Ringo vinyl reissues pushed back into February

Capitol/UMe announced Jan. 11 that the release dates for the vinyl LPs for "Ringo" and "Goodnight Vienna" have been pushed back to Feb. 9.

The LPs have been remastered by Ron McMaster at Capitol Mastering for worldwide reissue on heavyweight, 180-gram vinyl LPs. You can preorder both of the albums now at the links above.                                                                                        Track listings:

RINGO STARR: Ringo

I'm the Greatest (John Lennon)
Have You Seen My Baby (Randy Newman)
Photograph (Richard Starkey, George Harrison)
Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond) (George Harrison)
You're Sixteen (You're Beautiful And You're Mine)" (Bob Sherman, Dick Sherman)
Oh My My (Richard Starkey, Vini Poncia)
Step Lightly (Richard Starkey)
Six O'Clock (Paul McCartney, Linda McCartney)
Devil Woman (Richard Starkey, Vini Poncia)
You and Me (Babe) (George Harrison, Mal Evans)

RINGO STARR: Goodnight Vienna

(It's All Down to) Goodnight Vienna (John Lennon)
Occapella (Allen Toussaint)
Oo-Wee (Richard Starkey, Vini Poncia)
Husbands and Wives (Roger Miller)
Snookeroo (Elton John, Bernie Taupin)
All by Myself (Richard Starkey, Vini Poncia)
Call Me (Richard Starkey)
No No Song (Hoyt Axton, David Jackson)
Only You (Buck Ram, Ande Rand)
Easy for Me (Harry Nilsson)
Goodnight Vienna (Reprise) (John Lennon)                                                                                                                    

Special Beatles 'Sgt. Pepper' media event on June 1 in Los Angeles

The historic Capitol Records tower at night. Photo: Steve Marinucci

The 50th anniversary of the Beatles' "Sgt. Pepper" album will be celebrated June 1, 50 years to the day of the release of the album with a special media event photo op flag raising at 9 a.m. PT at the Capitol Records tower on Vine Street in Hollywood. According to the media announcement, "Sgt. Pepper’ from the Las Vegas stage production of The Beatles™ LOVE™ by Cirque du Soleil® will raise a custom ‘Sgt. Pepper’ flag at 9:09am PDT that day.

The announcement said the Capitol Records tower will also be decked out in commemorative ‘Sgt. Pepper’ regalia from the ground up, including special signage and a large inflatable ‘Sgt. Pepper’ drum above Capitol’s Vine Street entrance. After sunset, vibrant rooftop lighting in the four colors of The Beatles’ ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ suits will be featured. A spokesman for Universal Music said Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr would not be attending.

The news of the event comes a day before the release of several CD box sets, including the big prize -- a 6-disc set with a new remix, outtakes, the mono mix, a hardback book and a DVD and Blu-ray. The price on this has dropped in the last several weeks and is now under $120.

What do Beatles fans want? "Let It Be" on DVD

One of the many bootleg "Let It Be" DVDs. 

We conducted an unscientific poll last week on Twitter on what people want the Beatles to release in 2017. (See the actual poll below). We gave four choices to choose from: Shea Stadium on DVD, "Let It Be" on DVD, a Sgt. Pepper 50th anniversary package or the Beatles music on Blu-ray.

The results weren't too surprising. Of the 194 votes that registered, "Let It Be" won by a landslide with 60 percent. Shea Stadium came in second at 20 percent. The "Sgt. Pepper" set was third with 16 percent and the Blu-ray Beatles audio was last at four percent.

This was kind of a test of the Twitter poll and we probably should have run it longer. But "Let It Be" is always coming up as a strong choice whenever these discussions arise. ("Hollywood Bowl" on CD was also in demand before its release last year.) The only question is how much longer we'll have to wait for "Let It Be" -- and whether it'll come while all of us are around.

(Be sure to check out our "That's What I Want Beatles Store" for a huge selection of everything Fab.)

What would you like to see the Beatles release in 2017? #beatles music

— Steve Marinucci (@SteveMarinucci) January 3, 2017

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.

Welcome home, Paul!

This ad from UMG, with MJ Kim's picture that was sent out with the announcement that Paul McCartney was returning to Capitol Records, appeared in trade papers this week.

News briefs: The Beatles in Canada, McCartney reissue delay?

• Some rare photos of the Beatles in Canada in 1964 are here. Does Paul look a wee bit "under the influence" in the second photo?  (Thanks to Chuck Pattio.)

• So where does Paul McCartney's return to Capitol Records leave the reissue series? Apparently, unsettled. We still don't know when "Flowers in the Dirt" will happen. And we've heard that a DVD considered for a later release is on hold because of the changeover. The catalog switch to Capitol won't happen until mid-2017, though.

George Martin's work with Matt Monro coming on CD

Coming Aug. 12 in U.S., Aug. 5 in UK. Pre-order here for U.S. and here for UK. 

 1. You Keep Me Swingin' (2016 Remastered Version)

2. Love Walked In (2016 Remastered Version)

2. Love Walked In (2016 Remastered Version)

3. Portrait Of My Love (2016 Remastered Version)

4. My Kind Of Girl (2016 Remastered Version)

5. This Time (2016 Remastered Version)

6. Gonna Build A Mountain (2016 Remastered Version)

7. Can This Be Love (2016 Remastered Version)

8. No One Will Ever Know (2016 Remastered Version)

9. Softly As I Leave You (2016 Remastered Version)

10. Tahiti (2016 Remastered Version)

11. My Love And Devotion (2016 Remastered Version)

12. I Get Along Without You Very Well (Except Sometimes) [2016 Remastered Version]

13. One Morning In May (2016 Remastered Version)

14. Walk Away (2016 Remastered Version)

15. Without The One I Love (2016 Remastered Version)

16. The Girl I Love (2016 Remastered Version)

17. From Russia With Love (2016 Remastered Version)

18. If This Should Be A Dream (2016 Remastered Version)

19. Once In Every Long And Lonely While (2016 Remastered Version)

20. As Long As I'm Singing (2016 Remastered Version)

21. Yesterday (2016 Remastered Version)

22. Sarah's Coming Home (2016 Remastered Version)

23. First Of May (2016 Remastered Version)

24. Michelle (2016 Remastered Version)

25. Ethel Baby (Mr Wonderful) [2016 Remastered Version]

26. I Am In Life (2016 Remastered Version)

27. I Close My Eyes And Count To Ten (2016 Remastered Version)