Happy 40th Birthday

Is Nothing Sacred?

For many years, Beatles music was sacrosanct and was not used to flog anything from Big Macs to Apple Macs. Obviously, things have changed as the new John Lewis Xmas advert totally bastardises a piece of my life and turns this early rocker into an elevator tune. Thank you Michael Jackson for selling to Sony.

The travesty is here.

Better to listen to the lads themselves:

Cliff Hanging

I was a bit worried about attracting attention from the paramilitary wing of the Cliff Richard Fan Club (Knitting Needle Section) with this post, but here goes.

The destitute man's Elvis, Sir Harold Webb, immigrant and scholar has been giving a sermon. In his interview with Q Magazine, he claims to be the ultimate pop star and that the fabs, particularly the late George Harrison (nice Christian values there: kicking the dead) were often out of tune. He cannot recall the actual song but He has spoken and as you can see from the picture above, In the Beginning........

If one cares to read the late Ian McDonald's excellent academic tome, Revolution In The Head (and I think it is a worthwhile read even though it sometimes delves into pedantry) there are references to the glitches and mistakes contained in Beatles studio recordings. This makes it all the more fascinating to hear the songs through headphones and decent hi-fi equipment.

Yes, the lads were human - not a deity like Cliff; to listen to bootlegs and the Anthology out-takes is to be there in the studio at Abbey Road.

I must confess, I do have a Cliff recording - it was sneaked into a Van Morrison CD I bought. Enjoy my royalty payment, Cliff - Xmas is almost 11 months off.

Update: Perusing Tory MP wannabee, Iain Dale's Diary, I noticed that I have a Low Musical Compatibility with him on Last.fm and that his top artist is Cliff Richard! The Prosecution case rests.

Ringo The Starr

I'm still working on a record of our sojourn in Manchesterland. Photos to follow.
In the meantime I recommend the new Ringo Starr compilation Photograph. Put a little Ringo in your lives. I was impressed by this review of the overlooked classic Snookeroo. Ringo himself has talked fondly of it. It was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin. The lyrics (north of England etc) are quite interesting given the fact that Taupin (the wordsmith)was American and Elton came from Southern England (although his father came to work up here.

George is often the Beatle most underrated but we should remember our Ringo. August 18th 1962 means so much.

It Was 45 Years Ago Today

Hulme Hall

On August 18th 1962 history was made at the above venue in the picturesque village of Port Sunlight, Wirral. Most of those present for the Port Sunlight Horticultural Society After Show Dance would not have known that the group topping the bill had just replaced their drummer, the popular Pete Best, with Ringo Starr.
This concert, therefore, was the first official performance by the Fab Four as we came to know them. The rest as they say is history.

I stopped by this venue today just to reflect on what started all those years ago (to borrow a George song) and listened to a Japanese Hi-quality recording of Abbey Road (ironically the last recorded album by the group)

Ticket and poster for concert

"And in the end the love you take,

Is equal to the love you make."