www.paulfrasercollectibles.com The night the Beatles came to town Paul Fraser Feb 6 2018
Experience the thrill of Beatlemania with this extraordinary relic
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It’s just after midnight. September 6, 1964.
And such is the pandemonium at Detroit’s Metropolitan Airport...
…It’s as though four Martians have just landed.
Not the scary Martians of comic books, you understand. Four handsome, guitar-playing, mop-haired Martians. These are the kind of Martians you scream at in delight, not fear.
From a land no one in Detroit has ever seen
Speaking in accents no one in Detroit has ever heard
Playing music no one has played before
3,000 girls surge towards the plane. All in the hope of seeing, hearing, touching these extraordinary creatures.
The 100-strong police detail are shocked by the girls’ behaviour. But the Beatles aren’t. They’re in the middle of their manic first US tour. 32 shows in 24 cities in 33 days. An hour later… And the Beatles are in their room at a secret location, Detroit’s swish Whittier Hotel.
The Beatles slept on the top floor of the Whittier Hotel
Executive suite 1566.
Quiet.
Just four hours ago they left the stage in Chicago.
Now the Beatles sleep.
But not for long.
Word soon spreads.
And by the morning, the pandemonium begins again. 1,000s of teenagers cram outside the hotel. The police turn away traffic. No one is allowed in or out of the Whittier.
Everyone already inside the hotel makes it their business to head to suite 1566.
All wanting to see a Beatle. Shake hands with a Beatle. Talk to a Beatle.
And then, just after 1pm, it’s time. The Beatles take the back exit to their four waiting limos.
Their destination?
Olympia Stadium.
Paul heading to Olympia Stadium from the Whittier Hotel If the airport and hotel were crazy, this is something else. Outside the stadium, thousands of fans push and shove for a sight of the cars.
Inside, 15,000 teenage girls are feverish. Waiting.
At last, just after 2pm, local DJ Bob Green announces simply: “The Beatles”.
The band take to the stage. And to deafening screams, fainting and crying, they play Twist and Shout.
Watch the Beatles play at Detroit's Olympia Stadium in 1964 - and listen to those screams
No one can hear the music. But that doesn’t seem to bother the audience.
Then the jelly beans start. Throwing jelly beans onto the stage was the thing to do at Beatles concerts in 1964. Especially ones you had sucked first.
Barbara Harrell was there:"Iremember a girl fainting and all the screaming. I can now describe it all as ‘surreal’… like I was almost dreaming it. I was 8 and it’s one of the best things I can ever say I’ve gotten to do in my life."
The Beatles dodging the jelly babies at Olympia Stadium
And then, after 25 minutes and 12 songs - it’s over.
Straight into the press conference.
Reporter: How do you like Detroit so far?
George: Great
Paul: What we’ve seen of it
Reporter: Ringo, are you engaged?
Ringo: No, I’m not engaged
The Beatles at the press conference between shows in Detroit
You can listen to the whole press conference here (it’s actually a lot of fun).
A bite to eat. A few cigarettes.
And then it’s time for the 6pm show. A repeat of the 2pm.
And then?
And then the band are gone.
Paul waves to fans at the end of the concert
Whisked away from the stadium as quickly as they arrived.
Back to the airport. Back on the plane.
And at just after midnight on September 7, 1964 they touch down at Toronto International.
10,000 screaming teenagers are there to greet them at the airport.
It’s as though four Martians have just landed…
But back in Detroit, the city is bereft.
Beatlemania has swept through the city. Yet now the party has ended.
But two TV employees have had an idea.
Richy Victor and Larry Einhorn have struck a deal with the Whittier Hotel.
To buy the bed linen the band slept in.
“We told the Whittier to plug the rooms up as soon as the Beatles left, seal ‘em up like a murder scene,” remembered Victor.
And here’s where things get exciting for you:
Today you can relive Beatlemania.
By owning a piece of the day the Beatles cast a spell on Detroit.
Because today I’m offering you the opportunity to own four pieces of that bed linen from the Whittier Hotel…
…each slept on by one of the Beatles.
A remarkable piece of Beatlemania history - yours to own today if you're fast
The set of four square pieces of 1/2cm x 1/2cm white linen is presented on a superb display card – perfect for framing.
And it is:
100% Guaranteed Authentic
The four squares come with a document of authenticity from the hotel's managing director at the time.
You also get my Lifetime Moneyback Guarantee of Authenticity and my Certificate of Authenticity.
Yes, it’s a bit wacky, a bit kitsch. Yet it’s also a stunningly intimate piece of the Beatles story – from the height of their fame.
And it also offers you incredible value for money.
Because unusual Beatles items are hugely popular with Beatles collectors. And they sell for big sums.
A brick from John Lennon's childhood home: $1,950
John Lennon's tooth: £23,000 ($35,340)
Paul McCartney's Rupert the Bear annual: £25,000 ($38,412)
Yet this set of four pieces of Beatles-used bed linen is just £595 ($825).
www.tvovermind.com That Time George Harrison and Eric Clapton Had A Guitar Duel Tv Overmind February 4, 2018 Of all the crazy stories that exist in any industry this one about George Harrison and Eric Clapton engaging in a guitar duel over George Harrison’s wife is something for the history books. Harrison and Boyd were married when Clapton fell in love with Boyd. He’d made a few passes at her before but he’d always been rebuffed for some reason. However, one night, after Harrison and Boyd had already been married for a bit, Boyd with with Clapton to listen to his music and was smitten by his lyrics. Layla was written by Clapton thanks to her inspiration it’s said and she was absolutely starstruck. After finding them hanging out together Harrison was floored when Clapton admitted that he was in love with Boyd. After asking her just who she was going to go with, Boyd finally went home with Harrison. At some point Clapton showed up to Harrison’s apartment drunk and ready to throw down, but not in the way that you might imagine. He’d brought a guitar and an amp and challenged Harrison to a guitar duel, something that might seem a bit silly to some but to musicians is far better than a fist fight could ever be. The chance to upstage a friend and possible rival is something that a lot of musicians don’t take lightly. When music is your life the best thing you can do is use it when you really need it for something. For 2 hours Clapton and Harrison dueled, but in the end Clapton’s music was just more on point than Harrison’s could ever be and it was determined that he won the battle. Even drunk it seems that Clapton was still able to perform on a level that few if any guitarists have ever managed to achieve. Harrison didn’t lose his wife that night but he did lose the duel. Clapton still held the love for Boyd that he’d professed but wouldn’t get the chance to express it until later. It was after a three-year drug addiction that he had his chance. When he was cleaning up Harrison and Boyd were splitting up, and Harrison gave Clapton his blessing to marry his ex-wife. Obviously the two remained friends for a while no matter the tension. This is the only story I’ve ever heard having to do with this kind of thing in music. I don’t doubt that it’s not the only time such a thing has happened, but every guitar duel I’ve heard about and seen in the last two decades, and there have been some impressive ones, has been about the music and nothing else. This could have been the same but for the fact that Clapton was in love with Boyd, admittedly so. It takes a strong friendship to not just break apart immediately over something like this. Personally I’m not too sure how I would react if my friend ever told me he was in love with my wife it might not be the best of reactions since marriage for a lot of people is sacrosanct and saying things like usually doesn't get taken very well.
www.leicestermercury.co.uk We can work it out: how the Beatles’ Paul McCartney was persuaded to help Leicester How canny city folk managed to get the Beatles singer to give Leicester some Help! By Austin J Ruddy 5 FEB 2018 Ay-up – now, here’s a familiar face! Fifty years ago this week, Beatles singer Paul McCartney was pictured at the launch of the February 1968 Leicester Arts Festival – a real coup for the city. More curious though is how he came to be involved. An explanation was provided by reader Lesley Hale, neé Bushell, undergraduate student at the University of Leicester at the time, who provided an insight into the organisation of the festival that year. “Leicester Arts Festival was an annual event of huge ambition, running for two weeks in February. “It was a town-gown affair, overseen by a committee of arts sector people from the town, city council and all the colleges. “The festival director was elected by the University of Leicester Students’ Union and funds were raised annually by applications for grants from the Arts Council (majority funder), university Students’ Union, the university, colleges and city council. “I was recruited to act in a production of Under Milk Wood at the Phoenix during the 1968 Arts Festival and became loosely connected to the managing group of that year. “They arranged to launch the festival in London in order to attract the attention of the national press. “I understand that one of them persuaded Paul McCartney to support the press conference by saying that they had attended the same school (true or not!) and also camping out on his doorstep until he agreed! “The photo was taken at the launch at the Royal Garden Hotel, London.” Paul McCartney helping to launch the 1968 Leicester Arts Festival in London, 6 February 1968. (photo provided by Lesley Hale, original photographer unknown)
www.rte.ie Macca's fave telly: Family Fortunes, Veep, Breaking Bad RTE Saturday, 3 Feb 2018 Paul McCartney: I didn't watch the news today
Paul McCartney has revealed that he is a fan of Breaking Bad, Veep and Family Fortunes.
Speaking during a fan Q&A on his website, the ex-Beatle said preferences at any given point depended on the genre. "I mean, if it’s a series then I liked Breaking Bad a lot. And then game shows? I like Family Fortunes," he said.
The musician watches the latter series when on tour. "I nearly always have that on in the dressing room before a show because you don’t have to think too hard and it’s not depressing.
"You know, whereas if you’ve got the news channel something could come on that can makes me think, ‘Oh, my God!’ And then you’ve got to try and do a show!"
Breaking Bad - McCartney is a fan
"So, I like Steve Harvey in America doing Family Fortunes. I just like guessing at, you know (does impression]) ‘100 men, were asked what…’ And I like trying to get the top answer!
"I just think it’s a fun show, you know. So that’s nice and light. And then as I say, series - probably Breaking Bad and I like Veep, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She’s very funny and I think it’s a hilarious look at her being the Vice-President. It’s very like the British series The Thick of It."
www.billboard.com The Beatles File Multi-Million Lawsuit to Crack Down on Counterfeit Goods by Steve Marinucci 2/2/2018 The Beatles John Pratt/Keystone/Getty Images The complaint names 48 different online sites selling unauthorized merchandise. The Beatles' companies Apple Corps Ltd. and Subafilms Ltd. filed a lawsuit on Thursday against a list of 48 internet dealers and aliases for promoting, distributing and selling items that bear counterfeit logos or imitations of their respective trademarks. The defendants in the suit include shirtsforyou.net, B.F. Store, Good luck to you, GreenMango Store and HOOK ON YOU. The lawsuit alleges trademark counterfeiting and infringement, “false designation of origins” to confuse potential buyers, common law unfair competition and common law trademark infringement. According to the lawsuit, the defendants are either located in or distribute their products from territories with lax trademark enforcement. Besides their own websites, the suit says the goods were also available from the sellers on commercial sites such as Amazon, eBay, Bonanza.com and Etsy. According to the suit, the companies have sold items that include bed linens and pillowcases, apparel for men, women and toddlers, such as tank tops, T-shirts, jackets, hats, shoes, onesies, cases for mobile telephones, pendants, backpacks and doormats, and that the items are of “a quality substantially and materially different than that of Plaintiffs’ respective, genuine goods.” The legal relief asked for includes injunctions to stop the manufacture, advertising, distribution and sale of the goods, a block on registration and use of the domain names involved in the offending websites, getting commercial sites (such as Amazon, eBay and Etsy) to remove any listings of their goods, along with monetary damages of $2 million for each counterfeit trademark used or product sold. Apple Corps Ltd. -- owned by the two living Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, and the estates of the late John Lennon and George Harrison -- owns and controls the exclusive merchandising rights “and other intangible rights in the name of the Beatles,” according to the complaint. Subafilms Ltd. is an associated company also owned by the Beatles related to the merchandising rights from the Fab Four's 1967 animated movie Yellow Submarine. nypost.com Beatles trademark owner sues vendors for counterfeit merch By Richard Morgan February 2, 2018 Getty Images When it comes to counterfeit goods, the Beatles will no longer let it be. Apple Corps, the owner of the trademarks of the Fab Four, has filed a $100 million lawsuit against 50 online vendors for allegedly selling merchandise with its “Beatles” and “Yellow Submarine” trademarks without permission. The suit hopes to get back $2 million from each company. The counterfeit trademarks were plastered on a host of products — ranging from onesies to tank tops — that created plenty of market helter skelter, according to the suit. The goods are sold on the sellers’ e-commerce sites or on such marketplace sites as AliExpress.com, Amazon.com, Bonanza.com, eBay.com, and Etsy.com, the suit contends. All across the universe the quality of Beatles-sanctioned merchandise is much better than the counterfeit goods, the suit claims. “The natural and intended byproduct of defendants’ actions is the erosion and destruction of the goodwill associated with plaintiffs’ respective famous names and trademarks and the destruction of the legitimate market sector in which they operate,” the suit, filed in a federal court in Florida, said. Scott Slavick, an IP lawyer with Barack Ferrazzano in Chicago, told The Post it is a usual day in the life of trademark lawyer to have a single action that targets counterfeiters by the dozens. “Only the legit ones respond — but the others might see it as a deterrent,” he said. “They might think, ‘Since the Beatles are such strong trademark owners, let’s go pick on someone else.’” Slavick said the amount Apple Corps is seeking from each company is aggressively high.
bcheights.com The Beatles are Overrated Kaylie Ramirez THE HEIGHTS February 2, 2018
It seems as though the world is made up of two types of people: those who worship The Beatles and those who don’t. I fall into the latter category. I was raised on the records of the Eagles and Fleetwood Mac, and my walls are covered with Rolling Stones records and Bob Dylan posters—I am no stranger to the colorful world of classic rock. Despite my periodic attempts to understand the universal appeal of The Beatles, I always come to the same conclusion: The Beatles are overrated. I am not saying I hate The Beatles or that they suck, so save your eyerolls for another one of my pretentious ramblings. I am simply asserting the band’s “Strawberry Fields” may not be as ripe as everyone says they are.
The Beatles’ individual musical talent is surpassed in almost every regard. When I listen to a song, particularly of the rock variety, the first sound I notice is the guitar. I surmise that it is simply impossible to hear the opening chords of “Stairway to Heaven” and not immediately feel a sense of familiarity, even if you can’t name the song—Jimmy Page is memorable in ways that Beatles guitarist George Harrison isn’t. His playing also lacks in the wildly entertaining energy and intricacy of Hendrix’s “All Along the Watchtower.” Instead of commanding a song with his guitar the way Eric Clapton does on the head rush of a song “Cocaine,” it often seems like Harrison is being guided by the lyrics of The Beatles’ songs. The mimicking manner of Harrison’s guitar playing is most prominent in “Here Comes The Sun,” a song in which you can practically hear Harrison’s hands singing along while they glide over the strings. Harrison is one of the more talented Beatles, however: He effortlessly meshes cool groves with hard-hitting heavy metal predecessor riffs on “I Want You (She’s So Heavy),” one of my favorite songs by The Beatles.
On the drums, Keith Moon’s manic musings eclipse even Ringo Starr’s most daring beats. The Who’s hits like “My Generation” and “Baba O’Riley” would not be the same without Moon’s unrelenting assault on his massive drum kit, which was twice the size of Harrison’s. Furthermore, Starr’s playing is dim in comparison to that of Led Zeppelin’s John Bonham. Bonham plays with a consistent tightness that makes me almost never want to listen to another drummer again. Starr never ventured out into the depths of drumming as Bonham does on Zeppelin’s acid trip sequence of “Whole Lotta Love,” where he experiments with primal sounds and winds down to provide the perfect ticking clock beat for Jimmy Page to measure his guitar strokes against.
While Paul McCartney’s bass playing often takes a backseat for Beatles’ tracks, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers makes his unbelievable talent known. At TD Garden last February, the small but rambunctious 55-year-old bassist walked in on his hands and then delivered an insane bassline during the verses of “By The Way” for the encore. A funk bassist thrown in a rock band, Flea provides the backbone of Red Hot Chili Peppers’ best hits, including “Under The Bridge.” Flea’s bass weaves in and out of the track about loneliness and addiction to walk listeners through the hills and back under the bridge alongside Anthony Keidis’s vocals. Flea consistently creates an experience while McCartney simply manufactures beats—although I don’t doubt McCartney’s significant role in “Come Together.”
To the collective voices of John Lennon and Paul McCartney, I present Freddie Mercury. The lead singer of Queen displays his unmatched range on “Bohemian Rhapsody,” proving his voice truly is worthy of A Night at the Opera. Meanwhile, imagining the static voices of Lennon and McCartney try to nail Mercury’s perfect pitch in “Somebody to Love” is actually amusing.
Perhaps if it isn’t raw, unreplicable musical talent of the individual Beatles that propels the band’s popularity, it is the lyrics of their songs. While many find enjoyment in singing along to “Hey Jude” or “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” I find the vast majority of Beatles’ lyrics insultingly simple. Like many of the daunting radio hits of today, The Beatles rely on sing-along lyrics with little depth in order to be available to general public. “All You Need Is Love” is full of phrases devoid of meaning such as “Nothing you can see that isn’t shown.” It goes without saying that Bob Dylan is a far superior songwriter—the folk icon won the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature for his life’s work. Dylan tells the story of a girl’s fall from riches to rags in “Like A Rolling Stone” using eloquent terms like “chrome horse with your diplomat” and “Napoleon in rags.” Dylan’s work is also accessible to the masses: If you have ever screamed the lyrics to “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door,” jammed to “All Along the Watchtower,” or cried to “To Make You Feel My Love” (ok, maybe I am the only one who has done the last one), you have experienced the genius of Dylan.
There is one aspect of The Beatles’ legacy that is indisputable—The Beatles paved the way for many of the aforementioned musicians, and they continue to be cited as a source of inspiration for many present-day artists. Perhaps it is the simple messages and beats tailor-made for mindless humming that continue to make The Beatles so universally popular. It is undeniable that The Beatles laid an unshakable foundation for The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, and Red Hot Chili Peppers to build on and expand the rock genre. While I rest my case that The Beatles’ music itself is not worthy of its untouchable status, I concede there is something mystical about the British band’s everlasting legacy.
www.mirror.co.uk Beatles icon Sir Paul McCartney reveals his unusual pre-gig ritual involves watching Family Fortunes in his dressing room The Beatles star obviously fancies himself as a bit of a quizmaster and uses the show to mentally prepare for a gig By Vicki Newman Celebrity And TV Reporter 1 FEB 2018 Sir Paul McCartney is a massive Family Fortunes fan (Image: ITV/Getty) Most rock and pop stars will tell you that they've got a pre-show ritual. But Sir Paul McCartney 's is probably one of the strangest ones around. The Beatles star may fancy himself as a bit of a quizmaster, as he's admitted that he loves tuning in to episodes of Family Fortunes before he takes to the stage. The revelation came about when the star was asked by a fan to name his favourite American TV shows of all time. Sir Paul said: "Well, you know it depends what genre. I mean, if it's a series then I liked Breaking Bad a lot. And then game shows? I like Family Fortunes!. Paul has an interesting pre-show ritual (Image: WireImage) "I nearly always have that on in the dressing room before a show because you don't have to think too hard and it's not depressing. You know, whereas if you've got the news channel something could come on that can makes me think, 'Oh, my God!' And then you've got to try and do a show! "So, I like Steve Harvey in America doing Family Fortunes. I just like guessing at, you know [does impression] '100 men, were asked what...' "And I like trying to get the top answer! I just think it's a fun show, you know. So that's nice and light. And then as I say, series probably Breaking Bad and I like Veep, with Julia Louis-Dreyfus. She's very funny and I think it's a hilarious look at her being the Vice President. It's very like the British series The Thick of It." Macca likes watching the show in his dressing room before gigs (Image: Getty) Macca alone is worth an estimated £780 million, while his fashion designer daughter Stella is thought to have amassed around £50m of wealth. And the rest of Sir Paul's family have not done bad either. But despite his own family's fortune, it seems the star loves seeing others fight to win their own. The game show - which is based on the American version Family Feud - ran on ITV from 1980 to 2002, before being revived by the same channel in 2006 under the title of All Star Family Fortunes. The Beatles star revealed the ritual when he was asked about his favourite TV shows (Image: Hulton Archive) He's also a big fan of Breaking Bad (Image: Getty) The game involves two families providing answers to everyday questions that were surveyed by 100 members of the British public before the show to win cash prizes. The top answers are displayed on a large electronic board, known as "Mr. Babbage", which famously sounds a wrong answer "Eh-uhh" sound effect and its accompanying X to signal the strike, as well as a "ding" for a right answer. Past presenters include Bob Monkhouse, Max Bygraves and Les Dennis.
