Hotel exhibit showcases Beatle-mania in Minneapolis

www.myfoxtwincities.com
W Hotel exhibit showcases Beatle-mania in Minneapolis
by Maury Glover
Posted: Jul 24, 2014

MINNEAPOLIS (KMSP) -
For anyone who wasn't alive in 1965, it might be hard to imagine what Beatle-mania looked like in Minneapolis -- but almost 50 years after the concert, it's back in the form of a special exhibit.


Beatles arrived at the Minneapolis-Saint. Paul International Airport, August 1965

For more than 20 years, the old Met Stadium was home to both the Minnesota Vikings and Twins -- but for one special night in August, it became the beachhead for a British invasion.

"The Beatles were my favorite," John Andradi told Fox 9 News. "I've played music for over 40 years now. I played all their stuff. I fell in love with them."


Beatles Press Conference: Minneapolis, 8/21/1965

Andradi was 14 years old when the Beatles landed in the Twin Cities for their first and only concert in Minnesota. Because of the pandemonium at the airport, the promoter didn't allow anyone -- including police or professional photographers -- on the field, much to the disappointment of 25,000 screaming fans.



A few months ago, the son of the band's U.S. tour manager, Bob Bonis, found 32 photographs from that historic night in his parents' basement after they died. Now, those images are on display in the lobby of the W Hotel in the Foshay Tower -- and they give a rare glimpse of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr at the peak of their popularity from just a few feet away.


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Julian Launches New Photographic Poster Collection‏

www.JulianLennon.com
Julian Launches New Photographic Poster Collection‏
July 25 2014

EIGHT NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC POSTERS ON SALE NOW

OFFER
ONE POSTER : £ 30
FOUR POSTERS : £ 95
POSTER SET : £ 170

www.PaulMcCartney.com

JUL

25

2014

New Collection: Early Days Video Shoot

Earlier this month Paul published his latest music video, 'Early Days', from the album NEW. To celebrate the release, PaulMcCartney.com has published a new photo collection bringing together shots from the video shoot.   

“Paul’s scene was incredibly fun to create. It was just him, some blues players and Johnny Depp jamming on set all day. Patti Smith also turned up on set and hung out, which made the crew very happy!” Director, Vincent Haycock

To see the photos click HERE!

Early Days video shoot, Los Angeles, 5th March 2014

Paul, Patti Smith and Johnny Depp, Los Angeles, 5th March 2014

Paul on set, Los Angeles, 5th March 2014

Early Days video shoot, Los Angeles, 5th March 2014

From left-to-right: Al Williams, Misha Lindes, Johnny Depp, Roy Gaines, director Vincent Haycock, Paul, Henree Harris, Dale Atkins, Lil Poochie, Motown Maurice, Los Angeles, 5th March 2014

Johnny Depp on set, Los Angeles, 5th March 2014

Joe Perry Hints at Secret Paul McCartney Project

ultimateclassicrock.com
Joe Perry Hints at Secret Paul McCartney Project
by Jeff Giles 
July 24, 2014

As if being on the road with Aerosmith, working on his next solo album, and prepping his memoirs for publication weren’t enough to keep him busy, it turns out Joe Perry has also been up to something in the studio with Paul McCartney.
Telling the Chicago Sun-Times that he did a session with McCartney “a month and a half ago for a private thing,” he added, “I met him once or twice [over the years] to say hello. To spend six or eight hours in studio with him recording! He makes you feel like [you’re recording with just another guy]. He just happens to be a motherf—ing huge talent! Everyone’s in the room at once; you play until you get a good take.”
Asked to describe the emotional experience of playing with the former Beatle, Perry responded, “It’s the great ego leveler. I was in the studio with Alice Cooper and Johnny Depp, playing guitar, and the three of us are looking at each other like, hey, we’re sitting here with Paul McCartney! And we’re all looking at each other like open-mouthed kids. Paul was really nice. He’s all about business [when he’s recording]. At 72 he can still hit all those notes.”
Of course, now that he’s spilled the beans, fans are going to want to hear the results as soon as possible, but Perry refused to offer even a hint of a release date. Promising there would be an announcement when the time is right, he would only add, “It’s a project that we’re keeping under wraps for now.”


Joe Perry and Paul McCartney
Ben A. Pruchnie / Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Campaign for a new Beatles statue for either Metquarter or Liverpool One

www.liverpoolecho.co.uk
Campaign for a new Beatles statue for either Metquarter or Liverpool One
By Liverpool Echo
Jul 23, 2014

They're already immortalised with a group tribute inside Cavern Walks, albeit one not all Fab Four fans love, but now there’s a campaign for a new Beatles statue in the city centre where everyone can enjoy it.


John James Chambers from the Liverpool Beatles appreciation society, with the statue of John Lennon in the Cavern Walks shopping centre.

And those behind the plea want to name it She Loves You, capturing the Beatlemania era and particularly the band’s 1963 all-time best-selling hit in the UK.

The Liverpool Beatles Appreciation Society has earmarked two potential sites: either outside the Metquarter on Whitechapel or in Liverpool One.

And they’re hoping the billionaire Duke of Westminster, whose Grosvenor property company is in charge of running the shopping and leisure complex, will give it the OK.

“We’ve heard he’s a Beatles fan, and we’d love him to give his blessing to the idea especially as we feel it would be of benefit to Liverpool One,” society chairman John James Chambers tells Insider. “It could become a huge attraction for tourists from all over the world.”

The group was behind an original seven-year campaign, from 1977-84, which culminated in the commissioning of sculptor John Doubleday to create the bronze which cost £40,000 and currently stands in Cavern Walks.

That has just celebrated its 30th anniversary and John says they feel the time is now right for a second landmark work, this time focusing on the raw energy of the early 60s.

“The She Loves You statue would celebrate that time on stage when John and Paul were getting on famously and it was all about joyous music,” says John. “It was such a happy time and it’s still a lot of fans’ favourite Beatles song.”

They estimate that a new bronze, complete with four life-size figures, musical instruments and amplifiers, would cost in the region of £100,000 to £150,000.

But, adds John, it would be the gift to the city that keeps on giving.

“We’d like to see it at pavement level where fans could interact and get close to it,” he says. “We’ve also thought there could be a jukebox attached and people could make a charity donation to play their favourite Beatles song while they look at it.

“We can visualise it, and we think it would be a smash hit ... and if I win the lottery I might pay for it myself!”

The society is looking for volunteers to help with its projects. Contact 0151 256 1924.


John James Chambers, founder of the Liverpool Beatles Appreciation Society International, John from Liverpool has been a Beatles fan since he first heard 'Love Me Do' in 1962, after the break up of The Beatles John decided with a little help from his friends to set up the society which started in 1977.

50th Anniversary of Beatles in Seattle to be celebrated by Creme Tangerine

www.examiner.com
50th Anniversary of Beatles in Seattle to be celebrated by Creme Tangerine
Shelley Germeaux
John Lennon Examiner
July 23, 2014

The Beatles arrived in Seattle August 21, 1964 and performed an historic set of their hits at Seattle Center Coliseum that evening. They stayed at the Edgewater Hotel and gave a memorable press conference that included talking about how they fished out the window of the hotel in Elliott Bay. To celebrate this iconic visit by the Fab Four, it has been announced this week, July 20, 2014, that local Beatles tribute band Crème Tangerine will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the concert at the Seattle Center Mural Amphitheater, August 21, 2014 at 7:00 p.m. Jeff Lockheart, drummer, told the John Lennon Examiner, “It’s a joint production between Crème Tangerine, Seattle Center, Hard Rock Café, and KJR. Legendary DJ Steve Slaton and the great Pat O’Day—who introduced the Beatles to Seattle--are co-emcees.”


Photo by Getty Images/Getty Images

“Crème Tangerine will recreate the Seattle concert note for note and in its entirety to celebrate this iconic moment in the city’s rock history,” according to the press release. “Crème Tangerine will perform the entire set list from that concert in order, along with many other Fab Four favorites to mark this anniversary and celebrate the influence the Beatles have had on music in the Northwest for 50 years.”



The Beatles 1964 Seattle concert was performed in what is now Key Arena, next to the Space Needle and EMP at Seattle Center. The concert by Crème Tangerine will be free, all ages, open to the public.

“It will be so exciting to see the Seattle Center Mural Amphitheater grounds packed shoulder to shoulder with people celebrating the music of the Beatles exactly 50 years to the minute and location of when and where the Beatles visited our city – this music truly is a common bond people share together”, states Byron Prather, lead singer of Crème Tangerine. “We look forward to this show being a moment this summer to celebrate this timeless music! We’re going to perform this fun event for free in Seattle to give people a reason to take a moment to rock out, smile, and have a lot of fun celebrating the Beatles. We hope people will come out and enjoy it all!”

The performance will highlight the hunger relief work of Northwest Harvest. Northwest Harvest will be on hand to receive canned food and donations in their work to battle hunger.

Drummer Jeff Lockheart told the John Lennon Examiner that “The Band is celebrating its tenth anniversary and we are still going strong.” Crème Tangerine performs the music of The Beatles live for thousands each year across the Pacific Northwest. They are notable for their annual “Rooftop Concerts” at Pike Place Market, as well as performances of the “White Album” start to finish.


Paul McCartney and John Lennon at the Seattle Center Coliseum, Aug. 21, 1964. (Photo by Timothy Eagan/courtesy Mike Eagan)

SEATTLE 1964 SET LIST:

1. Twist and Shout
2. You Can't Do That
3. All My Loving
4. She Loves You
5. Things We Said Today
6. Roll Over Beethoven
7. Can't Buy Me Love
8. If I Fell
9 I Want To Hold Your Hand
10. Boys
11. A Hard Day's Night
12. Long Tall Sally


John Lennon at the Seattle Center Coliseum, Aug. 21, 1964. (Photo by Timothy Eagan/courtesy Mike Eagan)

Other Seattle Beatles celebrations honoring the anniversary: “Get Back Beatles 50th Anniversary” performance at McCaw Hall at Seattle Center on August 23, 2014 at 8:00 p.m. The show will feature several musicians, yet to be announced, performing the original Seattle set list from 1964 as well. Tickets range from $36.50-$86.50.




The Beatles fishing from a window in suite 272 at the Edgewater Hotel, Aug. 21, 1964. (Photo courtesy Edgewater Hotel) 


Ringo Starr fishes out an Edgewater Hotel window in Aug. 1964. Paul McCartney, left, and John Lennon watch. (William Lovelace/Express Newspapers/Getty Images) Photo: Getty Images

Why Do Beatles Fans Care So Much About Mono?

radio.com
Why Do Beatles Fans Care So Much About Mono?
By Brian Ives
July 22, 2014

Apple Records recently announced the September release of the Beatles‘ mono catalog reissued on vinyl. This came as welcome news to a relatively small, but passionate subsection of the Fab Four’s enduring fanbase that have been waiting for the 14 mono LPs since the group’s catalog was remastered in 2009. But seriously, what’s all the fuss about mono?
Well, a mono recording has all of the sound mixed in a single channel and was intended to be listened to on a sound system with one speaker — such as a turntable with a built-in speaker. Until the late ’60s, most rock and pop albums were mixed for mono, since most young people didn’t have access to stereo systems.
Stereo recordings use two, or sometimes more, independent audio channels to create the impression of sound heard from various directions. In stereo, vocals and guitars may be mixed in the right speaker while the rest of the instruments are mixed in the left.


(Hulton Archive/Getty)

At a recent listening session at Electric Lady Studios in New York City, Apple Records played select tracks from the mono vinyl for Radio.com and other members of the press. The LPs were played on a turntable that was part of a McIntosh stereo system, which attendees were told runs about $85,000, “so you’ll probably never hear it sound quite this good again.”
“Warmth” is a term that is often used in the analog vs. digital debate, and it is an apt description of why it may be better to hear the Beatles in mono rather than stereo.
Listening to these songs in mono, on vinyl and yes, on a stereo that few can afford in a room that few people will visit, there is a warmth that is lacking even in comparison to the recent 2009 mono CD remasters. The distortion at the beginning of “I Feel Fine” sounds more dangerous, while “Money (That’s What I Want)” feels more urgent and in-your-face. There is even an added strain in John Lennon’s voice that was nowhere near as apparent on CD.
Great arguments have been made in recent years over why vinyl sounds better than CD, but what is the argument for listening to mono instead of stereo? When it comes to The Beatles, it’s actually pretty simple.



“When the early Beatles albums were recorded in 1963 through 1967, mono was by far the dominant format in the UK. Beatles producer George Martin recorded these albums with mono in mind from the start,” Bruce Spizer, a noted Beatles expert who has written eight books on the band, told Radio.com. “The stereo mixes were an afterthought, with the Beatles rarely present for the stereo mixing sessions. For these reasons, the early mono albums represent the Beatles music as the Beatles and George Martin intended it be heard.”



Spizer even said, “[Martin] viewed stereo as a gimmick for Hi-Fi freaks, something that needed to be done to satisfy the bean counters at EMI.”
George Martin certainly wasn’t interested in making a quick buck if that meant the production would suffer, as Abbey Road’s head mastering engineer, Sean Magee, who worked on the mono vinyl project, explained: “There’s a great story about when they brought the second speakers into Abbey Road studios, George was like, ‘What are you doing that for?’ ‘Well, we’re going to have everything in stereo, so the music will come out of two speakers.’  ‘What the hell do you want to do that for?’”
It’s a good question, since George Martin, along with engineers Norman Smith and Geoff Emerick were masters of recording and mixing in mono. “If you want to talk about the geographic landscape of the sounds, these recordings feel completely dimensional in mono,” mastering supervisor Steve Berkowitz, who worked on the Beatles mono LPs, explained. “The goal here was to make the records that they made, the way they were intended to sound, by George Martin and the engineers and the Beatles.”


In the ’60s, most pop music—as opposed to jazz, classical and show tunes—was recorded with the intent to be listened to either on a turntable with a self-contained speaker, or on the radio. So, although the ability to record in stereo was available, there didn’t seem to be much of a point for rock bands. “At that time, the majority of people who would have listened to this—teenagers—would have listened to it in mono,” Magee explained. “Stereo was an afterthought.” Not to mention, the stereo versions cost about a dollar more, a pretty hefty markup for a teen in that decade.
Indeed, the Beatles only cared about their mono mixes. That is, until their recording got more complex.
The band’s 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was recorded and mixed for mono, but the album gave the band a sense of what was possible with stereo, particularly with cinematic numbers like “A Day in the Life” and “Good Morning Good Morning.” By 1968′s self-titled release— better known as “The White Album”—they were recording with stereo mixes in mind.
Beyond the semantics of sound, in some cases there were reasons to get albums in both mono and stereo.”The mono mixes of Sgt. Pepper and ‘The White Album,’ like Dylan’s Highway 61, are really different from the stereo mixes, it’s almost like two different records,” Berkowitz said.



Spizer agrees. “There are noticeable differences between the stereo and mono mixes of some of the songs on Pepper and ‘The White Album,’” he said, adding that songs from other eras have varying stereo and mono versions: he mentioned “Help!,” which features different vocals for each mix.
And while many people—the Beatles included—maintain that to truly appreciate Pepper, you have to hear it in mono, some of the songs actually sound better in stereo. Spizer lists “A Day In The Life” as being “more effective” in stereo, along with the “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise).”



When it comes to the opinions of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and the estates of John Lennon and George Harrison, Berkowitz is quick to say those did not play a role in this remastering.
“To be completely transparent about the process, we would do what we thought was right, and we’d send it to Apple, and then we’d get an answer,” he explained. “We worked with [Apple Records CEO] Jeff Jones and other people from Apple and Universal. At the end we got approvals. With regards to the inner process, that’s an Apple question.”
Radio.com was told that Jeff Jones does not do interviews. Radio.com also asked to interview George Martin for this piece, but were told he “would not be available.”
“I did not speak to Mr. Martin, I wish that we had,” Berkowitz said, guardedly. “We were directed to go through Apple and that’s exactly what we did. Whether they played them for him or not, I don’t know. Giles Martin came in on a number of occasions and we did confer with him to a degree.”
Giles Martin, of course, is George’s son who worked with his father on the soundtrack to the Beatles Cirque du Soleil show, LOVE and later worked on the Beatles edition of Rock Band. More recently, Giles produced tracks off McCartney’s 2013 album, New.


Beatles producer Sir George Martin (L) and Producer Giles Martin

A lot of work was put into these mixes, but how much demand is there really for the mono vinyl editions of the Fab Four’s 14 albums through 1968?
According to Apple, quite a lot. During the listening event, Apple said that they will be using a vinyl pressing plant in Germany throughout the entire summer that will work only on Beatles records, cranking out one million LPs.
“It comes at a coincidentally good time,” Berkowitz explained. “When there’s such an elevated focus on people wanting vinyl…People are buying more records again, and they want that analog experience, and they like holding something 12×12 and these records represent the opportunity to hear it the way they were meant to be heard.”
“Up until these new re-issues, the only way to truly have the listening experience intended by the Beatles and George Martin was to play a vinyl record from the Sixties,” Spizer said. “Although some of the mono reissues over the years come close, they were not done with the same emphasis on re-creating the sound of the original records…For mono freaks, these albums will provide the ultimate listening experience for the Beatles albums from 1963 to 1968.”
Bottom line, with these mono LPs you’ll hear the songs in their originally intended format with the mixes that the band cared about on a much better sound system than the Fab Four could have ever imagined. And that’s whether or not your sound system costs $85,000.
The mono LPs will be released on 180-Gram vinyl on September 8; they will be available individually and in a limited edition 14-LP box set.

(All images courtesy of Getty Images)