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.