RIP Sir George Martin

It is with a very heavy heart that I write these words after waking this morning to hear the sad news of the passing of Sir George Martin.

Like many others of my generation, I grew up listening to the music of The Beatles. During those heady days of Beatlemania, it was all about John, Paul, George and Ringo but we gradually came to realise that a great deal of what they achieved on record was down to their producer George Martin.

I firmly believe that without him at the helm, their recordings would have sounded very different and certainly albums like 'Revolver' and 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' would never have come about. For George Martin had the unique ability to understand the sounds that The Beatles wanted to create and he had the musical and technical talent to make it happen. It was a perfect partnership and they were fortunate to find each other. 

RIP Sir George, and thank you for all that wonderful music.

Neil Young and others at Hyde Park's British Summer Time

After seeing Midlake on Thursday night I caught an early train to London the following morning. A pleasant stroll around Covent Garden was followed by a bite to eat in Chinatown and then a walk across to the southbank of the Thames for a showing of the remastered version of the 1964 Beatles film, 'A Hard Day's Night'.

And I admit to finding it almost as enjoyable as I did when I saw it as a 12 or 13 year old upon it's release when I was too young and naive to appreciate the significance of John Lennon sniffing a Coke bottle. Young and innocent times! Anyway the film is still a good laugh and of course the music coming through the cinema sound system was magnificent.

On the walk back across the river, Waterloo Bridge was to our right, bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. Not quite a Waterloo Sunset I'm afraid, but surely the next best thing.


Saturday was all about the British Summer Time Festival at Hyde Park where Neil Young & Crazy Horse were topping the bill. First however there were decisions to be made about who else to see appearing on the various stages scattered around the festival site. The Webb Sisters beckoned to begin with. 

Charley (guitar) and Hattie (harp and mandolin) are perhaps best known to us for having backed Leonard Cohen on most of his recent tours. For forty five minutes or so, they kept a fairly large crowd enthralled with their brand of Americana style music (though the girls hail from Kent, England) despite the fact that the temperatures inside this smallish marquee, soared to ridiculous levels.

We failed to see Phosphorescence owing to the crowds trying to get into that venue, so decisions had to be made as to who we would see. Going our separate ways I decided to catch Caitlin Rose followed by Midlake in the same venue (the Barclaycard Theatre). In between I did manage to catch most of The National's set on the main stage though I confess that I have never really warmed to their music.

Midlake performed for about fifty minutes so it was a shortened version of the set I had seen two days earlier. Nevertheless, being situated further back from the stage, I found the sound to be more agreeable and I thoroughly enjoyed their set.

Then of course, it came to the reason we were all there. The main event - Neil Young & Crazy Horse.

As I've often reported, with Neil Young you are never sure what you are going to get. Even with Crazy Horse we were not guaranteed to get songs ending in five minutes or more of howling feedback, as we experienced in Newcastle last year. After sauntering onto the stage and placing a basket of grapes on the drum riser, Young and his Crazy Horse cohorts, aided by Rick Rosas standing in for the recuperating bassist Billy Talbot, launched into a lengthy version of 'Love and Only Love' one of three numbers from the 'Ragged Glory' album.

Once again however, Young showed he is willing to mix things up a bit. In contrast to those heavy rocking numbers, we were also treated to a band version of 'After The Gold Rush'. During a short acoustic interlude we got 'Only Love Can Break Your Heart' and to the delight of the crowd, 'Heart of Gold'. This was followed by what was in my opinion the treat of the night, the rarely performed 'Barstool Blues' from the album 'Zuma'. Even an unreleased 1970's album 'Homegrown', was represented by the song 'Separate Ways'.

When one considers that Young has issued three new albums in the last couple of years and from these only played the title track from 'Psychedelic Pill' making no mention at all of his latest venture, 'A Letter Home', one begins to realise just how perverse he is. 

Returning to play their first encore, they gave us a brand new song 'Who's Gonna Stand Up and Save the Earth?' This was duly followed by the much more familiar 'Down By The River'.

Then the band and backing singers took their bows and tossing a grape into the audience, Young gave us a last wave and the stage emptied to the strains of 'Greensleeves'

Each time I have seen Young play has been a totally different experience yet I have never come away feeling in any way disappointed. Surely this has to be the measure of a true star.
Long may he run!

Finally I think it only fitting that I make mention of the quality of the large screens and particularly of the sound. The organisers have certainly done a great job in those areas.

The complete setlist can be found by following this link.

Abbey Road Studios Revisited - Literally

It was just over two years ago that I started writing this blog and one of my first posts documented my first visit to Studio 2 in Abbey Road Studios. It was a remarkable experience and at the time, one I thought would never be repeated. Having been presented with the hefty book 'Recording The Beatles' by Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan, I was straining at the leash for another visit and fortuitously three of my friends who had missed out first time round, were eager to put that right. Our tickets were booked and travel arrangements sorted and so it was that on a sunny Sunday morning we set off from Newcastle Central Station full of eager anticipation. And yes, the train we caught was the 'One After 909'. 

It boded well! 

Outside Abbey Road Studios was the usual throng of activity as hordes of tourists trekked backward and forward across that iconic zebra crossing. Buses and taxis blasted their horns and one youngster in a sports car revved his engine to incredible levels before screeching off leaving behind a good portion of his tyre tread. Oh well, it takes all sorts!

Inside the studios we received a warm welcome from the staff and after being given our list of do's and don't's, we were allowed down the photo lined staircase and into the wondrous space that is Studio 2.

As on my last visit, we had about an hour to wander around examining pieces of recording equipment and a variety of keyboard instruments. Having browsed through the aforementioned book, I was a little more knowledgeable about some of the equipment but to be honest, for me, that first hour is more about soaking up the atmosphere of that place. I swear that the spirits of John and George live on there. After all, Studio 2 was like a second home to them for the best part of 8 years.

The main event was once again a talk by the authors of the book but whereas my last visit was to celebrate 80 years of recording at Abbey Road, the theme this year was the sound of Abbey Road Studios. Consequently the talk focused more on how some of those famous sounds were achieved. To add some spice and some wonderful personal anecdotes to the talk, we were joined by Ken Scott who of course worked as an engineer with The Beatles and others between 1964 and 1969. He later went on to produce a host of albums by people such as David Bowie, Supertramp and many others.

Having had the personal contact with The Beatles, his stories added a dimension that was of course missing with Kehew and Ryan, so it was well worth me making my second visit. My favourite insight was into the recording of 'Glass Onion' where after several fractious attempts to add Paul playing a recorder to the only available tape track, Scott pressed the wrong button and erased a whole series of snare drums immediately thinking that his days were well and truly numbered. John however loved the effect and so the track was saved and Scott survived to work with The Beatles again.

As we slowly made our way out at the end, we were allowed admission to the studio canteen where the fab four spent some of their free time while in the studios. Through the back is a very pleasant garden and there I was able to take a snap of this Abbey Road street sign which being unadorned by graffiti must be something of a rarity.

All in all, it was another wonderful day. I wonder if I will ever return for a third visit. 



Watch this space.

Books#9 - Recording The Beatles by Brian Kehew & Kevin Ryan

Happy New Year to you all out there.

Personally I have had a Beatletastic Christmas. The two volumes of The Beatles at the BBC and the Kevin Howlett, 'BBC Archives' book came my way, as did this rather hefty package.

Since visiting Abbey Road Studios a couple of years ago to hear Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan talk about the history of that iconic building, I have kind of longed to purchase their book, 'Recording The Beatles'. However I always found the price a little prohibitive, not that I regarded it to be overpriced. At over 500 pages and in superb quality, it really has been a labour of love for the two authors and I doubt they will truly be making much profit from this venture. It was simply a case of did I need to pay so much for yet another book about The Beatles?

Thankfully the decision was taken out of my hands when I received it as a Christmas gift.

The book itself comes in a cardboard slip-case designed to replicate the boxes that spools of reel-to-reel tape used to come in. A nice touch and being quite sturdy, the slip-case should help to protect the dust jacket from getting scuffed or torn when being taken from or returned to book shelves. The book itself is almost the dimensions of an LP record sleeve but is considerably thicker, weighing in at a hefty 11lbs.





There are four main sections. One serves as a detailed introduction to EMI Studios, Abbey Road including descriptions and illustrations of the layout of the building. Also the key individuals who helped to capture and define the sound of The Beatles are introduced. Part Two is quite technical, featuring as it does the various equipment that was used in the studios. Something that may be of more interest to the technically minded.

The third section covers studio effects, in-house instruments used and also the other London studios utilised by The Beatles at various times. Finally the fourth section, which is by far the largest and most accessible, takes the reader on a year-by-year journey through the recording sessions while giving in-depth details of how some of the tracks were actually recorded and produced.

Clearly, like Mark Lewisohn's 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions', this is not a book one would necessarily wish to read from cover to cover. As the authors make clear, it is a reference book. But like Lewisohn's work, it is immensely readable and absolutely perfect for dipping into while researching a particular period or just randomly browsing over a cup of coffee. The weight may make it difficult to pick up, but the book is also difficult to put down.

Throughout there are great photographs and illustrations. Many of the photos have never been published elsewhere and if nothing else, that should appeal to many aficionados of The Beatles work.

As the hectic activity of the past couple of weeks become memories, I now have the coffee machine fired up, The Beatles on the hi-fi and the books laid out before me.

Now, where do I begin?

Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963

There have been rumblings in the press and online for several weeks but more recently the reports appear to have become confirmed. The Beatles were to release via iTunes, 59 recordings from 1963 which up to now had never been officially released in any format.

Of course we all know that this bit of subterfuge is simply to prevent these very same 50 year old recordings from falling into the public domain and thus being available for release by all and sundry. We weren't under any illusions, yet as Beatles fans, we were still excited at the prospect of being able to purchase these recordings legally and if rumours are to be believed, in improved sound quality.

And so yesterday (17th December) the day dawned when this 'official' bootleg album would be available for sale. I eagerly logged into iTunes and...... NOTHING!

It turns out that similar scenarios were being played out all around the world and consequently it was almost possible to follow the progress of the release through online message boards and news bulletins. There were rumours that it had briefly appeared earlier in the UK but had been taken down. Stories emanated that it was only available in New Zealand. And so it went on for several hours.

Then, at about 14.00 hours GMT, the recordings became available in the UK at the rather extortionate price of £34.99. This for recordings which have all been available for many years on various bootleg albums. Corporate greed strikes again!

Of course I realise now, that I should not have been surprised. After all it is this kind of callous marketing and total disregard of the requirements of the record buying public that have caused the bootleg industry to flourish. In recent years we have even witnessed the record industry catch on to this and begin to issue what they term, official bootlegs. A prime example obviously being the Bootleg Series of Bob Dylan recordings.

As we were tired of being messed about yesterday, some friends and I decided to strike back. Rather than all of us fork out our cash to feed the coffers of those who are already wealthy, we agreed that one of us would purchase the album download and the rest of us would pay a proportionate amount for our own copy.

The little man strikes back!

The Best Album Re-Releases of 2013

Well, here we are in December already. Where has this bloody year gone I wonder?

It is therefore time to turn my attention to what I consider the best album releases of the year, but the White Room rules clearly state that I can only include new albums, not reissues regardless of how well they have been remixed, remastered or repackaged. So the following represent those albums that cannot feature in my final 'best of 2013' list.

It has been a great year for new albums but likewise it has been pretty wonderful for reissues also.

Early in the year, Family marked their 40th anniversary live reunion with a boxed set of all of their seven studio albums plus a live album from 1970, three singles and two CD's of alternate versions and studio outtakes. All nicely packaged with a 70 odd page book.
You can read my thoughts here:-
http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/box-sets-4-family-once-upon-time.html
and here:-
http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/family-once-upon-time-hands-on-verdict.html

Bob Dylan reissued what many consider one of his worst ever albums, yet 'Another Self Portrait' demonstrated that stripped of all the adornments that helped to ruin the original album, there were some very fine songs there. Additionally this package was boosted by the inclusion of some alternate versions of songs which later featured on 'New Morning'.

And speaking of Dylan, The Band brought out 'Live at The Academy of Music 1971' a four CD set which documented all of their performances at that venue in '71. If you can bear the repeated performances of various songs, there are some absolute gems in there.

In an earlier post which can be read here - http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/10/box-sets-7-john-martyn-island-years.html
I reported on the release of an 18 disc box set of all of John Martyn's recordings on the Island label. Plus an additional live DVD. Expensive but wonderful. (And I did grab myself a bit of a bargain with that one).

It has been a wonderful year for Beatles fans what with the voluminous 1st part of 'All These Years' by Mark Lewisohn (I am still working my way through the deluxe edition). Nineteen years after the release of 'Live at The BBC', the second volume, 'On Air' has been issued. While it may not be quite as essential as the first volume, it is still a fascinating piece of history and makes for some great listening. After all it is The Beatles!

However..... the absolute prize for the best reissue set of 2013 just HAS (in my opinion) to go to 'Hidden Masters' a six CD box set covering the career of Jess Roden. You can read my thoughts on that here:-
http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/jess-roden-hidden-masters.html
and here:-
http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/box-sets-6-hidden-masters-jess-roden.html

Look out soon for the White Room best albums of 2013.
See ya.

The Long and Whining Road

Having made reference recently to a Breaking Bad themed baby outfit that caught my eye, and having something of a Beatles theme going on at the moment, I was struck by this little item in a local shop window.

Books#7 - Way Beyond Compare by John C Winn

During my recent reading of 'Tune In' by Mark Lewisohn, my attention was obviously drawn to all things relating to The Beatles. Consequently I found myself repeatedly returning to the book,  'Way Beyond Compare'  by John C Winn.

In a little under 400 pages, Winn covers every single recording featuring The Beatles in chronological order between 1957 and 1965. Whereas Lewisohn documented all of The Beatles' Abbey Road recordings in his excellent 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions', Winn tackles absolutely everything. Thus he includes home demo recordings, live concerts, interviews, TV and radio performances, field recordings, promotional clips and just about anything else you can think of that has been made available to listen to or view, whether officially or unofficially. In his foreword, Mark Lewisohn himself confesses that he keeps this book constantly on his desk and finds it to be an essential reference work.

Nevertheless, the book is immensely readable though perhaps not something you would necessarily want to sit down and read from cover to cover. Personally I find myself regularly delving into certain sections when I'm interested in a particular period or a particular recording.

As I mentioned, this volume covers the period 1957 to 1965. The second volume covers 1966 onwards and is entitled 'That Magic Feeling'.

If you are reading this post, I suspect that you have an interest in The Beatles. If so, I wholeheartedly recommend these two volumes.

Mark Lewisohn - All These Years: Volume 1 Tune In

Well I have now completed reading the 800 odd pages of this wonderful work by Mark Lewisohn. Despite having read just about every other noteworthy book on the subject of The Beatles, I have still learned an awful lot from what must be the definitive word on the fab four. Yet this is not a scholarly lecture from the author, but a highly entertaining story of all of the characters involved in the lead up to what became known as Beatlemania.

Of course Volume One only takes the reader up to the final day of 1962, so The Beatles had literally only just reached the charts with their first single and were ending the year on what would be their fifth and final trip to Hamburg. Beatlemania and all that followed are still to be covered in what will be Volumes Two and Three. The downside is that we are going to have to wait several years for these to appear. How many of us original Beatle fans will still be around to see them I wonder?

Anyway this is what others have been saying about this book:

‘A game-changing study which raises the bar in the genre . . . Lewisohn, who was born in London in 1958 and whose life has been dedicated to chronicling the Beatles, has done an astonishing job . . . a meticulous piece of work . . . I can’t wait for volume two’ Independent
‘Mark Lewisohn manages to put flesh and blood on the story of the band as never before. He does so with imagination, energy and a gripping plotline . . . Lewisohn’s achievement lies not in mining a single 24-carat scoop, but in the extraordinary depth and scope of his research . . .The raw excitement of the Hamburg period, where the Beatles properly came into being, is conveyed in electrifying detail . . . This volume puts him (Lewisohn) in a different league’ Sunday Times & The Sunday Times Ireland, Mark Edmonds
‘It is the breadth and scope of Lewisohn’s endeavour that are unparalleled’ Observer, Kitty Empire
‘This is a book with a difference, one that ensures all previous rock tomes will gather dust on high, cob-webbed shelves. It’s a work of careful research that turns the legend of The Beatles into a woven history that reads like a work of fiction . . . Sets the benchmark in popular music history that he alone can match’ The Huffington Post
‘To call his biography of the Beatles a labour of love would be something of an understatement’ The Guardian
‘Fills in vital details that had been missing from the existing Beatles canon and corrects mistakes that have been reprinted for years’ Wall Street Journal
‘A remarkable piece of scholarship’ Choice magazine

 

 

Having reached the end, there is now something of a void in my life. One that I hope to fill in a little under two weeks when I shall receive my Kindle version of the super deluxe edition of the book. This is twice the length of the one I have finished so it should keep me busy until Christmas at least.

 

Happy days.



Paul McCartney - NEW and All These Years Volume 1 Tune In by Mark Lewisohn

Double treats on Friday morning.

First I got hold of Macca's new album which just happens to be called 'NEW'. Having played it straight through twice, I will say here and now that it appears to be his best album for years. I have to confess that I have not been a massive fan of much of his solo work (or Wings for that matter) as I find him inclined to be a bit slushy for my liking. And this album does have a few moments that are too close to pop music (the title track being a prime example). However, overall I am suitably impressed and will continue to give it a spin.

Also delivered this morning was my hard backed copy of the huge new work by Mark Lewisohn. If you didn't know by now, 'All These Years, Volume 1: Tune In' is the first part of three of Lewisohn's definitive story of The Beatles. This volume has over 900 pages and only takes us up to the beginning of the fab four's recording career in 1962.

My first comment has to be on the subject of the cover. Yeuk!

I mean what were they thinking? I wonder what Lewisohn himself thinks of it.

That aside, I have read a selection of extracts from it and found myself wanting more. Well, here it is, so let's get the coffee machine on and get stuck in.

I may be some time.

The Beatles - All These Years Volume 1. - Interview with Mark Lewisohn

If you are interested in The Beatles, then I suspect you will be interested in the forthcoming book by Mark Lewisohn. It is to be spread over three rather large volumes and as I have previously reported, the first volume is due out this October.

Thanks to a friend (cheers John), I have learned about an interview conducted with Lewisohn by Ken Michaels. This is now available to hear in ten parts on the following website.
http://www.kenmichaelsradio.com/

Among the subjects covered are:

• The firing of Pete Best
• The Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership
• Controversy regarding certain songs
• George Harrison's frustrations
• The biggest reason for The Beatles breakup.

I can heartily recommend this interview as Lewisohn reveals some fascinating insights, though he is obviously careful not to give away too much of what is included in the book.

Give it a listen and see what you think.

The Beatles - All These Years Volume 1 by Mark Lewisohn - The Cover

A few more details about this forthcoming biography have been issued including details of the cover of Volume 1.

Check out this link.

http://thebeatlesbiography.com/

Abbey Road Studios Open Again

One of the highlights of last year for me, was a visit to see the inside of Abbey Road Studios. You can read about it and see my photos here - http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/abbey-road-studios.html

It's therefore great to see that another crowd of people are getting the opportunity over this weekend. Once more Abbey Road experts Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan are delivering their lectures to eager audiences inside the hallowed walls of Studio 2. If you have just found out about it, I'm sorry but all six sessions have sold out.

Perhaps next year. Why I may even have to go back myself.

Meanwhile console yourself with this interview with the pair.
http://www.sabotagetimes.com/music/channeling-abbey-road-brian-kehew-kevin-ryan/

The Beatles - All These Years Volume 1 by Mark Lewisohn

Having expressed envy and disappointment at not being able to purchase 'Places I Remember', the fine book of Beatles photographs by Henry Grossman (http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Henry%20Grossman), it appears that there is another fine tome on the way.

The eagerly awaited first volume of Mark Lewisohn's work on The Beatles is now scheduled for release on 10 October 2013. At £30.00 for the hardback book, it would seem to be quite reasonable and should surely be on everyone's Christmas list. However I can see many being tempted by the 'Extended Special Edition Hardback'. I have no idea what that includes but the price is a hefty £120.00! (The book also must be hefty, running to 1,856 pages). Remember that this is only Volume 1 and covers only the early Liverpool and Hamburg years.

No other details have been released yet but rest assured that I will keep you posted as I receive news. I'd also appreciate any tip-offs from you good people out there. Meanwhile I will start saving my pennies.

PS
There's not much info there yet but check out the webpage http://thebeatlesbiography.com/

Places I Remember - Photos by Henry Grossman

Every now and then an item comes along that I lust after but good sense or just a lack of funds prevents me from taking the plunge. One such item is a recently released book of photographs taken by Henry Grossman. Entitled 'Places I Remember', it doesn't take a genius to work out that the subject matter of the book is The Beatles.

Back in February 1964, 27 year old Grossman was asked by Time magazine to cover the appearance of The Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show. He was not at the time a Beatles fan, and to him, it was just another job. However he took a different approach to his task than most other photographers at the time. He chose to take his shots from unusual angles and places thus capturing not only the mop tops themselves, but also  successfully taking in the atmosphere surrounding the whole event. Shots were taken from the side of the stage, from behind the band towards the legion of other photographers and also from the very back of the theater (note the American spelling there folks) to give a sense of the scale of the place.

Thereafter, Grossman was regularly asked to photograph The Beatles on numerous occasions between 1964 and 1968. He became friendly with George Harrison and was often invited to attend events from which other photographers were excluded. In that period he took over 7,000 intimate photographs, though very few of them have been previously published.

The volume and quality of the photographs eventually came to the attention of Brian Kehew and his partner Kevin Ryan who were looking for photographs to illustrate their own book, 'Recording The Beatles'. They were given access to the collection of Mr Grossman and were staggered by how many photos he had accumulated.

Incidentally, those of you who have been following this blog since last March may recognise the names of Kehew and Ryan as having presented a lecture at Abbey Road Studios. I was lucky enough to attend and wrote about it at the time (http://eddie-graham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/03/abbey-road-studios.html)

As Curvebender Publishing they have now released 'Places I Remember', a 528 page volume containing about 1,000 of Grossmans photographs. The silver-edged hardback book comes in a clamshell box and weighs a hefty fifteen pounds. This is limited to 1,250 copies, the first 250 of which are hand signed by Grossman himself.

As I said earlier, I lust after such an item but sadly the cost is beyond my modest means. If you are interested and have $495 (or $795 for one of the signed copies), you could get your hands on what sounds like a real treat. If so, I'd love to hear from you. It would make me very envious but what the hell!

Love Me Do - A right mix up

Following my post on 5th October regarding the release of The Beatles 'Love Me Do' on vinyl 50 years after the initial release, it seems that EMI have fallen foul of the confusion surrounding the different versions of that recording.

As everyone must now know, George Martin was initially unhappy with the version recorded by The Beatles on 4 September 1962 with Ringo Starr on drums. The boys returned to the studio a week later on 11 September and session drummer Andy White was drafted in while Ringo was relegated to playing tambourine. Nevertheless the version released as a single was in fact the version featuring Ringo and the version that appeared on the 'Please Please Me' album and every subsequent LP release since, featured Andy White.

The replica single released last week to commemorate the 50th anniversary, should of course have featured Ringo. However, it didn't. The version that came out was the 11 September version featuring White. Consequently that single has been hastily withdrawn and the correct version is to be issued on 22 October.

Red faces all round for EMI I would say though I'm sure that some people who did buy the single last week might find that they have a future collector's item on their hands.

Makes me wish I had bought one after all.

Magical Mystery Tour revisited

It was with some trepidation that I sat down to watch 'Magical Mystery Tour' screened on BBC2 on Saturday night. My disappointment upon watching it on Boxing Day in 1967 was still too fresh in my mind. Yes, even after forty five years!

I can now report that my worries were unfounded. It actually wasn't too bad.

Why the difference I wondered. Well, to start with, this was the first time that I viewed the film as it was meant to be - in colour. And what a difference that made. The sequences for 'Flying' and 'Blue Jay Way' simply did not work in black and white which was how I originally saw them in 1967.

Then perhaps the difference may have been down to my expectations. In 1967 I expected everything The Beatles did to be brilliant. Look what else they did in that year. 'Sgt. Pepper', 'Penny Lane', 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and 'All You Need is Love'. On Saturday night my expectations based upon my original experience of the film were very low indeed.

Of course the film was also very much of its time. In retrospect we now look back at that period with a degree of fondness. The very idea of a magical mystery tour was so very British and so much a product of the 50's and 60's. Back then fewer people owned cars and so a coach trip was a way for working class families to get out of the city for a day. Crates of beer would be stowed in the coach and everyone would 'enjoy' a good singsong on the journey. This had been part of growing up for the individual members of The Beatles and so the film represented a little bit of a backward glance at their own lives. And why not? They were at that time clearly searching for some other meaning in their lives. Their success when it came, came fast and left them little or no time for reflection. Hence their involvement with the Maharishi and with their increased use of drugs such as cannabis and LSD. They had also had their first collective close hand experience of death when they lost their manager Brian Epstein soon before filming began. Such things tend to make people look back at their own lives and the film does include things which The Beatles had enjoyed in their own younger days. And let's not forget that in 1967 they themselves were only still in their mid 20's.

It is true that there was no plot to the film and by their own admission, the script was made up as they went along. The film has the quality of a home movie and there were clear signs that The Beatles were far more comfortable in front of the camera than behind it. Yet now, viewed as a period piece, I think the film has a lot of quirky charm about it. And of course the music remains wonderful, as fresh today as it was then. I may not watch this film frequently but I suspect I will not leave it forty five years before I watch it again.

It was 50 years ago today. 'Love Me Do' reissued.

Incredibly it was exactly 50 years ago today (5th October 1962) that The Beatles released their first single 'Love Me Do'.



Where have those years gone?
I can still recall the first time I heard the song being played on the radio in our front room, probably in November or December 1962. I would be a few months past my 11th birthday.

I assume that it was the distinctive harmonica sound that made me stop whatever I was doing to pay closer attention, or perhaps it was the deeper voice (Paul's) singing the title words at the end of each chorus. Whatever it was, the song certainly caught my attention and I mistakenly thought the DJ at the end said that the group was called The Beatniks. Within weeks I had learnt the correct name of the group (yes, they were all called groups then, a band being something completely different) and before long we all knew the individual names of each member; John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Being a school boy with a limited amount of pocket money to spend, I could not afford to buy records then but it wasn't long before I received a present of an EP called 'The Beatles Hits' which featured 'Love Me Do' along with three other hit songs 'From Me To You', 'Please Please Me' and 'Thank You Girl'. To the annoyance of my parents, I played it constantly and so began my love affair with the music of The Beatles.




In fact, there began my love affair with music. I had always liked music and can actually remember songs that I liked when I was about three or four years old. But there is a difference between like and love as I'm sure you're aware. The Beatles opened up a whole new world for me and a love affair with music that exists to this day.

Since that first chance encounter, I have of course bought most of The Beatles singles and LPs on vinyl and then again on CD. Having first heard their records in mono, it was essential that I purchased the Mono Box Set when that came out a couple of years ago. I was not disappointed.

Now, of course the remastered albums are due to be released as they were originally - on vinyl. And of course a vinyl single is being released today of 'Love Me Do' coupled with its original B-side 'P.S. I Love You'. I won't be buying it, but I have to confess that for old time's sake, I was very tempted.

To you, the 5th October 2012 might just be another date on the calendar but to me it represents something very special. I know it is only an anniversary, but such things encourage you to look back at the past and the past happens to be a huge place. Today, I will stick on my mono version of 'Love Me Do' and will fondly look back at the years that have elapsed since I first heard the song. Where the hell did that time go?

Magical Mystery Tour - A Second Chance 45 Years On

It was Christmas 1967. They tell me now that we had just gone through the summer of love though as a sixteen year old kid, I don't remember much in the way of love. Anyway Christmas is the season of good will to all men so I played on that to get my parents to allow me to watch the TV screening of 'Magical Mystery Tour' on Boxing Day. To say that my parents were not exactly great fans of The Beatles is something of an understatement, so I deemed it a magnanimous gesture on their part, that the family gathered round the black and white telly in the living room that evening to witness this great event.

Having endured the sneering comments of my dad while we watched the former lovable mop tops end the international satellite television broadcast entitled 'Our World', six months earlier (25th June 1967 to be precise), I was expecting the worst. He had clearly not been impressed by The Beatles mimed rendition of 'All You Need Is Love'. For 'Magical Mystery Tour' I hoped he would be on better behaviour. It was Christmas after all.

You can probably guess the outcome. I suspect that what played out in our household that evening was being replicated in hundreds or even thousands of households throughout the UK. To be fair I think my dad was fairly quiet for the first half hour or so. He was probably too stunned to speak. I know I was.

I kept my eyes glued to the screen not daring to make eye contact with anyone else in the room. Inside I was squirming with embarrassment and quietly praying that it would get better. Surely it had to get better. It didn't! There's a lot to be said for the current trend of having a TV in your bedroom. At least then you can squirm in private. Back in 1967 ours, like most others, was a one TV household.

Granted the music was quite wonderful but that was it and as I had been given the gate-fold covered double EP as a present the previous day, I could play the music whenever I liked. I still can and still do. However I had no desire to sit through the film ever again.



Now, to commemorate an enhanced version of the film being issued on DVD and Blue-ray, the BBC are screening a documentary about the making of the film followed by the film itself. I admit to being curious to see the documentary but a little reluctant to sit through the film again. It was shown once before in 1979 and I chose to ignore it on that occasion. The pain of Boxing Day 1967 was probably still fresh in my mind.

I suspect however, that when it is broadcast on Saturday evening I will give the film a second chance. After all, this will be the first time I will be viewing it in colour. Forty five years on, I am perhaps mature enough to appreciate it for the art masterpiece it probably is. Surely it can't be as bad as the first time. Can it?

Abbey Road Studios

If you are remotely interested in music you are probably well aware that Abbey Road Studios are currently celebrating their 80th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, the famous Studio 2 was opened up to members of the public on select dates only. Not wanting to miss an opportunity like that, I stumped up my 75 quid and I was there like the proverbial rat up a drainpipe. Well actually I was a lot slower than the rat but that was due to works being carried out on the main east coast line causing a detour through Ely and Cambridge. Anyway, like the train, I digress.
So, what did my £75 get me? Well for me it was all about getting into Studio 2 which I am sure you will know was where almost all of The Beatles fine (nay, brilliant) recordings were created. But in addition to access to the studio, the assembled gathering (there were about 200 of us like minded individuals) were treated to a 90 minute lecture by Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan.


In case you have never heard of that pair, they were the researchers and authors of a hefty (and expensive) book entitled 'Recording The Beatles' in which they went into detail about the techniques and equipment used in the recording of those memorable songs.


Despite the train diversion, we arrived early and after a detour to admire the house in Cavendish Avenue that Paul McCartney purchased in the mid sixties for £40,000, we were soon queueing outside the famous studios. Being a weekend there were of course the usual mass of visitors from all over the world, annoying the London cab and bus drivers by attempting to recreate the front cover photo of the Abbey Road album. Naturally this involves stopping in the middle of the zebra crossing to ensure that everyone is in step while the obligatory photo is taken. We even saw one poor bloke who had no one to take his photo so on his mobile phone, he instructed the person on the other end of the line to take a screen shot from the web cam that overlooks the crossing. Enterprising or what?


Anyway, the doors eventually opened and we filed in through that famous doorway. Tickets were checked, wristbands attached and we were then shepherded along a corridor and down a photograph lined staircase to the entrance to Studio 2. I have to confess that stepping into that hallowed space brought a flutter to my heart, and looking at the faces of those around me, I know I wasn't alone. In some respects the place looked so familiar. Like many Beatles fans I own the fine Mark Lewisohn book 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions' and I have pored over the photographs therein. So I was familiar with that staircase leading to the control room that ran up the wall to my right. Also straight ahead was the familiar fire exit with the clock above.


In the corners of the studio, various pieces of recording equipment and instruments had been laid out for our inspection. We were free to roam around and take as many photos as we wished. All of us were like kids set free in a sweet shop.


The lecture didn't just focus on The Beatles, but covered the whole of the history of the studios  from it being taken over by His Masters Voice in 1931 right through to the current date. Utilising film, sound clips, and a nice collection of photographs from through the years, Kehew and Ryan made a fine job of their presentation. They covered the early classical recordings by the likes of Edward Elgar, through the comedy records of Peter Sellers etc. and onto the initial recordings of Cliff Richard. Into the sixties we were told stories of recording sessions by The Hollies, Pink Floyd and of course The Beatles among many others.

One of the highlights occurred when four members of the audience were invited to play a certain chord on four separate keyboards and to simultaneously depress the sustain peddle. At the end of the countdown, their fingers came down on the appropriate keys and we were all treated to that distinctive chord that occurs at the very end of 'A Day in the Life'. To hear that in the very room it was originally created and on the very same instruments. Well, words cannot describe the feeling.


Despite the cost, I felt privileged to have had the opportunity to attend. Judging by the applause at the end of the lecture and the smiling faces as we all filed out, I don't think anyone felt disappointed by the experience.


As The Beatles might have said, 'It was fab, man.'