The Beatles understandably reached back to unused material from their time together while completing early solo projects. With so much musical talent, some very good stuff got left on the cutting-room floor.
Songs that the Beatles took the longest to finish include four entries from Paul McCartney‘s first LP after their split in 1970. There are three more from George Harrison‘s and one from John Lennon‘s, as well.
But the Beatles had long made a habit of resurrecting unreleased material, with Lennon and McCartney including songs they’d started in their teens on band recordings. They also turned to legacy material when they found themselves struggling creatively, first because overwork and then later amid growing interpersonal issues.
READ MORE: 20 Beatles Songs That John Lennon Hated
After their breakup, the group’s three main songwriters continued to dig around in the vaults. None of them was more determined to complete older unissued tracks than Harrison. He was still releasing songs he’d started but never finished with the Beatles into the ’80s.
In compiling this countdown of 25 Beatles songs that took the longest to finish, we focused as much as possible on starting with their first run throughs of the material during band sessions. (Recollections can be rather murky about when the writing of many tracks took place.)
The results ended up touching on every period of their careers, from the mop-top and psychedelic eras through the group’s dissolution and into their celebrated solo catalogs:
No. 25. “Hold Me Tight”
From: The Beatles, With The Beatles (1963)
Origin Story: McCartney started on this song sometime in 1961, with Lennon helping complete things in September 1962
Finally Released: November 1963
Time Elapsed: 14 months (more than two years)
No. 24. “Every Night”
From: Paul McCartney, McCartney (1970)
Origin Story: One of several McCartney songs premiered during the sessions that produced Let It Be, beginning on Jan. 21, 1969
Finally Released: April 1970
Time Elapsed: 15 months (more than a year)
No. 23. “Hot as Sun/Glasses”
From: Paul McCartney, McCartney (1970)
Origin Story: McCartney sketched out an early version of “Hot as Sun” in the late-’50s, then auditioned it during Beatles sessions beginning on Jan. 24, 1969
Finally Released: April 1970
Time Elapsed: 15 months (more than a year)
No. 22. “Suicide”
From: Paul McCartney, McCartney (1970)
Origin Story: McCartney began work on this as a teenager hoping that a crooner might cover it, referenced the song on Jan. 26, 1969 while working on Let It Be, then attached a snippet to “Hot as Sun/Glasses”
Finally Released: April 1970
Time Elapsed: 15 months (more than a year)
No. 21. “All Things Must Pass”
From: George Harrison, All Things Must Pass (1970)
Origin Story: Harrison demoed the song on his 26th birthday in February 1969, on the same day he recorded early versions of “Old Brown Shoe” and “Something”
Finally Released: November 1970
Time Elapsed: 21 months (not quite two years)
No. 20. “Let It Down”
From: George Harrison, All Things Must Pass (1970)
Origin Story: Harrison also auditioned several songs that were later reworked for his first proper solo album during January 1969 sessions with the Beatles; “Let It Down” initially appeared on Jan. 2, 1969
Finally Released: November 1970
Time Elapsed: 22 months (almost two years)
No. 19. “Isn’t a Pity”
From: George Harrison, All Things Must Pass (1970)
Origin Story: The roots of this long-gestating song go back to 1966; Harrison first introduced “Isn’t It a Pity” during Beatles sessions on Jan. 25, 1969
Finally Released: November 1970
Time Elapsed: 22 months (almost two years)
No. 18. “Junk”
From: Paul McCartney, McCartney (1970)
Origin Story: McCartney ran through an early version at the demo stage for the White Album in May 1968
Finally Released: April 1970
Time Elapsed: 23 months (almost two years)
No. 17. “Another Day”
From: Paul McCartney’s debut solo single (1971)
Origin Story: First performed during Beatles sessions for Let It Be in January 1969
Finally Released: February 1971
Time Elapsed: 25 months (roughly two years)
No. 16. “Across the Universe”
From: The Beatles, Let It Be (1970)
Origin Story: Recorded in February 1968 and sank without a trace after being placed on a forgotten charity album
Finally Released: May 1970
Time Elapsed: 27 months (more than two years)
No. 15. “Try Some, Buy Some”
From: George Harrison, Living in the Material World (1973)
Origin Story: Recorded in February 1971 for a forgotten Harrison co-produced Ronnie Spector project, with Harrison’s vocal added years later
Finally Released: May 1973
Time Elapsed: 27 months (more than two years)
No. 14. “Back Seat of My Car”
From Paul McCartney, Ram (1971)
Origin Story: McCartney played a rough sketch for the others during January 1969 sessions for Let It Be
Finally Released: May 1971
Time Elapsed: 28 months (more than two years)
No. 13. “Gimme Some Truth”
From John Lennon, Imagine (1971)
Origin Story: They ran initially ran through this in January 1969, based on an early sketch from the Beatles’ February 1968 trip to India
Finally Released: September 1971
Time Elapsed: 32 months (more than two and a half years)
No. 12. “You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)”
From: B-side of the single “Let It Be” (1970)
Origin Story: Four sessions to complete the song were held beginning in May 1967
Finally Released: March 1970
Time Elapsed: 34 months (almost three years)
No. 11. “Look at Me”
From: John Lennon, Plastic Ono Band (1970)
Origin Story: Written during the Beatles trip to India in February 1968
Finally Released: December 1970
Time Elapsed: 34 months (almost three years)
No. 10. “Jealous Guy”
From: John Lennon, Imagine (1971)
Origin Story: Demoed in May 1968 as “Child of Nature” after writing began during the Beatles’ February 1968 trip in India
Finally Released: September 1971
Time Elapsed: 40 months (more than three years)
No. 9. “When I’m 64”
From: The Beatles, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Origin Story: McCartney scratched out some early lyrics in the late-’50s, then played the song in August 1963 during the Beatles’ Cavern Club era.
Finally Released: May 1967
Time Elapsed: 45 months (more than three and a half years)
No. 8. “You”
From: George Harrison, Extra Texture [Read All About It] (1975)
Origin Story: Harrison later added his own vocal to this song, recorded in February 1971 for Ronnie Spector but never released
Finally Released: September 1975
Time Elapsed: 55 months (more than four and a half years)
No. 7. “I’ll Follow the Sun”
From: The Beatles, Beatles For Sale (1964)
Origin Story: McCartney had been working on this as early as 1958 with bootleg recordings from the Quarrymen, Lennon’s pre-Beatles group, dating back to April 1960
Finally Released: December 1964
Time Elapsed: 56 months (more than four a half years)
No. 6. “I Call Your Name”
From: The Beatles, Past Masters (2009)
Origin Story: McCartney remembered helping Lennon complete this shortly after joining the Quarrymen in October 1957
Finally Released: June 1964
Time Elapsed: 80 months (more than six and a half years)
No. 5. “Woman Don’t You Cry For Me”
From: George Harrison, Thirty-Three and a Third (1976)
Origin Story: Written in December 1969 while on tour with Delaney and Bonnie before the Beatles split
Finally Released: November 1976
Time Elapsed: 83 months (almost seven years)
No. 4. “One After 909”
From: The Beatles, Let It Be (1970)
Origin Story: Shelved initial recording dates back to March 1963 sessions for “From Me to You”
Finally Released: May 1970
Time Elapsed: 86 months (more than seven years)
No. 3. “See Yourself”
From: George Harrison, Thirty Three and a Third (1976)
Origin Story: Harrison wrote the song around July 1967 following the outcry when McCartney admitted dabbling with LSD.
Finally Released: November 1976
Time Elapsed: 112 months (more than nine years)
No. 2. “Not Guilty”
From: George Harrison, George Harrison (1979)
Origin Story: Demoed in May 1968 at Harrison’s Esher, Surrey home; long-unissued grungy Beatles take followed in August 1968
Finally Released: February 1979
Time Elapsed: 129 months (almost 11 years)
No. 1. “Circles”
From: George Harrison, Gone Troppo (1982)
Origin Story: Another unused demo from the May 1968 Esher sessions before the White Album
Finally Released: November 1982
Time Elapsed: 174 months (14 and a half years)
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Gallery Credit: UCR Staff
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