Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars

Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars is a 1973 documentary and concert movie by D.A. Pennebaker. It features David Bowie and his backing group The Spiders from Mars performing at the Hammersmith Odeon, July 3, 1973. The DVD release was later retitled Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars: The Motion Picture.

Pennebaker had been asked to come to London and film just a few songs but when he saw the first of the two London shows he realized that "there was a full-length film here asking to be made." Though he had only scant knowledge of Bowie's music, apart from Space Oddity, he was impressed by the star's onstage charisma and the range of his songs and quickly prepared to shoot the entire second gig, without knowing that it would include a dramatic final coup. Jeff Beck participated on three songs (two of them forming a medley) midway through the concert but was edited out from the final cut at his own wish. The expanded version of "The Width of a Circle" was shortened by a few minutes for the soundtrack on vinyl and CD.

The film was shown a few times at festivals in late 1973 and provoked strong interest and favourable reactions, but then disappeared from view until 1983, when it was released on home video accompanied by a soundtrack double album. Evidently it became a casualty first of Bowie's rapid image changes which left Ziggy and glam rock behind and then of the rupture between Bowie and MainMan in early 1975; after that point Bowie was reluctant to release or promote any new recordings dating from before Young Americans as he would have to give half the income from any such recordings to MainMan up to the end of 1982.

Only in recent years has the film become available for regular cinema presentations; for many years it was a home video exclusive.

Bowie had taken the stage persona of "Ziggy Stardust", a science fiction based, theatrical, enigmatic, androgynous character and produced two albums during this period. The evening of July 3 was the last show in the English concert tour promoting Bowie's 1973 album Aladdin Sane and the 60th gig in a tour of Britain that started on May 12, though an American tour was already being booked for the autumn. Very few in Bowie's entourage knew of his decision to drop the Ziggy persona and cancel performing for a while; in the band only Mick Ronson had been told a few days before the final night.

At the end of the evening, aptly just before the song "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide", Bowie announced that, Not only is this the last show of the tour, but it's the last show that we'll ever do. The phrasing was deliberately ambiguous, but most of the audience and many London newspapers and magazines took it to mean that Bowie was retiring from music. In fact, he had killed off his Ziggy persona but not his music career.

Track listing

30th Anniversary DVD

1. Opening Credits/Intro - Incorporating Beethoven's Ninth Symphony arranged and performed by Wendy Carlos
2. "Hang On to Yourself" (Bowie) from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
3. "Ziggy Stardust" (Bowie) from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
4. "Watch That Man" (Bowie) from the album Aladdin Sane
5. "Wild Eyed Boy from Freecloud" (Bowie) from the album Space Oddity
6. "All the Young Dudes" (Bowie) originally penned for Mott the Hoople
7. "Oh! You Pretty Things" (Bowie) from the album Hunky Dory
8. "Moonage Daydream" (Bowie) from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
9. "Changes" (Bowie) from the album Hunky Dory
10. "Space Oddity" (Bowie) from the album Space Oddity
11. "My Death" (Jacques Brel, Mort Shuman) - originally written by Brel as "La Mort" and translated into English by Shuman and Eric Blau. From the Brel album La Valse à Mille Temps
12. "Cracked Actor" (Bowie) from the album Aladdin Sane
13. "Time" (Bowie) from the album Aladdin Sane
14. "The Width of a Circle" (Bowie) from the album The Man Who Sold the World
15. Band introduction - spoken word
16. "Let's Spend the Night Together" (Mick Jagger, /Keith Richards) from the Bowie album Aladdin Sane' originally performed by The Rolling Stones
17. "Suffragette City" (Bowie) from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
18. "White Light/White Heat" (Lou Reed) from the album White Light/White Heat by the Velvet Underground
19. Farewell Speech - spoken word
20. "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" (Bowie) from the album The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars
21. End Credits - incorporating Pomp and Circumstance by Edward Elgar

Cast

* David Bowie – Himself / "Ziggy Stardust"
* Mick Ronson – Himself
* Trevor Bolder – Himself
* Mick 'Woody' Woodmansey – Himself
* Angela Bowie – Herself
* Ringo Starr - Himself

Sound recording (original film, soundtrack album and DVD) mixed by Tony Visconti.

Wikipedia

That'll Be the Day

That'll Be the Day is a 1973 British film starring David Essex and Ringo Starr, written by Ray Connolly and directed by Claude Whatham. It is set in the late '50s/early '60s and was partially filmed on the Isle of Wight.

Plot summary

Abandoned by his father as a child, suburban school dropout Jim MacLaine (David Essex) leaves home and drifts through a succession of dead-end jobs until he finds an outlet for his frustration in rock 'n' roll. Tossing away the chance of a college education much to the consternation of his mother, alienated MacLaine becomes a lowly deckchair attendant before streetwise friend Mike (Ringo Starr) gets him a job firstly as a barman and then with the fun fair. The initially shy MacLaine quickly becomes a heartless fairground romeo leaving a trail of broken hearts in his wake. Eventually the prodigal son returns home to run the family store and marry his girlfriend, but despite the birth of a son, restless Jim feels the lure of rock’n’roll again.

Characters

The film was praised at the time for its gritty realism. Many of the characters were played by musicians who had lived through the era portrayed in the film including Ringo Starr, The Who's Keith Moon, John Hawken of The Nashville Teens and Billy Fury.

The film was produced by David Puttnam and is loosely based on the Harry Nilsson song "1941." A sequel, Stardust, was released in 1974.

Cast

* David Essex . . . Jim Maclaine
* Rosemary Leach . . . Mary Maclaine
* James Booth . . . Mr. Maclaine
* Ringo Starr . . . Mike
* Robert Lindsay . . . Terry Sutcliffe
* Rosalind Ayres . . . Jeanette Sutcliffe
* Billy Fury . . . Stormy Tempest
* Tony Rayment . . . Jive Dancer
* Keith Moon . . . J.D. Clover
* Deborah Watling . . . Sandra
* Karl Howman . . . Johnny Swinburne
* Beth Morris . . . Jean
* Sacha Puttnam . . . young Jim Maclaine

Soundtrack

Both That'll Be the Day & the sequel Stardust

Neil Sedaka - Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen

Maxine Brown - Oh No Not My Baby

Bobby Vee - Take Good Care Of My Baby

Del Shannon - Hats Off To Larry

The Zombies - She's Not There

Bobby Darin - Dream Lover

Billy J Kramer & Dakotas - Do You want To Know A Secret

Dave Edmunds & The Electricians - Da Do Ron Ron

The Beach Boys - I Get Around

The Drifters - Up On The Roof

Diana Ross & Supremes - Baby Love

The Chiffons - One Fine Day

Little Eva - The Locomotion

Tommy Roe - Dizzy

The Fortunes - You've Got Your Troubles

Martha Reeves & The Vandellas - Dancing In The Street

Carole King - It Might As Well Rain Until September

Little Stevie Wonder - Uptight

Jan & Dean - Surf City

Cat Stevens - Matthew & Son

Barbara Lewis - Baby I'm Yours

Barbara Lewis - Make Me Your baby

Jimmy Ruffin - What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted

The Shirelles - Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow

The Box Tops - The Letter

Mamas & The Papa's - Monday Monday

Lovin' Spoonful - Summer In The City

Award Nominations

BAFTA Best Supporting Actress: Rosemary Leach.

BAFTA Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles: David Essex.

Wikipedia

Born to Boogie

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

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

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

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

"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