Chapter 65: Video Killed the Radio Star (June - December 1980)

6 June 1980

Freddie Mercury - The Game

Released: 6 June 1980

Recorded: July - October 1978, June - July 1979 and February - May 1980

Producer: Freddie Mercury, Roy Thomas Baker and Reinhold Mack

Track listing[1]

Side A

Mustapha

Play the Game

Jealousy

Bicycle Race

If You Can't Beat Them

Crazy Little Thing Called Love

Side B

In Only Seven Days

Don't Try Suicide

Another One Bites the Dust

Need Your Loving Tonight

Don't Stop Me Now

Let Me Entertain You

Freddie Mercury's third extended play, Don't Stop Me Now, had been backed by the single of the same name, as well as the B-side "Bicycle Race" (#9 UK, #24 US), celebrating his overcoming of his anxiety about his sexuality. Part of that could be attributed to his then-boyfriend Elton John, almost making the track something of an LGBT anthem. Among the tracks included on the extended play were "Mustapha", "Jealousy", "Let Me Entertain You", and two John Deacon-penned tracks, "If You Can't Beat Them" and "In Only Seven Days". But it would be about two years before the tracks finally made their way onto an album.

Instead, in 1979, Mercury had put out a live album with Paul McCartney & Smile called Smiling Over Europe[2], documenting their live performances in the wake of the release of Rockestra. Mixed by Roy Thomas Baker, it received mixed reviews upon release, despite its high chart rankings (#3 UK, #1 US). Shortly after the Rockestra Tour, both parties would return to the studio, with new compositions by Paul McCartney heavily relying on synthesizers, and beginning to experiment with dance rock.[3] The rest of the songs would be recorded between February and May 1980 shortly after a brief tour in the United Kingdom in November and December 1979, introducing the song "Coming Up" for the first time. A live recording would end up on Smile's next album.

Mercury's fourth album, The Game, was initially preceded by the single "Crazy Little Thing Called Love"/"Mustapha" on 15 October 1979, hitting #1 in the United States but stalling out at #2 in the United Kingdom. The follow-up single, "Another One Bites the Dust"/"Play the Game", was released 12 May 1980 and also hit #1 in the United States and #7 in the United Kingdom, per suggestion by Michael Jackson. The Game marked Mercury's first #1 album in the United States as well, and would also peak at #1 in the United Kingdom. The newer recordings featured Apple sound engineer Reinhold Mack as producer, who had also done work with the Electric Light Orchestra, giving Mercury a new sound.

4 July 1980

Paul McCartney & Smile - Coming Up

Released: 4 July 1980

Recorded: June - July 1979, December 1979 and February - May 1980

Producer: Paul McCartney and Reinhold Mack

Track listing[4]

Side A

Coming Up

Dragon Attack

Danger Zone

On the Way

Coming Soon

Nobody Knows

Side B

Rock It (Prime Jive)

Waterfalls

Sail Away Sweet Sister

Lover's Light

One of These Days

Save Me

PAUL McCARTNEY: "I don't know what it was, but by the end of the 1970s, I had this strange feeling of disillusionment of being a part of Smile, y'know. I got that nagging feeling in my head after we did the tour in '78 and '79. It was also why I didn't participate much in the later recordings nor on the Flash Gordon soundtrack. It was when I received a phone call that this sudden realization hit me like a brick wall..." (2011)

By the songwriting credits alone, it was pretty obvious that Paul McCartney had loosened his dominance over Smile. Bass duties were done more often by John Deacon, Freddie Mercury's prominence as vocalist was more frequent, and McCartney was now feeling like a fish out of water. His last album with Smile, Coming Up, hit #1 in the United Kingdom and #3 in the United States. The two singles off of the album, "Save Me"/"Summer's Day Song" (#5 UK, #2 US) and "Coming Up"/"Darkroom" (#2 UK, #1 US), were also Top 10 hits after being released on 30 June and 11 August, respectively. The album received mixed reviews from critics due to the increased usage of synthesizers.

But who was that person who gave Paul McCartney that phone call?

JOHN LENNON: "So I was driving the boat for six hours, keeping it on course. I was buried under water. I was smashed in the face by waves for six solid hours. It won't go away. You can't change your mind. It's like being on stage; once you're on, there's no gettin' off. A couple of waves had me on my knees. I was just hanging on with my hands on the wheel - it is very powerful weather - and I was having the time of my life. I was screaming sea chanties and shoutin' at the gods! I felt like the Viking, you know, Jason and the Golden Fleece. I arrived in Bermuda. Once I got there, I was so centered after the experience at sea that I was tuned in, or whatever, to the cosmos. And all these songs came! The time there was amazing. Maddy, Freddie and I were there on the beach taping songs with this big machine and me just playing guitar and singing. We were just in the sun and these songs were coming out." (1981)[5]

John Lennon and Madeline Kahn, 1980.

John Lennon had been wanting to visit Bermuda to escape the hustle and bustle of New York, but getting to the island proved treacherous to the man who gave the world classics such as "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Revolution". The crew of the yacht had gotten sick, and Lennon - a novice sailor at best - was left in charge of the helm, facing merciless, powerful winds at 120 miles per hour, and waves as high as twenty feet. Eventually, calmer seas would prevail, and upon docking at St. George's Harbor, Lennon rented a home and was able to settle in. While he was there, a sudden muse had re-awoken inside of him.

MADELINE KAHN: "John had gone into this nightclub where they were playing this new hit single by the B-52s ['Rock Lobster'], and this new sound had amazed him so much that he began writing new songs. He would present me and Freddie with these new songs that he had written, as if he was planning a solo album of sorts. Instead of these socio-political songs like 'Revolution', they were more in line with 'In My Life' and 'Julia'. Then there was this one song of his ['Woman'] that brought a lump to my throat. Just hit me right in my heart when I heard it for the first time. After he finished, I clung onto him and cried, but they were happy tears. Having got it all got, I suggested that he show it to the other boys and see what they think." (2005)

The first Beatle John decided to call was Paul. After a near miss reunion in 1976, both men agreed that it was time that they put out a proper reunion album, to give the public at least one more album out of the most famous musicians in the world. "Let's show them we still got it, eh, Paulie?" John quipped over the phone.

BRIAN MAY: "It was pretty much inevitable. But we harbor no grudge against Paul for this; we parted ways on amicable terms. Shortly afterward, Denny [Laine] left Smile as well to form his own group. With Freddie and John [Deacon] becoming full-time members, Smile had gone through a total metamorphosis. We probably didn't need to worry much about how the public would react, but at the time, we were kind of nervous about our future." (1988)

So far, half of the Beatles had agreed to a reunion, but what about the other half? Well, one of the other members was sure to agree, which just left their fourth member's opinion as the deciding factor...

14 November 1980

The Dark Horses - Somewhere in England

Released: 14 November 1980

Recorded: March - September 1980

Producer: George Harrison and Ronnie Wood

Track listing[6]

Side A

Something Special

Soft-Hearted Hana

Another Ticket

Come to Realize

Wake Up

I Can't Stand It

Side B

Life Itself

Hold Me Lord

Dead Giveaway

Dark Sweet Lady

Tears of the World

Rita Mae

With Vangelis having become the new keyboardist for Yes following Rick Wakeman's departure, as well as Ronnie Wood's commitment to the Rolling Stones and Eric Clapton's alcohol addiction, the Dark Horses were on the verge of imploding. It was simply a matter of when and how. By that point, George Harrison had re-married and had a son, and was considering going into semi-retirement from the music business.

Meanwhile, taking a page from John Lennon's book, Ringo Starr had been hoping to kick off a side career in acting, starting with another Apple Films project, Caveman. On the set, he would fall in love with actress Barbara Bach, famous for playing Bond girl Anya Amasova in The Spy Who Loved Me, the tenth entry in the James Bond film franchise. The couple got into a car crash on 19 May 1980 in Surrey, England, but thankfully, they both survived, with Ringo even proposing marriage to her shortly afterward.

It was astounding that the Dark Horses were actually able to put out Somewhere in England (#18 UK, #7 US), although it would not be their most successful album, critically or commercially. Neither of its two singles, "I Can't Stand It"/"Don't Worry" (17 November 1980; #10 US) and "Life Itself"/"Catch Me If You Can" (12 January 1981; #13 UK, #51 US) were great successes either. In fact, by the time the album had been mixed and released, the Dark Horses had ceased to be.

Barbara Bach and Ringo Starr on the set of Caveman, released 1981 under Apple Films. The film was not a critical or financial success.

GEORGE HARRISON: "Ringo, Paul and I all met up with John in New York. John had gone through a creative rebirth and told us that he had all these songs he wanted to bring out to the world, but he couldn't do it alone. He needed all of us to bring them to life, do them justice. Paul and Ringo were all for it, though I wasn't too sure at first. We had to make some compromises from this point onward if we were to reunite. One of them being that songs couldn't be simply credited to Lennon/McCartney or Harrison. No, they'd be credited to the Beatles, regardless as to who wrote what." (1995)

PAUL McCARTNEY: "In the past, I'd been rather unfair to George and his songwriting, and I wanted to make up for that by giving him a voice in the audition process, and how we wanted songs to go. Instead of me and John taking most of the vocal spots with George having two and Ringo one, it would be four songs each between myself, John and George, and two songs for Ringo if he was up to it." (2007)

Arrangements between all four Beatles were rather lengthy, but eventually, they had come to an agreement as to how things should be between them from that point onward. At long last, it looked as though a decade of petty bitching had finally been put behind them, making way instead to kissing and making up (the fact that their wives had become close friends also helped). There had been hopes for a full-fledged reunion since putting out Rock 'n' Roll to fulfill their contract with EMI back in 1976, especially after that jam session at Eric Clapton's wedding with Pattie Boyd, but at last, the dream was about to be fulfilled.

RINGO STARR: "I couldn't have been happier during that time. I'd had three narrow brushes with death, I was engaged to Barbara, and me mates and I were finally reuniting again, sober, healthy and happy. What more could anyone ask for?" (2010)

8 December 1980

Smile - Flash Gordon

Released: 8 December 1980

Recorded: February - March, October - November 1980

Producer: Brian May and Reinhold Mack

Track listing

Side A

Flash's Theme

In the Space Capsule (The Love Theme)

Ming's Theme (In the Court of Ming the Merciless)

The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction of Dale)

Football Fight

In the Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise)

Execution of Flash

The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash)

Side B

Arboria (Planet of the Tree Men)

Escape from the Swamp

Flash to the Rescue

Vultan's Theme (Attack of the Hawk Men)

Battle Theme

The Wedding March

Marriage of Dale and Ming (And Flash Approaching)

Crash Dive on Mingo City

Flash's Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations)

The Hero

Smile's first album without Paul McCartney and Denny Laine was the soundtrack to yet another Apple Films project, Flash Gordon, featuring Sam J. Jones as the titular hero, and also including an ensemble cast including Melody Anderson, Max von Sydow, Ornella Muti, Timothy Dalton and Brian Blessed. The lead single "Flash" (#8 UK, #35 US) featured the non-album B-side, "Rainclouds", which was a co-write between McCartney and Laine, their last contribution to a Smile release, and came out on 24 November 1980.

The soundtrack to the film reached #10 in the United Kingdom and #23 in the United States. The movie itself, meanwhile, underperformed at the box office, despite critical reception being generally positive, although it has since gone on to become a cult classic. Still, the underwhelming performance of both Flash Gordon and Caveman left people wondering as to whether or not Apple Films could last the new decade.

Meanwhile, all across America by 11 PM, Eastern Standard Time, life was carrying on like normal. There was no announcement that a deranged killer had attacked anybody famous, and on Monday Night Football on ABC, Howard Cosell and Frank Gifford were announcing the game between the Miami Dolphins and New England Patriots. The two teams were at a tie, but it was soon broken in the overtime period when the Dolphins' Uwe von Schamann made the twenty-three yard field goal, giving Miami a narrow victory of 16 to 13.[7] Football fans enjoyed the game either disappointed for the Patriots' loss or excitement for the Dolphins' victory. There had been no reason to bring the game to a halt.

Paul McCartney at Studio 2, Abbey Road, recording for the Beatles reunion album, 1981.

As for the Beatles, there were positive feelings in the air among them and their families. New songs were being written and recorded for a reunion album at Studio 2 of EMI Studios at Abbey Road (they kept the announcement private until further notice), and George Martin was once again in the producer's chair. It was almost like a soft reboot of sorts for the band after years of estrangement, and it only made sense to do so where the Beatles' sound was first invented when they recorded their first single "Love Me Do" eighteen years prior.

The four lads had changed so much since their Cavern Club days, but it was John Lennon who had gone through the most changes. John first married Cynthia Powell and had Julian with her, but then he abandoned them for Yoko Ono towards the end of the 1960s. In the mid-1970s, he had broken up with Yoko and later married Madeline Kahn, and with her had another son, Freddie. In the past few years, John had gained dual citizenship in both America and England, had reconciled with Julian and Cynthia, even going to see them earlier that year, and had abandoned drugs and alcohol altogether.

Paul McCartney was initially engaged to actress Jane Asher, but in 1968, the engagement had been broken off, and the following year, he was married to Linda Eastman and they had three children together - Mary, Stella and James, along with Linda's daughter Heather whom Paul had later adopted. In the past, Paul had been rather overbearing and domineering, but he had since mellowed out and taken notice as to which songs of his were good or bad.

Ringo Starr had married Maureen Cox in 1965, and together they had three children - Zak, Jason and Lee. Their marriage fell apart when George Harrison showed off his bastard side by drunkenly admitting to having had an affair with Maureen, after Pattie Boyd had been involved with Eric Clapton, which put a strain on their friendship. Since then, George had been remarried to Olivia Arias, and together they had a son, Dhani. Likewise, Ringo was engaged to Barbara Bach (affectionately nicknamed Babs), who had already gotten along with Madeline, Linda and Olivia (a.k.a. Livvy).

The Beatles at Abbey Road, September 1963.

All four men were born in Liverpool, England, but in a sense, they had also become American in a sense; John lived in New York, Ringo in Los Angeles, George lived part-time in Hawaii, and Paul had owned a ranch in Arizona. They had also recently recruited former Apple artist Billy Preston, born in Texas, to play keyboards for their reunion album, which would bring forth a new dynamic for the band. This would be just like starting over.

Footnotes

1. Tracks are sourced from Jazz and The Game.
2. This is a reference to Wings Over America, a live album put out by Paul McCartney in 1976. In addition, I did not give a track listing as to what songs were featured on the album; I leave it instead up to the readers' imagination as to what may have been included.
3. Paul McCartney recorded McCartney II in the summer of 1979 during a break for Wings. That same summer, Queen recorded the initial tracks that would make up The Game for next year.
4. Tracks are sourced from McCartney II, The Game and Japanese Tears. "Coming Up" is the live version that can be found on Wingspan; the single edit of "Waterfalls" is also sourced from Wingspan.
5. Verbatim, but the second to last line is slightly edited.
6. Tracks are sourced from Eric Clapton's Another Ticket, George Harrison's eponymous album, Somewhere in England and Thirty-Three & 1/3, Ronnie Wood's Gimme Some Neck and Ringo Starr's Stop and Smell the Roses.
7. Actual results of the Dolphins vs. Patriots game from December 8, 1980, the very date that John Lennon was murdered.

Author's Comments

Well, here we are then! This is something I've been building up to since chapter 20, and then further hinted at in chapter 50, and now we're finally seeing the Beatles have a proper reunion! It was very much an inevitable conclusion from day one, but hey, it was worth it. As of this chapter, we've covered fifteen years within a two-year period. That's quite a lot to cover in that timeframe!

For the Smile side of things, they carry on more or less the same trajectory as Queen did in OTL, minus the involvement of Paul Prenter in Freddie Mercury's life, and their 80s output gets a better reception than it did. Not much else to comment on there. There's one more chapter to deal with for 1978-1980; as has become tradition by this point, it's the Apple summary for that period.

Revised cover for The Game was made by Helter Skelter.

An Alternative Beatles Discography - No Covers (1967-1971)

As a continuation of a previous post I wrote last month, here's a continuation as to how the Beatles' discography might have gone if they had done all originals from day one. This also leads onto another point of divergence if George Harrison had gotten more vocal spots on the albums rather than having his talent stifled by the Lennon/McCartney dominance that led to their breakup (well, it's one of the reasons, but still). And since this year marks the 50th anniversary of Harrison's All Things Must Pass, probably the greatest solo work any of the Beatles ever did, this seems like the right time to post it. Some decisions may be contentious, but that's what the comments are for!

All tracks are credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney (Lennon/McCartney), excluding those marked with an asterisk (*) by George Harrison. "A Beginning" is credited to George Martin, "Don't Pass Me By", "Octopus's Garden" and "It Don't Come Easy" to Richard Starkey, "I'd Have You Anytime" to Harrison and Bob Dylan, and "Flying" and "Hot as Sun" to all four Beatles.

Merseyside (May 26, 1967)

Side A (21:46)

1. A Beginning/Strawberry Fields Forever - 4:55 (Anthology 3/Magical Mystery Tour)

2. Getting Better - 2:48 (Sgt. Pepper's)

3. Piggies* - 2:04 (The White Album)

4. Fixing a Hole - 2:36 (Sgt. Pepper's)

5. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - 3:28 (Sgt. Pepper's)

6. I Want to Tell You* - 2:30 (Revolver)

7. She’s Leaving Home - 3:25 (Sgt. Pepper's)

Side B (23:13)

8. Penny Lane - 3:00 (Magical Mystery Tour)

9. Good Morning Good Morning - 2:42 (Sgt. Pepper's)

10. Only a Northern Song* - 3:23 (Yellow Submarine)

11. Lovely Rita - 2:42 (Sgt. Pepper's)

12. With a Little Help from My Friends - 2:42 (Sgt. Pepper's)

13. A Day in the Life - 5:07 (Sgt. Pepper's)

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

As a preview to the Beatles' next big project, their first single release of 1967 featured the second Harrison-penned B-side, finally finished up for the album. Having come out shortly after the Beach Boys released their magnum opus Smile in May, Merseyside was ranked the greatest album of all time by Rolling Stone in 2003. Clearly, the Beatles have reached a new peak, but they weren't done yet in the midst of psychedelia.

Singles:

• "Penny Lane" / "I Want to Tell You" - February 13, 1967
• "Strawberry Fields Forever" / "With a Little Help from My Friends" - May 26, 1967

New additions:

• "A Beginning" - Initially recorded as an intro to "Don't Pass Me By"; I took some liberties with the mindset that it was recorded a year earlier to serve as a prologue to the childhood concept. Serves as an unlisted track at the beginning. I recommend having the ending crossfade into "Strawberry Fields", extending the track to about 4:50. Speaking of which...
• "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" - Both were intended to become a part of Sgt. Pepper, but they were left off to become a single instead, which George Martin later regretted. Had they not been released as a single, perhaps Brian Wilson could've finished up Smile on time? (Hence the brief mention in the above story.)
• "Piggies" - Originally written back in 1966; George Harrison forgot about it for two years before revisiting it for The White Album.
• "I Want to Tell You" - Technically not a new addition, but I held it back for this album as I thought that it better fit there thematically. It's sort of this album's equivalent to "Wait" ending up on Rubber Soul instead of Help!.
• "Only a Northern Song" - Was actually recorded for Sgt. Pepper, but was rejected and "Within You Without You" was used instead as George's sole composition on the album.
• "Art of Dying" - The dreaded fourth Harrisong; also written back in 1966, but not included most likely due to its religious tone. I see this track as being something of an epilogue to the concept, which would have also included the theme of life, death and rebirth. I kind of go back and forth as to whether or not it should be played after "A Day in the Life", but what do you guys think?

The track listing was based upon The Reconstructor's take on how Sgt. Pepper may have gone if the Beatles had stuck with the childhood concept, only by taking out "Mr. Kite" (but it did not go unused) and adding in more George songs. Album cover was designed by John Hunt from I Design Album Covers, as can be seen here.

Magical Mystery Tour (December 8, 1967)

Side A (24:28)

1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band - 2:00 (Sgt. Pepper's)

2. Magical Mystery Tour - 2:48 (Magical Mystery Tour)

3. Within You Without You* - 5:05 (Sgt. Pepper's)

4. Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite - 2:37 (Sgt. Pepper's)

5. The Fool on the Hill - 2:59 (Magical Mystery Tour)

6. Flying (Interlude) - 2:16 (Magical Mystery Tour)

7. All Together Now - 2:08 (Yellow Submarine)

8. I Am the Walrus - 4:35 (Magical Mystery Tour)

Side B (24:40)

9. Hello, Goodbye - 3:24 (Magical Mystery Tour)

10. Baby You’re a Rich Man - 3:07 (Magical Mystery Tour)

11. Blue Jay Way* - 3:54 (Magical Mystery Tour)

12. Your Mother Should Know - 2:33 (Magical Mystery Tour)

13. All You Need is Love - 3:57 (Magical Mystery Tour)

14. Sgt. Pepper’s Reprise - 1:18 (Sgt. Pepper's)

15. It’s All Too Much* - 6:27 (Yellow Submarine)

When Paul McCartney revealed in the press that the Beatles had taken LSD, the public went a little nuts over it. After making an appearance for Our World that June, in between recording sessions for their next album, Brian Epstein narrowly survived a drug overdose and upon recovery, chose to swear off doing drugs altogether. Paul would shortly follow suit, and despite this incident, the Beatles managed to put out their follow-up to Merseyside in time for the Christmas rush, regarded as the peak for the psychedelic rock genre.

Singles:

• "All You Need is Love" / "Baby You’re a Rich Man" (July 7, 1967)
• "Hello Goodbye" / "I Am the Walrus" (November 24, 1967)
• "Christmas Time (is Here Again)" / "All Together Now" (December 15, 1967)

New additions:

• "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" and the reprise - Not wanting to let any tracks go to waste, I repurposed them for this scenario's equivalent to Magical Mystery Tour, with the former leading into the title track, and the reprise leading into "It's All Too Much".
• "Within You Without You" - Crossfades out of "Magical Mystery Tour", serving as a predecessor to the trip we're about to take.
• "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!" - Was left out to make way for more Harrisongs on Merseyside, and brought forth here so John could have at least four vocal spots on the follow up.
• "All Together Now" and "It's All Too Much" - Both were recorded during the sessions for Magical Mystery Tour, but were left unused until the release of Yellow Submarine. I often see both albums being sisters in a sense that both were recorded together, but not all of them ended up on the same album. I've often thought about putting them together as a double album, with the first disc being the movie tracks, and the second focusing on non-album singles from 1967 and 1968, plus the inclusion of "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)".

This was basically a compilation of the leftover songs recorded in 1967 and re-arranging them to form a loose concept about the titular mystery tour, being fronted by Sgt. Pepper and his band. The initial track listing had three John songs, but I wanted to give him at least four, so I pushed back "Mr. Kite" as I felt it'd fit this concept pretty well. It just doesn't fit the childhood concept that well if you ask me.

The Beatles I/White (August 2, 1968)

Side A (22:27)

1. Dear Prudence - 3:57 (The White Album) [Vocal, Guitar and Drums]

2. Mother Nature's Son - 2:48 (The White Album)

3. Dehradun* - 3:39 (All Things Must Pass: 50th Anniversary)

4. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill - 2:39 (The White Album) [Take 2]

5. Blackbird - 2:38 (The White Album/Past Masters)

6. Across the Universe - 3:38 (Let It Be… Naked)

7. Long, Long, Long* - 3:08 (The White Album)

Side B (21:04)

8. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - 2:48 (The White Album) [Take 3]

9. Julia - 2:55 (The White Album)

10. Circles* - 2:12 (The White Album) [Esher Demo]

11. Rocky Raccoon - 3:33 (The White Album)

12. I Will - 1:46 (The White Album)

13. Cry Baby Cry - 2:35 (The White Album)

14. Junk - 2:44 (McCartney)

15. Good Night - 2:31 (The White Album) [Take 10]

That spring, the Beatles went to India to learn Transcendental Meditation under the guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and while they were there, wrote enough songs to fill up a double album, possibly a triple album. Upon returning to England, however, they decided to release two single albums, with the first having a very lo-fi sound, a stark contrast to the psychedelic vibe of Magical Mystery Tour. Neil Young was said to be a fan of the album for its raw, stripped approach. Released with the serial number APPLE 001, The White Album served as the template for generations of indie and lo-fi musicians to come. In the meantime, John's affair with Mia Farrow, whom he had met in India, had been found out, resulting in a divorce from Cynthia as well as one of the Beatles' greatest ever songs being released as a single that August.

Singles:

• "Lady Madonna" / "The Inner Light" (March 15, 1968)
• "Hey Jude" / "Revolution" (August 30, 1968)

New additions:

• "Dehradun" - Was written in India but never recorded in the studio nor released officially. My initial version included both "Piggies" and "Isn't It a Pity", but because they had ended up on previous albums, I had to work with whatever was available back then.
• "Across the Universe" - Recorded during the "Lady Madonna" single sessions, but it did not appear on an album for two years. I use the bird sounds from the Past Masters version and tacked them onto the end of "Blackbird", making a nice transition into this track. The Glyn Johns mix for Get Back will work just as well.
• "Circles" - Another Harrisong from India that was never recorded fully by the Beatles. I used the Esher demo so the album would have a bit more of a lo-fi, folksy sound, and also to give George at least three songs. He would eventually revisit it in 1982 for Gone Troppo.
• "Junk" - Written by Paul McCartney but not included on any of the last Beatles albums. My edit of the song includes elements of "Singalong Junk" from McCartney, and the primitive way he recorded it fits right at home.

From this point onward, the Beatles' albums barely resemble how they were in OTL, starting with The White Album being split into two, and with new additions to fill a gap left behind by "Piggies" (now on Merseyside). Like I did with another alternate Beatles discography I posted back in March, I used alternate versions (identified in brackets) for some songs that I edited down to remove studio chatter before and after takes so that I could have a more polished flow between songs.

The Beatles II/Black (November 22, 1968)

Side A (23:36)

1. Back in the U.S.S.R. - 2:43 (The White Album)

2. Glass Onion - 2:18 (The White Album)

3. Not Guilty* - 4:20 (The White Album) [Take 102]

4. Sexy Sadie - 3:15 (The White Album)

5. Honey Pie - 2:41 (The White Album)

6. Don't Pass Me By - 3:51 (The White Album)

7. Why Don't We Do It in the Road? - 1:41 (The White Album)

8. Happiness is a Warm Gun - 2:47 (The White Album)

Side B (24:04)

9. While My Guitar Gently Weeps* - 4:45 (The White Album)

10. Hey Bulldog - 3:09 (Yellow Submarine)

11. Birthday - 2:42 (The White Album)

12. Yer Blues - 4:01 (The White Album)

13. Savoy Truffle* - 2:54 (The White Album)

14. I'm So Tired - 2:03 (The White Album)

15. Helter Skelter - 4:30 (The White Album)

The Beatles' Black Album was the complete opposite to The White Album released that August. Instead of a gentle, folksy lo-fi vibe, the sound as a lot harder and more experimental, often at times challenging the listener. By now, Paul McCartney had gotten married to his girlfriend Jane Asher and had given up on drugs altogether following Brian Epstein's (now CEO of Apple Corps) near fatal overdose, and encouraged the others to do the same thing. They would eventually follow his example, even if it took years to do so.

Meanwhile, a man by the name of Charlie had begun to believe in some nutso conspiracy theory he made up himself about an apocalyptic racial war, further enforced by the closing track of The Black Album, which inspired this conspiracy theory. However, it never really went anywhere, as if something was missing; perhaps a song from another universe in which the Beatles had put out a double album rather than two single albums? Charlie then assumed that if he committed suicide, then he could later rise again from the dead with an answer. He never rose from the dead like he believed, and then his "family" went their separate ways, with Charlie himself being nothing more than a forgotten memory, except maybe for his association with one of the Beach Boys.

New additions:

• "Not Guilty" - Was a contender for The White Album but it was left off at the last minute. Later revisited for George's eponymous 1979 album with a more jazz-like sound.
• "Hey Bulldog" - Also recorded during the "Lady Madonna" single sessions and later released on Yellow Submarine. I included it here as I felt it fit the sound of The Black Album.

Like that alternate Beatles discography I posted back in March, "Back in the U.S.S.R." fades out earlier and "Not Guilty" has the studio chatter cut.

Get Back (March 28, 1969)

Side A (23:10)

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

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

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

4. I’ve Got a Feeling - 3:30 (Let It Be… Naked)

5. Oh! Darling - 3:27 (Abbey Road)

6. For You Blue* - 2:27 (Let It Be… Naked)

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

Side B (22:41)

8. Every Night - 2:31 (McCartney)

9. Mean Mr. Mustard - 1:13 (Abbey Road) [Take 20]

10. Octopus’s Garden - 2:51 (Abbey Road)

11. Polythene Pam - 1:15 (Abbey Road) [Take 27]

12. She Came in Through the Bathroom Window - 3:05 (Anthology 3)

13. Let It Down* - 4:11 (All Things Must Pass) [Take 1]

14. Get Back (reprise) - 3:16 (Anthology 3/Let It Be)

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

By the end of 1968, the Beatles' psychedelic studio experiments had worn off, and so it was agreed that their next album would be about getting back to their roots. It was also decided to make a movie off of the recording sessions to fulfill their contract with United Artists, to show people how a Beatles album was made, being Paul's idea. John thought the idea wouldn't sell, but it did according to critics and fans. A lot of songs were written that January, with the members deciding which they would record for the album, and what would be held off for later. They also recorded an impromptu concert that became legendary, and possibly inspired a tour for the 1970s. Shortly before Get Back came out, John married Mia Farrow and they held a bed-in peace protest lasting a fortnight.

Singles:

• "Get Back" / "Old Brown Shoe" (April 11, 1969)
• "Something" / "Give Peace a Chance" (June 27, 1969)

New additions:

• "Old Brown Shoe" - Was first tried out during the Get Back sessions, but apparently, the Beatles liked it enough to include it as the B-side to "The Ballad of John and Yoko" (which never ends up being written in this scenario).
• "Oh! Darling", "Octopus's Garden" and "She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" - All written during the Get Back sessions and later recorded for Abbey Road. The latter track is the Anthology 3 version with the studio chatter removed.
• "Don't Let Me Down" - Recorded for Get Back, but Phil Spector was foolish enough to leave it out altogether when it was reborn as Let It Be, which is something I've corrected here.
• "Every Night" - John Lennon played on a version of this track during the sessions for Get Back before being recorded solo by Paul McCartney for his eponymous debut album.
• "Mean Mr. Mustard" and "Polythene Pam" - Both were written in India and later revisited for Abbey Road. Both are alternate takes to give the album a more "raw" feel. As an aside, the beat for the former track served as inspiration for Mike O'Donnell to use for the original theme tune of Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends, even hoping to get Ringo to sing an extended near-three minute rendition with lyrics.
• "Let It Down" - Was auditioned for Get Back but rejected. The version I've used is the first take as can be heard on the 50th anniversary edition of All Things Must Pass.
• "Get Back (reprise)" - The Anthology 3 version with the ending dialogue from Let It Be tacked back on.
• "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" - First recorded back in 1967 and later finished up two years later before finally being released as a B-side in 1970. The avant-garde nature of the track does stick out like a sore thumb, but I figure that it'd end their "back to basics" album on a light-hearted, silly note.

Now this is where the butterflies really take hold for this scenario; up until 1966, they've been minimal at best. This take of Get Back has two sides to it; the first being something of a faux-live performance, and the other consisting largely of studio-recorded tracks.

Two of Us (November 21, 1969)

Side A (23:56)

1. Introduction/Ted: Teddy Boy/Child of Nature - 3:16 (McCartney/The White Album)

2. Ted: I’d Have You Anytime* - 2:54 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

3. Ted: Martha My Dear - 2:29 (The White Album) [without brass and strings]

4. Guru: Come Together - 4:19 (Abbey Road)

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

6. Narrator: Another Day - 3:41 (Ram)

7. Martha/Guru: I Want You (She’s So Heavy) - 5:27 (Abbey Road) [Trident recording]

Side B (24:20)

8. Ted/Guru: I Me Mine*/Teddy Boy (Reprise) - 2:30 (Let It Be) [Glyn Johns mixes]

9. Ted: Jealous Guy - 4:14 (Imagine)

10. Martha/Ted: Behind That Locked Door* - 3:29 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

11. Ted: Look at Me - 2:51 (John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band)

12. Ted/Martha: Two of Us - 3:20 (Let It Be… Naked)

13. Narrator: All Things Must Pass* - 3:30 (Early Takes: Volume 1)

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

The Who had just put out their greatest album thus far, Tommy. John Lennon was such a fan of the album that he suggested that the Beatles' next album be a rock opera about two lovers and a guru who lusts after the woman which nearly threatens her relationship with her boyfriend. While mainly John's idea (having declined to partake in a concert in Toronto, and inspired by his relationship with Mia Farrow), Paul was more dominant in songwriting, with both men plus George utilizing any songs they had leftover from India and the Get Back sessions to write the story. While the story received criticism, the music was given near-unanimous praise, being co-produced for the first time by George Martin and the Beatles. 1969 was very much the year for rock operas; that same year, the Beatles had partaken in Woodstock and the Isle of Wight, possibly high off of the energy from the rooftop concert. Meanwhile, actress Sharon Tate had just had her first child with famed director Roman Polanski.

The story for Two of Us: A young man by the name of Ted meets a woman called Martha and falls in love with her. Some time later, they hear the talk of a guru and become his students. After a while, Martha becomes disillusioned and ends up seeing the guru who lusts after her. Ted is angered by this, and even lashes out at Martha, leaving her hurt and both come to regret their actions. They make amends later that night, realizing that all they really need is each other, and abandoning the guru, Ted and Martha begin a happy life together.

Single:

• "Come Together" / "All Things Must Pass" (November 17, 1969)

Track details:

• "Teddy Boy", "Martha My Dear", "Cosmically Conscious", "Jealous Guy" and "Look at Me" - All originally written in India, with "Jealous Guy" starting out as "Child of Nature".
• "I'd Have You Anytime", "Another Day", "I Want You (She's So Heavy)", "I Me Mine", "Two of Us", "All Things Must Pass" and "The Back Seat of My Car" - All written either before or during the Get Back sessions, and as with some songs written in India, over half of them ended up on solo projects.
• "Come Together" - Written around July 1969.
• "Behind That Locked Door" - Written August 1969.

Not a whole lot to say about this one. It's essentially a compilation of tracks that didn't really fit either on the previous album or the next one. If you're not a fan of the story, then these songs can work just as well out of the story's context. In addition, I've had "Teddy Boy" reprised to serve as an interlude to "Jealous Guy", which reprises "Child of Nature" musically.

Everest - A Rock Symphony (September 25, 1970)

Side A (21:10)

Movement I - Sonata of Romance

1. Because - 2:45 (Abbey Road)

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

3. Oh My Love - 2:44 (Imagine)

Movement II - Adagio for the Cosmic Empire

4. Golden Slumbers - 1:31 (Abbey Road)

5. Carry That Weight - 1:36 (Abbey Road)

6. Hear Me Lord* - 5:46 (All Things Must Pass)

7. Sun King - 2:26 (Abbey Road)

Side B (22:12)

Movement III - Triumph of Light

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

9. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) - 3:18 (Power to the People: The Hits)

10. Beware of Darkness* - 3:48 (All Things Must Pass)

11. Let It Be - 3:55 (Let It Be… Naked)

Movement IV - The End

12. Awaiting on You All* - 2:45 (All Things Must Pass)

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

14. The End - 2:05 (Abbey Road)

John Lennon had recently gotten off of heroin, and the result of it was "Cold Turkey", which he hoped would be the next Beatles single. To counteract the intense sound, Paul McCartney offered up "The Long and Winding Road", which George Martin later gave strings to (this resulted in debates among fans as to whether or not it was a good move). Both were released as a single within ten days of the B-side being recorded. Afterwards, they began to recording for a project even more ambitious than Two of Us - a rock symphony! While it was mainly Paul's idea, George Harrison had his most songwriting contributions on any Beatles album to date with five, to which many called his greatest work for any Beatles album. Everest - A Rock Symphony marked a new peak for the Beatles' creative skills. Towards the end of the year, there was the surprise release of Back in Your Safely Beds, an avant-garde album credited to Winston O'Boogie and the Wild Prairies.

The first movement was about love, starting with a nine-part harmony, then a loud, brash soul number before closing out with a whisper. The second movement was about someone going into the afterlife, asking for the good lord to forgive them for their sins in life before finally meeting the sun king himself. The third movement opens with a quiet, optimistic acoustic number before being followed up by a piano number, telling the listener that we all shine on before being told to beware the darkness. The closing number of the movement, "Let It Be", tells the listener that we can still defend against darkness and sadness; the third movement is regarded by many to be the best on the album. The last movement had a pair of rockers thrown in to subvert expectations of an orchestral finish before ending with one for real in "The End". The penultimate track featured John demanding for an answer, a truth, to everything, though one could make the argument that the Beatles are the truth.

Singles:

• "The Long and Winding Road" / "Cold Turkey" (March 6, 1970)
• "Let It Be" / "Here Comes the Sun" (September 25, 1970)
• "What is Life" / "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" (November 27, 1970)

Track details:

• "Because" - Written around July 1969.
• "What is Life" - Written May 1969.
• "Oh My Love" - Written December 1968. George Harrison features on guitar.
• "Golden Slumbers", "Carry That Weight", "Sun King" and "The End" - All recorded in July 1969, possibly written before then.
• "Hear Me Lord", "Let It Be" and "Gimme Some Truth" - All auditioned for Get Back, with only "Let It Be" making the final cut and serving as the title track for the final release. "Gimme Some Truth" features George Harrison on guitar.
• "Here Comes the Sun" - Written April 1969.
• "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)" - Written and recorded January 1970. Again, Harrison is present on guitar.
• "Beware of Darkness" and "Awaiting on You All" - Possibly newly written for All Things Must Pass. Ringo features on drums for the former track.

A rock symphony does sound out there, but then again, the Beatles always tried something different for their next album. Would they have still kept doing it even if they never broke up? Yes, of course! The illustration was made by Alan Aldridge.

Imagine (September 9, 1971)

Side A (24:31)

1. Imagine - 3:01 (Imagine)

2. Woman Don’t You Cry for Me* - 3:18 (Thirty-Three & ⅓)

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

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

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

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

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

Side B (23:45)

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

9. Hot as Sun - 1:29 (McCartney)

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

11. Tomorrow - 3:28 (Wild Life)

12. Apple Scruffs* - 3:04 (All Things Must Pass)

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

14. Maybe I’m Amazed - 3:53 (McCartney)

The Beatles' second album of the 1970s (as well as their last with longtime producer George Martin for a decade) was a bit of a comedown when it came to ambition, but by no means was it inferior. For the first time, John, George and Paul each had equal vocal spots, with Ringo returning to the songwriting fray with probably his best tune to date, the first single off of the album. Meanwhile, there were reports of refugees struggling in East Pakistan, and after hearing word of the tragedy from his mentor Ravi Shankar, George set about arranging a benefit concert with the Beatles as the headlining act, along with the likes of Bob Dylan, the Beach Boys, James Taylor, Badfinger, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Elton John, etc. playing live at Madison Square Garden to support the cause, being preceded by a double A-side from which the sales were donated to charity.

The Beatles attempted to record a follow-up to Imagine, but there was so much material between John, Paul and George that there was no way to include it all onto a single album, and so they opted to go for solo projects for 1972, ending the year by recording a single for the Christmas market. However, they did briefly reunite in February to record four new songs as a response to Bloody Sunday, and along with the planned singles for 1972 as well as the Christmas single, the Beatles put out Ram, their most controversial album to date. The quartet would briefly reunite again in the studio to record the theme tune to an upcoming James Bond movie.

Singles:

• "Imagine" / "Bangla Desh" (July 30, 1971)
• "It Don't Come Easy" / "Maybe I'm Amazed" (October 11, 1971)
• "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" / "Miss O'Dell" (December 1, 1971)
• "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" / "Sunday Bloody Sunday" (February 25, 1972)
• "Back Off Boogaloo" / "Crippled Inside" (May 12, 1972)
• "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" / "Deep Blue" (July 31, 1972)

Track details:

• "Imagine" - It's suggested to have been started during Get Back, when it was called "John's Piano Piece" on the Fly on the Wall bonus disc of Let It Be... Naked.
• "Woman Don't You Cry for Me" - First started in 1969.
• "Get on the Right Thing" - Initially recorded in 1970.
• "Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)" and "Apple Scruffs" - Likely newly written for All Things Must Pass; the former was originally called "Everybody, Nobody".
• "Eat at Home" - First recorded in 1970; John Lennon was said to be a fan of the song.
• "Working Class Hero", "Remember" and "Love" - All were written following John's primal scream therapy sessions; some may object to the F-word being used on "Working Class Hero", but then, "Hey Jude" had a barely audible F-bomb being dropped that was buried deep in the mix. Ringo plays drums on "Remember".
• "It Don't Come Easy" - First started in February 1970 and features George on guitar.
• "Bangla Desh" - First started in 1971 and features Ringo on drums.
• "Hot as Sun" - First written all the way back in 1958. I like how the youngest and oldest-written songs on the album are back to back.
• "Tomorrow" - First demoed in late 1970 and then properly recorded in July 1971, which is contemporary as to when these sessions would have taken place. Also serves as a quasi-sequel to "Yesterday".
• "Maybe I'm Amazed" - Written in 1969 just before the Beatles' break-up; it makes for a great closure to the album.

The first album in this scenario that consists purely of solo songs, with occasional collaboration between the members. A lot of people go for using tracks from Imagine, Ram and All Things Must Pass (plus "It Don't Come Easy" and/or "Back Off Boogaloo") when it comes to a 1971 Beatles album, but I wanted to give my version some variety; John's tracks come from two sources, George's from three, and Paul's from a whopping four. Plus Ringo's sole vocal spot, that means I've used ten sources total to create Imagine Clouds Dripping.

Songs that were cut

For this section, I'm focusing solely on the tracks that ended up either on the Beatles' official studio albums, Anthology 3 or the early solo projects, so the likes of "Watching Rainbows" and "Nowhere to Go" won't be considered.

• "Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" and "What's the New Mary Jane" - Both end up on different projects; just not enough room for either of them.
• "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" and "Can You Take Me Back" - Again, both end up on a Paul solo album in 1972.
• "Sour Milk Sea", "Goodbye" and "Come and Get It" - All are given away rather than ending up on Beatles albums, but they still exist in demo form. Similar story to "Try Some, Buy Some".
• "Revolution 9" - Again, it ends up on a different project.
• "Dig It" and "Her Majesty" - Probably would've been considered studio jams rather than serious contenders for an album.
• "Wah-Wah" and "Run of the Mill" - Obviously, with little tension between the Beatles at this point, and with Apple having proper management, neither would have been written.
• "You Never Give Me Your Money" - Ditto. However, "Carry That Weight" could still utilize the melody from the first section (which somehow manages to end up being salvaged), so perhaps not all is lost.
• "The Ballad of John and Yoko" - For this scenario, a different honeymoon takes place between John and Mia, so this song's existence would've been impossible unless new lyrics were written up. If John wanted to offer something up for a Beatles single in mid-1969, he'd probably suggest "Give Peace a Chance" instead. "The Ballad of John and Mia" would've probably ended up as a poem on one of John's books instead.
• "My Sweet Lord" - No way the Beatles would've gone for it, especially if John and/or Paul caught out the fact that it sounded like "He's So Fine". However, George would still give it to Billy Preston to record.
• "God" - If the Beatles were still together, this would not have existed, especially with the "I don't believe in Beatles" line.
• "Oh Yoko!" - Would've been called "Oh Mia!" instead, probably as a solo B-side.
• "How Do You Sleep" and "Dear Friend" - Presumably, John and Paul would've been friendly at least enough to each other to prevent any of them from being written. I did consider using "Three Legs" for Paul's solo debut, but I opted not to due to its subtext.
• "Early 1970" - Obviously, without a breakup, Ringo wouldn't have written it.
• "Sue Me, Sue You Blues" - Again, because of the subtext, this song would not have been written in a world where the Beatles stayed together.

Also, there's "Beautiful Girl", written in 1969 and later ended up on George's Thirty-Three & 1/3. The Beatles do end up recording the song, but much later on. Speaking of which...

What happens next?

Well, there are two possibilities; either the Beatles bow out on a high note and on friendly terms with each other, or they take a brief hiatus and make another album in 1973... and then fourteen more after that. (For this scenario, John didn't die, his post-1980 songs are actually those by Julian in OTL - and that his voice softened a bit as he aged, like a fine cheese - and George survives past 2001.) The albums are as follows:

1. Mind Games (September 1973)
2. Band on the Run (October 1974)
3. Chaos! (July 1975)
4. Roots: The Beatles Sing the Great Rock & Roll Hits (January 1976)
5. Between the Lines (September 1976)
6. Back to the Egg (March 1979)
7. Quadruple Fantasy (May 1981)
8. War and Peace (October 1984)
9. Beatles in Space (August 1986)
10. Fab (March 1989)
11. Hope of Deliverance (October 1992)
12. Real Love (May 1997)
13. Freedom (November 2002)
14. Choose Love (July 2005)
15. Ever Present Past (January 2010)

What would you have done differently for the Beatles' story, with 20/20 hindsight?

EDIT: (5/4/2022) Major changes have been made to this scenario. This also applies to part one.

Chapter 64: Love Will Tear Us Apart (May - November 1980)

23 May 1980

The Rolling Stones - Emotional Rescue

Released: 23 May 1980

Recorded: 22 January - 19 October 1979

Producer: The Glimmer Twins

Track listing[1]

Side A

Dance (Part 1)

Summer Romance

Send It to Me

Little T&A

Indian Girl

Side B

Where the Boys Go

F.U.C. Her

Emotional Rescue

No Use in Crying

All About You

Keith Richards had been exonerated from a drug charge in Toronto, Canada that could have landed him in prison for years. In between, the Rolling Stones had been able to complete Give Us Some Neck for a 1979 release, and they had just put out their first album for the 1980s. Reportedly, about twenty songs had been recorded for Emotional Rescue, but only ten were chosen for release, with the rest being left aside for next year. The album reached #1 in both the United Kingdom and the United States, with the title track being released with "F.U.C. Her" on the same day as a single (#9 UK, #3 US). "All About You" / "Send It to Me" (#33 UK, #26 US) would later be released on 25 August that same year.

Later that September, former Rolling Stones member David Bowie would put out his second post-Stones album Scary Monsters (and Super Creeps), which also hit #1 in the United Kingdom and topped out at #5 in the United States. It would be three years before he would put out his next album.

July 11, 1980

Crosby, Stills & Nash - Thoroughfare Gap

Released: July 11, 1980

Recorded: June 1978 - February 1980

Producer: Crosby, Stills & Nash

Track listing[2]

Side A

Drive My Car (Needed to Ride)

Tomorrow is Another Day

Barrel of Pain (Half-Life)

Thoroughfare Gap

Out on the Island

Side B

Feel Your Love (Tears in the Light)

Love Has Come

Distances

Helicopter Song

Dear Mr. Fantasy

GRAHAM NASH: "We were all feeling like hell by the time we'd finally put out Thoroughfare Gap. Neil had left to pursue a full-time solo career, David was on the coke, and Stephen and I tried finishing up solo albums, but they went nowhere. The few songs that we did end up salvaging for CSN ended up on the album." (2016)

The title track to Crosby, Stills & Nash's first album without Neil Young since 1969 had originally been written back in 1972 for the first Manassas album, but after several attempts at recording it, the effort was abandoned as they couldn't get the right take. Six years later, it had been brought back and re-recorded for the first CSN album of the 1980s. Originally intended for a Christmas 1978 release, Thoroughfare Gap was consistently delayed until July 1980, having been recorded sporadically between June 1978 and February 1980.

A big factor in the album's delay was David Crosby himself, who was constantly under the influence of cocaine and barely contributing any songwriting material himself. This would result in a near-death experience before he ended up in prison and rehab years later. By the time Thoroughfare Gap was released, the music scene had changed a lot, especially in the UK, where the album and its three singles got lost in the shuffle in the midst of new wave and punk groups. The 80s were going to be a long decade for Crosby, Stills & Nash.

Summary of Crosby, Stills & Nash releases, 1980

• "Thoroughfare Gap" / "Distances" - May 22, 1980 (#15 US, #57 UK)
• Thoroughfare Gap - July 11, 1980 (#10 US, #44 UK)
• "Out of the Island" / "Feel Your Love (Tears in the Light)" - July 14, 1980 (#22 US, #89 UK)
• "Drive My Car (Needed to Ride)" / "Helicopter Song" - October 20, 1980 (#47 US)

18 August 1980

Yes - Song of Seven

Released: 18 August 1980

Recorded: November 1979, April - June 1980

Producer: Yes and Trevor Horn

Track listing[3]

Side A

Everybody's Song

Some Are Born

I Hear You Now

Countryside

Machine Messiah

Side B

Days

Into the Lens

High

White Car

Song of Seven

In 1977, Yes had put out Going for the One which had received a mostly positive reception from critics, citing it as a return to more accessible music, even reaching #1 in the United Kingdom for two weeks. However, the follow-up album from 1978, Tormato, was not as well-received despite hitting the Top 10 in both the United Kingdom and the United States. Despite intending to put out the album in two parts, it was released as a single album instead. Yes would go on tour lasting all the way up to June 1979, and afterward, the band would take a short hiatus.

JON ANDERSON: "In between the last show of the tour and reconvening that November to start work on the follow-up in Paris, I recorded a few improvised songs with Vangelis. It was all very spontaneous and we had a lot of fun with them, and I thought about asking him to be part of Yes. We didn't release them due to being on different labels at the time, but I kept them on the back of my mind when we reconvened in November." (2004)

Despite bringing in Roy Thomas Baker as their producer, conflict among the members of Yes were taking place; Chris Squire, Alan White and Steve Howe all wanted a heavier sound, while Jon Anderson and Rick Wakeman wanted a lighter, folk-oriented sound. Enough songs for an album were recorded, but nobody could agree on what to do with them, and the sessions came to an abrupt halt after White broke his foot while roller-skating. Tensions were so great that Wakeman ended up leaving the group altogether, and he almost took Anderson with him. What was Yes going to do?

STEVE HOWE: "Rick just went said to me, Chris and Alan that he wasn't taking our crap anymore, and he just up and left us. Jon almost wanted to leave as well, but he was conflicted. He went to live with Vangelis for a few days, told him about what was going on, and even invited him to a session. We regrouped without Rick but with Vangelis, and we came up with an agreement to make an album of contrasts. But we needed a producer after Roy left the project." (1997)

Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn, the Buggles, 1979.

CHRIS SQUIRE: "At the time, we were being managed by Brian Lane, who was also manager for the Buggles, who were signed onto Swan Song Records. He presented to us with their new hit single, 'Video Killed the Radio Star', and we were pretty blown away by it. Trevor Horn's voice almost reminded us of Jon in a way. We invited Trevor to the sessions, and presented some ideas we add for the follow-up to Tormato." (2000)

The Buggles were a new wave consisting of Geoff Downes and Trevor Horn, formed in 1977 and joined Swan Song Records in 1978. They were enjoying commercial success from their debut album The Age of Plastic, backed with its lead single "Video Killed the Radio Star". After several meetings with Brian Lane, manager for both the Buggles and Yes, the latter band was able to transfer from Atlantic Records and onto Swan Song Records. It was the beginning of a new era for Yes, now with Vangelis on keyboards and Trevor Horn as co-vocalist.

ALAN WHITE: "It really felt like we had been through a rebirth after those Paris sessions; having Trevor and Vangelis on board certainly kept conflict to a minimum. At first, we didn't know what to call the album, but then Jon came up with a track that served not only as the title for the album, but also the finale for the album." (2005)

Song of Seven marked the first album by Yes released under Swan Song Records, comprised of the best tracks not only from the initial Paris sessions, but also new tracks with Trevor Horn as co-producer, as well as a reworking of one of the tracks Jon Anderson and Vangelis recorded together, "I Hear You Now" (#5 UK, #43 US), which was a Top 10 hit in the United Kingdom. The album briefly hit #1 for a week in the United Kingdom, and topped out at #14 in the United States to generally positive reception.

7 November 1980

The Clash - Something About England

Released: 7 November 1980

Recorded: February - August 1980

Producer: Mikey Dread and The Clash

Track listing[4]

Side A

Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)

Version City

Look Here

The Crooked Beat

Ivan Meets G.I. Joe

One More Time

Something About England

Side B

Corner Soul

Junco Partner

If Music Could Talk

The Sound of Sinners

Midnight Log

The Equalizer

The Street Parade

By the end of the 1970s, The Clash were one of Apple's biggest punk rock acts, having achieved success with their eponymous debut album from 1977, followed by Give 'Em Enough Rope and London Calling, the latter of which was regarded as their greatest album, as well as one of the greatest albums of all time. So where were they going to go from there? After all, London Calling was a double album, so surely they would try and top that with a triple album, right?

JOE STRUMMER: "We decided upon a triple album at first, having recorded a shit-ton of music. But going through the material with Mikey [Dread, co-producer], we realized that we might have gone overboard with it." (1995)

MICK JONES: "I dunno whose idea it was, but we ended up deciding to spread the material we'd recorded over two albums to make it more digestible to the public. That meant some tracks ended up on the cutting room floor, probably rusting away in some tin in the vaults at Apple, but hey - somehow, it worked out for us and the public." (2007)

Something About England (#8 UK, #13 US), the Clash's fourth album, covered a wide variety of musical styles such reggae, rockabilly, jazz, R&B, and what would later be called hip-hop. The album was initially met with some confusion among critics and fans, but it did go on to win some polls in 1981. It was backed with the non-album single "Hitsville UK"/"Kingston Advice" (#22 UK, #19 US) on 12 December, the A-side featuring Ellen Foley on co-lead vocals. But what about the material that had been left to the side? It would be six months before it was released as Sandinista!, featuring the less experimental music from the sessions, though it would still be regarded as the sister album to Something About England.

Footnotes

1. All tracks are sourced from OTL's Emotional Rescue, excluding "Little T&A" and "No Use in Crying" from Tattoo You and "F.U.C. Her" from Ronnie Wood's Gimme Some Neck.
2. Tracks are sourced from disc four of the CSN box set, Daylight Again, Stephen Stills' Thoroughfare Gap, Graham Nash's Earth & Sky and David Crosby's Oh Yes I Can.
3. Tracks are sourced from Jon Anderson's Song of Seven, Jon and Vangelis' Short Stories, Drama and bonus tracks from Tormato. "Everybody's Song" was later reworked into "Does It Really Happen?" for Drama, "Countryside" into "Corkscrew" for Steve Howe's 1991 solo album Turbulence, and "High" to become "Sketches in the Sun" for GTR's debut album, featuring Steve Hackett (Genesis) and Howe (Yes, Asia). "Some Are Born" and "Days" were auditioned by Yes, but later re-worked by Anderson for Song of Seven.
4. All tracks are sourced from Sandinista!. The tracks included feature various members that the Clash worked with on the OTL album such as Mikey Dread, Gary Barnacle and his father Bill (real name Arthur), Tymon Dogg, Davey Payne, Rick Gascoigne, Bill Barnacle and Lew Lewis.

Author's Comments

Not much to say about the Rolling Stones or Crosby, Stills & Nash; we're not going to be seeing much of them for the remainder of Phase Three, though I will say that the Stones could either have an improved 80s for them, or they take a hiatus during that decade. Yes, on the other hand, was more difficult to figure out, especially with keeping Jon Anderson from leaving to pursue a solo career. What I've came up with was probably not my best work, but hopefully it came out okay.

I wasn't originally going to make Something About England, but after reading a bit about Sandinista!, I thought, what if the Clash had put out two single albums instead of a triple album? How I arranged the two albums (the other will come out next year) was by focusing on those that featured the likes of Mikey Dread and Tymon Dogg, some of which overlap on some songs, and then go from there. Here's a list as to who appeared on which tracks:

1. Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice) - Tymon Dogg
2. Version City - Lew Lewis
3. Look Here - Lewis, Mikey Dread
4. The Crooked Beat - Davey Payne, Gary Barnacle, Dread
5. Ivan Meets G.I. Joe - Payne, Rick Gascoigne, G. Barnacle, Bill Barnacle
6. One More Time - Dread
7. Something About England - Dogg, Payne, Gascoigne, G. Barnacle, B. Barnacle
8. Corner Soul - Lewis
9. Junco Partner - Dogg, Lewis
10. If Music Could Talk - Payne
11. The Sound of Sinners - Dogg
12. Midnight Log - Lewis
13. The Equalizer - Dogg, Lewis
14. The Street Parade - Gascoigne, G. Barnacle, B. Barnacle

There was also "Lose This Skin" that featured Dogg, Payne, Gascoigne and the Barnacles, but I left it off because it featured Tymon Dogg on lead vocals, which automatically disqualified it in my books. I also excluded any dub versions of songs ("One More Dub", all of side six barring "Version City") to avoid repetition, as well as "Mensforth Hill" ("Something About England" but backwards and with overdubs), which narrowed the song list down to just twenty-eight. Fourteen ended up on Something About England, along with "Hitsville UK" and "Kingston Advice" being released as a non-album single. That means the remaining twelve songs will end up on the revised Sandinista!, so nothing ends up being lost. (Except maybe "Lose This Skin", but that could probably work better as a Tymon Dogg single featuring the Clash.) This overall little experiment was partially inspired from Uncle Dan's attempt at splitting up Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion albums into three single albums. How would you have handled Sandinista! if you were to cut it down into a single album or two? Your results may vary, I imagine!

Chapter 63: Whole Wide World (September 1979 - August 1980)

September - October 1979

Small Faces, late 1970s (exact year taken unknown). Rick Wills is on the center-right.

DAVID GILMOUR: "We didn't know what to do next after doing Wish You Were Here. Roger had left Pink Floyd, and it almost seemed like it was the end for the group. Luckily, that wasn't the case. Nick was good friends with Robert Wyatt, and he insisted that we carry on despite Roger's departure. At the time, I was working with Rog on his biggest project to date, The Wall, and the Floyd was on a bit of an indefinite hiatus. I talked to Rick about it, and he agreed. But first, we had to find a new bassist." (2006)

The answer had come to Pink Floyd in the form of David Gilmour's good friend Rick Wills, who was a member of the reformed Small Faces, but had recently split up due to poor reviews and sales of their albums Playmates and 78 in the Shade. Wills had been asked to join Foreigner on bass guitar, but he declined due to his commitments with Pink Floyd. In addition, they were joined by Snowy White as their backing guitarist, reprising his role from the controversial In the Flesh Tour. Along with Robert Wyatt on percussion and additional vocals, the revamped Pink Floyd went into the studio that September to record their first post-Waters album.

RICK WRIGHT: "David and I each wrote some new material throughout 1978 and 1979, but it wasn't until the sessions for Mihalis that we actually recorded them. Nick also brought forth some material he'd written with jazz musician Carla Bley, and gave them to Robert to sing. The sessions went by very quickly, probably the most fun, healthy and relaxed that we had in a while. It really felt like a band effort again." (1995)

30 November 1979

Pink Floyd - Mihalis

Released: 30 November 1979

Recorded: September - October 1979

Producer: Pink Floyd

Track listing[1]

Side A

Mihalis

Against the Odds

Siam

Cat Cruise

So Far Away

Side B

Mediterranean C

Short and Sweet

Deafinitely

Summer Elegy

I'm a Mineralist

Prior to the release of Milhalis, Pink Floyd's situation was bad from an economic standpoint, and they were under a contractual obligation to release another album under Harvest Records, as was Roger Waters. Not only that, Gilmour, Wright and Mason were under constant pressure from being asked by fans, the press and fellow musicians as to why Waters had left the band. "You should ask him, not us!" they would usually reply, wanting to worry about other things, especially Wright, whose marriage with Juliette was falling apart, eventually divorcing in 1982.

The first album by the revamped Pink Floyd, Mihalis, finally came out at the end of November, topping the charts in the United Kingdom, and reaching #3 in the United States. It was preceded that same month with a non-album single, a cover of Unicorn's "There's No Way Out of Here" (whom Gilmour had produced for), which was a surprising success in the United Kingdom and Europe. It was later followed up by the album single "So Far Away"/"Against the Odds" (#4 UK, #11 US) in December. The album received positive reviews from critics, many of whom cited that the sound was different from what Pink Floyd had produced prior, mainly due to the jazz influences from Mason and Wright's songwriting as well as the presence of Carla Bley and Wyatt.

Half of Mihalis was instrumental, with "Against the Odds" being sung by Rick Wright, and David Gilmour ("So Far Away", "Short and Sweet") and Robert Wyatt ("Siam", "I'm a Mineralist") each singing two songs. With renewed energy, Pink Floyd looked set to continue for a long time despite the absence of founding member Roger Waters.

28 March 1980

Genesis - Duke

Released: 28 March 1980

Recorded: November - December 1979

Producer: Genesis and David Hentschel

Track listing[2]

Side A

Duke (Chapters 1-3)

Man of Our Times

Misunderstanding

Heathaze

Side B

Alone Tonight

Cul-de-Sac

Don't Let It Show

Duke (Chapters 4-6)

Duke marked the first album by Genesis as a trio, consisting of Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford and Kim Beacon. Phil Collins, the previous drummer, had left the group on amicable terms to play with the Who following Keith Moon's death, and had taken up residence in Vancouver, Canada to try and fix his marriage with Andrea Bertorelli. Sadly, this would end up in divorce the following year, and it would be four years before Collins re-married.

TONY BANKS: "Mike, Kim and I were feeling quite refreshed after putting out solo albums in 1979, establishing ourselves as solo artists outside of Genesis. But of course, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts." (2007)

Each member of the band contributed two songs; Banks brought forth "Heathaze" and "Cul-de-Sac", Rutherford "Man of Our Times" and "Alone Tonight", and Beacon "Don't Let It Show" as well as a co-write with Collins, "Misunderstanding". All three members brought forth ideas for the 28-minute epic "Duke", and it was originally going to take up the entirety of the first side while the second side would be entirely self-contained tracks; however, that felt too similar to Rutherford's Smallcreep's Day, which also had the same arrangement. Instead, it was split in half to bookend the album, beginning with chapters one through three and ending with chapters four through six, the latter portion of which included the hit "Turn It On Again".

Duke was Genesis' first #1 album in the United Kingdom, and it also ranked very highly in the United States at #4. Likewise, "Turn It On Again ('Duke' Chapter 4)"/"Evidence of Autumn" (8 March, #1 UK, #23 US) and "Misunderstanding"/"Open Door" (10 May, #7 UK, #4 US) were also big hits. Critical reception was also very positive, with many even saying it was their greatest album since Selling England by the Pound, possibly of the Beacon era of Genesis. The tour to support the album in the United Kingdom and North America from April to June was also hugely successful, with tickets selling out within hours.

9 May 1980

Roger Waters and the Bleeding Hearts Band - The Wall

Released: 9 May 1980

Recorded: December 1978 - January 1980

Producer: Roger Waters and Bob Ezrin

Track listing[3]

Side A

When the Tigers Broke Free

In the Flesh? (Behind These Cold Eyes)

The Thin Ice

Another Brick in the Wall (Reminiscing)

Goodbye Blue Sky

The Happiest Days of Our Lives

Another Brick in the Wall (Education)

Mother

Side B

Welcome to the Machine

Young Lust

One of My Turns

Don't Leave Me Now

What Shall We Do Now?

Another Brick in the Wall (Drugs)

Goodbye Cruel World

Side C

Hey You

Is There Anybody Out There?

Nobody Home

Vera

Bring the Boys Back Home

The Final Cut

Comfortably Numb

Side D

Who's Sorry Now?

In the Flesh (Isn't This Where We Came In?)

Run Like Hell

Waiting for the Worms

Stop

The Trial by Puppet

Outside the Wall (It's Never Too Late)

ROGER WATERS: "I was in a bad way after Syd died in that bus accident in Germany. Couple that with the [In the] Flesh Tour and leaving Pink Floyd, I felt distanced from everyone, even the rest of the band. That was why I ended up leaving, and I haven't looked back since. The Wall was inspired by all the shit I'd been through since I was a child." (1999)

With the help of producer Bob Ezrin, known for his work with Alice Cooper, Kiss and Peter Gabriel, Roger Waters set to work on his first solo album, tentatively titled Bricks in The Wall (the Bricks portion was later discarded). Along with Ezrin on keyboards and piano, Waters also brought in Gilmour on guitar and vocals (the latter even contributed an unfinished song that would eventually become "Comfortably Numb", as well as several other lyrical contributions and vocals to some songs), and Jeff Porcaro from Toto on drums. With the band assembled, recording had begun back in December 1978, and would last all the way into January 1980.

DAVID GILMOUR: "It was kind of relieving that Roger had left the band; Hitch Hiking felt more like a solo album than a Pink Floyd album, and had he stayed on, his obsession with concept albums would've dominated our sound, leaving me and Rick in the dust. Still, he would get pretty irritable if we didn't play to his liking, the nadir being which we got into an argument and I told him, 'Were you even like this when Syd was still alive? His death's had an impact on you, you know.' In hindsight, I wish I hadn't said that, and Roger got so angry that he told me to get out. I almost thought he take a guitar and shove it where the sun don't shine." (2006)

In his isolation from Waters following that outburst, Gilmour would record Mihalis with the rest of Pink Floyd, and a few days after the sessions had been completed, he received a phone call from Waters. "You were right, Dave," he said over the phone. "I've been nothing but a complete dick to everyone since Syd's death, and I can't apologize enough for my behavior." Gilmour apologized as well for the argument, and shortly afterward, he returned to the sessions for The Wall.

A live concert of The Wall, climaxing with the wall being knocked down, 1980.

ROGER WATERS: "David and the rest of Floyd put out Mihalis that November, and I was surprised that they were able to record and album, much less release it, and they were in a crisis that was a little bit worse than I was. I hadn't heard the album when it first came out, but when I finally got the chance to do so, I was impressed with what they had done. Maybe a few songs that I felt a bit iffy about, but still. I was glad that they were able to get out of this crisis, and they for me too." (2006)

The Wall was finally released on 9 May 1980, a little over five months since Pink Floyd's Mihalis. It had been preceded earlier that year with "Another Brick in the Wall (Education)" in January, which hit #1 in both the United Kingdom and the United States, and "Run Like Hell" in April. The third and final single, "Comfortably Numb", was later released in June. The Wall was a rock opera showing the struggles of a rock star by the name of Floyd Pinkerton, based upon Waters himself as well as Syd Barrett, building a metaphorical wall around himself, eventually isolating himself altogether from society.

Waters' debut solo album had received a mixed critical reception upon release, peaking at #10 in the United States but stalling out at #2 in the United Kingdom, but over time, reviews became mostly positive, even ending up at #87 on Rolling Stone's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" list in 2003. Waters would later go on tour for The Wall, performing the album in its entirety and featuring elaborate theatrical effects. Pink Floyd, meanwhile, had also gone on their Mihalis Tour, even featuring Unicorn and Robert Wyatt as opening acts.

27 June 1980

Olivia Newton-John - Xanadu

Released: 27 June 1980

Recorded: 1979-1980

Producer: John Farrar and Jeff Lynne (track 4 only)

Track listing[4]

Side A

Magic

You Made Me Love You

Suddenly [w/ Cliff Richard]

Xanadu [w/ Electric Light Orchestra]

Side B

Suspended in Time

Dancin' [w/ The Tubes]

Fool Country

Whenever You're Away From Me [w/ Gene Kelly]

Xanadu was the latest Apple Films project, being directed by Robert Greenwald and starring Olivia Newton-John, Gene Kelly and Michael Beck. One of the Nine Muses of Olympus, Terpsichore, returns to Earth after a mural of the Muses is brought to life, and taking the identity Kira, she falls in love with a failing freelance artist named Sonny Malone, whose drawing had hit the mural after being thrown into the wind. Some roller-skating antics and musical moments ensure whenever possible.

The film was released on 8 August, several weeks following the release of the soundtrack featuring Olivia Newton-John's vocal performances, which would go on to help the film break even at the box office (about $41 million) despite the negative reception from critics. In later years, however, the film would gain cult following, and the soundtrack (#2 UK, #4 US) remained one of the best things about Xanadu. Twenty years later, Jeff Lynne would re-record the title track, even calling it his favorite song that he had ever written.

1 August 1980

Electric Light Orchestra - All Over the World

Released: 1 August 1980

Recorded: 1972-1980

Producer: Jeff Lynne and Roy Wood (tracks 1-5)

Track listing[5]

Side A

Baby, I Apologize

Everyone's Born to Die

Poor Boy (The Greenwood)

Dark City

One Summer Dream

Surrender

The Quick and the Daft

Latitude 88 North

Side B

Little Town Flirt

I'm Alive

Don't Walk Away

All Over the World

The Fall

Drum Dreams

Initially, the Electric Light Orchestra was going to put out an extended play featuring the songs they had performed for Xanadu, but upon remembering various outtakes recorded throughout 1972 to 1979 that never made it onto the albums or the compilation Light Years, Jeff Lynne decided instead upon another compilation album. Although All Over the World (#7 UK, #30 US) did not chart as highly as Xanadu did, it still holds up as a fine collection of outtakes, concluding with the five songs recorded for the film.

Summary of single releases from Xanadu

• "Magic" / "Fool Country" by Olivia Newton-John - 23 May 1980 (#30 UK, #1 US)
• "I'm Alive" / "Drum Dreams" by Electric Light Orchestra - 24 May 1980 (#11 UK, #6 US)
• "Xanadu" (with Electric Light Orchestra) / "Whenever You're Away from Me" (with Gene Kelly) by Olivia Newton-John - 6 June 1980 (#1 UK, #2 US)
• "All Over the World" / "The Fall" by Electric Light Orchestra - 2 August 1980 (#3 UK, #5 US)
• "Suddenly" (with Cliff Richard) / "You Made Me Love You" by Olivia Newton John - 24 October 1980 (#11 UK, #18 US)
• "Don't Walk Away" / "Little Town Flirt" by Electric Light Orchestra - 22 November 1980 (#16 UK)

Footnotes

1. Tracks are sourced from David Gilmour's 1978 eponymous album, Rick Wright's Wet Dream and Nick Mason's Fictitious Sports. In addition, Snowy White played guitar on Wright's debut album, Rick Wills on bass guitar for Gilmour's, and Robert Wyatt for Mason's, further explaining why Pink Floyd became a sextet.
2. All tracks are sourced from OTL's Duke, excluding "Don't Let It Show" from Kim Beacon's Talking to Myself. As usual, all songs are sung by Beacon, barring the instrumental "Duke's End". In addition, "Duke" in its entirety is this universe's equivalent to "Shine On You Crazy Diamond" by utilizing the bookend technique for the album. Chapters 1-3 consist of "Behind the Lines", "Duchess" and "Guide Vocal", while Chapters 4-6 consist of "Turn It On Again", "Duke's Travels" and "Duke's End".
3. A fuller guide as to how I edited the album together can be found here.
4. All tracks are sourced from the Xanadu soundtrack along with two Olivia-Newton John B-sides. "Fool Country" is the B-side to "Magic" in the United States, and "You Made Me Love You" is the B-side to "Suddenly".
5. For Side A, the tracks are sourced from ELO 2, On the Third Day, Eldorado, Face the Music, A New World Record and Out of the Blue. For Side B, all tracks are sourced from the Xanadu soundtrack excluding "Little Town Flirt", sourced from Discovery. "Drum Dreams" is a non-album B-side to "I'm Alive" and "All Over the World".

Author's Comments

Finally, we leave the 70s behind and move into the 80s, which means that Strawberry Peppers is now forty years behind from today! And we got to that point in less than two years since starting in January 2019. Wow!

Pink Floyd continuing without Roger Waters is an interesting concept to explore for sure, and luckily for us, there's enough solo material by David Gilmour, Rick Wright and even from Nick Mason (assuming they also invited Robert Wyatt to join) to go down that rabbit hole. I've taken some influence from Mass' seemingly discontinued So You Think You Can Tell timeline and a bit from Auran's Gummaumma (though it's not as prominent as it was before) for that portion of the chapter.

Not much to say with Genesis here; things happen as they did, only with Phil Collins gone and with Kim Beacon as a member. Though as the 80s progress, their albums become better received and they can be easily separated from Phil's solo career. Similarly, ELO will continue past the 80s and into the 90s, even though I intend to finish the first draft at 1985. (Side note: I apologize if the covers for both Xanadu and All Over the World are a bit crap; it was the best I could do.)

There's only three more chapters in the 1978-1980 portion of Phase Three to go; after that is the 1981-1983 portion, which I've yet to fully map out. Hopefully I will by the end of the year.