www.rollingstone.com Ringo Starr Gets Meta With Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh on New Song Edgar Winter, Steve Lukather also appear on "We're On the Road Again," which highlights Starr's upcoming solo LP' Give More Love' By Ryan Reed Jul 27 2017 Ringo Starr celebrates goofing off on the tour bus and "[kicking] ass" onstage in his new all-star track "We're on the Road Again," featuring rock icons Paul McCartney, the Eagles' Joe Walsh (Starr's brother-in-law), Edgar Winter and the song's co-writer, Toto's Steve Lukather. Lukather's snarling guitar riff and McCartney's surprisingly punk-styled bass guitar anchor the arena-rock track, which highlights the drummer's upcoming 19th solo LP, Give More Love. "We play really tight; we play really loud," Starr sings of his live band, who spend their downtime "telling stories, having a laugh/ singing my song 'Photograph.'" Walsh, Winter, McCartney and Lukather all contribute to a punchy blast of backing vocals on the chorus. Give More Love, which follows 2015's Postcards From Paradise, also features guest spots from Peter Frampton (on "Laughable"), Richard Marx ("Speed of Sound"), Glen Ballard ("Electricity"), Dave Stewart, Don Was and the Eagles' Timothy B. Schmit. McCartney appears on an additional track, "Show Me the Way." Starr first teased his studio reunion with McCartney in February, tweeting a photo of the Beatles rhythm section. "Thanks for coming over man and playing Great bass I love you man peace and love," he wrote.
Thanks for coming over man and playing Great bass. I love you man peace and love. 😎✌️🌟💖😇☮ pic.twitter.com/Z5kpyLLlkO
The album is out in digital and CD format on September 15th, with a vinyl edition following the next week. The release will include four bonus tracks: A recently recovered original recording of "Back Off Boogaloo" and re-recorded versions of Starr songs "Don't Pass Me By," "You Can't Fight Lightning" and "Photograph." In support of the LP, Starr and his All-Starr Band will embark on a fall tour featuring an eight-night residency as Las Vegas' Planet Hollywood.
www.aol.co.uk Sir Paul McCartney to honour actor Woody Harrelson at Liverpool school ceremony By PA 28 Jul 2017 Sir Paul McCartney will return to his former Liverpool school later to give a special award to Hollywood A-list actor Woody Harrelson. The screen star, writer and director will become a companion of Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (Lipa), awarded for outstanding achievement and practical contribution to student learning. He will be among eight other luminaries of the arts and entertainment world who will also receive the honorary awards at the annual degree ceremony attended by the former Beatle. Around 220 students from 16 different countries, including Norway, Brazil, South Korea, India, Germany, Ukraine and the United States, will receive awards at the graduation ceremony. It is being held at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall for those who have completed either degree or foundation certificate programmes at Lipa. The Institute is located in Sir Paul's old school, the Liverpool Institute for Boys, which underwent a multimillion-pound renovation to turn it into Lipa, a state-of-the-art performing arts higher education institution. It was founded by Sir Paul and Mark Featherstone-Witty in 1995. twitter.com/Liverpoolmagico Jul 28 2017 #PaulMcCartney, hoy, en la ceremonia de graduación de #Lipa. Conseguimos otro autógrafo de él. (#PaulMcCartney, today, at #Lipa's graduation ceremony. We got another autograph from him.) yellow-sub.net Paul McCartney : ses attentes d’un musicien studio #paulMcCartney #lipa #liverpool Paul McCartney était le 28 juillet à Liverpool, pour rencontrer les étudiants de la LIPA. Il s’est prêté à une session de questions/réponses avec eux, en revenant notamment sur ses attentes concernant les musiciens studio qui jouent avec lui. Paul a confié : « J’attends d’eux c’est principalement le fait qu’ils jouent ce qui est écrit, afin que je sois pleinement satisfait. Quant aux producteurs, la principale qualité que j’attends, c’est de la patience. En parlant de patience, rappelons que nous attendons avec une très grande patience un nouvel album de Paul, qui devrait arriver cet automne. (Paul McCartney was in Liverpool on July 28 to meet with LIPA students. He went to a question / answer session with them, returning in particular on his expectations concerning the studio musicians who play with him. Paul said: "I expect from them it is mainly the fact that they play what is written, so that I am fully satisfied. As for producers, the main quality I expect is patience. Speaking of patience, let us remember that we are waiting with great patience for a new album by Paul, which should arrive this autumn.) yellow-sub.net Paul McCartney en bonne compagnie #WayneSleep #PaulMcCartney #lipa #liverpool Nous vous proposons de découvrir une photo prise ce 28 juillet à la LIPA de Liverpool. on y voit Paul McCartney en compagnie de Wayne Sleep. Agé de 69 ans Wayne Sleep est le fondateur de la Wayne Sleep Foundation qui aide les étudiants qui sont admis à la LIPA à améliorer leurs compétences sur divers enseignements prodigués par cette école fondée par Paul. (We invite you to discover a photo taken this 28th of July at the LIPA of Liverpool. We see Paul McCartney with Wayne Sleep. 69-year-old Wayne Sleep is the founder of the Wayne Sleep Foundation which helps students who are admitted to LIPA improve their skills on various lessons from this Paul-based school.) www.liverpoolecho.co.uk Paul McCartney explains why he's written a song about Donald Trump on new album McCartney, 75, didn't imply whether the song was in favour of the US President or not BY JENNY KIRKHAM 28 JUL 2017 Macca was speaking to students at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) this week Beatles legend Paul McCartney has written a song about Donald Trump on his new album. Macca was speaking to students at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA) when he made the announcement. While McCartney, 75, didn't imply whether the song was in favour of the US President or not, he did say that he felt he HAD to write it. He told students at LIPA : “Sometimes the situation in the world is so crazy, that you’ve got to address it." McCartney returned to Liverpool to host his usual annual song writing mentoring sessions with a selection of third year Music students. Actor Woody Harrelson was also in the audience. He visited to screen his film Lost in London and had his own Q and A session with students after the showing. Paul was asked if the greater number of platforms for music made it harder to be heard. He said: “I’m not sure it’s more difficult, ‘cos you still have to have a good song”. He was also asked what he expected from a session musician. “It’s mainly: play what’s written, but sometimes you want them to ad lib,” and the most important attribute for a producer to have, “patience”. It was announced earlier this year that Paul McCartney would be working with Adele producer, Greg Kurstin, on his new album. Although there has been no official release date announced yet, the album is one of the most highly anticipated of 2017. It will be his first solo LP in four years.
www.dailymail.co.uk Beatles' company wins lawsuit over Shea Stadium concert rights By Jonathan Stempel By REUTERS 27 July 2017 NEW YORK, July 26 (Reuters) - Apple Corps, the company founded by members of The Beatles, on Wednesday won the dismissal of a lawsuit seeking the rights to the master tapes of the band's celebrated 1965 concert at New York's Shea Stadium. U.S. District Judge George Daniels in Manhattan said Sid Bernstein Presents LLC, named for the concert's promoter, failed to show it deserved sole control over the Aug. 15, 1965, footage and deserved damages reflecting its many subsequent uses. Daniels said the company, which said it had been assigned Bernstein's rights, could not claim to be the "author" of a copyrightable work even if Bernstein were the driving force behind the sold-out concert because he did not film it. "The relevant legal question is not the extent to which Bernstein contributed to or financed the 1965 concert; rather, it is the extent to which he 'provided the impetus for' and invested in a copyrightable work - e.g., the concert film," Daniels wrote. "The complaint and relevant contracts clearly refute any such claim by Bernstein." Donald Curry, a lawyer for Sid Bernstein Presents, said in an interview his client would review the decision, and that "based on a preliminary review, I believe there are grounds to appeal." Lawyers for Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Apple is based in London and has been controlled by Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono, and the estate of George Harrison. Sid Bernstein Presents had filed its lawsuit last September, claiming that Beatles' manager Brian Epstein had taken custody of the master tapes without permission. It said footage was later used in many documentaries such as "The Beatles at Shea Stadium" in 1966, "The Beatles Anthology" in 1995, "The Last Play at Shea" in 2010 about Billy Joel's final concerts there, and the Ron Howard-directed "Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years" in 2016. Sid Bernstein was a promoter and producer for many other recording artists including Tony Bennett, James Brown, Ella Fitzgerald, Herman's Hermits and The Rolling Stones. He died in 2013 at the age of 95. The case is Sid Bernstein Presents LLC v Apple Corps Ltd et al, U.S. District Court, Southern District of New York, No. 16-07084. (Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York)
www.dailyherald.com My ties with The Beatles By Ron Onesti Special to dailyherald.com posted: 7/28/2017
Ron Onesti, left, watched Paul McCartney's first concert this week with former WINGS' and Moody Blues member Denny Laine. The two drew the attention of their fellow concert-goers, who applauded and yelled out Denny's name when McCartney played "Band On The Run," out of respect to the guy who played guitar on the original recording of this and the other WINGS' hits. From time to time, "rock royalty," at least in my opinion, graces our stage at The Arcada. Icons like Pat Benatar, Boz Scaggs, Burton Cummings, Chuck Berry, Buddy Guy and many more leave me stuttering when I speak with them. Earlier this week, I experienced true rock royalty as I attended the Paul McCartney concert (at The Arcada, maybe one day!) at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park. The cool part of this was that I was invited to go to this Beatle-iffic presentation by none other than Paul's old bud, Denny Laine, founding member and guitarist from of The Moody Blues and his former band WINGS. "Hey Ron, I'm in town this week. Would you like to join me to see Paul on Tuesday?" was the call I received from him. After I got up from the floor, I enthusiastically accepted his gracious offer. So we get to the concert and are immediately escorted backstage. There he was, my buddy, Denny. We have worked together on many occasions, including a "songs and stories" night coming up at Club Arcada. For two hours we listened to all that great Beatles/WINGS music, with Denny chiming in here and there behind-the-scenes stories about the songs. Chills ran up and down my spine as Paul magically performed 39 songs including classics and a couple of newer tunes. "A Hard Days Night," "Eleanor Rigby," "Blackbird," "Lady Madonna," Live And Let Die," "Can't Buy Me Love," "Let Me Roll It." Just so many iconic hits! When Paul played "Band On The Run," everybody around us applauded Denny and yelled out his name out of respect to the guy who played guitar on the original recording of this and the other WINGS' hits. It was actually quite emotional. I was very happy that Denny got the respect he deserved, although it would have been better if Paul would have asked him up on stage! But as I was "in the moment," I got to thinking really how iconic these songs and this guy McCartney is. I looked out at the sea of over 30,000 screaming fans, singing along to every song. I saw 6-year-olds with Beatles' shirts on mouthing every word to "Hey Jude." There were 90-year-olds clapping somewhat to the beat of the music. There were soccer moms dressed in their cutest bell-bottom jeans. There were dads with bellies hanging out of their 1972 concert shirts. All in all, people of all ages and types getting their Beatles/WINGS groove on. I then realized just how lucky I am to be in the business that I am in. Over the years, one way or another, I have had one-degree of separation with the Beatles on several occasions. A couple years back, when Ringo was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, I had the opportunity to meet him. I was there to celebrate Joan Jett's induction, but found myself at Ringo's table! My back was up against Yoko Ono who was at the next table, so I got to speak with her for a minute. Then later, I was standing next to Sir Paul and we jammed to the live performance by the band "Green Day," both of us exchanging pleasantries about the band and live music in general. Cool, huh? Jan. 9, 2014, was the 50th anniversary of The Beatles' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show. Louise Harrison, George's sister, was there that night. She actually nursed George back to health as his fever from a flu almost stopped him from performing. A stand in had already rehearsed with the rest of the guys! Louise has become a good friend of ours over the years, appearing frequently with "The Liverpool Legends," a Beatle's tribute act. Because of our friendship, she chose to be with us for a "Songs & Stories" show on the 50th anniversary to the minute. We were honored! Alana Parsons, another frequenter of The Arcada stage, was a 19-year-old sound engineer at Abby Road Studios and was very much involved with The Beatles' last concert together which occurred on the rooftop at Abbey Road. Of course, original guitarist and founding member of not only The Moody Blues, but also The WINGS, Denny Laine is one of our most frequent performers. Angie McCartney, who married Paul's widowed father, Jim, in 1964 as The Beatles' careers were taking off, also had a daughter Ruth McCartney, who legally became Paul's (and his natural brother Mike's) stepsister. We recently had these two ladies at The Arcada who talked about Paul and the boys from 1964 on. Fascinating stuff! There are so many ways The Beatles' could be connected to other performers, many of whom have appeared in one way or another at The Arcada. In my humble opinion, there is no other band in music history that has influenced fellow musicians or touched more music fans than The Beatles. Elvis, Michael Jackson, Frank Sinatra and everyone else included. And in the end, the music they made is unequaled to the music that anyone else in history can claim. • Ron Onesti is president and CEO of The Onesti Entertainment Corp. and The Historic Arcada Theatre in St. Charles. Celebrity questions and comments? Email ron@oshows.com.
www.rollingstone.com John Lennon's Phantom V: The Story of the Psychedelic Beatle-Mobile As the late icon's famed Rolls-Royce returns to public view, we look back at how it served both as a safe haven and a souped-up plaything By Jordan Runtagh July 27 2017 Read the complete history of John Lennon's Rolls-Royce Phantom V, his souped-up psychedelic ride. Keystone-France/Getty Images "You swine! How dare you do that to a Rolls-Royce!" So screamed an outraged Englishwoman as John Lennon's Phantom V cruised past on London's posh Piccadilly promenade in the summer of 1967. The ornately decorated limousine, sprayed an electric yellow and bedecked with colorful floral tendrils, Romany scrolls and zodiac symbols like a hallucinatory gypsy caravan, so offended her sensibilities that she briefly attacked it with an umbrella – or at least that's the way Lennon always told the story. Much as the length of the Beatles' mop-tops had done, Lennon's choice to express himself through his automobile triggered a generational clash, enraging those who felt the tripped-out paintjob had subverted a British icon. "I can imagine this lady felt, 'How dare you?! This is one of those things you cannot do!'" Giles Taylor, design director for Rolls-Royce, tells Rolling Stone. "It's like putting graffiti on Buckingham Palace. You're getting close to the nerve of British elegance, British politeness and good British manners." In the 50 years since it outraged the Establishment, Lennon's Rolls-Royce Phantom V is now embraced as a masterpiece of design and a jewel of the Swinging Sixties. After nearly four decades spent in North America, where it was housed in a number of museums, the one of a kind vehicle is making its grand English homecoming as part of Rolls-Royce's new exhibition, "The Great Eight Phantoms." Between July 29th and August 2nd, Phantoms owned by the likes of Queen Elizabeth II and Fred Astaire will be on display at Bonhams flagship saleroom and galleries in London to celebrate the launch of the Phantom VIII, the latest incarnation of the 92-year-old model. Despite the illustrious company, the wild car once owned by a guy from Liverpool has arguably earned the most attention. "It's pure art," Taylor says of the ride, since nicknamed the "Psychedelic Rolls" for obvious reasons. "John Lennon chose an automotive piece as his canvas, using all the symbols of wealth and other messages that go along with the Rolls-Royces of that period. He was certainly getting fed up with conforming at that time. It was a classic artistic statement." In a fitting nod to Lennon's individuality, the Phantom VIII will come equipped with a full-length glass dashboard, allowing owners to customize their ride with art of their choice. "We've opened a door to allow the license to 'subvert,' which goes back to where Lennon went originally. It's a license to express yourselves."
Lennon bought his first Rolls-Royce, a secondhand two-toned maroon-and-black limo, in July 1964 to shuttle him to London from Kenwood, his newly purchased estate in the rural Surrey village of Weybridge. But that December he decided to upgrade this comparatively modest car for a coach that matched his fab status, and submitted an order for the most exclusive (read: expensive) Rolls-Royce model. "Rumor has it that John had wanted to one-up his manager, Brian Epstein," says Dr. Lorne Hammond, the curator of Human History at the Royal British Columbia Museum in Canada, where the car has permanently resided since 1993. "On a return in 1964, the Beatles were picked up by Brian at the airport in a new Bentley, material proof of their success. John's choice of a Phantom V showed the people back home in Liverpool, all of London, and the world, that he had made it. He bought 'the best car in the world' with every factory option and extras. The delicious humor of one-upping his manager would have also have appealed." Commissioned from R.S. Mead Ltd., a retailer based in nearby Maidenhead, the custom-made Phantom V would take six months to complete. Its chassis was manufactured at the Rolls-Royce factory in Crewe, Cheshire, and in late January 1965 work began on the bespoke limousine carriage at Mulliner Park Ward in Willesden, Northwest London. For all of the paperwork accumulated during the car's construction, the total price of the vehicle is not recorded. An educated guess from historian Steve Clifford, who profiled the car in an extensive 1999 article for Beatleology magazine, put the figure at around 11,000 pounds (nearly $240,000 in today's value). However, with publicity at a premium and Lennon being one of the most famous people on the planet, odds are good that he received some sort of Beatle discount. Ironic considering the significant expenditure, Lennon was unable to drive when he first ordered the Phantom V. He wouldn't pass his "L-test" until February 15th, 1965 at age 24, becoming the last Beatle to do so. "I'd never bothered because I wasn't very interested in driving, but when the others passed I thought I'd better do it or I'd get left," he said at the time. That same day the Beatles began work on a new song, "Ticket to Ride," a prophetic title considering the number of citations Lennon eventually racked up during his road hours. By all accounts – including his own – he was a horrendous driver, far too myopic to read signs, too distracted to recall routes, and too impractical to troubleshoot even the simplest mechanical issue. Keystone-France/Getty Images An untold number of fenders were spared when he employed the services of a six-foot-four Welsh guardsman named Les Anthony, whose large frame made him an effective bodyguard as well as driver. On permanent call for 36 pounds a week, Anthony doffed a braided chauffer's cap whenever "Mr. Lennon" rang. It was likely he who was on hand to receive the finished Phantom V on June 3rd, 1965, at R.S. Mead. Bearing the REGISTRATION plates "FJB 111C," the enormous vehicle measured an astonishing 19 feet, 10 inches long, and six feet, seven inches wide. Tipping the scales at nearly three metric tons, it didn't roll so much as glide down the blacktop. Not yet emblazoned with the distinctive Romany paintjob, the exterior was finished in a somber "Valentine Black" shade. "John's Rolls was all black – even the wheels," Anthony later told author Phillip Norman. "The only bit of chrome on it was the radiator. He told me he'd wanted that to be black as well, but the Rolls people wouldn't do it." Among the Phantom V's more traditional amenities were the 6.23-litre V8 engine, black leather upholstery, cocktail cabinet with fine wood trim, writing table, reading lamps, a seven-piece his-and-hers black-hide luggage set, and a Perdio portable television. Slightly more novel was the refrigeration system contained in the trunk of the car, perfect for chilling champagne or, more often, cola for Scotch and Cokes. The most unusual feature was the one-way passenger windows made of darkened Triplex Deeplight glass. Lennon's Phantom V was among the first automobiles in England to be outfitted with tinted windows, shielding riders from any unwanted gawking. More valuable than privacy, for Lennon it created the effect of a mobile discothèque that never closed. "People think they've got black windows to hide. It's partly that, but it's also for when you're coming home late," he admitted in 1965. "If it's daylight when you're coming in, it's still dark inside the car – you just shut all the windows and you're still in the club." In those early morning hours, while being ferried home from hotspots like the Ad Lib Club or the Scotch of St. James, Lennon surely took pleasure knowing that he was riding in the same car owned by his hero, Elvis Presley. But the King of Rock was far from the only royal who favored the Phantom V. Queen Elizabeth II and the Queen Mother both used the model as their official state vehicles, occasionally leading to some disappointing mix-ups with mistaken Beatle fans. Perhaps it provided a conversation starter when the Beatles took Lennon's Phantom to Buckingham Palace on October 26th, 1965, to collect their MBE honors from Her Majesty.
In December 1965, a simple maintenance checkup spiraled into a major overhaul as Lennon submitted a seven-page list of alterations to be carried out at a cost of more than 1900 pounds. The splurge transformed the deluxe ride into an Austin Powers–like shag-wagon, beginning with a modified backseat that converted into a double bed – with oversized ashtrays added to the armrests. On-demand music was available from a state of the art Philips Auto-Mignon AG2101 "floating" record player, boasting an ingenious suspension system that prevented the needle from jumping when the car was in use. A Philips tape player was also added in a specially built cabinet, as well as a Sterno Radio Telephone assigned with the number WEYBRIDGE 46676. "The telephone packs and batteries were so large in those days that they took up almost the entire boot," recalled Lennon's housekeeper, Dot Jarlett. "John also had the hooter changed so that when you honked, it played 'Lilli Marlene.'" The television set was upgraded to a more modern Sony TV 9-306 UB, but the reception was poor and it rarely worked. Instead, Lennon derived much of his entertainment from the "loud hailer" public address system. Speakers mounted in the front wheel wells allowed occupants to communicate with the world outside via microphone. "You could ask people to cross the road a bit faster which scared the daylights out of them," Beatles associate Tony King told author Mick Brown. The car's stereo could also be switched to these outdoor speakers, and Lennon enjoyed blasting sound-effect recordings of trains and jet engines to confuse bystanders. Lennon's bandmates often got in on the vehicular mischief. "After recording sessions, at two or three in the morning, we'd be careening through the villages on the way to Weybridge, shouting 'wey-hey' and driving much too fast," Paul McCartney remembered during the Beatles' Anthology documentary. "George would perhaps be in his Ferrari – he was quite a fast driver – and John and I would be following in his big Rolls-Royce. John had a mic in the Rolls with a loudspeaker outside and he'd be shouting to George in the front: 'It is foolish to resist, it is foolish to resist! Pull over!' It was insane. All the lights would go on in the houses as we went past – it must have freaked everybody out." No one was safe, not even members of their rock star coterie. "I remember being in Hyde Park, coming back from John's house in his big chauffeur-driven Rolls-Royce. ... We were driving through the park, and ahead of us was Brian [Jones'] Austin Princess," McCartney told biographer Barry Miles. "We could see his big floppy hat and blond hair and we could see him nervously smoking a ciggie in the back of the car. So John got on the mic and said, 'Pull over now! Brian Jones! You are under arrest! Pull over now!' Brian jumped up. 'Fucking hell!' He really thought he had been busted. He was shitting himself! Then he saw it was us. And we were going, 'Fuck off!' giving V-signs [the British equivalent of flipping the middle finger] out of the car window." Lennon ramped up use of the car in 1966, piling on nearly 20,000 miles by the end of the year. When his first solo acting turn in director Richard Lester's How I Won the War required him to shoot on location in Spain for six weeks that autumn, he had Anthony make the 1,400-mile drive south to meet him with the Phantom V. "We were in Almería, which was very sandy, and the local kids would write 'el Beatle' on the car," Anthony remembered. The large black saloon was a conspicuous prescience in the provincial town, and soon earned the nickname "El Funebre" ("The Hearse") from the locals. The filmmaking process – to say nothing of the 6 a.m. call times – quickly proved tedious and unfulfilling for Lennon, and the Rolls served as a comfortable cocoon that he, according to McCartney, "virtually lived in. It had blacked-out windows so it was perfect. John didn't come out of it – he just used to talk to the people outside through the microphone: 'Get away from the car! Get away!'" To stave off boredom between takes, he would while away the hours in the backseat, smoking marijuana that had been smuggled into the country inside boxes of candy, and tinkering with lyrics for a melancholic new song provisionally called "It's Not Too Bad." After a lengthy process of finessing, the composition took its final, better known title: "Strawberry Fields Forever." The groundbreaking Beatles single would be the silver lining for what proved to be an overall disappointing trip. Lennon lost interest in becoming a movie star, Anthony detested the bugs and heat, and the primitive roads badly damaged the Phantom V's undercarriage and exhaust system. Mechanical repairs were made in short order, but the southern-Spanish sand and dust had all but ruined the car's elegant matte black finishing. With a new paintjob required, and Lennon's creativity unleashed by the fruitful sessions for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, he began to consider something a little more colorful. Exactly how Lennon decided on the lurid Romany floral/zodiac hybrid is subject to some debate. Anthony recalls Ringo Starr planting the seed of the idea during a drive in early 1967. "We were passing the fairground one day and they were admiring the fairground decorations and gypsy caravans. Ringo said why not have the Rolls painted the same way. John thought it was a great idea." However, others say the idea was suggested by Marijke Koger of the Dutch design collective the Fool – who would also paint Lennon's piano that summer – after Lennon commissioned a refurbished 1874 gypsy caravan as a present for his young son, Julian. Either way, the chance to indulge his eccentric taste, while simultaneously delivering a massive "V-sign" to the staid British high society, proved too tempting to resist. Doubtful that Rolls-Royce themselves would ever submit to such a drastic makeover of one of their prized vehicles, Lennon paid a visit to private coach makers J.P. Fallon Ltd. in Chertsey on April 8th, 1967, to discuss the design. After spraying the body of the car yellow, local artist Steve Weaver was tasked with painting the red, orange, green and blue art nouveau swirls, floral side panels and Lennon's astrological symbol, Libra, on the roof. On May 24th, Weaver submitted an invoice for 290 pounds, and the following day the car was ready for pickup. Predictably, the unveiling of the way-out Rolls drew the world's press. "The first time I drove it, I was followed by hordes of photographers and Pathé news," said Anthony.
Reactions were mixed, depending on which side of the generation gap you happened to stand. The Daily Mail reported that the "shrieking yellow" vehicle elicited jeers from the assembled crowd, and the July 1967 issue of Beatles Book Monthly claimed that a local traffic official feared the loud colors would be a dangerous distraction to drivers on the road. And, of course, there was the angry elderly woman who took an umbrella to the car as it cruised down Piccadilly. "Naturally, John was delighted and repeated the story everywhere he went," friend Tony Bramwell wrote in his 2006 memoir, Magical Mystery Tours: My Life with the Beatles. Predictably, Lennon and his compatriots adored the new and improved car. Delivered days before the Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was issued, its official maiden voyage took place on May 28th, leading a fleet of friends to Epstein's new country home for a combined album release party and housewarming. Lennon somehow managed to cram in the back with eight others: his wife Cynthia, George Harrison and his wife Pattie, Koger and fellow Fools Simon Posthuma and Josje Leeger, as well as Derek Taylor – the Beatles' former (and future) press officer who had just flown in from Los Angeles for the event – and his wife Joan. All but the visiting Taylors were decked out in colorful silk and satin garb adorned with flowers, bells, scarves and amulets. Led by balloon bouquets tied to sign posts to guide the way, the friends sipped LSD-laced tea and played Procol Harum's gentle psychedelic lullaby "A Whiter Shade of Pale" endlessly on the record player. "John and friends floated in on his gaudy yellow Rolls, through bucolic country lanes adrift with clouds of May blossoms, as if in a magic pumpkin on the way to the ball," Bramwell writes of the idyllic scene. It was a harbinger of the season, kicking off the semi-mythical Summer of Love. "The party had a soft, dreamlike quality to it," wrote Beatle confidant Peter Brown in his book, The Love You Make. "The prophets were here, the masters were in control, there was good food and liquor and friends. 'A Whiter Shade of Pale,' interspersed with Sgt. Pepper, played all afternoon and into the evening." It couldn't last. The magic summer came to an abrupt end on August 27th, when Epstein was found dead of an accidental barbiturate and alcohol overdose in his London home. The times changed as the weather grew colder. That autumn the Beatles rallied together to film their directorial debut, Magical Mystery Tour, which proved to be only slightly less miserable for Lennon than his experience filming How I Won the War a year earlier. The Phantom can be seen in various production stills for the film, which are among the last known images of the car in active Beatle duty. From 1968 onward, an additional Phantom V, with the license plate EUC 100, became Lennon's primary ride. The all-white model seemed to signal a sea change in Lennon's life, drifting away from psychedelic whimsy and towards conceptual minimalism – due at least in part to his blossoming relationship with artist Yoko Ono. The kaleidoscopic collage of the Sgt. Pepper cover was replaced with the stark White Album sleeve, the vibrant kaftans replaced with immaculate white suits, and Kenwood was replaced with the imposing white Georgian country house, Tittenhurst Park. The precise whereabouts of the flower-power Phantom remain sketchy for the remainder of the Sixties, but Steve Clifford theorizes that it was shipped to the United States in early 1968 for Lennon to use during New York meetings for Apple Corps, the Beatles' new record label established in the power vacuum following Epstein's death. Whatever the case, he joined the car in September 1971, leaving his native England for what would prove to be the last time. Though it made an appearance at Lennon's 31st birthday celebration in Syracuse, New York – attended by fellow guests George Harrison and Ringo Starr – the Phantom V was mostly put to use being loaned out to other musicians. Bob Dylan, the Moody Blues and even members of the Rolling Stones all reportedly got a lift throughout the early Seventies. The Rolls-Royce Phantom V in the present day. Kim Bellavance The Rolls had been confined to storage by December 1977 when Lennon, apparently facing difficulties from the IRS, decided to donate it to the Cooper-Hewitt Museum at the Smithsonian Institute in exchange for a $250,000 tax credit. It served as a highlight of the "Ornament in the 20th Century" exhibit, held from October 1978, to January 1979. Lennon was greatly amused by the spectacle, and particularly by the souvenir postcards depicting with his old car available for purchase in the gift shop. He couldn't resist sending one to his Uncle Norman just before the show closed. The yellow Phantom V took on a new significance in the wake of Lennon's murder on December 8th, 1980, transforming the automobile into a vivid relic of one of the 20th century's most unique figures. When the Cooper-Hewitt chose to put the car up for auction at Sotheby's on June 29th, 1985, it sold for $2,299,000 – nearly 10 times the estimated amount. The buyer was Jim Pattison, a Canadian business magnate and billionaire, who beat out a St. Louis–area Rolls-Royce dealership for the honor of securing what had become the most expensive car in history. Pattison also owned the Ripley's Believe it or Not museum franchise, and for a time the Phantom V was on display at the South Carolina branch. It was loaned to the Expo '86 World's Fair in Vancouver (also chaired by Pattison), before being presented as a gift to the Canadian government and displayed at British Columbia's Historic Transportation Center in 1987. Following the institution's closure in 1993, it was installed in its longtime permanent home at the Royal B.C. Museum. Too large to fit in the museum's regular collection, the vehicle spends the majority of the time in storage. The Sony television, Phillips tape player, and spare tire have mysteriously vanished over the years, and the sound system is no longer functional, but it still offers a smooth ride. Every six months a representative from Bristol Motors takes the car on a brief spin to keep everything in working order, bringing the total mileage to just under 35,000 miles. "The biggest challenge with this artifact is preserving the unique paint on the exterior of the car," says conservation manager Kasey Lee. "It did not bond well with the metal and original factory paint. We keep the car operational only so that we can move it from storage to display when required. The vehicle is incredibly heavy, and since the paint is fragile, it is difficult to push without damaging the paint."
According to Dr. Hammond, Lennon's car has been appraised at $5.2 million, but its true worth is impossible to calculate. "With a work of art like this, one only knows when it goes to auction. Given the increased stature of John Lennon and collectability of all things associated with him and the Beatles, we can only assume that in the future it's value will only grow. However, its value as a piece of cultural history has become priceless."
twitter.com/abarkxoxo currently awaiting the arrival of the one and only, Sir Paul McCartney✨💜 twitter.com/lubertdas Waiting for the Paul McCartney show at Tinley Park, IL (south of Chicago) to start. twitter.com/YourWattHertz Summer of Concerts, pt. VI: At Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre: SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY! twitter.com/BobbyOnMKEcom #skiffle #quarrymen @PaulMcCartney #inspiteofallthedanger SEE LIVE IN PERISCOPE : https://www.pscp.tv/w/1OwxWoZALVQxQ https://www.pscp.tv/w/1ZkKzOaOPqqGv https://www.pscp.tv/w/1BdGYWzWdyvxX
www.chicagotribune.com Paul McCartney delivers Beatles history lesson in Tinley Park By Bob Gendron Chicago Tribune JULY 26 2017
Paul McCartney plays with his touring band at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in Tinley Park on July 25, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune) Paaul McCartney arrived in a Beatles mood Tuesday at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. Performing the first of a two-night stand, the 75-year-old legend devoted a majority of his wide-ranging 165-minute concert to music he created with the Fab Four — a decision that sat well with the sold-out crowd. Yet he catered to more than nostalgic interests by taking on the role of informed historian. Seemingly acting as his own archivist, McCartney went all the way back to his early days (“In Spite of All the Danger,” the first song he recorded in a studio, with the Quarrymen) and caught up with the present (a respectable stab at imitating the vocal approaches of Rihanna and Kanye West on the trio’s collaborative “FourFiveSeconds”). In between, he mined his solo catalog and that of Wings and the Beatles. Straightforward versions of hits (“Let Me Roll It”) shared space with revamped favorites (a harder, extra-bombastic “Live and Let Die”) and unexpected deep cuts (the krautrock-flavored “Temporary Secretary”). Cheerful and humorous, McCartney seized multiple opportunities to get personal and put familiar fare in meaningful context with homespun stories. Preceded by narratives, tributes to George Martin (“Love Me Do”), John Lennon (“Here Today”) and George Harrison (a ukulele-anchored “Something”) registered with heartfelt sincerity. A solo “Blackbird” transcended its Civil Rights-era origins and resonated as a still-hopeful response to modern injustice. “Maybe I’m Amazed” honored McCartney’s first wife, Linda, and functioned as a humble reminder of his own vulnerability. McCartney also addressed another key arc of his career: The Beatles’ supposed rivalry with the Rolling Stones. In typically reserved British wit, he dismissed such lore as “fake news” before launching into an insistent, distortion-kissed “I Wanna Be Your Man” — the Stones’ first hit single, which he and Lennon penned. Another former contemporary, Jimi Hendrix, received due via an anecdote and “Foxey Lady” jam. Bolstered by monster drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., McCartney’s enthusiastic band appeared as if it could’ve handled any vintage or challenge thrown its direction. The collective gave “We Can Work It Out” an old-world European accent and made “New” bounce akin to a giddy puppy dog loping down a hall. It also treated harmonies as child’s play, striking pleasing balances that complemented rather than dominated. The blends not only served the songs but enhanced McCartney’s leads. While compensating for a noticeably bare top end, and occasionally showing signs of thinning, the singer’s voice largely held its own. As did his tonal bass playing, never more convincing than when delivered with his trademark Hofner instrument, which emitted a look and sound as classic as McCartney’s spirit. patch.com Sir Paul McCartney Puts Tinley Park On The Map With 'Macca-Nificent' Show Former Beatle shows his love for Chicagoland fans with three-hour set, yeah, yeah, yeah. By Lorraine Swanson (Patch Staff) Updated July 26, 2017 TINLEY PARK, IL -- Sir Paul McCartney put Tinley Park on the map with a killer show Tuesday evening at the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre. The 75-year-old McCartney played a generous set that included “old songs, new songs and songs in between” from his prolific , 50-plus year songbook. I have to admit that prior to this show I was more of a John Lennon fan, but I walked away with newfound respect for the other half of the Beatles' “Lennon-McCartney” songwriting team. SPOILER ALERTS for those of you going to Wednesday’s show; you’re in for a treat. McCartney strolled onto the stage at 8:15 p.m. and it wasn’t until 11:15 p.m. before the 75-year-old former Beatle left the building. Backed by Brian Ray, Rusty Anderson, Abe Laboriel Jr. and Wix Wicken — often proclaimed the best band Sir Paul has played with since the Beatles, and the longest — McCartney opened with “A Hard Day’s Night.” Although John was the dominant writer of the title song from the 1964 film, Lennon sang the lead but couldn’t hit the high notes so Paul sang the bridge. It was Beatlemania all over again, with the original fans screaming their heads off, as well as their children and grandchildren. I sat next to a woman named Kathy from my old North Side stomping ground, Uptown. Kathy has been on Macca watch all week and is one of the “Fans On the Run” following McCartney’s One-on-One Tour. Kathy saw the Fab Four play Comiskey Park once, and twice at the old Chicago Amphitheatre during the Beatles’ touring days in the early 1960s. Paul wore black jeans, a collarless jacket with sergeant stripes on the sleeve, and a white shirt. He took the jacket off by his third song, “Can’t Buy Me Love.” Stunning 3D video played on triple split screens behind the band and to the sides of the stage. Most memorable were the blackbirds flying out of a stark field and the wax figures from the cover of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (released 50 years ago this summer) coming to life. Pyrotechnics fire exploded from the stage during "Live and Let Die." Paul filled the spaces between songs with interesting anecdotes (the late Jimi Hendrix played an electric cover of Sgt. Pepper on his first concert tour), the alleged rivalry between the Beatles and Rolling Stones (“fake news”) and Beatles producer Sir George Martin putting Paul on lead vocals on “Love Me Do” to free up John for the harmonica. He also played two emotional musical tributes to the late John Lennon on the 1982 “Here Today,” confessing to the audience that he never told Lennon what he meant to him. Paul brought out a ukulele for the opening of the beautiful George Harrison ballad “Something” which ended in an electric Harrison-esque guitar riff. McCartney dipped deep into his songbook, all the way back to The Quarryman, Lennon’s Liverpool skiffle band, on the rockabilly “In Spite of All The Danger,” with a generous selection of Beatles and Wings tunes. Thankfully, Sir Paul did not play “Silly Love Songs.” As for getting out of the Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre parking lot after the show, it lived up to its hellish reputation. Still, it was the best concert I've been to, including those from the 1970s, some of which, for varying reasons, I have a hard time remembering. Photos by Patch Contributor AJ Roccaforte
