Beatles fan tour travels to Abbey Road in celebration of album's 50th anniversary

The Liverpool waterfront as seen from the River Mersey. (Photo from Creative Commons)

Charles Rosenay's Liverpool Productions will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Abbey Road with their 36th “Magical History Tour” from August 19-28, 2019. Travelers will be at Abbey Road on the 50th anniversary. The fully-guided, professionally-escorted tour to London and Liverpool also includes visits to Penny Lane, Strawberry Field and the Cavern Club. 

Other highlights of the tour include “Beatleweek” in Liverpool, featuring the International Beatles Convention, Liverpool's Beatles Auction at LIPA plus a fully-guided coach tour hosted by Beatles expert David Bedford, author of "Liddypool," and several walking tours escorted by historian Rene Van Haarlem of Beatles Unlimited. Among those who will greet fans is John Lennon's sister, Julia Baird.

In London, landmarks include the recording studios at Abbey Road, Trident Studios and Twickenham, an afternoon visit to Chiswick Park where The Beatles filmed their "Paperback Writer" and "Rain" videos, and locations from The Beatles' films "A Hard Day's Night" and "Help!" Travelers will also spend an afternoon in Henley-on-Thames, where George Harrison lived.

The vacation is hosted by Charles F. Rosenay!!!, long-time sponsor of these tours  and producer of "The Fab 4 Music Festivals" in Connecticut, and "NYC FAB 50," which was 2014's Beatles' 50th Anniversary in New York.

The basic tour package is $2,599 based on double occupancy with other add-on options. Price deluxe accommodations, transfers, ground transportation, breakfasts in Liverpool and all advertised events, parties, admissions, guests and activities. Packages with flights start at $2,999 per person, with group departures from New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and other cities in the U.S. and Canada. Single supplements and group packages available.

For further information, write: email LiverpoolTours@aol.com or phone (203) 795-4737. The website for the tour is www.LiverpoolTours.com and the Facebook page is https://www.facebook.com/LiverpoolTours/.

Beatles announce new film from 'Let It Be' footage

Here's the press release:

London – January 30, 2019 - Apple Corps Ltd. and WingNut Films Ltd. are proud to announce an exciting new collaboration between The Beatles and the acclaimed Academy Award winning director Sir Peter Jackson. The new film will be based around 55 hours of never-released footage of The Beatles in the studio, shot between January 2^nd and January 31^st, 1969. These studio sessions produced The Beatles’ Grammy Award winning album Let It Be, with its Academy Award winning title song. The album was eventually released 18 months later in May 1970, several months after the band had broken up.

The filming was originally intended for a planned TV special, but organically turned into something completely different, climaxing with The Beatles’ legendary performance on the roof of Apple's Savile Row London office — which took place exactly 50 years ago today.

Peter Jackson said, "The 55 hours of never-before-seen footage and 140 hours of audio made available to us, ensures this movie will be the ultimate ‘fly on the wall’ experience that Beatles fans have long dreamt about - it’s like a time machine transports us back to 1969, and we get to sit in the studio watching these four friends make great music together.” 

Although The Beatles were filmed extensively during the 1960s - in concerts, interviews and movies - this is the only footage of any note that documents them at work in the studio.

The Let It Be album and movie, having been released in the months following The Beatles’ breakup, have often been viewed in the context of the struggle the band was going through at that time. 

“I was relieved to discover the reality is very different to the myth,” continues Jackson, “After reviewing all the footage and audio that Michael Lindsay-Hogg shot 18 months before they broke up, it’s simply an amazing historical treasure-trove. Sure, there’s moments of drama - but none of the discord this project has long been associated with. Watching John, Paul, George, and Ringo work together, creating now-classic songs from scratch, is not only fascinating - it’s funny, uplifting and surprisingly intimate”.   

"I’m thrilled and honoured to have been entrusted with this remarkable footage - making the movie will be a sheer joy.”

Jackson will be working with his They Shall Not Grow Old partners, Producer Clare Olssen and Editor Jabez Olssen. The footage will be restored by Park Road Post of Wellington, New Zealand, to a pristine standard, using techniques developed for the WW1 documentary film which has been nominated for a BAFTA for best documentary.

The untitled film is currently in production and the release date will be announced in due course. This film is being made with the full co-operation of Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono Lennon, and Olivia Harrison.

The Executive Producers are Ken Kamins for WingNut Films and Jeff Jones and Jonathan Clyde for Apple Corps.

Following the release of this new film, a restored version of the originalLet It Be movie directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg will also be made available.

Sir Ringo Starr announces new 2019 U.S. tour dates

Photo: Scott Robert Ritchie

Sir Ringo Starr today officially announced a bunch of new U.S. dates in August.

They are:

• August 1 The Colosseum at Caesars, Windsor, Ontario
• August 3 & 4 Ravinia, Highland Park, IL
• August 6 DPAC, Durham, NC
• August 7 & 8 Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, TN
• August 10 & 11 Wolf Trap, Vienna, VA
• August 13 Berglund Center Coliseum, Roanoke, VA
• August 14 The Met Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA
• August 20 State Farm Center, Champaign, IL
• August 22 Mystic Lake Casino, Prior Lake, MN
• August 23 Harrah’s Council Bluffs Casino, Council Bluffs, IA
• August 25 Santa Fe Opera House, Santa Fe, NM
• August 26 Celebrity Theatre, Phoenix, AZ
• August 28 Paramount Theatre, Oakland, CA
• August 30 Thunder Valley Casino Resort, Lincoln, CA
• August 31 Vina Robles Amphitheatre, Paso Robles, CA
• September 1 The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA

He also announced his annual July 7 Peace and Love birthday event will be at Capitol Records in Los Angeles. Ringo has already announced the first leg of 2019 tour dates would begin with a U.S. show at Harrah’s Resort Southern California on March 21st before the band heads to Japan. The Japanese tour will launch in Fukuoka on March 27th and wrap up April 11th in Osaka.

"Backbeat" coming on Blu-ray

Just announced -- "Backbeat" is being released on Blu-ray Feb. 19 from Shout Factory.
The film, released in 1993, is a gritty look at the early days of the Beatles and features some great music by a band that includes Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. The blu-ray features: A conversation with Astrid Kirchherr, deleted scenes, interviews with Iain Softley and actor Ian Hart, Iain Softley interview for the Sundance Channel, Audio commentary with Iain Softley, Ian Hart, and Stephen Dorff, TV featurette, casting sessions.

Get it at this link.

Beatles News Briefs podcast on Paul's new song

Our newest Beatles News Briefs has the first news and chart updates of the New Year, plus Steve and "Beatleness" author Candy Leonard give their views on Paul McCartney's new song "Get Enough". Autotune, anyone?

Listen to it here.