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Review: Sgt. Pepper 50th anniversary remix brings the classic Beatles album into the 21st century

“Sgt. Pepper – Wow! Was it really 50 years ago today? Can’t be true…”
– Paul McCartney in April 2017

On May 26, The Beatles will release a new remixed version of their groundbreaking Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band album on CD and vinyl, and this 50th anniversary edition is a vibrant achievement. Giles Martin and Sam Okell took the original master tapes from the classic 1967 Beatles album and enhanced the sound to bring it up to date to the stereo standards of the 21st century.

Beatles Sgt Pepper 50 deluxe

Mixed in stereo and 5.1 surround audio, this is a vast improvement over the 2009 remastered Beatles CD version. This is the first time the album has been remixed. The original four-track session tapes were the source and Giles Martin used the original mono mix produced by his father, Beatles producer George Martin, as a guide.

When comparing the 2009 remastered Sgt. Pepper CD to the remixed 2017 version, it’s like going from black and white to color. The 2009 remastered version almost sounds muted when compared to the 50th anniversary remix due to the fact that the sound of the vocals, guitars and drums are all brought to the front.

Paul McCartney commented on the remix in a recent Q&A with Japanese fans: “It’s very clear. So whereas the old mix was just sort of a general mix, this time you can hear every little instrument. And it was quite surprising to hear, ‘Ooh, I’d forgotten we did that.'”

Beatles Sgt Pepper 50th anniversary

The sound is so clear and enhanced that you can even hear McCartney shouting in the background at the end of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (reprise).” You’ll also hear an unexpected addition to the end of “Within You, Without You.”

Ringo Starr also raved about the new remix. A friend of Ringo’s reported that “it originally was recorded on a 4-track with a lot of overdubs, which buried the drums. Now, the drums have been lifted and come through as they should. He was pleased.”

The remixed Sgt. Pepper CD is definitely worth getting, no matter how many previous versions you have. While you can just get the remixed CD by itself, here’s why you should get the Super Deluxe edition.

If you love to hear outtakes and get a glimpse into how The Beatles’ song process took place, you’ll especially enjoy Disc 2 of the Deluxe package. Here you get 18 tracks including five takes of “Strawberry Fields Forever” and five takes of “A Day in the Life.” These outtakes include an alternate attempt at creating the dramatic piano sound at the end of “A Day in the Life”, instead with all of The Beatles humming in unison. Note that Disc 2 on the Super Deluxe version is different from the outtakes included on Disc 2 of the 2-CD Deluxe set.

Disc 3 offers 15 additional outtakes for the diehard Beatles fan. Disc 4 offers the entire album in the original mono mix, along with 6 additional mono tracks including “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane.”

If you are not that interested in outtakes, the Super Deluxe package is still worth the money because of the lavish hardcover book and The Making of Sgt. Pepper documentary on DVD and Blu-ray.

sgt pepper vinyl

The Making of Sgt. Pepper documentary was made for the 25th anniversary of the album’s release and contains great interviews with Paul, George, Ringo and George Martin. The highlight is watching George Martin sit at the engineering controls in the recording studio and isolate either the vocal or instrumental tracks on several of the songs and discuss The Beatles’ recording process.

The six-disc Super Deluxe set comes with a 144-page hardcover book the size of an album. The book includes chapters written by different writers on various aspects of the album. Topics include the design of the cover, the album’s musical innovations and its historical context by Beatles historian, author and radio producer Kevin Howlett; composer and musicologist Howard Goodall; music producer and writer Joe Boyd; and journalists Ed Vulliamy and Jeff Slate.

The book also features rare photographs, reproductions of handwritten lyrics, Abbey Road Studios documentation, and original ‘Sgt. Pepper‘ print ads. Last but not least, there is a complete list of every person featured on the Sgt. Pepper cover. You could spend hours and hours looking at that.
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Take your time and savor every aspect of the Sgt. Pepper 50th anniversary Deluxe edition. By the time you get through it all, the new White Album reissue project will be ready!
– Trina Yannicos
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The Beatles ‘Eight Days A Week’ documentary coming to DVD in November

On November 18, the new documentary The Beatles: Eight Days A Week – The Touring Years directed by Ron Howard will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray, plus a 2-Disc special edition.

UMe Polygram Entertainment The Beatles Eight Days A Week

Photo: Polygram Entertainment and Capitol/UMe.

The film was released last week in theaters for a one-day to one-week run which varied across different cities. After the film, the 30-minute Shea Stadium concert film from 1965 was also shown. This footage from the concert is not listed as being included on the DVD.

As a Beatles fan and journalist who saw the film in theaters, the title ‘The Touring Years’ seemed a bit misleading to me. Instead of focusing mostly on the shows that The Beatles performed, the film provided an overall look at their career during the years they were touring and spent lots of time on The Beatles’ efforts in the recording studio.

While there is not much new information offered in the documentary, the high points of the film are the rare photographs and video clips that were included to illustrate the story of The Beatles’ touring years. For example, in February 1964 during an interview in Washington DC, John tells a reporter his name is “Eric.” The uninformed reporter believes him and introduces Lennon convincingly on camera as “Eric” so that John has to enlighten him and tell him it was just a joke.

Another rare clip is an interview with The Beatles in Sweden circa 1963/64 where George is standing behind John who is seated. George keeps flicking ashes from his cigarette on the top of John’s head and John doesn’t necessarily notice.

There are also insightful interview clips from Paul and Ringo in the present day, as well as other celebrities including Whoopi Goldberg and Elvis Costello.

Another highlight is an interview with Dr. Kitty Oliver, an African-American journalist and author who went to The Beatles’ concert in Jacksonville, Florida as a teenager. The Beatles refused to play to a segregated audience at the Gator Bowl. They had it written into their contract, so the venue agreed to integrate the crowd.

“Here was a band I loved and music I was such a fan of, that seeing The Beatles overrode the idea of walking in to this all-white environment that I had never been in,” Oliver recalls.

Historians believe that this strong stand that The Beatles took in Jacksonville in September 1964 led to an end of segregation in most of the big stadiums in the South. – Trina Yannicos

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Below is a description of content included on the DVD release as stated in the official press release:

Featuring a wealth of specially created supplementary material totaling 100 minutes of extras, the deluxe home entertainment editions contain exclusively-created featurettes for fans to delve even deeper into the band’s world.  Accompanying these are stunning, fully restored full length performances of some of the band’s most iconic tracks including “Twist and Shout” and “She Loves You” recorded at the ABC Theatre, Manchester in 1963 and “Can’t Buy Me Love” at the NME Awards, 1964, in London, bringing the experience of seeing The Beatles in concert fully to life for all fans. A full breakdown follows:

2-disc Special Collector’s Edition (DVD and Blu-Ray) includes:
1 x DVD/Blu-Ray feature disc
+ 1 Bonus Disc (containing approx. 100 minutes of extras, highlighted below)
64 page booklet with an introduction from director Ron Howard, essay by music journalist and author Jon Savage and rare photos from The Beatles’ private archive

Words & Music (24 mins)
John, Paul, George & Ringo reflect on songwriting and the influence of music from their parents’ generation, Lennon/McCartney writing for other artists, The Beatles as individual musicians, and the band as innovators.  Also featuring Howard Goodall, Peter Asher, Simon Schama and Elvis Costello.  The interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.

Early Clues To A New Direction (18 mins)
A special feature touching on The Beatles as a collective, the importance of humor, the impact of women on their early lives and songwriting, and the band as a musical movement. Featuring John, Paul, George & Ringo, along with Paul Greengrass, Stephen Stark, Peter Asher, Malcolm Gladwell, Sigourney Weaver, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Curtis, Elvis Costello and Simon Schama.  Again the interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.

Liverpool (11 mins)
The early days in Liverpool of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s are brought vividly to life by those who worked closely with them at that time including fan club secretary Freda Kelly, Allan Williams an early manager, and Leslie Woodhead multi-award winning documentary film director.

The Beatles in Concert (12 mins)
Five great but rarely seen full length performances of The Beatles live in concert – Twist and Shout, She Loves You, Can’t Buy Me Love, You Can’t Do That and Help!

Additional features are:

  • Three Beatles’ Fans
  • Ronnie Spector and The Beatles
  • Shooting A Hard Day’s Night
  • The Beatles in Australia
  • Recollections of Shea Stadium
  • The Beatles in Japan
  • An alternative opening for the film

 

Pre-order: Deluxe Collector’s Edition (2-DVD)

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‘Elvis: Behind the Legend’ reveals behind-the-scenes Beatles stories

Editor’s note: In honor of the anniversary this month of “When Elvis met The Beatles” we are posting this review of the book (written by the editor of Daytrippin’) that was released last year which contains many Elvis/Beatles stories.

Book review
by Shelley Germeaux,
The John Lennon Examiner

The new book, Elvis, Behind the Legend: Startling Truths About the King of Rock and Roll’s Life, Loves, Films and Music by Trina Young, reveals many surprising new stories and viewpoints about Elvis Presley’s life, including several about his association with the Beatles. Young does not attempt to re-write Elvis’ biography, but instead focuses on several behind-the-scenes revelations that few know about, even seasoned experts. The stories are sure to alter the reader’s perception of the man behind the title, “The King of Rock and Roll.”

Elvis: Behind The LegendThe John Lennon Examiner has received a digital copy of the book from the author, and found it to be incredibly enlightening, enjoyable, and as the subtitle suggests, “startling.” The author wrote, “Often taking a back seat with historians to The Beatles in terms of rock and roll influence, Presley’s legacy has been marred by misconceptions of the man as an entertainer and human being.” As most Beatles fans are aware, Elvis was John Lennon’s biggest hero, the one he emulated, the one he idolized—until Lennon was bemused with Elvis’ career after spending two years in the Army.

At 145 pages, each of the thirty-two chapters brings to life a different story, written chronologically throughout his life. To name just a few, the book begins with a revelation concerning his speech impediment, a fact that is not well-known. The identity of the mystery woman behind the famous 1956 photo called “The Kiss” is revealed, and how Elvis is responsible for making the Arizona Memorial in Pearl Harbor a reality. Readers will learn about the secret girlfriend he was going to see in Washington, when he inevitably met with President Nixon.

Young points out that Elvis developed a private spiritual life, and connected with gurus long before the Beatles made their association with the Maharishi so public. His association with the Beatles is addressed in several chapters, shedding light on various aspects, such as: the difference in earnings from their appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show, the day The Beatles met Elvis in 1965 at his home in L.A., and the truth behind his “grudge” against the band. The disparaging statements he made to President Nixon about the Beatles—something fans have been angered by for years– are explained from a different vantage point.

In addition, included in the appendix is a comparison of record sales between Elvis and the Beatles, which may surprise fans of both. The book is well-researched, with a sizable bibliography, and a great read. The John Lennon Examiner recommends this book for Beatles and Elvis fans alike. It is an enjoyable and fun read that will shift readers’ perceptions about “The King of Rock and Roll” for the better.

See the official website for Elvis: Behind the Legend. The paperback and kindle editions can be purchased on Amazon.

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Review: The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story – What’s all the fuss about?

fifthbeatle-coverWhat is all the fuss about the graphic novel by Vivek J. Tiwary, Andrew C. Robinson and Kyle Baker about Brian Epstein, The Beatles’ manager? This book has been getting a great deal of attention due to the fact that it not only will be made into a feature film by Simon Cowell’s Syco Entertainment, but also a multi-part television series with Sonar Entertainment.

The Fifth Beatle: The Brian Epstein Story is a visually elaborate re-telling of  Beatles’ history as seen through the perspective of their manager, who many including Paul McCartney have called “The Fifth Beatle.” However, that title is not an exclusive one. Recently, after Beatles’ producer George Martin died, Paul McCartney also deemed him “The Fifth Beatle.”

However, Epstein may deserve the title more since without him, The Beatles may have never made it out of Liverpool. It was Brian who persevered in acquiring The Beatles a record contract in England after repeated rejection. It was Brian who negotiated their debut in America with Capitol Records and Ed Sullivan. It was Brian who encouraged them to clean up their act to be presentable to the public. Brian may have believed in The Beatles more than they themselves did.

To tell the complete history of The Beatles, a graphic novel can be a challenging format. Due to the comic book layout, The Fifth Beatle tells its story through more of a screenplay or storyboard format rather than a traditional book, which explains why it can easily be envisioned for the screen. Unlike other graphic novels, The Fifth Beatle leaves out a narrator. As a result, the characters are required to explain much more through their words than they probably did in actuality.

A key drawback of a biographical film adapted from a book is that it leaves out many important facts and details. In some instances, the film creates new truths to satisfy dramatic effect in order to make the movie more entertaining – what is commonly known as “dramatic license.”

Unfortunately, right off the bat, author Tiwary admits that the truth wasn’t a priority to him in his book in telling Brian Epstein’s story: “Almost everything in the pages you’ve just read actually did happen” Tiwary writes. “But conveying the truth – while important – has never been my primary goal.”

Tiwary’s goal was “to reveal not just the facts but the poetry behind the Brian Epstein story.” He certainly finds inspiration and admiration for Epstein in all the obstacles he faced, not only in promoting The Beatles, but dealing with his closeted homosexuality. But that doesn’t excuse perpetuating detrimental myths back into Beatles’ lore. These “truths” used for drama are harmful to the legacy of The Beatles.

For example, The Fifth Beatle depicts Brian Epstein as purposely buying 10,000 copies of The Beatles first single “Love Me Do” in order to get it higher on the UK charts. Great for dramatic effect, but not so great if you’re into the truth.

Beatles historian and author, Mark Lewisohn, definitively states in his recent book, Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years, Volume 1, that Epstein did not do this and that this nasty rumor “unfairly casts a blight on his integrity.”

As John Lennon stated: “It [Love Me Do] sold so many in Liverpool the first two days — because they were all waiting for us to make it — that the dealers down in London thought there was a fiddle on. ‘That Mr. Epstein feller up there is cheating.’ But he wasn’t.”

Tiwary further implies that Epstein also overbought quantities of “Please Please Me” for his NEMS record shops to help it reach number one. Mark Lewisohn’s research refutes that explaining that “in 1962, it made no difference how many copies a shop sold of any record because the charts weren’t computed that way.”
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Another depiction that is greatly exaggerated is Brian Epstein’s dealings with Elvis Presley’s manager, Colonel Parker. In The Fifth Beatle, the Colonel is depicted as devilish and horribly unfair to Elvis for taking 50 percent of his earnings.
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However, the 50/50 contract, which only applied to side deals, was not signed until 1967, three years after the meeting between Parker and Epstein took place in 1964. The 50/50 split did not apply to all of Presley’s earnings until 1976, a year before Presley died. Another case of dramatic license, and yet the movie hasn’t even been made yet.
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Unlike what is presented in The Fifth Beatle, Colonel Parker was reportedly a big help to Brian Epstein and they got along well. Author Ray Coleman describes Colonel Parker as being generous in his advice to Brian about The Beatles touring in the States.

“Elvis has required every moment of my time, and I think he would have suffered had I signed anyone else,” Parker told Epstein, as recounted in Coleman’s biography of Brian Epstein. “But I admire you, Brian, for doing it… But remember, too, that when Presley soared to fame I was 44. When the Beatles happened, you were 28. That helps.”

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While Tiwary succeeds in passionately giving credit to Epstein for his role in promoting the biggest band of all time, he also raises concern by presenting inaccurate facts in his graphic novel, which may then be carried over into the forthcoming movie and TV series.
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It’s true that many films adapted from nonfiction books sometimes rearrange or embellish the truth in order to get the main message or theme across. However, something so detrimental to Epstein’s reputation as “buying” The Beatles’ popularity should have been researched more thoroughly. Hopefully, the film version will redeem itself by still exuding Epstein’s passion without sacrificing his integrity. — Trina Yannicos
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Note: A special Collector’s Edition of The Fifth Beatle was recently released which includes a unique textured cover and a section of bonus materials with rare Beatles and Brian Epstein memorabilia, artist sketches and alternate covers.
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Review: Special Collector’s Edition of Beatles first official book

Ever wonder what The Beatles did on the day this picture was taken?
The Beatles "On Air: Live At The BBC Vol 2" Cover
This now famous photograph from the On Air – Live at the BBC, Volume 2 CD release is among the photos taken during The Beatles “Day in the Life” 1963 photo shoot featured in the new reissue of The Beatles’ first official book, Meet The Beatles: An Informal Date in Words and Personal Album Pictures.
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During this “day off” for The Beatles, they walked around London as virtually ordinary people – strolling around Soho, shopping at a local market, eating ice cream and sharing fruit with a few female fans. These photos can be distinguished from other Beatles photos since Paul is conspicuously wearing a sweater over his shirt and tie.
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It’s so “fab” and “gear” that a special 50th anniversary collector’s edition of Meet The Beatles has been reissued. Here we get a behind the scenes look at what life was like for The Beatles before they hit it big in America and became a global sensation.
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Meet The Beatles includes a personal introduction by The Beatles, while the rest of the 40-page photo-filled book was written by Beatles’ publicist Tony Barrow, the man who coined the phrase “The Fab Four.”
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The hardcover book is an exact reproduction of the original which was published as a magazine in 1963 by Souvenir Press. The book features black and white photos of The Beatles, many taken by Dezo Hoffmann. What has changed in the last 50 years is the price: originally costing two shillings and six pence in the UK, the price is now £10.
meetbeatlesbk-UK

Original 1963 edition

meetbeatlesbk-2015

50th anniversary reissue

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An interesting tidbit of Beatle history is how The Beatles were listed in the text as “George, John, Paul and Ringo” most likely due to alphabetical order, which surprisingly works for both their first and last names. However, when closing out their introduction (“Thanks a million all you Beatle People — you’re the gear”) their signatures are listed in the customary order of “John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr.”
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Amidst the entertaining “Beatletistics” of each individual member (George “favors smallish blondes”, John “dislikes traditional jazz and thick heads”,  Paul has “a strong liking for Kraft cheese slices”, and Ringo “dislikes onions, motor bikes and Chinese food”) and the many photos of The Beatles in their “Beatropolis,” (a.k.a. Merseyside) is a fascinating look at “A Day in the Life” of The Beatles in London in 1963.
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What Meet The Beatles reminds us is how down to earth The Beatles were. In their introduction, The Beatles respond to a frequently asked question: How has stardom changed you? The Beatles respond: “It HASN’T!” They continue to explain: “Luckily there are three other Beatles ready to sit on any one of us who may show signs of swelling of the bonce…”
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The original UK publication sold 1 million copies and was translated into several different languages. Here is the US version published in 1964.
meetbeatlesbk-USedition2
To get your copy of the Meet The Beatles 50th anniversary reissue, click here.
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A Picture’s Worth a Thousand Words: Preliminary Review of ‘Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years, Volume 1’

tuneinvol1The first thing I do when I receive a new biography is look at the pictures inside. There seems to be a correlation between the rarity of photos/specificity of photo captions in a biography and the level of detail and depth of knowledge presented in the biography’s text. The photos and their captions can give you a good idea of what to expect in the biography, and yet sometimes can raise a red flag (as in the case of a previous Beatles tome).

When you peruse the photos included in “Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years, Volume 1“, you quickly get a sense of how deep the author dove into Beatles history for this comprehensive work. There are three sections of photos in “Tune In” with about 50 percent of the photos rarely, if not ever, seen before.

My favorites include a photo of 13-year-old George Harrison with a female childhood pal; a picture of John Lennon’s Aunt Mimi and Uncle George; a 1961 photo of John and Paul (slicked back hairstyle) with Bob Wooler; and a photo of Ringo clowning around in his bathing suit at Butlin’s summer camp in 1961.
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The book starts with the ancestral history of each Beatle and stops at the end of 1962 making way for two more volumes to complete the history of the Beatles. Since “Tune In” is over 900 pages which will take a while to fully absorb, I thought I’d jump right into two key moments in the history of The Beatles to see what new facts I could learn.
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John Lennon first meets Paul McCartney in 1957
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Most Beatles fans know the general story of how John and Paul first met on July 6, 1957, when John Lennon was performing with his band, The Quarrymen, at a local church festival. Paul McCartney came to the event with a mutual friend of his and John’s named Ivan Vaughn. After the Quarrymen’s performance, Ivan introduces Paul to John. Paul impresses John when he sings and plays “Twenty Flight Rock” on the guitar, and John eventually asks Paul to join the band.
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However, Lewisohn reveals a few new and relatively unknown facts. Some people may assume this was just a quick meeting, almost like an audition. But Lewisohn describes McCartney hanging out with Lennon and his friends for several hours until The Quarrymen were scheduled to play at a nearby church that night for a dance around 8 pm.
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While waiting around at this other church hall, the boys had access to a piano. Paul took it upon himself to launch into his Little Richard mode and play “Long Tall Sally,” which further impressed John.
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Not only that, but the performance of the Quarrymen that night was recorded by a young boy in the audience. The existing tape contains two songs by the Quarrymen including Lennon singing Elvis’ version of “Baby Let’s Play House.”
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And a final revelation: July 6, 1957 may not have been the first time John and Paul met. “Tune In” reveals that Paul may have met John before this fateful day simply out and about around Liverpool. But that’s just a (long) footnote in the vastly complex story of The Beatles.
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Ringo Starr joins The Beatles in 1962
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The big revelation in this part of Beatles history is that George was the one who pushed for Ringo to join the group. I was surprised to learn this especially with the perceived notion (right or wrong) that George was still considered a kid by John and Paul in 1962, and his opinion may not have had much weight. But this also explains why George and Ringo had such a tight bond over the years. Neil Aspinall said, Ringo “felt he owed George.”
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Nevertheless, it wasn’t a hard sell to bring Ringo into the group. Lewisohn does a great job in describing how impressive Ringo was to The Beatles. Ringo was older than the rest of the group and seen as more worldly. His quick wit and personality also made a huge difference. While the official explanation of sacking Pete Best has always been that Ringo was a better drummer, my belief, which is also suggested by Lewisohn, is that the Beatles got along much better with Ringo than compared to Pete. As Ringo said in 1964: “I was lucky to be on their wavelength when I joined the group. I had to be or I wouldn’t have lasted. They all have strong personalities and unless you can match it, you’re in a bit of trouble.”
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Lewisohn also reveals Neil Aspinall’s revelatory explanation of why the nomenclature of “John, Paul, George and Ringo” makes even more sense. Lewisohn describes John bringing Paul into the group, Paul bringing George into the group, and George bringing Ringo into the group– a new way of looking at the hierarchy of the four lads from Liverpool.
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Mark Lewisohn deserves tremendous accolades for all the research that he’s done on this overwhelming project. Lewisohn is one of the most respected Beatles’ historians and is an obvious choice to take on this ultimate Beatles biography. His previous books include “The Beatles Recording Sessions,” “The Complete Beatles Chronicle” and “The Beatles’ London” (coauthor) as well as writing for official Beatles’ projects including “The Beatles Anthology”.
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It took Lewisohn 8 years to complete the first volume (which included research for the 2nd and 3rd volumes as well), so it makes sense that it will probably take the next three years for Beatles fans to fully digest this book and appreciate all of the revelations uncovered. By then Volume 2 will be out (Lewisohn’s most recent estimate is 2016) and we can start this entire process over again.
–Trina Yannicos
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Note: There is also a “Tune In: Extended Version” of 1,728 pages which comes in a set of two volumes. The hardcover and e-book will be released on November 14. For ordering information, visit  http://www.thebeatlesbiography.com/
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Paul McCartney’s ‘NEW’ album getting rave reviews

PM-MPLMaryMcCartneyC

Credit: MPL / Mary McCartney

Paul McCartney has been working overtime promoting his new album called ‘New.’ In the US, he appeared on Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Howard Stern, plus he performed at the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas, did an impromptu mini-concert in New York’s Times Square last week and a surprise concert in Queens at the Frank Sinatra School for the Performing Arts.

‘New’, with a release date of October 15, is McCartney’s first album of original material in six years. With all the attention that ‘New’ is getting, the reviews are in: it’s a hit!

The UK Telegraph says “Paul McCartney’s jaunty, melodic 16th solo album, New, proves the former Beatle’s talent is timeless.”(5 out of 5 stars)

Rolling Stone says “New feels energized and full of joyous rock and roll invention.” (4 out of 5 stars)

The Irish Times says “New finds him in one of the best shapes of his life.” (4 out of 5 stars)

The Associate Press says “the end result is surprisingly cohesive, modern-sounding and, most of all, fun to listen to.”

Entertainment Weekly gives New a grade of A- : “[New] celebrates the idea that pop music can still invigorate, inspire, and surprise — even if you had a hand in inventing it.”

The Montreal Gazette: “Sir Paul delivers his most irresistible effort in decades.” (4 stars)

Paul-studioC

Credit: MPL / Hear Music

Talking about the album, Paul said: “It’s funny, when I play people the album they’re surprised it’s me. A lot of the tracks are quite varied and not necessarily in a style you’d recognise as mine. I didn’t want it to all sound the same. I really enjoyed making this album.  It’s always great to get a chance to get into the studio with a bunch of new songs and I was lucky to work with some very cool producers.  We had a lot of fun.”

Songs receiving special attention include the title track, “On My Way to Work” and “Queenie Eye”.

There are also some mixed reviews of the album:

The Guardian gives New 3 out of 5 stars.

The Independent says “There’s an unsatisfying, piecemeal character to New, probably attributable to McCartney’s decision to use four producers.” (3 out of 5 stars)

Paul worked on the album with producers Paul Epworth, Mark Ronson, Ethan Johns and Giles Martin.

Commenting on the process, Paul said: “The original idea was to go to a couple of producers whose work I loved, to see who I got on with best – but it turned out I got on with all of them! We made something really different with each producer, so I couldn’t choose and ended up working with all four. We just had a good time in different ways.“

The album was recorded at Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Avatar Studios, New York; Abbey Road Studios, London; Air Studios, London; Wolf Tone Studios, London and Hog Hill Mill, East Sussex.

New_CoverCTracklisting for Paul McCartney’s “New”:

1.     Save Us (produced by Paul Epworth)

2.     Alligator (produced by Mark Ronson)

3.     On My Way to Work (produced by Giles Martin)

4.     Queenie Eye (produced by Paul Epworth)

5.     Early Days (produced by Ethan Johns)

6.     New (produced by Mark Ronson)

7.     Appreciate (produced by Giles Martin)

8.     Everybody Out There (produced by Giles Martin)

9.     Hosanna (produced by Ethan Johns)

10.  I Can Bet (produced by Giles Martin)

11.  Looking At Her (produced by Giles Martin)

12.  Road (produced by Giles Martin)

The deluxe version also includes two bonus tracks:

13.  Turned Out (produced by Ethan Johns with additional production by Giles Martin)

14.  Get Me Out Of Here (produced by Giles Martin)

Here’s a video of Paul McCartney performing ‘New’ on Jimmy Kimmel Live:

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