Born to Boogie is a 1972 concert film based around a concert at Wembley Empire Pool starring Marc Bolan and T. Rex. Directed by Ringo Starr, the movie was released on The Beatles' Apple Films label. Born to Boogie consists of concert footage; recording studio scenes with guest stars Ringo Starr and Elton John, filmed at the Apple Studios in Savile Row, London; and various vignettes reminiscent of The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour, shot at Denham and Tittenhurst Park, Sunninghill. The Tea Party sequence was filmed at John Lennon's estate in the same spots as Lennon's "Imagine" video was filmed. The UK premiere was held at Oscar’s Cinema in Brewer Street, Soho on 14 December 1972, attended by T. Rex, Ringo Starr and Elton John. The film was re-released on DVD in 2005 with many extras including features presented by Bolan's son, Rolan Bolan. There is no appearance on the extra material from director Ringo Starr. The cover & DVD animations were designed & produced by Bose Collins.
Wikipedia
Friday, July 29, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Concert for Bangladesh
The Concert For Bangladesh was the event title for two benefit concerts organized by George Harrison and Ravi Shankar, held at noon and at 7:00 p.m. on August 1, 1971, playing to a total of 40,000 people at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Organized for the relief of refugees from East Pakistan (now independent Bangladesh) after the 1970 Bhola cyclone and during the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities and Bangladesh Liberation War, the event was the first benefit concert of this magnitude in world history. It featured an all-star supergroup of performers that included Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Badfinger, and Ringo Starr.
An album was released later in 1971 and a concert film was released in 1972, with later releases for home video. In 2005, the film was re-issued on DVD accompanied by a new documentary.
The concert raised US$243,418.51 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Sales of the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
Background
As East Pakistan struggled to become the separate state of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the tremendous political and military turmoil and the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities led to a massive refugee problem in India. This problem was compounded by the 1970 Bhola cyclone, bringing torrential rains causing devastating floods and threatening a humanitarian disaster.
Bengali musician Ravi Shankar consulted his friend George Harrison regarding a means of providing help to the situation. Harrison recorded the single "Bangla Desh" to raise awareness and pushed Apple Records to release Shankar's single "Joi Bangla" in a dual-pronged effort to raise funds.
Shankar also asked Harrison's advice regarding a small fund-raising concert in the United States. Harrison took the idea and started calling his friends, persuading them to join him in a large concert at Madison Square Garden. The event was organised within five weeks.
Harrison first asked his fellow Beatles to appear. John Lennon agreed to take part in the concert, however Harrison stipulated that Lennon's wife Yoko Ono not perform with him. Lennon agreed, but left New York two days before the event following an argument with Ono regarding his and Harrison's agreement that she not participate.
Paul McCartney declined because of the bad feelings caused by The Beatles' legal problems on their break-up. "George came up and asked if I wanted to play Bangla Desh and I thought, blimey, what's the point? We're just broken up and we're joining up again? It just seemed a bit crazy," McCartney told Rolling Stone years later. Ringo Starr, however, appeared.
Concert programme
Ravi Shankar and the sarodist Ali Akbar Khan opened the concert with recital of Indian music consisting of the dhun, "Bangla Dhun".
Except for back-up roles in support of both the Delaney & Bonnie Blues Band and John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, it was the first live appearance for George Harrison since the breakup of The Beatles. Eric Clapton made his first public appearance since the end of the five-month Derek and the Dominos tour the previous December. Clapton was still in the grip of a heroin addiction, and had been unable to attend any rehearsals until the final soundcheck. This was the first live performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and may have been the first time the general public was made aware that it was Clapton who played the solo on The Beatles' recording.
Musical help was also on hand from Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, Badfinger, a large horn section put together by Jim Horn and other musicians, including Carl Radle, Jesse Ed Davis, Don Preston and a host of backing singers organized by Don Nix.
Bob Dylan made his first stage appearance since the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1969. Apart from sitting in for a few numbers with The Band on New Year 1972 and an unannounced appearance backing John Prine on harmonica at a Greenwich Village club, he did not play live again until January 1974.
The songs played and their sequence differ slightly between the afternoon and evening show.
Afternoon show
* "Wah-Wah"
* "Something"
* "Awaiting On You All"
* "That's The Way God Planned It"
* "It Don't Come Easy"
* "Beware Of Darkness"
* "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
* "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
* "Youngblood"
* "Here Comes The Sun"
* "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"
* "Blowin' In The Wind"
* "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
* "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"
* "Just Like A Woman"
* "Hear Me Lord"
* "My Sweet Lord"
* "Bangla Desh"
Evening show
* "Wah-Wah"
* "My Sweet Lord"
* "That's The Way God Planned It"
* "It Don't Come Easy"
* "Beware Of Darkness"
* "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
* "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
* "Youngblood"
* "Here Comes The Sun"
* "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"
* "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
* "Blowin' In The Wind"
* "Mr. Tambourine Man"
* "Just Like A Woman"
* "Something"
* "Bangla Desh"
The film
Both the afternoon and evening shows were filmed and recorded for an album, with Phil Spector overseeing the sound recording. The film, released in 1972, combined images from both shows with George Harrison's preference of the performances of the songs.
Harrison later complained that half the camera operators appeared to have been indulging in illegal substances, which left the focus of some shots rather soft.
The opening of the film features footage from a press conference to announce the concert with Harrison and Shankar. Harrison is asked by a reporter: "With all the enormous problems in the world, how did you happen to choose this one to do something about?"
"Because I was asked by a friend if I would help, you know, that's all," was Harrison's reply.
The scene then shifts to outside Madison Square Garden, and news coverage by WABC-TV reporter Geraldo Rivera, who interviews fans who have camped out for tickets to the shows.
The concert begins with a performance by Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. Harrison introduces the set and both he and Shankar attempt to convey the intricacies of Indian classical music to the audience. Shankar additionally asked the audience not to smoke during the performance. Shankar and Khan then proceed to tune their instruments and then stop after about 90 seconds. The audience, apparently believing they had heard an entire piece, respond with enthusiastic applause, to which Shankar replies: "Thank you, if you appreciate the tuning so much, I hope you will enjoy the playing more." They then launch into a 17-minute rāga.
After an interlude of footage from backstage, showing Spector, Harrison and other performers making their way to the stage, Harrison starts off the rock portion with a string of songs from his hit album, All Things Must Pass.
He is backed by a large band, including two drummers, Ringo Starr and Jim Keltner matching strokes, pianist Leon Russell, organist Billy Preston, two lead guitarists, Eric Clapton and Jesse Ed Davis, Badfinger on rhythm guitars, a horn section and a small choir of backing vocalists, many of whom are also playing tambourines. He then turns the concert over to his friends.
Towards the end of Billy Preston's song, "That's the Way God Planned It", Preston gets up from his bench and dances across the stage and back again. This footage is taken during the evening performance. Starr sings his hit song "It Don't Come Easy" and appears flustered as he forgets some of the words. Russell offers a rock and roll medley and Harrison performs some of the hits he wrote with The Beatles. Bob Dylan appears for a semi-acoustic set of his songs, and the film is capped off with two more songs, closing with Harrison's song, "Bangla Desh".
Performers
* Ravi Shankar, sitar and Ali Akbar Khan, sarod
o Backed by Alla Rakha, tabla, and Kamala Chakravarty, Tanpura
* George Harrison – Vocals, guitars
* Ringo Starr – Vocals, Drums, tambourine
* Leon Russell – Vocals, piano, bass guitar
* Billy Preston – Vocals, organ
* Eric Clapton – Lead guitar
* Bob Dylan – Vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Klaus Voorman - Bass guitar
* Jim Keltner – Drums
* Badfinger – Rhythm guitars, backing vocals
o Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland and Mike Gibbins (percussion)
* Jesse Ed Davis – Lead guitar
* Don Preston – Lead guitar, vocals
* Carl Radle – Bass guitar
* The Hollywood Horns: Jim Horn, Allan Beutler, Chuck Findley, Jackie Kelso, Lou McCreary, Ollie Mitchell
* Backing vocalists: Don Nix, Jo Green, Jeanie Greene, Marlin Greene, Dolores Hall, Claudia Linnear
Performances in the film
All songs composed and performed by George Harrison, unless otherwise noted.
Ravi Shankar
* "Bangla Dhun" – traditional raga, performed by Ravi Shankar, sitar; Ali Akbar Khan, sarod; Alla Rakha, tabla; Kamala Chakravarty, tamboura
George Harrison and band
* "Wah-Wah"
* "My Sweet Lord"
* "Awaiting On You All"
* "That's The Way God Planned It" – Composed and performed by Billy Preston
* "It Don't Come Easy" – Composed and performed by Ringo Starr
* "Beware of Darkness" – Featuring Leon Russell on guest vocals
* "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" – Featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar
* "Jumpin' Jack Flash"/"Young Blood" – Composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards/Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Doc Pomus; performed by Leon Russell, with additional vocals by George Harrison and Don Preston on "Youngblood"
* "Here Comes the Sun" – Featuring Pete Ham
Bob Dylan
All songs written and performed by Bob Dylan, with George Harrison on Fender Stratocaster, Leon Russell on Klaus Voormann's custom-painted Fender Precision Bass and Ringo Starr on tambourine.
* "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"
* "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
* "Blowin' in the Wind"
* "Just Like A Woman"
Encore
Songs composed and performed by George Harrison and band.
* "Something"
* "Bangla Desh"
Songs not in film
* "Mr. Tambourine Man" – written and performed by Bob Dylan; from the concert and included only on the album, The Concert for Bangla Desh.
* "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" – written and performed by Bob Dylan; recorded in the afternoon show and included as an extra in the 2005 DVD.
* "If Not for You" – written and performed by Bob Dylan with George Harrison on harmony vocals and steel-string acoustic guitar with Klaus Voormann on electric bass; for a soundcheck and included as an extra on the 2005 DVD.
* "Come on in My Kitchen" – composed by Robert Johnson and performed by Leon Russell, vocals and piano; George Harrison on backing vocals and lead guitar; Billy Preston on organ, Ringo Starr and Jim Keltner on drums and Eric Clapton, rhythm guitar; performed during a sound check and included as an extra in the 2005 DVD.
2005 DVD issue
A two-disc special edition DVD of The Concert for Bangladesh was issued in 2005, with the concert on disc one and a 2005 documentary, The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison and Friends, on the second disc.
Performers interviewed for the documentary include Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Jim Horn, Leon Russell and Klaus Voormann, who offer their recollections of the concert. George Harrison talks about organizing the concert in voiceovers only. Other interviews are with Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner and Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof, who talk of the historic importance of the event, as well as Apple Corps executive Neil Aspinall.
The documentary reveals how quickly the concert came together, with Harrison working the phone during June and July 1971 to ask his friends to join the show. Madison Square Garden was booked for August 1 because it was the only open date available. Musicians began gathering in New York about a week beforehand for rehearsals.
Notably absent from the preparations was Clapton, who was in the grips of heroin addiction. Harrison says in the documentary that Clapton was booked on every airline flight from London to New York City for a week before the show. With Clapton still absent (according to his recently released autobiography, due to a cold turkey provoked by bad quality heroin that Harrison provided him as a condition for playing the concert), lead guitarists started "hanging around", hoping to be asked to join. Harrison tapped Jesse Ed Davis, who had played in Taj Mahal's band, and bassist Klaus Voormann volunteered to work with Davis in rehearsals. Another musician, Don Preston from Leon Russell's band, joined on lead guitar as well. Organizers then Telexed Clapton, telling him he did not have to come, but Clapton insisted he would play and finally showed up a day before the concert. He performed without benefit of rehearsal, and "he was brilliant," Harrison said.
Clapton, for his part, recalls the time as a period of "retirement" and that "I really made it hard for myself" in the concert, choosing to play a hollow-body Gibson Byrdland guitar for the bulk of the songs, including his solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", when a solid-body electric guitar (such as a Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul) would have been more appropriate.
There are also short features on the making of the film, the release of the album and the artwork and concert photography. Along with the extensive collection of still photos for the album package, stills photographer Barry Feinstein reveals that the photo used on the cover of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II was taken by him during the concert.
Album release
An album of the concerts was released as a triple-LP box set (later a 2-CD set), produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, and recorded by Gary Kellgren. This record was Dylan's first official live release.
While the LP was issued on Apple Records (distributed by Capitol Records in the US and EMI worldwide), tape distribution (cassette and 8-track cartridge) was given to Columbia Records, Bob Dylan's label, in exchange for being allowed to include his set as part of the package. When the album was reissued on CD in 1992, Columbia (now owned by Sony Music) in turn reissued the cassette version.
The two-CD set was re-released in 2001, and Harrison had been working on a remastered and expanded deluxe edition prior to his death. It was released in October 2005 by Apple and Rhino Entertainment along with the film on a special edition two-DVD set.
Funds and controversy
The concert raised US$243,418.50, which was given to UNICEF to administer. Sales of the DVDs and CDs of the concert continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
However, there were complaints about the high price of the album and allegations that there were delays in money from the album sales being sent to help the Bangladesh refugees. Allen Klein, then an executive at Apple Corps insisted the company made no money from the album or film and was only recovering its advertising and production costs. However New York magazine reported in 1972 that some of the proceeds remained unaccounted for. Klein denied it and sued the magazine for $150 million in damages.
According to a June 2, 1985 article in the Los Angeles Times, by 1985 nearly $12 million had been sent to Bangladesh for relief. However, the money was tied up in an Internal Revenue Service escrow account for 11 years because the concert organisers had not applied for tax-exempt status.
In a 1980 interview John Lennon (who did not participate in the concert) opined that benefits are "always rip-offs" and regarding the question where the money from the Bangladesh concert went, commented: "I can't even talk about it, because it's still a problem. You'll have to check with Mother [Yoko], because she knows the ins and outs of it, I don't. But it's all a rip-off."
In popular culture
The Concert for Bangladesh was satirized in two episodes of The Simpsons, "Like Father, Like Clown", and "I'm with Cupid". In the former, Krusty plays it while a visitor at the Simpsons household, and in the latter, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has in his record collection, the Concert Against Bangladesh, with a picture of a mushroom cloud on the cover, reflecting the popular perception of Hindu-Muslim rivalry in the region. In reality, India supported Bangladesh during its struggle for independence.
Crowd noises from this film were put into Aerosmith's cover of "Train Kept A-Rollin'" by producer Jack Douglas.
Wikipedia
An album was released later in 1971 and a concert film was released in 1972, with later releases for home video. In 2005, the film was re-issued on DVD accompanied by a new documentary.
The concert raised US$243,418.51 for Bangladesh relief, which was administered by UNICEF. Sales of the album and DVD continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
Background
As East Pakistan struggled to become the separate state of Bangladesh during the Bangladesh Liberation War, the tremendous political and military turmoil and the 1971 Bangladesh atrocities led to a massive refugee problem in India. This problem was compounded by the 1970 Bhola cyclone, bringing torrential rains causing devastating floods and threatening a humanitarian disaster.
Bengali musician Ravi Shankar consulted his friend George Harrison regarding a means of providing help to the situation. Harrison recorded the single "Bangla Desh" to raise awareness and pushed Apple Records to release Shankar's single "Joi Bangla" in a dual-pronged effort to raise funds.
Shankar also asked Harrison's advice regarding a small fund-raising concert in the United States. Harrison took the idea and started calling his friends, persuading them to join him in a large concert at Madison Square Garden. The event was organised within five weeks.
Harrison first asked his fellow Beatles to appear. John Lennon agreed to take part in the concert, however Harrison stipulated that Lennon's wife Yoko Ono not perform with him. Lennon agreed, but left New York two days before the event following an argument with Ono regarding his and Harrison's agreement that she not participate.
Paul McCartney declined because of the bad feelings caused by The Beatles' legal problems on their break-up. "George came up and asked if I wanted to play Bangla Desh and I thought, blimey, what's the point? We're just broken up and we're joining up again? It just seemed a bit crazy," McCartney told Rolling Stone years later. Ringo Starr, however, appeared.
Concert programme
Ravi Shankar and the sarodist Ali Akbar Khan opened the concert with recital of Indian music consisting of the dhun, "Bangla Dhun".
Except for back-up roles in support of both the Delaney & Bonnie Blues Band and John Lennon's Plastic Ono Band, it was the first live appearance for George Harrison since the breakup of The Beatles. Eric Clapton made his first public appearance since the end of the five-month Derek and the Dominos tour the previous December. Clapton was still in the grip of a heroin addiction, and had been unable to attend any rehearsals until the final soundcheck. This was the first live performance of "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and may have been the first time the general public was made aware that it was Clapton who played the solo on The Beatles' recording.
Musical help was also on hand from Billy Preston, Leon Russell, Klaus Voormann, Jim Keltner, Badfinger, a large horn section put together by Jim Horn and other musicians, including Carl Radle, Jesse Ed Davis, Don Preston and a host of backing singers organized by Don Nix.
Bob Dylan made his first stage appearance since the Isle of Wight Festival in August 1969. Apart from sitting in for a few numbers with The Band on New Year 1972 and an unannounced appearance backing John Prine on harmonica at a Greenwich Village club, he did not play live again until January 1974.
The songs played and their sequence differ slightly between the afternoon and evening show.
Afternoon show
* "Wah-Wah"
* "Something"
* "Awaiting On You All"
* "That's The Way God Planned It"
* "It Don't Come Easy"
* "Beware Of Darkness"
* "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
* "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
* "Youngblood"
* "Here Comes The Sun"
* "A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"
* "Blowin' In The Wind"
* "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
* "Love Minus Zero/No Limit"
* "Just Like A Woman"
* "Hear Me Lord"
* "My Sweet Lord"
* "Bangla Desh"
Evening show
* "Wah-Wah"
* "My Sweet Lord"
* "That's The Way God Planned It"
* "It Don't Come Easy"
* "Beware Of Darkness"
* "While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
* "Jumpin' Jack Flash"
* "Youngblood"
* "Here Comes The Sun"
* "Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall"
* "It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
* "Blowin' In The Wind"
* "Mr. Tambourine Man"
* "Just Like A Woman"
* "Something"
* "Bangla Desh"
The film
Both the afternoon and evening shows were filmed and recorded for an album, with Phil Spector overseeing the sound recording. The film, released in 1972, combined images from both shows with George Harrison's preference of the performances of the songs.
Harrison later complained that half the camera operators appeared to have been indulging in illegal substances, which left the focus of some shots rather soft.
The opening of the film features footage from a press conference to announce the concert with Harrison and Shankar. Harrison is asked by a reporter: "With all the enormous problems in the world, how did you happen to choose this one to do something about?"
"Because I was asked by a friend if I would help, you know, that's all," was Harrison's reply.
The scene then shifts to outside Madison Square Garden, and news coverage by WABC-TV reporter Geraldo Rivera, who interviews fans who have camped out for tickets to the shows.
The concert begins with a performance by Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan. Harrison introduces the set and both he and Shankar attempt to convey the intricacies of Indian classical music to the audience. Shankar additionally asked the audience not to smoke during the performance. Shankar and Khan then proceed to tune their instruments and then stop after about 90 seconds. The audience, apparently believing they had heard an entire piece, respond with enthusiastic applause, to which Shankar replies: "Thank you, if you appreciate the tuning so much, I hope you will enjoy the playing more." They then launch into a 17-minute rāga.
After an interlude of footage from backstage, showing Spector, Harrison and other performers making their way to the stage, Harrison starts off the rock portion with a string of songs from his hit album, All Things Must Pass.
He is backed by a large band, including two drummers, Ringo Starr and Jim Keltner matching strokes, pianist Leon Russell, organist Billy Preston, two lead guitarists, Eric Clapton and Jesse Ed Davis, Badfinger on rhythm guitars, a horn section and a small choir of backing vocalists, many of whom are also playing tambourines. He then turns the concert over to his friends.
Towards the end of Billy Preston's song, "That's the Way God Planned It", Preston gets up from his bench and dances across the stage and back again. This footage is taken during the evening performance. Starr sings his hit song "It Don't Come Easy" and appears flustered as he forgets some of the words. Russell offers a rock and roll medley and Harrison performs some of the hits he wrote with The Beatles. Bob Dylan appears for a semi-acoustic set of his songs, and the film is capped off with two more songs, closing with Harrison's song, "Bangla Desh".
Performers
* Ravi Shankar, sitar and Ali Akbar Khan, sarod
o Backed by Alla Rakha, tabla, and Kamala Chakravarty, Tanpura
* George Harrison – Vocals, guitars
* Ringo Starr – Vocals, Drums, tambourine
* Leon Russell – Vocals, piano, bass guitar
* Billy Preston – Vocals, organ
* Eric Clapton – Lead guitar
* Bob Dylan – Vocals, guitar, harmonica
* Klaus Voorman - Bass guitar
* Jim Keltner – Drums
* Badfinger – Rhythm guitars, backing vocals
o Pete Ham, Tom Evans, Joey Molland and Mike Gibbins (percussion)
* Jesse Ed Davis – Lead guitar
* Don Preston – Lead guitar, vocals
* Carl Radle – Bass guitar
* The Hollywood Horns: Jim Horn, Allan Beutler, Chuck Findley, Jackie Kelso, Lou McCreary, Ollie Mitchell
* Backing vocalists: Don Nix, Jo Green, Jeanie Greene, Marlin Greene, Dolores Hall, Claudia Linnear
Performances in the film
All songs composed and performed by George Harrison, unless otherwise noted.
Ravi Shankar
* "Bangla Dhun" – traditional raga, performed by Ravi Shankar, sitar; Ali Akbar Khan, sarod; Alla Rakha, tabla; Kamala Chakravarty, tamboura
George Harrison and band
* "Wah-Wah"
* "My Sweet Lord"
* "Awaiting On You All"
* "That's The Way God Planned It" – Composed and performed by Billy Preston
* "It Don't Come Easy" – Composed and performed by Ringo Starr
* "Beware of Darkness" – Featuring Leon Russell on guest vocals
* "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" – Featuring Eric Clapton on lead guitar
* "Jumpin' Jack Flash"/"Young Blood" – Composed by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards/Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Doc Pomus; performed by Leon Russell, with additional vocals by George Harrison and Don Preston on "Youngblood"
* "Here Comes the Sun" – Featuring Pete Ham
Bob Dylan
All songs written and performed by Bob Dylan, with George Harrison on Fender Stratocaster, Leon Russell on Klaus Voormann's custom-painted Fender Precision Bass and Ringo Starr on tambourine.
* "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall"
* "It Takes a Lot to Laugh, It Takes a Train to Cry"
* "Blowin' in the Wind"
* "Just Like A Woman"
Encore
Songs composed and performed by George Harrison and band.
* "Something"
* "Bangla Desh"
Songs not in film
* "Mr. Tambourine Man" – written and performed by Bob Dylan; from the concert and included only on the album, The Concert for Bangla Desh.
* "Love Minus Zero/No Limit" – written and performed by Bob Dylan; recorded in the afternoon show and included as an extra in the 2005 DVD.
* "If Not for You" – written and performed by Bob Dylan with George Harrison on harmony vocals and steel-string acoustic guitar with Klaus Voormann on electric bass; for a soundcheck and included as an extra on the 2005 DVD.
* "Come on in My Kitchen" – composed by Robert Johnson and performed by Leon Russell, vocals and piano; George Harrison on backing vocals and lead guitar; Billy Preston on organ, Ringo Starr and Jim Keltner on drums and Eric Clapton, rhythm guitar; performed during a sound check and included as an extra in the 2005 DVD.
2005 DVD issue
A two-disc special edition DVD of The Concert for Bangladesh was issued in 2005, with the concert on disc one and a 2005 documentary, The Concert for Bangladesh Revisited with George Harrison and Friends, on the second disc.
Performers interviewed for the documentary include Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Jim Keltner, Jim Horn, Leon Russell and Klaus Voormann, who offer their recollections of the concert. George Harrison talks about organizing the concert in voiceovers only. Other interviews are with Rolling Stone founder Jann Wenner and Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof, who talk of the historic importance of the event, as well as Apple Corps executive Neil Aspinall.
The documentary reveals how quickly the concert came together, with Harrison working the phone during June and July 1971 to ask his friends to join the show. Madison Square Garden was booked for August 1 because it was the only open date available. Musicians began gathering in New York about a week beforehand for rehearsals.
Notably absent from the preparations was Clapton, who was in the grips of heroin addiction. Harrison says in the documentary that Clapton was booked on every airline flight from London to New York City for a week before the show. With Clapton still absent (according to his recently released autobiography, due to a cold turkey provoked by bad quality heroin that Harrison provided him as a condition for playing the concert), lead guitarists started "hanging around", hoping to be asked to join. Harrison tapped Jesse Ed Davis, who had played in Taj Mahal's band, and bassist Klaus Voormann volunteered to work with Davis in rehearsals. Another musician, Don Preston from Leon Russell's band, joined on lead guitar as well. Organizers then Telexed Clapton, telling him he did not have to come, but Clapton insisted he would play and finally showed up a day before the concert. He performed without benefit of rehearsal, and "he was brilliant," Harrison said.
Clapton, for his part, recalls the time as a period of "retirement" and that "I really made it hard for myself" in the concert, choosing to play a hollow-body Gibson Byrdland guitar for the bulk of the songs, including his solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", when a solid-body electric guitar (such as a Fender Stratocaster or Gibson Les Paul) would have been more appropriate.
There are also short features on the making of the film, the release of the album and the artwork and concert photography. Along with the extensive collection of still photos for the album package, stills photographer Barry Feinstein reveals that the photo used on the cover of Bob Dylan's Greatest Hits Vol. II was taken by him during the concert.
Album release
An album of the concerts was released as a triple-LP box set (later a 2-CD set), produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, and recorded by Gary Kellgren. This record was Dylan's first official live release.
While the LP was issued on Apple Records (distributed by Capitol Records in the US and EMI worldwide), tape distribution (cassette and 8-track cartridge) was given to Columbia Records, Bob Dylan's label, in exchange for being allowed to include his set as part of the package. When the album was reissued on CD in 1992, Columbia (now owned by Sony Music) in turn reissued the cassette version.
The two-CD set was re-released in 2001, and Harrison had been working on a remastered and expanded deluxe edition prior to his death. It was released in October 2005 by Apple and Rhino Entertainment along with the film on a special edition two-DVD set.
Funds and controversy
The concert raised US$243,418.50, which was given to UNICEF to administer. Sales of the DVDs and CDs of the concert continue to benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF.
However, there were complaints about the high price of the album and allegations that there were delays in money from the album sales being sent to help the Bangladesh refugees. Allen Klein, then an executive at Apple Corps insisted the company made no money from the album or film and was only recovering its advertising and production costs. However New York magazine reported in 1972 that some of the proceeds remained unaccounted for. Klein denied it and sued the magazine for $150 million in damages.
According to a June 2, 1985 article in the Los Angeles Times, by 1985 nearly $12 million had been sent to Bangladesh for relief. However, the money was tied up in an Internal Revenue Service escrow account for 11 years because the concert organisers had not applied for tax-exempt status.
In a 1980 interview John Lennon (who did not participate in the concert) opined that benefits are "always rip-offs" and regarding the question where the money from the Bangladesh concert went, commented: "I can't even talk about it, because it's still a problem. You'll have to check with Mother [Yoko], because she knows the ins and outs of it, I don't. But it's all a rip-off."
In popular culture
The Concert for Bangladesh was satirized in two episodes of The Simpsons, "Like Father, Like Clown", and "I'm with Cupid". In the former, Krusty plays it while a visitor at the Simpsons household, and in the latter, Apu Nahasapeemapetilon has in his record collection, the Concert Against Bangladesh, with a picture of a mushroom cloud on the cover, reflecting the popular perception of Hindu-Muslim rivalry in the region. In reality, India supported Bangladesh during its struggle for independence.
Crowd noises from this film were put into Aerosmith's cover of "Train Kept A-Rollin'" by producer Jack Douglas.
Wikipedia
Friday, July 15, 2011
Did Somebody Drop His Mouse?
Unreleased 1972 documentary filming the making of Harry Nilsson's album Son of Schmilsson in London.
Cast
Harry Nilsson ... Himself / Narrator
Richard Perry ... Himself / Narrator
Ray Cooper ... Himself
Peter Frampton ... Himself
Nicky Hopkins ... Himself
Bobby Keys ... Himself
Henry Krein ... Himself (as Henry Krein Quartet)
Ringo Starr ... Himself
Stepney & Pinner Choir Club No.6 ... Themselves
John Uribe ... Himself
Klaus Voormann ... Himself
Cast
Harry Nilsson ... Himself / Narrator
Richard Perry ... Himself / Narrator
Ray Cooper ... Himself
Peter Frampton ... Himself
Nicky Hopkins ... Himself
Bobby Keys ... Himself
Henry Krein ... Himself (as Henry Krein Quartet)
Ringo Starr ... Himself
Stepney & Pinner Choir Club No.6 ... Themselves
John Uribe ... Himself
Klaus Voormann ... Himself
Friday, July 08, 2011
The Point!
The Point! is a fable and the sixth album by American songwriter and musician Harry Nilsson about a boy named Oblio, the only round-headed person in the Pointed Village, where by law everyone and everything had to have a point.
"I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to point. I thought, 'Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn't, then there's a point to it.'" – Harry Nilsson
There have been, so far, at least three different renditions of The Point!, each featuring songs written by Nilsson to accompany the story. There has been an animated film, an album, and a musical play.
Story
The round-headed Oblio has had to wear a cap since birth to conceal his "pointless" condition from his pointy-headed peers. However, Oblio is accepted in the town despite his nonconformity until one day when the son of an evil Count in the land is unwittingly dishonored by Oblio. The Count's son challenges Oblio to a one-on-one game of Triangle Toss (where participants catch the triangle on their heads), which Oblio wins. In a fit of rage, the Count (who wants his son to rule the land one day) confronts the King, who is a good King, to reaffirm the law of the land, which states that those who are pointless must be banished from the kingdom and into the Pointless Forest. A jury reluctantly convicts both Oblio and his dog Arrow (who helped him win the Triangle Toss), leaving the king no choice but to send the pair away.
Oblio and Arrow are sent to the Pointless Forest, but soon discover that even the Pointless Forest has a point. They meet curious creatures like giant bees, a "pointed man" pointing in all directions who proclaims "A point in every direction is the same as no point at all", a man made of rock who helps Oblio see that everyone has a point (as in reason) though it might not be readily displayed.
Oblio and Arrow spend the night in the Pointless Forest, then awaken to a large stone hand with the finger pointing to their "destination". They take the road indicated by the hand and make their way back to the Land of Point, where they receive a heroes' welcome from the land's citizens, and the King. Oblio begins to tell his story but is interrupted by the furious Count, who is then silenced by the King.
Oblio tells the King and the people of the land that everything has a point, including the Pointless Forest, and himself. Unable to stand hearing what he believes is nonsense any longer, the Count pulls off Oblio's cap, but is taken aback when he sees a point on top of Oblio's bare head.
Upon this revelation, the points of everyone else in the land disappeared, and pointed buildings became round.
Animated film
The film version of The Point! first aired February 2, 1971, at 7:30pm on the ABC television network as an ABC Movie of the Week. The film was directed by Fred Wolf and produced by Murakami-Wolf Films in association with Nilsson House Music. In this version, there is a framing device of a father telling his son the fable as a bedtime story. In its initial airing, the voice of the father was provided by Dustin Hoffman, but for contractual reasons later airings of the film could not use Hoffman's voice and it had to be re-recorded. The initial re-recording was done by actor Alan Barzman. The VHS and DVD releases feature Ringo Starr as the father. Another version, seen on cable television in the '80s and '90s, featured narration by Alan Thicke. The voice of the son, and of Oblio, was provided by Mike Lookinland, an actor best known as young Bobby Brady on the television series The Brady Bunch.
Voice Cast
* Ringo Starr as Narrator/Father (home video release)
* Dustin Hoffman as Narrator/Father (first telecast)
* Alan Barzman as Narrator/Father (second telecast)
* Alan Thicke as Narrator/Father (third telecast)
* Paul Frees as Oblio's Father/Pointed Man's Right Head/King/Leaf Man/Villagers
* Lennie Weinrib as Count
* Bill Martin as Rock Man
* Buddy Foster as Count's Son
* Joan Gerber as Oblio's Mother
* Mike Lookinland as Oblio
Album
The Nilsson album called The Point! features the same songs as the film, and the same basic fable. However, the framing device of the father and son is discarded, and Nilsson himself tells the story directly to the listener, providing all the characters' voices as well as the narration.
A comic storyboard was included with the vinyl record when it was first released, enabling the listener to be more engaged in the story.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Harry Nilsson.
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Everything's Got 'Em" 2:25
2. "The Town" (Narration) 1:31
3. "Me and My Arrow" 2:04
4. "The Game" (Narration) 1:49
5. "Poli High" 2:41
6. "The Trial and Banishment" (Narration) 2:11
7. "Think About Your Troubles" 2:49
Side two
No. Title Length
8. "The Pointed Man" (Narration) 2:42
9. "Life Line" 2:21
10. "The Birds" (Narration) 1:58
11. "P.O.V. Waltz" 2:12
12. "The Clearing in the Woods" (Narration) 1:53
13. "Are You Sleeping?" 2:17
14. "Oblio's Return" (Narration) 3:08
Musical play
In 1975, Esquire Jauchem, Artistic Director of the Boston Repertory Theater, approached Harry Nilsson about creating a stage musical of "The Point!" Although Nilsson said he had been asked many times and had always turned down the request, this time he granted his permission. Esquire Jauchem adapted and directed the production which starred 18-year-old David Morse (who went on to star in St. Elsewhere and many other roles) as Oblio.
The production was extremely successful with the press and the Boston audience. Harry Nilsson, along with his wife Una, attended the opening and wore a sign to the party following the performance which read "I loved it!". The show also received positive reviews from critics:
"Extraordinarily attractive...joyous and imaginative songs" – Eliot Norton, Boston Herald-American
"Fantasy comes to life ....and it's a very different production, using techniques and devices you don't see on stage every day – Associated Press
The same production later toured to the Trinity Square Repertory Company in Providence where it was again extremely well received by audiences and the critics.
In 1977, a stage adaptation of The Point! was presented at the Mermaid Theatre in London. Featured in the cast were Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, both former members of the band The Monkees and long-time friends of Nilsson. In order to accommodate the expansion of The Point! to a full-length musical, other Nilsson songs from various points in his career were incorporated. An original cast album was released in the United Kingdom by MCA.
In 1991, Nilsson gave Esquire Jauchem permission to present his adaptation of The Point! in a Hollywood workshop. It was nominated as musical of the year and once again it received very good reviews:
"Imaginatively adapted...blends broad acting, balloon characters, Bunraku style puppetry, fog effects, strobe lighting and choreography by former Martha Graham troupe member Janet Eilber" – Time
"A well rounded POINT....the multilayered odyssey, with its jazz riffs and dreamy musical segues, satiric references to censorship, lawyers and politics, succeeds as an allegory....Nilsson's fabulous, quirkly songs" – L.A. Times
London credits
Cast
* Davy Jones as Oblio
* Micky Dolenz as Count's Kid and The Leafman
* Colin Bennett as The Count
* David Claridge as Arrow
* Veronica Clifford as Oblio's Mum, Balloon Lady
* Noel Howlett as The King
* Julia Lewis as Oblio's Girlfriend
* Clovissa Newcombe as Count's Lady, The Pointed Man
* Mark Penfold as The Pointed Man
* Felix Rice as The Rockman
* Chrissy Roberts as Balloon Lady
* Denny Ryder as The Pointed Man
* Roy Sampson as Oblio's Dad
* Gary Taylor as Balloon Man, New Bird
Backing vocals were provided by Anna Macleod, Richard Barnes, and Jean Gilbert.
Crew
* Directed by Colin Bennett
* Original adaptation by Ron Pember and Bernard Miles
* Designed by Peter Whiteman
* Lighting by Peter Sutton
* Choreography by Gillian Gregory
* Musical director Mike McNaught
Track listing, original cast recording
All titles were written by Harry Nilsson, except "Thursday" (Nilsson, Danny Kortchmar).
1. Overture – Orchestra
2. "Everything's Got 'Em" – Company
3. "Me and My Arrow" – Davy Jones
4. "Poli High" – Company
5. "Remember" – Veronica Clifford
6. "To Be a King" – Noel Howlett and Company
7. "He's Leaving Here This Morning (Bath)" – Micky Dolenz, Colin Bennett, Clovissa Newcombe
8. "Think About Your Troubles" – Davy Jones and Company
9. "Blanket For a Sail" – Davy Jones
10. "Life Line" – Davy Jones'
11. "Thursday (Here's Why I Did Not Go to Work Today)" – Felix Rice
12. "It's a Jungle Out There" – Micky Dolenz
13. "P.O.V. Waltz" – Davy Jones and Company
14. "Are You Sleeping? (Song Title)" – Davy Jones and Company
15. "Gotta Get Up" – Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz
16. Reprise Overture – Orchestra
Pop-culture references
* The chorus of the title track on Blackalicious' 2002 album Blazing Arrow uses a sample of the chorus of "Me And My Arrow" (from the 1971 album) as a centerpiece.
* A cover of the song "Think About Your Troubles" was recorded by Belly for the album: Safe and Sound: A Benefit in Response to the Brookline Clinic Violence (1996).
* The song "Me and My Arrow" was used in television commercials in the United States promoting the Plymouth Arrow during the 1970s. When Plymouth approached Nilsson about licensing the tune, Nilsson told them they could use the song in exchange for a Mercedes. Negotiation stalled, but eventually, Plymouth agreed and purchased the car.
* The board game "Balderdash" featured this movie on one of the trivia questions. Players were given the name of the movie and had to guess what is was about.
* The album Songs From The Point features cover versions of the entire album, recorded by assorted prominent artists, mostly from the Indie area.
Wikipedia
"I was on acid and I looked at the trees and I realized that they all came to points, and the little branches came to points, and the houses came to point. I thought, 'Oh! Everything has a point, and if it doesn't, then there's a point to it.'" – Harry Nilsson
There have been, so far, at least three different renditions of The Point!, each featuring songs written by Nilsson to accompany the story. There has been an animated film, an album, and a musical play.
Story
The round-headed Oblio has had to wear a cap since birth to conceal his "pointless" condition from his pointy-headed peers. However, Oblio is accepted in the town despite his nonconformity until one day when the son of an evil Count in the land is unwittingly dishonored by Oblio. The Count's son challenges Oblio to a one-on-one game of Triangle Toss (where participants catch the triangle on their heads), which Oblio wins. In a fit of rage, the Count (who wants his son to rule the land one day) confronts the King, who is a good King, to reaffirm the law of the land, which states that those who are pointless must be banished from the kingdom and into the Pointless Forest. A jury reluctantly convicts both Oblio and his dog Arrow (who helped him win the Triangle Toss), leaving the king no choice but to send the pair away.
Oblio and Arrow are sent to the Pointless Forest, but soon discover that even the Pointless Forest has a point. They meet curious creatures like giant bees, a "pointed man" pointing in all directions who proclaims "A point in every direction is the same as no point at all", a man made of rock who helps Oblio see that everyone has a point (as in reason) though it might not be readily displayed.
Oblio and Arrow spend the night in the Pointless Forest, then awaken to a large stone hand with the finger pointing to their "destination". They take the road indicated by the hand and make their way back to the Land of Point, where they receive a heroes' welcome from the land's citizens, and the King. Oblio begins to tell his story but is interrupted by the furious Count, who is then silenced by the King.
Oblio tells the King and the people of the land that everything has a point, including the Pointless Forest, and himself. Unable to stand hearing what he believes is nonsense any longer, the Count pulls off Oblio's cap, but is taken aback when he sees a point on top of Oblio's bare head.
Upon this revelation, the points of everyone else in the land disappeared, and pointed buildings became round.
Animated film
The film version of The Point! first aired February 2, 1971, at 7:30pm on the ABC television network as an ABC Movie of the Week. The film was directed by Fred Wolf and produced by Murakami-Wolf Films in association with Nilsson House Music. In this version, there is a framing device of a father telling his son the fable as a bedtime story. In its initial airing, the voice of the father was provided by Dustin Hoffman, but for contractual reasons later airings of the film could not use Hoffman's voice and it had to be re-recorded. The initial re-recording was done by actor Alan Barzman. The VHS and DVD releases feature Ringo Starr as the father. Another version, seen on cable television in the '80s and '90s, featured narration by Alan Thicke. The voice of the son, and of Oblio, was provided by Mike Lookinland, an actor best known as young Bobby Brady on the television series The Brady Bunch.
Voice Cast
* Ringo Starr as Narrator/Father (home video release)
* Dustin Hoffman as Narrator/Father (first telecast)
* Alan Barzman as Narrator/Father (second telecast)
* Alan Thicke as Narrator/Father (third telecast)
* Paul Frees as Oblio's Father/Pointed Man's Right Head/King/Leaf Man/Villagers
* Lennie Weinrib as Count
* Bill Martin as Rock Man
* Buddy Foster as Count's Son
* Joan Gerber as Oblio's Mother
* Mike Lookinland as Oblio
Album
The Nilsson album called The Point! features the same songs as the film, and the same basic fable. However, the framing device of the father and son is discarded, and Nilsson himself tells the story directly to the listener, providing all the characters' voices as well as the narration.
A comic storyboard was included with the vinyl record when it was first released, enabling the listener to be more engaged in the story.
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Harry Nilsson.
Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Everything's Got 'Em" 2:25
2. "The Town" (Narration) 1:31
3. "Me and My Arrow" 2:04
4. "The Game" (Narration) 1:49
5. "Poli High" 2:41
6. "The Trial and Banishment" (Narration) 2:11
7. "Think About Your Troubles" 2:49
Side two
No. Title Length
8. "The Pointed Man" (Narration) 2:42
9. "Life Line" 2:21
10. "The Birds" (Narration) 1:58
11. "P.O.V. Waltz" 2:12
12. "The Clearing in the Woods" (Narration) 1:53
13. "Are You Sleeping?" 2:17
14. "Oblio's Return" (Narration) 3:08
Musical play
In 1975, Esquire Jauchem, Artistic Director of the Boston Repertory Theater, approached Harry Nilsson about creating a stage musical of "The Point!" Although Nilsson said he had been asked many times and had always turned down the request, this time he granted his permission. Esquire Jauchem adapted and directed the production which starred 18-year-old David Morse (who went on to star in St. Elsewhere and many other roles) as Oblio.
The production was extremely successful with the press and the Boston audience. Harry Nilsson, along with his wife Una, attended the opening and wore a sign to the party following the performance which read "I loved it!". The show also received positive reviews from critics:
"Extraordinarily attractive...joyous and imaginative songs" – Eliot Norton, Boston Herald-American
"Fantasy comes to life ....and it's a very different production, using techniques and devices you don't see on stage every day – Associated Press
The same production later toured to the Trinity Square Repertory Company in Providence where it was again extremely well received by audiences and the critics.
In 1977, a stage adaptation of The Point! was presented at the Mermaid Theatre in London. Featured in the cast were Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz, both former members of the band The Monkees and long-time friends of Nilsson. In order to accommodate the expansion of The Point! to a full-length musical, other Nilsson songs from various points in his career were incorporated. An original cast album was released in the United Kingdom by MCA.
In 1991, Nilsson gave Esquire Jauchem permission to present his adaptation of The Point! in a Hollywood workshop. It was nominated as musical of the year and once again it received very good reviews:
"Imaginatively adapted...blends broad acting, balloon characters, Bunraku style puppetry, fog effects, strobe lighting and choreography by former Martha Graham troupe member Janet Eilber" – Time
"A well rounded POINT....the multilayered odyssey, with its jazz riffs and dreamy musical segues, satiric references to censorship, lawyers and politics, succeeds as an allegory....Nilsson's fabulous, quirkly songs" – L.A. Times
London credits
Cast
* Davy Jones as Oblio
* Micky Dolenz as Count's Kid and The Leafman
* Colin Bennett as The Count
* David Claridge as Arrow
* Veronica Clifford as Oblio's Mum, Balloon Lady
* Noel Howlett as The King
* Julia Lewis as Oblio's Girlfriend
* Clovissa Newcombe as Count's Lady, The Pointed Man
* Mark Penfold as The Pointed Man
* Felix Rice as The Rockman
* Chrissy Roberts as Balloon Lady
* Denny Ryder as The Pointed Man
* Roy Sampson as Oblio's Dad
* Gary Taylor as Balloon Man, New Bird
Backing vocals were provided by Anna Macleod, Richard Barnes, and Jean Gilbert.
Crew
* Directed by Colin Bennett
* Original adaptation by Ron Pember and Bernard Miles
* Designed by Peter Whiteman
* Lighting by Peter Sutton
* Choreography by Gillian Gregory
* Musical director Mike McNaught
Track listing, original cast recording
All titles were written by Harry Nilsson, except "Thursday" (Nilsson, Danny Kortchmar).
1. Overture – Orchestra
2. "Everything's Got 'Em" – Company
3. "Me and My Arrow" – Davy Jones
4. "Poli High" – Company
5. "Remember" – Veronica Clifford
6. "To Be a King" – Noel Howlett and Company
7. "He's Leaving Here This Morning (Bath)" – Micky Dolenz, Colin Bennett, Clovissa Newcombe
8. "Think About Your Troubles" – Davy Jones and Company
9. "Blanket For a Sail" – Davy Jones
10. "Life Line" – Davy Jones'
11. "Thursday (Here's Why I Did Not Go to Work Today)" – Felix Rice
12. "It's a Jungle Out There" – Micky Dolenz
13. "P.O.V. Waltz" – Davy Jones and Company
14. "Are You Sleeping? (Song Title)" – Davy Jones and Company
15. "Gotta Get Up" – Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz
16. Reprise Overture – Orchestra
Pop-culture references
* The chorus of the title track on Blackalicious' 2002 album Blazing Arrow uses a sample of the chorus of "Me And My Arrow" (from the 1971 album) as a centerpiece.
* A cover of the song "Think About Your Troubles" was recorded by Belly for the album: Safe and Sound: A Benefit in Response to the Brookline Clinic Violence (1996).
* The song "Me and My Arrow" was used in television commercials in the United States promoting the Plymouth Arrow during the 1970s. When Plymouth approached Nilsson about licensing the tune, Nilsson told them they could use the song in exchange for a Mercedes. Negotiation stalled, but eventually, Plymouth agreed and purchased the car.
* The board game "Balderdash" featured this movie on one of the trivia questions. Players were given the name of the movie and had to guess what is was about.
* The album Songs From The Point features cover versions of the entire album, recorded by assorted prominent artists, mostly from the Indie area.
Wikipedia
Wednesday, July 06, 2011
"If I Fell"
"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
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
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.
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