Move over, Ms L!

Hi all, wondering why you are looking at this jumbled up page? This is due to the fact that Facebook didn't like our url since it starts with wog, so we have been forced to move the blog. This was some time ago, and we have placed a script which would automatically send you to our new location. Obviously, this hasn't worked for all of you, since we have just finished moderating some of your comments which appeared on this site recently, and not on our new (and improved!) site. So what we're saying is head on over to our new site, and update your bookmarks!

Thursday 28 March 2013

Rockshow on the big screen


Looks like "Rockshow" is going to be screened at movie theatres again, starting May 15th. But this time it's even further away than last time! Back in 1980 when they first screened the film in movie theaters, the theatre closest to me that showed the film was in Stockholm, Sweden. This time it looks like I would have to travel to Scotland.


Rockshow on screen.com

Tuesday 26 March 2013

McCartney tour expands to USA

Looks like Paul McCartney's "Out There" tour is planning to visit the Americas this summer. Although not yet announced on McCartney's official website, the Boston Globe reveals that a concert with the man is scheduled for July 9th at Fenway Park. And if he's playing Boston, you know New York City will be included as well. He has played NYC at Citi Field and Yankee Stadium in mid-July so we wouldn't be surprised if he plays NYC in mid-July once again.
So far, we have four gigs lined up for this tour: Poland, Austria, Tennessee and Massachusetts. I'm just hoping someone will bring him over to Norway again during the tour. Or at least Australia.

Monday 25 March 2013

Wings Over America in May

In a recent Universal Music Group showcase, as reported by Billboard, the company revealed their release schedule for 2013 and it was revealed that Concord is planning to unveil their remastered "Wings Over America" in an elaborate package on May 28th.
The original schedule for McCartney's remastered series was going to be "Venus and Mars" and "Wings At The Speed of Sound" as well as "Wings Over America", but plans change. I'm still hoping that the other two albums are going to be released along the way somewhere.
Also, it appears that the plans to release the 1981 "Rockshow" film from the 1976 Wings concert tour separately from the WOA boxed set has been dropped, and the film is now incorporated into the package.What happens to the television special "Wings Over The World" as far as release plans go, we don't know. However, it should fit in nicely with the "Wings At The Speed of Sound" release, just as snugly as the Australian Wings Concert Special from 1975 would fit the "Venus and Mars" remaster.

Friday 22 March 2013

Making Please Please Me

It was fifty years ago today...the release of the Beatles' first LP, "Please Please Me". To celebrate, The Beatles have uploaded this little video for us to enjoy.


Amazon UK too, celebrates. Today only, they've set up a real 1963 page and are offering a discounted price for the Please Please Me CD.

Ringo's Ryman's Trailer


Ringo has released a trailer for his upcoming live DVD. Ringo, being an old-fashioned kind of guy, doesn't seem to have discovered blu-ray yet.


Thursday 21 March 2013

Hot Q cover

The fabs appear as male models on the cover of the April issue of Q magazine, which will be out in the UK on March 26th and elsewhere shortly thereafter. The magazine celebrates the release of "Please, Please Me" and talks with Paul McCartney about the making of the iconic album. During the interview Paul recalls the 9 hour 45 minute recording session and how the band were not allowed in the control room at Abbey Road's Studio 2. Paul also discusses getting into experimental music revealing how "Yesterday" nearly ended up with an electronic backing! As you may recall, Paul backed himself on organ for the 1965 UK tour during this song.

Wednesday 20 March 2013

Out There with Paul

Paul McCartney has announced his first live dates of 2013, which will be part of an all new tour called ‘Out There!’.

Paul is confirmed to play at the National Stadium in Warsaw, Poland on the 22nd June as well as at Happel Stadium, Vienna, Austria on the 27th of June.
The tour will see Paul and his band travel the world throughout the year, even visiting some places they've never been before. Further announcements and dates will be added in the coming weeks so stay tuned to www.PaulMcCartney.com for updates and ticketing details.


Since "Wings Over America" will be the current remastered release to promote, perhaps opening the show with Venus & Mars/Rockshow (in full) would be a nice treat?

Wednesday 13 March 2013

New French Remastered Beatles CD

The Beatles: Love Me Do

Magic Records 3930949   9,90€
There's a new Beatles CD from Magic Records in France available, containing the Polydor Beatles songs from 1961 and 1962 mixed in with the two "temporarily out of copyright in Europe" 1962 EMI titles "Love Me Do" and it's B-side "P.S. I Love You". What's interesting is that the CD has been assembled by noted French Beatles author Erik Krasker and his associate Laurent Giacomelli, who assures us that they spent a lot of time to select the tracks from the best available sources, and that they all were remastered in high resolution 96Khz-24bit.
The tracklist:
1.  LOVE ME DO  (Vocals : Paul McCartney & John Lennon - Ringo Starr version)
2.  P.S. I LOVE YOU   (Lead vocal :  Paul McCartney)
3.  AIN'T SHE SWEET   (Vocal : John Lennon)
4.  CRY FOR A SHADOW   (Instrumental - Lead guitar : George Harrison)
5.  MY BONNIE   (Without intro)  (Lead vocal : Tony Sheridan & backing vocals : The Beatles)
6. IF YOU LOVE ME, BABY   (Vocal : Tony Sheridan)
7. SWEET GEORGIA BROWN*  (Lead vocal : Tony Sheridan   &   backing vocals : The Beatles)
8. THE SAINTS   (Vocal : Tony Sheridan)
9.  WHY  (Can't You Love Me Again) (Lead vocal : Tony Sheridan  &  backing  vocals : The Beatles)
10.  NOBODY'S CHILD  (Vocal : Tony Sheridan)
11. MY BONNIE  (German intro)   (Lead vocal : Tony Sheridan & backing vocals : The Beatles)
12. MY  BONNIE   (English intro)   (Lead vocal : Tony Sheridan & backing vocals : The Beatles) 
Track 7  is the rare mono version from 1962  -  Tracks 1 to 12: mono versions
BONUS TRACKS :   
13. AIN'T SHE SWEET, 14. CRY FOR A SHADOW, 15.  MY BONNIE  (Without intro), 16.  IF YOU LOVE ME, BABY, 17. SWEET GEORGIA BROWN**, 18. THE SAINTS, 19. WHY (Can't You Love Me Again), 20. NOBODY'S CHILD, 21. MY BONNIE  (German intro), 22. MY  BONNIE  (English intro)
** 1962 - rare stereo version   - Tracks 13 to 22 : stereo versions

Anyway, I spun the disc on my stereo equipment and I have no objections to the sound. However, I'm no Hi Fi geek, so I wouldn't be the right person to testify to whether or not the sound quality compares to the Bear Family edition or last year's Time Life 50th anniversary release. What I CAN testify to is that you get awful tired of "My Bonnie" very quickly.
The cover is a replica of a very sought after French original release of said Polydor recordings from back in the day.
Magic Records Website

Friday 8 March 2013

Maybe I'm not very Amazed

Just like last year when Another Day was issued as a seven-inch single before RAM came out as a deluxe edition, Paul McCartney will preempt the next issue in his Archive Collection campaign – Wings Over America – with an exclusive vinyl offering on Record Store Day.
This time a twelve-inch vinyl record is being issued, and the single in question is the live version of Maybe I’m Amazed, his exquisite love letter to Linda that appeared in studio form on his first solo album McCartney in 1970.
It wasn’t issued as a single until 1976 when the live cut reached number 10 in the Billboard Hot 100. This Record Store Day twelve-inch replicates a promo-only version issued to radio at the time and includes short and long versions of the track in both mono and stereo mixes.
By stating that this exclusive is “to herald the release of Wings Over America”, McCartney is officially acknowledging the reissue of his mammoth triple album for the first time.
More information regarding Record Store Day here > UK Site | US Site
Source: SuperDeLuxeEdition

Thursday 7 March 2013

Peace & Love at the Grammy Museum

The GRAMMY Museum, in cooperation with Ringo Starr, will debut a major new exhibition, Ringo: Peace & Love opening on June 12, 2013. This one-of-a-kind, limited-run exhibit will offer visitors an unprecedented in-depth look at all aspects of Starr's musical and creative life - as a musician, artist, actor, and as the man the world knows and loves simply as 'Ringo.' It will also aim to propel Starr's universal message of peace and love.
Ringo: Peace & Love is both the first major exhibit ever dedicated to a drummer and the first to explore the extraordinary career of the 7-time GRAMMY Award® winner. The scope of exhibit spans Ringo's early life growing up in Liverpool, from Raving Texans turned Rory Storm, from The Beatles, to becoming a solo artist and then to the All Starrs with whom he is on tour now - this unique collection brings together diverse artifacts, rare and never before seen photographs, documents, personal letters and footage.
Ringo: Peace & Love will be located on the second floor and will include:
  • The drum kit Ringo played at Shea Stadium
  • The drum kit he played on the Ed Sullivan show
  • Ringo's Sgt Pepper suit
  • The cape he wore in Help!
  • The Red Jacket worn during the filming of The Beatles rooftop concert
  • Personal letters, photographs and documents from the Starkey family and Ringo's days with the Beatles
It will also be an interactive exhibit, where visitors can take a drum lesson with Ringo.
Ringo: Peace & Love will be on display in The GRAMMY Museum's Special Exhibits Gallery through November 2013, after which the exhibit will tour to select cities to be announced soon.
Source and official webpage:  GrammyMuseum.org

Sunday 3 March 2013

Lewisohn book website

Mark Lewisohn's definitive three-volume Beatles biography which finally debuts this autumn, now has a home on the web: thebeatlesbiography.com. There's also a twitter account to follow: @beatlesbook. The first volume is due out in October, deals with the years prior to 1963 and is entitled "Tune in". We won't be surprised if the other titles will be "turn on" and "drop out"....

Saturday 2 March 2013

Logo change

Top: Rehearsal
Bottom: Performance
May 12th, 1963: The Beatles appear on "Thank Your Lucky Stars" and show off their new logo! In the first photo, Lennon is wearing glasses at rehearsal, and Ringo's bass drum is still sporting the "beetle" Beatles logo. In the second one from the actual broadcast, new drums with the brand new "dropped T" logo, as designed by Ivor Arbiter.

The first Beatles "Beetle" logo
 The old "beetle" Beatles logo kept it going, though. It was used quite a bit for their French releases (where they swapped the "the" for a "les"), and it was also featured a lot in the "Beatles Monthly Book" fan club magazine.

Friday 1 March 2013

Early McCartney with Quarrymen?

The Quarrymen in Toxteth, Liverpool 8, June 22nd, 1957. Photo: Charles Roberts
The BeatlesWiki has just launched a radical theory that the guy we circled around in the above photo is, in fact, the young Paul McCartney! As the depicted photo was taken on June 22nd, 1957, this means history must be rewritten.
According to legend, Paul McCartney first encountered the Quarrymen at the famous Woolton village fete on July 6th (the date pinpointed after meticous research by Mark Lewisohn for Philip Norman's book, "Shout!") that same summer. On June 22nd in Toxteth, Liverpool 8, The Quarrymen played one of their first gigs from the back of a coal lorry. It was an official party to celebrate the 550th anniversary of Liverpool receiving its charter from King John. Threatened by violence, after the performance, the band was forced to retreat to Mrs. Roberts' (Charles the photographer' mother) home for sanctuary.
But is it Paul? You be the judge.
We think er...it's not.