| The
greatest album never made |
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| If
they hadn't split up what would their next album have sounded
like? |
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The
Beatles split up in April 1970, but what would have happened if they
hadn't? What would the Beatles next album have sounded like? Here's
one possibility. |
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BBC Radio
Merseyside's Spencer Leigh has compiled an album based on solo tracks
the individual members of the Beatles recorded in the year following
their split.
The Album would be called 'Finishing School'.
Their first album 'Please Please Me' showed them looking over the
balcony at EMI House, the cover of 'Finishing School' would show them
eight years later in the same pose. Is it the greatest album never
made?
FINISHING SCHOOL
Side One
(1) COME AND GET
IT (Paul McCartney) (2.30)
Paul recorded this demo for Badfinger in July 1969 while the Beatles
were recording "Abbey Road". It sounds like a Beatles song and it
was included on "Anthology 3" in 1996.
(2) INSTANT KARMA (John Lennon) (3.20)
In 1970 John Lennon wrote, recorded and released this Top 10 single
within a week for the Plastic Ono Band.
(3) NOT GUILTY (George
Harrison) (3.20)
By 1969 George Harrison was facing criticism for persuading the other
Beatles to follow the Maharishi and he wrote a spirited defence, "Not
Guilty". The Beatles took 102 takes to get the song right and even
then it didn’t appear until "Anthology 3" in 1996.
(4) ANOTHER DAY (Paul McCartney) (3.40)
A delightful picture of suburban life, typical McCartney and his first
solo Top 10 single in February 1971.
(5) MY SWEET LORD
(George Harrison) (4.30)
At a guess this would have been the single from my fictitious album.
George was the first Beatle to have a solo No.l and it prevented "Another
Day" from making the top. George is at his most mystical on this track
and Eric Clapton plays the stinging lead guitar.
(6) GOD (John Lennon) (4.10)
John Lennon would not have been too happy with the sentiments of "My
Sweet Lord" as this track from his first solo album, "John Lennon
/ Plastic Ono Band", indicates.
Side Two
(1) POWER TO THE PEOPLE (John Lennon) (3.20)
The Beatles sometimes started the sides of their albums with John
Lennon’s agit prop, eg. "Revolution" on "The White Album" and "Come
Together" on "Abbey Road". Here’s another example.
(2) MAYBE I’M AMAZED (Paul McCartney) (3.40)
A great ballad from Paul’s first solo album, "McCartney". A worthy
successor to "The Long And Winding Road" and "Let It Be".
(3) IT DON’T COME
EASY (Ringo Starr) (3.00)
Ringo’s first solo single and a Top 10 hit in April 1971. It shows
how he had developed as a songwriter and George Harrison is featured
on guitar.
(4) I LIVE FOR YOU (George Harrison) (3.35)
A stunning George Harrison song that he discarded from his "All Things
Must Pass" sessions. It was eventually issued as a bonus track on
the CD version of "All Things Must Pass" in 2001.
(5) BABY PLEASE DON’T GO (John Lennon) (4.30)
John Lennon screamed his way through "I Want You (She’s So Heavy)"
on "Abbey Road" and he did a similar thing with this rock’n’roll number
from the Olympics during the sessions for the "Imagine" LP in 1971.
A good song to end "Finishing School", but then… …after a 20 second
gap…
(6) THE LOVELY LINDA
(Paul McCartney) (0.45)
Just like "Her Majesty" on "Abbey Road", "Finishing School" concludes
with this fragment of a song from the "McCartney" album.
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