Beatles White Album | Page 2 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Random thought.

Was there an early plan to have each side of the While Album end with tracks by John, Paul, George and Ringo but it was forgotten about during the 24 hour running order work out?

What i mean is as follows

Side 1 – Happiness Is A Warm Gun = John.

Side 3. Long, Long, Long = George.

Side 4. Goodnight = Ringo.

the only wrong one is side 2 which ends with Julia (John) and not a Paul track.

Was there a late switch with Julia and I Will as they felt it worked better?

John, Paul and George Martin did put all the animal themed tracks on side 2, the more rock tracks are on side 3, so there is a precedent for such an idea. 

Was listening to the end of side 1 and beginning of side two and it occured to me that sides 1, 2 and 3 open with a Paul track which is quite a big deal considering side openers were a big deal with LP running orders back in the day (John closed all but one album (Beatles For Sale ) up to and including Pepper, Pepper, no lead singer gets two tracks in a row on Revolver etc) and it got me thinking.

John, Paul and George Martin spent 24 hours working out the sequencing: the animal themed songs are on side 2, the heavier tracks on side 3; George gets 1 track on each side of each LP, Ringo gets one song on each LP; John and Paul get a maximum of two songs in a row. It was very clearly organised and diplomatic. So would it be too far fetched to think the original plan was that John and Paul got two side openers on the album and that each Beatle got to close a side (see this post above) but it proved too difficult to achieve? Its damn close for it to happen as for that to be achieved all thats needed is that on side two for Julia to become a Paul track and Martha My Dear be switched for a John track (tho not a direct switch as that wouldnt work well). Too damn close.

Had to fix the tables

I wonder if there is a way to make it work.

I always thought ‘Mother Nature’s Son ‘ was inspired by Paul’s time spent in Rishikesh and also written there but in this 1994 interview (located above the pic of Paul and Linda) Paul says it was written in Liverpool whilst visiting his dad with the title inspired by the song ‘Nature Boy’. 

Liverpool is also mentioned in ‘Many Years For Now’:

     ‘Mother Nature’s Son ‘ was inspired by a lecture on nature given by the Maharishi but mostly written in Liverpool when they got back. The same lecture inspired John to write a piece called ‘I’m Just a Child Of Nature ‘, which he later turned into ‘Jealous Guy ‘. Many of the songs written in India, however, had a more informal genesis in rooftop sing-alongs with George playing sitar and Mike Love, Donovan, Paul and John on guitars. Paul wrote ‘Rocky Raccoon ‘ sitting on the roof of the ashram with John and Donovan helping out. It sounds like a story being told to friends.

I really should read that book.

The things we learn.