My Ideal Red and Blue Albums (1962-1969)

Fifty years ago, two Beatles compilations were released under Apple Records, those being 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, otherwise known as The Red and Blue Albums, respectively. Spanning the entirety of the Beatles' career across four records, their track listings have always been debated by many Beatles fans, The Red Album especially. Earlier this year, they've been re-released with an extra record each to coincide with the "Now and Then"/"Love Me Do" single, and even though more songs were included, there's once again been debate as to what should and shouldn't have been included.

Therefore, I've decided to throw my own hat into the ring and share how I think The Red and Blue Albums should've gone. In order to do this, I've decided to not only use the 2023 CD track listing as a basis, but another Beatles compilation - The Beatles Box from 1980! That was an eight record box set that covers so much ground in spanning the band's career (and even contains some exclusive mixes like the hi-hat intro to "All My Loving"), although that might be a little much depending on who you ask. My take on The Red and Blue Albums splits the difference between the two compilations, with each having three records (or two CDs) of roughly equal length, covering the Beatles' career in just short of four and a half hours.

I'll be discussing each side individually as we go along, explaining the choices I made and why I did things a certain way. I should state, of course, that this is all purely subjective; your results may differ.

1962-1966 [The Red Album]

Side A (18:37)

1. Love Me Do - 2:24

2. P.S. I Love You - 2:02

3. Please Please Me - 2:00

4. I Saw Her Standing There - 2:52

5. Twist and Shout - 2:33

6. From Me to You - 1:58

7. She Loves You - 2:21

8. I Want to Hold Your Hand - 2:27

One of the first changes I did for The Red Album was that all six sides have eight tracks each, mainly because so many of the songs were quite short. On the original release, two sides contained six tracks, while the other two contained seven, which always puzzled me as The Blue Album had no such issue with seven tracks per side. Anyway, the track listing for this side is the same as that of the first seven tracks on the 2023 CD, with the addition of "P.S. I Love You", which was included on The Beatles Box. Said box set also included "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Twist and Shout".

Side B (19:08)

9. This Boy - 2:16

10. It Won't Be Long - 2:13

11. All My Loving - 2:07

12. Roll Over Beethoven - 2:45

13. You've Really Got a Hold on Me - 3:01

14. I Wanna Be Your Man - 1:59

15. Can't Buy Me Love - 2:12

16. You Can't Do That - 2:35

Tracks 8-13 of the 2023 CD serve as the basis for the second vinyl side, with the inclusion of "It Won't Be Long" and "I Wanna Be Your Man". The former was included on The Beatles Box, whereas the latter wasn't. I threw in "I Wanna Be Your Man" as I wanted to give Ringo a vocal spot much earlier on. "This Boy", "Roll Over Beethoven" and "You Can't Do That" were also included on The Beatles Box. Record one of The Red Album covers the time period of October 1962 to March 1964.

Side C (18:52)

17. A Hard Day's Night - 2:34

18. And I Love Her - 2:30

19. Long Tall Sally - 2:03

20. I Feel Fine - 2:20

21. Eight Days a Week - 2:43

22. No Reply - 2:15

23. I'll Follow the Sun - 1:49

24. Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey - 2:38

Now this is where things get a little more interesting. Beatles for Sale, the unfavorite of the early albums, only got one track to represent it - "Eight Days a Week" is a great song, but it's not the only great song the album has. Therefore, I threw in "No Reply", "I'll Follow the Sun" and "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey", all featured on The Beatles Box. I even included "Long Tall Sally", also featured on The Beatles Box, so that the EP of the same name got represented, and it's one of the best covers the Beatles did, even ending many of their shows with it.

In total, the first CD runs at 56:37, and covers 1962-1964.

Side D (19:24)

25. Ticket to Ride - 3:09

26. I'm Down - 2:32

27. Help! - 2:18

28. I've Just Seen a Face - 2:05

29. Yesterday - 2:05

30. You've Got to Hide Your Love Away - 2:09

31. We Can Work It Out - 2:16

32. Day Tripper - 2:50

"Ticket to Ride" and "Yesterday" were both featured on the first CD, but I wanted that to focus entirely on 1962-1964. So, the fourth side is based around the Help! period, with the inclusion of "I'm Down" and "I've Just Seen a Face", both included on The Beatles Box, which featured every song from Help! except "Dizzy Miss Lizzy". Record two covers the period of July 1964 to December 1965.

Side E (19:23)

33. Drive My Car - 2:25

34. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) - 2:05

35. Nowhere Man - 2:40

36. Michelle - 2:40

37. In My Life - 2:24

38. If I Needed Someone - 2:20

39. Girl - 2:30

40. Paperback Writer - 2:19

Tracks 5-12 on the second CD of the 2023 reissue without any changes to the order. Not much else to talk about here.

Side F (20:31)

41. Rain - 3:02

42. Eleanor Rigby - 2:11

43. Yellow Submarine - 2:40

44. Taxman - 2:36

45. Got to Get You into My Life - 2:31

46. And Your Bird Can Sing - 2:02

47. Here, There and Everywhere - 2:29

48. Tomorrow Never Knows - 3:00

Tracks 13-19 on the second CD of the 2023 reissue with the inclusion of "Rain" and swapping out "I'm Only Sleeping" for "And Your Bird Can Sing". Personally, I've always preferred the latter over the former, and I don't think a personal Beatles playlist would be complete without it. "Rain" definitely should've been on the 2023 reissue as it's one of the Beatles best ever B-sides; the fact that it wasn't is borderline criminal. Both new additions were also included on The Beatles Box. Record three covers half each of Rubber Soul and Revolver, as well as the "Paperback Writer" single, from December 1965 to August 1966.

The second CD runs at 59:18, nearly an hour, and covers 1965 and 1966.

1967-1969 [The Blue Album]

Side A (25:28)

1. Strawberry Fields Forever - 4:05

2. Penny Lane - 3:00

3. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - 2:00

4. With a Little Help from My Friends - 2:42

5. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - 3:28

6. Within You Without You - 5:05

7. A Day in the Life - 5:08

For The Blue Album, there's still seven songs per side, and three of them go over 25 minutes in length; this is the first one. Besides swapping out "All You Need is Love" for "Within You Without You", not much has changed from the official first side. In fact, it's exactly the same order as the 2023 CD!

Side B (23:35)

8. All You Need is Love - 3:47

9. Hello, Goodbye - 3:24

10. I am the Walrus - 4:35

11. Magical Mystery Tour - 2:48

12. Lady Madonna - 2:18

13. Hey Bulldog - 3:12

14. Across the Universe - 3:31

The second side of both the original and 2023 track listings felt too Paul-heavy in my opinion. To balance things out, I've dropped "The Fool on the Hill" and replaced it with "All You Need is Love", which is now the side opener. Besides, Magical Mystery Tour (the US album) already has six tracks to represent it, so let's move on. In addition to this, I've moved "Hey Bulldog" and "Across the Universe" up to close out Side B, as both songs have their origins going back to the same timeframe as "Lady Madonna". "Across the Universe" is the Glyn Johns mix as found on the 2021 Let It Be remix. Record one of The Blue Album now covers the period of February 1967 to March 1968, including the two songs recorded during that time period, but not released until much later.

Side C (25:37)

15. Hey Jude - 5:05

16. Revolution - 3:25

17. Back in the U.S.S.R. - 2:46

18. Dear Prudence - 4:00

19. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da - 2:49

20. While My Guitar Gently Weeps - 4:45

21. Happiness is a Warm Gun - 2:47

"Hey Jude" has now been moved to a side opener, and due to its length, I've imagined it being cut down to five minutes in order to fit on the record, similar to the American release of the 1982 compilation 20 Greatest Hits. "Glass Onion" was also swapped in favor of "Happiness is a Warm Gun", which made an appearance on The Beatles Box, and "Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" is the alternate version originally released on Anthology 3. "Back in the U.S.S.R." and "Dear Prudence" are also separate per the 2023 reissue.

The first CD runs at a staggering 74:33, covering all of 1967 and most of 1968.

Side D (23:35)

22. Blackbird - 2:18

23. Don't Pass Me By - 3:51

24. Sexy Sadie - 3:15

25. Helter Skelter - 4:30

26. Julia - 2:57

27. Get Back - 3:09

28. Don't Let Me Down - 3:35

"Blackbird" kicks off the second CD on a gentle note, followed up by four more White Album tracks. "Don't Pass Me By" and "Julia" were both featured on The Beatles Box, whereas "Sexy Sadie" and "Helter Skelter" were not. I included those two tracks to give the second disc of The White Album some representation; why they were left off of The Beatles Box, I'll never understand. Side D concludes with "Get Back" and "Don't Let Me Down", the former being the album version that features John's "I hope we passed the audition" quip at the end. Record two covers The White Album as well as the "Hey Jude" and "Get Back" singles, the time period between August 1968 and April 1969.

Side E (22:53)

29. For You Blue - 2:27

30. I've Got a Feeling - 3:37

31. One After 909 - 2:54

32. The Long and Winding Road - 3:34

33. Let It Be - 4:03

34. The Ballad of John and Yoko - 3:00

35. Old Brown Shoe - 3:18

The Beatles Box presented the Let It Be tracks before Abbey Road, so I've decided to follow that mindset here. "The Long and Winding Road" is the Naked version, and "Let It Be" is the Spector-produced album version; being perfectly honest, I prefer that to the single version. I cut "I Me Mine" in favor of "For You Blue", which showed up on The Beatles Box, also using the Naked version that features more prominent guitar. I also threw in "I've Got a Feeling" and "One After 909", both using the album versions. Side E concludes with "The Ballad of John and Yoko" and "Old Brown Shoe", much like Side C of the original Blue Album track listing.

Side F (25:04)

36. Come Together - 4:19

37. Something - 3:02

38. Oh! Darling - 3:27

39. Octopus's Garden - 2:51

40. Here Comes the Sun - 3:05

41. Because - 2:45

42. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End/Her Majesty - 5:35

The final side of The Blue Album is the best of Abbey Road, following that of The Beatles Box, but swapping "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" in favor of "Oh! Darling", per the 2023 reissue. Unlike the 2023 reissue, however, "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" was dropped as it's too freaking long. The "Golden Slumbers" medley plays as one single track, with a five-second gap between "The End" and "Her Majesty", much like The Beatles Box. Record three covers the initial Let It Be sessions and the best of Abbey Road, a time frame of January to September 1969.

The second CD runs at a length of 71:32, covering the rest of 1968 and all of 1969.

Inevitably, there will be those commenting the likes of, "you should've picked that song in favor of this song!" So, much like the 2023 reissue, I've created a pair of bonus discs for each album, but of course, you're not going to please everybody.

Bonus disc for The Red Album

Side G (14:45)

49. Ask Me Why - 2:24

50. Do You Want to Know a Secret - 1:56

51. I Should Have Known Better - 2:43

52. Things We Said Today - 2:35

53. She's a Woman - 3:03

54. Every Little Thing - 2:04

Side H (13:41)

55. Act Naturally - 2:30

56. It's Only Love - 1:56

57. What Goes On - 2:47

58. I'm Looking Through You - 2:23

59. I'm Only Sleeping - 3:02

60. For No One - 2:03

Every bonus track for The Red Album, with the exception of "Ask Me Why" and "What Goes On", have been included on The Beatles Box, and yet there's still enough room to fit everything across two CDs! Please Please Me, A Hard Day's Night, Help!, Rubber Soul and Revolver each get two extra tracks, and Beatles for Sale one extra, as well as an extra B-side, "She's a Woman"; I feel like With the Beatles is already represented as it stands. Disc one would now run at 71:22, and disc two at 72:59.

Bonus disc for The Blue Album

Side G (15:09)

43. When I'm Sixty-Four - 2:37

44. It's All Too Much - 6:26

45. Baby, You're a Rich Man - 3:07

46. The Fool on the Hill - 2:59

Side H (16:02)

47. Glass Onion - 2:18

48. Two of Us - 3:36

49. I Want You (She's So Heavy) - 7:47

50. I Me Mine - 2:21

On the other hand, it wouldn't be possible to include all bonus tracks across two CDs for The Blue Album. "The Fool on The Hill" would have to turn up on disc one, adding just under three minutes to the runtime (77:32), and "Glass Onion" and "I Me Mine" (the Naked version) on disc two (76:11), leaving the remaining five tracks on the cutting room floor. "When I'm Sixty-Four", "Baby, You're a Rich Man" and "Two of Us" all appeared on The Beatles Box, and "It's All Too Much" is a new addition, being recorded in 1967.

The combined length for both bonus discs is 59:37.

In total, excluding the bonus tracks, that's 90 songs covering the entire Beatles' recording history (93 if you consider the medley four separate tracks), which is a bit less than half of their recorded output (213 songs total, excluding alternate versions and Anthology tracks), but still pretty representative overall. But what other songs didn't make the cut? Excluding the tracks that appear on the bonus disc(s), 32 songs that showed up on The Beatles Box were cut. A whole compilation's worth of songs, if you can believe it! They are: (by era)

• Please Please Me: "Misery", "A Taste of Honey", "Thank You Girl" (B-side)
• With the Beatles: "Please Mr. Postman", "Money (That's What I Want)"
• A Hard Day's Night: "If I Fell", "I'll Be Back", "Slow Down" (EP track), "Matchbox" (EP track)
• Beatles for Sale: "I'm a Loser", "Mr. Moonlight", "I Don't Want to Spoil the Party"
• Help!: "The Night Before", "I Need You", "Another Girl", "You're Going to Lose That Girl", "You Like Me Too Much", "Tell Me What You See"
• Rubber Soul: "You Won't See Me"
• Revolver: "Good Day Sunshine", "Doctor Robert"
• Sgt. Pepper: "Fixing a Hole", "She's Leaving Home", "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!", "Lovely Rita", "All Together Now" (later released on Yellow Submarine)
• Magical Mystery Tour: "Your Mother Should Know"
• The White Album: "The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill", "Martha My Dear", "I'm So Tired", "Piggies"
• Abbey Road: "Maxwell's Silver Hammer"

Perhaps I should make a third compilation album to supplement The Red and Blue Albums? Of course, that all depends on which songs I think are worthy enough to be included. Maybe I could call it The Purple Album and throw in the Anthology trilogy of songs at the end?

1970-2023: The Green, Orange, Indigo, Yellow and Violet Albums

To mark the recent reissue of 1962-1966 and 1967-1970 - otherwise known to you and I as The Red and The Blue Albums - the latter of which includes the finally-released "Now and Then", I've decided to compile the individual solo careers of John, Paul, George and Ringo into a series of albums that showcase the solo Fabs at their best. This was not an easy task given that John's solo career was very short, George wasn't very prolific from the 1980s onward, and Paul has more material to choose from than the others (at least until the 2000s, when Ringo suddenly becomes prolific) and could've easily filled up three albums alone.

I want to make it clear that in no way is this meant to be a definitive collection of solo hits; this is merely scratching the surface as to what the Fab Four were capable of when they were no longer a whole. I do apologize if I missed out on one of your favorites. There's only so much I can include, so please, cut me a bit of slack there.

1970-1973 (The Green Album)

Side A (26:59)

1. Instant Karma! - 3:18 (John, non-album single; 1970)

2. Maybe I'm Amazed - 3:53 (Paul, McCartney; 1970)

3. My Sweet Lord - 4:38 (George, All Things Must Pass; 1970)

4. Love - 3:21 (John, Plastic Ono Band; 1970)

5. All Things Must Pass - 3:44 (George, All Things Must Pass)

6. Another Day - 3:43 (Paul, non-album single; 1971)

7. What is Life - 4:22 (George, All Things Must Pass)

Side B (26:41)

8. Power to the People - 3:23 (John, non-album single; 1971)

9. It Don't Come Easy - 3:01 (Ringo, non-album single; 1971)

10. Deep Blue - 3:47 (George, non-album single; 1971)

11. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - 4:49 (Paul, Ram; 1971)

12. Imagine - 3:01 (John, Imagine; 1971)

13. Jealous Guy - 4:14 (John, Imagine)

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

Side C (25:43)

15. Tomorrow - 3:28 (Paul, Wild Life; 1971)

16. Happy Xmas (War is Over) - 3:33 (John, non-album single; 1971)

17. Back Off Boogaloo - 3:19 (Ringo, non-album single; 1972)

18. New York City - 4:30 (John, Some Time in New York City; 1972)

19. Hi, Hi, Hi - 3:10 (Paul, non-album single; 1972)

20. My Love - 4:07 (Paul, Red Rose Speedway; 1973)

21. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) - 3:36 (George, Living in the Material World; 1973)

Side D (24:16)

22. Live and Let Die - 3:14 (Paul, non-album single; 1973)

23. Photograph - 3:56 (Ringo, Ringo; 1973)

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

25. Mind Games - 4:13 (John, Mind Games; 1973)

26. Helen Wheels - 3:45 (Paul, Band on the Run; 1973)

27. Out the Blue - 3:23 (John, Mind Games)

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

The initial solo years, beginning in February 1970 with John's "Instant Karma!" and concluding in December 1973 with Ringo's "You're Sixteen". The singles for Band on the Run were not released until 1974, hence their absence, although "Helen Wheels" was released prior to the album, but as a non-album single. "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" was considered for a single release in 1973, but it was canceled. "Give Peace a Chance" and "Cold Turkey" are skipped over as they were released in 1969, while the Beatles were still together.

John and Paul are each represented with nine songs, George with six songs and Ringo with four songs.

1974-1979 (The Orange Album)

Side A (28:47)

1. Jet - 4:09 (Paul, Band on the Run)

2. Oh My My - 4:16 (Ringo, Ringo)

3. Band on the Run - 5:12 (Paul, Band on the Run)

4. Whatever Gets You thru the Night - 3:28 (John, Walls and Bridges; 1974)

5. Junior's Farm - 4:22 (Paul, non-album single; 1974)

6. Dark Horse - 3:54 (George, Dark Horse; 1974)

7. Only You (and You Alone) - 3:26 (Ringo, Goodnight Vienna; 1974)

Side B (26:22)

8. #9 Dream - 4:47 (John, Walls and Bridges)

9. No No Song - 2:33 (Ringo, Goodnight Vienna)

10. Stand by Me - 3:26 (John, Rock 'n' Roll; 1975)

11. Listen to What the Man Said - 3:56 (Paul, Venus and Mars; 1975)

12. Fame - 4:12 (John w/ David Bowie, Young Americans; 1975)

13. You - 3:41 (George, Extra Texture (Read All About It); 1975)

14. Venus and Mars/Rock Show - 3:47 (Paul, Venus and Mars)

Side C (26:29)

15. Silly Love Songs - 3:28 (Paul, Wings at the Speed of Sound; 1976)

16. Let 'Em In - 3:42 (Paul, Wings at the Speed of Sound)

17. This Song - 4:13 (George, Thirty Three & 1/3; 1976)

18. Hey! Baby - 3:11 (Ringo, Ringo's Rotogravure; 1976)

19. Crackerbox Palace - 3:57 (George, Thirty Three & 1/3)

20. Mull of Kintyre - 4:45 (Paul, non-album single; 1977)

21. With a Little Luck - 3:13 (Paul, London Town; 1978)

Side D (27:34)

22. Blow Away - 4:00 (George, George Harrison; 1979)

23. Goodnight Tonight - 4:21 (Paul, non-album single; 1979)

24. Love Comes to Everyone - 3:40 (George, George Harrison)

25. Getting Closer - 3:22 (Paul, Back to the Egg; 1979)

26. Faster - 4:46 (George, George Harrison)

27. Arrow Through Me - 3:37 (Paul, Back to the Egg)

28. Wonderful Christmastime - 3:48 (Paul, non-album single; 1979)

This compilation covers the remainder of the 70s, and during that time, John went on hiatus and Ringo's solo career never reached great heights again after Apple folded. George managed to get some decent success while Paul had the biggest success out of the former Beatles (and got the most criticism heaped upon him). The second disc especially shows just how much chart success Wings had during the latter part of the decade. I like how The Green and Orange Albums draw parallels to The Red and Blue Albums in which the latter focus on the 60s and the former on the 70s.

John and Ringo are represented with four songs each, Paul with thirteen songs, and George with seven songs.

1980-1986 (The Indigo Album)

Side A (24:18)

1. Coming Up - 3:53 (Paul, McCartney II; 1980)

2. (Just Like) Starting Over - 3:56 (John, Double Fantasy; 1980)

3. Waterfalls - 3:20 (Paul, McCartney II)

4. Woman - 3:32 (John, Double Fantasy)

5. Watching the Wheels - 3:31 (John, Double Fantasy)

6. All Those Years Ago - 3:45 (George, Somewhere in England; 1981)

7. Wrack My Brain - 2:21 (Ringo, Stop and Smell the Roses; 1981)

Side B (26:26)

8. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - 4:02 (John, Double Fantasy)

9. Teardrops - 4:07 (George, Somewhere in England)

10. Ebony and Ivory - 3:46 (Paul w/ Stevie Wonder, Tug of War; 1982)

11. Take It Away - 4:02 (Paul, Tug of War)

12. Wake Up My Love - 3:34 (George, Gone Troppo; 1982)

13. The Girl is Mine - 3:42 (Paul w/ Michael Jackson, Thriller; 1982)

14. In My Car - 3:13 (Ringo, Old Wave; 1983)

Side C (27:57)

15. Say Say Say - 3:55 (Paul w/ Michael Jackson, Pipes of Peace; 1983)

16. Dream Away - 4:29 (George, Gone Troppo)

17. Pipes of Peace - 3:28 (Paul, Pipes of Peace)

18. Nobody Told Me - 3:34 (John, Milk and Honey; 1984)

19. No More Lonely Nights - 4:43 (Paul, Give My Regards to Broad Street; 1984)

20. Borrowed Time - 4:29 (John, Milk and Honey)

21. Not Such a Bad Boy - 3:19 (Paul, Give My Regards to Broad Street)

Side D (28:48)

22. We All Stand Together - 4:25 (Paul, non-album single; 1984)

23. I'm Stepping Out - 4:06 (John, Milk and Honey)

24. I Don't Want to Do It - 2:54 (George, non-album single; 1985)

25. Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him - 3:18 (John, Every Man Has a Woman; 1984)

26. Press - 4:43 (Paul, Press to Play; 1986)

27. Shanghai Surprise - 5:09 (George w/ Vicki Brown; Shanghai Surprise; 1986)

28. Only Love Remains - 4:13 (Paul, Press to Play)

And now we enter the first part of the 1980s, covering the period between John's comeback (and subsequent murder) in 1980 and just before George's own commercial comeback in 1987. This was a rough time for the former Beatles; Paul seemed to be spinning his wheels when it came to maintaining chart success, and George went AWOL after Gone Troppo, as did Ringo after Old Wave, but the latter found some success by narrating Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends. Even in the worst periods, there's always (well, usually) some good music to be found.

John is represented with eight songs, Paul with twelve songs (including duets), George with six songs (including a duet with Vicki Brown), and Ringo with only two songs.

1987-2000 (The Yellow Album)

Side A (26:28)

1. Got My Mind Set on You - 3:52 (George, Cloud Nine; 1987)

2. Once Upon a Long Ago - 4:16 (Paul, non-album single; 1987)

3. When We Was Fab - 3:57 (George, Cloud Nine)

4. This is Love - 3:48 (George, Cloud Nine)

5. Ferry Cross the Mersey - 3:58 (Paul, non-album single; 1989)

6. My Brave Face - 3:18 (Paul, Flowers in the Dirt; 1989)

7. Handle with Care - 3:19 (Traveling Wilburys, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1; 1988)

Side B (24:41)

8. This One - 4:10 (Paul, Flowers in the Dirt)

9. End of the Line - 3:30 (Traveling Wilburys, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1)

10. Put It There - 2:07 (Paul, Flowers in the Dirt)

11. Cheer Down - 4:08 (George, non-album single; 1989)

12. All My Trials - 3:28 (Paul, non-album single; 1990)

13. She's My Baby - 3:15 (Traveling Wilburys, Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3; 1990)

14. You Never Know - 4:03 (Ringo, Curly Sue; 1991)

Side C (28:29)

15. Weight of the World - 3:54 (Ringo, Time Takes Time; 1992)

16. Hope of Deliverance - 3:22 (Paul, Off the Ground; 1993)

17. Poor Little Girl - 4:33 (George, Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989; 1989)

18. Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go - 3:20 (Ringo, Time Takes Time)

19. Off the Ground - 3:40 (Paul, Off the Ground)

20. Cockamamie Business - 5:15 (George, Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989)

21. Free as a Bird - 4:25 (The Beatles, Anthology 1; 1995)

Side D (28:30)

22. Real Love - 3:54 (The Beatles, Anthology 2; 1996)

23. Young Boy - 3:54 (Paul, Flaming Pie; 1997)

24. The World Tonight - 4:04 (Paul, Flaming Pie)

25. King of Broken Hearts - 4:44 (Ringo, Vertical Man; 1998)

26. Beautiful Night - 5:04 (Paul w/ Ringo, Flaming Pie)

27. La De Da - 4:14 (Ringo, Vertical Man)

28. Run Devil Run - 2:36 (Paul, Run Devil Run; 1999)

This compilation covers the rest of the 1980s and the entirety of the 1990s. The end of the 80s was the point where suddenly, the Beatles were cool once again, and it helped that they were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame the same week "Got My Mind Set on You" hit #1 in America. Also new releases were sporadic during the 90s, as usual, there's lots of good music to be found during that time; it's also the point where Ringo can be regarded as a good singer. Due to John's death, he's been replaced by a self portrait while the other three have pictures from the early 90s; George's comes from his last live performance at the Royal Albert Hall in 1992.

John is only represented with the two Anthology songs, Paul with eleven songs (including a charity single), George with nine songs (including those by the Traveling Wilburys), Ringo with five songs, and one song jointly shared between Paul and Ringo.

2001-2023 (The Violet Album)

Side A (28:54)

1. Horse to the Water - 5:02 (George, Small World Big Band; 2001)

2. From a Lover to a Friend - 3:48 (Paul, Driving Rain; 2001)

3. Any Road - 3:52 (George, Brainwashed; 2002)

4. Never Without You - 5:24 (Ringo, Ringo Rama; 2003)

5. Fine Line - 3:06 (Paul, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard; 2005)

6. Fading In Fading Out - 3:55 (Ringo, Choose Love; 2005)

7. Jenny Wren - 3:47 (Paul, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard)

Side B (26:32)

8. Dance Tonight - 2:54 (Paul, Memory Almost Full; 2007)

9. Liverpool 8 - 4:51 (Ringo, Liverpool 8; 2008)

10. Sing the Changes - 3:44 (The Fireman, Electric Arguments; 2008)

11. Walk with You - 4:42 (Ringo w/ Paul, Y Not; 2010)

12. (I Want to) Come Home - 3:36 (Paul, non-album single; 2010)

13. My Valentine - 3:14 (Paul, Kisses on the Bottom; 2012)

14. Wings 2012 - 3:31 (Ringo, Ringo 2012; 2012)

Side C (28:56)

15. Cut Me Some Slack - 4:38 (Paul w/ Nirvana, Sound City: Real to Reel; 2013)

16. New - 2:56 (Paul, New; 2013)

17. Hope for the Future - 4:09 (Paul, Destiny; 2014)

18. Postcards from Paradise - 5:18 (Ringo, Postcards from Paradise; 2015)

19. In the Blink of an Eye - 3:20 (Paul, Ethel and Ernest; 2016)

20. We're on the Road Again - 4:24 (Ringo, Give More Love; 2017)

21. Come On to Me - 4:11 (Paul, Egypt Station; 2018)

Side D (25:49)

22. I Don't Know - 4:27 (Paul, Egypt Station)

23. Grow Old with Me - 3:18 (Ringo, What's My Name; 2019)

24. Home Tonight - 3:05 (Paul, non-album single; 2019)

25. Find My Way - 3:54 (Paul, McCartney III; 2020)

26. Here's to the Nights - 4:05 (Ringo, Zoom In; 2021)

27. Women and Wives - 2:52 (Paul, McCartney III)

28. Now and Then - 4:08 (The Beatles, non-album single; 2023)

The final compilation album, covering the entirety of the 2000s and 2010s, as well as the 2020s so far. With George dying from cancer in 2001, he's only represented on the first side, meaning that this compilation is mainly Paul and Ringo. It's likely going to be the most subjective of the five compilations due to there not being many songs that everyone knows, but what I've done here is try to pick those that were picked for single releases and go from there. Some songs were tough to cut - I almost opted for "Ever Present Past", but went with "(I Want to) Come Home" instead - but I think this is as good as it's going to get. I just had to include Ringo's version of "Grow Old with Me" (featuring Paul on bass and backing vocals) as it really does feel like all four of them are in the same room. Plus, it completes the tetralogy that also includes "Free as a Bird", "Real Love" and "Now and Then".

John is represented solely with "Now and Then", Paul with sixteen songs (including the sole track representing The Fireman), George with two songs, Ringo with eight songs, and one song jointly shared between Ringo and Paul.

Overall

Between the four members, and including collaborations with other artists, we have 21 songs credited to John Lennon, 61 songs credited to Paul McCartney, 30 songs credited to George Harrison, 23 songs credited to Ringo Starr, two songs jointly credited to both Paul and Ringo, and three John Lennon demos completed by the surviving Beatles. It's far from a perfect series of compilations as there are some tracks that I included to pad each side out to seven songs, and some are more obscure than others, but I think it makes for a solid retrospective of what John, Paul, George and Ringo did since the Beatles' breakup. "Now and Then" makes for a perfect close to a 60-plus year recording history.

I probably won't be updating this any time soon to include new music from Paul and Ringo that they might put out in 2024 and beyond, because the road ahead looks shorter than ever. And no, I won't be making a version that includes music by Julian, Sean and Dhani (not sure about James since Paul already represents the McCartney clan). You can figure that one out for yourselves.

Reworked Beatles Albums and Compilations (1966-1970, 1978)

In honor of what could have been John Lennon's 83rd birthday - as well as the upcoming release of the final ever Beatles song "Now and Then" (it's about time they finished it!) - here's a post from me showing how a few select Beatles albums could've gone in how they distributed their non-album tracks.

A Collection of Beatles Oldies (But Goldies) (December 9, 1966)

Side A (16:13)

1. She Loves You - 2:21

2. From Me to You - 1:58

3. We Can Work It Out - 2:16

4. This Boy - 2:16

5. She's a Woman - 3:03

6. I Feel Fine - 2:20

7. Matchbox - 1:59

Side B (17:05)

8. Long Tall Sally - 2:03

9. Bad Boy - 2:21

10. Day Tripper - 2:50

11. I Call Your Name - 2:09

12. Slow Down - 2:56

13. Paperback Writer - 2:19

14. I Want to Hold Your Hand - 2:27

Ah yes, the first ever Beatles compilation album, released when it was believed the Beatles were finished, but really, they were working on Sgt. Pepper. The Beatles themselves didn't even like the album to the point that it was de-canonized in 1987, and Past Masters took its place the following year. A Collection of Beatles Oldies has a place in the heart of many Beatles' fans who missed out on the wave of Beatlemania in the mid-1960s, but is there a way to make the album once again fit within the canon?

First things first, I took out any songs that were previously included on the original British albums - "Help!", "Michelle", "Yesterday", "Yellow Submarine", "Can't Buy Me Love", "A Hard Day's Night", "Ticket to Ride" and "Eleanor Rigby" - as I want to focus solely on non-album tracks. Of the songs I picked as replacements, "This Boy" was a very popular song during the Beatles' 1964 tours, as was "She's a Woman", even being played at their final concert at Candlestick Park in San Francisco - Paul even played it live solo for his MTV Unplugged performance. Both tracks also show up on Side A.

The Beatles' cover of "Bad Boy" - recorded for the American album Beatles VI - sticks out like a sore thumb. What's the point of buying a compilation just for a lackluster cover, many fans thought? Ideally, some would replace it with "Please Please Me" or "Love Me Do", but, keeping with the "no overlap" rule, I brought in the tracks from the Long Tall Sally EP so that "Bad Boy" wouldn't be the only cover included. "Long Tall Sally" is one of the Beatles' best covers, and it was also performed at their final concert at Candlestick Park as their encore (tragically, that was also when the tape ran out, cutting the performance short). Not only that, "Matchbox" gives Ringo a vocal spot, replacing "Yellow Submarine", and along with "Slow Down", the inclusion of a few more covers really sells the "oldies" part of the title more.

Sadly, George doesn't get any vocal representation here, but that was also the case with the official A Collection of Beatles Oldies, so fair's fair. Also, to better match the official albums, there are now fourteen tracks instead of sixteen.

One final change to the album was the artwork; instead of the 60s pop art drawing done by David Christian, I've opted to use the Beatles' joint painting "Images of a Woman", which was painted at their Tokyo Hilton suite over three nights, for the cover, giving the album more of a personal touch. I even used the same font that was featured on the Yesterday and Today album. I can't really say if my revisit of A Collection of Beatles Oldies is better than the official version, as it does lose some really strong songs, but if it means that overlap doesn't take place, then it's a sacrifice worth making.

Yellow Submarine (August 26, 1968)

Side A (21:30)

1. Yellow Submarine (Remix) - 2:52

2. Only a Northern Song - 3:24

3. All Together Now - 2:11

4. Hey Bulldog - 3:12

5. It's All Too Much - 6:26

6. Revolution - 3:25

Side B (20:11)

7. Hey Jude - 7:08

8. The Inner Light - 2:37

9. Lady Madonna - 2:18

10. Across the Universe - 3:49

11. You Know My Name (Look Up the Number) - 4:19

Magical Mystery Tour and Yellow Submarine are often viewed as being sister albums, since three songs from the latter album were recorded in 1967 and would've been at home on the former. But rather than mash the two albums together, I'm making Yellow Submarine a full-on Beatles album. The title track is the enhanced sound effects remix as found on the Revolver 2022 box set, and Side A ends with "Revolution" instead of "All You Need is Love". Side B consists of the remaining 1968 non-album tracks, as well as "Across the Universe" (first worked on during the "Lady Madonna" sessions) and "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" (being started on as early as 1967). As for the George Martin score? Let's assume they're part of an extended play released alongside the album.

Why the Beatles didn't consider going in this direction, I'll never understand. The Yellow Submarine film was released in July 1968, and the "Hey Jude" single the following month. Releasing the album then would've given the album a boost and tided fans over until the release of The White Album three months later.

Let It Be (May 9, 1969)

Side A (21:05)

1. The One After 909 - 3:08

2. All I Want is You - 3:55 [Dig a Pony]

3. I've Got a Feeling (Everybody Had a Hard Year) - 3:42

4. Old Brown Shoe - 3:40

5. Don't Let Me Down - 3:52

6. Get Back - 2:50

Side B (20:01)

7. You Know It Ain't Easy - 3:27 [The Ballad of John and Yoko]

8. On Our Way Home - 3:29 [Two of Us]

9. Maggie Mae - 0:45

10. Because You're Sweet and Lovely - 2:50 [For You Blue]

11. The Long and Winding Road - 3:32

12. Can You Dig It? - 1:54

13. Let It Be - 4:04

An update to my recreation of Let It Be that I did a couple of years ago. For this upgrade, I've dropped both "Not Guilty" and "Across the Universe" in favor of "Old Brown Shoe" and "The Ballad of John and Yoko", respectively, and held off on "All Things Must Pass" for a future project. The two new songs are both from a similar timeframe as the Get Back period, give or take a few months, and in order to fit the sound of the project, I've used the stripped versions as included on the Abbey Road 50th anniversary box set.

As for the track listing, Side A is unchanged save for "Old Brown Shoe", focusing on the three songs recorded live on the rooftop and the "Get Back"/"Don't Let Me Down" single. Side B is reshuffled and opens with "The Ballad of John and Yoko", followed up by "Two of Us", both retitled. I think it makes for a strong one-two opener, as John and Paul are singing about their respective lives, with the latter also singing about his friendship with John alongside his love for Linda. The pair then ham it up for "Maggie Mae" before delving into "For You Blue" (using its original title) and "The Long and Winding Road". The album concludes with a custom edit of the jam "Dig It" and the unedited take of "Let It Be", to which John remarks was "rather grand". In between tracks, I've kept the studio chatter to make it feel "live" throughout.

Even though only one song - "I Me Mine", recorded January 1970 - was cut, I like how this version of Let It Be flows, with one side being mostly electric and the other mostly acoustic.

Hot as Sun (April 17, 1970)

Side A (24:38)

1. It Don't Come Easy - 3:01 [remix]

2. Every Night - 2:31

3. Give Me Some Truth - 3:16 [Take 4; edit]

4. Let It Down - 4:13 [Take 1]

5. Teddy Boy (Mama Don't Worry) - 2:22

6. Jealous Guy - 4:14 [Take 29; edit]

7. Isn't It a Pity? - 5:01 [Take 27]

Side B (23:32)

8. Maybe I'm Amazed - 3:53

9. Oh My Love - 2:44 [Take 20; edit]

10. Junk in the Yard - 2:43 [extended edit]

11. Cold Turkey - 5:01 [Take 2; edit]

12. All Things Must Pass - 3:31 [Day 1 Demo; edit]

13. Falling Rain - 2:18 [Glasses/That Would Be Something; custom edit]

14. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) - 3:22 [Take 10; edit]

Now here's a project that I've tweaked constantly until I'm fully satisfied with how it sounds, and will likely continue to do so. The last time I made an upgrade was back in February 2022, so what's changed since them?

Side A retains the "Easy"/"Night"/"Truth" opening sequence, and similarly closes with "Jealous Guy" and "Isn't It a Pity". In between, however, "Let It Down" and "Teddy Boy" are moved up from Side B, and "I Me Mine" is dropped. Side B, of course, has been given a major reshuffle, and it now opens with "Maybe I'm Amazed", Paul's finest solo song, followed up with "Oh My Love" and "Junk", a reverse from their original order. "Cold Turkey" comes next to fill the void left behind by "I Me Mine", and was actually suggested by John for the next Beatles single but rejected; now it gains a place on the album. Hot as Sun concludes with "All Things Must Pass", a custom edit of "Glasses" and "That Would Be Something", and John rounds things off with "Instant Karma".

Obviously, I didn't want to include anything from either Plastic Ono Band or Ram, as my thinking here was that following Hot as Sun's release, the Beatles take a hiatus so that they can focus on solo projects, but they leave the door open for another album if they're interested. All Things Must Pass has more than enough songs leftover to still make a complete album, and the leftover Imagine tracks could be mixed in with some of Yoko's songs from Fly, making it a Plastic Ono Band album. McCartney was a no-brainer to take songs from, and Hot as Sun essentially takes its place for release. The majority of the songs by John and George are either raw mixes or use alternate takes, and "It Don't Come Easy" is a custom stripped back remix; this was in order to match the sound of Paul's songs.

Is Hot as Sun really the Beatles album that wasn't? Maybe not, but it's at least one possibility, using mainly songs that were rejected from previous albums, with a couple of new ones thrown into the mix. I think what makes this believable is that it sounds like they're all in the same room; Klaus Voormann on bass is close enough to Paul, and Paul recorded his songs by himself, given that his solo debut sounded the most like the Beatles. What also helps is that John, George and Ringo appear on each others' songs, making it feel more like a group effort and not a collection of solo careers.

Another Day (April 17, 1970)

Side A (7:49)

1. Another Day - 3:41

2. Coochy Coochy - 4:08 [earlier fade out]

Side B (7:24)

3. Medley: Hot as Sun/I Me Mine - 3:04 [custom edit]

4. Oh Yoko! - 4:20 [Take 1; edit]

A bonus extended play that would've been released alongside Hot as Sun upon release. Another Day consists of songs that the Beatles wrote while together, but didn't fit what I had in mind for Hot as Sun. The title track is now part of a medley with "I Me Mine", the only actual Beatles song on the EP. I imagine that the instrumental would've been recorded as a jam between Paul, George and Ringo while John is away. Speaking of whom, he probably would've forced "Oh Yoko!" onto the group as a tit for tat against Paul for "forcing his granny music upon the group". (Typical ego madness between the pair, am I right?) The remaining track, "Coochy Coochy", goes back to the same timeframe as "It Don't Come Easy".

Rarities (December 2, 1978)

Side A (25:11)

1. Love Me Do (1962 Single Mix) - 2:24

2. Yes It Is - 2:43

3. One After 909 (1963 Version) - 2:56

4. You Know What to Do - 1:59

5. I'll Get You - 2:06

6. Thank You Girl - 2:04

7. Komm, gib mir deine Hand - 2:27

8. Sie liebt dich - 2:20

9. What's the New Mary Jane - 6:12

Side B (23:38)

10. Rain - 3:02

11. That Means a Lot - 2:27

12. If You've Got Trouble - 2:48

13. Come and Get It - 2:30

14. Not Guilty - 4:20

15. Leave My Kitten Alone - 2:57

16. I'm Down - 2:32

17. Christmas Time is Here Again - 3:02

The UK version of Rarities was originally included with the original studio albums (except Magical Mystery Tour) as part of The Beatles Collection in 1978, but was later released separately. Unusually for a compilation album, it included an array of non-album B-sides and tracks recorded for other projects like a German single, an extended play and a charity album. Like A Collection of Beatles Oldies, Rarities was superseded by Past Masters.

As a good chunk of songs have already been included on previous reworked albums - in this case, a record breaking ten - I set about filling the gaps with material that would eventually be released down the road. The album now starts with the original single version of "Love Me Do", featuring Ringo on drums, per the American version of Rarities. Eight of the "new" songs were considered for the unreleased Sessions album for a 1985 release, but it was rejected at the last minute by the surviving Beatles. The tenth remaining song, "You Know What to Do", remained unreleased until 1995, having been rediscovered two years prior. You could probably sub it in for "How Do You Do It?", also considered for Sessions, since they're more or less the same length. I kept the remaining seven songs in their original positions, but swapped "What's the New Mary Jane" and "Sie liebt dich" around as it feels awkward not having the two German songs back to back.

Also like A Collection of Beatles Oldies, I changed the cover to Rarities as the official version is quite plain. I utilized the Mount Rushmore portrait of the Beatles, as featured on the Love Songs compilation, to make it look a little more visually interesting. The color scheme isn't that much different from the official Rarities. I think this reworked Rarities has more of a unique selling point to it as Beatles fans can get not only the remaining tracks that haven't appeared on an album, but also some previously unheard songs from the archives. It's very much a combination of two separate ideas put onto a single project.

Final Thoughts

This was a fun little experiment to tackle, and one that I didn't think I needed to do. As it stands, the majority of the Beatles' official canon is unchanged, with the albums most affected being Yellow Submarine and Let It Be due to being released earlier. On top of this, we also now have versions of A Collection of Beatles Oldies and Rarities that fit snuggly amongst the official works, and we got a new Beatles album and extended play package for all of our troubles. And in the end, nothing was wasted and we gained new songs in the process.

Beatlesque Vol. 4 - "Between the Lines" (1978)

Well, the last post went down better than I'd anticipated! Fortunately for those of you who'd taken interest in the previous Beatlesque album All for Love, I've got several more lined up for publication. They'll be posted in a non-linear fashion as there are time periods that interest me more than others, but rest assured, there will be enough posts that'll keep this blog going up until at least autumn 2024.

I'm also going to establish some ground rules for this series, and they are as follows:

1. No songs by solo Beatles or relatives like Mike McGear and the Lennon sons (Julian and Sean). They'd most likely overshadow the rest of the songs included on these fake Beatles albums, and that wouldn't be fair.
2. No songs written by solo Beatles but recorded by other artists allowed; Badfinger's "Come and Get It" (written by Paul McCartney) and Gary Moore's "That Kind of Woman" (written by George Harrison) are prime examples of this.
3. No intentional Beatle parodies like the Rutles and Deface the Music by Todd Rundgren's Utopia.
4. No tracks written before 1970, the year the Beatles broke up; if you were expecting something like the Knickerbockers' "Lies" to show up at any point, sorry. I could end up doing a Vol. 0 at some point, creating a mid-1960s album that wasn't, but we'll see.
5. Only one track per artist; otherwise, most of these lists would feature multiple songs by Badfinger, ELO, Oasis, etc., thereby making this exercise pointless. I may list some songs towards the end of these posts that didn't make the cut; maybe they could be hypothetical B-sides? Speaking of which...
6. At least twelve songs per album must be included and the total length has to be below 50 minutes, per the limits of vinyl at the time. For the later albums, as shown with All for Love, that rule will not apply as much as those albums would have likely been released on CD anyway; however, for those who prefer vinyl, I'll list those as double albums.
7. If the songs included are unable to fit on a single vinyl record, then a double album shall be made. Again, this only applies to albums pre-1990, but it will not be enforced as much.

Now that those rules have been established, here's the next entry in Beatlesque, Between the Lines, focusing on the period of 1976-1979, and named for the John Lennon solo album that wasn't. This album as a whole just screams late 1970s, or at least, the non-disco side of that era.

Listen to the album

Side A

"Calling Occupants of Interplanetary Craft" (Klaatu) - Ah yes, the band that everyone thought was the Beatles reunited under a pseudonym. Their debut album, 3:47 EST, was said to pick the Beatles as amongst Klaatu's influences, which was both a blessing and a curse for the group, although they didn't take being compared to the Fabs that seriously despite being flattered by it. Guitarist Dee Long even met Paul McCartney himself, who recalled that he'd been asked if he was actually singing "Calling Occuptants", but said he'd never heard of the song. Now that makes for a great rock and roll story!

"Hand in Hand" (Elvis Costello) - This deep cut from This Year's Model has some opening guitar feedback that evokes "It's All Too Much", and the music provides a Merseybeat shuffle, juxtaposing the dark lyrics.

"Carbona Not Glue" (The Ramones) - This track was originally a part of Leave Home before being removed due to legal reasons. Music journalist Legs McNeil called it "such a great song, so radio-friendly—like a song the Beatles or the Rolling Stones would have written if they were just starting out in 1976, with great harmonies and catchy lyrics."

"Spread Your Wings" (Queen) - Queen is another band who have sourced the Beatles as an influence on their work, and like the Fab Four, they've covered a lot of musical ground the time they've been together. John Deacon's narrative songwriting recalls the likes of "Eleanor Rigby" and "Penny Lane".

Side B

"Love is Like Oxygen" (Sweet) - Well known for their 1973 hit "Ballroom Blitz", Sweet's nearly seven-minute song off of Level Headed has often been confused in the past for being one by Electric Light Orchestra (more on them later) due to their similar sound. The vocals do sound almost Lennon/McCartney-esque, which may have further fueled the confusion.

"The Things We Do for Love" (10cc) - The subject matter in the lyrics is as Beatle-ish as it gets; a guy braves bad weather just to see his girlfriend when the phone lines are down. It's very much the "We Can Work It Out" of the 1970s. Co-writer Eric Stewart would later go on to collaborate with Paul McCartney for a few albums in the 1980s with rather interesting results.

"The Killing of Georgie (Part I and II)" (Rod Stewart) - Part II's melody was based upon that of "Don't Let Me Down". Apparently, John Lennon seemed to be cool with it, according to one of his final interviews in 1980.

Side C

"Voices" (Cheap Trick) - One of Cheap Trick's most well-beloved songs, this is definitely a song of theirs that sounds very close to what the Beatles might have recorded. Rick Nielson's guitar emulates that of George Harrison, and Robin Zander sings much like Paul McCartney does.

"This is Pop" (XTC) - Yet another band who wears their Beatles influence on their sleeves. According to Andy Partridge, the opening F chord was based upon that of "A Hard Day's Night".

"Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad" (The Clash) - "It's Lucy in the sky and all kinds of apple pie."

"Mr. Blue Sky" (Electric Light Orchestra) - Why wouldn't "Mr. Blue Sky" be on a Beatles-inspired compilation? This is unquestionably the most Beatlesque song that wasn't recorded by the Beatles, so what can I say about this that hasn't been said already?

Side D

"Give a Little Bit" (Supertramp) - According to songwriter Roger Hodgson, the song took inspiration from "All You Need is Love". He would also preform it live with Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band in 2001.

"See You Tonite" (Gene Simmons) - This was the Kiss lead singer's attempt at making a Beatlesque pop song. What helps that he got two of the performers from Beatlemania (Mitch Weissman, Joe Pecorino) to perform backing vocals on it.

"American Girl" (Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers) - I saw a Spotify playlist that listed this song as sounding like the Beatles. I looked around on the internet to see if there was merit to that, but my guess is that it's the imagery of the lyrics that's reminiscent of Lennon/McCartney. Some listeners upon release have compared the Heartbreakers to the Byrds, who, in turn, were once regarded as the American Beatles.

"Scenes from an Italian Restaurant" (Billy Joel) - Between the Lines opens and closes with a seven-minute epic! I think that makes for some interesting symmetry there. Billy Joel cited the Abbey Road medley as one of the influences for "Italian Restaurant", in which song fragments are stitched together to form a cohesive medley. Another track off of The Stranger, "Just the Way You Are", was listed by Paul McCartney as being one of the few songs he wished he'd written. I'd include it if I could, but perhaps in this scenario, it could be a B-side.

Final Thoughts

This is a pretty lengthy album overall, running at 63 minutes total. In fact, there's four songs that run for well over six minutes, with the first and final tracks running at over seven minutes! Even if I used single edits, that obviously wouldn't be enough to squeeze everything into a single disc, so you may as well make it a double album. I've compiled a shortened version of Between the Lines that mainly features the epic rockers, with the shortest track "Give a Little Bit" running at a little over four minutes:

Side A: Calling Occupants / Give a Little Bit / The Killing of Georgie / Mr. Blue Sky

Side B: Voices / Love is Like Oxygen / Spread Your Wings / Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

But overall, regardless of length, I enjoy this compilation. In fact, I'd dare say I prefer it to All for Love! Half of the time, I can almost picture the Beatles making an album like this, going for more of a space rock sound in their music, and it would've been very timely with the release of the first Star Wars film.

Beatlesque Songs That Didn't Make the Cut

As I mentioned in my rules above, I'll be listing songs that were excluded either due to space or because I preferred another song by a certain artist. First off, the songs that didn't make All for Love:

"Why Don't You Get a Job?" (The Offspring) - I'll get to it, just not there.

"All Around the World" (Oasis) - Sorry, folks; not gonna do it. Why? Let this take on this song by a certain shadowed music critic provide the answer.

And now, the song that didn't make Between the Lines:

"Just the Way You Are" (Billy Joel) - As I mentioned above, I can only go for one track per artist, and in Billy Joel's case, I ended up sticking with "Scenes from an Italian Restaurant".

Sources

• Jim Bessman's Ramones: An American Band (1993)
• Chalkhills: Song of the Week - Andy's Take: "This is Pop"
• Dayton Daily News' review of Queen's News of the World (1977)
• Timothy English's Sounds Like Teen Spirit (2007)
• Far Out Magazine's The Billy Joel song Paul McCartney wishes he wrote
• Goldmine Magazine's Being compared to The Beatles proved to be a mixed blessing for Klaatu
• Jeff Lynne Song Database: This is NOT Jeff Lynne
• Billy Joel's An Evening of Questions & Answers... & A Little Music (1997)
• PopMatters' deconstruction of Elvis Costello's This Year's Model (1978)
• Songfacts' interview with Roger Hodgson
• TJR's "4 Songs That Sound Like the Beatles... But Aren't"

Beatlesque Vol. 9 - "All for Love" (1997)

And now for something completely different.

Because the Beatles left a major impact on the music world despite recording together for only seven years, you'd be hard pressed to find an artist today that wasn't inspired by the band, either directly or indirectly. Many artists could tell you how much the Beatles inspired them in their youth, and some of their music has a Beatle-esque flavor to them, whether they know it or not. And that's what this post is all about; I've compiled fourteen tracks into a playlist that, in some form or another, took inspiration from the Beatles. Sometimes, it even sounds like something the Beatles themselves would've recorded.

For the first post in a potential series of possibly ten, I picked 1995-1998 as the timeframe for this false Beatles album and picked the name All for Love after the song that was rumored to exist during the Anthology era, but was never completed. Although it would've been theoretically released during a time where CDs were a popular format, I'll be splitting this album into four vinyl sides as it runs up to about 62 minutes total.

Listen to the album

Side A

"Beetlebum" (Blur) - There couldn't be a better way to kick off this Beatlesque playlist than a song that shows clear nods to the Beatles from an artistic view, especially in the chorus. Interestingly, this is also the first track on Blur's eponymous 1997 album. Stephen Thomas Erlewine described "Beetlebum" as "[running] through the White Album in the space of five minutes."

"What I Got" (Sublime) - The melody is very similar to that of "Lady Madonna". Outside of that, I didn't find much else talking about the influences taken from the Beatles. What's noteworthy, though, is that David Kahne, who produced this track, would later produce Paul's 2007 album Memory Almost Full, as well as his live album Back in the U.S.. Small world indeed.

"Big Me" (Foo Fighters) - Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain called John his favorite Beatle, even feeling a personal connection with him. Dave Grohl was also inspired by the Beatles from a young age, and "Big Me" almost sounds as if Paul had written it himself. Had Kurt not killed himself, one scenario for Nirvana is that Kurt and Dave could have become the Lennon/McCartney of grunge.

"Joel" (The Boo Radleys) - As part of an update to the track listing, I've decided to throw in this acoustic six-minute epic that includes backwards guitarwork akin to the Revolver era.

Side B

"Shine a Light" (The Apples in Stereo) - The second of six tracks that I wasn't originally going to include, but after listening to it, it definitely sounds a bit like the Beatles during their Rubber Soul days. The vocals sound a little like a mix between Lennon and McCartney.

"Not the Girl You Think You Are" (Crowded House) - Last minute entry #3; Neil Finn wrote this song as an homage to the Beatles, even writing it like they would've. As the last song released before Crowded House broke up first time around before reuniting, it almost feels like something from either Abbey Road or Let It Be.

"Sonnet" (The Verve) - A simple, aching ballad that's almost in the vein of "For No One". John is clearly present when Richard Ashcroft sings.

"Karma Police" (Radiohead) - The chord progression of the piano and acoustic guitar is very similar to that of "Sexy Sadie", and the title may be a reference to John's solo single "Instant Karma". In addition to this, according to a 1969 interview with John, Smokey Robinson's "I've Been Good to You" was one of his favorite songs, and the lyric "Look what you've done, you made a fool out of someone" was later loosely adopted for "Sexy Sadie". Perhaps indirectly, a link between Smokey and Radiohead had been established. How crazy is that?

Side C

"Lemon Tree" (Fool's Garden) - The fourth eleventh hour entry of the playlist; lyrically, this almost sounds like something John Lennon could've written during the early phase of his solo career, blended together with a juxtaposing Paul McCartney-esque medley. The backing vocals during the chorus are fairly reminiscent of "Girl".

"That Thing You Do!" (The Wonders) - Eleventh hour entry the fifth; although this was recorded by a fictional band for a film, it's too damn good to leave off. It sounds as if Lennon and McCartney could have written it during the Beatles' early years; appropriately, the film the song is in takes place in the 1960s.

"She's Electric" (Oasis) - I'm sure most of you were expecting "Wonderwall" to show up on this playlist, or maybe, if you're too much of a fan off excess, "All Around the World". However, I could only go for one track per artist; otherwise, this entire playlist would be Oasis songs from the 1990s, making his exercise pointless. Instead, I went with "She's Electric", which takes cues from the chorus of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and the outro of "With a Little Help from My Friends".

"Lily (My One and Only)" (Smashing Pumpkins) - A baroque pop number from Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness that's akin to the likes of "When I'm Sixty-Four", "Martha My Dear" and "Maxwell's Silver Hammer", all written and sung by Paul. On an interesting note, "Lily (My One and Only)" was said to be about Billy Corgan's cat, and "Martha My Dear" was about Paul's sheepdog, which may further the belief that this was inspired by the Beatles. On the other hand, it may just be a random coincidence.

Side D

"My Before and After" (Cotton Mather) - The sixth and last of the last minute entries I included for the album. Stewart Mason of AllMusic described the album it was on, Kontiki, as "a brilliant fusion of the Beatles, Squeeze, Guided by Voices, and some less obvious influences." Cotton Mather were another band like the Apples in Stereo that I discovered as having drawn comparisons to the Beatles.

"All Those Yesterdays" (Pearl Jam) - This closing track from Yield almost sounds as if it was ripped straight out of the White Album; interestingly, both albums were released thirty years apart. The title also seems to riff on George's "All Those Years Ago". Maybe it could've been a co-write between John and George? On Yield, it's followed by a hidden track, "Hummus"; instead, on this album, it's followed up by...

"Indus" (Dead Can Dance) - It takes about halfway to get there, but this nine-minute instrumental borrows a bit from "Within You Without You", even crediting George as a songwriter after he gave them permission. My guess is that, after what he went through with the "He's So Fine"/"My Sweet Lord" lawsuit, he didn't want the same thing happening with DCD.

Final Thoughts

Interestingly enough, at least half of the songs inspired by the Beatles trace their origins to around the 1967-68 timeframe, with some taking influence from the White Album. It's rather fitting, of course, that the White Album is the Beatles' most eclectic album and never sits still for very long. All for Love is almost like the grandson of the White Album, covering genres like Britpop, garage rock, alternative rock, worldbeat and punk rock, therefore keeping the spirit of the Beatles alive.

That being said, I'd love to do another post like this if there's enough interest. I've already got a late 1970s Beatlesque album made, and I'm also planning one for the late 1980s and another for the mid to late 2000s. For each album, I'd like to pick out at least eight to twelve tracks from a specific time frame and then arrange them in a way that sounds cohesive. You can try this one out for yourselves if you like; your results may vary.

Sources

• "All Those Yesterdays" on The Daily Beatle
• "Beetlebum" on The Daily Beatle
• "Lily (My One and Only)" on The Daily Beatle
• "Sonnet" on The Daily Beatle
• Cotton Mather on Powerpopulist
• David Bennett's "6 Songs That 'Rip Off' Beatles Songs"
• "10 Perfect Rock Music Songs That Were Inspired by The Beatles" on WhatCulture (entries #10 and #4)

An Alternate Wings Discography + Paul McCartney's Early 1980s Output

When the Beatles broke up, they all went on their own solo endeavors. Paul McCartney, not wanting to do things without a band, hastily formed a new group in 1971 that he dubbed Wings. With himself, his wife Linda and former Moody Blues guitarist Denny Laine as the group's three permanent members, Wings were mostly a critical disappointment. Although they had hits like "Live and Let Die" and the entire Band on the Run album, it was largely a vehicle for Paul's solo career brought on by the fact that he was a former Beatle until they broke up in 1981.

Could things have turned out differently for Wings had Paul made some different choices? That's what this post is all about!

Wild Life (1971)

Side A (19:07)

1. Wild Life - 4:49 [edit]

2. Little Woman Love - 2:08 (Ram)

3. Bip Bop/Hey Diddle - 3:35 (Wingspan: Hits and History)

4. I Am Your Singer - 2:15

5. Little Lamb Dragonfly - 6:20 (Red Rose Speedway)

Side B (19:29)

6. Mumbo - 3:54

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

8. Tomorrow - 3:28

9. Some People Never Know - 3:56 [edit]

10. Dear Friend - 3:54 [edit]

Often viewed as Wings' worst album, Wild Life is a bit of a mess that really lacks a certain level of polish, especially as this was right off the heels of Ram, which, in retrospect, became regarded as one of Paul's best albums. Paul had more than enough material for a proper follow-up to Ram, as "Get on the Right Thing" and "Little Lamb Dragonfly" were recorded during those sessions yet they were not included on an album until 1973. I'm rectifying this by including them on this revised Wild Life and giving the album a little more polish. In addition, three songs were edited down to trim the fat and improve the pacing of the album. Overall, Wild Life is still not a great album, but it is at least an improvement over what was officially released.

Red Rose Speedway (1973)

Side A (20:09)

1. Big Barn Bed - 3:48

2. I Lie Around - 5:01

3. When the Night - 3:38

4. Mama's Little Girl - 3:45

5. Seaside Woman - 3:57

Side B (19:52)

6. Live and Let Die - 3:12

7. Only One More Kiss - 2:28

8. Night Out - 2:16

9. I Would Only Smile - 3:23

10. Best Friend (Live) - 3:59

11. The Mess (Live) - 4:34

Side C (20:27)

12. My Love - 4:07

13. Hold Me Tight (I've Waited All My Life)/Lazy Dynamite - 5:12

14. Jazz Street - 5:08

15. Hands of Love/Power Cut - 6:00

Side D (20:28)

16. Loup (First Indian on the Moon) - 4:23

17. C Moon - 4:34

18. Tragedy - 3:21

19. Single Pigeon - 1:52

20. Country Dreamer - 3:10

21. Hi, Hi, Hi - 3:08

Red Rose Speedway was originally intended to be a double album, but it ended up being cut down to a single album, meaning fans only got half the story regarding its extremely productive sessions. Several other tracks that were recorded during those sessions ended up being released as singles or left in the vaults until 2018. Having moved "Little Lamb Dragonfly" and "Get on the Right Thing" onto the revised Wild Life, that left plenty of room to include more non-album tracks like "Live and Let Die" and "Hi, Hi, Hi", which really helps to give Wings more rock credibility. The resulting album may seem esoteric, but so was The White Album. The first disc is largely Wings as a group effort, and the second is Paul doing what he loves best - silly love songs and other assorted genres.

Band on the Run is released as is, with "Helen Wheels" appearing in the middle of Side B per the North American release. No reason to change it whatsoever.

Hot Hits & Cold Cuts (1974)

Side A (22:54)

1. Another Day - 3:42

2. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - 4:41

3. Give Ireland Back to the Irish - 3:44

4. Mary Had a Little Lamb - 3:32

5. Hi, Hi, Hi - 3:08

6. My Love - 4:07

Side B (24:22)

7. Live and Let Die - 3:12

8. Helen Wheels - 3:46

9. Jet - 4:09

10. Band on the Run - 5:12

11. Sally G - 3:40

12. Junior's Farm - 4:23

Side C (23:48)

13. A Love for You* - 4:08

14. I Lie Around - 5:01

15. Love is Strange* - 4:14

16. Walking in the Park with Eloise* - 3:10

17. Oriental Nightfish* - 2:49

18. The Back Seat of My Car - 4:26

Side D (23:09)

19. Oh Woman, Oh Why - 4:35

20. Wide Prairie* - 4:33

21. Send Me the Heart* - 3:35

22. Bridge on the River Suite* - 3:11

23. Seaside Woman - 3:57

24. Thank You Darling* - 3:18

Ah yes, the infamous Paul McCartney compilation album that never came to be. He went through so many iterations between 1974 and 1987 before ultimately scrapping the project for good. For this scenario, I'm imaging that the first disc consisted of all of his Top 20 hits in the United Kingdom and the United States as well as the new single "Junior's Farm" and "Sally G", tacked on at the end as new tracks. The second disc is primarily outtakes from 1970-1974, as well as a few tracks that were released as lead singles or B-sides. "The Back Seat of My Car" peaked at #39 in the United Kingdom, and "Seaside Woman" at #59 in the United States. "Oh Woman, Oh Why" and "I Lie Around" are the B-sides to "Another Day" and "Live and Let Die", respectively. Hot Hits & Cold Cuts becomes Paul's final release under Apple Records, as I believe was originally intended.

Once again, nothing changes about either Venus and Mars or Wings at the Speed of Sound.

London Town (1977)

Side A (23:51)

1. I've Had Enough - 3:02

2. Café on the Left Bank - 3:25

3. Don't Let It Bring You Down - 4:34

4. Name and Address - 3:07

5. London Town - 4:10

6. Children Children - 2:20

7. With a Little Luck - 3:13

Side B (23:38)

8. Girls' School - 4:38

9. Deliver Your Children - 4:17

10. Famous Groupies - 3:34

11. Mull of Kintyre - 4:42

12. Morse Moose and the Grey Goose - 6:27

"Mull of Kintyre" was the biggest non-charity single of the United Kingdom after it was first released, and the fact that it was excluded from London Town was a decision that ended up hurting the album. Around that time, Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English had left Wings, once again leaving the band as a trio. "Girlfriend" and the "Backwards Traveler/Cuff Link" medley were recorded after Jimmy and Joe left, so they are thereby excluded, assuming London Town was released in time for the Christmas market. "I'm Carrying" was recorded prior to their departure, but I excluded it to make room for "Mull of Kintyre" and "Girls' School", making it feel more like a Wings album, as well as the final part of a trilogy that includes Venus and Mars and Wings at the Speed of Sound.

Back to the Egg (1978)

Side A (22:51)

1. Rockestra Theme - 2:35

2. Getting Closer - 3:22

3. So Glad to See You Here - 3:20

4. Spin It On - 2:12

5. Again and Again and Again - 3:34

6. Old Siam, Sir - 4:11

7. Arrow Through Me - 3:37

Side B (25:28)

8. Daytime Nighttime Suffering - 3:23

9. To You - 3:12

10. Weep for Love - 4:32 (Japanese Tears)

11. Winter Rose/Love Awake - 4:58

12. Maisie - 2:12 (Standard Time)

13. Goodnight Tonight - 4:22 (McCartney II)

14. Baby's Request - 2:49

Much like the situation with "Mull of Kintyre" and "Girls' School" being excluded from London Town, "Goodnight Tonight" and "Daytime Nighttime Suffering" both should've been on Back to the Egg. How the album would've fared with them, no one can say for sure, but I'm pretty sure it would've charted better, along with proper promotion on Capitol Records' part. To make Back to the Egg feel like the beginning of Wings 3.0, I brought forth Denny's "Weep for Love" and Laurence Juber's "Maisie" to replace "Reception", "We're Open Tonight", the "After the Ball/Million Miles" medley and "The Broadcast", and I moved "Rockestra Theme" and "So Glad to See You Here" to Side A.

McCartney II (1979)

Side A (22:44)

1. Front Parlor - 3:32

2. Temporary Secretary - 3:14

3. On the Way - 3:38

4. Mr. H Atom - 2:23

5. Summer's Day Song - 3:25

6. You Know I'll Get You Baby - 3:33

7. Bogey Wobble - 2:59

Side C (21:14)

8. Darkroom - 2:20

9. One of These Days - 3:35

10. Secret Friend - 5:14

11. Waterfalls - 3:20

12. Nobody Knows - 2:52

13. Coming Up - 3:53

And now for something completely different; this re-arranging of McCartney II is based upon Paul's proposed track listing for the album before it was cut down and some songs left in the vaults until 2011. The first side is basically the second with "Front Parlor" starting things off, while the second side is an abridgement of the second disc. "Secret Friend" is the shortened edit that's on The 7" Singles Box, released not too long ago.

Wings Greatest 1975-1980 (1980)

Side A (14:47)

1. Listen to What the Man Said - 3:57

2. Letting Go - 3:36

3. Venus and Mars/Rock Show - 3:46

4. Silly Love Songs - 3:28

Side B (16:47)

5. Let 'Em In - 3:42

6. Maybe I'm Amazed (Live) - 5:10

7. Mull of Kintyre - 4:42

8. With a Little Luck - 3:13

Side C (15:45)

9. I've Had Enough - 3:02

10. London Town - 4:10

11. Goodnight Tonight - 4:22

12. Old Siam, Sir - 4:11

Side D (14:56)

13. Getting Closer - 3:22

14. Arrow Through Me - 3:37

15. Coming Up (Live) - 4:08

16. Wonderful Christmastime - 3:49

A compilation of all of Wings' Top 40 singles in the UK and US from 1975 to 1980. For American releases, "Girls' School" replaces "Mull of Kintyre", and for single disc releases, "Letting Go", "Maybe I'm Amazed (Live)", "I've Had Enough" and "Old Siam, Sir" are cut. Yeah, even with single edits, the double disc version of Wings Greatest 1975-1980 is pretty lengthy.

Tug of War (1981)

Side A (22:46)

1. Tug of War - 4:22

2. Take It Away - 4:14

3. Average Person - 4:33 (Pipes of Peace)

4. Somebody Who Cares - 3:19

5. Keep Under Cover - 3:05 (Pipes of Peace)

6. Rainclouds - 3:13

Side B (21:34)

7. Ballroom Dancing - 4:07

8. The Pound is Sinking - 2:54

9. Wanderlust - 3:49

10. No Values - 4:12 (Give My Regards to Broad Street)

11. Dress Me Up as a Robber - 2:41

12. Ebony and Ivory - 3:50

Wings broke up in 1981, and part of that came down to Paul being afraid to go on tour in case he got hurt, especially given that this was after John Lennon had been killed. In addition to this, Denny Laine had become dissatisfied with his role in Wings, having decided to leave in April that same year, though he still contributed a little to Paul's Tug of War and Pipes of Peace. My reimagining for these two albums is fairly straightforward; make them about Paul as much as possible. Tug of War focuses mainly on the sessions from November 30, 1980 to February 28, 1981, when "Ebony and Ivory" was recorded, for which I've used the solo version. I'd imagine that the duet version with Stevie Wonder, along with "What's That You're Doing", would be a standalone single.

Pipes of Peace (1983)

Side A (20:54)

1. Pipes of Peace - 3:56

2. Say Say Say - 3:55

3. The Other Me - 3:58

4. I'll Give You a Ring - 3:09 (Tug of War)

5. Be What You See/Christian Bop - 2:36 (Tug of War/Pipes of Peace)

6. So Bad - 3:20

Side B (19:17)

7. Not Such a Bad Boy - 3:19 (Give My Regards to Broad Street)

8. Sweetest Little Show - 2:54

9. Ode to a Koala Bear - 3:48

10. Hey Hey - 2:54

11. Tug of Peace - 2:54

12. Through Our Love - 3:28

Much like the official Pipes of Peace, my take on it collects the leftover tracks from the late 1980-early 1981 sessions ("I'll Give You a Ring", "Be What You See/Christian Bop", "Sweetest Little Show", "Ode to a Koala Bear", "Hey Hey") that didn't fit my take on Tug of War, along with the new songs that were recorded between May 1981 ("Say Say Say") and March 1983 ("Not Such a Bad Boy"). "The Man" has been relegated to a B-side for "Say Say Say", and "We All Stand Together" was passed over due to not fitting the theme of the album.