The Beatles' Solo Careers Poll - Voting and General Discussion Thread

Let's definitively decide which of the cuddly moptops had the best career outside of the Fab Four!

Some voting rules:
- Ballots can contain up to 100 tracks
- Points will be allotted per usual rules (no. 1 gets 100 pts, no. 100 gets 1 pt, etc.)
- [b]I'm going to allow any non-Beatles track that features the appearance of at least Beatle.[b] This means collaborative things like the Traveling Wilburys, Yoko Ono tracks that John plays on, Nilsson's Pussycats, "Badge" by Cream, McCartney + randos collabs etc. are all eligible.
- Ballots are due on FRIDAY, June 1st, 5pm PST. E-mail your ballots to audiobot at yahoo dotcom.

Let's do this
https://proxy.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2F78.media.tumblr.com%2F3b2bd462d1d8e4c57a8a62c6fd391fa0%2Ftumblr_nz7r43eyEb1qzy30io1_1280.jpg&f=1

lol html edit

I'm going to allow any non-Beatles track that features the appearance of at least Beatle.

ONE Beatle

this is off to a great start...

Very cool poll. Just to clarify, it's any track that a single Beatle made an appearance on? So in theory my #1 could be David Bowie's Fame?

yes

what about Billy Preston songs sans any other Beatle?

the girl is mine ftw

Billy Preson was not a Beatle, so no

frog chorus ftw

A few years ago I made extra Beatles albums, about another 12 or so going up to the early 80s, compiled from solo work & would like to share them here. Anyone know how I could do that. Mediafire would take them down, Mixcloud would block in the USA and nobody trusts torrents now.

dropbox links

Cool -- Tim Ellison and I have a new playground in which to continue our 15-year argument over why solo George ruled/sucked!

yr welcome

think you know where I fall on that divide

At this point isn't Paul going to win really easily?

I think the idea that any Beatle besides Paul has a prayer of winning this poll on ILX is folly

I, for one, don't rate Paul's solo career nearly as highly as others, apparently

Guess we should just poll it all and find out.

honestly I can see a scenario where Yoko actually tops the poll, people sure do love Walking on Thin Ice...

All POLLS Must Pass
It's Just ANOTHER POLL

or a Beatles-hater submitting a top 10 that's all Kanye, David Bowie, Elton John, Yoko, Nilsson, Michael Jackson, and the Wilburys

xp

Yoko's "Mind Train" will actually be really high on my ballot probably

The Ballot of John and Yoko and Paul and George and Ringo

^^^

love the 100-song ballot and the long voting period. once i'm through grading i will start hyping some lesser-loved tracks.

you really missed the boat by not calling this thread "Imagine All The Pre-POLLs"

POLL Those Years Ago

I'm just beginning to consider what to vote for and... finding it easier than I thought!

awesome, can't wait, 100 tracks is daunting but exciting. Plastic Ono Band lock for best album right?

ah just tracks, no albums

I wasn't planning on bothering with side polls for albums, individuals, etc. Tracks should speak for themselves imo

JL/POB wouldn't be my #1 in that imaginary albums poll.

It wouldn't be mine, either.

me neither

it's easy if you try

surely this is a lock for #1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjhRmOnoFBo

What format do you want them in? I guess something like

1. We All Stand Together - Paul McCartney & The Frog Chorus

will be ok.

never heard "Tandoori Chicken" before. wonder if it was the secret inspiration for "Cook of the House"

Am I the only person who likes "Say, Say, Say" better than "The Girl Is Mine?" I honestly hope not.

I could pretty much take dark horse, plastic ono, all things must pass and call it a day

Dark Horse is a fucking woeful record. One or two half-decent tracks ruined by George's vocals.

Am I the only person who likes "Say, Say, Say" better than "The Girl Is Mine?" I honestly hope not.

― Westworld more like Worstworld right? (Phil D.), Thursday, May 10, 2018 6:45 PM (seven minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

No, I too prefer 'Say Say Say' ... I'd take 'The Man' over 'The Girl Is Mine', too.

I would prefer the format to be like this:

[Artist] - [Song title]

No numbers necessary as long as they're in order (number one at the top etc)

gonna continue to rep for obscure George nuggets

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3s4ncKCE2g

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVRmdrM0Mmg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GCVe4pNMLW0

I like 'I Live For You' a lot - also, I seem to remember Kula Shaker nicking the riff from 'Ski-ing' for one of their B-sides.

or a Beatles-hater submitting a top 10 that's all Kanye, David Bowie, Elton John, Yoko, Nilsson, Michael Jackson, and the Wilburys

xp

― Οὖτις, Thursday, May 10, 2018 6:01 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Let's not forget The Smokin' Mojo Filters and... Oasis!

Live and Let POLL

Thomas The Tank Engine theme tune hereby nominated

? does not feature any Beatles.

sure Ringo was on the show, but he's not on the song iirc

Let Me POLL It

Let's not forget the time when Macca found himself "in the middle of a Nirvana reunion"

Just remembered Scouse Mouse, scratch TTTE.

Let's not forget The Smokin' Mojo Filters and... Oasis!

idrc Macca ever playing with Oasis?

yeah me neither

will be v interested to see what paul album rates highest here -- band on the run and tug of war were prob the critical faves back in the day, now i'd expect it to go to ram or maybe even mccartney II.

Let Me POLL It

nice

JL/POB is prob not my personal fav beatles solo album but it feels like a lock for top 3 at least

voodoo chili - legit lolz at "Imagine all the Pre-POLLs"

I will not be tallying votes for individual albums, that's some other poll

My bit about George.

surprised there wasn't a button poll for that already

I guess I could do a side-poll for albums if people really want. I don't really care personally

xp

ah! sorry should've read this more carefully.

There’s two good songs on dark horse is an insane opinion

that's true, there's actually three good songs (Ding Dong, Dark Horse and It Is He)

the mono version of "wonderwall music" is just so damn fantastic

Extra Texture is worse if that's possible. At least DH has an anonymous mid '70s studio rock professionalism.

I’m pretty sure Macca wins this over the length of his career : between « every night », « say say say » and stuff on Chaos, for instance, a lot of great work.
Lennon’s and George’s initial output were stronger, though.

the weird thing for me is that while I find plenty of Macca's stuff pleasant, I'm hard-pressed to consider what I think his greatest solo songs are. a lot of his hits seem slight or just stupid, and the ones that I consider very good don't really measure up to the more canonical hits from John and George's early runs. I mean, sure "Band on the Run" or "Live and Let Die" are good but ... they aren't *that* great.

Macca is perfect for the old days of CD-Rs and CS-90s. You do what a pal did for me: stick 15 to 20 album tracks, B-sides, and obscurities. I was charmed.

yeah that's true, he's done so much and followed so many weird little detours, but with a baseline competency and inventiveness that you could just make an entirely decent alternate discography from any old collection of odds and ends

otoh I listen to something like Red Rose Speedway and as soon as its over I can't remember a thing about it

Yeah I agree. Like once they pass away : John had « Imagine », George « My Sweet Lord », even when the time comes, Ringo will have, I don’t know, like « Photograph », but Macca... his most famous track, nowadays, might be « Live &Let Die », which seems a bit below the level of such a legendary songwriter.

I sort of agree that most of the best solo McCartney tracks are slight and insubstantial and frivolous, but I don't think that's a bad thing, I like the way he embraced meandering aimlessness in his solo career, what else are you going to do after you've been in The Greatest Band Of All Time

Yeah, of course.
That said I have always thought, in all fairness, that Macca’s « Imagine » should be « Let it Be ».
Even Lennon said it was a solo track !

the canonical paul solo track is probably maybe i'm amazed, isn't it?

maybe? otoh how many ilxors are really gonna go to bat for that smarmy pile (I prefer the Faces version!)

do Twin Freaks versions count as separate tracks itp bcz ^

sure

"Band on the Run" and "Jet" are probably competitive with "Live & Let Die" for famousness. "Maybe I'm Amazed" for belovedness.

Me, I just hope something from Tug of War gets some love. "Take it Away" perhaps.

I loved this Taylor Parkes article about the low-key weirdness of so much of 70s McCartney':

Though they feature a great many pale burlesques of funk or blues or disco or doo-wop, these records occupy a unique space within pop — in some ways, they're barely recognisable as pop music at all. Except in the most superficial sense, they bear no relation to the work of McCartney's contemporaries, nor to anything that came before (or has come since). Not because they're personal — McCartney let little of himself into his work — nor because they push back boundaries, or break new ground (they do neither). They just seem to ignore most of pop's basic obligations. Few of these songs mean anything at all; they're rarely exciting in a purely visceral sense; they never tell a story, or attempt to blow your mind; they're seldom uplifting, or plaintive, or gross. They are utterly useless objects, which seem content simply to exist. This is their (very) peculiar charm.

http://thequietus.com/articles/01922-paul-mccartney-the-beatles-wings-the-best-of

idrc Macca ever playing with Oasis?

― chilis=lyrics...hypocrits (sic), Thursday, May 10, 2018 7:44 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

yeah me neither

― Οὖτις, Thursday, May 10, 2018 7:44 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

That's because he didn't! I'm referring to Lennon's voice on 'I'm Outta Time', which counts because it features him!

wow that is v otm

xp

I'm referring to Lennon's voice on 'I'm Outta Time', which counts because it features him!

samples don't count

the Beatle in question has to have actively participated in the recording

sure

this principle makes picking votes on Liverpool Sound Collage harder too

Twin Freaks edition of Maybe I'm Amazed btw

I'm referring to Lennon's voice on 'I'm Outta Time', which counts because it features him!

brb, voting Beastie Boys for 100 points

xpost

brb, voting Beastie Boys for 100 points

lol I resisted making this very joek

No Grey Album guys

yeah i buy that parks take on macca. he's like a more musically inspired, varied and energetic version of like, beach boys love you, just this stoned goofball recording things because he has tunes in him and recording things is what he knows how to do. throwing all his rocker passion and all his tuneful hook-finding instincts behind nonsensical inanities. to be clear "morse moose and the grey goose" and "junior's farm" will almost assuredly be on my ballot so i am 100% in favor of this approach.

Extra Texture is worse if that's possible. At least DH has an anonymous mid '70s studio rock professionalism.

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, May 10, 2018 8:15 PM (forty-two minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I like 'You' (which is an All Things Must Pass era outtake) and 'This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying)', mostly because of the Moog bass, but the rest is mid-tempo, beard stroking tedium. Dark Horse has a decent instrumental opener, and 'Simply Shady', but even that's sunk by the woeful condition of George's voice which even on a good day isn't a beautiful instrument to listen to. The rest of the record sucks.

I'm going to allow any non-Beatles track that features the appearance of at least one Beatle.

^ 'I'm Outta Time' totally counts under this criteria!

can we ban Turrican from the results thraed pre-emptively

I don't buy that Parks take on Macca at all. The "stoner goofball" shit on McCartney II is just one side of what he does.

I like this a lot:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOrTNBKUisw

that Quietus piece nails it imo

xxxpost:

Oh do be quiet. For what it's worth, I'm not much into that particular rule anyway, which is why none of that stuff will be appearing on my ballot.

I'd forgotten about 'Love Comes to Everyone' ... I thought some of Harrison's late '70s stuff was pretty decent, particularly Thirty-Three & 1/3 which I'd rank as his second best solo LP.

I can think of a few Lennon & Harrison deep cuts to include, but I suspect most of 'em will be McCartney tracks.

Quietus quote sounds like any other description of a popular act you dont like/get, nothing specifically mccartney about it

glad to see this POLL on the run though, esp looking forward to hearing some deep cuts from Ringo and Harrison!

hmm I guess the journalist does like macca but he sure is weirdly mean in that article

looking forward to hearing some deep cuts from Ringo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZN_8M4OpMo

Worst song ever, that one.

Oops! https://humanizingthevacuum.wordpress.com/2017/12/23/worst-songs-ever-ringo-starrs-the-no-no-song/

if you consider the solo work then during the Beatles' final years they recorded two full Beatles albums a year PLUS a bunch of additional stuff incl. George's lovely soundtrack & minimalist LP, 3-4 field recording/noise records, 2 albums worth of krautrock sessions (Ringo-John-Klaus-Yoko), Paul's lofi 4-track DIY album.

xpost

was gonna post Back of Boogaloo but is that a Ringo deep cut? are there such things? isn't every song of his a deep cut?

the weird thing for me is that while I find plenty of Macca's stuff pleasant, I'm hard-pressed to consider what I think his greatest solo songs are. a lot of his hits seem slight or just stupid, and the ones that I consider very good don't really measure up to the more canonical hits from John and George's early runs. I mean, sure "Band on the Run" or "Live and Let Die" are good but ... they aren't *that* great.

His biggest UK hit and a top ten here. I'd say not. But the only Ringo songs I hear on lite FM are "The No No Song" and "It Don't Come Easy."

the weird thing for me is that while I find plenty of Macca's stuff pleasant, I'm hard-pressed to consider what I think his greatest solo songs are.

since 2000:

queenie eye
this never happened before
your way
new
rinse the raindrops
english tea
dsnce tonight
appreciate
mr bellamy
only mama knows

also harrison's self-titled album is a triumph imo, especially blow away

"Blow Away" rivals anything by McCartney for sheer loveliness. Harrison could write a melody.

I'm no McCartney fan but I would rep pretty hard for "Another Day", "Uncle Albert" and even "Let 'em In". Maybe childhood nostalgia.

This’ll be high on my ballot. Written by George, performed by Beatles minus John plus Clapton:
https://youtu.be/TEJBItLnw5I

this will be a really fun poll to think about. i'm excited to revisit george harrison and see if i can find things to like beyond ATMP and LitMW.

I think Brainwashed is a real nice album.

DOES ANYONE ELSE REP FOR BLINDMAN THE B-SIDE OF BACK OFF BOOGALOO?

Ahem.. Definition of deep cut.

Ballot of 100 tracks? I'll end up going those apple jam tracks, I just know..

I mean, sure "Band on the Run" or "Live and Let Die" are good but ... they aren't *that* great.

personally don't really rate live & let die but it was v cool when all the fireworks went off in the chorus when I saw him live

this will be a really fun poll to think about. i'm excited to revisit george harrison and see if i can find things to like beyond ATMP and LitMW.

― obviously DLC (Karl Malone), Friday, May 11, 2018

I may be the only person on ILM who rates Cloud Nine.

Jeff Lynne-isms aside I am a big fan of the deep cuts like Fish On The Sand and If Just For Today.

Turns out Harrison and Lynne were a better artist-producer pair than any of Lynne's subsequent collaborations.

I may be the only person on ILM who rates Cloud Nine.
no way, it's got "When We Was Fab" and "Got My Mind Set on You"

That's def true - Lynne's strengths as a producer compensated for George's weaknesses as a performer. My only real stylistic complaint about that stuff is how boring/robotic the rhythms could get.

Xp

And while George is the only Beatle who might've credibly moonlighted as a pop producer, by 1987 he'd run out of ideas – Lynne was perfect for him.

Looks like I could end up with six tracks from Ram. We shall see.

brainwashed has some good cuts

100? I can maybe squeeze out 20. Either I'm not that big a fan, or I just haven't heard enough. (Just hits past '70 or '71.) Did double-check to see if George played on Badfinger's "Day After Day," and he did, so I can vote for that.

I'm looking forward to this

can we list George interviews about Paul after 1988

"Blow Away" rivals anything by McCartney for sheer loveliness. Harrison could write a melody.

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Friday, May 11, 2018 12:54 AM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yeah, that's a great song! The frustrating thing about Harrison is that he could come up with the goods, but after he'd exhausted most of his backlog on All Things Must Pass, he stopped doing it so much.

McCartney's post-Beatles catalogue gets the most play out of them all for me for a variety of reasons. Harrison's and Lennon's solo work settles into a bit of a trudge tempo-wise, thankfully McCartney's post-Beatles work avoids this.

Yeah "Blow Away" is definitely a great Harrison number. I'm actually pretty fond of everything on Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989 - introduced me to "Here Comes the Moon," "Crackerbox Palace," "Gone Troppo"... That plus All Things Must Pass and a few things from Living in the Material World ("Give Me Love," "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long") might be all the solo George I really need.

There are a few McCartney deep cuts that I want to rep for and about which I've never seen a lot of talk. They all sound to me like expressions of the depth of his musical background and all in what are fairly mysterious ways for me. "C Moon" is probably the most talked about, and with plenty of good reason. "Single Pigeon," from Red Rose Speedway, is my favorite of the bunch and will quite likely be top ten for me. It's short and quiet, but there's some dark, possibly British, old world thing to it. Also want to mention "San Ferry Anne" from Wings at the Speed of Sound, another short and quiet one with an outstanding arrangement with horns, and "The Pound Is Sinking" from Tug of War, a somewhat over-the-top sectional composition in the vein of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and probably just as good.

The three tracks from Gone Troppo that made that Best of Dark Horse comp are all good, but it's missing the best one!

I'm actually pretty fond of everything on Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989

I am too -- I bought it on release and was surprised it wasn't more of a steady seller (it's deleted, I think). I even dig the new songs ("Poor Little Girl," "Cockamamie Business").

I like how it includes album tracks ("Cloud Nine," "Life Itself," "That's the Way It Goes").

Did you ever hear the version of "That's the Way It Goes" that Joe Brown does on Concert for George? It's super nice.

baffled by the lyrics of 'C Moon', i ran across this annotation on genius

C Moon means ‘cool’. If you make a ‘C’ and a ‘Moon’ with your fingers, and put them together, you get a circle, essentially the opposite of a ‘square’, meaning uncool. So, she is C-moon, or ‘cool’ to me(the protagonist of the song.

it's an accomplishment for mccartney that this interpretations makes just as much sense as anything else, but that the song is still so fun to listen to.

Well yeah, hence the lyric "it will be L7" ...

'Single Pigeon' is a lovely tune - one of my favourites on Red Rose Speedway, which I'd put down there with my least favourite McCartney albums.

thirding the love for "single pigeon," which you'd think would have gotten more attention after miguel dropped "drugs." "san ferry anne" is a good album track too, dunno if it'd make my ballot ("warm and beautiful" might).

er the miguel song is "Do You..." obv

i saw aldous harding cover "single pigeon" last year and she introduced it by calling it her favorite song of all time. i was delighted to discover it -- such a simple, quiet, gorgeous song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cUkzPr_ap9E

I'm going to allow any non-Beatles track that features the appearance of at least Beatle. This means collaborative things like the Traveling Wilburys, Yoko Ono tracks that John plays on, Nilsson's Pussycats, "Badge" by Cream, McCartney + randos collabs etc. are all eligible.

how do ppl feel about the eligibility of the Yoko Ono tracks from Milk And Honey? my understanding is that they were mostly recorded a few years after Lennon's death, so technically don't feature the 'appearance' of any Beatles, but they're part of a collaborative project with Lennon, so I'd be inclined to include them - certainly if stuff like Fly and Approximately Infinite Universe is also going to be eligible?

I was thinking maybe having a collaborative spotify listening playlist would be practical?

https://open.spotify.com/user/betamaxdk/playlist/61os6iMh4h0qY70BawKB5U

oh yeah and I started off by adding Great Day from Flaming Pie, as good an album as Macca ever recorded

'Calico Skies' would be an easy pick from that album for me.

Before I send in my ballot, can someone link to a list of records the Beatles guested on? I've tried various search terms and I'm not getting anything except the reverse, guest appearances on Beatles records.

Nice idea niels!

So long as we're on Flaming Pie, I added "Beautiful Night," which is a little cheeseball but was probably my favorite song on that album when it came out.

(what's the etiquette for this kind of thing? any appropriate limit of 'x tracks per person per album' or whatever? i could sit and add fifty tracks in the next twenty minutes but don't want to blot out the community vibe!)

I was thinking of going through the thread to add all tracks mentioned

I think maybe add tracks you're thinking about voting for, stuff you want to highlight?

I watched the doc about the making of Flaming Pie and Beautiful Night really bangs still, and Macca is massively cheesy.

Great mix of Macca solo stuff here: https://www.nts.live/shows/radio-jiro/episodes/radio-jiro-30th-april-2018

Never heard Goodnight Tonight before - absolutely love it

Beautiful Night is a great composition but the Flaming Pie version really sings, above the older demo, with the presence of Ringo on drums and backing vocals. Always a pleasure.

Speaking of Ringo... what're the great tracks there? As a teenager, I read in some record guide (or maybe a Beatles collectibles price guide - my mom dealt antiques) that his first couple solo albums were surprisingly consistent, enjoyable country-western exercises .... but I swear all I've ever seen in the bins are endless copies of Stop And Smell The Roses, Ringo's Rotogravure, Goodnight Vienna, and the hideous Blast From Your Past comp. I've owned the latter two and there's some pleasant, genially inessential but friendly and warm material, kinda basically what I would have wanted out of Ringo post-Beatles. "It Don't Come Easy" is a killer George single. His cover of Roger Miller's "Husbands and Wives" is nice, as is the similarly hangdog "Beaucoups of Blues.". His "You're Sixteen" is a great rendition, shame the song is so gross, but it's probably the best any of them did with that early 70s wave of sock-hop throwbacks. The blowsier "I've partied my voice off with Keith Moon" material ("Goodnight Vienna," "I'm The Greatest," "Back off Boogaloo") makes me smile even if it kinda feels like you had to be there. And " No No Song" - sorry, Alfred! - is a totally charming, stupid Hoyt Axton novelty... like it comes into focus that the millions buying Ringo 45s likely overlapped a great deal with the fans of Jim Stafford, Ray Stevens, and Jimmy Buffett. I like that as a fate for an ex-Beatle, just another humorous AM radio act. Plus Nilsson's lightness on the "ay, ay ay" stuff is a nice vocal foil for our boy.

OK, and "Wrack My Brain" does get in my head sometimes, but oh mannn it's lousy.

Also mannnn the credits on Ringo albums are just a maze of appearances by the other Beatles, songs they wrote for him, songs they wrote *and* recorded for him... seems like despite all the acrimony everybody liked Ringo and vice versa. You almost get the sense from Wikipedia that if legal/drug issues hadn't kept Paul out of the US when the self-titled album was being recorded, that you might have actually gotten a song with all four of them. Macca plays the fucking kazoo on "You're Sixteen" - the only time he and Nilsson were on the same track, I think. (Are Nilsson and Klaus Voormann the only person to have appeared on songs with all four solo Beatles?)

Ram would def win over Plastic Ono Band.

Yoko Ono tracks that John plays on

by 1968 Yoko Ono was as much a part of the band as any of them. in fact by playing with Ringo and John on her tracks, her material ironically has more Beatles playing on it than were on Beatles songs by this time. the last 2 years had everybody do solo stuff. after Abbey Road George was free to work on his own material for once and produce an amazing album. Paul took a vacay on a farm w his fam and made a stoned 4 track diy record. the other half of the Beatles had already started a noise band and were playing for a good year before the Beatles official broke up.

before Abbey Road was even out they had put together a krautrock band focusing on drone rock minimalism and catharsis with "Cold Turkey" and "Don't Worry Kyoko" (the latter possibly the punkest thing the Beatles ever did). working on this music was Yoko, John, Ringo, Klaus Voorman (German art student/designer of Revolver/bassist), and at one point Alan White, who was the session musician originally brought in to replace Ringo for their very first single ever "Love Me Do". Ringo ended up replacing him, in a weird twist of fate.

http://images.45cat.com/john-lennon-plastic-ono-band-cold-turkey-apple-2.jpg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0cR-6usPnNI

i absolutely adore the "Give Peace a Chance" b-side "Remember Love". this should have been on the White Album.

"You and Me (Babe)" is my favorite song on Ringo. Great George Harrison composition.

(Are Nilsson and Klaus Voormann the only person to have appeared on songs with all four solo Beatles?)

Bobby Keys maybe, if he also played on "You're Sixteen", because that would have been his one shot w/Paul.

Checking the credits on my Ringo best of, and apparently Keys is not on "You're Sixteen".

He probably is on A Toot and A Snore w/John & Paul, but that's a boot.

and at one point Alan White, who was the session musician originally brought in to replace Ringo for their very first single ever "Love Me Do". Ringo ended up replacing him, in a weird twist of fate.

They were actually different Andy Whites!

Andy White (Yes drummer)

Andy White (drummer)

Was gonna say, yes.

Are Nilsson and Klaus Voormann the only person to have appeared on songs with all four solo Beatles?

there are some great tracks on Stop And Smell The Roses (which seems to have recently been removed from spotify? Old Wave is not on there either). I really like this Stephen Stills song, the laid-back, blissed out vibe reminds me a bit of Gone Troppo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NAL-RPMD7wI

I have only just "discovered" "The Other Me" on "Pipes of Peace" (I was never really interested in Macca's 80s albums...).
I love its smooth synth mood and the melody is great (also the lyrics are nice and not silly for a 40yo man).

That version of Stop and Smell the Roses that was on Spotify sounded horrible!

Here's a list of all the eligible John Lennon tracks. I'll try to do this for the others as well, and then compile them all into a master list.

JOHN LENNON

Solo and with Yoko Ono

non-album singles

Give Peace a Chance
Cold Turkey
Instant Karma
Power to the People
Open Your Box
Remember Love
Who Has Seen the Wind?
Happy Xmas (War is Over)
Listen, the Snow Is Falling
Walking on Thin Ice

Unfinished Music No. 1: Two Virgins
Two Virgins No. 1
Together
Two Virgins No. 2
Two Virgins No. 3
Two Virgins No. 4
Two Virgins No. 5
Two Virgins No. 6
Hushabye Hushabye
Two Virgins No. 7
Two Virgins No. 8
Two Virgins No. 9
Two Virgins No. 10

Unfinished Music No. 2: Life with the Lions
Cambridge 1969
No Bed for Beatle John
Baby's Heartbeat
Two Minutes Silence
Radio Play
Song for John
Mulberry

Wedding Album
John & Yoko
Amsterdam

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Mother
Hold On
I Found Out
Working Class Hero
Isolation
Remember
Love
Well Well Well
Look at Me
God
My Mummy's Dead

Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band
Why
Why Not
Greenfield Morning I Pushed an Empty Baby Carriage All Over the City
AOS
Touch Me
Paper Shoes

Imagine
Imagine
Crippled Inside
Jealous Guy
It's So Hard
I Don't Want to be a Soldier
Give Me Some Truth
Oh My Love
How Do You Sleep?
How?
Oh Yoko!

Fly - Yoko Ono (producer, guitar, piano, organ)
Midsummer New York
Mind Train
Mind Holes
Don't Worry, Kyoko (Mummy's Only Looking for Her Hand in the Snow)
Mrs. Lennon
Hirake (previously released as "Open Your Box")
Toilet Piece/Unknown
O'Wind (Body Is the Scar of Your Mind)
Airmale
Don't Count the Waves
You
Fly
Telephone Piece

Some Time in New York City
Woman Is the Nigger of the World
Sisters, O Sisters
Attica State
Born in a Prison
New York City
Sunday Bloody Sunday
The Luck of the Irish
John Sinclair
Angela
We're All Water
Cold Turkey
Don't Worry Kyoko
Well (Baby Please Don't Go)
Jamrag
Scumbag
Aü

Mind Games
Mind Games
Tight A$
Aisumasen (I'm Sorry)
One Day (At a Time)
Bring on the Lucie (Freda Peeple)
Nutopian International Anthem
Intuition
Out the Blue
Only People
I Know (I Know)
You Are Here
Meat City

Approximately Infinite Universe - Yoko Ono
Yang Yang
Death of Samantha
I Want My Love to Rest Tonight
What Did I Do!
Have You Seen a Horizon Lately?
Approximately Infinite Universe
Peter the Dealer
Song for John
Catman (The Rosies Are Coming)
What a Bastard the World Is
Waiting for the Sunrise
I Felt Like Smashing My Face in a Clear Glass Window
Winter Song
Kite Song
What a Mess
Shiranakatta (I Didn't Know)
Air Talk
I Have a Woman Inside My Soul
Move on Fast
Now or Never
Is Winter Here to Stay?
Looking Over from My Hotel Window

Walls and Bridges
Going Down on Love
Whatever Gets You thru the Night
Old Dirt Road
What You Got
Bless You
Scared
#9 Dream
Surprise, Surprise (Sweet Bird of Paradox)
Steel and Glass
Beef Jerky
Nobody Loves You (When You're Down and Out)
Ya Ya

Rock 'n' Roll
Be-Bop-A-Lula
Stand by Me
Medley: Rip It Up/Ready Teddy
You Can't Catch Me
Ain't That a Shame
Do You Wanna Dance?
Sweet Little Sixteen
Slippin' and Slidin'
Peggy Sue
Medley: Bring It On Home to Me/Send Me Some Lovin'
Bony Moronie
Just Because
Angel Baby
To Know Her Is to Love Her
Since My Baby Left Me
Just Because (Reprise)

Double Fantasy
(Just Like) Starting Over
Kiss Kiss Kiss
Cleanup Time
Give Me Something
I'm Losing You
I'm Moving On
Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)
Watching the Wheels
Yes, I'm Your Angel
Woman
Beautiful Boys
Dear Yoko
Every Man Has a Woman Who Loves Him
Hard Times Are Over

Milk & Honey
I'm Stepping Out
I Don't Wanna Face It
Nobody Told Me
Borrowed Time
(Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess
Grow Old With Me

Other artists

We Love You - The Rolling Stones (backing vocals and handclaps)
Do the Oz - Bill Elliot and the Elastic Oz Band (vocals)
I'm The Greatest - Ringo Starr (piano and harmony vocals)
She Hits Back - Yoko Ono (producer, guitar)
Woman Power - Yoko Ono (producer, guitar)
Too Many Cooks (Spoil the Soup) - Mick Jagger (producer)
The Bitch is Back - Elton John (tambourine)
Goodnight Vienna - Ringo Starr (vocals/piano)
All By Myself - Ringo Starr (guitar)
Only You (and You Alone) - Ringo Starr (guitar)
Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Elton John (guitar, backing vocals)
Across the Universe - David Bowie (vocals, guitar, backing vocals)
Fame - David Bowie (vocals, guitar, backing vocals)
Cookin (in the Kitchen of Love) - Ringo Starr (piano)
John Lennon for President - David Peel and the Lower East Side (producer)
I'm Losing You - Cheap Trick (vocals)

The Pope Smokes Dope - David Peel and the Lower East Side (producer)
I'm a Runaway
Everybody's Smoking Marijuana
F Is Not a Dirty Word
The Hippie from New York City
McDonald's Farm
The Ballad of New York City
The Ballad of Bob Dylan
The Chicago Conspiracy
The Hip Generation
I'm Gonna Start Another Riot
The Birth Control Blues
The Pope Smokes Dope
Amerika

Elephant's Memory - Elephants Memory (producer, guitar, backing vocals)
Liberation Special
Baddest Of The Mean
Crying Blacksheep Blues
Chuck'N Bo
Gypsy Wolf
Madness
Life
Wind Ridge
Power Boogie
Local Plastic Ono Band

Pussy Cats - Harry Nilsson (producer)
Many Rivers to Cross
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Don't Forget Me
All My Life
Old Forgotten Soldier
Save the Last Dance for Me
Mucho Mungo/Mt. Elga
Loop De Loop
Black Sails
Rock Around the Clock
Down by the Sea
The Flying Saucer Song
Turn Out the Light
Save the Last Dance for Me

cool, that's my ballot right there, thanks ;)

I listened to Traveling Wilburys vol 1 for the first time this morning! Kinda bleh on the whole but I liked a couple of them! The handing off of vocals on “handle with care” is kinda silly but by my second listen I was still singing along

yeah "Handle With Care" is great

"End of the Line," "Heading for the Light," "Dirty World."

oh duh I was thinking of "End Of The Line" but I like a lot of those tracks, hadn't listened since the 80's/90's but when Petty died we revisited them

Just remembered this clip of George singing one of the vol 3 songs solo - http://youtu.be/c3VNoinFtR0

Dirty World is hilarious

RED BELL PEPPERS

Is there a list of all eligible tracks? I see Outic posted Lennon’s but I need one for each Beatle to make my final list and not fuck up the format.

Mccartney might be the one with the overall most interesting solo work.

Are Nilsson and Klaus Voormann the only person to have appeared on songs with all four solo Beatles?

Keith Moon (as "Keif Spoon") is on Some Time In New York City, and he and Ringo are pretty smashed on a couple of Two Sides Of The Moon tracks (none of which I can justify shoehorning into my ballot). He was supposed to play on Paul's "Rockestra Theme," but died a month before the session (Kenney Jones took his place).

Any excuse to listen to Flowers in the Dirt again... as if I need one, though. One of McCartney's best.

Here's a list of all the eligible John Lennon tracks. I'll try to do this for the others as well, and then compile them all into a master list.

I'm going through Harrison's now - his is pretty difficult, lots of sideman appearances, one-off singles, etc.

you better include his contribution to Belinda Carlisle's "Leave a Light On."

take this, for example, which I had never heard of before today. George is all over this album, they were signed to his label etc.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89onN05WG1s

shout out to Lennon's demo of "I'm the Greatest" for Ringo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FaKrBsCkGRE

Some of McCartney's tracks from The Family Way are kind of cool:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d84w9x0FNgo

Good luck with posting a list of everything McCartney's worked on post-Beatles, btw. I don't think he's ever taken much of a break in 50+ years.

GEORGE HARRISON

Solo

Wonderwall Music
Microbes
Red Lady Too
Tabla and Pakavaj
In the Park
Drilling a Home
Guru Vandana
Greasy Legs
Ski-ing
Gat Kirwani
Dream Scene
Party Seacombe
Love Scene
Crying
Cowboy Music
Fantasy Sequins
On the Bed
Glass Box
Wonderwall to Be Here
Singing Om

Electronic Sound
Under the Mersey Wall
No Time or Space

All Things Must Pas
I'd Have You Anytime
My Sweet Lord
Wah-Wah
Isn't It a Pity (Version One)
What Is Life
If Not for You
Behind That Locked Door
Let It Down
Run of the Mill
Beware of Darkness
Apple Scruffs
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Awaiting on You All
All Things Must Pass
I Dig Love
Art of Dying
Isn't It a Pity (Version Two)
Hear Me Lord
Out of the Blue
It's Johnny's Birthday
Plug Me In
I Remember Jeep
Thanks for the Pepperoni
I Live for You

Living in the Material World
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
Sue Me, Sue You Blues
The Light That Has Lighted the World
Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
Who Can See It
Living in the Material World
The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)
Be Here Now
Try Some, Buy Some
The Day the World Gets 'Round
That Is All
Deep Blue
Miss O'Dell

Dark Horse
Hari's on Tour (Express)
Simply Shady
So Sad
Bye Bye, Love
Māya Love
Ding Dong, Ding Dong
Dark Horse
Far East Man
It Is 'He' (Jai Sri Krishna)
I Don't Care Anymore

Extra Texture (Read All About It
You
The Answer's at the End
This Guitar (Can't Keep from Crying)
Ooh Baby (You Know That I Love You)
World of Stone
A Bit More of You
Can't Stop Thinking About You
Tired of Midnight Blue
Grey Cloudy Lies
His Name Is Legs (Ladies and Gentlemen)

Thirty Three & 1/3
Woman Don't You Cry for Me
Dear One
Beautiful Girl
This Song
See Yourself
It's What You Value
True Love
Pure Smokey
Crackerbox Palace
Learning How to Love You
Tears of the World

George Harrison
Love Comes to Everyone
Not Guilty
Here Comes the Moon
Soft-Hearted Hana
Blow Away
Faster
Dark Sweet Lady
Your Love Is Forever
Soft Touch
If You Believe

Somewhere in England
Blood from a Clone
Unconsciousness Rules
Life Itself
All Those Years Ago
Baltimore Oriole
Teardrops
That Which I Have Lost
Writing's on the Wall
Hong Kong Blues
Save the World

Gone Troppo
Wake Up My Love
That's the Way It Goes
I Really Love You
Greece
Gone Troppo
Mystical One
Unknown Delight
Baby Don't Run Away
Dream Away
Circles

Cloud Nine
Cloud 9
That's What It Takes
Fish on the Sand
Just for Today
This Is Love
When We Was Fab
Devil's Radio
Someplace Else
Wreck of the Hesperus
Breath Away from Heaven
Got My Mind Set on You
Shanghai Surprise
Zig Zag

Brainwashed
Any Road
P2 Vatican Blues (Last Saturday Night)
Pisces Fish
Looking for My Life
Rising Sun
Marwa Blues
Stuck Inside a Cloud
Run So Far
Never Get Over You
Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
Rocking Chair in Hawaii
Brainwashed

Non-album singles
Bangla Desh
I Don't Want to Do It
Cheer Down
Shanghai Surprise
Poor Little Girl
Ride Rajbun
Mo

with other artists
In the First Place - the Remo Four (backing vocals, producer)
Carolina On My Mind - James Taylor (backing vocals)
Badge - Cream (guitar)
Hare Krishna Mantra - Radha Krishna Temple (guitars, harmonium and bass, producer)
Never Tell Your Mother She's Out of Tune - Jack Bruce (guitar)
All That I've Got (I'm Gonna Give It To You) - Billy Preston (guitar, producer)
Instant Karma - Plastic Ono Band (guitars, backing vocals)
How the Web Was Woven - Jackie Lomax (producer)
Govinda - Radha Krishna Temple (guitars, harmonium, bass, producer)
Roll It Over - Derek and the Dominos (slide guitar)
I'm Your Spiritual Breadman - Ashton, Gardner & Dyke (guitar)
Went to See the Gypsy - Bob Dylan (guitar)
Sign on the Window - Bob Dylan (guitar)
If Not For You - Bob Dylan (guitar, demo version)
It Don't Come Easy - Ringo Starr (guitar, producer)
Early 1970 - Ringo Starr (slide guitar, piano, acoustic guitar, dobro and bass)
Try Some, Buy Some - Ronnie Spector (guitars, producer)
Tandoori Chicken - Ronnie Spector (guitars, producer)
How Do You Sleep? - John Lennon (guitar)
Gimme Some Truth - John Lennon (guitar)
I Don't Want to Be a Soldier - John Lennon (guitar)
I Wrote a Simple Song - Billy Preston (dobro)
Day After Day - Badfinger (guitar, co-producer)
I'd Die, Baby - Badfinger (guitars, co-producer)
Suitcase - Badfinger (co-producer)
Name of the Game - Badfinger (co-producer)
The Holdup - David Bromberg (guitar)
Sweet Music - Lon and Derrek Van Eaton (producer)
Back Off Boogaloo - Ringo Starr (guitars, producer)
Where There's a Will - Bobby Whitlock (guitar)
A Day Without Jesus - Bobby Whitlock (guitar)
Back in My Life Again - Bobby Whitlock (guitar)
Cold Turkey - John Lennon/Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band (guitar - Some Time in New York City live version)
Don't Worry Kyoko - John Lennon/Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band (guitar - Some Time in New York City live version)
You're Breakin' My Heart - Harry Nilsson (guitar)
Goodbye Sunday - Gary Wright (guitar)
Basketball Jones - Cheech & Chong (guitar)
Photograph - Ringo Starr (guitars, backing vocals)
I'm the Greatest - Ringo Starr (guitars, backing vocals)
Sunshine Life for Me - Ringo Starr (guitars, backing vocals)
You and Me Babe - Ringo Starr (guitars, backing vocals)
Down and Out - Ringo Starr (guitars, co-producer)
I Need You - Don Nix (guitar)
If You've Got Love - Dave Mason (guitar)
So Sad (No Love of His Own) - Alvin Lee and Mylon LeFevre (guitar, dobro, bass, vocal)
Daybreak - Harry Nilsson (percussion)
Far East Man - Ronnie Wood (guitar, backing vocals)
That's Life - Billy Preston (guitar)
Make Love Not War - Peter Skellern (guitar)
The Lumberjack Song - Monty Python (producer)
Appolonia (Foxtrata) - Tom Scott (guitar)
Direct Me - Larry Hosford (dobro)
Wishing I Could - Larry Hosford (backing vocals)
Round and Round - Splinter (guitars)
Motions of Love - Splinter (guitars)
The Last Time - Hall and Oates (guitar)
Always Look on the Bright Side of Life - Monty Python (backing vocal, mixing)
Walk a Thin Line - Mick Fleetwood (guitars)
Mineral Man - Gary Brooker (guitar)
Focus of Attention - Jimmy Helms (guitar)
Celebration - Jimmy Helms (guitar)
Exchange and Mart - Blind Faith (guitar)
Talk Don't Bother Me - Alvin Lee (guitar)
Children of the Sky - Mike Batt (guitar, backing vocals)
The Trembler - Duane Eddy (guitar, producer)
Theme for Something Really Important - Duane Eddy (guitar, producer)
Tana Mana - the Ravi Shankar Project (vocals)
Friar Park - the Ravi Shankar Project (autoharp, synthesizer)
Love's a State of Mind - Sylvia Griffin (guitar)
(I Don't Wanna) Hold Back - Gary Wright (guitar)
A Love So Beautiful - Roy Orbison (guitar)
I Won't Back Down - Tom Petty (guitar, backing vocals)
Oh Lord, Why Lord - Jim Capaldi (guitar)
Leave a Light On - Belinda Carlisle (guitar)
Deep Deep Ocean - Belinda Carlisle (guitar, bass)
Run So Far - Eric Clapton (guitar, backing vocals)
Lu Le La - Vicki Brown (guitar)
That Kind of Woman - Gary Moore (guitar)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - Jeff Healey Band (guitar, backing vocals)
Take Away the Sadness - Jim Horn (guitar)
Every Little Thing - Jeff Lynne (guitar, backing vocals)
Lift Me Up - Jeff Lynne (guitar, backing vocals)
September Song - Jeff Lynne (guitar, backing vocals)
Stormy Weather - Jeff Lynne (guitar, backing vocals)
Homeward Bound - Paul SImon (guitar, vocals, 1990 version)
Under the Red Sky - Bob Dylan (guitar)
Hot Love - Del Shannon (backing vocals)
Real Love - Jimmy Nail (guitar)
Real Life Blues - Alvin Lee (guitar)
The Bluest Blues - Alvin Lee (guitar)
This Guitar (Can't Keep From Crying) - Platinum Weird (vocals, guitar)
I Want You (She's So Heavy) - Alvin Lee (guitar)
Don't Try to Own Me - Gary Wright (backing vocals)
Distance Makes no Difference with Love - Carl Perkins (guitar,s piano, synthesizer, bass, backing vocals, producer)
King of Broken Hearts - Ringo Starr (guitar)
I'll Be Fine Anywhere - Ringo Starr (guitar)
Punchdrunk - Rubyhorse (guitar)
A Long Time Gone - ELO (guitar)
All She Wanted - ELO (guitar)
Anna Julia - Jim Capaldi (guitar)
Horse to the Water - Jools Holland's Rhythm and Blues Orchestra (vocals)

Is This What You Want? - Jackie Lomax (guitars, producer)
Speak To Me
Is This What You Want?
How Can You Say Goodbye
Sunset
Sour Milk Sea
Fall Inside Your Eyes
Little Yellow Pills
Take My Word
The Eagle Laughs At You
Baby You're A Lover
You've Got Me Thinking
I Just Don't Know

Leon Russell - Leon Russell (electric guitar)
A Song For You
Dixie Lullaby
I Put A Spell On You
Shoot Out On The Plantation
Hummingbird
Delta Lady
Prince Of Peace
Old Masters
Give Peace A Chance
Hurtsome Body
Pisces Apple Lady
Roll Away The Stone

Doris Troy - Doris Troy (guitar, co-producer)
Ain't That Cute
Special Care
Give Me Back My Dynamite
You Tore Me Up Inside
Games People Play
Gonna Get My Baby Back
I've Got To Be Strong
Hurry
So Far
Exactly Like You
You Give Me Joy Joy
Don't Call Me No More
Jacob's Ladder

That's the Way God Planned It - Billy Preston (guitars, moog, sitar, producer)
Do What You Want
I Want To Thank You
Everything's Alright
She Belongs To Me
It Doesn't Matter
Morning Star
Hey Brother
What About You
Let Us All Get Together Right Now
This Is It
Keep It To Yourself
That's The Way God Planned It

Encouraging Words - Billy Preston (guitars, moog, sitar, backing vocals, co-producer)
Right Now
Little Girl
Use What You've Got
My Sweet Lord
Let The Music Play
The Same Thing Again
I've Got A Feeling
Sing One For The Lord
When You Are Mine
I Don't Want You To Pretend
Encouraging Words
All Things Must Pass
You've Been Acting Strange

The Concert for Bangladesh
Introduction
Bangla Dhun
Wah-Wah
My Sweet Lord
Awaiting On You All
That's The Way God Planned It
It Don't Come Easy
Beware Of Darkness
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Medley:Jumping Jack Flash/Youngblood
Here Comes The Sun
A Hard Rain's Gonna Fall
It Takes A Lot To Laugh/It Takes A Train to Cry
Blowin' In The Wind
Mr. Tambourine Man
Just Like A Woman
ESomething
Bangla Desh

The Radha Krsna Temple - Radha Krishna Temple (London) (guitars, harmonium, bass, percussion, producer)
Govinda
Sri Gurvastakam
Bhaja Bhakata/Arati
Hare Krsna Mantra
Sri Isopanisad
Bhaja Hunre Mana
Govinda Jai Jai

Joi Bangla EP - Ravi Shankar (producer)
Joi Bangla
Oh Bhaugowan
Raga Mishra-Jhinjhoti

Footprint - Gary Wright (guitar, dobro)
Give Me The Good Earth
Two Faced Man
Love To Survive
Whether It's Right Or Wrong
Stand For Our Rights
Fascinating Things
Forgotten
If You Treat Someone Right

Raga (soundtrack) - Ravi Shankar (producer)
Dawn To Dusk
Vedic Hymns
Baba Teaching
Birth To Death
Vinus House
Gurur Bramha
United Nations
Raga Parameshwari
Rangeswhari
Banaras Ghat
Bombay Studio
Kinnara School
Frenzy And Distortion
Raga Desh

Bobby Keys - Bobby Keys (guitar)
Steal From A King
Smokefoot
Bootleg
Altar Rock
Key West
Command Performance
Crispy Duck
Sand & Foam

In Concert 1972 - Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan (co-producer)
Raga - Hem Bihag
Raga - Manj Khamaj (Part I)
Raga - Manj Khamaj (Part II)
Raga - Sindhi Bhairavi

The Tin Man Was a Dreamer - Nicky Hopkins (guitar)
Sundown In Mexico
Waiting For The Band
Edward
Dolly
Speed On
The Dreamer
Banana Anna
Lawyer's Lament
Shout It Out
Pig's Boogie

The Place I Love - Splinter (guitars, dobro, bass, harmonium, moog, producer)
Gravy Train
Drink All Day (Got To Find Your Own Way Home)
China Light
Somebody's City
Costafine Town
The Place I Love
Situation Vacant
Elly May
Haven't Got Time

Shankar Family & Friends - Ravi Shankar
I Am Missing You
Kahān Gayelavā Shyām Saloné
Supané Mé Āyé Preetam Sainyā
I Am Missing You (Reprise)
Jaya Jagadish Haré
Overture
Festivity & Joy
Love-Dance Ecstasy
Lust (Rāga Chandrakauns)
Dispute & Violence
Disillusionment & Frustration
Despair & Sorrow (Rāga Marwā)
Awakening
Peace & Hope (Rāga Bhatiyār)

Ravi Shankar's Music Festival From India - Ravi Shankar
Vandanna
Dhamar
Tarana
Chaturang
Raga Jait
Kajri
Bhajan
Nanderdani
Dehati

Stop and Smell the Roses - Ringo Starr (guitars, backing vocal, producer)
Private Property
Wrack My Brain
Drumming Is My Madness
Attention
Stop And Take The Time To Smell The Roses
Dead Giveaway
You Belong To Me
Sure To Fall
Nice Way
Back Off Boogaloo

Travelling Wilburys Vol.1 - Travelling Wilburys (guitars, vocal, producer)
Handle With Care
Dirty World
Rattled
Last Night
Not Alone Any More
Congratulations
Heading For The Light
Margarita
Tweeter And The Monkey Man
End Of The Line

Travelling Wilburys Vol.3 - Travelling Wilburys (guitars, vocal, producer)
She's My Baby
Inside Out
If You Belonged To Me
The Devil's Been Busy
Deadly Sins
Poor House
Where Were You Last Night?
Cool Dry Place
New Blue Moon
You Took My Breath Away
Wilbury Twist

Chants of India - Ravi Shankar
Vandanaa Trayee
Omkaaraaya Namaha
Vedic Chanting
Asato Maa
Sahanaa Vavatu
Poornamadah
Gaayatri
Mahaa Mrityunjaya
Veenaa-Murali
Geetaa
Mangalam
Hari Om
Svara Mantra
Vedic Chanting
Prabhujee
Sarve Shaam

lol whoops i thought Crackerbox Palace was on Dark Horse. that's probably my favorite solo George track

damn, you're putting in some work shakey!

hero

The lists gave me a wah-wah!

Good work, Shakey! There's quite a few things in the Harrison list that I haven't yet heard...

McCartney'll be the hardest: solo, plus Wings, Paul McCartney & Wings, Paul & Linda McCartney, The Fireman, Percy "Thrills" Thrillington, his classical stuff, and the number of guest appearances and one-offs and other pseudonyms.

Urban Spaceman at no. 1, obviously

The John list missed "Walking on thin ice"

Oh fuck, I forgot that he'd produced that Bonzo's track! Obviously, there's the stuff with Mary Hopkin and Badfinger etc.

xp no it didn't, it's 10th from the beginning of the list

I almost want to redo my already sent ballot...

Xpost so it is. OK, "It happened" the b-side

As much as I'm tempted to submit a ballot of my 100 favourite McCartney songs, I'd only be lying to myself if I didn't vote for my favourite Lennon and Harrison tracks. I couldn't not vote for 'Cold Turkey', for example.

"It happened" the b-side

John is not on this song

sometimes I think that McCartney's production of "Come and Get It" is one of the shittiest things he ever did. Not that it's a bad song (tbf it's a mediocre song) but just the way he treated the band as little more than a vehicle for finding out if he could put out a song without his name on it and still have it be a hit, it's just a shitty thing to do to a fellow artist, to treat them as less than active participants in their own creative output.

i love "Woman Power", with John on guitar. from the explicitly feminist "Feeling the Space" LP. cool revolutionary lyrics:

Two thousand years of male society
Laying fear and tyranny
Seeking grades and money
Clinging to values vain and phony

Woman power! (woman power!)
Woman power! (woman power!)

Do you know that one day you lost your way, man?
Do you know that some day you have to pay, man?
Have you anything to say, man, except
"make no mistake about it, i'm the president, you hear?
"I wanna make one thing clear, i'm the president, you hear?"

Woman power! (woman power!)
Woman power! (woman power!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kVMp7M0rdE

I think that's the one Lennon-era Yoko album I don't have...? Cool track, def in their proto-krautrock vein.

sometimes I think that McCartney's production of "Come and Get It" is one of the shittiest things he ever did. Not that it's a bad song (tbf it's a mediocre song) but just the way he treated the band as little more than a vehicle for finding out if he could put out a song without his name on it and still have it be a hit, it's just a shitty thing to do to a fellow artist, to treat them as less than active participants in their own creative output.

― Οὖτις, Monday, May 14, 2018 8:39 PM (four minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

I agree with you completely about 'Come and Get It', it's pretty much McCartney on autopilot and wouldn't have really got past the others if it had been put forward as a potential Beatles track. Some of the other things he gave away: 'Goodbye', 'Step Inside Love' etc. were far better.

It says a lot about McCartney's ego at that time where he basically was like "you have to copy my demo note for note because this is the hit sound" - Badfinger's own material was stronger: 'No Matter What', 'Day After Day', 'Without You' all knock 'Come and Get It' into a cocked hat.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Radha_Krsna_Temple_(album)
https://krishna.org/george-harrison-interview-hare-krishna-mantra-theres-nothing-higher-1982/

the Radha Krsna Temple album, produced by George and feature his guitar, should also be included. this is great stuff, a form of pop bhakti. George Harrison plays with the Krishna temple and together they actually produced a hit single with a recording of the "Hare Krishna" mantra:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVMgEupff-E

Wall of Vedic Sound on Apple records in 1971

that was listed under George's CV and yeah it's pretty good. A couple of the Ravi Shankar albums he did are better imo.

McCartney's list is making me realize how many songs he wrote and gave away but didn't perform on.

(These songs are not eligible FYI)

I think that's the one Lennon-era Yoko album I don't have...? Cool track, def in their proto-krautrock vein.

― Οὖτις, Monday, May 14, 2018 4:47 PM

Yeah, it's her weakest from this period.

no way. its so good!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUleDpA3DLE

I'll forever love YO/POB, Fly, and AIU though.

Feeling the Space definitely deserves a listen. the band is pretty nice and has a 70's soul vibe to it. "Growing Pain" w that beat and that flute and some lovely early 70s space r&b. "Woman of Salem" is devastating, vividly re-telling the story of the morning of a witch hanging, like a folk thing Johnny Cash or Nick Cave would do. "Run Run Run" i like a lot because it is a nice breezy pop song with a great catchy chorus about "Run run run run run for your life" almost like on a Pink Floyd satirical tip or something. her style for this album is more political & concrete, less abstract/conceptual. a lot of the album is about the women's struggle, she is confronting an ages old thing that weighs heavy on the world. the music is pretty rad.

John is only performing on a 2 songs here tho, as the album as a whole is mostly her statement, thus outside the rules of this poll.

i dig the vibraphone jazz pop of "Yellow girl (Stand by for life)"

Both songs john plays on from that album were listed as eligible fwiw

Xpip

yes that list is well put together!

This is nuts, and unheard until recent CD reissues i believe? Genuinely amazing and sounds more like a late 80s proto acid-y thing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w40MUrFq3xM

I love it.

I like McCartney II and the rest of the stuff that didn't make the album, but it is a touch overrated by people who consider themselves to be too cool to listen to 'Once Upon a Long Ago' or 'My Brave Face' ...

'Dark Room' is another great one from McCartney II ...

dope lists shakey. i'll dig through tomorrow and hype some fave tracks.

"come and get it" is .... okay. i love the "SON-ny! If.. you..." hook. but it's badly underwritten, with basically a verse and a chorus ad nauseum iirc. that's the real impresario sin - the recording is great and it was a top-tenner in the UK and US both. otherwise i'm not sure he did anything worse there than any other producer of a bubblegum single in that period.

"secret friend" was a b-side on the "temporary secretary" 12" single, and would burble up periodically as a "woah, this is the mccartney track for people who hate mccartney" (much like the album as a whole was always slightly on the cusp of cool cred for weirdos) - i remember blount repping for it circa 2005/2006. naturally it's never done a ton for me but it's a good stoner trip thing. as far as castoffs from the mccartney ii sessions go (it was originally conceived, insanely, as a double ablum) i prefer the shorter, one-idea songs like "mr. h. atom" and "you know i'll get you babe," which i knew from mp3s of bootleg albums. not things i would put on a ballot, though one of the "coming up"s has to place. "waterspout" though is the true lost gem of that period.

woah i guess "waterspout" is actually a few years earlier! i'm seeing it on "london town sessions" lists. weird, it feels so mccartney-ii to me.

McCartney II, which I've lived with 25 years, is mostly crap.

"Waterfalls"? Yeah. It was a UK top ten!

"waterfalls" is lovely also!

McCartney II, whichwho I've lived with 25 38 years, is mostly crap.

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn)

fixed

Where is the mccartney list?

I might put Temporary Secretary on number one and fill the rest with Ringo songs.

ha I was thinking of doing an all-Ringo ballot just to narrow the field but shakey’s lists are great, will definitely be listening to a lot of stuff on there I haven’t heard

I dunno moka, where is your mccartney list

I wrote this about Turrican's beloved Flowers in the Dirt last year when reissued.

McCartney II definitely rules. i love the music video for "Coming Up". i love the drums-and-vocoder breakdown in "Goodnight Tonight". "Waterfalls" is a great song even if inspiring another great song wasn't enough (TLC). there is some great Eno-style ambient stuff on the record too. for the first McCartney he also did some ambient/experimental pop stuff, the instrumental "Junk", the singing crystal glasses, the clipped song "Suicide".

lol moka these lists probably take a shit ton of effort to put together!

also shakey if you can hurry up with the mccartney list, we need it stat

Hahaha I wasn’t pressuring for shakey to post it I was legit looking on mobile and saw the Lennon and Harrison list and thought there was lists for the other two in here but couldn’t find them... thought a link or something was posted upthread and couldn’t find it

McCartney is probably the most daunting one to make a list of so I wont take the herculean task to do it.

I find it incredible that with so many rabid fans of this band there isn’t a site with these sort of lists already arranged. You could set up a website and make money off of these lists you’ve made.

I had no idea shakey was making these himself. Thought it was a copy paste from other site, that’s why I found it confusing why we only had the Lennon songs in here at first.

No pressure shakey, thanks for posting these really appreciate the effort and had no idea these was all you... sorry.

I find it incredible that with so many rabid fans of this band there isn’t a site with these sort of lists already arranged. You could set up a website and make money off of these lists you’ve made.

same here! i guess maybe they're out there, but maybe hidden away in BBS posts from the late 80s, un-googleable

*cough* Discogs appearance/performance credits

where the nerds truly shine

i don't know, i've found them kind of hit and miss, unless i'm just not looking in the right place. is there a better discogs appearance/performance credit for harrison than this one?

https://www.discogs.com/artist/243955-George-Harrison?sort=year%2Casc&limit=500&filter_anv=0&type=Appearances&page=1

https://www.discogs.com/artist/243955-George-Harrison?filter_anv=0&subtype=Instruments-Performance&type=Credits

maybe? I certainly find it useful for less prolific artists

McCartney II's great, you start hassling that you might as well diss Tusk as well (they were both pretty key uncool but cool records for the cool kids of 2005)

AH, now that's funny - I didn't know George's middle name.

John's being Winston, Paul's being Paul. Tempted to say Ringo didn't have one. But George? Oh.. oh...

Really? WellINever.

I'm in a bit of a quandary about including Macca's classical work, since he doesnt perform on them.

At the same time, they seem like a bit of a different beast from songs he wrote for elvis costello or mary hopkin or whoever

cannot imagine any of them placing so leaving them off might be a kindness to the one or two posters who might otherwise be tempted into wasting their votes. but i've been wrong about things like that before...

The Family Way soundtrack feels very informative to where Macca's creative mind was at in between Revolver & Pepper. I could care less about the 90s stuff.

It's as essential as Wonderwall Music or Two Virgins IMHO

i buy that line. i'm probably biased just from never being curious enough to check that stuff out!

McCartney's involvement in the project was minimal, according to biographer Howard Sounes, who quotes Martin's recollection that he had to "pester Paul for the briefest scrap of a tune" with which to start writing the score. After McCartney had provided "a sweet little fragment of a waltz tune", Martin continued, "I was able to complete the score."[6] But this appears to refer specifically to Martin's last-minute decision that the score needed "a central love theme, something wistful" for which McCartney composed the extra theme "Love In the Open Air" after the bulk of the score had been written. Martin said he had to "go round to his house and literally stand there until he composed something." 

Credited as arranged and conducted by Martin.

So yeah idk I'm inclined to leave this stuff out

i don't envision getting around to coming up with 100 songs, or investigating the hours and hours of paul and ringo i've never heard, in time to vote on all this, but goddamn the 80-second title track to venus and mars is beautiful and should be talked about more often. "rock show," which it's attached to, is great too, obviously, but "venus and mars" is next level and it's way up there in my paul pantheon. (the longer, bowie-esque reprise on side two not quite as good.)

Ok, so I made these a while back - imaginary LPs from Abbey Road up to 1981 (I planned to continue up to the present day but didn't for whatever reason) - I am positive that nobody will 100% agree with my choices, but thought I might as well share / get some feedback on them.

xpost:

I agree, but I prefer the reprise of 'Venus and Mars' because of the outro with all the backing vocals and because, like 'Loup', it's an example of Paul getting cosmic.

here's one I'd never heard of before

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McGear

I read about it in the late '80s.

I saw a copy in the bins a while back, have always been sorta curious but also figured if it was any good some Beatles obsessives would have let this be known to me by now.

PAUL MCCARTNEY

Solo and with Wings

McCartney
The Lovely Linda
That Would Be Something
Valentine Day
Every Night
Hot As Sun
Glasses
Junk
Man We Was Lonely
Oo You
Momma Miss America
Teddy Boy
Singalong Junk
Maybe I'm Amazed
Kreen - Akrore

Ram
Too Many People
3 Legs
Ram On
Dear Boy
Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey
Smile Away
Heart Of The Country
Monkberry Moon Delight
Eat At Home
Long Haired Lady
Ram On
The Back Seat Of My Car

Wild Life
Mumbo
Bip Bop
Love Is Strange
Wild Life
Some People Never Know
I Am Your Singer
Tomorrow
Dear Friend

Red Rose Speedway
Big Barn Bed
My Love
Get On The Right Thing
One More Kiss
Little Lamb Dragonfly
Single Pigeon
When The Night
Loup (1st Indian On The Moon)
Medley (Hold Me Tight, Lazy Dynamite, Hands Of Love, Power Cut)

Band on the Run
Band On The Run
Jet
Bluebird
Mrs. Vandebilt
Let Me Roll It
Mamunia
No Words
Picasso's Last Words (Drink To Me)
Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five

Venus and Mars
Venus And Mars
Rock Show
Love In Song
You Gave Me The Answer
Magneto And Titanium Man
Letting Go
Venus And Mars – Reprise
Spirits Of Ancient Egypt
Medicine Jar
Call Me Back Again
Listen To What The Man Said
Treat Her Gently – Lonely Old People
Crossroads Theme

Wings at the Speed of Sound
Let 'Em In
The Note You Never Wrote
She's My Baby
Beware My Love
Wino Junko
Silly Love Songs
Cook Of The House
Time To Hide
Must Do Something About It
San Ferry Anne
Warm And Beautiful

London Town
London Town
Cafe On The Left Bank
I'm Carrying
Backwards Traveller
Cuff Link
Children Children
Girlfriend
I've Had Enough
With A Little Luck
Famous Groupies
Deliver Your Children
Name And Address
Don't Let It Bring You Down
Morse Moose And The Grey Goose

Back to the Egg
Reception
Getting Closer
We're Open Tonight
Spin It On
Again And Again And Again
Old Siam, Sir
Arrow Through Me
Rockestra Theme
To You
After The Ball / Million Miles
Winter Rose / Love Awake
The Broadcast
So Glad To See You Here
Baby's Request

McCartney II
Coming Up
Temporary Secretary
On The Way
Waterfalls
Nobody Knows
Front Parlour
Summer's Day Song
Frozen Jap
Bogey Music
Darkroom
One Of These Days

Tug of War
Tug Of War
Take It Away
Somebody Who Cares
What's That You're Doing?
Here Today
Ballroom Dancing
The Pound Is Sinking
Wanderlust
Get It
Be What You See (Link)
Dress Me Up As A Robber
Ebony And Ivory

Pipes of Peace
Pipes Of Peace
Say Say Say
The Other Me
Keep Under Cover
So Bad
The Man
Sweetest Little Show
Average Person
Hey Hey
Tug Of Peace
Through Our Love

Give My Regards to Broad Street
No More Lonely Nights (Ballad)
Good Day Sunshine
Corridor Music
Yesterday
Here, There And Everywhere
Wanderlust
Ballroom Dancing
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs (Reprise)
Not Such A Bad Boy
No Values
No More Lonely Nights (Ballad Reprise)
For No-One
Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor's Dream
Long And Winding Road
No More Lonely Nights (Playout Version)

Press to Play
Stranglehold
Good Times Coming / Feel The Sun
Talk More Talk
Footprints
Only Love Remains
Press
Pretty Little Head
Move Over Busker
Angry
However Absurd

Flowers in the Dirt
My Brave Face
Rough Ride
You Want Her Too
Distractions
We Got Married
Put It There
Figure Of Eight
This One
Don't Be Careless Love
That Day Is Done
How Many People
Motor Of Love
Ou Est Le Soleil

Off the Ground
Off The Ground
Looking For Changes
Hope Of Deliverance
Mistress And Maid
I Owe It All To You
Biker Like An Icon
Peace In The Neighbourhood
Golden Earth Girl
The Lovers That Never Were
Get Out Of My Way
Winedark Open Sea
C'mon People

Flaming Pie
The Song We Were Singing
The World Tonight
If You Wanna
Somedays
Young Boy
Calico Skies
Flaming Pie
Heaven On A Sunday
Used To Be Bad
Souvenir
Little Willow
Really Love You
Beautiful Night
Great Day

Run Devil Run
Blue Jean Bop
She Said Yeah
All Shook Up
Run Devil Run
No Other Baby
Lonesome Town
Try Not To Cry
Movie Magg
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
What It Is
Coquette
I Got Stung
Honey Hush
Shake A Hand
Party

Driving Rain
Lonely Road
From A Lover To A Friend
She's Given Up Talking
Driving Rain
I Do
Tiny Bubble
Magic
Your Way
Spinning On An Axis
About You
Heather
Back In The Sunshine Again
Your Loving Flame
Riding Into Jaipur
Rinse The Raindrops

Chaos and Creation in the Backyard
Fine Line
How Kind Of You
Jenny Wren
At The Mercy
Friends To Go
English Tea
Too Much Rain
A Certain Softness
Riding To Vanity Fair
Follow Me
Promise To You Girl
This Never Happened Before
Anyway
I've Only Got Two Hands

Memory Almost Full
Dance Tonight
Ever Present Past
See Your Sunshine
Only Mama Knows
You Tell Me
Mr Bellamy
Gratitude
Vintage Clothes
That Was Me
Feet In The Clouds
House Of Wax
The End Of The End
Nod Your Head

Kisses on the Bottom
I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
Home (When Shadows Fall)
It's Only A Paper Moon
More I Cannot Wish You
The Glory Of Love
We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me)
Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
My Valentine
Always
My Very Good Friend The Milkman
Bye Bye Blackbird
Get Yourself Another Fool
The Inch Worm
Only Our Hearts

New
Save Us
Alligator
On My Way To Work
Queenie Eye
Early Days
New
Appreciate
Everybody Out There
Hosanna
I Can Bet
Looking At Her
Road
Scared

Non-album Singles
Another Day
Oh Woman Oh Why
Give Ireland Back to the Irish
Mary Had a Little Lamb
Little Woman Love
Hi, Hi, Hi
C Moon
Live and Let Die
I Lie Around
Junior's Farm
Sally G
Walking in the Park With Eloise
Bridge Over the River Suite
Seaside Woman
B Side to Seaside
Mull of Kintyre
Girls' School
Goodnight Tonight
Daytime Nighttime Suffering
Wonderful Christmastime
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reggae
We All Stand Together
Spies Like Us
My Carnival
Ferry Cross the Mersey
Abide With Me
Vo!ce
Tropic Island Hum
(I Want to) Come Home
Simple As That
It's Now or Never
Hiroshima Sky is Always Blue
A Room with a View
Nova
Maybe Baby
I'm Partial to Your Abracadabra
Vanilla Sky
I Want to Walk You Home
Meat Free Monday
It's So Easy
In the Blink of an Eye

With Other Artists

Mike McGear - McGear (producer, backing vocals, bass, guitar, keyboards)
Sea Breezes
What Do We Really Know?
Norton
Leave It
Have You Got Problems?
The Casket
Rainbow Lady
Simply Love You
Givin' Grease a Ride
The Man Who Found God on the Moon
Dnce the Do
Sweet Baby

Percy "Thrills" Thrillington - Thrillington (producer)
Too Many People
3 Legs
Ram On
Dear Boy
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
Smile Away
Heart Of The Country
Monkberry Moon Delight
Eat At Home
Long Haired Lady
Back Seat Of My Car

Denny Laine - Holly Days (producer, all instruments)
Heartbeat
Moondreams
Rave On
I'm Gonna Love You Too
Fool's Paradise
Lonesome Tears (Instrumental)
It's So Easy"/"Listen to Me"
Look at Me
Take Your Time
I'm Looking for Someone to Love (Instrumental)

Linda McCartney - Wide Prairie (producer, multiple instruments)
Wide Prarie
New Orleans
The White Coated Man
Love's Full Glory
I Got Up
The Light Comes from Within
Mister Sandman
Seaside Woman
Oriental Nightfish
Endless Days
Posion Ivy
Cow
B-Sie to Seaside
Sugartime
Cook of the House
Appaloosa

The Fireman - Strawberry Oceans Ships Forest
Transpiritual Stomp
Trans Lunar Rising
Transcrystaline
Pure Trance
Arizona Light
Celtic Stomp
Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest
4 4 4
Sunrise Mix

The Fireman - Rushes
Watercolour Guitars
Palo Verde
Auraveda
Fluid
Appletree Cinnabar Amber
Bison
7 a.m.
Watercolour Rush

Liverpool Sound Collage
Plastic Beetle
Peter Blake 2000
Real Gone Dub Made in Manifest in the Vortex of the Eternal Now
Made Up
Free Now

Paul McCartney and Freelance Hellraiser - Twin Freaks
Really Love You
Long Haired Lady (Reprise)
Rinse the Raindrops
Darkroom
Live and Let Die
Temporary Secretary
What's That You're Doing
Oh Woman, Oh Why
Mumbo
Lalula
Coming Up
Maybe I'm Amazed

The Fireman - Electric Arguments
Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight
Two Magpies
Sing the Changes
Travelling Light
Highway
Light from Your Lighthouse
Sun Is Shining
Dance 'Til We're High
Lifelong Passion
Is This Love?
Lovers in a Dream
Universal Here, Everlasting No

individual tracks
Vegetables - the Beach Boys (celery)
Sing This All Together - The Rolling Stones (backing vocals, percussion)
We Love You - The Rolling Stones (backing vocals, percussion)
I'm the Urban Spaceman - Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band (producer)
Those Were the Days - Mary Hopkin (producer)
Carolina in My Mind - James Taylor (bass)
Rosetta - the Fourmost (piano)
Come and Get It - Badfinger (producer)
Rock of All Ages - Badfinger (producer, piano)
Carry On Til Tomorrow - Badfinger (producer)
Sour Milk Sea - Jackie Lomax (bass)
New Day - Jackie Lomax (bass)
My Dark Hour - Steve Miller Band (bass, drums, backing vocals)
Que Sera, Sera - Mary Hopkin (producer)
Night Owl - Carly Simon (backing vovals)
Six O'Clock - Ringo Starr (piano, synth, backing vocal)
You're Sixteen - Ringo Starr (kazoo)
Rock 'n' Roll Music Is Now - James Taylor (backing vocals)
Mine for Me - Rod Stewart (backing vocals)
Change - Adam Faith (synthesizer)
Goodbye - Adam Faith (synthesizer)
Never Say Goodbye - Adam Faith (synthesizer)
Star Song - Adam Faith (backing vocals)
Liverpool Lou - The Scaffold (producer)
Ten Years After on Strawberry Jam - the Scaffold (producer, bass, keyboards)
Pure Gold - Ringo Starr (backing vocals)
One of Those Days in England - Roy Harper (backing vocals)
Send Me the Heart - Denny Laine (bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion, vocals)
Weep for Love - Denny Laine (bass, keyboards, guitar, percussion, vocals)
Maisie - Laurence Juber (bass)
Veronica - Elvis Costello (bass)
...This Town... - Elvis Costello (bass)
Yvonne's the One - 10cc (guitar)
Code of Silence - 10cc (strings, electric piano, frogs, crickets, percussion)
The Ballad of Skeletons - Allen Ginsberg (guitar, drums, organ, maracas)
La De Da - Ringo Starr (bass, backing vocals)
I Was Walking - Ringo Starr (bass, backing vocals)
What in the World - Ringo Starr (bass, backing vocals)
Receptacle for the Respectable - Super Furry Animals (celery)
Hurt Myself - Rusty Anderson (bass, backing vocals, guitar)
A Time to Love - Stevie Wonder (guitar)
Boots and Sand - Yusuf Islam (backing vocals)
Peace Dream - Ringo Starr (bass)
Walk With You - Ringo Starr (backing vocals)
We're on the Road Again - Ringo Starr (backing vocals)
Show Me the Way - Ringo Starr (bass)
Sunday Rain - Foo Fighters (drums)
Songbird in a Cage - Charlotte Gainsbourg (guitar, piano, drums)
The Girl is Mine - Michael Jackson (vocals)
New Moon Over Jamaica - Johnny Cash (vocals)
A Friend Like You - Brian Wilson (vocals)
The Very Thought of You - Tony Bennet (vocals)
Bring It On Home to Me - George Benson and Al Jarreau (vocals)
Heal the Pain - George Michael (vocals)
My Soul - Nitin Sawhney (vocals)
I'm In Love Again - Klaus Voorman (piano, vocals)
All of Me - Eric Clapton (vocals, bass)
Out of Sight - the Bloody Beetroots (?)
Only One - Kanye West (vocals, piano)
FourFiveSeconds - Kanye West and Rihanna (vocals, instruments)

I've decided to leave out live recordings. (I know I already listed Lennon's Sometime in NYC tracks, but those are part of a bigger studio album so whatever. I also included the Concert for Bangladesh, which I would withdraw on second though but idk if someone really wants to vote for those tracks for some reason go ahead. I just didn't want to list all of the additional live albums, particularly Macca, who's got a bunch)

really, really enjoying "In the Park", from Wonderwall Music, especially the section near the end that sounds like Laraaji.

"Ski-ing" is my jam from that one but I am looking forward to revisiting the whole thing

Goodbye - Adam Faith (synthesizer)
Never Say Goodbye - Adam Faith (synthesizer)

??

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgzWqfZo8fY

i love this slowcore take on "Many Rivers to Cross". Nilsson is such a great singer, he shares that raspy rock quality that Lennon has too. they sound great together.

There's a lot of tracks missing from that McCartney list ... a lot of B-sides and offcuts like 'Rainclouds', 'Big Boys Bickering' etc.

It's a crap song, but 'Freedom' is missing... 'Love Comes Tumbling Down' is missing... 'Cosmically Conscious' ... this is just off the top of my head.

really, really enjoying "In the Park", from Wonderwall Music, especially the section near the end that sounds like Laraaji.

― obviously DLC (Karl Malone), Tuesday, May 15, 2018 2:11 PM (twelve minutes ago) Bookmark

the soundtrack is really great and i like the movie as well. the psychedelic art collective The Fool was in the movie as well, and they have a bit of a history of collaboration with the Beatles. they designed the insert sleeve for Sgt. Pepper and they were commissioned to paint guitars and cars and all sorts of things for the band. The Fool has a record of their own from 1968 that is pretty cool in a poppy Incredible String Band sort of way.

https://www.discogs.com/The-Fool-The-Fool/release/3647799

mccartney's live albums are all p much garbage. wings over america is kind of a decent one-stop shop if you want a lot of that period of wings in slightly less tight and polished performances. it is really only noteworthy for spawning the actual hit version of "Maybe I'm Amazed," which is terrific. you also get denny laine doing "richard cory," some forgettable beatles covers, and the "keeps the live crowd grooving but not worth putting on an album" number "soily." the cat in the satin trousers said it's oily. see also "the mess" (live cut b-side to "my love"). actually... imma go head and type up some mccartney b-sides and released-on-the-expensive-bonus-import-album cuts. a couple of these really are ballot-worthy, trust me!

RINGO STARR

Solo

Sentimental Journey
Beaucoups of Blues
Ringo
Goodnight Vienna
Ringo's Rotogravure
Ringo the 4th
Bad Boy
Stop and Smell the Roses
Old Wave
Time Takes Time
Vertical Man
I Wanna Be Santa Claus
Ringo Rama
Choose Love
Liverpool
Y Not
Ringo 2012
Postcards from Paradise
Give More Love

non-album singles
Coochy Coochy
Early 1970
Blindman
Down and Out
The Official BBC Children In Need Medley
You Never Know
I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl
When You Wish Upon a Star

With Other Artists

Scouse the Mouse (vocals)
Living in a Pet Shop
Scouse's Dream
Running Free
Boat Ride
Scouse the Mouse
I Know a Place
S.O.S.
A Mouse Like Me

Wonderwall Music - George Harrison (drums)
Microbes
Red Lady Too
Tabla and Pakavaj
In the Park
Drilling a Home
Guru Vandana
Greasy Legs
Ski-ing
Gat Kirwani
Dream Scene
Party Seacombe
Love Scene
Crying
Cowboy Music
Fantasy Sequins
On the Bed
Glass Box
Wonderwall to Be Here
Singing Om

Is This What You Want? - Jackie Lomax (drums)
Speak To Me
Is This What You Want?
How Can You Say Goodbye
Sunset
Sour Milk Sea
Fall Inside Your Eyes
Little Yellow Pills
Take My Word
The Eagle Laughs At You
Baby You're A Lover
You've Got Me Thinking
I Just Don't Know

Doris Troy - Doris Troy (drums)
Ain't That Cute
Special Care
Give Me Back My Dynamite
You Tore Me Up Inside
Games People Play
Gonna Get My Baby Back
I've Got To Be Strong
Hurry
So Far
Exactly Like You
You Give Me Joy Joy
Don't Call Me No More
Jacob's Ladder

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band (drums)
Mother
Hold On
I Found Out
Working Class Hero
Isolation
Remember
Love
Well Well Well
Look at Me
God
My Mummy's Dead

Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band (drums)
Why
Why Not
Greenfield Morning I Pushed an Empty Baby Carriage All Over the City
AOS
Touch Me
Paper Shoes

All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (drums)
I'd Have You Anytime
My Sweet Lord
Wah-Wah
Isn't It a Pity (Version One)
What Is Life
If Not for You
Behind That Locked Door
Let It Down
Run of the Mill
Beware of Darkness
Apple Scruffs
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Awaiting on You All
All Things Must Pass
I Dig Love
Art of Dying
Isn't It a Pity (Version Two)
Hear Me Lord
Out of the Blue
It's Johnny's Birthday
Plug Me In
I Remember Jeep
Thanks for the Pepperoni
I Live for You

Leon Russell - Leon Russell (drums)
A Song For You
Dixie Lullaby
I Put A Spell On You
Shoot Out On The Plantation
Hummingbird
Delta Lady
Prince Of Peace
Old Masters
Give Peace A Chance
Hurtsome Body
Pisces Apple Lady
Roll Away The Stone

Bobby Keys - Bobby Keys (drums)
Steal From A King
Smokefoot
Bootleg
Altar Rock
Key West
Command Performance
Crispy Duck
Sand & Foam

Son of Schmilsson - Harry Nilsson (drums)
Take 54
Remember (Christmas)
Joy
Turn on Your Radio
You're Breakin' My Heart
Spaceman
The Lottery Song
At My Front Door
Ambush
I'd Rather Be Dead
The Most Beautiful World in the World
Campo de Encino
It Had To Be You

Living in the Material World – George Harrison (drums)
Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)
Sue Me, Sue You Blues
The Light That Has Lighted the World
Don't Let Me Wait Too Long
Who Can See It
Living in the Material World
The Lord Loves the One (That Loves the Lord)
Be Here Now
Try Some, Buy Some
The Day the World Gets 'Round
That Is All
Deep Blue
Miss O'Dell

Pussy Cats - Harry Nilsson (drums)
Many Rivers to Cross
Subterranean Homesick Blues
Don't Forget Me
All My Life
Old Forgotten Soldier
Save the Last Dance for Me
Mucho Mungo/Mt. Elga
Loop De Loop
Black Sails
Rock Around the Clock
Down by the Sea
The Flying Saucer Song
Turn Out the Light
Save the Last Dance for Me

Shankar Family & Friends – Ravi Shankar(drums)
I Am Missing You
Kahān Gayelavā Shyām Saloné
Supané Mé Āyé Preetam Sainyā
I Am Missing You (Reprise)
Jaya Jagadish Haré
Overture
Festivity & Joy
Love-Dance Ecstasy
Lust (Rāga Chandrakauns)
Dispute & Violence
Disillusionment & Frustration
Despair & Sorrow (Rāga Marwā)
Awakening
Peace & Hope (Rāga Bhatiyār)

Dark Horse – George Harrison (drums)
Hari's on Tour (Express)
Simply Shady
So Sad
Bye Bye, Love
Māya Love
Ding Dong, Ding Dong
Dark Horse
Far East Man
It Is 'He' (Jai Sri Krishna)
I Don't Care Anymore

Duit On Mon Dei – Harry Nilsson (drums)
Jesus Christ You're Tall
It's a Jungle Out There
Down by the Sea
Kojak Columbo
Easier for Me
Turn Out the Light
Salmon Falls
Puget Sound
What's Your Sign
Home
Good for Go

I’m In You – Peter Frampton (drums)
I'm in You
(Putting My) Heart on the Line
St. Thomas (Don't You Know How I Feel)
Won't You Be My Friend
You Don't Have to Worry
Tried to Love
Rocky's Hot Club
(I'm a) Road Runner
Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)

Flash Harry – Harry Nilsson (drums)
Harry
Cheek to Cheek
Best Move
Old Dirt Road
I Don’t Need You
Rain
I’ve Got It!
It’s So Easy
How Long Can Disco On
Bright Side of Life
Feet
Leave the Rest to Molly
She Drifted Away

Pipes of Peace – Paul McCartney (drums)
Pipes Of Peace
Say Say Say
The Other Me
Keep Under Cover
So Bad
The Man
Sweetest Little Show
Average Person
Hey Hey
Tug Of Peace
Through Our Love

Give My Regards to Broad Street – Paul McCartney (drums)
No More Lonely Nights (Ballad)
Good Day Sunshine
Corridor Music
Yesterday
Here, There And Everywhere
Wanderlust
Ballroom Dancing
Silly Love Songs
Silly Love Songs (Reprise)
Not Such A Bad Boy
No Values
No More Lonely Nights (Ballad Reprise)
For No-One
Eleanor Rigby
Eleanor's Dream
Long And Winding Road
No More Lonely Nights (Playout Version)

Cloud Nine – George Harrison (drums)
Cloud 9
That's What It Takes
Fish on the Sand
Just for Today
This Is Love
When We Was Fab
Devil's Radio
Someplace Else
Wreck of the Hesperus
Breath Away from Heaven
Got My Mind Set on You
Shanghai Surprise
Zig Zag

A Sideman’s Journey – Klaus Voorman (drums)
I’m in Love Again
Blue Suede Shoes
All Things Must Pass
Have You Seen My Baby
My Sweet Lord
The Mighty Quinn
Short People
The Day the World Gets Round
So Far
You’re Sixteen
Such a Night

Connected – Gary Wright (drums)
Satisfied
Get Your Hands Up
Under Your Spell
No One Does It Better
Can't Find No Mercy
Life's Not A Battlefield
Gimme Some Time
Connected
Kirra Layne
You Make Me Feel Better

Give Til It’s Gone – Ben Harper (drums)
Don't Give Up On Me Now
I Will Not Be Broken
Rock N' Roll Is Free
Feel Love
Spilling Faith
Get There From Here
Clearly Severely
Pray That Our Love Sees The Dawn
Waiting On A Sign
Dirty Little Lover
Do It For You, Do It For Us

Individual tracks
Act Naturally - Buck Owens (vocals and drums)
I Ain't Superstitious - Howlin' Wolf (drums)
To a Flame - Stephen Stills (drums)
We Are Not Helpless - Stephen Stills (drums)
Don’t Worry Kyoko - Yoko Ono (drums)
Ghetto Woman - B.B. King (drums)
Wet Hayshark - B.B. King (drums)
Part Time Love - B.B. King (drums)
Alright - Peter Frampton (drums)
The Lodger - Peter Frampton(drums)
Sweet Music - Lon & Derek Van Eaton (drums)
Another Thought - Lon & Derek Van Eaton (drums)
Fiddle About - London Symphony Orchestra (drums)
Tommy’s Holiday Camp - London Symphony Orchestra (drums)
Do Me Good - Keith Moon (vocals, drums)
Move Over Ms. L – Keith Moon (vocals, drums)
Naked Man – Keith Moon (vocals, drums)
Real Emotion – Keith Moon (vocals, drums)
Solid Gold – Keith Moon (vocals, drums)
Together – Keith Moon (vocals, drums)
Together Rap - Keith Moon (vocals, drums)
More and More – Carly Simon (drums)
Stephen Stills – As I Come of Age (drums)
Vera Lynn – Don’t You Remember When (drums)
Zindy Lou – the Manhattan Transfer (drums)
Band of Steel – Guthrie Thomas (vocals and drums)
Good Days Are Rollin’ In – Guthrie Thomas (drums)
Ramblin’ Cocaine Blues – Guthrie Thomas (drums)
Men’s Room, L.A. – Kinky Friedman (drums)
Born in Captivity – The Alpha Band (drums)
You Angel You – The Alpha Band (drums)
Good News – Attitudes (drums)
Ham ‘n’ Eggs – Lonnie Donnegan (drums)
Have a Drink On Me – Lonnie Donnegan (drums)
Hold On – Ian McLagan (drums)
Heart of Mine – Bob Dylan (drums)
All Those Years Ago – George Harrison (drums)
Take It Away – Paul McCartney (drums)
California Calling – The Beach Boys (drums)
Sun City – Artists United Against Apartheid (drums)
You Know It Makes Sense – the Anti-Heroin Project (drums)
Walkin’ Nerve – Nils Lofgren (drums)
Gun and Run – Nils Lofgren (drums)
To Find a Friend – Tom Petty (drums)
Lay Down Your Arms – duet w Stevie Nicks
Hung Up and Overdue – Tom Petty (drums)
Honey Don’t – Carl Perkins (drums and vocals)
Really Love You – Paul McCartney (drums and backing vocals)
Beautiful Night – Paul McCartney (drums and backing vocals)
Moment in Paradise – ELO (drums)
Easy Money – ELO (drums)
Cuz You Do – Liam Lynch (drums)
Try Me – Liam Lyndh (drums)
Boys – Jools Holland (vocals)
My Little Grass Shack – duet with Leon Redbone
Make Believe – Platinum Weird (drums)
If You Believe in Love – Platinum Weird (drums)
Roll Over Beethoven – Jerry Lee Lewis (vocals)
Coochy Coochy – Ray Wylie Hubbard (percussion, guitar, vocals)
Lucky That Way – Joe Walsh (drums)
Funk 50 – Joe Walsh (drums)
One Way Street – Jon Stevens (drums)
Cut You Loose - Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band (drums, vocals)

I have no doubt I missed a bunch of McCartney b-sides Turrican, feel free to list them all

(god yr insufferable btw)

I think these are all the non-album Macca cuts I missed

I Want to Walk You Home
Meat Free Monday
It's So Easy
In the Blink of an Eye
Bridge on the River Suite
Check My Machine
Secret Friend
I’ll Give You A Ring
Rainclouds
Ode to a Koala Bear
Hanglide
Back on My Feet
Once Upon a Time Long Ago
The First Stone
Flying to My Home
Good Sign
I Wanna Cry
I’m in Love Again
Loveliest Thing
Big Boys Bickering
Kicked Around No More
Long Leather Coat
Cosmically Conscious
Down to the River
I Can’t Imagine
Keep Coming Back to Love
Soggy Noodle
Style Style
Sweet Sweet Memories
Broomstick
Looking For You
Love Come Tumbling Down
Same Love
Fabulous
All You Horse Riders/Blue Sway
Bogey Wobble
Don’t Cry Baby
Mr H Atom / You Know I'll Get You Baby
Suicide
Woman Kind
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)
Out of Sight
Hope for the Future

christ he's made a lot of garbage

I'm insufferable because I pointed your list wasn't complete? Okay! No doubt there's several McCartney tracks that aren't very good, but the best stuff is worth it. Same goes for Lennon and Harrison.

I listened to Liverpool Sound Collage a few years but had forgotten about it -- glad to have the reminder, this is good.

Super Furry Animals were heavily involved with that, iirc.

mccartney's live albums are all p much garbage

i listened to Venus And Mars for the first time recently and got Monster hives: a big-sounding studio record made almost solely for the functional purpose of propping up a worldwide tour extravaganza that sounds totally hollow outside that context (the title squib is nice though)

I disagree. Venus and Mars is top tier Wings record and a worthy follow-up to Band on the Run. Wings at the Speed of Sound (the clue is in the title) was definitely made as an album to justify the tour, and it shows in places, although half the record is classic Wings.

nice work shakey! cross-checking my list against yours, i might have just a few goodies left to add. the big miss is probably Helen Wheels which was only belatedly added to Band on the Run.

oh that is weird! That should definitely be on there. I wonder if I deleted it by mistake or something

I must've been looking at a British track listing or something?

It wasn't on the UK version of Band on the Run, so it's possible!

Okay - I think this really is the last of it, though my knowledge of 90s-00s b-sides and stuff is pretty hazy. I put *** next to ones I think people who like McCartney solo stuff but haven't gone beyond the albums should definitely check out. In general I do think he drew some kind of line between "good enough for album filler" and "not" - - - a lot of these have incredible riffs or main hooks but it's obvious they're missing some element (a bridge, a chord change) that would really make them special.

PAUL MCCARTNEY MISCELLANEY/MOP-UP

1970s

1882
A Love For You ***
Best Friend
Boil Crisis ***
Country Dreamer ***
Did We Meet Somewhere Before?
Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance
The Great Cock and Seagull Race
Helen Wheels ***
Henry’s Blues
Hey Diddle ***
I Would Only Smile
Jazz Street
Lunch Box – Odd Sox
Mama’s Little Girl
Night Out
Robber’s Ball ***
Rode All Night ***
Same Time Next Year ***
Soily ***
Sunshine Sometime
Thank You Darling
The Mess
Tragedy ***
Waterspout ***
Zoo Gang (Theme) ***

1980s

Atlantic Ocean
Blue Sway
Bogey Wobble
Christian Bop
Don't Break the Promise
Hanglide
I Love This House
It’s Not True
Lindiana ***
Love Mix
My Big Day
On The Way
P.S. Love Me Do (the nadir)
Return to Pepperland ***
Squid ***
Tough on a Tightrope
Twenty Fine Fingers aka Twenty-Five Fingers
Twice in a Lifetime
Write Away
Yvonne ***

1990s

All My Trials (trad.)

2000s

I’m Partial To Your Abracadabra (Dury)
Maybe Baby (Holly)
Summer of ‘59 ***

Linda McCartney - Wide Prairie

"i got up" and "the light comes from within" are both fun and would have worked on "white album, vol. 3" if they had stayed together and got around to doing that.

Yeah, I think that's pretty much everything - I can't think of anything else not yet mentioned. There could well be, though!

(xpost)

Good luck, guys.

Doc are those all (generally speaking) non-album tracks?

i wonder how long it would take to listen to all of these tracks. i recently had a bunch of long-distance drives i was doing and i ended up listening to every beatles album in order over the course of a few days -- tbh it was kind of startling to realize how little time it took to listen to everything they recorded. (confirmed my old suspicion that revolver is their finest hour.) feel like i'll at least need to try to listen to all the major stuff here to even begin to know what to vote for.

there's some tracks on this posthumous lennon release that i don't think got released anywhere else -- side 2 is all walls & bridges outtakes but i think side 1 might qualify for the poll:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Menlove_Ave.

huh yeah I got some of those because I think they appeared on other reissues, but was missing:

Here We Go Again (I don't think I've ever heard this? off to youtube...)
Rock 'n' Roll People

this is actually p interesting

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4_6P6Z_acw

Re: my Macca list: a decent number are unreleased, bootleg-only cuts that I meant to keep separate but got tangled in somewhere along the way, maybe once I saw that you were counting never-released things like "Suicide." "Soily" and "The Mess" were live only, but got released on Wings Over America and as the b-side to "My Love," respectively. "P.S. Love Me Do" was concert warm-up background music on some godforsaken tour, which I believe was also the principal purpose of the later Twin Freaks material (obviously better by orders of magnitude). Then there's a sprinkling of b-sides and/or things that were unreleased until they showed up on bonus editions of the albums (e.g. the "Paul McCartney Collection" CDs in the early 90s, and the more recent remasters which rescued a bunch of the Ram through Red Rose Speedway material). Several are soundtrack cuts or attempted soundtrack cuts - "Did We Meet Somewhere Before?" for example, is in Rock 'n' Roll High School (!) but didn't make it to the soundtrack LP. "Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance" is from a TV special; "Zoo Gang" was a TV show theme. A bunch of the 80s ones were from the abortive sessions between Press and Flowers in the Dirt - some of those trickled out as 90s B-sides, for example "Squid" which is a really pretty instrumental.

Freelance Hellraiser toured as opening DJ with Paul, but I don't think Twin Freaks was conceived for him to just put on and have a smoke

I listened to Liverpool Sound Collage a few years but had forgotten about it -- glad to have the reminder, this is good.

― WilliamC, Wednesday, May 16, 2018 5:13 AM (one hour ago)

Super Furry Animals were heavily involved with that, iirc.

― Le Baton Rose (Turrican), Wednesday, May 16, 2018 5:20 AM (one hour ago)

one track is SFA remixing unreleased Beatles sessions, and IIUC the last track is Paul remixing what they turned in

also IIUC the Real Gone Dub track is a Youth solo joint, if anyone recompiles a mega-Macca list for voting

I noticed that about the Real Gone Dub track but left it in anyway in case Macca muttered over it at some point or something

I better see fuckin' "Press" on some lists!

my ballot is going to be so boring it'll seem like an AI made it

tragically, the "Paul Mcartney" appearing on Matt Berry's Rain Came Down is a convincing simulacrum played by Peter Serafinowicz, but he should be eligible anyway

tbh with some of these solo guest appearances things it was really hard to determine which tracks the ex-Beatle actually contributed to. Some of those albums Ringo played on for example (Nilsson, etc.), he's not the only drummer on the album, but it's basically impossible to determine which tracks are him and which are, say, Jim Keltner.

^^It's really Bernard Purdie

heh

does anyone want to volunteer to do images for this poll? I have no idea what to do

it's weird, but this album is def better than George's own 1974 album (Dark Horse) and it's almost all him + Keltner, Voorman etc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kvr9Y75SUVk&list=PLkJpdntodN-7gmwVIBgK77nvIg_pLE3_q&index=0

what's the album? the link is broken, at least for me.

just drafted, read back over, and saved to a .txt a truly dorky twenty-two song spree of blurbs on mccartney obscurities. best left unposted? a 100-song ballot does give one some room, but in a discography with "maybe i'm amazed," "jet," "no more lonely nights," "with a little luck," "say say say," and even "my brave face," "no more lonely nights," "take it away," "junior's farm," etc., etc., does anyone really need to add "morse moose and the grey goose" to their pre-ballot listening?

Splinter "The Place I Love". Splinter is just two vocalists/songwriters that George signed to his label. He produced the whole thing, with his usual cadre of sidemen (Keltner, Voorman, Billy Preston, Willie Weeks, etc.)

xp

best left unposted?

if not here, where

rec.music.beatles in 1998

"No More Lonely Nights" = one of Paul's very best, with Gilmour's best session solo.

but yeah maybe i'll wait til after your "hi hi hi"s and such have gotten their due. wouldn't want someone going "i keep hearing this paul mccartney is supposed to be a big deal, let me check out doctor casino's recommendations" and being instantly turned away by the likes of "mumbo" and "ode to a koala bear."

Hey Mumbo's kinda cool, imo. Also so far as yr list of obscurities goes A Love for You might make my ballot, if I make one. V worth hearing, tho Cold Cuts is mostly pretty middling.

Doctor Casino please post your annotated list, we can handle it, I promise :)

Oh yeah, cosign on that

"secret friend" is so good, the b-side of 'temporary secretary' (which i've never been able to get into). 'one of these days' , also from the mccartney II sessions, reminds me a bit of simon and garfunkel. they'll both be high up on my ballot, i think.

"Temporary Secretary" would've been a menace if it had been a bigger hit. I only had to endure it at indie disco bars in the early '00s.

I like "Somedays" off Flaming Pie, the first of several times where McCartney has addressed in song some of the negative aspects of fame and wealth: "Don't ask me where I found that picture on the wall/How much it cost or what it's worth."

Cool Baroque oboe part

I don’t think I’ve heard 85% of all of these

Temporary Secretary is so irritating. Dude you just made Check My Machine, but that doesn't make the album?

each anti-"temporary secretary" post just bumps it up a slot on my ballot

Five tracks from George Harrison possibly? I've got "Blow Away," "Love Comes to Everyone," "Faster," "If You Believe," and "Soft Touch."

We haven't accounted yet for the songs included on the musical discs that accompanied these books:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_by_George_Harrison
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songs_by_George_Harrison_2

And start up the cement mixer, I'm probably going with every song on Side One of Gone Troppo.

okay so here are some less-heralded McCartney songs I am irredeemably fond of, and might conceivably vote for, in chronological order. 100 tracks gives one some room for some of the detours, odd genre experiments, four-track inside jokes, and inexplicable stoner fantasies that make his bloated discography so charming for die-hards, and so irritating for those who wish he would just take the extra week's work to write less stupid lyrics to his best melodies.

i'm assuming that everyone knows mccartney, ram, band on the run, mccartney ii, tug of war, flowers in the dirt, and his numerous smash hit singles. if not, those should really be the focus of any catchup ballot-listening, with ram and band on the run at the head. this is for people who just can't muster sifting through the rest of that massive discography. would love to see other people's faves!

Mumbo all i really need from Wild Life and an encapsulation of why that album completely flopped and was hated - sloppy, pointless, basically lyric-less warmup exercises with a not particularly tight band. it's great!

Big Barn Bed; Getting Closer the "Mumbos" of Red Rose Speedway and Back to the Egg, respectively. the bands are tighter, letting the idiosyncratic, weird, totally hollow and totally appealing lyrics glide right in on enthusiastic deliveries. "SAY YOU DON'T LOVE HIM - - My salamander!" may be the best opening line to any solo McCartney album.

Medley (Hold Me Tight, Lazy Dynamite, Hands Of Love, Power Cut) this album is 42 minutes long and closes with an eleven-minute medley with maybe twenty-five unique lines in the lyrics; a pure exercise in melody and arranging, it's no "Uncle Albert / Admiral Halsey" but I just love this guy putting this much energy and enthusiasm into this thing and it still feels like it's arrived somewhere when we get to the endless go-rounds of "Baby I love you so" as the other melodic motifs weave their way back in.

Single Pigeon got love upthread - it's terrific, this one incredibly focused little piano gem, in the same album of sprawling Technicolor nonsense that includes "Big Barn Bed," the medley, and a preposterous instrumental titled "Loup (1st Indian on the Moon)" which I'm surprised Jamiroquai never tried to arrange for the digeridoo.

Magneto & Titanium Man whiz! bang! comics aren't just for kids anymore! It won Geir's poll of Venus & Mars! of the half-dozen or so mccartney songs i got through in my abortive attempt at a double-album of covers, this was the most fun to learn and satisfying to record. "and the CRIM-SON DY-NA-MOooo!"

I've Had Enough and Name and Address late-70s attempts at glam-stomp and Elvis. macca was a man out of time and somehow everything comes through his filter just slightly wrong and weird. Catchy!

Waterspout a sweet little drum machine number from late in the Wings era that still sounds to me like it belongs on McCartney II. The narrative is perhaps thin but something about the warbly sound and the opening line "Daddy loved a dancer" makes it feel more substantial to me, like this is an old man telling the story of how he met his bride or something.

Morse Moose and the Grey Goose maybe the most "Paul McCartney album track" song title ever. all the theatrics and drama of a "Live and Let Die," surrounding what appears to be the story of a deep-sea moose struggling to use Morse code with his hooves. if it was played for wackiness it'd be death on record but McCartney seems completely unaware that this is a stupid idea for a song, and gives it his all. it rules.

Boil Crisis a truly odd attempt at ... post-punk? I think? Most of the versions online have terrible sound but there's a Youtube of the "Unsurpassed Rudeness" bootleg gets it. The kind of bizarre "Famous Groupies" stoner narrative lyrics that got rarer going into the 80s. "One night in the life of a kid named Sid, he was scoring with a broad in a pyramid." If this was a Tall Dwarves or Elephant 6 track or something people would be all over it. See also "Give Us A Chord, Roy."

Arrow Through Me this has gotten a lot of ILM love over the years so just wanted to make sure it got a shout-out here. It gets compared to Steely Dan, which I don't quite hear but I will concede it is surely the yachtiest Beatles song. wish he'd done a whole album like this.

Baby's Request his best ever "old-timey" number? what a tune on this one.

I'll Give You A Ring cheery, bouncy b-side to "Take It Away," and your basic charming trifle, feeling very much like just him and a four-track (though hardly lo-fi); if it were arranged with drum machine and synths it'd be very comfortable on McCartney II but the little touches of "I love pre-rock pop" kind of mark the classicist adult-contemporary turn he was making at this point.

Ode To A Koala Bear b-side to "Say Say Say" and sort of epitomzies Paul's strengths and weaknesses by this point: lovely, singable melody, but the four-track homemade tracks are devolving to just bashing out the chords to hold together a demo before he loses interest and wanders onto something else. there are so many 80s Paul tracks like this. but this also has that spark of weirdness in choosing a koala bear as the central metaphor, deflating (or, if you're less tolerant of all this, spoiling) what could have been a serious ballad of devotion. like, he doesn't sing "i will walk with you to the end of the passage" like this is supposed to be a silly throwaway! it is also easy to hear the refrain as "my little koala nightmare" and i've always liked that.

Pretty Little Head - Best thing on Press to Play besides "Press" and for real his last great "wtf" lyrics. hillsmen! hillsmen!

Put It There beautiful and well-focused father-son fable. if some of these others feel like shapless non-ideas, this (like "baby's request") is a testament to the songcraft he continued to have up his sleeve. avoid the music video, it's a different take/mix and the vocal feels muggy.

Loveliest Thing B-side to "Figure of Eight" that should have closed Flowers in the Dirt (as it did the expanded 1993 CD). except when the louder drums kick in for the chorus, an unforced-feeling would-be piano-bar staple.

Hope of Deliverance okay this was a decent-sized hit but I feel like it's on nobody's radar and it's reeeeeeeeeal fuckin' catchy.

Honey Hush, No Other Baby, and Movie Magg highlights of Run Devil Run, the quickie rock covers album recorded while he was grieving for Linda. boomer throwback albums like this are a dime a dozen but he had a good band and his singing was more focused and motivated than it'd been in years, even on the better Flaming Pie cuts.

this is for people who just can't muster sifting through the rest of that massive discography.

this is mostly me, although i'm doing my best to give each album at least one listen in the next few weeks. i'll give more attention to tracks you highlighted!

A couple on there I'd hesitated on, but you're right for sure on "Big Barn Bed" and I don't know why I wouldn't include "Mumbo." "Morse Moose" I will revisit.

Shout out, though, to "Tomorrow," as my favorite from Wild Life.

oh man

SIDE A SAY SAY SAY
SIDE B ODE TO A KOALA BEAR

is still the funniest thing ever

the "You Really Got A Hold On Me" melody in the first line in particular, it really sounds like he was so stoned he started singing a different song. he doesn't repeat it either iirc

I'm rather glad I picked up vg copies of Wild Life, Ram and The Sound of the Sand (David Thomas, v weirdly) from the same op shop 20 years ago

There's only five songs on Casino's list that I'd consider voting for! Not gonna say which ones...

Big Barn Bed has my vote already!

Well obv Mumbo

(xpost)

'Mumbo' is terrible - there's some underrated stuff on Wild Life, though. 'Bip Bop' is terrible also.

I'm with you on "Hope of Deliverance" -- just a giant arc of a lovely melody. And when a pal and I heard "Arrow Through Me" in early 2007 we thought, "Man, imagine if a hip hop producer sampled it..." Erykah Badu did three years later

Yeah for Wild Life the real keepers are Some People Never Know and Tomorrow.

Agreed about "Hope of Deliverance".
I wonder why it's not on his "Pure McCartney" comilation (not even on the 67 tracks deluxe version !)

Yeah for Wild Life the real keepers are Some People Never Know and Tomorrow.

― ColinO, Wednesday, May 16, 2018 10:46 AM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

Yup, completely agree!

lol I almost presented it as Mumbo *and* Bip Bop. wish the whole album was more like those. "Hey Diddle" would slot in well with those. Just a whole album of a novice band finding a single hook and a chord progression that feels good and running through it over and over.

Usually Paul had much more of a filter for that kind of thing - like you can tell he knew that "A Love For You" sounded incredible but that as a *song* it was sort of shapeless compared to the other Ram material - could be two minutes, could be eight. With the Wild Life stuff, even more than the ostensibly dgaf home-grown debut, it's like he just lets the tape run and there's the album.

idk how many of my above list *I'll* vote for once I have all the stone-cold classics locked in, but definitely a few...

Yeah for Wild Life the real keepers are Some People Never Know and Tomorrow.

Agreed on both of these, I quite like Love Is Strange as well.

I thought the real keeper off Wild Life was Dear Friend, I'm a sucker for songs Paul and John write about each other tho

I'm with you on "Hope of Deliverance" -- just a giant arc of a lovely melody. And when a pal and I heard "Arrow Through Me" in early 2007 we thought, "Man, imagine if a hip hop producer sampled it..." Erykah Badu did three years later

― morning wood truancy (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn),

i didn't know about the badu connection til now! "arrow through me" came on (listening to Pure McCartney to try to brush up on the hits) and i was deeply confused for a second. "gone baby, don't be long" has been one of my most played songs this year, and i had no idea it sampled wings!

here's a deep Ringo cut someone already voted for

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RdjA1UeR-SQ

also just realized I left the tracklistings off of Ringo's albums, will fix shortly

Yay!

RINGO STARR

Solo

Sentimental Journey
Sentimental Journey
Night And Day
Whispering Grass (Don't Tell The Trees)
Bye Bye Blackbird
I'm A Fool To Care
Star Dust
Blue, Turning Grey Over You
Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing
Dream
You Always Hurt The One You Love
Have I Told You Lately That I Love You
Let The Rest Of The World Go By

Beaucoups of Blues
Beaucoups Of Blues
Love Don't Last Long
Fastest Growing Heartache In The West
Without Her
Women Of The Night
I'd Be Talking All The Time
$15 Draw
Wine, Women And Loud Happy Songs
I Wouldn't Have You Any Other Way
Loser's Lounge
Waiting
Silent Homecoming

Ringo
I'm The Greatest
Hold On
Photograph
Sunshine Life For Me (Sail Away Raymond)
You're Sixteen
Oh My My
Step Lightly
Six O'Clock
Devil Woman
You And Me (Babe)

Goodnight Vienna
Goodnight Vienna
Occapella
Oo-Wee
Husbands And Wives
Snookeroo
All By Myself
Call Me
No No Song
Only You (And You Alone)
Easy For Me
Goodnight Vienna (Reprise)

Ringo's Rotogravure
A Dose Of Rock'n Roll
Hey Baby
Pure Gold
Cryin'
You Don't Know Me At All
Cookin' (In The Kitchen Of Love)
I'll Still Love You
This Be Called A Song
Las Brisas
Lady Gaye
Spooky Weirdness

Ringo the 4th
Drowning In The Sea Of Love
Tango All Night
Wings
Gave It All Up
Out On The Streets
Can She Do It Like She Dances
Sneaking Sally Through The Alley
It's No Secret
Gypsies In Flight
Simple Love Song

Bad Boy
Who Needs A Heart
Bad Boy
Lipstrick Traces (On A Cigarette)
Heart On My Sleeve
Where Did Our Love Go
Hard Times
Tonight
Monkey See-Monkey Do
Old Time Relovin'
A Man Like Me

Stop and Smell the Roses
Private Property
Wrack My Brain
Drumming Is My Madness
Attention
Stop And Take The Time To Smell The Roses
Dead Giveaway
You Belong To Me
Sure To Fall
Nice Way
Back Off Boogaloo

Old Wave
In My Car
Hopeless
Alibi
Be My Baby
She's About A Mover
I Keep Forgettin'
Picture Show Life
As Far As We Can Go
Everybody's In A Hurry But Me
Going Down

Time Takes Time
Weight Of The World
Don't Know A Thing About Love
Don't Go Where The Road Don't Go
Golden Blunders
All In The Name Of Love
After All These Years
I Don't Believe You
Runaways
In A Heart Beat
What Goes Around

Vertical Man
One
What In The...World
Mindfield
King Of Broken Hearts
Love Me Do
Vertical Man
Drift Away
I Was Walkin'
La De Da
Without Understanding
I'll Be Fine Anywhere
Puppet
I'm Yours

I Wanna Be Santa Claus
Come On Christmas, Christmas Come On
Winter Wonderland
I Wanna Be Santa Claus
The Little Drummer Boy
Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
Christmas Eve
The Christmas Dance
Christmas Time Is Here Again
Blue Christmas
Dear Santa
White Christmas
Pax Um Biscum (Peace Be With You)

Ringo Rama
Eye To Eye
Missouri Loves Company
Instant Amnesia
Memphis In Your Mind
Never Without You
Imagine Me There
I Think Therefore I Rock N Roll
Trippin' On My Own Tears
Write One For Me
What Love Wants To Be
Lover First, Ask Questions Later
Elizabeth Reigns
English Garden
I Really Love Her

Choose Love
Fading In Fading Out
Give Me Back The Beat
Oh My Lord
Hard To Be True
Some People
Wrong All The Time
Don't Hang Up
Choose Love
Me And You
Satisfied
The Turnaround
Free Drinks

Liverpool 8
Liverpool 8
Think About You
For Love
Now That She's Gone Away
Gone Are The Days
Give It A Try
Tuff Love
Harry's Song
Pasodobles
If It's Love That You Want
Love Is
R U Ready

Y Not
Fill In The Blanks
Peace Dream
The Other Side Of Liverpool
Walk With You
Time
Everyone Wins
Mystery Of The Night
Can't Do It Wrong
Y Not
Who's Your Daddy

Ringo 2012
Anthem
Wings
Think It Over
Samba
Rock Island Line
Step Lightly
Wonderful
In Liverpool
Slow Down

Postcards from Paradise
Rory And The Hurricanes
You Bring The Party Down
Bridges
Postcards From Paradise
Right Side Of The Road
Not Looking Back
Bamboula
Island In The Sun
Touch And Go
Confirmation
Let Love Lead

Give More Love
We're On The Road Again
Laughable
Show Me The Way
Speed Of Sound
Standing Still
King Of The Kingdom
Electricity
So Wrong For So Long
Shake It Up
Give More Love
Back Off Boogaloo
Don't Pass Me By
You Can't Fight Lightning
Photograph

and revised non-album tracklist

non-album tracks
Coochy Coochy
It Don’t Come Easy
Early 1970
Back Off Boogaloo
Blindman
Photograph
Down and Out
The Official BBC Children In Need Medley
You Never Know
I Wish I Was a Powerpuff Girl
When You Wish Upon a Star

No Scouse Mouse?

those are on an album

(listed under the "with Other Artists" category, since it's a soundtrack featuring other performers and is not a Ringo solo album)

I'm very interested to see how the Ringo stuff fares.

for the uninitiated approaching my list, the most defensible subset from the POV of songcraft and effort would be something like Single Pigeon, Put It There, Baby's Request, Arrow Through Me, Loveliest Thing, Hope of Deliverance, and No Other Baby... with Waterspout and Magneto as slight glimpses into a weirder world. but if your response to the Macca you've heard is that he's too cloying and sentimental, you might want to punt most of those and go for Secret Friend (unless you find his experimental/electronic tendencies facile) or Oh Woman, Oh Why (unless you find his "rock" mode affected).

currently starting on a ringo deep dive with Sentimental Journey. it's nice so far! can't imagine it satisfying beatles fans (you want ringo to rock out a little) or standards/big-band fans (to quote mst3k, "wow, they don't call john carradine 'the voice' for nothing!") but even if it kind of sounds like your genial uncle pasted over a very nicely-recorded band who he never once met, it's still warm and he's clearly got a smile on his face all throughout... i mean, it's lovable old ringo! good for him for trying his hand.

I started to listen through your list yikes Mumbo is like a shitty Beach Boys outtake (sans vocals, but that hammering 8th note piano style is total Brian Wilson)

ringo's double-tracked vocal on "bye bye blackbird" is pretty winning

hahahaha yeah I made the post-smile beach boys/macca comparison a bit back and it makes more and more sense to me as i think about it.

Big Barn Bed is pretty good but god I find this creepy for some reason
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wQzVJlLpriY

70s BW and Macca are p interesting compliments of each other - at opposite ends of the success/functionality scale and yet their approaches to their musical output are kind of similar: stoned, slapdash, occasionally brilliant, often mind-numbingly stupid, casually unpredictable, largely shadows of their former selves. But tbh I prefer BW's output more just because he is so much farther *out* than Macca, and there is a real emotional core to a lot of his stuff (the "tragic figure" arc of his life def figures into this) that Macca rarely dips into. Even when BW is writing stupid throwaways about Johnny Carson, they still contribute to this peak into what feels like an actual, lived in life. Macca is usually more opaque, it's all just goofy smoke and mirrors and platitudes about how much he loves Linda or whatever.

His vocal on "No Other Baby" is I guess what boomer critics had in mind when they longed for a Paul McCartney who used the gifts displayed in the Beatles.

I like this song that I'd never heard before today.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSS2ABconDg

shakey, that's a solid summary and I don't disagree with any of it. and yet I have always liked paul's stuff more! maybe i'm just more oriented to his melodic/arranging sensibility or the sense of variety and polish - stuff always sounds more *finished* and i do think there's a greater range of musical territory (all within the pop/rock megagenre obv). i also grew up with more of paul's stuff so that probably shaped my taste as much as my taste informs which i'd rather listen to most days.

meanwhile on ringo-watch: Beaucoups of Blues is another very pleasant listen so far! Nashville Skyline is the inevitable comparison but this feels less idiosyncratic/unique than that - Ringo's voice and the material he ginned up with the band fit very, very comfortably into the early 70s country/AM-gold interzone. he's obviously way more at home dolefully explaining that someone gave him the fastest growing heartache in the West than he is doing "night and day" or even than he is belting out a rocker like "back off boogaloo." i kinda wish that after that initial wave of early hits he'd just decided to be a country artist, but maybe these listens will change my mind...

if Nashville Skyline is an homage to Lefty Frizzell (which is how I hear it) who is Beaucoups of Blues an homage to...? Buck Owens? (I've never listened to it tbc)

Morse Moose and the Grey Goose maybe the most "Paul McCartney album track" song title ever. all the theatrics and drama of a "Live and Let Die,"

ahh, the dramatic build was used in the Twin Freaks version of Coming Up! tyvm for this pointer, Doc Casino.

BOB is solid, and, yeah, Conway Twitty should have worked with Ringo.

Oh man that's an inspired pairing

Missouri Loves Company

*massive eye roll at Ringo*

Single Pigeon = man this also reminds me of post-Smile Brian Wilson, a pretty but fairly simple piano progression with dumb lyrics about a bird outside his window. at least until the horns briefly come in, which have a very Beatle-y arrangement.

not bad, but slight

RRS is a lousy album though.

when I said upthread that I can listen to McCartney albums and enjoy them while they're on and then not be able to remember a single thing about them as soon as they stop playing, RRS is what I had in mind. Totally forgettable.

I wrote this about "My Love." I love Rob Sheffield's theory that Paul wrote it out of envy for George's "Something."

er, this.

Morse Moose and the Grey Goose = omg the Animal Collective buzzing high-pitched synth running through this whole thing is so fucking irritating, what a horrible sound.

Paul could be actively irritating in a way the other Beatles' solo works never were (at their worst, they were boring and flaccid).

But this just makes me want to stab something, it's a sonic crime.

Temporary Secretary also quickly goes from cute novelty to actively irritating, although there it's the chirping refrain that really grates.

re: ringo's homage - i'd trust anybody itt's judgment more than mine as to what styles or performers ringo is going for on this record - i own a few classic country LPs but i don't really know the genre!

loving these classically shakey-esque track reviews. can't believe i got you to listen to "morse moose and the grey goose."

giving a thumbs up to beaucoups of blues. will keep these first two ringo albums in rotation and recommend any particular standout tracks if they come to me. moving on now to his "rock" albums which have always looked worrisomely "i had me own albums to do, peace and love" to me, but i could easily believe they have some gems. ringo opens with the lennon-penned "i'm the greatest," the silliness of which i've always appreciated, but it's like 10 BPM too slow or something, just kind of plodding. what happened to his instincts as a drummer (the thing he's actually the greatest at)? my fear has always been that these next few LPs are mostly like that, but we'll see....

i had me own albums to do, peace and love

lol this is probably a little too on the nose...

Put It There = this is pretty good, it's a sturdy melody and actually reminds me a bit of XTC (yes I know that's backwards) but that may be the late 80s production sheen of chorused guitars more than anything then else. I don't love the sound of it but with a slightly different arrangement/production style I can see it being quite affecting. Of course the song is then promptly ruined by the Hello/Goodbye callback coda.

I don't know! The song is way too brief to criticize (Paul produced it himself btw); I don't rate it.

No "Cut Me Some Slack" for Paul McCartney?

critics have been doing it since 1970

"Cut Me Some Slack" was (I believe) only performed live, that once? So I left it off, as I'm excluding live stuff.

if a studio version was released somewhere, feel free to vote for it.

Yeah there's not much I'd salvage from Ringo's s/t. Despite the inclusion of a song called "Step Lightly" and a bunch of great musicians, it mostly all sounds like they're on downers and out of ideas. Stunning to read that Rolling Stone found it the best solo Beatle record released by November 1973, and that only Goodbye Yellow Brick Road kept it from #1 in the US. "Photograph"'s status as a big hit has always sort of mystified me - it's again, doughy and sluggish, but if I imagine it a little faster, the boringness of the melody just looms larger. I mean it's okay but it's really the same thing the whole way through, four or five notes, dah dah dah dah DAH dah duh... say what you will about Paul but he would quit or fall asleep halfway through if you tried to get him to sing this. "It Don't Come Easy" at least has some big, ear-grabbing hooks and real Ringo-y drum fills but I think it'd be better without the horns piled all over it - doesn't really make you sound like a scrappy hard-time dues-payer when you're beaming it out from a Vegas stage. Rounding out the singles, "Oh My My" at least feels a good fit for Ringo's persona, but that's all I can really say about it.

"Early 1970" is the real keeper imo - limber, sincere, stripped down to the country-western sound that worked so well last time, and evidently Ringo is the kind of guy who writes better tunes and lyrics when there are things he's actually feeling and wants to get on record. I could put that on a ballot. "Sunshine Life For Me" has a momentary flash of interest when George's vocal line comes in towards the end. "You're Sixteen," though an icky choice of material, is what the whole album should have been - brighter, more uptempo, with Ringo singing at the top end of his register rather than the wooden bottom... he's done a standards album, a country album, okay, do the album of American Graffiti soundtrack covers. "Devil Woman" has a flash of a grittier, Stonesier energy or something but it's buried under the same good-time boogie horns as everything else.

the album version of Cut Me Some Slack was live-in-studio, no? so as valid as lots of early Beatles songs, and probably loads of '70s stuff

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_City:_Real_to_Reel

"Put It There" does not have a "Hello Goodbye" coda!!! That's the stupid music video version which I explicitly cautioned everyone not to listen to!

>:|

oh I love "Photograph" because of that melody (George's melody). I would've preferred a Harrison production to Perry's, but Ringo wanted commercial. I don't give a shit for "You're Sixteen" but "Oh My My" is fine.

It's amazing to think how many consecutive top tens he enjoyed through 1974 -- more than the other three!

hahaha oops sorry

xp

Some of the best tracks on the last McCartney album, New, are toward the end. "I Can Bet," "Road," "Get Me Out of Here," and the hidden track ("Scared").

"I Can Bet" is good! I could tell in seconds that he was drumming.

"Put it There" (about Paul's father) randomly came on Spotify a few weeks after my dad passed away and cut me to the bone.

By the way, has anyone listened to the original demos of McCartney & Costello from the Flowers in the Dirt reissue? Worth checking out if just to hear how Paul melds his background vocals to EC's. There's points where I can't tell him & Costello apart at all. Also, the lack of 80s production on the raw rehearsals does wonders for the material.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ocgZO-Vm-3A

Here's some more underrated McCartney gems in addition to Doc Casino's excellent list:

Little Lamb Dragonfly
Mama's Little Girl
Beware My Love
Daytime Nighttime Suffering
So Glad To See You Here
One Of These Days
The Pound Is Sinking
Good Times Coming/Feel The Sun
Back On My Feet
All of the McCartney/McManus demos-
Golden Earth Girl
From A Lover To A Friend
All of Chaos and Creation
Mr. Bellamy

Jet (Band on the Run)
Take It Away (Tug of War)
Arrow Through Me (Back to the Egg)
Eat at Home (Ram)
No More Lonely Nights (Give My Regards to Broad Street)
Every Night (McCartney)
Say Say Say (Pipes of Peace)
Press (Press to Play)
We Got Married (Flowers in the Dirt)
Sally G (B-side of “Junior’s Farm”)
Letting Go (Venus and Mars)
Figure of Eight (Flowers in the Dirt)
Heart of the Country (Ram)
Mrs. Vanderbilt (Band on the Run)
Ever Present Past (Memory Almost Full)
Listen to What the Man Said (Venus and Mars)
My Brave Face (Flowers in the Dirt)
Another Day (single)
Secret Friend (McCartney II, Special Edition)
This One (Flowers in the Dirt)
Wanderlust (Tug of War)
Hi Hi Hi (single)
Goodnight Tonight/Daytime Nighttime Suffering (single)
No Other Baby (Run Devil Run)
Country Dreamer (B-side of “Helen Wheels”)
One of These Days (McCartney II)

I expect no one to love this scrappy non-hit rocker, but I always have:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qVA7qFurE7I

Here's another demo w/Costello I need to rep for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNJl2IdW7Vc

This curio has not yet been accounted for (and I may vote for it). Bonus track from recent Pipes of Peace reissue.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDoaZdoWwjA

i listened to Band on the Run today, loved "Jet" but "Bluebird" was hard to stomach.

"Jet" is so fucking great. SUF FUR RUH GETTE! JET!

"Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five," tho

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yrop_GZsp-U

OTM

Alfred's list is closest to the type of list that I'd put together. There's one or two that I'd remove, and a lot more that I'd include, but it's a far better representation of what McCartney is good at compared to the likes of 'Mumbo' and 'Morse Moose' etc.

I'd rank Red Rose Speedway as easily one of the weaker albums in the McCartney discography. The best three Wings albums are Band on the Run, Venus and Mars and Back to the Egg.

'Bluebird' is a great song - one of my favourites, that.

Lovers That Never Were is lovely! Paul often better when tempered by some opposing force/with someone to impress.

I like the McManus demos but some of the lyrics (or even, like, the title "the lovers that never were") are too Costello-y for me. Paul, of course, is terrific on them - he's great at working with pompous windbags

That's why Paul stopped working with Costello - he didn't want to make an "Elvis Costello" album. (His words)

'The Lovers That Never Were' is without doubt a '90s McCartney classic for me. The Off the Ground version of course.

there's something eerie and almost sinister about One Of These Days. I don't know if it's intentional, and it would probably would have had a different vibe if it had ended up Tug Of War or Pipes Of Peace, but the production on McCartney II is so hollowed out and spectral sounding it gives the impression of hopelessness, that this day when he looks around and sees what's right and breathes fresh air ever after etc is never going to happen?

A lot of the reviews of McCartney II (both positive and negative) talk about it as sounding like a seines preliminary sketches that he didn't turn into fully formed songs, but imo One Of These Days is more like the reverse, a ghostly remnant - like someone has constructed their life around this dream and everything has been hollowed out and enervated over time so that all that's left is this forlorn dream - especially the way it stops and then starts up again after a moment of complete silence, like the thought process he's singing about has become some entirely mechanical and there is nothing else. The processing on McCartney's voice makes the bit where he sings "fresh air evhuuu-ahhhh-fter" sound like a death rattle! idk, if you asked him I get the impression that McCartney would say that the song is meant to be optimistic and that the stillness is supposed to suggest tranquility and meditation rather than devitalization, but it sounds so grim to me

Still on Pipes of Peace, "So Bad" is... so good (sorry) !
Arguably his best falsetto ever.
Such a beautiful, classic, Smokey-like slowjam (and it made sense that Smokey covered it).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=psiVMVu_kGI

soref, i agree totally.

fwiw turrican, i never said my selections were the best showcase of what mccartney is capable of, just a sampling of things i get a kick of, off the albums that strapped-for-time voters will probably not sit and sift through. some of em will make my ballot, but they'll be down below "jet" and such, as i was trying to make clear...

I read somewhere that "Jet" was the song Paul played in the Lagos studio to convince Fela he wasn't ripping off his music. "No really, we're not stealing from you! Listen!" "Jet! wooo-oooo-oooo! Jet!" Fela paused for a second and said, "Yeah, you are definitely not stealing from me. OK, see you later."

Jet was entirely recorded by George Martin at AIR after the Lagos sessions.

speaking of BOTR, I've long wondered how much lead guitar McCartney plays on that album as opposed to Denny Laine? I assume Laine was closer to a strummer, and I know he handled the keyboard parts that Linda couldn't play or McCartney wouldn't play.

Really? Huh. Wish I could remember what song it was that he played for Fela.

xp

or I guess maybe by Emerick at AIR? anyway

added most tracks mentioned itt to the collaborative playlist
https://open.spotify.com/user/betamaxdk/playlist/61os6iMh4h0qY70BawKB5U

not much Lennon on it, maybe his cuts are too obvious? added #9 Dream which is gorgeous and weirdly proto-Ariel Pink

Ok, so I made these a while back - imaginary LPs from Abbey Road up to 1981 (I planned to continue up to the present day but didn't for whatever reason) - I am positive that nobody will 100% agree with my choices, but thought I might as well share / get some feedback on them.
was there a blog with fake news to go with these? rings a bell

George's voice which even on a good day isn't a beautiful instrument to listen to
hate to admit it but listening through these George's voice indeed isn't that great

Plastic Ono Band is a great album, not a bad song really (okay mayyybe Working Class Hero) my choice cuts apart from Mother which will surely place are Love and Well Well Well

u crazy, Working Class Hero is top ten easy

bravo niels, collabo playlist looking much more robust. though very short on john as we've had our attention focused elsewhere. hmmm. well i'm gonna continue with my ringo adventure for now but maybe i'll swing back to john before revisiting paul...

xposts

POB, Ram, and All Things Must Pass are kind of my starting points for this whole exercise (as i'm sure for some other people here? maybe i'm wrong about that). it's really hard to cut more than a handful of songs from any of them

secret fave on POB (though "Mother" floors me more than any of 'em) is "I Found Out" - I like John pissed off and reveling in what an angry young man he can be and how many enemies he's realizing he has. "Gimme Some Truth" is in that same vein, ditto "Crippled Inside" even though the sonic attack has been reined in in favor of a jaunty, old-timey boogie. Love all those.

Not that I don't buy positive-activist John too! "Give Peace a Chance" is something really special IMHO, maybe wore it out when I first got my hands on the John Lennon Collection on cassette... but the refrain is so good, and the lo-fi "live in some administrative room we're occupying" sound in the recording, where the assembled chanters sound numerous but by no means unstoppable, give it this incredible hope-against-all-odds vibe. Maybe a weird connection to the hollow sadness haunting "One Of These Days" - of course I'm hearing it in the hindsight of knowing that peace has not been given its chance, but more than most of the anti-war songs of this period, it still comes through fresh and alive with the sound of genuinely optimistic young people reclaiming their naivete as strength, and believing that it really might just be as easy as giving peace a chance.

A few Lennon songs I'll probably vote for that I don't think have been mentioned yet:

Bless You
Nobody Told Me
Watching the Wheels
Jealous Guy
Oh Yoko!
I Don't Wanna Face It
One Day (At a Time)
Oh My Love
Give Me Some Truth
Hold On
I Found Out
Isolation
Remember
Look at Me
God
Power to the People
Remember Love

Instant Karma should be v high on any lennon list imo

"How Do You Sleep?" will likely be way up there on my ballot, which i didn't expect when starting all of this.

i really appreciate its cruelty, especially after trawling through the coasting crap that eventually overwhelmed so much of the beatles' mid-1970s-80s. he heard Paul's indirect swipe at him, "Too Many People", and responded by punching back directly, 100 times as hard. it's not the most noble reaction, but at least i remember it afterward. having george on hand to add the little bluesy licks adds to the viciousness. even the phil spector strings have a raw synthetic quality and a nasty bite in some places (like the way they cut off at the end of the first chorus).

it's not the most noble reaction, but at least i remember it afterward.

(just to be clear, i love and remember "too many people" as well. the songs i can never remember are the filler on Walls and Bridges, Mind Games, etc)

Macca's gonna dominate any discussion of Beatles solo output just because there's so much *more* of it, it's a lot to ruminate over (even if huge swathes of it are forgettable nonsense). At the same time, John's smaller discography also results in him having a much higher hit:miss ratio than any of the other Beatles imo. There's mushy sounding filler on Walls and Bridges and Mind Games, and some real misfires like Once Upon a Time in NY - but that's pretty much the limit of it. The range of great albums in his pocket - both POBs, Imagine, Fly, Pussy Cats, etc. - is very impressive.

which is why a George or Ringo playlist would be cool!

btw Living in the Material World is a forgotten blockbuster: #1 five weeks, #1 single, best-ever solo guitar work, pffft

I like the account How Do You Sleep's recording by Felix Dennis (about halfway down here):

https://www.beatlesbible.com/people/john-lennon/songs/how-do-you-sleep/2/

this sounds like George's guitar (over a ska beat? lol) but I guess it's actually Joe Walsh...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnN3IRPSOjs

that whole album "Old Wave" is Ringo + Walsh apparently

that was the ad campaign: "Old Wave = Ringo + Joe Walsh!"

and never even released in the US! which is sort of crazy

a Beatle not being able to get a record contract in America (even with an Eagle!)

yikes is there anything more literal than the "I've been here so very long/I've lost all direction" lyric in this one

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGfKqMW5WiQ

Thanks for the Spotify playlist, niels! It's nice to listen to a ilx-curated collection of these songs. I've found it really challenging to slog through Harrisons non-ATMP solo work in particular. I've put on Dark Horse, Extra Texture, etc so many times and always give up after a couple of songs. Nice to discover so many gems I've ignored.

that features the appearance of at least Beatle.

i assumed you were trying to approximate Leo McKern in Help!

I think George would win for me via Peak Value (like Sandy Koufax). Thus Paul would lead in volume of gold AND shit.