Soft-Hearted Hana:

There's probably a better thread for this, but I did speak to James McCartney when he played in my hometown last spring. He was exquisitely shy and nice, very unassuming. I felt badly for him when the clod in line behind me insisted on asking him about his father. The guy kept saying, "You know, your dad, Paul, when did you last see him?" Poor James just looked at him. James is indeed musically gifted like his dad. I liked his few brief anecdotes about his mom the best, though.

What did he say about his mom?

Beatles4Ever&Ever:

jimmix:

Tim_:

This is powerful

Also "Let It Be" original score won an Oscar for Lennon/McCartney/Harrison/Starkey

That was long overdue. Should have won something or other for their previous films/musical scores/individual songs. Fact is, "A Hard Day's Night" should have been nominated in the best picture category. I'm serious. Numerous film critics attest to that.

Agree! But disagree. Only Lennon/McCartney/Harrison would have won. No Oscar for Starkey.

Revolver (UK stereo)

Nancy R:

Erik in NJ:

He showed excellent restraint. Derek Taylor looked foolish. Riks really "took the mickey out" of Taylor in the parody--so funny! Capp was pretty funny though, you have to admit. Rik's Capp was absolutely hilarious!! There was another female reporter that really grilled Lennon around this same time saying the bed-ins were just a bunch of fluff and did nothing for peace. I'm sure you know who she was Nancy. I know there's a clip on YouTube.

I know exactly the woman you're talking about! She was such a hoity-toity biach!

the thing that some folks don't understand about the Bed Ins was that John and Yoko also had a problem with the intellectualism that had overtaken the Peace movement and sort of wanted to make fun of that as well as spreading a message of Peace.

That would be a trip if it could really be done!

http://www.examiner.com/article/exclusive-peter-asher-s-rrhof-speech-for-brian-epstein-and-andrew-loog-oldham?CID=examiner_alerts_article

As you can see it's a type of lyric that a variety of meanings can be read from, including an innocent dance and play Little child, [...] Baby, take a chance with me.

Nancy R wrote:

beatlesfanrandy wrote:

Scarlett14 wrote:

I have started my journey this week through "The White Album" for the very first time. Yes, I know the "greatest hits" songs but not the others really as I have never been much of an album person. I have listened to the first half of the songs but it was tough because there were ones I really didn't care for. Where is Bruce? I know you said that "Happiness is a Warm Gun" is one of your favorites, right? Please tell me what I'm missing with that song because I just don't see it. Even the words kind of upset me when I think about how John died at the hands of a gunman. But I can't look at this album in the present day, I should judge it solely on its merit from the time it was made, I know this. "Glass Onion"....just didn't like it. "Wild Honey Pie" - what was THAT? "I'm So Tired" made me REALLY tired, couldn't wait for that one to end. "Bungalow Bill" - was that song actually mocking the American student (and his mom) who shot the tiger? "Piggies" I just had to skim through, when I think back on all of the Sharon Tate stuff it's pretty upsetting. Trying to keep my mind back on the time this was made though as I said earlier. So these are my first impressions of side one and two....still have a lot more to go. What strikes me most is how often I need to refer to Wikipedia to see what was going on when these songs were written. I've said this before a few times too many but I'll say it again. If I were a singer/songwriter I'd want my songs to be easily understood by the masses and relate-able without having to have a handbook nearby to translate them. And nothing would be the result of drugs or meditating with the Maharishi either. It would just be about real life. But that's just me. Different strokes for different folks. Please tell me the most positive things to look for in "The White Album". I am not a musician at all so it's possible I'm missing some really creative stuff instrumentally because I'm concentrating on the lyrics too much. On an uplifting note, I really love "Julia" which I had never really paid attention to before. Liked the music to "Bungalow Bill". "Dear Prudence" is getting to be one of my favorites.

I guess I will just go with one of the quotes I read recently: You're either hip to it or you're not. To me, it is the greatest album ever made by the greatest band that ever existed. I've thought that since I got it in 1968 when I was 12. The Deluxe Anniversary set only confirms it for me. It was special then, and it is just as special now.

Yeah, I was 13 in 1968 and the Manson killings hadn’t happened yet, so I loved Helter Skelter (which I just thought was sexual from the get go) Happiness Is A Warm Gun (was rather bizarre coincidence later when John was killed by a nutcase with a gun) and even Piggies. Those of us who were there when it was released and devoured the entire double album had a totally different perspective than you. We knew all about the India trip and what Sexy Sadie was about, who Prudence was, etc. Later found out about Bungalow Bill and the origins of some of the other songs like Savoy Truffle (for Eric Clapton’s sweet tooth) etc. Surprised you don’t like Glass Onion - Love it! All the Beatles song references and “clues.” Very cool song with a great beat.

Today I listened to all 7 CDs on Blu-ray player/TV with earbuds in. O...M...G...!!! What an experience! Heard so many little things I never heard before, like Paul talking at the end of Helter Skelter prior to the pause, and Ringo counting from 1 to 8 in Don’t Pass Me By. And Paul clearly saying “mining” hills!! The Esher Demos and the Sessions CDs made it very obvious that they were having a good time, in spite of occasional dust ups, like when Ringo left for 11 days. Loved all the between-song banter. Paul cracked me up: “Save that one and mark it FAB!”

"HELTER SKELTER" will forever go down in Rock n' Roll history as the FIRST METAL SONG EVER! I will have to listen to the entire album with earbuds!

RMartinez:

Bruce M.:

Regardless of credit issues, I watched a fair amount of the PBS special and came away with my feelings about the Dave Clark 5 pretty much unchanged: They were a second-rate imitation Beatles who had a few catchy singles, and that's about it. Eminently forgettable.

Kind of like every band from the UK in the mid 60s. No one was of the caliber of the Beatles back then. Yes, the Stones were ok, and the Who. But they really did not get a foothold in music until the Beatles broke up. They were all copying the Beatle formula. But yeah, DC5 were third level, below the Stones and the Who.

Anyone who has stood the test of time from those first British Invasion years evolved as songwriters. You had to because you had The Beatles and Bob Dylan leading the pack, and the sounds of the 60's were so fertile and became incredible. Dave Clark Five were the quintessential boy band. But they never progressed in their songwriting, and their sound never changed, and that's why they didn't last. To me they were like the English Beach Boys, but never on the level of The Beatles. They had a pretty decent string of hits while it lasted though.

Erik in NJ:

Cool. Unless that is a single loop, I don't know how they could have gotten it so seamless at that speed. But then again, I'm not that familiar with how a Mellotron works. Prett whacky instrument.

According to the entry on the Beatles Bible the mellotron had seven-second samples. So the whole piece was a sample, rather than the individual notes: "The guitar flourish was one of a number of seven-second instrument samples included on the Mellotron Mark II." http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/the-continuing-story-of-bungalow-bill/

favoritething:

toris:

I only first heard of the song when I happened upon chance to wander into a pretty-well known Melbourne record store some time in the 80's and found a fan club issue of Abbey Road, Get Back (with Let it Be and 11 other songs) and the aborted Sessions. All for $25 each, a princely sum back in the day. They were all beautifully packaged albums (vinyl) and ready to go. Someone called Brian Southall wrote the notes on the back of the Sessions album a la the old days. Of Come and Get it: "His demo record sounds even more fabulous than the version sung by Badfinger as released on 5 December 1969". Credited solely as McCartney on this album. I believe it is the same version that ended up on the Anthology. I'd never head of Badfinger, and to this day, I don't think I've heard their version (maybe once) or certainly any of their other songs. I'll get off by butt and google them.

I have a Badfinger hits collection, and their Straight Up album. Good stuff, but sometimes they can be a little too close to their main influence: They have a song called "Suitcase" that rhymes that word with "bootlace"! Hello!

Ha ha...I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt... and call it a 'tribute', a 'nod'. I'll get off my bum and listen to them on You Tube.

I have 2 of them on my bumper. One is like the one Nancy R. posted..."The Beatles" and the other is their silhouettes walking...like they are crossing Abbey Road. Got them both on Ebay. I used to have one that said "I'd Rather Be At a Paul McCartney Concert", but someone rear-ended me and I had to get a new bumper.I never could find that same bumper sticker again.

Steve Riks is the man!

I really like how the song begins - that is the best part.

Yes, he's English, and yes, he does all of the Beatles. He also does many other people, some I'm not familiar with (people who are known in England, mainly), as well as familiar ones. His Beatles are the best, of course! Just Google his name and you'll find plenty on him. He's super-talented: he does all the singing and plays the instruments for his impersonations, writes some of the songs, creates all his videos, etc. Here's a couple of links to get you started: http://www.youtube.com/user/MrSTEVIERIKS http://www.stevieriks.com/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevie_Riks Have fun!

One word - fascinating. I'd like to know more about the genesis of that.

I saw this show (Away With Words) at the Fox Theatre in Atlanta in 1979. It was sponsored by the radio station WQXI AM79. I still have my t-shirt from the event!

When I was pregnant with my oldest son, I wanted to name him Lennon. My husband wasn't thrilled. Plus I was not a fan of any possible nick names Len or Lenny. So we gave him the middle name of John. In regards to my name.........I've asked my Mom if I was named after the Beatles song and she said no. But then I asked her if i could just TELL people that I was and she said sure.

beatlesfanrandy:

Definitely a milestone no one else has ever come close to.

yup and im kinda glade : )

Crazy that "I Shot The Sheriff" is on this list, much less at no 2. Good call Scarlett on the Gilbert O'Sullivan song -- it should have been no 1!! I remember it so well from my childhood and hearing it on AM radio! Here it is if you want to travel back in time...this guy had such a wonderful voice!!