**2003**

January 7
The Beatles Book Monthly folds

After a 40-year publication run, Sean O'Mahony, founder of the Beatles first fanzine -- "The Beatles Book Monthly"  -- has printed its final edition this month. Publication of the London-based fanzine first began with approval from Brian Epstein, the Beatles manager, in August, 1963.  According to David Charters of the Daily Post Staff, The Beatles Book Monthly had long been revered as "a bible to followers of the most famous group in the history of popular music" noted for covering topics such as "the early chart success of the Mop Tops, through the crazy years of mystical discovery and psychedelia to the acrimonious break-up, and then the tragic deaths of John and George." 

At the peak of success, sales of The Beatles Book Monthly in the U.K. alone was in excess of 330,000 copies while at the same time overseas distribution figures ran well into the "hundreds of thousands", wrote the Daily Post. But several factors were cited (including from its founding editor) for the demise of the publication: 1) Recent sales of the publication have dwindled to about 10,000; 2) "The number of things the former Beatles are doing gets less and less as the years go on", exclaimed Sean O'Mahony. But perhaps the most significant point was summarized best by David Charters of the Daily Post when he wrote: "...the Beatles Book Monthly is to cease to publication, simply because it has said all that need be said." 

Each issue of the Beatles Book Monthly ran 48 pages long with a retail value of £3 and contained news, merchandise and articles on the Beatles. Beatle song titles such as "Junk", "The Void", "Not Guilty", and "What's The New Mary Jane" first surfaced in The Beatles Book Monthly magazine via articles and reports from those who worked very closely inside the Beatles inner circle, i.e. Tony Barrow, the Beatles PR Officer from 1962 to 1968. Tony Barrow had ghosted many articles for Mal Evans and Neil Aspinall.

January 10
Get Back Tapes Recovered!

Led by the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI), London and Dutch detectives have recovered 500 reel-to-reel tapes of the famous "Get Back" sessions which eventually became the creation of the "Let It Be" album. The anti-piracy swoop ended a 30-year disappearance of the recordings (most Beatle fans never knew that the tapes were stolen in the first place.) According to New York Times reporter Allan Kozinn, the tapes "are monaural recordings made on a pair of Nagra tape recorders for reference purposes by a film crew that was documenting the sessions for a proposed television documentary" and each tape runs about 16 minutes each. The investigation included London and Dutch detectives which led to the arrest of five suspects, two in West London and three in an undisclosed location South of Amsterdam.  The scam was exposed when the West London pair, a man and woman who are suspected of being "employed in the Beatles' Abbey Road studios at the time" of the "alleged theft in the early 1970s", attempted to sell the tapes to an undercover detective posing as a representative from EMI. The amount the suspects were demanding from EMI was $672,000.  Part of the money was shown to the West London pair by the undercover detective while the other three suspects in South Amsterdam were shown the rest of the money at the same time by "undercover officers from the Netherlands police," the Daily Telegraph reports. "When the man in London and the Dutch people agreed by cell phone to complete the sale, police moved in. Three people were arrested in Holland . No money was paid out."

Michael Ellis, head of the IFPI's western European unit, could not over-emphasize enough the importance of the these recordings: "We were always interested in finding these tapes. The tapes were made in 1969 and they represent a significant part of the heritage of the British music industry. It was like a priceless painting being stolen."

January 12
The Best of Fellas' -- A Tribute to Cavern compère Bob Wooler
at the Philharmonic Hall Liverpool

 

Click on the above image for Joe Robinson's excellent Bob Wooler tribute!

Liverpool 's Joe Robinson, who attended "The Best of Fellas -- A Tribute to Bob Wooler", salutes the legendary Cavern compère through his personal reminiscences of the various musicians and friends who participated at the festive occasion. Joe's exclusive photography that he took that night at Philharmonic Hall is presented in his tribute. And, published for the first-time ever, Joe provides us with the complete track listing of songs that were performed in honour of Bob Wooler.

The "The Best of Fellas" tribute night was used as an opportunity for the "Roy Castle Lung Foundation" to raise money -- a charity which Bob Wooler had been a long supporter of.  Proceeds of ticket sales went directly to the charity. During the program, Mark Scragg, son of Roy Scragg from the Denisons, presented a cheque of £1,800 which topped-up the ticket sales. Cheryl and Norman Williams of "The Roy Castle Lung Foundation" had organized the event.

January 15
Geoff Emerick to Receive "Technical Grammy Award"

Geoff Emerick, the Beatles recording engineer who has received Grammy Awards for Revolver, Sgt. Pepper and Abbey Road , will be adding another to his prestigious list: "The Technical Grammy Award". The Grammy "is presented to individuals and/or companies who have made contributions of outstanding technical significance to the recording field," reported Business Wire.com. The award will also be presented to Shure Incorporated who has been world leader in audio electronics since 1925 (the company invented the first practical stereo phono cartridge!)

"The creative fearlessness of Geoff Emerick and the immeasurable contribution that Shure Incorporated has made to the world of audio are the achievements of true visionaries," said Producer & Engineers Wing Director Leslie Lewis. "Emerick's groundbreaking and skilful techniques continue to inspire generations and Shure's audio equipment consistently sets the standard for excellence. The world would have sounded very different without the contributions of our honourees."

The Grammy Awards are to be presented on February 23rd at New York 's Madison Square Gardens between 8 -11:30 p.m. (PST/EST) on CBS Television.

January 19
An Ottawa Beatles Site Exclusive!
Le Dain Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs -- "The Private Testimony of John Lennon"

When questioned about his LSD usage, John Lennon once told Jann Wenner in 1971 in the book, "Lennon Remembers", that "It went on for years. I must have had a thousand trips." Wenner asks Lennon, "Literally a thousand trips or a couple of hundred?" to which Lennon responds back with: "Lots. I used to just eat it all the time." That was the very public John Lennon talking with much bravado for the Rolling Stone interview. But then there is the very private John Lennon who, only two years before, was certainly not bragging about his LSD usage. For in December 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono testified at the "Le Dain Commission of Inquiry Into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs" where John declared his reasons for stopping his LSD consumption: "I think it probably does burn your head off, because -- I stopped using it because it did burn my head off, and, of course, now there's bad drugs going 'round. You can't even trust the drugs that come because people are selling acid that has got God knows what in it, you know."

John Lennon's testimony is 76 pages long and as you might expect from the pop star, he delves into the many themes relevant to him and the "hippie movement" of the late '60s. The interview was conducted by two representatives from the Le Dain Commission, Dean I.L. Campbell and Dr. Lehmann, in Montreal .

The publication of the "Private Testimony of John Lennon at the Le Dain Commission of Inquiry Into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs" was the result of a 5-½ month investigative effort made by John Whelan, the Ottawa Beatle Site's Chief Researcher.  Lennon's interview has never been published before until now.

Click on the following link for John Lennon's interview: http://www.ncf.ca/beatles/lennon_inquiry.html

March 25
Ringo Starr releases "Ringo Rama" CD featuring a tribute song
to George Harrison

 

In a very candid interview in a Beverly Hills hotel, Ringo Starr reveals to Jane Stevenson of the Toronto Sun why the ex-Beatle wrote "Never Without You",  a new song in memory of his late former band mate, George Harrison: "I was happy to do it, because it was a great way to express joy and loss, and it was the best way I could do it -- with a song.

"We started the album last year, in February, three or four months after he died, so it was to the fore that he'd gone. But where we started the song (starts singing), 'We were young, it was fun ...' it automatically went to the group, to The Beatles.

"And then I was trying to put John Lennon in to say 'Hi, John,' and Harry Nillson. But it just got too messy and George was on my mind. So we decided, 'Let's stop all this. Just make this for George.'

"And when we decided that, then we could tailor it more. Then I put in all those lines that George wrote. 'Within you, without you,' is from his song. And so we took artistic licence, which expressed more than I could ever say. And that's how it was. And it was really a great way to have some closure."

NME.com wrote that Eric Clapton, a close friend to George, was chosen by Ringo and given the task of providing a solo guitar break in the song.  Said Ringo: "I wanted Eric to come and play that solo because I only wanted people on the track who George knew and loved."

Ringo Rama contains 14 tracks (the last one, "I Really Love Her", has Ringo performing on all of the instruments) and comes with a "Limited Edition Bonus DVD" (over 40 minutes long) with interviews from Ringo and The Roundheads with session appearances from David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, Willie Nelson, Charlie Haden, Timothy B. Schmit and Van Dyke Parks.

March 27
LENNON'S CHILDHOOD HOME IS TO OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

The childhood home in which John Lennon grew up in between the ages of five to 23 (1946 - 1963) with his Aunt Mimi, is to open to the public on Saturday, March 29. The announcement was made today by both Yoko Ono and Britain 's National Trust.

'Mendips', a pebble-dashed mock Tudor 'semi' located on 251 Menlove Avenue , was purchased last year by Yoko Ono for £150,000 when the previous owner died. Yoko then donated Mendips to the National Trust who then restored it to the homey ambience that Lennon grew up in.  Said Ono: "When John's house came up for sale I wanted to preserve it for the people of Liverpool , and John Lennon and Beatle fans all over the world. The house resonates with a special atmosphere. It was after all, where some of John's songs that we now hold so dear were born....And it gives me great pleasure to see Mendips restored as a permanent memory of a place that formed him and his amazing talents."

Advising on the decor of the home was Mike Cadwallader, a cousin of the family who use to visit Aunt Mimi and John Lennon. Catherine Jones, reporter for IC Liverpool, best described John's 10ft by 7ft bow-fronted bedroom as "that of a 50s teenager who has discovered girls and rock 'n' roll. Pictures of Elvis and Brigitte Bardot are tacked on the walls, 45s by Lonnie Donnegan are strewn around the eiderdown-covered bed, and books by the much-loved Lewis Carroll sit open on a desk." 

Some of Lennon's earliest writings were created at Mendips: "John used to formulate his songs in the bedroom," Yoko Ono told the British Times On Line. "He told me that when he was writing in his diary, sometimes Mimi used to look into it, and he found out about that, so he started to write in gobbledegook...and so even before surrealism appeared in his songs, it was there."

Interestingly, other areas of the home were as equally important from a historical perspective: Reuters reported that the "porch of the house is where Lennon formed his first band, The Quarrymen, and later rehearsed with Paul McCartney". While the porch was only big enough for John and Paul standing, strumming their guitars, The Observer wrote of a different location the twosome used where a "tiled floor and glass created the boomy 'bathroom' acoustic the lads coveted, and here they practised and germinated such songs as 'Please Please Me', 'I Call Your Name' and 'I'll Get You.'"

Fiona Reynolds, director-general of the National Trust, described today's special announcement as "extraordinary and exciting". Ms. Reynolds declared that "John Lennon made a tremendous contribution to 20th century popular culture. The National Trust is delighted that, as a result of Yoko's generosity, we have been able to protect Mendips and open it to the public. Through his music and words John touched the lives of millions of people, and it is exciting for us to be able to present the place in which it all began."

Tours of Mendips are being offered by the National Trust and is combined with a visit Paul McCartney's old house in Forthlin Road , Allerton, Liverpool . Fees are £5 for members, £10 for non-members, by pre-arranged minibus only.

March 31
The Beatles Anthology is released in DVD format!

On this date, the "Beatles Anthology" is officially released in DVD format in Britain and issued the following day in Canada and the United States .  The Anthology set boasts a total of 5 DVD discs: the first four discs presents the original 10-hour documentary that came out in VHS format in 1996 while the fifth disc contains 81 minutes of Beatle material, almost all of which has never been seen before.

David Munns of EMI Recorded Music said: "We are really pleased to be releasing 'The Beatles Anthology,' which tells the story of their lives and careers in the medium of DVD.  This was always a great series and the Special Features Disc will be a huge addition to the collection of any music lover and Beatles fan -- it provides an intimate and fascinating chapter to the story that continues to captivate the world."

April 4
PAUL McCARTNEY BUYS RIGHTS TO CARL PERKINS' CATALOGUE

Paul McCartney's music company, MPL Communications Inc, announces on this date that a long-term publishing deal has been arranged for worldwide administration of 23 classic rock 'n' roll songs written by the late Carl Perkins. Of those 23 classics, the Beatles in their heyday did three cover versions of his work: "Matchbox"; "Honey Don't" and "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby".  John Lennon in his solo career recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" found on the "Live Peace In Toronto 1969" concert (the original 1956 recording by Perkins, sold 2 million copies before Elvis Presley made it into a major hit for himself.)

Carl had always remained good friends with the Beatles both during and after the bands break-up. George Harrison and Ringo Starr appeared with Carl Perkins on a cable TV special in London called: "Carl Perkins and Friends: A Rockabilly Session" and in 1982, Carl performed electric guitar and vocals on Paul McCartney's "Get It" from the "Tug of War" album.

The Rockabilly King in an interview once said about the Beatles: "George Harrison told me 'Man, you wrote your songs, you sang your songs, you played guitar. That's what we wanted to do.'" Perkins had even publicly declared that both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones took rockabilly further than he ever anticipated. "They advanced it so much," said Carl. "That rockabilly sound wasn't as simple as I thought it was." In another interview, Perkins noted that "They put a nice suit on rockabilly. They never strayed from the simplicity of it. They just beautified it."

Today's announcement from MPL Communications included a statement from Paul McCartney: "Carl Perkins was one of my earliest influences; I am quite simply a fan of his." A recent cover version of "Matchbox" appears on Paul McCartney's "Back in the U.S." concert film while "Honey Don't", a solo performance from Ringo Starr appears on the highly acclaimed "Go, Cat, Go" CD released in 1996 by Perkins.

The inclusion of the Carl Perkins musical catalogue expands MPL Communication's growing list of music publishing rights that includes Buddy Holly, Jerry Herman, Frank Loesser and Meredith Wilson.

April 11
The Beatles Anthology DVD Debuts at Number 1

The Beatles continue to astound the music industry by establishing a new record within the DVD medium: "The Beatles Anthology DVD, released April 1, 2003, debuts at the number one position on Billboard's DVD Music Video Chart and on the Music Video Chart, having sold nearly 59,000 units in the first week," reported PRNewswire. "This is the biggest Music Video DVD boxset debut in the soundscan era."

"Like all great artists, The Beatles' music is timeless and their story continues to be relevant to all music lovers," says Capitol Records President and CEO Andrew Slater.

PRNewswire also revealed that "The Beatles catalogue has taken major jumps on the Billboard Pop Catalog Chart this week, including the return to the #1 chart position for the Beatles 1 CD, with sales now approaching 9 million copies in the US alone."

April 12
 Former Beatle Pete Best survives a horrifying motorway accident

While traveling back to Liverpool after a show, the six members of "The Pete Best Band" - which included Pete Best and his brother Roag - narrowly walks away from death with only cuts and bruises after a lorry had hit their minibus. The incident occurred Saturday morning while driving on the M6 near Stoke.

In an April 15th publication by the Liverpool Echo, Pete Best, 61, revealed to reporter Nicky Tabarn, how the accident unfolded: "I was dozing when the next thing I knew a wagon had clipped us and we were smashing into the barriers. Everything was in slow motion and it seemed like an eternity. We managed to climb out of the wreckage and did a head count to make sure everyone had got out ok. Someone really must have been watching over us."

Roag Best, 40, who was driving the minibus, told Nicky Tabarn how he lost control of the van: "We spun right round and hit the railings on the hard shoulder. The roof caved in, the driver's door was ripped off and the windscreen flew out." The shattering of glass had injured members of "The Pete Best Band".

"The police at the scene said we must lead charmed lives," said Roag Best. "I really thought we were going to die."

May 11
Tens of thousands flock outside Rome 's Coliseum

A very noteworthy entry into this Beatles Timeline: On this date, Paul McCartney performs a free concert before an unprecedented crowd of "around 500,000" at the Coliseum in Rome . Said Paul, "I'm completely blown away - it was one of the most fantastic evenings of my life and I'm so chuffed that at my stage in the game this was the biggest show of my entire career," wrote the Daily Post. The day before, Paul held a charity concert at the Coliseum before a crowd of 400 people who paid up to $1,485 in an internet auction for tickets. Proceeds of $285,000 were raised from the concert and will go towards "Adopt-A-Minefield" and to archaeological projects in Rome .

May 17
Lennon on drugs: the Beatles' secret testimony on marijuana in Canada

In a major news article by the Ottawa Citizen, veteran music reporter Norman Provencher reveals the circumstances as to why John and Yoko's drug testimony was held in "secrecy" before the Le Dain Commission of Inquiry into the Non-Medical Use of Drugs. Provencher interviewed several key participants who were involved with the Le Dain Commission including former Health Minister John Munro. For the article, please click on the active link: Lennon on Drugs

May 24
Paul McCartney Rocks in Moscow 's " Red Square "

"We find it absolutely senseless and blasphemous to hold rock concerts in a graveyard of a special kind where Stalin, Lenin, Brezhev, Gagarin and other prominent personalities are buried. A rock concert on Red Square has a covert political meaning and would require the use of a significant number of police and security forces. You may find yourself in the very center of a serious political scandal." 

- Message to Paul McCartney and Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov in a final plea to hold the concert elsewhere in Russia . It was signed by deputies Alexei Mitrofanov, Nikolai Bezborodov, Sergei Reshulsky, Tatyana Astrakhankina, Yuri Nikiforenko and others as reported in a May 13, 2003, Interfax press release.

Backtrack: Based on a study by his Minister of Culture and fearful that it would only be corruptive on Soviet youth, Nikita Khrushchev in the early 1960's denounces Western popular music: "The youth of the Soviet Union do not need this cacophonous rubbish. It's just a small step from saxophones to switchblades." The statement made by Khrushchev ushered in a ban on all "Beatle records" in the U.S.S.R. when the group became popular in the West.

"By using the saxophone as an example of Western decadence, he was lumping together all pop music instruments, especially electric guitars. That instrument was deemed the cause of most of the corruption among young people in the Soviet Union ," wrote Dr. Yury Pelyushonok, author of Strings for a Beatle Bass - The Beatles Generation in the U.S.S.R. and who grew up in the Soviet Union while under communistic rule. "It went without saying that the Beatles, who seemed to be armed with electric guitars, would be totally forbidden."  Interestingly, the ban on "Beatles music" would later include recordings of Paul McCartney's 1970's band "Wings". It would be a very long time coming before "Beatles" and "Wings" records were approved for commercial distribution by the Russian government*, let alone even a rock concert performed by Paul. For his part, the former Beatle actually wrote to Leonid Brezhnev in 1980 asking if he could perform during the Moscow Olympic Games but was turned down.

[*Editorial: By March 1986, "Melodiya", the Soviet recording company would officially release two Beatle albums at the same time in Russia : "A Hard Day's Night" and "A Taste of Honey". The album tracks for "A Taste of Honey" were culled from three different British Beatle albums: "Please Please Me", "With the Beatles", and "Beatles For Sale ". Regarding Paul McCartney's "CHOBA B CCCP", the album was issued twice by "Melodiya": a rare unauthorized version was issued on October 31, 1988, contained 11 tracks and a yellow cover back with notes by Andrei Gavrilov. The authorized version from McCartney was released on December 24, 1988, contained 13 tracks with a white cover back with notes by Roy Carr that were taken from the New Musical Express.]

Fast-forward: On March 19, 2003, the Associated Press covers Paul's official announcement to perform in Russia and headlines it with: "McCartney to Play Open-Air Gig in Moscow " (in the " Red Square ", May 24). In the news article, Paul said, "I've long wanted to play in Russia , but for a number of years when the communists were in power, they didn't want me to." The former Beatle added: "I've never even visited Russia as a tourist, so it's exciting for me now to be getting to perform there with a band and finally be singing 'Back in the U.S.S.R.' and all these other songs for people, who, I've got a feeling, might be ready for it."

In spite of the natural optimism coming from Paul, on April 15, Russia 's Interfax web media announces some government dissention concerning Paul's visit to Moscow . Alexei Mitrofanov, a representative of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDPR) "believes that it is 'inappropriate' to hold a concert on Red Square ", wrote Interfax. The politician wanted to discuss his request addressed to the Russian president to prevent McCartney from performing on the Red Square, but was turned down by the State Duma Council (Russia's "Lower House") on Tuesday.

Mitrofanov told Interfax: "Such concerts should not be held on Red Square , and it is essentially an unprecedented event, as artists have given concerts on this square only on holidays, for example, City Day."

Sergi Mitrokhin, deputy head of Yabloko parliamentary faction, was surprised by Mitrofanov's initiative. "He [McCartney] won't be doing a strip-tease," he told Interfax. And Andrei Vulf, a member of the Union of Right Forces faction, called the upcoming concert "a wonderful idea....Millions of Russian's have waited for this moment for 30 years, and I don't doubt that McCartney has at least twice as many fans in Russia as the number of supporters of the most popular political parties."

On May 24, Vulf's comments about how Russian fans have long-awaited for a rock performance from Paul McCartney, was confirmed by Moscow Beatle fan Sacha Gorbachev: "I was a Beatles fan under Communism when I was young. I wore a Communist badge with Marx, Engels and Lenin on it, but I changed it to show John Lennon. The authorities did not like it and threw me out of college", he said. "I have been waiting 30 years for this concert."  Gorbachev's comments appeared in the Sky News Media.

"A massive stage has been erected just yards from Lenin's mausoleum for the event - the first time a rock concert has been held in Red Square ." -- Source: Sky News

Paul McCartney Becomes Professor of St. Petersburg Conservatory, May 22: On this date, Reuters announces that Paul McCartney has been awarded a diploma of Professor of Honour of St. Petersburg Conservatory. McCartney, speaking in Russian, said: "Hello! I am glad to be here. This is a great honour for me. Thank you." Then, speaking in English, McCartney pointed to his doctorate and said: "It's really exciting to be in the same school that such great composers as Tchaikovsky came to. It's fantastic to be here. And receiving this diploma is the icing on the cake."

During the award ceremonies, Valentina Matviyenko, President Vladimir Putin's regional envoy to the North-western Federal District , proclaimed McCartney as a great musician and idol for millions of fans: "Your music showed that there is no music for the elite, but music for everyone."

The Red Square Concert by Paul, May 24: After access had been opened up just 1.5 hours before the show, Reuters news service reported an estimated 20,000 spectators had finally gathered onto Red Square to hear a three hour concert from Paul McCartney. Days before the concert began, 17,000 tickets were sold and prices had ranged from 1,000 to 6,000 rubbles, with 10,000 tickets destined to the VIP zone. To put some kind of monetary value in terms of dollars, the Associated Press in their report said that "Tickets ranged from about $30 to $300. With the average [Russian] monthly wages around $140, the concert was a splurge for many." Some Russian fans bought the cheapest tickets available just to see Paul McCartney perform.  Those who didn't have tickets for the show "gathered behind the barricades and listened," wrote the Associated Press. The fans were treated to many classic Beatle tunes including "Back in the U.S.S.R." and many other hits from McCartney's solo era.

Earlier in the day, McCartney met with Russian President Vladimir Putin for tea and guided tour in the Kremlin. McCartney revealed to the press that when he had his meeting with the Russian president, he did a private performance of "Let It Be." Putin told his guest that Beatles' music "was considered propaganda of an alien ideology. It did not seem to some people that art was beyond ideology." The Russian president also went on to say that the music had been a symbol of freedom. Putin, who had been a former KGB agent, had always been a fan of the pop star's music since his youth had welcomed the McCartney concert: "I'm very excited that after all this time of the Beatles banned in Russia that we can finally come and do this show." 

Said Paul McCartney about the Russian folk: "I always suspected that people had big hearts. Now I know that's true."

September 18
The Last Great Beatle Story is Told: "Paul McCartney in Red Square " airs on A&E

Preface: "No respectable American commentator will state the real reason that the Soviet coup failed. They talk tediously about the bureaucratic ineptitude of the plotters, or how glasnost had gained surprising support. They never mentioned the power that actually smashed the Communist Party and the KGB. The most potent force on earth is not our military or CIA, but low-life American culture: fast food, blue jeans, T-shirts and rock'n'roll." -- Ed Quillen, journalist, Denver Post, September 1, 1991.

"Though recordings by The Beatles were banned during the Soviet era, the band's music made it through the Iron Curtain in small doses, giving many here their first taste of rock 'n' roll." -- Ira Iosebashvili, journalist, Moscow Times, October 3, 2003.

On this date, the Arts and Entertainment network airs a documentary exploring how Russian Beatle fans were deprived from witnessing firsthand, Beatlemania while under the control of the communist ideology. The documentary featured special interviews with President Vladimir Putin, former President Mikhail Gorbachev, Russian Defence Minister Sergie Ivanov, and many other Russian nationals whose lives were changed as result of experiencing Beatles music. It also featured some of Paul McCartney's finest musical works both as a Beatle and solo artist.

Many of the Russian testimonies given on the program confirmed that Beatles music meant more to them than perhaps to the Western generation because of the covert ways they had to listen to the music. Andre Makarevich, founder of the Soviet pop group, "Time Machine", declared on the program: "The Beatles [meant] more [to us] than the Beatles for any other country because in any other country, people could feel that they're not far from them. One day they come to their town and play their show and you can go to the shop and buy a new record. We understood that we lived on a separate planet and they will never come here -- never see the albums in the shop. That's why it was much more important for us."

How did official Beatles albums and official Beatle singles end up being banned in the 60s in Russia ? It started under the leadership of President Nikita Khrushchev who was one of the strongest supporters of communism. He publicly made it known through the Russian media that he viewed rock 'n' roll music as decadent Western culture and that it was subversive and a corruptive influence on Russian youth which might lead to the hollowing out of communism. To that end, Russia 's "Ideological Department of the Central Committee" - a bureaucratic department who supported "pure thought" on communism, reviewed all arts, languages and national upheavals -- those big scale things that would impact negatively on communism. The review on the arts included rock 'n' roll music from the West and the music of the Beatles. As each and every new Beatle album and single was being released either by Parlophone or by Apple records in Britain at that time, Russia 's "Ideological Department of the Central Committee" decided to ban the "official" British releases, denying The Beatles an entry into the Russian marketplace. However, the first Beatle track that did appear in Russia , occurred under the most oddest set of circumstances: According to Reuters news services "Beatles tracks began to appear anonymously on Soviet anthology LP's. The song Girl turned up as early as 1967 on an disc called "Stars of Foreign Variety" and that the groups name remained unidentified on the disc and simply credited as a "Vocal-Instrumental Ensemble ( England )". When I recently spoke with Dr. Yury Pelyushonok, author of "Strings for a Beatle Bass - The Beatles Generation in the U.S.S.R.", he confirmed the Reuters report is correct and that Girl sounded very much like a Russian "folk-song" as opposed to "decadent rock 'n' roll", a musical piece that the Russian people just "melted over" which is why it became the only Beatle track allowed into the Soviet Union during the 1960's.

But the ban on the Beatles, as a musical ensemble and their "official" British releases, continued on until sometime into 1973 when a series of Beatle EP's were released in Russia on the Melodiya label. While the songs of themselves were credited as "J. Lennon-P. McCartney", once again the group's name remained "unidentified" on the discs and simply credited as a "Vocal-Instrumental Group." It wasn't until 1975 when Melodiya finally decided to include the group's name, "BEATLES", on an EP. Said Reuters news agency in 1975: "...it is the first time that Beatles' authorship has been acknowledged on the record label. The latest pressing from the state Melodiya record factory has 'Beatles' - or 'Bitlz' as it is spelled in Russian - emphatically printed on its pink label. The seven-inch disc contains three Beatles numbers - Let It Be, Across the Universe and I, Me, Mine."

As already mentioned in this Beatles Timeline, the first official album release of the Beatles occurred in March 1986 on the Melodiya label. But in between these EP releases and album releases, the Beatles music was illicitly distributed throughout Russia 's black market. One form of distribution was known as "disc on bones". Artemy Troitsky, who appeared on the program and who is a published author of "Rock and the Rest of the World" explained in his book how out of necessity that music was transferred onto X-ray film: "Records and tape recorders were in catastrophically short supply. This led to the birth of a legendary phenomenon -- the memorable records 'on ribs'. These were actual X-ray plates -- chest cavities, spinal cords, broken bones -- rounded at the edges with scissors, with a small hole in the centre and grooves that were barely visible on the surface.... People bought them by the hundreds from hospitals and clinics for kopeks, after which grooves were cut with the help of special machines (made, they say, from old phonographs by skilled conspiratorial hands.)" I asked Dr. Yury Pelyushonok what kind of shelf life did those X-ray sheets have after they transferred Beatle music onto them. From what he revealed is that they could play "disc on bones" up to 200 times on a record player before it would diminish and become useless.  In terms of sound quality, they would hear some sort of background "hiss" normally associated when using this type of X-ray film, but, he said, the sound quality of the music itself was always good, at least good enough for the listener to get the feel for what was being played back through the record player.

The documentary also heard first-hand testimony that the title track from Paul's album, "Band on the Run" had been banned and the program also suggested that a Russian urban legend sprung from their passionate interest in the Beatles music: that the Beatles allegedly performed a concert at a Russian airport in 1966!

Beatle fans can look forward to a possible DVD release of the program next year. Earlier in the day, during a MSN web chat, Paul McCartney said: "Because it's going to be on TV first I'm holding off on putting together the DVD as I would like it to be a major TV event around the world. However once we've done that, I would love to take up some of the offers we've already had to make a DVD out of the show. This will also mean that we can take some time to put together all of the exciting extras you can get on DVD. So I would estimate sometime next year."

We're all looking forward to the documentary DVD release, Paul!

For more information on Russian "censorship" and the impact of the Beatles music on Russian culture, please read  "You Say You Want a Velvet Revolution? John Lennon and the Fall of the Soviet Union" which is a "Grad Paper" written by Dave LaFontana of Harvard University .

Update December 8, 2004: On this date Natasha Cuculovski, journalist of "World View" for SBS Radio - Australia , interviews Glenn A. Baker - Music/Rock historian, Alex Menglet - Beatles fan, actor, Russian - Australian and Dr. Yury Pelyushonok on a program entitled: "The Anniversary of John Lennon's Death." This 10 minute audio interview eloquently examines how the Beatles own pop music created a cultural revolution behind the Iron Curtain. 

Sept 24
Beatle Families turn up at the "Concert for George" World Premier

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, turns up with Olivia and Dhani Harrison for the World Premier "Concert for George" at the Warner Brothers Studio in Los Angeles. The "Concert for George" was performed at London 's Royal Albert Hall in November of 2002. The 90-minute film includes performances from some of George Harrison's closest friends and musicians that covered such songs as: "Taxman," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Give Me Love," "My Sweet Lord" and "Isn't It A Pity." The film is slated to appear in three dozen U.S. cities on October 3 and slated for DVD release in November. 

Sept 25
Yoko Ono to issue new Lennon DVD:
"Lennon Legend"

"This is as definitive a collection as it is possible to be," says Yoko Ono. "John’s life was an amazing one, and one that I feel privileged to have been part of. Compiling this DVD has been a very emotional experience: unearthing rare footage, watching it increase in clarity before my eyes, reliving hundreds of memories that were part of our lives and which are now being passed on to a new generation."

According to Chartattack, the "Lennon Legend" DVD will be released in Canada on November 4. It will feature rare film footage of Lennon from Yoko's personal archives. For example, the DVD will include a 1968 never-before-seen excerpt performance of the couple culled from John and Yoko's Film #6 ("Everybody Had A Hard Year"). New videos on "Working Class Hero" and "Beautiful Boy (Darling Boy)" are presented on the DVD. Yoko also promises that the DVD will contain John Lennon's performance of "Imagine" which appeared on the "Salute To Lew Grade" show in 1975. It will also include the couples famous Montreal "Bed-In" along with their performance of "Give Peace a Chance." "Lennon Legend" will highlight the famous December 14, 1980 vigils that were held for the pop star in Liverpool, London and New York .

November 18
Let It Be...Naked

Track listing, Disc 1: Get Back, Dig A Pony, For You Blue, The Long And Winding Road, Two Of Us, I've Got A Feeling, One After 909, Don't Let Me Down, I Me Mine, Across The Universe, Let It Be

Bonus Disc 2: Sun King, Don't Let Me Down, One After 909, Because I Know You Love Me So, Don't Pass Me By, Taking a Trip to Carlolina, John's Piano Piece, Child of Nature, Back In the U.S.S.R., Every Little Thing, Don't Let Me Down, All Things Must Pass, She Came In Through the Bathroom Window, Paul's Piano Piece, Get Back, Maggie Mae, Fancy My Chances With You, Can You Dig It? Get Back

Prior to this release date, John Harris of The Guardian was one of the first reporters to have an advance listening of "Let It Be...Naked". The Guardian published his review on October 19 and declared "Let It Be...Naked" as "a 35-minute, 11-track album that a) sounds like a coherent work rather than a patched-up postscript, and b) stays true to McCartney's original idea of abandoning the studio alchemy that had so defined the psychedelic Beatles and re-emphasising the fact that they were a four-piece rock group (often augmented here by Billy Preston on keyboards)."

Harris is quite correct in suggesting "Let It Be...Naked" is a back-to-basics rock album by The Beatles and it is the way Paul McCartney originally intended the album to be released, the most obvious being is the removal Phil Spector's "Wall of Sound" and the studio chatter which appears on the original album. Though some of the changes on this new album are rather significant, one track in particular should delight Beatle fans. "Most striking of all is the new mix of "Across the Universe", said Harris. "Here it sounds like a stargazing companion to 'Julia', Lennon's heart-stopping acoustic piece from The Beatles."

Other significant changes on this new Beatle album are: "The Long and Winding Road" - this version differs from the "Let It Be" and "Anthology 3" LP/CD release and it has John Lennon on bass guitar; George Harrison's "I Me Mine" is minus the orchestral arrangement; "Let It Be" is taken from the film which features George Harrison's original solo break. There are other surprises: Gone are "Maggie Mae" and "Dig It" from the original album and substituted with John Lennon's "Don't Let Me Down". Also presented on the new album are cleaned up versions of "For You Blue"; "One After 909" and "Get Back".

With the Beatles new release of "Let It Be...Naked", the band has in effect, now come around full circle once again. So too, has this writer as this is now the last entry to be made into this Beatles Timeline.

The Beatles have had an illustrious musical career and their songs will be long remembered as The Classics of Pop Music. The obvious gems come to mind: "Yesterday", "In My Life", "Strawberry Fields Forever", "Hey Jude" "Let It Be", "Here Comes the Sun" and "Something" will always be embraced by music lovers even 250 years from now. But the legacy of John, Paul, George and Ringo is much deeper and broader than just those gems alone...their albums reflected and captivated the generation of their times: The first two Beatle albums, "Please Please Me" and "With the Beatles" spun the world upside down on its head as it helped to fuel "Beatlemania" -- but those were fun innocent times for fans. However, the real change came with the release of "Rubber Soul" and as Lennon once said it was all about getting smart and hip when they recorded that album! Their music was changing and so too were their fans and pop groups that followed their lead. "Sgt. Pepper Lonely Heart's Club Band" would only help to inspire the golden "Summer of Love" in 1967 with the hippies, all for peace and free love, as in "All You Need Is Love". On " Abbey Road " the Beatles produced a flawless album both technically and musically speaking. From it the Beatles were inviting everyone for one last time to "Come Together" as the '60s were drawing to a close.

It can be said that the Beatles created a musical genre that has thus far remained unmatched and unsurpassed. Their compositions have become "timeless" for music aficionados, or, as Derek Taylor once pined that the Beatles "were the twentieth century's greatest romance." If, for example, the recent sales figures of Beatles "1" is any indication, that Beatles romance which Derek described has now carried on into the twenty-first century. "1 - released three years ago - has helped to recruit more young fans to their music," wrote the Daily Post on October 9 of this year. "Crucially there has been a huge surge in the number of teenagers and young adults who have bought it. Prior to the release 18 percent of Beatles buyers were 24 or under. But for Beatles 1 the number soared to 32 percent. Those aged 40 and upwards remained the same at just under 40 percent. But for Beatles 1 the number soared to 32.7 percent." The Daily Post also reported that Beatles "1" has sold more than 25 millions copies around the world. With enormous success of "1", it is anticipated that "Let It Be...Naked" should scale to the top of the music charts around the world and become another million-seller for The Beatles!