Greatest Hits Volume 3

Six Beatles albums that never were
Among the more intriguing unrealised projects in the Australian Beatles discography is a proposed third volume of EMI (Australia)'s Greatest Hits series, one of six Beatles compilations outlined in a thirteen-page memorandum submitted to EMI in London during the 1970s.

The document detailed the success of Australian marketing initiatives before presenting proposals for six new albums. Four would feature recordings with lead vocals by individual Beatles, a fifth would combine selections by all four members in separate sections, and the sixth would extend the existing Australian Greatest Hits series.

Although none of the proposed compilations proceeded to commercial release, the surviving documentation provides a fascinating insight into EMI (Australia)'s efforts to develop additional Beatles product for the local market.

Six proposed Beatles albums
The memorandum proposed an ambitious series of compilations drawing upon the Beatles' established catalogue.

Four albums would be devoted individually to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, with recordings selected according to each member's lead vocal performances.

A fifth compilation would adopt a similar concept within a single album, dividing the programme into four distinct sections, each featuring one Beatle.

The sixth proposal was The Beatles' Greatest Hits Volume 3, intended as a continuation of the two highly successful Australian compilations originally released in 1966 and 1967.

The proposed selections were not without their problems. Each of the four individual-vocalist compilations included recordings featuring lead vocals by another member of the group. Remarkably, the proposed Ringo Starr collection even included a solo recording rather than material exclusively recorded by The Beatles.

Nevertheless, the proposals demonstrate EMI (Australia)'s continuing interest in exploiting The Beatles' catalogue through locally conceived compilations. The accompanying discussion of Australian marketing successes also suggests that the memorandum was intended to make a commercial case for further releases.

Of the six proposed albums, Greatest Hits Volume 3 is particularly interesting because it would have extended an already successful and well-established Australian series.

Completing the Greatest Hits series
EMI (Australia)'s first two Beatles Greatest Hits albums were compiled in early 1966, drawing upon recordings released between 1963 and 1965, leaving the Beatles' subsequent output unrepresented.

A third volume would have provided a logical continuation, bringing the series through the group's later recording years and effectively completing an Australian retrospective spanning 1963 to 1970.

The proposed compilation concentrated on recordings released between 1966 and 1970, drawing heavily upon the group's Australian singles. Among the selections were 'Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da' and 'The Long and Winding Road', both issued as singles in Australia but neither receiving a contemporary British single release.

The album would therefore have continued the distinctly Australian approach established by the earlier volumes, rather than simply reproducing a British compilation.

The selection broadly follows the chronological sequence of The Beatles' later Australian singles, including both tracks from the charting releases 'Yellow Submarine'/'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever'/'Penny Lane'. The inclusion of 'You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)', the B-side of 'Let It Be', is a more unusual choice for a greatest-hits compilation.

Indeed, had the proposed compilation appeared before 1978, it would have provided an early LP appearance for 'You Know My Name', which otherwise did not receive its first official album release until Rarities (UK).

The sixteen selections would have produced a comparatively lengthy single LP, running approximately 56 minutes when allowing conventional four-second gaps between tracks.

The document does not identify a division between the two sides, leaving it unclear whether adjustments to the proposed running order were contemplated. Given the errors identified in the other proposed compilations, it is possible that the selections would have undergone further revision had the project progressed.

Nevertheless, the proposed Volume 3 programme was considerably more coherent than some of the other concepts outlined in the memorandum.

A possible connection with the 1973 anniversary release
Although the memorandum's precise date has not been established, there are compelling reasons to consider early 1973 as a possible period for its preparation.

On 22 February 1973, EMI (Australia) released The Beatles' Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2, a limited-edition double album commemorating the tenth anniversary of The Beatles' first Australian single, 'Please Please Me'/'Ask Me Why'.

The release originated from a proposal by 2UE program manager Nick Erby in December 1972 and was promoted nationally by participating stations of the Major Radio Network of Australia.

Although the records themselves contained no new material, the anniversary package represented a significant promotional undertaking for EMI (Australia), providing renewed exposure for compilations that were already established catalogue sellers.

Against this background, the prospect of a third volume covering The Beatles' later recordings would have made considerable commercial sense.

Rather than simply repackaging the earlier albums, Greatest Hits Volume 3 would have offered purchasers an entirely new selection, extending the series through the remainder of the group's recording career.

There may also have been a contemporary press reference to a further volume. A review associated with the February 1973 anniversary reissue is recalled as mentioning that EMI (Australia) was considering another Greatest Hits album. The recollection suggests that a third volume may have been under consideration around this time.

The thirteen-page memorandum adds an important dimension to that possibility. Rather than merely considering another Greatest Hits album, EMI (Australia) had developed a broader group of six proposed compilations and presented them to London alongside details of its Australian marketing achievements.

The scope of the submission suggests that the company was actively exploring opportunities for further locally compiled Beatles releases, rather than simply contemplating another volume of an existing series.

Whether the memorandum preceded, accompanied or followed the 1973 anniversary campaign remains unknown. Nevertheless, the commercial circumstances surrounding that release provide a plausible context for the proposals.

Overtaken by the Red and Blue albums?
If the six-album proposal was being considered in early 1973, its failure to proceed may be explained by developments elsewhere in The Beatles' catalogue.

In April 1973, EMI introduced the internationally compiled The Beatles 1962–1966 and The Beatles 1967–1970 double albums, popularly known as the Red and Blue albums.

The two compilations provided an extensive retrospective of The Beatles' recording career, covering much the same territory as EMI (Australia)'s existing Greatest Hits series and its proposed third volume.

Their arrival coincided with the end of the Australian anniversary project.

Although the locally compiled Greatest Hits Volumes 1 & 2 package had reached No. 9 during an eighteen-week chart run, EMI (Australia) deleted the limited-edition double album on 30 June 1973.

The Red and Blue albums followed in Australia on 5 July 1973, effectively superseding the earlier anniversary package.

For the proposed Greatest Hits Volume 3, the implications would have been particularly significant.

Of its sixteen selections, fifteen appeared across the two new international compilations. The sole exception was 'You Know My Name (Look Up the Number)'.

In other words, almost the entire proposed album was already represented on a newly authorised and internationally marketed Beatles retrospective.

With the Red and Blue albums providing comprehensive coverage of the group's career, there would have been little commercial justification for EMI (Australia) to introduce another local greatest-hits collection containing essentially the same material.

The international releases also offer a possible explanation for why the broader six-album proposal might not have progressed beyond consideration.

However, the individual-vocalist compilations represented a different approach to presenting The Beatles' catalogue, and might theoretically have retained some commercial appeal despite the arrival of the Red and Blue albums.

It is therefore important to distinguish between the likely effect of the international compilations upon Greatest Hits Volume 3 and the fate of the wider six-album programme.

No surviving correspondence has been identified confirming why EMI UK did not proceed with the proposals. The various track-listing errors may have required revision, while questions of commercial viability, repertoire duplication and approval could also have influenced any decisions.

An extraordinary connection with The Number Ones
Although Greatest Hits Volume 3 never materialised, its proposed track selection would find a remarkable echo a decade later.

On 13 May 1983, EMI (Australia) released The Number Ones, a locally compiled collection celebrating the Beatles' Australian chart-topping recordings.

The album followed the British and American 20 Greatest Hits releases of 1982, but its contents reflected Australia's distinctive singles and chart history.

Of the sixteen recordings proposed for Greatest Hits Volume 3, eleven subsequently appeared on The Number Ones.

Even more remarkably, nine consecutive tracks from the Volume 3 proposal—tracks 6 through 14—became the entire second side of The Number Ones, appearing in precisely the same order:

1. All You Need Is Love
2. Hello, Goodbye
3. Lady Madonna
4. Hey Jude
5. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
6. Get Back
7. The Ballad of John and Yoko
8. Something
9. Let It Be

Not only were all nine recordings retained, but their sequence was completely unchanged.

Whether the 1983 compilation drew upon the earlier proposal remains unknown. The Number Ones was compiled by Bruce Hamlin, and although no documentation has been identified establishing a direct connection between the two projects, it is conceivable that Bruce had seen or was familiar with the earlier Greatest Hits Volume 3 proposal.

Moreover, both compilations broadly followed the chronological sequence of the Beatles' Australian singles, which may independently explain much of the similarity.

Nevertheless, the preservation of an entire nine-track sequence is a remarkable coincidence and raises the possibility that the earlier compilation concept, or elements of it, were not entirely forgotten.

Ironically, The Number Ones also encountered the practical difficulties associated with accommodating a large number of recordings on a single LP. Its second side exceeded 32 minutes and had to be mastered at a comparatively low level.

The album nevertheless proved enormously successful, reaching No. 1 during a nineteen-week Australian chart run.

Six albums that never were
Although none of the six proposed albums materialised, the surviving memorandum offers a rare insight into the commercial thinking and decision-making behind EMI (Australia)'s Beatles catalogue.

It also raises questions about how far the proposals progressed within EMI and whether elements of them influenced subsequent Australian releases, particularly The Number Ones in 1983.

More than fifty years later, Greatest Hits Volume 3 remains an intriguing example of a record that might have been, and a reminder that the history of the Australian Beatles discography extends beyond the records that ultimately reached the shops.