George Martin's -The Beatles (The White album) album tracks choice.

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by alexpop, Nov 22, 2012.

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  1. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    What tracks did he have in mind for a single album ?
     
  2. hazard

    hazard Forum Resident

    Revolution #9, What's the New Mary Jane :D
     
  3. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    Well that's two out of the way.:)
     
  4. Bill

    Bill Senior Member

    Location:
    Eastern Shore
    Ever the diplomat, I don't believe he ever named what specific tracks he would have axed. I know which ones I prefer, but am glad we got them all. Nevertheless, it's hard to believe that some of the lesser songs made the cut over those attempted during the sessions that later showed up on Abbey Road or the solo albums, particularly All Things Must Pass. Must have been the tea!
     
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  5. Helmut

    Helmut Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Germany
    I never heard or read of any one-disc version. I guess all those linking tracks or weirder things like "Wild Honey Pie" or "Why don't we do it in the road" wouldn't have made that version. But in the end we can be very happy with the way things happened, it's great that it's a double album and it has become a classic . The mistake was rushing into the next album project that fast, but that's another story....
     
    pantofis and quicksilverbudie like this.
  6. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    Agree.

    But I think quite a lot of the songs he would have ommited for being sub-standard.

    Has he ever mentioned anything positive about any of the tracks on this 1968 album ?
     
  7. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    That's another two that i'm sure GM would have dropped from his final 12/14 tracks/single album choice.
     
  8. matthew5

    matthew5 Forum Resident

    Location:
    canada
    Every 'fanstasy' 14 track album I've ever seen just looks wrong. Honestly I feel that a three disc White Album would make more sense than a single.
     
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  9. mikrt17

    mikrt17 Life has surface noise.

    Location:
    BROADSTAIRS UK
    George did mention once in print that he thought if the White album had been a single album it would have flowed a lot better and would contain all the the best songs making it a perfect Beatles album.
     
  10. Hallucigenia

    Hallucigenia New Member

    I believe the reason they started the Get Back sessions so soon was that they originally intended them to be rehearsals for a live show promoting the White Album. Then they changed their mind and decided to do new material.

    Is this correct?

    As for a single disc White Album, I'd guess they would have dropped, among others:
    Why Don't We Do It in the Road
    Wild Honey Pie
    Revolution 1 and 9
    Good Night
    two of George's, probably Piggies and Savoy Truffle
    Bungalow Bill
    Cry Baby Cry

    They probably would have to negotiate some sort of equal weight between John and Paul songs, and that could have been difficult at that point. I guess it was easier just to make it a double album.
     
  11. fifth beatle99

    fifth beatle99 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Eugene Oregon
    I don't think George Martin ever specified which 14 tracks he would have chosen. He did say however, that it would have been great like Revolver if they gone the single disc route.

    John Lennon did say, without being more specific, that George Martin didin't "produce" all the Beatles albums. My guess is, Lennon was talking about the white album. One of a producers jobs, is sequencing, editing, selecting material. That is in addition to Martin's great work doing orchestral arrangements. As well as being open minded to backwards tapes, weird echo's and so on.

    Ringo did say, I can almost quote I think, speaking in regards to the white album he said. "that's a lot of information for one album. It should have been two albums, White and Whiter!" end quote.

    So that was another idea, the idea I would prefer, do a single revolver style album with the best 14 songs, and then six months later release the rest of it as some other album.

    I Like the idea of a triple disc also. If we take the Hey Jude/Revolution single cut during the white sessions, add in Not Guilty, Sour Milk Sea, Whats the new Mary Jane, next thing you know you have enough for disc three!
     
  12. TLMusic

    TLMusic Musician & record collector

    Perhaps George Martin would have omitted the recordings he didn't produce (September 9 to 26, 1968). The ones 'produced' by Chris Thomas.

    "Birthday", for example.
     
  13. Eobard Thawne

    Eobard Thawne Forum Resident

    Location:
    Canada
    I believe Paul & Martin were very vocal about having "Revolution 9" being on the album which made John wanting to put it on more.

    There's also the 27 (?) minute verison of Helter Skelter, Now that's what should be put on an expanded version?
     
  14. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    Submitting 12/14 tracks.

    What would be the ideal GM single album version roughly ?
     
  15. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    I'm sure it would as I skip the odd track.
     
  16. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    Dunno about a triple.

    But a GM single album offering would be interesting.
     
  17. fifth beatle99

    fifth beatle99 Well-Known Member

    Location:
    Eugene Oregon
    I'm sure he would have picked, Blackbird, Dear Prudence, While My Guitar, probably Back In The USSR, maybe Sexy Sadie, Martha My Dear I imagine. It really would be interesting to know which ones. Martin tended to favor McCartney's work, or at least McCartney was the Beatle most apt to want Martin's input. I know my 14 picks for a single album do make a stunning Revolver type album. The problem is, when you compile the leftovers into a second seperate release, you get about 1/3-1/2 weak material on the second one. You get weird tracks like Revolution nine and Wild Honey pie taking up a big chunk of the hypothetical second release.
     
  18. AFOS

    AFOS Forum Resident

    Location:
    Brisbane,Australia
    Something like Kid A / Amnesiac

    A good idea - one brilliant single disc and another of left overs,except I'd toss WDWDIITR and something else and replace them with Mary Jane & Not Guilty.
     
  19. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits.... Thread Starter

    And to think JL wanted (according to Mal Evans Beatles monthy early nov'68 review) that track out as the next a-side single.
     
  20. ynot

    ynot Forum Resident

    Location:
    Auckland
    Bungalow Bill was one GM mentioned specifically in an interview. Will try to find the interview and update if there were any other tracks named
     
  21. lou

    lou Fast 'n Bulbous

    Location:
    Louisiana
    At this point George would not have been determining what songs would be left off or included, he would have to have the support of at least some of the other band members.

    I doubt "Piggies" would have been left off, although I would agree with excluding it - I think Piggies and While My Guitar would have been George's choices. Too much work went into Piggies for George to jettison it. And would George have gotten 3 songs ala Revolver? Probably not since too many Lennon/McCartney songs would have to be left out.

    Think about what songs Paul would have taken out (or which ones he would insist stay in) of his allotment, and the same for John. I think if George and Paul insisted on cutting Revolution 9, for a single album they may have been able to convince John that Revolution took up too much space that could be used for more John songs.

    For Paul, likely inclusions would be USSR, Martha, Blackbird, I Will, Helter Skelter, and Mother Nature's Son. I'm sure he would want to include Ob La Di but John would probably lobby against it. John would insist Do It in the Road be included, and it's short enough it wouldn't be a space issue.

    For John, pretty sure bets are Revolution 1, Prudence, Sexy Sadie, Yer Blues and Julia. Probably I'm So Tired and Monkey too?
     
  22. ohnothimagen

    ohnothimagen "Live music is better!"

    Location:
    Canada
  23. Spaghettiows

    Spaghettiows Forum Resident

    Location:
    Silver Creek, NY
    For historical reasons, I'm glad they released it the way they did. It would have stunk if a bunch of those songs went to the bootleg market for 25 years. Having said that, I do skip over many of the songs on The White Album and burned my own "preferred" version of "The Beatles". Also, I'm not convinced George Martin would have definitely favored McCartney's songs on a shortened album. One thing that strikes me about the album in general is, at least in my opinion, it contains some of Lennon's best work and some of McCartney's weakest.

    Also, regarding Harrison's contributions, I might be one of the only people that likes "Piggies" and "Savoy Truffle" more than "While My Guitar Gently Weeps".

    My "preferred" White Album includes:

    Back in the U.S.S.R.
    Dear Prudence
    Glass Onion
    Ob-La-Di-Ob-La-Da
    Happiness is a Warm Gun
    I'm So Tired
    Blackbird
    Piggies
    Don't Pass Me By
    Birthday
    Yer Blues
    Mother Nature's Son
    Sexy Sadie
    Savoy Truffle
    Cry Baby Cry
    Revolution 9 (I'm pretty sure that Martin would have left that off though!)
     
  24. SteveMac

    SteveMac Forum Resident

    For those who've never "taken the test" try this out:

    Build your own White Album

    After the introductory page you click on the link on the far left to submit your own version; it's an interesting exercise.
     
  25. seacliffe301

    seacliffe301 Forum Resident

    There is certainly an argument that some songs are stronger than others, but without these songs it’s just not “The White Album”.
     
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