Is there a controversial, dark song by The Beatles? I don’t think so…
But they say that «Run For Your Life» is such a song. But why? Well it’s obvious, isn’t it? Not to me. Well, John Lennon does sing about killing his girlfriend if he catches her with another man…
So now what? Are «they» going to ban the song like they’ve banned so many books, videos, movies et cetera? They bloody well better not! I like the song! And besides, how many man-hating songs are out there that female singers from pop, to rock to country constantly sing? And besides John didn’t really mean it. Is it going to influence your young lads? Good grief! Teach your children well and listen to the song, enjoy it and get over it!
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¿Existe alguna canción polémica y oscura de The Beatles? No creo que así sea…
Pero dicen que «Run For Your Life» es una canción así. ¿Pero por qué? Bueno, es obvio, ¿no? No para mí. Bueno, John Lennon canta sobre matar a su novia si la encuentra con otro hombre…
¿Y ahora qué? ¿»Ellos» van a prohibir la canción como han prohibido tantos libros, videos, películas, etcétera? ¡Mejor que no lo hagan! ¡Me gusta la canción! Y además, ¿cuántas canciones de odio hacia los hombres hay por ahí que las cantantes femeninas de pop, rock y country siempre entonan? Y si me dices que va a influir sobre el comportamiento de tus chavales, tía, ensénales bien y no te quejes tanto que los Beatles no estaban ahí para ser modelos para tus críos. Además, John no lo dijo en serio. Escucha la canción, disfrútala y supéralo.
Flipping… Oh my goodness, this is not just flipping, this is Jet-propelled flipping through the clouds! If someone had told me that a new song by The Beatles would appear at this stage of the game, I would have never imagined it. Incredible! Well, thanks to the technology that the sound engineers managed to invent for the movie Get Back and McCartney’s perseverance, they were able to create this marvellous song, «Now and Then«.
The allowed them to isolate John Lennon’s voice from the piano he was playing when he recorded the demo at his home on a cassette tape. McCartney said in June 2023, «nothing was artificially created or synthesized. Everything is real, and we all played on it. We cleaned up the original recording, and that’s something that has been done for years.»
Well, I think by now everyone knows the story of this song, right? But just in case you didn’t know it, let me tell you… In 1994, Yoko Ono gave two cassette tapes to Paul McCartney and told him that John had recorded some songs back in 1977. Paul got together with Ringo and George, and in 1995 they went into the recording studio, and were able to release two songs from the tape: «Free as a Bird» (1995) and «Real Love» (1996).
The third song, «Now and Then,» couldn’t be recorded because in the original recording, the piano was overpowering John’s voice. George didn’t like it, Ringo might just as well been indifferent, but McCartney didn’t give up. He kept the cassette stored until such time when there would be adequate technology that would allow the separation of the voice from the piano. Then he would do something with it. Meanwhile, George passed away in 2001, but they had the guitar tracks he had had laid down in 1995…
Then in 2021 the much awaited technology arrived…
The Beatles version of «Now and Then«, released to the world on November 2, 2023, features additional lyrics by Paul McCartney, his bass, and his slide guitar solo, as well as George Harrison’s guitar and Ringo Starr’s drums. Additionally, McCartney added strings written by Martin, (son of the legendary Beatles producer George Martin), McCartney and Ben Foster, recorded at Capitol Records. The final touches of the recording were placed at Abbey Road Studios, of course, as it had to be.
«Now and Then» became the final single by The Beatles. The B-side features «Love Me Do«, with a new mix, as it had been the band’s first single in 1962. Thus, we have one more Lennon-McCartney song, and how Ringo and Paul managed to close the incredible and marvellous story of The Beatles with a golden brooch.
(Photo MOTT)
For me, it was like receiving a gift I had been waiting for since 1970 when Let it Be was released. Listening to «Now and Then» was a genuine thrill that made me cry. Waves of happiness and sadness washed over me because I knew that was it, that was the end of the line, the final farewell from those four lads that had brought me so much joy and taught me so much throughout my life, and whose music I listen to every day.
Now watch and listen and tell me what it does to you…
«Now and then I miss you Oh, now and then I want you to be there for me Always to return to me…»
Well, not only did John meet Paul (06 JUL 1957) but Elvis, «The King», made his final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, purchased Graceland, and one of his most famous movies «Jailhouse Rock» debuted that year too…
In the rest of the music world, Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel called themselves Tom & Jerry and began to sing together…
(Image Magic)
Jean Sibelius dies in Finland at the age of 91…
(Image HJCK)
West Side Story premieres on Broadway…
(Image West Side Story)
Maria Callas is introduced to Aristotle Onassis…
(Image The Guardian)
The Quarrymen play at the Cavern in Liverpool and John Lennon opens the show singing Elvis Presley’s «Don’t Be Cruel»…
(Fair Use Image)
John Coltrane release Blue Train and Miles Davis Miles Ahead…
George Harrison (former member of The Beatles) wrote a song in 1970, «I Me Mine«, which described exactly what was happening at the time the band was disintegrating. It was the worst moments for John, George, Paul and Ringo, because they, who were colleagues and friends, suddenly couldn’t stand each other. Quarrels and fights, over almost everything, flared up, and as you can imagine, most were about money. «I Me Mine«, whose lyrics speak of selfishness and greed, turned out to be the last song recorded by the «Fab Four» (as they were called), but without the participation of John Lennon. Harrison concluded, quite rightly, that what they were going through was a war of egos, and big egos they were.
As George was not yet up to the artistic standards of Paul McCartney and John Lennon, they mostly excluded him from the band’s artistic affairs, so he devoted himself to observing the quarrels between the two «leaders». He noticed that it all boiled down to «this is mine» or «I did it,» and back to mine again, and again, ad nauseum. At those moments, nothing had to do with the concept of «us» anymore. The Beatles no longer existed. What those four lads from Liverpool, who made (and still make) history, had been, no longer was. Yes, they were famous, they would continue to be so in perpetuum, but in 1970, they fought like cats and dogs.
And as I ponder upon this story, lamentably so well narrated in the movie Get Back, I wonder, how many relationships, marriages, partnerships, etcetera, have been broken due to ego issues, specifically egotistical attitudes and selfishness? There must be thousands and thousands! The ego is a fragile thing. In narcissists it is aggressive and knows how to defend itself from what it perceives as evils, whether real or imagined, and this could result in a war. Values, education, and humility can go to hell because the selfish person thinks that only fools give in and continues with his arrogance even if it ends in his own ruin.
Never doubt the fact that the ego is self-destructive. It makes you believe that you are truly one hell of a guy/gal, invincible, good-looking, irresistible and worth a million. And you, the idiot that you are, don’t even realise that the ego is leading you right to the edge of the cliff, and you will tumble and fall. We see that terrible trait in those that «supposedly» are leaders and those who aspire to be leaders, in bankers, in generals and in common every day people. Egotists have hubris to spare and a scarcity of humility. George Harrison saw it all quite clearly back in 1970 when he wrote “I Me Mine”. The truths narrated in those lyrics is a story that repeats itself so often not only in rock’s super-groups but in many aspects of our society as you well know.
Algunos decían que era el líder de Los Beatles, creo que Paul McCartney te lo discutiría, otros que era un malcriado holgazán, comunista, problemático, que sus canciones eran una mierda, salvo una, «Imagine» etcetera etcetera… Yo digo que era algo asi como un genio, un tío con un sentido del humor y de la vida difícil de entender, pero con gran creatividad en su alma y en su haber una gama de increíbles obras artísticas (canciones) producidas en su no tan larga carrera. Pero bueno, todos conocemos las canciones de John Lennon cuando era un Beatle y las que hizo después, pero quizá no se sepa que a Lennon le encantaba dibujar. Aqui os traigo algunos de sus dibujos.
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Some said he was the leader of The Beatles, I think Paul McCartney would argue with you about that, others that he was a spoiled slacker, a communist troublemaker, that his songs were crap, except for one, «Imagine» etcetera etcetera… I say he was something like a genius, a guy with a sense of humor and a life hard to understand, but with great creativity in his soul and a range of incredible artistic works (songs) in his not so long career. But well, we all know the songs of John Lennon when he was a Beatle and those he made later, but maybe it is not known that Lennon loved to draw. Here I bring you some of his drawings.
(«Abstrakta 11″/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
Digamos que pudieras eliminar de la historia a uno de los artistas mas famosos que conoces, ¿A quién borrarías? Venga, ¿No se te ocurre a nadie? Pues te voy a sugerir algunos y tu eliges, ¿Te va?
Tienes a Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Jeff Koons, Frida Kahlo, Yoko Ono, Marcel Duchamp, Joan Miró y a Jean-Michel Basquiat. ¿A cual eliminarías? Y no tengas miedo proponer uno que yo no haya mencionado…
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Let us say that you could eliminate, or erase from history one of the famous artists that you know of. Who would it be? Come, come, you cannot think of one? No problem, I will give you some of my suggestions and you can choose from there or add your own candidate. Ready?
You have: Andy Warhol, Damien Hirst, Banksy, Jeff Koons, Frida Kahlo, Yoko Ono, Marcel Duchamp, Joan Miró, and Jean-Michel Basquiat. Which one would you erase? And if your choice is not here, put it down and tell me.
(Image property of Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
«Alejandra» (wood print) is now a Fine Art Print, here seen as a wood print (there are many more options available). Look for it at my gallery at Fine Art America. Fine Art America handles the entire transaction, provides a high quality print and ships promptly to you as soon as the ordered is prepared.
JaZzArt en València 