Brief clip of the performance recorded at the Sahara Hotel and Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada on September 4, 1972:
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Thursday, December 15, 2011
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Beatles & Bournemouth
Like looking through a scrapbook or time capsule, Yeah Yeah Yeah captures many unseen moments of the Beatles appearances in Bournemouth, England. There are plenty of rare photos, facts, and remembrances contained in this impressive volume. For example, I was not aware the Beatles started their Roy Orbison Tour sets in 1963 with "Some Other Guy," underlining their fondness for the Richie Barrett song (John Lennon would later lift the riff for the intro of his 1970 single, "Instant Karma"). I had previously only seen one alternate shot of the With the Beatles album cover, while page 49 contains two. There are an abundance of Beatles backstage photographs I have not seen before that add life to the recollections of the people that were there interspersed throughout. So many interesting tidbits are to be found, including what happened to the 1963 Beatles audience tape at Gaumont that went up for auction several years ago. There are also some great pictures from later in the Beatles' career as well, including a unique photo of John, Julian, and Aunt Mimi at the Sandbanks ferry in 1967. All in all, a wonderful collection.
An exhibition of rare and previously unseen photos is running at Bournemouth Central Library until January 18. Art prints of many of the photos are now available to order at www.beatlesandbournemouth.com along with copies of the book.
An exhibition of rare and previously unseen photos is running at Bournemouth Central Library until January 18. Art prints of many of the photos are now available to order at www.beatlesandbournemouth.com along with copies of the book.
Wednesday, December 07, 2011
Monday, December 05, 2011
Guitar World Ultimate Beatles Guide
GUITAR WORLD PRESENTS THE ULTIMATE GUIDE
TO THE RECORDINGS, SONGS AND GEAR OF THE BEATLES
IN THE HOLIDAY 2011 ISSUE
Beatles fans rejoice! Guitar World presents the ultimate guide to the recordings, songs and gear of the Beatles, the group that revolutionized not only rock and roll but also the recording studio. The issue is devoted to an in-depth examination of the Fab Four’s 13 albums – from Please Please Me to Let It Be – and includes commentary culled from original interviews with Beatles producer George Martin and engineers Geoff Emerick and Alan Parsons. The issue explores the Beatles through their gear, as well as the unique recording equipment in Abbey Road Studios that captured their sounds and forever changed music.
Each Beatles album is explored in detail, from the story behind its creation to the guitars and amps used in its making. George Harrison’s Rickenbacker 360 12-string guitar used on A Hard Day’s Night and numerous other classic-era songs, as well as his custom-made rosewood Fender Telecaster, famously used during the making of Let It Be. Guitar World tells the stories behind selected tracks from each album including “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Ticket to Ride,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and others.
The Holiday 2011 issue of Guitar World is available on newsstands now and on Apple Newsstand for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
TO THE RECORDINGS, SONGS AND GEAR OF THE BEATLES
IN THE HOLIDAY 2011 ISSUE
Beatles fans rejoice! Guitar World presents the ultimate guide to the recordings, songs and gear of the Beatles, the group that revolutionized not only rock and roll but also the recording studio. The issue is devoted to an in-depth examination of the Fab Four’s 13 albums – from Please Please Me to Let It Be – and includes commentary culled from original interviews with Beatles producer George Martin and engineers Geoff Emerick and Alan Parsons. The issue explores the Beatles through their gear, as well as the unique recording equipment in Abbey Road Studios that captured their sounds and forever changed music.
Each Beatles album is explored in detail, from the story behind its creation to the guitars and amps used in its making. George Harrison’s Rickenbacker 360 12-string guitar used on A Hard Day’s Night and numerous other classic-era songs, as well as his custom-made rosewood Fender Telecaster, famously used during the making of Let It Be. Guitar World tells the stories behind selected tracks from each album including “I Saw Her Standing There,” “Ticket to Ride,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and others.
The Holiday 2011 issue of Guitar World is available on newsstands now and on Apple Newsstand for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch.
Sunday, December 04, 2011
Saturday, December 03, 2011
Friday, December 02, 2011
Thursday, December 01, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Saturday, November 26, 2011
Friday, November 25, 2011
Oh My God
Oh My God asks people from all walks of life, from celebrities (including Ringo Starr), to the religious, to atheists and the common Man - the question - "What is God?"
Thursday, November 24, 2011
It's the Beatles (1963)
Early live TV special featuring:
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Money (That's What I Want)
Twist and Shout
From Me To You (instrumental)
I Want to Hold Your Hand
Money (That's What I Want)
Twist and Shout
From Me To You (instrumental)
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Monday, November 21, 2011
Sunday, November 20, 2011
The Beatles' North American Tour Footage (1965)
Footage from Hollywood Bowl - both shows, Cow Palace in San Francisco, CA - not shown but included are the press conferences. The arrivals, departures and back to the UK, Ringo' s first born and the first episode of the Beatles' Cartoon:
Saturday, November 19, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Concert for George
Concert for George was held at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 29 November 2002 as a memorial to George Harrison on the first anniversary of his death. The event was organized by Harrison's widow, Olivia, and son, Dhani, and arranged under the musical direction of Eric Clapton and Jeff Lynne. The profits from the event went to the Material World Charitable Foundation, an organization set up by Harrison.
Performances
The concert opened with a traditional Sanskrit invocation, the Sarve Shaam chant, followed by Indian music when Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, played "Your Eyes." Next, Anoushka Shankar and Jeff Lynne performed "The Inner Light," followed by a Ravi Shankar composition "Arpan" (Sanskrit for 'to give'), specially written for the occasion. Next there was a comedy interlude with members of the Monty Python troupe (Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam along with Neil Innes) performing "Sit on My Face." Then Michael Palin came out as an over the top announcer who eventually states that he only ever wanted to be a lumberjack. He was then joined by the Pythons, Innes, Carol Cleveland and special guest Tom Hanks, to perform "The Lumberjack Song."
The remainder of the concert featured "George's Band" and included surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as musicians Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Jools Holland, Albert Lee, Sam Brown, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Ray Cooper, Andy Fairweather-Low, Marc Mann, Harrison's son Dhani and several other musicians who appeared on Harrison's recordings over the years.
Between them they played a selection of mostly Harrison's songs, from both Beatle and post-Beatle eras, generally staying faithful to Harrison's original arrangements. Performances included Clapton and Preston on "Isn't It a Pity"; Starr on "Photograph"; McCartney and Clapton on "Something" (McCartney opening with a solo ukulele accompaniment which then shifts into a full band version featuring Clapton); Preston on "My Sweet Lord"; McCartney, Clapton and Starr reuniting on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" for the first time since they recorded the original Beatles version on 'The White Album' in 1968; and the performance of "Wah Wah."
Joe Brown closed the show with a very warming and apt rendition of "I'll See You in My Dreams" on ukulele, one of Harrison's favourite instruments.
The event was filmed and a motion picture version, directed by David Leland and photographed by Chris Menges was released on DVD on 17 November 2003. A compact disc version was also released on the same date; The Monty Python and Sam Brown tracks were not included on the CD.
Set list
1. "Sarve Shaam"
* Traditional prayer - including a dedication by Ravi Shankar
2. "Your Eyes" (Ravi Shankar) - 8:22
* Anoushka Shankar: sitar / Tanmoy Bose: tabla
3. "The Inner Light" (Harrison) - 3:01
* Anoushka Shankar: sitar / Jeff Lynne: lead vocal, acoustic guitar / Tanmoy Bose: tabla / Dhani Harrison: piano, backing vocals / Unidentified musician(s)
4. "Arpan" (Ravi Shankar) - 23:01
* Anoushka Shankar: sitar, conductor / Sukanya Shankar: vocal-shloka / M. Balanchandar: mridangam / Vishwa Mohan Bhatt: mohan vina / Tanmoy Bose: tabla, dholak / Chandrasekhar, Balu Raghuraman: violins / Eric Clapton: guitar / Pedro Eustache: wind instruments / Sunil Gupta: flute / Anuradha Krishamurthi, O.S. Arun: vocalists / Jane Lister: harp / Gaurav Mazumdar: sitar / Snehashish Mzumdar: mandolin / Ramesh Mishra: sarangi / Pirashanna Thevarajah: percussion / Kenji Ota: tanpura / Barry Phillips: cello / Rajendara Prasanna: shahnai / Emil Richards: marimba / Partho Sarathy: sarod / Hari Sivanesan, Sivaskti Sivanesan: veena / Boys and Girls Choir courtesy of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan / English Chamber Choir / London Metropolitan Orchestra (Andrew Brown, Roger Chase, Chris Fish, Helen Hathorn, Lynda Houghton, Ian Humphries, Zoe Martlew, Stella Page, Debbie Widdup)
* Michael Kamen - string conductor, string arrangement
5. Comic Interlude including four members of Monty Python: Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam. Also performing: Neil Innes, Carol Cleveland and Tom Hanks.
* "Sit On My Face"
* "The Lumberjack Song"
6. "I Want to Tell You" (Harrison) - 2:52
* Jeff Lynne: lead vocal, guitar
7. "If I Needed Someone" (Harrison) - 2:28
* Eric Clapton: lead vocal, guitar
8. "Old Brown Shoe" (Harrison) - 3:48
* Gary Brooker: lead vocal, keyboards
9. "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" (Harrison) - 3:29
* Jeff Lynne: lead vocal, guitar
10. "Beware Of Darkness" (Harrison) - 4:00
* Eric Clapton: lead vocal, guitar
11. "Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison) - 3:09
* Joe Brown: lead vocal, guitar / Neil Gauntlett: guitar / Dave 'Rico' Nilo: bass / Phil Capaldi: drums / Andy Fairweather-Low: guitar
12. "That's The Way It Goes" (Harrison) - 3:39
* Joe Brown: lead vocal, mandolin / Neil Gauntlett: guitar / Dave 'Rico' Nilo: bass / Phil Capaldi: drums
13. "Horse to the Water" (George Harrison/Dhani Harrison)
* Sam Brown: lead vocal / Jools Holland: piano / Jim Capaldi: drums
14. "Taxman" (Harrison) - 3:10
* Tom Petty: lead vocal, guitar / Mike Campbell: lead guitar / Benmont Tench: keyboards / Ron Blair: bass / Steve Ferrone: drums / Scott Thurston: additional guitar, background vocals
15. "I Need You" (Harrison) - 3:00
* Tom Petty: lead vocal, guitar / Mike Campbell: lead guitar / Benmont Tench: keyboards / Ron Blair: bass / Steve Ferrone: drums / Scott Thurston: additional guitar, background vocals
16. "Handle with Care" (George Harrison/Jeff Lynne/Roy Orbison/Tom Petty/Bob Dylan) - 3:27
* Tom Petty: lead vocal, guitar / Jeff Lynne: lead vocal / Dhani Harrison: guitar / Scott Thurston: background vocal, guitar, harmonica / Mike Campbell: lead guitar / Benmont Tench: keyboards / Ron Blair: bass / Steve Ferrone: drums / Jim Keltner: drums
17. "Isn't It a Pity" (Harrison) - 6:58
* Billy Preston: lead vocal, organ / Eric Clapton: lead vocal, lead guitar
18. "Photograph" (Starkey/Harrison) - 3:56
* Ringo Starr: lead vocal
19. "Honey Don't" (Carl Perkins) - 3:03
* Ringo Starr: lead vocal / Albert Lee: guitar solo / Gary Brooker: piano solo / Billy Preston: organ
20. "For You Blue" (Harrison) - 3:04
* Paul McCartney: lead vocal, acoustic guitar / Ringo Starr: drums / Marc Mann: slide guitar
21. "Something" (Harrison) - 4:25
* Paul McCartney: lead vocal, ukulele, acoustic guitar / Ringo Starr: drums / Eric Clapton: lead vocal, lead guitar / Marc Mann: guitar
22. "All Things Must Pass" (Harrison) - 3:33
* Paul McCartney: lead vocal, acoustic guitar / Ringo Starr: Drums
23. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Harrison) - 5:57
* Eric Clapton: lead vocal, lead guitar / Paul McCartney: piano, background vocals / Ringo Starr: drums
24. "My Sweet Lord" (Harrison) - 5:02
* Billy Preston: lead vocal, keyboards / Paul McCartney: piano
25. "Wah-Wah" (Harrison) - 6:06
* Jeff Lynne/Eric Clapton: lead vocal, guitar/Billy Preston: lead vocal/keyboards / Supergroup of Guest Musicians: all other instruments
26. "I'll See You in My Dreams" (Isham Jones/Gus Kahn) - 4:01
* Joe Brown: lead vocal, ukulele / Neil Gauntlett: acoustic guitar / Dave 'Rico' Nilo: bass / Jim Capaldi: drums
George's Band (after interlude) and guests
* Eric Clapton — guitars, musical director
* Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Joe Brown, Albert Lee, Marc Mann, Andy Fairweather-Low, Dhani Harrison — electric and acoustic guitars
* Gary Brooker, Jools Holland, Chris Stainton, Billy Preston, Paul McCartney — keyboards
* Dave Bronze, Klaus Voormann — bass
* Jim Capaldi, Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Henry Spinetti — drums
* Ray Cooper — percussion
* Jim Horn — alto saxophone
* Tom Scott — tenor saxophone
* Katie Kissoon, Tessa Niles, Sam Brown — backing vocals
* Ravi Shankar — sitar
Wikipedia
Performances
The concert opened with a traditional Sanskrit invocation, the Sarve Shaam chant, followed by Indian music when Anoushka Shankar, daughter of Ravi Shankar, played "Your Eyes." Next, Anoushka Shankar and Jeff Lynne performed "The Inner Light," followed by a Ravi Shankar composition "Arpan" (Sanskrit for 'to give'), specially written for the occasion. Next there was a comedy interlude with members of the Monty Python troupe (Eric Idle, Terry Jones, Terry Gilliam along with Neil Innes) performing "Sit on My Face." Then Michael Palin came out as an over the top announcer who eventually states that he only ever wanted to be a lumberjack. He was then joined by the Pythons, Innes, Carol Cleveland and special guest Tom Hanks, to perform "The Lumberjack Song."
The remainder of the concert featured "George's Band" and included surviving Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr as well as musicians Eric Clapton, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Billy Preston, Jools Holland, Albert Lee, Sam Brown, Gary Brooker, Joe Brown, Ray Cooper, Andy Fairweather-Low, Marc Mann, Harrison's son Dhani and several other musicians who appeared on Harrison's recordings over the years.
Between them they played a selection of mostly Harrison's songs, from both Beatle and post-Beatle eras, generally staying faithful to Harrison's original arrangements. Performances included Clapton and Preston on "Isn't It a Pity"; Starr on "Photograph"; McCartney and Clapton on "Something" (McCartney opening with a solo ukulele accompaniment which then shifts into a full band version featuring Clapton); Preston on "My Sweet Lord"; McCartney, Clapton and Starr reuniting on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" for the first time since they recorded the original Beatles version on 'The White Album' in 1968; and the performance of "Wah Wah."
Joe Brown closed the show with a very warming and apt rendition of "I'll See You in My Dreams" on ukulele, one of Harrison's favourite instruments.
The event was filmed and a motion picture version, directed by David Leland and photographed by Chris Menges was released on DVD on 17 November 2003. A compact disc version was also released on the same date; The Monty Python and Sam Brown tracks were not included on the CD.
Set list
1. "Sarve Shaam"
* Traditional prayer - including a dedication by Ravi Shankar
2. "Your Eyes" (Ravi Shankar) - 8:22
* Anoushka Shankar: sitar / Tanmoy Bose: tabla
3. "The Inner Light" (Harrison) - 3:01
* Anoushka Shankar: sitar / Jeff Lynne: lead vocal, acoustic guitar / Tanmoy Bose: tabla / Dhani Harrison: piano, backing vocals / Unidentified musician(s)
4. "Arpan" (Ravi Shankar) - 23:01
* Anoushka Shankar: sitar, conductor / Sukanya Shankar: vocal-shloka / M. Balanchandar: mridangam / Vishwa Mohan Bhatt: mohan vina / Tanmoy Bose: tabla, dholak / Chandrasekhar, Balu Raghuraman: violins / Eric Clapton: guitar / Pedro Eustache: wind instruments / Sunil Gupta: flute / Anuradha Krishamurthi, O.S. Arun: vocalists / Jane Lister: harp / Gaurav Mazumdar: sitar / Snehashish Mzumdar: mandolin / Ramesh Mishra: sarangi / Pirashanna Thevarajah: percussion / Kenji Ota: tanpura / Barry Phillips: cello / Rajendara Prasanna: shahnai / Emil Richards: marimba / Partho Sarathy: sarod / Hari Sivanesan, Sivaskti Sivanesan: veena / Boys and Girls Choir courtesy of Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan / English Chamber Choir / London Metropolitan Orchestra (Andrew Brown, Roger Chase, Chris Fish, Helen Hathorn, Lynda Houghton, Ian Humphries, Zoe Martlew, Stella Page, Debbie Widdup)
* Michael Kamen - string conductor, string arrangement
5. Comic Interlude including four members of Monty Python: Michael Palin, Terry Jones, Eric Idle and Terry Gilliam. Also performing: Neil Innes, Carol Cleveland and Tom Hanks.
* "Sit On My Face"
* "The Lumberjack Song"
6. "I Want to Tell You" (Harrison) - 2:52
* Jeff Lynne: lead vocal, guitar
7. "If I Needed Someone" (Harrison) - 2:28
* Eric Clapton: lead vocal, guitar
8. "Old Brown Shoe" (Harrison) - 3:48
* Gary Brooker: lead vocal, keyboards
9. "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)" (Harrison) - 3:29
* Jeff Lynne: lead vocal, guitar
10. "Beware Of Darkness" (Harrison) - 4:00
* Eric Clapton: lead vocal, guitar
11. "Here Comes the Sun" (Harrison) - 3:09
* Joe Brown: lead vocal, guitar / Neil Gauntlett: guitar / Dave 'Rico' Nilo: bass / Phil Capaldi: drums / Andy Fairweather-Low: guitar
12. "That's The Way It Goes" (Harrison) - 3:39
* Joe Brown: lead vocal, mandolin / Neil Gauntlett: guitar / Dave 'Rico' Nilo: bass / Phil Capaldi: drums
13. "Horse to the Water" (George Harrison/Dhani Harrison)
* Sam Brown: lead vocal / Jools Holland: piano / Jim Capaldi: drums
14. "Taxman" (Harrison) - 3:10
* Tom Petty: lead vocal, guitar / Mike Campbell: lead guitar / Benmont Tench: keyboards / Ron Blair: bass / Steve Ferrone: drums / Scott Thurston: additional guitar, background vocals
15. "I Need You" (Harrison) - 3:00
* Tom Petty: lead vocal, guitar / Mike Campbell: lead guitar / Benmont Tench: keyboards / Ron Blair: bass / Steve Ferrone: drums / Scott Thurston: additional guitar, background vocals
16. "Handle with Care" (George Harrison/Jeff Lynne/Roy Orbison/Tom Petty/Bob Dylan) - 3:27
* Tom Petty: lead vocal, guitar / Jeff Lynne: lead vocal / Dhani Harrison: guitar / Scott Thurston: background vocal, guitar, harmonica / Mike Campbell: lead guitar / Benmont Tench: keyboards / Ron Blair: bass / Steve Ferrone: drums / Jim Keltner: drums
17. "Isn't It a Pity" (Harrison) - 6:58
* Billy Preston: lead vocal, organ / Eric Clapton: lead vocal, lead guitar
18. "Photograph" (Starkey/Harrison) - 3:56
* Ringo Starr: lead vocal
19. "Honey Don't" (Carl Perkins) - 3:03
* Ringo Starr: lead vocal / Albert Lee: guitar solo / Gary Brooker: piano solo / Billy Preston: organ
20. "For You Blue" (Harrison) - 3:04
* Paul McCartney: lead vocal, acoustic guitar / Ringo Starr: drums / Marc Mann: slide guitar
21. "Something" (Harrison) - 4:25
* Paul McCartney: lead vocal, ukulele, acoustic guitar / Ringo Starr: drums / Eric Clapton: lead vocal, lead guitar / Marc Mann: guitar
22. "All Things Must Pass" (Harrison) - 3:33
* Paul McCartney: lead vocal, acoustic guitar / Ringo Starr: Drums
23. "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" (Harrison) - 5:57
* Eric Clapton: lead vocal, lead guitar / Paul McCartney: piano, background vocals / Ringo Starr: drums
24. "My Sweet Lord" (Harrison) - 5:02
* Billy Preston: lead vocal, keyboards / Paul McCartney: piano
25. "Wah-Wah" (Harrison) - 6:06
* Jeff Lynne/Eric Clapton: lead vocal, guitar/Billy Preston: lead vocal/keyboards / Supergroup of Guest Musicians: all other instruments
26. "I'll See You in My Dreams" (Isham Jones/Gus Kahn) - 4:01
* Joe Brown: lead vocal, ukulele / Neil Gauntlett: acoustic guitar / Dave 'Rico' Nilo: bass / Jim Capaldi: drums
George's Band (after interlude) and guests
* Eric Clapton — guitars, musical director
* Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty, Joe Brown, Albert Lee, Marc Mann, Andy Fairweather-Low, Dhani Harrison — electric and acoustic guitars
* Gary Brooker, Jools Holland, Chris Stainton, Billy Preston, Paul McCartney — keyboards
* Dave Bronze, Klaus Voormann — bass
* Jim Capaldi, Ringo Starr, Jim Keltner, Henry Spinetti — drums
* Ray Cooper — percussion
* Jim Horn — alto saxophone
* Tom Scott — tenor saxophone
* Katie Kissoon, Tessa Niles, Sam Brown — backing vocals
* Ravi Shankar — sitar
Wikipedia
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
Tuesday, November 15, 2011
Monday, November 14, 2011
Sunday, November 13, 2011
Saturday, November 12, 2011
Friday, November 11, 2011
The Return of Bruno
The Return of Bruno is a 1987 comedic film, originally aired as a one-hour special on HBO and later released on VHS. It is a mockumentary starring Bruce Willis as his fictitious alter ego "Bruno Radolini," a legendary blues singer. A number of famous musicians such as Elton John, Phil Collins and Ringo Starr appear in the film as themselves, paying tribute to Radolini.
All the songs come from Willis' musical album The Return of Bruno.
Wikipedia
All the songs come from Willis' musical album The Return of Bruno.
Wikipedia
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Wednesday, November 09, 2011
Tuesday, November 08, 2011
Monday, November 07, 2011
Sunday, November 06, 2011
The Beatles Live in Europe - European Tour Concert Footage - France, Italy, Spain (1965)
Paris, and Lyon, France along with Milan and Genoa, Italy - June 20-25, 1965:
Rome, Italy (2 different shows), Madrid and Barcelona, Spain - from June 27, July 2 and 3rd, 1965:
Rome, Italy (2 different shows), Madrid and Barcelona, Spain - from June 27, July 2 and 3rd, 1965:
Saturday, November 05, 2011
Friday, November 04, 2011
Queen: Magic Years - A Visual Anthology
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury, (lead vocals, piano), Brian May (lead guitar, vocals), John Deacon (bass guitar), and Roger Taylor (drums, vocals). Queen's initial works were chiefly glam rock, heavy metal and progressive rock orientated; however, with time, the band has incorporated diverse and innovative styles in their music, exploring the likes of vaudeville, electronic music and funk. The band digressed from using progressive themes in their music in the mid-1970s, with more conventional and radio-friendly works bringing them greater success. Throughout the 1970s, Queen disclosed the absence of synthesisers on their albums, yet their style continued to evolve. They eventually started using synthesisers in the 1980s, reflecting their experimental approach to music.
Brian May and Roger Taylor had been playing together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury (then known by his birth name of Farrokh, or Freddie, Bulsara) was a fan of Smile, and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. Mercury himself joined the band shortly thereafter, changed the name of the band to 'Queen' and adopted his familiar stage name. John Deacon was recruited prior to recording their first album. Queen enjoyed success in the UK during the early 1970s, but it was the release of Sheer Heart Attack (1974) and A Night at the Opera (1975) that gained the band international success. The latter featured "Bohemian Rhapsody," which stayed at number one in the UK charts for nine weeks. In 1991 Mercury died of bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS, and Deacon retired in 1997. Since then May and Taylor have infrequently performed together, including a collaboration with Paul Rodgers under the name Queen + Paul Rodgers.
The band has released a total of 18 number one albums, 18 number one singles and 10 number one DVDs, and have sold over 300 million albums worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. They have been honoured with seven Ivor Novello awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Wikipedia
Brian May and Roger Taylor had been playing together in a band named Smile. Freddie Mercury (then known by his birth name of Farrokh, or Freddie, Bulsara) was a fan of Smile, and encouraged them to experiment with more elaborate stage and recording techniques. Mercury himself joined the band shortly thereafter, changed the name of the band to 'Queen' and adopted his familiar stage name. John Deacon was recruited prior to recording their first album. Queen enjoyed success in the UK during the early 1970s, but it was the release of Sheer Heart Attack (1974) and A Night at the Opera (1975) that gained the band international success. The latter featured "Bohemian Rhapsody," which stayed at number one in the UK charts for nine weeks. In 1991 Mercury died of bronchopneumonia, a complication of AIDS, and Deacon retired in 1997. Since then May and Taylor have infrequently performed together, including a collaboration with Paul Rodgers under the name Queen + Paul Rodgers.
The band has released a total of 18 number one albums, 18 number one singles and 10 number one DVDs, and have sold over 300 million albums worldwide, making them one of the world's best-selling music artists. They have been honoured with seven Ivor Novello awards and were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2001.
Wikipedia
Thursday, November 03, 2011
Wednesday, November 02, 2011
Tuesday, November 01, 2011
Rare Beatles Footage (1963/1964)
Newly discovered footage from October and November 1963, July 10, 1964 and October 14, 1964:
Monday, October 31, 2011
Sunday, October 30, 2011
Saturday, October 29, 2011
Friday, October 28, 2011
Sun City
"Sun City" is a 1985 protest song written by Steven Van Zandt and recorded by Artists United Against Apartheid to convey opposition to the South African policy of apartheid.
History
Van Zandt was interested in writing a song about South Africa's Sun City casino resort, to make parallels with the plight of Native Americans. Danny Schechter, a journalist who was then working with ABC News' 20/20, suggested turning the song into a different kind of "We Are the World", or as Schechter explains, "a song about change not charity, freedom not famine."
As Van Zandt was writing it, Schechter suggested that he include the names of the artists who had played Sun City in defiance of a United Nations-sanctioned cultural boycott. "I was probably still thinking of 20/20's exposé of conservative Africanists 15 years earlier," says Schechter.
Musically speaking, the song was a fusion of hip-hop (which was still in its early development), R&B, and hard rock.
When Van Zandt was finished writing "Sun City", he and Schechter spent the next several months searching for artists to participate in recording it. Van Zandt initially declined to invite Bruce Springsteen, not wanting to take advantage of their friendship, but Schechter had no problem asking himself; Springsteen accepted the invitation. Van Zandt was also shy about calling legendary jazz artist Miles Davis, whom Schechter also contacted; with minimal persuasion, Davis also accepted. Eventually, Van Zandt and Schechter would gather a wide array of artists, including Kool DJ Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Ruben Blades, Bob Dylan, Herbie Hancock, Ringo Starr and his son Zak Starkey, Lou Reed, Run DMC, Peter Gabriel, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Darlene Love, Bobby Womack, Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, Jackson Browne and then-girlfriend Daryl Hannah, U2, George Clinton, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Bonnie Raitt, Hall & Oates, Jimmy Cliff, Big Youth, Michael Monroe, Peter Garrett, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Gil-Scott Heron, Nona Hendryx, Pete Townshend, Pat Benatar, and Joey Ramone.
303 tracks were mixed-down to create "Sun City." A music video directed by Jonathan Demme with Godley and Creme was also produced.
Reception
"Sun City" only reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1985. Only about half of American radio stations played "Sun City", with some objecting to the lyrics' explicit criticism of President Ronald Reagan's policy of "constructive engagement." The song was banned in South Africa itself.
The song did somewhat better overseas, reaching #21 on the UK Singles Chart, #4 in Australia and achieving chart action in a number of other European countries, becoming a substantial hit in The Netherlands. It was also a top ten single in Canada in December 1985 and January 1986.
"Sun City" was picked as record of the year by many of the most influential music critics, topping the prestigious international Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for best single of the year.
Wikipedia
History
Van Zandt was interested in writing a song about South Africa's Sun City casino resort, to make parallels with the plight of Native Americans. Danny Schechter, a journalist who was then working with ABC News' 20/20, suggested turning the song into a different kind of "We Are the World", or as Schechter explains, "a song about change not charity, freedom not famine."
As Van Zandt was writing it, Schechter suggested that he include the names of the artists who had played Sun City in defiance of a United Nations-sanctioned cultural boycott. "I was probably still thinking of 20/20's exposé of conservative Africanists 15 years earlier," says Schechter.
Musically speaking, the song was a fusion of hip-hop (which was still in its early development), R&B, and hard rock.
When Van Zandt was finished writing "Sun City", he and Schechter spent the next several months searching for artists to participate in recording it. Van Zandt initially declined to invite Bruce Springsteen, not wanting to take advantage of their friendship, but Schechter had no problem asking himself; Springsteen accepted the invitation. Van Zandt was also shy about calling legendary jazz artist Miles Davis, whom Schechter also contacted; with minimal persuasion, Davis also accepted. Eventually, Van Zandt and Schechter would gather a wide array of artists, including Kool DJ Herc, Grandmaster Melle Mel, Ruben Blades, Bob Dylan, Herbie Hancock, Ringo Starr and his son Zak Starkey, Lou Reed, Run DMC, Peter Gabriel, David Ruffin, Eddie Kendricks, Darlene Love, Bobby Womack, Afrika Bambaataa, Kurtis Blow, Jackson Browne and then-girlfriend Daryl Hannah, U2, George Clinton, Keith Richards, Ronnie Wood, Bonnie Raitt, Hall & Oates, Jimmy Cliff, Big Youth, Michael Monroe, Peter Garrett, Ron Carter, Ray Barretto, Gil-Scott Heron, Nona Hendryx, Pete Townshend, Pat Benatar, and Joey Ramone.
303 tracks were mixed-down to create "Sun City." A music video directed by Jonathan Demme with Godley and Creme was also produced.
Reception
"Sun City" only reached #38 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in December 1985. Only about half of American radio stations played "Sun City", with some objecting to the lyrics' explicit criticism of President Ronald Reagan's policy of "constructive engagement." The song was banned in South Africa itself.
The song did somewhat better overseas, reaching #21 on the UK Singles Chart, #4 in Australia and achieving chart action in a number of other European countries, becoming a substantial hit in The Netherlands. It was also a top ten single in Canada in December 1985 and January 1986.
"Sun City" was picked as record of the year by many of the most influential music critics, topping the prestigious international Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for best single of the year.
Wikipedia
Thursday, October 27, 2011
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