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The Beatles Timeline
First
published on January 1, 2000
Additions and revisions added since.
1926 | 34
40 | 42 | 43 | 46
50 | 52 | 56 | 57 | 58 | 59
60 | 61 | 62 | 63 | 64 | 65 | 66 | 67 | 68 | 69
70 | 71 | 73 | 75 | 76 | 77 | 78
80 | 81 | 82 | 88 | 89
90 | 94 | 95 | 96 | 97 | 98 | 99
2000 | 01 | 02 | 03
PREFACE:
The objective of the Beatles Timeline is two-fold:
First, it was written with the intention of being entertaining, hence the numerous Beatle quotes as you read along. These quotes were selectively chosen in an attempt to capture the essence and spirit of the band. For those familiar with the band and its history, this will definitely be a fun "refresher course". And to those of you who have recently discovered the Beatles, this historical presentation should provide enough insight for you to develop an appreciation of why Beatle fans, music lovers and historians all agree that the Beatles were the greatest rock 'n' roll band to emerge out of the twentieth century.
The second objective of the Timeline is to provide an accurate accounting of the major events as they unfolded during the Beatles musical career. This includes some focus on their solo careers just before the band would split up in early 1970. I did not document their solo careers beyond that date. The individual careers of John, Paul, George and Ringo after 1970 are quite extensive and there are plenty of books available to read if you need to learn more about them. Having said that, the Timeline does continue to detail further developments of the Beatles between 1970 and 2000. The tragic death of John Lennon and the reaction of those who knew him is documented, as well as their new hit albums, single releases, and recordings done by the surviving three Beatles. It should be noted here that the Timeline was written mainly from a North American perspective while touching briefly on the international events of the Beatles.
In order to achieve the two above-mentioned objectives, I went about doing three months of investigative research, culling information from a variety of books, magazines, albums, the Internet, radio and television broadcasts, to assemble the information together. Since NO ONE PARTICULAR BOOK OR AUTHOR WAS RELIED UPON for developing the Timeline (see list of "Acknowledgments" at the bottom), the cross-referencing of information from one source to another made my task very tricky but not daunting. There is such a great wealth of available information on the band. Even in the final stages when this text was being proof-read for me, I still decided on some last minute changes to the copy, thereby ensuring that format and accuracy were complete as possible for publication on the Ottawa Beatles Site.
TECHNICAL NOTE: In order to save space and to keep the format tidy, I have grouped all of the Beatles USA tour schedules together at the end of each year in the Timeline rather than spreading them out sequentially by each individual performance. This is the only exception where the dates deviate within this presentation, but summarizing and presenting it this way, I believe, makes for easier reading. Remember, the purpose of this chronology is to make it as entertaining as possible!
John Whelan
The Ottawa Beatles Site
December 4, 1999
**1926**
George Martin, Beatles musical director, born January 3, in London
Brian Samuel Epstein, Beatles manager, born September 19 (in Rodney Street, in Liverpool)
Anthony Esmond Sheridan McGinnity (a.k.a. "Tony Sheridan"), born May 21, 1940 (in Norwich)
October
John Winston Lennon, born October 9 (at Oxford Maternity
Hospital in Liverpool)
John was born to Julia and Fred Lennon.
July
John's father, Fred Lennon, leaves home for good. Julia moves
in with her new man, John Dykins.
June
James Paul McCartney, born June 18 (at Walton
General Hospital in Liverpool)
John Lennon moves in to stay with his Aunt Mimi Smith who raises him.
George Martin, after working three months for the BBC, leaves and takes job at Parlophone Records as a result of being paid £7, four shillings and three pence, £1 more than the BBC was paying at the time. George Martin becomes an assistant to chief producer/owner of the label, Oscar Preuss. George is immediately given the task of handling the classical repertoire which included baroque, orchestral and choral music.
**1952**
September
John Lennon enters Quarry Bank High School
American Rock 'n' Roll and the Cunard Yanks mythology
Around this time the influence of American rock 'n' roll was being felt in Liverpool and the rest of England. How that music appeared, particularly in Liverpool, is an interesting story. The generally accepted view which has recently come into question, was that merchant seamen known as Cunard Yanks imported rock 'n' roll records from America which were then passed along to Liverpool musicians who had relations who worked on the ships. This, unfortunately, is not how American rock 'n' roll appeared in a large scale in Liverpool or for the rest of England. The truth of the matter is, about 99% of American rock 'n' roll LPs and singles were released by British music companies.
To understand why that is, one must trace back to the origins of the Cunard Yanks mythology. One of the earliest publications that supported the Cunark Yank viewpoint was found in Mersey Beat. Bill Harry, editor of Mersey Beat publication, explains: "Originally, when I did some interviews in Mersey Beat for a series called ‘Why Liverpool?’ some of the answers from musicians such as John McNally of the Searchers was that he got records from his brother who was a merchant seaman (a Cunard Yank). A couple of other musicians said this. So when I did an introduction to my 1977 book 'Mersey Beat: The Beginning of the Beatles' I mentioned this. However, as I researched further I discovered that 99% of the groups just got their repertoire from records found in record stores. Those records were available on Merseyside and throughout Britain. The more groups I asked, the more I discovered that the ‘Cunard Yanks’ story was a myth. So I put that right in subsequent writings. Research is always a voyage of discovery."
But had it not been for an irate Cavern DJ Bob Wooler along with the follow-up research of BBC music journalist Spencer Leigh whom decided to challenge the Cunard Yank mythology, the real truth might not have surfaced. Said Bob Wooler in "Best of Fellas - the Story of Bob Wooler" written by Spencer Leigh: "I accept that there were hundreds of Cunard Yanks and that, before the War, they brought back dance band records which were unavailable here. There was a society in the Wirral that met to play them. In the 1950s, the Cunard Yanks brought back jazz and country and western records which were not released here, and John McNally of the Searchers got several country records from his seafaring brother. However, there is no evidence, I repeat, no evidence, that beat groups were performing songs that were brought over from America by the Cunard Yanks."
For his part, Spencer Leigh investigated Wooler's claims. He discovered that of the 400 cover versions that British groups recorded from the American rock 'n' roll repertoire, "in almost every case I discovered that the original version had been released in the UK," wrote Leigh.
The unfortunate tragedy is that the Cunard Yanks mythology had spanned over several decades with new media releases only reinforcing the myth, notability the MGM video "The Complete Beatles" (1982) and Granada's "Who Put the Beat In Mersey Beat" (screened in 1995). Little wonder the urban legend lasted so long!
August
John Lennon forms The Quarry Men and the band performs
what's known in England as "skiffle."
September
John Lennon commences studies at the Liverpool College of
Art
The Cavern is located in Liverpool's market district.
July 15
Julia Lennon, John's mother, is fatally struck down by a
car driven by an off-duty drunken police officer named Eric Clague (When the
trial ends, the officer was acquitted of the offence). As a result, John becomes
more bitter and cynical than ever before about his life.
Eric Clague: "Mrs Lennon just ran straight out in front of me. I just couldn't avoid her. I was not speeding, I swear it. It was just one of those terrible things that happen."
Tony Sheridan teams up with Vince Taylor and the Playboys
In early 1959, Tony Sheridan joins Vince Taylor and the Playboys where they would play a residency in Hamburg, Germany. The band would eventually morph into the Beat Brothers with a line-up consisting of Tony Sheridan (vocals/guitar), Ken Packwood (drums), Rick Richards (guitar), Colin Melander (bass), Ian Hines (keyboards) and Jimmy Doyle (drums). Over the years the band's line-up would continue to see many personnel changes. Some of the most notable inclusions were: Ringo Starr, Roy Young, Rikky Barnes, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best.
"Sheridan often backed many other singers and musicians," writes author Joe Sunseri in his 269-page manuscript entitled Nobody's Child: The Tony Sheridan Story. "One such singer was an American by the name of Vince Taylor. Taylor was a combination of Elvis Presley and Gene Vincent. Visually, he emulated Vincent with his leather and chains, while vocally and aerobically he was a junior Elvis. Sheridan got his first pair of American blue jeans and a silver imitation leather belt from Taylor by bothering him until he gave Sheridan the clothes just so he would be left alone. Tony went on many tours with Taylor and performed on some of his records."
During this year Vince Taylor and the Playboys would appear on the BBC's Saturday Club program on April 11 and May 16 with host Brian Matthew.
August 29
The Casbah opens and the Quarry Men (John, Paul, George
& Ken Brown) perform on opening night. Casbah would quickly have over 2,000
club members join up. The Casbah, owned by Pete Best's mother Mo Best, had this
to say on the transition of her basement in her home: "Never once during that
exciting six months did I ever regret the immense task - as it turned out to be
- that I had taken on in deciding to make part of my home a rendezvous for young
people. The enthusiasm and the happy atmosphere were wonderful." Also in August
of '59, Ringo Starr begins drumming for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. (Ringo
would be Rory's drummer right up until August 18, 1962).
October
Ken Brown and Pete Best form a band called "The
Blackjacks."
The group becomes the Casbah's house band when the Quarry Men weren't performing. According to author Pete Frame, who wrote "The Beatles & Some Other Guys", The Blackjacks "knocked out the rock 'n' roll classics which became the foundation of the Mersey Beat. Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On, Sweet Little Sixteen, Honey Don't, Tutti Frutti, Long Tall Sally..." The Blackjacks would continue to play together until August of 1960.
October 31
Quarry Men audition for Carrol Levis show in Liverpool.
During this audition period, the band would change its name from "Quarry Men" to
"Johnny and the Moondogs" by November 15. On that day, they lose out for the
Carrol Levis finals.
June 2
First professional performance of The Silver Beetles held at
Neston Institute.
August 16
Pete Best leaves the Blackjacks and becomes The Silver
Beetles' drummer. The band's current line-up would now included John, Paul,
George, Pete and Stuart Stutcliffe.
On this date, the band travels to Hamburg, Germany.
August 18
New stage name and first performance as "The Beatles" at
the Indra Club in Hamburg, Germany. Paul McCartney (on discussing performing and
other things they learned in Hamburg): "Sex...was one of the first things 'cause
we were kids just let off the leash, you know. And then there was like, the
amount of music we played -- we played -- the shear amount of music. Some
evenings I think we probably...we played eight hour periods 'cause you'd come on
and another band would take an hour and you'd take an hour, so we probably
played four hours but we had to stretch it over an eight hour period. And that's
an awful long time, man, to play. I mean even bands now with three or four hours
sets is a hell of a long time."
December 5
The Beatles luck in Hamburg runs out:
- Harrison is
deported for being underage for working in a night club;
- McCartney &
Pete Best are arrested for pinning a condom to a brick wall and then igniting
it.
The two are told to leave Germany. The band returns home, discouraged.
March 21
The Beatles first night-time appearance at the Cavern. The
band gets paid a mere $42.00 per night. Recalls Gerry Marsden (of Gerry and the
Pacemakers) on a particular visit to the Cavern: "I couldn't believe how good
they were. The energy, the way they shaped up to the microphone together, you
know - Paul the left-handed bass player, John standing there, couldn't give a
shit, the attitude of the man. I thought: 'They'll be the first band out of
Liverpool to make it.'"
March 24
Beatles leave to go back to Hamburg, Germany.
June 22 & 23
Beatles perform as back-up
musicians to Tony Sheridan
On this date, Tony Sheridan and The Beatles do first session recordings for Bert Kaempfert with the following songs: My Bonnie (Lies Over the Ocean); The Saints (When the Saints Go Marching In); Why; Cry For a Shadow; Ain't She Sweet;Take Out Some Insurance On Me Baby and Nobody's Child. And according to Eric Krasker's book, "The Beatles Fact and Fiction 1960-1962", the Beatles would record one more time for Bert Kaempfert on May 24, 1962, to re-record and provide backing vocals and instrumental tracks for Sweet Georgia Brown and Swanee River. Tony Sheridan's vocal's were recorded two weeks later for those numbers on June 7, 1962 under an operation known as "synchronization."
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The German Polydor single, My Bonnie b/w When the Saints Go Marching In was released in August 1961 listed as TONY SHERIDAN AND THE BEAT BROTHERS [Polydor / 24 673] which became a big top-ten hit for Sheridan in Germany. The U.K. release of the single was issued January 5, 1962 and listed as TONY SHERIDAN AND THE BEATLES [Polydor NH 66-833]. Polydor then later decided to release a Tony Sheridan album aptly entitled My Bonnie in June of 1962 as Polydor LPHM 46-612 [mono] and Polydor SLPHM 237-112 [stereo]. The band's line-up for the album consisted for the most part of Tony Sheridan, Pete Best, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and featured pianist Roy Young on Sweet Georgia Brown.
About Roy Young: In the late 1950s, Roy Young's electrifying piano performances of Rip It Up and Tutti Frutti dubbed him with the distinction of being Britain's answer to "Little Richard." His first encounter with the Beatles occurred during his first trip to Hamburg in 1961 at Top Ten Club. Then later, on April 13, 1962, Young served as "double-duty as house-band leader and recruiting agent for up-and-coming English bands" for the Star-Club located in Hamburg's lively Reeperbahn strip. According to respected Beatle historian Kristopher Engelhardt in his book "Beatles Undercover", he reports that Brian Epstein asked Roy "to join The Beatles during their spring 1962 engagement at the Star-Club." Roy Young, in an entirely different report, describes how he turned the offer down: "I said, 'I don't know, I'll have to think about that one,'" meaning that he would have to consider his three-year club contract. "I started to walk away but then I walked back and said: 'I'm going to give you my answer right now. I have to decline the offer.'" Roy would continue to play and perform at the Star-Club with such stars as Little Richard, Fats Domino, and Gene Vincent. In the late '60s, back in England, he formed The Roy Young Band, and performed as a regular at London's "Speakeasy" club.
Historical Footnote: As once believed and reported by some very respected Beatle historians, magazine and book publishers, the Beatles version of Swanee River never appeared on the "Hamburg Twist" EP nor on Tony Sheridan's "My Bonnie" LP. Eric Krasker, who has recently published a book entitled "The Beatles Fact and Fiction 1960-1962" wrote the following in an English summary manuscript: "While it is perfectly correct that the Beatles recorded a version of Swanee River with Tony Sheridan on 24 May 1962, the documents I discovered in the Polydor archives clearly prove that it cannot be the version included on the My Bonnie LP, as the first pressings of this album left the record plant in early April 1962." Eric Krasker's seven-year research effort also made the author come to the realization that The Beatles version of Swanee River has since either been destroyed or has disappeared altogether from the Polydor tape archives. Thus, the "Hamburg Twist" EP as provided in Hans Olof Gottfridsson's book, "The Beatles: From Cavern to Star-Club", you will note that the name "The Beatles" is credited on the label below each and every song. "The Beatles" credit for "Swanee River" is incorrect along with the misleading cover sleeve entitled "THE BEATLES with Tony Sheridian HAMBURG TWIST which presents the song titles for the EP. Said Eric Krasker: "Gottfridsson was more or less forced to acknowledge this in the book with a Bear Family box-set reissue of the Polydor recordings....the fact that Bear Family admitted the only surviving version of Swanee River had no Beatle involvement."
July 6
Bill Harry publishes "The Mersey Beat" newspaper
John Lennon would give the publisher an interview on how the name "Beatles" came about: "Many people ask what are Beatles? Why Beatles? Ugh, Beatles? How did the name arrive? So we will tell you. It came in a vision - a man appeared on a flaming pie and said unto them, 'From this day on you are Beatles with an "A"'. 'Thank you Mister Man', they said, thanking him. And so they were Beatles."
July 3
The band returns to England from Hamburg, Germany.
August
MY BONNIE / THE SAINTS (WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN)
(single) is released in Germany (Decca Records)
Hal Fein, an associate of Bert Kaempfert and owner of Roosevelt Music publishing company recalls that the single did reasonably well. "When the record was released, the initials sales were about 180,000 copies, a fair-sized hit for Germany," said Fein. "Due to its success in Germany, it was played on Radio Luxembourg -- one of the most powerful stations in Europe, beaming in all directions - into Germany, into England, and south into the continent."
October 28
Brian Epstein's first awareness of the Beatles: My
Bonnie record makes its way into NEMS stores.
Contrary to Epstein's accounting in "A Cellarful of Noise", young Raymond Jones who supposedly requested the record, remains more fiction than actual fact to this very day. Alistair Taylor, Epstein's assistant explains: "I got fed up with youngsters coming in asking for The Beatles record. So I put a name, Raymond Jones, in the order book. I just made it up. Otherwise Brian wouldn't have paid any attention."
November 9
Epstein visits the Cavern Club to see the band perform.
December 3
Epstein offers to manage Beatles: "Quite simply, you
need a manager. Would you like me to do it?" asked Epstein. "Right, then, Brian,
manage us now. Where's the contract? I'll sign it," retorted Lennon.
March 8
FIRST RADIO APPEARANCE ON THE B.B.C. LIGHT PROGRAMME'S
"Teenager's Turn"
Paul: "Please wire £10,000 advance royalties."
George: "Please order four new guitars."
John: "When are we going to be millionaires?"
April 10
Stu Sutcliffe dies of a brain hemorrhage
Mike Haskins from Twitter writes: "Beatles bass guitarist died 10 April 1962. The band were travelling to Hamburg that day to play 7 weeks at the Star Club and learnt the news on arrival. Stuart's mum Millie flew to Hamburg to identify his body which was returned to Huyton for burial." Historian and author Frank McDonough also writes: "Stuart Sutcliffe (aged 21), often called the “5th Beatle”, died in Hamburg, Germany, after a brain haemorrhage. He was the original bass guitarist for The Beatles, and John Lennon’s best friend at Art College. He had already left the band at the time of his death."
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April 23
MY BONNIE / THE SAINTS (USA single) is released (Decca
Records)
May 9
Telegram reported in Mersey Beat from Brian Epstein: "HAVE SECURED CONTRACT TO
RECORDED (sic) FOR EMI ON PARLOPHONE (sic) LABEL 1ST RECORDING DATE FOR JUNE 6TH
- BRIAN EPSTEIN."
May 24
The Beatles Last Recording Sessions for Burt Kaempfert and
Polydor Records
Beatles go in and re-record the backing vocals and instrumentals for "Sweet Georgia Brown" and "Swanee River"
June 4
Brian Epstein and Beatles officially sign record deal with
Parlophone/E.M.I.
June 6
The Beatles audition their music with music producer George
Martin at Abbey Road Studios.
June 9
Beatles Welcome Home
Show
At the Cavern, The Beatles perform a belated "Welcome Home Show" from 7:00 p.m. until midnight. For the next 12 days the Beatles under contract would perform at the Cavern. At this "Welcome Home Show," the Cavern broke an attendance record as 900 fans crowded themselves into the cellar to see the group. Featured on the bill this night were The Red River Jazzmen; Ken Dallas and The Silhouettes; and the Four Jays. The above photo is from Bill Harry's Mersey Beat publication for the period of May 31 - June 14, 1962. Used with permission from Bill Harry.
June 26
Brian Epstein forms NEMS Enterprises
August 16
Pete Best loses drummer role with Beatles
- John Lennon explains in
detail why Pete Best was ousted
"Some Other Guy" as performed by the Beatles is captured on film by Leslie Woodhead for Granada TV marking it as the first film to be recorded on the Beatles intended for a public television broadcast. The song was written by Jerry Leiber, Mike Stroller and Richard Barrett. The soundtrack for this video, according to Eric Krasker, author of "The Beatles Fact and Fiction 1960 - 1962", was recorded on September 5, 1962 "in which in can be heard very distinctly at the end of the song somebody shouting "We want Pete!", the fact remains that indeed they have officially acknowledged Pete Best's extreme popularity."
Photo: Film director Leslie Woodhead who, after 28-years of service, left Granada in 1989 to become an independent film director.
Leslie Woodhead's astonishing film-making career would come full circle in September 2009, when he directed a fascinating film documentary on the sociological impact that the Beatles had behind the Iron Curtain. The documentary was aptly titled: "How the Beatles Rocked the Kremlin" which aired on BBC Four on September 6, 2009. The documentary was then transmitted in Europe by ARTE in October and then on PBS TV nationally in the United States on November 9 of the same year which coincided with the 20th anniversary of the fall of communism.
August 23
John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell.
The marriage took
place at Mount Pleasant Register Office in Liverpool
September 3
The Beatles begin their second recording session at
Abbey Road
September 11
The Beatles begin their third Abbey Road session, and
record LOVE ME DO
October 5
LOVE ME DO / P.S. I LOVE YOU (single) is released
(Parlophone Records).
Featured on this song is John Lennon's harmonica playing which became an integral part of the Beatles early recordings. According to Beatle author Ray Coleman, Lennon's harmonica playing was influenced by the American hit "Hey Baby" by Bruce Channel.
October 17
THE BEATLES FIRST TELEVISION APPEARANCE ON "People and
Places" (Granada Television)
Pre-filmed in the Cavern on August 22, the show's producer, Johnny Hamp had this to say: "I first saw the Beatles in a club in Hamburg. They were very scruffy characters - but they had a beat in their music which I liked...I got into a lot of trouble over it. Everyone said they were too rough, too untidy. But I liked them. I put them on again and again."
October 27
LOVE ME DO (Parlophone single) enters at 48th spot on
Melody Maker hit parade
December 17
Beatles leave for their final trip to Hamburg, Germany.
The band would play at the Star-Club for fourteen days.
January 1
The Beatles begin their concert tour in Scotland
January 24
The Beatles do a personal appearance at Brian's NEMS store in the
center of Liverpool
Richard Buskin writes: "In addition to autographing copies of their 'Please Please Me' single which had been released in Britain a couple of weeks earlier, The Beatles also entertained customers with a brief performance at the foot of the stairs. John and George played acoustic guitars, Paul’s Hofner bass was without an amp and Ringo made do with a snare."
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February 2
The Beatles begin British tour with Helen Shapiro as the
top act on the bill
February 4
LOVE ME DO / P.S. I LOVE YOU is released as a single in
Canada (Capitol Records)
Historical significance: The first true Beatles single is released in North America.
Paul White, then Capitol Canada record executive, had this to say on why he decided to release the Beatles first single: "I used to listen to about fifty new records a week. Then one day I put on "Love Me Do" by a group called the Beatles. I immediately sat up and took notice. The sound was so different, so completely fresh.
"I'm certainly not going to claim that I could read the future and already knew how big the Beatles were going to be, but I did like them a lot and wanted Capitol of Canada to get in on the ground floor. I decided to release Beatles' records in Canada".
February 25
PLEASE PLEASE ME / ASK ME WHY (single) is released in
USA (Vee-Jay Records)
March 22
PLEASE PLEASE ME - their first album, is released in
England, on Parlophone Records
May 6
FROM ME TO YOU / THANK YOU GIRL (single) is released (Vee-Jay
Records)
This single peaked at No. 116 on the Billboard music chart in August.
July 23
Cohburn & Company prints cover slicks only for
"Introducing the Beatles"
On this date, Cohburn & Company print up 6,000 album cover slicks for Vee-Jay's "Introducing the Beatles" LP but Vee-Jay's manufacturing plans for pressing the actual vinyl are quickly scuttled. Two reasons that delayed this album release are: 1) On August 8, Transglobal in America who was a subsidiary of EMI in England, was told by EMI to legally inform Vee-Jay to "cease production and distribution of all Frank Ifield and Beatles records" until such times as the royalties were paid up. 2) By September, Cohburn and Company sued Vee-Jay for over $50,000 owed on the account for various album cover slicks they had manufactured for Vee-Jay. The end result of this delay meant that the next issue of either a Beatle album or single on the Vee-Jay label would not occur until January 1964, just in time to capitalize on "Beatlemania".
August 3
The Beatles appear for the last time at the Cavern Club
September
During this month, George Harrison along with his brother
Peter, visits their sister Louise in Benton Illinois in the USA. While there he
would buy a guitar and also sat in at a few clubs performing with a local band
called The Four Vests. George also went camping with the family and also took in
some points of scenic interest in Southern Illinois. Anxious to get to get the
Beatles known in America, George and his sister visit a local Benton radio
station one Saturday and meet up with a very young DJ named Marsha Schaffer who
hosted a 1-hour rock and roll program. There they persuade the DJ to play
"Please Please Me" along with another Beatle single possibly making this the
first time Beatle records are heard over the radio in the USA. Today both
record and the turntable which was used to spin the disc at the radio station
are located at the Hard Day's Night Bed and Breakfast mini-Beatles museum on 113
McCann Street, once home to Louise Harrison.
September 16
SHE LOVES YOU / I'LL GET YOU (single) is released (Swan
Records)
November 2
The Daily Mirror coins the phrase "Beatlemania"
Samuel Port, digital journalist for the GloucestershireLive eloquently writes: "When the Beatles performed to a packed audience in Cheltenham during their first headline tour of the UK it led to an international phenomenon.
"The concert, which took place on November 1, 1963, was the first in their headline tour.
"The weekend before they'd arrived back in Britain from playing in Sweden, and the Mirror coined the phrase 'Beatlemania' after this Cheltenham gig.
"Then a couple of days later, on November 4, they played at The Royal Command Performance for Princess Margaret and The Queen Mother. This is when John asked the audience to "rattle your jewellery" instead of asking them to clap their hands.
"'She Loves You' was still riding high in the charts, and 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' was released on November 29. They'd taken over Britain on the radio, and were sending fans in to a frenzy across the country with this tour which took them to Christmas."
November 22
"With the Beatles" (lp) is released in Britain
(Parlophone Records)
Track listing, Side One: 1) It Won't Be Long 2) All I've Got To Do 3) All My
Loving 4) Don't Bother Me 5) Little Child 6)Till There Was You 7) Please Mister
Postman
Side Two: 1) Roll Over Beethoven 2) Hold Me Tight 3) You Really Got A
Hold On Me 4) I Wanna Be Your Man 5) Devil In Her Heart 6) Not A Second Time 7)
Money
November 25
"Beatlemania With The Beatles" (lp) is released
in Canada (Capitol Records)
Historical significance: The first true Beatles album is released in North America that contained same track listing as "With the Beatles" which was released only a three days earlier in Britain.
November 29
700,000 advance orders for "I Want To Hold Your Hand"
by British fans
December
In Britain, the Beatles Fan Club peaks at 80,000 strong.
December 6
"BEATLES CHRISTMAS RECORD" is sent out to fan club
members
The concept was thought up by their press agent, Tony Barrow who also
wrote the basic script for the first three Christmas records.
You can listen to Tony Barrow's lovely
recounting of how the
Beatles Christmas Record came about by clicking here.
December 10
CBS News airs a film clip on The
Beatles
CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite airs a film about the Beatles phenomenon in England that was filed by their U.K. correspondent, Alexander Kendrick. The film contained a clip of the band performing "She Loves You" along with some interviews. The sounds of this British rock and roll combo performing "She Loves You" had created a strong and favorable impression on Marsha Albert, a 15-year-old girl from Silver Spring, Maryland. She would later be acknowledged by the Washington Post as the first Beatle fan who kick started the whole "Beatlemania" craze on USA radio.
However, while teenagers eventually went crazy over Beatles and their music, Walter Cronkite recalls his viewpoints as being a little less than favorable with regards to the English quartet: "In the wake of the [John F. Kennedy] assassination story, nothing else was happening in the world, at least in the United States -- stuff that was important, that is. So we actually had an opportunity to use it.
"I was not entirely thrilled with it myself, to tell you the truth. It was not a musical phenomenon to me. The phenomenon was a social one, of these rather tawdry-looking guys, we thought at the time, with their long hair and this crazy singing of theirs, this meaningless 'wah-wah-wah, wee-wee-wee' stuff they were doing."
December 17
Carrol James of WWDC radio in
Washington becomes the first DJ in the United States to play "I Want to Hold
Your Hand".
The importance of Beatles music came to Carrol James's attention through Marsha Albert. She remembered being impressed with the Beatles performance of "She Loves You" from the CBS news broadcast. Said Marsha: "It wasn't so much what I had seen, it's what I had heard. They had a scene where they played a clip of 'She Loves You' and I thought it was a great song. I wrote that I thought [the Beatles] would be really popular here, and if [James] could get one of their records, that would really be great."
According to the Washington Post, Carrol James "thought maybe the girl was onto something, and he got the station's promotion director to contact a local agent for BOAC (now British Airways)" to procure a copy of the band's latest record, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" which was currently unavailable in the USA marketplace.
James eventually obtains a copy from the local BOAC agent. Said Marsha: "Carroll James called me up the day he got the record and said 'If you can get down here by 5 o'clock, we'll let you introduce it.' " Which Marsha did: "Ladies and gentlemen, for the first time on the air in the United States, here are the Beatles singing 'I Want to Hold Your Hand.' "
A few days later, Capitol Records threatened WWDC radio by suggesting they would consider using a legal injunction to block airplay of "I Want To Hold Your Hand", because technically, the song wasn't supposed to be released until January 13 in the new year. However, both Carrol James and the radio station ignored the threat and continued to spin the disc over the airwaves. In the end, Capitol never sued WWDC and decided on more positive course of action.
December 26
I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There
(Capitol Records) is released
Though scheduled for a January 13 release date, momentum in the airplay of "I Want To Hold Your Hand" continued. By now Carrol James had already sent out copies of the Beatle single to a fellow DJ in Chicago and also to a DJ in St. Louis. Sensing the single is gaining momentum both in terms of airplay and interest from teenagers, Capitol Records decided to financially capitalize on the opportunity: on this date they rush-release copies of "I Want To Hold Your Hand/I Saw Her Standing There" into the marketplace. "I Want To Hold Your Hand" becomes the fastest selling British single in America.
January 1-15
Introducing
the Beatles (lp) (version #1 - Vee-Jay) is released
According to Bruce Spizer, author of Songs, Pictures and Stories of the Fabulous Beatles on Vee-Jay, that Vee-Jay's "invoice summary sheets indicate that 79,169 mono and 2,202 stereo copies of Introducing the Beatles were shipped to distributors during the first fifteen days of the year before sales were halted by the temporary injunction prohibiting Vee-Jay from issuing Beatles product."
On this album, "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You" are listed in this track listing. However, due to a copyright disagreement with the music publisher Beechwood, these two songs were later removed and substituted with "Please Please Me" and "Ask Me Why" in version #2 album of Introducing the Beatles.
Track Listing, Side One:
1) I Saw Her Standing There 2) Misery 3) Anna 4) Chains 5) Boys 6) Love Me
Do
Side Two: 1) P.S. I Love You 2) Baby It's You 3) Do You Want To Know
A Secret 4) A Taste of Honey 5) There's A Place 6) Twist and Shout
Also released on Vee-Jay to distributors during first fifteen days of the new year was the single: "Please Please Me / From Me To You".
January 3
In the USA, the "Jack Paar Show" airs the Beatles'
Bournemouth
performance of "She Loves You" which was originally filmed on
November 16, 1963.
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" makes #1 spot on the
Australian music charts.
January 15
Beatles perform for three weeks in France at the Paris
Olympia
January 18
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" enters at No. 45 on the
American Billboard music charts.
January 20
MEET THE BEATLES (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
January 27
MY BONNIE / THE SAINTS (single) is released (MGM
Records)
February 1
"I Want To Hold Your Hand" reaches No. 1 on the U.S.
Billboard music charts, selling 2,000,000 units ("She Loves You" sells 1,000,000
units in the U.S.)
February 3
THE BEATLES WITH TONY SHERIDAN (lp) is released (MGM
Records)
February 5
Beatles return from Paris, France
February 7
Pan Am Yankee Clipper flight 101: Beatles land at
Kennedy Airport in the USA. The lads are greeted by 3,000 screaming fans. New
York DJ Murray the "K" heavily promotes the Beatles records over the radio and
provides "live" interviews with John, Paul, George and Ringo. Murray the "K"
would dub himself as "the 5th Beatle." A reporter for the Saturday Evening Post
noted: "Anyone listening to a pop radio station in New York would hear a Beatle
record every four minutes and anyone listening to a juke box might hear one
right after the other." Beatlemania had arrived!!
February 9
Beatles debut
on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York; 50,000 apply for 728 available seats. An
estimated 73 million viewers watch that night (or 23,240,000 households, based
on a Nielsen rating)
The Beatles captured in photograph during the last segment of the Ed Sullivan Show
Paul McCartney: "Specific memory of Ed Sullivan: FEAR, FEAR, FEAR! 'Cause you know, if somebody made the mistake of saying, 'Oh, you know how many people are watching this?' If someone had mentioned 73 million - Ohhhhhhh! So it was very very nerve racking. But you know, by then we had so much practice, that the nerves didn't show. I can see them when I watch it. I can remember it."
Ringo Starr: "We had no idea what the 'Ed Sullivan Show' meant, we didn't know how huge it was. I don't think we were nervous because we were doing songs that we knew how to play, we'd done them before and we'd done plenty of TV. But the idea of just coming to America was the mind-blower -- no one can imagine these days what an incredible feat it was to conquer America. No British act had done it before. We were just coming over to do our stuff, hopefully get recognized and to sell some records. But it turned into something huge."
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Opening spot: 1) ALL MY LOVING; 2) TILL THERE WAS YOU; 3) SHE LOVES
YOU
Closing spot: 1) I SAW HER STANDING THERE; 2) I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
See what the reviewers said and for photos, click here.
| For reflections on the event by Vince
Calandra, Associate Producer of the Ed Sullivan Show in 1964, please
watch this Youtube video: |
||
February 10
"Introducing the Beatles" (lp) (version #2 - Vee-Jay)
is released
Version #2 of this album is released on this date but this time with "Ask Me Why" and "Please Please Me" replacing "Love Me Do" and "P.S. I Love You". Later, on February 29, Vee-Jay's Introducing the Beatles ran nine consecutive weeks at the #2 spot only to be shut out by Capitol's release of Meet the Beatles.
Track Listing, Side One: 1) I Saw Her Standing There 2) Misery
3) Anna 4) Chains 5) Boys 6) Ask Me Why
Side Two: 1) Please Please Me
2) Baby It's You 3) Do You Want To Know A Secret 4) A Taste of Honey 5) There's
A Place 6) Twist and Shout
February 11
Beatles first concert appearance in the USA: the
Coliseum in Washington, 20,000 fans attend performance.
February 12
Two concert performances at Carnegie Hall
February 16
Beatles make their second appearance on the Ed Sullivan
Show in Deauville Hotel, Miami Beach, Florida. An estimated 70 million viewers
watch that night (or 22,445,000 households based on a Nielsen rating). Songs
performed: SHE LOVES YOU; ALL MY LOVING; THIS BOY; I SAW HER STANDING THERE;
FROM ME TO YOU; I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
February 22
Beatles return to England.
February 23
Beatles 3rd Ed Sullivan Show, New York. The Beatles had
taped previously their third show for Ed Sullivan. Songs performed for the show
were: TWIST AND SHOUT; PLEASE PLEASE ME; I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
February 26
JOLLY WHAT! BEATLES AND FRANK IFIELD (lp) is released
(Vee-Jay Records)
March 2
Beatles begin work on their first movie, "A Hard Day's
Night". According to Walter Shenson, producer of the film, the Beatles story
line in the movie would portray them as "prisoners of their success. They go
from the airport to the hotel to the theater or stadium or concert hall back to
the hotel back to the airport. In any city it's always the same. They literally
travel in a cocoon of Liverpool. There's the manager, the road manager, a
publicity man, the car, the driver, the guy who carries the equipment. That's
all they see..." Total cost for making the movie: $500,000.
TWIST AND SHOUT / THERE'S A PLACE (single) is released (Tollie Records)
March 13
CASHBOX CHARTS - Places Beatles songs in top four
slots:
| 1) SHE LOVES YOU 2) I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND 3) PLEASE PLEASE ME 4) TWIST AND SHOUT |
"MEET THE BEATLES" (lp) is reported by this date to have sold 3,600,000 copies
"CAN'T BUY ME LOVE" their next single, has advanced order sales of 1,700,000 copies in the USA (Britain would have, by March 17th, advanced sales of 1,000,000 copies)
March 23
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET / THANK YOU GIRL (single) is
released (Vee-Jay Records)
"In His Own Write" - Lennon's first humorous off-beat book is published by Jonathan Cape. The book would sell 100,000 copies during its first printing. The Times Literary Supplement declared his book being "Worth the attention of anyone who fears for the impoverishment of the English language and the British imagination." John's jabberwocky style of penmanship was largely influenced from the literary works of Lewis Carroll.
March 27
WHY / CRY FOR A SHADOW (single) is released (MGM Records)
March 16
CAN'T BUY ME LOVE / YOU CAN'T DO THAT (single) is released
(Capitol Records)
APRIL 6
BILLBOARD CHARTS - Places Beatles songs in top five slots:
| 1) CAN'T BUY ME LOVE 2) TWIST AND SHOUT 3) SHE LOVES YOU 4) I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND 5) PLEASE PLEASE ME |
April 10
THE BEATLES SECOND ALBUM (lp) is released (Capitol
Records)
April 27
LOVE ME DO / P.S. I LOVE YOU (single) is released (Tollie
Records)
SIE LIEBT DICH / I'LL GET YOU (single) is released (Swan Records)
June 1
SWEET GEORGIA BROWN / TAKE SOME INSURANCE OUT ON ME BABY
(single) is released (Atco records)
June 3
RINGO STARR COLLAPSES FROM TONSILLITIS AND PHARYNGITIS
Jimmy Nicol becomes substitute drummer when Ringo enters a London hospital
for his throat problem. The band travels to Holland and three days later perform
in Amsterdam's "Blokker" auction hall. On June 8th, the band would fly to Hong
Kong.
June 10
Beatles perform two concerts at Hong Kong Princes Theatre.
June 12
Beatles begin Australian tour at Adelaide. During this
tour, an Adelaide crowd of 300,000 lines up along the motorcade route and
watches the band drive by. On June 14, Ringo would reunite with the Beatles in
Melbourne after recovering temporarily from tonsillitis.
June 14
The Beatles Give High Praise to the South Australia Police
Department during their tour
Chris Wilson from Australia writes to the Ottawa Beatles Site, the following statement: "I've attached a...photograph of a document now kept under glass at the Adelaide Police head office."
"The document is a letter sent from The Beatles, on South Australian Hotel Limited stationery, (the Hotel where they stayed) to the Commissioner of Police."
"The unusual (and possibly unique) thing is the letter is signed by the four Beatles of the day, and Jimmy Nichol is one of them! You'll recall Ringo didn't make the first few weeks of the tour (Holland, Australia & N.Z.) as he had his tonsils removed early June 1964."
June
17
The Beatles perform "Twist and Shout" at the
Festival Hall, Melbourne
June 26
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (lp) is released (United Artists
Records)
July
SONGS, PICTURES AND STORIES OF THE FABULOUS BEATLES (lp) is
released (Vee-Jay Records)
According to Bruce Spizer, distribution of this album began in late July but "did not chart until the following October. Royalty statements indicate that 123,635 mono copies were sold prior to September 30, 1964. Aggressive marketing resulted in additional reported sales of 216,328 mono and 773 stereo copies during the last quarter of 1964."
July 6
AIN'T SHE
SWEET / NOBODY'S CHILD (single) is released (Atco Records)
Beatle historian Eric Krasker in his book "The Beatles - Fact and Fiction 1960-1962" explains how "Ain't She Sweet" became part of the Beatles repertoire: It "became part of the stage act from 1957 with John Lennon as lead vocalist, and the song remained on the Beatles play-list until 1962. In 1974 John said the following on this subject: "Gene Vincent's recording of Ain't She Sweet is very mellow and high pitched and I use to do it like that, but the Germans said 'Harder, Harder' ─ so we ended up doing a harder version." The studio take eventually sounded more like the 1959 version of the English rocker Duffy Power on Fontana. Ain't She Sweet was the only song of these Polydor sessions sung by a Beatle. It seems that John Lennon must of appreciated it as the group recorded it again eight years later during an improvisation which included two other Gene Vincent tracks, Be-Bop-A-Lula and Who Slapped John? The recording took place on 24 July 1969 at EMI studios during the recording session of Abbey Road LP. Copied more from Gene Vincent's slow and jazzy rendition, this version with the playing time of 2:05 minutes remained unissued for a long time. It was finally released on October 1996 on the vinyl LP/CD the Beatles Anthology 3. As an anecdote, the rights to this song are owned today by Edwin H. Morris & Company, a subdivision of M.P.L. Communications, the production company of Paul McCartney."
July 10
In Liverpool, a civic reception held for the premiere of "A
Hard Day's Night". About 100,000 Liverpudlians pack the streets to see John,
Paul, George and Ringo.
July 13
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT / I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN BETTER (single) is
released (Capitol Records)
Historical Footnote for Guitar Players: Ever wonder why you can't faithfully reproduce on your guitar the same sound the Beatles used for the opening chord on A Hard Day's Night? It is because three instruments are used together at the same time. In 2001, Walter Everett, professor of music for Michigan University, published on page 236 from his book - The Beatles As Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber Soul - the following: "The striking ametrical opening chord, with Martin's piano doubling Harrison's twelve-string above McCartney's bass, is given as example 3.10a." Professor Everett then notated the guitar, piano, and bass parts in Example 3.10a on the next page of his book.
July 20
SOMETHING NEW (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
I'LL
CRY INSTEAD / I'M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH YOU (single) is released (Capitol
Records)
AND I LOVE HER / IF I FELL (single) is released (Capitol Records)
August 10
Capitol Records issues a series of 45s on their "Oldies"
label: DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET/THANK YOU GIRL; PLEASE PLEASE ME/FROM ME TO
YOU; LOVE ME DO/P.S. I LOVE YOU; TWIST AND SHOUT/THERE'S A PLACE
August 11
MOTION PICTURE: "A Hard Day's Night" is released (running
time: 85 minutes)
Released by United Artists
Screenplay by Alun
Owen
Produced by Walter Shenson
Directed by Richard Lester
Musical
director and album produced by George Martin
Played in 500 cinemas across the United States, the movie earns 1.3 million
in the first week.
New York's "Village Voice" proclaimed the movie as "the
Citizen Kane of jukebox musicals."
Historical first in the cinema picture
industry: 15,000 prints made for world-wide distribution.
A movie review appeared a month later in Canada's national magazine, Maclean's, which was written by Wendy Michener. Please click here for her review.
August 24
MATCHBOX / SLOW DOWN (single) is released (Capitol
Records)
September 20
"Ed Sullivan Show" - replay broadcast of Beatles
February 16th Sullivan appearance
October 1
BEATLES V.S. THE FOUR SEASONS (lp) is released (Vee-Jay
Records)
"A Cellar Full of Noise" by Brian Epstein, released on Souvenir
Press
October 5
AIN'T SHE SWEET (lp) is released (Atco Records)
November 23
THE BEATLES STORY (double lp) is released (Capitol
Records)
I FEEL FINE / SHE'S A WOMAN (single) is released (Capitol Records)
December 1
Ringo Starr has his tonsils removed at the University
College Hospital in London
News Item #1:
THE BBC MISREADS RINGO'S TONSIL
OPERATION
BBC announcer Roy Williams caused post-traumatic shock for Ringo's
fans when he mistakenly announced: "Ringo Starr's TOENAILS were successfully
removed this morning." The announcement caused the BBC switchboard to jam
immediately with calls from fans. Roy Williams would apologized in a later
broadcast and also explain: "I misread the item. It happens to all of us and I
bet Ringo is glad I'm not his surgeon."
News Item #2
FANS DRIVE NEIGHBORS CRAZY! RINGO'S
NEIGHBOURS FILE PETITION TO LANDLORD.
Lathom Gedge, neighbor to Ringo Starr,
claimed that "Ringo's tonsil operation has given us our first peace for months.
Teenage girls scream and shriek all day long. They get hysterical, fight and
kick each other and chase every car that arrives in case Ringo is inside."
Ringo's response: "I wish I could do something about it - but I can't control
the fans."
December 15
BEATLES '65 (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
December 18
"ANOTHER BEATLES CHRISTMAS RECORD" is issued to fan
club members
GRAMMY AWARDS (1964):
Best New Artist - "The Beatles"
Best
Performance by a Vocal Group - The Beatles, "A Hard Day's Night", George Martin,
producer
NORTH AMERICAN (AUGUST/SEPTEMBER 1964) BEATLES
TOUR:
San Francisco (August 19); Las Vegas (August 20); Seattle (August
21); Vancouver (August 22); Los Angeles (August 23); Denver (August 26);
Cincinnati (August 27); New York (August 28); Atlantic City (August 30);
Philadelphia (September 2); Indianapolis (September 3); Milwaukee (September 4);
Chicago (September 5); Detroit (September 6); Toronto (September 7); Montreal
(September 8); Jacksonville (September 11); Boston (September 12); Baltimore
(September 13); Pittsburgh (September 14); Cleveland (September 15); New Orleans
(September 16); Kansas City (September 17); Dallas (September 18); New York
(September 20)
Tour Fact: Because of the "mania", the Beatles seldom ventured outside of their hotels. One of the band's favorite pastimes during this tour was playing the game of "Monopoly" in their hotel rooms. Art Schreiber, who was one of five reporters (two American, three British) designated to follow the Beatles on this North American tour, recalls how it unfolded: "When we'd arrive at a hotel, I'd no more sooner get in my room and the phone would ring and it would be John Lennon. He'd say, 'Art, where are you, we're waiting.' So I'd go to his room and he and George would be sitting there at the Monopoly board. John always stood up to shake the dice and roll. He wanted so badly to get Park Place and Boardwalk. He could stand to lose the game, as long as when he lost he had Park Place and Boardwalk."
During the game of "Monopoly", Schreiber recalls Harrison as being very aloof with a preoccupation to acquire the B&O Railroad deed. Said Schreiber: "I asked him why he wanted the B&O so badly and he never did tell me. He never did tell me much of anything. We'd play until sunrise, and I'd be falling asleep at the table and John would poke me and say 'one more game, Art.' During this whole time, George would say practically nothing."
**1965**
Just missing the Beatles Canadian tour of 1964, photographer John Rowlands is hired of that year by Capitol Records of Canada. He photographs the Beatles Canadian visits from 1965 to 1966. He ends up photographing many more rock stars as he reveals in this interview with Bob Cabana. The video was filmed in Ottawa by John Whelan to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles performing on the Ed Sullivan show.
February 11
Ringo Starr marries hairdresser Maureen Cox at the
Caxton Hall registry office. Brian Epstein worries about negative female
reaction as Ringo gives up his eligible bachelor status to Maureen. George
Harrison went on to say: "I don't think the Beatles' image could stand another
marriage." The couple honeymooned in a secluded spot near Brighton but fans show
up!
February 15
EIGHT DAYS A WEEK / I DON'T WANT TO SPOIL THE PARTY
(single) is released (Capitol Records)
February 18
Northern Songs Ltd becomes listed on the London Stock
Exchange
February 22
Beatles start filming (in the Bahamas for tax reasons)
their second film, "Help!"
March 22
THE EARLY BEATLES (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
April 19
TICKET TO RIDE / YES IT IS (single) is released (Capitol
Records)
June 14
BEATLES VI (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
Two rock 'n' roll cover versions recorded by George Martin and the Beatles are not intended for the British marketplace but instead are slated specifically for Capitol's "Beatles VI" album: "Recording especially for the North American market, John Lennon steered the group through raucous renditions of two of his favourite songs...'Dizzy Miss Lizzy' and 'Bad Boy'", wrote historian Mark Lewisohn regarding the May 10th recording session at EMI's Studio Two. "Minutes after the final recording, mono and stereo remixes were made of both, to be dispatched the next day by air freight to Capitol Records in Los Angeles." The song 'Dizzy Miss Lizzy' would later appear on Parlophone's "Help!" LP while 'Bad Boy' would make its debut in 1966 on a Beatles' album from the same label entitled "A Collection of Oldies."
July 19
HELP! / I'M DOWN (single) is released (Capitol Records)
August 13
HELP! (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
Fan appreciation: Beatle fan Marc Catone was actually at the Shea Stadium concert in '65 and he e-mailed a scanned image of his ticket stub. If you click on the ticket you'll get a larger view along with the flip side of the stub describing the terms and conditions for a rain check. Said Marc: "Note that the Shea had a rain date of 8/16 which probably accounts for early books on The Beatles incorrectly stating that they played two concerts at Shea in 1965."
Richard Lester: "They (the Beatles) said about Help! 'It wasn't our film. We felt like guest stars and extras in our film.' I think that was true. But it had to be true, because not wanting to repeat this film...you had to make a film which didn't deal with their work, which is concerts, television, theatre, and all that....We had to create this huge baroque fantasy through which they passed....I'm very proud of Help because I think Help is as successful as A Hard Day's Night in terms of making four people enormously attractive to the audience. I think that a lot of the things that they did and the way they did them, the feeling of it - they were so bloody endearing..."
September 12
"The Ed Sullivan Show" - Taped earlier on August 14
before a live studio audience at Studio 50 in New York, this taped performance
is "aired live" on this date. The Beatles perform: 1) I Feel Fine 2) I'm Down 3)
Act Naturally 4) Ticket to Ride 5) Yesterday 6) Help!
September 13
YESTERDAY / ACT NATURALLY (single) is released
(Capitol Records)
Credited as a "John Lennon-Paul McCartney" song, "Yesterday" was written both lyrically and musically by Paul McCartney. A classical string quartet was scored by George Martin with input from Paul to help add a stronger vibrancy to the acoustic guitar accompaniment. The single went #1 in America but it was not released as a single in Britain because it was thought it would have a negative impact on their rock'n' roll image in their country.
September 25
Beatles TV Cartoon Series aired in the USA by
King Features Syndicate for the American Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Production highlights: Artist Peter Sander, drew the Beatle characters on
"templates" for other animators to follow; Episodes were made in London, Canada
and Australia; American actor Paul Frees did the voices of John and George while
British comic actor, Lance Percival did the voices of Ringo and Paul. The last
Beatle cartoon aired on a US network was April 20, 1969.
October 11
Capitol Records issues a series of 45s on their
"Starline" label: Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You; Please Please Me/From Me To You;
Do You Want To Know A Secret/Thank You Girl; Roll Over Beethoven/Misery;
Boys/Kansas City
October 16
Author Nicholas Schaffner of "The Boys From Liverpool - John, Paul, George, Ringo" wrote the following regarding the political fallout over the Beatles receiving their MBE awards: "About a dozen of the queen's most distinguished subjects sent back their own medals in a huff as soon as they heard about the Beatles' getting them. Paul Pearson, a former Royal Air Force squadron leader, claimed he did so "because it had become debased." A Canadian politician said he no longer wanted his MBE because it "put him on the same level with vulgar nincompoops." John replied that most of the complainers had earned their medals "for killing people. I'd say we deserved ours more. Wouldn't you?""
December 6
RUBBER SOUL (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
WE CAN WORK IT OUT / DAY TRIPPER (single) is released (Capitol)
Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys becomes inspired to out-do the new Beatles album and composes Pet Sounds, which later inspires Paul McCartney to come up with Sgt. Pepper. Brian Wilson: "...the Beatles had cut Rubber Soul, and I really wasn't quite ready for the unity; Rubber Soul was a collection of songs - of folk songs; it was like a folk album by the Beatles that somehow went together like no other album made before, and I was very impressed. It really blew me out. I had to go in there (the studio) and experiment with sounds. I really felt challenged to do it good, and I followed through with it. And I actually did it."
John Lennon: "We were just getting better, technically, and musically, that's all. Finally we took over the studio. In the early days, we had to take what we were given, we didn't know how you can get more bass. We were learning the technique on Rubber Soul. We were more precise about making the album, that's all, and (we) took over the cover and everything."
December 8
A noteworthy pop music moment: The Mama's and Papa's release
California Dreamin'
The following excerpts are written by Jack Doyle from his report: "The California Sound" The Mamas and Papas
 |
December 17
"THE BEATLES THIRD CHRISTMAS RECORD"
Tour Fact: Larry Kane, author of "Ticket to Ride" and who was one of the reporters designated to accompany the Beatles during these tour dates, states in his book that when the Beatles landed in Houston Texas by plane, the fans managed to swarm the tarmac while the propellers on the plane were still running. This was a dangerous scene not only for the fans but also for the Beatles. Not only did they swarm the tarmac but when the engines of the planes were finally turned off, some of the older fans managed to climb onto the wings of the plane with lit cigarettes in their hands waving to the entourage inside. Fortunately for all concerned, the situation did not end in a tragic explosion!
February 21
NOWHERE MAN / WHAT GOES ON (single) is released
(Capitol Records)
March 18
The Beatles single "Nowhere Man" goes #1
on
Ottawa's CFRA 580 Swing Set Survey
 |
April 6
Beatles begin recording REVOLVER at Abbey Road studios
May 30
PAPERBACK WRITER / RAIN (single) is released (Capitol
Records)
June 6
"Ed Sullivan Show" - Beatles "Paperback Writer" & "Rain"
aired for television
June 14
Alan W. Livingston, President of Capitol Records (USA),
decides to pull the "butcher cover" Yesterday & Today album which depicted
the Beatles dressed up in white smocks with red raw meat and decapitated heads
from baby dolls. Livingston issues the following statement: "The original album
cover, created in England, was intended as pop art satire. However, sampling of
public opinion in the United States indicates that the cover design is subject
to misinterpretation....For this reason...Capitol has chosen to withdraw the lp
and substitute it for a more generally accepted design." The "butcher cover"
album would become one of the most sought-out prizes by Beatle collectors. Note:
According to the 1995 edition of "The Official Price Guide to the Beatles" Perry
Cox and Joe Lindsay would list a "first issue, first state butcher cover"
(Capitol ST-2553) is appraised at $7,000.
June 15
YESTERDAY AND TODAY (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
July 3
Beatles arrive in Manila, Philippines
July 4
Beatles perform at the Manila's National Football Stadium -
50,000 fans in attendance. Later, the President of Manila would feel "stiffed"
by the Beatles for them not showing up at his children's party. The band gets
kicked, punched as they leave Manila and Epstein is forced to give back all the
concert.
July 8
"Paperback Writer" and "Rain" are still #1 on Ottawa's CFRA
Swing Set.
Also announced is CFRA's "Beatle Bonanza" sponsored by CFRA, Sherman's Music Land and Royal Burger. "36 lucky teens 'n' twenties" end up going to see The Beatles perform in Toronto, on August 17, 1966. The radio station did a similar promotion the year before and CFRA's Dave Watts identifies who's who from the local media personalities in "Destination Beatlesville '65."
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July 29
Lennon's "We're more popular than Jesus" comment appears in
"Datebook"
On this date, Lennon's interview with Maureen Cleave makes its appearance in the American teenage magazine, "Datebook". Within days of publication, anti-Beatle sentiment builds up and American disc jockeys in the southern States encourages a God-fearing youth to destroy their Beatle records and memorabilia at bonfire rallies. Also enforced was a radio ban on Beatle records that was started by a Birmingham, Alabama D.J. The ban picked up momentum by other radio stations in the southern Bible belt. By August 6, thirty US radio stations have banned all Beatles records from airplay.
World reaction to John's remarks:
South Africa: Piet Myer of the South African Broadcasting Corporation temporarily banned Beatles records from being played and noted that "The Beatles arrogance has passed the ultimate limit of decency. It is clowning no longer."
Spain: Three radio stations immediately bans the airing Beatle records.
Holland: One radio station bans the airing of Beatle records.
August 6
Brian Epstein holds a special press conference
Before the band would commence with a third American tour on August 12, at the Chicago International Amphitheatre, Brian Epstein holds an evening press conference in New York's Manhattan's Sheraton Hotel, to effect damage control over John Lennon's "anti-Christ" remarks. The following statement was made by Brian Epstein with approval from John: "The quote which John Lennon made to a London columnist nearly three months ago [sic] has been quoted and misrepresented entirely out of context of the article, which was in fact highly complimentary to Lennon as a person and was understood by him to be exclusive to the Evening Standard. It was not anticipated that it would be displayed out of context and in such a manner as it was in an American teenage magazine." Epstein also commented: "Lennon didn't mean to boast about the Beatles' fame. He meant to point out that the Beatles' effect appeared to be a more immediate one upon, certainly, the younger generation. John is deeply concerned and regrets that people with certain religious beliefs should have been offended."
August 11
Lennon meets with American press - attempts to
explain
what he meant by his "We're more popular than Jesus" remark
In a hotel room on the 27th floor of the Astor Towers Hotel in Chicago where unrelenting pressure from the American press was seeking out a public apology from John Lennon, the Beatle is recorded on film as saying: "If I had said that television is more popular than Jesus, I might have got away with it. It's a fact, in reference to England, we meant more to kids than Jesus did, or religion at that time. I wasn't knocking it or putting it down. I was just saying it, as a fact and it's true, more for England than here. I'm not saying we're better or greater or comparing us with Jesus Christ as a person or God as a thing, or whatever it is, you know, I just said what I said and it was wrong, or was taken wrong, and now it's all this!"
Interestingly, the questions fielded by the press on this very subject alone lasted between 5-10 minutes before moving onto other topics. Tony Barrow, the Beatles personal publicist who had witnessed the event, recalls how John Lennon had reacted to the situation: "The arrival in Chicago was auspicious from John's personal point of view because, that night in the hotel, for the first time perhaps, he personally faced the press....He was taking great responsibility for something he felt terribly bad about and was greatly concerned that this thing, taken completely out of context, should rebound. He did not blame, for instance, Maureen Cleave in the least because of the way he had told it to her. He was concerned that this whole thing could rebound on The Beatles. He was more frightened, really scared stiff, that night, more than at any other time I've seen him, because the whole thing fell on his shoulders."
Tony Barrow's comments are supported by Cynthia Lennon in her book, "A Twist of Lennon": "[I]n an interview John likened the Beatles to Jesus Christ. His truly honest assessment of their popularity offended the God-fearing, clean living Americans who lived in the Bible belt of America. His views were totally misconstrued. John was very bewildered and frightened by the reaction that his words created in the States. Beatle albums were burnt in a mass orgy of self-righteousness indignation. Letters arrived at the house full of threats, hate and venom."
August 15 August 26 August 29 September 20 October 17
November 19 November 24
THIS IS WHERE IT STARTED (lp) is
released (Metro Records)
The Beatles "Yellow Submarine" is #1 on Ottawa's CFRA Swing Set Survey
Beatles final U.S.A. performance held in San Francisco's
"Candlestick Park"
George Harrison in India; studies sitar with Ravi
Shankar
THE AMAZING BEATLES (lp) is released (Clarion Records)
Cash Box announces that the
Beatles will no longer do "live" appearances
Beatles begin recording SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS
CLUB BAND
December 16
"BEATLES FOURTH CHRISTMAS RECORD - PANTOMIME:
EVERYWHERE IT'S CHRISTMAS" is issued to fan club members
GRAMMY AWARDS (1966):
Song of the Year: "Michelle"
Best
Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance - Paul McCartney, "Eleanor Rigby"
Best
Album Cover Design - "Revolver" by Klaus Voorman
Tour Fact: "We'd done about 1,400 live shows and I certainly felt this was it," said George Harrison commenting on their last American concert at Candlestick Park. "It was nice to be popular, but when you saw the size of it, it was ridiculous, and it felt dangerous because everybody was out of hand. Even the cops were out of line....It was a very strange feeling. For a year or so I'd been saying, 'Let's not do this anymore.' And then it played itself out, so that by 1966 everybody was feeling, 'We've got to stop this.' I don't know exactly where in 1966, but obviously after the Philippines we thought, 'Hey, we've got to pack this in.'"
**1967**
January 1
Beatles resume work on SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB
BAND;
session ends April 2
January 21
Brian Epstein decides to merge with the Robert Stigwood
Organization which controls such bands as The Who, The Merseys and Cream. Brian
would retain sole control over the Beatles.
February 13
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER / PENNY LANE (single) is
released (Capitol Records)
Noted Atlanta psychiatrist Tom Leland would lament upon this single and the subsequent album, Sgt. Pepper, by describing Beatles new compositions as "speaking in an existential way about the meaninglessness of actuality."
February 24
Ottawa's CFRA Swing Set survey, the Beatles "Penny Lane"
is listed at the #1 chart position, nudging out the Rolling Stones "Ruby Tuesday" which
fell to second place.
March 11
446 recorded cover versions of "Yesterday" by various
artists - Disc & Music Echo reports.
May 1
EMI publicly announces total world sales of Beatle records,
including LP's, singles and EP's, have reached 200 million.
May 12
"A Whiter Shade of Pale" by the British
band Procul Harum is
released
“And with that period you can’t help think about us. Personally, I always think of Procol Harum. Everyone else thinks of me and the Fabs, but I think of Procol Harum, because to me ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ is the ultimte ‘60s record.”
“A Whiter Shade of Pale” earned many more accolades than just the praise of Ringo Starr. The song sold over 10 million copies after debuting in 1967 at the start of the so-called “Summer of Love.”
May 15
Paul McCartney meets his future wife, Linda Eastman, at the
Bag O'Nails.
May 19
What would be termed as "The Summer of Love" in 1967, the counter-culture movement gains momentum when the Strawberry Alarm Clock releases "Incense and Peppermints." Pop music reporter Jeff Tamarkin laments in a Best Classic Bands publication with the following remark:
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May 23
Two days prior to this date, advanced copies of SGT. PEPPER are sent to the B.B.C. radio
service. It is on this day, May 23, that the B.B.C. formally decides to ban "A Day In the Life" from
radio and television broadcasts because it
contained drug inducement themes in the song. The decision was made by Frank
Gillard, Director of Sound Broadcasting in a correspondence to Sir Joseph
Lockwood, Chairman of E.M.I. (see the Beatles Timeline entry of June 23,
1967, for Gillard's letter.)
June 2
SGT. PEPPERS LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (lp) is released
(Capitol Records)
Sunday Times reporter Derek Jewel hails Pepper as "a tremendous advance even
in the increasingly progress of the Beatles. Some of the words are splendid
urban poetry - almost metaphysical..."
(Cost to make Pepper: $100,000; studio
time used to record the lp: 700 hours)
The Beatles comment about the album...
Ringo Starr: "The original concept of Sgt. Pepper was that it was going to be stage show - you know, we start with clapping and people shouting and then I come on - and we were going to do it like theater; we'd do it in the studio and simulate it. We didn't in the end. We did it for the first couple of tracks and then it faded into an album - but it still made it a whole concept."
Paul McCartney: "...it doesn't have to be us, it doesn't have to be the kind of song you want to write, it could be the kind of song they might want to write...you could write a song about Lovely Rita, meter maid...Paul McCartney might not have...but these people could, so it was very liberating and that's how we looked at the whole thing."
George Harrison: "Klaus Voorman had a harmonium in his house, which I hadn't played before. I was doodling on it, just playing to amuse myself, when "Within You" started to come. The tune came first, then I got the first sentence. It came out of what we'd been discussing that evening."
John Lennon: "People just have this dream about Sgt. Pepper. It was good for then, but it wasn't that spectacular when you look back on it. I prefer some tracks off the double album and some tracks off Abbey Road. When you think back on Pepper, what do you remember? Just "A Day in the Life." You know, I go for individual songs, not for whole albums."
Beatles record producer, Sir George Martin (excerpt prologue from his book "Summer of Love"): "With Sgt. Pepper the Beatles held up a mirror to the world. And in this looking-class the world saw a brilliant reflection of its kaleidoscopic 1967 self. It saw not the shambolic and often absurd cavortings of the hippie movement, but its perfect image - an elegant ideal; not the sordid gutter land of drug addiction, but the intriguing possibility of creative substance abuse."
June 19
Paul announces to the media he has taken LSD four times.
The Daily Mirror quotes Paul as saying: "I don't regret that I've spoken out. I
hope my fans will understand..."
June 21
American evangelist Dr. Billy Graham slams Paul's use of
drugs: "I am praying for Paul that he finds what he is looking for...he has
reached the top of his profession and now he is searching for the true purpose
in life. But he will not find it through LSD."
June 25
"Our World TV Special" - ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE is seen live by satellite by 400
million viewers in 24 different countries, marking the first international
satellite broadcast.
July
17
ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE / BABY YOU'RE A RICH MAN (single) is
released (Capitol Records)
Brian Epstein's father, Harry, dies, aged sixty-three, while on holiday in Bournemouth.
July 24
The Beatles and Brian Epstein all sign their names to a
full page advertisement in The Times declaring "the law against marijuana is
immoral in principal and unworkable in practice." The list of names also
included a variety of authors, painters, and politicians.
July 28
Ottawa's CFRA Swing Set survey
reveals The Beatles doing a quantum
leap up in the charts with "All You Need Is Love" single at #2 position. The
previous week CFRA had it listed at #24 position.
"THE FAMILY WAY" movie premieres in New York with music from Paul McCartney and arranged by George Martin.
August 25
Beatles leave London's Euston Station and arrive at
Bangor, North Wales for mediation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
August 27
Brian Epstein dies in his home on 24 Chapel Street,
Belgravia, London, from drug overdose of sleeping pills.
Panic in the band
quickly settles in. John Lennon would later lament: "The Beatles were finished
when Eppy died. I knew, deep inside me, that that was it. Without him, we'd had
it." Paul McCartney, according to Beatles press agent Tony Barrow, felt that the
Beatles might not be together and so Paul quickly planned the "Magical Mystery
Tour" film project.
September 11
The band begins filming "Magical Mystery Tour"
October 17
Memorial service for Brian Epstein at the New London
Synagogue. All four Beatles attend.
October 27
HELLO GOODBYE / I AM THE WALRUS (single) is released
(Capitol Records)
November 8
"HOW I WON THE WAR" (movie) premieres in New York,
starring John Lennon who plays the part of Private Gripeweed.
November 27
MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (lp) is released (Capitol Records)
With Parlophone in England issuing a two disc EP package of Magical Mystery Tour listing all of the tracks especially recorded for the movie, the Capitol release in America not only contained those songs but also the additional hit singles from the band that made up the B-side of the album: "Hello Goodbye," "Strawberry Fields Forever," "Penny Lane," "Baby You're A Rich Man," and "All You Need Is Love." Those additional tracks made for a more complete album. It turned out to be a successful marketing strategy in the USA selling 2 million copies of the LP. The success would eventually make Parlophone release the American version in England. Said American Beatle researcher Bruce Spizer: "Nine years after the release of Capitol's Magical Mystery Tour LP, Parlophone issued the same album, even using the same Capitol master tapes, which included duophonic mixes of three of the songs! (When the album was issued on CD, true stereo mixes were used for all of the songs.)" The Capitol LP version was finally issued by Parlophone on November 19, 1976. The CD version was digitally re-mastered and released by Parlophone in 1987.
December 17
BEATLES CHRISTMAS RECORD: "CHRISTMAS TIME IS HERE
AGAIN" is issued to fan club members.
December 30
The Beatles "Hello Goodbye" is at the #1 slot on Billboard's Hot 100
GRAMMY AWARDS (1967):
Album of the Year - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely
Hearts Club Band, George Martin, producer
Best Contemporary Rock 'n' roll
Album - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, George Martin, producer
Best
Engineered (non-classical) Recording - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band,
Geoff Emerick, engineer
Best Album Cover - Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club
Band, Peter Blake, John Haworth, art directors.
March 18
LADY MADONNA / THE INNER LIGHT (single) is released
(Capitol Records)
March 22
The Beatles "Lady Madonna" first appears on
Ottawa's CFRA 580 Swing Set Survey at #14 position
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May 31
The Beatles begin recording THE BEATLES. Session concludes
October 14.
August 11
THINGUMYBOB (single) is released by the Black Dyke Mills
Band (Apple Records)
August 22
Ringo Starr walks out on the band while recording the
"White Album"
To commence on this day, the recording of "Back In the U.S.S.R." However, before the sessions would start, Ringo Starr decides to walk out on the band leaving John, Paul and George to record the track. Said Ringo: "I left because I felt two things: I felt I wasn't playing great, and I also felt the other three were really happy and I was an outsider." Ringo would rejoin the group on September 3rd. As a welcome back gesture from Mal Evans, flowers were decked out all around Ringo's drum kit before he arrived at the studio. Ironically, when he did return, there was nothing scheduled for him to do. On September 4th, Ringo and the other three Beatles are filmed by director Michael Lindsay-Hogg to promote their forthcoming single, "Hey Jude" b/w "Revolution". But Starr's actual studio performance at EMI did not occur until September 5th, adding drums and maracas for George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
August 23
Cynthia Lennon sues John Lennon for divorce
August 26
HEY JUDE / REVOLUTION (single) is released (Apple
Records) sells 6 million copies world-wide
Paul McCartney explains the origins of Hey Jude: "I'd known Cynthia for a long time, she was a good friend. When people like that are getting divorced you can't just blank the wife...I'd got this little thing of "Hey Jules". I was thinking of a nickname for Julian. 'Hey Jules, don't make it bad, take a sad song and make it better.' You Know, don't be too brought down by this divorce, lad, it'll be all right, kind of style."
Cynthia Lennon: "Paul was devastated by the break-up. He brought me a rose and offered marriage, as a joke. 'We'll show 'em, won't we, Cyn?' It was very touching, and on the way to the house he had written Hey Jude. It always brings tears to my eyes, that song."
September 8
Beatles perform HEY JUDE on David Frost TV show in
England. Frost chidingly dubs them as the "greatest tea-room orchestra in the
world."
September 14
New Musical Express reports gross sales for HEY JUDE
at $2,000,000
September 20
The Beatles "Hey Jude" hits the #1 slot on
Ottawa's CFRA 580 Swing Set Survey
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Also on this day: ATV buys close to 50% of Northern Songs publishing company
October 6 & 13
"Smothers Brothers Show" (USA) - re-broadcasts
"Hey Jude" and "Revolution" from David Frost Show
October 18
John & Yoko's flat is raided and they are charged
with possession of cannabis
October 27
On this date, Apple recording songstress Mary Hopkin performs
"Those Were The Days" live on the Ed Sullivan Show in New York City. The #1
mega hit release was produced by Paul McCartney and the song is written
and composed by Gene Raskin.
November 8
Cynthia Lennon is granted her divorce from
John
Cynthia (in a much later reflection on their divorce) had this to say: "...John had at last found his soul mate...Yoko did not take John away from me, because he had never been mine. He had always been his own man and had always done his own thing, as I had learned to do. I had grown to be independent of John. I was shocked, shattered and lost, but not weak."
November 11
UNFINISHED MUSIC NO. 1 - TWO VIRGINS (lp) by John &
Yoko, is released (Apple)
November 13
Motion Picture "Yellow Submarine" is released (running
time: 87 minutes)
A United Artist Release
An Apple film presentation
Screenplay by
Lee Minoff; Al Brodax; Jack Mendelssohn and Erich Sigal
Chief Designer: Heinz
Edelman
Animation Directors: Jack Stokes and Robert E. Balser
Special
effects: Charles Jenkins
Production Coordinator: Abe Goodman
Filmed in
color by Deluxe
The voices of Dick Emery, Lance Percival, Paul Angelus and
Sheila Danille
Based on a suggestion from John Lennon in a 3:00 a.m. phone call conversation with Al Brodax: "Wouldn't it be great if Ringo was followed down the street by a yellow submarine?"
November 22 (United States) + November 27 (Canada)
THE BEATLES (double lp, aka "WHITE ALBUM") is released
(Apple Records)
Paul McCartney: "The White Album. That was the tension album. We were all in the midst of the psychedelic thing, or just coming out of it. In any case, it was weird. Never before had we recorded with beds in the studio and people writing for hours on end; business meetings and all that. There was a lot of friction during that album...we were about to break up. And that was just tense in itself."
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• Paul McCartney states in The Beatles Anthology book that the idea of having each album individually numbered was Richard Hamilton's idea. "...he had the idea to number each album, which I thought was brilliant for collectors. You'd have 000001, 000002, 000003, and so on. If you got, for example, 000200 then that would be an early copy -- it was a great idea for sales." The Beatles Anthology reports that Ringo Star owns the first copy of the White Album. |
December 2
WONDERWALL MUSIC (lp sound-track for the movie
"Wonderwall") is released by George Harrison (Apple)
December 17
CANDY (movie) featuring Ringo Starr is premiered in New
York
December 20
"BEATLES 1968 CHRISTMAS RECORD" is issued to fan club
members
January 1
Beatles begin filming LET IT BE
January 10
George Harrison walks out on the band while working
on "Let It Be"
While it remains true in the film that Paul McCartney seemed to have gotten to George Harrison over a dispute in how to play chords on a number ("I'll play what you want me to play. Whatever it is that will please you, I'll do it," said Harrison) the real reason why George left (according to an October 2000 edition of Mojo magazine) was because of "John's obsession with Yoko deeply insulted Harrison. Lennon repeatedly refused to participate in group planning; on January 10, Harrison told Lennon he was leaving the band immediately." George would reconcile their differences a week later on the condition that they don't do a live concert abroad and to stop filming at the dreary Twickenham studios.
January 13
YELLOW SUBMARINE (lp) is released (Apple
Records)
January 20
Beatles resume filming the "Let It Be" sessions but this
time at Apple Headquarters, 3 Savile Row in their studio basement.
Excerpt from Apple's Deluxe "The Beatles Get Back" book describes atmosphere on the roof: "With the wind sweeping the roof and blowing through the Beatles' hair, it seemed as if the roof concert were occurring on ship deck, Paul stomping the wooden planks, middle aged men and women on an adjoining roof waiting for the boat to arrive, boys and girls on nearby buildings lying against the roof slopes and waving, the Beatles smiling and singing to each other in the wind: 'You can syndicate any boat you row.'" The Beatles performance ran about 40 minutes before the police arrived to stop the noisy noon disturbance.
February 3
Allen Klein appointed to look after the Beatles' affairs
by John, George and Ringo. Paul McCartney rejects the appointment, preferring
Lee Eastman, Linda Eastman's father.
March 12
Birth of the APPLE SCRUFFS. Female fans stalk 3 Savile
Row, Abbey Road, Trident and Olympic recording studios and the Beatles
homesteads waiting for an appearance of a Beatle. Recalls Apple Scruff Wendy:
"We only wanted to know them as people really, it was never a groupie kind of
thing. We didn't know what sex was all about....I thought these are my Beatles
and one day I'll be in the right place at the right time and it'll be wedding
bells."
George & Pattie Harrison's home is raided and they are charged with possession of cannabis.
Paul McCartney marries Linda Eastman at St. John's Wood Church in London. Reverend Noel Perry-Gore presides.
March 20
John & Yoko married in Gibraltar by Cecil Wheeler in
the British Consulate building
March 25 - 31
John & Yoko hold "Bed-in" in room 902 at
Amsterdam Hilton
John Lennon: "Our life is our art. That's what the bed-ins were. When we got married, we knew our honeymoon was going to be public anyway, so we decided to make a statement. We sat in bed and talked to reporters for seven days. It was hilarious."
March 31
George & Pattie Harrison fined in court for possession
of cannabis
April 1
John & Yoko appear in "a bag" while in Vienna
Playboy (1980 interview): "What about the reports of you making love
in a bag?"
Yoko Ono: "We never made love in a bag. People probably
imagined we were making love. It was just, all of us are in a bag, you know. The
point was the outline of the bag, the movement of the bag: how much we see of a
person. Inside there might be a lot going on. Or maybe nothing's going on." See
Bagism.
April 3
Billy Preston, brilliant keyboardist signs on with
Apple
George Harrison would later produce his first two albums on Apple: "That's The Way God Planned It" and "Encouraging Words". Billy would be used on the LET IT BE and ABBEY ROAD albums. George Martin would later acknowledge that Billy's musical contribution to those albums would act as "emollient" to buffer the on-going friction between band members.
George Harrison: "It's interesting to see how people behave nicely when you bring a guest in because they don't really want anybody to know that they are so bitchy...and told him [Billy] to come into Savile Row which he did. Straight away it just became 100 percent improvement in the vibe in the room."
Billy Preston (reflecting on how it all happened): "I was with Ray Charles in London and George was in the audience and he recognized me and called me the next day and invited me over to see the guys. When I went over, they were in the studio, you know, recording and filming and they asked me to sit in with them. It was a thrill enough just being there and playing with them. And I really didn't know about the label credit until the record was out," said Billy. "The record was a big surprise. I was at the Beatles' office, and John said, 'Look, Willy,' and he showed me the record. I looked, and it was great. Wow! It was really something to do that for me."
April 7
GOODBYE / SPARROW (single) by Mary Hopkins is released (Apple Records)
Credited as a Lennon-McCartney song, '"Goodbye" was written by Paul McCartney. "Goodbye" reached #13 in the United States; #3 in Canada's National Music Magazine RPM (compiled from record company, radio stations and record store reports) for June 9, 1969; and went #1 in Ireland and the Netherlands.
May 5
GET BACK / DON'T LET ME DOWN - featuring Billy Preston,
(single) is released (Apple Records).
May 24
The Beatles
"Get Back" continues to topple the number one hit position
as compiled by Ottawa radio station CFRA.
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May 25
John & Yoko arrive in Toronto and are
temporarily detained by Canadian Immigration authorities for over two and a half
hours because of Lennon's previous drug conviction. Canadian Immigration decides
to grant Lennon a 10-day stay in the country. While in Canada, the couples
activities spans from May 25 to June 5 and are headlined in major newspapers,
television media and radio.
May 26
John & Yoko hold "Bed-in" at Hotel La Reine Elizabeth,
room 1742, in Montreal
ELECTRONIC MUSIC (lp) is released by George Harrison
(Zapple Records)
UNFINISHED MUSIC NO. 2 - LIFE WITH THE LIONS (lp) is
released by John & Yoko (Zapple Records)
May 29
From
New York City, Howard Smith of "Village Voice" interviews John Lennon
and Yoko Ono, Bed-In Montreal.
Click on this link
to hear refreshingly candid remarks from the couple and Howard Smith
that epitomized the peace movement.
June 1
John & Yoko record "Give Peace A Chance" which would
become John's first solo record but still credited as a "Lennon/McCartney"
song.
See: Rabbi
Feinberg joins Beatle in song.
June 3
The Lennons visit Ottawa
John and Yoko leave Montreal and travel by train to Ottawa. The train ride takes 2 hours covering 110 miles (or 178 kilometers). The route has not changed significantly over the years since it was first built.
At about 5:30 p.m., John and Yoko convenes for a peace seminar at the Ottawa University Arts Building organized by Allan Rock, who today is now an Ambassador to the United Nations (previously he held several Canadian cabinet positions including Minister of Health, Minister of Justice and Minister of Industry.) A lively discussion on peace was held including panelist Prof. Colin Wells, vice-dean of the university of arts faculty along with Canadian actor Bruno Gerussi and Martin Loney, president of the Canadian Union of Students.
See details of their visit to
Ottawa with 15 rare exclusive photographs,
and follow in John's and
Yoko's footsteps on a tour of
Ottawa in 2001.
John and Yoko's visit to the city would only last several hours. The couple boards a train at 11:30 p.m. on this evening at the Ottawa Train station. They arrive the next morning at 6:30 a.m. at the Union Station in Toronto where the couple stayed at the Windsor Arms Hotel.
John is seen here carrying Yoko's 5-year old daughter Kyoko.
June 4
BALLAD OF JOHN & YOKO / OLD BROWN SHOE (single) is
released (Apple Records)
June 5
John and Yoko leaves Canada
On this date, John Lennon and Yoko Ono check out of the Windsor Arms Hotel in Toronto to catch a 9 p.m. flight to London, via Frankfurt. "We are very happy with the results of our visit and the Montreal bed-in," said John Lennon to reporter Ritichie Yorke for the Globe and Mail. "You can't change things overnight, but I believe we've made a lot of people think about peace. We're going to keep plugging away."
Yesterday's activities saw the Lennons head down to Niagara Falls to do a "film documentary footage on his visit to North America," wrote Yorke. Meanwhile, Allan Klein reported that The Ballad of John and Yoko had already sold 900,000 copies in the United States and was Number 10 on the English charts in one week.
June 28
NZBC in New Zealand bans offending words in The Ballad of John and Yoko
- censored version airs over the radio
Pirate Radio Hauraki plays the uncensored version much to the delight
of New Zealand Beatle fans. There is more media coverage on this topic
and an excellent video history of Radio Hauraki by clicking on this
link:
Pirate Radio Hauraki rules the waves.
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July 1
Beatles begin recording Abbey Road album
July 7
GIVE PEACE A CHANCE / REMEMBER LOVE (single) is released by
the Plastic Ono Band (Apple Records)
John Lennon: "We all have Hitler
in us, but we also have love and peace. So why not give peace a chance?"
July 12
Two
Beatle songs chart for the week of July 12, 1969 on Ottawa radio
CFRA 580: "The Ballad of John and Yoko" and "Get Back"
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August 20
The last time all four Beatles would record together in
studio.
According to author Barry Miles in his book "Many Years From Now",
the last track recorded by the band as a unit was "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
August 22
Last photographic session of the Beatles together.
September 5
September 13
CONCERT: "LIVE PEACE
IN TORONTO"
John & Yoko's second visit to Canada. At the Varsity Stadium in Toronto, the couple perform live with Eric Clapton, Klaus Voorman, and Alan White. Together, at this performance, the band records an Apple album later released as "The Plastic Ono Band -- Live Peace in Toronto 1969"
Mal Evans, the Beatles roadie recalls the event in an interview with Beat Publications in 1969: "It was the first show I had roadied for three years and I was really loving every minute of plugging the amps in and setting them up on stage, making sure that everything was right. Everyone wanted the show to go particularly well because Allan Klein, who had flown over, had organised for the whole of John's performance to be filmed. This was on top of it being video-taped by Dan Richter.
"Finally, at midnight, the compare, Kim Fowley, who is a well-known singer, producer and songwriter in his own right, went on stage to announce the Plastic Ono Band. He did a really great thing. He had all the lights in the stadium turned right down and then asked everyone to strike a match. It was a really unbelievable sight when thousands of little flickering lights suddenly shone all over the huge arena, " said Evens.
"Then John, Yoko, Eric, Allan and Klaus were on stage, and lined up just like the old Beatles set-up. Bass on the left, lead guitar next, then John on the right with the drummer behind. Each guitarist had two big speakers, one on either side of the stage, and the sound was really fantastic right from the moment they began. But just before they launched into their first number, John said quickly into the mike "We're just goin’ to do numbers we know, as we've never played together before". That was all. Just a brief word to put everyone in the picture.
"The whole show was recorded for a special album...and you will hear all this on the LP. After that, the boys gave a ten minute Press conference."
Mal Evans noted in the interview to Beat Publications that after they left Varsity stadium, the band piled into four cars and drove two hours until they reached the estate of Mr. Eaton, a wealthy Canadian businessman whose son had picked the band up after the show. The next day, for fun they got into golf-carts exploring the huge landscape that surrounded the estate. Ritchie Yorke, pop reporter for Toronto's Globe and Mail later wrote that John and Yoko spent a total of 36 hours in Canada before flying back to England.
September 17
"Paul Is Dead Hoax" starts up in America
Originating from Des Moines Iowa when Tim Harper, a college editor, writes an article for the schools "Drake Times-Delphic" entitled: "Is Beatle Paul McCartney Dead?" On October 12, WKNR-FM picks up on the story from a phone caller revealing "hidden clues" in Beatle songs. The Chicago Sun-Times later covers the story on October 21. Paul would later appear on the front cover of LIFE Magazine (November 7) with an interview by John Neary entitled "The Case of the 'Missing Beatle': Paul is still with us."
September 20
John Lennon announces to the others that he is
leaving the band
Author Barry Miles in his book "The Beatles: A Diary" explains that as Paul attempted to discuss Beatle matters, John Lennon kept saying "No, no, no" to everything Paul suggested. Paul asked John what he meant by "no". John replied: "I mean the group is over. I’m leaving. Allen was saying don't tell. He didn't want me to tell Paul even. So I said 'It’s out.' I couldn’t stop it, it came out. Paul and Allen both said that they were glad that I wasn't going to announce it, that I wasn’t going to make an event out of it." Lennon's announcement never made it to the press because of their newly negotiated royalty contract they signed with EMI.
October 1
ABBEY ROAD (lp) is released (Apple Records)
This is the
Canadian release date.
October 6
SOMETHING / COME TOGETHER (single) is released (Apple
Records)
Contrary to the popular belief that Something was released as a money-maker, the real reason for giving George Harrison his first A-side to this single was to inspire him on as a composer. For in 1990, Beatle historian Mark Lewisohn received a letter from Allen Klein which reads as follows: "It was done on purpose, not to make money but to help the guy," wrote Klein. "Lennon wanted to help him. He knew that for all intents and purposes for a period of time they weren't going to be working together anymore. Something was a great song. But to make money? Not a chance. It was really to point out George as a writer, and give him courage to go in and do his own LP. Which he did."
October 20
WEDDING ALBUM (lp) is released by John & Yoko (Apple
Records)
COLD TURKEY / DON'T WORRY KYOKO (single) is released by the Plastic
Ono Band (Apple Records)
November 26
John Lennon returns his M.B.E. to the Queen. He does
this as a political protest against Britain's involvement in Biafra and also
because his solo single, "Cold Turkey" was quickly slipping down the music
charts
December 9
John and Yoko formally requests to have a meeting with Canadian Prime
Minister Trudeau during the month of December
December 12
The Plastic Ono Band: LIVE PEACE IN TORONTO 1969 (lp)
is released by John & Yoko (Apple Records)
December 16
John and Yoko arrive in Canada at Toronto's
International Airport. The Lennons
third visit to Canada was brokered by Ritchie Yorke. In his book, "Axes,
Chops & Hot Licks - The Canadian Rock Music Scene" that was published in
1971, he recalled how the arrangement came about: "In London, in December 1969,
I found myself in the office of John and Yoko Lennon discussing their
forthcoming peace campaign in Canada. The Lennons needed somewhere to stay
during their visit to Toronto, and I suggested the Hawkins estate. Lennon needed
a quiet spot, well away from the never ending assaults of the press; he enjoyed
the company of rock 'n' rollers; and it appeared that the visit might provide
the attention needed to get Hawkins' career back into the orbit
internationally."
For the next 6 days, John and Yoko become houseguests with pop rock star Ronnie Hawkins. "Ah'm friends with the people promoting this peace festival," said Hawkins in his Arkansas accent. "And John and Yoko don't like hotels, so they phoned me from London an' asked if they could stay here while it was being organized. They were wonderful, great. Ah was very honored."
Hawkins would refer here to the proposed Mosport Peace Festival that was to be held from July 3-5. The event was being organized by rock promoter John Brower, the same person who had John and Yoko perform at Varsity Stadium in Toronto.
Also on this date, John Lennon and Yoko Ono decide to put up on eleven billboards in major cities from around the world, the following slogan:
Click on the above image for a larger picture. Used with permission from Michael McLuhan.
Pop journalist Ritchie Yorke lamented on the historical importance of the peace campaign: "John totally believed that love could save us. He thought that if one person really stood up, things could be changed. I've never seen anyone so committed to a cause, regardless of the cost. If he thought his actions would serve a purpose, he didn't give a damn if they cost a lot of money or if they offended anyone's sensibilities. The guy was amazingly open-minded; we used to sit around thinking of things to do in the peace campaign, and he never ruled out anything. At one point, somebody decided that the way dates were broken up into B.C. and A.D. was ridiculous, that we should start all over with YEAR ONE A.P., which was AFTER PEACE. John didn't think that was too far fetched; he threw himself into the campaign."
Click here for a photo of John and Yoko.
December 19
"BEATLES SEVENTH CHRISTMAS RECORD" is issued to fans
club members
December 22
John Lennon and Yoko Ono arrive by train and arrive in
Montreal "just to say hello". A press conference is held at Chateau Champlain
Hotel. There it is revealed that the Lennon spent $72,000 anti-war billboards
and that he would "send the bill for his ads and posters to U.S. President
Richard Nixon," wrote the Canadian Press.
And although not known to the Montreal press at the time, probably the real reason for John and Yoko arriving in Montreal was to hold talks with two representatives from the Le Dain Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs: Ian L. Campbell and Dr. Heinz Lehmann.
The Le Dain Commission of Inquiry was the Canadian government's response to the concern over the use of illicit drugs and the need to obtain more information about some of them, in particular cannabis, LSD, and prescription drugs such as tranquillizers and amphetamines. The inquiry was officially announced in the House of Commons on May 1, 1969, by John Munro, Minister for Health and Welfare. (see also: January 19 and May 17, 2003, entry in this timeline for John Lennon's official testimony.)
December 23
John & Yoko meet with
Canadian Prime Minister Pierre
Trudeau which lasted 50 minutes. John declares to the Canadian press about
his pro-active peace movement: "Peace is no violence, no frustration, no fear,"
John Lennon said in a C.B.C. interview, "If I smile at you, you're liable to
smile back. We're smiling at the world." On this day,
John & Yoko also meet with
Canadian Health and Welfare Minister John Munro to discuss the drug
culture of the times.
Both John and Yoko on this date would later fly back to Toronto from Ottawa and while on board the plane, they accidentally meet Lester B. Pearson, a former Canadian Prime Minister and Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his diplomatic achievement: the proposal of sending United Nations peacekeeping force to the Suez Canal area. Shortly after arriving in Toronto, the couple head back to England by plane.
GRAMMY AWARD (1969):
Best Engineered
(Non-Classical Recording) - The Beatles "Abbey Road", Geoff Emerick, engineer.
January 6
TEMMA HARBOUR/LONTANO
DAGLI OCCHI (single) is released (Apple Records)
January 10
Phraseology: "Year One A.P.
(After Peace)" coined by John Lennon
 |
February 25
Mosport Peace Festival Canceled
"After an argument over whether or not a charge should be made for admission, John and Yoko disassociate themselves from the planned Toronto Peace Festival, due to take place 3-5 July. It doesn't," wrote Mark Lewisohn in his book "The Beatles Day by Day."
Interestingly enough, printed on March 25 for newsstand sales until April 16, 1970, RollingStone Magazine gives John Lennon's response about the cancellation after a query was made to him from the publisher. "In the early stages we weren't sure whether the show would be free or not," said Lennon. "There was a lot of talk about the Stones' disaster and we were swayed into thinking maybe if it's free, people would have less respect or some such bullshit. However, Brower and Yorke persuaded us to come to Canada and 'announce the peace festival,' which we did in our usual way.
"Later, when we were in retreat in Denmark, we began thinking, 'Why shouldn't it all be free? Surely they can hustle some big firms or something to put up the money," exclaimed Lennon. "And anyway, it looked like the national and local government were interested. Wouldn't it be a great plug for 'Young Canada' -- and the tourist trade?"
However, promoter John Brower on at least on particular point disagrees about the two levels of government cooperating together for the Mosport Peace Festival: "We had tremendous problems with the Ontario government at the time," he said to William Ruhlmann of Goldmine Magazine, "which was a Conservative [Party] government, as opposed to the federal government, which was Liberal [Party]. And since the prime minister of Canada was Liberal and had met with Lennon, therefore the Conservative government was against the festival, because they felt that if it was staged in Ontario it would make the Liberal prime minister look good, and they didn't want to do that."
Brower also went on to say that Lennon "gave us every opportunity to 'Get it together, man,' so to speak, and when we were not able to get a site together and we were not able to consummate financing that would allow us to put the festival on in a way that John felt was most appropriate, he walked away from it."
February 26
HEY JUDE (THE
BEATLES AGAIN) (lp) is released (Apple Records)
March 1
"Ed Sullivan Show" - From the Let
It Be movie, two film clips are presented to the viewing audience: "TWO OF US"
and "LET IT BE"
March 11
LET IT BE / YOU KNOW MY NAME
(LOOK UP THE NUMBER) (single) is released (Apple Records)
April 20
McCARTNEY (lp) is released by
Paul McCartney (Apple Records)
April 24
SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY (lp) is
released by Ringo Starr (Apple Records)
May 4
IN THE BEGINNING (Circa 1960) (lp)
is released (Polydor Records)
May 11
THE LONG AND WINDING ROAD / FOR YOU BLUE (single) is
released (Apple Records)
The orchestral score for "The Long and Winding Road" was conducted and arranged by Richard Hewson and not scored by Phil Spector as some Beatle fans would assume. Hewson also did the orchestral score for Mary Hopkin's "Those Were The Days", "Goodbye" and her album "Postcard". He would later do the same for McCartney's "Thrillington" album.
"The Long and Winding Road" single sells 1,200,000 copies within two days.
May 18
LET IT BE (lp) is released (Apple
Records) (before its release, the album had 3,700,000 advance orders)
May 20
MOTION PICTURE: "Let It Be" is
released (running time: 80 minutes)
An Apple production released through United Artists
Produced by: Neil Aspinall
Directed by: Michael Lindsay-Hogg, Yoko Ono,
Linda Eastman
Photography: Tony Richmond, Les Parrott and Paul Bond
Edited
by: Tony Lenny and Graham Gilding
Sound Technicians: Peter Sutton, Roy
Mingaye and Ken Reynolds
Sound Engineers: Glyn Johns, Malcolm Evans
Filmed
in 16mm and blown up to 35mm for commercial distribution
Filmed in
Technicolor
MPAA rating: G
Cast: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George
Harrison, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston and Yoko Ono
The Beatles comment on how the band had broken up:
John Lennon (interview with David Wigg, PBR Records): "The Beatles were disintegrating slowly after Brian Epstein died - and it was a slow death. It was happening: it was evident on "Let It Be"...it was evident in India when George and I stayed there and Paul and Ringo left. And it was evident on the "White Album, you know..."
Paul McCartney (interview from Musician & Player on "When did the Beatles bubble burst?"): "About a year before the Beatles broke up, I suppose...friction came in, business things came in, relationships between each other. We were all looking for like...people in our lives, like, John had found Yoko. It made it very difficult. He wanted a very strong intimate life with her, at the same time, we always reserve the intimacy for the group. So we're starting to find those things flashing at you - with Yoko. You had to understand, he had to have time with her. But, does he have to have that much time with her was the sort of feeling in the group. And, uhm, so these things started to create in movable objects and pressures that was just too big."
Ringo Starr (interview from Anthology): "You know Allan, a lot of days even with all the craziness it really works still. Instead of working every day, it worked like two days a month, you know, and then there were still good days, we were still really close friends, then it would split up again into some madness."
George Harrison (interview from Anthology): "I just like spent like the last six months producing an album of the fellow Jackie Lomax and hanging out with Bob Dylan and The Band in Woodstock and having a great time and for me to come into the Winter of discontent with the Beatles in Twickenham was very unhealthy and very unhappy....I thought I'm quite capable of being relatively happy on my own and if I'm not able to be happy in this situation, you know, I'm getting out of here."
Beatles record producer, Sir George Martin (excerpt from Canadian Music Week, television broadcast, 1998): "John got very heavily into drugs and his relationship with Yoko was very disruptive with everybody because...I mean, at one point she was always at the sessions -- her very presence was disturbing. She wasn't even introduced to me until four weeks into this, you know. At one point she was ill and John insisted on bringing her bed into the studio so she could lie there ill and watch us make records, and that isn't the best atmosphere to make a record." And, "What upset me most of all, wasn't the fact that I was losing control, which I was, but the fact that they were fighting so much amongst each other. I mean, at one point, John and George actually hit each other - they had a fist fight. And it was very sad because they were such mates. And John was acting very strange at that time...the Let It Be thing..."
December 18
BEATLES CHRISTMAS ALBUM is
issued to fans club members only. Compiled on the album were all the previous
holiday greetings (45 r.p.m. singles) done by the group and becomes the final
yuletide gift. This album was distributed by "Beatles (U.S.A.) Limited,
Headquarters of the Beatles Fan Club." The fan club's central registry was Radio
City Station, PO Box 505, New York, N.Y. 10019.
December 30
Paul McCartney begins legal
procedures to end the Beatles partnership. The band is estimated to be worth
about $100 million at the end of the year.
GRAMMY AWARD (1970):
Best Original Score Written for A Motion Picture or TV Special, The
Beatles "Let It Be."
Note: Only
Paul and Linda
McCartney appeared on stage at the Grammy's to pick up the awards on behalf
of the Beatles
April 15
MOTION PICTURE "LET IT
BE" GETS AN OSCAR!
On this date the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences gives the nod to the Beatles and awards them with an Oscar for "Best Film Music-Original Film Score". This is the only time the Beatles ever won an Oscar and this feat has never been duplicated during their individual solo careers. The award was presented at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in Los Angeles.
November 23
All
female band "Fanny" from the United States of America covers "Hey
Bulldog"
Honourable mention: On this date Beat Club, a German music program which ran from September 25, 1965 to December 9, 1972, presents "Fanny's" cover version of "Hey Bulldog." Wikipedia writes that Fanny was one of the "first all-female rock groups to achieve critical and commercial success, including two Billboard Hot 100 Top 40 singles." Pop icon David Bowie once declared: "They were extraordinary: they wrote everything, they played like motherfuckers, they were just colossal and wonderful, and nobody's ever mentioned them. They're as important as anybody else who's ever been, ever; it just wasn't their time." Fanny paved the way for later female groups such as the Go-Go's, the Bangles and the Runnaways. These bands have acknowledged Fanny as being a key influence in the development of their musical career.
In 1969 music producer Richard Perry signed the band to Reprise Records and the original members rocked together on five albums: Fanny (1970); Charity Ball (1971); Fanny Hill (1972); Fanny Live In 1972 (eventually released in 1998); Mothers Pride (1973). The band's final album from that period (minus original band members June Millington and Alice de Buhr) was entitled Rock and Roll Survivors (1974). Here then, is a list of "Fanny" band members:
| Original
line-up: June Millington: Guitar, vocals Jean Millington: Bass guitar, vocals Nickey Barclay: Keyboards, vocals Alice de Buhr, Drums, vocals Later members: Patti Quatro: Guitar, vocals Brie Howard: Drums, vocals Cam Davis: Drums, vocals Wendy Haas: Keyboards, vocals Padi Moschetta: Percussion, vocals |
As you can tell from the above video, these are "real women playing real music" in 1971. David Bowie mentioned that the girl band could write their own music and there may have been some spill over when Fanny recorded "Hey Bulldog." The band cleverly writes an additional verse to the song: "Hedgehog, rubbing in the sand. Bullfrog, giving him a hand. Some kind of attitude is measured out inside. You think you're going but you haven't got a ride." This was a great improvisation that turned it into a longer song! Well done Fanny!
For more information about the band, please visit their Official Fanny Website.
See also a great interview with June Millington dated October 28, 2021 on NBC News NOW entitled: "NEW DOCUMENTARY CELEBRATES FANNY, PIONEERING ALL-WOMAN ROCK BAND." The documentary is produced by Bobbi Jo Hart and is appropriately called "Fanny: The Right To Rock."
**1973**
March
31
Allen Klein's contract and his company ABCKO with John, George and
Ringo expires and is not renewed
April 2
THE BEATLES / 1962-1966 (double
lp) is released
THE BEATLES / 1967-1970 (double lp) is released
June 28
Allen Klein and ABCKO
sue John Lennon for a total of $508,000 over allegedly unrepaid loans
November
2
Three Beatles sue Allen Klein
Unhappy with the past business management practices by Allen Klein, John, George and Ringo decide on legal proceedings against their former manager. According to Allen J. Wiener, author of "The Beatles - The Ultimate Recording Guide" wrote that the three Beatles "fired Allen Klein and sued ABKCO (his company) in High Court over payments due The Beatles. Klein then countersued for $19 million claiming that he was due unpaid fees. When the suits were settled on Jan 10, 1977, Klein paid The Beatles $800,000 and The Beatles paid ABKCO between $1 million and $5 million. Klein had also sued Paul for $34 million, but that suit was thrown out of court. Klein was later sentenced in New York to two months in prison and a $5,000 fine for tax offences. Klein's approaching departure from Apple ushered in a period of renewed goodwill among The Beatles."
January 9
Judge rules in McCartney's
favor and the Beatles are "officially dissolved."
July 17
Ringo Starr and Maureen Starkey
are divorced
GRAMMY AWARDS: "Hall of Fame" - The Beatles
May 7
Beatles bodyguard and roadie, Mal
Evans, dies tragically from police gunfire
May 31
GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE /
HELTER SKELTER (single) is released (Capitol Records)
June 11
ROCK 'N' ROLL MUSIC (double lp)
is released (Capitol Records)
November 8
OB-LA-DI; OB-LA-DA / JULIA
(single) is released (Capitol Records)
May 4
THE BEATLES AT THE HOLLYWOOD BOWL
(lp) is released (Capitol Records)
June 9
George and Pattie Harrison are
divorced
June 13
THE BEATLES LIVE! AT THE
STAR-CLUB IN HAMBURG, GERMANY: 1962 (double lp) is released (Lingasong Records)
October 21
LOVE SONGS (lp) is released
(Capitol Records)
September 2
George Harrison marries
Olivia Arias
October
Paul Is Dead Retrospective Is
Aired
"I told you about the walrus and me,
man
You know we're as close as can be, man
Well here's another clue for you all
The walrus was Paul."
- John Lennon, "Glass Onion" from The
Beatles White Album
Click on the above CFNY-FM logo and listen to the original broadcast that Dave Marsden did with John Small!
December 1
THE BEATLES COLLECTION (LPs)
is released (Capitol Records)
A Boxed Set of 12 Original British Albums which
included one new bonus disc
January 16
Paul McCartney arrested in
Japan. He is jailed for 10 days for possession of marijuana
March 24
RARITIES (lp) is released
(Capitol Records)
November 28
John Lennon legally
supports
"The Long and Winding Road project"
Keith Badman's book entitled: "The Beatles After The Breakup: 1970-1980" states that John Lennon, just shortly before the fateful day of December 8, submitted a sworn deposition against the producers of "Beatlemania" citing his personal interest regarding his future plans to involve himself with a Beatles documentary entitled "The Long And Winding Road" (later renamed as: "The Anthology" as suggested by George Harrison) along with a reunion concert as a tie-in to that project. Keith Badman reports that on Friday, November 28, 1980: "As part of a legal deposition for Apple Corps against the producers of the 'Beatlemania' stage show, John states today that: 'I and the three other former Beatles have plans to stage a reunion concert', an event to be filmed and included as the finale to The Long and Winding Road, an official Beatles produced documentary to be released in the mid-Eighties. (John's deposition will not be made public until the case is settled on June 4, 1986-see entry)."
December 8
John Lennon is tragically
gunned downed by a deranged fan
(sentenced to life imprisonment on August 21,
1981)
WHAT THE IMMEDIATE BEATLE FAMILY SAID:
YOKO ONO: "Sean cried. He also said, "Now Daddy is part of God. I guess when you die you become bigger, a part of everything." "John loved and prayed for the human race. Please do the same for him."
CYNTHIA LENNON TWIST: "I would like to say how terribly upset we are at the sudden and tragic death of John Lennon. I have always had the deepest affection for John since the divorce and have always encouraged his relationship with Julian, which I thought was the best. Julian, of course, is particularly upset about it. It came so suddenly. Julian remained very close to his father in recent years and is hoping to follow a career in music. He was looking to his father for guidance. Julian was hoping to see his father shortly. We don't know what will happen now."
PAUL McCARTNEY: "I can't take it at the moment. John was a great guy. He's going to be missed by the whole world."
GEORGE HARRISON: (George was incommunicado, but used a spokesperson) - "We are deeply shocked here and I imagine George is, too."
RINGO STARR: (Too upset to talk to the press, he too, used a spokesperson) - "He is extremely shocked. He doesn't want to say anymore."
CHUCK BERRY: "He had a white face but a black man's soul".
MICK JAGGER: "...shattered...I knew and liked John for eighteen years. But I don't want to make a casual remark now at such an awful time for his family, millions of fans and friends."
SID BERNSTEIN: "...so brilliant, so gifted, so giving. He was Bach, Beethoven, the Rachmaninoff of our time."
DAVID GEFFEN: "This is a great loss in every possible way. John Lennon was a great artist, a wonderful father and a wonderful husband."
PRESIDENT JIMMY CARTER: "John Lennon helped create the mood and the music of the time...I am saddened by his death and distressed by the senseless manner of it."
MAYOR EDWARD KOCH OF NEW YORK: "John Lennon profoundly affected his generation. His music and that of the Beatles was worldwide in importance. Every death of someone of John Lennon's stature intensifies this trauma. We mourn his loss."
ELLIE GREENWICH (who wrote "Be My Baby"): "It's a sin he was taken away from us. He was a tremendous talent. What he gave to the world can't be comprehended."
NORMAN MAILER: "We have lost a genius of the spirit."
FRANK SINATRA: "It was a staggering moment when I heard the news. Lennon was a most talented man and, above all, a gentle soul."
MURRAY THE "K": "The thing that impressed me about John Lennon in particular was his honesty. He was truthful. He told you what you felt. The man also had a tremendous amount of empathy. I remember when I was having a few problems. I had been Murray the K, a celebrity in my own right, for years before the Beatles came along. Now it seemed that everyone identified me only with them. John and I had a long talk about it. He encouraged me a lot. I also remember John's courage. He came out against the Vietnam War before most other entertainers. He also fought a deportation hearing because he wanted to stay in America. I was proud to be with him in that battle."
Read also: Lennon dreamed for us all + 5000 in Ottawa say farewell
April 27
Five years after his divorce,
Ringo marries actress Barbara Bach
March 22
REEL MUSIC (lp) is released
(Capitol Records)
MOVIE MEDLEY / I'M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH YOU (single) is released (Capitol Records)
October 11
20 GREATEST HITS (lp) is
released (Capitol Records)
May 18
East
Germany's first book on the Beatles became an instant hit
August 10
Michael Jackson buys up
publishing rights of the Beatles music for $47 million
March 7
PAST MASTERS VOLUME 1 & 2
(cd) is released (Capitol Records)
GRAMMY AWARD: Lifetime Achievement Award, John Lennon
GRAMMY AWARD: Lifetime Achievement Award: Paul McCartney
John Lennon is inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, performers category
November 30
THE BEATLES LIVE AT THE
B.B.C. (double cd) is released (Apple Records)
December 30
Maureen Starkey (ex-wife of
Ringo) passes away.
September 8 - 10
The
first Ottawa Beatles
Convention, organized by Alan Chrisman.
This triggered the founding of the
Ottawa Beatles Site in 1996.
November 19, 21, 22
THE BEATLES
ANTHOLOGY
The BBC, and United States ABC television present mini-series special. The special would been seen in 94 different countries.
Derek Taylor: "The Beatles Anthology is a collection of reminiscences by the individual members of the Beatles including John."
November 21
THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY VOL. 1
(double cd) is released (Apple Records)
December 12
FREE AS A BIRD / I SAW HER
STANDING THERE / THIS BOY / CHRISTMAS TIME (IS HERE AGAIN) (single) is released
(Apple Records). Single achieves Gold Record status.
Paul McCartney (reaction to the recording): "At first a couple of pundits were kind of saying "They shouldn't attempt this", so it was really nice when we got the idea to try and take a 'John track' because it was much more satisfying. It was like, "Oh, John's goanna be there! Oh, thank God for that! It's goanna be all right now...we're all together again." Once we got that part of the equation, it was actually very easy and joyous. It was really a good laugh. We had a laugh with each other, and it was really good to reunite and to see your old mates again and to be making music together."
**1996**
March 5
REAL LOVE / BABY'S IN BLACK /
YELLOW SUBMARINE / HERE, THERE, AND EVERYWHERE (single) is released (Apple
Records).
Single achieves Gold Record status
ll
March 19
THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY VOL. 2
(double cd) is released (Apple Records)
(Beatles "Anthology, Vol. 1 and 2" go
on to sell 13 million double albums)
June 15
"Sir George Martin" Queen
Elizabeth gives a title of nobility to Beatles Record producer, George Martin
Here is how Sir George Martin reacted to the honor: "When I got the bop on the lobe and was made a knight, I was completely shattered. In fact, according to my wife, when I got the letter notifying me, I went very pale and had to sit down. So I passed her the letter. She went went white and sat down, too. It's a great honor. But in the end, you're still the same person."
October 29
THE
BEATLES ANTHOLOGY VOL. 3 (double cd) is released (Apple
Records)
December 30
"Sir Paul McCartney" Queen
Elizabeth gives a title of nobility to Paul McCartney along with composer Andrew
Lloyd Webber.
GRAMMY AWARDS (1996):
Best music video
(short-form): "FREE AS A BIRD"
Best music video (long-form): "BEATLES
ANTHOLOGY"
Best pop performances by a duo or group: "FREE AS A BIRD"
September 13
GEORGE MARTIN PRODUCES
HIS 13th U.K. NUMBER #1 HIT SINGLE
While this production by George Martin was not a Beatle track, "Candle in the Wind" which was Elton John's tribute to Diana, Princess of Wales, becomes a milestone for George Martin: On this date, 600,000 copies of the song are sold in England making it the first single in history to enter the U.K. charts at No. 1. Internationally "Candle" sold at least 8 million copies. Said George Martin: "It became my last No. 1 and probably my last single. It's not a bad one to go out on."
April 17
Linda McCartney (wife to Paul)
passes away.
October 20
SIR GEORGE MARTIN RELEASES
FINAL ALBUM: "IN MY LIFE"
**1999**
Sir George Martin is inducted into the
Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, non-performers category;
Sir Paul McCartney is
inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame, performers category.
August 30
300,000 fans show
up with 150 different bands performing music to help launch "Yellow Submarine
Day" in Liverpool
September 18
YELLOW
SUBMARINE SONG TRACK (cd/movie) released (Apple/Capitol) (MGM-movie)
Yellow Submarine movie is refurbished. Roger Catlin of the Los Angeles Times reported that restoration expenses to the movie reached the allotted $1-million budget and for the first time, the Beatles release a theatrical remix DVD version using 5.1 Surround Sound
September 30
Twenty lines of John
Lennon's "I Am the Walrus" lyrics are auctioned off at Christie's for $129,000
to an anonymous telephone bidder. Also, George Harrison's 1962 Rickenbacker
guitar is also sold at Christie's to an anonymous bidder for $92,000
December 30
GEORGE AND OLIVIA HARRISON
ARE ATTACKED
3:00 a.m.: George Harrison and his wife Olivia are awoken by the shattering of glass. While George begins to proceed down to the ground floor room to investigate, Olivia alerts the staff on the intercom. George discovers that a 33-year-old knife-wielding intruder has entered his Friar Park mansion. George confronts the attacker first in an exchange of words but cannot determine the intruders identity. Harrison then tackles the intruder in an effort to subdue him but gets stabbed in the chest. George slumps to the floor and screams out. Upon hearing the screams, Olivia runs downstairs while their son Dhani emerges. The attacker spots Olivia on the landing and steps over George’s body and starts to move toward her. At this point, Olivia picks up a very heavy brass base -- a lamp, and yelled at the attacker. She manages to take the lamp and smashes it across the assailants head, but in the exchange, Olivia receives cuts to her forehead and hands. Miraculously, Olivia's blow to the assailants head was hard enough to cause him to stagger up to the landing where he collapsed and allowing them to detain the attacker. By this time, the police are well on their way to Friar Park after a staff member alerted authorities by phone. Thames Valley Police arrive and they arrest the suspect. George and Olivia are rushed to the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading. Olivia is treated for minor injuries and is released but George Harrison would be transferred just before 3:00 p.m. to the Harefield Hospital in west London where he would be treated for a minor collapse of the right lung. There, George would remain in stable condition with Olivia and their son Dhani staying by his bedside during the night. George Harrison would be released from hospital on January 1. The suspect is formally charged with two counts of attempted murder. His next court appearance would be scheduled for February 11.
Sir Paul McCartney: "Thank God that both George and Olivia are all right. I send them all my love. I have no further comment to make."
Ringo Starr: "Both Barbara and I are deeply shocked that this has occurred. We send George and Olivia all our love and wish George a speedy recovery."
Sir George Martin: "I am shocked and naturally appalled by this....George leads a very quiet life...He’s very down to earth. He likes nothing more than doing his garden....George is a very peaceful person who hates violence of any kind."
Yoko Ono: "My heart goes out to George, Olivia and Dhani, and I hope he will recover quickly."
Update: The attacker's date for his first trial hearing was postponed so that a more in-depth psychiatric assessment could be made of the accused. The attacker eventually pleads not guilty by reason of insanity. The actual trial date commenced on November 14, 2000, at Oxford Crown Court and lasted for two days. During the hearing, medical testimony was submitted from three different psychiatrists supporting their position that the attacker was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia since 1990. Based on the evidence presented during the hearing, Judge Michael Astill instructed the jurors to find the accused innocent by reason of insanity. The jurors acquiesced to the judges request. Judge Michael Astill then ordered the assailant to be held in a mental hospital "without time restriction" and must gain the approval of a mental health tribunal if he seeks release.
December 31
At the Dome in
Greenwich, London, the Beatles song "All You Need Is Love" is sung by performers
to herald in the New Millennium. The Domes' creative director Mark Fisher claims
the song was chosen since "It expresses the sentiment we all share for the
future of the planet, our children and ourselves."
August 1
THE BEATLES BECOME THE TOPPER
MOST OF THE POPPER MOST:
"THE FAB FOUR STAND FIRM AS HIGHEST CERTIFIED
ARTISTS!"
Reporter Christina Saraceno of Rolling Stone.com writes: "Forget all the rock/rap hybrids and teen pop that are ruling the Soundscan charts -- more than forty years after their formation, the Beatles have six albums that hit new multi-platinum (sales of one million) heights, according to the Recording Industry Association of America's July certifications.
"The White Album" led the pack at eighteen million, making it one of the seven highest certified albums of all time. Right behind The Beatles ("The White Album") are The Beatles 1967-1970 at fifteen million, The Beatles 1962-1966 at fourteen million, Magical Mystery Tour at six million, Revolver at five million and Love Songs at three million. The July certifications bring the Beatles' totals up to 113.5 million units, solidifying their spot as the highest certified artists in history.
With 340,000 words and 1,300 images spread out over 368 pages, The Beatles first memoir is released by Chronicle Books on this date. Matt Hurwitz of Good Day Sunshine magazine in an interview with Edna Gundersen of USA Today, reports the Anthology as "a well-put-together book that certainly worth the price. The four most important pop-culture icons of the past several decades finally tell their own story and set the record straight," he says. "Funny thing is, they have different recollections."
In that same report, leading Beatle historian Martin Lewis had this to say about the Beatles Anthology book: "It's an absolute joy to possess....It's an auto-chronology, in the tradition of an oral history. People react differently when responding in spoken word to posed questions. It's the difference between recollection and reflection. The Beatles have made such a deep impact on society and history and culture, they owe it to themselves to place their immense contribution in perspective."
The USA Today report revealed that 75% of attendees at Los Angeles and New York Beatle Conventions are under the age of 25. With such a captivating interest held today by the younger generation regarding The Beatles and their music, Martin Lewis related that this group of Beatle fans will also embrace the new book: "Cynics, all these Blue Meanies, claim The Beatles appeal only to boomers", Lewis says, "But young people like the music and understand the message. You can be Dionysian, like the Stones or Eminem, and be negative and aggressive, or you can be Apollonian, like The Beatles, and engage with the noblest part of the human spirit. That never goes out of fashion, because it's natural to yearn for things to be better."
October 14
"THE BEATLES ANTHOLOGY"
tops New York Times bestseller list
As reported in Rolling Stone.com by Andrew Dansby: "Anyone who thinks Beatlemania died with the birth of the Seventies is mistaken. The Beatles Anthology hit stores a week ago to reams of press and scores of eager buyers, enough to send the book to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. A sixty dollar price tag for the coffee-table book didn't seem to have any affect on Anthology's sales as the book outsold all non-fiction hardcovers on the Times' Oct. 22-28 bestseller list, even besting the debut of Stephen King's latest book, the anticipated On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft.
With an initial printing of 300,000...the book has been moving in numbers large enough to put it atop Barnes & Noble.com's list of bestsellers. A more telling statistic is the book's life in independent bookstores. One of New York City's finest independent booksellers, Coliseum Books, reports that they've sold more than half of their initial shipment and after one week, they've placed an additional order for more copies, describing the early sales for such a pricey book as "quite strong."
October 26
PAUL McCARTNEY HAS NEW LOVE
On an Independent British television program where Heather Mills was being interviewed, Paul made a surprise guest appearance. Said the show's producer, Will Hanrahan, "Sir Paul and Heather are quite clearly madly in love and we are delighted to have been part of that."
Paul McCartney expressed that his year-long relationship with Heather Mills has put "romance back into my life. I love her, and I get a lot of pleasure from that." Paul also acknowledged that his relationship to Mills had helped him overcome the pain of losing his wife Linda, who died two years ago as a result of breast cancer (Linda and Paul were happily married together for more than 30 years up until that point.)
With a collection of 27 all-time chart-topping hits assembled on an album, The Beatles 1 becomes the 15th U.K. No.1 record by John, Paul, George, and Ringo. A report dated November 22 from the Reuters news agency, declared the album as being officially certified as the fastest-selling album in Britain. A spokesman for the three surviving Beatles said: "The record has sold more than 319,000 copies in Britain in its first week. Robbie Williams sold 313,000 albums earlier this year, so the Beatles have topped him." In that same report, a spokesman for Tower Records in Britain mentioned: "Teen bands seem to knock each other off the charts week after week....They don't seem to have staying power, but the Beatles certainly do." In the United States, since the albums first debut, a November 22 report in Billboard Magazine claimed the album had sold 595,000 copies. Capitol president Roy Lott said "1" is also tops in 16 other countries to date, including such key markets as Japan, Germany, Britain, France, Canada, Australia and Spain. Towards the end of November, a revised figure from Reuters news agency revealed that the new album actually "has hit number one in 19 countries in its first week of release". The same report went on to say that Japan's fans led the way, buying up 750,000 copies of the Beatles' greatest hits album.
By the end of the third week, Beatles 1 became the No. #1 album in 28 different countries. Having thus sold 12 million copies within those first three weeks, the disc is recorded by the press as the fastest seller ever in the pop music industry.
November 17
THE BEATLES REVOLUTION
"The Beatles helped bring
down communism in Russia"
ABC Television in the United States broadcasts a two-hour documentary called "The Beatles Revolution". The show was televised on Friday between 8:00 - 10:00 p.m. which attracted 8.7 million viewers.
Milos Forman, director of Academy Award-winning "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest," said: "It sounds ridiculous but I'm convinced The Beatles are partly responsible for the fall of Communism."
His claim is backed up by Dr. Yury Pelyushonok, a Canadian based Doctor of Soviet Studies in Medicine and author of "Strings For A Beatle Bass" who grew up in the former USSR in the 1960s: "The Beatles had this tremendous impact on Soviet kids. The Soviet authorities thought of The Beatles as a secret Cold War weapon," he said.
"The kids lost their interest in all Soviet unshakable dogmas and ideals, and stopped thinking of an English speaking person as the enemy."
As the interview progressed, Milos Forman also added in: "That's when the Communists lost two generations of young people ideologically, totally lost. That was an incredible impact." Rolling Stone Keith Richards suggests that the music of the 1960s played a big part in bringing about the end of Communism: "After those billions of dollars, and living under the threat of doom, what brought it down? Blue jeans and rock 'n' roll."
Interestingly enough, the ABC television program pointed out that today there is a special "Yellow Submarine Ride" with Beatle cartoons located at what was once known as "Check-point Charlie" at the Berlin wall. The ride is used to help to bridge and mend the differences between East verses West societies. "All You Need Is Love" cartoon was featured as the younger children in the ride watched on.
See letter to The Guardian from Dr. Yury Pelyushonok. Also, The Ottawa Citizen did an interview with Dr. Pelyushonok entitled: "He loves them, yeah, yeah, yeah".
Plus, an Ottawa Beatle Site special presentation: John Lennon Wall in Prague, circa July, 20, 2000, with photo and brief write-up presented by Jean-Pierre Allard, Ottawa Freelance Sports Writer.
Ananova.com reports that the Beatles 1 album has "become 2000's biggest-selling album - in only five weeks. The album "1" overtook Moby's Play at the weekend by breaking 1.3 million sales. It is at the number 1 in the UK chart for the fifth consecutive week, the longest run by the Beatles since Abbey Road in 1969."
The Ottawa Citizen reported (December 16) that the CD is "not just No. 1 in Canada and the U.S. It is at the top of the charts in 35 other countries."
March 27
CURTAIN CALL FOR BEATLE STAGE
The stage of St. Peter's Church in Woolton where John Lennon met Paul McCartney some 44 years ago, is to be demolished and replaced with a new "parish centre suited to modern needs." The decision was made by Cannon John Roberts of St. Peter's Church who said: "We are not here to run a museum. The present interior is not designed to fit the present day activity of a lively parish."
Cannon John Roberts' announcement quickly gave rise to hostile reaction when, in a BBC News article dated April 13, reported that the clergyman was receiving "hate mail" from Beatle fans in an attempt to prevent the destruction of stage. "I have received hate mail. These people are ignorant. I have gone out of my way over the years to welcome Beatle fans."
Later, in article from the "Daily Post" dated June 18, reveals the Church Council had been in discussion the night before and have given consideration to sell off pieces of the stage during an auction. The amount of money the church could collect from a future auction is unknown but Paul Wane, owner of Trax, a Beatles memorabilia company suggested parts of the stage could be "mounted on plaques" and auctioned off: "This is what we did with the bricks from The Cavern Club and The Empire. If the church decides this is what they want to do with the stage, then we would be very interested in selling it."
Meanwhile, in the same article, the Daily Post goes on to say that "Liverpool City Council is pleading with the church not to destroy the stage." In spite of the Council's pleas, the church attempts to auction off the stage on November 27, 2001, at "London's Sticky Finger's Cafe" but fails to sell it for £50,000.
In a statement from George Harrison's solicitors, George visited the Mayo Clinic in the United States which specializes in cancer treatment to remove a cancerous growth from one of his lungs. George's solicitors claim that the former Beatle made an "excellent recovery" and the pop star was "in the best spirits and on top form -- the most relaxed and free since the attack on him in 1999. He is now enjoying a holiday in Tuscany."
On this day, the city announced that "Liverpool Airport" will be renamed "Liverpool John Lennon Airport" sometime during 2002 when a new terminal opens.
According to CCN.com news, the new terminal hub will have a self-portrait of John Lennon along with the words "above us only sky" -- words which were forever made popular by Lennon in his classic peace song, "Imagine".
Said Yoko Ono: "I was honored and delighted when I first heard of the proposal to name the airport in Liverpool after John.
"As a gateway to the region this will be seen by millions of passengers and it is a fitting tribute to the memory of my late husband."
Mike Storey, city councilor said: "His legacy and his huge talent will always be remembered, but it is fitting that here, in the city of his birth, there will be such a permanent tribute to his memory."
Reports emerge that George Harrison had been treated for a brain tumor by Swiss cancer specialist Franko Cavalli at the San Giovanni hospital in Bellinzona. Franko Cavalli refused to give any further statements to the press with regards medical condition of Harrison except to say that ex-Beatle claims he is "feeling fine."
August 24
At a cost of £8M, 120 beds will be created for holidaymakers wishing to experience a truly unique Beatle-connection while visiting Liverpool. The resort is to be called A Hard Day's Night hotel. It will be connected at the basement level to the Cavern Club thereby allowing fans to explore related attractions in and around the Cavern Quarter.
Architect, John Tweedie will be in charge of overseeing the regeneration of the building which is located at Central Buildings, North John Street in the Castle Street conservation area in the heart of Liverpool. Construction will include the renewal of windows, electrical system, air conditioning and the addition of bedrooms with patios. As the rooms are completed, over 120 artistic murals will be added by world renowned artist Shannon. Her fine art illustrations have been "Paul, George and Ringo approved" and will take about a year to complete for the hotel.
Cavern City Tours Ltd will manage the hotel with conditions of their contract to be put forth by Horwath U.K., special consultants in tourism, hotel and leisure industries. According to a BBC report, the hotel should open in 2003 and visitors can expect to pay £60-a-night for accommodation.
Artist Shannon MacDonald has also done paintings for MGM, Disney, Universal, Trump Casinos. Her celebrity clients have included: Sylvester Stallone, Billy Idol, Van Halen, No Doubt and Cheap Trick.
Special Note: The Ottawa Beatles Site wishes to give special thanks to Shannon for allowing us to e-publish her "Seven Faces of John...Paul, George and Ringo" art murals in our discography section. Thanks, Shannon!
In a report by the Times Newspaper Limited dated October 3, 2001, Dougie Millings, the "tailor who made the distinctive round-collared suits in which the Beatles began to conquer the world in 1963," passes away at the age of 88. The Times Newspaper went on to say that "Within a year or so of his first encounter with the Fab Four, Millings was playing a self-mocking role as a miserable tailor in the film A Hard Day’s Night, while pop stars, aristocrats, barristers and foreign diplomats lined up for suit fittings at his small workshop in the heart of Soho." The article also acknowledged the fact that Millings made the special costumes for Paul McCartney's 1972 "Wings" tour as well as the specials suits used in the photography shoot for the "Band on the Run" album cover. Paul McCartney released the album on December 5, 1973. The album went on to receive a Grammy Award for "Best Engineered Recording" in 1974.
On this date, the BBC News services publishes some very sad news that George Harrison is looking "very frail and gaunt" after checking into the Staten Island University Hospital in New York. Under the care of Dr. Gil Lederman, a specialist who works with advanced cancer cases, used a treatment on George that is called "stereotactic radiosurgery" which "attacks tumors with high doses of radiation but with minimal damage to surrounding tissue" the BBC reported.
The Staten Island University Hospital helped George get his appetite back up which he had lost before. Though Dr. Gil Lederman would not state whether or not George would live as a result of the treatment, it is suspected by fans that the prognoses not looking good for the former Beatle.
In a report from Australia's News.com.au dated November 21, states that both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr had an "emotional reunion with George Harrison" and that Paul had "broken down in tears when the three surviving Beatles got together in New York last week."
The Sunday Times report that Apple Records is currently in discussion with "Cirque du Soleil" regarding a theatric stage production of "Yellow Submarine." The show would include acrobats, clowns, and aerial contortionists featuring the cartoon music from the Beatles "Yellow Submarine" film.
In an article from Launch.com, they report that: "The negotiation process has been slow moving due to the complexity of the Beatles' business affairs. Others involved in the talks include Yoko Ono, on John Lennon's behalf, and Michael Jackson, who co-owns many of the copyrights to the Beatles' songs."
When the contract is signed, it is expected that the "show will be at the heart of a themed entertainment complex in London, according to sources close to Cirque du Soleil."
November 26
ABC NEWS HEADLINE: "FADING STAR"
ABC News.com reports the following on George Harrison:
"No Luck With Radical Procedure -- Harrison, 58, left New York's Staten Island University Hospital last week after undergoing an experimental type of radiosurgery. That process reportedly did not stop Harrison's brain tumor from spreading. He flew from New York to UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles to treat the inoperable malignancy with the more conventional chemotherapy.
"Harrison is said to be weak and near the end of his life. But Sunday People said the rock star is not giving up."
After a brave and valiant fight, George Harrison, known as "the quiet Beatle", succumbs to cancer. The 58 year-old songwriter, musician, reportedly died at 1:30 p.m. (9:30 p.m., U.K. time) on Thursday in the Los Angeles home of his friend and noted security expert on celebrities, Gavin de Becker. According to Geoff Boucher, Los Angeles Times staff reporter noted in their November 30th on-line edition that "Harrison's wife, Olivia Arias Harrison, and son, Dhani, were with him at the time of his death, which was not announced until early Friday morning."’
While George was dying in Becker's Studio City mansion that Thursday, the Sunday Telegraph reported that both Olivia and Dhani "were at his side and with two Hare Krishna friends, Shayam Sundara and Mukunda, they sang soft chants as he died serenely." The Daily Record reported that "Within hours, he was cremated in a private Hare Krishna service.
"His ashes will be scattered in the holy River Yamuna, 40 miles from the Taj Mahal in India." (Note: More details were slowly surfacing over the weekend as to where George's ashes would be scatterd. In a Fox News report dated December 3, reveals George's ashes were "to arrive in India on Monday and be sprinkled in the Ganges River in the northern city of Varnasi....They were also to be scattered in Allahabad, where hindu's three holiest rivers -- the Ganges, Yamuna, and Saraswati -- converge." -- end of quote.)
The Harrison family, upon reacting to the immediate outpouring by all those who loved and enjoyed George Harrison for his friendship, music, and spiritual beliefs, released a statement which was picked up by the news media including "Ananaova.com" on December 2. The following was read to the press by their friend, Gavin de Becker:
"We are deeply touched by the outpouring of love and compassion from people around the world," said Mr. Harrison's wife Olivia and son Dhani.
"The profound beauty of the moment of George's passing - of his awakening from this dream - was no surprise to those of us who knew how he longed to be with God. In that pursuit, he was relentless."
Mr. de Becker said: "Olivia and Dhani invite you to join them in a minute of meditation in honour of George's journey, wherever you are on Monday at 1:30 p.m. PST (1830 GMT)."
George leaves behind his wife, Olivia who is 53, and his beautiful son Dhani, who is 24. He is also survived by his brothers Harry, Peter and sister Louise. George is also survived by his first wife, Pattie Boyd, who met each other on the filming set of "A Hard Day's Night" in 1964, the Beatles first motion picture.
WHAT THE IMMEDIATE BEATLE FAMILY SAID:
OLIVIA HARRISON (issued their first statement to the press on behalf of the family through Gavin de Becker): "He left this world as he lived in it, conscious of God, fearless of death and at peace, surrounded by family and friends.
"He often said, 'Everything else can wait but the search for God can't wait, and love one another'."
DHANI HARRISON: "We're truly grateful for the tremendous support we've received from friends and from the very many members of the public whom we don't know personally, but who thought of us and send us good wishes."
SIR PAUL McCARTNEY (speaking from his St John's Wood home, north-west London): "I am devastated and very, very sad.
"We knew he'd been ill for a long time. He was a lovely guy and a very brave man and had a wonderful sense of humour.
"He is really just my baby brother."
RINGO STARR (from Vancouver, Canada): "George was a best friend of mine. I loved him very much and I will miss him greatly.
"Both Barbara and I send our love and light to Olivia and Dhani.
"We will miss George for his sense of love, his sense of music and his sense of laughter."
YOKO ONO: "George has given so much to us in his lifetime and continues to do so even after his passing, with his music, his wit and his wisdom."
"His life was magical and we all felt we had shared a little bit of it by knowing him.
"Thank you, George - it was grand knowing you."
SIR GEORGE MARTIN: "George was a wonderful musician and a fine human being.
"He was the baby of the Beatles, and unlike Paul and John, he had a hard time developing his songwriting talent and making his music alone.
"But he worked hard, and with enormous patience, building his music meticulously, and he eventually came to write one of the greatest love songs of all time - Something.
"George was a true friend, intensely loyal, caring deeply for those he loved and he inspired much love in return. Now I believe, as he did, that he has entered a higher state. God give him peace."
NEIL ASPINALL (Head of Apple Records): "This is a very sad day for Apple and for all Beatles fans worldwide.
"It was my privilege to have been a friend of such a very special man - he will be greatly missed by us all."
PATTIE BOYD (George's first wife said with tears streaming from her eyes): "I am just so, so sad. Of course, we've been expecting it, but when it actually happens it is still a great shock and I'm terribly upset."
CYNTHIA LENNON: "This is a very sad day for myself and everyone who knew and loved George. He was part of my teenage years, he was part of my marriage to John, in fact, a very important and unforgettable part of my life. He was part of my family."
JULIAN LENNON: "It is a sad day for all of us, I loved George very much. He was the kindest of men. Our time together, though little, was always memorable. He was a man to be inspired by and he certainly touched my heart and millions of others. He will be missed, but I believe that after all the pain he has endured, he is finally at peace. My heart goes out to Olivia and Dhani, but I know that George is still with them in spirit and will be guarding them every day of their lives until they meet again. George you are beautiful.
Luv Ya Always,
Julian x"
TONY BLAIR, PRIME MINISTER OF BRITAIN: "He wasn't just a great musician, an artist, but did a lot of work for charity as well. He'll be greatly missed around the world."
GERRY SCOTT, LIVERPOOL'S LORD MAYOR: "He was one of the greatest Liverpudlians. He was a warm, peace-loving man who was much more than a talented musician.
QUEEN ELIZABETH II (a spokesperson, representing the Queen, announced): "The Queen was saddened by the news of George Harrison's death."
BADRUDDOZA CHOWDHURY, PRESIDENT OF BANGLADESH (on remembering George's August 1, 1971 "Bangla Desh" benefit concert): "The people of Bangladesh consider Harrison as their beloved man, who felt for them in 1971 during their days of agony and distress."
KHALEDA ZIA, PRIME MINISTER OF BANGLADESH: "George Harrison will be remembered forever by the people of Bangladesh.''
JEAN CHRETIEN, PRIME MINISTER OF CANADA: "He was a great personality. The Beatles were, for a lot of people, extremely important and they made a big impact at that time and it was a great group."
LIONEL JOSPIN, PRIME MINISTER OF FRANCE (declared George as): "...one of the great figures of pop music" and "an impressive and masterful guitarist."
BOB DYLAN: "He was a giant, a great, great soul, with all of the humanity, all of the wit and humor, all the wisdom, the spirituality, the common sense of a man and compassion for people. He inspired love and had the strength of a hundred men. He was like the sun, the flowers and the moon and we will miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him."
MICK JAGGER (of the Rolling Stones): "I am very saddened by George's death and will miss him enormously. As a guitarist, he invented many classic lines that were much copied by others and he wrote several very beautiful songs that we will always remember."
ALLAN WILLIAMS (Beatles' first manager): "He was a loveable person. I would say he was the major cog in The Beatles at that time. He kept them together probably because of the calming effect he had."
PETE BEST (the Beatles original drummer): "It is a tragic loss of life, a tragic loss of a great musician."
GERRY MARSDEN (of "Gerry and the Pacemakers" who shared the Cavern spotlight on stage with the Beatles): "This is a black day...he was always trying to find his own way. By the end, he had."
JAMES BROWN (the "godfather of soul"): "George Harrison was one of the world's few good men, one of the better people I ever met. I will and the world will miss him. He was truly loved."
DENNY LAINE (who played in Paul McCartney's post-Beatles group, Wings): "It was an uncanny feeling....George was a very special person. I know you all loved him. I loved him. God bless you George."
PHILIP NORMAN (author of Beatles biography "Shout" stated it was an "awful shock"): "There was a certain bitterness about him, but later in life he realized what good fortune he had enjoyed.
"He had a happy marriage and a son and realized there was more to life than being a Beatle."
JEFF HEALEY (who did a cover version of George's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"): "I never had occasion to meet the man, unfortunately. I definitely would have loved to.
"George's work with the Beatles is probably my favourite.
"He was a wonderful writer and a great guitar player as well and he wasn't given credit enough for that. His general positive attitude towards things will be missed. However, it's still present in the music that he made."
MARY HOPKIN (former Apple recording artist and who, until recently, lived near him in Henley-on-Thames, said): "It was not a surprise but was nevertheless tragic news. I hadn't seen him for some time, not since his illness, and it's a great loss especially as he had such enormous talent."
CILLA BLACK (songstress from the Cavern days who later had enormously successful string of hit songs composed by the Beatles, said): "I am deeply saddened and shocked to hear the news about George. My sympathies are with Olivia and Dhani and the rest of the family at this very sad time."
PETE TOWNSHEND (from "The Who" rock group): "Goodbye sweet man. ATMP."
BRYAN ADAMS (Canadian singer/guitarist, performed with George in 1998 at the Prince's Trust charity concerts at Wembley Arena in London): "It's a sad day, because we don't need fewer people that make such beautiful music."
JEFF LYNNE (member of George's "Traveling Wilburys" and music producer): "You always knew where you stood with George, he was totally honest. I feel blessed to have been so close to him. He was a great friend. He wrote brilliantly original songs, played the greatest slide guitar and had the most amazing sense of humor. He really had the 'Inner Light' and always will. Some of the happiest days of my life were spent in the studio with George."
BRIAN WILSON (from the '60s rock group "The Beach Boys"): "I am horribly saddened by the death of George Harrison. While we were not personal friends, I think that just like everybody in the world, I have always considered all the Beatles to be my friends. Their arrival in America in 1964 was electrifying, one of the most exciting things that ever happened in my life, and their music has always and will always mean so much to me."
TONY BARROW (Beatles press officer from 1962-68): "George was certainly the friendliest Beatle from the very beginning.
"He had the reputation for being the quiet one. He hated all of the Beatlemania thing. When I was arranging interviews for George I had to be very selective because sit him down in front of an interviewer who wants to know about his collection of instruments and he would talk all day.
"He was a fastidious musician - before a performance he'd often be putting not only his own guitar in tune but also the instruments of the other lads....He was a fine musician, and if he had not lived under this overbearing shadow of Lennon and McCartney he would have been recognized as a great songwriter rather earlier.
"This is a very sad day."
BOB WOOLER (The Cavern's compère who introduced the Beatles on stage): "George had to fight all the way to get the recognition he deserved.
"The others really asserted themselves, and of course, eventually found the winning formula which was Lennon and McCartney.
"But in those early days it would have been wrong to talk in terms of the Mersey Sound, because all the Beatles sang in strict rotation, and mostly cover numbers made famous by other artists.
"This meant that George, who always stood on the left, looking at the stage, sang quite a lot."
MICHAEL PALIN (former Monty Python comedian): "I was amazed and delighted he was such a Python fan.
"He enabled us to make Life of Brian and other films like A Private Function - none of these would have happened without his enthusiasm.
"George had a great sense of humour - some of the best laughs I've had have been with George."
JOOLS HOLLAND (one of the last musicians to work and record with George): "I'm deeply saddened to hear of the loss of my dear friend George.
"We've not only lost one of the most important figures in popular music, but more importantly one of the friendliest, most generous and funniest of people I've ever met."
(Note: It is believed that George's final recording was on October 1, 2001, at his Swiss home. He cut vocal to the track "Horse to the Water" which is co-written by his son, Dhani. George, knowing the eventual fate of his own mortality, used his dark humour and credited the song to "RIP Ltd 2001." The album -- "Small World Big Band" -- contains George's new composition and made its debut in the final week of November, coming in at 18th spot on the U.K. charts.)
MARTIN LEWIS (Beatle historian): "As a guitar player, he was exemplary. So many musicians talked about how they wanted the George Harrison sound. The group the Byrds, in America, listened to Harrison and said, 'I want to be like that.' So many guitar players today emulate Harrison's guitar playing. You listen to his playing in the '60s, he doesn't sound out of date at all. It is as contemporary today as it was then."
ALLAN KOZINN (Beatle historian and New York Times reporter): "...he served as an anchor for the quartet, leading the others on a spiritual quest toward Eastern philosophy that influenced their music in the latter part of the 1960's, epitomized for millions of fans by the sitar he played on "Norwegian Wood."
RAVI SHANKAR (sitar virtuoso): "George was my student. But on the other hand he was a very close friend. His death has been a tremendous shock to me which cannot be expressed in words....I pray to God that his soul to rest in peace."
KEITH RICHARDS (of the Rolling Stones): "To me, George was, always will be, above all, a real gentleman, in the full meaning of the word...Let's hope he's jamming with John."
The Times of London reports that George Harrison was secretly recording in his final months on an album entitled: "Portrait of a Leg End." The project's title is inspired on a parody taken from "a squashing foot graphic" found in the opening sequence of the Monty Python television series.
It is believed that there are 25 tracks that have been recorded. George, apparently, played the tracks on CD format to family and friends -- just four days prior to his death. There are a few tracks that date back to the early '80s but the Times of London reported that the bulk of material is more recent and is an attempt by George to put his musical legacy in order. Actually, taking care of his musical legacy really began when he re-released "All Things Must Pass" not too long ago which contained a new recording of "My Sweet Lord" and several other bonus tracks.
Jim Keltner, long-time friend and musician who drummed on a lot of Harrison's solo tracks including "Portrait of a Leg End" said that "It was fantastic to be in the studio with him again. Some of the new songs are very poignant concerning his life in the past few years. It will be obvious when you hear them what they are about. There is a certain soulfulness about George's music that doesn't need a lot once he has put that voice on."
Keltner also went on to say: "I saw him last Sunday night. It was a great gift to us that he was so beautiful. He looked fantastic. He looked like a prince. He didn't look like a person suffering from cancer. His skin was shining and he was smiling."
The Times of London also believes that Eric Clapton and a host of other musicians played on the tracks.
December 22
BEAT BROTHER ROY YOUNG TELLS
ALL!
Photo: © Greg Malo, Thunder Bay Blues Festival, 2004. Used with permission.
On this date, Beat Brother Roy Young gives an exclusive interview with Ottawa Beatles Site proprietor, Tony Copple. Roy Young, famous for his boogie woogie piano talents throughout the music industry, reminisces about his days when he performed on stage in Hamburg with John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Tony Sheridan and Pete Best. Roy provides the reader with his observations about the musical growth of those band members and also comments on those famous Polydor recording sessions they did for Burt Kaempfert.
Roy Young also brings us up-to-date on his latest recording project entitled "Now and Then." It is during this section of the interview when discussing his musical tributes from the album that we learn about Roy's most heartfelt reflections on the passing of his former band mates John Lennon and George Harrison.
For the complete text interview with RealPlayer audio files, please click on following link:
**2002**
February 7
HISTORIC BEATLE
STAGE SAVED
Liverpool City Council reaches an agreement with church authorities: The stage at Saint Peter's Church Hall in Woolton will be put into storage "in an undisclosed location while talks are held to find a permanent home," reports the BBC.
While the church attempted last year to sell the stage at London's "Sticky Finger's Cafe," it failed to do so because a buyer could not be found to match the £50,000 price tag they were asking for.
With the failed auction, Liverpool City Council quickly moved in to rescue the historic stage: "The days are long gone when the city council turned a blind eye to its heritage by allowing places like the Cavern to be demolished," said Councillor Mike Storey. "We will never let that happen again. It was on this very spot that one of the most successful musical partnerships in history first began."
Mike Storey concluded by saying: "This stage is an important part of The Beatles legend - Liverpool without the Beatles would be like Stratford without Shakespeare."
February 8
EMI RECORDS TO BE
SCRAPPED
On this date, the BBC News reported the following: "Troubled music company EMI Group is to reshuffle its artists and staff in a move that will mean the EMI record label will cease to exist.
The EMI Group will merge its labels into two global brands, Virgin and Capitol."
Surprisingly, the origins of EMI happened under similar conditions: to avoid bankruptcy, the Gramophone Company and its arch-rival the Columbia Graphophone Company merged in April 1931 to form Electric and Musical Industries when the Great Depression hit.
BOB WOOLER -- THE CAVERN CLUB'S COMPÈRE -- PASSES AWAY
After a lengthy illness, Bob Wooler, the man who introduced the Beatles nearly 400 times between 1961 and 1963 in the Cavern Club, passes away at the age of 76 in the Royal Liverpool hospital.
Liverpool music promoter, Joe Flannery -- who was a personal friend to Bob Wooler since 1950, made the following comments about the loss of his friend: “He was the gentleman of the Cavern. He was so loved by everybody.” Flannery also added that “Bob never cashed in on being such a vital part of the Beatles scene, but his name will remain forever a vital part of that story.”
Bob Wooler, who was restless working as a clerk in the railway dock offices in Garston, entered the music business in 1956 by managing skiffle acts. His job involved booking skiffle acts (such as the Kingstrums) into different club venues where he soon found himself introducing his acts as a way to warm up the audiences. The next natural progression in Bob Wooler's music career saw himself taking on the additional role of "Disc Jockey" at those clubs. Bob would play records between performance breaks while the next act was getting ready to perform. By 1960, his name became synonymous within Liverpool's music scene thus allowing him to have a solid foundation to work from.
Bob Wooler first met Paul McCartney and George Harrison at a bus stop at the Holyoake Dance Hall in Liverpool during the month of December in 1960. Upon noticing that both Paul and George were carrying guitars, he offered them a booking at the Litherland Town Hall on December 27, 1960 for a £6 fee. Paul McCartney singles out the December 27 date in his Who’s Who entry as being the "first important appearance as the Beatles."
Shortly after the Litherland Town Hall venue, Wooler booked the band’s first residency at the Cavern Club on February 9, 1961. Wooler would later witness the first contract offer made to the Beatles on December 3, 1961, from Brian Epstein who became the group's manager.
The Cavern Club's compère became the first writer to predict just how successful the Beatles were to become. In August, 1961, Bob Wooler wrote down this observation in the Mersey Beat edition concerning the Beatles: "Truly a phenomenon. I don’t think anything like them will ever happen again." Perhaps Wooler's best summation about the local success of the Beatles during that period can be found in a one catch-phrase slogan that he came up with. He declared the phenomenon of Cavern-era Beatles as being "The Stuff That Screams Are Made Of."
February 26
ROYAL LINE-UP CONFIRMED FOR
QUEEN'S GOLDEN JUBILEE
Dubbed as a 3-day "Party At the Palace," it is announced that Sir Paul McCartney is scheduled to perform at the Queen's Golden Jubilee concert on June 3. Among others confirmed in the line-up are: "Eric Clapton, Brian Wilson, Phil Collins, Aretha Franklin, Queen, S Club 7, Tom Jones and Pop Idol winner, Will Young," writes a Dotmusic.com news source.
And in a much later report filed by Ananova.com on May 17, revealed that Sir Paul McCartney "plans cheeky song for the Queen. The star will perform The Beatles song Her Majesty - originally a hidden track at the end of the Abbey Road album."
Sir George Martin who was chosen as musical director for the entire jubilee (including a "classical tribute" slated in the program for June 1st) made the following comment: "The artists today represent the greatest composers and performers of their generation."
"Thousands will relish the chance to see them perform together live on stage at Buckingham Palace."
He added: "No country has a finer tradition in producing great talent than ours, and we should be very proud of the enormous contribution that British artists and composers have made to the world of entertainment over the last fifty years."
It was decided that 24,000 tickets be made available to the general public for the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The tickets were distributed evenly in the following regions: all of England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Channel Isles and the Isle of Man.
March 4
PAUL McCARTNEY TO WED
The Daily Post reports that Sir Paul McCartney announced yesterday that he will marry his 34-year-old fiancée Heather Mills during the month of June.
While the wedding location was to be kept secret from the media, the Daily Post article did find out what kind of wedding dress the bride-to-be was planning to wear: "Heather has already decided on a off-white Chantilly lace and silk traditional wedding dress with a corset-style bodice, veil and train." The Daily Post also mentioned that Heather was "adamant to design the dress herself."
BEATLES PHOTOGRAPHER HERBERT DIES AGE 89
Emma Gunby of Liverpool Echo, writes: "One of the Beatle's first official photographers has died.
"Herbert Hughes, 89, from Birkenhead, was employed by the Fab Four's manager Brian Epstein to take a photo of the band on December 17, 1961."
March 14
YOKO ONO BUYS JOHN LENNON'S CHILDHOOD
HOME
In a C.B.C. Arts Now news report, Yoko Ono has bought her late husbands "childhood home and donated it to Britain's National Trust."
Arts Now revealed that Yoko Ono paid a little "more than ₤150,000 ($340,000 Cdn.). "The home is located at 251 Menlove Avenue and has long since been regarded as a historic cultural landmark in Liverpool -- the place being where the Beatles rehearsed and wrote their first big hit "Please, Please Me."
John was raised in the Menlove home by his Aunt Mimi.
Said Yoko Ono: "I think Menlove Avenue has an important place in Beatles history, and it saddened me to think that it might be lost. The fact that this is happening in the same week that Liverpool airport is officially opened as Liverpool John Lennon airport would have made my husband very happy."
March 15
LENNON STATUE UNVEILED AT LIVERPOOL
AIRPORT
A beautiful bronze statue created by Liverpool sculpture Tom Murphy was unveiled by Yoko Ono, widow of Beatles icon, John Lennon.
The unveiling of the statue was used to commemorate the renaming of "Liverpool Airport" to "Liverpool John Lennon Airport" after completing a new 30 million pound ($43 million) terminal.
The statue stands seven-foot (or 2.15 meters) high and resembles the "songsmith in his New York days, striding out with long hair swept back," reported Reuters news services. The statue also contained the inscription "Above us only sky" -- a phrase that was immortalized in John Lennon's classic hit-song: Imagine.
At the special unveiling ceremony, Yoko Ono said: "The world needs communication and this Liverpool John Lennon Airport will promote the growth of international communication for Liverpool and for the world.
"Communication and exchanging will lead to understanding and understanding will create love and peace. And the world needs peace.
"I think the statue is brilliant. It captures John and shows him moving, alive, rather than standing still like some statues."
March 21
BEATLES "1" COMPILATION
STILL A STRONG
CONTENDER IN SALES
Phil Gallo from Variety in Hollywood, reports the following USA sales figures: "Capitol's Beatles' 1 compilation...has now sold more than 8.1 million units and continues to sell about 9,000 per week."
April 12
HMV's £600m FLOTATION OFFERS EXIT ROUTE TO
EMI
A report emerges from The Guardian that HMV Group has announced plans for a floatation deal to raise £600m. HMV, a music, video and book retailer, would like to see the owner of Waterstone's book stores obtain an eventual "market capitalization of more than £1bn while offering troubled music group EMI the chance to sell part of its 43% stake."
The £600m raised by HMV would allow the company to expand in Japan -- a key marketplace for the company -- from 34 to 100 retail stores. Also in the plan would be a growth of retail outlets in Britain from 135 to 200. Waterstone agreed that money will also be used in restoration of older stores, about £20m.
"Named after the trademark image of a dog listening to His
Master's Voice on a gramophone," writes the Guardian, "HMV was part-sold by EMI
in 1998 to US venture capital group Advent which now controls 40% while
management controls a further 17%.
"EMI had been considering a trade sale
of HMV but is expected to hang on to
a small stake in the group
post-flotation."
April 13
PAUL McCARTNEY PRAISES CANADIAN
LEADERSHIP!
On this date, Paul McCartney performs the only Canadian date from his "Driving USA" tour at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. In a Canadian Press interview, Paul continued promoting his public relations campaign for an international ban on land mines and had some kind words for Canada:
"I would be very keen at the moment on banning land mines, and seeing as Ottawa is the place where the treaty is from, you guys have been leaders on this," he said.
"But unfortunately, places like the States haven’t signed it. We’re very keen on that issue and cleaning them up. There's countless millions still in the ground."
At the Air Canada Center, 16,000 fans saw Paul play tributes to deceased band mates John Lennon and George Harrison. Paul selected "Here Today" -- a beautiful ballad he wrote in memory of John from his 1982 solo album "Tug of War." In a tribute to George, Paul chose "Something", a beautiful composition from George which became the songwriters only #1 hit single when he was a Beatle. That single was released in the USA marketplace on October 6, 1969 and became the second-most covered version of a Beatles' song done by other artists, including Frank Sinatra, placing it just behind Paul's "Yesterday." Paul performed George's number by using a ukulele which was one of Harrison's favourite musical instruments.
Apart from performing "Something", Paul's set-list included additional Beatle songs: Hello Goodbye; All My Loving; Getting Better; Blackbird; We Can Work It Out; Mother Natures Son; You Never Give Me Your Money/Carry That Weight; Fool On the Hill; Eleanor Rigby; Here, There and Everywhere; Back In the U.S.S.R.; Can't Buy Me Love; Let It Be; Hey Jude; Long and Winding Road; Lady Madonna; I Saw Her Standing There; Yesterday; Sgt. Pepper Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise); and The End.
McCartney also performed selected numbers from his Wings and solo era: Jet; Coming Up; Let Me Roll It; Lonely Road; Driving Rain; Loving Flame; Every Night; Vanilla Sky; Band on the Run; C Moon; My Love; Freedom; Live and Let Die.
Interestingly enough, this Toronto tour date would see the first-performance only of "Mull of Kintyre" -- this song, not originally listed in the 36 song set-list when the tour began, was backed up by the Peel Regional Police Pipe Band of Ontario.
April 19
OVERPRICED BEATLE MEMORABILIA:
EUROPEAN
COMMISSION SAYS CHRISTIE'S AND SOTHEBY'S FIXED PRICES
In what might explain for over-inflated prices of popular Beatle memorabilia, Reuters reporter David Lawsky revealed that both Christie's and Sotheby's auction houses had formed a "secret duopoly in the world of art" from 1993 to 2000 and colluded in price fixing. The European Commission who is currently investigating the "duopoly" declared: "We have collected evidence that the two leading auction houses have colluded to fix commissions and on other aspects of the trade." Reuters David Lawsky writes that the statement comes "more than one year after the United States convicted them of the same offence" and that "Sotheby's Holdings agreed...to pay out $45 million in criminal fines in the United States."
Christie's, who was the first to blow the whistle on the duopoly, was granted immunity by the US Justice Department avoiding $45 million in criminal fines. However, while Sotheby's paid $45 million in criminal fines, both Christie's and Sotheby's auction firms agreed to pay out damages of $512 million to clients and $70 million to shareholders.
The European Commission further proclaimed that "in addition to raising commission rates, the companies agreed to other trading conditions including advances paid to sellers, guarantees given for auction results and payment conditions." This collusion by both auction houses, according to Reuters David Lawsky, impacted on much sought-after treasures by collectors ranging from artistic works of Van Gogh, Monet, to popular memorabilia items such as Princes Diana's evening dress and even "signed copies of Beatles albums."
Behind the mastermind scheme is 78-year-old Alfred Taubman, of Sotheby's Holdings who "is facing a maximum three-year term in a US prison and is expected to pay $87.6 million in fines, twice the sum sellers were overcharged." (French billionaire Francois Pinault owns Christie's auction house.)
Lawsky reported that European Commission spokeswoman Amelia Torres had "no estimate" of how long "the investigation might take or what punishment might be."
April 26
PAUL McCARTNEY ANNOUNCES THAT
GEORGE
HARRISON'S "PORTRAIT OF A LEG END" IS STILL IN THE WORKS!
In an interview with Paul McCartney conducted by Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic, John Soeder, had asked Paul whether he would do some sort of "posthumous collaboration" for the album that George more or less finished before he had passed away. Paul responded with: "I don't know about that. I do know he (George) had a lot of good material. I heard some of the songs. I do know at some point something will be coming out. I understand there is a little bit of work going on about it. But I don't know if people want it known yet. So I'm not gonna go blabbing....And if someone asked me to do something on it, I'd be honoured."
April 29
BEATLES' 'HEY JUDE' LYRICS BARRED FROM
AUCTION!
Paul McCartney was granted an injunction by Justice Laddie at London's High Court preventing Christie's auction house from selling a draft manuscript of "Hey Jude."
The lyrical manuscript's estimated value is $116,000 but the sale was successfully blocked by Paul's lawyer, Richard Meade. According to Reuters, the injunction was granted because at issue in the case is a "man identified in court only as Monsieur Tessier" and whether or not he is the rightful owner of those lyrics. The news report went on to say that Monseiur Tessier "bought them in the famous Portobello Road street market in London when he was a student in 1971 or 1972." Richard Meade, lawyer for McCartney argued that the lyrics disappeared during one of the numerous break-ins that occurred in Paul's St. John's Wood home. In Justice Laddie's decision, a BBC news report claims the judge "halted the sale because the lyrics could end up going abroad if sold in auction, making a future decision about ownership much harder."
Reuters declared in their news report that 'The court order will be a major blow to Christie's auctioneers, who billed the "Hey Jude" lyric as the centerpiece of Tuesday's pop memorabilia sale.'
April 30
NEW GEORGE HARRISON BIOGRAPHY OUT IN
MAY
Ananova.com reports on this day that the Editors of Rolling Stone magazine will release a new George Harrison biography in May. The book will contain a special heartfelt forward written by Olivia Harrison.
But in an early release to the Canadian marketplace, this writer discovered that the biography also contains many personal family photographs by the Harrisons along with past photography work of Jurgen Vollmer; Max Scheler; Astrid Kircherr; Harry Benson and many others. The book includes Rolling Stone interviews with George; a special discography section exploring the musician's iconic pop writing abilities; and a review of George's guitar artistry as covered by Andy Babuik, author of the highly acclaimed book, "Beatles Gear."
The biography also includes some nicely written tributes from Bob Dylan; Mick Jagger; Keith Richards; Yoko Ono; Tom Petty; Elton John and Paul Simon.
The hardbound book is published by Simon & Schuster, Incorporated.
May 10
LIVERPOOL'S "BEATLES STORY MUSEUM" TO OPEN
EXHIBIT ON BAND'S
QUARRYMEN DAYS
"This is...Pop!" reports that The Beatles Story museum in Liverpool will present an special exhibit called: "The Quarrymen and Skiffle -- the U.K. Years." The opening date for the exhibit is May 16 and will run to November 1, 2002.
The exhibit which is apparently the first of its kind in Liverpool "reveals the fascinating yet forgotten story of how a new musical craze sweeping across Britain led to one of the biggest stories the music industry has known," cites the report.
"On display at the exhibition will be several of the original instruments used by the group - including a banjo that John Lennon played, Colin Hanton's first drum kit - still with its sticks and brushes and a record of Lonnie Donegan's Rock Island Line, which Lennon sold for 2 shillings and sixpence to Rod Davis." The exhibit will also display some recent photographs of the Quarrymen and will offer an historical accounting of how skiffle music became the catalyst for rhythm and blues, rock 'n' roll, and pop music in general.
The Beatles Story Museum will also be showcasing John Lennon's upright Steinway piano, the one John used to compose his classic hit song Imagine. George Michael bought the piano on October 17, 2000, through a Hard Rock Cafe auction organized by Mick Fleetwood of Fleetwood Mac. Michael's successful purchase bid of £1.45 million (or $2.1 million in US currency) caused Guinness Book of Records to list the Steinway as being the most expensive piano in the world.
May 18
LIVERPOOL STILL THE NUMBER ONE HIT CITY
David Roberts, editor for the newly released Guinness Book of Hit Singles, claims that "Liverpool is responsible for almost 6 percent of all the number one hits to enter the charts in the past 50 years."
In making his announcement, Roberts spoke of a full-page dedication on Liverpool's musical success story that is listed in the new Guinness Book of Hit Singles. He explain the rational for the full-page entry this way: "There are 17 number ones from The Beatles, but there is a real diversity of talent out of Liverpool, which has stretched from Lita Roza in 1953 right through to Atomic Kitten.
"And of course since last year, when we announced Liverpool as the Capital of Pop, there have been two more number ones, a second from Atomic Kitten and George Harrison's My Sweet Lord."
The Daily Post, who filed the report, added that The Lord Mayor, Jack Spriggs, is to be presented with several copies of "new Guinness pop bible to be distributed to the city's libraries."
Beaming with pride, The Lord Mayor proclaimed: "It was fantastic to get a world record last year and now to think that people all over the planet will be reading about us in this new book is very exciting. We really are a music city."
May 22
GLUM MUSIC INDUSTRY OUTLOOK PLAGUES EMI
Reuters news services files a report indicating that the EMI Group saw year-end profits slump by "40% in adjusted pre-tax profit." News of the post-results meeting with investors saw EMI stock fall by 7 percent casting doubts as to whether or not "substantial improvements" for EMI would likely occur by the end of this year.
Martin Dobson, head dealer at Natwest Securities in London, provided Reuters with an explanation for EMI's poor profit woes: "(EMI) faces so much of a struggle with piracy and they need to find a way to protect themselves. Sales are falling and there are a number of factors to take into consideration, such as the HMV float not going well."
In an effort to boost profitability, EMI had announced a restructuring plan last March that would see 1,800 job cuts along with 400 artists scrapped from its roster. Said EMI's CEO Alain Levy in a news report last month with USA Today: "Not having star power tends to take the margins out of the music commodity. We've cut the artist roster a lot, but it was still pretty bloated." Later, Alain Levy would do just a little bit of an about-turn on his comment: Levy now "wanted to find five stars topping five million global sales in the next three years", he told Reuters, "and two or three topping 10 million" to help increase EMI's profit margins.
EMI's restructuring plan has come at a cost -- 240 million pounds, for savings 98.5 million pounds. While the total restructuring of job cuts won't fully impact until September of this year, Alain Levy hopes to improve EMI's profit margins from the 5.1% expected this year to 13% percent in three years.
|
Some interesting facts
about EMI: |
|
• EMI is the third-biggest music group with its financial statement in 2002 boasting of some 70 different labels. |
|
• EMI is the No. 5 record company in the USA with 9.3% of album sales so far in 2002. |
|
• EMI has not had a hit album to rival their 2000 release of Beatles "1" which sold 22 million units worldwide. |
|
• On February 6, 1967, EMI reported that the Beatles combined world-wide record sales when converted into single units (i.e.: an LP being the equivalent to six singles and EP to two) was now in excess of 188,000,000 units. |
May 30
THE LIVERPOOL LENNONS
On this date, Julian Lennon announces at Joe Johnsons' on-line Beatle Brunch, that the Official Website of the Liverpool Lennons has been launched. The site traces the history of the Liverpool Lennons from the 1800's and right up to the present. This excellent site by Julian Lennon boasts of some never-before seen family memorabilia. Said Julian: "...items like the ‘Sgt Pepper’ gold disc and Dad’s afghan coat from ‘Magical Mystery Tour’. And much more." The site is well researched and very user-friendly...definitely a-must-see!
Click on the photo and link to the Official Website of the Liverpool Lennons!
June 3
ROCK ROYALTY AT QUEEN'S JUBILEE
Marking Elizabeth II's 50 year reign as queen from 1952 to 2002, the BBC production of Party at the Palace highlighted a special celebration of popular music with performances from: Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Cliff Richard, Eric Clapton, Phil Colins, Roger Daltry, Rod Stewart, Bryan Adams, Ricky Martin, Tom Jones, Shirley Bassey, Ozzy Osbourne, Aretha Franklin, Emma Bunton, Steve Winwood, Atomic Kitten, Mis-Teeq, Queen, Joe Cocker, Brian Wilson and Sir Elton John (who was pre-recorded on video tape.)
An estimated 1 million people had lined up in Trafalgar Square, the Mall, and parks to watch the performances from huge video screens while 12,000 lucky ticket-holders converged at the queen's back garden. There, pop/rock royalty showcased their numbers before a swaying crowd.
Sir Paul McCartney sang homage to Elizabeth II by selecting compositions from the Beatles' musical cannon: Her Majesty; Blackbird; All You Need Is Love; The End; Hey Jude; and a vocal duet with Eric Clapton on While My Guitar Gently Weeps
In an interview the night before the gala event, Sir Paul explained his rational for choosing All You Need Is Love: "I still believe that love is all you need," said Sir Paul. "I don't know a better message than that."
June 11
PAUL McCARTNEY MARRIES HEATHER MILLS
A very special day in the lives of Heather Mills and Paul McCartney: the couple marry in St. Salvator's church in County Monaghan, Ireland. The church was built in the 17th century and is located on Castle Leslie's 1,000-acre estate. The wedding commenced at around 4 p.m. (11 a.m. EDT) and was conducted by the Venerable Cecil Pringle, Archdeacon of Clogher. The service was finished when the church bells rang out at 5:20 p.m. (12:20 p.m. EDT).
According to a report filed by USA Today: "McCartney's brother, Mike, who was best man when Paul married Linda Eastman in 1969, was best man again Tuesday. John Eastman, Linda's brother, along with Paul's children, Stella, James, Mary and stepdaughter Heather, were on hand, but not part of the ceremony." Mike's 19-year-old son Joshua was in charge of the box of rings at the wedding.
Mike McCartney, recounting later in an exclusive interview with The Sun said of his brothers marriage: "Over there I was just feet away from two people who love each other - that's all you want in life. If you're lucky and you both love each other, that is all anybody needs."
Mike said that Paul, 59, felt lucky before the wedding because he
had spotted a bright double rainbow the previous day.
And for extra luck
he wore a "magic buttonhole" to marry former model Heather, 34.
"Not
only did he have a pink McCartney rose but he had a sprig from Dad's lavender
bush and Mum's favourite flowers - two buttercups - in his lapel.
TO PAUL AND HEATHER,
OUR OTTAWA BEATLES SITE
SPECIAL THOUGHT TO YOU:
"Of all the music that reached farthest into heaven,
it is the beating of a loving heart." -- Henry Ward Beecher
"That lavender bush came from our family home in Forthlin Road, Liverpool. All our lives we had lavender around us.
"Mum would put it in little sachets and leave it in drawers and Dad would burn it in his ashtray."
Heather's bridal dress was made of ecru lace, designed by Heather but with assistance from London fashion house Avis & Brown. Her hair was styled by Amanda Amos from Brighton and her make-up was by Mathew Alexander of Michael John.
Paul McCartney's publicist, Geoff Baker, described the ceremony as "joyful and moving. Heather captured the hearts of the congregation when, overcome by the emotion of the occasion, she briefly faltered and wept tears of joy whilst making her vows." Heather was given away by her sister Fiona Mills. While traditional hymns were used at the service, "Praise My Soul," "The King of Heaven" and "Lord of All Hopefulness", the couple also selected "Heather", a song written recently by Paul and was used as Mills entered the St. Salvator's church while carrying a bouquet of 11 pink McCartney roses. As Heather and Paul made their way back down the church aisle, an organist played the "Wedding March" which Paul had wrote in 1966 for the hit movie "The Family Way."
Apart from the immediate family members in attendance, an estimated 300 guests were also invited to Paul and Heather's wedding. Some of the famous notables present were: ex-Beatle Ringo Starr, the band's producer Sir George Martin, Pink Floyd's front-man David Gilmour, Jools Holland, 60's pop model Twiggy, Chrissie Hynde, and actor Steve Buscemi.
On Thursday, June 13, the newly weds flew to the Seychelles from Belfast to honeymoon on one of the Indian Ocean archipelago's private islands.
After the honeymoon is over, the couples future plans will include co-hosting the "Adopt-A-Minefield Second Annual Dinner" to be held on September 18 at the Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. It is expected that Paul McCartney will perform with other musicians while Jay Leno emcee's the event.
June 14
PETER BLAKE RECEIVES KNIGHTHOOD IN QUEEN'S
BIRTHDAY HONOURS LIST
Peter Blake, responsible for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album cover, receives a knighthood in the Queen's Birthday Honours list. Sir Peter Blake was the first fine artist as opposed to a record-cover designer to transcended himself into the art world...Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band became the pride in the homes of millions of record-buyers during the Summer of Love in 1967 -- remembered not only for its groundbreaking music, but also for its exceptional art work and cover design. This was the first time in the history of pop where both music and art combined together and became one.
Said Sir Peter Blake: "It's a wonderful time to get this, as I celebrate my 70th birthday next week.
"I started at the Royal College of Art the year of the Queen's coronation in 1953.
"And it's funny to be getting a knighthood at the same time as Mick Jagger - we lived 50 yards away from each other. It's nice that two Dartford boys are getting honours simultaneously."
|
Some
interesting
facts
about the Sgt. Pepper album: |
| • In Britain, the album sold 250,000 units within a week of its release and 500,000 units within a month. |
June 24
The article also mentions Sir Paul earning "at least £8M from his recent American tour" with "tickets for the show fetching up to £1,000 each on the black market."
June 28
In an effort to both raise money and the profile of critically endangered mammals in Africa and Asia, Ringo Starr and his wife Barbara Bach turned up before a large crowd in their hometown of Cranleigh, England, to lend support to The David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation. Ringo Starr encouraged the crowd to buy David Shepherd's special sketches and prints, each one being autographed by the artist himself. The charity event saw £6,000 raised on opening day. The former Beatle is expected to show up with celebrities the following day for the "Cranleigh Carnival and Fun Day".
July 4
In a statement from the Mersey Care National Health Service Trust which oversees the Scott Clinic in Rainhill, Merseyside, George Harrison's attacker "has been given a conditional discharge today by a mental health review tribunal." The attacker who suffers from schizophrenia, received fortnightly injections under the direct care of the Scott Clinic to control his illness. While the conditions of the patient's release were to "remain confidential" to "ensure the safety of the public", both Olivia and her son Dhani Harrison were not notified of his release by officials. As news quickly travelled to the Harrison family concerning the attacker's release, Olivia and Dhani provided an interview July 5th with the BBC and said: "We can never forget how brutally close [he] came to killing dear George and myself, nor the trauma inflicted on our son and family." The Harrisons declared the "vicious" attack on George, who died of cancer last November, had robbed him of the vital energy he needed to maintain his health.
Then, on July 9, a report emerged in Hello! magazine indicating that Olivia Harrison has decided that she will "sell Friar Park". The 120-room mansion is located in Oxfordshire and was purchased by George Harrison on January 14, 1970. In December of 1999, it was here that Olivia Harrison fought off a knife-wielding intruder who tried to kill her husband. Olivia's decision to sell the £20M property was based on the new information about the attacker's release back into the community. Said a family friend: "[His] release just reinforces her decision to sell. Olivia and Dhani didn’t want to hold on to a property that, among some very good memories, also held some pretty dreadful ones."
July 11
John and Yoko's Year of Peace, which originally aired in Canada to commemorate Lennon's 60th birthday on C.B.C. television, will be released in DVD format in the United States on September 17, 2002. In a report from the Music News Industry Network claims that Image Entertainment will distribute the DVD.
When they were producing the special, the C.B.C. made extensive use of its own archival film from 1969. Interestingly, Yoko Ono also contributed to show not only by way of providing exclusive interviews, but donated photographs and rare film footage which resulted the show being praised by The Globe and Mail as "a brilliant documentary". It also also won a finalist certificate at the New York Festivals. Doug Thompson, the brainchild behind the program enlisted Paul McGrath as the producer and Alan Lysaght as the programs director for the show. Both gentlemen were responsible for chronicling the Lennons three visits to Canada in the special. Definitely an excellent program worth picking up a copy for yourself!
July 25
On this date, Queen Elizabeth II attends two very special functions in Liverpool: The Queen is present for the official 10:50 a.m. opening of a new airport terminal recently built and renamed as the "Liverpool John Lennon Airport". There, the Queen unveiled a special plaque with Yoko Ono present. The second function saw the Queen leave at 11:20 a.m. to visit the city's Walker Art Gallery which is currently displaying Paul McCartney's art work.
Paul McCartney, who gave Queen Elizabeth a tour of his paintings, noted: "I think she liked them. She said they were very colourful and I took that as a great compliment."
Commenting on the ceremonies at the airport, Yoko Ono said this about the Queen: "It is such an honour to meet the Queen. John would have been very proud and honoured." Yoko later watched a cultural parade from the balcony of the Liverpool Town Hall. The Queen also had a chance to meet with Tom Murphy, the sculptor of the statue of Lennon that is found in the check-in hall at the airport.
September 9
EMI announces that the last material recorded by George Harrison will be released on November 18. The album, whose provisional working title was "Portrait of a Leg End" is now to be called "Brainwashed". According to Billboard writer Jonathan Cohen, there are "11 Harrison originals and an as-yet-unannounced cover."
The tracks were produced by George Harrison along with his son, Dhani. Overseeing the final production aspects of the album is George's long-time musician friend and record producer of Electric Light Orchestra fame, Jeff Lynne.
The album will be released on Dark Horse records and distributed through EMI. David Munns, vice chairmain of EMI Recorded Music told the Daily News that "EMI is thrilled to have this new affiliation with Dark Horse.
"George Harrison is an absolutely legendary artist and this is an extraordinary record and a testament to his genius. We are proud to offer this album to the world."
It is anticipated that "Brainwashed" could give George a posthumous number one album on the first anniversary of his death.
September
10
Marking the first anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Yoko Ono releases a new re-mixed version of "Give Peace A Chance" that includes lyrical references to the tragedy. Accompanying the re-mix is a short film that was released on MTV music to promote the idea of peace and not war. Said Yoko in a statement: "Let's create peace, unity and light. I think John's words are needed just as much now as when they were written -- 'Imagine all the people living in peace' and 'Give Peace A Chance'. Like all of us, I'd like to see the human race survive, living in health and in love with each other."
"Give Peace A Chance 2002" was available as a free download from Mindtrain Records.
September 14
Predating John Lennon's Revolution 9, the Beatles recorded Carnival of Light on January 5, 1967, during the Sgt. Pepper period and will be heard for the first time in 35 years. The 14-minute track, according to their record producer Sir George Martin, is "...one of those weird things. It was a kind of uncomposed, free-for-all melange of sound that went on." According to press reports, Carnival of Light will be used as a "soundtrack to a film montage of his late wife Linda's photographs."
Music historians consider Carnival of Light as the first avant-guard piece of recorded material done by the Beatles and was the mastermind of Paul McCartney. This is confirmed later in an interview held on September 26 with Professor Glenn Gass who teaches a course on Beatles music at the Indiana University. He is interviewed by David Pencek of Norwich who is covering Paul's latest tour across the U.S.A. Here is what Professor Glenn Gass had to say: "He [Paul McCartney] was the most eager to experiment. He was more avant-garde than he gets credit for. People see Paul as sentimental and John as cutting edge. That's not fair, and Paul gets a bit defensive about it."
Carnival of Light had last been played at a London avant-garde festival in 1967.
September 23
In an exclusive to the Ottawa Beatles Site, Joe Robinson shares his personal reminiscences of Bob Wooler. Joe had the unique opportunity of having met Bob Wooler in person on several occasions. This enabled Joe to personally assist Bob Wooler in developing his memoirs regarding his days as the DJ in the most famous of all beat cellars: "The Cavern".
Joe Robinson's excellent write-up provides readers with "a taster of things to come" with the pending release of Spencer Leigh's new book: "The Best of Fellas - The Bob Wooler Story" which is to be published on November 7, 2002, by Drivegreen Publications. The book will be full of Bob’s first hand accounts taken from his personal memoirs.
Click on the link with exclusive photos of Bob Wooler along with a personal letter Bob had sent to Joe...
http://beatles.ncf.ca/robinson.html
A HARD DAY'S NIGHT DVD COLLECTORS EDITION IS RELEASED
Miramax releases in 1.66:1 anamorphic widescreen, A Hard Day's Night, the DVD Collectors Edition. The DVD sound quality is remastered in Dolby Digital 5.1, similar to the theatrical re-release from a few years ago.
DVD Talk critic Aaron Beierle claims the quality of the film is "a remarkably clean presentation, considering the age of the film. Obviously, considerable work has been done....No major wear & tear is seen at all." He also had praise for the soundtrack: "...the new 5.1 soundtrack hits the ears wonderfully from the opening moments with the title music. The music sounds terrific throughout the picture, with a warmth and clarity that impressed me."
The Hard Day's Night DVD Collector's Edition also an extra bonus: The DVD boasts up to 30 different people interviewed who were directly involved in the making of the movie. Beatle historian Martin Lewis interviewed 29 of those 30 people which included Richard Lester and George Martin. Unfortunately, about the only thing that is missing is an on-camera commentary from the Beatles themselves, otherwise, the DVD should prove to be a another winner for Beatle fans and for the money coffers at Apple.
October 2
SIR GEORGE MARTIN
RELEASES HIS NEW BOOK: "PLAYBACK"
Premiering his book at the Hard Rock Cafe in Melbourne, Australia, Sir George Martin announces his limited edition autobiography entitled Playback. The book, which has a run of 2000 copies are each individually autographed by Sir George Martin and contains a CD. While the autobiography comes with a hefty price tag of $880.00, it does contain previously unseen documents, diaries and recording notes that Sir George Martin made at EMI studios while he worked with John, Paul, George and Ringo. Playback also lists his favourite Beatle albums, in order: Abbey Road, Revolver, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and Rubber Soul.
In an interview with Simon Plant of Herald Sun, Sir George Martin had this to say about choosing favourite albums: "I love them all, really. It's a bit like asking, 'Who's your favourite child?' "
Four decades later, the great importance of the Lennon-McCartney partnership is not lost in Sir George Martin's mind as to their writing abilities of Beatles songs: "[W]hen they worked together they produced something a little bit bigger than the sum of the individual parts. It wasn't just a collaboration, it was a rivalry as well. I don't think either of them really achieved the heights they did as Beatles in their solo careers. They needed each other," he told The Age press. "I'm sure Paul misses John very much. And George."
And what of the Lennon-McCartney legacy? Well, Sir George Martin feels pretty confident that John and Paul's musical collaboration is indeed secured in the history books: "I'm not saying it's as good as Ravel or Beethoven -- though it might be -- but there is no other form of musical art in the late 20th century that is any better," he told the Herald Sun.
Sir George Martin has won five Grammy awards and holds the British record for producing 30 number 1 hit singles. Playback is being published by Hedley Australia.
November 3
Lonnie Donegan, "King of
Skiffle" Music, Dies
Lonnie Donegan, who has been acknowledged by The Beatles as a major influence on their early musical careers, died in Peterborough, England, at the age of 71. Lonnie, whose real name is Anthony James Donegan, introduced "skiffle music" to England in the 1950's. He is best remembered for his hit song "Rock Island Line" which lasted 22 weeks on the British charts. It was that song that inspired both George Harrison and John Lennon to pick up a guitar. Said George Harrison in his autobiography, I, Me, Mine: "Lonnie Donegan was a much bigger influence on rock than he was ever given credit for. He was a big hero of mine."
Pre-dating rock 'n' roll, Donegan's "skiffle music" comprised of the following musical instruments: a guitar, a washboard, jugs, a snare drum, and a stand-up bass with a broom handle attached to an empty tea chest - and two chords that created a gritty mixture of folk, jazz, gospel and blues. According to Hunter Davies, author of "The Quarrymen", states that by 1957, an estimated "5,000 skiffle groups" existed in Britain (in 1956, London alone had 1,000 skiffle groups!) The music was joyous and yet simple enough to create that caused John Lennon to form his own skiffle group, the Quarrymen, around the time when Lonnie Donegan was at his peak.
Lonnie Donegan's other notable hit songs were: Does Your Chewing Gum Lose Its Flavor (on the Bedpost Overnight); My Old Man's a Dustman and Puttin' on the Style. His accomplishments over the years eventually led him in receiving a lifetime achievement award: the Ivor Novello in 1997. Lonnie was also made a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 2000.
November 19
"There’s nothing magic about this," said George Harrison. "It’s acoustic guitars played by musicians into a microphone that leads to a tape recorder." George, in a video, was referring to the demo tapes he made that would be used in the making of his new album, "Brainwashed".
Full credit should be given to George’s son, Dhani, for encouraging his father to record as much of the material as possible: "He used to say, 'Oh, you're going to have to finish all these songs.' I'd be like, 'Well, not if you do it first -- get off your arse and finish them!' " Dhani laughs.
It was no secret to friends and musicians who were closest to George that when he re-mastered and recorded bonus tracks for "All Things Must Pass", it became the catalyst for George to write and record new songs which ultimately appeared on George's final album. Jeff Lynne, who co-produced and finished up the tracks with Dhani, said in an interview with the Toronto Star: "It wasn't the first time I'd heard these songs. George had played them all for me live on his ukulele. I knew he'd been working on them in the studio, and we'd been talking about producing them together when we found the time. I had no idea how much work George had actually done in the studio until I opened the tape boxes four months after he died," he says. "The album was more or less complete, though it was in demo form."
In a tribute to George's final songs, Capitol Records general manager, Mark DiDia, threw a "listening party" for Harrison's "Brainwashed" album and had this to say: "These aren't songs that were left behind on the cutting-room floor -- these are from his heart and soul." And, interestingly enough, Geoff Emerick who had been working in an adjacent studio where Capitol Records were throwing the "listening party", expressed some of his fond memories he had about George: "People don't realize it, but George had a great sense of humour. He was also such a gifted musician. On "Taxman," from the Revolver album, I can remember him writing the guitar parts backwards to get the effect. He could do anything. At first, John and Paul didn't realize how well he could write songs. But then they saw what he could do."
Advance press reviews of "Brainwashed" had Fox News heralding the album as a "bona-fide success" while Colorado’s Rocky Mountain News in their write-up described it as an album that "echoes the sonic trademark of his classic work, Brainwashed doesn’t sound dated; it sounds timeless."
The album features some very respected musicians in the pop music industry: Jim Keltner and Ray Cooper on drums; Mike Moran and Marc Mann on keyboards; Jools Holland on piano; Herbie Flowers, bass and tuba; Joe Brown, acoustic rhythm guitar. The album's co-producer, Jeff Lynne, plays bass, piano, guitar, keyboards and supplies backing vocals while Dhani Harrison plays electric and acoustic guitars, Wurlitzer and contributes backing vocals.
Said Jeff Lynne on Dhani's performance for this album: "Dhani's a great guitar player, and he matched his dad perfectly," says Lynne. "He's an incredibly talented young man, a musician, a painter, charming and knowledgeable. He's in no rush to become a pop star. He's very quiet and wise, much like his father."
U.S. retailers predict that "Brainwashed" might debut in the top-10. Said Dave Alder, vice president of marketing and promotion for Virigin Megastores: "It's a perfect time for George's album. We'll be featuring the album at the front of all of our stores," he told RollingStone.com. "There's a curiosity among Beatles fans about George's last album."
COST CUTTING MEASURES RETURNS EMI TO PROFIT LEVELS
After a massive program of job cuts and a reduction of poorly performing singers from their repertoire, the BBC reports that EMI "is back in the black." The company saw "£174.8m" return to profit during the first half of this year. Apart from job cuts and reduction of musical artists from its organization, EMI also sold off their stake with Viva Media and part of their stake with the HMV record chain which aided in the recovery. The report, which was announced by EMI Group Chairman Eric Nicoli, added that the company is still tackling concerns affecting profit margins: the decline of album sales and musical piracy in Latin America, South Asia and in Southern Europe as well as digital piracy. That part of Nicoli's announcement sent negative ripples into marketplace as "EMI's shares fell from 10% to 165 pence shortly after the London stock market opened", the BBC reported. However, Nicoli was confident that EMI's financial ledgers will improve "at all levels of profitability" as they continue to sell off their remaining interests in HMV. Also, he anticipates that with newly acquired pop superstar, Robbie Williams, should increase EMI's record sales thereby improving the company's profit margins: "We not only profit from album sales," said Nicoli, "but also participate in revenue generated through other music-related activities such as touring and merchandise." EMI is anticipating that all of the combined measures outlined will help the media giant maintain their strong financial position well into 2003.
November 27
Year One: A.P. (After Peace)
With 15 new photos of John and Yoko's visit to Ottawa and
Montreal
By special arrangement with the Montreal Gazette and the National Archives of Canada, the Ottawa Beatle Site proudly presents a special photo essay on John and Yoko's visit to Canada. The feature includes an exclusive interview from Timothy Porteous, Prime Minister Trudeau's Executive Assistant who was present during the historic 50-minute meeting when the Lennons met with Canada's Prime Minister on December 23, 1969. Also included on the same page is an exclusive interview with André Perry who produced "Give Peace A Chance" and "Remember Love" for the Lennons. The interview was conducted by Andrew Croft, publisher of the highly acclaimed Beatlology Magazine. Click on the above image to gain access to both of these excellent interviews and the photo collection.
November 29
Marking the first anniversary of George's death, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Billy Preston and other close friends who knew and performed with the ex-Beatle, showcased a memorial concert in his honour at London's Royal Albert Hall. The concert, which was described by Ringo Starr as "a reflection and celebration", was organized by Olivia Harrison with Eric Clapton as musical director.
Ravi Shankar, who opened the show with a combination of Indian and Western musical influences, presented a prayerful introduction which included "The Inner Light", told the audience: "I strongly feel that George is here tonight. I mean how can he not be here when all of us who loved him so much have assembled all together to sing for him and play music for him." And Eric Clapton, whom George regarded as one of the finest guitar players in the pop music industry, had this to say about the concert: "It's a beautiful occasion for me because I can share my love of George with you, his wife Olivia and son Dhani can experience and witness how much we loved him through his music."
The sell-out crowd of 5,000 -- which included Sir George Martin -- saw performances from the two surviving Beatles: Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney. Ringo paid tribute by performing "Photograph", a song that he and George had written together in 1973. For this number, Ringo was accompanied on guitar by George's son, Dhani. The ex-Beatle also did "Honey Don't" which was an old Beatles' cover version the band recorded on October 26, 1964. Fans most familiar with the number will readily attest that some very fine guitar picking by George Harrison can be heard on that recording -- so raucous was the session that an overjoyed Ringo Starr shouted on the track: "Ah, rock on George, one time for me!" Perhaps it was the fun-filled memories of that recording session that made Ringo choose "Honey Don't" -- and it certainly brought back lots of memories for George's fans!
For Paul's tribute, he chose three of George's songs: the classic "For You Blue" which was one of the big highlights from the "Let It Be" album and "Something" from the Abbey Road album. Paul also did a duet with Jeff Lynne on "All Things Must Pass", the title track from Harrison's first solo album since leaving the Beatles. Of all the three songs that caught the most media attention, was "Something." The Independent news reported that McCartney's "solo ukulele version of 'Something' glided beautifully into Clapton's reliably note-perfect guitar solo" which caused the "song's symphonic grandeur" to shine "brightly." On stage, Paul made mention that his heartfelt performances were "a tribute to a beautiful friend."
The memorial concert also saw fervent appearances from Jools Holland; Gary Brooker; Tom Petty; Sam Brown; Dhani Harrison and Joe Brown on "Here Comes the Sun". Billy Preston performed "My Sweet Lord" and did a duet with Eric Clapton on "Isn't It A Pity."
Proceeds from the concert will go to the "Material World Charitable Foundation, funded by Mr. Harrison since 1973, to support the arts, music, education and people with special needs," reported the Daily Telegraph.
December 8
Beatles '1' -- Fastest Selling Album Ever!
On this date, This is London reports the following: "The compilation album of the Beatles' number one hits - '1' - was the fastest selling in history." This fact is also acknowledged by Guinness World Records when they declared " '1', [which was] released on November 13, 2000, sold 13.5 million copies around the world in the first month, making it the fastest selling album." Sales of Beatles '1' continue to prove to be quite lucrative for its shareholders when accounts filed by Apple saw the company's "pre-tax profits for the year [2002] to last January soared to £18.4m", wrote This is London. Sir Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison's widow Olivia, and John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono also made £7.5m each for "promotional services charged to the company as well as payments for the use of their name and likenesses".
Special Note of Interest: Guinness World Records also states that "The Beatles have amassed the greatest sales for any group. All-time sales have been estimated by EMI at over one billion discs and tapes to date."
December 10
John Lennon's 'Imagine' -- Centerpiece
of
New Amnesty International Campaign for Human Rights
With usage rights from Yoko Ono, Amnesty International will re-record John Lennon's legendary anthem 'Imagine' featuring an international children's choir. The recording is to be produced by Academy Award winning composer, Hans Zimmer and will be used over the next two years by Amnesty International as a campaign "to reach out across generations to rally support for human rights," wrote the U.S. Newswire services.
In a statement from Yoko Ono: "The 'Imagine' campaign is such a beautiful campaign. I'm just enthralled by it. Bringing this 'Imagine' campaign all over the world, and by asking children of different countries to sing the song, it's a way of getting children -- and adults -- to come together. It will mean so much to today's world for children to sing this song."
The campaign includes a CD to be released in the Spring of 2003, a music video, television ads, print and radio as way to get their message out. Advertising for the 'Imagine' campaign had already commenced in a December 8th edition of the New York Times and a "a four-page insert" will be included "in the December 23 issue of The New Yorker" according to the press report. Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) has also commenced with an interactive on-line website with a special interview from Yoko Ono: http://www.amnestyusa.org/imagine
Curt Goering, senior deputy executive director for AIUSA, explained why the organization chose 'Imagine' for their crusade: "John Lennon's vision was of a world in which the needs and rights of every single person were respected and people everywhere lived in peace and harmony. His lyrics challenged people to imagine and act -- the same challenge Amnesty International has issued for 40 years. With ongoing and impending conflicts around the globe, Amnesty International calls on people everywhere to join us not only in imagining a better world, but also in working to protect human rights and create a more secure and just world."
Since its founding in 1961, Amnesty International has freed more than 45,000 prisoners.
December 22
Sir Paul McCartney gets his own coat of
arms
"Sir Paul McCartney has sealed his move from rock star to pillar
of the Establishment with a coat of arms to go with his knighthood. The arms -
with a guitar and a Liver Bird symbolising his music career and Liverpool roots
- use a formula that dates back to the 15th century," wrote Mark Ludlow of
The Sunday Times. "The shield features two black flaunches, or curved
emblems. Each is divided in two and the resulting four shapes, resembling
beetles' backs, symbolise McCartney and his fellow Beatles John Lennon, George
Harrison and Ringo
Starr. Two circles refer to records and CDs, and guitar strings pass over
them." At the
bottom of the coat of arms contains the motto: "Ecce Cor Meum" and is Latin for
"Behold My Heart" which is the title of an oratorio he composed.
Queen Elizabeth II gave Paul the title of nobility on December 30, 1996. He then applied for the coat of arms but the design and approval was delayed when Linda McCartney, Paul's first wife, died from cancer in 1998. The shield was finally granted by the College of Arms (part of the royal household) and was "delivered to McCartney after payment of a £3,500 fee," wrote The Sunday Times.
Only two other pop stars have their own coat of arms: Sir Cliff Richard and Sir Elton John.
**2003**
January 7
The Beatles Book Monthly
folds
After a 40-year publication run, Sean O'Mahony, founder of the Beatles first fanzine -- "The Beatles Book Monthly" -- has printed its final edition this month. Publication of the London-based fanzine first began with approval from Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager, in August, 1963. According to David Charters of the Daily Post Staff, The Beatles Book Monthly had long been revered as "a bible to followers of the most famous group in the history of popular music" noted for covering topics such as "the early chart success of the Mop Tops, through the crazy years of mystical discovery and psychedelia to the acrimonious break-up, and then the tragic deaths of John and George."
At the peak of success, sales of The Beatles Book Monthly in the U.K. alone was in excess of 330,000 copies while at the same time overseas distribution figures ran well into the "hundreds of thousands", wrote the Daily Post. But several factors were cited (including from its founding editor) for the demise of the publication: 1) Recent sales of the publication have dwindled to about 10,000; 2) "The number of things the former Beatles are doing gets less and less as the years go on", exclaimed Sean O'Mahony. But perhaps the most significant point was summarized best by David Charters of the Daily Post when he wrote: "...the Beatles Book Monthly is to cease to publication, simply because it has said all that need be said."
Each issue of the Beatles Book Monthly ran 48 pages long with a retail value of £3 and contained news, merchandise and articles on the Beatles. Beatle song titles such as "Junk", "The Void", "Not Guilty", and "What's The New Mary Jane" first surfaced in The Beatles Book Monthly magazine via articles and reports from those who worked very closely inside the Beatles inner circle, i.e. Tony Barrow, the Beatles PR Officer from 1962 to 1968. Tony Barrow had ghosted many articles for Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall.
January 10
Get Back Tapes Recovered!
Led by the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI), London and Dutch detectives have recovered 500 reel-to-reel tapes of the famous "Get Back" sessions which eventually became the creation of the "Let It Be" album. The anti-piracy swoop ended a 30-year disappearance of the recordings (most Beatle fans never knew that the tapes were stolen in the first place.) According to New York Times reporter Allan Kozinn, the tapes "are monaural recordings made on a pair of Nagra tape recorders for reference purposes by a film crew that was documenting the sessions for a proposed television documentary" and each tape runs about 16 minutes each. The investigation included London and Dutch detectives which led to the arrest of five suspects, two in West London and three in an undisclosed location South of Amsterdam. The scam was exposed when the West London pair, a man and woman who are suspected of being "employed in the Beatles' Abbey Road studios at the time" of the "alleged theft in the early 1970s", attempted to sell the tapes to an undercover detective posing as a representative from EMI. The amount the suspects were demanding from EMI was $672,000. Part of the money was shown to the West London pair by the undercover detective while the other three suspects in South Amsterdam were shown the rest of the money at the same time by "undercover officers from the Netherlands police," the Daily Telegraph reports. "When the man in London and the Dutch people agreed by cell phone to complete the sale, police moved in. Three people were arrested in Holland. No money was paid out."
Michael Ellis, head of the IFPI's western European unit, could not over-emphasize enough the importance of the these recordings: "We were always interested in finding these tapes. The tapes were made in 1969 and they represent a significant part of the heritage of the British music industry. It was like a priceless painting being stolen."
January 12
The Best of Fellas' -- A Tribute to Cavern
compère Bob Wooler
at the
Philharmonic Hall Liverpool
Click on the above image for Joe Robinson's excellent Bob Wooler tribute!
Liverpool's Joe Robinson, who attended "The Best of Fellas -- A Tribute to Bob Wooler", salutes the legendary Cavern compère through his personal reminiscences of the various musicians and friends who participated at the festive occasion. Joe's exclusive photography that he took that night at Philharmonic Hall is presented in his tribute. And, published for the first-time ever, Joe provides us with the complete track listing of songs that were performed in honour of Bob Wooler.
The "The Best of Fellas" tribute night was used as an opportunity for the "Roy Castle Lung Foundation" to raise money -- a charity which Bob Wooler had been a long supporter of. Proceeds of ticket sales went directly to the charity. During the program, Mark Scragg, son of Roy Scragg from the Denisons, presented a cheque of £1,800 which topped-up the ticket sales. Cheryl and Norman Williams of "The Roy Castle Lung Foundation" had organized the event.
January 15
Geoff Emerick to Receive "Technical Grammy
Award"
Geoff Emerick, the Beatles recording engineer who has received Grammy Awards for Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road, will be adding another to his prestigious list: "The Technical Grammy Award". The Grammy "is presented to individuals and/or companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field," reported Business Wire.com. The award will also be presented to Shure Incorporated who has been world leader in audio electronics since 1925 (the company invented the first practical stereo phono cartridge!)
"The creative fearlessness of Geoff Emerick and the immeasurable contribution that Shure Incorporated has made to the world of audio are the achievements of true visionaries," said Producer & Engineers Wing Director Leslie Lewis. "Emerick's groundbreaking and skilful techniques continue to inspire generations and Shure's audio equipment consistently sets the standard for excellence. The world would have sounded very different without the contributions of our honourees."
The Grammy Awards are to be presented on February 23rd at New York's Madison Square Gardens between 8 -11:30 p.m. (PST/EST) on CBS Television.
January 19
An Ottawa Beatles Site
Exclusive!
Le Dain
Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs -- "The Private
Testimony of John Lennon"
When questioned about his LSD usage, John Lennon once told Jann Wenner in 1971 in the book, "Lennon Remembers", that "It went on for years. I must have had a thousand trips." Wenner asks Lennon, "Literally a thousand trips or a couple of hundred?" to which Lennon responds back with: "Lots. I used to just eat it all the time." That was the very public John Lennon talking with much bravado for the Rolling Stone interview. But then there is the very private John Lennon who, only two years before, was certainly not bragging about his LSD usage. For in December 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono testified at the "Le Dain Commission of Inquiry Into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs" where John declared his reasons for stopping his LSD consumption: "I think it probably does burn your head off, because -- I stopped using it because it did burn my head off, and, of course, now there's bad drugs going 'round. You can't even trust the drugs that come because people are selling acid that has got God knows what in it, you know."
John Lennon's testimony is 76 pages long and as you might expect from the pop star, he delves into the many themes relevant to him and the "hippie movement" of the late '60s. The interview was conducted by two representatives from the Le Dain Commission, Dean I.L. Campbell and Dr. Lehmann, in Montreal.
The publication of the "Private Testimony of John Lennon at the Le Dain Commission of Inquiry Into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs" was the result of a 5-½ month investigative effort made by John Whelan, the Ottawa Beatle Site's Chief Researcher. Lennon's interview has never been published before until now.
Click on the following link for John Lennon's interview: http://beatles.ncf.ca/lennon_inquiry.html
March 25
Ringo Starr releases "Ringo
Rama" CD featuring a tribute song
to George
Harrison
In a very candid interview in a Beverly Hills hotel, Ringo Starr reveals to Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun why the ex-Beatle wrote "Never Without You", a new song in memory of his late former band mate, George Harrison: "I was happy to do it, because it was a great way to express joy and loss, and it was the best way I could do it -- with a song.
"We started the album last year, in February, three or four months after he died, so it was to the fore that he'd gone. But where we started the song (starts singing), 'We were young, it was fun ...' it automatically went to the group, to The Beatles.
"And then I was trying to put John Lennon in to say 'Hi, John,' and Harry Nillson. But it just got too messy and George was on my mind. So we decided, 'Let's stop all this. Just make this for George.'
"And when we decided that, then we could tailor it more. Then I put in all those lines that George wrote. 'Within you, without you,' is from his song. And so we took artistic licence, which expressed more than I could ever say. And that's how it was. And it was really a great way to have some closure."
NME.com wrote that Eric Clapton, a close friend to George, was chosen by Ringo and given the task of providing a solo guitar break in the song. Said Ringo: "I wanted Eric to come and play that solo because I only wanted people on the track who George knew and loved."
Ringo Rama contains 14 tracks (the last one, "I Really Love Her", has Ringo performing on all of the instruments) and comes with a "Limited Edition Bonus DVD" (over 40 minutes long) with interviews from Ringo and The Roundheads with session appearances from David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Charlie Haden, Timothy B. Schmit and Van Dyke Parks.
The childhood home in which John Lennon grew up in between the ages of five to 23 (1946 - 1963) with his Aunt Mimi, is to open to the public on Saturday, March 29. The announcement was made today by both Yoko Ono and Britain's National Trust.
'Mendips', a pebble-dashed mock Tudor 'semi' located on 251 Menlove Avenue, was purchased last year by Yoko Ono for £150,000 when the previous owner died. Yoko then donated Mendips to the National Trust who then restored it to the homey ambience that Lennon grew up in. Said Ono: "When John's house came up for sale I wanted to preserve it for the people of Liverpool, and John Lennon and Beatle fans all over the world. The house resonates with a special atmosphere. It was after all, where some of John's songs that we now hold so dear were born....And it gives me great pleasure to see Mendips restored as a permanent memory of a place that formed him and his amazing talents."
Advising on the decor of the home was Mike Cadwallader, a cousin of the family who use to visit Aunt Mimi and John Lennon. Catherine Jones, reporter for IC Liverpool, best described John's 10ft by 7ft bow-fronted bedroom as "that of a 50s teenager who has discovered girls and rock 'n' roll. Pictures of Elvis and Brigitte Bardot are tacked on the walls, 45s by Lonnie Donnegan are strewn around the eiderdown-covered bed, and books by the much-loved Lewis Carroll sit open on a desk."
Some of Lennon's earliest writings were created at Mendips: "John used to formulate his songs in the bedroom," Yoko Ono told the British Times On Line. "He told me that when he was writing in his diary, sometimes Mimi used to look into it, and he found out about that, so he started to write in gobbledegook...and so even before surrealism appeared in his songs, it was there."
Interestingly, other areas of the home were as equally important from a historical perspective: Reuters reported that the "porch of the house is where Lennon formed his first band, The Quarrymen, and later rehearsed with Paul McCartney". While the porch was only big enough for John and Paul standing, strumming their guitars, The Observer wrote of a different location the twosome used where a "tiled floor and glass created the boomy 'bathroom' acoustic the lads coveted, and here they practised and germinated such songs as 'Please Please Me', 'I Call Your Name' and 'I'll Get You.'"
Fiona Reynolds, director-general of the National Trust, described today's special announcement as "extraordinary and exciting". Ms. Reynolds declared that "John Lennon made a tremendous contribution to 20th century popular culture. The National Trust is delighted that, as a result of Yoko's generosity, we have been able to protect Mendips and open it to the public. Through his music and words John touched the lives of millions of people, and it is exciting for us to be able to present the place in which it all began."
Tours of Mendips are being offered by the National Trust and is combined with a visit Paul McCartney's old house in Forthlin Road, Allerton, Liverpool. Fees are £5 for members, £10 for non-members, by pre-arranged minibus only.
March 31
The Beatles Anthology is
released in DVD format!
On this date, the "Beatles Anthology" is officially released in DVD format in Britain and issued the following day in Canada and the United States. The Anthology set boasts a total of 5 DVD discs: the first four discs presents the original 10-hour documentary that came out in VHS format in 1996 while the fifth disc contains 81 minutes of Beatle material, almost all of which has never been seen before.
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April 4
PAUL McCARTNEY BUYS RIGHTS TO CARL PERKINS'
CATALOGUE
Paul McCartney's music company, MPL Communications Inc, announces on this date that a long-term publishing deal has been arranged for worldwide administration of 23 classic rock 'n' roll songs written by the late Carl Perkins. Of those 23 classics, the Beatles in their heyday did three cover versions of his work: "Matchbox"; "Honey Don't" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby". John Lennon in his solo career recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" found on the "Live Peace In Toronto 1969" concert (the original 1956 recording by Perkins, sold 2 million copies before Elvis Presley made it into a major hit for himself.)
Carl had always remained good friends with the Beatles both during and after the bands break-up. George Harrison and Ringo Starr appeared with Carl Perkins on a cable TV special in London called: "Carl Perkins and Friends: A Rockabilly Session" and in 1982, Carl performed electric guitar and vocals on Paul McCartney's "Get It" from the "Tug of War" album.
The Rockabilly King in an interview once said about the Beatles: "George Harrison told me 'Man, you wrote your songs, you sang your songs, you played guitar. That's what we wanted to do.'" Perkins had even publicly declared that both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones took rockabilly further than he ever anticipated. "They advanced it so much," said Carl. "That rockabilly sound wasn't as simple as I thought it was." In another interview, Perkins noted that "They put a nice suit on rockabilly. They never strayed from the simplicity of it. They just beautified it."
Today's announcement from MPL Communications included a statement from Paul McCartney: "Carl Perkins was one of my earliest influences; I am quite simply a fan of his." A recent cover version of "Matchbox" appears on Paul McCartney's "Back in the U.S." concert film while "Honey Don't", a solo performance from Ringo Starr appears on the highly acclaimed "Go, Cat, Go" CD released in 1996 by Perkins.
The inclusion of the Carl Perkins musical catalogue expands MPL Communication's growing list of music publishing rights that includes Buddy Holly, Jerry Herman, Frank Loesser and Meredith Wilson.
April 11
The Beatles Anthology DVD Debuts
at Number 1
The Beatles continue to astound the music industry by establishing a new record within the DVD medium: "The Beatles Anthology DVD, released April 1, 2003, debuts at the number one position on Billboard's DVD Music Video Chart and on the Music Video Chart, having sold nearly 59,000 units in the first week," reported PRNewswire. "This is the biggest Music Video DVD boxset debut in the soundscan era."
"Like all great artists, The Beatles' music is timeless and their story continues to be relevant to all music lovers," says Capitol Records President and CEO Andrew Slater.
PRNewswire also revealed that "The Beatles catalogue has taken major jumps on the Billboard Pop Catalog Chart this week, including the return to the #1 chart position for the Beatles 1 CD, with sales now approaching 9 million copies in the US alone."
April 12
Former Beatle Pete
Best survives a horrifying motorway accident
While traveling back to Liverpool after a show, the six members of "The Pete Best Band" - which included Pete Best and his brother Roag - narrowly walks away from death with only cuts and bruises after a lorry had hit their minibus. The incident occurred Saturday morning while driving on the M6 near Stoke.
In an April 15th publication by the Liverpool Echo, Pete Best, 61, revealed to reporter Nicky Tabarn, how the accident unfolded: "I was dozing when the next thing I knew a wagon had clipped us and we were smashing into the barriers. Everything was in slow motion and it seemed like an eternity. We managed to climb out of the wreckage and did a head count to make sure everyone had got out ok. Someone really must have been watching over us."
Roag Best, 40, who was driving the minibus, told Nicky Tabarn how he lost control of the van: "We spun right round and hit the railings on the hard shoulder. The roof caved in, the driver's door was ripped off and the windscreen flew out." The shattering of glass had injured members of "The Pete Best Band".
"The police at the scene said we must lead charmed lives," said Roag Best. "I really thought we were going to die."
May 11
Tens of thousands flock outside Rome's
Coliseum
A very noteworthy entry into this Beatles Timeline: On this date, Paul McCartney performs a free concert before an unprecedented crowd of "around 500,000" at the Coliseum in Rome. Said Paul, "I'm completely blown away - it was one of the most fantastic evenings of my life and I'm so chuffed that at my stage in the game this was the biggest show of my entire career," wrote the Daily Post. The day before, Paul held a charity concert at the Coliseum before a crowd of 400 people who paid up to $1,485 in an internet auction for tickets. Proceeds of $285,000 were raised from the concert and will go towards "Adopt-A-Minefield" and to archaeological projects in Rome.
May 17
Lennon on drugs: the Beatles'
secret testimony on marijuana in Canada
 Historic Update, October 17, 2018: Cannabis is now legal in Canada This writer receives a question from Ottawa Beatles Site founder Tony Copple: "Could the legalization of Cannabis in Canada (2nd only to Uruguay) have been influenced by the late John Lennon?" John Lennon provided his experience and insight to the "Le Dain Commission of Inquiry Into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs," December 22, 1969, on a Rapido train in Montréal. John Lennon's testimony was important to the Commission and he is listed as a consultant in the Final Report of that study. The late Ian Campbell, one of the commissioners from that study once stated to the Ottawa Beatles Site: "We met in his private railway car in the CNR Station in Montréal. We held a great many private hearings. In some cases, such as with the meeting with Mr. Lennon, a tape recording was made of the conversation and this was later transcribed. But many of the meetings were not recorded. For instance, I met with the Grateful Dead, The Led Zeppelin, Grace Slick and no tape was made. We met with all manner of people who wanted to tell about their experiences or offer their opinions. Often during the four year life of the Commission I would have two or three evenings a week filled with meetings with individuals or small groups. We seemed to gain the trust of a very large number of people. For instance, some drug dealers spoke to us very frankly about their operations. It was all a fascinating exercise." In spite of good intentions, a government study of this magnitude can sometimes end up on a shelf and never goes anywhere with its recommended reforms. Luckily the Ottawa Citizen and the Toronto Star put the report back into the spotlight. As Commissioner Marie-Andrée Bertrand noted: "Well, it's not so very much, is it? I would have thought that, after all this time, at least for marijuana, the measures would have been much more liberal," i.e. the decriminalization of the drug. Her comments comes from a report that Norman Provencher wrote for the Ottawa Citizen, May 17, 2003 entitled: "Lennon On Drugs Revealed: The Beatle's secret testimony on marijuana in Canada." Then the Toronto Star did their report on December 1, 2013 by Kate Allen entitled: "Why Canada banned pot (science had nothing to do with it.)" Canada had some of the toughest laws on the books regarding cannabis. She notes: "Suddenly, there were lots of law to do it with: penalties had crept up, until in 1961 trafficking marijuana became punishable with life imprisonment....These harsh penalties had no discernible deterrent effect. In 1967, there were 431 convictions for cannabis possession across Canada. In 1971, there were 8,389." John Lennon was not an advocate of hard drugs even though he had used LSD. He was in fact in favour of legalizing soft drugs like marijuana. Kate Allen quoted from John Lennon's testimony: "'We are one example of people who have experienced marijuana,' Lennon said, 'Are we sitting at home just smoking pot in a den of iniquity?' He told them he quite LSD because 'it did burn my head off,' but that marijuana was a catalyst for peace." Today, Canadians now have that choice whether to use or pass on the idea with regards to marijuana. It means no fear of legal prosecution for smoking or growing the soft drug. This step forward now frees up police resources where they can go after the more harder drugs like Cocaine, LSD, Peyote, Meth, etc.
For more information on the changes to the cannabis laws please read: "Cannabis is legal in Canada - here's what you need to know" by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
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Top photo: John Lennon and Yoko Ono meet with Prime Minister Pierre Elliot Trudeau on December 23, 1969. Above photo: Scanned pages from the "Final Report Of The Commission of Inquiry Into The Non-medical Use Of Drugs" Ottawa Citizen news article, May 17, 2003: In a major news article by the Ottawa Citizen entitled "Lennon on Drugs: the Beatles's secret testimony on on marijuana in Canada", veteran music reporter Norman Provencher reveals John and Yoko's drug testimony before the Le Dain Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs. Provencher interviewed several key participants who were involved including former Health Minister John Munro. Toronto Star news article, December 1, 2013:The Toronto Star quoted Lennon from his testimony to the Le Dain Commission in an articled entitled "Why Canada banned pot (science had nothing to do with it)" written by Kate Allen. She explains how the evolution of the laws on pot happened over the past 90 years in Canada, worth reading for the wealth of research on the subject. |
May 24
"We find it absolutely senseless and blasphemous to hold rock concerts in a graveyard of a special kind where Stalin, Lenin, Brezhev, Gagarin and other prominent personalities are buried. A rock concert on Red Square has a covert political meaning and would require the use of a significant number of police and security forces. You may find yourself in the very center of a serious political scandal."
- Message to Paul McCartney and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov in a final plea to hold the concert elsewhere in Russia. It was signed by deputies Alexei Mitrofanov, Nikolai Bezborodov, Sergei Reshulsky, Tatyana Astrakhankina, Yuri Nikiforenko and others as reported in a May 13, 2003, Interfax press release.
Backtrack: Based on a study by his Minister of Culture and fearful that it would only be corruptive on Soviet youth, Nikita Khrushchev in the early 1960's denounces Western popular music: "The youth of the Soviet Union do not need this cacophonous rubbish. It's just a small step from saxophones to switchblades." The statement made by Khrushchev ushered in a ban on all "Beatle records" in the U.S.S.R. when the group became popular in the West.
"By using the saxophone as an example of Western decadence, he was lumping together all pop music instruments, especially electric guitars. That instrument was deemed the cause of most of the corruption among young people in the Soviet Union," wrote Dr. Yury Pelyushonok, author of Strings for a Beatle Bass - The Beatles Generation in the U.S.S.R. and who grew up in the Soviet Union while under communistic rule. "It went without saying that the Beatles, who seemed to be armed with electric guitars, would be totally forbidden." Interestingly, the ban on "Beatles music" would later include recordings of Paul McCartney's 1970's band "Wings". It would be a very long time coming before "Beatles" and "Wings" records were approved for commercial distribution by the Russian government*, let alone even a rock concert performed by Paul. For his part, the former Beatle actually wrote to Leonid Brezhnev in 1980 asking if he could perform during the Moscow Olympic Games but was turned down.
[*Editorial: By March 1986, "Melodiya", the Soviet recording company would officially release two Beatle albums at the same time in Russia: "A Hard Day's Night" and "A Taste of Honey". The album tracks for "A Taste of Honey" were culled from three different British Beatle albums: "Please Please Me", "With the Beatles", and "Beatles For Sale". Regarding Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP", the album was issued twice by "Melodiya": a rare unauthorized version was issued on October 31, 1988, contained 11 tracks and a yellow cover back with notes by Andrei Gavrilov. The authorized version from McCartney was released on December 24, 1988, contained 13 tracks with a white cover back with notes by Roy Carr that were taken from the New Musical Express.]
Fast-forward: On March 19, 2003, the Associated Press covers Paul's official announcement to perform in Russia and headlines it with: "McCartney to Play Open-Air Gig in Moscow" (in the "Red Square", May 24). In the news article, Paul said, "I've long wanted to play in Russia, but for a number of years when the communists were in power, they didn't want me to." The former Beatle added: "I've never even visited Russia as a tourist, so it's exciting for me now to be getting to perform there with a band and finally be singing 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' and all these other songs for people, who, I've got a feeling, might be ready for it."
In spite of the natural optimism coming from Paul, on April 15, Russia's Interfax web media announces some government dissention concerning Paul's visit to Moscow. Alexei Mitrofanov, a representative of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) "believes that it is 'inappropriate' to hold a concert on Red Square", wrote Interfax. The politician wanted to discuss his request addressed to the Russian president to prevent McCartney from performing on the Red Square, but was turned down by the State Duma Council (Russia's "Lower House") on Tuesday.
Mitrofanov told Interfax: "Such concerts should not be held on Red Square, and it is essentially an unprecedented event, as artists have given concerts on this square only on holidays, for example, City Day."
Sergi Mitrokhin, deputy head of Yabloko parliamentary faction, was surprised by Mitrofanov's initiative. "He [McCartney] won't be doing a strip-tease," he told Interfax. And Andrei Vulf, a member of the Union of Right Forces faction, called the upcoming concert "a wonderful idea....Millions of Russian's have waited for this moment for 30 years, and I don't doubt that McCartney has at least twice as many fans in Russia as the number of supporters of the most popular political parties."
On May 24, Vulf's comments about how Russian fans have long-awaited for a rock performance from Paul McCartney, was confirmed by Moscow Beatle fan Sacha Gorbachev: "I was a Beatles fan under Communism when I was young. I wore a Communist badge with Marx, Engels and Lenin on it, but I changed it to show John Lennon. The authorities did not like it and threw me out of college", he said. "I have been waiting 30 years for this concert." Gorbachev's comments appeared in the Sky News Media.
"A massive stage has been erected just yards from Lenin's mausoleum for the event - the first time a rock concert has been held in Red Square." -- Source: Sky News
Paul McCartney Becomes Professor of St. Petersburg Conservatory, May 22: On this date, Reuters announces that Paul McCartney has been awarded a diploma of Professor of Honour of St. Petersburg Conservatory. McCartney, speaking in Russian, said: "Hello! I am glad to be here. This is a great honour for me. Thank you." Then, speaking in English, McCartney pointed to his doctorate and said: "It's really exciting to be in the same school that such great composers as Tchaikovsky came to. It's fantastic to be here. And receiving this diploma is the icing on the cake."
During the award ceremonies, Valentina Matviyenko, President Vladimir Putin's regional envoy to the North-western Federal District, proclaimed McCartney as a great musician and idol for millions of fans: "Your music showed that there is no music for the elite, but music for everyone."
The Red Square Concert by Paul, May 24: After access had been opened up just 1.5 hours before the show, Reuters news service reported an estimated 20,000 spectators had finally gathered onto Red Square to hear a three hour concert from Paul McCartney. Days before the concert began, 17,000 tickets were sold and prices had ranged from 1,000 to 6,000 rubbles, with 10,000 tickets destined to the VIP zone. To put some kind of monetary value in terms of dollars, the Associated Press in their report said that "Tickets ranged from about $30 to $300. With the average [Russian] monthly wages around $140, the concert was a splurge for many." Some Russian fans bought the cheapest tickets available just to see Paul McCartney perform. Those who didn't have tickets for the show "gathered behind the barricades and listened," wrote the Associated Press. The fans were treated to many classic Beatle tunes including "Back in the U.S.S.R." and many other hits from McCartney's solo era.
Earlier in the day, McCartney met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for tea and guided tour in the Kremlin. McCartney revealed to the press that when he had his meeting with the Russian president, he did a private performance of "Let It Be." Putin told his guest that Beatles' music "was considered propaganda of an alien ideology. It did not seem to some people that art was beyond ideology." The Russian president also went on to say that the music had been a symbol of freedom. Putin, who had been a former KGB agent, had always been a fan of the pop star's music since his youth had welcomed the McCartney concert: "I'm very excited that after all this time of the Beatles banned in Russia that we can finally come and do this show."
Said Paul McCartney about the Russian folk: "I always suspected that people had big hearts. Now I know that's true."
Click here for photos of the days activities.
Preface: "No respectable American commentator will state the real reason that the Soviet coup failed. They talk tediously about the bureaucratic ineptitude of the plotters, or how glasnost had gained surprising support. They never mentioned the power that actually smashed the Communist Party and the KGB. The most potent force on earth is not our military or CIA, but low-life American culture: fast food, blue jeans, T-shirts and rock'n'roll." -- Ed Quillen, journalist, Denver Post, September 1, 1991.
"Though recordings by The Beatles were banned during the Soviet era, the band's music made it through the Iron Curtain in small doses, giving many here their first taste of rock 'n' roll." -- Ira Iosebashvili, journalist, Moscow Times, October 3, 2003.
On this date, the Arts and Entertainment network airs a documentary exploring how Russian Beatle fans were deprived from witnessing firsthand, Beatlemania while under the control of the communist ideology. The documentary featured special interviews with President Vladimir Putin, former President Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian Defence Minister Sergie Ivanov, and many other Russian nationals whose lives were changed as result of experiencing Beatles music. It also featured some of Paul McCartney's finest musical works both as a Beatle and solo artist.
Many of the Russian testimonies given on the program confirmed that Beatles music meant more to them than perhaps to the Western generation because of the covert ways they had to listen to the music. Andre Makarevich, founder of the Soviet pop group, "Time Machine", declared on the program: "The Beatles [meant] more [to us] than the Beatles for any other country because in any other country, people could feel that they're not far from them. One day they come to their town and play their show and you can go to the shop and buy a new record. We understood that we lived on a separate planet and they will never come here -- never see the albums in the shop. That's why it was much more important for us."
How did official Beatles albums and official Beatle singles end up being banned in the 60s in Russia? It started under the leadership of President Nikita Khrushchev who was one of the strongest supporters of communism. He publicly made it known through the Russian media that he viewed rock 'n' roll music as decadent Western culture and that it was subversive and a corruptive influence on Russian youth which might lead to the hollowing out of communism. To that end, Russia's "Ideological Department of the Central Committee" - a bureaucratic department who supported "pure thought" on communism, reviewed all arts, languages and national upheavals -- those big scale things that would impact negatively on communism. The review on the arts included rock 'n' roll music from the West and the music of the Beatles. As each and every new Beatle album and single was being released either by Parlophone or by Apple records in Britain at that time, Russia's "Ideological Department of the Central Committee" decided to ban the "official" British releases, denying The Beatles an entry into the Russian marketplace. However, the first Beatle track that did appear in Russia, occurred under the most oddest set of circumstances: According to Reuters news services "Beatles tracks began to appear anonymously on Soviet anthology LP's. The song Girl turned up as early as 1967 on an disc called "Stars of Foreign Variety" and that the groups name remained unidentified on the disc and simply credited as a "Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble (England)". When I recently spoke with Dr. Yury Pelyushonok, author of "Strings for a Beatle Bass - The Beatles Generation in the U.S.S.R.", he confirmed the Reuters report is correct and that Girl sounded very much like a Russian "folk-song" as opposed to "decadent rock 'n' roll", a musical piece that the Russian people just "melted over" which is why it became the only Beatle track allowed into the Soviet Union during the 1960's.
But the ban on the Beatles, as a musical ensemble and their "official" British releases, continued on until sometime into 1973 when a series of Beatle EP's were released in Russia on the Melodiya label. While the songs of themselves were credited as "J. Lennon-P. McCartney", once again the group's name remained "unidentified" on the discs and simply credited as a "Vocal-Instrumental Group." It wasn't until 1975 when Melodiya finally decided to include the group's name, "BEATLES", on an EP. Said Reuters news agency in 1975: "...it is the first time that Beatles' authorship has been acknowledged on the record label. The latest pressing from the state Melodiya record factory has 'Beatles' - or 'Bitlz' as it is spelled in Russian - emphatically printed on its pink label. The seven-inch disc contains three Beatles numbers - Let It Be, Across the Universe and I, Me, Mine."
As already mentioned in this Beatles Timeline, the first official album release of the Beatles occurred in March 1986 on the Melodiya label. But in between these EP releases and album releases, the Beatles music was illicitly distributed throughout Russia's black market. One form of distribution was known as "disc on bones". Artemy Troitsky, who appeared on the program and who is a published author of "Rock and the Rest of the World" explained in his book how out of necessity that music was transferred onto X-ray film: "Records and tape recorders were in catastrophically short supply. This led to the birth of a legendary phenomenon -- the memorable records 'on ribs'. These were actual X-ray plates -- chest cavities, spinal cords, broken bones -- rounded at the edges with scissors, with a small hole in the centre and grooves that were barely visible on the surface.... People bought them by the hundreds from hospitals and clinics for kopeks, after which grooves were cut with the help of special machines (made, they say, from old phonographs by skilled conspiratorial hands.)" I asked Dr. Yury Pelyushonok what kind of shelf life did those X-ray sheets have after they transferred Beatle music onto them. From what he revealed is that they could play "disc on bones" up to 200 times on a record player before it would diminish and become useless. In terms of sound quality, they would hear some sort of background "hiss" normally associated when using this type of X-ray film, but, he said, the sound quality of the music itself was always good, at least good enough for the listener to get the feel for what was being played back through the record player.
The documentary also heard first-hand testimony that the title track from Paul's album, "Band on the Run" had been banned and the program also suggested that a Russian urban legend sprung from their passionate interest in the Beatles music: that the Beatles allegedly performed a concert at a Russian airport in 1966!
Beatle fans can look forward to a possible DVD release of the program next year. Earlier in the day, during a MSN web chat, Paul McCartney said: "Because it's going to be on TV first I'm holding off on putting together the DVD as I would like it to be a major TV event around the world. However once we've done that, I would love to take up some of the offers we've already had to make a DVD out of the show. This will also mean that we can take some time to put together all of the exciting extras you can get on DVD. So I would estimate sometime next year."
We're all looking forward to the documentary DVD release, Paul!
For more information on Russian "censorship" and the impact of the Beatles music on Russian culture, please read "You Say You Want a Velvet Revolution? John Lennon and the Fall of the Soviet Union" which is a "Grad Paper" written by Dave LaFontana of Harvard University.
See also: Confessions of a Soviet Moptop
SBS Radio-Australia journalist Natasha Cuculovski
Update December 8, 2004: On this date Natasha Cuculovski, journalist of "World View" for SBS Radio - Australia, interviews Glenn A. Baker - Music/Rock historian, Alex Menglet - Beatles fan, actor, Russian - Australian and Dr. Yury Pelyushonok on a program entitled: "The Anniversary of John Lennon's Death." This 10 minute audio interview eloquently examines how the Beatles own pop music created a cultural revolution behind the Iron Curtain. You can listen to the program either in RealPlayer media audio (click here) or in Windows media audio (click here).
Additional update, February 13, 2009: "Beatles in the U.S.S.R." - a documentary by Paul Gambaccini, was broadcasted on this date by the BBC World Service radio. The program features Dr. Yury Pelyushonok and another Russian guest. The complete Broadcast is presented in RealPlayer media audio (click here). Running time: approximately 23 minutes.
Sept 24
Beatle Families turn up at the "Concert for
George" World Premier
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, turns up with Olivia and Dhani Harrison for the World Premier "Concert for George" at the Warner Brothers Studio in Los Angeles. The "Concert for George" was performed at London's Royal Albert Hall in November of 2002. The 90-minute film includes performances from some of George Harrison's closest friends and musicians that covered such songs as: "Taxman," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Give Me Love," "My Sweet Lord" and "Isn't It A Pity." The film is slated to appear in three dozen U.S. cities on October 3 and slated for DVD release in November. For photo coverage, click here.
"This is as definitive a collection as it is possible to be," says Yoko Ono. "John’s life was an amazing one, and one that I feel privileged to have been part of. Compiling this DVD has been a very emotional experience: unearthing rare footage, watching it increase in clarity before my eyes, reliving hundreds of memories that were part of our lives and which are now being passed on to a new generation."
According to Chartattack, the "Lennon Legend" DVD will be released in Canada on November 4. It will feature rare film footage of Lennon from Yoko's personal archives. For example, the DVD will include a 1968 never-before-seen excerpt performance of the couple culled from John and Yoko's Film #6 ("Everybody Had A Hard Year"). New videos on "Working Class Hero" and "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" are presented on the DVD. Yoko also promises that the DVD will contain John Lennon's performance of "Imagine" which appeared on the "Salute To Lew Grade" show in 1975. It will also include the couples famous Montreal "Bed-In" along with their performance of "Give Peace a Chance." "Lennon Legend" will highlight the famous December 14, 1980 vigils that were held for the pop star in Liverpool, London and New York.
Bonus Disc 2: Sun King, Don't Let Me Down, One After 909, Because I Know You Love Me So, Don't Pass Me By, Taking a Trip to Carlolina, John's Piano Piece, Child of Nature, Back In the U.S.S.R., Every Little Thing, Don't Let Me Down, All Things Must Pass, She Came In Through the Bathroom Window, Paul's Piano Piece, Get Back, Maggie Mae, Fancy My Chances With You, Can You Dig It? Get Back
Prior to this release date, John Harris of The Guardian was one of the first reporters to have an advance listening of "Let It Be...Naked". The Guardian published his review on October 19 and declared "Let It Be...Naked" as "a 35-minute, 11-track album that a) sounds like a coherent work rather than a patched-up postscript, and b) stays true to McCartney's original idea of abandoning the studio alchemy that had so defined the psychedelic Beatles and re-emphasising the fact that they were a four-piece rock group (often augmented here by Billy Preston on keyboards)."
Harris is quite correct in suggesting "Let It Be...Naked" is a back-to-basics rock album by The Beatles and it is the way Paul McCartney originally intended the album to be released, the most obvious being is the removal Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and the studio chatter which appears on the original album. Though some of the changes on this new album are rather significant, one track in particular should delight Beatle fans. "Most striking of all is the new mix of "Across the Universe", said Harris. "Here it sounds like a stargazing companion to 'Julia', Lennon's heart-stopping acoustic piece from The Beatles."
Other significant changes on this new Beatle album are: "The Long and Winding Road" - this version differs from the "Let It Be" and "Anthology 3" LP/CD release and it has John Lennon on bass guitar; George Harrison's "I Me Mine" is minus the orchestral arrangement; "Let It Be" is taken from the film which features George Harrison's original solo break. There are other surprises: Gone are "Maggie Mae" and "Dig It" from the original album and substituted with John Lennon's "Don't Let Me Down". Also presented on the new album are cleaned up versions of "For You Blue"; "One After 909" and "Get Back".
With the Beatles new release of "Let It Be...Naked", the band has in effect, now come around full circle once again.
The Beatles have had an illustrious musical career and their songs will be long remembered as The Classics of Pop Music. The obvious gems come to mind: "Yesterday", "In My Life", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Hey Jude" "Let It Be", "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something" will always be embraced by music lovers even 250 years from now. But the legacy of John, Paul, George and Ringo is much deeper and broader than just those gems alone...their albums reflected and captivated the generation of their times: The first two Beatle albums, "Please Please Me" and "With the Beatles" spun the world upside down on its head as it helped to fuel "Beatlemania" -- but those were fun innocent times for fans. However, the real change came with the release of "Rubber Soul" and as Lennon once said it was all about getting smart and hip when they recorded that album! Their music was changing and so too were their fans and pop groups that followed their lead. "Sgt. Pepper Lonely Heart's Club Band" would only help to inspire the golden "Summer of Love" in 1967 with the hippies, all for peace and free love, as in "All You Need Is Love". On "Abbey Road" the Beatles produced a flawless album both technically and musically speaking. From it the Beatles were inviting everyone for one last time to "Come Together" as the '60s were drawing to a close.
It can be said that the Beatles created a musical genre that has thus far remained unmatched and unsurpassed. Their compositions have become "timeless" for music aficionados, or, as Derek Taylor once pined that the Beatles "were the twentieth century's greatest romance." If, for example, the recent sales figures of Beatles "1" is any indication, that Beatles romance which Derek described has now carried on into the twenty-first century. "1 - released three years ago - has helped to recruit more young fans to their music," wrote the Daily Post on October 9 of this year. "Crucially there has been a huge surge in the number of teenagers and young adults who have bought it. Prior to the release 18 percent of Beatles buyers were 24 or under. But for Beatles 1 the number soared to 32 percent. Those aged 40 and upwards remained the same at just under 40 percent. But for Beatles 1 the number soared to 32.7 percent." The Daily Post also reported that Beatles "1" has sold more than 25 millions copies around the world. With enormous success of "1", it is anticipated that "Let It Be...Naked" should scale to the top of the music charts around the world and become another million-seller for The Beatles!
Postscript to the Beatles Timeline:
Pamela Wallin: "What did you see that no one else did? I mean, when they came knocking on your door they had been to every record label in London. Everybody said: "Go away." You even sent your assistant to the first session and they had to come and grab you and take you back. What did you see?"
George Martin: "The first time I met them, I wasn't aware of any great musical quality. I mean they hadn't written anything (outstanding). But I fell in love with them. They had tremendous charisma. They were fun to be with."
"I was famous for them at the time because they knew I had made all the Peter Seller's (and) Goon records and they loved this kind of thing. They had that same kind of humour. But they had this charm -- they had the quality (that) when you were with them, you felt richer for being with them and when they left the room, you felt diminished. You know what I mean? And I thought to myself: 'If they have that affect on me, they're going to have that affect on other people on the stage', so I signed them."
Pamela Wallin: "You said about changing the music, I mean even those first hits, Please, Please Me, and all that was back to the drawing board: Change the rhythm, change the tempo, all of that. So did you have something in your mind that you were creating?
George Martin: "Well, I knew we had to find a hit song and Love Me Do wasn't it -- I knew it straight (away) and it didn't make very many inroads."
Pamela Wallin: "Gee, I really like it!"
George Martin: "Well, it did o.k. It got to number 17 but it wasn't the blockbuster we were looking for. And Please, Please Me had been around but it was a very slow drudgery tune, a kind of Roy Orbinson mournful ballad. I said to them: 'Double the tempo and we might get something out of it.' So we tried that: We added harmonica and so on and it worked beautifully. And in fact at the end of it I said: 'Gentleman, you've just got your first Number 1.' And it was. It was o.k. And then after that they kind of inspired to start writing and think about writing...they learnt their craft very quickly. And what was great about them was that every song that they produced wasn't a carbon copy of the one before. It was something new. They never gave me Star Wars III, you know, it was always something new coming along which was great."
Pamela Wallin: "So they were not as John once said: 'Just a band that happened to make it very big'? I mean, there was a unique chemistry..."
George Martin: "They were more than the sum of their parts, there was a fusion of the four that made them shine more brilliant. It was like a...like a nuclear explosion, almost."
Interview aired, 5 March 1998,
C.B.C. Newsworld
Brian Epstein (in New York, Nov. 1963, laying down the promotional groundwork for the Beatles assault): "The Beatles have broken every conceivable entertainment record in England. They are the most worshipped, the most idolized boys in the country," he told the New Yorker at the Regency Hotel. "They have tremendous style and a great effervescence which communicates itself in an extraordinary way. Their beat is something like rock 'n' roll but different from it. They are quite different from the big English rock 'n' rollers in that they are not phoney. They have none of that mean hardness about them. They are genuine. They have life, humour and strange, handsome looks...they have been called a working-class phenomenon but I disagree with the sometimes expressed notion that their appeal is sometimes to the working classes. The Beatles are classless. We get fan letters from public schools as well as from working-class people. Mummies like the Beatles, too -- that's the extraordinary thing. They think they are rather sweet. They approve."
With riotous scenes of Beatlemania having occurred in Britain during 1963, Epstein, in the same interview boasted that the groups British record sales now stood at $5 million. As the interview was winding down with the New Yorker, Epstein parted with a final shot where he blazingly predicted: "I think that America is ready for the Beatles. When they come, they will hit this country for six."
Interview published, 28 December 1963,
New Yorker
magazine
ADDITIONAL DATES OF HISTORICAL IMPORTANCE SINCE THE POSTSCRIPT ENTRY ARE AS FOLLOWS
**2006**
**2014**
On this date Beatles Manager Brian Epstein was posthumously inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The formal title of the award is the Ahmet Ertegun Lifetime Achievement Award.
Along with Epstein, Rolling Stone manager Andrew Loog Oldham was inducted as well. Peter Asher of "Peter and Gordon" pop music duo fame from the sixties generation had the honour of making the official announcement.
**2015**
April 1
John Lennon's first wife Cynthia Lillian Powell passes away
After a short battle with cancer, Cynthia Lillian Powell dies with her son Julian Lennon by her bedside. She died in Mallorca, Spain at the age of 75.
News of her death was announced by Julian through Twitter and a special
memorial webpage he created. Her son also released an exceptionally heart
touching video of his
mum entitled "Cynthia
Lennon - In Loving Memory" which has been seen
by well over 1 million
viewers.
Upon learning of her death, Paul McCartney had kind and thoughtful remarks: "The news of Cynthia's passing is very sad. She was a lovely lady
who I've known since our early days together in Liverpool. She was a good
mother to Julian
and will be missed by us all but I will always have great
memories of our times together."
Cynthia was born 10 September 1939 in Blackpool. "She grew up in Hoylake with her parents and two elder brothers and started at Liverpool College of Art in 1957," writes the BBC. It was at art school where Cynthia met John.
November 6
"The Beatles 1+" CD/DVD is released
 |
**2016**
March 8
Legendary musical producer Sir George Martin passes away
June 29
The Beatles publish on Youtube the making
of "While My Guitar Genly Weeps" (the LOVE version) in honour of their
musical producer Sir George Martin
 |
|
**2017** February 12 "The Beatles: Eight Day's A Week - The Touring Years" wins a Grammy Award for Best Documentary The Grammy Award goes to Ron Howard, video director; Brian Grazer, Ron Howard, Scott Pascucci and Nigel Sinclair. The 59th Grammy Award was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. CBS televised the event to 26.09 millions viewers.  May 24 To commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Australia's ABC News interviews The Beatles sound engineer Geoff Emerick |
|
Roy's rock and roll career saw him perform with Tony Sheridan and the Beatles; David Bowie; Ian Hunter; Long John Baldry; Jeff Beck; Deep Purple to name but a few. His voice earned him the distinction of being "Britian's Little Richard" since both artists vocal performance styles are similar to each other. And as the Roy Young website states, "His soulful style eminates tones of Ray Charles, while his pounding Boogie Woogie is styled from the legends such as Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons and Pete Johnson." The recordings presented here demonstrates Roy Young's good sense of timing and rhythm that made him one of best boogie woogie pianists of all time in the rock industry.
The Ottawa Beatles Site has been proud to have interviewed Roy Young on his perspective with the Beatles. The article when published on February 16, 2002, has been quoted many times in book form and various news organizations. You can read the full interview and enjoy Roy's reminiscences at: http://beatles.ncf.ca/roy.html You will be missed Roy. May you be rocking with the angels in the sky. |
June 21
The Late Late Show with James Corden - Paul McCartney
Carpool Karoke
|
While discussing plans with his manager William Zabeleta for his
upcoming appearance (October 6) in Tucson Arizona under the
banner "Geoff Emerick's London Revival", Geoff Emerick dies from
a sudden heart attack. Said Zabeleta in a statement to Variety:
"Today at around 2'o'clock, I was making my way back from
Arizona to Los Angeles to pick up Geoff so we could transport
some gold records and platinum plaques to our show in Tucson.
While on the phone, he had complications and dropped the phone.
I called 911, but by the time they got there, it was too late.
Geoff suffered from heart problems for a long time and had a
pacemaker. ... When it's your time it's your time. We lost a
legend and a best friend to me and a mentor." Emerick "died at
his home near Laurel Canyon, California," wrote NPR Music. Geoff Emerick played an integral role in helping the Beatles expand their musical boundaries. His creative mixing and recording innovations won him four Grammys: One in the 2003 category of "Technical Grammy" for his contribution to the music industry; a Grammy for "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"; a Grammy for "Abbey Road." He also won a Grammy for his work on Paul McCartney and Wings solo album "Band On The Run." Two good examples of Emerick's experimentation of sounds are found on "Tomorrow Never Knows" and "A Day In The Life." On "Tomorrow Never Knows", John Lennon wanted to sound like "the Dalai Lama singing from a mountaintop 25 miles away from the studio" wrote Gregory Katz of the Associated Press. Lennon's voice came through a revolving Leslie speaker normally used for an organ. Other recording tricks used on the song were backwards loops and double-backing. Katz also added in his write-up that "He had other innovations on the Beatles's most complex and anticipated album, "Sgt. Pepper," which came out in 1967. He enhanced the sound on Starr's drums on "A Day In The Life" by loosening the skins and wrapping a microphone in a tea cloth and placing it in a glass container. Under his supervision, McCartney recorded bass lines after the rest of a given track was done, an unusual sequence at the time." Upon learning that Geoff Emerick had passed away, both Paul and Ringo paid tribute to their legendary engineer. Said Paul McCartney: "Woke up this morning to the sad news of Geoff Emerick's passing. He was a great engineer and friend, and even though The Beatles had many great engineers over the years Geoff was the ONE. He was smart, fun-loving and the genius behind many of the great sounds on our records. I worked with him after The Beatles and it was always fun and the sounds he managed to conjure up were always special. Having seen him earlier this year when he came round to our studio I'm shocked and saddened to have lost such a special friend. God bless you Geoffrey - love Paul. x" Ringo Starr echoed the same sentiments as well: "I am so sorry and shocked to hear about Geoff Emerick. He was a great engineer, very helpful to all of us in the studio. With him and George Martin they helped us to step up on Revolver. He will be missed. Barbara and I send peace and love to his family. Peace & love, Ringo xxx" The genius of Geoff Emerick's engineer experience was embraced by Elvis Costello, America, Badfinger, Michael Jackson, Jeff Beck, Stealers Wheel, Kate Bush and Art Garfunkel. |
 Geoff Emerick: Born in London, December 5, 1945 - Died near Laurel Canyon, California, October 2, 2018 |
"It’s the highest charting week from the White Album since March 29, 1969, when the release appeared at No. 5. The record, officially titled The Beatles, spent nine nonconsecutive weeks at No. 1 between Dec. 1968 and March 1969."
**2019**
February 21
The Beatles 'White Album' Certified 24x
Platinum
"More than 50 years after its 1968 release, the Recording
Industry Association of America (RIAA) has announced that
The BEATLES has now been certified 24x Platinum, earning
the spot as the fourth top-certified album of all time," writes
Best Classic Bands. It went on to say that "The
White Album now trails only Eagles - Their Greatest
Hits 1971-1975 (38 million), Michael Jackson's Thriller
(33 million) and Eagles Hotel California (26 million).
It's just ahead of other classic rock albums:
Billy Joel's
Greatest Hits Volume I and Volume II (23 million), Led
Zeppelin IV (23 million), Pink Floyd's The Wall
(23 million) and AC/DC's Back in Black (22 million)."
June 5
Mi'kmaq singer Emma Stevens covers the Beatles
"Blackbird"
 Above: Emma Stevens. Photo credit: John Whelan. |
 Above: Emma Stevens and Carter Chiasson perform live at the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival and Competition Pow Wow on June 22, 2019 in Ottawa. Photo credit: John Whelan. |
"Then, when I realized it was actually real, I got so excited that it almost made me cry. I grew up listening to the Beatles everyday, my dad is a super fan. To have someone like Paul recognize what we did, and why, is a true honour. This is very special for all of us."
The students of Allison Bernard Memorial High School in Eskasoni, Nova Scotia, were led by their music teacher Carter Chiasson (who played the guitar) as Emma Stevens recorded it. The recording of the song had two underpinnings: It is to promote "widespread awareness of preserving indigenous language and culture, and the United Nations International Year of Indigenous Languages movement," said Carter Chiasson in a CBC report. The translation of Blackbird was done in a few days by Katani Julian and Katani's father Albert "Golydada" Julian.
High praise didn't just come from the composer Paul McCartney, but also from Prime Minister Trudeau of Canada who enthusiastically said: "Have you heard a version of this song in Mi'kmaq? Listen to her."
 Mural design from the Indigenous art work by Norval Morrisseau. Photo credit: John Whelan, National Arts Centre for the performing arts, Ottawa, Canada. |
Here are the Mi'kmaq Blackbird lyrics in full: Pu'tliskiej – Kime'sk Pu'tliskiej wapinintoq eskimatimu'sipnek nike' mnja'sin Pu'tliskiej wapinintoq eskimatimu'sipnek nike' seya'sin Pu'tliskiej…layja'si Pu'tliskiej…layja'si Pu'tliskiej wapinintoq eskimatimu'sipnek nike' mnja'sin Boo-dull-ees-kee-edge wobbin-in-toq Boo-dull-ees-kee-edge wobbin-in-toq Boo-dull-ees-kee-edge,
lie-jaw-see Boo-dull-ees-kee-edge,
lie-jaw-see Boo-dull-ees-kee-edge wobbin-in-toq ess-gum-mud-dum-oo-sup-neg
nike' mn-jaw-sin |
|
September 27
The Beatles 50th Anniversary Abbey Road
Editions is Released
Beatles.com writes: "Abbey Road" Presented with New Mixes in Stereo, 5.1 Surround, and Dolby Atmos; Expanded with Previously Unreleased Session Recordings and Demos....[T]he album's 17 tracks are newly mixed by producer Giles Martin and mix engineer Sam Okell in stereo."
"The Beatles recording journey had gone through many twists and turns, learning curves and thrilling rides. Here we were — still wondering at the magic of it all," McCartney recalls in his written foreword for Abbey Road's anniversary edition packages.
"The magic comes from the hands playing the instruments, the blend of The Beatles' voices, the beauty of the arrangements," Giles Martin explains in his written introduction for the new edition. "Our quest is simply to ensure everything sounds as fresh and hits you as hard as it would have on the day it was recorded."
**2020**
July 7 The
worlds most famous rock and roll drummer turns 80 years of
age and that's quite a milestone to give cause to celebrate
the special occasion
Happy Birthday Ringo Starr!
October 8
On the eve of what would have been John
Lennon's 80th Birthday, his son Sean Ono Lennon throws a
switch to light up a Peace sign on the Empire State
Building
|
BLESS YOU Bless you wherever you are Windswept child on a shooting star Restless spirits depart Still we’re deep in each other’s hearts Some people say it’s over Now that we spread our wings But we know better darling The hollow ring is only last year’s echo Bless you whoever you are Holding her now Be warm and kind hearted And remember though love is strange Now and forever our love will remain Written by: John Lennon John Lennon: vocals Jim Keltner: drums Jesse Ed Davis: guitars Rev. Fred Ghurkin: acoustic guitar Eddie Mottau: acoustic guitar Klaus Voormann: bass Ken Ascher: electric piano, mellotron Arthur Jenkins, Jr.: percussion Little Big Horns: Bobby Keys, Steve Madaio, Howard Johnson, Ron Aprea and Frank Vicari Produced by John Lennon Engineers: Shelly Yakus, Jimmy Iovine Recorded: 15 July 1974, Record Plant, 321 W44th St., NYC LP: Walls and Bridges: 26 Sep 1974 Remixed by Paul Hicks, 2020 |
**2021**
August 26
The Beatles Official Video Release of "Let It Be" + "For You
Blue" (Glyn Johns mix) along with "Don't Let Me Down"
(first
rooftop performance) Super Deluxe Edition
September 16
The Beatles Official Video Release of "One After 909"
(take 3) + "Get
Back" (take 8) + "I Me Mine" (Glynn Johns mix)
and "Across
the Universe" (2021 mix) Super Deluxe Edition
October 12
On this date The Beatles Get Back book is released
 |
"The most anticipated book in more than a decade by the legendary band, The Beatles: Get Back is the official account of the creation of their final album, Let It Be, told in The Beatles’ own words, illustrated with hundreds of previously unpublished images, including photos by Ethan A. Russell and Linda McCartney. Half a century after the 1970 Let It Be album and film, this milestone book coincides with the global release of Peter Jackson’s documentary feature film, The Beatles: Get Back." - quoted from Amazon.ca.
October 13
On this date The Beatles release their promotional poster
for the Get Back documentary
 |
October 14
The Beatles Official Video Release of "Two of Us" + "I've
Got A Feeling" + "For You Blue"
October 15
On this date new expanded and remixed versions of Let It Be
is released
 |
November 16
Preview of "The Beatles Get Back" Docuseries is held at
London's Cineworld Leicester Square
"Paul was joined by friends and family, including Mary McCartney, Dhani Harrison , Zak, Lee and Jay Starkey at London’s Cineworld Leicester Square, for an exclusive 100 minute preview of Peter Jackson’s new docuseries THE BEATLES: GET BACK," writes The Beatles Official Facebook page.
It went on to say that "Numerous music stars were in attendance to watch a special preview of the three-part docuseries, including Noel Gallagher, Diana Krall, Elvis Costello, Guy Garvey, James Bay, Gary Kemp (Spandau Ballet), Neil Tennant (Pet Shop Boys), Jamie Cook (Arctic Monkeys) and Mick Hucknall (Simply Red).
"Other VIP guests at the event included Martin Freeman, Stephen Merchant, Terry Gilliam, Sanjeev Bhaskar, director Paul Greengrass and physicist Brian Cox."
 |
November 19
From Facebook The Beatles announce:
"Check out the reviews for the 'Let It Be' special edition packages!"
 |
November 25,
26, 27
On these dates the Beatles Get Back three part documentary by
Peter Jackson is aired on Disney+
The following is an excerpt from John Harris's write-up for the Guardian dated September 26, 2021. Click on the Harris photo for the full report.
 |
"In 2017, Apple recruited the New Zealand-based director Peter Jackson – the creator of the six film versions of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit, as well as the documentary They Shall Not Grow Old, built from restored footage of the first world war – to cut a new feature-length film. As it eventually turned out, the pandemic made a normal theatrical release impossible, and opened up the possibility of something even more ambitious. Jackson ended up creating three two-hour documentaries, which will premiere at the end of November on the streaming platform Disney+.
"As Jackson puts it, his new films tell the story of the Beatles “planning for a concert that never takes place”, and “a concert that does take place, which wasn’t planned”. Thanks to his and his team’s restoration work, everything is pin-sharp, and unbelievably evocative of time and place: the tale unfolds in a London of trilby hats, Austin Powers-esque fashions and copious cigarette smoke. But the films’ key attribute is their intimacy, and the light they shine on the Beatles’ instinctive creativity, their deep personal bonds and, as they neared their final split, their thoughts about their future.
"The three-part documentary series is titled Get Back, and forms the central part of a huge new project that also includes an expansive package of music and a book. The latter features photographs by Linda McCartney and Let It Be’s on-set photographer Ethan Russell, and detailed transcripts of the Beatles’ often candid conversations – which, it still amazes me to say, I was given the job of editing down from raw material made up of hundreds of thousands of words, and about 120 hours of audio."
December 9
The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ Climbs To No. 1 On
Billboard’s Top Rock Albums
Paul Sexton for Udiscover Music writes the following: "The Beatles’ Let It Be album is
supercharged by the Thanksgiving Weekend premiere of
the docuseries The Beatles: Get
Back on Disney+ to climb from No.10 to the top of
Billboard’s Top Rock Albums chart for the
first time.
"It’s the fifth time a Beatles album has topped that
chart, following Love in 2007, On Air:
Live at the BBC Volume 2 in 2009,
and two titles that rose to the summit after their
50th anniversary expanded reissues, Sgt. Pepper’s
Lonely Hearts Club Band in 2017 and Abbey Road in 2019.
"Let It Be also climbs 80-19 on the Billboard
200, 21-6 on Top Album Sales chart following its
October 15 reissue in deluxe
editions. That took it onto the Billboard 200, before
the docuseries rollout, at No.5, the UK chart at No.2,
and the Top 3
everywhere from Australia to Ireland and Spain to
Switzerland. The arrival of the hotly-anticipated
series directed by Peter
Jackson also helps the album climb back on the UK’s
Official Albums Chart 63-22.
"Billboard reports that two of the best-loved
songs from Let It Be are also performing well
on Hot Rock & Alternative Songs:
“Let It Be” stands at No.16 and “Get Back” at No.23.
They’re also on Rock Digital Song Sales at Nos.13 and
11 respectively.
The latter chart also shows two more favorite tracks,
“Two of Us” at No.20 and “Don’t Let Me Down” at No.22.
"Other later-period Beatles releases showing well on
Top Rock Albums are Abbey Road, which is up
9-3, the 1 compilation at
No.26, and The Beatles (aka ‘The White
Album’) at No.45. In the UK, 1 is up 57-37,
Abbey Road re-enters at No.69, and the
durable 1967-1970 collection (first released
along with 1962-1966 in 1973) reappears at
No.100. Meanwhile on the UK’s vinyl
albums chart, Abbey Road climbs 37-23 and
Let It Be re-enters at No.24."
**2022**
January 7
Daniele Hamamdjian for CTV News speaks to Ray Dagg,
the police officer who was sent in
to shut
down The Beatles' famous rooftop concert in 1969
**2023**
November 2
The Beatles release their final single "Now and Then"
“Now And Then” Credits:
Produced by Paul McCartney, Giles Martin
Additional Production: Jeff Lynne
Vocals: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Backing Vocals: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo
Starr
Guitars: George Harrison
Guitars, Bass, Piano, Electric
Harpsichord, Shaker: Paul McCartney
Drums, Tambourine, Shaker: Ringo
Starr
Additional Credits:
String Arrangement: Paul McCartney, Giles Martin, Ben
Foster
Mixed by Spike Stent
Engineered by Geoff Emerick, Steve
Orchard, Greg McAllister, Jon Jacobs, Steve Genewick, Bruce Sugar, Keith
Smith
Source Separation / MAL Courtesy of WingNut Films Productions
Ltd.
Head of Machine Learning: Emile de la Rey
Project Management:
Adam Sharp
Recorded at Hog Hill Studio, Capitol Studios and
Roccabella West
Mastered by Miles Showell
Project Producers: Jonathan Clyde and Guy Hayden
Executive Producer: Jeff Jones
 The new record becomes The Beatles 18th UK number one single by John, Paul, George and Ringo!
|
AND IN THE END THE LOVE YOU TAKE IS EQUAL TO THE LOVE YOU MAKE.
- The Beatles
"The depth of the Beatles song writing, or of John &
Paul's contribution to the Beatles, in the late Sixties was more
pronounced; it had a more mature, more intellectual -- what ever you want
to call it -- approach. We were different. We were older. We knew each
other on all kinds of levels that we didn't when we were teenagers. The
early stuff -- the "Hard Day's Night" period -- was the sexual equivalent
of the beginning hysteria of a relationship. And the "Sgt. Pepper - Abbey
Road" period was the mature part of the relationship. And maybe, had we
gone on together, maybe something interesting would have come of it."
-- Excerpt quoted directly from a Playboy interview:
"John Lennon & Yoko Ono - the Final Testament" , August 1981, by G.
Barry Golson, published by Berkley Publishers.
"I think we gave hope to the Beatle fans. We gave them a
positive feeling that there was a sunny day ahead and there was a good
time to be had and that you are your own person and that the government
does not own you. There were those kind of messages in a lot of our songs.
"The bottom line is, as John (Lennon) said, it was only a
little rock 'n' roll band. It did a lot and it meant a lot to a lot of
people but, you know, it really didn't matter that much."
Excerpt quoted directly from the Ottawa Citizen: "His
Guitar Gently Weeps", by Bruce Ward, published in the Citizen's "Saturday
Observer Section" on December 1, 2001.
I'll Follow the Sun
(John Lennon-Paul McCartney)
One day, you'll look to see I've gone -
For tomorrow may
rain, so I'll follow the sun.
One day, you'll know I was the one -
But
tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the sun.
And now the time has come and so my love I must go...
And
though I lose a friend, in the end you will know.
Oh, one day, you'll find that I have gone -
But tomorrow
may rain, so I'll follow the sun.
Yet tomorrow may rain, so I'll follow the
sun.
© Copyright by Northern Songs, Ltd., 1964
Research material used for the Timeline:
"Beatle: The Pete Best Story," Pete Best & Patrick Doncaster,
published by Plexus Publishing, 1985
"Beatles '95," Canada Post Corporation
& Blockbuster Video (radio broadcast), 1995
"John, Paul & Me Before
the Beatles", by Len Garry, published by CG Publishing, 1997
"The Brian
Epstein Story," (televised BBC2 broadcast), 1998
"The Beatles Forever," by
Nicolas Schaffner, published by McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1978
"The Beatles
& Some Other Guy: Rock Family Trees of the Early Sixties" by Pete Frame,
published by Omnibus Press, 1997
"The Ottawa Citizen & Canadian
Broadcasting Corporation" news articles, 1969
"Revolution in the Head" by Ian
MacDonald, published by Pimlico, 1994
"Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Music's Gold Bugs:
The Beatles" article by Alfred G. Arnowitiz, published by the Saturday Evening
Post, 1964
"Time Magazine" article on Sgt. Pepper, 1967
"ABC News
Services", 1998
* Louise Harrison, sister of George Harrison, guest speaker
during "question and answer session" at the 2nd Annual Ottawa Beatles
Convention, 1996
"John Lennon" by Ray Coleman, published by Futura,
1985
"John Lennon & Yoko Ono - The Final Testament" Playboy Interviews,
Berkley publishers, August, 1981
"The Making of Sgt. Pepper", TV Special,
1992
"Ringo Starr - Straight Man or Joker?" by Alan Clayson, published by
Paragon House, 1992
"The Pet Sounds Sessions - The Beach Boys" pamphlet
insert, released by Capitol Records, 1996
"John Lennon - All You Need Is
Love", special magazine edition published by Mar-Jam Publishing, 1980
"The
Ottawa Sun Newspaper" and "Associated Press", 1999
"Yellow Submarine
Resurfaces" by Roger Catlin, Los Angeles Times, 1999
"And In the End...The
Beatles," Mojo Magazine, October, 1996
"Apple to the Core" by Peter McCabe
& Robert D. Schonfeld, published by Sphere Books Limited, 1973
"Shout!
The True Story of the Beatles" by Philip Norman, published by Elm Tree Books,
1981
"The First Golden Beatles Album" by Charles Hanson publication,
1965
"The Beatles - In Richard Lester's A Hard Day's Night" by J. Philip Di
Franco, published by Penguin Books, 1978
"The Fabulous Story of John, Paul,
George and Ringo" published by Octopus in association with Phoebus, 1975
"The
Paul McCartney Story" by George Tremlett, published by Futura Publications
Limited, 1975
"The John Lennon Story" by George Tremlett, published by Futura
Publications Limited, 1976
"Strawberry Fields Forever: John Lennon
Remembered" by Vic Garbarni, Brian Cullman with Barbara Graustark, published by
Delilah Books and Bantam Books, 1980
"Anthology Video #8," Mallo Film Video /
Apple
"Wonderwall" sleeve insert from CD, George Harrison, Apple Records,
1992
"Canada Music Week" interview with George Martin, 1998 (interview was
held at "The Weston Harbor Castle" in Toronto)
"Much Music of Canada"
interview with George Harrison
"The case of the Missing Beatle: Paul is still
with us" - LIFE Magazine, November 7, 1969
"Lennon: A Memory" publisher,
ARDA, Incorporated, 1980
"Rolling Stone Magazine", January 22, 1981
"Many
Years From Now", Barry Miles, published by Vintage, 1998
"The Beatles Get
Back", by Apple Publishing, printed by Garrod and Lofthouse International
Limited, 1969
"The Beatles Tapes from the Dave Wigg Interviews," PBR
International, 1978
"McCartney Interview as recorded for Musician: Player
& Listener", CBS Records, 1980
"John Lennon, The Life & Legend - Some
Days In the Life," by Mark Lewisohn, published by The Sunday Times,
1980
Interview with Alistair Taylor, The Independent, November 16,
1999
"The Official Price Guide To The Beatles - Records & Memorabilia,"
by Perry Cox and Joe Lindsay, published by House of Collectibles, 1995
"Fifth
Beatle Has His Swan Song Covered," Toronto Sun interview with Sir George Martin,
by Jane Stevenson, October 16, 1998
"Summer of Love," by George Martin and
William Pearson, published by Pan Books, 1995
"Beatles at the Hollywood
Bowl," Liner Album Notes, Capitol Records, 1977
"A Hard Day's Write," by
Steve Turner, Carlton Books, 1994
www.vakart.co.uk/everettweb/ "Kenny Everrett" web
site
www.tvclassics.com/mkbio.htm/ TVClasics.com,
"Murray the K"
http://user.tninet.se/~elp720i/
The Unofficial Beatles Lyric Archive, by Stephan Augustsson
www.rarebeatles.com/mainmenu.htm/ Songs, Pictures, &
Stories of the Beatles, by Mitch McGeary
www.martinlewis.com/mbe/ Official Brian Epstein Web Site,
by Martin Lewis and Dave Haber
"The Beatles - A Diary: An Intimate Day By Day
History" by Barry Miles, published by Omnibus Press, 1998
"The Beatles" by
Hunter Davies, published by Norton paperback, 1968
"The Beatles A To Z" by
Goldie Friede, Robin Titone, and Sue Weiner, published by Methuen, 1980
"The
Beatles, A Day In the Life" by Tom Schultheiss, published by Quick Fox, 1981
"The Pianist Who Turned Down The Beatles", John Goddard, published by The
Ottawa Citizen, May 16, 1998
"With A Little Help From My Friends" - header
found on "original fax transmission" by Kristopher K. Engelhardt received by the
Canadian Abuse Prevention Foundation, "Re: Roy Frederick Young", dated November
21, 1996
"Beatles Undercover", by Kristopher Engelhardt, published by
Collectors Guide Publishing Incorporated, 1998
"Harrison Attack Deliberate",
BBC News, December 30, 1999
"George Stabbed Within Inch Of His Life" by
Ikimulisa Sockwell, Kieran Crowley and Tracy Connor, NY Post.com, 1999
"Former Beatle, wife, fight off knife-wielding intruder", by Joanna Bale and
Daniel McGrory, The Ottawa Citizen, December 31, 1999
"Summary of Events" by
Diana (Amaranth56@aol.com), published on Rec.music.beatles, December 30, 1999
"Sir Paul: Thank God they're OK", BBC News, December 31, 1999
"Harrison
Leaves Hospital", BBC News, January 2, 2000
"George Harrison Discharged From
Hospital - Alleged Attacker Remains in Psychiatric Custody", APB Celebrity News,
Jan. 2, 2000
"Beatles anthem is millennium song", BBC News, December 18, 1999
"Sir Paul Donates Million Dollars In Memory of Linda", published by Excite
U.K., January 5, 2000
"The Beatles After The Breakup: 1970-1980" by Keith
Badman, published by Omnibus Press, 1999
"The Fab Four Stand Firm as Highest
Certified Artists" by Christina Saraceno, published by Rolling
Stone.com, August 1, 2000
"For $60, a ticket to read" by Edna
Gundersen, USA Today
website, dated October 5, 2000
"Beatles Anthology Tops Bestseller
List" by Andrew Dansby, RollingStone.com, October 14, 2000
"George Harrison
Attacker Acquitted" by the Associated Press news agency, published by the Las Vegas Sun,
November 15, 2000
"The Beatles Revolution", ABC television broadcast, aired
on November 17, 2000
"Beatles helped bring down communism in Russia",
published by Ananova
Ltd, November 17, 2000
"New Beatles release, 1, fastest-selling
album in Britain" by Reuters news agency and appeared in the Ottawa Citizen,
Nov. 22, 2000
"Beatles' 1 Shoots Straight To No. 1" by Jonathan Cohen, Billboard.com,
published November 22, 2000
"Industry surprised by "1" sales", Reuters News
Agency, dated November 23, 2000
"Beatles' 1 tops charts in 19 countries",
Reuters news agency; copy of the article made its appearance on
Rec.Music.Beatles, November 29, 2000
"1" Fastest Seller Ever; may become
biggest", from The
Sun in the United Kingdom; copy of article made its appearance on
Rec.Music.Beatles dated December 6, 2000
"Beatles Fans Anger At Stage Sell
off", from the BBC News, April 13, 2001
"Church Plan to Axe Beatles Stage",
from the Daily Post, June 18 2001
"Liverpool Airport to Honour Lennon", from
CNN.com, June 30, 2001
"Ex-Beatle Treated for Cancer", from the BBC News
Services, May 3, 2001
"Beatles at Harrison's bedside", from Australia's
"News.com.au", dated November 21, 2001
"Circus Plans To Relaunch Beatles'
Yellow Submarine", from the Sunday Times, November 25, 2001
"Fading Star",
from ABC News.com, November 26, 2001
"Stage is Set to for Beatle Fans", from
the Liverpool Echo, November 27, 2001
"The Beatles' 'Yellow Submarine' to
become Cirque du Soleil?", by Launch.com, November 27, 2001
"Former Beatle
George Harrison Dies", from the Los Angeles Times, November 30, 2001
"George
Loses Cancer Battle", from the Liverpool Echo, dated November 30,
2001
"'Devastated' McCartney leads tributes", from CNN News, November 30,
2001
"Sir Paul Leads Tributes As World Mourns George", from the Liverpool
Echo, dated November 30 2001
"Liverpool Sends Sympathy to Harrison's Family",
from Ananova.com, November 30, 2001
"Beatles' Circle Mourns Harrison", from
the BBC News, dated November 30, 2001
"Tributes Pour in for Harrison", BBC
News, November 30, 2001
"Jeff Lynne's Official Comments", Courtesy the ELO
Showdown Mailing List, dated November 30, 2001
"World Mourns George
Harrison", from Billboard, November 30, 2001
"Harrison Mourned Around the
World", from the BBC News, dated December 1, 2001
"Hope He's Jamming with
John", Toronto Star, December 1, 2001
"Quotes About George Harrison's Death",
from Associated Press, November 30, 2001
"The Love You Make", from ABC News,
November 30, 2001
"George Harrison 1943-2001: He Left This World As He Lived
In It -- Conscious of God, Fearless of Death and at Peace...Surrounded by His
Family and Friends - Gavin de Becker", from the Daily Record, December 1, 2001
Bob Dylan's remarks about George Harrison dated December 1, 2001, culled
directly from Bob Dylan's Official Web Site http://www.bobdylan.com/
Cynthia and Julian Lennon
comment on the passing of George, quotes culled directly from Julian Lennon's
Official Web Site: http://www.julianlennon.com
Pete Townshend comments on
the passing of George, quotes culled directly from Pete Townshend's Official Web
Site: http://www.petetownshend.co.uk/
"Denny
Laine, Others Honor Harrison", AP news via "Excite News", dated December 1,
2001
"George Harrison, 'Quiet Beatle' and Lead Guitarist, Dies at 58", New
York Times, dated December 1, 2001
"Bangladesh Mourns George Harrison", AP
news via "Yahoo News", dated December 1, 2001
"He Was My Brother", from Mega
Star news, dated December 1, 2001
"Canucks Mourn 'Quiet Beatle'", The Ottawa
Sun, dated December 1, 2001
"World Mourns 'Our Sweet George'", from the
Ottawa Citizen, dated December 1, 2001
"'Quiet' Beatle Dead at 58", from the
Toronto Sun, dated December 1, 2001
"Friends, Fans Remember", from the Globe
and Mail, December 1, 2001
"His Guitar Gently Weeps", from the Ottawa
Citizen, December 1, 2001
"The World weeps for Harrison", from the Times of
India, December 1, 2001
"'Minute of Meditation' Plea for Harrison", from
Ananova.com, dated December 2, 2001
"Harrison's Widow, Son to Scatter Ashes
in India", from the Ottawa Citizen, December 2, 2001
"Harrison Secretly
Recorded Final CD", from the Ottawa Citizen, December 2, 2001
"Harrison's
Ashes to be Spread in India", from Fox News services, December 3, 2001
"The
Complete Beatles Chronicle", by Mark Lewisohn, published by Hamlyn, 2000
"EMI
History", by Bob and Susana Kerstein, proprietors of Scripophily.com, published at the Ottawa Beatle Site,
June 7, 2000
"McCartney has new love", from the South African Financial
Gazette, Reuters news report dated October 26, 2000
"Faith in Lennon --
George Michael Buys Lennon Piano", from ABC News, Wire Reports published October
18, 2000
"Cavern Club Compere Succumbs To Long Illness", by Archer and
Valerie's Beatles Pages, published February 8, 2002
"Obituary - Bob Wooler",
London Times, published February 9, 2002
"Royal Line-up Confirmed", by
Dotmusic.com, published February 26, 2002
"McCartney names the day", from the
Daily Post, published March 4, 2002
"Beatles Photographer Herbert Dies Age
89", from the Liverpool Echo, March 4, 2002
"Yoko buys John Lennon's
childhood home", by the CBC News Arts Now, published March 14, 2002
"Lennon
airport statue unveiled" by CNN.com, published March 15, 2002
"Let it be
Liverpool John Lennon airport - Yoko", published by Reuters press, March 15,
2002
"EMI Back In Fashion", by Phil Gallo of Variety in Hollywood, published
on March 21, 2002
"Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney speaks about personal grief and
Canadian connections", by Mike Oliveira, reporter for the Canadian Press,
published April 13, 2002
"EU Says Christie's, Sotheyby's Fixed Prices", by
Reuters press reporter David Lawsky, published April 19, 2002
"Sir Paul's
discourse on life, death, music, marriage and...a princely affair?", by John
Soeder, Plain Dealer Pop Music Critic, published on April 26, 2002
"Liverpool
Beatles museum opens exhibit on band's Quarrymen days", published by This
is...Pop!, 2002
"Harrison" - The Editors of Rolling Stone, published by Simon
and Schuster, published in 2002
"Beatles' 'Hey Jude' Lyrics Barred From
Auction", from Reuters press, published April 29, 2002
"Sir Paul Stops Hey
Jude Lyrics Auction", from the BBC news services, published April 29,
2002
"Macca-L set list info on Driving USA Tour" http://www.macca-central.com/macca-events/tour/2002/setlist.asp,
published 2002
"Paul McCartney plans cheeky song for the Queen", from
Ananova.com, published May 17, 2002
"EMI to close CD manufacturing Plant in
Swindon, England and Open Facility in Netherlands", from AP news services, March
8, 2002
"EMI cuts mean 400 artists may be singing the blue", by David
Lieberman, USA Today, dated March 21, 2002
"EMI to chart progress of music
revamp", by Reuters news services, May 19, 2002
"Glum Music Industry Outlook
Plagues EMI", by Reuters, dated May 22, 2002
"Liverpool still the number one
hit city", by the Daily Post, dated May 29, 2002
"HMV's £600m flotation
offers exit route to EMI -- Stock market waits on biggest offering since July",
The Guardian, April 12, 2002
"TV Schedule for the Queen's Jubilee
celebrations", the Ottawa Citizen, news feed from the Canadian Press, June 1,
2002
"McCartney Wings Into The Palace", by SkyNews, June 2,
2002
"McCartney tops concert bill", by SkyNews, June 3, 2002
"McCartney,
Clapton at Queen's Jubilee", Yahoo Headline News, news feed by Associated Press,
June 3, 2002
"On the Queen's Jubilee, Rocking at the Palace", by the New York
Times, June 3, 2002
"Osbourne rocks at royal Jubilee -- Pop concert to honor
queen attracts up to 1 million watchers", MSNBC, news feed from Associated Press
services, June 3, 2002
"Party At The Palace", by SkyNews, June 3,
2002
"Queen to set the nation singing", Yahoo Headline News from U.K. and
Ireland, June 3, 2002
"Mystery surrounds Macca wedding", from This Is London,
June 5, 2002
"Who's Who of Rock in Ireland for McCartney Wedding", by
Reuters, June 10, 2002
"Rock royalty readies for McCartney wedding", Yahoo
Headline News from U.K. and Ireland, June 11, 2002
"Wedding day for
McCartney", MSNBC news services, June 11, 2002
"Star fly in for McCartney
wedding", Yahoo News Headlines, U.K. and Ireland, June 11, 2002
"Macca to tie
the knot today", by SkyNews, June 11, 2002
"Paul McCartney and Heather Mills
marry before family, rock stars and Irish castle," Associated Press, June 11,
2002
"McCartney, Mills get hitched", by Olivia Barker and Ann Oldenburg,
reporters for USA Today, dated June 11, 2002
"All You Need Is Love", CBC news
services, June 11, 2002
"Fireworks, friends and frayed nerves", from CNN,
June 11, 2002
"Paul and Heather To Host Adopt-A-Minefield Dinner", by Archer
and Valerie, proprietors of The Beatles Pages, June
12, 2002
"Starr comes out for McCartney's big day", IC Liverpool Echo, June
12, 2002
"Sir Paul ties the knot in £2m love me do", by Sarah Hall of the
Guardian, June 12, 2002
"A Very Beatle Wedding", E-Online, June 12,
2002
"Paul McCartney and Heather Mills marry before family, rock stars at
Irish castle", from New Jersey On-line, AP news service feed, dated June 12,
2002
"Sir Paul and Heather on honeymoon", from This Is London, Associated
Newspapers Ltd., June 12, 2002
"Paul McCartney and new bride in
Seychelles for their honeymoon", Associated Press, June 14, 2002
"It's great
Macca's happy", by Charles Yates, reporter for the The Sun, dated June 16,
2002
"Blake: Leading light of pop art", BBC news services, June 14,
2002
"It Was Twenty Years Ago Today" (Subtitlted as "An Anniversary
Celebration of 1967") by Derek Taylor. A Fireside Book, published by Simon &
Schuster, 1987
"Arise, Sir Peter, creator of Sgt Pepper album cover", by IC
Liverpool Echo, dated June15, 2002
"Records - General Sales", by Greg Sandell, proprietor of Beatle Money, 2002
"The
Walrus Was Paul" by R. Gary Patterson, published by Fireside, 1998
"Sleep
tight in The Hard Day's Night", from the BBC, published August 24,
2001
"Beatles Themed Hotel", by SteveMcGriskin, Marketing
Director of the Hard Days Night Hotel , published August 24,
2001
"Beatles earn £34.2M", from the Daily Post, published June 24,
2002
"A Starr turn for charity", from the Surrey Advertiser, June 28, 2002
"Man Who Stabbed Ex-Beatle Harrison Discharged", from Reuters via web report
from ABC News, dated July 4, 2002
"Insulting release of Harrison knifeman",
from This Is London, published July 5, 2002
"George Harrison's widow to sell
their U.K. mansion", from Hello! magazine, published July 9, 2002
"Image
Entertainment Gives Peace Another Chance With John Yoko's Year Of Peace
Documentary On DVD And VHS", from Music Industry News Network, published July
11, 2002
"Queen gets Mystery Tour", by IC Liverpool, published July 24,
2002
"Queen on Beatle Tour", by the BBC news services, published July 25,
2002
"Final George Harrison Album Due In November", by Jonathan Cohen,
Billboard Magazine, September 9, 2002
"Yoko Ono Pleads 'Give Peace a Chance'
on 9/11" - Reuters news services, September 10, 2002
"Harrison album could
hit No. 1", from the Daily Post, via IC Liverpool, September 10,
2002
"McCartney to Release Lost Beatle Track", Reuters services, September
14, 2002
"Bob Wooler - Cavern DJ: Merely Spinning Discs and Nearly Spilling
the Beans" - by Joe Robinson, published by the Ottawa Beatles Site, September
23, 2002
"The Beatles Recording Sessions", by Mark Lewisohn, published by
Prospero Books, 2000
"A Hard Day's Night: Collectors Edition", by Aaron
Beierle, published by DVD Talk, September 23, 2002
"A Hard Day's Night DVD
supplemented by countless interviews", by Bruce Dancie, Sacramento Bee,
September 24, 2002
"The cute one: Paul McCartney keeps the music of the
Beatles alive", by David Pencek, Norwich Bulletin, September 29, 2002
"A
Quiet Audience with Sir George", published by The Age in Australia, October 2,
2002
"Honorary Beatle recalls Yesterday", published by The Herald Sun, by
Simon Plant, October 2, 2002
"Skiffle King who inspired rock generation
dies", AP news, published by the Canadian Press, November 4, 2002
"King of
Skiffle Lonnie Donegan Dies at 71", by Paul Majendie, Reuters, published at
Reuters.com, November 4, 2002
"King of Skiffle Dead", by Colin Devenish,
published by RollingStone.com, November 4, 2002
"The Quarrymen" by Hunter
Davies, published by Omnibus Press, 2001
" 'Skiffle king' Donegan dies", by
the BBC news, November 4, 2002
"Lonnie Donegan Dies; His 'Skiffle' Music
Inspired a Generation', AP news published by the Washington Post Company, Nov.
5, 2002
"Harrison's guitar gently weeps again," Toronto Star, November 9,
2002
"Harrison's last album is stunning" by David Bauder, AP news, November
12, 2002
"Exclusive: George Harrison's New Album", by Roger Friedman, Fox
News, November 14, 2002
"Behind George's Brainwashed - Harrison called the
shots on his final album", by Jenny Eliscu, Rollingstone.com, November 14,
2002
"Harrison bids us a warm goodbye" by Mark Brown, Denver Colorado Rocky
Mountain News, November 15, 2002
"George and son, Harrison's last album is
also his child's loving tribute", by Phil Sutcliffe, Los Angeles Times, November
18, 2002
"EMI warns over music sales", by the BBC news services, November 19,
2002
"Surviving Beatles honor memory of George Harrison in music," by Jane
Wardell, Associated Press, November 29, 2002
"Beatle Celebration", by Sky
News, November 29, 2002
"Paul and Ringo reunited for Harrison tribute", by
Ananova.com, November 29, 2002
"George Harrison Tribute, Royal Albert Hall,
London," by Gavin Martin, the Independent, November 30, 2002
"Harrison leaves
all to wife and son", by David Sapsted and Hugh Davies, The Daily
Telegraph, November 30, 2002
"Remaining Beatles lead Harrison tribute
concert", by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, November 30, 2002
"Paul
and Ringo's heartfelt Harrison tribute", by CNN Europe, November 30,
2002
"Stars and friends remember Harrison", by the BBC News, November 30,
2002
"£18m boost from Beatles top seller" by Jon Rees and Martin Tomkinson,
This is London, December 8, 2002
"Biggest All-Times Sales for a Band", Guinness World Records, 2002
"John Lennon's 'Imagine'
Given New Voice As Centerpiece Of New Amnesty International Campaign For Human
Rights", by U.S. Newswire, December 10, 2002
"Ex-Beatle granted coat of arms"
by the BBC, December 22, 2002
"McCartney gets guitar coat of arms" by Mark
Ludlow, The Sunday Times, U.K., December 22, 2002
"People In The
News: McCartney gets coat of arms", AP article, published by Amarillo
Globe-News, December 23, 2002
"Shield for Macca" by The Sun Newspaper, U.K.,
December 29, 2002
"Don't Keep Me Waiting Here: The battle to release Beatles
studio outtakes", by John Winn, originally posted in
Rec.Music.Beatles.Moderated, May, 1998
"After a 40-year run, the Beatles'
first fanzine folds", by David Charters, Daily Post, January 7, 2003
"Raids
Recover Original Beatles Tapes", by AP news services, January 10, 2003
"Lost
Beatles Tapes Found?", RollingStone.com, January 10, 2003
"Lost Beatles tapes
get back to where they once belonged", by John Steel, The Daily Telegraph,
January 11, 2003
"The Best of Farewells" by Lew Baxter, Daily Post, January
13, 2003
"Seized Beatle Tapes are a trove, If Familiar", by Allan Kozinn, New
York Times, January 13, 2003
"Geoff Emerick and Shure to Receive 2003
Technical GRAMMY Awards", by Business Wire.com, January 15, 2003
"Le Dain
Commission of Inquiry. The Private Hearing of John Lennon", by Health Canada,
December 23, 1969
"Lennon Remembers", by Jann Wenner, published by Popular
Library, 1971
"Ringo's Stars" by NME.com, January 31, 2003
"Ringo's
Tribute", by Jane Stevenson, the Toronto Sun, March 17, 2003
"Yoko Ono Opens
Lennon's Childhood Liverpool Home", by Reuters news services, March 27,
2003
"Let It Be at John's house", by Bill Mouland of the Daily Mail,
published in This Is London,March 28, 2003
"And there are places I remember",
by Catherine Jones, published by IC Liverpool, March 28, 2003
"Mendips Opens
To Public", Archer and Valerie of The Beatles Pages,
March 28, 2003
"Beat Goes on in Lennon's childhood home", by the British On
Line Times, March 28, 2003
"There are places I remember", by The Observer,
March 30, 2003
"At Last 'The Beatles Anthology' on DVD by PR Newswire,
February 18, 2003
"3 Beatles in secret reunion" by Derek Brown, The On-line
Sun, February 18, 2003
"Anthology': Let It Be Even Longer", by Allan Kozinn,
the New York Times, March 30, 2003
"Beatle Fans Get A New Fix", by Bernard
Perusse, the Montreal Gazette, April 1, 2003
"The Beatles Anthology", by
Michael Clark, the Gwinnett Daily Post, April 4, 2003
"Carl Perkins - We'll
Always Remember - A Rock Obituary Web Site", by Joh Lang, (publication date not
indicated on web site)
"McCartney Buys Rights to Carl Perkins' Catalogue", by
Reuters, April 4, 2003
"The Beatles Anthology DVD Debuts at Number 1", by
PRNewswire, April 11, 2003
"Beatle Madness", by Martin A. Grove, published by
Manor Books, 1978
"Motorway drama for Pete Best", by Nicky Tabarn, Liverpool
Echo, April 15, 2003
"The Beatles off the Record", by Keith Badman, Ombunis
Press, 2000
"A Twist of Lennon", by Cynthia Lennon, A Star Book publication,
1978
"McCartney to Play Open-Air Gig in Moscow", by the Associated Press,
March 19, 2003
"LDPR member wants McCartney concert on Red Square cancelled",
by Interfax, April 15, 2003
"McCartney to teach Music Seminar in Russia", by
Launch Yahoo.com, April 17, 2003
"Tickets for McCartney's concert in Moscow
already available", by Interfax, May 1, 2003
" Official
Album Releases" Paul McCartney by Christian Henriksson, December,
1998
"Choba b -- Russian vs. American release", by Alexander Gusakov,
Rec.music.beatles, April 5, 1995
"Sir Paul Plays Historic Colosseum Show", by
the BBC, May 11, 2003
"Half a million fans in Rome blow Sir Paul away", Daily
Post, May 13, 2003
"Duma deputies opposed to McCartney concert Red Square",
Interfax, May 13, 2003
"McCartney Becomes Professor of St. Petersburg
Conservatory", by Pravda news agency, May 22, 2003
"McCartney becomes
honorary doctor of St. Petersburg Conservatory", by Interfax, May 22,
2003
"Ex-Beatle McCartney Gets Russian Diploma", by Reuters, May 22,
2003
"McCartney in Russia: 'my dream come true'", by AP news and appeared on
Russia's Journal Daily, May 23, 2003
"Russia is mad for Macca" - Sky News
media, May 24, 2003
"Back in the (ex)-USSR: thousands on Red Square for
McCartney", by AFP, May 24, 2003
"Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney Rocks Red Square",
by AP news, May 24, 2003
"McCartney Serenades Putin, Rocks Red Square,
Reuters, May 24,2003
"39 Years ago, Newsman Had Frontrow Seat to Beatles
History", by Rick Nathanson, Albuquerque Journal, August 22, 2003
"Strings
for a Beatle Bass - The Beatles Generation in the USSR", by Yury Pelyushonok,
PLY publisher, 1996, 1998
"Paul McCartney MSN webchat" September 18,
2003
"Rock and the Rest of the World", by Artemy Troitsky, Faber and Faber,
1988
"It's Only Rock and Roll" by Ed Quillen, the Denver Post, 1991
"Paul
McCartney in Red Square", by the Arts and Entertainment network, Sept 18,
2003
"A Conversation with Dr. Yury Pelyushonok at his Ottawa residence"
interviewed by John Whelan, Sept 24, 2003
"John Lennon DVD Extravaganza Due
Before The Holidays" by Manuela Spizzirri of Chartattack.com, Sept. 25,
2003
"The Lennons and the rock'n'roll
revival" by Ritchie Yorke for the Globe and Mail, September 20, 1969
"Paul And Ringo At Premiere
of George Harrison Film" by Launch Radio Networks, Sept. 26, 2003
"It's not
mania but...'Bitlz' finally make it in Soviet Union" by Reuters news in Moscow,
June 17, 1975.
"Beatles Remembered in Anniversary Show" by Ira Iosebashvili,
Moscow Times, October 3, 2003
"George Martin: "In My Life" - interview with
Pamella Wallin" C.B.C. Newsworld, March 5, 1998
"Brian Epstein - The Man Who Made the
Beatles" by Ray Coleman, published by Viking, 1989
"The Beatles Band of the
Century" by Q Magazine, 1999
"Songs, Pictures and Stories of the Fabulous
Beatles Records on Vee-Jay", by Bruce Spizer, published by 498 Productions,
1998
"Back-to-basics Beatle music proving a big hit with new generation", by
The Daily Post, October 6, 2003
EMI Japan website: Official Track Listing for
"Let It Be...Naked", October, 2003
"The Beatles, Let It Be...Naked", by John
Harris, published by The Guardian, October 19, 2003
"Ticket To Ride", by
Larry Kane, published by Running Press Book Publishers, 2003
"Our Hearts Went
Boom - The Beatles Invasion of Canada", by Brian Kendall, published by Viking,
1997
"The Beatles Fact and Fiction 1960-1962" [English summary manuscript
accompanied with book], by Eric Krasker, published by Atlantica-Sequier,
2003
"Helping Hand - She Triggered Beatlemania in 1963 But Prefers Her Role
to Be Unsung", by Richard Harrington, The Washington Post, January 26,
2004
"How the US met the Beatles", by Billboard, January 30, 2004
"It Was
40 Years Ago Today: Beatles Win Grammy for Decades of Inspiration", Beatles
Press Release on Grammy Win, Feb. 9, 2004
"The Boys From Liverpool - John,
Paul, George, Ringo", by Nicholas Schaffner, Methuen Inc., 1980
"The Beatles
and in the end", by Mojo Magazine, October 2000
"The Ultimate Beatles Quiz
Book II" by Michael J. Hockinson, St. Martin's Press, 2000
"The Beatles - The
Ultimate Recording Guide" by Allen J. Wiener, Bob Adams Inc., 1986
"Preston
happy to get back to the world of the Beatles", by John Grochowski, Chicago
Sun-Times, August 20, 2004
"He Helped Create the Beatles - Producer George
Martin speaks today in Lexington", by Walter Tunis, Lexington Herald, Sept 25,
2004
"The Beatles - 10 Years That Shook the World", a book by Mojo magazine,
contributing writers: Johnny Black; Mark Lewisohn, published by Darling
Kindersley, 2004
"The Beatles As Musicians: The Quarry Men through Rubber
Soul", by Walter Everett, published by Oxford University Press, 2001
"Capitol
Albums Finally Coming Out on CD", by Bruce Spizer, published at AbbeyRd Beatles
Pages, 2004
"A Quiet Day in the Lennon's life," by Ritchie Yorke for the
Globe and Mail, June 5, 1969
"Lennon Passes Up Visa - Flies Home," by Ritchie
Yorke for the Globe and Mail, June 6, 1969
"Lennon and Ono bring message for
youth to Canada," by Ritchie Yorke for the Globe and Mail, May 27, 1969
"Live
Peace In Toronto" by editor Johnny Dean, Beat Publications, November,
1969
"The Beatles Day by Day. A chronology, 1962-1989" by Mark
Lewisohn, Harmony Books, 1990
"The Beatles Digest" by Goldmine magazine,
published by Krause Publications, 2000
"The Ballad of John
and Yoko," by the editors of Rolling Stone, published by Rolling Stone Press,
1982
"Axes, Chops & Hot Licks - The Canadian Rock Music Scene," by
Ritchie Yorke, M.G. Hurtig Ltd, Publishers, 1971
"The Best Man: Only Three
People Alive Can Say They Were Beatles. Pete Best Was One of Them," by Wallace
Baine, Stanta Cruze Sentinel, August 11, 2005
"Before He Was Fab - George
Harrison's First American Visit," a book review by Ladyjean of
AbsoluteElsewhere.net, 2002
"Hard Day's Nite: Bed and Breakfast, Beatles
mini-museum up for sale," by Andrea Hann, The Southern, June 19,
2005
"Nobody's Child: The Tony Sheridan Story" - manuscript written by Joe
Sunseri
"Tony Sheridan/The Beatles" by the Encyclopedia of Popular Music,
published by Muze UK Ltd. 1989 - 2004
"Cunard Yanks," e-mail correspondence
to John Whelan from Bill Harry, December, 2005
"Saturday Club (a Title and
Air Dates Guide)," by John Lavallie, August 14, 2005
"The Best of Fellas -
The Story of Bob Wooler," by Spencer Leigh, Drivegreen Publications Ltd., 2002
"Ringo Starr Finally Receives
Knighthood: 'It Means A Lot, Actually", by Gem Aswad, Variety, March 20,
2018
"Obituary: Roy Young: 'Britain's Little Richard' who played
with Bowie and the Beatles - but turned down the offer to join the band,"
Spencer Leigh, Independent, May 8, 2018
"The Beatles Announce DVD Release Details of 'Eight Days a Week: Touring Years'"
- Steve Marinucci, Billboard, September 19, 2016
"RPM100 - Canada's Only National 100 Single Survey," June 9, 1969
"Geoff Emerick, Beatles Chief Recording Engineer, Dies at 72" - Steve Marinucci,
Variety, October 2, 2018
"Geoff Emerick, The Beatles' Grammy-Winning Engineer, Dies
At 72" - Andrew Flanagan, NPR Music, October 3, 2018
"Geoff
Emerick, Beatles audio engineer dies at 72" - Gregory Katz,
Associated Pressed via the San Francisco Chronicle, October 5, 2018
"Geoff Emerick, 72, Dies;
Recorded the Beatles in Their Prime" - Neil Genzlinger, The New York
Times, October 3, 2018
"Obituary: Geoff Emerick, The Beatles chief
recording engineer" - Russell Leadbetter, Scottish newspaper The Herald,
October 6, 2018
"Obituary: John Lennon's
first wife Cynthia dies from Cancer" - The BBC, April 1, 2015
"The
Beatles' 'White Album' Returns To The Charts Behind Magnificent 50th
Anniversary Reissue" - by Matthew Leimkuehler, Forbes, November 19, 2018
SPECIAL TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE:
Brad Howard, past publisher of the World Beatles Forum who provided the American movie release dates to all Beatle movies.
Diana (Amaranth56@aol.com, your friendly, cheerful "Apple Scruff" at Rec.music.beatles) who researched and provided clarification as to whether the 1965 Ed Sullivan Broadcast was "live" or a "pre-recorded" performance. She also provided for me the closest possible date on Sir George Martin's knighthood, as well as research material for when John Lennon announced he was leaving the band. Visit Diana's Hari Scruffs George Harrison Fansite (www.hariscruffs.com).
Judy (namariee@excite.com) and webmaster of the Hey Jude Beatle web site who helped clarify the actual date for Ringo's tonsil operation.
Marcus (marcus1950@webtv.net) for providing research material concerning the only film clip that was presented in the Jack Paar show and for the date on when it was filmed (Marcus actually remembers seeing the Jack Paar show when he was thirteen and got hooked on the Beatles from that point forward). He also suggested that I highlight the Beatles performance of August 15, 1965 (Shea Stadium) into the Timeline since it was the largest crowd ever to attend a Beatle concert. Believe it or not, Marcus was actually at that concert.
Chris Wilson (chriswil@camtech.net.au) from Adelaide who provided additional background research for the June 12, 1964 tour date. Chris also provided some interesting information in his e-mail to me on how the Adelaide date finally made into the Beatles tour schedule: "The original tour did not include Adelaide, but after a huge petition was organized by a local radio station, Adelaide was included to have 4 performances at Centennial Hall, capacity 3000. Then it was off to Melbourne to join Ringo and the rest of the Australia/New Zealand tour." Also, in a further correspondence dated October 16, 2020, Chris provided background information on the Beatles High Praise Correspondence to the South Australia Police Department on June 14, 1964. Thank you Chris for the photo and info you provided.
Tom Bowers who provided the correct release date for the Tony Sheridan "My Bonnie" album.
Special thanks to Bruce Spizer for the "heads-up" on the Vee-Jay discography.
Special thanks to Marc Catone for graciously providing the Shea Stadium ticket stub.
A sincere thanks to Pat Mancuso, former President of the Official George Harrison Fan Club for providing information on the precise time when George Harrison was born. Pat tells me the information was culled directly from George's mother herself and that contrary to some reports, George never had a middle name.
Thank you Brad, Diana, Judy, Marcus, Tom, Chris, Bruce, Marc and Pat. Your assistance was deeply appreciated!
Finally, to my buddy and pal, Dave (and his wonderful wife Lucy) in Toronto, who both double-checked and did the proof-reading for this Timeline. Dave and myself date back to our high school days where we use to slag off every weekend, singing and playing Beatles records together. Our close relationship remains intact to this very day because of the Beatles music, so thank you John, Paul, George and Ringo for those wonderful times!!
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