Friday 23 March 2012

6834KD: waiting for the van to etc.


All is trivia, isn't it? (Isn't it?)
And isn't it instructive to compare the Beatles touring apparatus in 1963 (crappy little white van, plus car), with the individual limos plus massed trucks favoured by today's "pop stars".
Also of note was the attention to trivia displayed by ver contemporary fannage, which gives us the following priceless detail concerning the typical contents of said crappy white van:


On a partially related "tip", anyone with access to the BBC iPlayer may (or may not) wish to "check" this week's thrill packed edition of Gardeners' World, which has a feature filmed at Chiswick House, scene of Paper"bok" Writah, Rain etc. (actually not etc.: that's it). They don't mention the Beatles, but you'll no doubt spot the locales.
And I'm going to need a hand getting that lamp post into my boot.

Saturday 10 March 2012

1967: 1967: 1967:


The one above is new to me, and clearly goes with this 'un, which isn't:


And this 'un, which also isn't:


Where were these taken? EMI? Who is that man/woman/etc sporting bi-focals (other than Winston)?

Monday 5 March 2012

London: summer, 1969.


Speaking of pre-digital film, these surely amongst the final photos of the four of 'em together, apparently captured watching a rough cut of Let It Be. George's parents and missus also in evidence, together with Terry Doran, who is seen enjoying a suspiciously large cigarette:


And what does this have to do with Kenwood? Fecked if I know.
Gracias Eric Nernie.

Hamburg: Der Dom - November, 1960.

Photobucket

Given that pre-digital film is just a load of photographs run in sequence at speed (obviously), a doff o' the cap is in order to whoever it was that realised you could string these famous Astrid shots together in similar fashion.
The result is remarkable; John really looks like he's been up all night doing God knows what, and I can't help but think of that quote in Philip Norman's Shout! from Jim Hawke. Hawke ran the Hamburg Seaman's Mission, a place much frequented by the Beatles, who were described thusly: "They'd come in about eleven in the morning and stay until three or four in the afternoon. They'd be quite subdued. I'd look over from the bar and see the five of them, always round the same table, not talking - just staring into space. I've seen the same look on men who've been away at sea in tankers for a long time. Not with it, if you know what I mean."
At any rate, the above is impressive. If anyone knows who deserves the credit, comment away...

The Beetle: 281F


Yaaaah, apparently the Chassis number is 118583936, and, this is fascinating, the engine number is actually 0920080 (it's a rear mounted air-cooled transverse flat-four, of course), and blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.
Right?


Errrr...right. There are limits, but I am ashamed to "admite" that I read the above (taken from the 1986 auction where the actual VW was actually sold, for the actual sum of 2530 quid) with some degree of interest (though what it "means" vis-a-vis Paul being "ex", I know not).