1960s Archives | Page 4 of 19 | Hey Dullblog, the Beatles fan blog

The General Erection

By Michael Gerber|2015-09-27T23:13:41-07:00September 27, 2015|1965|

Here's that interview with John Lennon on the occasion of "A Spaniard In the Works" I alluded to in the Beatles and the Aristocracy comment thread. From the June 18th, 1965 edition of the BBC programme "Tonight" hosted by Kenneth Allsop, it's a real reminder of why Britain needed the Beatles. And how the world will always need them. "Do you think you'd be published, uh, were you not a Beatle?" "The pop business is a young man's world...Do you think that perhaps, uh, writing a book like this, and writing at all, might be an unconscious attempt to win recognition in [...]

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The Beatles in Manila, 1966

By Michael Gerber|2015-09-17T14:39:19-07:00September 14, 2015|1966|

"Maybe your last chance to see the Beatles! Don't ask how we know this!" And what does the ol' "to-post" file have for us this morning? Why, it's a webpage dedicated to the Beatles in Manila, the feel-baddiest moment in all of Beatlemania. We all know the story of their ill-fated trip to the Philippines -- "snubbing" Imelda Marcos, their security mysteriously disappearing, Fabs and entourage making wills and quietly peeing themselves as they waited on the tarmac -- but this site has some nice added bits. (By the way, I've always assumed that it's even odds the Beatles knew [...]

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BEATLES-STREEP-SHEA SHOCKER: IT’S NOT HER!!!!

By Devin McKinney|2015-08-14T05:33:15-07:00August 13, 2015|1966, alternate history, Beatle myth, Beatles on the Web, Meryl Streep|

DEVIN McKINNEY · Few things have been more spew-worthy on TV this last couple of weeks than the ads for Ricki and the Flash, with Meryl Streep as—ehh, who gives a shit. Read the Internet for the plot blurb. But the spectacle of this preeningest, phoniest of actors trying to look rocky and raunchy, let alone trying to sing that way, so offends my primordial brain that I’m driven against my higher controls to cringe, wince, twitch, and spit every time it comes on. I don’t want Meryl Streep herself to die, understand; but I would kill her fame in an instant, had [...]

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London researchers say Beatles not revolutionary

By Nancy Carr|2015-05-09T18:06:57-07:00May 7, 2015|1964, Beatlemania, Beatles Criticism, Mark Lewisohn, pre-Beatles|

NANCY CARR * A study just issued by researchers at Imperial College London and Queen Mary University of London asserts that the Beatles' success in mid-60s America was anything but revolutionary. According to Professor Armand Leroi, the paper's senior author, “They were good looking boys with great haircuts and British accents but as far as their music was concerned they weren’t anything new.” "Yeah-huh," as those of us raised in Texas sardonically respond to transparently idiotic statements (at least when we're trying to be polite). The researchers decided that the Beatles weren't up to anything new because chord progressions, lyrics, and beats in [...]

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Starrtime: Defining Moments from Ringo’s non-Beatle movies (2)

By Devin McKinney|2015-10-21T20:21:59-07:00April 13, 2015|1969, comedy, Monty Python, Movies, Ringo, Ringo movies, Ringo Starr|

If you thought Candy sucked rubber, point your innocent eyeballs in the direction of The Magic Christian, a film with similar components—Terry Southern novel, Ringo Starr one face among many in a ridiculously eclectic, overqualified cast—and find yourself trapped in the Fourth Dimension of Suck. All that I remember of the novel from a high-school reading is that Ringo’s character, a homeless bum and adopted son of a billionaire, isn’t in it. That the role was created for the film and left to languish as an afterthought manifests in the marginality of Ringo’s presence, though he is top-billed among the eminent or [...]

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1965: The Most Revolutionary Year In Music

By Michael Gerber|2015-03-11T22:00:15-07:00March 11, 2015|1965, books|

Gentle Readers, the following is an excerpt from Andrew Jackson's "1965: The Most Revolutionary Year In Music." You'll have to read the book to decide whether his title speaks the truth, but in the meantime here's Andrew's take on The Beatles, Dick Lester, and the little-known bit of 60s cinema called "The Knack…and How to Get It." My only question is -- having seen the movie once, about 20 years ago -- is Ray Brooks obviously John Lennon? The author is giving a reading tonight (Thurs 3/12) at Los Angeles' Book Soup. And of course, videos, playlists, and more excerpts can be [...]

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Thank God for Abbey Road

By Michael Gerber|2015-01-14T18:17:51-08:00January 14, 2015|1969, Abbey Road|

The Beatles, not worrying about global warming, 1969. In the midst of a comment thread, I stumbled on an interesting thought which I wanted to open to the group: how do you think The Beatles' legacy would've been different if they'd never returned to the studio after Let It Be? My initial, instinctual thought is that the group's demise would've been even more mythic, even more shrouded by "what might have been." The rich sprawl of White seems to invite a follow-up of the quality of Abbey Road, and had the wet firecracker of Let It Be been The Beatles' [...]

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The Beatles in St. Louis, 1966

By Michael Gerber|2014-12-05T11:20:16-08:00December 5, 2014|1966, concert|

Meet the Beatles for Real is a favorite blog of many Dullblog readers, but that's not the only link. The blog's proprietor, Sara, is a proud product of the St. Louis metro area, just like yours truly. So when I heard that Sara is writing a book of fan memories of the Fabs' one and only concert in St. Louis, naturally I did two things: put her in touch with my Aunt (hi Mary!) who went to the concert; and I offered to post an Author Query on her behalf: Hello Beatlefans! This is Sara from the Meet the Beatles for Real [...]

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A Dylan Beatles Stones Album In A Parallel Universe

By Michael Gerber|2014-11-11T19:58:00-08:00November 11, 2014|1969, alternate history|

These proportions would've been pretty accurate I think Eagle-eyed Dullblog commenter Hologram Sam writes us: "In 1969, Bob Dylan had the idea to form the ultimate temporary supergroup. He wanted to record an album with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones. He told his idea to Glyn Johns, who immediately started making phone calls. Long story short: George Harrison and Keith Richards were in favor of the project. Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger were not interested. John Lennon didn't care either way. Ladies and Gentlemen: The Dylan Beatles Stones! Today's thought experiment: Try to imagine a parallel universe where this [...]

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Flaming Lips’ “With a Little Help from My Fwends”: Sgt. Pepper’s through a 21st century blender

By Nancy Carr|2014-11-03T10:09:08-08:00November 3, 2014|1967, Covers, Drugs, Flaming Lips, Psychedelia, Sgt. Pepper|

Watch up for that blue goo--it really gums up the songs. NANCY CARR * With a Little Help from My Fwends, the Sgt. Pepper’s tribute album from the Flaming Lips and a bunch of their buddies, is a frequently painful listening experience that is also revelatory. It’s just that much of what it reveals leads to depressing conclusions about how the 21st century is shaping up. This is a true cover album, in the sense that Booker T. and the MG’s McLemore Avenue is, and that Mojo magazine compilations of various people doing songs from Revolver or Yellow Submarine aren’t. [...]

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