Saturday, March 12, 2011
This day in Beatles March 12
1963The Beatles played at the Granada Cinema in Bedford. Also on the bill, Chris Montez and Tommy Roe. John Lennon, suffering from a heavy cold, was unable to perform, so The Beatles set was rearranged so that George and Paul could sing the parts that John usually sang.
1969
Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman at Marylebone Register Office. They then held a reception lunch at The Ritz Hotel, Paul then went to Abbey Road studios in the evening to work. George Harrison and his wife Patti were arrested on the same day and charged with possession of 120 joints of marijuana.
1974,
John Lennon made the headlines after an incident at the Troubadour Club, LA. Out on a drinking binge with Harry Nilsson, Lennon hurled insults at the performing Smothers Brothers and punched their manager before being forcibly removed.
Friday, March 11, 2011
The "Use you Illusions" debate...
So, like many of my fellow Guns N Roses fans, the issue of the "Use your Illusions" double album is a hotly debated topic amongst fans for a variety of reasons....is it just an over bloated self aggrandizing pretentious pile? Or is it an epic work of art, to be held up along side "The White Album" and "Physical Graffiti", that was undeniably great, and a reflection of the times? Whatever you think, the hits found scattered throughout this beast of a double album are indisputable works of rock and roll genius.
Like many of you, i feel as though if they had trimmed some of the fat on this one, and kept it a single disc, it would have gone down as one of the greatest rock records of all time. Here is what I would have chosen for a track listing:
1. Dont Cry (orig)
2. Perfect Crime
3. Civil War
4. Garden of Eden
5. November Rain
6. 14 years
7. Dead Horse
8. Yesterdays
9. You Could be Mine
10. The Garden
11. So fine
12. Pretty tied up
13. Shotgun blues
14. Estranged
Had they left "Knockin on Heavens door" and "Live and Let Die" off the album, and added those to the "Spaghetti Incident" album, I think both would have been much more successful in the long run.
But thats just me
Like many of you, i feel as though if they had trimmed some of the fat on this one, and kept it a single disc, it would have gone down as one of the greatest rock records of all time. Here is what I would have chosen for a track listing:
1. Dont Cry (orig)
2. Perfect Crime
3. Civil War
4. Garden of Eden
5. November Rain
6. 14 years
7. Dead Horse
8. Yesterdays
9. You Could be Mine
10. The Garden
11. So fine
12. Pretty tied up
13. Shotgun blues
14. Estranged
Had they left "Knockin on Heavens door" and "Live and Let Die" off the album, and added those to the "Spaghetti Incident" album, I think both would have been much more successful in the long run.
But thats just me
Thursday, March 3, 2011
This day in Beatles - March 3
1962
Performance at the Cavern, with Jim McHarg's Jazzmen.
1963
The Beatles played the last show on a UK tour supporting Helen Shapiro at The Gaumont Cinema, Hanley, Stoke.
1964
Shooting of early scenes for 'A Hard Day's Night', on board a train leaving from Paddington Station. The train carrying the Beatles from Minehead to Paddington stops unannounced at West Ealing Station, to avoid the fans waiting at Paddington. The Beatles are taken into the booking office and sign autographs. Within minutes the group are taken away in a car.
1967
Recording of brasses and guitar solo for 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
John takes home a tape of conversation of musicians, Paul and Martin, for his private collection.
1990
During a world tour Paul McCartney played the first of 6 sold-out nights at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan. The final night was broadcast live to venues in 10 other Japanese cities; Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Nagoya, Niigata, Osaka, Sapporp, Sendai and Takamatsu.
2008
The Beatles' engineer Norman Smith died at the age of 85. Smith who worked on every studio recording the band made between 1962 and 1965 was nicknamed "Normal Norman" by John Lennon. As a producer in 1966, he signed Pink Floyd and produced their early albums including Saucerful of Secrets and as Hurricane Smith had the 1971 UK No.2 hit ‘Don't Let It Die’
Performance at the Cavern, with Jim McHarg's Jazzmen.
1963
The Beatles played the last show on a UK tour supporting Helen Shapiro at The Gaumont Cinema, Hanley, Stoke.
1964
Shooting of early scenes for 'A Hard Day's Night', on board a train leaving from Paddington Station. The train carrying the Beatles from Minehead to Paddington stops unannounced at West Ealing Station, to avoid the fans waiting at Paddington. The Beatles are taken into the booking office and sign autographs. Within minutes the group are taken away in a car.
1967
Recording of brasses and guitar solo for 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
John takes home a tape of conversation of musicians, Paul and Martin, for his private collection.
1990
During a world tour Paul McCartney played the first of 6 sold-out nights at the Tokyo Dome, Tokyo, Japan. The final night was broadcast live to venues in 10 other Japanese cities; Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kumamoto, Matsuyama, Nagoya, Niigata, Osaka, Sapporp, Sendai and Takamatsu.
2008
The Beatles' engineer Norman Smith died at the age of 85. Smith who worked on every studio recording the band made between 1962 and 1965 was nicknamed "Normal Norman" by John Lennon. As a producer in 1966, he signed Pink Floyd and produced their early albums including Saucerful of Secrets and as Hurricane Smith had the 1971 UK No.2 hit ‘Don't Let It Die’
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Jeff Healey
March 2, 2008
Canadian guitarist, singer, and all around great guy, Jeff Healey, died of cancer. Healey had lost his sight to retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eyes when he was only eight months old, resulting in his eyes being surgically removed. After living cancer free for 38 years, he developed sarcoma in his legs. Despite surgery, the sarcoma spread to his lungs, and ultimately, was the cause of his premature death.
Healey released over 12 albums of varying genres, presented a long running radio show, which today can still be heard weekly on JazzFM91 from Toronto, and worked with many artists including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, BB King, ZZ Top, Steve Lukather, Eric Clapton and Ian Gillan, to name a few.
I met Jeff in Thunder Bay at the Blues Festival in 2002. Super nice dude. Chatted with him and had a smoke on the patio, then he went inside and sat in with the Down-child Blues Band. Amazing night.....
Canadian guitarist, singer, and all around great guy, Jeff Healey, died of cancer. Healey had lost his sight to retinoblastoma, a cancer of the eyes when he was only eight months old, resulting in his eyes being surgically removed. After living cancer free for 38 years, he developed sarcoma in his legs. Despite surgery, the sarcoma spread to his lungs, and ultimately, was the cause of his premature death.
Healey released over 12 albums of varying genres, presented a long running radio show, which today can still be heard weekly on JazzFM91 from Toronto, and worked with many artists including Stevie Ray Vaughan, Buddy Guy, BB King, ZZ Top, Steve Lukather, Eric Clapton and Ian Gillan, to name a few.
I met Jeff in Thunder Bay at the Blues Festival in 2002. Super nice dude. Chatted with him and had a smoke on the patio, then he went inside and sat in with the Down-child Blues Band. Amazing night.....
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