Sir Paul McCartney went down with a virus while on tour of Japan for the Asian leg of his Out There World Tour.It was on May 17th and 18th that the former Beatle contracted a virus that prompted him to postpone and later cancel his Japan and Korea shows.
A written statement on his facebook page were as follows:
Tokyo National Stadium shows to be postponed 18th & 19th May
Doctors have ordered Paul complete rest and he has been doing all he can to get better. Paul has only ever had to reschedule a handful of shows in his entire career and is so ups...et about this situation, he hates to let people down. This morning he told his staff he was going to try and perform tonight against doctors orders, but his team, along with the doctors, wouldn't allow it. He has been very moved by the fan's reactions and messages of love and support he has received in Japan.
Paul has instructed his team to look at rescheduling options.
Message from Paul:
"Thank you so much for your kind messages of support. I’m so very touched. Unfortunately my condition has not improved overnight. I was really hoping that I'd be feeling better today. I'm so disappointed and sorry to be letting my fans down.
Love, Paul"
A letter(inset),written in Japanese was put out last May 18.Though there were rumors that his condition has worsen,it was confirmed later that he is currently admitted in a hospital in Japan with his publicist Perri Cohen assuring his fans that the former Beatle is expected to make a full recovery and is currently resting as his doctors have advised him to do so.
A statement from his website also read:
Since contracting a virus last week that led to the postponement of tour dates, Paul received successful medical treatment at a hospital in Tokyo. He will make a complete recovery and has been ordered to take a few days rest. Paul has been extremely moved by all the messages and well wishes he has received from fans all over the world.
The said illness also prompted Paul to cancel his show in Seoul,South Korea.This would've been his first Korean concert ifsoever.
Japan has been close to Paul's heart though it wasn't the first time that the former Beatle had experienced unforeseen events there.In 1966 during which the Beatles played at the Budokan,they were greeted with a protest coz the venue the band would be playing was considered as "sacred" by many.Budokan used to be a venue for judo and karate tournaments only before the Beatles performed there.Several other artists followed the band's footsteps and also performed at the said venue.
In 1980,Paul was detained in a Tokyo jail for bringing marijuana into Japan.The said arrest prompted him to cancel the Wings shows and was deported afterwards.Though he did a very successful concert tour of that country since 1990.
Poster from Paul's Out There Japan tour Nov 2013(from his site)
Paul finally confirmed the concert of the year in which he will do a farewell performance to Candlestick Park-the site in which the Beatles held their final concert on August 29,1966.
Candlestick Park has been the home of the 49ers until the end of the 2013 season and is set to be demolished after the team will move to Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara,California.
The concert set on August 14 has finally put an end to rumors and speculations whether the Farewell to Candlestick concert will materialize or not.Several news about Paul planning a farewell concert to Candlestick Park came around months before the said confirmation,with McCartney even talking to San Francisco mayor Ed Lee about doing one historical event in rock music.
Forty eight years ago,Candlestick Park became the site where the Beatles held their final concert before retreating to the studio and retiring from touring.Six years ago,McCartney paid homage to Shea Stadium in New York where the Beatles were also famous for playing before the stadium was finally closed down and demolished.Now its Candlestick Park's turn where McCartney and the rest of the Beatles fans felt some what sentimental on what would be our final glimpse of the venue that once hosted the last Beatles concert.
Last February 9th,a tv special was aired in honor of the Beatles' 50th anniversary of coming to the United States.It was aired in the same time the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show half a century ago as rock music took a turn in front of our very own eyes and was changed forever the way it was presented.
Though many were delighted seeing Paul and Ringo together again, a few of the performances have raised eyebrows on many who saw how each artists interpret the fab four's songs according to their own style.And one would say that some "tributes" made there were more sacrilegious instead of being respectful of Paul and Ringo's presence.Perhaps most of us would realize that none has ever done near as good as what the Beatles did back in the sixties.Let's face it,most of the interpretations there suck and one could point out on what some artists were doing there,the ones that should be there and the ones that shouldn't.
Maroon 5 sticking to the original version as much as possible was quickly noticed and we can say that Adam Levine and his buddies must be worried or scared of what Paul might think of their own rendition of "Ticket To Ride" and "All My Loving".No stranger to controversy,Levine was obviously overwhelmed by the fab twos presence.
Stevie Wonder,on the other hand,performed a 'funky' version of "We Can Work It Out" in which didn't fare well to some Beatles fans(including my facebook friends).But perhaps unknown to everyone,Stevie made a cover version of the song on his 1970 album Signed,Sealed and Delivered.Issued as a single,it even reached number 13 on the charts in 1971 and his latter day works probably made his rendition forgettable that most people especially non-fans must've heard his version for the first time.
Dhani Harrison was among the beatle kids who were in the party apart from Sean Lennon who chose not to perform.Together with Jeff Lynne,who also performed at 2002's Concert For George,plus another friend,former Eagles guitarists Joe Walsh drew the crowd's adoration with their own rendition of "Something".Though Walsh's hand was noticeably shaky when it comes to Harrison's trademark riffing,perhaps old age could be the reason,but nobody does it better than Marc Mann's own tribute,with his cool riffs and solo twelve years earlier at Concert For George.
New kid on the block Ed Sheeran performed an acoustic version of In My Life which turned out that the original version from the album Rubber Soul has always been the best version there is.
The show's diversity was so intense that the 50th special was filled with some people who shouldn't even be there,like what the hell are Katy Perry,John Legend and Alicia Keys doing in there?!!! Katy Perry's own rendition of "Yesterday" was noticeably the worst cover tribute ever done in the show.And some other rap artists like Pharrell Williams are a starking contrasts to the bands and guitarists who were there to pay their huge respects.Well at least the good thing is that some people outside the rock music genre were present and at least got a little more respectable,I'm sorry but I was never a fan of rap and would never consider one as real music.For a person who does some "fast talkin" over a background of vinyl scratches and other people's music--it would be disrespectful and I would find it hard to digest if they will ever be called as musicians.
While we were on the "worst" and "dry" moments of the show,John Legend and Alicia Keys' own rendition of Let It Be can be ranked alongside with that of Katy Perry's-such worst renditions and performances would make you think if these artists really went there to pay respect to the Beatles or just to boost their own.As embarassing as it may sound,those "artists" shouldn't have been there.One would notice John Legend was obviously overwhelmed when Sir Paul took the stage and tore the place apart.Legend probably shook his head realizing that he is not worthy to be there.
Other tributes made were considered to be moderately,if not culturally diverge was that of Eurhythmics,whose own rendition of "The Fool On The Hill" made a one time reunion for Dave Stewart and Annie Lennox.Lennox,while we're on the subject fits just right into the song-not to mention how she preferred her style of singing to shock and scare some people by pretending to be out of her mind. I gotta admit her solo works and videos scared the shit out of me.
Dave Grohl and Jeff Lynne's "Hey Bulldog" was a full blast of adrenaline,it really made the others sheepish and humble.Grohl,who was a former drummer for Nirvana recently collaborated with McCartney on the grammy award winner "Cut Me Some Slack".
Other artists on the "not bad" category were John Mayer and Keith Urban with their own rendition of "Dont Let Me Down" with the original version and video clip preceding their tribute.Folk rock group Imagine Dragons pulled a surprising acoustic version of Revolution.Though the track is a certified "electric guitar" song famous for its use of distortion,its nice to hear an acoustic version which was never issued or perhaps even thought by the fab four themselves.
So the time came when Paul and Ringo finally took the stage and proved that they were of no retirement material.The guys who paid tribute was obviously in awe and debased by the genius and timeless appeal of the Beatles.The fab two certainly made it clear that they're not gonna stop as with their peers in the Rolling Stones and other contemporaries who continue to mesmerize crowds fifty years after all these madness has started.
Everybody would agree with Ringo as the show's crowd charmer when he sang "Yellow Submarine" to the delight of the audience.And with Paul doing some serious rocker and finally "Hey Jude" which turned out to be the perfect closing song.
Though the show's overall aura was somewhat mixed,with some less talented artists joining in and turning out to be just an eye sore,its nice to know that Paul and Ringo was always there to save the day.
Fifty years ago,a group of young girls was holding a banner with the words Beatles Forever and yet nobody had imagined(at least at that time) that we'll still be singing their songs half a century later and that the band would still be a top seller.The Beatles had indeed changed everything from the way we listen to our attitude towards life.
The Beatles at the Ed Sullivan show(photo:Harry Benson)
Last January 26th saw the announcement of a tv special The Night That Changed America:A Grammy Salute To The Beatles made by Julia Roberts at the 56th Grammys as it highlights how the band changed and shaped American music.
Fifty years later,the Beatles were still at the top of their game,with Paul McCartney winning five grammys at the recent event and not bad for a 71 year old whose timeless appeal and charisma appealed to all generations of fans.
One couldn't imagine the moment Ed Sullivan called out the fab four on that night of February 9th 1964 and how much impact it would make half a century later.When the Beatles emerged with a song called "I Saw Her Standing There" the screaming audiences showing their adoration to the band defined a new generation--rock music has changed forever.
Well at least the screaming decibels at the studio is somehow controlled compared to their gig in Washington DC several days later.The Beatles,as we all know it,remains the world's bestseller when it comes to rock and popular music and their songs became staples of everyone who wanted to have a good vibe even in times of trouble.The band amazingly continues to mesmerize young generations of fans even those who weren't even born yet when Beatlemania is at its peak.The Beatles also inspired younger kids to pick up the guitar and form their very own bands.
Ed Sullivan grips Paul's trademark Hofner bass,1964
Everyone knows by far that such event will NEVER happen again,with a record number of 73 million tv viewers kept juvenile crimes off the streets of America.By the time the Beatles rode that train en route to their concert in Washington DC,the band could hardly hear themselves as their equipment were drowned by screams,mostly by pubescent girls,who couldn't get enough seeing their beloved rock band onstage.
A DVD of the Washington concert in its entirety should've been released last 2007 but was held back due to copyright claims made by both EMI and Apple Corps.Nobody knew then when will those footages will finally see the light of the day.The Miami gig,on the other hand,saw Ed Sullivan calling the lads again onstage after a three song set and gladly told them the admiration made by Richard Rodgers who openly admitted becoming a fan of both Lennon and McCartney and was in awe of their one of a kind songwriting.Rodgers,who was responsible for about 900 songs from 43 Broadway Musicals became famous for his compositions in partnerships with Lorenz Hart and Oscar Hammerstein for such timeless classics such as The King And I and The Sound Of Music.
How much impact did the Beatles had on us? The band ruled the charts for a decade during their recording hey day and even after the band had broken up.Twenty five years after their dissolution the band continued to rule the charts in the 1990s with all the Anthology albums reaching the number one spot in the Billboard albums chart with younger competitions ranging from Pearl Jam to Mariah Carey,the band had proven that the material they had written were way beyond the sixties.Not to mention all their albums performed and sold well in the charts in both the US,the UK and the world over and continues to appeal to music lovers decades after they were first issued.
Talk about how bands dressed themselves and later grew their hair, couldn't be thankful enough for the Beatles for starting such trend.A standard that most rock bands had settled as the decades went along--the hippiedom of the sixties,progressive rock/heavy metal of the seventies,hair metal of the eighties,alternative/grunge of the nineties and so on...Marilyn Manson once said that nineties rock music were ideas pasted on ideas pointing on how it all started in the sixties with the Beatles and other rock groups that soon followed.
Perhaps the most beautiful tribute came from Linda McCartney who being Paul's wife and being the other half that formed the core of Wings said in the late seventies during the advent of punk rock, "I think the main reason the sixties kept on coming back is that there's nothing better in the interim".Probably pointing out to how bands kept on reinventing themselves but still sounding and giving reference to the rock music that started around the sixties when the genre first evolved and a variety of styles flourished along with it.
The Beatles remains a good role model for budding rock groups fifty years later,and their songs continue to inspire people that theres always a bright day ahead.John and George may have been gone while Paul and Ringo were both in the dawn of their lives yet the songs they have written continues to be with us,keeping and binding us together.
Fifty years have passed and the songs just keeps revising itself,giving a new life within.With all those footages,that night at the Ed Sullivan Show we can always look back,seeing a cheery and young Paul McCartney singing us the line "All my lovin' I will send to you..."
Paul and Ringo rocks the 56th Grammy Awards(photo:McCartney site)
Last January 26th everyone was treated with a spectacle when Paul and Ringo performed together for the 2014 Grammy Awards fulfilling what would've been a partial Beatles reunion.The award-giving body celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Beatlemania in the United States.The fab two was presented by Julia Roberts who also announced the Grammy tv special set to be aired on February 9 paying tribute to the Beatles' arrival in America.The tv special will be aired on the same night and time the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show 50 years ago on February 9th,1964.The tv special is titled "The Night That Changed America:A Grammy Salute To The Beatles"
Prior to the fab twos performance,Ringo sang "Photograph" after being introduced by his peers Ozzy Osbourne,Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler collectively known as Black Sabbath.The ceremony took place at Staples Center in Los Angeles and Paul and Ringo got together with "Queenie Eye",a song from Paul's recent album New.Paul was also honored an award recognizing the Beatles' contribution to popular music.The Beatles were also honored with Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award which was accepted by Ringo Starr.
PAUL WINS 5 GRAMMYS
With nothing more to prove considering his tremendous work with the Beatles,Wings and solo projects.McCartney still managed to win five grammys both for his past and recent works.Being awarded by the Guinness Book Of Records as the most successful songwriter of all time,Paul won the Best Rock Song category for "Cut Me Some Slack" which he performed and co-wrote with Dave Grohl,Krist Novoselic and Pat Smear.The song had beaten songs from Paul's contemporaries and peers from the Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath who was also nominated with him.The song also gained recognition to the surviving members of Nirvana whom Paul had recently collaborated.
Paul also won for Best Box or Special Limited Edition Package for Wings Over America which was re-issued last year and best surround album and Best music film for Live Kisses.
McCartney with the surviving members of Nirvana 56th Grammys
We are fast approaching the 50th anniversary of one of the biggest events of the 20th century: The Beatles conquering America with their awesome prowess and charisma,hereby changing the course of rock music forever.
The Beatles,as we may say it,is the most successful group not only in rock music but in the entire history of recorded sound.It was February 7,1964,four young lads from Liverpool got down at the JFK Airport with a number one single called "I Want To Hold Your Hand".The Beatles captivated the hearts of Americans and had set the trend for long haired rock groups and opened the door for other British bands,thus starting a full scale British Invasion of the United States.
Bands like the Doors,the Young Rascals and the Beach Boys were among the homegrown rock groups that answered back to the ongoing invasion trend but it only proves that these bands from England were such overwhelming with the Beatles along with their manager Brian Epstein knowing with the materials they have written that they are gonna be bigger than Elvis Presley.
The Beatles first visit to the US has caused a pandemonium that is still unmatched up to this day.With the whole scene filmed exclusively by the Maysles Brothers, the band had the whole nation spellbound and kept juvenile crime off the streets for a while.
Hundreds of fans took vigil at the Plaza Hotel where the band had been staying.With two young girls even caught in the room where Paul McCartney has been staying.
Theres been a misconception that the Beatles topping the US charts with I Want To Hold Your Hand that the band were introduced into the world for the first time.Well the fact is,that the Beatles were already famous even before they set foot on American soil.Not to mention their success in the UK and other parts of the world.So it would be safer and better to say that the US was the last frontier for the fab four.
THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW
The Beatles' first US visit was highlighted by three appearances at the Ed Sullivan Show:the first one in New York City,the second in Miami and the last one back again in NY.The show grossed millions of viewers across the country.America has never been the same.
The Beatles at the Ed Sullivan Show
The Ed Sullivan Show ran from 1948 to 1971
The Ed Sullivan Show ran for over 23 years from its first airing in 1948 to its final airing in 1971.The show was noted for the launch to stardom of several celebrities including Frank Sinatra in the late forties and Elvis in the mid 1950s.It also saw the rise of rock groups from the sixties and early seventies with the Beatles opening the door to a full scale British Invasion and thus inspiring local acts at the same time with the advent of the hippie counter-culture.
Though Sullivan has been in good terms with the fab four all throughout,his show was marred with controversy on the way he has dealt with other bands that soon followed the Beatles' footsteps.It was known that Sullivan was strict and spiteful when it comes to what was coming out of his show.Various stories about Sullivan's relationship with other rock bands surfaced,among them were the time when he censored the Rolling Stones' 1967 song "Let's Spend The Night Together",hereby changing the chorus lyrics to "let's spend some time together".Though the Stones kowtowed to Sullivan's wishes,Mick Jagger can be seen rolling his eyes as he sang that part of the song that was expurgated.Though the Rolling Stones made more appearances on the show before and after the said incident,perhaps the most notorious of them all were that of the Doors where the song Light My Fire was also censored when its lyric "Girl we couldnt get much higher" was asked by Sullivan to be changed instead to "girl we couldnt get much better" when sung live.Perhaps the former line was interpreted to be of a drug reference and being a wholesome show,Sullivan was probably worried of what that will do to his image.Though Jim Morrison said "yes" to Sullivan's wishes,he still sang that part that was forbidden for him,the result was a very angry Ed Sullivan banishing the Doors from his show for all eternity.
Sullivan later had that reputation of being autocratic and many other bands saw witness to that.
And the Beatles did changed everything and told everyone to cut some slack,grow our hair and think of the good times.
One could see the significance of the Beatles changing the way rock music is presented and the way people will listen.
The Beatles' Capitol LPs issued on box set
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' first US visit,the Capitol albums were yet again reissued on box set.Capitol Records was noted to have altered the original first seven albums and made more albums out of it for the American market.The said albums were issued before on box set with volumes 1 and 2.Though it is well know that the said albums never got the favor of the fab four themselves.Some Beatles experts say that the Beatles were robbed of their creativity when their US distributor literally butchered their first seven albums.The albums the fab four themselves molded according to their artistic visions.
The Beatles conquering America came full circle and the band is at the top of the world.And yes the US is the final frontier of the Beatles' career,as John Lennon have said "We were on the toppermost of the poppermost".
THE SONGS JOHN LENNON AND PAUL McCARTNEY WROTE FOR OTHER ARTISTS
Peter And Gordon(photo:Rex pictures)
Though John Lennon and Paul McCartney have written a large bulk of material for the Beatles in the 1960s,they were never too busy to write songs for other bands and artists.Many have considered these tracks as "throwaways" but nevertheless,the songs they have written became staple hits and these friends/contemporaries became famous because of it.
1.PETER AND GORDON
Peter Asher is the brother of McCartney's then-girlfriend Jane Asher and Beatles fans could hardly imagine that Peter nearly became Paul's brother-in-law.The songs Paul wrote for the duo were credited as Lennon-McCartney as a part of the contract they had signed with Northern Songs.In 1964,at the height of Beatlemania,McCartney was living with the Ashers and was sharing a room with Peter,and with it began a long term friendship that Paul would soon give Peter And Gordon four songs which he eventually wrote.
"A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE"
This Lennon-McCartney track became a huge hit for Peter And Gordon where it went to number one on both sides of the Atlantic.
"NOBODY I KNOW"
Peter And Gordon's second single for 1964 is also a Lennon-McCartney composition,it made the US top 20 and would be a top 10 hit in the UK.
"I DONT WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN"
The duo's third A side single was released on September 21,1964 and again,a Lennon-McCartney composition.It made the top 20 in the US yet failed to chart in the UK.
"WOMAN"
In 1966,Paul McCartney was challenged by the music press that anything he put his name on would become a hit.Paul then responded by writing a song under the pseudonym Bernard Webb and once again giving it to Peter and Gordon.The result: the song made it to the US top 20.
2.BILLY J KRAMER One of the few people from Brian Epstein's 'boys' and 'girls' eventually became more friendly with both Lennon and McCartney,though Im not really saying that their not friends with them all but lets just say that they got even closer to the extent of musical collaboration.Billy J Kramer is one of the few hometown neighbors that had a huge hit with a Lennon-McCartney tune.
Billy J Kramer(photo:unknown)
Backed up by a Manchester-based group The Dakotas,Billy J Kramer actually started covering several Beatles tunes like "Do You Want To Know A Secret" and "I Call Your Name" before he was given a hit of his own.
Billy J Kramer and The Dakotas had a mega success in 1963 and 1964 with a couple of Lennon-McCartney tunes in their song catalogue.Sadly,his career waned in the mid-1960s after several record flops.
"BAD TO ME"
This is Billy J Kramer's biggest hit,written solely by John Lennon though credited to Lennon-McCartney as their contract would've stated.This song would go to the top of the UK charts and a top 10 hit in the US.Its B-side "I Call Your Name" is also a Lennon-McCartney composition with whom the Beatles had also recorded.Story goes that Kramer didn't like the song that much so it was issued as a B-side instead backing "Bad To Me".
The Beatles' version of "I Call Your Name" was included on the Long Tall Sally EP and was issued as a separate single,it was later compiled in 1988 on their Past Masters album.
"I'LL BE ON MY WAY"
This is somewhat an unreleased Beatles tune given to Billy J Kramer along with his own cover version of "Do You Want To Know A Secret".The song actually pre-empted his biggest hit "Bad To Me" which was featured here before.The Beatles did a live version of this song that can actually be found on their Live At The BBC album which was released in 1994.
"I'LL KEEP YOU SATISFIED"
This song is actually one of the last Lennon-McCartney compositions that would feature Billy J Kramer in the top 10.With another Lennon-McCartney penned song "From A Window" reaching the US top 40,Kramer was convinced that he was hereby living in the Beatles' shadow and decided to make it on his own.Sadly,it was a bad career move for him.
3.THE ROLLING STONES
One of the greatest rock n' roll bands of all time had their first huge hit in 1963 with a Lennon-McCartney tune.
"I WANNA BE YOUR MAN"
This song was given to the Stones as a gift by Lennon and McCartney.The Stones had their top 20 hit in the UK with mostly cover versions on their first and second albums.Inspired by Lennon-McCartney,Jagger and Richards was later persuaded by their then-manager Andrew Oldham to write original material for the band and thus started the trend of the singer/songwriter craftsmanship for most bands in the sixties.
The Beatles' version of the song with Ringo Starr on vocals was later released three weeks later and was featured on their second album With The Beatles.
4.THE FOURMOST
The Fourmost,1963
The Fourmost were an English band also under the management of Brian Epstein.
The band had hits in the UK and a couple of minor hits in the US with several Lennon-McCartney tunes.
"HELLO LITTLE GIRL"
This song was written again by John Lennon though credited to Lennon-McCartney.It was actually written way back during the Quarry Men days and was said to be used during the Beatles' Decca audition wherein they were famously put down.The Beatles' version featuring Stuart Sutcliffe on bass was recorded in 1961 and was released later on Anthology 1 in 1995.
"I'M IN LOVE"
This is another Lennon-McCartney composition that was given to the Fourmost and would later make it to the UK top 20.
5.CILLA BLACK
Priscilla White is a former cloakroom attendant at the Cavern Club in Liverpool where the Beatles were famous for being a resident band.White was reputedly discovered by Brian Epstein and renamed her Cilla Black. She is one of among the Beatles' lady friends at Epstein's inner circle.
Cilla Black with Paul McCartney
"LOVE OF THE LOVED"
This Lennon-McCartney composition was given to Cilla Black and was considered to be her debut single.Though the Beatles had also recorded this on their infamous 1962 Decca audition they never issued it officially to themselves.A couple of bootlegs of the Beatles demo version were circulating that was taken from the original tapes of the said audition.Issued as Black's debut single,it barely made the UK top 40.
"ITS FOR YOU"
Another Lennon-McCartney composition that was given to Cilla Black that would put her in the UK top 10 in 1964.
"STEP INSIDE LOVE"
This Lennon-McCartney composition was actually written solely by Paul to be given to Cilla Black for her TV special titled Cilla in 1968.It would also be the show's theme song.The track was first cut by Paul McCartney with the Beatles during the White Album sessions though the band had actually never issued it for themselves.
The Beatles' demo version,however,later appeared on the Anthology 3 album released in 1997.
5.THE STRANGERS WITH MIKE SHANNON
One could hardly knew about the Strangers except that they were a South African rock band.Their song "One And One Is Two" which was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney was originally given to Billy J Kramer wherein it was rejected as he moves away from the Beatles' wing and had been set to have a career of his own without any songs written by the two Beatles.As bad as Kramer's next career move,the song would become one of the most forgettable tunes from the sixties as it failed to chart in both the US and the UK.
Listen to "One And One Is Two", a rare Lennon-McCartney track recorded by The Strangers with Mike Shannon:
6.THE APPLEJACKS
The Applejacks were a six piece 1960s pop/rock group and one of the earliest rock n'roll bands ever to feature a female musician.The band was way ahead of their time by featuring Megan Davies,the band's only female member and bass player--a thing that is unusual at the time.
The Applejacks(photo:Decca Records)
"LIKE DREAMERS DO"
This song written by Paul McCartney dates back during their days as the Quarry Men in the late fifties.Again,credited to Lennon-McCartney,the song would be the Applejacks' second single and would put the band in the UK top 20.
The Beatles' demo version features original drummer Pete Best and later came out on the Anthology 1 album in 1995.
7.PJ PROBY
Aside from the Beatles,PJ Proby also worked with then-session musician Jimmy Page who later became one of the greatest guitar players the world has ever seen.Working with the Beatles,he was given a song which would earn him a UK top 40 hit.
"THAT MEANS A LOT"
This Lennon-McCartney tune would be a hit for PJ Proby.Released in 1965,the Beatles had actually cut the song during the recording sessions for Help! but decided against it and was given instead to PJ Proby.The Beatles' recorded version later appeared on the Anthology 2 album released in 1996.
8.MARY HOPKIN
Mary Hopkin is a Welsh singer/musician and best known to be a protege of Paul McCartney.He discovered her through a mutual friend,sixties model Twiggy.She is one of the first artists ever to record on Apple,the Beatles' very own record label.
Mary Hopkin(second left) with the Beatles and Yoko Ono
(photo:Linda McCartney/Apple Records)
Mary Hopkin
McCartney would go on to produce Hopkin's biggest hit "Those Were The Days" that would top the UK charts in 1969.Her 1969 album Postcard was also produced by Paul McCartney.
By the time the Beatles had disbanded regarding business problems and Apple,Hopkin's career went into hiatus and never achieved the same success like when she had Paul as a producer/mentor.She was once married to producer Tony Visconti,who later married May Pang-Yoko Ono's former secretary and former girlfriend of John Lennon.
"GOODBYE"
This Lennon-McCartney tune would also be a hit for Mary Hopkin as a follow up to her mega success with "Those Were The Days".
Like most of Lennon and McCartney's throwaway tracks, "Goodbye" was never issued by the Beatles themselves though a demo version had floated around on some of the bootleggers. The song was actually recorded during the sessions for the White Album,hence,the trademark brass arrangement and choral part similar to songs from the album can be heard on the track.
9.BADFINGER Like Mary Hopkin,Badfinger would be one of the few bands/artists that first got a record deal with the Beatles' own label Apple.
With a string of classic rock staples,Badfinger would be a rock group that was marred with bad management,tragedy and suicide among its members.
Badfinger(photo:the Express UK)
"COME AND GET IT"
This Paul McCartney-penned hit would catapult the band into stardom. Badfinger was among the first rock bands ever to sign a contract with Apple Records along with James Taylor,Mary Hopkin and Billy Preston.McCartney would go on and produce two more songs from the band namely: "Rock Of All Ages" and "Carry On Till Tomorrow".
