By Terry Ott

As there is some real hope that the Beatles 1964 US albums box set will come true come this November, I thought I'd whip up a wish list, just in case anyone at Apple is paying attention.

1/ Let it Be DVD in 5.1 PLUS the COMPLETE rooftop performance.

2/ Help! with lots of extras and outtakes.

3/ Shea Stadium film

4/ Complete remastered and multi-channel back catalogue

5/ Release of the complete Lost Lennon Tapes in box set form

6/ Expanded editions of hit Wings albums

7/ Living In The Material World and Dark Horse in expanded form

8/ Ringo Starr hit albums remastered and in expanded form

9/ Complete 2 shows of John Lennon's 1972 Madison Square Garden concert

10/ Hollywood Bowl album, in expanded form

11/ George Harrison 1974 tour shows

Chew on these for a while, and feel free to add your own suggestions.

My good buddy John from Gotham City has sent me another blast from the past, Paul McCartney's Russian Album, now some 15 years plus old, yet sounding as fresh-or maybe even fresher- than it did back in the late 80s.

I had long lost my own CD copy-I even forked out big bucks for the vinyl version in 1987 but lost that also-so I am re-enjoying what I consider to be one of the top 5 Macca efforts-see BB214.

In any event, this is the CD that proves that McCartney can still actually play, sing, and rock, regardless of any other tripe that may leak out from him from time to time.

And now that AbbeyRd has broken the story that Macca will be stateside again in 2005,no doubt practicing up for his "When I'm 64 Tour" in '06, I say that Paul should feature the entire Russkie album in '05.

This would not only be great music-although Macca may have a tougher time in 2005 reaching for some of the high notes than in 1987-but also a superb marketing ploy.

First, Paul raids the US, whipping up a frenzy for a Russian Tour to follow in the latter part of '05, before resting up for the "64" tour which I suspect will be the Mother of all tours.

Plus, Macca has to be ever mindful of the inevitable live album from the '05 tour, and an entire Russian Album set would be a much better selling point than the tenth live version of Band On the Run.

The 14 Russian tracks, which are really old fashioned, down-home,country, American r&b and rock and roll, would make a hell of a live effort.

And Paul can certainly produce a Russian set that sounds better than the orginal, which bears a distinct relation to being mixed in a 4 track blender.

But a new one? I'd buy it.

Every once an a while, some dope posts something on e-Bay so dumb as to be funny. The Beatles Live At Shea Stadium LP, item # 4026272015, is a real howler. "This is an unoffical(?) Beatles LP called Live At Shea Stadium. Catlogue number is Kustom records ASC-002. Disc and sleeve are in excellent condition, although reverse of sleeve is inevitably marked (marks could be removed with a pencil eraser). Tracks are Twist, My Lovin' Shee Loves You, Things Today, Roll Over, Can't Purchase Me, Falling In Love, Holding Hands, Boys, Her Knights, Sally." And all this for minimum bid of $9.20! Besides only getting one Beatle track title correct-Boys-the seller obviously has had way, way too much tea. I mean, this is the stuff of the Rutles lore! My fave is "Can't Purchase Me," which is to say the least  inspired stupidity. And if the "inevitable" marks on the back cover can be removed with a simple pencil eraser, why the helll didn't you remove the marks already, simpleton? Actually, the cover seems to look like a late 70s era vinyl boot, but even in the bootleg world, the songs listed don't ring a bell, or "Roll Over." If PT Barnum said there was a sucker born every minute 100 years ago, imagine what he would think of Internet auctions! Twist (and rut).

Well, its been about 2 weeks since I last set off the Macca Madhatters, so, what the hell: release the hounds!!!!!!! Contrary to what many MMs allege, I am actually a fan of Pauley Mac, and today I wish to discuss his finest work. In my opinion, the "best" Macca record is Wings Over America, because it is McCartney at his peak and most (live) rocking. I rate WOA as I(a). The live versions of Macca standards-and some Beatle tunes thrown in for good measure-are simply better than the studio versions in most instances, and beg the question:why not more? (Bizzarely, WOA is not even available as a domestic CD. Figure that one out. Oops, I just did; a remaster and expanded edtion on the way, hopefully.) Band on the Run is rated 1 (b) simply because it is Macca's most consistent studio effort, and well, it is a damn good record. The Russian Album is rated number 2, as this is Macca at his (studio) rocking best, even if he was 10 years past his prime at the time he made it. At number 3 is the much maligned Red Rose Speedway, which I think actually had some very interesting music on it, despite some attendant tripe. Number 4 is Flowers in the Dirt which is a great late 80s effort. Number 5 is...oh, never mind.

It was 40 years ago today, or at least some where around that vacinity that I found out that unlike any of my friends or even anyone I knew, I would be going to see the Beatles play at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario, for the afternoon show of Sept. 7, 1964.

Of course all 16,000 tickets for thr matinee-and the early evening show as well- had sold out almost at once several months before that great day that my elderly grandmother of all people managed to score 3 ducats for me and two (female) friends.

But because of the connections of MGM (my grandmother) 3 tickets appeared from a scarcitity that has never been equaled in the Toronto area, nor I suspect ever will. The face value of each ticket was $3.50.

And I don't think I can truly convey to you how excited I was-as a 9 year old-to actually be going to see the Beatles in person.

Sept, 7, 1964, was Labor Day Monday, and it was at least 85 degrees and muggy in Toronto.

Maple Leaf Gardens is a hockey arena, and has no airconditioning. It was really just a sweat-box that day, but I think we barely noticed.

Our seats were a long way from the stage, and only bits and pieces of the 22 minute concert were audible, yet it really was amazing.

The screaming was so loud my ears rang for at least 2 days, and the thousands of flashbulbs going off all concert long were hard on even young eyes. 

Unfortunately, it looks like Maple Leaf Gardens-one of only a handfull of venues still standing from the Beatles North American touring years-will be either torn down, or remade into condos or a store within a year or so.

Also unfortunately, I lost my ticket stub back in 1972.

But I still have my memories.

Stevie M has just returned triumphant from a Beatle convention way down south Mexico way, and he bares good news for me, and you.

Me, because he says he has insider info on the proposed first four US Beatle albums CD box set that I put my ass on the line for in the Toronto Sun last week.

Even with his lips sealed, evidently, I am on the right track.

And you, because if this thing really does turn to reality, then the fans get more stuff to fill their Beatle world.

Sure, common and sense and Apple never were married, but think about how the project makes even horse sense at this time, before, as Bill Gates recently predicted, CDs and DVDs go the way of hula hoops

Unlike some naysayers, I am of the camp that thinks that these old, familiar LPs will offer major comfort level to aging first gen Baby Boomer Beatle fans , and oh hell, just about anything new from the Fabs will sell anyways.

That, plus the fact that if Apple/Capitol are even half thinking straight, the new set will fill in all the wholes in the Beatles back catalogue mix and stereo/mono-wise, in state of the art sound to boot.

I'd imagine that the box will feature the LPs as mini albums rather than jewel cases and this will further add to the "hey, I used to have one just like that 40 years ago," factor.

With the major difference this time being that you won't need stacks of pennies on your tonearm to play them through.

However, you will still be able to spill pop and stick peanut butter to 'em.

Ah, the good old daze...

Well, now I really hope the box set story is true.

I put some of my Beatle bona fides on the line today when the Toronto Sun published my story (July 14) on the reported box set of the first four US Beatle albums.

When I pitched the story to my editor, I was up front about how such "scoops" have sometimes turned out to be either hoaxes, or shelved projects-you can see the Pepper box set that never was from 1997 on the AbbeyRd site-but I guess he liked the idea anyway, and my story ran along side the Australia Mal Evans treasure tale from the AP.

However,I did not have space to get into another interesting and even possible concept, but I did discuss it on 900CHML radio today.

The concept was the silly notion that maybe Capitol of Canada should get into the act and release the 3 unique Beatle albums released only in Canada in 1963 and 1964.

The first, Twist and Shout, was nearly a match to the UK Please Please Me, but with a very neat cover shot of the Lads appearing to be jumping atop a roof, Beatlemania, which was close to With the Beatles both in tracks and cover, and Long Tall Sally, which had a cover almost identical to The Beatles Second Album, but with several different tracks.

Now these 3 albums, which are highly sought after by collectors outside Canada, would make a great box set, and would take care of the problem of some of the missing tracks from the first 4 US LPs.

I seem to recall that in 1964, the local department store sold the Canadian Beatle albums for $4.19 in mono and $4.98 in stereo.

Hey, since apparently Capitol is on a retro trip, how about pricing the CD sets with 1964 prices!

No, I didn't think so either.

Ah, good old Billy Gates got me inspired today.

He said that DVDs-and CDs for that matter-were basically "ridiculous" and would therefore be obsolete within 10 years, or even less.

The first thing I thought of when I saw the blurb on Yahoo! news was that, damn, I/we won't get to see Let it Be on DVD.

Just kidding! I'm sure it will show up, say in 5-10 years or so, so we've got a little breathing room on that one.

But do you think we've got any wiggle room on the back catalogue remaster, now some 10 years or so past due?

After all, it's been 17 years and counting since we first got the digital drek known as the Beatles UK CD catalogue.

The first 4 UK albums in mono only sucked CD soundwise, and still do.

Granted, we did get a slight improvement with some tracks remastered on the Red and Blue sets of the early 90s, followed by remastered outtakes-how bizarre!-on Anthology 1,2,3,the Yellow Submarine Songtrack in 1999, and finally Let it Be Naked in 2003.

So, let's do the math: about 5 years between first issue CDs and Red and Blue....then another 6 or 7 years for Yellow Sub...then 4 years for LIBM.

Lemme see, that's an average of about 5 years between rip-offs, um er, upgrades.

Whew! If past history is worth anything, yes, we will get the back catalogue reamster within 10 years!

Or Nov. 16, this year, if we are REAL LUCKY!!!!!

PS: Many, many thanks to Cleveland Matt (He knows why).

I have not many reasons to disbelieve the AbbeyRd scoop that a Beatles box set of the first four US Capitol releases is set for Nov. 16-although both Steve and I have been well and good wrong before-yet I think it is going to be one of those "really believe it when we see it," sort of thing.

(Also, don't forget that summer seems to be the silly season for Beatle stories as the infamous reunion on the Yellow Submarine story from July 1999 should attest.)

Just because on the surface the concept would not seem to make much sense does not invalidate it because Apple Corps historically seems to thrive on such instances of disconnect. After all, Apple did scold those who dared critique their UK Beatle album only versions CD release policy in effect since 1987.

Now, if the report is true, a complete 180 degree turn has been engineered by Apple, and again, if this box set actually appears, I can't wait to hear Neil Aspinall and the Lads explanation other than "we figured it would sell."

The report posted on AbbeyRd gave the buying public/fan two main reasons to purchase the alleged box set, or to even care.

Number one, there will, it is said, be mono and stereo mixes of each particular LP, which will be interesting ONLY if they use the sometimes unique US mixes.

And more importantly, the number two reason is that the report says the CDs will be remastered in 24 bit. (No mention of any SACD mixes as yet.)

ANY new or recycled Beatle audio in 24 bit and/or SACD will be most welcome, but again, be careful holding yer breath.

But one thing that nobody seems to be mentioning is that if the big 4 DO get re-released, what about all the early stuff that we will miss from Vee Jay? Or will the Capitol catch-up release, The Early Beatles,which I seem to recall not making it out until 1965 be one of the 4 CDs in the box?

Yet despite all the uncertain elements, I hope the report of the box is true.

Finally got a hold of Pete Best today, as he and his band rested up in Niagra Falls prior to a gig at the Casbah-no kidding!-at Hamilton, Ontario.

I will have much more on the interview in a future BB, but I would just like to drop this little morsel for you all to chew on.

During the interview, Best said that he had a feeling that he and Paul McCartney may get togther to do something in the not too distant future.
Best gave no specifics, but I could well imagine a one-off guest appearance on skins at some sort of Macca gig.

And speaking of the Macca man, I finally got round to reading the UNCUT magazine interview that had been conducted prior to Paul's summer 2004 tour.

Most of you have already heard about SPM's comments on some of John Lennon's Beatle songs that Macca claimed were drug induced or inspired,and I've already said that I thought that daft so I won't go there.

But interestingly, Paul makes a comment about the problems he has living up to the Lennon mythology with a sort of wankish coment on how "John could be as daft as the next man," whatever that means in the big picture.

Macca does however, offer his own unqiue explanation of why the whole Beatle thing happened in the first place.

SPM says that the abolition of the draft in the UK ensured that the lads could not be swept up and away by the army. Macca says his overriding goal was to not have a "work" type job, and that is why he became a musician.

But you know what the interview is most telling for? The complete nada of any mention of Yoko Ono.

I would assume that the no Yoko policy was a SPM precondition to granting the interview, and readers of UNCUT suffer becasue of it.

After all, a top question on every Beatle fan's mind would I'm sure be "Paul, when the bloody 'ell is the back catlaogue going to be remastered?"

Well, of course Macca would have had a hard time answering that without the mention of YO and her role in the Beatle machine.

Isn't it a pity?

More on this interview in a future BB.

Well, its back to the radio for me, Wednesday, from 1 to 2PM EDT on my hometown radio statiom, which you can tune to at www.900chml.com

I will look forward to talking about rhe Pete Best band gig which is to be held in town on Wednesday at the Casbah. Pete should feel right at home, because if memory serves, the early Beatles played at a Casbah Club themselves.

(I am hopeful of an on air chat with Best, if the stars all align.)

And I suppose announcer Bob Sherwin and I will do some talking about the new Paul McCartney interview in UNCUT mag, as well as a recap of Macca's Summer 2004 European tour.

Speaking of that Macca UNCUT interview-of which I will have much to say ont he radio, as well as in this space- I am just making my way through it and will have much. much (more) to say in afuture BB, and one thing immediately strikes me as odd.

Macca says that the real reason the Beatles happened was the end of the draft in England.

Paul pointed out that Elvis Presley changed after he was inducted into the United Staes armed forces, and goes on to say that if the 4 Fabs had been so called to duty, the band just would not have, um, come together.

Meethinks it is wrong-headed to compare the two cultures, but who knows? Macca may have a point.

Afterall, Elvis had to go into the army to discover drugs, whilst the Beatles discovered them in spite of.

In any event, hope to have you listen Wednesday. Juluy 7, 1-2PM EDT on www.900chml.com

Several weeks ago, I mused on the terrible fate that awaits the last surviving Beatle.

Everything that particular Beatle says or does that makes the news will be prefaced or ended with, "so sayeth the last remaining Fab," or something to that effect.

Being the last Beatle to go will be a carry that weight type scenario, but how about being the first Beatle to get kicked out, before the goldrush?

That would be original Silver Beetles drummer Pete Best, who is currently enjoying a resurgence of sorts as he makes his way around the world in a 2004 tour.

If you read the news links on AbbeyRd, you will see that Best and his boys are generally receiving favourable review, playing music that is over 40 years old, and not always recognizable by younger fans.

Yet Best is still a genuine rock artifact, and perhaps one of the most unlucky men walking the planet.

(I am waiting on a call back from Best's management, and when I finally get my interview, I will publish the results in this space.)

The stock anwer that Best has been giving in interviews for the past 40 years has been that he has gotten over being dumped from the Beatles just mere months before they were to achieve super stardom.

But good God, Best would not be human if he did not go to be each night dreaming of what may have been.

Not only the money and fame, but the chance to change the face of 20th century culture had been within his grasp, only to snatched away at the last moment.

Yet it is difficult to imagine the Beatles without Ringo Star. He was just so perfect for the group and the times. Goofy and funny, yet a capable drummer, Ringo was the antithesis of the brooding James Dean-like Best, who evidently both John Lennon and Paul McCartney were envious of and happy to see given the sack.

More on Pete Best in a future BB.

OK, so some juvenile jackass managed to hack into my blog and change 204 into a load of gibberish.

WAY TO GO!

Besides creating a little more housekeeping work for Steve and I-and a report to Blogger whose reps take such hacking horseshit very seriously- it did not do too much more that to affirm once again that some-and I say again some-followers of Paul McCartney are, well, nuts.

Nuts in the sense that they have so little going on in their lives that they are koo-koo for coco-puffs with riding shotgun over the reputation of a multibillionaire pop star.

Realistically, could anything be more nuts than that?

Think about it. Tying up so much energy and resource and getting in a huff because some journalist took shots at their hero seems to me to be definite DSMIV territory. (Look it up, hard core MMs.)

This guy Macca is a pop star for God's sake!

Steve forwarded me some e-mail exchanges he had with some goof who runs a McCartney suck-site, and the guy was trashing me while at the same time admitting he had never read my stuff!

The guy said I was "disrespectful" to McCartney. Boo-hoo! How the hell would he know?

What, is Paul the Pope? The Dali Lama? The Second Coming?

Too stupid for words, and a lot of these people need to be seriously looking for some semblance of a life save for homoerotic worship of a grandfather aged pop star, who, like all stars his age, have seen their best years come and go many years ago.

But the person who deserves the hassle the least is Steve, your friendly and very hardworking AbbeyRd Webman.

He's had to waste his valuable time on this rubbish. But he did demonstrate that he has the guts to stand up to anyone who figures that free speech can be curtailed with a few dirty tricks.

And as for you few disturbed Macca Madhatters out there railing and drooling, please, please, take yer meds.

Seeing as July 1 is Canada Day, and a national holiday, I was going to slag off and have a few pints instead of creating new art.

Or barring that, I was going to do a "serious" BB on the new UNCUT Macca lovefest.

But all that changed when something called the Macaw Wings e'd me a parody of my parody of the new Macca song Follow Me. And, well, after I changed my wet pants, I thought I must share the larf with you'se all.

Dig this from the Macca maniac who was addressing your correspondent in the lyric:

"I dampen your spirits, when you are doing well
My mind is empty, a bottomless well."

Brilliant! Predictable, but brilliant. And so much akin to the Macca lyrical talent.

Dig it. Dig it. Dig it. Like a rolling stone. Like the FBI. BB King. Dig it. Etc.

Here's more:

"Your (Macca's) success gives me direction, it shows the way
To be negative every day.

I hold up a sign that reads, jealous me, jealous me."

To which I retort, I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm just a jealous guy.

Yet I am so in debt to this particular MM lyricmeister in that after searching within myself for so long to find out why I do not worship and kneel and bob around SPM, I finally now know the truth: I am jealous!!!!

And furthermore, I was feeling insecure. I thought you did not love me any more.

Again, I did not mean to hurt you. I guess I'm just a jealous guy.

Daft, those MMs.