Showing posts with label Ringo Starr. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ringo Starr. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Free as a Bird

"Free as a Bird" was written as a demo in 1977 by John Lennon. While working on The Beatles Anthology, Paul McCartney asked Lennon's widow Yoko Ono if she had any of Lennon's unreleased tapes. McCartney's plan was to have the remaining Beatles clean up and augment the track with their own instruments while adding extra lyrics. "Free as a Bird" was one of two songs that Ono offered (the other was "Real Love"). The tape, circulating as a bootleg, was simply a poor-quality cassette that Lennon had made at the Dakota in New York City, where he and Ono resided.

The song was used at the end of the first two-hour special of The Beatles Anthology on ABC television in November, 1995. It also appeared on Anthology One, the first of three two-CD sets that accompanied the TV series. The song was produced by the remaining Beatles with the help of Jeff Lynne, formerly of the Electric Light Orchestra and The Traveling Wilburys. George Martin's production skills were not used because by then Martin had developed hearing problems and did not think he could give his best effort to the project.

The track that was given to McCartney was a tape of Lennon singing and accompanying himself on piano. The new arrangement, recorded in McCartney's home recording studio in Sussex, England in February and March of 1994 included breaks in the Lennon song so that McCartney and Harrison could insert and sing extra lines, which was the only time that the Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison all sang lead on the same song except for a Christmas song issued many years earlier for the Beatles Fan Club. Scenes of the recording sessions can be seen in The Beatles Anthology.

For the music video aired at the end of Part One of TV's The Beatles Anthology, the camera angle depicts scenes as if from a bird's point of view. During this "flight," scenes suggestive of many Beatles songs are seen, such as "Eleanor Rigby," "A Day in the Life," and "Paperback Writer." More than eighty such allusions to the life and music of the Beatles exist in the short clip.

The surviving Beatles themselves loved the final result of the overdubs, feeling as if the Beatles had really succeeded in finally reuniting. Fans and critics also gave the song high marks

Lennon plays piano and does a lead vocal; McCartney plays acoustic guitar, bass, and does lead and backing vocals; Harrison played acoustic and slide guitars, ukulele, and does lead and backing vocals; and Starr played drums and percussion.

The song was released as a single in December of 1995 in both the UK and United States on the Apple label. The B side was "Christmas Time (Is Here Again).

The song won a 1997 Grammay Award for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group.

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Thursday, May 7, 2009

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band: The Album

The most important of several Beatles facts for John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band is that it was the debut solo album for Lennon (discounting three experimental albums with wife Yoko Ono) and is considered to be one of Lennon's best efforts in his solo career. Rolling Stone ranked it # 22 on its list of all-time greatest albums. The album was recorded at the same time as Yoko's Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, which featured her avant garde style. The band backing Lennon was dubbed "plastic" because of various musicians called upon by Lennon and Ono since 1969 for solo work--a "conceptual band," as it was termed--as compared to the four permanent members of the Beatles.

The album is generally regarded as an outgrowth of the primal scream therapy Lennon undertook with Arthur Janov, producing cathartic feelings expressed in the LP's tracks. One example is "God," in which Lennon sings that he only believes in himself as opposed to any deity or authority/celebrity figure (Beatles, Elvis, etc.). The album was produced by Phil Spector (with production credits also assigned to Lennon and Ono) and recorded at Abbey Road Studios and Ascot Sound Studios from September 26, 1970 to October 23, 1970. It was released on December 11, 1970 on the Apple label, and was well received by critics in both the United States and Great Britain.

Musicians working on the album included Klaus Voorman (bass), Ringo Starr (drums), Alan White (percussion), Billy Preston (piano), and Phil Spector (piano). Lennon handled vocals and played guitar, piano, and electric keyboard.

Tracks include:

Mother
Hold On
I Found Out
Working Class hero
Isolation
Remember
Love
Well Well Well
Look at Me
God
My Mummy's Dead

With impetus from Yoko Ono, the album was remixed and re-issued for CD format in 2000 with two bonus tracks: "Power to the People" and "Do the Oz."

The artwork for the album was a shot of Lennon and Ono leaning against a tree. The photo was taken with an ordinary Instamatic camera.

The guitar work by Lennon on "Look at Me" is similar to that on "Julia" and "Dear Prudence" and was taught to Lennon, according to most sources, by Donovan when the two musicians were in Rishikesh, India in 1968.

For more information on Beatles albums (group and solo), go to Beatles Albums: Background and History or see the Sitemap below.

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

Imagine: The Album

There are many Beatles facts for John Lennon's Imagine, but the most important is that it is his most popular solo project owing to the title track (and also because it was recorded for its potential commercial value as opposed to Lennon's more avant-garde material before and after). It was recorded from June to July of 1971 and released on the Apple label on September 9, 1971 and October 8, 1971 in the U.S. and UK respectively. Production credits are assigned to John Lennon, Phil Spector, and Yoko Ono. The album is listed as number seventy-six on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

Many of the basic tracks for Imagine were laid down at Lennon's home studio at Tittenhurst Park, with overdubs added at New York City's The Record Plant. Footage of several of the album's sessions was released on the documentary Gimme Some Truth.

One of the more popular tracks on the LP is "Jealous Guy," which was composed during the Beatles visit with the Maharishi in India in 1968. "Oh Yoko" has also remained one of Lennon's more popular songs, an upbeat homage to his wife. "How Do You Sleep?" is generally considered to be addressed to Paul McCartney. Its sarcastic tone was considered to be in bad taste by Ringo Starr, although George Harrison played on this track (and a few others on the album). The song "How?" is a reflection of Lennon's Primal Scream Therapy. The most popular ballad on the album is the very gentle "Oh My Love."

Session musicians for Imagine included Alan White (drums), Klaus Voorman (bass), George Harrison (electric and slide guitars and dobro), The Flux Fiddlers (strings), King Curtis (sax), Andy Davis, (acoustic guitar), Nicky Hopkins (piano), and Mike Pinder (of the Moody Blues--tambourine). Some sources also add Joey Molland, Rod Linton, Ted Turner, and Tom Evans on acoustic guitars.

Lennon provided vocals and played piano, acoustic and electric guitars, and harmonica.

Under the supervision of Yoko One, the album was remixed and remastered for a 2003 reissue.

The tracks include:

Imagine
Crippled Inside
Jealous Guy
It's So Hard
I Don't Want to Be a Soldier
Gimme Some Truth
Oh My Love
How Do You Sleep?
How?
Oh Yoko.

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Tuesday, February 24, 2009

All Things Must Pass: The Album

Because George Harrison's All Things Must Pass was issued as a triple album, it is associated with dozens of fascinating Beatles facts. Recorded at Abbey Road Studios from May to September, 1970, the LP was released on November 27, 1970 on Apple-EMI. It was produced by Harrison and Phil Spector.

Harrison had written many of the songs, such as "Isn't It a Pity," as early as 1966. Other songs, such as "All Things Must Pass" and "Hear Me Lord" were written slightly later and played during the Let It Be sessions. An elegant acoustic version of "All Things Must Pass" is featured on Anthology. Other songs were written while visiting Bob Dylan and The Band at Woodstock circa 1968. In fact, Harrison and Dylan co-wrote "I'd Have You Anytime." "Behind That Locked Door" was written for Dylan, who had left the stage at the Isle of Wight concert feeling disheartened after performing songs from Nashville Skyline and John Wesley Harding, songs that were understated compared to Dylan's more energetic electric/acoustic period--songs that did not receive the kind of enthusiastic response Dylan was anticipating. "Wah Wah" is allegedly a song aimed at McCartney, who had become overbearing during Beatles' sessions from the White Album on. Harrison, it is said, didn't want all of Paul's criticism, advice, and "wah wah." "The Ballad of Frankie Crisp" is an allusion to the nineteenth-century builder of the mansion at Harrison's estate at Friar Park, Sir Frank Crisp. Harrison learned "If Not For You" while attending a Dylan session for Dylan's New Morning LP. "Apple Scruffs" referred to Beatles fans that would wait outside of Abbey Road Studios or Apple headquarters at Saville Row to see the group. "It's Johnny's Birthday" was a gift for John Lennon.

Harrison played approximately fifteen songs for Spector on his acoustic guitar at the album's inception in May, 1970, these songs representing Harrison's growing backlog of songs accumulated before the Beatles' break-up since Harrison was only allotted one to three songs per album by the group. Some songs did not make Spector's cut and have never been issued: "Cosmic Empire," "Tell Me What Happened to You," "Mother Divine," Nowhere to Go," and "Window, Window." Other songs not included on the LP would find release on other Harrison albums and/or projects.

The third vinyl record (titled "Apple Jam") in the All Things Must Pass package consisted of long jam sessions with musician friends. Featured on the album are musicians such as Ringo Starr, Badfinger, Alan White, Billy Preston, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Dave Mason, Klaus Voorman, Peter Frampton, and John Lennon.

The other Beatles were reportedly astonished at the success of Harrison's album, which reached the number one spot in both the UK and U.S. for eight and seven weeks respectively. The break-out single on the album was the immensely popular "My Sweet Lord" that would eventually embroil Harrison in a controversy over ownership of the song since the Chiffon's music company claimed it borrowed the melody from their hit, "He's So Fine."

In 2001, a remastered All Things Must Pass was issued, including recently re-recorded parts of "My Sweet Lord." Harrison had worked on the re-mastering of the triple LP in 2000 but died shortly after its release. The cover was changed from the original box set, which featured Harrison sitting on the grounds of Friar Park surrounded by short statues of gnomes. The work is now available on a two-CD mini-box set.

Covers of various tracks from "All Things Must Pass" were done by Eric Clapton, Billy Preston, Tom Petty, Joe Cocker, Nina Simone, and the Rutles.

The tracks included:

I'd Have You Anytime
My Sweet Lord
Wah Wah
Isn't It a Pity (version 1)
What Is Life
If Not For You
Behind that Locked Door
Let It Down
Run of the Mill
Beware of Darkness
Apple Scruffs
Ballad of Sir Frankie Crisp (Let It Roll)
Awaiting on You All
All Things Must Pass
I Dig Love
Art of Dying
Isn't It a Pity (version 2)
Hear Me Lord
Out of the Blue
It's Johnny's Birthday
Plug Me In
I Remember Jeep
Thanks for the Pepperoni

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Thursday, February 12, 2009

Beatles Song: Hey Jude

"Hey Jude" is a song oozing with Beatles facts. It was the most successful single by the group in their history and became a number one hit in countries around the world. This is astonishing inasmuch it is the longest single, and radio stations at the time played few songs over three minutes in length. The song, recorded on July 28, 1968, was issued as a single in the UK and U.S. exactly one month later. It remained on American charts for nineteen weeks. The song was originally the B Side to "Revolution," but the order was reversed. The song later appeared on what came to be known as the Hey Jude album.

McCartney was not sure if the song was any good and had misgivings about the lyrics. One fact that he has explained in interviews and at concerts is that he believed the line "the movement you need is on your shoulder" to be both redundant and meaningless. Lennon said it was the best line of the song and convinced McCartney to keep it in.

The song was composed as McCartney drove to play the song for John and Yoko. He wrote the song, called "Hey Jules" in the beginning, to comfort Julian Lennon over the break-up of John and Cynthia. He changed the title to "Hey Jude" because it fit better with the song's cadence. In his 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon said that he thought the song was subconsciously written for him--John--with the meaning being that he should go out and "get" Yoko.

The song was rehearsed at Abbey Road. The next day it was performed again and taped. These versions were changed when the song was re-recorded at Trident Studios the day after that. A "partial" orchestra was then added for the concluding chorus.

Another great fact is that Ringo was using the restroom when the track started. McCartney had not envisioned drums on the track, when when Ringo climbed up on his drum kit, McCartney said it was fortuitous, as Ringo came in at just the right time to make the drums work on the track (and all the other instruments do indeed come in one by one after the piano kicks off the song). Lennon felt that this was McCartney's best work ever.

Another promotional video was made at Twickenham Studios, where several dozen fans participated on the chorus, a scene shown in Anthology (and on The Smothers Brother in 1969as a promo video).

McCartney sings the lead, with all other Beatles joining in the chorus. Lennon does add some backing vocal on the last verses, however. McCartney played bass and piano for the studio version, Lennon an acoustic (his Gibson J-160E), Harrison lead, and Starr drums. On the promotional video, Lennon plays his stripped-down Epiphone Casino.

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Wednesday, February 11, 2009

Beatles History: Ringo Gets Married to Maureen Cox

One of the sadder Beatles facts on February 11, 2009 is that Ringo Starr got married to hairdresser Maureen Cox at Caxton Hall Registry. They honeymooned near Brighton. The irony is that Ringo himself had wanted to be a hairdresser before he became a Beatle, and even after joining the Beatles, it's a fact that Ringo thought he would make enough money from the group's fame in order to open a string of hair salons.

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Saturday, February 7, 2009

Beatles News: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Nominated for Grammy Awards

Two Beatles facts for those who want to see the latest on Paul and Ringo and see all new music performances is that Paul and Ringo are both nominated for Grammys. Paul will also perform live for the award ceremony.

Paul is nominated for"I Saw Her Standing There" and "That Was Me" (Best Male Pop Vocal Performance and Best Solo Rock Performance respectively). Both songs were issued on the vinyl Amoeba's Secret, which featured songs from McCartney's live performance at The Ameoba Records in Los Angeles.

Ringo Starr is nominated for Ringo 5.1: The Surround Sound Collection.

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Thursday, January 29, 2009

Beatles History: The Magic Christian Premiers

A tangential Beatles fact for January 29, 1970 is that this is the day that The Magic Christian premiered in Los Angeles, California. Ringo Starr co-starred in the film with Peter Sellers.

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Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Ringo's Drumming

A really interesting Beatles fact is that Ringo was known for his "funny fills" since he was a left-handed drummer using a right-handed drum kit. He has always admitted that he is not a good drummer in the technical sense. Indeed, he was the first Beatle to leave the group, which occured in 1968 during The White Album sessions. He felt he wasn't drumming well, and the group had to coax him back into the studio. Lennon sent Ringo a telegram saying that he was the best drummer in the world, and Harrison had the studio decked out with flowers.

All this having been said, Lennon is once responded to the question "Is RIngo the best drummer in rock and roll?" by saying "He's not even the best drummer in the Beatles." By 1968, McCartney (a more-then-competent drummer) would frequently go back to the studio in the evenings (even before Starr quit) to dub in the drum parts. Everyone close to the Beatles was aware of this, but it remained unspoken.

Neverthless, George Martin has always complimented Ringo's playing, saying that he never failed to provide what a song needed. Harrison and Lennon are also on record as saying that even though Ringo has a different style and doesn't always use proper technique, he's a "great" or "damn good" drummer" who provided the necessary backbeat. McCartney has said in the past that Ringo is an excellent drummer, but that he received very strict guidance on almost every track recorded by the Beatles.

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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Beatles News: Ringo Announces Photo Contest Winner

Ringo invites concert-goers to email their pictures of his All Starr Band during and after every tour. According to the official Ringo Starr website, the winner for Ringo's 2008 All Starr Band tour is Ricardo Martinelli de Medeiros. The winner traditionally receives an autographed drumhead.

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