Look at the date stamped on this photo: February 1964. The boy is holding the single for "I wanna hold your hand." He is hooked.
An online Beatles fan club for and about Beatle fans
Thursday, September 29, 2016
The birth of a Beatles fan
Look at the date stamped on this photo: February 1964. The boy is holding the single for "I wanna hold your hand." He is hooked.
The strangest Beatles related photo of 2016....
Is Ringo holding a John Lennon face mask? Is Paul doing a John Lennon at Shea Stadium impression? No idea, but this photograph makes me laugh.
Wednesday, September 28, 2016
John Lennon's FBI files: e-book review
After reading Leon's Wildes' great book and re-watching "John Lennon vs. the U.S.", I was interested in learning more about John Lennon and the FBI. So what better source than the actual FBI files? The complete FBI files of John Lennon are available in the form of an e-book thanks to the Freedom of Information Act. These were compiled in January 2016, so they are the most up-to-date ones right now.
These are only the complete FBI files. There isn't any commentary or explanation included. The quality isn't very good. The page is black and the writing in in white, like a negative. Some things are blocked out and there is writing on the sides. Reading through them on my ipad sot of reminded me of looking at microfiche at the library. They are presented in chronological order, beginning in December 1971 during the John Sinclair concert in Ann Arbor. The government sent someone to go to the show (lucky government guy if you ask me!) and write down everything that was said at the concert, especially by John Lennon. All of the words to the song "John Sinclair" are in the FBI files.
Things really started to heat up in 1972, when the U.S. government really thought John was a threat to the country. There was all sorts of information from "a confidential source that had furnished reliable information in the past."
Much of the concern was because John and Yoko had contributed a large sum of money ($75,000) to an organization that was formed specifically to cause problems during the election year of 1972 and was set to have a demonstration during the Republican National Convention.
While John and Yoko were appearing in court, the FBI was there reporting back and stating that John spoke with the Associated Press and said that he was framed for his 1968 drug conviction. The FBI assured whoever was reading the memo that they were going to be closely following the court proceedings.
We now know that during this time, the Lennon's phones were tapped and they along with any of their associates were regularly followed. Reports came back about John's possible drug usage, his plans (or lack there of) of having a protest type concert during the Republican convention, and the delay tactics the Lennons were using to postpone their deportation.
The most shocking thing for me to read in these files was that the government actually thought that John and Yoko were lying about the whereabouts of Kyoko in order to stay in the United States. They believed that the couple was hiding the little girl somewhere on purpose and lying to everyone that her father had her hidden somewhere and they were desperately looking for her. It is a sad statement to read. I mean we are talking about the country where I live and they honestly thought that John and Yoko were lying about the sad custody battle for Kyoko is shameful.
While John and Yoko went on the Dick Cavett Show and declared that they would NOT be at the convention, the government didn't believe them. They had representatives down in Florida looking for John and even had a flyer with a photo of David Peel on it (thinking it was John Lennon) telling people to be on the look-out for him.
The files then became quiet after Nixon was re-elected. But for most of 1972, John Lennon kept the FBI busy.
I found this to be a very interesting, historical document and a great companion piece to "Give me some Truth" and the Leon Wildes' book. It is both physically and mentally difficult to read at times, but is important for anyone who really wants to understand John Lennon's life to read all the way through.
You can read the John Lennon FBI files for $3.00 for the ebook from Amazon.
These are only the complete FBI files. There isn't any commentary or explanation included. The quality isn't very good. The page is black and the writing in in white, like a negative. Some things are blocked out and there is writing on the sides. Reading through them on my ipad sot of reminded me of looking at microfiche at the library. They are presented in chronological order, beginning in December 1971 during the John Sinclair concert in Ann Arbor. The government sent someone to go to the show (lucky government guy if you ask me!) and write down everything that was said at the concert, especially by John Lennon. All of the words to the song "John Sinclair" are in the FBI files.
Things really started to heat up in 1972, when the U.S. government really thought John was a threat to the country. There was all sorts of information from "a confidential source that had furnished reliable information in the past."
Much of the concern was because John and Yoko had contributed a large sum of money ($75,000) to an organization that was formed specifically to cause problems during the election year of 1972 and was set to have a demonstration during the Republican National Convention.
While John and Yoko were appearing in court, the FBI was there reporting back and stating that John spoke with the Associated Press and said that he was framed for his 1968 drug conviction. The FBI assured whoever was reading the memo that they were going to be closely following the court proceedings.
We now know that during this time, the Lennon's phones were tapped and they along with any of their associates were regularly followed. Reports came back about John's possible drug usage, his plans (or lack there of) of having a protest type concert during the Republican convention, and the delay tactics the Lennons were using to postpone their deportation.
The most shocking thing for me to read in these files was that the government actually thought that John and Yoko were lying about the whereabouts of Kyoko in order to stay in the United States. They believed that the couple was hiding the little girl somewhere on purpose and lying to everyone that her father had her hidden somewhere and they were desperately looking for her. It is a sad statement to read. I mean we are talking about the country where I live and they honestly thought that John and Yoko were lying about the sad custody battle for Kyoko is shameful.
While John and Yoko went on the Dick Cavett Show and declared that they would NOT be at the convention, the government didn't believe them. They had representatives down in Florida looking for John and even had a flyer with a photo of David Peel on it (thinking it was John Lennon) telling people to be on the look-out for him.
The files then became quiet after Nixon was re-elected. But for most of 1972, John Lennon kept the FBI busy.
I found this to be a very interesting, historical document and a great companion piece to "Give me some Truth" and the Leon Wildes' book. It is both physically and mentally difficult to read at times, but is important for anyone who really wants to understand John Lennon's life to read all the way through.
You can read the John Lennon FBI files for $3.00 for the ebook from Amazon.
Yoko on her bed during Abbey Road sessions
So what do you think is written on that letter next to her in the top photo?
Tuesday, September 27, 2016
The cute couple
I think John and Yoko look so adorable together here. I might not be the world's biggest Yoko fan, but I do respect the love that John obviously had for her.
Screaming for John
I am not sure if this is a vintage photo or a modern one, but I really enjoy it either way.
Monday, September 26, 2016
The Golden Apple Award
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| Don Grierson with George Harrison Golden Apple Award on October 31, 1968 Posted under Creative Commons license |
Meeting Paul in the Windy City
Here is a good story about a fan who did not win the contest to meet Paul during the "Broadstreet" promoting, but did have several meetings with him that day. It comes from the Feb/March 1985 issue of the Write Thing and was written by Mike Matela.
It was a rainy and windy night in Chicago. I arrived at the Ambassador East about 10pm and saw a few people sitting out in front holding signs and pictures of Paul McCartney. I tried sneaking up, but I took one step off the elevator and was informed to please go back down, that's when I knew for sure hew as there. So the wait started. I lasted until one in the morning and went home dejected. I set my clock for five am because I heard he'd been jogging the other day. October 19, 1984, five o'clock came and jumped out of bed and headed back downtown Chicago. A 25 minute ride took fifteen minutes. I was flying! When I got there the same devoted girls were still there from last night. I have to give them a lot of credit. And the wait continued and it got colder and colder and much more windy. We all stood by the entrance hoping to get a glimpse of Paul. Then the next thing you know a voice comes out saying, "excuse me, I'm running late." It was Paul! He was coming in from jogging by himself. Everyone there was shocked. While we were looking for him to come out, he must have run right by us. Luckily I somehow managed to take a slightly out of focus shot. That sneak! After that meeting my adrenaline was so high, I knew there was no way I was leaving.
Three limos pulled up about 9am, and people began to sense something was going to happen. About 9:15 he came out with Linda beside him. Before you knew it, he was surrounded by people. Luckily I got to take a couple of shots. After he hopped into his limo another Beatle fan I'd met named Rich asked me if I wanted to hop into his car and follow him to the Ritz Carlton and of course I said yes. We actually blew two red lights on Michigan Avenue, trying to keep up wit Paul. We got there in time to catch him coming out of his limo. We then found out he wouldn't be out for about three hours. So I went to get some more film. Later I found out that ten of my best pictures didn't come out because I trusted the lady there to load my camera. Later on, back at the hotel we found out he was having lunch on the 12th floor and we shot up there and sat around. And before you know it, he popped up, walking right toward us. He came over and said hi, hugged the girl I was with (they died!) and then let me take those 10 pictures I was talking about. Then he said he had to run because he had an interview with Gene Siskel. Believe me, it was all too good to be true.
I got to meet him one more time about an hour later, which proved to be the highlight of the day. He came out wit h the press and I caught up to him and asked him for an autograph. He said "sure." I shook his hand and said, "thanks for everything Mr. McCartney." And that was it. I'm still to the moment on cloud nine!
Side note from Sara: The interview with Siskel was where Paul asked Siskel what he thought of the film and Gene admitted that he thought the whole thing was terrible. It was reported that Paul was VERY mad at this and was close to throwing a glass of Orange Juice at Gene Siskel!
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Singing in the shower
Someone shared this photo with me recently and was wanting some information about it. It was a new photo for me, and I really couldn't put a location to the photo. Can someone help us out?
Thursday, September 22, 2016
John and Yoko at the New York Film Festival
These photos of John and very pregnant Yoko have been in my files for a very long time. I recently discovered the People magazine with the top photo that had a caption that stated that it was from the New York Film Festival.
So I looked up information on the 1975 New York film Festival and discovered that it took place in October of 1975. That means that these have to be the last photos of John and Yoko taken before Sean's birth on October 9.
The waterfalls sweater
There has been a lot of talk the past week about how Paul wore the same jacket to the "Eight Days a Week" premiere that he wore to the "Hard Day's Night" premiere.
If he is going through his closet and taking out old things to wear again, I am all in favor of the return of the "Waterfalls" sweater vest.
Wednesday, September 21, 2016
Eight Days a Week- the Beatles Touring Years: A Review
I had a bigger interest in the Beatles documentary, "Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years," not just because I am a huge Beatles fan but because several years ago, I was contacted through this blog by someone who was connected to Apple asking for my assistance in the documentary. I was in regular contact with this person until Ron Howard took over, and then my involvement ended. I liked the way the film was heading, and I was excited to see the final product.
I am still baffled as to why this film was only shown in select theaters around the world. I was fortunate to locate one near my home in St. Louis, Missouri, and went to the 6:30pm showing on September 15, 2016. One of the best parts of going to see "Eight Days a Week" was seeing it along side other fans. While I was standing in line to go into the theater, there was that feeling in the air of excitement that you only feel when you are experiencing a new Beatles event. Being in the theater with other fans made the whole experience special.
Personally, I enjoyed the documentary very much. I thought it was funny at many points (especially when George uses John's head as an ashtray), and it was touching and emotional at other points. I especially enjoyed the little snippets of material taken by fans--I spotted footage that was new to me from Vancouver 1964, London 1965 (!), and Candlestick Park, among others that I am sure I will notice the specifics once I see the film again. Those little snippets of never-before-seen footage amazed me! There weren't a lot of photographs that were "new" to me, but the few that I spotted took my breath away, especially the color 1966 Manila photograph!
I loved the footage of the fans—especially the girl talking about how sexy George's eyelashes were. The fans were such a huge part of the Beatles' touring years that I am glad that some of the mania and interviews with the fans were not overlooked. Some of my favorite fans weren't included; however, George's sexy eyelash girl is now in the top five favorites for sure. We need to find her!
I thought the whole film sounded great! The Beatles just sounded so good! Sometimes, I get so wrapped up in everything that I don't just sit and listen to what a great band they truly are. I was especially impressed with the "Roll Over Beethoven" performance, which I understand was taken from a soundboard recording during a concert.
The interviews with Paul and Ringo were good. They basically just repeated the same stories we have heard, but Ringo is just so entertaining in how he tells them. They didn't forget to include comments from George and John, although most of George's were taken directly from the Anthology film. All of the other interviews were interesting as well, including Whoopi Goldberg. Who would have thought she would say such interesting things about the Beatles? I would have liked a few interviews with just some common folk fans who aren't celebrities, but I think that is going to be included in the bonus features on the DVD/Blu-ray.
So what didn't I like? I think for me, the biggest thing I didn't like was the colorization of what was originally black and white film. The Washington D.C. concert being colorized really bothered me because it just didn't look good. The Beatles' hair looked red (and not just John's but all of them), and their suits didn't look right. And while I am highly against colorizing black and white Beatles footage, I tried to have an open mind (like I did with the colorized All You Need is Love on Anthology), but I just think it was poorly done. When you look at the original color footage from Help! or Shea and compare it to the colorized stuff, it just looks bad. I also didn't understand why some of the footage seemed such bad quality--and I don't mean the things shot by fans on home movie cameras. The official Ed Sullivan Show DVD is much clearer than what was presented in the film, and the NME concert footage was embarrassing---I have seen bootlegs that looked better.
However, those complaints are small in comparison to the big picture of this amazing film. I really think the DVD/Blu-ray with the extra footage is going to be on the Christmas list of every Beatle fan in the world. It is something that you will want to have in your collection and watch over and over again.
I also have to say that the Shea Stadium concert was a really special treat. It is too bad that Shea isn't being released with the film in November. The color was amazing, and the sound made you almost feel like you were right there that night in August. The Beatles looked like they were having so much fun. And the fans were so great to see as well. I loved the footage of the mom handing out tissues to the girls. And the footage of the fans running onto the field while John is talking. My all-time favorite Beatles performance is the Shea Stadium Show's "I'm Down." To see John on the big screen playing that keyboard with his elbows and laughing along with George was just so amazing. I know I was smiling from ear to ear. The Shea concert was well worth the price of admission and I truly hope that the powers that be plan on releasing the entire Shea show (with the opening acts and all) in the very near future on DVD.
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| After seeing the Beatles "Eight Days a Week" I gave it a thumb up! |
The link below is the affiliate link to Amazon, where you can purchase this on DVD. I get a small percentage of anything purchased through this link. Money made from the Amazon Afflication is used to pay the annual fee to keep this site online. Thank you for your support. Sara
Family vacation photo
What I just love about this shot, it is that at first glance, it just looks like another family photo from a summer vacation. You see tons of photos similar to this one posted on facebook. However, at a closer look, you see that the family in the photo is none other than the McCartney's!
Tuesday, September 20, 2016
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