Move over, Ms L!

Hi all, wondering why you are looking at this jumbled up page? This is due to the fact that Facebook didn't like our url since it starts with wog, so we have been forced to move the blog. This was some time ago, and we have placed a script which would automatically send you to our new location. Obviously, this hasn't worked for all of you, since we have just finished moderating some of your comments which appeared on this site recently, and not on our new (and improved!) site. So what we're saying is head on over to our new site, and update your bookmarks!

Saturday 31 December 2011

Happy New Beatles Year!


It was 50 years today that The Beatles auditioned for Decca Records. Ever since the mid-seventies, the Decca audition tape has been floating around among Beatles fans, but always from the same source tape. Some of the tracks were released by small record companies in the eighties and nineties, until The Beatles/Apple won a court case, and became the exclusive owner of the recordings. In 1995, The Beatles released the album Anthology 1, which included five of the songs performed at the audition: "Searchin'", "Like Dreamers Do", "Hello Little Girl", "Three Cool Cats", and "The Sheik of Araby". The full session tape goes like this:

"Like Dreamers Do" (Lennon–McCartney)
"Money (That's What I Want)" (Gordy/Bradford)
"Till There Was You" (Meredith Willson)
"The Sheik of Araby" (Smith/Wheeler/Snyder)
"To Know Her Is to Love Her" (Phil Spector)
"Take Good Care of My Baby" (King/Goffin)
"Memphis, Tennessee" (Chuck Berry) (not released)
"Sure to Fall (In Love with You)" (Cantrell/Claunch/Perkins)
"Hello Little Girl" (Lennon–McCartney)
"Three Cool Cats" (Leiber/Stoller)
"Crying, Waiting, Hoping" (Buddy Holly)
"Love of the Loved" (Lennon–McCartney)
"September in the Rain" (Warren/Dubin)
"Bésame Mucho" (Consuelo Velázquez)
"Searchin'" (Leiber/Stoller)

2012 is a big year for The Beatles, and will no doubt be a year which we'll see some new Beatles releases. Why I think this is the case is because EMI has always used the release of "Love Me Do" in 1962 as a reference point to stage their Beatles anniversaries. But we fans know that New Year's Day is the real anniversary. So how about it, Apple? Even though this is the Pete Best incarnation of the Beatles, the full Decca audition tape is riper than ripe for an official release. And in late 2011, a new and better source tape started to circulate among Beatles collectors...

Friday 30 December 2011

Ringo on BBC Radio 6


A second chance to hear a radio show we missed out on before, Matt Everitt discusses musical milestones with the one and only Ringo Starr. Ringo talks Matt Everitt through his remarkable career - from the early days when his family inspired him to pick up the drumsticks, the influence of Radio Luxembourg and his very first performance with The Beatles; to Beatlemania, conquering the world and how the band's slow and painful break-up felt to an insider. Ringo also discusses life after The Beatles, his solo career and his All-Starr Band in an interview first heard in September 2011. 5 days left to hear this here.

"Home" finds a home

One of the things Beatles fans indulge in, is trying to imagine what an early Beatles concert would be like. Oh, to have a properly equipped DeLorean! Little exists in the way of recorded material from the years 1957-1960, but thanks to the research of Beatles historians like Mark Lewisohn we have a list of songs they performed. Old set lists unearthed and the memories of early fans have been jogged to establish a body of songs that graced the early shows. But who was the lead vocalist on which song? One such song is now finally finding it's Beatles home on Paul McCartney's upcoming "Kisses on the bottom" album. Historically, "Home (When Shadows Fall)" was part of the Quarrymen/Beatles set lists from 1957-1960. No recording of the fabs performing said song exists, but now that Paul McCartney has recorded it, it seems likely that he was the one resposible for it's inclusion on stage back then. That much we might have guessed.



"Home (When Shadows Fall)" was composed around about 1931 by Peter Van Steeden, Harry Clarkson and Jeff Clarkson. The McCartney household may have had a recording of it, or even more likely, sheet music. Paul's father James used to play songs on the family piano, and this song seems right up his alley.


The culprit of the recent leaks, this advance copy of McCartney's album has a different song order than the one previously published. Which explains the segue between "Only Our Hearts" and "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter"

Paul McCartney's valentine's day album "Kisses on the bottom" was recently leaked in the form of an audio stream played by several internet radio stations. Fan reactions to the album have been mixed, and the subtle use of autotune commented on. The most ridiculous reactions have been of ignorants speculating that McCartney has run out of songs of his own. As we know, McCartney has recorded not one but two albums, one with cover versions and one regular album. The other album, due out in the future, is full of new McCartney compositions, no doubt. And even the cover album has got two new McCartney compositions.

Thursday 29 December 2011

Ringo 2012 DeLuxe


Details about the forthcoming album by our favourite singing drummer have been revealed. The regular CD will be released on January 24th, followed by a DeLuxe edition (CD + DVD), which will be an Amazon exclusive, on January 31st. On that same date, the album will also be released on 180 grams vinyl.

Wednesday 28 December 2011

Kisses on the Bottom


The new McCartney album, due out February 6th (7th in the USA), has leaked out to the internet in it's entirity today. And the title has been revealed (and twittered by Paul), "Kisses on the Bottom" - a lift from the lyrics of "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter".
Amazon's editorial review: While many a musician is often asked about the tunes that have influenced their songwriting, it is not a question Paul McCartney ordinarily gets to answer - until now. Paul is about to offer a glimpse into "the songs which inspired the songs" with the upcoming release of a brand new album of those standards he grew up listening to in his childhood-plus two brand new McCartney compositions. With the help of Grammyr Award-winning producer Tommy LiPuma and Diana Krall and her band-as well as guest appearances from Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder, McCartney's new album is a deeply personal journey through classic American compositions that, in some cases, a young Paul first heard his father perform on piano at home. As authentic and daring a musical statement as he could make, this is the album Paul has been thinking about making for more than 20 years - and probably the last thing his fans are expecting. "In the end it was 'Look, if I don't do it now, I'll never do it'," he says. In short, Paul believes it is about time "the songs me and John based quite a few of our things on" received the recognition they deserve.
Moreover, the record also features a couple of new original McCartney compositions in the spirit of those classics. "When I kind of got into songwriting, I realized how well structured these songs were and I think I took a lot of my lessons from them," Paul explains. "I always thought artists like Fred Astaire were very cool. Writers like Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, all of those guys - I just thought the songs were magical. And then, as I got to be a songwriter I thought it's beautiful, the way they made those songs." Determined to approach the record in a new and unique manner, Paul enlisted the help of LiPuma and Krall and her band-who delivered ultra-high quality musicianship and were completely in tune with Paul's restraint and feel for the music.

In the studio, the recording of this album was also a new challenge for Paul who, for the first time ever, performed exclusively in the vocal booth without an instrument - no guitar, no bass, no piano - which led to a vocal performance like no other in his career. He adds, "It was very spontaneous, kind of organic, which then reminded me of the way we'd work with The Beatles. We'd bring a song in, kick it around, when we found a way to do it we'd say 'Okay, let's do a take now' and by the time everyone kind of had an idea of what they were doing, we'd learnt the song. So that's what we did, we did the take live in the studio." "It was important for me to keep away from the more obvious song choices so, many of the classic standards will be unfamiliar to some people. I hope they are in for a pleasant surprise." The album was recorded at the legendary Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, New York and London throughout 2011. It also features guest musicians Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder, respectively, on the original compositions "My Valentine" and "Only Our Hearts."
The deluxe version will include the same tracks below but have expanded artwork and a download card for an exclusive live performance.

The vinyl will be 180 gram with a download card as well.

1 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter 2:36
2 Home (When Shadows Fall) 4:04
3 It's Only A Paper Moon 2:34
4 More I Cannot Wish You 3:03
5 The Glory Of Love 3:45
6 We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me) 3:22
7 Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive 2:31
8 My Valentine 3:14
9 Always 3:49
10 My Very Good Friend The Milkman 3:04
11 Bye Bye Blackbird 4:26
12 Get Yourself Another Fool 4:41
13 The Inch Worm 3:42
14 Only Our Hearts 4:21

Thursday 22 December 2011

BBC Radio 4 Beatles Christmas

Presenter Alexei Sayle ('ullo John, got a new motah'?) explores how the Beatles' fan club messages were recorded with comments from the man who wrote the scripts, Beatles publicist Tony Barrow. The fan club recordings are featured and reflect the changing stages of the Beatles career and creativity. The programme also reveals the Beatles played two seasons in pantomime, and we hear what was going on back stage.
Christmas 1963 saw The Beatles taking to the stage for 16 shows across the seasonal period and it's surprising they took to wearing pantomime costume so well.
The Beatles did a second spell in pantomime, this time playing 21 shows in London Christmas '64 and the programme has comments from supporting acts, singer Elkie Brooks and Barron Knights guitarist Peter Langford.
Time is also devoted to the group's Boxing Day broadcast on BBC 1 for their 'Magical Mystery Tour' film, and we hear how the movie was made and scheduled for festive family viewing, with comments from the film's editor Roy Benson.
And all this in only thirty minutes. First broadcast on the 27th of December, and repeated on the 31st.
Programme website

Off The Beatle Track album cover

Several attempts were made to shoot the cover photo for The Beatles' first album, originally titled "Off The Beatle Track".Here's a video I made from this particular cover session, set to "Chains", my girlfriend's favourite.

Sunday 18 December 2011

My Valentine tracks

"My Valentine" track list (from Wikipedia)
 
1. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter (Alhert/Young) 2:36
2. Home (When Shadows Fall) (Van Steeden/Clarkson/Clarkson) 4:04
3. It's Only a Paper Moon (Arlen/Harburg/Rose) 2:35
4. More I Cannot Wish You (Loesser) 3:03
5. The Glory of Love (Hill) 3:45
6. We Three (My Echo, My Shadow and Me) (Dorsey/Robertson/Mysels) 3:22
7. Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive (Arlen/Mercer) 2:31
8. My Valentine (McCartney) 3:14
9. Always (Berlin) 3:49
10. My Very Good Friend the Milkman (Burke/Spina) 3:04
11. Bye Bye Blackbird (Henderson/Dixon) 4:26
12. Get Yourself Another Fool (Forrest/Heywood) 4:42
13. The Inch Worm (Loesser) 3:42
14. Only Our Hearts (McCartney?) 4:21


My Valentine will be the fifteenth solo studio album by Paul McCartney, and is set to be released on 7 February 2012 from Concord/Hear Music.

Wednesday 7 December 2011

Ram update

About the delayed RAM deluxe remaster book and CD's: word is 80% of the book is ready, but only 20% of the audio and the video discs have been finalised. Meanwhile you can visit Paul McCartney's HP revamped cloud-based website, both the Ram videos are viewable there, "Heart of The Country" and "3 Legs". But you need to find your way around there to discover them.

While on the subject of Paul McCartney, his next studio album will be entitled "My Valentine" and is expected to be released on Feb 6th 2012. It will be an album of old standards, along with his own compositions in the same style. "You Gave Me The Answer", "When I'm Sixty-four" and "Honey Pie" comes to mind. "My Valentine" is also the title of the composition he serenaded his wife with at their wedding recetion.

Ringo Starr 2012


So here's the cover and the track list! The new Ringo Starr album Ringo 2012 will feature the following nine songs:
1. Anthem (Richard Starkey/Glen Ballard)
2. Wings (Richard Starkey/Vince Poncia) re-working
3. Think It Over (Buddy Holly/Norman Perry) from the Buddy Holly tribute album
4. Samba (Richard Starkey/Van Dyke Parks)
5. Rock Island Line (Arrangement by Richard Starkey)
6. Step Lightly (Richard Starkey) re-working
7. Wonderful (Richard Starkey/Gary Nicholson)
8. In Liverpool (Richard Starkey/Dave Stewart)
9. Slow Down (Richard Starkey/Joe Walsh)

Saturday 3 December 2011

Let's all be Beatles!

LET'S ALL BE BEATLES!

Currently for sale on ebay is the rare movie poster for a 1963 compilation of Pathe Newsreels, claiming to be the first Beatles movie poster.
And here's the film in question:

Monday 28 November 2011

New Russian wish list

Beatles.ru, the Russian Beatles fansite whose poll made Paul McCartney include Mrs Vanderbilt in his set list back in 2008 (and it proved to be a mainstay) has made another poll in anticipation of his next concert in Moscow. Currently in the lead is Ram's "Monkberry Moon Delight", followed by "Hope of Deliverance", "Lovely Rita", "Once Upon A Long Ago" and "Your Mother Should Know". You can see the full list here.We heard that someone from Paul's staff was in touch with the russian site earlier and asked them to remove a John Lennon composition which was in the lead for a while. Although not adverse to sing a few Lennon songs, Paul wasn't about to tackle the signature "Revolution" song, originally the B-side to the "Hey Jude" 45 rpm single.
Paul's Moscow concert is scheduled for December 14th.

Sunday 27 November 2011

Italy - set lists

Paul McCartney has alternated between two set lists this weekend in Italy. Depicted above is tonight's set list from Milan, yesterday's concert in Bologna was slightly different. We are using the set list from Milan as a basis to show you the differences below.

• Hello Goodbye (was "Magical Mystery Tour" in Bologna)
• Juniors Farm
• All My Loving
• Jet
• Drive My Car (was "Got To Get You Into My Life" in Bologna)
• Sing The Changes
• The Night Before
• Let Me Roll It
• Paperback Writer
• The Long and Winding Road
• 1985
• Come and Get It (moved, was played before 1985 in Bologna)
• Maybe I'm Amazed
• I've Just Seen A Face (was "I'm Looking Through You" in Bologna)
• I Will (was "And I Love Her" in Bologna) Starting from the next one, the set lists are identical:
• Blackbird
• Here Today
• Dance Tonight
• Mrs Vanderbilt
• Eleanor Rigby
• Something
• Band on the Run
• Ob la di, Ob la da
• Back in the USSR
• I've Got A Feeling
• A Day in the Life/Give Peace A Chance
• Let it Be
• Live and Let Die
• Hey Jude
• The Word/All You Need Is Love
• Day Tripper
• Get Back
• Yesterday
• Helter Skelter
• Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End
And this is probably the two different set lists he will stick to for the tour. As we are drawing nearer to Christmas, "Wonderful Christmastime" will probably enter the set list, and perhaps "Mull of Kintyre" in London.

Come And Get It - Live!

 
Paul McCartney played this song live for the first time in Bologna yesterday!
The song was written by Paul and given to the Apple band "Badfinger". Badfinger's recording was used as the opening credits song in the Peter Sellers/Ringo Starr movie "The Magic Christian" in 1969 and Paul's demo version was released on the Beatles "Anthology 3" album in 1996.  
Paul also played a medley of the songs The Word/All You Need Is Love for the first time at this concert. I hope they stay on the set list, as I've got tickets for the Stockholm concert. It's always nice when he pulls out a few surprises for us die-hards.

McCartney's new website

Paul McCartney's website has finally gotten the overhaul he promised us in the programme for the "On The Run" tour. You can become a premium member and have access to lots of films, photos and an opportunity to mix your own versions of the songs. So why not head on over and try it out? http://www.paulmccartney.com

Saturday 26 November 2011

Record Store Day boxed set.

The singles and poster boxed set from yesterday's "record store day" event.

Yesterday's "Black Friday" Record Store Day event saw two new Beatles and related releases, available only in participating stores. A boxed set of four vinyl singles and a poster from The Beatles and a special commemorative edition of John Lennon's "Imagine" album. And it was a nice gesture from the powers that be to have the included poster feature a Robert Whitaker photo. A silent homage to the recently deceased photographer?
The thing about these releases is that they're only pressed in limited quantities and only available if you visit the store in person, you can't buy these things online. Of course, the day following the event, you can visit ebay and other online shops and find these items by resellers.
Details for the Beatles release:
Box-set of four 7" picture sleeve singles.
Includes Record Store Day branded singles adapter and poster.
1. “Ticket To Ride” / “Yes It Is”
2. “Hey Jude” / “Revolution”
3. “Something” / “Come Together”
4. “Yellow Submarine” / “Eleanor Rigby”


Through a special arrangement, you can now get the Beatles singles boxed set online from the official Beatles stores. $50 in USA, £45 in the UK. The box was pressed in a quantity of 10 000 for the US market. (It was also made available in UK stores, limited to 1500 copies.)

Box - front

Details for the Lennon release:
John Lennon Imagine (40th Anniversary 180-gram 2-LP Box) Capitol
Extremely limited 40th Anniversary box set containing "Imagine" on 180-gram vinyl remastered in 2010, Imagine Sessions EP on white Vinyl, the original poster and two postcards. Availability limited to 500 copies in the UK and 5000 in the USA.
TRACKS
Imagine:
Side One
Imagine
Crippled Inside
Jealous Guy
It's So Hard
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier

Side Two 
Gimme Some Truth
Oh My Love
How Do You Sleep?
How?
Oh Yoko
sticker

Imagine Sessions (from John Lennon Anthology) 
Side One
Baby Please Don't Go
Imagine
How Do You Sleep?

Side Two
Jealous Guy
Oh My Love
I Don't Wanna Be A Soldier
Box - back

Thursday 24 November 2011

New album from Ringo in January


According to Amazon.com, January 24th it's all set for the new Ringo album. No cover art or title as of yet (unless it will be called "Ringo 2012". Ringo spoke a bit about the album in a Q&A with Norwegian Wood this summer:

Q: What’s your fondest memories of growing up in post-war Liverpool?
Ringo: Every woman in the street is your mother. We were close. I lived in that neighbourhood. I’m doing a Liverpool track on every CD. This will be the third on the new album. I mention the Iron Door in Liverpool which was a club.

 Q: When you start working on a new album do you have a plan?
Ringo: I wake up and think what a great day. I call the engineer and fire up the computer. I have no idea how it is going to turn out.

Q: What musicians are on the new album?
Ringo: Benmont Tench from Tom Petty, Don Was the producer and great bass player, Charlie Haden, America’s premier jazz bass player, Joe Walsh of course, Dave Stewart, Glen Ballard, Van Dyke Parks who wrote a song and is playing accordion. If you look at the back of the Y Not record it is a similar group

Q: Who do you mainly work with?
Ringo: ... I made the last record and the new record ... at home with ProTools. People, musicians, pass by and they are on the record. I record mainly in Los Angeles at home in the guest house
The Christmas before last, when the guests left, I had all the furniture taken out to storage. The ProTools and the board are in the living room / kitchen and the two kits of drums and the amp are in the bedroom.
You can be sitting and doing something and a line just comes, I have notebooks and I write down lines. And suddenly that line is a song. It’s the start. And now with my iPhone I can sing to it wherever I am. It is interesting as a writer, usually I write the chorus first, I can jam with the chorus and then with other writers we make it into a song. I love to hang out with other musicians. Most of the time we get something.

Beatles/Orbison tour recording


Someone claims to have made an audio recording of songs from the Roy Orbison and Beatles concerts that took place in Walthamstow on May 24th, 1963. And he still has the tape.
He posted an email to a mailing list for Beatles collectors, asking for advice on how to get a good price for the tape.
This is the first time we've heard of anyone having a recorded portion of a concert from the Beatles/Roy Orbison tour, and people are sceptic about the authenticity of the samples he provided.
The would-be-seller says it's a 15 minute 3" reel-to-reel tape, containing:

Roy Orbison - "Runnin' Scared", "In Dreams".
The Beatles - "Some Other Guy", "Thank You Girl", "Please Please Me", "I Saw Her Standing There", "From Me To You".
"Thank You Girl" was a rare song to have heard in concert, because it was only featured a few times.

Samples:
30 second clip: Please Please Me
30 second clip: Some Other Guy

Tuesday 8 November 2011

Silver Beatles At Home 1960 (2CD)

Guess what's in stock and will be dispatched from and sold by Amazon.co.uk? :-D
Here's a customer's review:
A document of historical importance or just 3 or 4 kids badly recorded bashing and sawing away at guitars to little effect. Considering what became of these lads these early recordings are rubbish, the best of them already appearing on the Beatles Anthology volume 1. The packaging is also rather annoying two discs side by side each in a digipack with the card sleeve acting as both cover for the discs and booklet. The information is minimal like the playing with no real details on the source of the contents. The sound quality is bootleg at best and really the price is reflective of that, this really is for Beatle complete-ists casual fans of the mop tops will really gain no benefit at all from this release beyond what became of them over the following ten years. 
This is probably the same material as on the Quarrymen At Home vinyl bootlegs. Taped possibly by Mike McCartney.

Sunday 23 October 2011

Let It Be - official Blu-ray coming?

One of the many "unofficial" DVD releases of Let It Be

"Let It Be" director Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who has been making the rounds to promote his autobiography Luck and Circumstance: A Coming of Age in Hollywood, New York, and Points Beyond spoke about The Beatles in an interview with radio station WNYC-FM. "We have been working on it pretty much every year for the last couple of years. And the plan is, at the moment, to have it come out, I think, in 2013," Lindsay-Hogg said.
He says that second disc will be filled with the film's outtakes. "When we first put 'Let It Be' out, I had to cut out a lot of stuff that I really like and wanted to stay in there. The stuff in the new DVD has a lot of the stuff that had to be cut out. So for me, it's like the egg is now complete." Lindsay-Hogg also directed the Beatles' TV show "Around The Beatles", the promotional videos for "Paperback Writer," "Hey Jude" and "Revolution," as well as The Rolling Stones - Rock and Roll Circus
A home video release of "Let It Be," featuring outtakes and additional footage highlighting the making of the 1970 documentary, would follow a planned DVD release of the band's self-directed 1967 TV special "Magical Mystery Tour" in 2012, according to Beatles Examiner.
Both films were briefly available in various now dated formats (various video cassette systems and video discs) in the early 1980s, and "Magical Mystery Tour" was also out on DVD in the USA in 1997, but is now a collector's item. Unfortunately one of the restored prints for the 1988 video cassette was overlooked when releasing the DVD and they used an inferior version of the film. Beware of an even more inferior pirate edition by the Avenue One label, which is freely available in shops.

Monday 10 October 2011

Paul's European Tour


Saturday 26th November Unipol Arena, Bologna, Italy
Sunday 27th November Mediolanumforum, Milan, Italy
Wednesday 30th November Omnisport Arena, Bercy, Paris, France
Thursday 1st December Laxness Arena, Koln, Germany
Monday 5th December O2 Arena, London, England
Saturday 10th December The Globen, Stockholm, Sweden
Monday 12th December The Hartwall Arena, Helsinki, Finland
Wednesday 14th December The Olympinski Arena, Moscow, Russia
Monday 19th December The MEN Arena, Manchester, England
Tuesday 20th December The Echo Arena, Liverpool, England
Tickets

Paul to Europe for Christmas


The newlywed Paul McCartney has been confirmed by French media to play in Paris on Wednesday November 30th. We wouldn't be surprised if Christmas dates for the UK are to be announced soon. Paul has given concerts in the UK for Christmas two years in a row now, and perhaps he is making this an annual tradition? Meanwhile, we'd like to see Mike Mac's photo (as we can see him take above)...

Friday 30 September 2011

Hamburg revisited

Just in time for the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' first professional recording sessions in Hamburg, here comes a reiissue of said recordings in a deluxe package from Time Life. THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN: FIRST RECORDINGS: 50th Anniversary Edition, is released to stores November 8th. The 2-CD set comes with a specially-designed book that is a historical trove of concert and intimate photos taken by Astrid Kirchherr and others who were with The Beatles during the early days of their career. The book also includes handwritten biographies by each member of the group, signed contracts, original artwork taken from posters and records, and text by Hans Olof Gottfridsson, who has spent years researching this period of the Beatles’ career. As Gottfridsson notes in the book for THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN: FIRST RECORDINGS, Polydor executive and big band leader Bert Kaempfert discovered the group in a German nightclub, signing them to his own company and then releasing the songs through Polydor. The night they signed the contract at Kaempfert’s kitchen table, the four Beatles wrote brief autobiographies, reproduced here in their original handwriting. Through a combination of music, photos, documents, artwork and history, THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN: FIRST RECORDINGS beautifully captures John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison just before they rocketed to international stardom.
Also in time for the anniversary comes a new book from Spencer Leigh. The Beatles in Hamburg: The Stories, the Scene and How It All Began will be released by Chicago Review Press on October 1, 2011. The Beatles in Hamburg features interviews with the Beatles’ friends and contemporaries, including photographers Astrid Kirchherr and Jürgen Vollmer, bass player Klaus Voormann, Liverpool artists Gerry Marsden and Kingsize Taylor, singers Tony Sheridan and Roy Young, club managers Horst and Uwe Fascher, and many more. It is packed with close to 150 photographs of the Beatles and the Hamburg scene, some in full color and several never before seen.

Thursday 29 September 2011

George's bonus CD


Finally, the track list for the bonus "CD of never-before-heard tracks" to accompany the Deluxe edition of the "Living in the Material World" film package has been published.
1 My Sweet Lord (demo) 3:33
2 Run Of The Mill (demo) 1:56
3 I'd Have You Any Time (early take) 3:06
4 Mama You've Been On My Mind * (demo)3:04
5 Let It Be Me (demo) 2:56
6 Woman Don't You Cry For Me (early take) 2:44
7 Awaiting On You All (early take) 2:40
8 Behind That Locked Door (demo) 3:29
9 All Things Must Pass (demo) 4:38
10 The Light That Has Lighted The World (demo) 2:23

Also, a clip from the film has been published on georgeharrison.com where Eric Clapton and Ringo Starr talks about "Here Comes The Sun".

According to a Reuters report, the film itself features a 5.1 audio remix of dousins of included Beatles and Harrison tunes, overseen by Giles Martin.

Monday 26 September 2011

Eppy's Ebook


<blurb> Over forty years since it was first published, Souvenir Press has released A CELLARFUL OF NOISE by Brian Epstein as a special edition e-book.
This is Brian Epstein’s own account (as ghost-written by Derek Taylor, WogBlog commentary) of his extraordinary life and, inevitably, it is the story of the Beatles, the greatest pop group of the twentieth century. What was the secret of Brian Epstein’s management of the Beatles, how did he guide a group from Liverpool to shake the world of popular music? Within two years of making their first record they were the biggest group in the world; how Brian Epstein achieved this is in this book. He frankly acknowledges his mistakes and weaknesses while identifying those factors that led to his achievements. Also included in the book are 33 photographs from Robert Freeman that provide revealing glimpses of the Beatles on their way to phenomenal success.
</blurb>

Saturday 24 September 2011

Basketball Jones

"Basketball Jones" is a 1974 animated short film based on the Cheech and Chong song "Basketball Jones featuring Tyrone Shoelaces", from their album Los Cochinos. The cartoon was created to promote the song's release in the United States. It is about a teenager named Tyrone Shoelaces and his love of basketball. It was rumoured for many years that Ralph Bakshi created the short, when in fact it was designed by animator Paul Gruwell. The song is a parody of the 1972 soul ballad "Love Jones" by the group The Brighter Side of Darkness. At the end of the short is an appearance by all four members of The Beatles (with George Harrison on guitar, just as he played on the original track) sing along to "Basketball Jones." In the 1979 film "Being There", Peter Sellers can be seen watching this cartoon.
Credits:
Cheech Marin - Tyrone Shoelaces (voice)
Darlene Love - Cheerleader (voice)
Michelle Phillips - Cheerleader (voice)
Ronnie Spector - Cheerleader (voice)
George Harrison - lead guitar
Klaus Voormann - bass
Jim Karstein - drums
Jim Keltner - percussion
Carole King - electric piano
Nicky Hopkins - piano
Tom Scott - saxophone
Billy Preston - organ

Thursday 22 September 2011

Manchester 63


Yes, it's "The Beatles Come To Town" again, this time from Pathe's official YouTube account! Posted a few days ago, the film is available in 720p for your viewing pleasure. But what's with the new title?

Tuesday 20 September 2011

Robert Whitaker

News have reached us that the Beatles photographer Robert Whitaker passed away this morning, at the age of 71
Whitaker was running a freelance penthouse photo studio in Flinders Street, Melbourne when he had his fateful meeting with The Beatles and their manager Brian Epstein, during the group's June 1964 Australasian tour. This came about more or less by accident, when Whitaker accompanied a journalist friend to an interview with Epstein for an article for the Melbourne Jewish News. Whitaker's picture was published with the article, which led to his introduction to Epstein and his first shots of the Beatles—pictures of Paul McCartney and George Harrison each holding up boomerangs presented to them by Australian fans.
"I photographed Epstein, saw he was a bit of a peacock and a cavalier, and put peacock feathers around his head in photographic relief. He was knocked out when he saw the picture. After that, he saw an exhibition of collages I had at the Museum of Modern Art and immediately offered me the position of staff photographer at NEMS, photographing all his artists. I initially turned it down, but after seeing The Beatles perform at Festival Hall I was overwhelmed by all the screaming fans and I decided to accept the offer to return to England ".
Whitaker's most celebrated work is the 1966 photo which was appropriated for The Beatles' infamous Yesterday and Today album cover, which was briefly released in the U.S. in 1966 but hastily withdrawn.
When I visited Liverpool in June for Ringo Starr's homecoming concert, I grabbed Whitaker's book "Eight Days A Week", which featured photos he took during the fabs' tour of the Far east in 1966. 

Wednesday 14 September 2011

Think It Over - Ringo Starr

"Think It Over" performed by Ringo Starr, taken from the "Listen To Me:Buddy Holly" tribute album, which Peter Asher has put together. I had to search a bit to find a version of this video which could be watched from outside the USA & Canada, and it may be gone soon, so watch while it's around!

Tuesday 13 September 2011

Astrid For Sale

Die Beatles in Hamburg by Astrid
Astrid Kirschherr's photos of The Beatles are for sale, including the negatives and the copyright to the pictures. The photos will be auctioned by Guernseys of Manhattan on the 24th and 25th of September.
Astrid continued to take photos of the group after Ringo had replaced Pete Best.

France: New Images Of The Beatles In Concert

The Beatles performing in Versailles, France on Jan. 15, 1964. (AP Photo/Tellier)
Click to see all

Saturday 10 September 2011

John's Shea jacket

Look what I found at the Hard Rock Cafe in Berlin, Germany! Who'd have thought that was where it would end up?

Wednesday 7 September 2011

The Love We Make

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Paul McCartney was in New York City on an air­port runway waiting to fly to Britain. As he absorbed the news of the unfolding tragedy, he wondered, “What can I do?” The answer, of course, lay in music. As the tenth anniversary of 9/11 approaches, the documentary "The Love We Make", which chronicles Paul McCartney's journey through the streets of New York in the aftermath of the World Trade Center's destruction will be previewed at select theaters across the USA on September 8th. According to Beatles-Freak’s Review, the film is in "black & white, the camera follows Paul in New York City in his travels from October 11, 2001 to October 23, 2001 and his day-to-day dealings to organize and prepare for The Concert for New York, a benefit concert that was held on October 20, 2001. If you were expecting a 90 minute film on Paul’s reaction to 9/11, then you will be truly disappointed. If you’re a McCartney fan that wants to see what it’s like to be Sir Paul, then this film is for you."
"During TV and radio interviews leading up to the concert, Paul touches on issues dealing with how he’s dealt with grief in his life, how he deals with the conflict of being a pacifist after the devastation of 9/11 and how he came to the realization that he needed to do something while sitting in a plane on the tarmac watching the twin towers burn." 
"Mixed in with the interviews are Paul and his band rehearsing for The Concert for New York with many guest cameos as Paul discusses debuting his new song, “Freedom” for the first time at the show." Beatles-Freak goes on to award the film four beetles (out of er... four).
The film was made by Albert Maysles, whose Beatles connections started with the 1964 Beatles film "What’s Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A.". And just as back then, the new film has also been shot in 16mm black and white.

Friday 2 September 2011

"1" commercial

The Beatles' "1" album from 2000 has been released in remastered form on iTunes. The album is also available as a CD with the remastered audio recordings in a new digipak case. At the official Beatles store you can order your CD in a special edition bundle, with an exclusive custom design T-shirt.
They have also produced a limited edition, numbered lithograph print featuring the covers of the Beatles singles. There are only 250 of these high quality prints and are exclusive to order from each of the US, European and Japanese official Beatles stores. Oh, how I long back to the old days, when the vinyl edition of "1" came with a free poster for everyone, "featuring the covers of the Beatles singles".
Of course, there's also a new YouTube commercial:

Thursday 1 September 2011

Let It Be on Blu-Ray

Beatles bootleg specialists "Fab Productions" have released the first ever Blu-ray version of "Let It Be". They are claiming this to be a 1080p transfer from the 35MM print direct to Blu-Ray in 16:9 aspect ratio, augmented by a remasted stereo soundtrack.
Although this fills a void in any Beatles video collection, everyone is anticipating a definitive, official release of this Beatles movie. It has been suggested that since 2012 will be a big anniversary year for the group (50 years since "Love Me Do"), we may see an official "Let It Be" after all these years.

Another Blu-ray title from the Fab Productions company is a 2-disc release from Paul McCartney's recent "On The Run" tour. The film contains every song performed on the tour, taken from 7 of the 8 concert performances. Since many of the people who upload songs from the concerts on YouTube are filming in 1080p resolution with an aspect ratio of 16:9, it certainly makes sense to make the switch from DVD-R to recordable Blu-ray discs for releases like this.

Wednesday 31 August 2011

The Beatles and fashion

These days it seems, the only aspect of The Beatles that remains in focus, is their music. We tend to forget that the Beatles influenced a lot of other areas in their time. Art, fashion, politics, writing, philosophy, you name it. I don't know if this is a true story, but a remark by John Lennon in an interview about wishing that girls' skirts and dresses was shorter, supposedly started the miniskirt craze...
Anyway, Paolo Hewitt examines the Beatles' inluence on fashion in the upcoming book Fab Gear: The Beatles and Fashion. Here's the blurb: The Beatles' incomparable fashion sense takes center stage in this unique look at how the world's most popular band influenced the fashion of the times. The Beatles knew how much image mattered in the 1960s, and whether it was Nehru jackets, skinny ties, granny glasses, or the Cuban heel boot--if John, Paul, George, or Ringo wore it, the rest of their millions of fans followed. Renowned music and fashion author Paolo Hewitt takes readers on a fashion tour of the Beatles' career and the trends they co-opted. From their Hamburg debut in sunglasses, leather, and black sweaters to the conservative suits they were ordered to wear by their manager Brian Epstein; from their infatuation with Pierre Cardin's collarless jackets to their more casual corduroy; from their Mod madness to psychedelic spaciness to faux-military attire to hippy-chic--each style is revealed as a reflection of the music they made and the world views they embraced. 
Filled with fabulous photographs and with an appealing retro feel, the book features numerous images, many of which have never been published before. It offers insights into how the band's meteoric rise and enduring success shaped their fashion choices. 
There's even a chapter devoted to their hairstyles. 
Fans of all ages, as well as anyone interested in fashion, will be enthralled with this first ever Beatles stylebook that proves the Fab Four were as timely as they were timeless.

In an interview with Liverpool Echo, author Hewitt says that he enjoyed finding another angle to writing a Beatles book, and that he spent an enjoyable week in Liverpool as part of the research.
"They had the same ideas with their clothes as with their music," says Paolo. "As soon as another bands started to copy their look, they’d move on and wear something else. they were innovators, and they hated following the pack."



The book will be released on October 24th.

Monday 29 August 2011

How many roads...?

I wonder how many of these there are? This photo was sent me by one of my readers. Evidently it had been posted on a Beatles photo forum yesterday, and it's now "making the rounds". Click to see the bigger version. As you'll have noticed, two familiar bystanders are evident, the "mystery man" (Paul Cole, a now deceased Florida resident,  claimed to be that man) and the lady in a violet dress from a similar but more up-close photo. But there are two more bystanders, one hidden behind the aforementioned lady and another lady (a fan?) who seems to be taking photos! I wonder if her photos will appear some day... Also, there's someone sitting behind the Beatles...
We will continue to update our page "The Road Goes On Forever" with the Abbey Road cover shot images that mysteriously emerge as time goes by.

Updated September 2nd with a higher resolution version of the image, care of Miss Tammy's site. The uploader also revealed the source of the photo, it was hidden away in the Beatles RockBand game.

Wednesday 24 August 2011

Blokker clip


HIWAX has posted the longest version of the "Blokker" clip so far on YouTube.

The sound + video sorcerer has also just made a new DVD, which pairs together news footage of The Beatles in concert with appropriate sound clips synched to the moving images. Here's what's on the new DVD of his:

THE BEATLES : Re-Constructions

01.1963/11/01 Cheltenham
02.1963/11/13 Plymouth
03.1963/11/16 Bournemouth
04.1963/11/20 Manchester
05.1963/12/07 Liverpool
06.1963/12/14 Wimbledon
07.1964/01/15 Versailles
08.1964/01/16 Paris
09.1964/02/11 Washington D.C.
10.1964/02/11 Washington D.C.
11,1964/06/18 Sydney
12,1964/08/19 San Francisco
13.1964/08/23 Los Angeles
14.1964/08/23 Los Angeles
15.1964/09/02 Philadelphia
16.1965/06/25 Genova
17.1965/07/02 Madrid
18.1965/07/03 Barcelona
19.1965/08/17 Toronto
20.1965/08/29 Los Angeles
21.1966/06/24 Munich
22.1966/06/24 Munich
23.1966/06/24 Munich
24.1966/06/25 Essen
25.1966/06/26 Hamburg
26.1966/06/30 Tokyo
27.1966/07/01 Tokyo
28.1966/08/12 Chicago
29.1966/08/28 Los Angeles
30.1966 U.S. Tour Collage - Rock'n'roll Music
31.1966 U.S. Tour Collage - She's A Woman

And there's some rare footage included as bonus tracks.
It's currently being torrented and will probably show up soon as a regular download.
Want a sample? Here's Cheltenham!

McCartney on Decca Records since 1967


Today's no-story in the less-than-acquainted-with-Beatles-facts part of the press is the fact that Paul McCartney's music for the new ballet Ocean's Kingdom will be released by Decca Records. Here's Reuter's take on it:
LONDON (Reuters) - Decca has teamed up with Paul McCartney to release his upcoming ballet nearly 50 years after the record label famously rejected taking on the Beatles in what has been called one of the music industry's biggest blunders.

The ballet, "Ocean's Kingdom," is the former Beatle's first foray into the world of dance, and has its world premiere at the New York City Ballet on September 22. There will be four additional performances in September and five more in January.

The Decca recording hits shelves in Britain on October 3.

Decca famously snubbed the Fab Four early in 1962, reportedly saying at the time that "guitar groups are on the way out" and "the Beatles have no future in showbusiness."

The quartet from Liverpool went on to sign with EMI label Parlophone and became arguably the most successful and influential pop band in history.

"Ocean's Kingdom," commissioned by the New York City Ballet, is conducted by John Wilson and performed by the London Classical Orchestra.

When he decided to write a ballet, McCartney visited the Royal Opera House in London and saw "Giselle," meeting the dancers of the Royal Ballet afterward to discuss the work.

McCartney's ballet tells of a love story set in an underwater world where people are threatened by humans. The score lasts an hour and is divided into four movements -- Ocean's Kingdom, Hall of Dance, Imprisonment and Moonrise.

In a statement, the 69-year-old singer/songwriter said he was "trying to write something that expressed an emotion -- so you have fear, love, anger, sadness to play with, and I found that exciting and challenging."

McCartney has written classical music before, including the award-winning choral work "Ecce Cor Meum."


Of course, everyone has (conveniently?) forgotten that Paul McCartney's very first soundtrack album, "The Family Way" from 1967 (re-released on CD in July this year) was released on Decca Records in the UK and Australia.