Sunday, February 28, 2010

Hairy Flower Power



On December 11th, 1969, John and Yoko used the Royal Premiere of The Magic Christian to drum up some publicity for their latest cause, the 1962 hanging of James Hanratty.

The poster they displayed for the cameras outside the Odeon Cinema (above) hung on the wall of their Apple office the following day as they sat for several interviews. One of them, conducted by Harry Flower for LM Radio in South Africa, touched on the Hanratty case, the upcoming Get Back LP, and South Africa's ban on Beatles music stemming from John's 1966 Jesus comments.


Saturday, February 27, 2010

Air Time



No label (Audifon), 1981

Also issued as Johnny And The Moondogs - Silver Days, this LP offered an upgrade of the Swedish radio concert and a number of excellent-quality BBC Radio cuts.

- I Saw Her Standing There
- From Me To You
- Money (That's What I Want)
- Roll Over Beethoven
- You Really Got A Hold On Me
- She Loves You
- Twist And Shout
- Nothin' Shakin' (But The Leaves On The Trees)
- Lonesome Tears In My Eyes
- So How Come (No One Loves Me)

- Please Mr. Postman
- Crying, Waiting, Hoping
- Ticket To Ride
- Rock And Roll Music
- Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey!
- This Boy
- Can't Buy Me Love

Friday, February 26, 2010

Ringo The Forth



Between taping Around The Beatles and an episode of From Us To You, The Beatles flew to Scotland and squeezed in concerts in Edinburgh and Glasgow. On April 29th, 1964, they were interviewed by Moira Furmage for the Forth Radio Network, which provided programming to eleven hospitals across Scotland:



The following day, The Beatles journeyed to Scottish Television's Theatre Royal studio in Glasgow to tape an appearance on Roundup. The interviewers were Morag Hood and Paul Young:


Thursday, February 25, 2010

Abbey Road West Minster-1



Quarter Apple, 1981

Similar to No. 3 Abbey Road NW8, but with some "Get Back" rehearsals and solo performances tossed in (along with a couple of outfakes).

- Come Together
- Something
- I Need You
- Maxwell's Silver Hammer
- Oh! Darling
- Octopus's Garden
- I Want You (She's So Heavy)

- Here Comes The Sun
- Mellotron Music
- You Never Give Me Your Money
- Sun King
- Polythene Pam
- Mean Mr. Mustard
- She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
- Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight
- The End
- Her Majesty

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

We'll All Die Of Failure



During their August, 1964 visit to Southern California, The Beatles rented a secluded mansion in Bel-Air from British actor Reginald Owen. As George and Ringo cavorted poolside on the 24th, John and Paul were inside recording several promotional items for Capitol Records.

The composers taped intros for a DJ single containing two of their songs given away to Cilla Black and Peter and Gordon, and Paul contributed some half-hearted song intros to a Veterans' Administration radio series, Here's To Veterans.

Both of the above were produced by Capitol's Jack Wagner, who also interviewed John and Paul more in-depth about their songwriting process and early career. The result was used in two places, with different edits:

Teen Set magazine


Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Beautiful Dreamer



Dream, 1982

An album of mediocre-quality, but rare at the time, BBC Radio performances. Five Chuck Berry covers. Great cover, too!

- Some Other Guy
- I'm Talking About You
- Youngblood
- Too Much Monkey Business
- I Got To Find My Baby
- Johnny B. Goode
- Keep Your Hands Off My Baby
- Beautiful Dreamer
- Glad All Over

- That's All Right Mama
- I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)
- To Know Her Is To Love Her
- Sweet Little Sixteen
- Ooh! My Soul
- There's A Place
- I'll Get You
- Words Of Love
- The Honeymoon Song

Monday, February 22, 2010

Detroit Rock City II



On August 13th, 1966, The Beatles returned to Detroit for two shows at Olympia Stadium. DJ Kenny Everett, traveling on the tour for Radio London, filed a report from one of the concerts which captured the start of one concert, including a few seconds (to date rarely booted) of "Rock And Roll Music":



Sunday, February 21, 2010

Rarer Than Rare



White Knight, 1980

A mixed-bag compilation largely borrowed from Audifon LPs, with some obscure promos and radio spots thrown in.

- Oh! Darling

- Things We Said Today

- From Us To You

- Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey!

- Slippin' And Slidin'

- Stand By Me

- Oh My Love


Side 2:

- You Never Give Me Your Money

- Imagine

- Bye Bye Love

- Blackbird

- I Should Have Known Better

- From Us To You


Side 3:

- Help!

- Concert For Bangla Desh film spot

- I'm Down

- I'll Follow The Sun

- The Beatles Decade radio spot

- The Fool On The Hill

- Step Inside Love

- Band On The Run radio spot

- It's All Too Much

- Piggies

- Kansas City/Hey Hey Hey Hey!


Side 4:

- The Walk

- Act Naturally

- If I Fell

- WQAM farewell to Miami

- Maxwell's Silver Hammer

- Some Other Guy

- Magical Mystery Tour

- I Am The Walrus

- Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight


Saturday, February 20, 2010

Mr. & Mrs. Starkey



The hearts of thousands of young ladies were broken on February 11th, 1965, when Ringo married Maureen Cox. The following day, the newlyweds faced the press at the home of Beatles solicitor David Jacobs:


Friday, February 19, 2010

No. 3 Abbey Road NW8



Audifon, 1979

One of the first Beatlegs with studio outtakes, in this case half rough mixes from Abbey Road and half a Donovan/Paul McCartney acoustic confab at a Mary Hopkin session.

- Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight
- Her Majesty
- You Never Give Me Your Money
- Octopus's Garden
- Maxwell's Silver Hammer
- Oh! Darling
- Something

- How Do You Do
- Blackbird
- The Unicorn
- LaleƱa
- Heather
- Mr. Wind
- The Walrus And The Carpenter
- Land Of Gisch

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Welcome Back to the USA Babay!





By request, here are some of Murray The "K"'s interviews from The Beatles' second New York visit on August 28th, 1964:


Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Cinelogue Let It Be



Instant Analysis, 1974

As advertised, the soundtrack to the film Let It Be, and the first in a series of Cinelogue albums covering all The Beatles' movies.

- Don't Let Me Down
- Maxwell's Silver Hammer
- Two Of Us
- I've Got A Feeling
- Oh! Darling
- One After 909
- Jazz Piano Duet
- Two Of Us
- Across The Universe
- Suzy Parker
- I Me Mine
- For You Blue

- Besame Mucho
- Octopus's Garden
- Blue Suede Shoes
- You Really Got A Hold On Me
- The Long And Winding Road
- Rip It Up/Shake Rattle And Roll
- Miss Ann/Kansas City/Lawdy Miss Clawdy
- Dig It

- Two Of Us
- Let It Be
- The Long And Winding Road
- Get Back
- Don't Let Me Down

- I've Got A Feeling
- One After 909
- Dig A Pony
- Get Back

Tuesday, February 16, 2010

How Late It Is



On May 2nd, 1969, John and Yoko appeared on BBC1-TV's late night arts show, How Late It Is. They were interviewed by Michael Wale about their latest avant-garde film, Rape. John and Yoko had attended a screening of the film at the Montreux TV Festival in Switzerland on April 25th.

The original footage doesn't seem to have survived, but here's an audio recording of the conversation:


Monday, February 15, 2010

Five Nights In A Judo Arena



DeWeintraub, 1975

A very popular Beatleg in the 1970s, with one of the first full-color sleeves and an excellent-quality recording of the June 30th, 1966 Tokyo telecast.

- Rock And Roll Music
- She's A Woman
- If I Needed Someone
- Day Tripper
- Baby's In Black
- I Feel Fine

- Yesterday
- I Wanna Be Your Man
- Nowhere Man
- Paperback Writer
- Long Tall Sally

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Vote For Ted


On October 15th, 1963, The Beatles' upcoming appearance at the Royal Variety Show was announced in the press. The next day, while rehearsing for Easy Beat at the Playhouse Theatre in London, they were interviewed about the news:


Friday, February 12, 2010

Mile High With A Little Help From My Friends



On August 26th, 1964, The Beatles arrived in Colorado for a performance at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison. While staying at the Brown Palace Hotel in Denver, they met the press and were interviewed by KOA-TV reporter Pat Murphy. Here's a composite recording from several sources:


Thursday, February 11, 2010

Hahst Az Son



TAKRL, 1974

CBM's Sweet Apple Trax Volumes 1 and 2, condensed from 4 LPs to 2 (and with the contents rearranged slightly).

- Two Of Us
- Don't Let Me Down
- Suzy Parker
- I've Got A Feeling
- Get Back
- Don't Let Me Down

- She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
- Be-Bop-A-Lula
- She Came In Through The Bathroom Window
- Hi Heel Sneakers
- I Me Mine
- I've Got A Feeling
- One After 909
- Norwegian Wood
- She Came In Through The Bathroom Window

- Let It Be
- La Penina
- Shakin' In The Sixties
- Move It/Good Rockin' Tonight
- Across The Universe
- Two Of Us
- Ramblin' Woman/I Threw It All Away/Mama You Been On My Mind

- Tennessee
- Across The Universe
- House Of The Rising Sun
- Commonwealth
- Get Off!
- Honey Hush
- For You Blue
- Let It Be

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Instant Shout


A couple of samples from recent auctions which may have escaped your notice...


On February 11th, 1970, John performed his new single "Instant Karma (We All Shine On)" on Top Of The Pops. His vocals were sung live on top of a prerecorded backing mixed from the multitrack single master - here are some excerpts from an acetate purporting to contain that mix:




Six years earlier to the day, John sang "Twist And Shout" as the closing number of The Beatles' first U.S. concert in Washington DC. The song was cut short on the surviving kinescope of the performance, but the original videotape was auctioned a few years back, giving us these precious few seconds from the previously-unavailable final verse:


Tuesday, February 9, 2010

Broadcasts



Circuit, 1980

The earliest album of excellent-quality BBC Radio recordings, some of which haven't been bettered.

- Pop Go The Beatles
- Long Tall Sally
- Carol
- Soldier Of Love
- Lend Me Your Comb
- Clarabella
- Memphis, Tennessee
- I Got A Woman
- Sure To Fall (In Love With You)
- Do You Want To Know A Secret

- The Hippy Hippy Shake
- Till There Was You
- Matchbox
- I'm A Loser
- She's A Woman
- I Feel Fine
- Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
- I'll Follow The Sun

Monday, February 8, 2010

The Party's On



A couple of Christmas-related requests this time.

- An unused session for the 1965 Fan Club Xmas message, recorded at Marquee Studios, October 19th, 1965.

- A live Wings performance of "Wonderful Christmastime" from December 1979, taken from the one-sided Tobe Milo single pictured above.

Sunday, February 7, 2010

The Decca Tapes



Circuit, 1979

After being released on a series of singles, the Decca audition tapes were compiled on this album (using a different source tape than the Deccagone 45s and Deccagones LP).

- Like Dreamers Do
- Money (That's What I Want)
- Till There Was You
- The Sheik Of Araby
- To Know Her Is To Love Her
- Take Good Care Of My Baby
- Memphis, Tennessee
- Sure To Fall

- Hello Little Girl
- Three Cool Cats
- Crying Waiting Hoping
- Love Of The Loved
- September In The Rain
- Besame Mucho
- Searchin'

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Cinnamon Apple Chaps



On August 23rd, 1964, The Beatles were in Los Angeles to play the Hollywood Bowl. Prior to the show, they met the press at the Cinnamon Cinder, a nightclub for teenagers owned by Bob Eubanks. The KRLA disc jockey (and future game show host) can be heard moderating the proceedings, usurping Derek Taylor's standard role:


Friday, February 5, 2010

The Beatles Vs. Don Ho



Melvin, 1979

One of the most fun Beatlegs in history, from the parody cover to the eclectic contents. Nearly everything appears elsewhere in better quality, but the opening and closing tracks can't be topped!

- phone giveaway
- Too Much Monkey Business
- Red Hot
- A Hard Day's Night radio spot
- George w/David Frost
- Silver Platter Service interview
- I'll Be On My Way
- Help! radio spot
- All You Need Is Love
- Think For Yourself
- A Quick One While He's Away
- Beyond The Valley Of A Day In The Life

- Give Peace A Chance
- The Beatles In Nederland interview
- Twist And Shout
- Carol
- Lend Me Your Comb
- Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
- Soldier Of Love
- Maxwell's Silver Hammer
- Honey Don't
- Guitar Blues
- I'm Down
- Tiny Bubbles

Thursday, February 4, 2010

My Sweet Lord



"Word of the Beatles coming to perform in San Diego had already charged up the promotion machines of the local radio stations. KCBQ and KGB moved hastily to corner the competition for exclusive sponsorship rights. Such a prestigious honor might mean a share of windfall concert profits, an extra rating point or two in a highly competitive market, or perhaps exclusive rights to early releases of future Beatles hits.

KCBQ moved quickly to bring an 'insider' onto the staff to aid their cause. This insider was a record producer named Lord Tim Hudson of Liverpool, England who professed to personally know the Beatles and to have helped discover the Moody Blues. As reported in AIRCHECK, The Story of Top 40 Radio in San Diego, the station housed Lord Tim at the El Cortez Hotel, across the street from the KCBQ studio, in downtown San Diego where he played host to many adoring fans.

Upon his arrival in May, KCBQ limited Lord Tim's role to using his Beatle look-alike appearance on weekly surveys, recording concert promos, and doing 'pop-ins' on shows for a few weeks to promote the event.

Written proposals for sponsorship rights were due by June 10, 1965. KHJ and KFWB vied for exclusive rights to promote the San Diego concert in the Los Angeles and Orange County markets. KHJ pursued a joint sponsorship with its sister station KGB. KFWB offered an intensive promotion campaign via spot ads and extensive DJ announcements throughout the broadcast day, and won the rights for Los Angeles and Orange Counties.

KCBQ owner and general Manager Lee Bartell touted the Lord Tim connection in his June 10 proposal, and made an exceptionally large promotion offer that would include a seven-week newspaper ad campaign, arranging news conferences, free broadcast time, produced announcements and interviews, contests with prizes of the Beatles tote bags, records, and magazines, and additional promotions should ticket sales lag.

KGB program consultant Bill Drake, in his proposal dated June 9, was less specific but more direct by saying to Beatles promoters, "In effect you would own KGB". Drake also offered a saturation of concert announcements, contests, and a newspaper ad campaign, and also touted the superior ratings that KGB enjoyed.

The concert promoters reacted first by seeking a joint sponsorship between KCBQ and KGB. KGB stated that they 'would rather share the promotion than not have any of it'. KCBQ not only declined, but proceeded to sponsor a Herman's Hermits concert in San Diego on August 7 that Beatles promoters deemed as unwanted competition to their show. These actions, coupled with audience ratings that were consistently higher than KCBQ, won KGB the sponsorship rights on June 15, 1965. As the official concert sponsor, KGB had DJ Ray Morgan traveling with the band and making regular reports aired exclusively on KGB. The station studio was the official address to be used for ordering concert tickets.

KCBQ, however, was not to be denied. Using his contacts with the Beatle managers in England, Lord Tim Hudson managed to get permission to also travel with the Beatles prior to the San Diego concert and to file reports to be aired exclusively on KCBQ. KCBQ proceeded to take out a full page ad in the San Diego Union-Tribune welcoming the Beatles to San Diego, using their phone number to get ticket information, showcasing 'Lord Tim of Liverpool' "joining KCBQ in welcoming his personal friends, the Beatles, to San Diego", and offering the pin back buttons to listeners declaring August 28 as official Beatle Day. DJ Tom Murphy of KCBQ also conjured up a local band called the "Beat-Alls" that traveled around town on a flat bed truck playing Beatles songs and giving away prizes. The station would announce where the "Beat-Alls" would be that day to encourage listener turn out.

KGB, fearing perhaps that their hard-won prestige was on the line, grew more irritated as KCBQ churned out more promotions. Attorneys for KGB wrote to KFWB on August 26 seeking their support to take legal action against KCBQ and Lord Tim Hudson. "...Raddio station KCBQ in San Diego, a competitive radio station to our client, has held itself out as being involved with the San Diego presentation of the Beatles. They go on to write that "it is our opinion that our client has been irreparably harmed by KCBQ's misrepresentations to the general public." "Our client has requested that we take immediate legal action to enjoin the introduction of Lord Tim at the concert."

What KGB did not know at the time was that KCBQ was having its own problems with Lord Tim Hudson. He had been on the payroll since May and the station demanded more of his services on the air in July. He was given a night shift with the understanding that he had some experience as a disc jockey in England. That did not turn out to be the case. A resident engineer was needed to operate the control board, play ads, jingles, and music, leaving Lord Tim the sole duty as master of ceremonies between songs. In radio circles, this did not wash.

The day of the concert arrived. Despite the spirited attempts by two highly competitive stations to promote the event, ticket sales, that ranged from $3.50 to $5.50, were lagging. The Beatles were greeted by over 50,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York the week before. Was San Diego going to turn out less than 15,000 fans?

The Fab Four arrived by bus late in the afternoon from Los Angeles to attend a scheduled press conference. As the 8:00 PM concert approached, disc jockeys from not only KGB, but also KCBQ, KFWB, and K/MEN in San Bernardino vied for time on the stage to warm up the crowd. Among them was the irrepressible Lord Tim Hudson. The sheer number of speakers made the crowd restless as they screamed for the Beatles. Soon, the opening acts were on the stage. Brenda Holloway, the King Curtis Band, Cannibal and the Headhunters, and Sounds Incorporated each did their set.

Finally, the Beatles appeared. They played their standard set opening with Twist & Shout, then She's a Woman, I Feel Fine, Dizzy Ms. Lizzie, Ticket to Ride, Everybody's Trying to be My Baby, Can't Buy Me Love, Baby's in Black, Act Naturally, A Hard Days Night, HELP!, and I'm Down. As the Beatles left the stage to the sounds of cheering fans, Ringo Starr handed a drum stick to a police officer who was securing the stage. After a meeting with Joan Baez, the Beatles were back on a bus headed to Los Angeles that night. The visit and the event was over in a flash. Newspaper stories described the concert as "Ecstasy and Emotion as Beatles and Beatlemania Erupt at Balboa Stadium" The concert electrified the audience, although those who traveled with the Beatles felt they performed with less zeal than in other concerts. This would be the only live concert appearance by the Beatles in San Diego.

Now it was time to settle accounts. The event was nowhere near a sell-out. Between 17,000 and 18,000 fans turned out for the concert in a 28,000 seat stadium. Gross receipts totaled $83,000. The Beatles entourage were guaranteed $50,100 for their appearance. After expenses, the net proceeds were less than $6,000. Those hoping for a financial windfall resulting from the appearance by the most popular group on the planet barely broke even.

Despite the intense competition for sponsorship rights and all of the promotional maneuvers leading up to the event, on the night of the concert, the only names that mattered were John, Paul, Ringo, and George. The importance of who was the sponsor was lost in the balmy evening amid thousands of screaming teens. KGB would continue to dominate the local Top 40 radio market for the next three years with its fast-paced format with fewer commercials and more music.

Lord Tim Hudson and KCBQ parted company within two weeks after the concert, and found a new home at KFWB on September 15, 1965. He would find his calling, not in radio, but in other venues of the entertainment industry. His credits now include former DJ, actor, sports star manager, and multi-millionaire hippie known for his panama hats, rainbow colored blazer, and ponytail living in Cheshire, England. There were no lawsuits. Hard feelings were swept away like waves across the sand as San Diego returned to its laid-back beach lifestyle in the summer of 1965."


Here are 27 minutes of "Lord" Tim's Beatles interviews in New York on August 15th, 1965.


Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Supertracks 2



CBM, 1973

A fairly useless compilation, with the bootleg debut of the 1966 Ed Sullivan Show appearance (spoken intro and mimed promo clips). Most of side B is from the soundtrack of A Hard Day's Night.

- intro
- Paperback Writer
- Rain
- Peace Of Mind
- Let It Be
- Hey Jude

- Get Back
- I Should Have Known Better
- If I Fell
- And I Love Her
- Tell Me Why/If I Fell/I Should Have Known Better

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Welcome Home Boys!



Early on the morning of February 22nd, 1964, The Beatles made a triumphant return to London Airport from their first trip to America. In addition to hundreds of screaming fans, dozens of photographers, writers, and radio and TV reporters greeted the homecoming heroes:

ITV News interview (also filmed by newsreels - this is the longest known version)

Monday, February 1, 2010

2 singles + 1 EP


A few 7" Beatlegs - a single and EP sold by Joe Pope, and a single with two BBC performances masquerading as alternate takes:


SFF/SOK, 1976




BEAT, 1979