Industrial output...financial imbalance...the watusi...the twist...

[jon_chaisson]

As alexbot3000 (aka Alex Robinson) just mentioned over at his LJ, this week marks the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' self-titled album, also unofficially known as The White Album.

I have to agree with him that this is also my second-favorite Beatles album (the first being Revolver, of course), and while it isn't for everyone, I have a special affinity for it. I love the fact that it starts off as a poppy album typical of the band, with a continuation of post-Sgt. Pepper experimentation, but the further you go with it, the darker and weirder it gets, culminating with "Revolution 9" (with "Good Night" tacked on as a sort of epilogue). And of course as alexbot3000 mentioned and has been repeated elsewhere, George Martin always thought it should have been a single album, which begs the meme of what songs people think should be on the single-album version. I've done this a few times in my head, trying to come up with an interesting lineup of songs.

So! Without further ado, I give you The Beatles White Album Meme. Have at it--tell me what you think should be the lineup! I'm going to be generous here and say that singles, unreleased songs, and songs demoed at that point in time are fair game, and I've even made the list:

The released album
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Wild Honey Pie
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Martha My Dear
I'm So Tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Rocky Raccoon
Don't Pass Me By
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
I Will
Julia
Birthday
Yer Blues
Mother Nature's Son
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Long, Long, Long
Revolution 1
Honey Pie
Savoy Truffle
Cry Baby Cry
Revolution 9
Good Night

1968 singles recorded during the sessions
Lady Madonna
The Inner Light
Hey Jude
Revolution (the louder version)

Demos, Unreleased songs, and stuff recorded during the sessions
Circles (can be heard on George's Gone Troppo
Child of Nature (redone as John's "Jealous Guy"...it's on bootlegs somewhere)
Mean Mr. Mustard (can be heard on Anthology 3
Polythene Pam (ditto)
Junk (ditto)
What's the New Mary Jane? (ditto)
Not Guilty (ditto)
Across the Universe (all versions pretty much recorded about this time)
Hey Bulldog



My thoughts and interpretations:

Single-disc 14-track version with the best-produced songs
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Hey Bulldog
Lady Madonna
Not Guilty
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Revolution
A Beginning/Don't Pass Me By (original DPMB intro, found on Anthology 3)
Birthday
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey (retitled "Come On Come On")
Blackbird
Sexy Sadie
Across the Universe (version found on Let It Be...Naked, sans strings)
Hey Jude

A limited-edition bonus disc of acoustic songs released with the above
Revolution 1 (album edit)
Cry Baby Cry
Honey Pie
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
I Will
Julia
Long Long Long
Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam (medley)
Junk (perhaps a full version that never really got recorded)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (outtake found on Anthology 3)
Martha My Dear
Mother Nature's Son
Across the Universe (charity album version found on Past Masters v.2)

An experimental album released under a pseudonym on Zapple
What's the New Mary Jane
Revolution 1 (unedited full 8 minute version on bootlegs, but sans Yoko's ramblings)
Revolution 9
Circles
Wild Honey Pie
I'm So Tired
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Glass Onion
Helter Skelter (edited version of fabled 27-minute take)
Carnival of Light (okay, it's not on the list as it was 1967, but what the hey)
You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)

possible singles
While My Guitar Gently Weeps/Across the Universe (double-A side)
Hey Bulldog/Savoy Truffle
Dear Prudence/Yer Blues
Hey Jude/Revolution (because that single is just perfect! ;) )

Proposed Hey Jude single if it were released today
Hey Jude (edit)/Revolution (7")
Hey Jude (full)/Hey Jude (LOVE version extended)/Revolution/Revolution 1 (full version) (12")
(cd-single version, of course, featuring random remixes done by Geoff Emerick, George Martin, and others)

Comments

[alexbot3000.livejournal.com]

Geez, you had to make even harder by including singles? You're a stronger man than I am, though I do like your idea of the pseudonym album. Throw in the at-the-time-unreleased "You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)" and you've got yourself a deal.

[joncwriter.livejournal.com]

You got it! ;)