Signed Copy of White Album Sells for over $200,000

 

This signed copy of the Beatles White Album was sold at auction in 2013
for the sum of $223,822 USD. (Photo courtesy of Tracks Ltd.)

By Steve Marinucci | 2 December 2013 | examiner.com

A copy of the Beatles White Album signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr has sold for over $200,000, a spokesman for Tracks Auction told the Examiner on Monday.

The autographed copy of the Beatles White Album is the first ever to surface, and the first to be publicly auctioned. The album was originally taken by a South London man from his brother in lieu of a £100 debt in the seventies. It was then stored away in a radiogram in the lounge of a semi-detached house in South London for the last forty plus years, totally unbeknownst to the owner that the signatures were genuine.

The album was all but forgotten about until recently when a signed copy of Sgt. Pepper sold for $290,000 USD in an online U.S.A. auction. This prompted the owner of the album to contact TracksAuction.com to authenticate the signatures and value the album. Genuine signed copies of The Beatles post-1967 albums are virtually non-existent. Only two autographed copies of the White Album are known to exist and only 2 signed copies of the Abbey Road LP have surfaced. A signed copy of the group’s final album, Let It Be, has never been seen.

This signed copy of the White Album had been estimated to fetch between £60,000 to £80,000 at auction but far exceeded estimates. The exact selling price of the album was £136,800 or approximately $223,822 USD. Director Paul Wane of Tracks Auction said it was “a fabulous price for a fabulous item and a wonderful investment.” The company had called it “the rarest fully signed Beatles album ever to be auctioned” and “undoubtedly one of the finest sets ever to appear on a signed Beatles album.” 

The auction house said the entire auction “was a great success especially in view of the fact that it was our first auction.” Other highlights of the sale included two John Lennon detention sheets from Quarry Bank High School in Liverpool sold for £8,437.50 each (approximately $13,811 USD). Lennon enrolled in the grammar school in Liverpool in 1952 and formed the Quarry Men while a student there. He left in June, 1957, after failing the O-level examinations, according to Bill Harry’s The John Lennon Encyclopedia.

A Beatles expert told the Liverpool Echo on Nov. 20 that the detention sheets should be taken off sale until true ownership could be established, but the auction house said the documents were discarded and effectively abandoned by the school and the sale was permitted. Also sold at the auction was a pair of John Lennon owned cuff links, which went for £10,937.50 (approximately $17,903 USD).

Description and History

1968 American stereo pressing of ‘The Beatles’ L.P., commonly referred to as the ‘The White Album’, autographed by all four Beatles on the inner gatefold. This is the rarest fully signed Beatles album ever to be publicly auctioned. The autographs are undoubtedly one of the finest sets ever to appear on a signed Beatles album. The formation of each signature is virtually perfect, they are extremely fluid, bold and vivid. It is a large, attractively spaced set of signatures. John Lennon and Paul McCartney have signed in black pen with John adding self portraits of himself and Yoko Ono, he has also dated his autograph ‘Dec 73’.

George Harrison and Ringo Starr have signed in blue pen. Paul, George and Ringo have not dated their autographs but we have inspected them closely comparing them to other authentic examples of their signatures in our reference files from 1973/74 and found those on the White Album to be perfectly typical examples of autographs of the three ex-Beatles from this period. John Lennon’s autograph was most probably signed in the U.S.A., after John left England on August 31st 1971 he did not return to the UK. The other three Beatles could have signed the album when they visited the States in 1974. Alternatively it is possible that the album was signed by Paul, George and Ringo in the UK in 1973 and then transported to America where it was signed by John.

This highly attractive set of autographs have been signed on what many consider to be The Beatles greatest work. Recording began on 30th May 1968 and finished on 17th October later that year. The making of ‘The Beatles’ consumed more studio hours than the recording of any other Beatles album. Derek Taylor, the group’s press officer, writing at the time of the LP’s release saw the White Album as evidence of the fact that ‘…Lennon and McCartney are the greatest songwriters since Schubert…’ The album is an eclectic mix of styles and tunes which swoops and soars to heights unprecedented even by The Beatles exceptionally high standards. Back In The USSR, While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Happiness Is A Warm Gun, I’m So Tired, Yer Blues, Helter Skelter, Why Don’t We Do It In The Road – recordings of sublime quality that would stand out in any musical era or within any genre of music.

John Lennon had particularly fond memories of his input into the album. In his Rolling Stone interview he commented. “I keep saying that I always preferred the double album, because my music is better on the double album …I’m being myself on it”. The album also arguably contains George Harrison’s and Ringo Starr’s finest moments.

Paul McCartney in an interview recorded for The Beatles Anthology video series gave his view on the ‘The Beatles’: “I think it’s a fine little album. I think the fact that it’s got so much on it… It’s one of the things that’s cool about it… very varied stuff – Rocky Raccoon, Piggies, Happiness Is A Warm Gun. I think it’s a fine album. I’m not a great one for that, you know, “Maybe it was too many of that…” What do you mean? It sold”, and with a magnanimous wave of his hands Paul humorously swept aside any possible criticism, “It’s the bloody Beatles White Album, shut up!”

Autographed Beatles albums are amongst the rarest types of signed Beatles items. During 1962/1963, the period in which The Beatles signed most frequently in order to please their fans, the most usual surface upon which the group’s signatures were obtained was on a page in an autograph book. Beatles LPs and photos etc were more unwieldy and less easy to carry to concerts. Hence, few were autographed. The most commonly signed album was the UK Please Please Me album, followed by the group’s second UK album, With The Beatles. Following these two 1963 releases autographed Beatles albums become increasingly scarce as John, Paul, George and Ringo generally became less interested in signing autographs. Mid-period albums such as Beatles For Sale, Help! and Rubber Soul are very rarely seen autographed by the group.

During 1967 the group shunned the limelight, ensconcing themselves in the recording studio and were seldom contactable for signatures except by the girls waiting outside E.M.I’s Abbey Road studios. Only a handful of Sgt. Pepper L.P.s were autographed. Signed Beatles albums from ‘The Studio Years’ are becoming increasingly desirable because they are rising in value faster than any other type of collectively signed Beatles item. An attractively signed copy of Sgt. Peppers recently fetched $290,500.00 in a U.S.A. auction, double its prevailing retail value.

However, it is the late period Beatles albums – the White Album, Abbey Road and Let It Be – which are the scarcest of all signed Beatle albums. (Incidentally, American albums autographed by the group are far more rare than their English counterparts. Only around 12 U.S.A. LPs bearing the autographs of John, Paul, George and Ringo are known to exist). Until we came across this signed copy of the White Album (which has nestled in the storage cabinet of a sixties radiogram in South London for the last 40 plus years, totally unbeknown to the owner that the signatures were genuine!) we had never seen, anywhere in the public domain, a genuine autographed example of this L.P. in our 24 years of trading in Beatles autographs. Given the supreme rarity and desirability of this signed copy of the White Album that we are auctioning at TracksAuction.com on 22nd November 2013, together with the spectacular condition of the signatures, we believe that bidding could quite realistically surpass the £60,000.00 to £80,000.00 estimate placed on the item.

It would make an impressive addition to even the most prestigious of collections. Moreover, in view of the dearth of signed copies of Beatles albums released post 1967 (besides the White Album already discussed, only two signed copies of the Abbey Road L.P. have been seen, hitherto, and an autographed copy of the Let It Be L.P. is not known to exist) there is potential for a rise in value in relation to these late period albums greater even than that realised by the signed copy of Sgt Pepper, referred to above, which was sold earlier this year.

Condition etc.

To follow is a detailed description of the condition of the album. The John Lennon autograph measures approximately 13cm (5.25 inches) wide by 3.5cm (1.5 inches) high, the drawing and date in John Lennon’s hand measures approximately 4cm (1.75 inches) wide x 3cm (1.25 inches) high. The Paul McCartney signature measures approximately 10cm (4 inches) wide x 4.5cm 1.75 inches) high, the height has been measured from the top of the ‘P’ to the bottom of the ‘y’. The George Harrison autograph measures approximately 10cm (3.9 inches) wide x 3.5cm (1.25 inches) high. The Ringo Starr signature measures approximately 10.5cm wide x 4.75cm wide.

The signatures are in excellent condition and the overall condition of the sleeve is impressive. The gatefold has retained much of its whiteness and the cardboard has kept its strength and crispness. There is some light foxing in various places. The front of the sleeve has a very light stain on the bottom right corner which has some light mottling around it. There is also a 2.5cm (1 inch) scuff on the left side of the slick of the spine of the front of the sleeve. The left side top edge of the sleeve has a seam split running across most of its length, except for approximately 6.5cm (2.5 inches) which is not split. The right side top edge of the sleeve has a seam split running across some of its length, except for approximately 13cm (5 inches) which is still intact.

The bottom left and right edges of the sleeve are intact. The reverse side of the sleeve has a little light staining in various places. Even taking into consideration the seam splitting (which could quite easily be repaired by a restoration expert) we would grade the sleeve as very good. We have numerous images of the sleeve available, it is advisable to request to see these before bidding. If you require further information regarding the condition please do not hesitate to contact us.

The side opening sleeve is numbered 2595599 which makes it a Los Angeles Bert-Co 1968 second pressing. The vinyl is a Jacksonville pressing. The numbers on the run off groove are as follows: record 1 – Side 1, SWBO-1-101-J59 #2; record 1 – Side 2, SWBO-X2-101-J49 #3 2; record 2 – Side 3, SWBO-3-101-J55 #1; record 2 – Side 4, SWBO-X4-101-J48 #1. Each record is housed in a white inner sleeve. The vinyl itself is in very good condition, the record labels are in near mint condition. The poster and the photographs are in very good condition.

The album came with both a Tracks and a Frank Caiazzo certificate of authenticity. The Beatles signatures on the gatefold of this White Album are supported by a lifetime guarantee of authenticity and a full money back warranty.

Special guest joins Paul McCartney for Beatle's second Yankee Stadium show

By Steve Marinucci 
By Beatles Examiner
July 17, 2011

 Billy Joel joined Paul McCartney in a special surprise appearance to climax Paul McCartney's second and final night at Yankee Stadium Saturday night.

Joel joined in on "I Saw Her Standing There." The two have been making a habit of showing up at each other's shows. McCartney showed up during Joel's series of final Shea Stadium shows and Joel returned the favor when McCartney opened Citi Field, which replaced it. 

 McCartney did some minor tweaks to the set list, opening with "Magical Mystery Tour" instead of "Hello, Goodbye," switching the order of "Jet" and "Junior's Farm" and adding "I Saw Her Standing There" (for Joel) and taking out "Day Tripper."

Longtime Ringo Starr Engineer Talks New Album, Working With Paul McCartney on His Day Off

Bruce Sugar says when you're in the studio with Ringo, it's all about "acting naturally"

By Steve Marinucci
8/1/2017, Billboard

Bruce Sugar, Ringo Starr's longtime recording engineer, is very enthusiastic about the Beatle's forthcoming album, Give More Love, which will be released Sept. 15. “We're real happy with it. Everyone who's heard it can't wait till it's put out there in the universe.”

The album has 10 main tracks and four additional bonus tracks that are new versions of old Ringo songs, including a version of “Back Off Boogaloo” that was assembled from an old recently rediscovered tape. And as always, the album has an assortment of distinguished names playing on various tracks, including fellow Beatle Paul McCartney, Ringo's brother-in-law Joe Walsh, Edgar Winter, Peter Frampton, Nathan East, Don Was, Jeff Lynne, Timothy B. Schmit, and current Ringo All-Starrs Steve Lukather, Richard Page, Gregg Bissonette, among others, along with Sugar himself. He says the plans for the new album started coming together just after his last one, Postcards From Paradise, was released.

“It wasn't long after Postcards came out,” he said. “Ringo likes to plan his life years in advance. I think he went on tour after that and then when he got back we started looking at some different ideas.”

He said recording sessions with Ringo can be accurately described as “acting naturally.” “It's very casual, especially when it starts out. I just go over to his home studio. And we just play around with some different synth ideas and bring in a few friends of his initially and see if he can get the ball rolling, kind of get a feel for what he wants to do.”

Paul McCartney plays on two songs on the album – the opener “We're On the Road Again” and also “Show Me the Way.” Sugar says McCartney came in in the middle of sessions for his own album, for which a release date has yet to be announced.

“They talk when they're both in L.A. Ringo just asked him, 'Look, I'm doing an album. Could you play on it?' And Paul was so nice. He came by on his day off on a Sunday. And he worked hard, too. Those weren't easy songs he played on.” He said McCartney's vocal on “We're On the Road Again,” which has been released ahead of the album, is “vintage McCartney.” “But the bass on the ballad 'Show Me the Way' … that's a difficult ballad. So he had to work on that a bit. We definitely put him through his paces. But the guy's the greatest. (He's) humble. He came in to help his friend on a Sunday when he had his day off. What else can you say?”

Sugar says the songs that McCartney played on were challenging. “I think (Paul) was initially a little taken back by what Lukather wrote. It's a little more sophisticated than some of the stuff Ringo's done in the past. I think Paul was looking at and listening to it. He doesn't read charts. He has his own notation.” Sugar says he's discussed this with Starr. “I've brought that up to Ringo. 'I can't believe Paul doesn't read charts.' He goes, 'We're all buskers.' They just played, just played by ear.”

The CD contains four bonus tracks – “Back Off Boogaloo,” “You Can't Fight Lightning,” “Photograph” and “Don't Pass Me By” – that are new remakes of previous Ringo songs. “Those are new recordings. We had a couple of bands playing at his birthday bash at Capitol last year playing Ringo songs. Two of the bands were Vandaveer and Alberta Cross. Ringo thought it would be cool to have different versions of some of the songs (they played) as bonuses. So they provided us with a track and we did some vocals on them and I remixed the tracks.” Vandaveer is on “Don't Pass Me By” and “Photograph,” while Alberta Cross is on “You Can't Fight Lightning.”

“Back Off Boogaloo” is different. It came from a tape with one of the first recordings of the song that Ringo found recently while preparing for the massive auction of his items that took place in 2015. The story of how it came together recalls how the Beatles' “Strawberry Fields Forever” was made.

“He had shipped all his stuff over here from England during the auction. They consolidated everything he had. He had storage areas all over the place. I don't know if it was him or his assistant were going through some of the stuff and they found this quarter-inch reel-to-reel tape and they put it on. It was Ringo, just him on guitar singing and playing 'Back Off Boogaloo'. There was just a cool vibe.

“Ringo's idea initially was to get Jeff Lynne to take that tape – it was like a minute long -- and turn that into something. Jeff took it and sent us something back, then I told Ringo let me work with it. I had to manipulate the tempos and do all the Pro Tools editing you do these days and kind of married it to what Jeff did. Then Ringo played drums on it and we got Nathan East to put a bass on it. The front piece is from that original quarter-inch tape. There's a little bit in the middle from the quarter inch tape that I put in there. The rest of it is all new with Ringo singing. With the background vocals, Ringo said to get some of the vocals from the original record he did with George and put that in it, too, so it would kind of be three different generations of Ringo on the record.

"So we've got Ringo from when he first wrote it, then part of his distorted original vocal, then the new vocal that we did here. It's an interesting conglomerate. Plus Joe (Walsh) played slide guitar on it, another cool thing. It's an interesting example of what you can with digital editing these days.”

Other Ringo classics got a new look, including “Don't Pass Me By” from The Beatles (The White Album). “They all sound pretty cool. 'Don't Pass Me By' is kind of a different approach than anyone else has done on that, that kind of laid back slide guitar deal. It's kind of a cool, cool vibe on that.”

At one time, there was talk of making a country album. Only “So Wrong For So Long,” which made the album, survives. “It's a good country song. It's a little more traditional than what they're doing now on the radio, but it'd be interesting to see if they'd play Ringo on country radio,” Sugar says. “They should. It'd be great if they did.”

Nashville or not, Sugar is quite excited about Give More Love as it stands. “I think it's the best music I've done with Ringo. I think it's the best musical album we've done,” Sugar says enthusiastically. “We'll see what happens.”

Ringo Starr artwork to be displayed at Toronto gallery

By Steve Marinucci
Ringo Starr Examiner
June 7, 2012

In addition to New York City, artwork by Ringo Starr is on view at a second gallery this month. Through June 17, Toronto's Liss Gallery, 140 Yorkville Ave., is also exhibiting the Beatle drummer's artwork.

As in the New York event, some of the proceeds will benefit the Lotus Foundation, who "offer financial aid and assistance to facilitate family and child welfare, women's issues, animal protection, addiction recovery and education."

Starr's art is computer generated. He says he started doing it to pass the time while in hotels when he was touring with his All-Starr Band.   

"I started in the late '90s with my computer art," Starr told an interviewer. "While I was touring it gave me something to do in all those crazy hotels you have to stay in on the road." 

Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band open their 2012 summer tour with two shows June 14 and 15 and Fallsview Casino Resort in Ontario.  

New All Starrs this time around are Steve Lukather from Toto and Gregg Rolie from Santana and Journey. Returning are Richard Page, Todd Rundgren, Mark Rivera and drummer Gregg Bissonette. 

The tour continues through July 21 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles.

EXCLUSIVE: Ex-Beatle Stu Sutcliffe's sister tells why voice on song is him

Steve Marinucci
Beatles Examiner
October 26, 2011

It came out of nowhere, but the news earlier this week that a song existed by former Beatle Stu Sutcliffe, who died in 1962, brought all sorts of questions. Where did it come from? How does anyone know it's him?

Pauline Sutcliffe, Stuart's sister, has provided us with some answers in this lengthy exclusive statement we received Wednesday. We're running it as we received it: 

"Steve, as far as we know for certain Stuart's 'Love Me Tender' track was recorded in Hamburg, probably 1961, after Stuart officially left the Beatles to pursue his art. 

 "On one occasion we were told that it was a one-sided German Polydor acetate. Another source tells us that we have a copy from a reel-to-reel recording. We've also been advised that new instrumentation has been overdubbed. That of course you will understand happens when people tinker with recordings to, in many cases, enhance the voice. 

 "Anyone who knows anything about early Beatles history knows that 'Love Me Tender' was Stuart's signature song. Karl Sydow, executive producer of 'Backbeat' (the theatrical production) has included it in his production. Nick Blood (who plays Stuart) does a memorable job at performing Stuart's version of the song -- which is to be distinguished from Elvis Presley's version. We thought it appropriate to use Stuart's original art work entitled, 'Homage to Elvis' on the cover for our release - Elvis was one of his heroes. 

 "We have had this recording in our possession for a number of years and did as much due diligence as we could beyond knowing that it is Stuart's voice. Other opinions have been sought and there are as many no's as yesses, but at the end of the day the family do know Stuart's voice when they hear it -- and this is Stuart's voice.

 "We have not been able to establish who is playing on the recording and in light of a view and a very sound one that the instrumentation has been fiddled with, this may be impossible to establish. 

 "What we do know is that in the last year of Stuart's life as well as paint and write prodigiously, he also guested / gigged with other bands in Germany. There is a German publication that at this moment slips my mind - but I'm sure you can track it on the internet (they may have been called The Bats) and they talk about Stuart playing with them. (Editor's note: See pdf link below.) More importantly we have two letters from Stuart in which, amongst other things, he discusses a film he is making and a sound track he is recording. Interestingly, neither of these have surfaced yet but watch this space. 

 "In the same way I never expected to receive this recording of Stuart singing 'Love Me Tender' because I was told the only recording which existed was locked away for ever by a private collector. You must know from your reporting over the years that there is always another huge surprise around the corner. 

 Yes, we have sat on this for a number of years waiting for the right moment. And they don't get any better than this as a right moment. A knockout successful staging of 'Backbeat' in the West End of London / Duke of York's Theatre; The Stuart Sutcliffe Fan Club headed up by David Bedford and Sherry Liscio; the "In Conversation With Stuart Sutcliffe" 50th Anniversary of his death art exhibition tour scheduled to open in April 2012.

Some would call this a perfect storm, but we call it serendipity.

Paul McCartney sings birthday present to his father and Ringo in Norway

Steve Marinucci
Paul McCartney Examiner
July 7, 2015

Paul McCartney's Out There! show July 7 at the Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway featured a special moment to honor his father and fellow Beatle Ringo Starr, his press office told Beatles Examiner today. Both men were born on July 7, so McCartney dedicated a special rendition of "Birthday" to them. Ringo is celebrating his 75th birthday today.

Other than “Birthday,” which replaced “Hi Hi Hi," there was only one other change to the set from the previous show. “Eight Days a Week” replaced “Magical Mystery Tour” as the opening number.

Here's the official set list for the Telenor Arena show in Oslo, Norway as released by Paul McCartney's press office Tuesday. Changes from the previous show in Denmark are noted: “Eight Days a Week” (“Magical Mystery Tour” out), “Save Us, “Got To Get You Into My Life,” “Good Day Sunshine” “Temporary Secretary,” “Let Me Roll It/Foxey Lady,” “Paperback Writer,” “My Valentine,” “Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five,” “The Long and Winding Road.”

Also, “Maybe I'm Amazed,” “I've Just Seen a Face,” “We Can Work It Out,” “Another Day,” “Hope for the Future,” “And I Love Her,” “Blackbird,” “Here Today,” “NEW,” “Queenie Eye,” “Lady Madonna,” “All Together Now,” “Lovely Rita,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite,” “Something,” “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da,” “Band on the Run,” “Back in the U.S.S.R.,” “Let It Be,” “Live and Let Die,” “Hey Jude.” Encore: “Another Girl,” “Birthday” (dedication to Ringo Starr and Paul's dad, replaced “Hi Hi Hi”) “Can't Buy Me Love,” “Yesterday,” “Helter Skelter,” “Golden Slumbers”/“Carry That Weight”/“The End.”

McCartney is the cover story on the new issue of British Esquire magazine. The interview includes such topics as why he continues to tour, how he feels about being knighted and the Lennon-McCartney partnership.

McCartney's Out There! tour now heads for Sweden on July 9 before returning to the U.S. to close out the currently scheduled shows at the Lollapalooza festival in Chicago on July 31. Tickets for Paul McCartney shows are available here  . And our complete roundup of Out There! Tour news is here  .

Paul McCartney fan calls Oslo concert the best of all Macca shows he'd seen

By Steve Marinucci
Paul McCartney Examiner
July 7, 2015

Paul McCartney fan Jorgen Isgaard told Beatles Examiner July 7 the show the former Beatle played July 7 at Telenor Arena in Oslo, Norway was just superb. “Just back from Paul's magnificent Oslo concert. He was in great form,” he said. You can see photos from the show here.

“He was struggling with his voice a few times, but overall his voice was better than a few years ago. He sounded almost stunning at times, particularly on 'Another Day,' 'Blackbird,' 'Here Today,' 'Something,' 'Ob-la-di Ob-la-da,' 'Yesterday,' 'Hey Jude' and 'Can't Buy Me Love,'” he said. “Overall Paul was in a good mood, chatting to the audience in Norwegian and got the crowd really rocking and dancing towards the end.” He called the show the “best Paul concert I've seen out of six since 1972.”

In the setlist, McCartney brought back “Eight Days a Week” to open the show, replacing “Magical Mystery Tour” which was the opener at the previous show in Denmark. Isgaard noted that “Good Day Sunshine” was still in, with “One After 909” taken out, and also that “Temporary Secretary” was still in the show as was “Another Girl” as first encore.

The biggest change was that “Birthday” replaced “Hi Hi Hi” in the second encore. McCartney dedicated the song to both Ringo and his father Jim McCartney, who were both born on July 7. McCartney tweeted birthday greetings to them more than once on his official Twitter account Tuesday, most notably this one that was sent at about 1 p.m. EST: “Happiest of birthdays to @ringostarrmusic on this special day. It’s my Dad’s too – he would have been 113!”

Set list: Ringo Starr revamps set for first show on 13th All-Starr Band tour

Steve Marinucci, 

Beatles Examiner,

June 14, 2012

Ringo Starr made several changes from the songs he sang from his most recent tour in Brazil for the first show on the 13th All-Starr Band at Fallsview Casino Resort Thursday. Six songs, which amounted to half of what he sang in Brazilia at his most recent show last November were changed. The show opened with the Carl Perkins song “Matchbox, instead of “It Don't Come Easy,” as it did in South America. That song was played second. Third was another new-to-the-tour song, Wings” from his latest album“Ringo 2012.”

Next came the first songs by members of the band. In order, it was Todd Rundgren's “Hello It's Me,” “Gregg Rolie with “Evil Ways,” Steve Lukather with “Rosanna” and Richard Page with “Kyrie.” Ringo Starr came back next with “Don't Pass Me By,” then Rundgren sang “Bang the Drum All Day.” Then, it was Starr's turn next again with “Boys” and “Yellow Submarine.” Rolie's stepped forward again with “Black Magic Woman,” then Ringo with “Anthem,” another song from “Ringo 2012,” then “I'm the Greatest” and “You're Sixteen.” Back to the All-Starrs again with Steve Lukather doing “Africa,” Gregg Rolie singing “Everybody's Everything,” Todd Rundgren with “I Saw the Light,” Richard Page with “Broken Wings,” and Lukather again with “Hold the Line.”

Starr closed out the show with the same three that ended his shows in South America: “Photograph,” “Act Naturally” and “With A Little Help From My Friends.” So Starr's songs on the new tour, at least for the first night, are “Matchbox,” “It Don't Come Easy,” “Wings,” “Don't Pass Me By,” “Boys,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Anthem,” “I'm the Greatest,” “You're Sixteen,” “Photograph,” “Act Naturally” and “With a Little Help From My Friends.”

By comparison, in Brazil on the 2010 tour, they were “It Don't Come Easy,” “Honey Don't,” “Choose Love,” “I Wanna Be Your Man,” “The Other Side of Liverpool,” “Yellow Submarine,” “Back Off Boogaloo,” “Boys,” “Photograph,” “Act Naturally” and “With a Little Help From My Friends.”

In talking about the band Wednesday at the press conference to kick off the tour, Starr said, "I'm surrounded here with incredible musicians and incredible writers and incredible songs. And everyone knows that comes to see the All-Starrs that we are the best 1-800 band in the land. We are the band."

The full set list (new songs in bold): (Ringo) Matchbox, It Don't Come Easy, Wings, (Todd Rundgren) Hello It's Me, (Gregg Rolie) Evil Ways, (Steve Lukather) Rosanna, (Richard Page) Kyrie, (Ringo) Don't Pass Me By, (Rundgren) Bang the Drum All Day, (Ringo) Boys,, Yellow Submarine, (Rolie) Black Magic Woman, (Ringo) Anthem, I'm the Greatest, You're Sixteen, (Lukather) Africa, (Rolie) Everybody's Everything, (Rundgren) I Saw the Light, (Page) Broken Wings, (Lukather) Hold the Line, (Ringo) Photograph, Act Naturally, With a Little Help From My Friends.

They say it's his birthday: Fans, friends honor Beatle George Harrison

By Steve Marinucci

Beatles Examiner

February 25, 2014

The Feb. 25 birthday of George Harrison is being celebrated by fans and friends around the world. Richard Porter of Beatles In London.com, who offers walking tours of Beatles sites in the UK, told Beatles Examiner he added a special George Harrison section to his tours today with some special George-related stories on his tours.

“Like the time when the Rutles were filing on the Abbey Road crossing and were mobbed by fans. They didn't recognize George, who was standing by the crossing looking on,” he said. Porter said also repeated the story of how George Martin gave the Beatle a long lecture after their first recording session and then asked if there was anything they didn't like. “For a start, I don't like your tie,” George quipped.

George Harrison's official website kicked off the Feb. 25 celebration of his 71st birthday by announcing on Twitter today it was paying tribute to him with a short video, “Remembering George,” available on their website, that features rare home movies.

Fans in the U.S. have also several events planned. As we mentioned in our week ahead Beatles calendar, fans will gather tonight at 6 p.m. PT at George Harrison's Hollywood Walk of Fame star on North Vine Street in Hollywood, CA., for music and refreshments, including a special cake-cutting by KLOS-FM “Breakfast With the Beatles” host Chris Carter.

In New York City, the B.B. King Blues Club & Grill will present the George Harrison Birthday Show with the Godfrey Townshend Band at 7:30 p.m. ET. The event will also feature Joshua Greene, author of “Here Comes the Sun: The Spiritual and Musical Journey of George Harrison,” who will offer films and narration.

The second annual George Harrison birthday celebration will be held at 8 p.m. at the Abilene Bar and Lounge, 153 Liberty Pole Way, Rochester, N.Y. There is no cover charge. The event will feature music by Don Christiano with a little help from friends Tom Passamonte, Steve Lyons, Ray Paul, Steve Tortoretti, Bob Martin, Spencer Christiano, Dan Schmitt, Kerry Regan, Todd Bradley, Rita Coulter, John Dady, Steve Piper and more.

Beach Boy Mike Love has also released a new musical tribute to George Harrison called “Pisces Brothers.” You can hear it on the Rolling Stone website. And, of course, there's Mike Geraghty's wonderful tribute to George that sounds an awfully lot like him.

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Unheard George Harrison tape has Beatle doing tunes sung by John Lennon

By Steve Marinucci. 

Beatles Examiner, 

August 2, 2014

Beatles collector and author Dave Morrell confirmed to Beatles Examiner the existence of a rare George Harrison tape that was put on auction in 2010 but not sold that featured him singing Beatles songs he didn't do with the Beatles.

In his book, “Horse-Doggin', Volume 1,” Morrell details stories of his encounters with members of the Beatles and some ultra-rare Beatles collectables. Included in the sale was an acoustic guitar, a Yamaha FG-340, that was signed on the guitar body twice by Harrison, according to the auction description.

The auction house, Julien's Auctions, also said Harrison likely played the guitar at the jam session that produced the tape. The tape, approximately 45 minutes long, was described as an impromptu jam session with musicians at the Taj Holiday Village in Goa, India. The music begins 11 minutes into the tape. On the tape, Harrison sings “A Hard Day's Night,” “You're Going to Lose That Girl” and “Norwegian Wood.” According to the description, “Harrison is also heard giving instruction on chord structure and being joined in song by the other musicians present.”

So is this an auctioneer's fantasy?

“It exists. I did hear it,” Morrell said. “I know of at least two others have heard it..” Morrell said it was “very good” and “one of the best rare tapes I have ever heard!” Morrell talked about what he heard on the tape. “It's a wonderful listen. George teaches the others (the restaurant house band) a new song he's working on. They struggle. He's patient. When it doesn't come together, George starts by saying, 'Here's a Beatles number.' “George is heard talking to the fellows. Then one hands him something that sounds like a ukelele. George then starts that song that the Threetles do in 'Anthology' (likely 'Dehra Dhun'). Then they join in with him. he then starts to show them a new song he thinks they all can learn and it goes on and on and on. Then, 'A Hard Day's Night,' 'You're Going to Lose That Girl' and the one that sent me to the moon!, 'Norwegian Wood!!' “Then he notices someone is recording it and he scolds them. He says that always happens and he hates getting ripped off. So he stops, signs the guitar and it ends.”

Morrell said he had an idea that Martin Scorsese would have been interested in it. “I tried my best to get the info to Martin Scorsese in hopes that he would use it in the Harrison HBO movie he worked on.”

More intriguing is the fact that "there is much more like this.” Morrell says that at a past auction at Sotheby's several years ago Yoko Ono sold John Lennon's Walkman.

“Little did she know a cassette of John's songs were in there, never heard or bootlegged (with) titles not known by fans.” Hopefully, some of these things will surface while we're still around to hear them. Morrell also says he'll have plenty more stories like this in his upcoming books.

Interview: 'Dream Weaver' Gary Wright on George Harrison, Ringo Starr

By Steve Marinucci 

Beatles Examiner 

6/16/2009

 Gary Wright has been the "Dream Weaver," but now he's getting "Connected." That's the title of his first new pop album in 23 years that's just been released. And this summer he'll be connecting also in a different way -- he'll be out again on the road with Ringo Starr and the All-Starr Band starting June 24.

 So how long did it take to put the new album together? "It was done over a couple of years," with engineer Rob Calhoun, Wright told us over the phone. "Some of the songs I'd written previously to having started, some during the process. It was a combination of things." He says he tries to vary his method of writing songs. "Half the songs were written on an acoustic guitar. I'd take it to my studio and put up an electronic groove underneath." 

But he also says he's used other ways, making use of studio technology, too. "I don't like to stick to the same form every time." He also said he didn't want it to sound overproduced. "I've always had this desire to experiment. I decided to make this album in the same spirit as the 'Dream Weaver' album. Everything played on the album had a really powerful role. I wanted to keep it simple, but I wanted to use some electronic drums, too." Will Kennedy from the Yellowjackets is featured on drums on the album, giving it a "modern feeling." 

 Ringo Starr plays on the title tune, also the album's first single. "After doing 'Peace Dream' (for Ringo's CD 'Y Not'), which I co-wrote, I asked Ringo to do drumming (on the track). He did it at his studio." Joe Walsh also appears on the song. "I love Joe's playing. He's such a great guitar player." 

 Early in his career, Wright worked as a child actor and actually appeared on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in 1955 with Florence Henderson doing songs from "Be Kind To Your Mother," in which they both appeared. "It was a little intimidating" for a young boy, he says. 

 He also saw the Beatles at Carnegie Hall in 1964. "I remember it well. A friend of my sister's got the ticket. I wasn't sure until (about them) until 'I Want To Hold Your Hand.'" He called the show "very exciting" and remembers laughing about it with George Harrison. Wright became a close friend of Harrison's after he was asked to play on the "All Things Must Pass" sessions. "I was brought into those sessions through a friend of mine, Klaus Voormann. I played on 'Isn't it a Pity.' Then George invited me to play more. That's when we became friends." 

 Wright also played on most of the tracks of "Living in the Material World." "I prefer 'Living in the Material World' to 'All Things Must Pass,'" he says, "because it didn't have the big production." The deluxe digital version of "Connected," available through Wright's website features two tracks with Harrison connections.

 The first track, "To Discover Yourself," was co-written by Wright and Harrison in 1971 and recorded by Wright on the day of George's death in 2001. "He was over at my apartment. I wrote most of the lyrics. He did the music. I put it in the back of my mind. The actual day that George passed, I was in the studio (and) I decided to memorialize that day by recording the song. That was the version that I've just put out." 

 The second song, "Never Give Up," was recorded in 1989 and features Harrison on guitar. "Over the years, he had played on a lot of my music," he explains. Wright later performed with Harrison on "The Dick Cavett Show." Or maybe it was the other way around, as Dick Cavett introduced Wright and his group "and friend." (See video below.)

 "That was kind of George's way to be very unassuming. He had his head down and you really didn't know who it was," Wright says.

 Wright talks equally kindly about Ringo Starr, with whom he'll be touring this summer as part of the All-Starr Band and singing "Love Is Alive" and "Dream Weaver." "Ringo's just a great guy," he says. And the All-Starr Band is really a band. "He treats it like a band. He's very endearing. It's not like Madonna or someone forcing things down your throat. (There's a lot of) creative latitude. It comes forth in the music. And he's a master of dialogue with the audience."

 After the All-Starr Band tour wraps up, he plans to tour with his own band. "I was already out in April and we'll be out again in September and October." 

 Wright says the Beatles were beyond talented. "I think in the early days up until 'Abbey Road,' everyone would focus on Lennon and McCartney. (But) they were (all) great singers (and) you had four incredible musicians."