Beatles news briefs 1/10/09: A rare vintage Beatles show ticket on eBay
- A very interesting historical Beatles item is on eBay through Jan. 19: It's a ticket for the night's second show at a 1962 Liverpool Empire concert headlined by Little Richard that featured the Beatles on the bill. Mark Lewisohn's "The Complete Beatles Chronicle" says the under card included Craig Douglas, who the Beatles also backed in addition to the set they played, ex-Shadow Jet Harris, Kenny Lynch and Sounds Incorporated. It was the Fabs' first date at the Empire, the "Chronicle" notes. (Thanks to Pete Nash of the British Beatles Fan Club.)
- The fact that Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention's album "We're In It Only for the Money" is a direct parody of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" isn't news. But this nugget, taken from Record Collector magazine in 1987, and reprinted on We're In It Only for the Money, might be. "The first release for Bizarre Productions should have appeared in the shops around August 1967 but was delayed following problems over the sleeve. Legend has it that Zappa phoned Paul McCartney to ask his permission to parody the 'Sgt Pepper' cover. McCartney referred him to the Beatles' office saying, 'That's what business managers are for,' whereupon Zappa snapped back, 'That's what artists are for, to tell the business managers what to do.' In any event, EMI/Capitol objected and following a five-month delay, 'Money' was released with the sleeve reversed. It's rumoured that some copies exist with the sleeve printed as originally planned (with the group photo on the inside), but these are almost certainly all test pressings which never reached the shops." (Thanks to HwyCDRRev.)
- There's a new interview with Paul McCartney about the Fireman "Electric Arguments" album at Rolling Stone.com. He explains the way he and Youth collaborated on the Fireman album this way: "But the Youth process is instantaneous and one of spilling out ideas and then mixing them. Or he'll say, 'Give me a couple of minutes and I'll do an arrangement.' It's not just thinking about things and carefully going about it." If it worked so well, could it happen again sooner than last time?
- On Brian Wilson's forthcoming "That Lucky Old Sun" DVD coming out Jan. 27, one of the special features is a MySpace "Artist On Artist" clip with Wilson and Zooey Deschanel taped at the Hollywood Bowl. Besides the fact the Beach Boys played there, Wilson mentions he saw the Beatles there, as well. If you loved the Wilson album, which we certainly did, you'll love the DVD. The "Going Home" documentary, which includes comments from his current band members and old friends such as Billy Hinsche and Mickey Dolenz, is especially illuminating of a guy whose life has had its share of shadows. Brian Wilson is really back this time. There's no doubt.
- At the end of this San Diego Reader blog about an appearance by the legendary Al Kooper in the San Diego area is a great story about how Kooper was with George Harrison the night John Lennon was killed. (Thanks to Faith for the link.)
- In an interview with Fancast: Inside TV, former Monkee Davy Jones tells why the Monkees TV show worked. "Well we had two great writers in the very beginning, Paul Mazursky and Larry Tucker. They were at the pulse then. They took 'A Hard Day's Night' and put it on television every week. That was something the Beatles couldn't do because of their schedule. All we did was take the idea the Beatles done and put it on the 21 inch screen instead of the movie screen. It's quite simple; it's easy to see that, you know." It certainly is.
- We mentioned the Jonas Brothers the other day and gave the opinion there was no comparison between the Jonas boys and the Beatles. Now someone on Yahoo Answers has asked the question "Jonas Brothers or Beatles?" There really is only one answer, you know.
- If you're a fan of Abbey Road on the River, they have a 3-for-1 ticket special for two more days.
- Sean Lennon's ChimeraMusic label now has its own YouTube channel. (Thanks to Peggy.)
- Liverpool ends its Capitol of Culture celebration today with a big display of fireworks. The year-long event included hometown concerts by Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney.
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