What John Lennon said when he was told people would be listening to Imagine '10 years later' is revealed in a new behind-the-scenes documentary

www.dailymail.co.uk
‘Oh f*** off, it’s just a rock album’: What John Lennon said when he was told people would be listening to Imagine '10 years later' is revealed in a new behind-the-scenes documentary
º  In the summer of 1969, John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono moved to Tittenhurst Park in Ascot, England – away from London and Lennon’s bandmates
º  The Beatles were on the precipice of breaking up and would have their last photo shoot at Tittenhurst, which was where Lennon started to record Imagine in 1971
º  A new Biography documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,’ which premieres on A&E Network on March 11, looks at the making of the famous album
By DUSICA SUE MALESEVIC FOR DAILYMAIL.COM
PUBLISHED: 7 March 2019

John Lennon wanted to know if his new album was any good.

So he enlisted the help of some friends and journalists, including one Kieron ‘Spud’ Murphy, a freelancer for a music publication called Sounds, to give feedback.

Murphy listened, told Lennon he liked the one song, and said: ‘I think people are still going to be listening to it in 10 years’ time.’

‘He said: “Oh, f*** off, it’s just a rock album.” ’

That song and album were Imagine.

Murphy recalled this anecdote in a new Biography documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,’ which premieres on the A&E Network on March 11. The two-hour film offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the famous 1971 album was made: George Harrison, smoking, while he played guitar; Phil Spector wearing sunglasses and a suit while he produced songs and talking about waking up Eric Clapton so he could come play; and at the center of it all, the relationship between John Lennon and Yoko Ono.


In the summer of 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono moved to a sprawling estate called Tittenhurst Park in Ascot, England - away from London and Lennon’s bandmates. The Beatles were on the precipice of breaking up, and they would have their last photo shoot at the huge property. The official end of the Fab Four was in 1970, and their last studio album, Let It Be, was released that year. In 1971, Lennon started to record the album Imagine at Tittenhurst. Above, George Harrison, John Lennon and Yoko Ono in the kitchen, which was near the studio at the estate


A new Biography documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,’ which premieres on the A&E Network on March 11, offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the famous 1971 album was made. Michael Epstein, the documentary’s director, said they started working on it in spring last year after Yoko Ono contacted him. Epstein told DailyMail.com that he was given access to footage that had not been made public before. When he looked at the material Ono made available, he said he was ‘gobsmacked.’ Above, John Lennon in the studio during the recording of the album Imagine


There are interesting moments in a new documentary where John Lennon conferred with George Harrison about music. For instance, he plays the piano and asks his former bandmate for his opinion on whether it stays on the key of F too long. ‘You’re like a fly on the wall,’ Epstein, the director, said. Above, Lennon and Harrison during the recording of the album Imagine


Above, a scene from the recording studio featured in a new documentary about the making of Imagine. Bassist Klaus Voormann said in the film that the musicians were given the lyrics to the songs they were recording. Voormann said: ‘You got a feeling of the song just by (Lennon) just playing it.’ Voormann said that Imagine was likely the first song that they recorded that day. ‘We all stood around and listened to it and it was apparent that was going to be a big big one’


Kieron ‘Spud’ Murphy, a photojournalist, said in the upcoming documentary ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,’ he thought it was a joke when Sounds, the music publication, told him his next assignment was to go to John Lennon’s house to snap shots while they recorded songs. Murphy, pictured above in the documentary, recalled one of his photos that shows Lennon singing at the microphone while Ono sat on the floor writing out the lyrics. He said: ‘I really got this was a real team effort'

The mythology around the couple runs deep, and the documentary depicts a portrait of partners. Ono contributed ‘lyric and concept’ to the song Imagine – a debt that Lennon acknowledged later in a 1980 radio interview. Murphy, who snapped shots during the recording, remembered one of his photos that shows Lennon singing at the microphone while Ono sat on the floor writing out the lyrics.

‘I really got this was a real team effort,’ he said.

Ono, who was interviewed for the new documentary, talked about their relationship in terms of the big picture, and said: ‘The fact that John and I met was to do this song.’

Michael Epstein, the documentary’s director, said that Lennon chose Ono not only to be his romantic partner but a creative one as well.

‘They were each’s other muse and her voice had a huge influence on his work… that you can see most obviously in a song like Imagine,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘In so many ways that is very much the culmination of the two artists coming together as one.’


A new documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,’ revisits the tale of how the couple met. It was 1966 and John Lennon went to one of Yoko Ono’s exhibitions. Black-and-white footage shows Ono explaining the piece that caught his eye. A person was to climb a ladder, and then, using a magnifying glass, look up at the ceiling. There, they would see one word: yes. ‘Because it was positive, it said “yes,” I thought okay, it’s the first show that said something warm to me,’ Lennon recalled later on a talk show. Above, the couple from a still from the video for Imagine


In 1966, when the couple met, John Lennon was married to Cynthia and they had one child, Julian. Yoko Ono was married to Anthony Cox, and they had one child together as well, Kyoko. Klaus Voormann, a bassist who played on Imagine, recounted how he met Lennon when The Beatles were making their Strawberry Fields video, and Lennon was in bad shape, telling Voormann how unhappy he was. But that after Ono came on the scene, Lennon changed completely, he said. Above, Yoko Ono and John Lennon in the video for Imagine


For the recording of the song Imagine, John Lennon was seated at the white piano in a white room – seen above in a still from the music video. In a new documentary, he first took a puff of a cigarette and then exhaled. ‘Okay, let’s just try it with piano, bass and drums,’ he said. The studio's engineer said that the song probably took no more than two or three hours to get its core in shape, and then it was refinement. Ultimately, there was too much reverberations in the white room, and so Lennon went to the studio to play the piano there






John Lennon and Yoko Ono, above, seen her at their home Tittenhurst Park sometime in 1970. The couple met in 1966 after meeting at one of Ono's exhibitions. Dan Richter, Lennon’s assistant, said in a new documentary: ‘He got (her art). Yoko touched him. It’s as though it had something missing he was looking for. He had an emptiness.’ They were married on March 20, 1969, and that summer they moved to the sprawling estate in Ascot, England

 
When the couple were speaking to a journalist about the nature of relationships, John Lennon noted that intellectually it’s ‘rubbish’ to want to own somebody. However, he also said: ‘I love Yoko. I want to possess her completely.’ Above, John Lennon and Yoko Ono at Tittenhurst Park in Ascot, England sometime in 1970


In 1971, John Lennon started recording both the song and album called Imagine at Tittenhurst Park, seen above, in Ascot, England. He had a studio built, which was near the kitchen. An upcoming documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,’ features never-seen-before footage of the recording at Tittenhurst as well as interviews with the musicians who played on the album and the journalists who covered it




On yet another talk show, Lennon addressed the question that has lingered: did Ono cause tension in the group?

‘The tension was already there, you see,’ Lennon explained in the undated clip.

Famed photographer David Bailey talked about a shoot he did with the couple and said that Lennon 'fancied her so much.’

‘He was an a******* so I thought he was great. I really got on great with him,’ he said and then laughed.

At Tittenhurst, where much of the album Imagine was recorded and the video for the song was filmed, the couple spent a lot of time in their huge suite, and the documentary showed footage of them in bed surrounded by newspapers.

‘He liked to sit in bed, playing his guitar, smoking dope and watching television,’ Richter, his assistant, said.

Lennon wanted his own studio at Tittenhurst and one was built close to the kitchen. Many scenes from the documentary show, at different times, Lennon and Ono eating and gathering around the table with journalists, George Harrison, the musicians who were playing on the album, and Phil Spector.

Kieron ‘Spud’ Murphy, the photojournalist, said he thought it was a joke when Sounds, the music publication, told him his next assignment was to go to Lennon’s house to take images while they recorded. Murphy said he arrived at around 5pm, and Lennon wasn’t up.

Then, people started to funnel into the kitchen, including George Harrison.

‘Phil Spector arrived, he was dressed in a three-piece suit and a collar and tie in the middle of summer in England in a rock session and shades. He was a heavy presence and he just looked menacing,’ Murphy said and then laughed.

Spector, who co-produced the song Imagine, told the musicians it was time to get started and they filed into the studio.

There are interesting moments in the documentary where Lennon conferred with Harrison about music, for instance, he plays the piano and asks his former bandmate for his opinion on whether it stays on the key of F too long.

‘You’re like a fly on the wall,’ Epstein, the director, said about this interaction.

Epstein directed the 2010 documentary ‘LennoNYC’ about the former Beatle’s life in New York City, and through that film, he met Ono.

‘I have a nice relationship with Yoko and when she contacted me that they wanted to make this film, I was elated. I mean, you know, there was upfront a promise that the vault, that the archives was going to be doors blown open, and that everything that had not been seen from this period was going to be at our disposal,’ he said, adding that he started working on the documentary in spring 2018.

When he looked at the material Ono made available, he said he was ‘gobsmacked.’

‘It was surprise after surprise after surprise.’


Above, The Beatles - George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr - in 1970. Michael Epstein, the director of the upcoming documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,’ told DailyMail.com that the official end of the band happened the same year the above photo was taken. The group's last studio album, Let It Be, was released that May


The Fab Four, seen above in 1968. George Harrison and Ringo Starr hold a submarine at an announcement about the animated film 'Yellow Submarine,' which would be released later that year. John Lennon, bottom right, had wanted to say publicly that he had quit The Beatles in 1969 but had held back due to the release of Let It Be in May 1970, according to Michael Epstein, the director of an upcoming documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky.' However, Paul McCartney, bottom left, released his eponymously-named solo debut in April that year, and announced that he was not in the band anymore. Epstein said: ‘John was livid,' but by 1973, the two former bandmates were on good terms again


Michael Epstein, the director of ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky,' said that John Lennon chose Yoko Ono not only to be his romantic partner but a creative one as well. ‘They were each’s other muse and her voice had a huge influence on his work… that you can see most obviously in a song like Imagine,’ he told DailyMail.com. ‘In so many ways that is very much the culmination of the two artists coming together as one.’ The couple is seen above in October 1969 with Ono's daughter, Kyoko, from her previous marriage to Anthony Cox

In addition to Imagine, Lennon was in the studio recording other songs such as How Do You Sleep, which Murphy soon realized had lyrics that pointed to titles of Paul McCartney songs.

‘It became clear it was a smash between John and Paul, which I as a member of the public was not aware of,’ he recalled.

Lennon had wanted to say publicly that he had quit The Beatles in 1969 but had held back due to the release of Let It Be in May 1970, according to Epstein. However, McCartney released his eponymously-named solo debut in April that year, and announced that he was not in the band anymore. ‘John was livid,’ he said.

In the documentary, Lennon said that he used his ‘sibling rivalry resentment’ against McCartney to create How Do You Sleep.

‘Paul doesn’t personally feel like I insulted him or anything because we had dinner together last week,’ he said on a talk show. ‘It’s not about Paul, it’s about me.’

By 1973, the two former bandmates were on good terms again, Epstein said.

Another song on the album was Jealous Guy, which had lyrics that included: I was feeling insecure / You might not love me anymore / I was shivering inside.

When the couple were speaking to a journalist about the nature of relationships, Lennon noted that intellectually it’s ‘rubbish’ to want to own somebody.

However, he also said: ‘I love Yoko. I want to possess her completely.’

After they were done recording Jealous Guy, it was around 5am, and everyone gathered to listen to the cut, calling it a ‘powerful’ and ‘very moving’ song. Somebody said it was great to which Lennon first replied with a thank you and then ‘you lying git.’

The musicians who played on the album, like bassist Klaus Voormann, said they were given the lyrics to songs they were recording. Voormann said: ‘You got a feeling of the song just by him just playing it.’

For the recording of Imagine, Lennon was seated at the white piano in a white room – the same as in the video. He then took a puff of a cigarette and the exhale was heard.

‘Okay, let’s just try it with piano, bass and drums,’ he said.

The studio's engineer said that the song probably took no more than two or three hours to get its core in shape, and then it was refinement. There was too much reverberations in the white room, and so Lennon went to the piano in the studio.

Voormann said that it was likely the first song that they recorded that day.

‘We all stood around and listened to it and it was apparent that was going to be a big big one.’

The album was released in the fall of 1971, and, according to the documentary, it went to number one in the United Kingdom, the U.S., and around the world.

Julian Lennon said that the song is not religious or political, but rather about humanity and life.

‘A lot of people said, well, you know, it’s all a bit too dreamy, yeah, but we all actually want what he’s singing about,’ he said. ‘I think that’s why even today the song is so important.’

Dan Richter, Lennon’s assistant, said that in the song, he hears Yoko Ono.

‘I love John but those were her words. She was speaking through him. I don’t think the world’s got that quite yet,’ he said.

Lennon owned up to her contribution in a radio interview in late 1980.

‘That should be credited as a Lennon Ono song because a lot of it, the lyric and the concept came from Yoko. But those days, I was a bit more selfish, a bit more macho and I sort of omitted to mention her contribution. But it was right out of “Grapefruit,” her book.’

Epstein, the director, said: ‘They really come together and fuse so beautifully in that song and, you know, if you love Imagine, if you’re inspired by Imagine, then you’re inspired by Yoko.’


Famed photographer David Bailey, pictured above, talked about a shoot he did with the couple in an upcoming documentary called ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky.' He said that John Lennon 'fancied her so much. He was an a******* so I thought he was great. I really got on great with him,’ he said and then laughed


John Lennon's assistant, Dan Richter, pictured above, said that in the song, Imagine, he hears Yoko Ono. ‘I love John but those were her words. She was speaking through him. I don’t think the world’s got that quite yet,’ he said in the new documentary, ‘John and Yoko: Above Us Only Sky.' Lennon recognized her contribution in a late 1980 radio interview when he said 'the lyric and the concept' for the song Imagine 'came from Yoko'

Boy who stole Life magazine with Beatles on cover returns it to library 50 years later

boingboing.net
Boy who stole Life magazine with Beatles on cover returns it to library 50 years later
CARLA SINCLAIR
BoingDoing
MON MAR 4, 2019


Cuyahoga County Public Library/Facebook

50 years ago, a boy named Brian stole a copy of Life magazine from an Ohio library that sported a photo of The Beatles on its cover. But this week he decided to give the book back, along with an apology note: "Hello. I stole this magazine from the Parma Ridge Road library when I was a kid. I'm sorry I took it. I've enclosed a check for the late fee."

Over the decades he racked up more than $1,800 in late fees, according to AP. But fortunately, for Brian, the library puts a $100 cap on library fines, so that is the amount he left them.

The library, now called Cuyahoga County Public Library, wrote Brian back: “To the Beatles fan who "borrowed" this copy of Life magazine in 1968: Thank you for returning it this week and clearing your conscience.”

Via Daily Beast




www.npr.org
Good Day Sunshine: 1968 Beatles 'Life' Magazine Finally Returned To Library
AMY HELD
npr
March 4, 2019


The staff at Ohio's Cuyahoga County Public Library were surprised to receive a 1968 issue of Life magazine featuring the Beatles from someone who said he stole it as a kid.
Cuyahoga County Public Library

Fifty years have passed and the issue is showing some wear and tear, but John, Paul, George and Ringo still loom large against the stark blue backdrop on the cover of the Sept. 13, 1968, Life magazine that is once again in the possession of its rightful owner in Ohio.

Somebody returned it last week to Cuyahoga County Public Library via USPS priority mail, complete with a note of apology and a $100 money order to cover any fines.

The note reads: "I stole this magazine from the Parma Ridge Road Library when I was a kid. I'm sorry I took it. I've enclosed a check for the late fee." Signed, Brian.

"It's a story about doing the right thing," Cuyahoga County Public Library spokesman Robert Rua told NPR. He said this is the oldest item he has ever seen returned, exceeding the reach of the library's records.

Despite the decades that have passed since "Hey Jude," "Hello, Goodbye" and "Lady Madonna" ruled the charts, Rua said the library system does not allow fines to keep accruing and Brian would have owed less than $100.

"There really isn't a Mr. Bookman, no library cop," like on Seinfeld, Rua said with a laugh.

The magazine is a bit yellowed and showing signs of age but remains in fair condition, Rua said. "It is still intact and no pages are missing."

It also still bears the orange Cuyahoga County Public Library ownership sticker, making its provenance clear. But Rua notes that the Parma Ridge Library building of 1968 is no longer in existence, having moved to a new location.




Rua speculates Brian was a teenage fan of the Fab Four at the time, unable to resist the urge to walk off with what would become a collector's item.

"Inside the magazine is the first of a two-part excerpt of the first official biography of the Beatles written by Hunter Davies," Rua said in an emailed statement. "It covers the Beatles early days in Liverpool and the time they spent cutting their teeth playing clubs in Hamburg, Germany's Reeperbahn district."

It is not known whether Brian lost affection for people and things that went before, or whether he felt guilty and was looking to make it better.

The Nowhere Man remains a mystery.

The magazine was mailed through Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio, Rua said. And while a signature is scrawled on the money order, the last name is illegible. But Rua hopes Brian steps forward.

"We would thank him for setting a good example — if belated," Rua said. "We just want our stuff back."

The library system, which has some two dozen branches in the Cleveland area, still believes in yesterday. Rua said the plan is to get a case or a frame and put the magazine on display.

The New York Metro Fest is This Month!

www.thefest.com
It Won't Be Long: The New York Metro Fest is This Month!
The Fest For Beatles Fans
Monday 4 March 2019

THE FEST FOR BEATLES FANS 2019 NEW YORK METRO FRIDAY - SUNDAY  MARCH 29, 30 & 31 HYATT REGENCY JERSEY CITY ON THE HUDSONCELEBRATING THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF  ABBEY ROAD Leading up to the Best Advance Ticket Price Deadline of March 8th (Fab Four days away), we have been focusing on different Special Guests, Authors, and other Events and aspects of our upcoming 45th Annual Beatles Celebration! This email highlights them and teases some surprises as we prepare for Fest weekend! Come Together at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City, as we celebrate all things Beatles! We're back at the Hyatt Regency for the third straight year - with Festers again getting to enjoy the layout and the spectacular views of the World Trade Center, the entire NYC skyline, the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty.  The hotel sold out of rooms this year and once again, the Hyatt House (just around the corner) is our overflow hotel. Their #201-395-0500, 1-800-993-4983, or click HERE to book your rooms online (same rate). All Day/Night Parking at the Hyatt Regency Jersey City is reduced to $15.00 per day for the FEST. Valet Parking is also available, at $25.00 per day. For directions to the hotel, HEAD HERE Head to thefest.com for Tickets To Ride and all Guest and Activity info!

STEVE HOLLEY joins his former bandmates for a 40th Anniversary Salute to Wings' Back To The Egg Album on the Saturday Show. We have a terrific lineup of musical guests this year, with Denny Laine, Laurence Juber, and Steve Holley from Wings immersing in Beatleness with us all weekend during talks and concerts, including sizzling jams with Liverpool on Saturday and Sunday night, where the band will be joined by our other guests including Mark Rivera, Alan White, Blac Rabbit, and Jon Cobert.  #ComeTogether2019 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abbey Road and all things Beatles! See Denny, Laurence, & Liverpool perform 'Go Now' at the 2017 Fest See Liverpool perform 'I Want You' (She's So Heavy) at the 2018 Fest See Blac Rabbit perform 'All My Loving' at the 2018 Fest LIVERPOOL 40 YEARS AS THE FEST HOUSEBAND In Concert Friday, Saturday, and Sunday LIVERPOOL, featuring Drew Hill, Chris Camilleri, John Merjave, and Glen Burtnik (John Montagna will be filling in for Glen on Friday night), is the World’s finest Beatles tribute band. Their amazing concerts highlight every FEST, including the last hour of the concert when they bring up all the musical legends of their time to perform their hits live on our stage. In honor of its 50th Anniversary, the guys will be performing Abbey Road in its entirety - Side One on Saturday and Side Two on Sunday! They’ll also be performing dozens more Beatles  and solo Beatles cuts! See Liverpool perform a 'Revolution 1'/'Revolution' mashup at the 2018 Fest Presented by Marc Rubinstein Best known for Bill Graham's Fillmore East, John Scher's Capitol Theatre, the CBS series "Comedy Tonight", the Avco Broadcasting "Midsummer Rock" and NBC's "Super Elastic Plastic Goggles" children's series, The Museum At Bethel Woods Center for the Arts honored him with the retrospective exhibition: Pig Light Show: The Music Videos of Marc Rubinstein. This is Marc’s 9th year at FEST and 50th year as Pig Light Show. CHARITY RAFFLES In addition to all the activities going on at the FEST, we have raised over $610,000.00 since 1974. The two main Organizations are the Coalition to Stop Gun Violence and Spirit Foundation.One of the Grand Prizes for Gun Control is Ringo's new hand signed book of photos and stories - Another Day in the Life. A Grand Prize for Spirit the signed super deluxe Edition of Imagine John Yoko Book. So please stop by their tables and buy some Raffle Tickets. As always, 100% of the moneys raised go directly to the organizations.   BEATLES FINE ARTIST ERIC CASH Internationally acclaimed artist Eric Cash is back again this year at the FEST displaying and selling his traditional style oil paintings of scenes from The Beatles history through his imaginative eyes. Eric, who has been at most Fests since 2008, continues to be one of the most well known Beatles artists going. CELEBRITY ART WITH NEAL GLASER Neal Glaser of Celebrity Art started with us 24 years ago as a traveling John Lennon art show and now is the exclusive distributor for Paul McCartney's artwork and the publisher of Ringo Starr's Computer Art. Showing at The Fest, this is the only exhibit that features the signed artwork of John, Paul and Ringo all together. This is an incredible showcase of The Beatles' multiple talents. Come see this one-of-a-kind exhibit and maybe walk away with a hand-signed Beatles masterpiece. Denny Laine will be doing all his signing sessions in this room. BEATLES KARAOKE WITH KAREN Karen will head up The Beatles Karaoke/Make Your Own Room. Karen has been us for over 25 years and brings years of experience and expertise to this room where fans can come and sing along to almost any Beatles and many solo Beatles songs. There will be lots of fun going on here. SUSAN SHUMSKY Author of Maharishi & Me" Susan has written a book from her personal experiences in the 1960s and beyond, called Maharishi & Me: Seeking Enlightenment. Susan learned TM in early 1967, and studied with the Maharishi in Rishikesh in 1970. She ended up working for him for six years in Europe, really getting to know him. We welcome Susan back for her second year. This story has never been told, until her book was published, and is very fascinating. CHERYL BREO, PIERS HEMMINGSEN, SANDI BOROWSKY, and ALEX CAIN Guest Authors Cheryl (above, top left) is no stranger to The Fest For Beatles Fans, but is now a first-time author with her book, Happiness Is A Warm Gun – A Vietnam Story. It is an autobiography of being married to a Vietnam veteran, and an exploration of the absolute power The Beatles ‘ music — the musical therapy that kept her alive in the face of the terror of that war. Piers (above, top right) is the author of The Beatles In Canada: The Origins of Beatlemania! It is a book that offers a whole new perspective for U.S. fans. We certainly did not know that She Loves You made it to No. 1 in Canada in December, 1963, before we ever heard of the Beatles! Piers has created the standard for Canada’s Beatles history, much as Bruce Spizer has done with his series of U.S. books. Sandi (above, bottom left) joins us for the first time as a guest author, with the release of her new book, Exploring Fab Four Landmarks. Sandi’s  2013 trip to the U.K. took on a life of its own and she took photos and notes of dozens of Beatles related sites in London and Liverpool. Alex (above, bottom right) had a lengthy and successful career in TV Sound, before combining his love of drumming and the Beatles to write (with Terry McCusker) Ringo Starr And The Beatles Beat – the definitive account of Ringo Starr’s drumming with the Beatles.   KARONHYAWAKE JEFF DOREEN Karonhyawake Jeff Doreen is a singer-songwriter from Tyendinaga, currently living in Hamilton, ON. He sings Beatles songs that he translates into Kanyen’kéha, Mohawk language. He is a speaker and teacher of Kanyen’kéha in the Grand Erie School Board. He has also taught at Six Nations of the Grand River at the adult immersion program. See Karonhyawake Jeff Doreen perform 'Blackbird' PURCHASE TICKETS NOW ADVANCE TICKET PRICES THROUGH THIS FRIDAY MARCH 8, 2019 TICKETS TO RIDE! ALL TOGETHER NOW (3 Days) $180.00 WEEKENDER (Sat & Sun) $136.00 MINI WEEKENDER (Fri + Sat or Sun) $112.00   DAY TRIPPERS! FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 5PM-12 Midnight - $47.00 SATURDAY, MAR 30, Noon-Midnight - $70.00 SUNDAY, MARCH 31, Noon-10:30PM - $70.00  ---------------------------- TICKET PRICES BEGINNING SATURDAY, MARCH 9, 2019 TICKETS TO RIDE! ALL TOGETHER NOW (3 Days) $199.00 WEEKENDER (Sat & Sun) $152.00 MINI WEEKENDER (Fri + Sat or Sun) $125.00   DAY TRIPPERS! FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 5PM-12 Midnight - $54.00 SATURDAY, MAR 30, Noon-Midnight - $79.00 SUNDAY, MARCH 31, Noon-10:30PM - $79.00 TICKETS AT THE DOOR - SINGLE DAY ONLY FRIDAY $54.00 SATURDAY $79.00 SUNDAY $79.00 *Now Junior, Behave Yourself* From 8 through 18 - Half Price Mini-Fans 7 and Under - FREE As A Bird! NOTICE FOR ALL WHO PLAN TO TAKE THE PATH TRAIN TO THE HOTEL There are no issues for Friday, March 29 and Monday, April 1st. The PATH train directly to the hotel is closed every weekend in 2019 for servicing. There are a couple of options to get to the hotel from the New York side of the Hudson River. In regards to the PATH service you can still take the path to Hoboken and either take the light rail from there or take the PATH and switch at Grove station to get to Exchange place.    You can also utilize the ferry via NY Waterway from Brookfield place which is right next door to the Hotel as well.   Both are good options and Brookfield is walking distance to World Trade and most major NYC connections. Attached is some information as well as a link below that is a good reference.   https://www.panynj.gov/alerts-advisories/advisories-path-weekend-closures.html     AMERICAN AIRLINES If you are planning to Fly in, American Airlines is our Airlines of choice. Go to www.aa.com and book your flights. Newark Airport is the most convenient to fly in and out of, but LaGuardia and JFK are still options. Please us code A5139EL for a 6% discount off published fares (excluding basic economy and non-discountable fares). You may also call AA at 1-800-433-1790.

MMAS fundraiser to feature guitar signed by Paul McCartney

www.thesunchronicle.com
MMAS fundraiser to feature guitar signed by Paul McCartney, football signed by Gronk
For The Sun Chronicle
Monday March 2019


A bass guitar signed by Paul McCartney will be among the items auctioned off the MMAS's gala.

MANSFIELD -- The Mass Music & Arts Society will hold its annual fundraising gala Friday, March 29, with auction items including a bass guitar signed by former Beatle Paul McCartney and a football signed by Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.

The event will be held at the Lake View Pavilion in Foxboro and raise funds for MMAS arts programs including theater productions, gallery exhibits, and the MMAS Academy. It will include a silent auction, raffles and a live auction that features a vacation getaway, sports tickets, and memorabilia.

Along with the guitar signed by McCartney and the football signed by Gronk, items up for bid will include football helmets autographed by 12 Patriots and sheet music signed by Neil Diamond, MMAS Executive Director Ken Butler said.


A football signed by Patriot tight end Rob Gronkowski will be among the items auctioned off the MMAS's gala.

Some items are up for advance bidding online. The highest bid received will be the opening bid the night of the gala, but "that high bidder will have the opportunity to keep bidding -- even if they are not attending the event," Butler said.

MMAS hopes to raise $75,000 at this year's gala.

Tickets can be purchased by calling 508-339-2822 or going to www.mmas.org.


Helmets signed by 12 New England Patriots will be among the items auctioned off the MMAS's gala.

The football teams Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr & George Harrison supported

The Beatles 1967


www.goal.com
The Beatles: The football teams Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Ringo Starr & George Harrison supported
Cady Siregar
Feb 28 2019


The band all hail from the football-mad crazy city of Liverpool, but which teams did they support – and did they align with the Reds or Blues?

Few cities can boast about being a true hub for both football and music. Not only is the city of Liverpool home to the likes of Liverpool and Everton, but it is also the birthplace of all four of the Beatles.
Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr all originated from Merseyside and their fame was what first brought global attention to the city. The success brought by Liverpool FC would only come later on, beginning from the 1970s.
As famous and influential as the Beatles are, a topic that has been called into question over the decades is that of their football allegiance. Liverpool is so famed for their impassioned football culture - surely their four most well-known sons are mad for the sport as well?

But figuring out which teams the Fab Four supported isn't as straightforward as one might think.



Much like today's musicians hesitate to publicly endorse a political figure for fear of marginalising significant portions of their fanbase, perhaps the Beatles didn't want to alienate fans who supported a rival team.
The "Eleanor Rigby" scene during The Beatles’ Yellow Submarine film references football – and potentially the Merseyside derby – as it depicts two football teams, one in blue and the other in red.
However, Paul McCartney is believed to be a 'secret' Evertonian, and was once spotted in the stands during the 1968 FA Cup final between West Brom and Everton.
While he has stated that as a native Liverpudlian he has a fondness for both teams, when it "comes to the crunch" he says he is a Blue.



"Here’s the deal: my father was born in Everton, my family are officially Evertonians, so if it comes down to a derby match or an FA Cup final between the two, I would have to support Everton," he told Radio Merseyside.
"But after a concert at Wembley Arena I got a bit of a friendship with Kenny Dalglish, who had been to the gig and I thought ‘you know what? I am just going to support them both because it’s all Liverpool and I don’t have that Catholic-Protestant thing.'
"So I did have to get special dispensation from the Pope to do this but that’s it, too bad. I support them both.
"They are both great teams. But if it comes to the crunch, I’m Evertonian."

The boss shows his love for The Beatles... https://t.co/XjP2SCDmI2

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) 18 de marzo de 2016

Writer Andy Thompson has also confirmed McCartney's loyalties.
"Paul was (and maybe still is) definitely an Evertonian, as was his dad. He attended the 1968 FA Cup final - there is a photo of him outside Wembley," he wrote in the Guardian.
"His brother Mike is a massive Red - and part of his band The Scaffold's promo film for 'Thank You Very Much' was filmed in front of a packed Spion Kop at his behest."
John Lennon wasn't a football fan at all or into sports, according to Beatles historian Ray O'Brien. His dad, however, was a Liverpool supporter and it was on his suggestion that they include former Reds great Albert Stubbins on the album cover of Sgt. Pepper as the only football figure.



Moreover, another ex-Liverpool footballer Sir Matt Busby – who spent five years at Anfield before becoming Manchester United manager –  is name-checked by Lennon on the Beatles’ song "Dig It".
Neither John nor George are believed to have ever attended any games, though George's son Dhani is known to be a keen Reds fan and a regular Anfield goer.



George Harrison is considered to be the Beatle with the least interest in the sport, or was at least the member the most careful to dismiss any allegiances to either team in Liverpool by stating: "There are three teams in Liverpool, and I prefer the other one."
Curiously, Ringo Starr appears to be an Arsenal fan. His stepfather was from London and would take Ringo to Anfield or Goodison whenever the Gunners played an away game. However, according to Thompson, Ringo grew knowledgeable about the Reds and both of his sons have season tickets at Anfield.
The most obvious connection between the Beatles and football, though, is a telegram sent by the foursome to Liverpool manager Bill Shankly in 1965, wishing the Reds fortune in their upcoming FA Cup final.
The telegram is on display at the Shankly Hotel in Liverpool, and reads: "Best of luck lads, we’ll be watching on the tele. John, Paul, George and Ringo."