Multi-Disc CD/DVD Special Package Features Dazzling Performances of Beatles, Wings and Solo Classics From Citi Field, Formerly Shea Stadium, Historic Site of The Beatles’ Landmark 1965 Concert

“It was three great nights for the band and for me personally it was very exciting to be back opening a new stadium on the site of the old Shea Stadium where we had played 44 years previously. Even more exciting because this time round you could hear us!”

Paul McCartney’s historic three-night musical christening of New York’s Citi Field, witnessed by 120,000-plus attendees and universally hailed as a concert experience for the ages, will be immortalized November 17, 2009 when Hear Music/Concord Music Group releases Good Evening New York City.

This momentous musical experience will be available in two formats: a 3-disc (2 CD + 1 DVD) standard edition and a 4-disc (2 CD + 2 DVD) deluxe version featuring expanded packaging and a bonus DVD including McCartney’s traffic-stopping, headline-making July 15 performance on the Ed Sullivan Theater marquee (including bonus numbers not aired on the Late Show with David Letterman broadcast). The set will also be made available in high quality vinyl.

In any configuration, the 30+ songs and nearly 3 hours of music comprising Good Evening New York City are a must-have for attendees wishing to relive the July 17, 18 & 21 shows, those who couldn’t get tickets and/or anyone interested in an audiovisual document of a living legend. Good Evening New York City marks McCartney’s 2nd release for Hear Music. The first was 2007’s highly acclaimed Memory Almost Full.

The standard version of Good Evening New York City will be available at participating Starbucks company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada and wherever music is sold.

As the inaugural musical event at Citi Field, the site of the former Shea Stadium, the July 2009 shows held special significance not only for McCartney but for generations of his fans. The shows were performed on the same hallowed ground that The Beatles, in 1965, played the 34-minute show that would set the precedent for the modern day stadium rock show–and where in 2008 McCartney joined Billy Joel for the final rock show before the original stadium’s demolition.

As documented on Good Evening New York City, “I’m Down” from the 1965 set list was revived for the Citi Field shows, albeit this time played through a PA that was not overpowered by screaming fans (though there were still several thousand who tried).

Other highlights of Good Evening New York City include faithful takes on Beatles classics “Drive My Car,” “Got To Get You Into My Life,” “The Long And Winding Road,” “Blackbird,” “Eleanor Rigby,” “Back In The USSR,” “Paperback Writer,” “Let It Be,” “Hey Jude,” “Helter Skelter” and more, plus “Something” rendered on ukulele gifted to Paul by George Harrison, and a tribute to John Lennon in the form of a medley of “A Day In The Life” and “Give Peace A Chance.” Wings era chestnuts include “Band On The Run,” “My Love,” “Let Me Roll It” and the pyrotechnic tour de force of “Live And Let Die,” while timeless McCartney solo material ranges from “Here Today” to the upbeat “Flaming Pie” and “Dance Tonight” to a pair of numbers from Electric Arguments, the 2008 album released under the alias of The Fireman.

The concert footage featured on Good Evening New York City standard edition features concert footage directed by Paul Becher, who has overseen live visuals for McCartney for some 200 performances and counting. The 33-song 2 hour 40 minute performances were shot in High Definition using 15 cameras and digital footage incorporated from 75 Flipcams handed out to fans over the course of the three night stand. The audio mix, in both stereo and 5.1, was handled by longtime McCartney engineer Paul Hicks, whose credits include the recent Beatles remasters, The Beatles Anthology, Let It Be… Naked and two Grammy awards for his mixing work on the Beatles’ Love album.

The deluxe edition bonus DVD will feature footage of McCartney’s July 15 performance on the outdoor marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater, previously available only as a webcast on the Late Show with David Letterman website. The marquee set, which marked McCartney’s return to the site of The Beatles U.S. television debut, generated front page headlines and literally stopped traffic as word of mouth generated a crowd that packed Broadway from Columbus Circle to Times Square.

Paul McCartney’s July 17-21 Citi Field stand has already been unanimously hailed by critics and audiences alike as the concert experience of a lifetime. On November 17, Good Evening New York City will document it for the ages.

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About Hear Music

Hear Music is an innovative record label operated by Concord Music Group exclusively for Starbucks. Rooted in quality, authenticity and passion, Hear Music works directly with artists, both emerging and established, to bring quality music to the widest possible audience, in both Starbucks locations and traditional music retailers worldwide. Hear Music

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Aaron Gillespie, frontman for The Almost (and drummer for Underoath) was in the Capitol Tower in Hollywood on 9/9/09 doing some promo for his upcoming album for The Almost called ‘Monster Monster’ out November 3, 2009.

He had a moment to step away to show us his skills on the new Beatles Rock Band which was released that same day.

The Beatles entire original catalogue re-mastered

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THE ALMOST
Aaron Gillespie: vocalist/lyrics/guitar/drums
Jay Vilardi: guitars
Dusty Redmon: guitars
Alex Aponte: bass
Joe Musten: drums

More about The Almost / Monster album

The Almost’s second album for Tooth & Nail / Virgin Records began taking shape just as soon as the band came off the road after touring for their 2007 debut, Southern Weather, including a stint on that summer’s Warped tour.

That album, which debuted at #39 on Billboard’s Top 200, earned them a Top 10 single at Alternative radio, and a spot on MTV’s Discover & Download, was essentially the work of a single individual—Underoath drummer Aaron Gillespie, who wrote all the songs, played all the instruments and then recruited a band to play them live, starting with fellow Floridian Jay Vilardi, a veteran of several well-known area bands like Metal Blade’s Phoenix Mourning and Orlando-based Hand to Hand.

“My job was to teach everyone the songs,” explains Vilardi, who describes himself as the band’s musical director. The addition of Philadelphia-based guitarist Dusty Redman, himself a veteran of Tooth & Nail bands like Beloved and Dead Poetic and Salt Lake City bassist Alex Aponte rounded out the line-up.

The now thoroughly road-tested band was intent to make their latest a completely collaborative effort, melding their talents into a whole that was more than the sum of its individual parts. The process began with Vilardi, Redmon and Aponte e-mailing files back and forth to Gillespie, who was busy penning lyrics and coming up with musical ideas of his own while touring with Underoath, before all four of them got together in the studio to jam and work out the arrangements.

It was a system that resulted in a powerfully cohesive album that melds their diverse songwriting skills, from the thudding, Raw Power-like stomp of the title track and “Young Again,” to the stark acoustic blues and closing psychedelic jam of “Monster,” the techno-rock laced with tribal drums of “Books and Books” and the melodic Coldplay/U2/Kings of Leon arena-rock anthem, “Hands.”

“It turned out to be a really good process because we wound up with a tremendous amount of material we can use,” says Vilardi.

“We jammed on these tracks for hours before we actually laid anything down,” nods Gillespie. “This now feels like a real band. Everyone gave up a piece of his own agenda for the good of the final result. And that’s how you end up with something special. It was a relief for me because it took a lot of the weight off my shoulders. They supplied the bricks and we built the house together.”

The guys also enlisted the help of steel guitarists Chris Scruggs (grandson of bluegrass legend Earl Scruggs) and John Davis (Superdrag vocalist/guitarist) while in the studio. Both Scruggs and Davis helped they guys broaden their musical pallets on a few tracks like “West” and “Hand Grenade.”

“It was whatever each of us could do for the song,” agrees Redmon. “There were no ego issues, no one screaming, ‘I’m Eddie Van Halen!’”

Gillespie says the songs are about the dark side of the human condition, battling your demons to come out the other side, starting with the album’s title.

“I’m giving in to you,” he roars in “Lonely Wheel,” though in “No I Don’t,” which segues from an acoustic beginning to an anthemic rock chorus, he admits, “I’m learning how to wait.” The hard-hitting “Young Again” and the country-flavored “Hand Grenade” (“Oh to be young/It sounds like so much fun”) are both about lost innocence, while “Souls on Ten,” with its piano flourish and urgent intensity, has a Springsteen feel and the grungy garage-rock of “Summer Summer” offers an elegiac nod to vintage Neil Young with Crazy Horse.

“It didn’t start out as a concept album, but by accident, I think it became one,” says Aaron. “It’s about the ‘monster’ that lives inside of all of us, which we have to fight to get rid of. It’s a battle you live with every day. In the end, when that stops, the question remains, can you now life your life? Can you get all of who you are, can you find a place that makes you happy?”

That catharsis comes across loud and clear in the final song on the album, dubbed “Monster,” which starts with Gillespie alone, accompanied by a single dobro. “Learning how to see/In this weird change of space/I’m learning to believe in this life… I feel you helping me.” The song builds until, about two-thirds of the way through, the rest of The Almost come in, embarking on a spontaneous acid-soaked jam, recorded live, that provides the ultimate release.

“Everybody needs that,” says Gillespie. “For some people, it’s drinking, others run, some throw baseballs. I play music. That’s what I do. That gets rid of the garbage in my life.”

“It’s about how terrible we can be at times,” says Vilardi. “It’s hard to be a person today who stands for something. It doesn’t make you better… sometimes it even makes you worse.”

On “Hands,” the band prove they can create an arena- and radio-ready rock anthem, with its martial beat, chiming keyboards and lush ‘80s new wave fizz

“It’s like an Achtung Baby vibe,” nods Dusty. “That song came out of nowhere. We demoed it, then got into the studio and started playing it and just got real excited.”

“I like working with a song structure,” says Gillespie. “In Underoath, that’s not what we do. We create moments, which is important, but The Almost is something different.”

“Monster Monster” and “Young Again” demonstrate Jay and Dusty’s love of classic garage punk, like the Stooges and the Velvet Undergound. “We really want to put the middle finger back in rock,” says Vilardi. “We love the attitude of bands like Guns N’ Roses.”

And that’s strange, because it turns out that rebellion doesn’t conflict with being on Tooth & Nail, where the support of community is almost as important as the religious implications.

“Music should reflect who you are,” says Aaron. “I believe there’s hope in finding who you are. That’s my conviction. At the same time, I want anybody, no matter their affiliation, to react to the music in the same way. I don’t want people to feel they’re being judged.”

With the addition of drummer Joe Musten (Gillespie played all the drums on the album), The Almost is ready to hit the road and do what they do best, play for their increasing fan base around the country.

“We plan on hitting it as hard as we can,” laughs Vilardi. “We’d like to leave and not come back for two years.”

“We’re just beginning now to establish our identity,” concludes Dusty. “There were a lot of people now who are finding out about Underoath through The Almost.”

Now there’s a transformation for you.

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Today, September 9, 2009 (9-9-9) marks the highly anticipated release of the entire original Beatles catalogue, which has been digitally re-mastered for the first time, for worldwide CD distribution – and the release of “The Beatles: Rock Band” video game.

Below is a link to an exclusive streaming video clip of “I Saw Her Standing There.”

“I Saw Her Standing There” streaming video link clip

Beatles fest Fandemonium video stream

Read more: The Beatles catalogue re-mastered

The Beatles: Rock Band

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The Beatles Official Website

THE BEATLES Box Of Vision® Ushers In A New Era For Beatles Fans And Collectors

Deluxe Companion to the Newly Re-mastered BEATLES CDs Includes First LP Size Book Of Complete Album Artwork And Storage For The Entire Beatles CD Catalog

In anticipation of the September 2009 release of The Beatles‘ digitally re-mastered catalog, THE BEATLES Box Of Vision® is now available for pre-order at www.BoxOfVision.com for late August 2009 delivery, and will be available at select retailers this Fall.

Officially licensed by Apple Corps Ltd., the stunning collection includes:

*A 200-page LP-size book containing all of The Beatles’ LP artwork, brilliantly restored in pristine new art prints. This is the first time that all of The Beatles UK and US album artwork has been collected together in a single LP sized book. From PLEASE PLEASE ME and MEET THE BEATLES through LOVE, this book includes front covers, back covers, gatefolds, inserts, and the complete LP booklets from MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR, LET IT BE…NAKED and LOVE, arranged to create the feeling of holding and enjoying the entire LP collection in your lap.

*The “Catalography,” a brand new, full color discography guide with photos, text and track-listings, providing the first-ever side-by-side presentation of the UK albums and their US counterparts, with an exclusive essay by Beatles author and historian Bruce Spizer.

*The BoxOfVision storage book, a unique and elegant way for fans to organize and display all 32 discs of The Beatles’ core catalog. Fans may insert CDs and booklets from their existing collections or the new digitally re-mastered versions-the BoxOfVision was built to store and display the digi-pak boxes that will house the newly re-mastered CDs.

Ideal for fans, collectors and holiday gift giving, the set is housed in an elegant black, linen-covered box with silver embossed Beatles logos and faux Beatles LP spines. The 13″ x 13″ box features the iconic image of The Beatles photographed by Robert Freeman for the cover of WITH THE BEATLES (released as MEET THE BEATLES in the US).

Once a fan inserts their CDs, they are able to store and display The Beatles entire body of work in a single, elegant book.

THE BEATLES Box Of Vision was conceived by Jonathan Polk, a music industry veteran with more than 20 years experience. “It’s the ultimate fan piece,” says Polk, who served as Executive Vice President / Chief Operating Officer for Capitol Records during the period in which it released The Beatles LOVE album, LET IT BE…NAKED, and THE BEATLES CAPITOL ALBUMS VOL. 1 and VOL. 2.

“The Beatles invented the rock album format and it was my goal to help ensure that fans can continue to discover and appreciate this single greatest catalog of music the way it was originally created.”

“I have always been frustrated with the available options for organizing and storing CDs,” continues Polk, who is also the inventor of the Box of Vision’s patented CD storage structure. “And, I hated the fact that the beautiful LP artwork I grew up with was reduced to almost postage stamp size on CDs. The Box Of Vision gives fans the best of all worlds.”

For a limited time, individuals who pre-order at www.BoxOfVision.com will reserve a limited edition, individually numbered first edition/first printing of THE BEATLES Box Of Vision. This collector’s edition will not exceed 7,200 copies. Shipment will commence in mid-August, just prior to Apple Corps Ltd and EMI Music’s September 9, 2009 release of the original Beatles catalog, which has been digitally re-mastered for the first time.

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For a “virtual tour” and more information on THE BEATLES Box Of Vision visit:

Box Of Vision Official Website

Paolo Nutini looks destined for No.1 come Sunday with his stunning new album ‘Sunny Side Up’. The record was top of the midweek’s and looks set to carry on in the same vein.

Paolo sets off on a 15-date tour in September and has summer festival shows booked in Isle of Wight, Glastonbury, T in the Park, Oxygen and V. He also plays the iTunes Live Festival, July 10, 2009 at the Roundhouse.

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Kasabian are also taking part in the month long iTunes Festival at the Roundhouse, July 22nd. The band kicked off their 20-date sold out tour with a trio of emphatic hometown gigs in Leicester and played the first of their 9 massive stadium dates with Oasis in Manchester last night.

Their eagerly anticipated new album ‘West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum’ is out on Monday. The band’s new single ‘Fire’, which was released on Monday is No.1 on the iTunes Chart and riding high at No.3 in the midweek’s.

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Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr appeared on stage for the first public viewing of Beatles Rock Band, released September 9th. The karaoke-style game lets users use adapted game controllers – lead guitar, bass guitar and drums – to play along to various songs. George Harrison’s widow, Olivia also attended the premiere.

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The Beatles: Rock Band on amazon.co.uk

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Jersey Budd is setting himself up for a royal summer. He supported his mates Kasabian last weekend in a trio of raucous hometown shows on the opening nights of their tour and plays support to The Enemy, Somerset House, July 11th. Jersey also has 5 festival shows booked including Isle Of Wight Festival and Glastonbury.

He releases his anthemic single ‘She Came Back’ next month, which features guest vocals from Kasabian’s front man Tom Meighan.

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Just Jack kicks off his short UK tour in Liverpool on Sunday, which features a show at the Electric Ballroom on Thursday (June 11th). No doubt he will be showcasing tracks from his impressive new album ‘All Night Cinema’. Jack also plays Glastonbury this month and supports Lily Allen at Somerset House, July 11th.

Jack was DJ for the night at the Glamour Awards on Tuesday as part of the aftershow party in Berkeley Square.

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Mark Ronson was also at the Glamour Awards on Tuesday, presenting Adele with her solo artist of the year award. Mark plays the Southbank Centre’s Meltdown Festival, June 14th alongside Yoko Ono Plastic Ono Band, Sean Lennon and special guests.

Pearl Jam premiered their track ‘Got Some’ from their eagerly anticipated new album ‘Backspacer’ on the debut of the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien on Monday night. The band’s ninth studio album is set for release in the autumn.

Pearl Jam performance on the Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien June 1, 2009:

Watch Pearl Jam on The Tonight Show video:

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Vagabond release their free download single ‘Sweat (Until The Morning)’ as an iTunes/Bebo exclusive next week. This will be followed up by ‘Don’t Wanna Run No More’ (August 3rd), which has already received airplay by Radio One’s Jo Whiley from their debut album ‘You Don’t Know The Half Of It’ (August 17th).

Vagabond support The Script at Shepherd’s Bush Hall, June 17th. Check the live schedule for more Vagabond live dates.

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Tom Hickox was in scintillating form at Earl’s Court Troubadour on Tuesday. He impressed the crowd with his captivating live show and quintessential charm. Tom releases his beautiful track ‘The Pretty Pride Of Russia’ as a limited edition demo, June 15, 2009.

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Elvis Costello released his new album ‘Secret, Profane & Sugarcane’ on Monday, which has garnered many glowing reviews. He releases the lead single from his record ‘Complicated Shadows’ next Monday (June 8th).

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The Fray return with their single ‘Never Say Never’, next week, the second single from their UK Top Ten self-titled album, which went straight to No.1 in the US.

(L) Eric Idol, Sir Paul McCartney, Olivia Harrison, Tom Hanks, Dhani Harrison

CD and Digital Collection Features Harrison’s Solo Hits, Remastered, Plus Live Recordings from 1971 Concert For Bangladesh

The Late George Harrison Honored Yesterday with Hollywood Walk of Fame Star Presentation

(L) Jeff Lynne, Sir Paul McCartney, Joe Walsh, Olivia Harrison and the son of the late George Harrison, Dhani Harrison

As music legend George Harrison was celebrated yesterday with a new star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles, Capitol/EMI announces Harrison’s first ever career-spanning solo hits collection, ‘Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison’, to be released June 16, 2009.

The new title will feature digitally remastered tracks in deluxe packaging, including an extensive booklet featuring previously unseen and rare photos. The collection will also be available for download from all major digital service providers.

‘Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison’ is the first release that will span his entire solo recording career, including the #1 Billboard Pop singles “My Sweet Lord,” “Isn’t It A Pity,” “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth),” and “Got My Mind Set On You.”

Watch “Here Comes The Sun” video:

The new title will also feature live recordings of three Harrison-penned Beatles songs, “Something,” “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” and “Here Comes The Sun” from his 1971 all-star Concert For Bangladesh benefit at Madison Square Garden. The complete track list will soon be announced.

George Harrison is a twice-inducted member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, as a solo artist and as a member of The Beatles, and an 11-time Grammy Award winner for his recordings with The Beatles, Traveling Wilburys and as a solo artist.

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Photo Credit: Lester Cohen/WireImage

George Harrison Official Website

On Tuesday it was announced that The Beatles’ entire back catalogue has been digitally remastered for the first time. As a result, the catalogue has never sounded better without losing the authenticity of the original recordings. The worldwide CD release will coincide with the eagerly anticipated Beatles: Rock Band video game, on September, 2009.

Karima Francis’ performance of her glorious track “Francis” from her debut album ‘The Author’ is on Later with Jools Holland tomorrow night, Friday the 10th.

You can also see her exquisite version of Kings Of Leon’s hit “Use Somebody” for the BBC Jools Holland website.

Karima’s next single is set to be “Chasing The Morning Light” out June 22, 2009.

Russell Brand releases his highly anticipated Radio 2 shows as a 4-disc box set on Monday. Titled ‘The Best Of What’s Legal’ the box set features Russell Brand’s radio cohort Matt Morgan, resident poet Mr Gee and sometimes stalwart Noel Gallagher. There are also guest appearances from Simon Amstell, Alan Carr, Noel Fielding and many more.

Russell is currently bringing his hugely popular live comedy tour to a close with shows in Glasgow, Hammersmith and Cardiff. He then brings the curtain down in spectacular fashion at the O2, April 17th.

Kasabian unleashed their explosive track “Vlad The Impaler” last week and the reaction was incredible. The track achieved over 65,000 downloads and the video featuring Noel Fielding received over 30,000 hits on YouTube.

Jason Mraz finished off his short jaunt of the UK this week, which featured two sold out gigs at Hammersmith Apollo. He releases his infectious new single “Make It Mine” on Monday. The track is on the Radio 2 A-list and Radio One B-list.

Vagabond brought their stunning live show to Madame JoJo’s last night, as they showcased tracks from their impressive debut album ‘You Don’t Know The Half Of It’. The irrepressible front man Alex Vargas was in fine form, much to the delight of their growing legion of fans. Stay tuned for more news of a Vagabond tour shortly.

WHO: The late music legend George Harrison
Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler
Accepting the star will be George Harrison’s wife Olivia and Dhani Harrison Speakers tba

WHAT: 2,382nd Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame

WHERE: 1750 Vine Street in front of the legendary Capitol Records building

WHEN: Tuesday, April 14, at 11:30 a.m.

George Harrison was born on February 25, 1943 in Liverpool. After a stint playing with his group the Rebels, George, together with his schoolmate Paul McCartney, joined John Lennon’s Quarrymen. He was fifteen at the time, and the stage was set for The Beatles to emerge as the best possible news in post-War Britain.

Over the course of The Beatles’ career, Harrison played the role of guitarist, singer and songwriter. His contributions to The Beatles’ catalogue include “I Need You”, “Taxman”, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”, “Something” and “Here Comes the Sun”, to name only a few. His lifelong interest in Indian culture advanced considerably through his friendship with Ravi Shankar and affected all of The Beatles and their musical explorations.

In the years immediately following the break-up of The Beatles, George released his first solo album ‘All Things Must Pass’ to worldwide acclaim, followed by further major recordings, the bulk of which went gold or platinum. One could argue that The Concert for Bangladesh, featuring George’s friends Eric Clapton, Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Leon Russell, Ringo Starr, and others, has had the greatest impact. As a response to a world crisis, it was like nothing that the music business had witnessed up to that point and earned a Grammy for Album of the Year in 1973.

In 1987 on the heels of George’s top ten album ‘Cloud Nine’ he formed the Traveling Wilburys with Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison and Tom Petty. “Handle with Care” was the Wilburys’ first single and it caught the world by surprise. The Wilburys would go on to earn a Grammy and are still remembered as the “supergroup” with no equal.

After a life of excursions in the arts and spiritual adventures, George Harrison passed away in 2001. The following year, A Concert for George was organized by Eric Clapton and Olivia Harrison. Filmed at The Royal Albert Hall his former bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne created a magical night. The event captured something of the warm and intense impact George had on those fortunate enough to know him well.

His songwriting was powerful enough to generate standards in the field. His love for humour and film turned him, almost inadvertently, into an important movie producer. And, without a doubt, his contribution to The Beatles left an indelible mark on that band’s music and character—we hear it still.

Martin Scorsese is currently directing a documentary feature about George’s remarkable life, and on April 14, 2009, Capitol/EMI will announce plans for a new George Harrison music release.

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Photo Credit: Chris Cuffaro/JGB Photo

George Harrison Official Website

Photo Session, 1965, © Apple Corps Ltd, 2009

Apple Corps Ltd. and EMI Music are delighted to announce the release of the original Beatles catalogue, which has been digitally re-mastered for the first time, for worldwide CD release on Wednesday, September 9, 2009 (9-9-09), the same date as the release of the widely anticipated The Beatles: Rock Band video game.

Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, © Apple Corps Ltd, 2009

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Each of the CDs is packaged with replicated original UK album art, including expanded booklets containing original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the album. On the same date, two new Beatles boxed CD collections will also be released.

Photo Session, 1962, © Apple Corps Ltd, 2009

The albums have been re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period utilising state of the art recording technology alongside vintage studio equipment, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result of this painstaking process is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release.

The collection comprises all 12 Beatles albums in stereo, with track listings and artwork as originally released in the UK, and ‘Magical Mystery Tour,’ which became part of The Beatles’ core catalogue when the CDs were first released in 1987. In addition, the collections ‘Past Masters Vol. I and II’ are now combined as one title, for a total of 14 titles over 16 discs. This will mark the first time that the first four Beatles albums will be available in stereo in their entirety on compact disc. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a stereo boxed set.

Within each CD’s new packaging, booklets include detailed historical notes along with informative recording notes. With the exception of the ‘Past Masters’ set, newly produced mini-documentaries on the making of each album, directed by Bob Smeaton, are included as QuickTime files on each album. The documentaries contain archival footage, rare photographs and never-before-heard studio chat from The Beatles, offering a unique and very personal insight into the studio atmosphere.

A second boxed set has been created with the collector in mind. ‘The Beatles in Mono’ gathers together, in one place, all of the Beatles recordings that were mixed for a mono release. It will contain 10 of the albums with their original mono mixes, plus two further discs of mono masters (covering similar ground to the stereo tracks on ‘Past Masters’). As an added bonus, the mono “Help!” and “Rubber Soul” discs also include the original 1965 stereo mixes, which have not been previously released on CD. These albums will be packaged in mini-vinyl CD replicas of the original sleeves with all original inserts and label designs retained.

For the latest news and information, go to:

The Beatles Official Website

Additional information:

The Stereo Albums (available individually and collected in a stereo boxed set)
The stereo albums have been remastered by Guy Massey, Steve Rooke, Sam Okell with Paul Hicks and Sean Magee
All CD packages contain original vinyl artwork and liner notes
Extensive archival photos
Additional historical notes by Kevin Howlett and Mike Heatley
Additional recording notes by Allan Rouse and Kevin Howlett
* = CD includes QuickTime mini-doc about the album
Please Please Me* (CD debut in stereo)
With The Beatles* (CD debut in stereo)
A Hard Day’s Night* (CD debut in stereo)
Beatles For Sale* (CD debut in stereo)
Help!*
Rubber Soul*
Revolver*
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band* (also includes 1987 notes, updated, and new intro by Paul McCartney)
Magical Mystery Tour*
The Beatles*
Yellow Submarine* (also includes original US liner notes)
Abbey Road*
Let It Be*
Past Masters (contains new liner notes written by Kevin Howlett)

‘The Beatles in Mono’ (boxed set only)
The mono albums have been remastered by Paul Hicks, Sean Magee with Guy Massey and Steve Rooke
Presented together in box with an essay written by Kevin Howlett
+ = mono mix CD debut
Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Day’s Night
Beatles For Sale
Help! (CD also includes original 1965 stereo mix)+
Rubber Soul (CD also include original 1965 stereo mix)+
Revolver+
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band+
Magical Mystery Tour+
The Beatles+
Mono Masters

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Re-mastering the Beatles catalogue

The re-mastering process commenced with an extensive period conducting tests before finally copying the analogue master tapes into the digital medium. When this was completed, the transfer was achieved using a Pro Tools workstation operating at 24 bit 192 kHz resolution via a Prism A-D converter. Transferring was a lengthy procedure done a track at a time. Although EMI tape does not suffer the oxide loss associated with some later analogue tapes, there was nevertheless a slight build up of dust, which was removed from the tape machine heads between each title.

From the onset, considerable thought was given to what audio restorative processes were going to be allowed. It was agreed that electrical clicks, microphone vocal pops, excessive sibilance and bad edits should be improved where possible, so long as it didn’t impact on the original integrity of the songs.

In addition, de-noising technology, which is often associated with re-mastering, was to be used, but subtly and sparingly. Eventually, less than five of the 525 minutes of Beatles music was subjected to this process. Finally, as is common with today’s music, overall limiting – to increase the volume level of the CD – has been used, but on the stereo versions only. However, it was unanimously agreed that because of the importance of The Beatles’ music, limiting would be used moderately, so as to retain the original dynamics of the recordings.

When all of the albums had been transferred, each song was then listened to several times to locate any of the agreed imperfections. These were then addressed by Guy Massey, working with Audio Restoration engineer Simon Gibson.

Mastering could now take place, once the earliest vinyl pressings, along with the existing CDs, were loaded into Pro Tools, thus allowing comparisons to be made with the original master tapes during the equalization process. When an album had been completed, it was auditioned the next day in studio three – a room familiar to the engineers, as all of the recent Beatles mixing projects had taken place in there – and any further alteration of EQ could be addressed back in the mastering room. Following the initial satisfaction of Guy and Steve, Allan Rouse and Mike Heatley then checked each new re-master in yet another location and offered any further suggestions. This continued until all 13 albums were completed to the team’s satisfaction.

New Notes/Documentaries Team

Kevin Howlett (Historical and Recording Notes)
Kevin Howlett’s career as an award-winning radio producer spans three decades. His music programmes for the BBC have included many documentaries about The Beatles, including ‘The Beeb’s Lost Beatles Tapes.’ He received a Grammy nomination for his involvement with The Beatles’ album ‘Live At The BBC’ and, in 2003, produced the ‘Fly On The Wall’ bonus disc for ‘Let It Be… Naked.’

Mike Heatley (Historical Notes)
Mike entered the music business via HMV Record Stores in 1970, transferring to EMI Records’ International Division three years later. He eventually headed up that division in the early Eighties before joining the company’s newly created Strategic Marketing Division in 1984. In 1988, he returned to International, where he undertook a number of catalogue marketing roles until he retired in December 2008.

During his career he worked with many of EMI’s major artists, including Pink Floyd, Queen, Kate Bush and Iron Maiden. However, during the last 30 years he has formed a particularly strong relationship with Apple, and has been closely involved in the origination and promotion of the Beatles catalogue, besides solo releases from John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Bob Smeaton (Director, Mini-Documentaries)
Bob Smeaton was series director and writer on the Grammy award winning ‘Beatles Anthology’ TV series which aired in the UK and the USA in 1995. In 1998 he received his second Grammy for his ‘Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsys’ documentary. In 2004 he gained his first feature film credit, as director on the feature documentary ‘Festival Express.’ He subsequently went on to direct documentaries on many of the world’s biggest music acts including The Who, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Elton John, Nirvana and the Spice Girls.

Julian Caiden (Editor, Mini-Documentaries)
Julian has worked with Bob Smeaton on numerous music documentaries including ‘Jimi Hendrix: Band of Gypsys’ and the ‘Classic Albums’ series, featuring The Who, Pink Floyd, The Doors, Elton John and Nirvana among others. He has worked on documentary profiles from Richard Pryor to Dr. John to Sir Ian McKellen, Herbie Hancock and Damien Hirst and on live music shows including the New York Dolls and Club Tropicana.

The Abbey Road Team

Allan Rouse (Project Coordinator)
Allan joined EMI straight from school in 1971 at their Manchester Square head office, working as an assistant engineer in the demo studio. During this time he frequently worked with Norman (Hurricane) Smith, The Beatles’ first recording engineer.

In 1991, he had his first involvement with The Beatles, copy­ing all of their master tapes (mono, stereo, 4-track and 8-track) to digital tape as a safety backup. This was followed by four years working with Sir George Martin as assistant and project coordinator on the TV documentary ‘The Making of Sgt. Pepper’s’ and the CDs ‘Live at the BBC’ and ‘The Anthol­ogy.’

In 1997, MGM/UA were preparing to reissue the film ‘Yellow Submarine’ and, with the permission of Apple, asked that all of The Beatles’ music be mixed for the film in 5.1 surround and stereo. Allan requested the services of Abbey Road’s senior engineer Peter Cobbin and assistant Guy Massey and, along with them, produced the new mixes.

Two years later, he proposed an experimental stereo and surround mix of John Lennon’s song ‘Imagine’ engineered by Peter Cobbin. Following lengthy consultations with Yoko Ono, the album ‘Imagine’ was re-mixed in stereo and the Grammy award-winning film ‘Gimme Some Truth’ in surround and new stereo. This led to a further five of John’s albums being re-mastered with new stereo mixes and the DVD release of ‘Lennon Legend’ being re-mixed in 5.1 surround and new stereo.

Further projects followed, including The Beatles ‘Anthol­ogy’, ‘The First US Visit’ and ‘Help’ DVD and the albums ‘Let It Be…Naked’ and ‘Love’ along with George Harrison’s ‘Concert for Bangladesh’ DVD and album.

For a number of years now, Allan has worked exclusively on Beatles and related projects.

Guy Massey (Recording Engineer)
Guy joined Abbey Road in 1994, and five years later assisted on the surround remix for The Beatles film ‘Yellow Submarine.’ This led to The Beatles’ ‘Anthology’ DVD and later, along with Paul Hicks and Allan Rouse, they mixed and produced ‘Let It Be… Naked.’ In 2004 he left the studios to become freelance and has engineered The Divine Comedy: ‘Victory for the Comic Muse,’ Air Traffic: ‘Fractured Life,’ James Dean Bradfield: ‘The Great Western’ and Stephen Fretwell’s ‘Magpie,’ co-producing the last two. Since leaving, Guy is still a vital member of the team, and has been the senior engineer for the re-mastering project and was responsible for surround and new stereo mixes for the DVD release of ‘Help!’

Steve Rooke (Mastering Engineer)
Steve joined Abbey Road in 1983 and is now the studio’s senior mastering engineer. He has been involved on all The Beatles’ projects since 1999. He has also been responsible for mastering releases by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

Paul Hicks (Recording Engineer)
Paul started at Abbey Road in 1994, and his first involvement with The Beatles was assisting engineer Geoff Emerick on the Anthology albums. This was followed by ‘Yellow Submarine Songtrack,’ ‘Anthology’ DVD and ‘Let It Be… Naked.’ Like Guy Massey, he has also become a freelance engineer and since leaving the studios he has been responsible for the surround mixing of Paul McCartney’s DVD ‘The McCartney Years’ and The Beatles’ ‘Love.’ Paul has been in charge of the mono re-masters.

Sean Magee (Mastering Engineer)
Sean began working at Abbey Road in 1995 with a diploma in sound engineering. With a wealth of knowledge in analog and digital mastering, he has worked alongside Paul Hicks on the mono re-masters.

Sam Okell (Recording Engineer)
Sam’s first job as a member of the team was in 2006, assisting Paul Hicks on Paul McCartney’s DVD ‘The McCartney Years,’ and during that same year he was responsible for the re-mastering of George Harrison’s ‘Living In The Material World’ CD along with Steve Rooke. This led to him restoring the soundtrack to the Beatles film ‘Help!’ in surround and stereo, in addition to assisting Guy Massey with the song remixes.

Sam has re-mastered ‘With The Beatles’ and ‘Let It Be.’

Simon Gibson (Audio Restoration Engineer)
Simon joined Abbey Road in 1990. He has progressed from mastering mostly classical recordings to include a much wider range of music, including pop and rock, with his specialized role as an audio restoration engineer. Apart from the re-mastering project, his other work includes George Harrison’s ‘Living In The Material World,’ John Lennon’s ‘Lennon Legend,’ The Beatles’ ‘Love’ and the ‘Help!’ DVD soundtrack.

Apple Corps, Ltd., Harmonix and MTV Games, a part of Viacom’s MTV Networks (NYSE: VIA, VIA.B), today announced the 9/9/09 worldwide release of The Beatles: Rock Band.

The music-based video game, an unprecedented, experiential progression through and celebration of the music and artistry of The Beatles, will be available simultaneously worldwide in North America, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and other territories for the Xbox 360® video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PLAYSTATION®3 computer entertainment system and Wii™ home videogame console from Nintendo.

Rock Band on amazon.com

Rock Band on amazon.co.uk

The Beatles: Rock Band will allow fans to pick up the guitar, bass, mic or drums and experience The Beatles extraordinary catalogue of music through gameplay that takes players on a journey through the legacy and evolution of the band’s legendary career.

In addition, The Beatles: Rock Band will offer a limited number of new hardware offerings modeled after instruments used by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr throughout their career.

The Beatles: Rock Band will be offered as standalone software and hardware as well as a limited edition bundle. The game will be compatible with all Rock Band instrument controllers and other current music-based video game peripherals.

Available on 9/9/09:

The Beatles: Rock Band Software – Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $59.99 MSRP
The Beatles: Rock Band Standalone Guitars – Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $99.99 MSRP
The Beatles: Rock Band Limited Edition Premium Bundle: Xbox 360, PLAYSTATION 3, Wii: $249.99 MSRP

Please note: Pricing outside of the US to be announced at a later date.

The Beatles: Rock Band marks the first time that Apple Corps, along with EMI Music, Harrisongs Ltd, and Sony/ATV Music Publishing, has agreed to present The Beatles music in an interactive video game format.

Published by MTV Games and developed by Harmonix, the world’s premier music video game company and creators of the best-selling Rock Band ®, the game was creatively conceived with input and full blessing from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison.

Electronic Arts will serve as distribution partner for the game. In addition, Giles Martin, co-producer of The Beatles innovative LOVE album project, is providing his expertise and serving as Music Producer for this groundbreaking Beatles project.

Exclusive content created by Apple Corps, MTV Games and Harmonix will be made available to fans over the next few months who participate in a pre-order campaign through major retailers.

More details on The Beatles: Rock Band game and pre-order will be revealed in the coming months.

Rock Band Official Website

The Beatles Rock Band Official Website

40 years since The Beatles said “Goodbye”, Some Velvet Morning Say “Hello” to a new generation of music lovers, performers and the public to raise awareness of Music Rights.

Celebratory rooftop performance to take place: 30th January 2009, 1pm @ Performing Rights Society, Berners Street, London W1T 3AB.

40 years ago The Beatles took to the roof of Apple’s HQ to play their last ever performance together. Four decades later their legacy still continues and bands across the globe still hold them as one of the main influences in their musical careers.

30th January 2009, 1pm will see forty years to date since this momentous occasion and it’s not going to go unmissed. Some Velvet Morning will be one of the first bands to play on a roof top in central London in the last 20 years not to mention being the first group ever to play on top of the PRS building.

After playing to thousands at sold out shows in Thailand and being mobbed in Russia and the USA, Some Velvet Morning have a strong links to The Beatles. As a graduate from LIPA, drummer Rob Flanagan along with singer and bassist Des and Gavin Lambert recently returned to Paul McCartney’s Uni to hold a master class (like Sir Paul) in relation to the changing environment of the music business and music rights. The connection doesn’t end there; Some
Velvet Morning wrote their first songs on John Lennon’s piano, cut their first demos at George Martin’s AIR studios and were signed by Vicki Wickham, who put The Beatles on television.

Some Velvet Morning manager James Wilkinson is very enthusiastic about the event, which will be filmed for a forthcoming documentary. He said, “This is a unique opportunity for Some Velvet Morning to increase an awareness of music rights and the role copyright plays within the Music Industry as part of The Music Rights Road Show”.

Being proud of the British musical heritage, Some Velvet Morning are at the forefront of moving forwards in making a name for themselves in a very different music business to the 1960s/1970s the real hey day of physical sales; embarking on a tour of roof tops and universities, Some Velvet Morning are holding lectures and master classes across the UK in showing the practical element to making money from being musicians, educating students in the ways that a band can earn a living from film and TV synchronisation, live performance and showing the next generation the importance of the work of the PRS For Music and UK Music Rights.

The band will take to the stage at 1pm sharp.

Performing Rights Society Official Website

Some Velvet Morning Official Website
Some Velvet Morning MySpace

Following the widespread critical and commercial success of 2003’s ‘Dub Side of the Moon’ and 2006’s ‘Radiodread’, Easy Star Records announces the Easy Star All-Stars‘ complete reggae re-imagining of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

Easy Star All-Stars on amazon.com

Easy Star All-Stars on amazon.co.uk

The album, titled ‘Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band’, is set for release April 14, 2009 on Easy Star Records and features guest vocals from an impressive list of reggae, dancehall and dub greats including Steel Pulse, Matisyahu, Michael Rose (Black Uhuru), Luciano, U Roy, Bunny Rugs (Third World), Ranking Roger (English Beat), Sugar Minott, Frankie Paul, Max Romeo and The Mighty Diamonds.

The first single, “With A Little Help From My Friends”, featuring Luciano, will be released as an iTunes exclusive February 10. It will be paired with a b-side dub version featuring the legendary U Roy.

‘Dub Side of the Moon’, (Easy Star’s reggae tribute to Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon) is one of the most successful reggae albums of the 21st century and spent over five years on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart. Mojo selected the record as the second greatest cover album of all time.

‘Radiodread’, which tackled Radiohead’s OK Computer, spent over 18 months on Billboard’s Top Reggae Chart and earned praise from Radiohead themselves.

Of the decision to infuse reggae into the Beatles classic, producer Michael Goldwasser says “We’ve focused on re-envisioning concept albums as reggae and it’s really important that the source material works as a whole and is not just a collection of songs. So, what better to take on next than the mother of all concept albums?”

Goldwasser is once more the musical mastermind behind this album, having arranged and produced the music, assembled the musicians and guest artists and played guitar throughout. Goldwasser is joined by Victor Rice (bass), Victor “Ticklah” Axelrod (keyboards) and Patrick Dougher & Eddie Ocampo (drums, percussion). Members of the touring version of the Easy Star All-Stars also contribute, including Ras I Ray, Jenny Hill, Buford O’Sullivan, Ivan Katz, Kirsty Rock, Tamar-kali, Junior Jazz and Menny More. In addition to producing six albums for Easy Star, Goldwasser has produced albums for Corey Harris, Hatikva 6 and others, and has had compositions featured in the motion pictures Failure To Launch and Woody Allen’s Cassandra’s Dream.

For over a decade, Easy Star Records has been a trendsetting independent reggae label. ‘Dub Side of the Moon’ and ‘Radiodread’ form the backbone of a catalogue that includes progressive albums from John Brown’s Body and Easy Star All-Stars keyboardist Ticklah, reissues of classic material from Sugar Minott and Linval Thompson and new recordings from reggae legends The Meditations and Sister Carol.

“They made a smashing success out of their cover of Dark Side of the Moon…” – Pitchfork

“The All-Stars have tackled Radiohead’s OK Computer, and the result is again impressive.” – Rolling Stone

Easy Star Records Official Website
Easy Star MySpace

“The Dave Clark Five were the biggest challenge to The Beatles.”

One hundred million selling band The Dave Clark Five are back with a new album called ‘The Hits’.

Watch “Glad All Over” video:

The Hits on amazon.co.uk

The Hits on amazon.com

This carer spanning release including their No. 1 hits “Glad All Over” and “Bits and Pieces” and classic tracks like “Do You Love Me”, “Don’t Let Me Down”, “Can’t You See That You’re Mine”.

The Dave Clark 5 were the first English group to tour the United States, spearheading the British Invasion. During their first two years in the US they scored no less than fifteen consecutive Top Twenty hits, more than anyone except The Beatles. They took the world by storm and helped change the rock scene, blasting hit after hit over the world’s radio airwaves.

Dave produced all The DC5’s records and co-wrote most of them, and he also managed the group at the same time. In the UK, The Dave Clark Five achieved the seemingly impossible feat of a semi-professional outfit, without an agent or manager, logging up two consecutive No. 1 hit records. The first was “Glad All Over” ringing up cash sales in excess of two-and-a-half million records, followed by “Bits and Pieces” which repeated the success.

In 2008, Academy award winning actor Tom Hanks inducted The Dave Clark Five into The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame and Paul Williams, Editor of the UK’s ‘Music Week’, wrote: “Dave Clark was a music revolutionary before the revolution.”

The Hits Tracklisting:

1. Do You Love Me
2. Glad All Over
3. Bits And Pieces
4. Can’t You See That She’s Mine
5. Everybody Knows (I Still Love You)
6. Don’t Let Me Down
7. Any Way You Want It
8. Wild Weekend
9. Catch Us If You Can
10. Because
11. I Like It Like That
12. Reelin’ and Rockin’
13. Over And Over
14. Come Home
15. You Got What It Takes
16. Try Too Hard
17. Everybody Knows
18. I’ll Be Yours My Love
19. Nineteen Days
20. Look Before You Leap
21. Til The Right One Comes Along
22. All Night Long
23. Good Old Rock n’ Roll (Medley)
24. Sha-Na-Na Hey Hey
25. Here Comes Summer
26. Put A Little Love In Your Heart
27. Everybody Get Together
28. Universal Love

The Dave Clark Five on Wikipedia

The Dave Clark Five Website

Roy and Barbara Orbison

With his voice, his look and being known as one of the nicest guys in showbiz, many music fans and fellow musicians alike will agree that Roy Orbison was one of a kind. From the beginning of his career in Texas, playing the same venues as Buddy Holly, his time at Sun Records in Memphis alongside Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins, causing riots at shows, his lifelong friendship with Johnny Cash, touring with the Beatles – you would think that alone would be enough to seal the legendary status that would follow Roy Orbison’s career up until and after his untimely death in 1988 at the age of 52.

The Beatles and Roy Orbison

“Roy Orbison was the only act that The Beatles didn’t want to follow.” – Ringo Starr

However, unbelievably, there was much more to Roy’s life, which included family tragedies, the ups and downs of the music industry and the eventual resurgence of his career in the 1980s. He collaborated with Emmylou Harris as a duet on “That Lovin’ You Feelin’ Again”, with the song going on to win a Grammy Award in 1981, “In Dreams” was featured in the 1986 David Lynch film Blue Velvet – which would in turn inspire Bono from U2 to write the beautiful “She’s A Mystery To Me”, in 1987 he re-recorded his 1961 hit “Crying” with k.d. lang, which earned him another Grammy and he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Roy’s marriage to Barbara is another incredible story, alongside his musical career. Barbara, originally from Bielefeld, Germany, had been spending time in England when she met Roy in 1968 while he was on tour in Britain. She was eighteen when they married the next year. They went on to have two boys together, Roy Kelton Jr. and Alexander Orbie Lee as well as Wesley Orbison by Roy’s first wife Claudette.

Barbara Orbison

In the ’80s she managed Roy’s career and was the Executive Producer of his 1987 album, In Dreams: The Greatest Hits. She was responsible for, and helped to produce the very successful 1988 TV music special, Roy Orbison and Friends, A Black and White Night, which featured Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits, Elvis Costello, Jackson Browne, J.D. Souther, Steven Soles with backing vocals by k.d. lang, Jennifer Warnes and Bonnie Raitt and now there’s the release of the 4 CD Box Set, ‘The Soul Of Rock And Roll‘, compiled by Roy Kelton Jr., it includes liner notes, demos, live recordings and 12 previously unreleased cuts spanning his entire career. Today, Barbara continues to watch over Roy Orbison’s music and business affairs as well as her own music publishing company, “Still Working Music”.

At the beginning of my phone interview with Barbara, I was a little nervous, but eventually things settled and our conversation became relaxed, as though I was talking to an old friend. It’s amazing to think that the woman on the other end of the line was the inspiration for one of my favorite Roy Orbison songs, “You Got It”.

Jenny May: Did Roy have a lot of input on the backing vocal arrangements of his songs?

Barbara Orbison: He wrote all of those – he was quite an architect.

What was one of your favorite “Roy Orbison” moments – is there a particular live performance that stands out?

I loved him…they were all good moments…I always loved that he would hardly ever give encores, he was very tough to push into an encore, but sometimes the crowd, I mean they would always push him into one, two, but sometimes they would push him into seven encores of “Running Scared” or “Crying”. I loved it.

Who stands out as someone that Roy liked singing with the most?

He was a solo singer, but there was The Traveling Wilburys (Roy Orbison, George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan), or when he did the Black and White Night or the Class of ‘55 (Roy Orbison, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins), so you can really see that he loved being part of a group as well.

Were there many songs that he wrote about you?

Yes there were and there’s some on the Box Set, like there’s a song called “Precious”, “You Got It” was for me, there were many…”California Blue”.

What was one of Roy’s favorite performances by another artist, of one of his songs?

One of his songs…you know, of course he loved Linda Ronstadt’s “Blue Bayou”, Van Halen “Pretty Woman”, Tom Jones sang “In Dreams”…there were many people that have sung Roy songs…k.d. lang sang “Crying”.

The story about Bono and how “She’s A Mystery To Me” (watch Bono’s video interview) came together seems a very special story…

Yes it was special as we didn’t really know Bono, and we went to a concert because of a mutual friend of T-Bone Burnett. I had listened to the band, Bono and the U2 album, and I had seen them in LA, but Roy was on tour and we happened to be in London, and so when we walked backstage, it was like Bono had been waiting for Roy and he said, “Oh my God I can’t believe you walked in, I had been listening to ‘In Dreams’ all night long”, and they started writing the song together.

It’s beautiful. How did Roy feel about singing that – did he talk a lot about how that came together?

Bono and Roy met and they really became good friends through it and they would meet and talk and structure the song. So Bono came in to LA and produced that song and it was just so amazing.

Did the two of you spend much time in England together?

All the time.

Did you have a favorite place here?

We loved England. London would be our favorite place. Some of the coastal sites were great. It was like a second home. I mean, it still is, I’m calling you from my flat now.

I wasn’t sure where you were. Are you in London?

Yes.

Not too far from me. I’m in Oxford.

I love Oxford too.

Yes, me too. With the release of the Soul of Rock And Roll box set, I know that your son had a lot to do with getting the songs together, but was there a special process of selecting the songs?

There was. The process was an incredible, tedious one, because you have to select everything that reflects the artist’s work, and the sense of history, and then you have to line them up. You know, with you being a musician you know that one song doesn’t flow into the other one easily. You can see that this 4 CD Box Set plays so well because Roy Kelton just lined it up where it would flow, he’s a musician, I just know by when he started working on it because I would see all these little pieces of paper that would say one song is 2.8 minutes one is 3.4 one is a ballad one has a guitar part in there that corresponds to the other one…you know, you will so enjoy, Jenny, listening to the CDs.

I’m looking forward to it, and it sounds like he put a lot of time and care in selecting the songs and the order of them.

Yes – and you know I can’t wait for you to write your blog, because we write blogs for Roy in America too. My son would love to see it when it comes out…there’s always so much of Roy coming out. We’re doing a big salute to him with bands and everything.

I can’t wait. In the first band that I sang with back when I was seventeen, the band would sometimes go out and do Roy Orbison songs for a night and he would pack the places. I sang back up with this other woman and it was one of the most exciting experiences, singing those parts.

They were quite difficult to sing, I always get that feedback, but do you still have some recordings from those nights?

I’ll have to get back in touch with the band to find out – but people absolutely loved going out to those shows.

———-

Barbara wanted me to be sure to mention that there’s a BBC documentary in December 2008 and a BBC radio show with lots of good things coming out about Roy. She also has her special pet project: to petition for Roy Orbison to get a stamp in America. She asked that readers go to the website to sign up for the stamp petition. She said, “Bill Clinton, Bono, everybody has signed it, it’s totally safe.”

Roy Orbison Commemorative Stamp Petition

Roy Orbison – The Soul of Rock ‘n’ Roll on amazon.co.uk

The Soul of Rock and Roll on amazon.com

Roy Orbison Official Website

By: Jenny May

Apple Corps Ltd./Cirque du Soleil have confirmed an October 20, 2008 release of the feature-length documentary ‘All Together Now’ on DVD, which will be marketed and distributed worldwide by EMI Music.

The DVD release follows acclaimed film festival screenings across North America, including a sold out opening night U.S. premiere at the Silverdocs Festival in Washington D.C. where the Washington Post observed that ‘All Together Now’ “cuts into the heart of [LOVE].”

Albert Maysles calls the film “A perfect combination of the best of two worlds – the Beatles and Cirque du Soleil”.

Watch ‘All Together Now’ trailer

‘All Together Now’ has screened at a number of festivals in the U.S. and across Canada in 2008, and accolades have followed. The film’s U.S. debut opened the American Film Institute’s Silverdocs festival in Washington DC in June where Rolling Stone praised the film’s sweeping visual style and “many insightful interviews.”

Screenings were as enthusiastically received at the Cinevegas festival in Las Vegas, where it was called “remarkable” by Las Vegas Magazine, and the Hotdocs festival in Toronto, where Variety noted that ‘All Together Now’ “wowed audiences.”

It will be screened in London at the 16th Raindance Film Festival on October 9th, 2008.

The documentary details the story behind the unique partnership between The Beatles and Cirque du Soleil that resulted in the creation and 2006 launch of LOVE, the stage production still playing to packed houses at The Mirage in Las Vegas, and the experimental Beatles soundscape album of the same name which garnered two Grammy Awards for producers Sir George and Giles Martin. The film is dedicated to the memory of Neil Aspinall, former CEO of Apple Corps and an Executive Producer of the DVD.

‘All Together Now’ faithfully recounts how the LOVE project came into being, borne from the personal friendship between George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte. George saw how the twin talents of Cirque du Soleil and The Beatles could be fused into something new and totally original.

The director, Adrian Wills, traveled between London, Montreal, and Las Vegas recording early meetings between the Cirque du Soleil & Apple Corps Ltd. creative teams, as well as filming contributions from Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, along with Yoko Ono Lennon and Olivia Harrison discussing how The Beatles’ music can be used in a different way. Noting the uniqueness of these interactions Wills explains, “What surprised me the most was how human the whole process was.”

These early stages of the project were all filmed, as were the first rehearsals at the Mirage Hotel theatre in Las Vegas, which was completely rebuilt with a one-of-a-kind sound system and complex round staging to house the LOVE show. Sir George and Giles Martin, the show’s Musical Directors, were involved every step of the way with the remarkable Cirque du Soleil creative team, performers and backstage staff.

It wasn’t all “plain-sailing” and there has been no attempt to disguise some of the disagreements that took place along the way regarding how some of the songs would be portrayed visually. These creative differences, a necessary part of the overall process of bringing LOVE to its most vibrant life, illustrate the participants’ love and respect for the music and vision of The Beatles.

In addition to their roles within the main film, Sir George and Giles, along with engineer Paul Hicks, also feature in a bonus feature titled “Changing The Music” which reveals in fascinating depth how the music was created and the challenges they faced. They explain how they sourced some of the individual instruments and effects and how they were encouraged to experiment.

DVD contents:

‘All Together Now’ documentary (84:00)

Bonus Features:

- “Changing The Music” (22:00): An in-depth look at the decision to rework and remix the Beatles music for the show

- “Music In The Theatre” (09:00): A look at the process of creating the LOVE show’s unique audio design in the theater

- “Making ‘LOVE’” (10:00): A backstage pass to explore the design of “LOVE,” including the art direction, costumes, props, screen imagery and the use of The Beatles’ voices in the stage production and soundtrack.

DVD technical details
1 x DVD-9
PAL and NTSC
All regions

“All Together Now Wowed Audiences” – VARIETY

The Beatles – All Together Now on amazon.co.uk

The Beatles Official Website
Love Documentary on The Beatles website
Cirque du Soleil