Uncategorized Archives - Page 13 of 19 - Hey Dullblog, the Beatles fan blog

Like the new Comments?

By Michael Gerber|2016-02-19T15:30:48-08:00February 19, 2016|Housekeeping, Uncategorized|

I write all my comments on my screen, in pen Dullblogisti, in my mania to build an ever-better online clubhouse for Beatle-obsessives, I have installed a new commenting system. If you get a moment, could you help me test drive it? Leave a comment — See if it shows up, and is formatted correctly. Give a comment the thumbs up. Share a comment via Facebook or Twitter. Thanks in advance. With the old system, I couldn't follow who was replying to what and when. These days on Dullblog, that's important. You are a voluble bunch.

38

Try some, buy some

By Michael Gerber|2016-02-10T16:55:27-08:00February 10, 2016|Uncategorized|

Donald Trump's use of "Revolution," though egregious, is far from the only time the spirit of John Lennon's been pressed into service to sell something. The Lennon commercial pasted below is objectionable on so many levels, not least dubbing and vocal impression (have they ever heard John talk?): https://youtu.be/4Ph4rZU0Ns4 And here's a 1992 Nike ad featuring "Instant Karma" (ironic, that): https://youtu.be/AmmpbSlr8UQ And here's an ad that works hard to get around the Estate: https://youtu.be/RweXg3YMOHg People often ask why rock music doesn't pack the same political punch -- Beyoncé's halftime show aside -- as it did in the Sixties and Seventies. One reason [...]

16

John and Yoko at the Fillmore

By Karen Hooper|2016-02-11T16:54:10-08:00February 9, 2016|1970s, concert, john and yoko, John Lennon, Uncategorized|

Frank Zappa tells an interesting story about John and Yoko and their guest appearance at Zappa’s 1971 live album concert at the Fillmore East. After briefly meeting them through a reporter, Zappa invited John and Yoko to come to the Fillmore that evening to jam with the band. Nervous but buoyed by cocaine, The Lennons played with the Mothers for nearly an hour and performed four songs, including a 5-minute jam. According to Zappa, “we played for about 40 minutes I guess, and it just so happens that we had made arrangements to record that night...and the whole thing got laid down on tape. [...]

8

John and Mimi

By Karen Hooper|2022-07-24T13:26:51-07:00February 1, 2016|1960, Uncategorized|

Sometime in the mid-70’s, John wrote a letter to his Aunt Mimi asking her for information about the family genealogy. Mimi replied in the form of a recording. I found this little gem on Amoralto’s excellent tumblr blog and wanted to share it with fellow dullbloggers. But first, a little background on the lady who played such a significant role shaping the personality of one of the biggest rock artists in history. Bob Spitz, in his book The Beatles, describes Mimi Smith thusly: a sharp-tongued, high-principled, duty-bound young woman....There was nothing, no situation or dilemma, that Mimi was unequipped to handle. Her method [...]

88

Off to the Fest for Beatles Fans! And a nugget…

By Michael Gerber|2015-08-14T11:11:57-07:00August 14, 2015|The Fest for Beatles Fans, Uncategorized|

OK, OK, we're uniting...sheesh So the redoubtable Nancy and I are planning to meet up at Beatlefest Chicago tomorrow. Nancy's daughter is also coming. I am not at all sure she realizes what she's in for, so pray for her. You should go, if you can. The Chicago Fest is a great one (never been to NYC, plan on changing that). On top of all the Beatley goodness, the Fest for Beatles Fans is always a hell of a time-machine: nothing evokes the heady mix of bewildered hope, outsized ambition and creeping angst that was Mike Gerber's teenage years, quite [...]

3

Paul Better Than John? Hell Has Frozen Over!

By Michael Gerber|2015-08-24T07:52:36-07:00August 13, 2015|Rolling Stone, Uncategorized|

"REMINDER -- All edit ppl MUST attend 2pm mtg on songwriters list fuckup" Longtime reader Paul Guay alerted me to the following tidbit: In Rolling Stone's latest listifiction, The 100 Greatest Songwriters -- ogle it here -- Paul McCartney is listed at #2, one spot ahead of John Lennon. As Paul wrote, "Hell has indeed frozen over." As a once-and-future magazine person, I bet the halls were slick with blood over this one. From the outside at least, RS doesn't seem like the kind of place one could thrive openly preferring McCartney over Lennon; the implications would be too much [...]

71

Wanna Live-Tweet Something?

By Michael Gerber|2015-05-17T21:54:36-07:00May 17, 2015|Movies, Uncategorized|

(We all live in a) Twitter Submarine Yesterday, my dear wife learned via Twitter that a group of people would be queueing up the 80s Henson-and-Bowie fever-dream Labrynith on Netflix at 4:00 pm PST, and then live-tweeting it. She had a ball, and it got me to thinking: should we do this on Hey Dullblog? Unfortunately the only directly Beatle-ish offerings on Netflix are Nowhere Boy and Good Ol' Freda, either of which would be fun, but not the crazed free-for-all of, say, The Beatles Anthology. If we widen it out a bit, there's Who is Harry Nilsson (and Why is Everybody [...]

13

George & Ringo: The Brothers Fab

By Devin McKinney|2022-06-17T03:57:26-07:00May 12, 2015|George, George Harrison, Guest blogger, Ringo, Ringo Starr, Uncategorized|

By Michael Ray, Guest Dullblogger • Discuss the Beatles and much has been made regarding the brotherhood of its two principal players, John Lennon and Paul McCartney: a team – collaboratively and spiritually. Such a force is hard to deny. But there is another brotherhood that rarely gets mention, a true musical expression of love and respect between the remaining members of the Fab Four. After all, it was George Harrison who was the first to suggest that Richard Starkey (aka: Ringo Starr) join the group and replace the band’s original drummer, Pete Best. It was George who also took a black [...]

7

Krall does Paul: McCartney cover on “Wallflower”

By Nancy Carr|2015-04-21T13:37:55-07:00March 9, 2015|Covers, Diana Krall, Paul McCartney, Uncategorized, Unreleased/Outtakes|

NANCY CARR * On her new album "Wallflower," Diana Krall covers "If I Take You Home Tonight," a song Paul McCartney wrote while working on "Kisses on the Bottom" but didn't release. (Not clear if he recorded a version.) I think the romantic ballad blends in seamlessly with the late 1960s to 1970s songs that make up the rest of Krall's album. Listen for yourself: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIKrLDyBmGc I can see why McCartney didn't use this on "Kisses," but why didn't he put it on "New"? To my ear it's far better than either "Hosanna" or "Looking At Her," which I think are the two [...]

3

“Art of McCartney” tribute album mostly meh

By Nancy Carr|2014-11-25T07:56:03-08:00November 25, 2014|Beatles tributes, Bob Dylan, Covers, Paul McCartney, Uncategorized, Wings|

NANCY CARR * The recently released "Art of McCartney" tribute album could have been--should have been--so much better. Lots of songs and lots of artists, many of them big names. But the album suffers from two major problems: the track list is weighted toward songs that have been covered a lot (often better than here), and too many of the performers stick so close to the original arrangements that at times the effect is Karaoke Night at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. For example, both Billy Joel cuts, "Maybe I'm Amazed" and "Live and Let Die," are virtual reenactments of [...]

2