The Beatles' drummer Ringo Starr becomes Sir Ringo

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Mar 20, 2018

Just call him Sir Ringo. Ringo Starr has been knighted in a ceremony in the UK. A photo of Ringo, original name Richard Starkey, down on one knee with a sword on his shoulder, was posted to social media by his press representative March 20 with the text “Another busy day for Sir Ringo. Peace and love, peace and love.” #reports #ringostarr #ilovemyfriends #ilovewhatido peaceandlove✌ #gratefulheart💖 — in London, United Kingdom.”

The Beatles drummer was honored for “services in music.” The honor was announced in December with the annual Queen's New Year's Honours List. Also announced to be knighted was the Bee Gees' Barry Gibb.

Starr became the second Beatle to be knighted. Paul McCartney became Sir Paul in 1997. McCartney was one of the first to congratulate Ringo in December when the honor was announced, saying, “Huge congrats Sir Ringo! Sir Richard Starkey has a nice ring to it. Best drummer, best pal! X Paul.” John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono also tweeted her feelings about the honor, saying, “Dear Sir Ringo, I am very happy that you have received this honour from the Queen. It’s about time! Huge congratulations! I am delighted for you and your family. It is an honour for everyone in The Beatles family and I love you very much.”

Other singers who have been knighted in the past include Sir Tom Jones, Sir Elton John and Sir Van Morrison.

Ringo will be playing Atlantic City June 2, followed by a series of dates in Europe covering France, the Netherlands, Germany, Finland, Denmark and the Czech Republic later that month. Tickets are available here.

Sir Ringo Starr announces 20 U.S. shows for September

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Mar 23, 2018

Ringo Starr, who was just this week honored with knighthood in the UK, announced March 23 that he'll be doing 20 shows with his All-Starr Band in the U.S. during the month of September. The shows, which will cover all parts of the country, are in addition to a previously announced show June 2 in Atlantic City, N.J., at Borgata Events Center.

The 2018 edition of Ringo's All-Starrs includes two changes from the 2017 band with the addition of first-time member Graham Gouldman from 10cc (“I'm Not In Love,” “Things We Do For Love”) and the return of Colin Hay from Men At Work (“Land Down Under,” “Who Can It Be Now”), who was in the band previously in 2001 and 2006. Those back on board again from 2017 are Steve Lukather (Toto) on guitar, Gregg Rolie (Santana) on keyboards, Gregg Bissonnette on drums and Warren Ham on sax and percussion. Todd Rundgren and Richard Page have exited.

Starr, who will turn 78 in July, was formally knighted earlier this week for “services to music” in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace. Fellow Beatle Paul McCartney was knighted in 2004. In an interview with the BBC, Starr said he was honored to get the award. “It means a lot actually. It means recognition for the things we've done. I was really pleased to accept this.” But he also admitted to being a little nervous without his Beatles colleagues. “I was a bit shaky today on my own.” In typical Ringo style, though, he joked about what he'd do right away. “I'll be wearing it at breakfast.” He released his most recent album, “Give More Love,” in 2017.

These shows were announced Friday. Tickets are available here:

Sept. 1 - Tulsa, OK - Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
Sept. 2 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Arkansas Music Pavilion
Sept. 3 - Kansas City, MO - Starlight Theatre
Sept. 5 - Ames, IA - Iowa State Center
Sept. 7 - St. Louis, MO - Fox Theater
Sept. 8 - Milwaukee, WI - TBA
Sept. 9 - South Bend, IN - Morris Performing Arts Center
Sept. 11 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion
Sept. 13 - New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
Sept. 14 - Saratoga, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center 
Sept. 15 - Wallingford, CT - The Toyota Oakdale Theater
Sept. 17 - Boston, MA - Wang Theater
Sept. 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts
Sept. 21 - Northfield Park, OH - Hard Rock Rocksino
Sept. 22 - Chicago, IL - The Chicago Theatre
Sept. 23 -  St Paul, MN - Ordway Center for the Performing Arts
Sept. 25 -  Denver, CO - Paramount Theatre
Sept. 27 - San Diego, CA - Humphreys
Sept. 28 - San Jose, CA - City National Civic
Sept. 29 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre

Paul McCartney joins crowds in calling for an end to gun violence

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Mar 24, 2018

Former Beatle Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell were among the thousands in the March For Our Lives rally that took place in New York City on Saturday. McCartney, who wore a shirt that read “We Can End Gun Violence,” was interviewed by CNN. When asked by a reporter what he hoped could be accomplished by the march, he said, "I don't know. But this is what we can do, so I'm here to do it. One of my best friends was killed in gun violence right around here so it's important to me."

The couple marched near Central Park and West 72nd Street, which is the site of the Dakota building. It was there as John Lennon was getting back home from an evening recording session with his wife Yoko Ono that he was shot and killed by a gunman on Dec. 8, 1980. Lennon's death has brought calls for ending gun violence and revising gun control laws before. Notably one was by his close friend, the late Harry Nilsson, who campaigned heavily for it in the years after Lennon died. It included a PSA Nilsson filmed.

McCartney has himself been a supporter of many causes through the years, including animal rights, the dangers of climate change and stopping seal hunting. In 1972, he released "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" to protest the killing of Northern Ireland citizens by British troops. He is also a leading advocate of Meat Free Monday or not eating meat one day a week. The campaign's slogan is “One day a week can make a world of difference.”

 Interview: Photographer of iconic Beatles photos prepares to sell them and move on











What would make a man who took a collection of iconic photos of The Beatles decide to sell all the negatives to them along with the copyright? Mike Mitchell will do just that on March 24 as his photos of the Fab Four at the Washington Coliseum go under the hammer at Omega Auctions in the UK. When asked in a phone interview why he's doing it, his answer was somewhat philosophical.
“There are many why's to the auction,” he said. “One 'why' is that it seems like the perfect time in my own life to hope for some infusion of major capital for all kinds of reason. But the principal one is to really dig into the work that needs to be put into the world not immediately because the process is going to take awhile. But it's a threshold. It's me creating a threshold in my life. It's not a public reason. It's a fairly internal reason.
“It's also wonderful to have the feeling that the work is no longer something that I have to be responsible for extending the influence of. That whoever buys this with the copyright, etc., can do with it what needs to be done with it. I've done as much as I can do with it.”
Omega is selling all 413 negatives, plus other high-resolution digital files and digitally restored images. Most of the images are previously unseen or unpublished. Prints from the collection were auctioned in 2011 by Christie's. Omega estimates the collection will sell for £250,000 ($354,052 USD) - £500,000 ($708,105 USD).
Will he miss them? “It's just like having a friend who dies. You're very grateful for the time you had with them and you realize they had other things to do. There's a sense of loss, but there's also a sense of turning a corner. And what have I lost? I haven't lost that I did them,” he said. “There's also a kind of a gratitude that I had that experience. And, you know, that was a profound experience in my personal life. It was a huge experience for me.”
Curiously, none of his pictures made it into Ron Howard's “Eight Days a Week: The Beatles Touring Years” movie. But he did.
“I am in the Washington concert (segment). I'm in there three or four times,” he said.

“There's a shot from up behind the stage looking down. And I'm just leaning on the front of the stage. Actually, I was taking in the music. But the interesting thing was how they colorized the footage which was initially black and white. It's funny too that they colorized my coat as gray when in fact my coast was camel hair. And that's no big deal. It's kind of amusing.”
The coat played a role in a later incident, he said. “At the end of the Washington concert, I got up on the stage and that's where I shot the picture of Ringo's drum set. You know I was an 18-year kid. And I didn't know squat. So I sidled over and I slid one of Ringo's drumsticks under my coat. I stole it.
"That was February. In the following September in Baltimore, I'm getting ready to shoot the concert. And I turn around and there's this monster guy standing there looking down at me." It was Mal Evans, the Beatles' road manager.
"And he said, 'Don't even think about stealing another drumstick.' I had no idea that he knew that. But I figured it must have been that he saw it happen in the footage from the concert and he remembered the coat,” he said with a laugh. 
 Update: The Guardian reported the photos sold for £253,200 ($357,521 USD) at auction Saturday. 

  

 New John Lennon limited edition statue announced

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Mar 27, 2018

A new limited edition figurine of John Lennon that is authorized by the Lennon estate and will begin shipping beginning next week has been announced by the designer, Molecule 8 and Epic Rights, which handles retail and brand licensing. The 1.6 scale steel figure, sculpted by K.A. Kim, is modeled after Lennon's “Imagine” era look and includes different outfits and expressions plus a display stand. The price is $299.95, which includes shipping. The first 1,000 are sequentially numbered. “The John Lennon Molecule 8 figures highlight a delicate balance of creativity, quality and artistry,” said Lisa Streff, EVP of Global Licensing at Epic Rights. 

Molecule 8's CEO says they are developing additional models of Lennon from different periods in his life for a line of other figures that are currently in the works. 

"We are honored to have been approved by Yoko Ono and Epic Rights to develop a line of distinct premium collectibles under the John Lennon brand," Vijay Chadha, CEO of Molecule 8 said in the announcement. "In addition to the sixth scale figure of Mr. Lennon, our team is developing a unique assortment of pieces that will speak to the genius, character, and passions that defined John Lennon, both as an artist and as a man."  Molecule 8 is also taking pre-orders on other items, including a Gene Wilder Willy Wonka model, and have other models in development, including characters from “The Tick,” “Big Trouble In Little China” and “The Lord of the Rings.”

A new book on the making of the song and the album “Imagine” will be released on October 9, his birthday. “A lot has been written about the creation of the song, the album and the film of Imagine, mainly by people who weren't there, so I'm very pleased and grateful that now, for the first time, so many of the participants have kindly given their time to 'gimme some truth' in their own words and pictures," Yoko Ono said in announcing the book about the former Beatle.

Jeff Beck documentary 'Still On the Run' coming to DVD

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Apr 5, 2018

A new look at the life of guitarist Jeff Beck, "Still On the Run: The Jeff Beck Story," was announced for release April 5 on DVD and Blu-ray on May 18 by Eagle Rock Entertainment. The documentary will cover much of his career including taking fans back to his days with The Yardbirds, which brought him to the U.S. for the first time, and The Jeff Beck Group, whose first incarnation included both Ron Wood and Rod Stewart.

"Still On the Run" features new interviews with Beck, a two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee (as a solo artist and with The Yardbirds) and winner of eight Grammy Awards, as well as many of those involved in his story, including Jimmy Page, Eric Clapton, Stewart, David Gilmour, Ronnie Wood, Slash, Jan Hammer, Joe Perry and Beth Hart. “I didn’t have to think about taking up guitar, I just wanted to pour my feelings into it,” Beck says in the film.

In other news, Eagle Rock also announced that Beck's Live At The Hollywood Bowl will be released as a double CD set on April 6 and on 180-gram 2-LP vinyl set on May 25 from Rhino. Beck will be touring this summer from June to early July in Europe, then he'll come to the States starting July 18 through August 26 with Paul Rodgers and Ann Wilson (from Heart) on “The Stars Align Tour.” “I always enjoy touring the U.S. in the summer and joining with Paul, and Ann Wilson, should make for quite an exciting night,” Beck said in announcing the tour. Tickets are available here.

Review: Derek Taylor's autobiography 'As Time Goes By,' old favorite of Beatles fans, returns

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Apr 10, 2018

It was a nice and welcome surprise for fans of The Beatles to see Derek Taylor's book, “As Time Goes By,” making its return to bookshelves April 5 and, for the first time, in digital form after many years out of print. It was originally published in 1973 and U.S. readers back then were likely familiar with the version put out by Rolling Stone's now-defunct Straight Arrow Press. The new version is from Faber & Faber, and has a new introduction written for it by Jon Savage. Taylor died in 1997 at age 65.

Much of the book about Taylor's time with the Beatles and their Apple Corps Ltd. company, but he also discusses working with others, like Paul Revere and the Raiders, The Beach Boys, The Byrds and Danny Hutton. The text is anything but dry but has the whimsical, spirited tone that Beatles fans saw in his sleeve notes on the Fab Four's “Beatles For Sale” album. It was on that album that he wrote when trying to explain the Beatles to the next generation of fans, no one should try to explain it, but “just play the child a few tracks from this album and he'll probably understand what it was all about,” and the result would find “the same sense of well-being and warmth as we do today.”

Savage, in his new introduction, goes back through how “As Time Goes By” came to be. He calls it “angry and confused, fluent and blunt, erudite and crude,” saying the book has “all the urgency of a burden shared and thus lifted.” But it wasn't an easy time for Taylor, originally a newspaper man, who became a public relations man, which brought a world of new challenges.

“As Time Goes By” transforms the reader to the bygone era it pictures. It's also the picture of a man whose name today is cherished by those who knew him. It's nice to have him back again thanks to the pages of this book.

Celebrating Ringo Starr's induction just one reason to enjoy “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame In Concert” DVD

By: Steve Marinucci  AXS Contributor Apr 14, 2018

Until recently, The Beatles' Ringo Starr had unfairly never gotten the respect from writers and fans that he had deserved for his outstanding drumming with the Beatles. But thanks to his induction in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2015 and now his knighthood in this year's New Year's Honors in the UK, at least some of those reasons have dissolved and he's gotten some of that long overdue credit. And that's one of the great reasons to get the new DVD, “Rock & Roll Hall of Fame In Concert,”that hits the streets on April 24. Available as a DVD or Blu-ray, it includes four complete Rock Hall induction ceremonies that took place from 2014 through 2017. This year's ceremony is on April 14, 2018.

Ringo is inducted by fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, and McCartney's tribute to his Beatles friend is humorous and charming. The joy of the occasion and the joy Ringo felt fills his acceptance speech and is wonderful to see and hear. The DVD also includes his performance of three songs, “Boys” with Green Day, “It Don't Come Easy” with brother-in-law Joe Walsh, and maybe to no one's surprise, McCartney performing with him on “I Wanna Be Your Man.”

There are also other moments of great emotion, as well. The tribute to Linda Ronstadt, inducted in 2014 by longtime friend, Glenn Frey; The E Street Band's induction by Bruce Springsteen, who joins the band to play with them; and the induction of Journey with the long-awaited appearance of Steve Perry are just a few. Others honored on the DVD include Cat Stevens, Joan Baez, Lou Reed, Cheap Trick, Chicago, N.W.A, Yes and Pearl Jam.

That Journey induction and Steve Perry's appearance also had fans hoping that Perry would perform again with the band, but with the joy that usually accompanies Rock Hall inductions, sometimes, there is also drama. Though Perry spoke, he disappointed many fans by not singing. A missed opportunity many would have liked to see.

There are many more joyful moments throughout. A common thread through the speeches is that the inductions are for the fans. But if that's the case, the Hall should be a little more receptive to the wishes of those fans. For example, those who have been clamoring for years for the Moody Blues to be inducted are finally getting their wish in 2018. But some bands are still unfairly being left out of the Rock Hall because of politics. It's about time those politics were swept aside if the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is to be regarded as the honor it was meant to be.