Month: January 2024

Despite owning a massive Beatles book collection, there are only a few Beatles titles that I can honestly say that once I began reading it, I finished reading it in one sitting. “It’s All Too Much” is one of those titles, David Stark has led the life that most Beatles fans can only dream of. The beneficiary of good timing, good luck, and his own uncanny ability to think quickly on his feet, has led David to lead a charmed Beatles fan’s life.

We are so fortunate to have this book, a collection of stories about David’s extraordinary encounters with the Beatles over the years.  His Yellow Submarine premiere story is worth the price of the book alone. David has so many Beatles-related adventures to discuss in the book, it is virtually mind-blowing! He worked for Beatles publisher Dick James for a short while and he has many

links and connections to the music industry. He is also a musician and a drummer in the band “The Trembling Wilburys.” David is also involved with Paul McCartney’s LIPA and has the honor of giving out one of the school’s most prestigious honors.

This is the cover of his wonderful book that you will not be able to put down once you begin reading it.

The book is available at the Beatles Bookstore, at David Stark’s website, and at most booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Teaser

As a special surprise and gift to all of us at the blog. David has given me permission to post one of his precious Beatles-related artifacts (though not in the book).

Here is David’s note to me recently:

 “Here’s something you will love, a note I own from George to an engineer named Cormack about (I presume) the soundtrack to the Raga film about Ravi Shankar, probably around 1971.”

This is the tremendous band that David is the drummer for and he performed a tribute to George in March of 2023.

The Trembling Wilburys is the UK’s finest tribute to rock supergroup the Traveling Wilburys, featuring a line-up of top musicians and vocalists who perfectly recreate the unique sounds & style of the amazing band created in 1988 by George Harrison, Roy Orbison, Bob Dylan, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynne.

Band members include Andy McNish as Bob Dylan and Tom Petty; Dave Collison as Roy Orbison; Michael Goulding as George Harrison; and Marko Laver as Jeff Lynne; lead guitarist Dzal Martin (Terry Reid/Equals); keyboard player Steve Salvari (Central Line/Chaka Khan); and drummer Dave Stark (John Lennon Experience/Dave Stark Five).

Their superb show features a great mix of Traveling Wilburys’ classics such as ‘End of The Line’, ‘Handle With Care’ and ‘She’s My Baby’, as well as solo hits by all five original Wilburys plus Beatles and ELO classics, including ‘Here Comes the Sun’, ‘Taxman’, ‘Hold On Tight’ and ‘Roll Over Beethoven’. An incredible band who deliver a high-octane show of the highest standard, don’t miss them!

David Stark has provided the ticket link to the Feb 2024 event.

The Camden Club | LIVE AT THE CAMDEN CLUB: THE TREMBLING WILBURYS

Buzz

Octopus’ Garden, the Beatles fanzine. With the digital age, many Beatles fanzines have bitten the dust. NOT THIS ONE! Over 30 years in operation

This is a great Beatles fanzine based in Massachusetts run by Tom Aguiar, a member of this blog. The magazine/ fanzine is entitled “OCTOPUS’ GARDEN.”

What you see here is an older issue of the magazine followed by 4 special magazines to celebrate the 80th birthday of the Fabs. I love this magazine and you will too. Contact information is provided on the last graphic. Tom has been very active in helping to increase the number of subscribing members to this blog. Thanks, Tom for helping promote the blog and having such a great magazine/fanzine!!!

To subscribe to Octopus’ Garden: Send information and funds to Octopus’ Garden, P.O. Box 3683, Peabody, MA 01961-3683, USA. Octopus’ Garden’s e-mail address is Beatles94@excite.com or Facebook at Octopus’ Garden Fanzine.

Do you subscribe to a Fanzine? Which One? Have you come across Octopus’ Garden before? If not, you should subscribe! Let me know in the comments below.

Buzz

Some of my favorite Beatle-related magazines from 1967 and 1968

1967 and 1968 were a couple of both magical and surreal years as is reflected in a few magazines from that era!

Society was facing the dichotomy of the summer of love mentality clashing with thoughts of revolution and civil disobedience.

Though the primary focus of this blog has been books up to this point, thought it would be a nice break to deal with a few interesting Beatles magazines from the 67-68 era:

1967 Beatwave Magazine Issue #2 Features a Paul McCartney Self Portrait on the Cover   Radio Caroline Pirate Radio Station Feature with Tony Blackburn

The Beatles Radio Caroline Pirate Radio Station-notice the dedication to Free Radio listeners everywhere

Paul’s Self Portrait was painted for the magazine. This was also the year when Paul admitted to the press that he had taken LSD.

A fantastic cover photo by the late Henry Grossman. This photo shot only appeared on the cover in the Asian geographical regions of the world. It also appeared in Australia and New Zealand.

‘TeenSet’ 1968 Feb. 1968 magazine w/ Lennon & Hendrix poster -notice the fascination with the multi-colored depictions of a Beatle on the cover. Noticing the date on the magazine, that is the month that the Beatles recorded “Across the Universe.”

An excerpt from the magazine

Part of the double-sided poster with John Lennon on one side and Jimi Hendrix on the other.

As the protests of the war in Vietnam were increasing so was the youth culture’s resistance to the establishment and anti-war protests began to increase. This issue featured the colorful Richard Avedon portraits of the Beatles. There was also a black and white Beatles poster included as an insert to this issue of the magazine. As the political events of the political convention in November were unfolding, the Beatles released their song of “Revolution.”

As depicted in another post on this blog, even though Look Magazine used the Lennon Avedon photo as the cover, the only country that used all four of the Avedon color psychedelic photos of the Beatles as primary cover shots was Spain which featured an issue of Rolling Stone Magazine where each Beatle’s Avedon photo was the cover of the magazine. Of course the Spanish Rolling Stone portrayals in Rolling Stone was in the new century after much time had passed.

1968 featured the colorful fantasy film titled “Yellow Submarine.”

There were two issues of this Yellow Submarine magazine. This one is the 48-page issue.

This is the 64 page issue of the magazine

The 60’s were to end a couple of years later and ironically, so did the Beatles!

How many original 60s magazines have you got? Do you have a favourite? Let me know in the comments below.

Buzz