The White Album - The Three LP version

Ok let’s get this out of the way first:

In my opinion The Beatles, aka the White Album, is the best rock album ever made. It can never be improved, and I’m not trying to improve it.

That said, I have always wondered about Lennon’s statement that the album could be one, two or even three LPs. Could it really have been three LPs? Six sides of White Album goodness? Yep, I do believe it is possible, and here is my version.

The songs I think that could be added to the White Album track list are:

Lady Madonna
Hey Bulldog
Across The Universe
Sour Milk Sea
Junk
Not Guilty
What’s The New Mary Jane
Hey Jude
Revolution
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – LOVE version

“Lady Madonna”, “Hey Bulldog” and “Across The Universe” – although recorded before the Beatles traveled to Rishikesh – were the first tracks recorded in the band’s post-psychedelic era and fit quite comfortably in style and content with the tracks on the White Album.

“Sour Milk Sea” and “Junk” are included because they were demo'ed at Esher, and presumably were written in India along with most of the other WA tracks.

“Not Guilty” and “What’s The New Mary Jane” are simply added back in as they were intended for the album but cut during the final sequencing.

“Hey Jude” and “Revolution” are included because they were recorded during the WA sessions.

The only problem with including “Sour Milk Sea” is that there isn’t a decent Beatles performance available. I would use Jackie Lomax’s version and pretend that George invited a guest vocalist in like he invited a guest guitarist in on “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.” Having Paul, George, Ringo and Clapton perform on the Lomax version, and the fact it was recorded in the midst of the WA sessions, lends enough credibility to warrant inclusion.

I would include “Junk” from the McCartney album since it’s an all Paul recording (except for the final harmony, but just play along here). This one may be a mismatch stylistically, but the entire album is such an eclectic mix of styles that hopefully it won’t feel too out of place.

Finally, I included the LOVE version of “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” in the same spirit as having two versions of “Revolution”. The LOVE version is significantly different from the original version and is poignant enough to warrant inclusion.

As for sequencing, here is my shot at a 3-LP White Album


SIDE ONE: 21:00

Back In The USSR
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-la-Di, Ob-La-Da
Wild Honey Pie
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Note: all I did here was remove “Happiness Is A Warm Gun” which tends to feel anti-climactic after WMGGW. This maintains the flow of side one with the fade-out of WMGGW providing a stunning consummation to this set of songs.


SIDE TWO 19:08

Martha My Dear
I’m So Tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Don’t Pass Me By
Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?
I Will
Julia

Note: Here I removed “Rocky Raccoon” because I needed a Paul track to fill out the middle LP. Since five of the nine songs on this side were Paul’s, he is still well represented. After just a couple of listens, the end of “Piggies” and the intro to “Don’t Pass Me By” fit together just fine.


SIDE THREE: 22:29

Revolution
Rocky Raccoon
What’s The New Mary Jane
Lady Madonna
Not Guilty
Across The Universe

Notes: Here’s where the sequencing fun begins. I patterned the first two tracks -- a rocking opener and an acoustic follow-up -- on the USSR/Prudence model. The goofy McCartney vocals on Rocky are a bit odd coming right after the raucous Lennon number (with the somewhat preachy lyrics) but they pave the way for the lyrical absurdity of the next track, “What’s The New Mary Jane”. I like putting the inane WTNMJ in the middle here because this side opens and closes with two more “serious” Lennon numbers. “Lady Madonna” is the perfect antidote to WTNMJ so it comes next. “Not Guilty” feels good as an “album” track nestled in between two strong Paul and John songs. ATU rounds out the side as a pleasant and wistful way to end the set.


SIDE FOUR: 22:24

Hey Bulldog
Sour Milk Sea
Junk
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – LOVE version
Hey Jude

Notes: “Hey Bulldog” as a side-opener, who can argue? This way, John and Paul get three openers each. “Sour Milk Sea” comes next giving the side two strong rockers in a row. McCartney’s “Junk” calms things down a bit and flows quite nicely into the opening chords of “Happiness Is A Warm Gun”. WMGGW-LOVE version may feel contradictory coming right after Lennon's raunchy track, but it continues the ebb-and-flow of the side. Of course “Hey Jude” is the ultimate side-closer, nothing could follow that anthemic four-minute fade.


SIDE FIVE: 22:48

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


SIDE SIX: 24:29

Revolution 1
Honey Pie
Savoy Truffle
Cry Baby Cry
Revolution 9
Good Night

Note: Sides five and six are untouched.

To even out the lengths a little I might put “Rocky Raccoon” back where it belongs and move “Honey Pie” into the second slot on Side Three.. hmmm.. in fact I like this Side Three better:

Revolution
Honey Pie
What’s The New Mary Jane
Lady Madonna
Not Guilty
Across The Universe

But this disrupts the last side’s running order, not to mention its charm, so never mind.

So as you can see, I tried to maintain the integrity of the White Album, while creating a middle LP of songs that are sympathetic to the theme and verve of the White Album sessions. I think it works quite well and it would have been an absolutely killer three LP set.

 

Use the version of "Junk" that's on Anthology 3. That's a better fit.

Otherwise, an interesting sequence!

 

Where is revolution?

 

Kicks off Side Three.

 

Why place the "new" songs on an album of their own and not try to mix them with the other songs?
For example "Not Guilty" would be great right after "Dear Prudence". In the same spirit, I would place "Good Night" right after "I'm so tired"... So funny...
So here it goes (for side 1):
USSR
Prudence
Guilty
Mother Nature or Junk
Tired
Good Night

 

One killer LP would have been SOMETHING!

 

Abbey Road has Something on it

 

Nice sequence, seems to work to me.

 

Yes I agree nice sequence. Sorry for unintentional thread crap of my post before this one.

 

Brilliant idea

Your"s is perfect track sequence I would only change (see below)

SIDE ONE: 21:00

Back In The USSR
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-la-Di, Ob-La-Da
Wild Honey Pie
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps

SIDE TWO 19:08

Hey Bulldog (changed it as it had a similar tempo to Sour Milk Sea )
I’m So Tired
Blackbird
Piggies
Don’t Pass Me By
Why Don’t We Do It In The Road?
I Will
Julia

SIDE THREE: 22:29

Revolution
Rocky Raccoon
What’s The New Mary Jane
Lady Madonna
Not Guilty
Across The Universe

SIDE FOUR: 22:24

Sour Milk Sea
Martha My Dear
Junk
Happiness Is A Warm Gun
While My Guitar Gently Weeps – LOVE version
Hey Jude

SIDE FIVE: 22:48

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

SIDE SIX: 24:29

Revolution 1
Honey Pie
Savoy Truffle
Cry Baby Cry
Revolution 9
Good Night

perhaps end coda "Can you take me "

 

Kidding right about SOMETHING?...because I was... and thats why apologised....again good listing...YES IT IS!

 

It's called side one and side three.

 

I think too that 1 white album LP will be best than 3 4 or 5 and Im not gonna regret about this statement!

 

Love the sequence, Veech...and I say that with Yoko getting a vocal on "Bungalow Bill" it's only fair to balance with the harmonies on "Junk". Also, like another three-record set with a guest vocal or two (Sandanista), I say "Sour Milk Sea" is fine as an inclusion.

"It's All Too Much"? Nah.

 

There's a fairly decent fan mashup out there of the backing track of Lomax's version fused with the vocal from George's Esher demo.

 

Why wasn't Goodbye or Heather added to this list? They were recorded around that time, weren't they? And I love Goodbye!

 

across the universe was available at this time too....

wasn't it?

 

yes it was recorded on early February of 1968 I think

 

Can u take me back / Los paranoias / The way U look 2nite could be used as a link track somewhere....

 

Maybe they could have used the 28 minute "Helter Skelter" for one entire side.

 

From what I've read, George was fooling around with "Something" during the White Album sessions. Don't know if it was finished then or not. Couldn't agree more that "Not Guilty" and "Sour Milk Sea" should have made the final cut - George always got the shaft. And I, too, have also played with revised sequences that include both versions of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." If they were going to include two versions of the same song, better "Guitar" than "Revolution," imho.

 

Yes!! Mixed in QUAD--with no compression or NR!

 

The unheard (in our dreams) Helter Skelter was way grander than the real thing...good original edit...IMO

 

Veech,

I like your thinking. One question. Adding Lady Madonna, Hey Jude and Revolution, brings up an interesting situation. Seeing as you took songs that were originally NON album tracks, and placed them on your project, shouldn't The Beatles have still tried to release a single (or two) with songs that were left over?

Obviously, "The Inner Light" is available. What about "All Together Now", It's All Too Much" and "Only A Northern Song"? What about pairing All Together Now with The Inner Light, and then, in a Beatles FIRST!!!.........a two sided George Harrison composed single.........a pairing of Only A Northern Song with It's All Too Much? Not only would that be an interesting idea (in my opinion), but would also make the original Yellow Submarine album, un-necessary. Don't know where to put George Martin's stuff, though....

Your thoughts???........anybody??????