# Things The Beatles Should Have Done Differently **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373 "2003-02-20T18:18:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/1 "2003-02-20T18:18:10Z")
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, and it occurs to me that during The Beatles’ unprecedented reign in the '60s there was really no previous band that the boys from Liverpool could look at for examples when it came to charting their own career moves. No career ‘template,’ if you will. I suppose that is the price for blazing new trails. With this in mind I was curious what kind of career advice Dopers would give to The Fab Four given the benefit of 20/20 hindsight. I guess I’ll start with the obvious: This was their album output from '63 - '70: Please Please Me With The Beatles A Hard Day’s Night Beatles For Sale Help! Rubber Soul Revolver Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band Magical Mystery Tour The Beatles (The White Album) Yellow Submarine Abbey Road Let It Be 13 classic albums in 7 years? And this doesn’t include, of course, the singles they released during this period. My advice to them? DON’T RELEASE EVERYTHING AS SOON AS IT’S FINISHED! An album per year, AT MOST! Other thoughts? ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/2 "2003-02-20T18:24:58Z")
Don’t listen to the yogi… Don’t form Apple Corps. Don’t stop touring in 1966. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/3 "2003-02-20T18:30:02Z")
Edit the double album down to one disc. Send Ringo to Frank Zappa for 5 years to learn about percussion. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/4 "2003-02-20T18:36:53Z")
Keep John the hell away from Yoko and play far more Harrison tunes. Don’t chew gum in public. Its positivly grotty. * * * Fagjunk Theology: Not just for sodomite propagandists anymore. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/5 "2003-02-20T18:37:03Z")
Don’t manage yourselves. Find another manager. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/6 "2003-02-20T18:43:24Z")
The Walrus shoulda been George. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/7 "2003-02-20T18:55:06Z")
The 1971 reunion tour. The 1976 reunion tour. . . ---
**Author:** ![Qwertyasdfg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/ecc23a/32.png) [@Qwertyasdfg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qwertyasdfg)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/8 "2003-02-20T18:55:56Z")
**Stephe96** , I don’t understand why you would have them release less? Assuming that they still would break up in 1969, 1 album per year would mean that they would never have gotten past Revolver, wouldn’t it? My advice, don’t let Ringo sing. Bitch-slap John every once in a while. More George. Less garbage. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/9 "2003-02-20T18:56:23Z")
Call a more reputable cab company if you’re invited to show up on Saturday Night Live. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/10 "2003-02-20T18:58:39Z")
Instead of > [@](#): > > luaP deirub I how about > [@](#): > > draug doots ogniR dna egroeG elihw okoY deirub I dna luaP ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/11 "2003-02-20T19:01:38Z")
Qwertyasdfg, What I mean is, keep some good stuff on the shelf and maybe release an album each year or so. Then each of the Beatles could’ve spent time away to pursue solo projects, whatever…and maybe they would’ve stayed together longer and recorded more. It seems to me that the pressure to be constantly producing material played a part in their eventual break-up. I think that’s what I meant. ---
**Author:** ![MissBungle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@MissBungle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MissBungle)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/12 "2003-02-20T19:24:02Z")
Fatalist… maybe. But I don’t think they did anything wrong. Let music speak for itself. ---
**Author:** ![Hamlet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hamlet/32/2818_2.png) [@Hamlet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hamlet)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/13 "2003-02-20T20:12:13Z")
Advice only for John: **DUCK!!!** [sub]It’s a joke. I’m still upset that Chapman robbed the world of a great musician.[/sub] ---
**Author:** ![CaptMurdock](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/captmurdock/32/11736_2.png) [@CaptMurdock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaptMurdock)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/14 "2003-02-20T20:29:48Z")
1. Definitely keep John away from Yoko, but also… 2. Keep Paul away from Linda. 3. More George songs. 4. Sloooow down that album release rate. Mind you, this was a time when if you didn’t have a new song every couple of months, “the fans will forget about you!” 5. Make sure Lord Grade can’t knab your sheet music (only to sell it to Michael Jackson years later…) 6. If Paul still bitches and wants a “divorce,” kick him out of the band, hire Billy Preston and a couple of studio musicians and wait for Paul to get a little hungry. By “Venus and Mars,” he’ll come crawling back. (Can you imagine “Band on the Run” as done by the Fab Four? Yowza!) Isn’t hindsight fun? ---
**Author:** ![Ceejaytee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ceejaytee/32/2956_2.png) [@Ceejaytee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ceejaytee)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/15 "2003-02-20T20:39:24Z")
(1) Don’t let Phil Spector ruin Let It Be. Paul was right–Phil sucked. Sappy strings and goofy choruses. Yuck. LET IT BE, damnit. (2) I agree with the “more George songs” people. (3) Find a better manager after Brian dies. You four are lousy at it. (4) Do the voices in Yellow Submarine yourselves. Don’t even think of taping Magical Mystery Tour. (5) Get Billy Preston and Eric Clapton to sit in more often. Otherwise, they’re the greatest band ever. Well, even with the above. ---
**Author:** ![Odieman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a87d85/32.png) [@Odieman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odieman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/16 "2003-02-20T20:56:48Z")
Don’t open your own clothing boutique[Apple]…and don’t trust people who claimed to invent perpetual motion devices [Magic Alex]. ---
**Author:** ![Already\_in\_Use](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@Already\_in\_Use](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Already_in_Use)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 11:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/17 "2003-02-20T23:19:11Z")
Do like George wanted and, instead of breaking up, merge with Monty Python and the Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band. The mind boggles at the potential coolness. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/18 "2003-02-20T23:25:21Z")
Let Mike do more of the vocals, and let Peter compose more tunes. ---
**Author:** ![FranticMad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c68b51/32.png) [@FranticMad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FranticMad)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2003, 11:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/19 "2003-02-20T23:30:10Z")
George, quit smoking John, stay out of trouble so you will be allowed to live in Toronto instead of NYC ---
**Author:** ![Cholo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/58f4c7/32.png) [@Cholo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cholo)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/20 "2003-02-21T00:56:31Z")
Don’t EVER photograph yourself naked ala “Two Virgins” [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373.md?page=2)