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lisahiltonmusic · 23 days ago

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Q. & A. with Lisa Hilton on album Lucky All Along – Out 11/29/24

With Lisa Hilton / piano, Igmar Thomas / trumpet, Rudy Royston / drums & percussion, Luques Curtis / bass

Q. Congratulations on your thirtieth album Lucky All Along! Or perhaps should I be saying: “Happy 30th Birthday?”

Lisa Hilton: I like that – it has a nice ring to it! I’ve created twenty-eight albums in the U.S. and two in Asia, so I’m at thirty now, and somehow it just keeps getting more fun every year with every recording!

Q. Why do you think that is?

LH: As a composer, ideas flow much more quickly now that I have two hundred compositions, and it’s easier for me to get them written down too. In the past it was hard and time consuming for me to notate music scores. After I taught myself Sibelius, the notation software I use, it was still slow going for a while to notate, but nowadays I write music easily.

Q. That makes sense, and of course, you know your bandmates better too…

LH: It does feel like we are able to do more things musically now. We had a terrific time touring together in March 2024, and with familiarity everyone has become more intuitive, which leads to more freedom in our playing. Now we actively work to create spots for everyone to stand out. Luques Curtis has strong, almost boisterous bass performances on this album. Igmar Thomas knocks me out with his virtuosity on trumpet, and drummer Rudy Royston’s creativity always surprises me. I love how everyone sounds – I hear so much beauty, hope, joy, passion, mastery and life in this music – it really touches me and we hope others feel that way too.

Q. Where did you record?

LH: This time we worked at East West Studios in Hollywood. I’m very conscientious about sound, so I’ve recorded at numerous top studios. By far, East West was the coolest studio I’ve ever been in! I think the vibe there boosted our moods and creativity!

Q. How long does it take for you to record an album?

LH: We record in just one day: it takes about six hours plus set up time and breaks. It’s a full day.

Q. You must work pretty quickly!

LH: I like the music to feel fresh and authentic, not “perfect”. We discuss the ideas in the piece, record three takes, then move on.

Q. I noticed a lot of variety in song choices – your tunes alongside Miles Davis, Taylor Swift and Charlie Puth for example.

LH: Yep; whether you’re jazz curious or a straight ahead fan, there’s something for you on this album. I think most people enjoy genre-free listens these days for work, entertaining or to relax. We’ve got jazz, blues and Latin vibes with a sprinkle of pop, bop, country and gospel, and the band switches gears with agility throughout. Lots of upbeat rhythms and memorable melodies too.

Q. Do you have any favorite tunes on the Lucky All Along?

LH: I love them all! They touch you in so many ways, so listening to the full album feels like a journey. My fav might be And Some Blues…it has a pretty celebratory vibe to it. A couple people working at the studio said they liked Little Beach Mornings best. I could listen to All Blues over and over and over! Escapist Fantasy and Starry, Starry Eyes are very melodic and Latiny tunes that I really like. Lucky All Along is a bit countrified and unique, while Big Sur Views has a meditative quality. Prophesies & Predictions has lots of ideas – be sure to listen to that one through to the end. Hollywood Moment is also a favorite for me – it reminds me of pianist Bill Evans a bit. Both See You Again and Snow on the Beach are terrific compositions I’m glad we recorded.

Q. Tell us a bit more about those last two cover songs you just mentioned?

LH: Lots of jazz artists arrange tunes by the Beatles or Stevie Wonder, but I think jazz should reflect today and feature great composers of this generation. While he was still at Berklee College of Music, singer/songwriter/producer Charlie Puth opened up for me at a show I had in Boston. Even then, his skills, talent, and personality impressed me. After graduation, Charlie co-wrote a song about the loss of his friend in a motorcycle accident, which he expressed in a very touching way in the tune See You Again.

Snow On The Beach was written by Taylor Swift, Lana Del Rey and Jack Antonoff for Taylor’s Midnights album in 2022. Although this is considered a pop song, I hear a touch of the great American composer Robert Johnson in this evocative composition. It is an extremely well written and beautiful song, and I love the very subtle improvisations from the bass and drums on this track. Snow on a beach is rare, so we finished a joyful album with the idea that every moment is rare and should be cherished.

For more information: LisaHiltonMusic.com Follow Lisa Hilton Music on all socials. Listen on jazz radio or any streaming service.

#jazz #new music #piano music #cool jazz

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thislovintime · 2 years ago

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Clips from 1997 and 2006.

Q: “Why did you get into the music business?” Peter Tork: “Approval. Respect. Love. Girls.” - Beachwood Confidential, 1995 (x)

* * *

"What I was working towards was to be in a group. When the Beatles hit, where were all the folkies going to go? But I also wanted to be a folk music performer. A lot of what I did was hanging out, feeling for the first time that I was part of the scene, walking down the street and seeing people I knew, doing a little flirting." - Peter Tork, Bringing It All Back Home: 25 Years of American Music at Folk City (1986) (x)

* * *

"Dear Peter, I hope this doesn’t sound stupid. It’s something I’ve always wanted to know. Why do rock stars get all the women? I figured you would know. Even my sister likes you a lot and she doesn’t really like anyone very much. She says hi, btw. I was thinking of becoming an architect but that doesn’t seem to get the girls excited. Should I learn to play guitar? Thanks bro, Jon L."

"Dear Jon, Thanks for asking. I’ve never wondered the same thing; I’ve been too busy trying to get the women by being a pop star so I’ve never had time to stop and tell on the roses, as it were. But since it all came up lo, these many years ago, I’ve actually given the matter some thought. Here’s some of what I’ve come up with: For one thing, those of us who got into show business did so IN ORDER to get attention. This is sometimes an outgrowth of a conviction in childhood that people didn’t much care about us, or even notice us. We determined that if we could get the millions (or, say, dozens) to love us, then it wouldn’t matter that we weren’t much regarded on an individual basis in our youth. For some of us, it worked. Unfortunately, it has its drawbacks. You don’t get to know these ahead of time, so I’m going to tell you. One of them is, that the girls we do get mostly want us for the show we put on. By that, I don’t mean only the stuff that goes on onstage, but the way we present ourselves when we meet someone. I have a ready stock of funny stories and sly ways to hook a girl in, but in the end, that’s what she goes for, and when it comes time for me to be myself, she’s always kind of shocked. […] Check it out: architecture is a deeply satisfying career and you’re going to find a relationship that suits you if you’ll only let it happen and what you do for a living will be only one measure of your true value in the eyes of a worthy, intelligent, supportive woman. Good luck, Peter” - Ask Peter Tork, The Daily Panic, 2008 (x)

* * *

"In spite of all his clowning, Peter was a rather serious chap. […] Peter was a loud, powerful singer (I used to call him a romp’em, stomp’em type of singer), while I was a soft ballad singer. He had enormous stage presence and I had very little. He played the banjo, I played the guitar. […] He was restless and intense, while I was calm. He loved to be with a lot of people all of the time, whereas I liked to be completely alone some of the time. And last, but not least, Peter Tork had quite a way with the girls." - Bruce Farwell, 16’s The Monkees: Here We Are (1967) (x)

* * *

“Next to his music, girls interested Peter Tork more than anything else in the whole wide world. He loved them all — and most of them loved him. Peter wasn’t tall, dark or handsome, but he made up for his liabilities with his great warmth, enthusiasm and sense of humor. He was also basically a very kind and giving person. He just had a way of making people happy even when he was broke, freezing cold and there were no prospects for work in the future. That Pied Piper-ish quality Peter had attracted girls of all shapes and sizes. He had many brief romances and a couple of very serious ones, and even today Peter is still good friends with almost every girl he knew, dated, or fell in love with during his Greenwich Village days.” - Lance Wakely, 16, March 1967

* * *

“Peter was great for the chicks of the village… they queued up to see him and talk to him. But eventually he had an offer to join the Phoenix Singers, who were short of a guy to play banjo AND guitar. And if you still have any doubts about whether he really does play, and play well, then the thing to do is ask the management behind the Phoenix Singers. Even without the Monkees, there is little doubt that the amiable Peter would have mae the grade in the music business. When, eventually, Peter went to the West Coast, to California, he wasn’t kept waiting long for fame. Within two months he was auditioned and accepted for the Monkees. Behind him was a mass of previous girlfriends but, unlike many blokes, Peter has the knack of staying on very friendly terms with girls even after he’s stopped going out with them.” - Record Mirror, February 25, 1967

* * *

“...Inside his dressing room, he towels the sweat from [his] head, takes out a guitar, pulls up a chair and starts singing ME a song. [...] He DIPS me, yes, like a dance dip, asks me permission and then kisses ME chastely on my cheek!... [...] Months later, when I returned back to earth, I received a three page letter from Peter Tork (remember, he asked me for my address before the dip) which was just beautiful, poetry mixed with kindness, which is how I choose to this day to describe him as a human.”:

“I heard this on the radio!

‘TODAY at 4pm, THE MONKEES will be appearing at RECORD WORLD!’

I looked at a map to see where Record World was located (yes, I had a map in my glove compartment) and plotted and within seconds, turned the car in the opposite direction of Georgetown and hightailed to some mall in Virginia. The line to meet the Monkees was surprisingly huge. It wrapped all the way around the mall twice. Anxious to make it back to campus for the first night of my senior year, which we all know is the BEST night of the year, I became anxious the line was too long and The Monkees would leave before they got to me. I needed to come up with a plan, stepping off the line, I found myself moments later in Sharper Image, purchasing a small tape recorder.

With tape recorder in hand, I marched myself up to the security guard outside the RECORD WORLD where all four of the Monkees were signing records.

‘I’m here from the Georgetown University newspaper, The Hoya. I wasn’t even sure if that was the title of our school newspaper…a lucky guess.

‘I’m hoping to get a quick interview with the guys.’

‘Sure, right this way.’

WOW! That was easy.

They let me cut the line and stand RIGHT behind the Monkees while they continued to sign records. Me looking out at a sea of other Monkee lunatics, just like me!

OMG!!! I had NO questions, I had no way of handling being this close to the four guys that I spent my entire pubescent life fantasizing about marrying, dancing or at least camping!

‘Hello.’ Micky Dolenz says to me!!! and I go numb. I got nothing.

I look over to Peter Tork, who asks me my name and when I say Mary, Davy Jones chimes in and says, ‘Ah, Mary Mary.’

 WHAT!!!!???? Smelling salts please?? (Actually, true story, Lara did really pass out once when she met Davy Jones at a book signing!)

I stumbled my way through the interview, holding up the tiny tape recorder every time I asked a question. Thankfully they never caught on that the tape recorder didn’t even have batteries in it or that I had not actually pushed any of the buttons to start or stop recording. I just moved it from my mouth to their face, like a child playing make-believe.

I kindly say thank you and tear up. The security guard ushers me away from the table but right before I was about to steal a tuft of [Micky]’s hair, Peter Tork looks at me and said, ‘write your phone number down here.’

In a Monkees haze, I write it and then, I’m quickly whisked away by security.

I cried the entire 3-hour car ride back to DC, happy tears, and this was before cell phones, so I had no one to call and scream the news. Just me, alone, reliving how I had just pulled off a Monkees miracle.

When I arrived back to my senior year house, all my pals were wondering why I was so late and informed me I had thirty minutes to get dressed because we were all heading out for the BIG first night back at school. The night you waited all summer long for, so you could show off how great you looked to your biggest crush.

I threw down my bag, jumped in the shower and was interupted by my roommate telling me that I had a phone call.

Wet from the shower, I grabbed the call.

‘Hi. This is the Monkees Tour Manager. Peter Tork asked me to leave two tickets for you at the Will Call for tonight’s show. It starts at 8pm.’

I looked at the clock…it was 6pm….the concert was two hours away, back to where I had just left the scene of my delicious deception.

I HAD TO GO!

I started down my list of roommates to come with me, one at a time, rejection, followed with ‘YOU’RE NUTS!!’

Finally, I bribed my most beautiful and most fun pal Emily to join me. I think the bribe was, I’ll pay all your bar tabs the entire first semester if you drive to Virginia with me. If you saw how we drank back then, this was a generous offer.

She agreed to join me, but made me promise we could be back by midnight as to not miss out on the first night back to school.

‘Done!’

And there we were, back in my car, heading two hours south, right back to where I just come from.

We arrived at the concert hall and Emily (my personal timekeeper) reminded me. ‘You have two hours…that’s it.’

We had great seats and a bunch of songs in, a roadie came and plucked us from our seats to go backstage. WHAT!

There was an intermission or maybe it was the moment between the last song and the encore, but all I remember what that it was fast and there was a lot of scrambling.

This was the first ‘backstage’ I had ever seen. A minute in, Peter Tork comes over to ME!? Says, ‘I’m so glad you made it’ and invites ME!? into his dressing room.

I look at Emily, who somehow understands just how big a deal this was to me and grants me, sternly, ‘10 minutes!!’

Inside his dressing room, he towels the sweat from [his] head, takes out a guitar, pulls up a chair and starts singing ME a song.

The 13-year old girl in me dreamt about this moment for years and now it was right in front of me. My very own little concert with Peter.

‘2 minutes!’ An announcement comes up on a loud speaker, but the perfect amount of time for him to put down his guitar, change his shirt, tell me that I was a very special person (something about my aura), asks me to write down my address in a small book AND then………

He DIPS me, yes, like a dance dip, asks me permission and then kisses ME chastely on my cheek!

The door opens, Emily is now [tapping] her feet and thwarting off flirtatious talk by Davy Jones (with something I remember as subtle as ‘FUCK OFF!’)

‘You’re done!’ She tells me sternly.

I was, forever. Forever change, just like Marcia Brady was when Davy Jones kissed her on her cheek.

The whole ride home we laughed at the idea that we were ‘groupies’ and I tried to downplay to her how UNBELIEVABLE and SUREAL the whole moment was. Like I had manifested a dream.

Later that night, back with other people my own age, back to what we all deemed very important…shots and dancing, I was still reliving every moment of what happened that magical day, wishing I had a phone to call Lara (she’d never believe it) or that that there was a special Monkees hotline that I could call to discuss ‘my feelings.’

‘What is that!?’ My friend Chudney asked me mid dance to Franki Valli’s Oh What A Night, pointing to a small foam ball peeking perfectly outside the middle of my bra. I looked down, reached in and just started laughing.

Peter’s microphone fob (or whatever the furry thing is at the tip of the microphone) must have fallen into my shirt during our torrid dip.

This was sure to go into the Smithsonian of my life.

Months later, when I returned back to earth, I received a three page letter from Peter Tork (remember, he asked me for my address before the dip) which was just beautiful, poetry mixed with kindness, which is how I choose to this day to describe him as a human.

Yes I was 22 and he was 52, yes this moment would be fully frowned upon today, but it was my moment, willingly and open heartedly. I willed myself backstage and into that dressing room and I’m grateful for that his real sweetness and this (I’m hoping you find benign and funny) story.

Yesterday when I heard of Peter’s passing, I danced with my daughter (even dipped her a few times) and then expressed gratitude to Peter and The Monkees for keeping me innocent, for keeping me weird and for keeping me alive with possibilities of real love – the kind you get from a song, or a glance or a sweet cheek kiss.” - Mary Giuliani, thriveglobal dot com, February 2019

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rantsintechnicolor · 1 year ago

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I love music; the hozier concert at santa barbara bowl October 28.

There are not many concerts I can report back on that really, really touch me. Things I really like to see:

The headlining artist thanks the opening artist

The headlining artist brings that artist back on stage to sing with them

The headlining artist introduces the band, stage hands, engineers, tour managers, etc.

The headliner gets personal with us, speaks from the heart, is authentically weird, talks about their inspirations.

Audience interaction; the headliner singles out members and/or invites the audience to sing along

The headliner observes the encore ritual (there are only a few concerts that have not observed the ritual and when they don’t I find it devastating)

Oh sure. I appreciate good production value, too. Lighting and visuals and props are nice. It’s nice, but not required.

Who has done this for me in the last two years? Who has hit all the marks? Kishi Bashi. Not Muse and not LP, though I still love them. And Hozier. Oh my! Our husband delivered all the things, but I was also struck by how good a person he is. If not 1, 2, and 3, then number 4 is unlikely to happen. But, wow. Number 4 exceeded in expectations.

Other things. Half his band is women. There were nine musicians, and four were women. All musicians got a solo, but he called out the names of the women most often for their performances. I guess that makes sense; his stage name is his mother’s maiden name.

Funny things. (a.) The women screaming and losing their minds when this musical god looking like a haggard Jesus, tall and lanky and graceful, walked out on the stage. Like he was Elvis or The Beatles. (b.) His dark humor. He introduced a song by saying: “I’m going to lighten the mood by singing a song inspired by seeing an animal get hit by a car.” W said, if he didn’t have dark humor he would not ,be her husband. I do like his sorrowful, melancholic, morbid whimsy, and I suppose I should have expected dark humor as well.

Human things. (a.) He stopped the band mid song when he was alerted to one of the audience members that fell down in the pit. He held up his hand toward the band and very gently, he said, “guys if we could pause please. Let’s pause. Someone has just gone down in the audience and I want to make sure they are all right before we continue. A lot can happen when you hit the ground. We can’t be too careful. I want to thank our audience for their patience and compassion.” The lights came up, and it took a few minutes, but the audience became quiet. When Hozier got the signal all was well they all resumed mid song. (b.) Call to action for peace. Hozier is from Northern Ireland which has a history of all sorts of turmoil and violence. He asked us kindly and gently to consider contacting our representatives to support the UN’s call for a ceasefire in the middle east. Apparently, the US did not support this resolution. He reminded us how instrumental international assistance was to brokering peace in Northern Ireland, allowing him to grow up in a peaceful place. Though a few people were shouting at him to Play Music, he held up a hand, beseeching their patience, and finished his short speech. (c.) When he talked about his inspiration, he talked about Mavis Staples, who he was so pleased to have worked with on Nina Cried Power. Her music was the poetry of the Civil Rights Movement, he said. And it directly influenced a civil rights movement in Northern Ireland. (d.) He did tell us he appreciated those of us doing the Halloween thing. He said hello to and excellent version of Super Mario in the pit, pronouncing it mary-o. Should I ever get a chance to chat with Hozier, I might ask him if he likes Halloween and if his songs are inspired by zombies and witches and cults.

Finally, I don’t cry at many concerts. But I absolutely did at this one. I won’t say what song made me lose it, nor why. But I’m sure I’m not the only one that got emotional there. I can’t be. That’s the power of music.

#concerts #hozier #i love music #when the celebrity is also a good human

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yestolerancepro · 1 year ago

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My dear girl, there are some things that just aren't done, such as drinking Dom Perignon '53 above the temperature of 38 degrees Fahrenheit. That's just as bad as listening to The Beatles without earmuffs!” A blog inspired by the music world of James Bond Part 5 The film is great but the title is well

Introduction

Hello there and welcome to the final chapter of this extended series of blogs looking at the musical tastes of James Bond over the last 60 years .This chapter covers those tricky titles from the Ian Fleming James Bond stories that the script writers producers and song writers had a real struggle with. Two of those tricky titles Thunderball and the Spy who loved me have been dealt with in prevous chapters of the blog.

This Chapter of the blog deals with On her Majesty’s Secret service and Octopussy.

Casting The New James Bond

In 1967, after five films, Sean Connery resigned from the role of James Bond and was not on speaking terms with Albert Broccoli during the filming of You Only Live Twice.[27] Over 400 actors, including many of the most famous performers in the Commonwealth, were considered for the role of James Bond.[17]

The confirmed front runners were Englishman John Richardson, Dutchman Hans De Vries, Australian Robert Campbell, Scotsman Anthony Rogers, Greek Giorgos Fountas[28] and Australian George Lazenby.[14] Broccoli also met with Terence Stamp about playing the part.[29] Broccoli was interested in rising star Oliver Reed but decided his public image was already too distinct.

Future Bond star Timothy Dalton was asked to audition after his appearance in The Lion in Winter but considered himself too young, as he was 25 years old and did not want to succeed Connery as Bond. In an interview in 1987 when he was playing Bond in The Living Daylights, Dalton said "I was 24-25 then, I had a good career then as a young man in films The Lion in Winter and Mr Broccoli kindly asked me if I was interested, I think I'm just too young for this role. I think Bond should be between 35 and 40, and as a 25-26 year old and I wouldn't have been right".[17]

Broccoli and Hunt eventually chose Lazenby after seeing him in a Fry's Chocolate Cream advertisement.[18] Lazenby dressed the part by sporting several sartorial Bond elements such as a Rolex Submariner wristwatch and a Savile Row suit (ordered for, but uncollected by, Connery), and going to Connery's barber at the Dorchester Hotel.[19] Broccoli noticed Lazenby as a Bond-type man based on his physique and character elements, and offered him an audition. The position was consolidated when Lazenby accidentally punched a professional wrestler, who was acting as stunt coordinator, in the face, impressing Broccoli with his ability to display aggression.[14

The film website Screenrant recently published an article called How all 6 James Bond actors compare to the Ian Fleming Iconic Book spy they said this about George Lazenby.

Lazenby only lasted one movie in the role of Bond, but he couldn’t have had a better shot at the part. The tragic On Her Majesty’s Secret Service wouldn’t have worked without anyone else in the role, and journalist Ben McIntyre argued that the actor came closest to embodying Fleming’s take on Bond in his 2008 book For Your Eyes Only. It’s easy to see where McIntyre’s argument comes from, as Lazenby’s Bond took himself more seriously than Connery's did, much like Fleming’s version of the spy. Outside an infamous fourth-wall-breaking opening gag, his storyline was also more grounded, which allowed Lazenby to embody Bond’s troubled side.

Casting the leading lady

For Tracy Draco, the producers wanted an established actress opposite neophyte Lazenby.[30] Brigitte Bardot was invited, but after she signed to appear in Shalako opposite Sean Connery, the deal fell through,[16] and Diana Rigg—who had already been the popular heroine Emma Peel in The Avengers—was cast instead.[8] Rigg said one of the reasons for accepting the role was that she always wanted to be in an epic film.[18]

The Iconic Villian in her Majesty’s secret Service

On her Majesty’s sees the return of Ernst Stavro Blofeild this time by Telly Savalas he was played Donald Pleasence in you only live twice and would be played by Charles Grey in the following film Diamonds are Forever.

Recently Screenrantly published an article on their website titled Every James Bonds Iconic Villian Ranked and for George Lazenby they chose Blofeild lets face it they couldn’t choose amybody else.

George Lazenby only ever starred in one Bond movie, so he only ever faced one Bond villain, and that movie was sandwiched into the middle of Sean Connery’s arc, so he had to share his villain with Connery. But that villain happened to be Bond’s ultimate big bad, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Connery faced other unforgettable villains like Dr. No and Auric Goldfinger, but Blofeld was their boss. Blofeld’s portrayal in the Bond movies – particularly in You Only Live Twice – has influenced how supervillains are depicted on-screen for decades. Blofeld is the quintessential Bond villain: a diabolical criminal mastermind who’s always one step ahead of 007.

A bunch of different actors have put their own stamp on the role of Blofeld over the years. Telly Savalas played the character opposite Lazenby in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Charles Gray played the part opposite a returning Connery in Diamonds Are Forever. But the most iconic take on the character (by far) is Donald Pleasence’s chilling performance alongside Connery in You Only Live Twice. The glint in Pleasence’s scarred eye is both mesmerizing and unsettling; he’s a captivating presence whenever he appears on-screen. Every James Bond movie villain since Pleasence’s Blofeld has been competing for the silver medal.

OHMSS A unique James Bond film

Taking over from Somebody in the lead role is difficult enough but when you take over the lead role from somebody as well known as Sean Connery in the most successful film franchise that is James Bond that task is even harder still

Considering it was it was also George Lazenby’s first lead role in a major film I thought George Lazenby’s take on James Bond in his only film was excellent On Her Majesty’s secret service is a unique film in my view in that its more of a charector piece than your usual James Bond spy story indeed more than in any other Bond film the gadgets take a backseat to the story for once and its more about the love story between James Bond and Tracey Draco than anything else

This is highlighted by the fact as well that the What Culture website picked the relationship between the too as their moment of the whole film.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service, despite George Lazenby's terrible performance as Bond, is one of the most elite installments of the series. It does many things incredibly well, but it's Bond's relationship with Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) that really makes the film linger in one's mind.

It seems clear the film put a huge amount of effort into this part of the story - in fact, at one point, the film basically stops in order to show a very nice romantic montage of the pair set to Louis Armstrong's "We Have All the Time in the World" - and while it made for a very different film compared to its predecessors, it sure as hell paid off.

OHMSS offers up a genuinely moving, chemistry-filled romance that pulls viewers right in and is so good that not even Lazenby can ruin it. Besides, any deficiencies in his performance are counter-balanced by Diana Rigg's wonderful turn as Tracy.

In the end, the film concludes with Tracy's murder and this scene is still absolutely devastating all these years later. With this tragic ending, OHMSS basically does something similar to what No Time to Die did decades later, but it did it far better.

Screenrant published an article called Each Bond actors defining scene 6 moments that defined James Bond for George Lazenby they Chose Tracy’s death scene

George Lazenby only played Bond in one movie, but it just so happened to be one of the greatest Bond movies of all time. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service sees 007 falling in love for the first time and ends with him marrying Contessa Teresa di Vicenzo, better known as Tracy. Just as Bond seems to get a happy ending, and he heads off on his honeymoon with Tracy, his bride is gunned down by his enemies in a drive-by shooting. This is one of the saddest moments in Bond history, and Lazenby nails the raw emotions of a widowed newlywed in tears, cradling his dead wife.

Tracy was never mentioned enough in later movies, but nonetheless, in OHMSS itself this love story is easily its greatest asset, although the cinematography, action sequences and the franchise's best incarnation of Blofeld (played here by Telly Savalas) deserve mention too.

Tracy’s Death was also included in another Screenrant article titled 10 greatest James Bonds scenes ranked from worst to best landing at number 5 in their list they had this to say:

George Lazenby only appeared in one James Bond movie, and the actor had the hard job of replacing Sean Connery, the original 007 who, according to many viewers, is still the greatest to ever play the role. However, Connery’s Bond wouldn’t have worked in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, as evidenced by the movie’s strongest scene. When 007 married his love interest, Tracy (Diana Rigg), only for her to be murdered by Blofeld (Telly Savalas), the unstoppable spy experienced his most crushing defeat in the franchise’s history. Poignant and brutal, this scene marked a turning point for Bond’s unflappable screen persona.

Besides the James Bond and Tracey love story the film sees bond trying to stop Blofield spreading Germ warfair by using innocent girls which he calls his angels of death indeed the Colider film highlighted these ladies as one of the highlights of the film in their article The 16 deadliest Women in the James Bond franchise arriving on the list at number 10.

The Angels of Death are 12 extremely attractive, wealthy, and sophisticated women who were selected by Irma Bunt (see below) from various countries to assist the Head of the crime organization SPECTRE, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas), in contaminating, sterilizing, and eventually ransoming the world's food supply.

“TOTAL Infertility! In plants and animals. Not just disease in a few herds, Mr. Bond. Or the loss of a single crop. But the destruction of a whole strain. Forever! If my demands are not met, I shall proceed with the systematic extinction of whole species of cereals and livestock all over the world!” - Blofeld

Though a global threat, the ladies are actually regularly brainwashed and hypnotized, unbeknownst to them, thinking they are simply being treated for their specific food allergies in a luxurious Alpine facility.

Irma Bunt played by the German actress Ilse Steppat made an appearance in the same list making number 7 in the chart so a film that a film considered by some as a flop does have some highlights this is what they had to say :

Portrayed by the German actress Ilse Steppat, Irma Bunt is the stern middle-aged subordinate of Blofeld’s who runs the “allergy institute” in the Swiss Alps, “helping” the ladies with their allergies by day, and brainwashing them in their sleep. When Bond (the underrated George Lazenby) checks into the facility as a patient, she thoroughly has his luggage inspected, and informs him she enforces strict rules on all guests, such as not disclosing last names or room numbers. But then, his cover is blown, and after a relentless car chase, there is a big explosion, causing Bond to believe Bunt is dead. However, she later turns up at his own wedding, and attempts to shoot him with an M16, but she kills his new bride instead

My thoughts on her Majestys secret service

Cinemagoers who came to see the film in 1969 most have had a big shock when they saw a more charector led story with a much more sensitive and emotional James Bond than they were used to but for me agaIn that's ok because sometimes a franchise even one like James Bond needs to take risk sometimes to stop it going stale and boring.

The film is will written and is well directored by Peter R Hunt It is the only Bond film to have been directed by him (with this serving as his directorial debut), he had served as a film editor and second unit director on previous films in the series.

OHMSS Brought to book

Peter R Hunt also had one of Ian Flemings best books to work with in Screenrants article which rated the 14 bond novels that Fleming wrote OHMSS came at number 4 in their chart they had this to say about the book

On Her Majesty's Secret Service followed the disaster that was The Spy Who Loved Me and, therefore, marked a return to form for both Fleming and the James Bond series. Though it contains much of the action and thrills of Fleming's other works, On Her Majesty's Secret Service offers a gentler and more tender approach than the previous entries. It all culminates in a gut-wrenching climax that once again proves that Fleming is far from a one-trick pony. An intriguing conspiracy and a worthy opponent in the form of Blofeld help make OHMSS a classic.

OHMSS features some of the best action scenes you will ever see in a Bond film the Stock car race and ski-ing sequences being particularly good that Yard Barker published an article called the 25 Greatest set peices in the Bond highlighting the films finale at Piz Gloria.

Again, listen to Soderbergh. This is an exquisitely shot and edited set-piece that kicks off with three helicopters assaulting Blofeld’s Piz Gloria stronghold, proceeds to crosscut between a tightly staged firefight and Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) holding her own (and eventually killing) one of Blofeld’s thugs, then concludes with a (literally) breakneck bobsled chase. Director Peter Hunt’s aerial, exterior and interior photography matches perfectly; you’re always aware of where the characters are (including Bond as he belly-slides down an icy slope, machine gun blazing), and what they’re trying to achieve. This is how it’s done.

on this evidance then its such a shame that he never any more bond films after this.

If it was up to me Lazenby should have ignored his agents wishes and stayed in the role for one more film at least then perharps audiences would have got used to his more sensitive portrayal as James Bond

Mind you I think I am right in saying if George Lazenby had continued as James Bond we would not have had the Roger Moore era of James Bond that I loved as a child so perharps you can’t have everything you want

To watch a video review of OHMSS from the Oliver Harper YouTube channel click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zfS0KRkQOo4

Music

John Barry who provided the soundtrack for the film which I conisder to be his best work for Bond provided an instrumential theme tune as he had done for the first two films Dr No and From Russia with love.

Barry felt it would be difficult to compose a theme song containing the title "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" unless it were written operatically, in the style of Gilbert and Sullivan. Leslie Bricusse had considered lyrics for the title song but director Peter R. Hunt allowed an instrumental title theme in the tradition of the first two Bond films. The theme is built around a lament bass, which establishes the story as a tragedy. Barry's composition was described as "one of the best title cuts, a wordless Moog-driven monster, suitable for skiing at breakneck speed or dancing with equal abandon.

The instrumental theme for ONHMSS is a John Barry classic . It would not grace the pop charts under its own steam. the dance band The Propellerheads would release a remix of theme working with David Arnold for his album James Bond remixed. the single reached number 7 in the UK charts you can listen to it by clicking here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zN8GcRGNWe4

Barry also composed the love song "We Have All the Time in the World", with lyrics by Burt Bacharach's regular lyricist Hal David, sung by Louis Armstrong. It is heard during the Bond–Tracy courtship montage, bridging Draco's birthday party in Portugal and Bond's burglary of the Gebrüder Gumbold law office in Bern, Switzerland.

The song doesn’t appear till 30 mins into the film gentle and reflective the song was the last studio recording by Louis Armstrong and features a beautiful and thrilling string arrangement that was modifed by Barry to play on Low strings as a jaunty theme for Bond in some of the films earlier sequences one of the most interesting and symbolic uses of music in the Bond film as 007 discusses Tracey with her father and Draco suggests that her daughter needs a man to dominate her !

Barry recalled Armstrong was very ill, but recorded the song in one take. Armstrong did, however, make some further recordings in 1970 and 1971. The song was re-released in 1994, achieving the number three position during a 13-week spell in the UK charts. When it was used for a Guinness infinity beer campaign.

The song was reused for a second Bond movie, when it was used as the soundtrack for the closing credits for the 2021 release No Time to Die.

To watch a trailer for on Her Majesty’s Secret sevice click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dOLq5Rg9N-c&list=PL17vqAEJv6CUxmeZBk3JGDLBbcPEd4CDp&index=1

To watch a tribuite video for OHMSS click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y35cTSFFeYU

Octopussy

Octopussy is a 1983 spy film and the thirteenth in the James Bond series produced by Eon Productions. It is the sixth to star Roger Moore as the MI6 agent James Bond. It was directed by John Glen and the screenplay was written by George MacDonald Fraser, Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson.

The film's title is taken from a short story in Ian Fleming's 1966 short story collection Octopussy and The Living Daylights,

I like this film a lot again as with all the Bond films I enjoy it has a good mix of action and comedy and is well written and well directored by John Glenn ( his 2nd James Bond film after (for your eyes only)

His direction of the film was picked out of the What Culture website Best Bond moments article

Octopussy, with its stubborn insistence on prioritizing cringy comedy over thrills and a generally ill-conceived plot, is definitely one of the low points of the series (and one that totally ignored what made the previous film work) but it's not a total wash-out.

If there's one person who really comes out of the film with their dignity intact, it's John Glen, who directed five Bond movies, starting with For Your Eyes Only and finishing with Licence to Kill.

Glen is definitely one of the best directors the series ever had; he was already doing great work as an editor in the franchise, and once he stepped into the director's chair, he always directed with flair and precision, delivering many stunning visuals in the process.

Once again, just like with For Your Eyes Only, Glen does a smashing job and ensured that, despite how dated the film is on a writing level, it still looks absolutely terrific - especially during the picture's aerial action scenes.

The film also has Maud Adams this time returning as Octopussy She featured at number 9 in the 10 most deadliest women in the James Bond Franchise on the Movie web website who had this to say about Octopussy

Octopussy: [Bond sneaks into her room] Good evening. I wondered when you might arrive.

Bond: So, you are the mysterious Octopussy.

Octopussy: And you are James Bond, 007, licensed to kill. Am l to be your target for tonight?

Bond: Oh no, not necessarily. Depends how much you tell me about jewelry smuggling. And why one of our agents was killed in East Berlin.

Maud Adams plays Octopussy, a powerful smuggler of rare jewels, and the leader of an ancient cult of lone, fierce, and heavily trained acrobats, all of them women, and living on a secluded island in India. Her associate is an exiled Afghan prince, Kamal Khan, who also has members of the Cult of Octopus among his servants. Octopussy will eventually join forces with Bond (Roger Moore) against her ally

Music

Rather than use the word Octopussy in the title of the song the producers of the James Bond film did the most refreashing thing and decided not to mention it all instead we got a song called All Time High.

Once again John Barry provided the Soundtrack for the film theme "All Time High" with lyricist Tim Rice. "All Time High", sung by Rita Coolidge, is one of seven musical themes in the James Bond series whose song titles do not refer to the film's title. "All Time High" spent four weeks at number one on the United States' Adult Contemporary singles chart and reached number 36 on the Billboard Hot 100.[25]

To watch a video short about the making of Octopussy called 10 things you never new about Octopussy Click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhwpkASnFlM&t=32s

To watch a trailer for Octopussy click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1hLWZzgZvU

a lot of work has gone into this blog if you have read it and liked it please consider sending a donation to the Tolerance project by clicking on the above link https://gofund.me/5cf25de4

Notes

If your wondering where the title of this blog comes from it features in the 3rd James Bond film Goldfinger which is rightly seen by many as a classic Bond film and probably the best Bond film ever made. it was the first Bond film to make over a 100 million at the box office with a great mix of action comedy girls and gadgets and featured a great Goldfinger title song sung by Shirley Bassey the song itself made the top 30 in the UK charts

To watch a trailer for Goldfinger click here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MA65V-oLKa8&list=PL17vqAEJv6CUxmeZBk3JGDLBbcPEd4CDp&index=12

Thanks once again to Wikipedia for the background notes this time on the songs All time high and We have all the time in the world the Oliver Harper Youtube page for the OHMSS Retrospective review video Storm Chaser Z you tube channel for the viarous James bond videos and the Cinema Blend website for the series of articles called James Bond ranked

And Google Images for the viarous pictures of the viarous eras of James Bond

Pictures

1) Poster for OHMSS

2) Diana Rigg as Tracy

3) Diana Rigg as Tracey

4) Tracey and James Bond

5) The Angels of Death

6) Erima Bunt

7) Octpussy Poster

8) Octopussy herself

9) One of the many Posters for Goldfinger

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daggerzine · 1 year ago

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Cut Worms- S/T (Jagjaguwar Records)

After his Memphis produced double album, Nobody Lives Here Anymore, in 2020, Max Clarke (aka Cut Worms) ventured to a few different studios to capture some new sounds. Maybe that’s why the music on this album has him moving in different musical directions as well. On his third full length self-titled album, all songs are written, arranged, produced, and mixed by himself. Clarke is back with his psychedelic folk filled with nasal, deadpan vocals and slide guitar, but this time he’s joined by many guest musicians. But don’t worry, his great touring band, drummer Noah Bond and bassist Keven Lareau, still perform on this album.

The album begins with “Don't Fade Out,” a piano-driven boogie. Guest artists, courtesy of the D’Adarrio brothers of Lemon Twigs fame, add a nice touch with their piano and bass. A foot tapping gem that’s a terrific way to start off the album. Next, “Take it and Smile” is a slower song, but filled with some amazing guitar picking and “roller-skating rink” organ. “Ballad of the Texas King” is by far my favorite on the album. A bouncy song that features Florist’s Rick Spataro on piano and additional guitar. (Rick’s Onlyness Analog Studio also provided one of the recording spaces this time out.) A soaring melody and stunning piano work highlight this song. “I'll Never Make It” captures the sound of the 50s’ greats Buddy Holly and The Everly Brothers. It’s a bopping piano ballad that will have you singing along in no time. “Is it Magic?” continues the 50s sound, but this time Beach Boys harmonies join in.

“Let's Go Out On The Town” is another favorite of mine that takes me back to early (“Not A Second Time”) Beatles, but then shifts to more of Clarke’s unique, twangy sound. “Living Inside” slows things down a bit, nothing wrong with that; it adds to the variety of this album. Gorgeous strings written and arranged by Simon Hanes and performed by Ansel Cohen and Gabe Valle add to this mood. The next track, “Use Your Love! (Right Now),” returns to the Beach Boys scene. Another great summer song! The album ends with “Too Bad,” a somber song that we can only wish isn’t the last song.

Nine songs in 32 minutes, not quite the quantity of his double album, but definitely the quality of the Cut Worms that we’ve grown to love. I caught his band live back in 2018 at West Fest in Chicago. I’m glad to see he’s still putting out great music and utilizing his contacts to add to his sound. Looks like a US fall tour(September through October) is set up, so be sure to catch these songs live! ERIC EGGLESON

https://www.cut-worms.com/

https://jagjaguwar.com/artist/cutworms/

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jakeyt · 1 year ago

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I was tagged by the lovely @gold-mines-melting, @bananno, and @joshym to complete this challenge. And honestly, I’m shit at getting to fun things like this…I think it’s an ADHD thing FOR SURE. 🙃

But anywayyy…I’m finally doing it!!! THANK U, @gold-mines-melting, for putting up with my procrastination 🥲🫶🏻

So, here we go. Jsyk, music has always been my main love language, so (mini) DEEP DIVE TIME!

1. Five songs you’ve got on repeat right now (no specific order)

I’m a big Beyoncé fan (it’s been on and off the past few years, but with this song releasing…the love has re-emerged) And with the Renaissance tour starting, seeing her perform this song live = a very emotional me. 😭

R&B is my absolute FAVORITE genre…no questions asked. And this song?

Sexy as f u c k. 🥵 Been on repeat for weeeeks now.

A sweet (more recent) classic that’s stayed stuck in my heart since I first heard it 🤍🥹

Without any context (save for the song itself), this song has helped to heavily inspire/support my ideas for Covet.

My favorite band of all time. My first real discovery of music when I was just a little girl. And this album is a very under appreciated one. I bounce back and forth with what my favorite Beatles album is based on seasons of life.

And a bonus. I start almost every day with this song. I didn’t want to include Greta (bc we all know I listen to them, and this is an exploration). Buuut, I had to put this one on here considering I literally start all my days with it.

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2. Last album I listened to all the way through

Revolver (by The Beatles). On vinyl.

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3. Any other shows coming up

Greta x3 (not pit bc I’m scared to do that again) w/ @joshym 😭😭😭🤍

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4. Favorite piece of merch that isn’t gvf related

Probably something Michael Jackson. I have a stuffed bear from Michael Jackson’s This Is It tour. I can’t begin to tell you how much I love Michael Jackson. His music has gotten be through the hardest times of my life.

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5. Artists on your gig/concert bucket list

Where do I begin??? I’ve been fortunate enough to see many of my favorites (Bruno Mars, Ariana Grande, Lake Street Dive, for example). But… Usher or John Mayer, I’d say. Sentimental reasons I won’t dive into right now. If you’re curious of the sentimentality, you may ask! 🫶🏻

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I’m v sorry I talk so much. If you made it this far, thank you for caring and I love you. 🤍🤍🥹 See why I don’t do these? I’m annoying as hell lol.

Again, thank you for the tag, friends!!

I’ll tag @joshym to complete the questions. I’d love for her to share her answers with you! And then I’ll tag @indigostardustchords, @jakeytkiszka, @indigofallingsky and @jakeykiszkas. If you’ve already completed it, I apologize! And if you don’t want to participate, don’t feel obligated. 🫶🏻

#I love music #SO MUCH #it is the way I live and breathe #I’m a blabbermouth #it’s a curse #personal #text post

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omgwhatimneurospicy · 3 months ago

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Too weird to live, too rare to die.

As I’ve learned about how it’s affected me for the last 31 years, I’ve felt justified for the anguish, pain, and confusion I held for so many years.

But I’m also re-feeling a lifetime of pain. I feel it under a magnifying glass. Confirmation that I truly was misunderstood, I truly was weird, I truly was doing the fucking best I could do it also confirmation that everyone around me let me down as I cried out for help.

I feel like I’ve been in a dissociative state for 7-8 years. And suddenly all parts of myself that had been locked away are right here.

I feel the youngest parts of me, begging to feel safe. Middle school me, begging to be heard. Teenage me needing to be free.

Different songs and the poems and sayings I held onto through different parts of my life are flooding into my mind, as if to tell me I always knew, even before I know.

Bluebird

Too weird to live, too weird to die

The Beatles

Almost famous

The way I’d daydream to escape into a world where I could be a princess

The way I started to hallucinate at age 7 and never told a soul.

Poor young me, going into psychosis. Often. Alone.

I was so alone. I was in so much pain.

Am in so much pain.

Teenage me is present. She reminded me of this phrase we used to say all the time. We used to think this was the only thing that could describe us, even if no one else understood:

Too weird to live, too rare to die.

Because I always knew.

What do you do when you’re too weird to live and too rare to die?

Where do you belong?

Now I’m a mother of two in corporate America, paralyzed in bed with a lifetime of pain radiating from my stomach.

I WAS RIGHT. Validate me. Tell me I was never unloveable. Tell me I was enough. Tell me I was valid. Tell me my pain was real. I tried to tell you all, all the time.

Oh megan, she’s so dramatic. She’s just attracted to that rock n roll lifestyle for some reason. It’s all a performance right?

It can’t be that I was actually in that much pain all the time.

Except I was. I feel so failed by everyone who was supposed to love me and see me and protect me:

I’m 31. I’ve pushed myself to the limit because I believed the lies that said it was all just something I needed to get over.

I’m a mother. A wife. A woman. A friend.

And I’m autistic.

#audhd #actually autistic #autistic adult #late diagnosed autistic #too weird to live too rare to die

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parkerbombshell · 9 months ago

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Rules Free Radio Feb 13

Tuesdays 2pm - 5pm EST Rules Free Radio With Steve Caplan bombshellradio.com On the next Rules Free Radio with Steve Caplan, we’ll hear tributes and a commemoration. Unfortunately, we’ve lost several people in music in the last week or so. We'll start with a tribute to Aston “Family Man” Barrett, the prolific bass player with Bob Marley and The Wailers who also did some solo albums and played with many other artists. His work has a distinctive deep, clean, funky bass sound that is the standard of bass rhythm in Reggae and Ska music. Wayne Kramer was a guitarist with the band MC5, and Mojo Nixon was a singer known for his comical songs such as Elvis Is Everywhere. In the second hour, we’ll do a set with music from both of these artists. Beatles and British Invasion fans will want to stick around for the third hour when we celebrate the 60th anniversary of The Beatles' first American television performance on The Ed Sullivan Show on February 9th, 1964. We’ll hear some of the audio from that performance, other songs by The Beatles, songs they gave to other artists, and a bunch of British Invasion songs that go deeper than the eras’ overplayed hits. Before that we’ll hear some new music from The Decemberists, Kula Shaker, The Paranoid Style, Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes, Brigitte Calls Me Baby, Papa Schmapa, Alkaline Trio, and Gentleman Jesse. Plus Harry Nilsson, The Beach Boys, Martha and The Muffins, Elvis Costello, and more. Bob Marley & The Wailers - Midnight Ravers Aston Family Man Barrett - Dubbing Naturally Alpha Blondy - Bloodshed In Africa Bob Marley & the Wailers - War Burning Spear - Red Gold And Green Peter Tosh - Legalize It Alton Ellis & The Flames - Girl I've Got A Date Desmond Dekker & the Aces - 007 (Shanty Town) The Bodysnatchers (feat .Rhoda Dakar) - Ruder Than You Dandy Livingstone (feat. Rico Rodriguez) - Rudy, a Message to You Frank Carter and The Rattlesnakes - Man of The Hour Harry Nilsson - Gotta Get Up The Paranoid Style - The Ballad of Pertinent Information (Turn It On) Martha and The Muffins - Women Around the World at Work Kula Shaker - Gaslighting The Decemberists - Burial Ground The Beach Boys - Sloop John B Elvis Costello - (The Angels Wanna Wear My) Red Shoes Alkaline Trio - Scars Papa Schmapa - That's Just Fine Brigitte Calls Me Baby - Impressively Average Gentleman Jesse - Where Time Stands Still Love - Seven & Seven Is MC5 - Kick Out The Jams Mojo Nixon - I'm Gonna Dig Up Howlin' Wolf The Clash - Jail Guitar Doors Was (Not Was) - The Party Broke Up Mojo Nixon - Gin Guzzlin' Frenzy MC5 - Future/Now Wayne Kramer - No Easy Way Out The dbs - Lonely Is (As Lonely Does) The Beatles - Ed Sullivan Intro All My Loving The Beatles - Please Please Me (Washington Coliseum February 11, 1964) The Strangers with Mike Shannon - One & One Is Two The Applejacks - Like Dreamers Do Peter And Gordon - I Don't Want To See You Again (Live on Ed Sullivan) The Beatles - I Got to Find My Baby The Beatles - Ed Sullivan Intro I Saw Her Standing There The Fourmost - I'm In Love Billy J. Kramer And The Dakotas - Bad To Me The Chris Barber Band - Catwalk Cilla Black - It's For You Gerry and the Pacemakers - Hello Little Girl The Rolling Stones - I Wanna Be Your Man The Undertakers - Watch Your Step The Yardbirds - I'm Not Talking The Pretty Things - Oh Baby Doll The Kinks - So Mystifying The Merseys - Sorrow The Remo Four - Live Like A Lady Chad & Jeremy - From A Window The Animals - It's My Life Read the full article

#rules

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therecordchanger62279 · 11 months ago

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THE RECORDCHANGER YEAR-END EDITION 2023

My annual year-end review of my favorite records and books.

TOP NEW ALBUM RELEASES

Rachmaninoff: The Piano Concertos – Yuja Wang & The Los Angeles Philharmonic

I Inside The Old Year Dying – PJ Harvey

The American Project – Yuja Wang with The Louisville Orchestra

Hackney Diamonds – The Rolling Stones

Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day? – Galen & Paul

Relentless – Pretenders

The Future Is Now – The Chick Corea Elektric Band

TOP REISSUES/ARCHIVE RELEASES

Evenings At The Village Gate – John Coltrane with Eric Dolphy

Anthology – Charlie Watts

Hollywood Blues Summit-Live At The Ash Grove – Muddy Waters

Live At Mabuhay Gardens – Romeo Void

Grrr Live! – The Rolling Stones

All Around Man: Live In London – Rory Gallagher

A Night In San Francisco – Missing Persons

FINDS OF THE YEAR

(Catalog titles that slipped under my radar when first released)

Yesterday’s Wine – Willie Nelson (1971)

Let England Shake – PJ Harvey (2011)

Concerto In B. Goode – Chuck Berry (1969)

Live In Bremen 1975 – Gary Bartz NTU Troop (2021)

Cool Heat: The Best of CTI Records – Various (2017)

Force Majeure – Doro Pesch (1989)

Bound For Hell On The Sunset Strip – Various Artists (2022)

THE YEAR IN REVIEW:

If anyone had told me that 2023 would see new releases from both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones, I’d have suggested a sanity check. But a live archive release from The Stones early in the year was followed by the all-new Hackney Diamonds in October, while The Beatles released one more song, Now and Then, to cap their career once and for all. Of course, both were bittersweet. Hackney Diamonds was the first Stones release of new material following the death of original drummer Charlie Watts in August 2021. And though Watts appeared on two tracks finished in 2019, Steve Jordan took over the drum chair for the band with mixed results. The Beatles resurrected yet another John Lennon demo first attempted for their Anthology project in 1995, but left unfinished then because of technical issues. New technology allowed them to finally finish the track in 2023, but guitarist George Harrison had passed in 2001. That left Paul and Ringo along with late producer George Martin’s son Giles to complete the recording. So, these releases are really in name only because both The Beatles and The Rolling Stones we all came to know and love had already left the building. Still, both projects were successful, and well-received, and while The Beatles claim their record is indeed the end, The Rolling Stones are already back on the road, and promising another album of new material (and one last Watts recording) as early as next year. (I wouldn’t put any money on that, however, unless you can afford to lose it.)

For those of us who took Charlie Watts’ passing to heart, there was some comfort in the release of the Charlie Watts Anthology this year that collected some of the drummer’s best Jazz recordings. And once again, some master sleuth managed to unearth a previously unheard, and unreleased recording by the late John Coltrane. Evenings At The Village Gate with Eric Dolphy, a rehearsal for a 1961 date at the Village Gate transcends less than perfect sound to remind everyone that 1961 was John Coltrane’s year, and that everything he touched that year turned to gold.

The musical event of 2023, as far as I’m concerned was Yuja Wang’s marathon performance with the Los Angeles Philharmonic of all four Rachmaninoff Piano Concertos in one go in February, released a few months later. The genius pianist also released The American Project, a new work by composer Teddy Abrams with the Louisville Orchestra conducted by Michael Tilson Thomas. She toured sold out venues all around the world, and continues to push the envelope by making innovative, and fresh choices in her repertoire to draw more attention to the Classical music genre in the 21st century. As Classical musicians go, Yuja Wang is a Rock star.

One of the year’s best surprises was the return of Clash bassist Paul Simonon as part of a duo working under the name Galen & Paul. Galen is Galen Ayers, daughter of the late British singer-songwriter Kevin Ayers. Can We Do Tomorrow Another Day recalls the music Serge Gainsbourg made with Jane Birkin in the late 1960s. Sophisticated, smart, charming, and funny, and the last thing I’d have expected, but it works, and was one of my favorite records of the year. The new Pretenders album, Relentless, was another welcome addition to their catalog, and my collection. And PJ Harvey’s latest, I Inside The Old Year Dying, her first new album in seven years, re-establishes her as an artist who continues to move forward, and challenge listeners by constantly reinventing herself.

Finally, a great new live album from Chick Corea’s Elektric Band, prepared for release by Chick before he passed in 2021 paved the way for the reissue of the band's five studio albums for GRP in new digipak editions with excellent sound. Candid did the honors.

Closer to home, vinyl and cassette prices continue to rise while the availability of CDs continues to make buying a physical copy of almost anything a genuine headache. I waited three months for an online seller to supply me with Yuja Wang’s Rachmaninoff Concertos CD, and on the day of release, I visited eight retailers online or in store before I could find a copy of the new Rolling Stones album on CD. The store was 40 minutes from my house, and it dampened the excitement of getting the band’s first album of new material in eighteen years. I guess the record industry doesn’t need long time collectors any longer now that vinyl and cassettes are a hit with twenty-somethings with deep pockets. If CDs disappear completely, I’m finished buying music because I refuse to rent it.

I did, however, manage to find one vinyl record I wanted this year that was actually reasonably priced and available from a reliable online seller. Chuck Berry’s Concerto In B. Goode is kind of a “wild card” in the Berry catalog. His last release for Mercury in 1969 before he returned to Chess, the album has four new originals on side one, but side two features the title track only – eighteen minutes of Berry’s trademark licks and lines. There’s nothing else like it in Chuck’s catalog, and for that reason alone, it was worth getting. It’s hardly a masterpiece, but it is a great listen, and the pressing on Elemental is pristine.

Another great find this year was Willie Nelson’s 1971 album Yesterday’s Wine. I’d never heard it. I only knew it by reputation. But it was even better than I’d heard – easily as good as Shotgun Willie, Phases and Stages, and even Red Headed Stranger.

I’ve always (until this year) been behind on PJ Harvey releases, but this year I caught up with Let England Shake, released in 2011. It’s the best album in what has become one of the most impressive catalogs of any contemporary Rock artist.

Gary Bartz’s Live In Bremen 1975 with the NTU Troop was issued in 2021. I was looking for something interesting from that period, and stumbled on this one. Five years removed from his time with Miles Davis’s electric band, this lands between stints with Kenny Burrell, and Donald Byrd. Free Jazz with a Funk and Soul influence, and the politics of the day are what Bartz’s band was all about, and they are in fine form here. The music just washes over you like a soul cleansing shower.

All in all, not a bad year for good music – if you could find it, and if you could afford it. The future doesn’t look too bright for collectors like me, but I’m not ready to hang it up just yet – no matter how bumpy the road gets.

In closing, I’ll mention briefly that I read 40 books this past year, and several were among the worst I’ve ever read. I won’t waste your time discussing those. Instead, I’ll recommend the last one I read which happens to be a music memoir. Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl by Sleater-Kinney guitarist, songwriter, and co-founder Carrie Brownstein is one of the most engaging books I’ve ever read by a musician. Her honesty and candor are disarming, and while most memoirs are not usually what you would call “page turners,” this one certainly is. I read it in just two days, and I expect to read it again one day. Very highly recommended, and you don’t even need to be a fan of the band (though you might become one by the time you finish).

Most of the best books I read in 2023 were the crime novels of Ross McDonald featuring his sleuth Lew Archer, and Ian Fleming’s James Bond books. I also read a couple of books by Rock writer Gene Sculatti. For The Records and Tryin’ To Tell A Stranger ‘Bout Rock and Roll were great fun to read, and after the garbage I encountered through most of the year, welcome relief.

If you like what you see here, hit the ‘follow’ button, and then the ‘like’ button when the spirit moves you. Thanks for reading The Recordchanger. I hope you found it worth your time.

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80sfinalgrl · 11 months ago

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hello!!

i understand that…i’m not great with crowds and loud chaotic spaces either, but i love live music and something about the collective adrenaline is just the most amazing feeling!!

oh sweet, that sounds awesome!! and omg I would love to go the The Cure!!! my mom and I are both fans of them, and I remember hearing that they were in tour and wanting to go! and Fleetwood Mac would be a great one!! I like a lot of their music too, I’m finding we have a lot of favorites in common!!

The last big concert I went to was to go see Elton John a couple of summers ago! It’s probably my favorite I’ve been to, and it was a dream come true! Elton John is my all time favorite (he was number one on my wrap haha). I wish that I could’ve seen him and Billy Joel perform together, that would’ve been amazing!! Other than that, I would’ve really liked to see The Beatles perform and even now I want Paul McCartney to tour the US again! I know he’s working through Mexico right now…so maybe he’ll stop buy 🙏. I also would’ve loved to see Queen…and some old rock ‘n roll like Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, or Chuck Berry! Also! Seeing ABBA perform would be towards the top of my list!

A lot of the folks I mentioned up there are some of my favorites, but a side from that I really like The Eagles, a lot of funk, soul, and disco like Earth, Wind, and Fire and Sky and the Family Stone! I also really like jazz and swing, and I love Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Dean Martin, and a lot of great jazz pianists like Art Tatum, Bill Evans, Thelonious Monk, and Erroll Garner! What are some of your favorites?

- 🪩

the cure has been one of my favorite bands since my early teens omg, they were AMAZING and i’d love to go see them again :’) i hope you get the opportunity to go because they were fantastic live!!!

also same to all of those bands you listed!!! i wish i could have experienced some of the early rock and roll artists live for the first time, i’m sure that was such a wild experience and that would be so so cool. and abba and queen just sound like they’d be a ton of fun to see, especially in their prime lmao

i’m also really into that era of funk and soul and disco too!!! it’s not what i primarily listen to but i find myself going back to it a lot. i was brought up on so much music in my childhood, classic rock from my mom and oldies/funk/soul all came from my dad and stuff in between from both of them. so when i tell people that i listen to a little of everything i truly mean it lol. i’m so excited for later in the month when we can actually follow each other because we have so much shared music interests and i’m so excited to talk about it more!!! :)

#anon #mailbox #srs23 #🪩

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chorusfm · 1 year ago

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Liner Notes (November 4th, 2023)

I hope everyone had a good week this week. This week’s supporter Q&A post can be found here. If you’d like this newsletter delivered to your inbox each week (it’s free and available to everyone), you can sign up here. A Few Things * This will probably be another shortish newsletter. It’s a slower music week, and it’s the time of the year when there’s not much happening in the music world, and I have a lot of family commitments. It’s nice to take some time off and enjoy my favorite time of the year though. It’s wild to think that next week will be Hannah and my fourth wedding anniversary. The plan is to relax a little, have some nice meals, and get some things done around the house to prepare for the holidays. In Case You Missed It * Review: Taking Back Sunday – 152 * Review: Boys Like Girls – Sunday At Foxwoods * Green Day Announce 2024 Tour * Anberlin Share Matty Mullins Vocal Clip * Major Labels Trying to Stop Artists from Re-Recording Songs * Taking Back Sunday Play Fan Wedding * Brian Fallon Reviews Every Gaslight Anthem Album * The Gaslight Anthem Perform on CBS Saturday Morning * 20th Anniversary Edition of ‘Take This To Your Grave’ * Albums in Stores – Nov 3rd, 2023 Music Thoughts * Things I enjoyed that came out yesterday were the final Atreyu EP, creating a nice 12-song album that leans more into their pop side but works for me this time of year. And Spiritbox also released an awesome EP that continues their hot streak. * My week was spent between the current releases (Blink-182, Gaslight Anthem, Taking Back Sunday) and revisiting some albums that always feel great in November (Matt Nathanson, Patrick Droney, anything Ace Enders touches). The Stats: Over the past week, I listened to 36 different artists, 45 different albums and 443 different tracks (479 scrobbles). And you can follow me on Apple Music and/or Last.fm. Entertainment Thoughts * From the very first one to the latest, I’m a sucker for all the Mission: Impossible movies. I enjoyed Dead Reckoning, but I did feel like it was hurt by only being a “part one.” There are some great action scenes and set pieces. But not quite up to the level as my favorites from the franchise on first watch. * We did a bunch of Halloween movies last week: Talk to Me was the best of the bunch, The Blackening was a lot of fun, and Suitable Flesh was weird. * Whenever I think I’m about to just cancel Netflix they release something that pulls me back in. Currently, that’s Bodies. The first four episodes have pulled me in. Curious to see where it goes. Random and Personal Stuff * Next week’s project is to get the bedroom track lights fixed. The power supply for them died, and of course, they don’t make it anymore. After talking to a few electricians, they all think the whole system probably needs to be replaced because of how old it is (like 15 years?), and they don’t make anything compatible anymore. So my “this shouldn’t be too annoying to fix” project became a “this is going to be absolutely obnoxious” project real fast. Ten Songs Here are ten songs that I listened to and loved this week. Some may be new, some may be old, but they all found their way into my life during the past seven days. * Spiritbox – Ultraviolet * The Beatles – Now and Then * Sigrid – Borderline * Blink-182 – Turpintine * Taking Back Sunday – Juice 2 Me * The Gaslight Anthem – The Weatherman * Patrick Droney – We Got Old This Year * Matt Nathanson – Soundtrack * There Will Be Firewords – Smoke Machines (Summer Moon) * Paint it Black – Dominion This playlist is available on Spotify and Apple Music. Community Watch The trending and popular threads in our community this week include: * NFL Gameday Week 9 * Nutella vs. Cookie Butter * Kevin Drew – Aging (November 3, 2023) * MGMT – Loss Of Life (February 23, 2024) * FOOTBALLHEAD – Overthinking Everything (March 1, 2024) * Tour Prediction and Speculation Thread * Video… https://chorus.fm/features/articles/liner-notes-november-4th-2023/

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riotinapublicstation · 1 year ago

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Happy Halloween! I wrote a little feature on scary Beatles stuff.

Last year, I compiled a list of my personal scariest songs, and it was a lot of fun to see the variety of genres and artists that have the potential to make truly terrifying music. But who do I think has the potential to reign supreme on the uncomfortable songs scale? That's right, the Beatles.. especially in a time where groups were actively encouraged to make radio-friendly teen pop music.

There's lots I wanted to talk about, but I decided to focus specifically on the 1964-1965 period of Hard Day's Night and Rubber Soul, which is weird because when people think of scary Beatles songs they usually think of White Album tracks or Magical Mystery Tour, even though I do believe their earlier records have some frightening elements..

Run For Your Life: The Hidden Horrors of the Beatles (1964-1965)

I briefly annotated Revolution 9 by the Beatles as one of the most horrifying songs ever recorded, with its stressful, drug-fuelled instrumental incoherence. However, after realising the true extent of actually fear-inducing tracks by the Beatles, I wanted to magnify and look closer at their discography. We all have this schematic flowery picture of John, Paul, George and Ringo performing adoring love songs for thousands of screaming teenage girls in the sixties, but there were without a doubt many times where they went against their own image by parodying it - sometimes in the most eerie and dark ways possible.

Released at the peak of Beatlemania in 1964, A Hard Day’s Night seems at a glance to be non-conceptual, generic play at simple pronoun-based romance. The purest of which being ‘I’m Happy Just To Dance With You’, ‘Any Time At All’ and ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, but this album attempts to cuts deeper with implications of revenge, jealousy, hate and even death. Undying love and affection as represented in this album is almost overridden with a kind of uneasiness. The light, youthful steadiness of young love tends to disintegrate into a rougher, stricter male voice. It can at times, with the cynical listening ear, be an uncomfortable lyrical rabbit hole to go down - the darker cuts that oppose A Hard Day’s Night’s jovial appearance are mainly ‘If I Fell’, ‘You Can’t Do That’, ‘Tell Me Why’ and ‘I’ll Be Back’. The Beatles may feel like a group that you are least likely to associate with unhealthy, possessive romantic relationships but is cruelty hiding in plain sight?

Firstly, in the album’s third track, we get the sense that the speaker in the majority of the songs isn’t a completely stable lover, with repetition that begs for affection as he clashes with his own anxieties (‘If I trust in you, oh, please/Don’t run and hide/If I love you too…Don’t hurt my pride like her’). Lennon and McCartney’s portrayal of an uncertain, distrustful perspective in the face of young love continues into tracks six (‘Well I beg you on my bended knees/If you’ll only listen to my pleas/Is there anything I can do?/Cause I really can’t stand it, I’m so in love with you’) and twelve (‘I can’t help my feelings,/I go out of my mind/I’m going to let you down/And leave you flat’). I want to perhaps suggest that this album is full of its own twists and turns. The accusations as expressed in the dramatic ‘You Can’t Do That’ and adamant ‘I’ll Be Back’ could be taken with some ominous implications, even just taking the visuals of ‘leaving’ a woman ‘flat’ AKA dead is a deeply unsettling image.

I also wanted to focus partly on the album artwork. When the album was first released, there were two main versions of the album artwork for A Hard Day’s Night. The US stereo cover, which featured the signature haircuts of the Beatles with their faces cut out in a four-square format, and the universally known cover in all its monographic beauty. With 20 variations of photographs, the artwork is without a doubt very chaotic and unruly, much like its film counterpart. The aspects that stand out to me the most as quite strange are the way the photos are arranged, with no Beatle doing the exact same thing for one row and that peculiar shot dead in the middle where George Harrison has his back to the camera (just above that is John Lennon concealing most of his face except for his eyes with the facial gestures he’s making). This album endlessly conceals, hides and tricks; it is one thing, and then it suddenly turns into another. It is for the most part an album of love songs… or that’s what it wants you to think.

Rubber Soul, like many things that the Beatles became eventual pioneers of, is debated to be the first of its kind - a parodic, novelty album. Poking fun at the many tropes and typicalities of soul music, one of the most prominent genres of music that make up the roots of the band itself. By the release of Rubber Soul, they had solidified their nature to be witty, playful and creative with the music they wanted to make. Despite its reputation to be on the less serious side, the creepiness factor ups itself slightly further into the album’s second half. Initially, ‘Girl’ is noted as a somewhat humorous rendition of lost love, due to John Lennon’s sharp inhales after each ‘girl’ in the chorus - but I can’t help but think about how much it catches you off guard. The noise is very raw and human, and although vocals throughout the song are controlled throughout, hearing someones breath take in so unexpectedly gives the song a rugged, intense foreboding. Nevertheless, I believe the most terrifying spectacle of Rubber Soul is the album’s closing track, ‘Run for Your Life’. ‘Run for Your Life’ paces like a mini-horror film; its imagery is narcissistic and emotionless. Even the way that Lennon emphasises the word ‘dead’ at the third verse is chilling and final. The constant use of ‘little girl’ to address a female partner is demeaning and patronising, the speaker clarifying his power and control over her. At times, he revels in his own wretchedness (‘Well, you know that I’m a wicked guy/And I was born with a jealous mind’). It is an unashamedly devilish song, and you are left feeling haunted when the record stops spinning. A little bit about this album’s ‘distorted’, pre-psychedelic artwork; the fact that you aren’t looking at the band head on in this photograph makes it dizzying and dazed. There did exist some pressings where the sleeve featured an undistorted photo, those of which are considered very valuable rarities in this day and age, but this still doesn’t quite capture the true unpredictability of Rubber Soul. It is only right that the creative process of the album, however darkly it ends, is envisioned with this almost surreal, dream-like cover.

(Below is a picture of the undistorted version, for your general interest.)

#halloween #the beatles #1964 #1965

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hiratsukathunderbird-chan · 2 years ago

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What harmonica did John Lennon use to play the intro to "Love Me Do" and other songs by The Beatles? 1964 Hohner advertisement There must have been many thousands of harp players who first took up the instrument after hearing John Lennon play that warbling harp riff that introduces The Beatles' "Love Me Do". But just how did he play it? The first part is simple enough; so simple that it is difficult not to play it! 5 draw, 5 blow, 4 draw, 2 draw on a C diatonic - possibly the simplest cross harp riff there is. You don't even have to play clean precise single notes to make it instantly recognizable to anyone who has been near a radio in the last fifty years. However, is this how Lennon played it? In a word - no. As I said, the first part is simple enough, but when it comes to the part of the song where the lyrics are "Someone to love..." things become a little more complicated. The harmonica plays the notes A A G F#, but on a standard C diatonic the notes A and F# are not built into the instrument's lowest octave. True, with good bending technique you can play these as bent notes, however it doesn't sound like Lennon is doing that on the record. With no disrespect intended, Lennon's playing was not exactly up to Howard Levy standards at the time of this recording. He even has some difficultly hitting single notes cleanly, so it is very unlikely that he would be able to play bent notes with such precise pitches and even timbre as the notes in this section. It is possible that he could have played the opening riff on a C diatonic, then swapped to a G diatonic to play the "Someone to love..." part. However, if you slow down the tune and listen carefully, there is such a tiny gap between the last note of the opening riff and the A at the start of the other riff that is it very hard to believe that he could have swapped harps so quickly. I suppose it is possible that a G harp had been overdubbed, but there is no evidence of that either. A quick search on YouTube will turn up a video of "Love Me Do", featuring some black and white footage of the Beatles performing their first hit. If you look closely, you will see that John appears to be using a diatonic harmonica. However, if you look even more closely, you will see that the video does not match the audio - specifically, Lennon is not moving his hands in any way that corresponds to the wavering hand effects on the recording. The audio track is the original single version and either they were miming to that recording, or some live footage of the band has been roughly synched to the audio. It is interesting to note that the "Someone to love..." part of the song is accompanied by stills of the band, rather than showing Lennon with his harmonica. However, Lennon himself stated specifically which harmonica he used. In a 1974 interview with Dennis Elsas, he said: "Brian Jones came over and said "Are you playing a harmonica or a harp on "Love Me Do"?" He knew I'd got this bottom note and he suspected I was... I said a harmonica, you know, with a button... which wasn't real funky blues enough I suppose, but you couldn't get "Hey Baby" licks on a blues harp and we were also doing "Hey Baby" by Bruce Channel at that time." It is clear that Lennon is using the term "harp" to denote a diatonic harmonica and "harmonica" to describe the chromatic harmonica. Similarly, on a 1963 BBC Radio session ("Pop Go The Beatles 2"), the presenter refers to Lennon's harmonica and and Lennon corrects him: "I'm playing a harp in this one. [...] Harmonica I play in "Love Me Do", harp in this one... little... mouth organ... harp." So... it was a chromatic harmonica, but a chromatic in what key? In his article Little Child: The Harmonica in Beatle Music, Greg Panfile suggests that Lennon used a chromatic in the key of G. Well, it is possible to play both riffs on a G chromatic - of course, it is possible to play these notes on a chromatic tuned in any key. However, Lennon definitely did not use a G chromatic. At a few points during the opening riff, he stumbles a little and plays snatches of notes next to the note he was intending to play. In particular, when going for the first note of the opening riff (an F natural) he hits the next note above it. Slowing the piece down on a computer, it is possible to identify that note as an A. The next highest note to the F on a G chromatic would be a G, so that rules out a G chrom for this piece. A chromatic in the key of C would seem to be the most likely option and this is confirmed by a couple of slight slips when Lennon is playing the G note and accidentally hits a C along with it. Final evidence is the fact the F# is the only note in this tune that would require the button of a C chromatic to be pushed in - when he plays the second "Someone to love..." riff in the middle of the song without the vocals, you can hear a slight bump at the start of the F# note, sounding very much like a fractionally late button push. It might also be significant that the F# is the only note which lacks that characteristic warbling hand vibrato that almost all the other notes have if they are held for any length of time. I suspect that Lennon's hand was otherwise occupied by pushing the button! There are a few other Beatles tunes where Lennon's choice of harmonica might not be obvious. The signature riff of "Please Please Me" is almost as distinctive as the intro to "Love Me Do". The riff is squarely in the key of E major and the phrasing of the notes fits perfectly with a diatonic in the key of E. However, if you were to play this riff on a standard E diatonic beginning with 7 blow, it would come out an octave too high. If you were to play it starting on 4 blow, you would need to bend three draw by a wholetone to get the C# - and Lennon clearly isn't bending any notes on this riff. So how was it played? Well, it could have been a chromatic harmonica in the key of E - the Hohner Super Chromonica was certainly available in that key back then. Again, of course, one could play these notes on a chromatic harmonica in any key, but there is no evidence of any button work in the playing and the phrasing of the riff really does seem to fit the blow/draw pattern of an E scale instrument. Another possibility and perhaps a more likely one, is that Lennon used the 12-hole Echo Vamper. This was the European market version of the Marine Band 364 and was available in all 12 keys back then. The key of E Echo Vamper was tuned an octave lower than the standard 10-hole E harp, so this would fit the bill. Because the harmonica and guitar blend so seamlessly on this riff, it is hard to be certain whether it is a chromatic or a low tuned diatonic just by listening. Another readily identifiable Beatles riff is the one that introduces "From Me To You". As with all those classic Beatles hooklines, the riff itself is very simple - C D E D C D D A. However, if you play it on a standard C diatonic starting on hole 4 blow, you have to bend to get the low A and again, that note is much too cleanly played for Lennon to have bent it. You can play it easily starting on 7 blow, but then the riff is an octave higher than on the record. Another alternative is to play it on a G harp starting from 5 draw. This way all the notes of the riff are available without needing any bends, but did Lennon do it this way? No. Again, he makes a tiny slip that those with a Columbo-like perseverance and attention to detail can use as conclusive evidence. A couple of times when playing a D note, Lennon hits the next highest note by accident - that note is an F, identifying the harp as one in C major if we rule out the very unlikely possibility that he is playing a key of B chromatic with the slide held in). So, to get the A note cleanly, he must either be using a chromatic in C, or he is playing it on a low C diatonic starting on 7 blow. The Hohner Echo Vamper 12-hole in C was pitched an octave lower than a regular C harp, so this is a likely candidate "All Together Now" features some call and response interplay between the vocals and the harmonica. The song is in the key of G with simple chordal patterns played on a G diatonic. "Rocky Raccoon" is in the key of C and Lennon contributes some squawky fills on a C harp. For the remaining Beatles tunes featuring diatonic harmonica, Lennon uses a second position or cross harp approach. "I Should Have Known Better" is in the key of G and Lennon is using a C diatonic; "I'm a Loser" is also in the key of G and also played on a C harp; "Thank You Girl" is in the key of D and is played on a G harp; "I'll Get You" is likewise in the key of D (although the recording seems to play slightly flat) played on a G harp; "Little Child" is in the key of E, with Lennon playing an A harp. "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" from the "Sgt Pepper's" album uses harmonicas as part of the swirling background sound. It is virtually impossible to make out what sort of harmonicas are being used, although there is a picture from that period showing John Lennon and George Harrison playing bass and chord harmonicas respectively. It is likely that this was merely a publicity photograph, although dicographies credit Lennon, Starr, Harrison and Beatles road manager Neil Aspinall with harmonica (types not specified), along with their other road manager Mal Evans on bass harmonica. Finally, a couple more tunes featuring the chromatic harmonica. "Chains" is in the key of Bb and the harmonica plays a simple introductory line of F Eb D F Eb D. The harmonica is obviously a chromatic in the key of C, as the first time Lennon moves from the F (hole 6 draw, with the slide out) to the Eb (hole 5 draw, with the slide in), he accidentally hits the F# (hole 6 draw with the slide in). It is possible that he could have made this same mistake on a Bb chromatic (starting the phrase on 6 blow) but if he were playing it on a Bb instrument, he wouldn't need to push the button at all, but could play the line much more easily by playing the Eb notes as 5 draw/slide out, rather than 5 blow/slide in. In this case, if he had slipped and hit the next highest hole, he would have got a G instead of the F#, so I think it is safe to conclude he used a C chromatic. "There's A Place" had me puzzled for a while, but I recently got hold of a better quality recording of the song which just so happens to have the harmonica isolated in one side of the stereo mix almost by itself as the track fades, allowing me to identify it as a C chromatic. The song is in the key of E and features the harmonica playing the simple line D# E D# C#. This would be very easy to play on a diatonic harmonica in E, but as is the case with "Please Please Me" a regular E harp would require a bent note to get the C# in this range. However, at the end of the track Lennon's mistakes give him away once again. In the very last occurrence of the riff just before the track fades completely, he makes an error that can only be done on a chromatic. As he is about to move from the D# (5 draw slide in) to the E (6 blow, slide out), he lets out the slide a fraction early and a D natural escapes. There are also a couple of other mistakes that could only happen if he were playing a C chromatic: pushing the button a little early and hitting an F instead of an E (6 blow slide in, instead of 6 blow slide out), getting the wrong hole and playing the F# instead of the D# (6 draw slide in, instead of 5 draw slide in), etc. These are hard to hear at normal speed, but using the computer to slow the piece to 1/8th of its original speed makes them quite obvious. Those of you with a strong interest in the music of The Beatles would be well advised to invest in a copy of "The Beatles Complete Scores". As the title suggests, this huge book contains notation (very accurate, for the most part) of all the vocal and instrumental parts for almost all the official releases from The Beatles. Click here for more details from Amazon.com, or click here for more details from Amazon.co.uk. If you are just interested in the harmonica parts, a considerably less expensive option would be to visit my good friend Wanderin' Wilf at www.harpsurgery.com for his tablature for "Love Me Do" and some other Lennon harmonica riffs:

What harmonica did John Lennon use to play the intro to "Love Me Do" and other songs by The Beatles?

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