When Everything Changed pt.5

This week marks the 50th anniversary of the Beatles arrival to America! With their appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show other various performances, the British Invasion had begun. I’m not sure how much more important a time has been to our world.

Its been a fun week doing these Beatle posts. I hope you've been able to poke around a bit and check some stuff out. Its the Beatles, so for me theres so much more to say and to post, but I hope this is a decent wrap up. A mixed bag of cool things to share.

I'd imagine when this band arrived, music and its possiblities were still stuck in sort of a small place. Other than Motown perhaps, no one was really challenging things. At least not on a massive stage. These guys got a taste and then really starting to dig in. Like when an animal gets a taste of blood, they get hypnotically hungry and focused. The Beatles scratched the surface of something and then they just took off at it full steam like they know exactly what they wanted to do and how to do it. The future was never the same because of their work ethic, open minds and fantastic ears.

They were writing in different ways. Recording in different ways. Incorporating ALL of the band, not just the guy up front. The bass player was as important as the drummer was as the singer, etc. Utilizing different people and instruments. Visually music became easier to see thanks to the Beatles. Album artwork truly came into life thanks to the Beatles. Gatefold vinyl! Lyrics in album sleeves. Eventually music video. Movies. Wanting to call their own shots. They're maybe the first band to sample even? They started all the trends, set all the standards, laid down the blueprints and wrote the book on how to do almost everything my friends. 

The thing to remember most importantly is they did it ALL in less than 10 years.

50 YEARS AGO TODAY, THE DAY I POST THIS, THIS HAPPENED. THIS WAS A BAND WHO'D NEVER BEEN HERE BEFORE. LOOK AT WHAT AWAITED THEM! TRYING PULLING THAT CROWD WITHOUT TWITTER OR FACEBOOK, EMAIL OR WEB. JUST STAMPS AND THE LONG ASS WAIT FOR A FAN CLUB LETTER FROM OVERSEAS!

THIS IS A REALLY NICE PIECE TALKING ABOUT THE TIME AND HOW THINGS HAPPENED

BACK IN THE MID 90'S THIS BEATLE COVER BAND OF MUSICIANS FROM MASSACHUSETTS CAME UP THE ROAD FOR A GIG WHERE I LIVED IN NASHUA NH. I WAS INTERESTED EVEN MORE SO WHEN I HEARD THAT BRAD DELP FROM BOSTON WAS THE LEAD SINGER. I SAW BOSTON LIVE ONCE, BUT I'D LOVE TO SEE HIM SING THESE TUNES. THEY WERE AMAZING. DID THE TUNES SO WELL. REAL SERIOUS FANS. AFTERWARDS, I WALKED TO BRAD TO HAVE HIM SIGN MY BOSTON ALBUM. WE TALKED A BIT ABOUT THE BEATLES, TALKED ABOUT HIS KIDS AND I CAN'T REMEMBER WHAT ELSE. WE JUST CHATTED! RELAXED AND COOL. HE WAS SWEETHEART OF A PERSON FROM MY TIME WITH HIM. A NICE MOMENT WITH SOMEONE WHOS UNFORTUNATELY NO LONGER WITH US. ONE THING I DID TAKE FROM HIM WAS HOW MUCH HE LOVED PLAYING BEATLE MUSIC. I COULD TELL IT REALLY BROUGHT HIM JOY. LISTEN HERE. HE SOUNDED LIKE PAUL EVEN.

FROM THE JOHN LENNON TRIBUTE CONCERT NOT TOO LONG AGO COMES THIS SUPER PERFORMANCE OF "ACROSS THE UNIVERSE" BY RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, MOBY AND SEAN LENNON. STILL ONE OF MY FAVORITE SINGLE TRIBUTE PERFORMANCES EVER. GIVES ME CHILLS. WITH SEAN BEING IN ON IT, ADDS SOME REAL MAGIC AS YOU'LL FEEL. SO WONDERFUL.

WHAT A FINAL APPEARANCE TOGETHER. ITS TOUGH TO STOMACH CAUSE MUSICALLY, IDEA WISE, EXPERIENCE WISE.. THIS BAND COULD HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SO MUCH MORE IF THEY WANTED, BUT THEY COULDN'T DO IT TOGETHER ANYMORE. I GUESS THEY DESERVE THAT BREAK. THEY DID MORE IN THOSE 10 YEARS TOGETHER THAN WE CAN EVEN BEGIN TO  UNDERSTAND. THEIR MUSIC AND CAREER WILL BE INFLUENTIAL TO PEOPLE WHO'S GREAT GREAT GRANDPARENTS AREN'T BORN YET.  

TO CLOSE OUT, FOR SCHLITZ AND GIGGLES.. A FEW OF MY FAVORITE BEATLE SONGS! NOT A DEFINITE LIST, BUT THESE ARE FAVS OF MINE.

SHE'S LEAVING HOME - I can say though THIS is my #1 favorite Beatles song

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER - nothing really to say, just listen. masterpiece.

SHE LOVES YOU - Listen close, think early 60's. This song is wild. Wild for that time even. Drums bashing, boys all singing out loud, hooting and hollering. Also, it has one of the greatest pop hooks ever written.

SOMETHING - Sinatra said it was the greatest long song ever written. Sinatra said that.

I WANT YOU (SHE'S SO HEAVY) - one of the most badass, nasty rock tunes ever made. Doom before Black Sabbath?

OB LA DI OB LA DA - one of the most fun songs of all time

BIRTHDAY - seems tired due to actual birthday play, but its a great friggin song

I'LL BE BACK - a hard days night is one of my Top 5 Beatle albums.

YOUR MOTHER SHOULD KNOW - Love the English way of it too

GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE - Such a whole other level tune for them

TOMORROW NEVER KNOWS - The most influential song ever? Maybe so.

IN CLOSING, I'LL SHARE THESE PICTURES.

THIS IS ME WITH RON CAMPBELL IN 2013. RON WORKED FOR HANNA BARBERA. HE DREW THE AWESOME BEATLES CARTOON AND A LOT OF THE WORK IN YELLOW SUBMARINE. I MET HIM AT A ROCK ART SHOW IN PORTLAND. YOU COULD BUY SOME OF HIS WORK, INCLUDING NEW STUFF HE WAS MAKING. I DECIDED TO BUY THE ONE HE WAS MAKING WHILE WE TALKED. PRETTY AMAZING DEAL IN EVERY DIRECTION RIGHT?

WHEN THE BEALTE REMASTER/STEREO VERSIONS WERE RELEASED A FEW YEARS AGO, THIS CRAZY AWESOME, ACCIDENTAL MEETING HAPPENED AT BULL MOOSE MUSIC IN PORTLAND. 1000% UNPLANED. FROM LEFT TO RIGHT... bob ludwig/gateway masteing, steve drown/producer, spencer albee/musician, jon wyman/producer and of course me selling back my old copies to put towards the new fresh ones. THIS WAS A SPECIAL DAY. AND THIS MEETING HAPPENED THANKS TO WHAT HAPPENED 50 YEARS AGO.