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Sunday, May 14, 2017

THE INCREDIBLE RECORDING PROCESS OF SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND AND WITH A LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS.



Track 1 – Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band: Such was the impact of this startling song that Jimi Hendrix, a favorite of The Beatles, performed his own unique version of the “Sgt. Pepper” theme live at the Saville Theatre in London on June 4th, 1967 - only three days after the released album reached stores in Britain.  Paul (with Jane Asher) and George (with Pattie Boyd) were in the audience of that Brian Epstein-owned Theatre that evening.

“The biggest single tribute for me was that ‘Sgt. Pepper’ was released on Thursday,” remembers Paul, “and, on Sunday, we went to the Saville Theatre, and Jimi Hendrix opened up with ‘Sgt. Pepper’ and he’d only had since Thursday to learn it…That was like the ultimate compliment. It’s still obviously a shining memory for me because I admired him so much anyway, he was so accomplished…I put that down as one of the great honors of my career.”

While many quickly dismiss the song “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” as just a gimmicky introduction to a landmark album, closer examination reveal how convincingly imaginative The Beatles songwriting had become. As Chris Ingham writes in “The Rough Guide To The Beatles,” the track has “the color and confidence of a Fourth Of July parade and raises the curtain on the dizzying album to which it gives its name with genuine panache.” Perfectly stated!

Inside the Studio, February 1, 1967, with the red light on and the tape machines rolling, the Beatles entered EMI Studio Two at 7 pm to start recording their fifth composition designated for the new album (not including 1966 Christmas recordings and the unreleased “Carnival Of Light” experiment). This entire seven-and-a-half-hour recording session was devoted to the recently completed proposed theme of the album, namely, “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” Two sessions had already been devoted to their song “A Day In The Life” at this point, but they decided to let it rest for a while in order to allow new ideas for that track to germinate.

Engineer Geoff Emerick, in his book “Here, There And Everywhere,” remembers the session on this day vividly. “’Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ had quite a different feel to all the other laid-back songs we’d done so far – this one was a real rocker, more like the kind of cover songs the band did in their live set earlier in their career. There was another surprise,” Emerick continues. “Paul wanted to play rhythm guitar on the backing track instead of bass – the first time I’d known him to do that. He simply told John, ‘Let me do the rhythm on this; I know exactly what I want.’  John accepted Paul’s instruction without a word of protest and simply picked up a bass guitar. He didn’t have any feel for the instrument, though, so we decided to record him on a separate track, using a DI box instead of a bass amp – this way, his guide bass part could be replaced later by Paul, without any problem of bleed or leakage onto any of the microphones.”

EMI technician Ken Townsend explains further: “I think direct injection (DI) was probably used on Beatles sessions for the first time anywhere in the world…We built our own transformer boxes and plugged the guitars straight into the equipment.” Geoff Emerick adds: “After we had explained the function of the DI box, (John) told (producer) George Martin that he’d like to have his voice recorded that way, too. Tongue planted firmly in cheek, George explained why we couldn’t do that: ‘For one thing, John, you’d have to have an operation first so we could implant a jack socket in your throat.’ Even then, Lennon couldn’t quite grasp why it wasn’t possible. He simply didn’t like taking no for an answer.”

Nine takes of the rhythm track were recorded on this day, only the first and the last attempt making it through to the end of the song, take nine being the keeper. Instrumentally, the rhythm track consisted of both Paul and George on electric rhythm guitars, Ringo on drums and John on bass, no vocals being recorded as of yet. Only two tracks of the four-track tape were utilized for this recording; one track for guitars and drums and the other track for John’s bass guitar, purposely kept separate so as to be replaced later by Paul’s bass work. By 2:30 am the following day, the session was complete.

Later that evening, at 7 pm on February 2nd, the group reconvened at EMI Studio Two to overdub the vocals onto tracks three and four of the master tape. Paul sang his blistering lead vocals and then John, Paul and George harmonized the chorus and bridge vocals. Three additional vocalists apparently joined in on the chorus, as noted in the diary of Mal Evans. In an entry dated February 2nd, 1967, Mal wrote:  “Recording voices on Captain Pepper. All six of us doing the chorus in the middle, worked until about midnight.” His reference “all six of us” seems to indicate that Mal, fellow roadie Neil Aspinall and Ringo all contributed to the “hope you will enjoy the show” vocals of the chorus late that evening.

With this complete, the EMI staff made a tape-to-tape reduction mix to reduce the four tracks down to two, allowing more space for future overdubs, this making “take ten” the keeper. A demo remix was then created for the group to hear the song as it presently stood. At 1:45 am the following morning, work on the song was complete for the time being. Breathing time was needed in order to come up with more ideas for the recording – one full month ‘breathing time,’ as it turned out!

On March 3rd, 1967, after six more new songs were premiered for the album, the group returned their attention to the “Sgt. Pepper” theme song. They entered EMI Studio Two once again at 7 pm for the brass band overdub, the players consisting of James W. Buck, Neil Sanders, Tony Randall and John Burden (a former London Symphony Orchestra member). All four of these musicians played French horns but without a definite score pre-arranged. “They didn’t really know what they wanted,” related John Burden. “I wrote out phrases for them based on what Paul McCartney was humming to us and George Martin. All four Beatles were there, but only Paul took an active interest in our overdub.”

Apparently for posterity reasons, as related in Mark Lewisohn’s book “The Beatles Recording Sessions,” “John Lennon had taped Richard Lush's record all of the conversations between the four players, Paul McCartney and George Martin. Then, for reasons best known only to himself, he took the tape home for his private collection!”

After this overdub was complete, attention was given to recording a lead guitar part for the song. “George Harrison spent hours trying to nail down the guitar solo,” remembers Geoff Emerick. “In the end, Paul peremptorily replaced George’s work with a stunning solo of his own, which Harrison was clearly not very happy about. But the storm quickly blew over.” Paul’s bass guitar overdub presumably was recorded on this date as well, forever replacing John’s bass recording from the rhythm track. This being the case, the finished product as we know it consists of Paul playing rhythm guitar, bass guitar and lead guitar. After four mono mixes were created for the recently recorded song “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,” the session was complete at 2:15 am the following morning and the “Sgt. Pepper” theme being given a rest for the weekend.

On Monday evening, March 6th, 1967, another 7 pm session began at EMI Studio Two for yet further work on the song, although this work was quite different than anything done prior on a Beatles record. “It was about three or four weeks before the final session when they started thinking about the running order of the songs,” related Geoff Emerick in “The Beatles Recording Sessions.” “The concept of it being Sgt. Pepper’s band was already there when Paul said, ‘Wouldn’t it be good if we get the atmosphere?  Get the band warming up, hear the audience settle into their seats, have the songs as different acts on the stage?’”

During the February 10th orchestral overdub for “A Day In The Life,” four tapes were made of miscellaneous sounds, these tapes being recorded for possible future use. Less than a month later, on this day, in fact, a use was found. A few seconds of the orchestra tuning up was dropped into track three of the “Sgt. Pepper” theme to “get the atmosphere.”

Then, in what author Mark Lewisohn describes as “a rickety green cabinet in an old storeroom” at EMI, a collection of sound effects were raided then added to the song. “The collection began in about 1956,” says balance engineer and curator of the collection, Stuart Eltham, “when Peter Sellers, Spike Milligan, Michael Bentine and others used to make records at Abbey Road. We started to keep bits and pieces. If we did location recording somewhere, we’d keep what outtakes were possible. Then I and people like Ken Townsend used to make recordings in our spare time.”

From “Volume 28:  Audience Applause and Atmosphere, Royal Albert Hall and Queen Elizabeth Hall” of this collection supplied the audience murmuring as heard on top of the orchestral tuning at the beginning of “Sgt. Pepper.” Then, from “Volume 6:  Applause and Laughter” came the injected laughing and clapping as heard periodically on the finished product, this coming precisely from a performance of the revue “Beyond The Fringe” (including Peter Cook and Dudley Moore) from a live 1961 performance at the Fortune Theatre in London.

“We had an audience laughing on the front of ‘Sgt. Pepper,’” Paul relates in his book “Many Years From Now.” “It had always been one of my favorite moments; I’d listened to radio a lot as a kid, and there had always been a moment in a radio show, say with somebody like Tommy Cooper, where he would walk on stage, and he’d say hello, and they’d laugh, and he’d tell a joke, and they’d laugh, and there would always be a moment in these things, because it was live radio, where he wouldn’t say anything, and the audience would laugh. And my imagination went wild whenever that happened. I thought, ‘What is it?  Has he dropped his trousers?  Did he do a funny look?’  I had to know what had made ‘em laugh. It fascinated me so much, and I’d always remembered that, so when we did ‘Pepper’ there’s one of those laughs for nothing in there, just where Billy Shears is being introduced they all just laugh, and you don’t know what the audience has laughed at.” Referring to them finding the right ‘laugh’ to put into the master tape, Paul remembers: “We sat through hours of tapes, just giggling, it was just hilarious listening to an audience laugh. It was a great thing to do actually.”

Both the official mono and stereo mixes that were used on the released album were also created on this day by George Martin, Geoff Emerick, and 2nd engineer Richard Lush, no doubt being overseen by the Beatles themselves. Two mono mixes were made on this day, the final undoubtedly being deemed the best.

It took eight attempts, however, to get the best stereo mix of the song, resulting in Paul’s lead guitar overdub in the final verse appearing noticeably quieter than the mono mix. The original rhythm track and Paul’s overdubbed bass guitar was centered in the mix, Paul’s lead vocal and lead guitar overdub were mixed entirely in the right channel, while the French horns and harmony vocals in the chorus of the song were mixed predominantly in the left channel. Oddly enough, the harmony vocals in the second bridge (“it’s wonderful to be here…”) begins panned entirely in the left channel but then gradually becomes centered in the mix by the end of the section (“…we’d love to take you home”). By 2:15 am the next morning, everyone was satisfied and the song was considered complete.

However, a segue needed to be made to cross-fade the song into the following track, namely “With A Little Help From My Friends.” The mono cross-fade was created on April 6th, 1967 in the control room of EMI Studio Two by the same EMI team, interjecting a bit of fans screaming from The Beatles live recordings at the Hollywood Bowl to mask the edit between the two songs. The stereo cross-fade was created the following day, April 7th, 1967, also in the control room of EMI Studio Two by the same EMI team. This time around, however, the screaming crowd comes in a little sooner, and the segue between the two songs appear smoother.

One other stereo mix was also made of the song, but not until 1998. Being that a new soundtrack to the movie “Yellow Submarine,” dutifully named “Yellow Submarine Songtrack,” was being prepared in conjunction with the film’s restoration and re-release, an engineering team was hired to create new stereo mixes of the songs in the movie. These engineers, namely Peter Cobbin, Paul Hicks, Mirek Stiles and Allan Rouse, went back to the original master tapes to create these mixes – a definite first for the four “Sgt. Pepper” tracks involved in this project. The excellent results beg the question why, with current recording technology, hasn’t the entire album been remixed.

The stereo landscape on this new mix is substantially different than George Martin’s original stereo mix. The rhythm track, Paul’s overdubbed bass, and all vocals are centered in this mix with Paul’s overdubbed lead guitar predominantly in the right channel. The French horns are predominantly in the left channel except for the final two measures, or segue, where the horns are now explicitly in the right channel. The screaming crowd from their Hollywood Bowl concert is noticeably different, undoubtedly due to the engineers choosing a different segment of ‘screams’ to use in this mix. Otherwise, the vocals and guitar work come across more vibrantly here. 

Paul McCartney also recorded a live version of the song on November 23rd, 1989 as released on “Tripping The Live Fantastic” and “Tripping The Live Fantastic: Highlights!”  Also, on July 2nd, 2005, a live rendition of the song by Paul and group U2 was recorded as the opening song for the Live 8 concert at Hyde Park in London. The song was released for charity on iTunes.

Track 2 – With A Little Help From My Friends: “It’s a catchy tune, but until it was pointed out to me, I never realized that the ‘friends’ were assorted drugs with such nicknames as ‘Mary Jane,’ ‘Speed’ and ‘Benny.’”  This quote from a speech by Vice-President Spiro Agnew in Las Vegas on September 4th, 1970 supposedly blew the whistle on the actual meaning of this popular song. He informed his audience that the music of the day was presenting drug use in “such an attractive light that, for the impressionable, ‘turning on’ becomes the natural and even the approved thing to do.” This speech was taken seriously enough that the FCC created a pamphlet detailing a list of popular songs that radio stations dare not play if they want to keep their licenses.

“It’s really about a little help from my friends, it’s a sincere message,” John Lennon had stated in defense of the drug-related accusations. However, Paul explained it differently. “Because it was the pot era, we had to slip in a little reference: ‘I get high.’”  In any event, even though the song did make the subversive list put together at the time, it certainly didn’t hurt its reputation over the years. One has to laugh about the situation now as we hear it in our local supermarket or elevator, not to mention the blistering interpretation by Joe Cocker being the theme song to the youth-oriented television show “The Wonder Years.”

Such as big to-do over a last-minute inclusion for the “Sgt. Pepper” album. Despite the slight drug reference, something The Beatles had been doing since they mentioned “turns me on” in 1964’s “She’s A Woman,” the song can easily be admired for its charm. “At once communal and personal, it’s a song of comfort,” says Ian MacDonald in his book “Revolution In the Head.” “It was meant as a gesture of inclusivity:  everyone could join in.”

Inside the Studio, March 29th, 1967, with the red light on and tape machines rolling, EMI Studio Two debuted the final composition included on the “Sgt. Pepper” album, namely “With A Little Help From My Friends.” They may not have gotten the song completely written, but it was crunch time to wrap up the album – so said EMI. Therefore, they put their heads together to finish up the lyrics as well as the arrangement and get the recording of the song under way.

Records indicate that the session began at 7 pm that evening but, as engineer Geoff Emerick details in his book “Here, There And Everywhere,” The Beatles didn’t arrive right at that time. Geoff explains their delay by saying they were busy “overseeing preparations for the upcoming album cover photo shoot.” However, as explained above by eyewitness Hunter Davies, they were busy at Paul’s house writing the song just before they arrived at the studio that day, the photo shoot not occurring until the following day. At any rate, there was work for the EMI staff to do while they waited for the musicians to arrive. Emerick explains:  “George Martin, Richard (Lush) and I filled the time by dubbing on the sound effects tapes that had been previously compiled for ‘Good Morning Good Morning’ and ‘Being For The Benefit Of Mr. Kite.’”

“Despite the late hour,” Emerick continues, “all four Beatles were wide awake…After hurriedly consumed cups of tea, we finally got to work. The backing track for the new song had a real spark to it, and an inspired Ringo was really smacking his tom-toms, so I decided to take the bottom skins off again – something I hadn’t done since ‘A Day In The Life.’”  Ten takes were required to get a ‘keeper.’”

The instrumentation on the ten takes of this rhythm track consisted of Paul on piano, John on cowbell (both of which are barely discernible on the finished product), George Harrison on electric guitar and Ringo on drums. No vocals were recorded at this point. One other musician heard on the rhythm track, however, is producer George Martin who plays a Hammond organ piece during the beginning three measures – the opening piece that would later prove to be the segue between the “Sgt. Pepper” theme and this song that was to include the introductory “Bil-ly Shears!”

With all four tracks of the four-track tape filled, a tape reduction was made that condensed everything down to one track in preparation for overdubs. Some hoped the session was done for the day. “It was nearly dawn by that time,” Emerick explains. “Richard and I watched an exhausted Ringo begin to trudge up the stairs. That was our signal, as usual, that the session was over, and we began to relax. He was at the halfway point when we heard Paul’s voice call out.”

“’Where are you going, Ring?’ he said. Ringo looked surprised. ‘Home, to bed.’  ‘Nah, let’s do the vocal now.’  Ringo looked at the others for support. ‘But I’m knackered,’ he protested. To his dismay, both John and George Harrison were taking Paul’s side. ‘No, come on back here and do some singing for us,’ John said with a grin. It was always a group decision as to when a session would end, and obviously, Ringo had jumped the gun a bit. Reluctantly, he headed back down the steps. ‘Oh no,’ groaned Richard. ‘Are we still going to be here when tomorrow’s session is due to start?’  Weary to the bone, all I could do was shake my head. I was too tired to even react.”

“Fortunately for all of us, Ringo got his lead vocal done relatively quickly:  perhaps the shock tactic of having him sing when he was least expecting it took the nervousness away, or perhaps it was just how supportive everyone was being. All three of his compatriots gathered around him, inches behind the microphone, silently conducting and cheering him on as he gamely tackled his vocal duties. It was a touching show of unity among the four Beatles.” In actuality, a slight amount of coaching did get picked up by the microphone as evidenced in the third refrain where someone (probably Paul) is heard cueing Ringo when the keyword was “high” in the upcoming line.

“The only problem,” Emerick continues, “was the song’s last high note, which Ringo had a bit of trouble hitting spot-on. For a while, he lobbied to have the tape slowed down just for that one drop-in, and we tried it, but even though it allowed him to sing on pitch, it didn’t match tonally to the rest of the vocal – he sounded a bit silly, almost like one of the Goons. ‘No, Ring, you’ve got to do it properly,’ Paul finally concluded. ‘It’s okay; just put your mind to it. You can do it,’ George Harrison said encouragingly. Even John added some helpful – if decidedly nontechnical – advice:  ‘Just throw yer head back and let’er rip!’”  It took a few tries, but Ringo finally hit the note – and held it – without too much wavering. Amid the cheers of his bandmates and a Scotch-and-Coke toast, the session finally ended.” It was now 5:45 am the following morning, and Ringo was finally allowed to go home to bed.

After a little bit of sleep, the group convened at Chelsea Manor Studios in London for the photo shoot that resulted in the “Sgt. Pepper” album cover, this resulting in Geoff Emerick’s recollections of them “animatedly discussing the set that Peter Blake had built for them and talking about how much they loved their satin Pepper costumes.” These discussions transpired this day, March 30th, 1967, at their next recording session in EMI Studio Two, this session not beginning until 11 pm.

The recording session this day was consumed entirely by adding overdubs to “With A Little Help From My Friends” and thereby completing the song. Two sets of background vocals from John, Paul, and George were overdubbed, the first set being the question/answer lyrics that filled in the empty gaps in the verses purposely left by Ringo on the previous session, these they sung in unison by all three Beatles. Then, the three of them harmonized some of these lines as well as provided sporadic harmony vocals on top of Ringo’s vocals, this being the second set of vocal overdubs. Ringo then added a tambourine overdub, and George added two guitar overdubs, an additional rhythm guitar for the entire song and a lead guitar overdub which can be heard in two places;  just before Ringo begins singing and just after the first refrain. “Ringo sat up in the control room with us for most of that session,” Emerick explains, “beaming like a proud papa. This was ‘his’ song, and he was quite interested in its progress, listening intently to every new overdub."

One final overdub was needed, as Geoff Emerick goes on to relate:  “There was still no bass on it because Paul had played piano during the backing track. So at around three in the morning, John, George Harrison, and Ringo finally headed home, accompanied by George Martin. Richard (Lush) and I again hunkered down for what we knew was going to be a long night…but I was worth every second of it. By this time, I knew exactly the kind of sound Paul was after, and I didn’t do anything differently than on other Pepper tracks, but I do think there’s something unique about the bass sound in ‘With A Little Help From My Friends.’  Perhaps it’s because Paul deviated from the usual routine in that he decided to sit up in the control room with us while he played; to accommodate his wishes, Richard ran an extra-long lead down to the bass amp.”

“Brow furrowed in deep concentration,” Emerick continues, “fingers wrapped around his psychedelic-colored Rickenbacker, Paul instructed Richard to drop in and out over and over again. Determined to get every single note and phrase as perfect as it could possibly be, that night he was like a man possessed. Sitting side by side with the ultra-focused McCartney in that cramped control room in the middle of the night, shouting out encouragement every time he’d nail a section, Richard and I truly felt privileged to be there. We knew that the work we were doing was important, though we could hardly guess at the seismic impact it would have on popular culture when Pepper was finally released a few months later.”

This bass overdub, along with the tambourine and the later guitar overdub from George, ended up on “track two” of the master tape, while the backing vocal overdubs and opening guitar phrase wound up on tracks three and four. Finally, at 7:30 am the following day, the session, as well as the song, was completed.

The mono mix of the song was made around 12 hours later, or on March 31st, 1967, in the control room of EMI Studio Two by George Martin, Geoff Emerick, and Richard Lush. It took fifteen tries at this mono mix before everyone was satisfied – everyone undoubtedly including The Beatles themselves since they were reportedly very interested in the mono mixing of this album. They were cognoscente of clipping the harmonized vocals at the very end of the song, making a tidy vocal delivery while the rest of the instruments came to a more natural ringing close.

In order to combine this song seamlessly with the preceding track, namely the “Sgt. Pepper” theme, a small section of the crowd screaming from one of their Hollywood Bowl performances was added as an overdub as a proper crossfade between the two songs. This took place on April 6th, 1967 in the control room of EMI Studio Two by the same EMI staff members. The screaming, however, begins just slightly before the second song begins.

On the following day, April 7th, 1967, this same EMI team assembled to create the stereo mix of “With A Little Help From My Friends” as well as the stereo crossfade between the two opening songs of the album. As for the stereo mix, the rhythm track, lead vocals, George’s overdubbed rhythm guitar and opening lead guitar passage and George Martin’s Hammond organ intro were all centered in the mix. The bass guitar, tambourine and lead guitar passage at the end of the first refrain were all heard primarily in the right channel. The harmonized vocals are thereby panned primarily to the left channel. They were equally as careful to clip the harmonized vocals at the end as they did with the mono mix. As it turned out, the final fade-out is about a second shorter in the stereo mix than in the mono mix. As for the crossfade screaming fans, the roar of the crowd begins much earlier in the segue, the beginning impact mostly heard in the final four measures of the “Sgt. Pepper” theme.

An additional stereo mix came about in 1998 for the “Yellow Submarine Songtrack” album, this mix performed in EMI Studios by Peter Cobbin, Paul Hicks, Mirek Stiles and Allan Rouse. This mix differs greatly from the 1967 stereo mix, the most noteworthy difference being that the rhythm guitar overdub is panned entirely to the right channel which allows Paul’s piano to be heard a little more clearly in the left channel. The rhythm track, the bass and all of the vocals are centered in the mix while the tambourine and the first lead guitar passage are panned exclusively into the right channel. Interestingly, the second lead guitar passage is panned about three-quarters into the right channel. The clarity resulting here even allows John’s cowbell from the rhythm track to be heard a little more in this mix.

One live recording of “With A Little Help From My Friends” was made on July 7th, 1987 by an all-star band featuring Ringo on lead vocals and George Harrison on rhythm guitar, for the Prince’s Trust 1987 Rock Gala. This recording appeared on the British album “The Prince’s Trust Concert 1987.” 

Many live recordings of the song were also made that wound up on Ringo’s “All Starr Band” albums, the first being done on July 13th, 1992 in Montreux as heard on his “Live In Montreux” album. Then, on May 13th, 1998, two recordings of the song were made for the “VH1 Storytellers” album, the second being a short reprise of the song for the close of the television performance. Then, on August 22nd, 2001, a recording was made for his “King Biscuit Flower Hour Presents” album, this version also appearing on his albums “Extended Versions” and “Ringo Starr And Friends.” On July 24th, 2003, the song was recorded in Toronto, Canada for the album “Tour 2003,” and on June 24th, 2005, two versions of the song were recorded (opening and closing the show) in Waukegan, Illinois for his “Live At Soundstage” album. It was then recorded in Uncasville, Connecticut on July 16th, 2006 for his “Live 2006” album, followed by another dual recording on August 2nd, 2008 at the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, California, for his “Live At The Greek Theatre 2008” album.

Be sure to join me tomorrow for a thorough account in creating ‘Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds,’ and ‘Getting Better.’

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Friday, May 12, 2017

THE DREADFUL DRAMATIC DIALOGUE AND ACTION DELETED FROM “A HARD DAY’S NIGHT,” which ended up on the cutting room floor. Part Seven, the ending.


Today brings Part 7, which closes out the final deleted but curious scenes removed from the motion picture, “A Hard Day’s Night” as I reveal the last bits and pieces how the film’s screenplay originally proposed to showcase the Beatles in their first movie. So, without further ado, let’s unveil the final sections considered much too awful for any viewing audience, and please remember, all rejected portions show in [Bold Font.]

[(Here and now, Ringo walks along a quiet, almost deserted street taking photographs when two young girls in bubbly conversation stroll on the same sidewalk toward the famous drummer. As the girls pass by, they glance around and realize it’s Ringo. Quickly they turn about and follow their idol. Aware the young fans spot him, and mindful the girls are picking up their pace, Ringo runs ahead of them widening the distance as a policeman watches the whole event in the background. At the end of the block, our pop star dashes around the first corner for cover. There on the next street, he sees a second-hand clothing shop with a large sign saying, “We Buy Anything” so, he enters the building just in time before the pursuing female fans come around the corner. Confused, the girls stand about looking in all directions, but no one appears up and down the lane. After a moment, Ringo exits the shop wearing a long mackintosh, and a natty cap pulled way down over his eyes. He is ignored by the girls and feels extremely pleased they don’t recognize him. For fun, he goes back and ogles one of them, but she only glares at him with a gesture to get lost.]

(To make sure his disguise is well suited, Ringo actually approaches another young lady prepared to connect with small conversation, but not having it, the misunderstood female puts an end to the encounter saying,) Girl: “Get out of here, Shorty.” (Ringo happily obliges and scoots further down the street.)

Next Scene, Exterior – Pathway along a calm canal – (While on a casual walk minding his own business, a lorry tire comes rolling from behind and sends Ringo sprawling to the ground.)

Boy: (Running up to Ringo) “Here, mate, that’s my hoop, stop playing with it.”

Ringo: “Hoop! This isn’t a hoop; it’s a lethal weapon. Have you got a license for it?”

Boy: “Oh, don’t be so stroppy.”

Ringo: “Well, a boy your age bowling hoops at people. How old are you anyway?”

Boy: (Aggressively) [“Nine.”] “Eleven.”

Ringo: “I bet you're only [“Eight-and- a-half.”] ten-and-a-half.”

Boy: (Countering swiftly) [“Eight-and-two-thirds.”] “Ten-and-two-thirds.”

Ringo: “Well, there you are, and don’t be rolling it at people.”

[Boy: “Go on, out of it, you’re only jealous cause you’re old.”

Ringo: “Shurrup!”

Boy: “I bet you’re–– sixteen.”

Ringo: “Fifteen-and-two-thirds.”

Boy: “Well.”

Ringo: “Alright, take your hoop and bowl.” (Ringo moves on, but the boy follows.)

Boy: “Oh, you can have it. I’m packing it in––it depresses me.

Ringo: “Y’what?”

Boy: “You heard, it gets on me wick.”

Note to the reader: Because of minimal dialogue throughout Ringo’s outside wandering, the movie stays true to script until we find Grandfather escorted by bobbies through the door of the police station, where Ringo sits off to the side.

Sargent: (to policemen) “Get Lloyd George over there with that mechanic in the cloth cap while I sort this lot out.”

Policeman: (to Grandfather) “Sit down over here.” (The policemen hurtle Grandfather firmly but gently over to the bench on which Ringo is sitting and then return to the desk for a whispered conference with the Sargent. Meanwhile in full conspiratorial fashion, Grandfather talks to Ringo out of the side of his mouth.)

Grandfather: “Ringo, me old scout, they grabbed your leg for the iron too, did they?”

Ringo: “Well, I’m not exactly a voluntary patient.”

Grandfather: “Shush! Have they roughed you up yet?”

Ringo: “What?”

[Grandfather: (whispering) “Keep your voice down, this lot’ll paste you, just for the exercise.] “Oh, they’re a desperate crew of drippings, and they’ve fists like matured hams for pounding defenseless lads like you.”

Sargent: “So, that’s it, eh?”

[Ringo: (disturbed) “Have they?”

Grandfather: “That Sargent’s a body blow veteran if I ever measured one.”] “one of us has got to escape, I’ll get the Boys. Hold on son; I’ll be back for you.”

Ringo: (horrified) “Me!”

Grandfather: “And if they get you on the floor, watch out for your brisket.”

Ringo: (hopeful) “Oh, they seem alright to me.”

Grandfather: “that’s what they want you to think. All coppers are villains.”

Sargent: would you two like a cup of tea?”

Grandfather: ‘You see, sly villains.”

Ringo: “No thanks, Sargent, please sir, don’t.

Sargent (to policemen) “So, you just brought the old chap out of the crowd for his own good.”

[Policeman: “Yeah, but he insisted on us bringing him to the station.”] “Well, he was getting a bit nasty, you see, so we had to bring him.”

Sargent: “Well, he can’t stop here. This is the stuff he’s been hawking round, is it?’

[(Shot of Grandfather watching policemen intently and muttering words.)

Policeman: “Yes, Sargent, photographs.”

Sargent: “Photographs.”

Ringo: (to Grandfather) “What are you doing?”

Grandfather: “Lip reading.”

Ringo: “What are they saying?”

Grandfather: “Nothing good.” (The policemen make a move toward Grandfather and Ringo) “Well son, it’s now or never.” (Grandfather jumps to his feet and scurries towards the exit.) “Alright, you paid assassins, Johnny McCartney will give you a run for your threepence ha’penny.”

Policeman: “Hey, you forgot your photographs.”

[Sargent: “Now, what’s he up to?”

Ringo: “He’s allergic to bobbies, especially English bobbies.”

Policeman: (Returns with the photos and speaks with an Irish accent.) “Your man disappeared like a leveret over a hill.”

Ringo: “Turncoat!” (The policemen turn on Ringo and walk towards him.) “Mother!”

[Exterior shot, Street - (Grandfather is breathing heavily, running at top speed down the street as if pursued by the hounds of hell. However, the street is empty, not a soul in sight. As Grandfather reaches the end of the street, he pauses and turns, looking around. Still seeing no one, he exhales a huge sigh of relief, but his triumph is short-lived. Suddenly, a parade of police vehicles, a Black Maria, an escorting motorbike police patrol group, and a squad car barrels toward him and stops within very close proximity to Sr. McCartney. Officers dismount their bikes, and others exit the motor cars. Grandfather is horrified.)

Grandfather: “Be God, they’ve called up reinforcements, the dragnet’s out!”

(He dashes off wildly in the general direction of the theater. He has been completely unnoticed by the many policemen who are lining up for a last-minute inspection by the inspector in charge. They smartly march off in the same direction as Grandfather.)]

Exterior Shot, Backstage door – (With the help of three youngsters, grandfather slips through the guard and lets everyone know the police have Ringo. The three Boys scamper down quick to the station, cause a minor ruckus and the song ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’ begins the chase scene.)

Interior Shot, Backstage – Norm: Lads, your back. Thank goodness! Where’s Ringo?”

Paul: “There he is, we got him. And another thing, where’s that old mixer?”

Grandfather: “Here, Pauly.”

Paul: “Well, I’ve got a few things to say to you, two-faced John McCartney.”

John: “Aw, leave him alone, Paul. [“He’s back isn’t he, and it’s not his fault he’s old.”

Paul: “(angered) “What’s old got to do with it?”

John: “You needn’t bother.”

Paul: “Ywhat?”

John: “Practicing to be thick-headed, you’re there already.”]

Paul: “Look, he’s a mixer and a trouble maker.”

John: “That’s right. But he’s only asking us to pay attention to him, aren’t you?”]

John: “You see, Grandad, you know your trouble––you should have gone West to America. You would have wound up a senior citizen of Boston. As it is, you took a wrong turn and what happened? You’re a lonely old man from Liverpool.”

Grandfather: “But I’m clean.”

John: “Are you?”

[(The Boys giggle and slap the old man on the back.)]

Interior Shot, Center Stage – (The show begins, and the Beatles perform, ‘Tell Me Why,' ‘If I Feel,' ‘I Should Have Known Better,' and ‘She Loves You’ in front of a frenzy and excited group of young fans.)

Interior Shot, Back Stage – (Norm is waiting for the Boys with bags and luggage.) “The office was on the phone; they think it would be better if we pushed straight to Wolverhampton.”

John: “Tonight? We can’t make it.”

Norm: “You’ve got a midnight matinee.”

John: “Now look here, Norm.”

Norm: No, you look here, John. I’ve only got one thing to say to you, John Lennon.”

John: “What?”

Norm: “You’re a swine.” [“So hurry up, we’re traveling.”]

(Song, ‘A Hard Day’s Night’ starts. Norm and the Boys run out the door headed for a waiting helicopter.) [(Paul, looking behind seems worried.) “Where’s me Grandfather?”

Norm: “Don’t start, look.” (The Boys look inside the passenger bay and see Grandfather handcuffed to Shake clutching his pile of photographs.)

[The Boys altogether shout: “Get rid of those things.”]

(The Final shot shows the helicopter lift and suddenly a shower of photographs’ drop from the window.) [The camera zooms in on one single photograph lying on the ground, and just like that, the closing credits begin to roll over it.]

Next for your enjoyment, I plan to reveal the incredible recording process that captured the most inventive, imaginative, and trend-setting LP of all time. Yes, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, on loving behalf of its 50th Anniversary six-disc Super Deluxe Edition, available the end of this month. Each day I will share the tedious drudgery of two songs in the order they appear on the album during those 129 days of grueling trial and error that achieved this masterpiece. Join me for a wild time inside Abbey Road Studio.

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.
 


Saturday, May 6, 2017

THE DREADFUL DRAMATIC DIALOGUE AND ACTION DELETED FROM “A HARD DAY’S NIGHT,” and ended up on the cutting room floor. Sixth Post


Today brings Part 6, featuring more deleted but curious scenes removed from the motion picture, “A Hard Day’s Night” as we continue this fun journey to acquire further bits and pieces how the film’s screenplay originally proposed its running cameras to showcase the Beatles in their first movie. So, without further ado, let’s unveil the next few sections considered much too awful for any viewing audience, and remember, all rejected portions show in [Bold Font.]

(Hear and now the Boys just finished a sound check run-through rehearsal of their ballad, “And I Love Her.”) Director: “Thank you, very nice.”
(Inside the control room, usual personnel fidget with the consul, adjusting light levels and microphone volumes.) [Director: “That was more or less alright for me. I’ll give them one more run-through then leave them alone until the dress rehearsal.] Director: (To the studio Make-Up Artist) “Make-up?”
Make-up Artist: “Not really, they don’t need it. We’ll just powder them off for the shine.”
Director: “Good. Norm, get them along to make-up, will you? Powder them up––
the shine.”
Norm: “Sure.”
[Director: (Looking into the monitor) “And hurry, they’re not looking too happy.” (The monitor shows the Lads crowding around Ringo pointing fingers at the silent drummer.)

Next Scene, Interior, Make-Up Room – (Shake and Grandfather are sitting in splendid isolation starring at each other.) Shake: “You blinked.”
[Grandfather: “I never did. You did.”]
(The Boys enter.) Shake: “Hello, your grandfather is not talking to me, he’s having a sulk.”
George: “Well, it must be catching on, he’s given it to Ringo.”
Norm: “Stop picking on him.”
Ringo: “I don’t need you to defend me, you know, Norm.”
John: “Leave him alone, he’s got swine fever.”
Norm: (To John) “Now listen, John, behave yourself, or I’ll murder you, and Shake, take that wig off, it suits you.” (Ringo has separated himself from the group, placed a Guardsman’s Bearskin top his head while the fur gets wedged down almost over his eyes, and sits under a hair-dryer reading a copy of, ‘Queen Magazine.’) Norm: (To Ringo) “What do you think you’re up to?”
[Ringo: “Someone put it on me.”] Ringo: “Page five.”
[John: “Excuses, that’s all we get, and you know you fancy yourself in the Coldstreams.”] John: “You always fancied yourself as a Guardsman, didn’t you?”
(The girls move in and put make-up bibs on the Boys and start to powder them off.) George: “ You won’t interfere with the basic rugged concept of my personality, will you, madam?” [That line was originally written for John, but given to George instead.]
[Paul: “Eh, don’t take out me lines.”
George: Yeah, they give him that “Je ne sais quoi” rakish air.”
(The lads laugh with pleasure, so Ringo decides to try a little joke.) Ringo: (Pointing to his furry headgear.) “Short back and sides, please.”
(The others look at him with disgust.) Paul: “Behave!”
John: “Foreign devil.”
George: “Control yourself.”]
John: “Say, he’s reading the Queen. That’s an in-joke, you know.”
[(Grandfather has been watching the powder process.)] Grandfather: “In my considered opinion you’re a bunch of sissies.”
[(John grabs a powder puff from his girl.) “You know you’re only jealous.” (And dabs the old man liberally with the powder much to Grandfather’s annoyance.)
Norm: “Leave him alone, Lennon, or I’ll tell them all the truth about you.”
John: “You wouldn’t!”
Norm: Oh, wouldn’t I, though.” (Norm exits.)
[Paul: (To John) “What’s he know?”
John: “Nothing, he’s trying to brainwash me and give me personality doubts. Oh, he’s a swine but a clever swine, mind.”]
Grandfather: (Impatiently) “Look, I thought I was supposed to be getting a change of scenery, and so far I’ve been in a train and a room, a car and a room, and a room and a room. Well, that’ maybe alright for a bunch of powdered geegaws like you, lot, but I’m feeling decidedly straight-jacketed. [This is no life for a free-booting agent of my stamp. I’m a frustrated man, and that class of McCartney is a dangerous McCartney.]
Girl: “What a clean old man.”
[Grandfather: (Ticked-off) “You’re too young for a fella of my cosmopolitan tastes, so”] Grandfather: “don’t press your luck.”
John: “He’s sex-obsessed. The older generation are leading this country to galloping ruin.”
(Norm returns) “They’re nearly ready for you. Just finishing the band call.”
John: “I say, did you go to Harrod’s? I was there in 58, you know. I can get you on the stage.”
Girl: “Oh, how?”
John: “Turn right here, at the corridor.” [(John jumps from his seat.) “Gear! Come on, girls, let’s have a bit of a dance.”
John’s Girl: “I don’t think it’s allowed.”
John: “Well. It wouldn’t be any fun if it was.”
(The Boys drag the Make-Up Girls out of the room, and George spots a stage hand with a mannequin.) George: (To the stage hand) “And I don’t like yours.”
[(As the boys and Makeup Girls dance past, we see one of the Strauss singers combing his long hair straight back. Two stagehands swing a wind machine past him, and his hair is blown straight forward into a Beatle cut.)
(John, passing him notices the familiar hair style.) John: (To the singer) “That fad will never catch on.”
(George snatches another Strauss wig and places it on a dummy combing the bangs forward matching his own hair style.)]
(As the gang approaches the stage, the music and dancers are in full swing, so the Boys join with a wild hippy shake, Zulu moves, and it becomes a contest between John and Lionel.) [(Suddenly, John swings his girl onto the motorized camera Western style and starts to track through the group. George is on another camera.)
[Interior scene change, The Control Room – (The whole control room crew is watching the dance on studio monitors. The director is about to put a stop to the ridiculous ordeal in an outrage, but his female private assistant glares at him, and with a shrug, he lets the dance go on. The film cuts back to the stage, and the Boys have upped the ante on their dancing flair until the music stops.)]
John: “Hey kids, why don’t we do the show here.” (The lads grab their instruments and the song, ‘I’m Happy Just To Dance with You’ begins.)
[(After the song, the Director’s voice comes through the loudspeaker.) “Thank you, gentlemen, you can break now while we push on with the show.” (The Boys acknowledge this with a quaver of guitar chords and drum roll. Norm is on them at once.)] Norm: “That was great, you’ve got about an hour but don’t leave the theater. Where are you going, John?”
John: “She’s going to show me her stamp collection.”
Paul: (Grabs another girl) “So is mine.” (Moments later, grandfather wants a cup of tea and Ringo gets hooked into taking the old man to the Canteen.)

[Interior shot, Backstage – (On their way for tea, Ringo and Grandfather spot a man whose act is playing tunes by hitting himself on the head and they both witness the artist downing a handful of aspirin. He starts rehearsing his bit which consists of throwing his head back and slapping his cheeks. Next to him is a juggler practicing with four ping-pong balls. Grandfather passes by but accidently bumps into the juggler’s arm causing only three balls to come down. There is a sound of coughing off frame. We cut to the head-player being patted vigorously on the back. The fourth ball pops out of his mouth and bounces across the studio floor.)]

Next Scene, Canteen – (Grandfather stirs up Ringo about living, parading, and the famous drummer starts to wonder.) Grandfather: “And what’s it all come to in the end?”
Ringo: “Yeah, what’s in it for me?”
Grandfather: “A book!”
Ringo: “ Yeah, a blooming book.”
Grandfather: You could be out there betraying a rich American widow or sipping palm wine in Tahiti before you’re too old like me. [A fine neat and trim lad the class of you should be helping himself to life’s goodies before the sands run out. Being an old age pensioner’s a terrible drag on a man and every second you waste is bringing you nearer the Friday queue at the Post Office.”]
Ringo: “Yeah, funny really, cos I’d never thought of it but being middle-aged takes up most of your time, doesn’t it?
Grandfather: “You’re only right.”
[Ringo: (Nodding) “I’m not wrong.”] (Ringo rises and crosses to the exit.)
Grandfather: “Where you going?”
Ringo: “I’m going parading before it’s too late.”
(After a small encounter with George outside the Canteen, Ringo abruptly leaves uncaring.)

Next Scene, Interior shot, Near the Stage – (John and Paul are chatting with a couple of showgirls. When they see Ringo approaching, they break off the conversation.) John: “here he is, the middle-aged boy wonder,” (Ringo looks at John hard
[Paul: “Eh, I thought you were looking after the old man?”
Ringo: (with simple dignity) “Get knotted!”]
(Paul and John gape at their disgruntled friend. Ringo takes a quick photograph of them before he leaves them flabbergasted walks out on the band.)
Paul: “We’ve only got half an hour till the final run through. He can’t walk out on us now.”
John: “Can’t he? He’s done it, son.”
George: (running towards J & P) “Hey, you know what happened?”
Paul: “We know. Come on.”

Exterior shot, Theater Stage Door – Paul: “Split up and look for him.” (Everyone follows Paul.)
[John: “It’s happened at last.”] John: “We’ve become a limited company.”
George: “I’ll look in here again.” (Paul and John go in opposite directions.)

[Next Scene Shot No. 57, Exterior Street - (PAUL comes down the street looking about for RINGO. In the street is an old building, the sort of place highly favored for TV rehearsals. There is a sign on the door saying "TV Rehearsal Room." As PAUL draws near, a load of actors and extras, etc. are leaving, they are in costume, they are the ones who earlier had been going to a word rehearsal. PAUL decides to go inside.)

Shot No. 58, Interior Hall - (PAUL enters and wanders about. He reaches a door, pushes it open and looks in. He sees a girl clad in period costume. She is moving around the room and obviously acting. PAUL watches her for a moment and then decides to go in.)

Shot No. 59, Interior Rehearsal Room - (PAUL goes into the room. The girl is in mid-flight. She is very young and lovely and completely engrossed in what she is doing. The room is absolutely empty except for PAUL and herself. She is acting in the manner of an eighteenth-century Coquette, or, to be precise, the voice English actresses use when they think they are being true to the costume period... her youth, however, makes it all very charming.)

GIRL: "If I believed you, sir, I might do those things and walk those ways only to find myself on Problem's Path. But I cannot believe you, and all those urgings serve only as a proof that you will lie and lie again to gain your purpose with me."
(She dances lightly away from an imaginary lover, and as she turns she sees PAUL, who is as engrossed in the scene as she was.)
GIRL: (surprised) "Oh!"
PAUL: (enthusiastically) "Well...go 'head, do the next bit."
GIRL: "Go away! You've spoilt it."
PAUL: "Oh! Sorry I spoke."
(He makes an attempt to go. He simply continues to look steadily at the girl; then he smiles at her. She is undecided what to do next.)
GIRL: "Are you supposed to be here?"
PAUL: "I've got you worried, haven't I?"
GIRL: "Of course not. I asked who you are, that's all."
PAUL: "No you didn't, you asked me, Was I supposed to be here?"
GIRL: "I'm warning you, they'll be back in a minute."
PAUL: "D'you know something, 'They' don't worry me at all. Any road, I only fancy listening to you, that's all but if it worries you... well..."
GIRL: "Of course it doesn't worry me, I can..." (she interrupts herself) "...Who are you?"
PAUL: (smiling cheekily) "Another worrier."
GIRL: (accusingly) "You're from Liverpool, aren't you?"
PAUL: "How'd you guess?"
GIRL: "Oh, it's the way you talk."
PAUL: (innocently) "Is it...is it, really?"
GIRL: "Are you pulling my leg?"
PAUL: "Something like that."
GIRL: "I see. Do you like the play?"
PAUL: "Yeah, I mean, sure, well, I took it at school, but I only heard boys and masters saying those lines, like, sounds different on a girl." (smiles to himself.) "Yeah, it's gear on a girl."
GIRL: "Gear?"
PAUL: "Aye, the big hammer, smashing!"
GIRL: "Thank you."
PAUL: "Don't mench. Well, why don't you give us a few more lines, like?"
GIRL: (pouts)
PAUL: "You don't half slam the door in people's faces, don't you? I mean, what about when you're playing the part, like, hundreds of people will see you and..."
GIRL: (cutting in) "I'm not..."
PAUL: "Oh, you're the understudy sort of thing?"
GIRL: "No." (aggressively) "I'm a walk-on in a fancy-dress scene. I just felt like doing those lines."
PAUL: "Oh, I see. You are an actress though, aren't you?"
GIRL: "Yes."
PAUL: "Aye. I knew you were."
GIRL: "What's that mean?"
PAUL: "Well, the way you were spouting, like..." (he imitates her) "'I don't believe you, sir...' and all that. Yeah, it was gear."
GIRL: (dryly) "The big hammer?"
PAUL: (smiling) "Oh aye, a sledge."
GIRL: "But the way you did it then sounded so phony."
PAUL: "No, I wouldn't say that... just like an actress... you know."
(He moves and stands about like an actress)
GIRL: "But that's not like a real person at all."
PAUL: "Aye, well, actresses aren't like real people, are they?"
GIRL: "They ought to be."
PAUL: "Oh, I don't know, any road up, they never are, are they?"
GIRL: "What are you?"
PAUL: "I'm in a group... well... there are four of us. We play and sing."
GIRL: "I bet you don't sound like real people."
PAUL: "We do, you know. We sound like us having a ball. It's fab."
GIRL: "Is it really fab or are you just saying that to convince yourself?"
PAUL: "What of? Look, I wouldn't do it unless I was. I'm dead lucky, cos I get paid for doing something I love doing." (he laughs and with a gesture takes in the whole studio) "...all this and a jam butty too!"
GIRL: "I only enjoy acting for myself. I hate it when other people are let in."
PAUL: "Why? I mean, which are you, scared or selfish?"
GIRL: "Why selfish?"
PAUL" "Well, you've got to have people to taste your treacle toffee."
(She looks at him in surprise)
PAUL: "No, hang on, I've not gone daft. You see, when I was little me mother let me make some treacle toffee one time in our back scullery. When I'd done it, she said to me, 'Go and give some to the other kids.' So I said I would, but I thought to meself, 'She must think I'm soft.' Any road, I was eating away there, but I wanted somebody else to know how good it was so in the end, I wound up giving it all away... but I didn't mind, cos I'd made the stuff in the first place. Well... that's why you need other people... an audience... to taste your treacle toffee, like. Eh... does that sound as thick-headed to you as it does to me?"
GIRL: "Not really, but I'm probably not a toffee maker. How would you do those lines of mine?"
PAUL: "Well, look at it this way, I mean, when you come right down to it, that girl, she's a bit of a scrubber, isn't she?"
GIRL: "Is she?"
PAUL: "Of course... Look, if she was a Liverpool scrubber..." (PAUL starts acting a Liverpool girl, he mimes about then turns, extending his leg.) "Eh, fella, you want to try pulling the other one, it's got a full set of bells hanging off it... Y'what?... I know your sort, two cokes and a packet of cheese and onion crisps and suddenly it's love, and we're stopping in an empty shop doorway. You're just after me body and y'can't have it... so there!"
GIRL: (shattered) "And you honestly think that's what she meant?"
PAUL: "Oh, definitely, it sticks out a mile, she's trying to get him to marry her, but he doesn't want... well... I don't reckon any fellas ever wanted to get married. But girls are like that, clever and cunning. You've got to laugh." (He laughs)
GIRL: "Well it's nice to know you think you're clever."
PAUL: (grinning) "And cunning."
GIRL: "And what do you do about it?"
PAUL: "Me? Oh, I don't have the time, I'm always running about with the lads... no, we don't have the time."
GIRL: "Pity."
PAUL: (not noticing the invitation) "Aye, it is, but as long as you get by, it's alright, you know... bash on, happy valley's when they let you stop. Any road, I'd better get back."
GIRL: "Yes."
PAUL: (going) "See you."
GIRL: "Of course."
(PAUL stands at the doorway, shrugs, then goes out. After a moment, the GIRL starts to act her speech. She is still using her actress voice.)
GIRL: "If I believed you, sir. I might do..." (she breaks off and smiles) "...clever and cunning..." (she starts again, but this time she delivers the lines in a saucy, teasing manner)
(PAUL pops his head back round the door.)
PAUL: "Treacle toffee...wowee!"
(He disappears, and the GIRL laughs delightedly. End of Scene)]

Next week, Ringo freely roams the city but falls into mishap mischief.

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 my Love Songs CD and my novel, BEATLEMANIAC. Just click on the My Shop tab near the top of this page for details