Dylan, Beatles, and Stones makes an album together in 1969

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(CNN) -- It would have been the ultimate supergroup: the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan.
And it was actually proposed, says engineer and producer Glyn Johns, according to a piece in Rolling Stone.
According to Johns' new memoir, "Sound Man," while traveling with Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner he ran into Dylan in New York sometime in 1969. The singer had just done an interview with Wenner and started peppering Johns with questions about the two bands.
Johns had worked with the Beatles in early 1969 on the "Get Back" sessions -- later to become "Let It Be" -- and the Stones on 1968's "Beggars Banquet," so he had recent experience with both.
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Then Dylan dropped a bombshell.

"He said he had this idea to make a record with the Beatles and the Stones," Johns writes. "And he asked me if I would find out whether the others would be interested. I was completely bowled over. Can you imagine the three greatest influences on popular music in the previous decade making an album together?"
The artists had crossed paths in various combinations before. Lennon and McCartney wrote "I Wanna Be Your Man" for the Stones and later sang on the Stones' "We Love You." Mick Jagger and Keith Richards were at the TV taping of the Beatles' "All You Need Is Love." Lennon appeared in the Stones' "Rock and Roll Circus" film.
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Johns ran the idea by the bands' members. Harrison and Richards were all for it, he says, and others were noncommittal. But Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger said "absolutely not," Johns writes.
A shame, Johns adds, as he had the sessions all planned out.
"We would pool the best material from Mick and Keith, Paul and John, Bob and George, and then select the best rhythm section from the two bands to suit whichever songs we were cutting," he writes.
But, he observes, "Paul and Mick were probably right."


But what if they did make a album together in 69?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/11/07/showbiz/music/supergroup-dylan-beatles-stones/index.html?hpt=hp_c3
 
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It'd blow your mind IF it ever got finished IMO

Super groups tend to
* Fission due to too many egos,
* Do really mediocre b/c you end up with a ghoulash of everyone's spices canceling each other out, OR
* Pull off the occasional transcendental work when everyone can be convinced to contribute w/o worrying about who's shining brightest.

It'd be near-ASB finding the right producer that could get all of those groovy cats to make beautiful music together w/o it taking forever and five days until you get s/t everyone's happy with.

YMMDV.
 
This is such a vast project that it's hard to imagine it working. But then again, I suppose that's the magic of the studio. One other problem not already remarked upon is that the Beatles were in the process of splitting up at the time-it's remarkable that Abbey Road exists. Which leads into a big question-when in 1969 was this supposed to have happened?

I won't say that collaboration between elements of the groups is impossible. Harrison had already demonstrated a willingness to work or even a preference for working with other musicians outside his band, which suggests he wouldn't turn down this opportunity. Richards willingness to play with Lennon in 1968 demonstrates he was able to work outside of the context of the Rolling Stones at times during that period. Yes, that was one performance, but at the least it suggests that he wouldn't have rejected the opportunity to record an album with Dylan and Harrison and Harrison wouldn't have turned down the opportunity to work with Dylan.

The idea of Dylan and Harrison working together in 1969 is not far fetched at all or too removed from what actually happened. The question would be whether Richards would work with Harrison. But I don't know if there's a reason why he wouldn't.

I think Dylan's proposal is more likely to result in a collaboration between elements of the Beatles and elements of the Stones, rather than the full unit of either band. Maybe something like Dylan, Harrison, Richards, Wyman, and Ringo?

Of course the label problem would still cause all sorts of headaches.
 
I think Dylan's proposal is more likely to result in a collaboration between elements of the Beatles and elements of the Stones, rather than the full unit of either band. Maybe something like Dylan, Harrison, Richards, Wyman, and Ringo?

That's probably way more likely IMO
 
Dylan-Beatles-Stones lineup:

Bob Dylan - Vocals, guitar, harmonica
George Harrison - Vocals, lead guitar/slide guitar
Keith Richards - Vocals (on maybe 1 or 2 songs), rhythm guitar
Bill Wyman - Bass (Maybe 1 song with him on lead vocals if he writes a song, maybe co-written with Dylan??)
Ringo Starr - Vocals (if he writes one), drums

The album wouldve been a great combo of folk & blues, imo. Its only a one-off thing though. Can see the band doing some sort of reunion in the 80s or 90s though. Or the 2000s if George survives his cancer.

However, this might lead Lennon to leave the band earlier; "If Harrison and Starr can do things outside of The Beatles, so can I!"
 
Bob Dylan's best 'super group' IMHO was the Travelling Wilburys - with Roy Orbisom, Tom Petty, George Harrison and Jeff Lynd.
 
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