The Beatles – Finally (1981)
In our alternate Beatles universe it is 1981. The final Beatles album had been recorded in November and early December 1980 at the Abbey Road studios in London, forcing John to leave his beloved NYC apartment in the Dakota, to which he returned on December 9. The album is released in February 1981.
It had been five years since the release of the previous Beatles album, Alone Again, because John had “retired” for a few years to be a stay-at-home Dad. He talked about his hiatus on the album”s opener, Watching The Wheels. In the meantime, Paul had established his initially stuttering solo career, scoring a million-seller with Mull Of Kintyre. Indeed, the members” musical styles had diverged so much that the Fab Four knew it would be their final album together.
Paul even held back all his best songs, preferring not to share such universally acclaimed gems as Temporary Secretary and Goodnight Tonight with his bandmates. As a result, Paul”s input into Finally was at odds with the prominence his ego would have demanded normally. Perhaps appropriately, it was perennial third banana George who dominated on that last LP, and it was George who wrote the epitaph to the Beatles” career, All Those Years Ago.
As always, the mix should fit on to a standard CD-R.
Side 1
1. Watching The Wheels (John Lennon)
2. Crackerbox Palace (George Harrison)
3. Let ‘Em In (Paul McCartney)
4. Blow Away (George Harrison)
5. Girls” School (Paul McCartney)
Side 2
6. Lady Gaye (Ringo Starr)
7. Beautiful Girl (George Harrison)
8. Nobody Told Me (John Lennon)
9. Silly Love Songs (Paul McCartney)
10. (Just Like) Starting Over (John Lennon)
Side 3
11. With A Little Luck (Paul McCartney)
12. This Song (George Harrison)
13. I’m Losing You (John Lennon)
14. Here Comes The Moon (George Harrison)
15. Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy) (John Lennon)
Side 4
16. Move Over Ms. L. (John Lennon)
17. Woman Don’t You Cry For Me (George Harrison)
18. Coming Up (Paul McCartney)
19. Real Love (John Lennon)
20. All Those Years Ago (George Harrison)
Excellent job! I, too have created fantasy Beatles albums just as you have (skipping 1975-79 – all four were either in a rut or on hiatus). Just goes to show that as solo artists, they were okay; if they had stayed together…
curious to know your thoughts on how Ethan Hawke’s “Black Album” mix done for his daughter and used in the film “Boyhood” (sorry for the BuzzFeed link) compares to your post-Beatles Beatles mixes.
Oh, he made some nice mixes. I’d listen to them.
sadly, the links for your three compilations seem to be down much thanks if you plan on re-uploading, and/or much thanks for the suggested play lists and the joys of hunting down the sources to recreate them.