Three Beatle Weekend

What a musical/Beatle oriented weekend! Saturday night, I watched both parts of the Martin Scorsese special on George Harrison, Living in the Material World. In it, Scorsese features interviews with those who knew and loved him, including the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, as well as both of his wives and his son, Dhani, who resembles his father a lot. Racecar champ Jackie Stewart spoke of George, too. George, besides spiritual activities, was a racing enthusiast. You may not have known that. There was significant footage of conversations with his friend Eric Clapton and fellow musician Tom Petty (from the Traveling Wilburys period).There were many photos I had never seen, and we gain more insight into George's post-Beatle and nonmusical activities.

Sunday, October 9th was what would have been John Lennon's 71st birthday (imagine an elderly John), which I commemorated by playing "You've Got To Hide Your Love Away in front of a party crowd with my band, Red Paint. The 9th was also the day that Paul married his third wife. We'd gotten word of this in the Spring. I wish him happiness, and things appear to be good so far.

Fab Four forever.

The Beatles Live On Forever in their Music

What did you do today? It was Sunday here--and I spent the afternoon on an outdoor stage playing Beatles songs. We even played some songs the Beatles played before they were well known--in Hamburg and Liverpool. The audience enjoyed it and we certainly did too.

Yes, we're men and women in our middle years, who remember the band when they were young and active. But what could be better than getting to do what you always wanted to do--like your heros?

When I was a teenager I listened to the Beatles on the radio and on records. I saw them on the Ed Sullivan Show. When I was 14 I got my first guitar and started playing their songs in my room on my own. I wanted to be in a band but never quite got it together to do it. But now, I have.

What does it mean to perform like your idol? My son dunks the basketball in our driveway and I'm sure he's thinking about Michael Jordan and, especially his favorite--Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers. Same thing.

Today, as I sang "I'm Down" and "Things We Said Today," I'm playing bass and singing--just like Paul McCartney. It's not easy, you know, to do them both, but Paul did. I also sang and played "Think for Yourself"--a George song, I Should Have Known Better--a John Song, and "Matchbox"--a Ringo song. It doesn't get much better than that.

George Harrison - New Bio this Fall

The Beatles franchise will never die, even though two of the four members are long gone. I grew up with and have always loved the Fab Four, so I was happy to hear today that a George Harrison biography will appear on HBO this fall with new images and material, including interviews with the two surviving Beatles--Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

I loved the Beatles as a group--their interaction and chemistry--even more than them as individuals. Yes, they are my personal heroes, true, but there was "something" (a George Harrison pun) about the four of them together that didn't work with them as single artists. There has been individual greatness from each - All Things Must Pass and Cloud Nine bracket George's career nicely; Ringo had some great 1970's hits (Photograph is my favorite of them); John had made a fine comeback with Double Fantasy before he was murdered in New York in 1980; and Paul, well, he keeps working, although his best material is probably long behind him. Just having him out there performing keeps the Beatles alive today.

I had a George period in 1968 when I selected his Richard Avedon poster for my wall. I was entranced by "Within You, Without You" from Sgt. Pepper's and his mystical qualities at the time.

In a slightly related note: Ron Grill, the lead singer of the Grass Roots, an iconic 1960's pop band, has died. He suffered a fall (no details provided) and was in a coma. He's been replaced in the 2011 touring version of the Grass Roots but it would be a little like seeing the Rolling Stones without Mick Jagger (unimaginable) or Creedence without John Fogerty (this has actually been done). Lots of neat little numbers from the band--Live for Today, Temptation Eyes and Midnight Confession are among my faves.