I've always thoroughly enjoyed alternate history. The idea of history going differently and how said scenarios can be explored as always fascinated me. But what has fascinated me even more is how this can be applied to music. Any alternate scenario in the realm of history can be explored, and that goes for music history as well. And no scenario is more explored than a reality in which the Beatles never broke up. Because of how highly regarded they were during their time in the spotlight and each members' esteemed solo careers following the breakup, it's no wonder why people are so interested in speculating what they could've sounded like going into the 1970's and how they would compete next to some of the big names of that era.
This timeline was originally created by Mark Feldman from Popdose in 2010-11 asking that very question. I've gone back to look at some old "fantasy" albums from the first people who thought to ask that sacred question, and, frankly, most of them don't work as albums as much as they do best-of compilations of their solo careers. Beatles producer George Martin took great care in making every album he made as presentable and accessible as possible; this includes putting big tracks in certain spots to maximize listener attentiveness, making each vinyl side roughly the same amount of time, etc. So I was quite surprised when I first read over Feldman's project (one of the first I ever encountered) and saw that he not only heeded Martin's techniques but also paid attention to what the ever-changing music scene was like. People often forget that the solo Beatles had a much tougher time catching up to the zeitgeist than they had as a band, but Feldman managed to change that with his close observations. All of Feldman's thoughts and words on his creations can be viewed here.
The only drawback about these albums are the covers he provided. Album covers are half the battle when it comes to a good album; a consumer will most likely see the cover before ever listening to the music inside. But, given that these albums were made almost 15 years ago, the covers have not aged well and don't compare well with the Beatles' actual covers. Which is where I come in. I've taken it upon myself to give each album a brand new cover, as well as tweaking the tracklists for a few of them, so as to contemporize these internet relics and possibly put them in a different light for potential listeners. All of the tracklists were, at least originally, made by Feldman with the exception of one at the end that I've made all by myself. None of this was done with Feldman's involvement; it's simply a passion project for a timeline that I've always enjoyed.
With all that out of the way, let's get started.
Side A (22:08)
1. Instant Karma! (We All Shine On) - 3:18 [1]
2. Every Night - 2:31 [2]
3. What Is Life - 4:22 [3]
4. It Don't Come Easy - 3:02 [4]
5. Working Class Hero - 3:48 [1]
6. Awaiting on You All - 2:45 [3]
7. Teddy Boy - 2:22 [2]
Side B (25:10)
1. Mother - 5:34 [1]
2. Hot as Sun - 2:07 [2]
3. Not Guilty - 3:22 [5]
4. Maybe I'm Amazed - 3:53 [2]
5. Remember - 4:36 [1]
6. All Things Must Pass - 3:44 [3]
7. Junk - 1:54 [2]
[1] John Lennon - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band [Ultimate Collection]
[2] Paul McCartney - McCartney
[3] George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
[4] Ringo Starr - Ringo [Reissue]
[5] The Beatles - Anthology 3
Side A (24:19)
1. Imagine - 3:01 [1]
2. Dear Boy - 2:12 [2]
3. I'd Have You Anytime - 2:56 [3]
4. Another Day - 3:42 [2]
5. Jealous Guy - 4:14 [1]
6. Beware of Darkness - 3:48 [3]
7. The Back Seat of My Car - 4:26 [2]
Side B (24:17)
1. Back Off Boogaloo - 3:22 [4]
2. Too Many People - 4:10 [2]
3. Gimme Some Truth - 3:16 [1]
4. Let It Down - 4:57 [3]
5. Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey - 4:49 [2]
6. How? - 3:43 [1]
[1] John Lennon - Imagine
[2] Paul & Linda McCartney - Ram [Archive Collection]
[3] George Harrison - All Things Must Pass
[4] Ringo Starr - Goodnight Vienna [Reissue]
Side A (26:02)
1. Big Barn Bed - 3:48 [1]
2. Mind Games - 4:13 [2]
3. C Moon - 4:34 [1]
4. I Know (I Know) - 3:49 [2]
5. Living in the Material World - 5:31 [3]
6. My Love - 4:07 [1]
Side B (24:21)
1. One Day (At a Time) - 3:09 [2]
2. Live and Let Die - 3:12 [1]
3. Photograph - 3:56 [4]
4. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth) - 3:36 [3]
5. Little Lamb Dragonfly - 6:20 [1]
6. You Are Here - 4:08 [2]
[1] Paul McCartney & Wings - Red Rose Speedway [Archive Collection]
[2] John Lennon - Mind Games
[3] George Harrison - Living in the Material World
[4] Ringo Starr - Ringo
Side A (24:53)
1. Band on the Run - 5:12 [1]
2. Whatever Gets You Thru the Night - 3:28 [2]
3. Jet - 4:09 [1]
4. #9 Dream - 4:47 [2]
5. Dark Horse - 3:54 [3]
6. Bluebird - 3:23 [1]
Side B (25:04)
1. What You Got - 3:09 [2]
2. No-No Song - 2:33 [4]
3. So Sad - 5:00 [3]
4. Helen Wheels - 3:46 [1]
5. Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out) - 5:08 [2]
6. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five - 5:28 [1]
[1] Paul McCartney & Wings - Band on the Run
[2] John Lennon - Walls and Bridges
[3] George Harrison - Dark Horse
[4] Ringo Starr - Goodnight Vienna
Oldies but Mouldies (EP) (1975)
Side A (7:02)
1. You're Sixteen - 2:48 [1]
2. Love Is Strange - 4:14 [2]
Side B (7:34)
1. Bye Bye, Love - 4:08 [3]
2. Stand by Me - 3:26 [4]
[1] Ringo Starr - Ringo
[2] Wings - Wild Life
[3] George Harrison - Dark Horse
[4] John Lennon - Rock 'n' Roll
Side A (27:12)
1. Rock Show - 7:09 [1]
2. Intuition - 3:08 [2]
3. Magneto and Titanium Man - 3:16 [1]
4. Blindman - 2:46 [3]
5. You Gave Me the Answer - 2:15 [1]
6. Grey Cloudy Lies - 3:41 [4]
7. Call Me Back Again - 4:57 [1]
Side B (28:13)
1. Tight A$ - 3:37 [2]
2. Sally G - 3:40 [1]
3. Out the Blue - 3:23 [2]
4. The Answer's at the End - 5:32 [4]
5. Bless You - 4:38 [5]
6. Listen to What the Man Said - 3:57 [1]
7. Beef Jerky - 3:26 [5]
[1] Wings - Venus and Mars [Archive Collection]
[2] John Lennon - Mind Games
[3] Ringo Starr - Goodnight Vienna [Reissue]
[4] George Harrison - Extra Texture (Read All About It)
[5] John Lennon - Walls and Bridges
Side A (22:45)
1. Let 'Em In - 5:10 [1]
2. (Just Like) Starting Over - 3:56 [2]
3. She's My Baby - 3:08 [1]
4. Crackerbox Palace - 3:57 [3]
5. Woman - 3:32 [2]
6. I've Had Enough - 3:02 [4]
Side B (25:19)
1. With a Little Luck - 5:45 [4]
2. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) - 4:02 [2]
3. Girlfriend - 4:31 [4]
4. Cryin' - 3:18 [5]
5. Watching the Wheels - 3:30 [2]
6. Learning How to Love You - 4:13 [3]
[1] Wings - Wings at the Speed of Sound
[2] John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy
[3] George Harrison - Thirty Three & 1/3
[4] Wings - London Town
[5] Ringo Starr - Ringo's Rotogravure
Side A (26:06)
1. Rockestra Theme - 2:35 [1]
2. Love Comes to Everyone - 4:36 [2]
3. Temporary Secretary - 3:14 [3]
4. I'm Losing You - 3:57 [4]
5. Waterfalls - 4:43 [3]
6. Nobody Told Me - 3:34 [5]
7. Arrow Through Me - 3:37 [1]
Side B (25:01)
1. Attention - 3:20 [6]
2. Daytime Nighttime Suffering - 3:23 [1]
3. Here Comes the Moon - 4:48 [2]
4. Darkroom - 2:20 [3]
5. I'm Stepping Out - 4:06 [5]
6. Goodnight Tonight - 4:15 [3]
7. Baby's Request - 2:49 [1]
[1] Wings - Back to the Egg [1993 Reissue]
[2] George Harrison - George Harrison
[3] Paul McCartney - McCartney II [1993 Reissue]
[4] John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Double Fantasy
[5] John Lennon & Yoko Ono - Milk and Honey
[6] Ringo Starr - Stop and Smell the Roses
Side A (25:28)
1. Tug of War - 4:22 [1]
2. Take It Away - 4:14 [1]
3. Valotte - 4:15 [2]
4. Sat Singing - 4:30 [3]
5. Ballroom Dancing - 4:07 [1]
6. Blow Away - 4:00 [4]
Side B (25:56)
1. Ebony and Ivory - 3:50 [1]
2. Say You're Wrong - 3:25 [2]
3. You've Got a Nice Way - 3:33 [5]
4. Wanderlust - 3:49 [1]
5. Life Itself - 4:25 [6]
6. Pipes of Peace - 3:24 [7]
7. Too Late for Goodbyes - 3:30 [2]
[1] Paul McCartney - Tug of War [Archive Collection]
[2] Julian Lennon - Valotte
[3] George Harrison - Songs by George Harrison
[4] George Harrison - George Harrison
[5] Ringo Starr - Stop and Smell the Roses
[6] George Harrison - Somewhere in England
[7] Paul McCartney - Pipes of Peace
Side A (23:57)
1. No More Lonely Nights - 4:42 [1]
2. Wake Up My Love - 3:34 [2]
3. Stick Around - 3:39 [3]
4. Not Such a Bad Boy - 3:19 [1]
5. Space - 4:22 [4]
6. Picture Show Life - 4:21 [5]
Side B (25:54)
1. Stranglehold - 3:36 [6]
2. This Is My Day - 3:51 [3]
3. The Pound Is Sinking - 2:54 [7]
4. Tears of the World - 4:04 [8]
5. Footprints - 4:32 [6]
6. Jesse - 3:48 [4]
7. Once Upon a Long Ago - 4:09 [9]
[1] Paul McCartney - Give My Regards to Broad Street
[2] George Harrison - Gone Troppo
[3] Julian Lennon - The Secret Value of Daydreaming
[4] Julian Lennon - Valotte
[5] Ringo Starr - Old Wave
[6] Paul McCartney - Press to Play
[7] Paul McCartney - Tug of War
[8] George Harrison - Thirty Three & 1/3 [2004 Reissue]
[9] Paul McCartney - All the Best!
Side A (26:42)
1. When We Was Fab - 3:57 [1]
2. My Brave Face - 3:18 [2]
3. Sunday Morning - 3:27 [3]
4. I Don't Believe You - 2:48 [4]
5. This Is Love - 3:48 [1]
6. This One - 4:10 [2]
7. Second Time - 5:14 [3]
Side B (28:49)
1. Figure of Eight - 3:25 [2]
2. You're the One - 5:52 [3]
3. Distractions - 4:38 [2]
4. That's What It Takes - 3:59 [1]
5. Mother Mary - 4:56 [3]
6. Put It There - 2:07 [2]
7. Got My Mind Set on You - 3:52 [1]
[1] George Harrison - Cloud Nine
[2] Paul McCartney - Flowers in the Dirt
[3] Julian Lennon - Mr. Jordan
[4] Ringo Starr - Time Takes Time
Side A (16:29)
1. I Can't Imagine - 4:37 [1]
2. Saltwater - 4:07 [2]
3. Weight of the World - 3:54 [3]
4. Someplace Else - 3:51 [4]
Side B (20:09)
1. Open Your Eyes - 4:22 [5]
2. Hope of Deliverance - 3:22 [1]
3. Poor Little Girl - 4:33 [6]
4. Biker Like an Icon - 3:26 [1]
5. Take Me Home - 4:26 [2]
Side C (20:17)
1. Big Boys Bickering - 3:20 [1]
2. Listen - 5:04 [2]
3. Devil's Radio - 3:52 [4]
4. Don't Go Where the Road Don't Go - 3:20 [3]
5. Help Yourself - 4:41 [2]
Side D (20:18)
1. Kicked Around No More - 5:24 [1]
2. Breath Away from Heaven - 3:36 [4]
3. Keep the People Working - 3:36 [2]
4. C'Mon People - 7:42 [1]
[1] Paul McCartney - Off the Ground [The Complete Works]
[2] Julian Lennon - Saltwater
[3] Ringo Starr - Time Takes Time
[4] George Harrison - Cloud Nine
[5] Julian Lennon - Mr. Jordan
[6] George Harrison - Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989
Disc One (55:53)
1. Free as a Bird - 4:25 [1]
2. The Song We Were Singing - 3:54 [2]
3. Cloud 9 - 3:15 [3]
4. Bathtub - 4:00 [4]
5. Young Boy - 3:54 [2]
6. I Don't Wanna Know - 4:04 [5]
7. Heaven on a Sunday - 4:26 [2]
8. One - 3:02 [6]
9. Two Fine Lovers - 3:17 [4]
10. Rising Sun - 5:27 [7]
11. Somedays - 4:15 [2]
12. How Many Times - 5:51 [5]
13. Real Love - 3:54 [8]
14. Great Day - 2:09 [2]
[1] The Beatles - Anthology 1
[2] Paul McCartney - Flaming Pie
[3] George Harrison - Cloud Nine
[4] Sean Lennon - Into the Sun
[5] Julian Lennon - Photograph Smile
[6] Ringo Starr - Vertical Man
[7] George Harrison - Brainwashed
[8] The Beatles - Anthology 2
Disc One (69:18)
1. Day After Day - 4:19 [1]
2. Fine Line - 3:06 [2]
3. Eye to Eye - 3:19 [3]
4. Pisces Fish - 4:50 [4]
5. Queue - 3:45 [5]
6. English Tea - 2:12 [2]
7. Kiss Beyond the Catcher - 4:00 [1]
8. Rinse the Raindrops - 10:08 [6]
9. Mystery Juice - 5:26 [5]
10. Driving Rain - 3:26 [6]
11. Love First, Ask Questions Later - 4:45 [3]
12. Stuck Inside a Cloud - 4:04 [4]
13. Magic - 3:59 [6]
14. Believe - 4:52 [1]
15. Anyway - 7:07 [2]
[1] Julian Lennon - Photograph Smile
[2] Paul McCartney - Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
[3] Ringo Starr - Ringo Rama
[4] George Harrison - Brainwashed
[5] Sean Lennon - Into the Sun
[6] Paul McCartney - Driving Rain
Disc One (58:48)
1. Dead Meat - 3:37 [1]
2. Ever Present Past - 2:57 [2]
3. Two Magpies - 2:12 [3]
4. Any Road - 3:52 [4]
5. Fading In, Fading Out - 3:55 [5]
6. Parachute - 3:19 [1]
7. See Your Sunshine - 3:20 [2]
8. Looking for My Life - 3:49 [4]
9. Dance Tonight - 2:54 [2]
10. On Again Off Again - 3:18 [1]
11. Highway - 4:17 [3]
12. Only Mama Knows - 4:17 [2]
13. Lucy - 4:40 [6]
14. Some People - 3:17 [5]
15. The End of the End - 2:57 [2]
16. Brainwashed - 6:07 [4]
[1] Sean Lennon - Friendly Fire
[2] Paul McCartney - Memory Almost Full
[3] The Fireman - Electric Arguments
[4] George Harrison - Brainwashed
[5] Ringo Starr - Choose Love
[6] Julian Lennon - "Lucy" single
This last album was made totally by myself as a continuation of the timeline, where the Beatles regroup one last time in 2023 to make an album revolving around the "Now and Then" single.
Give & Take (2023)
Disc One (56:20)
1. Long Tailed Winter Bird - 5:16 [1]
2. Every Little Moment - 3:42 [2]
3. Find My Way - 3:54 [1]
4. Feeling the Sunlight - 3:06 [3]
5. Lucky Ones - 4:41 [2]
6. Deep Deep Feeling - 8:25 [1]
7. Damn That Frequency - 5:15 [4]
8. Shadows on the Wall - 3:30 [3]
9. The Kiss of Venus - 3:06 [1]
10. Here's to the Nights - 4:05 [5]
11. Love Never Dies - 4:00 [2]
12. Now and Then - 4:08 [6]
13. Winter Bird/When Winter Comes - 3:12 [1]
[1] Paul McCartney - McCartney III
[2] Julian Lennon - Jude
[3] Ringo Starr - Rewind Forward
[4] Dhani Harrison - Innerstanding
[5] Ringo Starr - Zoom In
[6] The Beatles - 1967-1970 [2023 Deluxe Edition]
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