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.