The Beatles ('White Album') released in 2 parts in 1968/69

What if The Beatles (aka 'The White Album') is released as a single album in November 1968 (same date as OTL double album), and then a second album released in early-mid 1969 from the same sessions??

If this release schedule is pre-planned by the Beatles/Apple/EMI, it takes a LOT of pressure off them in this time period.. So what happens to the whole 'Get Back'/'Let it Be' project?

In OTL, the January 1969 'Get Back' sessions started off as rehearsals for a show at The Roundhouse/An amphitheatre /A cruise liner/A lunatic asylum. The planned venue changed from day to day - the last suggestion was John Lennon's by the way. :)

I think one of the main stumbling blocks with the planned 'Get Back' concert was the decision to use only new songs for the show.

If the concert (or small tour of up to 6 dates) is promoting a new album that's already 'in the can' that eases pressure on them to learn new songs as they're writing them. They can play the more straightforward songs from the 2 recent albums, the odd re-worked classic, and a couple of new tunes.

Any thoughts?
 
What would the second half of the White Album be called here? I think there might be certain contractual issues here that would prevent a single album release. The problem with the performance idea is that neither George Harrison or John Lennon wanted to do a concert, let alone a tour. And if you have the whole, "practice at really early hours in the presence of countless cameras" thing still going on, you haven't really alleviated the problems caused by the Get Back project. The best bet would be a simple studio concert. Like the Hey Jude/Revolution performance, but for real this time. I'm certain that "Revolution" and "Yer Blues" would make an appearance in any sustained performance in early 1969.

I was about to post an idea about there not being a filmed Get Back session. That is, what if Get Back was recorded like a normal album? What if there weren't cameras around? What if they were able to record at a more reasonable hour? Now the recording sessions would still undoubtedly be tense, as the White Album sessions had been. But you might not see Harrison outright quit without the added pressure, and the band might have actually produced a fairly decent album from the January 1969 sessions, they had a lot of good material to work with.

I think here the inclination will still be to only use "new" songs in the performance, because the "Get Back" mentality would still be there. Just because the second half of the White Album is delayed doesn't mean you avoid the back to basics mentality that the Beatles operated under in January 1969 and the second half of the White album obviously did not operate under that mentality.
 
What would the second half of the White Album be called here? I think there might be certain contractual issues here that would prevent a single album release. The problem with the performance idea is that neither George Harrison or John Lennon wanted to do a concert, let alone a tour. And if you have the whole, "practice at really early hours in the presence of countless cameras" thing still going on, you haven't really alleviated the problems caused by the Get Back project. The best bet would be a simple studio concert. Like the Hey Jude/Revolution performance, but for real this time. I'm certain that "Revolution" and "Yer Blues" would make an appearance in any sustained performance in early 1969.

I was about to post an idea about there not being a filmed Get Back session. That is, what if Get Back was recorded like a normal album? What if there weren't cameras around? What if they were able to record at a more reasonable hour? Now the recording sessions would still undoubtedly be tense, as the White Album sessions had been. But you might not see Harrison outright quit without the added pressure, and the band might have actually produced a fairly decent album from the January 1969 sessions, they had a lot of good material to work with.

I think here the inclination will still be to only use "new" songs in the performance, because the "Get Back" mentality would still be there. Just because the second half of the White Album is delayed doesn't mean you avoid the back to basics mentality that the Beatles operated under in January 1969 and the second half of the White album obviously did not operate under that mentality.

What I'm proposing here is a major re-think sometime towards the end of the White Album sessions. A summit of the Beatles Members, George Martin, and maybe someone rep from EMI to try and sell them the idea of 2 album releases within 6 months "just like the early days". :)

With the strategy in mind, the plan to test-the-waters for live performances with a one-off concert would be hatched.. and to enable that. the albums could conceivably be stacked so that the 2nd album has more of the 'concert-friendly' material. (Easier to reproduce live, catchier stuff)

Also, just because the Beatles are rehearsing for a concert, doesn't mean that the rehearsals have to be filmed - and if you take away the cameras then that makes the rehearsals less of a pressure-cooker situation AND enables the practices to occur at more "musician friendly" hours of the day. :) The only cameras would be present at the concert itself, and MAYBE the afternoon soundcheck.

As for George & John's reluctance to perform live - I'm not sure what conditions would change that, but being able to rehearse in private would surely be a start? Plus if there's a decent break before rehearsals begin John may perform in some public shows with Yoko that could get him keen on the live concert idea (though not necessarily with The Beatles.. hmm..)
 
The only reason it is called the white album was the original cover had John and Yoko nude on it . and yes I have two copy's of the Album one with the original cover and the other with the white cover .
 
Okay, I assumed that you'd still have the whole "Let's film the rehearsals" idea which really wasn't the best idea at all. If the band hires out a studio somewhere to perform, you can probably get a single performance out the band without much difficulty, particularly if the pressure is lower. A tour is really pushing things though. What songs do you think they would play from the second half of the White Album? Yer Blues is a near certainty.
 
Okay, I assumed that you'd still have the whole "Let's film the rehearsals" idea which really wasn't the best idea at all. If the band hires out a studio somewhere to perform, you can probably get a single performance out the band without much difficulty, particularly if the pressure is lower. A tour is really pushing things though. What songs do you think they would play from the second half of the White Album? Yer Blues is a near certainty.

The heavier songs from the White album sessions are obvious ones for a concert - Helter Skelter, Yer Blues, Revolution (see the promo clip for a pointer on that one).. But there's some good mellower ones that could easliy be translated to a live show. 'I Will' instantly comes to mind.

Add in the chance of a few recent album songs (Maybe they could work up a live version of a lesser-known track like 'She Said She Said'?) and perhaps 'Get Back', 'Don't let me down' and 'All things must Pass' as 3 songs played back-to-back mid concert?

I can imagine Paul saying something like "We'd like to play a few new songs now.. They're not on the album, but they'll be out soon enough..." before launching into 'Get Back'...

If the show goes well, it could even be released by Apple towards the end of 1969
 
And if the sessions don't destroy them, we can probably see Get Back being released in the summer of 1969, with Abbey Road coming out in 1970. Do you think ITTL, we'll see Maybe I'm Amazed on Abbey Road? It's a perfect song, and it could work. And if they stay together, what becomes of the songs they wrote on their own. Does Imagine still exist? Live and Let Die? Band on the Run? Mull of Kintyre? Blow Away? Cheer Down?
 
Top