Month: December 2014

Fifty Years of Beatleness!

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By Candy Leonard, author of Beatleness: How the Beatles and Their Fans Remade the World
 
With the exception of the great visionary Brian Epstein, no one would have predicted that we’d still be listening to and celebrating the Beatles in the 21st century. Across three generations and across the universe, their music continues to bring joy and happiness to millions.
 
Their story continues to fascinate and inspire people of all ages. The Gratitude Wall at the Fests are filled with heartfelt expressions of appreciation for the Beatles being there at life’s most difficult and most joyous moments.
 
When I was working on my book, Beatleness, I realized that there was no word to describe this amazing, complicated, fifty-year, multigenerational, cross-cultural phenomenon and how it makes people feel. I started calling it Beatleness, and it became the title of the book. It’s a way of describing the indescribable! Here are the three definitions of the word as they appear in the book.
 
Beatleness /bē-tl-nəs, bē-tl-nis/
noun
1. qualities or characteristics of the Beatles and their works; a manifestation of the essential qualities that define “the Beatles.”
2. an emotional or spiritual state, condition, or feeling resulting from exposure to or thinking about the Beatles and their works.
3. cultural references and artifacts, tangible and intangible, that evoke the Beatles; artistic or commercial use of words and images associated with the Beatles.
 
We asked you to use the word “Beatleness” in a sentence for a chance to win a copy of the book—and got close to 100 responses! Many of you talked about the Beatleness that was passed to you from your parents or the Beatleness you’re passing on to your children. Others talked about the positive messages of Beatleness. It’s a useful word – let’s keep using it in 2015!
 
Below are the Top Ten responses…
 
‪James F. Opalecky – If there were more BEATLENESS in the world, we would live in peace and harmony, feeling love for each other! ‬‬
 
Leslie Smith – The apex of Beatleness in my life was seeing Paul McCartney for the first time with my dad. We laughed, sang and cried together. It was a moment of pure music, love, and Beatleness that I hold dear now that my dad is gone.
 
Jennie Ann Hampton – I look at each and every person as an individual regardless of their race, religion or nationality. And I do feel that the Beatleness in my heart is partially responsible.
 
Debra Wallace Karina – Beatleness had entered my soul when I was young and will be with me every day for my entire life. I have shared it with my children !
 
‪Roger Yee – The world would be a much better place if more “Beatleness” existed.‬‬
 
Dan Vance – I’ve been a Beatle fan since I was a kid living in Europe. I worked hard to impress my kids with Beatleness since they were little kids, and I do believe it worked!!!
 
Marlene Reiter Yuzik – I have always had Beatleness in my life. Ever since I was 10 years old and saw them on Ed Sullivan. I have brought up my three children with Beatleness!!
 
‪Donna Bornemann – My best Beatleness moment – I had tickets to see Paul 1976 and went into labor so missed the concert and had a beautiful baby girl‬‬
 
‪Oscar Mayer – The Beatleness was all around and us and still has us under it’s power!‬‬
 
Briana Herzog – My Beatleness is obvious because I named my son Lennon!!!
 
And the winner is……James Opalecky!
 
Congrats, James. And thanks to all who entered!

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Get You to the Light

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How can both overhead lights in my kitchen burn out at the same time? Las Vegas odds, and yet this morning, my workspace (the place where I wrap and box up my John Lennon Series books for mailing) was completely dark.
 
At first, I was aggravated. And yeah, a little depressed.
 
You see, I have SAD syndrome (Sensory Affective Disorder) and so the first thing I do each morning is turn on every single light in the rooms where I’m gonna be hanging out. It’s so illuminated around here that my sister once acridly observed, “Oh I get it. You want your house to look just like the lobby of Homewood Suites.”
 
Yep, that’s about right.
 
But this morning, as I stood in the dim haze of my inconveniently dull workspace, it hit me. I was being given a gift…my blog theme for The Fest for Beatles Fans! I stood there quietly, and I mulled.
 
This is what I heard:
 
December is all about The Light. Hanukkah is The Miracle of the Lights…the inexplicable phenomenon of light continuing to pierce the darkness when every scientific fact dictated that the darkness should’ve prevailed. Hanukkah is the triumph of the Unknown over Known. Hanukkah is the victory of Light over darkness.
 
And Christmas is the birth of that Light. As the writer John phrased it so long ago: “That Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
 
Another writer named John – a handsome, young man from Liverpool, England – wrote about the Light as well. He said, “Whatever gets you to the Light, is all right, all right!” And hey guys…he wasn’t talking about G. E. replacement bulbs, and we all know it.
 
He was addressing the miracle of that which pushes away the murky existence that lingers where all hope is lost.
 
December houses the shortest day of the year – the 21st of December – the day of least light shed on humans in all 365. At this time of year, many, many people struggle with depression as they try to ward off the scientific effects of a shadowy world.
 
But John Lennon, cavortin’ on stage with Elton John (another John!) in a concert that ultimately changed his fate forever, shouted in his rocker’s voice for us to seek the light, to “make it through the night,” to keep looking for ways to overcome the darkness.
 
Any other pursuit, he told us, was a waste of time. (“Don’t need a watch to waste your time,” he belted out, tongue in cheek. And John Lennon meant it. He knew about limited mortality (see his song, “Borrowed Time”). He knew about years well spent. John urged us to spend each day wisely.
 
Look…you can attach many meanings to this month…you can make it all about baking or shopping or creating décor or partying or traveling or inviting friends into your home. You can make it about clothes or trees or garlands or Frosty the Snowman. But the essence of the holidays is The Light.
 
The Maccabees on that gloomy hilltop knew it. John, that long-ago writer of the Book of John, knew it. And John the latter – our very own John Lennon – knew it. His final days were spent purchasing scores of books about spirituality, seeking out sages and religious leaders to ask questions, and spending hours of serious contemplation about life’s meaning.
 
He was seeking the Light. And it was, in fact, “all right, all right.”
 
With that in mind, I’m off to find replacement bulbs. All other tasks this morning can wait. “Bet my money and my life”…I can do this. December, the Maccabees, and John have set me on a mission. I’m off to seek the Light.
 
Click here to listen to John’s song…
 
Jude Southerland Kessler is the Author of The John Lennon Series
 
http://www.johnlennonseries.com
 
Follow Jude on Twitter @JudeKessler
 
Follow Jude on Facebook here

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Alternate John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

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44 years ago today, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was released.
 
The album, which was John’s first legit solo venture, was powerful, raw, honest, and emotional, and is listed at #22 on the Rolling Stone Top 500 Albums of All-Time list.
 
Recently, we put together a live version of Rubber Soul. For John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band, we’ve put together a version made up of alternate studio takes, acoustic takes, and demos…
 
Mother (alternate studio version):
 

 
Hold On (take 24, with false starts):
 

 
I Found Out (alternate studio version):
 

 
Working Class Hero (demo):
 

 
Isolation (alternate studio version):
 

 
Remember (outtake from studio sessions):
 

 
Love (John Lennon Anthology version):
 

 
Well Well Well (acoustic demo):
 

 
Look At Me (acoustic version):
 

 
God (alternate studio version):
 

 
My Mummy’s Dead (acoustic demo):
 

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Remembering John Lennon

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Thoughts from Fest Founder Mark Lapidos on this most somber of days…
 
There is no getting around it. This is the blackest date in Beatles history.
 
34 years later, it still sucks. For many millions of fans it was the worst day of our lives. We can somehow understand how or why politicians and world leaders over the centuries could be assassinated. BUT A MUSICIAN!!!! Not just any musician, but John Lennon.
 
John was so much more than a musician. He became the voice of a generation, spreading peace and love around the world. He was also an artist, writer, husband, father and a dreamer, to name a few.
 
There have been so many books written about John – some really terrific ones and some horrible ones. But just listen to his music, read his words, listen to his interviews – that is where you will find the essence of John.
 
John’s music and spirit will always be with us, so listen to his music today. Put on your favorite Beatles album or favorite solo album, or put on something you haven’t listened to in a while. Think positive thoughts about John and celebrate his life and always remember what he gave us. It is something so ingrained in us, it will last forever. All You Need Is Love.

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Live Rubber Soul

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With today being the 49th anniversary of the release of Rubber Soul in the UK, we’ve put together “Live Rubber Soul” – the nine Rubber Soul tracks that have been performed live either by the Beatles or solo Beatles.
 
The Beatles’ decision to retreat full time into the studio after their concert at Candlestick Park in 1966 was a deliberate one. However, as we all know, the group was churning out songs that were either impossible to play live or nearly impossible to duplicate live well before late-1966.
 
Of the 14 tracks on Rubber Soul, nine have been performed live. Two of the songs were regulars on the Beatles’ set list during their final US tour, five have been performed live by Paul McCartney (solo), one was performed live by George Harrison, and one has been performed live by Ringo Starr (solo).
 
The songs on Rubber Soul that have never been performed in concert by the Beatles or solo Beatles: Norwegian Wood, Think For Yourself, Girl, Wait, and Run For Your Life.
 
Drive My Car (Paul McCartney solo)

 
You Won’t See Me (Paul McCartney Solo — first time since 1965 on record)

 
Nowhere Man (at the Circus Krone)

 
The Word (Paul McCartney Solo — first time since 1965 on record)

 
Michelle (Paul McCartney Solo)

 
What Goes On (Ringo Starr Solo)

 
I’m Looking Through You (Paul McCartney Solo)

 
In My Life (George Harrison Solo in 1974)

 
If I Needed Someone (Live in Japan)

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Moments: With A Little Help From Our Friends

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“Why in the world are we here?
Surely not to live in pain and fear…”
-John Lennon
 
But sometimes, it feels that way, doesn’t it?
 
Sometimes you have a horrid day…
followed by a worse one…
and then, an even darker one than that.
Sometimes, your cup runneth over, but not with joy – with sorrow.
 
John Lennon felt that loneliness and isolation, too. In fact, in Strawberry Fields Forever, he cried out, “NO ONE, I think, is in my tree. I mean, it must be high or low.” Many times, he felt alone…out on a limb, cut off from human understanding. We all do.
 

 
That is when we reach for a MOMENT.
 
Moments come in myriad sizes. They can be as small as a freshly-brewed cup of coffee, a hot shower, a single crimson leaf tumbling along the sidewalk, or a quick smile from someone at work. Or a moment can stand tall and significant: an afternoon shared with your child or a kind email or precious card from someone who has taken the time to think of you and let you know.
 
The best moments are unanticipated…hearing a favorite Beatles song on the radio. Or finding a crumpled $10 bill in your jeans pocket. Having a stranger randomly treat you to Starbucks.
 
But hey, there is nothing wrong with moments that are planned! You can, in fact, begin to inject moments purposely into your day. Plan to get a pedicure or listen to Rubber Soul or Live at the BBC. Plan to curl up with a good book (Shoulda Been There might be nice!). Plan to cut fresh evergreens or pansies to place on your bedside table. Plan to eat a STRAWBERRY or a tangerine. Plan to do something that makes you happy.
 
Planning one special moment for yourself in the day ahead gives you a chance to anticipate “the happy.” If you know that at 3 p.m. you’re going to take a 10-minute break to walk outside or to sip a cup of cocoa or read a few pages in Mark Lewisohn’s Tune In, then all day long, you can look forward to that moment with hope. No matter what else happens, you can move toward that bit of joy with the assurance that at least one good thing is going to occur.
 
I’m a runner, and sometimes, when the run is particularly difficult, I push myself from focal point to focal point, not trying to mentally accomplish the “whole run,” but refusing to quit by saying, “I’ll make it as far as the next mailbox” and then, “Okay, now I’ll make it as far as the next street sign.” Using that technique, I trick myself into enduring the whole four miles; I complete the run bit by bit, moment by moment.
 
THAT is the thought process behind a new Facebook page called “MOMENTS.”
 
It is a page filled with inspiring quotes, lovely photos, good videos, a couple of jokes, some uplifting songs, and an entire potpourri of thoughts to help us endure the race. It’s a collection of thoughts that keep us running, even when we feel like giving up.
 
I invite you to join the Moments page on Facebook and enjoy it. It’s a page for Beatles fans…although we want anyone to enjoy it. It’s a place where those of us who have connected via John, Paul, George, and Ringo can contribute a thought or two. We can post happy songs or inspiring songs like Across the Universe. We can post quotes or videos.
 
Go to the page when you need a smile. Go to the Moments page when you want to give one away.
 
I’ll be there, offering you a moment or two when you need one. And when I need a moment, I’ll run there as well, hoping you’ve left one there for me.
 
Moment by moment, we’ll get by. It happens, of course, with a little help from our friends.
 
Jude Southerland Kessler is the Author of The John Lennon Series
 
http://www.johnlennonseries.com
 
Follow Jude on Twitter @JudeKessler
 
Follow Jude on Facebook here

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