RINGO WANTS YOU: UPDATE!! - Fans From 1964 Photograph Found!!

From Huffington Post

The magical mystery surrounding a group of teenagers photographed by Ringo Starr in 1964 has been solved.

Last week, with the help of USA Today, the former Beatles drummer began a nationwide search for the six teenagers in a photograph Starr snapped during the band's first visit to the United States in 1964. "They’re looking at us, and I’m photographing them," Starr wrote of the encounter in "Photograph," a book of photos from around the world taken by Starr throughout his career. ("Photograph" is due out Nov. 22.)

From Huffington Post

While Starr thought he may have taken the picture after the group touched down in Miami on Feb. 13, 1964, the photograph was taken days before, on Feb. 7, 1964, in New York, near John F. Kennedy International Airport.

"We went back up to the front [of the limousine line], waved to each one of them, and the last one was Ringo, he's the one who went, 'Roll down your window!'" Gary Van Deursen, who was driving the car (a borrowed Chevy Impala) told the "TODAY" show on Monday. The other passengers in the car included Suzanne Rayot, Arlene Norbe, Charlie Schwartz, Bob Toth and Matt Blender. (Blender, who is glimpsed in the back right of the photograph, passed away in 2011.) The six then-teenagers all attended Fair Lawn High School in New Jersey.

For his part, Starr is pleased that the reunion happened. "How great that they found these people! And how cool to now know a little of their story..."

Read More...

RINGO WANTS YOU: Former Beatle Searches for Fans in 1964 Photo

From Miami Herald

If you were a Beatles fan living in Miami and chased down the Fab Four when they visited in February 1964, Ringo Starr wants to meet you.

Ringo wants to know if you are one of the fresh-faced kids, stuffed into a convertible, who pulled up next to the band’s car on the road, trying to get the attention of the popular band members.

From his car, Ringo snapped a photo of the teens — four boys and two girls; the sixth teen is barely visible in the back seat of the car.

For 49 years, the drummer and avid photographer has kept that snapshot and is including it among the 240 images in his new book, Photograph, released as an e-book earlier this year . A limited print edition will be published in November.

Ringo recently told USA Today he would like to meet those then-teens staring back at him...

Read more...

"Give Peace a Chance" - FAB Cover and Video by TheBeatleSubmarine!

Hey, Beatlemaniacs!

So John Lennon's birthday was yesterday. One of my favourite Beatle Co-op YouTube channels, TheBeatleSubmarine, have done it again; They've put their creative hearts together and produced yet another solid tribute to John Lennon. In past years they have set their tributes to the tunes of "Imagine" and "Watching The Wheels." This year they recorded their own cover of "Give Peace A Chance" and it blew my mind away!

This zealous group of teens and young adults are undeniable proof that The Beatles are still as fresh and relevant today as they were fifty years ago. While many of the Submariners are separated by hundreds of miles of land or sea, their love of John has helped narrow the divide and this video is a collaborative testament to the power of the Beatles' collective and individual legacies.

Turn up the volume on this one! Get ready to watch and re-watch this bright young group of Beatlemaniacs cover "Give Peace a Chance..."



Be sure to check out TheBeatleSubmarine's past tribute vids for John's 71st and 72nd birthday!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. LENNONS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOHN & SEAN!!

George Feared Being Shot and Hated Being Bullied by Paul

From The Daily Mail

Barely a week into recording what would become The Beatles’ final album Let It Be, George Harrison was ready to quit.

He was no longer willing to fulfil a subservient role in the band, and by lunch on January 10, 1969, things came to a head.

Having rowed with Paul McCartney over what to play, or rather what not to play, on the track Two Of Us – ‘Whatever it is that will please you, I’ll do it,’ said Harrison acidly – during a break he told his band mates he was leaving.

When? ‘Now. You can replace me. Put an ad in the New Musical Express and get a few people in. See you round the clubs.’

‘It was very uncomfortable,’ says Let It Be producer Glyn Johns. ‘To watch this begin and be there in the immediate aftermath was very unpleasant.’

Harrison and McCartney had had a fractious relationship since meeting at the Liverpool Institute.

The junior partner by eight months, George chafed at Paul’s domineering streak, and grew increasingly angry at being treated like a glorified session-man. Harrison’s friend and fellow guitarist Peter Frampton recalls being with Harrison in 1971.

‘I’d put on Paperback Writer and say, “I love the guitar on that,” and he’d say, “Oh, that’s Paul.” I put all these other Beatles tracks on: “Oh, that’s Paul.” It wasn’t until then I realised he had been stifled. It was very frustrating for George...’

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In Depth Look at Lennon's Acoustic Guitar

From WTOP.com

The imperfections were what made it perfect.

It was 18 years ago John Lennon's flat top acoustic guitar used in the Beatles was first displayed to the public at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
DJ Cerphe Colwell was there for the unveiling of Lennon's guitar, and will never forget it.


 

"I stood there for about an hour just staring at it, just thinking about how many hearts and ears were awakened by that Gibson J 160E guitar. Really magical stuff," says Cerphe, whose show is heard on Eco Planet Radio.

Cerphe was one of the participants when the Rock and Roll Hall opened its doors in Sept. 1995, displaying priceless artifacts used by legendary musicians.

Lennon's guitar, which was donated by wife Yoko Ono, had been personalized by the Beatles' leader.

"I really liked the artwork drawings that John did on the wooden body of the guitar, but it was the fretboard and the pick marks and the gouges on the wood and tuning keys that really fascinated me," says Cerphe...

Read More...

"NEW" Song by Paul McCartney + Season Premier of THE BIG BEAT!

Hey, Beatlemaniacs!

I've got good news and great news! Which do you want to hear first?!

-THE BIG BEAT w/ Bob Vincent returns to Mt ROCK next Friday, September 6 at 12pm PT/3pm ET.

- Paul McCartney has released a single from his upcoming NEW album. 12 NEW Paul songs hit stores in the UK and US on October 14 and 15, respectively. Check out the NEW song below!

Update: I'M ALIVE! (PLUS A GREAT FILM!)

Hello, Beatlemaniacs!

Boy, I've missed you all! I've been experiencing problems with accessing my blog to update. But all bugs seem to be fixed and now I can get back to all the Beatlemania this page can handle!

As of now THE BIG BEAT radio show is on hold due to some construction at 90.1 Mt ROCK, but I will return to the studio as soon as the dust settles. Don't fret if you cannot get 90.1 Mt ROCK on your FM tuner. You'll still be able to listen in on  MtRockRadio.com. I'll keep you all updated on the season premiere so you don't miss a beat!

In the meantime, get a load of this! I was perusing YouTube earlier today and came across a fantastic BBC documentary called 12 Hours to Please Me. This film celebrates the iconic 12-hour recording session of The Beatles' hit debut record Please Please Me. If that's not cool enough this film was recorded in Abbey Road Studios on the exact 50th anniversary of the recording of the original album.  The film does a fab job recreating the Beatles February 11, 1963 recording schedule down to the hour and minute that each song was originally recorded. Musicians young and young-at-heart came together for this special day to re-record The Beatles' Please Please Me repertoire of songs. Joss Stone, Stereophonics, Mick Hucknall, and I Am Kloot are just a few of the artists featured in this film. Even some of the people present in the studio 50 years ago returned to Abbey Road Studios to re-live the magic they witnessed, including engineer Richard Langham and NME reporter Alan Smith who requested to The Beatles that they close the day by recording "La Bamba".... "LA BAMBA?" Watch and see!

(Thank you to YouTube user GOSFanUSA for uploading this video)

Beatles Music Enters The Public Domain

From The Examiner.com

The Beatles' song “Love Me Do” is available on compilations outside the United States thanks to a European law that allows it to enter the public domain after 50 years, Rolling Stone reported Friday.
The current law requires songs to be 50 years old to hit public domain, but a move is in the works to change the requirement to 70 years, which may not happen until later this year. According to Complete Music Update, the change will not affect “Love Me Do” and it will remain in public domain.

The song fell out of protection on
Dec. 31. There were efforts to change the requirement to 95 years as in the U.S., said CMU, but the agreement reached called for 70.

"Love Me Do" isn't the only song being affected in this way. The Beatles' "P.S. I Love You" is available on a similar collection, "The 1962 British Hit Parade: The B Sides Part Three September - December" And "Please Please Me," which just passed its 50th anniversary of release, could also find itself on a similar compilation in the future.

And there are many such British hit parade sets available as labels take advantage of the public domain law in the UK. In fact, the public domain compilations are all over Europe. There are two interesting ones relating to Elvis Presley that examine his musical roots...

Read More...

Ravi Shankar, Dead At 92

From USA Today.com

Ravi Shankar, the sitar virtuoso who became a hippie musical icon of the 1960s after hobnobbing with the Beatles and who introduced traditional Indian ragas to Western audiences over a 10-decade career, died Tuesday. He was 92.

A statement on the musician's website said he died in San Diego, near his Southern California home. The musician's foundation issued a statement saying that he had suffered upper respiratory and heart problems and had undergone heart-valve replacement surgery last week.

Labeled "the godfather of world music" by George Harrison, Shankar helped millions of classical, jazz and rock lovers discover the centuries-old traditions of Indian music.


His close relationship with Harrison, the Beatles lead guitarist, shot Shankar to global stardom in the 1960s.

The pair spent weeks together, starting the lessons at Harrison's house in England and then moving to a houseboat in Kashmir and later to California.

Gaining confidence with the complex instrument, Harrison recorded the Indian-inspired song "Within You Without You" on the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," helping spark the raga-rock phase of 60s music and drawing increasing attention to Shankar and his work...

Read More...

Copy of Beatles' Rejected Audition Tape To Be Auctioned

From Examiner.com

A tape of the recordings made by the Beatles' at their audition session for Decca Records on January 1, 1962 will be auctioned Nov. 27, UK auctioneer the Fame Bureau announced [November 16].

The 10-track tape, described as a mono master safety copy, features the songs “Like Dreamers Do,” “Money,” “Take Good Care of My Baby,” “Sure to Fall,” “Three Cool Cats,” “Love of The Loved,” “Memphis,” “Crying Waiting Hoping,” “Till There Was You” and “Searchin'.” The tape was rejected by Decca before the group was signed to Parlophone Records.

Image from Examiner.com

“We've been told it's a safety master," Ted Owen of the Fame Bureau told Beatles Examiner. "It came out of Capitol Records in Los Angeles.”

Owen said, "The great thing for me is the quality,” which he described as “pristine.” The value of the tape is estimated at between £18,000/20,000 ($28,600 to $31,770 USD).


The auction takes place at 5 p.m. GMT November 27 at the London Playboy Club. Other Beatles items in the auction include an RIAA gold record award for “The Beatles Anthology 3” and unreleased cover proofs for the Beatles' “Yesterday and Today” album, including a proof of the Butcher cover picture...

Read More...

"Yellow Submarine" Actor and Bestselling Author, John Clive, Dead @ 79

From The Telegraph UK

British actor and author John Clive, who provided the voice for John Lennon in Beatles film Yellow Submarine and appeared in The Italian Job before forging a successful career writing fiction, has died aged 79.

British actor John Clive, whose film credits include Yellow Submarine and The Italian Job, has died after a short illness at the age of 79, his family have said.   Clive provided the voice for the animated version of John Lennon in the 1968 Beatles fantasy film Yellow Submarine.   He also starred alongside Michael Caine in the 1969 crime caper The Italian Job...

Read more...

TODAY IN BEATLES HISTORY! Beatles Cartoon Debuts!!

Remember Saturday morning cartoons?!On this day back in 1965 music lovers and children of all ages were treated to the first episode of The Beatles cartoon series. Voiced by Paul Frees (John & George) and Lance Percival (Paul & Ringo), the series took the Fab Four on a series of misadventures including hunting for exotic birds and visiting Transylvania. It aired 39 episodes that spanned 3 seasons. The final show broadcast on October 21, 1967. The Beatles cartoon series is now syndicated globally and has even inspired a line of toys by MacFarlane Toys.

Happy debut anniversary, Beatles cartoon!

John Lennon voted NME's Utimate Icon!!

From NME.com

John Lennon has been named as NME's Ultimate Musical Icon of the last 60 years.

The Beatles' co-frontman topped the poll, which began with 60 nominees in March of this year, beating out the likes of David Bowie, Amy Winehouse, Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner, Morrissey, Liam Gallagher and Damon Albarn to take the crown.

Former Oasis frontman Liam Gallagher came second in the poll, with David Bowie in third and Alex Turner in fourth. Nirvana's Kurt Cobain came fifth, Amy Winehouse came sixth, with Jimi Hendrix in seventh place.

Morrissey ranked in eighth place, with Noel Gallagher in ninth and Ian Curtis in 10th place..

Read more and see NME's Ultimate Icon runner-ups...

(Thank you to THE BIG BEAT's "Producer Monica" for the heads up on this story)

"All Together Now: A Tribute to The Beatles" exhibit In L.A.

"It's My Party and I'll Hire The Beatles..." by Shag

Hello Hello, Beatlemaniacs!

"Good Rocky's Revival" by Cuddly Rigor Mortis

Well here we are; Right smack-dab in the middle of Summer. What a great time to get out and enjoy the festivities, picnics, the beach, and great art!

Well, my buddy, colleague, and fellow Beatlemaniac, Sergio Alexander, has filled me in on a super fab Beatles art exhibit happening right now at Gallery Nucleus in the city of Alhambra California. The exhibit will be open for the next 5 days. I've yet to attend but I've checked out the selection of Beatles-inspired creations on the website. These pieces are way to cool for words! I look forward to checkin' it out this weekend! I'm excited to see in person works such as the Abbey Road-inspired "Different Daydreams" by You Byun, and artist Cuddly Rigor Mortis' cute reinterpretation piece "Good Rocky's Revival".

I highly encourage all Beatlemaniacs in the area to attend!

"Different Daydreamers" by You Byun

And what's more? Admission to the exhibit is completely FREE!

For further info be sure to check out the links below:

"All Together Now; A Tribute To The Beatles"
 -ends Sunday July 29, 2012

Gallery Nucleus

210 East Main St
Alhambra CA 91801

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, SGT. PEPPER!

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - released June 1, 1967

Today, June 1, 2012 marks the 45th anniversary since the release of The Beatles'  landmark album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

It's almost like a page torn out of a book of legends and fantasies! This album is host to a number of "firsts" in Rock and Roll history; It was the first big concept album, the first Rock album to win a Grammy award for 'Album Of The Year', the first to include complete printed lyrics to every song and and the first of The Beatles records to simply have "Beatles" on the cover... which led to another unmistakable first...

It was the first to spawn the "Paul is dead" phenomenon that still polarizes Beatlemaniacs to this very day. Some of the "clues" include the freshly dug grave site, the guitar-shaped wreath implies a left-handed guitar (Paul played lefty), and Paul is standing backwards on the back of the album sleeve as well, further fueling any speculation of his death. Not to mention lyrical cues in tracks such as A Day In The Life (He blew his mind out in a car), and Good Morning, Good Morning (Nothing to do to save his life).

Furthermore, this record was an engineering achievement. The studio sessions were a series of recordings and multiple over dubs all done on 4-tracks. Considering all the arrangement and cacophony on Sgt. Pepper, George Martin and engineer, Geoff Emerick could almost be creative madmen for having tackled this project on.

This record is surely one you must experience for yourself!

ENJOY THE SHOW!

Beatles' Sons To Form Band?

Posted by Bob Vincent
From music.Yahoo.com

Beatles fans spent the 1970s hoping the band might get back together, before John Lennon's death put the kibosh on that. But a few dreamers held out and spent the '80s floating the idea that the Beatles could still always reunite and tour with Julian Lennon, who was a huge MTV star at the time, subbing for his dad. Naïveté is stronger than death, right?

But now a new sort of hope has drifted entirely toward the Beatle descendants. Paul's son, 34-year-old singer/songwriter James McCartney, told the BBC that he'd be up for forming a band with some other musically inclined Scions of the Fabs. The group could be called "The Beatles—The Next Generation," the BBC interview helpfully suggested.

James even suggested that he'd had discussions with other Beatle offspring that could result in a quorum…. with one major holdout to contend with.

"I don't think it's something that Zak wants to do," said McCartney, referring to Ringo Starr's son Zak Starkey, a highly successful drummer. "Maybe Jason would want to do it," he added, throwing the name of a lesser-known Starr offspring into the mix. "I'd be up for it. Sean (Lennon) seemed to be into it..."

Read More...

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE HARRISON!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, GEORGE HARRISON!!

"All the world is birthday cake, so take a piece, but not too much."

Photo by Astrid Kircherr

George,

You may have been known as the "quiet Beatle",
however your music, your legacy, and your love continue to speak volumes.

Thank you.

Happy Birthday!

THE BEATLES LAND IN AMERICA!! PLUS: The Return Of THE BIG BEAT!

TODAY IN BEATLES HISTORY

FEBRUARY 7, 1964

THE BEATLES LAND IN THE U.S.A.



Image courtesy of Wikipedia.org

Hey, Beatlemaniacs!!

TODAY'S A BIG DAY! Today marks the 48th anniversary of The Beatles' arrival at John F. Kennedy International Airport.

The Beatles initially did not want to visit the U.S. Some British groups had visited the U.S. before The Beatles but the novelty of British Rock and Roll and Skiffle just didn't hit big with American audiences. The Beatles had discussed with manager, Brian Epstein, that they would not even consider America until they had a Number One song in the U.S. Sure enough on January 18, 1964 "I Want To Hold Your Hand" charted at number 45 and by February 1 the song had hit Number 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 and ultimately held the top spot for seven weeks. A few days later, on February 7, The Beatles were greeted by approximately three thousand screaming fans at JFK Airport. Beatlemania had officially hit America!!

WAIT, THERE'S MORE NEWS!! THE BIG BEAT returns in a few days on February 9th! That day also marks the day The Beatles appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show and took the rest of the U.S. by storm!

SAVE THE DATE & TIME!! THE BIG BEAT w/ Bob Vincent; Returns Thursday, February 9 @ 12p PT/ 3p ET ONLY on MtRockRadio.com.

THE BIG BEAT - SEASON 2 COMING SOON!!

Hey, Beatlemaniacs!

After what seemed like the longest three weeks of not being on the air, I proudly announce the return of THE BIG BEAT on 90.1 MtROCK and worldwide on www.mtrockradio.com.

YES, SIREEE!!!! Mark your calendars, keep the date, gather all your family and friends around your speakers and tune in to the SEASON 2 PREMIERE of THE BIG BEAT; Thursday, January 12, 2012 @ 12:00 Noon (Pacific) ONLY on 90.1 MtRock and www.mtrockradio.com.

THE BRITISH ARE COMING!! THE BRITISH ARE COMING!!!

ALL THE BEATLES YOUR MIND CAN HANDLE!!

REMEMBER!! THE BIG BEAT!! - The 12th hour of the 12th day of the 12th year; JANUARY 12 @ 12PM!! ON 90.1 Mt ROCK and www.mtrockradio.com.