Hey friends,
It has been some time since we've talked eh? Feel like I've been shooting and writing for so many other outlets, like here, here, and here, I haven't had the time to do much on my own. But I feel like the time has come as I've been shooting some amazing things as of late like...
I was sending the funnier PSAs about coffee consumption starring Dave Grohl to a friend recently when I came across the following video. In one million years, I do not think I'd have put this combination together but whoever put it together is genius: Dave Grohl. In a suit. Playing "Band on the Run." At the White House. For Paul McCartney and President Obama. Oh, and Stevie Wonder is also in the audience.
Life's such a funny and interesting thing sometimes, isn't it?
Apparently, it's part of The Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, which took place here in DC back in July. The entire broadcast of the show can be seen here.
As we mentioned earlier this week, Tuesday marked the 25th anniversary of the Live Aid. If you are a music dork and you watched it that day, most likely you still have the grainy video tapes somewhere because you taped it, even if you no longer own a VHS player. Looking back, the event, which took place before any of the global connectivity we have today was in place, it's kind of amazing that it even happened. And somehow, organizer Bob Geldof put the thing together in just three weeks.
It's sad that the DVD that came out a few years back wasn't great quality. But I read somewhere that it was inadvertently Geldof's fault. Thank goodness the Brits ignored him!
As part of Geldof's insistence that it should be a one-off event, the TV companies responsible for the outside broadcasts in London and Philadelphia were under strict instructions to destroy all the recordings of the show. The BBC ignored this stipulation, kept its tapes and archived them but ABC dutifully destroyed its own material. This meant that when the Trust decided to release the concert on DVD, all the Wembley footage was available (including multi-tracked audio), but recordings of the Philadelphia sets had to be assembled from B-roll tapes, the BBC's own copies of the satellite-linked sections and material that had been archived by MTV. (Source)
I was 14 when it took place and discovered Geldof's band, the Boomtown Rats via early MTV previously (that video for Up All Night both freaked me out and made me kinda hot for Geldof ), so I really wanted to see them. I was also into The Jam by this point too, so I remember being pissed and unclear as to why MTV, which did the full broadcast in the States, couldn't have started things earlier so as to catch all of the UK set. As such, those of us in the States missed many of the early sets including the Status Quo, Style Council, the Boomtown Rats, Ultravox among others. Was that 988987987th showing of a Hall and Oates video from three years ago reaallly that necessary right then MTV??
(Status Quo)
(The Style Council)
(Boomtown Rats)
(Ultravox)
I was also really excited to see U2 (yes, obviously, I had (have) a thing for Irish male singers). I'd also discovered them about a year earlier and had been playing The Unforgettable Fire non-stop ever since. Theirs was one of the memorable aspects of the day, as Bono jumped down to get a girl out of the crowd whom he saw was getting crushed by the crowd, then slow-danced with her while the band played on. They were supposed to play three songs and only wound up playing two because of it, but no one really seemed to mind.
Townshend and Bowie and Alison were all standing there waiting for the signal to go on. They didn't know Paul's power was down and couldn't understand why he kept playing verse and after and never got to the chorus. 'I didn't know it was this long,' muttered Townshend.(Source)
Two things I do distinctly recall are how much better the UK lineup seemed, and how much more the UK crowd seemed to be into it (to me anyway). Proof positive of this was when Queen did "Radio Gaga."
It's been said that many artists were a bit miffed that Queen was playing Live Aid because they'd played Sun City in South Africa, a venue many artists refused to play in the 80s because of apartheid. "It's interesting, they [Queen] were the most nervous backstage. They'd been arguing, they'd been falling out...They thought Queen didn't matter anymore," said Bernard Doherty, Press Office for Live Aid. Queen then went out and promptly stole the entire show, which given the amount of talent playing that day, was not an easy feat. Even if you don't like the band at all, it's undenyable that Queen's performance was, without question, the most amazing one of the day. I know no matter how many times I see this performance, it still makes me break out in goosebumps seeing an entire 85,000+ population all in complete synchonicity over a song...."Every single person in the place was clapping along to 'Radio Gaga' and singing along," said Tony Hadley of Spandeau Ballet, "I was thinking 'Damn, I wish we had a song like that.'"
I did tape the whole thing and, given that the formal release of the DVD a few years back left out a bunch of good stuff because of copyright issues, am I ever glad I did. In talking to a few like-minded music dorks I know about Live Aid recently, it's amazing how many of us reported the same two memories: those of us who lived with parents were repeatedly asked by them, "Are you going to sit and watch that tv all damn day??," and we all recorded it. And, not surprisingly, every one of us have kept the tapes all these years later for reasons we can't really explain. Maybe it's because we know we were witness to something really special though; sometimes that's just reason enough.
...even though I recently acquired the shows on DVD, there is still a stack of VHS tapes in my attic somewhere that contain most of the broadcast in all its grainy glory. They've been packed and unpacked, moved and temporarily heaped in the junkpile more than a dozen times as I've moved around the country. But they've never been tossed. I won't lie: I've never watched them, but for some reason I just can't let go. Maybe I thought I'd want to show them to my kids, or pop them in some day to remind myself of a time when, despite all the other turmoil around the globe, the world was made aware of injustice and rose up together to try and make a difference. (Source)
It's probably safe to say that if it weren't for The Beatles, many indie pop bands would not even exist. Ringo Starr celebrated his 70th birthday last night at Radio City Music Hall, but it was the audience who received a tremendous present when Paul McCartney was brought out to play a rousing rendition of the Beatles' song "Birthday" off of their 1968 record, The White Album. McCartney sounds better than he has in a really long time, letting loose with that incredible rock-n-roll yell that was so prominent in Beatles' songs. Pretty goose-bumply stuff for sure. Obviously the crowd was losing its mind as is evident by the bouncing video towards the end.
At one point, you see a guy with a video camera come around Ringo so one can only hope there will be a DVD out in the near future. History was made there as this was the first time the two had played the song since it was recorded 42 years ago.
This is almost definitely the first time Starr and McCartney has played 'Birthday' together since it was recorded for the White Album in 1968, as the Beatles had stopped performing live at that point. Curiously, a third person onstage during the proceedings who was on the original recording could have joined the duo and conceivably made it an even bigger reunion: Yoko Ono supplied backing vocals on the White Album track. (Source)
We posted a few days back about Paul McCartney's soundcheck/performance from the marquee of the Ed Sullivan Theater when our friend in NYC caught word of it happening early in the afternoon and headed over for the 22 minute soundcheck. The Letterman people very kindly posted video of it; tracks include "Coming Up," "Band on the Run," a great ripping "Let Me Roll It," "Helter Skelter," and "Back in the USSR." McCartney's backing band and his voice are in top-shape, but it sort of bums me out that his incredible rock-n-roll yell (check out the Beatles version of "Kansas City" or "Helter Skelter") has dissipated over time....
Paul McCartney is playing the David Letterman show this evening and it seems he will be playing atop the Ed Sullivan Theater, much like the famous Beatles performance atop Abbey Road Studios oh so long ago. Received this from a friend a little while ago:
McCartney is setting up on Letterman's roof...soundcheck soon...dunno if i can get there, they closed streets off just setting up i guess. Tapes at 5:30
So if you're in the area, could be worth a trip over to Broadway and 53rd for a look!
Update (4:22 pm)
So since I work like 12 blocks away, figured I'd go take a walk over to the Letterman studios...when I got there, maybe 500 people on sidewalk in the penned off pit.
When I left probably about 1,000...still plenty of time for people to get there! ;-)
I stayed for 40 minutes, he started right when I got there, unfrotunately they have a black curtain surounding them, but he kept poking his head out waiving too the crowd, etc. Most was only monitor, but they turned on the Pa's here and there, and it still sounds better than a Bruce show.
Not the biggest Beatles fan (no!)
But spoiler for what he rehearsed when I was there:
Some new song I guess, didn't know Comin' up (quite good) Get Back (also quite good) Another newer song, I liked this, chorus has uh ohh uh ohs Eleanor Rigby (2x's)
Figured at that point my 2 hour lunch hour was enough.
Music for me had become a giant megaphone in my heart and ears that connected me to the bigger, more resonate stories that drive and compel us to do the things we do. For better or for worse, for laughter or tears music, real music, never lies to you. -singer/songwriter Matthew Ryan I am a lost soul/I shoot myself with rock & roll/The hole I dig is bottomless/But nothing else can set me free-Guided by Voices
These songs are up for listening purposes only for a short time. If you like what you hear, please go purchase the tracks. Support the artist!
If you’re an artist or label who wants the song taken down, please drop me a note. Smoochas.
Sunrise Always Listens (Or if you are a band, or are with a band...)
If you have some tracks you want me to listen to, email mp3s or streams along electronically here. Mail in the Nation's Capitol is often slooow, thanks to anthrax scares and other assorted nuttiness. Plus, my friends are sick of carrying boxes and boxes of CD's when I move.
