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Fan made McCartney documentary series

June 22, 2020, 3:05 am
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Breathless345, whom you might remember from his documentary series on the Lennon-McCartney relationship, has made another documentary series, this time only about Paul McCartney and his solo career. There are five hourlong episodes in this series.


The first episode (above) is about 1970-75. "I made this as a gift to the public and am earning no money whatsoever from it. No infringement is intended; if you need something removed, please let me know and I’ll happily comply. This series is not endorsed by anyone other than me." says the humble biographer.

Episodes:
Part 1: LIFT OFF
Part 2: CULT HERO
Part 3: THE GREAT ESCAPE
Part 4: THAT RARE EXOTIC THING
Part 5: SIR PAUL
Or as a playlist, episodes 1-5.
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New and improved Indra Club photo

June 23, 2020, 3:21 pm
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Paul McCartney surprised us yesterday on his social media channels by commemorating deceased band member Stuart Sutcliffe, who would have turned 80, if he hadn’t died in 1962. Paul wrote: "Our original bass player Stuart would have been 80 today! So many great memories of our time together. Happy birthday Stu! Love Paul"

But the best part is, he illustrated it with a high quality version of a photo from the Indra club. It was probably taken on August 17, 1960, when the Beatles had just begun their first stint in Hamburg.

The Beatles hamming it up for the unknown photographer at the Indra.
We have featured this photo on this blog on previous occasions, and here’s what it used to look like:

Previous incarnation of this photo.
So thank you very much, Paul! This made our day. Oh and the fact that it was our birthday too, yeah. Here's a black and white versin we created from Paul's yellow-tinted upload:
The palm tree lamp at the left has always just been a grey dot in previous renderings of the photo.
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Single Fantasy

June 25, 2020, 2:38 am
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In 1980, when John Lennon talked about his and Yoko's new album "Double Fantasy", he said that all the songs came to him that year. As we now know from the "Lost Lennon Tapes" radio series, and bootlegs from it, as well as by other accounts, they did not. He kept making music, writing lyrics and recording simple demos all through the five years he spent as a "house husband" from when his son was born in 1975 and until he was ready to release his comeback album in 1980.

A few days ago on Twitter, I came across a handwritten note from John. In this note, he outlines plans for a new solo album. It's a track list for side 1 and 2 of an album of only his own songs, no Yoko. I tried to track down where the note came from, and all I could find was a 2009 slideshow from the New York Times, in conjunction with the then upcoming LennoNYC documentary, where the image of the note was attributed to Yoko.

There's only 3 tracks on side 2, which probably means the list was not finished. No sign of the song (Just Like) Starting Over, because that song was one of the last songs to be completed in time for the Double Fantasy sessions. "We didn't hear it until the last day of rehearsal," producer Jack Douglas said in 2005. Still, it's origins can be traced back to a couple of unfinished demo compositions, "Don't Be Crazy" and "My Life".

Here's John's outline of the sequencing of the album:

Side 1:
1. Beautiful Boy
2. Stepping Out
3. Borrowed Time
4. Woman
5. (Afraid I’m) Losing You
6. Grow Old With Me
7. Dear Yoko
8. Watching The Wheels

Side 2:
1. Real Love
2. Nobody Told Me
3. (I Don’t Wanna) Face It

The note also features descriptions of the musical styles he wanted each of the songs tailored to.

John's handwritten outline of his upcoming album

Beautiful Boy: Solo instead of middle 8, a la Monty Alexander "Jamento", i.e. piano mixed steel drum.

Stepping Out: Heavy bass/guitar a la "Let’s Get Serious" (Germaine Jackson).

Borrowed Time: Reggae – bass line + "Herb Alpert" horns solo

Woman: Key change after second middle – early Motown/Beatles

(Afraid I’m) Losing You: a la "How Do You Sleep" (Imagine LP) + "Thrill has gone"– B.B. King 

Grow Old With Me: "Imagine"– Brass instead of strings or both. Bagpipes

Dear Yoko: Buddy Holly + "Oh Yoko" (Imagine LP) – solo = "Listen To Me"– B. Holly

Real Love: "Waiting For You" (Strings etc)

Watching The Wheels: Mind Games (single) and for "Working Class Dylan"

Nobody Told Me: (Everybody’s Talking) Instant Karma

(I Don’t Wanna) Face It; It’s too fast; should be laid back, L.A. style: plus "Havana Moon" sound on chorus (Chuck Berry)

N.B. All notes refer to the SOUND only!

Some of the songs was to end up on the couple's reimagined joint album "Double Fantasy", some on the posthumous "Milk and Honey". A couple of songs were never professionally recorded, "Grow Old With Me" was issued in demo form and George Martin later made an arrangement for it.
"Real Love" came out in demo form on a documentary film soundtrack and another demo formed the basis of later recording by the remaining ex-Beatles and was released as a Beatles single.

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Grow Old with John, Paul and Ringo

June 25, 2020, 5:14 am
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A fan made mix of the instrumentation from Ringo Starr's version of the song, coupled with John Lennon's vocals from his home demos.

Description by the uploader:

It has often been suggested that when the Beatles were preparing the Anthology, Yoko provided more than just "Free As A Bird" and "Real Love" for consideration for reunion songs. Two other titles have been mentioned, an unreleased but bootlegged demo called "Now And Then" and "Grow Old With Me", which had been issued on the posthumous "Milk And Honey" album. Neither were completed.

In October 2019, Ringo released his version of John's demo of "Grow Old With Me", which features on his album "What's My Name". This new version featured Ringo on drums and vocals and Paul on bass and backing vocals, with guitarist Joe Walsh joining them and new string arrangement by Jack Douglas (producer of John's "Double Fantasy" album).

This is an attempt at presenting a version of what a Beatles version of the track could have sounded like. This uses the backing track from Ringo's version and John's vocal and piano from two alternate demos that have not been released officially. As Ringo's version was recorded in the Bb and John's original was in G, it was not possible to incorporate Ringo or Paul's vocals (there was no magic "Strawberry Fields Forever" blend possible, the vocals were just way too slow!).
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The World Tonight

June 26, 2020, 6:07 am
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From the video directed by Geoff Wonfor

New online releases from Paul McCartney today, two videos and an EP on streaming media. The song in question is "The World Tonight", from previously released CD singles but remastered for a new archival release of his "Flaming Pie" album, coming out on July 31.


The two videos are one from his then son-in-law, Alistair Donald, and one from Beatles Anthology director Geoff Wonfor. Here's the first one:

The second one, directed by Geoff Wonfor will premiere in a few hours (at the time of writing) and will magically appear below when the time comes.

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The day John and Paul met at Abba's

July 6, 2020, 5:18 am
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6th of July, 1957: The Quarry Men play at St Peter's church field in Woolton, Liverpool. Colourised by Sardjono.
Today is the 6th of July, the day most Beatles sites around the world are commemorating as "the day John met Paul", back in 1957. And this morning on BBC Radio, Rod Davies of the Quarry Men was interviewed about the day's events. Listen to his phone interview at 1:10:03 into this show, the Zoe Ball Breakfast Show. It will be available for 30 days only.

And yet, the two had actually met before. Mark Lewisohn brought to light in the first volume of his trilogy biography on the Beatles, "Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years" an earlier meeting between Lennon and McCartney, which happened the year before - outside the newsagents during the time Paul was a paperboy. Lewisohn found out that the newsagents were called Abba, but to pinpoint the exact location, Mark Ashworth and Peter Hodgson to the rescue. You can read that story in Ashworth's superb blog There Are Places I Remember - The Beatles Liverpool Locations.

At the Woolton village fete, some audio of the Quarry Men's afternoon concert inside Woolton village hall was recorded by an audience member, Bob Molyneux, on his portable Grundig reel-to-reel tape recorder. In 1994 Molyneux, then a retired policeman, rediscovered the tape, which contained scratchy recordings of the band performing Lonnie Donegan's "Puttin' On The Style" and Elvis Presley's "Baby, Let's Play House". Purchased by EMI, the full tape has never been published, but these samples were released at the time of the auction.


EMI considered releasing the recording as part of the 1995/96 "Beatles Anthology" series, but even after the tape had been cleaned up in the studio, EMI decided that the sonic quality of the recordings were not up to the standard set for prospective "Anthology" album or TV material. This was confirmed by New York Times journalist Allan Kozinn, who described the sound quality of the restored version of the tapes as appalling. When asked about the recordings, Apple spokesman Derek Taylor said he didn't even know what had become of the tape.
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Ringo's big birthday bash

July 6, 2020, 6:08 am
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Ringo Starr's 80th birthday goes live on YouTube.
Ringo Starr will be hosting his own big 80th birtday party live on YouTube. It's a charity gig featuring guest stars and will benefit Black Lives Matter Global Network, The David Lynch Foundation, Musicares and Wateraid.

The show will air on AXS TV's YouTube channel on July 7, 2020 at 5 PM PST, and will feature performances from Ringo himself, Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh and Gary Clark jr, Sheryl Crow, Sheila E, Ben Harper and others.

"As everyone knows I love gathering with fans for peace and love on my birthday. But this year, I want everyone to be safe at home - so I called up a few friends and we put this Big Birthday Show together so we could still celebrate my birthday with you all, with some great music for some great charities. I hope you will all join me! Peace and Love, Ringo."

The broadcast will also feature the premiere of a guest star version of Ringo's "Give More Love" that was created to benefit Musicares and features Jeff Bridges, Jackson Browne, T Bone Burnette, Elvis Costello, Rodney Crowell, Steve Earle, Peter Frampton, Ray Wylie Hubbard, Kenny Loggins, Michael McDonald, Keb Mo and Willie Nelson.

Additionally there will be a playlist of unique tribute performances on Ringo's YouTube channel. This will include musicians who have previously recorded Ringo's songs, performances from past birthday celebrations as well as some new versions which artists will be posting on their socials. Look for musical tributes from Ben Folds, Ben Dickey, Bettye LaVette, Colin Hay, Elvis Costello, Gregg Rolie, Judy Collins, Peter Frampton, Richard Marx, Steve Earle, Steve Lukather and many more.

While Ringo won't be gathering with family, friends and fans at Capitol Records this year for his birthday, he invites everyone everywhere to think, say or post #peaceandlove at Noon their local time on July 7th. Fans are already organizing online events around the world to fulfill Ringo’s birthday wish of a wave of Peace & Love across the planet. Look for details on Ringo’s Facebook page for events starting in New Zealand and ending in Hawaii. Ringo began these in 2008 at the Hard Rock Café Chicago and in 2018 he celebrated the 10th Anniversary at the Hard Rock Café Nice. In the ensuing years it has grown enormously and in 2019 there were over 30 Peace & Love events in countries all around the world including Argentina - Buenos Aires; Chascomus, Armenia - Yerevan Australia -Sydney, Bolivia - La Paz, Brazil - Sao Paulo, Columbia -Bogota, Costa Rica - San Jose, Cuba – Habana, Czech Republic – Prague, El Salvador - San Salvador, Estonia – Tallin, Finland – Helsinki, Germany - Hamburg and Halle, Italy – Venice, Japan - Osaka; Tokyo, Panama - Panama City, Paraguay -Asunción, Peru – Lima, Russia – Moscow, Spain - Barcelona; Madrid, United Kingdom - London; Liverpool, United States - Chicago; Minneapolis, Hawaii, Los Angeles, New York City.


HISTORY OF RINGO’S ANNUAL JULY 7 PEACE & LOVE BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS:

2008 – Chicago, IL Hard Rock Cafe
2009 –Online campaign including in store salutes at Noon at all Hard Rock Cafes worldwide
2010 – New York City, NY: Hard Rock Cafe, Times Square
2011 – Hamburg, Germany: Hard Rock Cafe
2012 – Nashville, TN: Hard Rock Café
2013 – Online celebration including a video message from Ringo
2014 – Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2015 - Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2016 - Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2017 - Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower
2018 – Nice, France: Hard Rock Café
2019 - Los Angeles, CA: Capitol Records Tower

Previous performers at Ringo’s Birthdays have included:
2012: Toad The Wet Sprocket;
2014: Adam Arcuragi and Spirit Family Reunion;
2016: Vandaveer, Alberta Cross and Dave Stewart with Jon Stevens; Emmanuel Jal and Paul Beaubrun,
2017: Don Was with Jenny Lewis, Michael Breardon and Van Dyke Parks;
2018: Joe Walsh with Ringo Starr and His All Starr Band including Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Graham Gouldman, Gregg Rolie, Gregg Bissonette and Warren Ham:
2019: Ben Kyle of Romantica with Sarah Watkins, The Jacks and the Lennon Bus High School kids.

Link to live stream.
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The blog has moved!

August 28, 2020, 1:47 am
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Hi all,
due to the fact that Facebook didn't like our url since it starts with wog, we have moved the blog. This was some time ago, and we have placed a script which would automatically send you to our new location. 


Obviously, this hasn't worked for all of you, since we have just finished moderating some of your comments which appeared on this site recently, and not on our new (and improved!) site. 


So what we're saying is head on over to our new site, and update your bookmarks!

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