On the heels of two more Grammys last night for the LOVE soundtrack (congratulations Beatles, George Martin & team), I thought we would check out some of the heady Fab Four history that takes place in the middle of February.
2008 2 GRAMMYS!
Best Surround Sound Album: The Beatles, Love -- Paul Hicks, surround mix engineer; Tim Young, surround mastering engineer; George Martin & Giles Martin, surround producers (The Beatles) [Apple/Capitol Records]
Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media: Love (The Beatles) George Martin & Giles Martin, producers, Apple Records/Capitol Records. (Also nominated but not winning: Across the Universe.)
* NASA beams an MP3 of the Beatles' "Across the Universe" to Polaris, aka the North Star, a transmission that will take 431 years to reach its intended destination. The broadcast is a publicity stunt to variously commemorate the 50th anniversary of the space agency itself, the 45th anniversary of its Deep Space Network, the 40th anniversary of the song's recording—and the DVD release of director Julie Taymor's Beatles-based film musical of the same name.
1982, George Harrison presented UNICEF with a cheque for $9 million (£5.3 million), ten years after the fundraising concert for Bangladesh.
1981, John Lennon was at No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Woman', his third No.1 in seven weeks.
1972, Paul McCartney's Wings played the first night of a UK College tour in Nottingham; the group arrived unannounced asking social secretaries if they would like them to perform that evening.
* The Official Beatles Fan Club is dissolved.
* John Lennon and Yoko Ono started a week long run as co-hosts on 'Mike Douglas' US TV show.
1970, John Lennon performed 'Instant Karma', on BBC TV's 'Top Of The Pops', becoming the first Beatle to have appeared on the show since 1966.
1969, Over Paul McCartney's objections, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr hire controversial record industry accountant Allen Klein to manage the Beatles. McCartney counters by naming his father-in-law's legal firm Eastman and Eastman as his personal manager and corporate counsel of Apple. The rift will lead to the band's dissolution a year later.
* John and Yoko were featured on the cover of Rolling Stone magazine, on sale for 35 Cents, (2/6). John was named as Rolling Stone’s ‘Man Of The Year’.
* a launch party was held for Mary Hopkin at the Post Office Tower in London, guests included Jimi Hendrix, Donovan and Paul McCartney with his new girlfriend Linda Eastman.
1968, The Beatles record "Lady Madonna," "The Inner Light," and "Across the Universe."
1967, The Beatles recorded the orchestral build-up for the middle and end of ‘A Day in the Life’. At the Beatles' request, the orchestra members arrived in full evening dress along with novelty items. One violinist wore a red clown's nose, while another a fake gorilla's paw on his bow hand. Others were wearing funny hats and other assorted novelties. The recording was filmed for a possible ‘Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band’ television special which was ultimately abandoned.
1965, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr married his long-time girlfriend Maureen at Caxton Hall Register Office in London. John and George attended, Paul was away on holiday.
1964, Pan Am flight 101 was greeted by over 5,000 Beatles fans as it arrived at New York's JFK airport, bringing The Beatles to the US for the first time and causing riotous scenes as they touched down.
* The Beatles made their US live debut on CBS-TV's 'The Ed Sullivan Show'; they performed five songs including their current No.1 'I Want To Hold Your Hand' watched by an estimated 73 million people. The show had received over 50,000 applications for the 728 seats in the TV studio.
* The Beatles made their live concert debut in the US at the Washington Coliseum. Over 350 police surrounded the stage to keep the 8,000 plus screaming fans in control. One police officer who found the noise so loud, stuck a bullet in each ear as ear plugs. The Beatles had to stop three times and turn Ringo's drum kit around and re-position their microphones so that they faced a different part of the audience. The set list: ‘Roll Over Beethoven’, ‘From Me to You’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘This Boy’, ‘All My Loving’, ‘I Wanna Be Your Man’, ‘Please Please Me’, ‘Till There Was You’, ‘She Loves You’, ‘I Want to Hold Your Hand’, ‘Twist and Shout’, and ‘Long Tall Sally’.
1963, in less then ten hours, The Beatles record ten new songs for their first album plus four other tracks which would be the next two singles. John Lennon's vocal on The Isley Brothers 'Twist & Shout' was recorded in one take to complete the album.
1961, The Beatles appeared at The Cavern Club, Liverpool, for the very first time (as The Beatles), they would go on to make a total of 292 other appearances at the Club.
1958, George Harrison joined Liverpool group The Quarrymen. The group who were named after Lennon's school featured John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Len Garry, Eric Griffiths and John Lowe.
my portrait of George
I'm going to include a few Harrison treats tonight, since his is the earliest entry in tonight's Beatle History....
The Pirate Song; Aired December 26, 1975, Rutland Weekend Television
GRAMMYS
BEATLES
GEORGE HARRISON
JOOLS HOLLAND
Handmade Department Store
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