Michael Gerber • Hey Dullblog, the Beatles fan blog

Merch, Mind Games, and the Serious Proximity Buzz

By Michael Gerber|2021-12-09T03:57:18-08:00March 11, 2014|anniversaries, Beatle-inspired, Beatles tributes, Guest blogger|

JAMIE BRYAN • “It’s the center of the earth,” Lennon said famously. And so inevitably Beatlemania returned to New York, bringing 60s-era good vibes not only to the cavernous convention spaces of Manhattan’s Grand Hyatt, but even to its sterile, airport-style lobby bar. Where the locals were gleefully engaging in a quaint little custom they picked up from Peter Minuit, the fleecing of the rubes. The "OB-LA-DI OB-LA-OLIVES" were $6. The chef's selection of artisan charcuterie and local cheeses ("MAXWELLS SILVER PLATTER") was $16. A buck less got you either the "MAGICAL MYSTERY HUMMUS" or the "FREE AS A BIRD WINGS". All branding [...]

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The Beatles and History

By Michael Gerber|2014-02-24T11:05:11-08:00February 21, 2014|1964, Beatles Criticism, Beatles on the Web|

MIKE GERBER • Devin's excellent post on James Marcus' graceful, slightly Slate-only-smarter Letting Go of The Beatles spurred some thoughts, which were too long to put in a comment. I wrote this in haste and I can feel the dullness of my tools (doing a lot more business-stuff than writing-stuff these days), but I paste them below. It was fifty years ago today… Beginning in May 1964 and ending that November, the BBC broadcast a 26-part documentary called The Great War. Produced with the cooperation of the Imperial War Museum and its analogues around the world, it is a fascinating examination of that [...]

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John Lennon and Attachment Disorder

By Michael Gerber|2014-02-13T12:19:55-08:00February 13, 2014|John Lennon, Lennon family|

Lennon, in a pensive moment Attention all armchair Lennonologists: Commenter Karen recently discovered a therapist with an interesting angle on what made John Lennon tick. "Having worked with families with children who demonstrate attachment disorder," Karen wrote, "I've long hypothesized that much of John's behavior can be explained by the attachment process gone awry." Anyone who studies John's behavior in any depth is struck by its changeability. In the words of this therapist, "One minute soft and tender. In a blink, harsh and cruel – with a legendary acid wit that didn’t seem quite as witty when it was turned on [...]

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“Understanding Fuddy-Duddy Beatle Haters”

By Michael Gerber|2014-02-13T07:47:04-08:00February 12, 2014|1964, Beatles Criticism, William F. Buckley|

Buckley: not merely awful Scott Galupo over at The American Conservative has posted an article sure to raise the ire of normally oh-so-placid HD readers: "Understanding Fuddy-Duddy Beatle Haters." The occasion is, of course, the 50th anniversary silliness...and, perhaps, a sneaky attempt to rehabilitate William F. Buckley. To quote Jeffery Lebowski, "This aggression shall not stand, man." "The crowned heads of anti-music" If you read what Buckley wrote in The Boston Globe in September 1964, you can be forgiven for thinking, "Surely he wasn't on cocaine?" It's that over-the-top. An estimable critic writing for National Review [Buckley's magazine], after seeing [...]

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“I’ll have whatever Yoko’s having”

By Michael Gerber|2014-02-10T11:31:48-08:00February 10, 2014|1964, Beatles tributes|

I hate Beatle cheese worst of all cheese. So, much to my surprise I loved CBS' "The Night That Changed America: A Grammy Salute to the Beatles." And perhaps my favorite part were the cutaway shots to Yoko late in the evening, which showed her doing a couple of weird, great dance moves. There was a slow swim through the seas of consciousness, a sort of arm-waving move--what else? It was thoroughly awesome, and reminded me that the only real sticking point (she'll be relieved to know) between me and Yoko is how serious she always is. But it's truly never too late to [...]

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New York Beatlefans: Stop reading this and go to The Fest!

By Michael Gerber|2014-02-07T12:29:12-08:00February 7, 2014|1964|

The mothership. Longtime readers of Hey Dullblog know that I am just bonkers for The Fest for Beatles Fans, colloquially known as Beatlefest. The New York gathering, at Manhattan's Grand Hyatt Hotel from Friday to Sunday, kicks off this afternoon at 5:00 PM EST. It looks pretty incredible. Dig this line-up: Freda Kelly. She'll never tell...or will she? Will the combined rabid interest of several thousand Beatles fans finally get her to spill some serious beans? If I ever meet Freda I will shake her hand, but since I am in LA, someone must do it for me. HD readers, I [...]

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Lewisohn: Tune-In Extended Edition No Longer Available in the US

By Michael Gerber|2014-08-04T15:40:16-07:00February 2, 2014|biography, books, Mark Lewisohn, Tune In|

Sure, we're all smiling before we deal with the book business. Eagle-eyed commenter Sandy wrote, late last night: I don’t know if anyone is interested but here you go from Mark [Lewisohn]'s twitter today: “The extended edition of Tune In has sold out and is now unavailable. Another print may or may not be scheduled at some future time. The e-book (issued in two halves) IS still available, but it’s UK only. My US publisher, Crown, wouldn’t issue the extended book and couldn’t agree terms for the e-book. I’m sorry about that, for me and for everyone in US who [...]

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The Beatles without earmuffs

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-31T12:06:45-08:00January 31, 2014|1964, Uncategorized|

Does anyone else find this photo reeeally creepy? This past week, I've been watching the early James Bond movies obsessively, as research for a new novel. Personally, I prefer From Russia With Love over Goldfinger for two reasons: 1) I prefer gritty Cold War spycraft over glitz and gadgets; and 2) Bond takes a completely gratuitous swipe at the Fabs in the first section of Goldfinger, right before he gets karate chopped and Jill Masterson gets gilded. ("Skin suffocation" is debunked here.) The video's weird, sorry; the Beatles quip comes at about :30. The rest is a bizarre mini-cut of [...]

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John Lennon’s…

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-27T11:15:52-08:00January 27, 2014|John Lennon|

Back when smoking was a thing people did in cafes. This morning, as I tried to get over not being able to afford Kenwood, I found a couple of videos to share. From WNYC, here's "John Lennon's NYC"—a great little video showing the Lennons' local pharmacy, Cafe La Fortuna, 105 Bank Street (just around the corner from where I used to live!), and Madison Square Garden. For some reason, I love the idea of John Lennon chatting with his pharmacist. "Do you have any natural alternatives to Pepto-Bismol?" What other NYC venues should they have investigated? Smith's Bar? Do any [...]

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Jimmy Webb on Harry Nilsson

By Michael Gerber|2015-01-13T17:26:08-08:00January 25, 2014|Beatle-inspired|

Everything's OK with Harry N. Trolling the internet in the wake of another viewing of "Who In The World Is Harry Nilsson?" I ran across this interview with the legendary songwriter Jimmy Webb on Harry Nilsson. Nilsson fans are well-nigh enjoined to read it. Here's a nice meaty quote for you: [Harry] was proud of that [the famous screaming contest with John Lennon]. There was a lot of testosterone floating through the air, and John, in a way... Well, there are a lot of Lennon fans out there, God forbid I should say anything about John, but he kind of [...]

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About Michael Gerber