Beatle news briefs: Yoko Ono's peace letter to the Obamas

May 6, 9:43 PMBeatles ExaminerSteve Marinucci

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The newest version of "The Beatles: Rock Band" website includes the Hofner bass.

 

Yoko Ono posted the letter she sent with the acorns (scroll to the middle of the page) she sent to President and Mrs. Obama as part of her worldwide renewal of the Acorn Peace project she and John Lennon did in 1969. Here's the text:

Dear President and Mrs. Obama,

Enclosed is a pair of living sculptures called ACORN PEACE, which is what my husband, John Lennon, and I had sent to the world's leaders 40 years ago. We asked that the ACORNS be planted for Peace, as seeds of Peace.

This year happens to be the 40th anniversary of that event, and I have decided that it is important again to send the ACORN PEACE, again to world leaders. 

I hope you will plant them in your garden so they will grow into two strong oak trees for world peace.

With deep love and respect,
Yoko Ono Lennon.

On Tuesday, Yoko released a new album of a dozen remixes of "I'm Not Getting Enough".  It's available only through iTunes.

When saki of rec.music.beatles wrote us about the KRLA Beat archives, she also brought to our attention an interesting review from the New York Times from Nov. 22, 1964 of the Maysles Brothers film "The Beatles in America" (aka "What's Happening in the U.S.A."). In it, the reviewer, Paul Gardner, compares the film with "A Hard Day's Night":

"A Hard Day's Night" might be disguised as a half-truth because the Beatles were given a vague story to follow and director Richard Lester followed the Beatles, who clowned their grubby way through howling admirers, railroad stations, vacant lots and television studios, spreading Beatlemania wherever they went. Lester's film became dazzling cinema by showing -- without comment -- the personalities of four rock 'n' roll singers who refuse to take their moronic monotony seriously."

A few sentences later, he makes his point:

"In "A Hard Day's Night," the Beatle's (sic) were not disciplined, but the camerawork and editing were."

To answer a question we received, the guitars announced yesterday for "The Beatles: Rock Band" will be available only as standalone products, not part of the game bundle.

And another instrument has been added to "The Beatles: Rock Band" website homepage. It's the Hofner bass. That room's getting crowded.

The Fest For Beatle Fans announced the main part of its lineup for Chicago Aug. 14-15. Ronnie Spector is headlining.

Take a fun trip back to the days of Beatlemania with the book "We Going to See the Beatles," which we reviewed.

Rolling Stone 1078 (Bob Dylan cover) has a report on Coachella with photos of Paul, and Dhani, an article on the new Lennon exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Annex, and a photo of the installation of George's star on the Walk of Fame. (Thanks to Frank C. Branchini.)

The video of Paul McCartney's collaboration with Yusuf Islam (the former Cat Stevens) is now online.

You probably saw the obituary for comedian Dom DeLuise, an incredibly funny man. His roster of movies includes a Beatle connection. It's "Sextette," the 1978 farce starring Mae West (in her last film), Ringo Starr, Keith Moon, Tony Curtis, George Hamilton, Alice Cooper and Timothy Dalton. With a cast like that, you can imagine it's one crazy movie. And it is. Here's Keith Moon's contribution to it. In a little tribute to DeLuise, here's a classic bit from "The Tonight Show" that featured DeLuise and Johnny Carson. Also one or two (actually a few more) eggs. As the standard line goes, comedy ensues.

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