Yer Blog

Approximate Alternate Universe:The White(r) Album(s)

2009-11-22T07:17:00.000-08:00

Whenever I see articles about how the Beatles 1968 2 LP set - affectionately known as "The White Album" - could have been a single album, I have to disagree. However, I do like to reconfigure it in my mind so that it sounds fresh. Listening to all 30 tracks in the same order for 41 years can make it difficult to appreciate how great these songs are.

I remember getting the album when it was new. My father used to have Thursdays and Sundays off. This would be his time to visit record stores and purchase classical albums, as well as anything I asked for. I would repay him with money from my allowance.

I believe there was snow on the ground the night my father came back with the new Beatles album. It must have been a weekday, as it was dark when I took off the shrink wrap. Not sure of the date - the U.S. release date was November 25, three days after the U.K. street date. He couldn't have picked it up on Thursday, November 28, as that was Thanksgiving. Maybe it was the following week, even though it was just days before my birthday.

My father was magically able to peel off the sticker that was attached the the shrink wrap. It was black words on an orange background. It is still attached on the inner right side of my album cover.

New! The BEATLES
2 LP's - 30 GREAT SONGS - COMPLETE LYRICS INCLUDED
GIANT FULL COLOR 23" x 34" POSTER -
FOUR 8" x 10" COLOR PHOTOGRAPHS of JOHN, PAUL, GEORGE & RINGO

The album scared me at the time. I was about to turn 10 years old. Everything was weird. The album cover was white (to cover up nudity?), the words "The Beatles" were crooked, it had its own number (A1951106). The "White Album" was on Apple Records - but it didn't actually SAY "Apple Records," there was just artwork of apples. The songs were strange - about communist Russia (Lennon/Lenin lyrics, I assumed), doing it in the road, wanting to die, guns, blisters on fingers - what the hell was Helter Skelter ? The Beatles had been getting weirder anyway, but this was like a different band altogether. They didn't look "safe" anymore - the poster collage was unnerving. First the Monkees were canceled, now this.

1969 would be a pivotal time for me. I must have gotten a transistor radio, as well as a stereo with a 45 adapter, for my December birthday, because this is when my musical world burst open. My new favorite band was Tommy James and the Shondells. I started buying singles by the Temptations, the Grass Roots, The Cowsills.

Early in 1969, there was an issue of "TV Guide" with a picture of the Beatles playing on a rooftop. Then I heard "Get "Back" on the radio. The Beatles were my #1 band again. For a while, the "White Album" was my absolute favorite album of all time.

I was wondering- what if the Beatles somehow decided to use their 1968 sessions to make solo albums? The Grateful Dead did something similar in the early 1970s. Here's what I came up with:

Paul's White Album
Side 1
"Back in the U.S.S.R." 2:43
"Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da" 3:08
"Blackbird" 2:18
"Martha My Dear" 2:28
"Rocky Raccoon" 3:32
"Helter Skelter" 4:29

Side 2
"Wild Honey Pie" 0:53
"Birthday" 2:42
"Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" 1:41
"Mother Nature's Son" 2:48
"Honey Pie" 2:41
"I Will" 1:46
"Hey Jude" 7:11

I like the idea of the three "animal" songs together on side one, and the way the album alternates between acoustic to electric, and from guitars to piano.

John's White Album
Side 1
"Revolution 1" 4:15
"Dear Prudence" 3:56
"Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey" 2:24
"Sexy Sadie" 3:15
"The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill" 3:14
"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" 2:43
"Julia" 2:54

Side 2
"Glass Onion" 2:17
"I'm So Tired" 2:03
"Yer Blues" 4:01
"Cry Baby Cry" 3:01
"Revolution 9" 8:22
"Good Night" (John singing? Guest vocal from Ringo? Yoko?) 3:11

This would be a pretty intense album! All of the "biographical" songs (Prudence, Sadie, Bill, Julia, and "Monkey") are on side one.

Then in January, they get back to the studio to record an album for George
(Based on known songs at that time) :

Side One:
While My Guitar Gently Weeps
Something
Savoy Truffle
Let It Down
Not Guilty
Isn't It A Pity
Long, Long, Long

Side Two:
Old Brown Shoe
Piggies
I Me Mine
Circles
Sour Milk Sea
Hear Me Lord
All Things Must Pass

(B-side of the 45 - "For You Blue")

Videos for a fab Halloween

2009-10-28T18:32:00.000-07:00

To read last year's blog, click on :
Beatles Halloween BOOtleg (on bobbing for Apple Records, of course)

October 9: It's Johnny's birthday

2009-10-08T17:03:00.000-07:00

A friend of mine recently sent me an old recording of the Jim Carroll Band in concert, shortly after the punk-poet died. While I cannot say I was a big fan, I did see him "live" a couple of times -once as a rocker with Lenny Kaye on guitar, and once as a stand-up poet, with Ray Manzarek of The Doors.

On this recording, Carroll ended his main set with his hit, "People Who Died". It was from a WBCN broadcast of a show at the Paradise Theatre in Boston. Here's a different live version.

Carroll changed the lyrics in the final lines of the last verse:
Lenny got shot in the New York rain
John I miss you more than all the others
This song is for you, brother.

It sent a chill down my spine. The concert took place on December 21, 1980.

"Lenny" was, of course, John Lennon.

John Lennon would have been 69 years old today.

What would he have been up to ? No one can say, of course. While I'm pretty sure he'd still be for love and peace, and he would have a lot of interesting things to say about the state of the world today, it's unclear what direction his career- and his art -would have taken. Would he have continued recording ? Would he have returned to the road ? Would he have reconciled with Julian ?

We'll never know.

Instead on focusing on what was taken from us, however, let's celebrate what has been left behind.

The DIRTY MAC 1968

TOTP 1970

OGWT with "Slippin' & Slidin'"

and let's end on a humorous note:

McCartney to appear on Costello's "Spectacle" ?

2009-09-28T10:59:00.000-07:00

Paul McCartney may appear on Elvis Costello's "Spectacle" TV program. According to Elvis Costello Info, the time and place are to be determined.

So far, the following shows have already been shot:
Bono and The Edge 2009-09-15, Toronto
Neko Case, Jesse Winchester, Sheryl Crow, Ron Sexsmith 2009-09-21, New York
Ray LaMontagne, Lyle Lovett, John Prine 2009-09-23, New York
Levon Helm, Allen Toussaint, Nick Lowe, Richard Thompson 2009-09-24, New York
Bruce Springsteen 2009-09-25, New York

To see more detailed reports on the Springsteen and Helm-Toussaint-Lowe-Thompson shows, please see the links on this page , or click on links at Elvis Costello Info above.

Nagra Reels

2009-09-28T10:24:00.000-07:00

I saw this posted on-line, so I wanted to archive it here, in case it disappears.
No, I do not have this ! I wouldn't even know how do get these . . .

The Beatles
January, 1969

"A/B Road" session tapes
Also known as The Nagra Reels

COMPLETE SET version 1.1
83 CDs
2187 tracks
97 hours, 44 minutes, 7 seconds

Twickenham Studios (Part 1)
Apple Studios (Part 2)

Note: this file is available in MS Word format with the orginal .torrent, which is better suited to the massive amount of information contained within.

==================================================================
Background info, from Doug Sulpy's "Complete Beatles Audio Guide"
==================================================================
From Doug Sulpy
2006 Edition

THE "GET BACK" SESSIONS
I'll make this easy for you.
You need Purple Chick's "A/B Road" series. Period. No doubt, using one of my previous books as a template (at least I hope he did - I'd hate to think of two people going through all that work!) Purple Chick has compiled every extant moment from the Nagra A and B rolls and edited them together in sequence.

In January, 1969, virtually every moment of The Beatles' rehearsals and recording sessions were captured on audio tape as part of the project that ultimately became the film "Let It Be." For the first part of the month, at Twickenham Film Studios in London, The Beatles' performances were only preserved on small 16 minute long mono tapes (known as "Nagra" reels) that were recorded for use as the film soundtrack.

Two different tape recorders were running (usually off of the same sound feed), resulting in what was termed "A" and "B" roll Nagra recordings. The "A" rolls generally ran the full 16 minute length of the tape. The "B" rolls were more fragmentary, but often captured performances or dialogue missed while the "A" roll operator was changing reels. In addition, once the sessions shifted to Apple Studios on January 21st, Glyn Johns began recording multi-track tapes of The Beatles' sessions which, again, sometimes captured performances not heard on either the "A" or "B" roll Nagra recordings.

In 2004, Purple Chick collated these recordings, and issued them in a series of CDs called "A/B Road."
These are now the most readily available source for the "Get Back" sessions material.

=============================================================
Further history on the Nagra Reels (source of this giant set)
=============================================================

By ALLAN KOZINN
Published: January 13, 2003

======================================
NOTES ABOUT THIS SET and DDSI numbers
======================================

I started trying to collect this set 2 years ago. It gets seeded all kinds of ways. One disc here, one disc there� someone thought it would be nice to encode to .APE on a few I found. Very frustrating to try to collect a set this big that way. Like most people, I only had some pieces.

A gentleman named alGo did manage to collect these though, as they were first being posted. He notes:

This was all downloaded from easytree and then later dimeadozen. It was upped by PC_Eclipse and later by hexer, and, supposedly, they got their sets directly in flac format from Purple Chick (mmm PC and PC_Eclipse. Never thought of that. Who knows...).
They were seeded in small batches of maybe two or three cds. I've made one directory for each day and then put the correspondant discs there, like it should be.
Some of the uploaded files had defects and patches were uploaded. Those patches are already applied, as was a later patch from PC to one of the tracks. So this is AB road 1.1 instead of 1.0.
In a disc or two an 'unofficial' patch was uploaded and suggested too. I have NOT replaced the original PC track, but I've put them on a directory inside that disc so everyone can judge and replace it where neccesary.

Some of the first batches (that started with the appple sessions) were originally in shn format. Personally, I can't stand shn so I reconverted them to flac level 8 using Flac Frontend. Hope no one really minds about it.

So, alGo did a lot of further work to organize this set. I was still unhappy with having to reference a track list document to browse 2100+ files, so I have named all the tracks, combined into a single folder and added FLAC tags. This is the most complete presentation of this historic set, of thousands of reels, you will find anywhere. All tracks have been meticulously labeled to include all info for easy browsing, including the DDSI take numbers.

DDSI numbers were published by Doug Sulpy when these tracks were initially pieced together and cataloged, in order of recording, for the most part, and presented in the book, "Drugs, Divorce and a Slipping Image (DDSI).

=========================
TRACK TITLE FORMAT IS:
=========================

Month.Day - Disc-Track - Title DDSI#.flac

example:
Jan.02 - D1-35 - Sun King 2.24.flac

Not all tracks from Purple Chick were assigned the DDSI numbers,
so some are just in-between takes.

==========
Credits:
==========

I note these here, not for boasting, but for general information. This set has been notoriously hard to complete, especially with any consistent lineage. Here is the chain of custody for this set:

THE FILM ENGINEERS - recorded thousands of audio reels over 4 weeks
- the people in between
PURPLE CHICK - initial compilation and lots of hard work piecing the reels together
PC_ECLIPSE & HEXER - initial individual distribution of the 83 CDs
alGo - initial compiling from the 83 individual Discs to 4 big sets
ROGERLANCELOT - computation of times & track data.
JAMESKG - final compiling and file naming, flac tagging, and fixing a non-compliance problem (see replacement log)

I have gone through this set with a fine tooth comb and Doug Sulpy's 2006 edition book's list by DDSI #s. I found a few anomolies with track #s and DDSI #s and have re-aligned to Sulpy's book. Something like 100 or so errors out of all 2187 tracks. I'm pretty sure this is as accurate as the documentation has ever been for this set. (jameskg)

<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Some notes about compression:
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

This set has long been the subject of debate� is it lossy or not?

Basically the two arguments go like this:

1) Uncompressed: These thousands of 16 minute reels were recorded on a set of Nagra recorders for possible film use. The tape and recorders used likely didn't reproduce the entire spectrum from 20 Hz to 20kHz � these were not the tapes used for the albums. The lack of dynamic range on the equipment and media would produce high-end roll off around where we see the MP3 codecs of today roll off, and that makes these tapes appear lossy, when they simply were not recorded full-spectrum.

2) Compressed: Regardless of the frequency reproduction range of the recorders and media (tape), a lot of this set exhibits characteristics of ATRAC compression on a graphic frequency analyzer, like that found on MiniDisc recorders. Old analog equipment wouldn't produce these kinds of characteristics, so it is likely these tracks went through a MiniDisc recorder at some point.

The dilema: No one� NO ONE seems to have these tracks in any other quality. They all seem to be the same, no matter where you get them from, and now that the original reels have been recovered (see the story above (you were reading, weren't you ? :) ), it doesn't seem that we'll ever see a cleaner, more pure transfer.

It is my opinion that this set was archived from reels to MiniDisc and the source for the splicing was those MiniDisc transfers. I'd be surprised if a lossless transfer to digital was ever done of this 98 HOURS of audio. Since this seems to be all there is to have, The Traders Den has made a special exemption for this set, to allow it to be posted � just like if a concert was only recorded to MiniDisc and that's the only way it exists.

It is very rare to notice any of the ATRAC artifacts when listening to these recordings. ATRAC is much more pleasant than MP3, even at high rates, and doesn't exhibit any obvious "swishy" aliasing on this particular set, at all.

***********************************
*************************************
** A/B Road **
** (The Nagra Reels): (97:44:07) **
*************************************
***********************************

#####################################
Part 1 - Twickenham: (40:39:10)
#####################################

=========================
01/02/69: (2:39:15)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:19:38)
01: Dialogue And Slates (0:04)
02: Dialogue And Slates (0:05)
03: Dialogue And Slates (0:27)
04: Dialogue And Slates (0:08)
05: Dialogue And Slates (0:05)
06: Dialogue And Slates (0:10)
07: Dialogue And Slates (0:05)
08: Don't Let Me Down 2.01 (0:33)
09: Tuning (0:04)
10: Tuning (0:19)
11: Tuning (0:04)
12: All Things Must Pass 2.02 (0:27)
13: Tuning (0:27)
14: Don't Let Me Down 2.03 (4:16)
15: Dig A Pony 2.04 (3:05)
16: Everybody Got Song 2.05 (0:45)
17: Don't Let Me Down 2.06 (3:09)
18: Let It Down 2.07 (2:14)
19: Let It Down 2.08 (0:53)
20: Improvisation 2.09 (0:57)
21: Brown-eyed Handsome Man 2.10 (1:43)
22: I've Got A Feeling 2.11 (1:19)
23: A Case Of The Blues 2.12 (1:09)
24: Improvisation 2.13 (0:24)
25: Improvisation 2.13 (0:51)
26: On The Road To Marrakesh 2.15 (2:08)
27: Revolution 2.16 (0:08)
28: I Shall Be Released 2.17 (1:53)
29: Sun King 2.18 (2:20)
30: Sun King Don't Let Me Down 2.19 (4:59)
31: Don't Let Me Down 2.20 (3:34)
32: The Teacher Was A-lookin 2.21 (1:00)
33: Don't Let Me Down 2.22 (0:20)
34: Don't Let Me Down 2.23 (0:26)
35: Sun King 2.24 (0:28)
36: Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues 2.25 (0:21)
37: I've Got A Feeling 2.26 (3:40)
38: Unknown - Unnumbered (0:09)
39: I've Got A Feeling 2.27 (1:15)
40: I've Got A Feeling 2.28 (0:04)
41: I've Got A Feeling 2.29 (0:05)
42: I've Got A Feeling 2.30 (11:00)
43: I've Got A Feeling 2.31 (1:23)
44: Unknown 2.32 (3:46)
45: Speak To Me 2.33 (1:58)
46: I've Got A Feeling 2.34 (0:32)
47: I've Got A Feeling 2.35 (5:00)
48: I've Got A Feeling 2.36 (0:11)
49: Mighty Quinn (Quinn The Eskimo) 2.37 (1:05)
50: I've Got A Feeling 2.38 (4:03)
51: I've Got A Feeling 2.39 (2:00)
52: I've Got A Feeling 2.40 (1:22)
53: Dialogue (0:45)

Disc 2: (1:19:37)
01: Dialogue And Slates (1:42)
02: Dialogue And Slates (0:06)
03: Dialogue And Slates (0:05)
04: Dialogue And Slates (3:20)
05: Dialogue And Slates (0:07)
06: Dialogue And Slates (1:52)
07: Dialogue And Slates (1:12)
08: I've Got A Feeling 2.41 (1:29)
09: Tuning (0:30)
10: Slate (0:06)
11: I've Got A Feeling 2.42 (0:38)
12: I've Got A Feeling x.xx (0:27)
13: I've Got A Feeling 2.43 (0:09)
14: I've Got A Feeling 2.44 (1:24)
15: I've Got A Feeling 2.45 (2:17)
16: I've Got A Feeling 2.46 (5:36)
17: I've Got A Feeling 2.47 (0:37)
18: I've Got A Feeling 2.48 (4:00)
19: Sun King - Don't Let Me Down 2.49 (2:07)
20: Don't Let Me Down 2.50 (3:54)
21: Don't Let Me Down 2.51 (2:14)
22: Sun King - Don't Let Me Down 2.52 (1:55)
23: Don't Let Me Down 2.53 (6:44)
24: Don't Let Me Down 2.54 (0:31)
25: Improvisation 2.55 (1:24)
26: Unknown 2.56 (0:19)
27: Don't Let Me Down 2.57 (3:10)
28: Don't Let Me Down 2.58 (0:05)
29: Well, All Right 2.59 (1:12)
30: Well, All Right 2.60 (1:07)
31: Unknown 2.61 (0:25)
32: All Things Must Pass 2.62 (1:24)
33: Two Of Us 2.63 (7:21)
34: We're Goin' Home 2.64 (0:22)
35: Two Of Us 2.65 (4:17)
36: Two Of Us 2.66 (0:39)
37: Two Of Us 2.67 (3:36)
38: Two Of Us 2.68 (0:33)
39: Two Of Us 2.69 (0:05)
40: Two Of Us 2.70 (0:54)
41: Two Of Us 2.71 (4:35)
42: It's Good To See The Folks Back Home 2.72 (0:22)
43: Two Of Us 2.73 (4:45)

=========================
01/03/69: (5:12:33)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:18:00)
01: The Long And Winding Road 3.01 (0:31)
02: Oh! Darling 3.02 (0:55)
03: Oh! Darling 3.03 (0:06)
04: Unknown 3.04 (0:06)
05: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.05 (3:08)
06: Adagio For Strings 3.06 (3:20)
07: Adagio For Strings 3.07 (0:47)
08: Tea For Two Cha Cha 3.08 (1:23)
09: Tea For Two Cha Cha 3.09 (0:43)
10: Chopsticks 3.10 (0:29)
11: Unknown 3.11 (0:40)
12: Torchy, The Battery Boy 3.12 (1:13)
13: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On 3.13 (0:48)
14: Unknown 3.14 (0:35)
15: Let It Be 3.15 (1:09)
16: Unknown 3.16 (2:30)
17: Taking A Trip To Carolina 3.17 (0:44)
18: Unknown 3.18 (1:22)
19: Dialogue (2:09)
20: Please, Mrs Henry 3.19 (1:35)
21: Ramblin' Woman 3.20 (1:43)
22: Is It Discovered 3.21 (1:33)
23: Improvisation 3.22 (2:20)
24: Picasso 3.23 (1:22)
25: Taking A Trip To Carolina 3.24 (1:12)
26: Hey Jude 3.25 (2:08)
27: All Things Must Pass 3.26 (1:43)
28: Don't Let Me Down 3.27 (2:35)
29: Your Name Is Ted 3.28 (3:00)
30: Crackin' Up 3.29 (2:11)
31: Improvisation 3.30 (2:53)
32: Crackin' Up 3.31 (0:32)
33: All Shook Up 3.32 (1:05)
34: Your True Love 3.33 (1:44)
35: Blue Suede Shoes 3.34 (1:32)
36: Three Cool Cats 3.35 (2:47)
37: Blowin' In The Wind 3.36 (0:33)
38: Lucille 3.37 (2:28)
39: I'm So Tired 3.38 (2:32)
40: Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da 3.39 (1:46)
41: Get On The Phone 3.40 (0:57)
42: Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da 3.41 (0:14)
43: Don't Let Me Down 3.42 (0:33)
44: The Third Man Theme 3.43 (1:51)
45: Improvisation 3.44 (0:30)
46: My Words Are My Heart 3.45 (0:10)
47: Negro In Reserve 3.46 (0:43)
48: Don't Let Me Down 3.47 (3:39)
49: Don't Let Me Down 3.48 (0:10)
50: Don't Let Me Down 3.49 (3:16)
51: Don't Let Me Down 3.50 (0:05)
52: Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da 3.51 (0:16)
53: Don't Let Me Down 3.52 (0:08)
54: Don't Let Me Down 3.53 (0:34)
55: Don't Let Me Down 3.54 (2:44)
56: Sun King 3.55 (0:18)

Disc 2: (1:19:36)
01: I've Got A Feeling 3.56 (4:38)
02: I've Got A Feeling 3.57 (4:49)
03: I've Got A Feeling 3.58 (0:25)
04: I've Got A Feeling 3.59 (3:29)
05: I've Got A Feeling 3.60A (2:48)
06: I've Got A Feeling 3.60B (2:33)
07: Unknown 3.61 (0:29)
08: Going Up The Country 3.62 (0:51)
09: On The Road Again 3.63 (0:17)
10: One After 909 3.64 (4:21)
11: Because I Know You Love Me So 3.65 (2:29)
12: Roll Announcement (0:04)
13: One After 909 3.66 (4:06)
14: I'll Wait Until Tomorrow 3.67 (1:05)
15: A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody 3.68 (0:11)
16: Thinking Of Linking 3.69 (0:25)
17: Won't You Please Say Goodbye 3.70 (0:52)
18: Bring It Home To Me 3.71 (2:01)
19: Hitch Hike 3.72 (1:57)
20: You Can't Do That 3.73 (2:15)
21: The Hippy Hippy Shake 3.74 (4:16)
22: Two Of Us 3.75 (2:20)
23: Two Of Us 3.76 (1:46)
24: Two Of Us 3.77 (2:37)
25: Two Of Us 3.78 (3:33)
26: Two Of Us 3.79 (3:28)
27: Two Of Us 3.80 (2:37)
28: All Along The Watchtower 3.81 (1:01)
29: Dialogue (1:39)
30: Sun King 3.82 (0:47)
31: Improvisation 3.83 (0:25)
32: Improvisation 3.84 (0:34)
33: Short Fat Fanny 3.85 (2:58)
34: Midnight Special 3.86 (2:09)
35: When You're Drunk You Think Of Me 3.87 (0:12)
36: What's The Use Of Getting Sober 3.88 (0:09)
37: What You Wanna Make Eyes At Me For 3.89 (1:34)
38: Money (That's What I Want) 3.90 (1:34)
39: Give Me Some Truth 3.91 (1:39)
40: All Things Must Pass 3.92 (1:57)
41: All Things Must Pass 3.93 (2:16)

Disc 3: (1:18:25)
01: All Things Must Pass 3.94 (3:13)
02: All Things Must Pass 3.95 (3:41)
03: The Weight 3.96 (0:25)
04: I'm A Tiger 3.97 (0:21)
05: All Things Must Pass 3.98 (3:19)
06: Improvisation 3.99 (0:31)
07: All Things Must Pass 3.100 (1:59)
08: All Things Must Pass 3.101 (6:36)
09: All Things Must Pass 3.102 (0:05)
10: All Things Must Pass 3.103 (3:26)
11: All Things Must Pass 3.104 (3:13)
12: All Things Must Pass 3.105 (4:16)
13: All Things Must Pass 3.106 (3:48)
14: All Things Must Pass 3.107 (1:21)
15: Slate Announcement (0:07)
16: All Things Must Pass 3.108 (5:28)
17: All Things Must Pass 3.109 (5:36)
18: All Things Must Pass 3.110 (4:24)
19: All Things Must Pass 3.111 (2:36)
20: All Things Must Pass 3.112 (2:32)
21: All Things Must Pass 3.113 (6:21)
22: All Things Must Pass 3.114 (2:22)
23: All Things Must Pass 3.115 (0:33)
24: Improvisation 3.116 (1:04)
25: All Things Must Pass 3.117 (1:59)
26: All Things Must Pass 3.118 (0:40)
27: All Things Must Pass 3.119 (1:52)
28: All Things Must Pass 3.120 (1:12)
29: Slate Announcement (0:04)
30: All Things Must Pass 3.121 (0:37)
31: All Things Must Pass 3.122 (1:12)
32: All Things Must Pass 3.123 (3:32)

Disc 4: (1:16:32)
01: All Things Must Pass 3.124 (1:42)
02: Unknown 3.125 (0:07)
03: Back In The USSR 3.126 (0:54)
04: Every Little Thing 3.127 (0:37)
05: Piece Of My Heart 3.128 (2:11)
06: Sabre Dance 3.129 (1:29)
07: Piece Of My Heart 3.130 (1:28)
08: Over Nad Over Again 3.131 (2:52)
09: One After 909 3.132 (0:25)
10: Slate Announcement (0:08)
11: Dialogue (4:33)
12: I've Been Good To You 3.133 (1:59)
13: All Things Must Pass 3.134 (0:23)
14: All Things Must Pass 3.135 (0:50)
15: All Things Must Pass 3.136 (3:44)
16: All Things Must Pass 3.137 (3:54)
17: All Things Must Pass 3.138 (5:30)
18: All Things Must Pass 3.139 (0:19)
19: All Things Must Pass 3.140 (2:09)
20: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.141 (0:51)
21: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.142 (15:07)
22: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.143 (1:04)
23: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.144 (7:59)
24: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.145 (1:05)
25: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.146 (1:42)
26: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.147 (2:46)
27: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.148 (1:16)
28: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.149 (0:25)
29: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 3.150 (9:03)

=========================
01/06/69: (6:04:03)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:14:20)
01: Roll Announcement (1:35)
02: Dialogue (2:51)
03: Oh! Darling 6.01 (1:38)
04: Dialogue (13:38)
05: C'mon Marianne 6.02 (1:57)
06: Roll Announcement (0:35)
07: Dialogue (0:48)
08: I've Got A Feeling 6.03 (1:44)
09: I've Got A Feeling 6.04 (1:06)
10: High School Confidential 6.05 (0:28)
11: I've Got A Feeling 6.06 (0:50)
12: Hear Me Lord 6.07 (0:48)
13: Hear Me Lord 6.08 (2:26)
14: For You Blue 6.09 (3:44)
15: For You Blue 6.10 (3:10)
16: All Things Must Pass 6.11 (0:31)
17: Carry That Weight 6.12 (1:31)
18: Octopus's Garden - Carry That Weight 6.13 (0:42)
19: Carry That Weight 6.14 (2:21)
20: The Place Of The King Of The Birds 6.15 (14:00)
21: Improvisation 6.16 (0:06)
22: Improvisation 6.17 (9:01)
23: Across The Universe 6.18 (3:07)
24: I Want You 6.19 (3:15)
25: Unknown 6.20 (1:54)
26: Unknown 6.21 (0:34)

Disc 2: (1:12:09)
01: Unknown 6.22 (1:40)
02: You Wear Your Women Out 6.23 (6:42)
03: I've Got A Feeling 6.24 (6:02)
04: My Imagination 6.25 (3:21)
05: My Imagination 6.26 (4:13)
06: Improvisation 6.27 (5:55)
07: I'm Gonna Pay For His Ride 6.28 (4:40)
08: Don't Let Me Down 6.29 (0:51)
09: Don't Let Me Down 6.30 (2:23)
10: One After 909 6.31 (2:58)
11: One After 909 6.32 (2:05)
12: They Call Me Fuzz Face 6.33 (1:18)
13: One After 909 6.34 (1:42)
14: Improvisation 6.35 (1:38)
15: That's All Right 6.36 (0:52)
16: Thirty Days 6.37 (0:24)
17: Improvisation 6.38 (2:41)
18: Hear Me Lord 6.39 (4:35)
19: Hear Me Lord 6.40 (3:20)
20: Hear Me Lord 6.41 (7:12)
21: Improvisation 6.42 (0:25)
22: Hear Me Lord 6.43 (0:41)
23: Improvisation 6.44 (0:04)
24: Improvisation 6.45 (0:22)
25: Leaning On A Lamp-post 6.46 (1:37)
26: Annie 6.47 (0:28)
27: Maureen 6.48 (2:18)
28: I'm Talking About You 6.49 (1:23)
29: Dialogue (0:19)

Disc 3: (1:15:53)
01: Dialogue (14:24)
02: Improvisation 6.50 (5:36)
03: Improvisation 6.51 (0:38)
04: The Tracks Of My Tears 6.52 (2:26)
05: Improvisation 6.53 (0:24)
06: Improvisation 6.54 (0:09)
07: Improvisation 6.55 (0:05)
08: Improvisation 6.56 (0:16)
09: Dizzy Miss Lizzie 6.57 (3:00)
10: Money 6.58 (2:44)
11: Fools Like Me 6.59 (3:42)
12: Sure To Fall 6.60 (2:45)
13: Right String, Wrong Yo-Yo 6.61 (3:32)
14: Don't Let Me Down 6.62 (15:52)
15: Don't Let Me Down 6.63 (0:22)
16: Don't Let Me Down 6.64 (0:27)
17: Don't Let Me Down 6.65 (4:05)
18: Don't Let Me Down 6.66 (4:25)
19: Don't Let Me Down 6.67 (3:40)
20: Don't Let Me Down 6.68 (4:44)
21: Don't Let Me Down 6.69 (1:34)
22: Don't Let Me Down 6.70 (1:03)

Disc 4: (1:07:20)
01: Don't Let Me Down 6.71 (0:04)
02: Slate Announcement (0:12)
03: Don't Let Me Down 6.72 (9:57)
04: Don't Let Me Down 6.73 (5:07)
05: Don't Let Me Down 6.74 (0:55)
06: Don't Let Me Down 6.75 (4:28)
07: Don't Let Me Down 6.76 (0:21)
08: Don't Let Me Down 6.77 (0:04)
09: Don't Let Me Down 6.78 (0:34)
10: Don't Let Me Down 6.79 (0:09)
11: Don't Let Me Down 6.80 (0:33)
12: Don't Let Me Down 6.81 (7:11)
13: Don't Let Me Down 6.82 (3:01)
14: Send Me Some Loving 6.83a (0:41)
15: Don't Let Me Down 6.83b (0:39)
16: Don't Let Me Down 6.84 (0:07)
17: Don't Let Me Down 6.85 (3:39)
18: Don't Let Me Down 6.86 (1:06)
19: Don't Let Me Down 6.87 (4:50)
20: Two Of Us 6.88 (0:47)
21: Two Of Us 6.89 (0:38)
22: Two Of Us 6.90 (2:34)
23: Two Of Us 6.91 (1:46)
24: Two Of Us 6.92 (0:20)
25: Roll Announcement (0:07)
26: Two Of Us 6.93 (2:33)
27: Two Of Us 6.94 (4:09)
28: Two Of Us 6.95 (1:16)
29: Two Of Us 6.96 (1:11)
30: Two Of Us 6.97 (8:21)

Disc 5: (1:14:21)
01: Roll Announcement (0:07)
02: Two Of Us 6.98 (2:09)
03: Two Of Us 6.99 (1:25)
04: Two Of Us 6.100 (3:10)
05: Frere Jacques 6.101 (0:41)
06: It Ain't Me Babe 6.102 (0:37)
07: Two Of Us 6.103 (5:06)
08: Two Of Us 6.104 (2:55)
09: Two Of Us 6.105 (1:12)
10: Two Of Us 6.106 (1:34)
11: Two Of Us 6.107 (2:47)
12: Two Of Us 6.108 (1:29)
13: When The Saints Go Marching In 6.109 (0:06)
14: Loop De Loop 6.110 (0:26)
15: Two Of Us 6.111 (2:52)
16: Hear Me Lord 6.112 (0:09)
17: Across The Universe 6.113 (3:53)
18: Hear Me Lord 6.114 (2:39)
19: All Things Must Pass 6.115 (0:18)
20: Roll Announcement (0:08)
21: All Things Must Pass 6.116 (6:04)
22: All Things Must Pass 6.117 (3:34)
23: Let's Dance 6.118 (0:59)
24: All Things Must Pass 6.119 (3:40)
25: All Things Must Pass 6.120 (1:43)
26: All Things Must Pass 6.121 (0:24)
27: All Things Must Pass 6.122 (0:44)
28: All Things Must Pass 6.123 (4:08)
29: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 6.124 (4:06)
30: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 6.125 (3:10)
31: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 6.126 (2:08)
32: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 6.127 (2:47)
33: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 6.128 (0:04)
34: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 6.129 (0:06)
35: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 6.130 (2:59)
36: Carry That Weight 6.131 (1:26)
37: Dialogue (2:36)

=========================
01/07/69: (5:10:28)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:17:37)
01: Roll Announcement (0:11)
02: The Long And Winding Road 7.01 (4:55)
03: Golden Slumbers - Carry That Weight 7.02 (4:02)
04: The Long And Winding Road 7.03 (1:39)
05: The Palace Of The King Of The Birds 7.04 (1:22)
06: The Palace Of The King Of The Birds 7.05 (0:19)
07: Lady Madonna 7.06 (2:30)
08: Instrumental 7.07 (0:46)
09: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 7.08 (0:31)
10: Unknown 7.09 (1:18)
11: Instrumental 7.10 (1:26)
12: Instrumental 7.11 (4:50)
13: Instrumental 7.12 (1:29)
14: Mister Epstein Said It Was White Gold 7.13 (1:33)
15: Lowdown Blues Machine 7.14 (1:58)
16: Wha'd I Say - Carry That Weight - Shout! 7.15 (1:22)
17: Get Back 7.16 (1:57)
18: Get Back 7.17 (0:09)
19: Dialogue (0:41)
20: Get Back 7.18 (5:59)
21: Get Back 7.19 (9:15)
22: Dialugue (6:08)
23: My Back Pages 7.20 (10:01)
24: Dialogue (2:57)
25: I've Got A Feeling 7.21 (1:48)
26: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 7.22 (1:15)
27: Stuck Inside Of Mobile With The Memphis Blues Again 7.23 (1:40)
28: Improvisation 7.24 (1:18)
29: I Shall Be Released 7.25 (3:34)
30: To Kingdom Come 7.26 (0:44)

Disc 2: (1:17:58)
01: Dialogue (1:22)
02: For You Blue 7.27 (1:14)
03: For You Blue 7.27 continued (0:04)
04: For You Blue 7.28 (1:11)
05: Improvisation 7.29 (3:17)
06: Bo Diddley 7.30 (6:40)
07: What The World Needs Now Is Love 7.31 (0:54)
08: Instrumental 7.32 (1:28)
09: First Call 7.33 (1:09)
10: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 7.34 (0:28)
11: I've Got A Feeling 7.35 (1:07)
12: I've Got A Feeling 7.36 (2:04)
13: I've Got A Feeling 7.37 (3:12)
14: I've Got A Feeling 7.38 (0:42)
15: I've Got A Feeling 7.39 (1:34)
16: I've Got A Feeling 7.40 (2:42)
17: I've Got A Feeling 7.41 (1:46)
18: I've Got A Feeling 7.42 (0:47)
19: I've Got A Feeling 7.43 (1:30)
20: I've Got A Feeling 7.44 (2:02)
21: I've Got A Feeling 7.45 (0:33)
22: I've Got A Feeling 7.46 (1:18)
23: I've Got A Feeling 7.47 (2:29)
24: Improvisation 7.48 (0:40)
25: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.49 (0:50)
26: Woman Where You Been So Long 7.50 (2:26)
27: Oh Julie, Julia 7.51 (3:41)
28: Oh! Darling 7.52 (2:47)
29: The Long And Winding Road 7.53 (1:13)
30: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.54 (1:30)
31: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.55 (1:13)
32: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.56 (16:12)
33: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.57 (3:17)
34: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.58 (2:10)
35: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.59 (0:46)
36: Rule, Britannia 7.60 (0:20)
37: Improvisation 7.61 (0:34)
38: Improvisation 7.62 (0:46)

Disc 3: (1:16:08)
01: Norwegian Wood (1:20)
02: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.64 (2:34)
03: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.65 (0:58)
04: Speak To Me 7.66 (2:07)
05: When I'm Sixty-Four 7.67 (0:32)
06: When I'm Sixty-Four - Speak To Me 7.68 (1:10)
07: Speak To Me 7.69 (2:19)
08: Oh! Darling 7.70 (5:11)
09: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.71 (3:33)
10: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.72 (3:25)
11: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.73 (2:41)
12: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.74 (14:21)
13: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.75 (3:01)
14: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.76 (4:29)
15: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.77 (2:10)
16: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.78 (2:20)
17: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 7.79 (4:13)
18: Improvisation 7.80 (0:32)
19: A Shot Of Rhythm And Blues 7.81 (2:01)
20: (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care 7.82 (0:46)
21: Across The Universe 7.83 (0:33)
22: Across The Universe 7.84 (3:21)
23: Across The Universe 7.85 (1:33)
24: Give Me Some Truth 7.86 (0:11)
25: Improvisation 7.87 (2:05)
26: Across The Universe 7.88 (4:52)
27: Across The Universe 7.89 (3:50)

Disc 4: (1:18:45)
01: Dialogue (2:05)
02: Across The Universe 7.90 (1:08)
03: Improvisation 7.91 (0:41)
04: Across The Universe 7.92 (4:03)
05: A Case Of The Blues 7.93 (0:38)
06: Cuddle Up 7.94 (0:04)
07: Give Me Some Truth 7.95 (0:11)
08: Across The Universe 7.96 (0:08)
09: Give Me Some Truth 7.97 (0:56)
10: From Me To You 7.98 (0:52)
11: Across The Universe 7.99 (5:33)
12: Across The Universe 7.100 (0:49)
13: Rock And Roll Music 7.101 (2:07)
14: Lucille 7.102 (1:23)
15: Lotta Lovin' 7.103 (0:06)
16: Across The Universe 7.104 (3:35)
17: Gone, Gone, Gone 7.105 (2:10)
18: Dig A Pony 7.106 (1:24)
19: One After 909 7.107 (0:53)
20: One After 909 7.108 (0:04)
21: One After 909 7.109 (1:23)
22: One After 909 7.110 (1:17)
23: One After 909 7.111 (0:39)
24: What'd I Say 7.112 (0:23)
25: One After 909 7.113 (2:51)
26: Improvisation 7.114 (2:25)
27: Don't Let Me Down 7.115 (0:20)
28: Don't Let Me Down 7.116 (3:49)
29: Don't Let Me Down 7.117 (0:38)
30: Don't Let Me Down 7.118 (1:19)
31: Don't Let Me Down 7.119 (1:11)
32: Don't Let Me Down 7.120 (0:04)
33: Don't Let Me Down 7.121 (0:48)
34: Don't Let Me Down 7.122 (4:20)
35: Devil In Her Heart 7.123 (0:37)
36: Devil In Her Heart 7.124 (0:52)
37: Don't Let Me Down 7.125 (3:54)
38: Don't Let Me Down 7.126 (0:13)
39: Thirty Days 7.127 (1:07)
40: Revolution 7.128 (0:39)
41: A Case Of The Blues 7.129 (0:15)
42: Be Bop A Lula 7.130 (1:52)
43: Lotta Lovin' - Somethin' Else 7.131 (1:11)
44: Improvisation 7.132 (0:21)
45: Improvisation 7.133 (4:48)
46: Improvisation 7.134 (1:39)
47: Across The Universe 7.135 (3:29)
48: School Day 7.136 (0:43)
49: F.B.I. 7.137 (0:33)
50: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 7.138 (3:16)
51: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 7.139 (2:59)

==========================
01/08/69: (5:02:49)
==========================

Disc 1: (1:17:54)
01: I Me Mine 8.01 (1:33)
02: I Me Mine 8.02 (2:46)
03: I Me Mine 8.03 (0:20)
04: Dialogue (4:05)
05: Dialogue (0:11)
06: I Me Mine 8.04 (3:18)
07: Dialogue (0:46)
08: I've Got A Feeling 8.05 (2:56)
09: Get Your Rocks Off 8.06 (6:43)
10: Improvisation 8.07 (1:44)
11: Improvisation - Honey 8.08 (4:04)
12: Honey, Hush 8.09 (0:18)
13: Stand By Me 8.10 (2:33)
14: Hare Krishna Mantra 8.11 (1:09)
15: Well, If You're Ready 8.12 (0:24)
16: Hare Krishna Mantra 8.13 (0:41)
17: Two Of Us 8.14 (3:31)
18: You Got Me Going 8.15 (0:23)
19: Twist And Shout 8.16 (0:18)
20: Don't Let Me Down 8.17 (3:11)
21: I've Got A Feeling 8.18 (3:45)
22: Roll Announcement (0:15)
23: St. Louis Blues 8.19 (1:09)
24: One After 909 8.20 (3:35)
25: Too Bad About Sorrows 8.21 (0:49)
26: Just Fun 8.22 (0:28)
27: She Said She Said 8.23 (0:59)
28: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 8.24 (0:38)
29: One Way Out 8.25 (0:33)
30: MacArthur Park 8.26 (4:19)
31: All Things Must Pass 8.27 (1:59)
32: All Things Must Pass 8.28 (1:20)
33: All Things Must Pass 8.29 (0:05)
34: All Things Must Pass 8.30 (0:15)
35: All Things Must Pass 8.31 (8:14)
36: All Things Must Pass 8.32 (4:52)
37: All Things Must Pass 8.33 (2:02)
38: All Things Must Pass 8.34 (1:43)

Disc 2: (1:10:50)
01: All Things Must Pass 8.35 (1:50)
02: All Things Must Pass 8.36 (1:42)
03: All Things Must Pass 8.37 (1:39)
04: Mean Mister Mustard 8.38 (4:09)
05: Don't Let Me Down 8.39 (1:38)
06: All Things Must Pass 8.40 (3:25)
07: Fools Like Me 8.41 (2:14)
08: You Win Again 8.42 (1:41)
09: Improvisation 8.43 (1:35)
10: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 8.44 (1:17)
11: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 8.45 (1:34)
12: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 8.46 (3:11)
13: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 8.47 (3:07)
14: Right String, Wrong Yo-Yo 8.48 (0:14)
15: Boogie Woogie 8.49 (0:16)
16: Baa Baa Blacksheep 8.50 (0:22)
17: Mr. Bassman 8.51 (0:17)
18: Roll Announcement (0:04)
19: Slate Announcement (0:04)
20: Improvisation 8.52 (1:11)
21: Improvisation 8.53 (3:26)
22: I Me Mine 8.54 (1:03)
23: Improvisation 8.55 (1:35)
24: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.56 (4:00)
25: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.57 (0:54)
26: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.58 (3:46)
27: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.59 (4:08)
28: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.60 (0:51)
29: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.61 (1:49)
30: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.62 (1:40)
31: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.63 (2:32)
32: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.64 (0:50)
33: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.65 (1:09)
34: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.66 (1:05)
35: Life Is What You Make It 8.67 (0:08)
36: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.68 (2:17)
37: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 8.69 (5:15)
38: Improvisation 8.70 (2:53)

Disc 3: (1:17:04)
01: I Me Mine 8.71 (0:50)
02: I Me Mine 8.72 (3:37)
03: How Do You Think I Feel 8.73 (0:42)
04: The Ballad Of Bonnie And Clyde 8.74 (1:27)
05: Hello Mudduh, Hello Fadduh! 8.75 (1:43)
06: I Me Mine 8.76 (1:48)
07: FBI 8.77 (2:08)
08: I'm Going To Knock Him Down Dead 8.78 (0:31)
09: Unknown 8.79 (1:20)
10: Oh! Darling 8.80 (2:03)
11: I Me Mine 8.81 (0:42)
12: Let It Be 8.82 (10:29)
13: Unknown 8.83 (1:07)
14: Unknown 8.84 (0:18)
15: Unknown 8.85 (0:19)
16: The Fool 8.86 (0:23)
17: I Me Mine 8.87 (2:47)
18: I Me Mine 8.88 (0:49)
19: I Me Mine 8.89 (0:41)
20: I Me Mine 8.90 (2:23)
21: I Me Mine 8.91 (2:24)
22: I Me Mine 8.92 (0:48)
23: I Me Mine 8.93 (0:53)
24: Roll and Dialogue (0:11)
25: I Me Mine 8.94 (1:31)
26: I Me Mine 8.95 (0:04)
27: I Me Mine 8.96 (0:56)
28: I Me Mine 8.97 (1:12)
29: I Me Mine - Domino 8.98 (1:44)
30: I Me Mine 8.99 (1:21)
31: I Me Mine 8.100 (0:21)
32: I Me Mine 8.101 (2:04)
33: The Long And Winding Road 8.102 (0:45)
34: The Long And Winding Road 8.103 (1:03)
35: The Long And Winding Road 8.104 (6:13)
36: Adagio For Strings 8.105 (1:07)
37: I Me Mine 8.106 (0:39)
38: Tell All The Folks Back Home 8.107 (1:38)
39: I Me Mine 8.108 (2:07)
40: I Me Mine 8.109 (1:55)
41: Improvisation 8.110 (3:16)
42: True Love 8.111 (1:39)
43: Unknown 8.112 (1:19)
44: Shout! 8.113 (1:12)
45: Sweet Little Sixteen 8.114 (1:13)
46: Malague?a 8.115 (0:22)
47: Almost Grown 8.116 (1:23)
48: What Am I Living For 8.117 (1:37)

Disc 4: (1:17:01)
01: Dialogue (0:38)
02: Rock And Roll Music 8.118 (1:45)
03: I Me Mine 8.119 (0:45)
04: I Me Mine 8.120 (0:56)
05: I Me Mine 8.121 (1:26)
06: I Me Mine 8.122 (0:43)
07: I Me Mine 8.123 (1:17)
08: I Me Mine 8.124 (1:02)
09: I Me Mine 8.125 (1:44)
10: I Me Mine 8.126 (3:07)
11: I Me Mine 8.127 (1:08)
12: I Me Mine 8.128 (0:58)
13: I Me Mine 8.129 (0:24)
14: I Me Mine 8.130 (0:33)
15: I Me Mine 8.131 (0:49)
16: I Me Mine 8.132 (1:48)
17: The Long And Winding Road 8.133 (3:12)
18: The Long And Winding Road 8.134 (0:04)
19: The Long And Winding Road 8.135 (2:43)
20: The Long And Winding Road 8.136 (0:07)
21: The Long And Winding Road 8.137 (0:13)
22: The Long And Winding Road 8.138 (17:51)
23: Let It Be 8.139 (3:07)
24: Let It Be 8.140 (6:21)
25: To Kingdom Come 8.141 (2:31)
26: Dialogue (14:13)
27: Dialogue (7:36)

=========================
01/09/69: (5:21:39)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:03:00)
01: Roll Announcement (0:06)
02: Slate Announcement (0:16)
03: Dialogue (2:34)
04: Another Day 9.01 (3:27)
05: Unknown 9.02 (0:33)
06: Instrumental 9.03 (1:29)
07: The Palace Of The King Of The Birds 9.04 (0:23)
08: The Palace Of The King Of The Birds 9.05 (0:31)
09: Let It Be 9.06 (0:42)
10: The Long And Winding Road 9.07 (6:17)
11: Let It Be 9.08 (3:45)
12: Her Majesty 9.09 (2:03)
13: Golden Slumbers 9.10 (4:47)
14: Carry That Weight 9.11 (2:57)
15: The Long And Winding Road 9.12a (2:42)
16: The Long And Winding Road 9.12b (0:14)
17: The Long And Winding Road 9.13 (2:44)
18: The Long And Winding Road 9.14 (2:35)
19: Oh! Darling 9.15 (2:28)
20: Instrumental 9.16 (2:33)
21: Instrumental 9.17 (5:33)
22: Instrumental 9.18 (3:27)
23: Instrumental 9.19 (0:41)
24: For You Blue 9.20 (2:51)
25: For You Blue 9.21 (2:40)
26: For You Blue 9.22 (3:09)
27: For You Blue 9.23 (1:33)

Disc 2: (1:17:36)
01: Slate Announcement (0:59)
02: For You Blue 9.24 (0:48)
03: For You Blue 9.25 (2:51)
04: For You Blue 9.26 (2:46)
05: For You Blue 9.27 (4:03)
06: Improvisation 9.28 (3:15)
07: Two Of Us 9.29 (2:12)
08: Two Of Us 9.30 (2:16)
09: Two Of Us 9.31 (2:54)
10: Two Of Us 9.32 (6:46)
11: Two Of Us 9.33 (3:04)
12: Two Of Us 9.34 (1:16)
13: Two Of Us 9.35 (2:20)
14: Two Of Us 9.36 (5:05)
15: Baa, Baa, Black Sheep 9.37 (1:51)
16: Don't Let Me Down 9.38 (3:14)
17: Suzy's Parlour 9.39 (2:25)
18: I've Got A Feeling 9.40 (4:15)
19: I've Got A Feeling 9.41 (14:28)
20: I've Got A Feeling 9.42 (1:42)
21: I've Got A Feeling 9.43 (0:28)
22: I've Got A Feeling 9.44 (1:28)
23: One After 909 9.45 (0:43)
24: One After 909 9.46 (0:22)
25: One After 909 9.47 (0:17)
26: One After 909 9.48 (0:55)
27: Norwegian Wood 9.49 (0:37)
28: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 9.50 (0:17)
29: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 9.51 (2:16)
30: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 9.52 (0:17)
31: Be Bop A Lula 9.53 (1:07)
32: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 9.54 (0:19)

Disc 3: (1:13:30)
01: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 9.55 (2:25)
02: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 9.56 (2:22)
03: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 9.57 (0:21)
04: Unknown 9.58 (1:13)
05: Get Back 9.59 (2:27)
06: Get Back 9.60 (5:17)
07: Get Back 9.61 (5:27)
08: Get Back 9.62 (3:06)
09: Get Back 9.63 (0:37)
10: Get Back 9.64 (4:34)
11: Let It Be 9.65 (1:57)
12: Instrumental 9.66 (5:46)
13: La Penina 9.67 (1:07)
14: Instrumental 9.68 (1:17)
15: Across The Universe 9.69 (1:03)
16: Across The Universe 9.70 (1:01)
17: Across The Universe 9.71 (0:06)
18: Across The Universe 9.72 (0:33)
19: Across The Universe 9.73 (1:28)
20: Across The Universe 9.74 (1:02)
21: Across The Universe 9.75 (0:07)
22: Across The Universe 9.76 (0:05)
23: Across The Universe 9.77 (0:04)
24: Teddy Boy 9.78 (0:15)
25: Junk 9.79 (0:16)
26: Across The Universe 9.80 (4:15)
27: Across The Universe 9.81 (1:59)
28: Across The Universe 9.82 (3:34)
29: Shakin' In The Sixties 9.83 (0:41)
30: Move It 9.84 (0:52)
31: Good Rockin' Tonight 9.85 (2:05)
32: Tennessee 9.86 (2:01)
33: Across The Universe 9.87 (0:20)
34: House Of The Rising Sun 9.88 (3:12)
35: Commonwealth 9.89 (3:36)
36: Enoch Powell 9.90 (0:29)
37: Get Off 9.91 (5:58)
38: For You Blue 9.92 (0:22)
39: Get Off 9.93 (0:10)

Disc 4: (1:04:35)
01: For You Blue 9.94a (0:17)
02: Get Off 9.94b (0:52)
03: Honey, Hush 9.95 (2:13)
04: For You Blue 9.96 (0:59)
05: For You Blue 9.97 (2:45)
06: For You Blue 9.98 (0:32)
07: Hitch Hike 9.99 (0:47)
08: For You Blue 9.100 (1:52)
09: For You Blue 9.101 (3:31)
10: Quit Your Messing Around 9.102 (0:36)
11: Instrumental 9.103 (0:34)
12: All Together Now 9.104 (0:07)
13: Ramblin' Woman 9.105 (3:18)
14: I Threw It All Away 9.106 (2:14)
15: Mama, You Been On My Mind 9.107 (2:25)
16: Let It Be 9.108 (8:39)
17: Let It Be 9.109 (16:39)
18: Let It Be 9.110 (1:52)
19: Let It Be 9.111 (2:25)
20: Let It Be 9.112 (2:12)
21: That'll Be The Day 9.113 (2:59)
22: I've Got A Feeling 9.114 (0:25)
23: Jenny, Jenny - Slippin' And Slidin' 9.115 (2:25)
24: Let It Be 9.116 (3:57)

Disc 5: (42:58)
01: Let It Be 9.117 (20:07)
02: Let It Be 9.118 (2:55)
03: Let It Be 9.119 (1:25)
04: Let It Be 9.120a (2:13)
05: Let It Be 9.120b (7:22)
06: Let It Be 9.121 (3:30)
07: Let It Be 9.122 (3:42)
08: Dialogue (1:09)
09: Dialogue (0:35)

=========================
01/10/69: (4:36:51)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:18:48)
01: Slate Announcement (0:07)
02: Dialogue (24:29:00)
03: Dialogue (10:37)
04: Improvisation 10.01 (1:36)
05: Improvisation 10.02 (0:37)
06: The Long And Winding Road 10.03 (2:53)
07: Let It Be 10.04 (2:32)
08: Don't Let Me Down 10.05 (1:55)
09: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 10.06 (1:48)
10: I've Got A Feeling 10.07 (2:51)
11: The Long And Winding Road 10.08 (2:11)
12: Improvisation 10.09 (2:22)
13: Get Back 10.10 (2:58)
14: I've Got A Feeling 10.11 (0:25)
15: I've Got A Feeling 10.12 (2:58)
16: Get Back 10.13 (7:37)
17: Get Back 10.14 (1:38)
18: I've Got A Feeling 10.15 (5:31)
19: Get Back 10.16 (1:35)
20: Get Back 10.17 (2:08)

Disc 2: (1:18:21
01: Get Back 10.18 (6:17)
02: Get Back 10.19 (3:15)
03: Get Back 10.20 (3:05)
04: She's A Woman 10.21 (0:21)
05: Get Back 10.22 (10:30)
06: Get Back 10.23 (4:03)
07: Hi Heel Sneakers 10.24 (2:02)
08: Hi Heel Sneakers 10.25 (0:50)
09: Long Tall Sally 10.26 (0:42)
10: Get Back 10.27 (0:22)
11: Instrumental 10.28 (1:34)
12: Get Back 10.29 (3:57)
13: Get Back 10.30 (3:16)
14: Get Back 10.31 (3:23)
15: Get Back 10.32 (2:12)
16: Get Back 10.33 (1:06)
17: Theme From The Beatles Cartoon 10.34 (0:43)
18: Get Back 10.35 (4:03)
19: Get Back 10.36 (2:41)
20: Get Back 10.37 (3:45)
21: Catch A Falling Star 10.38 (0:45)
22: Get Back 10.39 (1:33)
23: Get Back 10.40 (1:40)
24: Get Back 10.41 (1:51)
25: Improvisation 10.42 (3:29)
26: Two Of Us 10.43 (0:53)
27: Two Of Us 10.44 (3:09)
28: Two Of Us 10.45 (0:47)
29: Two Of Us 10.46 (2:03)
30: Two Of Us 10.47 (4:04)

Disc 3: (58:28
01: Two Of Us 10.48 (16:18)
02: I'm Talking About You 10.49 (George quits) (0:12)
03: George Leaves The Room (1:19)
04: A Quick One While He's Away 10.50 (1:26)
05: A Quick One While He's Away 10.51 (1:44)
06: A Quick One While He's Away 10.52 (0:04)
07: A Quick One While He's Away 10.53 (4:02)
08: Improvisation 10.54 (2:04)
09: Improvisation 10.55 (0:42)
10: Improvisation 10.56 (0:31)
11: Improvisation 10.57 (5:15)
12: Improvisation 10.58 (3:54)
13: I've Got A Feeling 10.59 (0:35)
14: Improvisation 10.60 (3:49)
15: Don't Let Me Down 10.61 (0:22)
16: Till There Was You 10.62 (0:42)
17: C'mon Everybody 10.63 (0:51)
18: Unknown 10.64 (0:06)
19: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 10.65 (0:12)
20: Mack The Knife 10.66 (0:55)
21: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 10.67 (1:22)
22: Maxwell's Silver Hammer 10.68 (2:33)
23: Don't Be Cruel 10.69 (3:41)
24: On A Sunny Island 10.70 (0:25)
25: The Peanut Vendor 10.71 (2:37)
26: It's Only Make Believe 10.72 (1:42)
27: Through A London Window 10.73 (1:05)

Disc 4: (1:01:14)
01: Dialogue (3:46)
02: Dialogue (0:07)
03: Dialogue (20:50)
04: The Long And Winding Road 10.74 (4:03)
05: Adagio For Strings 10.75 (2:22)
06: Martha My Dear 10.76 (9:57)
07: Improvisation 10.77 (0:34)
08: Improvisation 10.78 (5:08)
09: Improvisation 10.79 (6:42)
10: Improvisation 10.80 (0:48)
11: Improvisation 10.81 (0:48)
12: Sun King 10.82 (1:00)
13: Dear Prudence 10.83 (1:33)
14: Dialogue (3:36)

=========================
01/13/69: (3:28:50)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:02:29)
01: Dialogue (1:19)
02: Dialogue (2:20)
03: Dialogue (1:37)
04: Dialogue (1:20)
05: Dialogue (0:44)
06: Dialogue (1:20)
07: Dialogue (1:05)
08: Dialogue (1:35)
09: Dialogue (1:00)
10: Dialogue (0:28)
11: Dialogue (0:24)
12: Dialogue (0:08)
13: Dialogue (0:42)
14: Dialogue (1:40)
15: Dialogue (13:49)
16: Dialogue (16:08)
17: Dialogue (5:17)
18: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 13.01 (0:59)
19: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 13.02 (3:36)
20: Sleep On It, Otis 13.03 (2:49)
21: Dialogue (4:09)

Disc 2: (1:06:40)
01: Dialogue (1:07)
02: Baby, Come Back 13.04 (0:21)
03: Build Me Up, Buttercup 13.05 (4:06)
04: Build Me Up, Buttercup 13.06 (9:45)
05: Build Me Up, Buttercup 13.07 (0:17)
06: Dialogue (38:38:00)
07: Dialogue (3:44)
08: Roll Announcement (0:10)
09: Dialogue (6:46)
10: Dialogue (0:40)
11: Dialogue (0:39)
12: Dialogue (0:05)
13: Roll Announcement (0:05)
14: Slate Announcement (0:08)
15: Dialogue (0:09)

Disc 3: (1:19:41)
01: Dialogue Lunchroom Tape (28:56:00)
02: Instrumental 13.08 (3:38)
03: Instrumental 13.09 (0:06)
04: Instrumental 13.10 (0:38)
05: Instrumental 13.11 (3:16)
06: Dig A Pony 13.12 (0:13)
07: Instrumental 13.13 (2:21)
08: Dig A Pony 13.14 (1:31)
09: Get Back 13.15 (1:32)
10: Instrumental 13.16 (1:02)
11: Get Back 13.17 (0:39)
12: Get Back 13.18 (0:31)
13: Get Back 13.19 (0:49)
14: Get Back 13.20 (0:10)
15: Get Back 13.21 (0:48)
16: Get Back 13.22 (0:33)
17: Get Back 13.23 (0:18)
18: Get Back 13.24 (1:10)
19: Instrumental 13.25 (3:03)
20: Instrumental 13.26 (1:05)
21: Get Back 13.27 (5:05)
22: Get Back 13.28 (2:43)
23: Get Back 13.29 (2:57)
24: Get Back 13.30 (5:48)
25: Get Back 13.31 (1:50)
26: Get Back 13.32 (0:40)
27: On The Road Again 13.33 (0:38)
28: Improvisation 13.34 (1:00)
29: Dialogue (6:41)

=========================
01/14/69: (3:02:42)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:02:13)
01: Roll Announcement (0:06)
02: Improvisation 14.01 (1:52)
03: Improvisation 14.02 (1:10)
04: Martha My Dear 14.03 (1:26)
05: San Francisco Bay Blues 14.04 (2:17)
06: Improvisation 14.05 (1:20)
07: Improvisation 14.06 (0:58)
08: Oh Baby I Love You 14.07 (2:35)
09: Improvisation 14.08 (0:56)
10: The Day I Went Back To School 14.09 (3:15)
11: Lady Jane 14.10 (2:25)
12: Lady Jane 14.11 (0:47)
13: Talking Blues 14.12 (0:30)
14: Improvisation 14.13 (1:19)
15: Improvisation 14.14 (0:42)
16: Woman 14.15 (0:35)
17: Woman 14.16 (2:01)
18: Woman 14.17 (1:33)
19: Cocaine Blues 14.18 (0:32)
20: Flushed From The Bathroom Of Your Heart 14.19 (0:52)
21: On A Clear Day You Can See Forever 14.20 (0:05)
22: Improvisation 14.21 (0:52)
23: The Back Seat Of My Car 14.22 (4:10)
24: The Back Seat Of My Car 14.23 (3:20)
25: Improvisation 14.24 (0:21)
26: Song Of Love 14.25 (2:32)
27: Song Of Love 14.26 (3:20)
28: As Clear As A Bell 14.27 (0:25)
29: Hello, Dolly 14.28 (1:50)
30: Dialogue (4:23)
31: Dialogue (13:44)

Disc 2: (1:06:06)
01: Roll Announcement (0:13)
02: Dialogue (15:46)
03: Dialogue (1:29)
04: You Are Definitely Inclined Towards It 14.29 (0:29)
05: Dialogue (30:25:00)
06: Dialogue (17:03)
07: Mean Mr. Mustard 14.30 (0:41)

Disc 3: (54:23)
01: Madman 14.31 (7:21)
02: Mean Mr. Mustard - Madman 14.32 (4:05)
03: Watching Rainbows 14.33 (4:30)
04: Improvisation 14.34 (0:25)
05: Watching Rainbows 14.35 (0:58)
06: Improvisation 14.36 (1:56)
07: Improvisation 14.37 (6:54)
08: Take This Hammer 14.38 (3:31)
09: Johnny B. Goode 14.39 (1:46)
10: Johnny B. Goode 14.40 (1:30)
11: Get Back 14.41 (1:57)
12: Improvisation 14.42 (2:36)
13: Don't Start Running 14.43 (3:50)
14: Madman 14.44 (0:37)
15: You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) 14.45 (1:16)
16: Improvisation 14.46 (0:07)
17: Improvisation 14.47 (0:08)
18: Oh! Darling 14.48 (0:43)
19: Oh! Darling 14.49 (3:33)
20: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 14.50 (0:18)
21: Slate Announcement (0:05)
22: Dialogue (6:17)

################################
Part 2 - Apple: (57:04:57)
################################

=========================
01/21/69: (3:28:57)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:14:12)
01: Dialogue (0:06)
02: Dialogue (0:04)
03: Dialogue (0:08)
04: Dialogue (7:04)
05: My Rock And Roll Finger Is Bleeding 21.01 (7:38)
06: Window, Window 21.02 (1:11)
07: Dialogue (1:48)
08: Instrumental 21.03 (2:27)
09: Do The Bunny Hop 21.04 (1:00)
10: Unknown 21.05 (0:48)
11: Instrumental 21.06 (6:43)
12: Somethin' Else 21.07 (2:15)
13: Blossom Dearie They Call Me 21.08 (1:11)
14: Blossom Dearie They Call Me 21.09 (1:08)
15: Oh How I Love The 12-Bar Blues 21.10 (0:18)
16: Daydream 21.11 (1:26)
17: You Are My Sunshine 21.12 (1:58)
18: Whispering-I'm Beginning To See The Light 21.13 (3:22)
19: Instrumental 21.14 (5:33)
20: Instrumental 21.15 (2:26)
21: Unknown 21.16 (0:27)
22: Dig A Pony 21.17 (2:17)
23: I've Got A Feeling 21.18 (1:28)
24: Every Night 21.19 (1:13)
25: Dig A Pony 21.20 (0:23)
26: Dig A Pony 21.21 (2:10)
27: Dig A Pony 21.22 (0:05)
28: Watch Your Step 21.23 (0:21)
29: New Orleans 21.24 (3:47)
30: Madman 21.25 (2:18)
31: Dig A Pony 21.26 (5:22)
32: The Fool 21.27 (1:32)
33: Dig A Pony 21.28 (4:15)

Disc 2: (1:10:07)
01: Dialogue (0:08)
02: Stones x take 1 (0:17)
03: Run For Your Life 21.29 (0:31)
04: Hi Heel Sneakers 21.30 (1:54)
05: My Baby Left Me (That's Alright Mama) 21.3 (4:46)
06: Hallelujah, I Love Her So 21.32 (1:24)
07: Milk Cow Blues-I'm A Man 21.33 (3:27)
08: Improvisation 21.34 (3:39)
09: Dialogue (0:32)
10: Little Queenie 21.35 (0:58)
11: When Irish Eyes Are Smiling 21.36 (1:33)
12: Queen Of The Hop 21.37 (1:43)
13: All I Want Is You 21.38 (1:27)
14: Dig A Pony 21.39 (0:13)
15: Five Feet High And Rising 21.40 (0:32)
16: Dig A Pony 21.41 (4:03)
17: In The Middle Of An Island - Gilly Gilly Ossenfeffer Katzeneleen Bogen By The Sea 21.42 (1:42)
18: Dig A Pony 21.43 (3:12)
19: Improvisation-Good Rockin' Tonight 21.44 (5:00)
20: Forty Days 21.45 (2:00)
21: Too Bad About Sorrows 21.46 (0:59)
22: Dig A Pony 21.47 (4:43)
23: I'm Ready 21.48 (0:27)
24: Dig A Pony 21.49 (0:47)
25: Dig A Pony 21.50 (0:06)
26: Dig A Pony 21.51 (4:00)
27: Shout! 21.52 (0:51)
28: Unknown 21.53 (0:19)
29: I've Got A Feeling 21.54 (2:57)
30: I've Got A Feeling 21.55 (1:05)
31: William Smith Boogie 21.56 (2:43)
32: San Ferry Ann 21.57 (0:16)
33: Dig A Pony 21.58 (0:30)
34: You Gotta Give Back 21.59 (0:39)
35: Dig A Pony 21.60 (4:41)
36: Well, Well, Well 21.61 (0:44)
37: You've Got Me Thinking 21.62 (2:08)
38: Dig A Pony 21.63 (3:11)

Disc 3: (1:04:38)
01: Dig A Pony 21.64 (0:20)
02: I've Got A Feeling 21.65 (3:55)
03: Don't Let Me Down 21.66 (9:02)
04: I've Got A Feeling 21.54P (2:57)
05: Dig A Pony 21.49P (2:46)
06: Shout! 21.52P (2:40)
07: Papa's Got A Brand New Bag 21.50P (0:15)
08: Dig A Pony 21.49P (7:08)
09: Dig A Pony 21.67 (0:56)
10: Dig A Pony 21.68 (0:42)
11: Dig A Pony 21.69 (1:15)
12: Dig A Pony 21.70 (0:32)
13: dialogue (0:48)
14: Let's Dance 21.71 (1:05)
15: Improvisation 21.72 (2:42)
16: Don't Let Me Down 21.73 (3:24)
17: Unknown 21.74 (0:27)
18: Get Back-improvisation 21.75 (0:49)
19: For You Blue 21.76 (2:05)
20: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 21.77 (1:46)
21: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 21.78 (2:55)
22: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 21.79 (3:33)
23: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 21.80 (3:00)
24: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 21.81 (6:18)
25: Madman 21.82 (1:25)
26: Is That A Chicken Joke 21.83 (1:53)

=========================
01/22/69: (5:05:22)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:19:23)
01: Roll announcement (0:09)
02: Dialogue (9:07)
03: I Shall Be Released 22.01 (2:14)
04: Improvisation 22.02 (4:48)
05: Dialogue (2:24)
06: Drum solo 22.03 (2:00)
07: Let It Down 22.04 (3:39)
08: Piano (0:13)
09: Don't Let Me Down 21.73P (0:09)
10: Don't Let Me Down 21.73P (0:09)
11: Dialogue (0:38)
12: Dialogue-piano (0:19)
13: I've Got A Feeling 21.65P (0:53)
14: I've Got A Feeling 21.65P (3:39)
15: Don't Let Me Down 21.73P (0:08)
16: Don't Let Me Down 21.73P (4:30)
17: Unknown 22.05 (1:58)
18: Some Other Guy 22.06 (1:13)
19: Unknown 22.07 (1:24)
20: Johnny B. Goode 22.08 (2:47)
21: Don't Let Me Down 22.09 (4:20)
22: Roll announcement (0:08)
23: Ambiance (0:44)
24: I Shall Be Released 22.10 (3:36)
25: Improvisation 22.11 (1:28)
26: Improvisation 22.12 (1:54)
27: Dialogue (0:49)
28: Dig A Pony 22.13 (0:22)
29: Don't Let Me Down 22.14 (2:33)
30: Dig A Pony 22.15 (4:40)
31: Dig A Pony 22.16 (0:04)
32: Dialogue (0:10)
33: Dig A Pony 22.17 (3:58)
34: Dig A Pony 22.18 (1:37)
35: Dig A Pony 22.19 (3:14)
36: Going Up The Country 22.20 (1:57)
37: Dig A Pony 22.21 (5:06)
38: Improvisation 22.22 (0:22)

Disc 2: (1:16:39)
01: Dialogue (1:03)
02: Dig A Pony 22.23 (5:34)
03: Dig A Pony 22.23P (0:09)
04: Dialogue (0:07)
05: Dialogue (0:21)
06: Going Up The Country 22.20P (0:38)
07: Going Up The Country 22.20P (0:30)
08: Dig A Pony 22.21P (0:10)
09: Dig A Pony 22.23P (1:07)
10: Dig A Pony 22.23P (1:52)
11: Dig A Pony 22.24 (2:03)
12: Dig A Pony 22.25 (2:34)
13: Dig A Pony 22.26 (2:14)
14: Dig A Pony 22.27 (0:36)
15: Dig A Pony 22.28 (2:56)
16: Dig A Pony 22.29 (4:03)
17: I've Got A Feeling 22.30 (3:46)
18: I've Got A Feeling 22.31 (5:05)
19: Riffs (3:01)
20: I've Got A Feeling 22.32 (4:48)
21: I've Got A Feeling 22.33 (4:34)
22: I've Got A Feeling 22.34 (4:02)
23: I've Got A Feeling 22.35 (2:45)
24: I've Got A Feeling 22.36 (1:37)
25: Second large one (0:04)
26: Dialogue (0:38)
27: The Long And Winding Road 22.37 (1:02)
28: The Long And Winding Road 22.38 (0:22)
29: The Long And Winding Road 22.39 (1:42)
30: Improvisation 22.40 (1:02)
31: Noise (0:04)
32: I've Got A Feeling 22.41 (3:00)
33: Dig A Pony 22.42 (0:08)
34: Dig A Pony 22.43 (6:46)
35: Don't Let Me Down 22.44 (4:12)
36: Don't Let Me Down 22.45 (2:04)

Disc 3: (1:16:36)
01: Don't Let Me Down 22.46 (1:26)
02: Don't Let Me Down 22.47 (5:47)
03: Don't Let Me Down 22.48 (5:54)
04: A Taste Of Honey 22.49 (0:13)
05: Improvisation 22.50 (1:05)
06: Oh! Darling 22.51 (1:45)
07: I've Got A Feeling 22.52 (0:09)
08: Dialogue (2:08)
09: I've Got A Feeling 22.53 (0:13)
10: I've Got A Feeling 22.54 (3:11)
11: I've Got A Feeling 22.55 (2:53)
12: I've Got A Feeling 22.56 (1:31)
13: I've Got A Feeling 22.57 (1:56)
14: I'm Ready-improvisation 22.58 (0:45)
15: Save The Last Dance-Don't Let Me Down 22.59 (1:15)
16: Don't Let Me Down 22.60 (4:05)
17: Improvisation 22.61 (1:57)
18: Dig A Pony 22.62 (1:09)
19: Dig A Pony 22.63 (0:41)
20: Dig A Pony 22.64 (4:23)
21: Dig A Pony 22.65 (2:34)
22: Dig A Pony 22.66 (1:11)
23: Slate announcement (0:04)
24: Dig A Pony 22.67 (3:43)
25: Dig A Pony 22.68 (4:06)
26: I've Got A Feeling 22.69 (3:26)
27: I've Got A Feeling 22.70 (4:39)
28: I've Got A Feeling 22.71 (0:49)
29: I've Got A Feeling 22.72 (0:29)
30: I've Got A Feeling 22.73 (8:04)
31: I've Got A Feeling 22.74 (4:38)
32: Carol 22.75 (0:27)

Disc 4: (1:12:44)
01: I've Got A Feeling 22.74P (3:12)
02: I've Got A Feeling 22.74P (0:11)
03: Dig A Pony 22.68P (1:30)
04: Dig A Pony 22.68P (1:00)
05: Dig A Pony 22.64P (2:55)
06: Don't Let Me Down 22.60P (9:48)
07: Roll announcement (0:12)
08: Dialogue (0:08)
09: Dialogue (0:15)
10: Don't Let Me Down 22.76a (1:03)
11: Don't Let Me Down 22.76b (12:37)
12: Don't Let Me Down 22.77 (3:45)
13: Don't Let Me Down 22.78 (0:15)
14: Don't Let Me Down 22.79 (0:21)
15: Don't Let Me Down 22.80 (1:27)
16: Don't Let Me Down 22.81 (0:22)
17: Don't Let Me Down 22.82 (0:06)
18: Don't Let Me Down 22.83 (0:11)
19: Don't Let Me Down 22.84 (0:32)
20: Dig A Pony 22.85 (0:18)
21: I've Got A Feeling 22.86 (3:44)
22: I've Got A Feeling 22.87 (1:20)
23: I've Got A Feeling 22.88 (5:23)
24: I've Got A Feeling 22.89 (1:55)
25: I've Got A Feeling 22.90 (3:28)
26: I've Got A Feeling 22.91 (0:36)
27: I've Got A Feeling 22.92 (5:14)
28: I've Got A Feeling 22.93 (3:53)
29: Improvisation 22.94 (2:27)
30: Dialogue (4:36)

=========================
01/23/69: (4:53:14)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:10:54)
01: Roll announcement (0:06)
02: Slate and horse (0:35)
03: Street noise (0:56)
04: Dialogue (2:55)
05: Octopus's Garden 23.01 (1:52)
06: Hey, Hey Georgie 23.02 (8:11)
07: Two Of Us 23.03 (1:31)
08: Roll announcement (0:08)
09: I've Got A Feeling 23.04 (3:17)
10: I've Got A Feeling 23.05 (1:33)
11: Get Back 23.06 (1:45)
12: Get Back 23.07 (5:23)
13: Get Back 23.08 (1:31)
14: Get Back 23.09 (2:37)
15: Roll announcement (0:08)
16: Get Back 23.10 (1:02)
17: If You Need Me 23.11 (1:55)
18: Get Back 23.12 (2:00)
19: Get Back 23.13 (3:38)
20: Get Back 23.14 (2:57)
21: Get Back - Reach Out 23.15 (4:30)
22: Roll announcement (0:09)
23: Get Back 23.16 (2:25)
24: Get Back 23.17 (10:13)
25: Get Back 23.18 (3:22)
26: Get Back 23.19 (0:10)
27: Rehearsals (6:05)

Disc 2: (1:15:30)
01: Get Back 23.20 (9:54)
02: Roll announcement (0:09)
03: Rehearsals (4:06)
04: Get Back 23.21 (11:07)
05: Get Back 23.22 (0:55)
06: Rehearsals (2:43)
07: Get Back 23.23 (12:16)
08: Get Back 23.24 (1:10)
09: Get Back 23.25 (10:07)
10: Get Back 23.26 (2:32)
11: Get Back 23.27 (0:22)
12: Words Of Love 23.28 (1:23)
13: Get Back 23.29 (2:46)
14: Roll announcement (0:10)
15: Get Back 23.29P (0:49)
16: Get Back 23.29P (1:39)
17: Blues instrumental 23.30 (8:58)
18: Get Back 23.31 (0:21)
19: Twenty Flight Rock 23.32 (3:28)
20: Get Back 23.33 (0:35)

Disc 3: (1:17:24)
01: Get Back 23.34 (0:06)
02: Get Back 23.35 (1:01)
03: Get Back 23.36 (2:26)
04: Get Back 23.37 (2:51)
05: Get Back 23.38 (6:07)
06: Get Back 23.39 (3:24)
07: Oh! Darling 23.40 (16:13)
08: Oh! Darling 23.41 (4:33)
09: Instrumental 23.42 (1:05)
10: Two Of Us 23.43 (1:48)
11: Dialogue (0:11)
12: Guitar Instrumental 23.44 (0:30)
13: Let It Be 23.45 (2:48)
14: Improvisation 23.46 (3:43)
15: Mean Mr. Mustard 23.47 (0:12)
16: Improvisation 23.48 (0:27)
17: Improvisation 23.49 (4:08)
18: Let's Twist Again 23.50 (3:00)
19: Oh! Darling 23.51 (0:25)
20: The Long And Winding Road 23.52 (2:43)
21: Love Is The Thing To Me 23.53 (1:47)
22: Everything's Alright 23.54 (1:42)
23: I Want To Thank You 23.55 (3:03)
24: You've Been Acting Strange 23.56 (1:17)
25: Use What You Got 23.57 (2:01)
26: Together In Love 23.58 (1:34)
27: Feedback Improvisation 23.59 (3:17)
28: Improvisation 23.60 (5:02)

Disc 4: (1:09:26)
01: Improvisation 23.61 (8:20)
02: Happiness Runs 23.62 (0:09)
03: It Blew Again 23.63 (0:32)
04: Shazam! 23.64 (2:15)
05: Dig A Pony 23.65 (4:55)
06: Get Back 23.66 (2:23)
07: Get Back 23.67 (2:45)
08: Get Back 23.68 (3:28)
09: Get Back 23.69 (5:34)
10: Get Back 23.70 (1:44)
11: Get Back 23.71 (0:35)
12: Get Back 23.72 (2:16)
13: Get Back 23.73 (2:28)
14: Get Back 23.74 (3:12)
15: Get Back 23.75 (3:30)
16: Get Back 23.76 (1:59)
17: I'll Get You 23.77 (0:29)
18: Get Back 23.78 (1:17)
19: Get Back 23.79 (2:37)
20: I've Got A Feeling 23.80 (0:17)
21: Help! 23.81 (0:41)
22: Please Please Me 23.82 (0:45)
23: Let It Be 23.83 (2:04)
24: The Long And Winding Road 23.84 (0:52)
25: Get Back 23.79P (0:15)
26: Get Back 23.79P (3:28)
27: Get Back 23.29P (3:58)
28: Get Back 23.79P (2:32)
29: Dialogue (4:06)

=========================
01/24/69: (4:55:06)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:18:12)
01: Get Back 24.01 (2:49)
02: Get Back 24.02 (9:02)
03: Dialogue (0:42)
04: Get Back 24.03 (0:47)
05: Get Back 24.04 (0:23)
06: (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction 24.05 (1:20)
07: Get Back 24.06 (2:29)
08: What'd I Say 24.07 (3:04)
09: Bass riff-Get Back-Improvisation 24.08 (3:22)
10: Improvisation 24.09 (4:06)
11: Improvisation 24.10 (0:04)
12: Get Back-improvisation 24.11 (0:53)
13: Improvisation 24.12 (0:36)
14: Don't Let Me Down 24.13 (2:09)
15: Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da 24.14 (0:58)
16: Get Back 24.15 (3:01)
17: Get Back 24.16 (3:00)
18: Soldier Of Love (Lay Down Your Arms) 24.1 (1:17)
19: Cathy's Clown-Soldier Of Love-Where Have 24.18 (1:55)
20: Love Is A Swingin' Thing 24.19 (0:08)
21: What'd I Say-Love Is A Swingin Thing 24.20 (0:40)
22: She Said Yeah 24.21 (0:37)
23: Child Of Nature 24.22 (2:53)
24: Two Of Us 24.23 (7:25)
25: Two Of Us 24.24 (3:42)
26: You're So Good to Me 24.25 (1:21)
27: Two Of Us 24.26 (2:52)
28: Two Of Us 24.27a (16:37)

Disc 2: (1:19:28)
01: Two Of Us 24.27b (2:50)
02: Two Of Us 24.28 (5:38)
03: Two Of Us 24.29 (3:16)
04: Two Of Us 24.30 (4:39)
05: Two Of Us 24.30P (7:38)
06: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 24.31 (1:16)
07: Teddy Boy 24.32 (4:43)
08: Teddy Boy 24.33 (7:23)
09: Teddy Boy 24.34 (0:38)
10: Teddy Boy 24.35 (0:18)
11: Teddy Boy 24.36 (1:39)
12: Balls To Your Partner 24.37 (0:12)
13: Ach Du Lieber Augustin 24.38 (0:08)
14: Teddy Boy 24.39 (0:44)
15: Two Of Us 24.40 (3:47)
16: Maggie Mae 24.41 (0:56)
17: I Fancy Me Chances 24.42 (1:44)
18: Two Of Us 24.43 (1:19)
19: Polythene Pam 24.44 (2:09)
20: Improvisation 24.45 (1:24)
21: Two Of Us 24.46 (3:23)
22: Maggie Mae 24.47 (0:24)
23: Two Of Us 24.48 (4:36)
24: Maggie Mae 24.49 (1:33)
25: Teddy Boy 24.33P (3:36)
26: Teddy Boy 24.33P (3:47)
27: Two Of Us 24.48P (3:34)
28: Maggie Mae 24.49P (6:14)

Disc 3: (1:19:32)
01: The Long And Winding Road 24.50 (3:36)
02: Window, Window 24.51 (2:12)
03: Window, Window 24.52 (0:56)
04: Two Of Us 24.53 (1:09)
05: Dialogue (0:24)
06: Get Back 23.74P (1:13)
07: Get Back 23.78P (0:05)
08: Get Back 23.79P (2:35)
09: I've Got A Feeling 23.80P (0:07)
10: Help! 23.81P (0:34)
11: Two Of Us 24.54 (2:42)
12: Get Back 24.55 (0:49)
13: Get Back 24.56 (1:31)
14: Two Of Us 24.57 (1:24)
15: Her Majesty 24.58 (2:29)
16: There You Are Eddie 24.59 (4:17)
17: Every Night 24.60 (1:50)
18: Pillow For Your Head-There You Are Eddie 24.61 (5:31)
19: Pillow For Your Head 24.62 (0:47)
20: Hot As Sun 24.63 (1:35)
21: Catswalk 24.64 (0:07)
22: Two Of Us 24.65 (0:59)
23: Two Of Us 24.66 (3:45)
24: Two Of Us 24.67 (0:56)
25: Two Of Us-Hello Goodbye 24.68 (3:35)
26: Two Of Us 24.69 (4:06)
27: Two Of Us 24.70 (3:34)
28: Diggin My Potatoes 24.71 (0:49)
29: Hey Liley, Liley Ho 24.72 (0:10)
30: Rock Island Line 24.73 (1:13)
31: Improvisation 24.74 (0:14)
32: Unknown 24.75 (1:13)
33: Two Of Us 24.76 (2:07)
34: Tiger Rag 24.77 (2:11)
35: Michael Row Your Boat Ashore 24.78 (0:57)
36: Rock A Bye Baby 24.79 (0:13)
37: Singin The Blues 24.80 (2:39)
38: Knee Deep In The Blues 24.81 (0:14)
39: Dig It 24.82 (3:12)
40: Dig It 24.83 (0:45)
41: Dig It 24.84 (4:32)
42: Dig It 24.85 (6:15)

Disc 4: (57:54)
01: Tuning (1:55)
02: Get back 24.86 (2:09)
03: There You Are Eddie 24.87 (1:41)
04: Get Back 24.88 (0:27)
05: Get Back 24.89 (0:39)
06: Get Back 24.90 (3:35)
07: Get Back-Little Demon-Maybellene- (Medley) 24.91 (2:38)
08: Short Fat Fanny 24.92 (1:31)
09: Get Back 24.93 (0:15)
10: Get Back 24.94 (4:54)
11: Green Onions 24.95 (0:45)
12: Get Back 24.96 (0:52)
13: Get Back 24.97 (4:31)
14: Bad Boy 24.98 (4:27)
15: Sweet Little Sixteen 24.99 (1:47)
16: Around and Around 24.100 (1:07)
17: Almost Grown 24.101a (2:01)
18: School Day (Ring Ring Goes The Bell) 24.101b (2:48)
19: Stand By Me - Where Have You Been All My Life 24.102 (2:39)
20: Lady Madonna 24.103 (0:09)
21: Lovely Rita-Get Back 24.104 (0:12)
22: Get Back 24.105 (6:51)
23: Lonely Sea 24.106 (1:40)
24: Unknown 24.107 (3:45)
25: Ramrod 24.108 (2:02)
26: Silence (2:00)
27: Tape Rewind (0:05)
28: Unknown Playback (0:29)

=========================
01/25/69: (7:09:17)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:19:15)
01: Dialogue (4:23)
02: Get Back 23.78P (0:05)
03: Get Back 23.79P (2:34)
04: I've Got A Feeling (fragment) 23.80P (0:07)
05: Help! (fragment-tape rewind) 23.81P (0:04)
06: Teddy Boy 24.33P (6:19)
07: Two Of Us 24.69P (3:36)
08: Dig A Pony 22.67P (4:05)
09: I've Got A Feeling 22.69P (4:45)
10: Improvisation 25.01 (1:31)
11: Improvisation 25.02 (1:47)
12: Improvisation 25.03 (1:17)
13: Unknown 25.04-25.05 (0:34)
14: Improvisation 25.06 (0:56)
15: Improvisation 25.07 (0:26)
16: Another Day 25.08 (0:57)
17: Two Of Us 25.09 (23:15)
18: Instrumental 25.10 (5:24)
19: Act Naturally 25.11 (0:38)
20: Two Of Us 25.12 (13:52)
21: I've Got A Feeling 25.13 (1:21)
22: Nashville Cat 25.14 (1:19)

Disc 2: (1:19:12)
01: Dialogue (2:39)
02: On The Road Again 25.15 (6:34)
03: Unknown 25.16 (8:56)
04: Instrumental 25.17 (8:41)
05: I Lost My Little Girl 25.18 (9:53)
06: Two Of Us 25.19 (3:54)
07: Two Of Us 25.20 (14:33)
08: Two Of Us 25.21 (3:39)
09: Two Of Us 25.22 (1:54)
10: Bye Bye Love 25.23 (1:09)
11: Two Of Us 25.24 (3:53)
12: Unknown 25.25 (3:04)
13: Two Of Us 25.24P (4:56)
14: Two Of Us 25.24P (5:27)

Disc 3: (1:18:45)
01: Dialogue (2:05)
02: Get Back 23.78P (0:05)
03: Get Back 23.79P (2:35)
04: I've Got A Feeling 23.80P (0:07)
05: Help! 23.81P (0:04)
06: Teddy Boy 24.33P (5:57)
07: Two Of Us 24.69P (3:59)
08: Dig A Pony 22.70P (3:53)
09: I've Got A Feeling 22.71P (5:34)
10: Dialogue and tuning (2:54)
11: For You Blue 25.26 (2:55)
12: For You Blue 25.27 (3:05)
13: For You Blue 25.28 (1:30)
14: For You Blue 25.29 (16:01)
15: For You Blue 25.30 (1:23)
16: For You Blue 25.31 (2:31)
17: For You Blue 25.32 (2:02)
18: For You Blue 25.33 (1:10)
19: For You Blue 25.34 (4:27)
20: For You Blue 25.35 (2:17)
21: For You Blue 25.36 (1:47)
22: For You Blue 25.37 (3:08)
23: For You Blue 25.38 (2:04)
24: For You Blue 25.34P (2:37)
25: For You Blue 25.37P (4:35)

Disc 4: (1:17:46)
01: For You Blue 25.39 (10:35)
02: For You Blue 25.40 (2:57)
03: For You Blue 25.41 (3:38)
04: For You Blue 25.42 (2:13)
05: For You Blue 25.43 (3:21)
06: Sorry I Left You Bleeding 25.44 (0:56)
07: For You Blue 25.45 (3:13)
08: For You Blue 25.46 (4:18)
09: For You Blue 25.47 (3:55)
10: For You Blue 25.46P (3:44)
11: For You Blue 25.47P (5:01)
12: For You Blue 25.48 (1:57)
13: For You Blue 25.49 (2:28)
14: For You Blue 25.50 (1:21)
15: For You Blue 25.51 (2:38)
16: For You Blue 25.52 (0:28)
17: For You Blue 25.53 (3:06)
18: For You Blue 25.53P (3:58)
19: For You Blue 25.46P (2:59)
20: For You Blue 25.46P (4:25)
21: For You Blue 25.53P (2:23)
22: Take This Hammer 25.54 (0:35)
23: For You Blue 25.46P (3:14)
24: For You Blue 25.55 (2:05)
25: Let It Be 25.56 (2:18)

Disc 5: (1:05:11)
01: Let It Be 25.57 (17:02)
02: Let It Be 25.58 (13:39)
03: Crazy Feet 25.59 (0:41)
04: Please Please Me 25.60 (0:39)
05: Let It Be 25.61 (0:59)
06: Let it Be 25.62 (1:27)
07: Let It Be 25.63 (4:03)
08: Instrumental 25.64 (7:07)
09: Mean Mr. Mustard 25.65 (3:23)
10: Let it Be 25.66 (8:30)
11: Tracks Of My Tears 25.67 (3:45)
12: Piece Of My Heart 25.68 (1:05)
13: Little Yellow Pills 25.69 (1:58)
14: Early In the Morning 25.70 (0:36)
15: Let It Be 25.71 (0:17)

Disc 6: (49:08)
01: Let It Be 25.72 (1:29)
02: Let It Be 25.73 (4:28)
03: Window, Window 25.74 (1:52)
04: I'm Talkin' About You 25.75 (0:53)
05: Let It Be 25.76 (2:04)
06: Let It Be 25.77 (0:11)
07: Instrumental 25.78 (0:17)
08: Instrumental 25.79 (0:10)
09: Let It Be 25.80 (3:31)
10: Let It Be 25.81 (4:45)
11: Let It Be 25.81P (4:29)
12: Let It Be 25.81P (5:37)
13: Martha My Dear 25.82 (1:11)
14: Let It Be 25.83 (2:02)
15: Let It Be 25.84 (2:03)
16: Let It Be 25.85 (4:17)
17: Let It Be 25.86 (2:45)
18: Well Its Eight O' Clock 25.87 (1:28)
19: Love Story 25.88 (1:15)
20: Cannonball 25.89 (0:25)
21: Shazam! 25.90 (0:16)
22: Last Train To San Francisco 25.91 (1:10)
23: Isn't It A Pity 25.92 (2:30)

=========================
01/26/69: (6:30:01)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:10:17)
01: Roll announcement (0:13)
02: Dialogue (2:14)
03: Isn't It A Pity 26.01 (2:33)
04: Windows, Windows 26.02 (2:26)
05: Let It Down 26.03 (1:15)
06: Let It Down 26.04 (0:46)
07: Octopus's Garden 26.05 (10:07)
08: Octopus's Garden 26.06 (1:45)
09: Octopus's Garden 26.07 (0:58)
10: Octopus's Garden 26.08 (1:56)
11: unknown 26.09 (0:36)
12: Octopus's Garden 26.10 (4:03)
13: Little Piece Of Leather 26.11 (0:31)
14: Two Of Us 26.12 (1:03)
15: Dig A Pony 26.13 (0:34)
16: Octopus's Garden 26.14 (1:15)
17: Octopus's Garden 26.15 (1:40)
18: Octopus's Garden 26.16 (9:00)
19: Octopus's Garden 26.1 (2:30)
20: For You Blue 25.45P (2:58)
21: For You Blue 25.45P (1:44)
22: For You Blue 25.46P (4:40)
23: For You Blue 25.46P (3:19)
24: For You Blue 25.46P (4:01)
25: Let It Be 25.81P (4:14)
26: Let It Be 25.81P (3:56)

Disc 2: (1:17:00)
01: Dialogue (0:39)
02: Let It Be 26.18 (3:45)
03: It Was So Blue 26.19 (0:40)
04: High School Confidential 26.20 (1:19)
05: Great Balls Of Fire 26.21 (2:22)
06: Don't Let The Sun Catch You Crying 26.22 (2:40)
07: Let It Be 26.23 (0:19)
08: I Left My Home In The World 26.24 (0:29)
09: I Left My Home In The World 26.25 (1:18)
10: Let It Be 26.26 (13:37)
11: Improvisation 26.27 (0:30)
12: Suicide 26.28 (0:46)
13: Let It Be 26.29 (0:58)
14: Let It Be 26.30 (2:26)
15: Let It Be 26.31 (1:12)
16: Let It Be 26.32 (2:03)
17: Let It Be 26.33 (1:42)
18: Let It Be 26.34 (3:27)
19: Let It Be 26.35 (2:34)
20: Let It Be 26.36 (1:48)
21: Let It Be 26.37 (4:32)
22: Let It Be 26.38 (4:11)
23: Let It Be 26.39 (1:33)
24: Let It Be 26.40 (1:22)
25: Let It Be 26.41 (4:33)
26: Let It Be 26.41P (3:43)
27: Dialogue (2:48)
28: Improvisation 26.42 (1:04)
29: Let It Be 26.43 (1:06)
30: Let It Be 26.44 (3:59)
31: Let It Be 26.45 (1:56)
32: Let It Be 26.46 (1:39)

Disc 3: (1:17:06)
01: Let It Be 26.47 (1:19)
02: Let It Be 26.48 (2:40)
03: Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darling 26.49 (1:23)
04: Let It Be 26.50 (0:53)
05: You Really Got A Hold On Me 26.51 (0:22)
06: Let It Be 26.52 (0:09)
07: Let It Be 26.53 (3:54)
08: Like A Rolling Stone 26.54 (1:56)
09: Twist And Shout 26.55 (1:41)
10: Dig It 26.56 (11:57)
11: Rip It Up 26.57 (2:46)
12: Shake, Rattle And Roll 26.58 (1:44)
13: Kansas City - Miss Ann - Lawdy Miss Clawdy 26.59 (4:07)
14: Blue Suede Shoes 26.60 (2:16)
15: You Really Got A Hold On Me 26.61 (3:55)
16: The Tracks Of My Tears 26.62 (2:40)
17: Agent Double-O-Soul 26.63 (2:23)
18: S.O.S. 26.64 (1:53)
19: Rockin Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu 26.65 (0:37)
20: I'm Movin On 26.66 (2:47)
21: Improvisation 26.67 (1:21)
22: Improvisation 26.68 (16:48)
23: Improvisation 26.69 (3:52)
24: Improvisation 26.70 (3:43)

Disc 4: (1:00:24)
01: Dialogue and jamming (1:42)
02: Let It Be 26.71 (1:13)
03: Let It Be 26.72 (4:01)
04: Let It Be 26.73 (5:37)
05: Let It Be 26.74 (2:20)
06: Let It Be 26.75 (4:13)
07: Let It Be 26.76 (0:21)
08: Little Pillow Pills 26.77 (3:28)
09: Let It Be 26.75P (0:40)
10: I Told You Before 26.78 (11:35)
11: I Told You Before 26.79 (2:11)
12: I Told You Before 26.80 (12:37)
13: The Long And Winding Road 26.81 (10:26)

Disc 5: (35:01)
01: The Long And Winding Road rehearsal (0:09)
02: The Long And Winding Road 26.82 (4:40)
03: The Long And Winding Road 26.83 (3:40)
04: The Long And Winding Road 26.84 (1:45)
05: The Long And Winding Road 26.85 (7:28)
06: The Long And Winding Road 26.86a (5:14)
07: The Long And Winding Road Cha-Cha 26.86b (2:37)
08: The Long And Winding Road 26.87 (5:13)
09: The Long And Winding Road 26.88 (4:15)

Disc 6: (1:10:13)
01: The Long And Winding Road 26.89 (20:15)
02: The Long And Winding Road 26.90 (9:01)
03: The Long And Winding Road 26.91 (11:02)
04: The Long And Winding Road 26.92 (4:46)
05: The Long And Winding Road 26.92P (11:39)
06: The Long And Winding Road 26.92P (3:38)
07: Dialogue (9:52)

=========================
01/27/69: (7:05:26)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:13:39)
01: Roll announcement (0:11)
02: Dialogue (2:49)
03: Instrumental 27.01 (4:20)
04: Strawberry Fields Forever 27.02 (2:19)
05: Dialogue (11:19)
06: Old Brown Shoe 27.03 (14:23)
07: Instrumental 27.04 (7:04)
08: The Long And Winding Road 26.92P (3:46)
09: Let It Be 26.75P (4:12)
10: Don't Let Me Down 22.60P (3:51)
11: Dig It 26.56P (8:32)
12: Rip It Up 26.57P (0:30)
13: Shake, Rattle And Roll 26.58P (1:38)
14: Kansas City-Miss Ann-Lawdy Miss Clawdy 26.59P (3:57)
15: Blue Suede Shoes 26.60P (2:09)
16: You Really Got A Hold On Me 26.61P (1:19)
17: Baby Let's Play House 27.05 (1:20)

Disc 2: (1:17:57)
01: Oh! Darling 27.06 (7:46)
02: Let It Be 27.07 (3:59)
03: Let It Be 27.08 (3:13)
04: Let It Be 27.09 (2:01)
05: Let It Be 27.10 (4:02)
06: Let It Be 27.11 (3:29)
07: Let It Be 27.12 (4:09)
08: Let It Be 27.13 (4:04)
09: Let It Be 27.14 (3:54)
10: Let It Be 27.15 (1:34)
11: Let It Be 27.16 (2:35)
12: Let It Be 27.17 (3:55)
13: Let It Be 27.18 (1:42)
14: The Long And Winding Road 27.19 (17:00)
15: The Long And Winding Road 27.20 (7:19)
16: Little Demon 27.21 (1:42)
17: The Long And Winding Road 27.22 (1:41)
18: The Long And Winding Road 27.23 (3:52)

Disc 3: (1:03:57)
01: The Long And Winding Road Rehearsal (1:14)
02: The Long And Winding Road 27.24 (0:14)
03: Save The Last Dance For Me 27.25 (0:37)
04: Improvisation 27.26 (0:53)
05: Old Brown Shoe 27.27 (36:03:00)
06: Improvisation 27.28 (4:58)
07: Hi Heel Sneakers 27.29 (1:42)
08: Get Back 27.30 (1:14)
09: Improvisation 27.31 (0:21)
10: Improvisation 27.32 (6:30)
11: I Told You Before 27.33 (5:43)
12: I Told You Before 27.33 reprise (3:47)
13: Improvisation 27.34 (0:41)

Disc 4: (1:08:09)
01: Improvisation 27.34 (1:19)
02: Don't Let Me Down 27.35 (2:46)
03: Hava Nageilah 27.36 (4:12)
04: Don't Let Me Down 27.37 (5:20)
05: Don't Let Me Down 27.38 (5:46)
06: Don't Let Me Down 27.39 (3:40)
07: Don't Let Me Down 27.40 (4:20)
08: Get Back 27.41 (3:17)
09: Get Back 27.42 (2:25)
10: Get Back 27.43 (0:50)
11: Get Back 27.44 (3:12)
12: Get Back 27.45 (1:00)
13: Get Back 27.46 (4:53)
14: Get Back 27.47 (2:08)
15: Get Back 27.48 (3:20)
16: Get Back 27.49 (1:46)
17: Get Back 27.50 (3:43)
18: I've Got A Feeling 27.51 (3:20)
19: Get Back 27.52 (4:09)
20: Get Back 27.53 (4:41)
21: Get Back 27.54 (2:02)

Disc 5: (1:17:15)
01: You Are My Sunshine 27.55 (2:10)
02: Oh! Darling 27.56 (6:56)
03: Get Back 27.57 (1:04)
04: Get Back 27.58 (4:10)
05: Get Back 27.59 (1:42)
06: Get Back 27.60 (3:22)
07: Bring It On Home-Oh Darling 27.61 (0:42)
08: Oh! Darling 27.62 (1:15)
09: Get Back 27.63 (4:25)
10: Get Back 27.64 (1:19)
11: Get Back 27.65 (2:43)
12: Get Back 27.66 (5:46)
13: Get Back 27.53P (5:46)
14: Get Back 27.66P (3:54)
15: Get Back 27.63P (4:30)
16: Get Back 23.79P (3:34)
17: Get Back 27.67 (6:36)
18: Roll announcement (0:14)
19: Get Back (0:56)
20: Get Back 27.68 (9:23)
21: Get Back 27.69 (0:52)
22: Get Back 27.70 (1:26)
23: Get Back 27.71 (4:16)
24: Get Back 27.72 (0:14)

Disc 6: (1:04:29)
01: Roll announcement (0:11)
02: Get Back 27.73 (5:05)
03: Get Back 27.74 (4:19)
04: Get Back-Water Water 27.75 (2:36)
05: Take These Chains From My Heart 27.76 (3:15)
06: I've Got A Feeling 27.77 (1:07)
07: Roll announcement (0:09)
08: I've Got A Feeling 27.78 (0:56)
09: I've Got A Feeling 27.79 (1:15)
10: I've Got A Feeling 27.80 (4:26)
11: I've Got A Feeling 27.81 (3:40)
12: I've Got A Feeling 27.82 (0:35)
13: You Won't Get Me This Way-The Walk 27.83 (4:05)
14: I've Got A Feeling 27.84 (4:17)
15: I've Got A Feeling 27.85 (1:50)
16: I've Got A Feeling 27.84P (8:12)
17: Get Back 27.53P (3:40)
18: Roll announcement (0:10)
19: Dialogue (0:40)
20: Dialogue (0:21)
21: Get Back 27.63P (5:51)
22: Get Back 27.65P (6:22)
23: Get Back 27.71P (1:27)

=========================
01/28/69: (7:02:31)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:17:47)
01: Roll Announcement (0:06)
02: Slate Announcement (0:04)
03: For You Blue 25.46P (4:08)
04: Get Back 27.63P (2:51)
05: Get Back 27.71P (3:23)
06: Get Back 27.72P (3:45)
07: The Walk 27.83P (1:09)
08: I've Got A Feeling 27.84P (8:50)
09: Dialog And Tuning (5:16)
10: Shazam! 28.01 (2:23)
11: Improvision 28.02 (0:32)
12: River Rhine - Long And Winding Road 28.03 (5:21)
13: I've Got A Feeling 28.04 (17:00)
14: I've Got A Feeling 28.05 (3:19)
15: I've Got A Feeling 28.06 (19:40)

Disc 2: (1:11:44)
01: I've Got A Feeling 28.07 (7:26)
02: I've Got A Feeling 28.08 (4:48)
03: I've Got A Feeling 28.09 (3:22)
04: I've Got A Feeling 28.10 (2:19)
05: I've Got A Feeling 28.11 (1:46)
06: I've Got A Feeling 28.12 (1:18)
07: Rainy Day Women #'s 12 & 35 28.13 (1:12)
08: I've Got A Feeling 28.14 (13:43)
09: I've Got A Feeling 28.15 (2:30)
10: The Inner Light 28.16 (0:34)
11: I've Got A Feeling 28.17 (9:41)
12: Blue Yodel No. 1 (T for Texas) 28.18 (0:15)
13: Tea For Two 28.19 (0:23)
14: Dig It 28.20 (8:13)
15: I've Got A Feeling 28.21 (5:37)
16: I've Got A Feeling 28.22 (1:54)
17: On The Road To Marrakesh 28.23 (3:50)
18: On The Road To Marrakesh 28.24 (2:53)

Disc 3: (1:16:19)
01: Dig A Pony 28.25 (2:21)
02: Dig A Pony 28.26 (3:55)
03: Dig A Pony 28.27 (3:31)
04: Roll Announcement (0:19)
05: I Will Always Look For You 28.28 (2:56)
06: Dig A Pony 28.29 (5:02)
07: Dig A Pony 28.30 (0:37)
08: Dig A Pony 28.31 (2:49)
09: Dig A Pony 28.32 (6:20)
10: Dig A Pony 28.33 (0:49)
11: Dig A Pony 28.34 (2:38)
12: Dig A Pony 28.35 (2:44)
13: Dig A Pony 28.36 (0:39)
14: Dig A Pony 28.37 (4:02)
15: Get Back 28.38 (5:24)
16: Get Back 28.39 (0:58)
17: Love Me Do 28.40 (2:42)
18: Dig A Pony 28.41 (0:15)
19: Teddy Boy 28.42 (0:51)
20: Get Back 28.43 (4:24)
21: Don't Let Me Down 28.44 (2:06)
22: Don't Let Me Down 28.45 (3:44)
23: I've Got A Feeling 28.46 (4:08)
24: Don't Let Me Down 28.47 (3:00)
25: Don't Let Me Down 28.48 (3:45)
26: I've Got A Feeling 28.49 (1:32)
27: One After 909 28.50 (4:48)

Disc 4: (1:18:39)
01: I've Got A Feeling 28.51 (4:07)
02: One After 909 28.52 (1:35)
03: One After 909 28.53 (3:18)
04: One After 909 28.54 (2:26)
05: Old Brown Shoe 28.55 (9:47)
06: Old Brown Shoe 28.56 (4:31)
07: Old Brown Shoe 28.57 (3:58)
08: Old Brown Shoe 28.58 (2:51)
09: Old Brown Shoe 28.59 (2:48)
10: Old Brown Shoe 28.60 (16:41)
11: Old Brown Shoe 28.61 (5:02)
12: Improvisation 28.62 (3:10)
13: Old Brown Shoe 28.63 (2:18)
14: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 28.64 (3:52)
15: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 28.65 (5:53)
16: Unless He Has A Song 28.66 (3:50)
17: Sticks And Stones 28.67 (2:32)

Disc 5: (1:00:43)
01: Dialogue (3:31)
02: Something 28.68 (0:51)
03: Something 28.69 (3:27)
04: Something 28.70 (15:32)
05: Something 28.71 (4:18)
06: Something 28.72 (9:15)
07: Get Back 28.73 (3:12)
08: Get Back 28.74 (1:28)
09: Get Back 28.75 (2:05)
10: Get Back 28.76 (1:19)
11: Bo Diddley 28.77 (2:19)
12: Two Of Us 28.78 (2:37)
13: Two Of Us 28.79 (4:06)
14: Two Of Us 28.80 (4:32)
15: Two Of Us 28.81 (2:11)

Disc 6: (57:19)
01: Two Of Us 28.82 (3:52)
02: Teddy Boy 28.83 (9:20)
03: All Things Must Pass 28.84 (0:59)
04: All Things Must Pass 28.85 (1:54)
05: Dialogue (2:20)
06: All Things Must Pass 28.86 (4:30)
07: All Things Must Pass 28.87 (5:05)
08: How Do You Tell Someone 28.88 (2:19)
09: Greasepaint On Your Face 28.89 (1:35)
10: Positively 4th Street 28.90 (0:08)
11: Positively 4th Street 28.91 (1:50)
12: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 28.92 (14:21)
13: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 28.93 (9:06)

=========================
01/29/69: (4:31:24)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:19:32)
01: Roll Announcement (0:31)
02: Dialogue (14:58)
03: Dialogue (6:22)
04: Singing The Blues 29.01 (7:56)
05: Singing The Blues 29.02 (6:12)
06: Rule, Brittania 29.03 (3:44)
07: Get Back 27.63P (0:20)
08: I Walk The Line 29.04 (0:53)
09: Singing The Blues 29.05 (3:27)
10: Dialogue (13:46)
11: Singing The Blues 29.06 (2:41)
12: Dialogue (18:42)

Disc 2: (1:08:57)
01: Dialogue (2:53)
02: Dig A Pony 29.07 (4:34)
03: I've Got A Feeling 29.08 (5:21)
04: Don't Let Me Down 29.09 (7:17)
05: Get Back 29.10 (3:57)
06: One After 909 29.11 (4:59)
07: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 29.12 (3:50)
08: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 29.13 (2:34)
09: She Came In Through The Bathroom Window 29.14 (3:08)
10: Two Of Us 29.15 (3:43)
11: Also 29.16 (3:08)
12: Let It Be 29.17 (4:50)
13: The Long And Winding Road 29.18 (5:10)
14: The Long And Winding Road 29.19 (5:10)
15: For You Blue 29.20 (8:23)

Disc 3: (55:58)
01: For You Blue 29.20 continued (1:58)
02: For You Blue 29.21 (2:40)
03: For You Blue 29.22 (1:14)
04: Something 29.23 (2:21)
05: All Things Must Pass 29.24 (2:29)
06: All Things Must Pass 29.25 (2:26)
07: All Things Must Pass 29.26 (3:32)
08: All Things Must Pass 29.27 (4:53)
09: Let It Down 29.28 (5:47)
10: Let It Down 29.29 (3:33)
11: Let It Down 29.30 (2:52)
12: Get Back 27.63P (0:34)
13: Let It Down 29.31 (1:44)
14: Singing The Blues 29.32 (1:04)
15: Teddy Boy 24.33P (5:23)
16: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 29.33 (5:45)
17: Something 29.34 (3:23)
18: Sexy Sadie 29.35 (1:52)
19: Old Brown Shoe 29.36 (1:00)
20: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 29.37 (1:09)
21: She Gets Heavy 29.38 (0:19)

Disc 4: (1:06:57)
01: Dialogue (0:22)
02: Dig It 29.39 (6:58)
03: Besame Mucho 29.40 (2:27)
04: Three Cool Cats 29.41 (2:35)
05: Sorry Miss Molly 29.42 (0:11)
06: I Got To Find My Baby 29.43 (0:49)
07: Some Other Guy 29.44 (0:21)
08: One After 909 29.45 (4:08)
09: Honky Tonk 29.46 (2:04)
10: One After 909 29.47 (3:08)
11: Vacation Time 29.48 (1:14)
12: Cannonball - Not Fade Away - Hey Little Girl 29.49 (4:30)
13: Maybe Baby 29.50 (2:32)
14: Peggy Sue Got Married - Thinking Of Linking 29.51 (3:23)
15: Crying, Waiting, Hoping 29.52 (2:41)
16: Mailman, Bring Me No More Blues 29.53 (2:21)
17: Teddy Boy 29.54 (16:59)
18: Bring Your Own Band 29.55 (0:29)
19: Lotta Lovin' 29.56 (1:02)
20: Two Of Us 29.57 (1:39)
21: Two Of Us 29.58 (7:04)

=========================
01/30/69: (1:47:56)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:02:01)
01: Roll Announcement (0:17)
02: Slate Announcement (0:06)
03: Dialogue (0:12)
04: Roll Announcement (0:12)
05: Slate Announcement (1:00)
06: Get Back 30.01 (2:55)
07: Get Back 30.02 (3:37)
08: Dialogue (0:21)
09: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 30.03 (0:54)
10: Dialogue (0:29)
11: Take Announcement (0:04)
12: Get Back 30.04 (3:30)
13: Don't Let Me Down 30.05 (3:20)
14: I've Got A Feeling 30.06 (5:13)
15: One After 909 30.07 (0:16)
16: One After 909 30.08 (2:46)
17: Danny Boy 30.09 (0:43)
18: Dig A Pony 30.10 (1:18)
19: Dig A Pony 30.11 (5:11)
20: God Save The Queen 30.12 (0:51)
21: Warmup (1:51)
22: I've Got A Feeling 30.13 (3:33)
23: A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody 30.14 (0:08)
24: Get Back 30.15 (0:13)
25: Don't Let Me Down 30.16 (3:21)
26: Get Back 30.17 (3:42)
27: Roll Announcement (0:11)
28: God Save The Queen 30.12P (2:33)
29: I've Got A Feeling 30.13P (3:33)
30: A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody 30.14P (0:07)
31: Get Back 30.15P (0:16)
32: Don't Let Me Down 30.16P (3:18)
33: Get Back 30.17P (6:00)

Disc 2: (45:55)
01: Roll (0:17)
02: Slate (0:06)
03: Dialogue (0:12)
04: Roll (0:12)
05: Slate (1:00)
06: Get Back (2:55)
07: Get Back (3:37)
08: Dialogue (0:21)
09: I Want You (She's So Heavy) (0:54)
10: Dialogue (0:29)
11: Take (0:04)
12: Get Back - Stereo (3:29)
13: Don't Let Me Down - Stereo (3:19)
14: I've Got A Feeling - Stereo (5:12)
15: One After 909 (0:16)
16: One After 909 - Stereo (2:45)
17: Danny Boy - Stereo (0:43)
18: Dig A Pony (1:18)
19: Dig A Pony - Stereo (5:09)
20: God Save The Queen (0:51)
21: Warmup (1:51)
22: I've Got A Feeling - parts Stereo (3:32)
23: A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody (0:08)
24: Get Back (0:13)
25: Don't Let Me Down Part Stereo (3:21)
26: Get Back - Stereo (3:41)

=========================
01/31/69: (4:35:43)
=========================

Disc 1: (1:16:39)
01: Roll Announcement (0:12)
02: Two Of Us 31.01 (2:00)
03: Unknown 31.02 (0:38)
04: Hey Good Lookin' 31.03 (0:56)
05: Take This Hammer (medley) 31.04 (9:02)
06: Two Of Us (10A) 31.05 (0:53)
07: Two Of Us (10B) 31.06 (3:13)
08: Two Of Us 31.07 (0:23)
09: Two Of Us 31.08 (0:21)
10: Two Of Us 31.09 (3:04)
11: Step Inside Love 31.10 (3:07)
12: Friendship 31.11 (0:40)
13: Tales Of Frankie Rabbit 31.12 (1:05)
14: Two Of Us (11) 31.13 (3:48)
15: Deed I Do 31.14 (2:20)
16: Two Of Us (12) 31.15 (3:58)
17: I Got Stung 31.16 (0:58)
18: Step Inside Love 31.17 (0:14)
19: Let It Be 31.18 (0:41)
20: Let It Be 31.19 (0:58)
21: The Long And Winding Road 31.20 (1:55)
22: Let It Be 31.21 (0:42)
23: The Long And Winding Road 31.22 (22:31)
24: The Long And Winding Road (13A) 31.23 (0:50)
25: The Long And Winding Road (13B) 31.24 (3:51)
26: The Long And Winding Road 31.25 (1:07)
27: The Long And Winding Road (14) 31.26 (3:17)
28: The Long And Winding Road (15A) 31.27 (0:18)
29: The Long And Winding Road (15B) 31.28 (3:37)

Disc 2: (1:13:19)
01: The Long And Winding Road 31.29 (2:40)
02: The Long And Winding Road (16A) 31.30 (0:10)
03: The Long And Winding Road (16B) 31.31 (0:44)
04: The Long And Winding Road (16C) 31.32 (3:37)
05: The Long And Winding Road (16D) 31.33 (4:45)
06: Lady Madonna 31.34 (3:47)
07: The Long And Winding Road 31.35 (2:14)
08: The Long And Winding Road (17A) 31.36 (2:51)
09: The Long And Winding Road (17B) 31.37 (0:17)
10: The Long And Winding Road 31.38 (0:18)
11: The Long And Winding Road (18) 31.39 (5:38)
12: The Long And Winding Road (19) 31.40 (4:29)
13: I Want You (She's So Heavy) 31.41 (5:30)
14: Let It Be 31.42 (6:34)
15: Let It Be (20A) 31.43 (1:28)
16: Let It Be (20B) 31.44 (0:08)
17: Let It Be (20C) 31.45 (4:33)
18: Build Me Up Buttercup 31.46 (0:40)
19: Let It Be 31.47 (1:48)
20: Let It Be (21) 31.48 (3:42)
21: Let It Be (22) 31.49 (5:12)
22: Let It Be (23) 31.50 (4:18)
23: Let's Have A Party 31.51a (0:26)
24: Let's Have A Party 31.51b (1:21)
25: Let It Be 31.49P (6:09)

Disc 3: (48:39)
01: Dialogue (5:25)
02: Instrumental 31.52 (1:03)
03: Let It Be 31.53 (2:58)
04: Let It Be 31.54 (3:45)
05: Roll Announcement (0:25)
06: Let It Be 31.55 (1:03)
07: Let It Be 31.56 (4:42)
08: Let It Be 31.57 (1:04)
09: Let It Be - 12th Street Rag 31.58 (0:18)
10: Let It Be 31.59 (4:24)
11: Oh! Darling 31.60 (3:15)
12: Oh! Darling 31.61a (2:43)
13: Oh! Darling 31.61b (0:49)
14: Unknown 31.62 (2:43)
15: Let It Be 31.63 (5:37)
16: Let It Be (27A) 31.64 (4:23)
17: Let It Be (27B) 31.65 (4:02)

=======================================
Disc 4 (Bonus Disc): (1:17:06)
=======================================

Nagra Get Back: (43:47)
-----------------------

This is what was to be the Get Back album, pieced from the Nagra Reels. DDSI 'take' numbers are listed.

01: One After 909 30.08-09-17 (3:04)
02: Rocker (I'm Ready) 22.5 (0:45)
03: Save The Last Dance For Me - Don't Let Me Down 22.59 (1:15)
04: Don't Let Me Down 22.80-22.60 (4:10)
05: Dig A Pony 22.70 (4:06)
06: I've Got A Feeling 22.71 (2:54)
07: Get Back 27.63-28.43 (3:13)
08: For You Blue 25.46 (2:46)
09: Teddy Boy 24.33 (3:42)
10: Two Of Us 24 (3:31)
11: Maggie Mae 24.49 (0:38)
12: Dig It 26.55-24.85 (5:23)
13: Let It Be 31.64 (3:52)
14: The Long And Winding Road 26.91 (3:44)
15: Get Back (Reprise) 28.43 (0:44)

Nagra Let It Be: (33:19)
------------------------

This is the Let It Be album, but pieced together from the Nagra session reels - different takes, mixes, etc - an alternate to the official album. DDSI 'take' numbers are listed.

16: Two Of Us 21-31.13 (3:34)
17: Dig A Pony 30.11 (3:52)
18: Across The Universe (3:21)
19: I Me Mine (1:32)
20: Dig It 26.55-24.85 (0:51)
21: Let It Be 31.64 (3:52)
22: Maggie Mae 24.49 (0:38)
23: I've Got A Feeling 30.06 (3:34)
24: One After 909 30.08-09 (2:52)
25: The Long And Winding Road 26.91 (3:36)
26: For You Blue 8.21-25.46 (2:30)
27: Get Back 27.63-30.17 (3:07)

========================================================
How to break out to discs (courtesy of rogerlancelot)
========================================================
01/02/69 - 2 Discs (2:39:15) 1 double case
01/03/69 - 4 Discs (5:12:33) 2 double cases
01/06/69 - 5 Discs (6:04:03) 2 double cases / 1 single case
01/07/69 - 4 Discs (5:10:28) 2 double cases
01/08/69 - 4 Discs (5:02:49) 2 double cases
01/09/69 - 5 Discs (5:21:39) 2 double cases / 1 single case
01/10/69 - 4 Discs (4:36:51) 2 double cases
01/13/69 - 3 Discs (3:28:50) 1 double case / 1 single case
01/14/69 - 3 Discs (3:02:42) 1 double case / 1 single case
01/21/69 - 3 Discs (3:28:57) 1 double case / 1 single case
01/22/69 - 4 Discs (5:05:22) 2 double cases
01/23/69 - 4 Discs (4:53:14) 2 double cases
01/24/69 - 4 Discs (4:55:06) 2 double cases
01/25/69 - 6 Discs (7:09:17) 3 double cases
01/26/69 - 6 Discs (6:30:01) 3 double cases
01/27/69 - 6 Discs (7:05:26) 3 double cases
01/28/69 - 6 Discs (7:02:31) 3 double cases
01/29/69 - 4 Discs (4:31:24) 2 double cases
01/30/69 - 2 Discs (1:47:56) 1 double case
01/31/69 - 4 Discs (4:35:43) 2 double cases
Total = 83 Discs - 39 double cases - 5 single cases

==========================================================
Set times (courtesy of rogerlancelot, verified by jameskg)
==========================================================
Part 1: Twickenham = 40:39:10 (1042 Tracks)
Part 2: Apple = 57:04:57 (1145 Tracks)

Total Time = 97:44:07 (83 CDs, 2187 Tracks)

(I actually found this to be 97:44:08, but probably due to rounding)
This information file by jameskg, with input from those credited above - January, 2007

Neil Young, "Imagine"

2009-09-11T11:22:00.000-07:00

My New Column: Bob Dylan Examiner

2009-09-04T07:25:00.000-07:00

Attention, Yer Blog fans . . .

This is the let you know that I am now the Bob Dylan Examiner. Please feel free to visit, subscribe, and/or comment.

This story, about Ellie Greenwich, has some Beatles content.

This one seems to be the most popular so far :
"Bob Dylan's joke taken seriously by The New York Times, Washington Post"

There were over 100 posts on the internet printing the story as fact. While I had only begun to post articles last weekend, that one - my first - was linked, as a correction, to the following articles and blogs : NPR's What Would You Like To Hear Bob Dylan Say On Your GPS Device?, No Sense Of Humour (basically my story, rewritten, but with a link back to my column), and this article in Paste Magazine.

Hope to see you at The Examiner !
Thanks for your suppport.

Harold

Listen To This Blog: One-To-One Revisited

2009-08-29T16:46:00.000-07:00

August 30th is the 37th anniversary of The One-To-One Benefit Concert, featuring John and Yoko with the Plastic Ono Elephant's Memory Band (with the David Peel Celestial Choir), along with Roberta Flack, Stevie Wonder, and Sha-Na-Na. Geraldo Rivera, who organized the event, was the master of ceremonies.

I was fortunate enough to attend the evening performance. These were the only full-length, rehearsed solo performances by Lennon.

These are articles I wrote, last year, about the show:

GETTING CONCERT TICKETS IN THE 1970s -
Part One : The One-To-One Benefit Concert, NYC
August 30, 1972 (Evening performance)

You Shoulda Been There: 30 August 1972 Part One

You Shoulda Been There: 30 August 1972 Part Two

I've also found some audio from the evening concerts on Wolfgang's Vault. These are all partial sets, despite what the "summary" says. Here you go (free registration required):

John and Yoko: This is only a fraction of the entire evening set.

Stevie Wonder: I'm pretty sure Stevie did a medley of his hits as well.

Sha-Na-Na: This is missing the opening song, I think.

Roberta Flack's set in not available, but there is a performance from just over a month later available here.

If you want to watch the edited, out-of-print, home video version of "John Lennon Live In New York", mostly from the afternoon show,watch this!

John Lennon-Live In New York City(1972)

This version of "Give Peace A Chance" seems to be from the original TV special, filmed at the evening performance: .

Enjoy !

MacNotes at Fenway - 2 (Pre-Show)

2009-08-24T09:19:00.000-07:00

To read MacNotes at Fenway - 1 (The Arrival), please go here.

While we were roaming around, I noticed a man with a walkie-talking who seemed to be giving directions. A few minutes later, a short, blond man with round spectacles came into view. It was Greg Hawkes - from Boston's legendary new wave band, The Cars ! Hawkes and his guests were moved along to the side, and was not bothered (or possibly even recognized) by anyone. Not only did Hawkes play on "Motor Of Love" from McCartney's Flowers In The Dirt album, but he has recently recorded an album's worth of Beatles songs on the ukulele -George Harrison's third most well known instrument - entitled The Beatles UKe.

We could hear people trying out "The Beatles: Rock Band" on little stages, so we decided to check it out (Sorry, but it all looks a bit silly). Then it was time to see what they were selling at the concession stand. I had no intention of buying a T-shirt, but hoped my girlfriend would find one. We both focused on a woman's black T-shirt which featured a colorful "hand" print - presumably Paul's - outlining a colorful abstract painting - again, presumably Paul's. It also had McCartney's signature at the bottom. It reminded me of the cover for George's Living In The Material World album. One can't help but wonder - is this some sort of tribute ? The "hand" faces the other way, and the distinctive signature is beneath the "hand" instead of above, but in most aspects is very similar. We decide to get the shirt, and then head to our seats.

Our seats were the front row of the rear section. As we walked up to our seats, I noticed something that made me realize I had made a good decision: The stack of speakers was facing DIRECTLY TOWARDS US ! This was a wonderful sign as Fenway can have terrible acoustics - with sounds echoing all over the place - and ruining the music in general. It did not look like THAT would be a problem.

As I looked up at the endless row of seats, I noticed that behind the beautifully painted red seats were old, ugly, peeling dark-green chairs. I figured that would be where our seats would be located. When we finally climbed up to our row, there was a woman there who declared, " I cannot sit in MY seats! They hurt my back! I was in an accident!" While this made no sense - our seats seemed the same as hers (one row ahead, and much nicer) - I tried to find a solution with the smallest possible fuss. I asked if she was alone. It turns out the person she came with was in her correct seat. I asked if she wanted to switch - so that - according to her wishes - she could sit in the crappy, old, uncomfortable seats, and we could sit ahead of them in the newer red chairs. This was fine with her as she repeated, in a voice that seemed to peel even MORE paint off of her chair, "I can't sit in those seats! I was in an accident ! I have a bad back! " The person she came with (her sister ?) was already fed up with this woman, and they continued yelling and bickering to each other - climaxing with "I wish you had died in that accident !"

Peace and love. Peace and love.

The woman with the bad back kept trying to interact with us, offering to show us her tour programme, and alerting us that she was in an accident, and had a bad back. I tried to not start any dialogue with her, and her sister was also trying to tell her that no one was interested in what she had to say, and to leave us alone. It also sounded like the injured woman wondered why I wanted to sit next to my girl friend, because I heard the "sister" say that "they're a couple!"

Soon, it would be Show Time !

. . . to be continued . . .

Elvis Revisited

2009-08-16T07:05:00.000-07:00

Last year at this time, I wrote about Elvis Presley, who died on August 16, 1977 (or when he went into the army, according to John Lennon). If you missed it, you can read it here.

MacNotes at Fenway - 1 (The Arrival)

2009-08-15T16:56:00.001-07:00

Hello there Beedle Peedles!

I've been pretty busy lately, but I wanted to report on the great Paul McCartney concert at Fenway Park I attended last week. I don't have time to write a long review anytime soon, so I thought I'd just post little stories here and there whenever I had a few minutes to spare.

McCartney played two concerts in Boston - last Wednesday and Thursday. I went to the first one, on the night of August 5th. I was debating whether to even go to such a huge venue and pay an exorbitant price. I knew I wasn't going to pay for seats on the field, but if I could find good seats fairly close in the stands, and pay in the $100 range, I would go for it. Luckily, thanks to The Beatles Examiner, I got a heads-up on the pre-sale. The tickets went on sale through Live Nation, not Ticketmaster, so I needed to learn their set up in a hurry. I ended up choosing a location in the right field bleachers, under the "roof", so that if it rained, we wouldn't get soaked. There was a lot of quick guess work involved, but I figured, what the hell, don't get stressed out, it will probably be OK. This is supposed to be fun, after all.

Luckily, we had a leisurely day, so my girlfriend and I took the "T" (Boston's subway system) into Harvard Square, and went the Charlie's, known for their legendary double-cheeseburger special. Then back on the "T" to the green line, and into Kenmore Square. When we arrived, we heard the last notes of MGMT, which was fine as it didn't seem to be the type of music that would go over too well in a ballpark. As we turned the corner to enter Fenway, there was a young guy selling McCartney concert programs. He seemed like a bit of a wise ass, probably more of Sox fan than a McCartney fan. He mockingly tried to convince you to buy the program buy yelling, "Buy your Paul McCartney concert program ! Put it next to all your other great books, like Silence Of The Lambs, and Catcher In The Rye!"

Catcher In The Rye ? CATCHER IN THE RYE !?!? Obviously the guy was not a Beatles fan, or he would NOT have used that book as an example. If you don't know what I'm talking about, just Google "Lennon murder catcher rye".

We get to the entrance, expecting extremely high security. Usually there are metal detectors at all recent McCartney shows, as well as most Fenway shows. But luckily, things were relatively low-key, so we were permitted entry without much fuss. So we decided to look at the T-shirts and other goodies, to see if there was anything worth buying.

. . . to be continued . . .

Wallflowers In Lowell - My Review (Non-Beatles)

2009-08-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

You can read it here on my other website

That's The Way It Was . . . Or Was It ?

2009-07-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

This morning, on the CBS Sunday Morning program, there was a three-minute report about Walter Chronkite doing a story featuring The Beatles on December 10, 1963, two months before they appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show. Chronkite said that Sullivan called Walter after the broadcast to find out more about the band. If you click on the link above, however, you can read comments questioning some parts of Chronkite's - "The Most Trusted Man In America" -claim. Today's segment did say that Chronkite brought his teen-aged daughters to see (and meet) The Beatles when the Fabs were on the Sullivan show in February, 1964.

I'm not sure when a video clip will be available online (it was shown at about 9:47 a.m. this morning), but there were some concert performances as well as interview clips that did not seem overly familiar. However, I did find some early footage of The Fabs on U.S. TV here, which appears to be the complete report shown back in 1963.

Enjoy !

P.S. A friend sent me an email stating that Chronkite was a fan of The Grateful Dead !

"You will never meet anyone who is as warm and as much of a gentleman as Walter Cronkite. He loved music, he loved the Grateful Dead. He collected drums, including one from the drummer of the Grateful Dead. He adopted them and they adopted him; he was totally a fan. There were many sides to Walter." — CBS News and Sports president Sean McManus.

Fab Dads

2009-06-20T08:20:00.001-07:00

Just a quick blog for Father's Day . . .and for the first day of summer.

Not only were all four Beatles parents themselves, John and Paul each had fathers that were involved in musical endeavors.

Here's a cross section of songs that features The Beatles, a couple of "Fab" dads, and various "Fab" offspring. Since it's also the longest day of the year, note all the references to the "Sun", as well as the "Sons" (and daughters). And remember - the "Father" one travels, the less one knows !

POP GOES THE BEATLES !
1 The Beatles - Here Comes The Sun / The Inner Light (Transition) -
(from "Love") produced by George Martin and his son, Giles.
2 The Country Hams (Paul with Chet Atkins and Floyd Cramer)-
Walking In The Park With Eloise (music written by Paul's father)
3 The Beatles - Eleanor Rigby
(featuring "Father" McKenzie-originally Father McCartney)
4 Julian Lennon - When I'm 64 (TV commercial - Written by Paul for his father's birthday)
5 The Beatles - Hey Jude (written by Paul for Julian)
6 Freddie Lennon -That's My Life
7 John Lennon - Mother (from "Live In New York City")
8 Freddie Lennon -The Next Time You Feel Important
9 The Beatles - Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds (inspired by one of Julian's drawings)
10 Julian Lennon & Chuck Berry - Johnny B. Goode (from "Hail! Hail! Rock and Roll")
11 Julian Lennon - Too Late For Goodbyes
12 Sean's "In The Sky" (from "Lennon Anthology")
13 Sean Lennon - Into The Sun
14 Sean's "Little Help" (form "Lennon Anthology")
15 Sean Lennon- Julia (John Lennon tribute concert)
16 John Lennon - Beautiful Boy
17 Sean Lennon - A Little Story (from Yoko's "Season Of Glass")
18 Sean Lennon - It's Alright
19 Paul McCartney & Donovan - Heather (1968)
20 Paul McCartney & son James - Heaven On A Sunday
21 George Harrison & Dhani - Rising Sun
22 thenewno2 - Another John Doe
23 United Artists Against Apartheid with Ringo & Zak - Sun City
24 Ringo Starr & Zak Starkey with The All-Starr Band (1989)-You're Sixteen
25 The Who with Zak Starkey - Black Widow's Eyes
26 Oasis with Zak Starkey - Turn Up The Sun
27 Paul, Ringo, Dhani and others - While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Concert For George)
28 Paul, Ringo, Dhani and others - Wah Wah (Concert For George)
29 John Lennon - Ya Ya (from "Walls & Bridges" - starring Julian on drums and Dad on piano and vocals)
30 The Beatles - All You Need Is Love (From "Love") - Produced by Geroge Martin and his son, Giles

and let's not forget Big Daddy's version of "Sgt. Pepper" ! Have a Fab Father's Day !

When He's 67

2009-06-17T10:14:00.000-07:00

After a few years as tabloid fodder, Macca is Back !

Paul is on the road, playing occasional concerts ranging from intimate shows to huge outdoor festivals. Tickets recently went on sale for three shows at the "new" Shea Stadium - the first at the new home of the New York Mets - Citi Field. According to Steve at The Beatles Examiner, it looks like two nights at Fenway Park here in Boston are also on the itinerary.

Now, I've pretty much sworn off these type of concerts. While really big shows occasionally turn out to be great, for the most part it's a mess - not really a wonderful musical experience, more like an event.

I don't want to go to an "event". I want to be moved by the music. I don't want some stranger next to me spilling beer and requesting "Hey Jude" for two hours at the top of his lungs. Outdoor events are even worse. I even skipped Paul's shows at Sullivan Stadium in Foxboro back in the 1990's. People are always milling around, and talking throughout the show. It's not about the music. "Peace and Love," my ass.

Yet, like Michael Corleone in "The Godfather III", "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in." I must say I'm intrigued by this tour. Even though there's no way to get a good seat in a baseball stadium without paying through the nose (unlike in an arena, where it is possible to get reasonably priced seats at the side of the stage), there's something about this mini-tour that fascinates me. Even though it made no sense either financially or logistically for me to attend, I did find the idea of going to see Paul at Citi Field an amazing way to experience McCartney live. Shows in John Lennon's adopted home town, as well as the city that hosted most of the Beatles' Ed Sullivan appearances, always seem extra emotional. (And let me start the rumor mill here - do you think he'll bring Ringo along to play at the "New Shea" ? Dhani ? Sean ? Julian? Yoko? )

Luckily, Paul is playing Fenway. I guess I'll go. With Paul's amazing show - and sound system --the experience will be fun at least. While I won't try to get great (expensive) seats, and it will be more of an "event" than a "concert", I feel compelled to attend. I envision an enthusiastic crowd reminiscent of the days of Beatlemania, which is something in itself. It will be exciting, I hope, if I don't expect too much. Then hopefully he'll be back, and play the TD Banknorth Garden, where I can get good, affordable seats, and experience the music.

But Paul is not going to be touring forever. So I will catch him while I can.

So happy birthday, Paul. Glad to have you back in the U.S. See you soon !

Olivia

2009-06-15T11:04:00.000-07:00

Olivia Harrison did a brief phone interview on Chris Carter's "Breakfast With The Beatles", which was broadcast yesterday on Sirius XM's Underground Garage channel.

The purpose of the call was to promote the new George compilation "Let It Roll". She did have a few interesting details. The first bit of news is that even some of the remastered tracks were remastered again! She mentioned that this disc and the Beatles remasters both sound great. For the Fabs CDs, she used the term "mellow" to differentiate it from the "brittle" sound of the original CDs. Carter told a story where he happened to see George at a Tom Petty CD release party the same day "Magical Mystery Tour" came out on CD. When Carter asked George what he thought of the release of the 1967 album on compact disc, Harrison replied, "It sounds 'tinny'."

Also, when discussing Harrison's last album "Brainwashed", Olivia said that she wanted to re-release it, complete with demos and presumably other unreleased material. This would be a great idea since I've never been happy with the final product, especially since co-producer Jeff Lynne kept overdubbing, despite George's direct orders that he did NOT want that to happen after he died.

Olivia also said she plucked the song "The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)" out of semi-obscurity as the (sort of) title track for the collection because she pictured George singing the song in his garden, which was previously owned by Mr. Crisp.

Nice interview, and Olivia sounded sincere, but I'm still not going to buy "Let It Roll".

Early Lennon Lyrics for "New York City"

2009-05-19T09:59:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, there's a John Lennon "New York City" exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame annex in Soho. You can read about the exhibit at Steve Marinucci's Beatles Examiner site. See a slide show here .

The first image on the slide show is early hand written lyrics for the rocker "New York City", eventually released on 1972's "Some Time In New York City", and performed live at Madison Square Garden later that year. If you look closely, you can see how much the lyrics were reworked by Lennon over time. Here's what I think Lennon originally wrote, with much more disturbing, as well as humorous, lyrics :

1. Well i was standing on the corner
just me and doing water
she was wearing love letters in her hand
along came a man, with her bristols in the trash can
shaving off her armpits like a man.
Well she was trying to do her duty
just eating tutti frutti singing long tall sallys (sic) her man
When up came the preacher men, trying to be a preacher
Singing 'Gods a red herring' in drag.

2. Well i was watching johnny carson
just thinking what a farce (?)
and she was waving rent-a-pig in my ear.
along came police stuck a night stick in the TV.
shouting 'hey the revolution's starting here
she held a pistol at my head man
til i thought that i was dead, singing Short Fat Fannies on dope
When down came a swinger, who (?) thought she was a singer
singing 'dog is god backwards' on toast.

When He's 64

2009-05-18T22:55:00.000-07:00

Today, May 19, Pete Townshend of The Who turns 64. For a mini-tribute, here's Keith Moon singing "When I'm 64" from the film "All This And World War II" :
click here Clip from the film
and here
The complete audio

and - for more Beatles related WHO :
from the same 1977 rehearsal session that brought you "Barbara Ann" from "The Kids Are Alright" film: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYVCKJ05lsw

Happy Birthday, Pete !

A Fab Mother's Day

2009-05-10T09:12:00.000-07:00

I just finished listening to Chris Carter's "Breakfast With The Beatles" on Sirius XM. ( http://www.breakfastwiththebeatles.com/ )I love this show - Carter is a very enthusiastic host, and plays a great mix of material. Of particular interest to me are his "themes", where segments - and sometimes entire programs - are linked through some common subject thread. However, this week, besides the opening song (an obvious choice from "Magical Mystery Tour"), there were no real references to any "Mothers" on this holiday. Even Andrew Loog Oldham just started his show with The Stones' version of "Have You Seen Your Mother Baby".

In honor of all you mothers out there, here's a list of songs to help you celebrate (except most of John's songs about his mother, which are kind of depressing.) Of course, all of the Beatles got married, and had children - so their wives became mothers as well. Therefore this list includes songs not only to Beatle mothers, but to Beatle wives . . Actually, some of these tracks are a bit of a stretch, but what the hey . . And there were a couple of songs I left out- even if they were about mothers - since they wouldn't really fit here at all

Sentimental Journey - Sentimental Journey
In My Life - Rubber Soul
Your Mother Should Know- Magical Mystery Tour
Mother - John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band
Let It Be - Beatles 1
Julia - White Album
The Lovely Linda - McCartney
Cook Of The House - Wings At The Speed Of Sound
Dark Sweet Lady - George Harrison
Momma Miss America - McCartney
Dear Yoko- Double Fantasy
We Got Married - Flowers In The Dirt
Bungalow Bill - White Album
Teddy Boy - McCartney
Oh Yoko - Imagine
Mother Nature's Son - White Album
Well (Baby Please Don't Go) - Live Jam (with the Mothers (!) Of Invention)
Yesterday - Beatles 1

P.S. Oldham is now playing "Julia" !

George Harrison's "Let It Roll": I Don't Believe In Beatles

2009-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

There's finally going to be a (solo) career spanning collection of George Harrison's music. Many people have already commented on how Beatlesque "Let It Roll : The Songs of George Harrison" is. From the "White Album" - era artwork, to the inclusion of three live Beatles covers, it is a disservice to the legacy of Harrison's post-Beatles career to focus so much on the days when he was "Fab". George, possibly more than any of the other Fabs, wanted to escape the shadow of his former band. So why all the references to The Beatles ? It's not as insulting as the Capitol Records 1976 "Best Of" album, which featured only original Beatles versions of George's songs on side one. However, ten of the 19 tracks on the new CD are songs were originally written by 1970 (albeit one was a rare Bob Dylan cover recorded for 1985's "Porky's Revenge" soundtrack, and another was a 1987 cover of a 1962 song), plus two of his later hit songs are about his Beatles days. To add insult to injury, only two songs appear from George's six albums from 1974 to 1982 - and he didn't even release another album until 1987's "Cloud Nine".

The collection concentrates on his early solo triumphs - "All Things Must Pass" and "The Concert For Bangla Desh", then skips over popular hits like "Bangla Desh", "Dark Horse", "Ding Dong", "You", "This Song", "Crackerbox Palace", and "Love Comes To Everyone", only to focus on his last two studio albums "Cloud Nine" and the posthumous "Brainwashed". Just five tracks are not from the four "big" albums. There are so many problems with the choices that I don't know where to begin.

I'm trying to be realistic here. By concentrating on his most popular albums, plus including a few Beatles songs and a couple of pseudo-rarities ("Cheer Down" and "I Don't Want To Do It"), technically it's an appealing collection. But this is very shortsighted. By cannibalizing his four most popular albums, it could very well cut down on sales of George's hit albums (including money that I assume still goes to the people of Bangla Desh), while ignoring some half-forgotten solo material that could increase sales of the rest of his catalogue. The CD is subtitled "The Songs Of George Harrison", yet the first song is George's hit cover of Rudy Clark's "Got My Mind Set On You", one of two songs Harrison did not have a hand in writing. George's rare live Prince's Trust versions of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes The Sun" from the deleted "Superstars In Concert" CD, while inferior to the "Bangla Desh" versions, would have added value to this collection. The choice of the mid-tempo "Let It Roll" as a new "single" (again, an assumption) gives more focus to "All Things Must Pass", while a better choice could have been the more lively "Don't Let Me Wait Too Long" from 1973's "Living In The Material World", which I believe was considered as a single while that album was new, and would shine a light on a wonderful album that could use some attention.

My first reaction was that the bigwigs at Capitol Records- a label probably hurting more than most of the other majors - wanted to exploit Harrison's Beatles connection. But Harrison's family have the final word. Why would they agree to this ? Are they being bamboozled? Do Olivia and Dhani think this is the best way to sell George to the public ? Maybe they, too, are Beatles fans? Was it another rush job to get an album ready for George's new star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame? You'd think his family, of all people, would be champions of George's complete solo catalogue, not succumbing to the dictates of the material world.

There is a bright side, however. This is one George Harrison album I do not need to purchase.

Official track list:
1. Got My Mind Set On You
2. Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)
3. The Ballad Of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
4. My Sweet Lord
5. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Live-Concert For Bangla Desh)
6. All Things Must Pass
7. Any Road
8. This Is Love
9. All Those Years Ago
10. Marwa Blues
11. What Is Life
12. Rising Sun
13. When We Was Fab
14. Something (Live-Concert For Bangla Desh)
15. Blow Away
16. Cheer Down
17. Here Comes The Sun (Live-Concert For Bangla Desh)
18. I Don't Want To Do It
19. Isn't It A Pity

To see my original idea of a George Harrison collection, please go here: http://fab4yerblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/harrisongs-best-of-ohnothimagain.html

Top Ten Most Disappointing Things About The Beatles Remasters

2009-04-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

10 Does not include the Tony Sheridan sessions
9 Not available on cassette
8 No box set of "Backwards" versions to hear "Paul Is Dead" clues.
7 Only available on antiquated compact disc technology
6 Does not include remixes by Dangermouse
5 Only sold with limited edition Beatles compact disc player
4 Not included: Neil Young's "Time Fades Away"
3 This is being issued before the Badfinger box set.
2 9-9-09 is not the release date - it's the list price
1 It was too much of a rush job

Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About George Harrison's CD Re-issue Program (and much, much more)

2009-03-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Part One : The Story So Far

In honor of George's recent birthday, I thought we'd take a look back at the solo material of Spike Wilbury, including how it's been handled, and what the future might bring. While the reissue campaign has been managed with class and dignity, there have also been many missed opportunities. In this two-part blog entry, I will explore the history of Hari's CD discography, what has been accomplished, what could have been done instead, and my thoughts on future releases.

Since 2001, George Harrison's CD catalogue has gradually been upgraded. All of George's major releases, which had been originally released on either the Apple or Dark Horse labels, are now being reissued under the Capitol umbrella. It was long overdue. George's albums originally released on his own Dark Horse label - from 1976's "Thirty Three and a Third" through 1992's "Live In Japan" -- were originally distributed by Warner Bros. records, and have been deleted since that deal expired. The earlier Apple (Capitol) albums, while still available, had not been improved in any significant way since their original CD releases in the 1980's.

All that changed at the beginning of this decade, while George was still with us. During some of his last interviews, he spoke not only of a new album he was working on ("Portrait Of A Leg-End", which was posthumously released as "Brainwashed"), and a box set of out-takes ("Portrait Of A Boot-Leg", which remains unreleased), but of work on re-issues of his solo catalogue. The 30th anniversary re-issue of his most successful solo effort, 1970's "All Things Must Pass", was a great way to start off the campaign, and a big improvement over the original, poorly handled, initial CD version of this masterpiece.

When "All Things Must Pass" was first issued on compact disc, it was sequenced by someone who, to be polite, did not have much imagination. In most cases, it would make sense to divide a triple album into two halves between sides three and four (like with The Clash's "Sandinista!", the original "Woodstock" album, and George's "Concert For Bangla Desh"). However, with this particular set, it's not "really" a triple album - the first 18 tracks, the two records with the orange-colored apples, are the heart of the collection. The short third album, a bonus disc called "Apple Jam", featured mostly instrumental improvisations featuring Eric Clapton's new group, Derek and the Dominoes, who were the house band for this collection, as well as some more of George's famous friends. The end result was a classic missed opportunity. While CDs were not able to hold more than about 75 minutes of content at the time, it would have made more sense to have disc one include sides one and two, and disc two sides three and four, plus the "Apple Jam". When the original “ATMP” CD was released, the first three LP sides - tracks one to 14 -were on the first CD. That meant just side four, with only the last four conventional songs, was on the second disc, followed by "Apple Jam", which gave the whole package a lop-sided feel. This made some sense when the album was divided this way on the reel-to-reel version, since the tape had the identical order as the actual vinyl set and kept the program flowing in the same aesthetic running order. However, with the new compact disc technology, the good folks at Capitol (and most other labels) were slow to recognize the advantages of the new format. To add insult to injury, this original CD release, as well as John and Yoko's "Some Time In New York City" (another two-disc set, again co-produced by Phil Spector, also with a black-and-white cover) was recalled because the initial pressings sounded horrible.

When the re-issue of "All Things Must Pass" was finally released in 2001, it was again heralded as a masterpiece, and Harrison was once again in the spotlight. It was especially touching, considering the rough decade that George suffered through - recovering from cancer, as well being stabbed by an intruder in December, 1999.

There were many improvements this time around, besides the obviously superior sound. The logical track order - with the discs divided after side two instead of side three - was implemented this time, but, with the improvements in the technology, there could have an even better choice. Since the 80 minute format was an option for this re-issue, a more satisfactory presentation would have been if the 18 studio tracks - sides one through four - were included as a single listening experience. (In fact, I keep my own, homemade CDR version in my car at all times). Then the "Apple Jam" (finally restored to it's original running order) and the five additional bonus tracks could be relegated to the second CD, as they are, by design, additional and separate content, and thus should be presented as it’s own entity. If they HAD done this, there would have been another obvious discovery - there was about 40 minutes left that could have been used to fill the discs up with even MORE great material. Besides George's reworking of his hit single "My Sweet Lord" (performed with melody changes that had nothing "Bright" about them), there were four tracks from 1970 that nicely compliment the original album (even if George somewhat unnecessarily did additional overdubbing.) Collectors, however, have at least three hours of treasured unreleased material that could have been used as a basis for additional content to be included. George was being, using his own phrase, a bit "chincy".

Then there's the artwork. George had a humorous idea to update the graphics by color-izing the cover, and showed the increased industrialization and pollution that had occurred over the previous three decades. However, the original triple vinyl set, packaged like a classical opera, was so iconic, that the original black and white cover, along with the colorful album sleeves (which included the lyrics), and those orange “apples” on the label, should have been preserved somewhere within the new package.(The same should have been done with the re-issues of John Lennon's "Plastic Ono Band" and "Imagine").

In 2004, George was inducted, posthumously, into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame as a solo artist. We were unexpectedly rewarded with a box set of George's Dark Horse catalogue. It included five studio albums, and one double live CD. While it was nicely packaged, with a lot more attention paid to this reissue series -- bonus tracks, improved graphics, and, of course, great sound-- it did seem like a bit of a rush job, another missed opportunity to reward fans who were (in many cases) re-purchasing these albums for the second or third time. A DVD was also included.

The first four albums included only an extra track each, and one wasn't even from the appropriate sessions. Fortunately, 1981's “Somewhere In England” was repackaged with George’s original rejected artwork, but it did not include the four songs rejected by Warner Brothers in 1980. It would also have been nice to have the artwork from the first release along with the alternative photographs included in the booklet.

1987's hit album "Cloud Nine" featured two bonus tracks, but excluded the silly (but still desirable) "extended" version of "When We Was Fab". The 1991 tour document "Live In Japan" was released as a dual-disc, where those with a SACD player could enjoy the music with improved sound, but neither version included any bonus material. This release also repeated a minor annoyance from the original running order. During the actual concert performances, after "Piggies", Eric Clapton would play a four song segment, then George would start his second set with "Got My Mind Set On You". However, the new version of "Live In Japan" repeats the mistake of ending disc one with "Got My Mind", and starting the second disc with the song "Cloud Nine". While this would have made sense in the days of vinyl, the capacity of CDs can easily accommodate the integrity of the original concert performance. The three unique tracks only available on the out-of-print collection “Best Of Dark Horse 1976-1989” - “Poor Little Girl”, “Cockamamie Business”, and the single “Cheer Down” - could have been included here.

The accompanying DVD also had some treats: interviews, videos, previously unseen live performances from the 1991 tour of Japan, and his three songs from “Shanghai Surprise”, the Madonna/Sean Penn bomb of a movie financed by Harrison’s production company, Handmade Films. Again, one wondered - why not more footage ? I can understand not getting the rights to all of the clips used in “All Those Years Ago”, Harrison’s tribute song to John Lennon. But what about “Blow Away” ? Unless they couldn’t get the permission to use that giant rubber ducky . . . Plus there was obviously more footage from the tour of Japan, as well as interviews, and who-knows-what-else ? Again, another missed opportunity.

More recently, we’ve been lucky to have a few more refurbished Harrison albums to enjoy --1973’s “Living In The Material World”, plus the star (Starr ?) studded “Concert For Bangla Desh”, and “The Traveling Wilburys Collection”. I’ve always been a big fan of “Material World” - it’s like a more stripped down version of “All Things Must Pass”. There is a warm, comforting, spiritual feel to this album. It may not have been fashionable, but it was a continuation of Harrison’s work which was praised on “All Things Must Pass”. The regular CD included two great b-sides from that era (but not the single version of “Bangla Desh”). The deluxe version included a DVD with two wonderful unreleased audio tracks: a demo of “Sue Me, Sue You Blues”, and a non-laughing take of “Miss O’Dell”. It’s unfortunate these tracks were not made more easily available by adding then to the CD. The DVD also included footage of the hit single “Give Me Love”, from the 1991 tour of Japan, and a short documentary about the album. Again, cool stuff. But why so chincy ? The list price of the “deluxe” version makes one think they are getting a lot more that they end up receiving. Material World indeed. At least the packaging included a booklet, and the artwork replicated the original album cover and labels.

“The Concert For Bangla Desh” was finally re-released as a DVD (again with the option of a “deluxe” version) and on compact disc. These versions both include the one song Bob Dylan (with Harrison, Starr, and Leon Russell), performed only at the afternoon show (“Love Minus Zero”), while the DVD added a rehearsal of Dylan’s “If Not For You”, as well as additional footage. Still, the only place to get “Mr. Tambourine Man” was still the audio compact disc. Since there were two shows, it would have been nice to experience some of the alternate versions, but, all-in-all, it was a nice, classy package, appropriate for the mother of all benefit concerts.

“The Traveling Wilburys Collection” was re-released as a box set in June of 2007. The deluxe edition, especially, was a nice package, with two remastered CD’s, bonus tracks, a DVD, a book, photographs, “announcement” postcards, a sticker, and an individually numbered certificate of authenticity. However, there were still questionable decisions made. The four bonus tracks included were all from the “Volume 3” era, but were split evenly between the two CD's. There were also some alternate mixes and edits, as well as one unreleased alternate take, that were saved for the vinyl release. These could have easily fit as bonus tracks on the collection. (I’ve somehow managed to survive without owning these rarities) Collectors have also had alternate versions of many of these songs for years that could have been included. Curiously, there was also a different edit for the video of “Inside Out”, which was included on the DVD. Another video was not included here --the title track from the out-of-print benefit album “Nobody's Child: Romanian Angel Appeal “, which only featured footage of Romanian orphans. It was also interesting to note that the publishing credits changed for “Volume 1”, where the communal songwriting agreement on the original release was replaced by publishing credited to the principle songwriter. For more specific information about the Wilburys releases, please go here: http://www.searchingforagem.com/Wilburys/Wilburys2007.htm

Well, this summarizes George’s mainstream catalogue so far. These re-issues have both looked and sounded great, but could have been improved with a bit more content and attention to detail. Both “Wonderwall Music” and “Electronic Sounds” were also released on CD at one time, with identical track listings to the original albums (although I believe the US release of “Electronic Sounds” mistakenly had each long instrumental on the incorrect side with the original vinyl release.) In an upcoming blog, I plan to address the rest of George Harrison’s catalogue, and what could be done to make it a truly superior project.

Paul McCartney's Been Reading My Blog !

2009-02-25T19:24:00.000-08:00

Well, it's obvious. Macca has been reading this very blog (Confidential to a certain "Firefighter": Hello Percy!). As readers of this blog know, last November I started a seven part series discussing a fantasy Paul McCartney solo concert experience. In the introduction, I suggested that Paul could do a tour where he played smaller venues like Radio City Music Hall, and celebrate his nearly four decade solo career. Paul seems to have taken my advice, and, while not following my exact plan, has indeed agreed to perform at Radio City, and has begun a celebration of his post-Beatles career by launching a month-long "Fireman Radio" channel on Sirius XM satellite radio.

The April 4 Radio City performance, which will also feature Ringo Starr in the role of David Grohl, is part of an all-star(r) benefit, organized by film maker David Lynch. The Beatlesque goal is to teach one million children the Transcendental Meditation technique - and change the world overnight (I couldn't make stuff like this up ). Other performers scheduled include Eddie Vedder, Sheryl Crow, Paul Horn, Donovan, and others.

[Side note: How can Paul, Ringo and Donovan all appear at this gig and not perform together? Back in the day, Donovan and Macca collaborated on "Yellow Submarine", "Atlantis", and Mary Hopkin's Apple LP "Post Card", among other projects and events (including going to India in 1968 to study TM with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi ). Donovan also taught the Fabs his finger-picking technique, which influenced a handful of songs that appeared on 1968's "White Album". When I saw Paul at The Bridge Benefit in 2004, he generously sang duets with Tony Bennett as well as Neil Young. ]

Paul's "Fireman Radio" channel has been a lot of fun so far.The idea seems to be to create another way to build on the great press Paul has received for his new "The Fireman" project, "Electric Arguments". While "EA" was a more "high profile" release than the previous two Fireman albums (not to mention more commercial), it was still sent out into the marketplace without the fanfare usually associated with a traditional McCartney release. When the album started to create a buzz, Paul appeared on programs such as "The View" and "The Howard Stern Show", which pushed the album further up the charts.

"Fireman Radio" is like the ultimate Macca iPod (or maybe an Apple iPaul ?). It's a random sample of McCartney's solo work since 1970, including hits, deep album cuts, obscure singles, and, of course, a healthy dose of "Fireman" material - not just the new album, but the previous two "ambient" collections as well. There is also a heavy mix of live material, which is how he gets to sneak his 1960's classics into a "solo" selection of material. There was even some care taken to make sure that, for instance, the original album medley of "Venus and Mars / Rock Show" were played together as one (which has not always been the case with some of the other vanity channels).

The programming seems to be designed for short bursts of listening in the car as opposed to a serious (Sirius) marathon session while at home. While there seems to be large chunks of music that are part of a heavy rotation, there is enough variety to keep you tuned in waiting for different tracks. Some of the great finds, for me, include "Mumbo", followed a little while later by "Bip Bop" There was also an hour of programming where three tracks from "Ram" were randomly played ("Long Haired Lady", "Uncle Albert", "Dear Boy"). While you'd expect to hear "Band On The Run" and "Maybe I'm Amazed", what's interesting is to experience multiple versions of "No More Lonely Nights" (including the legendary "Mole Mix") and "Silly Love Songs" (including the "Noir & Kruse" edit ), not to mention obscure stuff like "Back On My Feet", "Zoo Gang", "Momma's Little Girl", and "We All Stand Together" (with the Frog Chorus ! ) Of course you could hear most of this stuff anytime you like - if you have the official releases - but when's the last time you've had a chance to do that ? Plus, when you hear an overlooked gem like "Somedays" (from "Flaming Pie"), out of context, you can really appreciate it for the beautiful song it is. It's also fun to spot the occasional error, like 1973's "Single Pigeon" showing up as "Single Person" on my Sirius screen (Freudian slip, Paul ?). It's also interesting to note that some tracks feature other band members (so far, I've heard Jimmy McCulloch, Hamish Stuart, and Denny Laine), but not any of his classical pieces, or Linda's "Cook Of The House" (yet). It's doubtful that "Heather" will make an appearance, I'd gather.

I just finished listening to a 30 minute exclusive interview with Paul, broadcast on the channel. While not really shedding any new light on his Fireman project that has not been discussed elsewhere, it's always nice to hear Paul talk about the joy of creating music. Which is really the best part of listening to this Maccathon.

John Lennon once famously said, "Fans tried to beat me into being a…Beatle or an Engelbert Humperdinck, and the critics tried to beat me into being Paul McCartney”. By the same token, Macca has always been compared to Lennon, and, by extension, Bob Dylan, and other rock "heavyweights'". If you put McCartney in the company of more melodic composers like, say, Brian Wilson, Elton John, Paul Simon, Billy Joel, and Phil Collins, it's easy to see Paul's strengths, and why he's still a vital, relevant artist.

While McCartney has certainly dabbled in every genre of music that tickled his fancy, there has always been a sense that he just enjoyed creating music, as well as other art forms (like painting), for it's own sake. His first solo album, 1970's "McCartney", is one of my all-time favorites, and has always given me a warm, comforting feeling. This, in retrospect, is all the more surprising considering it was recorded when the Beatles were disintegrating around him. It sounds like it may have been very therapeutic for him as well.

Paul's political/topical songs, like "Simple As That" and "Freedom", while not particularly insightful, work well in the context of this channel. With his talent for singing and songwriting, as well as mastering almost any instrument he felt like learning how to play, it's just a joy just to hear the decades of music that he has created since he became an Ex-Fab. While listening to "Fireman Radio", that seems to be a recurring theme - Paul enjoys making music, and that, in itself, is a reason to enjoy the solo work of James Paul McCartney. As a matter of fact, "Ballroom Dancing" was in my head all day yesterday !

And Paul, if you want to thank me, I'd sure like to go see you at Radio City . . . sounds like a great idea !
:-D

PS Happy birthday wishes to George Harrison . .I'm currently working on a blog about his music as well . . .

UPDATE : Starting Tuesday at 10 a.m eastern, guests DJs will be playing their fave Macca tunes, including Barbara Walters, Cousin Brucie, and a real NYC Fireman (no, not Paul . .)

iPod, therefore iAm

2009-01-25T17:32:00.001-08:00

As 2008 drew to a close, the New York Times ran an article about music sales for the year (http://tinyurl.com/ccvywx ). It discussed the decline in CD purchases, and the increase of digital music sales. There was one very interesting fact: The fourth and fifth best selling albums of the year (http://tinyurl.com/ceuner) cannot be downloaded from iTunes. According to the article, AC/DC and Kid Rock are opponents of downloading, yet still managed to sell approximately two million copies each of their new releases. (The number one album of 2008 sold less than three million copies). In the case of AC/DC, it is all the more impressive as their album "Black Ice" is a Wal-Mart exclusive.

The Beatles, of course, are one of the last holdouts -- not only in the world of digital downloading, but of CD re-issues in general. All Fab solo albums are now available on iTunes, but the actual Beatles catalogue is still in limbo, as the Beatles' Apple cannot agree to terms with Apple iTunes. I assume the re-issues are being stalled by the problems with iTunes, as albums such as 1968's "White Album", are known to be ready for re-release. Paul recently said that there was a stickling point with the iTunes deal, but noted that the Beatles were a special act, and should be treated as such. I'm sure anyone reading this would heartily agree. For a while, the Beatles were shy about releasing any albums since Billboard did not deem the 1980 U.S. album "Rarities" as a major new release, but a curiosity aimed at obsessive Beatles fans. Everything the Beatles do now (in most cases) must be bigger and better than anything else -- failure is not an option. It needs to be a global event. Additionally, it takes an army of promotion soldiers to make this happen. This must be well thought out before it is executed.

If the Beatles do agree to a deal, there are some interesting concerns. Will individual tracks be available? Will "Maggie Mae" cost the same as "Hey Jude"? Will "Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight/The End" count as one song, or three ? I'd suggest that the albums be sold only as whole entities, and that the singles, like "Love Me Do"/"P.S. I Love You", or "Lady Madonna"/"The Inner Light", be available for the plucking for those not wanting to invest in a whole album. Also, all different album AND single configurations could be offered: mono, stereo, U.S., U.K., etc, so that fans could pick and choose what version(s) they want.

What the success of the AC/DC and Kid Rock albums shows us, however, is that The Beatles do not even need iTunes. A truly spectacular Beatles re-issue product, with improved sound, bonus tracks, mono and stereo mixes, detailed liner notes, and an additional DVD or Blu-Ray disc of archival footage, would get people into whatever record stores are left, to purchase the ultimate Beatles musical experience. Can you imagine going to pick up a copy of "Magical Mystery Tour" on CD, complete with the original booklet, the mono and stereo mixes, as well as the original television special AND "videos" of "All You Need Is Love", "Penny Lane", "Strawberry Fields Forever", and all three versions of "Hello Goodbye"? And then they could hide the "1967 Christmas Record" somewhere on the disc in an "Easter Egg"! Or how about the U.K. "Help!" album, with additional songs like "I'm Down", "Bad Boy", and "Yes It Is", and then have the original "Beatles at Shea" documentary included, as well as the appropriate promotional films ? And just think of the possibilities of the "Let It Be" album!

I've read many stories, mostly on-line, about fans' frustrations regarding the upgrade of the Beatles catalogue. A couple of years ago, the Fabs even brought someone on board specially to oversee this venture. Paul also mentioned that they wanted to make sure it was done properly. This is an important point. A couple of years after CDs had initially caught on, the Fab's catalogue was rush-released in 1987 and 1988 in order to capitalize on the twentieth anniversary of the "Sgt. Pepper" album. The sound was mediocre, the packaging unimaginative, the bonus tracks non-existent. At the time, the Beatles were still squabbling, and not in control of their own legacy. These CDs are the versions we are currently stuck with.

Good things come to those who wait. How lucky are we that we have the "Anthology" series of the mid-1990's instead of the original proposed single album version of out-takes from the 1980's ? Do we really want to repeatedly buy a re-issue of a re-issue, as fans of David Bowie, Elvis Costello and others have been "forced" to do (even if they were done expertly) ? The Beatles are still one of the biggest acts in the world, nearly four decades after splitting up, and deserve to be presented in the marketplace in a series of impressive, definitive, content-filled packages. However, The Beatles' Apple needs the have all four parties in agreement for something to be released, while all four are also busy simultaneously merchandising and promoting individual solo careers and catalogues. Then they have to partner up with EMI, retail outlets, etc., all of whom want as big a piece of the Apple Pie as they can get. So there must be negotiations that are as tedious as they are time consuming. Of course, if the deals don't work out, then Apple has to start all over again. Besides, there has been a steady supply of "new" Fab products released since "The Beatles at the Beeb" appeared in 1994. Aren't we better off with the "Anthology" series than remastered compact discs of albums that are readily available ? These things take time. Life is what happens when you upgrade your catalog.

Anyway. as the core Beatles fans get a little bit older and a little bit slower, we eagerly, if a bit impatiently, await the next installment of a proper Beatles re-issue campaign. Of course, the Fabs appeal is cross-generational, and there's no sign of their popularity diminishing any time soon. Let's just hope they finally get it together while we are still around to enjoy it. Maybe they can release the entire catalogue as a big box set, and call it "Eight Arms To Hold You". Or "I Want You (She's So Heavy) ? "It's All Too Much"? "The Gray Album"?

And if you think you've been waiting a long time, think of the poor Neil Young fans who are enduring, again, yet another potential delay in the never-ending saga of his ambitious, two-decade old "Archives" project! (Thrasher's Wheat site: http://tinyurl.com/cypxyh )

Macca Live 2010 Side Six

2009-01-16T10:31:00.000-08:00

With all of this excitement of Paul on Howard Stern and The View, as well as his great new Fireman album, I know you've been wondering, "When is Yer Blogger going to finish his wonderful imaginary McCartney live album? We've been waiting over a month to find out how the concert ends! What are the last songs going to be? What would Paul do for an encore ? I've barely made it through the holidays! How busy can Yer Blogger be ? I've been hanging on the edge of my seat ! When is my hot cocoa going to be ready ?"

Well, Beedle Peedles, the time has finally arrived! Below you will find my "ideal" side six for Macca Live 2010. What I tried to accomplish is an overview of Macca's career outside of the Beatles. This collection covers everything from non-Fab 1960's recordings, through his years with Wings, to a solo career that continues to this day. With such a large body of work, it was difficult to cover every aspect of the career of James Paul McCartney. Some of his hits, like "Listen To What The Man Said" and "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" have unfortunately been excluded, due to time constraints. I would have like to have included rockers like "Helen Wheels" and "Hi Hi Hi", plus personal favorites, like "Mumbo" (which seems like a blue print for the Electric Arguments album), but felt these songs would have to be sacrificed in order to have a more varied, two-hour-plus show. Luckily, at least some of these songs have been performed live in the past. My goal was to shine a light on some Macca songs that may not have gotten to attention they deserved, and hopefully it would send some people back to their music collections, and dig up some wonderful, half-forgotten music.

One of the things Paul is most proud of is the songs he's written specifically for movies. I could have gone for the Oscar-nominated "Vanilla Sky", or the title song from the comedy Spies Like Us, but decided to go for the strongest and most popular songs.

31. NO MORE LONELY NIGHTS

This hit single is from Macca's own movie, Give My Regards To Broad Street, and featured a soaring solo by Pink Floyd's David Gilmour. I'd like to hear Rusty's take on that! This beautiful ballad will lull the audience with a warm musical embrace before we get to the exciting final song of the main set.

32. LIVE AND LET DIE

The name is Ramon. Paul Ramon. (Or is it Percy Thrillington? )

James Bond has never been hipper. Not only is Paul obviously and justifiably proud of this James Bond classic, but with all the pyrotechnics used on stage, it's the perfect climax. This has recently been McCartney's explosive closer, and there's no reason to change that now. Plus, it will show Jack White and Alicia Keys a thing or two about How To Write A Classic James Bond Movie Theme. Not to mention Chris Cornell, Garbage, and Madonna.

Paul and the band now go back stage, and take a well deserved break.

ENCORE ONE

33. BAND ON THE RUN

The title track from one of his most popular and acclaimed post-Beatles albums, the one that really took his solo career into the stratosphere. This song was a chart-topping single in it's own right, about six months after the album came out, sandwiched between Ray Stevens' "The Streak" and the anti-war song "Billy Don't Be A Hero" by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods. (Extremely tenuous Beatles connection: "Billy Don't Be A Hero" was co-written by Mitch Murray, of "How Do You Do It" fame.) A nice way to build excitement, since the song starts off quietly, until it "explodes" when the band "escapes" (as the band on stage is about do).

34. GOODNIGHT TONIGHT

This hit song probably gets more play today on satellite radio than it did in 1979, and it gives a chance for Paul's fans to dance along as he bids them a reluctant farewell. Can't you just image a theater full of McCartney fans singing and dancing along with this one ? "Don't say it - Don't say goodnight tonight!" I bet Macca would eat it all up ! Another great bass line as well.

ENCORE TWO

35. MAYBE I'M AMAZED

One of the all-time great love songs. Paul's ode to Linda could also, in this context, be a big thank you to his fans. While I'd love a solo version on piano, I assume the band would come on stage for one more song.

ENCORE THREE

36. GOODBYE

Paul returns alone , one more time, for an unexpected, yet totally appropriate, final song choice. McCartney wrote this for Apple artist Mary Hopkin in 1969, and it was a massive hit, kept off the U.K. number one spot by the Beatles' single, "Get Back". I've always loved this one. A solo acoustic demo version by McCartney has been in the hands of collectors for years. Paul with just an acoustic guitar, saying "Goodbye", would be the perfect ending .

Well , there you have it: "Macca Live 2010". Finally. I hope you have enjoyed the show. Now go have your cocoa.

play soft

2008-12-07T05:23:00.000-08:00

starting over
jealous guy
#9 dream
mind games
oh my love
stand by me
love
woman
out the blue
look at me
nobody told me
intuition
bless you
watching the wheels
real love (imagine sdtrk)
beautiful boy
oh yoko
grow old with me (anthology version)
imagine
give peace a chance
happy xmas (war is over)

Macca Live 2010 Side Five

2008-11-22T11:25:00.000-08:00

On the original 3 LP version of Wings Over America, side five was devoted to promoting the 1976 album Wings At The Speed Of Sound. For this concert, I'd like Paul to focus on his more recent albums, going back to 1997. Of course this would change with the release of a new album.

25. EVER PRESENT PAST

Great, melodic song from Memory Almost Full. The title sets the tone for this section.

26. DANCE TONIGHT

Paul's recent catchy single, also from Memory Almost Full. His daughter Beatrice used to dance when she heard her father play the mandolin, so I'm sure Paul would love to perform it.

27. FINE LINE

Rocking opener from Chaos and Creation, with Paul on piano. One of Macca's best singles from recent years.

28. LONELY ROAD

Another album opener, this one from Driving Rain. While Paul may not want to revisit this part of his life, this seems to be another song about moving on after Linda, so hopefully he'd still play this one in concert. If not, Macca could do one of the songs from the new Fireman album.

29. BEAUTIFUL NIGHT

This might be my favorite of McCartney's love songs hes' written since the 1970s. I love the rhyme scheme of "sky / why/ Versailles", and while the song has a sentimental streak, Paul keeps it in check, and it certainly comes across as heartfelt. This one was originally recorded as a demo for Flowers In The Dirt, but was revived for Flaming Pie, with an additional coda written by one Richard Starkey, M.B.E.

30. THE END OF THE END

This would be a moving end for this section, and connects with side four. Quite a brave song for Paul to sing in concert, as he muses about his own death. From Memory Almost Full.

Macca Live 2010 Side Four

2008-11-22T09:38:00.000-08:00

When I saw Paul at the Boston's Fleet Center in 2002, and he did his little tributes to George (who had died the previous November), and John, it was probably the most moving experience I had ever felt at a rock concert. I was thinking that "Side Four" could expand on this. Since this could be seen as one of McCartney's final statements, I'm sure he'd like to say "Farewell" to those who were closest to him.

19. TRY NOT TO CRY

One of the few McCartney originals from 1999's oldies collection, Run Devil Run. Since this was Paul's first album since Linda's death, one cannot help but attribute this song to the love of his life. A good introduction to this portion of the show.

20. MY LOVE

A massive 1973 hit with Wings. There are plenty of songs Paul has written about the lovely Linda, but I think this one would work best here.

21. LITTLE WILLOW

This song was written in memory of Ringo Starr's first wife, Maureen. She was a regular at the Cavern Club back in the Fabs' early days. Ringo and Maureen were married in 1965, had three children (including The Who's drummer, Zak Starkey), and divorced in 1975. See the liner notes on Flaming Pie for more information (Maureen was only identified as "a dear friend" at the time). She died at the end of 1994. One last time to say, "Thanks, Mo !"

22. THE SONGS WE WERE SINGING / TUG OF WAR

Now is the time to say "Goodbye" to fellow Fabs that are no longer with us. Although both of these tracks seem to be nostalgic odes to John, either of these songs would suffice as introductions to tributes for Spike Wilbury and Dr. Winston O'Boogie. Again, Macca could alternate between these two songs throughout the tour.

23. ALL THINGS MUST PASS (or any of George's other songs)

Technically not a song released by The Fabs, even though they rehearsed it in January 1969 for the Get Back / Let It Be sessions. Macca did perform it in concert after Harrison's death, including 2002's Concert For George. Any other Harrisongs that Paul decided to cover would be an especially touching tribute. Wouldn't it be great to hear Paul sing "Give Me Love" or "Love Comes To Everyone"? He could also cover George's Grammy-winning instrumental, "Marwa Blues", which Macca chose for a magazine compilation CD a few years back.

24. HERE TODAY

Paul's tribute to John, which had more or less become a concert staple since 2002. The perfect end for this section.

Macca Live 2010 Side Three

2008-11-12T10:18:00.000-08:00

The next "Theme" could be : The Ones Paul Gave Away (or at least played on). These songs would serve as an overview of tunes that Macca gave to others. They have never been performed live by Paul, to the best of my knowledge. In most cases we have never even heard McCartney sing lead on any of these songs (with the obvious exception of track 18). This is also a way to sneak in some 1960's material without performing Beatles songs.

13. On The Wings Of A Nightingale

Continuing with the acoustic section, it would be a real treat to hear the song McCartney wrote specifically for one of his greatest influences: The Everly Brothers. After Phil and Don reunited in the 1980's, Dave Edmunds produced their brilliant studio comeback album, E.B. '84. Much like his 1973 James Bond movie theme, McCartney came up with the tailor-made goods.

14. World Without Love
15. Woman

Time for a little tribute to Peter and Gordon. Peter was the brother of Paul's mid-1960s girlfriend, Jane Asher, and he later worked for Apple. "World Without Love" was Peter and Gordon's first and biggest hit. "Woman" was originally released with "Bernard Webb" listed as the songwriter, to see if the duo could have a hit without the Lennon-McCartney songwriting credit. The duo also recorded "Nobody I Know" and "I Don't Want To See You Again" (both credited to Lennon-McCartney, but obviously Paul is the author of all four covers.). None of these songs have ever been on official recordings by either the Beatles or McCartney.

16. Mine For Me

A forgotten gem. This was written for Rod Stewart's 1974 album Smiler. Another one of those deceptively catchy love songs. "Six O'clock", which Paul wrote for Ringo's 1973 album, would be another inspired choice.

17. My Dark Hour

This was actually written by Steve Miller, but was recorded with "Paul Ramon" at Olympic Sound Studios in London, on May 9, 1969. "Ramon" (a.k.a. McCartney) played drums, bass, and sang prominent background vocals. McCartney's son was a big Miller fan, and Paul worked with Steve again on Flaming Pie. Maybe Paul could even sit behind the drum kit for this one.

18. Come And Get It

Paul wrote this hit single for Apple act Badfinger. It also appeared on the soundtrack for the movie The Magic Christian, co-starring Ringo and fab friend Peter Sellers. His solo demo was recorded quickly on July 24, 1969, in a single one hour session. Macca had just one bit of advice for Badfinger: Do it exactly like my demo. You can hear McCartney's version on The Beatles' Anthology 3.

Macca Live 2010 Side Two

2008-11-07T14:05:00.000-08:00

The next portion should be an "acoustic" set. Giving the audience a chance to catch their breath. Everybody, sit down, and get comfortable.

7. ANOTHER DAY

Paul's debut solo single, and beautiful, simple ode to Linda, just admiring her going about her day. Another deceptively brilliant song that would be great to hear live.

8. LONDON TOWN

A nice little ditty, the title track from Wings' 1978 album. It was a mellow record recorded after Wings became one of the rocks' biggest bands at the conclusion of their record-breaking world tour. It's like an aural warm, fuzzy blanket.

9. BIKER LIKE AN ICON

Arguably the best song from 1993's Off The Ground album. A great, if unusual, song that got some attention when the album was originally released. Great example of Paul's unique songwriting style, especially in the lyrics.

10. EVERY NIGHT

1970's McCartney is one of my all-time favorite albums. Here's another touching love song for Linda. Paul has done this one live, but not recently.

11. WITH A LITTLE LUCK / COUNTRY DREAMER / SALLY G / RAINCLOUDS

If it were up to me, I'd include one of Paul's great acoustic B-sides in this slot. His mid-1970's songs like "Sally G" and "Country Dreamer" continue the warm feeling of the McCartney sessions. "Rainclouds", the B-side of "Ebony and Ivory", also has a similar feel. However, this has a more meditative feel, which would be appropriate as McCartney was working on this track with George Martin on December 9, 1980. "With A Little Luck" might be a more obvious choice, since it was a big hit single. My thought was that Paul could shake up the set list a bit, and alternate these four songs.in this slot.

12. MULL OF KINTYRE

This was a massive hit in the U.K., where it dislodged The Fabs' "She Loves You" as the biggest single ever. In the U.S., it was NOT a hit. Capitol Records even tried to promote the other side - the rocking "Girls' School" - but was only moderately successful.This may have been one of the factors leading to McCartney's subsequent departure from Capitol to Columbia Records. On recent tours, Paul only performed this in North America when he was in Canada.It's time for us Yanks to hear this classic track in concert.

Macca Live 2010 Side One

2008-11-07T11:40:00.000-08:00

The opening of the show should be exciting and upbeat. But what song should Paul start with ? Of course, "Venus and Mars / Rock Show" is an obvious choice, but not only has it already been done, it alludes to bigger venues like "Madison Square" and the "Hollywood Bowl", which might give lazy journalists an excuse to give a few digs. "Band on the Run" would also be a good opener, especially since it builds, and would send the crowd into a frenzy. However, I decided to go with a hit song that has rarely been played live, is a favorite of fans, and provides a good rocking start:

1. JUNIOR'S FARM

Of course, the reference to gas prices will unfortunately still be relevant. The only problem would be the line about the president (originally about Nixon), which might have to be rewritten. What rhymes with "President"? Maybe something like "heaven sent"? Plus, I'd love to Paul exclaim, " Take me down, Rusty ! "

2. FLAMING PIE

And now for something more recent. Paul loves this one. It's the title track from his great, Grammy-nominated 1997 album. Keeps the momentum going, and a bit of a Beatles reference to boot !

3. JET

Back in the 1990's, Paul gave an interview where he said he didn't really like performing this one, even though it's possibly his most played solo hit on "Classic Rock" radio. I'm not sure if he still feels this way, but let's get it out of the way, just in case he does.

4. SILLY LOVE SONGS

"Silly Love Songs" ? Really? "SILLY LOVE SONGS" ?!?! YES "SILLY LOVE SONGS" !!!!! This was one of his biggest hits, which went up the charts as Wings Over America crossed the country in the year of our bi-centennial. When I saw Rod Stewart in 2004, he closed the main set - not with "Maggie May", but "Do You Think I'm Sexy" - and the crowd went wild ! Even though the song will be forever linked to the disco era, this is a catchy song, makes you feel good when you hear it, and it has a killer bass line. It will get the crowd dancing. It will also separate the "Beatle" fans from the "Macca" fans. This is kind of Paul's manifesto. And what's wrong with that?

5. MY BRAVE FACE

Paul's minor hit from the late 1980's, written with Elvis Costello. A return to form, and something worth revisiting. It will also keep the momentum up.

6. COMING UP

Paul big hit from 1980, from the end of the Wings-era. (It was released as a live Wings track as well as a song on McCartney II, where Paul played all the instruments). This song also holds a special place in Paul's heart, as John Lennon complimented the single in one of his last interviews.

Macca Live 2010 Introduction

2008-11-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

Paul McCartney is one of the most successful songwriters and performers of all time. Not just with The Beatles, but with Wings in the 1970s, and a solo career that continues to this day. However, one gets a sense from some interviews that Macca still feels insecure. Not only about his accomplishments within the Fabs, but about his hit-filled solo career. While John and George continued to expand and explore their art from where they were when the Beatles broke up, Paul decided to start again, form a band, and try for a new, younger audience. This led to Paul and Wings becoming one of the biggest acts of the 1970s, both on tour and in the charts. He remained popular with many Beatles fans, but an entire younger generation grew up loving Paul and Wings, just because they put out some catchy tunes.

Despite all of McCartney's success, the press for the most part was not very kind, often comparing Macca to his former partner John Lennon, and other "heavier" "artists". Paul was slighted as being a lightweight, and mocked for being a family man. Yet when John and Yoko finally had a child together, and then Lennon retired to be a house-husband, he somehow managed to make it a political statement. Paul couldn't get a break.

In retrospect, McCartney's solo catalogue is quite impressive. His solo material on Apple has aged particularly well. Macca is the only Fab that continued to record regularly, with many gems being released only as singles. While quality went downhill a bit during the mid-1980s (which even McCartney has since admitted to), things improved with Flowers In The Dirt, and really reached a level of greatness starting with 1997's Flaming Pie, and continues to this day.

One of the most moving concerts I ever saw was then Paul toured in 2002. I had previously seen McCartney a handful of times throughout the years: 1976 (Wings Over New York), 1990 (Worcester), and twice in October 1999 ("Buddy Holly Dance Party", and the Run Devil Run record release party - where I actually got to meet Paul backstage). Although it was always great to see Paul in concert, I had not previously been blown away by his previous performances.

I was completely unprepared for the impact of the "Back In The U.S." concerts. I purposely did not read anything about the tour, so I could experience it fresh. The entire presentation was impressive, from the song selection to the big screen images to the tributes to Linda, John and George. Also, the current band is by far the best solo line-up he's had, especially guitarist Rusty Anderson. This combo is young and energetic, giving Paul's songs an excitement missing from McCartney's sluggish post-Wings ensembles.

There are reports that Paul is planning one more big world tour. For the last decade, Macca & Co. have been putting on great shows-- heavy on the 60s songs, with a mix of material from his solo years. For the upcoming tour, it seems like Paul will continue with this successful formula. He is single-handedly keeping the legacy of The Beatles alive by re-creating their classic catalogue on stage with a show that comes as close to a live Beatles concert as we've seen since the 1960s.

But what about Paul's solo years? In order to play arenas (and stadiums), and to charge the going rate for superstar acts, Macca's concerts feature only about a third of the show dedicated to nearly four decades of post-Fab material. Since his fans are now expecting a Beatle-packed show, I was wondering how Paul could do a tour of solo material, and not disappoint his fans.

Here's what I came up with: After his next world tour, Paul could announce a "Celebration" of his solo career. It should be a tour of theaters (think Radio City Music Hall) instead of arenas. The advertisements should strongly (and proudly) hint that no Beatles will be performed.

Paul seems to love the idea of playing an intimate venue as much as a stadium. In order to make it easy on Macca, he could play, for instance, ten night stands in New York and L.A., with five night stands in cities like Boston, Chicago, Houston, and Seattle. The cost of tickets should be the same as recent arena shows so that only fans who appreciate Macca's solo material attend, and the yahoos who want to scream "Hey Jude" can stay at home and complain about the high price of tickets. And keeping the same band would be essential.

Over the course of six upcoming blogs, I plan to write about what such a tour could be like. It will be modeled after 1976's Wings Over America. The plan is to think of the show as a triple album, where each side has a "theme".

I think it would be a nice way for Paul to make an exit (although I also hope- and expect- him to keep on rocking for the rest of his life). Each side will have six tracks, which would mean the concert would feature 36 songs - which is about what Paul does nowadays anyway. This way the last 40 years could have some of the respect it deserves, on its own terms.

Non-Beatles Blog: Dylan's Bootleg Series Volume 8

2008-11-05T09:48:00.000-08:00

on my other site, if you are interested . .

http://robotsarestealingmyluggage.blogspot.com/2008/11/dylan-dilemma-deciphering-tell-tale.html

Beatles Halloween BOOtleg

2008-10-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

Beatles Halloween BOOtleg (on bobbing for Apple Records. of course)

Yes it's that time of year again, Beedle Peedles !
Election Day is not the only scary day coming up.
Go get ready to light up your Jack-O-Lanterns
since Halloween is just around the corner.

While I was lounging around, getting over an awful cold,
I was trying to think of a way to tie in The Fabs with
All Hallows Eve. The Happy-Go-Lucky Mop Tops are usually
associated with Peace, Love, Joy, Fun, etc. But of course there
has been lots of scary events associated with The Beatles
as well.

With that in mind, I came up with a list of Fab-related songs
for Halloween. There weren't too many really "scary" tracks,
but I listed songs about children, sweets, darkness, costumes,
as well as various Halloween figures, like ghosts, ghouls, and the devil.
Some of the songs were included because of it's title,
even if the contents have nothing to do with Halloween.
(In other words, for comedic value.) I hope you enjoy it!

Ringo: Spooky Weirdness
Paul: No More Lonely Nights
Paul: Magic
George: Beware Of Darkness
George: Here Comes The Moon
Beatles: Mr. Moonlight
Beatles: Little Child
Paul: Dress Me Up As A Robber
Beatles: Act Naturally
Beatles: Baby's In Black
Beatles: With A Little Help From My Friends
Paul: Friends To Go
Paul: Follow Me
Beatles: Why Don't We Do It In The Road?
Beatles: Your Mother Should Know
George: Awaiting On You All
George: Behind That Locked Door
Beatles: There's A Place
Paul: Let 'Em In
Beatles: Don't Pass Me By
Paul: I'm Carrying
George: Try Some Buy Some
Beatles: Savoy Truffle
George: Unknown Delight
Beatles: Not A Second Time
John: Instant Karma !
Traveling Wilburys: The Devil's Been Busy
John: Scared
Yoko : Don't Be Scared
John: Mr. Hyde's Gone (Don't Be Afraid)
Beatles: Chains
George: The Art Of Dying
Beatles: Run For Your Life
Paul: Magneto and Titanium Man
Ringo: Devil Woman
Beatles: Maxwell's Silver Hammer
Elvis Costello: So Like Candy
Beatles: Devil In Her Heart
Yoko: Women Of Salem
George: Blood From A Clone
Beatles: Yer Blues
Paul: Live and Let Die
Beatles: I Am The Walrus (They Are The Eggmen)
George: Devil's Radio
Barenaked Ladies: Be My Yoko Ono
Yoko: Yes, I'm A Witch
George: Between The Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
John: My Mummy's Dead
Beatles: I'm Looking Through You
Ringo: Back Off Boogaloo
Paul: Run Devil Run
Beatles: Helter Skelter
Beatles: I'm So Tired
Beatles: When I Get Home
Beatles: The Long And Winding Road
Beatles: Get Back
Paul: Gratitude
Paul: Eat At Home
Ringo: Satisfied
Beatles: It's All Too Much
Heather Mills Feat. Paul McCartney: VO!CE

(Note: I'm a fan of Yoko's, and the BNL song was
included as a little joke. The same cannot be said about
Heather Mills.)

PLAY LOUD !

2008-10-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

Sorry for the long delay between posts. My Blogger account was blocked, but now it seems to be OK. Before I was so rudely interrupted, I was working on an elaborate post about Paul, but since it's John birthday tomorrow, I'm going to write a quick piece about him instead. Unfortunately I do not have the time needed to type everything I wish to say in order to get this posted by October 9th. Life is what happens to you when you're typing other blogs.

Everything about John is tinged with sadness, knowing how his life ended. Yoko is doing what she feels is best for Lennon's legacy. One cannot fault her for most of her decisions. John is now thought of mostly as a peacenik - which is how Lennon was quoted as saying he wished to be remembered. What greater legacy can one have ? John was always advertising "peace", and what message could be more relevant, or timeless?

As I'm typing, I'm listening to the new Dylan box set. Would Lennon have as impressive a collection at this stage of his career if he was still alive? It's a question that unfortunately cannot be answered.

In the early 1980s, RCA went about refurbishing Elvis' image. One such result was an album called Rocker. This collected Presley's rocking songs on one LP, with a cool picture of The King on a motorcycle, and an treasure trove of Elvis at his rocking best. They even re-released "Blue Suede Shoes" - with a picture sleeve - on blue vinyl. It helped redefine Presley as a musical rebel.

So for Lennon's birthday, I have a list of 24 solo tracks to listen to in tribute to what would have been John's 68th birthday. It call it PLAY LOUD! , after the inscription on the inner label of the early Plastic Ono Band Apple 45s. It's not really a bunch of "rockers". It's just the more aggressive side of John's music. It's the material that's not "soft rock" - there are no quiet ballads here. It's Rock'n'Roll, politics, autobiographical material, and anything else that I felt would fit. It's a collection for people who only know John's softer side. This music is angry. It's exhilarating. Most of all, it's real.

PLAY LOUD !
1 New York City
2 Instant Karma
3 Rip It Up/Ready Teddy
4 Whatever Gets You Through The Night
5 Gimme Some Truth
6 Meat City
7 What You Got
8 I Don't Want To Be A Soldier Mama
9 Power To The People
10 Well Well Well
11 Rock and Roll People
12 Slippin' and Sliddin'
13 Move Over Ms. L
14 Blue Suede Shoes
15 Ain't That A Shame
16 Well (Baby Please Don't Go) (with Zappa)
17 Hound Dog
18 Attica State
19 Working Class Hero
20 John Sinclair
21 Cold Turkey
22 Tight A$
23 I'm Losing you
24 I Saw Her Standing There (with Elton John)

I don't have time to figure out if this fits on a single CD (probably not), but I always thought the song "New York City" could have been a single - you could even use the One-To-One footage for a video.

Anyway, I need to go - but hopefully this inspires you to dig out some of John's music, and hopefully it won't be tinged with too much sadness.

Deep Thoughts

2008-09-10T07:13:00.000-07:00

In the year 2000, I decided to take my (mostly) American pressings of Fab vinyl albums, and re-created my own (perfectly legal) CDR version of The Beatles catalogue. I had been inspired by articles in Goldmine magazine about The Beatles original U.S. catalogue, and found myself longing for the albums I grew up with. In theory, I sided with The Fabs and their original "artistic vision" of how their albums should be sequenced. But, even though I wouldn't admit it to myself, many of the bastardized American configurations were more appealing than the ones officially sanctioned by the Fabs. The CDs released in the late 1980s were not only based on the original U.K. albums, but also had lackluster mixes, and shoddy packaging. Considering the Beatles' stature, the resulting releases were a disappointment.

Reading the Goldmine articles, which I assume were written by Bruce Spizer, brought back the excitement of buying Beatles records back in the day. While I was a bit too young to get all the albums when they were new, by the late 1960s I was all caught up. So eight years ago, I decided to take all of my records, and burn the whole lot onto CDRs, each disc chock full of music. Besides being able to enjoy the original Beatles albums, I was able to become reacquainted with the original sequences, and the original chronology of the releases.

The first step was to record all the albums onto cassette (to make sure they wouldn't skip). Then I needed to decide on the sequencing, and try to (ideally) fit two albums - with bonus material - onto each CD. The final product was twelve discs : Ten CDs of the regular albums, plus two extra discs: One featuring the Hollywood Bowl and the U.S. Rarities albums, the other had both the mono and stereo mixes of Magical Mystery Tour.

While listening to these CDs after I originally made them, I developed a new found respect for their early material. Previously, if I felt like putting on an official Beatles album, it was usually something from their "studio years". The original early Capitol albums had been so maligned (and often packaged with cheesy graphics) , that I would just focus from Sgt. Pepper onwards. Since The Fabs were constantly progressing as artists, I considered their later years as being "superior", even though hearing their earlier songs on the radio continued to bring me much joy. I was also more aware of the later releases when they were brand new, so I had more of an emotional connection to those albums. Plus the Capitol albums were so short, you had to get up to change sides every 15 minutes ! Once I made my own CDR collection, with each disc close to 80 minutes in length, I could listen to Beatles CDs uninterrupted, with over 20 (if not 30) songs on many of discs.

My eldest son has been getting into the Beatles after reading a book about them. He seems intrigued by the quirky differences in various Beatles songs (like the hi-hat intro on the German E.P. version of "All My Loving"). He has his own favorite songs - and parts of different songs. Currently, he's into the period from Rubber Soul to Sgt. Pepper.

This inspired me to dig out my own home-made CD collection. I first wanted to revisit Rubber Soul. Once I got started, I couldn't stop. One CD led to another, and I pretty much listened to their entire session works from 1964 through 1967.

Of course I've must have heard these songs hundreds of times or more over the decades, yet they still sounded fresh It was interesting that while listening to all these familiar songs in my car, I still discovered (or re-discovered) many wonderful aspects in these recordings.

Since I was driving, I couldn't really take notes, but there were certain aspects that I remember jumping out at me. It was not a new observation that the lengths of many of their early songs, including classics like "Yesterday" and "Norwegian Wood", were in the two to two-and-a-half minute range. Indeed, some of the early Capitol albums were less than a half-hour in length. However I found it interesting that while listening to songs on albums like A Hard Days Night and Beatles VI, even within the tight 150 second barrier, the writing team of Lennon and McCartney would often repeat a verse or two within that framework. For example: The title song from the Fabs first movie was written to order virtually overnight, and features a very simple lyrical pattern: One verse repeated three times, another verse half repeated later in the song (after the solo) , and a middle eight repeated twice. This technique was quite prevelent in those days.

I was trying to think about what I found so appealing about their records when I was a kid. The fact that many songs were short and upbeat must have made it irresistible to someone so young. The repeated verses must have made them instantly memorable.

The arrangements also kept your ears on their toes. One thing that stood out in the earlier material was the percussion. Ringo kept changing his drumming patterns in innovative yet unobtrusive ways, which would subtly keep the listener tuned in. Energetic tambourine playing also kept the excitement going, and filled in the basic guitar-bass-drum sound. The interplay of George's guitar lines, Paul's bass playing, and the occasional addition of producer George Martin's piano playing all complimented and contrasted each other, with the instruments often "speaking" to each other in an almost call-and-response manner, playing sympathetically and effortlessly. The addition of Harrison's ringing twelve-string guitar added an additional, fuller, exotic element to the mix.

The most appealing aspect of these songs was probably the feeling of the "warmth" that comes through the speakers while listening to these tracks. One factor is the addition of acoustic guitars, as both primary and secondary instruments. But the most seductive aspect had to have been the dual lead harmony vocals of John and Paul.

Hearing Lennon's thinner, tougher, nasal vocals blended with McCartney's warmer, optimistic voice just fills the heart with joy. This is not just limited to their love songs. Even the ones about being hurt still sound optimistic.

A good example would be "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party" (Beatles VI) . The constant chord changes and cascading guitar riffs in the introduction lure the listener in. John and Paul are soon sharing the lead vocals; Lennon seeming to be the one who actually was at the party, with McCartney beautifully echoing John's thoughts and emotions. The lyrics make it sound like John is depressed, yet the harmonies lift the spirits, as does the middle eight. There they sing about how even thought his girlfriend let him down, he was still in love, and was optimistic about finding her. It's interesting to revisit this song as an adult. Lennon and McCartney were in their early-to-mid 20s, having lots of fun on the road (and elsewhere), yet could still write convincing, adolescent, pseudo-naive love songs.

It was also interesting to listen to the configurations of the American albums in this context. Many people have already commented on the differences. I agree, for instance, that the U.S. "acoustic" version of Rubber Soul is a more pleasurable listening experience than the official 14-song U.K. album. But over the past few years I've been getting into the U.S. equivalent of the late 1964 release, Beatles For Sale album. When I was young. I asked for the Beatles '65 and Beatles VI as presents one year, not realizing they both made up the Beatles fourth British album, with eight "bonus" tracks. This period is seen as a side-step, or even a step down, after the effervescent early "Beatlemania" phase, epitomized by the only all Lennon-McCartney album, the U.K. version of A Hard Day's Night. But I come here today to sing the praises of this unfairly maligned phase in Beatles history.

Most people chalk it up to being exhausted after world tours, a film, TV and radio appearances, press conferences, a non-stop flow of recordings, and the introduction of marijuana. Even Sir George Martin has been quoted as feeling lukewarm about this period . On the cover of For Sale, the Fab Four seem tired, no longer like smiling, happy-go-lucky mop-tops.

The sequencing of the U.K. album was uninspired. Although it starts out strong, the only tracks featuring George and Ringo as vocalists, both written by Carl Perkins, were relegated to side two. Also the choice of "Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby" as the closing number seems puzzling. Any of the three songs at the end of side one, as well as side two's "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party", would have been a better choice as a sonic send-off.

After an album of all-original material, the Fabs resorted to the previous formula of mixing covers with original songs. The new Lennon/McCartney originals, however, showed a new maturity, with an obvious Bob Dylan influence, especially in the opening Lennon-centric trilogy. The songs seemed darker, more mysterious. The Beatles were now stepping into some deeper, emotionally richer, territory. The tone and delivery of Lennon's vocal, particularly in "No Reply", made it all ring true, with a dramatic reading enhanced in the jarring realizations of the situation, echoed by the vocal enhancements. The unusual structure of the middle-eight also grabs the listener's attention. This tour de force gives the album a powerful beginning. It also sets the experimental tone for things to come.

Country music was also highlighted later in the album. Besides covering two of Carl Perkins' rockabilly classics (with Ringo replacing John as lead vocalist on "Honey Don't") , Lennon and McCartney come up with the country-tinged "I Don't Want To Spoil The Party." There were also a few minor treasures tucked away on side two of For Sale (and Beatles VI), like "What You're Doing" and "Every Little Thing". Even "Mr. Moonlight", which ended up on Beatles '65, (and often competes with "Revolution 9" as the worst Beatles track ever), has a certain charm.
The great out-take "Leave My Kitten Alone" is also from these sessions. All in all, a great selection of songs, a giant step forward in their evolution, and something that deserves to be revisited and re-evaluated.

Over the years, there has been a battle over which is the better Beatles album - or possibly the best album of all time: Revolver or Sgt. Pepper? I've long ago stopped categorizing music like that. It seems to get in the way of enjoying art for what it is. However, it is still an interesting debate. Pepper was more than an instant classic - it was a global event. Praise went through the roof (in most quarters). It threw out the rock and roll rules book. Yet over time there was a back lash, and Revolver (and Rubber Soul) were thought of as superior albums, and all of these album were challenged by the Beach Boys 1966 album, Pet Sounds.

Of course what is "better" is in the ears of the beholder. For me, Revolver will always be marred by the fact that I originally bought the U.S. version of this 1966 release, which had three of John's songs missing. These tracks had already been pulled for the "Yesterday" . .and Today album, complied and released earlier in the year. This left a lop-sided impression of the album for American fans. John was represented by only two songs, which was one less than George had! . The Lennon tracks included were the most bizarre and radical songs the band had done up to that time, and they made John seem like he had gone completely over the edge. Also, the "warmth" of just about all other Fab albums was sacrificed in order to explore more "serious" musical experimentation.

I often wonder if Capitol had decided to butcher Revolver just like they had done all other Beatles albums, would it have changed my opinion? For instance, if "I'm Down" replaced "Nowhere Man" on Y&T, and a couple of more songs were removed from Revolver, and we had a final lineup something like this:

1. Taxman
2. Eleanor Rigby
3. Rain
4. Here There and Everywhere
5. Yellow Submarine
6. She Said She Said

1. Paperback Writer
2 Nowhere Man
3. For No One
4. I Want To Tell You
5. Got To Get You Into My Life
6. Tomorrow Never Knows

Maybe then I could appreciate it more ? Not that I don't think it's a great album. I love everything the Beatles have done. Of course I like some things more than others. Most artists aren't even worthy of comparison (not that it's a contest). It's just I think that if the Capitol version had it's own "personality", it might give me a different perspective.

The growth of the Fabs' musical talents was getting more impressive with each album, especially in 1965 and 1966. After listening to my CDR that had Y&T and Revolver, it was time to listen to the "1967" disc. It started with the single of "Strawberry Fields"/"Penny Lane", then went into the entire Sgt. Pepper album, then the rest of their songs that eventually ended up on the Magical Mystery Tour album.

The first time I became aware of Sgt. Pepper was when I went to my music class while I was in elementary school. It was held in a special room adjacent to the cafeteria. The music teacher brought the album in, and I guess we listened to it, and learned about it. Soon afterwards I had my own copy. This must have been in the fall of 1967. It was a fantastic listening experience, even though it was a little over my head. The cover art was mesmerizing, and the elaborate costumes, exotic instruments, gate fold sleeve, moustaches, and psychedelic sounds were pretty mind-boggling for a second-grader. The fact that we learned about in school (of all places) made it that much more impressive.

After forty years of listening to this album, I wasn't expecting to be blow away. But on the heels on Revolver, Sgt. Pepper was once again a revelation. To say it was innovative is an understatement. They were more than nice little rock and roll combo. They were innovators. They were inspired. Their talents were overflowing. The texture of the music was breathtaking.

Those that criticize Sgt. Pepper tend to focus on things like inferior songwriting and that the concept doesn't go anywhere. These people miss the point. This is a listening experience. Billy Shears is leading you on a dream-like trip. There's no script for you to follow. The reason it works is that you (the listener) let your imagination take you from the circus to India and then back to the Big Band Era. It means whatever you want it to mean. The songs were less defined than previous efforts, but that's what made them work. The arrangements were miles ahead of what anyone else was doing at the time, including the Beach Boys, Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Hendrix, or even the Revolver-era Beatles. All of those artists were achieving other individual artistic breakthroughs at the time. It was a great time for music. It's easy to be cynical and jaded when thinking about this era. But I invite you to listen to Sgt. Pepper again, with an open mind, and experience the album for what it is. Hopefully you'll be able to appreciate it anew, just as I did.

Derek Claptoe's Other Assorted Love Songs

2008-09-03T09:38:00.000-07:00

I've recently been listening to a recording sent to me by a reader of this blog. It's from an outdoor, rain-drenched, two-hour concert by Eric Clapton and his band in Germany from this past summer. It's an amazing performance, with "Slowhand" recalling his glory days with Derek and The Dominos. The set list is filled with blues classics, sprinkled with assorted material from throughout his career. There were also quite a few connections with the Fabs, which I will discuss later.

Clapton's association with the Beatles is well known. If it wasn't for his own stellar career, he might also be considered a "Fifth Beatle." He's one of only a handful of musicians to share the stage with all four solo Beatles (Elton John and drummer Jim Keltner are the only others I can think of.) He maintained a close friendship with George even after Clapton married his ex-wife, Patti.

Before starting this blog, I dug out Marc Roberty's Clapton book, The Complete Recording Sessions, 1963-1995. It was interesting to look at Eric's career from a Beatle-eyed view.

According to a 1977 interview, George said he met Eric once in the mid-1960s while the Yardbirds were on the same bill. Their friendship, however, didn't really start until a few years later. The first recorded collaboration was when Clapton played on a Harrison-produced track for the soundtrack of Wonderwall, near the end of 1967/early 1968, then played with both George and Ringo in June, 1968, for an Apple album by Jackie Lomax. In September, Harrison invited Clapton to play on one his songs, "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", which George felt was being ignored by the other Fabs. (On the White Album poster, Clapton was listed as "Eddie Clayton", which was also the name of Ringo's first skiffle outfit) . George returned the favor by co-writing and recording "Badge", with Clapton and Cream (with a bit of lyrical help from Ringo). Around the time of the White Album sessions, Eric bought George an electric Les Paul guitar, so that Harrison would once again focus on his guitar playing, after a period of getting obsessed with learning how to play the sitar.

The next few years had a flurry of Fab-related Clapton activities. John soon hijacked Eric for The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus. This was followed by live and studio work with John & Yoko, George, and Ringo. The debut Phil Spector-produced Derek & The Dominos single, featuring Harrison, was recorded during the 1970 All Things Must Pass sessions. During this period, Clapton also played with Harrison on the following projects, occasionally joined by Ringo: Apple recording artists Billy Preston and Doris Troy, Delaney and Bonnie (live), Rick Gretch, Ashton Gardner & Dyke, and Bobby Whitlock.

This Fab association continued, at a more leisurely pace, throughout the years.

Clapton played on Ringo's albums Rotogravure and Old Wave, and they appeared together at The Last Waltz finale.

Eric played on George Harrison and Cloud Nine, and toured Japan with George in 1991 (although a one-off gig by Harrison in London featured Eric's band without Mr. Slowhand himself ) They both appeared together again at 1992's "Bob-Fest", where they were two of the five lead vocalists on the Grammy-nominated "My Back Pages". Harrison's "Cheer Down" first appeared on the (mostly) Clapton soundtrack for Lethal Weapon 2.

Eric's Journeyman sessions featured George on two unreleased (at the time) Harrison songs: "Run So Far", as well as the outtake "That Kind Of Woman". The latter track was eventually released on the Nobody's Child benefit album. (A Ringo live track also appeared on the CD version). Eric and George played on a Jim Capaldi session as well.

George and Ringo appeared with Clapton on Carl Perkins' cable TV special A Rockabilly Session. Clapton and McCartney both played at Live Aid (but on different continents), and Knebworth 1990 (separately), but finally appeared together at The Prince's Trust benefit concert in 1986. Clapton joined George and Ringo at The Prince's Trust concert the following year. Clapton appeared with McCartney again at the Concert for Montserrat in 1997, and the finale of the post-9/11 Concert For New York City. Eric then brought things full circle by organizing The Concert For George, with guests Paul and Ringo, along with Harrison's widow and son. (Eric also appeared with Julian Lennon in the Chuck Berry documentary, Hail! Hail! Rock 'N' Roll.)

Of course things have gotten even more "intimate" over the years. According to legend, as George was getting more and more involved with religion and meditation, Patti tried to get him jealous by flirting with Clapton. Eric, in turn, fell head over heals for her, and turned his unrequited love into his 1970 masterpiece, Layla and Other Assorted Love Songs. (Surprisingly, the album was not a big success either critically nor commercially at the time. A disc jockey started playing the title track a couple of years later, and it finally became a hit. ) Clapton said he tried to ease his pain by taking heroin. Patti is also the subject of Eric's hit song "Wonderful Tonight", as well as George's most covered composition, "Something".

Eventually, Patti left George for Eric. Harrison said he was glad that she was with Eric rather than some jerk. In 1974, George covered The Everly's "Bye Bye Love", with rewritten lyrics about the union of his ex-wife and one of his best friends. (See http://tinyurl.com/5qcn4o) Humorously Harrison listed Patti and Eric on the inner sleeve as being on the track. Against all odds, George and Eric remained friends throughout the years. George, Paul, and Ringo all attended Eric and Patti's wedding in 1979. Their marraige lasted ten years.

Last year Patti and Eric published their autobiographies. This year both paperback editions were released on the same day (What a coincidence !)

The last time I saw Clapton in concert a few years back, on his "farewell" tour, Billy Preston was on keyboards. On the current tour, Eric enlisted Willie Weeks on bass (from George's 1974 tour) and Abe Laboriel, Jr. on drums (from Paul's current band).

Listening to the August 15 Clapton show, it was interesting to listen to the songs selected in light of both books.

Clapton played five tracks from the Layla album. The opening song was "Tell The Truth", which could be seen as a commentary on his and Patti's dueling autobiographies. Later on, Eric dug out "Why Does Love Have To Be So Sad", and his cover of "Nobody Knows You" .

Clapton also sang Harrison's "Isn't It A Pity", which Eric originally played on in 1970. It features the following lines, "Isn't it a shame, how we break each other's hearts, and cause each other pain", which could be seen as his reflection on his years with Patti. (He was an alcoholic throughout their marriage)

Most of the show, however, featured Clapton blistering through old blues classics, which, of course, define Eric as much as his own songs. Both "Motherless Child" and "Motherless Children" were performed. Clapton has mother issues to rival John Lennon's. Clapton was brought up by his grandmother (which was a common practice in those days), as his mother was young and unmarried. He did not know his "older sister" was actually his mother, and ended up unintentionally developing a bit of a crush on the woman who gave birth to him.

The last four songs of the main set could be seen as a comment on his years with Patti. First up was a cover of Bo Diddley's "Before You Accuse Me" (which was already part of the setlist before Diddley's recent death). This song points out that the person criticizing him has plenty of faults as well. This was followed by his sentimental tribute to Patti, "Wonderful Tonight". The lyrics comment on how she has to drive him home, as he is in no shape to do it himself. This was immediately followed by the anguished cries of "Layla". The regular set ends with "Cocaine", which "Slowhand" now sees as an anti-drug song, but it was doubtful that he was thinking that way when he recorded it.

Even without the Fab references, the concert was great. Clapton sounds incredibly inspired, with plenty of blistering guitar solos, excellent singing, and a superb selection of material. Maybe he was rejuvenated by his recent reunions with Cream and Steve Winwood. It's wonderful that another of the old guard is still giving vital performances, and playing to his strengths. It's been frustrating being a fan of "Slowhand", since he often sacrificed great music for much more commercial efforts. Of course, it's difficult to blame him. He was allegedly disturbed when he heard that Van Morrison was dropped from Warner Brothers, and did not want to suffer the same fate. (Van claims he left). These other types of albums gave Eric a much broader audience, and lots more commercial success. He probably also brought his newer audience members back to the blues. Clapton is still in touch with his roots, and is playing with an obvious love of the music that originally inspired him.

And did I mention that he still plays a mean guitar ?

Here's hoping he releases a CD and/or DVD of this recent tour.

You Shoulda Been There: 30 August 1972 Part Two

2008-08-28T18:36:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my previous blog, it's time for a new, improved version of The One-To-One Concerts. Currently, there only seems to be a CD (mostly from the afternoon open rehearsal) in print. The VHS tape, as well as the vinyl LP and the cassette, has been deleted. The CD/LP/CS version featured John's eleven performances. The VHS added two songs by Yoko. It was not released until 1986. Originally it was scheduled to come out in 1972, but was allegedly shelved so that the couple would have a lower profile during their immigration case.

My memory of the original television special only had one flaw - it was too short! I believe it was a one-hour, prime time special on ABC-TV. All four acts were represented. It seemed to capture the feeling of the show, with great camera work, and an excellent audio mix (for the time). It was fantastic to be able to experience a small part of the concert again. And then it was gone.

Occasionally, you would see a clip on Geraldo Rivera's ABC program, Goodnight America, or a telethon Geraldo would be associated with. Footage would appear in Lennon documentaries. Photographs would appear in books. But unlike many other musical events, there was no way to revisit or appreciate it.

After attending the concert, I purchased an Elvis 45 of "Hound Dog". Later, I found a poor quality album called Teddy Boy, featuring almost all of John's songs from the evening performance. When the official Capitol album came out in 1986, I didn't buy it. I'm not sure why. I've bought lots of Fab-related stuff (basically everything else!), but was not compelled to own this release. It may have been that I wanted to keep my own memories of the concert, uncorrupted by an official record. I remember being disappointed when I heard the inferior, afternoon concert version of "Come Together" on the radio. I did eventually buy the album on CD, years later. Of course, it's still a great album. Not exactly what I wanted, but even secondary Lennon is better than most artist's best efforts.

Now is the time for The One-To-One Concert to be remixed, re-edited, and re-released. It needs to be available both visually, and aurally. Yoko may want to follow Neil Young's lead and put it out on Blu-Ray. Or maybe a CD/DVD set ? There could also be a special "deluxe" edition, featuring the complete concert, with all of the opening acts. Sha Na Na, Stevie Wonder and Roberta Flack should be able to fit on one DVD.

The evening John & Yoko set should be included, without ANY edits that compromise the integrity of the performance.

The songs should be drastically remixed so that the power of the guitars, and the electricity of the music are restored. (Phil Spector did the original mixing. Use those mixes as a basis, he's probably too busy right now to remix it himself). Other songs from the early show, and the rehearsals, can be added as bonus material. The original concert announcement on Eyewitness News, as well as the radio spots for the second show (including out-takes) can also be included.

The visuals should feature long, lingering shots, not quick MTV-style edits. It should also include lots of close-ups.

The booklet should feature lots of photographs from 1972, along with reviews, interviews, clippings, and re-appraisals. It should be better researched than what was used used in the inaccurate The Lennon Anthology liner notes.

Here's a complete list of the Lennon's songs from both shows, as best as I can research:

John: New York City / It's So Hard /Woman Is The N*gger/
Well Well Well/ Instant Karma /Mother/Come Together /
Imagine /Cold Turkey/Hound Dog/Give Peace A Chance

Yoko: Sister O Sisters /Move On Fast/Born In A Prison/
We're All Water / Open Your Box /Don't Worry Kyoko

Don't cut corners. John's memory, while still with us, is fading every day. In order to keep his spirit alive, people need to be reminded what a vibrant, exciting, and complex human being he was. He was more than a Beatle. More than a poet. More than a peacenik. More than a house husband. He was all of those, and more. But no one will know it if his legacy is reduced to a cliche.
After all, it's John Lennon. He deserves the best.

You Shoulda Been There: 30 August 1972 Part One

2008-08-27T08:14:00.000-07:00

August 30 marks the 36th anniversary of the only full-length, rehearsed post Beatle concert given by John Lennon. It was a benefit concert, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, for the mentally challenged at Willowbrook. As I blogged before, I was privileged to attend the evening performance http://fab4yerblog.blogspot.com/2008/07/getting-concert-tickets-in-1970s-1.html .I was 13 at the time. Getting tickets for the show was like a dream.

My father took my younger sister and me. By this time I had only been to two concerts that could possibly be categorized as "Rock". They were at the Westbury Music Fair on Long Island. Both must have been around 1970. The first was soul singer O.C. Smith of "Little Green Apples" fame. In fact, that was the only song I knew by him. My father somehow was offered a pair of tickets, and asked me if I wanted to go. Of course I jumped at a chance to go to a concert. I remember getting dressed up in a white turtleneck and a blazer.

Before we left for the show I was in the living room with my father, who had uncharacteristically bought The Who's 1969 rock opera, "Tommy". My father loved classical music and had amassed an entire wall full of classical vinyl in the period of a few short years. While there were a few nods to more popular music - two Tom Jones albums (for my mother), the original cast recording of "Hair", and Simon & Garfunkel's "Bookends"- everything else was classical music. Before we left for the show, I sat on our big red sofa, and listened to the first two sides of "Tommy". Even though I was constantly listening to either WABC or WGLI- the two local AM rock stations- the Who's "Pinball Wizard" for some reason did not register. It's also very likely that I saw the Who on "This Is Tom Jones", but that, too, has no lasting impact. I figured that The Who must be a big deal if my dad had bought a double album by them. While listening, my father explained what a "libretto" was, that an opera told a story with different people singing different parts, and that the "Overture" presented themes that would return throughout the opera, and he liked the pun of something called the "Underture". (Both "Bookends" and "Tommy" somehow mysteriously ended up in my personal collection). I don't remember much about the O.C. Smith concert other than I enjoyed it. It was a mainstream concert, very professional and entertaining, and it whetted my appetite for future concerts.

The next concert was teen idol Bobby Sherman. My sister, of course, was the fan in this case, although I did buy his first hit single, "Little Woman", backed with a cover of Bob Dylan's "One Too Many Mornings". It was on the Metromedia label, which had a really cool powder blue label and sleeve. For some reason, my grandparents (!) brought us. Not too surprisingly, they thought it was too loud . I remember that the opening acts were called Instant Joy and Fat. One of them (Instant Joy ?)I believe were also Sherman's backing band. They announced that they just changed their name to "Bare Feet" after their shoeless drummer. I remember people throwing presents on stage, including a hand made rug that said "Hey Mr. Sun", a song he did not perform. I vaguely recall Bobby performing two Beatles songs. The only one I remember was "I Saw Her Standing There". Sherman would shake his hips like Tom Jones during an added instrumental bit -- Well my heart went boom (drums : booma chucka booma chucka booma chucka) when I crossed that room (booma chucka booma chucka booma chucka), which I thought was pretty cool at the time. I guess I still do !

This was of course bush league compared to my first real rock concert experience, even if I was going with my father and sister. I must have been pretty wide-eyed as my dad lead us through the maze that was Madison Square Garden. My father did get me a small, yellow John & Yoko t-shirt on our way towards our seats. We had a great view - they were behind the stage, about 4:30 from the rear. There were mirrors above the performing area - a short-lived practice I believe used for spotlights to illuminate the musicians. It also helped us see what was happening at the front. I had heard that the shows were sold out (as you would expect), but there seemed to be plenty of empty seats behind the stage. I heard John & Yoko bought a bunch of tickets to be given away - maybe they never got distributed ?

Some random memories: There was some stoner dude behind us who told his date, "I heard that Clapton is gonna be here" (which I didn't really believe). My sister pointed at someone near us and said, "Daddy, look at the funny pipe". My father also informed us that the unusual smell in the air was marijuana.

I was beside myself with anticipation. Geraldo Rivera, the local Eyewitness News reporter who organized the concert, was the MC. (Here's some Fab stuff from Geraldo's vault: http://www.geraldo.com/v5/vault/The-Beatles.gr ) The first act he introduced was Sha Na Na, a humorous 1950s nostalgia act. I was familiar with them from the "Woodstock" album and movie. They were the penultimate act before Jimi Hendrix. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this group, it featured a backing band in "greaser" attire, with three lead singers (including "Bowser") in gold lame, performing old time rock and roll complete with choreographed moves. I remember they played five songs. The most memorable was "Tell Laura I Love Her", with the singers on their knees, with arms outstretched . I think they also performed "Yakety Yak" and closed with "Rock and Roll is Here To Stay". It was a great way to start the show. One can't help but think that John hand-picked the support acts, as they all seemed to reflect Lennon's musical tastes.

Next up was Stevie Wonder, who also shared the bill with the Lennons at the "Free John Sinclair" rally, in Ann Arbor, the previous December. Fresh off the Rolling Stones US tour, Stevie basically performed a brilliant greatest hits set, and I believe he ended his set with a preview of his next single "Superstition". He was a dynamic performer, and when he would walk around the stage to perform on different instruments, including the drums, my father and I seriously wondered (no pun intended) if he was actually blind !

Between sets, all the equipment had to be removed and replaced with the instruments and amplifiers for the next act. Things were much more primitive in those days - this process is much more efficient now. I didn't mind the wait. I was soaking up every aspect of the event.

Roberta Flack was next. I knew her from her cover of the folk song "First Time Ever I Saw Your Face". Unfortunately, it was getting late, it was a long day, and Flack's unfamiliar ballads were not helping me stay awake. She may have covered Dylan's "Just Like A Woman", which I later saw was released as a single. (I was only somewhat familiar with the song from the "Bangla Desh" album).

Finally, it was time for the MAIN EVENT!

A few minutes before midnight, the house lights went down, the (mostly yellow) spotlights illuminated the stage, and the first two lines of "Power To The People" repeatedly reverberated throughout the Garden. (I thought it was "The David Peel Singers", but it may have just been a tape loop of the single) Geraldo introduced Plastic Ono Elephants Memory, and John Lennon and Yoko Ono (as you can hear on Lennon's "Anthology" box set). Then John and Yoko entered from the side of the stage.

They looked so f*cking cool. Yoko was all in white, and John had his army jacket on, as I'd seen him wear on a television talk show. While I didn't dare try to predict what songs he would play, he did open with what I thought would be an appropriate number, the Chuck Berry-ish rocker "New York City", from the recently released album "Sometime In New York City". While everyone else sat down, I continued to stand up. It was almost too much to handle. The stoner dude behind me told me to sit down. I don't think it was because he couldn't see, but because it wasn't that big a deal, that it was just another concert. But THIS WAS JOHN LENNON!! Sit down ?? The LEAST you could do was stand up ! I'm not talking about screaming teenyboppers. I couldn't understand how you could be so non-plussed. However, I did sit down not too much later, sitting on the edge of my seat until it was time to stand up again at the very end.

There has been much confusion about what was played at both shows. The Lennon Anthology box set liner notes says that the included live tracks were from the "unreleased" afternoon show, but some if not all of them are from the evening performance. The live LP and video (still not out on DVD) were heavily edited, used mostly the early show, often with introductions of some songs from one performance was followed by a performance taken from the other show.

The afternoon show was scheduled , I would assume, so John, Yoko, and the band could "rehearse" before the evening performance - which would be an ABC-TV television special (a "pilot" for the future late night music series "In Concert"), with a simulcast of FM radio, and, idealistically, a live LP (which did not appear until 1986). (Go hear:
http://concerts.wolfgangsvault.com/dt/john-lennon-concert/20051017-3513.html).

I guess Yoko sang more songs (and different ones) during the afternoon performance, but my recollection of the evening show was that the set matched the 1986 videocassette, with the addition of Yoko's "We're All Water" as her last lead vocal, near the end of the show. It's possible I'm mistaken,but I think I would have at least noticed Yoko performing an unfamiliar song or two. From what I remember, "Give Peace A Chance " started sometime after 1:10 a.m., and the concert was over by 1:30. However there are recordings that challenge my memory, so who knows for sure ? Those recordings seem to have a lot of edits, though.

There are certain impressions that have stayed with me throughout the years. First of all - John's magnetism was palpable. He was so vibrant and alive that you felt that if you touched him, you would get an electric shock. There was also this sense of you seeing a living legend. Every little movement he made was cool. Everything he said seemed brilliant, yet funny. I recall squirming in my seat, next to my father, during John's introduction for "Mother".

You were there in the moment - sharing it with John Lennon. He was right in front of you. We were breathing the same marijuana-filled air. It was not a record, or a magazine, or a TV show, or a movie. This was live, and it was unfolding right in front of you. I was riveted, as you can imagine. You didn't know what he would do next. Everything song, every introduction, was unexpected, yet familiar. Remember, this was only the second major planned concert in the US featuring an ex-Beatle. It was an event.

Speaking of electric, the sound of the guitars were much heavier than on the eventual "Live In New Your City" album and video. (This was also a problem with Dylan and the Band's 1974 live album "Before The Flood"). The aural record does not capture the event the way it happened.

Yoko was wonderful as well, as I had expected. Some people stayed away for this concert, fearing an avant garde feedback screech-fest. However, Yoko sang in the traditional, rock and roll manner for the most part, and kept the avant garde stuff to a minimum. I particularly liked the harmonies on "Born In A Prison". While I appreciate Ono as an artist, this was not the most appropriate venue for Yoko "to do her thing all over you".

John only performed one Fab song, which was one more than I expected - it wasn't even necessary. The show was great - he had already established himself as a successful artist both critically and commercially. "Imagine", "Instant Karma", "Cold Turkey", and "Give Peace A Chance" were more than enough to please the crowd. But John went back into the past "just once", and it happened to be the highlight of the evening show. During the first show, Lennon kept tripping up over the words for "Come Together". This was not a problem for the performance I witnessed. The version I was fortunate enough to experience was incredibly heavy, with a very confident Lennon spitting out the lyrics, with John relishing his final, rewritten lines: Come together, right now . . . STOP THE WAR ! (If you listen closely to the version on "Anthology", you can hear me cheering . . )

Yet all of the performances were great, if you ask me. All powerful, all energetic, all inspiring. You could feel it in the air. You could feel it in your bones. I thought I was witnessing history in the making. Maybe not as big as The Concert For Bangla Desh, but historically significant.

However, it seems to have become a footnote in Lennon's career. Perhaps it was too local, not global enough. Maybe there was no album or movie to promote it. It could also be that the Lennons had become too political and controversial. The album "Sometime In New York City" alienated many fans at the time. Plus John & Yoko's problems with deportation were just beginning.

It's a shame these concerts are not better represented in the marketplace. While there's no media that will make you feel like you were at the concert, there is certainly better material in the vault than a CD and a VHS tape that do not use the best mixes , the best edits, or the best (evening) performances. It's possible that there are legal hang-ups, but by now, in this day and age, it seems possible to work out SOMETHING to bring this concert back to the fans, bring John's spirit back into our consciousness, and bring some great music into our lives.

Footnote: As I write this, Stevie Wonder is performing at the DNC.

Bo Diddley Beat(le)

2008-08-24T07:39:00.000-07:00

Writing about Elvis Presley last week reminded me of Bo Diddley's death in June. When I heard the news, my mind did a mental search, trying to make a connection between one of Rock and Roll's founding fathers and The Beatles. Surprisingly, there was not much.

There were a few obvious musical matches. I knew Paul covered "Crackin' Up" on Choba B CCCP, and when he covered "I Wanna Be Your Man", on Paul Is Live, he gave it the legendary Bo Diddley beat (probably in response to a review that accused Macca of treating his catalogue like museum pieces) . The radio series The Lost Lennon Tapes played John's cover of "I'm A Man", where he humorously lapsed into a proper British accent. Lennon also produced Elephant Memory's 1972 Apple album, which featured a song called "Chuck 'n' Bo". Aside from impromptu covers during the Get Back sessions, it's difficult to find any other obvious material with the Bo Diddley stamp on it.

(This is also true of Jerry Lee Lewis. However, Lennon reportedly dropped to his knees in deference to the "The Killer" when they met in the 1970s. He also said, "No group, be it Beatles, Dylan or Stones, has ever improved on 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On' for my money.")

The Beatles are at the epicenter of my musical education. My knowledge of 1950s Rock and Roll was learned via The Fabs. When I was young, I'd be home, in my room, reading the information on the Capitol "rainbow" label, trying to figure out where the cover versions originated. Some were obvious, like Chuck Berry and Carl Perkins. Others involved detective work. For instance, I wondered if Richard Penniman - who co-wrote "Long Tall Sally" -was "Little Richard". (Of course, it was).

Conspicuously absent from the Beatles' catalogue was Bo Diddley (a.k.a. Ellas McDaniel). Even a search though their BBC sessions came up with no Diddley. Lewisohn's Complete Chronicle book offered a clue : the Fabs covered both "Crackin' Up" and "Road Runner" in the early 1960s. In a 1977 Crawdaddy magazine interview (http://tinyurl.com/67zpnv), George Harrison cited Diddley as one of the artists the Beatles would cover in the early days. Coincidentally, Crawdaddy was also the name of a Diddley song.

Both the Kinks and the Rolling Stones have much stronger connections with Diddley. The Kinks covered Diddley a few times on their early albums. While the Rolling Stones only covered Diddley a couple of times on record ("Mona" in the 1960s , and "Crackin' Up" in the 1970s), their early sets would feature many Diddley covers. Their third single, a cover of Buddy Holly's "Not Fade Away", was steeped in the Bo Diddley beat. Ron Wood even toured with Diddley in 1987, and I was lucky to see them together at The Channel club in Boston.

Plenty of other artists covered McDaniel, including The Who, The Yardbirds, Warren Zevon, Eric Clapton, and Creedence. "Who Do You Love" alone has been covered by Ronnie Hawkins, The Doors, George Thorogood, and Patti Smith, among others. Recent live concerts by Tom Petty and Jefferson Starship featured Bo Diddley tribute covers. Bob Dylan name-checked Diddley in "From A Buick 6". Of course the "Bo Diddley Beat" is ubiquitous in Rock and Roll. You can hear it in Springsteen's "She's The One", The Who's "Magic Bus", The Smiths' "How Soon Is Now", The Strangelove's "I Want Candy", and the Soft Boys' "Wey Wey Hep Uh Hole", among many others.

One of the ironic side effects when someone you are interested in dies, is you get to know more about that person after their death then when they were alive. After researching Diddley, I found yet another Beatles connection. It turns out that the song "Love Is Strange", which Wings covered on their debut album, was actually written by Bo Diddley under his wife's name (for legal reasons). Of course it's probable that Paul knew the song via Buddy Holly's version. Still it is another Fab connection to Mr. Diddley.

When I recently put on Paul Is Live to revisit his version of "I Wanna Be Your Man", I came across his original composition "Peace In The Neighborhood", which has the same feel as "Crackin' Up".

So while his influence on the Beatles may have been less than, say, Elvis, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Little Richard, and others, I guess you could say that The Fabs DID indeed "Know Diddley".

UPDATE: 9/14/79 Paul performed "Bo Diddley" during a Buddy Holly celebration.

Elvis

2008-08-15T10:59:00.000-07:00

Thirty-one years ago tomorrow, I was mowing the back yard on a typical, hot, sunny, Long Island afternoon. For no reason in particular, my mind was reflecting on the previous summer, when I went on a cross-country trip which stopped at Graceland. I also purchased a copy of the humor magazine, The National Lampoon. On the cover was a cartoon portrait of a very out-of-shape, sweaty, overweight Elvis Presley, and I was wondering how he could let that happen to himself.

Taking a break from the heat, I went inside to get a cold drink, and turned on my radio for a few minutes. As usual, my tuner was set to WNEW-FM. It was there I learned of Elvis Presley's death.

At the time, I was not a big Elvis fan. The only Presley record I owned was a seven inch 45, on the RCA Red Labelled Gold Standard series, of "Hound Dog" b/w "Don't Be Cruel", which I bought after I saw John Lennon perform the A-side at Madison Square Garden. I knew Presley was one of the most important, groundbreaking, and influential artist in history, but it was difficult to fathom. The Beatles and just about every other artist said that hearing Elvis changed their lives, so you could not ignore his impact. It's not like today when you want to find about about someone, you just log onto your computer. In 1969, by which time I had a transistor radio, Elvis had a hit with "In The Ghetto", which seemed as un-rock and roll as you can get. It felt like it's something you 'd like when you grew up.

I was still interested in The King, however. I remember the press conference announcing his first ever New York concerts in 1972 - thinking he looked incredibly cool, and wondering what took so long for him to finally play Madison Square Garden. I also watched his "Aloha From Hawaii" special, and remember being disappointed that he rushed through older hits like "Hound Dog". Yet I was still in awe of his power, talent, and charisma.

I learned from someone who was in music retail at the time, that RCA stopped pressing all other albums right after Elvis' death, and went to a 24-hour-a-day schedule for re-pressing the Presley vinyl catalog. (I also learned that one of the casualties was Iggy Pop's RCA LP "Lust For Life" ). The label also canceled all promotional discount deals previously offered to retailers used to promote Elvis' recent hit album "Moody Blue". One of the benefits for me was that once all of the hoopla died down, much of his catalog was available at record stores at deeply discounted prices. So I invested $9.99 on a 4-LP box set -- "50 Worldwide Hits"-- which I probably listened to all the way through once, which was a bit overwhelming. A few years later, I was in London, and frequently heard Elvis songs on the radio there. I'd hear a great song like "Devil In Disguise", and wonder if I had it on the box set. It turned out I did. So when I returned home, I got into the box set, then also purchased the legendary "Sun Sessions". It finally sunk in. I knew why the Fabs, and others, called him "The King".

Of course, most Fab fans know that The King and The Mop Tops met in 1965 (with contradictory accounts), that a totally zonked-out Elvis tried to turn the Fabs in as a bad influence on youth, and that John said that Elvis died when he went into the army. Lennon also had to decide which version of "Blue Suede Shoes" should open up his 1969 Toronto gig (he chose the original, slower, Carl Perkins version).

Yet John's respect for Presley always remained. Besides his impromptu Elvis cover at The One-To-One concerts, I remember reading that Lennon didn't want to cover any of the King's tunes on his mid-1970s "Rock'N'Roll" oldies collection because he felt intimidated by Presley's original versions. While being interviewed by Tom Snyder on the "Tomorrow" show in 1975, John credited seeing an Elvis movie in a theater as the catalyst to deciding on music as a career. Lennon saw the girls screaming at the Memphis Flash, and thought to himself, "That looks like a good job!".

While being interviewed by Howard Stern, Paul said he loved Elvis' version of "Yesterday", and was amused that The King got the lines wrong so that they no longer made any sense.

The Beatles covered Presley songs well into their solo careers. To celebrate the career of the King, here's a partial list of some Elvis-associated music that the Fabs performed throughout the years. Maybe you'll feel like digging a few of these tracks out on the 16th.

Lennon: Hound Dog (Live in NYC)/Since My Baby Left Me (Menlove Ave.)
McCartney: That's All Right Mama (Sun tribute-with Scotty & DJ); Just Because (Choba B CCCP); It's Now Or Never (Last Temptation Of Elvis); Blue Moon Of Kentucky/Good Rockin' Tonight (Unplugged); All Shook Up/I Got Stung/Party (Run Devil Run).
Starr: Don't Be Cruel (CD5)
Beatles: Sit Right Down And Cry Over You/I Forgot To Remember/I Got A Woman (BBC); Blue Suede Shoes/Shake, Rattle and Roll (Anthology)
Hidden Bonus Track: It's Now Or Never (David Frost Show)

Of course, you can also play some of Elvis' Beatles' covers, like "Something", "Get Back" (part of a medley with "Little Sister"), and the afore-mentioned "Yesterday" . . . or you could play The Beatles' "Run For Your Life" back-to-back with Elvis' "Baby Let's Play House" . . .

Thankyewverrymuchladiesangennlemen . . .

Yer Blogger has left the building . . . .

Cranberry Sauce

2008-08-11T06:41:00.001-07:00

There have been rumors that Yer Blogger is dead. People have noted that if you read my blogs backwards, there are clues that I died in a freak blogging incident. I'm here to deny this rumor. Believe me, if I were dead, I'd be the first to blog about it.

The truth is that there was a death in the family - my printer passed away about a month ago (in a freak blogging incident). However, I have gone through the grieving process (after a period of denial), I have moved on and replaced my printer with a brand new (well, old, and refurbished) printer. And now, dear readers, Yer Blogger is back!

Instead of my usual long-winded, insanely detailed musings of all things Fab, I will cover a few subjects briefly in this special edition of Yer Blog. But don't worry, Beaddle Peedles, expect my usual mad ramblings to return in future blogs.

First of all, as I started to write this blog, I had the Howard Stern Sirius satellite radio show on in the background. In case you are not a fan of Howard, one thing is obvious while listening to the show : Howard is a huge fan of the Fabs. Sometime last year there was even a special called "Howard Meets The Beatles" which featured vintage Cynthia, Julian, and Sean Lennon appearances; guests playing Beatles covers; and interviews with Ringo and Paul (The 2001 Macca interview is legendary- Among other things, Howard says Paul is crazy not to sign a pre-nup with Heather Mills). His movie, "Private Parts", even had three Fab references in it. There seems to be a passing Beatles reference in almost every show, and today was no exception. Howard, back from vacation, started commenting on the cretin who shot John Lennon, and how he gets to spent 44 uninterrupted hours with his wife every year in a private setting. Stern expressed his outrage that the jerk who took John away from us gets to have this privilege. Robin Quivers chirped in saying that Sean Lennon would like to spend 44 uninterrupted hours with his father. Nice to hear someone honoring John regularly.

Speaking of Sirius, while Howard was on vacation, I got to spend time listening to my other favorite channel - Little Steven's Underground Garage. It's like listening to the world's coolest iPod-a mix of the hippest music from the last 50-plus years. The music ranges from Howling Wolf and The Coasters to The Yardbirds and The Ramones to newer bands like The Ravonettes and The Oholics. Not to mention long-forgotten singles by Barbara Feldon and Twiggy (!)

You can tell that the shows are programmed by music fanatics. You are just as likely to hear deeper Kinks tracks like Milk Cow Blues and Come On Now as You Really Got Me. Obscure Who tracks like The Good's Gone and Dr. Jeckle and Mr. Hyde get airtime, while I've yet to hear any "CSI" themes. It's interesting to note that a station started by E Streeter Steven Van Zant features tracks focusing on contributions by economy-classed band members like Dave Davies and John Entwistle.

What has this got to do with a Beatles blog ? Well, for starters, here's a partial list of Fab songs I've heard on The Underground Garage lately: Devil In Her Heart, All I've Got To Do, Help!, Matchbox, Baby You're A Rich Man, Misery, You Won't See Me, Act Naturally, I Need You, Helter Skelter, Oh Darling, and She Said She Said, as well as the video mix of Revolution, the film version of It's All Too Much, and the recent "Love" medley of Drive My Car/The Word/What You're Doing.

Not only that, but Ringo's Liverpool 8 was in heavy rotation when it was released (and a live Ringo interview and mini-concert was broadcast on another cool station, Sirius Disorder), plus I've heard solo tracks like Paul's cover of All Shook Up, and George's Wah Wah.

Plus, where else are you going to hear Fats Domino's cover of Me and My Monkey, or Nancy Sinatra's Run For You Life ? Not to mention that The Rutles are played often, including lesser known tracks like Goosestep Mama and It's Looking Good. If you are like me , and love to learn about the music's history, they've recently played Chan Romero's original version of Hippy Hippy Shake, as well as Billy Fury's Nothin' Shakin', obscure tunes The Fabs covered early in their career.

My favorite DJ, by far, is former Stones manager Andrew Loog Oldham. When he talks, it's fascinating because he was THERE. It's great when he talks about the "old days' and intimately referring to members of The Stones and The Beatles by their first names . Loog also takes great pains to give credit producers and record labels. He plays the Fabs almost as often as The Stones (one particularly great segue way was The Wilbury's She's My Baby into The Fabs version of Some Other Guy), and has recently been commenting on George Martin's recent L.A. celebration, both praising and (lovingly) criticizing George's speech. As Loog said, "I'm not being bitchy, I'm being Andrew".

The last thing I want to comment on today is about something I received in the mail. A friend sent me a recording of a recent Ringo show from July 26. I have been fortunate to see Ringo live on three different All-Starr tours. Besides being the fun type of show you'd expect from Ringo, I had two observations. First of all, I love the story that Gary Wright told about how he first met Ringo while recording All Things Must Pass, and how a book that George gave Gary inspired his hit single Dream Weaver. One of the things lacking on some of Ringo's tours is fellow musicians with any connection to either The Fabs or Ringo's solo career, so that was a nice touch. The other thing I noticed is that, unlike some touring acts that have been around since the 1960s or 70s, Ringo's set list has been sprinkled with recent material that actually adds to the show! While we no longer get Honey Don't, I'm The Greatest, The No-No Song, or You're Sixteen, we DO get some excellent vintage material like What Goes On and Oh My My, as well as his catchier newer material like Liverpool 8, Memphis In Your Mind, Choose Love, and Never Without You. Now if we can just convince him to rehearse Octopus's Garden, or a closing medley of Good Night into Goodnight Vienna . . .

My other (non-Beatles) blog

2008-07-16T17:52:00.000-07:00

http://robotsarestealingmyluggage.blogspot.com/

HARRISONGS: THE BEST OF OHNOTHIMAGAIN!

2008-07-10T19:49:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I read that a compilation of material from George Harrison's solo years was in the works. This is, of course, long overdue. There have so far been two "Best Of" collections: an embarrassing collection from his years at Apple/Capitol (side one devoted to his songs recorded with the Beatles), and a much better one, now out-of-print, covering his recordings from 1976 to 1989, while his Dark Horse label was distributed by WEA. As a bonus, this one included material not available elsewhere . Luckily, all of George's material is now under the EMI/Dark Horse umbrella, allowing for an easy-to-do career-spanning retrospective. His would be the last of the Fabs to have his label-jumping catalogue represented on one shiny, silver disk.

Since the beginning of this decade, George's catalogue has been slowly upgraded. The affair has been a classy one, and much needed, with improved sound, enhanced artwork, and additional music. This did much to improve the "quiet Beatle's" reputation. However, it has also been a rather stingy exercise, with many opportunities to satisfy a fan's hunger for unreleased material unsatisfied. Perhaps this material will be released in a rarities box set that was once referred to as "Portrait Of A Boot-Leg", a companion to "Portrait of Leg-End", which presumably became "Brainwashed". I hope to address Harrison's re-issue program in more detail in a future blog.

So I was wondering to myself: What would be a better way to pay tribute to George's legacy than by choosing and sequencing material from his solo years into an appealing listening experience for fans and neophytes alike ? This isn't rocket science, or at least it shouldn't be. The most interesting greatest hits albums are the collections compiled by the artists themselves. John Lennon's 1975 LP "Shaved Fish" is a good example. John said some of the master tapes were starting to disappear, and wanted to gather his singles on one album before it was too late. It included a handful of singles that did not appear on any of his albums at that time, making the record that much more appealing. But in many other cases, these sets are puzzling for fans -- with poor song choices, irrational sequencing, lame artwork -- no real thought about what it says about the artist--although it speaks volumes about a lack of respect for the artist's fan base. Yet since they are cheap to produce, and easy to generate revenue, record companies -- being short-sighted--continue pumping them out.

So, I made a preliminary list, trying to choose between one and three songs per album, with two singles per disk being the ideal. There were also "rare" tracks to consider, songs that still have not appeared on any of the recent re-issues. The first ones that came to mind were "I Don't Want To Do It" (a rare Dylan cover from, of all things, the soundtrack to "Porky's Revenge"), "Horse To The Water" (recorded just before his death in 2001), and the three rarities from "The Dark Horse Years" :"Poor Little Girl", "Cockamamie Business", and his collaboration with fellow Wilburian Tom Petty, "Cheer Down". I assume "I Don't Care Anymore" will appear on the re-issue of "Dark Horse". After making this list, I decided that I might include a couple of these, if there would be enough room. And, of course, NO BEATLES SONGS !

Finally, I wondered, what would be the order of the songs? Should it be chronological ? Random? Should it start with the most popular songs ? I decided that someone as spiritual as George should have something special, so my fantasy compilation would start with his first solo hit "My Sweet Lord" (skipping over his early solo efforts, "Wonderwall Music" and "Electronic Sounds"), following his career with his most accessible songs until we reach his last album, then journey backwards to 1970, ending with one of his most moving songs.

It seemed so . . . George.

So here's what I came up with:

1 My Sweet Lord 4:44
2 What Is Life? 4:28
3 Give Me Love 3:32
4 Dark Horse 3:50
5 You 3:30
6 Crackerbox Palace 3:57
7 Love Comes To Everyone 4:56
8 All Those Years Ago 3:45
9 Wake Up My Love 3:36
10 Got My Mind Set On You 3:42
11 Cheer Down 4:07
12 Any Road 3:52
13 Horse To The Water 5:00
14 When We Was Fab (12" Extended Mix) 3:57+ :15 ?
15 Teardrops 4:07
16 Blow Away 4:00
17 This Song 4:14
18 Ding Dong 3:39
19 Bangla Desh 3:59
20 All Things Must Pass 3:47

Unfortunately, by my calculations, it seems to be about one minute too long. What to do ? I like the way it is sequenced. If you are uploading this onto an iPod, of course, it would make no difference - it would all fit. Heck, ALL of George's albums would fit ! But I've given myself a challenge, and I need to figure out a solution. I like how the two "rare" songs flow, but I guess you could take out "Horse", and replace it with a much shorter song. "Teardrops", a relatively obscure gem, was a UK A-Side, but it was an edited version. Maybe if you used that instead, and use the regular version of "Fab", you could fit it all. Or you could take out "Teardrops" altogether, but that makes the disk kind of lopsided. Another option is: you could take out "All Things Must Pass", and make "Bangla Desh" the closing track, or make "What Is Life?" the closer, and end on a much more upbeat note. Or find a shorter, alternate version of "All Things Must Pass", like the impromptu one he did at VH1 studios in 1997 while appearing with Ravi Shankar.

Luckily, I don't have to decide. You could do it all yourself, and do it multiple ways. All I'm hoping for is that if Olivia and Dhani do release a compilation like this, it will do justice to his legacy, as well as to his fans.

DON'T WORRY RINGO (YOKO'S ONLY SINGING HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! )

2008-07-07T22:26:00.000-07:00

YOKO SERENADES RINGO !

Last night, Ringo was interviewed on Larry King's CNN show. It was a perfunctory interview until a "surprise" guest called in. It was Yoko calling in from New York. Yoko did her best to say the right things, especially promoting Ringo's new computer art book "Painting Is My Madness" (which had unfortunately just been covered before the commercial break). The highlight was Yoko singing "Happy Birthday" to Ringo after Larry requested it. It started off conventionally but was "Yoko-ized" when Ono sang "Happy Birthday Dear Ringooooooaaaoaooaooaoooo" as only Yoko can. There definitely seemed to be good vibes between the two of them. Mr. Starkey was also impressed by Christine Aguilera's birthday greeting, and didn't get annoyed with Larry until he asked what Ringo would do when he turned 69. For the full transcript, go here (second half of the show): http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0807/07/lkl.01.html
(NOTE: It will probably be corrected, but it currently says : YOKO ONO, WIFE OF JOHN LENIN)

THERE'S A BLOG UPON L.A.

2008-07-07T03:16:00.000-07:00

L.A. TIMES RINGO ARTICLE

From Liverpool, with luv

The former Beatles drummer is touring North America this summer to promote a new album that's close to his heart.

http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/music/la-et-ringostarr7-2008jul07,0,1420213.story

JULY 7: PRESS THE STARKEY

2008-07-06T08:39:00.000-07:00

On July 7, the last person to join the Beatles, Richard Starkey, M.B.E., will turn 68. He was the oldest Beatle.

Ringo is the Rodney Dangerfield of music. To non-musicians, he gets no respect. Much like his former drinking partner, Keith Moon, Ringo was known more for his personality than his musical ability. As George humorously noted, both he and Ringo were "economy-class Beatles".

Early live footage of the Fabs shows a smiling, mop-topped Ringo happily bashing away at his drum kit. All subtle nuances were thrown out the window as he tried to keep the beat while watching the other three rock out at the front of the stage. I said "watching" because in those primitive days, the Beatles could hardly hear themselves. There were no monitors, and they only had 100 Watt amps to battle the screams of tens of thousands of teen aged girls.

This does a disservice to his legacy.

The Beatles didn't become "The Beatles" until Ringo joined for good in 1962. Starr's steady beat gave the Fab's music added energy and excitement. According to Mark Lewisohn, Beatles recording sessions rarely broke down because of the drumming. As the Beatles became more of a studio band, Ringo's drumming became varied and experimental. If anyone mocks Ringo's talents as a drummer, put on "Abbey Road" and ask when his drumming is NOT innovative.

Ringo's solo career got off to an inauspicious start in 1970 with two off-beat albums: an orchestrated album of standards, "Sentimental Journey", and a country album, "Beaucoups Of Blues". At the time these seemed like jokes - after all, he was a Beatle, and we expected better things. However, these albums both have a certain charm, and, in retrospect, seem pretty daring. No rockers were doing "standards" in those days. It was years before it became commonplace. Friend Harry Nilsson soon followed suit. Recently Rod Stewart revitalized his career by recording four albums of songs from the Great American Songbook. Also, in 1970, an all-country album from a rocker was still a new idea.

Soon Ringo started having commercial success with the singles "It Don't Come Easy" and "Back Off Boogaloo", and the hit-filled albums "Ringo" and "Goodnight Vienna". While being interviewed by Tom Snyder in the mid-1970s, John Lennon said the fabs were most worried about Ringo's career, as their drummer hadn't written many songs, but laughed when he said that now Ringo was doing better than he was!

We are lucky to still have Ringo with us at all. As most of you know, he was a sickly child, missing much of his early school years recovering from a burst appendix and other ailments. As the Beatles were falling apart, Ringo developed a drinking problem, which developed into a drug problem. Luckily, he and his Bond girl wife, Barbara Bach, went into a detox recovery program, and both have been living a happy, drug-free existence for a quarter of a century.

Since 1989, Ringo has been a productive musician, with a steady stream of fairly successfiul albums and tours, which is amazing considering where his life and career was headed in the mid-1970s.

Some random memories:
-- Going to my friend Keith's house, circa 1971, and listening to "Beaucoups Of Blues", as he was the only person I knew who had it. It was a present from his uncle.
--Reading an interview (in Look Magazine?) after the release of "Beaucoups Of Blues", saying he called himself "Ringo", not because of his rings, but because it was a cowboy name.
--Surprised to see Ringo at the very end (after the credits!) of an episode of Monty Python's Flying Circus.
--Seeing Ringo on Rowan & Martin's Laugh-In circa 1970, and saying to my sister as we were about to watch a Beatle on TV : "THIS IS AN HISTORIC OCCASION! "
--Reading an interview with Ringo where he said he screwed up the words to "It Don't Come Easy" during the evening performance at "The Concert For Bangla Desh" because it was "darker"and couldn't read the words - even though both shows were indoors.
--Watching Ringo present an award with Harry Nilsson on the Grammys sometime in the 1970s . Instead of taking turns reading the cue-cards, it went something like this:
RINGO: Hello, Harry. How are you ?
HARRY: Fine, Ringo, And you?
with both Harry and Ringo reading all the above lines in unison, including their own names. both obviously drunk and/or stoned.
--Finally seeing my fourth Beatle in concert in 1989, with the first All-Starr Band.
--Getting a call from someone informing me that Ringo was in a fancy clothing store in Boston's Back Bay a few years back, if I wanted to try and meet him. (I decided against it.)
--Taking my oldest son to see Ringo's All-Starr's in 2003, just as my father had taken me to see John and George three decades earlier.

To celebrate, maybe you can watch a movie Ringo was in. Aside from the obvious Fab flicks (most of them featuring Ringo in a prominent role), you could check out "The Magic Christian" with Peter Sellers (and a couple of the Pythons doing cameos). He also directed the T. Rex documentary "Born To Boogie", which featured Ringo jamming with Marc Bolan and Elton John. While you're at it, you could dig out his early solo albums, and check out "Have You Seen My Baby (Hold On)" featuring Bolan, and "Snookeroo" with Elton. Also worth revisiting are "Sunshine Life For Me" featuring most members of The Band, and Ringo's first tribute to his Fab friends, "Early 1970". Or listen to one of his more recent Beatles-related songs, like "Never Without You" or the extremely catchy "Liverpool 8".

If you have the time, you could check out Ringo on Larry King Monday night. Or put on any Beatles album, and check out the drumming. And give the man some respect.

GETTING FAB TICKETS IN THE 70s-Part 1

2008-07-05T09:25:00.000-07:00

GETTING CONCERT TICKETS IN THE 1970s -
Part One : The One-To-One Benefit Concert, NYC
August 30, 1972 (Evening performance)

One of the advantages of being a Beatles fan growing up less than an hour away from New York City was the exposure to unique Beatles-related events that the rest of the country - indeed the planet - would not have been able to easily experience. The Big Apple was the host of many legendary Fab appearances - The JFK airport arrival, The Ed Sullivan Show, Carnegie Hall, Shea Stadium, and other iconic events. When George Harrison organized The Concert For Bangla Desh in 1971, he chose Madison Square Garden for the most impact. I did not experience any of them in person. In 1972, that was about to change.

After much transatlantic traveling in 1971, John Lennon, along with wife Yoko Ono, left England for NYC on August 31, once John's "Imagine" and Yoko's "Fly" albums were finished. To Yoko, this had been home for many years, the city where she put on many of her controversial conceptual art exhibits. In England, the couple were treated with scorn, and Yoko was the object of racist threats. John and Yoko stayed at New York's St. Regis Hotel for about ten weeks before settling in at 105 Bank Street, Greenwich Village. With neighbors like Bob Dylan, John Cage, and Jerry Rubin, both John and Yoko seemed liberated by their acceptance in the fast paced artistic lifestyle that Greenwich Village had to offer, where they were not seen as freaks, but as artists.

You never knew where John would show up. During an all day "Beatles '72" celebration on New York's WPLJ-FM station, where Beatles songs and tracks from the brand new "Concert For Bangla Desh" were interspersed with interview snippets, one of the DJ's showed up at the Lennon's home with a tape recorder, and interviewed John and Yoko with Beatles music playing on the radio in the background. There was a 1972 PBS broadcast of Yoko's "This Is Not Here" opening exhibit (featuring John) filmed the previous October in Syracuse-- where Ringo unexpectedly showed up with opened arms. John and Yoko were making surprise concert and television appearances, many times in New York. To have a Beatle so accessible seemed surreal at the time, as the Fabs seemed untouchable, basically holed up in EMI studios since 1966, rarely able to interact with their fans, prisoners of their own fame.

Before 1971, the only news programs I was aware of were very dry, serious, evening broadcasts such as The CBS Evening News hosted by Walter Cronkite, and NBC's Huntley-Brinkley Report. Since I was quite young, I preferred watching syndicated reruns of 1950s and 1960s sitcoms like "I Love Lucy" and "Get Smart" , which my whole family would usually watch, even during dinner. Then somehow we started viewing something called The Channel 7 Eyewitness News, hosted by Roger Grimsby and Bill Beutel. This was a new format which became very successful for WABC-TV in New York. While the broadcasts still showed daily robberies, accidents, murders in and around NYC, explicit footage of the Viet Nam War, and other "serious" news items, these were balanced with much lighter fare, such as movie reviews, silly news stories (often delivered by a dead-pan Grimsby before going into the commercial break), and a Friday night cooking lesson at a local restaurant reported by Joel Siegel, where the recipe could be obtained by any viewer by sending in a self-addressed, stamped envelope to the station. I had a cat that loved this feature- he tried to figure out how to enter the television to get at the fish dishes.

One of the reporters at the station was named Rose Ann Scamardella, who was said to be an inspiration for Gilda Radner's SNL character Roseanne Rosanadana. Another one of the reporters at the time was a young go-getter named Geraldo Rivera. He was making a name for himself by exposing the inhuman conditions at a facility to house and care for the "Mentally Retarded" (as they were called at the time) known as Willowbrook, located in Staten Island, New York. There had already been other reports about various abuses, and Rivera followed up with both planned and unannounced visits, complete with a microphone and a cameraman. There had previously been a similar scandal captured in the controversial documentary "The Titicut Follies", about the treatment of patients at a correctional institution in Bridgewater, Massachusetts.

Another big story Rivera was covering was an updated ballad of John and Yoko. Rivera would visit the Lennons at their home, covering their fight against deportation. It was a monumental battle as Lennon was being forced out for 'overstaying his welcome" and for what we now know was a framed drug conviction, in England in 1968, for possession of marijuana (technically a narcotic) . Lennon, however, felt he was being forced out of the country unfairly because he was a "peacenik", and a possible threat to the re-election of Richard Nixon. Other musicians with similar arrest histories, like the Rolling Stones, had an easier (but by no means easy) time visiting the country. Although Lennon appeared to be paranoid - adding to his already bizarre public persona-- secret FBI files, obtained by Jon Wiener after Lennon's death, have proven John to be right. Adding to the problem was Yoko's daughter, Kyoko, who was kidnapped by her ex-husband Tony Cox, and was hiding out somewhere in the US. If John was deported, Yoko would have to choose between leaving the country with John, or staying alone and continue to look for her daughter.

Being a complete Beatle freak, I watched The Eyewitness News religiously. I become more aware of current events, of course, but I knew that at any moment, Geraldo Rivera might have a report about New York's own Beatle. Not only that, I noticed after a while that if I stayed up to watch the 11 pm half-hour version of the news, they would often use a different soundbite of Lennon outside of a courthouse as he fought for the right to stay in the country. I have no idea how many times the Lennons appeared on Eyewitness News, but a handful of clips have appeared in documentaries and in the hands of collectors. However, one of my favorite quotes seems to have been lost (although you never know when and where rare footage will show up ): it was shown on the late news broadcast, and from what I remember, a reporter asked if he thought he'd be allowed to stay in the country. Lennon laughed and had a different response than during the 6 pm broadcast - and said something like "I don't see why not ? They let Nazis stay here! "

So every weeknight I'd be glued to the set, hoping for some more news about John Lennon. He was an inspiration to me growing up. I admired the way he stood up for what he believed in , proved all his critics and teachers wrong - and, in this case, he even took on the U.S. government. This struck a chord with every young person in America who was sick of what was going on in the country, where you felt helpless--that the country (and the world) were run by dangerous fools that were making deadly decisions that were paid for by everyone, but mostly by the young in the fields of the Viet Cong. It had been a long, difficult decade, full of assassinations, corruption, cover-ups, racism, sexism (feminism still in its infancy), and a war tearing the country apart. In the middle of it all were the Beatles - a welcome reprieve from the death of JFK. Their youth and optimism was the antidote for the repressed, stagnant, drab, conservative, conformist, violent world we were growing up in. The Beatles continued to change with the times, yet still filled us with hope, and Lennon continued to fight for what he believed in after the band split up. Despite all of his contradictions, he was still spouting "Peace" just as the Fabs sang about "Love" the previous decade. Plus, he rocked better than Elvis.

Like Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones, and the other Beatles, Lennon seemed almost like a mythical character - someone who only existed in recordings, movies, magazines, and television appearances. Beatles didn't really "tour" anymore, especially in the United States - only Paul McCartney's new band, Wings, toured, playing colleges in Europe unannounced. In New York, it must have been almost impossible to get tickets for The Concert For Bangla Desh. And that was just two special concerts in one day. You just waited impatiently for the albums and the movie. You didn't actually see a Beatle in the flesh.

So while watching Eyewitness News in the late spring or early summer of 1972 - a year after Bangla Desh, six years after the Beatles stopped touring, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. While John sat cross-legged on a bed, playing an electric guitar into a tiny amp, singing some rock and roll oldies, with Yoko at his side, Geraldo Rivera announced a benefit concert for the patients at Willowbrook - known as "One-To-One" after the idea of each patient having one caretaker. The line-up would be 50s revivalists Sha-Na-Na, Talma-Motown's Stevie Wonder (fresh off the Stones tour), Roberta Flack (later billed as a surprise guest for some unknown reason), and headliners John and Yoko with Elephant's Memory, a New York combo the Lennon's recently recorded half of their new album, "Sometime In New York", with. A second, matinee show was soon added.

I turned around to my parents (particularly my father) and said (probably in unison with my sister) "CAN WE GO !?!?" Thinking it was futile to even think we'd be fortunate enough to see an actual living Beatle in a rare concert appearance, my father didn't really rule out the possibility. My dad kept a poker face. I hoped for the best, but did not hold my breath.

I didn't hear much about it for a while. It seemed unreal anyway. Me, seeing John Lennon, giving a concert. No way. But soon after, my father announced we were going ! He had three tickets, one for my sister, one for my father, and one for me. I believe they were $10 each. I asked - How did he get tickets? They were available through Ticketron, the defunct predecessor to Ticketmaster. At the time, there were not many Ticketron outlets on Long Island.

So what did my father do ? He called a friend of the family (an older friend who was a neighbor while we lived in Queens, NY) who must have lived near a Ticketron She went to the outlet and bought three tickets, with seats located behind the stage. Turns out we had great sight lines. There were also mirrors above the stage go you could see everything better. The tickets were sent to us in the mail ( I assume). At the end of the summer, right before school started, I was going to see the coolest person on earth. Give a concert. In New York City. At Madison Square Garden. With an all-star line-up !

I went into my room and picked through my Lennon solo vinyl - I wanted to hear the first loud song I could come across. I picked "Well Well Well" from Plastic Ono Band (which he ended up performing) . I was bouncing around my room. I figured it would be a real, rehearsed concert, with lots of solo material, and some songs by Yoko. I didn't need any Beatle songs. I didn't even care if it was one of those experimental avant-garde, feedback-drenched, freak-out events (which seemed unlikely). I was seeing John Lennon. My dad brought his camera and took 20 Kodak slides, half from the Lennon set. He also bought me a yellow t-shirt with a drawing of John and Yoko, with the words "Willowbrook One-To-One" on it.

These performances turned out to be the only rehearsed solo Lennon shows ever did . I've been to many concerts since then, including George Harrison in 1974 and Wings in 1976, but there are none I treasure as much as this one.

HELLO GOODBYE

2008-07-04T19:57:00.000-07:00

First of all, I wish to thank Steve at Abbeyrd's Beatles Page (http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/fabnews.htm) for suggesting that I write a Beatles Blog, which he said he would link to his page. I've been a big fan of his website for many years, and regularly sent him links to any articles that I thought he might have an interest in - sometimes moments after he already had added it to his page. It's my number one source for Beatles-related news, and am proud to be associated with it.

Second of all, I wish to say goodbye to someone I never met, or even spoke to.

1998 was a very difficult year for me, with many major changes and losses in my life. On New Year's Eve, I went online for the first time. The first website I visited was http://www.bobdylan.com/. From there I went exploring Bob Dylan-related links for what seemed like hours. I was looking for people to trade with, as a way to get my mind off of all the upheaval in my life. I had very little rare Dylan material to offer at the time, and very few traders would have anything to do with me. However I did get an encouraging reply from someone in England. His name was Pete Baker, and, it turns out, he's one of the world's biggest Dylan collectors.

Pete was very friendly, patient, and generous. In those days we were trading cassettes, and we'd be swapping music fairly regularly. His trader's page is breathtaking in scope ( it only includes Dylan's music, with well over a thousand entries!). It turns out we were about the same age, and had the same tastes. Soon we were trading Neil Young, The Rolling Stones, Neil Innes, Robyn Hitchcock, The Beatles, and many others. He was a big fan of The Fabs. Once I found this out, whatever I asked about, either he had it himself, or knew where to get it. When I bought him a rare Dylan CD - a US-only Victoria's Secret compilation - I was repaid by Pete sending me the first 4 DVD-Rs I ever owned : Dylan, Lennon, and 2 DVDs of The Beatles, which kindly Pete redid so that it included a menu. As a music fan and collector, I cannot overestimate the impact of Pete's musical expertise and enthusiasm had on me. Each UK mailer brought something that immediately brightened my spirits, and educated me even more about the music I loved. Needless to say, I soon bought my own DVD burner, and shared this astounding material with my friends, just as I had done with all those cassettes and CDs he had sent throughout the years.

I don't know too much about his personal life - I believe he worked in the music business, which is where he got some rare Paul McCartney's demos from the late 1980s that he thought I'd enjoy. Also, I think he had a brother in London, and I remember him telling me he became a father probably about eight years ago.

Aside from Pete's generous nature, what made trading with him so much fun was his self-depreciating humour (sic). Years ago, in the pre-DVD-R era, I told him I had a rare NTSC video that was not in circulation. It was an early cut of Dylan's mid-1980s movie, "Hearts Of Fire", used for promotional purposes In other words, an inferior version of what was possibly Dylan's most embarrassing career move. I offered to transfer the audio of the VHS tape onto an audio cassette. When I asked if he was interested in it, he humorously replied, "Yes, sad git that I am." (It's listed on his web page under 1986 - one of the few things Pete never bothered to upgrade onto CD) You'd had to have a collector's mentality to understand why he needed the audio of an early version of an awful movie. It's because it was Dylan, and he wanted it all, the bad with the good.

I recently saw a Bob Dylan DVD listing online of a concert in France, with Ringo sitting in on drums. It was something I had not seen in any Beatles or Dylan book. I asked Pete if he had heard of Ringo appearing at this show. He got out his copy and screened it to confirm that Mr. Starkey was indeed there. He offered to send me a copy. I said that's OK, there's no rush. We have plenty of time.

Recently we were tiptoeing towards another trade. I had sent him things through the years, and emailed him regularly. He said he was updating his list, and would send it soon. Nowadays, most people just download everything. That's something that I do not do. Yet Pete was still willing to do an old-fashioned trade for a fellow fan. I was hoping to transfer that VHS of "Hearts Of Fire" onto a DVD for him. I know he'd get a kick out of it. Unfortunately, that can no longer happen.

In the early hours of July 4th, I went onto my favorite Dylan site, Expecting Rain (http://www.expectingrain.com/), I saw this listed :
Dylan collector Peter Baker of Chuch Walk, Ulverston died at 49. RIP (North West Evening Mail on 3/7/2008)

It took a while for it to sink in. I felt like I lost a friend I had never met.

As bizarre as this may sound, before he died, I'm glad he got to hear all the recent Dylan New York City soundboards that recently surfaced, from 1961, 1963, and 1993. This was "Holy Grail"-level material. When I found out about them, I was going to let Pete know, but they were already listed on his site. I was then saddened when I realized he wouldn't be around for the upcoming, officially sanctioned "Bootleg Series" or any of the unknown treasures that will be coming along down the road.

Of course all of this pales next to the loss his family and friends must be feeling. I hope they keep his website up as a reference tool, and find something productive to do with his massive collection.

He seemed like a wonderful bloke, and he will be sadly missed. It will be difficult not to type his email address when I'm emailing my friends the latest news about The Beatles, Dylan, and all our other faves.

Plus - I was hoping he'd like reading this blog.

Thanks, Pete. For everything.