Tag Archives: George Harrison

The Beatles and Why Music Matters

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The Beatles are up for the fight against music pirates. The surviving members of the band, and the estates of the late members, have pledged support for the anti-piracy campaign Music Matters by sanctioning a special animated short film featuring a selection of original Beatles music.

You may have seen this already (it’s been out for about a week now), but its so cute and catchy I’m adding the Beatles film below.
 
An eclectic range of recording artists are featured in this new online campaign. The Music Matters group describe themselves as “a collective of artists and people from across the industry, which has formed to remind music fans of the significance and value of music.” The group works to promote legal digital music and have posted a series of great little animated videos featuring the music of some big hitters including: The Beatles, Elbow, Kate Bush, Stevie Wonder, Nina Simone and Sigur Ros – to name just a few on the international site. There’s also an Australia/New Zealand sitewith a much smaller selection of videos using the music of Nick Cave, Eskimo Joe, Dave Dobyn and others. The Beatles’ film was animated and directed by Lee Gingold. According to Paul McCartney’s website, “The film focuses on the message that music is a shared experience and as such brings us all together, and for him that’s why music matters.”
 

The Beatles With Records – Part Two

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Since my earlier post about the Beatles being photographed actually holding the things they sold so many of – LP and single records – a few more photos have come to light. This first one is a very early publicity shot of the band with a copy of their very first album for Parlophone Records – from 1963 “Please Please Me“:

Trawling the web I came across a great photo of an obviously happy Ringo Starr with a pile of LPs and singles:

Here you can clearly see Ringo holding the Motown Record “Little Stevie Wonder – The 12 Year Old Genius” (from 1963):

He’s also got a copy of The Shirelles “Foolish Little Girl“, which again dates from 1963 leading to the conclusion that this photograph was taken in that year. The record is lying down, just near Ringo’s left hand:

And on top of that LP are a couple of 45 rpm singles. Its impossible to make out the title of the one we can see, but you can clearly make out the distinctive red and white label of Top Rank records. I wonder if it’s also The Shirelles? In Britain they were released on Top Rank – so it could very possibly be a copy of  “Baby Its You“, a song the Shirelles recorded in 1961 and which the Beatles themselves covered on “Please Please Me“:

I’ve also found  a photograph of Ringo with wife Maureen. They’re sitting at home in a flat they rented for some time in London’s Montague Square. Behind Ringo you can see on the shelf quite a large collection of LP’s, and if I’m nor mistaken Maureen is sitting on what, for the times, would have been quite a sophisticated “radiogram” or record player:

Here’s another of Ringo, once again with Maureen, clutching a copy of the Beatles “Yellow Submarine” LP:

I had a  a photo sent to me after the earlier blog post. It’s Paul with a copy of 1965’s “Rubber Soul“:

George Harrison features on the web photographed with records, some with easily identifiable discs and some not. This one is pretty easy to see. Its a lucky fan getting an autographed copy of “Help“:

Here’s George again, this time a shot taken in what looks to be the Apple offices. It’s him holding a copy of his second solo outing “Electronic Sound“, released on the Zapple label:

You can clearly see the rear artwork for the LP in the photo above. Below is a shot of the back cover of the LP:

And here’s another one of George again signing albums, but this time its very difficult to see just what they are:

In 1970 John and Yoko posed for some photographs to publicise their new records. John had “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band”, and Yoko had “Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band”. Both titles, on Apple Records, were released simultaneously. The front covers were almost identical, but the rear artwork of Yoko’s album showed her as a young girl, while John’s showed him as a young boy:

In the photo is also “The Wedding Album” box set, which came out in 1969. The photo below is taken at the same session:

As I said, the front cover artwork of these two LP’s is difficult to tell apart. “John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band” has John leaning against Yoko:

While “Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band” has Yoko leaning against John:

Very subtle.

Finally, a photograph of Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein. He’s holding a copy of the controversial 1966 US Capitol Records release “Yesterday and Today“. This is the famous “Butcher Cover” LP. Maybe he’s contemplating the new photograph that Capitol was forced to paste over all the original issues of the album:

This is the more acceptable “trunk” cover shot that Capitol put on over the top of the original artwork:

And this is what it replaced:

The interesting thing about the Epstein photograph is that what he is holding appears to be an early mock-up of the replacement artwork. If you look closely there is no song list at the top and the font for the words “Yesterday and Today” is different to that used on the final version. Interesting.

Don’t forget, if you have any other photographs of the Beatles actually listening to or holding singles or LP’s you can send them to me at:  beatlesblogger@gmail.com

You can see the other parts in “The Beatles with Records” series here:  Parts 1, 3, 4, 5 , 6, 7 , 8, 9 , 10 , 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17.

Thinking About Abbey Road Studios at 80

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I stumbled today upon an article on (of all places) the computer/gadget specialist site CNet. It is about the famed EMI Abbey Road studios in St. John’s Wood, London – the site of so much fantastic recorded music including just about all the songs recorded, in one way or another, by the Beatles. The studios have just turned 80 years old and it got me thinking about what an important role this particular pile of bricks and mortar on a nondescript street has played in the history of popular and classical music – not the least of which is the music of the the Beatles.

If George Martin is often referred to as “the fifth Beatle” then surely Abbey Road could be regarded as one of the instruments they played – with as much importance to the Beatles sound as the Gibson acoustics, the Gretsch and Epiphone electrics, the Ludwig drums, and the famous Hofner bass.

The CNet article has some very interesting observations made during a recent tour of the famous building and it’s numerous rooms – so many of which are associated with Beatles tracks. You have got to scroll through the thirty photographs taken during CNet’s visit. Its a terrific tour with some great shots for both Beatles fans and technical nerds alike.

The studio itself has a website which is worth a visit every now and again to catch up on their news – one of the latest of which is the remastering of the Beatles “Anthology” series for digital download.

So much happened at this one address – including the Beatles themselves honoring their home-away-from-home with an album bearing the studio’s name.

Abbey Road photo session - August 8, 1969

Then there was the heritage listing for that famous zebra crossing out the front….and the zebra crossing web cam, now complete with live street sounds. Its no longer in exactly the same spot as the photo on the front of the “Abbey Road” album having been moved down the road a bit from the studios – but countless fans still come each day, month, and year to be photographed striding across it.

Happy 80th birthday Abbey Road Studios. Here’s to 80 more years.

Concert for Bangladesh at 40

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The official Beatles site, the George Harrison site, the iTunes Store, and a special site created just for the purpose all have it: that the 40th anniversary of the staging of “The Concert for Bangladesh”, and the subsequent release of the film and the records of the same name, will be suitably celebrated – only this time monies raised will go to UNICEF to assist those facing the 2011 disaster of famine in the Horn of Africa.

Forty years after the historic concert, which in 1971 raised so much to help the starving in Bangladesh, comes the first digital download of the music. The Beatles site carries this press release:

To celebrate the anniversary and honor Harrison’s legacy of giving back, the U.S. Fund for UNICEF today announces a special ‘Month of Giving’ donation campaign in August for the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF, helping to provide emergency relief for children in famine and drought-stricken regions in the Horn of Africa. All after-tax proceeds from sales of The Concert for Bangladesh album on iTunes will directly benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF. iTunes, Apple Records Inc., and all artists, songwriters and publishers associated with the concert will keep no income from each sale and have waived all fees.

The iTunes release of The Concert for Bangladesh album includes Harrison’s “Bangla Desh” studio single, originally released July 5, 1971, as an exclusive bonus track. A 5-minute video trailer for the album and a 49-minute radio program about The Concert for Bangladesh are also now available as free streams on iTunes.

In a worldwide, 72-hour online event, The Concert for Bangladesh feature film will be available for free streaming in its entirety from Saturday, July 30 through Monday, August 1 on iTunes.com/thebeatles, GeorgeHarrison.com and TheConcertForBangladesh.com.

When George Harrison was asked in 1971 why he chose to focus his time and talents on The Concert for Bangladesh, he replied, “Because I was asked by a friend if I would help, that’s all.” Monday, August 1 marks 40 years since Harrison and his friend Ravi Shankar, along with several other top music stars, including Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, and Billy Preston, shared the stage at Madison Square Garden for two history-making concerts to alert the world to the plight of the Bangladeshi people, victims of simultaneous floods, famine and civil war.

The groundbreaking Concert for Bangladesh and its award-winning double album and feature film releases have since inspired other major, entertainment-led charitable initiatives, including Bob Geldof’s LIVE AID and LIVE8, Willie Nelson’s Farm Aid, and Hope For Haiti Now.

During the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF’s Month of Giving in August, all donations to the Fund will benefit UNICEF’s life-saving programs for children in the Horn of Africa. To jump start this fundraising initiative, the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF is immediately releasing $1 million to UNICEF for emergency efforts in the Horn of Africa.

The Horn of Africa is facing what is being called the worst drought in 60 years, and famine has been declared by the United Nations in two regions of southern Somalia. More than 2 million children are acutely malnourished, including half a million children who are at imminent risk of death if they do not receive immediate lifesaving assistance.

“Forty years ago this August, the friendship between George Harrison and Ravi Shankar forever changed music and the lives of countless Bangladeshi children. Today millions of children in the Horn of Africa desperately need our help. We are humbled by the outpouring of support from the music community led by Olivia Harrison, Apple Records and our friends at iTunes,” said President and CEO of the U.S. Fund for UNICEF Caryl Stern.

Says Ravi Shankar, “I’m so moved that this concert, which emerged from my close friendship with George, is regarded as historically significant 40 years on and continues to inspire musicians of all generations.”

A brief video message with information about how to help is available for streaming on georgeharrisonfundforunicef.org and on iTunes. In the U.S., supporters can text FRIEND to UNICEF (864233) to give $10 to the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF (messaging and data rates apply), or visit TheConcertForBangladesh.com to donate and learn more.

Go there. See what you can do to help.

See also this unusual LP copy of “The Concert for Bangladesh”.

The Beatles Forever

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Nicholas Schaffner wrote this book in 1977, and I gather from what I’m reading on the web that it was, in it’s time, something of a Beatles “bible” for readers back then. So far this book has eluded me – so its good to have an original paperback copy now in the collection.

“The Beatles Forever” has subsequently been reprinted numerous times and the current cover looks like this. But the copy I found last weekend in an old-wares/antiques/records and second-hand book shop has the original cover above. This is a paperback copy.

It is genuinely one of the first really comprehensive survey’s of the band’s output in terms of their record releases, rarities and memorabilia – all accompanied by fairly detailed text describing the history of the Beatles and giving the context in which records were released and the collectable nature of a wide range of Beatles items. There are extensive photographs of the band as well as photos of albums, singles and memorabilia – but all in black and white. I won’t go into a detailed analysis of the contents because this has already been done by a range of writers who have reviewed and critiqued “The Beatles Forever”. Probably the most comprehensive is by Donald Sauter – who has written extensively on his Beatles collection and reminiscences from his youth. His article also contains a small selection of the many photos from the book. There is another interesting page on the book here.

Its a handy reference book to have in the collection – even though it came out more than 30 years ago. It still has lots of information and insights.

George Harrison Film Premiere, DVD, Book and CD Announced

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Today on georgeharrison.com comes the formal announcement and official details of the Martin Scorsese film “George Harrison: Living in the Material World“.  Here’s an extract from the press release:

“George Harrison: Living in the Material World” focuses the imaginative and inspired eye of one of cinema’s most pre-eminent filmmakers on one of the world’s most influential men. The film takes viewers on the musical and spiritual voyage that was George Harrison’s life, much of it told in his own words. The result is deeply moving and touches each viewer in unique and individual ways.

Academy Award-winning director Martin Scorsese traces Harrison’s life from his musical beginnings in Liverpool through his life as a musician, a seeker, a philanthropist, and filmmaker. Scorsese weaves together interviews with Harrison and his closest friends, performances, home movies, and photographs. Much of the material in the film has never been seen (or heard) before. The result is a rare glimpse into the mind and soul of one of the most talented artists of his generation and a profoundly intimate and affecting work of cinema.

The film includes interviews with Eric Clapton, Terry Gilliam, Eric Idle, George Martin, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Tom Petty, Phil Spector, Ringo Starr and Jackie Stewart. They speak honestly and frankly about George’s many talents and contradictions.

The film was produced by Scorsese, Olivia Harrison and Nigel Sinclair. Margaret Bodde served as the film’s executive producer and the film was edited by David Tedeschi (who previously worked with Scorsese, Bodde and Sinclair on the Grammy Award-winning “No Direction Home: Bob Dylan” and with Scorsese and Bodde on the Rolling Stone concert film “Shine A Light”).

Scorsese comments, “Like so many millions of people, I first came to know George through the music, which was the soundtrack of our world. The Beatles’ music, those beautifully lyrical guitar breaks and solos, those unforgettable songs of George’s, like “I Me Mine” or “If I Needed Someone,” and the images, in magazines, on album covers, the TV appearances, the newsreel footage, the Richard Lester movies; and then there was the world after the Beatles, when George and his music seemed to open up and flower. I will never forget the first time I heard All Things Must Pass, the overwhelming feeling of taking in all that glorious music for the first time. It was like walking into a cathedral. George was making spiritually awake music – we all heard and felt it – and I think that was the reason that he came to occupy a very special place in our lives. So when I was offered the chance to make this picture, I jumped at it. Spending time with Olivia, interviewing so many of George’s closest friends, reviewing all that footage, some of it never seen before, and listening to all of that magnificent music – it was a joy, and an experience I’ll always treasure.”

Olivia Harrison notes, “Martin Scorsese’s intuition towards George was evident the first time we met to discuss this project. He sensed what George was about: his music, his strong beliefs, his art, his place in the Beatles story, and his extraordinary life afterwards. Marty’s wonderful film has found all of that and more.”

“This film was an extraordinary journey for all involved and it has been a sheer pleasure working with Martin Scorsese and Olivia Harrison to bring the amazing story and legacy of George Harrison to life,” adds Sinclair.

“George Harrison: Living in the Material World” will be released in the UK on 10th October in three editions – DVD, Blu-ray and DVD Double play (DVD/ BD combi pack), and a beautifully packaged DVD / Blu-Ray Deluxe Edition, which includes an exclusive CD of previously unheard tracks from George Harrison, and a book of photography to accompany the film.

In the United States HBO has acquired the TV broadcast rights to Scorsese’s film, which will debut in two parts — on October 5 and October 6, 2011.

In late September, Abrams Books will publish Olivia Harrison’s “George Harrison: Living in the Material World“, a personal archive of photographs, letters, diaries, and memorabilia from George’s life that reveals the arc of his life, from his guitar-obsessed boyhood in Liverpool, to the astonishment of the Beatles years, to his days as an independent musician and bohemian squire. The book release is intended to coincide with the release of Scorsese’s film.

Previously Unseen Beatles Photographs

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The fine art auctioneers Christie’s in New York will next month auction some pretty impressive and previously unseen Beatles photographs from 1964.

They come from a collection of photos of the group shot by photographer Mike Mitchell. At age 18 he was at the Washington Coliseum in Washington, D.C. for the Beatle’s first US concert, two days after their historic Ed Sullivan appearance.

Christie’s is calling the event “The Beatles Illuminated: The Discovered Works of Mike Mitchell“. Their website says it’s:

“….a sale comprised of nearly 50 lots of unpublished and never-before-seen photographs of the Beatles’ first hysteria-inducing visits to America in 1964. Shot in black and white by photographer Mike Mitchell when he was just 18 years old, the images have been filed away for nearly fifty years. The complete rediscovered collection is expected to realize in the region of $100,000.

Over eight thousand fans packed into the Washington Coliseum on February 11th, 1964 and they were treated to the Beatles at their very best. The Washington Coliseum was not only their first American concert but also by far the largest venue in which the Beatles had ever played. Its unique setup – it was often used for boxing matches – meant that the Beatles were surrounded on all sides by an adoring, cheering audience. The Beatles were clearly delighted and having a great time on stage, sharing all of the enthusiasm of the crowd. Here they were, performing in America, the land of their musical heroes and cultural icons, the home of Elvis and Chuck Berry – who’s “Roll Over Beethoven” was chosen by the Beatles to begin the show – and Little Richard, who’s “Long Tall Sally” was chosen to end it. The concert given at the Washington Coliseum was part of a defining moment in the Beatles’ career, and it remains both an important event and a notable place in their story. And Mike Mitchell was there to capture it.”

Yahoo has quite a nice photo gallery here. There’s an absolute ripper shot of Ringo in full flight and absolutley enjoying himself:

Are You A Beatles Autograph Hunter?

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I’m not, but I was kind of intrigued reading this article about a forthcoming auction of an autographed copy of the Beatles US LP “Meet The Beatles!” from 1964.

Signed on the rear cover by all four Beatles on the eve of their legendary Ed Sullivan Show TV appearance, the record comes from the estate of  Dr Jules Gordon who treated an ailing George Harrison at New York’s Plaza Hotel, the hotel where the Beatles were staying during their first US visit.

George was suffering from a very sore throat and Dr Gordon, the house physician at the hotel, was called upon to treat him. In fact, at one stage it looked like he might not be able to perform at all on the TV show – which broke the band big time in the US.

The auction is being conducted by Case Antiques. Their May 21 auction is billed as a “Fine Art and Antique Auction” – and hidden away on page 15 of the 37-page internet listing, in amongst the furniture and artworks, is the signed Beatles album. To save you time here’s a link to that page. Click on the album to bring up some more pictures and details. The auction listing describes the item as:

“Very good condition. 12-1/4″ H x 12-1/4″ W. Provenance: From the estate of Dr. Jules Gordon, the New York physician who treated George Harrison for a sore throat on February 8, 1964, the day before their American television debut on the Ed Sullivan Show. Refer to the New York Times Article dated February 9, 1964 by Thomas Buckley which names Dr. Gordon and describes the doctor’s treatment of Harrison as well as events surrounding their New York appearance”:

Its sobering to think that a simple sore throat could very well have changed the course of popular music history….

Budget Beatles

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For many years now Apple Records have pursued a deliberate policy of maintaining the entire Beatles recorded catalogue as a premium product and brand.

Compact Discs (and vinyl LP’s in an earlier time) are very rarely discounted or put on “sale” with discounted prices. They always come with a high recommended retail price. The long-running fight with iTunes (which saw Beatle songs unavailable for download for years) only added to this perception in the marketplace giving the Beatles product an aura of exclusivity stretching right back through their entire back-catalogue.

However, that doesn’t mean that the Beatles music, both as a group and as individual artists, has never been re-packaged and offered at a discount prices over the years.

In the vinyl days this came in the form of a small number of selected albums being re-issued on the Music for Pleasure label in Britain and Europe, on the Fame label in Britain and Europe, and on the Axis label here in Australia. Many of these titles came with unique covers and labels, making them collectable items for fans.

The Music for Pleasure (or MFP) label was set up in Britain as a joint venture between EMI Records and the Paul Hamlyn group – which was better known as a book publisher. The result of the deal meant that these titles were largely sold in supermarkets and department stores rather than the traditional record shops of the day. As a result of the EMI connection most titles on the label came from the rich and extensive EMI back-catalogue of artists, both classical, jazz and popular.  The complete listing of all releases can be found here.

The first Beatles album to be re-released as an MFP title was “At the Hollywood Bowl” from 1977. The cover has a variation in the typeset and the way the title is displayed, and of course there’s that MFP logo in the top right-hand corner:

The Beatles album “Rock’n’Roll Music”, initially issued as a gatefold double album on the Parlophone (UK) and Capitol (US) in 1976 was re-issued on the MFP budget label in Britain in 1980 and instead of being a double LP, you could buy these as two separate discs, “Rock’n’Roll Music Vol. 1” and “Rock’n’Roll Music Vol. 2”:

Also in 1980 came three re-issues of solo Beatles work. John Lennon’s “Mind Games” (originally released in 1973); George Harrison’s “Dark Horse” (originally from 1974); and Ringo Starr’s self-titled “Ringo” (also originally from 1973). Lennon’s “Mind Games” had a unique cover – a kind of mash up image from the original LP:

George’s “Dark Horse” got a unique treatment (using the image from the rear of the 1974 release), while Ringo’s LP front cover looked much the same, with the addition of his name in large letters across the top:

1981 saw an MFP re-issue of Lennon’s “Rock’n’Roll” album (with a slightly different cover to the original – the neon sign above his head was larger). Also in 1981 came Ringo’s compilation “Blast From Your Past”, and a second George Harrison MFP release “The Best of George Harrison” – with quite a different cover:

The budget Fame label (another EMI subsidiary which released both vinyl and CD’s as budget items between 1983 and 1994 in Britain and in Europe) issued just one actual Beatles title, the compilation “A Collection of Beatles Oldies”. This appeared on vinyl in 1983 and the front cover is distinguished only by a very small “Fame” logo written diagonally across the top right-hand corner of the LP. The rear cover is also the same as the original Parlophone one (but with  Fame logo at the bottom), and the LP came out with a Fame label:

Fame also re-issued three Beatles solo works on vinyl: the John Lennon “Plastic Ono Band” (in 1984); Paul McCartney’s self-titled “McCartney”; and George Harrison’s “Extra Texture”. Each of these came out using the green Apple label on the record itself. Here’s the cover of a German Fame pressing of “Extra Texture”. Again, note the Fame logo on the top right-hand side:

In 1987 and 1988 Fame also released the Paul McCartney and Wings titles “Wildlife”, “Red Rose Speedway”, “Venus and Mars” and “London Town” – all these (as far as I can tell) were issued on CD only.

In Australia EMI’s budget label was called Axis Records and it followed along the same lines as MFP. Axis released a range of very similar Beatles and solo titles, although it had some interesting and unique cover variations – and of course a label variation. The Beatles “A Collection of Beatles Oldies” was joined on Axis Records by their “Rock’n’Roll Music” compilation – again made available in two separate volumes like the MFP release – but with a slightly different cover to the British releases:

The Australian Axis “Rock’n’Roll Music” LP covers are pretty much the same as the budget Capitol US releases of these titles. There were a couple of Axis label variations for this title as well.

Axis also produced vinyl re-issues of Lennon’s “Plastic Ono Band”, “Mind Games” and “Rock’n’Roll” albums; Harrison’s “Dark Horse” and “The Best Of George Harrison”; McCartney and Wings “Wildlife”; and Ringo Starr’s “Ringo”. Note the Axis logo top right-hand side, and the title of the LP is printed as well on the top left:

The Axis “Best of George Harrison” got the same cover as the US Capitol records budget release. This cover image was also used by Parlophone/EMI for the official Australian LP, but is different to the UK’s Music For Pleasure re-issue, and different again from the CD release of the same title:

So, that’s a quick trawl through the collection for budget Beatles items. It’s not exhaustive, and if you’d like to add or comment please do by using the email beatlesblogger@gmail.com or by using the comment box below, or now by tweeting us onTwitter. We’re at beatleblogger.

Congratulations – “Concert for George” Winner

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A big thank you to all those who entered our “Concert for George” Blu-ray competition last week.

Unfortunately we can only have one winner and it is Joe from Jersey City, New Jersey, USA. Joe’s quote says it all:

“What a pleasant surprise. I never win anything!”

Joe was the first to email me with the correct answer to the question about which record the George Harrison song “Horse to Water” made it’s very first appearance. It was on the 2001 album “Small World, Big Band”, by British performer and TV show host Jools Holland and his Rhythm and Blues Orchestra.

We’ll be sending out the new Blu-ray to Joe today, courtesy of the distributors Rhino Entertainment.