Two Books about the Beatles

One of my sons likes to buy me books on the Beatles and the Nazis (two subjects I find pretty compelling). For my recent birthday, he got me John and Paul by Ian Leslie. I read this well written book that focusses on John and Paul and their relationship, especially in song writing, close after completing a previous book on the Beatles so I noticed what was in the previous book and what was missing. Truth is the Beatles are so well documented and there are so many disputes over certain stories that it is difficult to keep up. Very interesting stab this, which I enjoyed reading. Leslie suggests that with his marriage to Linda, Paul switched from being markedly promiscuous to being markedly monogamous, which he puts down to love of extremes, probably correctly. Ian Leslie is a champion of Paul over John but tries to be fair. I still find myself wanting to favour John, even though he was clearly a monster in many respects. I guess they are both very talented people with huge flaws whose relationship with one another is tangled and full of fascination. The book contains an interesting bibliography so I am in danger of spending even more time on this subject if I am not careful.

I was very drawn to the other book because it deals with The Beatles who I love to read about and Bob Dylan, who I know much less about but who draws me for several reasons. I also like the way journalists write books. Like scholars, they make a through search then collate and write. Unlike scholars, of course, they make it interesting. I knew a lot of the stuff in this book, I guess, but by no means all of it and some of it I had forgottenn, including John Lennon's born again phase. I had also not appreciated how conservative Dylan was from the beginning, despite his way of presenting himself. The book is full of fornication and drug taking, inevitably, and also an unsual amount of throwing up, usually missing from such books. Anyway, the book gives a fairly complete history of two incredible phenomena of the sixties and beyond and where their paths crossed. Fascinating.

Where the music had to go

I have recently read a new book on my kindle - Where the Music Had to Go: How Bob Dylan and The Beatles Changed Each Other – and the World by Jim WIndolf. I was very drawn to this book because it deals with The Beatles who I love to read about and Bob Dylan, who I know much less about but who draws me for several reasons. I also like the way journalists write books. Like scholars, they make a through search then collate and write. Unlike scholars, of course, they make it interesting. I knew a lot of the stuff in this book, I guess, but by no means all of it and some of it I had forgottenn, including John Lennon's born again phase. I had also not appreciated how conservative Dylan was from the beginning, despite his way of presenting himself. The book is full of fornication and drug tking, inevitably, and also an unsual amount thrwoing up, ususally missing from such books. Anyway, the book gives a fairly complete history of two incredible phennomena of th sixties and beyond and where their paths crossed. Fascinating.

10 Things connecting The Beatles to Wales

1. Lennon apparently had Welsh ancestry. I read that a great grand or grandfather was a Calvinistic Methodist minister.
2. McCartney's aunt lived in Horseshoe Pass near Llangollen and as a boy would have visited with family
3. McCartney produced the debut single by Welsh speaking Mary Hopkin from Pontardawe
4. McCartney was best man when his brother Mike married in St Bridget's, Carrog, Merionethshire
5. Harrison also had an aunt living in Wales, in Broughton
6. Harrison loved Port Meirion and celebrated turning 50 there in 1993
7. Starr spent his early life living in Madryn Street, one of the Welsh Streets in Liverpool. These late 19th century Victorian terraced streets were in Toxteth. The houses were designed by Welsh architect Richard Owens and built by Welsh workers to house workers mainly involved in the industries on the docks; the streets were named after Welsh villages and landmarks. (Names of the streets include Voelas, Rhiwlas, Powis, Madryn, Kinmel, Gwydir, Pengwern and Treborth Street.)
8. Starr was playing drums for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes in Butlins, Pwllheli, when he got the call to join the Beatles
9. Apple Corps, the Beatles label, produced records by Badfinger, a band founded in Swansea and including more than one Welshman
10. The Beatles were in Bangor University learning about Hindu meditation when they heard of the death of Brian Epstein in 1967. There is a plaque there memorialising the fact.

10 Visits to Wales made by The Beatles

1. Rhyl, 14 July 1962, at the Regent Dansette Ballroom (a month later Pete Best was sacked)
2. Prestatyn, 24 November 1962, at the Royal Lido Ballroom
3. Mold, 24 January 1963, at the Assembly Hall
4. Cardiff, 27 May 1963, at the Capitol, 7 songs performed
5. Abergavenny, 22 June 1963, at the Town Hall
6. Rhyl, 19-20 July 1963, four shows at the Ballroom
7. Llandudno, 12-17 August 1963, two shows a night for six nights
8. Cardiff, 7 November 1964, two shows at the Capitol, 10 songs each time
9. Cardiff, 12 December 1965, two shows at the Capitol, 11 songs each time
10. In Bangor with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, 1967, at the University for seminars

More here

New Beatles Related Films

I have recently watched two new films related to The Beatles, one a drama and one a documentary. The Midas Man is a biopic I saw on Amazon Prime about the life of Brian Epstein, who managed The Beatles. Production has had some troubles since the start of production in 2021 but finally got there in 2023. The film tracks how Brian Epstein rose to prominence by managing a series of popular artists including The Beatles, Cilla Black and Gerry and the Pacemakers before his sudden death in 1967 at the age of 32. It has to deal with some murky material and does that without sensationalising. In many ways Epstein led a very sad life and this is no adcert for the homosexual lifestyle as far as I can see. The actors who play The Beatles do very well and shine. It is interesting to get some of the background. Epstein's great gift was to sopot this music and bring ti to the world's attention.

The Scorsese produced documentary, directed by David Tedesch is on Disney+ and is a cut above the biopic. It documents the cultural impact of the Beatles on the USA in the aftermath of their first three-week visit to the country in February, 1964, which included their historic first performances on The Ed Sullivan Show. It includes archival footage from the Beatlemania era. Scorses and Tedeschi did a orevious documentary on George Harrison, which I have not seen. The film features footage shot by Albert and David Maysles originally for the 1964 documentary What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A., digitally restored. New interviews with McCartney and Starr were also filmed. Footage of the Beatles' February 1964 performances on The Ed Sullivan Show and at the Washington Coliseum has also been restored, with audio from these performances remixed by Giles Martin using de-mixing technology developed by Peter Jackson's WingNut Films and previously used for Beatles releases on the 2022 reissue of Revolver and the 2023 reissue of 1962–1966. A soundtrack album from the film has been released digitally and on streaming platforms. The album contains studio recordings by the Beatles of songs featured in the film, as well as the original versions of tracks covered by the Beatles (eg the Chuck Berry recording of "Roll Over Beethoven," the Little Richard recording of "Long Tall Sally"). The compilation also includes a striking cover of "Yesterday" performed by Smokey Robinson and the Miracles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1968.

I loved some of the talking head material. For example

David Lynch

Music is one of the most fantastic things. Almost like fire, and water, and air. It's like a thing. And it does so much. It does a thing for the intellect, it does a thing for the emotions. And a certain kind of music can swell the heart to almost burst. Tears of happiness flow out of your eyes. You can't believe the beauty that comes. And it comes from these notes.

 Sananda Meitraya

There was where the foundation of my faith laid, in the power of music to transform lives. And I feel that as a son of the Beatles, I owe them a significant portion of why I'm here. I should also curse those b*tches because it's also so much suffering that we artists go through because of Pied Pipers like the Beatles, who say, "Come on, come on, come on. You can do it." The elixir that they put together is so profound, it wasn't just about the songs. It was the energy that the songs were carrying forward.

Day Off Week 50 2024

A more formal day off this week. I went for a walk on the Heath, which is part of my usual routine these days. I had a coffee at Kenwood House. Two new books arrived - Jonathan Landry Cruse's Sing in exultation! (now going cheap at ICM). This is a devotional for Christmas making use of lines from Christmas hymns. It is nicely done with room to write your own thoughts (which I  have begun doing). It gives no information about the hymns themselves. I also got the 2008 P&R hardback The Incarnation in the Gospels (Reformed Expository Commentary) which turns out to be the relevant comments from the respective commentaries plus a few extras. I am also dipping into A poem for everyday of Christmas an anthology chiefly with children in mind. Good to read poems well known and obscure. Also reading Christmas Carol as I try to every year and Nutcracker which I don't think I've read all the way through before. Plus some John Fawcett for a project I have on. I also watched the Martin Scorsese documentary on The Beatles just out (more elsewhere) and then in the evening we watched the final episodes of Anthony Horowitz's Moonflower Murders. This dramatises the second of three novels he has done in the Agatha Christie style. All very clever. The solution not that good sadly but lots of fun on the way (apart from the over acting of Mark Gatiss). 

10 Or So Cars Owned by Beatle George Harrison

Cribbed from elsewhere, of course.

1. The first ever car owned by George Harrison, before all the Jags, Porsches and the Mercs, was a little second-hand Ford Anglia.
2. The story goes that Brian Epstein bought George Harrison an e-Type for his 21st birthday. Certainly the car above was first registered on 28 February 1964, three-days after Harrison turned 21. The customised car even featured a dash-mounted record-player.
3. In 1965, Harrison bought his first ever extravagant car – a white DB5. Paul McCartney, bought a DB6 shortly before. In December 2011, Harrison’s DB5 was finally sold at auction, to an anonymous Beatles collector, for £350k.
4. The late 1970s saw Harrison enter his Porsche phase, buying two 911 Turbos and a 924 Carrera GT.
5. In 1980 he bought a black 928 S Coupe, before selling it three years later.
6. Perhaps the greatest love affair he had was with Mercedes cars. In 1970 he bought a red 250 CE Pillarless Coupe and a white 6.3 litre 300 SEL. He was driving the latter in February 1972, on his way to a party given by Ricky Nelson, when he crashed into a lamppost at speed. He escaped with a few scratches but first wife, Pattie, suffered concussion and broken ribs and was hospitalised for two weeks.
7. At more than six metres long, the Mercedes-Benz Pullman Limousine is a beast of a car, It boasted a drinks cabinet and a Phillips Mignon EP record player in the back, as well as the all-important privacy screen. Originally owned by John Lennon, he sold it to Harrison in 1971.
8. Mercedes 500 SEL AMG. Of all of the cars Harrison owned, this was probably the one he drove the most. He bought it in 1984 and promptly spent a whopping £85k customising it, including lowering the suspension and upgrading the body kit. He must have liked the results as he hung on to the car for 15 years and clocked up 30k miles in it.
9. The Maclaren F1 is definitely the priciest on the list, which is hardly a surprise, seeing as only 106 were ever built, custom-made for each buyer. Designer Gordon Murray later reported that Harrison was so excited about receiving his car, in 1994, that he would phone up and good-naturedly pester the makers on a regular basis. The end product, with a dark purple pearl exterior and black satin wheels, was still owned by Harrison’s estate until 2021, in spite of Eric Clapton’s repeated attempts to buy it. the car featured Hindu symbols throughout (12 in total), including in place of 'McLaren F1' on steering wheel. Quotes and song lyrics were written with a silver pen on the chassis of the car, including lines from Bob Dylan's Last Thoughts on Woody Guthrie.
10. The most iconic of the lot. In 1965, Brian Epstein teamed up with Terry Doran (supposedly “the man from the motor trade” mentioned in “She’s Leaving Home”) to buy Minis at cost price to give to all four Beatles. Harrison’s Mini was customised by coach-builder Harold Radford with a full-length sunroof, horizontally-mounted Volkswagen tail lights and hood-mounted rally fog lamps. In 1967, he had it decorated with psychedelic images inspired by the book Tantra Art. Later that year, the car came to prominence when it featured in the film Magical Mystery Tour, before being given to Eric Clapton. Harrison regretted parting with the car and Clapton returned it to him years later.

The Beatles in 100 Objects

Having read and enjoyed the Welsh history book using 100 objects I looked around to see what else there was of that ilk and dound this Beatles book. I have read quite a few Beatles books over the years adn this was as enjoyable as the others, not spoiled by the large number of typos and one or two minor errors. It is a very good way of going through the story. The objects were guitars, records, bits of paper, etc, supplemneted by photographs and gave a freshness to the story, which I love going over partly for nostalgia sake. One reference prompted me to seek out and watch an interview they once did with David Coleman on Grandstand of all programmes.

Day Off Week 43 2024

Up fairly early and then off for a formal walk again ccncluded with a coffee. For lunch I had a Halloumi wrap in Leon, Brent Cross. Almost finished the Magnus Magnusson book on forgeries and a Beatles 100 Objects book. Watched D  I Ray to relax in the evening.

10 Song Titles Containing the Word Better

1. Better Regina Spektor
2. Better Day Ocean Colour Scene
3. Better Things The Kinks
4. Getting Better The Beatles
5. It's Getting Better Mamas and the Papas
6. Gonna Get Better Gabrielle
7. I Should Have Known Better The Beatles
8. You Better You Bet The Who
9. Nobody Does It Better Carly Simon
10. I'll Feel a Whole Lot Better The Byrds

November 21-23 1963

(This repeats a post from an earlier time)

21st

1. Death Robert Stroud, Springfield, Missouri, 73 (American convict "Birdman of Alcatraz")

22nd

2. Death J F Kennedy, Dallas, 46

3. Death C S Lewis, Oxford, 65

4. Death Aldous Huxley, Hollywood, 69

5. Death William R Titterton, 87 (journalist and poet, friend and first biographer of G K Chesterton)

6. Death J D Tippit, Dallas, 39 (American police officer, also murdered by Lee Harvey Oswald)

7. Death Wilhelm Beiglböck, Buxtehude, 58 (Nazi war doctor)

8.  Release of the Beatles second studio album With the Beatles

23rd

9.  Death Luis Cernuda, Mexico City, 61 (Spanish poet and exile)

10. BBC broadcasts first episode of Dr Who series

Day Off Week 27 2023

I more or less followed the pattern of last week, starting with a long walk, ending with some TV and including perusing another art book (Warhol this time who I prefer to Klee) and buying some cheese to write about on my cheese blog. I also read most of John Benton's helpful book on resilience based on 2 Timothy. I also took a trip down to Trafalgar Square to see the new exhibition of photographs taken by Paul McCartney in late 1963 and in 1964. It is all done very well and  fascinating to spend time looking at. I also bought the paperback version of the accompanying book. These days one often turns ones photos into a little film and McCartney's stab at his colour ones from his Miami ones in colour is there to see. Perhaps it was a little pretentious to say he directed the film. Perhasp it's a joke, of course.

The photograph exhibition is at the National Portrait Gallery and is called Eyes of the Storm. See here.

10 people who played saxophone on Beatles Tracks

1. Harry Klein, saxophonist; session musician. Contributed saxophone to "Honey Pie" and baritone saxophone to "Lady Madonna" and "Savoy Truffle"
2. Rex Morris, session musician. Contributed tenor saxophone to "All You Need Is Love"; saxophone to "Honey Pie"
3. Alan Branscombe, saxophonist; session musician. Contributed tenor saxophone to "Got to Get You into My Life"
4. Barrie Cameron, Alan Holmes, David Glyde, saxophonists; session musicians. Contributed saxophones to "Good Morning Good Morning"[
5. Peter Coe, saxophonist; session musician. Contributed tenor saxophone to "Got to Get You into My Life"
6. Derek Collins, Art Ellefson, Danny Moss, saxophonists; session musicians. Contributed tenor saxophones to "Savoy Truffle"
7. Bernard George, Ronnie Ross, saxophonists; session musicians. Contributed baritone saxophones to "Savoy Truffle"
8. Ronald Chamberlain, Dennis Walton, saxophonists; session musicians. Contributed saxophone to "Honey Pie" (DW also played flute and piccolo on "Penny Lane")
9. Don Honeywill, saxophonist; session musician. Contributed tenor saxophone to "All You Need Is Love"
10. Bill Povey., Ronnie Scott, session musicians. Contributed tenor saxophones to "Lady Madonna" (BP also played trombone on "Revolution")

10 Contributors to Beatles Tracks

1. Andy White Drums “Love Me Do” (1962)

2. Johnnie Scott Flute “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away” (1965)

3. Alan Civil French Horn “For No One” (1966)

4. David Mason Soprano Trumpet “Penny Lane” (1967)

5. Robert Burns Clarinet “When I'm 64” (1967)

6. Eric Clapton Guitar “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” (1968)

7. Chris Thomas Harpsichord “Piggies” (1968)

8. Nicky Hopkins Electric Piano "Revolution" (1968)

9. Billy Preston Electric Piano “Get Back” (1970)

10. Brian Jones Saxophone “You Know My Name (Look Up The Number)” (1970)

10 Pop Songs whose titles do not appear in their lyrics

1. Bob Dylan - “Subterranean Homesick Blues” (also, “Positively 4th Street,” “Just Like Tom Thumb’s Blues,” “My Back Pages,” etc)
2. Led Zeppelin - “Immigrant Song” “The Lemon Song” etc
3. The Beatles -" A Day in the Life" (Also "Ballad of John and Yoko", "Tomorrow never knows")
4. Nirvana — “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, etc
5. 40 - U2, etc
6. Queen — “Bohemian Rhapsody”
7. Coldplay — “Viva La Vida”
8. The Who — “Baba O’Riley”
9. David Bowie — “Space Oddity”
10. Paranoid - "Black Sabbath"

(Also - The Righteous Brothers - Unchained Melody; Chumbawumba - Tubthumping)

10 Popular Songs About Trains and Stations

1. Slow Train Bob Dylan
2. Marrakesh Express Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
3. Blue railroad train Doc Watson
4. Last train to Clarksville The Monkees
5. Trains and Winter Rains Enya
6. Doomsday Train Brainbox
7. Trains and Boas and Planes Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas
8. One after 909 The Beatles
9. Rock Island Line Johnny Cash, Lonnie Donegan, etc
10. People Get Ready Curtis Mayfield &The Impressions (Also Bob Marley)

10 Beatles Tracks not recorded in Abbey Road

The Beatles famously recorded most of their material at Abbey Road Studios. However, several tracks were recorded elsewhere. Here are ten examples 

1. January 29 1964 Pathe Marconi Studios, Paris: Can't Buy Me Love
2. February 9 1967 Regent Sound Studio, London: Fixing A Hole
3. May 11 1967 Olympic Sound Studios, Barnes, London: Baby You're A Rich Man
4. May 25/26, June 2 1967 De Lane Lea Music Recording Studios, London: It's All Too Much
5. August 22/23 1967 Chappell Recording Studios, London: Your Mother Should Know
6. July 31, August 1/2 1968 Trident Studios, London: Hey Jude
7. August 28-30 1968 Trident Studios, London: Dear Prudence
8. January 28 1969 Apple Studios, London: Get Back
9. January 30 1969 Apple Studios Roof, London: One After 909
10. January 31 1969 Apple Studios, London: Two Of Us

Day Off Week 41 2021/Dr LloydJones Memorial Lecture 2021 Evangelism

This week's day off was slightly disjointed. I read most of Mike Mellor's book on pathos in preaching Preaching the heart of God. Challenging and helpful. I also finished the book on the Beatles that I bought last week, listening to the Beatles. In the evening we went up to the seminary to hear Rico Tice give the Lloyd-Jones lecture. I'll try to report on that some other time.

Day Off Week 40 2021

This week's day off included a trip to Swiss Cottage on the bus where I picked up some bargains in a charity shop and The Works. I started reading the Jack Charlton autobiography and made a big dent. I have the Snow Goose and will pass it on. I enjoyed listening to one or two Beatles albums and reading along with the Beatles book.

The Beatles - Help! ft John Lennon b 09/10/40

John Lennon would have been 80 today. From my youngest days I loved to see and listen to him.