THE PRESTON BLACK MIX TAPE IS HERE!

See it at Amazon!

The PRESTON BLACK MIX TAPE bundle is a literary box set! (Almost 220,000 words of Preston Black goodness.) You get both Preston Black novels—THE DEVIL & PRESTON BLACK and THE REVELATIONS OF PRESTON BLACK, plus two short stories that were only available in other anthologies. ALMOST A NEW YEAR is a vignette that shows how family and friends deal with the loss of a deployed soldier, in this case Stu Croe. RHYTHM OF WAR is Ben Collins’ first person account of his role in the Battle of Fallujah.

In addition to the stories above, you get the following essays, articles, and non-fiction bits I’ve published in various places over the course of writing the first two Preston Black novels:

• THE DEVIL & PRESTON BLACK Reading & Resource Guide
• THE REVELATIONS OF PRESTON BLACK Reading & Resource Guide
• THE MUSIC OF THE REVELATIONS OF PRESTON BLACK
• JASON JACK MILLER’S SOUNDCHECK: DON’T BE THAT GUY! THE FINAL SAY IN THE CONCERT T-SHIRT DEBATE
• JASON JACK MILLER’S SOUNDCHECK: THE MUSIC AND THE REVELATIONS OF PRESTON BLACK
• Because You CAN’T, You WON’T, You DON’T Stop: ADAM YAUCH
• Murder Ballads and Old Magic
• A LOOK BACK, A LOOK AHEAD
• AMERICANA MUSIC: THE ROOT(s) of (SOME, NOT ALL) EVIL
• PATHS TO PUBLICATION: Preston Black
• PUTTING THE BOOK TO BED
• HAPPY BIRTHDAY, PRESTON BLACK!

THE BEATLES(ish) ON SPOTIFY!

 

Of course none of the music of The Beatles is available on Spotify, but here's the next best thing--a collection of amazing Beatles' covers done by a variety of artists! 

John Lennon Cover Project!

In an effort to try to stay positive this weekend, I'm spending it listening to all of the music Lennon gave us. I've written other posts about what his music means to me, and what he means to me, so I figured I'd do something a little different and compile my favorite Lennon covers. Here are just a few from his time with The Beatles and from his solo stuff, played by people who are also very important to me.

Hope you enjoy them!

Beatles on Ready Steady Go, November 23, 1964.

So I'm watching this Beatles vid from this day in 1964, and I'm trying to draw parallels to my own career. Which is stupid, because I'm not a Beatle. But I figure THIS is still their infancy. THIS is the band before the alternate personas and transcendental meditation.

I know, I know... These are The Beatles and you're just writing books about a guitar player and a woman who may or may not be the devil. But I love the idea of a young band, playing just to play. Smiling at the camera like nobody's watching. And that's how I write on a good day. Like nobody's reading. And that's why I'm going to continue to look at The Beatles as role models in 2014. And the haters can just keep hating.

Preview of 'The Beatles Live at The BBC: Volume 2' album streams online – listen

Thought the idea of an embed was a great way to promote the new release.

(Non-winning) Beatles Grammy nominations (Winners in parentheses)

 

(Sad Beatles are sad.)

 

Because sometimes it's all about perspective. 

 

From http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/grammy.htm See more of the list, and other lists there.

 

(Non-winning) Beatles Grammy nominations (Winners in parentheses.)

1964, Record of the Year -- The Beatles, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" (Getz and Gilberto, "The Girl From Ipanema")

1964, Songwriter's Award -- John Lennon, Paul McCartney --"A Hard Day's Night" ("Hello, Dolly!")

1964, Best Rock and Roll Recording -- The Beatles, "A Hard Day's Night" (Petula Clark, "Downtown")

1964, Best Original Score Written For a Motion Picture or TV Show -- The Beatles, "A Hard Day's Night" ("Mary Poppins")

1965, Album of the Year -- The Beatles, "Help!" (Frank Sinatra, "September of My Years")

1965, Record of the Year -- The Beatles, "Yesterday" (Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass, "A Taste of Honey")

1965, Song of the Year -- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, "Yesterday" ("The Shadow of Your Smile")

1965, Best Vocal Performance, Male -- Paul McCartney, "Yesterday" (Frank Sinatra, "It Was a Very Good Year")

1965, Best Performance By a Vocal Group -- The Beatles, "Help!" (Anita Kerr Quartet, "We Dig Mancini")

1965, Best Contemporary (R&R) Single -- Paul McCartney, "Yesterday" (Roger Miller, "King of the Road")

1965, Best Contemporary (R&R) Vocal Performance, Male -- Paul McCartney, "Yesterday" (Roger Miller, "King of the Road")

1965, Best Contemporary (R&R) Performance By a Group, Vocal Or Instrumental -- The Beatles, "Help!" (Statler Brothers, "Flowers on the Wall")

1965, Best Arrangement Accompanying a Vocalist or Instrumentalist -- George Martin, "Yesterday" (Gordon Jenkins, "It Was a Very Good Year")

1965, Best Original Score, Motion Picture Or TV Show -- John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ken Thorne, "Help!" (Robert Arnbruster Orchestra, "The Sandpiper")

1966, Album of the Year -- The Beatles, "Revolver" (Frank Sinatra, "A Man and His Music")

1966, Best Vocal Performance, Male -- Paul McCartney, "Eleanor Rigby" (Frank Sinatra, "Strangers in the Night")

1966, Best Contemporary (R&R) Recording -- Paul McCartney, "Eleanor Rigby" (New Vaudeville Band, "Winchester Cathedral") (Also nominated in this category, but not winning: The Beach Boys, "Good Vibrations")

1966, Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist Or Instrumental -- George Martin, "Eleanor Rigby" (Ernie Freeman, "Strangers in the Night")

1967, Best Performance By a Vocal Group -- The Beatles, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (The Fifth Dimension, "Up Up and Away")

1967, Best Contemporary Group Performance, Vocal Or Instrumental -- The Beatles, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (The Fifth Dimension, "Up Up and Away")

1967, Best Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s) Or Instrumentalist(s) -- The Beatles, George Martin, "A Day in the Life" (The Fifth Dimension, Jimmie Haskell, "Up Up and Away")

1968, Album of the Year -- The Beatles, "Magical Mystery Tour" (Glenn Campbell, "By the Time I Get to Phoenix")

1968, Record of the Year -- The Beatles, "Hey Jude" (Simon & Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson")

1968, Song of the Year -- John Lennon and Paul McCartney, "Hey Jude" (Bobby Russell, "Little Green Apples")

1968, Best Contemporary Pop Vocal Performance, Duo or Group -- The Beatles, "Hey Jude" (Simon & Garfunkel, "Mrs. Robinson")(Also nominated, but not winning: Sergio Mendes & Brazil '66, "Fool on the Hill")

1969, Album of the Year -- The Beatles, "Abbey Road" (Blood, Sweat & Tears, "Blood, Sweat & Tears")

1969, Best Contemporary Vocal Performance, Group -- The Beatles, "Abbey Road" (The 5th Dimension, "Aquarius"/"Let the Sunshine In")

1969, Best Original Score Written For a Motion Picture Or TV Special -- The Beatles, "Yellow Submarine" (Burt Bacharach, "Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid")

1970, Record of the Year -- The Beatles, "Let It Be" (Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Waters")

1970, Song of the Year -- The Beatles, "Let It Be" (Simon & Garfunkel, "Bridge Over Troubled Waters")

1970, Best Contemporary Vocal Performance By a Duo Or Group -- The Beatles, "Let It Be" (The Carpenters, "Close To You")

1970, Best Contemporary Song -- John Lennon and Paul McCartney, "Let It Be" (Paul Simon, "Bridge Over Troubled Waters")

THE REVELATIONS OF PRESTON BLACK Spotify playlist!

Every song in the book. Well, almost. The Beatles didn't make it easy.

Happy birthday, Preston Black!

    A man blocked my path to the door. The PO from yesterday. I stepped to the side to get around him as another man came in. When I saw the tattoo sleeves on his arms, blues and reds running together into a mass of blotches I knew it was the guy from last night. Up close I could see dried blood bumps and scabs formed over his ink. The only teeth he had left looked like the black licorice nubs from Good & Plentys.
     "That your guitar in there?" he said. He got real close, and I took a step back, but he kept moving toward me. Close enough to see all his shitty tattoos.
     He said, "I knew who you was the second I saw you. That Dago bitch told me you died same day your mother did. But I know flesh and blood. I know it." His breath smelled foul. Sulfurous and acidic. Matches and acetone.
     On his forearm I saw a heart with an arrow through it. My mom's name was in the heart. Carlene July 16, 1966-September 1, 1983. The lettering looked like it'd been written in black Sharpie. 

     And right below it I saw an angel, and in the angel, the words Preston February 13, 1983-September 1, 1983.

It's a little hard to believe I began the first draft of The Devil and Preston Black way back in February 2008. The specifics are a little difficult to recall, but I know it was cold, probably snowy, and Heidi and I were at Panera. Besides the original drafts and notes, I can't say much about my headspace from back when I started The Sad Ballad of Preston Black, as it was called then, but I'm not surprised to see that the one thing that didn't really change a whole lot was my first line—I wish I could say I found that record the first time I walked into the place. (As I looked through my notes, I was very surprised to see that Danicka was pretty much an afterthought. "Need a shadowy devil figure in there.  Maybe the woman, his girlfriend?  She could be a good temptress.")

I knew I had to do a music book. Guitars, The Clash, amps and pedals and chords. I had to find a way to get two of my biggest passions together—like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup with words. At the time, writing started to feel more like business and less like an urge. I'd spent a year querying Hellbender and kept getting the '…we don't know how to market it' rejections. Pretty frustrating stuff. Every writer knows the feeling. Musicians and artists know the feeling. Athletes know the feeling. Then it hit me—Preston needed to embody the conflict I felt with publishing and the frustrating fear that it'd never find its way into print.

Once I got that first chapter down, the story wrote itself. I stuck to my outline and decided The Devil and Preston Black wasn't for the agents.

This book was for me.

And since then, the book has become a lot more than a gift to myself and for that I am very grateful. In my mind, Preston symbolizes the struggle to create and to publish, and at the end of the day the book has come to represent the fulfillment I've found in some very unlikely places. The book has let me step into the magic of Nashville, Tennessee's Hatch Show Print, and it has allowed me to stand on stage with John Lennon and Duane Allman. Ultimately, it's given me some magical (and literal) glimpses behind the curtain (Thanks, Joe Streno! (scroll down to see the Strummer pic I'm talking about)) and in the end I received the contentment and satisfaction I'd always hoped for, but a thousand times over.

The book has been a way for me to meet and interact with thousands of people—both readers and people from within the publishing industry—who have overwhelmed me with their kindness and generosity. People from all over the U.S. and all the way over in the U.K. who have reviewed the book or have written let me know that the book has impacted them in some way.

So if you are one of these fine folks, you helped make this one hell of a trip. Remember Preston when you raise a glass this weekend because I'm going to be thinking of you.

PS: Before you start drinking, take a minute to check out Raw Dog Screaming Press's post on the same subject. (Thank you, Jennifer!)

Everything I Need to Know, I learned from John Lennon.

To celebrate what would've been John's 72nd birthday, I decided to pay tribute by giving thanks where thanks is due. Very simply, here's the song, the lyric, and the lesson.

"I'm Only Sleeping"

When I'm in the middle of a dream, stay in bed, float upstream...

Life is better in bed. Spend a little time in your head. Dreams are not fantasy, they are a reality that just hasn't happened yet.

"Revolution"

...You say you got a real solution? Well, you know we'd all love to see the plan... 

Talk is for talkers. You want to stand up for something? Stand up for something. You want to make waves? Then make some waves.

"In My Life"

...Though I know I'll never lose affection, for people and things that went before. I know I'll often stop and think about them... 

John, and Paul and George, and Ringo climbed out of Liverpool's craters and burned-out factories to become the greatest music machine the world has ever seen. I can move past the blemishes and banalities of my hometown and make an amazing life for myself if I choose.

"God"

...I don't believe in Elvis. I don't believe in Zimmerman. I don't believe in Beatles. I just believe in me....

I don't turn water into wine, I turn words into stories and people. Who gave me permission to do this? God?  I'm motivated by a belief in my own capabilities. Otherwise, I'd keep my stories to myself.

"Working Class Hero"

They hurt you at home and they hit you at school, they hate you if you're clever and they despise a fool...

My job is not me. I am not my job.

"You're Going To Lose That Girl"

If you don't take her out tonight, she's gonna change her mind. And I will take her out tonight and I will treat her kind...

That's how I met my wife.

"Whatever Gets You Through The Night"

It's your money or life...

That's an easy one.

"Dear Prudence"

...Won't you come out to play?

Forgetting to play is like forgetting to breathe.

"Strawberry Fields Forever"

...nothing is real...

Except for this moment, right now.

"All You Need Is Love"

...love is all you need.

Because it is.

The Tweets 2 Lennon Project

31 years ago this week.

Think of all the stuff he would've loved. iPads and Pixar. eBooks. Just a few guesses.

In my book, THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK, John Lennon becomes a father figure for a character who had none of his own. Ironic that Preston would choose John Lennon, who spent a childhood pining for parents who were never there. Maybe that's why John Lennon chose to contact Preston via text:

     I got another text. This game had lost a lot of its intrigue. I just wanted to know who'd been messing with me. The message sounded like something John Lennon would say. everything's proven until it's disproven, isn't it? who's to say your dreams aren't real?
     I deleted it.
(from THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK)

And again:

     My phone buzzed, and since Dani was busy primping in the other room, I figured it had to be Pauly. The text said music belongs to everybody. It doesn't always have to be a suit who decides how much it should cost. Remember what we talked about last night.
     I stared at the text. I knew who it was from, and it wasn't Father James.
     I hit REPLY and thought of a way to ask without coming across as crazy. When I realized there was no easy way to do that, I typed 'JOHN?' and hit send.
(from THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK)

--

When I wrote the novel I liked the idea that technology possessed magical qualities. That the chips and circuits were no different than a shaman's beads and bones. The idea that I could have a conversation with somebody who was long gone intrigued me. In a way, it kept them alive.

So what I'm proposing is that we all send our messages to John Lennon over the next week. Well wishes, favorite bits of lyrics, questions. Something tells me he already knows, but is going to be just as happy to get them.

Leave them in comments below, or Tweet them, using the hash tag #tweets2lennon

Top 9: Yellow Submarine Clips

In honor of YELLOW SUBMARINE'S 1968 New York City premier.

YELLOW SUBMARINE'S Trailer.


9. YELLOW SUBMARINE


8. NOWHERE MAN


7. ALL YOU NEED IS LOVE


6. LUCY IN THE SKY WITH DIAMONDS


5. ONLY A NORTHERN SONG


4. ELEANOR RIGBY


3. SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND


2. IT'S ALL TOO MUCH


1. HEY BULLDOG

Download The Beatles, Shea Stadium, New York, New York, August 15, 1965

     “And at least once a day I ask myself what if I hadn’t given up. You know, what if I’d have kept at it for another year more.” Mick waved me aside. Once his line of sight cleared he relaxed.
      “So you think I should keep going?”
      “Is failing something you can live with?”
      “Why would I have to fail?”
      “You’re going to fail a lot before you ever get it right, son. Your skin’s thick enough and your head’s hard enough that in ten or fifteen years you’ll know.”
      “Know what?”
      “Whether or not it’s time to give it up. Giving up too early leaves a pretty sour feeling. Might be the only thing worse than hanging on too long.”

From THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK

When I was a kid I didn't have many heroes. I can't remember if it was some sort of discontentment, or just plain ignorance. I mean, I liked Han Solo and all, but I knew I'd never pilot my very own Millennium Falcon. So I think, in retrospect, this was why I wasn't very ambitious.

Blame grunge and Eddie Vedder, but my musical heroes were not, to my teen-aged mind, hard workers. Pink Floyd, Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Soundgarden gave the appearance of rolling out of bed and playing shows in what ever they happened to be wearing. Magazine articles focused on lifestyle and 'shredding' which was why I focused on weed and 'shredding.' Not sure how I missed all the stuff about hard work.

And that's what I like about Lennon and The Beatles. Enough has been written about the band to provide a blueprint for guys like me who otherwise would have no idea how to pursue success. They were perfectionists, tenacious and they weren't afraid to have a laugh. Reading Lennon's bio by Philip Norman right now, and in some ways, the book is magic. I mean, IT'S ALL THERE. Laid out. Everything a boy needs to dominate the world.

But I'm not a boy. And I'm not John Lennon. Doesn't matter though. World domination... It's coming.

"To the toppermost of the poppermost!"

Download the show at Sugarmegs.

Artist: The Beatles

Album: The Beatles And The Great Concert at Shea!

Label: Yellow Dog Masters Choice

Source: Silver CD > EAC > Flac Frontend > You

CD 1

Line Recording (part 1)

1. Introduction
2. Twist And Shout
3. She's A Woman
4. I Feel Fine
5. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
6. Ticket To Ride
7. Everybody's Trying To Be My Baby
8. Can't Buy Me Love
9. Baby's In Black
10. Act Naturally
11. A Hard Day's Night
12. Help!
13. I'm Down

--A few other acts round out the first disc, but I've edited them out of the track list for the sake of space.

CD 2

Original 1966 BBC Soundtrack

6. Introduction
7. Twist And Shout
8. I Feel Fine
9. Dizzy Miss Lizzy
10. Ticket To Ride
11. Act Naturally
12. Can't Buy Me Love
13. Baby's In Black
14. A Hard Day's Night
15. Help!
16. I'm Down

The entire Shea Stadium Concert 1965 plus the BBC TV special and a reproduction
of the vinyl album THE BEATLES LIVE AT SHEA as described by Erupting fans [???].
For the first time ever the complete unedited version of the famous Shea Stadium concert.

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT The Film

Required viewing for anybody who's ever heard a note of music. Thanks to Hulu.com for the free stream.

Happy birthday, John Lennon! To celebrate, I give you my Lennon top 5.

#5 I Feel Fine. The opening riff is amazing, the energy, especially in the Shea video represents the touring Beatles at their best.



#4 Don't Let Me Down. Sometime I watch this and wonder if they could've ever had any idea that this would be the last set they played together? To see them smiling and interacting makes me think they didn't. Triumphant and tragic.



#3 Help! To me, the melody starts to mature, a sign that John was growing up. The long hair reminds us that RUBBER SOUL arrived just 4 months after HELP! was released.



#2 Instant Karma! This video hints at the great things he was capable of on his own. Too bad the primal scream therapy hadn't kicked in. Love this video, from BBC's TOP OF THE POPS.



#1 Strawberry Fields Forever. Even without lyrics, the song would remind us that 'nothing is real.' But when Lennon's poetry is applied to the Beatles music on the verge of their SERGEANT PEPPER breakthrough, it's magic on magnetic tape.



Honorable mentions: (Started off as two songs, but the list kept growing. Sorry.)
Hey Bulldog

Dear Prudence

In My Life

Happy Xmas!(War is Over)

A Day in the Life

Whatever Gets You thru the Night

Across the Universe

You've Got to Hide Your Love Away

THE MUSIC AND PRESTON BLACK, THE BEATLES, Empire Stadium, Vancouver, August 22, 1964

From THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK:

     Katy got a cheeseburger and a strawberry milkshake. I got a double with extra pickles and a Coke. We split an order of fries. They were cut real big and came in a red plastic basket lined with paper, like French fries used to be when you were little. Drenched in Heinz, the taste reminded me of when there used to be lunch counters at the drug stores on High. I ate like I'd never eaten before.
     A couple of old guys kept playing Willie Nelson and Patsy Cline songs. Katy sang in a really deep voice, "Crazy..." I laughed. The lights came on in the parking lot, and Katy asked if I was ready to head back. I wasn't, but I knew she had things to do and felt guilty for keeping her all day.
     When she went to the bathroom to freshen up my phone buzzed. I read Lennon's text and smiled.

Download the book on Amazon.com.

Download the show on Sugarmegs.

From SUGARMEGS:

I didn't see this show on Dimeadozen, either in active or dead torrents, so I thought I'd share.

This is the Beatles playing at the Empire Stadium in Vancouver, BC, Canada, on August 22, 1964, during their first full-length North American tour.

The recording comes from a radio broadcast at the time. The tape eventually found its way into collectors' circles, and now it comes to you.

This is from the Purple Chick release of "Seattle Down Now". I didn't share that full disc because there's some officially-released stuff on it, and the rest (particularly the Seattle show) is of unlistenable sound quality.

The presumed lineage would be:
FM broadcast >> 1st Gen tape >> Silver Disc >> FLAC.

But I don't know Purple Chick's lineage--there may be more generations between the tape and their disc (and I don't know if the tape was reel-to-reel or cassette or what). Either way, it sounds as good as it ever will. I'd give it about an 8.5 out of 10 on sound quality.

The show itself is probably my favorite Beatles concert from 1964. The crowd gets really rowdy, and the emcee has to come on stage to scold them to stand back, otherwise, "kids are gonna get crushed". The Beatles' press officer Derek Taylor joins in at one point as well, pleading with the crowd to stand back. And then the Beatles have to go right back to their set! (And even encourage them to "clap your hands and stomp your feet"!)

None of this has ever been released officially in any form--PM me if you have questions. Enjoy! Here's the tracklist:

01 - Intro
02 - Twist and Shout
03 - You Can't Do That
04 - All My Loving
05 - She Loves You
06 - Things We Said Today
07 - Roll Over Beethoven
08 - Can't Buy Me Love
09 - If I Fell
10 - Boys
11 - A Hard Day's Night
12 - Long Tall Sally

John Lennon with Elton John, Madison Square Garden, New York, NY, USA November 28, 1974

When I pulled up the DOUBLE FANTASY WORKING VERSION and heard John directing the band through the studio mic a tremor ran through me. Not sure how you all feel about magic and positive energy and all that, but I felt some of the magic from that afternoon had been captured on tape, digitized and stored if only to be released into the universe over and over again. I felt like John's voice poured into the mic and hit my ears same as it did the ears of the musicians in the studio that day. Like the digital filter that existed chronologically and geographically was no different than a crystal ball of divining mirror.

So instead of writing I searched for a few more fragments of magic and found them on Youtube. Elton John wanted John Lennon to appear on stage with him in New York City. The thought of it scared the pants off of Lennon, who agreed to do it only if "Whatever Gets You Through the Night" hit number one, which he was sure it wouldn't. John Lennon lost the bet, and these three performances mark the last time he ever appeared on stage. Here they are in the order they appeared on the setlist.

THE MUSIC AND PRESTON BLACK John Lennon and Yoko Ono, Double Fantasy Working Version

Buy the book on Amazon.

From THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK:

    Mick watched from his stool, arms crossed. After a moment to let me calm down he replied with sudden earnestness, "I suppose you have to ask yourself if it's worth it. You think I saw the Beatles on Ed Sullivan and went to bed that night dreaming about running a music shop? My band gigged five or six nights a week anywhere we could—roller rinks, amusement parks. But you know what? I met a girl and had some kids. Now I have grandkids. I figure my life's okay. Not what I'd hoped, but okay." Mick stiffened as a pair of high school students came in. They headed straight back to Stu's drum kit.
    "And at least once a day I ask myself, what if I'd have kept at it for another year more?" Mick waved me aside. Once his line of sight cleared he relaxed. "What if I'd have given it another year?"

Had a John Lennon dream this morning. First one ever, despite having written one into my book. It's a weird one, so hang on: Heidi and I were locked in the Uniontown Burger King after hours. There was a music festival across the street at Mt. St. Macrina, and we were hanging out with some type of R&B band before they went on, singing and playing guitar and fooling around. At first it was just the seven of us, but then the place got more crowded. John was sitting in a corner with Sean. John was wearing that silver puffy jacket from the late Seventies.

He showed me a few videos of Sean fooling around in the studio--the only thing I really remember was Sean holding a guitar and singing "Two of Us", except he changed the lyrics to "Three of us," a reference to him and John and Yoko. We sat there awkwardly for a moment, then I started telling him about my situation with my dad--how after not speaking to him for most of my adult life we finally reconciled. Then how just a year after that he had a stroke that would mean I'd never get him back the way I hoped.

The last bit we discussed was his new stuff, especially DOUBLE FANTASY. I asked how working with Yoko differed from working with Paul, or even just competing with Paul. John didn't acknowledge the comment except to say he felt the Seventies were a really creative time for him, and that being in the studio recently was a lot of fun.

That's all I can remember, try as I might to get a little more of the dream back.

Download the DOUBLE FANTASY WORKING VERSION at Sugarmegs.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Double Fantasy Working Version
MBE CD
69 Minutes
CD/EAC/WAV/FLAC

1. Starting Over (Intro Session)
2. Starting Over
3. I'm Your Angel
4. Beautiful Boy (With Sean's "oyasuminasai" ("good night")
5. Don't Be Scared
6. Watching the Wheels
7. Everyman Has A Woman
8. I'm Losing You ***
9. Walking On Thin Ice
10 Dear Yoko
11 Woman
12 I'm Moving On (Cheap Trick Version)
13 Clean Up Time
14 Hard Times Are Over
15 I'm Stepping Out
16 I Don't Wanna Face It
17 Nobody Told Me
18 Borrowed Time
19 (Forgive Me) My Little Flower Princess
20 Nobody Sees Me Like You Do

All Unreleased Nothing Official
***I'm Losing You was the Cheap Trick Version released on "John Lennon Anthology" so I replaced it with a unreleased version.

THE MUSIC AND PRESTON BLACK The Beatles, River Rhine Tapes 1969

From THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK:

    To his credit, he let it go. Maybe he was right, and maybe I knew it, but now wasn't the time. So we did my third song, which I called "Twickenham." The mediocre mid-tempo riff sounded too much like Social D. I wrote it about George Harrison after seeing the abuse he put up with while recording Get Back.
    I considered doing the Preston Black song as a fourth cut, but by the time I changed my mind Jamie started transferring files and fiddling with levels and all that, so I figured we were done. He burned me a disc, then said we'd leave in a bit, and that Katy would meet us later.

"Nobody ever loved me like she does..." Don't Let Me Down, John Lennon.

For some reason I'm very partial to LET IT BE. I think it was because everybody else went for ABBEY ROAD or SGT. PEPPER. Little did I know when I picked the disc up I was catching a glimpse of a band in free fall. Yoko attached herself to John's hip and George had quit the band a few times. Paul's attempts to rebuild the band through live performances had the exact opposite effect--the others began to resent him for his pursuit of perfection.

The RIVER RHINE TAPES are a very clean set of outtakes from the LET IT BE rehearsals. If you're somebody who has overlooked this album because it's not ABBEY ROAD or the WHITE ALBUM, this is your chance to see what you've been missing. Highlights for me include Dig a Pony, Don't Let Me Down, the I, Me, Mine Waltz, and Across the Universe. It's a nice look at what could've been.


Download the show at Sugarmegs.com

The Beatles, River Rhine Tapes 1969

SOURCE- SILVER CD - FLAC (level4)
Quality - EX+

01.Two of Us [03:39]
02.I Dig A Pony [03:55]
03.I Got A Feeling [03:53]
04.Dont Let Me Down [03:36]
05.I Me Mine Waltz [01:26]
06.Let it Be [03:37]
07.For You Blue [02:52]
08.One After 909 [03:19]
09.Long and Winding Road [03:47]
10.Get Back [03:48]
11.Oh Darling [02:42]
12.Across the Universe [03:22]
13.Dig it [02:17]
14.(Track Deletet) [01:51]
15.Good Rockin Tonite [01:43]
16.20 Flight Rock [02:09]
17.Her Majesty [01:43]
18.Maxwells Silver Hammer by John [01:10]
19.Maxwells Silver Hammer by Paul [03:39]
20.Suzy Parker [02:00]
21.Bad Finger Boogie [01:17]
22.Mean Mr Mustard [01:21]
23.All Things Must Pass [03:09]
24.The Walk [03:54]
25.River Rhine [04:20]
26.Billybeatle Boogie [05:18]

SHARE FREELY, AND ENJOY. 75:47 min

THE MUSIC AND PRESTON BLACK: Strawberry Fields Forever THE COMPLETE HISTORY

From THE DEVIL AND PRESTON BLACK:

    "Here's a quiet one for you all. But mostly, this one's for Stu."
    I had notebooks full of songs and hadn't memorized a single lyric, title, or chord. Even though I'd be singing a lie, I leaned into the mic, closed my eyes and drew in all the breath I'd ever need. I whispered the first line to "Strawberry Fields Forever."
    A few people clapped.
    I ignored them. This song was too beautiful for this crowd, for this room. And as I sang, the true meaning of the song began to unfold like a map of the universe. I used to think Lennon meant that the people with their eyes closed just had to expand their consciousness or whatever, a metaphorical eye-opening. Start seeing with their hearts. But while I stood there, strumming somebody else's chords and thinking that Stu's departure meant the end to my time making music, I realized that my eyes had been closed.
    And it wasn't that I couldn't understand the things I saw. The truth was I was only capable of seeing misunderstanding. I'll be doing covers forever.
    Stu came out of the bathroom and stopped. I found his face and shut out everybody else's. I knew it was a dream, and he knew that I knew. But the words I sang were words I needed to hear. Maybe more than Stu needed to hear them. But if Stu and everybody else thought I sang to Stu I figured it was okay to go on letting them think that.
    Nothing is real I kept telling myself. Because we never built anything real. Like maybe I should've been trying to make something of myself instead of worrying about what Pauly wanted. People clapped though. For the first time tonight somebody did something on this stage worth acknowledging. Stu pointed at me then saluted. If only he knew that I'd have done anything to keep him from putting that uniform back on.

Little Mike Rega told me that one of Sir George Martin's biggest regrets was releasing "Strawberry Fields Forever" and "Penny Lane" on a 45 instead of including them on SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND. Mike went on to say if he could ask Martin one question, it would be where he would've put the songs on the track list.

"Living is easy with eyes closed, misunderstanding all you see..." I could write a thesis on what I think Lennon meant, or what the song means to me, and in a way I suppose I did. Being afraid of living with eyes closed is the same as living with eyes closed.


Download the Complete History of Strawberry Fields here.

From http://tela.sugarmegs.org/_asxtela/asxcards/Beatles_A_complete_history_of_Strawberry_Fields.html

Beatles - It’s Not Too Bad, Peg Boy 1997

Taken from original CD, extracted by NeroMix, converted to flac by Nero Mix

A complete history of Strawberry Fields Forever, from demo to (nearly) final version. Two tracks have been removed as they exist in similar form on commercial release.

Santa Isabel Demos:
1. Warm-up
2. Take 1
3. Take 2
4. Take 3
5. Take 4
6. Takes 5 and 6
7. Rehearsal

Kenwood Demos
8. Electric Guitar Overdub Rehearsal
9. Electric Guitar Overdubs onto Instrumental Demo
10. Demo Playback with chat
11. Vocal Overdub onto Demo
12. Demo Playback
13. Electric Guitar Demo 1
14. Electric Guitar Composing Sequence
15. Electric Guitar Demo 8
16. Mellotron/Vocal overdubs onto Composing Sequence

EMI Sessions
17. Take 1 (Removed from torrent – re-mixed version available on “Anthology”)
18. Take 2
19. Takes 3 and 4
20. Takes 5 and 6
21. Take 7 (Tape Reduction Take 6)
22. Take 7 (RM3)
23. Take 25
24. Tale 26
25. RS5 (Removed from torrent – remix of commercial version of song)

Full info can be found at http://www.bootlegzone.com/album.php?name=pb1008§ion=1