John Lennon's 1968 "Solo" Album

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by rangerjohn, Jun 15, 2011.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. rangerjohn

    rangerjohn Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    chicago, il
    An idea I raised in another thread.

    What if Lennon had gone "all the way" in 1968? He comes out of his acid haze, hooks up with Yoko, and divorces the Beatles as well as Cynthia.

    Would his solo album have been the year's best?*

    *Assuming, of course, he continued to rely on his old bandmates as backup musicians (as well as members of the Dirty Mac and the future Plastic Ono Band).

    Here's the album:

    John Lennon's '68 Comeback Special

    Side 1.
    Revolution
    Across the Universe
    Dear Prudence
    Glass Onion
    The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
    Julia
    Happiness Is a Warm Gun

    Side 2.
    Hey Bulldog
    I'm So Tired
    Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam
    Yer Blues
    Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
    Sexy Sadie
    Good Night

    What say you?
     
  2. bubba-ho-tep

    bubba-ho-tep Resident Ne'er-Do-Well

    Location:
    San Tan Valley, AZ
    Drop "Bungalow Bill" and "Good Night". Add "Child of Nature" and "Oh My Love".
     
  3. alexpop

    alexpop Power pop + other bad habits....

    Not one potential number 1 hit song in that list.

    Great solo album though.
     
  4. HELLOLARRY

    HELLOLARRY Forum Resident

    While not in the US or UK, Revolution was a #1 song elsewhere assuming the single version is the one in this list. :)
     
  5. Rfreeman

    Rfreeman Senior Member

    Location:
    Lawrenceville, NJ
    Hey Bulldog could have topped the charts IMO. With the way Beatles were selling in that era, I expect about half of their album cuts would have been chart toppers if released as singles.
     
  6. PaulKTF

    PaulKTF Senior Member

    Location:
    USA
    Agreed. I've always liked Hey Bulldog and thought it should have been a single.
     
  7. ampmods

    ampmods Forum Resident

    Location:
    Boston, MA, USA
    If he continued to rely on his bandmates as backing musicians... how would that be a solo album? :D

    Personally I think if he were to have officially quit the Beatles in 1968 the album would have been different than you've listed. I think that being a "Beatle" brought with it certain expectations and of course he was directly working with (and competing with) Paul which probably helped direct or focus even his songwriting at this point. Certainly the arrangements if nothing else.

    I think his album might look something like this...

    Side 1.
    Revolution No. 1 (the slow version)
    Yer Blues (Rock and Roll Circus style)
    What's the New Mary Jane
    Julia
    Short Fat Fannie (Larry Williams cover)
    Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey

    Side 2.
    Revolution No. 9
    Child of Nature
    Happiness is a Warm Gun (completely different arrangement)
    Across the Universe
    Some Anti-Beatles "How Do You Sleep" song with Yoko wailing about.
     
  8. rangerjohn

    rangerjohn Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    chicago, il
    I think you're probably right, ampmods: there likely would have been at least one RnR cover on the album and one Yoko-wailing number as well.
     
  9. Paper Wizard

    Paper Wizard Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.S.A.
    Bet there would have been a lot more Yoko songs.
     
  10. So let's all be very very grateful. :wave:

    Best Wishes
    David
     
  11. mannymarks

    mannymarks New Member

    Location:
    Oakwood, GA
    Surely not that early in the game. Plus he had a songwriting backlog after the Maharishi trip.
     
  12. kazzard

    kazzard Forum Resident

    Location:
    Somerset, England
    I think this might be closer. However, if he had bailed out in '68 wouldn't he have done so before India? So some songs may never have been written?
    Would he have gone straight from Beatles to POB and made the above album under that name?
     
  13. Didn't a lot of his tracks on Abbey Road date from '68, and also how can you possibly discuss a theoretical solo album during this period without including Cry Baby Cry?
     
  14. Pawnmower

    Pawnmower Senior Member

    Location:
    Dearborn, MI
    OK. If John divorced the Beatles, why would they back him up on the album? And where is "India, India"?
     
  15. mando_dan

    mando_dan Forum Resident

    Location:
    Beverly, MA
    Interesting Many of the songs don't do a lot for me and in fact I'd rate about half that album as filler. The other half though, well, it's John Lennon and it's great!

    (Come on, ask me which ones are filler!)
     
  16. joepepitone

    joepepitone Forum Resident

    Location:
    USA
    The OP has way too much time on his hands.
     
  17. Paper Wizard

    Paper Wizard Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.S.A.
    +1
     
  18. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member

    Location:
    moscow
    This album absolutely blows away the potential 1968 Paul McCartney solo album! Lennon was insanely great in 68!:edthumbs:
     
  19. elvissinatra

    elvissinatra Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan
    Is everyone forgetting that John Lennon did indeed release a solo album in 1968?

    [​IMG]

    Unfinished Music No.1: Two Virgins

    Side 1:

    1. Two Virgins 1
    2. Together
    3. Two Virgins 2
    4. Two Virgins 3
    5. Two Virgins 4
    6. Two Virgins 5
    7. Two Virgins 6

    Side 2:

    1. Hushabye Hushabye
    2. Two Virgins 7
    3. Two Virgins 8
    4. Two Virgins 9
    5. Two Virgins 10
     
  20. Paper Wizard

    Paper Wizard Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.S.A.
    I guess Paul didn't do anything good in 1968.
     
  21. elvissinatra

    elvissinatra Forum Resident

    Location:
    Michigan
    Also: Revolution spent 11 weeks on the US pop chart and peaked at #12. Not bad for a b-side.

    And no singles were released off the White Album in the US. So the idea that there's no potential number 1 hit song doesn't seem relevant, album-wise.
     
  22. antonkk

    antonkk Senior Member

    Location:
    moscow
    Of course he did but his contributions to White Album are much weaker than Lennon's and I'm not a huge a fan of Lady Madonna or even Hey Jude.
     
  23. Paper Wizard

    Paper Wizard Forum Resident

    Location:
    U.S.A.
    One could say the same thing about Lennon's contributions, too.
     
  24. Digital-G

    Digital-G Senior Member

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    See post 19.

    Any 'fantasy' album like this SHOULD include Revolution I Take 20. I'd throw in Child of Nature too.
     
  25. entropyfan

    entropyfan Forum Resident

    Maybe so but I prefer the White Album to any Lennon/McCartney solo album. Y'all leave '68 alone! :)
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine