2013. A selection of songs John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison wrote but did not record with the Fab Four or as an active band. By Tony Copple This is a treasure. Back in the 'early days' (see 'New'), John and Paul were writing so many songs that they were able to offer many to other, mainly Liverpudlian, artists. In some cases, they later recorded the songs (e.g. 'I Wanna be Your Man,' first released by the Rolling Stones). But there remain 14 that you won't find on any Beatles record. Only one of the 14 on this disk is a Harrison song, and it is one of the best on the album: Sour Milk Sea, which launched the career of Jackie Lomax, who died a few months ago. The quality of these given away songs was such that they were often a significant factor in the early success of the artists involved.

The executive producer of this France-based project, Jean Michel Marquebielle, could have merely collected the original cover recordings, but instead has done something far more valuable. The songs have been recorded by the BLF Rock Band in the style and with the energy you might have expected from the early Beatles. In some cases the arrangements are somewhat different from the cover versions, and there are some interesting new harmonies to be heard, particularly on 'World Without Love' which I find pleasing. A lot of Beatles love has gone into the realization of this disc.

The first song, 'One and One is Two' is the only one I was not familiar with. There is a bootleg of The Beatles' version. The 13 others were all hits that I remember. Eddy Pero who plays in the BLF Rock Band, co-produced the disc, and wrote string and wind arrangements has his own song 'Still' as as the 15th track, a bonus, and a nice song.

The CD cover does not identify the artists who originally recorded the 14 songs, so I will do so here. All except 'One and One is Two' I have on reel-to-reel tape from those days.

One and One is Two World without Love I'm in Love Woman I'll be on my Way Come and Get it Love of the Loved Nobody I Know Bad to me It's for You I'll keep you Satisfied Step Inside Love Sour Milk Sea Goodbye

The Strangers with Mike Shannon Peter and Gordon The Foremost Peter and Gordon Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas Badfinger Cilla Black Peter and Gordon Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas Cilla Back Billy J. Kramer & the Dakotas Cilla Black Jackie Lomax Mary Hopkin

Although these songs were early Beatle compositions, they are definitely not three-chord wonders, as might have been the case with lesser composers. The harmonic construction of 'Love of the Loved,' or 'Step inside Love' is far more complex than most modern pop, perhaps a legacy of Paul's love for the great songwriters of the fifties. Try playing these songs; they aren't easy. With hindsight, they could have been released as a whole additional album. And this is what International Inner Wheel has finally done. The reason they weren't included in other Beatles albums at the time was probably that the Beatles and George Martin felt that their style better suited other singers. A comparison could be made with the first song ever written by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards: 'As Time Goes By,' which Marianne Faithful sang. Jagger and Richards had come up with a folk/pop song totally diggerent from the rhythm & blues genre that became their signature. In fact they wrote several pop songs for other artists. The Beatles probably made their decisions for similar reasons, feeling that some songs 'come out' not in the style they were concentrating on, but great songs none the less.

14 Songs the Fab Four Never Recorded can be purchased from Amazon UK and Amazon France.

For further information please contact jm.marquebielle(at)wanadoo.fr