# 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:** 2
**Author:** ![Jack\_Batty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jack_batty/32/3201_2.png) [@Jack\_Batty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jack_Batty)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/21 "2003-02-21T01:05:27Z")
Quitcherbitching, do your thing, don’t disolve and just get together ever so often and pump out some righteous tunes. That’s my after 1970 advice. Other than that, I’d concur on the Apple debacle. And Magical Mystery Tour? Dudes, fine drop acid for two solid years, but stay off the buses and stay in the studios. And more touring would have been cool too. I realize Beatlemania sucked for them, but once they moved out of pop and into cool, they would have been great in concert. Especially in the 70’s when concert technology started to catch up to their concepts. ---
**Author:** ![Sampiro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/2acd7d/32.png) [@Sampiro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sampiro)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 1:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/22 "2003-02-21T01:27:09Z")
Don’t sign with Tom Parker, the man’s a crook. Oh, wait… Don’t sign with Allen Klein (J, G, & R, only): the man’s a crook. Make it explicit in HELTER SKELTER that you’re not saying “let’s start a race war by brutally slaying rich people in Los Angeles”, because let’s be honest, it’s what we all thought the song was saying first time we heard it. At least one album with George & Ringo contributing half the track (minus Ringo). Another light comedy instead of LET IT BE and MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR. ---
**Author:** ![SadTomato](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@SadTomato](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SadTomato)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/23 "2003-02-21T03:35:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by MissBungle \* > \*\*Fatalist… maybe. But I don’t think they did anything wrong. > > Let music speak for itself. \*\* I agree. The break-up (assuming much of the preceding advice was meant to avoid it) was inevitable. _However_…they should’ve taken a movie camera and some recording equipment along when they went to go see Elvis. That must have been a bizarre night. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/24 "2003-02-21T04:16:58Z")
I wouldn’t change anything at all, except this > [@](#): > > (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. No shit! Look, if someone is too fucking sappy for _Paul_, then you know you’re in trouble. Don’t let that jerk anywhere near Let It Be! > [@](#): > > 1. Definitely keep John away from Yoko, but also… > > 2. Keep Paul away from Linda. Yeah, keep the men away from the true loves of their lives. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/25 "2003-02-21T05:13:09Z")
Keep John from making that “We’re bigger than Jesus” remark, even if it was misinterpreted, and, well, most likely true. And I definitely agree with keeping Spector the hell away from Let It Be. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/26 "2003-02-21T05:45:48Z")
> [@](#): > > Yeah, keep the men away from the true loves of their lives. It’s not about them! It’s about us! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![riserius1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@riserius1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/riserius1)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/27 "2003-02-21T06:16:48Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by CaptMurdock \* > \*\*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!” > > \*\* John, Paul AND George have said in past interviews that it was the hectic tour/makearecord/tour/etc pace that made them write such great songs. They apparantly worked extremely well under pressure. The fact that the quality of their work slowly but surely atrophied over the years apart from each other attests to this. Also, Believe it or not, there was a lot of competition in those days. As far as the OP the only thing I can see that they definitely should have done different would be to have lost Brian Epstein WAY before his OD. He was a really poor manager; he had them sign away most of the royalties to their own songs. Chris W ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/28 "2003-02-21T07:08:14Z")
You guys know that Paul is re-releasing ‘Let it Be’ this summer - in the original mix he desired, and sans the Wall of Sound. ---
**Author:** ![MikeyWorld](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a698b9/32.png) [@MikeyWorld](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeyWorld)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 7:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/29 "2003-02-21T07:20:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by JThunder \* > \*\*Let Mike do more of the vocals, and let Peter compose more tunes. \*\* Yeah…and sell “Last train to Clarksville” to some monir band, like The Monkees. Or is there some other mike and peter in the area? ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 10:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/30 "2003-02-21T10:40:41Z")
You randy scouse. Git. ---
**Author:** ![Splanky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b2d939/32.png) [@Splanky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Splanky)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 4:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/31 "2003-02-21T16:03:50Z")
Paul, don’t release a live album ever again. Ever. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/32 "2003-02-21T16:45:55Z")
1. Fire Paul as soon as he’s written _Eleanor Rigby_. 2. Don’t let John sing, only write (his voice bugs me). 3. Move to New York and hang out with Lou Reed 4. Don’t release Sgt Peppers. Except for _Within You Without You_ and _A Day in the Life_ (rehire Paul for his contribution, then fire him again). 5. NO MOVIES!!! 6. NO MATCHING SUITS!!! 7. The White Album should not have been a double. 8. LESS SONGS ABOUT LOVE!!! 9. Lower production values. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/33 "2003-02-21T16:54:04Z")
> [@](#): > > Keep John from making that “We’re bigger than Jesus” remark, even if it was misinterpreted, and, well, most likely true. No, more remarks like this, I say. This should’ve been the title of their second album. The Beatles didn’t stir up enough shit. ---
**Author:** ![pepperlandgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f17d59/32.png) [@pepperlandgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pepperlandgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/34 "2003-02-21T17:22:11Z")
Uh… **gex gex** if you fire Paul and make John stop singing, you don’t have the Beatles anymore. You have George and Ringo making subpar albums. ---
**Author:** ![Anamorphic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/anamorphic/32/3057_2.png) [@Anamorphic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anamorphic)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 8:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/35 "2003-02-21T20:13:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by gex gex \* > \*\*No, more remarks like this, I say. This should’ve been the title of their second album. The Beatles didn’t stir up enough shit. \*\* A fair point, but I suppose it depends on perspective and what you’re trying to accomplish. I think it’s fair to say the Beatles definitely lost sales because of the remark. So, if you’re looking at the ‘things they should have done differently’ from a purely selling more records point of view, I think not having the shit storm that followed the remark very well could have helped their sales. But you may even be right on that angle… maybe if they had ‘stirred up more shit’, they might very well have gained a whole new audience that may have been even bigger than the one they lost. We will never know. And if they had named their second album “Bigger Than Jesus”, the B-Sharps wouldn’t have had a name for _their_ second album! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/36 "2003-02-21T20:33:53Z")
Screw Ringo… they should have kept Pete Best! ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [February 21, 2003, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/37 "2003-02-21T20:52:07Z")
1. Keep Spector away from Let it Be. I have the bootleg version, without him, and it’s much better. (They should add that charge to his trial. He’ll really hang.) 2. Lock John and Paul together and keep them collaborating. The real Lennon McCartney songs are better on average than the White album and beyond individual songs. 3. Just jam more. More stuff like the second side of Abbey Road instead of overproduced, over-mixed stuff. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 12:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/38 "2003-02-22T12:58:53Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by Pepperlandgirl_ > Uh…gex gex if you fire Paul and make John stop singing, you don’t have the Beatles anymore. You have George and Ringo making subpar albums. OK, less John singing. He can still do some. No Ringo singing. John can still write his songs, he’s just got to give more George to the public. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/39 "2003-02-22T14:08:46Z")
1. John - Stay away from communism and eastern mysticism quackery. I doesn’t age well and it makes you sound like a flake. Even if you are a flake, keep it to yourself so that you don’t influence the gullible and create problems in the world. If you want to imagine “no possessions” that’s fine, I will help you. Just give all of yours to me. Also, apologize to Forrest Gump for being rude and condescending to him on that talk show. Here he was protecting your sorry ass and you go making stupid remarks about how great communist China is. ---
**Author:** ![Stratocaster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stratocaster/32/16393_2.png) [@Stratocaster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stratocaster)\ **Post date:** [February 22, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373/40 "2003-02-22T15:27:50Z")
I, too, would love to hear a George Martin-produced _Let It Be_. But, ya know, I guess I wouldn’t want them to change anything. The Beatles have moved beyond pop band into mythos. They are icons. They are legends. They are perfect in their own way. Keep it all the same… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/things-the-beatles-should-have-done-differently/156373.md?page=3)