Meanwhile watch out for Blue Meanies

 

The Beatles play Blackpool - A Blackpool Night Out 1965 [ courtesy of Twilightzone)

 The Beatles play Blackpool (intro by Mike and Bernie Winters!) It wouldn’t be Christmas with some Fabs!

Make me sound like a Beatle . . . . While My Guitar Gently Weeps (Eric Clapton uncredited guitar lick)

Back when we liked him, at the top pf his game and not the drunken racist or rabid alt-right antivaxxer we know today!

 “Eric said the only way he’d play on it is if he sounded like the Beatles”:

How Ken Scott Confirmed the Truth Behind Clapton’s Uncredited Solo on While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Eric Clapton’s appearance on a Beatles track is still one of the great surprises of The White Album—a guest spot from a musician the band adored. And according to Abbey Road engineer Ken Scott, it almost didn’t happen unless one very specific condition was met.

“The only way he’d play on it is if he sounded like the Beatles—not Eric Clapton,” Scott said recently. 

That caveat changed everything about the way his solo was recorded.

How Clapton’s Solo Became “Beatle-ised”

To meet Clapton’s request, Scott and Chris Thomas used one of Abbey Road’s most groundbreaking inventions: ADT—Artificial/Automatic Double Tracking.

Originally created in 1966 by EMI engineer Ken Townsend to save John Lennon from singing doubled vocals he hated recording, ADT subtly detuned and delayed a signal to create a natural “double.”

On “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” ADT added a wobble and swirl to Clapton’s guitar that softened its blues edges and blended it into the Beatles’ sonic world.

“Eric played it, and it was really good,” George Harrison said. 

“But he said, ‘It’s not Beatle-y enough.’

So we put it through the ADT to wobble it a bit.”

The Strange Part: Almost Nobody Remembers the Session

Scott says he has no memory of the actual moment Clapton entered the studio—something he’s tried to recover for years.

He checked with:

• John Smith, tape op – also remembers nothing

• Chris Thomas, producing while George Martin was on holiday – nothing

• Even hypnotherapy didn’t help Scott recall the session

The one consistent piece they all remember?

Clapton’s request to not sound like himself.

The Beatles didn’t just bring Clapton in—they bent the Abbey Road toolbox around him until he blended seamlessly into their world. The most famous guest solo in their catalog was literally engineered to sound less like Clapton… and more like them.

Billy [Preston that is!] drops by on the Beatles . . . . . .

 We have had this clip before but it always get’s to me! Billy Preston drops by to see his old friends from touring with Little Richard and sits in (sic) on electric piano as The Beatles thrash out Abbey Road from I’ve Got a Feeling right through to Get Back etc and the ‘concert’ on top of the Savile Row rooftop!!

Birthday’s | BILLY PRESTON (another Beatle >honorary<)

 Billy Preston was born in Houston, Texas on this day in 1946

Route reminded us . . . . . 

Billy sits in

The Beatles with Billy up on the roof! Get Back!

Beatles pics : Jane and Paul in Wales!

Beatle Paul McCartney & Jane Asher photographed during their visit to the 10-day conference on Transcendental Meditation with the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in Bangor, Wales in August 1967.

 Is it me or do they look less than impressed . . . . . ?

Dear Prudence . . . . . .won’t you come out to play?

Where shall we go tomorrow!? Wait . . . . . I know

 THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

All you need . . . . . . .

We said ‘Peace and Love’ at 12 noon for Ringo’s Birthday!

 UPDATE: 

on the day!

There were LOADS!

Check out Ringo’s Facebook page!

AWESOME scarcely covers it!

Sunny here . . . . . here’s some Beatles

 

Forgotten Coach and Mentor to THE BEATLES : HAROLD PHILLIPS [Lord Woodbine]

"Trinidadian calypsonian Harold Phillips (Lord Woodbine) drove the Beatles to Hamburg in his VW van, along with Alan Williams, his wife and brother - in- law. The Beatles were known locally as Woodbine's boys and used to hang around the Jacaranda club in Liverpool (which he ran with Williams), where he let them play steel pan and coached them on their guitar chords. He also advised them to get a drummer, which they did not have at the time, (Pete Best obliged) and coached them in Hamburg in stagecraft, song selection and performance. Thanks to the forgotten Beatle coach and mentor. ❤️💚🖤"

The Beatles Top Ten Club Hamburg 1961

The Beatles at one of the British gas company Cleveland’s petrol pumps to fill up their 'tour bus'. July 22, 1963.

BEATLES FANS USA!

 

George takes notes 

Day Tripper re-discovered | Le Ramasseur De Mégots

 

1966

A duo of Day Trippers for you! 🎵🎵

Didn’t expect to stumble on this today… Nancy Sinatra covering Day Tripper!

Her take brings a whole new flair to The Beatles’ classic—sleek, stylish, and unmistakably hers!

There’s even a video version : 

I’ve included the Beatles’ original for comparison—

1965

And if you’re curious to hear a totally different vibe, check out the instrumental version by Lee Moses I posted back in January.

For more takes on timeless tracks, hit #double dose or #triple dose. 🎵🎵 🎶

Le Ramasseur De Mégots

THE BEATLES LAST GIG! Candle Stick Park SF 1966 (and Circus Krone Bau Munich June ’66)

She's Dressed In Black

The Beatles from you guessed it,1966.

A TV performance from Germany &

a side of the stage recording from their last

ever show in San Francisco.

HERE . . . . 

Choice of sources pixeldrain or file factory

These are fun . . . . . maybe for completist w but if you don’t have the Last Ever Beatles Live concert from Candlestick Park SF 1966 then this is for you!

HEAR ROCK CITY

Shades of The Beatles!

 

Billy Preston drops by The Beatles (introduced to George Martin for the first time)

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/p1CkbMbqf18RE85r/

couldn’t find this exact clip on YouTube or elsewhere than Facebook but check it out from the Get Back film when Billy Preston drops by to say ‘Hi!’ and ends up saving a session (or three!)

or maybe here . . . . 

In Tribute to the Bob Dylan biopic film ‘A Complete Unknown’ . . .

 George Wein on Dylan taking Over Newport Folk Festival

George Wein, founder and producer of the Newport Folk Festival, tells the story of Bob Dylan's pivotal role as the "Crown Prince" of the Festival in the years leading up to his epic and transformative electric performance at the 1965 Newport Folk Festival and the effect that the performance had on the Festival itself. In this interview filmed in 2018, we get a full picture of the folk music revival, which was led by Pete Seeger, and how Dylan's performance upended all that Seeger had built over many years. George Wein, who also created and produced the Newport Jazz Festival until his passing in 2021, also co-created and co-produced the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. The impact that George had on so many genres of music -- all of which were a joy to him -- was and is indelible. George was also a highly accomplished professional musician who performed and toured until shortly before his passing.

Of course the context only make sense if you consider it in relationship to the Newport Folk Festival itself as his first single was indeed an electric band playing on ‘Mixed Up Confusion’ and B-side 'Corinna Corinna’ which although it sounded like an acoustic song was in fact electric at first here and it was the poor old folkies who struggled to keep up.

Boxes made of ticky tacky and they all look just the same eh, Pete!? 

🪓

 

Today’s “Best Beatles Guitar Solos” is ‘The End’ (1969) |

"The most complete set of solos in a Beatles song came at the very end of their career, aptly titled ‘The End’. 

The song features nine guitar solos with each one lasting around two bars with Paul, George and John all given three apiece. It makes for a perfect reflection of their talent and their individual personalities.

Naturally, George and Paul provide the more eloquent expressions with their guitar solos but there’s something fitting about John’s third and final go. 

Not only does he force it over the line with brute energy, but he also picked up the final solo acting as the final recorded moments of The Beatles—the band he started all those years ago.

“The idea for guitar solos was very spontaneous and everybody said, ‘Yes! Definitely’ – well, except for George, who was a little apprehensive at first,” said engineer Geoff Emerick.

“But he saw how excited John and Paul were so he went along with it. Truthfully, I think they rather liked the idea of playing together, not really trying to outdo one another per se, but engaging in some real musical bonding.

“Yoko was about to go into the studio with John – this was commonplace by now – and he actually told her, ‘No, not now. Let me just do this. It’ll just take a minute.’ That surprised me a bit. Maybe he felt like he was returning to his roots with the boys – who knows?”

Above are Paul and John with their Epiphone Casino guitars they used during The End solos and George with his Les Paul Gibson “Lucy”"

Abbey Road Tribute 

Thanks to Boris for these images and contribution to this post.

Beatles of The Day | 'Get Back' Take 3 Rooftop Saville Row

 Someone posted this take from Get Back from then Disney channel’s film on der Flickkenbuch and I admit I had forgotten how good some of these alternate takes were. . . .this is special

Love the start where George and John are trying to get the amp volumes right mid number with the browbeaten Mal (Evans - he of Maxwell’s Silver Hammer anvil playing! - sic) 

the boys are having such fun and after seeing how the song started this is frankly staggering stuff!

Dhani Harrison : a favourite George Harrison story

 

“I came home one day from school after being chased by kids singing “Yellow Submarine”, and I didn't understand why. It just seemed surreal: why are they singing that song to me? I came home and I freaked out on my dad: 'Why didn't you tell me you were in The Beatles?' And he said, 'Oh, sorry. Probably should have told you that.'” - Dhani Harrison

#TheBeatles4Ever

#thebeatles

George Harrison - quote of the day

 

"I don't know if I delivered something really valuable. The fans will say my music and maybe I agree, but I think that more than the songs themselves what is really valuable is the sincerity that each one of them has. You can like it or not, but they are all from the heart."

—George Harrison—

#TheBeatles4Ever

#thebeatles

More Beatles | I've Got A Feeling °•°☆°•° The Beatles [GET BACK]

 I’VE GOT A FEELING - THE BEATLES (‘GET BACK')

I don’t think I would ever NOT post this . . . . miss my big brother’s brothers!