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- From: edc@evolution.bchs.uh.edu (edward s. chen)
- Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
- Subject: Re: Beatles video list
- Date: 1 Jan 1993 18:50:59 GMT
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- ===============================================================================
- A summary of the Beatles on video
- by Ed Chen
- January, 1993
- ===============================================================================
-
- While it has long been acknowledged that the Beatles were the progenitors of
- today's "music video", there is much more to the band's music video oeuveure
- then simply the feature films that generally gather all the accolades. Other
- then my "wish list" at the end, everything I will be discussing is (or was)
- released legitimately on video in the US and / or UK.
-
- At the dawn of the video age, much Beatles product such as "Around the
- Beatles", or "The Beatles in Tokyo" was commonly available from legitimate
- companies. However, in 1980 ATV music (and later the RIAA) began suing
- companies selling tapes that included protected music. This drove most
- of the companies out of business, with the only real challenge coming
- from a company in the mid-eighties selling "The Beatles at the Washington
- Coliseum", "The Beatles at Shea Stadium", "The Beatles in Japan", and a
- poor-quality "Magical Mystery Tour". That New Jersey Company was not taken
- to court, but most of their stock was seized, forcing them out of business.
- However, with the passing of time, much of the Beatles video material is
- making its way to legitimate video releases. This is ultimately the best
- for both the Beatles (since they obtain the royalties they are due), and
- the fans (since they get the material in the best available quality)
-
- Now, on to the videos themselves:
-
- A Hard Day's Night -- The Beatles first feature film. A very clever look
- at the 1964 stereotypes of the Beatles, and the madness surrounding them.
- Very nice transfer, with the soundtrack remixed to Dolby stereo. The CAV
- laser disc (still p&s) is particularly worth seeking out as it includes an
- interview with Richard Lester, the Peter Sellers short "Running, Jumping &
- Standing Still" (which inspired much of AHDN), and the original theatrical
- trailer.
-
- Help! -- The Beatles second feature film. Suffers in comparison to AHDN,
- but still a clever, parody of the James Bond genre of action-adventure films
- that were popular at the time. Very nice transfer, much cleaner then the
- version aired on television throughout the seventies. The CAV laser disc
- includes the original theatrical trailer, footage from the film's premiere,
- original radio spots, and several hundred stills from "The making of..."
-
- Magical Mystery Tour -- The Beatles attempt to make a television film, with
- absolutely no limits placed on them. The result makes little narrative sense,
- but still has quite a few high points. Notable among them is the famous "I
- Am The Walrus" sequence (with the Beatles in full costume), and Paul's "Fool
- on the Hill" bit filmed in France. Something every Beatles fan should see,
- but of lesser priority on the "must own" list, particularly if you can tape
- it (albeit, somewhat edited) from television. (The Disney Channel in the USA)
-
- Yellow Submarine -- An animated feature, with the live action Beatles making
- an appearance briefly at the very end. Probably the best way to describe the
- feature is "Disney was never like this". The plot involves the Beatles
- helping to stop a group of baddies (Blue Meanies) from invading a land of joy
- and happiness (Pepperland). The visuals along the way are absolutely
- stunning, and the Dolby soundtrack is marvelous. The transfer is very clean,
- and the only thing that would make this tape better is if a letterbox edition
- were made available. Recently went out of print.
-
- Let It Be (1981) -- Long out of print, but worth seeking out when it
- gets reissued. A nice look at the break-up of the Beatles. The transfer on
- the original tape is somewhat muddy, and the sound is mono, but hopefully both
- problems will be fixed in the re-release.
-
- The Compleat Beatles (1982) -- A reasonable enough documentary covering the
- Beatles from 1960 through 1970, but ultimately a bit unfulfilling. On the
- plus side is some excellent narration (by Malcolm McDowell [of "A Clockwork
- Orange" fame]), and some very nice interview pieces (George Martin, Gerry
- Marsden, Billy Preston, and others). On the down side is the appallingly
- poor video quality of those new interviews, the lack of rare or unique film
- clips, and the general deceptive nature of the way some of the audio / video
- is used (eg: The Granada Cavern footage is used twice, once cut to the Hamburg
- recording of "Hippy Hippy Shake" [making it appear that the four are performing
- that song]. A clip of the Beatles in Manchester is implied to be the Royal
- Variety Command Performance, a 1964 airport landing in a downpour is passed
- off as being from 1966, etc.).
-
- The Beatles: Their First US Visit (1992) -- As the title implies, a look at
- the Beatles first US visit. Included in the tape is excerpts from the Ed
- Sullivan shows, a handful of songs from the Washington DC concert, and a lot
- of footage from the short film "What's Happening in the U.S.A" (which covers
- the plane trips, train trips, hotels and nightclubs inbetween). All of this
- footage was taken directly from the masters, and some of it has been restored
- rather extensively. As such, the material all looks and sounds much better
- than it ever had previously. The result is an essential tape, covering every
- aspect of the Beatles first appearance on US shores.
-
- The Long and Winding Road -- In the works, this will become *the*
- definitive video look at the Beatles. Expected to
- end up being 8-10 tapes, covering every era of the
- Beatles career.
-
- An Orchestral Tribute to the Beatles -- A video recording of the Royal
- Philharmonic performing 20 Beatles songs. Paul is in the audience. Good
- enough for fans who like "classical" renderings of Beatle material, but no
- real reason to own.
-
- The Beatles Live -- A nice look at the Beatles circa 1964. Originally
- part of a British television program called "Around the Beatles." Only the
- "performance" pieces are presented here. The name is a bit of a misnomer,
- as the four are miming to a pre-recorded soundtrack. (Particularly evident at
- the beginning of "I Wanna be Your Man"
-
- Goodtimes ("Fun With the Fab Four") -- One of many tapes produced without
- permission from Apple or EMI. This is easily the best(the quality is
- excellent, marred only by a small white "GT" in the corner of the screen)
- Pieces included are: the Beatles comedy skit from "Around the Beatles" (John
- and Paul as a jokey version of Shakespeare's Pyramus and Thisabee), and
- an appearance by Pete Best on the American game show "I've Got a Secret", and
- several others. Long out of print.
-
- The Rutles -- Worth mentioning as the film is supposedly very strongly based
- on the unreleased in-house (Apple) Beatles documentary. Fan reaction at
- places like Che stadium are actual footage of fans at Beatles concerts.
- Well loved, and not only because George Harrison appears in a cameo.
-
- Misc -- Most notable are two short films which are best labeled "home movies",
- one tape contains miscellaneous footage of McCartney trips taken in the years
- 1967 & 1968 ("The Mystery Trip"), and the other contains some footage from the
- making of "Help!" There are several fictional films available, but two
- particularly worth seeking out are "I Wanna Hold Your Hand" (Zemeckis / Gale),
- and "Twist and Shout" (foreign). Of no use at all is a tape (out of print,
- and probably illegal after Apple's lawsuit) of a concert by the quasi-legendary
- fake-Beatles "Beatlemania".
-
- ===============================================================================
- Paul McCartney
- ===============================================================================
-
- Rockshow (1982) -- Six years after the concert tour, this film was released
- to video. Most of the footage comes from Seattle, but other clips are also
- included without being obtrusive. The resulting footage is a bit sterile,
- missing the energy evident on the "Wings Over America" CD -- but that problem
- aside, the result is worth viewing. It should be noted that the entire concert
- is not included on the tape ("Lady Madonna", "Blackbird", "The Long and
- Winding Road", and "My Love" are missing). All of this material was included
- in the theatrical release of this film. This tape is long out of print, with
- re-release unlikely in the near future.
-
- Give My Regards to Broad Street -- Paul McCartney's 1984 attempt at making
- a feature film. It was horribly panned by reviewers and the media at the
- time of release. In my opinion, the result is a bit haphazard, but not
- nearly as bad as others would have you believe. The supporting cast is
- excellent, and there are some entertaining gags. However, even if you
- hate the paper-thin plot, with judicious use of the fast forward button,
- the result is a series of well produced, high quality music videos -- many
- including Paul and Ringo onscreen at the same time.
-
- The Paul McCartney Special (1986) -- A program originally produced for the
- BBC, and aired on television several times in 1986. Originally conceived
- as a long-form promotional piece for "Press to Play", the BBC staffer (Richard
- Skinner) persuades Macca to talk about much more, including one of the more
- in-depth interviews about Wings. All of the interview bits were done at
- Abbey Road studio #2, leading to some reminiscing on Paul's part. Scattered
- among the interview are some nice McCartney film rarities (including rarely
- seen promo clips / videos, concert footage from both the 1973 and 1976 tours,
- and even a bit of the never released "One Hand Clapping" film). A very nice
- package, and an absolute must for McCartney fans.
-
- The Real Buddy Holly Story (1987) -- Subtitled "Paul McCartney's film of the
- life and music of Buddy Holly". The story is mostly told by Buddy's friends,
- relatives, and colleagues; with Paul adding occasional narration to clarify
- pieces of the story. Probably the best, most factual look at Holly's life.
- In addition to the narration, Paul provides a short introduction to the film
- (Paul in a television studio), and also did an interview (in a barn / hay loft)
- where he discussed Buddy's influence on the Beatles. During this segment Paul
- plays a portion of the Beatles 1958 recording of "That'll Be The Day".
- Essential if you have any interest in Holly, but still worthwhile to others
- because of the presence of the Beatles first recording.
-
- Rupert the Bear and the Frog Song (1987) -- Paul's cartoon, originally
- distributed theatrically with "Give My Regards to Broad Street". Rupert is a
- beloved British children's character that Paul now owns. The short is great
- for young and old alike, comparable to some of Disney's work. Paul's
- soundtrack to this short was a top ten hit in Europe, but never released on
- these shores. Also on the tape are animated shorts for "Seaside Woman" (Suzy
- and the Red Stripes, aka Linda McCartney and Wings), and "Oriental Nightfish".
-
- Once Upon a Video (1988) -- A Japanese tape which contains 4 McCartney
- videos: "Once Upon a Long Ago", "Stranglehold", "Pretty Little Head", and
- "We All Stand Together". Expensive for what you get, but neither the song,
- nor the video for "Once Upon a Long Ago" was ever released in the US.
-
- Put It There (1989) -- A program produced specifically for the purpose of
- promoting "Flowers in the Dirt." This time the production actually achieves
- it's purpose. The interview pieces are nice, but contain no revelations. The
- real strength of this production lies in the performance pieces. What we are
- shown is Macca and band in studio, actually working on the recording of some
- of the "Flowers" tracks. Additionally, rehearsals of Beatles songs (such as
- "Fool On the Hill", "Hello, Goodbye", and "Let It Be") for the then-upcoming
- world tour make this production a "must-own".
-
- Get Back (1991) -- Richard Lester's look at Paul's 1989-90 World Tour. Rather
- then going with a straight concert film, Lester has chosen to cut quickly
- between scenes at different shows, and other, relatively unrelated footage.
- This effect can and does become distracting rather easily. The other major
- problem this tape has is that less then 75% of the actual concert is presented
- Despite the low retail price, this is a tape to rent rather then to own.
- There is also a Japanese videodisc which is called "Get Back Prologue", which
- contains an otherwise unreleased interview with Paul, and four songs from the
- film. The interview is not worth the cost of the videodisc.
-
- Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio (1992) -- The video version of the
- "Liverpool Oratorio", originally produced for the PBS series "Great
- Performances". A fairly straightforward look at McCartney and Carl Davis'
- work, as it debuted in Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral. A visual counterpart
- to the CD's, and worth owning because the cast (Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Willard
- White, Jerry Hadley, and Sally Burgess) and stronger vocally then the cast
- which has been appearing with the work across the US. McCartney shows
- up to take a bow after the Oratorio is finished, just before the closing
- credits roll.
-
- Misc -- Among the things to be on the lookout for is the first "Princes's
- Trust" tape, which features Paul and a cast of rock's elite performing
- favorite Beatles chestnuts like "I Saw Her Standing There", and "Get Back".
- Additionally, an appearance by Paul and Wings at "The Concerts for the People
- of Kampuchea" (which Laurence Juber has called "his favorite moment during
- his time in Wings") has been out on video, but is sadly out of print.
- Paul also provided a theme song (played over the closing credits) for the
- film "Twice In a Lifetime".
-
- ===============================================================================
- John Lennon
- ===============================================================================
-
- Interview with a Legend (1981) -- A videotape of an interview John Lennon
- and his lawyer (Leon Wildes) did for the "Tommorow" show (4/28/75). As would
- be expected, the main topic of conversation was the legal troubles John was
- having at the time concerning his American residency status. Out of print.
-
- Imagine (aka "John and Yoko's Imagine") -- The first "video LP", this is
- actually a slightly edited version of the original film. (A brief shot
- of a woman's breasts, and some footage of Yoko has been deleted). A nice
- look at "scenes" of John and Yoko, their home in London, some marvelous
- surrealism, and the "budget line" price make this a tape to own.
-
- Imagine: John Lennon (aka "Andrew Solt's Imagine") -- The best documentary
- available covering the life of John Lennon. The film is stunning, showing
- us John Lennon as he saw himself. This presentation is accomplished via
- quotes from interviews, and much rare and previously unreleased footage. (The
- footage of John recording the "Imagine" LP, and his discussion with George
- over "Beatle Ed" [Paul] are worth the price of the tape by themselves.) There
- are only a few minor negative points. The most annoying is that the producers
- have chosen to pan-and-scan over footage which was filmed at the proper ratio
- for television, but artifically extended for the widescreen release. (Rather
- then making a "television master" using the original, unaltered footage)
- Another minor annoyance is that some of George Martin's remixes (particularly
- the Dolby surround sound "Love Me Do" and "Help!") are so poor as to actually
- distract from the scenes. Additionally, two crucial pieces of John's life (his
- friendship with Stuart Sutcliffe, and his 1972 "Lost Weekend") have been edited
- to an absolute minimum for time constraints. However, these are minor
- quibbles, and this tape remains the single most important video for Lennon fans
- and admirers.
-
- How I Won the War (1986) -- John's one (and only) solo acting outing. The
- film carries a strong anti-war message, and features John as "Private Gripweed"
- Gripweed is a soldier in the second world war, and is killed at the very end
- of the film. The film marks the first time John wore his "granny glasses"
- to any great extent. Directed and Produced by Richard Lester, written by
- Patrick Ryan. A bit expensive, so probably a film to rent rather then to own.
-
- Yoko Ono: Then and Now -- An hourlong look at John Lennon's "Better Half"
- The results are decidedly pro-Yoko, but a good portion of the tape is devoted
- to John and Yoko as a couple. Much interesting footage is used, including
- a very effective piece where John (on "The Mike Douglas Show") and Yoko (in
- a late sixties black and white interview) describe their first meeting at
- the Indica gallery. Not for everyone, but a nice look at the dynamics of
- one of the most famous couples in show-biz history.
-
- Live Peace in Toronto -- The video equivalent of the "Live Peace in Toronto"
- album. Filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker originally filmed all of the acts on the
- bill that day, but the footage was not released for legal reasons. This
- tape includes a handful of songs from other artists (Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck
- Berry), and the entire set from the Lennons and the Plastic Ono Band (here
- consisting of such notables as Klaus Voorman on bass, and Eric Clapton on
- Guitar).
-
- John Lennon Live in New York City -- The afternoon concert for Geraldo Rivera's
- "One to One" foundation, at New York's Madison Square Garden on August 30, 1972
- The video really doesn't do Lennon justice. Mediocre material from the
- "Sometime in NYC" album, and a rather sloppy band (Elephant's Memory) make for
- poor viewing and listening. However, the show does pick up a bit when Lennon
- moves to other material such as "Instant Karma", "Cold Turkey", and the only
- Beatles number of the afternoon, "Come Together". The cinematography is
- average, and the lighting often puts shadows on John's face. However, the
- tape is still interesting as a historical document, and at the discount prices
- it is currently being offered for (in most places, the video is cheaper then
- the CD) worth owning.
-
- Lennon (A Tribute to John Lennon) -- A filmed version of the 1990 Liverpool
- concert celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of John Lennon's birth. The
- results are decidedly mixed. Michael Douglas' introductions are innocuous
- enough, but very forgettable. The acts who played live that day and are
- represented on the tape range from good to mediocre to poor (eg: Kylie
- Minoughe abhorrent version of "Help!"). Worth seeing for Paul McCartney's
- "P.S. Love Me Do", and Ringo Starr's "I Call Your Name" (with two of the
- Traveling Wilburys on guitar), but not worth purchasing.
-
- John & Yoko: The Bed-In -- Only available as an import. A video version
- of a television special from 1969 named "John and Yoko have a message".
- A good documentary-type look at the couple's stay in Montreal's Queen
- Elizabeth hotel. Among the highlights are Al Capp's visit to the couple's
- bedroom, the telephone call to Berkeley, and a fairly lengthy look at the
- recording of "Give Peace a Chance". For anyone interested in the era, or
- intrigued by the excerpt's in Andrew Solt's film, worth looking for.
-
- The John Lennon Video Collection (1992) -- it has yet to be released in the
- US on tape either. However, the tape was released in Canada and Japan, so
- import copies in NTSC are available.
-
- The line-up:
-
- Give Peace a Chance - Bed In Footage.
- Cold Turkey - John and Yoko's original promo
- Instant Karma - John Live on "Top of the Pops"
- Power To the People - John and Yoko at a Peace March, edited with
- recent News footage a la "Get Back"
- Happy Xmas / War Is Over - The Harlem Community Choir, 1992 version
- with still photos of the billboard campaign.
- Mind Games - Miscellaneous John and Yoko footage.
- Whatever Gets You Through the Night - Animated versions of John's drawings
- Number 9 Dream - More Stock Footage of J & Y
- Stand By Me
- Slippin' and a Slidin' - Both from the 1971 "Old Grey Whistle Test" show.
- Imagine - Excerpt from J & Y's Imagine film.
- (Just Like) Starting Over - New Clip
- Woman, Nobody Told Me, I'm Steppin' Out, Borrowed Time, Grow Old With Me
- -- The original posthumous clips Yoko produced to promote "Milk and Honey"
- and "Double Fantasy" in the early 80's.
- Jealous Guy - The clip as released to promote Andrew Solt's
- "Imagine: John Lennon"
- Imagine (Live) - From the 1975 special, "A Salute to Sir Lew Grade"
-
- Watching the Wheels is played over the closing credits. Between the
- video clips, short quotes from various Lennon interviews (mainly John
- describing the song about to be seen), and other video goodies are sprinkled
- throughout the tape.
-
- John & Yoko: A Love Story -- Mark McGann and Kim Miyori recreate the life and
- times of John and Yoko. About the only way to describe this production is
- "adequate." You never really get the feeling that the actor is re-creating
- Lennon, and the actors cast as the other three Beatles are very below par.
- Particularly annoying is the fact that the soundtrack (which featured actual
- Lennon / Beatles material when the film was aired on NBC) has been replaced
- by a cheezy Lennon (sort of) sound-alike. Thankfully, this has been superceded
- as the "official Lennon video biography" by Andrew Solt's documentary.
-
- ===============================================================================
- George Harrison
- ===============================================================================
-
- The Concert for BanglaDesh -- Recently reissued in true stereo, this tape
- contains the complete film as released to theatres. The footage used were
- highlights from the two shows, as personally chosen by George. A very nice
- look at this precursor to "Live Aid", and a portion of the proceeds from the
- sales of this tape still go to help the starving in Africa.
-
- A Rockabilly Session: Carly Perkins and Friends -- George, Ringo and many
- others were a big part of this special celebrating the life and times of
- one of rock's pioneers. Unlike Paul's Buddy Holly tribute, Perkins' career
- is celebrated by playing his music. Essential for both Perkins and Harrison
- fans, because this special really marked George's return to public life after
- several years spent gardening and nurturing a film company.
-
- Handmade Films -- George's production company, which has produced many films,
- some with direct involvement from Mr. Harrison. Two films particularly worth
- seeking out are; "Water" (starring Michael Caine) which includes a concert
- sequence with George, Ringo, Eric Clapton and Others; and "Shanghai Surprise"
- (starring Madonna and Sean Penn), which includes some otherwise unreleased
- music from George.
-
- Misc -- The Second Annual Prince's Concert features George and Ringo, and
- is definitely worth looking for. The Wonderful film "Time Bandits" features
- a different version of the George Harrison song "Dream Away" then the one
- which appears on "Gone Troppo". "Wonderwall" features a George Harrison
- soundtrack, but is a very poor film. Save your money, and buy the CD.
-
- ===============================================================================
- Ringo Starr
- ===============================================================================
-
- The Magic Christian -- A 1969 film, with a cameo by John and Yoko, and a theme
- song ("Come and Get It", performed by Badfinger) by Paul McCartney. Despite
- the presence of members of the Goon Show (Ringo's co-star is Peter Sellers),
- and members of Monty Python, the story is only moderately funny. Starr plays
- an orphan adopted by Sir Guy Grand, the world's richest man (played by Sellers)
- and they proceed to spend the rest of the film showing that money does indeed
- make the world go 'round. Produced by Dennis O'Dell, and directed by Joseph
- McGrath.
-
- 200 Motels -- A 1971 film where Ringo plays the dual roles of Larry the Dwarf,
- and Frank Zappa (!). The film has no real plot, and was very much an exercise
- in acid and self-indulgence (in that order) on the part of Frank Zappa. Written
- by Zappa, directed by Tony Palmer, and co-produced by Jerry Good and Herb Cohen
- Out of print, but has previously been released by several companies, and easily
- rented from most better video stores.
-
- Son of Dracula -- A 1974 rock / horror film starring Ringo's pal Harry Nillson.
- Ringo appears as Merlin the Magician. The film disappeared from theatres quite
- quickly. The video release was not by a major company (but was legitimate).
- However, the run was rather limited and the tape is long out of print. Good
- luck in finding a copy.
-
- That'll Be the Day -- Arguably, Ringo's finest acting performance. He appears
- with David Essex and Keith Moon in this story of a young man's induction into
- the world of Rock and Roll in the late 1950's. It is worth noting that the
- sequel featured the young man's band making it big, and was loosely based upon
- Beatlemania. However, Starr does not appear in that film.
-
- Caveman -- A bit of slapstick from our man Ringo. Probably the only film
- which sustains a story using only a handful of real words. Amusing, but
- not overtly funny. Notable for being the place where Ringo met his current
- wife, Barbara Bach. Rent it if you want a no-brainer, and all the "Three
- Stooges" films are out.
-
- The Point (1986) -- A cute fable written, produced, and directed by Ringo's
- pal Harry Nillson. The story involves a round-headed child who is banished
- from his home (the land of "Point") because he does not have a point on his
- head. Ringo plays much the same role here that Peter Falk did in "The
- Princess Bride"; storyteller to an obstinate child. Be sure to check the tape
- before you purchase it. A second video of the same story, (produced by a
- different company) narrated by Alan Thicke is also available on video.
-
- Ringo Starr and the All-Starr Band (1990) -- The concert film of Ringo's
- first tour with the All-Starr band in 1989. The show filmed was at the
- Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and Zak Starkey (member of the second RASB)
- makes a special appearance as "guest drummer". The entire performance is
- not presented, but much more is here then the box indicates. (The box copied
- the song list from the severely truncated CD of the tour) Available on both
- videodisc, and tape.
-
- Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends (several tapes) -- Ringo has gained many
- young fans as the jovial "Mr. Conductor" on the PBS program Shining Time
- Station. An integral part of that program was Ringo reading stories about
- a train named Thomas, and Thomas' magical world. These stories, complete with
- "live-action animation" (stop motion photography), and Ringo's narration have
- been released on a series of videotapes (5 tapes, 8-10 stories per tape).
-
- Misc -- Elbert's Bad Word -- A part of Shelly Duvall's "Bedtime Stories"
- series. Much like the Thomas series, the tape consists of Ringo
- narrating a story. High production values, and worth seeing,
- particularly if you have children about.
-
- Curly Sue, King Ralph -- Neither of these are worth owning for the
- films themselves. However, Ringo did record an otherwise unreleased
- song (played over the closing credits) for "CS", and he plays drums
- for Little Richard on a new version of "Good Golly, Miss Molly"
- recorded for "KR"
-
- ===============================================================================
- My personal video wish list
- ===============================================================================
-
- Probably first on my wish list is a compilation of the promo films taken from
- the masters. Although they may appear throughout the "Long and Winding Road"
- video series, a single tape consisting of just the promos would be my biggest
- wish for the moment. A fairly comprehensive tape was released in Japan under
- the name "The Private Reel"
-
- An astonishing fact found in Lewisohn's _Chronology_ is that the boys filmed
- *ten* promos [3 "We Can Work It Out", 3 "Day Tripper", 1 "Help", 1 "Ticket to
- Ride", and 2 "I Feel Fine"] on the evening of Tuesday, November 23, 1965.
-
- A summary of the Beatles promo films:
-
- Promos the Beatles were involved in:
-
- You Can't Do That: An outtake from the concert segment of "A Hard Day's
- Night". First shown on the Ed Sullivan show, with a
- brief interview of the fabs by Sullivan.
-
- I Feel Fine : Two promos
- 1) John, Paul, and George wearing turtlenecks, while
- Ringo rides an exercise bicycle.
- 2) Clips of the Beatles backstage and in dressing rooms.
-
- (A third promo, consisting of the Beatles on the set of #1, eating newspaper
- wrapped fish and chips was produced, but never distributed.)
-
- Help! : Two promos
- 1) The Beatles "performance" seen at the beginning of the
- movie (minus Clang and his darts)
- 2) The Beatles sitting on a sawhorse. John, Paul and
- George hold instruments, while Ringo holds an umbrella
- to shield them from "snow" (actually confetti)
-
- Ticket to Ride : The Beatles in turtleneck sweaters, and overcoats. Ringo
- stands behind, obviously disinterested in miming his drum
- part. Train ticket blowup used as backdrop
-
- Day Tripper : Four promos
- 1) The Beatles wearing Shea stadium jackets and turtlenecks
- Train and plane facades used as backdrop, Ringo saws
- out part of the train set.
- 2) From "The Music of Lennon and McCartney". The Beatles
- dressed in suits and ties, miming on the backdrop of a
- construction site.
- 3,4) These two are very similar. The differences are mainly
- in Ringo's actions at the beginning and end of the
- clips. The four are dressed in suits and ties, and in
- the standard three guitar / drums positions.
-
- We Can Work it Out: Four Promos
- 1) From "The Music of Lennon and McCartney". Turtleneck
- sweaters and jackets. John plays organ, and spends much
- of the clip giving the camera sideways glances.
- 2) The Beatles in Shea jackets, and John spends much of the
- clip openly laughing and grinning at the camera.
- 3) The Beatles in suits and ties. John spends much of the
- clip doing nothing unusual.
- 4) Similar to #3, but the clip begins with a still of John
- with a sunflower over his eye.
-
- Paperback Writer: Three Promos
- 1) All four Beatles wearing colored "granny glasses".
- John, Paul - colorful shirts, George - jacket,
- Ringo - coat and tie.
- 2) John - sunglasses. (the others are not wearing
- glasses), Paul - coat and tie, George - white shirt
- and vest. Both are clips of the Beatles sitting in
- and around a studio set.
- 3) The Beatles walking around trees and statues at
- Cheswick House
-
- Rain: Three promos
- 1) John - sunglasses. Same clothes as PW #1, but
- John and Paul are wearing jackets.
- 2) same clothes as PW #2
- 3) Cheswick House, but inside the walled garden and
- conservatory, rather then in the statue garden.
-
- (a special introduction was filmed for Ed Sullivan, with Ringo introducing
- both PW#1, and Rain#1)
-
- SFF: The same clip was issued in both color and B & W. The
- most common of their promos, excerpted in "The Complete
- Beatles". Mainly the Beatles playing in a tree, and with
- an old piano.
-
- Penny Lane: The same clip was issued in both color and B & W. Scenes
- of Penny Lane in Liverpool, the Beatles riding white horses,
- and being served tea.
-
- A Day in the Life: Surreal clip, consists of the Beatles and friends in the
- studio filming the song. Most of this clip was seen in
- "Imagine: John Lennon", but new footage was edited in for
- the clip's appearance there.
-
- Hello Goodbye: Three Promos
- 1) Pepper costumes, with occasional shots of them in their
- colarless suits. (The moustaches looking quite out of
- place) Hula girls appear at the end.
-
- 2) Similar to #1, but Beatles in regular clothes.
-
- 3) Bits culled from #1 and #2, with new footage of
- the Beatles dancing to the tune. (John does the twist)
-
- Lady Madonna: The Beatles in the studio. The footage used is actually
- them recording "Hey Bulldog"
-
- Hey Jude: Two Promos
- Both involve the Beatles singing live over the record, and
- being joined by a crowd for the "na na na's". Slightly
- different shots in the two promos.
-
- Revolution: Two versions. Basic performance clip. The Beatles
- actually recorded a new version of the song for this clip.
- (once again, the difference between the two versions is
- in shots and camera angles)
-
- Get Back: The second rooftop performance of "Get Back".
-
- Don't Let Me Down: Taken from the rooftop performance footage.
-
- The Ballad of John and Yoko: Mainly miscellaneous footage of John and
- Yoko, their wedding, and honeymoon cut to the music.
-
- Something: Footage of the Beatles and their wives walking around John's
- Ascot house, and George's home in Esher.
-
- Let It Be: Fairly different from the version in the film, with many
- different angles, and much more footage of John, George, and
- Ringo.
-
- Two Of Us: Taken directly from "Let It Be"
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
- EMI created videos:
-
- Back in the USSR: Created in Japan, consists mostly of plane shots, and
- Beatles airport arrivals / departures.
-
- The Beatles Movie Medley: Excerpts from the Beatles films, and the
- "Our World" footage of "All You Need is Love"
-
- Love Me Do: Two slightly different videos, from the library of Ron
- Furmanek.
-
- Please Please Me: Mostly the 1964 Washington DC footage, but with inserts
- over the main video. The audio is the standard studio
- track.
-
- I Want to Hold Your Hand: Much the same format as the "Love Me Do", and
- "Please Please Me" clips.
-
- As mentioned, "videos" were also created for many of the songs in "A Hard
- Days Night", and "Help!" These are not detailed, as they consist only of
- butchered footage from the two features.
- ===============================================================================
-
- Second is an assortment of projects which would work quite nicely on video.
- Since most, if not all of these projects were aired on television, there are
- copies floating around Beatles video trading circles:
-
- The Early Beatles -- (1982) A special put together by Granada television,
- covering the years 1962 to 1965. While ideally, *all* the various
- performances the Beatles made for British television will make their way
- to video, this (or perhaps an extended version of this special) would be
- a much more realistic expectation. Included is the complete "Some Other Guy"
- footage, the complete taping from November 25, 1963 ("I Want to Hold Your Hand"
- "This Boy" + interview footage with comedian Ken Dodd), and the complete
- "We Can Work It Out" promo (from "The Music of Lennon and McCartney). Also
- included is miscellaneous other interview footage, and more excerpts from
- the Maysalls "What's Happening in the USA" film.
-
- "Concerts" tape -- Several Beatles concerts were filmed in their entirety.
- The ones which have been commonly distributed are: Washington (1964), Shea
- Stadium (1965), and Tokyo (two shows - 1966). Highlights from these four
- shows, along with clips from some of the less well known pro-shot concerts
- [eg: France (1965), Germany (1966)] would make a nice retrospective of the
- touring years, and the subsequent effect Beatlemania had on the Fabs.
-
- It Was 20 Years Ago Today... -- Produced by ATV, and aired in the US on
- "PBS", and "The Discovery Channel". This special uses Sgt. Pepper as a
- launching point for a fairly in-depth examination of the year 1967, and
- the forces that served to shape that year. Paul, George, and Ringo were
- interviewed at length, and Derek Taylor was an executive producer of the
- special, as well as being author of the companion book.
-
- The Making of Sgt. Pepper (1992) -- A special produced to commemorate the
- 25th anniversary of what is often described as "The Beatles masterpiece".
- Covers every aspect of the making of the album, including George Martin
- playing never before heard demos, and discussing musical details in-depth.
- A bit weak when discussing the social aspects of the era (particularly the
- neutered Disney Channel version), but this is by far the best look at how
- the Beatles created music together.
-
- John Lennon: One to One -- The afternoon performance of this series of
- two concerts is available on "Live in NYC". While a release of the evening
- concert (which was aired as a special on American TV) might be a bit redundant,
- it would still be much appreciated. The performance is better (Elephant's
- Memory guitarist Wayne Gabriel describes it as "hotter"), the presence of short
- interviews, and the more interesting camera work would make for a better
- overall video.
-
- Candy -- Ringo's 1968 acting debut apart from the Beatles. Ringo plays a
- Mexican gardener, and had his hair dyed black for the part. The film follows
- the book, and is very sexual in nature (so, it would probably do quite well
- on video). The director was Christian Marquand, and the producer was Robert
- Haggles.
-
- Princess Daisy -- A decidedly lackluster TV miniseries that starred Mr. and
- Mrs. Starkey. While by no means essential, it would be a good release for
- those who want to document all of Ringo's major acting roles.
-
- Ringo (aka "The Ognir Rrats Show") -- George and Ringo worked together on this
- 1978 television special. A loose re-telling of the classic "The Prince and the
- Pauper" (as George says at the end of the program "Who Do you Think I am? Mark
- Twain?") with Ringo playing a show-bizzy version of himself, and a "nerd"
- version of himself named Ognir Rrats (Ringo Starr spelled backwards). The
- supporting cast included such luminaries as John Ritter, Art Carney, Angie
- Dickinson, and Carrie Fisher.
-
- James Paul McCartney (1973) -- An hourlong special aired on television
- both in the US, and in England. Features concert pieces, comedy sequences,
- a family singalong in Liverpool (including some nice footage of Paul and
- James McCartney, Sr.), and an elaborate song and dance routine. It is
- interesting to note that that routine ("Gotta Sing, Gotta Dance") was
- originally to feature Paul in drag, but was changed after complaints from
- the American sponsors.
-
- The Sound of One Hand Clapping (1974) -- A Behind-the-scenes look at the
- recording of the "Venus and Mars" LP. Directed by David Litchfield, and
- filmed in Abbey Road studios (not Nashville, as previous reports indicated),
- this tape contains Macca and Wings working on 15 different songs (including
- the heretofore unreleased "Suicide") with some studio chat between songs. For
- me, the best moment is Paul calling out the chords to "Bluebird" while the sax
- player works on the solo. The special exists, complete with opening and
- closing credits, yet remains unreleased. The only logical reason the special
- may have been relegated to the vaults is that drummer Geoff Briton (prominent
- on the tape) left Wings before "Venus and Mars" was released.
-
- The Bruce McMouse Show -- A special Paul had in the works during his 1973
- tour. The idea was to have footage of Paul and Wings from said tour joined
- with a secondary plot involving a cartoon mouse family (Bruce, Yvonne, Soily,
- Swooney and Swat) living on the tour bus. It is unknown how much of the
- animation was completed, but extensive filming (excerpted in "The Paul
- McCartney special) of the band during that tour exists in the vault, and could
- probably be released.
-
- Wings Over the World -- This television special also covered McCartney's
- 1976 world tour. But, unlike "Rockshow" this special covers the entire
- tour, and you get a sense of what it's like for the band to be shuffled
- from place to place, only what touring is like for them.
-
- Paul McCartney: Coming Home -- A Disney Channel special covering Paul in
- Rio, and his triumphant return home to Liverpool. Better concert sequences
- then in "Get Back", and a very emotional performance of the "Lennon medley".
-
- Oratorio Documentary -- An hourlong documentary covering Liverpool, and Paul
- McCartney's (and Carl Davis') preparations for the world premiere of the
- "Liverpool Oratorio". Aired as part of the "Great Performances" package,
- but not part of the Oratorio videotape. If the rights could be worked
- out, this combined with the "Coming Home" footage would make an excellent
- two-hour video.
-
- The Paul McCartney Video Collection (2 tapes) -- Paul has produced an enormous
- number of videos (approx. 50) for virtually every project since the breakup
- of the Beatles. Most of these (specifically the pre-"Coming Up" clips) have
- been sitting in the vaults, collecting dust. A two-tape collection,
- particularly if Paul were to film new introductions for the clips would be
- a godsend for Macca fans everywhere.
-
- The George Harrison Video Collection -- While not making a vast number of
- promo films / videos (though certainly more then John) George has easily
- made enough to fill up a single tape. With only a little work, and perhaps
- some linking bits featuring George with his Monty Python pals, the results
- would be very interesting indeed.
-
- "48 Hours with Paul McCartney" (90 minute version) -- Produced by Dan
- Rather for the CBS news / information series. A very nice "behind-the-scenes"
- look from the first US leg of McCartney's 1989-90 world tour. Included is
- an interesting interview with the McCartneys, a look at the tour crew and
- what was involved in preparing the stage, and a humorous look at ticket
- scalping ("McCartney's crowd is just too damn OLD!") The only weak
- segment is a look at Chicago fan Joy Waugh, and her preparations for the
- show, and subsequent attempts to meet Macca. CBS does sell old episodes
- of "48 Hours" on video tape, but it is unknown whether this is available
- from them or not.
-
- "Unplugged" -- Paul McCartney appeared on this MTV production after the
- end of his 1989-1990 world tour. The resulting album sold in quite
- respectable numbers. A special, particularly one containing the entire
- program filmed that evening would be very much appreciated.
-
- The Birth of the Beatles -- Not a terribly deep film, but worth a video run
- for the production quality (filmed on location throughout England, Germany,
- and other places), and because Pete Best was the "historical advisor". (Which,
- incidentally, he didn't do a very good job with.) Reasonably good viewing,
- but suffers from the tv-movie problem of condensing weeks of real time into a
- single evening, and changing the order of events for dramatic reasons.
-
- Saturday Night Live -- Not counting the Rutles appearances, there are three
- episodes of the NBC late night comedy show that would appeal to Beatlefans.
- The first is George Harrison's appearance as the "Special Musical Guest" when
- Paul Simon hosted the show. In addition to the musical performance by the
- two, George's "Crackerbox Palace" promo was shown. The second is a 1980
- show where Paul made a special appearance with Father Guido Sarducci. In
- addition to a very funny interview between the two, Macca's "Coming Up" promo
- is shown. The third, and final SNL with strong Beatle ties is the show from
- the early-80's, with Ringo Starr hosting the program.
-
- And then, finally, I would like to see the Beatles cartoons released on video.
- The entire run could fit on ten "kid-priced" ($9.99 or less) tapes.
- ===============================================================================
-
- References:
-
- Other then personal opinion, and my very own Beatles video library, I did
- use some printed resources. These include:
-
- Beatlefan Magazine (1980 - present)
- The Beatles Monthly Book
- Good Day Sunshine
- _The Beatles A-Z_
- _The Beatles: The Ultimate Recording Guide_
- _The Complete Beatles Chronology_
-
- The latter is particularly recommended for a detailed look at the
- Beatles' television appearances, and film projects.
-
- <ESC>
- --
- Something in the way she moves, attracts me like a pomegranate.
- -- George Harrison
-