GEORGE WAS THE FIRST BEATLE TO MEET A U.S. PRESIDENT

22-year-old Jack Ford enjoyed the show in 1974. The son of newly inaugurated President Gerald Ford caught the November 16th concert in Salt Lake City, and used his influence to get backstage and meet the headliners. Ford invited Harrison and the band to drop by the White House if they had the chance.

On December 13th, the young Ford greeted Harrison, his father Harry Harrison, and tourmates Ravi Shankar, Billy Preston and saxophonist Tom Scott outside the White House before welcoming them into the solarium for a lunch of beef and vegetables – while Dark Horse played in the background. After a quick tour of the Executive Mansion led by Jack's sister Susan Ford, they waited in the Cabinet Room to meet with the president himself. "We walked into the presidents' conference room with the oval table and the chair and signs saying, 'Secretary of Defense,' 'Secretary of this and that' and we sat down in the chairs, clowning around," recalls Scott. The group even managed to find the house piano and staged a short jam session while they waited.

Soon they were ushered into the Oval Office for their not-so-formal meeting with President Ford. "George was great at breaking the ice," Scott told Rolling Stone at the time. Mindful of a priceless opportunity to promote one of his major platforms, Ford pinned a WIN ("Whip Inflation Now") button on Harrison, who gave him an "Om" button in return. "[Ford] took us into this little side room where he had all this WIN paraphernalia – posters, watches, sweaters, T-shirts," said Scott. "It looked just like the back room at [Harrison's label] Dark Horse Records, which is loaded with T-shirts and bags and towels."

George and Ford spoke for close to 20 minutes, reportedly touching on John Lennon's deportation drama, which had been largely orchestrated by Ford's predecessor, Richard Nixon. White House photographer David Kennerly was on hand to document the historic moment.

 

While George admitted that Ford was "not all that familiar with my music," he found the president a congenial host. "He seemed very relaxed. He was much easier to meet than I would expect. You can imagine the number of things he's got on his plate."

GEORGE HAD A DEEP FASCINATION WITH F1 RACING

George's love of fast vehicles predates his passion for music. "I was 12 when I saw Liverpool's first British Grand Prix, in Aintree," he remembered. "I followed Formula One until the time we started being professional musicians, and even then in the Sixties, though we were so busy, I caught a few races, mainly Monte Carlo."

He possessed a number of powerful cars once the hefty Beatles' profits began to roll in, including a Jaguar XKE, Ferrari 365 GTC, and an Aston Martin DB4. On February 28th, 1972, he had his license taken away for the second time that year after he crashed his Mercedes into a lamppost at 90 miles an hour, with Patti Boyd flying into the windshield. She would spend the next few weeks recovering from a concussion.

The scary incident wasn't enough to keep Harrison out of the fast lane. By the end of the Seventies he made friends with Jackie Stewart, the retired triple world champion Formula One driver. "It was really through him that I got backstage, and it's much more interesting back there," says Harrison. "Jackie was the outspoken world champion, and he lived to tell the story."

Though the sport may seem initially seem like an odd choice for a man who often dismissed the secular world in favor of more pious pursuits, Stewart insists that F1 tapped into a meditative, almost spiritual side. "When you're driving a racing car to the absolute limit of its ability, and that of your own ability, it's a very unique emotion and experience," he said in Martin Scorsese's 2011 documentary Living in the Material World. "When that happens, your senses are so strong. That's what I think George saw in racing. We talked about things like that a lot: heightened sense, of your feel and your touch and your feet. … If you listen to a really top guitarist, or any top musician, and how they can make that guitar talk, or that keyboard talk, or the skins talk, that's another heightening of senses that is beyond the ken, the knowledge of any normal man or woman."

Harrison later paid tribute to Stewart, and the entire F1 crew, with his 1979 song "Faster." The proceeds went to support the cancer charity of late Swedish driver Gunnar Nilsson, who succumbed to the disease a year earlier. The video features Harrison being chauffeured around by Stewart himself. "It's easy to write about V-8 engines and vroom vroom – that would have been bullshit," Harrison told Mick Brown in 1979. "But I'm happy with the lyrics because it can be seen to be about one driver specifically or any of them, and if it didn't have the motor-racing noises, it could be about the Fab Four really – the jealousies and things like that."

In 1994, Harrison became one of 100 people to order a McLaren F1 road car. Once clocked at reaching 231 miles an hour, the vehicle retailed for upwards of 640,000 pounds – or $984,000.

"After George had commissioned the F1, he counted down the weeks," McLaren designer Gordon Murray said in Living in the Material World. "Each car took three months to build. They were truly handmade. He almost drove us mad while we were building the car: 'Could you fit just another elephant in?' But it was good fun. As it got nearer the time for the collection, he could hardly wait. He loved the car, not just because it was something he'd seen from its conception right through to having his own personalized car, he loved it as a sports car as well. It's a pretty frightening experience to drive one: 630 horsepower with no ABS, no power brakes, no power steering, no traction control. He loved that. And he loved the noise it made, as well."

GEORGE NAMED THE TRAVELING WILBURYS AFTER A MISTAKE IN THE STUDIO

The supergroup to end all supergroups had a serendipitous beginning, so it's fitting that they're named after George's slang term for an accident. The word "Wilbury" was invented while he was working on 1987's Cloud Nine with Jeff Lynne as co-producer. When confronted with recording errors caused by faulty equipment, Harrison would assure Lynne, "We'll bury 'em in the mix." The line was eventually shortened to "Wilbury," a catch-all descriptor for minor performance mistakes and imperfections.

 
George would use the term again in the spring of 1988 during a laid-back session with some friends in Los Angeles. He had been tasked with writing a B side to a European 12-inch single, so he called Lynne, who was busy producing a new album for Roy Orbison. Over dinner, the trio agreed to work on the yet-to-be-written song together, and Harrison suggested they go to "Bob's house" to flesh it out. The house in question was Bob Dylan's Malibu residence, which boasted a home studio in the garage. Dylan answered Harrison's phone call (on the first ring, according to legend) and the plan was in motion.

But first George needed to make a pit stop at Tom Petty's house to retrieve a favored guitar. During the detour, he invited Petty to the sessions, and the band of friends swelled to five. A short while later, the musicians were having a casual barbecue mixed with an impromptu jam session. Harrison noticed an old box in the garage labeled "Handle With Care." This provided inspiration for an opening line: "Been beat up and battered 'round." The rest of the song, named for the message on the box, came together quickly.

Warner Brothers label executives felt the song was too strong to be wasted on a lowly B side and urged Harrison to continue with the project. The quintet reconvened at Eurythmics member Dave Stewart's home studio in Los Angeles for nine days that May, where they laid down the basic tracks for an entire album. When pushed to name their new group, Harrison suggested "the Trembling Wilburys." Another member, alternately reported as Lynne or Dylan, suggested "Traveling" might be a better fit.

GEORGE PUBLIC MEMORIAL REMEMBRANCE AT HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

 

 

The 15th Anniversary George Harrison Public Memorial Remembrance will be held today, will be held starting 6:00pm-until 8:00pm at George Harrison's Hollywood Walk of Fame Star, which is located at 1750 Vine Street, in front of the Capitol Records Tower Building.

 

GEORGE ALMOST HAD A SONG INCLUDED ON NASA´S FIRST INTERSTELLAR SPACE PROBE

When George's friend, Formula One world champion Damon Hill, expressed a desire to ride a rocket into space, the musician shook his head in mock scorn: "No man. Inner space, not outer space." Ironically, scientists wanted to send one of Harrison's most beloved songs into the outermost reaches of the galaxy.

In the mid-Seventies, NASA was in the midst of constructing twin space probes, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2, designed as the first human-made objects to travel outside the heliosphere and into interstellar space. As a message for any extraterrestrial beings that might happen upon it, both spacecraft were equipped with a 12-inch gold-plated copper photograph record. Essentially audio time capsules, they contained sounds chosen to convey a cross-section of Earth's life and culture.

"The spacecraft will be encountered and the record played only if there are advanced space-faring civilizations in interstellar space," noted famed astronomer and author Carl Sagan, who oversaw the project. "But the launching of this 'bottle' into the cosmic 'ocean' says something very hopeful about life on this planet." After a grueling year-long selection process, the sounds chosen included thunder, bird songs, Morse code and even brainwaves. Musical selections were just as diverse, including compositions by J.S. Bach, Blind Willie Johnson and Bulgarian folk singer Valya Balkanska. If Sagan had his way, "Here Comes the Sun" would have been among them.

"In some ways, the Beatles were the most obvious choice to include on the music," Jon Lomberg, Sagan's chief artistic collaborator, told author Jim Bell in 2015. "They were still at the peak of heir fame, even though they'd broken up five years before. It would have been like putting on Shakespeare – who is going to seriously say that Shakespeare doesn't belong among the greatest hits of Earth's literature? The Beatles were sort of the absolute peak of Western musical achievement at the time."

All four members of the band were thrilled about the idea, but EMI Records, who held the song's copyright, vetoed the plan. In the song's place, Sagan included Chuck Berry's seminal rock staple, "Johnny B. Goode" – which likely also met with Harrison's approval.

JOHN's 'SGT. PEPPER's' PIANO TO AUCTION

John Lennon's Sgt. Pepper's-era home piano, used by the Beatles legend to compose "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds" and "A Day in the Life," among others, is set to hit the auction block December 10th as the marquee item in Sotheby's "A Rock & Roll Anthology: From Folk to Fury."

The red-and-black John Broadwood and Sons cottage upright piano, which was housed in Lennon's Kenwood home when he was writing songs for Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, is estimated to sell for between $1.2 and $1.8 million; Lennon's "Imagine" piano, featured on the 1970 classic, sold at auction for $2.1 million in 2000.

Lennon's Sgt. Pepper's piano comes with a plaque, installed by Lennon in 1971, denoting that the instrument was used to pen "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "A Day in the Life," "Being for the Benefit of Mr. Kite" and "Good Morning Good Morning."

AL BRODAX, ‘YELLOW SUBMARINE’ PRODUCER DIED IN DANBURY

Albert P. Brodax of Ridgefield, formerly of Westport and Weston, producer and co-writer of the iconic animated Beatles film, “Yellow Submarine,” died Nov. 24 in Danbury. He was 90. 

In 2010 and 2012, he appeared at the Westport Arts Center to discuss his Beatles film and the 2004 book he wrote about the experience, “Up Periscope Yellow: The Making of the Beatles Yellow Submarine.”

Al Brodax at a 2010 Westport Arts Center appearance where “Yellow Submarine” was screened

Born in the Bronx on Feb. 14, 1926, he enlisted in the Army at age 17, was wounded in the Battle of the Bulge and awarded the Purple Heart and a Combat Medical Badge. 

He graduated from the University of Wisconsin in 1948 and began his career at the William Morris Agency as a program developer, working on “Your Show of Shows” and co-producing the Broadway play “Winesburg, Ohio.”

In 1960, he created and headed the television/motion picture division of King Features Syndicate. He wrote and produced more than 500 episodes of “Popeye,” “Krazy Kat,” “Barney Google” and “The Beatles” cartoon series. 

In 1968, he was producer and co-writer of “Yellow Submarine,” winning more than 30 awards including the New York Film Critics Circle Award in 1969. 

He went on to become the animation supervisor for ABC, producing the shows “Make a Wish” and “Animals, Animals, Animals.”  In later years, he was a consultant for Marvel Comics.

He resided in Westport from 1953 to 1980 before moving to Weston where the family remained until moving to Ridgefield in September 2015.

He is survived by his wife Joan, his children Daniel Brodax of Danbury, Douglas Brodax of Beachwood, Ohio and Jessica Harris of Fairfield, and his grandchildren Max, Molly, Julia, Carly, Luke and Sam, and by his sister, Myrna Kurtz, of Sayville, N.Y.

There will be a private ceremony and gathering for family, followed in the weeks ahead by a military service in Arlington, Va., commemorating his service and Purple Heart.

GEORGE MARTIN: "PAUL CAME TO ME WITH ELEANOR RIGBY..."

In an interview recorded before his death in March (16) for new TV docu-series Soundbreaking,  George Martin recalled his inspiration for the song.

"He (Paul) came to me with Eleanor Rigby, which cried out for strings; not the smooth, legato stuff of Yesterday, but something very biting... (and) very edgy," he said.
"It suggested to me the stuff that Bernard Herrmann had been writing for Psycho..."

Martin's producer son Giles reveals the song was groundbreaking for the Beatles because it marked the first time the group didn't play any instruments on a song, revealing, "It was just a string octet." 

CHARITY CELEBRATION SHOW TO MARK 60th ANNIVERSARY OF WORLD FAMOUS CAVERN CLUB

A special show is being staged in January 2017 to start a year of celebrations to mark the 60^th anniversary of the world’s most famous club – The Cavern in Liverpool.

 

The History of The Cavern: Celebrating 60 Years of the Greatest Club in the World will feature The Overtures, the UK’s premier 60s tribute band and favourite of the stars. The Overtures will also be joined by special guests.

The History of The Cavern is the first event taking place in 2017 to mark the iconic venue’s landmark anniversary. The show will take place on Sunday 15 January and Monday 16 January at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

 

The show on the Monday marks the club’s milestone birthday – making it exactly 60 years since The Cavern Club first threw its doors open to the music hungry youngsters of Liverpool back on 16 January 1957.

 

Over the past 60 years, The Cavern has played host some of the music industry’s biggest names including Stevie Wonder, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Queen – as well as Liverpool’s very own Cilla Black and The Beatles.

 

Local artist Tony Booth has been commissioned to design the 60^th anniversary commemorative concert poster. It was also 60 years ago when Tony was also invited to design the now famous poster for The Cavern Club’s opening night for 16 January 1957. The anniversary has also proved to be a trip down memory lane for Tony, as the 2017 poster was even drawn on his original 60-year-old paper.

 

To make the shows even more nostalgic, performances will start at 19:57pm and ticket prices range from £19.57. Tickets are on sale now.

 

Radio City and Radio Merseyside are supporting The Cavern’s 60^th anniversary celebration. To mark this special occasion, all profits from the two shows will be split between their official charities, Cash For Kids and Children In Need, respectively.

 

Julia Baird, John Lennon’s sister and a Director of The Cavern, explained: “The Cavern is, of course, synonymous with The Beatles since they performed here 292 times in their early career between 1961 and 1963. This show will include The Beatles, but will also pay homage to the plethora of other great artists to come out of The Cavern during its 60 years. We are delighted to have both Radio City and Radio Merseyside on board to make this a real Liverpool celebration.”

 

The concept of the show has been designed by The Cavern, and will take audiences on a musical journey through the six decades since the club opened in 1957 – while showcasing how Merseyside’s most famous music venue has stood the test of time and has been at the forefront of musical movements throughout its life.

ERNIE BALL: STRING THEORY - DHANI HARRISON

String Theory is a web series from Ernie Ball that explores the sonic origins of some of music's most innovative players. In this episode Ernie Ball​ artist Dhani Harrison (thenewno2, Fistful of Mercy) discusses his love of guitar, influences, and choice of strings and gauges.

SONG OF THE DAY: "FAR EAST MAN"

 FAR EAST MAN 
From Dark Horse (1974) by George Harrison

Published: oops/Ganga, Warner Chappell

Released	9 December 1974
Genre	Rock, soul
Length	5:52
Label	Apple
Writer(s)	George Harrison, Ron Wood
Producer(s)	George Harrison

"Far East Man" is a song written by George and Ronnie Wood, each of whom released a recording of the song in 1974. Wood's version appeared on I've Got My Own Album to Do, his debut solo album, and Harrison's on Dark Horse. Their only official songwriting collaboration, "Far East Man" is an affirmation of friendship in the face of life's obstacles and musically reflects the two guitarists' adoption of the soul genre. Written mostly by Harrison, the composition has been interpreted as a restatement of the humanitarian message expressed in his 1971 single "Bangla Desh", and a tribute to Indian musician Ravi Shankar.

The song originated during a period of romantic intrigue surrounding Harrison's marriage to Pattie Boyd and Wood's to his wife Krissie, which culminated in Boyd leaving Harrison for his and Wood's mutual friend Eric Clapton. Wood recorded "Far East Man" in July 1974 at The Wick, his Surrey home that had also become an established meeting place for many leading rock musicians. Harrison sang and played slide guitar on this version, while other contributors included Wood's Faces bandmate Ian MacLagan, Mick Taylor of the Rolling Stones, and drummer Andy Newmark. The Harrison recording took place at his Friar Park studio and features backing from Billy Preston, Tom Scott, Willie Weeks and Newmark, all of whom then played on his 1974 North American tour with Shankar. Opening with a spoken dedication to Frank Sinatra, the Dark Horse recording was marred by George's damaged singing voice – a result of his rushing to complete the album's vocal parts in Los Angeles, while simultaneously rehearsing for the tour.

Several commentators have singled out "Far East Man" as a highlight of George's 1974 album. While noting the two composers' troubled private lives during the song's creation, author Simon Leng describes it as "a wistful shrug of the shoulders set to music". In 2002, Wood released a concert DVD titled Far East Man, which included a live version of the track. Recorded in December 2001, two weeks after George's death from cancer, this performance features special guests Andrea Corr and Slash.

Personnel

• George Harrison – vocals, electric guitar, slide guitar, backing vocals
• Tom Scott – saxophones, horn arrangement
• Billy Preston – electric piano
• Willie Weeks – bass
• Andy Newmark – drums, shaker, tambourine

 

Far East Man (Harrison/Wood) - 5:52

While the world wages war
It gets harder to see
Who your friends really are
I won't let him down
Got to do what I can
I won't let him drown
He's a far east man
All these ups and those downs
Makes me question what love is
Is it a lie or worthwile
I won't let him down
Got to do what I can
I won't let him drown
He's a far east man
Sometime is so short
But it takes so long
Wondering if it is
Or if I'm wrong
Even then my heart seems
To be the one in charge
Can only do what it tells me
We can't let them down
We've got to do what we can
We can't let him drown
He's a far east man
Looks like right here on earth
God, it's hellish at times
But I feel that a heaven's in sight
And I can't let hin down
Got to do what I can
I can't let him drown
He's a far east man

THE JOHN STATUE IN HAVANA, CUBA

February marks 52 years since The Beatles first appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, igniting a global phenomenon. But when Beatlemania swept the world, communist Cuba resisted. Believing the Fab Four were the epitome of mindless, vulgar consumerism, Fidel Castro declared a nationwide ban of Beatles music in 1964. Cubans eager to experience the rock-and-roll revolution resorted to trading smuggled tapes of "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

Almost four decades later, with "All You Need Is Love" playing in the background, Castro unveiled a bronze statue of John Lennon in a Havana park. At the ceremony, held on the twentieth anniversary of Lennon's 1980 murder, Castro spoke of his respect for the former Beatle.

"What makes him great in my eyes is his thinking, his ideas," he said. "I share his dreams completely. I too am a dreamer who has seen his dreams turn into reality."

Castro's change of tune resulted from re-imagining Lennon as political dissident hounded by the U.S. government. In the dictator's eyes, Lennon was no longer a symbol of the decadent West, but a revolutionary dedicated to emancipating the working class. That conveniently made him a posthumous ally of Cuba — hence the need for a life-sized bronze statue and an accompanying open-air concert of Lennon's music.









The statue, which captures Lennon in his long-haired, anti-war activism years, sits on a bench in John Lennon Park.
Its iconic circular-rimmed glasses have been stolen so often that a guard now stands nearby holding them, poised to place them on the statue's face when visitors approach.

NEW BBC RADIO 4 DOCUMENTARY SPEAKS TO PAUL AND FOLLOWS LIPA GRADUATES

Earlier this year Paul was interviewed by BBC Radio 4's Janice Long for a three-part documentary about performing arts school the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA). In the three-part series Janice follows students during the final year of their degree, through graduation and their ventures into the world as they try to enter the performing arts industry.

The students featured are singer-songwriter Katya, dancer Danielle, and DJ Dan who is studying entertainment management. They’re hardworking, dedicated and determined to be at the forefront of our performance industries in just a few short years, but first they have to hone their craft.

Katya is writing songs for her big final year show, and Danielle has been cast to represent LIPA at a national dance convention. Dan has been DJ-ing and working in a radio station. As they prepare for final assignments and performances they share the ups and downs of the concluding year as artists-in-training and their hopes for the future.

The Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts was set up by Paul and BRIT school founder Mark Featherstone-Witty over twenty years ago. Paul was worried about what they would offer stating, "You can’t teach them to be John Lennon". As well as performance skills, LIPA also teaches students the business side of one of the UK's most competitive industries.

With exclusive and close-up access to life at LIPA, we meet those who want to become our arts practitioners of the future and those who are helping to get them there.

The programmes will be broadcast on Radio 4 at 3pm (GMT) on: 

Tuesday 29th November - 'Life At LIPA: The Big Performance'
Tuesday 6th December - 'Life At LIPA: Showtime'
Tuesday 13th December - 'Life At LIPA: Come Together'

Tune into BBC Radio 4 online by clicking HERE!

NYC CO-OP FOR SALE INCLUDES FORMER LINDA MCCARTNEY STUDIO

This four-bedroom, four-bathroom duplex co-op at 140 East 83rd St. includes a sweet piece of New York City Beatles history. The sprawling unit — now a combination of three apartments — includes Linda McCartney’s former studio, #10D. This is where she lived with her daughter Heather when she was merely an heiress, then named Linda Eastman, while running her photography business before she married Paul McCartney, according to reports. Price:  $3.79 million.

 

 

The apartment was also not far from her parents, who lived on Park Avenue, natch. Linda’s father represented Paul from this apartment in his business dealings with the rest of the Beatles.
While Linda and Heather moved to England in 1968, she kept the apartment for quite some time before her untimely death of cancer in 1998.
The now-expanded home boasts parquet floors, city views from every room and a chef’s kitchen.
The listing broker is Karen Adler of Corcoran.

BID ON RINGO’s GLASSES FOR CHARITY

Ringo has announced on his official website that he has donated a pair of his glasses to Sight Savers #SpecsAppeal to help people with blindness and disability. Bidding starts on eBay this Friday and runs for 10 days. Other celebs who have donated glasses include Daniel Radcliffe, Stephen Fry, Kate Moss, will.i.am and Meryl Streep.

PLANS FOR A VISITOR CENTRE AT THE FAMOUS STRAWBERRY FIELD HAVE BEEN REVEALED

Strawberry Field visitor centre plans revealed- 50 years TO THE DAY since The Beatles song

Salvation Army's big plans for site that inspired John's legendary 1967 Beatles song Strawberry Fields Forever

Plans for a visitor centre at the famous Strawberry Field have been revealed - 50 years to the day since the Beatles started recording their legendary song inspired by it.

The charity has submitted new plans to Liverpool council build a visitor centre and training centre at the site in Beaconsfield Road, Woolton.

Strawberry Field was a Salvation Army children’s home near John Lennon ’s childhood home at Menlove Avenue.

In 1966 he wrote Strawberry Fields Forever while reminiscing about his childhood, when he used to jump over the wall to play in the grounds with his friends.

The Beatles started recording the psychedelic masterpiece song on November 24, 1966, at Abbey Road studios.

The song was released as a double A-side with Penny Lane in February 1967. They soon became two of The Beatles best-loved songs – but the single was kept off the number one spot in the UK by Engelbert Humperdinck’s Release Me.

The gate at Strawberry Field is now one of Liverpool’s most popular Beatles tourist destinations.

The gates there now are replicas, but the originals could be brought back from storage and made accessible to the public under these new plans.

The original house at Strawberry Field was pulled down in the 1970s and replaced with a purpose-built children’s home that in turn closed in 2005.

Those existing buildings would be demolished as part of the latest plan.

The proposed new buildings would include a training centre for young adults with learning disabilities and a visitor centre with exhibition area, “community cafe” and gift shop.

The Salvation Army first won planning permission for a training centre and visitor centre at Strawberry Field in 2014 but has since revised the plans. leading to this new application.

In 1980, in one of his last interviews, John Lennon told Playboy magazine: “

Near that home (Menlove Avenue) was Strawberry Fields, a house near a boys’ reformatory where I used to go to garden parties as a kid with my friends Nigel and Pete.

“We would go there and hang out and sell lemonade bottles for a penny. We always had fun at Strawberry Fields. So that’s where I got the name. But I used it as an image. Strawberry Fields forever.”

THIRTY FIVE PROPERTIES BEING CONVERT INTO 25 ENERGY-EFFICIENT HOMES ON LIVERPOOL´S WELSH STREETS

These images show how the Welsh Streets are taking shape as work finally gets underway on the site.

Work to convert 35 properties into 25 energy-efficient homes, began in August, after developers PlaceFirst signed a deal with Liverpool council at the beginning of the year.

Properties on Voelas Street and High Park will be the first to be converted as part of a pilot scheme - with some being converted from three smaller homes into two larger properties.
The work comes after a decision by former communities secretary Eric Pickles to reject council bosses’ previous plans to demolish the properties - which include the home of former Beatle Ringo Starr.

Mersey housing association Plus Dane takes on a record 15 apprentices
Liverpool council and housing association Plus Dane had initially wanted to replace 271 homes in the Welsh Streets with 154 new houses, along with 37 refurbished terraced properties.
The council has said it is now hoped a significant proportion of the 300 homes can be refurbished, with some knocked “three-in-to-two” to make them larger and appeal to families.
Speaking ahead of the work starting, Mayor Joe Anderson said: “When we partnered with PlaceFirst in January, I pledged that we would start work as soon as detailed surveys had been completed.We’ve already demonstrated with the regeneration of Anfield and our Homes for a Pound scheme that we are leading the way in finding imaginative ways of retaining properties where it is viable to do so.

The pilot scheme is designed to show the local community how the homes can look when they are fully refurbished to modern standards, and will set the standard for refurbishment across the wider Welsh Streets area.The new homes will provide spacious, modern accommodation to suit households and families of all sizes through innovative remodelling that will deliver a mix of one, two, three and four bedroom homes with gardens.

DHANI HARRISON TO DIVORCE FORMER MODEL SOLVEIG 'SOLA' KARADOTTIR AFTER FOUR YEARS OF MARRIAGE

Dhani has reportedly issued divorce proceedings against his wife of four years.

Entertainment news website TMZ claim singer-songwriter Dhani Harrison, 38, has cited irreconcilable differences as a motive for his separation from model turned psychologist Solveig 'Sola' Karadottir. 

The musician, Harrison's only child with second wife Olivia Arias, is understood to have filed a petition to end their marriage in Los Angeles a week ago. 

TMZ also claim the cost of spousal support and legal fees will be dictated by a prenuptial agreement entered by both parties prior to their marriage.

Dhani married Solveig, the daughter of deCODE Genetics co-founder Kári Stefánsson, at the Harrison's Friar Park estate in Henley-on-Thames in June 2012.

Guests at the low-key ceremony included Hollywood star Tom Hanks, British actor Clive Owen and his father's two surviving bandmates, Ringo Starr and Sir Paul McCartney.

Solveig also wore an embroidered bridal gown designed by McCartney's fashion designer daughter, Stella.

The statuesque former model walked down the aisle to Led Zeppelin track The Rain Song before exchanging vows with Dhani in Friar Park's garden amphitheater. 

Their picturesque wedding took place 11 years after Harrison lost his battle with cancer in November 2001, and Dhani later admitted he wishes his father had been there to witness his special day.

He told MailOnline: ‘When he died I remember thinking we’d left nothing unsaid and that was good. But then you get older, and there have been so many times I miss my dad.

'Getting married, going on your stag do – pick any moment and you wish he was there.’

He added his life has been marked by losing heroes; as well as his father’s death, he cried at those of Ayrton Senna and Kurt Cobain.

‘Death crushes you. But that’s what forms you – you get hammered and hammered and they heat you up and hammer you, heat you up and hammer you, and eventually you’re a sword. You’re brave, you’re ready to be your own man.’ 

GOODNIGHT VIENNA

In all the appreciation of the immediate post-Beatles careers of John, Paul and George, it’s too easy to overlook the huge success that Ringo enjoyed in the first few years after the group’s demise. The years between 1971 and 1975 brought him seven US top ten singles, two of them No. 1s and a platinum-selling US No. 2 album. 42 years ago exactly, he kept his run of success going with the release of Goodnight Vienna.

Borrowing the title of a 1932 British musical movie, Ringo recorded the album in Los Angeles with producer Richard Perry, releasing it on 15 November, 1974, a few days after the appearance of its first single. ‘Only You’ was another example of Ringo’s fondness for covering the pop tunes of his youth, and following his US chart-topping success with ‘You’re Sixteen,’ the new version of the Buck Ram song made famous by the Platters was another winner.

Ringo’s ‘Only You’ was quite a reunion of Beatles alumni, with John Lennon on acoustic guitar, Billy Preston on electric piano, and Harry Nilsson on backing vocals. It reached No. 6 in the US and No. 28 back in the UK.

‘Goodnight Vienna’ was a star-studded affair all round, with Elton John and Robbie Robertson both playing on Elton and Bernie Taupin’s composition ‘Snookeroo’ (released as a double A-side on the next single, the No. 3 US hit ‘No No Song'). Other guests on the album included Gary Wright, Klaus Voorman, Jim Keltner, Bobby Keys, Nicky Hopkins and many more. The album reached No. 8 in the States, turning gold, and made a silver certification in UK.

ANGRY BEATLES' BREAK-UP LETTER SELLS AT AUCTION

A furious letter from John to Paul and  Linda, written after The Beatles' break-up has sold for nearly $30,000 (£24,200). In the two-page typed draft with handwritten notes, Lennon criticises the couple for their treatment of him and his wife, Yoko Ono.

The attack is said to be in response to Linda's criticism of him not publicly announcing his departure from the band.The letter was sold at a US auction to an anonymous collector in Dallas.

The opening paragraph makes reference to a letter John received which he said made him wonder "what middle-aged cranky Beatle fan wrote it".

He said: "I resisted looking at the last page to find out—I kept thinking who is it—Queenie? Stuart's mother?—Clive Epstein's wife?—Alan Williams?—What the hell—it's Linda!"

John went on to respond to accusations he was "self indulgent" by criticising the couple for their treatment of him and Yoko.

Using strong language, he said he hoped they realised the trouble "you and the rest of my 'kind and unselfish' friends laid on Yoko and me, since we've been together".

Making direct reference to Paul, John questions the notion that "today's art" came about because of the Beatles. He wrote: "I don't believe you're that insane - Paul - do you believe that? When you stop believing it, you might wake up!"

He also responds to the criticism that he did not publicly announce he was leaving the band, saying he was asked by Paul and former manager Allen Klein to keep quiet as it would "hurt the Beatles".

In his last attack directed at Linda, he says he suffered because of her "insane family/in laws" before adding in capitals "God Help You Out, Paul".

US auctioneers RR Auction said it believed the letter was written around 1971 - a year after Paul publicly announced he was leaving the band.

It said the letter, which sold for $29,843.45, "captures the intense rivalry between the two men in the months, and even years, surrounding the break-up of the Beatles".

CHARITY SHOW TO MARK THE CAVERN’s 60th ANNIVERSARY

A special show is being staged in January to start a year of celebrations to mark the 60th anniversary of The Cavern Club: ‘The History of The Cavern: Celebrating 60 Years of the Greatest Club in the World’ will feature The Overtures, the UK’s premier 60s tribute band and favourite of the stars. The Overtures will also be joined by special guests.

‘The History of The Cavern’ is the first event taking place in 2017 to mark the iconic venue’s landmark anniversary. The show will take place on Sunday 15 January and Monday 16 January at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall.

The show on the Monday marks the club’s milestone birthday – making it exactly 60 years since The Cavern Club first threw its doors open to the music hungry youngsters of Liverpool back on 16 January 1957.

Over the past 60 years, The Cavern has played host some of the music industry’s biggest names including Stevie Wonder, The Who, The Rolling Stones and Queen – as well as Liverpool’s very own Cilla Black and The Beatles.

Local artist Tony Booth has been commissioned to design the 60th anniversary commemorative concert poster. It was also 60 years ago when Tony was also invited to design the now famous poster for The Cavern Club’s opening night for 16January 1957.

The anniversary has also proved to be a trip down memory lane for Tony, as the 2017 poster was even drawn on his original 60-year-old paper.

Radio City and Radio Merseyside are supporting The Cavern’s 60th anniversary celebration. To mark this special occasion, all profits from the two shows will be split between their official charities, Cash For Kids and Children In Need, respectively.

Julia Baird, John Lennon’s sister and a director of The Cavern, explained: “The Cavern is, of course, synonymous with The Beatles since they performed here 292 times in their early career between 1961 and 1963.

“This show will include The Beatles, but will also pay homage to the plethora of other great artists to come out of The Cavern during its 60 years.

“We are delighted to have both Radio City and Radio Merseyside on board to make this a real Liverpool celebration.”

The concept of the show has been designed by The Cavern, and will take audiences on a musical journey through the six decades since the club opened in 1957 – while showcasing how Merseyside’s most famous music venue has stood the test of time and has been at the forefront of musical movements throughout its life.

Den Pugsley, a founder member of The Overtures, added: “It’s impossible to fit The Cavern’s whole 60-year history into a 2-hour show but we’re going to give it a good go!

“There will be some unseen footage and great audio visual production to compliment the music, which will put into context what was happening in Liverpool and at The Cavern through the decades.

“We’re looking forward to welcoming some special guests on stage to bring this show together.

“It’s a privilege to be asked to perform this show representing a place that is integral to Liverpool’s history, heritage and musical culture. Liverpool is always a great crowd to perform to.”

There are plans for further special events during 2017 to mark The Cavern’s 60th birthday year, including a limited edition anniversary book; a docu-film’ and a 3 CD compilation album release, plus lots more plans which are being kept under wraps.

40 YEARS AGO: GEORGE TRIES TO COLLECT FROM LORNE MICHAELS ON ‘SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE’

Seven months after Saturday Night Live producer Lorne Michaels offered the Beatles $3,000 to reunite on his show, the 20 Nov, 1976 episode featured George as the musical guest, and he also showed off his comedic chops in a sketch where he confronted Michaels about getting paid.

In the cold open, George confronted Michaels about the money, only to be denied. “I’ve come all this way,” George deadpanned. “It’s $3,000. That was the deal!”.“You see, I thought that you would understand, you know, that it was $3,000 for four people, that it would just be $750 for each of you,” Michaels said. “I mean, as far as I’m concerned, I mean, you could have the full $3,000. But the network…” After George called NBC “chintzy,” Michaels then offered $250 for saying the show’s catchphrase and George was happy to oblige, declaring, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
The host that week was another pretty famous musician, Paul Simon, who opened the show by singing “Still Crazy After All These Years” while wearing a turkey costume.  For the show, George and Simon planned some acoustic performances, which they would deliver as a duo. While covers of “Rock Island Line” and “Bye Bye Love” were rehearsed but went unaired, unique versions of “Here Comes the Sun” and “Homeward Bound” did make the broadcast. They’ve since become enshrined as two of SNL’s best musical moments, with Paul and George collaborating on gorgeous versions of ’60s classics and even singing verses of the other’s composition.

George also used the show to promote his upcoming album, Thirty Three & 1/3, with two videos directed by his pal Eric Idle. The Monty Python member would later work with Harrison, Simon, Michaels and several SNL cast members on the Beatles mockumentary The Rutles.
 

During the rehearsals, Sen. Al Franken, who was a writer on the show at the time, had a little fun with the former Beatle, although George didn’t get the joke. Recent cast member Seth Myers related the backstage story when he was on Howard Stern’s radio show in 2015.
“George Harrison was playing piano, right? … And so everybody was just coming out of their office to listen,” Meyers said. “And then Franken knew it was George Harrison, but Franken came out of his room and just yelled, ‘People are trying to work, keep it down!’ And George Harrison stopped and that was the end of it. It’s a great joke, but it’s such a bummer outcome.”

Paul Simon & Goerge Harrison - Here Comes The Sun por Blindopolis

Saturday Night Live resuscitated the Beatles-reunion joke in the ’90s, when Paul McCartney appeared as a musical guest on the program. In that show’s cold open, Michaels could be seen talking to Paul about his cut of the $3,000. “I just assumed George would have given you the money,” Michaels explained.