The Beatles 50 A Hard Days Night Shirt

The Beatles 50 Men's T-Shirt

It really will be a Hard Day's Night if you don't have this shirt! This is the Beatles 50 Large Men's T-Shirt in A Hard Day's Night print.

This is available on eBay and is perfect for those looking to complete their Beatles 50 collection!

The Beatles Hot Wheels 5 Car Premium Set

Hot Wheels have an awesome new set out for us Beatles fans! Five Beatles album themed Hot Wheels Cars have been put together in a box set.

The five albums are:

A Hard Day's Night (1964)
Rubber Soul (1965)
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
The Beatles [White Album] (1968)

This is available to buy on eBay right now! A must for any collector of Hot Wheels and the Beatles!

Eight Arms To Hold You: 50 Years Of Help! and The Beatles

Here's a great new book to Pre-Order!

George, Paul and John in a scene from 'Help!' (1965)

'Eight Arms To Hold You: 50 Years Of Help! and The Beatles' is a book by Simon Wells with rare and unseen photos of the Beatles during the making of their second film 'Help!' in 1965.

Pre-Order this book now!

PBS Is Premiering Ron Howard's Acclaimed Film 'Eight Days A Week'

Eight Days A Week on PBS

Ron Howard's Brilliant look at the Beatles touring years 'Eight Days A Week' is finally premiering on US TV with PBS (Public Broadcasting Station) on November 25th at 8:30pm ET. You must check your local listings though.

That's not all your Beatle goodness though, after the film, PBS spoil us with another showing of SGT. PEPPER’S MUSICAL REVOLUTION that continues the story after the Beatles stopped touring and began work on their eighth studio album 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'





The documentary film Eight Days A Week is focused on the Beatles touring years from 1962 to 1966 and with contributions from Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr and the estates of George Harrison and John Lennon, the film is nothing short of a labour of love for Ron Howard, as we said before in our previous blog about it.


Who will be watching this November on PBS? Let us know! We'd love to hear from you!

Paul McCartney Regains Beatles Song Catalogue From Sony.

That Day Is Done: Did Paul Finally Get Back The Songs?

It's being reported that the confidential settlement that Paul McCartney and Sony reached means that Paul has finally done what he's been looking to do since 1985; Regain the full rights to the full Beatles Catalog.

This is a story that started back in 1969 when Dick James, who owned a majority share in Northern Songs, the publishing company set up with Brian Epstein and John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1963, sold the songs without giving John and Paul a chance to buy them. Dick sold them to ATV music. In 1985, ATV was put up for sale and was bought by Michael Jackson, much to the displeasure of Paul, who originally had advised Jackson on the value of owning publishing rights.

Jackson, of course, didn't spend his money wisely and had to sell most of the catalog to Sony in the 90s and then with Jackson's death in 2009, Sony bought the songs outright and this January, McCartney began the process to regain them and they have reached a settlement which people are reporting is to McCartney's full benefit.

So, HAS Paul gotten back the full rights? So far, nothing has been officially confirmed. What do you think?

BBC Radio 2 Salute The Beatles: Paul Merton's Beatles & Sgt. Pepper Forever

Paul Merton is a respected British comedian, broadcaster and writer who appears on the BBC panel show 'Have I Got News For You'. In this BBC Radio 2 production, he imagines what would have happened if the Beatles (along with some of their famous friends) had re-united for a one off concert in 1974. In a four part series, Merton, a Beatlemaniac like all the rest of us, presents this concert with a Terry Wogan-esque narration. Have a listen at the link below and just imagine what it might have been like:

 And if that isn't enough, Martin Freeman (Yes, John Watson himself is a massive Beatles fan, didn't you know? Sherlock though, he can't understand the appeal!) presents a documentary also on Radio 2 about Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band. You can also listen to it free and un-geoblocked (The BBC are totally fine with everyone in the world listening to their radio) right at the link below:

Photo of the Day: Abbey Road

Abbey Road Wall, May 22nd 2017

Hello Good Buy - A Hard Day's Night DVD

Here's a fantastic gift idea for the Beatles fan in your life - A Hard Day's Night on DVD. It's very clean!

Hello Good Buy - Revolver

                                                                Here's a fantastic gift idea for all you Beatles fans! Revolver!

The Beatles on Sirius XM

Who's listening to this Channel right now?

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 50th Anniversary Reissue.

It was 50 Years Ago Today: The Sgt. Pepper Reissue for the 50th Anniversary of the album.

Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is considered by many to be the Beatles' greatest album of all time. Indeed, the greatest album of all time by any band.

Pepper was released at a time when the world had no idea what had happened to the Beatles. Other bands of the teenybopper years of 1963 - 66 had broken up and the press were keen to apply the same label to the Beatles. Indeed, since August 1966, very little had been seen of them save for a single release in February 1967 (Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane) which in their native UK, had been pipped to the number one spot in the charts by Englebert Humperdinck and 'Please Release Me'.

So, with the months going by, the Press decided to sound the death knell of the Beatles and began to ponder the future without them. Then, in June 1967 they were back and the press loved them. The album going down in history as the greatest they had ever made.

50 years later and the Beatles are at it again, but this time going for a full blown three deluxe edition set which will feature unreleased complete takes of all 13 songs. The complete list as reported by Rolling Stone will be:


Super Deluxe [4CD/DVD/Blu-ray box set]

CD 1

Sgt. Pepper 2017 Stereo Mix

CD 2 (Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates)

1. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 1]
2. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 4]
3. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 7]
4. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Take 26]
5. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Stereo Mix - 2015]
6. "When I'm Sixty-Four" [Take 2]
7. "Penny Lane" [Take 6 – Instrumental]
8. "Penny Lane" [Vocal Overdubs And Speech]
9. "Penny Lane" [Stereo Mix - 2017]
10. "A Day In The Life" [Take 1]
11. "A Day In The Life" [Take 2]
12. "A Day In The Life" [Orchestra Overdub]
13. "A Day In The Life" (Hummed Last Chord) [Takes 8, 9, 10 and 11]
14. "A Day In The Life" (The Last Chord)
15. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" [Take 1 – Instrumental]
16. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" [Take 9 And Speech]
17. "Good Morning Good Morning" [Take 1 - Instrumental, Breakdown]
18. "Good Morning Good Morning" [Take 8]

CD 3 (Complete early takes from the sessions, sequenced in chronological order of their first recording dates)

1. "Fixing A Hole" [Take 1]
2. "Fixing A Hole" [Speech And Take 3]
3. "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" [Speech From Before Take 1; Take 4 And Speech At End]
4. "Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite!" [Take 7]
5. "Lovely Rita" [Speech And Take 9]
6. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" [Take 1 And Speech At The End]
7. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" [Speech, False Start And Take 5]
8. "Getting Better" [Take 1 - Instrumental And Speech At The End]
9. "Getting Better" [Take 12]
10. "Within You Without You" [Take 1 - Indian Instruments Only]
11. "Within You Without You" [George Coaching The Musicians]
12. "She's Leaving Home" [Take 1 – Instrumental]
13. "She's Leaving Home" [Take 6 – Instrumental]
14. "With A Little Help From My Friends" [Take 1 - False Start And Take 2 – Instrumental]
15. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)" [Speech And Take 8]

CD 4 (Sgt. Pepper and bonus tracks in Mono)

1-13: 2017 Direct Transfer of Sgt. Pepper Original Mono Mix
14. "Strawberry Fields Forever" [Original Mono Mix]
15. "Penny Lane" [Original Mono Mix]
16. "A Day In The Life" [Unreleased First Mono Mix]
17. "Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds" [Unreleased Mono Mix - No. 11]
18. "She's Leaving Home" [Unreleased First Mono Mix]
19. "Penny Lane" [Capitol Records U.S. Promo Single - Mono Mix]

DISCS 5 & 6 (Blu-ray & DVD)

Audio Features (both discs):
- New 5.1 Surround Audio mixes of 'Sgt. Pepper’ album and “Penny Lane,” plus 2015 5.1 Surround mix of “Strawberry Fields Forever” (Blu-ray: DTS HD Master Audio 5.1, Dolby True HD 5.1 / DVD: DTS Dolby Digital 5.1)
- High Resolution Audio versions of 2017 'Sgt. Pepper’ stereo mix and 2017 “Penny Lane” stereo mix, plus 2015 “Strawberry Fields Forever” hi res stereo mix (Blu-ray: LPCM Stereo 96KHz/24bit / DVD: LPCM Stereo)
Video Features (both discs):
- The Making of Sgt. Pepper [restored 1992 documentary film, previously unreleased]
- Promotional Films: "A Day In The Life;" "Strawberry Fields Forever;" "Penny Lane" [4K restored]

As superb as the 2017 Stereo mix of the original album will be, it's all the extra stuff that is getting me excited. The studio chatter and instrumentals of the classic tracks look to be a goldmine for the fans and for the fans of mono mixes, the Super Deluxe will be perfect for them too. (I'm all about the Stereo mixes, personally!)

All these reissue packages are released May 26th and are available by clicking on the picture below.

Don't Worry! The Tea & A Butty Podcast Is On The Way!

It's been a long time coming and some of you may have forgotten us but the Tea & A Butty Podcast will be returning very soon! We are gearing up to record our first show back and we are very excited! We hope you are too!

These next series of Podcasts will focus on more than just the Beatles (though we still love them, Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!) and will include a lot of pop culture from the past 50 years, mainly from Britain and the USA. What's the theme of the first Podcast? Well, it's the women of John Lennon! His wives, his girlfriends, his lovers, his one night stands, whomever had something going on with John, we'll be talking about it! Erica is very excited! (Dominic is too!)

Hope you tune in!

Paul McCartney & Phil Collins Feud - What's It All About, Mate?

Phil Collins & Paul McCartney, seen here with Pete Townshend in the middle, in 1982.

Phil Collins, Genesis drummer and solo star, has revealed that when he and Macca played the Party at the Palace for Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee in 2002, Paul annoyed him. Speaking to the Sunday Times promote his memoir 'Not Dead Yet', Phil revealed an encounter which has left him feeling a little sour towards Paul.

“I met him when I was working at the Buckingham Palace party back in 2002, McCartney came up with Heather Mills and I had a first edition of The Beatles, by Hunter Davies, and I said, ‘Hey, Paul, do you mind signing this for me?’ and he said, ‘Oh, Heather, our little Phil’s a bit of a Beatles fan.’ and I thought, ‘You fuck, you fuck.’ Never forgot it.”

 

Phil didn't finish there. Further driving the wedge in when he added:

 

“He has this thing when he’s talking to you, where he makes you feel like, ‘I know this must be hard for you because I’m a Beatle. I’m Paul McCartney and it must be very hard for you to actually be holding a conversation with me.’”

Now, Phil has a bit of a reputation as a bit of a moaner. He announced his retirement on rather a bitter note and has long derided the state of the music industry today. (To be fair to him, he's not entirely wrong on the latter issue).

 

After Phil's comments, Paul got in touch with him via e-mail to sort it out, which Phil revealed in an interview with Billboard.

"I'm afraid it happened, you know, and I'm afraid it affected me the way it did and I'm afraid I wrote about it," Collins said.

"I think maybe I should just brush it under the carpet and forget about it and move on, but it did happen."

"He's been in touch about it because he was upset. I certainly didn't get any flowers from him; I got more of a 'Let's just get on with our lives.' And I'm sorry he's upset that I kinda said something nasty about him -- well, it wasn't really nasty. If people don't tell people that sometimes their attitude could be a bit better then you're not gonna get any better, y'know?"

Phil never revealed exactly what Paul said in the e-mail, but we can probably imagine it was mostly confusion as to why Phil never said anything about this to him before. The original quote from Paul, was, correct. Little Phil IS (or was, he may not be any more) a Beatles fan. He is seen briefly as a 10 year old in the audience in the concert scene in A Hard Day's Night.

Indeed, seeing the Beatles and their success may have spurred the young Phil on to a music career of his own. So, speaking from an objective point of view, I can agree with Paul.

Let's just get on with our lives, Phil. What's it all about, mate?

Phil Collins, when he was a Beatles fan in A Hard Day's Night, 1964

Eight Days A Week - The Beatles: The Touring Years

Eight Days A Week: The Touring Years.

As many of you know, and have no doubt seen by now, Ron Howard has recently released a Beatles documentary 'Eight Days A Week - The Touring Years' and it is nothing short of a labour of love.


However, the story is one us hardcore Beatles fans have heard and seen before but there are still treats for us in store in watching, such as the Pathe film footage of their 20 November 1963 concert at the Manchester ABC Cinema. This footage has been cleaned up a bit and restored and, for me at least, is a highlight of the film. Also, the colouring of their 1964 JFK Press Conference, their Washington DC and Blackpool concerts was also a treat.

Shake It Up (Jelly) Baby: The Manchester footage now clearly shows the Jelly Babies that litter the stage, thrown by fans who'd heard George remark they were his favourite sweet.

The film also incorporates studio chatter from the Beatles' recording sessions at Abbey Road, some of us will have heard snippets of it before but a lot of it was newly released. The story was told beautifully, with Paul & Ringo taking part to share their memories and also some fans who grew up to become well known figures, such as Whoopi Goldberg and Sigourney Weaver, the latter was also captured in fan footage from one of the Beatles' concerts at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964.

Sigourney Weaver, age 14, captured by TV cameras at the Beatles concert at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964.

The end of the film was quite poignant, with the decision to stop touring largely due to the pressures of the hectic schedule and the mania that surrounded the group. Their final advertised show being at Candlestick Park, San Francisco in 1966.

1965's Blackpool Night Out colourized for the documentary.

Ron and his team did a fantastic job with the whole thing and I hope to see more from them, perhaps a documentary on the studio years? What are your thoughts on the documentary?

Beatles Interview Series: 1971 - Lennon/McCartney Public Feud

In our tenth and final part of our Beatles Interview Series, we'd like to end with the very public war of words between John Lennon and Paul McCartney in 1971.

PAUL: "I just want the four of us to get together somewhere and sign a piece of paper saying it's all over and we want to divide the money four ways. No one else would be there, not even Linda or Yoko or Allen Klein. We'd just sign the paper and hand it to the business people and let them sort it out. That's all I want now, but John won't do it. Everybody thinks I am the agressor but I'm not, you know. I just want out."

"The Beatles never actually copped for all this money, everyone else did. I wouldn't care but you think we could have a new deal now. You'd think they'd release us. They've made a lot of money and we could shake hands and part company but now we can't. I'm being sued for a million pounds in New York by Northern Songs. It's so complicated."

"There was a bit of hype on the back of the (Let It Be) sleeve for the first time ever on a Beatles album. At the time, the Beatles were very strained with each other and it wasn't a happy time. It said it was a 'new-phase Beatles album' and there was nothing further from the truth. That was the last Beatles album and everybody knew it... (Allen) Klein had it re-produced because he said it didn't sound commercial enough."

"John's whole image now is very honest and open. He's alright, is John. I like his 'Imagine' album but I didn't like the others. 'Imagine' is what John is really like but there was too much political stuff on the other albums. You know, I only really listen to them to see if there's something I can pinch." (laughs)

"'How Do You Sleep'? I think it's silly. So what if I live with straights? I like straights. I have straight babies. It doesn't affect him. He says the only thing I did was 'Yesterday.' He knows that's wrong. (Paul motions to the studio below) I used to sit down there and play, and John would watch me from up here, and he'd really dig some of the stuff I played to him. He can't say all I did was 'Yesterday' because he knows and I know it's not true."


“You know I was asked to play George’s concert in New York for Bangla Desh and I didn’t. Well, listen. Klein called a press conference and told everyone I had refused to do it -– it wasn’t so. I said to George the reason I couldn’t do it was because it would mean that all the world’s press would scream that the Beatles had got back together again and I know that would have made Klein very happy. It would have been a historical event and Klein would have taken the credit. I didn’t really fancy playing anyway. If it wasn’t for Klein I might have had second thoughts about it but I don’t know, really. Allen’s a good talker. The others really dig him, but I’ve made the mistake of trying to advise them against him and that pissed them off. I think they might secretly feel that I am right though."

"John wanted to do a big thing in Toronto (9/13/69 concert, Toronto Rock and Roll Revival) but I didn't dig that at all. I hear that before he went on stage he was sick, and that's just what I didn't want. Like anybody else I have been nervous because of the Beatles thing."

"John and Yoko are not cool in what they are doing. I saw them on television the other night and thought that what they are saying about what they wanted to do together was basically the same as what Linda and I want to do."

"Before John was leaving the Beatles, I was lying in bed at home one night and I thought we could get a band together, like his Plastic Ono Band. I felt the urge because we had never played live for four years. We all wanted to appear on a stage but not with the Beatles. We couldn't do it as the Beatles because it would be so big. We'd have to find a million-seater hall or something."

"I wanted to get in a van and do an unadvertised concert at a Saturday night hop at Slough Town Hall or somewhere like that. We'd call ourselves Rikki and the Red Streaks or something and just get up and play. There'd be no press and we'd tell nobody about it. John thought it was a daft idea."

"My best playing days were at the Cavern lunchtime sessions. We'd go onstage with a cheese roll and a cigarette and we felt we had really something going on. The amps used to fuse and we'd stop and sing a Sunblest Bread commercial while they were repaired. I'd walk off down the street playing my guitar and annoying the neighbors. I couldn't do that now, but it's what I want to do with this new group."

"We just don't know how we are going to do. I don't want to start with a Wings concert at the Albert Hall with the world watching and analyzing. I just want to play a small dance, and rock a bit."

"We will start just by turning up at a place we fancy visiting, and just play a straightforward gig. We might use another name to keep it quiet. We have rehearsed and we can play live together. In fact it sounds quite good. It doesn't really matter that much."

"I don't want Wings to become a media group, with our signatures on knickers which are sold for promotion. I don't like that now. I was happy with that situation in the Beatles, but it died in the end. We are starting off as a new band, but if we ever get to be huge like the Beatles it will be very different." 

--------------------

John replied with an open letter, written to Paul, in the pages of Melody Maker.


"Dear Paul, Linda et all the wee McCartney's,

Thanks for your letter.

1. We give YOU money for your bits of Apple.
2. We give you MORE money in the form of royalties which legally belong to Apple (I know we're Apple, but on the other hand we're not.).

Maybe there's an answer there somewhere, but for the millionth time in these past few years I repeat, 'What about the TAX?' It's all very well, playing 'simple honest ole Paul' in Melody Maker but you know damn well we can't just sign a bit of paper.

You say, 'John won't do it.' I will if you indemnify us against the tax man! Anyway, you know that after we have OUR meeting, the fucking lawyers will have to implement whatever we agree on, right?

If they have some form of agreement between THEM before WE meet, it might make it even easier. It's up to you, as we've said many times, we'll meet whenever you like. Just make up your mind! Eg. two weeks ago I asked you on the phone, 'Please let's meet without advisors, etc. and decide what we want,' and I emphasized especially Maclen (Lennon and McCartney's songwriting company) which is mainly our concern, but you refused, right?

You said under NO CONDITION would you sell to us if we didn't do what you wanted, you'd sue us again and that Ringo and George are going to break you John, etc. etc.

Now I was quite straight with you that day, and you tried to shoot me down with your emotional "logic." If YOU'RE not the aggressor (as you claim) who the hell took us to court and shat all over us in public?


As I've said before, Have you ever thought that you might POSSIBLY be wrong about something? Your conceit about us and Klein is incredible. You say you "made the mistake of trying to advise them against Klein and that pissed them off" and we secretly feel that you're right! Good God! You must know WE'RE right about Eastman.

One other little lie in your "It's only Paulie" MM bit: Let It Be was not the first bit of hype on a Beatle album.  Remember Tony Barrow? And his wonderful writing on "Please Please Me" etc. etc. The early Beatle Xmas records!

And you gotta admit it was a 'new-phase' Beatle album, incidentally written in the style of the great Barrow himself! By the way, what happened to my idea of putting the parody of our first album cover on the Let It Be cover?

Also, we were intending to parody Barrow originally, so it was hype. But what is your LIFE article? Tony Barrow couldn't have done it better. (And your writing inside of the Wings album [Wild Life] isn't exactly the realist is it?) Anyway, enough of this petty bourgeois fun.

You were right about New York! I do love it; it's the ONLY PLACE TO BE. (Apart from anything else, they leave you alone too!) I see you prefer Scotland! (MM) -- I'll bet you your piece of Apple you'll be living in New York by 1974 (two years is the usual time it takes you -- right?)

Another thing, whadya mean BIG THING in Toronto? It was completely spontaneous. They rang on the Friday, we flew there, and we played on Saturday. I was sick because I was stone pissed. Listen to the album -- with no rehearsal too. Come on Macka! Own up! We'd never played together before! Half a dozen live shows with no big fuss. In fact we've BEEN DOING what you've said the Beatles should do.  Yoko and I have been doing it for three years! (I said it was daft for the Beatles to do it. I still think it's daft.)  So go on and do it! Do it! Do it! E.g. Cambridge 1969, completely unadvertised! A very small hall. Lyceum Ballroom, 1969, no fuss, great show -- thirty piece rock band! "Live Jam" out soon! Filmore East, 1971, unannounced. Another good time had by all -- out soon!! We even played in the streets here in the Village (our spiritual home!?) with the great David Peel!! We were moved on by the cops even!! It's best just to DO IT.
I know you'll dig it, and they don't even expect the Beatles now anyway!

So you think 'Imagine' ain't political? It's 'Working Class Hero' with sugar on it for conservatives like yourself!! You obviously didn't dig the words. Imagine! You took 'How Do You Sleep' so literally (read my own review of the album in Crawdaddy.) Your politics are very similar to Mary Whitehouse's -- 'Saying nothing is as loud as saying something.'

Listen, my obsessive old pal, it was George's press conference -- not 'dat ole debbil Klein' -- He said what you said: 'I'd love to come but...' Anyway, we basically did it for the same reasons -- the Beatle bit -- they still called it a Beatle show, with just two of them!

Join the Rock Liberation Front before it gets you.

Wanna put your photo on the label like uncool John and Yoko, do ya? (Aint ya got no shame!) If we're not cool, WHAT DOES THAT MAKE YOU?

No hard feelings to you either. I know basically we want the same, and as I said on the phone and in this letter, whenever you want to meet, all you have to do is call.

All you need is love
Power to the people
Free all prisoners
Jail the judges
Love and peace
Get it on and rip 'em off

John Lennon

P.S. The bit that really puzzled us was asking to meet WITHOUT LINDA AND YOKO. I thought you'd have understood BY NOW that I'm JOHNANDYOKO.
P.P.S. Even your own lawyers know you can't "just sign a bit of paper." (or don't they tell you?)"

 --------------------

In hindsite, both John and Paul regretted the "feud" and admitted that through it all, the still loved each other.  Or, maybe that's just this author's opinion.  ;-)


PAUL circa-1994: "When John did 'How Do You Sleep?' I didn't want to get into a slinging match. Part of it was cowardice. John was a great wit, and I didn't want to go fencing with the rapier champion of East Cheam -- But it meant that I had to take shit -- It meant that I had to take lines like 'All you ever did was Yesterday.' I always find myself wanting to excuse John's behavior, just because I loved him. It's like a child, sure he was a naughty child, but don't you call my child naughty. Even if it's me he's shitting on, don't you call him naughty. That's how I felt about this and still do. I don't have a grudge whatsoever against John. I think he knew exactly what he was doing and because we had been so intimate he knew what would hurt me and used it to great effect. I thought, 'Keep your head down and time will tell,' and it did because in the 'Imagine' film (Imagine John Lennon, documentary) he says it was really all about himself."

JOHN 1974: "It's not about Paul, it's about me. I'm really attacking myself. But I regret the association... well... what's to regret? He lived through it. The only thing that matters is how he and I feel about these things and not what the writer or commentator thinks about it. Him and me are okay."

JOHN 1974: "When I slagged off the Beatles thing, it was like divorce pangs and, me being me, it was 'Blast this! Fuck the past!' I've always had a bit of a mouth and when a thing begins that way you have to live up to it. Then Paul and me had that fight in the pages of MM. It was a period I had to go through. I sort of enjoy the fight at the time -- that's the funny thing. Now we've got it all out and it's cool. I can see the Beatles from a new point of view."

Source: Transcribed by www.beatlesinterviews.org from original source material

Tom Murray’s Mad Day Out With The Beatles by Paul Skellett & Simon Weitzman

Tom Murray's Mad Day Out with The Beatles.

During 1968, The Beatles were entering their final phase of being a group. With the death of Brian Epstein a year before, they had started to fight amongst themselves, tensions came to a head during the sessions for the White Album and things were never the same again. Still, photo shoots were a necessity to keep their evergreen image in the public eye and in July, they set up a photo shoot that became known as the 'Mad Day Out' shoot, as they constantly kept changing locations in London due to fans overrunning them. Tom Murray was the photographer and he took 23 fabulous shots of the band over the course of the day.


New York, NY – Tom Murray left his house on July 28th 1968 not knowing he would step into the most memorable photo shoot of his early career. Waiting for him were John, Paul, George & Ringo, of The Beatles, along with hurdles of screaming fans that pushed the group to move constantly from location to location and unknowingly inspiring the name of the famous collection of 23 photographs: The Mad Day: Summer of ’68. Almost fifty years later Tom Murray’s mad day has come back to life in a visual book, created by Paul Skellett and Simon Weitzman, that dives into the details, backstage, culture of the 60’s and anecdotes, that made the last publicity photoshoot done by the group before it split up, so glorious: Tom Murray’s Mad Day Out With The Beatles.

Published by Archivum, Tom Murray’s Mad Day Out With The Beatles, draws from the legendary impact that the band had-and continues to have- on society. Through Tom Murray’s photographs, memories and tales the book tells a visual story of how the Beatles weren’t only a music sensation but a phenomenon that influenced generations.

Murray retraces the locations that made the backdrop of the Mad Day photoshoot: The Docklands, Old Street Station (where Paul McCartney nearly fell off the roof), Regents Park, Paul McCartney’s house in St. John’s Wood, St. Pancras Church Garden and Wapping Pier Head. For each image shot Murray tells the story of how it came to be, depicting the playful and unexpected characters of each member of the band and recreating the energy of that moment. 


To buy the book, head here:

http://archivumuk.businesscatalyst.com/#tommurray

Beatles Interview Series: 1970 - The Breakup

In part nine of our 10-part Beatles Interview Series, we continuing exploring the break up of The Beatles.  

First, we will look at the opening shot, which was fired by Paul in the press release for his advance, promotional copies of his first solo album, McCartney, from April 9, 1970.  Jay Spangler of The Beatles Ultimate Experience writes, "While John Lennon had privately left the Beatles months earlier, it was from this interview that the story of a Beatles' split spread instantly as news headlines around the world. On April 10th, the Daily Mirror ran a front-page story with the bold print headline, 'PAUL IS QUITTING THE BEATLES,' while CBS News in America declared, "The Beatles are breaking up."

  
Q: "Did you miss the other Beatles and George Martin? Was there a moment when you thought, 'I wish Ringo were here for this break?'"
PAUL: "No."
Q: "Assuming this is a very big hit album, will you do another?"
PAUL: "Even if it isn't, I will continue to do what I want, when I want to."
Q: "Are you planning a new album or single with the Beatles?"
PAUL: "No."
Q: "Is this album a rest away from the Beatles or the start of a solo career?"
PAUL: "Time will tell. Being a solo album means it's 'the start of a solo career...' and not being done with the Beatles means it's just a rest. So it's both."
Q: "Is your break with the Beatles temporary or permanent, due to personal differences or musical ones?"
PAUL: "Personal differences, business differences, musical differences, but most of all because I have a better time with my family. Temporary or permanent? I don't really know."
Q: "Do you foresee a time when Lennon-McCartney becomes an active songwriting partnership again?"
PAUL: "No."

-----------------------

With the public still reeling from the news of a Beatles split, George Harrison took a quick trip to New York City in May, and was interviewed by WABC-FM radio's Howard Smith.  Below you will read a snippet from that interview.

Q: "You think the Beatles will get together again, then?"
GEORGE: "Uhh... Well, I don't... I couldn't tell, you know, if they do or not. I'll certainly try my best to do something with them again, you know. I mean, it's only a matter of accepting that the situation is a compromise. In a way it's a compromise, and it's a sacrifice, you know, because we all have to sacrifice a little in order to gain something really big. And there is a big gain by recording together -- I think musically, and financially, and also spiritually. And for the rest of the world, you know, I think that Beatle music is such a big sort of scene -- that I think it's the least we could do is to sacrifice three months of the year at least, you know, just to do an album or two. I think it's very selfish if the Beatles don't record together."
 
Q: "But everything looks so gloomy right now."
GEORGE: "It's not, really. You know, it's no more gloomy than it's been for the last ten years. It really isn't any worse. It's just that now over the last year -- what with John, and lately with Paul-- everything that they've thought or said has come out, you know, to the public. It's been printed. It's been there for everybody to read, or to comment about, or to join in on. Whereas before..."
 
Q: "But the things...The feelings had been there all along?"
GEORGE: "No, I wouldn't say that. In different ways, you know. We're just like anybody else. (laughs) Familiarity breeds contempt, they do say. And we've had slight problems. But it's only been recently, you know, because we didn't work together for such a long time in the Yoko and John situation. And then Paul and Linda. But it's really... It's not as bad as it seems, you know. Like, we're all having a good time individually, and..."
 
Q: "There seems like there's so much animosity between Paul and..."
GEORGE: Yeah."
 
Q: "You know, you three... I mean, it sounds like he is saying it's all over."
GEORGE: "But it's more of a personal thing, you know. That's down to the management situation, you know, with Apple. Because Paul, really -- It was his idea to do Apple, and once it started going Paul was very active in there. And then it got really chaotic and we had to do something about it. When we started doing something about it, obviously Paul didn't have as much say in the matter, and then he decided... you know, because he wanted Lee Eastman his in-laws to run it and we didn't. Then that's the only reason, you know. That's the whole basis. But that's only a personal problem that he'll have to get over because that's... The reality is that he's out-voted and we're a partnership. We've got these companies which we all own 25 percent of each, and if there's a decision to be made then, like in any other business or group you have a vote, you know. And he was out-voted 3 to 1 and if he doesn't like it, it's really a pity. You know, because we're trying to do what's best for the Beatles as a group, or best for Apple as a company. We're not trying to do what's best for Paul and his in-laws, you know."
 
Q: "You think that's what the key fight is over?"
GEORGE: "Yeah, because it's on such a personal level that it is a big problem, really. You know -- You imagine that situation if you were married and you wanted your in-laws to handle certain things. You know, it's like -- It's a difficult one to overcome because... well, you can think of the subtleties, you know. But he's really living with it like that, you see. When I go home at night I'm not living there with Allen Klein, whereas in a way, Paul's living with the Eastmans, you see. And so it's purely... it's not really between Paul and us. You know, it's between Paul's advisors who are the Eastmans and our business advisors which is Allen Klein. (pause) But it's alright."
 
Q: "Aw, I don't know!"
GEORGE: (laughs)
 
Q: "I'm not as optimistic."
GEORGE: "Yeah, it's alright. All things pass... away... as they say."
 
Q: "I somewhat detected some kind of animosity between Yoko and Linda. Is that part of what it's about?"
GEORGE: "Ahh, I don't know. I don't think about it, you know. I refuse to be a part of any hassles like that. You know, Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna. Krishna, Krishna, Hare, Hare. And it'll all be okay, you know. Just give 'em time because they do really love each other, you know. I mean, we all do. We've been so close and through so much together that it really... to talk about it like this, you know, we'll never get any nearer to it. But the main thing is, like in anybody's life, they have slight problems. And it's just that our problems are always blown up, and uhh, you know, shown to everybody. But it's not really... it's not a problem. It's only a problem if you think about it."
 
Q: "So you don't think there's any great anger between Paul and John?"
GEORGE: "No, I think there may be what you'd term a little bitchiness. But, you know, that's all it is. It's just being bitchy to each other, you know. Childish. Childish."

Source: Transcribed by www.beatlesinterviews.org from radio interviews and from the reprinted interview in The New Musical Express - issue #1214

Tea & A Butty Podcast 13 - 'Abbey Road'

Here is, sadly, our last podcast in the Beatles album series. All about Abbey Road. We hope you all have enjoyed this series and we encourage you to listen back to our podcasts. We will be back with more podcasts in the future though and we want YOU to be in them with us!

In Memoriam: Tony Barrow (1936 - 2016)

Inner Circle: Brian Epstein with Tony Barrow (Right) in 1965.

Anthony FJ "Tony" Barrow has sadly died. He was 80 years old. Barrow was born in Crosby, Liverpool in 1936 and when John and Paul were getting together in one part of Liverpool, Barrow was putting on shows and dances featuring Skiffle and Jazz bands around Crosby. While The Beatles were in Hamburg, Barrow moved down to London to work for Decca records, writing liner notes, which went on the back of an LP. While still contributing to the Liverpool Echo. 

It was in 1961 when Barrow was contacted by Brian Epstein for some professional advice that Barrow first learned of the Beatles. He arranged for them an audition with Decca records which they infamously rejected. Despite this, Barrow was encouraged by Epstein to work for the Beatles by doubling his salary and from 1962 to 1968, he worked for NEMS Enterprises as their Press Officer, writing the liner notes for their albums. He promoted all the artists on the NEMS roster which by then included Cilla Black, Billy J Kramer and the Dakotas, Gerry and the Pacemakers and the Fourmost.

When Beatlemania took off in the UK after their appearance on Sunday Night at the London Palladium, Barrow no longer had to contact the Press about the Beatles, they contacted him.


Barrow travelled with the Beatles during their 64, 65 and 66 tours and was present during the 'Summit of the Giants' when they met Elvis Presley.

When the Beatles formed Apple in 1968, Barrow was naturally made redundant from his role, he left NEMS Enterprises to set up his own PR company, representing entertainers and musical acts from the Kinks, the Bay City Rollers, the New Seekers and Bob Monkhouse, to American artists, including David Cassidy, Gladys Knight, David Soul, the Monkees, Tony Bennett, the Jackson Five, Andy Williams, and Neil Sedaka, for their European tours.

In 1980, he left the PR business and returned to freelance journalism. Of course, his most talked about period in his career was his time with the Beatles and so he wrote two books about it: The Making of the Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour (1999) and John, Paul, George, Ringo and Me: The Real Beatles Story (2006).

Barrow attended numerous Beatle conventions talking about his time with the band and participated in numerous documentaries on the band.  He died at his home in Morecambe, Lancashire, England, three days after his eightieth birthday.

Tea & A Butty Podcast 11 - 'The Beatles (The White Album)'

Here is our 11th Podcast, all about the White Album, with Kara Mancuso as our guest! We hope you all enjoy this longer Podcast!