George Martin

There are many things about George Martin that makes him high up on my heroes list. He's done so many things in my lifetime that I look up to now and even into my future. If you don't think of George Martin when you listen to The Beatles, then you must know nothing about The Beatles history. 

The topic is always known of a "Fifth Beatle" and people always have their own opinion on who exactly it was. Some people say it was their first manager, Brian Epstein, others say it was their loyal roadie Mal Evans, who stuck around with them through the highs and lows. But for me (and mostly everyone), we believe that George Martin is the "Fifth Beatle". He was there for album recordings, gave them advice on their songs and was there until the very end of The Beatles. 

You'd be surprised how much he actually did help with The Beatles. All of the lyrical music found on the 'Yellow Submarine' album and was also in the movie, was music he made and conducted himself. How cool is that?! That music is some of the most beautiful things I have ever heard (and what would be the coolest thing ever is a marching band show playing that music). 

You know how last week I was talking about the weird little "feud" match between the sitar and violins in 'Within You Without You', well, that wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for George Martin. He took classically trained violin and tought them about western culture-type of music like what people would use when playing a sitar. I always think about it whenever I listen to the song and it makes me think about how special it is. If you listen to it soon, just think about how cool it is and how it turned out! 

Recently with the help of his son Giles, created the put together the music used for the Cirque Du Soleli Beatles show "Love" (the "Love" soundtrack CD was also the first Beatles CD I had ever gotten fun fact from me). Also some help in production with The Beatles Rockband video game (made by Beatles child Dhani Harrison). 

(Words: 403)

My First Favorite Band - WASN'T THE BEATLES

I can tell what you're thinking from the title of this post - it's hard to believe that my first favorite band WASN'T The Beatles, I know, my friends react the same way whenever I tell them. Surprisingly, because of my first favorite band was one of the ways that I first got even introduced to The Beatles. My best friend gave me a CD package for my birthday that had greatest hits from the 1970's and there was one band on there that I just kept going to and kept listening to and will forever be a big part of my life - Badfinger. 

Yes I know that the name of the band is a little "risqué" but blame John Lennon for that. A unknown band from Wales called "The Iveys" caught the eye of The Beatles for one of their first recording acts on Apple Corps label. Really, John thought they should have more of a "edgier" sound to it, and as time would come to show, they did end up changing it. 

The relationship between The Beatles and Badfinger was one that was made to stand the test of time. They were there at the beginning of Apple Corps and stayed until close to the end, they were there from the very end days of The Beatles and yet Paul McCartney and George Harrison helped them keep their hopes up. Paul writing 2 of Badfinger songs and helping record them - sitting in on the album recording. Even though this wasn't particularly "Beatles" associated, but they did provide the sound track to "Magic Christian" - a movie Ringo Starr was in.

George Harrison loved Badfinger. He had them record on one of his albums after The Beatles broke up and even played on some of Badfinger songs on their album. Pete Ham loved playing slide guitar and George was never a big fan of it until they played a duet on one of Badfinger most famous songs, "Day After Day". From that time on, George showcased it in his music, and now that will be one of the things he will forever be famous for. He even invited Badfinger to play at "The Concert for Bangladesh" - in which Pete and George did a rendition of a Beatles song - Here Comes The Sun (every time I watch it, I just sit there and ball my eyes out. One of the most beautiful things I have ever seen/heard in my life).

I am a very big suicide awareness advocate and Badfinger is one of the reasons why I am. In 1975, one of my heroes Pete Ham committed suicide in his home, taking his life just a month before his daughter, Petra was born. But it doesn't stop there, less than 10 years later, Tom Evans - the basest for Badfinger and Pete Ham's best friend committed suicide. In his sucide note, he said that he "wanted to be where Pete was" that it "was a better place". 

Even though Badfinger never became as famous as The Beatles did, they will forever be my first favorite in my mind and will forever be a major part of my life. 

(Words: 563)

Ravi Shankar

There was always something that drew my close to George's songs that sounded different than most of the other Beatles styles. It took me a few months to learn what this fabulous instrument was - called a sitar. Since then, it was one of the instruments that I want to play someday. There is one man who helped George learn about his love and interest for this instrument just like mine, and this man was named Ravi Shankar. 

Ravi Shankar was famous for being one of the best sitar players in the world, but he will forever be remembered in my mind as one of George Harrison's best friends. It seemed like after 1965, they were always around each other and never lost contact with each other until George's death in 2001. Since we lost Ravi in 2012, I always like to think that him and George are together playing the sitar and laughing about old memories. 

The first time I think I ever saw or really got to know Ravi was when I bought a copy of "The Concert of Bangladesh". He was the one who really urge the fact to George on what was going on in Bangladesh during that time and he had the brilliant idea to make a concert in 1971 to raise money for the cause. From that time on, he was one of my favorite people in history. I'll never forget watching him with his daughter during "The Concert of George", all of them getting together to remember the great man that they were all friends with and will always morn his loss.

On April 29, Ravi's 95th birthday, he will have his own exhibition in the US at the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles which will have a collection of sitars, artifacts and photographs of his throught out all of his years active in music. I think this is a great honor and I'm very proud that Ravi will be able to receive this to have some of his stuff on show. 

I feel like our generation won't be keen on the idea of traditional Indian sitar music, I know that Anoushka Shankar is still making music like her father did. With having his memory still live on in the Grammy Museum, someone in the future visiting there could have their interest sparked from his memory and keep this style of music alive. 

(Words: 415)

Don't Pass Me By vs. What Goes On

Don't Pass Me By - 1968, The White Album (The Beatles) ~ Written and sung by Ringo Starr

What Goes On - 1965, Rubber Soul ~ Written by John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, sung by Ringo Starr

Remember, THESE are my own opinions and they may be totally, 100% different than yours so no hate please!

Compare: Since this is a very special week for Ringo, I decided to compare/contrast 2 of Ringo's BEATLES SONGS! Yes, Ringo didn't write or sing too many Beatles songs, so I wanted to make this special. What are mostly alike between these 2 songs is that Ringo had help in the writing process. He helped John and Paul in the writing of "What Goes On" and "Don't Pass Me By" being the first song he made by himself (yay!) 

Contrast: I wouldn't want to say that these 2 songs are almost completely different but I 100% think that they're almost different. Ringo has his own kind of writing that is different than John and Paul's, "Don't Pass Me By" it has a country type of feel that Ringo enjoys and you can tell the easy, rocky kind of feel from John and Paul in "What Goes On". 

Likes: It's Ringo and I love his voice, so I do love both of these songs. Don't Pass Me By took Ringo 6 years to make and I think that is the most adorable things I've ever heard! (Rather contrasted to the full album completion by John and Paul in 1 week). 

Dislikes: This isn't really about these 2 songs themselves by its more over the actions between John/Paul (mostly Paul) and Ringo over the discussion of singing songs. Paul thought that Ringo didn't have enough of a voiceless range to sing many songs - so that's why he basically only got 1 song on each album. What I find funny is that when Paul wrote Yellow Submarine he didn't want to sing it because the range was so easy and gave it to Ringo to sing. Now that's one of The Beatles most memorable songs. 

(Words: 395)

Ringo in the Spotlight

Usually when we think of someone being busy out of the last two remaining Beatles, it's probably Paul. But for the last few months, I've gotta say that Ringo has been over shining him! Ritchie is on the cover of April's Rolling Stone magazine (which my best friend gave me a copy of), his new album "Postcards from Paradise" was released March 31st, and he has been preparing for his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame on April 18th all of his life. I'm so proud of him and I think it's amazing that Paul is going to be his inductee - man, I just can't believe that Ringo is the last of The Beatles to be inducted, heck even Brian Epstein, their former manager was inducted before he was! I guess the saying, "save the best for last" is used in this sense. 

While reading the article about Ringo in this months Rolling Stone magazine, I'm not going to lie to you when I say I cried through the whole thing. Yes, I know that I'm super crazy but freaking Ritchie was pulling in my heart strings! On the second page, it is talking about how he lost his two brothers...John Lennon and George Harrison. That's what got me first, I couldn't hold in the emotions after that. The fact that Ringo references to them as his brothers breaks my heart. They we're all so close for SUCH a long amout of time and then to lose the both of them so early must have taken a very hard toll on him. 

Of course, this one article about Ringo saying that The Beatles reunion could have happened. Just sit there for a moment and think about it - A Beatles reunion - Back together since 1970, playing the songs that made them one of the most famous bands in music history. I never knew that they did try in both 1976 and 1979 for reunion tours but a year later we lost John and in 2001 we lost George. Do I think Paul and Ringo would go on a little Beatles reunion tour now? No. Do I wish that they did? Yes. But I don't think they'd do it without John and George because they aren't The Beatles without them. 

(Words: 422)

The Beatles + Food

Have you ever listened to a certain band while eating food and suddenly think the food is more delicious than you ever thought? I know that's so totally weird to think about, it even seems a little crazy to me! But this whole theory has been proven by actual scientists and tested it on different types of music on people while they are food to figure out the results. 

Many reachers can suggest that certain types of music can bring out flavor in food including sweet, salty and bitter. Luciano Pavarotti can enhance the bitterness in coffee and intensity in chocolate mouse and Bille Holliday can empathize the taste of "autumn" in the taste of pumpkin just as two examples of many that were written. Even though those are pretty cool, what made me extremely excited when The Beatles was one of the bands to be tested! 

I think it's pretty cool that scientists did this experiment because now I know that if I ever eat fish and chips that The Beatles is the PERFECT band to listen to while eating them! You heard me everyone, they have actually proven that listening to The Beatles could help the enjoyment of eating fish and chips. How freaking cool is that?! Wait, that isn't it - it can even enhance different kinds of drinks.

Ultraviolent restaurant in Shanghai, China has already kinda tested out this theory by serving fish and chips to a backdrop of The Beatles. The dining room of the restaurant has photos projected onto the wall so when you're eating different courses/different foods, they put up pictures that goes with each theme. This is one of the coolest things I have ever seen (look up the pictures of the restaurant on the internet, you're mind will be blown away!) and if I ever get the chance to go to China, I'd love to check out this restaurant for sure (and 100% fangirl about The Beatles and fish and chips)! 

I've always been interested in food, every since I was younger. For a long amount of time I wanted to be a chef and work in my own restaurant. What I found cool about this article is that more and more restaurants should follow different atmospheres with the music that they play followed up with what the food they serve. With doing that, the amount of profft could almost be DOUBLED! This is just a really good topic to be researched into. 

If you'd like to read more about the different singers/bands that effect the taste of foods and learn more about this experience, check out the article that I first found this out about!: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3026252/The-Beatles-fish-chips-Pavarotti-chocolate-mousse-Pyschologists-discover-music-help-enhance-enjoyment-food.html

(Words: 514)

Julia vs Hey Jude

Julia - The White Album (The Beatles), 1968 ~ Written and sung by John Lennon

Hey Jude: Single, 1969 ~ Written and sung by Paul McCartney

Remember, THESE are my own opinions and they may be totally, 100% different than yours so no hate please!

Compare: So since we lost Cynthia this week, I decided to pick songs that mean a lot to John - one written about this mother and one written about his son. John wrote a song on what he remembered the most about his mother, she wasn't around during most of his childhood and when they finally got connection back with each other, she was tradically killed by a drunk driver so I feel like this helped him with all of the pain he had held in over so many years. Paul wrote Hey Jude for Julian during the divorce of John and Cynthia as a way to help him feel better. 

Contrast: Like always, the differences between John and Paul's writing styles and way they compose their music. Julia sounds a little somber, extremely heartfelt and you can tell how much John put his feelings into it. We all know how upbeat Hey Jude sounds and how for generations people have loved the song, and how famous it is. 

Likes: I love how adorable John wrote the song for his mom, I always feel so bad about how he lost his mom and how he might have never been okay after it happened. Same with Paul writing the song for Julian, surprisingly John thought Paul wrote the song for him to "help him through the time with Yoko" and all of the problems with him happening...when it was about his song that felt neglected...hmmm.

Dislikes: Hey Jude used to be my favorite song, but I swear that I listened to the song so much that I can't hardly listen to it anymore. I mean, on certain occasions I can listen to it, but it makes me kinda sad that happened. Same thing with Julia, I can only listen to the song during certain occasions. 

(Words: 360)