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The News Today
July 10, 2009 Who would of have thought that rock legend Ronnie Hawkins of having invented the famous Moon Walk? Well, he did and well ahead of Michael Jackson. It actually happened in 1959 and was captured on film as he sung "I Need Your Lovin'."
Phraseology: Michael Jackson was not the "King of Pop", he was the "Prince of Pop" The media has it wrong: Michael Jackson was not the King of Pop, but rather the correct phraseology to coin should have been the "Prince of Pop." There has only been one "King of Pop" and that title is solely reserved for Elvis Presley who really brought rock 'n' roll into the main stream during the 1950's. The media, unfortunately, have spun Jackson's death on the same level of Princess Diana's passing guaranteeing the estate of Michael Jackson with lots of financial residuals to be made into videos from his pre-concert rehearsals and memorial tribute. Paul McCartney appropriately described Jackson's sudden death "so sad and shocking." But let's not forget that buried beneath the media mźlée of Jackson's headliners and eulogies that another famous entertainer, Farrah Fawcett, suffered an agonizing three-year battle with cancer who passed away on the same day as Jackson. The passing of these two very talented icons are a remainder to us that we are after all, but mere mortals. - John
Whelan
July 6, 2009 Montreal's "Replay the Beatles" just recently completed concert performances at the Calgary Stampede (see below). Now they're back and tomorrow they will rock at Centennial Park, 288 Beaconsfield blvd., Beaconsfield. If it rains, the rain check location is Beaurepaire United Church, 25 Fieldfare, Beaconsfield. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m. For more information: Replay the Beatles
July 5, 2009 For the full BBC report, click here.
July 4, 2009 "In recent years, Atlantic Canada has landed concerts by of the biggest names in music history in the Rolling Stones (twice), The Eagles, Bon Jovi and soon enough, KISS and AC/DC," writes Eric Lewis for the Times & Transcript. "Next Saturday, July 11, arguably the most famous living musician joins those names as Paul McCartney, a former Beatle, the leader of Wings and a hugely successful solo artist, performs at the Halifax Commons." To read the full report: click here.
July 3, 2009 Before Halifax show, ex-Beatle talks about late King of Pop, music, his daughter "Legendary musician Paul McCartney took time out from rehearsals Friday for his concert next week in Halifax to discuss a range of topics, including his sentimental feelings for the late pop star Michael Jackson," writes the CBC. To read the full report: click here. The article features a video interview with CBC's Tom Murphy interviewing Paul and runs 9:24 in RealPLayer or QuickTime format.
July 1, 2009 The Hollywood Chamber of Commerce announced next year's Hollywood Walk of Fame honorees from the world of motion pictures, TV, live performance and recording artists. Recording artists to be recognized are Ringo Starr, Bryan Adams, the Funk Brothers, Alan Jackson, Chaka Khan, Van Morrison, Marco Antonio Solis, ZZ Top and the late Roy Orbison. Andrea Bocelli and the Cirque du Soleil's Guy Liberte will represent live performance and theater. Other entertainers who will also have their names added to the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010 are Russell Crowe, Adam Sandler and Julia Louis Dreyfus to name a few.
June 26, 2009 LONDON (AFP) —
Paul McCartney hailed Michael Jackson as a "massively talented boy man
with a gentle soul" in a tribute to the legendary performer on his website
Friday. Copyright, AFP news services.
June 14, 2009 JAILED pop legend Phil Spector could be left penniless by a civil lawsuit being brought by the family of his murder victim. Spector, 69, is serving 19 years for shooting Lana Clarkson and her mother Donna is suing him in the same way OJ Simpson was sued by his victims’ families. The gun-obsessed music producer spent about $20 million on his defence and if Mrs Clarkson wins her case he could lose everything – including a valuable music catalogue. A friend of Mrs Clarkson’s said yesterday: “She wants Spector to be punished financially for Lana’s death the way OJ Simpson was.” Source of article: the Sunday Express
June 13, 2009 HAMBURG, Germany–There were five of them, not four, and they weren't that fab yet, when in 1960 an obscure English band called The Beatles arrived in Hamburg. Now, 49 years after their fateful arrival that August, this German port city is claiming its place in the history of what became the world's most successful rock and roll group with a new museum called Beatlemania. Set out over five floors, it tells the story of the band from Hamburg to their breakup, with interactive exhibits like a mock-up of the legendary Abbey Road studios where visitors can record themselves singing. There are also hundreds of photos, including some rare ones from their Hamburg period, as well as artifacts ranging from a postcard from Ringo Starr back home, to memorabilia from the height of their fame. Sticking out of the front of the building is a huge, inflatable yellow submarine, and downstairs there is a fish and chip shop named "John and Paul's."
June 12, 2009
June 12, 2009 A feature interview with Tony Bramwell from the Herald Express.
June 11, 2009 Music journalist Spencer Leigh reporting for the Independent.... A modest man who did not push himself forward, Ron Richards was, nevertheless, one of the UK's top record producers. He produced such familiar records as "Love Me Do" (the Beatles) "You'll Never Walk Alone" (Gerry and the Pacemakers) and "He Ain't Heavy, He's My Brother" (the Hollies), and when he sometimes saw others take the credit for what he'd done, he would simply say: "I know what happened." To read Spencer's full report with details about Richards history as a record producer, please click here.
June 11, 2009
Harmonic Convergence - On a night in Bel Air in 1965, the Beatles finally met their hero - Elvis An interesting write-up by Chuck Chrisafulli on how the finally Beatles met with Elvis Presley. The feature length article appears in the Los Angeles Times.
June 3, 2009 In a Montreal hotel room in 1969, two of the Sixties' most celebrated figures decided to give peace a chance – by sleeping in An excellent report filed by Ritchie Yorke who was rock music reporter for the Globe and Mail in 1969. Click here to read the article.
June 3, 2009 Noted Beatles nut GT O'Rourke no longer had to imagine what John Lennon's visit to Niagara Falls was like. He had all day Saturday to see for himself. To mark Lennon and Yoko Ono's visit to the falls 40 years ago, Ono provided the city with a 10-minute video of that brief, but fascinating trip. The clip shows Lennon and Ono exiting a car along the Niagara Parkway to play tourist. It was filmed five days after their 'bed in' at a Montreal hotel. Beatles fans have had glimpses of the footage before, but this is the first time it has ever been seen in its entirety. It was shown on a continuous loop at Drummond Hill Presbyterian Church for about five hours. O'Rourke, who has about 4,000 pieces of Beatles memorabilia, was thrilled seeing one of his idols in his city and that several teens came to watch. "I'm happy people are finally getting the message about John and Yoko, which was love," said O'Rourke. "A lot of people missed the boat when it came to John." The video begins with a voice-only message from Ono, saying the Falls visit was a "very sweet moment for us." It then shows footage of various signs throughout the city as Lennon and Ono's car heads to the parkway. Lennon saunters out of the car, and despite being in the most famous band in the world at the time, other tourists seem oblivious to him. It was a crystal clear day (June 4, 1969), and Lennon comments on the "perfect" rainbow arching over the falls. He then amusingly points to a sign promoting 'The Crown Jewels of Great Britain.' O'Rourke was fascinated by how a Beatle could walk along the parkway without an entourage or swarming fans. "The people didn't know who he was ... they're not rushing him like I thought they would," he said. "Normally, when the Beatles were together that wouldn't happen." Fans who missed the video Saturday are out of luck. Organizer Bill Colclough was under strict orders to package the footage immediately after the event was over and mail it back to Yoko Ono. Photos and video were forbidden while it was being shown. "When you look at (Lennon's) face, it's like you're watching any tourist," he said. News of the screening was mentioned on Beatles fansites in Russia and Germany. Some requested a copy, but Colclough had to refuse. The event coincided with All We Are Saying, a day of live music across the street at the Battle Ground Hotel Museum. Local musicians performed from 11 a. m. to 4 p. m. It wasn't just Beatles fans who found the footage fascinating, added Colclough. "It showed you how the destination has changed," he said. "You don't have to be a Beatles fan to watch it. You can just be interested in Niagara Falls."
June 2, 2009 From the CBC news services... The two surviving members of the Beatles took to a Los Angeles stage Monday to help unveil a sneak peek at the upcoming video game The Beatles: Rock Band. "Whoever thought we'd end up as androids?" quipped Paul McCartney, who offered up some air-guitar and bantered with former bandmate Ringo Starr before a large screen. McCartney called the game "a fun idea" that broadens the band's appeal. "I like people having the opportunity to get to know the music from the inside out," he said. For the full CBC report with a close-up photo of Paul and Ringo, please click here.
For a review of the E3 2009: The Beatles: Rock Band, click here for Dan Ackerman's report. Here is an important article from Chris Kohler of Game Life explaining how the Beatles Rock Band's harmonies work. The Beatles: Rock Band will be released on September 9, 2009.
May 26, 2009 "MONTREAL — The hotel room where John Lennon and Yoko Ono created a watershed moment for the peace movement at the height of the Vietnam War is a little smaller now," writes Nelson Wyatt for the Canadian Press. "Part of the Queen Elizabeth Hotel suite, which has a gold plaque on the door noting its history, went to the installation of a panoramic elevator on the floor. "But that hasn't dimmed the aura of the place where the ex-Beatle and Ono staged their bed-in for peace between May 26 and June 2, 1969, and recorded the iconic antiwar anthem "Give Peace a Chance" the day before they left." To read the full report, click here.
May 21, 2009 Paul McCartney to play Commons on July 11. For details, click here.
May 7, 2009 Show traces Fab Four
from birth. Their music is still magical, 'Paul' (John Oriettas) says.
April 23, 2009
by Gabriel J. Hernandez
The only known recorded performance of John Lennon &
The Plastic Ono Band is finally coming to DVD. The historic concert was
filmed on Sept. 13, 1969, at the Toronto Rock and Roll Revival festival,
which also happened to be the eve of the release of Abbey Road the
Beatles' last recorded work. The new DVD, titled John Lennon &
The Plastic Ono Band Live in Toronto '69, will be released by
Shout! Factory on June
23, and undoubtedly offer a remarkable look at one of the world's most
influential and popular artists at a pivotal point in his career.
At the time, Lennon had not performed live with the
Beatles in nearly three years. Yet he decided – probably on a whim – to
fly to Toronto with his wife Yoko Ono, guitarist Eric Clapton, bassist
Klaus Yoormann and drummer Alan White to pay homage to his early musical
heroes performing at the festival, namely Bo Diddley, Jerry Lee Lewis,
Chuck Berry and Little Richard. The events that transpired became the stuff of legend.
The newly formed Plastic Ono Band, with Lennon at the helm, ended up
sharing the stage with Diddley, Lewis and Richard, and delivered what many
critics consider the second most important concert¯ in rock and roll
history. The legendary concert – which also foreshadowed the
official end of The Beatles – was captured by Oscar-nominated director
D.A. Pennebaker (The War Room, Don't Look Back, Monterey Pop). The DVD
also features an interview with Yoko Ono from 1988. Performances featured on John Lennon & The
Plastic Ono Band Live in Toronto '69: Bo Diddley – Bo Diddley
April 17, 2009
Hi, I'm just writing to let you know about my forthcoming Beatles book, which I think will be of interest to your site's visitors. Called The Mammoth Book Of The Beatles, it's a 600-page collection of writing both old and new, laudatory and critical, on the Fab Four. It features articles by – amongst others – Maureen Cleave, Charlie Gillett, William Mann, Hunter Davies, Don Short, John Tobler & Stuart Grundy, Paul Johnson, Lester Bangs, Kenneth Tynan and Paul Gambaccini. It contains some famous articles on the group, such as 'What Songs The Beatles Sang' by William Mann (the "Aeolian cadences" article), 'How Does a Beatle Live?' (the Beatles-Bigger-Than-Christ feature) and the Atticus column on Paul/Eleanor Rigby which confirmed their gravitas to the establishment. It also, however, features some lesser-known but very worthy Beatles articles, such as revealing interviews with George Martin and Glyn Johns from the long out-of-print book The Record Producers, 'Dandelions In Still Air: The Withering Away Of The Beatles' – a critical hammering by Lester Bangs – an extract from Mitch Axelrod's book about The Beatles cartoon TV Series (which is an overlooked part of the Fabs' story) and an excellent précis of the Beatles' career by DJ and rock historian Paul Gambaccini from his now unavailable book Masters of Rock. There's also lots of previously unpublished material, including summaries of all the Beatles records by myself – leisurely articles whose length allows me to go into stuff that is not commonly remarked on by journalists – an intriguing article on meeting the Beatles before they had a recording contract by ex-Steampacket/Animals member Vic Briggs, verbatim transcripts of interviews with Paul McCartney and Pete Best previously only published in edited form and a brand new interview with Mersey Beat editor Bill Harry. To round things off, there is the superb Beatles and Solo Beatles UK discography by Graham Calkin, adapted from his jpgr website. I attach a full table of contents, as well as the cover image. The book is released on April 23rd in the UK by Constable and June 8th in the US by Running Press. Links to the UK and American Amazon pages for the book are here: UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mammoth-Book-Beatles-Sean-Egan/dp/1845299434 USA: http://www.amazon.com/Mammoth-Book-Beatles-Sean-Egan/dp/0762436271 I am the author of previous books on The Rolling Stones, Jimi Hendrix, The Animals and others. Many thanks for your time. Best, Sean Egan
April 15, 2009 For the full report, click here
April 14, 2009 Producer Phil Spector has been found guilty of second-degree murder in the shooting of 40-year-old starlet/waitress Lana Clarkson. He was also found guilty of using a gun to commit a crime. The jury in the re-trial chose not to let him off with a lesser charge, involuntary manslaughter. The judge remanded Spector to jail immediately. He could receive 18 years to life upon sentencing. Clarkson was shot to death at Spector's L.A. mansion six years ago. The defense claimed she killed herself, but prosecutors showed that Spector had a history of threatening women with guns when they tried to leave his presence. A previous trial ended in a 10-2 hung jury "favoring conviction" in 2007. In addition to several solo albums by George Harrison and John Lennon, Phil Spector produced the Beatles' Let It Be album. Although the album was supposed to represent the Beatles in the raw, Spector added choruses and orchestration to the title cut, "Across The Universe," "I Me Mine" and "The Long And Winding Road." In 2003, the year Spector was charged with murder, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr oversaw a remixing of the album, retitling it Let It Be ... Naked. Spector was a guest of the Beatles on their first flight from London to New York in 1964. At that time, the Beatles were fans of his production, songwriting and the girl-group hits he produced. Copyright, Archer's Beatles Basement
April 7, 2009 "Finally. After watching the Beatles' company, Apple Corps, devote the last few years to developing a site-specific show in Las Vegas, a video game and a line of pricey memorabilia, Beatles fans are finally getting something they've been demanding for at least the last decade: sonically upgraded reissues of the groups original British albums, in stereo and mono. Apple Corps and EMI announced on Tuesday that the much-postponed remasters would be released on individual stereo CDs and in two boxed sets – one stereo, the other mono – on Sept. 9...." To read the full article, please click here. See a second report here from About The Beatles.com
April 5, 2009 Former Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr get by after a little too much help from friends at Change Begins Within benefit -- by Emma Brocks in New York for the Guardian. Click here for the Guardian report with a video clip from the concert.
April 4, 2009 An excellent interview with Patti Boyd discussing her memories of George Harrison and Eric Clapton. On display are her personal photograph collection at the Silver K Gallery in Melbourne which runs until June 28 entitled "Images of Rock 'n' Roll." To read the excellent report, click here.
March 31,
2009 Imagine: The Peace Ballad of John & Yoko opens Thursday
April 2 and runs through June 21 at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.
March 14,
2009 Adam Bloomfield contacted us recently
with some fascinating insights into the the concept, design and production
of the paint work of John Lennon's psychedelic Rolls Royce, and the
identity of the artist who created the design. We have added his
contribution to the lower part of our article on the car which you can
reach by clicking on it on our home page, or by going here.
March 5,
2009 Liverpool Hope
University announces a degree course in The Beatles, Popular Music and
Society Feb 13, 2009
A documentary by Paul
Gambaccini, broadcast on BBC World Service 13 Feb 2009. Click here for the complete
broadcast in RealPlayer audio.
December 31, 2008 - Yoko
December 31, 2008 December 12, 2008
Lennon
no longer mourns late Beatles Dad by Contact Music; Bangladesh
should thank ex-Beatle Harrison, says lawyer by AFP news; Bangladesh
'Beatle hero' move by the BBC news services; Makeover
for Ringo street by the Liverpool Echo December 11, 2008 KYOTO--Yoko Ono, a New York-based artist and
the widow of John Lennon, said during a visit to Kyoto on Wednesday
that she believes the future is bright since more people than ever
are hoping for peace. "The world situation has gotten
worse compared to when John and I staged 'Bed-Ins' [in 1969]...and I think
now is the [darkness] before dawn," said 75-year-old Ono, who was invited
to give a short performance and lecture to mark the 40th anniversary of
Kyoto Seika University in Sakyo Ward, Kyoto. Copyright by The
Yomiuri Shimbun, 2008. December 8, 1980 December 8, 2008 Paul McCartney's up for two Grammy
awards for performances from his limited-edition live EP, Amoeba's
Secret. "I Saw Her Standing There," which
Macca first sang on the Beatles' debut album, has been nominated for best
solo rock vocal. It's competing with performances by Bruce Springsteen,
Eddie Vedder, John Mayer and Neil Young. Paul's live version of the
Memory Almost Full song "That Was Me" is up for best mail pop vocal
performance. Other nominees in that category are Kid Rock, John Mayer,
Jason Mraz, Ne-Yo and James Taylor. Ringo Starr has been nominated for
a Grammy as well – Ringo 5.1: The
Surround Sound Collection is contending for best surround sound album.
A complete list of Grammy nominees
is available at ShowbizScene. net. Copyright by Beatles Basement with Archer,
2008.
November 27, 2008 LONDON (Reuters) - A 97-year-old
document that contains clues to the identity of Eleanor Rigby, the subject
of one of the Beatles' best-loved songs, sold for 115,000 pounds
($177,000) at auction on Thursday. To read the full report from
Reuters, click
here.
November 25, 2008 "Sir Paul McCartney has found a
new lease of creative life on his third album as The Fireman, a
collaboration with producer Youth," writes the BBC News. For the full report, click
here.
November 24, 2008 To read Yarden's exciting report
(with video), please click: "Paul
is alive and late." His report appeared in the October edition of
Beatlefan.
Beatles fans: New Beatles film
needs your help! "A new film, The Soundtrack of our
Lives, is a feature length documentary about the Beatles fan, how they
have been inspired, how their life has been changed, why kids love Beatles
music, was there divine inspiration, why the music legacy is as big today
as ever? All these questions are explored and answered through the journey
around the world that our two English x-pat hosts take," writes Dave
Haber. For Dave Haber's full report, please
click here.
Copyright by AFP,
2008. November 22, 2008 VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The
Vatican's newspaper has finally forgiven John Lennon for declaring that
the Beatles were more famous than Jesus Christ, calling the remark a
"boast" by a young man grappling with sudden fame. Copyright by Reuters,
2008.
Quick Beatles News
Picks:
"Beatles
Interview unearth" - from the BBC News; They Say
It's Your Birthday - 40 years later, "The White Album" still resonates
- by Zach Hanner for The Sun News Myrtle Beach Online; Beatles'
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band inspires Macca's new album - from
Entertainment and Showbiz
November 16, 2008 Recording artist Mary Hopkin is
releasing a new album called "Recollections" on November 21, available at
her website. The new tracks are taken from Mary's archives which are
digitally mixed and remastered by Space Studios. The tracks were recorded
between 1970 and 1986. "There were about 30 hefty 2-inch
tapes weighing heavily on my mind, and also on my bedroom ceiling,"
recalls Mary on her official website. "They had been gathering dust in my
loft for many years, and one morning, I woke up to an ominous creaking
sound, as a huge crack appeared in the ceiling. So, with some prodding
from my daughter, Jessica, we decided to release them from their dusty
boxes before the ceiling fell in." Also being released is the
"Christmas Songs" EP making this and "Recollections" available for
purchase of the combined price. The complete track listing for both
releases are listed below. Meanwhile, Mary's own legacy still
continues to influence newer generations of musical talent. "Mary Hopkin
was one of the first artists to sign up to the Beatles Apple Record's
label and an inspiration to many aspiring musicians, including Kate
Corrigan," writes Ollie Rickman of the Guardian. "So much so that the Royal College
of Music graduate, who has performed with the Classical Opera Company in
Italy and at the Royal Albert Hall, has prepared her own tribute in
celebration of the Welsh folk singer's career. "She will be performing her Celtic
Soul sounds a modern twist on traditional Irish and folk songs alongside
her band Keltic Soul," writes Rickman. Kate Corrigan with Keltic Soul
will be performing November 25, 2008, at Fairfield Halls, Park Lane (South
London). Concert start time is 1:00 p.m. "Recollections" track
listing: 1. Long Time Ago (Jim Croce)
2. Lion Tamer (Stephen Schwartz)
3. Perfect Love (Paul Williams)
4. I'll Have to Say I Love You in
a Song (Jim Croce) 5. Quiet Moments (Dominic King and
Frank Musker) 6. A Leaf Must Fall (Clive Palmer)
7. One Day I'll Walk (Bruce
Cockburn) 8. Who's the One? (Mary Hopkin)
9. Last Thing on my Mind (Tom
Paxton) 10. Next Time, This Time (Jim
Croce) 11. Another Day (Mary
Hopkin) "Christmas Songs" EP track
listing: 1. Mary Had a Baby (trad)
2. Cherry Tree Carol (trad)
3. Snowed Under (Mary
Hopkin) Related links: The Mary Hopkin Official
website; Kate's
tribute to Mary (from the Guardian); Fairfield Arts, Entertainment and
Conference Centre November 16, 2008 George Harrison said it was too
avant-garde. Now Sir Paul says the time has come to release 1967's
'Carnival of Light' by Vanessa Thorpe, arts and
media correspondent For Beatles fans across the world
it has gained near mythical status. The 14-minute improvised track called
'Carnival of Light' was recorded in 1967 and played just once in public.
It was never released because three of the Fab Four thought it too
adventurous. The track, a jumble of shrieks and
psychedelic effects, is said to be as far from the melodic ballads that
made Sir Paul McCartney famous as it is possible to imagine. But now
McCartney has said that the public will have the chance to judge for
themselves. 'It does exist,' McCartney says on
a BBC Radio 4 arts programme to be broadcast this week. Talking to John
Wilson, the presenter of Front Row, the former Beatle confirms that he
still has a master tape of the work and says he suspects that 'the time
has come for it to get its moment'. In the 40 years since 'Carnival of
Light' was recorded by McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John
Lennon in the Abbey Road studios in London, its collection of disparate
rhythms has become a kind of holy grail for Beatles obsessives. The track
was put together on 5 January 1967, in between working on the vocals for
the song 'Penny Lane'. Once released it should offer
proof that the Fab Four, and McCartney in particular, were much more
avant-garde in their tastes than many gave them credit for. According to
the few who heard the track on the one occasion the recording was played
publicly, at a London music festival in 1967, it features the sound of
gargled water and strangled shouts from Lennon which vie with church
organs and distorted guitar. 'We were set up in the studio and
would just go in every day and record,' McCartney tells Wilson. 'I said to
the guys, this is a bit indulgent but would you mind giving me 10 minutes?
I've been asked to do this thing. All I want you to do is just wander
round all of the stuff and bang it, shout, play it. It doesn't need to
make any sense. Hit a drum, wander to the piano, hit a few notes ... and
then we put a bit of echo on it. It's very free.' McCartney had been commissioned to
create a piece for an electronic music festival at the Roundhouse Theatre
in north London by his friend Barry Miles. The event, the Million Volt
Light and Sound Rave, was organised by International Times, an underground
newspaper. Many in the audience had no idea they were listening to a new
Beatles track. Other performers included Delia Derbyshire whose work at
the BBC Radiophonic Workshop included jointly creating the theme for
Doctor Who. McCartney, who this month releases
his third experimental album of new work under the alias the Fireman,
regards 'Carnival of Light' as evidence of how musically adventurous he
has always been. For the three other Beatles the track was just an oddity.
George Harrison dismissed it as too weird. But McCartney is hopeful it can
now be released with the agreement of the group's estate. 'It will help reaffirm McCartney's
claim to have been the most musically adventurous of all the Beatles,'
said Wilson this weekend. 'He told me he would love to release the track.
All he needs now is the blessing of Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and George
Harrison's widow Olivia.' The piece was inspired, McCartney
says, by the works of composers John Cage and Karlheinz Stockhausen. In
his book Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, author Mark Lewisohn - who
was played the track in 1987 - describes 'distorted, hypnotic drum and
organ sounds, a distorted lead guitar, the sound of a church organ,
various effects (water gargling was one) and, perhaps most intimidating of
all, Lennon and McCartney screaming and bawling random phrases including
"Are you all right?" and '"Barcelona!".' Beatles fans came close to hearing
'Carnival Of Light' in 1996 when it was considered for inclusion in the
exhaustive Anthology compilation. 'We were listening to everything we'd
every recorded,' McCartney says. 'I said it would be great to put this on
because it would show we were working with really avant-garde stuff ...
But it was vetoed. The guys didn't like the idea, like "this is
rubbish".' McCartney revealed that George
Harrison disparaged sonic experimentation as 'avant-garde a
clue'. Sir George Martin, the Beatles
producer who oversaw the track, has described it as 'one of those weird
things'. 'It was a kind of uncomposed, free-for-all melange of sound that
went on. It was not considered worthy of issuing as a normal piece of
Beatles music at the time and was put away.' Coincidentally, McCartney played
some of his Fireman compositions at the reopened Roundhouse venue last
year during the Electric Proms. 'With the Fireman you're in disguise,' he
told Observer Music Monthly. His pseudonym may have been taken from the
lyric of 'Penny Lane' where a fireman 'rushes in from the pouring rain'
and could also be a nod to his father, Jim McCartney, a firewatcher on the
Liverpool docks in the Second World War. John Wilson's interview with Paul
McCartney can be heard on Front Row, Radio 4, on Thursday.
Copyright by the Guardian,
2008.
November 12, 2008 McCartney
buries Eleanor Rigby claim by AFP news; Yoko Ono Praises Beatles
Rock Band game by NME; Ken Mansfield's
Long and Winding Road with the Beatles from the Sierra Mountain Times;
The
Beatles - P.S. I Love You from Pop Matters; Unseen
Beatles Photos Unveiled After Four Decades (released in a new book
called "Kaleidoscope Eyes: A Day in the Life of Sgt. Pepper" by Henry
Grossman.) November 10, 2008 Ringo Starr at the World
Music Awards in Monte Carlo Ringo Starr received the
Diamond Award on behalf of The Beatles for their contribution to
music, and he said on stage: 'I'd like to thank my three buddies
George, Paul and John. Copyright by the Marie
Claire online. November 9, 2008 Copyright by the Scottish
Sunday Mail newspaper online. November 6, 2008 Several acts paid tribute to
Obama, whose picture was beamed on a giant screen on stage at the end of a
performance of "American Boy" by West and Britain's Estelle. Arguably the most bizarre award of
the night went to British 1980s crooner Rick Astley, whose 1987 single
"Never Gonna Give You Up" topped the charts in 16 countries. He shot back to prominence this
year when millions of people were "rickrolled" into playing the song over
the Internet when they thought they were clicking on apparently unrelated
links. "2008 Europe Music Awards, you've
been rickrolled!" shouted Hollywood gossip columnist Perez
Hilton. Astley beat the likes of U2 and
Spears in the Best Act Ever category. Other winners included Tokio
Hotel, named best headliner of the year, Pink, who won most addictive
track for "So What" and Emre Aydin of Turkey who was named Europe's
favorite act. MTV invites fans to decide all but
one of the categories -- Video Star -- and in 2007 nearly 80 million votes
were cast ahead of the event. November 5, 2008 Blackbird singing in the dead of
night Copyright by Northern Songs Ltd, 1968.
Cartoon inset: Copyright by the Ottawa Citizen,
November 5, 2008. McCartney to get MTV legend
award "The former Beatle is not expected
to play at Thursday night's show but will pick up his prize in person, MTV
said. "It said the award was created to
honour "one of the most formative influences on the music scene on a
global scale". For the complete article, please click
here. October 28, 2008 A nurse referred to in the lyrics
of The Beatles' song Penny Lane has finally been identified after more
than 40 years. Lennon will have known Beth Davidson (left) from
childhood Photo: Mercury Press
Agency Since the song was released in
1967 the identity of the "pretty nurse selling poppies from a tray" has
remained a mystery. October 21, 2008 New Cirque du Soleil documentary
shines with Beatles tunes ... this luscious, 90-minute take on "Love" is a
worthy walk down memory lane. October 18, 2008 Culled from Ringo's official
website...
RINGO STARR ALL STARR TOUR 2008
PHOTO CONTEST
Have you been coveting your
picture of Ringo and his All-Star Starr band captured from the recent
All-Star tour? GOOD LUCK!
October 17, 2008 Last winter, Apple records filed a
$15 million lawsuit against Fuego Entertainment over trademark
infringement. The result of their legal action halted the potential
release of the rare recordings arguing that the tracks were of inferior
quality and would damage the reputation of the Beatles. For the complete report, click
here. Cavern Club
medallions unearthed
Membership medallions from
the Cavern Club have been discovered 35 years after the closure of
the Liverpool music club. They were unearthed by Roy Adams, the
club's last owner, when he was clearing out a shed at his home on
Merseyside. October 15, 2008 "Over 218 fascinating pages, they
present eyewitness accounts of the two gigs The Beatles played here in
1963 and 1964; delve into George's Wexford roots and John's buying of an
island off the Mayo coast; and recount the furor which greeted a solo of
Paul's "Give Ireland Back To The Irish". Ringo takes a bit of a back-seat
throughout but, well, wasn't that always the way?" writes Hot
Press.
New Single of the QUARRYMEN - The band that started
the Beatles and U.S.-Tour in October Press release from: Garrelt Danker
Medienproduktion (openPR) - 50 years after the first and
only single-release of the Quarrymen, a new single has been released
via internet. The song was recorded in Liverpool and GaryLand in
2008 with a little help of some friends...Reason is the recent
Quarrymen U.S.-Tour that have started on the 9th October in New York
City. All dates see below! To hear an audio sample of the
Quarrymen's new single, please click here. And for the
full press release, click
here. October 13, 2008 "Former Beatle Ringo Starr will no
longer sign memorabilia for fans and will throw away all fan mail he
receives in the future, he has said," writes the BBC
News service.
Dave Clark, 65, was drummer, manager,
producer and star of 1960s pop group The Dave Clark Five (also known
as The DC5) who led the 'British invasion' of America with The
Beatles. They sold more than 100 million records and were inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by Tom Hanks in March this year.
The Hits by The Dave Clark Five is out now.
Were the 1960s as exciting as
everyone says? Did you meet Elvis?
Yoko Ono writes veterans
$10,000 check
"When Bob Krzewinski, secretary of
the local chapter of Veterans for Peace, called Yoko Ono's agent to seek
approval for a John Lennon tribute concert, he received the thumbs up and
thought that was that.
Yoko Ono granted both the Icelandic
nation and Indian scientist Dr. Vandana Shiva with the LennonOno
Peace Award at the relighting of the Imagine Peace Tower on Videy
island off Reykjavik on the occasion of John Lennon's birthday
yesterday. October 9, 2008 On 9 Oct 2008, John Lennon's
birthday, Yoko Ono asks the people of Iceland to join her and many others
across the rest of the world in praying for peace and stability. He would have loved how we are all
mobilizing ourselves in thought and in action. It's time for action and
the action is peace! Related link: "Yoko
Ono to Iceland" - from Ice News - Daily News.
October 5, 2008 Young people are so smart. I'm
amazed as I watch them thumb through what resembles a minefield of iPods,
text messages and cell phones that can even turn off the coffee
pot. But I wonder if they feel powerful
as a generation? If they ever think, "We showed our parents, didn't we?"
or "We're going to change the world." I thought I had all the answers
once, back when Terry, the "Big O" and I were high school freshmen,
hanging out at the drug store soda fountain, slurping shakes and trying to
act cool in front of Myrna, the mascara queen who waited on us every day.
We dragged Main from the A&W to the 149 Grill and bought 45s from
Van-Wood Record Bar uptown. But do you know when I truly
sensed the power of my generation? It was 45 years ago, almost to this
very week, when I heard about a British band called The
Beatles. The Fab Four hadn't arrived in the
United States yet. In fact, most teenagers still were listening to Chubby
Checker, Bobby Vinton and a singing Belgian nun. They were clueless to the
musical tsunami about to cross the Atlantic. However, young people in my
Southern Illinois hometown had an inkling, thanks to Marcia
Schafer. She was editor of our high school
newspaper and host of a teen talk show on the local radio
station. That September of 1963, George
Harrison and his brother, Pete, came to the U.S. for the first time to see
their sister, Louise Harrison Caldwell, who lived in nearby Benton (our
county seat) with her husband, a coal mine engineer. The brothers camped in the Shawnee
National Forest and enjoyed the cars with fins and the pretty young
drive-in carhops on roller skates. George bought a guitar and sat in
with a local band while Pete took home movies. Meanwhile, Louise –¯ attractive, persistent, with
a Liverpool accent – kept dropping by West
Frankfort's radio station to promote her brother's band. Eventually, George (in sandals,
jeans and moppy hairdo) was introduced to the blond 17-year-old
announcer. Marcia interviewed him on her show
(not thinking to tape it) and apparently became the first American deejay
to play The Beatles regularly. That fall, Marcia wrote about
George's visit for our high school newspaper, running a picture of The
Beatles that looks so tame now‚¯ especially when I recall the dean of boys
threatening detention if we copied the hair-style. Later Marcia would admit, "They
didn't make a big impression on me. It didn't mean a whole lot back then
if you were big in England. If we had had any idea. ... " Within a few months the British
Invasion landed on "The Ed Sullivan Show" (Feb. 9, 1964), changing our
world with six little words: "I Want to Hold Your Hand." Suddenly, my generation went from
the emptiness of JFK's assassination to the delirium of The
Beatles. The Beatles wig I bought at the 5
& 10 (take that, dean of boys) is long gone and the only reminder that
"George Slept Here" is Benton's annual festival honoring him (it was
Saturday) and a Hard Day's Nite B&B in the house Louise once
owned. Still, I wonder: Whatever happened
to Pete's home movies? October 4, 2008 For one night only on October
20th, the Beatles' new documentary "All Together Now" chronicling The
Beatles LOVE, their show with Cirque du Soleil, will be shown at digitally
equipped cinemas across the U.S. The DVD of All Together Now will be
released the same day. July 2000 - June 2003
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'I like it because it's the Beatles free, going off piste,'
he adds.
"On the way here Paul McCartney, who was driving the car, was
pointing out every place in Liverpool. It was like being in the
Pope-mobile with the Pope driving. In the universe of rock and roll bands,
the Beatles were the big bang.
Beatles
rival on sex, drugs, rock 'n' roll
October 10, 2008
