Orel Family

At the start of 1969, things were rapidly deteriorating for The Beatles: Their 1968 recording sessions for "The White Album" had turned so sour that recording engineer Geoff Emerick quit in July, followed by Ringo Starr in August. Their manager Brian Epstein had died in 1967 from an accidental overdose of sleeping pills. They'd given up touring in 1966 to protect their own safety and sanity.  It may seem shocking that the most famous quartet in the world chose, as their next project, to take empty time and space in Twyckenham Film Studios , this time without even producer George Martin , who didn't go.   This is where Peter Jackson's epic 8-hour film, currently available on Disney+ , comes in. For Beatlephiles like me, the film is both a huge blessing and a bit of a let down. More on the let down later. The original Michael Lindsay-Hogg movie "Let it Be" was never released on DVD, and has been out of official circulation in all formats since the ...

Getting high with a little help from a friend. Last things first: Paul McCartney played with Ringo Starr last night, and there was an echo of magic in the air. Just before that, Stevie Wonder and John Legend combined to create unforgettable performances of Bill Withers's most famous songs. The induction ceremony lasted 5 hours, this was the first I've attended. These high points in the wee hours will stay with me for a long time. Beck arrives and greets fans.  Beck performed "Satellite of Love" in tribute to Lou Reed. Cleveland Public Hall hosted the ceremony; as several speakers noted, the venerable hall hosted The Beatles in 1964. From the windows of the narrow hallway outside our seating area, we could watch the stars coming in. Steve Van Zandt. .. Green Day ... Ringo Starr... Beck ... Stevie Wonder. Several fans unfurled a huge "Ringo We Love You!" banner (which he acknowledged later from the stage), and produced some vintage screams w...

The smiles that changed America: George Harrison and Ringo Starr in the moment, February 9, 1964. This past Sunday evening marked the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles' first appearance on The Ed Esullivan Show .  The Fabs, virtually unknown in the United States just 6 weeks prior, but that evening 73 million people turned to CBS to watch them perform live. By early April, the Beatles owned each of the top 5 positions in the Billboard Hot 100  singles chart . To commemorate the anniversary, CBS aired The Night That Changed America: The Beatles - A Grammy Salute , and it was everything the Beatles weren't:  Tame. Boring. Inert. Dreary. (an encore will air tomorrow evening). And most of my Beatles-fans friends loved it. The anniversary program was really three shows: A historical presentation focusing entirely on the events leafing up to and including February 9th, 1964. A musical tribute focusing almost entirely on pieces written after  February 9th, 1964....