Alternative history -- IF Morrison, Lennon etc. wouldn`t die.

Why do you care so much anyway? Just switch tv/radio channels if there's something on about the Doors..

What's wrong with that?

1976 - An album of standards fails to set the world alight.

1978 - An ill-advised attempt to be current, Make Your Own Kind of Disco, is her poorest charter yet.

1982 - Reunites with John Phillips and tours the nation with him and his daughter Mackenzie rehashing Mamas & Papas hits.

Oh, this is depressing.

1970: Unable to sleep, he wanders from his hotel to a London record store at 8 in the morning and, on impulse, purchases a copy of Black Sabbath's just-released Paranoid. A week later he will return to the studio, finally motivated to complete the various overdubs and final touches on his new album.

1971: First Rays of the New Rising Sun is released in February to lukewarm reviews, which cite Hendrix's "darker" guitar tone as disappointing, though the continued development into an R&B sound is hailed as "an interesting step". The album is not a blockbuster, but goes gold by the beginning of autumn. Shortly after the album's release, Hendrix will attempt to call George Clinton to arrange a Funkadelic/Hendrix tour, but the plans will fall through due to monetary and top-billing disputes.

1972: Reviews in Rolling Stone and Crawdaddy betray a sort of animosity towards rival guitarist Eddie Hazel: "'Maggot Brain', yeah, that's the kind of thing I just do every mornin' for practice. I could've put somethin' like that on Rays, but I didn't have room; I woulda had to cut a lot of songs for that [laughs]." This results in a restrained if heated media feud, which is only heightened when Hendrix -- who, after numerous label disputes, decides to continue his swing towards R&B music by signing to Stax -- covers Funkadelic's "Super Stupid" on stage at Wattstax with a performance so fierce it gets released as its own single and peaks at #12 on the pop charts.

1973: War Heroes -- featuring production by Isaac Hayes, backup vocals by Tina Turner and the Ikettes and uncredited keyboards by Stevie Wonder -- is released as a double LP, which is hailed by a Time cover story as "a concise summary of his turn towards funk" and "the best album of a young but promising year -- and maybe his long, established career". The album dominates both the pop and R&B charts for the year's first half, and will remain in the lower Billboard Top 200 for the better part of 12 years. It eventually becomes one of the most ubiquitous albums in college dorms and the weed-smoker's go-to album.

1975: After heavy touring in late '73, Hendrix will admit to being "kinda burned out" and begins to worry his friends when it is learned he hasn't logged any solo studio time or even written many songs throughout the ensuing year, though his session work for the Four Tops and Eddie Kendricks has kept him somewhat distracted. Late in the year, he will release a live album, then disappear to Jamaica. The liner notes of Funkadelic's Hardcore Jollies will refer to him as "Jimi Hindlicks".

1977: January has Hendrix moving to London, with the masters for From Babylon to Saturn in tow. The Stax contract having long since dissolved, he signs to Island and releases the new album -- which, while not highly indebted to reggae, does have several unmistakeable dub touches and features covers of Max Romeo's "Norman" and Junior Murvin's "Police and Thieves". The album also features two collaborations with Peter Tosh, one of which -- "Stepping Razor" -- becomes a punk favorite and is covered by the Clash for their debut album.

1979: An attempt to jump on the disco bandwagon -- the single "Crash Landing" -- fails critically but succeeds on the charts, and the ensuing album of the same title is a blend of driving, psychedelic disco (with a couple memorable solo duels with Dennis Coffey) and a handful of mid-tempo funk numbers. Bootsy Collins contributes, uncredited, to three of the tracks, which angers George Clinton and, some say, hastens the breakup of P-Funk.

1980: In a press conference at the end of the year, Hendrix will announce his retirement from touring and recording, citing Lennon's assassination as his primary motivator and adding that "the sounds comin' around nowadays, I just don't know what to do with." A close friend claimed that the real reason was that "he'd just heard Dirty Mind and figured he couldn't catch up". Hendrix will remain almost primarily a producer for the remainder of his career, though some claim that the solo at the end of Prince's "Let's Go Crazy" is really his.

Don't know if Sterling would have been all that interested in continuing to play with the reformed VU. Is Julian Lennon dead?

With the support of friends and family he successfully undergoes therapy and treatment for his addiction.

Unfortunately, by the time he's recovered, no-one is remotely interested in a clean, boring and not remotely vicious Sid.

In 1982 he is unexpectedly chosen to replace Larry Grayson as host of The Generation Game - and even more surprisingly he is a huge success.

He subsequently continues to host a number of TV game shows, including Family Fortunes and Blankety Blank; and surprises everyone by revealing a keen amateur interest in philately, when he first appears as presenter of his own programme "Sidney's World Of Stamps" on BBC2.

Meanwhile he is also much in demand as a guest on other quiz shows such as Celebrity Squares, Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You and Question Of Sport, as well as acquiring another regular job as commentator on the annual Eurovison Song Contest, when the previous host, Terry Wogan, suffers a horribly painful and violent death.

During the early 90's Sid attempts to resurrect his musical career, appearing at a number of punk festivals; although he is eventually forced to abandon this as his appearance on stage invariably manages to provoke a barrage of abuse and phlegm.

Having been approached to join a reforming Sex Pistols in 1994, Sid attends just one rehearsal before being rejected by the remainder of the band in favour of his predecessor Glen Matlock.

"Fifteen years later and he still can't play that bass" John Lydon is heard to comment.

Glen Matlock subsequently tells Lydon, Jones and Cook to "stick it up your arses" and the planed Sex Pistols reunion eventually goes ahead with Jah Wobble playing bass.

1992: Mercury's health steadily improves against all odds and his friendship with Holly Johnson thrives in the process. By the end of the year they manage to record a couple of tracks together with Trevor Horn even lending a knob-twiddling hand on a couple of occasions. Somewhere in a Viennese bar Marc Spoon considers remixing 'Living On My Own' after hearing it on the jukebox but after another couple more weissbiers thinks better of it, suggesting to Steve Blame the next day on the phone that they should cover 'Born To Love You' instead. At least the re-released 'Barcelona' for the Olympics placates matters.

1993: the 'Born To Love You' remix fails to make the top 40, on account of not many people having MTV Europe or knowing who Steve Blame is. and, it's appalling. Mercury and Johnson's 'Life's For The Taking', produced by Horn delights all in reaching #1 for 3 weeks in the Summer, with storming remixes by Tony De Vit and Rollo Armstrong giving the duo new club cred. David McCalmont later admits it's what inspired him to write 'Yes' after accusations of ripping it off somewhat. Again the BBC are frustrated as neither Mercury and Johnson agree to perform the song in public having fallen out again over which Dr Who was best. Johnson returns to the pop wilderness once more. Mercury gets back in the studio with Queen to record a follow up to 'Innuendo'.

1995: Queen's 'Anatomic!' double LP tops the album chart but only for a single week as Britpop takes a hold on the charts. The jaunty, eponymous single stalls at #4 but some critics accuse Queen of being more like 'Quoen'. EMI are annoyed that the album takes a further thirteen months to recoup it's enormous costs, with Mercury having travelled to Zimbabwe and Madagascar to record half of the vocals in a shack on the coast. Album closer 'Holding Hands With A Lady' captures the fear Freddie felt as a tropical storm threatened to destroy his makeshift home during that difficult six months. However many agree that this is some of Roger Taylor's best work, and the video directed by Freddie himself was certainly 'interesting' (944 complaints to a jammed BBC switchboard following TOTP).

1996: Queen's 'Anatomic!' world tour rivals the Stones 'Voodoo Lounge' for it's scale and success. The band are still considered more uncool than ever before back in the UK but sell out Wembley in 4 hours. Freddie hints at a more electronic, experimental direction for the next album, after Bono played him back some of the 'Pop' demos following a chance meeting in Buenos Aires. Brian's not keen.

2000: A couple of 12"s surface rumoured to be the work of Mercury with Flood and Jez of the Utah Saints at the controls. 'I Am The Planet' features some quirky noodling, harking back to 'Another One Bites The Dust' and even 'Warm Leatherette' - but dancefloors aren't quite ready for this edgy revivalism just yet, Freddie's nasal scat at the end irritating everyone but the most tolerant fans of The Music.

2001: Elton John bitches about Freddie after the latter upstages him at his own birthday party by attending dressed as a curious hybrid of both Henry VIII AND Elizabeth I. Unfortunately Mercury catches a very bad cold in the Summer and sadly doesn't pull through this time. 'Bohemian Rhapsody' spends 6 weeks at #1 over Christmas as people mourn the loss of an unparalleled legend and seek familiar solace following the tragic events of 9/11.

2002: Ben Elton's 'We Will Rock You' a huge success, blah blah blah...

If that's an endictable offence, why is that pompous, complacent twat Wogan behind bars, eh?

Oh, you mean wrt Nancy's death?

From what I've heard there were far too many witnesses all with similar stories about Sid being too far gone to have done that / another unidentified man (drug dealer) being in their hotel room that night to be able to secure a conviction from any reasonably unbiased jury.

You're probably right in the real world: but this is my alternative reality, so what I say goes, right?!

1981 - "All Those Years Ago" is not written, to the disappointment of many.

1982 - Lennon returns to the quieter home life of the Dakota, assisting Yoko in financial/investment matters.

1984 - A political reawakening emerges and Lennon produces a number of PSAs for the Mondale campaign. Some are controversial due to their explicitness about the potential for nuclear holocaust. Despite these efforts, Mondale is trounced by Reagan in the election.

1985-1986 - John and Yoko embark upon their biggest campaign for peace yet, employing more "traditional" methods than their bed-ins of yore. They make the talk show circuit, they perform at benefits, they enlist the support of such others as Bruce Springsteen, Pat Benatar, Steven Van Zandt, and Dolly Parton. The "Imagine" Foundation fast becomes an unwieldy structure and an exercise in corporate overstructure.

1988 - Lennon disavows all involvement in the "Imagine" Foundation and announces that he'll be co-writing/co-producing a track on George Harrison's "Cloud Nine" album, his first return to the studio in almost eight years.

1989 - "Bluster," the first Lennon/Harrison co-write since "Flying," is a strange, whimsical blues number that sounds out of place on the album. Nevertheless, Paul notes his accolades in several interviews and expresses hope that he and John will write together on his followup to "Press to Play."

1993 - Reinvigorated by Clinton's successful presidential campaign, Lennon returns from a period of silence with redoubled activist efforts, performing at benefits for Earth Day and GLBT committees. He becomes the first het artist to be named to the board of the Human Rights Commission several months later, "All You Need Is Love" becoming for some an anthem for the GLBT movement.

1994 - "Lennon Unplugged" garners strong ratings on MTV and is nominated for two Grammys, one for Best Album and one for "#9 Dream" in the Best Male Pop Vocal category.

1995 - A day after the Oklahoma City building assault, Lennon is assassinated by a loner with very loose ties to Timothy McVeigh. Within weeks "All You Need Is Love" is re-issued as a single, with proceeds going to the families of those lost in the OK explosion.

1996 - George Harrison issues Lennon's unreleased collaborations with him on his own label under the title "Blue For You." It's a modest seller but wins a posthumous Grammy.

But in No. 1 blue-black permanent instead of peroxide.

-- Deluxe (autobahn7...), March 23rd, 2005.

oh man, if you're talking about what I'm thinking about, that was nuts. although if I remember it wasn't really an interview, it was more like what people are doing in this thread. it was really goofy too; collaborations with Miles Davis and Thurston Moore (!), and he befriends Kurt Cobain, who is assassinated by a jealous Eddie Vedder, which I thought was a really weird touch.

"Starting Over" wouldn't have hit #1 if Lennon was not murdered. It was already on its way down the charts.

1985 – A last-minute Live Aid appearance turns into a triumph. CBS books him a studio and before the end of the year, Reborn is released. A David Foster penned ballad goes Top Ten R&B, but the album contains few highlights.

1986 – National concert tour with Anita Baker is a big success, with a few extatically received European dates. Show at L’Olympia is recorded for a successful live double album.

1988 – After aborted sessions with Jam & Lewis, Marvin is convinced he should go his own way. You And Me is a concept album about his inter-racial love affair with a Hollywood actress. Airplay is minimal, the album contains no hits but the reviews are positive

1989 – You And Me wins Grammy for best R&B album.

1990 – Marvin blocks the release of box-set with previously unreleased Motown recordings, felling “his best work is yet to come”.

1994 – Still no record from Marvin Gaye. CBS drops him.

1996 – Arista sings Gaye, where he records a new album with LA Reid & Babyface. First single “Offa the Block” features OutKast. In the video, Marvin looks healthier than ever. The song is a smash, and three more singles are taken of the album. Marvin performs at the closing of the Olympics.

1997- Relocated to Atlanta, Marvin lives the good life. André 3000 introduces him to Erykah Badu, with whom he duets.

1998 – All of neo-soul comes to get for The Soulquarian. Despite some hot collaborations, the album fails to live up to expectations. Marvin is almost sixty, it’s time to act is age. In steps Clive Davis.

2000 – Marvin Forever is a slick record featuring some choice duets, amongst others a completely unknown Alicia Keys.

2001 – Marvin returns the favor on Keys’ debut, with press agents furiously denying that two are an item.

2003 – Marvin Gaye realises his age-old dream and records his crooning album. Writers accuse him of jumping on Robbie’s bandwagon. Album is a smash, as is the tour/DVD.

2005 – Pitchfork reports that Marvin is working with Matthew Herbert, Cristian Vogel and Fat Truckers. Two days later, the news item is retracted.

Like I told Margus, this is my alternative reality, so what I say goes!

1961: Invigorated by the nascent folk scene in Greenwich Village, he starts performing solo under the name Charlie Hardin. Unaware of his background he soon becomes a major draw.

1962: He releases his first album, 'The many sides of Charlie Hardin' and tours with Bob Dylan. The media soon realise his real identity and the album becomes a major hit.

1963: Beatlemania sweeps the world and Holly is namechecked by The Beatles, he meets up with them on a tour of Europe and records a dozen songs with them at Abbey Road. Subsequently released as the 'Attic tapes' some year later.

1964: Following constant womanising he divorces and the public lose interest in him, favouring British invasion acts.

1966: He tries LSD for the first time and releases the proto concept album Charlie Hardin's Texan Troubadours, a song cycle about a fictional band, notable for it's use of feedback, tape loops and Indian music. It is a dismal failure, but soon becomes a cult item.

1969: Following a couple of years indulging in drugs and producing some of the new acts emerging from San Francisco he is persuaded to appear on a rock and roll revival tour with Chuck Berry, Sha Na Na and Little Richard. He appears at Woodstock and becomes the suprise hit of the festival with his feedback drenched version of Rave On becoming the festival anthem.

1972: Following a couple of years on revival tours, he goes into semi-retirement, but finds time to produce Lou Reed's sophomore solo album.

1977: Now a respected producer he relocates to England, enthused by the punk movement. He appears on stage at the Roxy the night Elvis dies, performing a medley of Elvis songs with the Pistols as his pick up group. Malcolm Maclaren quits in disgust.

1982: Now well into his 40's, he has an overdose after a particularly pure dose of Heroin supplied by Sid Vicious. After recovering he returns to Texas to clean up.

1987: Following his performance on Live Aid he is back in demand in Rock and roll revival shows but stubborn as always he records a country album with Peter Buck from REM.

1996: Following a series of Rick Rubin produced albums which are critical and commercial smashes he dies in a plane crash while visiting his old friend the Big Bopper.

1994: Kurt attempts suicide, but is rescued. Spends three months in rehab; comes out clean and files for divorce the next day.
1995: Relapse, back with Courtney.
1996: Rehab again, divorces Courtney for real. Nirvana boox set with rarities released as a stopgap.
1997: New album -- angry and rough -- released. It does not sell well. Nirvana announces breakup towards the end of tour behind the album.
1998: Rehab again.
1999-2001: Drops out of sight, works as producer. Publishes slim volume of essays, to lukewarm reception.
2001: Takes advantage of ten-year anniversary of Nevermind to release folk-influenced solo album, play reunion shows with Krist Novoselic. Both are successful.
2002: Rehab again. Remarries.
2003: Publishes autobiography, Pointedly vague about rehab, Courtney.
2004: Second solo album. Not terribyl successful, but at least he seems happy.

-- Dominique (d_leon...), March 23rd, 2005.

Really I just forgot it! And Jeff Lynne would definitely produce album of quasi-Beatles Lennon, Lynne, Harrison & Starr.

I did at least mention his Jeff Lynne produced album

1981: "For Those About To Rock" becomes a new giant hit, now also selling lots to those who couldn't stand Brian Johnson's voice

1983: Bon Scott comes out as gay. Kicked from AC/DC. Rob Halford of Judas Priest burns all of his AC/DC records as a protest against this.

1985: Releases solo album "Glad To Be a Gay Rock'n'Roller". Huge sales

1988: AC/DC's "Blow Up Your Video", featuring new singer Brian Johnson, fails

1990: Bon Scott rejoins AC/DC. "Thunder" with Bon on vocals becomes a giant hit.

1955: Two years of recuperation and Bible study at his 400-acre horse ranch in North Alabama have restored Williams' health and spirit, but considerably slowed his commercial momentum. Released from his MGM records contract and still considered persona non grata by the Grand Old Opry and Nashville establishment, Williams begins a tentative return to the music world with several guest spots on Rev. Wickham Bigby's Apostolic Radio Hour on WGSV out of Guntersville. The subsequent release of several Luke the Drifter gospel sides on King/Starday records goes all but unnoticed outside of the religious community.

1956: Williams' return to secular music is impelled by legal and financial wrangling between the women in his life, Audrey Williams, Billie Jean Jones and Bobbie Jett. The one-time king of country music sees his assets divided among the three, with the farm going to ex-wife Audrey and their son, Hank, Jr. Forced to concede to prevailing commercial trends, Williams releases a decidedly rockabilly-oriented single on King. Despite Williams' distaste and unsuitability for the bop-cat material, the record is a moderate hit.

1957: Ever alert to the possibility of replacing the sales juggernaut he had with Elvis Presley, Sam Phillips signs Williams to Sun Records, and continues to steer him in a rock & roll direction. With 34 hard years under his belt, though, Williams is no teen idol, and the attempts fail. An entire LP's worth of recordings with Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two is shelved, only to attain legendary status by the time it is finally released 15 years later. Williams' career stalls as Phillips concentrates his attention and assets on the still-ascendant Jerry Lee Lewis.

1958: Booked as a support act on Lewis' European tour, Williams finds that Jerry Lee's loss is his gain. While Lewis is vilified for his bigamous marriage to a 13-year-old relative, Hank is forgiven his past indiscretions by a public that still worships him.

1959: Still box-office poison in the States, Williams returns to England, assembles a new Drifting Cowboys Band out of young Liverpool musicians, and embarks on a grueling tour of cabarets and clubs throughout the UK, Ireland and the continent. Recordings with the new group are a folk-oriented pale shadow of Hank's earlier country material, but a skiffle re-recording of "Move It On Over" becomes a smash hit, reigniting Hank's career and leading him to move permanently to Britain. Taking the lead in a great Skiffle Revival, Williams becomes a huge star in England, where rock & roll subsequently never really gets off the ground.

1965: With the sounds of Motown and the Beach Boys ruling the world, Williams and his fellow skiffle stars are no longer the darlings of the British music business. Williams returns to America, signs with Epic records, and records a string-drenched, pop-oriented smash hit album with producer Billy Sherrill. Within two years The Hank Williams Variety Hour is the highest-rated show on American television, and Williams' huge annual tour to entertain the troops becomes a holiday tradition. Unfortunately, while en route to one such show, Williams is killed by friendly fire near An Luc, Vietnam on Dec. 18, 1970. Richard Nixon posthumously awards Williams the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, presenting it to noted actor and television producer Hank Williams, Jr.

1966: He returns to the music scene with an album of covers of Bob Dylan songs. It is a moderate hit but he finds himself uncertain of his direction.

1967: On a tour of Europe, he meets Otis Redding who suggests he works with the Muscle Shoals crew. After a series of sessions in Memphis he releases 'Sam Cooke - Blue for you', it is a massive hit.

1968: Enraged by Vietnam he releases the concept album 'My brothers' and becomes an outspoken critic of American foreign policy. Richard Nixon and the FBI begin investigating him. Speaking at the Chicago democratic convention he narrowly escapes being shot by Sirhan Sirhan.

1970: He is arrested for assisting draft dodgers, but the case is thrown out for lack of evidence. He releases the album ' The world is my brother' a follow up to his 1968 album, further exploring his themes of black consciousness and ecology. It's notable for showcasing the emerging funk style and having Miles Davis on a number of tracks.

1972: Disillusioned by the failure of his latest album and the perceived collapse of the black power movement he announces that he is converting to Islam and changes his name to Muhammad Islam.

1974: Always battling the secular and the spiritual he releases his first album under his new name, the lush, erotic 'Lady, be mine', banned in many states for it's explicit lyrics. He is prosecuted in Louisiana for the 'obscene content', but in a landmark case is exonerated. Following the controversy it becomes a massive hit and wins the Grammy for album of the year.

1980: After a series of similarly explicit albums which each become progressively less successful he hooks up with Chic and records the album 'Back on top' . It is a big hit, but late in the year he attacks homosexuals and in the controversy his records are burned. Bernard Edwards is quoted as saying 'I'm not working with that motherfucker again'.

1989: The 80's are a fallow period for him, perceived as old and reactionary he goes into semi-retirement, but in 1989 he returns with the Quincy Jones produced ' Back in the jam' featuring guest acts Michael Jackson and Alexander O'Neal. He apologises for his past statements and announces he is reverting to Christianity and the name Sam Cooke.

1995: Buoyed by the interest in his 70's albums, a source of many samples used by rap acts he announces his farewell album and tour, 'Cooking through the years'. The album features new talent such as Mary J Blige and Tupac Shakur and although nominated for grammy for album of the year is beaten by Alanis Morrissette

2001: Now a lay preacher, he is persuaded to come out of retirement to appear on the 9/11 tribute show. His version of 'What's going on' taps into the zeitgeist and is the years best selling single.

2004: A passionate opponent of the Iraq war, he appears on the tour in support of John Kerry duetting with Bruce Springsteen. Shortly after Bush's victory he suffers a heart attack and dies age 73.