FORUM MUSICAL MR Q - ERIC BURDON & MORE

"Songs for the Philippines" Benefit Album to Feature the Beatles, Bob Dylan and More

Some of the greatest musicians of all time are coming together to release Songs for the Philippines to raise funds in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. According to the official iTunes description, the artists have “united by a message of hope and compassion,” and all proceeds from the 39-track album will benefit the Philippine Red Cross.
The Beatles bookend the album with two of their most iconic songs, opening with a 2009 remaster of “Across the Universe” and closing fittingly with “Let It Be.”
Other contributions include Bob Dylan’s “Shelter from the Storm” and U2’s “In a Little While."
Typhoon Haiyan hit the eastern coast of the Philippines on November 8. In less than three weeks, more than 5,000 lives have been claimed by the devastating typhoon, while over 23,000 people have been reported injured, according to CNN.
Check out the tracklist for the album on iTunes by clicking here

Saldenajas Blues Band in El Cleta Tavern (El Casar)

Mr. Q has the pleasure to invite you to enjoy the Jam "Saldenajas Blues Band"

 RAFA SIDEBURNS, SORAYA JIMENO y MIGUEL ANGEL LUTHIER


Sunday 1 to 14h, vermouth in the village with good and filling snack!!

in  Taberna Cleta Plaza del Olmo, El Casar, Guadalajara 19170

Also: Celebrating our

washboard woman player

SORAYA BIRTHDAY!!

Take the guitar, saxophone, harmonica, trumpet, your voice .... and not to go back on the jam.

I hope:)

click to link on facebook event 

The Beatles’ ‘Butcher Cover’ Album Fetches More Than $15,000

 

A mint copy of the Beatles’ infamous “butcher” cover for the now-deleted ‘Yesterday and Today’ collection, still in the shrink wrap, has fetched a staggering $15,300 on eBay.
‘Yesterday and Today’ was put together by the group’s U.S. record company from leftover tracks that had been excised from their two most recent U.K. LPs, three songs from an upcoming release and a single. It immediately drew the ire of the Beatles, who put a lot of work into the sequencing of their albums. In retaliation, they submitted a brutal cover image, in which the Fab Four appeared in butchers’ smocks covered with raw meat and body parts from baby dolls.
Capitol Records ended up printing roughly 750,000 copies of the album with the image before widespread complaints forced a recall. ‘Yesterday and Today’ was subsequently reissued with a far less inflammatory shot of the Beatles gathered around a piece of luggage. The album went out of print once the original versions of the Beatles’ albums were released on CD.
The copy of ‘Yesterday and Today’ that recently went up for sale and drew 31 bids was produced in 1966 at a factory in Scranton, Penn. The seller said he obtained the album from a former Capitol Records executive, who provided documentation on its authenticity.

12 Years Ago: George Harrison Dies

He was a giant, a great, great soul, with all the humanity, all the wit and humor, all the wisdom, the spirituality, the common sense of a man and compassion for people. He inspired love and had the strength of a hundred men. He was like the sun, the flowers and the moon and we shall miss him enormously. The world is a profoundly emptier place without him. - Bob Dylan (George Harrison’s Obituary, Nov 2001)

George Harrison rarely gave his son advice. “The only two things he felt I had to do in my life were be happy and meditate,” Dhani Harrison once told Rolling Stone about his late father.
As we mark the 12th anniversary of the death of “the Quiet Beatle” by watching tribute concerts and Martin Scorsese’s ‘Living in the Material World,’ listening to his music and otherwise remembering, many fans can’t stop debating whether Harrison should have received a larger share of credit for the Beatles’ enormous success and musical influence.
Well, it might ease you to know that Harrison didn’t really care about much about any of those accolades.
If he did, he’d have had plenty to count: He was listed as one of the ’100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time’ by Rolling Stone – at No. 11 to be exact. His time with the “Fab Four” also found him composing classic songs such as ‘While My Guitar Gently Weeps’ and ‘Here Comes the Sun.’
Harrison then moved on to a sterling solo career highlighted by the album ‘All Things Must Pass’ (which was filled with hauntingly beautiful songs like ‘My Sweet Lord’), and founded the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison. Oh, and let’s not forget he co-founded the all-star 1971 benefit Concert for Bangladesh. That’s just the tip of his achievements.
But to hear his widow, Olivia Harrison, his son and his close friends tell it, none of the fame, fortune and fans meant that much to George. Not that he wasn’t pleased by or grateful for the attention to his work, but Harrison felt there was something more important in life.
“I was pretty sure he was just a gardener,” Dhani said, noting his father often spent 12 hours a day nurturing plants on his estate grounds. “Being a gardener, and not hanging out with anyone and just being home, that was pretty rock n’ roll, you know? When you’re in a really beautiful garden, it reminds you constantly of God.”
As he grew wearier of the cacophony of rock instruments, the screams of fans and the details of the music business, he retreated further into the garden, even proclaiming himself a gardener (as opposed to a musician) in his autobiography ‘I Me Mine,’ named after one of his Beatles songs.
When he died of cancer on November 29, 2001, Olivia Harrison is positive a glow filled the hospital room as his soul left his body.
“He would say ‘Look, we’re not these bodies. Let’s not get hung up on that,’” Petty told Rolling Stone. “George would say, ‘I just want to prepare myself so I go the right way and go to the right place.’ I’m sure he’s got that worked out.”


Ringo Starr cries for George Harrison




Reaction to Paul McCartney George Harrison's Death

20 Best Psychedelic Songs

I’ve decided to do a special post dedicated to all things trippy.  Here are my personal top 20 psychedelic songs of all time, all paired with a trippy gif for your viewing pleasure. Breathe easy, stay safe, and enjoy!


1) “White Rabbit” – Jefferson Airplane
Remember what the door mouse said: feed your head, feed your head.

2) “In A Gadda Da Vida” – Iron Butterfly
I dare you to make it through all 17 minutes of this!




 

3) “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” – The Beatles
So maybe it’s because of a child’s drawing. Still a great song!








4) The entire “Ummagumma” Album – Pink Floyd
Try to pick one track from this, it’s impossible.  The whole album is pure trip-tastic gold!





5) “The Joker” – Steve Miller Band
A stoner classic for the ages.  Do they call you the space cowboy?





6) “Cassandra Gemini” – The Mars Volta
Approximately 13 songs in one. Can’t go wrong.






7) “Where Is My Mind?” – Pixies
WooooOOOOOooooOoOOOooooOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo…






8) “People Are Strange” – The Doors
When you’re alone.






9) “Ego Tripping On The Gates Of Hell” – The Flaming Lips
You must be tripping, just ego tripping.







10) “Santeria” – Sublime
Had a million dollars? Spent it ALL?





11)  “False Start” – Bikini Kill
Are you a stoner AND a riot grrrl?  If so, it’s your lucky day!






12) “Itchycoo Park” – Small Faces

What WILL you do?

13) “Casey Jones” – The Grateful Dead
Just make sure to watch your speed on this one.







14) “Purple Haze” – Jimi Hendrix
Scuse me while I kiss the sky.






15) “Kashmir” – Led Zeppelin
All will be revealed.






16) “Venus In Furs” – Velvet Underground
Shiny, shiny.







17) “Clint Eastwood” – Gorillaz
I got sunshine in a bag.








18) “Lotus Flower” – Radiohead
Get ready to dance like this:







19) “White Room” – Cream
Get your black curtains ready.







20) “Keep On Moving” – Bob Marley & The Whalers
Cue horns.




…So, how’d I do? I don’t know about you, but…

Mr Q's Orgasmic Underground

Sex Pistols Frontman Credits Mick Jagger with Paying for Sid Vicious' Legal Representation

 

Following the breakup of the Sex Pistols in January 1978, bassist Sid Vicious began a downward spiral fueled by drug abuse.  By October of that year, Vicious found himself entrenched in a legal battle surrounding the death of his girlfriend, Nancy Spungen.
Nearly three decades later, bandmate Johnny Lydon (aka Johnny Rotten) has stated that Mick Jagger picked up the tab for Vicious’ legal bills, due to an apparent lack of action from band’s then-manager Malcolm McLaren.
“...I heard Mick Jagger got in there and brought lawyers into it on Sid’s behalf because I don’t think Malcolm lifted a finger,” Rotten recently told Daily Record.  “He just didn’t know what to do.  For that, I have a good liking of Mick Jagger.”
It appears that Jagger hasn't actually confirmed what Lydon is alleging, however, the ex-Sex Pistols singer continues to praise the Rolling Stones frontman:
“There was activity behind the scenes from Mick Jagger so I applaud him. He never used it to advance himself publicity-wise,” Lydon said.
The Sex Pistols were perhaps the most controversial band in Britain in the late 1970s, with their anti-establishment themed songs and notorious stage antics.  Vicious passed away from an overdose of heroin just four months after Nancy Spungen’s death, having just made bail for charges involving her alleged murder; he was just 21 years old.

 I leave the full interview with Daily Record webnews

 

Punk-rock legend John Lydon: Sex Pistols were banned from gigging in Scotland for being hooligans - that's an achievement

THE group's frontman tells all about how they weren't allowed to play north of the border, talks of his admiration for Mick Jagger and says he's always remained "just a working class lad."

John Lydon in 2013

PR

IN 1978, the Sex Pistols were notorious as the most hated band in Britain, out to destroy the establishment and rockers such as The Rolling Stones.

The Sex Pistols 1977

London Features

But frontman John Lydon’s attitude to the Stones changed when Mick Jagger paid Sid Vicious’ legal fees over the death of bassist Sid’s groupie girlfriend Nancy Spungen.

Spungen was found dead from a stab wound in the room at New York’s Chelsea Hotel she and Vicious had shared during several days of drug abuse.

Vicious was charged with murder but then died four months later from a heroin overdose.

Now Lydon has revealed Jagger secretly stepped in to help Vicious while he and ex-Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren watched on.

Lydon said: “Nancy Spungen was a hideous, awful person who killed herself because of the lifestyle and led to the destruction and subsequent death of Sid and the whole fiasco.

“I tried to help Sid through all of that and feel a certain responsibility because I brought him into the Pistols thinking he could handle the pressure.

“He couldn’t. The reason people take heroin is because they can’t handle pressure. Poor old Sid.

“Her death is all entangled in mystery. It’s no real mystery, though. If you are going to get yourself involved in drugs and narcotics in that way accidents are going to happen.

“Sid was a lost case. He was wrapped firmly in Malcolm’s shenanigans.

“It became ludicrous trying to talk to him through the drug haze because all you would hear was, ‘I’m the real star around here’. Great. Carry on. We all know how that’s going to end. Unfortunately, that is where it ended. I miss him very much.

“He was a great friend but when you are messing with heroin you’re not a human being. You change and you lose respect for yourself and everybody else.

“The only good news is that I heard Mick Jagger got in there and brought lawyers into it on Sid’s behalf because I don’t think Malcolm lifted a finger. He just didn’t know what to do. For that, I have a good liking of Mick Jagger.

“There was activity behind the scenes from Mick Jagger so I applaud him. He never used it to advance himself publicity-wise.”

Lydon was forming Public Image Ltd (PiL) after his time as Johnny Rotten in the Sex Pistols – with Vicious, guitarist Steve Jones and drummer Paul Cook – had drawn to a close.

Public Image Limited are still going strong after forming in 1978

PR

While Sid’s death in 1979 ended a huge chapter in punk history, Lydon has continued with his new outfit with singles such as Death Disco and the album Public Image: First Issue.

Having just completed PiL’s UK tour dates, the band have also played a special show to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Virgin Records, the label that took in the Sex Pistols in 1977.

“Virgin offered to financially support a PiL gig. Yipee. Why not,” Lydon said. “They owe me more than that.

“Quite frankly, how are they going to explain 40 years of their alleged success without giving a nod and a wink to John- boy here?”

Back in the present, relaxing at the home he shares with wife Nora Forster in LA, the punk icon was in great form as he recalled his early Scottish visits.

He was with the Sex Pistols, who played a show at Dundee Technical College in October 1976, although gigs in Dundee and Glasgow that December were cancelled.

Lydon said: “It was unfortunate.

“I never understood why the Lord Provost in Scotland banned us with the famous line, ‘We have enough hooligans of our own in Glasgow without importing them from south of the border’.

“To this day I think of that as a real sense of achievement. It felt like he was giving us an award really.”

Recalling another trip to Glasgow in 1976, John said: “Celtic were playing Rangers so I had quite a lot to deal with on the train.

“I never made it to a radio station we were due at because some lads on the train had recommended a bar underneath a flyover. It was somewhere they said did great electric soup.

“That was basically the slops of alcohol all mixed together in a big barrel and that was how it was.

PiL eventually played the legendary Glasgow Apollo in 1983.

“I have done practically every venue Glasgow has had to offer,” Lydon said. “You would think almost that we had a residency there. I miss the Glasgow Apollo, though. That one was special.

“The height of the stage and the narrowness and length of the stage was all very bizarre, odd and dangerous to be on.

“I’m half blind really so falling off that stage was always on the agenda.

“But the absolute enthusiasm that the venue seemed to inspire meant it was always incredibly mad.

“The way the balcony would vibrate with people jumping up and down was such an incredible atmosphere, one I’ve hardly seen anywhere else in the world able to compete with.

“It was quite brilliant. Other venues don’t seem to be able to generate that bond that band and audience can have. I’ve never forgotten the Apollo.

“You would think a 12ft-high stage would be a stumbling block between audience band and communication. But no.

“It used to be hilarious watching people make human pyramids to get up on the stage and in a friendly way.”

John – who had meningitis as a child – said the LA weather has improved his health after finding the British climate an endurance test. The police harassment in England drove me nuts,” he added.

“It became unbearable. In LA, people tend to leave you alone.

“For the first time in my life, I wasn’t ill all year long.

“It never gets to be freezing so you don’t need to bother with the flus or viruses or bronchitis I would get every year in England.”

But despite enjoying the States, he’ll never become a Vegas act and said he can’t fathom Calvin Harris’s residency at the Hakkasan club.

“I’ve been to a lot of these DJ shows as my curiosity level has been piqued,” he said.

“I won’t turn my nose up at anything but I am utterly amazed that DJs are such major league celebrities to so many people when all they are doing is spinning other people’s music.

“It’s odd how the ownership has been transferred from people who make music to those who turn the on button.

“It’s a curiosity to watch crowds going apes**t to watching someone just pressing on and off.

“I’m very far removed from a Las Vegas production, which seems to be the way most acts seem to adopt.

“A Vegas show would be the kiss of death. That would be like a knighthood, something that absolutely terrifies me for sheer ugliness.

“I’m not going to let the Queen near me with a sword. What’s that old expression? Off with their heads.”

His attitude towards royalty hasn’t really changed since the Sex Pistols released God Save The Queen in 1977.

“I have nothing against them as human beings – just the institutions they are born into,” he said. “

“I view them as victims rather than abusers. I’ve got a place in my heart for them because I know what it is like to be trapped.

“If you are born into a council house you know you’re trapped. Theirs is a gilded cage and they’re led by the nose.”

So does he still consider himself a Punk of the British Empire even after those Country Life butter ads?

“As if that was a negative,” Lydon snorted. “They are the only people who offered me any financial support.

“You think I’m a fool? I’m a working class lad. “Any opportunity should be taken seriously.

“As long as I’m not selling my soul. I’m most definitely not.

“Look at the shape of me.

“I’ve eaten an awful lot of Dairy Crest.”

The Beatles, ‘On Air – Live at the BBC Volume 2′ – Album Review

 

 

By the time the Beatles began their three-year relationship with the BBC, they could perform their mix of covers and originals in their sleep. Years of playing for drunken and disinterested audiences had sharpened their stage skills to the point where nothing could faze them — not even playing the same songs over and over, week after week, for the BBC’s various radio programs.

‘On Air — Live at the BBC Volume 2,’ the follow-up to 1994′s ‘Live at the BBC,’ gathers 40 songs the Beatles performed on BBC shows in 1963 and 1964. You’ve heard most of them before on other Beatles records (including the ’94 set), even though all but three of the versions here are previously unreleased. Toss in nearly two dozen snippets of studio banter, and it all adds up to a bounty of new (or at least officially new) riches for devoted fans.
But where does that leave everyone else? Do casual fans who already own ‘Please Please Me’ and ‘With the Beatles’ need versions of ‘Do You Want to Know a Secret’ and ‘This Boy’ that really don’t differ all that much from the takes they know? And are covers of ‘Beautiful Dreamer’ and Chuck Berry‘s ‘I’m Talking About You’ — the two songs never collected on a Beatles album before — worth hearing in this context? Depends on your level of Beatlemania.
The quality of most of these recordings captures the band’s vibrancy. Because the Beatles played these songs so often during the period (and remember, the studio versions were recorded in single takes with no overdubs), there’s not much variation among the way they sound. Even Paul McCartney‘s count leading into ‘I Saw Her Standing There’ is exactly the same.
Still, some of the covers — like ‘Money (That’s What I Want)’ and Little Richard‘s ‘Lucille’ — come off as faster and raspier than what you’d expect, no doubt a product of the band’s grueling schedule wearing down their vocal cords and patience. And the raw energy sometimes exhibited here reveals the guts that was occasionally buried in the studio polish.
Because it is a sequel to a previous 56-song collection, ‘On Air’ can’t help but to feel like a set of leftovers at times. The mostly pointless between-song interviews and goofing around doesn’t exactly help dispel this notion. But the the playful if straightforward interpretations of these songs, especially the covers, served as sort of a break from the savages of the road weighing on the band during this period. And that should count for something. As a historical document, ’On Air — Live at the BBC Volume 2′ is essential. But as an indispensible part of the Beatles recorded legacy, it’s a mere side note.

The album will be released Monday, November 11 in 2CD and 180-gram vinyl packages with a 48-page booklet. On Air’s 63 tracks include 37 previously unreleased performances and 23 previously unreleased recordings of in-studio banter and conversation between the band’s members and their BBC radio hosts.

Paul McCartney said, “There’s a lot of energy and spirit. We are going for it, not holding back at all, trying to put in the best performance of our lifetimes.”


The full tracklisting for On Air – Live At The BBC Volume 2 is:


CD ONE

And Here We Are Again (Speech)
WORDS OF LOVE
How About It, Gorgeous? (Speech)
DO YOU WANT TO KNOW A SECRET
LUCILLE
Hey, Paul… (Speech)
ANNA (GO TO HIM)
Hello! (Speech)
PLEASE PLEASE ME
MISERY
I’M TALKING ABOUT YOU
A Real Treat (Speech)
BOYS
Absolutely Fab (Speech)
CHAINS
ASK ME WHY
TILL THERE WAS YOU
LEND ME YOUR COMB
Lower 5E (Speech)
THE HIPPY HIPPY SHAKE
ROLL OVER BEETHOVEN
THERE’S A PLACE
Bumper Bundle (Speech)
P.S. I LOVE YOU
BEAUTIFUL DREAMER
DEVIL IN HER HEART
The 49 Weeks (Speech)
SURE TO FALL (IN LOVE WITH YOU)
Never Mind, Eh? (Speech)
TWIST AND SHOUT
Bye, Bye (speech)
John - Pop Profile (Speech)
George - Pop Profile (Speech)


CD TWO
I SAW HER STANDING THERE
GLAD ALL OVER
Lift Lid Again (Speech)
I’LL GET YOU
SHE LOVES YOU
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE
HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR SATURDAY CLUB
Now Hush, Hush (Speech)
FROM ME TO YOU
MONEY (THAT’S WHAT I WANT)
I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND
Brian Bathtubes (Speech)
THIS BOY
If I Wasn’t In America (Speech)
I GOT A WOMAN
LONG TALL SALLY
IF I FELL
A Hard Job Writing Them (Speech)
AND I LOVE HER
Oh, Can’t We? Yes We Can (Speech)
YOU CAN’T DO THAT
HONEY DON’T
I’LL FOLLOW THE SUN
Green With Black Shutters (Speech)
KANSAS CITY/HEY-HEY-HEY-HEY!
That’s What We’re Here For (Speech)
I FEEL FINE (STUDIO OUTTAKE)
Paul - Pop Profile (Speech)
Ringo - Pop Profile (Speech)

Mick Jagger Hints at 2014 Concerts for the Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones spent a good part of 2013 performing live in honor of their 50^th anniversary and after wrapping up their concerts this past summer, all signs pointed to the band taking an extended break.
However, according to frontman Mick Jagger, that might not necessarily be the case.
While speaking with the London Evening Standard at the Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year Awards, the iconic 70-year-old rocker stated that the group’s performance at the Glastonbury Festival and their following two shows at London’s Hyde Park went so well, that he would like to keep going.
“This summer was really good for us. I feel really happy and I had a really fantastic time in the last year. It was a great ending at Glastonbury and Hyde Park,” Jagger told the Evening Standard.  “We were blown away. I’d love to do it again.”
Jagger was at the event with partner, model/designer L’Wren Scott, who was honored as Tastemaker of the Year.
Meanwhile, the Rolling Stones’s forthcoming concert film, Sweet Summer Sun – Hyde Park Live, which documents the band’s aforementioned July shows, is due out on CD and DVD/Blu-ray on November 12.
Hyde Park Live is also currently being screened in theaters worldwide, with more info at www.stonesonscreen.com.

Lou Reed Willed His Estate to His Wife and Sister

 

Lou Reed is gone, but his legacy lives on — and the wealth his music generated during his lifetime will now be used to care for the loved ones he left behind.
Billboard reports that Reed’s last will and testament has been filed in a New York court, and its terms are as elegantly simple as his best songs: He left the bulk of his estate to his wife Laurie Anderson, including a pair of homes owned by the couple in Manhattan and East Hampton, N.Y. Reed also made provisions for his sister, setting aside “about a quarter” of his holdings, on top of which he added $500,000 for the care and comfort of their mother.
It’s a suitably straightforward settlement for Reed, who, by most accounts, lived a fairly simple life during his last few decades. While he enjoyed his fair share of the trappings of rock stardom earlier in his career, Reed settled into something approaching normal domesticity during the ’80s and ’90s. While he wasn’t averse to the periodic high-profile project (including ‘Lulu,’ the record he cut with Metallica in 2011), he became increasingly engaged in less-mainstream pursuits like ‘Hudson River Wind Meditations,’ his album of instrumental music designed for aiding tai chi meditation.
Reed, who was 71 at the time of his passing last week, had no known children. As NME points out, his death leaves John Cale and Moe Tucker the only surviving members of their hugely influential former band the Velvet Underground.

45 Years Ago: The Monkees’ ‘Head’ Premieres

Released in theaters nationwide on Nov. 6, 1968, ‘Head’ was the Monkees last real hurrah as a pop phenomenon of the ’60s. If you want to talk about going out in a blaze of glory, look no further. What other film has its stars jumping off a bridge to their watery death in the first five minutes? The Monkees name was not used in the offbeat advertising for the film, the movie itself had no credits at all until the very end, and the soundtrack generated zero radio hits. Some might call this a recipe for failure, while others might simply see it as the lunatics taking over the asylum.

The Monkees television show premiered on NBC in the fall of 1966, quickly becoming a hit, making the Monkees world famous, and their records big hits. By 1968, many changes had taken place in and around the world of pop music and the effects were dramatic. Watch season one of the Monkees TV show and you see a nice, tidy, offbeat comedy show. Watch the second season and you see emerging chaos, surrealism and anti-establishment motifs, not to mention changes in style of both music and fashion. At the end of season two, NBC dropped the show from its roster.

Written by Bob Rafelson (co-creator of the television show) and Jack Nicholson, fresh from his LSD-inspired film, ‘The Trip,’ and produced by Rafelson and Bert Schneider, ‘Head’ plays like a stream of consciousness psychedelic ramble. Where else do you get Frank Zappa, Sonny Liston, Annette Funicello, Victor Mature, Terri Garr and Jack Nicholson in the same movie?

The film was a colossal flop, reportedly recouping only about $16,000 of its $790,000 budget. The kids who saw it upon release certainly didn’t understand everything that was going on — they were just there to see their heroes. Meanwhile, the ‘heads’ who might have really got what was going on, had no interest. “A lot of the hip people, the intelligentsia, wouldn’t see the movie anyway, because it was the Monkees,” Mickey Dolenz told Vulture.com in 2010.

The Monkees worked with Schneider, Rafelson and Nicholson on ideas for the film. “We sat around all day long and part of the night talking about what we wanted to do, what we didn’t want to do, and what kind of a movie it would be,” said Dolenz, “At the end of the weekend, we ended up with hours of tape that Jack took away, and out of those conversations and the experiences we had hanging out, they came up with this movie.”

“We didn’t want to make a 90-minute version of the TV show,” Dolenz told Rhino.com in 2010, “The movie is essentially about us being victims, always the victim of circumstance. It was about the whole zeitgeist, and deconstruction of, not only the Monkees, but also a lot to do with the deconstruction of Hollywood.” The late Davy Jones, on the other hand, was not a cheerleader of the film. “We were pawns in something we helped create but had no control over,” he told the Guardian, adding, “They were throwing us to the ‘gators at that point.”

The film unravels as an acid-inspired satire, juxtaposing images of war, fame, and psychedelia, with a glorious soundtrack that includes musical contributions from Ry Cooder, Neil Young and Stephen Stills to name a few. The concert scene of the band performing the Mike Nesmith song ‘Circle Sky‘ live in concert (yes, that’s them playing live!) is intercut with images of the horrors of war (including a famous Viet Cong execution scene) before the ‘fans’ rush the stage, tearing apart the band, who end up being only mannequins. The opening sequence featuring the beautiful ‘Porpoise Song‘ is still breathtaking stuff.

“You say we’re manufactured, to that we all agree so make your choice and we’ll rejoice in never being free,” the band sing in ‘Ditty Diego,’ which ends with the even more cynical: “The money’s in we’re made of tin, we’re here to give you more.” The Monkees were, in effect, killing off their public image right in front of their fans. It was truly an unprecedented and brave, if possibly naive, move. Nowadays, it would be hard to imagine anyone of their status rocking the boat and smashing their own mirror like this.

‘Head’ poked holes in the facade of the music industry, the film and television industries, politics and human nature, with the main target being the Monkees themselves. “I think it is one of the movies that really did capture the feeling and sensibility of the time,” adds Dolenz. Critics were left confused, and did not heap on praise. The NY Times wrote that it “might be a film to see if you have been smoking grass,” while the Hollywood Reporter accused the film makers of “purposely seeking to evolve some detached commentary from seemingly confused material.”

Both Jack Nicholson and Bob Rafelson were arrested at the New York premiere. In the Andrew Sandoval book ‘The Monkees,’ Rafelson explains, “Jack is trying to slap a ‘Head’ sticker on the helmet [of a police officer] and the cop turns around and Jack nails him on his face.” The pair would go on to immense fame with their next project, ‘Easy Rider.’ The band plan to feature most, if not all, of the film’s songs on their upcoming US tour. Forty-five years on, it still lives and breathes!
Watch the Monkees’ ‘Head’

CROSSROADS FESTIVAL 2013 - ALLMAN BROTHERS

Watch this exclusive clip of The Allman Brothers Band featuring Gregg Allman, Derek Trucks, and Warren Haynes as they perform a scorching extended jam on "Whipping Post" at Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013.
You can get more video and audio highlights from this year's biggest guitar-event when you pre-order 'Crossroads Guitar Festival 2013' on Blu-Ray, DVD, and CD. Featuring nearly five hours of music across 45 audio tracks and exclusive concert footage.
Out November 19th:
Blu-Ray: http://smarturl.it/CGF13BluRay
DVD: http://smarturl.it/CGF13DVD
CD: http://smarturl.it/CGF13CD

The 32nd Annual John Lennon Tribute

John Lennon

The 32nd Annual John Lennon Tribute will take place on Friday, December 6 at Symphony Space in NYC.
Our friends at Theatre Within have put together a wonderful line-up of artists, including Steve Earle, Marc Cohn, Raul Malo and Joan Osborne.
For tickets call 212-865-5400 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 212-865-5400 FREE end_of_the_skype_highlighting or visit: http://lennontribute.org/

  ACT NATURALLY The Photography Of Ringo Starr

Interview by Phil Alexander

If Paul and John were singing in the studio, that means I’d already done my parts and I was hanging around, which is also probably why I spent time taking a few shots,” smiles Ringo Starr, reflecting on a striking portrait of Lennon and McCartney captured in Abbey Road’s Studio 3 in February 1968. “I shot that using a prism lens. These days everyone can get that effect, but back then it was pretty far out.”

Photo © Ringo Starr

The shot is just one of 240 photographs that appear in Starr’s new book, Photograph, which is published by Genesis Publications in a sumptuous hand-bound volume over a limited run of 2,500. The lion’s share of the photographs were taken by Starr during his time in The Beatles and provide an intimate insider’s view of the most famous band of all time
“It’s another way of doing the autobiography,” he says, flicking through roughs on a tablet in the boardroom at Apple’s West London HQ. But Ringo’s photos are just part of the lavish presentation. The 15,000 words of captions from the man himself provide further insight into the events he lived through, beginning with his illness-blighted childhood at 10 Admiral Grove, the Dingle. Cue bleak, monochrome visions of a Britain The Beatles would help drag into the modern age.
We talk through Ringo’s 20th year for MOJO’s 20th Anniversary edition. Significantly, 1960 is the year when Richard Starkey becomes Ringo Starr and makes a break for it as a professional musician with Rory Storm And The Hurricanes. In Hamburg with the latter, he is immediately impressed by The Beatles’ frontline of John, Paul and George Harrison (“I just wanted to play with them”). And so he did, joining them in the summer of 1962 – and as The Beatles began their ascent, Ringo caught the shutter bug.

“If you look at shots of The Beatles, we always seemed to have a camera or a cigarette in our hand.”

“Ordinary people didn’t have cameras before the ’60s,” recalls Ringo. “But I got interested in photography as things started happening with The Beatles and, in a lot of cases, the shots that are in the book are just about being there. If you look at shots of The Beatles, we always seemed to have a camera or a cigarette in our hand. We also spent a lot of time together, and we’d go away on holiday together to places like Tobago, or Florida. In fact, the shots in the book from Florida are on a boat that I ended up crashing into the jetty! But there are a lot of shots that I took of those kind of moments where we were just being normal and enjoying ourselves.”
In addition to innumerable candid shots of The Beatles at their most relaxed, Photograph extends beyond the group’s lifespan, incorporating Ringo’s acting career and the first incarnation of the All-Starr Band. Now on its twelfth line-up, the group includes Todd Rundgren and Steve Lukather, and there’s a thirteenth incarnation due to emerge next year.
“People always ask me what I want to do and the answer is simple: play,” says Ringo. “That’s all I've ever wanted to do and that’s what I continue to do. I'm still doing what I love doing.”
As Ringo keeps one eye on the future, we ask him to turn the other to the past and talk us through some of Photograph's most revealing selections…

John Relaxes, Awkwardly

Paris, January 1964

Ringo: “John had this incredible knee joint! Look! How do you get your leg in that position? Try it! You simply cannot do it. But that’s how he used to sit. I love this shot because of the angle of his leg. I think he’s holding a box of Epic records that just got sent to him. This is when I first got into taking photos. We saw a lot of hotel rooms at that point but we could still get out then and pretty much do what we wanted. We were conquering the world, but there was still a sense that we could get around without being hassled. Of course, that changed.” Photo © Ringo Starr






 

 

 

Brian Epstein Wigs Out

America, February 1964

Ringo: “Brian's really laughing in this shot, which is rare. When we got to New York there were Beatle wigs, [American DJ] Murray the K and a lot of things that were just incredible to us. We saw a lot of hotel rooms again, of course, smoking endless cigarettes. But we were there relaxing when Brian just stuck the wig on. It wasn't set up and that’s why, when you look at the shot, it could've been sharper – but it was just a moment that happened and which I happened to capture. The wig doesn't look much like Beatle hair really. But it didn’t have to because in those days everyone’s hair stopped here [indicates above the ears] and they all thought we were long-haired crazies anyway, so that wig did the job. Especially in America.” Photo © Ringo Starr

A Beatle's Eye View Of Touring

America, February 1964

Ringo: “All of these shots were taken out of the car. It was so exciting for us because we were in the land of all the music we loved. It was like 'Wow!' It was even incredible to see a cop car so I took a shot. I love this shot of the kids crammed in the car too. Look at this guy [points to the man at the very back, top right of shot]. What is he seeing? When we first went to America, there was one day at The Plaza hotel where all four of us ended up sitting in the bathroom because everyone in the entire hotel wanted a piece of us. ‘Can I get a photo with you?’ ‘Can I get this? Can I get that?’ It was just a poignant moment to me where we were sitting there chatting to each other. As far as the rest of the world was concerned we had everything, but we were just sitting in bathroom looking at each other going, ‘How are you feeling? OK?’” Photos © Ringo Starr

 

 

Paul And John... And A Fish Eye

India, 1966

Ringo: “I don’t remember the very first shots I took with a fish eye but these were really early. This one was done on small film, which means that you don’t get the full circle [from the fish eye], which is a drag. But they still look pretty good. This is the first time we went to India, not when we went with the Maharishi. We stopped in Dehli on the way back from the Philippines, and the British Airways people took us around. When you get to India you realise you don’t know what's going on. We did have a good time in India and I suppose this shot is pretty atmospheric.” Photo © Ringo Starr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Psychedelic... Dancers

Chez Ringo, 1967

Ringo: “Substances came into play in the ’60s. I used to make my own slides with oil, water and coloured liquid. You would put them in a projector and the heat would start the liquid moving like it does in a lava lamp. Then I would project them, really big, onto a wall. After a couple of tokes, it would be like ‘Wow! Far out!’ You can see the people dancing in the costumes, can’t you? There’s a whole deal going on down there. For me, it’s people dancing. I’m not sure what it might look like to you.”Photo © Ringo Starr

SELF PORTRAIT

London, 1968 or '69

Ringo:“That’s a shot of me I did on a timer. I did quite a few of those at different times. I would also look for weird film to see what would happen, which is what I used for this. Is it infra-red? I’m not really sure. I never did it in a particularly professional way. I’d just put whatever the film was in the camera, keep the F-stop on whatever it was on, the speed would be wherever I’d put it, and I’d just shoot stuff. I think this was taken at my home at the time in Highgate.”Photo © Ringo Starr

On Peter Seller’s Boat

Sardinia, 1968

Ringo: “This is when I’d left the band because I couldn’t stand it anymore and I was in Sardinia. Peter Sellers lent me his yacht. On that trip, that’s when I wrote Octopus’s Garden. This shot was worked out on a timer with my son, Zak. We had a great time. I didn’t crash the boat this time because Peter actually had people to drive it – which was a wise move.”Photo © Ringo Starr

 

 

A Portrait Of Eric Sykes

A Hard Day’s Night Set
London, March 1964

Ringo: “[Comedian] Eric Sykes came to visit the set of A Hard Day’s Night and he let me take his photo. But doesn’t that look like a real photo? Doesn’t it? Really professional! I’m very proud of that shot. Why didn’t I take any other portraits of people? Because I never really thought about it. I got lucky with a couple of shots like this one. I suppose with this one, the lighting was great. Then again, we were on a film set so that did help. Eric was a really nice guy, though. A very funny man. I loved taking that photograph and I enjoyed spending a bit of time with him.”Photo © Ringo Starr

 

 

Ringo On The QE2

On the Queen Elizabeth 2 from Southampton To New York, May 1969

Ringo: “All the sailors were from Liverpool so I went down to their quarters. I was with [Magic Christian author-screenwriter] Terry Southern, who became a good friend, and we were on our way to the Bahamas. The QE2’s crew band had a little stage in their hangout room, so I got up and played with them. They played a Beatles number and I didn’t stop in the right place, where it had a break, so they turned and shouted at me. I said, ‘I don’t remember them all!’” Photo © Ringo Starr

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fire!

Bennett Street, London, circa 1972

Ringo: “I didn’t get up in the morning and think, Oh I must find a fire to photograph today. Things just happened and I just took photos of the things around me. This is taken out of my office window [on St James’s Street, overlooking Bennett Street]. Something went on fire and I was there to capture it. I like the guy at the back. He’s standing there with his hands on his hips like, ‘Hey, what’s going on?’ There doesn’t seem to be a rush to put this out.”Photo © Ringo Starr

Starr Time!

Photograph, by Ringo Starr, the signed limited edition book of 2,500 copies is available from RingoPhotoBook.com, Tel: +44 (0)1483 540 970. It costs £345. Proceeds go to the Lotus Foundation, an organisation that funds, supports and promotes charitable projects aimed at advancing social welfare in diverse areas which include substance abuse, cerebral palsy, brain tumours, cancer, battered women, homelessness and animals in need.