"If I Fell" is a song by The Beatles which first appeared on the 1964 UK album A Hard Day's Night and the US compilation album Something New. It was written primarily by John Lennon, with help from Paul McCartney.
Structure
The song is notable for its unusual structure, which includes an unrepeated introductory section (introduced as an afterthought as of take 11) followed by sequential verse sections, each having a slightly expanded form, but with no obvious chorus or bridge section. The song also features a two-part harmony, sung by Lennon and McCartney together into a single microphone at their suggestion, and intricate chord changes. The key changes from D flat major to D major between the introduction (a series of descending barre chords) and the main song, which uses mainly open chords, including an unusual D ninth.
Recording and performance
Lennon played acoustic guitar and sang, McCartney played bass and sang, George Harrison plucked out single notes on electric guitar, and Ringo Starr played drums.
There is an alternate take of the song in which McCartney's voice strains and cracks at the end of a line, which first appeared on the Love Songs compilation double-LP, by an archivist's error when returning to the master tapes in Capitol's vault. Since then, this version has appeared in many places and is often heard on oldies stations in some markets. This version is the stereo version now found in The Capitol Albums box set. In the mono version, Paul's voice strains, but does not crack.
The stereo mix of the song (found on the Hard Day's Night LP and Something New) features a double-tracked opening by John. This was also Kurt Cobain's favourite Beatles song, and was played by Nirvana whenever there were technical problems at their concerts.
"If I Fell" was a part of The Beatles repertoire during The Beatles' US and Canadian tour in 1964. The group typically performed the song faster than the studio version, and Lennon and McCartney often sang it with barely suppressed laughter. On more than one occasion it was introduced as "If I Fell Over."
Single releases
* UK: In the UK it was released on 4 December 1964 as A-side (b/w "Tell Me Why") on Parlophone DP 562
* USA: It was also the B-side of the US single "And I Love Her" (Capitol 5235)
* Norway: The song was released as a single in Norway, where it hit number one.
Cover versions
Maroon 5 performed an acoustic version of the song on their 1.22.03.Acoustic album. Evan Rachel Wood sang the song in the Across the Universe film. Sammy Kershaw performed a cover on the Come Together Tribute CD. Dominican band Caña Brava performed a merengue version on their 1994 album The Best of the Best. Jason Castro performed an acoustic version of the song on Season 7 of American Idol. The Rutles' song "With A Girl Like You" is based on this song. Reba McEntire has also performed a version of the song.
Wikipedia
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
Tuesday, July 05, 2011
John Tavener
Sir John Tavener (born 28 January 1944) is a British composer, knighted in 2000 for his services to music.
Biography
Tavener was born on 28 January 1944 in Wembley, London, England, and is a direct descendant of the 16th century composer John Taverner. He was educated at Highgate School (where a fellow pupil was John Rutter) and at the Royal Academy of Music, where his tutors included Sir Lennox Berkeley. He first came to prominence in 1968 with his dramatic cantata The Whale, based on the Old Testament story of Jonah. It was premièred at the London Sinfonietta's début concert and later recorded by Apple Records. The following year he began teaching at Trinity College of Music, London. Other works released by Apple included his Celtic Requiem. In 1977, he joined the Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox theology and Orthodox liturgical traditions became a major influence on his work. He was particularly drawn to its mysticism, studying and setting to music the writings of Church Fathers such as St John Chrysostom.
One of Tavener's most popular and frequently performed works is his short unaccompanied four-part choral setting of William Blake's The Lamb, written for his nephew, Simon, on his third birthday one afternoon in 1982. This simple, homophonic piece is usually performed as a Christmas carol. More important, however, were his explorations of Russian and Greek culture, as shown in "Akhmatova Requiem" and "Sixteen Haiku of Seferis". Later prominent works include The Akathist of Thanksgiving (1987, written in celebration of the millennium of the Russian Orthodox Church); The Protecting Veil (first performed by cellist Steven Isserlis and the London Symphony Orchestra at the 1989 Proms); and Song for Athene (1993, memorably performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997). Following Diana's death he also composed and dedicated to her memory the piece Eternity's Sunrise, based on poetry by William Blake.
It has been reported, particularly in the British press, that Tavener left Orthodox Christianity to explore a number of other different religious traditions, including Hinduism and Islam, and became a follower of the mystic philosopher Frithjof Schuon. While he has in recent years incorporated elements of non-Western music into his compositions, Tavener remains an Orthodox Christian though his brother, Roger, tended towards Sufi. In 2003 he composed the exceptionally large work The Veil of the Temple, based on texts from a number of religions. It is set for four choirs, several orchestras and soloists and lasts at least seven hours. The 2004 premier of his piece 'Prayer of the Heart' written for and performed by Björk, was featured on CD and incorporated as the soundtrack to Jake Lever's powerful installation 'Centre + Circumference' (2008, Wallspace, All Hallows on the Wall, City of London).
While Tavener's early music was influenced by Igor Stravinsky, often invoking the sound world of the Requiem Canticles and A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer, his recent music is more sparse, uses wide registral space and is usually diatonically tonal. Some commentators see a similarity with the works of Arvo Pärt, from their common religious tradition to the technical details of phrase lengths, diatonicism and colouristic percussion effects, though the similarities between their outputs are quite superficial. Olivier Messiaen has also been suggested as a strong influence on his earlier work.
Tavener has Marfan syndrome. His wife, Lady Maryanna Tavener, broadcast a charity appeal on BBC Radio 4 in October 2008 on behalf of the Marfan Trust.
Career highlights
* 1969 - The Whale premièred by the London Sinfonietta and subsequently recorded on The Beatles' Apple label.
* 1971 - Celtic Requiem recorded by Apple.
* 1973 - Thérèse, the story of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, commissioned by the Royal Opera, London.
* 1989 - première of The Protecting Veilat the Proms in London.
* 2000 - received a knighthood in Millennium Honours List.
* 2003 - première of the all-night vigil The Veil of the Temple by the Holst Singers and the Choir of the Temple Church at the Temple Church, London.
* 2005 - première of Laila (Amu), Tavener’s first dance collaboration, with Random Dance company and Wayne McGregor's choreography.
* 2006 - contributed Fragments of a Prayer to the Alfonso Cuarón film Children of Men.
* 2007 - première of The Beautiful Names by the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra at Westminster Cathedral. The work, sung in Arabic, is a setting of the 99 names of Allah found in the Qur'an. Awarded honorary degree by the University of Winchester.
* 2008 - World premier of "the anthem" sung in St Paul's Cathedral in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
* March 2009 - The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia presents the world premiere of Tu ne sais pas, a work for mezzo-soprano, timpani, and strings. Katherine Pracht will sing the texts, which are drawn from poems by French poet Jean Biès, (one of the work's dedicatees), and from Islamic and Hindu sources.
Key works
* The Whale (1966; soloists, speaker, SATB choir, children's choir, orchestra)
* The Protecting Veil (1988; cello, strings)
* Ikon of the Nativity (1991; SATB choir, a cappella)
* Song for Athene (1993; SATB choir)
* The Veil of the Temple (2002; soprano, SATB choir, boys' choir, ensemble)
* Schuon Lieder (2003; soprano, ensemble)
* Laila (Amu) (2004; soprano, tenor, orchestra)
* Lament for Jerusalem (2006; soprano, countertenor, SATB choir, orchestra)
Wikipedia
Biography
Tavener was born on 28 January 1944 in Wembley, London, England, and is a direct descendant of the 16th century composer John Taverner. He was educated at Highgate School (where a fellow pupil was John Rutter) and at the Royal Academy of Music, where his tutors included Sir Lennox Berkeley. He first came to prominence in 1968 with his dramatic cantata The Whale, based on the Old Testament story of Jonah. It was premièred at the London Sinfonietta's début concert and later recorded by Apple Records. The following year he began teaching at Trinity College of Music, London. Other works released by Apple included his Celtic Requiem. In 1977, he joined the Russian Orthodox Church. Orthodox theology and Orthodox liturgical traditions became a major influence on his work. He was particularly drawn to its mysticism, studying and setting to music the writings of Church Fathers such as St John Chrysostom.
One of Tavener's most popular and frequently performed works is his short unaccompanied four-part choral setting of William Blake's The Lamb, written for his nephew, Simon, on his third birthday one afternoon in 1982. This simple, homophonic piece is usually performed as a Christmas carol. More important, however, were his explorations of Russian and Greek culture, as shown in "Akhmatova Requiem" and "Sixteen Haiku of Seferis". Later prominent works include The Akathist of Thanksgiving (1987, written in celebration of the millennium of the Russian Orthodox Church); The Protecting Veil (first performed by cellist Steven Isserlis and the London Symphony Orchestra at the 1989 Proms); and Song for Athene (1993, memorably performed at the funeral of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997). Following Diana's death he also composed and dedicated to her memory the piece Eternity's Sunrise, based on poetry by William Blake.
It has been reported, particularly in the British press, that Tavener left Orthodox Christianity to explore a number of other different religious traditions, including Hinduism and Islam, and became a follower of the mystic philosopher Frithjof Schuon. While he has in recent years incorporated elements of non-Western music into his compositions, Tavener remains an Orthodox Christian though his brother, Roger, tended towards Sufi. In 2003 he composed the exceptionally large work The Veil of the Temple, based on texts from a number of religions. It is set for four choirs, several orchestras and soloists and lasts at least seven hours. The 2004 premier of his piece 'Prayer of the Heart' written for and performed by Björk, was featured on CD and incorporated as the soundtrack to Jake Lever's powerful installation 'Centre + Circumference' (2008, Wallspace, All Hallows on the Wall, City of London).
While Tavener's early music was influenced by Igor Stravinsky, often invoking the sound world of the Requiem Canticles and A Sermon, a Narrative and a Prayer, his recent music is more sparse, uses wide registral space and is usually diatonically tonal. Some commentators see a similarity with the works of Arvo Pärt, from their common religious tradition to the technical details of phrase lengths, diatonicism and colouristic percussion effects, though the similarities between their outputs are quite superficial. Olivier Messiaen has also been suggested as a strong influence on his earlier work.
Tavener has Marfan syndrome. His wife, Lady Maryanna Tavener, broadcast a charity appeal on BBC Radio 4 in October 2008 on behalf of the Marfan Trust.
Career highlights
* 1969 - The Whale premièred by the London Sinfonietta and subsequently recorded on The Beatles' Apple label.
* 1971 - Celtic Requiem recorded by Apple.
* 1973 - Thérèse, the story of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, commissioned by the Royal Opera, London.
* 1989 - première of The Protecting Veilat the Proms in London.
* 2000 - received a knighthood in Millennium Honours List.
* 2003 - première of the all-night vigil The Veil of the Temple by the Holst Singers and the Choir of the Temple Church at the Temple Church, London.
* 2005 - première of Laila (Amu), Tavener’s first dance collaboration, with Random Dance company and Wayne McGregor's choreography.
* 2006 - contributed Fragments of a Prayer to the Alfonso Cuarón film Children of Men.
* 2007 - première of The Beautiful Names by the BBC Symphony Chorus and Orchestra at Westminster Cathedral. The work, sung in Arabic, is a setting of the 99 names of Allah found in the Qur'an. Awarded honorary degree by the University of Winchester.
* 2008 - World premier of "the anthem" sung in St Paul's Cathedral in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh
* March 2009 - The Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia presents the world premiere of Tu ne sais pas, a work for mezzo-soprano, timpani, and strings. Katherine Pracht will sing the texts, which are drawn from poems by French poet Jean Biès, (one of the work's dedicatees), and from Islamic and Hindu sources.
Key works
* The Whale (1966; soloists, speaker, SATB choir, children's choir, orchestra)
* The Protecting Veil (1988; cello, strings)
* Ikon of the Nativity (1991; SATB choir, a cappella)
* Song for Athene (1993; SATB choir)
* The Veil of the Temple (2002; soprano, SATB choir, boys' choir, ensemble)
* Schuon Lieder (2003; soprano, ensemble)
* Laila (Amu) (2004; soprano, tenor, orchestra)
* Lament for Jerusalem (2006; soprano, countertenor, SATB choir, orchestra)
Wikipedia
Saturday, July 02, 2011
Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Beatles & Bournemouth
by Nick ChurchillThe definitive account of the connections between the greatest rock ’n’ roll group that ever was and a small town on the south coast of England.
- In just 14 months from August 1963 to October 1964 The Beatles played more shows at the Bournemouth Gaumont than any other concert venue in the UK outside London.
- A tape of a full Beatles concert recorded during their first visit to Bournemouth is the earliest known example of their theatre show. Despite the excellent quality of the recording it remains unreleased.
- The iconic cover photograph for the With The Beatles and Meet The Beatles albums was taken in Bournemouth.
- Howie Casey, who played with Wings in the 1970s and has lived in Bournemouth since 1978, has links with The Beatles that go back to their very earliest days. With his band The Seniors, Howie was at the same audition in 1960 when John, Paul and George first performed as the Silver Beatles. The Seniors were the first Liverpool band to go to Hamburg, paving the way for The Beatles.
- The first American TV audiences saw of The Beatles was not the Ed Sullivan show as is widely believed, but film from the band’s appearance at the Winter Gardens, Bournemouth two months before.
- George Harrison’s first Beatles song, "Don’t Bother Me" was written while staying in Bournemouth.
- John Lennon bought his Aunt Mimi a home just outside Bournemouth and until he left the UK in 1971 was a regular visitor to the area.
- The story told in The Ballad of John and Yoko began while John was travelling to Mimi’s house before he ended up “standing in the dock at Southampton.”
- Launched in August 1963, Beatles Monthly conducted its first extensive interviews and photo shoots with the band in Bournemouth, forging a relationship that resulted in the magazine being published for almost 30 years.
With previously unseen and rare photographs of The Beatles taken in Bournemouth, photos licensed from Beatles Monthly and unpublished images of Mimi at home, the story is told using first-hand accounts from the people who were there – the fans, reporters, photographers, venue staff and musicians.
This book will be available from 22nd September 2011.
Friday, July 01, 2011
Buying Paul McCartney Tickets
How long does it take Paul McCartney tickets to sell out? Find out at SeatGeek.
Blindman
Tagline: "Blindman, Blindman, what did he do? Stole 50 women that belong to you."
A 1971 spaghetti western film about a blind gunfighter out to retrieve fifty mail order brides stolen from him by a gang of outlaws.
Cast
Tony Anthony ... Blindman
Ringo Starr ... Candy
Lloyd Battista ... Domingo
Magda Konopka ... Sweet Mama
Raf Baldassarre ... Mexican general
Marisa Solinas ... Margherita
Franz von Treuberg ... Pilar's Father (as Franz Treuberg)
David Dreyer ... Dude
Gaetano Scala
Agneta Eckemyr ... Pilar
Mary Badin ... Bride
Dominique Badou ... Bride
Carla Brait ... Black maid
Shirley Corrigan ... Bride
A 1971 spaghetti western film about a blind gunfighter out to retrieve fifty mail order brides stolen from him by a gang of outlaws.
Cast
Tony Anthony ... Blindman
Ringo Starr ... Candy
Lloyd Battista ... Domingo
Magda Konopka ... Sweet Mama
Raf Baldassarre ... Mexican general
Marisa Solinas ... Margherita
Franz von Treuberg ... Pilar's Father (as Franz Treuberg)
David Dreyer ... Dude
Gaetano Scala
Agneta Eckemyr ... Pilar
Mary Badin ... Bride
Dominique Badou ... Bride
Carla Brait ... Black maid
Shirley Corrigan ... Bride
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