IS ERIC CLAPTON THE SIXTH BEATLE?

The term "fifth Beatle" is an informal title given to an associate or perhaps more often written by a rock journalist to describe a person closely related to the fab four.George Martin who was the producer of many of the Beatles albums was often given that title,so as Brian Epstein-the fabs manager.

Now we all know that the term  fifth Beatle do exist and some people not even directly related to the Beatles proclaim themselves as the fifth Beatle--like New York DJ Murray The K for instance.But is it possible for a sixth Beatle to exist? Well I did refer to the word "sixth" coz the term fifth Beatle has already been occupied by both George Martin and Brian Epstein respectively.George Martin on the other hand,was the band's producer and arranger and was responsible for the sound of different Beatles albums so I guess he deserves credit and Brian was the band's manager as well.

If the term sixth Beatle will ever be in existence I think the title deserves to be crowned to none other than ERIC CLAPTON--one of rock's guitar gods.

Eric Clapton has been closely related to the Beatles since the fabs and his first band the Yardbirds met at a local gig in England.Well,for you fact finders out there,Eric Clapton played on several Beatles records in the studio as a session musician particularly in the making of the Beatles 1968 self-titled album The Beatles which was widely dubbed by many as The White Album.Clapton played a beautiful guitar solo on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", a song written by George Harrison.As a return favor,George Harrison played on the recording of Cream's last album Goodbye wearing the pseudonym L'Angelo Mysterioso.

Eric Clapton and George Harrison became the best of friends until the early seventies and everything went sour when Eric snatched George's wife,model Pattie Boyd.The two eventually made up and George even attended Pattie and Eric's wedding after their split in 1974.

Eric Clapton also played alongside John Lennon,Keith Richards and Mitch Mitchell on a supergroup called The Dirty Mac,on the Rolling Stones Rock N' Roll Circus.He also played guitar on Lennon's post-Beatle outfit Plastic Ono Band and on several of John's solo albums.

I've been thinking quite a lot,did Eric closely associated with the Beatles because he has plans of taking George Harrison's wife away or did it just happened in coincidence? A 2005 statement made by Eric himself said that he felt so sorry for breaking George and Pattie's marriage and that he even became an alcoholic out of guilt of what happened.George just shrugged his shoulders and eventually married an American called Olivia Arias.

George Harrison was an awesome guitar player and a guitar god himself-the story circulated at the time that George invited his good friend Eric Clapton on the White Album sessions to lay down some beautiful guitar licks on his song on the purpose of keeping "the peace" between the Beatles.Back in 1968,the band was in total mess a year after the death of their manager Brian Epstein and most of them claim that without Brian they seemed to have lost direction, like a child without a father to guide him.The Beatles eventually broke up two years later in 1970.

Eric Clapton on the other hand,started off with the legendary Yardbirds and went on with his own rock group Cream with bassist Jack Bruce and drummer Ginger Baker.Cream invented the power trio format and has laid down the pattern for other heavy metal acts to come.Now every musician and every kid on earth who started to learn how to play guitar wanted to be Eric Clapton.A graffiti on a London wall during Cream's heyday spelled "CLAPTON IS GOD".

Rock music will never be the same without the great Eric Clapton.

Clapton for me is--the sixth Beatle,Im sure other Beatles fans feel the same way about him.


(c) Keith Vernon Adagio

ALL THINGS MUST PASS 40TH ANNIVERSARY

Its been forty years since George Harrison released his what would be his magnum opus-the triple disc set All Things Must Pass.George actually released two solo albums while still with the Beatles in the late sixties namely Wonderwall and Electronic Sound.Like John Lennon,he started making solo albums at the height of the Beatles' wailing relationship as band members.

They said that the breakup of the Beatles was triggered by so many problems the band members couldn't handle any longer.One mainly,was George Harrison's rise as a fine songwriter which caused a friction between him and the Lennon-McCartney partnership.Lennon and McCartney were the prime songwriters though all of them has written their own songs,what would happen is that John and Paul would write the songs and would include one or two songs written by George and one song would be sung by Ringo.George Harrison's songs were enigmatic and his guitar solos were so immaculate that a friction with Lennon and McCartney would be inevitable.The strongest Beatles album for George however was Revolver where three songs written by him were included and Abbey Road where two of his biggest hits became number one on both sides of the Atlantic.

Harrison was frustrated on the way his songs were treated by the other Beatles that he compiled them and waited for his freedom after the band's breakup and voila!--a triple disc album was formed.All Things Must Pass went straight to number one on the Billboard 200 charts on January 1971 and stayed there for at least three weeks.

It would have been a Beatles song,actually,a full band Beatles version was released in 1997 as part of Anthology 3.It would have been a perfect inclusion or perhaps an album after Let It Be--but sadly,the band broke up.

John Lennon,30 Years After...

December 8,1980 is the most gruesome and shocking event that ever happened in the history of rock music.John Lennon was shot dead in front of his Dakota Apartment in New York City.Fast forward 2010,30 years later,the Beatles were still up there on the rock mountain of fame and John Lennon was given a special birthday tribute on youtube on what supposed to be his 70th birthday.

Im more of a Paul fan when it comes to the Beatles,but Im very fascinated with the kind of charisma John has.Though we all know that John himself founded the greatest rock band in the world,the shocking news about his death sent shivers to every rock star known on earth.Peace advocator/protester,he spent the mid seventies in a lazy haze,sick of being famous and he busied himself raising his son Sean while his wife Yoko did the music publishing business.Unlike his former songwriting partner Paul McCartney, who was recording and touring with his band Wings during that time,John didn’t even care about fame and just spent his time in New York,a quiet private life.When he decided to re-enter the music business again,it was granted with a quite successful album called Double Fantasy,John’s happy thoughts about the album’s success was cut short by a man called Mark David Chapman.The music industry has never been the same.

Five years ago,I got a copy of LIFE’s tribute book about the 25th Anniversary of John Lennon’s murder,my dad gave it to me as a birthday gift.I still have the book,it was full of photos,mostly of unseen ones of John during his lifetime with several short stories told by friends and people who had worked with him.Everytime I opened that book,I was in total awe about the kind of life he had.

At the same time,I had a copy of Guitar Legends’ special edition tribute to Lennon where the most shocking story was published.It was about Dr Frank Veteran’s account on how he tried to save Lennon’s life during that dark day of December 8.It was really disturbing and Dr Veteran admitted later on that he had a depression after the incident-watching John Lennon bleed to death while trying to resuscitate him is the most unforgettable experience any doctor could have,I mean,they were used to those things but John Lennon? -whose music changed the course of rock n’ roll…..oh man.Dr Veteran confessed being a fan and any fan whether you’re a doctor or whatever you are,watching your idol die in your hands would really really send you shivers.That article sure scared the shit out of me,it was really disturbing especially If you’re a Beatles fan.
We only had two surviving Beatles left and a band reunion is obviously impossible.Unless Paul and Ringo would make a new album with a backing band and call themselves the Beatles,but it would be silly to do that.George Harrison’s passing in 2001 wasn’t a shock to the heart like Lennon’s but it was sad that another Beatle went up there with John in rock n’roll heaven.

John is a hero,a saint and will never be forgotten.I had rock music flowing in my veins by the time I was born and I will never get tired of paying tribute to these people who changed my life and influenced me a lot with the most beautiful music ever written.John Lennon and the Beatles’ legacy has appealed to every generation of fans.My daughter Heather has started listening to the Beatles as well,it was funny at age 2 she wanted Rubber Soul to be played over and over again while she played with her toys.Besides the Beatles,she also liked Collective Soul and Led Zeppelin and she always put their CDs on the stereo,it was funny.I guess she’ll be the next Lita Ford or Stevie Nicks–haha!
My favorite John Lennon albums? Umm..John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Imagine.

John,I hope you’re reading this…we had three generations of fans here in my family.Your music,whether be with the Beatles or on your own lives on forever…