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In this thread I rank my favorite post-Beatles Beatles songs: 291-1. (4 Viewers)

Pip's Invitation said:
As a child, I remember being woken up early by my parents with bad news three times. One was to tell me that John Lennon had died. 
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For more context, I was 9 and in 4th grade. Same age my son is now. 

I had not heard a ton of Beatles music by that point, but I knew some of their stuff and I knew how important they were. It hit me harder a couple of years later, when I was getting into bands from the '60s and '70s and lamented that I would never hear the Beatles play together in my lifetime. (I was born about a year after they broke up.)

The other memory I have on that day was when we started class, the teacher asked if there was anything anyone wanted to share for show and tell, and one girl raised her hand. The class bully cut her off and hissed, "are you gonna say that John Lennon died? We already know that." What a ########. I was so glad when his family moved out of state at the end of the school year. 

 
krista4 said:
I appreciated reading the experiences from when John died.  I remember nothing of it whatsoever, despite being at a similar age as many of you.  In a weird way, I'm sad to have missed out on feeling the loss at that time.  My first memory of the Beatles at all was when I was in high school, and I started dating a guy a year my junior who was in a band and loved the Beatles.  I knew nothing about them, but for his birthday I bought him a biography of John that had recently come out.  At this point I have no idea which one it was, but he seemed to appreciate it.  I didn't revisit the Beatles again for 10+ years, when I finally started becoming obsessed with them.
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Apple pro of nothing..... I've always had this thing where I'll end a sentence I'm reading at a place it wasn't intended to end. It's really frustrating when I'm reading something aloud to a group at work. It also screws up the next sentence.

Anyway, see the bolded above. In my head, I ended that sentence after "year". I'm thinking "well, term limits can be good". :bag:

 
Uruk-Hai said:
Apple pro of nothing..... I've always had this thing where I'll end a sentence I'm reading at a place it wasn't intended to end. It's really frustrating when I'm reading something aloud to a group at work. It also screws up the next sentence.

Anyway, see the bolded above. In my head, I ended that sentence after "year". I'm thinking "well, term limits can be good". :bag:
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This is making me laugh really hard, which I resent because two days of a lot of core yoga have made my abs sore.  :lol:   We need to come up with a name for your malady.

(Also, he didn't last for the whole year-long term.  But he is the person with whom I reconnected with years later and who changed my life by introducing me to the Chicago music scene.)

 
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krista4 said:
This is making me laugh really hard, which I resent because two days of a lot of core yoga have made my abs sore.  :lol:   We need to come up with a name for your malady.

(Also, he didn't last for the whole year-long term.  But he is the person with whom I reconnected with years later and who changed my life by introducing me to the Chicago music scene.)
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Was his name Junior? Because my weirdo reading thing (Premature Period Placement?) had the next sentence start "my junior......."

 
I just finished some write-ups of Some Time In New York City and Red Rose Speedway.  The fact that I'm upset with myself for being only four days ahead in these right now tells you most of what you need to know about me.  :(  

 
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Y'all gotta hear from one grownup on the Lennon assassination.

It was a source of great anger for your humble servant, the turning point for the cynicism i felt about my own generation and the end of hippieness for me. I knew that a lot of people at the Vietnam era protests were only there cuz they were being drafted (as well as the party aspect), and was actually happy about Watergate as comeuppance for The Man. Having found peace, love & happiness in the stinking desert, i then naturally assumed, now that hippies had shown that all the old rules could be broken, that we could safely be the Appleseeds of Groovy in each our corners of the world.

It would be another 30 years before i would begin to realize that, while most of the rules were being misused by the too few against the too many, a society couldnt tear down its moral structure without replacing it with a better article and expect everything to be OK. Chapman's ridiculous act was my first indication that we would always turn on ourselves left to our own devices, and that proceeding winter was filled with the same kind of personal dread as the one between JFK's assassination and, ironically, the Beatles going on Ed Sullivan. We are not on a track of inevitable improvement (that was merely postwar exuberance talking) and desperately need a reason to work for & with each other, not ourselves, for freedom to reign. Imagine that.

 
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Ringo's been waiting all morning!

234.  Sure To Fall (Stop And Smell The Roses, 1981)  YouTube  (not available on Spotify)

(Ringo #20)

It’s strange…I don’t manipulate these rankings to have groupings (except the one time with the wives’ songs), but then stuff like this happens.  I mentioned above that John had been scheduled to see Ringo in January 1981 to help with some songs on Ringo’s new album, as Paul and George had done.  And then next on this list comes a song, produced by Paul, from that album.  Stop And Smell The Roses was released in 1981 on the heels of John’s murder, and included the Paul and George songs they’d contributed.  John had also offered Ringo two songs for the record that they were scheduled to record together, but Ringo declined to pursue them after John was gone. 

In addition to the contributions from Paul and George (more on those later), this album also featured songs contributed by Stephen Stills, Harry Nilsson, and Ronnie Wood.  With all that star power, this must have been a blockbuster, right?  Unfortunately, no.  It reached only #98 in the US, though a single, “Wrack My Brain” (composed by George), became Ringo’s final (thus far) top 40 hit in the US, reaching #38. 

To me, it’s a shame this wasn’t more successful, even going out of print at this point and not being available on Spotify.  I’ll have two songs on the countdown from this album, but there are several others that I think are worthy listens.  If you’re not anti-Ringo, this is an album I’d suggest seeking out just for fun. 

This particular song is another bouncy sing-along cover of a Carl Perkins song, with a huge cadre of backing vocalists.  It’s a song that Paul sang for the Decca Records audition that ended in failure for the Beatles!  The Beatles also covered it in several of their BBC sessions.  The notes for this record don’t specify who is on this track, so I can’t identify who is playing that lovely steel guitar that makes the song for me.  I do like to pretend I can hear John in the chorus of backing vocals, as if he’d lived to do it.

 
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wikkidpissah said:
Y'all gotta hear from one grownup on the Lennon assassination.

It was a source of great anger for your humble servant, the turning point for the cynicism i felt about my own generation and the end of hippieness for me. I knew that a lot of people at the Vietnam era protests were only there cuz they were being drafted (as well as the party aspect), and was actually happy about Watergate as comeuppance for The Man. Having found peace, love & happiness in the stinking desert, i then naturally assumed, now that hippies had shown that all the old rules could be broken, that we could safely be the Appleseeds of Groovy in each our corners of the world.

It would be another 30 years before i would begin to realize that, while most of the rules were being misused by the too few against the too many, a society couldnt tear down its moral structure without replacing it with a better article and expect everything to be OK. Chapman's ridiculous act was my first indication that we would always turn on ourselves left to our own devices, and that winter was filled with the same kind of personal dread as the one between JFK's assassination and, ironically, the Beatles going on Ed Sullivan. We are not on a track of inevitable improvement (that was merely postwar exuberance talking) and desperately need a reason to work for & with each other, not ourselves, for freedom to reign. Imagine that.
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Lovely and sad post.  Thanks for it.

 
So that “Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time” book I mentioned in the Jukebox draft thread? Stop and Smell the Roses was on its album list, as was its follow up. 
 

I’ve only ever heard Wrack My Brain, and that was a very long time ago.

 
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---INTERLUDE – Pipes Of Peace (1983)---

We’re here, in the second of @Morton Muffley's Triad Of Teenage Torment.  We’ve covered Give My Regards To Broad Street, and we’ll get to Press To Play later.  I have to agree with Morton on his conclusion:  these are simply not good records.  Was it the 80s in general?  In part, I’m sure.  Regardless, I agree that this is the most unfortunate era in Paul’s otherwise incredible ability to span across decades of musical changes.

Pipes Of Peace was released in 1983 as the follow-up to the much superior Tug Of War.  In part due to the success of Tug but largely on the strength of the mega-hit duet with Michael Jackson, “Say Say Say,” the album did relatively well with the public, reaching Platinum status and peaking at #14 on the US charts.  It was understandably not as successful with critics, who described it as “dull” and “gooey” and particularly derided the lyrics, with one terming it “McCartney cooing platitudinous sentiments on a set of lyrics seemingly made up on the spur of the moment.”  Yeesh.  

Recording of the songs on this album stretched nearly three years, as several were leftovers from the Tug Of War sessions – unfortunately those that didn’t make the grade for Tug might have been better left on the cutting-room floor.  We’ve previously discussed the atrocious title song in the Paul Statement Songs interlude earlier, and this record includes a song called “Tug Of Peace,” which I guess is a blend of “Tug Of War” and “Pipes Of Peace,” using lyrics from both.  I originally mistyped “blend” as “bland,” and might have been better off keeping it that way.  It is one of Paul’s worst songs.

In addition to “Say Say Say,” the album contains another duet with Michael Jackson called “The Man.”  The duet “The Girl Is Mine” was also recorded at the same time and included on Jackson’s Thriller album.  The most notable factor about these 1983 recording sessions at Paul’s house is that it was here that Jackson first told Paul he’d like to purchase the Beatles catalog, a deal that was completed in 1985.

The production tends toward more overbearing on these songs, perhaps to make up for the weaker songwriting, and George Martin would like me to remind you that he did NOT produce this record.  Hold on, I’ve just received word that George Martin did indeed produce this record.  Shame on you, George.  The sessions did include some highlights, including Denny Laine providing his last contributions to Paul’s recordings, and a little bit of…Ringo!  Despite my general antipathy toward the record, two of its tracks have made my countdown, the first of which features Ringo on drums.

The cover art for this one was put together by Linda and consists of…pipes?  And a chair?  I guess the chair was meant to be a take-off on Van Gogh’s chair painting with a pipe.  Not my favorite.

Track listing:

  1. Pipes Of Peace
  2. Say Say Say
  3. The Other Me
  4. Keep Under Cover
  5. So Bad
  6. The Man
  7. Sweetest Little Show
  8. Average Person
  9. Hey Hey
  10. Tug Of Peace
  11. Through Our Love
 
krista4 said:
“Say Say Say,” the album did relatively well with the public, reaching Platinum status and peaking at #14 on the US charts.  It was understandably not as successful with critics, who described it as “dull” and “gooey” and particularly derided the lyrics, with one terming it “McCartney cooing platitudinous sentiments on a set of lyrics seemingly made up on the spur of the moment.”  Yeesh.  
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One of my favorites - infectious ...in a great way.  

 
233.  Average Person (Pipes Of Peace, 1983)  Spotify  YouTube

(Paul #110)

I’ve realized I have a fondness for songs where Paul observes the world around him, particularly regular people whose experience he wants to understand and appreciate.  It was evidenced in “On My Way To Work” (#247) and arises again in this song, which describes people going about their days in their prescribed roles that Paul seems to be kindly arguing against.  In other words, these are people we are defining by their jobs, to which they might not quite measure up (literally in the case of the boxer), when like everyone else there is more to them that gives a fuller picture of who they are.  Yet Paul presents all of this in a humorous and pleasant way, with a theatrical presentation that belies the more serious intent beneath.

Musically the song features excellent Ringo-ing and a riotous Paul vocal with a kind of Greek chorus punctuating many of the words:  “Waitress!”  “Boxer!”  Interspersed are various sound effects that are either hilariously perfect or irritating (I go with the former), and a strange, lounge-lizard bridge starting at 2:28.  I think this song’s a blast, but I couldn’t complain if you don’t.

 
krista4 said:
Garbage list.  There are many worse Ringo records than Stop And Smell The Roses.  :lol:  
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To be fair, the book came out in 1988-ish, so the authors had not had the “pleasure” of listening to Ringo’s albums from later than that. Also this was long before the internet, YouTube and Spotify, so they had to obtain physical copies of all records they wanted to consider. I doubt they went out and bought Ringo’s whole catalog. 😂

 
“In addition to “Say Say Say,” the album contains another duet with Michael Jackson called “The Man.”  The duet “The Girl Is Mine” was also recorded at the same time and included on Jackson’s Thriller album.  The most notable factor about these 1983 recording sessions at Paul’s house is that it was here that Jackson first told Paul he’d like to purchase the Beatles catalog, a deal that was completed in 1985.“

The irony is that Paul was the one who told Michael about the financial benefits of acquiring song catalogs. Paul had done it himself.

Say Say Say is great, and IMO far superior to The Girl Is Mine. I have never heard The Man and won’t unless it’s in your countdown, which I’m guessing it’s not.

He opened the album with the title track? Did he want people to return it instantly? (Not the Brits, their taste in pop music is weird sometimes.)

 
Pip's Invitation said:
To be fair, the book came out in 1988-ish, so the authors had not had the “pleasure” of listening to Ringo’s albums from later than that. Also this was long before the internet, YouTube and Spotify, so they had to obtain physical copies of all records they wanted to consider. I doubt they went out and bought Ringo’s whole catalog. 😂
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Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time That We Purchased With Our Limited Funds

 
Pip's Invitation said:
He opened the album with the title track? Did he want people to return it instantly? (Not the Brits, their taste in pop music is weird sometimes.)
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One thing I've noticed about Paul is that he makes some befuddling choices in evaluating his own music, putting out some questionable songs as singles while relegating far superior ones to b-sides or bonus tracks.

 
krista4 said:
---INTERLUDE – Pipes Of Peace (1983)---

We’re here, in the second of @Morton Muffley's Triad Of Teenage Torment.  We’ve covered Give My Regards To Broad Street, and we’ll get to Press To Play later.  I have to agree with Morton on his conclusion:  these are simply not good records.  Was it the 80s in general?  In part, I’m sure.  Regardless, I agree that this is the most unfortunate era in Paul’s otherwise incredible ability to span across decades of musical changes.

Pipes Of Peace was released in 1983 as the follow-up to the much superior Tug Of War.  In part due to the success of Tug but largely on the strength of the mega-hit duet with Michael Jackson, “Say Say Say,” the album did relatively well with the public, reaching Platinum status and peaking at #14 on the US charts.  It was understandably not as successful with critics, who described it as “dull” and “gooey” and particularly derided the lyrics, with one terming it “McCartney cooing platitudinous sentiments on a set of lyrics seemingly made up on the spur of the moment.”  Yeesh.  

Recording of the songs on this album stretched nearly three years, as several were leftovers from the Tug Of War sessions – unfortunately those that didn’t make the grade for Tug might have been better left on the cutting-room floor.  We’ve previously discussed the atrocious title song in the Paul Statement Songs interlude earlier, and this record includes a song called “Tug Of Peace,” which I guess is a blend of “Tug Of War” and “Pipes Of Peace,” using lyrics from both.  I originally mistyped “blend” as “bland,” and might have been better off keeping it that way.  It is one of Paul’s worst songs.

In addition to “Say Say Say,” the album contains another duet with Michael Jackson called “The Man.”  The duet “The Girl Is Mine” was also recorded at the same time and included on Jackson’s Thriller album.  The most notable factor about these 1983 recording sessions at Paul’s house is that it was here that Jackson first told Paul he’d like to purchase the Beatles catalog, a deal that was completed in 1985.

The production tends toward more overbearing on these songs, perhaps to make up for the weaker songwriting, and George Martin would like me to remind you that he did NOT produce this record.  Hold on, I’ve just received word that George Martin did indeed produce this record.  Shame on you, George.  The sessions did include some highlights, including Denny Laine providing his last contributions to Paul’s recordings, and a little bit of…Ringo!  Despite my general antipathy toward the record, two of its tracks have made my countdown, the first of which features Ringo on drums.

The cover art for this one was put together by Linda and consists of…pipes?  And a chair?  I guess the chair was meant to be a take-off on Van Gogh’s chair painting with a pipe.  Not my favorite.

Track listing:

  1. Pipes Of Peace
  2. Say Say Say
  3. The Other Me
  4. Keep Under Cover
  5. So Bad
  6. The Man
  7. Sweetest Little Show
  8. Average Person
  9. Hey Hey
  10. Tug Of Peace
  11. Through Our Love
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"Triad of Teenage Torment"...well said.  I have 2 songs from this album in my top 100, which makes this record infinitely better than both Broadsreet and Press to Play.  Surely you will be skipping Press to Play entirely, right?  I mean you aren't going to subject me to a write-up with direct links to childhood traumas are you?  What happened to safe spaces?  And if you do somehow find a way to cover Press to Play, and barring simple exhaustive I really cannot imagine how you could, please provide me a few days notice as I will be absent that day and the following 2 days. Thx in advance.

 
Morton Muffley said:
"Triad of Teenage Torment"...well said.  I have 2 songs from this album in my top 100, which makes this record infinitely better than both Broadsreet and Press to Play.  Surely you will be skipping Press to Play entirely, right?  I mean you aren't going to subject me to a write-up with direct links to childhood traumas are you?  What happened to safe spaces?  And if you do somehow find a way to cover Press to Play, and barring simple exhaustive I really cannot imagine how you could, please provide me a few days notice as I will be absent that day and the following 2 days. Thx in advance.
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Plz PM me your safe word and we'll be OK.

 
---INTERLUDE – George Harrison (1979)---

George Harrison is a bit of a bright spot during George’s otherwise fallow period between the failure of Dark Horse in 1974 and his “comeback” with Cloud Nine in 1987.  The record received high marks from critics, with a few even calling it his best since All Things Must Pass, and did reasonably well in sales, reaching Gold status and peaking at #14 on the US charts.  The album was preceded by the single release of “Blow Away,” which reached #16 in the US.

This album came out at a spot in George’s life where he was happy and relaxed, having gotten married to Olivia and had Dhani, and the music evidences this mellow contentment with an understated but lovely vibe.  After releasing Thirty Three & 1/3 in late 1976, George had taken time off entirely from the music business, not even picking up a guitar for the entirety of 1977.  Instead, he visited India, spent the winter in Hawaii, took vacations with Olivia, and…gardened.  Seriously, he spent a ton of time gardening alone and with anyone who visited his estate; he saw gardening as a form of meditation.  I suspect he also spent time yelling at those kids to get off his lawn. 

It was also during this time that his interest in cars and Formula One racing heightened; he’d been collecting Ferraris for a while but in ’76-’78 spent a great deal of time running around the world to the various Grand Prix races, making friends with the drivers and becoming particularly close to Scottish champion Jackie Stewart.  George himself was notorious for driving exceptionally fast around town in his favorite yellow Porsche.  It was from these experiences that George wrote his first song for this record, “Faster” (featuring actual sounds from the 1978 Grand Prix) and began a re-engagement in the music world.

For this album, George gathered a lot of the usual suspects – Clapton, Weeks, Newmark, Wright – and added Steve Winwood to the production for Moog, harmonium and backing vocals, which gave it a bit of something extra.  He also hired a new producer in Russ Titleman, with whom he established an open and positive working relationship, actively seeking Titleman’s input on the good and the bad, which Titleman gave to him honestly.  To me, this seemed to have worked, as the album is well-considered and thoughtfully constructed, and it isn’t focused on pressing a particular spiritual perspective.  The melodies are often outstanding, the songs are often introspective, and there’s a dreamy thread that holds the record together sonically.  I consider it the most relaxed record we’d heard from George up to this point.  Unfortunately, George’s positive outlook on making music was fleeting, as we discussed regarding his next record, Somewhere In England, and will be further proved with Gone Troppo thereafter.

Cover art:  extreme close-up of George with some greenery.  It was the 70s; they must be ferns.

Track listing:

  1. Love Comes to Everyone
  2. Not Guilty
  3. Here Comes the Moon
  4. Soft-Hearted Hana
  5. Blow Away
  6. Faster
  7. Dark Sweet Lady
  8. Your Love Is Forever
  9. Soft Touch
  10. If You Believe
 
Pip's Invitation said:
Interesting that George waited until 1979 to release Not Guilty, which had existed since at least the White Album sessions.
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You don't say?

232.  Not Guilty (George Harrison, 1979)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #61)

Like Paul, George sometimes recycled songs that had originally been Beatles projects, and, as with Paul’s “Cosmically Conscious” (#257) this song was originally written in 1968 while the Beatles were staying with the maharishi in India.  In the White Album sessions, the Beatles attempted over 100 takes to get this song right, struggling with the many time signature changes, before ultimately abandoning it, which is a bit ironic given that that the lyrics describe someone just trying to contribute to a group:  “I won’t upset the Apples cart…I only want what I can get.”  George described the song’s lyrics as his trying to stand up for himself in the face of tensions that included both Paul and Ringo unhappily leaving India early.  After nearly 30 years of speculation about those early takes, a Beatles demo of this song was released in 1996 as part of the Anthology series.  It showed a harder-edged and more evidently angry version of what came out on this record.

The version of this song that made its way onto George Harrison is much jazzier than what the Beatles had attempted and the bitter lyrics of George’s immediate situation had been tempered into a more “bittersweet” look back at the past, which I find an improvement over the original sessions.  George is very well supported by that killer band, with Neil Larsen and Steve Winwood on keyboard and electric piano, but for my part the standout is, as if often the case, Willie Weeks on bass.  When I start my band, tentatively named “Unexpected Pineapple,” I’m pushing for 70something Willie Weeks on bass (I will accept Paul McCartney as my second choice if necessary). 

 
Pip's Invitation said:
So that “Worst Rock and Roll Records of All Time” book I mentioned in the Jukebox draft thread? Stop and Smell the Roses was on its album list, as was its follow up. 
 

I’ve only ever heard Wrack My Brain, and that was a very long time ago.
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As they should be on that list.

 
krista4 said:
You don't say?

232.  Not Guilty (George Harrison, 1979)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #61)

The version of this song that made its way onto George Harrison is much jazzier than what the Beatles had attempted and the bitter lyrics of George’s immediate situation had been tempered into a more “bittersweet” look back at the past, which I find an improvement over the original sessions.  George is very well supported by that killer band, with Neil Larsen and Steve Winwood on keyboard and electric piano, but for my part the standout is, as if often the case, Willie Weeks on bass.  When I start my band, tentatively named “Unexpected Pineapple,” I’m pushing for 70something Willie Weeks on bass (I will accept Paul McCartney as my second choice if necessary). 
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I saw Weeks and Winwood play at MSG at one of the shows that resulted in this album: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Live_from_Madison_Square_Garden_(Eric_Clapton_and_Steve_Winwood_album)

They had some guy named Eric Clapton with them.

I remember loving the Anthology version of Not Guilty. I believe I put it on a mix tape. I’ll check this version out when I get to a real computer.

 
OK, I'm going to post the entries to the contest.  Please double-check and make sure I have your entries correct.  Changes to your guesses as well as new entries will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, September 8.  :)  

@simey

John - Watching the Wheels

Paul - Band on the Run

George - What is Life

Ringo  - Photograph

@shuke

John - Watching the Wheels

Paul - Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey

George - What is Life

Ringo  - It Don't Come Easy

@Morton Muffley

It Don't Come Easy

What is Life

#9 Dream

Back Seat of My Car

@neal cassady

George-Beware of Darkness

Paul- Maybe I’m Amazed

Ringo- Photograph

John- Watching The Wheels 

@jwb

Paul - Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five

John - Instant Karma

Ringo - Photograph

George - What is Life

@Shaft41

John:  Beautiful Boy

Ringo: It Don't Come Easy

George:  Blow Away

Paul:   Maybe I'm Amazed

@Dr. Octopus

Paul - Maybe I'm Amazed

John - Watching the Wheels

Ringo - It Don't Come Easy

George - Beware of Darkness

@Raging weasel

John- How Do You Sleep?

Paul- Another Day

George- Give Me Love

Ringo- It Dont Come Easy

@facook

Ringo - Photograph

John - Instant Karma

Paul - Maybe I'm Amazed

George - All Things Must Pass

@Pip's Invitation

Paul: Listen to What the Man Said

John: #9 Dream

George: I'd Have You Anytime

Ringo: Photograph

@Uruk-Hai

George: "All Things Must Pass"

Ringo: "It Don't Come Easy"

John: "Starting Over"

Paul: "Coming Up"

@prosopis

Ringo- Photograph

John- Instant Karma

George- Got my mind set on you

Paul- Here Today

@falguy

Ringo - Have You Seen My Baby
Paul - Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey
George - What is Life
John - Watching the Wheels

 
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krista4 said:
You don't say?

232.  Not Guilty (George Harrison, 1979)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #61)

Like Paul, George sometimes recycled songs that had originally been Beatles projects, and, as with Paul’s “Cosmically Conscious” (#257) this song was originally written in 1968 while the Beatles were staying with the maharishi in India.  In the White Album sessions, the Beatles attempted over 100 takes to get this song right, struggling with the many time signature changes, before ultimately abandoning it, which is a bit ironic given that that the lyrics describe someone just trying to contribute to a group:  “I won’t upset the Apples cart…I only want what I can get.”  George described the song’s lyrics as his trying to stand up for himself in the face of tensions that included both Paul and Ringo unhappily leaving India early.  After nearly 30 years of speculation about those early takes, a Beatles demo of this song was released in 1996 as part of the Anthology series.  It showed a harder-edged and more evidently angry version of what came out on this record.

The version of this song that made its way onto George Harrison is much jazzier than what the Beatles had attempted and the bitter lyrics of George’s immediate situation had been tempered into a more “bittersweet” look back at the past, which I find an improvement over the original sessions.  George is very well supported by that killer band, with Neil Larsen and Steve Winwood on keyboard and electric piano, but for my part the standout is, as if often the case, Willie Weeks on bass.  When I start my band, tentatively named “Unexpected Pineapple,” I’m pushing for 70something Willie Weeks on bass (I will accept Paul McCartney as my second choice if necessary). 
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The song's a'ight....just.  But I have to say, if that pic on youtube is the album cover, I'd not let that person talk to my son or wife without me present.  CREEEEPER.

 
krista4 said:
OK, I'm going to post the entries to the contest.  Please double-check and make sure I have your entries correct.  Changes to your guesses as well as new entries will be accepted through 11:59 p.m. PDT on Tuesday, September 8.  :)  

@simey

John - Watching the Wheels

Paul - Band on the Run

George - What is Life

Ringo  - Photograph

@shuke

John - Watching the Wheels

Paul - Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey

George - What is Life

Ringo  - It Don't Come Easy

@Morton Muffley

It Don't Come Easy

What is Life

#9 Dream

Back Seat of My Car

@neal cassady

George-Beware of Darkness

Paul- Maybe I’m Amazed

Ringo- Photograph

John- Watching The Wheels 

@jwb

Paul - Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five

John - Instant Karma

Ringo - Photograph

George - What is Life

@Shaft41

John:  Beautiful Boy

Ringo: It Don't Come Easy

George:  Blow Away

Paul:   Maybe I'm Amazed

@Dr. Octopus

Paul - Maybe I'm Amazed

John - Watching the Wheels

Ringo - It Don't Come Easy

George - Beware of Darkness

@Raging weasel

John- How Do You Sleep?

Paul- Another Day

George- Give Me Love

Ringo- It Dont Come Easy

@facook

Ringo - Photograph

John - Instant Karma

Paul - Maybe I'm Amazed

George - All Things Must Pass

@Pip's Invitation

Paul: Listen to What the Man Said

John: #9 Dream

George: I'd Have You Anytime

Ringo: Photograph

@Uruk-Hai

George: "All Things Must Pass"

Ringo: "It Don't Come Easy"

John: "Starting Over"

Paul: "Coming Up"

@prosopis

Ringo- Photograph

John- Instant Karma

George- Got my mind set on you

Paul- Here Today

@falguy

Ringo - Have You Seen My Baby
Paul - Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey
George - What is Life
John - Watching the Wheels
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@neal cassady and I have all the same songs except for the Ringo one. It would be cool if it came down to a Ringoshowcase!!

 
238 (63GH)  The Traveling Wilburys - She's My Baby (The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, 1990)  Spotify  YouTube

237 (62GH)  The Traveling Wilburys - New Blue Moon (The Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3, 1990)  Spotify  YouTube
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These are also two of my faves from Vol. 3. My 19-year-old self was quite pleased to see them attempt hard rock on She's My Baby. New Blue Moon sounds like a 1963-ish Paul track updated with modern sounds. 

 
krista4 said:
Paul wants you to have a blast this holiday weekend!

236.  Wings – My Carnival (single, 1985)  YouTube  (not available on Spotify)

(Paul #111)

This song had wandered into my Paul top 100 until I looked the other day to see if anything stood out that shouldn’t be there, and BAM.  It’s a rollicking good time, but can’t quite be in that rarified air.

“My Carnival” was the b-side to the Spies Like Us theme song but was recorded by Wings ten years earlier while in New Orleans for the Venus and Mars sessions.  Paul improvised this initially as a variation on Professor Longhair’s song, “New Orleans,” having been inspired by meeting him and other New Orleans musical luminaries while in town, as well as attending various Mardi Gras festivities.  In the studio, in addition to a New Orleans brass band, both Leo Nocentelli and George Porter of The Meters joined the jam session for the recording, and Paul was reportedly thrilled and honored by their participation.  The Meters later played on the Queen Mary at the record release party for Venus and Mars. 

OH described this one well:  “Find the 1 and the 3 in this song.  It’s there, but he’s never hitting the snare on it.  You know he’s playing it like it’s nothing.  It was great.  It sounded like a Meters song, with Paul McCartney saying something about his carnival. That was straight up New Orleans Afro-Caribbean stew.  It’s awesome, ####### awesome.  I generally hate jam music, but music like that creates such a strong groove that I could listen to them play it forever.  It’s interlocking, the beginning is the end, you can play it a million different ways once you get the groove going.  There’s something primal about it.”
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As you were saying about Paul's self-evaluation issues. Why the hell is this paired with Spies Like Us? I agree with everything OH said (except the part about generally hating jam music). And it's the B-side of spineless, soulless pap. WHY? WHY? WHY? 

 
krista4 said:
235.  John Lennon and Yoko Ono - I’m Stepping Out (Milk And Honey, 1984)  Spotify  YouTube

(John #44)

“I’m Stepping Out” was the third single released from Milk And Honey and reached #55 on the US charts. 

This was the first song John recorded for the Double Fantasy/Milk And Honey sessions and was written while he was in Bermuda with his assistant, Fred Seaman (teehee), after a night out at a club.  John, who was at this point a lightweight when it came to drinking, woke up hungover, but with a sense of exhilaration from re-discovering his independence in a night on the town where he genuinely had a good time.  The lyrics evidence someone who is older and realizes that he is entitled to go out and have fun after taking care of his family responsibilities at home. 

I love hearing John sound so comfortable with himself and his life.  The spoken-word intro, which I expect would have been changed in a finished version, is great fun.  John’s vocal is fantastic, really hit those upper registers beautifully.  His delivery of that vocal is just…did I already say fun?  He sounds like he’s smiling and laughing throughout, delighted with what he’s putting together.  I swear he even declares “Boogie!” around 2:43?!  (Could also be "ooo yeah," I like the other interpretation better.)  And I love the “I’ll be in before 1…or 2…or 3…” as the song fades.  John is given solid support by the band, especially Hugh McCracken's chugging guitar part, but I suspect that would all have been fleshed out more in the end.  Which brings me to the reason this delightful concoction isn’t ranked higher:  it’s not finished.  More than the other songs from Milk and Honey that I’ll have on this list, it suffers from the absence of the fully formed idea and the finishing touches John would have given it.  I’m surprised, in fact, that this one was released as a single, but I guess someone else loved it, too.  It’s still a nice and heartwarming look at John’s state of mind during the last months of his life.
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I remember this one. The "screw it" verse sounds great all around. 

And he's definitely saying "Boogie." 

I disagree that this suffers from lack of finishing touches. It's got a looseness about it, both in the playing and the singing, that's charming (and quite befitting of the lyrics) and I wonder if producing it more professionally might have sucked some of the life out of it. And it's not like what we got is low-fi demo quality. I won't know until the countdown is done, but I expect that I would rank this much higher (Binky: lower) than you. 

 
krista4 said:
Ringo's been waiting all morning!

234.  Sure To Fall (Stop And Smell The Roses, 1981)  YouTube  (not available on Spotify)

(Ringo #20)

It’s strange…I don’t manipulate these rankings to have groupings (except the one time with the wives’ songs), but then stuff like this happens.  I mentioned above that John had been scheduled to see Ringo in January 1981 to help with some songs on Ringo’s new album, as Paul and George had done.  And then next on this list comes a song, produced by Paul, from that album.  Stop And Smell The Roses was released in 1981 on the heels of John’s murder, and included the Paul and George songs they’d contributed.  John had also offered Ringo two songs for the record that they were scheduled to record together, but Ringo declined to pursue them after John was gone. 

In addition to the contributions from Paul and George (more on those later), this album also featured songs contributed by Stephen Stills, Harry Nilsson, and Ronnie Wood.  With all that star power, this must have been a blockbuster, right?  Unfortunately, no.  It reached only #98 in the US, though a single, “Wrack My Brain” (composed by George), became Ringo’s final (thus far) top 40 hit in the US, reaching #38. 

To me, it’s a shame this wasn’t more successful, even going out of print at this point and not being available on Spotify.  I’ll have two songs on the countdown from this album, but there are several others that I think are worthy listens.  If you’re not anti-Ringo, this is an album I’d suggest seeking out just for fun. 

This particular song is another bouncy sing-along cover of a Carl Perkins song, with a huge cadre of backing vocalists.  It’s a song that Paul sang for the Decca Records audition that ended in failure for the Beatles!  The Beatles also covered it in several of their BBC sessions.  The notes for this record don’t specify who is on this track, so I can’t identify who is playing that lovely steel guitar that makes the song for me.  I do like to pretend I can hear John in the chorus of backing vocals, as if he’d lived to do it.
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I don't care for Neil's cliched country material, such as most of Old Ways, all but one song of side 1 of American Stars 'N Bars and all of side 2 of Hawks & Doves. This arrangement would fit right in with any of those. I don't know what the Carl Perkins version sounds like, but I can't say I'm impressed with the lyrics either. 

 
krista4 said:
233.  Average Person (Pipes Of Peace, 1983)  Spotify  YouTube

(Paul #110)

I’ve realized I have a fondness for songs where Paul observes the world around him, particularly regular people whose experience he wants to understand and appreciate.  It was evidenced in “On My Way To Work” (#247) and arises again in this song, which describes people going about their days in their prescribed roles that Paul seems to be kindly arguing against.  In other words, these are people we are defining by their jobs, to which they might not quite measure up (literally in the case of the boxer), when like everyone else there is more to them that gives a fuller picture of who they are.  Yet Paul presents all of this in a humorous and pleasant way, with a theatrical presentation that belies the more serious intent beneath.

Musically the song features excellent Ringo-ing and a riotous Paul vocal with a kind of Greek chorus punctuating many of the words:  “Waitress!”  “Boxer!”  Interspersed are various sound effects that are either hilariously perfect or irritating (I go with the former), and a strange, lounge-lizard bridge starting at 2:28.  I think this song’s a blast, but I couldn’t complain if you don’t.
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I once again object to the gating or whatever the hell you call the treatment of those drums. God, I hated most '80s production techniques. 

I'm not in the "it's a blast" camp. If I had migraines this song would put me in agony. It's brash, twee and corny. If this is one of the better songs on the album, good God. 

 
krista4 said:
You don't say?

232.  Not Guilty (George Harrison, 1979)  Spotify  YouTube

(George #61)

Like Paul, George sometimes recycled songs that had originally been Beatles projects, and, as with Paul’s “Cosmically Conscious” (#257) this song was originally written in 1968 while the Beatles were staying with the maharishi in India.  In the White Album sessions, the Beatles attempted over 100 takes to get this song right, struggling with the many time signature changes, before ultimately abandoning it, which is a bit ironic given that that the lyrics describe someone just trying to contribute to a group:  “I won’t upset the Apples cart…I only want what I can get.”  George described the song’s lyrics as his trying to stand up for himself in the face of tensions that included both Paul and Ringo unhappily leaving India early.  After nearly 30 years of speculation about those early takes, a Beatles demo of this song was released in 1996 as part of the Anthology series.  It showed a harder-edged and more evidently angry version of what came out on this record.

The version of this song that made its way onto George Harrison is much jazzier than what the Beatles had attempted and the bitter lyrics of George’s immediate situation had been tempered into a more “bittersweet” look back at the past, which I find an improvement over the original sessions.  George is very well supported by that killer band, with Neil Larsen and Steve Winwood on keyboard and electric piano, but for my part the standout is, as if often the case, Willie Weeks on bass.  When I start my band, tentatively named “Unexpected Pineapple,” I’m pushing for 70something Willie Weeks on bass (I will accept Paul McCartney as my second choice if necessary). 
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This is very late '70s, thanks especially to the electric piano. But the bones that make the Anthology version great are still there. And yes, Weeks does great work here. 

Oh, and guess who replaced Tiran Porter in the Doobie Brothers in 1981 when Porter quit due to exhaustion and cocaine addiction? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xiDwIN9-zaQ 

 
Pip's Invitation said:
As you were saying about Paul's self-evaluation issues. Why the hell is this paired with Spies Like Us? I agree with everything OH said (except the part about generally hating jam music). And it's the B-side of spineless, soulless pap. WHY? WHY? WHY? 
Click to expand...
Yes, Exhibit A.

 
Pip's Invitation said:
I once again object to the gating or whatever the hell you call the treatment of those drums. God, I hated most '80s production techniques. 

I'm not in the "it's a blast" camp. If I had migraines this song would put me in agony. It's brash, twee and corny. If this is one of the better songs on the album, good God. 
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I'm with @Pip's Invitation and will only add that I don't think this is one the better songs on the album, but do think it is a fair representation of the album.

Ok, let's keep thing moving, shall we? Please!

 
Pip's Invitation said:
I disagree that this suffers from lack of finishing touches. It's got a looseness about it, both in the playing and the singing, that's charming (and quite befitting of the lyrics) and I wonder if producing it more professionally might have sucked some of the life out of it. And it's not like what we got is low-fi demo quality. I won't know until the countdown is done, but I expect that I would rank this much higher (Binky: lower) than you. 
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Valid points here.  I wish we ever had a chance to know.  :cry:  

 
Pip's Invitation said:
I remember this one. The "screw it" verse sounds great all around. 

And he's definitely saying "Boogie." 

I disagree that this suffers from lack of finishing touches. It's got a looseness about it, both in the playing and the singing, that's charming (and quite befitting of the lyrics) and I wonder if producing it more professionally might have sucked some of the life out of it. And it's not like what we got is low-fi demo quality. I won't know until the countdown is done, but I expect that I would rank this much higher (Binky: lower) than you. 
Click to expand...
I'm with Krista on this.  Remember it well from back in the day.  Haven't completed my John top 25, but am certain this won't be in it. To be clear, that's not an idictment of the song, more of a statement on how good I think the top 25 are

 
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Re the Anthology version of Not Guilty, I find myself in the rare position of agreeing with a YouTube commenter:
 

To think that this didn't make the cut for the white album, but freaking bungalow bill, wild honey pie, and revolution 9 did. Lordy lord.
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krista4 said:
---INTERLUDE – Pipes Of Peace (1983)---

Recording of the songs on this album stretched nearly three years, as several were leftovers from the Tug Of War sessions – unfortunately those that didn’t make the grade for Tug might have been better left on the cutting-room floor.  We’ve previously discussed the atrocious title song in the Paul Statement Songs interlude earlier, and this record includes a song called “Tug Of Peace,” which I guess is a blend of “Tug Of War” and “Pipes Of Peace,” using lyrics from both.  I originally mistyped “blend” as “bland,” and might have been better off keeping it that way.  It is one of Paul’s worst songs.
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Against my better judgment I listened to this since I haven't much of anything better to do. What the hell? This is wack. 

Also, isn't "tug of peace" what Bob Kraft got busted for? 

 
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