Sunday 20 July 2014

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF THE BEATLES

  • 1968: Jane Asher announces her split from Paul McCartney.In an appearance on the BBC Television show Dee Time, Jane Asher told host Simon Dee that her engagement to Paul McCartney had been called off. She said: "I haven’t broken it off, but it is broken off, finished.I know it sounds corny, but we still see each other and love each other, but it hasn’t worked out. Perhaps we’ll be childhood sweethearts and meet again and get married when we’re about 70." (Jane Asher,Dee Time).
    Tellingly, Asher had failed to attend the world premiere of Yellow Submarine three days earlier; all the other Beatles’ partners were there.

    "I always feel very wary including Jane in The Beatles; history. She’s never gone into print about our relationship, whilst everyone on earth has sold their story. So I’d feel weird being the one to kiss and tell.We had a good relationship. Even with touring there were enough occasions to keep a reasonable relationship going. To tell the truth, the women at that time got sidelined. Now it would be seen as very chauvinist of us. Then it was like: ‘We are four miners who go down the pit. You don’t need women down the pit, do you? We won’t have women down the pit.’ A lot of what we, The Beatles, did was very much in an enclosed scene. Other people found it difficult – even John‘s wife, Cynthia, found it very difficult – to penetrate the screen that we had around us. As a kind of safety barrier we had a lot of ‘in’ jokes, little signs, references to music; we had a common bond in that and it was very difficult for any ‘outsider’ to penetrate. That possibly wasn’t good for relationships back then.(Paul,Anthology). Paul and Jane had been together for five years, since meeting at the Royal Albert Hall in 1963. However, McCartney had a string of other girls, mainly while The Beatles were touring – and in 1968 began an affair with an American woman, Francie Schwartz. Asher arrived unexpectedly at McCartney’s home in Cavendish Avenue, London, where she found him in bed with Schwartz. She walked out and sent her mother to collect her belongings, signalling an end to the relationship.
    "I think inevitably when I moved to Cavendish Avenue, I realised that she and I weren’t really going to be the thing we’d always thought we might be. Once or twice we talked about getting married, and plans were afoot but I don’t know, something really made me nervous about the whole thing. It just never settled with me, and as that’s very important for me, things must feel comfortable for me, I think it’s a pretty good gauge if you’re lucky enough. You’re not always lucky enough, but if they can feel comfortable then there’s something very special about that feeling. I hadn’t quite managed to be able to get it with Jane".(Paul McCartney)
  • 1967: The Chris Barber Band records Catcal.
    Chappell Recording Studios, London
    Producers: Chris Barber, Giorgio Gomelsky, Reggie Kind


    During the Quarry Men days Paul had written a jazz-style instrumental titled Catswalk, which was never properly recorded by The Beatles.A rehearsal from late 1962 at the Cavern Club had been recorded, however.Paul knew band leader Chris Barber, who played trombone with his trad jazz group,The Chris Barber Band, and decided to offer him the song.The band recorded a version at London’s Marquee Club in July 1967, but Paul felt it could be done better.The session took place on this day at Chappell Recording Studios at 52 Maddox Street,London. The retitled track was recorded as Catcall.The tune was given an over-the-top arrangement complete with a chorus of catcalls:Paul and Jane Asher were among the people taking part in what was evidently a fun session.Paul can also be heard calling “Please play it slower” before the half-speed coda, and singing the chorus of “For he’s a jolly good fellow”. He is likely to have also played organ on the recording.Catcall was released as a single in the UK on 20 October 1967,with Paul given a composer credit. Despite its impeccable pedigree, it failed to chart.
  • 1967: George Harrison and Ringo Starr travel to Greece.
    On the previous day, 19 July 1967,The Beatles had discussed their plans to purchase an island hideaway in Greece.It was John‘s idea that the group and their family and friends should all live on the same island,in four separate villas with a recording studio and entertainment complex. Alexis Mardas,a Greek friend of Lennon’s known as Magic Alex, had found a suitable island with around 80 acres, a small fishing village,beaches and 16 acres of olive groves, which was priced at £90,000.On this day George and Pattie Harrison, Ringo and Neil Aspinall flew to Athens where they met Mardas and his father, who was a member of the Greek military police.The party stayed at the Mardas family house in Athens until the rest of The Beatles arrived on 25 July.


  • 1964: US singles: And I Love Her, I’ll Cry Instead
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  • 1964: US album release: Something New
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  • 1963: Live: Ritz Ballroom, Rhyl
  • 1962: Live: Bell Hall, Warrington
  • 1962: Live: Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime)
  • 1961: Live: St John’s Hall, Liverpool

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