Showing posts with label Beatles. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Beatles. Show all posts
Monday, December 21, 2009
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Fans recall the Beatles' early days
What was it like to see the Fabs' in their early days in Britain? Fans from that period share their memories.
When the performance finished we walked down the side of the theatre, and found the door open. So we went in — and straight afterwards security locked the door. The Beatles were waiting to make their getaway, but couldn’t get out until the van came round. A lot of girls were banging on the doors, but we were inside — and for an hour so were the Beatles.
They were so friendly and nice, and once they knew we weren’t hysterical they were happy to have us. I don’t think Beatlemania took off until a year later. In some ways, it was a little bit of history lost for ever. They were very ordinary guys, very friendly. Cynthia Lennon was there, standing in the background with a cape on. John kept saying to her “Did you get that?” Nobody realised he was married — he was pretending she was a reporter. You can imagine what it was like the next day in school. My friends were incredibly jealous.
When the performance finished we walked down the side of the theatre, and found the door open. So we went in — and straight afterwards security locked the door. The Beatles were waiting to make their getaway, but couldn’t get out until the van came round. A lot of girls were banging on the doors, but we were inside — and for an hour so were the Beatles.
They were so friendly and nice, and once they knew we weren’t hysterical they were happy to have us. I don’t think Beatlemania took off until a year later. In some ways, it was a little bit of history lost for ever. They were very ordinary guys, very friendly. Cynthia Lennon was there, standing in the background with a cape on. John kept saying to her “Did you get that?” Nobody realised he was married — he was pretending she was a reporter. You can imagine what it was like the next day in school. My friends were incredibly jealous.
Tracklisting the Beatles' "lost album"
It's a game most of us Beatlemaniacs have played: If the band hadn't broken up, which tracks from the individual members' solo albums would've appeared on Beatles albums. Here, the Daily Telegraph takes a stab at it.
The Beatles ’Alone Together’ would have been an extraordinary album, number one in a parallel universe. We can dream, can’t we?
The Beatles ’Alone Together’ would have been an extraordinary album, number one in a parallel universe. We can dream, can’t we?
Beatles set to top records chart again
The Beatles' remastered albums are predicted to rule the record charts in Britain, Reuters reports.
the Fab Four predicted to take five of the top 20 album places, the Official Charts Company said on Thursday. Digitally remastered versions of the band's albums went on sale on Wednesday, and combined with an interactive video game, it led to a brief return to "Beatlemania" with queues at major music stores in London.
the Fab Four predicted to take five of the top 20 album places, the Official Charts Company said on Thursday. Digitally remastered versions of the band's albums went on sale on Wednesday, and combined with an interactive video game, it led to a brief return to "Beatlemania" with queues at major music stores in London.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Do today's kids like the Beatles?
Some do, reports Times Online.
“The Beatles are great,” concludes Otto, with the conviction of someone who knows about these things. “The modern songs are a pile of dog c**p.”
“The Beatles are great,” concludes Otto, with the conviction of someone who knows about these things. “The modern songs are a pile of dog c**p.”
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Thursday, September 3, 2009
New Entertainment Weekly has Beatles cover feature
Here's the cover and info from the latest, Fabs-fronted issue of Entertainment Weekly:
With The Beatles: Rock Band and reissues of all their albums hitting stores Sept. 9, it’s time for another Beatles revolution. This week’s Entertainment Weekly offers fans our guide to what’s new — as well as the 50 best songs the world’s greatest band ever wrote and a gallery of rare behind-the-scenes photographs.
Do you find yourself occasionally slipping into a Liverpudlian accent? Hankering after a pair of granny glasses? Arguing with your friends about the best Beatles songs of all time? Then you’ve got a condition called Beatlemania, and if you don’t want it to get worse, then stay in bed on Sept. 9: The eyes and ears of the world will once again be on the Beatles — and now their hands and larynxes will be able to join them.
The reissues alone would be huge news, since the band’s albums haven’t been upgraded since their original CD release in the late ’80s. But if you’ve ever fantasized about actually playing with the Beatles, then Rock Band is equally drool-worthy. This installment of the massively popular franchise (more than $1 billion in sales and counting) lets you jam along with 45 tracks from all stages of the group’s career. It also offers previously unseen photos and never-heard audio clips of the quartet talking in the studio. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison were intimately involved in putting it all together.
“It’s very cool,” McCartney enthused to EW earlier this year. Now Rock Band seems set to turn an even younger generation on to the band. “I see people playing it and they look…completely funny,” says McCartney. “But I like the idea that it introduces kids to music.” Maybe Sept. 9, 2009, will soon be known as the day that the biggest band of the 20th century also became the biggest of the 21st.
With The Beatles: Rock Band and reissues of all their albums hitting stores Sept. 9, it’s time for another Beatles revolution. This week’s Entertainment Weekly offers fans our guide to what’s new — as well as the 50 best songs the world’s greatest band ever wrote and a gallery of rare behind-the-scenes photographs.
Do you find yourself occasionally slipping into a Liverpudlian accent? Hankering after a pair of granny glasses? Arguing with your friends about the best Beatles songs of all time? Then you’ve got a condition called Beatlemania, and if you don’t want it to get worse, then stay in bed on Sept. 9: The eyes and ears of the world will once again be on the Beatles — and now their hands and larynxes will be able to join them.
The reissues alone would be huge news, since the band’s albums haven’t been upgraded since their original CD release in the late ’80s. But if you’ve ever fantasized about actually playing with the Beatles, then Rock Band is equally drool-worthy. This installment of the massively popular franchise (more than $1 billion in sales and counting) lets you jam along with 45 tracks from all stages of the group’s career. It also offers previously unseen photos and never-heard audio clips of the quartet talking in the studio. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison were intimately involved in putting it all together.
“It’s very cool,” McCartney enthused to EW earlier this year. Now Rock Band seems set to turn an even younger generation on to the band. “I see people playing it and they look…completely funny,” says McCartney. “But I like the idea that it introduces kids to music.” Maybe Sept. 9, 2009, will soon be known as the day that the biggest band of the 20th century also became the biggest of the 21st.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Beatles programming abounds on BBC 2
BBC Radio 2 continues a Beatles Bank Holiday today. You can hear Beatles-related programming throughout the day, as well as hear these programs via the Beeb's iPlayer on-demand feature:
The Beatles at the Beeb
Bill Kenwright presents a two hour journey through the many Beatles songs and interviews recorded at the BBC during the 60s.
The Beatles played on 53 different radio shows between March 1962 and June 1965, giving no less than 275 performances of 88 different songs. Remarkably 36 of those songs were never issued on record while the group was in existence. With the exception of Lennon-McCartney's I'll Be On My Way, these unreleased tracks were cover versions, ranging from familiar rock 'n' roll numbers to some fairly obscure oddities which included a customised version of Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport with Rolf Harris (Don't ill-treat me pet dingo, Ringo).
Kevin Howlett produced his first documentary about the Beatles' BBC recordings as a young Radio 1 producer in 1982. It made headlines around the world because Kevin tracked down many BBC Beatles sessions not heard since their original broadcasts. Out of the 53 BBC programmes with live Beatles music, just one was in the BBC Archive. Following further investigations, Kevin produced the award-winning The Beeb's Lost Beatles Tapes in 1988.
And discoveries are still possible: This programme features an interview - unheard since 1965 - in which the Beatles talk about their second movie Help! They chatted live from a radio car at Twickenham Film Studios for the BBC Light Programme show Pop Inn. The 'lost' master tape of The Lennon and McCartney Songbook will also be heard for the first time since its original broadcast on August Bank Holiday Monday in 1966.
This show is a tantalising prospect for Beatles fans as other interviews and music recordings will be featured that have not been broadcast since the 1960s. In addition to the archive Beatles interviews with presenters such as Brian Matthew and Alan Freeman, Brian and Alan (recorded in 1988) will be heard reminiscing about their time with The Beatles at the Beeb.
Bigger than Jesus
On 4 March 1966 the Evening Standard published an interview between Maureen Cleave and John Lennon entitled How Does A Beatle Live? In the course of a description of the Beatle's everyday life in Weybridge, Cleave quoted Lennon as saying: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that. I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity."
The interview caused little controversy on publication in England, where it was regarded as just another example of the waning relevance of the church for the younger generation. But when it was reprinted in an American magazine four months later, on the eve of a Beatles tour of the States, it caused outrage and the Beatles' American tour of 1966 took place against a background of death threats and fear.
Although Lennon expressed regret for any offence caused by his remarks at an uneasy press conference in Chicago, he wouldn't withdraw them. The traditionally asinine encounter between press and pop star had been replaced by a crackling confrontation and Lennon was now cast in the role of spokesman for a generation. A new type of journalism would soon emerge that reflected this change: When Rolling Stone first appeared the following year, its cover star was John Lennon.
Paul McGann tells the story of this extraordinary event and its aftermath. It's a story of fame, the mass media, pop music and religion, of two cultures clashing. Illustrated with contemporary sound archive, listeners will hear from those who were in the Beatles' inner circle at the time and from those who protested against them.
Contributors include Maureen Cleave who conducted the original interview with Lennon; the Alabama DJs who burned Beatle records in protest; Cynthia Lennon, who helped Lennon sort the sacks of mail that arrived at their Weybridge home; press officers Tony Bramwell and Tony Barrow; Barry Tashian, whose group The Remains were the support act on the Beatles' stormy tour of North America; Lennon biographer Ray Connolly; and legendary rock 'n' roll PR (and former Lennon publicist) BP Fallon.
First broadcast in December 2005, five days before 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death.
The Day John Met Paul
Featuring an interview with Sir Paul McCartney and the music and memories of John Lennon's group the Quarrymen, this programme recreates the moment when John and Paul met for the first time at a Quarrymen gig at a sunny garden fete in Woolton, Liverpool on 6 July 1957.
Made with the help of Colin Hall, custodian of John Lennon's childhood home 'Mendips', and with the support of the Liverpool music community.
First broadcast in June 2007, The Day John Met Paul marked the 50th anniversary of a day that changed music for ever.
George Harrison: What is Life
Michael Palin presents a tribute to his friend George Harrison, who died in November 2001. It features archive interviews with George, as well as contributions from his wife and son, Bob Geldof, Jim Keltner, Jeff Lynne, Brian May, Gary Moore, Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar and the Beatles' producer George Martin.
The programme highlights George's contribution to the extraordinary and enduring legacy of the Beatles. Although John or Paul would usually sing the lead vocal, George played a vital role in the distinctive harmonies that enhanced the Beatles' records. Guitarist Gary Moore demonstrates the brilliance of George's solos on their records. And Ravi Shankar talks about how George's love for Indian music and culture influenced Beatles records.
After the Beatles split in 1970, all four released solo records but - to the astonishment of many - it was George who initially achieved the most commercial and critical success. His single My Sweet Lord was a worldwide number one in 1971 and returned to the top of the UK chart in 2002. He organised the Concert for Bangladesh and the triple album of the recordings topped charts around the world. This event, and George Harrison's understanding of the power and responsibility that rock musicians could wield in the world, have had a lasting influence.
George's solo career had periods of great productivity and also two phases when his profile dipped below the horizon. He enjoyed a late 1980s 'comeback' with his hit album Cloud Nine, released the number one single Got My Mind Set On You and two albums with his supergroup The Traveling Wilburys (featuring Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty). The year after George died Brainwashed was released, which featured the music he had worked on since his last solo album in 1987. Among them was the beautiful instrumental Marwa Blues, which won a Grammy Award.
The Great Beatles Songbook Vol. 1
Ken Bruce presents The Great Beatles Songbook: Volume 1, a countdown of the Top 30 biggest selling Beatles tracks in the UK as compiled by the Official Charts Company.
The Great Beatles Songbook Vol. 2
Craig Charles shares the Radio 2 listeners' Beatles stories, with choice tracks from the Fab Four's albums and solo projects. I
In the Beginning
Holly Johnson visits Hamburg to explore how marathon sessions in smoky cellars, and friendships with local teenagers, helped create the incredible chemistry that turned a British beat group into the all-conquering Beatles.
The invasion of British bands into the red light district of Hamburg began in 1960 when German promoters realised that British rock 'n' rollers were cheaper to hire than American ones. They were a five piece group when they arrived in the Reeperbahn in the back of manager Allan Williams' van in August 1960. John, Paul and George were accompanied by Stuart Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.
From August to October 1960, the Beatles were the house band at the Indra Club where they played four hour sessions every night for 30 marks each and slept in a tiny room above a local cinema. From October to the end of the year, they were promoted to the nearby Kaiserkeller. Not only were the Fab Five improving their sound during these marathon gigs, they were also developing friendships and the identity that would set them apart.
At the time, young people in Hamburg were typically members of one of two distinct tribes: the Rockers and the Exis (Existentialists). They were 'enemies' occupying separate territories - the 'rock caves' and the jazz clubs. When Exi Klaus Voorman was walking through the Grosse Freiheit on night in October 1960, he stopped outside the Kaiserkeller club to listen to the music. Liking what he heard, he went inside to see Rory Storm & The Hurricanes (featuring Richard Starkey on drums) in full flight. After the break, fellow Liverpudlians The Beatles took to the stage. Klaus was so impressed that he turned up for the group's next gig with girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr and best friend Jurgen Vollmer in tow.
The day after first seeing The Beatles at the Kaiserkeller, Astrid arranged a photo session with them at the city fun-fair. These stark candid images, which would be endlessly reprinted, established a distinct style for the group, as would Jurgen Vollmer's photos of the band. A Vollmer picture of John standing in the doorway in the port district would later adorn the cover of Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album, accompanied by the strap-line: 'You shoulda been there!'
It was an unlikely collision of young people from different cultures that would create a world-beating chemistry. Where The Beatles had the sound, the Exis had the style. Exis always wore black, with white collars or ruffs and their hair was "pilzen kopf" - "mushroom head" in style. "The Beatle haircut was in fact a Jurgen haircut" says Paul McCartney.
Astrid began a relationship with Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and they were engaged by the time The Beatles returned to Liverpool in November. They were back in Hamburg the following spring for 98 performances at the Top Ten Club. And in June, they made their first professional recordings, with fellow British rocker Tony Sheridan. The band recorded Ain't She Sweet, the instrumental Cry For A Shadow (a rare Harrison/ Lennon composition) and backed Sheridan on his version of My Bonnie. Sheridan's single would reach the German Top 30 and would alert Brian Epstein to the existence of The Beatles when he was asked for a copy in his record shop in Liverpool.
Stuart Sutcliffe left the Beatles to stay in Hamburg with Astrid and pursue his career as a painter. The Beatles returned to the city in April 1962 for a final residency at the Star Club only to learn of Sutcliffe's premature death when they met Astrid at Hamburg airport. Love Me Do was just six months later.
The impact of Hamburg on The Beatles and the friendships they made there would endure. Astrid continued to photograph the group after Sutcliffe's death while Klaus Voorman designed the sleeve for Revolver and later became a member of the Plastic Ono Band. Richard Starkey left Rory Storm and The Hurricanes to become Ringo Starr. And as far as John Lennon was concerned, the band were never better than when in the thick of an all night session on the Reeperbahn.
The documentary includes new interviews with, Astrid Kirchherr, Tony Sheridan and Stuart Sutcliffe's sister Pauline.
Sgt. Pepper Recreated
Another chance to hear the special re-recording of Sgt Pepper, broadcast on Radio 2 to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic album.
Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Stereophonics, Bryan Adams and Jamie Cullum, are among the artists who joined original multi-award winning audio engineer Geoff Emerick in the studio to record their own interpretations of the famous album tracks.
Using the original analogue four-track equipment Geoff demonstrates the innovative techniques employed for the recording at Abbey Road studios back in 1967. The programme also hears from the artists about the importance of Sgt Pepper and listens in on the recording in action to see just how different the experience is for them.
Tracklisting:
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Bryan Adams
With A Little Help From My Friends - Razorlight
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Athlete
Getting Better - Kaiser Chiefs
Fixing A Hole - The Fray
She's Leaving Home - Magic Numbers
Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite - Jamie Cullum
Within You Without You - Oasis
When I'm Sixty Four - Russell Brand
Lovely Rita - Travis
Good Morning Good Morning - The Zutons
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) - Stereophonics
First broadcast in June 2007 (when it was called Sgt Pepper's 40th Anniversary).
Sounds of the 60s
Brian Matthew presents the programme for all fans of the music of the 1960s.
This week Radio 2's Beatles Bank Holiday continues with The A-Z of The Beatles reaching The Long And Winding Road. There is also a unique 4-in-a-row featuring each of Liverpool's finest taking turns on vocals.
The Record Producers
Richard Allinson and Steve Levine profile the man often labelled 'the Fifth Beatle': Sir George Martin. They examine his work as a producer, arranger and technical innovator.
Radio 2 Live
Paul McCartney talks about his songwriting method and also de-constructs many of the Beatles songs. Recorded at Abbey Road's Studio 2, the famous 'Beatles' studio.
The Beatles at the Beeb
Bill Kenwright presents a two hour journey through the many Beatles songs and interviews recorded at the BBC during the 60s.
The Beatles played on 53 different radio shows between March 1962 and June 1965, giving no less than 275 performances of 88 different songs. Remarkably 36 of those songs were never issued on record while the group was in existence. With the exception of Lennon-McCartney's I'll Be On My Way, these unreleased tracks were cover versions, ranging from familiar rock 'n' roll numbers to some fairly obscure oddities which included a customised version of Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport with Rolf Harris (Don't ill-treat me pet dingo, Ringo).
Kevin Howlett produced his first documentary about the Beatles' BBC recordings as a young Radio 1 producer in 1982. It made headlines around the world because Kevin tracked down many BBC Beatles sessions not heard since their original broadcasts. Out of the 53 BBC programmes with live Beatles music, just one was in the BBC Archive. Following further investigations, Kevin produced the award-winning The Beeb's Lost Beatles Tapes in 1988.
And discoveries are still possible: This programme features an interview - unheard since 1965 - in which the Beatles talk about their second movie Help! They chatted live from a radio car at Twickenham Film Studios for the BBC Light Programme show Pop Inn. The 'lost' master tape of The Lennon and McCartney Songbook will also be heard for the first time since its original broadcast on August Bank Holiday Monday in 1966.
This show is a tantalising prospect for Beatles fans as other interviews and music recordings will be featured that have not been broadcast since the 1960s. In addition to the archive Beatles interviews with presenters such as Brian Matthew and Alan Freeman, Brian and Alan (recorded in 1988) will be heard reminiscing about their time with The Beatles at the Beeb.
Bigger than Jesus
On 4 March 1966 the Evening Standard published an interview between Maureen Cleave and John Lennon entitled How Does A Beatle Live? In the course of a description of the Beatle's everyday life in Weybridge, Cleave quoted Lennon as saying: "Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that. I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now. I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity."
The interview caused little controversy on publication in England, where it was regarded as just another example of the waning relevance of the church for the younger generation. But when it was reprinted in an American magazine four months later, on the eve of a Beatles tour of the States, it caused outrage and the Beatles' American tour of 1966 took place against a background of death threats and fear.
Although Lennon expressed regret for any offence caused by his remarks at an uneasy press conference in Chicago, he wouldn't withdraw them. The traditionally asinine encounter between press and pop star had been replaced by a crackling confrontation and Lennon was now cast in the role of spokesman for a generation. A new type of journalism would soon emerge that reflected this change: When Rolling Stone first appeared the following year, its cover star was John Lennon.
Paul McGann tells the story of this extraordinary event and its aftermath. It's a story of fame, the mass media, pop music and religion, of two cultures clashing. Illustrated with contemporary sound archive, listeners will hear from those who were in the Beatles' inner circle at the time and from those who protested against them.
Contributors include Maureen Cleave who conducted the original interview with Lennon; the Alabama DJs who burned Beatle records in protest; Cynthia Lennon, who helped Lennon sort the sacks of mail that arrived at their Weybridge home; press officers Tony Bramwell and Tony Barrow; Barry Tashian, whose group The Remains were the support act on the Beatles' stormy tour of North America; Lennon biographer Ray Connolly; and legendary rock 'n' roll PR (and former Lennon publicist) BP Fallon.
First broadcast in December 2005, five days before 25th anniversary of John Lennon's death.
The Day John Met Paul
Featuring an interview with Sir Paul McCartney and the music and memories of John Lennon's group the Quarrymen, this programme recreates the moment when John and Paul met for the first time at a Quarrymen gig at a sunny garden fete in Woolton, Liverpool on 6 July 1957.
Made with the help of Colin Hall, custodian of John Lennon's childhood home 'Mendips', and with the support of the Liverpool music community.
First broadcast in June 2007, The Day John Met Paul marked the 50th anniversary of a day that changed music for ever.
George Harrison: What is Life
Michael Palin presents a tribute to his friend George Harrison, who died in November 2001. It features archive interviews with George, as well as contributions from his wife and son, Bob Geldof, Jim Keltner, Jeff Lynne, Brian May, Gary Moore, Tom Petty, Ringo Starr, Ravi Shankar and the Beatles' producer George Martin.
The programme highlights George's contribution to the extraordinary and enduring legacy of the Beatles. Although John or Paul would usually sing the lead vocal, George played a vital role in the distinctive harmonies that enhanced the Beatles' records. Guitarist Gary Moore demonstrates the brilliance of George's solos on their records. And Ravi Shankar talks about how George's love for Indian music and culture influenced Beatles records.
After the Beatles split in 1970, all four released solo records but - to the astonishment of many - it was George who initially achieved the most commercial and critical success. His single My Sweet Lord was a worldwide number one in 1971 and returned to the top of the UK chart in 2002. He organised the Concert for Bangladesh and the triple album of the recordings topped charts around the world. This event, and George Harrison's understanding of the power and responsibility that rock musicians could wield in the world, have had a lasting influence.
George's solo career had periods of great productivity and also two phases when his profile dipped below the horizon. He enjoyed a late 1980s 'comeback' with his hit album Cloud Nine, released the number one single Got My Mind Set On You and two albums with his supergroup The Traveling Wilburys (featuring Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty). The year after George died Brainwashed was released, which featured the music he had worked on since his last solo album in 1987. Among them was the beautiful instrumental Marwa Blues, which won a Grammy Award.
The Great Beatles Songbook Vol. 1
Ken Bruce presents The Great Beatles Songbook: Volume 1, a countdown of the Top 30 biggest selling Beatles tracks in the UK as compiled by the Official Charts Company.
The Great Beatles Songbook Vol. 2
Craig Charles shares the Radio 2 listeners' Beatles stories, with choice tracks from the Fab Four's albums and solo projects. I
In the Beginning
Holly Johnson visits Hamburg to explore how marathon sessions in smoky cellars, and friendships with local teenagers, helped create the incredible chemistry that turned a British beat group into the all-conquering Beatles.
The invasion of British bands into the red light district of Hamburg began in 1960 when German promoters realised that British rock 'n' rollers were cheaper to hire than American ones. They were a five piece group when they arrived in the Reeperbahn in the back of manager Allan Williams' van in August 1960. John, Paul and George were accompanied by Stuart Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.
From August to October 1960, the Beatles were the house band at the Indra Club where they played four hour sessions every night for 30 marks each and slept in a tiny room above a local cinema. From October to the end of the year, they were promoted to the nearby Kaiserkeller. Not only were the Fab Five improving their sound during these marathon gigs, they were also developing friendships and the identity that would set them apart.
At the time, young people in Hamburg were typically members of one of two distinct tribes: the Rockers and the Exis (Existentialists). They were 'enemies' occupying separate territories - the 'rock caves' and the jazz clubs. When Exi Klaus Voorman was walking through the Grosse Freiheit on night in October 1960, he stopped outside the Kaiserkeller club to listen to the music. Liking what he heard, he went inside to see Rory Storm & The Hurricanes (featuring Richard Starkey on drums) in full flight. After the break, fellow Liverpudlians The Beatles took to the stage. Klaus was so impressed that he turned up for the group's next gig with girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr and best friend Jurgen Vollmer in tow.
The day after first seeing The Beatles at the Kaiserkeller, Astrid arranged a photo session with them at the city fun-fair. These stark candid images, which would be endlessly reprinted, established a distinct style for the group, as would Jurgen Vollmer's photos of the band. A Vollmer picture of John standing in the doorway in the port district would later adorn the cover of Lennon's Rock 'n' Roll album, accompanied by the strap-line: 'You shoulda been there!'
It was an unlikely collision of young people from different cultures that would create a world-beating chemistry. Where The Beatles had the sound, the Exis had the style. Exis always wore black, with white collars or ruffs and their hair was "pilzen kopf" - "mushroom head" in style. "The Beatle haircut was in fact a Jurgen haircut" says Paul McCartney.
Astrid began a relationship with Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and they were engaged by the time The Beatles returned to Liverpool in November. They were back in Hamburg the following spring for 98 performances at the Top Ten Club. And in June, they made their first professional recordings, with fellow British rocker Tony Sheridan. The band recorded Ain't She Sweet, the instrumental Cry For A Shadow (a rare Harrison/ Lennon composition) and backed Sheridan on his version of My Bonnie. Sheridan's single would reach the German Top 30 and would alert Brian Epstein to the existence of The Beatles when he was asked for a copy in his record shop in Liverpool.
Stuart Sutcliffe left the Beatles to stay in Hamburg with Astrid and pursue his career as a painter. The Beatles returned to the city in April 1962 for a final residency at the Star Club only to learn of Sutcliffe's premature death when they met Astrid at Hamburg airport. Love Me Do was just six months later.
The impact of Hamburg on The Beatles and the friendships they made there would endure. Astrid continued to photograph the group after Sutcliffe's death while Klaus Voorman designed the sleeve for Revolver and later became a member of the Plastic Ono Band. Richard Starkey left Rory Storm and The Hurricanes to become Ringo Starr. And as far as John Lennon was concerned, the band were never better than when in the thick of an all night session on the Reeperbahn.
The documentary includes new interviews with, Astrid Kirchherr, Tony Sheridan and Stuart Sutcliffe's sister Pauline.
Sgt. Pepper Recreated
Another chance to hear the special re-recording of Sgt Pepper, broadcast on Radio 2 to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic album.
Oasis, Kaiser Chiefs, Razorlight, Stereophonics, Bryan Adams and Jamie Cullum, are among the artists who joined original multi-award winning audio engineer Geoff Emerick in the studio to record their own interpretations of the famous album tracks.
Using the original analogue four-track equipment Geoff demonstrates the innovative techniques employed for the recording at Abbey Road studios back in 1967. The programme also hears from the artists about the importance of Sgt Pepper and listens in on the recording in action to see just how different the experience is for them.
Tracklisting:
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - Bryan Adams
With A Little Help From My Friends - Razorlight
Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Athlete
Getting Better - Kaiser Chiefs
Fixing A Hole - The Fray
She's Leaving Home - Magic Numbers
Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite - Jamie Cullum
Within You Without You - Oasis
When I'm Sixty Four - Russell Brand
Lovely Rita - Travis
Good Morning Good Morning - The Zutons
Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise) - Stereophonics
First broadcast in June 2007 (when it was called Sgt Pepper's 40th Anniversary).
Sounds of the 60s
Brian Matthew presents the programme for all fans of the music of the 1960s.
This week Radio 2's Beatles Bank Holiday continues with The A-Z of The Beatles reaching The Long And Winding Road. There is also a unique 4-in-a-row featuring each of Liverpool's finest taking turns on vocals.
The Record Producers
Richard Allinson and Steve Levine profile the man often labelled 'the Fifth Beatle': Sir George Martin. They examine his work as a producer, arranger and technical innovator.
Radio 2 Live
Paul McCartney talks about his songwriting method and also de-constructs many of the Beatles songs. Recorded at Abbey Road's Studio 2, the famous 'Beatles' studio.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Klaus Voorman to unveil new painting in Liverpool's Hard Day's Night Hotel
Pal of the Fabs and Revolver cover artist Klaus Voorman has created a new work which will be displayed in the lounge of Liverpool's Beatle-themed Hard Day's Night Hotel.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Rolling Stone: Why the Beatles broke up
The Fabs adorn the cover of the newest Rolling Stone, which features a lengthy piece by Mikal Gilmore on the reasons for the band's demise. Read more here.
Remasters reviewed by Mojo
The aforementioned Mojo mag has posted its review of the upcoming Beatles remasters.
While there are hundreds of mini-revelations in store for the Beatle-head - the clattering bell that drives The Beatles' Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey is made somehow even more exciting - the best thing about the new stereo versions is the singing. A certain amount of limiting on the original CD versions made them sound vaguely constrained. But the remastered vocals are purer, more natural-sounding and give the illusion of sitting slightly higher in the mix (technically, they don't - there's been no remixing, à la 1999's Yellow Submarine Songtrack or '06's Love, at all). My notes allude to the extra "presence" of the Lennon vocal on Magical Mystery Tour's I Am The Walrus, Paul's performance on Help!'s Yesterday is more perfectly limpid than ever, while the vocal harmonies sound astonishing throughout.
While there are hundreds of mini-revelations in store for the Beatle-head - the clattering bell that drives The Beatles' Everybody's Got Something To Hide Except Me And My Monkey is made somehow even more exciting - the best thing about the new stereo versions is the singing. A certain amount of limiting on the original CD versions made them sound vaguely constrained. But the remastered vocals are purer, more natural-sounding and give the illusion of sitting slightly higher in the mix (technically, they don't - there's been no remixing, à la 1999's Yellow Submarine Songtrack or '06's Love, at all). My notes allude to the extra "presence" of the Lennon vocal on Magical Mystery Tour's I Am The Walrus, Paul's performance on Help!'s Yesterday is more perfectly limpid than ever, while the vocal harmonies sound astonishing throughout.
New Mojo mag spotlights 40th anniversary of Abbey Road
The always Beatles-friendly UK mag Mojo celebrates the 40th anniversary of the Abbey Road LP with an exclusive Paul McCartney interview, news on Beatles: Rock Band, the Beatles catalog remasters and more, plus a CD featuring various folks covering Abbey Road in full.
Here's the track listing:
1 The Invisible - Come Together LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
2 The Leisure Society - Something LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
3 Let's Wrestle - Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4 Broken Records - Oh! Darling
5 Jeffrey Lewis - Octopus's Garden LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
6 Robyn Hitchcock - I Want You (She's So Heavy)
7 Charlie Dore - Here Comes the Sun
8 Martin John Henry (De Rosa) - Because
9 Glenn Tilbrook - You Never Give Me Your Money
10 Gomez - Sun King LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
11 Cornershop - Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam
12 Karima Francis - She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
13 Blue Roses - Golden Slumbers
14 Noah And The Whale - Carry That Weight
15 Loose Salute - The End
16 The Low Anthem - Her Majesty
Here's the track listing:
1 The Invisible - Come Together LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
2 The Leisure Society - Something LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
3 Let's Wrestle - Maxwell's Silver Hammer
4 Broken Records - Oh! Darling
5 Jeffrey Lewis - Octopus's Garden LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
6 Robyn Hitchcock - I Want You (She's So Heavy)
7 Charlie Dore - Here Comes the Sun
8 Martin John Henry (De Rosa) - Because
9 Glenn Tilbrook - You Never Give Me Your Money
10 Gomez - Sun King LISTEN TO A CLIP HERE!
11 Cornershop - Mean Mr. Mustard/Polythene Pam
12 Karima Francis - She Came in Through the Bathroom Window
13 Blue Roses - Golden Slumbers
14 Noah And The Whale - Carry That Weight
15 Loose Salute - The End
16 The Low Anthem - Her Majesty
Monday, August 24, 2009
Beatles' Yellow Submarine re-make in the works
According to EMI, a remake of the Beatles' 1968 animated "Yellow Submarine" is planned for 2012.
From the press release:
The Beatles' seminal 1968 animated film 'Yellow Submarine' is to be re-made by Back To the Future director Robert Zemeckis, Variety reports.
Just as the original was a visionary work, Zemeckis hopes that his revolutionary performance-capture 3d techniques (used in his recent Polar Express and Beowulf movies) will also make the new version similarly ahead of its time.
Release date is being tentatively pencilled in for Summer 2012 to coincide with the London Olympics.
From the press release:
The Beatles' seminal 1968 animated film 'Yellow Submarine' is to be re-made by Back To the Future director Robert Zemeckis, Variety reports.
Just as the original was a visionary work, Zemeckis hopes that his revolutionary performance-capture 3d techniques (used in his recent Polar Express and Beowulf movies) will also make the new version similarly ahead of its time.
Release date is being tentatively pencilled in for Summer 2012 to coincide with the London Olympics.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
More info on the BBC 's The Beatles On Record TV series
Here's a little more on the Beeb's upcoming Beatles on Record series:
The Beatles On Record, directed by Bob Smeaton, charts The Beatles' extraordinary journey from Please Please Me to Abbey Road and reflects on how they developed as musicians, matured as songwriters and created a body of work that sounds as fresh in 2009 as the time it was recorded.
Narrated entirely by John, Paul, George, Ringo and their producer Sir George Martin, the documentary features more than 60 classic songs, rare footage and photos from The Beatles' archives and never-heard-before out-takes of studio chat from the Abbey Road recording sessions.
Also, Rolling Stone reports that while there are no current plans for the series to air in the U.S., it may eventually come our way.
The Beatles On Record, directed by Bob Smeaton, charts The Beatles' extraordinary journey from Please Please Me to Abbey Road and reflects on how they developed as musicians, matured as songwriters and created a body of work that sounds as fresh in 2009 as the time it was recorded.
Narrated entirely by John, Paul, George, Ringo and their producer Sir George Martin, the documentary features more than 60 classic songs, rare footage and photos from The Beatles' archives and never-heard-before out-takes of studio chat from the Abbey Road recording sessions.
Also, Rolling Stone reports that while there are no current plans for the series to air in the U.S., it may eventually come our way.
Monday, August 17, 2009
BBC to air previously unheard Beatles outtakes
Here's a press release from the Beeb on a batch of upcoming Fab-related TV broadcasts:
Unheard outtakes from The Beatles' final recording sessions in Abbey Road will be broadcast for the first time as part of a BBC Fab Four season.
The programme, The Beatles On Record, will include studio chat from the band as they pieced together the album, which contained their final sessions as a band.
It also features what the BBC says is "rare footage", as well as excerpts from 60 songs.
It will be screened next month during a week-long season as the world prepares for the release of the band's remastered back catalogue and the much-anticipated Beatles Rock Band computer game.
The Beatles On Record has been directed by Bob Smeaton, who worked on the Beatles Anthology project which traced the story of the band and was screened on TV in 1995 to tie in with a series of albums of the same name.
The programmes will be screened across BBC Two and BBC Four and will include the TV premiere of the The Beatles: The First US Visit, in which cinematographers Albert and David Maysles charted the band's arrival in America in 1964.
An edition of Storyville will examine How The Beatles Rocked The Kremlin, revealing how the music of the band may have contributed to the collapse of the USSR, as a generation of Soviets were influenced by their music.
Other programmes in the short season will include a screening of the Help! movie.
George Entwistle, controller of BBC Knowledge commissioning, said: "This is a chance for viewers to enjoy some rare footage and fascinating insights into the career of the greatest pop group of all time."
Unheard outtakes from The Beatles' final recording sessions in Abbey Road will be broadcast for the first time as part of a BBC Fab Four season.
The programme, The Beatles On Record, will include studio chat from the band as they pieced together the album, which contained their final sessions as a band.
It also features what the BBC says is "rare footage", as well as excerpts from 60 songs.
It will be screened next month during a week-long season as the world prepares for the release of the band's remastered back catalogue and the much-anticipated Beatles Rock Band computer game.
The Beatles On Record has been directed by Bob Smeaton, who worked on the Beatles Anthology project which traced the story of the band and was screened on TV in 1995 to tie in with a series of albums of the same name.
The programmes will be screened across BBC Two and BBC Four and will include the TV premiere of the The Beatles: The First US Visit, in which cinematographers Albert and David Maysles charted the band's arrival in America in 1964.
An edition of Storyville will examine How The Beatles Rocked The Kremlin, revealing how the music of the band may have contributed to the collapse of the USSR, as a generation of Soviets were influenced by their music.
Other programmes in the short season will include a screening of the Help! movie.
George Entwistle, controller of BBC Knowledge commissioning, said: "This is a chance for viewers to enjoy some rare footage and fascinating insights into the career of the greatest pop group of all time."
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