Pre-order the updated George Harrison 'I Me Mine' now from Amazon

The updated and "extended" trade edition of the George Harrison book "I Me Mine," which will be published in February, can now be pre-ordered from Amazon.com in the U.S. and Amazon.co.uk in Great Britain.

From Publisher's Weekly: 

"A 400-page memoir from the Quiet Beatle? Can it be? Well, yes and no: only about 60 pages of this earnest tome, originally published in 1980, are devoted to Harrison's recollections of life before, during and (notably) after the Beatles. His memories, which manage to feel fresh and distant at the same time, come to readers via transcripts of his conversations with Derek Taylor (1932-1997), the Beatles press officer and ghostwriter of Brian Epstein's memoir. Harrison (1943-2001) was only in his late 30s when I Me Mine came out-the Beatles had formed, changed music forever and disbanded before his 28th birthday. The rest of this volume consists of photos with whimsical captions ("the author enjoying a cheese sandwich with some friends" is assigned to a picture of Harrison with a sitar) and facsimiles of his handwritten lyrics (including a fairly different version of "Taxman"), each accompanied by a brief explanation (ideas expressed in "It's All Too Much," for example, were inspired by LSD and "confirmed in meditation"). Most of the songs were composed after Harrison's immersion in Hinduism; divorced from their melodies, lyrics espousing love, peace and harmony tend to take on a certain sameness. This volume offers much to Beatles zealots, but for the casual fan, Harrison will likely remain as admirable and as inscrutable as ever. B&w photos and illustrations throughout."

Genesis is also putting out a more expensive numbered and stamped version available through their website.

What's this? Another "Ringo Starr Greatest Hits"?

A bootleg two-disc career-spanning "Ringo Starr Greatest Hits" appeared this week on a couple of Amazon sites such as Amazon.de and Amazon in Japan.  We've confirmed this is definitely a bootleg and not official. (Amazon.com had a link until early Thursday a.m., but it's been taken down.)  

Capitol/EMI released "Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo" that included a CD/DVD version way back in 2007. Ringo has discussed releasing a new compilation, but this was not it. 

Here's the track list taken from a scan of the album. It's still on Amazon in Japan or Amazon.de in Germany if you're interested, but it's no longer on Amazon.com.

Beatles vinyl and bonus magazine in the UK

Jackie Spencer of Beatlesguides.weebly.com took this picture. No other details, it's a combination of vinyl and a magazine and they're available in the UK.

Tickets for Lennon tribute with Donovan on sale today

Tickets for this year's Theatre Within tribute concert for John Lennon headlined by Donovan go on sale at 1 p.m. ET today (Sept. 23), Theatre Within told us in an email today. The concert, the only Lennon tribute show in North America or Europe sanctioned by Yoko Ono, will be held at 8 p.m. Dec. 2 at Symphony Space in New York. Tickets can be purchased online at www.lennontribute.org or by phone at 212-864-5400. You can find more details in our story about the concert on Billboard.com. 

First details leaked for Beatles 'Eight Days a Week' DVD

Order the U.S. regular DVD version, the deluxe DVD version, the Blu-ray regular or the Blu-ray deluxe versions. These are all playable in the U.S. And check out our "That's What I Want Beatles" store on Amazon for all this and lots more. For those in the UK, those links are below. From Amazon.de (Germany), order here. From Japan (Amazon.co.jp), order here. There hasn't been an official announcement, but Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk are showing release dates of November 18 in the U.S. and  November 21 in the UK for the "Eight Days a Week" DVD, but keep in mind that the dates shown on online sites are placed there by them and not by anyone from the record company, so they are not always accurate, especially early on.  Amazon.com is listing four versions, the regular DVD version, the deluxe DVD version, the Blu-ray regular and the Blu-ray deluxe versions. Earlier today, Amazon.co.uk was showing four regular DVD and Blu-ray editions -- a regular edition with one disc, a deluxe regular edition with two discs, a Blu-ray with one disc and a Blu-ray deluxe with two discs. (Be aware that the Amazon.co.uk links for Region 2 DVDs. Those discs will not play in the U.S. unless you have a multi-region player.)

The unofficial descriptions are below. Sadly, the bonus Shea footage does not appear in the description for any edition. An official announcement will be coming very soon.

Deluxe edition description: 

"IN 1962 FOUR YOUNG MEN JOHN LENNON, PAUL McCARTNEY, GEORGE HARRISON AND RINGO STARR CAME TOGETHER TO FORM THE 20TH CENTURY MUSICAL PHENOMENON KNOWN AS, “THE BEATLES.”

The band stormed Europe in 1963, and, in 1964, they conquered America. Their groundbreaking world tours changed global youth culture forever and, arguably, invented mass entertainment as we know it today. All the while, the group were composing and recording a series of extraordinarily successful singles and albums. However the relentless pressure of such unprecedented fame, that in 1966 became uncontrollable turmoil, led to the decision to stop touring. In the ensuing years The Beatles were then free to focus on a series of albums that changed the face of recorded music. 

Master storyteller and Oscar winner, Ron Howard, explores this incredible journey in his own unique way: How did The Beatles do this? How did they cope with all the fame and pressure? How did they not only survive, but go on to revolutionise popular music? With original interviews, footage, staggering live performances, and the intimate study of character that Ron Howard is known for, he puts us right inside this extraordinary adventure, answering the question everyone always wants to know: What was it like to be there?!!

 Featuring a wealth of specially created supplementary material totaling 100 minutes of extras, the deluxe home entertainment editions contain exclusively created featurettes for fans to delve even deeper into the band’s world.  Accompanying these are stunning, fully restored full length performances of some of the band’s most iconic tracks including “Twist and Shout” and “She Loves You” recorded at the ABC Theatre, Manchester in 1963 and “Can’t Buy Me Love” at the NME Awards, 1964, in London, bringing the experience of seeing The Beatles in concert fully to life for all fans. A full breakdown is included below.

2-disc Deluxe Collector’s Edition (DVD/BD) includes:

• 1 x BD/DVD feature disc
• + 1 Bonus Disc (containing approx. 100 minutes of extras, highlighted below)
• 64 page booklet with an introduction from director Ron Howard, essay by music journalist and author
• Jon Savage and rare photos from The Beatles’ private archive
• Words & Music (24 mins): John, Paul, George & Ringo reflect on songwriting and the influence of music from their parents’ generation, Lennon/McCartney writing for other artists, The Beatles as individual musicians, and the band as innovators.  Also featuring Howard Goodall, Peter Asher, Simon Schama and Elvis Costello.  The interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.
• Early Clues To A New Direction (18 mins): A special feature touching on The Beatles as a collective, the importance of humour, the impact of women on their early lives and songwriting, and the band as a musical movement. Featuring John, Paul, George & Ringo, along with Paul Greengrass, Stephen Stark, Peter Asher, Malcolm Gladwell, Sigourney Weaver, Whoopi Goldberg, Richard Curtis, Elvis Costello and Simon Schama.  Again the interviews with Paul and Ringo are unseen.
• Liverpool (11 mins): The early days in Liverpool of the late 1950’s and early 1960’s are brought vividly to life by those who worked closely with them at that time including fan club secretary Freda Kelly, Allan Williams an early manager, and Leslie Woodhead multi-award winning documentary film director.
• The Beatles in Concert (12 mins): Five great but rarely seen full length performances of The Beatles live in concert - Twist and Shout, She Loves You, Can’t Buy Me Love, You Can’t Do That and Help!

Additional features are:  

•  Three Beatles' Fans
• Ronnie Spector and The Beatles
• Shooting A Hard Day’s Night
• The Beatles in Australia
• Recollections of Shea Stadium
• The Beatles in Japan
• An alternative opening for the film

 and the regular edition description: 

"IN 1962 FOUR YOUNG MEN JOHN LENNON, PAUL McCARTNEY, GEORGE HARRISON AND RINGO STARR CAME TOGETHER TO FORM THE 20TH CENTURY MUSICAL PHENOMENON KNOWN AS, “THE BEATLES.”

The band stormed Europe in 1963, and, in 1964, they conquered America. Their groundbreaking world tours changed global youth culture forever and, arguably, invented mass entertainment as we know it today. All the while, the group were composing and recording a series of extraordinarily successful singles and albums. However the relentless pressure of such unprecedented fame, that in 1966 became uncontrollable turmoil, led to the decision to stop touring.

In the ensuing years The Beatles were then free to focus on a series of albums that changed the face of recorded music. Master storyteller and Oscar winner, Ron Howard, explores this incredible journey in his own unique way: How did The Beatles do this? How did they cope with all the fame and pressure? How did they not only survive, but go on to revolutionise popular music? With original interviews, footage, staggering live performances, and the intimate study of character that Ron Howard is known for, he puts us right inside this extraordinary adventure, answering the question everyone always wants to know: What was it like to be there?!!"

Everything you've ever wanted to hear by this British Invasion band

If you were a first generation Beatles fan in 1965, the Unit 4+2 and their hit song "Concrete & Clay" surely caught your attention. Now, RPM Records has released "Unit 4+2: Concrete & Clay: The Complete Recordings," a two-disc, 43-track set available from Amazon.co.uk that has everything the band released between 1964 and 1969, including their work from Decca Records, and later Fontana Records. "Concrete & Clay" peaked at #28 in 1965 on the Billboard charts. The group had one other chart hit, "You've Never Been In Love Like This Before," which hit #95 on the singles charts two months after "Concrete & Clay." (You can get both songs as digital downloads together from Amazon.com in the U.S. in one purchase at this link.)

The set, which has their 14 singles, an EP and two albums, is as musically diverse as the song "Concrete & Clay" suggests. These guys weren't a one-note group. Their music had a wide range, which you can gather just from some of the songs they covered -- "La Bamba," "500 Miles," "Butterfly" (by the Bee Gees), "You Ain't Goin' Nowhere" (who didn't cover or imitate Dylan?) and "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'." On stage, the group also performed songs by the Beach Boys, Doris Troy, the Everly Brothers and the Temptations. In their later years, they tackled psychedelic pop

The group included Russ Ballard pre-Argent. It was Ballard and another musician from whom the monicker "+2" on the group's name came from. The booklet has  new interviews, vintage pics and graphics and a detailed history. In short, "Unit 4+2: Concrete & Clay: The Complete Recordings" is a great look back at the complete legacy of a group that most Americans knew for only the one song that stuck in a lot of people's heads (it did ours) then and now.  

U.S. early risers, take note: Two Beatles, Ron Howard to do live Facebook chat Wednesday a.m.

Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr along with Ron Howard, the director of "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week: The Touring Years" that opens this week, will answer fan questions live on the band's Facebook page Wednesday. The chat will take place at 12:40 p.m. GMT, which translates to 8:40 a.m. ET and 5:40 a.m. PT.

The film, which opens in the UK and U.S. theaters later this week, will be available to U.S. subscribers of the Hulu streaming service starting Sept. 17. “Live at theHollywood Bowl,” a CD with recordings from the group's concerts there in 1964 and 1965, was released by Universal Music Group on Sept. 9. An SHM-CD version is available only in Japan.

Things We Said Today #199 -- Beatles Live at the Hollywood Bowl reviewed

Now online at YouTube.

Mark Lewisohn's only North American appearance in 2016

Mark Lewisohn interviewed by Steve Marinucci in San Francisco in 2013. (Photo by Sue Marinucci.)

Mark Lewisohn, author of "The Beatles: All These Years, Vol. 1 - Tune 1," announced on Twitter today he'll appear Oct. 22 in the Atrium of the Toronto Reference Library from 2 to 4 p.m. His talk will be titled, "Beatles '66: Tune In: Toronto,"  It'll be his only appearance in North America this year. Admission is free. More information on the library website.

Movie news: 'Eight Days'/'Shea' report, new trailer and S.F. Bay Area screening news

Richard Porter, who leads the London Beatles Walks (more info at the Beatles in London website) was among the first to see "The Beatles at Shea Stadium" special footage that will air with "Eight Days A Week: The Beatles Touring Years" in theaters at a screening in London. He posted a lengthy description of what he saw on his Facebook page and he has graciously allowed us to print it here. (Thanks, Richard.)

Just back from the screening of The Beatles Live at Shea Stadium. It was held at a private cinema in the basement of the Soho Hotel, literally around the corner from Trident Studios, where the Beatles recorded Hey Jude, and 2 minutes from MPL in Soho Square.

The film was introduced by Jonathan Clyde of Apple, who told us that when 'Eight Day's a Week' was being planned, that it was decided to add something extra to the cinema released, and Shea seemed to perfectly fit the bill. It was shot in 35mm and therefore ideal to be shown in cinemas. The original showing in the UK was on TV, in black and white, which didn't really show it at it's best advantage.

Giles Martin produced the audio, and reduced the screams using the same software as he used for the Hollywood Bowl CD.

The film itself was just of the Beatles 30 minute performance, so didn't include the support acts. The picture and sound quality was amazing and brilliant to see on a big screen, as the shear immensity of Shea Stadium, and the occasion, really come across.

The highlight is certainly I'm Down, with John going totally mad at the keyboards. It's also great seeing John and Paul singing eyeball to eyeball on Ticket to Ride.

John is his usual rebel self, being the only one to have his jacket unbuttoned. I also love the scene with Brian Epstein watching 'his boys'

I'm really glad Shea is being shown at the cinema - go see it!

To answer the question you are asking, there's been no word that the footage will definitely end up on the "Eight Days" DVD that's coming in November, but that's certainly on everyone's wish list.

But here's some news for those of you in the San Francisco Bay Area. We'll be hosting the "Eight Days"/"Shea" screening at 7 p.m. Sept. 16 at Rialto Cinemas Elmwood in Berkeley. We'll watch the movie with you and talk about the Beatles. Look forward to meeting you all.  

And here's a new trailer for the movie posted by the UK Guardian:

Unboxing the Hollywood Bowl CD

If you've heard me talk about the Beatles new "Live at the Hollywood Bowl" CD (which comes out on Sept. 9) on a recent edition of "Things We Said Today," you'll know I'm very pleased with it. It sounds wonderful. I know there are probably people who will complain about the little reverb added to the vocals, but honestly, I don't mind it. And the screaming does seem to have been turned down slightly. The overall experience is great. It's wonderful to have this out, finally.

But look at the inside of it, the booklet has a few references to scenes in the movie, and some nice graphics. There's also a card that announces the DVD/Blu-ray for "Eight Days a Week" will be out in November.

Here's a look at it. (Photos copyright Apple Corps Ltd.) Be sure to order it, if you haven't already, at the Amazon link above for the U.S. or below for other countries.

You also order it:
at Amazon.co.uk for Great Britain
at Amazon.ca for Canada
at Amazon.co.jp for Japan
at Amazon.de for Germany

The album

The booklet

The card inside.

You can own a recording console used by the Beatles at Abbey Road Studios

Like to own a piece of music history? A REDD 37 recording console from Abbey Road Studios used in Abbey Road's famed Studio One and on recordings by the Beatles is being sold by Vintage King Audio. 

Vintage King says the console was built in December, 1958 and that during its time in Abbey Road's Studio One, it was used for various Beatles albums up to, and including “Let It Be,” and also for recordings of Oasis, Shirley Bassey and Lenny Kravitz. It has been owned by Kravitz since the 1990s. 

The recording console is being sold with two other pieces of Abbey Road equipment, a Studer J37 tape machine from Abbey Road's Studio 7 and a two-track Studer C37 tape recorder.