Happiness is a warm gun

My screensaver is set to cycle through a folder of images on my hard disk. Whenever I come across an image having something to do with The Beatles, I copy it into that folder. I go through spurts of collecting, and presently have 1,115 images.


The images are usually directly related to or of the group, but some images are derivative. Happiness is a Warm Gun I find to be interesting. The same with the coffee cup depicting Blackbird.


I like learning small things about The Beatles. It isn't a quest to be someone that others avoid because he can't quite find a topic other than a musical group that started forming about 50 years ago as The Quarry Men. That would creep me out, too. Speaking of the Quarry Men, I have seen it presented as one word - Quarrymen. But this business card seems definitive to me.




But you know the Abbey Road cover? It was shot in a very tight window of time - on a recording break with the direction to go shoot something. It wasn't planned in detail. So anyway, all this hype about Paul being dead supported by his crossing the road in bare feet. There are several pics available from the session and in some he is wearing sandals. George also had a sport coat and funky red sunglasses.




Did you ever Eleanor Rigby's gravestone? I am writing this on the fly, so forgive me if I get the details wrong, but I think you see this stone in the Free as a Bird video.


(I am trying to compose this post so it will view well with the pics on either side. But I "upgraded" my blog with these guys and some issues are out there - everytime I enter a new pic, it floats to the top; the preview screen doesn't match my blog which is not as wide. So we'll see! I hit "preview" and the pics and text don't lay as I wish ... no worries ...)

I think Jeremy from Yellow Submarine is pretty funny. I have a cel of him from the movie. Not the one pictured here, but a nice one. I think my daughter inherited it from me, but I am not sure. I haven't searched lately, but the cels were not terribly expensive, at least the ones that did not picture any of The Beatles or were otherwise too complex. As a comparison, I am certain the cel below right would be quite expensive.

This next pic is always my favorite of the iron gate of Strawberry Field. I've only seen a few pics having to do with the home for boys.

I always thought that John would have insisted that his name come first - John, Paul, George, then Ringo. Regardless of how early in the group it was, John always seemed to be the one invested in having his way. Wondering about names, I haven't seen much advertising empheria (great word, eh? means collectible paper) that listed Stu Sutcliffe. Here's an interesting advert for a show that lists Pete Best and have John's name not appearing first (I bet Yoko is on the market buying every one she can get her hands on to perserve John's image as the leader of The Beatles).

I wonder what a pristine book of matches from Apple Corps would go for?



There is a whole universe out there of bootleg recordings. For other artists, bootleg is generally limited to recordings of live performances. For The Beatles, bootleg covers an incredible array of studio work. Search the net for sources, but read carefully - few are out there to make a profit, most are interested in just sharing their collection.

I love being able to listen to songs being constructed. I've listened to George saying - "I just wrote this the other day. It still needs a few more words. I call it, 'Beware of Darkness.'" Then he plays a nice acoustic version of it. I've heard several versions of the song over its period of development. Interesting stuff if that turns you on. Sheets like the one below give the backbone to understanding the different recordings sessions.

The shameless marketing practices of the early 1960's never cease to amaze me as I come across the products sold. I never researched because I never cared if The Beatles got their piece of the economic pie on these things. I suspect they did not. I am sure that it was just considered the necessary trade-off of exposure and record sales. But hairspray? Have they (the advert guys) no soul? Well, maybe. Artists performing need their hair in one place. I guess. But talcum powder? No soul whatsoever.

This picture of John and Yoko together as if making love has always disturbed me because he was murdered just several hours later. Their are a bunch of pics from the shoot. This other shot of them standing together is also nice.

This shot of John reading the newspaper has always disturbed me, too, but for different and I presume obvious reasons.

My dad had a printing company years ago. He's dead and the company has since changed hands a couple of times. He printed this advert for the Milk and Honey album. I have an uncut press sheet of it that I will frame someday.

. Ever wonder what the early logos looked like? Yeah, neither did I. Could not care less, actually. Such details are only interesting if it is your life and your business became successful. If I were Steve Jobs, I would interested

in the early Apple Computer logos. If I were Neville Chamberlain, I would be interested in early Nazi empheria (that word again!). You get the idea. The left pic was drawn by Paul. The right pic was, too, and was used on a drum kit

One of my favorite pics for its simplicity. Penny Lane. There is another shot easily found on the net that reads the same but is posted next to the business district that the song discusses. I prefer this shot.

Writing of collectible paper, there is an emerging market out there for sheet music. Seems that a lot exists and a premium is still developing. Got any?

After the Tittenhurst shoot. I thought Linda took those pics? So who was the second photographer?

Last pic for right now. I didn't know this fact until I came across this pic. This shows one fo the cover designs for what became the White Album.

Bye for now.