BELOW YOU WILL FIND LINKS TO THE FEATURED ARTISTS ALONG WITH BASIC NOTES EXPLAINING MUSICAL CHOICES AND INSPIRATIONS
IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE MADE AWARE WHEN FUTURE PROJECTS BECOME AVAILABLE,
THEN PLEASE
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS IS
NOT A MONEY MAKING EXERCISE
IT HAS BEEN DONE PURELY FOR
THE LOVE OF MUSIC
AND WE ARE HAVING AN ABSOLUTE BLAST
You can't beat the experience when you combine the original vinyl with the artwork & sleeve, but listening to these recordings using the current technology takes the appreciation further.
This first track sets out my statement of intent early with a composition by my preferred member of The Beatles.
Placing this second to replicate the running order of my No.1 favourite long player by anyone!
An often overlooked Beatles song that demonstrates perfectly what the world lost out on when they stopped recording together. I've read a quote by a recording engineer who cited this as probably the last time they all had an equal input in the studio.
Unintentionally helping me achieve tricking off six different albums at the very start.
In my estimation, this is the very ultimate of coolest Beatles recordings ever.
It had originally featured on my very first Minidisc compilation many years ago, EARTH CALLING planetmeech. But I ended up substituting it for a cover by The Supremes for the digital version. Helping out with the balance of that show, and allowing me to include it on this dedicated project.
Thinking about it now, I've just realised that a Beatles compilation was the very first time that I put together a cassette of any kind.
I would spend hours pouring over my Dad's collection of Beatles records. Reading, and re-reading the liner notes and lyric sheets, studying the artwork and pull outs.
Sadly, the product of my early appreciation has been long since lost, or recorded over with something more contemporary. But the basis of that tape has been largely reflected here, with particular emphasis on the heavier, Rock based work.
I'm positive that Fixing A Hole featured, along with just a smattering of the Sgt. Pepper album. I think the only early song to appear was Michelle, but I've omitted to include that here to maintain a logical theme.
I cannot listen to this without thinking about that incredible rooftop performance, (click the link to relive the magic).
Do you agree that Ringo could have been the inspiration for the creepy kid/old lady/munchkin type character in Don't Look Now ('73)?
A perfect example of their heavier Rock based work with this... heavy Blues based work?
I've used this slightly longer reworked version with the Hey Bulldog section, so that I can mention Love, the Cirque Du Soleil show that featured a completely updated music score by George and Giles Martin. I could not believe what I was listening to when I saw this, I was taken completely off guard. Hearing songs that I'm very familiar with, that I've been listening to for most of my life, in a slightly different arrangement - incredible!
Easily the best interpretive, circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance that I've ever seen.
Another stand out track from The White Album, and something I remember vividly from the above show.
This album was the soundtrack to my time spent at the Southampton Institute!
The track does not quite fit with all the heavier Rock based offerings. But I have to include it here to pay homage to my days studying graphic design, and a certain long haired blonde that I used to serenade with this.🤣
From the earliest Beatles record to feature here, I think Rubber Soul was probably the point where they started to become cool?
They may have been on to something by the time they recorded Abbey Road?
I think I still have a distant memory of listening to this whilst driving around in The Metallic Blue Smith Machine, on our way to play snooker every Saturday morning??
A reworked Sun King I assume?
This track undoubtedly sparked my interest and continued love for traditional Indian music. I vaguely remember being introduced to the Sonic Youth version by my old pal, Marcos Alfonso. I think it was on a free cassette attached to a copy of NME, but I'll need him to verify, along with the above mentioned snooker....
NORWEGIAN WOOD (THIS BIRD HAS FLOWN)
I think this is their earliest recording with an Indian influence?
My absolute favourite Ringo composition - a belter!
I'd always remembered this being played on the rooftop as well, but can't find a link to that anywhere, so may have had a false memory incepted by Leonardo DiCaprio?
I do have a copy somewhere of the Let It Be documentary, but can't locate that either at the moment. Luckily, I think Peter Jackson is currently working on an updated version (Get Back) to come out some time in the future, hopefully when The World sorts itself out???
However, I did stumble upon a link to this, a TV performance of Hey Jude which is well worth checking out anyway...
Rather bizarrely, this has given me the idea of replicating the same scenario that was used in Jurassic Park. If we could somehow genetically reproduce the band in their prime for a fully immersive Beatles theme park? But have a built in fail safe procedure for when things inevitably 'go bad'.
I've just read that this version was actually the live recording from the above mentioned rooftop performance.
I'm pretty sure that all routes should lead to The Rooftop Performance area in my Beatles theme park.
Another slice of George Harrison gold.
The song writing had started to get a little more experimental and psychedelic at this point, and therefore much more interesting.
Revolver would probably come in at third place of the top three most iconic Beatles album covers, after the two obvious ones.
This track should have really been Blue Jay Way, but the HOW MUCH FOR THE APE? vol.1 show by HEAVY PC beat me to it.
These chaps did seem to have a knack of being able to write some very good songs.
Another corking track from that album with many corking tracks.
This also evokes many fond memories of that period of study between school and getting paid to carry out tasks of varying complexity.
I'm being very careful here to not select music that was too obvious, I desperately wanted to steer clear of anything that mentioned Strawberries, Love, Walrus's, or an indirect reference to narcotics.
This was prised from that frenetic medley of 90 second songs that make up the ending of Abbey Road.
An obvious choice to wrap everything up with this, that's why I'm not opting for the expected.
I'm fitting this in at the end to replicate the closing out of the
Yellow Submarine ('68) film.
ALTERNATIVELY, FOLLOW THE LINK BELOW FOR THE 60 MINUTE
APPLE MUSIC 'SOFT EDIT'