Aloha Ukulele Club Members and interested 'strummers'.

The Ukulele Club of Oak Park will not meet this Wed, 10/31 -
Halloween. However, the store will be OPEN FOR BUSINESS 4P - 8P and
will be having a Beatles HELP! costume contest.

Ukulele practice will resume the following Wed., 11/7, from 7P-8:30P

Mahalo.

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Movies Home Current Releases Showtimes & Tickets Coming Soon News Reviews DVD Box Office MOVIE DETAILS MORE ON 'GEORGE HARRISON: A BEATLE IN BENTON, IL' George Harrison: A Beatle In Benton, IL Biography/Vocal Music Type: Documentary Rating: NR PLOT DESCRIPTION The Beatles first stormed the American record charts in early 1964, followed closely afterward by their triumphant appearances on The Ed Sullivan Show and a riotously received American concert tour. But for George Harrison, this wasn't his first experience in the United States; in the fall of 1963, with the Beatles enjoying some vacation time after their massive success in England and Europe, Harrison (accompanied by his brother Peter) headed to Benton, IL, where his sister Louise Harrison-Caldwell was living with her husband. George Harrison: A Beatle in Benton, IL is a documentary which looks back at Harrison's visit to the small Illinois town, where he paid a visit to local radio stations, jammed with hometown rock bands, and attempted to spread the word about the Beatles on the eve of the British Invasion. The film includes interviews with Marsha Shaffer (a then-teenage disc jockey who interviewed Harrison on the air) and members of the Four Vests, a Benton-based band who played with Harrison during his visit. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide Readers' Reviews Report a Problem Post | Posting Policy | FAQ Average Reader Rating N/A       NEWS () Denotes articles which can be purchased from the Premium Archive. MOVIES | September 30, 2005 His ' Secret' Movie Trailer Is No Secret Anymore By DAVID M. HALBFINGER MOVIES | September 30, 2005 Unconventional Perspectives on American History and the Irish Troubles MOVIES | September 30, 2005 The ' Outsider' Art of ' Junebug' By DANA STEVENS   SIMILAR MOVIES The Beatles: The First U.S. Visit (1991, Albert Maysles, David Maysles, Susan Froemke, Kathy Dougherty)   RELATED MOVIES The Beatles Anthology [Video Series] (1996, Bob Smeaton) The Beatles: Washington, D.C. Feb. 11, 1964 (1964) The Beatles: Live in San Francisco (1991)   © 2005 All Media Guide, LLC Portions of content provided by All Movie Guide®, a trademark of All Media Guide, LLC Movie Details Showtimes & Tickets N.Y. Times Review Trailers / Clips Readers' Reviews   SHOWTIMES & TICKETS Search by Movie Title: And/Or by ZIP Code or City:   Advertisement nytimes.com/theater "Oprah Winfrey Presents: 'The Color Purple'" Also in Theater: Charles Isherwood's thoughts on Mia Farrow in "Fran's Bed" Read the review of "A Naked Girl on the Appian Way" What makes "Spirit" a Critic's Pick? OUR ADVERTISERS VONAGE: The #1 Broadband Phone Service. Join now & get your 1st month FREE Copyright 2005  The New York Times Company | Privacy Policy | Home | Search | Corrections | Help | Back to Top

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Luna Kafé article England - Full Moon 63 - 11/30/01 George Harrison 1943-2001   Sitting down trying to write something sensible after George Harrison's death from cancer is not easy. I guess all of us that are interested in music that is more than five years old, also have a relationship to George and the music he made. Beatles was the first music group that I knew the names of all its members, but George was the last of the Fab Four I knew - the quiet one allright. Today everybody says: "He was the quiet one, but we will remember him for his wit, his humanity and his musicality." Yes, that is what we will remember him for, but the George I will remember is the man behind the emotional guitar on Something and delicate playing on most Beatles tracks. I will remember him for the one bringing eastern music into western pop music. And a whole lot more: Listen to Love You To on 'Revolver'. The Beatles had already been flirting with eastern influences (notably on Norwegian Wood on "Rubber Soul"), but this was something completely different! So when Here, There And Everywhere follows, you just have to wonder if it is the same band! George had contributed to Beatles records as a songwriter earlier (check out If I Needed Someone and the harsh Think For Yourself and the guitar sound on the whole 'Rubber Soul' album), but on 'Revolver' he really started to add his musicality and ideas to the group. Would Tomorrow Never Knows sounded like it does if it wasn't for George? I doubt it. On 'Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' his song Within You Without You is one of the outstanding tracks. The next song on that album is When I'm Sixty-four... I guess you see my point. Of the five songs he made which ended up on 'The Beatles', it was only one truly great song. While My Guitar Gently Weeps is probably my favourite Beatles track ever. With its elegant chord changes, the arrangement, the lyrics it is a complete masterpiece though it is kind of hard to realize (and even acknowledge) that it is Eric Claptons lead guitar you hear. His most famous songs ended up on 'Abbey Road', Something (later to be covered by Frank Sinatra among many others) and Here Comes The Sun. The latter was probably the first Beatles song I heard as it was played every time on the radio - yes - when the sun shone. Which of course was a lot more often than it does today... I have a sneaky feeling that some of Georges songs for The Beatles could have been worked out to be so much better than they are on the records. Listen to Only A Northern Song, It's All Too Much, even Not Guilty (which is one of the songs Beatles spent most time trying to record...). George has been criticized for being a bad guitarist. To that I have to say only one thing: When Eric Idle (of Monthy Python) together with Neil Innes (from Bonzo Dog Doo Dah Band) in the mid-seventies was making their parody on The Beatles, they had to get the number one guitarist in the world, Ollie Halsall, to play the lead guitar in The Rutles... And George was the only one of the remaining Beatles to contribute something worthwhile to the two "new" Beatles songs with his slide guitar playing on Real Love that appeared on the 'Anthology' series in 1996. A personal top seven list of George Harrison's Beatles songs: 1. While My Guitar Gently Weeps ('The Beatles') 2. Something ('Abbey Road') 3. The Inner Light (B-side of the Lady Madonna single) 4. Taxman ('Revolver') 5. If I Needed Someone ('Rubber Soul') 6. All Things Must Pass ('Anthology') 7. Here Comes The Sun ('Abbey Road') pingo   And then there were two... "Each day just goes so fast, I turn around, it's past You don't get time to hang a sign on me Love me while you can Before I'm a dead old man A lifetime is so short A new one can't be bought..." (Love You To, George Harrison, 1966) George is gone. Well, he's been ill for a while so it didn't come as a shocking surprise. But it's sad though. Anyway, he's left some everlasting memories behind. While My guitar Gently Weeps. Something. I Me Mine. Taxman. Long, Long, Long. The Inner Light. If I Needed Someone. It's All Too Much. Plus, plus, plus... For the next days and weeks you'll probably get to read tons of articles on him. As a starter why don't you read something about what the Beatles did during lunar influences... Goodbye George. HO © 1996-2005 FuzzLogic

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From: "Bob Bartel"

BEATLE RARITIES AMONG HIGHLIGHTS OF SWINGING 60’S FILM FEST “AUSTIN POWERS” PHENOM POWERS SALUTE TO SHAG-A-DELIC FLIX There IS a previously undiscovered, completely unheard 1967/8 recording by a Liverpool quartet intended for the soundtrack of a 1968 Beatles-related movie that has just been found. But it’s NOT a George Martin-produced John Lennon vocal of a song intended for the soundtrack of the 1968 movie “Yellow Submarine.” (That recording many Beatles experts now say seems destined to be an alternate version of “Hey Bulldog.”) It’s a George HARRISON-produced GEORGE HARRISON vocal of a song intended for the soundtrack of the 1968 movie WONDERWALL! And to add to the confusion - the song sounds like it came right out of the soundtrack of “Magical Mystery Tour.” Which is fitting. Because the story behind it is both Magical and Mysterious. And quite a Tour! NOW THAT WE HAVE YOUR ATTENTION - READ ON!!! A previously unknown 1967 song featuring George Harrison is among the many highlights of a major 10-day film festival saluting the exploding “Austin Powers” phenomenon. The festival - titled MODS & ROCKERS! Groovy Movies of the Shag-a-delic Sixties! - will be presented by the American Cinematheque in its new home at the restored landmark Grauman’s Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood starting Friday June 25. The festival - which showcases over 20 fun movies from the 1960’s - will be a delight to all fans of 60’s music - especially lovers of the Beatles. The newly-discovered George Harrison recording will be heard for the first time on a special Beatles night at the festival on Saturday June 26 - with the American premiere of a legendary British psychedelic movie from the 60’s - WONDERWALL which stars cult British actress Jane Birkin. The film was shot in 1967 by a London-based American director, Joe Massot, who was deeply entrenched in the Swingin’ London of the era. He had chosen the Beatles’ new favorite design team - a Sgt. Pepper-influenced Dutch collective known as “The Fool” - to create the ‘wonderwall’ of the film’s title. (The designers also made the very few clothes worn in the film by the nymph-like Jane Birkin!) In the fall of 1967 he was searching for the right musicians to create the soundtrack for his movie. The film’s production had created quite a buzz and several artists were vying for the opportunity. The Bee Gees (then riding the crest of the wave of their first hits) and a post-Hollies pre-CSN Graham Nash both made pitches to get the job.     The Apple Boutique in London Outside designed by The Fool   Around this time, Massot attended the now famous opening party for the Beatles’ Apple boutique, which featured clothes designed by “The Fool.” (The party was attended by John Lennon, George Harrison, The Stones, Eric Clapton and the cream of British rock society.) At the party he found himself in conversation with George Harrison. At this time Harrison was the only member of the Beatles who had not yet pursued a solo project. (Paul McCartney had scored the 1966 Hayley Mills movie “The Family Way” and was the principal directing force behind the “Magical Mystery Tour” film; in addition to writing two books, John Lennon had acted in Richard Lester’s 1967 movie “How I Won The War”; and Ringo Starr was preparing for his forthcoming acting roles in the movies “Candy” and “The Magic Christian.”) Harrison indicated that he wanted to find a creative outlet for his growing interest in Indian music. Massot offered Harrison the job of creating the “Wonderwall” soundtrack - and Harrison accepted. He immediately set about writing and recording music for the film. The resulting score was a groundbreaking blend of western and eastern music. Harrison crossed psychedelic rock with the Indian music which was his passion at the time. The Indian-flavored segments were recorded at EMI’s Bombay studios in January 1968 - at sessions which also produced the backing track for Harrison’s song “The Inner Light” - released as the ‘B’ side of the “Lady Madonna” single in March 1968. George recording Wonderwall in Bombay The western music was principally recorded in the same Abbey Road studio in which Harrison recorded with the Beatles. For his first album as a producer, Harrison tried out a formula which he reprised in 1971 for his debut solo album “All Things Must Pass.” (On that album he used Apple artists Badfinger as a basic house band - augmenting them with other musicians.) For his “Wonderwall” score he recruited the session services of a the musicians from a Liverpool group called The Remo Four. The band were primarily known as an excellent instrumental band and as a backing group for singers such as Tommy Quickly and Billy J. Kramer who (like them) were represented by Beatles manager Brian Epstein. Since the movie commission was for an instrumental score - their lack of major vocal talent was not an issue. (The Remo Four were available for the session work because they were, sadly, in the throes of breaking up. They had already been dropped by two labels which had become disillusioned with their lack of record success - and the group hadn’t had a record released since 1966. Subsequent to the Wonderwall sessions, two of the members of the group - Tony Ashton [keyboards] and Roy Dyke [drums] joined forces with bass player Kim Gardner and formed Ashton, Gardner & Dyke who had a Top 40 hit in the U.S. in 1971 with their single “Resurrection Shuffle.” [#3 in UK.] This came from their 1970 debut album “The Worst Of Ashton, Gardner & Dyke” - which featured guest guitar work by.... George Harrison - returning the favor of the “Wonderwall” sessions.) As with his later solo album, Harrison invited a few musicians to augment his basic session group. One of these musicians was his new pal, guitarist Eric Clapton. However, as was the case on the Beatles’ White Album later in 1968 - his contribution was uncredited. (Prior to 1969, name musicians were rarely permitted to perform on recordings issued by labels other than their own.) Though the album credits didn’t display it, subsequent rumors referred to the soundtrack sessions as having included a guitarist called Eddie Clayton - a well-known pseudonym used by Eric Clapton. Also contributing to the sessions - though uncredited for a different reason - were fellow Beatles Ringo Starr and John Lennon (who added rhythm guitar at one of the sessions.) Neither of the Beatles wanted the fact of their involvement to draw attention away from Harrison on his first solo project - and they eschewed any credit. (The 1992 Apple CD reissue of the album includes comprehensive liner notes by longtime Beatles/Apple publicist and Harrison friend/confidante Derek Taylor - in which he confirmed in print for the first time the uncredited participation of Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr “and others” in the Wonderwall sessions.) The completed film was first shown at the Cannes Film Festival on May 18, 1968 - at a screening attended by George & Pattie Harrison and Ringo & Maureen Starr. On November 1, 1968, (December 2, 1968 in US) Harrison’s much-praised score for the movie became the first album released on the Beatles’ new Apple label (receiving the UK catalog number Apcor 001) The album was well reviewed and a comparative success for an album of instrumental music from an as-yet-unseen film. It stayed on the Billboard album charts for 16 weeks - peaking at #49. The film - which was a heavily psychedelized impressionistic fable featuring the young Jane Birkin - premiered in London on January 20, 1969 - but it was not a commercial success and fell from distribution rapidly. It never secured release in the USA. With the passage of time and the subsequent backlash against 60’s psychedelia, the film became an obscurity, occasionally surfacing on TV as late-night filler. The film’s director Joe Massot went on to a variety of other projects - most notably directing the 1972 Led Zeppelin documentary “The Song Remains The Same” and 1981’s “Dance Craze” about the two-tone ska revival - featuring Madness and The Specials et al. Apart from the release of Harrison’s soundtrack album on CD in 1992 as part of a general Apple catalog reissue - the project attracted no further attention until 1995. That was the year that Noel Gallagher writer/guitarist of the band Oasis happened to see the film on one of its occasional middle-of-the-night TV airings and became fascinated with the movie and its music. His fascination led to him writing a song incorporating the film’s title. The next Oasis album - their breakthrough “What’s The Story Morning Glory” - featured the song called “Wonderwall” - and it became a worldwide hit single for the by now enormously popular Oasis. Once people realized the inspiration for the song - the success of the track sparked renewed interest in the original “Wonderwall” film. So director Joe Massot decided to bring his 1967 production out of mothballs and see if there might be some interest in reissuing the film. On viewing the movie some 30 years on, he felt that the film could be improved with some re-editing and restoration work. With the assistance of his eldest son Jason, an aspiring filmmaker, he started to re-edit the film and create a new ‘director’s cut.’ He also decided that he needed to restore the glory of the film’s original soundtrack which - conforming to the low-fi exhibition standards of the day - had been mixed in mono. Massot set about tracking down all the original elements of the soundtrack. Several masters were located in the tape libraries of Abbey Road Studios and EMI’s Bombay studios. However there were still some music cues missing. Massot decided to contact George Harrison to see if he could be of assistance. Harrison searched deep in his personal vaults and eventually located all the multi-track masters that he had created for the movie. He passed the tapes to Massot to be used for the soundtrack restoration. It was then that Joe Massot made his startling discovery.... The tapes contained most of the missing music cues. The Wonderwall tapes also included a hidden gem. Apparently Harrison had been working on a SONG for the movie - called “IN THE FIRST PLACE.” However since the commission had been for instrumental music and there seemed to be no obvious location for a song in the movie - he had not bothered to submit the track to the film’s director! The song was an extremely strong piece of psychedelic pop - in the style of the Beatles’ “Blue Jay Way” recorded by Harrison just weeks before the Wonderwall sessions. The atmospheric style perfectly matched the movie’s mood. Since he was in the process of re-editing the film, Massot felt that he could find a way to include this long-lost gem. In fact he wanted to use it as the film’s theme song. He approached Harrison with news of his discovery and his request. “Wonderwall” is apparently a project Harrison still feels great pride in. It was the first time that he was commissioned for a project as a creative person outside of the Beatles. Harrison considered the request - and he readily agreed to the use of his recording in the film. He even gave permission for the song to be commercially released as a single in conjunction with the reissue of “Wonderwall.” He sought just two minor conditions. Though the song was produced by him, clearly features his vocals, and is heavily influenced by his “Blue Jay Way” eastern/psychedelic style of composition and arrangement - he was not actually the song’s composer. It had been written by two of his session players for the “Wonderwall” soundtrack. The composers were Colin Manley and Tony Ashton - two members of the disintegrating Remo Four group. Harrison first of all wanted to be sure that his fellow Liverpudlian musician pals were properly credited for their composition - and that the song was not erroneously represented as having been his composition. (He acknowledged having been the sole producer of the recording - and agreed to accept the official credit as producer.) Secondly, Harrison did not want to be officially credited as one of the artists or as a vocalist on the record. The song had been written by two members of a group that was barely in existence at the time of the recording - and that had indeed officially disbanded shortly after the Wonderwall sessions. But the recording had included the instrumental playing of its four members. The group - though never commercially successfully - was a well-respected Liverpool group which had provided instrumental backing for many local artists. Harrison’s guest performance on the 1970 Ashton, Gardner & Dyke album attested to his affection for his ex-Remo Four musician pals. The shy and retiring ‘quiet Beatle’ - Harrison requested that the track be officially credited solely as a performance by The Remo Four. At the time he took this decision, Harrison was also aware that none of the four members of the defunct group were in good financial health and that one of the song’s two composers - Colin Manley (who in recent years played with another old Liverpool group The Swingin’ Blue Jeans) - was also in poor physical health. In fact Manley died just a few months later. Close friends say that Harrison’s insistence on sole credit going to a forgotten and long unsung band of pals (and to not take any credit for his performance) is a typically generous gesture by the reclusive ex-Beatle. Ringo Starr and George Harrison biographer Alan Clayson (“George Harrison: The Quiet One”) - who is also acknowledged as one of the world’s leading author/historians on British beat music of the 60’s - states that at the time of the recording - the Remo Four had been without a record deal for two years. The group was primarily known as an instrumental backing group (most of their singles had been instrumentals.) They had spent much of 1967 playing live in Germany - where they had been experimenting with a new jazzy sound - quite unlike the progressive rock, psychedelia and eastern music styles which Harrison had been pursuing. The group’s subsequent breakup - with two members forming a ‘back-to-basics’ no-nonsense rockabilly trio (Ashton, Gardner & Dyke’s hit had been aptly titled Resurrection Shuffle) indicated that none of the group’s musical leanings were remotely in the same direction as those of Harrison. The track in question “IN THE FIRST PLACE” sounds exactly as though it was a track from the Beatles’ “Magical Mystery Tour” - recorded just a few weeks earlier in September/October of 1967. Most particularly it has the same swirling eastern psychedelia found on Harrison’s song “Blue Jay Way.” Taking all these factors into account - his opinion is that it was highly unlikely that the song could have been recorded as a prospective track for a Remo Four release. Apart from their long-standing lack of a record deal and the imminence of their break-up - the very contemporary Beatlesque style and vocals would have been at complete odds with the very limited industry - or public expectation of a Remo Four record. Though they may not understand the reason for Harrison’s generous gesture to his old friends - fans of the Beatles and George Harrison are likely to agree with Clayson’s analysis of the music. They will simply be glad that the quiet Beatle agreed to allow this 31 year old gem hear the light of day. In the UK, “Wonderwall” film director Joe Massot is already selling the CD single (with a collector’s 7” vinyl single also available) through his Pilar Productions company website. Both configurations feature two versions of the song. The original 1967 Abbey Road mix - and the new mix prepared for the movie. Now Massot is looking for a US distributor to release his “Wonderwall” movie and for a record company that might be interested in a 3-minute recording by a long-defunct Liverpool group.... Return to The Daily Shag Page Return to The Mods & Rockers! Homepage Copyright © 1999 Springtime!

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Cool news from Bob Bartel:

His DVD, George Harrison : A BEATLE IN BENTON, IL has now been
translated into Russian and is being sold there.

Long live the ukulele

John Harris
Friday October 26, 2007
The Guardian


Far be it from me to accuse the British educational establishment of
a 50-year crusade to push our children away from a musical career,
but sometimes I wonder. I am talking, of course, about the recorder -
that idiot-flute via which several generations were surely put off
being creative for good.
But what is this? According to recent reports, the borderline torture
of learning and playing that instrument is apparently being thrown
into the historical bin. The new musical thing for Britain's youth is
the ukulele, and they are not just taking over schools, but flying
out of shops at a frenetic rate. A spurt of newspaper items told the
tale last week, also making mention of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great
Britain, the late US oddball Tiny Tim, and Marilyn Monroe turning the
instrument into a symbol of erotic hoo-hah in Some Like It Hot.

Among the scores of songs that I would gladly take into the hereafter
are two that feature our four-stringed friend. One is a brief-though-
glorious piece from Paul and Linda McCartney's 1971 album, Ram,
entitled Ram On, in which the man we must now call Macca (and while
we're here, why is he going out so much at the moment?) winningly
sings the same couplet for around two minutes, and sounds a bit like
the Beta Band. The other is Blue, Red and Grey, a equally lovely
track from the Who's 1975 album, The Who By Numbers, that finds Pete
Townshend thrumming away and singing about being endlessly happy -
according to scholars of their music, apparently with sardonic
intent, though you could have fooled me.
That, however, is not the half of it. Reports of the ukulele
renaissance inevitably mentioned that thrumalong godhead George
Formby, but failed to pay tribute to his vastly underestimated
influence on modern British rock. As the phrase goes, I am not
shitting you. Consider Formby's trademarks - camped-up vocals, social
realism, double entendres, rudimentary chord structures - and then
think about the Arctic Monkeys' Flourescent Adolescent, the View's
Same Jeans, anything by Pete Doherty, or hotly-tipped Liberteeny
north-westerners, the Courteneers.

Musical historians will know that George's influence was passed on
via that big Formby disciple Steven Patrick Morrissey, as summed up
by the fact the Smiths' 1987 South Bank Show began with a clip of his
idol singing Why Don't Women Like Me?, an early try-out for the same
feelings that pervaded Morrissey and Marr's secular hymn How Soon Is
Now? Its words went as follows: "Last night I went walking, my
intentions were to click/But the sights I saw while walking out, they
nearly made me sick/I saw a lot of lovely girls, attractive little
dears/Arm in arm with ugly men with cauliflower ears." Its chorus ran
thus: "If women like them like men like those, why don't women like
me?" Such were the first stirrings of indie miserablism, something
all the more remarkable given that the song was put to tape in 1933.
Points off, perhaps, for indulging in such frippery the same year
Hitler came to power, but a) Going political wouldn't have suited
him, would it? and b) I doubt Adolf would have paid much attention.

Anyway, I bought a ukulele over the summer, and have just about
managed to learn a selection of popular tunes. In the course of doing
so, a few thoughts sprang to mind, chief among them the idea that I
had invested in the perfect punk rock instrument. Most of the chords
need only two fingers, and you can't play solos on it without
sounding like a chump, which in turn led me to daydream about what
would have happened if human evolution had been aligned slightly
differently and Jones, Strummer et al had been ukulele-ists rather
than guitar fiends. Answer: "White riot! [Thrum, thrum] I wanna riot!
[thrum, thrum]".

Anyway, my latest party trick is Velvet Underground's I'm Waiting for
the Man. You want to hear it, ringing out across the fields. But
don't all come round at once, or - as George F would probably have
it - I might run out of teacups.


· You've read the piece, now have your say. Email your comments to
film&music@...

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?
in_article_id=489403&in_page_id=1773&ito=1490

Beyond Help
The director of two Beatles' films, Richard Lester, reveals the laugh
lines left by the Fab Four

The fifth Beatle – it's a sobriquet bestowed on a series of
individuals who, over the years, got close enough to the Fab Four to
be irradiated by their celebrity. For three years in the mid-Sixties,
Richard Lester, the director of A Hard Day's Night and Help!, found
himself close enough to the eye of the hurricane to earn auxiliary
Beatle status.
On the eve of a DVD reissue of a dazzlingly restored print of Help!,
Lester muses on the impact of Beatle-mania on those caught in its
slip-stream. "I suppose for everyone who has been through it, however
briefly, you're never as innocent as you were before. I keep the
drawbridge up even now, when my son is better known in the business
than I am."
It's a typically self-effacing comment from a man whose diverse
career includes the Goons' television show, The Knack . . . And How
To Get It, Petulia and Superman II and III. Fans in the industry
range from Steven Soderbergh to Brad Bird, Hal Hartley to Martin
Scorsese. His work with the Beatles was so inventive and so
influential in carving out the vernacular of the modern music video
that he was named "the father of MTV" by the channel. Famously,
Lester immediately wrote back asking for a paternity test.
Lester witnessed first hand the voracious press attention that
surrounded the Beatles in the mid-Sixties and how they coped with
it. "They were very protective of each other. If somebody was feeling
off, the others would kind of compensate and surround them. It was a
very warm thing to see." Who was most likely to get depressed? "I
think that the one that seemed to be suffering at the time probably
was Ringo. But they all dealt with it in different ways."
Although associated with the British film industry, Lester was in
fact born in Philadelphia. Something of a child prodigy, he started
school at the age of 3 and went to university at 15, where he found
himself surrounded by people "three years bigger, smarter and better
dressed". Disillusioned by his course in clinical psychology, Lester
spent his time playing the piano and perfecting the ultimate martini.
A television director by the age of 19, Lester left America. "I felt
that there was a huge world that I felt more in tune with. I went to
Europe and lived by my wits for about a year." He arrived in Britain
by a happy accident six months before the launch of ITV, when TV
directors were in demand.
A stint directing three series of the Goons' television show was good
grounding for Lester's collaboration with the Beatles, who shared
with him a taste for the surreal and the downright silly. "If the
film holds up," Lester says of Help!, "it's probably because
silliness doesn't date." It was a silliness that, certainly during
the filming of Help! in the Bahamas, was assisted by the Beatles'
consumption of vast quantities of the local herb.
"I didn't demand a standard of professionalism and get stroppy with
them," says Lester. "If they wanted to indulge in certain substances,
well, that's fine." He's quick to put things into perspective
however. "They weren't lying in some sort of stupor, it's not heroin
that we're talking about. They were giggling."
Lester recalls a seven-hour transAtlantic flight during which the
Beatles were higher than the aeroplane for most of the journey. "The
boys were giggling, and my son was three at the time. And there's
nothing a three-year-old likes better than to see people laughing, so
he laughed for seven hours as well. At that time, it was very popular
for Paul to be given teddy bears by his fans. So suddenly, a little
tractor pulling two wagon loads of teddy bears turned up in front of
the plane. My son just disappeared for the rest of the journey under
this mound of teddies."
Lester has been retired from film-making for about 15 years, a
decision he says that was prompted partly by the advent of digital
technology. "I don't understand computers and I'm a terrible neo-
Luddite. I snarl when I go past my wife's computer. I don't own a
mobile phone."
Watching Help! again for the first time in 35 years – the restored
print was screened at the San Sebastian Film Festival – was a
bittersweet experience for Lester. "I deliberately don't see the
films. It's painful. I'm constantly trying to correct them. I said
once, long ago, that looking at one's films is like a series of
tombstones held together by editing tape."
Lester is a consummate story-teller, and he clearly enjoys revisiting
the memories that the film arouses. Scenes purporting to be at
Buckingham Palace, he recalls, were shot at the home of Lord Astor,
who was then bed-bound, convalescing from a heart attack.
The crew of Help! decided to organise a relay race around the boxwood
maze in the gardens, causing much derision from the Beatles. Lord
Astor was sufficiently interested to offer a prize to the winning
team – a bottle of vintage champagne from his cellar.
"Come lunchtime, everybody has changed into their trainers. Suddenly
the Beatles have turned up, the gun goes off and they wipe the floor
with the lot of them. Then we all trooped up to collect the prize
which John immediately rejected, `Forget that, can I have a try on
your oxygen?' So they all sat around on his bed, chatting, and
finished his bottle of oxygen."
Help! is released on DVD on Nov 5 by Apple Corps Ltd/EMI Music

Subject: upcoming South Asia events

MUSIC:  Friday, October 26, 2007    @7:30 p.m,

Chinmaya Mission Presents:

an Evening of Melodious Devotional Music Concert by Pandit Nagaraj HavaldarBadri, 11 S. 80 Rt. 83, Willowbrook

Admission: Free and open to all

        Dr. Nagaraja Rao Havaldar is a Hindustani Classical vocalist from Karnataka, India. He is a disciple of Pandit Madhava Gudi, himself a prime disciple of the Kirana scion Pandit Bhimsen Joshi.

        Contact: Sonal Shah at 312.749.2970

---

MUSIC:  Saturday, November 3, 2007           6:00 p.m to 8:00 p.m.

Classical Devotional and Bhajans Concert

by Ms. Shobha Choudhary

accompanied by Manpreet Bedi on Tabla, and Prasad Joshi on Harmonium

Hindu Temple of Central IL, 4224 W. Prairie Lane, Peoria

Admission: $5 Suggested Donation       

        Contact: 309.671.5668

---

Dance:  Saturday November 3, 2007      6:30 p.m

                Sunday Nov 4  @4pm

Anila Sinha Foundation    www.asfkathak.com       Kathak Nrityakala Kendra  presents

KALIDAS's  classic story  "Kumar Sambhav" --

the story of Shiva & Parvati, leading to the destruction of the demon Tarkasur

in Kathak-style dance-drama 

music composition by Pandit Birju Maharaj; arranged by Shri Jitendra Singh (New Delhi)

choreography & Artistic Direction by Ms Kiran Chouhan; assisted by Ms Shailja Bisht (New Delhi)

Triton College Performing Arts Center,  2000 Fifth Avenue, River Grove IL

$30; students and seniors $20; also $50 Patron

        for tickets: 847.985.9142 or 773-753-2274   <asfkathak@...m>

---

Music:  Saturday, November 3, 2007       6:30pm

India Classical Music Society joins 5 Percent Sessions in presenting

Sarod Maestro Brij Narayan, accompanied by Abhijit Banerjee (Tabla)

200 W. Superior, Suite 310, Chicago

Admission: $20, $10 (Students)

        Contact: 708.798.2025

 

---

 

Film:  Sunday, November 4, 2007  @11am

India Development Services presents

an exclusive screening of "Gandhi My Father"

AMC River East 21, 322 East Illinois Street, Chicago

        Contact: Varsha Pancholi, 630.717.1970

---

Music:  Sunday, November 4, 2007             2:00 to 5:00 pm

The Telugu Association of Greater Chicago proudly presents

a special Telugu ghazal  program by "Ghazal Mastero"  Dr Ghazal Sriniva

The Hindu Temple of Greater Chicago, 10916 Lemont Rd., Lemont, IL

$10, $25, and Patron ($100 or above)

        Contact: Syam Pappu at 630.430.4769

---

Dance:   Sunday, November 18, 2007      @3:30PM

        The Sanskriti Foundation (center for Indian dance, music, and allied arts, a non-profit organization run by dancer Shoba Natarajan, engaged in making the traditional performing arts of India more accessible to the community) celebrates its 10th Anniversary

"Natya Nivedanam" - a margam from pushpanjali to thillana presented by Sanskriti students 

followed by "Suryakantha" ("Beloved of the Sun") by the Sanskriti Dance Ensemble. Triton College Performing Arts Center, 2000 5th Avenue, River Grove  

        Contact: The Sanskriti Foundation at 630.527.189
 

__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection around
http://mail.yahoo.com

Darn!  I was counting the days.
--- In wonderwallemporium@yahoogroups.com, "wonderwallemporium"
<wonderwallemporium@...> wrote:
>
> Our distributor informed us today that the "HELP!" DVD will hit the
> streets Nov. 6. So, we will have it in-stock, both the regular 2-disc
> DVD set and the Deluxe Edition!
>
> Anyone wishing to pre-order the DVD, please email Wonderwall asap at:
> wonderwallemporium@...
>
> This does not affect the winner of the "HELP!" Costume Contest who
> will receive a copy of the DVD. After all votes are tallied, the
> winner will be notified and an announcement sent.
>
> Looking forward to seeing the charcters of "HELP!" come to life on
> October 31st at Wonderwall!
>

Our distributor informed us today that the "HELP!" DVD will hit the
streets Nov. 6. So, we will have it in-stock, both the regular 2-disc
DVD set and the Deluxe Edition!

Anyone wishing to pre-order the DVD, please email Wonderwall asap at:
wonderwallemporium@...

This does not affect the winner of the "HELP!" Costume Contest who
will receive a copy of the DVD. After all votes are tallied, the
winner will be notified and an announcement sent.

Looking forward to seeing the charcters of "HELP!" come to life on
October 31st at Wonderwall!

Wishing May a wonderwall...ful birthday today and always!

I read about this in another forum-but he is rather
cute!!!
--- wonderwallemporium <wonderwallemporium@...>
wrote:

> (From the Cilla, wife of "Sir Paul of Livermore":
>
> "Read the story and watch the video clip of the
> channel 7 story (on
> top,under In the press on Mikes' website.....(
> www.paulmccartneylookalike.com ) about Mike being
> mistaken for Paul in
> Wausau Wisconsin. Then the truth came out....follow
> links too read
> stories....will also be one in a London paper
> tomorrow...they
> interviewed Mike this morning.....and Chicago
> Tribune is coming out
> Friday to take pictures & do a story.......what an
> ordeal !!!
> Pretty wild ......"
>
> http://www.madison.com/tct/column/251795
>
>
http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
> AID=/20071017/OSH/310170064
>
> http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1490235.html
>
>
>

(From the Cilla, wife of "Sir Paul of Livermore":

"Read the story and watch the video clip of the channel 7 story (on
top,under In the press on Mikes' website.....(
www.paulmccartneylookalike.com ) about Mike being mistaken for Paul in
Wausau Wisconsin. Then the truth came out....follow links too read
stories....will also be one in a London paper tomorrow...they
interviewed Mike this morning.....and Chicago Tribune is coming out
Friday to take pictures & do a story.......what an ordeal !!!
Pretty wild ......"

http://www.madison.com/tct/column/251795

http://www.thenorthwestern.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20071017/OSH/310170064

http://www.startribune.com/462/story/1490235.html

Have fun this Halloween with the Fab Four & Wonderwall!

Announcing the DVD release of the Beatles "HELP!" DVD release with a
Halloween costume and trivia contests and win the new "HELP!" DVD!

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31st
4 PM - 8 PM
Wonderwall Music Shoppe & Emporium
329 B Harrison Street
Oak Park IL 60304
Call 708.754.7026 or email

Winner to be selected by YOU, the voters!

To Enter:
* Come to Wonderwall in your favorite "HELP!" character
* Act out a scene
* Answer trivia contest

All contestants must sign a consent form to be photographed/video-
taped.
Contestants photo will be posted in-store and online for voting by
you, the audience!
Winner to be notified via email and announced online.
Parental permission form to be signed for minors.

"A Wondrous Place To Be!"

Hi, Robin!  :::waves:::
--- In wonderwallemporium@yahoogroups.com, "Robin" <lnmyownwrite@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi all!
> Thanks for the invite.  Looking forward to being a member.  :)
>

You can judge a man's true character by the way he treats his fellow
animals.

~ Paul McCartney

Hi all!
Thanks for the invite.  Looking forward to being a member.  :)

Hi, Susan!  :::waves:::
--- In wonderwallemporium@yahoogroups.com, "Susan"
<beatlesfan4ever@...> wrote:
>
> Such exciting news!!
>
> Susan
>
> ~Protest is Patriotic~
>
>  > -------Original Message-------
>
> From: Brenda W
> Apple Corps. Announces The Beatles' Help! On DVD this October 30
>
> Apple Corps Ltd have announced the eagerly anticipated DVD release of
> The Beatles' second feature film 'Help!' on October 30th (October
> 29th ROW) which will be marketed and distributed by EMI Music.
>

Such exciting news!!

         
Susan

~Protest is Patriotic~




-------Original Message-------

From: Brenda W
Date: 10/14/2007 8:11:40 PM
To: wonderwallemporium@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [wonderwallemporium] Help! On DVD

Apple Corps. Announces The Beatles' Help! On DVD this October 30

Apple Corps Ltd have announced the eagerly anticipated DVD release of
The Beatles' second feature film 'Help!' on October 30th (October
29th ROW) which will be marketed and distributed by EMI Music.

Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed the band's debut
Feature film 'A Hard Days Night', 'Help!' made its theatrical debut
In 1965. The story follows The Beatles as they become passive
Recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo's possession
Of a sacrificial ring, which he cannot remove from his finger. As a
Result, he and his bandmates John, Paul and George are chased from
London to the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas by religious cult
Members, a mad scientist and the London police.

In addition to starring the Beatles, 'Help!' has a witty script, a
Great cast of British character actors and features 7 classic Beatles
Tracks, including:

• 'Help!'
• 'You're Going To Lose That Girl'
• 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'
• 'Ticket To Ride'
• 'I Need You'
• 'The Night Before'
• 'Another Girl'

The DVD will be a 2-disc set. Disc 1 will feature the original film
Digitally restored with a newly created 5.1 soundtrack, while Disc 2
Contains an hour of extra features, including:

•The Beatles in Help! – 30 minute documentary about the making of the
Film with Richard Lester, the cast and crew. Includes exclusive
Behind the scenes footage of The Beatles on set.
•A Missing Scene – Featuring Wendy Richard
•The Restoration of Help! – An in depth look at the restoration
Process.
•Memories of Help! – The cast and crew reminisce
•Theatrical Trailers – 2 US trailers and 1 Spanish trailer.
•1965 US Radio Spots - Hidden in disc menus.
There will be 2 editions of the DVD - a standard digipack and a
Deluxe boxed set that will contain a reproduction of Richard Lester's
Original annotated script, 8 lobby cards and a poster, plus a 60-page
Book with rarely seen photographs and production notes from the
Movie. Both the deluxe book and the standard booklet feature an
Introduction by Richard Lester and an appreciation by Martin Scorsese.






Yahoo! Groups Links

Apple Corps. Announces The Beatles' Help! on DVD this October 30

Apple Corps Ltd have announced the eagerly anticipated DVD release of
The Beatles' second feature film 'Help!' on October 30th (October
29th ROW) which will be marketed and distributed by EMI Music.

Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed the band's debut
feature film 'A Hard Days Night', 'Help!' made its theatrical debut
in 1965. The story follows The Beatles as they become passive
recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo's possession
of a sacrificial ring, which he cannot remove from his finger. As a
result, he and his bandmates John, Paul and George are chased from
London to the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas by religious cult
members, a mad scientist and the London police.

In addition to starring the Beatles, 'Help!' has a witty script, a
great cast of British character actors and features 7 classic Beatles
tracks, including:

• 'Help!'
• 'You're Going To Lose That Girl'
• 'You've Got To Hide Your Love Away'
• 'Ticket To Ride'
• 'I Need You'
• 'The Night Before'
• 'Another Girl'

The DVD will be a 2-disc set. Disc 1 will feature the original film
digitally restored with a newly created 5.1 soundtrack, while Disc 2
contains an hour of extra features, including:

•The Beatles in Help! – 30 minute documentary about the making of the
film with Richard Lester, the cast and crew.  Includes exclusive
behind the scenes footage of The Beatles on set.
•A Missing Scene – Featuring Wendy Richard
•The Restoration of Help! – An in depth look at the restoration
process.
•Memories of Help! – The cast and crew reminisce
•Theatrical Trailers – 2 US trailers and 1 Spanish trailer.
•1965 US Radio Spots - Hidden in disc menus.
There will be 2 editions of the DVD - a standard digipack and a
deluxe boxed set that will contain a reproduction of Richard Lester's
original annotated script, 8 lobby cards and a poster, plus a 60-page
book with rarely seen photographs and production notes from the
movie. Both the deluxe book and the standard booklet feature an
introduction by Richard Lester and an appreciation by Martin Scorsese.

Greetings everyone!

I was so sorry not to be able to attend yesterday's book signing for
the Beatles Fab Faqs book.  Sad!  The pictures look great and appears
that everyone had a good time . . .

See you soon with more events at The Beatles in India gatherings!  To
find out more, contact Wonderwall for the schedule of upcoming events.

All the best - Annie Wegener, The Beatles in India