The Beatles Christmas Records 1963-1970

The Beatles PR man, Tony Barrow came up with the idea in 1963 for the group to record a Christmas Record and send it to members of the Official Beatles Fan Club run by Freda Kelly (Good Ol' Freda).  The Beatles recorded seven Christmas records from 1963- 1970. The early records were from a script written by Tony Barrow with little add-ons.

The Beatles Christmas Record (1963):

Recorded: 17 October, 1963 at Studio Two, EMI Studios
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Total Time: 5:03
Released: UK 6 December; US 18 December

The big highlights from the album are;

• All singing "Good King Wenceslas" 
• John Lennon taking about "Please Please Me", "Love Me Do", and the Royal Command Preformances
• Paul McCartney spent his time talking about Jellybabies and how they would like to not have them sent anymore but that they still like chocolates and others and what they like the best.
• Ringo Starr talked about his history and how he went from many other bands, to Rory Storm to The Beatles.
• George Harrison thanked the fans and the Head of The Fan Club

Another Beatles Christmas Record (1964):

Recorded: 6 October
Released: 18 December
Total Time: 4:01

After recording Carl Perkins "Honey Don't" The Beatles once again read a Tony Barrow script for their second Christmas record.

Highlights;

• Piano intro "Jingle Bells"
• Paul McCartney thanked the fans for buying the records
• John Lennon thanked the fans for buying his book "In His Own Write"
• George Harrison said thanks and just talked about The Beatles first motion picture " A Hard Days Night" and then mentioned that they were coming out with a second movie the following year.
• Ringo Starr thanked the fans for just being fans.
• Ended it with "Oh can you Wash Your Father's Shirt"

 The Beatles Third Christmas Record (1965)
Recorded: 8 November
Released: 17 December
Total Time: 6:20

Highlights from album;

• Intro "Yesterday" 
• Thanks for cards and presents recieved that year
• "Happy Christmas To ya List'nas"/ "Down in The Jungle",  "Auld Lang Syne", "It's The Same Old Song"
• Fake radio broadcast
• "Auld Lang Syne" in style of Barry McGuire
• "Christmas Comes but Once A Year"
• "Yesterday" Reprise
• "Christmas Day"
• A message from John Lennon

Patomine (Everywhere It's Christmas) (1966):

Recorded: 25 November at Dick James Music Office in London
Released: 16 December
Total Time: 6:36

Paul McCartney had convinced the rest of the band that they should produce a real record based on the Goon Show, this resulted in "Everywhere It's Christmas".

Track listing for The Beatles Third Christmas Record;

• "Everywhere It's Christmas"
• "Orowanyna (Corsican Choir and Small Choir)
• Rare Cheese (Two Elderly Scotsmen)
• The Feast
• The Loyal Toast
• Podgy The Bear and Jasper
• Felpin Mansions; Part One- Count Balder and Butler
• Felpin Mansions; Part Two- The Count and The Pianist
• "Please Don't Bring Your Banjo Back"
•  "Everywhere It's Christmas" by Mal Evans
• "Everywhere It's Christmas" reprise

Christmas Time Is Here Again (1967)

Recorded: 28 November
Released: 15 December
Total Time: 6:10

The front cover being created by John and Ringo and having the back cover a painting done by Julian Lennon.

The record went as followed;

• "Christmas Time Is Here Again" BBC House
• "Christmas Time Is Here Again"
• Audition; Tap Dance
• Commercial
• Interview with Sir Gerald
• "Christmas Time Is Here Again" with laughter from the band
• "On The Next Round"
• Dedication; "Plenty Of Jam Jars" by the Revellers
• Game Show
• Commercial
• News report
• "Christmas Time Is Here Again"
• Game Show 2
• Victor Spinnetti giving thanks
• "When Christmas Time Is Over" a poem by the very talented John Lennon

Christmas Record (Happy Christmas) (1968)

Recorded: November- Various times and places
Released: 20 December
Total Time: 7:55

During this time The Beatles were drifting apart and hardly talking as much as they used to. Kenny Everett, BBC presenter allowed each member to record separately. Most recording were done at home, except for Ringo who decided to do his in the back of a van.

The album went as followed;

• Merry Christmas from Ringo
• Paul sings "Happy Christmas, Happy New Year"
• A sped up version of "Helter Skelter"
• "Jock and Yono" story/poem by John
• Perrey and Kingsley's "Baroque Hoedown"
• Merry Christmas from George Harrison
• Merry Christmas from Mal Evans
• John and Ringo skit
• "Once upon a Pool Table" by John
• George introduces Tiny Tim
• Tiny Tim sings "Nowhere Man"

The Beatles Seventh Christmas Record (1969)

Recorded: Fall various time and locations
Released: 19 December
Total Time: 7:42

There was a lot of heat at the end of The Beatles which not only affected their albums. In the last Beatles Christmas album George hardly appears, Ringo spends his time talking about his new movie, The Magic Christan, Paul plays acoustic songs at his home, and John is all about his new wife Yoko Ono.  The cover features another Beatles kids artwork, Zak Starkey's drawing.

The albums highlights;

• John and Yoko
• John's Christmas wishes
• George says Happy Christmas
• Ringo sings "This is to Wish You A Merry Christmas"/ Paul's Christmas and New Years Wishes
• Incidental holiday music
• John and Yoko discuss peace and the 1970s
• John and Yoko sing "Happy Christmas"
• Ringo says "Merry Christmas" and speaks on The Magic Christian 
• John and Yoko discuss Christmas presents
• Incidental music "The First Noel"

On the evening of 28 October, 1971 to the morning of the 29 John and Yoko Lennon composed "Happy Christmas (War Is Over)" saying they were "Sick of 'White Christmas'". The song includes the Harlem Community Choir singing "War Is Over, If You Want It". Credited to The Plastic Ono Band and The Harlem Community Choir. Three years prior to the song the couple had started the "War Is Over" campaign having displaying billboards promoting the message in eleven major cities. 

In 1979 Paul McCartney had released 'Wonder Christmastime" which appeared as a bonus track on Wings Back To The Egg. The song was done by Paul McCartney himself during the solo album, McCartney II sessions. 

Ringo Starr released a Christmas album on 19 October, 1999 called I Want To Be Santa Claus. The album featured songs by Ringo and Mark Hudson like "Dear Santa" and "Christmas Eve". The album features twelve songs making the album a total of 44:59.

Check out The Beatles Christmas Shows here.

Happy Christmas Beatles People!

The Beatles Christmas Shows

6:00 pm on 24 December, 1963 at Astoria Cinema in Finsbury Park, London The Beatles preformed in their first Christmas Show along with several other acts.

Tickets for the show went on sale 21 October, 1963 and by 16 November all 100,000 tickets were sold out. The shows went from 24 December to 11 January with three days off ( 25 December, 29 December, and 5 January) making a total of 30 shows, preforming two shows a day except for 24 December and 31 December were only one show was preformed).

The night went as followed;
First Act

• Barron Knight and Duke D'Mond
• Tommy Quickly and The Foremost
• Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas 

Second Act

• Barron Knight and Duke D'Mond
• Cilla Black
• Rolf Harris
• And The Beatles 

The Beatles ended the show preforming nine songs;

• Roll Over Beethoven 
• All My Loving
• This Boy
• I Want To Be Your Man
• She Loves You
• Till There Was You
• I Want To Hold Your Hand
• Money (That's What I Want"
• Twist and Shout

The Beatles during the show

Throughout the night The Beatles would appear in between acts putting on little skits.

"The Beatles were never much for rehearsing. That never really mattered as far as songs were concerned, but the fact that they were so bad at doing the sketches was an added extra for the show- it was organised chaos but it was very funny chaos." -Tony Barrow

The Beatles spent Christmas with their families in Liverpool on a private viking aircraft provided by Brian Epstein and returned back to London on Boxing Day.

"The big trick was to get them out of the theatre before the national anthem had finished. The audience dutifully stayed, chanting "We want The Beatles,' by which time they were in their car and away'."- Tony Barrow

Right: John Lennon dressing room for The Beatles first Christmas Show











Left: Cast of the show

Another Beatles Christmas Show

The following year, 24 December, 1965 Brian Epstein promoted another Christmas Show except this time at the Hammersmith Odeon in London. It was very much like the previous year in which The Beatles would preform skits in between acts then close the show with several of their songs.

The night went as followed:

First Act:

• The Mike Cotton Sound preforming Georgie Fame's "Yeh Yeh"
• Michael Haslam joining the Mike Cotton Sound singing "Scarlet Ribbons"
• The Yardbirds
• The Beatles dressed as Antarctic Explorers searching for the Abominmal Snowman
• Freddie and The Dreamers singing "Rip it Up", "Bachelor Boy", and "Cut Across Shorty"

Drawing by John on the back of the programme

Second Act:

• Elkie Brooks
• Sounds Incorporated
• Jimmy Savile introduced The Beatles
• The Beatles

The group once again ended the night singing;

• Twist and Shout
• I'm A Loser
• Baby's in Black
• Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
• Can't Buy Me Love
• Honey Don't
• I Feel Fine
• She's A Woman
• A Hard Days Night
• Rock And Roll Music
• Long Tall Sally

Two weeks later at a press conference in Toronto the group was asked if they were preforming in a third Christmas Show for the following year where John replied;

"Ask Mr. Christmas Epstein"

and George added,

"Mr. Epstein, may have a Mr. Epstein Christmas Show"

"Because it was new to them they didn't make a fuss. But as the run went on I think they relised it wasn't really working. They wanted to be songwriters and pop stars, they didn't want to be actors." -Barron Knights, Pete Langford.

"All Things Must Pass inducted into Grammy Hall of Fame

Today (December 4, 2013) George Harrison's facebook page posted the following;

"We were thrilled to learn today that The Recording Academy has announced 'All Things Must Pass' is to be inducted into the legendary GRAMMY Hall of Fame in 2014.

The GRAMMYs Hall of Fame honours both singles, and album recordings of all genres that are at least 25 years old, and which “exhibit qualitative or historical significance”. This year – the 40th anniversary of the Hall of Fame – there are to be 27 inductees, bringing the total list to 960 titles (this list is on display at The Grammy Museum at L.A. Live).

Neil Portnow (President/CEO of The Recording Academy) described these recordings as “memorable and inspiring, [they] are proudly added to our growing catalog — knowing that they have become a part of our musical, social, and cultural history.”

The newly revealed inductees will be acknowledged during the 56th annual Grammy Awards, which will air January 26, 2014, on CBS. "

 The album is being inducted along with many other albums from The Joshua Tree (U2)  to singles like B.J Thomas's single "Raindrops Keep Fallin' on my Head" and The Rolling Stones "Honky Tonk Women"  and many others!

The Beatles as a group have been nominated for 25 Grammy Awards and won 8 ( Bold on the following list) out of the 25;

1964; 

Beatles Grammy For "Best Performance By Vocal Group"

• Record Of The Year- "I Want To Hold You Hand"
• Best Contemporary Song- "A Hard Days Night"
• Best New Artist
• Best Performance by a Vocal Group- "A Hard Days Night"

1966;

• Contemporary Rock & Roll Group Vocal Preformance- "Help!"
• Album of the Year- Help!
• Vocal Group Performance- "Help!"

1967;

• Album of The Year- Revolver  
• Song of The Year- "Michelle"

1968;

• Album of The Year- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Best Contemporary Album- Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
• Group Vocal Preformance- "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
• Best Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s)- "A Day in the Life"

1969;

• Album of the Year- Magical Mystery Tour
• Record of the Year- "Hey Jude"
• Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals- "Hey Jude"

 1970;

• Album of the Year- Abbey Road
• Contemporary Vocal Group- Abbey Road

1971; 

• Record of the Year- "Let It Be"
• Contemporary Vocal Group- Let It Be

1996;

• Best Historical Album- Live at the BBC

1997;

• Best Music Video, Long Form- The Beatles Anthology
• Best Music Video, Short Form- "Free as a Bird"
• Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal- "Free as a Bird" 

George Harrison alone and after The Beatles has won a few other Grammy's such as ;

•  Album of The Year- The Concert For Bangla Desh [1972] (Read more about the concert here ).
•  Best Rock Performance By A Duo or Group Vocal- Traveling Wilburys Volume One [1989]
• Best Pop Instrumental Performance- "Marwa Blues" [2003]

This coming February to honor The Beatles 50th year anniversary of being on The Ed Sullivan Show The Grammys are presenting  "The Night That Changed America: A GRAMMY Salute To The Beatles."  It will be a 2- hour showing and brodcasted on the CBS Television Network on Sunday February 9, 2014 ( the exact date The Beatles first played Ed Sullivan, read more about their performances here) from 9-10 p.m ET/PT.


Read more about the Ed Sullivan Grammy event on their website, here. 

McCartney Success 2013

If you're unfamiliar with Sir Paul McCartney's new album, NEW, read about them here  and here .

This past year, ex-Beatle, Paul McCartney, went back into the studio to start recording his first solo album in six years! It was released today (December 3, 2013) that this new album was voted the fourth album of the year by Rolling Stone magazine.

"The sound of a 71-year-old Beatle getting back in the ring. McCartney plays to his strengths: Wings-like glam rock, Little Richard howls and, yep, some remarkably Beatlesque pop tunes and George Martin-ish arrangements (thanks partly to Martin's son, Giles, who produced several tracks). "Early Days" challenges lingering misconceptions about McCartney's role in the Beatles ("I don't see how they can remember/When they weren't where it was at"). Sir Paul also engages 21st-century pop with sharp ears, bringing in young-gun producers like Paul Epworth, Mark Ronson and Ethan Johns. He even rocks a quasi-rap flow and some giddy, Gaga-style stadium chants on "Queenie Eye." As Macca understands better than almost anyone, rock & roll is fueled by a hunger for good times and an ageless exuberance.

Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/50-best-albums-of-2013-20131202/paul-mccartney-new-19691231#ixzz2mSanHJXN
Follow us: @rollingstone on Twitter | RollingStone on Facebook " - Rolling Stone 

 

In late October, right after the albums release, NEW hit #3 in Billboard charts. Not only has NEW been successful for McCartney, but Paul was also awarded the "Best Individual Achievement of the Decade" by Vegfest UK Awards.

"The accolade was presented to Paul in recognition of his continued championing of vegetarianism, such as through his work with the Meat Free Monday campaign. The award was voted for by members of the public prior to the London Vegfest which took place recently at Kensington Olympia." -Paul McCartney via Facebook

Congrats Paul!

Rubber Soul

Recording Dates: October 12, 1965- November 15, 1965
Total Album Time: 34:50
Producer: George Martin
Engineer: Norman Smith
Released: December 3, 1965 (UK)

                 December 6, 1965 (US)
John Lennon: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano, Vox Continental organ, tambourine
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass guitar, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano
George Harrison: vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, sitar, tambourine
Ringo Starr: vocals, drums, cowbell, tambourine, maracas, percussion, bells, Hammond organ
George Martin: piano, harmonium, tambourine
Mal Evans: Hammond organ

Rubber Soul was The Beatles sixth released album in the UK and eleventh US long-player. It was, as Paul once called it, the 'Grown up album'. In the early days the group was highly influenced by American singers and songwriters like Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, and Buddy Holly. The whole American rhythm-and-blues but now they were being influenced, or becoming more aware of Motown and black music  and then into apparent classical and modern music as George Martin said.

"By the time of Rubber Soul they were ready for new musical directions." -George Martin

Beatles producer, George Martin, has also spoken about recording with The Beatles during the Rubber Soul time as the group always searching for a new sound and always willing to try any new instruments (which could be factored in with George Harrison's interest in the sitar) even if they didn't know how to play it or anything about them. 

Drugs:
Throughout their musical careers The Beatles were always being introduced to drugs,

"It was like pills influenced us in Hamburg, drink influenced us in so and so, I mean, we weren't all stoned making Rubber Soul, because in those days we couldn't work on pot. We never recorded under acid." -John Lennon (1972)

John even says in that Rubber Soul was the pot album and Revolver was the acid. Ringo even said that,

"There was a lot of experimentation on Rubber Soul, influenced, I think by the substances."

He continues to say that because of these substances recording and things would take longer. George even reflected saying it made them feel ill. It's no secret that the group used drugs, especially pot after being introduced to it by Bob Dylan in 1964 (Read more Bob Dylan and The Beatles first experience with marijuana here).  George Harrison describes one recording session as,

"Mal and Neil would sit in Studio No. 2 behind the sound baffles while we were working, rolling them up and smoking. You can hear on one of the tapes from the sessions a song starts and John goes, 'Hang on. 'ang on...' and Paul starts filling in for him. Then John comes back; 'Ahhhhh. OK, OK.' And by the time the engineers have rewound the tape you're thing, 'I'll just go and have another hit.'"

"When we did take too many substances, the music was shit, absolute shit. At the time we'd think it was great, but when we came to record the next day we'd all look at each other and say, 'we'll have to do that again..'"- Ringo Starr

Songs:

1. Drive My Car;

The album starts with "Drive My Car" a song that can be interrupted in many different ways. As Paul says, "What's is it? What's he doing? Is he offering a job as a chauffeur, or what?" McCartney even says that the song was one of the 'stickiest' songs he ever wrote. It started with this one phrase, "You can buy me golden rings" and says he struggled with the song for hours, too long. Suddenly it hit McCartney and Lennon, "Baby, you can drive my car!" and that's how the song came to be. They were glad with the fact of how ambitious the song was and is and how many different scenarios. 
     
       2. Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown);

John had written "Norwegian Wood" about an affair he was having and said he was very 'careful' and 'paranoid' about writing it and the affair itself because he didn't want his first wife, Cynthia Powell, to find out (Read more about Cynthia here). Saying he was always having some kind of affair and this was a way to be sophisticated about writing about the affairs. During this time George Harrison had already been introduced to the sitar, first really seeing it when filming "Help!" in a restaurant scene where he first started messing around with the instrument.The group went through many versions of the song because it wasn't coming out like John wanted and he was getting angry.

"It was such a mind-blower that we had this strange instrument on the record. We were all open to anything when George introduced the sitar; you could walk in with an elephant, as long as it was going to make a musical note. Anything was viable. Our whole attitude was changing. We'd grown up a little, I think." -Ringo Starr

         3. Nowhere Man

Paul McCartney recalls the sang as a song written by John after coming in from a big night and not going to bed till about five in the morning. John had come to Paul telling him that he had just started a song the previous night.

"It turned out later that it was about me." -Paul McCartney

Although Paul says it was written about him John really says that the song was inspired by himself,

"I was just sitting, trying to think, and I thought of myself sitting there, doing nothing and going nowhere," he continues, "I thought of myself as a Nowhere Man sitting in this Nowhere Land" -John Lennon (1967)

It was one of those songs, like "Across The Universe" on Let It Be, that came all at once, music, words, the whole thing. 

          4.Think For Yourself

          5. The Word

          6. Michelle 
A song that started with John and Paul walking and Paul humming the first few bars with the words  then turning to Lennon for help.  Where John remembers how he was listening to Nina Simone and a refrain from "I Put A Spell On You" that went, " I love you, I love you, I Love you." which became the middle eight: "I Love You, I love you, I l-o-oove you" in "Michelle".
When it was released Paul describes it as a 'walking on pins and needles', it was different then what they were playing and that's what makes it unique. McCartney compares it to Cliff Richards "Living Doll" and how when it first was released it was so out of left-field.
        
            7. What Goes On
The only song credited to Lennon-McCartney-Starr

            8. Girl

"'Girl' is real. There is no such thing as the girl; she was a dream, but the words are all right, it wasn't just a song, and it was about that girl- that turned out to be Yoko, in the end- the one that a lot of us were looking for."- John Lennon

In the same interview (from 1970) John says that he was trying to say something about Christianity. Saying that it was heavily on the church but was never picked up. It's about having to be tortured to get to heaven, the Catholic and Christian concept. "Be tortured and then it'll be all right.; which seems to be true." John didn't believe in that, the whole having to be tortured to be accepted into  anything.



            9. I'm Looking Through You
Just like other Beatles songs during this time, "You Won't See Me" and "We Can Work It Out"  this song was based off of a fight Paul had with his current girlfriend, Jane Asher.

"As is one's wont in relationships, you will from time to time argue or not see eye to eye on things, and a couple of the songs around this period were that kind of thing. This one I remember particularly as me being disillusioned over her commitment. She went down to the Bristol Old Vic quite a lot around this time. Suffice to say that this one was probably related to that romantic episode and I was seeing through her façade. And realising that it wasn't quite all that it seemed. I would write it out in a song and then I've got rid of the emotion. I don't hold grudges so that gets rid of that little bit of emotional baggage. I remember specifically this one being about that, getting rid of some emotional baggage. 'I'm looking through you, and you're not there!'"- Paul McCartney

            10. In My Life
One of the greatest songs John Lennon has ever written. George Martin even says it's one of his favorites because its 'so much John'. John even calls it his 'first real song'.

"It was the first song that i wrote that was really, consciously, about my life."

The song came about when John released his first book, In His Own Write when a journalist asked ' Why don't you put some of the way you write in the book in the songs? or Why don't you put something about your childhood into your songs?'  The song goes through a bus route from his aunt and uncles home at 251 Menlove Avenue to the town.

"'In My Life' a remembrance of friends and lovers of the past."- John Lennon

            11. Wait

            12. If I Needed Someone
Up to this point the songwriting was mostly the Lennon- McCartney duo. George Harrison had been writing since With The Beatles and when he did start writing he had to suddenly just jump into it saying, "John and Paul had been writing since they were three years old."

"I had to come from nowhere and start writing and have something with at least enough quality to put on the record."- George Harrison

           13. Run For Your Life
 A song that John never liked because it was a song that was 'just knocked off'. Although it was always one of George's favorites.
John said that the song was inspired by "Baby Let's Play House" by Elvis. There was a line that went " I'd rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man." The rest of the song was based around that line.

Charts and Release: 
The album was released on December 3, 1965 in the UK and entered the UK charts on December 11 and soon replaced Help! on December 25. The album was number one for nine weeks straight and remained for another forty-two weeks.

The LP was released three days  after the UK release and joined the US charts on the same day as the UK. It stayed in the charts for fifty-nine weeks. Even the following year on January 8, 1966 spent six weeks at number one.

Cover: 

Like With The Beatles to Rubber Soul all of the album covers had been taken by Robert Freeman. The photo session was taken at John's Weybridge home. The Rubber Soul album cover has a unique feature caused by a card that the picture as projecting fell backwards and stretched The Beatles faces.

"I liked the way we got out faces to be longer on the album cover, we lost the 'little innocents' tag, the naivety and Rubber Soul was the first one where we were fully-fledged potheads."- George Harrison

Fun Facts:

• It sold 1.2 million copies in nine days of it's release in the US
•  There were two different stereo version released in America. "Dexter stereo" and "East Coast" Version. 
• The US released added a double-tracked vocals on The Word by John Lennon. 
• "Golden Rings" from the original 'Drive My Car' became "Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep! Yeah!"
• Paul says that when it came to song writing, the melody, "In My Life" was the only song that John and him really disagreed on.
• In "Girl" The Beatles were singing "Tit-tit-tit-tit' In the background and nobody noticed. 
• Rubber Soul was George Harrison's favorite album 

"A lot was changing- our attitudes, our lives- at this time, and the Rubber Soul session were the start of the building- up to the end, in away we were doing great stuff and the results were great." -Ringo Starr

Remembering George Harrison

 What Is Life

What can I say about George Harrison? I'm not going to write a whole post as I have in the past about George Harrison and his life, I'm saving that for February when I do "25 Days of George Harrison"- I'll dedicate everyday leading up to his birthday to George and a timeline of his life. This post is just a little one about everything George has done for me, even though I've never met him. It's a post to remember him and how much he's inspired the world and myself. There's truly no words to describe the mark his made in this world and even writing this is making me tear up.

"It's being here now that's important. There's no past and there's no future. Time is a very misleading thing. All there is ever, is the now. We can gain experience from the past, but we can't relive it; and we can hope for the future, but we don't know if there is one." -George Harrison

George Harrison may be known as the quiet Beatle but to me he was the loudest, out of every Beatle he is the one who has spoken to me the most. One who I really can connect to and have taken his stories and lyrics to heart and live by his words everyday. I'm actually lost for words right now just trying to explain how much he means to me. He's changed my life completely, even though it was John who got me into The Beatles, George was just always someone I could relate to in a way that know one could see, even myself at points.

"I think people who truly can live a life in music are telling the world, 'you can have my love, you can have my smiles. Forget the bad parts, you don't need them. Just take the music, the goodness, because it's the very best, and it's the part I give most willingly.'" -George Harrison 

Rest In Peace George Harrison

Love One Another.

George Harrison "Saturday Night Live"

"Saturday Night Live" Season 2 started on September 18, 1976 starring; Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Garret Morris, Bill Murray, Laraine Newman, and Gilda Radner. On April 24, 1976 "Saturday Night Live"'s Producer, Lorne Michaels offered $3,000 ($750 each) for a Beatles reunion on his show- none of The Beatles replied. Michaels raised the price to $3,200 (an extra $50 each) on May 22 of the same year. Paul McCartney remembers getting the call from Lorne. He says he was at John's apartment in New York watching SNL. The two of them thought and discussed about the idea of reuniting on the show but never got around to doing so.

November 20, 1976 Paul Simon hosted one of the most popular shows of all time "Saturday Night Live". It was Simon's second time on the show, after being on it the previous season where Loren reunited Simon and Garfunkel. Musical guest for this episode was the one and only, George Harrison.  That Friday, November 19, the two recorded "Here Comes The Sun", "Homeward Bound", "Bye Bye Love", and "Rock Island Line". The show started with George feeling that he should get the original $3,000 for coming on the show and Loren stating that it was only that price for all four of The Beatles to appear. While this is going on, Paul Simon is doubting the costume he is asked to wear. The show goes on to Paul Simon singing "Still Crazy After All These Years" in a turkey outfit but quits half way through because of the costume. Then there's a rave about a mineral-packed Quarry cereal and Baba Wawa interviews Henry Kissenger. Jane Curtain and the Weekend Update reports expenditures by the Carter campaign, Morris the Cat's attempt suicide, and more while Rod Serling shows an episode of the Twilight Zone. Before the musical acts Billy Paul fights racism at an ice cream parlor.


At the end of the episode Paul Simon sings, " 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover", "Something So Right", and "Bridge Over Troubled Water". George Harrison joins Paul on stage and they both sing "Here Comes The Sun" and "Homeward Bound". George then sang "Crackerbox Palace" and "This Song".


The episode became one of the "Best of Saturday Night Live" on Comedy Central.

Photo's and Videos: 
Top Photo: George Harrison and Paul Simon backstage on the set of "Saturday Night Live"
First Video: "Bye Bye Love" preformed by George Harrison and Paul Simon
Second Photo: George Harrison on Set of "Saturday Night Live"
Second Video: George Harrison and Paul Simon preform "Homeward Bound"
Third Video: "Here Comes The Sun" preformed by George Harrison and Paul Simon

The Beatles in Manila, Philippines

 "They've let me down" -Madame Marcos

On July 3, 1966 The Beatles made their way from Japan to the Philippines stopping once for 70 minutes in Hong Kong to fuel the plane. 5,000 fans waited at the Manila International Airport for The Beatles first (and last) Philippines visit.
During 1966 the country of Philippines were under dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos. When the band landed they were met by what the group called "Gorillas", these  men in short T-shirts who took just The Beatles, leaving Mal Evans, Brian Epstein, Tony Barrow, and other Beatles affiliates  behind.

"As soon as we got there it was bad news. There were tough gorillas- little men-who had short- sleeved shirts and acted very menacingly.
The normal proceedings in those days were that, because the mania was everywhere, we didn't pull up at an airport and get off  like normal people. The plane would land and it would go to the far end of the airfield where we would get off, usually with Neil and our 'Diplomatic bags' ( we carried our shaving gear- and whatever- in little bags), get in a car, bypass passport control and go to the gig. Mal Evans with Brian Epstein and the rest would go and do our passport and all that scene.
But when we got to Manila, a fellow was screaming at us, ' Leave those bags there! Get in the car!' we were being bullied for the first time. It wasn't respectful, everywhere else- America, Sweden, Germany, wherever- even though there was a mania, there was always a lot of respect because we were famous showbiz personalities; but in Manila it was a very negative vibe from the moment we got off the plane, so were were a bit frightened. " -George Harrison

 These Gorillas took the group in a Cavalcade escorted by six police motorcyclist to the navy headquarters where a press conference  was held. After the interview the men in then took the band to a private yacht owned by Dan Manolo Elizalde, a friend of the concert promoter Ramon Ramos Jr. They were told that they would stay on this yacht till the following day.

"They drove me to the pier and I got out of the car and said, 'Where are they?' they pointed: 'There they are,' and there was a big boat miles away, in the middle of the harbour. They were what seemed to be rival militia gangs. One gang had taken them and put them on this boat to meet some people who weren't the people putting on the show. It was very strange. I never really understood why they got put on a boat."- Neil Aspinall

The Beatles played Manila at Rizal Memorial Football Stadium. When The Beatles landed in the Philippines a paper by Manila Sunday Times was printed stating;

"President Marcos, the First Lady, and the three young Beatles fans in the family, have been invited as guests of honour at the concerts. The Beatles plan to personally follow up the invitation during a courtesy call on Mrs Imelda Marcos at Malacañang Palace tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock."

Nobody knew that they were meeting the President on this trip and were shocked when they read this news.

"I think they'd been  invited and Brian had telexed them or sent a telegram saying 'no'- The Beatles didn't do that sort of stuff for anybody. They wouldn't get involved in politics and they wouldn't go to the palace. But it was ignored as if he hadn't said it" -Neil Aspinall.

The next morning  the band woke up to banging on the hotel door and people shouting "Come on! You're supposed to be at the palace!" and saying "Turn on the television!". The group did so and all over the news was broadcasting reporters all saying the same thing, "And they're still not here yet. The Beatles are supposed to be here." and "Five minutes till The Beatles show up".

"We sat there in amazement. We couldn't believe it, and we just had to watch ourselves not arriving at the presidential palace"- George Harrison.

Mal and Paul spent the morning roaming the streets, Wall Street, taking pictures and when they returned to the  hotel the security guard asking them "How'd you get out?"

"But there was the TV announcer- their equivalent of Richard Dimbleyby- saying, 'and the first lady is waiting with the Blue Ladies...' (it was like America- they had Pink Ladies and Blue Ladies and First Ladies and they were all waiting there) '...And pretty soon the famous pop group will be arriving." and were going, "Shoot! nobody's told them!' and the promoters saying, 'Well, you've got to go now, it's only a limo to get there.' And we said, 'We can't.' We stuck to our guns and sat the rest of the day out in the hotel. We turned the telly off and got on with our day off" -Paul McCartney

The next morning someone had picked up a newspaper with the headlines reading as Paul recalls saying "Beatles Snub President", George recalls it as "Beatles Snub First Family".  The Beatles were due to leave Manila that morning back to London. They all recall it an awful experience,saying everyone was very rude to them throughout the whole experience but even worse after they didn't show up to the palace.

"It was 'Beatles Snub First Family'- that's how they decided to present it. Nobody ever said, 'Well, they were never asked,'It was quite likely it was the promoter or the agent who had done a deal; brown-nosing Mrs. Marcos, probably. She was later quotes as saying, 'Oh, I never like them anyway- their music is horrible."- George Harrison

The group arrived at the airport with Neil, Brian, Tony Barrow, and Alf Bichknell. Nobody helped  them so the load of them were carrying their luggage, amps, instruments, and more up escalators. The escalators happens to have stopped moving on their arrival. There was no checking the bags or anything, just carry them all on with you. At this time the gorillas showed up again, in their white little shirts and started pushing them around again shouting " Get over there!" and all that. These guys were throwing punches, hitting Alf.

"There was chanting, with people hating us all the way- and now at the airport they started spitting at us , spitting on us, and there's the famous story of John s and me hiding behind these nuns, because we thought, 'It's a Catholic country - they won't beat up the nuns."- Ringo Starr

The group finally were seated on the plane,

"When we got on the plane we were all kissing the seats" -Paul McCartney

Just when they were settled in their seats a voice boomed over the plane saying "Will Mr.Epstein and Mr. Evans and Mr. Barrows get off the plane." The three men got off, walking down the isle in tears Mal Evans turned to George and said

"Tell Lil I love her" Lil being his wife.

The three came back after having given these men The Beatles profits from their concert the previous night.

"It was an unfortunate little trip, but the nice thing about it was that in the end (when we found out what Marcos and Imelda had been doing to the people, and the rip-off that they whole thing allegedly was) we were glad to have done what we did. Great! We must have been the only people who'd ever dared to snub Marcos" -Paul McCartney

The Famous Story of John and Ringo Hiding Behind Nuns

"Along the route to the airport there were people waving at us, but I could see a few old men booing us. When they started on us at the airport, I was petrified. I thought I was going to get hit, so I headed for three nuns and two monks, thinking that might stop them. As far as I know I was just pushed around, but I could have kicked and not known it.
'You treat like ordinary passenger! Ordinary passenger!' They were saying. We were saying: 'Ordinary Passenger? He doesn't get kicked, does he?' I saw five in sort of outfits who were doing it, all the kicking and booing and shouting. I was petrified, and pushed a lot.  I was very delicate and moved every time they touched me." -John Lennon

On The Beatles 1966 Beatles Tour Information you can see John's handwriting written all over the page. On June 26 he circled, "Hamburg" and wrote "Torture". On July 4 he circled "Manila" and wrote "Nearly fucking killed by the government.." he then drew a line to the bottom of the page and continued, "... and it's just another Beatles day his book." On the very bottom he wrote "after Manila George said in London World, Press. 'They should drop an H bomb on Manila' we all silently agreed."

"I hated the Philippines. We arrived there with thousands upon thousands of kids, with hundred upon hundreds of policemen - and it was a little dodgy. Everyone had guns and it was really like that hot/Catholic/gun/Spanish Inquisition attitude." -Ringo Starr

Photograph by Ringo Starr

Earlier this year Ringo released a book called Photograph on digital edition for iPads. The book is filled with unseen pictures Ringo took of himself and the others throughout the eight years The Beatles were together. There are 2,500 copies of a hand-bound editions signed by Ringo himself that are being sold in the US for $550. The book contains 304 pages including 240 photos of the boys and himself. The book launching took place earlier this year with his wife, Barbara Bach, and Olivia Harrison. Previously in 2004, Starr released a book called Postcards from The Boys, filled with letters from the other Beatles. All profits made from these two books were and are being donated to the Lotus Foundation which helps with Social Welfare. After releasing Photograph he got many responses asking if Ringo will make an autobiography,

"I've been asked to do my autobiography, but they're really only interested in eight years," Starr says, "But i had a life before I joined The Beatles, and I've had one after I left. There would be five volumes before I got into The Beatles. I can't remember ever reading anyone's autobiography. It's just too much reading. I thought this was abetter way to do it."

While searching through his old photographs he came across a picture of a group of kids in a car outside of JFK Airport after The Beatles had landed on US soil on February 7, 1964. Ringo remembers taking the photo,

"They all put the windows down and I thought, 'Hey, I got me camera, I'll take them." and guess what? They really saw us and we saw them"

After launching the book Starr was curious to see who these kids  and who he called "The Mystery Man" in the background were so he let out a little hunt for them. All of them were found living on the East Coast. Starr does not want to reunite with them and says he just wants to have that one memory when everyone was having the time of their lives.

"I think it's a much better way because you'll tell the story and you have a page to write and then you have a picture, so this is the best way for me.
'- Ringo Starr on his book Photograph

 The following photographs are all taken by Ringo Starr or by using Ringo's camera.

Paul McCartney and John Lennon

George Harrison

Paul's Beatles girlfriend, Jane Asher

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and George Harrison

John Lennon

Self Portrait