Alternate Reality Beatles Albums: The Solo Years (1975-1979)
Big thanks to u/Mario_Iturralde_009 for the album art work.
A couple years ago, I took the early Beatles solo albums and turned then into "Beatles" albums. My goal was to a) try and arrange their songs together to make things that genuinely feel like an album (with a little imagination) b) use as much of their solo songs as possible while still keeping a decent balance between John, Paul, and George songs.
My rules: 1. I assume that the Beatles keep being as prolific as they were as a band, recording 2 albums per year 2. Im only allowed songs that were written or co-written by one of the fab four and was performed by one of them (or Wings) 3. I can only use songs that were recorded in the year of release or in prior years 4. I'm allowed 25 minutes per side of album 5. I'm allowed a couple non-album singles
So, with John on hiatus, I figured that Paul, George, and Ringo would begin their solo careers in earnest. Part of what I've largely tried to do is have the albums be made with songs that were created within relative close proximity to each other. Of course, there were exceptions, and I justified that because artists will sometimes write a song and still record it years later.
However, I didn't want to have a huge backlog of George, Paul, and Ringo stuff to pair with a single recording session of Lennon's so, I decided that I won't be using any of George, Paul, and Ringo's stuff from 76 - 79 for those early 80s albums oll be making.
I'll go over each Beatle, one at a time.
Ringo
Surprise everybody, it was Ringo who had the first solo release. Largely a bunch of covers (with a couple of songs given to him by some friends) and a single song written by himself, he titles the album "All By Myself", after the sing he wrote.
The album was met with overwhelmingly negative reviews but still sold well. Ringo got a big hit with "The No-No Song"
"All By Myself" released December 1975
Side A
Sentimental Journey
Night and Day
Occapella
Bye Bye Blackbird
I'm a Fool to Care
No-No Song
All By Myself
Snookeroo
Side B
Blue Turning into Grey Over You
Love is a Many Splendored Thing
Dream
Easy for Me
You Always Hurt the One You Love
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Let the Rest of the World Go By
Have You Seen My Baby
So, I've never been a fan of Senimenal Journey, so this album doesn't do much for me. But I do generally enjoy the stuff from Ringo and Goodnight Vienna here, so its not a complete loss. Ringo just had so many songs that didn't qualify for my albums that I didn't want those songs to go to waste in my alternative timeline.
The success of this album propelled Ringo tontour, where he met some Nashville musicians who told him that they could make An album in a weekend. So, Ringo tested their theory, and they recorded Beaucoup of Blues. (This album stays in tact).
From here, Ringo's story largely stays the same as in real life. He released Ringo's Rotogravure in 76, Ringo the 4th in 77, and Bad Boy in 78. The success of the albums declining with each passing one, with Bad Boy doing particularly poorly. When Lennon and McCartney come calling to reunite the band, Ringo would be quick to agree.
Paul
After recording Spirits of Ancient Egypt with Denny Laine on Extra Texture, Paul thought it would be fun to create a band with Laine. And thus, Wings was born (though typically marketed as Paul McCartney and Wings).
The McCartneys and Laine started recording their debut album not long after the end of the Goodnight Vienna sessions. Jimmy McCullough and Colin Allen were added to the group, and they even contributed a song.
McCartney largely brought old Beatles songs that didn't make it onto a record to this album, and it was clear from day one that Wings was his band.
First, they released the non-album single "Mary had a Little Lamb", with a b-side "Call Me Back Again"
Released only a couple weeks after Ringo's debut, the critics reaction to this first record was harsh, calling it slightly, insubstantial, and just full of a bunch of "silly love songs". Still, the album was a great success and MACCA fans loved it.
"The Right Thing" released December 1975
Side A
When the Night
Bip Bop
You Gave Me the Answer
Magneto and Titanium Man
Bip Bop Link
I Am Your Singer
Momma Miss America
No Words
Side B
Mumbo
Get on the Right Thing
Medicine Jar
Medley: Hold Me Tight/Lazy Dynamite/Hands of Love/Power Cut
Mumbo Link
Bonus Tracks:
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Call Me Back Again
McCartney had so many songs, compared to John and Paul, I left all these songs off any albums, and there's still more that aren't included! Honestly, I even kinda like this album. The Venus and Mars tracks are great, No Words is a good song, and I think there's a great energy to the album.
From here on out, Wings' history is the same. Wings at the Speed of Sound comes out and is an immense hit, with "Silly Love Songs" topping the charts. All the hit non-album singles are released, including Mull of Kyntire, which sets the record for most weeks at nunber 1. In this alternative history, this ends up being Wings most successful album, with London Town and Back to the Egg selling well (but not as well). Still, Wings is a huge success.
However, despite the success, there are tensions in the band. Laine is having money issues and Paul gets arrested in Japan for Marijuana. After incarceration, Paul decides he wants some time away from the band was gets ready to make a solo album when John he gets a call from to come over for dinner, to catch up. During tbjs dinner, Paul tells his friend about everything, and John let's it slip that he has been having thoughts about getting the band back together. Paul loves the idea and they immediately call Ringo to see if he would want to get the band back together.
George
So, I was able to use the vast majority of George's stuff from 1970 - 1975 (at least, stuff that he officially released during that time), so I don't have an alt reality George album here.
A nice thing about this alt Reality is that George leaves The Beatles as a very successful song writer, getting a mostly equal share of the sings for the past 12 albums and contributing to some gigantic hits for the band.
So, when George releases his debut album, Thirty-Three and a Third, and it's great, no one is really surprised. He follows that up with self-titled "George Harrison" in early 79.
However, when Harrison record his third album, with the working title "Somewhere in England", the studio doesn't like it. They want a more modern sound, and they exercise their right to replace r songs on the album. Harrison, livid by the studio acting tbjs way, then gets a call from John and Paul about reuniting the band (Ringo is already down). John and Paul thought that George would need some convincing, but he immediately says yes. He immediately abandons the albums and brings those songs (and a couple others) with him to the Beatles recording session.
I'd love some feedback, though. What do you all think? Does these feel like real albums?
Previous albums: