We've done so many threads about Stones setlists, how about this: imagine that The Beatles didn't beak up. Instead, they decided to go on tour again after releasing Abbey Road. They're doing 60-70 minutes show now. What would their setlist look like? Maybe something like this?

1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. Penny Lane
3. Come Together
4. Oh! Darling
5. Revolution
6. Strawberry Fields Forever
7. Yesterday or Blackbird (Paul solo)
8. Octopus's Garden
9. Helter Skelter
10. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
11. Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
12. Yer Blues
13. Day Tripper
14. Nowhere Man
15. I'm The Walrus
16. I Want You

Yeah or:

She loves you
Hey bulldog
Only a northern song
Maxwells silverhammer
Isn't it a pity
Cold turkey
Let it be
Give peace a chance
Don't pass me by
Come together

encore

Hi Hi Hi
Working class hero
All things must pass


mind that there would be no solo albums out...

2 1 2 0

In the same way that the Stones '69 setlist heavily featured Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed, a Beatles '69 show would have consisted mostly of White Album and Abbey Road songs, plus a few from the already recorded but not yet released Let It Be.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-11-09 16:47 by tatters.

I feel there would have been an already popular tune for the encore. Maybe somethig like "I saw her standing there". With an updated rougher sound, that would have been awesome. Imagine a live version of I am the Walrus, wow!!! Even the Oasis version is pretty good.

I feel there would have been an already popular tune for the encore.

yeah but the beatles was ahead of their time....

They might have done one oldie, just to be "campy", but I can't imagine the hirsute, white-suited Lennon taking a long walk down memory lane. At his 1972 MSG show, the oldest song he played was Come Together.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2011-11-09 16:59 by tatters.

can you also hear Lennons backupvocal on Pauls Hi Hi Hi....I can and it would be smashing...

2 1 2 0

Don't forget all the old rock and roll numbers The Beatles were playing during the Let It Be sessions. That's why I think there would have been something like that for an encore. Maybe even One After 909. I too love how The Beatles were ahead of their time. I suspect a lot of people on this board would say The Stones were too, ha-ha. Rock on!

I wish Paul would put Hi Hi Hi into his setlist. At least he's doing Juniors farm. Really looking forward to hear it next month.

I'd imagine the Beatles 1969 concert setlist as:

1. I Got a Feeling
2. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
3. Back in the USSR
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. Yer Blues
6. Lady Madonna
7. Don't Pass Me By
8. Don't Let Me Down
9. Oh Darling
10 Old Brown Shoe
11 Help
12 Golden Slumbers/The End
ENCORE: I'm Down

I think they would have played a couple of old rockers...maybe I'm Down or I Saw Her Standing There. They were doing oldies during the Twickenham rehearsals.

Quote
jimbean
I'd imagine the Beatles 1969 concert setlist as:

1. I Got a Feeling
2. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
3. Back in the USSR
4. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
5. Yer Blues
6. Lady Madonna
7. Don't Pass Me By
8. Don't Let Me Down
9. Oh Darling
10 Old Brown Shoe
11 Help
12 Golden Slumbers/The End
ENCORE: I'm Down

That set sounds a little more realistic. The first proposed setlist contained too many songs that would have been impossible to reproduce on stage in 1969. But you can't leave out Hey Jude, still a massive hit in 1969.

I'm Down for the encore sounds good.

1: Come Together
2: Taxman
3: Got To Get You Into My Life
4: Oh! Darlin
5: Dig A Pony
6: Something
7: Helter Skelter
8: I am the Walrus
9: Strawverry Fields Forever
10: Happiness Is A Warm Gun (that would be something)
11: Lovely Rita
12: Getting Better
13: Savoy Truffle

Acoustic Set (?)

14: Blackbird
15: Julia
16: While My guitar (anthology version)

Eletric Set:

17: Octopuss' Garden
18: I Want You

I think the only way the Beatles could have done their studio work justice live in 1969 / 1970 would have been to have had a lot of side musicians on stage - a bit like the Concert For Bangladesh. Their live sound would have been very thin compared to their post 66 studio output.

Like the Stones, a Beatles setlist would have focused on the stuff from 1968-69, and a few oldies. Remember that unlike the Stones, each member (save maybe Ringo) would have to their "signature song" of the time in place, so that instantly includes Hey Jude, Revolution, and either While My Guitar Gently Weeps or Something for George.
Other possible candidates would be Get Back, Don't Let Me Down, One after 909 I've Got a Feeling from Let It Be (the Title track might have been too much for the Beatles to have attempted live), plus stuff from Abbey Road like Come Together, Oh Darling (a mid tempo ballad), I Want You (if they decided to jam), and the aforementioned Something. From the White Album likely candidates would be Back In the USSR, While My Guitar Gently Weeps maybe even Helter Skelter and Yer Blues.
The singles from that era like Hey Jude and Revolution would definitely have been included (the former probably being the closer). Throw in an older rocker like I Saw Her Standing There and you'd probably have a good 1 hour set.
I doubt the Beatles would have been as adventurous as the Stones on stage to include 4 covers nor would they probably have done an acoustic set. Thus my choices are limited to what they would have played using 2 guitars a bass and drums.

Quote
tatters
In the same way that the Stones '69 setlist heavily featured Beggars Banquet and Let It Bleed, a Beatles '69 show would have consisted mostly of White Album and Abbey Road songs, plus a few from the already recorded but not yet released Let It Be.

That's was my first thought too.......for sure they wouldn't play their early stuff....maybe one '65 HIT just to copy the Stones again

__________________________

1) Last train To Clarksville
2) I'm A beleiver
3) Pleasant Valley Sunday
4) I'm Into Something Good
5) Billy Don't Be A Hero
6) I Think I Love You

Encore
1) I wanna Hold Your hand
2) Duck Duck Goose

Quote
Come On
Yeah or:

She loves you
Hey bulldog
Only a northern song
Maxwells silverhammer
Isn't it a pity
Cold turkey
Let it be
Give peace a chance
Don't pass me by
Come together

encore

Hi Hi Hi
Working class hero
All things must pass


mind that there would be no solo albums out...

Its says 1969

Interesting thought. After a careful thinking here's my list:

Intro: Aeroplane noises
1. Back In The USSR
2. Dig A Pony
3. I've Got A Feeling
4. Come Together
5. Helter Skelter

--mellow, acoustic part--
6. Here Comes The Sun
7. Yesterday
8. Julia
9. Blackbird
10. Dear Prudence
--back to rock--

11. While My Guitar Gently Weeps
12. Revolution
13. With A Little Help From My Friend (also something for Ringo)
14. Got To Get You Into My Life
15. One After 909
16. Get Back

Encores:
17. Let It Be
18. Don't Let Me Down
19. Hey Jude
20. A Hard Day's Night

I think they would've chosen most of the songs from the latest couple of albums + yet to be released Let It Be.

Great set list Single Malt I doubt about number 20....I think they choose "Help" instead

__________________________

Thanks Nicos. I was thinking about Help but then chose AHDN but they also might have played AHDN at one venue and Help at another and so on...

What a great idea; I have never thought about this.
I have a feeling they could have rocked pretty well.
Get back
Dont Let Me Down
Come Together
Something
Oh darling
I Want You

Yeah I agree with HappyJack's and Tatter's posts. 69 Beatles would have stuck to their recent stuff, and been more roots oriented. They wouldn't have done any of their psychedelic stuff. They probably would have done most of Let it Be, a lot of Abbey Road, and stuff off of The Beatles, and some rock standards. Comeon, I like your enthusiasm, but Hi Hi Hi wasn't even written yet. I don't think they would have done any of the stuff rejected for Let it Be, so no Isn't it a Pity. Also we get a glimpse into their thinking about playing live by examining the Roof Top concert and Lennon's Live Peace in Toronto...They wouldn't have had extra musicians, other than Billy Preston...

Blue Sued Shoes
One After 909
Dizzy Miss Lizzy
Oh Darling
Money
I Me Mine
Ballad of John and Yoko
Don't Let Me Down
Back in the USSR
Get Back
Something
Come Together
Octopus' Garden/Honey Don't (Ringo)
She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
I've Got a Feeling
Revolution
The Two of Us
I Dig a Pony
Help
Encore:
Hey Jude

While I love Singlemalt's set list. I doubt they would have done such an intricate show at that time. But if we are dreaming that would have been great.



Edited 5 time(s). Last edit at 2011-11-10 03:56 by whitem8.

Quote
tatters
They might have done one oldie, just to be "campy", but I can't imagine the hirsute, white-suited Lennon taking a long walk down memory lane. At his 1972 MSG show, the oldest song he played was Come Together.

Probably because he was no longer a Beatle at that point and was consciously promoting his solo work.

That and he was really not wanting to revisit The Beatles. In fact he pretty much mangles Come Together, forgetting a lot of the lyrics and pretty much shouting his way through it. In '72, he was done with The Beatles and didn't want to look back. Not until around '75 did he start getting reflective and appreciating of his time in The Beatles.

Quote
Come On
Yeah or:

She loves you
Hey bulldog
Only a northern song
Maxwells silverhammer
Isn't it a pity
Cold turkey
Let it be
Give peace a chance
Don't pass me by
Come together

encore

Hi Hi Hi
Working class hero
All things must pass


mind that there would be no solo albums out...

I really don't think they would have played any of those solo songs. For one reason most of them weren't even written yet, and The Beatles refused to record Cold Turkey, so they wouldn't have done that. No way would John have done Maxwell Silver's Hammer, he hated that song with a passion. Hence Paul would have refused to do Give Peace A Chance. Only a Northern Song, I really don't think they would have done. They wouldn't have wanted to revisit their psychedelia, and George had more recent songs that were popular.
Also it is important to remember, Let it Be was already done. Abbey Road would have been what they were working on, or just released, it is just that Let it Be came out later, but they would have had all those songs freshly rehearsed and ready to go live.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2011-11-10 04:05 by whitem8.

Not taking anything away from dem beatles, I do like them very much, but looking over everyone's set list makes me understand even more why I prefer the stones.

As long as we're going to fantasize, I imagine it would have been quite traumatic to even ponder a Beatles concert in 1969. Everything had changed dramatically since August 1966. There were a lot of great artists out there, including Hendrix and Led Zeppelin. The Beatles knew they couldn't run on stage, scream through 8 simple numbers and get off. They all had wives to deal with, and Allen Klein wasn't a road manager.

Quote
Gazza

Quote
tatters
They might have done one oldie, just to be "campy", but I can't imagine the hirsute, white-suited Lennon taking a long walk down memory lane. At his 1972 MSG show, the oldest song he played was Come Together.

Probably because he was no longer a Beatle at that point and was consciously promoting his solo work.

He wasn't promoting anything. It was a benefit concert for One To One that John was invited to perform at by a friend of his, the television journalist Geraldo Rivera. John was officially still a Beatle when he played Live Peace In Toronto. The oldies he played there were all covers. John wasn't nostalgic about his own stuff and he certainly wasn't interested in catering to the nostalgia of his fans. It's very different with Paul. Paul hasn't been a Beatle for 42 years, and his setlist, even when he's promoting a new album, is two-thirds Beatles songs.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2011-11-10 06:28 by tatters.

That is more a recent phenomena, well as of his first big world tour after The Wings, the Flower in the Dirt tour is when he really went full force on adding Beatles songs. A lot of reasons, one being that he really wants to showcase what he wrote while in The Beatles. But prior to that tour, when he toured with Wings he only started adding Beatles stuff on the 76 tour. And not a lot. Lady Madonna, Yesterday, Blackbird, and I've Just Seen A Face were the only Beatles songs he did for that tour. But when he toured in the early 70's he didn't do any Beatles. None.