Giles Martin AXS interview: The Beatles' White Album was made by a united group, not a separate one

By: Steve Marinucci  
Oct 16, 2018 

A constant theme in discussing The Beatles' White Album in the almost 50 years since it was released in November 1968 was that it was made by a group on the verge of splintering. But Giles Martin, son of The Beatles' original producer George Martin, told a recent gathering at the Capitol Records building in Los Angeles previewing a new Beatles White Album box set the group was very much together while making the album.

“The White Album is very different (than Sgt. Pepper) because, in a way, my dad, when he went to do Sgt. Pepper, in essence being the A&R man as well as the recording producer, was kind of an architect. And Sgt. Pepper was the climax of being the architect of the band of creating a sound that no one had heard before. And with the White Album, the Beatles decided they wanted to build something from the ground up. The perception of The White Album is that it's the sound of the Beatles breaking up. The most surprising take away (from working on these tapes) is the fact that it's the band working very very long hours and collaborating on making songs. They took the songs in and they worked with each other.”

On Nov. 9, Universal Music and Capitol Records is re-releasing The Beatles' The White Album in multiple sets featuring a 2018 remix and unreleased tracks from the sessions. The most extensive of these is the Super Deluxe, a seven-disc numbered (like the originals were) set with six CDs (a two-disc 2018 remix, a disc of the 27 mainly acoustic Esher demos recorded prior to the album that included several unused songs and three full discs of outtakes), a Blu-ray with the album in Hi-res PCM stereo and 5.1 mixes in DTS-HD Master Audio and Dolby True HD, and a direct transfer of the original mono mix, plus a hardcover book. A smaller Deluxe set of 3 CDs or 4 180-gram vinyl LPs will have the 2018 remix and the Esher Demos. A Standard 2-LP 180-gram vinyl version will also be available.

In a one-on-one interview with AXS.com, he explained his comments on the album further. “I think that there's a view of The White Album being this unhappy time. And I don't think it wasn't an unhappy time for them. But Ringo said last year when we were doing Sgt. Pepper ' – actually before we started work – that we should do The White Album because that's the band album. And this is the person (who) walked out of those sessions!”

And Martin said wasn't initially for doing it unless it was going to sound good. “We actually started listening to stuff at the end of November in 2017,” he said. “And then I suppose I finished the last thing and signed off on everything in May 2018. But it wasn't constant otherwise you'd go mad. But (it was) a long time and there (was) a lot of as a lot of material to go through,” he said. “It's not it's important that I don't just don't just work on stuff so people can collect them and put them on shelves. I want people to listen to things and feel love and feel emotion and feel inspired by things and that's why I do it.”

Featured in the sets are 27 Esher demos recorded at George Harrison's house and found by George's widow, Olivia. They presented a special problem. “You'll notice when the Esher Demos started (playing at the session), there's hiss. I can't take away the hiss because it takes away. the sound slightly. We cleaned them to a certain degree, but it's because of mix and EQ.”

Though the fabled 27-minute “Helter Skelter” isn't included in the Super Deluxe version (a 12-minute version that he said is similar is), Martin said it's the love of the fans that inspires projects like this.“That love that comes back towards the Beatles and us that work on the Beatles projects we can't take that for granted.” You can hear more audio from this Giles Martin interview on this episode of our Beatles News Briefs podcast. Also included is an interview with actress Jane Lynch, who attended the session.

The White Album before the White Album

The Beatles (The White Album) and the upcoming release of the box set with all the demos and outtakes brings back the history of the album that itself was the only time that the Beatles recorded a full set of demos for an album. (Which will be on the new set.)

But the album was also leaked to WABC in New York, which played several of the tracks, including some unique versions. "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da" had some talking at the beginnning. And "Blackbird" was quite different with some vocal and guitar differences.

We're looking forward to seeing which outtakes are on the set and whether any of the songs WABC played will be there. More significantly, there's only one outtake of "Blackbird" on the set (not counting the Esher version) and it'll be interesting to see which it is.

Paul McCartney announces 'secret concert' will go live on YouTube

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Sep 5, 2018

Paul McCartney announced Sept. 5 he'll do a special live concert on YouTube at 8 p.m. ET Sept. 7 as part of a series of events to promote his new album Egypt Station, which will be released that day. The concert, which will air on his YouTube channel, will feature songs from the album plus songs from the Beatles and his solo catalogs. McCartney had been hinting about a secret concert from somewhere in New York in recent days and had offered a contest for his fans to attend. The actual venue for this YouTube show has not yet been confirmed, according to the announcement on his website.

McCartney was interviewed by Howard Stern early Wednesday morning on Stern's daily Sirius/XM show. Among the topics in the interview, he talked about being in the Beatles, about how some Beatles songs were written and also discussed the breakup of the group. The interview is available on demand and free to all listeners right now because of a special promotion. Sirius/XM's Beatles Channel (Ch. 18) is featuring a number of McCartney specials to celebrate the release of his album this week and early next week. Full program information is on their blog.

McCartney will also be appearing this week on NBC's The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon Thursday night. In addition, he's also recently announced a new Freshen Up concert tour that will begin later this month in Canada and is scheduled to reach America next year, according to the dates that have already been released. Some tickets for these shows are available here.

Expect the unexpected with Paul McCartney's new Egypt Station album

By: Steve Marinucci AXS Contributor Sep 7, 2018


There's one thing that's certain about Paul McCartney's new Egypt Station album, out today, Sept. 7. It's not what you expect. His last album, NEW, was a typical McCartney melody-based album. That's not the case with Egypt Station. He takes a new route musically for him, anyway, on this album journey that goes in many directions. And not all of it is smooth.

The album, which McCartney himself has described as a concept LP, shifts back and forth with various tempos. It starts off with “Outside Station' with sound effects and a choir, then leaps right into the very rockin' “Come On To Me,” which McCartney first performed for the world at Liverpool's Philharmonic Pub. The sexy overtones of the lyrics are almost forgotten in the rollicking melody. The song is one of the highlights of the album.

A distinct change from “Come On To Me,” is “I Don't Know,” a very introspective song that McCartney in interviews has linked to changing moods. “I got crows out my window, dogs out my door. I don't think I can't take anymore. What am I doing wrong? I don't know.” he sings at the beginning of the song. Probably one of the moodiest and tenderest songs he's done in a while. Up next is “Happy With You,” a joyous folk-y type ballad that is likely for his wife Nancy that also tells of how he's transformed himself and how he used to get wasted and stoned, but no longer. “'Cause I'm happy with you. I have lots of good things to do,” he sings.

“Fuh You” is McCartney, who can be devilish at times (remember Kisses on the Bottom?), at it again. There's no question what he means here. But hey, it's cute, especially coming from him.

The album shifts back into gear with another good rocker, “Who Cares,” another McCartney song in which he sends a message. “Who cares what the idiots say? Who cares what the idiots do? Who cares about the pain in your heart? Who cares about you? I do.” It's back to ballads with “Confidante,” which is highlighted by some nice guitar work.

The second half of the album doesn't flow as nicely as the first. The ballad “People Want Peace” sounds out of place in the middle of the album and might have been better ending it. “Dominoes,” another ballad, is one of the better tracks on this side. “Back in Brazil,” though, is very weak and tries, unsuccessfully, to jump all over rhythm-wise. And then there's the jarring chorus of what sounds like “Itchybob.” “Do It Now” is a beautiful ballad that flows smoothly like “Maybe I'm Amazed.” “Do it now while the vision is clear. Do it now while the feeling is here.”

McCartney said in an interview in MOJO that “Despite Repeated Warnings” is the song about President Trump, but also talks indirectly about climate change deniers. “Despite repeated warnings, there's dangers up ahead.” The final track, “Hunt You Down/Naked/CLink,” is almost a jam session with the combination of musical styles.

All in all, Egypt Station, isn't one of McCartney's most accessible. Maybe time will prove us wrong. But for now, it's an adventure. And maybe that's what this trip is all about.

Ex-Wings drummer Denny Seiwell puts a new face on Paul McCartney's 'Live and Let Die' for his new jazz album

By: Steve Marinucci AXS Contributor Sep 7, 2018











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Former Paul McCartney and Wings drummer Denny Seiwell says even McCartney never envisioned the way he covered one of his best-known songs “Live and Live Die” on the new Denny Seiwell Trio album Boomerang on Quarto Valley Records which hits the streets Sept. 7. The album, which he describes as “in your face” jazz, turns the song into what he describes as an “organ trio shuffle,” and is very different from what McCartney first had in mind.


“I thought I'd pay homage to my old boss Paul McCartney, who probably made this possible. It seems like you play with one Beatle and that's part of your life afterward. So I thought, 'Well, why not do the track that I'm best known for (and) how about doing 'Live and Let Die' as an organ trio shuffle?,” he told AXS in a phone interview.


“I was there when he was creating the song. Paul wrote it and we were all hanging around the house. And he sent it off to George Martin for him to complete the original arrangement. And the next week we were in recording it. It was always done that way. It was never done in a jazz way by any means.”


He says the new version changes the song dramatically. “We rehearsed over here at the house. It took little or no time at all to get most of the song in. We tried to get all of the different parts of the song in, but we left out the reggae bit and the ballad-y bit in the middle just because we wanted something that was energetic and in your face. I'm really happy with it. We even got the George Martin bits in there, the kind of weird thing that George put into the tune. It was basically for the film. But we found a way to incorporate that into our version as well, which was really cool.”


He said they recorded the track and as soon as it was mixed sent it off to Paul. “And he got a real kick out of it,” Seiwell said. “He said it was a very cool rendition.”


There are 11 other tracks on the album which cover a mixture of styles including upbeat and energetic jazz and also music with a Brazilian flavored flair. “We just knocked it together without much gear. I met a fellow named Bruce Quarto who has this new label called Quarto Valley Records. And I'm the first jazz act that he's signed. He gave me just enough money to go in and do a proper record. So we went into NRG Studios, one of the better studios here in L.A., and recorded the tracks. And then luckily I had my friend Al Schmitt mix it for us over at Capitol Studios. We had the best of the best.”


Playing with him are John Chiodini on guitar and Joe Bagg on the organ. “Six of the songs were three from Joe Bagg and three songs from John Chiodini. The other six are a smattering of stuff we really, like some Brazilian classical pieces. We picked music that was challenging so it would be challenging for us to play. So it all came out so good.”


Seiwell wasn't involved in the making of McCartney's new album, Egypt Station, also out Sept. 7, but he did get a preview from McCartney in the studio. “He played a couple of the new tracks. This one track he played, I said, 'Wow, that's really great. It sounded like the old Beatles. I loved it. What's the name of it?' And he said, 'I Don't Know.' I said, 'What do you mean you don't know? You wrote the damn thing.'” “No, that's the name of the song,” McCartney told him.


He says The Denny Seiwell Trio wants to do some shows, including some jazz festivals. “We're talking to a couple of people now, managers and agents to see if we can pull something together.” He said the album's gotten some good advance buzz. “Apparently, it's selling rather well in Europe already on just pre-orders,” he noted.

John Lennon 'Imagine' box set to feature unreleased demos and outtakes

By: Steve Marinucci AXS Contributor Aug 23, 2018

John Lennon fans will be able to celebrate his 78th birthday with two new releases on Oct. 5 both connected to his Imagine album. One features audio outtakes and new mixes of the album, the other is a video release combining music videos and recording session footage. Lennon's actual birthday is Oct. 9, so the early release will give fans plenty of time to start the party.

The bigger of the two is Imagine: The Ultimate Collection, a massive six-disc audio set (four CDs and two Blu-rays) coming Oct. 5 that expands Lennon's 1971 Imagine album to six discs filled with rare mixes and outtakes. Some of the Imagine audio featured here will also be released in smaller versions as a 2-CD Deluxe Edition, a single CD remaster, 2-LP 180 gram heavyweight black vinyl and digital versions.

Eagle Rock will also release a combination package withJohn Lennon and Yoko Ono's Imagine film that collects music videos from the album and Gimme Some Truth: The Making of 'Imagine.' ab hourlong film of recording studio footage. This will be released on both Blu-ray and DVD.

The six-disc Imagine: The Ultimate Collection audio set begins with the stereo album and related single tracks “ God Save Us,” "Power to the People," “God Save Oz,” “Do the Oz” and “Happy Xmas (War Is Over). The set will also include 5.1 stereo mixes, high-res mixes and a Quadrasonic four-channel mix that's been long out of print, raw stereo and multitrack mixes, isolated tracks and rare demos, a track-by-track Evolution Documentary audio montage that shows the progress of each song from demo to master recording through rehearsals, recordings, multi-tracks and studio chatter and an Elliot Mintz interview with John and Yoko.


The films comprising the 'Imagine'/'Gimme Some Truth: The Making of Imagine video release have been hand restored frame-by-frame from the original film reels into HD, and their soundtracks have been remixed in 5.1 surround sound and remastered. The “Imagine” film, a video album of tracks from the record, features appearances by George Harrison, Fred Astaire, Dick Cavett, Jack Palance and others. “Gimme Some Truth” won a Grammy Award in 2001 for Best Long Form Video. The video release of the two films will also include new exclusives and never-before-seen bonus content on DVD and Blu-ray. This is the first time both films have been on Blu-ray.


John Lennon: Imagine – The Ultimate Collection [6-disc box set – 4CD+2BD]


CD1 – Imagine


The Album - The Ultimate Mixes Disc 1


Remix in Stereo 16-44.1


Remixed Stereo Album, Singles & Extras






1. "Imagine"


2. "Crippled Inside"


3. "Jealous Guy"


4. "It’s So Hard"


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die"


6. "Gimme Some Truth"


7. "Oh My Love"


8. "How Do You Sleep?"


9. "How?"


10. "Oh Yoko!"


The Singles & Extras


11. "Power To The People"


12. "Well… (Baby Please Don’t Go)"


13. "God Save Us"


14. "Do The Oz"


15. "God Save Oz"


16. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"






CD2 - The Ultimate Mixes Disc 2


New Mix in Stereo 16-44.1


Elements Mixes and Album & Single Outtakes






Elements Mixes


1. "Imagine" (strings only)


2. "Jealous Guy" (piano, bass & drums)


3. "Oh My Love" (vocals only)


4. "How?" (strings only)


Album out-takes


5. "Imagine" (demo)


6. "Imagine" (take 1)


7. "Crippled Inside" (take 3)


8. "Crippled Inside" (take 6 – alt guitar solo)


9. "Jealous Guy" (take 9)


10. "It’s So Hard" (take 6)


11. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die" (take 11)


12. "Gimme Some Truth" (take 4)


13. "Oh My Love" (take 6)


14. "How Do You Sleep?" (takes 1 & 2)


15. "How?" (take 31)


16. "Oh Yoko!" (Bahamas 1969)


Singles out-takes


17. "Power To The People" (take 7)


18. "God Save Us" (demo)


19. "Do The Oz" (take 3)


20. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (alt mix)






CD3 - Raw Studio Mixes


New Mix in Stereo 16-44.1


Extended Album Tracks & Outtakes – Live At Ascot Sound Studios






Extended Album Versions - Live


1. "Imagine" (take 10)


2. "Crippled Inside" (take 6)


3. "Jealous Guy" (take 29)


4."It’s So Hard" (take 11)


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die"


(take 4 – extended)


6. "Gimme Some Truth" (take 4 – extended)


7. "Oh My Love" (take 20)


8. "How Do You Sleep?" (take 11 – extended)


9. "How?" (take 40)


10. "Oh Yoko!" (take 1 extended)


Out-takes - Live


11. "Imagine" (take 1)


12. "Jealous Guy" (take 11)


13. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die" (take 21)


14. "How Do You Sleep?" (take 1)


15. "How Do You Sleep?" (takes 5 & 6)






CD 4 - The Evolution Documentary


New Mix in Mono 16-44.1


The story of each song on a journey from demo to master via instructions, rehearsals, recordings, multitrack exploration and studio chat






Album tracks only


1. "Imagine"


2. "Crippled Inside"


3. "Jealous Guy"


4. "It’s So Hard"


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die"


6. "Gimme Some Truth"


7. "Oh My Love"


8. "How Do You Sleep?"


9. "How?"


10. "Oh Yoko!"


Blu-ray Disc 1 – Imagine - The Ultimate Mixes


Remixed Stereo Album, Singles, Extras & Outtakes


Imagine - The Album


Remix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96


1. "Imagine"


2. "Crippled Inside"


3. "Jealous Guy"


4. "It’s So Hard"


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die"


6. "Gimme Some Truth"


7. "Oh My Love"


8. "How Do You Sleep?"


9. "How?"


10. "Oh Yoko!"






Singles & Extras


Remix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96


1. "Power To The People"


2. "Well… (Baby Please Don’t Go)"


3. "God Save Us (Bill Elliot vocal)"


4. "Do The Oz"


5. "God Save Oz (John Lennon vocal)"


6. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"






The Out-takes


New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96






1. "Imagine" (demo)


2. "Imagine" (take 1)


3. "Crippled Inside" (take 3)


4. "Crippled Inside" (take 6 alt guitar solo)


5. "Jealous Guy" (take 9)


6. "It’s So Hard" (take 6)


7. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die" (take 11)


8. "Gimme Some Truth" (take 4)


9. "Oh My Love" (take 6)


10. "How Do You Sleep?" (takes 1 & 2)


11. "How?" (take 31)


12. "Oh Yoko!" (Bahamas 1969)


13. "Power To The People" (take 7)


14. "God Save Us" (demo)


15. "Do The Oz" (take 3)


16. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)" (alt mix)






The Quadrasonic Mixes


Remastered in Quad 4.0 24-96


Original 1971 Quadsonic Album Remastered






1. "Imagine"


2. "Crippled Inside"


3. "Jealous Guy"


4. "It’s So Hard"


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die"


6. "Gimme Some Truth"


7. "Oh My Love"


8. "How Do You Sleep?"


9. "How?"


10. "Oh Yoko!"






Blu-ray Disc 2 – In The Studio and Deeper Listening






The Raw Studio Mixes - Extended Album Versions - Live


New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96


Experience, in immersive Surround Sound, the moment John and The Plastic Ono Band record each song live, from a sonic soundstage at the center of Ascot Sound Studios at John & Yoko’s home in Tittenhurst






1. "Imagine" (take 10)


2. "Crippled Inside" (take 6)


3. "Jealous Guy" (take 29)


4. "It’s So Hard" (take 11)


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die" (take 4 – extended)


6. "Gimme Some Truth" (take 4 – extended)


7. "Oh My Love" (take 20)


8. "How Do You Sleep?" (take 11 – extended)


9. "How?" (take 40)


10. "Oh Yoko!" (take 1 – extended)






The Raw Studio Mixes - Out-takes - Live


New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96






1. "Imagine" (take 1)


2. "Crippled Inside" (take 2)


3. "Crippled Inside" (take 6 alt guitar solo)


4. "Jealous Guy" (take 11)


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die" (take 21)


6. "How Do You Sleep?" (take 1)


7. "How Do You Sleep?" (takes 5 & 6)


8. "How?" (takes 7-10)


9. "How?" (take 40 alt vocal)


10. "Oh Yoko!" (take 1 tracking vocal)






The Elements Mixes


From the Master Multitracks


New Mix in 5.1 & Stereo 24-96


Mixes from elements of the original multitrack that demonstrate some of the instrumentations from ‘behind the scenes’






1. "Imagine" (strings)


2. "Crippled Inside" (upright bass & drums)


3. "Jealous Guy" (piano, bass & drums)


4. "It’s So Hard" (strings)


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die" (guitar, bass & drums)


6. "Gimme Some Truth" (electric piano & guitar)


7. "Oh My Love" (vocals)


8. "How Do You Sleep?" (strings)


9. "How?" (strings)


10. "Oh Yoko!" (acoustic)






The Evolution Documentary


New Mix in Mono 24-96


The story of the songs from demo to master in rehearsals, studio chat and mixed multitrack elements






1. "Imagine"


2. "Crippled Inside"


3. "Jealous Guy"


4. "It’s So Hard"


5. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die"


6. "Gimme Some Truth"


7. "Oh My Love"


8. "How Do You Sleep?"


9. "How?"


10. "Oh Yoko!"


11. "Power To The People"


12. "Well… (Baby Please Don’t Go)"


13. "God Save Us/God Save Oz"


14. "Do The Oz"


15. "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)"


16. "Tittenhurst Park"






Imagine John & Yoko – The Elliot Mintz Interviews


New Mix in Mono 24-96


Tribute by DJ and family friend Elliot Mintz featuring revealing, philosophical, honest and humorous interviews with John & Yoko.






Imagine/Gimme Some Truth – DVD, Blu-ray and digital release


Imagine (Film)


1. "Imagine"


2. "Crippled Inside"


3. "Good Morning"


4. "Jealous Guy"


5. "Don’t Count The Waves"


6. "It’s So Hard"


7. "Mrs. Lennon"


8. "In Bag"


9."I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama I Don’t Wanna Die"


10. "Mind Train"


11. "Whisper Piece"


12. "What’s That In The Sky?"


13. "Power To The People"


14. "Gimme Some Truth"


15. "Midsummer New York"


16. "Oh My Love"


17. "How Do You Sleep?"


18. "How?"


19. "Oh Yoko!"


20. Beach / End Credits






Gimme Some Truth (Film)


1. "Imagine"


2. "Crippled Inside"


3." Oh Yoko!"


4. "Jealous Guy"


5. "It’s So Hard"


6. "I Don’t Wanna Be A Soldier Mama (I Don’t Wanna Die)"


7. "Gimme Some Truth"


8. "Oh My Love"


9. "How Do You Sleep?"


10. "How?"


11. "Imagine"






DVD / Blu-Ray Extras


1. "Jealous Guy" (raw studio out-take)


2. "How?" (raw studio out-take)


3. "Gimme Some Truth" (raw studio out-take)


4. David Bailey photoshoo

Low-key audition led to role in Paul McCartney's 'Early Days' video

By: Steve Marinucci AXS Contributor Jun 22, 2018


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Paul McCartney was definitely not on the mind of South Side Slim's (Henree Harris) when he went to audition for the video shoot his friend had suggested to him in 2013. “Willie McNeil, the former drummer for John Mayall and a friend of mine, sent me a note about this audition,” Slim said in an email interview. “Willie (then) called and asked if I'd gotten the email he sent for an audition for a blues artist. So I checked, found it and went down for it. I thought because Willie had called me up that they had requested a blues guy and I would just get the job.”


But then Slim, who'll appear at 3:30 p.m. June 23 at the Long Beach Bayou Festival at Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, California, found out a lot of people were trying out, too. “The corridor was full of artists vying for the position, and at that point I thought, "Oh well," and got in line. I gave the interviewer my CD and a brief history about myself.” He said as he was leaving the building, he saw bluesman Roy Gaines and his friend McNeil. “When I saw Gaines,” he said, “I thought I know who's going to get this part.”


The interview was on a Thursday and the shoot was to take place the following Monday. Friday came and went and nothing happened. “Then on Saturday, I was in a car with my son and got a call, and they said they picked me and would be sending me the information.”


It was still a secret who he'd be shooting with. “When I got the call, I still didn't know. I went in on Monday and all the people that were selected were on set. No one really knew who the artist was going to be. I was thinking it was going to be Little Richard. We were given a non-disclosure agreement, which everyone had to sign.”


It was then he found out. “After we signed it, we were told, 'You're going to be working with Paul McCartney!' Wow, I was ecstatic! I couldn't believe I was going to be working with an icon. I felt like I was going to be part of history.”


The shoot took place in a Los Angeles theater. “The setting was to be 1957, which is ironic as that's the year I was born. We were then sent to wardrobe to put on 50's costumes. Upstairs was the area where we were filming. There was a monitor playing and Paul was sitting behind the monitor playing 'Early Days.' He was behind a partition so we saw him only on the monitor at that point.”


Then came a second surprise. “There was a guy there in a cowboy outfit that looked sort of like Indiana Jones. I thought to myself, 'Wow, that guy looks like Johnny Depp!' Later on, I was in the balcony looking over downtown and he was smoking a cigarette. I casually said to someone that guy looks like Johnny Depp. They said, "Dude, that IS Johnny Depp.'”


Slim had a chance to chat with McCartney during a quiet moment. “After the first jam session, and lunch break, we were sitting around waiting for the crew to get reorganized. I asked him about his first guitar. He said, "This is it right here. It's the first guitar I ever had. My Dad gave it to me." He told me about his father giving it to him and I remember him saying at the end of the conversation, "It changes life." I also still have my first guitar and coincidentally my father gave me my first guitar also. It sure does change life.”


You can see a picture on McCartney's website of Slim with Paul McCartney, Johnny Depp and the rest of the cast of the video.


This year's festival will feature a huge array of blues, jazz, R&B, soul, zydeco and cajun music. Performers beside Slim include Ray Goren, Margaret Love & The Lovetts, The McKee Brothers, Corney Mims and The Knowitaltz, Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers, Jo Jo Reed, The Acadien Cajun Band and Crawdaddio. Tickets are available in advance at The Long Beach Bayou website.


This week, McCartney released two new songs, “I Don't Know” and “Come On To Me,” ahead of a new album, “Egypt Station,” coming out Sept.7. He also told the BBC in interviews that he plans several live shows in upcoming months.

Sirius/XM announces limited-run Rod Stewart channel for new album rollout

By: Steve Marinucci AXS Contributor Sep 13, 2018 4 weeks ago


Rock 'n Roll Hall of Fame inductee Sir Rod Stewart will get his own limited-run Sirius/XM satellite radio channel beginning Sept. 20 to help promote the release of his new album, Blood Red Roses, the channel announced Sept. 12. The Sirius/XM station will offer career-spanning music from the veteran rocker's solo career, plus from his earlier work with The Faces, also inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, and The Jeff Beck Group. Stewart will give commentary on his career along B-sides features, rarities and concert tracks as well as hits. The station will run from midnight ET Sept. 20 through Sept. 30 on Channel 30.


Stewart's Blood Red Roses album, to be released Sept. 28 by Republic Records, is his 30th solo disc. Co-produced by Stewart's long-time collaborator Kevin Savigar, it will be released in two versions, a standard 13-track version and a deluxe set with 16 tracks. The genres of the songs on the disc range from rock to ballads and Motown-influenced pop to acoustic folk songs. Those pre-ordering the album get an instant download of “Didn't I,” the album's first single. “I always think I make albums for a few friends and this record has that intimacy,” Stewart said in a statement about the album. Blood Red Roses can be pre-ordered here.


Stewart is on the road in the U.S. for a series of shows this fall. Cyndi Lauper and Pat Benatar will be two supporting acts on various individual shows. Tickets are available here. In 2016, Stewart was knighted by Prince William at Buckingham Palace for services to music and charity.


Blood Red Roses track listing:


“Look In Her Eyes”


“Hole In My Heart”


“Farewell”


“Didn't I”


“Blood Red Roses”


“Grace”


“Give Me Love”


“Rest Of My Life”


“Rollin' & Tumblin'”


“Julia”


“Honey Gold”


“Vegas Shuffle”


“Cold Old London”


Deluxe bonus tracks:


“Who Designed the Snowflake”


“It Was a Very Good Year”


“I Don't Want to Get Married”

The Beatles' 'The White Album' 50th anniversary fan memories compiled in new Bruce Spizer book

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Sep 17, 2018 3 weeks ago

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498 Productions/Bruce Spizer -- used by permission

The Beatles double album also called The White Album, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this November, will be the focus of Fab Four author/historian Bruce Spizer's 10th book on the group, he announced recently. The book, titled The Beatles White Album and the Launch of Apple, will be published Nov. 22, and feature the history of the album and fan's recollections of its release.

Spizer said the book will also take a look back at the early days of the Beatles' company Apple Corps Ltd., when Apple Records released its first records, including the company’s first four 45 RPM singles, including the Beatles two-sided hit “Hey Jude” b/w “Revolution” and Mary Hopkin’s “Those Were The Days.” Apple Records also released the double LP The Beatles, which became known as The White Album because of its pure white cover.

The book will feature 150 color and original black and white photos on how the album and the company began and then unfolded beginning with the New York media blitz, the rehearsals at George Harrison’s Esher bungalow, the recording sessions at Abbey Road and Trident Studios and the Apple press kit with the company's first four singles. The book will also recall the reviews the album received, its chart history and sales in America, the U.K. and Canada and recollections by Beatles fans and authors.

The new book will be 9 x 9, the same size as his last book, The Beatles and Sgt. Pepper: A Fans’ Perspective. on the history of that album. He told AXS.com that in putting together the new book, the fans' memories he collected were more vivid than for those of the “Pepper” album, as his own personal memories were.

“My memories of first experiencing The White Album are much stronger than those of Sgt. Pepper, so I was not surprised by the number of people who had fond memories of first hearing The White Album. And, as was the case with Sgt. Pepper, many of those remembrances were similar to mine. The one thing I noticed was that Sgt. Pepper was more of a communal experience, whereas for many, The White Album was more of a personal experience. There were, of course, exceptions, such as Canadian Beatles author Piers Hemmingsen hearing the album at a neighbor’s house.”

The new book, though it has fewer fan recollections than the previous book, has some unique tales. “Former U.S. Apple Manager Ken Mansfield tells of first hearing the album with George Harrison in a small Hollywood recording studio,” he says. “Smithereens drummer Dennis Diken does a wonderful job of describing the anticipation everyone felt for new Beatles releases and The White Album in particular.”

Spizer's own memory is in the book's preface titled “Those Were the Days.” He wrote, “I remember hearing songs from the album on WTIX-AM during the week preceding its release. I played the album three straight times in my parent’s living room on the night of its release. It was and remains my favorite Beatles album.”.

The book will be available in different formats. The hardcover edition is $30. A digital PDF is $20. The Collector’s Edition for $100 is limited to 500 copies signed and numbered by the author and also includes a cardboard O-case, which will be embossed and individually numbered with a Bates-type stamp like the original covers to The White Album were numbered. It will also contain a 9" x 9" envelope with a scaled-down replica of the information sheets and booklets included in Apple's U.S. press kit for the record company's first four singles, a special 18" x 18" poster, a bookmark; and a free early download of the PDF two weeks ahead of the publication date. All editions are available through his 498 Productions website. Additionally, to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the publication of Spizer's first book, “The Beatles Records on Vee-Jay,” all his books on sale for $20 through Oct. 15.

Rolling Stones' latest Vault release to come from 'No Security' tour

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor May 11, 2018

The Rolling Stones announced May 10 that the latest release in their “From the Vault” series will be “No Security - San Jose '99,” a 1999 concert from the “No Security Tour” that took place in San Jose, California. The film will hit the streets July 13 and be available on DVD, Blu-ray, DVD + 2CD, 3 LP and digital formats by Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The concert, which took place near the end of the tour, features the band on a stripped-down tour playing smaller venues with no security, no inflatables and no extras. The band is in an interactive mood as Jagger takes pictures of the crowd and gives high fives to fans. “We're here to have a good time,” Jagger tells the crowd.

The setlist goes retro back to the '60s and includes “Midnight Rambler” and rare performances of “Some Girls” and “Saint of Me.”

The new release is part of a string of “From the Vault” performances put out by the Stones over the last couple of years that have included a 1981 concert at the Hampton Coliseum, a 1971 Marquee Club show, a 1982 concert in Leedsand the 1969 Hyde Park show that marked the debut of Mick Taylor plus several from more shows from recent years.

The announcement on May 10 comes on the 40th anniversary of the release of “Miss You” in 1978. The song, which kicked off the “Some Girls” album, was a number 1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 during a 20-week run.

The track list from “No Security - San Jose '99” (Source: Eagle Rock Entertainment):

Jumpin’ Jack Flash
Bitch
You Got Me Rocking
Respectable
Honky Tonk Woman
I Got The Blues
Saint Of Me
Some Girls
Paint It Black
You Got The Silver
Before They Make Me Run
Out Of Control
Route 66
Get Off Of My Cloud
Midnight Rambler
Tumbling Dice
It’s Only Rock ‘n’ Roll (But I Like It)
Start Me Up
Brown Sugar
Sympathy For The Devil

It's called 'The Mike & Micky Show,' but it's two Monkees with just the music

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Jun 9, 2018

It was unseasonably cold in Saratoga, California June 6 as The Monkees' Micky Dolenz and Mike Nesmith brought “The Mike Nesmith & Micky Dolenz Show' to town at the scenic Mountain Winery. Unlike past Monkees tours with movie clips and cutting up, “The Mike & Micky Show” is no-frills Monkees spotlighting just the music. It began quietly as the guys came out on stage with no introduction and launched into “Good Clean Fun” from The Monkees Present

Although the cold weather didn't help much in making the audience comfortable, it was a relaxed evening of music as the two Monkees sang 31 songs from the group's catalog, even throwing in such gems as “Different Drum,” a Nesmith song rejected for The Monkees but which was later given to Linda Ronstadt, who was then with the Stone Poneys. She and her group hit No. 13 on the Billboard singles chart with it in 1968.

The set also included three songs from their psychedelic movie “Head”: “The Porpoise Song,” “Circle Sky” and “As We Go Along,” plus other deep cuts like “The Door Into Summer,” “St. Matthew,” “Auntie's Municipal Court” and “I'll Spend My Life With You.” The show also featured two from the group's much-acclaimed “Good Times!” album, “Birth of An Accidental Hipster” and “Me and Magdalena,” which sounded great live. The backing band is a tight group and also a family affair with Micky's sister, Coco Dolenz, singing backup vocals, and Christian Nesmith, Mike's son, playing guitar. Christian's musical partner, Circe Link, also sang backup vocals.

A live album from this tour would be a real gem and the idea is currently being floated. Cross your fingers and here's hoping it happens.

The setlist (from Micky Dolenz's representatives):

• “Good Clean Fun”
• “Last Train to Clarksville”
• “Sunny Girlfriend”
• “Mary, Mary”
• “You Told Me”
• “For Pete’s Sake”
• “The Door Into Summer”
• “(I'm Not Your) Steppin’ Stone”
• “You Just May Be The One”
• “Some Of Shelley’s Blues”
• “The Girl I Knew Somewhere”
• “Birth Of An Accidental Hipster”
• “St. Matthew”
• “The Porpoise Song”
• “Circle Sky”
• “As We Go Along”
• “Me & Magdalena”
• “Papa Gene’s Blues”
• “Randy Scouse Git”
• “Nine Times Blue”
• “I’ll Spend My Life With You”
• “Different Drum”
• “Take A Giant Step”
• “Auntie's Municipal Court”
• “Sweet Young Thing”
• “Goin’ Down”
• “Daydream Believer”
• “What Am I Doin’ Hangin’ ‘Round”
• “Pleasant Valley Sunday”
• “Listen To The Band”
• “I’m A Believer”

The Grapes or wrath? Has the historic Liverpool pub linked to Beatles history closed for good?

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Jun 9, 2018

The Grapes, a venerable Liverpool tavern that was at one time a hangout for The Beatles in their early days, may have closed for the last time, the local newspaper the Liverpool Echo reported June 8. The paper reported The Grapes' owners confirmed to them it had closed, but they would not say whether it would remain shuttered permanently.

“The Grapes is a Liverpool institution, originally servicing the workers around the warehouses in Mathew Street,” Beatles historian and expert Spencer Leigh, author of The Beatles In Liverpool and several other books on the group told AXS.com. “It found a new clientele in the 1950s. As the Cavern was dry, musicians would cross the street to the Grapes for refreshment, in many instances smuggling booze into the Cavern for their next set.”

“The Grapes was the pub all the musicians that played at the Cavern went to – as the Cavern didn’t have a license to serve alcohol. The Beatles were certainly regulars,” said tour guide Richard Porter, who leads walking tours of Beatles sites from The Beatles in London website.

Leigh says the venue had changed little since the days that the Fab Four hung out there. “There was a wonderful photo of The Beatles sitting 'round a table in The Grapes and as little had changed, you could recreate the pose on the same benches.” He said he didn't think it was a lack of clientele that caused it to close. “Mathew Street is always busy and especially so on the weekends. Indeed, I steer clear of Mathew Street on Friday and Saturday nights as it is so rowdy and unpleasant.”

Howard A. DeWitt, who wrote about his visit to The Grapes in his book The Beatles: Untold Tales, said being there was like being in a time machine. “When I visited the Grapes in the 1970s, it was like being back in 1963,” he told AXS.com. “Bob Wooler and Clive Epstein took me around and we met Brian Kelly. And then in 1983, I went back to write The Beatles Untold Tales. The Grapes was filled with stories and surprisingly they were true.” He called it “a wonderful spot for a relaxing drink and some tall tales that have truth."

Donna Jackson, from St Peter’s Church, Woolton, where the historic July 6, 1957, meeting between John Lennon and Paul McCartney, took place, and who is also a senior lecturer in modern history at the University of Chester, told AXS.com she hopes the closure is not permanent. “The general impression that I get is that it’s only a temporary thing. I hope so anyway. It’s definitely an important place in Beatles history. If you remember, the Jacaranda (another pub frequented by the Beatles when they were still in Liverpool) closed down very suddenly a few years ago, but then it reopened and now it’s better than ever.”

Spencer Leigh said his favorite memory of The Grapes took place in 2002. “Allan Williams, the Beatles first manager, had had a bit too much to drink and he was mourning the loss of his close friend, the Cavern DJ Bob Wooler. 'I have the ultimate Beatles possession for sale,' he shouted, 'Bob Wooler’s ashes .' The patrons laughed but the sad thing about this story is that the person who would laugh the most – Bob Wooler -- wasn’t able to
.”

Live album by The Monkees' Michael Nesmith from First National Band Redux tour announced

The Monkees' Michael Nesmith will release a new live album with the First National Band Redux. Live at the Troubadour, recorded during their recent tour on July 27 in the UK and Aug. 3 in the U.S. by 7A Records was announced by the record company on June 18. The album will be available on CD and vinyl and feature 21 tracks on one CDs and 22 songs on two vinyl albums that will have a bonus performance of “Rio.” The first 1,000 LP pressings will be on 180-gram gold vinyl. The CD will include a color booklet with previously unseen photos.

The vinyl set will have an embossed cover. Both will have liner notes written by Nesmith.

“I've never been happier with a record,” Nesmith said in a statement about the release of the album. “I've never been more proud and pleased to get it out in front of people, and play it and leave it with the people, in their care. It's at the top of my form. It's the best I can do. So if I die now … that was it, guys.”

Nesmith announced the first of The First National Band Redux shows in November with two Southern California shows, then additional ones were added. In a recent interview in Billboard. Nesmith raved about the revived band. “This band is stellar, this FNBR,” he said. “And I think I've got new territory to explore, and new songs to sing, and ideas to purvey. I just can't help but think there's some sort of life left in FNB that I want to nurture and bring forward.”

The live album was recorded, mixed and produced by Christian Nesmith, Michael's son, who is currently on tour with his father as part of “The Mike & Micky Show” that also features Monkee Micky Dolenz. Another round of dates by The First National Band Redux will begin at the end of the current Nesmith-Dolenz tour. Tickets for some of the upcoming First National Band Redux shows are available here. Tickets for remaining dates of “The Mike and Micky Show” are available here.

CD Track list:

1. “Intro”
2. “Nevada Fighter”
3. “Calico Girlfriend”
4. “Nine Times Blue”
5. “Little Red Rider”
6. “The Crippled Lion”
7. “Joanne”
8. “Dedicated Friend”
9. “Grand Ennui”
10. “Lady Of The Valley”
11. “50 Years Ago”
12. “Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care)”
13. “Different Drum”
14. “Papa Gene's Blues”
15. “Tengo Amore”
16. “Keys To The Car”
17. “Mama Nantucket”
18. “Bye Bye Bye”
19. “Some Of Shelly's Blues”
20. “Silver Moon”
21. “Thanx For The Ride”

2LP Vinyl Track list:

LP 1 Side 1

1. “Intro” (1:16)
2. “Nevada Fighter” (3:23)
3. “Calico Girlfriend” (2:42)
4. “Nine Times Blue” (2:00)
5. “Little Red Rider” (2:49)
6. “The Crippled Lion” (3:30)
7. “Joanne” (3:50)

LP 1 Side 2

1. “Dedicated Friend” (3:33)
2. “Grand Ennui” (6:58)
3. “Lady Of The Valley” (4:05)
4. “Rio” (6:26) (Vinyl Only Bonus Track)

LP 2 Side 1

1. “50 Years Ago” (2:30)
2. “Propinquity (I've Just Begun To Care)” (3:10)
3. “Different Drum” (2:10)
4. “Papa Gene's Blues” (2:38)
5. “Tengo Amore” (4:02)
6. “Keys To The Car” (3:06)

LP 2 Side 2

1. “Mama Nantucket” (3:07)
2. “Bye Bye Bye” (4:07)
3. “Some Of Shelly's Blues” (3:58)
4. “Silver Moon” (4:27)
5. “Thanx For The Ride” (4:21)

Paul McCartney announces new single coming Wednesday ahead of album this fall

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Jun 19, 2018

Paul McCartney and Capitol Records today announced the former Beatle will release a new double A-sided single with the songs “I Don't Know” and “Come On To Me” on Wednesday, June 20. The new songs will be a prelude to an album release coming in the fall. The LP is as yet officially untitled, though indications point to it being called Egypt Station. Some of the picture clues posted by McCartney's social media accounts had that title and his Twitter account has now added an #egyptstation hashtag.

A press release described the two new songs as having completely different styles. “I Don't Know” is a soulful ballad, while “Come On To Me” is an uptempo rocker. “Come On To Me” was played for the first time when he performed live at the Philharmonic Pub last week in Liverpool during a visit to his hometown. A fan-made video of the song turned up on YouTube shortly after the performance. McCartney had surprised locals and tourists by suddenly turning up with James Corden of CBS' “The Late Late Show” to film a segment of Carpool Karaoke. As part of the filming, the pair also went to the statues of the four Beatles on the Liverpool waterfront, McCartney's childhood home on Forthlin Road and “the shelter in the middle of the roundabout” on Penny Lane mentioned in the song by The Beatles. CBS has announced the segment will air on June 21.

The release of the two new songs follows a week of daily clues posted on McCartney's social media accounts that had fans feverishly trying to guess what it all meant. The LP release this fall will be his first album under his new deal with Capitol Records that was announced in 2016. More details on the album and its release will be forthcoming, the announcement today said.

McCartney recently added four new reissues to his McCartney Archive Series -- NEW, Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, Wings Greatest and Thrillington. All were released in single CD digipaks, 180gram black vinyl and in limited edition 180gram color vinyl pressings. 

Low-key audition led to role in Paul McCartney's 'Early Days' video

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Jun 22, 2018

Paul McCartney was definitely not on the mind of South Side Slim's (Henree Harris) when he went to audition for the video shoot his friend had suggested to him in 2013. “Willie McNeil, the former drummer for John Mayall and a friend of mine, sent me a note about this audition,” Slim said in an email interview. “Willie (then) called and asked if I'd gotten the email he sent for an audition for a blues artist. So I checked, found it and went down for it. I thought because Willie had called me up that they had requested a blues guy and I would just get the job.”

But then Slim, who'll appear at 3:30 p.m. June 23 at the Long Beach Bayou Festival at Queen Mary Events Park in Long Beach, California, found out a lot of people were trying out, too. “The corridor was full of artists vying for the position, and at that point I thought, "Oh well," and got in line. I gave the interviewer my CD and a brief history about myself.” He said as he was leaving the building, he saw bluesman Roy Gaines and his friend McNeil. “When I saw Gaines,” he said, “I thought I know who's going to get this part.”

The interview was on a Thursday and the shoot was to take place the following Monday. Friday came and went and nothing happened. “Then on Saturday, I was in a car with my son and got a call, and they said they picked me and would be sending me the information.”

It was still a secret who he'd be shooting with. “When I got the call, I still didn't know. I went in on Monday and all the people that were selected were on set. No one really knew who the artist was going to be. I was thinking it was going to be Little Richard. We were given a non-disclosure agreement, which everyone had to sign.”

It was then he found out. “After we signed it, we were told, 'You're going to be working with Paul McCartney!' Wow, I was ecstatic! I couldn't believe I was going to be working with an icon. I felt like I was going to be part of history.”

The shoot took place in a Los Angeles theater. “The setting was to be 1957, which is ironic as that's the year I was born. We were then sent to wardrobe to put on 50's costumes. Upstairs was the area where we were filming. There was a monitor playing and Paul was sitting behind the monitor playing 'Early Days.' He was behind a partition so we saw him only on the monitor at that point.”

Then came a second surprise. “There was a guy there in a cowboy outfit that looked sort of like Indiana Jones. I thought to myself, 'Wow, that guy looks like Johnny Depp!' Later on, I was in the balcony looking over downtown and he was smoking a cigarette. I casually said to someone that guy looks like Johnny Depp. They said, "Dude, that IS Johnny Depp.'”

Slim had a chance to chat with McCartney during a quiet moment. “After the first jam session, and lunch break, we were sitting around waiting for the crew to get reorganized. I asked him about his first guitar. He said, "This is it right here. It's the first guitar I ever had. My Dad gave it to me." He told me about his father giving it to him and I remember him saying at the end of the conversation, "It changes life." I also still have my first guitar and coincidentally my father gave me my first guitar also. It sure does change life.”

You can see a picture on McCartney's website of Slim with Paul McCartney, Johnny Depp and the rest of the cast of the video. 

This year's festival will feature a huge array of blues, jazz, R&B, soul, zydeco and cajun music. Performers beside Slim include Ray Goren, Margaret Love & The Lovetts, The McKee Brothers, Corney Mims and The Knowitaltz, Jeffrey Broussard & the Creole Cowboys, T-Broussard and the Zydeco Steppers, Jo Jo Reed, The Acadien Cajun Band and Crawdaddio. Tickets are available in advance at The Long Beach Bayou website.

This week, McCartney released two new songs, “I Don't Know” and “Come On To Me,” ahead of a new album, “Egypt Station,” coming out Sept.7. He also told the BBC in interviews that he plans several live shows in upcoming months.