Michael Gerber • Hey Dullblog, the Beatles fan blog

The next generation of Beatlemaniacs

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-23T12:41:30-08:00January 23, 2014|Each One Teach One|

For me, Beatlemania is apparently a family trait, passed along the maternal line. MIKE GERBER • This morning my sister Katie wrote to say that my young nephew is listening to The Beatles. So I did exactly what any of you would have: I sent along the DVD of Yellow Submarine. It was simply an expression of my sympathetic nervous system, entirely unconscious and immediate. If he likes that, maybe I'll send him The Point. No less a personage than Sean Lennon got his first taste of The Beatles from Yellow Submarine...or so his pop said to Newsweek circa 1980: [...]

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I Saw Her Standing There Refracture Remix

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-21T14:32:06-08:00January 21, 2014|1963|

"Not bad, that." One of the little benefits (and there are many, let me assure you) of living where I live is KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic." I realize that I come off on HD as a curmudgeon whose musical tastes are pitifully narrow—and they are, because every time I listen to a smidgeon of the new music being created all around the world I think, "Wow that's great!!!"...And five seconds later I think, because I'm me, "Jesus, this tech-driven media oversupply screws musicians just like it screws writers. The audience is so fragmented, how can making this stuff ever be [...]

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Attention Original Beatlemaniacs!

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-15T15:20:53-08:00January 15, 2014|1964, Housekeeping|

Yes, convite them, why don't you? The following just came in over the transom: "I'm a journalist in a Portuguese daily newspaper called "i" (www.ionline.pt). I'm writing a feature about the 50 years of The Beatles in America and I'm trying to get in touch with people who might've seen them back then, live or on the TV. Could you help me?" Yes, Tiago, I believe we can! Any interested (and interesting) parties should contact him directly at tjppereira AT gmail DOT com.

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In which Mike’s ears play tricks?

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-12T20:55:58-08:00January 13, 2014|1963|

MIKE GERBER • In thinking about Devin's great post on favorite Beatle micro-moments, last week's "Breakfast with the Beatles" reminded me of one…which may or may not exist? I only doubt it because I can't seem to find corroboration via Google—which is, I suppose, a comment on what we've become (yes, I'm including you whether you like it or not). Anyway, it's an extra "something" in "I Want to Hold Your Hand”—a ghostly buried response that occurs at about 1:23 in this video. http://youtu.be/3MHkgwA8t-g Do you hear it, too? Maybe come over to where I'm standing...or hunch down to my height...Is this [...]

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Will the Real Mr. Sellers Please Stand Up?

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-10T21:20:56-08:00January 10, 2014|1969, comedy|

Sellers, ready for his close-up MIKE GERBER • Devin's post earlier this regarding the "film merde" of Ringo Starr couldn't help but bring to mind Ringo's most accomplished co-star, Peter Sellers. Sellers is one of my favorites, as he seems to be for a lot of Beatlepeople; as with Monty Python, there's a lot of overlap between him and the Fabs, as much or more than any musical group: The Goon Show, his Beatles covers, the Peter Sellers Tape, The Magic Christian. All four Beatles were fans, but weren't close; nobody, it seems, was close with Peter Sellers. I recall [...]

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Billboard 1964: “There! I’ve Said It Again”

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-09T11:24:29-08:00January 9, 2014|1964|

"They have everything over there. Why do they need us?" Two words, George: Bobby Vinton. This morning as I awoke, I had a fun little idea (which must be all over the web): in order to demonstrate the impact The Beatles had on American popular music, HD will post the #1 hit from the Billboard charts for every week in 1964. This week fifty years ago, the top spot was occupied by Bobby Vinton's "There! I've Said It Again." It would slumber immovably at #1 for the rest of the month. I think everybody knew how soporific this song was; [...]

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Ticket to Ride Was the First…What?

By Michael Gerber|2014-01-08T16:28:43-08:00January 8, 2014|1965|

Beatles as City Gents. Bowlers—check. Umbrellas—check. Fat arses—not shown. MIKE GERBER • John, as we all know, claimed that "Ticket to Ride" was the first heavy metal song. (Actually he said "one of the first," but we all know what John meant. He meant, "I personally invented heavy metal. As did Yoko.") But this weekend, KLOS's Chris Carter commemorated the anniversary of Mal Evans' death by playing Badfinger's "No Matter What"—a tune Mal produced. As it played, I thought that "Ticket to Ride" seems more like the first "power pop" song than the first heavy metal one. Opinions?* http://youtu.be/wEhUrwGT5-w http://youtu.be/Xoke1wUwEXY [...]

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Paul McCartney: Screwed by life

By Michael Gerber|2015-01-03T15:06:35-08:00December 17, 2013|McCartney: Man of the People, Paul McCartney|

Didn't want the bloody thing anyway MIKE GERBER • Paul McCartney was at last night's Nets-76ers game, and came this close to nabbing a t-shirt from one of those slingshots. So the next time you think, "Geez, some people have all the luck," remember, not all of it. Some people become world-famous billionaire geniuses, and others get a free t-shirt. PS—The shirt reads: "I sat near Paul McCartney and all I got was…" PPS—THINK OF THE ODDS! First, you have to go to the game, and Paul has to go to the game. Then, out of all the combinations of [...]

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Lewisohn review round-up

By Michael Gerber|2014-08-01T11:56:19-07:00December 9, 2013|biography, books, Mark Lewisohn, Tune In|

The title that always gets attention For those of you who have asked for details on what can only be called "revelations" regarding George Martin's forced signing of The Beatles, Tim Riley's review in the NYT spills the beans on that. He also notes Lewisohn's possible debunking of Lennon's Choice between Alf and Julia though—to his credit, I think—Riley doesn't really buy Lewisohn's take. What man would turn to his sailor buddy and say, "Yeah, my son just picked his mother over me"? BTW, our Devin's Magic Circles gets name-checked and called "shrewd" to boot. For those of you who've [...]

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The Beatles and Criticism

By Michael Gerber|2013-11-19T21:22:17-08:00November 19, 2013|books, Reviews|

"Apparently, we're not a patch on The Shadows." MIKE GERBER • Devin wrote something in an comment regarding The Beatles and criticism that I thought was too well-expressed, and too rich a topic, not to break out for further discussion. First, here's Devin's comment (edited a bit by me; follow this link to get the full version): Something’s been sticking in my craw for some time, and I will take this occasion to extract it. A while past on this blog, I posted a video of myself and a friend debating the best Beatles album. I picked the White Album, [...]

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About Michael Gerber