I don't see any more acting for The King. His survival is in part caused by the catchall butterfly of Brian Wilson making conventional psychiatry a big thing for celebs. It doesn't mean Elvis has avoided the things that led to his death, but at certain periods, he's slowed down the abuse of his system. There's also one other big factor in his survival that will be revealed in the next (maybe last) part when we catch up with The Beach Boys.
T2580 - The Beach Boys finish Smile
- Thread starter Guajolote
- Start date
What song did you plan on being a single with a video from Ringo's 1981 album?
Part 24 - The Beach Boys - Introducing Carl And The Passions
"Brian and I were on speaking terms very shortly after everything that happened around LA Blue. But there was still the Dennis problem. Landy was getting results, but Dennis kept running off just as we seemed to be getting somewhere and the process would start all over again. I was OK with Landy, he'd been recommended to me by Jerry Schilling, who was the band's manager at that point. Brian had his UCLA guys, but I didn't believe someone like Dennis would keep still for conventional medicine. I thought it needed a maverick and anyone else with Dennis's ear pretty much agreed. Plus, I'd seen Brian get numbed and drained by Valium and when he recovered, he was still a little…scary.
"Calm people can be scary. Like, in this business there are a lot of people who make a lot of being laid back, but when stuff happens, they freak out like the rest of us. Someone who never freaks out is pretty unnerving.
"Anyway, Brian and I were talking again. One night I get a phone call from Brian and he just says 'There's someone I want you to talk to'. The next voice says 'This is Elvis Presley'. I knew it wasn't a joke, Brian's sense of humor wasn't like that anymore. So, I find myself talking to Elvis and he starts telling me about his brief time with Landy. Jerry Schilling had set that up, too. He was friends with Elvis, still is. By the end of the conversation, Elvis has sold me on the idea that Landy is cut from the same cloth as Colonel Parker, who Elvis had just finished suing into a hole in the ground.
"So, Brian told me the name of the psychiatrist he wanted Dennis to see. Then he dropped his bombshell. He wanted me to see the same guy. I thought I was the non-crazy Wilson, but Brian kept pushing and just said 'It's not about crazy or sane, it's about feeling well. Just do this and maybe Dennis will follow'.
"Damn it, he was right. It was felt that I didn't need any medication, but I got set up with a therapist and I did feel better getting some stuff out it the open. And Dennis noticed how I was feeling and it allowed him to get help without feeling that he was being forced into it by his brothers."
- Carl Wilson
"I guess the ball had started rolling just after LA Blue. I came back from the tour and went to see John Lennon and he'd changed. It was just before or just after he married that psychologist. [1] He didn't want to go out and get hammered anymore. I checked in with the other Hollywod Vampires and even those guys, hardened drinkers, were like 'Dennis, you need to slow down'. So, even though I wouldn't admit it, I guess I knew I had to change. But changing at that time just meant going back to Landy again. I'd been seeing him and running away on and off since '79.
"The Landy thing felt like a punishment. Carl and Jerry and the band were insisting I see this guy, like I was a naughty boy who needed fixing to be good enough for them. Brian and Carl saying 'we're all going to see the same guy' was different. Like, if I was messed up, my brothers were going to share some of the responsibilty. I mean, in the end, it was really all about Dad. We started to understand that he'd been sick, too and even though he was dead, we could forgive him for some things and understand the reasons behind the things we couldn't forgive.
"Then Mom said she'd like to see this guy, too. That was amazing. It was a little family gathering and she just said 'I see what this therapy is doing for you and I think I'd like to give it a try'. Brian picked her up and hugged her and shouted 'MOM!'. I can remember her feet dangling in mid air as Brian has her in this bear hug. He's a tall guy.
You've got to understand, Brian had been a little distant until then. So Mom wanting help and Brian letting his emotions loose, Carl and I just started bawling. Brian's all smiles and happy and saying 'What's wrong? This is great news!' and we just kept crying and crying and in the end we were all in tears, but it was a healing moment."
- Dennis Wilson
"Brian called a meeting and we were expecting a discussion about a new album. Brian then played us some stuff he'd recorded. Like, he had about a third of the next album already taped. He'd had a whole bunch of sessions with people like Hal Blaine and Ray Pohlman, Carol Kaye, those guys. But then Brian had spent time adding his synthesizers. It was weird. It was like Pet Sounds by way of, I dunno, The Human League or something.
"Mike wasn't taken with it, which wasn't a surprise. Mike's very traditional. Al then shocks evreyone by saying he thinks it's great and he's totally onboard. We then witness a rare Love/Jardine argument. They were really into it. I look at Brian and he says 'Nu-uh, you know what happened last time I tried to break these guys up'. Dennis steps in and gets them to sit down."
- Carl Wilson
"I was blown away. Dennis managed to get everything peaceful between the guys. I was proud of him. He said to the guys 'let's get some vocals down on a couple of these tracks and play them to some DJs we know, see if they think it's commercial'. Great idea. Dennis is a smart guy."
- Brian Wilson
"It was new-wave Beach Boys. Who wouldn't love that?"
- Rodney Bingenheimer
"Musically, it's Brian's album with a healthy side order of Al. But Dennis helped manage other stuff. It was his idea to have a kind of nostalgic quality to the title and packaging. He said there was no point in pretending we were young hip guys. That cover is a message, this is us. We're the guys who lived through all that stuff and made this music. I can't remember who came up with the title, but that was part of it.
"I guess maturity was the key. That fight at Brother was the last time things developed that way. After that, we were able to handle things in a mature way. That's the key. We're not oldies, we're not has-beens, we're mature. But we're still boys. We'll always be Beach Boys."
- Carl Wilson
THE BEACH BOYS - INTRODUCING CARL AND THE PASSIONS (1982)
Side One
Goin' On
Stevie
Heaven
Santa Ana Winds
City Blues
Side Two
Marching Along
Lookin' Down The Coast
Sherry She Needs Me
Why
Don't Fight The Sea
[1] I don't have anyone in particular psychologist in mind
"Calm people can be scary. Like, in this business there are a lot of people who make a lot of being laid back, but when stuff happens, they freak out like the rest of us. Someone who never freaks out is pretty unnerving.
"Anyway, Brian and I were talking again. One night I get a phone call from Brian and he just says 'There's someone I want you to talk to'. The next voice says 'This is Elvis Presley'. I knew it wasn't a joke, Brian's sense of humor wasn't like that anymore. So, I find myself talking to Elvis and he starts telling me about his brief time with Landy. Jerry Schilling had set that up, too. He was friends with Elvis, still is. By the end of the conversation, Elvis has sold me on the idea that Landy is cut from the same cloth as Colonel Parker, who Elvis had just finished suing into a hole in the ground.
"So, Brian told me the name of the psychiatrist he wanted Dennis to see. Then he dropped his bombshell. He wanted me to see the same guy. I thought I was the non-crazy Wilson, but Brian kept pushing and just said 'It's not about crazy or sane, it's about feeling well. Just do this and maybe Dennis will follow'.
"Damn it, he was right. It was felt that I didn't need any medication, but I got set up with a therapist and I did feel better getting some stuff out it the open. And Dennis noticed how I was feeling and it allowed him to get help without feeling that he was being forced into it by his brothers."
- Carl Wilson
"I guess the ball had started rolling just after LA Blue. I came back from the tour and went to see John Lennon and he'd changed. It was just before or just after he married that psychologist. [1] He didn't want to go out and get hammered anymore. I checked in with the other Hollywod Vampires and even those guys, hardened drinkers, were like 'Dennis, you need to slow down'. So, even though I wouldn't admit it, I guess I knew I had to change. But changing at that time just meant going back to Landy again. I'd been seeing him and running away on and off since '79.
"The Landy thing felt like a punishment. Carl and Jerry and the band were insisting I see this guy, like I was a naughty boy who needed fixing to be good enough for them. Brian and Carl saying 'we're all going to see the same guy' was different. Like, if I was messed up, my brothers were going to share some of the responsibilty. I mean, in the end, it was really all about Dad. We started to understand that he'd been sick, too and even though he was dead, we could forgive him for some things and understand the reasons behind the things we couldn't forgive.
"Then Mom said she'd like to see this guy, too. That was amazing. It was a little family gathering and she just said 'I see what this therapy is doing for you and I think I'd like to give it a try'. Brian picked her up and hugged her and shouted 'MOM!'. I can remember her feet dangling in mid air as Brian has her in this bear hug. He's a tall guy.
You've got to understand, Brian had been a little distant until then. So Mom wanting help and Brian letting his emotions loose, Carl and I just started bawling. Brian's all smiles and happy and saying 'What's wrong? This is great news!' and we just kept crying and crying and in the end we were all in tears, but it was a healing moment."
- Dennis Wilson
"Brian called a meeting and we were expecting a discussion about a new album. Brian then played us some stuff he'd recorded. Like, he had about a third of the next album already taped. He'd had a whole bunch of sessions with people like Hal Blaine and Ray Pohlman, Carol Kaye, those guys. But then Brian had spent time adding his synthesizers. It was weird. It was like Pet Sounds by way of, I dunno, The Human League or something.
"Mike wasn't taken with it, which wasn't a surprise. Mike's very traditional. Al then shocks evreyone by saying he thinks it's great and he's totally onboard. We then witness a rare Love/Jardine argument. They were really into it. I look at Brian and he says 'Nu-uh, you know what happened last time I tried to break these guys up'. Dennis steps in and gets them to sit down."
- Carl Wilson
"I was blown away. Dennis managed to get everything peaceful between the guys. I was proud of him. He said to the guys 'let's get some vocals down on a couple of these tracks and play them to some DJs we know, see if they think it's commercial'. Great idea. Dennis is a smart guy."
- Brian Wilson
"It was new-wave Beach Boys. Who wouldn't love that?"
- Rodney Bingenheimer
"Musically, it's Brian's album with a healthy side order of Al. But Dennis helped manage other stuff. It was his idea to have a kind of nostalgic quality to the title and packaging. He said there was no point in pretending we were young hip guys. That cover is a message, this is us. We're the guys who lived through all that stuff and made this music. I can't remember who came up with the title, but that was part of it.
"I guess maturity was the key. That fight at Brother was the last time things developed that way. After that, we were able to handle things in a mature way. That's the key. We're not oldies, we're not has-beens, we're mature. But we're still boys. We'll always be Beach Boys."
- Carl Wilson
THE BEACH BOYS - INTRODUCING CARL AND THE PASSIONS (1982)
Side One
Goin' On
Stevie
Heaven
Santa Ana Winds
City Blues
Side Two
Marching Along
Lookin' Down The Coast
Sherry She Needs Me
Why
Don't Fight The Sea
[1] I don't have anyone in particular psychologist in mind
Last edited:
Hmmm.... some of the quotes sound like ending, but I do want to know what happens after 1982? What happens with the Beatles and Elvis?
I'm kind of all written-out on this one at the moment. I do have a vague idea of how The Beatles and Live Aid pans out, but I'm going to take a rest on this TL, but it might come back.
For a later Elvis career, I recommend my good friend Andrew Hickey's blog post here, which is where I got the Elvis/Landy idea.
For a later Elvis career, I recommend my good friend Andrew Hickey's blog post here, which is where I got the Elvis/Landy idea.
Nice. Other than Child is Father, could you explain your imaginary versions of some Smile tracks from the Capitol tracklist in detail?
I used my own fanmix as a guide of what TTL's Smile sounds like, but I didn't do a tracklist because I could see things getting sidetracked by people saying "no, no, no, you can't put Wind Chimes there!". Anyway, I see it being 12 banded tracks. The Elements has been abandoned, but Fire is on the album because it's finished, Brian doesn't want to get bogged down recording new sections for things if he can avoid it.
There's a little extra recording to finish Heroes And Villains, which is basically the Feb 10 Cantina mix, but with the Sunny Down Snuff and Prelude To Fade section before the fade, just to give it a little extra colour. Brian has been bold and gone for the idea of singles having movement-like sections instead of verse-chorus etc. It's not a hit. EMI in the UK pick Child precisely because it does have verse-chorus etc. structure.
There's a little extra recording to finish Heroes And Villains, which is basically the Feb 10 Cantina mix, but with the Sunny Down Snuff and Prelude To Fade section before the fade, just to give it a little extra colour. Brian has been bold and gone for the idea of singles having movement-like sections instead of verse-chorus etc. It's not a hit. EMI in the UK pick Child precisely because it does have verse-chorus etc. structure.
Part 25 - Queen - Hot Space (Queen meet The King)
"The sessions were a disaster waiting to happen. We were recording in Munich and hard partying in that desperate way, like we were trying to forget something, run away from something. Paul Prenter's influence [on Freddie] was beginning to be a real problem. More than once, I wondered if it was the end of the band. In the middle of all this, two legends stopped by to visit and brought things to a head. We embarrassed ourselves in front of the two biggest names in rock. We had to pull ourselves together after that."
Brian May, Classic Albums, BBC2 2006
"We knew Elvis was interested in covering Dragon Attack. He decided to visit us in person and discuss things. I think he thought we were younger than we really were. He was talking to us as if we were some new, upcoming band that all the kids liked. But, Elvis is Elvis, you don't correct him.
"He told us how much he'd loved The Game and the stark, spare quality of things like Another One Bites The Dust and Dragon Attack. We played him some things from the new album and, he was diplomatic, but we could tell he didn't love them. He went back to talking about the tight, punchy sound we had on The Game. Prenter was there, probably to whisk Freddie away to a bar as usual, and he objected to Elvis's lukewarm reaction to the new stuff. I don't think he called Elvis a has-been in as many words, but the temperature in the room dropped considerably and Elvis decided it was time to leave.
"Brian and Roger offered to walk him out and believe apologies were offered and in the conversation, Elvis put what I believe Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys called 'the curse of the Colonel' on Prenter. When Elvis compared anyone to his old manager, it was a sign that he thought this person was trouble.
"That had been bad enough, but a few days later, John Lennon decided to pop in and see us. It had absolutely no connection to the Elvis visit, John didn't know about that. However, another all-time legend of music turning up made Prenter paranoid. He seemed to think that Elvis has sent John Lennon as one of his minions to turn Freddie against him. It's almost funny. Roger, Freddie and I were in the studio when Brian runs in and says 'John Lennon's here and Prenter is trying to stop him seeing us'. We came out of the studio to be greeted by the sound of raised voices with Prenter saying something like 'I don't care who you are, you can't just walk in on Freddie like that'. We were stunned.
"John knew more about Queen's situation than Elvis had. When Elvis put his curse on Prenter, he was just saying it as he saw it, I doubt he knew much about it in advance. John knew about a few gigs in LA that Prenter had shot down and bet that we hadn't been told about them. He was right. There was the most almighty argument, accusations flew and for a moment, it seemed like Queen had split.
"The day after we came back to Musicland [recording studio] and did a bit of recording, but things were very overcast. Prenter and Freddie had the most enormous falling out and Freddie was worried that Prenter was going to 'out' him.
"John Lennon came back, apparently having asked someone at the studio to give him a call when the coast was clear. He gave us a pep talk and, most importantly, told Freddie if he was outed, he would make a statement saying it didn't change how he felt about Freddie and anyone who wanted to give Freddie a hard time would have to go through him. It was very touching. But John then said he'd really come to talk music and wanted to hear what we'd been doing.
"He wasn't as diplomatic as Elvis. He said it lacked punch. Like Elvis, he pointed to the stuff on the game and said that was 'muscular'. And then came the point a lot of rock fans wish hadn't happened. He said he loved the fact we were going for a disco/soul direction, but to 'keep it stark'. That gave us a huge sense of purpose, even the ones who'd been least taken with the dancier direction. But it seemed easier to swallow. To do a funky album that had a bit of edge, a kind of darkness to it. [1]
"We ended up with a nice balance, an album of two distinct sides. Upbeat on side one, mellow on side two. There was some backlash from the old-school fans, but it did bring us a lot of new ones."
John Deacon, Classic Albums, BBC2 2006
QUEEN - HOT SPACE (1982)
Side One
Staying Power
Dancer
Back Chat
This Feeling [2]
Action This Day
Side Two
Calling All Girls
Cool Cat
Life Is Sweet (Song For John)
Soul Brother
Under Pressure (with David Bowie) [3]
[1] So it's Hot Space, but the sound is closer to something like the live Milton Keynes Bowl version of Staying Power and earlier things like Another One Bites The Dust and Fun It.
[2] The idea here is that they've revisited News Of The World outtake Feelings, Feelings
[3] This has still happened. You can basically take Queen's career up to the Hot Space sessions in Munich as being broadly the same as OTL.
Brian May, Classic Albums, BBC2 2006
"We knew Elvis was interested in covering Dragon Attack. He decided to visit us in person and discuss things. I think he thought we were younger than we really were. He was talking to us as if we were some new, upcoming band that all the kids liked. But, Elvis is Elvis, you don't correct him.
"He told us how much he'd loved The Game and the stark, spare quality of things like Another One Bites The Dust and Dragon Attack. We played him some things from the new album and, he was diplomatic, but we could tell he didn't love them. He went back to talking about the tight, punchy sound we had on The Game. Prenter was there, probably to whisk Freddie away to a bar as usual, and he objected to Elvis's lukewarm reaction to the new stuff. I don't think he called Elvis a has-been in as many words, but the temperature in the room dropped considerably and Elvis decided it was time to leave.
"Brian and Roger offered to walk him out and believe apologies were offered and in the conversation, Elvis put what I believe Dennis Wilson of The Beach Boys called 'the curse of the Colonel' on Prenter. When Elvis compared anyone to his old manager, it was a sign that he thought this person was trouble.
"That had been bad enough, but a few days later, John Lennon decided to pop in and see us. It had absolutely no connection to the Elvis visit, John didn't know about that. However, another all-time legend of music turning up made Prenter paranoid. He seemed to think that Elvis has sent John Lennon as one of his minions to turn Freddie against him. It's almost funny. Roger, Freddie and I were in the studio when Brian runs in and says 'John Lennon's here and Prenter is trying to stop him seeing us'. We came out of the studio to be greeted by the sound of raised voices with Prenter saying something like 'I don't care who you are, you can't just walk in on Freddie like that'. We were stunned.
"John knew more about Queen's situation than Elvis had. When Elvis put his curse on Prenter, he was just saying it as he saw it, I doubt he knew much about it in advance. John knew about a few gigs in LA that Prenter had shot down and bet that we hadn't been told about them. He was right. There was the most almighty argument, accusations flew and for a moment, it seemed like Queen had split.
"The day after we came back to Musicland [recording studio] and did a bit of recording, but things were very overcast. Prenter and Freddie had the most enormous falling out and Freddie was worried that Prenter was going to 'out' him.
"John Lennon came back, apparently having asked someone at the studio to give him a call when the coast was clear. He gave us a pep talk and, most importantly, told Freddie if he was outed, he would make a statement saying it didn't change how he felt about Freddie and anyone who wanted to give Freddie a hard time would have to go through him. It was very touching. But John then said he'd really come to talk music and wanted to hear what we'd been doing.
"He wasn't as diplomatic as Elvis. He said it lacked punch. Like Elvis, he pointed to the stuff on the game and said that was 'muscular'. And then came the point a lot of rock fans wish hadn't happened. He said he loved the fact we were going for a disco/soul direction, but to 'keep it stark'. That gave us a huge sense of purpose, even the ones who'd been least taken with the dancier direction. But it seemed easier to swallow. To do a funky album that had a bit of edge, a kind of darkness to it. [1]
"We ended up with a nice balance, an album of two distinct sides. Upbeat on side one, mellow on side two. There was some backlash from the old-school fans, but it did bring us a lot of new ones."
John Deacon, Classic Albums, BBC2 2006
QUEEN - HOT SPACE (1982)
Side One
Staying Power
Dancer
Back Chat
This Feeling [2]
Action This Day
Side Two
Calling All Girls
Cool Cat
Life Is Sweet (Song For John)
Soul Brother
Under Pressure (with David Bowie) [3]
[1] So it's Hot Space, but the sound is closer to something like the live Milton Keynes Bowl version of Staying Power and earlier things like Another One Bites The Dust and Fun It.
[2] The idea here is that they've revisited News Of The World outtake Feelings, Feelings
[3] This has still happened. You can basically take Queen's career up to the Hot Space sessions in Munich as being broadly the same as OTL.
Why are the subplots always more enjoyable than the Beach Boys one? Some of those Beatles parts were well-written, and Rock and Roll/Solid Boom being a full-group Beatles album (as opposed to solo Lennon) that ends up being their last could indicate their career ended "on not a bang, but a whisper" as Abbey Road still happened.
My ideas for a SMiLE fanmix are quite unusual, specifically the inclusion of the piano demo of Surf's Up rather than the later versions. It sounds more like a SMiLE track than the later versions, and I'm the only one who dislikes the SMiLE Sessions version because of the accidental Carl flow-in.
My ideas for a SMiLE fanmix are quite unusual, specifically the inclusion of the piano demo of Surf's Up rather than the later versions. It sounds more like a SMiLE track than the later versions, and I'm the only one who dislikes the SMiLE Sessions version because of the accidental Carl flow-in.
Personally I disagree, I find all of the plots as enjoyable as the rest. But yeah, it seems the Beatles career sorts of just phases slowly out into solo careers.
Part 26 - The Beatles - Astray
"The Beatles are over. I think Almost Completely Unassisted killed the white whale on that one. We can work together, we can develop as artists, but a Beatles project would need something that I don't think we have any more. We're too old to be Beatles. The spark isn't there any more."
- John Lennon, LA Times Interview, November 1983
"I'm not sure what I thought I was doing when I said that. I mean, there probably won't be another Beatles album or anything, but I think the others would like to have been consulted in that decision."
- John Lennon, The Sunday Times (UK) Interview, January 1984
John: I guess it was a mid-life crisis. I was feeling old and I was scared of letting people down. I lashed out. It was stupid of me and it got me in trouble with the other three. It's just that for a Beatles thing, it's not enough for the four of us to write some songs. You can't make Beatles albums out of our solo albums, because on those, we're talking about ourselves. There's got to be a certain spirit for The Beatles.
Johnny Carson: So there's not going to be another Beatles album?
John: Oh yeah, we've booked the studio. There's a new Beatles album on the way.
(audience whoops and claps)
John: I suppose I should have said something earlier.
- The Tonight Show, March 1984
THE BEATLES - ASTRAY (1984)
Side One
No More Lonely Nights (McCartney)
I'm Losing You (Lennon)
That Which I Have Lost (Harrison)
Watching The Wheels (Lennon/McCartney)
The Pound Is Sinking (McCartney)
Greece (Harrison)
Side Two
Here Comes The Moon (Harrison)
Nobody Told Me (Lennon)
Now And Then (Lennon/McCartney)
Keep Under Cover (McCartney)
Circles (Harrison)
Pipes Of Peace (Lennon/McCartney)
"The others didn't give me a hard time about saying 'no more Beatles'. I rang them all before the interview went out and said 'I think I've said something really stupid'. They said 'OK, no more Beatles, we can live with that' and I invited them over for a chat and no hard feelings. Paul being Paul just had to sing some new numbers he'd written and that threw things open for George to do the same.
"I started getting this knot in my stomach. There was some really great stuff in there and I knew where this was leading. I threw up my hands and said 'if that's what you've got, I want in on this'. Cue three Beatles giving me the side-eye. I said 'I want those songs for The Beatles, those are Beatles songs'. They're now looking at me like I've grown another head.
"I'd gotten to involved in myself and thought that because I had writer's block, the others must have it too. Hearing their new songs just made me want to record again and I wanted to be a part of whatever they had. I polished some things I'd been working on and then Paul and I shot a couple of ideas across to each other and, y'know, The Beatles were back."
- John Lennon, Whistle Test Interview, November 1984
"You can thank John for the cover. We consulted a few designers and a lot of them pitched the idea of the four of stood against a brick wall. John was furious and would shout 'It's such a cliche! Why not have us standing behind a dry stone wall?' And that's what we did."
- Ringo Starr, Astray, 2009 reissue booklet notes
- John Lennon, LA Times Interview, November 1983
"I'm not sure what I thought I was doing when I said that. I mean, there probably won't be another Beatles album or anything, but I think the others would like to have been consulted in that decision."
- John Lennon, The Sunday Times (UK) Interview, January 1984
John: I guess it was a mid-life crisis. I was feeling old and I was scared of letting people down. I lashed out. It was stupid of me and it got me in trouble with the other three. It's just that for a Beatles thing, it's not enough for the four of us to write some songs. You can't make Beatles albums out of our solo albums, because on those, we're talking about ourselves. There's got to be a certain spirit for The Beatles.
Johnny Carson: So there's not going to be another Beatles album?
John: Oh yeah, we've booked the studio. There's a new Beatles album on the way.
(audience whoops and claps)
John: I suppose I should have said something earlier.
- The Tonight Show, March 1984
THE BEATLES - ASTRAY (1984)
Side One
No More Lonely Nights (McCartney)
I'm Losing You (Lennon)
That Which I Have Lost (Harrison)
Watching The Wheels (Lennon/McCartney)
The Pound Is Sinking (McCartney)
Greece (Harrison)
Side Two
Here Comes The Moon (Harrison)
Nobody Told Me (Lennon)
Now And Then (Lennon/McCartney)
Keep Under Cover (McCartney)
Circles (Harrison)
Pipes Of Peace (Lennon/McCartney)
"The others didn't give me a hard time about saying 'no more Beatles'. I rang them all before the interview went out and said 'I think I've said something really stupid'. They said 'OK, no more Beatles, we can live with that' and I invited them over for a chat and no hard feelings. Paul being Paul just had to sing some new numbers he'd written and that threw things open for George to do the same.
"I started getting this knot in my stomach. There was some really great stuff in there and I knew where this was leading. I threw up my hands and said 'if that's what you've got, I want in on this'. Cue three Beatles giving me the side-eye. I said 'I want those songs for The Beatles, those are Beatles songs'. They're now looking at me like I've grown another head.
"I'd gotten to involved in myself and thought that because I had writer's block, the others must have it too. Hearing their new songs just made me want to record again and I wanted to be a part of whatever they had. I polished some things I'd been working on and then Paul and I shot a couple of ideas across to each other and, y'know, The Beatles were back."
- John Lennon, Whistle Test Interview, November 1984
"You can thank John for the cover. We consulted a few designers and a lot of them pitched the idea of the four of stood against a brick wall. John was furious and would shout 'It's such a cliche! Why not have us standing behind a dry stone wall?' And that's what we did."
- Ringo Starr, Astray, 2009 reissue booklet notes
Last edited:
Very interesting post! Which song does Ringo sing? Possibly "Nobody Told Me" as he was offered it IOTL?
Part 27 - John Lennon - Genius Steals
Hopes for a Beatles tour after Astray were shot down by the announcement that John's third wife Anne Lennon[1] was pregnant. While still being on good terms with the rest of the band, John lost interest The Beatles, at least in the short term.
Lennon had already been mending fences with his first two wives and son Julian. The prospect of being a family man again at age 44 made it of paramount importance that the newest Lennon would be born into a family free of infighting and stress.
John Lennon became the stereotype of an expectant father, constantly hovering around Anne to make sure she was comfortable and everything was OK. It wasn't long before Anne decided that Mr Lennon needed something to keep him occupied. A few calls were made and Mark Linett from Brother Studios was despatched to set up a home studio at Lennon's house.
Lennon's writer's block hadn't quite left him and he was more interested in singing anyway. He later recalled "I really wanted to take my singing voice for a test drive. Elvis had come back a couple of years earlier and I wanted to try and be an interpreter of songs like him. I didn't think the writer's block would last forever and it didn't, but if it did, I wanted to be able to still create."
The eclectic collection was a smash hit, even though Lennon did little to promote it as by the time it came out, he was busy with his new daughter, Mimi.
JOHN LENNON - GENIUS STEALS (1985)
Side One
Give Me Back My Man (Schneider, Wilson, Strickland, Wilson)
The Green Door (Davie, Moore)
Too Late For Goodbyes (Lennon)
Never Say Never (Iyall, Woods, Zincavage, Bossi, Carter)
Kiss Kiss Kiss (Ono)[2]
Crawfish [featuring Kate Pierson] (Wise, Weisman)
Side Two
26 Miles (Santa Catalina) (Belland, Larson)
Living Life (Johnston)
You Little Fool (Costello)
Seven Daffodils (Hayes, Moseley)
It's Not Easy Being Me (Nilsson)
Everyday (Holly, Petty)
[1] I guess Anne is an original character. I just wanted John to marry someone who wasn't famous and had a background in psychology
[2] In a "hard" alternate history, this song really really wouldn't exist, but I'm leaning heavily on the paralleism to indicate that things are still amicable between Ono and Lennon.
Lennon had already been mending fences with his first two wives and son Julian. The prospect of being a family man again at age 44 made it of paramount importance that the newest Lennon would be born into a family free of infighting and stress.
John Lennon became the stereotype of an expectant father, constantly hovering around Anne to make sure she was comfortable and everything was OK. It wasn't long before Anne decided that Mr Lennon needed something to keep him occupied. A few calls were made and Mark Linett from Brother Studios was despatched to set up a home studio at Lennon's house.
Lennon's writer's block hadn't quite left him and he was more interested in singing anyway. He later recalled "I really wanted to take my singing voice for a test drive. Elvis had come back a couple of years earlier and I wanted to try and be an interpreter of songs like him. I didn't think the writer's block would last forever and it didn't, but if it did, I wanted to be able to still create."
The eclectic collection was a smash hit, even though Lennon did little to promote it as by the time it came out, he was busy with his new daughter, Mimi.
JOHN LENNON - GENIUS STEALS (1985)
Side One
Give Me Back My Man (Schneider, Wilson, Strickland, Wilson)
The Green Door (Davie, Moore)
Too Late For Goodbyes (Lennon)
Never Say Never (Iyall, Woods, Zincavage, Bossi, Carter)
Kiss Kiss Kiss (Ono)[2]
Crawfish [featuring Kate Pierson] (Wise, Weisman)
Side Two
26 Miles (Santa Catalina) (Belland, Larson)
Living Life (Johnston)
You Little Fool (Costello)
Seven Daffodils (Hayes, Moseley)
It's Not Easy Being Me (Nilsson)
Everyday (Holly, Petty)
[1] I guess Anne is an original character. I just wanted John to marry someone who wasn't famous and had a background in psychology
[2] In a "hard" alternate history, this song really really wouldn't exist, but I'm leaning heavily on the paralleism to indicate that things are still amicable between Ono and Lennon.
Wonderful album by the looks of it! I'm guessing that Too Late For Goodbyes is written by Julian yet covered by his father for the album, or does John write it ITTL? Also, wonder if the exposure from this album will affect Daniel Johnston's career in any way. I know he was a huge Beatles fan so I'm sure he'll have been delighted.