The Beatles Mad Day Out - 40th Anniversary - Volume II - Exhibition

Tom Murray will be appearing in the gallery from 1pm until 4pm on Sunday 27th July to discuss the momentous events of that Sunday 40 years ago when he was asked to do a photo-shoot of the most famous band in the world at the time. This photo-shoot was to be the last official shoot of The Fab Four prior to their split and is a unique reference to that special day when they were relaxed and having fun in London.

The exhibition continues until 10th August 2008.

The Shoot

Sixties society photographer Tom Murray had the great unexpected honour of photographing The Beatles in what was one of their most famous official photographic assignments.

Murray was invited to join the renowned photographer Don McCullin, best known for his war photography. He was to assist him in a photo shoot of a rock group. At the time Murray had no idea who his subjects were to be.

On arrival at the first location, Murray could hear The Beatles' track Lady Madonna being played in the background, and to his astonishment the pianist was none other than Paul McCartney.

In what was to become an extraordinary day in the life of Murray, he shot a series of photographs in everyday locations. From two rolls of film there are 23 surviving shots, which have been hailed as some of the most important photographs ever taken of the group. The shoot was so last minute and the schedule so hectic, the collection of images became known as the Mad Day Out.

All Together Now, 1968
Photographer: Tom Murray

For three decades these shots were unseen, stored away in the dark, almost forgotten. However, Murray has now decided it is time to reveal his personal collection of these exclusive images, which are to be released as strictly limited edition prints.

One of the photos eerily depicts John Lennon lying on the floor pretending to be dead, whilst another depicts Paul fooling around at a water fountain. All 23 images are to be made available, released over three volumes, as signed limited editions of 195 each.

"I just feel privileged that I was part of this historical day, getting close to The Beatles was a dream come true & I believe the timing is right to share my special collection," says Tom Murray.

 

"A must have for any Beatles fan or pop memorabilia collector, these superb limited edition prints of the much sought after 'Mad Day Out' images, would be one of the last occasions that all four Beatles were photographed together relaxed in each others company with smiles on their faces - and so all the more precious for that," says Pete Nash of the British Beatles Fan Club, who added that although planned as a photo shoot, taking a day out in the middle of sessions for The White Album, 'Mad Day' captures The Beatles clearly enjoying themselves on their jaunt around London. The group is spending quality time together, away from the pressures of work with no hint of the personal and business difficulties to come.

 

"These excellent images of John, Paul, George & Ringo are of a group at their peak as a recording band - the following day they would return to Abbey Road Studios and begin work on one of their finest singles the anthemic 'Hey Jude'," adds Nash.

Four things you never knew about 'The Mad Day Out'

1. Christie's appraised Tom Murray's original colour slides of The Mad Day Out at US$100,000 each for all of the 23 surviving slides, totalling US$2.3 million.
2. The locations for the shoot - in a park at Highgate, a house at Swain's Lane, outside Old Street Station and a Georgian square by the Thames Docks - were all random and less obvious to avoid the group attracting crowds.
3. One shot included a homeless man sleeping on a park bench. He never woke while the photos were being taken.
4. After the shoot Tom Murray was invited back to Paul McCartney's home for tea, where the last photographs were taken.

More about Tom Murray

 

At 25 Tom Murray LBIPP was the youngest photographer to be commissioned by the Royal Family.

He served his apprenticeship with Lord Snowdon and has worked with some of the greatest photographers ever, including Helmet Newton, Norman Parkinson, Eve Arnold and Bill Connors.

Tom has received many international awards for his work on newspaper and magazine assignments, theatre & advertising commissions as well as specialist portrait commissions in Europe, Africa and USA. He has also appeared on many chat shows both on television and radio, as well as lecturing at many colleges on fashion, advertising, portraiture and editorial photography.

A selection of some of the international icons photographed by Tom include Elizabeth Taylor, Yvonne De Carlo, Richard Burton, Jill St John, Sir Hardy Aimes, Giorgio Armani, Angelica Huston, Elizabeth Montgomery, Dirk Bogarde, Dustin Hoffman, John Huston, John Schlesinger, Pierre Cardin, Calvin Klein, Michael York, George Cukor, Ralph Lauren, Luchino Visconti, John Weitz, Anthony Andrews, Ian McShane, Kate Nelligan, David Lean, Caspar Weinberger, Lindsay Anderson, HRH The Princess Margaret and, of course, The Beatles.

Information: parkgallery.net
Telephone: 0141 424 1415
Park Gallery 697 Pollokshaws Road Glasgow G41 2AB

© 2008 British Beatles Fan Club