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2.25am
3 May 2024
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I always wondered what would John’s solo tours would have evolved had he not been killed. And for those who probably are going to say something about, I know John wasn’t keen on performing Beatles songs at the time, but none of them were. The 89-90 tour was the first time Paul McCartney included a sizeable amount of Beatles songs in the setlist, and has continued to do so since then. I believe that John would have also warmed up to performing Beatles songs again. But which ones?
And I am only talking about the ones he primarily wrote, not ones written by Paul/George/Ringo or co written with Paul. I’m compiled a list of all the Paul-exclusive Beatles songs (per setlist.fm) that Paul has performed more than 100 times, which is about 34 songs. What would John’s likely equivalent be? Here’s the list:
- Lady Madonna
- Let It Be
- Hey Jude
- Back In The U.S.S.R.
- Yesterday
- Golden Slumbers / Carry That Weight / The End
- Eleanor Rigby
- Blackbird
- The Long And Winding Road
- Can’t Buy Me Love
- I Saw Her Standing There
- All My Loving
- Get Back
- We Can Work It Out
- Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
- Helter Skelter
- Got To Get You Into My Life
- Sgt. Pepper ’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
- Drive My Car
- I’ve Just Seen A Face
- Paperback Writer
- And I Love Her
- The Fool On The Hill
- Here, There And Everywhere
- Birthday
- Magical Mystery Tour
- Love Me Do
- Michelle
- Things We Said Today
- Penny Lane
- Getting Better
- Good Day Sunshine
- You Never Give Me Your Money / She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
- Hello, Goodbye
4.50am
26 January 2017
Offline I can imagine Lennon having a fanbase similar to Dylan’s where fans go to show after show following him around depsite him playing mostly the same set every show of the tour. Then when he mixes in a bust out or a ftp it makes a ton of noise within the hardcore fanbase, similar to Paul, although he rarely plays rare bustouts because his setlists are so crammed with mega hit classics. John I think probably wouldnt play Imagine Help ! and I Am The Walrus at every show. Come to think of it, what is John’s Hey Jude or Let It Be ? In My Life is the only real competitor. Power To The People ? Revolution ? Paul definetly beats him out when it comes to the number of ubiquitous cultural touchstones.
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Von Bontee"The pump don't work cause the vandals took the handles!"
-Bob Dylan, Subterranean Homesick Blues
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10.22pm
30 August 2021
Offline10.58pm
14 December 2009
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Well, we all know that John didn’t care much for revisiting the past, and the Beatles were definitely the past…but that didn’t stop him from accessing potentially negative “White Album ” memories while doing “Yer Blues ” in Toronto; nor prevent him giving “Come Together ” a belated live debut at MSG in ’72. Also, he seemed to relish being allowed to sing lead on “I Saw Her Standing There ” for the first time, in 1974. And so, I can imagine a part of his past that he wouldn’t mind revisiting, a happy memory: His own wedding and honeymoon with Yoko. “The Ballad Of John & Yoko” would’ve sounded great in live performance, and Yoko could could contribute the “oh boy, when you’re dead…Think!!” wife bit herself (plus add tambourine or maracas, always welcome additions)
Would John have performed any of the songs that were most personal to him, like “In My Life ” or “Strawberry Fields”? I can’t begin to guess, myself…
But I really don’t think that there were as many as 34 of John’s Beatles songs that he would even praise, let alone choose to revisit live, he was so critical of so much of his stuff, amazing stuff, up to the Playboy interview of 1980. And speculation about anything happening after 1980, any kind of second thoughts on John’s part regarding his opinions, is pointless.
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sir walter raleigh, Mr. MoonlightPaul: Yeah well… first of all, we’re bringing out a ‘Stamp Out Detroit’ campaign.
1.36pm
14 June 2016
Offline Beatles years are different to normal years because they did so much in a short time. At the Madison Square Garden concert I think he says he’ll go back into the past just once, in 1972, which was only about three years after they broke up. John really, really loved I Want To Hold Your Hand and the memories around it becoming a hit and launching the band. I could see that being played quite a bit. He apparently spoke about recording some of the old Beatles songs again, so the prospect of a lot more of those songs being played live on tour is more possible than first thought, even though I’m certain he’d still be all about moving on with new content like Double Fantasy /Milk And Honey , and whatever else he would’ve done. The faster paced Revolution would have been awesome.
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Rube, vonbontee1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine
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10.11pm
30 August 2021
Offline Timothy said
John really, really loved I Want To Hold Your Hand and the memories around it becoming a hit and launching the band. I could see that being played quite a bit. He apparently spoke about recording some of the old Beatles songs again,
I believe he wanted to do Help ! slower, like the version John Farnham did later, so he may have done that, and I can see him giving the same treatment to I Want To Hold Your Hand , similar to the way they did it on Glee.
"Nothing is Beatle-proof."
12.14pm
14 June 2016
Offline I think it’s possible some of it was his own nostalgic feelings about the recording memories and that time of his life, rather than purely improving something he didn’t think he nailed as he claimed. That could have been a defence mechanism. As Paul said, you could punch him in the face and he’d say it didn’t hurt. Telling George Martin he’d like to record it all again is classic John, because you aren’t totally sure if he’s serious, or just having fun surprising the guy and rebelling against the band’s iconic status. Either way, I do think he would’ve played more Beatles songs live if he lived. It seems that would have been inevitable.
1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine
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11.04pm
4 September 2019
Offline For some reason I see John doing a slow version of Help ! I think there’s a recording of him playing it slowly on the piano. Wasn’t it originally conceived as a slow song, but the rest of the band wanted to speed it up (sort of like Please Please Me )?
I doubt if John would have toured extensively, he seems like too much of a homebody. I think he and Yoko were planning a tour for 1981 though, IIRC. Or maybe talking about planning a tour.
Another question would be what Paul songs would John have performed? And Paul does Something , would John do a George song? I find it hard to imagine, but maybe if he had outlived him?
2.37am
30 August 2021
Offline forn said
Another question would be what Paul songs would John have performed? And Paul does Something , would John do a George song? I find it hard to imagine, but maybe if he had outlived him?
He did do I Saw Her Standing There with Elton John, but I don’t think there would have been much crossover as long as they were all still alive to do their own stuff.
"Nothing is Beatle-proof."
11.56am
14 June 2016
Offline forn said
For some reason I see John doing a slow version of Help ! I think there’s a recording of him playing it slowly on the piano. Wasn’t it originally conceived as a slow song, but the rest of the band wanted to speed it up (sort of like Please Please Me )?I doubt if John would have toured extensively, he seems like too much of a homebody. I think he and Yoko were planning a tour for 1981 though, IIRC. Or maybe talking about planning a tour.
Another question would be what Paul songs would John have performed? And Paul does Something , would John do a George song? I find it hard to imagine, but maybe if he had outlived him?
I agree I couldn’t see him touring to the level Paul has.
John and Paul doing a Day Tripper appearance would’ve been amazing.
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Mr. Moonlight1.The Beatles 2.Sgt. Pepper 3.Abbey Road 4.Magical Mystery Tour 5.Rubber Soul 6.Revolver 7.Help! 8.Let It Be
9.A Hard Day’s Night 10.Please Please Me 11.Beatles For Sale 12.With The Beatles 13.Yellow Submarine
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