Aaron talks to Tom Hartman, lead singer-songwriter of the “lost” band The Aerovons. We discuss the band’s history, getting signed to The Beatles label Parlophone Records in 1969, recording at Abbey Road Studios, and what it was like at that time. Plus we discuss how “Resurrection” and “A Little More” finally got released nearly 50 years later! The video “Swinging London” recalls those fascinating days when The Aerovons were almost destined for stardom.
What if The Beatles never broke up and made a few more albums? Fellow blogger and author Peter Lee (www.hooksandharmony.com) puts in print what Beatle fans have argued and guessed about since that fateful year 1970, when the world’s greatest band called it quits. Peter’s narrative is in first person from the point of view of former Beatles assistant Mal Evans, who in 1976 died from a gunshot wound by police.
Lee magically transports Evans prior to the the band’s breakup at a critical point in John Lennon’s history. This creates an alternate timeline where Evans stops the break-up and The Beatles continue to create great music beyond 1970. Its all meticulously researched and a blazing good read as you feel like you’re in the room with the John, Paul, George, Ringo and the select group of people who knew them well. Peter sets up these great fictional albums, made up of tracks the solo Beatles produced in the years after their partnership dissolved and lists them in his blog as well. An excellent book that’s a must read for Beatle fans and musical historians will enjoy too.
Amazon
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIpglscU6Jg
“Now and Then” is officially the last Beatle track that can ever be made, as it was part of the Lennon demos that included “Real Love” and “Free As A Bird.” Unfortunately the remaining 3 Beatles agreed to pass on it because of the sound quality, but producer Jeff Lynne and Paul McCartney indicated they might return to it someday.
The one official getting most of the attention was Gary Millar, the Lord Mayor Councillor of Liverpool (UK). I also met Billy J. Kramer, a British Invasion/Merseybeat singer who often opened for the Fab Four in those early days. A commemorative plaque was unveiled for the occasion, and the Beatles cover band Liverpool played a few songs in advance of this weekend’s Fest for Beatles Fans. Check out Liverpool’s performance embedded on the last slide above. (Note: Keep your mouse pointer in the slide area to view the video without interruption.)
I was fortunate to do a mini-interview with Liverpool lead singer/guitarist Glen Burtnik. It was pretty cool even though I was “winging it.” Glen was very friendly and approachable, he’s worked alongside Marshall Crenshaw in Broadway’s Beatlemania and mentored Graham Alexander. We started talking before I even got his full name!
Over the years nearly everyone remotely connected with the Beatles has offered up an opinion or experience about them and their music. The number of Beatle books listed on Amazon numbers more than 7,700. So it is very special that one of the few living connections to those early days of Beatlmania still has a story to tell that hasn’t been told. Freda Kelly, who became president of the Beatles’ official fan club as a teenager, and was soon after hired as manager Brian Epstein’s secretary, is the main subject of the documentary Good Ol’ Freda. Now a modest 60-ish grandmother, Freda has kept quiet all these years as part of the Beatles family, but here she details her story…
Read the entire review at Blog Critics
Rarely do I review such mainstream stuff, but when it comes to Sir Paul I couldn’t help myself. I just wanted to know if he could still pull out some of that old Beatle magic. I wasn’t keen on his standards LP Kisses on the Bottom, so I was expecting something closer to my tastes.
With the stigma of ageism gone from rock n’ roll, the 71 year old Beatle works with four different producers (Mark Ronson, Ethan Johns, Paul Epworth and Giles Martin) in an effort to sound “new” but still tinted with sweet nostalgia. The title track certainly does this, a sing-along crowd pleaser with a Beach Boys coda. Paul’s melodic gift still holds up with nice bass guitar lines of “Alligator” and “On My Way To Work” which recalls his time with Wings. “Early Days” is a predictable look back and the ballad “Looking At Her” is another signature Macca love song.
One caveat is that his voice is really starting to show its age, like fellow septuagenarian Brian Wilson he needs a little help from his (studio technician) friends. And for every polished gem like “Queenie Eye,” you get filler like “Appreciate” with its forced hip hop beat or the overly glossy production on “Save Us.” This isn’t going to stop fans from rushing out to grab this, and it’s nice to know that the old dog is trying some new tricks. The good stuff easily outnumbers the lame stuff, and my favorite here “Turned Out,” proves beyond a doubt that Paul is back. So enjoy him while he’s still here making music.
