The Beatles

George's childhood home recently went up for sale.

Cheltenham Literature Festival 2021 - Craig Brown on the Beatles
Author and satirist has added to the many Beatles books with one of his own. He said he favoured Paul, feeling him hard done by. But he was more a driving force, John and Ringo were happier to relax. Things really became fractious after Brian Epstein's death. He also favoured the theory that the Beatles perked up the USA mourning for JFK. George once bossed Princess Margaret at a reception. The band also represented freedom to audiences in former Soviet countries.

Yet another auction of rare memorabilia has happened:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-61606951

Music Legends: The Beatles
Unlike other episodes which cover acts in one episode, this lot took two. The first covered them up to the end of 1963, and the other thereafter. Much music selected, good to hear less heard works like Tell Me Why or You're Going To Lose That Girl. Some of the archive footage was clearly from shows where they appeared rather to be going through the motions.

Mods & Rockers
Curious short drama, mostly told through dance, with a background band apparently called the Cheynes (a 5 piece) performing a few numbers including I Wanna Be Your Man, She Loves You and Please Please Me. A credit lists music from "McCartney-Lennon-Harrison" which may be unique. Larry Parnes was the associate producer.

Artists Den - Ringo Starr w/Ben Harper
Backed by the Relentless Seven, this Jan 2010 gig took place at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The first and third thirds were Ringo-led, with Ben carrying the middle.  There was some between song behind-the-scenes chat from Ringo and Ben too. I was a bit thrown that they abbreviate the finale song to just "Little Help".

HARDtalk: Sir Peter Blake
Stephen Sackur left the studio to talk to the nonagenarian art legend. He did at least mention that Blake did the famous Sergeant Pepper cover with his wife, who is often forgotten. Blake otherwise mentioned his early adventures in art, and how he feels someone like him wouldn't get the same breaks in this day and age.

Brad Mehldau joue The Beatles
From Paris, a concert performance from September 2020. Interestingly, Brad did a few less over-familiar numbers, like For No One and Maxwell's Silver Hammer. He encored with Life On Mars? for whatever reason.

misery guts wrote:Donovan & The Beatles In India
Folk legend Donovan returns to Rishikesh, 50 years on from his visit with the Beatles (and others) to visit the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. It did Don good, he wrote Hurdy-Gurdy Man (film director David Lynch and musician Brix Smith-Start were big fans) and helped John Lennon with a finger-picking style. George Harrison wrote an extra verse for HGM but it was left off the record. Don got into TM, and had been married to his wife Linda for 48 years. The furore that caused Lennon & others to leave happened after Don himself had left (after 5 weeks) so he had nothing to say about it.

The Beatles and India
A major new documentary interviewing dozens of indians who were in any way connected to the Beatles' especially their time in Rishikesh. Donovan wasn't, but then neither were Olivia or Dhani Harrison, and the central figure of the film was George who was more sincere about the whole mission of enlightenment. There was archive of the Beatles themselves, who had differing views on the matter, but for the rest it was a perhaps belated chance to have their say. The Maharishi lived to be 90.

Yet more rare old images of the early stages of the band have been turned up.

In less good news, Ringo has had to cancel some tour dates as he's got covid 

misery guts wrote:
In less good news, Ringo has had to cancel some tour dates as he's got covid 

He recovered but then tested positive again and had to cancel more shows. Presumably he's on the mend by now.

misery guts wrote:Legends in Concert: Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band
Possibly from 2005, with Ringo lead singing at times, but also sharing these duties with Dr John, Billy Preston, Joe Walsh and other friends. A charming show, topped and tailed by the man himself in good form.

Ringo at the Ryman: The 2012 All-Starr Band
Held on July 7th, which is Ringo's birthday, he duly got wished a happy one. Steve Lukather, Todd Rundgren and Greg Rolie were the backbone of the show, which meant Toto and Santana material, as well as I Saw The Light and others. Joe Walsh came on to do a number, and Mr Mister's Richard Page got to do his 2 big numbers also. Given he is pointedly not a singer, Ringo does plenty of material, and the crowd lap it up. They finished with With A Little Help From My Friends, during which various extra singers like Richard Marx came on, not that they were really needed. A fun and lengthy show.

Rock Family Trees: The Mersey Sound
John Peel narrated this 1998 look at the bands like the Searchers, the Merseybeats, the Big Three, the Swinging Blue Jeans, and so on. Good to see Gerry Marsden, Billy J Kramer and others. The impact of the Beatles helped boost the scene, but easily transcended it, leaving many groups to be less long-lasting.

Stuart Sutcliffe: The Lost Beatle
This 2005 effort had stuff from Stuart's letters, Astrid and Klaus, and Stuart's sister Pauline. Early manager Allan Williams was useful. No Pete Best, either.

The One Show - The Beatles' last track
The story of "Now and Then", which had its world premiere last Thursday, and features all 4 Beatles, thanks to the wonders of modern technology. With limited sales time, it entered the UK singles chart at #42 the next day, so this week will see whether it becomes their 18th #1.

misery guts wrote:The One Show - The Beatles' last track
The story of "Now and Then", which had its world premiere last Thursday, and features all 4 Beatles, thanks to the wonders of modern technology. With limited sales time, it entered the UK singles chart at #42 the next day, so this week will see whether it becomes their 18th #1.

It did, becoming their first UK chart-topping single since 1969, creating a new record for the longest gap between such chart-toppers for an act, and between their first and last #1's, for those who crave such statistics.

What happens next week, though, is probably less hopeful.

misery guts wrote:
What happens next week, though, is probably less hopeful.

It dropped from #1 to #6, and their reissued versions of the famous Red & Blue compilations also missed the #1 spot, thanks to the ongoing run from Swift-zilla.

The Swinging 60s: The Beatles
Another in this cheap series, using a presenter and co-presenter to visit various Liverpool landmarks and relate the story, with archive of relevant persons, and also the actor Victor Spinetti who was in Help!

The Beatles & The BBC
An all-new mash-up of sometimes tenuous performance footage and other bits & bobs (including the scene in Dr Who with Ticket to Ride). Some of the footage comes from shows which might have been more interesting in full. But good to get the 90s  newies and of course the recent Now and Then with its awful video.