Since leaving the Cavern as a resident band in February, the Mersey Beatles have performed for royalty (the Duchess of Cornwall), toured Europe and travelled to Dubai.
Despite this hectic schedule, the band kept their promise to their hometown fans to appear regularly in Liverpool and their first show, at the Royal Naval Association Club, was a huge success and a complete sell-out.
The Mersey Beatles at the RNA
Mark Nicholas, manager at the RNA admitted that when he first booked the Mersey Beatles he had been "a bit apprehensive" but, he added, "I needn't have worried." The Club was full and Mark was forced to turn people away on the night. He said, "Booking the Mersey Beatles was a no-brainer. We could have sold out three times over! After the gig it made perfect sense to re-book them and, result!, we have them back at the club on September 22. Can't wait!"
The Mersey Beatles at the RNA
Fans of the band don't have to wait until September to see them again in their home town though. The next Get Back To Liverpool gig will take place on May 19 at the Picket.
Tickets, priced at only £10, are available at the Beatles Shop on Mathew Street (with no booking fee for cash sales) (www.thebeatleshop.co.uk)
BBFC Member Valeria recently attended Paul's concert at the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo on April 15 and has very kindly allowed us to post some of her photos here!
NB: All photos c. Valeria/BBFC. Do not download or reproduce without the express permission of the copyright holder
Summer In The City Package.£198.00 for 2 persons for 2 nights in a Luxury
room: 2 nights bed & breakfastStrawberry Field Cocktail per person3 course
dinner in Blakes Restaurant on the first night Package Price £198.00
for 2 persons. Find out more : Book Now !
In Summer 2012 the Serpentine Gallery will present a major exhibition of the work of celebrated artistYoko Ono for the London 2012 Festival, which will include SMILE, a large-scale participatory project.
The Serpentine’s timely exhibition will reflect upon the enormous impact that Yoko Ono has made on contemporary art, exploring her influential role in art, music, film and performance. Her first exhibition in a London public institution for more than a decade, Ono will present new and existing works, some of which have rarely been shown in the UK. These will include installations, films and performances, as well as architectural alterations to the galleries.
As a part of her exhibition, Ono will present SMILE, a large-scale project which will be exhibited at the Serpentine Gallery and online for the London 2012 Festival.
Conceived as a way of connecting people across the world, the project invites people to upload and send an image of their smiles, to create a global anthology of portraits.
Ono envisions that ‘all of the smiles... that are collected will be kept by the Serpentine Gallery as a record for the planet Earth.When people take part in the SMILE, they will receive their own smile to take home.’
Working as an artist, film-maker, poet, musician, writer, performance artist and peace activist for over five decades, Yoko Ono has influenced generations of artists and received numerous prestigious awards. In her prolific career, she has embraced a wide range of media, defying traditional boundaries and creating new forms of artistic expression. Born in 1933 inTokyo, she is a pioneer of conceptual art. Her work has been presented internationally in major exhibitions and performances.
Yoko Ono at the Serpentine Gallery will be part of the London 2012 Festival, a spectacular 12-week UK-wide celebration featuring world leading artists from Midsummer’s Day on 21 June to the final day of the Paralympic Games on 9 September 2012. For more information on the programme visit: www.london2012.com/festival.
Gallery open 10am to 6pm daily
Admission free
Serpentine Gallery Kensington Gardens London W2 3XA T +44 (0)20 7402 6075 F +44 (0)20 7402 4103 www.serpentinegallery.org
NB: All images used with permission and must not be reproduced without the express permission of the copyright holder
Paul and
Linda McCartney’s Legendary Album RAM Set for Deluxe Reissue
Paul and
Linda McCartney’s 1971 album will be released across a variety of formats with
new and exclusive content including a beautifully packaged Deluxe Edition Box
Set– the ultimate collectable.
Tracklisting confirmed today
“Ladies
and gentlemen, this is an album from a long, long time ago, when the world was
different. This is an album that is part of my history – it goes back to the
wee hills of Scotland where it was formed. It’s an album called
RAM. It reminds me of my hippie days and the free attitude with which
was created. I hope you’re going to like it, because I
do!”
Paul
McCartney, 2012
Following
the announcement last month that RAM is to be the latest album
from Paul’s iconic back catalogue to get the deluxe Paul McCartney Archive
Collection treatment, today the full tracklisting of the album is
announced.
As with
the previous releases in the series, Paul has personally overseen every aspect
of the project and the result is spectacular.
The
standard release tracklisting is today confirmed as:
Standard
Edition
1. Too
Many People
2. 3
Legs
3. Ram
On
4. Dear
Boy
5. Uncle
Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile
Away
7. Heart
Of The Country
8.
Monkberry Moon Delight
9. Eat At
Home
10. Long
Haired Lady
11. Ram
On
12. The
Back Seat Of My Car
In keeping
with the reissue campaign to date, the Deluxe Edition Box Set is the ultimate
collectable for any fan of this album. Its stunningly presented 112-page book,
photo prints, handwritten lyrics and notes, four CDs and a bonus film DVD, tells
the full story of a classic album that has gone down in music history as one of
the most revered in McCartney’s catalogue.
The
deluxe edition tracklisting is revealed as follows:
CD 1 -
Remastered Album (as listed
above)
CD 2 -
Bonus Audio
1. Another
Day
2. Oh
Woman, Oh Why
3. Little
Woman Love
4. A Love
For You (Jon Kelly Mix)
5. Hey
Diddle (Dixon Van Winkle Mix)
6. Great
Cock And Seagull Race (Dixon Van Winkle Mix)
7. Rode
All Night
8.
Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix)
CD 3 -
Remastered Mono Album
1. Too
Many People
2. 3 Legs
3. Ram On
4. Dear
Boy
5. Uncle
Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile
Away
7. Heart
Of The Country
8.
Monkberry Moon Delight
9. Eat At
Home
10. Long
Haired Lady
11. Ram On
12. The
Back Seat Of My Car
CD 4 -
Thrillington - Remastered Album
1. Too
Many People
2. 3 Legs
3. Ram On
4. Dear
Boy
5. Uncle
Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile
Away
7. Heart
Of The Country
8.
Monkberry Moon Delight
9. Eat At
Home
10. Long
Haired Lady
11. The
Back Seat Of My Car
DVD -
Bonus Film
1.
Ramming
2.
Heart Of
The Country
3.
3
Legs
4. Hey Diddle
5. Eat At Home On
Tour
- Menu music features
a selection of jingles from the promo disc Brung To Ewe By
Other
content:
112-page book with 32
page scrapboook, 5 photo prints, wallet including facsimiles of Paul’s
handwritten lyrics and notes, mini-photographic book of outtakes from the album
cover photo shoot, plus digital-only premium membership to paulmccartney.com.
RAM,
originally released in May of 1971, is the only album to be credited to both
Paul and Linda McCartney and was Paul’s second post-Beatles LP. It was
overshadowed at the time by the drama of the dissolution of The Beatles, as
played out in the world’s media. The album topped the charts hitting #1 in the
UK and #2 in the US. While RAM polarized
critics upon its release, music fans and critics alike since have overwhelmingly
embraced it, with Rolling Stone, for example, revising their original
review up to 4 stars. Recently RAM has enjoyed even further
re-appraisal and acknowledgement including a number of tribute
albums.
RAM was
written by Paul and Linda, mostly at their Scottish farm on the Mull of
Kintyre. In the autumn of 1970 they flew to New York to start the recording
process. Without a band in place they auditioned and drafted musicians, who
included future Wings drummer Denny Seiwell and guitarists David Spinozza and
Hugh McCracken.
The band
completed the album in early 1971 along with non-album tracks ‘Another Day’ and
‘Oh Woman, Oh Why’ which were released together as Paul’s first post-Beatles
single ahead of the release of RAM and became a Top 5 global hit.
The multi-disc editions of the RAM reissue include both songs as bonus tracks.
The album also gave Paul his first post-Beatles US number 1 single with ‘Uncle
Albert/Admiral Halsey’ and a Grammy win for Best Arrangement Accompanying
Vocalists.
RAM
was also issued in mono with alternate mixes, which were only made
available to radio stations at the time. This version has gone on to become one
of the most sought after McCartney collectables. It will now be commercially
available for the first time ever on CD as part of the Deluxe Edition as well as
a limited run on vinyl.
1977 saw
the release of Thrillington, an instrumental interpretation of
RAM, which was originally recorded in 1971 at London’s Abbey Road
Studios and was arranged by Richard Hewson. It was released under the pseudonym
Percy ‘Thrills’ Thrillington, an unknown eccentric socialite who often cropped
up in mysterious newspaper classifieds. In reality Percy was a character
devised by Paul and Linda. The idea behind it was simply to have some fun and
the concept of doing a full orchestral album was an ambition long held by
Paul.
The
additional film content features previously unreleased and exclusive content
including the brand-new documentary, “Ramming” narrated by Paul, as well as the
original music videos for “Heart Of The Country” and “3
Legs”.
The
remastering work was done at Abbey Road using the same team who recently
remastered the complete Beatles’ catalogue.
Available
across a variety of different formats, the additional format tracklistings are
as follows:
Special
Edition:
CD 1 -
Remastered Album
1. Too
Many
People
2. 3
Legs
3. Ram On
4. Dear
Boy
5. Uncle
Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile
Away
7. Heart
Of The Country
8.
Monkberry Moon Delight
9. Eat At
Home
10. Long
Haired
Lady
11. Ram
On
12. The
Back Seat Of My Car
CD 2 -
Bonus Audio
1. Another
Day
2. Oh
Woman, Oh Why
3. Little
Woman Love
4. A Love
For You (Jon Kelly Mix)
5. Hey
Diddle (Dixon Van Winkle Mix)
6. Great
Cock And Seagull Race (Dixon Van Winkle Mix)
7. Rode
All Night
8.
Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix)
Vinyl:
Disc 1 -
Side A
1. Too
Many People
2. 3
Legs
3. Ram
On
4. Dear
Boy
5. Uncle
Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile
Away
Disc 1 -
Side B
1. Heart
Of The Country
2.
Monkberry Moon Delight
3. Eat At
Home
4. Long
Haired Lady
5. Ram
On
6. The
Back Seat Of My Car
Disc 1 -
Side C
1. Another
Day
2. Oh
Woman, Oh Why
3. Little
Woman Love
4. A Love
For You (Jon Kelly Mix)
5. Hey
Diddle (Dixon Van Winkle Mix)
Disc 1 -
Side D
1. Great
Cock And Seagull Race (Dixon Van Winkle Mix)
2. Rode
All Night
3.
Sunshine Sometime (Earliest Mix)
Download
Remastered album
& bonus audio disc as high quality MP3s via a download code inserted on a
card within the vinyl package
Limited
Edition Mono Vinyl:
Side
A
1. Too Many
People
2. 3
Legs
3. Ram
On
4. Dear
Boy
5. Uncle
Albert/Admiral Halsey
6. Smile Away
Side B
1. Heart Of The
Country
2. Monkberry Moon
Delight
3. Eat At Home
4. Long Haired
Lady
5. Ram
On
6. The Back Seat Of
My Car
Digital:
RAM will be
available for download across a variation of digital configurations including
Mastered for iTunes and High Resolution. Two digital-only bonus tracks
will be available via paulmccartney.com and iTunes:
1. Eat At Home/Smile
Away (Live in Groningen, 1972)
2. Uncle Albert
Jam
Single:
Limited
edition 7” vinyl single as a special release for ‘Record Store Day’ on
21st April 2012, for independent record stores
only
This new DVD promises to tell the story of Apple Records, which in itself needs no introduction as such, but this quality documentary spends al of its 162 minutes delivering quality information and interviews from some of the key people involved in Apple Records, especially some of the musicians signed to the Apple label.
Launched back in 1968 with the famous advert in newspapers, featuring Apple’s own Alistair Taylor, promising to sign bands and entertainers and side step the traditional music business.
But this is not just a nice trip down memory lane: this is an expert examination of what went right, and what went wrong. The film-makers interviewed people like Tony Bramwell, whose expert testimony helps us understand what it was like from the inside: from The Beatles’ and Apple’s perspective. This is a valuable insight, but only one side of the coin. what i found particularly enlightening were the interviews with several of the artists signed to Apple, like Jackie Lomax, former lead singer with the Merseybeat group The Undertakers, produced by George Harrison, but who never fully achieved the success maybe her deserved, though he is philosophical about it now. One of the biggest successes of course was the transformation of the group from Wales, The Iveys, who had minor pop hits, into Badfinger, with Liverpool’s Joey Molland now in the band, producing some incredible songs, especially with Paul’s help. But it wasn’t all plain sailing.
These are just some of the highlights behind this excellent documentary film, which has been well researched and edited, with experts like Apple biographer Stefan Granados, and presents a great insight into Apple records, which will be a fab addition to any fan’s library.
Paul McCartney
Directs His Own ‘My Valentine’ Videos
Featuring Natalie
Portman and Johnny Depp
World Premiere at
Stella McCartney's Los Angeles Store
On Friday evening at
an exclusive screening event at the Stella McCartney store in Los Angeles, Paul
McCartney premiered his brand new, self directed videos for his song ‘My
Valentine’. The track is one of two original compositions on his new studio
album ‘Kisses on the Bottom’, which was released in February of this year and
went to Number One on the Billboard Jazz Chart as well as going Top Five across
the world.
The gala premiere
event hosted by Paul saw a host of high profile names applauding Paul's three
visual interpretations of 'My Valentine': The first featuring Natalie
Portman translating the lyrics of the song into sign language and the second
with Johnny Depp doing the same, with each giving distinctly different
performances, making both videos compelling viewing. A third version combines
both Natalie and Johnny’s performances into one film.
The videos were shot
on 35mm and Paul worked with Academy Award winning cinematographer Wally Pfister
(Inception, The Dark Knight) to create these elegant and powerful
films.
'My Valentine' is the
second Paul McCartney music video Natalie Portman has starred in, the first
being the Michel Gondry directed ‘Dance Tonight’ in 2007. For this new
performance, she was exclusively dressed by Stella McCartney. Johhny Depp also
plays guitar in his version and recorded the track’s guitar solo live. His
guitar take was then mixed and mastered into the final track. The original
guitar solo on the studio version of the song was performed by Eric
Clapton.
‘Kisses on the
Bottom’ is a collection of standards Paul grew up listening to in his childhood
- plus two brand new McCartney compositions ‘My Valentine’ and 'Only Our
Hearts'. With the help of both Grammy Award-winning producer Tommy LiPuma and
Diana Krall and her band, the album was recorded at the legendary Capitol
Studios in Los Angeles, as well as locations in New York and London throughout
2011.
My
Valentine
Directed by Paul
McCartney
Featuring: Natalie
Portman and Johnny Depp
Cinematographer:
Wally Pfister
Editor: Paul
Martinez
Produced by: Susanne
Preissler
Based on an original
idea inspired by Stella McCartney.
My Valentine
(Featuring Natalie Portman & Johnny Depp)
The second single from the highly acclaimed
album ‘Everything Changes’ is out now and available from iTunes and Amazon.
'Guess It Was Me' is the follow up single to the sublime 'Lookin 4 Luv' which
enjoyed massive exposure on national radio and television.
'Guess It Was Me' is a reflective and beguiling track built around themes of
self-examination and acceptance. Bolted onto a soaring melody, 'Guess It Was Me'
has been heralded as a standout track on this well-received album.
Click on the links below to buy.
This nostalgic fun-packed commemorative trip celebrates 45 years since the making of The Beatles' third and most controversial film.
This is an opportunity for people to see the very distinctive Magical Mystery Tour bus back on the road, and it will no doubt evoke memories along the way. It is a near 300 mile journey, taking - we estimate about 7 hours, so we'll be seen by many during the trip.
For the people at our destination for instance, it will be the first time they'll have seen the MMT colours since the goup were there filming in their bus all those years ago!
This venture commences on Friday 20th April, leaving Newquay Bus Station at 9am and heading for the south east where the folks of West Malling are already gearing up for our arrival.
We spend two nights in that historic market town, also visiting Knole Park in nearby Severnoaks, and our MMT replica bus is the main attraction at the popular monthly 'Farmers Market' in the centre of West Malling on Sunday 22nd April just prior to our return to Cornwall.
This tour is brimming with Beatle and 60s nostalgia. The spacious and beautiful Knole Park is where the Fab Four filmed the promo films for Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny lane.
Newquay and West Malling respectively, are the two eventual destinatiions used by The Beatles in September '67 for their location filming, predictably causing great excitement in both places.
This three-day package costs £170 pp inclusive of B&B accommodation and the trip to Severnoaks, and a social evening on the Saturday night with the fans of the West Malling area. We are now filling seats on the bus for the trip, first come first serve, and it is already creating interest with Beatles and 60s fans. There are various pick-up points for the trip, including Exeter.
For more information, or to book: Main booking line: 0871 218 3636, option 6 Sandra or Ted on 07970721580 E-mail: enquiries@magicalmysterytournewquay.co.uk or visit the official websites: www.newquaybeatles.co.uk or www.magicalmysterytournewquay.co.uk
From April 9 -15, the Adelphi Hotel, Liverpool, plays host to a series of events to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic. The main ballroom will be transformed to resemble one of the majestic restaurants on board the famous ship.
SPECIAL OFFER now on for tickets for the closing event on Sunday 15th April, which includes a three course meal and a set by Liverpool's own "Mersey Beatles" as well as other entertainment: just £30 per person!
To take advantage of this great offer, simply call 0151 722 5352 and quote the reference "bums on seats" to get your discount.
Treat a loved one or bring the whole family to this unique event!
For more details on this, and the other events taking place at the Adelphi, click here!
On Tuesday April 4, a McCartney once again took to the stage in the Cavern Club's Live Lounge.
James McCartney stood in the same spot where his dad performed in 1999, and it was clear that the weight of his musical legacy was lying very heavily on his shoulders. Early in the performance he mentioned that his dad had played on the very same stage, and at the end, after thanking Liverpool and the Cavern for making him so welcome, he also thanked the Beatles.
James was clearly nervous, and although it didn't affect the quality of the music being played, he never seemed to relax until the very last song. James switched effortlessly between guitar and piano but at one point admitted to the crowd that he was really worried about making a mistake or forgetting the words. I'm sure I wasn't the only woman in the Cavern at that point who desperately wanted to give him a hug and tell him that everything was fine. A couple of songs later, James said that he was starting to enjoy himself and I hope that was true. He only managed a couple of brief smiles during the evening, which is a shame; he has a very sweet and gentle smile and it lit up his whole face!
He said it was a privilege to play the Cavern, and it was a privilege to witness the performance. James has an impossible task; he can never live up to his dad's legacy. But he chose to come to his dad's home town and play the club that is the most famous club in the world largely because of his dad. I commend his courage, and I applaud his talent. I really enjoyed the show tonight, and I can only hope that James enjoyed it as much as I did!
The Mersey Beatles meet the Duchess of Cornwall
c. Liverpool Echo
As part of the events celebrating 50 years since Ringo joined the Beatles and musical history was made, the Duchess of Cornwall visited the Beatles Story today.
She was shown around the museum by Jerry Goldman of the Beatles Story, and unveiled a plaque commemorating the 50th anniversary.
As part of her tour, she was treated to a performance by the Mersey Beatles, and she clearly enjoyed herself. Mark Bloor, who plays ‘John’ in the band said, “She sat and watched us perform three songs and then came over to the stage, shook our hands and told us how wonderful it was and that we had taken her back to her youth! She was very friendly. We sang ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘I Wanna Hold Your Hand,’ and ‘She Loves You.’ She seemed very attentive and interested while we were playing, tapping her foot and even singing along at one point.”
Mark admitted that he had been tempted to ask the Duchess if she could “rattle her jewellery”, especially as their first song was ‘Twist and Shout’. However, the Beatles Story had asked them to start the song before the Duchess entered the room to give it more of the feel of a ‘live gig’; otherwise, he said, he “may well have”!
As well as performing occasionally for royalty, the Mersey Beatles were the resident band in the Cavern for over ten years, and still perform regularly in Liverpool, their home town. They have just announced their first tour of Ireland in October. See www.themerseybeatles.com for more details.
Thanks to Steve Marinucci, Beatles Examiner, www.examiner.com for allowing us to share this story with our readers.
Relive The Beatles – LET IT BE – coming to the West End at the Prince of Wales Theatre Booking from Friday 14th September – until Saturday 19th January 2013
Monday, Wednesday, Thursday Evenings and Sunday matinee – Special rate of £39.50 on top price seats (normally 69.50) "LET IT BE: A Tribute To The Beatles presents the history of the Beatles as a concert revue with the four musicians on stage performing 30 of the band's biggest hits live. The show begins by recreating the band's debut appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in 1964 with I Want To Hold Your Hand and All My Loving followed by other early numbers including A Hard Day's Night, I Saw Her Standing There, Yesterday, Twist And Shout and Day Tripper. Not able to use photos or album covers, Let it Be recreates the times with band photos, faux press conferences and other footage and pictures representing the main issues of the '60s. The first half concludes with the Sgt. Pepper phase with Strawberry Fields and A Day In The Life, while the second half moves into the band's experimental period with Come Together and Revolution. Ending on a high with the combination of Let It Be and Hey Jude."
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