An Alternative Beatles Discography - No Covers (1973-1981)

Well, here we are with the threequel post to an alternative Beatles discography in which their early albums did not include any cover songs. They're now closer than ever as a group, but how will they survive the 1970s? Let's find out!

One of the things that I'll mention here is that the Lennon/McCartney pretense has been done away with, as John and Paul in this scenario have agreed to be more open as to who wrote what (well, it was mostly John's idea, but still). After all, the 1970s were very much the "me" decade, and it saves us having to pretend John had any involvement in "Big Barn Bed" or Paul in "Meat City". George still has more or less equal songwriting space as John and Paul, but as you'll see, he goes through the songwriting rut like he did in OTL. Also, Ringo champions for more vocal spots on the albums, usually having at least two per album (in a few cases, he gets three).

This post was written up to commemorate what would have been George Harrison's 78th birthday.

Mind Games (September 28, 1973)

Side A (24:04)

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

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

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

4. Rock and Roll People - 4:21 (Menlove Ave.)

5. Photograph - 3:56 (Ringo)

6. Hi, Hi, Hi - 3:07 (Red Rose Speedway)

Side B (23:30)

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

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

9. C Moon - 4:32 (Red Rose Speedway)

10. Devil Woman - 3:50 (Ringo)

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

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

Taking a hiatus for most of 1972 had done wonders for the Beatles, with John, Paul and George each putting out solo albums and pursuing individual interests. However, John's marriage with Mia Farrow would fall apart after having sex with another woman on the night of George Bush beating out Hubert Humphrey in the presidential elections that November. By the time the Beatles got back together to record their next album, Paul and his wife Jane Asher were expecting a second child; their first child, Kaitlyn Marian McCartney, was born in 1970, and James Alexander McCartney would be born later in 1973.

Mind Games was the second Beatles album to be recorded without longtime producer George Martin. Instead of self-producing, they brought in Brian Wilson to co-produce, his first project following the Beach Boys' breakup due to creative differences that same year. The album received mixed reviews upon release despite topping the charts in both America and England, although the first single "Photograph" was well-received by critics and fans. Shortly after the release of the album, the Beatles would go on their first American tour since 1966, which would later be known as the Beatles' Never Ending Tour, lasting all the way up to mid-1975. Bob Dylan attended a few shows and was said to be impressed with the concept.

Singles:

• "Live and Let Die" / "Miss O'Dell" - June 1, 1973
• "Photograph" / "One More Kiss" - September 7, 1973
• "Mind Games" / "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" - November 19, 1973

This album marks the third in what would be considered the Beatles' Silver Age (1963-1970 being their Golden Age), with Imagine and Ram being their first two. Inevitably, the quality of their music would suffer at some point, no matter how many hits they have on the charts, with a lot of fans preferring the Beatles of yesterday (no pun intended) while there's others who are just glad to hear something from them at all. I'd likely fall into the latter camp had this scenario actually taken place.

From left to right: George Harrison, Peter Boyle, Paul McCartney, Gene Wilder, John Lennon, Madeline Kahn, Mel Brooks, Marty Feldman, and Ringo Starr.

Band on the Run (October 25, 1974)

Side A (24:55)

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

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

3. Intuition - 3:08 (Mind Games)

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

5. (It’s All Down to) Goodnight Vienna - 2:35 (Goodnight Vienna)

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

Side B (24:08)

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

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

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

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

11. Step Lightly - 3:15 (Ringo)

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

In the midst of his breakup with Mia Farrow, John had ended up in love with another actress; Madeline Kahn, with whom he would co-star in Mel Brooks' second film under Apple Films, Young Frankenstein. But it wasn't just John having marital issues; George Harrison had slept with Ringo Starr's wife Maureen Cox. While this had taken place, George's wife Pattie Boyd had slept with his best friend Eric Clapton, with the couple eventually divorcing within a few years. It was genuinely surprising that the group had made it through this quarrel between these two close friends. Only Paul and Jane's marriage seemed rock solid.

The Beatles' next album was their second to be self-produced, and it faced problems when the initial recordings were stolen, meaning that they had to re-record from the ground up. When the stolen tapes were finally recovered, it was decided that the newer recordings were more suitable for release, which eventually became Band on the Run. The album cover included John and Maddy's co-stars from Young Frankenstein - Mel Brooks, Gene Wilder, Peter Boyle and Marty Feldman - alongside Maddy herself and the Beatles. The collaborations didn't stop there, as the first single "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" featured fellow Apple artist Elton John as guest musician, even contributing the Ringo-sung B-side "Snookeroo". That November, Elton would open for them for three shows at Madison Square Garden, marking a legendary moment in music history. Alongside Everest and Imagine, Band on the Run is considered the Beatles' greatest album of the 1970s, even being called the best album of 1974 in retrospective lists.

Singles:

• "Whatever Gets You thru the Night" / "Snookeroo" - September 6, 1974 [featuring Elton John]
• "Band on the Run" / "Simply Shady" - October 25, 1974
• "Junior's Farm" / "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" - December 6, 1974
• "Dark Horse" / "One Day (At a Time)" - February 28, 1975

For this album and the next two to follow (consisting of their own written material, of course), the Beatles self-produce. As they did so for their solo albums, it's likely that would've happened in this scenario as well. But rest assured, they do cross paths with George Martin again in the 80s. "Junior's Farm" is probably my favorite Wings track, and I wanted to include it on the album, but there was simply not enough room for everything; too much good stuff!

Rock Show (July 15, 1975)

Side A (25:19)

1. Venus and Mars/Rock Show - 3:46 (Wingspan: Hits and History)

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

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

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

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

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

7. Getting Closer - 3:22 (Back to the Egg)

Side B (25:35)

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

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

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

11. Sally G - 3:40 (Venus and Mars)

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

13. Meat City - 2:45 (Mind Games)

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

Feeling refreshed from the success that was Band on the Run, the Beatles went back to record many songs that were written during their Never Ending Tour, even featuring collaborations with Harry Nilsson, a good friend of John and Ringo. However, the resulting album, Rock Show, was not as successful as the Beatles had been hoping for, receiving negative reviews from critics despite hitting #1 in both America and England. Retrospective reviews, however, were much kinder, even going down as one of the greatest musical left turns of all time. At the time, the Beatles didn't have to worry too much about the negative press Rock Show was receiving, as John was dealing with a lawsuit from Morris Levy that resulted in their first-ever album to mostly consist of 50s covers...

Singles:

• "Helen Wheels" / "Going Down on Love" - May 16, 1975
• "Oh My My" / "Letting Go" - September 12, 1975

The inclusion of "Getting Closer" may seem like an anachronism, but it actually had origins as early as 1974, so it's likely that with help from John, Paul would've finished it much sooner. From that point on, the Beatles' fortunes sort of sag, and it continues into the 1980s, with artists like Prince and Madonna making them sound like Robert Johnson in comparison (musically, that is).

Roots: The Beatles Sing the Great Rock & Roll Hits (January 30, 1976)

Side A (24:19)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Side B (24:04)

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

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

10. Pure Smokey - 3:56 (Thirty-Three & ⅓)

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

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

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

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

The Beatles went into the studio with John's good friend Dennis Wilson in the producer's chair to record three songs owned by Morris Levy to settle the lawsuit that "Come Together" had pinched a line from Chuck Berry's "You Can't Catch Me". In addition to recording eight more covers, including the lead single "You're Sixteen", they also included three original songs, one each from John, Paul and George, all reflecting on the music they grew up listening to. Roots was the Beatles' final album to be released under EMI, receiving generally positive reviews; starting February 1976, all Beatles recordings would be under Warner Brothers, who were already demanding for another Beatles album that didn't mainly feature cover songs.

Singles:

• "You're Sixteen" / "Soily" - January 30, 1976

While it is predominately a covers album, I wanted to include a few original songs in there that had a 50s vibe; "Tight A$" is a rockabilly number akin to Elvis Presley, "Call Me Back Again" has some influence from Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding, and "Pure Smokey" is a tribute to Smokey Robinson. Think of it as an equivalent to Run Devil Run, but twenty years earlier.

Between the Lines (September 17, 1976)

Side A (22:21)

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

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

3. Crackerbox Palace - 3:57 (Thirty-Three & ⅓)

4. Bless You - 4:38 (Walls and Bridges)

5. Beware My Love - 6:28 (Wings at the Speed of Sound)

Side B (23:21)

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

7. Beautiful Girl - 3:39 (Thirty-Three & ⅓)

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

9. Six O’Clock - 4:06 (Ringo)

10. Warm and Beautiful - 3:13 (Wings at the Speed of Sound)

11. Learning How to Love You - 4:13 (Thirty-Three & ⅓)

That April, the Beatles were the guest musicians on an episode of Saturday Night Live with actress Raquel Welch hosting. The performance was well-received, and while perhaps not as memorable as their performance on The Ed Sullivan Show twelve years prior, it gave the group enough encouragement to record another album, which would later become a pioneering example of adult contemporary. Between the Lines was preceded by its lead single, "Silly Love Songs", which would go on to become the biggest hit of 1976, keeping Elton John and Kiki Dee's "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" off of the top spot. While not confirmed, it has been perceived as a response by the Beatles to critics who didn't receive Rock Show as well as they were expecting, as if they were telling them to grow up.

Between the Lines received mixed to positive reviews, even reaching #1 in America. But the Beatles couldn't keep up with the momentum of putting out albums on an annual basis. John and Madeline had married and would have a child in December, Frederick Jerome Lennon, and he wanted to take time away from the spotlight to look after his kids. Ringo had divorced from Maureen, and it would be a while yet before he found new love. George, however, did, by meeting with secretary Olivia Arias and eventually marrying her and having a son together, Dhani. Paul and Jane would have another son, Rory Louis McCartney, in 1977. From that point on, the Beatles would put out a new album every two or three years, to give themselves time to write up new material. In between, three compilations were put out, covering the Beatles' entire recording career up to 1976.

Not that they still didn't put out singles in between albums; "Mull of Kintyre" was a darling in the United Kingdom, even becoming their biggest selling single since "She Loves You" fourteen years earlier, but American audiences preferred the B-side, "Oh Madeline!", a recording of a Lennon-penned track first started back in 1968. With the American public having very little interest in the Beatles' output from 1977 and early 1978 ("With a Little Luck"), the band was worried for their future as a group.

Meanwhile, that May in 1977, a Texas-born man was found dead in a car in Hawaii, having inhaled several lungfuls of carbon monoxide. Shortly after this suicide, John Lennon had awoken from a bad dream, feeling as if a man was about to kill him. He would never think about that nightmare again for a long time.

Singles:

• "Silly Love Songs" / "Cookin' (in the Kitchen of Love)" - July 23, 1976
• "#9 Dream" / "Beautiful Girl" - September 17, 1976
• "Crackerbox Palace" / "Warm and Beautiful" - November 15, 1976
• "It's What You Value" / "London Town" - May 31, 1977
• "Mull of Kintyre" / "Oh Madeline!" - September 16, 1977
• "With a Little Luck" / "Soft Touch" - March 20, 1978

Between the Lines is likely to be the point in which people feel that the Beatles have gone soft, and while there may be merit to those criticisms, especially with their 1977-78 singles, it's not as bad as it sounds. At the time, their contemporaries like the Rolling Stones, the Kinks and Rod Stewart were embracing disco, but despite "Silly Love Songs" having that tone, the Beatles have not succumbed to the pressure. The album just screams the non-danceable side of the late 1970s.

Side note: I personally like how "#9 Dream" and "Six O'Clock" are transposed with their titles and track positions.

Album cover art undecided as of yet.

Back to the Egg (March 20, 1979)

Side A (25:41)

1. Love Comes to Everyone - 3:40 (Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989)

2. Girls' School - 4:38 (London Town)

3. Cafe on the Left Bank - 3:25 (London Town)

4. Wings - 3:26 (Ringo the 4th)

5. Dark Sweet Lady - 3:22 (George Harrison)

6. Nobody Told Me - 3:33 (Milk and Honey)

7. Arrow Through Me - 3:37 (Back to the Egg)

Side B (25:48)

8. Who Needs a Heart - 3:48 (Bad Boy)

9. Old Siam, Sir - 4:11 (Back to the Egg)

10. Faster - 4:46 (George Harrison)

11. I Don’t Wanna Face It - 3:14 (Milk and Honey)

12. Daytime Nighttime Suffering - 3:23 (Back to the Egg)

13. If You Believe - 2:55 (George Harrison)

14. Watching the Wheels - 3:31 (Power to the People: The Hits)

Bringing in producer Chris Thomas, who was part of the recording team for the White and Black Albums back in 1968, the Beatles' first album in three years would take a lot of wild stabs at the changing musical landscape in the late 1970s. John made a resurgence as a songwriter, even bringing out one of the best songs off of Back to the Egg, "Nobody Told Me", and even singing lead vocals on Paul's "Girls' School". It was a complete left turn from Between the Lines, but not in the way that it confused listeners when Rock Show first came out. Also during the sessions, the Beatles got together with several artists from Apple and its various labels to perform for a single that would mark the tenth anniversary of its formation. As the decade drew to a close, it seems as though the Beatles had once again found their place in the music world, but for how much longer?

Singles:

• "Rockestra Theme" / "So Glad to See You Here" - November 4, 1978 [featuring the Apple Rockestra]
• "Love Comes to Everyone" / "I've Had Enough" - February 20, 1979
• "Arrow Through Me" / "Heart on My Sleeve" - April 20, 1979
• "Nobody Told Me" / "Spin It On" - July 9, 1979
• "Wonderful Christmastime" / "Your Love is Forever" -  November 16, 1979

This is the point where things get interesting regarding John's music. "Nobody Told Me", "I Don't Wanna Face It" and "Watching the Wheels" were all written around 1976-1977, which is more or less contemporary as to when the album would've been recorded (mid-1978). I think they fit quite well with what Paul, George and Ringo were doing around that time, with John's songs being the most conventional sounding. Paul had a lot of material from that period, so if I've left off anyone's favorite song, I'm sorry, but there's only so much I can include.

Quadruple Fantasy (May 8, 1981)

Side A (26:40)

1. (Just Like) Starting Over - 3:56 (Double Fantasy)

2. Take It Away - 4:05 (Wingspan: Hits and History)

3. Here Comes the Moon - 4:09 (Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989)

4. Wrack My Brain - 2:21 (Stop and Smell the Roses)

5. Ballroom Dancing - 4:07 (Tug of War)

6. I’m Stepping Out - 4:02 (Milk and Honey)

7. Blow Away - 4:00 (George Harrison)

Side B (27:12)

8. Attention - 3:20 (Stop and Smell the Roses)

9. Woman - 3:32 (Double Fantasy)

10. Dream Away - 4:29 (Gone Troppo)

11. Wanderlust - 3:49 (Tug of War)

12. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - 4:02 (Double Fantasy)

13. Life Itself - 4:25 (Somewhere in England)

14. One of These Days - 3:35 (McCartney II)

The Beatles' first release of the 1980s was the non-album single "Coming Up", which John would later say was one of his favorite songs from Paul. The group was reunited for the first time in eight years with George Martin as their co-producer, giving off some of their best ever songs including "Woman", which would remain at #1 in the United Kingdom into the Christmas season. While it was positively received at the time, reception towards Quadruple Fantasy would become a bit more tepid due to its 80s-styled production, often becoming a Generation X guilty pleasure as it aged.

1982 and 1983 would pass by with no new recordings from the Beatles; John and Madeline would have their second child, Alice Paula Lennon in February 1982, and he would go off to feature in the Apple Films production WarGames. Paul would record duets with Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson which would become massive hits in the United States, despite their divisive reputation in recent years. George stayed at home to spend time with his wife Olivia and son Dhani. Ringo had recently married actor Barbara Bach, whom he met on the set of Caveman, and both would get cleaned up by the middle of the decade; he would even partake in recording narration for a children's show focused on talking trains living on a fictional island next to the Isle of Man.

Singles:

• "Coming Up" / "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" - October 23, 1980
• "Blow Away" / "Life Begins at 40" - April 10, 1981
• "Take It Away" / "Borrowed Time" - May 8, 1981
• "Wrack My Brain" / "Waterfalls" - July 17, 1981
• "Woman" / "Soft-Hearted Hana" - September 7, 1981

As we all know, John Lennon's life ended prematurely from a few bullets, and after that, we no longer hear his voice or songwriting... for the most part. From that point onward, you can either pretend that Julian's songs are actually John's in this universe, or that John still died and Julian replaced him in the band (and in that case, include a new single from 1982, "All Those Years Ago" backed with "Here Today"). Whichever works for you. Of course, no Beatles album can reach classic status without John's voice, but once I get to part four, hopefully we can lower our standards a bit and enjoy the post-1981 albums for what they are.

EDIT: (5/4/2022) Changes have been made to the narrative regarding John's love life; this is also reflected in part two.

Chapter 68: In the Air Tonight (February - September 1981)

13 February 1981

Phil Collins - Face Value

Released: 13 February 1981

Recorded: June 1980 - January 1981

Producer: Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham

Track listing[1]

Side A

In the Air Tonight

This Must Be Love

Misunderstanding

The Roof is Leaking

Droned

Hand in Hand

Side B

I Missed Again

You Know What I Mean

Thunder and Lightning

I'm Not Moving

If Leaving Me is Easy

Me and Virgil

Phil Collins' post-Genesis career had started when he became the new drummer for the Who following the death of Keith Moon in 1978. Afterward, he had been hoping to fix up his marriage with his wife Andrea Bertorelli who complained that he was rarely at home enough, and the cracks further widened between them during Genesis' And Then There Were Four Tour. Collins had been hoping that, with Genesis on the cusp of international breakthrough, the tour would help to pay dividends for the future. But then he left Genesis for the Who, with Kim Beacon taking over on drums for the former. Collins, meanwhile, had moved his family to Vancouver, Canada to save his marriage with Bertorelli, but they ended up returning to England instead.

PHIL COLLINS: "My life seemed to be in a never-ending hell by that point. I played on stage with the Who, but then... Cincinnati happened. Everyone was in low spirits by that point, but I seemed to get the brunt of it. Pete [Townshend], John [Entwistle] and Roger [Daltrey] were going for solo projects at that point, so I figured, what the heck." (1996)[2]

Hugh Padgham (center) at the mixing console, date unknown.

Collins teamed up with Hugh Padgham, with whom he was familiar with having worked on Peter Gabriel's third solo album, Melt, for his first solo album, Face Value. Much of the writing was inspired from his divorce from Bertorelli, and the album served as an outlet for his feelings. Among the songs recorded was his own solo version of "Misunderstanding", having previously featured on Genesis' Duke the year prior. Another song from the sessions, "Please Don't Ask" would later end up on the Who's first post-Moon album.

Upon release, Face Value became an immediate success, quickly reaching #1 in the United Kingdom (and #7 in the United States) before being knocked off of the top spot by the Beatles' Quadruple Fantasy. Likewise, the lead single from January, "In the Air Tonight"/"The Roof is Leaking" (#2 UK, #19 US), was kept off of the top spot by "Blow Away". The next two singles, "I Missed Again" (#14 UK, #19 US) and "If Leaving Me is Easy" (#17 UK), were also Top 20 hits in the United Kingdom, showing promise for a solo career by the former drummer for Genesis and current drummer for the Who.

The follow-up album, Hello, I Must Be Going! (#2 UK, #8 US), would be released 5 November 1982, featuring popular tracks such as "Thru These Walls", "You Can't Hurry Love", "I Don't Care Anymore" and "Don't Let Him Steal Your Heart Away".

16 March 1981

The Who - Face Dances

Released: 16 March 1981

Recorded: July - December 1980

Producer: Bill Szymczyk

Track listing[3]

Side A

You Better You Bet

Don't Let Go the Coat

Cache Cache

The Quiet One

Did You Steal My Money

Side B

Please Don't Ask

I Like Nightmares

Daily Records

You

Another Tricky Day

PETE TOWNSHEND: "So, we had just come out with our first album with Phil, and then we get kicked off of the top of the charts in our home country by his own solo project, and he's now our drummer! And then the Beatles reunite and further deny us the top spot. Fucking hell..." (1981)

At the time, Pete Townshend's reaction was that of frustration when the Who's Face Dances (#2 UK, #4 US) was first released. However, in retrospective years, he would admit that Collins' Face Value was actually quite good and even claimed to have liked a few songs off of the Beatles' Quadruple Fantasy. Still, "You Better You Bet"/"The Quiet One", when released that March, was a successful hit on both sides of the Atlantic (#9 UK, #18 US), and was even one of the first music videos shown on the newly-launched MTV. The second single, "Don't Let Go the Coat"/"How Do You Do It Alone" (#47 UK, #84 US), released that May, did not chart as highly.

May 5, 1981

Tom Petty & Mudcrutch - Hard Promises

Released: May 5, 1981

Recorded: 1980 - 1981

Producer: Jimmy Iovine and Tom Petty

Track listing[4]

Side A

The Waiting

A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)

Nightwatchman

Something Big

Gator on the Lawn

Kings Road

Side B

Letting You Go

Worried Guy (Insomnia)

A Thing About You

Insider

The Criminal Kind

You Can Still Change Your Mind

The working title for Tom Petty and Mudcrutch's fifth album was going to be Benmont's Revenge, referring to keyboardist Benmont Tench, but it was changed up to a more marketable title, Hard Promises. The album hit #2 in the United States, kept out of the top spot by Quadruple Fantasy, while hitting #23 in the United Kingdom. The first single released in April, "The Waiting"/"Nightwatchman" (#8), was a Top 10 hit, while the second single from June, "A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)"/"Stop Draggin My Heart Around (demo)" (#54 US) barely made the Top 60.

During the recording sessions, John Lennon made a visit to the studio and Tom Petty recalled the meeting very fondly, even giving him a shout-out on the back cover of Hard Promises.[5] Two months following the release of Hard Promises, Stevie Nicks' debut single from Bella Donna, "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" (#31 UK, #2 US) featuring Petty and Mudcrutch, was released, kicking off a strong solo career from one of Fleetwood Mac's vocalists.

18 September 1981

Genesis - Abacab

Released: 18 September 1981

Recorded: March - June 1981

Producer: Genesis

Track listing[6]

Side A

Abacab

No Reply At All

Me and Sarah Jane

Naminanu

Side B

Dodo/Lurker

You Might Recall

Don't Tell Me

Like It or Not

Paperlate

In November 1980, Genesis had bought a new recording studio in Chiddingfold, Surrey that they named The Farm. They convened there in March the following year to record their follow-up to last year's Duke. With that album being successful commercially, how were they possibly going to top it?

KIM BEACON: "Working in a different environment was pretty relaxing for us; recording material at The Farm ensured that we wouldn't get distracted that much and we could do our jobs in peace. We had recorded more than enough material for a double album, but we ended up whittling it down to a single album instead." (1997)

TONY BANKS: "We wanted to avoid going for the musical clichés associated with Genesis by that point; tambourines during a chorus, reprises, extended solos, lengthy instrumental passages. Just keep the melody simple. Abacab was our least technical album at the time." (2006)

For the first time since 1974's The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway, Genesis did not bring forth longtime producer David Hentschel. In fact, they didn't bring forth an outside producer at all. For the first time, they would be self-producing, although they would bring in Glyn Johns as engineer.[7]

Tony Banks performing live with Genesis, 1981.

Upon initial release, Abacab topped the charts in the United Kingdom and reached #3 in the United States. Reception from critics and fans was generally positive, with many noting that the tracks simultaneously called back to their past and looked forward to the future. Three of the leftover tracks - "Keep It Dark", "Who Dunnit" and "Another Record" - would eventually be released on 21 May 1982 as part of an extended play, 3x3, focusing on the more experimental tracks from the sessions. The Abacab Tour ran from September to December 1981, later leading to Three Sides Live the following year.

Summary of Abacab single releases, 1981-1982:

• "Abacab" / "Like It or Not" - 14 August 1981 (#5 UK, #15 US)
• "No Reply at All" / "Me and Sarah Jane" - 9 September 1981 (#20 US)
• "Paperlate" / "You Might Recall" - 23 October 1981 (#15 UK)
• "Don't Tell Me" / "Submarine" - 5 March 1982 (#41 UK, #40 US)

Footnotes

1. All tracks are sourced from OTL's Face Value, excluding "Me and Virgil", sourced from Genesis' 3x3 extended play. "Misunderstanding" is the live version found on the deluxe version of Face Value. ("Misunderstanding" also had origins from the sessions, later included on Duke.) In OTL, Phil Collins recorded a cover of "Tomorrow Never Knows" as a tribute to John Lennon following his murder; Collins even sings a snippet of "Over the Rainbow" referencing the murder as a hidden track. If Lennon was still alive by February 1981, then Collins would've had no reason to record a Beatles cover.
2. Pete Townshend put out Empty Glass, which dealt with issues he was struggling with following Keith Moon's death, with much of the album sounding like the Who. John Entwistle's Too Late the Hero was being recorded alongside Face Dances, and Roger Daltrey starred in the drama film McVicar and released a solo album of the same name, featuring Townshend and Entwistle on same tracks.
3. The track listing for Face Dances is mostly unchanged, but with "How Can You Do It Alone" replaced with "Please Don't Ask" from Genesis' Duke and "I Like Nightmares", a bonus track from the 1997 reissue of Face Dances. Phil Collins sings lead vocals on "Please Don't Ask" much like OTL.
4. All tracks from Hard Promises are included. "Gator on the Lawn" is sourced from the box set Playback, and "Worried Guy (Insomnia)" remains officially unreleased.
5. This almost happened in OTL; John Lennon was scheduled to be in the same studio at the same time as Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers during the recording of Hard Promises, but the meeting never took place due to Lennon being murdered before the planned visit. Petty and the band would then pay tribute to him by etching "WE LOVE YOU J.L." in the runout deadwax on early North American pressings.
6. All tracks are sourced from OTL's Abacab, excluding "Naminanu", the B-side to "Keep It Dark" and originally the opener to the four-part "Dodo/Lurker" suite, "You Might Recall" and "Paperlate", both from 3x3, and "Don't Tell Me" from Kim Beacon's Talking to Myself. All lead vocals are by Beacon. From this album on, without Collins' (and by extension, Hugh Padgham's) influence, it becomes easier to separate a Genesis album from a Phil Collins solo album.
7. For Abacab, as well as Genesis (1983) and Invisible Touch (1986), Hugh Padgham was co-producer. As mentioned, without Padgham's influence, the public is more likely to separate Phil Collins' solo career from Genesis' 1980s onward output.

Author's Comments

Yeah, I know; it's been a few weeks since the previous chapter. I've been very busy with a lot of other things at the moment, and this kind of got sidelined, so sorry about the delay, folks. I'm just glad that I got a chapter out at all.

Regarding Genesis, and speaking with Dan Martin about it, looking back, we probably should've gone for John Wetton (King Crimson, Roxy Music, U.K., Asia, etc.) from the get-go. Bringing in an obscure figure like Kim Beacon seemed like a good idea in theory, especially with how successful John Wetton's career was, but given how Kim had very little solo output in his entire career, and not to mention troubling behavior when it came to drugs and alcohol (according to Graham Forbes' Rock and Roll Busker), that turned out to be incredibly problematic. Fortunately, I've always intended to end the first draft at 1985, so this won't be as big a problem. That's going to be one of the major retcons I'll be making for The Second Coming. At the moment, we've got an extended play (3x3) and album (Genesis) to cover, as well as seven solo albums (two each from Mike, Tony and Kim, and one from Phil).