Sunday, August 29, 2010
Saturday, August 28, 2010
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
Whatsoever Wednesday
It's been raining all day - downpouring. Only Beatles with umbrellas make it better.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Monday Minutiae
As a very detail-oriented person, I was amazed when I made the acquaintance of an extremely talented man who does Beatle-esque 3D renders. For example, this is one that he is doing of John Lennon's sunroom at Kenwood:
The detail is extraordinary and you can see the hours he puts into this, so meticulously. Amazing. He has other Beatles ones as well, including the "Imagine" room, which is also wonderful. You can visit his blog and see the other pictures here:
http://thebeatlesin3d.blogspot.com/
The detail is extraordinary and you can see the hours he puts into this, so meticulously. Amazing. He has other Beatles ones as well, including the "Imagine" room, which is also wonderful. You can visit his blog and see the other pictures here:
http://thebeatlesin3d.blogspot.com/
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Saturday, August 21, 2010
Friday, August 20, 2010
Fretful Friday
The Evolution of Revolution:
While meditating in India, John decided it was time for the Beatles to get political. He wrote "Revolution" and brought it to the table at George's house for inclusion on their next album. At that time, the line in the song was "But when you talk about destruction, don't you know that you can count me out".
They began recording, at which point John added "in" to the line. He later said he threw it in there because he was undecided in his sentiments. John recorded most of the vocals while lying on his back and the dirty guitar sound came from plugging the guitars directly into the audio board.
John had really wanted to use this song as their next single, but Paul felt it was too controversial. Paul and George argued that the song was too slow. John would not be thwarted however, so he recorded it again - this time faster and louder. And he also dropped the "in" from the destruction line. The song ends rather abruptly, in contrast to the fadeout of the earlier version.
A month later, they filmed a promo for the song, using live vocals on top of the pre-recorded instrumental track. I love this clip for a few reasons - I love seeing John play his guitar so passionately, and I've always loved his Epiphone. He didn't play lead often and it suits him on this track. I love how everyone gets riled up with this song. Even the typically subdued George lets out a "whoo!" at the 1:00 minute mark. Ringo sings along, bobbing his head, as usual. In addition to adding the original "shoo-bee-doo-wop's" back in, John decides again that he is undecided about whether you can count him in or out, apparently. But what I love most is the beginning, when Paul does the opening scream. If John had screamed as he did at the beginning of the studio recording, he wouldn't have had the breath to start singing, so Paul did it. With Paul mostly being "the cute one" with the "puppy dog eyes", it's nice to see him scream once in a while.
Also, notice George at 0:20, saying to Paul, "John's mic is shit!"
While meditating in India, John decided it was time for the Beatles to get political. He wrote "Revolution" and brought it to the table at George's house for inclusion on their next album. At that time, the line in the song was "But when you talk about destruction, don't you know that you can count me out".
They began recording, at which point John added "in" to the line. He later said he threw it in there because he was undecided in his sentiments. John recorded most of the vocals while lying on his back and the dirty guitar sound came from plugging the guitars directly into the audio board.
John had really wanted to use this song as their next single, but Paul felt it was too controversial. Paul and George argued that the song was too slow. John would not be thwarted however, so he recorded it again - this time faster and louder. And he also dropped the "in" from the destruction line. The song ends rather abruptly, in contrast to the fadeout of the earlier version.
A month later, they filmed a promo for the song, using live vocals on top of the pre-recorded instrumental track. I love this clip for a few reasons - I love seeing John play his guitar so passionately, and I've always loved his Epiphone. He didn't play lead often and it suits him on this track. I love how everyone gets riled up with this song. Even the typically subdued George lets out a "whoo!" at the 1:00 minute mark. Ringo sings along, bobbing his head, as usual. In addition to adding the original "shoo-bee-doo-wop's" back in, John decides again that he is undecided about whether you can count him in or out, apparently. But what I love most is the beginning, when Paul does the opening scream. If John had screamed as he did at the beginning of the studio recording, he wouldn't have had the breath to start singing, so Paul did it. With Paul mostly being "the cute one" with the "puppy dog eyes", it's nice to see him scream once in a while.
Also, notice George at 0:20, saying to Paul, "John's mic is shit!"
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Thought for Thursday
George Harrison speaking of the time he started chanting the Hare Krishna mantra:
"I remember we sang it for days, John and I, with ukulele banjos, sailing through the Greek Islands chanting Hare Krishna. Like six hours we sang, because we couldn’t stop once we got going. As soon as we stopped, it was like the lights went out. It went on to the point where our jaws were aching, singing the mantra over and over and over and over and over. We felt exalted; it was a very happy time for us."
"I remember we sang it for days, John and I, with ukulele banjos, sailing through the Greek Islands chanting Hare Krishna. Like six hours we sang, because we couldn’t stop once we got going. As soon as we stopped, it was like the lights went out. It went on to the point where our jaws were aching, singing the mantra over and over and over and over and over. We felt exalted; it was a very happy time for us."
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Sunday Silliness
Question: "How do you feel about teenagers imitating you with Beatle wigs?"
John Lennon: "They are not imitating us, because we don't wear Beatle wigs."
John Lennon: "They are not imitating us, because we don't wear Beatle wigs."
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Friday, August 13, 2010
Fretful Friday
Who can't appreciate a happy blues song? And who can't appreciate John Lennon playing lap steel guitar using a shotgun bullet casing as a bottleneck?
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Thought for Thursday
"Music's all right John, but you'll never make a living out of it."
John Lennon's Aunt Mimi Smith
John Lennon's Aunt Mimi Smith
Wednesday, August 4, 2010
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Monday, August 2, 2010
Monday Minutiae
* Note: Very rarely will I post the same entry to multiple blogs, but this particular entry will be on Paul, John and George's blogs today.
In 1960, the Beatles went off to Hamburg, Germany for the first time. George had to lie about his age in order to perform, as he was only 17 years old at the time.
They had been performing under less-than-ideal conditions at a place called the Indra and then later, when neighbors started complaining about the noise, at the Kaiserkeller- sleeping in a storeroom at the Bambi Kino, a nearby theater owned by Bruno Koschmider, who also owned the clubs the boys were playing at. As Paul describes it: "We lived backstage in the Bambi Kino, next to the toilets, and you could always smell them. The room had been an old storeroom, and there were just concrete walls and nothing else. No heat, no wallpaper, not a lick of paint; and two sets of bunk beds, with not very much covers—Union Jack flags—we were frozen."
John was equally unimpressed:
"We were put in this pigsty. We were living in a toilet, like right next to the ladies' toilet. We'd go to bed late and be woken up next day by the sound of the cinema(porn)show and old German fraus (women) pissing next door."
In addition, the boys' only option for washing and shaving was to use cold water from the urinals in the bathroom.
Having heard of a better club called the Top Ten, they began negotiations with the owner to perform there. According to George, the sound system was better, it looked nicer and it would pay a bit more.
The story goes that Koschmider, being less than thrilled at the boys breaking their contract with him, called the cops on George and reported him for being underage. The police arranged for his deportation shortly thereafter.
George says that he stayed up all night with John, teaching him his guitar parts before he was deported so that the Beatles could continue to play.
He wasn't alone back home for very long though. Bandmates Paul McCartney and Pete Best were soon deported as well. Going back to the Bambi Kino to gather their things, they grabbed a condom from their belongings, nailed it to the wall and set fire to it. No real damage was done, but they were reported to the authorities for attempted arson.
The Indra in the 1960's:
The Beatles on their first night at the Indra club (left to right: John, George, Pete, Paul and Stu in matching lilac jackets that Paul's neighbor made for them):
George, John, Pete, Paul and Stu later in the evening:
George, John and Paul:
The Indra as it looks today:
Grosse Freiheit in the 1960's (site of the Kaiserkeller club):
concert poster for the Beatles and Rory Storm (to date, no proven photos of either band playing there in 1960 have surfaced):
the Kaiserkeller today:
The Top Ten Club:
The Beatles at the Top Ten club (left to right: Pete, Paul, George, John and Stu):
The location of the former Top Ten Club as it appears today:
George in their room at the Bambi Kino:
Paul and John in their room at the Bambi Kino:
The boys at Harold's cafe in Hamburg, with an unidentified man who looks rather enamored with George (who could blame him?):
A scantily clad John on the street:
John was known to have said "I may have been born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg."
In 1960, the Beatles went off to Hamburg, Germany for the first time. George had to lie about his age in order to perform, as he was only 17 years old at the time.
They had been performing under less-than-ideal conditions at a place called the Indra and then later, when neighbors started complaining about the noise, at the Kaiserkeller- sleeping in a storeroom at the Bambi Kino, a nearby theater owned by Bruno Koschmider, who also owned the clubs the boys were playing at. As Paul describes it: "We lived backstage in the Bambi Kino, next to the toilets, and you could always smell them. The room had been an old storeroom, and there were just concrete walls and nothing else. No heat, no wallpaper, not a lick of paint; and two sets of bunk beds, with not very much covers—Union Jack flags—we were frozen."
John was equally unimpressed:
"We were put in this pigsty. We were living in a toilet, like right next to the ladies' toilet. We'd go to bed late and be woken up next day by the sound of the cinema(porn)show and old German fraus (women) pissing next door."
In addition, the boys' only option for washing and shaving was to use cold water from the urinals in the bathroom.
Having heard of a better club called the Top Ten, they began negotiations with the owner to perform there. According to George, the sound system was better, it looked nicer and it would pay a bit more.
The story goes that Koschmider, being less than thrilled at the boys breaking their contract with him, called the cops on George and reported him for being underage. The police arranged for his deportation shortly thereafter.
George says that he stayed up all night with John, teaching him his guitar parts before he was deported so that the Beatles could continue to play.
He wasn't alone back home for very long though. Bandmates Paul McCartney and Pete Best were soon deported as well. Going back to the Bambi Kino to gather their things, they grabbed a condom from their belongings, nailed it to the wall and set fire to it. No real damage was done, but they were reported to the authorities for attempted arson.
The Indra in the 1960's:
The Beatles on their first night at the Indra club (left to right: John, George, Pete, Paul and Stu in matching lilac jackets that Paul's neighbor made for them):
George, John, Pete, Paul and Stu later in the evening:
George, John and Paul:
The Indra as it looks today:
Grosse Freiheit in the 1960's (site of the Kaiserkeller club):
concert poster for the Beatles and Rory Storm (to date, no proven photos of either band playing there in 1960 have surfaced):
the Kaiserkeller today:
The Top Ten Club:
The Beatles at the Top Ten club (left to right: Pete, Paul, George, John and Stu):
The location of the former Top Ten Club as it appears today:
George in their room at the Bambi Kino:
Paul and John in their room at the Bambi Kino:
The boys at Harold's cafe in Hamburg, with an unidentified man who looks rather enamored with George (who could blame him?):
A scantily clad John on the street:
John was known to have said "I may have been born in Liverpool, but I grew up in Hamburg."
Sunday, August 1, 2010
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