8 posts tagged “beatles”
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Please enjoy this special episode of We Heart Music Radio as Sally & I figure out the best way to handle our ever-busy schedule.
This week, we were sent a 20-minute recording of Sir Paul McCartney as he talked about his post-Wings album, McCartney II (originally called On His Own). Special thanks to Colin Richardson and HOBO - Coventry Music Magazine for putting this together.
Richardson writes:
From the interview, it was quite interesting to hear about McCartney's Japan problem, first with his midly-offensive title, "Frozen Jap" song, and then his apology for the whole country when their tour got canceled (due to his arrest for marijuana in Tokyo circa January 1980).In May 1980, towards the end of my "journalist" days, I got an invite to the EMI press reception for Paul McCartney's solo album, "On his own", at Abbey Road studios. I was one of about 100 scribes from all parts of the globe and the set up was very efficient...15 or so oblong tables, each with 8 chairs and the plan was that Paul would move from table to table, spending exactly 20 minutes at each. I managed to get one of the end chairs, thus ensuring that I would be facing the star when he sat down...yes, I was that pushy! When our turn came, I opened the session with what I hoped was some humorous banter, thus getting Paul's attention for when the real questions started. It seems to have worked, since I managed to ask the majority of them....hey, all's fair in love, war and journalism! Well, take a listen...and please don't judge too harshly! I was just 'doing my job!'
It was revealed later through a BBC article, in McCartney's own words:
McCartney spent ten days in jail, then deported from the country. Of course, these kind of stories doesn't surprise me. I mean, just look at some of the Beatles songs, like "Day Tripper", "Strawberry Fields Forever", and "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds".I was out in New York and I had all this really good grass. We were about to fly to Japan and I knew I wouldn't be able to get anything to smoke over there. This stuff was too good to flush down the toilet, so I thought I'd take it with me.
Still, despite the Japanese problems, McCartney II, went straight to #1 in the UK and #3 in the US charts.
10/18/2009 20:18:14 ♥ vu (
) ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
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What I have always found fascinating of Beatles (and, of course, Rolling Stones), were that they were heavily influenced by US rock and blues. However, the cover songs and original music that these British bands were playing had their own style to them, making their music their own unique take.
All of us grew up with The Beatles, and we all love them. However, for every "Love Me Do" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand" hit song, The Beatles had at least ten lesser or unknown songs.... and it's these unknown songs that I think only true fans will know and appreciate.
Still, the band's musical output of Paul McCartney and John Lennon (and let's not forget producer George Martin) is legendary: thirteen albums in ten years, for a total of over 200 songs (600 minutes - yep, all of their songs are about three minutes).
Since I actually own many of these albums from their reissue in the 90s (with The Beatles Anthology), I didn't need to get the all of recent 9/9 release. I bought a few, mostly for collecting reasons or filling in a missing discography, and a few were sent in for review.
Overall, each remastered edition comes with a movie file on the disc, with the exception of Past Masters. The often brief video talks about the respective album, with voiceovers of the people involved (including McCartney, Ringo Starr, and Martin). While that's probably not going to be a deal breaker for most people, it's still a very nice bonus.
As for recommendation, if you are a casual fan and/or just looking to get a compilation, look no further than the two-disc Past Masters remastered. These were originally released in 1988 as parts one and two, but with this reissue, they are now one package. The album collects some of the Beatles' best-known singles, including "I Want to Hold Your Hand", "Love Me Do", "Day Tripper", and "Revolution". Plus, I got a kick out of hearing some of their hits in Germany.
What's interesting about "Komm, Gib Mir Deine Hand" (I Want to Hold Your Hand), was that the German vocals were basically overdubs over "I Want to Hold Your Hand" instrumental. I don't speak German, but Paul sounds pretty convincing to me.
The big draw for fans is that the audio's been remixed in stereo. I think sometime the remaster team of Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, Sam Okell with Paul Hicks and Sean Magee, goes overboard - especially with some of the drums (it's hard to explain, but sometime the instruments sounds like it's in 3D, in four quadrant). The stereo mix does sound especially clear and organic... but for the purists, they are making the original mono editions as part of a boxset.
Also, I should point out that the packaging is gorgeous, all in digipack, with a big 32-page lyric booklet. The booklet has an introduction article about the album, a ton of rare Beatles photos, lyrics, and, also, the original album sleeve notes.
PS, all of these releases follows the UK track listing (hello, Rubber Soul).
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BEATLES FOR SALE (1964)
Technically, the album was re-released in America as Beatles '65 and Beatles VI, but for the full release, I was happy to pick up Beatles for Sale and hearing it for the first time. My favorite song off this album is probably "Eight Days a Week", a song that took only minutes to compose and write in the studio (this was often the case for many of the Beatles' masterpieces!) |
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SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND (1967)
I think the reason why he loved this album so much, is that, as a conceptual album, it's very different from the Beatles you were used to. Part of this was probably because the band had an idea of "an alter-ego" band. So, you started hearing more orchestral music, more experimenting (Indian sitars!), and just making this a very interesting work than standard rock and roll fair. Most people will probably know "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" and "When I'm Sixty-Four" from this album. |
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THE WHITE ALBUM (1968)
The Beatles came back to "basic" music, recording a giant treasure trove of songs. They had so much music that the album was, for the first time, issued on double LPs. Some famous songs on the double album are "Dear Prudence" and "Revolution". Personally, I love the all-out rock song "Helter Skelter" - which I'll have to admit the song was tainted after Charles Manson. |
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LET IT BE (1970)
In fact, legends has it that Paul hated the Phil Spector mixes so much that they eventually released Let it Be...Naked a few years ago. Not a blow to Phil, but I felt that much of this album's recording shows off that the Beatles were a "live" band, and the songs feels like they were played live. Trying to make the album into a "studio" sound didn't help. Some gems off the album, "Let it Be", "I've Got a Feeling", "The Long and Winding Road" and of course "Get Back" (which feels like it the recording was lifted from the infamous rooftop concert. |
Have you ever listened to an album and every song on it is so great? That's what you get with Abbey Road. There's a bit of everything here. From revolution/freedom songs ("Come Together"), to silly/mental ("Maxwell's Silver Hammer"), to quickies ("Polythene Pam"), to epic ("I Want You (She's So Heavy)").
Some interesting thing to note about this album was that it marked that the stereo revolution (it was never released as mono). Also that Harrison was becoming more important as songwriter (although he's been doing this since Yellow Submarine in my opinion), and his classic song of "Here Comes the Sun" is still loved to this day.
PS, I never knew Ringo Starr actually wrote any Beatles songs, I know he eventually wrote solo material... but his song, "Octopus's Garden", is on this album (and it's really good).
09/30/2009 00:01:04 ♥ vu () ♥ thebeatles.com
TALK ABOUT POP MUSIK
robinscott.org ♥ carbonzeromuzik.org ♥ unionsquaremusic.co.uk
You'll have to remember that by the early 80s, it was recovering from a decade of disco, and MTV was warming up to an invasion of New Wave music. From my understanding, "Pop Muzik" was a statement about bad pop music.
Guest what? In a press release last week, Union Square Music announces a 30th anniversary compilation, coming out in November. I rarely chase stories, and/or music request, but I had to ask about this.
The remix album compiles a variety of versions of song (original, demos, remixes) - one very interesting note is that there was a commissioned remixes by U2. I'm very keen on hearing that and the Devo remix!
Here is the complete track listing of the CD/DVD release.
- TRACK LIST
2. 1989 Remix (4:04) -- From 1989, UK #15
3. Rob Quickenden Remix (3:41) -- 132bpm breaks remix
4. Original 1978 Demo (3:20) -- Robin's Scott's original home demo
5. Dub Pistols Radio Edit (3:28)
6. Dub Pistols Remix (6:19) -- Commissioned by U2
7. Junior Vasquez Remix (7:13) -- Commissioned by U2
8. Sunshine State Remix (3:50) -- 150bpm trance remix
9. Olmec Heads Remix (7:59) -- From Moby/Perfecto/React collaborators
10. Rhumba Calzada cover version (4:16)
11. Steve Osbourne/U2 Remix (3:52) -- Commissioned by U2, Pop Mart's opening anthem
12. Devo Remix (3:16) -- Yes, 'the' Devo!
13. Devo's Darkside/MM Remix (3:40) -- Devo
14. Original 1979 Video (4:55) -- Directed by Malaney & Grant
thebeatles.com
The Beatles Rock Band also comes out tomorrow, 09/09/09, and also the big rumor on the Apple iPod front is that they will unveil The Beatles on iTunes. Personally, I am waiting for an Apple Tablet of some sort, or maybe a special Beatles iPod with all the Beatles music on it - like that U2 iPod (see how it all relate to each other?)
The other rumor, which I believe, is that the iPod will get a camera, which I think is really cool... Well by the time you read this, you'll know all the facts right.
TALK ABOUT HOT TOPIC
thealmost.com ♥ myspace.com/thealmost ♥ twitter.com
Tooth & Nail's recording artist, The Almost, are quite popular with the kids. Their debut album, Southern Weather sold over a quarter of a million units and scored a #7 Modern Rock single with "Say This Sooner".
Their second album, Monster, will probably be well-received (to be release November 3rd), and in anticipation, you can get a Limited Edition five-track Monster EP on October 6th only at Hot Topic store. If you live outside of the US, Hot Topic, are a trendy mall store (the clienteles are usually of the goth, pierced/tattooed, death-obsessed teenagers in different shades of black).
For The Almost collectors, the EP will come in a two-disc digipack with five, count 'em, FIVE different covers. You're probably wondering, "two-disc"? Yes, the second disc is a CD-R with instructions on how to download their full length when it comes out.
They are touring (see full tour listing) and according to the announcement, they are making some stops at selective Hot Topic stores to do signings.
09/09/2009 00:02:10 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥twitter.com/weheartmusic♥news.weheartmusic.com
I decided to dig out some of my Beatles albums, still to this day, this band have never made the leap to digital/MP3 distribution of their music (you can only get their music on vinyl, cassettes, 8-tracks, or CD).
I haven't written about bootlegs in a while, I think my last few were Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stone and The Smiths. Anyway, I found this interesting Beatles bootleg called The Rooftop Concert from their final public concert appearance together as a band on January 30th, 1969. Their final album, Abbey Road, was recorded later that year and by September, John Lennon announced his departure from the band.
What made this concert so special, besides from all the various bootlegs that exists and their last appearance, was that it was filmed and made available Let It Be (film). Unfortunately, not everyone was ecstatic about The Beatles, and by the end of the film, the police arrived and shut the concert down.
According to the 2005 bootleg by "Doc E" (Dr. Ebbetts):
The audio is excellent, as a result of several other bootleg CDs!I wanted a fantastic sounding version of the famed rooftop show, void of the lengthy in-between chatter, without the occasional sound anomalies (like volume fluctuations, for example), in a nice concise package. I believe this is it. It was sourced from several CDs in an attempt to create the best sounding collection. It’s a nice companion to the “First Concert” and “Hollywood Bowl” CDs in the Ebbetts collection.
Trivia: On the last track, their third performance of "Get Back", Paul McCartney can be heard saying "Thanks, Mo!", acknowledging Ringo Starr's then-wife Maureen Starkey ... which I didn't hear on this bootleg.
Trivia 2: A recent Vox's Question of the Day "You May Say I'm a Dreamer" is taken from Lennon's "Imagine" song.
07/31/2009 10:20:50 ♥ vu ()
♥ thebeatles.com ♥ myspace.com/thebeatles
| iStacey wrote: Fri, Jul 31, 2009 at 8:13 PM |
Thanks for sharing. Did you get a chance to see this? Sir Paul on Letterman 7/15/09
All the news below have appeared on news.weheartmusic.com, so be sure to bookmark the website if you are a music junkie. So let's get to it:
www.belleandsebastian.com ♥ myspace.com/thebandbelleandsebastian
Fans waiting for brand spanking new tracks will have to wait a few years. Jeepster (UK) and Matador (US) will be releasing this compilation on November 17th.
Of course, as already a long-time fan, I will tell you that I already have a (crappy) recording of the over-the-air broadcast. I'm obviously still going to get a copy (particularly the limited double-CD version), just in time for Christmas, I suppose.
Highlight from the compilation is alternative version of "Lazy Line Painter Jane", which I'm quite curious about.
I'm definitely glad I will be able to replace my bootleg copy for this (assumingly remastered) version. In the meantime, enjoy their cover version of The Beatles' "Here Comes the Sun", this track will be available on the 2nd bonus CD if you get the limited edition.
www.bobdylan.com ♥ myspace.com/bobdylan
Columbia Records announced that for a limited time, you can download this song on www.amazon.com/mp3, in promotion for Bob Dylan's Tell Tale Signs - The Bootleg Series Vol 8. I don't know how long the song is available for free, so you might as well download it while you can. I am assuming the promotion will end when the Bootleg #8 is officially released on October 7th, but that's only an assumption.
The story behind this song was that it was originally recorded for the 1997 album (Tell Tale Signs), but a very different version of "Mississippi" eventually made it out on 2001's Love and Theft.
This version actually is more stripped down. Bob Dylan's 8th installment in his so-called Bootleg Series will be available in a two-disc format and a three-disc deluxe format. Hardcore fan will want the 3-disc format, of course.
www.superdrag.com ♥ myspace.com/superdragofficial
Details about the 'drag's new album is kind of sketchy. I'm told that they're still in the process of recording a yet-untitled new album pending for release in early 2009.
What is exciting about this new album is that it will feature the original line from 1998's Headtrip In Every Key. The one song that I was sent to preview is "Filthy And Afraid (Stealth Mix D)", which I'll have to admit is pretty rockin'.
Fans will note that it has that "Sucked Out" vibe to it.
Here are the last couple of weeks in music news. You may remember Ryan's post about Pitchfork Music Festival 2007, well it looks like 2008 will be another great year for this Chicago, Illinois-based organization. The Pitchfork Festival 2008 will take place July 18-20th and will feature over forty bands.
I think this Festival is shaping up quite well, and who knows? Maybe in a few years it will rival some of England's more famous Festivals like Glastonbury and Reading.
For a limited time, Pitchfork and eMusic are giving away 25 tracks for free. Since we have covered many of these bands, I have included links to our previous articles below. Grab it now because last year's 2007 Sampler is no longer available.
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01 Mission of Burma: "Academy Fight Song"
02 Boris: "Ibitsu" 03 Cut Copy: "Lights & Music" 04 Jarvis Cocker: "Don't Let Him Waste Your Time" 05 Spiritualized: "Soul on Fire" 06 Extra Golden: "OK-Oyot System" 07 The Dodos: "Jodi" 08 High Places: "Sandy Feat" (7" Version) 09 Mahjongg: "Those Birds Are Bats" 10 Atlas Sound: "River Card" 11 Bon Iver: "For Emma" 12 No Age: "Neck Escaper" 13 Times New Viking: "Drop-Out" |
14 The King Khan & BBQ Show: "I'll Never Belong" 15 Jay Reatard: "My Shadow" 16 Dizzee Rascal: "Sirens" 17 Fuck Buttons: "Bright Tomorrow" 18 HEALTH: "Glitter Pills" 19 Animal Collective: "Grass" 20 Boban Markovic Orkestar: "Balkan Fest" 21 A Hawk and a Hacksaw and the Hun Hangar Ensemble: "Serbian Cocek" 22 Les Savy Fav: "The Equestrian" 23 Elf Power: "Never Believe" 24 The Apples in Stereo: "Energy" 25 Dinosaur Jr.: "Almost Ready" |
All I have to say is: Dinosaur Jr are still together? Far out.
Other news should really come as no surprise: France is banning pirates, Duffy got some mojo, LeAnn Rimes makes her very own "My Little Pony", Beatles song making it onto Rock Band, insanely expensive gasoline prices are causing indie bands to stop touring, and how to make your very own Daft Punk suit. That last story inspired me to actually want to buy these inexpensive neon lights to design my own "Sleeper" logo shirt or something? Weekend project, anyone?
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Links:
www.weheartmusic.com
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Apologies for taking so long with this album review. As you may have figured out, I'm behind on my album reviews (hopefully I will be able to do a few this coming week).
We start off with a comment from W♥M Podcast #13: Hacktone Records Part 1:
| Sixbucksamonkey wrote: Oct 10, 200 9:34 PM |
[Hell Yeah!]
I love this record! I discovered Arthur via Ben Vaughn, whom I adore. I'm a little conflicted about buying the re-release, though... If the bonus tracks are good, let me know so I can re-invest. =]"If heartbreak had a sound, it was this voice."
~B.V. re: A.A.
6BoM, although I don't have the original album to compare to - I believe that Hacktone's Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter has been remastered (plus all the extras, which I'll cover later in this article) and may sound even better.
EXTRAS
Like DVDs, it's all about the extras. In this release, we get a live set from Fresh Air with Terry Gross from 1993. Three songs were played, with interviews between the songs.
The interview is really good, he discussed why he left the music business and also how The Rolling Stones and The Beatles got into his music (he talks about Radio Luxemburg).
There's also "The Hotel Demos" which are rare recordings (some are demos and some have never been recorded in the studio). Although the quality is what it is, they did clean up the audio so it's still listenable.
It's followed by "Anna" live at The Bottom Line in 1991. This song is listed here because it's really the first time that he played live again after so many years away from the industry. This is also referenced on Fresh Air as "A Bunch of Songwriters Sitting Around Singing" in New York.
The final song is a hidden track: "Glory Road". The hidden track is possibly from the Hotel Demos. There are no music, but Alexander carries the song very well with just his voice.
PACKAGE
I've often told people that whenever I buy music, I make sure to
get the Limited Edition or if the packaging is cool (I've often
contemplate about buy music based on the package - I know, I know, that
saying about judging a book by its cover...)
If you had a chance to listen to our podcast, David Gorman explained that he designed this package as if it was a box full of wonderful clipping from Arthur Alexander's life. They are basically individual replicas including: Funeral Program, Production Program (for the new re-release), Original album note (an essay written by Ben Sandmel), Ben Vaughn's five page article on Alexander, a hand-written production note (possibly by Alexander), the original press release for Lonely Just Like Me, and 4 photographs (from press photos to personal photos).
I've a lot of favorite songs off this album, but I'm going to let famous music artists do the talking through their covers. Did you know that Alexander is the only artist that was covered by Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and the Beatles!??
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Ry Cooder covered "Go Home Girl". This song probably best sums up Arthur Alexander's music. He basically is in love with his best friend's girlfriend. Like many of Alexander's songs, there is a flaw in his character that is preventing a total happiness of the character. Does he betray his best friend and live with the guilt - or does he go on living with his heartache? I love it! |
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"Sally Sue Brown" was covered by Bob Dylan. It's pretty easy to see why Dylan chosed this song. It's basically about a sleazy girl, but he loves her just the same. Dylan made it more soulful, complete with backup singers. |
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The Beatles covered "Anna (Go to Him)". I believe John Lennon is singing on this song. I think the Beatles may have other Alexander covers (but I'm too lazy to check for you). I thought I read somewhere that Lennon was a pretty big Alexander fan and it's through him that convinced the rest of the Beatles to cover his songs. |
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The Rolling Stones' first two EPs (Five by Five and The Rolling Stones EP) were all based on R&B songs. I actually really loved their early songs and have a newfound appreciation for Mick Jagger. Again, this song is a typical Alexander song, which really comes down to that money doesn't buy love. |
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Pearl Jam's cover of "Soldier of Love (Lay Down Your Arms)" is in the same vein as their cover of Last Kiss. It's a live track and also from the No Boundaries, it's fitting for the wartorn country of Kosovar. |
All these songs (with the exception of "Soldier of Love") appears in one form or another on Hacktone's Lonely Just Like Me: The Final Chapter, which was released October 9th. These covers really should give you an understanding how influential Alexander's music were to major artists.
11/04/2007 09:15:34
vu
my♥posts
vu@weheartmusic.com
www.hacktone.com
Since I'm assuming we all know who Sir Paul Mccartney is, I'll skip the usual introduction and just proceed to Memory Almost Full.
Whoever is doing the marketing for Paul stands to make a lot of money, because he released his latest CD, Memory Almost Full, on the Starbucks music label, Hear Music instead of his long-standing label, EMI Records. On top of that, he's selling directly to his fans, see the exclusive video he made for his Amazon customers.
Memory Almost Full is officially released today 5th June 2007, it comes in regular edition and a deluxe limited edition featuring three bonus tracks and get this: "audio commentary by Paul McCartney".
On another topic, does anyone know how to do Flash animation ? I haven't the patience or software to do this, but I'm looking for someone to animate the words weheartmusic. For instance, it will say "we are music" then, the e goes in front to form "we ear music", then "we hear music, then "we heart music". The middle words should be red.
Just an idea, what do you think?
vu 
Links: www.paulmccartney.com
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