As Difficult As It Is, Can You Choose One Favorite Beatle Song Out Of Hundreds?

From January 1964 clear up to April 2010, I struggled for a definitive answer over which Beatle song stood alone as my all-time favorite. The brilliant and catchy number of amazing tunes grew much too large in pinpointing a finger on a solitary find. However, in 2010, I received an opportunity to dust off my guitar, buy some new equipment and play live music for a mid-size café every Friday night. The challenge to keep a following of local patrons returning week after week meant providing fresh material audiences enjoyed hearing, not the same old thirty some songs each performance. So, I compiled a 350 plus play list of oldies but goodies and prided myself specializing in music from the sixties, which includes enormous recordings presented by the greatest band ever, the Beatles.

While deciding which songs matched my style and interest, “This Boy” surfaced in such a powerful way. Right then and there, I recalled how intrigued this song had held my affection throughout the initial awakening my eardrums received at first hearing and triggered the pulling of my heart-strings every time radio or tv spun the beautiful composition. That being said, let me share with you some steps the Beatles conquered at fulfilling my favorite Beatle Song.

In routine fashion, both sides of the Beatles fifth British single took place during the same three-hour recording session on October 17th, 1963 at EMI Studio Two in London. This day unveiled the same historical recording session that introduced the four-track tape techniques to the Beatles, who recorded “I Want To Hold Your Hand” (as well as the first Beatles Christmas Record of speech and an aborted remake attempt of “You Really Got A Hold On Me”). With these other three items complete, “This Boy” loomed last on the agenda for the day, which approximately comprised the final hour of the session (9:00 to 10:00 pm).

The task required fifteen takes of the song (most of them whole) to perfect, although more had to be done to get it to the finished state as we know it. The vocals were recorded, by the Beatles request, with all three vocalists huddled around one microphone. The finished version appears to be an edit of takes 14 and 15, which is brutally spliced together just before the final verse, making an obvious abrupt edit that is very noticeable in the issued product (although performed with flowing precision when done on stage, as can be seen on their Ed Sullivan Show appearance).

Two overdubs (take 16 and 17) were then recorded, which comprise George Harrison performing octave guitar fills at the end of the song. These overdubs transferred over to the end of take 15.

One more session needed attention to get the song in a releasable condition. A mixing session, attended by George Martin and engineer Norman Smith alone, happened four days later on October 21st. This day Martin arranged to create the mono mixes necessary for releasing their fifth British single. They created two mono mixes from take 15 of the recording session and then performed an edit of both of those mixes to get the final version, creating the fade out that is heard on the released recording instead of the full ending The Beatles recorded in the studio. Needless to say, The Beatles continued to perform the full ending on stage throughout the songs’ performance life.

No stereo mix of the song existed at this time since the song’s objective slated solely as a single in Britain. However, entirely by accident, the song achieved its’ first stereo mix on November 10th, 1966. A telephone call was made to Abbey Road to inform them of the line-up for the first “Greatest Hits” package scheduled for release in December of that year. By mistake, the phone message related that “This Boy” would be on the album so it would need to have a stereo mix made suitable for a special album release. The message should have indicated the song “Bad Boy,” which was not released in Britain at that time but still included on the album, which was titled “A Collection Of Beatles Oldies,” as an enticement for fans to buy an album of songs they probably already owned. Before the mistake was corrected, the four-track tape of “This Boy” was dug out and treated to its’ first and only stereo mix. Two stereo mixes developed from the edited take 15 of the song, and then both of those mixes got spliced together to create the full stereo mix.

Subsequently, the mix used for the stereo version of “Meet The Beatles!” in the US was actually a duo phonic (or fake) stereo mix created by Capitol records. This fake stereo mix continued to be used in America well after 1966 because the true stereo mix that advanced then didn’t surface until October of 1988, with the release of “Past Masters, Volume One.”

“This Boy” did surface at EMI studios on one other occasion. That occasion fell on June 3rd, 1964, when The Beatles auditioned Jimmy Nicol to replace an ailing Ringo Starr for the beginning of their first world tour. It proved necessary to see if Jimmy could handle the subdued drum arrangement Ringo played on this song as well as ‘rock-out’ on “I Saw Her Standing There” and “Long Tall Sally.”  Apparently, he could, because 27 hours later they were in Copenhagen on the first date of their tour.

Please feel free to leave any comments or corrections and share these articles plus the blog's website with your friends, especially Beatles’ fans. You and they might also enjoy knowing more about my Love Songs CD and my novel, BEATLEMANIAC. Just click on the My Shop tab near the top of this page for full details.

7/11 vs. 7:11

Summer time in the 60s always made things so much better for this Southern California kid. The beach vs. classrooms, Dodger baseball vs. Football season, Disneyland closes at 1:00 am vs. 6:00 pm, later bedtime hour vs. school night curfew, and two-week vacations vs. long weekends. Just about everything I experienced during Summer outweighed joys or thrills experienced away from Summer. The main reason might point to the circumstance I had the fortunate progression to grow a little older each Summer. Oh, technically one could say we all grow a little older each day, but July holds extraordinary dominance as my birth month. The official annual spurt falls on July 11 or (7/11), which bears the reality that I’m a brought into the world Seven-Eleven phenomenon. Another Summer Seven-Eleven phenomenon happened during August 1968 and came to us all courtesy of the Beatles. Hmm, you may wonder. What does Don mean by this 1968 Seven-Eleven? Have I got you scratching your heads? Are your minds a complete blank as to the Beatles Seven-Eleven phenomenon? Well, wait no more. . . One of the many all time great compositions credited to Lennon & McCartney, Hey Jude (actually penned alone by McCartney), holds captive any audio audience for a whopping Seven minutes and Eleven seconds or (7:11), an unheard-of possibility on radio stations. However, because the Beatles are the Beatles, radio made an exception. Phenomenal!

Sit back and let me share a little info in connection with what millions believe to be the best song our Beatles ever released.          

In 1968, it could easily have been said by countless people that the bloom of the rose that spanned the career of The Beatles had certainly seen its day and was in the eventual process of wilting away to nothing. As for their beginnings in America, their emergence in 1964 saw them holding down the entire Top Five positions on the Billboard singles chart on April 4th, 1964. Nearly every subsequent single release thereafter had raced up the charts, either reaching the summit or nearly missing it. Their live concerts consistently broke new ground with record breaking attendances. Their growth in musicianship and songwriting paved the way for newer as well as already established acts to use as a template for their own success.

However, interviewers regularly asked our favorite Liverpudlians when they thought the “bubble might burst” and their popularity fade. In 1966, concert attendance began to dip somewhat and then they decided to discontinue touring altogether. The innocent pop songwriting that fans expected of them gave way to mind expanding subject matter such as “Strawberry Fields Forever” which, at the time, left many diehard followers disillusioned. While 1967's “Sgt. Pepper” album loomed an artistic as well as a commercial triumph; critics were merciless toward their “Magical Mystery Tour” film, plus Beatle fanatics worldwide had to agree its content equaled rubbish. Their follow-up single, “Lady Madonna,” while a masterstroke in recorded music, failed to get any higher than #4 on the U.S. charts, which proved quite uncharacteristic for them. It appeared that maybe the “bubble” had indeed 'burst.

Then, on August 26th, 1968, The Beatles made the most remarkable comeback of their career, gaining back any naysayers who thought they'd already heard everything that the band had to offer. Their new single, “Hey Jude,” released on their own new Apple Records with its stunning green label, took over the airwaves as well as our television screens. The majority of music fans today who were alive at that time have vivid and cherished memories related to hearing the song, some remembering the first time they heard it. The impact was so great that it only took three weeks for it to reach #1 on the U.S. Billboard singles chart and stayed there for a remarkable nine weeks, becoming the most successful American single of their career. It also ranked as the most popular record of the sixties, according to Billboard Magazine.

If anything had tarnished the reputation of The Beatles to any degree up to that point in history, they went way above and beyond to redeem themselves in most people's eyes with the release of “Hey Jude." Even to this day, the respect generated by this one song is astronomical, and there is no hint of that respect abating any time soon.

"Hey Jude" never won the blue ribbon as the most complicated of compositions, just two verses, two bridges and a faded conclusion. The production also kept itself down to the bare-bones; no psychedelic rave-ups or masterful overdubs required. So why did the song have such an amazing and long-standing impact on the music scene, one that continues to impress future generations?

John Robertson's book “The Complete Guide To The Music Of The Beatles” puts it this way. “'Hey Jude' sounded like a community anthem, from the open-armed welcome of its lyrics to its instant singalong chorus. The fact that it didn't come with a controversial political message made its universal application complete.” Even though the lyrics don't make any distinguishable sense, its delivery makes it appear as a song of hope and encouragement despite the trials and drama one can experience in life. Whatever “sad song” may be our story, The Beatles made us believe that we can learn from these experiences and, with a little help from our friends, we can truly “make it better.”

Please feel free to leave any comments or corrections and share these articles plus the blog's website with your friends, especially Beatles’ fans. You and they might also enjoy knowing more about my Love Songs CD and my novel, BEATLEMANIAC. Just click on the My Shop tab near the top of this page for full details.

The Beatles, The Band Of Many Firsts.

Incredible merely describes the tip of the Iceberg when one takes a close hard look at the innovations led by our four favorite Lads of Liverpool. Many triumphs in connection with the group’s long list of fabulous achievements might have never occurred had they not boldly stepped away from the norm. Ignorance, curiosity, or sheer guts all had opened new and improved methods for these fine musicians and their recording engineers to produce better than ever marvelous music.

Follow along with me and witness the brilliance captured by the Beatles originality mindset, the band of many firsts.

1: The first group from England to conquer America: Nobody ruled by the Queen had ever broken through the borders throughout the USA like the Mop-Tops, notable before featured on the Ed Sullivan Show with record breaking viewers. “Even the criminals took a break while the Beatles played on TV as cities had no reports of crime.” George Harrison, Anthology.  

2: The first group to disrupt Airports: Thousands of fans couldn’t miss golden opportunities at the chance of seeing their favorite stars coming to town.

3: Unbelievable Chart Success: Although many musical acts hold various chart-topping marketing successes, no specific artist has ever come close to the nearly inexplicable global phenomenon the Beatles enjoyed in the Spring of 1964. On March 21, the Beatles held #1, #2, and #3 in Billboard’s Hot 100 (for a total of seven songs during that week’s poll). On March 28, they held #1, #2, #3, and #4 (ten songs in all) for that week’s Billboard Hot 100. On April 4, they blew the lid off and held #1, #2, #3, #4, AND #5 (for a total of twelve songs) in the Billboard Hot 100. On April 11, the Beatles added two more songs to the Billboard Hot 100 (fourteen in all). Through this same time frame, they were also snagging most of the album and singles Top Ten lists in the UK, Canada, and Australia. Truly a first!

4: Studio Techniques: The Beatles (and their recording engineers) pioneered Artificial Double Tracking (ADT) first used on ‘Revolver.’ Reverse tape spool, or back masking, first used on ‘Rain.’ High volume tuned feedback, first used on “I Feel Fine.’ Multi spliced audio loops, first used on ‘Tomorrow Never Knows.’ Distortion actually started with the Kinks ‘You Really Got Me’ in 1964, the Beatles used it on Helter Skelter in 1968. And of course, George Martin helped refine equalization, stereo effects, multi-tracking (overdubbing), compression, phase shifting, and innovative “microphoning.”

5: Music videos: Although early jazz artists created short music-film performances of their songs, Ozzie Nelson promoted his son Ricky at the end of The Adventures Of Ozzie and Harriet Show, and Elvis filmed unique settings of his songs that were parts of movies, the Beatles were the pioneers of marrying the two ideas into the concept we now know as the music video – a short, stand-alone film of a musical act presenting a current song that may or not be a live performance. The idea came to the Beatles as a way to ease their dreaded tight schedule – instead of the band having to make tons of public appearances on TV shows around the world, they could send a video of themselves instead. The first dedicated music video was for the single “Paperback Writer/Rain” in 1966.

6: First Band necessary to utilize Outdoor Stadiums: Although the Beatles were highly successful in selling out their early concerts in 1963, 1964, and 1965, they were only playing shows booked in auditoriums, theaters, and amphitheaters that seated anywhere between 1000 and 10,000 ticket-holders. When manager Brian Epstein initially booked the Beatles to play a concert at New York’s Shea Stadium in August 1965, the idea was considered almost too absurd to consider. However, the tickets sold out within hours (priced between $4.50 and $5.75), and over 55,000 berserk, screaming fans (mostly teenage girls) packed Shea Stadium for the first-ever stadium rock concert. The Beatles only played 30 minutes, and the fans kept their distance first by a human blockade of seated policemen. Next, a sturdy gray barrier with words ‘Do Not Cross’ printed in bold discouraged foolish attempts. Next, standing policemen positioned about ten feet apart made themselves ready to tackle rushers. Written on the Giant Screen heeded everyone good advice with, “For Your Safety, Please Stay in Your Seats.” And finally, a yellow barrier circled the pop stars, which if anyone violated the caution yellow blockade, rough treatment consequences followed. All this fuss linked with the stadium’s atrocious sound system proved much too inadequate for a musical concert, but the night’s gross climbed over $300,000, which stood as an industry record for many years.

7: The first band who announced: “No more touring.”: The typical music industry recording contract of the 1960s required a band to tape and release enough singles for a company to issue at least one album per year, and the Beatles went far beyond the call of duty (they released two albums per year in every year with EMI Records except 1966). Another aspect of the standard recording contract required a band to give a prescribed number of public concerts as a highly effective means to promote and sell the band’s singles and albums. However, in August 1966, at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, the Beatles played their last public concert after over six years of extended touring. The decision for the Beatles (or any band, for that matter) to end touring had death sentence potential. They each based their decision on multiple factors, such as exhaustion, inability to perform newest songs in a live format, inability to hear themselves onstage, wandering musical focus, safety concerns following death threats and boycotts, and boredom. The Beatles made only one more public musical appearance, and it came in January 1969 in the form of an impromptu semi-private concert on the rooftop of their London studios.

8: Concept Album:  Prior to 1966, popular musical acts went into the recording studio to create a stack of singles. These singles were first released individually by the record company, and then again in a few months as part of a long-playing album. Typically, the band had no input as to which songs went on the album, which order they appear, or what design features the latest release as the cover art – these decisions blossomed independently of the band and took shape by the record company. However, with the invaluable guidance of their producer, George Martin, the Beatles released the industry’s first concept album, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” The idea behind “Sgt. Pepper” crafted the Beatles into playing the part of another band giving a concert in the park, and all of the songs on the album signified parts of that outdoor affair. However, none of the songs on that album had released as singles – Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane got the honors. The first time the public heard any part of “Sgt. Pepper” took place when the entire album found its way to the stores in June 1967.

9: Lyrics printed on the Album: The first pop album to feature printed lyrics on the album was the Beatles’ 1967 epic release “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Soon, it would be considered non-standard not to do so or at least include all the lyrics inside the LP sleeve.

10: First Live Global Broadcast: Although the Beatles did not invent satellite television, they were the highlighted subject of the first ever live global satellite television broadcast in June 1967. The TV program was called “Our World,” and it featured the contributions of artists and citizens of 19 different nations. Using four different orbiting satellites, the program was able to be broadcast live to anyone interested in receiving the signal anywhere in the world, and the Beatles performed an in-studio live version of “All You Need Is Love,” which was specially written by John for the broadcast, to close out the program.

11: Rock Stars Self-Owned Record Label: This was one of those magnificent ideas where everybody learned more from Beatle mistakes than Beatle successes. In 1966, the Beatles’ recording contract with EMI Records expired, and they re-entered into a 9-year contract with EMI in 1967. The next year, the Beatles decided to form their own record company, Apple Records and discovered that EMI was not willing to release them. In a complicated series of confusing maneuvers, the Beatles remained with EMI but signed a separate agreement between EMI’s American subsidiary, Capitol Records, and Apple. The result was that American releases contained the Apple label while British releases did not (at first). In addition to this mess, the Beatles legally hired two different business managers (American Allen Klein and Paul’s new father-in-law Lee Eastman) at Apple, and all contracts between Apple, EMI, and Capitol were revised. Hilarity and lawsuits soon followed, and the Beatles painfully set the standard for what NOT to do when forming your own record company.

12: Radio: By 1968, the American radio dial preferred to have music on AM and talk radio on FM, and most AM stations played music in a three-minute single format. This meant that any singles significantly longer or shorter than three minutes were ignored by AM stations because it would wreck their repetitive hourly format to play it. When the Beatles released “Hey Jude” as a single in August 1968, it was nearly 7 1/2 minutes long, and AM stations simply chopped off the song at the 3:00 mark, which denied listeners the chance to hear their favorite part – “Na Na Na Nanananaaa.” At KSAN-FM in San Francisco, radio pioneer Tom Donahue used the promise of a whole “Hey Jude” single coupled with other innovative ideas (commercial-free blocks of music, playing whole album sides at a time, etc.) as a means to lure listeners away from local AM stations to his uniquely programmed FM station, and the idea eventually snowballed across the country. Within ten years, American radio stations had almost completely switched places, and put music on FM and talk radio on AM.

13: First Group to have a number 1 record after disbanding: Let It Be, the single and the LP both soared up the charts proving the fans wanted their favorite band to keep going. regardless if they suffered inner uproar. 

14: First Group to release a new single twenty-five years after closure with all original members including the deceased: ‘Free As A Bird’ backed with ‘Christmas Time is Hear Again’ in December 1995 and ‘Real Love’ backed with Baby’s in Black’ issued in March 1996.

15: First Rock Band to offer an Anthology: Superb chronological treasures released as a DVD plus musical CD Trilogy as well as a Hardcover Manuscript weighing in nearly seven pounds. Definitely a coffee table book.

16: First musical group honored with at least 4,000 different renditions of their original composition: Yes, that’s right, The Beatles song ‘Yesterday’ holds the record as most recorded melody of all time.

Okay, friends, help me out here and fill in the blank as you recollect other Beatle firsts–– name more if you can. . .

The Beatles became the very first band to________________________________

Please feel free to leave any comments and share these articles plus the blog's website with your friends, especially Beatles’ fans. Make time to visit the 'MY SHOP' Page up near the top for interesting products. I look forward to sharing many more fun facts with you soon. Enjoy the weekend.

Ringo Just had a birthday on 7/7. Mine is on 7/11.

The very reason I started this Blog about a year ago was to announce the release of my first, ever, novel,’Beatlemaniac.’ Therefore, if any of you have enjoyed reading various articles mingled inside the archives, or simply kept up to date waiting for the current weekly post, then please bypass a gift for me, and rather, gift yourself, plus a friend, a copy of my eBook for only $2.99 each. To me, that tiny gesture floods my heart with gratefulness toward all Beatles Fans, your awesome. Here is what you can expect upon receiving this crime thriller story:

SOMETHING NEW FOR EVERY BEATLES FAN  

A  climatic work of suspense fiction filled with premium Fab Four trivia, invented characters named after the lad’s recognized associates, and a tall tale of criminal activity that stands head and shoulders above the perfect crime, all interwoven among buried Beatles song titles, concealed within the text that will amuse any John, Paul, George and Ringo devotee’s search throughout the chapters. eBook Price in the United States is just $2.99

“BEATLEMANIAC”

Don W. Maeder’s Thrilling Debut eBook Novel

When female city employees of Ash Lyn, California, start to die after being bilked out of their life savings and show no signs of struggle or point of entry wounds, FBI headquarters in D.C. assigns young and sexy Agent Heath Wilson to apprehend the killer. However, the only useful clue that links the deaths are mysterious e-mails that brilliantly mask references to the Beatles. Once they're read, the intended victim has only hours until she’s dead. Can Heath capture the Beatlemaniac before he strikes again?

Beatlemaniac is a fatal whodunit game of cat and mouse chase on a tight schedule.

If you like twist and turn action, a powerful reciprocated love at first sight romance, and an FBI agent with a quirky sense of humor, you will love Don W. Maeder’s original first book. Buy this eBook today for a fun and exciting read.

Right before your eyes, an evil grudge unfolds the driven madness of greed pitted against the wit and charm of a hotshot lawman inexperienced with women, who can’t help but wonder if the perfect crime has finally been committed. . . over and over again.

Also, be sure to surprise those special Beatle Fan family members and friends around you by clicking on the Give as a Gift button now. 

Kindle users in the UK, click here: http://amzn.to/2s0yGFi

Kindle users in America, click here:

https://www.amazon.com/Beatlemaniac-Don-Maeder-ebook/dp/B01I0SU8D2.

Kindle users in Canada, click here: http://amzn.to/2sBL1i8

iBook users, open the app and inside the search window type, Beatlemaniac or Don Maeder
Nook by Barnes and Noble users, click here:http://bit.ly/2rfRG5S

Enjoy the first pages opening of my novel ‘Beatlemaniac.'

Chapter 1

December 8, 1989

Oahu, Hawaii.

Alone near the dinner table, Yulie cringed and held her breath when the ragged screen door banged against its weather-beaten split wood frame. In silent gloom, her child, Davy, stared into the plate of last night’s canned tuna over rice. For nine long years, this of all days resurrected the worst upheaval forced on a living soul. And now, her youngster suffered horrible nightmares alongside five anguish anniversaries of his disgusting bloodline. He agonized over terrible dreams of people ripping out his father’s heart with razor-sharp fingers, and then turning on the lad, chasing him, yelling, “Kill the son.” Yulie tried consoling her little boy, saying his dreams were make-believe and only silly nonsense. However, each year the dreams grew bloodier, forever haunting his mind, and severely changed the way he developed. He always asked his mother what would people really do to him if they actually found out who his father was. “They will do nothing,” she assured him, “except feel sorry for you.”

     Davy’s disappointed gaze on the hot-scooped serving shifted toward Yulie, but only in pity, and returned to the unappetizing goop. His tightened, crumpled lips spoke louder than their defeated manner and reached her same conclusion. Both hated leftovers, but money problems long ago kept them from enjoying more.

     She tried to fake a smile. “Remember, Davy, your father cherished the Beatles as we do.”

     His piercing eyes lifted fast from the plate, bolted onto hers colder than Iceland, but all the same burned the woman’s flesh like scorching steam. “No. As grandma says, I wish Father never existed. I wish you’d married a Beatle. Father didn’t cherish the Beatles, I love the Beatles. I hate Father.” The boy dragged out his table chair with a rough jerk but refused to sit. “I’m glad he never saw me, Mom, and I never want to see him or his grave.”

     “You’re upset at today, not at Father.”

     “No. Everything wrong comes from Father.” He scooted his chair back in place and softened his tone. “I’m not hungry. I’ll wait till breakfast.”

     “Expect to fix yourself a bowl of cold cereal. I’ll use tonight’s dinner and make you a plump tuna with rice sandwich stored in the fridge for lunch. I have an early shift tomorrow and can’t upset Ms. Yoshida clocking in late.”

     “You shouldn’t let that rotten woman treat you like she does. It’s evil.”

     “I’m sorry you saw that, but try to overlook her faults; I do.”     

     “Good night, Mom.”

                                __________________________

4 Years Later, December 9, 1993.

County Courthouse conference room, Oahu, Hawaii.

“Please have a seat Mrs. Chapman; I appreciate you taking time from your employment,” said the young doctor.

      Her spine stiffened, upper teeth bit hard against her lower lip and like a shot, both arms folded tight under her breasts. “Davy’s father is Mr. Chapman, but I’m Ms. Tanaka, Yulie Tanaka.”  

  “Oh, my mistake; I apologize, Ms. Tanaka.” He waited for her to settle into the chair. “Mr. Lundy, our juvenile corrections director, called me in last night to begin behavior counseling for your 13-year-old son, Davy.” Her chin tilted south, forcing her eyes to stare at the ground, which threw an uneasy mood into the room. “Before meeting the boy, I read through the officer’s incident report, as a head start to find a method best suitable.” His pause lasted longer than customary.

     She raised her head. “And?”

     “His conduct showed severe bi-polar characteristics, but after hours of psychoanalysis, I can vouch that his hate stems from an abandonment disorder.”

     In shame, the meek woman accepted a facial tissue. “Yes, Doctor, Mr. Chapman left a solitary shadow of shame hanging over me and uprooted a rocky wham-bam-thank-you-ma’am romance. He deserted us during the fourth month of my pregnancy, and the denial of Davy by his father has multiplied fits of anger streaks to our son.”

     “Ms. Yoshida’s screams saved her bodily harm from the silver hammer Davy possessed during their heated conflict. Your boy’s public defender seeks a reduced six-month sentence, but I urge you to reconsider. The needed therapy for personal happiness may succeed if we’re given a full year and can rehabilitate his hostility. My staff and I will uncover any clinical disarray and redirect delicate emotions from his negative thoughts wedged inside his head. Moreover, the process comes free.”

     “That’s next to all I can afford, free, but must he live here for a whole year? Davy hasn’t slept in another bed besides his own until last night.”

     “He must, or our no-cost treatment disappears, Ms. Tanaka.”

     She rose to her feet while the mangled tissue again wiped her dampen eyes. “I understand.”

     “Good. I’ll make Davy’s arrangements with the public defender this afternoon. Don’t look so worried; this is a positive thing, and we welcome your visits from two to five p.m. Come release time, you will see young Davy well-grounded and able to serve society as opposed to engaging in violent criminal activity.”    

     “Thank you, Doctor, for looking after him.”

                              __________________________   

18 Years Later, Late March 2011.

Los Angeles County

To commemorate three decades of service to the Main Headquarters Library in Ash Lyn, California, appointed as CEO to the entire seven branches and three bookmobiles 20 years ago, Freda Kelly was ready to clean out her desk and call it quits.   

     50-years old, she seldom strayed from any goal, short or long, and looked forward to her $2,000 per month pension. With over $3,450,000 in reserves, she was ready to ignite her new dream.

     Fewer than five weeks and the garage sale will include my awful alarm clock, she told herself, and when the house sells, I’ll launch my patented reading program in Central America. Ten months ago, Panama’s Department of Education had learned that Freda’s new course, Getting Better - A Child’s Right to Read, could offer the equivalent of a day-by-day confidence booster shot to any child four through fourteen. For the last two years, not a week went by without her e-mail account filling with hundreds of testimonial triumphs from pre-school, elementary, and middle-school staff who admired her teachable recipe. Each message brought complete fulfillment. How these educators located her e-mail, though, remained unclear. Last August, Panama made a perfect offer suited for her career. Small group lessons from border to border, conducted Tuesdays through Thursdays, and when travel exceeded 100 miles from her new residence, the department would provide an automobile, lodging, and meals.        

      Unmarried, although several men pursued her, Freda decided in high school to serve others rather than devote her best to a husband with baggage, or to juggle a selfish family who resents giving away her time. Her success as campaign manager to elect Mayor Dave Chapman soared into shape as if a cakewalk compared to the four long years designing, planning, and editing her smart software curriculum. Since the program’s debut, the educated tool became a Godsend to teachers and a gold mine to its author.

     A home in Panama presented no problems for her thriving DVD business. Freda’s Getting Better web page directed all inquiries and product purchase dealings through a major manufacturer in Bombay, India prior to its one-year anniversary in 2010.   

     The ring from the phone broke her pleasant-life-abroad daydream, but Freda, conscious of being on duty, assisted the caller. “Ash Lyn Main Library, Freda speaking.”

     “Hello, Freda, I applaud and salute your 30 unsurpassed performance years to the city. Deeds proficient by few saved those you inspire to follow your example in leadership skills, for our future.”

     Unsure who this caller with a hinted Asian accent was, she said, “Why, thank you.”

     “I understand you reach discomfort with idle small talk, so let me disclose the reason for my call. I need to verify you received the $100,000 grant prearranged by the American Library Association in Chicago.”

     In all her years collecting donated funds from different reliable authority, never had a soul requested a verbal record. “We received the deposit Monday. Is anything wrong?”

     “Not at all; I wanted to authenticate its actual arrival and appearance.”

     Freda was baffled. “Authenticate its actual arrival and appearance? Who are you?”

     “Call me Pang.” 

     “Please forgive me, Mr. Pang, but I . . .”

     “Not Mr. Pang,” he interrupted her. “Just Pang.”

     “Alright, Pang, as I said the money is safe, and I have confirmed it, so if nothing else?”  

     “One important item, if you please. I necessitate the account number and its password that secure the main branch grant fund.”

     She channeled a defensive attitude. “I beg your pardon?” 

     “You heard me. Unless you cooperate, disturbed consequences will follow, so I suggest you conform.”

     A quartet of townspeople formed a line for service near the checkout desk, and each shouldered at least six books. “I’ve got a few patrons near the counter,” she said. “I’ll take your call in my quarters.”

     Pang agreed.

     After entering her office, she slammed the door with an inflamed temper and clenched her jaw. “Now, Mr. Pang, I mean Pang, why must you make such a doubtful demand?” 

     “You ask a fair question, indeed, justifiable of an immediate, precise answer. I alone shall remove either 20% from the grant fund balance under your care or 100% of the currency from your personal savings sheltered by Wells Fargo. You have 10 seconds to render its password and 20 seconds to divulge its account number, or say goodbye to three and a half million dollars and the cash flow it supplies for your abundant fortunes in India.”

     “Now look here, you son of a bitch . . .”

     “It appears you affirmed which account to defile. In my opinion, an unwise choice, but you are young and in another fourteen years earning wages with your current employer, money lost today will build back.

Regrettable that you still must sell your home, because how will you subsidize the expenses Bombay requires each week? At least, any apartment community should welcome you based on superb references, plus the library’s gratitude you’re staying on must feel nice.”

     “Why trounce on me, and how did you uncover my personal livelihood?”           

     “I’m privileged to have known just a little extra. Farewell, Freda.”    

     “No, wait,” she said, but Pang’s phone disconnected.

     In a rush, she logged her PC to the internet, and from her favorites list, double-clicked the Wells Fargo Bank website. Her heart pounded as the screen loaded its sign-in page. Afterward, she typed her username, password, and clicked go.

                                ____________________________

Finished with a morning customer, the strange noise beyond Freda’s closed door startled Cilla from her chair. Looking toward the sound, and to the other side, no one else showed concern. Cilla White, assistant director, moved up the promotion ladder quickly and was tickled pink to work alongside Freda.

     Not wanting to appear too inquisitive, Cilla fixed her gaze on the door, hopeful her boss would exit with a humorous reason. Minutes had gone by but not another sound. “I know,” said Cilla, “I’ll phone and remind her the Friends of the Library gratitude luncheon begins this Saturday.” She dialed Freda’s extension and listened to the rings in the next room. Bewildered at hearing the line ring after ring and no pick-up, she approached the door and knocked. Still silence. She entered slowly, calling Freda’s name, but saw Freda drooped face down, motionless, gun in hand and a bullet wound to her temple. Cilla screamed for help, and others rushed to the gruesome scene.

     A male volunteer commanded, “No one touch a thing and leave the room. Let the police handle this.”

    All Cilla could say was, “Why.” Freda’s PC monitor had darkened, and the screensaver had seconds until it rid the vital clue needed to solve the atrocious act. Just a slight nudge of the mouse might have told detectives the answer to Cilla’s question, but no. The screensaver gave up its exposure. If anyone was to revive the image now, first, her password required consent acceptance, and the monitor could reproduce what devastated Freda to take her life by the consequent display:  Wells Fargo account number 909-17-642: Transfer $3,459,783.44 to Ping Gou You Han Gung Ci Bank of Hong Kong. Transaction completed and accepted today at 10:41 a.m. local time. New Balance: 00.00

                                    ________________________                         

Please feel free to leave any comments and share these articles plus the blog's website with your friends, especially Beatles’ fans. I look forward to sharing many more fun facts with you soon. Enjoy the weekend.

When Love Songs Reigned Supreme.

1965 ushered in a great year for the four Beatles and me, in addition the duration clearly signified as one of the best 365 days for each of us. Not only did ‘65’ champion the love of my life’s birth year, but these heroes with hairy heads through Capitol Records, also gave me and millions of loyal fans spread across the 50 United States, The Early Beatles (released March 22, 1965 – the love of my life was born March 24, 1965), Beatles VI (released June 14, 1965), the Help Original Soundtrack (released August 13, 1965), and Rubber Soul (released December 6, 1965). Fabulous music poured from all four issues like nothing we fans had ever heard before, which sounded so grandly spectacular, and each album never expressed the same resonance as the Beatles compositions continued to progress in entirely new directions still using the guitar as their main source. Here we find astounding gems like, “Boys”, “Do You Want To Know A Secret”, “Please Please Me”, and the mighty show-stopper “Twist and Shout” all found on the round disk inside The Early Beatles LP holder. Less than two months later, we fans got blown away with “Eight Days A Week”, also, one of my favorites by George––“You Like Me Too Much, “Words of Love”, the beautiful, “Yes it Is”, and what about the chilling guitar licks on “What You’re Doing” and “Every Little Thing”, marvelous, all from Beatles VI. Next, more treasures arrived from Help with the title song, plus, “You’re Gonna Lose That Girl”, “Ticket To Ride”, “I Need You”, and You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away”, all with great sounding guitars. Then, super sounding guitars flow through our speakers while listening to Rubber Soul and our Beatles once again knocked it out of the park with groundbreaking elegance like “Norwegian Wood”, “Michelle”, “Girl”, and “In My Life.” Such fanciful and intricate guitar movements effortlessly mastered by the brilliant self-taught determination of dear and respected George Harrison. Thank you, George, for giving us and the rest of the Beatles magnificent input on the many musical arrangements your teammates unleashed inside the studio.

And speaking of George, plus his talented instrumentation throughout the year 1965, I came across a single page article first published inside 16 Magazine during the same period titled, George Harrison’s Hates & Loves. Follow me back some 52 years and let’s delve inside the head of the youngest famous Beatle all those years ago and observe if by chance his personality quotes had softened or hardened with age. . . So, ladies and gentlemen here’s George at the ripe old age of twenty-one:

“I hate having my professional life get mixed up with my private life. It can spoil a night out at a club if there is a constant line of photographers and autograph hunters waiting to get close to our table.”

“I hate having to hurry past a crowd of fans without stopping for a chat, because we have to rush away for another appointment.”

“I hate tea or coffee without sugar.”

“I hate days when it never stops raining from dawn to dusk.”

“I hate days on tour when every hour is taken up with traveling and there’s no chance to relax quietly for a spell.”

“I hate the end of any recording session. I’m always ready to go on and on once I’m in a recording studio.”

“I hate having my hair cut. To me it’s like a major operation and I dread it, so I never plan my visits to the barber until the last minute, so I won’t have long to be bad tempered about the prospect.”

“I hate reporters who either turn up without any knowledge about pop music generally or about us, or who twist the things we say to make up whatever they write.”

“I hate being closed in theater dressing rooms for too long. In the end, I can’t stand it any longer and have to talk a walk around the building or watch the other acts from the wings.”

I hate snatching meals in a hurry. I think eating is a pleasure that should be enjoyed at leisure.”

“I hate stupid rumors and the people who delight in making themselves important by passing them on when they know very well there’s no real evidence for their claims. And I don’t just mean rumors about us––I mean guesswork and imagination presented as fact on any subject under the sun.”

“I hate getting up in the morning. I’m O.K. once I’m up and washed, but the bad bit is actually coming up from under the sheets.”

“I love seeing so many new places and meeting so many new people in our travels.”

“I love spending time with my guitars––just messing about with the strings, polishing the frames or trying out new sounds.”

“I love listening to all the Tamla-Motown artists live or on records.”

“I love finding time to be really lazy for a whole day every now and then. I did just lazing beside a pool or reading a book by a fire in the winter.”

“I love live concerts. It’s great to have the immediate response of an excited audience and know that what the group is doing is providing people with entertainment and enjoyment.”

“I love being with the rest of the boys. Although we spend so much time in our own company, there are never any serious rows between us and we’re all right on the same wavelength so far as a sense of humor is concerned.”

“I love fairly small parties with good music and good company.”

“I love listening to other people telling me about things they do and things they know, especially when these things are nothing to do with the life we know. I’ve always been very very interested in hearing new opinions and knowing about new subjects which are not part of our own everyday routine.”

“I love rehearsing new songs. There’s a terrific thrill for me in hearing a brand-new number brought to life.”

“I love making big-headed people look foolish.”

“I love getting home to England after a long spell abroad and catching up on all the news.”

“I love being serious now and again––and having a good sensible argument on some subject that a friend disagrees about.”

“I love trying to put the right name to a familiar face––I always make a point of trying to store up people’s names in my mind so I can remember to say, ‘Hello Bill’ or ‘Hi Joe’ even if I haven’t met them for about six months.”

“I love seeing good films or watching interesting plays on television.”

All right, what do you think? Same old George from the mid-sixties as into the early twenty-first century, or, based on your individual acquaintance, regardless from afar or close at hand, did he change? I guess what really matters is the kindness of heart, the patience of mind and respect for others Mr. Harrison adamantly showed the world. He was a giver, a true blessing to us all and what a prince of a guy! I miss him greatly.  

Such a fortunate joy, we fans are still able to pick, at the drop of a hat, a favorite CD right off the shelf and surround ourselves with the glorious memories those great songs dutifully hold our attentive admiration without fail, time and time again. Excellent, even perfect songs that in many ways fill our hearts yet break them at the same time victimizing us by the cursed seven-year itch that led up to the horrible, pathetic, divorce-like break-up of four brotherly friends. Paul was the first to go public, announcing he no longer had plans to participate in any capacity with the Beatles, dissolving his partnership, even though John tried to beat him to the punch but promised Manager Allen Klein mums the word. If only the other three pop-stars simply told McCartney, “Good Riddance”! Then phoned Klaus Voorman for a strategic sit-down meeting and requests he re-string his bass guitar to join the Beatles, what amazing music could have continued through the collaboration of Lennon & Harrison. This potential lineup of musician comradery showed promise. However, remove John, George or Ringo but leave Paul intact with a new drummer or new guitar player splicing the Beatles still points to a gloom and doom fiasco under the bossy dominance tendencies McCartney has in controlling a lineup of yes-men performers rather than merging everyone’s ideal creativity among the band’s equal artistic individuals.

Please feel free to leave any comments or corrections and share these articles plus the blog's website with your friends, especially Beatles’ fans. You and they might also enjoy knowing more about my Love Songs CD and my novel, BEATLEMANIAC. Just click on the My Shop tab near the top of this page for details.