Category Archives: George Harrison

Let It Be at 40

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Can you believe it?

Let It Be turned 40 last weekend.

Here’s the Wikipedia extract with a brief detail of the album:

Let It Be  was the twelfth and final studio album released by The Beatles. It was released on 8 May, 1970 by the band’s Apple Records label shortly after the group’s announced breakup.

Most of Let It Be was recorded in January 1969, before the recording and release of the album Abbey Road. For this reason some critics and fans, such as Mark Lewisohn, argue that Abbey Road should be considered the group’s final album and Let It Be the penultimate. Let It Be was originally intended to be released before Abbey Road during mid-1969 as Get Back, but the Beatles were unhappy with this version, which was mixed and compiled by Glyn Johns, and it was temporarily shelved. A new version of the album was created by Phil Spector in 1970 and finally released as Let It Be, serving as the soundtrack album for the 1970 motion picture of the same name.

Let It Be - film lobby card

Let It Be - lobby card - Paul

While three songs from the sessions were released as singles before the album’s release, “Get Back”/”Don’t Let Me Down” and “Let It Be”, the songs were remixed by Spector for the album.

The rehearsals and recording sessions for the album did not run smoothly. The acrimony that began during the recording of the previous year’s White Album resumed soon after the rehearsals began. At one point, George Harrison walked out and quit the group after severely arguing with both Paul McCartney and John Lennon, only to be coaxed back some days later. The film version is famous for showcasing a number of conflicts between the group members and has frequently been referred to as a documentary intended to show the making of an album but instead showing “the break-up of a band”.

Despite a largely negative review from Rolling Stone magazine at the time of its release, the album was ranked number 86 in the magazine’s list of the 500 greatest albums of all time in 2003.

Let It Be… Naked was released in 2003, an alternative version of the album stripping much of Phil Spector’s production work and using some different versions of songs.

Let It Be - Naked (2003)

Here’s an article from Rolling Stone magazine this week:

Forty years ago this weekend, the greatest band of all time gave the world their final album together: On May 8th, 1970, the Beatles released Let It Be, the Phil Spector-produced LP that featured hits like the title track, “The Long and Winding Road” and one of John Lennon’s most famous compositions, “Across the Universe.” While the album was recorded during the band’s caustic final days, Let It Be would go on to become one of their most celebrated records: it ranked Number 86 in Rolling Stone‘s 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

The story behind Let It Be is almost as mythic as the Beatles themselves. The band originally intended to record it as a live-in-the-studio album and movie in 1969. But the ambitious undertaking left the Beatles so weary, they abandoned the project to make Abbey Road instead. Later, Phil Spector added oversweetened orchestral overdubs to many of the album’s tracks — even though the record features some of the band’s strongest rock songs ever (including “Get Back”). In 1970, the Beatles released the documentary film of the same name, which captured the group’s iconic performance atop the Apple Studios building in January 1969. Perhaps due its controversial and detailed look at the Beatles’ interpersonal problems, the film itself remains unavailable on DVD.

Despite the album’s status in rock history, Paul McCartney was never a fan of Phil Spector’s production flourishes on Let It Be. In Rolling Stone‘s original review of the album, writer John Mendelsohn also criticized Spector’s superfluous additions, saying the famed Wall of Sound producer rendered “The Long and Winding Road” “virtually unlistenable with hideously cloying strings and a ridiculous choir” when compared to the version that appeared on the Get Back bootlegs in May, 1969. After years of dissatisfaction with the released version, McCartney announced plans to put out Let It Be… Naked in November 2003, which stripped the Let It Be songs of Spector’s ornate production.   (Daniel Kreps – Rolling Stone)

Finally, here’s the sound of  “Get Back” in an early incarnation, in rehearsal with John singing lead instead of Paul, and clearly the words to the song are still coming together….

See also: Label Variations – Part Two – Let It Be

Japanese Beatles EP Box Set

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It must have been 27 years ago. It was a chance visit to a local record shop in Forestville, a northern suburb of Sydney, Australia.

Back then “record” stores were just that. They sold vinyl records. However, at the time many were in a state of transition. Compact Discs had just come out and the writing was very much on the wall for the humble vinyl record. At the time this record shop was in the process of getting rid of it’s vinyl, settling into the retailing of CD’s, and transitioning to become a video movie hire shop – on the way out of music all together.

I walked in for a look around and saw this small box set on one of the shelves:

Box set – The Beatles E.P.’s Collection

It was sitting alone. Catalogue number: Odeon Mono EAS-30013-26.

You had the definite feeling that it had been on that shelf quite some time….had not sold…and the owners were definitely keen to shift it. I took it down and noticed it didn’t have a price sticker on it. I also noticed that amongst the individual vinyl singles they still had displayed that they’d opened at least one other similar box set to break up the contents and sell the EP records it contained individually.

I walked up to the counter and asked “How much is this one?”, holding up the box set. “You can have it for A$25.00”, said the guy behind the counter. Now, back then it wasn’t dirt cheap, but it was cheap for the quality of this mint, red vinyl Japanese copy of the entire Beatles Extended Play vinyl discs. I bought it.

What you see here is that same box set from all those years ago.

Beatles E.P.’s Collection – box spine

This Japanese release is the same as the U.K. set, except that all fifteen records inside are pressed on red vinyl and the two-record Magical Mystery Tour is in mono instead of stereo. All discs in fact are mono – except The Inner Light, which is in stereo.

The Beatles E.P.’s Collection – lid opening

Each of the fifteen EP records inside come with plastic covers:

All the discs have plastic covers

Another interesting thing is that these discs play at 33 and 1/3 r.p.m, not the usual 45 r.p.m. There’s a paper sheet inside (in Japanese) with some information about the release:

Beatles E.P.’s – paper insert sheet

The famed 2-record EP Magical Mystery Tour comes complete with the gatefold and booklet just like the original, and as already mentioned, is in mono:

Mono Japanese Magical Mystery Tour

And all the discs come pressed in a delicious-looking transparent red vinyl, and all with the original cover artwork:

The lovely red vinyl “Nowhere Man” EP

 Note the “33and 1/3 r.p.m.” on the left-hand side of the label.

The red vinyl again – and each disc has plastic inner sleeves

Apparently this Japanese red vinyl edition also came out in a black vinyl edition.

Amazing New Beatles Book

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This looks to be something special.

Thanks to Wogblog for alerting us to this. He’s featured it twice. First in his interesting post on Beatles boxed sets here, and in a review of one section more recently here.

Very accurately subtitled “A Pictorial Journey Through Beatles Record Sleeves From Around the World”, this book is comprehensively just that. Written by Joachim Noske, a German fellow who must be one of the most avid Beatles record collectors of all time,  “The Beatles Covered” delves into his extensive personal collection. As Noske says: “On 800 LP sized pages printed in full colour throughout, it is a trip through more than sixty countries and territories on five continents and shows you an amazing array of original and reissue Beatles record covers the way they were released at the time in the respective markets across the world. It contains well over 14,000 pictures of singles, EPs, LPs, flexi-discs, 78 rpm shellac records, coloured vinyl records, picture discs, and boxed sets of legitimately available Beatles material, which, besides their EMI output, also includes their pre-fame recordings in Hamburg (with Tony Sheridan and at the Star Club), their Decca audition set, as well as interview and documentary discs. This world discography of Beatles vinyl records is arranged geographically by continents and countries, and contains an appendix that focuses on a number of thematic issues, such as The Beatles Collection blue boxed set, their Christmas recordings and the Magical Mystery Tour releases, amongst others.”

Visit the special site set up to feature the book – there is a lot to click through, including many page examples of what’s inside, press clippings and reviews, and details about how you can order it. The book is limited to 500 signed copies.

Author Joachim Noske, sitting in front of some of his impressive collection of records (photo: Sergej Lepke)

Dezo Hoffmann – The Beatles Conquer America

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I was in Lismore in New South Wales last week (it’s a small-ish Australian country town in the north of the state). Once I’d completed my work business there I had about 40 minutes to spare before my plane home, so I went for a walk around the town’s CBD. You can probably guess that I can’t resist a second hand/old wares shop when I find one. Especially the one I did find, which was advertising “All Books Half Price”.

Inside this store was a treasure trove. Not only are most walls lined chock-full with old books of all sorts, but there’s antique furniture, old toys, art works, advertising signs, glassware, ornaments and all sorts of collectables.

They had a crate of old records and, while there were some interesting things there from other artists, no Beatles or Beatles-related sadly. “Do you have a music section in the books?”, I asked. “Well, we haven’t got much, but its over there.”, said the sales assistant, pointing to my right.

They actually had four Beatles books.  1. A hardback copy (in pretty good condition) of Peter Brown’s book “The Love You Make – An Insider’s Story of the Beatles” (1983);  2. An original paperback of a book based on the film “Help!” (1965) written by Al Hine (in just reasonable condition);  3. An original paperback called “Love Me Do – The Beatles Progress” (1964) by Michael Braun, similar in vintage and condition to the “Help!” book; and 4. “The Beatles Conquer America”, a book of photographs taken by Dezo Hoffmann.

I already have Peter Brown’s book and, while tempting as they are collectable items, the two old paperbacks were not in the greatest condition. Also, even at half price were reasonably expensive. So, I went for the Dezo Hoffmann book:

Front Cover - The Beatles Conquer America

For a book that came out in 1984 it was in almost mint condition. It contains some absolutely fantastic and rare photographs, and at the half-price cost of just A$7.50, it was a bargain addition to the collection. The black and white photographs were all taken between January 14 and February 22, 1964 when Dezo Hoffmann accompanied the Beatles from London to New York, Washington, Miami, and then back to London. It was their first American tour, and the Beatles as a pop phenomenon was really kicking into gear…

Rear cover - The Beatles Conquer America

The book also contains photos from a short tour to Paris prior to the US visit. Dezo Hoffmann was a Beatles insider – having taken an interest in photographing the band from well before their meteoric rise to fame. As such he got unique access – as seen throughout this book. Dezo also writes a short description of the background to each photograph. Here’s a quick flip through just a couple of the pages:

There is very much a “fly on the wall” feel to these photographs. They capture the Beatles at ease and enjoying themselves away from the fans, enjoying performing, and just soaking up the success that was coming their way.

If you don’t think you’ve ever seen a Dezo Hoffman image of the Beatles before, you might know this one:

Click here for a larger image and some official info on this release. In looking around for additional information on Dezo Hoffmann I found an interesting page about how his original shot outside the BBC was manipulated for this now famous cover.

As well as historic photographs, Dezo Hoffmann also took many informal home movies on location with the Beatles:

Time Magazine – The Beatles Final Year

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Time Magazine online is currently running an interesting photo-essay detailing the events surrounding the demise of the world’s greatest band. Click here to see and read their tribute, in this the 40th anniversary since the Beatles split. They say: “The band’s internal feuds boiled over into public view on April 10, 1970, when Paul McCartney announced his intention to leave the group”.

Time also has a special on the Top Ten Band Breakups, of which the Beatles (of course) are number one on the list.

40th Anniversary of Beatles Breakup – Special Programs are Under Way

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The ABC Radio weekend of special programming in Australia to mark the 40th Anniversary of the breakup of the Beatles is now under way. To listen:

Windows Audio

Real Audio

Here’s the schedule of documentary programs – most of which are from the BBC, many of which have never been heard in Australia before and are rarely heard overseas.

You’ll hear tracks and rare moments from the Beatles along with the following full docos (all times Australian Eastern Standard Time):

Saturday April 10
8:00am Nothing’s Gonna Change My World
9:20am The Beatles Story
2:53pm The White Album at 40
3:50pm Songwriters – Lennon and McCartney
4:04pm Nothing’s Gonna Change My World
5:26pm The Beatles At The Beeb Take 2
6:23pm The Beatles Story

Sunday April 11
0:08am Songwriters – Lennon and McCartney
0.22am The Making of Sgt Pepper
1:18am The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes
8:02am Nothing’s Gonna Change My World
9:23am The White Album at 40
10:21am The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes
5:04pm Nothing’s Gonna Change My World
6:29pm The Beatles Story
Midnight ABC Beatles ends

Further info here.

Enjoy!

More on Beatles Breakup and the Special Australian 40th Anniversary Broadcasts

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This weekend (10 & 11 April) is the 40th anniversary of the day Paul McCartney told the world  that his songwriting partnership with John Lennon was over – forever. 

It was effectively the first public confirmation that the Beatles as a group were no more. It was also another action by Paul that upset his former companions.

Privately John, George and Ringo had each individually, for short periods and at different times, told the others that they had “left the group” due to being frustrated with each other, but most often due to being frustrated with Paul – who seemed the one most locked in to trying to keep the band together. That it was Paul who made the first public move to announce the dissolution of the group just drove a wedge further between them all – especially John.

If you’re around this weekend Australian radio is marking the end of the world’s greatest band by playing a series of special programs.  ABC Radio has created a special digital radio station just for the weekend called ABC Beatles:   

On ABC Digital Radio and streaming online, beginning at 8am (Eastern Australian Time), Saturday 10th April and continuing until midnight Sunday 11th April, ABC Beatles will give listeners the opportunity to hear rare and exclusive material drawn from the depths of the BBC Radio archives. The broadcast will include an in-depth history of the band, interviews and recordings from their visits to BBC studios and documentaries never broadcast in Australia.

To get to the online streaming (Windows Media & Real Audio) click through to this page and follow the links.

40th Anniversary of Beatles Break Up – Special Broadcasts This Weekend

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Here’s some news for Beatles fans.

This coming weekend (10 & 11 April) marks the 40th anniversary of Paul McCartney formally announcing the break-up of the Beatles. He was about to release this album:

"McCartney" April, 1970

McCartney issued a press release in the form of a self-interview that was inserted into early promo copies of his first-ever solo album. It went something like this (I’ve highlighted the most telling question that signaled the Lennon/McCartney partnership was over – forever):

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
FROM: Paul McCartney
DATE: April 9, 1970

Q: “Why did you decide to make a solo album?”

PAUL: “Because I got a Studer four-track recording machine at home, practiced on it (playing all the instruments)- liked the results, and decided to make it into an album.”

Q: “Were you influenced by John’s adventures with the Plastic Ono Band and Ringo’s solo LP?”

PAUL: “Sort of, but not really.”

Q: “Are all songs by Paul McCartney alone?”

PAUL: “Yes, sir.”

Q: “Will they be so credited: McCartney?”

PAUL: “It’s a bit daft for them to be Lennon/McCartney-credited, so ‘McCartney’ it is.”

Q: “Did you enjoy working as a solo?”

PAUL: “Very much. I only had me to ask for a decision, and I generally agreed with me. Remember, Linda’s on it too, so it’s really a double act.”

Q: “What is Linda’s contribution?”

PAUL: “Strictly speaking, she harmonizes, but of course it’s more than that, because she’s a shoulder to lean on, a second opinion, and a photographer of renown. More than all this, she believes in me- constantly.”

Q: “Where was the album recorded?”

PAUL: “At home, at EMI (no. 2 studio), and at Morgan Studios. (Willesden!)”

Q: “What is your home equipment– in some detail?”

PAUL: “Studer four-track machine. I only had, however, one mike, and as Mr. Pender, Mr. Sweathenham and others only managed to take six months or so (slight delay) I worked without VU meters or a mixer, which meant that everything had to be listened to first for distortion, etc, then recorded. So the answer– Studer, one mike, and nerve.”

Q: “Why did you choose to work in the studios you chose?”

PAUL: “They were available. EMI is technically very good and Morgan is cozy.”

Q: “The album was not known about until it was nearly completed. Was this deliberate?”

PAUL: “Yes, because normally an album is old before it even comes out. (aside) Witness GET BACK.”

Q: “Why?”

PAUL: “I’ve always wanted to buy a Beatles album like people do and be as surprised as they must be. So this was the next best thing. Linda and I are the only two who will be sick of it by the release date. But we love it really.”

Q: “Are you able to describe the texture or feel of the album?”

PAUL: “Home, family, love.”

Q: “How long did it take to complete- from when to when?”

PAUL: “From just before Christmas, until now. ‘The Lovely Linda’ was the first thing I recorded at home and was originally to test the equipment. That was around Christmas.”

Q: “Assuming all the songs are new to the public, how new are they to you? Are they recent?”

PAUL: “One was from 1959– ‘Hot As Sun.’ Two are from India– ‘Junk’ and ‘Teddy Boy.’ And the rest are pretty recent. ‘Valentine Day,’ ‘Momma Miss America’ and ‘Oo You’ were ad-libbed on the spot.”

Q: “Which instruments have you played on the album?”

PAUL: “Bass, drums, acoustic guitar, lead guitar, piano, organ, mellotron, toy xylophone, bow and arrow.”

Q: “Why did you play all the instruments yourself?”

PAUL: “I think I’m pretty good.”

Q: “Will Linda be heard on all future records?”

PAUL: “Could be. We love singing together and have plenty of opportunity for practice.”

Q: “Will Paul and Linda become a John and Yoko?”

PAUL: “No, they will become a Paul and Linda.”

Q: “Were you influenced by their work?

PAUL: “No.”

Q: “Will they or who will receive the first copies?

PAUL: “The press.”

Q: “What has recording alone taught you?”

PAUL: “That to make your own decisions about what you do is easy, and playing with yourself is very difficult but satisfying.”

Q: “Who did the cover?”

PAUL: “Linda came up with and took the photos, and she and I designed tha album cover.

[The following question was not part of the original press release, but appears in some sources on the web.]

Q: “Is it true that neither Allen Klein nor ABKCO have been nor will be in any way involved with the production, manufacturing, or promotion of this new album?”

PAUL: “Not if I can help it.”

Q: “Did you miss the other Beatles and George Martin? Was there a moment when you thought, ‘I wish Ringo were here for this break?'”

PAUL: “No!”

Q: “Assuming this is a very big hit album, will you do another?”

PAUL: “Even if it isn’t, I will continue to do what I want, when I want.”

Q: “Are you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?”

PAUL: “No.”

Q: “Is this album a rest away from the Beatles or the start of a solo career?”

PAUL: “Time will tell. Being a solo means it’s ‘the start of a solo career…’ and not being done with the Beatles means it’s just a rest. So it’s both really.”

Q: “Is your break with the Beatles temporary or permanent, due to personal differences or musical ones?”

PAUL: “Personal differences, business differences, musical differences, but most of all because I have a better time with my family. Temporary or permanent? I don’t know.”

Q: “Do you foresee a time when Lennon/McCartney becomes an active songwriting partnership again?”

PAUL: “No.”

Q: “What do you feel about John’s peace effort? The Plastic Ono Band? Giving back his MBE? Yoko?

PAUL: “I love John and respect what he does, but it doesn’t really give me any pleasure.”

Q: “Were any of the songs on the album originally written with the Beatles in mind?”

PAUL: “The older ones were. ‘Junk’ was intended for ‘Abbey Road,’ but something happened. ‘Teddy Boy’ was for ‘Get Back,’ but something happened.”

Q: “Were you pleased with ‘Abbey Road’? Was it musically restricting?”

PAUL: “It was a good album. (No. 1 for a long time.).”

Q: “What is your relationship with Klein?”

PAUL: “It isn’t. I am not in contact with him, and he does not represent me any way.”

Q: “What is your relationship with Apple?”

PAUL: “It is the office of a company which I partly own with the other three Beatles. I don’t go there because I don’t like offices or business, especially when I am on holiday.”

Q: “Have you any plans to set up an independent production company?”

PAUL: “Yes, McCartney Productions.”

Q: “What are your plans now? A holiday? A musical? A movie? Retirement?”

PAUL: “My only plan is to grow up!”

Well, all this coming weekend ABC Digital Radio in Australia will be marking the anniversary with a continuous stream of special programs and documentaries (many sourced from the BBC and never before heard in this country) celebrating the music and the history of the band. If you have a digital radio and you live in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide or Perth you can hear the special programs on your radio. If you don’t have digital, or don’t live in any of those places you can still hear them streamed on the internet.

This is from the ABC Radio press release:

ABC Beatles: Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 April

On the 40th anniversary of Paul McCartney’s announcement that his songwriting partnership with John Lennon was over, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation is presenting a weekend of very special digital radio broadcasts to celebrate the band from Liverpool that changed the course of popular music.

On ABC Digital Radio (and online), beginning at 8am (Eastern Australian Time), Saturday 10th April and continuing until midnight Sunday 11th April, ABC Beatles will give listeners the opportunity to hear rare and exclusive material drawn from the depths of the BBC Radio archives. The broadcast will include an in-depth history of the band, interviews and recordings from their visits to BBC studios and documentaries never broadcast in Australia.

There will be online streaming links (Windows Media & Real Audio) via this page.

New Beatles Book Released This Month – Looks Interesting

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Pop culture historian Robert Rodriguez has a new Beatles book just out.

It’s the sequel to a previous title, “Fab Four FAQ: Everything Left to Know About the Beatles, and More!” This was released in 2007 and co-authored with Stuart Shea. It tells the story of the Beatles years in a new way – chronicling many previously unknown facts about the famous four and their recording career, friends, songs and lots of other stuff. It has its own dedicated web page.

Rodriguez newest is called “Fab Four FAQ 2.0: The Beatles’ Solo Years 1970-1980”.

As the title suggests this one looks at the group’s solo output over a ten-year period, and like the first book you can dip into it to discover facts and info that either you forgot or never knew about the recordings and lives of the Beatles as four individual artists. As with the first book, Rodriquez has created a stand-alone web page to accompany the book release. It is really worth a visit because it has some exclusive content not published in the book – including a free chapter you can download called “You Think You’re A Groove: Album Packaging”. In it Rodriguez takes a walk through some of the album art for many solo Beatles releases. Quite an interesting read for collectors of vinyl records and the often fascinating cover artwork they contained.

(The website for the first book is worth a visit too – it has an additional four free chapters to download and read). Rodriguez is nothing if not prolific.

Check out the latest book at Amazon. And there’s a review here.

Klaus Voormann – A Sidesman’s Journey

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One of the great artists and session men and part of the inner-circle of the Beatles for many years is Klaus Voormann.

He’s been a long-time friend and sometime collaborator and he has an album out looking back and celebrating that association with the group. I stumbled across this video which pretty much tells the back story to the making of the record, which is called “A Sidesman’s Journey”:

As you can see “A Sideman’s Journey” features guest appearances by Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as Beatle-related songs like George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” – here sung by Yusef Islam (Cat Stevens).

Voormann has known the Beatles since the Hamburg days and is an artist and bass player. For example, he drew the legendary cover for “Revolver”:

The Beatles - Revolver (1966)

Later Voormann also played bass on numerous Beatles solo projects including, amongst many others,  Lennon’s “Walls and Bridges” and “Imagine”, Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” and “Concert for Bangladesh”, and on the Ringo solo outings “Ringo” and “Goodnight Vienna”.  He was a founding member of the Plastic Ono Band.  See his biog entry in Wikipedia here.

Voormann’s new CD is made up of newly-recorded covers of some of the songs he helped make famous with the former Beatles plus many other artists over the years.

Well worth a listen.