Bearkat & Paul Starling - All My Loving

We decided to sing The Beatles "All My Loving" while we made clam chowder!

Todays Listening Choice

Magical Mystery Tour

This is my favorite scene from The Beatles 1967 movie "Magical Mystery Tour", which at the time was put down as "too weird" & "self-indulgent". I think its great to watch. I agree it is very weird, but in a great way. Of course the songs are fantastic: I Am The Walrus, Fool On The Hill, Blue Jay Way, Your Mother Should Know. Anyway this photo is from the scene where John is a waiter shoving spaghetti onto the fat woman's plate. In The Beatles Anthology book Paul says that John dreamed that scene and they decided to film it based on the dream. Can you imagine that happening in a movie today? Another reason why "Magical Mystery Tour" is great.

The Beatle War: Lennon vs McCartney

After the Beatles split of early 1970, Lennon & McCartney started one of the most bitchy public break-ups of all time. Many things were said in the press, with many people taking sides. I personally don't care about all of that nonsense. What I think is interesting is how they took jabs at each other in their solo songs. I will now list various songs and which lines each Beatle took as a slap in the face from the other.

1. Man We Was Lonely - this McCartney song appeared on Paul's first solo album "McCartney" released 1970. The line "I used to ride on my fast city line, singing songs that I thought were mine alone" most certainly refers to the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership.

2. I Found Out - Lennon's song from his first solo album "The Plastic Ono Band" released 1970. Filled with jabs at Paul & the Beatles in general, the lines "I told you before stay away from my door, don't give me that brother brother brother brother" & "i've seen religion from Jesus to Paul" are obvious in their meaning.

3. Too Many People - appears on McCartney's "Ram" album released 1971. McCartney himself has admitted this song is about his feelings towards Lennon & Ono at the time. The song opens with Paul yelling "piss off yeah, yeah, yeah". Other lines "too many people preaching practices" "too many people never sleep in late" "you took your lucky break and broke it in two" "too many hungry people losing weight" all refer to Lennon & Ono. This song is what sent Lennon into his McCartney hating best.

4. How Do You Sleep? - appears on Lennon's 1971 "Imagine" album. Leave it to Lennon to cut the bullshit and just come right out and sing a full fledged attack on McCartney. Every single lyric to this song was meant to hit McCartney, and hit him hard. Perhaps the single biggest blow didn't even come from a lyric, but the fact that ex-Beatle George Harrison plays the stinging lead on the track.

5. Dear Friend - appears on Wings 1971 album "Wild Life". After "How Do You Sleep?" McCartney had enough sense to try and put an end to the feud with this track. Sung as an open letter to Lennon, McCartney clearly feels hurt and tries to remind Lennon of their old friendship.

6. Let Me Roll It - appears on Wings 1973 album "Band On The Run". Some have speculated that this "Lennon-esque" track was McCartney's attempt to let Lennon know the battle was over. After its release, Lennon & McCartney never released another song bitching at each other.

Happy Beatle Day

John, George, Paul, Ringo

Hey Jude - Vinyl Apple Records 1969

side 1
1. can't buy me love
2. i should have known better
3. paperback writer
4. rain
5. lady madonna
6. revolution

side 2
1. hey jude
2. old brown shoe
3. don't let me down
4. the ballad of john & yoko

my review: i have to admit that this quickly thrown together album of a & b sides is my favorite beatle compilation album. first of all the album cover is amazing. they look like they're from the 1800's. george especially looks cool with his red scarf and blue jeans. the back cover has john & paul sitting on the grass, with john looking like he is really over the whole beatle thing. ringo and george stand beside them with similar looks. as for the songs, i love every single one of them. for me side 2 is perfect. hey jude, THE greatest anthemic rock song of all time. old brown shoe, classic george song with amazing bass by paul. don't let me down, i believe THIS is my favorite john lennon song. he really screams parts of it with so much feeling, sometimes it makes me sick. the ballad of john & yoko, everytime i hear this song i just want to sing along to paul's harmony vocal on the line "eating chocolate cake in a bag!". plus paul & john are the only beatles on this track. john plays the guitars & sings lead, while paul plays the drums, bass, piano, & adds backing vocals. excellent late 60's rock & roll. find this on vinyl, it really bumps along nicely. big round warm sound. its the beatles. what more do you want?

Side Project: Club 33

Rain songs

searched the word 'rain' on my itunes. made a playlist for this rainy night. here it is:
1. rain - the beatles
2. buckets of rain - bob dylan
3. raining in my heart - buddy holly
4. who'll stop the rain? - creedence clearwater revival
5. kentucky rain - elvis presley
6. let it rain - eric clapton
7. a hard rain's gonna fall (live) - bob dylan
8. rainmaker - harry nilsson
9. little more rain - harry nilsson
10. fire & rain - james taylor
11. caught in the rain - jay clifford
12. rains in asia - jump little children
13. bel air rain - lindsey buckingham
14. rain - nick drake
15. too much rain - paul mccartney
16. ballad of a raincoat - paul starling
17. flowers never bend with the rainfall - simon & garfunkel
18. early morning rain - bob dylan
19. september in the rain - the beatles

i decided to make a john lennon playlist

just for fun i made this playlist of late 63,64, & early 65 john lennon songs. some are well known, others are not. after each song i list what album it came from & what year it was recorded. it is as follows:
1. baby it's you - please please me (1963)
2. no reply - beatles for sale (1964)
3. keep your hands off my baby - live at the bbc (1964)
4. leave my kitten alone - anthology vol. 1 (1964)
5. bad to me - demo (1963) *written for billy j. kramer
6. it won't be long - with the beatles (1963)
7. every little thing - beatles for sale (1964) *one of the few times lennon sang lead on a mccartney composition
8. ticket to ride - help! (1965) *rumored first use of fender strats by harrison & lennon on a beatles recording
9. not a second time - with the beatles (1963)
10. please please me - please please me (1963)
11. bad boy - beatles vi (1964)
12. i feel fine - beatles 1 (1965) *first recorded feedback on a rock/pop song
13. there's a place - please please me (1963)
14. anna (go to him) - please please me (1963)
15. i call your name - long tall sally ep (1964)
16. please mister postman - with the beatles (1963)
17. ask me why - please please me (1963)
18. all i've gotta do - with the beatles (1964)
19. i don't wanna spoil the party - beatles for sale (1964)
20. you've really got a hold on me - with the beatles (1963)
21. i'll be back - a hard days night (1964)
22. yes it is - past masters vol. 1 (1965)