Most fans of The Beatles and not-exactly-fans alike have heard all of the Fab Four’s biggest hits. That being said, the legendary band does have quite a few deep cuts from various points in their career. Let’s look at five obscure Beatles songs that you may have never heard of!
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1. “In Spite Of All The Danger”
This song was technically not a “Beatles” song. “In Spite Of All The Danger” was originally a song by The Quarrymen. However, the song was written by Paul McCartney and features the musical contributions of McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison.
The song is believed to have been recorded during the summer of 1958, before The Beatles (as we know the band, at least) ever existed. The track was used in the 2009 film Nowhere Boy about the origins of The Beatles.
2. “Carnival Of Light”
“Carnival Of Light”, to most Beatles diehards, is the band’s most famous “lost” song. The original song was a whopping 14 minutes long and only clips of the track have been unofficially released or leaked. It’s quite mysterious.
The song was recorded in the early months of 1967 and was allegedly written by McCartney. It was going to debut during a psychedelic music festival. However, the song was only played one single time, was surprisingly never bootlegged, and is sitting in a vault somewhere.
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3. “What’s The New Mary Jane”
“What’s The New Mary Jane” has the same sort of mystique as “Carnival Of Light”. However, this song has been bootlegged quite a bit and finally got an official release in 1996. It’s probably not most fans’ favorite obscure Beatles song, either. It seems like it was a “joke” from John Lennon, especially when you consider the surreal and comical lyrics.
4. “Child Of Nature”
This very much bootlegged song was eventually rewritten by John Lennon. “Child Of Nature” was one of many “loose” songs that the band had lying around shortly before they broke up. Many of those songs were reworked into the solo careers of each member in the 1970s. Lennon used the song’s structure and overall melody for “Jealous Guy” from his famed solo album Imagine.
5. “The Palace Of The King Of The Birds”
One of the most notable things about The Beatles is that they managed to gain fame for their pop hits in addition to their more experimental, psychedelic ventures. “The Palace Of The King Of The Birds” is one such experimental track that is entirely instrumental. Though, oddly enough, it does have some pop-ish leanings.
The bootlegged recording was recorded during the “Let It Be” sessions at Twickenham. It’s an odd piece of work that would have done well on Magical Mystery Tour, and McCartney allegedly considered it for Abbey Road. It didn’t make it to either album, though McCartney did try to rework it in the late 70s while recording with his band Wings.
Photo by Wesley/Keystone/Hulton Archive
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