Released on Sept. 26, 1969, the Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ held many collaborative surprises. But I just couldn’t get over its Side One ending.

Aside from being a great song, the story of how the Wicked Fools’ “Beverly” dropped in my lap is simply unbelievable.

When John Lennon returned in 1980 with some of the most contented sounds of his career, it gave greater weight to an earlier tune like this.

Tom Scholz had been mulling over the smash hit “Amanda,” which arrived this month in 1986 as part of Boston’s ‘Third Stage,’ for some six years.