Thursday 29 December 2011

Harrison Exclusive Tribute


The BBFC has produced an exclusive 80-page A4 size full-colour magazine, HARRISON EXCLUSIVE, a tribute magazine with a difference.

Packed with features by top quality writers, including some of those who knew George personally, HARRISON EXCLUSIVE covers George's life and career, from his childhood through to his untimely passing in 2001.

Post and packing for this item: UK £2.50, Europe £3.50, ROW £5.00

Special offer for BBFC members in UK and Europe: £4.50 including postage and packing.

To order your copy, visit the 
BBFC Shop


However, there was so many people with fabulous memories of George that we couldn't fit all of them into the magazine.  Here, as a BBFC Website Exclusive, is a wonderful contribution from Spencer Leigh.


TALKING GEORGE HARRISON

By Spencer Leigh

Over the past 30 years I have been fortunate enough to interview music personalities for my BBC Radio Merseyside programme, On The Beat. Invariably, I seek out any Beatle connections and if there aren’t any, I ask for a favourite Beatles track. It sounds as though I do my interviews on autopilot but by asking for a favourite Beatles track, I find I receive all kinds of different answers and they are rarely the same. By way of a tribute to George, here are some comments from my guests about George Harrsion.

Session guitarist and former member of Wings, Laurence Juber told me, “When I worked with George Harrison, he told me that when he was 13, he had some jazz guitar lessons from someone on the boats who was familiar with Django Reinhardt. Those diminished chords that George uses came from Django, so he was a very sophisticated guitar player.”

Chris Curtis, drummer with the Searchers: “George was wonderful on the guitar. His little legs would kick out to the side when he did his own tunes. He’d go all posh and say, ‘I’d like to do a tune now from Carl Perkins, ‘Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby’, and it’s in A.’ Who wanted to know what key it was in? But he always said that.”

Billy Kinsley of the Merseybeats: “The Beatles sang ‘A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues’ in unison and then broke into a little harmony with some backing vocals from George. ‘Some Other Guy’ was also in unison and it became a Liverpool thing to sing in unison. George had a monotone Scouse accent and he sang like that when doing harmonies, which was the perfect way to do it. You wanted that in there because John and Paul were so melodic. That was good luck – they thought, ‘Doesn’t it sound great?’ and did it.”

With The Beatles contained the first George Harrison song, the sulky and self-protective ‘Don’t Bother Me’. Bill Harry, the editor of the Mersey Beat newspaper, says, “When everyone was going on about the Lennon-McCartney partnership, I felt that the others should come to the fore in some creative way. I kept on at George Harrison by saying, ‘Look, the first original number the Beatles ever recorded was one of yours, ‘Cry for a Shadow’ in Hamburg, so why don’t you write some more?’ He would say, ‘I can’t be bothered.’ That led to him writing ‘Don’t Bother Me’ ’cause I was always on his back. When I met him after its release, he said, ‘Thanks very much. I’ve already made £7,000 in royalties.’”

In the US, George Harrison bought a 12-string guitar, which he used in A Hard Day’s Night. Roger McGuinn of the Byrds: “George Harrison was playing a Rickenbacker 12 string and he gave me the idea for getting one too. His method of playing lead was to play up and down the G string as he got more punch out of it. I emulated that style and it sounded really good.”

Rory Gallagher: “I liked the Beatles a lot, particularly the way they revived an interest in Carl Perkins and Buddy Holly. Most of the string bending came from Paul, and John was a very powerful rhythm player. George Harrison was an underrated slide player, very accurate and very good in the Carl Perkins vein. He worked within the song and he had unusual phrases and didn’t fit into the Eric Clapton/ Jeff Beck area. He could play great ethnic rock’n’roll and rockabilly guitar.”

Music writer Paul Du Noyer: “George Harrison came out of Liverpool, unlike the other guitar heroes of British rock who were nearly all Home Counties boys like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Page. They had been brought up on the blues but Liverpool was steeped in country music and so Chet Atkins was a bigger influence on George. You can hear that single note picking, rather than long, sustained blues notes, in his early work. It gave the Beatles a very different sound and once it was developed you get ‘Ticket To Ride’ and ‘Day Tripper’, which have very intricate guitar playing. George had taken what he had learnt and put it into a new dimension. The southern boys went for the blues and that developed into psychedelia and heavy rock.”

Neville Marten, lead guitarist with Marty Wilde’s Wildcats: “I was turned onto music by George Harrison. John and Paul were casual, easy-going musicians but George was very studious, always taking great care, and I thought, ‘That’s the guy I want to be’. It was said that the Stones could play and the Beatles could write songs but George Harrison played some lovely guitar on their records. The solo in ‘Something’ is a classic, a song within a song. ‘And I Love Her’ on the classical guitar is an absolute example of understanding an instrument as it relates to a song, which is what many guitarists fail to understand today.”

The Hollies recorded George’s song, ‘If I Needed Someone’ for a single: it scraped into the Top 20 but deserved to go higher. Allan Clarke: “The only Beatles number that the Hollies ever did was ‘If I Needed Someone’. It was written by George Harrison and we got slated for it. Even George said it was terrible and we didn’t like that ’cause it dented our egos. It was a lovely song that had the Hollies’ ingredients written all over it but somehow the public didn’t accept it. They accepted the Rolling Stones doing a Beatles song but not us.”

Graham Nash, also from the Hollies: “I was sad that George didn’t like it as we certainly didn’t want to upset him. We were honouring his songwriting and it was a great song and we did a good job of it. We did it a little too fast but the harmonies are pretty good.”

Barbara Dickson: “I recorded ‘If I Needed Someone’ in 2006 and I thought it was a very good song, very up-tempo and so not as fundamentally thoughtful as some of his songs. I sing it in concert in memory of George Harrison as he gets overlooked so much of the time. If he had been in another band, he could have been as big as Lennon or McCartney but he was overshadowed by them. He was such a sensitive soul and I love him for that.”

Ian McNabb, formerly of the Liverpool band, The Icicle Works: “George Harrison was into Chet Atkins and he was getting to be a really good guitarist around 1966. ‘Taxman’ can’t have sat too well with his Indian gurus as you’re not supposed to be bothered with worldly goods if you’re into Gita.”

Beatles historian, Mark Lewisohn: “I like ‘Taxman’ for several reasons. First and foremost, it’s George Harrison’s writing. He had been writing a few songs over the years and although they’re very pleasant, there’s nothing especially great about them. They hadn’t got the depth that Lennon and McCartney’s songs had but that changed with ‘Taxman’, which is a very clever composition and typically George Harrison because the stories of his fascination with money are legion. He always wanted to know what they were owed and what they were earning. The fact that they were paying a great deal in tax rankled George a lot more than it did Paul, John or Ringo, so he wrote this stinging song to show how bitterly he felt about it all and he rounded it off with some of the best playing on any Beatles record.”

Bill Nelson from Be Bop Deluxe: “I loved jazz guitar and I looked down a bit on the earlier Beatles stuff and then, when they did Rubber Soul and Revolver and became more experimental, they got my attention. Now I love the early stuff as well as I can see the value of it. I liked George Harrison as he was a big fan of Chet Atkins and he played a Gretsch Chet Atkins guitar which I lusted after when I only had cheap guitars. The productions were so inspiring. My all-time favourite is ‘Baby, You’re A Rich Man’. I just love the vibe of it.”

Actor Victor Spinetti: “I said to George Harrison, ‘I can’t get it together with Eastern music’, and he said, ‘Vic, don’t listen to it. Let it happen to you. Western music is all maths, but Eastern music is the flow and you can jump in and out whenever you want.’”

Mike Heron from the Incredible String Band: “I loved everything that George Harrison did. It’s very clever to write songs that are commercially acceptable and yet have spiritual messages. I’ve tried to do that but he was a master at it.”

EMI historian, Brian Southall: “‘Only A Northern Song’ was George’s dig at Northern Songs having his publishing. John and Paul as co-owners and directors and shareholders in Northern Songs earned almost as much as George Harrison did from his songs and that caused resentment. George felt he had been conned and it is true that he wasn’t given any independent advice. Seemingly, every lawyer and every accountant who advised the Beatles was retained by NEMS, which was Brian Epstein’s management company.”

Jackie Lomax from the Liverpool band the Undertakers recorded George’s song, ‘Sour Milk Sea’: “I was signed to Apple Publishing with a view to writing songs for other artists to record. George Harrison heard my stuff and wanted me to work with him. I had to wait for him to come back from India where they had been with the Maharishi. George had written ‘Sour Milk Sea’ out there about the ages of the world. They believe that every 26,000 years, the world changes. In between there is a just a sour milk sea where nothing happens. It was a heavy driving rock song at a time when everyone was doing ballads and we thought it would be a hit. Apple released four singles on the same day and mine got lost in the crush.”

When Jackie Lomax’s album was issued on CD in 1991, Billy Kinsley from the Merseybeats was on the bonus cuts. “‘Going Back To Liverpool’ was great because George Harrison produced it. George was a wonderful producer as he was very methodical and never looked at his watch: he just wanted everything to be precisely right. Paul could be like that too, but he also went for feel. If it sounded okay, that was fine. ‘Going Back To Liverpool’ is a wonderful track and I remember doing the backing vocals with George, Billy Preston and Tim Rennick. That is when I realised how high George could get with his falsetto. We had a competition to see who could get the highest, but I can’t remember who won.”

Billy Kinsley also saw the animosity between the Beatles: “George Harrison had a big bar of Cadbury’s Fruit and Nut and he gave pieces to me, Pete Clarke and Derek Taylor. Paul McCartney walked in and saw us all eating chocolate and wanted some. George, very deliberately, put the last piece in his mouth. (Laughs) It’s childish, and I’ve done things like that in the Merseybeats, but Paul was really annoyed that George didn’t give him his last piece of Fruit and Nut. (Laughs)”

The film, Wonderwall, was a psychedelic love story starring Jane Birkin. Its director was Joe Massot: “I asked George at the opening of the Beatles’ boutique if he would like to do the music for Wonderwall. I told him that it was a silent film and his music would provide the emotion for the characters. Quincy Jones told me that it was the greatest soundtrack he had heard but the movie was too far out for some audiences. It did well in London though.”

Donovan: “George introduced me to Indian music and he gave me a tambura, and it is still making music. I put it on ‘Hurdy Gurdy Man’ and it is the drone in between the verses. George did write a verse for that song, but because of the guitar solo, we didn’t include it on the record. I include it in my concerts now. Yeah, George.”

Billy Bob Thornton: “I like George Harrison’s songs, and ‘Here Comes The Sun’ is one of my favourite Beatles songs. It’s a fantastic song. George seized his chance on Abbey Road: ‘Quick, while the others aren’t looking!’”

Richie Havens: “I thought ‘Here Comes The Sun’ was the happiest, simplest, clearest wishing well for the world of all the songs that they had ever done. It is a message for all of us. The sun is going to come up tomorrow, no matter what. You’ve got to be prepared, it’s going to be all right. Things are not as hard as you’re making it. That was the message of the time that needed to be heard. I said that to George and he said, ‘It is a song about finding the light, the real light, the sun.’”

Donovan: “All psychedelia points to one thing and one thing only: there is a spiritual path that the world needs and it was the singers and painters and dancers and filmmakers and poets that presented this path to the world. Now the doors of perception are open and George pointed the way by singing, ‘Here comes the sun, And I say, It’s all right.’”

Louise Harrison: “George wasn’t particularly made up that Frank Sinatra had recorded ‘Something’. Once I was staying with him at the Plaza in New York and he spent the night hiding from Frank’s guys who were after him. Sinatra wanted him to write a whole album for him and he felt that these weren’t the sort of people you said no to.”

John York of the Byrds: “The power struggle helped George grow as an artist in a strange sense so that when he put out All Things Must Pass, everyone went ‘Wow’, because he had been held down.”

Alan White, whose drumming was featured on All Things Must Pass: “I don’t agree that George had copied the Chiffons’ ‘He’s So Fine’ for ‘My Sweet Lord’. That song changed so much in the studio and to me, it was and always will be legitimate. George was the sweetest guy in the world. A really, really great guy and he wouldn’t harm anyone or anything. The vibe and the atmosphere when we recorded ‘My Sweet Lord’ were incredible. We played music all day every day for three weeks and it was a great group of people.”

Joe Brown’s late wife, Vicki, was a fine singer in her own right, having an uncredited No.1 with J J Barrie on ‘No Charge’. Vicki Brown: “George lived five minutes away from us and when he was doing the soundtrack for Shanghai Surprise, he asked me to help to demo a song for Madonna. He had worked out some great harmonies and we did the duet. Two weeks later, the producers wanted Whitney Houston to do it instead, but he said, ‘I think you should do it.’ We sang it on the soundtrack but they didn’t release it as a single as the film flopped.”

Klaus Voormann recalled going to see George in 2001: “George Harrison was in Austria and he was in bad shape. It was a lovely day and the sun was shining and we were sitting outside. Olivia explained about his treatment and it took him ages to come down because he was so weak. He couldn’t get up easily and getting shaved and dressed was agony for him. He wore a gardening hat and he took it off and he had no hair, but he was happy. He was laughing. His concern was to make me feel good. It was the opposite of what I expected, that is, for me to try and make him feel good. He said, ‘If I die, that’s okay, and if I live on, that’s okay too. My body in not important, that is just my shell. My spirit will stay with you always.’ It was lovely that he felt like that and he wasn’t scared. He was still fighting for his life but he knew he was going somewhere better. If everybody could feel that way, it would be great.”

‘Goodnight, George’ at the end of Fate’s Right Hand by the singer/ songwriter Rodney Crowell is a reference to George Harrison. “We were rehearsing the song ‘This Too Will Pass’ and I got a phone call from my daughter Hannah who lives in Los Angeles and is an incredible Beatles fan. She was in tears because George had died. I went back and told Pat Buchanan and Michael Rhodes who were on the session with me and as we were recording the play-out at the end, I just said, ‘Goodnight, George’. It was just an emotional thing. We went into the control room and Pat had tears down his face and he said, ‘Do you realise how similar this song is to All Things Must Pass?’ I hadn’t thought about it until that moment, but he’s right. We left ‘Goodnight, George’ on the song and decided to end the record that way.”

Klaus Voormann remembered his final meeting with George Harrison: “That last day I met him, he had had a video of himself when he went to the dentist to have a tooth out and he was singing, ‘How does it feel to be one of the beautiful people?’”

Saturday 24 December 2011

And so this is Christmas ...



We would like to wish all members of the British Beatles Fan Club a truly wonderful Christmastime and a very Happy New Year!

Friday 23 December 2011

Celebrating the Life of Dave Peters

There has been an outpouring of love and support for Dave Peters from BBFC Members and Beatle Fans since we announced his sad loss last week.

Dave's funeral took place on December 21, and it was the perfect tribute to a wonderful man.  His importance to Beatle fans was acknowledged at his funeral, and Kip (the Rector at St Peter’s) finished his eulogy by using Beatle song titles to describe how wonderful Dave was, and how he had given so much to so many people throughout his life
There were tears of sadness of course, but also much laughter throughout the service and especially at the end when Dave left St Peter's for the final time to the rousing theme from Star Wars! (His personal request!).

I spoke with one of Dave's sons at the end of the service, and he told me that the comments from the Beatle fans worldwide have meant the world to them.  Please be assured that all comments or memories here, or at any of the BBFC online groups, have been passed on to Dave's family (as will any future messages).

You can also leave messages on the St Peter's online guestbook by clicking here

Dave's last days were spent in the wonderful care of the Marie Curie hospice in Woolton, and Dave's family asked that, instead of flowers, donations were made in Dave's memory to Marie Curie.  The BBFC sent a donation as a token of our respect, and also in an attempt to say thank you for all Dave has done for Beatle fans.








The donation was sent on behalf of all BBFC Members, but if you would like to make a personal donation you can do so by clicking this link:
Marie Curie Cancer Care

Dave is at peace, but his loss will be deeply felt.  He was a wonderful ambassador for Liverpool, and for the Beatles, and although he will be sorely missed he will never be forgotten. 

Thanks Dave!

Thursday 22 December 2011

Review: Paul in Liverpool, December 20


Review by Ellie Hooley and
Donna Jackson




On Tuesday night Paul played for his hometown crowd, and even people who know him well, or have seen him in concert many times, agreed that it was the concert of the century!


Paul was on fire, and revelling in the outpouring of love, support and sheer enjoyment from the 11,500 people crowded into the Echo Arena. He was clearly enjoying himself, and that enjoyment only served to magnify the enjoyment of the audience. The atmosphere was electric, and it was a night that no-one who was lucky enough to be there will ever forget!

Paul, during the soundcheck
I (Donna) was among the fans who were privileged to attend the soundcheck in the afternoon -- or perhaps I should say we attended ONE of the soundchecks. A private soundcheck was also held for one special song. Paul came on stage with Bea and (I think) one of Mike's grand-daughters. The girls were obviously having great fun, and kept waving to the small crowd. Paul was clearly enjoying himself too as he treated us to 18 songs, most of which were different to those that would be played in the evening concert.

Before the show started in the evening, they played the Beatles fanclub Christmas songs which was a lovely touch considering the time of year. The usual video ran, and as the Chinese lanterns on the screen faded into the sky, the lights went down and then Paul was on stage! He looked fabulous, wearing the trademark braces and shiny black pants with a pink shirt.

The first song was Hello Goodbye, and although I (Ellie) was on the 7th row I had a man standing in front of me who was well over 6 feet tall. The lovely security guard, though, upgraded me to the 5th row so I could see! I know that Donna, who was in the front row, had a good view too! I *love* the fact that he's added more Wings songs to the setlist so Juniors Farm was a particular highlight of mine...but then having not heard The Night Before, Come And Get It, Nineteen Hundred And Eighty Five, I've Just Seen A Face, I Will, Mrs Vandebilt, Ob La Di Ob La Da, The Word, Wonderful Christmastime and Mull of Kintyre (the reason for the extra, private soundcheck!) live until this tour I think I've been well and truly spoilt!




As I (Donna) was right at the front, I could really appreciate how Paul interacted with the audience. Superfan Ellie is well-known by Paul, and he pointed to her when he spotted her. But he was great about interacting with lots of people, and made us all feel so special. My special moment came when I was screaming madly at the end of I've Just Seen a Face (one of my absolute favourite Beatle songs); Paul noticed -- well, he couldn't really miss it with the noise I was making -- and gave me a little bow of acknowledgement. Another really lovely touch was that, if Paul noticed someone taking photos, he would stand still and look right at the camera so that the person with the camera could get a really great shot! So thoughtful!! Unfortunately, when it did that for me, I got so excited it was probably the worst photo of the whole night!

Paying tribute to George

Throughout the show, Paul seemed to be in a wonderful mood, just grinning lots and very bouncy! There was lots of banter with the crowd, and he seemed very amused that both the Royal Wedding and Cilla Black were booed.



For the ladies, there was the special moment where Paul puts his bass guitar between his legs as he takes his jacket off (Ellie's favourite); and also enough times when Paul had his back to the audience to keep me (Donna) happy!

Playing around, after Live and Let Die
As well as the wonderful music, the light show was absolutely incredible. It was stunning throughout but one of the best moments was the creation of a prison cell with the lights for Band On The Run. It really added to the atmosphere of the gig.

Band on the Run
It snowed in the Echo Arena during Wonderful Christmastime (the choir came from LIPA), which was great fun at the time (even though we're still finding bits of it everywhere!), and the Pipe Band accompanying Mull of Kintyre made that song special too.



We're not sure that our words can do justice to this gig. It was truly, truly special and a night that Liverpool, and everyone in the Echo Arena, will never forget! Paul got back to where he once belonged, and he proved that he still does belong here!

Hey Jude

Thank you, Paul, for one of the best nights of our lives!



Set Lists

Soundcheck:
01. Honey Hush
02. Honey Don't
03. Blue Suede Shoes
04. Highway
05. Ebony and Ivory
06. Only Mamma Knows
07. Penny Lane
08. Celebration
09. CMoon
10. Things we Said Today
11. San Francisco Bay Blues (To Shelley Lazar)
12. Jam
13. It's So Easy
14. Sun is Shining
15. Petrushka
16. Something
17. Yesterday
18. Lady Madonna

Concert:
1. Hello, Goodbye
2. Junior's Farm
3. All My Loving
4. Jet
5. Drive My Car
6. Sing the Changes
7. The Night Before
8. Let Me Roll It/ foxy lady
9. Paperback Writer
10. The Long and Winding Road
11. Come and Get It
12. Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five
13. Maybe I'm Amazed
14. I've Just Seen a Face
15. I Will
16. Blackbird
17. Here Today
18. Dance Tonight
19. Mrs. Vandebilt
20. Eleanor Rigby
21. Ram On
22. Something
23. Penny Lane
24. Band on the Run
25. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
26. Back in the U.S.S.R.
27. I've Got a Feeling
28. A Day in the Life/ Give Peace a Chance
29. Let It Be
30. Live and Let Die
31. Hey Jude

First Encore
32. The Word/ All you need is Love
33. Wonderful Christmastime
34. Day Tripper
35. Get Back

Second Encore
36. Yesterday
37. Mull of Kintyre
38. Helter Skelter
39. Golden Slumbers/Carry that Weight/The End



Last Chance to See Backbeat -- Special Offer for BBFC Members



The sad news for Beatle fans is that Backbeat finishes its run in the West End on February 18. 

The good news is that BBFC Members can still get top price tickets for only £32.50!!  Don't delay in taking advantage of this special offer!

Simply call 0844 871 7623 and quote your British Beatles Fan Club Membership Number to apply.



Offer available on Mon-Thurs performances and is subject to availability.




“The Beatles are back in town. Backbeat is a back-story to cherish”
Fiona Mountford - Evening Standard


“A striking, absorbing play with music. Imaginative, thrilling and startling”
Sam Marlowe – Time Out




Backbeat is now open at London's Duke of York’s Theatre!
Backbeat is the story of how The Beatles 'became' The Beatles – when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best and Stuart Sutcliffe embarked on their journey from the famous docks of Liverpool to search for success in the seedy red light district of Hamburg.


The compelling triangular relationship between the band's original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, the striking German photographer Astrid Kirchherr with whom he fell in love, and his best friend John Lennon, became an intrinsic part of The Beatles' story – and put them on an unstoppable trajectory onto the world stage.


Directed by the award-winning David Leveaux, Backbeat features all-time rock 'n' roll classics including Love Me Do, PS I Love You, Twist & Shout, I Saw Her Standing There, Rock 'N' Roll Music, Long Tall Sally, Please Mr Postman and Money - live on stage as performed by 'The Beatles'.




"A Cellarful of Noise" available for Kindle!

Great news!!  Brian's biography, "A Cellarful of Noise", has been out of print for years but it has just been released as an e-book!

It's a must for any Beatles fans that are getting a Kindle for Christmas!  Or for Beatle fans who already have a Kindle.

Or for Beatle fans (like me!) who will now be adding a Kindle to their Christmas list ;-)


Paul McCartney Premieres First Single "My Valentine" from New Album!

The first single from Paul McCartney's BRAND NEW as yet untitled album has just been released, and you can listen to "My Valentine" here!





WHILE many a musician is often asked about the tunes that have influenced their songwriting, it is not a question Paul McCartney  ordinarily gets to answer - until now. Paul is about to offer a glimpse into "the songs which inspired the songs" with the upcoming  release of a brand new album of those standards he grew up listening to in his childhood-plus two brand new McCartney compositions: the album, which is currently untitled, will be released on Hear Music/Concord Records on February 7th 2012.

With the help of Grammy Award-winning producer Tommy LiPuma and Diana Krall and her band-as well as guest appearances from Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder, McCartney's new album is a deeply personal journey through classic American compositions that, in some cases, a young Paul first heard his father perform on piano at home. As authentic and daring a musical statement as he could make, this is the album Paul  has been thinking about making for more than 20 years - and probably the last thing his fans are expecting. "In the end it was 'Look, if I don't do it now, I'll never do it," he says.

In short, Paul believes it is about time "the songs me and John based quite a few of our things on" received the recognition they  deserve. Moreover, the record also features a couple of new original McCartney compositions in the spirit of those classics.

"When I kind of got into songwriting, I realised how well structured these songs were and I think I took a lot of my lessons from them," Paul explains. "I always thought artists like Fred Astaire were very cool. Writers like Harold Arlen, Cole Porter, all of those guys - I just thought the songs were magical. And then, as I got to be a songwriter I thought it's beautiful, the way they made those song'."
Determined to approach the record in a new and unique manner, Paul enlisted the help of LiPuma and Krall and her band-who delivered ultra-high quality musicianship and were completely in tune with Paul's restraint and feel for the music. In the studio, the recording of this album was also a new challenge for Paul who, for the first time ever, performed exclusively in the vocal booth without no instrument - no guitar, no bass, no piano - which led to a vocal performance like no other in his career.

He adds, "It was very spontaneous, kind of organic, which then reminded me of the way we'd work with The Beatles. We'd bring a song in, kick it around, when we found a way to do it we'd say 'Okay, let's do a take now' and by the time everyone kind of had an idea of what they were doing, we'd learnt the song. So that's what we did, we did the take live in the studio."

"It was important for me to keep away from the more obvious song choices so, many of the classic standards will be unfamiliar to some people. I hope they are in for a pleasant surprise."

The album was recorded at the legendary Capitol Studios in Los Angeles, New York and London throughout 2011. It also features guest musicians Eric Clapton and Stevie Wonder, respectively, on the original compositions 'My Valentine' and 'Only Our Hearts'.

Full tracklisting to be announced soon.

www.paulmccartney.com<http://www.paulmccartney.com>

Review: JAMES McCARTNEY- THE COMPLETE EP COLLECTION



Engine Company
ECR1112000

 

At long last James’s material is released on CD, having previously only been available for download.

Here we have his two EP’s “Available Light” and “Close at Hand” along with some bonus tracks.

Produced by Paul McCartney and David Kahne, and recorded at Hog Mill Studios, Sussex, Abbey Road, London and SeeSquared Studios, New York, we have a great collection of original material along with two cover versions.

The first disc of the double CD features the original “Available Light” EP plus the excellent bonus tracks “New York Times”, a real rocker, “I Love You Dad” a very touching song for dad Paul, and “Moonstar”.

“Angel” opens the CD and there are some very personal lyrics in here “I have felt some hard times in my life, but I don’t want to feel it anymore”, shows that this song is very personal to James. This track is the UK single. The song is based around when James will meet his true love. Indeed the whole “Available Light” collection is very catchy even from first hearing. Even the one cover version here is a wonderful updated version of “Old Man”, the Neil Young song from his classic 1971 album “Harvest”. It makes me think that this is maybe how Neil would record it today.

The second disc features the more recently recorded “Close at Hand” EP. The very beautiful “I Only Want to be Alone” opens the CD and again sounds a very personal song to James. Indeed on first hearing, you might think you are listening to Julian Lennon here. “Jesus is my Friend” shows an individual bearing his soul at times, and a man who clearly has a lot of love inside him to give.

“Close at Hand” for me is the better disc of the two, but “Available Light” is also a good CD.

The musicianship and vocals on “Close at Hand”, shows how James has developed as a performer and songwriter.

The cover version on this CD is the excellent Carl Perkins track “Your True Love”, a song performed on the Carl Perkins 1985 TV special by George Harrison and Dave Edmunds no less.

The inner sleeve has the lyrics for the songs and photography by Mary McCartney.

James plays guitar, bass and piano on this album and is joined by Steve Bayley, Gil Goldstein, David Kahn, Charlie Turner, Shawn Pelton, and Steven Isserlist, to make this a very enjoyable CD debut for James, which has been recorded over the past two years.




by Ernie Sutton

Review: "The Beatles and Fashion: Fab Gear"

Paolo Hewitt
Prestel Books
ISBN 978-3-7913-4563-5





Here’s another slant on The Beatles influences.

240 pages, crammed with over 300 photographs detailing how The Beatles not only influenced people with their music, but also lead the way with their clothes and dress, as well as their hairstyles.

Starting with their Hamburg days there are many shots from Astrid Kirschherr, not just of The Beatles, but photographs of others in Hamburg from that period. It was in Hamburg that their famous mop top haircut was born, of course.

We move through to their Beatlemania period and then into the Pepper period, with many photographs which haven’t been published before, from stage shots, to dressing rooms, film sets, airports, inside hotels, it’s all in here.

Whilst there are a lot of photographs, the text is interesting reading too, with input from Beatle people Tony Bramwell (who worked for Brian Epstein) and Leslie Cavendish (The Beatles hairdresser who worked for them at Apple) amongst others.


Leslie Cavendish with his copy
of 'The Beatles and Fashion' at
Abbey Road
Other contributors include Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn, Spencer Leigh (BBC Radio Merseyside) and The Beatles Shop in Liverpool.

We read about how the boys loved clothes and how this was a very important part of their image. The Beatles had their own styles of suits in the early days, although John preferred the leather from the Hamburg period, but as we move into the Pepper period, John seems far more relaxed with his choice of clothing.

Many people tend to remember The Beatles for their music, and forget their influence on the world with their choice of clothes and hairstyles. This book aims and succeeds in detailing the influence the boys had on people with just about anything they said or did.





“This one is going to be up there with the best of the books about The Beatles”- Leslie Cavendish.

You know I think he could be right.




by Ernie Sutton





Wednesday 21 December 2011

Macca at the MEN, December 19 2011

Thanks to BBFC Member, Marcus
for this great review

Photograph: c. Ellie Hooley


What can I say, the guy just gets better and better.

We were sat in the cheap seats right at the top of upper corner block, we had a good if long distance view but the sound was just fantastic.

Liked the DJ playing all sorts of Beatles and Macca remixes and some to match what is out there on the internet for sure but presume these were official ones from Macca collection.

The starting video stream was really well put together, running for some 15 minutes I think and was different in that it ran from top to bottom of the screens.

When Macca and the band came on, well, from start to finish was just fantastic.

Photo: c. Donna Jackson

My description of the sound, as opposed to when seen him before, is Fab Faux (as in the USA band) against straight copies of the music.

I think Macca has realised his voice just cannot reach the same heights and has possibly taken some songs down a tone or two and if that what has done just do not blame him. The whole sound was just fantastic, Abe's dances were something to behold, definitely not Ringo style drummer. Macca made the day of a few people who went up on stage, he signed the shirts of 2 girls from Argentina I think, one of them did a little jig of happiness at this.
Photo: c. Donna Jackson


Recognised a few faces that were shown on the screens.

I have a good few videos that I took, but some there will surely have better close up footage as could see lots of cameras in the audience There seemed to be 1 steward flashing a light at people to get them to stop, but not many took real notice of him, saw 1 person I think trying to point out all the others shooting footage.

Photo: c. Donna Jackson


Set list:

1. Magical Mystery Tour
2. Junior's Farm
3. All My Loving
4. Jet
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Sing The Changes
7. The Night Before
8. Let Me Roll It/Foxy Lady
9. Paperback Writer
10. The Long And Winding Road
11. Come And Get It
12. Nineteen Hundred And Eight-Five
13. Maybe I'm Amazed
14. I'm Looking Through You
15. And I Love Her
16. Blackbird
17. Here Today
18. Dance Tonight
19. Mrs. Vanderbilt
20. Eleanor Rigby
21. Ram On
22. Something
23. Band On The Run
24. Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da
25. Back In The USSR
26. I've Got A Feeling
27. A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance
28. Let It Be
29. Live And Let Die
30. Hey Jude


 


Photo: c. Donna Jackson

First Encore
30. The Word / All You Need Is Love
31. Wonderful Christmastime
32. Day Tripper
33. Get Back

Second Encore
34. Yesterday
35. Helter Skelter
36. Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End





Sunday 18 December 2011

JAMES McCARTNEY- Live the Barfly, Camden, London December 15th 2011

Review by Ernie Sutton




This low key gig on the upper floor of the Barfly was a joy to be at.

Having seen James at the famous 100 Club in March 2010, where he appeared a little nervous but still gave a good show, this gig showed us how much he has improved, particularly vocally.


The gig had the majority of his new CD “The EP Collection” performed live and far rockier than the CD.

Arriving on stage at 10pm dressed in a cool black and white jacket, with a 4 piece backing band, James introduced the first track “New York Times”.
Playing electric guitar, James ripped into the opening bars and the beat had people dancing straight away. 

His powerful voice added spice to the number, which was just pure rock.


The cheers at the end of the number must have made James feel good. 

“I Only Want to be Alone”, followed, a mellower track beautifully delivered. It was introduced as the single that has been released in the USA, and one of my favourites from the night.

James’s vocal was excellent and at the end of the track I turned to see the audience reaction as there was a lot of cheering from behind, and there was Paul, Stella and Mary literally just feet behind me cheering James all the way. Stella in particular was cheering and dancing away.

James then dedicated the next song to his family, including mum, which was a lovely touch. Having now switched to acoustic “My Friend” was a beautiful ballad and the delivery of the wonderful lyrics clearly shows the love and affection within the McCartney family, Paul looked on and was clearly proud of his son up there on stage.




The second acoustic track was “The Sound of my Voice”, before James switched to piano. Unlike the 100 club gig where there were numerous instrument changes, James just stuck with 2 guitars and piano this time, “Fallen Angel”, another ballad, was followed by the more rocky “Spirit Guides” with a wonderful chorus which was extremely catchy.

By now the place was buzzing and the band was contributing to some wonderful harmonies in the vocals.
Now back on electric guitar the band started to play some rock in the run up to the finale. “Moonstar” followed “Wings of a Lightest Weight”, before James performed the one track of the night that was a cover. “Old Man” was a Neil Young track from the early 1970’s, and James certainly did the song justice, with virtually the whole audience singing along. The final song of the night was announced as the UK single. “Angel” was a perfect closing number and James and the band left the stage to massive cheers and applause, not least from his family who by now had been joined by Paul’s current band mate Rusty Anderson.

Paul was just there to see his son perform, and not get up there with him. This was James’s night and the band returned to the stage to rock out the night with “Else and Else but Dead” and finally the excellent “Mix”.

James then left the stage again and was joined by his family in the side room, before emerging a short while later to sign autographs and pose for pictures.



Whilst still appearing a little shy, James appeared happy with the adulation of the fans. An excellent show and well worth going to see, and the backing band deserve credit too for their contribution to this show, and when James develops his music catalogue we hope we can have a longer show.


If you get the chance go and see him, you will be pleasantly surprised. James has developed his own music which is very pleasing on the ear, and as a performer is improving all the time.

Set List
Intro/New York Times/I Only Want To Be Alone/My Friend/The Sound of my Voice/Fallen Angel/Spirit Guides/Wings of a Lightest Weight/Moonstar/Old Man/Angel/Else and Else but Dead/Mix.

Thursday 15 December 2011

Shakers Competition -- Winner Announced!


Congratulations to David Croall who is the lucky winner of our Christmas Competition!  This batch of goodies from the Shakers, the Cavern's resident Merseybeat band, is on its way to you, David!

Even if you weren't lucky enough to win this time, it's easy to get hold of the Shakers' CDs, and you can experience the genuine sound of Merseybeat for yourself.  The CDs are available (£5.00 each) from the Shakers at any of their gigs, or you can order one by contacting Tony O'Keefe via the Shakers Facebook page (click here) or from The Real Mersey Sound

RIP Dave (St Peter's Church Hall)


On July 6, 1957, Ivan Vaughan introduced Paul McCartney to John Lennon for the first time. Among the lads hanging out in St Peter’s Church Hall that day was a young Dave Peters, and he witnessed the moment that musical history was made.

 
Dave, with the Quarrymen and one of the many
Beatles fans who visit St Peter's Church Hall

Over fifty years later, Dave regularly relived that moment by sharing it with the countless Beatles fans who visited St Peter’s as part of their Beatles pilgrimage. He would take the groups to the very spot where John and Paul met, and bring the past to life as he shared his memories of the day. 

I first had the privilege of meeting Dave in June 2008. He was amused because he could see me visibly trembling as I stood where John and Paul had stood just over fifty years before. But I knew he understood why I was so excited, and I know that he appreciated my excitement.

I asked him why he remembered the meeting; after all, at the time it happened no-one realised the significance of the moment. Dave grinned at me, and with the twinkle in his eye that never diminished, he explained that it was unusual for a lad from outside Woolton to come to the fete, so Paul was attracting attention. The twinkle brightened as he went on to tell me that the Woolton girls were all intrigued by Paul, including the girl that Dave liked. So Paul was memorable because the Woolton lads were worried about losing their girlfriends to him!

With Dave, at the spot where John and Paul
were first introduced by Ivan Vaughan

I later moved to Woolton and became a member of St Peter’s Church. Dave asked if I’d like to help him with showing visitors to the Church around, and he taught me his story. On days when we were both in the Hall, he would watch me as I gave the tour to make sure that I was doing it right. The last time I saw him was the weekend of John’s birthday this year. We were very busy that day, and, at the end of the day, Dave told me I was doing a good job. It was a special day and I will treasure the memory forever.

Last night, Dave lost his battle with illness, and we lost another part of Beatles history. Dave was a wonderful, kind and generous man. He had a great spirit, and a great sense of humour. I am privileged to have known him, and I will try to honour his memory by sharing his story with the Beatles fans who continue to come to St Peter’s.

RIP Dave, and thank you.

 

If you would like to share your memories of Dave, you can comment on this post below.

Monday 12 December 2011

Limited Edition Lithograph of 'Yesterday' Manuscript For Sale!



 The George Martin Music Foundation has donated a limited edition lithograph of the Beatles 'Yesterday' manuscript (with original signatures by Paul McCartney and George Martin) to the Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship Organisation, to assist in their fund-raising efforts.

Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship (www.sironacic.com) is a Community Interest Company that works with people of varying needs and horses. Looking at horse training using natural horsemanship techniques, it assists people to develop their skills and find out more about themselves. 

The manuscript is going under the hammer at Bonhams memorabilia auction on the 15th December so fingers crossed it will raise much needed funds for them. 
Insurance costs for the organsation come to over £2500, and there are also licence costs, volunteer support and training, without forgetting the funds needed for horse care etc - especially with the high cost of hay and feed in the winter.

The Sirona Therapeutic Horsemanship is extremely grateful to the George Martin Foundation for this wonderful gesture of support, and we at the BBFC wish them every success with their efforts!

Sunday 11 December 2011

Paul in Sweden

We just had to share this lovely photo of Paul, taken by Gunnar Johansonn, at the concert in Stockholm on December 10.  It's so wonderful to see Paul looking so happy!

Saturday 10 December 2011

THE CHRISTMAS LONDON BEATLES DAY - UPDATE!!!

Sunday December 11

We are pleased to confirm two new extra attractions to the show, firstly we are very pleased to welcome all the way from the United States - William Tong – who will be exhibiting his superb collection of original Beatles paper items including many rare tickets, programmes etc… also French Author Eric Krasker will be visiting again with his superb book on the early years,,,,,

This coming Sunday 11th December sees the Christmas London Beatles Day take place at the Doubletree by Hilton Hotel (Formerly the Bonnington & Park Inn Hotel) - in the newly refurbished Ground floor convention centre, at the Doubletree Hilton West End, Southampton Row, London WC1B 4BH. There will be the usual top selection of Beatles Dealers from all over the UK (Dealers room fully booked) offering an amazing selection of everything Beatles from Badges to books to Signed Albums & Rare Original Memorabilia, Cd’s, T shirts, and a great selection of Beatles vinyl records from £1 to £1000 !!

We will also have a few interesting Guests / Authors in attendance headed by Paulo Hewitt who will talking about and signing his great new book ; Fab Gear – The Beatles & Fashion

Gail Renard – who befriended John & Yoko at the Montreal bed in She will be bringing her new book and will share some great stories with us and last but by no means least Glen Knowler - who really is the Living Image of George Harrison – Glen is not a good lookalike .. he is an amazing lookalike of George – we think the best ever – Glen will be happy to pose with you for a photo or two!

Doors open at 10am – 4.30pm – licenced bar, cafĂ© & cooked food and snacks offered on site, easy ground floor access for disabled people, remember there is NO congestion charge in London on Sundays, free street parking nearby, easy walking distance to the Oxford Street, nearest tube Holborn or Russell Square (each 5 mins walk) admission is on day

Come and have a chat with Fellow Beatles fans - Always a great day out with like minded Beatles people..

For Event detail check out : www.beatlesdays.com or call 07801 564622 / 07785 923695

Friday 9 December 2011

Liverpool Remembers John

Along with the many private acts of remembrance for John this week, Liverpool celebrated John’s life with two very special events.



Celebrating John's life at the vigil

At 7pm, fans from all over the world gathered at the ‘Peace & Harmony’ monument dedicated to John in its new location at Kings Dock outside of ACC Liverpool, home to BT Convention Centre and Echo Arena by the River Mersey. They took part in a moving candlelit vigil and were led in song by local musicians.

The vigil marks just the second time that Liverpool has had a place for people to gather to celebrate the life of Lennon and his legacy of peace through his music. The ‘Peace & Harmony’ monument was unveiled in October 9th 2010 on the 70th anniversary of Lennon’s birth by his son Julian and first wife Cynthia to worldwide media acclaim.

Even the extreme weather conditions couldn't dampen the event, which later continued with an impromptu jam session at the Beatles Story Starbucks cafe nearby on the Albert Dock.

Jerry Goldman, MD of Beatles Story commented:
“No amount of adverse weather conditions could dampen the spirits of Lennon fans as they made the pilgrimage to Liverpool to celebrate John’s life. Like last year’s inaugural vigil this has been a fitting tribute to a son of the city. The atmosphere at the ‘Peace & Harmony’ monument has been incredible with people from all over the world gathering to pay their respects and contemplate John’s message of peace. Liverpool has once again done itself proud.”

Bob Prattey, chief executive of ACC Liverpool, said: “The people who braved the weather to gather at the monument on the piazza outside ACC Liverpool reiterated the importance of remembering such an important musical icon. Liverpool is proud of its rich heritage and, together with Paul McCartney performing at Echo Arena on December 20th, this is a time to remember the legacy that these individuals have brought to the city.”

(Thanks to The Beatles Story www.beatlesstory.com for this section of the review)


Afterwards, the celebration of John’s life continued in the Cavern. The Mersey Beatles, the Cavern’s resident Beatles tribute band dedicated their set to John, and then focused on his music throughout their three sets. As well as John’s songs from the Beatles, they treated the audience to some of his solo work, including ‘Love’, ‘Working Class Hero’ and ‘Stand By Me’.  

The Mersey Beatles' Mark Bloor pays
tribute to John

It seemed fitting that the show straddled the midnight hour. Although December 8 is the official date of John’s death, we in the UK woke up on December 9 to the shocking and tragic news. It was therefore poignant, but very right, that the first song after midnight was ‘In My Life’. I’m sure that I wasn’t the only one in the Cavern with a lump in my throat.

The Mersey Beatles finished their three-hour set with two songs that perhaps best sum up John’s message and legacy – ‘Imagine’ and ‘All You Need is Love’. John wanted to make the world a better place, and although he is no longer with us in person, his message will never die: there’s nothing you can do that can’t be done, if you only imagine. 




A candle burned for John in
the Cavern


Reviews by The Beatles Story and Donna Jackson

Thursday 8 December 2011

Paul McCartney at the O2, London, December 5 2011

Review by Ernie Sutton (with a little
help from his son, Ross)


As with two years ago my trek to the O2 was in cold weather to see Macca. We arrived by car just some 30 minutes from home and parked up before heading to the merchandise shop. Followed by a dinner at Nandos we met with fellow fan club members, before going into our seat.


Whilst high up the view was great.

For me, I have seen Paul live many times since the Wings tour of 1976, and my first gig at Wembley is one I always treasure. For me was the ’76 show rates probably the best of all the live shows I have seen. However, this gig at the O2 is up there with that show, and may be even better after I have had time to take it all in.

Paul’s voice at this show was superb, hitting high notes superbly, with lots of “oohs” in a number of songs beautifully delivered.




The band of Rusty, Brian, Abe and Wix, have grown into a very tight unit, and Abe in particular came into his own in this show.

Having arrived at our seat at 6.50 we were treated to a DJ playing new mixes of Paul, Beatles, John Lennon songs, including some covers of these.

A half hour video followed, the same as what we saw in 2009, concluding with lava lamp like items on video turning into that iconic bass guitar.

Suddenly they were there on stage, in front of us, immaculately dressed in black suits.

The opening track was “Hello Goodbye” and the mood was set.

For anyone who has been to a Paul concert before, they will know track two is always a rocker, but the choice of the track was a complete surprise and when Paul plays a new song live it always has my adrenaline pumping.

Before we knew it “Junior’s Farm” was being belted out by the band, and was the first of a number of surprises on the night. Rusty’s lead guitar was as good as the Wings original in 1974. Even regular keyboard player Paul “Wix” Wickens was there playing guitar!

The vast majority of the show was based around Beatles and Wings hits, but there was the odd song outside of this period, leaving scope for next year to cover the 80s and 90s albums, as part of the show- There is still material to cover Paul.

The amazing thing is Paul has so much material to work with and whilst most artists struggle to fill a show with hit material, Paul struggles to know what to leave out!





Concert regulars “All My Loving”, “Jet”,”Drive My Car” and “Sing the Changes” followed before a UK debut. “This is the first time this has been played in the UK”, Paul announced. What was it going to be? Tension grew and suddenly the first chords of “The Night Before” rang out. The song, whilst recorded in 1965, was never played live by The Beatles.

A guitar change followed Paul was now on lead and “Let Me Roll It”, before a further change to a Yamaha. Paul announced the next song “Paperback Writer” and the Yamaha was the original used on the single way back in 1966. It was the only time Paul used this guitar during the gig. At the end of the track, Rusty turned his guitar over to show the audience a “Thanx” written on the back.

With cheers ringing out, which I have to say were much louder than 2009, despite that being a great gig, Paul went to the piano. “The Long and Winding Road” was followed by the next surprise. Another UK debut live for a song that was a big hit for another Apple band. “Come and Get It” was written by Paul for Badfinger and was released in 1969. It was also part of the soundtrack to the film “The Magic Christian” featuring Ringo Starr and Peter Sellers.

Two 1970s tracks followed- “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five” and “Maybe I’m Amazed”, finished this section, before Paul switched to acoustic guitar.


Three Beatle classics followed, before the now regular tribute to John. “Let’s hear it for John”- Paul said and the 02 erupted into cheers and applause for Paul’s song writing partner. Paul was clearly enjoying the show and appeared very relaxed throughout, taking in the atmosphere, and the love generated from the audience could be felt- far more than any other Paul show I had been to, even including the show at the mecca of football, Anfield, Liverpool in 2008.

“Here Today” was followed by “Dance Tonight”. This song brought drummer Abe into the spotlight and his dance moves shown on the screens (he was behind Paul at the time) showed his confidence and indeed he proved to be the star of this track, generating cheers and applause that I have never heard given to this fine fine drummer before.- He can sure move!

“Mrs Vandebilt” had Rusty, Brian and Paul all jumping around like teenagers during the “Ho Hey Ho” parts, and Paul defied his age with a very energetic performance on this song- apparently the most liked Paul song in the Ukraine- so Paul says.

“Eleanor Rigby” and “Band on The Run” followed before a tribute to George. “Let’s hear it for George”- Paul said, and George received as much adulation from the fans as John had, which was wonderful to hear for one of the so called lesser Beatles, although for me they are all equals.

“Something” was followed by “Ob La Di Ob La Da”, and while the show had been split fairly evenly between Beatle and Wings songs, we were now entering the final part of the show and a flood of Beatle hits followed.

"Back in the USSR”, “I’ve Got a Feeling” “A Day In The Life”- with Rusty being a fine deputy for John, which then moved into “Give Peace a Chance”, saw the already excited audience now at fever pitch.

The floor was vibrating around us as Paul took to the piano again and performed “Let it be”, before the one my son had been so excited about.

“Live and Let Die” along with the fireworks and explosions lit up the venue. Finally the psychedelic piano emerged and Paul switched, to play “Hey Jude”. The entire audience was singing along and I don’t think I have ever heard a rendition of this song with so many of the audience participating.

The band then left the stage at around 10.25- but our tickets said the show closed at 11 and we knew there was an encore at least.

Out came the band, with Paul and Wix carrying huge Union Jack flags. “Here’s another one being played live for the first time in the UK” Paul announced. To our utter surprise the Rubber Soul track “The Word” was being played with Paul covering John’s vocal on the original track as well as his own.

The track then moved into “All You Need is Love” with wonderful video choreography to match, and the song closed with the “She Loves You” part, so we also got a “Yeah Yeah Yeah” too.

Brian then sent out the first notes of “Day Tripper” and the place was rocking.

What more surprises could we have?

The final one was could not have been predicted. “We have a special guest for the next number”- Paul announced- Who was it? It couldn’t be Ringo could it? “It’s a Rolling Stone”-Paul added, and the excitement mounted. “Please welcome Ronnie Wood”. The cheers for Ronnie were deafening and after his well documented problems, it was great to see him looking so well. So when was the last time, if at all, a Beatle and Rolling Stone appeared on the same stage? It could be a future BBFC competition.

Ronnie was great on “Get Back” and again the band left the stage to cheers and even some were crying with joy. “Paul is God” I heard one fan shout.
Paul emerged to sing “Yesterday” and the band then completed their final encore with “Helter Skelter”, “Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End” medley.

For me there was a large comparison in the music to that first Wings gig I went to in ’76, but I think the lasting memories for me here were the great music, the love that was clear to see for Paul, and the tightness of a wonderful band.

Would I go and see this again?

You bet I would- why ask that question?


Set list;
Hello Goodbye/Junior’s Farm/All My Loving/Jet/Drive My Car/Sing The Changes/The Night Before/Let Me Roll It/Paperback Writer/The Long and Winding Road/Come And Get It/Nineteen Hundred and Eighty Five/Maybe I’m Amazed/I’ve Just Seen a Face/I Will/Blackbird/Here Today/Dance Tonight/Mrs Vandebilt/Eleanor Rigby/Band On The Run/Something/Ob La Di Ob La Da/Back in the USSR/I’ve Got a Feeling/A Day in the Life-Give Peace a Chance/Live and Let Die/Hey Jude.
Encore 1;
The Word-All You Need is Love-She Loves You/Day Tripper/Get Back (with Ronnie Wood)
Encore 2;
Yesterday/Helter Skelter/Golden Slumbers-Carry That Weight-The End.