September 6, 2006

"Rare" Beatles

Rare is a relative term, of course, but I'm sure that before YouTube (and the like), even die hard Beatlemaniacs had not seen (and would probably not have ever seen) most, if not all, of the following footage.

This first video is of a 1968 recording session for "Hey Bulldog." John Lennon was great at writing the middle eight, or bridge section, of so many Beatles' songs (his and Paul's). "Hey Bulldog" has some great chord changes for guitarists or pianists, much like the changes in his section of "We Can Work It Out" (i.e., "Life is very short/and there's no time/for fussing and fighting my friend") or "And Your Bird Can Sing" or "Glass Onion." The story behind this video is interesting (quoted from the YouTube uploader's description):

A few years back Apple Corps discovered that film footage of the Beatles, that was used for a promo film for "Lady Madonna", was in fact footage of the Beatles recording "Hey Bulldog".

It was shown on ABC's 20/20, but with Elizabeth Vargus talking over the entire piece!!! But thanks to the magic of non-linear editing I was able to place a recording of "Hey Bulldog" over the 20/20 piece.


Some of you may have already seen this footage, as had I, used in the "Lady Madonna" promo:

from ducdodger245

Next is this great footage of the Fabs rehearsing and recording sections of "Hey Jude" in 1968:

from Cartmannn

Finally, this appears to be some footage cut out of the 1969 Let It Be film. You can see how hard they (specifically Paul) tried to rekindle the magic and the thrill of their early years. It begins with rehearsal of "Get Back," and ends with a "musical flashback." Based on the comments for this at YouTube, many people find it amusing. I think it's a little sad. The song they "play" at the end was recorded no more that four years prior to this footage being shot. It's as if they'd lived twice that many!

from McCartneyIII

I love how when at about :20, one of the cameramen begins to loudly say "308, take one on camera B," and McCartney looks right at him and says "The boys are ready for action!" The filming of Let It Be was apparently an awful experience for them, one of the elements adding to the "suckiness" was persistantly being on camera. As if they needed to feel even more like a bunch of performing circus animals.

3 comments:

  1. First Star Wars and now The Beatles. Are you trying to keep me in a constant, frenzied state of bliss? ;P

    ReplyDelete
  2. Yes, I want you frothing at the mouth and completely delirious.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Done and done.

    *wiping froth from the keyboard*

    ReplyDelete