Neil Aspinall and Paul McCartney in 1969. Allan Kozinn, the NYT's resident Beatle expert, writes a top-notch obit of Neil Aspinall. And Beatle biographer Hunter Davies has some interesting things to say about Neil here. Hey Dullblog--your one-stop Neil Aspinall obituary source. Re: the photo: Sixties fashions were incredibly unkind to men over 25, don't you think?
The right hand of the Fab Four. I heard this morning that Neil Aspinall, ex-Apple Corps exec and long-time right hand man to the Fabs, is seriously ill with cancer and receiving treatment at Sloan-Kettering in NYC.Perhaps the grapevine is incorrect in this case; hope so. But if not, I'm sure you'll all join me in wishing Neil--or, as the group christened him, "Nell"--a speedy and complete recovery.UPDATE: Unfortunately, Mr. Aspinall has died at the age of 66. The first obits are inevitably referring to Neil as "the fifth Beatle," and he probably was, beating Mal Evans out by virtue [...]
The Faux Fabs. People fortunate enough to witness a defining moment in human history always say the same thing: you can sense it happening. It’s as if there’s a subtle vibration, a whiff of something special in the air. If that’s true, no place in the world stank harder than Hollywood this past Monday night, as a majority of the world's celebrities packed themselves into the venerable Egyptian Theater to pay homage to one of the most important musical groups of our, or anyone’s, lifetime. Of course you already know who I’m talking about: Ron, Dirk, Stig, and Barry, the [...]
One of these people is George Martin. The other is Seth Swirsky. This morning on "Breakfast with the Beatles," Chris Carter interviewed a friend of his, Seth Swirsky, a songwriter/author/blogger/jack-of-all-trades who is (naturally) a Beatles fan. (Here's Seth's photo with George Martin at the "LOVE" premiere in Las Vegas, 2006.) Seth is finishing a documentary called "A Year in the Life," where... [MORE]...he documents the twelve months he spent traveling around the world interviewing famous people and hearing their stories about The Beatles. There's a great trailer on his site, Seth.com. (Early adopter, eh Seth?) According to the site, the [...]
"..she feels GOOD" MIKE GERBER • My long-suffering voice must be tortured somewhat in order to reach some of the notes in "Good Day Sunshine," so out of respect for my neighbors (not to mention my own dignity) I turn the volume 'way up when I sing. If I'm going to irritate somebody, I'd rather do it via loud Beatles instead of croaky old me. Anyway, in the mono version of "Good Day Sunshine" ("Alternate Revolver," track #8) at precisely 1:28, after Paul sings, "...she feels good," I could distinctly hear Lennon answer, "She feels good" in one of his low [...]
George Harrison and one of his three ukeleles. Every Beatlefan worth his/her moptop knows that George Harrison was born February 25th, 1943. Or was he? On this morning's edition of Breakfast With the Beatles KLOS' Chris Carter revealed that Harrison also gave his birthday as February 24. George's mother Louise said that he was born at 12:05 or 12:10 am on February 25. She should know, right? But on the other hand, one could understand if she was a little distracted. Harrison himself thought he was born 25 minutes earlier, which would've made it February 24. Last year Carter attempted [...]
45 sleeve for "Coming Up"--very New Wave graphic design This morning, while listening to LA's version of "Breakfast with the Beatles"--I grew up with Terri Hemmert on XRT in Chicago, but I think Chris Carter's show might be even better--I was reminded how John Lennon had been roused to record again by Paul's single "Coming Up." Carter said that the first song Lennon wrote in this ego-pricked, ambitious state was "I Don't Wanna Face It," which later appeared on Milk and Honey. That got me thinking: both songs are good, but I think John and Paul working together would've made [...]
"Hey guys, could one of you introduce me to Mia Farrow's sister?" MIKE GERBER • "Which one of you geniuses," Ed emailed this morning, "is on the Maharishi beat?" As the least-employed member of our merry band, I guess that's me (Mike). I admit to having a real fondness for The Giggling One, and not just because I spent yesterday afternoon at a Mindfulness Meditation workshop at my local public library. (Me and 99 senior citizens.) As cartoonish as his public persona could be, it's undeniable that the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi helped change Western culture, largely for the better. And it's [...]
Harmless-seeming Pied Piper of the Get High Generation From Many Years from Now, Paul McCartney's memoir/bio, page 314: "...Another inaccurate but frequently told story is that 'Fixing a Hole' was about heroin. This track is actually about marijuana."
Today's the 39th anniversary of the rooftop concert, perhaps the most splendid public nuisance in human history. I have it on Vigotone's As Nature Intended--anybody know a better source? While you're thinking, here's an outdoor version of "Get Back," audio only but we can all imagine it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txk0j8JVKbI