Chapter 80: We Are the World (July 13 and 14, 1985)

 July 13, 1985

Wembley Stadium - 7:00 to 8:45 EDT (12:00 to 13:45 BST)

Diana and Prince Charles attending Live Aid, 13 July 1985.

"It's 12 noon in London, 7 AM in Philadelphia, and around the world, it's time for Live Aid! Sixteen hours of live music in aid of famine relief in Africa," announced Richard Skinner. "Wembley welcomes their Royal Highnesses, the Prince and Princess of Wales!"

The crowd cheered as Prince Charles and his wife Diana Spencer appeared amongst them in the stands, accompanied by the Coldstream Guards playing to mark their arrival, before taking their seats. Bob Geldof stood by the prince's left as the latter greeted the crowd with a wave.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Royal Salute!" announced Tommy Vance.

The Coldstream Guards kicked off the Wembley show with the first six bars to "God Save the Queen". They'd been performing for the British Army for two hundred years, and it seemed fitting that they be the ones to kick off the show.

"And now, to start off sixteen hours of Live Aid," Vance announced again, "would you welcome, Status Quo!"

Status Quo (7:01 EDT; 12:01 BST) fittingly kicked off Live Aid with a cover version of John Fogerty's "Rockin' All Over the World", following that up with "Caroline" and "Don't Waste My Time". They were soon followed up by the Style Council (7:19 EDT; 12:19 BST - "You're the Best Thing", "Big Boss Groove", "Internationalists" and "Walls Come Tumbling Down!") and the Boomtown Rats (7:44 EDT; 12: 44 BST - "I Don't Like Mondays", "Drag Me Down" and "Rat Trap").

Def Leppard (8:01 EDT; 13:01 BST) kicked off the second hour of Live Aid with "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages", both from their most recent album Pyromania[1]. Following up on them was Ultravox (8:17 EDT; 13:17 BST) with "Reap the Wild Wind", "Dancing with Tears in My Eyes", "One Small Day" and "Vienna".

Wembley Stadium (London) and John F. Kennedy Stadium (Philadelphia) - 8:45 to 17:00 EDT (13:45 to 22:00 BST)

George Segal and Marilyn McCoo introducing Live Aid to American audiences.

"Live from JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, USA!" announced George Segal. "And live from Wembley Stadium in London, England! The Live Aid concert! Welcome to the worldwide Live Aid concert! I'm George Segal in Philadelphia, and I'm here to welcome you to something more than a television show. As of this moment, we're being seen in sixty nations throughout the world, we can be seen on 85 percent of all the television sets on the planet, and we can be heard on 75 percent of all the radios on the planet! We welcome you to a massive, totally unprecedented coming together of all the peoples of our world in support of our neighbors in Africa."

"We've come together today to make a simple and powerful statement," added Marilyn McCoo, "that all men are our brothers, that all women are our sisters, and especially that all children are our children. When one of us suffers as millions today are suffering in Africa, then we all suffer. And as this is the custom in families everywhere, we extend our helping hand. We lift them up until they can stand on their own. And we don't do this because we feel guilt and certainly not because we feel pity. We do it simply because that's the kind of people that we are."

"And so, for the next sixteen hours, we'll all be enjoying what can only be characterized as the hottest acts in music today."

"And they are Crosby, Stills and Nash, Tom Petty, Sting with Phil Collins and the Who, Bryan Adams... you know who Bryan Adams is?"

"I know who he is."

"Oh, alright. Alright. Eric Clapton, the Beach Boys, Wham!, and much more."

"They're all performing free; not only for African famine relief, but also in support of an even larger purpose. Ending hunger in our world forever. But right now, we're going live to London!"

Joan Baez performing at Live Aid at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

The last performer in London just before the Philadelphia portion of Live Aid kicked off was Spandau Ballet (8:46 EDT; 13:45 BST) with "Only When You Leave", "Virgin" and "True". The first artists to play at Philadelphia were Bernard Watson (8:51 EDT; 13:51 BST - "All I Really Want to Do" and "Interview") and Joan Baez (9:01 EDT; 14:01 BST - "Amazing Grace" and "We Are the World"), the latter of whom kicked off hour three of Live Aid. Elvis Costello (9:07 EDT; 14:07 BST) was the next artist performing at London, singing a cover of the Beatles' "All You Need is Love". At the same time, Bruce Springsteen (9:10 EDT; 14:10 BST) played "Born to Run" and "Dancing in the Dark" at Philadelphia[2]. For the next hour and a half, the following artists and their respective setlists were as follows:

Nik Kershaw - 9:22 EDT / 14:22 BST (London)

"Wide Boy"

"Don Quixote"

"The Riddle"

"Wouldn't It Be Good"

Four Tops - 9:32 EDT / 14:32 BST (Philadelphia)

"Shake Me, Wake Me (When It's Over)"

"Bernadette"

"It's the Same Old Song"

"Reach Out I'll Be There"

"I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch)"

Billy Ocean - 9:45 EDT / 14:45 BST (Philadelphia)

"Caribbean Queen"

"Loverboy"

Sade - 9:53 EDT / 14:53 BST (London)

"Why Can't We Live Together"

"Your Love Is King"

"Is It a Crime?"

Black Sabbath - 9:55 EDT / 14:55 BST (Philadelphia)

"Children of the Grave"

"Iron Man"

"Paranoid"

Run–D.M.C. - 10:12 EDT / 15:12 BST (Philadelphia)

"Jam Master Jay"

"King of Rock"

Sting and Phil Collins - 10:18 EDT / 15:18 BST (London)

"Roxanne" (Sting)

"Driven to Tears" (Sting)

"Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now)" (Phil Collins)

"Message in a Bottle" (Sting)

"In the Air Tonight" (Phil Collins)

"Long Long Way to Go" (both)

"Every Breath You Take" (both)

Rick Springfield - 10:27 EDT / 15:27 BST (Philadelphia)

"Love Somebody"

"State of the Heart"

"Human Touch"

REO Speedwagon - 10:47 EDT / 15:47 (Philadelphia)

"Can't Fight This Feeling"

"Roll with the Changes”

Howard Jones - 10:49 EDT / 15:49 BST (London)

"Hide and Seek"

David Gilmour performing at Live Aid with the rest of Pink Floyd and Roger Waters at Wembley Stadium.

Kicking off the fifth hour of Live Aid was Pink Floyd (11:03 EDT; 16:03 BST), reuniting with Roger Waters for the first time since 1978[3]. Their setlist began with "Speak to Me" and "Breathe", along with the reprise of the latter before transitioning to "Money", all from The Dark Side of the Moon. Before they began their next song, Roger Waters addressed the crowd.

"It's actually quite emotional to be standing up here with these three guys again, after all these years - standing to be counted with the rest of you," he said as they began to play "Wish You Were Here". "Anyway, we're doing this for the people who're not here - and particularly, of course, for Syd."[4]

Concluding Pink Floyd's setlist was "Comfortably Numb" from Roger Waters' The Wall. David Gilmour was especially receptive to this, as Waters had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to play the song live with Pink Floyd. The next two artists playing at Philadelphia were Crosby, Stills and Nash (11:12 EDT; 16:12 BST - "Southern Cross", "Teach Your Children" and "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes") and Judas Priest (11:29 EDT; 16:29 BST - "Living After Midnight", "The Green Manalishi (With the Two-Pronged Crown)" and "You've Got Another Thing Comin'"), while the next London artist was Paul Young (11:40 EDT; 16:40 BST), performing the the intro of "Do They Know It's Christmas?", "Come Back and Stay", "That's the Way Love Is" as part of a duet with Alison Moyet, and "Everytime You Go Away". For the next hour and a half, the following performances were made:

Bryan Adams - 12:01 EDT / 17:01 BST (Philadelphia)

"Kids Wanna Rock"

"Summer of '69"

"Tears Are Not Enough"

"Cuts Like a Knife"

U2 - 12:19 EDT / 17:19 BST (London)

"Sunday Bloody Sunday"

"Bad" (w/snippets of "Satellite of Love", "Ruby Tuesday", "Sympathy for the Devil" and "Walk on the Wild Side")

The Beach Boys - 12:39 EDT / 17:39 BST (Philadelphia)[5]

"California Girls"

"Help Me, Rhonda"

"Wouldn't It Be Nice"

"Good Vibrations"

"Surfin' U.S.A."

Dire Straits - 13:00 EDT / 18:00 BST (London)

"Money for Nothing" (with Sting)

"Sultans of Swing"

George Thorogood and the Destroyers - 13:26 EDT / 18:26 BST (Philadelphia)

"Who Do You Love?" (with Bo Diddley)

"The Sky Is Crying"

"Madison Blues" (with Albert Collins)

Freddie Mercury and Brian May performing at Live Aid at Wembley Stadium.

Smile (13:41 EDT; 18:41 BST) would go on to mark one of the most iconic performances of Live Aid, first beginning with the ballad portion of "Bohemian Rhapsody" with the guitar solo transitioning towards "Radio Ga Ga". After a brief vocal improvisation between Freddie Mercury and the crowd, Smile played "Hammer to Fall", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "We Will Rock You" before concluding with "We Are the Champions".

Simple Minds - 14:05 EDT / 19:05 BST (Philadelphia)

"Ghost Dancing"

"Don't You (Forget About Me)"

"Promised You a Miracle"

David Bowie - 14:23 EDT / 19:23 BST (London)

"TVC 15"

"Rebel Rebel"

"Modern Love"

"Heroes"

Pretenders - 14:41 EDT / 19:41 BST (Philadelphia)

"Time the Avenger"

"Message of Love"

"Stop Your Sobbing"

"Back on the Chain Gang"

"Middle of the Road"

The Who - 14:59 EDT / 19:59 BST (London)

"My Generation"

"Pinball Wizard"

"Love, Reign o'er Me"

"Won't Get Fooled Again"

Santana with Pat Metheny - 15:21 EDT / 20:21 BST (Philadelphia)

"Brotherhood"

"Primera Invasion"

"Open Invitation"

"By the Pool"

"Right Now"

After The Who (with Phil Collins on drums) had finished up their set list, Bob Geldof walked on stage to introduce the next artist.

"This could be the most important performance of the entire concert, let alone the entirety of rock music history," he said. "So, please let me introduce to you, the act you've known for all these years..." He paused for dramatic effect; there was some scattered chuckling at the reference Geldof had just made, but they were drowned out by unstoppable clapping and screaming the moment he said their name...

"THE BEATLES!"

Paul McCartney performing with the Beatles at Live Aid at Wembley.

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr walked onto the stage, clutching their guitars and (in Ringo's case) drumsticks, a sense of excitement and anxiety shared amongst them. Despite this sense of nervousness, at 15:25 Eastern Time, 20:25 British Summer Time, they kicked off their setlist with "Come Together", with the outro being accompanied by the guitar introduction to "Revolution", transitioning into "Back in the U.S.S.R.". The crowd was beside itself with excitement the whole time, which, to the Beatles, was a good sign that their performance was going well.

The next song of the Beatles' setlist was George's vocal spot "Something". Backstage, the Beatles' families were watching the performance on the television set. Olivia had the biggest smile out of the Beatles' wives; although the song had been written back when George was married to Pattie Boyd, it didn't make the song any less resonant to her.

Back on the stage, Paul had put down his bass guitar and sat at the piano to perform the next number. "This song's a little something that we played twenty years ago," he told the crowd as he played the first chords. "Since this little number came out, God knows how many people have performed it, and I think you can guess what it is by the first lyric... Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away..."

For the rest of the song, the crowd sang along with Paul. They cheered again as "Yesterday" drew to a close, and John picked up the acoustic guitar to perform the next song.

"This little number is dedicated to all the people we've met over the years, including those who are no longer with us," he said. "I would also like to dedicate it to a few very special people, wherever you are and even if you're not watching..."

Aunt Mimi was at home watching Live Aid on television and smiled; even though John wasn't here with her right now, she knew exactly who he was referring to. As did Madeline, watching the performance with the rest of the Beatles' families as John sang "In My Life".

"In my life... I love you more..." As the song drew to a close, the crowd once again began cheering loudly as the number of donations to support Ethiopia began to triplicate.

"For those who've not done anything yet," called John, "let's come together and donate what we can to help all the people of Ethiopia in their fight against famine!"

"Just standing here and playing with the guys," added Paul, "it's an amazing feeling, especially in fighting a cause that we all wished did not exist."

"This is a big deal, what we're doing right now," said George. "The world's watching us and they need to contribute to Live Aid."

"Peace and love, wherever you are!" finished Ringo. "Come on, everybody! Let's bring the house down!"

That was when the Beatles began the last song in their set, "With a Little Help from My Friends". Once again, the crowd was singing along, even during the extended outro to the song that transitioned towards "The End".

"And in the end... the love you take... is equal to the love you make..."

If the crowd wasn't in a frenzy before, they certainly were now! All four Beatles walked to the front of the stage together, arm in arm, and bowed before the crowd before leaving the stage again, feeling a strong sense of satisfaction with their performance. Meanwhile, back in Philadelphia, Ashford & Simpson (15:57 EDT; 20:57 BST) performed "Solid" and "Reach Out and Touch (Somebody's Hand)", the latter of which was performed with Teddy Pendergrass.

Elton John performing at Live Aid at Wembley.

There was one hour left to go at Wembley, beginning with Elton John (16:00 EDT; 21:00 BST) whose setlist consisted of "I'm Still Standing", "Bennie and the Jets", "Rocket Man", "Don't Go Breaking My Heart" and "Don't Let the Sun Go Down on Me", the latter two of which were duets with Kiki Dee and Wham! (George Michael on lead vocals), respectively.[6] Back at Philadelphia, Madonna (16:27 EDT; 21:27 BST) performed "Holiday", "Into the Groove" and "Love Makes the World Go Round", the latter of which was with Thompson Twins and Nile Rodgers.

With just fifteen minutes left for the Wembley performance, Freddie Mercury and Brian May (16:48 EDT; 21:48 BST) returned to the stage to perform "Is This the World We Created...?".

"Thank you very much," said Freddie after the song came to an end. "And now a man with glasses will return to the stage, and I think you can tell who he is! Ah, there he is now!"

"Thank you, Freddie," said John Lennon as he walked onto the stage again and to the piano. "There's still time left to donate, so let's fight against poverty not just in Ethiopia, but in the entire world! Every action is needed so we can... Well, you know what this next number's about, don't you?"

And that was when John began to play "Imagine" before transitioning to "Give Peace a Chance", being backed by David Bowie, Bob Geldof, Alison Moyet and Roger Waters.[7] The Wembley Stadium portion of Live Aid came to a close with Band Aid singing "Do They Know It's Christmas?", a song composed by Bob Geldof and Midge Ure telling listeners about the Ethiopia famine.

"Thank you, everybody!" called Bob as the performance came to an end. "That's the end of our show, you've been a fantastic audience! Thank you, and good night! Over to you, Philadelphia!"

July 13 and 14, 1985

John F. Kennedy Stadium - 17:00 to 23:00 EDT (22:00 to 4:00 BST)

Tom Petty performing with Mudcrutch at Live Aid at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

The remaining six hours of Live Aid at JFK Stadium began with Tom Petty and Mudcrutch (17:02 EDT; 22:02 BST) by performing "American Girl", "The Waiting", "Rebels" and "Refugee". They were followed up by Kenny Loggins (17:30 EDT; 22:30 BST) with "Footloose" and The Cars (17:39 EDT; 22:39 BST) with "You Might Think", "Drive", "Just What I Needed" and "Heartbeat City". The following two hours went as follows:

Neil Young - 18:06 EDT / 23:06 BST

"Sugar Mountain"

"The Needle and the Damage Done"

"Helpless"

"Nothing Is Perfect (In God's Perfect Plan)"

"Powderfinger"

The Power Station - 18:42 EDT / 23:42 BST

"Murderess"

"Get It On"

Thompson Twins - 19:21 EDT / 0:21 BST

"Hold Me Now"

"Revolution" (with Madonna, Steve Stevens and Nile Rodgers)

Eric Clapton - 19:38 EDT / 0:38 BST

"White Room"

"She's Waiting"

"Layla"

Robert Plant and Jimmy Page playing with the Yardbirds at Live Aid at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

Badfinger (20:00 EDT; 1:00 BST) made a surprise appearance at Live Aid; Mike Gibbins and Pete Ham had lived in America over the past decade, and the latter called up Tom Evans and Joey Molland about a one-off reunion for Live Aid, to which he found surprising agreement from both of them as well as Mike Gibbins, who had also played with Crosby, Stills and Nash and Eric Clapton. Badfinger performed "No Matter What" and "Without You" for their brief appearance at Live Aid[8]. Although it was intended to be a one-off reunion, Badfinger would perform for other charity concerts until Gibbins' death in 2005, their last performance being at Live 8 that same year.

Shortly following Badfinger was the Yardbirds (20:10 EDT; 1:10 BST) performing "Rock and Roll", "Whole Lotta Love" and "Stairway to Heaven"[9]. Marvin Gaye (20:39 EDT; 1:39 BST) came next with "What's Going On" and his newest hit, "Dodging a Silver Bullet"[10].

Duran Duran - 20:46 EDT / 1:46 BST

"A View to a Kill"

"Union of the Snake"

"Save a Prayer"

"The Reflex"

Patti LaBelle - 21:20 EDT / 2:20 BST

"New Attitude"

"Imagine"

"Forever Young"

"Stir It Up"

"Over the Rainbow"

"Why Can't I Get It Over"

Hall & Oates - 21:50 EDT / 2:50 BST

"Out of Touch"

"Maneater"

"Get Ready" (with Eddie Kendricks)

"Ain't Too Proud to Beg" (with David Ruffin)

"The Way You Do the Things You Do"

"My Girl" (with Eddie Kendricks and David Ruffin)

Ronnie Wood, Bob Dylan and Keith Richards performing at Live Aid at John F. Kennedy Stadium.

For the final hour of Live Aid, Mick Jagger (22:15 EDT; 3:15 BST) performed "Lonely at the Top", "Just Another Night", "Miss You", "State of Shock" and "It's Only Rock 'n' Roll (But I Like It)", the latter two of which were with Tina Turner. Fellow Rolling Stone members Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood played with Bob Dylan (22:39 EDT; 3:39 BST) for "Ballad of Hollis Brown", "When the Ship Comes In" and "Blowin' in the Wind". Live Aid concluded with USA for Africa performing "We Are the World".

Outside of JFK and Wembley Stadiums, various other countries were pitching in to help the cause, such as Australia (Oz for Africa), Japan (Off Course, Eikichi Yazawa, Motoharu Sano and Meiko Nakahara), the Netherlands (B.B. King) and West Germany (Band für Afrika), with Cliff Richard even making a performance in the United Kingdom with "A World of Difference". Deep Purple was originally going to perform via satellite from Switzerland, but they pulled out as Ritchie Blackmore wanted nothing to do with the performance.

END OF PHASE THREE

Footnotes

1. Adam Ant played "Vive Le Rock". He later criticized Live Aid and regretted performing it. "It was the end of rock 'n' roll," he commented. In addition, as Rick Allen didn't lose his arm in his car accident in TTL, Def Leppard is able to perform, accepting Bob Geldof's invitation, which also happened in OTL, but they declined as they were waiting for Allen to recover.
2. The Hooters played "And We Danced" and "All You Zombies". In addition, Bruce Springsteen had declined to take part in Live Aid despite his popularity at the time, although he would come to regret this decision.
3. Bryan Ferry played "Sensation", "Boys and Girls", "Slave to Love" and "Jealous Guy" with David Gilmour on guitar. Pink Floyd's setlist is the exact same as that from when they performed at Live 8 in 2008.
4. Roger Waters' quote at Live 8 taken verbatim.
5. A one-off reunion with Dennis Wilson, who is still living by 1985.
6. Elton John's final song in his setlist was a cover of Marvin Gaye's "Can I Get a Witness".
7. Paul McCartney played "Let It Be". In addition, Pete Townshend played alongside David Bowie, Bob Geldof and Alison Moyet for the performance.
8. Phil Collins played "Against All Odds" and "In the Air Tonight" after flying out to Philadelphia to play a short solo set there, having also played alongside Eric Clapton for his solo set.
9. Phil Collins played drums for Led Zeppelin shortly after playing his solo set in Philadelphia.
10. Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young played "Only Love Can Break Your Heart" and "Daylight Again/Find the Cost of Freedom".

Author's Comments

And so concludes Phase Three of Strawberry Peppers, as well as the first draft altogether! After a period of over thirty months and eighty chapters, I never imagined I'd get this done, as writer's block and unintentional abandonment are very much the bane of every alternate universe writer, I'd imagine. Still, hopefully I managed to do this finale justice and ended things on a strong note. I did have to gloss over some performances by listing who performed what, sticking mostly to what happened in OTL, with changes made to accommodate the butterflies that have occurred in the past twenty years. The Beatles' performance, of course, was the piece de resistance, hence it has the most focus out of the performances listed.

The first draft may be over, but there's still a few more posts to go, beginning with a standalone post showing my own version of Let It Be that'll come out this Friday. After that will be a new 1985 album for the Clash as part of an Extra Scene (remember those?) along with an information post about the DC Appleverse. Following that will be part four of An Alternative Beatles Discography - No Covers, focusing on the 1984-2009 period, and then what I have in mind for The Second Coming. Make sure to keep an eye out for those!

Chapter 78: Jump (September 1984 - April 1985)

September 14, 1984

Tom Petty & Mudcrutch - Southern Accents

Released: September 14, 1984

Recorded: 1983-1984

Producer: Tom Petty and Jimmy Iovine

Track listing[1]

Side A

Rebels

Trailer

The Image of Me

The Apartment Song [ft. Stevie Nicks]

Crackin' Up

Southern Accents

Side B

Walkin' from the Fire

Big Boss Man

Spike

Dogs on the Run

Mary's New Car

The Best of Everything

The seventh album by Tom Petty & Mudcrutch was a concept album focusing on life in the Southern part of the United States; this was further emphasized with cover versions of Wayne Kemp's "The Image of Me" and Jimmy Reed's "Big Boss Man", also previously covered by Elvis Presley and B.B. King, as well as Nick Lowe's "Crackin' Up", which contained some country influence. Southern Accents (#16 UK, #1 US) was released to positive reception with the lead single "Rebels" reaching #15 in the United States.[2] During the sessions, Tom Petty wrote a few tracks with Eurythmics member David A. Stewart, resulting in the non-album single "Don't Come Around Here No More"/"Make It Better (Forget About Me)" (February 28, 1985 - #22 UK, #5 US) that had a music video inspired from Alice in Wonderland.

November 6, 1984

President George Bush, 1984.

To say that George Bush struggled to live up to the legacy left behind by Ronald Reagan prior to his assassination would be putting it mildly. Reagan had been hoping for the 1980s to be a decade of Conservatism - his British counterpart, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, seemed to have had similar thoughts, but her ambition was cut short when the Grand Hotel in Brighton had been bombed on 12 October that year (one day before her 59th birthday), and she was was one of the unfortunate victims.[3] Following Thatcher's death, de facto Deputy Prime Minister William Whitelaw would serve as intern Prime Minister until the next election took place.[4]

Since Reagan's death, things seemed to go badly for President Bush despite his best efforts to lead America. What would become known as the Great Recession in the United States seemed to have had its origins with the 1979 Oil Crisis in the wake of the Iranian Revolution. The Recession further accelerated within Bush's first year in office, and people blamed Bush for what was happening in America.

To make matters worse, Vice President Paul Laxalt - a close friend to Reagan, often referred to as the "First Friend" - was under investigation. Headlines reported embezzlement at the Ormsby House, a hotel and casino in Carson City, Nevada owned by the Laxalt family, suggesting Laxalt himself was tied to organized crime.[5] Laxalt denied these claims greatly, feeling that he had enough to worry about with his duties as vice president, but it didn't stop the public from calling Laxalt "the next Nixon".

Democratic nominee Michael Dukakis, 1984.

As the 1984 election grew closer, Bush announced that he would not be running for a second term as President of the United States. This announcement was met with divided opinions; some were happy at not having to deal with a "failed" president for another four years, while others felt that, had it not been for the Great Recession, Bush could've had a chance to mold his own legacy as President. The Republican Party ended nominating Laxalt as their candidate for the election against Democrat Michael Dukakis, Governor of Massachusetts. Their respective running mates were Senator from Indiana Dan Quayle (Republican) and Senator from Arkansas Dale Bumpers (Democrat).[6]

Despite Laxalt agreeing to a presidential debate, Dukakis declined to participate despite his lead in the polls. Amazingly, this turned out to be a smart move, as there were swarms of reporters asking Laxalt questions about skimming profits from the Ormsby House and the vice president yelling at them, even using the F-word on them. This verbal altercation only served to further harm Laxalt's chances of election.

Come Tuesday, even before all polls nation wide had closed, Michael Dukakis, age 51, was declared the President-elect, with Dale Bumpers, age 59, as the Vice President-elect. The Democratic Party had won in a landslide election for the first time since 1964, when Lyndon Johnson trounced Barry Goldwater 486 to 52, although this margin (442 to 96) wasn't as big, but still sizable.[7] Exhausted, the Republicans knew that they were going to have to do some soul-searching after the last four years, and reshape themselves for the 1988 election.

George Bush congratulated Dukakis on his victory in the election, and come January 20, 1985, Bush would return to a private life with his wife Barbara until her death on April 17, 2018, aged 92. George would also die that same year on November 30, aged 94, as would, coincidentally, Paul Laxalt on August 6, four days after his 96th birthday.

16 November 1984

Kim Beacon - Prospect Road

Released: 16 November 1984

Recorded: July - August 1984

Producer: Phil Collins

Track listing[8]

Side A

Only You Know and I Know

Tell Me

Naked

I Don't Wanna Know

Easy Lover [w/ Phil Collins]

Side B

So Inspired

Let Me Be the One

Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore

Free to Love Again

Prospect Road

Kim Beacon's third solo album was his first collaboration with Phil Collins since the latter's departure from Genesis in 1978. Collins served as the producer for Prospect Road and even played drums on a couple of songs, even singing on "Easy Lover" as part of a duet with Beacon. The sessions took place while Collins was working on his follow-up to Hello, I Must Be Going! (shortly following his marriage to Jill Tavelman) and shortly following Genesis' Shapes Tour, which had ended that February. Since its release, Prospect Road (#1 UK, #5 US) has gone on to be one of the most popular albums of Kim Beacon's solo career, with "Easy Lover" (#1 UK, #2 US) becoming a huge hit. A non-album single from the sessions, "Shine Your Light on Me"/"Those Eyes" (14 January 1985 - #7 UK, #16 US), also charted fairly well.

31 December 1984

RICK ALLEN: "It was absolutely terrifying, with me and Miriam [Barendsen] being involved in that accident on the A57. Everything happened so quickly, and yet I'm very grateful the both of us managed to get out of it with just a few cuts and bruises." (2004)[9]

8 April 1985

Pink Floyd - Identity

Released: 8 April 1985

Recorded: September 1984

Producer: Pink Floyd, Bob Ezrin, Tim Palmer and Rick Fenn

Track listing[10]

Side A

Yolanda

Lie for a Lie

Private Person

You Know I'm Right

Blue Light

Amber and the Amberines

Side B

Yet Another Movie (Round and Round)

How Do You Do It?

Cruise

Let's Get Metaphysical

Seems We Were Dreaming

Pink Floyd's About Face Tour was relatively short compared to others, albeit still quite successful, with shows in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States and Canada. It was also their first to feature Pete Townshend and Dave Harris as support players. That September, the band returned to the studio to record their follow-up to About Face.

DAVID GILMOUR: "Identity was something of a soft reboot for Pink Floyd. While About Face did well commercially, it didn't really feel like we had any sort of direction. Identity was where we seemed to get back on track again." (2017)

Indeed, Identity managed to reach the #1 spot in both the United Kingdom and the United States, becoming Pink Floyd's most successful album of the 1980s, being compared to a Dark Side of the Moon for said decade. Most of the album had been written during the band's About Face Tour, barring "Lie for a Lie", which was written during the sessions by Nick Mason along with Danny Peyronel and Rick Fenn, the latter of whom also co-produced the album. Although Identity was well-received by fans, critics were more mixed in their opinions, with some even thinking that Pink Floyd had sold out.

Footnotes

1. Six of the tracks are sourced from OTL's Southern Accents. The remaining tracks are sourced from Playback, excluding "Walkin' from the Fire", sourced from An American Treasure. In addition, the track listing is based upon AEC's reconstruction of Southern Accents but with "The Apartment Song" moved to Side A and "Walkin' from the Fire" opening Side B.
2. In OTL, while mixing "Rebels", Tom Petty got frustrated and punched a wall, which resulted in surgery on his left hand; this was one of several reasons the band didn't think very highly of the album. In TTL, the "broken hand" incident does not happen.
3. In OTL, Margaret Thatcher narrowly escaped the blast, and she lived until 8 April 2013, aged 87.
4. William Whitelaw served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1979 (the year Thatcher became Prime Minister) to 1988, when that position was taken over by Sir Geoffrey Howe, who maintained the position until Thatcher's resignation in 1990. Michael Heseltine was the first official Deputy Prime Minister, serving 1995 to 1997. As of 2021, the position is currently not in use.
5. In 1983, the Sacramento Bee published two articles about Paul Laxalt's business dealings in the early 1970s. This is not going to help Laxalt much in the presidential election in TTL.
6. Michael Dukakis went against George Bush in the 1988 election and lost. Dan Quayle was Bush's running mate (and eventual Vice President) while Dukakis' running mate was Lloyd Bentsen.
7. In OTL, Ronald Reagan beat out Walter Mondale 525 to 13, with Mondale winning only Minnesota and Washington, D.C.. This electoral vote total has not been matched before or since.
8. "Only You Know and I Know", "I Don't Wanna Know" and "Doesn't Anybody Stay Together Anymore" are all sourced from Phil Collins' No Jacket Required. "Easy Lover" is sourced from Philip Bailey's Chinese Wall, a duet with Collins in OTL. The remaining tracks come from a live performance at The Outhouse in Glasgow in 1989.
9. In OTL, Rick Allen lost his left arm, which meant that Def Leppard would not perform onstage until August 16, 1986 (they declined to play at Live Aid as they were still waiting for him to recover). That was when Allen could play the drums live with only one arm for the first time at the Monsters of Rock festival at Castle Donington. In TTL, as Allen walks away with both arms intact, this means that Def Leppard's Hysteria will be released earlier.
10. Tracks are sourced from Robert Wyatt's Work in Progress (also found on the compilation album Mid-Eighties), Nick Mason and Rick Fenn's Profiles, Zee's Identity and David Gilmour's About Face. "Yet Another Movie (Round and Round)" is sourced from A Momentary Lapse of Reason, the only true Pink Floyd track on Identity.

Author's Comments

At last, we've reached the chapter which shares the same number as vinyl records running at 78 rotations per minute. :P All jokes aside, we're rounding up more story arcs for the first draft before I finally start work on The Second Coming. Tom Petty and Mudcrutch's was probably the least eventful out of the story arcs given that very little changed apart from adding more songs on their 1976-1985 output (plus creating a pre-1976 album), but hopefully I've managed to make them better by adding in the outtakes which are hopefully just as good as those that made the cut.

However, we're not quite done with the Genesis and Pink Floyd story arcs; there's one more album to go through with Genesis (I think you can guess what it is), and even though we've covered the final Pink Floyd album of the first draft, this is not the last time we'll see them. Admittedly, Identity was not in the original plans, but after looking at what was leftover, plus dipping a little into Robert Wyatt's solo career, I decided there was enough material for another album. For those wondering about their post-1985 discography, Learning to Fly is OTL's A Momentary Lapse of Reason, The Division Bell is unaltered from OTL, and On an Island is their last album before the death of Richard Wright, with The Endless River being a Wright solo album.

As for that little vignette with Rick Allen, I did consider having him killed off and Def Leppard would break up after releasing Hysteria, but I decided against it. I don't think it would've made that much of a difference as the first draft is drawing to a close anyway with two chapters to go (and maybe an extra scene or two).

Chapter 72: Back in Black (May - December 1982)

21 May 1982

Smile - Fun in Space

Released: 21 May 1982

Recorded: June 1981 - March 1982

Producer: Smile, Reinhold Mack and David Bowie

Track listing[1]

Side A

Staying Power

Dancer

Future Management

Back Chat

Action This Day

Side B

There Must Be More to Life Than This [w/ Michael Jackson]

Calling All Girls

Las Palabras de Amor

Soul Brother

Under Pressure [w/ David Bowie]

Smile's first post-Paul McCartney album was preceded that October last year with "Under Pressure", a duet with David Bowie that reached #1 in the United Kingdom. Following that was another duet in April, "There Must Be More to Life Than This" (#10 UK, #4 US) with Michael Jackson, who was already starting work on what would later become the greatest selling album of all time. Smile's resultant album, Fun in Space, topped out at #3 in the United Kingdom and #16 in the United States, and received generally mixed reviews from critics who called it no better or worse than their last album with Paul McCartney (1980's Coming Up). However, many hoped that Smile could find their footing in a world in which the Beatles were together again.

BRIAN MAY: "We did end up finding our footing after Paul got back together again with the Beatles and Denny [Laine] having passed on. Fun in Space was something of a transitional album for Smile in a lot of ways." (2007)

ROGER TAYLOR: "Freddie's integration into the band wasn't really that hard since Brian, Deacy [their nickname for bassist John Deacon] and I were basically backing musicians for him. A lot of people felt that as the 70s progressed, we gelled better with Fred than we did with Paul, and it wasn't hard to see why." (1998)

Smile's Fun in Space Tour began on 9 April, shortly before the release of the album, and lasted all the way up to 3 November, spanning sixty-nine shows across Europe, North America and Asia. During the tour, the album's third single, "Las Palabras de Amor" (#17 UK, #56 US) was released in June. The tour was generally well received, even including many pre-1982 hits from Freddie Mercury such as "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" and "Somebody to Love", as while as Paul McCartney-era Smile cuts like "Sheer Heart Attack" and "Now I'm Here", showing promise for Smile to continue into the 1980s. Though it would be a while yet before the world heard from Smile again or saw them play live.

16 July 1982

Roger Waters - Spare Bricks

Released: 16 July 1982

Recorded: 1981 - 1982

Producer: Roger Waters and Bob Ezrin

Track listing[2]

Side A

In the Flesh (Film Version)

When the Tigers Broke Free (Full Version)

Bring the Boys Back Home (Film Version)

Another Brick in the Wall (Drugs) (Film Version)

Mother (Film Version)

Side B

Have a Cigar [ft. Roy Harper]

The Last Few Bricks

Even before he recorded the album, Roger Waters had always planned to make a film of The Wall. His dream would come to life thanks to director Alan Parker, with Gerald Scarfe directing the animated sequences as seen in musical numbers such as "Goodbye Blue Sky". Waters himself was originally going to play the role of the story's anti-hero Floyd Pinkerton, but screen tests were not so successful. Instead, Bob Geldof of the Boomtown Rats would play the role.

While the film was being made, Waters set about making a soundtrack to accompany the film, featuring some songs he had written in mind for The Wall, but he left off in order to put out a double album rather than a triple. However, at the last moment, rather than recording new songs that would likely have not ended up in the film, it was decided that the soundtrack album Spare Bricks (#7 UK, #10 US) would mainly feature alternate versions of songs from The Wall, including "In the Flesh", "Bring the Boys Back Home", "Mother" and "Another Brick in the Wall (Drugs)", as well as the full version of "When the Tigers Broke Free". The only new songs were "Have a Cigar" (an outtake from the Pink Floyd/Hunky Dory collaboration Wish You Were Here, featuring Roy Harper on vocals) and the instrumental suite "The Last Few Bricks".

Roger Waters' The Wall (sometimes released with the accompanying captions Alan Parker and Gerald Scarfe Present... and ...Starring Bob Geldof) was released to a generally positive reception under Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios, although it barely broke even at the box office due to stiff competition against E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial and An Officer and a Gentleman. As for the leftover songs, Waters would find a new use for them following a lengthy, undeclared war between the United Kingdom and Argentina...

August 20, 1982

Al Pacino, early 1980s. He portrayed Leonard Snart (Captain Cold) in The Flash.

The fourth entry in the DC Appleverse was not the planned Batman adaptation, (although it would eventually come out in time for a Christmas release) but rather, an adaptation of The Flash, directed by James Cameron in his theatrical debut[3], and with a score by Jerry Goldsmith, starring newcomer Thomas F. Wilson as the titular hero[4], Michelle Pfeiffer as Iris West and Al Pacino as the villain Captain Cold. Freddie Mercury's "Don't Stop Me Now" played during a sequence in the film. Reception towards the film was generally positive, but not quite as strong when compared to the Superman and Wonder Woman films.

The Flash concerns a young forensic chemist known as Barry Allen, living with a single father in Central City and having the unfortunate reputation for constantly running late, although he does everything possible to impress his crush, Iris West. One night, Barry gets drenched with unspecified chemicals due to a lightning bolt strike and he gains the ability to run at super-human speeds. Meanwhile, a man by the name of Leonard Snart lives in an ice truck and learns about the new superhero called The Flash in a newspaper article, wondering how he could stop the young superhero in his tracks - literally. He breaks into a cyclotron lab and designs a weapon to harness the power of freezing, donning the identity of Captain Cold.

Captain Cold then commits a series of crimes across Central City - fortunately, no one is killed - and tries to take Iris as his bride, but Barry comes to her rescue and sends his archenemy to prison. Both Barry and Iris fall in love, and some time after the attack, Iris meets up with fellow reporter Lois Lane (with Margot Kidder reprising the role), and the latter asks the former if she knows of anyone with super abilities themselves, having heard of the Flash vs. Cold battle from Metropolis. Once again, this appears to be hinting towards a future big project...

November 2, 1982

Tom Petty & Mudcrutch - Long After Dark

Released: November 2, 1982

Recorded: 1981 - 1982

Producer: Jimmy Iovine and Tom Petty

Track listing[5]

Side A

A One Story Town

You Got Lucky

Keep a Little Soul

Deliver Me

Change of Heart

Keeping Me Alive

Finding Out

Side B

We Stand a Chance

Straight into Darkness

The Same Old You

Turning Point

Between Two Worlds

A Wasted Life

By the end of 1982, Mudcrutch's lineup had consisted of mainstays Tom Petty (vocals, guitar, bass, keyboards), Mike Campbell (guitar, bass, backing vocals) and Benmont Tench (keyboards, backing vocals), as well as drummer Stan Lynch (having replaced Randall Marsh in 1976) and bassist Howie Epstein (replacing Ron Blair, who had been part of the group since 1976 following Charlie Souza's departure). Long After Dark (#38 UK, #4 US) was the first album to feature this slightly revamped lineup. The first single off of the album was "You Got Lucky"/"Between Two Worlds" (October 22; #8 US), followed up by "Change of Heart"/"Mudcrutch Beach Party"[6] (February 11; #63 US), released the following year.

December 10, 1982

Martin Scorsese (center) and Robert de Niro (right) on the set of Raging Bull, 1980. The former would later direct Batman under Apple Films while the latter portrayed the villainous Joker.

Originally slated for release in 1981, Martin Scorsese's Batman was released just two weeks before Christmas, despite some scripting issues. The fifth entry of the DC Appleverse starred John Travolta as the caped crusader himself, Robert de Niro as his most well-known archenemy the Joker, and a young Tom Cruise as Dick Grayson. Also starring were Harvey Keitel (Commissioner Jim Gordon), Peter Cushing (Alfred Pennyworth) and Diane Keaton (Vicki Vale), with a cameo role by Billy Dee Williams as Harvey Dent, having played Lando Calrissian in the Star Wars trilogy (Return of the Jedi would later come out in May 1983). Vangelis composed the score for Batman, having also done so for Chariots of Fire under Apple Films.

In Gotham City, vigilante Batman stops a bank robbery orchestrated by a criminal known as the Joker, but he manages to escape before Batman can catch him. Later, billionaire Bruce Wayne - also Batman - attends a circus performance by the Flying Graysons, but a bomb is detonated, killing John and Mary, but their son Dick survives and Bruce takes him in under his wing, emphasizing with the young boy's plight over losing his parents. It's later revealed that it was the Joker who detonated the bomb unless Batman revealed himself. At that time, photojournalist Vicki Vale is investigating to see who Batman really is, and starts dating Bruce Wayne.

The Joker continues to wreak havoc across Gotham City as it approaches its bicentennial, including putting district attorney Harvey Dent out of commission and vandalizing the Museum of Art. Police Commissioner Jim Gordon teams up with Batman to stop the Clown Prince of Crime in his tracks, and Dick learns what it means to be a hero, taking on the identity of Robin. While the celebrations go on, Batman and Robin confront the Joker on the top of a cathedral where he holds Vicki Vale hostage; the villain attempts to get Robin to kill him so he could "avenge his parents", but the young boy resists, and the Joker is arrested and sent to Arkham Asylum, leaving the door open for a potential return.[7]

John Travolta, 1981. He rose to fame starring in Carrie (1976), Saturday Night Fever (1977) and Grease (1978) prior to portraying Batman in the DC Appleverse.

Batman was released to wildly positive reviews from both critics and fans alike, and it is confirmed in a press release that a sequel was already in production, with some scenes having been filmed already. Not only that, with the success of the Wonder Woman and Flash films, it gave Warner Brothers confidence that DC heroes outside of Superman and Batman could be profitable, and the green light was given to expand upon this cinematic universe. Alongside the Batman sequel, plans were being made for a third Superman film, a second Wonder Woman film, as well as a film starring Green Lantern and a film that brought all five superheroes thus far together.

Meanwhile, Marvel Comics had begun making plans for their own cinematic universe, beginning with their own equivalent to Batman, Iron Man, due for a release next year starring Michael Keaton.

Footnotes

1. All tracks are sourced from Hot Space ("Back Chat" is the single remix), excluding "Future Management" from Roger Taylor's Fun in Space and "There Must Be More to Life Than This", which is a fan remix no longer available online.
2. All tracks from Side A are from the bootleg The Wall Film Soundtrack Fan Edit, excluding "When the Tigers Broke Free", sourced from The Final Cut. For Side B, "Have a Cigar" is from Wish You Were Here, and "The Last Few Bricks" is an edit of both parts one and two from The Complete Another Brick in The Wall suite.
3. This butterflies away Piranha II: The Spawning; James Cameron would later cite The Terminator as his true first film.
4. For those who are wondering, Jeffrey Jay Cohen will take over the role of Biff Tannen in Back to the Future, as well as other family members in the sequels. This is because Michael J. Fox is chosen as Marty McFly outright.
5. All tracks from Long After Dark are utilized. "Keep a Little Soul" and "Keeping Me Alive" are both sourced from An American Treasure. "Turning Point" is from disc five of Playback, Through the Cracks.
6. "Mudcrutch Beach Party" is OTL's "Heartbreakers Beach Party".
7. The synopsis for Martin Scorsese's Batman draws rough parallels to Tim Burton's Batman in OTL, with the Robin subplot lifted from Batman Forever.

Author's Comments

Not much I can say here regarding the music side of things; the Smile lineup has been finalized, Roger Waters has put out a companion piece to The Wall, and things are normal for Mudcrutch. Each of them will be touched upon at least one final time before we get to Live Aid. And of course, the DC Appleverse will continue for at least five more films over the next three years.

This isn't related to the story, but I couldn't help but notice that a fair number of alternate history timelines have gone either on hiatus or have been abandoned altogether (and a couple of which are actually completed); I'm genuinely amazed that Strawberry Peppers has lasted as long as it did despite its rather sporadic schedule as of late.

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

13 February 1981

Phil Collins - Face Value

Released: 13 February 1981

Recorded: June 1980 - January 1981

Producer: Phil Collins and Hugh Padgham

Track listing[1]

Side A

In the Air Tonight

This Must Be Love

Misunderstanding

The Roof is Leaking

Droned

Hand in Hand

Side B

I Missed Again

You Know What I Mean

Thunder and Lightning

I'm Not Moving

If Leaving Me is Easy

Me and Virgil

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

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

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

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

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

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

16 March 1981

The Who - Face Dances

Released: 16 March 1981

Recorded: July - December 1980

Producer: Bill Szymczyk

Track listing[3]

Side A

You Better You Bet

Don't Let Go the Coat

Cache Cache

The Quiet One

Did You Steal My Money

Side B

Please Don't Ask

I Like Nightmares

Daily Records

You

Another Tricky Day

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

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

May 5, 1981

Tom Petty & Mudcrutch - Hard Promises

Released: May 5, 1981

Recorded: 1980 - 1981

Producer: Jimmy Iovine and Tom Petty

Track listing[4]

Side A

The Waiting

A Woman in Love (It's Not Me)

Nightwatchman

Something Big

Gator on the Lawn

Kings Road

Side B

Letting You Go

Worried Guy (Insomnia)

A Thing About You

Insider

The Criminal Kind

You Can Still Change Your Mind

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

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

18 September 1981

Genesis - Abacab

Released: 18 September 1981

Recorded: March - June 1981

Producer: Genesis

Track listing[6]

Side A

Abacab

No Reply At All

Me and Sarah Jane

Naminanu

Side B

Dodo/Lurker

You Might Recall

Don't Tell Me

Like It or Not

Paperlate

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

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

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

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

Tony Banks performing live with Genesis, 1981.

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

Summary of Abacab single releases, 1981-1982:

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

Footnotes

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

Author's Comments

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

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