One for the Beatles obsessives

[Redlight]

I was listening to a podcast about one of the Beatles' albums that didn't contain any (UK) singles and there was the inevitable discussion about which tracks would have made a good single. That got me thinking about compiling a playlist of my own choices from those albums that were single-free (With, For Sale, Rubber Soul, Pepper, White) and what I would choose as alternative singles from the ones that did have singles taken from them. 

OK, I probably need to get out more.

Following the general rules that the A-sides tended to be up-tempo and a John song on one side meant a Paul song on the other (with one notable exception), here's my playlist.  What's yours?

PLEASE PLEASE ME:  I saw her standing there / There's a place
WITH THE BEATLES: All my loving / All I've got to do
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT: Anytime at all / I'll be back
BEATLES FOR SALE: Eight days a week / Every little thing
HELP: You're going to lose that girl / I've just seen a face
RUBBER SOUL: Drive my car / The word
REVOLVER: Got to get you into my life / She said she said
PEPPER: Getting better / Good morning, good morning
WHITE ALBUM: Back in the USSR / Yer blues
ABBEY ROAD: Here comes the sun / Octopus's Garden
LET IT BE: Two of us / For you blue

[Basil]

Ooh interesting.  But I'll need to think about it.

Except 'Octopus's Garden'. That can fuck right off.

[Redlight]

Oh, don't be too hard on Ringo (even though I suspect George had a big hand in the composition). It's a jolly little song and the backing vocals are gorgeous.

(And what else could you pick from Abbey Road - Maxwell's Silver Hammer  )

[citoyen]

I Wanna Be Your Man was a Ringo composition too. Would that count, since the Stones released it as a single?

I suspect every track from Rubber Soul would have made number one if released as a single, but if I had to pick just one, I'd go for If I Needed Someone*. With Norwegian Wood on the B-side.

Agree with Got To Get You Into My Life from Revolver, with And Your Bird Can Sing on the B-side.

Blackbird or Helter Skelter from the White album.

Here Comes The Sun is not only by far the best track on Abbey Road, it's one of the very best tracks they ever recorded.

I like Maxwell's Silver Hammer - my dad used to play it for us on his guitar when we were kids - but it's definitely an album track rather than a single.

(Tbh, I don't really belong in this thread - I'm far from being a Beatles obsessive, so I feel like a bit of an imposter)


*the best song the Byrds never wrote

[Mr Larrington]

No matter what the criteria, there has to be room in there for "Hey Bulldog".  Probably with "Prag Vec At The Melkweg" on the b-side.

["Although it contains a casual reference to 'Yellow Submarine', that is not a Beatles song" – Ed.]

[Peter]

I Wanna Be Your Man was a Ringo composition too. Would that count, since the Stones released it as a single?

D, I Wanna Be Your Man was sung by Ringo but written by the Usual Suspects.  Glad to have drawn your attention to the McGarrigles, though!

Peter

[citoyen]

D, I Wanna Be Your Man was sung by Ringo but written by the Usual Suspects.

See, told you I was out of my depth in this thread!

Glad to have drawn your attention to the McGarrigles, though!

 

I know the names, but their music has passed me by.

[Peter]

Just enjoy the swim - it's a huge pool!

The McGarrigles' first album, from which "Complainte" is taken, is absolutely superb.  Listen to it, if you can - a don't think you'll be the same again!  "Go, Leave" is especially haunting.

[Redlight]

John Peel turned me on to the McGarrigles.  He was playing them at the same as championing various punk and new wave acts that are long, and possibly best, forgotten.

Aside from their own recordings, I've always loved Kate's duet with John Tams on the Albion Band's 'House in the Country'. I wouldn't have thought to put those two voices together but they complement each other beautifully.


PS - Mr Larrington, have you heard the remix of Hey Bulldog on the Yellow Submarine Songtrack? It knocks the painfully separated 1969 stereo mix into a cocked hat (IMO).

[Cudzoziemiec]

Here Comes The Sun is not only by far the best track on Abbey Road, it's one of the very best tracks they ever recorded.

Yes-oh. It's especially good at 5 a.m. after a night of boogying and boozing. Or at least it used to be, back in the second millennium.

TBH I'm surprised to find that most of these never were singles.

[Mr Larrington]

PS - Mr Larrington, have you heard the remix of Hey Bulldog on the Yellow Submarine Songtrack? It knocks the painfully separated 1969 stereo mix into a cocked hat (IMO).

I must confess I'm more familiar with the cover by Fanny.

[fd3]

TBH I'm surprised to find that most of these never were singles.

This.  Though trying to outdo citoyen in being in the wrong topic, weren't there less singles at the time and/or a decision to release an album without singles?

[Redlight]

TBH I'm surprised to find that most of these never were singles.

This.  Though trying to outdo citoyen in being in the wrong topic, weren't there less singles at the time and/or a decision to release an album without singles?

In the UK, The Beatles sometimes released an album and a separate single, recorded in the same sessions, at about the same time. So, I Want to Hold Your Hand came out a week before With The Beatles, I Feel Fine just before Beatles For Sale and Day Tripper on the same day as Rubber Soul. 

Hey Jude was recorded during the sessions for the White Album but came out while that was still being recorded and, infamously, Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields Forever were the first tracks recorded for Sgt Pepper but were lifted for a single under pressure from the record company as it had been a whole six months since the previous release.  (There's probably a whole web site devoted to arguing about which two tracks could have been left off Pepper to make way for their inclusion).

Lesser artists would quickly scour the single-free albums for potential covers and have hits with them themselves, hence both Michelle and Ob-la-di Ob-la-da were number ones for others at the same time as The Beatles' own versions were still freshly minted.