"The Answer's At The End"

Five years ago today, George Harrison departed this material world. Over the years, we as fans have missed him dearly--his wry comments, his unique smile, that light in his eyes. We have been comforted by his spiritual strength, words of wisdom, and the rich musical legacy he gave to us.

Five years ago at 4:00 AM, a dear friend called me to tell me that George had died. She didn't want me to hear about it on the news--she thought it would be best if she told me herself. I sat up in shock--even though he had been so ill, I still expected him to make a full recovery because I couldn't bring myself to accept the fact that he would not be with us physically anymore. I cried all morning but managed to make it to work where everyone was so sweet to me all day. My 8th grade students presented me with a copy of the People magazine tribute to George at our Christmas talent show--what a touching way to let me know they cared.

When I was going into the hospital for surgery in 2004, I took lots of Beatles things with me to keep in my room. I typed up the lyrics to George's song "If You Believe" to take with me for inspiration. That song means so much to me. George means so much to me.

My mother has remarked before, with tears in her eyes, "George was so wise." I agree. To be that serene, one must be that wise, too...

Not only was George wise, but he was kind as well. Tom Petty wrote in George's Rolling Stone tribute that George was the kind of person who would always hug you before you left, letting you know that he loved you. He also gave gifts to his friends--like ukeleles (Tom said George had given him 4 ukes, because, as George said, "You never know when you're going to need one").

I'm sure many of you know the anecdote Ringo recalled on Conan O'Brien's talk show--Ringo had been to visit George when he was really ill. As Ringo was leaving, he told George that he had to go be with his daughter, Lee, who was having surgery to remove a brain tumor. George replied, "Would you like for me to go with you?" Even when he was ill physically, his spirit was seeking to be with one of his best friends while he was dealing with something difficult.

In Beatlefan issue #147, there's an interview with Sam Brown--Joe Brown's daughter who sang on "My Sweet Lord 2000" and performed "Horse to Water" at the Concert for George (one of the highlights of the show!). She recalls something very sweet George and Olivia did for her mother when she was ill from cancer:

George and Olivia were hosting a Trio Bulgarka concert at Friar Park (Trio Bulgarka is a group of traditional Bulgarian singers who have performed on albums by Kate Bush and Peter Gabriel, to name a couple). Sam's mother (who had been a member of Liverpool group the Vernon Girls) loved Trio Bulgarka, but was very ill at the time. George and Olivia invited Sam and her mother to come early in the afternoon to watch the soundcheck. This meant so much to Sam's mother--it was very emotional for her to hear this beautiful music and share it with George and Olivia. It's these little things that we often don't hear about that illustrates what a thoughtful, caring person George was. Olivia is something special, too.

I have had a vivid dream of George. It was night, and he had made a huge camp fire out on a beach. A large group of people, myself included, were huddled at his feet, listening to stories and laughing with him.

As Joe Brown sang as the Concert For George came to a close,
"I'll see you in my dreams..."

(I am unsure as to who it was who created those two beautiful wallpapers I've included here--but whoever you are, thank you for making them five years ago--they still mean a lot to me today.)

"A Reel of Magnetic Tape that Captured a Magic Night"--Lewisohn

"Cranberry sauce"
I hope everyone had a festive Thanksgiving and ate entirely too much of your favorite foods!

November 24, 1966: Forty Years Ago Tonight...

Here are a couple of photos documenting George and Ringo's arrival at EMI Abbey Road Studios the night of Nov. 24th. The Beatles had not been in the studio in five months--not only that, but each had gone his separate way over those months; John filmed How I Won The War, George went to India, and Paul went on safari with Mal Evans. Ringo, left behind those months, felt a bit left out, "I'm sort of out of it there because, with John and Paul, they can still write even though we're sort of not working together. And George can, you know, learn his sitar and do things like that. And I've just been sitting around." Convening at Studio 2, The Beatles began the evening talking, sharing their adventures, and getting reacquainted before work began. George Martin asked what they had for him, and John shouted out, "I've got a good one, for a starter!"

Anticipating this evening, John had perfected his current vision of the song that would introduce The Beatles as truly a studio-only band. EMI engineer Geoff Emerick recounts John's introduction of "Strawberry Fields Forever" to the other Beatles in his book, Here, There and Everywhere: "From the very first note, it was obvious that this new Lennon song was a masterpiece. He had created a gentle, almost mystical tribute to some mysterious place, a place he called 'Strawberry Fields'. I had no idea what the lyric was about, but the words were compelling, like abstract poetry, and there was something magical in the spooky, detatched timbre of John's voice. When he finished, there was a moment of stunned silence, broken by Paul, who in a quiet, respectful tone said simply, 'That is absolutely brilliant'" (p. 135). Inspired and energized, The Beatles immediately began working on the track, figuring out how to embellish and perfect this 'brilliant' song.

Mal and Neil had transported John's own Mellotron from his home in Weybridge to Studio 2, and this evening was the first time it was ever used in a Beatles recording session. For the first take of SFF, Paul set the Mellotron on the brass setting (this was changed to the flute setting for the seventh take). Ringo muffled his snare and tom-toms with tea towels, George added Hawaiian-style slide guitar, and John played rhythm guitar. This simple first take, though beautiful, was only the beginning of a more complex recording that would take shape in the coming days.

November 25, 1966:
The following evening, The Beatles recorded their fourth annual fan club Christmas message, Pantomime: Everywhere It's Christmas, my personal favorite of all the fan club messages. I've included a scan of the psychedelic sleeve painted by Paul. It is a hilarious recording, several "skits" pieced together with Paul's piano playing and all the Beatles' using funny voices and acting out their roles.

(Information gleaned from John Winn's That Magic Feeling; Emerick's Here, There and Everywhere; Andy Babiuk's Beatles Gear; and The Beatles: 365 Days)

An Assortment of Pins and Photos

I have this insatiable obsession with Beatles pinbacks/badges. I'm especially fond of the original '60s pins, but I also enjoy collecting pins from the '70s through to the present. I decided to try and scan a few pins to see how it turned out, so here are some of my favorites from my collection. I'll scan some of my older pins later. I've also included some more ever-lovely John pictures and a strangely-tinted Beatles centerfold (a gorgeous picture nonetheless), scanned by me for the blog.

As other Beatles fans are inevitably doing at this time, I am eagerly anticipating the release of the LOVE soundtrack, as well as Paul's The Space Within Us DVD (which is due tomorrow). Check out the official Beatles.com website for some beautiful psychedelic e-postcards.

We are closely approaching the 40th anniversary of the recording of SFF/Penny Lane and the subsequent Sgt. Pepper sessions. In the coming months we'll delve into these sessions, reflecting on how this legendary album changed popular music, and why it seems to be currently (and unfairly) suffering a critical backlash...

Be sure to leave your comments and opinions as we go down this long and winding road together. Also, if you have any screen capture or photo requests, let me know.

Japanese 45 Picture Sleeves

As a Beatles collector, I love coming across unique items to add to my collection. These Japanese 45s certainly fit the bill, with their gorgeous color photo sleeves and distinctive Japanese touches. I purchased these from my friend Greg who specializes in selling import records and cds. He travels around to many record shows; his inventory can be perused at CVC Collectibles.

Blackpool Night Out Rehearsals: 1 Aug 1965

Many of John's fans have quite a fondness for the various hats he donned through the years. I particularly like this black and white houndstooth checked cap that he wore throughout the day on August 1, 1965, as The Beatles were practicing for their evening performance on ABC-TV's Blackpool Night Out. This was to be their first appearance on British television in over a year, and it ranks among my favorites of The Beatles' televised performances.

The Beatles Monthly crew spent the entire day with The Beatles during rehearsals, so a plethora of candid photos from the day exist. These were all scanned by me (click to enlarge).

"It's Not Too Bad"

While John was in Santa Isabel, Spain filming How I Won The War, he began composing what was to become the pinnacle of British psychedelia and one of his greatest personal creations, "Strawberry Fields Forever." Equipped with a portable tape recorder and a nylon-stringed acoustic guitar, John retreated to his hotel room and documented the genesis of a masterpiece.

Fortunately for us Beatles collectors, virtually every stage in the development of SFF was released on the 1997 Pegboy CD It's Not Too Bad (the original title of the composition). If only we could have the pleasure of observing the creation of every Beatles song in such a manner as this. It's Not Too Bad is certainly one of my favorite Beatlegs of all time--listening to the way John worked, how he fleshed out the lyrics and continued perfecting the sound when he returned to Kenwood in November. An intimate and privileged feeling, being privy to a genius at work. And what a voice! I love the different ways he finger-picks before settling on a strumming style that is best for the song. (It's playing in my headphones as I type.) I imagine John in his attic studio at his mellotron, perfecting overdubs and making up those strange little songs like "Pedro The Fisherman"...Ah, to have been there.

I remember when I first became fully aware of "SFF"--I was 12 years old, and my aunt had a cassette of the "Blue" album. While visiting her, I listened to the tape numerous times. I was a Beatles fan, but since my parents were really only fans of early Beatles music, I had not been exposed to all of their latter material. I immediately became drawn to "SFF" and "Revolution."

Do you ever think about times in the lives of the Beatles you would have loved to have been a part of--not things like the Ed Sullivan Show or Shea Stadium, but those singular moments of magic between the boys? I often think of the time John and Paul shared a joint and wrote out the lyrics to "The Word", proceeding then to paint and decorate the sheet. Can you imagine that? I also think about John's studio in Kenwood and the creations it spawned. Listening to It's Not To Bad at least allows me to imagine what it must have been like. Those of you with a copy may be inspired to give it a listen and allow John to "take you down."

Here are some pictures of John in Santa Isabel with his acoustic guitar, perhaps working on "Strawberry Fields Forever." The color photo of John on the hotel room bed was sent to be by my friend, Mike. (What an amazing picture!!) I've also included a scan of the cover of the Pegboy CD. The other photos are from the December 1966 issue of Look magazine, scanned by me for you. (Click to enlarge.)

There Is Still A Light That Shines

I just had to express my total support for Paul McCartney as he is going through one of the most difficult times in his life.

It is well documented that Heather Mills has a problem with the truth. Many of her lies have been exposed by those who have known her over the years, and I feel this whole debacle will blow up in her face. She and her legal team apparently leaked the document themselves, as it is against British law to publish such divorce papers in the press. If it was handed to them on a silver platter as this was, I'm sure they would not refrain from plastering it all over the place, however.

It is apparent that Mills cares nothing for her daughter--all she had to do in response to Paul's petition for divorce was to agree that the marriage could not be saved. No dirty laundry aired, no additional pain for both parties. This was done to hurt Paul--to hurt him emotionally, and to destroy his reputation. Heather's obsessive need for attention demanded that she make herself out to be some sort of victim, which is incredibly laughable. Heather has never tried to appear weak or disabled, and now she is playing up these atributes to obtain more money and public sympathy for her plight. I never liked her, but I never thought she would stoop to such a level. (Her hard-core bitch personality would perhaps drive someone to behave in uncharacteristic ways...)

As "TheChief" noted in an SH forum post, Paul McCartney has been scrutinized by the public eye for over over 40 years and never once has he been accused of being a violent person. No ex-girlfriend or lover has popped up with some lurid "tales of drunkeness and cruelty". Linda was married to him for 29 of those years, rarely spending any moment away from him. His children adore their father.

This is all just incredibly ludicrous.

Even if one iota of these claims were true, I'm sure Heather distorted and exaggerated what occurred to benefit herself and make herself out to be the innocent victim. I'm sure their marriage was "stormy", but I'm equally sure she actively participated in and most likely instigated any argument the two had!

Tomorrow I'm wearing a Paul t-shirt and my "I Love Paul" Vari-Vue pin to work, prepared to field any comments headed my way. People who have not kept up with Heather's escapades will need to be educated!

I'm very upset about this. I seriously had a hard time sleeping last night.

Here are some pictures of Paul for all his multitude of fans.

Lennon's Activism--A Journey from Gripweed to Self-Proclaimed Peacenik

As tribute to Richard Lester's Brechtian satire How I Won The War, you will find three articles, two of which were written at the time of filming, and one in retrospect. The first is Neil Aspinall's column in the November 1966 issue of the Beatles Monthly, the second is a re-print of NME's coverage of Lennon in Spain, and the last is a 2004 Uncut article.

Fast forward forty years--currently in theatres, audiences can view a supurb documentary covering Lennon's peace activism and how his political stance struck fear in the Nixon administration. I finally saw The U.S. vs. John Lennon on Friday night--in a theatre containing only my friend, myself, and about eight other "peacenik" John fans. But what an experience it was! I was riveted--I could not take my eyes from the screen. This engaging film tells the story from all sides involved, including radical activists like Bobby Seale, Angela Davis and Tariq Ali as well as former Nixon aide G. Gordon Liddy and former FBI agents involved in the harassment of Lennon and Ono. Anyone interested in this part of U.S. history would be enthralled.

I've read some unfair criticism of the documentary, citing its brushing over of Lennon's Beatles years, and that it fails to mention Julian Lennon at all. (Personally, I was more suprised that there was no mention of the "lost weekend".) The U.S. vs. John Lennon is not a biography; if it was, more attention would need to be paid to The Beatles and Julian. However, this is a documentary covering John's activism, and the inspiration behind it. It is also unfair to say the film portrays Lennon as a saint--on the contrary, he is seen as very human, as someone who was frightened at what was happening to himself and his wife, but not afraid to fight for his right to remain in the U.S. I won't spoil the surprise, and there is one, for anyone wanting to see it--therefore, I advise you to go as soon as possible, before it leaves the big screen. It's astounding to see Lennon larger than life, being his witty self and having the courage to stand up against a whole administration. (It goes without saying that the music will knock you out.)

As the film drew to a close, all ten of us applauded loudly, wiping away tears from our eyes. A few of us lingered as the credits rolled, singing and clapping along to John's "Instant Karma!" What an inspirational evening.

Enjoy these articles and photos from Lennon's first anti-war film (click on scans to enlarge). For a wealth of Gripweed pictures, visit Trini's Breakfast with the Beatles blog.

In His Life

Another post for our John's special day...
These painting were created by Shannon, the preeminent Beatles airbrush artist. The Seven Faces of John Lennon is one of my favorite of her paintings--the life-like quality of her work is astounding.

It's Johnny's Birthday

John Winston Ono Lennon would have been 66 years old today had he not been physically torn from this world by an assassin's bullets. In spite of the efforts by many to silence him throughout his life, and even after his death through slanderous character assaults, John's words and messages are stronger than ever before--reaching more and more people across the universe. On John's birthday, I find it a most fitting time for us to renew our own committments to peace and social justice. Some suggestions I would like to offer on how to honor John's life and legacy: Please visit Gold Star Families For Peace to read about the current peace campaigns. Perhaps you will be inspired to sign the Codepink Give Peace a Vote petition, or even give monetarily to Camp Casey. Another suggestion is to visit Amnesty International's website and read about their honorable work. You may consider joining this cause as well. Truthout is another resource that can help you stay abreast of current news on the peace front. John's work was not in vain--he helped shape my social consciousness and that of countless others, and for that I am eternally grateful.

Also on this day, John's son Sean is celebrating his 31st birthday. In 1971 when John was celebrating his own 31st, he and Yoko were in Syracuse, NY, for the opening of Yoko's art exhibit, This Is Not Here, at the Everson Museum. That night, John and Yoko celebrated John's birthday with a party on the 7th floor of the downtown Syracuse hotel. Those friends in attendance included Ringo and Maureen Starkey, Phil Spector, Allen Ginsberg, Klaus Voormann, and Jim Keltner. A fun jam session erupted, which was tape recorded and is in circulation on different bootlegs. (I always listen to it on John's birthday, just for fun!) The party was also filmed by Jonas Meklas, and the screen captures above are from the Meklas film. (Phil Spector is exceptionally annoying during these recordings!) The songs that were run through that night include "Yellow Submarine", "Yesterday", "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" (!), "My Sweet Lord", "He's Got the Whole World in his Hands", "Take This Hammer", "Imagine", etc. John also began composing "Attica State" during this party. You can find the track listing here. I thought it would be very appropriate to commemorate John's 31st as Sean is celebrating his own 31st.

Happy Birthday, John and Sean. Light a candle, listen to your favorite Lennon music, but above all hold on to hope, and spread the message of peace and love in your own way today.