The Beatles have hundreds of fascinating stories involving how they recorded their music. The band had many innovative recording techniques but also did some weird tricks to boost the studio’s atmosphere. During a recording session for one of The Beatles’ more hardcore songs, George Harrison started a fire and ran around the room.
Paul McCartney was inspired to make ‘Helter Skelter’ after comments by The Who George Harrison | Fox Photos/Getty Images
“Helter Skelter” is one of the most hardcore songs by The Beatles. Many consider this song from The White Album to be one of the earliest examples of heavy metal. However, it was a change of pace for The Beatles, who often made calmer and lighter rock music. In an interview with GQ, Paul McCartney said he made “Helter Skelter” after reading comments by Pete Townshend of The Who.
“I can see why people would think it...
Paul McCartney was inspired to make ‘Helter Skelter’ after comments by The Who George Harrison | Fox Photos/Getty Images
“Helter Skelter” is one of the most hardcore songs by The Beatles. Many consider this song from The White Album to be one of the earliest examples of heavy metal. However, it was a change of pace for The Beatles, who often made calmer and lighter rock music. In an interview with GQ, Paul McCartney said he made “Helter Skelter” after reading comments by Pete Townshend of The Who.
“I can see why people would think it...
- 4/8/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
BBC Radio’s Front Row podcast has revealed what’s said to be the earliest known full recording of a live concert in the UK by The Beatles, who were just shy of their complete break into ultimate fandom at the time.
The burgeoning boy band, who just released their debut album Please Please Me only two weeks before, performed at the all-boys Stowe boarding school on April 4th, 1963. While the blaring and relentless screams of adoring female fans had yet to fully constitute Beatlemania, they still garnered an outpouring of excitement from the adolescent boys who watched them.
The recording was made by then 15-year-old Stowe student John Bloomfield, a growing and self-professed tech nerd experimenting with reel-to-reel tape recording. “I would say I grew up at that very instant,” Bloomfield told Front Row, with whom he first shared the tape. “It sounds a bit of an exaggeration, but...
The burgeoning boy band, who just released their debut album Please Please Me only two weeks before, performed at the all-boys Stowe boarding school on April 4th, 1963. While the blaring and relentless screams of adoring female fans had yet to fully constitute Beatlemania, they still garnered an outpouring of excitement from the adolescent boys who watched them.
The recording was made by then 15-year-old Stowe student John Bloomfield, a growing and self-professed tech nerd experimenting with reel-to-reel tape recording. “I would say I grew up at that very instant,” Bloomfield told Front Row, with whom he first shared the tape. “It sounds a bit of an exaggeration, but...
- 4/6/2023
- by Cervanté Pope
- Consequence - Music
There have been many albums released by the Beatles, from classic LPs to reissued box sets, full of never-before-heard tracks. Some fans might think they’ve heard it all. But a new live recording of a 1963 Beatles performance just surfaced, making it the earliest known from the group.
Before ‘Beatlemania’ hit, the Beatles were just another band trying to make it big A group shot of the Beatles, Ringo Starr (in the background), George Harrison (1943 – 2001), Paul McCartney and John Lennon (1940 – 1980), pictured during a performance on Granada TV’s Late Scene Extra television show filmed in Manchester, England on November 25, 1963. | Fox Photos/Getty Images
The Beatles were, and continue to be, one of the biggest bands in the world. They started releasing music in the early 60s and quickly became worldwide sensations. A new word “Beatlemania,” came about to describe the impact they had on young people.
However, they were not...
Before ‘Beatlemania’ hit, the Beatles were just another band trying to make it big A group shot of the Beatles, Ringo Starr (in the background), George Harrison (1943 – 2001), Paul McCartney and John Lennon (1940 – 1980), pictured during a performance on Granada TV’s Late Scene Extra television show filmed in Manchester, England on November 25, 1963. | Fox Photos/Getty Images
The Beatles were, and continue to be, one of the biggest bands in the world. They started releasing music in the early 60s and quickly became worldwide sensations. A new word “Beatlemania,” came about to describe the impact they had on young people.
However, they were not...
- 4/6/2023
- by India McCarty
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On April 4, 1963, a schoolboy had no idea he was recording something important in music history. All he knew was that a band called The Beatles was performing at his school. All he cared about was using his new tape recorder. He managed to get the earliest known full-length recording of The Beatles live in concert.
The Beatles in concert | Mirrorpix/Getty Images A schoolboy wrote to Brian Epstein to ask if the band could perform at his school
Just as The Beatles were teetering on the cusp of international fame, their manager, Brian Epstein, received a letter from a schoolboy named David Moores (per BBC News).
The manager recognized that the Moores were just as well-known a family as his own. Epstein’s family owned a record store called Nems (North End Music Stores), which started as a furniture store. The Moores family owned Littlewoods, a retail and football betting company.
The Beatles in concert | Mirrorpix/Getty Images A schoolboy wrote to Brian Epstein to ask if the band could perform at his school
Just as The Beatles were teetering on the cusp of international fame, their manager, Brian Epstein, received a letter from a schoolboy named David Moores (per BBC News).
The manager recognized that the Moores were just as well-known a family as his own. Epstein’s family owned a record store called Nems (North End Music Stores), which started as a furniture store. The Moores family owned Littlewoods, a retail and football betting company.
- 4/4/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
It’s 10pm on Monday 11 February 1963, and as the Abbey Road clock ticks down the final minutes of an exhausting 12-hour session, John Lennon strips to the waist, doses up on Zubes throat lozenges and throws himself into one final death-or-glory charge into rock’n’roll history.
“The last song nearly killed me,” he’d say later, recalling that last-minute take of “Twist and Shout”, which The Beatles managed to squeeze into the closing seconds of the one-day recording session for their debut album Please Please Me. A second take was abandoned as Lennon’s voice gave out altogether after a full day of howling and harmonising, powering through on throat sweets, milk and the ferocious Hamburg spirit that had seen them through countless late-night rock’n’roll marathons at the Kaiserkeller. “My voice wasn’t the same for a long time after,” he said. “Every time I swallowed it was like sandpaper.
“The last song nearly killed me,” he’d say later, recalling that last-minute take of “Twist and Shout”, which The Beatles managed to squeeze into the closing seconds of the one-day recording session for their debut album Please Please Me. A second take was abandoned as Lennon’s voice gave out altogether after a full day of howling and harmonising, powering through on throat sweets, milk and the ferocious Hamburg spirit that had seen them through countless late-night rock’n’roll marathons at the Kaiserkeller. “My voice wasn’t the same for a long time after,” he said. “Every time I swallowed it was like sandpaper.
- 3/22/2023
- by Mark Beaumont
- The Independent - Music
Early photos of The Beatles playing at the iconic Cavern Club in Liverpool have been found.
The photos were taken of the band in 1961 and show the original line-up of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and drummer at the time, Pete Best. Best was replaced by Ringo Starr a year later.
The images were apparently taken when the band were just back from a gruelling tour in Germany, where they had played 500 hours on stage within 90 days, according to historian Mark Lewisohn, who’s written several books on the band.
The historian described the band, who in the pictures are aged between 18 and 20, as “whippet-thin under-nourished lads”.
He added: “So slender has this marathon made them, it’s as if their heads and bodies are stranger.
“A look emphasised by the unusual clothes - leather trousers and cotton tops. No other photos show them dressed this way.”
According to Lewisohn,...
The photos were taken of the band in 1961 and show the original line-up of Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and drummer at the time, Pete Best. Best was replaced by Ringo Starr a year later.
The images were apparently taken when the band were just back from a gruelling tour in Germany, where they had played 500 hours on stage within 90 days, according to historian Mark Lewisohn, who’s written several books on the band.
The historian described the band, who in the pictures are aged between 18 and 20, as “whippet-thin under-nourished lads”.
He added: “So slender has this marathon made them, it’s as if their heads and bodies are stranger.
“A look emphasised by the unusual clothes - leather trousers and cotton tops. No other photos show them dressed this way.”
According to Lewisohn,...
- 10/3/2022
- by Megan Graye
- The Independent - Music
When Netflix is desperate, the knives come out, but fine cutlery is useless on glass. In the Knives Out sequel, the gentleman detective Benoit Blanc, once again played by Daniel Craig with that unplaceable Southern accent, travels to Greece to solve a new crime. He’s apparently been listening to the Beatles for inspiration. Directed by a returning Rian Johnson, the follow-up film will be called Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Here’s another clue for you all. The Walrus did it, and the Walrus was Paul.
“That’s some heavy-duty conjecture,” the Knives Out sleuths might say, but “Glass Onion” was all about double meanings. The second song off the band’s 1968 double-album, The Beatles (more famously known as “the White Album”) is the most over-interpreted of all the Beatles songs, which makes it an ironic classic, because it was making fun of exactly that kind of compositional scrutiny.
“That’s some heavy-duty conjecture,” the Knives Out sleuths might say, but “Glass Onion” was all about double meanings. The second song off the band’s 1968 double-album, The Beatles (more famously known as “the White Album”) is the most over-interpreted of all the Beatles songs, which makes it an ironic classic, because it was making fun of exactly that kind of compositional scrutiny.
- 6/14/2022
- by David Crow
- Den of Geek
On the plane home from Jordan, Antony Blinken seems relieved to be talking about something other than his day job. In January, Blinken was sworn in as secretary of state under President Biden. When Blinken’s name surfaced as a nominee, his longtime passion for music made the headlines: It turns out he could play guitar reasonably well, wrote record reviews during his college days, and had penned his own songs (even making indie recordings of some of them, available on streaming services).
Shortly before the latest flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,...
Shortly before the latest flare-up in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict,...
- 6/8/2021
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
“‘Forrest Gump’ with a mantra” — that’s the underlying premise, in a nutshell, of “Meeting the Beatles in India,” which has filmmaker Paul Saltzman recounting the week he spent hanging with the Beatles under the tutelage of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi during their famous sojourn to the ashram in 1968. Saltzman has a tale to tell in having been nearly the only non-entourage-member along for the enlightenment alongside the Beatles for that legendary spiritual/media event. By virtue of the camera in his backpack, he also ended up being a house photographer, too… although he forgot about the wealth of stills in his basement for several decades afterward, maybe offering proof that there’s such a thing as too much meditation.
It’s all good reason enough for Saltzman to turn the camera on himself and a few choice expert witnesses here, even if none of the anecdotes or insights are especially profound.
It’s all good reason enough for Saltzman to turn the camera on himself and a few choice expert witnesses here, even if none of the anecdotes or insights are especially profound.
- 9/10/2020
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
Updated with Ringo Starr reaction: Astrid Kirchherr, photographer and early friend of the Beatles whose avant-garde style helped transform the young band from ’50s-era greasers to moptop trend-setters, died Wednesday in her native Hamburg, Germany. She was 81.
The German newspaper Die Zeit reports that Kirchher died following a “short, serious illness,” with no additional details provided.
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr tweeted a tribute today, saying: “God bless Astrid a beautiful human being And she took great photos peace and love.”
Kirchherr, along with her friend Klaus Voormann, befriended the Beatles during the group’s early, pre-Beatlemania Hamburg club residencies, and the pair’s fashion sense — they were part of the city’s “Exi” (short for “existentialist”) youth subculture — quickly entranced original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. Soon, the biker jackets and greased, Elvis-inspired pompadours so beloved by the teenage John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were history, replaced with the style...
The German newspaper Die Zeit reports that Kirchher died following a “short, serious illness,” with no additional details provided.
Beatles drummer Ringo Starr tweeted a tribute today, saying: “God bless Astrid a beautiful human being And she took great photos peace and love.”
Kirchherr, along with her friend Klaus Voormann, befriended the Beatles during the group’s early, pre-Beatlemania Hamburg club residencies, and the pair’s fashion sense — they were part of the city’s “Exi” (short for “existentialist”) youth subculture — quickly entranced original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. Soon, the biker jackets and greased, Elvis-inspired pompadours so beloved by the teenage John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison were history, replaced with the style...
- 5/15/2020
- by Greg Evans
- Deadline Film + TV
Astrid Kirchherr, the German-born photographer who first captured the Beatles, has died at the age of 81.
German newspaper Die Zeit confirmed Kirchherr’s death, noting the photographer died of a “short, serious illness.”
“Intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting friend to many,” Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn tweeted (via NME). “Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable. She died in Hamburg on Wednesday, a few days before turning 82.”
After attending performances by the Beatles — then John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, drummer Pete Best, and...
German newspaper Die Zeit confirmed Kirchherr’s death, noting the photographer died of a “short, serious illness.”
“Intelligent, inspirational, innovative, daring, artistic, awake, aware, beautiful, smart, loving and uplifting friend to many,” Beatles historian Mark Lewisohn tweeted (via NME). “Her gift to the Beatles was immeasurable. She died in Hamburg on Wednesday, a few days before turning 82.”
After attending performances by the Beatles — then John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, drummer Pete Best, and...
- 5/15/2020
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
Abbey Road is not only among the Beatles’ most critically beloved albums —ranking 14th on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time — it’s also one of their most lucrative. Despite being written as the band was on the verge of breaking up, the album was a commercial stronghold, spending 11 weeks at Number One on the Billboard 200 at after its release in September 1969.
And now, fifty years after its release, Abbey Road still sells. The album comes in at Number Three on this week’s Rolling Stone Top 200 Albums chart,...
And now, fifty years after its release, Abbey Road still sells. The album comes in at Number Three on this week’s Rolling Stone Top 200 Albums chart,...
- 10/7/2019
- by Emily Blake
- Rollingstone.com
Tony Sokol Sep 11, 2019
The Beatles mythology is dispelled by a tape recently unearthed by rock historian Mark Lewisohn.
"And, in the end, the love you make is equal to the love you take," the Beatles harmonized on the penultimate song of their last album, Abbey Road. But a new tape shows the band wanted to add to the equation. The story of the band is well-known even to the most casual Beatlemaniac and the common mythology maintains the group went into the studio fully intending to record a proper farewell. But the tape, found by Mark Lewisohn, captures the band planning further output, according to The Guardian.
The tape was made Sept. 8, 1969, two weeks before Abbey Road was released. It captures a band meeting between John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison at Apple headquarters in London’s Savile Row. It was recorded for Ringo Starr, who was in the...
The Beatles mythology is dispelled by a tape recently unearthed by rock historian Mark Lewisohn.
"And, in the end, the love you make is equal to the love you take," the Beatles harmonized on the penultimate song of their last album, Abbey Road. But a new tape shows the band wanted to add to the equation. The story of the band is well-known even to the most casual Beatlemaniac and the common mythology maintains the group went into the studio fully intending to record a proper farewell. But the tape, found by Mark Lewisohn, captures the band planning further output, according to The Guardian.
The tape was made Sept. 8, 1969, two weeks before Abbey Road was released. It captures a band meeting between John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison at Apple headquarters in London’s Savile Row. It was recorded for Ringo Starr, who was in the...
- 9/11/2019
- Den of Geek
In a newly unearthed recording from 1969, the Beatles’ principal songwriters discuss tentative plans for a follow-up to their final LP Abbey Road, a revelation that shifts the canonical narrative of that album’s recording sessions and the band’s eventual break-up.
The tape — which dates back to September 8th, 1969, two weeks before Abbey Road‘s release — features a contentious conversation between John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison at Apple headquarters in London’s Savile Row. With Ringo Starr hospitalized and undergoing tests for intestinal issues, his bandmates talk about...
The tape — which dates back to September 8th, 1969, two weeks before Abbey Road‘s release — features a contentious conversation between John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison at Apple headquarters in London’s Savile Row. With Ringo Starr hospitalized and undergoing tests for intestinal issues, his bandmates talk about...
- 9/11/2019
- by Ryan Reed
- Rollingstone.com
Get ready, Beatles fans, you’re in for a special treat. Paul McCartney has joined the ever-hilarious James Corden for a new episode of Carpool Karaoke that aired on Thursday, June 21. During a previously released sneak peek of The Late Late Show’s special return to London, Sir Paul could be seen jumping behind the wheel with James to belt out some serious classics, including the 1965 hit “Help” and even more appropriately, “Drive My Car.” Naturally, James had to introduce the segment with a little Beatles humor. "Hey mate, I'm in Liverpool and I'm wondering if you can help. I need somebody, not just anybody, can you please, please help me?" the host exclaimed over the phone. Watch the video below! Even at 76 years old, the original rockstar has still got it! In fact Paul just released a double A-side single featuring two new songs on Wednesday, June 20 via Capitol Records.
- 6/22/2018
- by Melissa Copelton
- Closer Weekly
Language barriers wouldn’t really seem to be a problem between Britain and America, but apparently that’s not the case, as becomes obvious when speaking to Mark Lewisohn, biographer of The Beatles. Sitting down with him to talk about the first installment, published in 2013 under the title The Beatles: All These Years, Volume One — Tune In, it was then that he casually mentioned the fact that the second book wouldn’t be out until 2020, describing this as an “intermission” between books. And that’s where the language barrier kicks in. When you think intermission, you maybe think of classic epic movies that would give you a window of opportunity in the middle to grab a fresh bucket of popcorn and soda before seeing the rest of the flick. Mark’s idea of an intermission is a minimum of seven years, maybe more. “It’s still an intermission of sorts,...
- 5/8/2018
- by Ed Gross
- Closer Weekly
Documentary films often stir up controversy, but they usually wait until after they’ve started screening to do so – and most of the time, it’s the political or issue-oriented docs that cause a fuss, not films about show business. But “The Sixth Beatle,” which had its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival on Thursday night, is an exception to both those rules. The film opened with an unusual and lengthy disclaimer stating that author Mark Lewisohn, one of the world’s foremost Beatle historians, felt that “many of the comments” made in the film “allege matters that are factually erroneous.
- 9/9/2016
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Universal Pictures
It’s the most wonderful time of the year (again), and as usual it’s getting to those last few weeks before the big day when creative ideas and planning make way for frantic grabs at whatever is left on the shelves after the Black Friday zombie hordes have cleared everything out.
But fear not: because the best of Christmas is watching movies, re-watching old TV specials and trying hard to forget that George Lucas ever decided that anyone wanted a Star Wars Christmas show, there’ll always be a helping hand round these parts for those who want it.
So if you’re buying for a difficult brother, a picky sister or just for the film, gaming or TV fan in your life, what follows is a compendium of the finest gift ideas for this year’s festivities, as usual there are massive opportunities to win most of what has been included…...
It’s the most wonderful time of the year (again), and as usual it’s getting to those last few weeks before the big day when creative ideas and planning make way for frantic grabs at whatever is left on the shelves after the Black Friday zombie hordes have cleared everything out.
But fear not: because the best of Christmas is watching movies, re-watching old TV specials and trying hard to forget that George Lucas ever decided that anyone wanted a Star Wars Christmas show, there’ll always be a helping hand round these parts for those who want it.
So if you’re buying for a difficult brother, a picky sister or just for the film, gaming or TV fan in your life, what follows is a compendium of the finest gift ideas for this year’s festivities, as usual there are massive opportunities to win most of what has been included…...
- 12/5/2014
- by Simon Gallagher
- Obsessed with Film
Cinema Retro has received the following press release:
The year is 1964 and Beatlemania is in full swing. The biggest band on the planet are about to make their big screen debut. The film is A Hard Day’s Night, a seminal piece of filmmaking that shows The Beatles as they’ve never been seen before.
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary the film will be presented in a new 4k digital restoration approved by director Richard Lester, with three audio options - a monoaural soundtrack in addition to newly created stereo and 5.1 surround mixes supervised by sound producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. The film will be in cinemas, on-demand and available to download from 4 July, followed by a special edition Blu-ray and two-disc DVD release on 21 July 2014, courtesy of Second Sight Films.
A Hard Day’s Night will have an Extended Run at BFI Southbank...
The year is 1964 and Beatlemania is in full swing. The biggest band on the planet are about to make their big screen debut. The film is A Hard Day’s Night, a seminal piece of filmmaking that shows The Beatles as they’ve never been seen before.
To celebrate its 50th Anniversary the film will be presented in a new 4k digital restoration approved by director Richard Lester, with three audio options - a monoaural soundtrack in addition to newly created stereo and 5.1 surround mixes supervised by sound producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell at Abbey Road Studios. The film will be in cinemas, on-demand and available to download from 4 July, followed by a special edition Blu-ray and two-disc DVD release on 21 July 2014, courtesy of Second Sight Films.
A Hard Day’s Night will have an Extended Run at BFI Southbank...
- 7/2/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Let’s be honest, who doesn’t have a deep seeded love for the fab four? How could anyone resist those Liverpool lovelies, with their matching suits, Rickenbackers, mop tops and an ever growing catalogue of unbelievable hooks? It’s possible that before 1964, anyone outside of Britain might not have heard of The Beatles, but after A Hard Day’s Night took international cinemas by storm, there was no denying it – the British invasion had begun, and John, Paul, George and Ringo were the faces of this new pop movement, a new set of idols for teens to fawn over and an absolute force of creatively catchy songwriting. Helping craft and simultaneously critique their cheeky rock star image, Richard Lester’s monumental faux day-in-the-life documentary of the band became a comedic musical masterpiece that set the blueprint for music videos decades before Video Killed the Radio Star set us off into the abyss of MTV.
- 6/30/2014
- by Jordan M. Smith
- IONCINEMA.com
Enemy What would make this a more interesting release would be an audio commentary, but there isn't one. As interesting as this film is and as likely as I am to watch it again, in this day and age, if you aren't going to give me any added incentive to buy a DVD/Blu-ray that I'm only likely to watch once or twice ever again... why would I buy itc
Blood Ties I did not enjoy this movie when I saw it in Cannes last year, but it has been edited down since, by about 15 minutes or so I believe, which could make it a more interesting watch as it was a film that either needed to be about 15 minutes shorter or two hours longer. You can read my original review right here, though do know the movie I reviewed is not the one on this disc.
Winter's Tale This...
Blood Ties I did not enjoy this movie when I saw it in Cannes last year, but it has been edited down since, by about 15 minutes or so I believe, which could make it a more interesting watch as it was a film that either needed to be about 15 minutes shorter or two hours longer. You can read my original review right here, though do know the movie I reviewed is not the one on this disc.
Winter's Tale This...
- 6/24/2014
- by Brad Brevet
- Rope of Silicon
They Bought Us Love
By Raymond Benson
Released in the summer of 1964, A Hard Day’s Night, starring The Beatles and directed by Richard Lester, is arguably the second most influential British film of that decade (the first being Goldfinger, coincidentally released the same year.). Why? For one thing, it brought The Beatles to a worldwide audience that was just getting to know them through their music. Secondly, it spawned imitations and knock-offs (The Monkees, anyone?) and is arguably the genesis of music videos—where would MTV have been without it? Thirdly, the film itself was innovative, fresh, and surprisingly funny (those long-haired boys from Liverpool could actually act!).
One of the best things about the Criterion Collection’s new deluxe box set of the film (dual Blu-ray and DVD, three discs) is the short extra, On the Road to “A Hard Day’s Night,” an interview with author Mark Lewisohn,...
By Raymond Benson
Released in the summer of 1964, A Hard Day’s Night, starring The Beatles and directed by Richard Lester, is arguably the second most influential British film of that decade (the first being Goldfinger, coincidentally released the same year.). Why? For one thing, it brought The Beatles to a worldwide audience that was just getting to know them through their music. Secondly, it spawned imitations and knock-offs (The Monkees, anyone?) and is arguably the genesis of music videos—where would MTV have been without it? Thirdly, the film itself was innovative, fresh, and surprisingly funny (those long-haired boys from Liverpool could actually act!).
One of the best things about the Criterion Collection’s new deluxe box set of the film (dual Blu-ray and DVD, three discs) is the short extra, On the Road to “A Hard Day’s Night,” an interview with author Mark Lewisohn,...
- 6/16/2014
- by nospam@example.com (Cinema Retro)
- Cinemaretro.com
Blu-ray & DVD Release Date: June 24, 2014
Price: DVD $19.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Just one month after they exploded onto the U.S. scene with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, The Beatles began working on a project that would bring their revolutionary talent to the big screen – the 1964 comedy musical classic A Hard Day’s Night.
The movie, in which John, Paul, George and Ringo play slapstick versions of themselves, captured the astonishing moment when they officially became the singular, irreverent idols of their generation and changed music forever.
Directed with raucous, anything-goes verve by Richard Lester (How I Won the War) and featuring a slew of iconic pop anthems, including the title track, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Should Have Known Better,” and “If I Fell,” A Hard Day’s Night, which re-conceived the movie musical and exerted an incalculable influence on the music video, is one of...
Price: DVD $19.95, Blu-ray/DVD Combo $39.95
Studio: Criterion
Just one month after they exploded onto the U.S. scene with their Ed Sullivan Show appearance, The Beatles began working on a project that would bring their revolutionary talent to the big screen – the 1964 comedy musical classic A Hard Day’s Night.
The movie, in which John, Paul, George and Ringo play slapstick versions of themselves, captured the astonishing moment when they officially became the singular, irreverent idols of their generation and changed music forever.
Directed with raucous, anything-goes verve by Richard Lester (How I Won the War) and featuring a slew of iconic pop anthems, including the title track, “Can’t Buy Me Love,” “I Should Have Known Better,” and “If I Fell,” A Hard Day’s Night, which re-conceived the movie musical and exerted an incalculable influence on the music video, is one of...
- 3/18/2014
- by Laurence
- Disc Dish
Slightly overshadowed by the Oscar nominations early this morning, the 2014 New Music Express Awards unveiled their list of hopefuls today (January 16).
In an interesting twist, the NME’s category for Villain of the Year included nominees like Russell Brand, Robin Thicke, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, David Cameron and Vladimir Putin.
Furthermore, the Worst Band contenders are 30 Seconds to Mars, The 1975, Muse, Imagine Dragons, One Direction and The Wanted.
Of course, there are also plenty of positive categories such as Hero of the Year, with nominees like Alex Turner, David Bowie, Pussy Riot, Lou Reed, Este Haim, and Russell Brand.
The 2014 NME Awards nominees are:
Best British Band
Arctic Monkeys
Biffy Clyro
Disclosure
Foals
Palma Violets
Two Door Cinema Club
Best International Band supported by Austin, Texas
Arcade Fire
Haim
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Phoenix
Vampire Weekend
Queens Of The Stone Age
Best Solo Artist
David Bowie
Jake Bugg
Kanye West...
In an interesting twist, the NME’s category for Villain of the Year included nominees like Russell Brand, Robin Thicke, Harry Styles, Miley Cyrus, David Cameron and Vladimir Putin.
Furthermore, the Worst Band contenders are 30 Seconds to Mars, The 1975, Muse, Imagine Dragons, One Direction and The Wanted.
Of course, there are also plenty of positive categories such as Hero of the Year, with nominees like Alex Turner, David Bowie, Pussy Riot, Lou Reed, Este Haim, and Russell Brand.
The 2014 NME Awards nominees are:
Best British Band
Arctic Monkeys
Biffy Clyro
Disclosure
Foals
Palma Violets
Two Door Cinema Club
Best International Band supported by Austin, Texas
Arcade Fire
Haim
Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Phoenix
Vampire Weekend
Queens Of The Stone Age
Best Solo Artist
David Bowie
Jake Bugg
Kanye West...
- 1/17/2014
- GossipCenter
Comedian, actor, writer and director who came to prominence in satirical TV sketch show Not the Nine O'Clock News
Mel Smith was once upstaged by a talking gorilla. He was playing a zoologist in a sketch on his hit comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News and the gorilla suit contained Rowan Atkinson. "When I caught Gerald in 68 he was completely wild," said Smith. "Wild?" retorted the gorilla. "I was absolutely livid!"
If the gorilla had the best line, Smith had the more expressive countenance, mugging with a deadpan virtuosity rarely seen since Oliver Hardy in his pomp. That face – as hangdog as his childhood hero Tony Hancock's – made Smith, who has died of a heart attack aged 60, one of the most recognisable of postwar British comedians.
Smith's face was only part of his fortune. He was a writer and editor of some of the most redoubtable British TV...
Mel Smith was once upstaged by a talking gorilla. He was playing a zoologist in a sketch on his hit comedy show Not the Nine O'Clock News and the gorilla suit contained Rowan Atkinson. "When I caught Gerald in 68 he was completely wild," said Smith. "Wild?" retorted the gorilla. "I was absolutely livid!"
If the gorilla had the best line, Smith had the more expressive countenance, mugging with a deadpan virtuosity rarely seen since Oliver Hardy in his pomp. That face – as hangdog as his childhood hero Tony Hancock's – made Smith, who has died of a heart attack aged 60, one of the most recognisable of postwar British comedians.
Smith's face was only part of his fortune. He was a writer and editor of some of the most redoubtable British TV...
- 7/21/2013
- by Stuart Jeffries
- The Guardian - Film News
From a full programme of film and stage adaptations to a new James Bond novel, unpublished works by Rs Thomas and Wg Sebald and a new prize for women writers, 2013 is set to be a real page-turner
January
10th The Oscar nominations are announced unusually early this year. Keep an eye out for a bumper crop of literary adaptations, including David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, Yann Martel's Life of Pi, the David Nicholls-scripted Great Expectations, as well as Les Miserables, Anna Karenina and The Hobbit.
18th A new stage adaptation of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw at the Almeida theatre in London. In the year of the centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth, his musical version will also feature around the country in both concert and stage performances.
24th The finalists for the fifth Man Booker International prize will be announced at the Jaipur festival.
January
10th The Oscar nominations are announced unusually early this year. Keep an eye out for a bumper crop of literary adaptations, including David Mitchell's Cloud Atlas, Yann Martel's Life of Pi, the David Nicholls-scripted Great Expectations, as well as Les Miserables, Anna Karenina and The Hobbit.
18th A new stage adaptation of Henry James's The Turn of the Screw at the Almeida theatre in London. In the year of the centenary of Benjamin Britten's birth, his musical version will also feature around the country in both concert and stage performances.
24th The finalists for the fifth Man Booker International prize will be announced at the Jaipur festival.
- 1/5/2013
- The Guardian - Film News
Entire catalogue being re-released on same day as 'The Beatles: Rock Band.'
By Jem Aswad
The Beatles
Photo: Apple Corps Ltd.
Amid the understandable hoopla around the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" video game, one of the most significant events in recorded music of the past 20 years is actually taking a backseat: The long-awaited digital remastering of the Beatles' albums, which haven't received an upgrade since they were first issued on CD in 1987 and are finally hitting stores on Wednesday, the same day as "Rock Band."
While most major catalogues of the 20th century by now have been overhauled multiple times, the Beatles' legal affairs — which are probably more complex than many United Nations matters — move at such an elephantine pace that the most important catalog in rock history has remained trapped in tinny-sounding CDs. And although the group's outtakes and BBC sessions were carefully curated onto the...
By Jem Aswad
The Beatles
Photo: Apple Corps Ltd.
Amid the understandable hoopla around the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" video game, one of the most significant events in recorded music of the past 20 years is actually taking a backseat: The long-awaited digital remastering of the Beatles' albums, which haven't received an upgrade since they were first issued on CD in 1987 and are finally hitting stores on Wednesday, the same day as "Rock Band."
While most major catalogues of the 20th century by now have been overhauled multiple times, the Beatles' legal affairs — which are probably more complex than many United Nations matters — move at such an elephantine pace that the most important catalog in rock history has remained trapped in tinny-sounding CDs. And although the group's outtakes and BBC sessions were carefully curated onto the...
- 9/8/2009
- MTV Music News
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