Rude Studio

 July 20, 1971 

By the way -- you can see the Rude Studio sign on display right now at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio 

Paul McCartney and Wings Exhibit at the R&R Hall of Fame -- A Review

 

I had the amazing opportunity to attend the "Paul McCartney and Wings" exhibit and VIP gathering (don't get too excited -- I just bought a ticket like everyone) at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio last weekend. 

If you are a Paul McCartney / Wings fan you have to see this exhibit!  I was just completely knocked out by all of the amazing artifacts that were on display.  

This display occupies space on the 6th floor of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  It is a much smaller space than I anticipated, and one of my few complaints is that I wish it were located in a larger location than the small exhibit room on the 6th floor, because if you get more than 20 people up there, it gets hard to see the items on display.   If you are going to visit, you might want to know that you have to take an escalator up to the fourth floor, then walk the stairs to get to the 6th floor -- but there are really great Wings decorations in the stairwells that you don't want to miss.   If stairs are an issue for you, then get on the Wings decorated elevator.  The elevator is large enough to fit 2-3 wheelchairs and people.  

The exhibit has a Wings compilation video showing in a loop while you are there and a big Wings logo on the ceiling. 

This is on the ceiling -- very cool!

The exhibit starts with McCartney and ends with McCartney II.  There are guitars, clothing, ephemera, and other artifacts from every Wings era represented.  Things were donated by Paul, Denny Seiwell, Denny Laine's estate, Jimmy McCulloch's estate, Laurence Juber, Steve Holly, and John Hammel and others as well.  

Highlights for me included:  the original drawing of the Wings logo, Paul's handwritten lyrics to Maybe I'm Amazed, the red "gown" Paul wore in Morocco,  the outfit and guitar Paul used on Top of the Pops for the performance of Junior's Farm, Paul's see-through guitar and handwritten lyrics for Helen Wheels,  all of the items from the tours,  John Hammel's Back to the Egg pin,  Laurence's Japan 1980 jacket and Rockestra scarf.  

But my two favorite things were:  Robbie the Robot and the sweater Paul wore in the Waterfalls video.  I stared at those items for so long and even took a selfie with Robbie.   

The Junior's Farm outfit and guitar

The see-through guitar

Robbie!! You are still with us!

If this wasn't under glass and heavily secured -- I might have taken it -- just saying. 

In the middle of the room is the "Rude Studio" sign, along with a place to listen to and view various songs, live recordings, and photos.   Also in the middle is a replica of the McCartneys' kitchen in Scotland, with Linda's photographs, and Linda's camera is on display!  So amazing. 

I would have liked to have seen more representation of Linda as a member of Wings in this exhibit.  I loved that her camera was on display, but seeing one of her tour dresses, her keyboard, her lava lamp, or something that represented Linda as a band member would have been great.   

But that is really my only complaint (besides I wish it was in a larger space) about the exhibit.  It was beautifully done and it made me proud to be a Wings fan.  

While I was there, I visited the Beatles section of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.  And let me say that I was extremely disappointed.  I have been to the Rock Hall 5-6 times since it opened, and the Beatles part is always really cool.  But this time -- not so much.   Four of the Beatles' guitars were missing, with a sign saying "this item has been temporarily removed."  I understand that things get removed, but 4 out of 5 guitars at once?   All of the handwritten materials -- letters, lyrics, and even John's green card are replicas.  I can see a photo of these items online -- I go to a museum to see the real deal in person.   They had Paul's grey, collarless suit on display, but when I read the description more closely, I realized it was the suit made for the Paul wax figure in 1964, and Paul himself never wore it.   The only thing that I thought was cool in the display was John's "This is not here" t-shirt.  

The VIP party was fun.  Steve Holly and Laurence Juber were interviewed, and then they played some Wings songs.  That was really great.  I watched some of the Rock Show film and did some shopping in the gift shop.  They had a ton of Wings stuff for sale: t-shirts, sweatshirts, books, postcards, stickers, buttons—it was heaven!  I bought a long-sleeved t-shirt, a button, and a postcard.   

I was also fortunate to meet many of the fans whose stories are on this site.  A group of fans who went to many Wings concerts in the 70s and met Paul outside the studios during the Wings era held a gathering, and I was able to sit and listen to their stories in person.  I met many fans whom I only knew of by name because I  have typed it up many times on this site over the years.  

The Paul McCartney and Wings exhibit will be in Cleveland at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame for a full year and you need to make your way out there to see it!  You will love it.  

Inducting James Taylor

 

March 6, 2000 - Paul inducts James Taylor into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. 

Now and Then

 

This was one of the greatest days in Beatles history after the Beatles broke up .  

Paul in the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame!

 March 15, 1999 -

Oh what an exciting time this was!  Sir Paul McCartney was inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame. Stella's shirt said it all!  

An important day in Beatles history

 January 19, 1994 -  Paul coming to induct John into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 was a moment when history was made.   Not only did Paul give a very emotional speech in the form of a letter to John, but of course, this was the night when Paul and Yoko hugged and mended their relationship, and Yoko handed over the tapes for "Free as a Bird,"  "Real Love," "Now and Then," and "Grow Old with Me."    At least that is the cannon for the story -- I think this was in the works before the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but still, at the time, I remember seeing the photos of Paul and Yoko hugging and couldn't believe that day had come! 

The Beatles induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

 

January 20, 1988

It has been 35 years since The Beatles were inducted into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame.   It was a HUGE deal in 1988 and even a bigger deal that Paul was a no show.   I found this article written by a fan that was there in an old issue of GoodDay Sunshine.   There was no author given to the article. 

Beatles News and other interesting News

GoodDay Sunshine Winter 1988

 

George and Ringo were joined by Yoko, Julian, and Sean to accept induction on behalf of the Beatles at the third annual Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremonies on January 20^th at New York’s Waldorf-Astoria Hotel.  Paul should have been there, but he wasn’t.  He should have given a proper, intelligent explanation for his no-show, but he didn’t.  Truthfully speaking, it was his loss. 

  In addition to receiving the coveted award, all the presenters and presenters ended the Hall of Fame festivities (with George right up front) by jamming on some classic standards.  “Twist & Shout” kicked off a mind-boggling all-start session in which the capacity black-tie crowd of 700 (at $1,000 a plate) also heard renditions of “All Along the Watchtower,” “Stop! In the name of Love,”  “Who Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On,”  “Born on the Bayou,”  “Like a Rolling Stone,” and “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction.”  The ultimate highlights, however, had to be when Julian contributed vocals to “Stand By Me” with Ben E. King (and some of the Beach Boys) and when “I Saw Here Standing There” saw Bruce Springsteen, Billy Joel, Mick Jagger and George Harrison trade off vocals and “oohs.”   George not only sang, he played guitar, as did Neil Young, Jeff Lynne, Bruce Springsteen, Dave Edmunds, Jeff Beck, Steve Van Zandt, John Fogarty, Bob Dylan, Les Paul, and member of Paul Schaffer Late Night Band, Oh yes, Elton John played piano and Ringo drummed.

  It was Mick who presented the induction, crediting The Beatles with giving the Rolling Stones their first hit and stating, “We (The Stones) thought we were totally unique animals.  Then we heard there was a group from (he sneered) Liverpool!  They had long hair, scruffy clothes, but they had a record contract – I was almost sick!”  Harrison swiped a line from Pepper in his acception:  “It’s wonderful to be here.  It’s certainly a thrill.”  But he was also very serious, “We all loved John so much, and we all love Paul very much.”  Yoko added, “I wish John was here.  He would have been here, you know.  He would have come.”  She was alluding to Paul’s absence.  Julian, sporting a hairstyle more becoming on the lead singer of the band Simply Red, remarked, “I’m grateful to my dad for giving me a lot of inspiration.”  Sean, growing up quickly, confessed, “I’m a little young to know about all this stuff, but I love The Beatles.  I’m proud to be up here for doing nothing.”  Not to be outdone in the humor department, Ringo chimed in, “We’re all doing nothing…give us the prize and let’s go home!”  The five held hands and were all smiles.

  Let us pray that the complete award ceremonies will be made available as a video.  Our guess, though, is that the only place anyone will get to see replays of these Rock & Roll Hall of Fame annual presentations is at the actual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame when it finally opens sometime in the future in Cleveland, Ohio.

   For the record, Paul refused to join the others on grounds of “business differences.”  The precise message, delivered from a McCartney publicist:  “I was keen to go and pick up my award, but after 20 years, The Beatles still have some business differences which I had hoped would have been settled by now.  Unfortunately, they haven’t been, so I would feel like a complete hypocrite waving and smiling with them at a fake reunion.”  It sure doesn’t sound like the Paul of old, who would always think of public relations first.  Former Beatle publicist Derek Taylor said, “It’s a grim statement.”  Beach Boy vocalist Mike Love called Paul’s absence “…a bummer because we’re talking about harmony” when he accepted his award from Elton John.  

Others inducted were the Drifters, who were presented by Bill Joel; the Supremes, who were presented by Little Richard; and Bob Dylan, who was presented by Springsteen.  Motown founder Berry Gordy was inducted as a non-performing professional, while Les Paul, Leadbelly, and Woody Guthrie were honored as “early influences.”  Other notable no-shows were Diana Ross and Keith Richards, who was supposed to join Jagger in presenting The Beatles.  Little Richard was asked backstage how it felt to be an artist The Beatles took on tour in the sixties.  He was quick to correct, “Oh, you got that backward.  I took them on tour!  They stayed at my home…I knew ‘em  before you did!”  So there. 

Jamming with George and Bob

 Rest in Peace Jeff Beck ...

We got the Beat (le)

 

October 30, 2021 -  I will be posting more photos of Paul at the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame 2021 Induction this week.   But I wanted to start off with thse great photos of Paul with the Go-Go''s.  

"I'm going to be here for hours...." -Ringo Starr 1988

 

The Rock n Roll Hall of Fame Museum - A Review (2018)

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland 2018 (photo by Sara Schmidt)

I was the proud recipient of a grant to travel to Cleveland, Ohio to do research for my upcoming book about the Beatles' fan clubs at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Archives.     I spent Tuesday-Friday during the day digging through old scrapbooks, files, books, and databases for Beatles information for the book.      However, my evenings were free and the library wasn't open on Saturday, so I took the opportunity to meet up with the girls from WALHFMF and go to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame museum to see the Beatles stuff.


The museum changed around the Beatles section recently and it has some great Beatles items to see in person.

Flower jacket that John wore frequently in 1967 (photo by Sara Schmidt)

Jacket John wore during the 1966 tour!!  (Photo by Sara Schmidt)

The piano that was in the Asher house (photo by Sara Schmidt)

Some John items (guitar was used in Double Fantasy) 

It was very John-heavy this time in the museum.    Ringo's drumsticks were on display and a classic Beatles 1963 suit of George's but it seemed to have more John items.   Now, I personally wouldn't be complaining about this because John is my favorite, but if I was a George, Paul or Ringo fan, I would be a little disappointed by the lack of recognition. 

Right next to the exhibit, is a wall of small screens.   This is a great documentary about each of the Beatles albums.   All of the key players are shown talking about the songs and albums.   There isn't any new information, but I did spot a couple "new" photographs and it is well worth the time to sit on the benches nearby and watch from Please Please Me to Let It Be.

There is a special exhibit going on right now called "Stay Tuned: Rock on TV."  I really enjoyed it.   It is all about rock music and television from variety shows to MTV -- everything is covered (including cartoons).    Beatle fans will want to check out the Ed Sullivan section on the 4th floor right behind this huge television set.    The guitar John Lennon used on the Sullivan show is displayed (and was hard to photograph) as well as a few other items.

Go up to the 5th floor and you will find the clothing Ringo wore on Saturday Night Live in 1984

If you find yourself in Cleveland this summer, it is well worth going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.    There is a lot of things to see and interesting films to watch as well as plenty of Beatles content to keep you happy.   

The Rock n Roll Reunion

At the time Paul and Yoko being spotted together and getting along at John Lennon's induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame was big news.    Big news!    We had been under the idea that those two were bitter rivals and would never be photographed together again. So when we saw them together and hugging it was crazy.   We didn't know it at the time, but that was when Yoko gave Paul the tapes that were to be used for the new Beatles songs.     I don't recall ever seeing a photo with Sean in it. 

Hall of Famer

This photo was snapped while Ringo was leaving the Beatles' induction ceremony into the Rock n roll Hall of Fame in 1988.   The Cleveland museum had not been built yet and so the ceremony took place in New York City.