-
The Double White Album
As stated by George Martin. ( I also tend to agree with Martin myself )
Reasonable visionary that he was, George Martin strongly encouraged the boys to drop the filler, the frivolity and the self-indulgence and pare the double album down to a tight single record.
“I really didn’t think a lot of the songs were worthy of release,” Martin famously said. “I said, ‘I don’t want a double album. I think you ought to cut out some of these, concentrate on the really good ones and have yourself a really super album.’”
The boys, or more appropriately The Boys, would hear none of it.
********************************************************************************
So the question to everyone is. There are 30 songs on the White Album. You are George Martin and have to eliminate 10 to 12 songs. What songs would you get rid of. So your new Play List would be 20 to 18 songs.
Here is a listing of all of the 30 Songs.
Side 1
1. Back in the U.S.S.R.
2. Dear Prudence
3. Glass Onion
4. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La- Da
5. Wild Honey Pie
6. The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
7. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
8. Happiness Is a Warm Gun
9. Martha My Dear
10. I’m So Tired
11. Blackbird
12. Piggies
13. Rocky Raccoon
14. Don’t Pass Me By
15. Why Don’t We Do It In The Road
16. I Will
17. Julia
Side 2
1. Birthday
2. Yer Blues
3. Mother Nature’s Son
4. Everybody’s Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
5. Sexy Sadie
6. Helter Skelter
7. Long, Long, Long
8. Revolution 1
9. Honey Pie
10. Savoy Truffle
11. Cry Baby Cry
12. Revolution 9
13. Good Night
Let the fun begin.
-
12 Replies
-
Maybe a very few but no chance of saving one whole vinyl LP
-
To tell you the truth, there aren’t a whole lot of songs on the white album that I’m particularly fond of. Each Beatle was pretty much doing his own songwriting by then, and I much prefer the material from their collaborative heyday.
But if someone metaphorically put a gun to my head, I’d probably say to keep mostly the stuff from Paul and George. And after I said that, some other people would metaphorically put a gun to my head.
-
Hi Joe, love the question. It raises a long held question for me, and that is, is there a bad Beatles song? They seem to be at a level where everything they did was gold, and the ones that became hits and popular over the others were in the stratosphere. In the classical music world most music experts and aficionados consider everything the top 3 great composers wrote were masterpieces because of the caliber of their genius, and in popular/rock music, that was the stature of the Beatles.
In regards to the White Album, I wonder if removing songs and reducing it to a single vinyl set wouldn’t affect the artistic integrity as an album, assuming it is more than just a random collection of songs, intentional or unintentional. Creativity comes from a subconscious place I hear. Would Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sargent Peppers, which are within the top 5 of the Rolling Stones Magazines greatest albums of all time list, be lesser masterpieces if some songs were removed or changed. Brian Wilson said of Rubber Soul (US version) it felt like every song in the album came from the same place, like there is a unifying arch across the album.
If I was George Martin and the album had to be reduced in size or it wouldn’t be published, I would defer to John, Paul, George and Ringo and ask them each to submit 3 favourite songs from the album, and if there are duplications, I’d ask for 4th and 5th favourites, and publish the first 12 they come up with together.
Looking at all the songs, if had to reduce it to a single disc, I would go with everything on the first disc, and then take Revolution and Helter Skelter from the 2nd disc, and displace Piggies and Rock Racoon.
-
Good morning Jung,
I agree with you. But you have to look at it from George Martin perspective. He felt it should have been a single album. I know it’s hard. Due to the fact we are used to what’s on the album.
And in the end The Beatles prevailed and Martin gave in .
But there are songs that were not really good enough on the album. And could have been removed. I will list the songs I would take off later.
One of them would be Why Don’t We Do It In the Road. I like the song. Is it as good as say Blackbird? No -
Here are the songs I would remove. The count is ten,
I want to make myself clear. These are all fine songs. But I feel the remaining song were better. Now I’m sure people will disagree. Then tell me what ten or eight songs you would remove. It comes down to personal choice. As stated you are suppose to be George Martin making the tuff choices.
1. Why Don’t We Do It In the Road
2. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La- Da – It’s a happy song but gone….
3. Wild Honey Pie
4. Don’t Pass Me By – Sorry Ringo
5. Julia – I love the song, but should have been put on John’s solo album.
6. Mother Nature’s Son – Sorry Paul solo album
7. Long, Long, Long
8. Honey Pie
9. Revolution 9
10. Good Night
-
I agree, this album was ok for me, yes a couple of songs I would cut
Revolution #9
Helter Skelter
That is it for me really but great question
-
Well the problem is we all don’t seem to have much of a consensus about what was filler.
I can’t go along with much of others choices. Maybe the Beatles had the same problem.
Maybe we got more material when they were writing independently.
You know – like CSNY
-
I’m partial to whatever Beatles song speaks to me , music wise, lyricwise, from all their stuff as Beatles and solo stuff that I’m familiar with but I’m not familiar with everything of theirs so I can’t cfairly answer this question….Good question but I can’t fairly answer, I’ll remain neutral…hope that’s okay…In this case, it’s an individual preferance thing, each person has their own choices , not all will agree or will…..
-
Hi Jacki, You are just being honest and I understand. It a tuff question and a personal choice.
No Problem.
Joe
-
Hey Joe
If I were George Martin, with the remaining 10 songs or so that did not make it on the reduced White Album, I’d release them the following year as a follow up album and call it something like the Black Album, for a Yin and Yang kind of linkage to the White Album. Then people who bought the White album and liked it would be hard to resist not getting the Black Album. How do you like that kind of marketing strategy? 🙂
Would have to move Helter Skelter to the Black Album as the first track and release it on Halloween.
-
Good morning Jung,
The Black Album. I like it. The Beatles did have a Rarities album.
You should be in marketing Jung. I like your idea my friend.
Joe
-
I can only think of 3.
Why don’t we do it in the road.
Honey pie.
Wild honey pie.
These always sounded like filler to me. Just my opinion. And to echo Joseph by this time most of Paul’s songs were solo songs anyway.
Log in to reply.
