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.