Wishing you all a Happy new year!

I wish all readers of the Meet the Beatles for Real blog a happy, healthy and safe new year! I am a little "freaked out" because I do not have very much in the works for January for this blog. I usually have a back-log of photos and stories planned for each month, and for the first time in the 2 1/2 years I have been doing this, I do not have enough material for the entire month. So if you have something you would like to share, a photo or story, please by all means send me an email! In the meantime I will keep searching for things and most likely will find many Beatle goodies.

I hope each of you have a great 2012. Anyone have any Beatle plans for the new year? I am beginning to save money for a trip to Liverpool and Hamburg in 2013. My biggest plan for 2012 is to lose a substantial amount of weight. I am going to do this by rewarding myself with Beatle goodies (such as DVDs and books) for every 20 pounds I lose. I hope this actually motivates me. Thanks again to everyone for the support of this blog and for putting up with this fat girl in Illinois who teaches reading and is a little too obsessed with the Beatles.

Green hooded sweatshirt

Who remembers when Paul and Linda were on Saturday Night Live in 1993? I have happy memories of watching this show, a little more than excited to see Paul live on television. My favorite skit from that show was the song "Red-Hooded Sweatshirt" sung by Adam Sandler. Paul and Linda have a short cameo in it and I laughed so hard! Well here is Paul in a green hooded sweatshirt from the same year, 1993. I can't help but wonder if Linda didn't start singing "Green hooded sweatshirt...." to Paul when he put it on that day.

Two birds, ice cream and Morgan Faythful

Paul looks guilty of something, doesn't he?

Is that a wax dummy

Been going through my flash drives of photos this past week and trying to organize my Beatles photos a bit better. I found this photo. This looks like the Beatles posing with a nice, happy young man and also a wax dummy. Now I am sure that is a real person, but too bad he looks so stiff in the photo.

thanks Mo!

This is a newspaper clipping my co-worker has saved from a scrapbook she has had since the 1960's.

This is a photo of the Starkey family taken by Ringo.

Maureen and Ringo in 1968



It is always sad when someone in the Beatles family passes away. So many of the key figures in the Beatles story have seemed to have been taken from us way too soon, and that was very much the case of Ringo's first wife, Maureen, who passed away on this date in 1994. At a time when I know I personally did not have easy access to the Internet, the news was slow to get to me. I actually think I did not hear of her passing until February of 1995. I would have loved to have read a book by Maureen about her life, if she would have written one (I never would have thought Pattie would have done so, but she did!).

I have a hard time choosing a favorite "Beatle girl." I typically say Cyn (most likely because I am a John fan) or maybe Linda (because I love what a strong woman she is) but honestly Maureen in in that mix as well. She was a fan favorite early on and treated many fans who came knocking on her door to meet her famous husband with kindness and respect. So here are a few photos and clippings in memory of Maureen.

Close up on George

Handsome George photo.

All you need is love...and Paul's autograph!

Looks like a fan is getting a photo with Paul in the top photo and a different fan is getting an autograph in the bottom one. All you need is love indeed! What an amazing day to have met a Beatle!

Broadway 1974

Lots of photos were taken by fans who spotted Paul and Linda out for a night of Broadway Theater to see the play, Equus in December 1974.

Meeting Macca on Stage: Manchester 2011

In the past few months I have realized that meeting Paul McCartney has changed every decade. In the 1960's you might have met him one by waiting outside of EMI or Apple. In the 1970's, you could have met him in a hotel or in a town where Wings was performing. Also in both of those decades many fan met him outside of his London home. Things changed a bit in the 1980's. However, many fans met him outside of AIR studios. In the 1990's, Paul set up autographing and meeting sessions at Record Shops. In the 2000's, (aka the Heather Mills era) Paul was making many charity appearances and many fans paid big bucks to support a charity and meet Paul. But now in the 2010's things have changed again. And it seems to me that the big way fans are currently meeting Paul is by being invited up on stage during a sound check or a concert. When I saw Paul in 2002, no one from the audience was invited up on stage with Paul. That was unheard of! But these days it seems like some lucky fan at every performance gets the wonderful opportunity to meet Paul on stage. And so I am starting a new feature on the Meet the Beatles for Real blog called "Meeting Macca on Stage." So if you are one of the lucky chosen to have been able to meet Paul on stage, please join in the fun and email me with your photo and/or story!

To kick things off, our first "Meeting Macca on stage" comes from Argentina. Earlier this month, two sister (who are readers of this blog. Hello girls!) named Mercedes and Rosario saw Paul in Manchester, England. And yes, you guessed it. They met him on stage! Congratulations girls!

Reading Beatle book Monthly

Is it just me, or does this look like a fun time?

Green door of Cavendish

Paul with his bike (without the watermark that I had before on the photo) getting into the gates of Cavendish.

Beatlefan magazine issue #193

Well friends, this blog has made it to the big time! Well big time for something Beatles related in my humble opinion. Kit O'Toole has chosen to feature this very blog in her "Hard Day's net" section in Beatlefan magazine issue #193. The cover has John Lennon on it and inside it has my name! Whoo hoo! Let me tell you, it is the little things in life that excite me. She must have looked at my list of favorite Beatle blogs, because the column also features our sister wife, Miss Tammy's Beatles Photo Blog (which let's face it is by far the best one on the Internets), Sean's Kenwood blog, the McCartney photo blog, and George is love.

She even gives an honorable mention out to my silly Beatles solo photo forum (which I need to work on. Geesh...it needs updating. )

If you are a Beatlefan magazine reader who has found this blog through Kit's article. Welcome!! I hope you enjoy what you see here. If you have a story and/or a photo to include please email me, Sara, at Starshyne9@yahoo.com Feel free to comment. Although lately I have been trying to keep up with deleting some jerk's comments, usually this is a friendly place.

If you do not subscribe to Beatlefan, I recommend it! I have been a subscriber since 1994. I thought that once I got my own computer and had the latest Beatle news at my fingertips, I wouldn't need a Beatles fanzine, but boy was a wrong! I enjoy the interviews and articles so much. I even keep them all in binders that are labeled with who is interviewed. I am such a Beatles nerd!

Better than the Polar Express train!

I spotted this photo and caption at one of my new favorite Beatle photo blogs, The Gilly. I would loved to have been able to hang out with other fans and wait for the Beatles train to come rolling in! What fun!

David Hurn: “I soon found that taking shots from outside of the train where the filming was taking place made for a much better picture than actually being on the train itself. The two girls in this photo had been tipped off by a local station guard as to where the train would be passing trough. I was crouched down on the track. It was great. The fans would often wait hours for the train even if they didn’t know when it was arriving. They had parties by the station. It became a real social gathering with them all sharing their experiences.”

Marion V & John Lennon - 1964 - "and I saw her standing there.."

Marion V & John Lennon - 1964 - "and I saw her standing there..", originally uploaded by jjamv.

John looks so nice here!

Happy Christmas

I wanted to take a few moments out this busy weekend to wish each of you blog readers a very happy Christmas! I realize that Beatle fans from all around the world visit this blog, and not all of you celebrate Christmas, but I would think that regardless of what holiday you choose to celebrate, you can join me in wishing everyone the best of health and happiness in the new year.

A big thank you especially goes out to the hundreds of fans who have sent me email this past year with photos and stories to post. Please keep sending me things to include. I am starting to run out of new ideas for 2012. I also want to thank the fans who commented, including all members of the Apple Scruffs and Lizzie Bravo. Your insight to the photos have really made this blog what it is.

To continue your Christmas celebration, make sure to listen to the Beatle fan Christmas songs, Christmas with the Beatles, I want a Beatle for Christmas and All I want to Christmas is a Beatle (you can find a video of the last one on the facebook page for this blog).

May each of you decide that War is over in your life and may you receive many wonderful Beatles gifts under your tree tonight.

Love,
Sara S.

The Beatles make little girls happy

The truth is that the Beatles STILL make girls (like myself) this happy now just as they did back in the 1960's.

Around the Beatles

A Colored photo of one I posted a few weeks back. Taken during the rehearsal of the Around the Beatles special

Temporary Secretaries

Paul visits some secretaries....and there is a sign for Sounds Inc. on the wall.

New York Peace

Hospital Visit

I would sure like to know the back-story behind this photo. Who are 3/4 of the Beatles visiting in the hospital? Where is Ringo? If I am ever in the hospital, would one of the Beatles come and visit me?

Here is a fun fan letter written by "Jenny" in 1963. George wrote her back, with a short letter an then wrote on her original letter to answer her questions. I think it is hilarious that she wrote George and asked him to marry her, but at the same time says that she thinks Paul is the best looking! How funny!

Extra Extra!

Being an extra in a movie sounds like it would be a lot of fun. But how much more fun would it be to be an extra in a Paul McCartney movie? This young man pictured here with Paul and Linda was an extra in the movie, "Give my Regards to Broadstreet." Yeah....it wasn't the best film ever made, but hey....he got to meet Paul McCartney out of the deal, so it turned out great for him!

New Orelans in 1964

Ringo, John and Derek along with someone I don't know, look at the newspaper in New Orleans during the Beatles 1964 North American tour. I haven't seen a lot of photos from New Orleans during that tour, so I thought I would share this one.

A wild night is in store....

1966 was a good year

Paul photo taken from outside of a car in 1966. Autograph on the photo was obtained in 1967.

Smiling RIngo Starr

This photo makes me happy because Ringo looks happy.

Snaps n Trax

At once time I was REALLY into Beatles bootlegs (or Beatlegs if you will). I was collecting them, burning copies and trading them faster than you would believe. I had them all organized, but I rarely listened to them. After about 2 solid years of collecting Beatles bootlegs, I realized that much of what was being released was re-hashing of old stuff. I am someone that struggles to hear the difference between mono and stereo records. I can't tell the difference between a speed-corrected needle and what I already had. I only listen to a dozen or so Beatlegs, so I stopped collecting them. I have a huge tub of burned Cds in my basement right now that are most likely deteriorating.

When I started collecting Beatles bootlegs, cassette tapes were the "in" thing. I completely missed out on the whole vinyl bootleg era, which is too bad because I would have enjoyed it. I stumbled upon a Beatleg vinyl title that I was not familiar with, "Snaps 'n' Tracks." This was put out on Geritol Records. I was surprised that I could not locate it in the Beatlegzone web site, but I did find it elsewhere online. One side is Beatles material and the other is Beatles solo materials (up to 1977, which must have been around the time this record was released). The songs are just (once again) repeats of other bootlegs that were popular at that time. But what caught my eye was the cover. Occasionally, you find that bootleggers like to use fan photos for their album covers. This actually makes logical sense. They are rare photos and like the music, they would not have gotten permission to use the photos. Most of the photos on the album have been seen on this blog, but there are two photos that weren't. I wish I had a large high-quality scan of this album so that I could get a better look. But here is what I see (starting in the left corner)

1. Paul and Mal at Cavendish 1969. Paul wearing his well-known blue and white striped shirt.
2. Paul (around early 1970's) in a car with a checked jacket (NEW)
3. Yoko and John with super-short hair. Has to be from 1970
4. John in Chicago 1971
5. Ringo handing back an autograph 1969 (Barb Fenrick's photo)
6. Ringo in a car holding something (NEW). I have other photos that must be from this same day because Ringo is wearing the same tie.
7. George at Kinfauns 1969 (Pat Kinzer's photo)
8. George playing "rocky" during the Dark Horse tour in1974
9 (Middle photo) Press conference in Memphis in 1966

the kid in a kilt

I would have to guess that these photos were taken when the Beatles toured Scotland. Why else would someone dress a young boy in a kilt to meet the Beatles? Notice that they are sitting on some sort of an ice cream freezer?

Look what I have!

Remember those boots that Ringo designed and autographed 75 pair of for a charity called Water aid that I was talking about last month? Well guess who is the excited owner of pair number 66? Yes that would be me!! I am so super excited. I have wanted Ringo's autograph for most of my life. I would have much preferred to have gotten it from him in person, but as the years tick by, it is becoming clear that the chances of me actually meeting Ringo are very slim. So I decided to go ahead and bid on a pair of the boots. I hate paying for Ringo's autograph, but I figured this way I was helping out a good charity, so I didn't feel as bad.

I know I am a big geek, but when I opened the box up, I kept saying, "I can't believe that holding something that Ringo Starr actually touched!!!" They are really cute boots.