Outtake of the Week: "Blackbird" (Rehearsal Take)

This footage of Paul rehearsing "Blackbird" was featured as a part of a short film promoting the Beatles' company Apple Corps. It was recorded on June 11, 1968, the same day that he recorded the final master version of the song. Paul's girlfriend Francie Schwartz sits to Paul's right and George Martin confers with him at the end to ask why he seems to have changed the song's structure (Paul had played it so many times at this point in front of the camera that he "forgot the format").



Next installment: May 23

Beatle People: Ivan Vaughan

Ivan Vaughan (18 June 1942 - 16 August 1993) was a boyhood friend of John Lennon, and later schoolmate of Paul McCartney at the Liverpool Institute, both commencing school there in Sept. 1953. He was born on the same day as Paul McCartney in Liverpool. He played bass part-time in Lennon's first band, The Quarrymen, and was responsible for introducing Lennon to Paul McCartney at a community event (the Woolton village fête) on July 6, 1957, where The Quarrymen were performing. McCartney impressed Lennon, who invited McCartney to join the band, which he did a few weeks later. This led to the formation of Lennon and McCartney's songwriting partnership, and later of The Beatles.

Vaughan studied classics at University College, London, married in 1966 and settled down to family life with a son and daughter, and became a teacher.

Lennon and McCartney never forgot the friend who brought them together. For a time they put Vaughan on the payroll of their Apple company, in charge of a plan that never took off to set up a school with a Sixties, hippie-style education ethos. Vaughan's wife Jan, a languages teacher, was hired to sit down with Lennon and McCartney and help with the French lyrics to the 1965 classic "Michelle."

In 1977, Vaughan was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease. His book, Ivan: Living with Parkinson’s Disease was published in 1986 and he also made a documentary for the BBC in 1984 about his search for a cure.

Vaughan's death touched Paul McCartney so deeply that he began to write poetry for the first time since he was a child. He wrote the poem "Ivan" about him after his death, and was published in McCartney's book, Blackbird Singing.

Wikipedia

Elvis Presley - American Sound

Label: Purple Chick, PC-81-90

CD 1:
Long Black Limousine
1: t1 - reh&FS (rehearsal and False Start)
2: t2 - BD (BreakDown)
3: t3 - FS
4: t6 - complete
5: t7 - FS
6: t8 - FS
7: t9 - master +brass+bvox ('master' take plus brass and backing vocal overdubs)
8: +strings RS (string overdubs then remixed into stereo)
9: RQ (Quad Remix)
10: RS80 (1980 Remix)
11: RS87 (1987 Remix)

This Is the Story
12: t1 - FS
13: t2 - master
14: +lvox+bvox+strings
15: +brass RS

Come Out, Come Out
16: rehearsal
17: BD
18: BD
19: t1 - BD
20: t2 - BD&reh
21: BD
22: t1 NEW - BD
23: t2 NEW - BD
24: BD
25: t5 - BD
26: t6 - BD
27: t7 - 2FS&BD
28: t8 - BD
29: t9 - BD
30: t11 - 2FS&complete
31: t18 - 1FS&complete
32: jamming/Love Is Strange

Wearin' That Loved On Look
33: t2 - FS
34: t3 - FS
35: t4 - FS
36: t5 - BD
37: t6 - FS
38: t7 - BD
39: t8 - FS
40: t10 - complete
41: t11 - BD
42: t12 - FS
43: t13 - faded
44: t14 - complete

CD 2:
Wearin' That Loved On Look (ctd)
1: t15 - master +lvox+guitar
2: +bvox RS
3: RQ
4: RS87

You'll Think of Me
5: t1 - FS
6: t2 - FS
7: t3 - FS
8: t4 - FS
9: t5 - FS
10: t6 - complete
11: t7 - complete
12: t8 - complete
13: t14 - complete
14: t16 - complete
15: t23 - master +lvox
16: +strings+brass RS
17: RM
18: RS87

I'm Movin' On
19: t1 - FS
20: t2 - master
21: +brass+bvox RS
22: +band+lvox alt RS
23: RQ
24: RS80
25: RS87

A Little Bit of Green
26: t1 - complete
27: t2 - FS&BD
28: t3 - master
29: +lvox+hvox RS

CD 3:

Gentle on My Mind
1: instrumental master +lvox
2: +brass+strings+band+hvox+bvox RS
3: RQ
4: RS87

Don't Cry Daddy
5: instrumental master +lvox+hvox
6: +brass+strings RS
7: RM
8: RS87
9: RS03

Poor Man's Gold
10: t12 - instrumental master
11: vocal overdub
12: composite mix

Inherit The Wind
13: t4 - instrumental master +lvox+bvox
14: +strings+brass+bvox RS
15: RS87

Mama Liked The Roses
16: t4 - instrumental master +lvox+hvox
17: +brass+strings
18: +bvox RS
19: RS87

My Little Friend
20: instrumental master +lvox
21: +brass+strings+bvox RS

In The Ghetto
22: t1 - complete
23: t2 - reh&FS&BD
24: t3 - FS&complete
25: t4 - complete
26: t7 - BD
27: t8 - FS
28: t9 - FS&BD
29: t10 - BD
30: t11 - complete
31: t20 - FS&complete

CD 4:

In The Ghetto continued
1: t23 - master + bvox
2: vocal only
3: +strings RS
4: RM
5: RQ
6: RS80
7: RS87
8: RS02F
9: RS02R
10: RS02

Rubberneckin'
11: t1 - FS
12: t2 - master
13: +bvox
14: +brass
15: +bvox RS
16: RM
17: RS87
18: RS03-radio
19: RS03-12"

Hey Jude
20: t1/t5 spliced
21: t7 - master
22: +brass+strings+bvox RS
23: RS80

From A Jack To A King
24: t1 - FS
25: t2 - FS
26: t3 - complete
27: t4 - 2FS&BD
28: t5 - master +bvox
29: +strings+brass RS

CD 5:
Without Love
1: t1 - complete
2: t3 - FS
3: t4 - complete
4: t5 - master
5: +strings+brass+bvox RS
6: RS87

I'll Hold You In My Heart
7: t1 - 2FS&master RS
8: RQ
9: RS80
10: RS87

I'll Be There
11: t3 - master +strings+brass+bvos RS
12: t5 - FS
13: t6 - complete

Suspicious Minds
14: t1 - BD
15: t2 - BD
16: t3 - reh&FS
17: t4 - BD
18: t5 - BD
19: t6 - 2FS&complete
20: t7 - complete
21: hvox only
22: +bvox+hvox
23: +strings+brass RS
24: +(alt)brass RM
25: RS unfaded

CD 6:
Suspicious Minds ctd.
1: RS87
2: RS02F
3: RS02R
4: RS02C
5: RS02

True Love Travels On A Gravel Road
6: t2 - complete
7: t3 - complete
8: It's My Way / This Time / I Can't Stop Loving You
9: t4 - 4FS&complete
10: t5 - complete
11: t6 - reh&2FS
12: t7 - complete
13: t8 - FS&BD
14: t9 - FS
15: t10 - 2FS
16: t11 - master
17: overdub session
18: +hvox+strings+bvox RS
19: RQ
20: RS87

Stranger In My Own Home Town
21: t1 - master
22: +strings+brass RS
23: alt RS
24: R87

CD 7:
And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind
1: t1 - rehearsal
2: t1 - rehearsal
3: t2 - FS&BD
4: t3 - BD
5: t4 - BD
6: t5 - FS&BD
7: t6 - master
8: +lvox+strings+brass+bvox RS

Power Of My Love
9: rehearsal
10: t1 - FS&complete
11: t2 - FS
12: t3 - complete
13: t4 - 4FS
14: Are You Waiting Just For Me
15: t5 - BD
16: t6 - FS
17: t7a - BD&complete
18: t7b - master
19: +hvox
20: +brass+bvox RS
21: RQ
22: RS87

After Loving You
23: rehearsal
24: t1 - BD
25: t2 - complete
26: t3 - complete
27: t4 - master RS
28: RS80
29: RS87

CD 8:
Do You Know Who I Am?
1: t1 - complete
2: t2 - reh&3FS&complete
3: t3 - BD
4: t4 - 3FS&complete
5: t5 - 6FS&complete
6: t6 - BD
7: t7 - master
8: +lvox+hvox
9: +strings+bvox RS

Kentucky Rain
10: t1 - FS&BD
11: t2 - 4FS
12: t3 - complete
13: t4 - FS
14: t5 - FS&BD
15: t7 - complete
16: t7a - rehearsal
17: t8 - FS&complete
18: t8a - 4FS
19: t9 - complete
20: t10 - master
21: +strings+brass+bvox RS
22: RQ
23: RM
24: RS80
25: RS87
26: RS03

CD 9:
Only The Strong Survive
1: t1 - BD
2: t2 - 2FS&BD
3: t3 - complete
4: t4 - 4FS&BD
5: t5 - 3FS
6: t6 - complete
7: t7 - BD
8: t8 - BD
9: t10 - 3FS
10: t11 - BD
11: t22 - complete
12: t29 - master +brass+strings+bvox RS
13: RQ
14: RS80
15: RS87

It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'
16: t1 - FS+BD
17: Only The Lonely
18: t2 - FS&complete
19: t3 - 2FS&master
20: +strings+bvox RS
21: RQ
22: RE87

Any Day Now
23: t1 - FS&BD
24: t2 - complete
25: t3 - 6FS&BD
26: t4 - 7FS&BD&pick up
27: t5 - 2FS&BD
28: t6 - master

Disc 10:
1: RS
2: +brass RQ
3: +strings RQ
4: RM
5: RS87

If I'm A Fool
6: t1
7: t2
8: t3
9: t6
10: t7
11: t8
12: t9
13: +strings+bvox RS

The Fair's Moving On
14: master
15: +strings+bvox RS
16: RS87

Memory Revival
17: 1
18: 2
19: fast

Who Am I?
20: master
21: +strings+bvox RS
22: RS87

BONUS TRACKS: The rest of Elvis' 1969 studio sessions:
23: Change Of Habit
24: Let's Be Friends
25: Let Us Pray
26: Let Us Pray - alt1
27: Let Us Pray - alt2
28: Have A Happy

"A Day in the Life" Lyrics

by John Lennon and Paul McCartney

John Lennon's Original Manuscript (1967)

I read the news today, oh boy
about a lucky man who made the grade
and though the news was rather sad
well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph

He blew his mind out in a car
he didn't notice that the lights had changed
and all the people turned away
a crowd of people stood and stared
they'd seen his face before
though they didn't know if he was really from
the house of Lords

I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
and though the people turned away
well I just had to look
having read the book

I read the news today oh boy
4000 holes in Blackburn Lancashire
and though the holes were very small
They had to count them all
They [ ] every one
They had to count them all
now they know how many holes it takes to fill
the Albert Hall



Second manuscript (1967)

1. I read the news today oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph

2. He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords

3+ I saw a film today oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
(Just) having read the book
+ I love to turn you on

4. I read the news today oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes to fill
The Albert Hall



As Released by the Beatles (1967)

I read the news today, oh boy
About a lucky man who made the grade
And though the news was rather sad
Well I just had to laugh
I saw the photograph

He blew his mind out in a car
He didn't notice that the lights had changed
A crowd of people stood and stared
They'd seen his face before
Nobody was really sure if he was from the House of Lords

I saw a film today, oh boy
The English Army had just won the war
A crowd of people turned away
But I just had to look
Having read the book

I'd love to turn you on

(One)
Woke up, fell out of bed
Dragged a comb across my head
Found my way downstairs and drank a cup
And looking up I noticed I was late
Huh - huh - huh - huh
Found my coat and grabbed my hat
Made the bus in seconds flat
Found my way upstairs and had a smoke
And somebody spoke and I went into a dream

Aah! aah! aah!

I read the news today, oh boy
Four thousand holes in Blackburn, Lancashire
And though the holes were rather small
They had to count them all
Now they know how many holes it takes
To fill the Albert Hall

I'd love to turn you on

... Four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten...

The Beatles - The Final Tour: August 1966

Label: Purple Chick, PC-177/78

DISC ONE

Municipal Stadium, Cleveland, OH - 14 August, 1966
1: intro (Can You Hear Me?)
2: Day Tripper (Can You Hear Me?)
3: show interruption (Can You Hear Me? + Vinyl To The Core)
4: I Feel Fine (Vinyl To The Core)

Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada - 17 August, 1966 (afternoon):
5: intro (unbooted)
6: If I Needed Someone (unbooted)

Maple Leaf Gardens, Toronto, Canada - 17 August, 1966 (evening):
7: intro (Live Beatles At The Maple Leaf Gardens)
8: Rock and Roll Music (LBATMLG)
9: She's A Woman (LBATMLG)
10: If I Needed Someone (LBATMLG)
11: Day Tripper (LBATMLG)
12: Baby's In Black (LBATMLG)
13: I Feel Fine (LBATMLG)
14: Yesterday (LBATMLG)
15: I Wanna Be Your Man (LBATMLG)
16: Nowhere Man (LBATMLG)
17: Paperback Writer (LBATMLG)
18: Long Tall Sally (LBATMLG)
19: outro (LBATMLG)

Suffolk Downs Racetrack, Boston, MA - 18 August, 1966
20: She's A Woman (We'd Like To Cary On)
21: Long Tall Sally (Vinyl To The Core)

Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN - 19 August, 1966 (afternoon)
22: intro (From Beatles In Memphis 1966)
23: Rock and Roll Music (Berry) (From Beatles In Memphis 1966)
24: She's A Woman (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
25: If I Needed Someone (Harrison) (FBIM 1966)
26: Day Tripper (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
27: Baby's In Black (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
28: I Feel Fine (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
29: Yesterday (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
30: I Wanna Be Your Man (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
31: Nowhere Man (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
32: Paperback Writer (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
33: Long Tall Sally (Johnson-Penniman-Blackwell) (FBIM 1966)


DISC TWO

Mid-South Coliseum, Memphis, TN - 19 August, 1966 (evening)
1: intro (From Beatles In Memphis 1966)
2: Rock and Roll Music (Berry) (From Beatles In Memphis 1966)
3: She's A Woman (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
4: If I Needed Someone (Harrison) (FBIM 1966)
5: Day Tripper (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
6: Baby's In Black (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
7: I Feel Fine (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
8: Yesterday (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
9: I Wanna Be Your Man (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
10: Nowhere Man (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
11: Paperback Writer (Lennon-McCartney) (FBIM 1966)
12: Long Tall Sally (Johnson-Penniman-Blackwell) (FBIM 1966)

Busch Stadium, Boston, MA - 21 August, 1966
13: Rock and Roll Music/She's A Woman (unbooted)

Shea Stadium, New York, NY - 23 August, 1966
14: intro (Beatles' Blast In Stadium Described By Erupting Fans)
15: She's A Woman (BBISDBEF)
16: If I Needed Someone (BBISDBEF)
17: I Feel Fine (BBISDBEF)
18: Yesterday (BBISDBEF)
19: Paperback Writer (BBISDBEF)
20: outro (BBISDBEF)

Candlestick Park, San Francisco, CA - 29 August, 1966
21: Rock and Roll Music (Live in Paris 1964 and in San Francisco 1966)
22: She's A Woman (Paris/San Francisco)
23: If I Needed Someone (Paris/San Francisco)
24: Day Tripper (Paris/San Francisco)
25: Baby's In Black (Paris/San Francisco)
26: I Feel Fine (Paris/San Francisco)
27: Yesterday (Paris/San Francisco)
28: I Wanna Be Your Man (Paris/San Francisco)
29: Nowhere Man (Paris/San Francisco)
30: Paperback Writer (Paris/San Francisco)
31: Long Tall Sally (Paris/San Francisco)


And so to the conclusion of The Beatles as a performing group
(although some might argue the end really came a year or more earlier)
– all the circulating shows from their final tour of the U.S.A.

While this may be a delight for completists, the last show at San
Francisco is the only decent sounding recording here (and not such a
bad performance either, relatively speaking). Also of note is the
'cherry bomb' explosion heard halfway through "If I Needed Someone"
from the Memphis evening show. Otherwise it's slim pickings, pop
pickers.

We've done our best to make everything sound as good as possible -
speed correction, a little eq, and more (but never any compression or
noise reduction!) We even used a source for the San Francisco show
without the digital reverb appearing on most releases of this concert.

It's not all that pretty, but this is it – the end of The Beatles
live. (Unless you count the Rooftop Concert – and that's on A/B Road
if you still need to find it!)

As always, Purple Chick discs are fan created and NEVER FOR SALE!!!

The Beatles - Far East Men: June - July 1966

Label: Purple Chick, PC-175/76

DISC ONE

Circus-Krone-Bau, Munich, Germany - 24 June, 1966 (afternoon)
1: intro (Bravo Beatles Britztournee + Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
2: Baby’s In Black (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
3: I Feel Fine (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
4: Yesterday (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
5: I Wanna Be Your Man (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
6: I’m Down (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))

Circus-Krone-Bau, Munich, Germany - 24 June, 1966 (evening)
7: intro (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
8: Rock And Roll Music (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
9: She’s A Woman (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
10: intro (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
11: Nowhere Man (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)
12: I’m Down (Bravo Beatles Britztournee)

Grugahalle, Essen, Germany - 25 June, 1966 (afternoon)
13: intro (Mythology)
14: Rock And Roll Music (Mythology)
15: She's A Woman (Mythology)
16: If I Needed Someone (Mythology)
17: Day Tripper (Mythology)
18: Baby’s In Black (Mythology)
19: I Feel Fine (Mythology)
20: Yesterday (Mythology)
21: I Wanna Be Your Man (Mythology)
22: Nowhere Man (Mythology)
23: Paperback Writer (Mythology)
24: I’m Down (Mythology)

Grugahalle, Essen, Germany - 25 June, 1966 (evening)
25: Paperback Writer (Vinyl To The Core) (?)

Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg, Germany - 26 June, 1966 (afternoon)
26: intro (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC) + unbooted)
27: Day Tripper (unbooted)
28: intro (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
29: Baby’s In Black (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
30: I Feel Fine (unbooted)
31: I Wanna Be Your Man (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
32: Nowhere Man (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
33: Paperback Writer (unbooted)
34: outro (unbooted)

Bonus Tracks:

Ernst-Merck-Halle, Hamburg, Germany - 26 June, 1966 (afternoon)
35: Nowhere Man (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
36: Paperback Writer (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC))
37: Paperback Writer (Bravo Beatles Britztournee (MC) + Damals In Hamburg)



DISC TWO

Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan - 30 June, 1966 (evening)
1: intro (Tokyo Highway 66)
2: Rock And Roll Music (Tokyo Highway 66)
3: She's A Woman (Tokyo Highway 66)
4: If I Needed Someone (Tokyo Highway 66)
5: Day Tripper (Tokyo Highway 66)
6: Baby’s In Black (Tokyo Highway 66)
7: I Feel Fine (Tokyo Highway 66)
8: Yesterday (Tokyo Highway 66)
9: I Wanna Be Your Man (Tokyo Highway 66)
10: Nowhere Man (Tokyo Highway 66)
11: Paperback Writer (Tokyo Highway 66)
12: I’m Down (Tokyo Highway 66)
13: outro (Tokyo Highway 66)

Nippon Budokan Hall, Tokyo, Japan - 1 July, 1966 (afternoon)
14: intro (Tokyo Highway 66)
15: Rock And Roll Music (Tokyo Highway 66)
16: She's A Woman (Tokyo Highway 66)
17: If I Needed Someone (Tokyo Highway 66)
18: Day Tripper (Tokyo Highway 66)
19: Baby’s In Black (Tokyo Highway 66)
20: I Feel Fine (Tokyo Highway 66)
21: Yesterday (Tokyo Highway 66)
22: I Wanna Be Your Man (Tokyo Highway 66)
23: Nowhere Man (Tokyo Highway 66)
24: Paperback Writer (Tokyo Highway 66)
25: I’m Down (Tokyo Highway 66)
26: outro (Tokyo Highway 66)



The tenth and penultimate volume in our overview of The Beatles’ live career brings us their brief 1966 World Tour and the end of the Beatles caring much about their performances. Still, the Munich and Tokyo shows are the last to survive in soundboard quality.

The unbooted Hamburg tracks are taken from a German radio broadcast. We’re very grateful they made their way to us.

The Disc One bonus tracks are a little unnecessary, since Track 33 is much longer than anything available previously. But the snippets are maybe a little better quality, so it’s all here, just in case you care.

Note: We used two similarly titled “Bravo Beatles” sources – one issued by MBE, and one by Misterclaudel (notated with an ‘(MC’).

As always, Purple Chick discs are fan created and NEVER FOR SALE!!!

Beatle People: Eric Griffiths

Eric Ronald Griffiths (October 31, 1940 – January 29, 2005) was the guitarist in the original lineup of The Quarry Men until he left the group in the summer of 1958.

Biography

Born in Denbigh, North Wales, to Liverpudlian parents, Eric's mother returned to Liverpool in 1945 to live with her parents after her husband's death as an RAF pilot in World War II. In 1950 the family moved to Halewood Drive, Woolton and at the age of 11 Griffiths won a scholarship to Quarry Bank High School where he met John Lennon, Pete Shotton and Rod Davis.

The four boys were in the same House at school and shared an interest in American music; particularly skiffle. Lennon and Griffiths attended some guitar lessons but found it too slow to learn and dropped the lessons when Lennon's mother taught them to play easier banjo chords. The two boys would play truant to practice in the Griffiths home whilst his mother was at work. Griffiths also befriended a novice drummer, Colin Hanton, with whom he would also practice. When Lennon formed The Quarry Men with Shotton and Davis, Griffiths was invited to add his rudimentary skills because he had a new guitar.

Griffiths left school in the summer of 1957 with GCE passes in English, Mathematics and History and became an engineering apprentice whilst continuing to play as lead guitarist in the band. When Paul McCartney joined The Quarry Men he aspired to be lead guitarist but his ineptitude at his one public attempt stymied that. The other band members decided that neither McCartney nor Griffiths were suitable lead guitarists. When George Harrison joined the band they suggested that Griffiths buy an electric bass and an amplifier but he could not afford this. Griffiths was not invited to McCartney's house for the next rehearsal and when he coincidently phoned them during the practice session, John went to the phone and told that him was sacked.

Griffiths decided to abandon engineering too and he joined the Merchant Navy as a cadet navigating officer. He continued to meet his old friends from the band when he was on leave but he lost contact with Lennon and McCartney after they first recorded with EMI.

Griffiths left the navy in 1964 and married Relda at Woolton Parish Church. He spent the next thirty years working in the prison service modernizing prisoners' working practices. In 1972 he left the English Prison Service to join the Scottish Prison Service and he moved to Edinburgh with his wife and three sons.

In 1994 he left the Prison Service to concentrate on running the family business, a chain of dry cleaners.

In January 1997, Griffiths returned to Liverpool to meet some of his former band members at the Cavern Club's 40th anniversary. All the surviving original Quarry Men were there and that evening they gave an impromptu performance with borrowed instruments on the stage. When the band were persuaded to reform for a charity gig in Woolton in July 1997 Griffiths had to buy a guitar and re-learn a few chords.

The reunion was a huge success and generated demand for a CD. Griffiths decided that the reformed band should record an album and John Lennon’s Original Quarrymen—Get back Together was released in September 1997. Griffiths then toured widely with The Quarrymen until his last performance at SAS Garden Hotel, Trondheim, Norway on November 27, 2004. He had been complaining of back pain and it became so acute that he had a hospital check-up and pancreatic cancer was diagnosed.

He died at his Edinburgh home on January 29, 2005. He is survived by his wife, Relda, and their three sons, Tim, Matthew and Daniel.

Wikipedia

The Quarrymen at Home

Label: Chapter One, CO25190

Total Time: 40:54

An early Beatles ("Quarrymen") rehearsal in Liverpool, with Stu Sutcliffe on bass, May 1960
1 Hallelujah I Love Her So 2:21
2 One After 909 (version 1) 2:34
3 I'll Always Be In Love With You 2:56
4 You'll Be Mine 1:44
5 Matchbox 1:05
6 Wildcat 2:32
7 Some Days 1:39
8 Looking Glass 2:28
9 I'll Follow The Sun 2:28
10 One After 909 (version 2) 1:31
11 Well Darling 3:28
12 You Must Write Every Day 2:38
13 Moovin' 'n' Groovin' 2:18
14 That's When Your Heartaches Begin 1:24
15 Hello Little Girl 1:59
16 The World Is Waiting For The Sunrise 1:30
Quarrymen-Acetate, 1958
17 That'll Be The Day 1:06
First version with original Tony Sheridan vocals, Hamburg, April 1962
18 Sweet Georgia Brown 2:03
Live at the Star Club, Hamburg, December 1962
19 I Saw Her Standing There 3:40
20 Red Hot 0:59

December 16, 1974 - The Today Show

Taped: Monday 16 December 1974 (?)
Aired: Monday 16 December 1974 (?)

To coincide with the release of the single "#9 Dream," John makes the first of four scheduled American television interviews, in a period that will last until April 28, 1975. The first is for the NBC TV breakfast show Today. Introduced by the host as "John Lennon from The Beatles", he appears primarily to promote his latest single, but the continuing problem over his America residency is uppermost in the programme's agenda. John's lawyer, Leon Wildes, also appears. At 7:31am John sits smiling at the camera, giving a "V" (peace) sign while the host continues with his lengthy prologue. "John will not be singing for us this morning. He is deeply involved in trying to prevent himself from being deported," says the host. "The United States Immigration Department know that a drug violation for which he was found guilty, or pleaded guilty in 1968 in England, is grounds for his deportation..." Following cutaways to a news-break and a check on the latest weather, John takes his first question:

Host: "Do you get tired of people introducing you as the 'former Beatle'?"

John: "It's an improvement on ex. I like former better. In England I'm an expatriate and an ex-Beatle. Former looks nicer."

Host: "Do The Beatles still exist? When you disband, does the name go somewhere, and the whole thing just go off into oblivion?"

John: "The Beatles name will continue, because it's 'Beatles Limited' you know, and there's lots of Beatles products that are repackaged. For instance, last year, there were two sets of double-albums (1962-1966 and 1967-1970) that did as well as anything that we put out when we were together. And there's a film in the offing that's comprised of all the films we've collected from all the tours and all the interviews over the world ... which will be called The Long And Winding Road, no doubt. So they exist, but they don't work together anymore."

Host: "You haven't worked together in three or four years?"

John: "Well, let me say, I've worked with Ringo and George on Ringo's album. I worked with George on an album of mine. I worked with Ringo about two months ago and I might be working with George on Friday night, folks!"

Host: "What's happening?"

John: "Well, he's in town performing and we're still friends, you see, so we might have a laugh. It's the last night of the tour and (turning to the camera with a big smirk on his face) ... see you Friday!" *

Host: "Will The Beatles ever play together again as a group?"

John: "It's quite possible, but it's a question even cab drivers ask me. They ask me two things - 'Are you going to play together again?' and 'How's your immigration?' In what form we play together again I don't know. It's been a psychical impossibility for the four of us to be in one place at one time. I couldn't leave here because I couldn't get back in and George and Paul also have problems coming in and out. There's probably three here now, or by the end of the week, but Ringo's gone back. So it's really been an immigration problem that's kept us from even sitting in a room together to decide or saying, 'Hello', although we've done it in different combinations of the four."

Host: "So if the immigration problems were solved, you're saying there's nothing personal between the four of you that would prevent you someday playing again or making music albums or so on."

John: "For us to do that, we'd have to do it more than just to resurrect what went on in the Sixties. Whatever format, it's not in the offing but it's quite possible. Whatever format we did together, it would have to be interesting to us musically, as otherwise they'd be no point. We don't want to just do it for old times sake, you know."

Photos of Pattie Boyd - Part 1

Beatle People: Colin Hanton

Colin Leo Hanton (born 12 December 1938, Walton, Liverpool, Merseyside) was a drummer for The Quarrymen—the band which would later evolve into The Beatles.

Hanton was in an early line-up of the band from c Summer 1956 along with John Lennon, Eric Griffiths, Pete Shotton and Rod Davis, and stayed with the band through several line-up changes until January 1959 (by which time the band consisted of Lennon, Hanton, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and John Lowe).

Colin was working as an apprentice upholsterer when he was asked to join the nascent band, largely because he had recently purchased a new drum kit. Many of the band's early practice sessions took place in Hanton's father's house. He left the Quarrymen after an argument with the rest of the band following a disastrous performance in Wavertree in early 1959.

In 1997, Hanton joined the revived Quarrymen with other original members.

Wikipedia

Holy Grail Recording #10 - Carnival of Light (1967)

In this series, In The Life Of...The Beatles presents the top 10 unreleased recordings of the Beatles.

Actually untitled when the Beatles committed it to tape, this "song" has become the most famous unreleased avant garde recording by the Beatles. While I don't think it would be a particularly enthralling listen, its status among Beatles fans alone makes it worthy of inclusion on this list.

--

"Carnival of Light" is an unreleased experimental piece by The Beatles. It was recorded on January 5, 1967, after the vocal overdubbing sessions for "Penny Lane". The track was created for The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave, an event held at the Roundhouse Theatre on January 28 and February 4, 1967.

History

The genesis of the track came in December 1966 from designer David Vaughan (part of the designer trio Binder, Edwards & Vaughan), who had recently painted a psychedelic design on a piano owned by Paul McCartney. About the same time as he delivered the piano to McCartney's Cavendish Avenue address, he asked if McCartney would contribute a musical piece for the upcoming The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave. To Vaughan’s surprise McCartney agreed to make a contribution.

The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave (sometimes referred to as The Carnival of Light Rave) was an art festival organised by Binder, Edwards & Vaughan as a showcase for electronic music and light shows. It was held at the Chalk Farm Road Roundhouse Theatre and featured on the bill not only a public playing of 'Carnival of Light' but performances by Unit Delta Plus, whose members included early electronic music pioneers Delia Derbyshire, Brian Hodgson from the BBC Radiophonic Workshop and fellow electronic artist Peter Zinovieff. "Carnival of Light" was created for this event.

Recording and mix

Beatles expert Mark Lewisohn, who listened to the song in 1987 while compiling his book The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions, says the song included "distorted, hypnotic drum and organ sounds, a distorted lead guitar, the sound of a church organ, various effects (water gargling was one) and, perhaps most intimidating of all, John Lennon and McCartney screaming dementedly and bawling aloud random phrases like 'Are you alright?' and 'Barcelona!'"

Barry Miles, the official McCartney biographer, wrote in Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now that the song had "no rhythm, although a beat is sometimes established for a few bars by the percussion or a rhythmic pounding piano. There is no melody, although snatches of a tune sometimes threaten to break through."

"I said all I want you to do is just wander around all the stuff, bang it, shout, play it, it doesn't need to make any sense. Hit a drum, then wander onto the piano, hit a few notes and just wander around," said McCartney in November 2008.

The basic bed track of an organ playing bass notes and drums was recorded at a slow speed, giving them a deeper sound. There is also a huge amount of reverb used on the instruments and on Lennon's and McCartney's vocals (the only two voices on the track); Lennon and McCartney also recorded Native American war cries, whistling, close-miked gasping, genuine coughing and fragments of studio conversation. Other overdubs to the song include bursts of guitar feedback, schmaltzy cinema organ, snatches of jangling pub piano and electronic feedback with Lennon shouting 'Electricity!'. The track concludes with McCartney asking the studio engineer in an echo-soaked voice, "Can we hear it back now?"

Also, according to Barry Miles, musically it "resembles "The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet" from Frank Zappa 's Freak Out! album, except there is no rhythm and the music ... is more fragmented, abstract and serious."

Dudley Edwards (one of the organizers of The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave and friend of McCartney's) said that an early take of "Fixing a Hole" (from Sgt. Pepper's) with a piano appeared during the song. It is unlikely that a sample of an early take was heard since the recording of "Fixing a Hole" did not commence until five days after the last The Million Volt Light and Sound Rave, but it is not impossible that McCartney played a few bars of the song on the track.

Some reports indicate that it is around fourteen minutes long and Paul McCartney has said it was around fifteen minutes. In The Complete Beatles Chronicle it is listed as lasting 13 minutes and 48 seconds.

Although Lewisohn's book says that a rough mono mix was given to Vaughan, Miles claims that the mix down “was made with full stereo separation, and is an exercise in musical layers and textures”. Whether a second mix was made after the event or Vaughan was in fact given a stereo mix which was not logged in Abbey Road’s records is unspecified. Edwards has said the tape was taken to America by one Ray Anderson (who was brought over from the U.S. to assist with the light show). The master session tapes of Carnival of Light are still at Abbey Road Studios.

Unreleased status

"Carnival of Light" has not yet appeared on any release, either official or a bootleg recording. In 1996 McCartney tried to release the track on the compilation album The Beatles Anthology 2, but George Harrison voted to reject it. According to McCartney, the reason was that "he didn't like avant garde music" and referred to avant garde as 'avant garde a clue' ("I haven't got a clue"). George Harrison had also created avant-garde music as a solo composer (in 1969 he released an experimental album using the then new Moog synthesizer called Electronic Sound), and dabbled in the avant-garde with a couple of his Beatles compositions.

In August 1996, McCartney claimed (in an interview for Mojo) that he was working on a photo collage film of the Beatles that was similar to a film made about the Grateful Dead in 1995 called Grateful Dead -- A Photo Film. He was planning to use "Carnival of Light" in the soundtrack, but this project has yet to be seen and McCartney has not commented on the film's status since 2002.

In November 2008, Paul McCartney confirmed he still owned the master tapes, adding that he suspected "the time has come for it to get its moment. I like it because it's the Beatles free, going off piste." McCartney would need the consent of Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, and George Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison, as well as Ringo Starr to release the track.

Beatle People: Pete Best

Pete Best (born 24 November 1941, in Madras, British India) is a British musician, best known as the original drummer for The Beatles.

After moving from India to Liverpool in 1945, Best's mother, Mona Best (1924-1988) started The Casbah Coffee Club in the cellar of the Best's house in Liverpool, which became very popular—the membership list grew to over a thousand—and where The Beatles (then known as The Quarrymen) played some of their first concerts. The club was also known as The Casbah Club, or simply The Casbah. Best played there with his first band, The Black Jacks, and later with The Beatles.

Best joined The Beatles on 12 August 1960, only one day before they were to go to Hamburg to play a season of concerts. He was dismissed from the group two years later, on 16 August 1962 and he was replaced by Ringo Starr, but was never given a full explanation as to the reason why. He later worked as a civil servant for 20 years, before starting The Pete Best Band. Best has been married for over 40 years to Kathy Best; they have two daughters and four grandchildren.

India

Best's father, John Best, came from a family of sports promoters in Liverpool, who once owned and ran the Liverpool Stadium. Mona Best was born in Delhi, India, and was the daughter of a British army officer. Mona was training to become a doctor in the service of the Red Cross when she met John Best. After their marriage, both Best and his younger brother, Rory Best (b. 1944) were born in India. In 1945, the Best family sailed for four weeks to Liverpool on the Georgic, which was the last troop ship to leave India, and carried single and married soldiers who had previously been a part of General Sir William Slim's forces in south-east Asia. The ship docked in Liverpool on 25 December 1945.

The Beatles and Hamburg

In 1960, Allan Williams arranged a season of bookings for The Beatles in Hamburg, starting on 12 August 1960, but said that he was not impressed with them as a musical group, and hoped that he could find a better act to follow them.

Having no permanent drummer, Paul McCartney looked around for someone to fill the Hamburg position. Best had been seen playing with The Black Jacks in The Casbah, and it was noted that he had become a steady drummer, meaning that he played the bass drum on all four beats in the bar, which pushed the rhythm. Best was known in Liverpool as being "mean, moody, and magnificent" by female fans, which convinced McCartney he would be good for the group. After The Black Jacks broke up, McCartney asked Best to go to Hamburg with group, but lied by saying they would earn £15 per week each. As Best had passed his school exams—unlike Lennon, McCartney and Harrison, who had failed most of them—he had the chance to go to a teacher-training college, but decided that playing in Hamburg would be a better career move. Best had an audition in the Jacaranda club—owned by Williams—and traveled to Hamburg the very next day with The Beatles. Williams later admitted that the audition with Best was not needed, as The Beatles hadn't found any other drummer willing to travel to Hamburg, but didn't tell Best in case he asked for more money.

The Beatles first played at the Indra club in Hamburg, but slept in the Bambi Kino (cinema) in small, dirty rooms, which were noisy, cold, and directly behind the screen. Upon first seeing the Indra, Best remembered it as being a depressing place that was filled with a few tourists, and having heavy, old, red curtains that made it seem shabby compared to the larger Kaiserkeller. As Best had been the only one to take O-Level German at school, he could communicate with Bruno Koschmider — the club's owner — and the clientele better than the rest of the group. After the closure of the Indra because of complaints about the noise, The Beatles played in the Kaiserkeller. In October 1960, they left Koschmider's club to work at the Top Ten Club, which was run by Peter Eckhorn, as he offered the group more money, and a slightly better place to sleep, though by doing so they broke their contract with Koschmider. When Best and McCartney went back to the Bambi Kino to get their belongings they found it in almost total darkness. As a snub to Koschmider, Best found a condom in his luggage, attached it to a nail on the concrete wall of the room, and set fire to it. There was no real damage done, but Koschmider reported them both for attempted arson. Best and McCartney spent three hours in a local jail and were deported—as was George Harrison, for working under the legal age limit on 30 November 1960.

Back in Liverpool, no-one contacted each other for two weeks, but Mona and Best made numerous phone calls to Hamburg to recover the group's equipment, which they eventually managed to do. The ex-Black Jacks guitarist Newby was invited to play bass with them for four concerts, as Stu Sutcliffe had decided to stay on in Hamburg. Newby was shocked at the vast improvement of their playing and singing, and remembered Best's drumming to be very powerful, which pushed the group to play harder and louder. It was probably due to McCartney that Best developed a loud drumming style, as he would often tell Best in Hamburg to "Crank it up" (play as loud as possible). Newby played with the group at Litherland Town Hall and at The Casbah. When the group returned to Hamburg, Best was invited to sing a specialty number called "Peppermint Twist" while McCartney played the drums, but Best always felt uncomfortable being at the front of the stage.

My Bonnie

The reunited Beatles returned to Hamburg in April 1961. While playing at the Top Ten Club they were recruited by singer Tony Sheridan to act as his backing band on a series of recordings for the German Polydor Records label, produced by bandleader Bert Kaempfert. Kaempfert signed the group to a Polydor contract at the first session on 22 June 1961. On 31 October 1961, Polydor released the recording "My Bonnie" (Mein Herz ist bei dir nur) which appeared on the German charts under the name "Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers"—a generic name used for whoever happened to be in Sheridan's backup band. The song was later released in the UK. There was a second recording session on June 23rd and a third session in May 1962. Best played drums on all tracks and Kaempfert never publicly criticized Best's drumming.

Parlophone audition

At the instigation of their new manager Brian Epstein, The Beatles played a Parlophone audition at Abbey Road Studios for George Martin on 6 June 1962. Ron Richards and his engineer Norman Smith recorded four songs, which Martin (who was not present during the recording) listened to at the end of the session. The recording convinced Martin that the group was good enough to be signed to a contract (even though he had already signed a contract with Epstein) but with one exception; Martin and his engineers did not like Best's playing.

Dismissal

When the group heard that Martin did not like Best's drumming, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison asked Epstein—who had taken over as manager in January—to fire Best from the band. Before Epstein became The Beatles' manager, Best had arranged all the bookings in Liverpool, after they had parted company with Williams. Epstein agonized about the decision, and asked Bob Wooler if it was a good idea, to which Wooler replied that Best was too popular with the fans to get rid of him. Nevertheless, Epstein dismissed Best on 16 August 1962, which was almost exactly two years after Best had joined the group.

Neil Aspinall was waiting downstairs in Epstein's NEMS record shop after Best's dismissal, and was the first one to talk to the then ex-Beatle in The Grapes pub, across from The Cavern Club, where The Beatles had often played. Aspinall was furious and said that he would stop working for them as well—he had been employed as the band's road manager and personal assistant—but Best strongly advised him not to. Aspinall decided to stay, but ended his relationship with Mona (and his three-week-old baby, Roag). Aspinall asked Lennon at the next concert why they had fired Best, to which he replied, "It’s got nothing to do with you—you’re only the driver."

Ringo Starr took Best's place, as Starr had previously played with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, the alternate band in the Kaiserkeller, and had stepped in to drum with The Beatles in Hamburg and Liverpool when Best was ill or unable to play. Best's dismissal was reported on the front-page of the Mersey Beat magazine, upsetting many Beatles' fans. The Beatles had to suffer jeers and heckling in the street and on stage for weeks afterwards, with fans shouting, "Pete forever, Ringo never!" One agitated fan headbutted Harrison in The Cavern, giving him a black eye. Lennon would later comment about Best's dismissal by saying, "We were cowards, we got Epstein to do the dirty work for us."

Reasons for Best's dismissal

Best has never been told why he was dismissed from The Beatles, as the only reason Epstein gave was, "The lads don't want you in the group anymore." It has been documented (notably in Cynthia Lennon's book John) that while Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison usually spent their offstage time together in Hamburg and Liverpool, writing songs or socializing, Best generally went off alone. This left Best on the outside, as he was not privy to many of the group's experiences, references, and in-jokes.

On their first trip to Hamburg, The Beatles realized that the stage suits they wore could not stand up to the hours of sweating and jumping about on stage every night, so they all bought leather jackets, jeans and cowboy boots, which were much tougher. Best preferred to play in shirtsleeves, so did not follow the style of the group, even though he was later photographed wearing a leather jacket and jeans. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison, and Sutcliffe were introduced to drugs in Hamburg. As they had to play for hours every night, they often took Preludin to keep themselves awake, which were given to them by German customers or by Astrid Kirchherr, whose mother bought them. Lennon would often take four or five, but Best always refused to join in.

Kirchherr asked the Beatles if they would mind letting her take photographs of them in a photo session, which impressed them, as other groups only had snapshots that were taken by friends. The next morning Kirchherr took photographs in a municipal park called "der Dom" which was close to the Reeperbahn, and in the afternoon she took them all—minus Best who decided not to go—to her mother's house in Altona. Best was described by Dot Rhone — McCartney's girlfriend at the time, who later visited Hamburg — as being very quiet, and never taking part in conversations with the group.

Best's popularity with fans was a source of friction, as many female fans considered Best to be the band's best-looking member. In addition, Epstein became exasperated with Best's refusal to adopt the mop-top-style Beatle haircut as part of their unified look, although Best later claimed that he was never asked to change his hairstyle. In a 1995 BBC Radio Merseyside interview, Kirchherr, who was former bassist Sutcliffe's girlfriend at the time, explained: "My boyfriend, Klaus Voorman, had this hairstyle, and Stuart liked it very, very much. He was the first one who really got the nerve to get the Brylcreem out of his hair, and asking me to cut his hair for him. Pete Best has really curly hair, and it wouldn't work."

Radio Merseyside presenter, Spencer Leigh, wrote a book chronicling Best's firing, suggesting that the other members, McCartney in particular, were jealous. During the Teenagers' Turn showcase in Manchester, John, Paul and George walked on stage to applause, but when Best walked on, the girls screamed. Best was surrounded at the stage door afterwards by attentive females while the other members were ignored after signing a few autographs. McCartney's father, Jim McCartney, was present at the time and admonished Best by saying: "Why did you have to attract all the attention? Why didn't you call the other lads back? I think that was very selfish of you." McCartney's father later encountered the dismissed Best in The Cavern Club when a Beatles' gig was being recorded for the ITV series Know the North, and said: "Great, isn't it? They're on TV!" Observers reported that Best said nothing, and quietly left. George Martin was shocked that Epstein had sacked Best: "He seemed to be the most saleable commodity as far as looks went. It was a surprise when I learned that they had dropped Pete. The drums were important to me for a record, but they didn’t matter much otherwise. Fans don’t pay particular attention to the quality of the drumming." Martin used session musician Andy White on the third session for "Love Me Do" on 11 September, and not Starr, who was Best's replacement.

On January 14th, 2009, Paul McCartney was interviewed on The Howard Stern Show. Stern asked McCartney if Best was asked to leave because Best was too handsome. Paul replied no, and explained how he, Harrison and Lennon were impressed with Starr’s drumming.

After The Beatles

Soon after Best was dismissed, Epstein tried to console him by offering to build another group around him, but Best turned him down. Feeling let-down and depressed, he sat at home for two weeks—not wanting to face anybody or answer the inevitable questions about why he had been sacked. Best joined Lee Curtis & the All Stars, which then broke off from Curtis and became Pete Best & the All Stars. They signed to Decca Records, and released the single "I'm Gonna Knock On Your Door", which was not a hit. Best later relocated to the United States along with songwriters Wayne Bickerton and Tony Waddington. As The Pete Best Four, and later as The Pete Best Combo (increasing their number to five) they toured America with a combination of 1950s songs and original tunes, recording for small labels, but had little success. They ultimately released an album on Cameo Records titled Best Of The Beatles; a play on Best's name, leading to disappointment for record buyers who expected a Beatles' compilation. The group disbanded shortly afterwards. Bickerton and Waddington were to find greater success as songwriters in the 1970s, writing a series of hits by the Rubettes.

Later years

Best decided to leave show business, and by the time of Hunter Davies' 1968 authorized Beatles' biography, he was not willing to talk about his Beatles association. He once tried to commit suicide, but was talked out of it by his mother, Mona, and his brother, Rory. Best did shift work loading bread into the back of delivery vans, earning £8 a week, and in 1968 married Kathy, who worked behind the biscuit counter at a Woolworth's store. He later became a civil servant for 20 years. Best's marriage to Kathy has lasted for more than 40 years, and they have two daughters (Babs and Bonita) and four grandchildren.

In time, Best began giving interviews to the media, wrote about his time with The Beatles, and served as a technical adviser for the television movie Birth of the Beatles. Best found a modicum of independent fame, and has admitted to being a fan of his former band's music, and owning their records. In 1995, 33 years after being dismissed from the band, Best finally cashed in. When the surviving Beatles released Anthology, which featured a number of tracks with Best as drummer, Best received a substantial windfall—between £1 million and £4 million—from the sales, although he was not interviewed for the book or the documentaries. Best's head on an early group photo on the Anthology DVD cover (Episodes 1 & 2) was ripped out, and a picture of Starr was put in the background, although Best can be seen to the left of the ripped photo standing in front of Aspinall's van outside The Cavern. That ripped photo of Pete appears on the cover of the album Haymans Green.

Best appeared in an advert for Carlsberg lager, which was broadcast during the first commercial break of the first episode of the Anthology TV series on ITV in November 1995. The tag line was "Probably the Pete Best lager in the world," a variation of Carlsberg's well known slogan.

The Pete Best Band

Pete Best regularly tours the U.S. with The Pete Best Band, sharing the drumming with his younger brother Roag. On 6 July 2007, Pete Best was inducted into the All You Need Is Liverpool Music Hall of Fame as the debut Charter Member. Best was presented with a framed certificate before his band performed. Their new album Haymans Green, made from entirely original material, was released on 16 September 2008 in the USA, 24 October 2008 worldwide (excluding the UK) and 27 October 2008 in the UK.

Pete Best discography

Singles

* "I'm Gonna Knock on Your Door" b/w "Why Did I Fall in Love with You" (Decca F 11929, Released: 1964)
* "(I'll Try) Anyway" b/w "I Wanna Be There" (Original Beatles Drummer 800, Released: 1964)
* "Kansas City" b/w "Boys" (Cameo 391, Released: 1965)
* "I Can't Do Without You Now" b/w "Keys to My Heart" (Mr. Maestro Records 711, Released: 1965)

Another "Peter Best" single, "Carousel Of Love"/"Want You" (Capitol 2092) is not by the Beatles drummer but an Australian performer with the same name.

LPs

* Best of the Beatles (Savage BM 71, Released: 1966)
o Includes: I Need Your Lovin'; Just Wait and See; Casting My Spell; Keys to My Heart; Why Did You Leave Me Baby?; Like My Sister Kate; I Can't Do Without You Now; I'm Blue; Some Other Guy; She's Alright; Nobody But You; Last Night
* The Beatle That Time Forgot [Original Version] (Phoenix PB-22, Released: 1981)
o Includes: I'm Checking Out Now Baby; I'll Try Any Way; I Don't Know Why (I Just Do); How'd You Get to Know Her Name; She's Not the Only Girl in Town; If You Can't Get Her; More Than I Need My Self; I'll Have Everything Too; The Way I feel About You; Don't Play With Me (Little Girl); Rock and Roll Music; All Aboard
* Rebirth (Phoenix PB-44, Released: 1981)
o Includes: I Can't Do Without You Now; Off the Hook; She's Alright; I Need Your Lovin'; Why Did You Leave Me Baby; High School Shimmy; I Wanna Be There; Everybody; Pete's Theme; Keys to My Heart
* The Beatle That Time Forgot [Reissue] (Phoenix PHX 340, Released: 1982)
o Includes: I'll Try Anyway; I Don't Know Why I Do (I Just Do); She's Not the Only Girl in Town; More Than I Need My Self; I'll Have Everything Too; I'm Checking Out Now Baby; How'd You Get to Know Her Name; If You Can't Get Her; Rock and Roll Music

CDs

* Live at the Adelphi Liverpool 1988 - 1992 CD
* "Heaven" b/w "Fool In Love" - 1990 British Vinyl 45 + Picture Sleeve
* Back to the Beat - 1995 CD (live)
* Bestiality! - 1995 8-Track
* Once a Beatle, Always a Beatle - 1996 CD
* Casbah Coffee Club 40th Anniversary Limited Edition - 1999 CD
* CCC 4 Track Sampler - 2000 CD single (3 bonus tracks)
* Best of The Beatles - 2005 DVD (features 3 exclusive Pete Best Band studio recordings)
* Haymans Green - Released 16 September 2008 (USA), August 2008 (UK) (The Pete Best Band)

Filmography

Full length films

* "The Rocker", a 2008 film in which the opening scenes parallel the circumstances under which Best was dismissed from The Beatles.
o Best is credited with playing himself during the end credits.

Wikipedia

August 11, 1966 - ITN

Taped: Thursday 11 August 1966

The press and all three television networks were waiting in Chicago and talked of nothing but John's remarks about Jesus. The Beatles had to do a live press conference from the 27th floor of the Astor Towers Hotel where they were staying. John was obviously very uncomfortable, being forced to apologise for something which the Americans had taken out of context.

John: "Look, I wasn't saying The Beatles are better than God or Jesus. I said 'Beatles' because it's easy for me to talk about Beatles. I could have said 'TV' or 'the cinema', 'motorcars' or anything popular and I would have got away with it...

"I'm not anti-God, anti-Christ or anti-religion. I was not saying we are greater or better. I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus, Mohammed, Buddha and all the rest said was right. Ifs just the translations have gone wrong.

"I wasn't saying whatever they're saying I was saying. I'm sorry I said it, really. I never meant it to be a lousy anti-religious thing. From what I've read, or observed, Christianity just seems to me to be shrinking, to be losing contact."

Reporter: "A disc jockey in Birmingham, Alabama, who actually started most of the repercussions, has demanded an apology from you."

John: "He can have it, I apologise to him."

"It's Only a Dream" Lyrics

by George Harrison

Original Manuscript (1967)

I'm happy to say that it's only a dream
when I come across people like you,
it's only a dream and you make it obscene
with the things that you think and you do.
your [sic] so unaware of the pain that I bear
and jealous for what you cant do.
There's times when I feel that you haven't a hope
but I also know that isn't true.

Beatle People: Bob Wooler

Bob Wooler (born Frederick James Wooler, 19 January 1926, Liverpool — died 8 February 2002, Liverpool) was most notable for being instrumental in introducing The Beatles to their manager, Brian Epstein, and as the DJ at The Cavern Club.

Career

While he was living in Garston, he became involved in managing a skiffle group called The Kingstrums. He entered them into a talent contest at the Gateacre Labour Club. The competition was won by a group called The Mars Bars, who later became Gerry & The Pacemakers. The Kingstrums disbanded in 1958, but his experience of the music scene convinced Wooler that he was more suited to being a compère for the shows put on at local jive hives. As a compère/disc jockey he worked, part-time, for promoters such as Wally Hill of Peak Promotions.

Wooler's encyclopedic knowledge of the local scene soon made him a sought-after figure by promoters and his advice was regularly heeded. Allan Williams offered him a job at the Top Ten Club, but it burned down shortly after opening. Always of smart attire, Wooler then started full time employment, in his most notable role, as compère at the Cavern Club. Whilst Williams was sorting out his finances, due to his former club burning down, he recommended that Wooler become The Beatles' manager, an offer that he declined. His voice was captured on the only live footage of the Beatles ever filmed at the Cavern, performing "Some Other Guy." Later, he was instrumental in introducing the Beatles to their future manager, Epstein. Wooler became one of the major figures on the Mersey Scene and did much to help the various groups, remaining at the Cavern until 1967.

Famously, Wooler was physically attacked by John Lennon at Paul McCartney's 21st birthday party in 1963. A drunk Lennon was incensed by an apparent jibe that Wooler made about Lennon's recent holiday to Spain with Epstein.

Woolerisms

* "The best of cellars", a wordplay of "best of fellas," and referring to the cellar in which the original Cavern Club was situated.

* "The Nemperor" for Epstein, was an amalgamation of NEMS, Epstein's record shop in Liverpool, and "emperor."

* Others include; "Mr Showmanship" for Rory Storm, "The Panda Footed Prince of Prance" for Faron, leader of Faron's Flamingos, "The Sheik of Shake" for Karl Terry, of Karl Terry and the Cruisers and "The Boswell of Beat" for Bill Harry, editor of Mersey Beat.

Wikipedia