Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

One of the many Beatles debates that has been raging since 1968: should the White Album have been a single album? George Martin certainly thought so.

Regardless of your views on this, for a bit of torturous fun, I would like you to do a track listing for your personal single Beatles White Album. So imagine you are being tasked with coming up with the track listing for that single album.

Here are the rules: The White Album has 30 named tracks (I have listed them below). Your album (or CD, if you prefer) will consist of 15 tracks selected from the 30. They should be in the order you wish to hear them.

What do you keep? What goes?

Let the agonizing begin.

Back in the U.S.S.R
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
Wild Honey Pie
The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison)
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Martha My Dear
I'm So Tired
Blackbird
Piggies (Harrison)
Rocky Raccoon
Don't Pass Me By (Starkey)
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
I Will
Julia
Birthday
Yer Blues
Mother Nature's Son
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Long, Long, Long (Harrison)
Revolution 1
Honey Pie
Savoy Truffle (Harrison)
Cry Baby Cry
Revolution 9
Good Night

Here are my picks:

Back in the U.S.S.R
Dear Prudence
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison)
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Rocky Raccoon
Don't Pass Me By (Starkey)
Julia

Birthday
Mother Nature's Son
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Revolution 1
Savoy Truffle (Harrison)
Cry Baby Cry

I tried to keep the same formula that The Beatles and EMI used with their albums - A couple of songs by George, one for Ringo. My picks leave it slighlt heavy on John songs, but that's the way it goes. I didn't change the order. I always liked the way the White album played.

Phew!

Side 1:
Back in the U.S.S.R.
Dear Prudence
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Mother Nature's Son
Martha My Dear
Rocky Raccoon
While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Side 2:
Helter Skelter
Blackbird
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Don't Pass Me By
Sexy Sadie
Savoy Truffle
Revolution 1
Julia

Dear Prudence
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison)
Martha My Dear
Blackbird
Piggies (Harrison)
Rocky Raccoon
I Will
Mother Nature's Son
Sexy Sadie
Helter Skelter
Long, Long, Long (Harrison)
Revolution 1
Savoy Truffle (Harrison)
Cry Baby Cry

Wow, I ended up taking away more of John's songs! It's not that I don't like them, I just tend to lean a little more toward Paul. I love the entire White Album though. I really like John's songs too. In picking just half the songs, these are the ones that stood out as I did this little exercise. Of course, I didn’t take too long to think about it. I just went through the list and quickly picked 15 songs.

Back in the U.S.S.R
Dear Prudence
Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison)
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Blackbird
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
Julia
Birthday
Yer Blues
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Long, Long, Long (Harrison)
Revolution 1
Savoy Truffle (Harrison)
Helter Skelter

The only song I've moved (rather than removed) is Helter Skelter. I always thought the album should close on the pained line "I've got blisters on my fingers!".

Back in the U.S.S.R
Dear Prudence
Glass Onion
While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison)
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
I'm So Tired
Blackbird
Long, Long, Long
Why Don't We Do It in the Road?
Julia
Birthday
Yer Blues
Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Revolution 1
Cry Baby Cry

The White Album a single LP? Never! I'm with Macca on this- it's The Beatles! If I were to have done this 25 years ago I'd have cut songs that I now love. Same story ten years ago with different tunes. How come nobody ever plays this game with 'Exile' or 'The River' or 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'- there's some albums that could use some pruning. I'm just glad they didn't put 'What's the New Maryjane' on the White Album.

Here are my picks:

• Back in the U.S.S.R
  Dear Prudence
  Glass Onion
  Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
  While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Harrison)
  Martha My Dear
  Blackbird
  Piggies (Harrison)
  Don't Pass Me By (Starkey)
  I Will
  Julia
  Birthday
  Long, Long, Long (Harrison)
  Revolution 1
  Savoy Truffle (Harrison)

Not easy, is it?

I'm with Chuck, opinion-wise...but still, what if this was your job. Pick 15! Augh...

It's interesting that (after a cursory look) that 'Dear Prudence' and 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' are the two on everybody's list. Hmmm... what if 'Hey Jude' and 'Revolution' (in place of 'Revolution 1) were in the running?
Side One
Back in the USSR
Dear Prudence
Sexy Sadie (I can't believe people aren't picking this one!)
Not Guilty
Happiness is a Warm Gun
Ob La Di Ob La Da
Hey Jude

Side Two
Revolution
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Birthday
Blackbird
I'm So Tired
Glass Onion
Helter Skelter
Good Night

Got it down to 17 or 18 pretty easily but the last few cuts were tough...

Side One:
Back in the USSR
Dear Prudence
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Julia
Martha My Dear
I'm So Tired
Happiness is a Warm Gun

Side Two:
Helter Skelter
Piggies
I Will
Sexie Sadie
Mother Nature's Son
Revolution 1
Cry Baby Cry
Yer Blues

Whoops - I mean to get Blackbird in there! A definite must. I guess I'd take out either Martha My Dear to make room.

Here's mine:

Side One

Back in the U.S.S.R
Glass Onion
Savoy Truffle
Dear Prudence
Mother Nature's Son
Honey Pie
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Julia

Side Two

Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey
Blackbird
Ob La Di, Ob La Da
Yer Blues
Helter Skelter
Happiness Is a Warm Gun
Good Night

Leave it as a double album. It's great ,It sold it's the bloody Beatles White Album, shut up!

simer4001 wrote:Leave it as a double album. It's great ,It sold it's the bloody Beatles White Album, shut up!

-Sir Paul's words almost to a tee, when asked the same question.