Unfinished Beatles Songs: Introduction

The Beatles, one of the most iconic bands in music history, have a rich catalogue of both released and unreleased material. Among their unreleased material are numerous unfinished songs. These unfinished tracks provide a fascinating glimpse into their creative process. Below are details of some notable unfinished songs by The Beatles:

1. “Carnival of Light”

Recording Date: January 5, 1967
Background: This experimental piece was recorded during the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” sessions. It is a sound collage creation, primarily by Paul McCartney, for an avant-garde event called “The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave.”
Status: Unreleased and largely unheard by the public, but we have more details here.

2. “Sour Milk Sea”

Recording Date: May 1968
Background: Written by George Harrison and later given to Jackie Lomax, who recorded it for his debut single.
Status: The only way to hear the Beatles’ version was via bootlegs until 2018, when they released the 50th Anniversary Edition of the White Album. Further details about this song are here.

3. “Etcetera”

Recording Date: August 20, 1968
Background: This Paul McCartney composition was recorded as a demo during the “White Album” sessions. McCartney later described it as a “nice song,” but one that was ultimately set aside.
Status: The demo has never been officially released or widely heard. We have further information about this song here.

4. “Watching Rainbows”

Recording Date: January 14, 1969
Background: An improvised song from the “Get Back” sessions. John Lennon leads the track, which features experimental lyrics and a raw, unfinished structure.
Status: Unreleased, but available on bootlegs.

5. “Madman”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: Another song from the “Get Back” sessions, sung by John Lennon. It includes lyrics about a madman and has a loose, jam-like structure.
Status: Unreleased, but available on bootlegs.

6. “Child of Nature”

Recording Date: May 1968
Background: John Lennon wrote this during his trip to India; this song was demoed during the “White Album” sessions. Lennon later reworked the song into “Jealous Guy” for his solo album “Imagine.”
Status: The Beatles’ version (demo) was previously available on bootlegs but is now on the 50th Anniversary Edition of the White Album (2018). Further details about this song are here.

7. “Heather”

Recording Date: Unknown
Background: A Paul McCartney song, named after Heather Mills, whom he married. The song was never completed or officially released by McCartney.
Status: Unreleased.

8. “All Things Must Pass”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: Written by George Harrison, this song was rehearsed by The Beatles during the “Get Back” sessions but never fully developed by the band. Harrison later released it as the title track of his triple album in 1970.
Status: The Beatles’ version is available on the Anthology 3 album (1996). We have further information about this track here.

9. “Goodbye”

Recording Date: March 1969
Background: Written by Paul McCartney for Mary Hopkin, who recorded it as a single. A demo version featuring McCartney’s vocals exists.
Status: The incomplete demo was available on bootlegs. However, you can buy the demo version on the 50th Anniversary Edition of the White Album (2018).

Take a listen to The Beatles “Goodbye” demo:

10. “The Palace of the King of the Birds”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: An instrumental piece by Paul McCartney recorded during the “Get Back” sessions.
Status: Unreleased.

11. “Now and Then”

Recording Date: 1979 (original demo by John Lennon), 1995 (attempted overdubs by the surviving Beatles)
Background: One of Lennon’s demos considered during the “Anthology” project. The Beatles worked on it, but technical issues and dissatisfaction with the results led to the project being shelved.
Status: (Updated Information) This song finally became a reality in 2013 when they released it as a single. Not only that, but it went to number one in the UK charts. This was 53 years after their last chart topper! Of course, we have much more information about the song here.

12. “Heather”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: Another McCartney song from the “Get Back” sessions. Not related to the song mentioned earlier, named after Heather Mills.
Status: Unreleased.

13. “Circles”

Recording Date: May 1968
Background: Written by George Harrison in India. A demo was recorded during the “White Album” sessions. Harrison later released a version on his 1982 album “Gone Troppo.”
Status: The Beatles’ demo remained unreleased officially until the release of the 50th Anniversary Edition of the White Album (2018). However, it was available on bootlegs. We have further information about the song here.

14. “Not Guilty”

Recording Date: August 1968
Background: Another George Harrison composition, recorded during the “White Album” sessions. Over 100 takes were recorded, but it was ultimately left off the album. Harrison released a version on his 1979 self-titled album.
Status: An alternate take was released on “Anthology 3 (1996),” but the original remains mostly unreleased. Of course, we have much more information about this track here.

15. “Junk”

Recording Date: May 1968
Background: A Paul McCartney song demoed during the “White Album” sessions. McCartney later included it on his 1970 solo album, “McCartney.”
Status: The Beatles’ demo was released on “Anthology 3.” Further information about this song is here.

16. “Look at Me”

Recording Date: May 1968
Background: Written by John Lennon in India and demoed during the “White Album” sessions. Lennon later recorded it for his 1970 album, “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band.”
Status: Unreleased by the band.

17. “Teddy Boy”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: Written by Paul McCartney and rehearsed during the “Get Back” sessions. McCartney later recorded it for his 1970 solo album, “McCartney.”
Status: An incomplete take was released on “Anthology 3.”

18. “All Things Must Pass”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: Rehearsed during the “Get Back” sessions but never fully developed. Harrison released it as the title track of his 1970 solo album.
Status: A demo was released on “Anthology 3 (1996).” The Beatles Fan Club has more details about this song here.

19. “Gimme Some Truth”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: Rehearsed during the “Get Back” sessions with John Lennon on vocals. Lennon later recorded it for his 1971 album “Imagine.”
Status: Unreleased by The Beatles.

20. “Suzy Parker”

Recording Date: January 9, 1969
Background: An impromptu jam during the “Get Back” sessions with John Lennon on lead vocals.
Status: Unreleased but available on bootlegs.

21. “Because I Know You Love Me So”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: A Lennon-McCartney composition improvised during the “Get Back” sessions.
Status: Unreleased but available on bootlegs.

22. “Isn’t It a Pity”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: Written by George Harrison and attempted during the “Get Back” sessions. Harrison later released it on “All Things Must Pass.”
Status: The Beatles’ version remains unreleased.

23. “Commonwealth”

Recording Date: January 1969
Background: An improvised political satire song from the “Get Back” sessions, with Paul McCartney at the reins.
Status: Unreleased but available on bootlegs.

24. “Dehra Dun”

Recording Date: 1968
Background: A George Harrison composition written during the Beatles’ stay in India was demoed in 1968.
Status: Unreleased by The Beatles, but Harrison’s version surfaced posthumously.

25. “India, India”

Recording Date: 1968
Background: Written by John Lennon in India and demoed in the late ’60s. The song reflects his experiences in India.
Status: Unreleased by The Beatles.

26. “Maggie Mae”

Recording Date: 1969
Background: This was popular in the 1800s with seamen but the Beatles tried it out during the “Get Back” sessions.
Status: This song is clearly unfinished work and we have further details here. However, it is on the 1970 Let It Be album.

Take a listen to Maggie Mae:

27. “I’ve Got A Feeling”

Recording Date: 1969
Background: This one we group together with “Everybody Had a Hard Year,” by John Lennon. Both songs are unfinished but played together in the “rooftop concert.”
Status: This song is also on the 1970 Let It Be album. However, we have more details here.

28. Any Time At All

Recording Date: 1964
Background: There are missing lyrics to this song, but due to time constraints, they moved on without adding them.
Status: You can find this song on the “A Hard Days Night” album (1964). Further information about the song is here.

29. One of the Beautiful People

Recording Date: Never
Background: We believe that the song evolved into “Baby You’re A Rich Man.” However, no original lyrics exist.
Status: No demos or other recordings are believed to exist.

Other Notable Unfinished Beatles Songs

We could consider the following song as unfinished:

Los Paranoias: a nonsensical song made up during a jamming session. This was while they took a break when rehearsing for the White Album.

There are a few more, but we are leaving this open to you. So, if you think one deserves a detailed listing, let us know.

Unfinished Beatles Songs: In Conclusion

These unfinished songs show the breadth of The Beatles’ creativity and the many directions their music could have taken. While some of these tracks surfaced on bootlegs, fans continue to hope for official releases of these intriguing pieces of the band’s history.

Our comprehensive list above may include songs sung in jamming sessions or impromptu breaks. That is because the Fab Four would just be messing around. Possibly because of time constraints, The Beatles had to overlook some songs.