On This Day – Max Sued
Jan 7, 2010 Uncategorized
On this day in 1970 Max Yasgur who owned the farm where Woodstock was sued by neighbours for damages caused by the rampaging hippies. The suits either totaled $25,000 0r $35,000. Eventually, they were settled. The finances of ‘Woodstock Ventures’ are a bit murky but it seems that although it was planned as a profit making venture (it only became a free concert after so many people turned up) but the some 80 lawsuits filed against them were paid from the profits of the film. The film also helped to settle their $1.4m debts.
The people who didn’t play Woodstock?
The Beatles, some say because the organisers would not also book
the Yoko Ono Band, some because Lennon could not get into the states because of visa difficulties.
The Doors because they thought it would not be worthy of them ‘a second class Monteray’.
Led Zepp ‘cos they did not want to be just another band on the bill.
Dylan was negotiating but his son became ill.
The Moody Blues decided to play a gig in Paris instead. That was either a really bad decision or an inspired one. Bad because of the loss of exposure good because more than most they relied on a good sound system when playing live and the sound at Woodstock was bad, very bad.
Missed opportunity?
Keef Hartley played Woodstock but did not make the film because their manager refused to give the rights away. Shame ‘cos KH was ‘my’ band in the 60’s and they deserved much better recognition.
Best way to experience Woodstock? Watch the film turn up the volume, sit in a tub of mud, and smoke your little smoke, drink your little drink, while I dance the night away…….(No FZ wasn’t there either)
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Tags: beatles, bob dylan, classic rock music, doors, john lennon, Keef Hartley, live music, moody blues, On This Day, rock and blues
Derek Acorah, Michael Jackson, Nothing New Under The Sun
Oct 28, 2009 Rants
Derek Acorah filming a seance and trying to contact Michael Jackson is not the first time programmes for TV have been made in which mediums have tried to reach the departed famous. (my original post here)
In 2006 a pay to view TV seance programme was made in which the object was to contact John Lennon. The show – which cost $9.95 (£5.60) to watch – was made without the consent of Lennon’s estate or his widow Yoko Ono. The result? John came through and had a message for us all. It was, “peace… the message is peace”
No surprise there then. Look, all of us could have predicted the result, does that make us all mediums, or psychics, or whatever?
I note with interest that the makers of the Lennon seance programme made one with Lady Dianna as the objective in 2003. The result of that on? She was having fun, again no surprise there either.
I am somewhat surprised to find that the subscription for Dianna’s seance was more than for Lennon’s. Actually, perhaps I am not. There does seem to be a constituency for stories about Dianna (who died in 1997) The Daily Mail (a national ‘newspaper’ in the UK) had yet another front page lead about here just last week…….
If you can not wait until December for the seance with Michael then there is some hope for you. It seems that there will be a seance on Twitter on 30th October. Called a “Tweance” it will be available on Twitter from 10 a.m (GMT). I am not sure of the format, if you can ask questions or whatever, so if you are interested give it a go just search for @tweance on Twitter.
The Psychic is Jane Wallce part of the ‘Psychic Sisters’ who provide consultations in Selfridges (London) and have appeared in the world renowned Psychic TV cannel….
If you have been trying to tweet Michael Jackson over the last few weeks without even a squeak of success, might I sing you a song of hope? A remarkably forward-thinking psychic has decided to hold a seance on Twitter. A “Tweance,” if you will. According tothe Sun newspaper , Jayne Wallace, who claims to have been a psychic since she was (at least) 7 years old, will be available to every member of the world’s tweeting population on October 30, between 10 a.m. and noon British Miserable Autumn Time (that’s 3 a.m.
Tags: derek acorah, jane wallace, john lennon, lady diana, lady diana seance, michael Jackson, rock and blues, tweance
On This day – The Beatles Hit our TV Screens
Oct 17, 2009 Uncategorized
On this day in 1962 The Beatles make it onto the small screen. They were on a local TV station “Granada” that broadcasts to the North West of England. The show is a local news programme with a magazine format called ‘People and Places’. On the programme they sang 2 songs live ‘Some Other Guy’ and ‘Love Me Do’. Sadly, there is no recording of the show or any of the other 4 appearances they made on local TV in 1962.
It now seems hard to believe that in 1962 singing 2 songs on a poxy little local TV show was a big deal for the Fab Four. 5 TV outings in 1962 then 30 in 1963, including their first on the BBC (13 April 1963, ‘625 Special’) things really began top pick up for the lads. By the way, their first appearance on US TV was not broadcast until 3rd January 1964. It was a performance of ‘She Loves You’ filmed by the BBC in August ‘64 and sold on to The Jack Paar Show.
Their second appearance on TV (for the same show) was recorded on 29th October and broadcast on 2nd November – by which time they were in Hamburg, for the second time.
Tags: beatles, beatles on tv, john lennon, On This Day, paul, paul mccartney, rock and blues
On This Day – John Lennon Born
Oct 9, 2009 On This Day, arrivals
John Winston Lennon joined this world today in 1940. As part of the Beatles he helped shape modern music writing some iconic songs. He worked for peace and against the Vietnam War. He was threatened with deportation from the USA by the Nixon administration, investigated by the FBI. He was murdered on 8th December 1980 by Mark David Chapman.
Lennon was raised by his aunt Mimi although he did have regular contact with his birth mother Julia. She bought him a banjo when he was 11 and taught him to play “Aint That A Shame” by Fats Domino. She also bought him his first guitar in 1957. His aunt Mimi was not in favour of his infatuation with music and did not share his faith that he would be famous one day and make a living out of music. Julia died after being hit by a car driven by an off duty policeman in 1958.,
Lennon had co-founded a skiffle group in 1956 which had him on banjo. Originally called The Blackjacks they changed their name to The Quarrymen (after the school that they attended) as another local group was using that name. Their repertoire consisted of Lonnie Donegan songs which they aired at parties, school dances and the like.
The whole local music scene was very fluid at this time with various lineups and personnel sitting in with other groups but the Beatles began to come together. When Paul McCartney joined The Quarrymen he insisted that George Harrison also join over Lennon’s objections that Harrison was too young. Later Stu Suttcliffe (bass) joined and suggested that they change their name to The Beetles, later The Silver Beetles and then to The Beatles. Their first recording was “That Will Be The Day” with “In spite of All the Danger” (by McCartney and Harrison) on the other side. The recording cost 17/6 (£0.77) and the one disc produced was passed around the band. It resurfaced in 1981 when McCartney bought it for an undisclosed amount.
Against Mimi’s vehement objections Lennon went with the other Beetles to Hamburg in 1960. That residency at Bruno Koschmider’s Indra club did not last long. The Beatles were deported back to the UK after a minor arson incident and it was discovered that Harrison was under age.
The Beatles went on to be the biggest band in the world, of course, but why should we celebrate Lennon’s birth? He was voted the 8th greatest Briton by BBC viewers (but then Dianna came 3rd…..), he was awarded an MBE (or was that an OBE – don’t know and don’t care). Helped to shape popular music and wrote some great rock and pop songs. But, what made him so great?
I think he together with, but perhaps more than, the other Beatles showed what was possible. In those days you went to school and then left to find a job, got married, had children, and then died. There were no other options, until we were showed otherwise. He was an inspiration for others, and surely that is as good as anyone’s life can get, there is nothing better.
My favourite Lennon song, I even like the Tin machine version (yes, I was the one person who bought that god awful album).
You know, I am not terribly happy with this post. My heart is not really in it. I don’t think that I have done JL justice, so much more than a member of the Beatles.
Perhaps it is just because it is 5.00am…….
Tags: beatles, classic rock music, john lennon, love rock music, rock and blues
Beatlemania to Sweep The World! (again)
Sep 9, 2009 About and things, rock and blues
There is going to be a worldwide growth in fabness. Mop tops will be back in fashion and lovable Liverpudlian accents everywhere. At least according to the media including a simpering Sunday Times this week, the reason?
The Beatles’ albums have been remastered and reissued together with a magnificent box set. The box set contains all the albums and costs a paltry (!) £169 while the albums cost about £11 each making the box set the most cost effective choice if you want to replace all your existing CDs and vinyl.
Now, most remastered CDs are less than impressive, more of a marketing opportunity than a valuable addition to your collection. From everything that I have read these reissues are different. From the fawning Sunday Times to an anonymous commenter on Yahoo Answers the verdict is that the reissues are like new records.
The original dynamics have been retained (original from the master tapes, not the bland CDs of the past). The trend has been to make the softer bits louder and the louder bits softer to make the overall sound more even. That may sound good on radio but does lose the original attack of the recording.
Overall, these reissues are well worth the money. I will be replacing Revolver (the only Beatles album that I own currently) as well as investing in Sgt. Peppers, Rubber Soul, and Past Masters. Past masters is an interesting album. It contains all those singles that never appeared in albums – seems strange these days that anyone would not issue all their singles on albums – but that is what happened way back when. As well as She Loves You, I Want To Hold Your Hand (so innocent) etc. there are some rarities. Well worth the money even for those of use who are Beatles completists (and I am certainly not one of those). What CDs should you avoid? Yellow Submarine has to be at the top of this list, absolutley useless more Monkees than Beatles….. Also avoid Beatles For Sale. The 4th album in 2 years, whoever thought that would be a good idea?
I was never a huge Beatles fan, (my mother liked them, hated those dirty and loutish Rolling Stones so guess which band I favoured?) but it is true that they were a good band and did change a lot of things for those that came later. I do have some quibble (quite a lot of a quibble, in fact) with John’s statement that they were the best rock band in the world, at least when they were playing in Hamburg. As virtually no one saw them in Hamburg it is hard to argue with him though.
Tags: beatlemania, beatles, beatles remasters, george harrison, john lennon, love rock music, paul mccartney, ring, rock and blues, rongo starr
ON This Day – Lennon Apologises
Aug 11, 2009 On This Day
On This day in 1966 Lennon apologized for saying that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus, not that he did.
The original quote was “Christianity will go, it will shrink and vanish – we’re more popular than Jesus now. I don’t know which will go first, rock ‘n’ roll or Christianity.” What he meant to say was something along the lines of; “the way they (some fans) carry on, it’s like we’re more popular than Jesus Christ.”
The quote came in the middle of an interview he gave to Maureen Cleave of the London Evening Standard months before. It had appeared in print in the UK and no one turned a hair. In the States when a teen mag put the contentious bit “We’re more popular than Jesus” on the front cover the reaction was different.
Beatles records were burnt on public bonfires in Memphis, Alabama, and Oklahoma, Some local radio stations (often encouraged by the Ku Klux Klan) banned their records.
It was because of the reaction (mainly in the conservative south) that Epstein, the Beatles’ manager, made Lennon apologise as they started what was to be their last US tour.
Tags: beatles, classic rock music, john lennon, love rock music, On This Day, rock and blues
