Bridges)

8. Call Me Back Again - 4:58 (Venus and Mars)

9. His Name is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen) - 5:46 (Extra Texture (Read All About It))

10. Old Dirt Road - 4:11 (Walls and Bridges)

11. You Gave Me the Answer - 2:15 (Venus and Mars)

12. (It's All Down to) Goodnight Vienna - 3:02 (Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr)

Taking inspiration from the music of New Orleans, the Beatles recorded their next album with a group of friends including Dennis Wilson, Vangelis, Harry Nilsson, Dr. John and Tom Scott, which sounded less like a Beatles album and more like a big band album. Despite being a modest success, neither of the album's singles were huge hits. But it wasn't long before the Beatles set out to record an album not only to fulfill their contract with EMI, but to also respond to Morris Levy's lawsuit.

Singles:
Venus and Mars/Rock Show / What You Got (May 1975)
Goodnight Vienna / Letting Go (non-album B-side) (August 1975)

Rock 'n' Roll (January 1976)

Side A (24:14)

1. Be-Bop-A-Lula - 2:39 (Rock 'n' Roll)

2. Twenty Flight Rock - 3:03 (Choba B CCCP)

3. You're Sixteen - 2:48 (Ringo)

4. Brown Eyed Handsome Man - 2:27 (Run Devil Run)

5. You Can't Catch Me - 4:51 (Rock 'n' Roll)

6. Movie Magg - 2:12 (Run Devil Run)

7. Peggy Sue - 2:06 (Rock 'n' Roll)

8. Bye Bye, Love - 4:08 (Dark Horse)

Side B (23:04)

8. Stand By Me - 3:26 (Rock 'n' Roll)

10. Lucille - 3:13 (Choba B CCCP)

11. True Love - 2:45 (Thirty-Three & 1/3)

12. Slippin' and Slidin' - 2:16 (Rock 'n' Roll)

13. She Said Yeah - 2:07 (Run Devil Run)

14. Only You (and You Alone) - 3:26 (Goodnight Vienna)

15. Ya Ya - 2:17 (Rock 'n' Roll)

16. Just Because - 3:34 (Choba B CCCP)

Basically a single-disc version of the Rock 'n' Roll album featured in the Strawberry Peppers story, mostly using the first two sides as a guide. Your results may vary.

Single:
You're Sixteen / Stand By Me (January 1976)

Between the Lines (July 1976)

Side A (22:35)

1. Silly Love Songs - 3:37 (Wings at the Speed of Sound)

2. Cookin' (In the Kitchen of Love) - 3:41 (Ringo's Rotogravure)

3. Beautiful Girl - 3:39 (Thirty-Three & 1/3)

4. Move Over Miss L - 2:58 (John Lennon Signature Box)

5. Soily - 3:53 (Venus and Mars)

6. #9 Dream - 4:47 (Walls and Bridges)

Side B (23:13)

7. Crackerbox Palace - 3:57 (Thirty-Three & 1/3)

8. Beware My Love - 5:35 (Wings at the Speed of Sound, John Bonham version)

9. Bless You - 4:05 (Menlove Ave.)

10. Six O'Clock - 5:23 (Goodnight Vienna)

11. Learning How to Love You - 4:13 (Thirty-Three & 1/3, early mix)

This time around, the Beatles are finally able to put out their last album before going on hiatus for a few years. Whilst John is at home baking bread and changing diapers, Paul puts out a couple of solo albums and George and Ringo form the Dark Horses and put out a few albums with Eric Clapton, Ronnie Wood and Vangelis. The Beatles finally get back together again in the early 1980s, and the rest is history.

Or at least, it might have been...

Singles:
Silly Love Songs / Cookin' (in the Kitchen of Love) (June 1976)
#9 Dream / This Song (non-album B-side) (August 1976)
Crackerbox Palace / Beware My Love (November 1976)

And as an added bonus, here are the first two volumes of Past Masters! All tracks from 1963-1969 are taken from said album except where noted.

Past Masters 1963-1969 (1988)

Side A (20:02)

1. From Me to You - 1:58

2. Thank You Girl - 2:04

3. She Loves You - 2:21

4. I'll Get You - 2:06

5. I Want to Hold Your Hand - 2:27

6. This Boy - 2:16

7. Komm, gib mir deine Hand - 2:27

8. Sie liebt dich - 2:20

9. Long Tall Sally - 2:03

Side B (20:03)

10. I Call Your Name - 2:09

11. Slow Down - 2:56

12. Matchbox - 1:59

13. I Feel Fine - 2:20

14. She's a Woman - 3:03

15. Bad Boy - 2:21

16. Yes It Is - 2:43

17. I'm Down - 2:32

Side C (18:24)

18. Day Tripper - 2:50

19. We Can Work It Out - 2:16

20. Paperback Writer - 2:19

21. Rain - 3:02

22. Christmas Time (Is Here Again) - 3:02 ("Free as a Bird" single)

23. Lady Madonna - 2:18

24. The Inner Light - 2:37

Side D (20:16)

25. Hey Jude - 7:08

26. Revolution - 3:25

27. I'd Have You Anytime - 2:54 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

28. The Ballad of John and Yoko - 3:00

29. Across the Universe - 3:49

Past Masters 1970-1976 (1988)

Side A (19:17)

1. Instant Karma! - 3:20 (Power to the People: The Hits)

2. Another Day - 3:41 (Ram)

3. Crippled Inside - 3:47 (Imagine)
4. I Dig Love - 4:55 (All Things Must Pass)

5. Happy Xmas (War is Over) - 3:34 (Power to the People: The Hits)

Side B (18:15)

6. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - 4:49 (Ram)

7. Power to the People - 3:17 (Power to the People: The Hits)
8. Smile Away - 3:51 (Ram)

9. Hi, Hi, Hi - 3:07 (Red Rose Speedway)
10. Live and Let Die - 3:11 (Wings Greatest)

Side C (18:26)

11. One Day (At a Time) - 3:09 (Mind Games)

12. Helen Wheels - 3:44 (Band on the Run)

13. Simply Shady - 4:38 (Dark Horse)

14. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - 3:28 (Walls and Bridges)

15. Snookeroo - 3:27 (Goodnight Vienna)

Side D (20:55)

16. I Know (I Know) - 3:49 (Mind Games)

17. Ding Dong, Ding Dong - 3:40 (Dark Horse)

18. Mrs. Vandebilt - 4:40 (Band on the Run)

19. Letting Go - 4:33 (Venus and Mars)

20. This Song - 4:13 (Thirty-Three & 1/3)

So what're your thoughts on this? Are there other alternate discographies you'd like me to tackle? I've already got one lined out for Smile and have one in mind for Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. I'd definitely like to do one for the Beach Boys had Brian Wilson survived and got help. Now there's a post worth trying out!

Chapter 50: Don't Go Breaking My Heart (May - December 1976)

10 May - 16 June 1976

The cover for the Beatles' unreleased 1976 album Between the Lines, planned for a release date of 16 July 1976.

GEORGE HARRISON: "We planned for our first album of originals since Everest to be called Between the Lines. The meaning behind it was that when people think of the Beatles, they think of John as the Beatle who always wrote the hard rockers like 'Revolution' and 'Come Together', Paul for writing the ballads like 'Yesterday' and the more outlandish songs like 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da', me for being the quiet one, and Ringo being... Ringo. That was reflected on our projects apart between 1970 and 1975, but if you look deeper, there's more to us than what we've often been stereotyped as." (1996)

PAUL McCARTNEY: "Since he'd had three songs on Abracadabra, George had always been frustrated at the fact that John and I always dominated the albums. I mean, John recognized George's talent during the trip in India in 1968 and I didn't; if I had, maybe we wouldn't have broken up in 1970. Having heard his music as part of the Ladders, I'd realized how much I'd taken George's growth for granted. He deserved to stand alongside me and John, y'know, and the critics agreed. That was why, for when we did Between the Lines, the three of us would have equal vocal spots. Ringo could have an extra vocal spot if he felt like it." (2005)

Among the first songs auditioned for Between the Lines was "Beautiful Girl", a song that George had begun back in 1969, and now, he had finished it up for possible inclusion, inspired by his girlfriend Olivia Arias. His other contributions to the sessions included the comedic "Crackerbox Palace" (with the line "it's twoo, it's twoo" inspired from Madeline Kahn's character Lili Von Shtupp in Blazing Saddles), the jazz-sounding "Learning How to Love You", and a co-write with John Lennon, "This Song", following their respective lawsuits over "My Sweet Lord" and "Come Together".

Paul's first contribution to the sessions was what he considered probably his most ambitious and complex track, "Silly Love Songs", a response to John Lennon and music critics for mostly writing... well, silly love songs. The track was met with skepticism among the other three Beatles, thinking it would never be a hit single. Still, they recorded it with the mindset that it could end up being either the Beatles' biggest surprise hit (or at least, among their biggest), or a single that would render them a musical joke. It could've also ended up somewhere in the middle; "Silly Love Songs" was a gamble at this point. Two of Paul's other contributions had a much harder rock sound - the counter argument "Beware My Love", and a track written as early as 1971, "Soily". He'd also had another track from 1973, "Six O'Clock", which was given to Ringo to sing, having had no songwriting contributions of his own.

John's contributions were all from the Goodnight Vienna sessions. The best of the leftovers, according to the other three Beatles, were the psychedelic dreamlike "#9 Dream", the jazzy "Bless You", and the 50s-influenced "Move Over Miss L", a jab at Lennon's ex-wife Yoko Ono. The only new song he contributed was another track for Ringo to sing, "Cookin' (in the Kitchen of Love)". That left the total at four songs each from John, Paul and George, with one track from the latter being left aside for a possible B-side, and the former two each giving a track for Ringo to sing.

John Lennon, 1976.

JOHN LENNON: "We split up the $3,200 we'd earned for our performance on Saturday Night between us and used that money to pay for studio space at the Hit Factory in New York. That place was chosen because I wanted to be there for Maddy when our child came. That, and our wedding. While I gave part of my share to pay for studio space, most of it went into preparing for the birth of our child as well as wedding planning. As excited as I was to record with us as the Beatles again, I wanted to put as much focus as I could on taking care of Maddy and our unborn child. Paul and Ringo understood, given that they had each fathered children; George was the only one who didn't have any at the time, but even he could sense that I wanted to prioritize family over business." (1988)

MADELINE KAHN: "While John and the others were recording, I spent time with Linda and her children and got to meet Olivia for the first time. Unofficially, we had formed a club about being lovers to the Beatles, along with Nancy Andrews, though we didn't see her that often. Poor John was torn about splitting time with me and his bandmates, so I had to assure him that things would be fine with me. Didn't stop him from worrying, though. *giggles*" (2003)

Despite John's concerns, the recording sessions for Between the Lines went by extremely smoothly, especially given that the album as a whole was self-produced. Although there was a brief spat between George and Paul over how some songs should be arranged, Ringo acted as the mediator telling them that they were too old to be squabbling like this. After all, they were all grown men, and every track had to say "produced by the Beatles", and not "'Six O'Clock' produced by Paul McCartney", "'Beautiful Girl' produced by George Harrison", and so on. After the recording was done, two days before Paul's 34th birthday, the track listing was decided as follows, according to the journals of John Lennon:

Side A:

Silly Love Songs

Kitchen of Love (both tracks to be a single together)

Beautiful Girl

Move Over Miss L

Soily (You Know He's Right)

No. 9 Dream (as part of a single)

Side B:

Crackerbox Palace

Beware My Love (both also to be a single together)

Bless You (Wherever You Are)

Six O'Clock in the Morning

Learning How to Love You

This Song as a B-side to No. 9 Dream

Although the album's planned release date was set for 16 July 1976, for whatever reason, it never happened. But why? It wasn't like the music was anything to be ashamed of, right? Actually, it was because Paul McCartney had been dragged back into working with Smile and had to prepare for a tour beginning in July, and unfortunately, this would leave him with little to no time to promote the album.

RINGO STARR: "It was unbelievable. We were so close to putting out a Beatles reunion album and a few singles, but label problems had other plans in store." (2010)

PAUL McCARTNEY: "We'd put so much effort into this album, but because I was committed to Smile at the time, the album was pulled at the last minute. What was even harder for all of us was that I asked for my vocal spots to be removed; George didn't want to do this, and I don't blame him. Between the Lines had gone from being a Beatles reunion album to a Ladders album." (1988)

GEORGE HARRISON: "With John set to marry Madeline and Paul having dropped out, I was left in charge with reworking the album. I had to rely on older John songs from when we did Goodnight Vienna just to fill the void that Paul left behind. At least he got to re-use his own songs for the next Smile album, so it wasn't a complete loss for everyone involved." (1996)

Even though the Beatles' version of Between the Lines was never officially released, the planned track listing was, and over the years, the album gained a cult following for its status. On the internet in the 2010s, blogs such as Albums That Never Were would try to recreate what the Beatles reunion album would've been like had it been properly released. Other blogs like The Reconstructor and What If - Misc would go a step further to determine what the Beatles' albums between 1970 and 1975 would've been like had they stayed together during the first half of the decade; mostly it was a matter of personal preference and taste. Then there were blogs such as Something Creative and Apple Merseysiders[1] that envisioned a different story for the Beatles altogether pre-1970. Imagine that.

22 June 1976

Madeline Kahn, 1976.

Madeline Kahn grew up under a nonobservant Jewish roof, and in Jewish circles, it was considered to be good luck if you were married on a Tuesday, based upon the account of the third day of creation with the phrase "and God saw that it was good" (Genesis 1:10-12) appearing twice. The wedding between her and John Lennon took place on Tuesday the 22nd of June, shortly after the recording sessions for the Beatles' Between the Lines and before Paul McCartney went on a world tour with Smile throughout the latter half of 1976 and into the first few months of 1977.

Paul served as the best man to John whilst Linda McCartney was Madeline's maid of honor. The attendees of the wedding were the other two Beatles, along with Cynthia Powell, Julian Lennon, Maureen Cox, Olivia Arias, the McCartney and Starkey children, as well as Apple associates Brian Epstein, Peter Brown, Neil Aspinall, Mal Evans and Derek Taylor. Some additional members from the entertainment scene (including Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, Dennis Wilson, Freddie Mercury and Elton John) were also invited to the subsequent party near Madison Square Garden. Shortly after the wedding, Mr. and Mrs. John Lennon began their honeymoon in Greece. It was a happy time for all involved.

17 September 1976

The Ladders - Between the Lines

Released: 17 September 1976

Recorded: March - April 1975, 10 May - 16 June 1976

Producer: The Beatles (Paul McCartney on 1976 tracks) and Dennis Wilson (1975 tracks)

Track listing[2]

Side A

This Song**
Cookin' (in the Kitchen of Love)*
Scared
Crackerbox Palace*
Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)

Side B

Six O'Clock***
Bless You***
Beautiful Girl*
#9 Dream*
Learning How to Love You***

The final Between the Lines album was essentially a hodgepodge; "Scared", "Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)" and the original version of "Bless You" were all taken from the Goodnight Vienna sessions. The Beatles' version of the latter track and "Soily" both ended up in the vaults whilst "This Song" was included in the track listing and "Move Over Miss L" relegated to B-side status. "Learning How to Love You" had been given a new mix and "Six O'Clock" was shortened to four minutes, removing the coda that featured Paul McCartney's vocals. The remaining four tracks ("Cookin' (in the Kitchen of Love)", "Crackerbox Palace", "Beautiful Girl", and "#9 Dream") were all full Beatles recordings in all but the name.

The Ladders' seventh (and final) album managed to reach #1 for a couple of weeks in the United States, largely due to its status as "the Beatles album that almost was". Meanwhile, in the United Kingdom, Between the Lines reached #6. The first single, "#9 Dream"/"This Song" (#23 UK, #9 US), was intended to be the second reunion single following "Silly Love Songs"/"Cookin' (in the Kitchen of Love)", and it received positive reviews upon its release on 23 August, with the most common complaint being that it was a Ladders single in name only. The same applied to the second single, "Crackerbox Palace"/"Move Over Miss L" (#19 UK, #7 US), released 15 November.

JOHN LENNON: "We decided to end the Ladders right there when we put out Between the Lines. I had a family to raise after messing up the first time with Julian. George and Ringo still regrouped to form the Dark Horses with Eric, Ronnie and Vangelis. Paul continued with Smile; it would be a few years before we reunited once more, this time for real." (2003)

26 November - 10 December 1976

Paul McCartney & Smile - Silly Love Songs

Released: 26 November 1976

Recorded: 11 May and August - October 1976

Producer: Paul McCartney and Roy Thomas Baker; The Beatles (track 6 only)

Track listing[3]

Side A

Let 'Em In
The Note You Never Wrote
Long Away
She's My Baby
Beware My Love*

Side B

Silly Love Songs*
Tie Your Mother Down
Time to Hide
Drowse
San Ferry Anne
Warm and Beautiful

With permission from the other three Beatles, Paul re-used the full-length, unedited recording of "Silly Love Songs" for the next Smile album, from which the title was derived from. It was released as a single with Brian May's "Tie Your Mother Down" (with Freddie Mercury on vocals) on 27 September, reaching #1 in both the United States and the United Kingdom, becoming the greatest selling single of 1976, with Elton John and Kiki Dee's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" a close second.

Silly Love Songs, the fourth album by Paul McCartney & Smile, was purely Smile from start to finish, excluding the title track. Unlike the title track, however, "Beware My Love" was re-recorded from ground up, cross-fading from the previous track "She's My Baby". The album hit #1 in the United States but stalled at #2 in the United Kingdom and received mixed to positive reviews from critics, noting the increased vocal prominence of Denny Laine, Brian May and Roger Taylor, feeling like a group effort.

This was further proven by the release of the second single, "Long Away"/"Let 'Em In" (#10 UK, #2 US), on 6 December, with the A-side featuring May on lead vocals, the first Smile single to do so. The third and final single, "Time to Hide"/"Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together)" (non-album B-side) (#5 UK, #8 US), released 7 February 1977, featured Denny Laine on lead vocals for the A-side, being regarded since as his best song.

Freddie Mercury's second extended play, Somebody to Love, was released on 10 December 1976, and charted at #1 in the United Kingdom for two weeks. The first side consisted of "You Take My Breath Away" and "The Millionaire Waltz", whilst the second side consisted of the title track, "Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy" (both released as a single together on 15 November; #1 UK, #9 US) and "You and I", John Deacon's sole contribution to the extended play.

15 - 31 December 1976

Frederick "Freddie" Jerome Lennon II, the first-born son of John Lennon and Madeline Kahn, 1999.

At the New York Hospital in New York City, Frederick Jerome Lennon[4] was born to John Winston Lennon and Madeline Gail Kahn. The Lennons were joined by John's ex-wife Cynthia, his first born son Julian, Gene Wilder, and the McCartneys during a break in Smile's 1976-1977 world tour when young Frederick was born. John's second-born son was named in honor of not only his character in Young Frankenstein, but also his father Alfred Lennon, who had died earlier in the same year. The newborn's middle name, Jerome, was in honor of their friend Gene Wilder, whose birth name was Jerome Silberman, per Madeline's suggestion.

Shortly after Frederick's birth, the Lennons and McCartneys would spend the holidays together, celebrating both Hanukkah (December 17 to 24) and Christmas. While Madeline and Linda spent a lot of their time looking after the kids, John and Paul would spend long hours either jamming together on their acoustic guitars (it is believed that some songs were recorded by the pair, but this has never been fully confirmed) or reflecting on everything that had happened for the past year; both men expressed their disappointment that the Beatles never got to put out a proper reunion album, but they still understood that there were circumstances beyond their control. Happily, neither John nor Paul ruled out the possibility of reuniting once John felt comfortable enough to return to the spotlight. "I gotta have time to be a real dad, after all," John said.

At the start of the 1970s, the Beatles had split up into two parties - Paul McCartney and the Ladders. But with John Lennon becoming a househusband as of 31 December 1976, three parties now existed under the same banner; Lennon himself, Paul McCartney and Smile, and the Dark Horses, the latter of which consisted not only of George Harrison and Ringo Starr, but also Eric Clapton (guitar), Highway 61 Records artist Ronnie Wood (bass guitar), and former Aphrodite's Child member Vangelis Papathanassíou (keyboards).

All four Beatles had expressed their disappointment at being unable to release Between the Lines as intended, even apologizing to fans for not being able to fulfill their wishes. Still, they all had fun being together again for the first half of 1976, and they all shared the same optimism that when John was ready, they would get back together to record a proper album as a group. The question was, how long would it be before John Lennon would come out of retirement to record again? As Ringo once said, tomorrow never knows. After all, life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans...

END OF PHASE TWO

Footnotes

1. This universe's equivalent to Strawberry Peppers.
2. Tracks are sourced from Thrity-Three & 1/3, Ringo's Rotogravure, Walls and Bridges and Ringo's eponymous 1973 album. Any tracks marked with an asterisk (*) were recorded by the Beatles; "This Song" is marked with two asterisks, noting that it was intended to be a B-side instead of an album track. "Six O'Clock", "Bless You" and "Learning How to Love You" are marked with three asterisks, noting that they are different mixes from what was intended for the Beatles' version of Between the Lines. "Scared" and "Nobody Loves You" were never intended for the Beatles album.
3. Tracks are sourced from Wings at the Speed of Sound and A Day at the Races; "Tie Your Mother Down" is the single edit that removes the instrumental intro featuring the Shepard tone melody that "Teo Torriatte" later reprises. All tracks from Somebody to Love are also sourced from A Day at the Races. On Silly Love Songs, tracks marked with an asterisk were intended for the Beatles' Between the Lines, but were either re-recorded ("Beware My Love") or given their original length back ("Silly Love Songs").
4. Frederick Jerome Lennon is this universe's equivalent to Sean Lennon. Also, in OTL, Sean was born on October 9, 1975, his father's 35th birthday.

Author's Comments

Wow... fifty chapters since this blog first started, and in that time, we've covered eleven years and well over a hundred albums. All within the span of fourteen months! That's pretty impressive if I do say so myself. But now, Phase Two has come to a close, and soon, we'll be entering Phase Three, which will cover the 1977-1985 period.

So the Beatles have almost put out a reunion album, but sadly, fate had other ideas in store. But they're still hoping for a proper reunion once John's ready, so it's not a complete loss. In meantime, Paul carries on with Smile and George and Ringo rebrand once more under the Dark Horses. And yeah, I decided to title drop various alternate album blogs cause hey, it's the fiftieth chapter, so you gotta do something special for it.

As for what'll happen with Phase Three? I've been rethinking my release strategy; what if I was to put out chapters close together based upon a specific time frame? First would be 1977, then 1978-1980, then 1981-1983, and ending with 1984-1985. A weekly release is nice and all, but I did have to take a hiatus between chapters 30 and 31 in order to think about how the latter would go. If I was to work in blocks, a break would give me plenty of time to think about what I could include for the next block. 1977's going to be fairly short, so that'll be covered within five chapters at most. (Maybe six depending on what comes up.)

In the meantime, here's what I have in mind for extra scenes for Phase Two, in no specific order: (if there's anything you think I may have missed out on for both Phase One and Two, let me know)

• Hunky Dory Solo Projects (July 1973 - October 1976)
• Roy Wood's Side Projects
• The Beach Boys/Passions Post-1973
• The Zombies and Russ Ballard Post-Back from the Dead
• CSNY 1975 - 1976 Solo Projects
• The Best of Highway 61 Volume 1 (July 1973 - December 1976)

So that does it for now; we'll see you in Phase Three!

Album cover art for the Ladders' Between the Lines was designed by Auran.

Chapter 49: American Girl (February - November 1976)

February 16 - June 7, 1976

Mike Gibbins (far left) with the rest of Badfinger, circa 1973.

MIKE GIBBINS: "When Badfinger split up, the four of us were left wondering where we would go next after we put out Head First. Pete ended up becoming the joint director of A&R for Highway 61 Records with Dennis Wilson. Joey toured with Jeff Lynne and the Electric Light Orchestra. Tom ended up being part of Utopia with Todd Rundgren and the like. That left me on my own, wondering what to do with myself." (1981)

GRAHAM NASH: "It had been well over a year since we'd finished recording for both Hawaiian Sunrise and Human Highway. We were kinda feeling burned out by the time Highway had finally been released, and so the break did the four of us some good; Neil and Steve put out their own solo projects for Highway 61, and David and I were planning another duo album with the leftover material we had. By now, I'd heard of Badfinger's split, and I wanted to call up one of the members to see if they were available." (2002)

STEPHEN STILLS: "Graham got a hold of Mike after learning that Tom and Joey were already busy with other bands, and he asked if he could serve as a full-time drummer for us. He then told me, David and Neil about Mike's situation, and so after a brief meeting, we all agreed to bring him into the fold, and then Graham gave Mike a follow-up call to confirm that he was now part of the band." (1994)

David Crosby and Graham Nash performing with Carole King, 1975.

DAVID CROSBY: "I think it was a good thing that Graham invited Mike Gibbins to join the group. We still carried on as Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young cause... well, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young & Gibbins doesn't quite have the same ring, does it? *chuckles*" (1998)

MIKE GIBBINS: "I didn't have any material of my own when we did my first album with them, but that was fine with me. I did occasionally provide backing vocals on some of their tracks though; all in all, I was just happy to be part of a band again. Being part of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young was probably one of the best things to happen to me after Badfinger broke up ten years ago." (1985)

The recording sessions for the first CSNY album with Mike Gibbins as their new drummer began in mid-February and was to be called Long May You Run, serving as a follow up to Human Highway. The sessions lasted only four months, in contrast to Human Highway's production lasting about eighteen months, and took place at Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida. By contrast to the more folksy sound that had dominated previous albums, Long May You Run would take on a more experimental approach, most of that being credited to Neil Young and Stephen Stills.

August 6, 1976

Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young - Long May You Run

Released: August 6, 1976

Recorded: February 16 - June 7, 1976

Producer: Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young

Track listing[1]

Side A

Long May You Run
Broken Bird
Black Coral
Time After Time
Mutiny
Midnight on the Bay

Side B

J.B.'s Blues
12/8 Blues (All the Same)
Taken at All
Ocean Girl
Foolish Man
Guardian Angel

Like many follow-ups to great movies or albums, Long May You Run fell short for most critics, especially in regards to their more experimental songs (i.e. "12/8 Blues", "Ocean Girl") contrasting sharply with the more traditional sounding songs ("Taken at All", "Foolish Man"). On reflection to the sudden change of sound, the album did not reach the Top 10 in either the United States (#26) or the United Kingdom (#12), and nor did the two singles "Long May You Run"/"Time After Time" (#71 UK, #24 US) or "Taken at All"/"Black Coral" (#39 US, did not chart in the UK).

Despite the generally mixed reviews (although leaning towards positive), CSNY and Mike Gibbins went on a tour in the United States to promote their new album beginning with two performances at the Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, Michigan on June 23 and 24. However, after the Charlotte Coliseum performance in Charlotte, North Carolina on July 18, Neil Young pulled out via a telegram to Crosby, Stills and Nash:

"Dear David, Stephen and Graham, it's funny how some things that start spontaneously end that way. Eat some peaches. Neil."

Neil Young, 1976.

NEIL YOUNG: "At the time, I was feeling disillusioned with being a part of CSNY. I wanted to carry on with a solo career, as well as with the guys at Crazy Horse. It didn't feel fair of me, in hindsight, to leave some of the burden onto Mike Gibbins, who'd just become a part of the band." (1988)

The rest of the tour carried on under Crosby, Stills & Nash for the first time since 1969 following their eponymous debut album. After all, the show had to go on, with or without Neil. Many dates following the Charlotte Coliseum performance were changed up, and the trio plus Gibbins soon found themselves performing abroad in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Germany and Japan by the end of the year.

October 8, 1976

Neil Young - Zuma

Released: October 8, 1976

Recorded: June 16, 1974 - August 29, 1975 and August 11, 1976

Producer: Neil Young and David Briggs

Track listing[2]

Side A

Don't Cry No Tears
Hitchhiker
Campaigner
Lookin' for a Love
Barstool Blues

Side B

Stupid Girl
Drive Back
Cortez the Killer
Hawaii

Ironically, Neil Young's first album following his split with Crosby, Stills & Nash had actually been recorded while he was part of the group; shortly before the release of On the Beach, during the tour that led to the Hawaiian Sunrise live album, during the recording sessions for both Human Highway and Homegrown. The remaining three songs, "Hitchhiker", "Campaigner" and "Hawaii", were all recorded along with various other songs on August 11, 1976. The other five songs from the sessions would eventually find their way onto a future Young project for next year.

Zuma (#44 UK, #25 US) received generally positive reviews from critics, being Young's first post-Ditch Tetralogy album following Time Fades Away, Tonight's the Night, On the Beach and Homegrown. The sole single from the album, "Lookin' for a Love"/"Drive Back", did not chart on either side of the Atlantic, but it did reach #48 in Young's native Canada.

November 2, 1976

Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan, 1976.

When George McGovern was elected president in 1972 against Gerald Ford, he'd only obtained the highest office by pure luck; Ford had chosen Bob Dole as his running candidate for vice-president instead of one of the more liberal Republicans, Nelson Rockefeller, whilst McGovern had chosen Terry Sanford. Not only that, the reputation of the Republican Party had taken a heavy blow following the Watergate scandal - and later, Richard Nixon's ten-year imprisonment - meaning that it was too soon for a Republican president after Nixon's fall from grace. Yet despite these factors, Ford had won 27 states and McGovern 23 (plus the District of Columbia), but McGovern had won more votes in the electoral college - 282 to Ford's 255.

Despite these victories, as well as getting American soldiers out of Vietnam by 1975, McGovern wasn't a hugely popular president to his peers; he was a liberal that was either ahead of his time or behind his time. What didn't help his reputation was the energy crisis that had hit the Western world, leading to an oil crisis that began in October 1973 at the same time as the Yom Kippur War; an oil embargo had been proclaimed by the Organization of Arab Petroleum Exporting Countries (OAPEC) targeting nations believed to be supporting Israel, and that included the United States. McGovern was given public blame for these issues, and on top of being disliked by the Democratic Party, this would haunt George McGovern for the remainder of his time in the White House.

Election Day couldn't come fast enough for America when 1976 rolled around; it had been a few years since the Watergate scandal blew up, and the Republican Party was slowly beginning to heal. Their most popular candidate for the election on November 2 was former governor of California (as well as former actor) Ronald Reagan.

McGovern had won only six states (Rhode Island, West Virginia, Georgia, Maryland, Minnesota and Hawaii, as well as the District of Columbia), whilst Reagan won the remaining 44 states in a landslide victory of 489 electoral votes to McGovern's 49. On January 20, 1977, Ronald Reagan would become the 39th President of the United States and would continue for a second term in 1981.[3] As for George McGovern? While he left office as one of the least popular Presidents in American history, as time went on, he would be regarded as a "tragic hero" of the 1970s, especially in showing support for LGBT rights in America as well as attempting to get the Equal Rights Amendment approved for the United States Constitution.

November 6, 1976

Tom Petty & Mudcrutch - American Girl

Released: November 6, 1976

Recorded: 1976

Producer: Pete Ham

Track listing[4]

Side A

Rockin' Around (With You)
Breakdown
Mystery Man
Surrender
The Wild One, Forever
Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll

Side B

Strangered in the Night
Fooled Again (I Don't Like It)
Hometown Blues
Luna
American Girl

Like their eponymous debut album, Tom Petty and Mudcrutch's second album, American Girl, was produced by Pete Ham, but without any involvement from George Harrison. It had performed even better than their previous album by charting as high as #36 in the United States and even managed to chart at #20 in the United Kingdom, supported by a tour in said country.

Critical reception to American Girl was also very positive; the title track was released as the lead single alongside "The Wild One, Forever" in October, and did a respectable #14 in the United States and #30 in the United Kingdom. The following single, "Breakdown"/"Anything That's Rock 'n' Roll" just barely made the Top 40 in America - at #38 - following its release in January 1977.

Although this was a period in which punk rock and disco were reigning, Tom Petty and Mudcrutch were quickly gaining a following, and would go on to be one of the greatest rock acts of the 1970s.

Footnotes

1. Tracks are sourced from Crosby & Nash's Whistling Down the Wire and The Stills-Young Band's Long May You Run. The full CSNY tracks are taken from Neil Young's Decade ("Long May You Run"), Stephen Stills' Carry On ("Black Coral") and the third disc of the CSN box set ("Taken at All").
2. All tracks are sourced from Zuma, excluding "Hitchiker", "Campaigner" and "Hawaii", all sourced from Hitchhiker (recorded 1976, but not released until 2017).
3. In OTL, Ronald Reagan did become President, but he was elected in 1980, winning against the incumbent Jimmy Carter, and was President until 1989 due to the 22nd Amendment (approved 1947) restricting politicians from becoming President for longer than eight years.
4. All tracks from Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers are utilized and rearranged to have evenly-timed sides. "Surrender" is the 1976 recording found on An American Treasure.

Author's Comments

As the penultimate chapter for Phase Two, here's a nice, short and simple one, especially given how lengthy the last chapter was. And no, the inclusion of the "Day After Day" tag was not a mistake; the lives of the Badfinger members post-breakup will be part of it, and Mike Gibbins' side of the story does overlap with the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young story, "Before the Silver Rushes". Plus, we got a brief mention of Pete Ham working with Tom Petty on the second Mudcrutch album, so half of the members are featured.

Meanwhile, we'll soon be saying goodbye to George McGovern as President of the United States of America, and hello to Ronald Reagan in the White House. I haven't done much with President McGovern since chapter thirty, mostly because the political side of the story doesn't have a huge effect on the music scene of 1973-1976. However, I do intend to do a profile on George McGovern during his time as President, drawing some parallels as to what Richard Nixon and (later) Gerald Ford went through in the 1973-1977 term; I imagine that a fair number of things would be different in regards as to how McGovern would handle certain topics like LGBT rights and the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Oh, and he also grants John Lennon citizenship in America mostly because he has bigger fish to fry than dealing with overseas rock stars "causing trouble on American soil".

Next chapter will not only be the last for Phase Two, but also the fiftieth chapter as a whole! Wow! I never imagined when I started this blog that I would put out five chapters, let alone fifty, but it's been an amazing journey so far. Phase Three has a lot to live up to, and I don't even know how many chapters long it'll be! I'm predicting at least forty given that it covers nine years (1977-1985), but I could write up as many as fifty, potentially hitting 100 chapters. We'll see.