The 1972 Beatles Album

In 1972, Paul and his newly formed band Wings went on a small tour of British universities.  They would drive up and find the student unions to ask if they could play.  After that, Wings went on a more ambitious tour of Europe.  On the European tour, Paul recorded their shows as he was keen on Wings's next album being a double album, consisting of one studio and one live album.  After listening to the concert recordings, Paul reconsidered, and released Red Rose Speedway as a single studio album.  John however actually did release a double album in 1972 called Some Time in New York City that was one studio album and one live album.  The live album included a recording of a UNICEF benefit concert and a show with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention.  Therefore, I imagine that if the Beatles were still together at this time, they would have released a double album.

Studio Album Track Listing:

1.  New York City

2.  I Am Your Singer

3.  Hi, Hi, Hi

4.  C Moon

5.  What Is Life

6.  Woman Is the Nigger of the World

7.  Awaiting on You All

8.  John Sinclair

9.  Little Woman Love

10.  Back Off Boogaloo

11.  Isn't It a Pity

Live Album Track Listing:

1.  Best Friend

2.  Here Comes the Sun

3.  Come Together

4.  Imagine

5.  The Mess

6.  Maybe I'm Amazed

7.  My Sweet Lord

8.  It Don't Come Easy

9.  Long Tall Sally

10.  Hound Dog

11.  Give Peace a Chance

"New York City" -- John would have insisted on this track from 1972's Some Time in New York City about his new love, NYC.

"I Am Your Singer" -- Paul liked this track so much, he put it on his 1972 album Wild Life, and he performed it during his tours of England and Europe.

"Hi, Hi, Hi" -- This song got a loud response from his concert audiences, so he released this as a single in 1972.  It was still a favorite of Paul's during his 1975/76 Wings World Tour.

"C Moon" -- This was the B-side of the "Hi, Hi, Hi" single, and to this day it remains a favorite of Paul's to play live.

"What Is Life" -- George did not release an album in 1972, so what songs lying around would he have put on this record?  George released this as a single in 1970, so I think this was one he was especially proud of and wanted people to hear, so I chose this.

"Woman Is the Nigger of the World" -- John was proud of his stand as a feminist, so he put this song out in the public as much as he could in 1972.  It was a single.  He also performed it at the One to One benefit concert in 1972.

"Awaiting on You All" -- With all of the political posturing going on, I think George, being his mischievous self, would have insisted that this song be included on this album.

"John Sinclair" -- John Sinclair was one of John's causes.  He was a counter-culture political activist who got caught giving two marijuana cigarettes to undercover police officers and was sentenced to ten years in prison.  John wrote and performed this song for a free John Sinclair concert.

"Little Woman Love" -- This was the B-side to Paul's 1972 single "Mary Had a Little Lamb."  He included this song on his 1973 project One Hand Clapping.

"Back Off Boogaloo" -- This was a hit single for Ringo in 1972.  George produced it and plays guitar on it.  Ringo wrote this song on night when laying down to go to sleep.  Ringo was making a movie with Marc Bolan, who mumbled nonsense phrases like "boogaloo" often.

"Isn't It a Pity" -- I chose version two of this song as it appears on George's album All Things Must Pass as this version is shorter, so it would fit on the album.  George chose this to be the B-side of his "My Sweet Lord" single.  It gives this album a dramatic ending.

"Best Friend"-- This song opened many of the concerts on Paul's 1972 tour.

"Here Comes the Sun" -- This was one of the tracks that George selected to play at the Concert for Bangla Desh.

"Come Together" -- John played this at his 1972 One to One concert.

"Imagine" -- John also played this at his 1972 One to One concert.

"The Mess" -- This song was regularly played during Paul's 1972 tour.  Paul liked this track so much that it was the only song recorded during this tour that Paul has officially released.  It was the B-side to the 1973 single "My Love."

"Maybe I'm Amazed" -- This is the only "old" song of his that Paul regularly played live during his 1972 tours.

"My Sweet Lord" -- George played this at the Concert for Bangla Desh.

"It Don't Come Easy" -- Ringo played this at the Concert for Bangla Desh

"Long Tall Sally" -- Paul played this frequently during his 1972 tours.

"Hound Dog" and "Give Peace a Chance" both performed at the end of John's One to One concert at Madison Square Garden.

1972 Non-album Single:

"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" backed with "Mary Had a Little Lamb"

"Give Ireland back to the Irish" was a song Paul wrote in response to the violence of Bloody Sunday when 26 unarmed civil rights protesters were shot by the British army in Northern Ireland.  If the Beatles were still together, I don't think Paul would have wanted to wait until The Beatles were ready to record an album to release this single.  "Mary Had a Little Lamb" is a nicely juxtaposed B-side.  It was originally a single in its own right.  Paul played it on the Top of the Pops tv show.  And he even said in 1972 that it must be a good song as it had sold as many copies as "Tumbling Dice" had!