The Beatles - From Liverpool (1967)
David Bowie, born David Jones, was at a crossroads in his career. After a few failed singles with a few bands, he had left his label, Pye Records, for a new one, that being EMI. He had passed the audition, and it was here where he would make his mark on music, starting with his first single. He would record "The Laughing Gnome" in January 1967 when who should stop in the studio but one of the four kings of EMI John Lennon. When he first heard the recording, he laughed his ass off, calling it "the most absurd thing i've ever heard". But it was when Bowie played his other, more serious songs when Lennon started to take interest in him.
The Beatles had just entered the studio in January, as well, to make their next album, the follow-up to Revolver. There was a loose concept in Paul McCartney's mind, but other than that, it seems that the Beatles had run empty following the short break in recording "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" in November. It became worse when, following no significant Beatles release since mid-1966, the Beatles had to release "Getting Better" / "When I'm Sixty-Four" as a single. Knowing this, Lennon rushed to McCartney to show him what he had found. McCartney agreed that this is what they had been searching for. The mix of the Beatles' psychedelic direction mixed with Bowie's baroque pop could lead to a new sound. So for the first time since Ringo Starr in 1962, the Beatles added a new member to the group. Bowie had bounced around different bands before, but now, he had joined the biggest one.
Work on the new album started to pick up a lot faster now that there was a fifth member and fourth songwriter in the room. Bowie brought two songs to the recording, "Love You 'till Tuesday" and "Join the Gang". Lennon and McCartney bestowed their signature harmonies on the former, while George Harrison played sitar on the latter. Everything else fell into place, and the album was completed in early May.
The resulting album From Liverpool (an ironic name seeing how Bowie was from Brixton), was released on May 26, 1967. A love letter to their hometown (sans Bowie), it was greeted with universal acclaim and success. People and critics alike welcomed Bowie into the group with open arms and rated his two songs highly. The album would go on to be considered the most influential album of all time and usher in a new era for the Beatles and the music world at-large.
All of the Beatles' songs are sourced from the 50th Anniversary edition of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, with the exception of "Only a Northern Song" from Yellow Submarine. Both of David Bowie's songs are from his self-titled 1967 album.
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