EVERYTHING COMES IN THREES

That’s what the say, anyway. And since this is the third Beatles-related news item in a row (interrupted only by Thanksgiving) who are we to argue. This one has to do with the famous Beatles song, Eleanor Rigby. As you can imagine, right from the get-go everyone yes and no. Here’s the skinny:

LONDON (Reuters) – A 97-year-old document that contains clues to the identity of Eleanor Rigby, the subject of one of the Beatles' best-loved songs, sold for 115,000 pounds ($177,000) at auction on Thursday.The total fell well short of high estimates of around 500,000 pounds for the piece of Beatles memorabilia.

The money will go to the seller Annie Mawson and her charity the Sunbeams Music Trust (www.sunbeamsmusic.org), which uses music to help people with special needs.
The manuscript is a salary register from Liverpool City Hospital and features the name and signature of E. Rigby, a scullery maid who has signed for her monthly wage. Her annual earnings were 14 pounds.According to Mawson, the document was sent to her in 1990 by former Beatle Paul McCartney when she wrote to him on behalf of her charity.

"I wrote ... to Paul and asked him for half a million pounds. But by the end of the letter I just said 'Look, I know you're a very caring person and I feel it's a privilege to share my story with you'," she told Reuters before the sale.
"Nine months later, in June 1990, this amazing envelope arrived in the post. It was nine months after I'd written to him, which was part of the mystery because you always think it ended up in the waste paper basket."

She said the envelope containing the document dated 1911 featured an official Paul McCartney tour stamp. The singer was on a world tour around that time.
Mawson did not immediately realize the importance of the register until she read the list of names and spotted E. Rigby.The document offers one of the clearest clues yet as to the identity of Eleanor Rigby, the woman in the song of the same name who dies alone with no one to mourn her. According to music Web sites, previously McCartney has said the heroine of the poignant song was fictional.

The grave of an Eleanor Rigby was also discovered in the churchyard of St. Peter's in Woolton, Liverpool, close to where McCartney met John Lennon in 1957.
"I wonder just how much Paul McCartney meant to unmask when he passed it on," said Ted Owen, managing director of the Fame Bureau which sold the manuscript in London.


So it looks like another case of unconscious influence. Fellow Beatle George
Harrison also wrote a song under such an influence (My Sweet Lord) but his unconsciousness was deemed plagiarism, and he had to ante up a boatload of money. Anyway, the overlooked person is all of this is Eleanor herself. I wonder what she wold make of all this world-wide fame!




Photo at www.ken-jennings.com (Yes,the brainiac Jeopardy champ)
Video by YT member jromey5

BEATLES IN THE NEWS YET AGAIN

Just in time for the 40th anniversary of the release of the White Album (but probably a coincidence) the Vatican has released a statement praising the Beatles music, and chalking up Lennon’s 1966 comment about Jesus as the bragging of a young man wrestling with unexpected success. And to the Vatican we say, Dudes, what took ya so long?!

If you are a baby boomer like me, or a student of musical history, then you will most likely be familiar with the big kafuffle involving John Lennon’s remark about the Beatles and Jesus. The controversy was huge. It was the Dixie Chicks/George Bush go-round of its day. Here’s the backstory. In an interview reported in 1966, Lennon was asked about Beatlemania, and he quipped that they were “more popular than Jesus now.” I remember hearing it at the time and thinking it merely meant that you could probably walk up to a group of tribal people living in one of the few remaining isolated areas of the planet and ask who Jesus was and get a blank stare, but mention the Beatles and they would break into broad grins and start chanting, “Yeah-yeah-yeah!” Okay maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration.

After Lennon’s remark – which, in a situation eerily similar to the Dixie Chicks, was made in London but didn’t gain traction until is was reported stateside – the Bible Belt and conservative groups went nuts, just like they did with the Chicks, and burned loads of Beatles albums. Beatles music was banned on some radio stations, and concerts were cancelled. Even the KKK got into the act, burning the Beatles in effigy and nailing their albums to burning cross. At first, the Beatles’ reaction was to wryly observe that they had to purchase the albums first in order to burn them, but eventually, as things kept on getting worse, Lennon issued an apology, which the Vatican accepted at the time. Actually, Lennon was often misquoted as having said the Beatles were “bigger than Jesus” but personally, I don’t think the results would have been much different either way.

Anyway, in their recent statement, the Vatican also said that Beatles music is much better than the “standardized, stereotypical” music of today. Well, gotta say Amen to that!

Here's a Beatle selection that kind of fits the occasion, "I Should Have Known Better"





Video by YT member Beetulz
Photo at www.planetware.com

NOTHING IS CERTAIN BUT DEATH AND TAXES…OH AND MAYBE DIVORCE

They say timing is everything, and who are we to argue. I mean, they were right when they said, “Let the buyer beware” “Don’t wash your dirty linen in public” and of course, “You win some, you lose some.” On that note, I recently read that former Beatle Paul McCartney wants to release an obscure 1967 Beatles tape, a rather lengthy 14-minute song titled “Carnival of Light.” From the description (distorted guitar and organ, someone gargling, Paul and John shouting things like “Barcelona!” and asking, “Are you all right?” and other general random mayhem from the other group members) it sounds like a real post-Sgt. Pepper Dali-esque free-for-all. It’s been referred to as avant-garde, but isn’t that really just another way of saying post-Sgt. Pepper Dali- etcetc?

If one is a real solid Beatles aficionado, then this is probably a must-hear, and probably a must-have. I don’t quite fall into that category, but I might be inclined to listen to it on YouTube first, and then decide if I can’t live without it. What amuses me most is that McCartney is quoted as saying that, “…the time has come for it (Carnival of Light) to have its moment.” Well, that may be. But for me it’s kind of like a respected Hollywood actor doing a part in some goofy lightweight comedy that goes from theaters to DVD so fast the breeze lifts your hair. When those movies come out, I usually think: Oh man, So-and-so must want to put an addition on his swimming pool real bad. So here, we have Sir Paul, master tape of the original song in tow. It’s not a done deal yet; he needs to get permission from Ringo, Yoko, and Olivia Harrison first. So why would Paul need to earn himself some extra mo… Ooooh yeah (lightbulb clicking on). Like that old saying goes, “True love never runs smooth.”

Anyway, here’s one of my very favorite fun Beatles songs, while we’re waiting for Carnival of Light.






Video by YT member irenelemejo
Marketplace photo from Wikimedia Commons

DON’T TRUST ANYONE OVER 90

Recently, my BFF friend came here from Calgary for my birthday, and in addition to some cool prezzies, gave me an article from her local paper (The Calgary Herald, Swerve Magazine insert, May 02-08) which was titled “Most Singable Beatles / Beach Boys Songs.” The list of titles and their parent albums went like this: Michelle (Beatles, Rubber Soul), God Only Knows (Beach Boys, Pet Sounds), I Am The Walrus (Beatles, Sgt. Pepper), Revolution (Beatles, White Album), and Good Vibrations (Beach Boys, Smiley Smile). Now, you or I may debate the selection, but remember, it’s the personal choice of the writer (notable Canadian music coach and director Brian Farrell). However, I think he momentarily got his wires switched, because he mentioned a trivia fact about the Beach Boys song Vegetables under the section about God Only Knows/Pet Sounds rather than under Smiley Smile. But that’s just a minor thing compared to the wonderful nature of the trivia he revealed: the song about “Vegetables” features Paul McCartney and the Boys themselves, all chomping on raw veggies as “percussion.” And apparently, McCartney was “playing” a carrot.

As soon as I read that, I wondered why I hadn’t heard this trivia before. I certainly have a ton of BBs albums. Surely such an important bit of musical minutia must be in the liner notes, so why hadn’t I come across it before? A quick trip to the CD shelf, slide the liner notes out of the Smiley Smile jewel case, and…I immediately understood. The font size is…is…it's microscopic! And I say that not as someone who has just turned 61 (or, as I prefer to call it, my fashionably late 50s) and who wears trifocals (invisible!). Nay, I say that as someone who recognizes that even a teenager would need a reading glass for this info. Really, trust me, it's small. Well, whatever the circumstances, I’m very happy to have learned that goofy bit of musical history. And let me also add that, as children, we baby boomers were regularly admonished by our parents to finish those mushy carrots on our plates because they were “good for your eyes.” I can further add that all my life I have eaten plenty of raw carrots; I happen to really like them. But they obviously didn’t help me with that teensy-weensy liner note font one cotton-pickin’ bit! I don’t know if parents these days are still pushing medicinal carrots on their offspring. All I know is that when I was young, we had a saying: “Don’t trust anyone over 30.” Now you know why. You just have to adjust the age, like everything else, for inflation.

And now, for your musical enjoyment, here's a cute little vid of “Vegetables” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noy1WTESmgY

Let's listen to this one as well. It’s pretty singable, and danceable, too.

Jolly Green Giant, The Kingsmen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8P1LF16OHbI
Everybody likes their veggies when these guys list them off.

PAUL McCARTNEY ON PBS

For those of you who are fans of those terrific PBS specials on what I’ll call Baby Boomer Music, you may have seen the show on Paul McCartney that aired earlier this year. If you missed it, or just want to see it again, you’ll have another chance in a couple of days – at least if you get the Detroit PBS station. I can’t speak for other regional scheduling, so you’ll just have to watch for it.

I just received a notice from Spike Bell, a well-known photographer who lives in Windsor (uh, that would be Windsor Ontario, not the castle, just to be clear, since we're talkin' about things British) Spike was letting everyone on his mailing list know that the PBS program Paul McCartney – Chaos and Creation at Abbey Road will be repeated locally this coming Wednesday night at 10 p.m. EST, as part of PBS’s membership and fundraising drive, and that a poster he created is being offered to viewers who pledge. I’m sure you’re all familiar with how that works: you donate in support of programming; PBS sends you cool swag in appreciation. I’ve been a supporter for years, and have a pretty nice VHS, DVD, CD collection as a result.

Anyway, the program is a wonderful combination of Paul’s early music with that group….um, um….what was their name?….oh yes, The Beatles! (oh don’t look at me like that, I was just kidding around; I remembered!) right up to his most recent album, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard. And, if you show your support for PBS and send them a donation, you could get one of Spike’s historic Beatles posters, a montage of images he took at the Beatles concert at Detroit’s Olympia stadium on September 6^th, 1964. Just as a footnote to that, I was actually at that concert, myself, but alas, don’t see my face in the crowd. When I was putting together the photo section for my first Rock and Roll trivia book, Papa Do Run, Spike very kindly permitted me to reproduce a portion of the poster – the Olympia marquee – in the book. I love that photo; the crowds, the old cars, the historic marquee announcing performances of two of my favorite things in life – rock and roll and the Redwings. What a thrill!

If you don’t watch your PBS on the Detroit station, I don’t know if you’ll be offered the poster or not, so I’ll give you the website for Spike, so you can check it out and order there. And now, I think it’s time for a couple of songs, don’t you.

Thank You Girl - one of my very faves http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndh0gr7CU-E
Goo goo g'joob (see photo above) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cqOKvonLrH8

and for the Spike Bell Beatles poster - http://www.spikebell.com/poster.html

Oh let's have just one more! Here's a lovely number from the Wings era. Who wouldn't want to live in a reality where pipers march down the beach...And if anyone can tell me what a "mull" is in this context, please write me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzs5aOYr8B4

JOHN LENNON'S JUKEBOX

Maybe you already know all about this, but I only got a clue recently. That’s because no matter how much music trivia one may have collected, one can never truly know it all, no matter how one may wish. But fortunately, one has friends who fill in the gaps, and a friend of mine emailed me asking if I’d seen the recent show on PBS about John Lennon’s Jukebox (I missed it). Hmm, I wondered, what could be the story behind that? The very phrase “John Lennon’s Jukebox” has kind of a Da-Vinci-Code-meets-Al-Capone’s-Vault ring to it. Did John Lennon really have his own private jukebox? If so, what secret music might he have kept there? And, what insights might that give into the heart and soul of the late music legend? Well, I checked into it, and discovered that John Lennon did indeed have a jukebox. Not only that, it was a portable jukebox. Of course, back in those technologically distant days, a portable jukebox, while much smaller that the large floor models found in 1950s teen hangouts (Chuck Berry: “Right to the juke-joint you go in”) were still about the size of a medium suitcase.

Special note for all the young readers: Before there were MP3s, teens who wanted to take their tunes with them had to hoist over-sized heavy contraptions known as “boom boxes” onto their shoulders, like young musical stevedores. Not only that, but computers used to be the size of school buses. Nobody owned a “personal” one of those either. I kid you not; it was unreal! Anyway, back to our main topic.

According to the Wikipedia article on the subject, John Lennon’s Jukebox emerged from obscurity at an auction in the late 80s, and was purchased by a music promoter. This fellow did some research and restoration, and – voila! – the famous Beatles’ proto-iPod became part of history. Lennon filled his suitcase jukebox with 40 of his favorite early hits by American (mostly) and British artists. There’s Chuck Berry, Gene Vincent, Little Richard, Buddy Holly, Gary U.S. Bonds, Paul Revere, The Animals, Donovan… Most of Lennon's private stock can be found on a CD called, as you might expect, “John Lennon’s Jukebox.” There is also a list of singles that the Wikipedia article says were “believed to be” on the jukebox as well. It isn’t clear who believes it, or why, but the very first name on the list is Arthur Alexander, with his single “You Better Move On.” Arthur A. has one of those voices that stick with you long after the record stops spinning. He was a talented writer as well, penning “You Better Move On” and “Soldier of Love,” both covered by the Beatles, ditto his touching break-up song, “Anna (Go to Him).” I like the Beatles’ version a lot, but Arthur, well, he’s the man, IMHO. But hey, you can have a listen and decide for yourself. And you don’t have to pack a suitcase to do it.

Beatles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e2v0rBbGx1c

Arthur: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ihsfVEFvrxA

I noticed that some of the people who left comments at YouTube are very sharp, and have picked up on the fact that the title is "Anna (Go To Him)" but in the lyrics, it's always "go with him." I don't think there's anything significant we can read into that, just one of those things, but to a trivia buff, it's red meat!

TIMOTHY LEARY DEARIE - PART II

It occurred to me that there could be some visitors to this blog who, for a variety of reasons, might not be able to place Timothy Leary. So I thought I’d just do a little quickie list of Leary facts. You know me, I like to be helpful whenever I can.

TIMOTHY LEARY WAS….

• an American psychologist, counterculture hero, pioneer and huge advocate of psychedelic drug use.
• the creator of the phrase “Turn on, Tune in, Drop out,” which to some kids kinda meant “Do drugs, see weird stuff, quit MacDonald’s.
• the founder of the Harvard Psilocybin Project. I’ll bet that’s one academic elective you weren’t expecting.
• kicked out of Harvard for missing too many classes (and he was the prof) and extra curricular sharing of LSD & magic mushrooms with students.
• buddies with Ken Kesey’s busload of Merry Pranksters, as immortalized by Tom Wolfe in The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. The Grateful Dead were kind of their house band, or maybe bus band is more accurate.
• regularly raided by the FBI.
• a candidate for governor of California against Ronald Reagan.
• in Montreal with John and Yoko at their famous Bed-In for Peace.
  
• imprisoned on drug charges. (when admitted, he was given psychological tests that he himself had designed). He later escaped. Long story.
• called “the most dangerous man in America” by…wait for it…Richard Nixon
• an inmate at Folsom Prison, in a cell next to Charles Manson.
• one of the first people to have his remains shot into space. In 1997, some of Leary’s ashes were carried aloft (along with ashes of Gene “Star Trek” Roddenberry and others) where they orbited the earth for six years before re-entering the atmosphere and burning up. Maybe that shooting star you saw….
• the inspiration for John Lennon’s “Tomorrow Never Knows” on the Revolver album. Lennon also wrote “Come Together” for Leary’s interrupted (by prison) campaign for governor. He’s also in the song “Legend of a Mind” by the Moody Blues, and has been showing up regularly in songs by more recent, alt bands.

Of course, there’s much much more to his life, but this will get you started. You may also be wondering how I feel about Timothy Leary. Well, as I’ve already mentioned (January 17/08 post) I wasn’t much for drugs, so I never did acid or ’shrooms - always felt that if I did, I’d end up like Brad Pitt in 12 Monkeys - but still, my basic philosophy is, to each his/her own. And I think Timothy Leary did a lot of good working for peace. I wish he was still in orbit. Okay now, let’s wrap things up with some music. When you open the link, the first thing you’ll see is Dr. Leary himself, in the foreground, facing left, mouth open, singing. Far out.
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=m-YZ_1mAFoQ

JAI GURU DEVA OM

Well, here it is, Monday morning after the Big Game. If you’re nursing a brutish hangover and/or are in the doldrums because you’re a Pats fan, here’s a little something that might help lift you up…take your focus away from the petty troubles of life here on our little third rock from the sun, and put it all into a larger, cosmic perspective. You may have heard about this on the news already, but today’s an important day because…

For the first time ever, NASA will beam a song -- The Beatles' "Across the Universe" -- directly into deep space at 7 p.m. EST on Feb. 4.

The transmission over NASA's Deep Space Network will commemorate the 40th anniversary of the day The Beatles recorded the song, as well as the 50th anniversary of NASA's founding and the group's beginnings. Two other anniversaries also are being honored: The launch 50 years ago this week of Explorer 1, the first U.S. satellite, and the founding 45 years ago of the Deep Space Network, an international network of antennas that supports missions to explore the universe.

The transmission is being aimed at the North Star, Polaris, which is located 431 light years away from Earth. The song will travel across the universe at a speed of 186,000 miles per second. Former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney expressed excitement that the tune, which was principally written by fellow Beatle John Lennon, was being beamed into the cosmos.

"Amazing! Well done, NASA!" McCartney said in a message to the space agency. "Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul."

Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, characterized the song's transmission as a significant event.
"I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe," she said.

It is not the first time Beatles music has been used by NASA; in November 2005, McCartney performed the song "Good Day Sunshine" during a concert that was transmitted to the International Space Station. "Here Comes the Sun," "Ticket to Ride" and "A Hard Day's Night" are among other Beatles' songs that have been played to wake astronaut crews in orbit.

Feb. 4 has been declared "Across The Universe Day" by Beatles fans to commemorate the anniversaries. As part of the celebration, the public around the world has been invited to participate in the event by simultaneously playing the song at the same time it is transmitted by NASA. Many of the senior NASA scientists and engineers involved in the effort are among the group's biggest fans.

"I've been a Beatles fan for 45 years – as long as the Deep Space Network has been around," said Dr. Barry Geldzahler, the network's program executive at NASA Headquarters, Washington. "What a joy, especially considering that 'Across the Universe' is my personal favorite Beatles song."

Source: NASA

The Beatles: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rj-4t9drUlM

And thanks to Christine for emailing me about this.

WINTER SOLSTICE 2007

Welcome to the Winter Solstice, the shortest day (sob) and longest night (sigh) of the year. But the good news is, after this we start to get some of that daylight back. Bring- it- on! The word "solstice" comes from two old Latin words: sol (sun) and sistere (to stand still), which is exactly what the sun appears to do, briefly, twice a year. It's like that moment when you were a kid and you tossed a ball up in the air, and then (if you could have seen it in slo-mo) the ball stops going up and starts falling back towards your waiting Al Kaline mitt. Anyway, in honor of the occasion, here is one of my favorite songs. And I'm guessing it's a fave of yours too, little darlin'.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuUhZxkr194