Beatles Timeline: 50 years on

[Satchmo Distel]

1) Belatedly, I found this news on David Hepworth's blog (31 Jan):

Mark Lewisohn...told me that he’s currently listening to all 97 hours of the original tape which was running as the Beatles recorded what would be the “Let It Be” film and album. Furthermore he was making sure he did it on the day and at the time that they did it fifty years earlier. That’s a similar kind of dedication.

2) Amazingly, despite the Get Back chaos, by March 1969 some of Abbey Road was already in the can.

[Wouter D]

If it's not called Lord of the Ringos I'm not in.

[applause]

[Snake Plissken]

If it's not called Lord of the Ringos I'm not in.

[Sits]

Ooh Peter Jackson. Maybe he'll spread it across nine movies.

[Disco Child Ballads]

And appropriately enough, this news regarding a new film based on the Let it Be footage has been announced: https://www.thebeatles.com/news/new-...laimed-academy
I'm not sure how appealing watching extra footage of the Beatles bickering would be though.

[Sits]

Wow, good pickup Serge.

[Beatle Simon]

The rooftop concert was 50 years ago today! Around lunchtime!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Be...ooftop_concert

[Satchmo Distel]

I think you are correct. Yesterday has Paul's guitar.

[Sporting]

Eleanor Rigby may be the first Beatles release on which none of them played an instrument...or was there an earlier example?

[Satchmo Distel]

I've often wondered whether Macca's anecdotes are heavily embroidered. Unless they involve Ringo it's not as if anyone's going to refute them.

Lewisohn has said that he probably wouldn't get much from a Macca interview now. Not just the embroidery but the faulty memory after 50+ years (60+ if talking about the 50s).

I don't think he consciously lies though. He genuinely believes he wrote the whole of Eleanor Rigby without any help even though all the witnesses disagree.

[Satchmo Distel]

I'm sure there are. I'd be interested in your nominations.

Some tracks were used on previous Beatles covers mixes, so I didn't want to repeat them. Lady Madonna has previously featured in superior versions by Fats Domino (twice), Booker T. & The MG’s, and Cal Tjader. Hey Jude has featured in superior versions by Wilson Pickett and by The Temptations.

I challenge you to find a better version of The Inner Light than Jimmy McGriff and Junior Parker's.

I must confess to disliking Bowie’s version of Across The Universe, and I've yet to hear a version I like.

I cannot conceive of the possibility of any good version of Yellow Submarine, so having a funk band do it is as good as it gets. And Journey covering a fairly obscure Beatles song has novelty value.

Apologies if I was abrupt. Wilson Pickett's 'Hey Jude' was my immediate thought but I hadn't realized it had already been picked in a previous mix. For 'It's All Too Much' I would select Steve Hillage (see above) or Chandrama's Hindi version

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cROZo-AxDg8

[Sits]

Yeah I know. I just find it annoying when Macca does it.

[Sporting]

Don't most people subtly alter their anecdotes, basically to omit annoying details which would otherwise lessen their impact?

[Sits]

I've often wondered whether Macca's anecdotes are heavily embroidered. Unless they involve Ringo it's not as if anyone's going to refute them.

[Sporting]

Sorry, not much to do with an actual timeline but simply something which puzzles me about Oh Darling. The story goes (I think Macca himself told it) that he chainsmoked for a week to achieve the gruff quality needed to sing the song in character, or something like that. But what real difference would a week's solid smoking make to your voice beyond making it worse (and not worse in the way intended, if you see what I mean)? Also, going on what I know and on photos and film around the time, all of the members of The Beatles used to smoke their lungs away. So I'm not sure that if McCartney wouldn't have managed Oh Darling just as successfully if he had actually given up for a week before the recordings. Basically, what I'm postulating is that the smoking aspect of the vocals of this song have been overstated, not least by the singer himself.

[Satchmo Distel]

One thing I didn't realize until recently is that in Feb 69, The Beatles went straight from the Get Back disaster into new sessions that became the first sessions for Abbey Road yet none of the shit in the Get Back sessions seems to have leaked into the Abbey Road ones. Yoko is presumably still in the studio yet they are able to get down to work and do a good last album.

Maybe the rooftop concert temporarily papered over a few cracks?

[Sits]

I found myself disagreeing with (journo) Bill Wyman on quite a lot his rankings, but that's what lists are for I suppose.

[G-Man]

I'm sure there are. I'd be interested in your nominations.

Some tracks were used on previous Beatles covers mixes, so I didn't want to repeat them. Lady Madonna has previously featured in superior versions by Fats Domino (twice), Booker T. & The MG’s, and Cal Tjader. Hey Jude has featured in superior versions by Wilson Pickett and by The Temptations.

I challenge you to find a better version of The Inner Light than Jimmy McGriff and Junior Parker's.

I must confess to disliking Bowie’s version of Across The Universe, and I've yet to hear a version I like.

I cannot conceive of the possibility of any good version of Yellow Submarine, so having a funk band do it is as good as it gets. And Journey covering a fairly obscure Beatles song has novelty value.

[Satchmo Distel]

50 years ago yesterday the Yellow Submarine sountrack was released. Side1 and 1968's non-album releases in cover versions...

There are better covers of several of those tracks.

[Stumpy Pepys]

This journalist, improbably named Bill Wyman, has rated all 213 Beatles tracks from worst to best. Disagree with a few, but I think he's done a good job. If you've a spare half hour that is.

[G-Man]

50 years ago yesterday the Yellow Submarine sountrack was released. Side1 and 1968's non-album releases in cover versions...

[Satchmo Distel]

The nadir: The Beatles being filmed falling apart in Twickenham, Jan 2-10, 1969, ending when George quits.

[Satchmo Distel]

Steve Hillage doing 'It's All Too Much" 1977

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRx3y2GfsxA

[Satchmo Distel]

George was at Woodstock with Dylan and The Band around this time while Paul was preparing songs for the disastrous Twickenham sessions. Lennon and Yoko were on heroin, but had performed at the Rock and Roll Circus on December 11.

[Satchmo Distel]

Good podcast on the 'Blue' album that includes this period:

https://soundcloud.com/fabcast-870039074

There is a good Youtube series on the John and Paul relationship. This is the 1967-69 episode:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0mpbX4SaY0

1968: John and Paul in the US, May 13, 1968, promoting Apple (interviewed by Larry Kane):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp0i...ature=youtu.be