By Terry Ott

A recent story in the New York Times about online concert ticket "brokers" nee scalpers reminded me of the old John Lennon nugget, about how so many people got richer off the Beatles, than the Beatles themselves.

Well, 35 years after John said it, it is still going strong.

The Times story referred to one individual who was asking over $3000 for a single ticket to an upcoming Paul McCartney ticket, for a ducat that had a face value of around $250. Not a bad mark-up. A steal, actually, for the seller.

Two things: 1) There is no way that these bandidts should be able to get away with charging 10 times the face value, anywhere, anytime, anyhow.

2)ANYONE who is dumb enough to pay such a ridiculous amount ought to seek immediate psychiatric treatment, or baring that, at least do something more altrustic with their dough, cuz they obviously have a lot to burn.

And another thing, I believe that promoters factor in what scalpers have been getting whenever they price a concert, so if the promoters think there are enough screw balls out there that would pay outrageous prices, don't think for a second that the inevitable "When I'm 64" tour won't have list ticket prices approaching $500, or more.

The only reason that tickets to NFL and NBA games are not even more than they are now, is because both leagues employ a salary cap and profit sharing to keep game tickets (somewhat) reasonable.

Maybe we need a concert ticket cap!

Perhaps along with steroids and other such bad acts the government should address concert ticket prices, online scalping, and shady promoters who lie their asses off about costs.

Hey, we could even have Macca testify before a senate sub-committee.

Now that, would really be something!

The media tends to celebrate important anniversary dates in 5s and 10s, then 20, 25, 30, 40, 50 etc.

Many Beatle fans know that a big Fabs moment occured earlier this month with the 40th anniversary of the famous Shea Stadium concert rolled around.

But it got me to thinking. What will it really be like for us first gen fans when the 50th anniversay of Shea, and then Pepper come 'round?

Man, I don't know about you all, but I will be 60 for Shea, and 62 for Sgt. P.

By then, will be collectively pining for the "good old days" like our parents world war II generation?

Will our grand-and even great grandchildren-think of us as old geezers, totally out of touch?

Or will the Beatles, their music, and their times still be relevant?

And will there be any actual Beatle still left standing?

Both Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr would be well into their 70s by then.

Will they team up for a 50th anniversay performance of Sgt. P?

Wow, I'm starting to feel old, and yet it seems like all this happened only yesterday.

All my troubles seemed so...etc.

I always get a chuckle out of any time I try to explain away or rationalize any doings by Apple.

In BB 324, I tried to make a "what if?' case for the apparent delay of the Let it Be DVD, which had been promised for September.

I mused that perhaps Apple was waiting for the latest DVD video format war to be decided, before they committed and released the long, long, long, awaited LIB.

Boy did I get an eyeful of e-mails basically questioning my sanity.

Meethinks now that many of you loyal readers are even more cynical than moi.

Most of you basically said, "gimme a break!" Apple will NEVER give one to us!

Yes, I suppose I did take temporary leave of my senses when I (partially) defended the rotten Corp, but bloody 'ell, it gets awful tedious slagging them all the time, even if they do usually deserve it.

Matt from Cleveland suggested that Apple can only handle one-or perhaps two-releases per season, and with the Concert For Bangla Desh set for October, and the new Macca LP for next month, well, Matt thinks Apple's dance card was (is) full.

But still, I kinda think that the A Corpse may hit with somethin' in the 30 days prior to X-Mas, and that could well be LIB, or maybe even the Capitol Albums Vol. 2.

As for the remastering of the back catalogue? How about 2007, when the current digital drek will be 20 years old!

(It was 20 year ago today, etc.)

When AbbeyRd Steve's super double secret source advised that the Let it Be DVD would likely not make it out this year-after a radio report earlier this summer just about promised it for Septemeber-I, like many other fans, felt fed up.

But here's a thought: would you be willing to wait patiently (some more) if the package was served up in the new hi-def DVD format?

Although the tendency is to always blame the Apple rocket scientists for every delay, an article I read this past week in the New York Times got me to musing.

Accoring to the NYTimes piece, it appears that the Sony backed Blue Ray format may be the "winner" in a format war with HD-DVD, and in any event, it looks like some type of hi-def DVD product will be out by the end of the year.

Could Apple be waiting to see which format emerges in the lead, and then produce the LIB DVD in that format?

If so, the wait could be worth it.

The video quality in the hi-def format is about 2-3 times better than your regular DVD, and the format can store more video and more music at a better fidelity.

So, if the delay is due to a format issue, I'd say that it may actually be worth it, if in fact they get everything right, including taking full advantage of all the advantages of the new fangled DVD.

Of course, the price of the package may then end up being an issue, but since the Beatles always liked to lead rather than follow, now might be the time to do so.

"I 'ope not"

Mick Jagger

I was reminded recently by an e-mail from reader, Willie, that not all Fabs
fans "get" the Rutles.

"Please," no more Rutles wrote Willie.

Well, sorry Willie, but as I told you in my e-mail, "that's showbiz," and the Rutles are legends, living legends, that will last long after all the other living legends have gone.

But I think that some Beatles fans feel that the Rutles-which granted was the first rock "mockumentary"-is well, too mawking of the boys.

Well duh, boys and girls. You have to go over the top and mawk to make good satire, and good satire, is usally very close to some part of the truth.

In fact, in Eric idle's commentary to the latesr editon of the Rutles DVD, he notes that while Mick Jagger was perhaps more honest in airing his feelings about the Beatles whilst riffing on the Rutles, Mick was still being less than candid when he talks about the Ruts "going round to pub" to write a song for the Stones, that was "'orrible, so we never bothered to record it."

In fact, the Beatles DID provide the Stones with one of their first hits in I Wanna Be Your Man, so even in satire, there is competition.

Evidently, back in the mid to late '60s, Mick used to refer to the Fabs as "the four headed monster," but for whatever reason, that comment never made it into the Rutles.

No, I think the Rutles is so brilliant, that sometimes I find it hard to tell the difference between Twist and Rut and Shout.

And so, all together now, boys and girls:

Love is the meaning of life.
Life is the meaning of love.

Hold my hand yeah, yeah.

It seems that all it takes to get the Beatle fan clan buzzing is a new book on the Fabs, which as you have been reading the past few BBs, Tony Bramwell's Magical Mystery Tours has done it, this long, hot summer of ' 05.

And when you think of it, the last 24 months have brought a bunch of Beatle news and releases, and it continues with the upcoming new Macca LP, Concert for Bangla Desh, and hopefully-prayfully!-the long, long, long, awaited debut of Let it Be on DVD.

Of course, August has always been one of the most significant Beatles months because it was then , in 1965, that the Fabs packed Shea-or for you Rutles fans-Che Stadium, for what was at the time, the largest attended pop music concert.

Even though as Mick Jagger was later to muse, "you couldn't 'ere anything," it was still an amazing feat.

(Hey, when are we going to get a DVD release of this show?)

So August is a good time to talk about the Fabs, and my buddy Matt Slys from Cleveland, Ohio will be doing so on Thursday, Aug. 11, from &AM to 1AM EDT, on WBWC, with The Beatles Marathon.

Matt guarantees a splendid time for all, and hopes that you can join in all the fun.

I told you that I had more to come on Tony Bramwell's book Magical Mystery Tours, so here it is.

The book, co-authored with Rosemary Kingsland-who is damn famous in her own right-is upon reflection and totality, a very important book on the Beatles.

As I wrote before, some have had major issues with some of the factual errors in the book, but they have very little to do really, with the overall picture.

Tony is telling his side of his everyday interactions with the Beatles from about 1960-1970, and of course, his account is very subjective. But that does not mean that it is wrong, or in error. Rather, it is his impressions of the Fabs.

And what it means-at least to me-is that we get a side of the Fabs that we may not have been privy to before, and for that reason alone, it is an important book in Beatledom.

If you check out a partial text of the interview in the Beatle News Briefs, and then tune into www.900chml.com on Sat. Aug. 6, from 1-2PM EDT, you will be able to hear it from Tony's own mouth.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any Beatle fan.

"McCartney II is not worth the pastic it is printed on. Neither is Paul, but he'll go on doodling and fooling the public becasue they are too frightened to ditch him and his past, and he is too rich to be stopped."

New Musical Express review, June 1980


Although sadly-lucky really-that I have not heard much lately from the Macca Madhatters who used to almost daily bombard me with anger and out right hate, whenever they thought I had dissed their dear Paul, I still feel them.

One sane writer to me said that the bulk of the MMs were comprised of middle aged housewives, who in place of actual lives, had idolized the ex-Beatle to pathological territory.

The reason I am musing on this topic is that I recently picked up a great-if albeit too pricey-special UNCUT NME Originals magazine on the Fabs' solo years from 1970 to 1980, and the issue contains many critical accounts of the solo Fabs.

I think this mag is among the best on the Beatles I have read in some time, although it is mostly packed with reprinted material, some dating to 1970. Great pix and chart stats too.

One of my favourite articles is about John Lennon's "letter feud" with Todd Rundgren.

Todd made some rather intemperate remarks about John in the early 70s, and John shot back with a typical acidic letter to the editor, putting Rundgren firmly in his place.

There are also a number of full length original interviews with each Fab, which although obviously dated, are nontheless quite informative and revealing.

But back to the MMs, I wonder if they wrote or called the NME back when this stuff was originally published-maybe now?- or has it just been the instant satisfaction of the e-mail that has brought more of these wack-jobs out of their nests?

I mean, I have never come close to the level of vitrol that some of the writers for the NME have for various stories about the Beatles, and therefore, it has always surprised and even bemused me that an opinion Blog could draw such heat.

But I guess that is the power of the press, or at least the printed-or Blogged- word, and the nuttiness of the MMs.

So, if you're pissed off this time, take it out on UNCUT, not moi.