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SOLO BEATLES
JOHN LENNON
I'm partial to John's more commercial solo work. His earlier stuff being more politiically
oriented or theraputic just didn't jell with me. John was the most visible member of the Beatles to work as a solo
act. Partnering up with his wife Yoko Ono, John released the anti-war anthem "Give Peace a Chance" in 1969.
By using his celebrity status, John used able to show support for the causes he believed in. But the beautiful
thing about John's music is that he was so versitle. John could write the most sarcastic and raucious songs ever, and
then write a soft melodic love song and sit them on the same album.
After a few experimental works with Yoko, John released his first proper solo effort,
"Plastic Ono Band" featuring several theraputic exercises such as: "Mother", "Working
class hero", and the beautiful "Love". His second effort, "Imagine"
is a truly gorgeous record. Released in 1971, the record includes: "Jealous Guy", "Oh my love",
and of course the title track, "Imagine". the album also included a nasty ode to McCartney, his former
partner, "How do you sleep". Being a McCartney fan - I'm not too crazy about that song, but appreciate John
working with the honesty of the moment, and willing to put out his feelings on the record. After a lackluster recording,
"Mind Games" in 1973, John took his famous lost weekend in LA hanging out with Harry Nillson, Ringo Starr,
Phil Spector and others. John did have a frenzy of activity producing an album for Nillson and teaming up
with David Bowie ("Fame"), and Elton John for a cover version of "Lucy in the sky with
Diamonds". Working with legendary record producer Phil Spector (creator of the 'wall of sound' and maker
of hits for the Ronnettes, Crystals, Righteous Brothers and many others), John recorded a collection of Rock 'n Roll oldies
before making "Walls and Bridges" one of his best solo albums. This album featured another collaboration
with Elton John, "Whatever gets you through the night", "#9 Dream", "Nobody loves
you when you're down and out", and the wicked "Steel and Glass". This
is definately my favorite of his solo efforts. "#9 Dream" is my favorite. Its lucious in
a 'trippy' sort of way. Lay down your mind, relax and float downstream.........
John essentially retired from the music business when his contract with EMI/APPLE
expired in 1976. He and Yoko were beginning a new phase in their relationship after a seperation - they had a son, Sean
Ono Lennon in October 1975. John stayed at home raising his son. Becoming the "King making bread and honey" he
would later sing about in "Clean up time". These would be a mostly happy time in John's life.
He was able to connect with his son something he had missed out when he and his first wife Cynthia had their son, Julian
during the height of Beatlemania. It would take 5 years before John would record another album. Finally in 1980,
he and Yoko recorded, "Double Fantasy".
Nicknamed 'a heartplay', "Double Fantasy" featured John
and Yoko alternating lead vocals as they sung about the maturaturation of their life together and enduring love. I'm
not a fan of Yoko but her songs are for the most part good to tolerable. John's songs express a sensitivity especially
to family life that hadn't been exhibited before. Of course John had a very difficult childhood. Home with Yoko
in the mid to late 70's apparently agreed with him. Highlights: "(Just like) Stsrting Over",
"Woman","I'm losing you", "Watching the Wheels", and "Beautiful
Boy (Darling Boy"). Yoko had some good tracks too, "Kiss Kiss Kiss",
"I'm moving on", and "Every man has a woman who loves him".
I remember exactly where I was when I learned that John Lennon was tragically killed Ddecember
8th 1980 - only weeks after the release of "Double Fantasy". I had just turned 20 and started
working in NYC as a page/messenger. I was in the coffee shop near the train station the following morning and grabbed
the newspaper anxiously to read about the baseball winter meetings - hoping the Mets had made a trade to improve the team.
The headline read, "John Lennon Slain Here". I was frozen and it didn't compute that John was dead. At first I
figured maybe he was just injured or something. The realization hit me hard like millions of others. This
senseless act by a derranged person is devastating. Certainly to lose someone as tremedously talented, and was a leader.
But more importantly a man who had found happines and was optimitic about the future, and did not have the opportunity to
see his sons become men. That is the tragedy.
TOP 20 LENNON SONGS
1) Imagine
2) Woman
3) Give Peace a Chance
4) Instant Karma
5) Jealous Guy
6) Watching the Wheels
7) Nobody loves you when you're down and out
8) Working Class Hero
9) God
10) TIE: Love/Oh my love
11) Whatever gets you through the night
12) Mind Games
13) Happy Christmas (War is Over)
14) #9 Dream
15) Cold Turkey
16) I'm losing you
17) Nobody Told me
18) (Just like) Starting Over
20) Grow old along with me
RINGO STARR
Ringo always was the Beatle who has always seemed the most
sincere. There is something in his voice. He wasn't blessed with the best singing voice, but hey
he's done alright! With the Beatles Ringo had sung one of their biggest hits, "Yellow Submarine" and
another favorite, "With a little help from my friends". Still when the Beatles broke up, nobody
expected RIngo to come out of the gate with a string of hits on the radio! But after making 2 albums of songs
that wre close to his heart "Sentimental Journey" and "Beacoups of Blues", Ringo fired off a string of hits that would shame
any of the other Beatles: "It don't come Easy", and "Back of Boogaloo" were both infectious radio hits. The closest
we ever got to a Beatles reunion came courtesy of Ringo. John, Paul, George and many of Ringo's other friends like Billy
Preston contributed for his 1973 album, "RINGO". Its a great record featuring songs like, "I'm the Greatest" (composed
by John), "Photograph" (written by George), "Six O'Clock" (by Paul). Ringo kept releasing albums throughout the
70's and even today with mixed results. I really love the Ringo hits. vertones. In the 90's Ringo got
some friends together and formed his "All Starr" band. He has been on the road with a version of that band every few
years.
Top 20 Ringo Starr Songs
1) It don't come Easy
2) Photograph
3) Oh my my
4) Six O'Clock
5) Back of Boogaloo
6) Wrack my Brain
7) Weight of the World
8) You're 16
9) Drowning in the sea of love
10) I'm the Greatest
11) A dose of Rock' n Roll
12) Stardust
13) What goes around (Comes around
14) Never without you
15) Snookeroo
16) La de da
17) Beaucoups of Blues
18) Early 1970
20) I want to be Santa Claus
GEORGE HARRISON
Its hard to play favorites when it comes to the Beatles or solo Beatles.
I'm definately a McCartney fan but there has always been room for George, Ringo and John. Listening to George's records
I am sometimes overcome with joy in just hearing the sweetness in his voice and guitar. After making some experimental
records himself, George surprised Beatles and music fans with his first official solo release, "All things Must Pass",
a 3 record set. It included much of the backog of songs he hadn't been able to use with the Beatles. The album
was a huge hit featuring "My Sweet Lord" and several other songs of a religious nature. George's
spiritualism was prominent in all his solo work. George arranged and headlined the first rock 'n roll benefit
concert in 1972 named, '"The Concert for Bangledesh". The concert and follow up album/movie co-starred
Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Leon Russell and others. A third solo album, "Living in the Material" spawned
a hit single, "Give me Love". George mid 70's releases were not as commercially successful and
lost a legal battle over copy wright infringement regarding his song, "My Sweet Lord". George may
have lost the battle, but found his sense of humor intact and had fun with the issue by writing and including "This
Song" on his next album, 1976's "33 1/3". George also appeared as a reporter in
the Monty Python Beatles spoof film, "The Rutles: All you need is Cash". This release was one of his
best ever. In 1979, George made another superb record simply titled, "George Harrison" featuring a
hit single, "Blow Away" - one of my very favorites. He released a an autobiography, "I
Me Mine" that same year.
The 80's saw George getting involved in film releasing the occaional album.
"Somewhere in England" issued in 1981 included a song dedicated to John Lennon, "All those years ago"
I recently learned that this song had been written - if not completed prior to the insane killing of his former Beatle
partner. Apparently when George had released his autobiograpy Lennon, was upset he barely mentioned him in the book!
George had written the song as a peace offering.
In 1987, George released "Cloud Nine" one of his most successful albums.
The album included some great commercial pop songs, "This is Love", "Devils Radio", a Beatles tribute, "When we was Fab",
and "I've got my mind set on you" - a cover of an old 50's song which became a huge hit single!
With "Cloud Nine", there was a resurgence in his career and George would become part of another supergroup - "The
Traveling Wilbury's" featuring George, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Roy Orbison and Jeff Lynne. The huge success of
the Wilbury project yielded 2 albums and the hits, "Handle with Care", and "End of the Line".
George would make some concert appearances in the late 80's most notably, "The Princes Trust Ball" and a tour of Japan in
1990 with Eric Clapton.
After the Japan tour, George worked with Paul and Ringo on the Beatles Anthology project. George
survived an attempt on his life when a derranged fan broke into his house, and stabbed him. Later, George would
develop cancer. With the aid of his son Dhani, and friend Jeff Lynne, George re-mastered "All
things Must Pass" including a new version of "My Sweet Lord". He also contributed "Horse
to Water", one of his best songs to Jools Holland's "Small World, Big Band" album. Though he was ill, George recorded
one last album, "Brainwashed" before sadly losing his battle with cancer and his life in November 2001.
Dhani and Jeff Lynne completed and released it posthumously.
In one of the best songs from the album, "Any Road", George sings:
"I keep traveling around the bend
There was no beginning, there is no end
It wasn't born and never dies
There
are no edges, there is no sides
Oh yeah, you just don't win
It's so far out - the way out is in
Bow to God and call
him Sir
But if you don't know where you're going
Any road will take you there"
George knew the road he traveled and is in the place he's meant to be....with God. As for us on earth, George
will always be in our hearts.
TOP 20 GEORGE HARRISON SONGS
1) Give me Love (Give me peace on earth)
2) My Sweet Lord
3) Blow Away
4) All things must pass
5) What is life
6) You
7) Isn't it a Pity
8) Beware of Darkness
9) Dark Horse
10) Your love is forever
11) Life Itself
12) Any Road
13) Faster
14) This is Love
15) This Song
16) Horse to Water
17) Ooh Baby (You know that I love you)
18) Cloud Nine
19) Crackerbox Palace
20) When we was Fab
SIR PAUL McCARTNEY
VISIT MY PAUL McCARTNEY PAGE!
TOP
20 Paul McCartney Songs
1)
Maybe I’m Amazed
2)
Every night
3)
Band on the Run
4)
Coming Up
5)
My love
6)
Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey
7)
Calico Skies
8)
Somedays
9)
Tug of War
10)
Wanderlust
11)
Venus & Mars/Rock show
12)
Figure of Eight
13)
Arrow though Me
14)
Backseat of my car
15)
I’m carrying
16)
Live and Let die
17)
Jet
18)
Your loving Flame
19)
This never happened before
20) Junk/Sing along Junk
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Thanks for visiting,
Ed
Beatles Forever!
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