MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR

On this day in music history: December 26, 1967 - “Magical Mystery Tour”, starring The Beatles airs on BBC1 in the UK. An hour long film directed by the band shows them on charabanc bus trip with numerous friends and other odd characters around the English countryside. The original idea for the film comes from Paul McCartney after a recent trip to the US. He creates an outline for his ideas on a sheet of paper, drawing a circle, and sketching out what should happen during a particular segment. When filming begins in September of 1967, it is largely unscripted, with the group simply driving around, and letting the cameras roll and hoping to capture any spontaneous moments. The band spent two weeks filming, and then eleven weeks in the editing room paring the ten hours of footage shot into the finished film. Though it is shot in color, the initial broadcast by the BBC is in black & white, greatly diminishing the film’s visual impact. When it is aired to a large UK viewing audience on Boxing Day, it is so poorly received by fans and critics, that plans for it to be aired on US TV by NBC are immediately withdrawn. However, the LP and double EP set containing music from the film is highly successful. Over the years, the film takes on cult status among Beatles fans. “Magical Mystery Tour” is fully restored and released on DVD and Blu-ray disc in 2012, nearly forty five years after its original broadcast.

thanks to Jeff Harris' blog Behind the Grooves

please don't be long, please don't you be very long  . . . . . . . . 

I though this film a work of genius when it was broadcast twice over one Christmas (who DOES that!?) and that may tell you more about my then state of mind but I still adored this song and album and film . . . . . . . .