Paul McCartney wuz here

 

Paul signed this bass for an auction and played it as well. 

Photo Auction happening now

 Heritage Auction is having a photo auction right now and part of the photos up for bid are amazing shots taken by Linda (Eastman) McCartney during The Beatles era.   Every so often Paul will release a photo of him and George together in the recording studio during the recording of Abbey Road.  Well -- the entire negative sheet is up for auction.  Take a look at that!    There are some other gems there, especially if you are someone who likes an almost-naked Paul McCartney. 

Take a look

https://entertainment.ha.com/c/search-results.zx?N=53+793+794+791+792+2088+4294938613&Nf=&Ntk=SI_Titles-Desc&Nty=1&Ntt=shepard&ic4=KeywordSearch-A-K-071316

Backstage at the Beatles Christmas Show

 

As we start 2023, I am wanting to Get Back to the original idea of this site, which is to focus on people that have met the Beatles and not just a place to share random photos (although I won't stop doing that either).   I feel like I have been lazy and have gotten farther from my original intent for MTBFR that I wanted and so no time is better than the start of a new year to get back on track.  

These Beatles signatures are currently in an auction  and I thought the story that went along with them was interesting.   

I got them after the Beatles’ performance at the Odeon Hammersmith in January 1965. I was taken by my aunt (the former ballerina Moira Shearer, of 'Red Shoes' fame) and uncle, the writer and broadcaster Ludovic Kennedy. They had met Paul McCartney at a Christmas party. When they told him they were coming to the concert with two daughters and two nephews (me and my younger brother), he invited us all backstage afterwards. I was 13 years and eight months and wore a shirt with a tab collar which was then all the rage! I shall never forget it. The dressing room was small and cramped. John was sitting on the floor deep in conversation with a man he introduced as ‘my intellectual friend – he’s a teacher’. George and Ringo sat silently smoking. I noticed the washbasin was full of cigarette butts. Paul was the friendliest. He stood chatting to Moira and Ludovic while we passed our autograph books around. I remember very little of the music because of the screaming. Years ago I tore the Beatles’ signatures out of my autograph book and threw the rest away, perhaps unwisely, but there was nothing else of much importance.'

The mystery of the tablecloth has been solved!

 In 2016, I wrote about the tablecloth The Beatles doodled on while backstage in San Francisco in 1966.  You can read that story here.  

Quick recap:  The caterers, Simpson's Catering, brought The Beatles and their crew their food while they were backstage before the San Francisco show and also supplied the tablecloth for the table.   The Beatles used the colorful Japanese pen gifted to them by fans to draw doodles on the tablecloth after the meal.   Joan Baez was also there, and she drew on the tablecloth.   Afterward, Simpson's Catering took their tablecloth back with them, now adorned by Beatle art and autographs.  It was put on display in the shop's front window, and many fans stopped by to see it and take photos of it.   Then six days after the concert, someone broke the large window and took the tablecloth.    

That is all we knew about this piece of Beatles artwork.   It has been missing since 1966.   Although I do have to say that someone in the comments section of the article from 2016 someone came forward and said that the guy who originally stole the tablecloth in 1966 gave it to his uncle, who had no idea it was stolen until the 1980s.    Whoever had the tablecloth gave it back to the son of the caterer in 2020, and now he is selling the tablecloth through Bonhams auctions.  

You can bid on the famous tablecloth here.    It only has one day left!

Thanks to this auction, we can see the artwork up close. 

This is the biggest section that is made by a Beatle.   John Lennon drew all of the yellow areas.  Paul signed his name in bubble letters and put an arrow.  

These drawings were drawn by Joan.   Who do you think she was doodling?

George and Ringo were seen drawing at the table.  But when I looked closer, I realized that they had doodled on paper and not actually on the tablecloth.   What a shame!   I am sure those scraps of paper are long gone.   The caterer asked George and Ringo to autograph the tablecloth. 

This photograph by Marilyn Doerflers really shows some of the art -- notice John's yellow drawing especially?

I am glad that this mystery has been solved and that the tablecloth has survived all these years.  I find it a bit disappointing that there isn't more artwork on it (such as the one they did in Japan the same year), but original John Lennon art is always awesome. 

John and Paul portrait

Some time in 1968  (My guess that it was taken in February), Paul McCartney and John Lennon posed for this lovely photo inside of Paul's home on Cavendish Avenue.    If you look, you can see some of Martha's fur at the bottom.    It really is a great Lennon-McCartney photograph.    Somewhere along the line,  the photo was blown up to  42 by 48 inches and put on a board.   Then it was framed up and do you know where it ended up?

It was in the Apple offices, hanging over the white fireplace.     I am not sure how long it stayed there, but it wasn't there when I was there in 2017.

Alright, I am just joking about that one -- of course, I didn't think there would be any Beatles stuff left inside of the Abercrombie & Finch children's clothing store that now occupies 3 Savile Row.  Honestly, I am not even sure if that is the same white fireplace. 

So where did the John and Paul portrait end up?   In Ringo's possession -- where else?    I am not sure where Ringo had this hanging in his home, or even why he wanted it -- except that it is a really nice photo of his two friends.    But it was sold in 2015 as part of Ringo's auction with Juliens.   Whoever owns it now paid $6,400 for it.    I wonder if they know that it originally hung inside of Apple Offices? 

The Beatles and Me -- How I won the War

Let's take a trip back to 1966 and grab an issue of 16 Magazine.   It was there that you would find interesting feature stories by Pattie Boyd or Neil Aspinall.    This one from Neil about John Lennon and How I won the War is really good.  I think it gives information that you can't find anywhere else.   I really wish Neil had written a book.  But at least we have articles like this one!

The Beatles and Me

By Neil Aspinall

16 Magazine 1966

On the evening of October 8, 1966, John Lennon celebrated his 26^th birthday in an apartment in Almeria, Spain.  Officially, he was 26 on Sunday, October 9^th, but the party took place the night before because John was about to move to a new location.   At the time, we had been in Spain just over three weeks for location work on the Richard Lester movie, How I won the War, in which John plays the part of Corporal Gripweed – a faithful, slovenly and slightly cowardly servant/batman on Lieutenant Goodbody (Michael Crawford) of the British Army.

The entire production unit for the movie got an open invitation to the birthday shindig and believe me, it was quite a wild night!  Almeria is a pretty remote spot – minus most forms of conventional night life, so that party was one of the few really successful social occasions of the month.

John and Cyn had become very friendly with Michael Crawford and his wife, who were renting an apartment nearby.  Already the Crawfords were finding themselves a bit cramped, because they had their lovely little six-month-old baby with them and a nanny.  And Ringo arrived with Maureen for a holiday three days before the birthday party!

“You know what we ought to do?”  John suggested one evening , just after we’d heard that Ringo and Maureen were coming to Spain.  “We should all get together and rent one of those fantastic old villas outside the town.”

The Crawfords loved the idea and the move was organized without delay.  The apartments were very attractive and comfortable – with a wonderful view looking out over the sea.  But everyone wanted more space to move around in and larger “get-togethers” rooms for entertaining.  So, on the Sunday of John’s birthday, we moved into the Villa Corjo-Romera, a magnificent rambling old Spanish villa standing on a hill outside the town.

“It’ll take days just to explore this place,” John declared, as we walked from room to room on the initial four of the villa.  We admired all the heavy woodwork, the superbly decorated ceilings and the majestic main hall.

“That’s it,” replied John.  “A party!  It’s my birthday.  We should have one.”

“We did that last night,” I put in weakly.

“Well, we’ll do it again tonight,” John said.  “It can be called a villa warming, if you like.”

“Hey—you’ve got a game room,” Ringo said.  “Let’s have a go at table tennis later.”

That night’s “villa warming” party coincided with one of the worst storms Almeria had ever experienced in living memory.  Normally, the locals expect no more than about five days of rain each year.  This storm took everybody by surprise.  The rain was torrential and it was accompanied by a fierce wind.  The party was just getting underway, when all the lights went out, so we rushed around trying to find where the fuses were located.    We needn’t have bothered.  The electricity supply cables for the entire area had been damaged by the storm.  And the telephone lines were down too.  Finally, we found enough candles to light the place.  And in the end, the candlelight added a definitely romantic atmosphere to the party, and the power cut turned out to be a novel advantage rather than a disaster.

It goes without saying that there was no film work done on Monday.  The location set had been washed away by the rain.  (After all, this was a desert sequence – and floods just don’t happen in the desert!)  The water supply for the villa came from a well, but the pump was worked by electricity.  It wasn’t until late Tuesday afternoon that the electric power was restored.  So we spent Monday devising ways of eating and existing comfortably without the use of water or electricity. 

The restoration of the power coincided with the arrival of our cook.  So at about three o’clock Tuesday afternoon we all settled down to a late breakfast of sausages and eggs.

“This, I am really looking forward to,” said John and the girls put on a look of mock annoyance.  “Not that I’m saying a word against your cooking, but even you two can’t work wonders without water.”

 John and I had left for Germany to being work on How I won the War less than a week after the Beatles’ American tour.  By  now it must be a matter of well-known historical fact that John’s ceremonial hair-cutting took place at the unearthly hour of 7:30am on the morning of Tuesday, September 6, 1966!  The “operation” was supervised by the film’s producer/director, Richard Lester, and carried out by 28-year-old German hairdresser, Klaus Baruch, of Hamburg.   He came to our small vacation type hotel in the forest of Luneburg Heath to perform his grave task.   John’s familiar fringe was swept back and greased down a bit to transform him into Corporal Gripweed.  The addition of a grubby old army greatcoat plus a pair of very pain specs completed the change from Beatle to “batman.”

Don’t believe any claims people might make about possessing some of John’s clipped-off hair.   I watched the famous locks of hair burning away to nothing while we were at Luneburg!

No true Neil---this lock of John's hair sold at Heritage Auctions in 2016

We got one completely free day in Germany and John took the opportunity of re-visiting some of his favorite haunts in Hamburg.  We couldn’t make the rounds of the Hamburg club scene because we had to be up so early the following morning.  Instead, John went on a shopping spree and picked up an assortment of shirts, shoes, jeans and other accessories from stores he knew well from the Beatles’ days in Hamburg five and six years ago.  It was a fascinating day for John since so many of the places familiar to him had greatly changed since 1960.

We finished filming in Germany on Wednesday September 14^th.  By coincidence, that was the day that a “Mr. and Mrs. Sam Wells” flew from London, Airport on a BOAC plane bound for Bombay.  At Bombay’s Taj Mahal Hotel, it wasn’t long before Mr. and Mrs. Wells alias George Harrison, let himself be pressured into admitting his true identity and explain to the local press his motives for that extended Indian vacation trip:  to study the sitar and everything to do with Asian music.

Meanwhile, back at How I won the War, John and I left Hamburg by the night train to Paris in the small hours of Friday September 16^th.  And at the same time (or a few hours later), Brian Epstein left London for Paris—accompanied by Paul McCartney.  We all met in Paris—just for the weekend, because filming in Spain was due to start early the following week.  The flight from Paris to Spain was fast and the longest and most tedious part of our journey was yet to come.  From the airport at Malaga, we faced a five-hour car dive to Almeria, which is, as I said earlier, a bit of a remote spot.  We drove along what the Spanish fondly imagine are highways but are, in fact, more like dirt tracks with superficial tarmac coating.  For most of the way, the “road “runs alongside the sea – I mean ALONGSIDE, because I reckoned we would plunge straight down into the waves at any second.

The living in Spain was a bit rough, but  nobody minded.  By now, most of the cast had become firm friends.  Although John and I had made a particular mate of Michael Crawford, we were equally close with all the other actors.  Like Ronald Lacy, who is Spool in the picture; Lee Montague, who is Transom (Corporal of Musket and Troop Sergeant); Roy Kinnear, who is Clapper; and Michael Hardern, who plays Lt. Col. Grapple.  Each morning we would be up by 7:30 to leave no later than 8am.  John had his own driver and Rolls with him.  The Almeria inhabitants were thoroughly impressed with this vehicle, and John caused a great stir each day as we drove out of the town.  The local people described the Rolls as the “Royal Hearse.”

Once we left the town each morning, that was it for the whole day.  At the actual film location, we spent most of our spare time watching what was happening or sitting around on the floor of an old bus (no seats) which was used as the company wardrobe and the cast’s dressing room. Between 8:30am and 9, John went through the make-up process of becoming Corporal Gripweed, and the next four hours were spent in front of the cameras.  The lunch break was from twelve to one.  We were well looked after, despite the lack of facilities on the location.  We all sat around in a big and very hot tent eating excellent lunches, with things like melon, filet steak and fruit.

Most of our evenings were spent quietly.  Sometimes, John would go through his lines for the following day, with me correcting him and filling in all the other parts.  Just for laughs, we would rewrite whole scenes for ourselves, which got a bit confusing.  So sooner or later, we’d call each other to order and get back to the script-learning bit.  I’m not sure exactly where Corporal Gripweed was born and raised, but John has given him a definitely Liverpool origin.

When Ringo and Maurren joined us at Almeria on Wednesday, October 5^th, only one of the boys remained in England.  That was Paul, who was still in the process of putting the final interior finishing touches to his new house at St. John’s Wood in North London. In any case, he wasn’t ready to take an overseas vcacation at that stage because he had started work on the soundtrack musical score for the Hayley Mills’ film, “All in good time.”

So, by the final week of October, the all round situation on the Beatle front was this:  George with yoga experience, sitar lessons and mustache, was located in a picturesque house beside a loe not too far from Bombay, India; Paul was in London, watching different bits of the Boulting Brothers’ film and writing the background music for each scene; and Ringo was taking it easy in Spain and watching John work on the final segments of How I won the War.  Now there was an interesting dispersal of talents and occupations, if ever there was one!

Paul's letter to Jean

This letter and record from 1962 that Paul McCartney sent to a fan named Jean is up for auction through the Darlington Auction House later this month.   How fun it must have been to have been a Beatles fan during those early days when the lads would write back to you.  

Beatles meet and greet film

Up for auction right now is a 16mm  color home movie of the Beatles during the meet and greet Garden Party in Hollywood during the 1964 tour.    It comes with full copyright and would be a treat to see.   I was hoping that new Ron Howard documentary would have little gems such as this in it.   

If you want to place your bid

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/the-beatles-at-a-1964-meet-and-greet-16mm-color-f-1661-c-b8a4b2680f

Linda's photos of the four

Photos by Linda McCartney 

These photos are currently available as part of Tracks Auction.

Double Fantasy

This story is very sweet and knowing what we know now, it is very sad.   The part that got me the most when John Lennon says, "Well, I'm just getting started."     These autographs are currently up for auction on Heritage Auctions.  

What a great honor it was to meet a living legend. My mother Kathleen was a fan of The Beatles since they came to America in 1964. Her favorite Beatle was John Lennon. She missed her chance to attend their concert at Convention Hall in 1964, but did get to see them live at John F. Kennedy Stadium on her 22nd birthday on August 16, 1966. My uncle Johnny paid for her ticket as a birthday present. I was only 3 years old at the time and stayed home with my grandmother. My mom influenced my appreciation for The Beatles, especially John Lennon. Growing up with my mom always playing their records and talking about them was awesome and made me a true devout fan. Even though The Beatles were no longer together, they were very relevant to me. John's voice was the voice of The Beatles. He was the leader and founder of the most influential name in music history. We learned that John Lennon had been living in New York City for years and that he was friendly and approachable with his fans seeking autographs and to meet him. When his album Double Fantasy came out, my mother went to Sam Goody in the Neshaminy Mall to purchase it. My mom and I really liked "(Just like) Starting Over". I loved the song "Woman" off the album the best. My mother's greatest wish was to meet John Lennon. With full intentions of having John autograph the Double Fantasy LP, we took the simple 2 hour journey from Philadelphia to Manhattan to the Dakota Apartment Building at 1 West 72nd Street. It was December 2, 1980, just 6 days before the unbelievable happened. We waited outside along with at least one other fan and it wasn't long before John & Yoko emerged from this gothic architectural design sporting big hats. Yoko was wearing huge sunglasses and I remember John had on tinted glasses with a translucent yellow frame. This moment was surreal for the both of us. When my mother spotted them she shouted "Hi John!" in low volume, John said "Hi!" back as if he knew us as well as we knew him, very down to earth. As we walked closer toward him and Yoko my mother nervously but carefully tore the original shrink wrap at the front of the cover so John could sign. She asked would he please sign the album for her and he said "Sure" and my mom asked him "Could you put "To Kathy with a K?" and John being upbeat said "Sure I can!" and so he dedicated it "For Kathy, love, John Lennon". He added a cartoon drawing of his face as well as added the year "1980". Then I handed him a piece of paper to autograph and he did plus added "80". I said to him I love all your albums, you're a musical genius". And John said "Yeah!"? "Well, I'm just getting started!" after signing John said "Thanks". It was a brief encounter but a beautiful dream come true. My mother & I ate at a little Italian restaurant called Tony's just a few blocks away. After meeting John my mom was really excited. I remember leaning the album against the wall on the table we sat and I told our waitress that we'd just met John Lennon and she said, "Oh, cool, I see him in the neighborhood all the time, seems like a nice guy. What can I get ya?"

Ringo's big garage sale

So I am sure that by now most of you know that Ringo Starr is holding a HUGE garage sale this week through Julien's Auction House.     Ringo and Barb have moved into the house in Los Angeles and sold their house in Monocco.   And like most folks who are downsizing as they get older, the Starkey's are having a big sale.     They are selling some things that you expect to see at a garage sale like mugs, pottery, knick knacks,  tables and chairs, paintings, throw pillows, cuff links, picture frames and other odds and ends from around the house.    But what most people are interested in are the items that are NOT typical of a yard sale such as drums used with the Beatles, clothing Ringo Starr wore, gold records, Beatles memorabilia and Ringo Starr's rings!

Photo by Scott Ritchie

Some of the items listed that really stood out to me were:

• the badges Ringo got from Bultins when he was with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes
• A suitcase filled with news clippings about Ringo that his mum collected over the years
• the id bracelet he wore in 1964
• The huge joke drumkit from the Hello Goodbye promo

Photo by Scott Ritchie

Photo by Scott Ritchie

•  The guitar that John played during the Christmas concerts of 1964 then gave to Ringo
• a tambourine that Harry gave to Ringo with a message on it.
• the clothing Ringo wore in the late 1960's 
• The "Sgt. Pepper" panel from Julian's gypsy caravan
•  Shirts Ringo wore during his interviews for the Anthology
• The item that I am currently bidding on and have my fingers crossed that I will win, but I am not telling what it is unless I actually win. 

I have heard some grumbling out there in Pepperland about how it is a shame that Ringo is selling all this stuff and that he should have offered it to his kids.    Somehow I would bet that Ringo DID offer it up to his kids.   Much of this stuff seems to be items that Ringo was given, such as modern Beatles t-shirts and collectables.    Really does his kids want a gold CD for Beatles 1 from Hong Kong?    Ringo obviously has ALL of this stuff and why should he hang onto it?    He can sell it now for the charity and it will get into the hands (hopefully) of people that will appreciate it.      I think this is an amazing once in a lifetime opportunity for us fans to actually own something that belonged to a Beatle!    Even if you just win a little knick knack---just think that was in Ringo's house!  I think it is pretty cool.

The auction will be held December 3, 4, 5
 http://www.juliensauctions.com/auctions/2015/ringo-starr-barbara-bach/index.html

Love and t-shirts

Throughout his New York Years, you often saw John wearing a variety of t-shirts that said "Home."  "Home was the name of a New York restaurant that John frequented the owner, Richardoften gave him t-shirts (gee--what better advertisement than John Lennon?)  As a matter of fact, one of John's old "Home" t-shirts hit the auction block and went for $16,400--making it one of the top five most expensive t-shirts ever.

Also up for auction is this Walls and Bridges album that is autographed by John to the owners of home.   I think it is really neat that he signed it "love and t-shirts.'" 

Can't buy me love

The Beatles private dressing room

These photos were offered sometime in the past year as an ebay auction.   According to the seller, the paper was posted on the door of the dressing room (aka locker room) for the Beatles at Shea Stadium.  I find it strange that it would be a yellow piece of paper and advertise that this is where the Beatles are.     Security things are so different now days!

The band you've know for all these years

Look what is back!    It is the signed Sgt. Pepper album obtained by friend of this blog, Carole in 1967.     On June 23, 1967 she got Ringo, Paul and John (who didn't sign his last name!!!) to sign the inside of her Sgt. Pepper album in the parking lot of EMI.    This has gone up for auction a few times over the years.    It would be amazing to own, especially since I have talked to the original owner, but alas I can never afford it.  But if you can---go for it!   Up for auction now from RR Auctions.