When They Was Fab: Electric Arguments About the Beatles

We return this week with part three of our seventies vinyl bootleg series.     We revisit an era where it was possible to sell dscs containing the entire soundtrack of "Help!", "A Hard Day's Night" or "Magical Mystery Tour".     Surprisingly, even in the era of near-perfect digital reporoduction, there remains historical value in these artifacts.     Beyond these archival treasures (and their contemporary online equivalents), the "not the Beatles" story finishes up for now, with Peace of Mind (Candle Burns), a ditty whose origin remain a mystery to this day, and a track which is perhaps more popular as a fake Wings song on a Beatles bootleg than its actual, quite legitimate release.

Charles Edward Anderson "Chuck" Berry passed on Saturday, March 18, 2017.     We interrupt our "Dutch Imports" series (don't worry, it'll be back next week) to consider Chuck's influence on the proto-Beatles (aka Quarrymen) and how that (unlike Elvis), that admiration continued all the way through to the present day.   So, turn your phone, speaker or whatever listening device you are on to eleven, and prepare for guitar wizardry and lyrical excellence from the man and his musical offspring!

Part two of our vinyl+ "Dutch Import" series.     This week we look at the Beatles Live underground releases that eventually begat the only legitimate release "The Beatles at the Hollywood Bowl" in 1977.    We then follow up with more tracks from the "NOT THE BEATLES" collection, notably the SNL "Cheese and Onions" from "The only Rutle still living in New York City", and the forgotten February 1967 gem "L.S. Bumble Bee".     Of the latter, Dudley Moore said  "Regarding "The L.S. Bumble Bee", Peter Cook and I recorded that song about the time when there was so much fuss about L.S.D., and when everybody thought that "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" was a reference to drugs. The exciting alternative offered to the world was L.S.B.!, and I wrote the music to, in some ways, satirize the Beach Boys rather than the Beatles. But I'm grateful if some small part of the world thinks that it may have been them, rather than us !"  

This week the WTWF guys look at the various bootleg releases of the Beatles January 1969 "Get Back" sessions.    The earliest Beatles bootlegs came about from leaks of the Glyn Johns acetates that were reviewed in "Rolling Stone" a few months later.       Then throughout the seventies, the Nagra Reels tapes served as the source of some of the more interesting Underground releases.     Finally, through the CD and Internet age, the majority of the tapes (over 100 hours) were collated and made available to those who know where to look.

Part two of the "When They Was Fab" visit with Dr. Kit O'Toole.     We run through the "Thriller" album, Michael's working relationship with Quincy Jones, George Martin, and of course Paul McCartney.   We consider the three released tracks, the "Say Say Say" video, and some of the photos, video and audio of the duo and ther families socializing.     This naturally leads to a discussion of MJ's purchase of the ATV catalogue, and how it reflects on the two parties.     The show closes with Sean's memories of hanging out with MJ, and the "funhouse mirror" reflection seen and heard in the recent song "Bubbles Burst."

Special guest for this week and next: Dr. Kit O'Toole (http://kitotoole.com/).     Check out her Beatles book ("Songs We Were Singing"), Michael Jackson book ("Michael Jackson FAQ"), and her "Deep Soul" column on "Blinded By Sound".   Our topic is the Beatles, George Martin, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.    There is more uniting the two acts than Michael's eventual purchase of the Northern Songs catalog.      This week, we cover the era up through 1980.      "It's My Party", Motown, The Oscars and "Let It Be", "Girlriend", "Countdown", "The Wiz", "George Harrison" and more.     

Special guest for this week and next: Dr. Kit O'Toole (http://kitotoole.com/).     Check out her Beatles book ("Songs We Were Singing"), Michael Jackson book ("Michael Jackson FAQ"), and her "Deep Soul" column on "Blinded By Sound".   Our topic is the Beatles, George Martin, Quincy Jones and Michael Jackson.    There is more uniting the two acts than Michael's eventual purchase of the Northern Songs catalog.      This week, we cover the era up through 1980.      "It's My Party", Motown, The Oscars and "Let It Be", "Girlriend", "Countdown", "The Wiz", "George Harrison" and more.     

This week, the WTWF guys discuss "Team Beatles" or "Team Stones"?   To many, this is a question that has lasted for over fifty years, but the answer has been apparent to many others.     The question of live performance is perhaps a draw, but the albums and singles are easier to separate and quantify.    Indeed, the Stones recording career is perhaps more comparable to that of solo McCartney, with sideman constantly changing around a central core.

This week, the WTWF guys discuss "Team Beatles" or "Team Stones"?   To many, this is a question that has lasted for over fifty years, but the answer has been apparent to many others.     The question of live performance is perhaps a draw, but the albums and singles are easier to separate and quantify.    Indeed, the Stones recording career is perhaps more comparable to that of solo McCartney, with sideman constantly changing around a central core.

While we prepare for the release of Paul McCartney's deluxe edition of "Flowers in the Dirt", this week we look at how Paul and Elvis first met, their songwriting collaborations which will soon be coming out, their collective live work and more.      Included is "The One After 909" from the Royal College of Music benefit, Elvis and the Fairfield four doing a stunning version of "That Day is Done" on the Late Show with David Letterman, EC's live performance of "Tommy's Coming Home" from Carnegie Hall in 2014, a bit of commentary from the "Concert for Linda", and Mrs. McManus (Diana Krall) doing a live version of "If I Take You Home Tonight".

While we prepare for the release of Paul McCartney's deluxe edition of "Flowers in the Dirt", this week we look at how Paul and Elvis first met, their songwriting collaborations which will soon be coming out, their collective live work and more.      Included is "The One After 909" from the Royal College of Music benefit, Elvis and the Fairfield four doing a stunning version of "That Day is Done" on the Late Show with David Letterman, EC's live performance of "Tommy's Coming Home" from Carnegie Hall in 2014, a bit of commentary from the "Concert for Linda", and Mrs. McManus (Diana Krall) doing a live version of "If I Take You Home Tonight".

The Beatles have never been the biggest of sports fans, but the paths of the two past tmes have crossed over the years.     We all remember John Lennon's interview with Howard Cosell, or Paul McCartney's halftime spectacular at Super Bowl XXXIX, but that is not all.    George loved motor sports throughout his life, Paul was a supporter of both Liverpool and Everton (although he was a bigger fan of the latter), and in recent years has gained an appreciation for the NHL, NBA and major league baseball.    Tune in to discover all this and more, and maybe even learn a bit about Matt Busby or one of the figures on the Sgt. Pepper cover!      

The Beatles have never been the biggest of sports fans, but the paths of the two past tmes have crossed over the years.     We all remember John Lennon's interview with Howard Cosell, or Paul McCartney's halftime spectacular at Super Bowl XXXIX, but that is not all.    George loved motor sports throughout his life, Paul was a supporter of both Liverpool and Everton (although he was a bigger fan of the latter), and in recent years has gained an appreciation for the NHL, NBA and major league baseball.    Tune in to discover all this and more, and maybe even learn a bit about Matt Busby or one of the figures on the Sgt. Pepper cover!      

A look back at those we lost from the Beatles world in 2016.     George Martin stands at the fore, but many more passed, with the last few weeks of the year bringing the end of two figures particularly important to the early days.      We remember many of these figures, and present their stories in their own words from music and interviews.      Remember: "The soul does not love, it is love itself It does not exist, it is existence itself It does not know, it is knowledge itself 'How to Know God' Page 130" -- via "Brainwashed" by George Harrison.

A look back at those we lost from the Beatles world in 2016.     George Martin stands at the fore, but many more passed, with the last few weeks of the year bringing the end of two figures particularly important to the early days.      We remember many of these figures, and present their stories in their own words from music and interviews.      Remember: "The soul does not love, it is love itself It does not exist, it is existence itself It does not know, it is knowledge itself 'How to Know God' Page 130" -- via "Brainwashed" by George Harrison.