The Beatles held a unique space in rock music. Their career was singular and their fame level unprecedented. Even those included in their “British Invasion” circle couldn’t boast the same track record. One thing that the Beatles never did that set them apart from their peers was collaboration. Though they tapped Billy Preston for Let It Be and Eric Clapton for “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, they never did a full-blown collaborative project, which was commonplace among their predecessors. John Lennon once put down these kinds of albums, and a legendary artist who made them popular.
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The Album John Lennon Never Wanted the Beatles to Make
No two Beatles albums were the same. Perhaps in their early days, they kept things tame, but as they grew together, their musicality shifted into something considered experimental for the time.
One throughline in their work, however, was strong songwriting and their self-reliance. They didn’t need the help of professional songwriters or any flashy collaborations to be great. The four of them together were era-defining, no help necessary. Because of this, Lennon seemed to look down on artists who felt the need to hop into the studio with their peers for flashy collaborations.
Frank Sinatra
While discussing the type of album he never wanted the Beatles to make, Lennon put down the work of Frank Sinatra.
“None of us have ever liked those albums where they put two people together who are either similar or, I don’t know, like Sinatra and somebody else, you know,” Lennon once said. “He added, ‘I don’t like that. I’d hate an album like that.’”
His comments don’t seem to be a slap in Sinatra’s face, but rather an anecdotal comparison between the Beatles and the musicians who came before them.
Sinatra had several albums that were double-billings. Moreover, one of his most beloved works is simply titled Duets, which speaks to Lennon’s perception of Sinatra’s career.
The Beatles didn’t need to do any duets to capture the attention of the public. Moreover, bringing in someone else would’ve likely messed up the working relationship among the four Beatles, which, though rocky, did produce some of the greatest songs of all time. Honestly, we can’t think of any artist who, by the end of the Beatles’ career, would’ve been able to measure up to their popularity enough to earn a double billing.
(Photo by Bettmann/Getty Images)
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