Tag Archives: The Beatles

Day by Day

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It’s Wednesday I suppose. Overcast at that. Not much going on. The Beatles were all over the place today. Except in Tunes, the local record store where all they had were the old discs.

I wasn’t going to buy any since I had everything already, plus the Beatles have enough of my money already. I’ve owned their stuff on vinyl (both LP & 45’s), cassette and CD.

I was most interested in the mono releases but their only available as part of a boxed set. You see up until the White Album, the Beatles were most involved in mixing their records in mono.

Stereo was more popular in the US and after the mono mixing, the Beatles would go home, leaving the stereo mixing to the production staff.

From what I heard it’s supposed to sound amazing but not being much of an audiophile I probably wouldn’t be able to tell the difference, despite the rave reviews from Mojo and Uncut as well as a few other publications.

Don’t get me wrong, if someone came and gave me a copy of Revolver I wouldn’t turn it down. Tunes did have the re-release of the Feelies first two records, Crazy Rhythms and The Good Earth.

I will probably pick up Crazy Rhythms sooner or later. From what I heard, there’s a live show from the 9:30 Club in DC that Andy, the former sound guy at McSwells recorded and mixed.

Last night Bill sang the National Anthem for the third time before the NY Liberty game at Madison Square Garden. This time it was certainly different. More stringent security, passes needed, a wave of the wand.

Our assigned intern, Mike led us through the passageways of the Garden setting us up in the Press Room. Previous years we had a dressing room so Bill could change his clothes and do some vocal exercises beforehand.

Intern Mike had left us so Bill asked if there was a space where he could practice. It turned out Mike wasn’t supposed to leave us in the Press Room and a guy named Rick brought us to where we were supposed to be.

An empty room close to the basketball court.

There was someone’s things in there already, but Bill and I didn’t pay it any attention. He changed his clothes and did his warm ups. We were pretty much comfortable there when I heard a knock on the door.

I opened it and there were a few women. Groupies? I thought, but no, they were supposed to be in there and not us. So we were shuffled along to yet another room, and waited to be called up.

I once again recorded Bill singing on camera. That was done in a low key manner since Cablevision likes to control everything that goes on under their roof. I had an all access pass so I was able to walk around the basketball court.

Bill sang quite well once again and got an nice round of applause. As we headed back to our seats a few people stopped him and told him was a good job he had done. We sat with Bill’s boss and a few co-workers.

The NY Liberty were getting trounced and Bill and I made a hasty exit at half time. Just in time to miss the Jon Benet Ramsay types on the court screeching Somewhere Over the Rainbow.

A nice ride home, ordered some pizza from Grimaldi’s and just chilled out for the rest of the night. That’s it, plain and simple.

Here’s Bill again from last night, singing the National Anthem.

I’ll See You In My Dreams

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OK, here’s an early post. Bill is singing the National Anthem at Madison Square Garden tonight before the WNBA NY Liberty game. I’m heading out shortly and might post later, but if I don’t….

Inspired by Popdose as well as a few other articles and blogs I’ve decided to follow their lead and do a posting on my favorite (not so famous) Beatles songs. So either read on or roll your eyes, it’s entirely up to you.

The ball is in your court and my words are on the page… or rather screen.

One After 909- Let It Be. Great songs from their early days, recorded then and re-recorded in 1969. Almost a sloppy take, but it sounds like a lot of fun. This song has been popping into my head a lot lately, but having written that it probably won’t anymore.

She’s A Woman- Past Masters Vol 1. I actually prefer the reverb version that came out in the US on Beatles 65. A really fun song to play, pretty simple. A great rocker of a song.

Old Brown Shoe- Past Masters Vol 2. The B-side to The Ballad of John & Yoko. I love this song, perfect pop. Great middle eight. George was definitely coming into his own on this one. I just love this song.

With A Little Help From My Friends- Sgt. Pepper. Yay Ringo makes the list! Of course it’s a Lennon & McCartney song written especially for Richie. Very simple and written for Ringo’s range. Don’t throw tomatoes, just stand up and walk out on him if he sings out of key.

I’ll Be Back- A Hard Day’s Night. A Lennon song, he wasn’t entirely pleased with it, at least in one interview, but he was known for vacillating on his opinions as we all do. Last song on A Hard Day’s Night, nice way to finish the album. Another song I enjoy playing on the guitar.

You Won’t See Me- Rubber Soul. Another great pop song from, let’s face it, the best pop band ever. Even Anne Murray couldn’t damage this song. Great lyrics, great backing vocals.

I Want to Tell You- Revolver One of three George tracks from Revolver and my personal favorite of those three. I think the Fabs were at their most together on this album and they all gave their best on each track, with this one standing out.

Boys- Please Please Me A cover for Ringo to sing. Sounds like a lot of fun going on with the bop shoo bops. Had to change the pronouns though of course.

Rain- Past Masters 2 B-Side to Paperback Writer. I’m pretty sure this is when they first started using backwards tapes in the mix. Pop psychedelia from 1966, also a great video, with the four of them looking so cool.

Things We Said Today- A Hard Day’s Night A song from Paul for Jane Asher? Maybe. Pretty mature for a 22 year old. Great opening guitar hook, downbeat. Always reminded me of gypsies.

For You Blue- Let It Be Another George song, not his best but included here. I sometimes play Kansas City on guitar and a few people asked me if the songs is ‘Because you’re sweet & lovely’ meaning this song. Similar chords perhaps or maybe it’s just the way I play it.

If You’ve Got Trouble- Anthology 2 Give the drummer some! Written I believe for Help, but not used. A throwaway song but another fun track, especially when Ringo says, ‘Oh rock on anybody!’.

Tomorrow Never Knows- Revolver Last song on my favorite Beatle album. I sometimes wonder how much this track freaked out the teenagers who heard it for the first time. It might have been misunderstood back then, or even hated but it certainly has gained a lot of cool creditability as time went on.

Here There & Everywhere- Revolver This is the song that Paul definitely wrote about Jane Asher. I first heard it on the Love Songs compilation in the late 1970’s. A truly beautiful song, great harmonies.

Here Comes the Sun- Abbey Road Like someone wrote on another blog or article, is there a better song that ever started a side two of an album? Legendarily written when George played hooky from an Apple Corps meeting. I don’t think John was in on the session.

What Goes On- Rubber Soul The only Beatle song credited to Lennon/McCartney/Starkey. Not the best but not the worst either. Good Carl Perkins like guitar from George.

A Day in the Life- Sgt Pepper Still a fantastic track, the ending to Sgt Pepper, simply amazing and thrilling. Even watching the video or short film of the orchestra recording is a gas. 42 years later it still raises goosebumps.

There are other songs as well, It’s All Too Much & Hey Bulldog from Yellow Submarine, You Can’t Do That from A Hard Day’s Night, Lovely Rita from Sgt. Pepper, I Need You from Help, Revolution 1 from the White Album. I could go on you know, but I won’t.

Last night Bill and I watched the last hour of the Concert for George from 2002 after the daily dose of Lawn Hors d’œuvre.

It’s a very good video despite Eric Clapton being around. I enjoyed it even more than previous times I’ve watched it. It ends with George’s buddy, Joe Brown playing a ukelele and singing I’ll See You in My Dreams.

I woke up this morning with that song in my head. A nice yet sad song.

And here’s Bill…