Bluebird by Paul McCartney – ****

First released: 1973

A pseudo-sequel to "Blackbird" and just as sweet, from the highly abundant "Band on the Run" album as well as performed live on the "Wings Over America" set in 1976. The studio version also appears on 2001’s "Wingspan".

Blue, Turning Grey Over You by Ringo Starr – ***

First released: 1970

Ringo recorded this for his "Sentimental Journey" album. Andy Razaf and Thomas “Fats” Waller composed it and Louis Armstrong had a hit with it in 1930.

Blue Sway by Paul McCartney – *

Unreleased.

Unreleased "McCartney II" track that wisely has stayed in the can.

"Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session" with Ringo Starr and George Harrison – ****

First released: 1985

A tribute concert show with Carl Perkins, featuring both Ringo and George! Quite a rare treat in 1985. The video was originally released on video in 1985, reissued on DVD in 2002 and again in 2007. The CD soundtrack was finally released in conjunction with the 2007 release.

Blue Suede Shoes - all versions - ***

First released: 1970

Carl Perkins wrote and performed this classic piece of rock and roll, also covered by Elvis Presley in 1956. The Beatles ran through this song in 1969, but their version was not released until 1996 on "Anthology 3". When John Lennon agreed to do his bit for the Toronto Rock n’ Roll Revival, this was his opening number on "The Plastic Ono Band – Live Peace in Toronto 1969" released in 1970. Later, this live version was included on the Carl Perkins album "Go Cat Go" that featured the other three Beatles in separate performances with Perkins. It was also on 1990’s "Lennon" and "Instant Karma" from 2001.

George played it live with Perkins in 1985 on "Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session".

Blue Moon of Kentucky by Paul McCartney – ***; by The Beatles – ***

First released: 1991

McCartney does a live take on the song on "Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)" in 1991. When The Beatles got back together in 1995, Paul, George and Ringo played a brief version of this for the cameras for the "Anthology" project which was ultimately released on the DVD version of "Anthology" in 2003.

Blue Moon by John Lennon – (NR); by Paul McCartney – (NR)

Unreleased.

Apparently, both John and Paul attempted versions of this Rodgers & Hart classic; Paul in 1976 and John in 1978.

Blue Monday by Cat Stevens - ***

First released: 1976

Ringo plays on this Cat Stevens' version of the classic Fats Domino song.

Blue Jay Way by George Harrison – ***

First released: 1967

George’s shining hour from "Magical Mystery Tour" with some amazing visuals in the film in a song talking about going to this particular address in Los Angeles and getting lost. It is also used for 2006's "Love" with the subtitle ("Transition").

Blue Jean Bop by Paul McCartney – ***

First released: 1999

Solid opener from Paul's "Run Devil Run" album is this cover of the old Gene Vincent tune from 1956.

Blue Christmas by Ringo Starr – ***

First released: 1999

As Ringo was and is a humongous Elvis fan, it was only natural that he would record one of the King’s greatest holiday hits for his "I Wanna Be Santa Claus" album. Elvis’ version originally came out in 1957.

Blowin’ in the Wind by Bob Dylan – ****

First released: 1971

Everybody and their mother has covered this tune, from Peter, Paul and Mary to Stevie Wonder, but it’s Bob Dylan’s version from "The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan" in 1963 that started it off. In 1971, he performed it at "The Concert for Bangla Desh". One of the better performances by Dylan.

Blow Away by George Harrison – ****

First released: 1979

Another one of my favorite George Harrison songs, originally from the "George Harrison" album. This actually doesn’t really sound like anything George has done before or since, making it a real standout track in his repertoire. It should have charted higher on the singles charts, but it didn’t have a loud enough 4/4 beat, being released at the peak of the disco era! It was also included on 1989’s "Best of Dark Horse 1976-1989".

Blood From a Clone by George Harrison – ***

First released: 1981

One of the four tracks from George’s "Somewhere in England" that replaced the four removed tracks. The lyrics are his commentary on what all the fuss was about. It’s a snappy upbeat song with a bitter lyric about how the records execs don’t like New Wave or Frank Zappa, but do like upbeat, catchy, commercial songs. This song might have even been a single had All Those Years Ago not been the appropriate release.

Blink by Ringo Starr – **

First released: 2003

One of three bonus tracks from the "Ringo Rama Deluxe Edition". Nothing special, but kind of catchy all the same.

"Blindman" (feature) by Ringo Starr – (NR)

First released: 1971

I have never seen this film, and would only see it as a curiosity as Ringo doing a Western doesn’t seem like much fun, but who knows. If I see, I’ll be sure to update this entry.

Blindman by Ringo Starr – ***

First released: 1972

The b-side from Ringo’s "Back Off Boogaloo" single, and later released to CD as a bonus track on the 1992 version of "Goodnight Vienna". It’s a very strange sounding track with many crazy instruments performing the backing and was the title track to one of Ringo’s movies that I have never seen, in which Ringo portrays a Mexican bandit.

Bless You by John Lennon – ***

First released: 1974

Strangely, Lennon produced more melodic and memorable ballads on "Walls and Bridges" than he did on the ballad-heavy "Mind Games" a year earlier. This is one of the sweetest ballads he ever did. A demo version was released in 1986 on "Menlove Avenue" and on 1998’s "The John Lennon Anthology". The original released version was also on 1990’s "Lennon" and "Working Class Hero" from 2005. A remixed version is on the import only "Peace, Love & Truth" from 2005.

"Blast From Your Past" by Ringo Starr – ****

First released: 1975

Until 2007’s "Photograph", this compilation of Ringo’s greatest hits was the best version to get. The only thing lacking is that it should have had "Sentimental Journey", "Goodnight Vienna" and "Snookeroo" on it, and if you made it like "The Best of George Harrison", it should have had "Boys", "I Wanna Be Your Man", "Honey Don’t", "Matchbox", "Act Naturally", "Yellow Submarine", "With a Little Help From My Friends", and "Octopus’s Garden" on it. "Photograph" included all of the mentioned solo hits, except "Sentimental Journey", which was available as a music video only.

"Blankit's First Show" by Paul McCartney – **

First released: 1986

Documentary from MPL about Linda's horses featuring Paul's lame "All You Horseriders".

Blackpool by Paul McCartney – **

First released: 2007

Unreleased McCartney song dating from 1971 and 1973. It was partially released on "The McCartney Videos" collection in 2007.

Blackbird by The Beatles – ****

First released: 1968

A typical “White Album” classic from the “animal” side of the album. Paul or someone later claimed that the song was about “Black Power” or some such shit. I don’t know. I just think it was about a blackbird. Paul has never been too deep on his songs, but will easily jump on the bandwagon if someone deciphers some hidden meaning in one of his songs. Later on, the song produced comparisons to Paul’s solo "Jenny Wren" from "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard". A demo version is included on "Anthology 3" in 1996. It is also used for 2006's "Love".

A live version was performed by Wings and released on "Wings Over America" in 1976. McCartney does different live takes of the song on "Unplugged (The Official Bootleg)" in 1991, and 2002/3's "Back in the US/World".

Black Maria by Todd Rundgren – **

First released: 1993

A live version by Todd Rundgren appears on "Ringo Starr and His All-Starr Band Volume 2 Live From Montreux" in 1993 (this version reissued on 2000’s "The Anthology…So Far"). Not a very good tune choice considering he could have sang "Hello, It’s Me", a song he refused to sing on this tour. Admittedly, this was originally off of Rundgren's classic "Something/Anything" album from 1972, but "I Saw the Light" was the hit off of that one, and he didn’t sing that one, either.

Bit More of You, A by George Harrison – ***

First released: 1975

Really you should see my entry under "You" for my thoughts on this song. This is just another snippet of it from "Extra Texture’s" second side. Sort of useless, not intriguing like "Sgt. Pepper Reprise".

Bison 2:40 by Paul McCartney – **

First released: 1989

Another trance track from Paul's (a.k.a. The Fireman) album "Rushes".

Birthday by The Beatles – ****

First released: 1968

One of the best Beatles tunes of all time, and one of the reasons I like the "White Album" so much. A live version was performed by Paul on 1990’s "Tripping the Live Fantastic" and released as a single at the time.

Bip Bop Link by Paul McCartney – ***

First released: 1971

Normally I would have included a review of a song with this type of title in with the "Bip Bop" review, but this Link is so dramatically different that it bears a separate entry. Paul was always an excellent tunesmith so this instrumental was probably just dashed off with the tapes rolling during "Wild Life". It’s not even listed as a track on the album.

Bip Bop by Paul McCartney – ***

First released: 1971

For those who think McCartney is not a good lyricist need not look further than this silly song. “Bip bop bim and bop bwip bwop bim and bam”. John Lennon was probably laughing! It’s on Wings’ "Wild Life". An unreleased version from 1971 of Paul busking about along with "Hey Diddle" was released for the first time on 2001’s "Wingspan".

Biker Like an Icon by Paul McCartney – **

First released: 1989

Released as the fourth and final single off of "Off the Ground". "Biker Like an Icon" is an uninspired bit of wordplay and a tune that McCartney must have loved, for he used it over again, albeit with a much slower tempo for his "Vanilla Sky" theme song. Paul performs a live version for 1993’s "Paul is Live". This version also appears on the b-side of the studio version of "Biker Like an Icon".

Big Boys Bickering by Paul McCartney – **

First released: 1993

One of Paul’s many b-sides for the "Off the Ground" album from the "Hope of Deliverance" CD single. This song is kind of dumb and mainly is an excuse to use the word “fuck”. John Lennon did it better with "Working Class Hero". It starts off pretty well, but soon degenerates into noise at the end.

Big Day by Paul McCartney – **

Unreleased.

Unreleased McCartney performance dating from 1987.

Big Barn Bed by Paul McCartney – ***

First released: 1973

A snippet of the beginning of this song appeared at the end of "Ram On" from the "Ram" album. Then it became the opening track on Paul’s "Red Rose Speedway" as well as on the "James Paul McCartney" TV special. It’s a good song, but lyrically it’s pretty stupid.

Beyond the Sea by John Lennon – **

Unreleased.

Lennon did a home recording of unknown recording origin (but probably around 1979) of this tune popularized by Bobby Darin.