1, One More Time

"'The Beatles, their music, their work and their images is as strong as (it's) ever been,' Lindsey-Hogg said. 'You can't beat them. You can't beat the Beatles.'" -From interview with Jacque Wilson Smith, CNN http://www.cnn.com/2015/10/20/entertainment/beatles-restored-music-videos/

It was 1957 when John Lennon and Paul McCartney started playing together, it was 1958 that George Harrison was added to the group, and four years later, Richard Starkey fell into place behind drums to form The Beatles. A little Liverpool group that made it to number one and has held that spot, at least in my opinion, as the number one band of all time, with twelve studio released albums {search and read about each album here}, Four films, Eight time Grammy winners, honored as Members of The British Empire, and much more, including Twenty Seven number one Singles.  It was only appropriate that this number one band with a near three dozen number one singles have their own number one album; Beatles 1. 

Beatles 1 was originally released on 13 November, 2000 featuring every number one single released by these Liverpool Lords in the United Kingdom and United States from 1962- 1970. It was no surprised that within hours of being released this number one album shot to number one on charts across the world. This album not only topped charts across the globe, but became the fourth best-selling album in the United States - best-selling album in the US of the decade {2000-2009}, and making it the number one selling album of the decade worldwide! 

The album includes the following tracks;

1. Love Me Do
2. From Me To You
3. She Loves You
4. I Want To Hold Your Hand
5. Can't Buy Me Love
6. A Hard Days Night
7. I Feel Fine 
8. Eight Days A Week
9. Ticket To Ride
10. Help!
11. Yesterday
12. Day Tripper
13. We Can Work It Out
14. Paperback Writer
15. Yellow Submarine
16. Eleanor Rigby
17. Penny Lane
18. All You Need Is Love
19. Hello,Goodbye
20. Lady Madonna
21. Hey Jude
22. Get Back
23. The Ballad of John and Yoko
24. Something
25. Come Together 
26. Let It Be
27. The Long and Winding Road

The album was remastered and released, with once again an over whelming success, in September 2011. However, it may be Forty-Five years since The Beatles broke up {10 April, 1970} their music is still thriving. With that being said, look out world because on 6 November, 2015 The Beatles 1 is being re-released with twenty-seven digitally enhanced promotional videos for each number one hit! On top of that it will include twenty-three additional videos of the bands television appearances and rare footage. 

Dennis Michael, a longtime Beatlemaniac told CNN News the following;  

"Grainy, bad-sounding versions of The Beatles' early music clips have been bouncing around YouTube for years, but now they're back in their vivid glory."

Michael couldn't be anymore on point. Along with Dennis Micheal, many other fans eaglerily wait for the release of this brillant restored album featuring;

Disc 1:

1. Love Me Do
2. From Me To You
3. She Loves You
4. I Want To Hold Your Hand
5. Can't Buy Me Love
6. A Hard Days Night
7. I Feel Fine 
8. Eight Days A Week
9. Ticket To Ride
10. Help!
11. Yesterday
12. Day Tripper
13. We Can Work It Out
14. Paperback Writer
15. Yellow Submarine
16. Eleanor Rigby
17. Penny Lane
18. All You Need Is Love
19. Hello,Goodbye
20. Lady Madonna
21. Hey Jude
22. Get Back
23. The Ballad of John and Yoko
24. Something
25. Come Together 
26. Let It Be
27. The Long and Winding Road

Disc 2:

Paul McCartney audio commentary for “Penny Lane,” Hello, Goodbye, “Hey Jude”

Ringo Starr filmed introductions for “Penny Lane,” “Hello, Goodbye, “Hey Jude, “Get Back”

‘The Beatles 1+’ Bonus Material

Disc 2 Videos:

1. Twist & Shout
2. Baby It’s You
3. Words of Love
4. Please Please Me
5. I Feel Fine
6. Day Tripper (alternate)
7. Day Tripper (alternate)
8. We Can Work It Out (alternate)
9. Paperback Writer (alternate)
10. Rain (alternate)
11. Rain (alternate)
12. Strawberry Fields Forever (plus Paul McCartney audio commentary)
13. Within You Without You/Tomorrow Never Knows
14. A Day in the Life
15. Hello, Goodbye (alternate)
16. Hello, Goodbye (alternate)
17. Hey Bulldog
18. Hey Jude (alternate)
19. Revolution
20. Get Back (alternate)
21. Free as a Bird
22. Real Love

List From UltimateClassicRock.com

You can pre-order the album today by visiting TheBeatles.com

"The Beatles will go on and on."-George Harrison

Turning The Tables - Why Vinyl Is Final

It has become common in today’s society to pull out the latest iPhone and have access to all the music imaginable; whether it’s singles, albums, stories, recorded events, etc. The convenience to just pop in headphones and pull up popular apps such as Spotify, Pandora, or maybe even the wide variety of catalogs provided by iTunes, all in order to create the blissful experience of listening to music; but is this how music is meant to be heard? 

Phones and computers are now loaded with music libraries of MP3s and files that have stripped the music to an almost distorted quality. These files have ruined the tradition of passing down artifacts and personal items, such as Vinyl records, from generation-to-generation. Not only that but headphones limit the amount of interaction and sharing of the music experience one might of once had with another. Analog has been described as a fuller and warmer way to produce music, with this said vinyl records, being a true analog wave form, provides a higher quality in both sound and, should provide, a much higher satisfaction rate. Due to this technology, vinyl records can be seen over and over again to be very effective, not only for our ears but serves as potentially a great way to bond with others, become a generational connection to the past - not to mention it's cost-effective and can be considered as collectible items compared to the latest MP3 file or CD. Any musician or music fan with a a keen ear will agree that vinyls provide a stronger, more effective sensation to an overall blissful experience.

Vinyl’s were introduced as a way to listen to music in the early twentieth-Century where families and friends would enjoy listening to the fruity-voices, jazz tempos, swing rhythms, ballad singers, along with a variety of other, early music genres. It wasn't until the 1950s when musicians such as Elvis Presley, Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, and other Rock and Roll pioneers that  vinyl records would take off. Records became a novelty and a way for teenagers and the younger generation to rebel against their parents, whose population mostly resented the new genre. Record stores began to flourish with life as everyone tried to get their hands on the latest single or album, cramming bodies into booths to take in a track or two before making a purchase. These shops became a place to meet people with the same music interest, and still today you’ll find friendly, music enthusiasts in the local vinyl selling store. When purchasing a CD there is little thrill or experience as one would achieve when purchasing a record. However when browsing through the CD selection at Wal-Mart or FYE one could meet other’s in the same interest, but most of the time it’s heads and hands buried deep in the $5 bin with little interaction. iTunes and other online music catalogs provide even less communication, as one sits on a Google  Phone and purchases a track or two with the only bonding or conversing comes from the thumb to the phone screen. If communication does permit through the music downloading process it’s through online discussion, which isn't an interaction at all.

The thin, black disc doesn't just provide a great way to communicate with other music fanatics, but can solve various other problems that is seen in today’s society. It is no secret that with every decade the generation gap expands and more often than not the older generations and younger generation do not connect and share experiences as they use to; one factor of this is the use and spike in technology. Spending time at Grandma’s house is not the old baking cookies, instead it is spent in front of these 2” by 3” screens and communication is not the moving of a jaw but the typing of codes that literally have to travel through outer space just to reach our companion. The older generations are suppose to teach the younger generation lessons of their lives and stories of their youth, during which artifacts and memories of their past are often shared.. Artifacts such as pins, pictures, scrapbooks, toys, and yes,even records are most common among bridging the past with the present. Music can tell a lot about a person, their interests, their situation … Passing down music is passing down a piece of someone’s heart which makes Vinyls an important part of building the gap between generations. How will today’s generation pass down this vital piece of life? By sharing a file through the next social media website to their children and their children’s children? Vinyls are structure, solid mass, they are  here to stay while MP3s and other similar files are part of the unstable digital world that involves a constant need of updating and hours of backing up just to insure it's safety for the following year or so. When was the last time you heard of a 33 ⅓ needing a new update?

    It’s true, owners grow a deep bond and connection for their records; maybe that is why vinyls are still around today and are finally regaining popularity. Everyone has their own hobby, whether it’s athletics, painting, photography, cooking, and so forth. Vinyls do not just provide a way to escape the world, a way to communicate, and a great way to pass memories and stories from generation-to-generation, they also provide a great hobby; the art of collecting and archiving. Whether it’s the collection of stamps, stuffed animals, baseball cards or any kind of collection any collector would agree that there is a deep appreciation and love for their items. For any music lover records probably provide the best way to collect and show off their music catalog, for these discs express a more unique look than CDs, look fantastic hung on walls, are neatly stacked on a shelf, can come with rare and collectible add ons such as posters, and much more! Also, it’s physically impossible to collect and boast your collection of MP3 files, unless you want to print off a bunch of sound-waves or file folders from your desktop. 

Records and Vinyls provide a timeless collection and with help with today’s technology these collections, for example The Beatles, are being restored and released as box-sets, AKA a collectors dream! It was groundbreaking when iTunes released The Beatles collection in 2010, allowing music fans from around the world to have access to downloading and bring the Fab Four into their playlist, thus skyrocketing iTunes and Apple business. However, even with the great increase in Apple sales, a decrease in sound quality could easily be heard by any audiophile purest. Four years later, long over due, The Beatles collection was remastered and released in the ultimate Beatle lovers dream; a vinyl box set! For essentially the same cost as their catalog on iTunes, the mop-topped Liverpool lords can be brought to shelves, walls, and collections and passed from generation-to-generation. The moral of this paragraph? Vinyls and records provide a great hobby and make a great collection with their artsy vibe, look, enthusiasm through restored box-sets.


          Words like, art, free, creative, expression, among others are usually associated with the word “music”. One can say the same about vinyl. It’s words like dexterity and the previous list that cannot be used in the same fashion when comparing vinyl records to other sources of music for a few reasons. One being the cleverness and effort put into creating the track-list of an album; granted buying an album online or on a CD will offer all of the same tracks in the same order as they appear on a vinyl, however vinyls require some effort in flipping the record every few tracks to listen to each side. What? Actually having to get up (or sit down) to flip a record just to finish listening to the album? Vinyls and the switching of sides weren't created as an exercise routine for listeners, due to the technology of a record it is impossible to have all tracks on one side without expanding the diameter of the vinyl itself, but these sides are not a bad thing, in fact this is where words like creative come into play. Sides provide an artistic way for artist to space out their songs and create a track-list that flows constantly throughout the album. Take The Beatles, again, for instance and their album Abbey Road. Abbey Road is a great example of how vinyls are more creatively put together than CDs or MP3s with what is known as The Abbey Road Medley. A Medley, as described by Merriam Websters Dictionary, are “a musical composition made up of a series of songs or short pieces”, for example the A-Side of Abbey Road is composed of a normal track-listing of songs, one to another, without much thought of the order, it’s the B-side however consists of creative, expression with an eight song medley! MP3s and CDs do not allow a listener to have the experience of jumping from one side of an album to having the second side be completely dedicated to a suite of music, instead one listens to the album in a whole without any artistic, if you will, breaks. When it comes to listening to music, side’s are on your side.

My uncle, Dan McGonagle, CEO of Media One, whom has re-read and edited my work for this post, mentioned the following on the subject; 

"And to more emphasize the point, music being produced today isn’t being produced in the genre of “concepts”. Abbey Road or Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon were meant to be listened to from A-Z. They were known as “concept’’ albums with the idea of a total music experience. Today music is being created as one downloadable track at a time with no relevance to each other. Concept albums are still be created by artist such as “Beck” and revered for their creativity, there are still too many Taylor Swift empty-shell, thoughtless tracks promulgating playlists and most of our society, who are heavily affected by pop culture, suffers and steps back, instead of moving forward to greater enlightenment. "

 
The following video is The Abbey Road medley;  

Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers Hard Promises album, 

 and poster

    Money, the major factor in any purchase. When it comes to music MP3s maybe cheap, and yes, Walmart does have a $5 bin when it comes to buying CDs, and sure a new vinyl can cost a lot of money, depending on their rarity, condition, and who the artist/band is, but vinyls can also be found in good condition for little cost. Buying a single song on iTunes is typically $1.29, whereas a CD can cost an average of $13.80 (as of 2010), but a FULL album used can be found in good condition at a local record store that can sell as little as $1 - a vinyl in new condition can averagely cost,at starting price, around $20 (estimated in 2013). When it comes to purchasing an album, vinyl is the way to go for a few other reasons besides cost. For example when downloading a file one only receives the song, track, or album on their device - but don't worry, one will still get the album cover with a download, but warning, binoculars will be needed due to the small sized image. A CD provides a case and cover - a cover that is slightly larger than a file - which is cool too. But, an album provides a cover, better quality sound and, as mentioned previously, can come with other novelty items such as a poster. Get the whole music and cultural experience and purchase music with the whole package.

  While on the subject of comparing these main, three music productions and their design, there's really no comparison, vinyls are the clear winner. In the previous paragraph it is mentioned that MP3s and digital files use the computer generated route in producing a sound-waves and compression that create the music we hear through our headphones. CDs come with little cover artwork and sometimes with a booklet about the album or song lyrics of every tracks. Vinyls proudly provide not only a larger and prouder collectible item but much more. Let's start with album art. Music itself is an art form, therefore the music ringing through the air while listening is a form of art and beauty itself, but another reason to purchase vinyls is for the cover art itself. Sometimes the true beauty of an album is found in the cover, that certain design or look that gravitates the listener towards the music source. Covers are created in various ways, whether it's an iconic picture, for example Bruce Springsteen's Born To Run, of the artist(s) themselves; a scenery or place, for instance The Eagles Hotel California; or artwork itself, use Pink Floyd's The Dark Side of The Moon as a reference. However we not only loose this beauty when downloading a small, pixelated image on our phones, or a slightly larger image on a CD but we loose the creators and story. If you've ever held a vinyl you may find song lyrics,and more often than not, little notes found on the records sleeve or cover - these are called liner notes. One should also find a list of names, names of people - from producers, other musicians who played on the album, engineers, cover photographer or artist, etc. - who made the album possible. Vinyls contain pictures of the bands journey and sessions throughout the albums which can make great posters and a great way for the listener to see what goes into the creation.

 Cover art work provides much more than just pictures, lyrics, credits, etc. they also provide a story. Once again take The Beatles as example with the Paul Is Dead Rumor where cover's such as Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road provide a plethora of clues and details that aid towards the rumor. Then there are album covers that are simple or are created through colors and zany patterns that allow the viewer to create their own story or imagery giving a more creative experience, in the sense that the album art doesn't just belong to the artist but the interpretation belongs to the fan.

Not to paraphrase what has already been written, it cannot be stressed enough that vinyl provide a much higher sound quality than any other music production. Now here's why in depth. Let's start with that rich, beautiful, and full sound a listener receives after dropping the needle. The sound quality provided by the contact of the needle and vinyl grooves emits the closest, most organic, production one can experience when it comes listening to a specific artist or band without actually being a live concert or recording session. This is due to several factors, one is do to the the full analog contained on the thin, black disc. When creating a vinyl record an engineer takes the analog, or the raw product of a artist or bands work and transports it into a magnetic tape which eventually will be transformed into that beautiful, shiny LP without loosing the full-fidelity of the track and avoiding, at all cost, any digital conversions. Another reason why records dispense a stronger quality are the grooves or lines shown on the record itself. Depending on the grooves length and depth reflects on the songs volume. For example the larger the record - compare a 33 1/3 to a 45 - the softer and quieter the sound will be, due to the more tracks fitted on a side, the skinnier the grooves. However, this may sound anti-vinyl it is completely opposite. Grooves supply room and space between the analog - not to mention a mirrored image of the sound-wave itself - creating a crisp, clean sound for it's specific format, unlike digital.
Digital formats of music, found in both MP3s, files, and CDs strip the analog and loose essential pieces of music through the transformation process. This can be seen through sound-waves and radio-waves, where Disc-Jockeys are over and over again playing songs that have been so digitally mastered. These files are made of closely knitted waves created by speeding up snippets of the analog signal at a certain rate - CDs for examples are sped up at a 44 rate, meaning 100 times per second. In this process the once untouched, analog becomes a digital file of smashed dynamics, textures, and other essentials, concluding in little space for the music to produce the full, vitality of an artist or band's creation.

In conclusion, vinyl is more than just a material. The icon symbol of music is a great way to make new friends, create a greater bond between generations, provide a stunning collection, without worrying about money. When compared to digital productions it's no secret that vinyl records supply a more creative outlook, in both the album art work itself and the creation of the track list and sides. If I haven't convienced you yet about the sound quality of a record verses a mass- media digital creation, try it for yourself.

Peace, Chaos and Good Vibes!

-Lindsey C.

Ringo Starr Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame

This post has been long overdue for two reasons; one being my busy schedule and little time to write, and two the fact that it has taken this long for Ringo Starr to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"My name is Ringo and I play drums." -Ringo Starr's introduction speech, 18 April, 2015

It was this past Friday, 18 April 2015, that all members of the worlds most influential band, The Beatles, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame when ex-Beatle Sir James Paul McCartney proudly presented his former band mate, Ringo Starr, with his rightful place in the Rock Hall. Although Starr has been in the hall since 1988 when The Beatles were inducted, it took twenty-seven years for all members to be recognized as artist themselves.

Starr, among other musicians and bands such as Joan Jett, Lou Reed, Green Day and others were given this prestigious award in Cleveland on Friday night in an event filled with love, laughter, music, and good vibes. It was a great thrill to have a venue packed with great musicians and celebrities from not only two Beatles and other inductees but legends such as Stevie Wonder were also present for the event as he inducted Billy Withers, and Joe Walsh, as Ringo's brother in law, was also in attendance and would make an appearance when Ringo spiritedly sang "It Don't Come Easy".

For Ringo's portion of the ceremony he delivered a speech about his beginnings and the meaning of being in a band, even leaving the audience with the wise words of;

"And another tip I brought for all bands who are starting out: When you're in a van, and you fart, own up. It'll cause hell if you don't own up because everyone will blame everyone else. Make a pact that you'll own up to it. We did and that's how we get on so well."

McCartney, who inducted John Lennon into the Hall in the 1990s, even started the ceremony with a beautiful speech about Ringo joining the band and the relationship The Beatles had and the relationship they still have today. Read about how Ringo was nominated to be inducted into the hall and Paul McCartney's work on helping his friend with this achievement by clicking here.

"It's a great honor for me to be able to induce him into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland tonight!"

The musician loosely using the word "induce" instead of "induct" as a joke towards Starr's remarks of not really thinking too much about the award when asked about it earlier this year and McCartney being what Starr called his "manager", in leading the whole presentation. 


The two would reunite on stage to perform the beloved Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band song, "With A Little Help From My Friends" while Ringo would continue to take the stage with a song that "took his fancy" with The Shirelles "Boys".

You can read Ringo's speech on Rolling Stone Magazine's post by clicking here and Paul's speech here.

Congratulations Ringo!

Articles Of Interest;

• Ringo Starr on being inducted into Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame 
• Postcards From Paradise
• Postcards From Paradise Lyric Video
• Ringo Starr of Rolling Stone 2015
• Ringo Reflects
• Ringo Starr GQ Men Of The Year
• 57th Grammy Awards
• George Harrison Lifetime Achievement Award
• McCartney Achievements 

Remembering Cynthia

First I must apologize for being so late on this post, I've been extremely busy with school, work, and other endeavors.

Seven days ago {1 April, 2015} we lost a beautiful, strong, and independent woman, Cynthia Powell, or as most of us know her as Cynthia Lennon.  This post is not going to be a biography or in depth about the life of Miss. Prim but a remembrance by her beloved son, Julian, friends and other family members. I hope you all take part with me in remembering her legacy.

Cynthia Powell was born on 10 September, 1939 in a small room at a bed-and-breakfast in Blackpool to Charles Edwin Powell and Lillian Roby. She would grow up in what was considered a wealthier town on the Mersey called Hoylake, with her two older brothers and parents. She spent most of her childhood with her mother after her father had passed away of lung cancer while she was a teenager and her two brothers were already moved out.

She would later attend Liverpool's Art Institute where she met the class-clown and trouble-maker, John Lennon, whom she would fall in love with; their story is for a different post. John and Cynthia would later be wed in August 1962 as Cynthia was sought to be pregnant with the couples first and only child, Julian {Who's birthday we celebrate today!}. She spent most of her young adult hood in secret and hiding as John was a member and founder of an up and coming band from Liverpool called The Beatles {Maybe you've heard of them}, and the bands manager had thought it would be best to keep the child and John having a wife a secret from fans, whom had brutally attacked and criticized Cynthia as well as the other Beatles girlfriends when they were found at The Beatles gigs. However, in 1968 Cynthia and John had divorced as they had drifted apart, John was now with an Japenese Artist from New York named Yoko Ono and Cynthia had been living the past six years, alone, raising her son and trying her best to pursuit her dreams.

Cynthia would go on to wed three more times, her last husband being Noel Charles, and publish two autobiographies; A Twist of Lennon ( 1978), John  (2005).  She passed away from Cancer at age 75, Wednesday 1 April, 2015 at her home in Calvia, Spain with Julian by her side.

Many have come out to speak about her death and their beloved memories with her;

Yoko Ono shared the following via Facebook;

"I'm very saddened by Cynthia's death.
She was a great person and a wonderful mother to Julian.
She had such a strong zest for life and I felt proud how we two women stood firm in the Beatles family.
Please join me in sending love and support to Julian at this very sad time.
love, yoko
http://imaginepeace.com/archives/21271

May Pang paid her tribute multiple times on Facebook, stating;

"I am so devastated this morning!" 

"Please don't forget to watch this beautiful tribute to Cynthia by Julian. It tore me to bits. Miss you Cyn. xxx"

Along with sharing an article by Examiner.com featuring a picture of the two women.Captioned with the post;

"Cynthia Lennon's passing brings back memories."

May Pang updated her Facebook Cover photo to this picture of Cynthia and her

 Paul McCartney shared;

"The news of Cynthia's passing is very sad. She was a lovely lady who I've known since our early days together in Liverpool. She was a good mother to Julian and will be missed by us all, but I will always have great memories of our times together." 

While Ringo Starr wrote via Twitter;

"Peace and Love to Julian Lennon God bless Cynthia love Ringo and Barbaraxx"

Dhani and Oliva Harrison had  also shared via Twitter expressing;

"Sending our love and deepest sympathies to dear Julian Lennon. May God bless Cynthia always. Love Dhani & Olivia" 

with the following photo taken by George Harrison.

Julian expressed his love for his mother with a memorial website and tribute, please check it out at;
CynthiaLennon.Memorial.

Rest in Peace Cynthia

R.S on R.S

I titled this post "R.S on R.S", but what does that mean? Well, it just so happens that today {Friday 27 March, 2015} Ringo Starr is featured on the cover of Rolling Stone; R.S on R.S. 

It's no secret that Ringo has had a pretty great start to the new year. We've found out the beloved musician will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame by who other than Paul McCartney, he's been touring the world with his fabulous All-Starr Band, and coming at the end of this month {31 March} he will be releasing his eighteenth solo album, Postcards From Paradise! Starr now finds himself back on the cover of Rock and Roll, Music lovers favorite magazine, Rolling Stone; his first time since 1981.


What can we expect from this article? Ringo has gone into depth with Rolling Stone about his early days in Liverpool, from his young, ill and poor childhood, to a quick recap on his fame with The Beatles. You can also expect to read the cover story about Ringo's copping with alcohol and drugs along with his actions towards recovery, because "No, No, No, No he can't take it no more..." . Where the now recovered addict states,

"It gets really lonely, you know. It's just really cold and lonely. It's miserable disease, in the end. There's a crowd of you, and it's lonely. Because that's all you're doing is getting fucked, you know. But I haven't been that lonely since." -Rolling Stone

 Lastly, Ringo discusses his thoughts on a Beatle reunion if John Lennon and George Harrison were still with us {In a physical form } today.

Starr reported,

"I think the stumbling block was just sitting around and saying, 'OK, let's do it.' And we never got to that. You know, we did in twos, we talked about it. But I think if we had just relaxed behind it long enough, we still had the songs, and we still could play. We could have put it together. And we could have done 'A Day in the Life.' Of course, it's ended now. John and George are gone." -Rolling Stone

 But you can read more about Ringo Starr in the Rolling Stone issue that's out today!

Articles That May Interest You;

• Ringo Starr Inducted Into Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame
• All- Starr Band
•  Postcards From Paradise Video
• Postcards From Paradise

Beatles Fest

Last year we celebrated The Beatles 50th Anniversary of coming to America {read about their coming here}, a day that shook not only the United States but an event that changed the world forever. It was also last year that New York celebrated their 30th Anniversary of The Fest For Beatles Fans, otherwise known as Beatles Fest.

50 years later on the exact day The Beatles landed at JFK Airport in New York, I was driving with my mom and my twin sister to The Big Apple to attend Beatles Fest after pleading with my parents to let me go; what really pushed them to finally drive us was Denny Laine's {Read some about Denny Laine here and here}appearance and my underlying love for him. Also, I had saved up enough money from past birthdays and Christmas's  to buy a hotel room for the night.  But this post isn't going to be about my experience at The Fest, but about the history of the fantastic event that combines Peace, Love, Good Vibes as Fans from across the nation and the world come together to celebrate the lives, stories, history, music, and love of The Fab Four. 

Mark Lapidos

The idea of Beatles Fest came from  Sam Goody Record Store's manager, Mark Lapidos in 1974. Lapidos himself was born in New York but raised in the state of great musicians, from Sinatra to Springsteen, New Jersey. With his Jersey background, Mark didn't find himself obsessing over Jersey musicians as other's around him might have, instead Lapidos fell under the spell we all did when we first heard that Ludwig drum, that smooth bass grooves, and perfect guitar melodies of these long-haired Liverpool Lords; The Beatles. 

At age 26, this Beatles devotee decided it was appropriate to celebrate the world's biggest band on their 10th Anniversary of The British Invasion and create a celebration to bring other's like himself, who thrive on Beatles music, in a weekend of pure Beatlesque and music loving festivities. With this dream all coming true Mark took on the challenge to put his vision in action, by doing so he had called the Commodore Hotel in Manhattan, New York and booked every convention hall and/or room for a beautiful late summer, early autumn fest.

Loyal, Mark Lapidos made sure to get permission from The Beatles themselves before throwing such and extravagant event. During a March of Dimes Walk-A-Thon in Central Park on 28 April, 1974 Lennon had not only found himself on a Lost Weekend but found himself at this event with who else than Harry Nilsson. But what does this have to do with the fest? Well, it's said, actually stated on The Fest site, that this day is the most important day in Beatles Fest history. Without this day I might not be writing this little article right now; on this day Mark Lapidos sat down with John Lennon and Harry Nilsson and discussed his idea of starting a Fest. It was just like Lennon to respond with;

"I'm all for it. I'm a Beatles fan, too!"

Read more about Mark and John's meeting here. 

With this blessing, and later getting permission from the other three, the first annual Beatles Fest was held in early September, 1974 with an outcome of over 8,000 fans! To make the first Fest even better, all four members donated musical instruments that were not only shown on display at the hotel but held and auctioned for charity.

Mark and The McCartney's

With success of the first year, even landing an article in Rolling Stone magazine, the fest has grown to be a tradition with annual fest all across the country. From New York, Chicago, Los Angeles ...  And within the running of these festivals Lapidos has met Paul and Linda McCartney, who were big supporters of the event, and George Harrison, who gave permission for the first West Coast Fest!

The Fest is filled with activities such as live concerts, galleries of photographs and art, meditation classes, games, Look-A- Like contest, contests, open mics, Vendors selling great merchandiser, and special Guests! These guest range from Beatles authors, Beatles friends or affiliates, Musicians, and more! Some past {and present} attendees include;

• Freda Kelly
• Cynthia Lennon
• Pattie Boyd
• Astrid Kirchherr
• Gerry Marsden
• Tony Sheridan
• Denny Laine
• Mark Rivera
• Peter Asher
• Gordon Waller
• Klaus Voorman
• Victor Spinetti
• Pete Best
• Donovan
• Micky Dolenz
• Lawrence Juber
• ....

"Most remarkably, even from the very start, the Fest attracted not just first-generation Beatles lovers who had enjoyed the Beatles in the 1960s – but also younger fans who were just discovering the band. That phenomenon has continued. Now the Fest is attended by several generations of Beatles lovers – with the fastest-growing demographic being attendees in their teens and twenties." -Fest For Beatles Fans Official Website

I already have my tickets purchased for this years New York Fest this weekend. Do you have yours?

For more details check out TheFest.com

Peace, Chaos and Good Vibes.

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