Across the Universe by The Beatles - ** for original versions; *** for "Naked" version.

First released: 1969

You know I have never been a huge fan of this song and basically took Lennon’s own views on the track that it never really was properly recorded and released. I actually much prefer David Bowie’s version to The Beatles one. That is until the "Naked" version. The story goes that Lennon recorded this with the other Beatles and a guest female singer and it was slated to become The Beatles next single release until McCartney waltzed in with Lady Madonna. Then, the track was given to the World Wildlife Federation LP and promptly forgotten. This version eluded another compilation until 1980's "Rarities" and then it first appeared on CD in 1988 on "Past Masters, Volume Two". A demo version appears on 1996's "Anthology 2".

A year later, instead of taking more material from the hours and hours of performances from the "Get Back" sessions for release onto "Let it Be", producer Phil Spector decided to dust off this recording, take off the bird sounds and female voice and add it to the "Let it Be" line-up. I still don’t like this version. This version also appears on "1967-1970", though I feel that "For You Blue" would have been a more appropriate choice for that compilation.

Then, when "Let it Be…Naked" was released in 2003, the version was altered again and all of the Spector-isms were removed and finally the song has been released in a version that I like.

This song also became the title of a Beatles-inspired movie in 2007, a film that I actually liked…in places.