Posts Tagged ‘Beatles’

Ever hear of the ‘The Savage Stage Bells‘? Probably not and neither did the fans who queued for a Glasvegas show at the legendary King Tut’s Whah Wah Hut on Wednesday night. The band’s facebook page had announced that the new act would be their support slot at their Glasgow charity gig. Since no information about the group could be found online fans were eager to get the show on the road and see who this surprise act would turn out to be.

The Official Charts Company have compiled the ultimate list of top selling albums in the UK. The top 40 list was put together for the BBC.

John Lennon’s son Sean recently posted a photo of a leotard and fishnet tights clad Lady Gaga playing his late father’s piano via his twitter account – but angry Beatles fans quickly urged him to remove it.

Acclaimed film director Robert Zemeckis is reportedly planning to make a new 3D version of The Beatles‘ 1968 animated film ‘Yellow Submarine‘.

The film will be made for Disney, who are said to be looking to secure the rights to the film’s legendary soundtrack which includes ‘Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band,’ ‘Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds,’ ‘With a Little Help From my Friends’, ‘All You Need Is Love’, ‘All Together Now’, ‘Baby You’re a Rich Man’ and ‘When I’m 64.’ The deal being struck by Disney would include plans for a new Broadway musical as well as the new film.

Previously unheard out-takes from sessions for The Beatles’ classic 1969 album Abbey Road will be transmitted for the first time in a documentary being aired as part of the BBC’s week-long series of programmes celebrating the legendary band.

The documentary, entitled ‘The Beatles on Record’, will consist exclusively of archive recordings of John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and their producer Sir George Martin, as they went through the process of recording the album in Abbey Road studios. The programme will document the rise and evolution in the sound of the group from their debut ‘Please Please Me‘, to their final album, ‘Abbey Road’. ‘The Beatles on Record’ will include over 60 songs, and rare photographs along with the studio outtakes.

Ben Sherman , one of  Britain’s leading clothing brand Icons is launching a range of clothing inspired by none other than the fab four , The Beatles.

Ben Sherman outlets are  making The Beatles Collection of four t-shirts, four button down shirts and a Harrington jacket, a style made popular by in the 1960s and 70s by mods,  available globally starting February and will also be selling the  line through  major retailers stocking the brand.

Beatles memorabilia and 60′s inspired images of the four band members including album covers and pop art images of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr will be featured on the clothing line.

The brand will be targeting a young buyer with its range and hopes it will also appeal to Beatles aficionados and fashion followers.

Apple Corps. currently holds the licence for the Beatles brand and  Caroline Mickler Limited is implementing its brand licensing strategy in the UK.

Says Caroline Mickler: “Ben Sherman and The Beatles are a perfect match, combining a genuine British heritage with powerful, worldwide brand recognition.”

The Beatles released their classic album ‘Revolver‘.

After the more simple pop singles that had launched the band to unprecedented success in 1963 and 1964, The Beatles sound and ambition had begun to push the band to new heights by the time they entered Abbey Road studios to begin sessions for their seventh studio album. The progression hinted at by tracks such as ‘Day Tripper’ and confirmed on previous record ‘Rubber Soul’ set the tone for the sessions, with John Lennon and Paul McCartney in particular entering the studio intent on pushing the band on still further.

The ambitions of the band were, as ever, matched by the crew working with them. Producer George Martin continued to be the perfect conduit for their ideas, while other engineers pushed the boundaries to realise the full potential of the songs. For example, EMI engineer Ken Townsend had invented Automatic Double Tracking, which created a double track without the need to record two separate takes. It is generally on John Lennon’s tracks where the innovation is most apparent. On ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’, engineer Geoff Emerick wired Lennon’s voice through a speaker to create the haunting effect of his vocals, while the use of tape loops on the track, another groundbreaking technique, also required a large degree of expertise amongst the crew. ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ again shows the dedication and new skills being poured into the album, featuring a dual guitar solo played backwards by George Harrison, which reportedly took six hours to perfect.

Paul McCartney’s more traditional songs bring more musical diversity to the record. His tracks feature a wide range of instruments, with ‘For No One’ featuring a Clavichord, while Alan Civil’s French Horn take for the song was in keeping with the high standards being set in the studio – the take was described as ‘the performance of his life’. The diversity of instruments is also a feature of ‘Eleanor Rigby‘, where George Martin again shows his talents, scoring the music which included violins, cellos and violas. Another McCartney track, ‘Got To Get You Into My Life’, heavily incorporates brass, bringing yet another musical layer to the album. The quality of McCartney’s input is undoubted; ‘For No One’ and ‘Here, There and Everywhere’ were both later described by Lennon as two of his favourite Beatles tracks.

The album is also notable for the real emergence of George Harrison as a songwriter. After solid contributions on some of The Beatles previous records, the strength and diversity displayed on his songs ‘Taxman’, ‘Love You To’ and ‘I Want To Tell You‘ confirmed his growing talents, as well as his influence by Indian music, which would define him as a songwriter for the rest of his career.

The album was another huge hit for the band upon it’s release. It immediately hit the top spot on the UK Album Chart, staying there for seven weeks and also stayed at the top of the US charts for 6 weeks after it’s release there a few months later. Now seen as a masterpiece, the album regularly appears in lists of the greatest albums ever and is credited with heralding in the psychedelic era in rock music.

Shortly after the release of ‘Revolver’ the band would quit touring and concentrate further on their progression in the studio. By the end of 1966, the band were back in Abbey Road to begin work on the follow up to ‘Revolver’, the seminal ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’.

A day before their last ever concert, the Beatles endured another press conference in Los Angeles on August 28 1966. They played Dodger Stadium as opposed to Hollywood Bowl on that day. Facing the same questions over & over and fed up with this routine, they appear slightly uneasy and even brushing off questions. This is the latter part of the 15 minute conference:

The Fab 4 drive the girls crazy in this 1965 classic!

Seattle, WA . June , 2009 — Presented by Roseta Productions, Apple Jam’s Beatles and solo years tribute will return to the Triple Door on August 7th 2009, for one show only. This two hour concert will spotlight solo Beatles material and unreleased Lennon-McCartney compositions, 45 years after the Fab Four’s first Seattle concert in 1964. This show will function as Apple Jam’s North American CD release event for “Off the Beatle Track“. “We are very excited to have Apple Jam back after selling out two prior shows in 2008″, says Scott Giampino of The Triple Door.

There will be a special guest performance by legendary drummer Alan White, of Yes, John Lennon’s “Imagine” & George Harrison’s “All Things Must Pass” landmark solo albums. Alan has generously lent his amazing drumming talents and memories to many of the previous Apple Jam shows.
Unreleased Beatles songs showcased on Apple Jam’s upcoming CD “Off the Beatle Track”

Apple Jam’s upcoming CD titled “Off the Beatle Track” showcases early Lennon/McCartney compositions released by others, but never by the Beatles while they were together. Instead, the songs were given to British contemporaries like Billy J. Kramer, Cilla Black, and Peter & Gordon. These artists in turn produced a sizable body of hits, including “Bad to Me”, “A World Without Love”, and “I’ll Be on My Way” — proving the quality and timeless nature of the Beatles songwriting and music. Interestingly, the Beatles first considered titling their debut album “Off the Beatle Track”, but later decided on “Please Please Me”.

“Off the Beatle Track” was recorded at the legendary Robert Lang Studio and produced by Jakael Tristram. To hear song samples, go to http://samples.offthebeatletrack.com. The rock veterans of Apple Jam have embodied each track with an authentic Beatles sound, as if the Liverpool lads had released these songs themselves circa 1963. “We are using the same microphones, gear, and studio techniques of the period to make the album sound just like an early Beatles record,” says Rick Lovrovich, Apple Jam’s founding member.

“Off the Beatle Track” is slated for commercial release 09-09-09. The 15 songs contained on this CD include: “I’ll Keep You Satisfied”, “I Don’t Want to See You Again”, “Like Dreamers Do”, “You Know What to Do”, “Bad to Me”, “It’s for You”, “I’m in Love”, “I’ll Be On My Way”, “Hello Little Girl”, “A World Without Love”, “Tip of My Tongue”, “From a Window”, “Nobody I Know”, “Love of the Loved”, and “One and One is Two”. Apple Jam will perform all of these songs at the Triple Door in Seattle on August 7th and the Philharmonic Hall in Liverpool on August 31st.
International Beatle Week August 2009 in Liverpool

International Beatle Week has been staged for over 20 years and is the biggest Beatle celebration in the world, attracting more than 300,000 fans every year. Apple Jam and Alan White of Yes have been invited to headline International Beatle Week 2009 in Liverpool, performing multiple shows August 28-31. Apple Jam will perform all the songs from “Off the Beatle Track” at the famous Philharmonic Hall on August 31st, functioning as their European CD release event. “These Seattle musicians are world-class and are the West Coast’s answer to The Fab Faux”, says Bill Heckle of Cavern City Tours. For more information, go to http://liverpool.applejamseattle.com and liverpooldetails.applejamseattle.com (electronic brochure).
About Apple Jam

Apple Jam has created a buzz amongst rock music fans in Seattle, masterfully recreating the authentic sound of the Beatles, pre and post breakup. Apple Jam has performed to adoring crowds at such venues as The Crocodile Café, Neumos, Snoqualmie Casino (Imagine a Cure benefit), The Bathhouse on Green Lake, and The Triple Door.

Apple Jam’s member musicians are: Rick Lovrovich (bass), Jon Bolton (drums), Mike Mattingly (guitar), Johnny Jones (keyboard) and Kurtis Dengler (guitar) – of the Beatniks, Herding Cats, the Paul Rogers Band, and Stella. For more information and songs, visit http://www.offthebeatletrack.com. Apple Jam was founded in 2005, in support of Seattle Public Theater’s 2006 world premiere of “(Just Like) Starting Over” http://www.justlikestartingover.com, a stage play based on John Lennon’s final interview. The play is now under consideration for a new staging.
Synopsis

Presented by Roseta Productions, Apple Jam’s Beatles and solo years tribute will take place at the Triple Door on Friday, August 7th, with special guest Alan White of Yes. This concert will spotlight Beatles solo years material, and unreleased Lennon-McCartney compositions from Apple Jam’s new CD “Off the Beatle Track”, 45 years after the Fab Four’s first Seattle concert in 1964. The show is all ages and will begin at 8pm. Doors open at 6pm. Tickets are available for purchase at (206) 838-4333, http://tickets.applejamseattle.com or at the Triple Door box office. Ticket prices are $29 in advance and $34 at the door. Later in August, Apple Jam and Alan White of Yes will headline International Beatle Week 2009 in Liverpool, performing multiple shows August 28-31.
Event information

What: Presented by Roseta Productions, Apple Jam’s upcoming Beatles and solo years tribute show at the Triple Door to spotlight solo Beatles material and unreleased Lennon-McCartney compositions, 45 years after the Beatles 1964 Seattle concert. Special guest Alan White of Yes will perform with the band.

When: 8pm Friday, August 7th 2009. Doors 6pm

Where: The Triple Door, 216 Union Street, Seattle, Washington 98101.
(206) 838-4333. http://www.thetripledoor.net

Admission: Tickets are available at the Triple Door, (206) 838-4333, or tickets.applejamseattle.com. Ticket prices are $29 in advance and $34 at the door. All ages

A Beatles poster has fetched a staggering 50,000 dollars (£31,720) at an auction in New York.

The Sgt.Peppers poster, dated from 1967, shows the group sporting their famous military outfits and has the fab four’s signatures on it.

The poster was just one of three hundred other items that went on sale at the pop memorabilia auction, including the bass guitar of late Nirvana front man Kurt Cobain, bought for $43,750 (£26,415), and handwritten Bob Dylan lyrics for the song ‘With God On Your Side‘ which was sold for $25,000 (£15,090).

According to the auction house’s head of popular culture, Simeon Lipman, the high prices paid for the items were purely an example of nostalgic behaviour. “Even in an unstable economy, you’ll see peaks for certain prices,” he said.

The auction raised over $650,000 (£392,200) from all the items sold, which also included film memorabilia, such as Johnny Depp’s scissor hands from the movie Edward Scissor Hands, which fetched $16,250 (£9,795).

Former Beatle Paul McCartney recently stated he is to tour again soon, with seven American dates already confirmed so far.