Another goodly December '68 shot. Following the traumatic events of the preceding couple of months, it's tempting to read a sense of relief into these, what with being back at Kenwood...utter pish in all probability.
Thursday, 11 June 2009
Kenwood: drive, December 1968.
Another goodly December '68 shot. Following the traumatic events of the preceding couple of months, it's tempting to read a sense of relief into these, what with being back at Kenwood...utter pish in all probability.
Life With The Lions 3: Marylebone Magistrate's Court footage.
As a footnote, 40 seconds of footage...
Life With The Lions 2: Queen Charlotte's Maternity Hospital, London, November 1968.
From November 4 until November 25, John and Yoko occupied Room Number 1, Second West Ward. When John's bed was needed, he moved to an inflatable mattress on the floor. Going through a miscarriage, vilified by large sections of the press and public, there is a real sense of isolation in these photographs. Note the pictures on the wall, including the other Beatles' White Album portraits, and John's Christmas card painting. No longer welcome at Montagu Square, within a week they'd be back at Kenwood for the last time.
Life With The Lions 1: Marylebone Magistrate's Court, London, October 19, 1968.
The cover of Unfinished Music No. 2: Life With The Lions was clearly intended to draw a straight line, with good reason, between the events of October 18/19 1968, when John and Yoko were arrested at Montagu Square before being taken to court, and the subsequent miscarriage of their child. There's little doubt that the police were heavy handed. The then home secretary, James Callaghan, privately admonished Sgt Pilchard over his handling of the affair. When asked why it had needed seven police to arrest John and Yoko, Pilchard apparently replied, "it is not unusual when executing search warrants for premises occupied by members of the entertainment world to find that there are large numbers of people present taking part in unusual parties. In this case it was found that only two persons were present, and both were in a state of undress." Wot, no Mars Bars? Their appearance at court the day after the bust led to a brief but comprehensive frenzy - John and Yoko herded out in front of an unholy mob comprising antagonistic pant-hooters, rubbernecking dimwits and Fleet Street smudgers. Footage reveals the ordeal to have been mercifully brief (though its consequences were far reaching). Yet this is one instance where photography speaks louder than film.(Incidentally, the building was demolished February, 2009).
Wednesday, 10 June 2009
Altona, Hamburg: Astrid Kircherr's loft.
Rather melancholy photos, taken in Astrid's loft in Hamburg. After Stuart Sutcliffe died, John asked Astrid to take a couple of pics of him in the same spot as the one of Stuart - the first Beatle related then and now shots, in effect. Astrid was a great photographer, and all her Hamburg photos of the Beatles, which tend towards a certain dark quality, are worth seeking out.
J P Fallon Coachworks: Chertsey, May 1967.
Just north-west of Weybridge lies Chertsey, former home to J P Fallon, who took care of the paintwork on John's Rolls. Here are two shots from inside the coachworks as the car was being readied for delivery to Kenwood. Whose idea it initially was to have it painted like this is unclear. Some accounts say it originated with Ringo, but Marijke Koger of The Fool also claimed it as her suggestion. A good idea, in any case.
Kingsley Hill: 4.
Tammy has fiddled around with this pic to bring the house out a bit more. Thanks to him. He makes the point that there are photos taken by George with a fish-eye lens from around the same period - at Kinfauns, for example. So, possibly Mr Harrison for photographer?
Tuesday, 9 June 2009
Kingsley Hill: 3.
Well, well... Three shots of contemporary Kingsley Hill! The sundial is still there, and the house looks more or less the same as it did in 1967. This was the scene, on Sunday 28 May of that year, of Brian's dual housewarming/Sgt Pepper celebration. A week after the press party at Chapel Street, and a few days before Pepper's UK release, John, George, Ringo (but not Paul), Derek Taylor, plus wives and you-name-it scenesters descended on Kingsley Hill, the country roads leading there festooned with balloons. John, George and Derek spent a lot of time in the back of the psychedelic Rolls listening to Whiter Shade Of Pale over and over again. Sgt Pepper, naturally, blasted from the main house. Enhanced tea, Lionel Bart as barbed wire...someone must have had a camera. Only two people didn't enjoy it - Brian, still shaky after a spell in the Priory clinic, was upset that Paul hadn't appeared, at least until John and George cheered him up. Cynthia, tripping for the 3rd and final time, was upstairs experiencing what was known as, to use the parlance of the day, a "bummer". Huge thanks to Mark Lewisohn for sharing these (that's him occupying Brian's spot), and might I just urge you to go out and buy his books if you haven't already done so.
Kingsley Hill: 2.
Is this it? The Brian/Pattie photo taken from the direction of the arrow. It certainly looks like it could be - those lawns fit with the other photos too.
Kingsley Hill: Warbleton, Heathfield, Sussex.
These colour pics of the Beatles in the summer of '67 have been doing the rounds since they first appeared in Mark Hayward's Unseen Beatles book. But where were they taken? There has been some confusion over this, partly as a result of them being labelled "London Summer" in that book. In fact, the answer is Kingsley Hill in Sussex, Brian Epstein's country retreat, bought in February of the same year. The big clue is in the pic of Brian and Pattie Boyd. Compare the house in the background with the colour pic of Brian standing beside the sundial outside Kingsley Hill - a slightly different angle, but definitely the same house. Secondly, note the car in the Brian/Pattie pic. Then look at the black and white Kingsley Hill shot - there it is again. This is "interesting" for several reasons - the (or at least a) Sgt Pepper party, so vividly described by Derek Taylor and Cynthia Lennon (though their respective takes on it were rather different) happened here. Also, Kingsley Hill was where Brian was the night (or so) before he died - his abortive "party" here led him to drive back up to London, and the rest we know. The house is still there, I think...maybe a resident of Sussex could find out for sure...
Kenwood: autograph & map of St George's Hill.
As can be seen from the map, Kenwood is buried deep within the St George's Hill estate. These days the estate itself is gated and guarded, and you will be turned away if not on legitimate business (gawking at Kenwood does not, sadly, count as legitimate business), but back in the John-era, fans were free to wander onto the estate and up to Kenwood and Sunny Heights, more or less at will. The only real appeal that the place had for John was as a refuge from the stresses of Beatlemania, and he was initially angry (understandably so) when fans started appearing not only at the gate, but also in the grounds and even, on one occasion, in the house itself. He would occasionally go out and tell them all to, quote, "Sod Off" asking, reasonably and amusingly enough, "Don't you have anything better to do with your lives?" (To which the answer would have to be, "Yes....and No." And I appreciate the irony of me recounting this). And yet, for whatever reason, after a while he accepted it, and even began leaving the gates open circa 1967 and inviting fans in to meet him. The autograph above dates from February '66. The recipient went up and knocked on the front door. Dot answered, and took the paper in to be signed, which it duly was. Apparently it was Julian who appeared with it a few minutes later. Considering Kenwood is not exactly easy to find, and that initially the address would have been akin to a state secret, I wonder how people found out about it in the first place...who blabbed?
Kenwood: Terry Doran.
One man who must know a good deal about life at Kenwood is Terry Doran. Originally a business associate of Brian Epstein's (the "man from the motor trade", according to some), he quickly became a close "friend and confidante" of John and George in particular. Throughout 1967 Terry spent a great deal of time at Kenwood, in charge of "rollies", putting Lennon jr to bed, and escorting Cyn round the clubs while John got on with watching television. Here is a sharpened up re-post of him sitting outside Kenwood, plus one with John at Abbey Road getting ready for AYNIL, and a 1981 interview where the interviewer manages to ask him almost no interesting questions whatsoever. (Well done, that man). He has remained quiet about his Beatle associations over the years (admirably so), but I'd love someone to interview him specifically about the Kenwood era...
Monday, 8 June 2009
More Rubber Soul: more Rubber Soul.
Utter trivia this may be, but as has been 100% established, the cover shot to Rubber Soul may or may not have been taken in the drive at Kenwood. No out-takes have appeared - though they must have existed at one time. It's possible that some negatives are sitting in Robert Freeman's drawer that would settle the question once and for all. In any case, the closest thing to emerge to an alternate pic is this, the cover of an Argentinian pressing. Some feel that this proves the original shot was re-touched to cover the stitching coming away from John's jacket. Others think this is probably just a stray hair which got in the way when the sleeve photo was being prepared for printing, and not a feature of the original pic. A third group maintains that this level of Beatles obsession is ludicrous, and that blahblahblah
Ye Crack: Liverpool.
Pubs. A subject close to my heart. It is just about possible to construct a Beatles-related pub crawl in central London: The Devonshire Arms off Manchester Square still exists, and the Beatles drank there on quite a few occasions due to its proximity to the old EMI House. The Shakespeare's Head in Carnaby Street is another - John used to drink in that establishment with Tony Bramwell, and it's still there too. The trouble is, the Beatles didn't go to the pub very often after they moved to London - the prohibitive effects of extreme fame. They did most of their drinking in private clubs - the Ad Lib, The Bag O' Nails, The Scotch of St James, the Speakeasy et al. These premises are now either changed beyond recognition, or else purvey mammary gland centred entertainment. Plus ca change, some might say. Up in Liverpool, however, you can still find no-nonsense pubs where the Fabs used to imbibe - principally the Grapes in Mathew Street (which has a pic of them doing that very thing there on the wall) and, in John's case, the splendidly named Ye Crack. A short stagger from the Art College, John spent a great deal of time here in the late '50s, drinking, arguing, taking the piss, and chatting up Cynthia. The second pic dates from the mid-80s, the last from this year.
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