Chapter 66: Hit Me With Your Best Shot (January 1978 - December 1980)

General Affairs for Apple Corps Ltd.

"Would you care for a rat, or...?" The famous climax of the final Fawlty Towers episode, Basil the Rat, in which the inspector Mr. Carnegie spots the titular rat in a tin of biscuits. The episode premiered on 25 October 1979, the delay was caused by a strike taking place at the BBC.

By the start of the 1970s, Apple Corps had mainly focused on putting out music. As the decade drew to a close, with the inclusion of Highway 61 Records and Swan Song Records as subsidiaries, Apple appeared to rival Berry Gordy, the head honcho of Motown, for a monopoly on the popular music industry. Not only that, they were greatly expanding on their role in the film industry, following the success of Mel Brooks' Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein, as well as the two Superman movies starring Christopher Reeve. It was inevitable that Apple Television would grow as well, with the second and final series of Fawlty Towers airing in February and March of 1979, with the final episode Basil the Rat premiering on 25 October that same year. Despite the popularity of the show, creator John Cleese (who also portrayed Basil Fawlty) had no intentions of writing a third series.

In the meantime, Apple Television focused mainly on comedies, which would include the likes of Not the Nine O'Clock News, Blackadder, The Comic Strip Presents..., Only Fools and Horses, 'Allo 'Allo!, and The Young Ones. Many of the actors involved would be part of the growing Apple family for years to come. But one of their most famous productions would not be a comedy aimed at the adult audience, but rather, it would be aimed at a more general audience, mainly children.

In 1979, Reverend Wilbert Awdry was interviewed on the Bluebell Railway for a documentary on steam railways. One of the producers, Britt Allcroft, had read some of his Railway Series books for research before meeting him, and after becoming fascinated with the characters and stories, she offered to adapt them into a television series. Awdry was skeptical at first, even telling Allcroft that two previous attempts at adapting the books had failed. In 1953, the BBC had attempted to adapt The Sad Story of Henry, narrated by Julia Lang and directed by Douglas Mair. The 14 June broadcast was a disaster, especially when the model representing the character Henry the Green Engine derailed at a set of points, and a hand could be seen putting it back on the rails again. It was such an embarrassment that the 28 June broadcast was cancelled, and the footage of the 14 June broadcast was lost to time.

Brian Cosgrove animating what was supposed to be a pilot for Andrew Lloyd Webber's adaptation of the Reverend Wilbert Awdry's Railway Series books, 18 October 1976. Because of the books' scarcity in the United States, the market was uninterested, and so the project was cancelled. The pilot's fate is currently unknown.

The other previous attempt came from Andrew Lloyd Webber, a fan of the books, in 1973, wanting to produce a musical television series. A pilot episode had been produced, but by 1977, following the success of his musical Evita, Lloyd Webber had abandoned the project, focusing instead on theatrical musical productions under the Really Useful Company, named for a catchphrase in the books. "Once the Americans get hold of it, the whole series would be vulgarized and ruined!" Awdry was reported to have said.

Despite the warnings, Allcroft was undeterred and pursued the idea, hoping to source finances for production. Apple Corps were keen to provide the money and allow Allcroft to have full creative control. By the end of 1980, she was financially able to begin producing a show based upon the Railway Series, featuring many iconic characters including a certain little blue tank engine with six small wheels, a short stumpy funnel, a short stumpy boiler, and a short stumpy dome. She would even assemble a crew including director David Mitton (who suggested using live action model animation a la Gerry Anderson) and composers Mike O'Donnell and Junior Campbell; however, it would be a long time before the world finally got to see Thomas and his friends on television for the first time.

Apple Corps Executives, December 1980

Managing Director and Chairman of the Board: Brian Epstein

Vice Presidents: Peter Brown, Lord Beeching

Director Communications: Derek Taylor
General Counsels: Lee and John Eastman

Apple Records

President: Ron Kass

Vice President: Jack Oliver

Director of A&R: Jake Riviera

Director of Promotion and Marketing: Tony Bramwell

Director of Design: Josh Kosh

Studio Manager, Apple Studios: Geoff Emerick

Other Notable Figures: Mal Evans, Roy Thomas Baker

Apple Films and Apple Television

President: Denis O'Brien

Other Notable Figures: Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Mel Brooks, John Cleese, Terry Jones, Richard Donner, John Lloyd, Rowan Atkinson, David Mitton, Britt Allcroft

Apple Management

Director: Neil Aspinall

Associate Director: Mal Evans

Apple Publishing

Director: Alistair Taylor

Highway 61 Records

President: Jack Oliver

Vice President: Chris O'Dell

Directors of A&R: Pete Ham, Dennis Wilson

Swan Song Records

President: Peter Grant

Vice President: Alan Callan

Director of A&R: Dave Edmunds

The Artists of Apple Records

Old Signings

Elvis Costello performing live, 1978.

Jake Riviera's 1976 signings all achieved varying degrees of success, mostly within the positive range. The Clash's London Calling was regarded as one of the best albums of 1979 despite stalling out at #2 in the United Kingdom, and all three of Elvis Costello's albums (This Year's Model, Armed Forces and Get Happy!!) with his new backing band, the Attractions, hit #1 there as well, and his biggest singles included "Radio Radio", "Oliver's Army" and "I Can't Stand Up for Falling Down". When performing on Saturday Night Live in 1977, Costello had been scheduled to perform "Less Than Zero", but he switched at the last minute to "Radio Radio" instead, resulting in him being banned from SNL until the end of the 1980s.

In the midst of producing for some of Apple's newer artists, Nick Lowe released Jesus of Cool and Labour of Lust, along with singles such as "I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass". The Damned (Machine Gun Etiqutte, The Black Album, the single "Love Song"), the Jam (All Mod Cons, Setting Sons, Sound Affects, the single "Going Underground") and Motörhead (Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades) all also achieved Top 10 success. But as for Wreckless Eric, his sophomore album The Wonderful World of Wreckless Eric did not achieve the success of his debut album despite the single "Take the K.A.S.H." His last single under Apple Records was "Broken Doll", released March 1980.

Michael Jackson, 1979.

Most of Apple's veterans were still achieving success at the turn of the decade. A Single Man, The Thom Bell Sessions[1] and 21 and 33 were all Top 20 hits for Elton John and produced the likes of "Song for Guy", "Are You Ready for Love" and "Little Jeannie". It seemed as though the Rocket Man himself was unstoppable even as the world of music evolved. Splinter, meanwhile, still had success in the United Kingdom with Streets at Night and their eponymous 1980 album while struggling to break ground around other parts of the world, including the United States. Even though he was now a member of Yes, now contracted to Swan Song Records, Vangelis was still a part of the Apple roster, continuing to put out electronica albums Beaubourg, China and See You Later.

It was Michael Jackson who had some of the biggest success for Apple at the end of the 1970s with his first post-Motown album, Off the Wall, with the liner notes including a dedication to Diana Ross following her murder at the hands of Sid Vicious and Nancy Spungen in 1978. The lead single, "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough", was the biggest off of the album, later followed up by "Rock with You", "Off the Wall" and "She's Out of My Life". Although it was only released as a single in the United Kingdom, "Girlfriend" was given to Jackson by Paul McCartney for the album after it was demoed with the rest of Smile.

New Signings

Madness, 1979.

Madness and Tenpole Tudor were the only new signings by Jake Riviera for the remainder of the 1970s, both in 1979. When asked why he didn't sign up new artists in the previous two years, Riviera explained that he wanted Apple's newest signings to allow themselves to show off what they were capable of to see how well the punk scene would be received. With many of its artists achieving success in the United Kingdom, presumably because they were signed up to a label founded by the Beatles a decade prior, the label felt confident enough in signing on more punk and new-wave groups.

Apple Artists, as of December 1980

• The Beatles (since 1968; contracted to EMI from 1968-1976)
• George Harrison, John Lennon and Ringo Starr as The Ladders (1970-1976)
• George Harrison and Ringo Starr as The Dark Horses (1977-1980)
• Paul McCartney (1971-1980; affiliated with Smile 1972-1980)
• David Bowie (since 1971; member of The Rolling Stones 1969-1976)
• Eric Clapton (since 1968; member of Cream 1968-1971, member of the Dark Horses 1977-1980)
• The Clash (since 1976)
• Elvis Costello (since 1976)
• Crosby, Stills & Nash (since 1968; with Neil Young 1969-1977)
• Stephen Stills & Manassas (1971-1973; solo albums released on Highway 61 Records 1975-1976)
• Neil Young (1971; solo works released on Highway 61 Records since 1973)
• David Crosby and Graham Nash as Crosby & Nash (1972-1976)
• The Damned (since 1976)
• Electric Light Orchestra (since 1970)
• Fleetwood Mac (since 1968)
• Michael Jackson (since 1971; contracted to Motown from 1971-1975)
• The Jam (since 1976)
• Elton John (since 1969)
• Denny Laine & Wings (since 1980)
• Nick Lowe (since 1976)
• Madness (since 1979)
• Freddie Mercury (since 1973; member of Smile since 1980)
• Motörhead (since 1976)
• The Rolling Stones (since 1970)
• Bill Wyman (1974, 1976)
• Smile (since 1969; affiliated with Paul McCartney 1972-1980)
• Splinter (since 1973)
• Tenpole Tudor (since 1979)
• Vangelis (since 1972; member of Aphrodite's Child 1967-1972, member of the Dark Horses 1977-1980, member of Yes since 1980)

Departed Apple Artists

• Aphrodite's Child (1970-1972)
• Badfinger (1968-1975)
• Brute Force (1969)
• Delaney & Bonnie (1969-1972)
• Cream (1968-1971)
• Chris Hodge (1972-1973)
• Mary Hopkin (1968-1972)
• Hot Chocolate (1969)
• Radha Krishna Temple (1969)
• Jackie Lomax (1968-1975)
• Jimmy McCulloch and White Line (1975-1977)
• Nazareth (1972-1975)
• Yoko Ono (1969-1973)
• Billy Preston (1969-1977)
• Sex Pistols (1976-1979)
• Ronnie Spector (1971-1972)
• The Sundown Playboys (1972)
• White Trash (1969)
• Doris Troy (1969-1971)
• Lon and Derrek Van Eaton (1972-1973)
• Wreckless Eric (1976-1980)

The Artists of Highway 61 Records

Old Signings

Bob Dylan, 1979.

Highway 61 Records saw three departures by the end of 1978; Attitudes had broken up, as would Boxer due to Mike Patto's death from lymphatic leukemia on 4 March 1979, and Kiki Dee would leave before her last single under the label, "One Jump Ahead of the Storm", had come out. But what about those who would stay on? Bob Dylan had once again departed from his folksy roots with Street-Legal, and would convert to Christianity, which influenced the sound of Slow Train Coming and Saved, the latter of which would be regarded as one of his worst ever albums.

Dave Edmunds was kept busy producing for artists on both Highway 61 and Swan Song Records, but still found the time for releases such as Tracks on Wax 4 and Repeat When Necessary on the former label, as well as Seconds of Pleasure with Rockpile. Cliff Richard continued to have Top 40 hits in the United Kingdom, his biggest hit during that period being "We Don't Talk Anymore". Likewise, Supertramap's Breakfast in America had reached #1 in the United States, and its singles were also Top 20 hits there as well. Although Tina Turner had achieved minor success with Rough and Love Explosion, it would be a few years before she had a career resurgence.

Heart stayed on with Highway 61 Records even after the controversy surrounding the media over rumors of an incestuous relationship between Ann and Nancy Wilson, and even achieved success with Dog and Butterfly and Bébé le Strange. Rod Stewart, The Ramones and Patti Smith also achieved similar chart success. Harry Nilsson would put out Flash Harry in 1980, and it would be the last album released in his lifetime, with Losst and Founnd coming out in 1995, the year after his death from heart attack.[2]

Cheap Trick, 1978.

Cheap Trick's most successful album of the period was Dream Police, with the title track even hitting the Top 20 for three non-consecutive weeks. Likewise, the Talking Heads found success gradually growing from More Songs About Buildings and Food to Fear of Music to Remain in Light, the latter of which finally hit the Top 10 in America. Michael Jackson still found time to record with the Jacksons on Destiny and Triumph, though they would release albums sporadically due to Michael putting a solo career first. Apple veteran James Taylor released Flag in May 1979, his only major release during that period.

Toto released their eponymous debut album in October 1978, backed by the lead single "Hold the Line". Their work with Dennis Wilson would then carry over onto the follow up album Hydra and its main single "99", and then Turn Back, though it wouldn't be released until next year. Wilson also employed some of the members of Toto for his next solo album Bambu, and although it didn't achieve much success at the time, it would gradually gain a cult following.

New Signings

The Cars, 1979.

Colin Blunstone had signed onto Highway 61 Records for two albums; Never Even Thought and Late Nights in Soho. Afterwards, he left the label and disappeared from the music scene until the 1990s. His loss was more than made up for by bringing in the Cars ("Just What I Needed", "Let's Go", "Touch and Go") and Johnny Warman ("Head On Collision", "Automatic Kids") in 1978. This was later followed up by Huey Lewis and the News ("Exo-Disco", "Some of My Lies Are True") and the Lambrettas ("Go Steady", "Poison Ivy") in 1979 and 1980, respectively.

By that time, there was a rise of female pop artists that would soon carry over into the new decade. Pat Benatar's In the Heat of the Night and Crimes of Passion brought forth hits such as "Heartbreaker" and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" which were Top 20 hits. Californian new wave group the Go-Go's would soon become the first all-female band that not only wrote their own songs, but played their own instruments as well, being fronted by vocalist Belinda Carlisle.

Highway 61 Artists, as of December 1980

• Pat Benatar (since 1979)
• Junior Campbell (since 1976; no new recordings since 1978)
• The Cars (since 1978)
• Cheap Trick (since 1976)
• Bob Dylan (since 1973)
• Dave Edmunds (since 1973; also contracted to Swan Song Records)
• The Go-Go's (since 1980)
• Heart (since 1975)
• The Jacksons (since 1976)
• The Lambrettas (since 1980)
• Huey Lewis and the News (since 1979)
• Harry Nilsson (since 1975)
• Tom Petty & Mudcrutch (since 1974)
• Ramones (since 1975)
• Lou Reed (since 1976; member of Hunky Dory 1972-1978)
• Cliff Richard (since 1973)
• Patti Smith (since 1975)
• Rod Stewart (since 1975)
• Stephen Stills (since 1975; also contracted to Apple Records)
• Supertramp (since 1974)
• Talking Heads (since 1976)
• James Taylor (since 1976; part of Apple Records 1968-1976)
• Peter Tork (since 1973)
• Toto (since 1977)
• Tina Turner (since 1974; on hiatus)
• Johnny Warman (since 1978)
• Dennis Wilson (since 1975)
• Ronnie Wood (since 1974; member of the Rolling Stones since 1975; member of the Dark Horses 1977-1980)
• Neil Young (since 1973; also contracted to Apple Records)

Departed Highway 61 Artists

• Attitudes (1976-1978)
• Colin Blunstone (1978-1980)
• Boxer (1975-1978)
• Kiki Dee (1973-1978)
• Hunky Dory (1976-1978)
• L.A. Express (1973-1976)
• Lynyrd Skynyrd (1973-1977)
• Nigel Olsson (1974-1977)
• Tom Scott (1973-1977)
• Neil Sedaka (1974-1976)
• Ravi Shankar (1973-1980)
• Solution (1974-1977)
• Stackridge (1973-1976)
• Robert Wyatt (1976-1979; member of Hunky Dory 1972-1978)

The Artists of Swan Song Records

Old Signings

Kate Bush, 1980.

The only remaining artists from Swan Song Records pre-Apple acquisition (the Yardbirds notwithstanding) were Bad Company and Sad Café, both of which were still making hits from Desolation Angels and Facades, respectively. That wasn't to say that the artists they acquired from Highway 61 Records were any less successful; far from it. Aerosmith's Night in the Ruts was generally a hit among critics and fans, as were From the Inside and Flush the Fashion by Alice Cooper. Dr. John (City Lights, Tango Palace) and Blue Öyster Cult (Mirrors, Cultösaurus Erectus) were also generally successful, but it was Blondie who achieved the most success out of the transfers with four albums being released - Plastic Letters, Parallel Lines, Eat to the Beat and Autoamerican, the second of which produced the hit "Heart of Glass".

Scottish band Blue broke up after the release of Fool's Party and the album received no hits. Likewise, Detective had broken up with no new releases since 1977's It Takes One to Know One. On the other side of things, XTC had managed to achieve Top 40 success in the United Kingdom with White Music, Go 2, Drums and Wires and Black Sea, the latter of which even managed to breach the Top 40 in America.

Kate Bush achieved instant success when her debut single, "Wuthering Heights", topped the charts in the United Kingdom. Looking back retrospectively, Bush admitted that she didn't expect success this early, and was worried about being forced to make music and skip school. Fortunately, because she was in an understanding environment, Kate did not have to rush-release a new album following the success of The Kick Inside, and it's follow-up, Lionheart, would not be released until June 1979. Never for Ever would come out in September the following year.

New Signings

Prince, 1980.

Outside of the Buggles and former Hunky Dory members Kevin Ayers and Iggy Pop, 1978 saw the signing of Ohio-based band Devo, fronted by brothers Bob and Gerald Casale. Although their first three albums, Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!, Duty Now for the Future and Freedom of Choice, were not Top 10 hits on either side of the Atlantic (although the first album came close at #12 in the United Kingdom), they still sold respectably and achieved hits such as "Whip It".

Prince Rogers Nelson - known mononymously as Prince - was destined for big things when he signed a record deal with Swan Song Records. Although his debut album, For You, didn't make much of a dent upon release, his 1979 eponymous album and 1980's Dirty Mind, however, did, with "I Wanna Be Your Lover" reaching the Top 10 in the United States, even topping the charts in the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs.

1979 seemed to be a significant year for Swan Song Records as, with the exception of the Vapors, all of their new signings were female. Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (Bad Reputation), Brenda Russell (her eponymous debut album), Carly Simon (Come Upstairs) and Judie Tzuke (Welcome to the Cruise, Sports Car) all achieved success within the first year of being signed onto the label, with Simon having a bit of a career resurgence since departing Elektra Records. Now she was under a subsidiary of Apple much like her husband James Taylor. This was not to say that the Vapors were unsuccessful; New Clear Days did fairly well in the charts and with critics, as did the single "Turning Japanese", which even hit #3 in the United Kingdom.

Swan Song Artists, as of December 1980

• Aerosmith (since 1977; part of Highway 61 Records 1973-1976)
• Kevin Ayers (since 1978; part of Highway 61 Records 1976-1977)
• Bad Company (since 1974)
• Blondie (since 1977; part of Highway 61 Records 1976)
• Blue Öyster Cult (since 1977; part of Highway 61 Records 1975-1976)
• The Buggles (since 1978)
• Kate Bush (since 1977)
• Alice Cooper (since 1977; part of Highway 61 Records 1974-1976)
• Devo (since 1978)
• Dave Edmunds (since 1977; also contracted to Highway 61 Records)
• Dr. John (since 1977; part of Highway 61 Records 1975-1976)
• Genesis (since 1977; part of Highway 61 Records 1975-1976)
• Tony Banks (since 1979)
• Kim Beacon (since 1979)
• Mike Rutherford (since 1979)
• Joan Jett and the Blackhearts (since 1979)
• Iggy Pop (since 1978; part of Highway 61 Records 1976-1977)
• Prince (since 1978)
• Brenda Russell (since 1979)
• Sad Café (since 1976)
• Carly Simon (since 1979)
• Judie Tzuke (since 1979)
• The Vapors (since 1979)
• XTC (since 1977)
• The Yardbirds (since 1974)
• Yes (since 1980)

Departed Swan Song Artists

• Blue (1977-1979)
• Maggie Bell (1974-1976)
• Detective (1977-1979)
• The Pretty Things (1974-1976)

Various Artists - The Best of Apple Records Vol. 6: 1978-1980

Released: 20 November 2009

Recorded: 1977-1980

Producer: Various

Track listing

I Love the Sound of Breaking Glass [Nick Lowe]
Miss You [The Rolling Stones]
Radio Radio [Elvis Costello]
Take the Cash (K.A.S.H.) [Wreckless Eric]
The Great Rock 'N' Roll Swindle [The Sex Pistols ft. Eddie Tenpole]
Danger Zone [Splinter]
Love Comes to Everyone [The Ladders]
Love Song [The Damned]
Don't Bring Me Down [Electric Light Orchestra]
Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough [Michael Jackson]
Think About Me [Fleetwood Mac]
Crazy Little Thing Called Love [Freddie Mercury]
London Calling [The Clash]
My Girl [Madness]
Going Underground [The Jam]
Little Jeannie [Elton John]
Thoroughfare Gap [Crosby, Stills & Nash]
Coming Up [Paul McCartney & Smile]
Ace of Spades [Motörhead]
Say You Don't Mind [Denny Laine & Wings]

Apple's sixth Best of compilation (#3 UK, #5 US) was all about the transition from one decade to another. There was a particular emphasis on punk and new-wave with many of its newer artists while the old guard either carried on with their own thing or attempted to adapt with the times with varied results. It remains to be seen how many of them will survive what the 1980s have in store for them.

Footnotes

1. The Thom Bell Sessions replaces Victim of Love, which never gets recorded in this timeline.
2. Losst and Founnd would not be released until 2019 in OTL.

Author's Comments

Well, here we go with the final chapter focusing on the 1978-1980 period of Phase Three! For the first time, an Apple update does not feature the discographies of the three labels. I was going to include them, but I decided to instead keep them on individual pages which you can see near the top of this page. Apple begins in 1968, Highway 61 in 1973, and Swan Song in 1974, with the post-Apple takeover discography from 1977 onward. And honestly, listing all the discographies for each artist is not a fun thing to do, and it comes off as a borderline chore. I want writing to be fun, and if I have to write up something just to get it posted online, then that's not something I want to do, voluntarily or otherwise.

There is one more Apple Corps update that I'll be working on much later, focusing on 1981-1983, and that could be a long while away. This will be the last post for 2020, as right now, I'm focusing on other projects unrelated to Strawberry Peppers, and I don't want to risk burning myself out. For the new year, posts might be a bit more sporadic to begin with, coming out every two or three weeks before returning to a regular schedule of two chapters per fortnight, with a weekly break in between, but I hope you understand where I'm going with this. For now, I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and, well, happy holidays in general! Here's hoping 2021 will bring good things!

Alternate Peppers: Smile Discography, 1972-1980

What if Freddie Mercury had been a member of Smile from the get-go? Of course, that's only possible in the Strawberry Peppers universe had the Beatles continued as a group into 1976 before taking a hiatus until 1980. This post was originally completed back in April, and having gotten up to 1980 in the main story, I can finally post this.

Don't Forget to Smile (December 1972)

Side A (22:29)

1. Keep Yourself Alive - 3:46 (May)

2. Doing All Right - 3:45 (May/Staffell; Ghost of a Smile)

3. Mad the Swine - 3:22 (Mercury)

4. Great King Rat - 5:41 (Mercury)

5. Modern Times Rock 'n' Roll - 1:48 (Taylor)

6. My Fairy King - 4:07 (Mercury)

Side B (21:58)

7. Liar - 6:26 (Mercury)

8. The Night Comes Down - 4:24 (May)

9. Earth - 3:59 (Staffell; Ghost of a Smile)

10. Son and Daughter - 3:24 (May)

11. Jesus - 3:45 (Mercury)

All tracks are taken from Queen's eponymous debut album except where noted. For each album, the main songwriter(s) is/are listed. Don't Forget to Smile is essentially Queen's debut album minus the "Seven Seas of Rhye" instrumental and the inclusion of "Mad the Swine" and two Smile recordings - "Doing All Right" and "Earth". Think of this as a transitional album from the lesser-known Tim Staffell era to the well-known Freddie Mercury era.

The Kingdom of Rhye (December 1973)

Side A (24:56)

1. Procession/Father to Son/White Queen (As It Began) - 12:00 (May)

2. See What a Fool I've Been - 4:31 (May)

3. Some Day One Day/The Loser in the End - 8:25 (May/Taylor)

Side B (23:32)

4. Ogre Battle/The Fairy Feller's Master-Stroke/Nevermore - 9:07 (Mercury; preceded by "Seven Seas Prologue", unlisted, from Queen)

5. Stone Cold Crazy - 2:12 (Mercury; Sheer Heart Attack)

6. The March of the Black Queen/Funny How Love Is - 9:23 (Mercury)

7. Seven Seas of Rhye - 2:50 (Mercury)

All tracks from Queen II are utilized. Side B begins with the "Seven Seas Prologue" from Queen to give the side a nice bookend feel, and there's the inclusion of "Stone Cold Crazy" from Sheer Heart Attack (it has origins tracing back to the late 1960s) and the non-album B-side "See What a Fool I've Been". Tracks that crossfade into one another are each formed into singular tracks. From this album onward, John Deacon is the bassist.

In the Lap of the Gods (November 1974)

Side A (20:18)

1. In the Lap of the Gods - 3:20 (Mercury)

2. Now I'm Here - 4:10 (May)

3. Bring Back That Leroy Brown - 2:13 (Mercury)

4. She Makes Me (Stormtrooper in Stilettos) - 4:08 (May)

5. Killer Queen - 3:01 (Mercury)

6. Sheer Heart Attack - 3:26 (Taylor; News of the World)

Side B (19:37)

7. Brighton Rock - 5:08 (May)

8. Tenement Funster/Flick of the Wrist/Lily of the Valley - 7:50 (Taylor/Mercury)

9. Dear Friends - 1:07 (May)

10. Misfire - 1:50 (Deacon)

11. In the Lap of the Gods... Revisited - 3:42 (Mercury)

All tracks from Sheer Heart Attack are utilized, barring "Stone Cold Crazy", already featured on The Kingdom of Rhye. The intended title track for the former is brought forward from News of the World to fill that void, and some rearranging was done so the album starts and closes with two tracks called "In the Lap of the Gods". I really love the way "Sheer Heart Attack" closes out side A; think of it as the album's equivalent to "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" on Abbey Road.

Bohemian Rhapsody (November 1975)

Side A (20:30)
1. Death on Two Legs (Dedicated to...) - 3:43 (Mercury)
2. Lazing on a Sunday Afternoon - 1:08 (Mercury)
3. I'm in Love with My Car - 3:05 (Taylor)
4. You're My Best Friend - 2:50 (Deacon)
5. '39 - 3:30 (May)
6. Sweet Lady - 4:01 (May)
7. Seaside Rendezvous - 2:13 (Mercury)

Side B (22:33)
8. The Prophet's Song - 8:21 (May)
9. Love of My Life - 3:38 (Mercury)
10. Good Company - 3:26 (May)
11. Bohemian Rhapsody - 5:57 (Mercury)
12. God Save the Queen - 1:11 (Traditional/arr. May)

All tracks from A Night at the Opera are utilized in that exact same order. It's a perfect album track for track, so I see no reason to edit it.

Somebody to Love (December 1976)

Side A (21:50)
1. Tie Your Mother Down - 4:48 (May)
2. You Take My Breath Away - 5:09 (Mercury)
3. Long Away - 3:34 (May)
4. The Millionaire Waltz - 4:54 (Mercury)
5. You and I - 3:25 (Deacon)

Side B (22:24)
6. Somebody to Love - 4:56 (Mercury)
7. White Man - 4:59 (May)
8. Good Old-Fashioned Lover Boy - 2:54 (Mercury)
9. Drowse - 3:45 (Taylor)
10. Teo Torriatte (Let Us Cling Together) - 5:50 (May)

All tracks from A Day at the Races are utilized. Same situation as Bohemian Rhapsody; unaltered track listing, but a different title and cover.

Champions of the World (October 1977)

Side A (19:06)

1. We Will Rock You - 2:01 (May)

2. Silver Salmon - 2:27 (Staffell; 1977 outtake)

3. Get Down, Make Love - 3:51 (Mercury)

4. All Dead, All Dead - 3:10 (May)

5. Spread Your Wings - 4:34 (Deacon)

6. Fight from the Inside - 3:03 (Taylor)

Side B (20:59)

7. Feelings Feelings - 1:54 (May)

8. My Melancholy Blues - 3:29 (Mercury)

9. Sleeping on the Sidewalk - 3:06 (May)

10. Who Needs You - 3:05 (Deacon)

11. It's Late - 6:26 (May)

12. We Are the Champions - 2:59 (Mercury)

All tracks from News of the World are utilized barring "Sheer Heart Attack", already featured on In the Lap of the Gods. "Feelings Feelings" is an outtake from the era, and "Silver Salmon" is a similarly unreleased Tim Staffell track being worked on for possible inclusion as late as 1977. It's pretty amazing as to how few unreleased/unfinished songs Queen had in Freddie's lifetime. Like In the Lap of the Gods, Champions of the World has a bookend feel with "We Will Rock You" and "We are the Champions".

Take Us Home Tonight (November 1978)

Side A (22:51)
1. Mustapha - 3:03 (Mercury)
2. Fat Bottomed Girls - 4:14 (May)
3. Fun It - 3:29 (Taylor)
4. Bicycle Race - 3:04 (Mercury)
5. In Only Seven Days - 2:30 (Deacon)
6. Dreamer's Ball - 3:30 (May)
7. Let Me Entertain You - 3:01 (Mercury)

Side B (21:48)
8. Dead on Time - 3:23 (May)
9. Jealousy - 3:14 (Mercury)
10. If You Can't Beat Them - 4:15 (Deacon)
11. Leaving Home Ain't Easy - 3:15 (May)
12. Don't Stop Me Now - 3:29 (Mercury)
13. More of That Jazz - 4:12 (Taylor)

All tracks from Jazz are utilized. Something that bothered me was how unbalanced the sides were; side B was longer by about three minutes, and Side A was largely Freddie dominant. I had to do some rearrangement so that John and Roger each had one track per side, and that Brian and Freddie each had a minimum of two tracks per side. I also had to make sure both sides were within a minute being shorter or longer than the other, and I think that it worked out in the end.

Crazy Little Things (June 1980)

Side A (20:40)

1. Play the Game - 3:30 (Mercury)

2. Coming Soon - 2:51 (Taylor)

3. Dragon Attack - 4:18 (May)

4. Another One Bites the Dust - 3:35 (Deacon)

5. A Human Body - 3:44 (Taylor)

6. Crazy Little Thing Called Love - 2:42 (Mercury)

Side B (20:07)

7. Rock It (Prime Jive) - 4:33 (Taylor)

8. Don't Try Suicide - 3:52 (Mercury)

9. Sail Away Sweet Sister - 3:33 (May)

10. Need Your Loving Tonight - 2:50 (Deacon)

11. It's a Beautiful Day (Link) - 1:31 (Mercury)

12. Save Me - 3:48 (May)

All tracks from The Game are utilized. "A Human Body" is a non-album B-side and "It's a Beautiful Day" is the original spontaneous idea that went unreleased for fifteen years. Both tracks were included to flesh out the album a bit more so that it ran for at least forty minutes total, and the latter track transitions into "Save Me". Like I did with Take Us Home Tonight, I made sure both sides of Crazy Little Things had at least one songwriting contribution from each member per side; Freddie had four tracks, John had two and Brian and Roger each had three. That's surprisingly equal.

Flash Gordon (December 1980)

Side A (16:30)
1. Flash's Theme - 3:30 (May)
2. In the Space Capsule (The Love Theme) - 2:21 (Taylor)
3. Ming's Theme (In the Court of Ming the Merciless) - 2:53 (Mercury)
4. The Ring (Hypnotic Seduction of Dale) - 0:58 (Mercury)
5. Football Fight - 1:29 (Mercury)
6. In the Death Cell (Love Theme Reprise) - 2:26 (Taylor)
7. Execution of Flash - 1:06 (Deacon)
8. The Kiss (Aura Resurrects Flash) - 1:47 (Mercury/Blake)

Side B (18:58)
9. Arboria (Planet of the Tree Men) - 1:41 (Deacon)
10. Escape from the Swamp - 1:44 (Taylor)
11. Flash to the Rescue - 2:47 (May)
12. Vultan's Theme (Attack of the Hawk Men) - 1:15 (Mercury)
13. Battle Theme - 2:20 (May)
14. The Wedding March - 0:56 (Wagner/arr. May)
15. Marriage of Dale and Ming (And Flash Approaching) - 2:04 (May/Taylor)
16. Crash Dive on Mingo City - 1:01
17. Flash's Theme Reprise (Victory Celebrations) - 1:39
18. The Hero - 3:31 (May/Blake)

As it is a soundtrack album rather than a studio album, Flash Gordon will go unedited, save for the band name change.

From that point onward, things carry on as they do in the story, with their next album being 1982's Fun in Space (this universe's Hot Space) and then putting out Radio Ga Ga (OTL's The Works) in 1984 before their iconic Live Aid performance.

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.