In our last post we brought you the details of a terrific new documentary out now on DVD and BluRay about the life and work of George Martin.
The film is called simply “Produced by George Martin”.
It’s a fascinating journey through the amazing output and influence of a record producer who changed the world.
By answering the question below you could be the lucky owner of your very own copy, courtesy of Eagle Rock Entertainment. And the question is:
George Martin was never just about one band. There was also comedy, and in 1965 he produced, arranged and conducted the accompaniment for a mock, spoken version of the Beatles “A Hard Day’s Night”. Who was the performer?
The first correct answer to me at beatlesblogger@gmail.com will win a DVD copy of “Produced by George Martin”.
By the way, there are two great reviews of “Produced by George Martin” here and here.
He’s arguably the man who has most right to the title “The Fifth Beatle”.
George Martin produced, played on, and helped arrange the instrumentation for just about every Beatles LP. His influence on the band cannot be understated. But his talent wasn’t limited to just the greatest band of all time. George Martin was, and is, an amazingly prolific, varied and talented producer – and a new documentary about the totality of his work is on DVD and BluRay shelves now.
Called simply “Produced by George Martin” this documentary is a feature-length profile of Britain’s most celebrated record producer. Sir George talks about his childhood, his war experience, and his early days as a music student. The film was originally broadcast in 2011 as part of the BBC’s “Arena” series, but this version contains over 50 minutes of additional interviews not included in the TV broadcast.
George Martin really has had a career like no other. In the early ‘50s, he joined EMI/Parlophone and started working on orchestral music, music for children, and pioneered a range of hugely successful comedy records with Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Peter Ustinov and many others. Then, in 1962, he signed a band called the Beatles and everything changed. Together, George Martin and the group revolutionised pop music and recording techniques, forging probably the greatest producer/artist collaboration there will ever be.
“Produced By George Martin” features numerous classic clips of the artists he produced. It has new interviews with many of them including Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Michael Palin, Jeff Beck, Rolf Harris, Cilla Black, Millicent Martin and Bernard Cribbins. A fascinating man, and a compelling film:
Eagle Rock Entertainment has released “Produced By George Martin” on three configurations: DVD, Blu-ray and Digital Video.
COMING UP NEXT ON BEATLESBLOGGER – WIN YOUR VERY OWN COPY OF “PRODUCED BY GEORGE MARTIN”
We’ll be running a competition. All you’ll have to do is answer a simple question about the great George Martin and you could win. Just check back in a couple of days for details on how to enter.
“John Lennon lived and died in an era before computers, emails, twits, tweets, and twitters, hence he handwrote or typed letters and postcards to his family, friends, fans, strangers, newspapers, organisations, lawyers and the laundry. Most of his letters were funny, informative, campaigning, wise, mad, anguished, poetic. Sometimes they were heartbreaking. We know from his lyrics and his two books of poems that he had a way with words, but his letters have up to now never been collected and published, and in many cases their very existence has remained unknown.” – Hunter Davies
In the month that should have seen John Lennon’s 72nd birthday comes a great new and very insightful book – “The John Lennon Letters”:
This book features almost 300 letters that were recovered by famed Beatles biographer Hunter Davies with the help of major auction houses in the UK and US. They include a page from the “Daily Howl,” a homemade newspaper John created when he was 12 or 13; a page from a homemade book John penned at age 11; letters to relatives including his mother, father, son, half-sister, cousins and aunts; to his first wife Cynthia (including his first ever written correspondence to her which was a homemade card celebrating their first Christmas together); early fan letters, countless items to friends, journalists, dignitaries, record executives, and of course to the other Beatles.
The book reveals Lennon’s emotional states – highs and lows – and much about his songwriting. It includes hand-written Beatles set-lists, drawings, lyrics to never-recorded songs, and even grocery lists from the later parts of his life.
It is the first-ever compilation of John Lennon’s musings and paints a unique, intimate, and rather emotional portrait of one of music’s – and the world’s – most beloved and enigmatic figures.
(click images to see larger versions)
“The John Lennon Letters” is published by Little, Brown and Company.
The Beatles tune “Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite!” was inspired by an 1843 circus poster that John Lennon purchased at an antiques store and hung in his music room.
Now London designer and Beatles superfan Peter Dean has recreated this poster in obsessive detail. He went so far as to collaborate with a wood-engraving artist and had the final poster letterpress printed. The short film (above) has been made about the project. You can find a larger format version of it and a lot more info on a cool website at: http://kiteprint.com
Those of you following the debacle around the 50th anniversary re-issue of the Beatles “Love Me Do” vinyl single will be interested to know of a further BIG mistake on the now re-called disc.
Not only did EMI stuff up the version of the song on the A-side of the disc (see previous post on this), it is now emerging that there is also another big mistake.
They have put the wrong catalogue number on the B-side….
The “Love Me Do” single has the Parlophone Records catalogue number R-4949. However, on the B-side of the 50th anniversary reissue (which contains the song “P.S. I Love You”), EMI have printed the catalogue number R-4714:
(click on image to see a larger version)
That R-4714 catalogue number actually belongs to the 1960 Matt Monro release “Portrait of My Love”:
Hence some people on Ebay getting a bit carried away with their pricing on this one….
Some are even claiming this this mistake is the 2012 equivalent of the infamous “Butcher Cover” all over again and stating that the value of the re-called “Love Me Do” will just grow and grow. What do you think?
I’ve been away and out of circulation and so have missed the saga of the mis-pressed 50th anniversary single “Love Me Do”. But as reader Terry points out in the comments section for the post “Lots of Beatle Vinyl News – Part 2“, EMI has ludicrously pressed up and issued the single with the album version by mistake.
Just before the day it was to be released they sent out messages to retailers telling them to return them to EMI. Apple ordered that all recalled stock be destroyed, which would make the single an instant collector’s item.
It’s apparently all due to an error in the manufacturing process where the anniversary single was pressed with the album version of the song featuring Andy White on drums and Ringo Starr relegated to tambourine. The original single version however featured Starr on drums.
I had my order for “Love Me Do” in with the HMV online store and have returned home to find no less than four confusing emails from them. The first says my order has shipped. The second says the product was faulty and was recalled. If I still want the product I should not do anything as once replacement copies are received by HMV they will be shipped to me.
Then a third email saying the order has been cancelled and the original charge has been refunded to my credit card.
Finally, a fourth email saying (quote):
“We have now received restocks, and we are currently in a position to replace your order”
This is all very confusing. The listing for the single has now disappeared from the HMV site.
Of course, some have got out and are on sale on Ebay. I’ve already seen one “Buy It Now” selling for a crazy £250 pounds (that’s over A$395!). So, it is unclear at the moment if a corrected version will ever be issued.
October 4, 1962 saw a review in trade magazine “Record Retailer” of a debut single that was coming out the next day from a new band. It read:
“A new group from the Liverpool area. Their first record but they already have a strong following and this seems to be the strongest outsider of the week.”
“Love Me Do” by the Beatles was released on October 5, 1962 and the band was off on their journey. Within a week the single entered the UK chart at 49 and it was eventually to go as high as 17 while spending 18 weeks on the chart.
To celebrate this important date in the history of British rock, EMI records are releasing a replica of the original single in its original colourful house Parlophone paper sleeve. The audio is taken from the mono remaster of 2009 to ensure highest quality playback. This is a limited edition which will not be re-manufactured.
Featured Tracks
Side 1
Love Me Do (Original Single Version) (2009 – Remaster)
Side 2
P.S. I Love You (2009 – Remaster)
Well the news is well and truly out, and as usual Wogblog had it pretty much ahead of of anybody else (see his posts here, here, here, here, andhere). The guy is amazing.
Apple and EMI are about to formally announce that the entire digitally remastered Beatles stereo back-catalogue (released on CD back in 2009) is finally to be released on vinyl. The albums will be available individually, or collected in a limited edition (50,000 copies) box set:
Accompanying the box will be a new 252 page hardbound book written by Beatles historian Kevin Howlett, with dedicated chapters for every album a wealth of photos – many not used in the 2009 CD booklets:
The box set will contain all twelve studio albums, plus “Magical Mystery Tour” and “Past Masters – Volumes 1 & 2”, all sourced from the original master tapes:
Pressed using 180-gram, audiophile quality vinyl, the individual albums will also faithfully recreate the original artwork and come with the same extras as the original albums – for example the poster and four individual photographs with the “White Album”, and the cutout sheet and psychedelic inner sleave in “Sgt. Pepper”. As you can see below the labels (Parlophone and Apple) will be faithful to the originals too:
All-in-all this looks like it will have been worth the very long wait as a lot of time and effort has gone into preparing the vinyl for re-issue. Music Direct has some further technical information on the painstaking process of getting the vinyl properly and authentically pressed to an exacting standard.
The individual LPs and the box set and book will be released on November 12 in the UK and Europe, and on November 13 in the USA.
Official confirmation today that November 12th is to be the release date of Paul McCartney’s “Live Kisses” on DVD, BluRay and digital video:
It is a live film performance for the launch of his retro album “Kisses on the Bottom“. The press release which arrived in my inbox says:
November 12th will see the release of ‘Live Kisses’ – a stunning 13-song film, directed by Jonas Åkerlund, that captures the magic of an extraordinary evening in February of this year. In the intimate surroundings of Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, where Paul recorded much of his ‘Kisses On The Bottom’ album, he was reunited with the all-star musicians who joined him on the record to bring the songs to life for a once in a lifetime performance.
This was a concert unlike any Paul had given before. Without his famous Höfner bass in hand or in fact any musical instruments, Paul took his place behind the same microphone that has captured some of the most iconic voices in history to focus on his vocal delivery as he led the assembled A-list group of musicians through a collection of the standards he grew up listening to in his childhood, as well as his own original composition ‘My Valentine’.
Streamed live to the world online, ‘Live Kisses’ marked the launch of Paul’s ‘Kisses On The Bottom’ album. The film tells the story of how, with the help of Grammy Award-winning producer Tommy LiPuma, Diana Krall and her band, Paul created a critically acclaimed album, which featured guest appearances from Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder. The record represents a deeply personal journey through classic American compositions that a young Paul first heard his father perform on piano at home. Upon its release ‘Kisses…’ topped the US Billboard Jazz album chart at number 1, as well as charting Top 5 all around the world.
Bonus ‘Live Kisses’ material includes six versions of the ‘My Valentine’ music video, directed by Paul and starring Johnny Depp and Natalie Portman as well as a ‘Making My Valentine’ film. There are also two short films with behind the scenes footage filmed at the Mary McCartney album photoshoot for ‘Kisses On The Bottom’. The final extra is an interview with Paul and producer Tommy LiPuma talking about the story of the album, its conception and creation.
‘Live Kisses’ is an intimate and charming concert film which offers an insight into the music and songwriters that inspired Paul to go on to become the most successful songwriter and performer in modern history. Beautifully presented, ‘Live Kisses’ comes with a 40-page hardback book containing photographs from the day itself, including the rehearsals.
TRACKLISTING
1) I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter
2) Home (When Shadows Fall)
3) It’s Only A Paper Moon
4) The Glory Of Love
5) More I Cannot Wish You
6) We Three (My Echo, My Shadow And Me)
7) Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
8) My Valentine
9) Always
10) My Very Good Friend The Milkman
11) Bye Bye Blackbird
12) Get Yourself Another Fool
13) My One And Only Love
Recorded and filmed at Capitol Studios, Los Angeles, February 2012
Executive Producer: Paul McCartney
Directed by Jonas Åkerlund
BONUS FEATURES
1) ‘My Valentine’ Video: i) ‘My Valentine’ (Music Video)
ii) ‘My Valentine’ (Music Video – Natalie Portman One Take)
iii) ‘My Valentine’ (Music Video – Johnny Depp One Take)
iv) ‘My Valentine’ (Music Video – Split Screen)
v) ‘My Valentine’ (Music Video – Natalie Portman Edit)
vi) ‘My Valentine’ (Music Video – Johnny Depp Edit)
vii) Making ‘My Valentine’
Videos directed by Paul McCartney
Featuring Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp
2) Kisses On The Bottom Album Photo Shoot – Version One
3) Kisses On The Bottom Album Photo Shoot – Version Two
4) Kisses On The Bottom Album Interview – Paul McCartney and Tommy LiPuma interviewed by Robert Hilburn
There’s more at paulmccartney.com and the first of what appears to be a series of short “teaser” videos:
Anyone who collects Australian Beatles records seriously must have a copy of this newly-revised book – which came out just this week.
Jaesen Jones is an Australian collector who has produced what must be the most comprehensive reference on all the Australian Beatles releases. Now in a revised and expanded edition featuring over 60 new pages, this book answers just about about any question you’d have regarding all the variations available.
Since that book’s release in April last year, Jaesen has managed to uncover much more detailed information about the label typesetting process from industry insiders. This enabled him to confirm with greater accuracy the availability of some label styles, as well as include scans of many more label variations for easier identification (in fact, there’s an additional 12 pages just detailing label typesetting, including scans of 35 LP labels that collectively contain every font used on every Beatles LP issued by EMI Australia).
The new revised edition has been updated and expanded, with 60 new pages comprising sections on mechanical royalties and royalty stamps, custom pressings, contract pressings as well as many new images of sleeves, labels and ephemera. Most existing scans have been replaced with higher quality scans.
Like last time, only limited copies will be available (less than 300). And Jaesen says he’ll be releasing no more editions after this one.
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