The tradeoff . . . IF ONLY > > >

[The Shift]

A: strawberry fields
B: wonderful

[TimeToGetAlone]

Love some of the selections so far, so I'll go with some that have yet to be said.

The Fool on the Hill (One of my favourite Beatles melodies. I can only imagine Beach Boys harmonies glistening in the background.  Maybe some lead vocal trades throughout, and a baroque Brian production.)
Aren't You Glad (I can really imagine the Beatles picking up the groove on this with a full band production. A rocking song with pop sensibility in the making.  Polished and yet loose at the same time.)

[Emily]

Different eras, but...
A. This boy
B Heroes and Villians.

[the captain]

Different eras, but...
A. This boy
B Heroes and Villians.

I had looked at this thread, liked it, considered it, and failed to come to a conclusion so far. I've mostly just perused others' answers and sneered a little. "What a bad idea..." But with your idea, I literally (and internally, thus I suppose a hallucination) heard John and Paul singing in unison the opening sentence of "Heroes and Villains" (and soon imagined Ringo singing the cantina part) and realized you thought of something fantastic that hadn't occurred to me at all. It wouldn't end up the Smile version, surely, but one can imagine something like the Beach Boys' live versions or some other arrangement altogether. Great idea.

[DonnyL]

A: "Fixing A Hole", sung by Carl
B: "Girl Don't Tell Me"

[Lee Marshall]

<<At that time neither 'group' would have wanted to backtack into the by-gone era.  It would have been all about QUALITY.  [and talent]>>

I may have read it wrong but I don't think the question was what they would have wanted to play - but what we would have wanted to hear.

Yes It Is has some of the most beautiful harmonies the Beatles ever cut - with some spectacular "odd" chord changes ala Warmth of the Sun.  A Beach Boys rendition of this would have been spectacular.

And as the Beatles were guitar-based, with wonderful riffs abounding, I would have loved to hear their take on Dance Dance Dance... as the instrumentation lends itself to a Beatles interpretation... 

I hear that Steve...BUT...I kind of felt like I'd need some cooperation from the actual participants for it to work to my benefit.  For whatever reason I envisioned this happening in the earlier rather than the later 70s as well...like when Jack Rieley was still around.   Why?  Don't know.  It just felt like something he might have approved of.  T'would have made for a great box-set if they'd all been recorded.

[Emdeeh]

A: Back In The USSR

A live version from 1984 exists, available on the Fourth of July album. Jeff on lead.

[Custom Machine]

A: Back In The USSR

A live version from 1984 exists, available on the Fourth of July album. Jeff on lead.

For how long was Back in the USSR in the BB's setlist? I recall hearing it at least once in concert during that era, but I'm thinking it was more than that.

[Emily]

Different eras, but...
A. This boy
B Heroes and Villians.

I had looked at this thread, liked it, considered it, and failed to come to a conclusion so far. I've mostly just perused others' answers and sneered a little. "What a bad idea..." But with your idea, I literally (and internally, thus I suppose a hallucination) heard John and Paul singing in unison the opening sentence of "Heroes and Villains" (and soon imagined Ringo singing the cantina part) and realized you thought of something fantastic that hadn't occurred to me at all. It wouldn't end up the Smile version, surely, but one can imagine something like the Beach Boys' live versions or some other arrangement altogether. Great idea.

Yeah, it would rock, wouldn't it?

[Emily]

Oh wow. I just thought of Dennis on verse and Carl on refrain of "I'm So Tired"

[JK]

A: "She's Leaving Home" (with Maureen on harp)
B: "Vega-Tables" (with Paul reliving his celery-chewing duties)

[mojoman3061]

How about ...

A:  "Sun King" (possibly the most complex vocal harmony thing the Fabs did)
B:  "Bluebirds Over the Mountain"

[pixletwin]

A: Because. I would love to hear Brian's falsetto on this.
B: Surf's Up. With a good George Martin production. Would have been very interesting.

[SenorPotatoHead]

A: Revolution 9
B: Mrs. O'Leary's Cow

 

[Jason Penick]

A: Another vote for "Because"
B: You Still Believe in Me

[Ron]

COMMENT:

This scenario takes place in the 70’s and involves The Beach Boys and The Beatles at that time, using the catalog of songs to date.

The Beach Boys and The Beatles enter into an agreement to make a 45 single.

SIDE ONE is a Beatles song arranged and performed by The Beach Boys

SIDE TWO is a Beach Boy song arranged and performed by The Beatles

Question:  What song would you like to hear on side one and side two?

~swd

P.S. I'm still trying to decide.

Side One:  ELEANOR RIGBY!!! The Beach Boys would be amazing on that!  And you said the magic word, "arranged', which means Brian could make it much more dramatic and go crazy with the vocal harmonies.  Just imagining it here in my head and it's astounding, think what Brian himself could do with it!

Side Two: HELP ME RHONDA!  The Beatles would be amazing on that!  And you said the magic word, "arranged", which means George Martin could make it sort of in a "Drive my Car" mode, rocking and rollicking like the original but also like the Beatles' really cool stuff.  Just imagining it here in my head and it's astounding, think what the Beatles themselves could do with it!  Lennon lead on this!

[Ron]

Side B: Help Me Rhonda  (picture the Beatles sound circa 1965 with 12 string electric guitar and lotsa tambourine)

Absolutely!  John, 12 string guitars, bap bap bap Ringo drums, etc. it would be awesome. 

[Ron]

Side B: Good To My Baby

A Lennon vocal on that would be fantastic as well.  Oh what could have been. 

[NateRuvin]

God, I'd love to hear Lennon sing All I Wanna Do.

And the Beach Boys sing Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

[mojoman3061]

A. Your Mother Should Know
B. The Little Girl I Once Knew

[kwebb]

1. Julia, with Dennis singing maybe
2. Wild Honey

[Sound of Free]

1. She's Leaving Home, with Brian or Carl singing Paul's part, and full group harmonies on John's part.

2. That's Not Me, let the Beatles and George Martin pick.

[Sandy Baby]

And the Beach Boys sing Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.

That's perfect!
And The Beatles singing "Darlin'."

[mojoman3061]

I've got a few more in mind.  Here's one:

A. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
B. Please Let Me Wonder

As I was trying to come up with suggestions for this, I couldn't conceive of the Beatles doing surfing or car songs.  I'm almost willing to bet that none of the Beatles saw a surfboard until they were in Miami Beach in February 1964.  Their experience with cars in Liverpool would have been so different from that of the Beach Boys.  On the other hand, the Beatles were much more familiar with public transportation (or should I say "transport"?).

[Summer_Days]

A. Because (the Beatles' version is 3-part harmony; the BBs version would be like 5- or 6-part. Just imagine that.)
B. Let The Wind Blow (sung by the greate--I mean, my favorite Beatle, John.)