Is WACKO JACKO keeping Beatle songs off of iTunes? 

I believe that what's keeping the Beatles off iTunes is

1) The fact the Beatles/Apple/EMI are always behind the technology curve--witness the delay in the initial release of the Beatles catalog on CD in the '80s.

2) More specifically, there has been an ongoing dispute between the Beatles and Apple Computer over the use of the name "Apple". The computer company has paid significant money to Apple Corps over this dispute. There was apparently a truce of sorts for a time, with Jobs' company agreeing to stick to computers and the Beatles agreeing to stick to music. But with Apple Computer getting so heavily into the music business (with the iPod and iTunes), this dispute has reignited.

Here's an overview of the situation. The proposed deal mentioned in this article never materialized, however.

I was shocked that at the beginning of the No Direction Home DVD, the first thing you see is "Apple Presents", and it took me a second to realize it was the computer company, not the Beatles. I'm guessing that pissed off more than a few folks in the Beatles camp.

"White Shadow" on Peter Gabriel II, end of side 1. There's a sustained note at the end of the song that on vinyl actually goes into the runoff groove, so it is literally neverending (unless your tonearm picks up automatically).

The Justin Hayward tone--if you listen to the Moodies you know what I mean. "Lovely to See You" is a good example.

Paul Westerberg--"The Best Thing That Never Happened" Great rhythm guitar tone.

Robert Fripp--"Heroes" (Bowie)

Robert Fripp--"Larks Tongues in Aspic Pt II" Live version from USA.

Eddie Cochran-"'Three Steps To Heaven"
George Harrison-"Any Road"

and of course,

Chris Bell-"I Am The Cosmos"

"I turned 21 in prison doing life without parole"

Mark, add great drums to Buddy Holly. Great list.

Yeah, Jerry Allison was solid . . . even when slamming the cardboard boxes ("Not Fade Away") or slapping his thighs ("Everyday").

Geez, it's scary to think how young Buddy Holly was . . . and how influential and monumental his presence was . . . and still is.

M.

Absolutely, and when you extend the Texas-influential-visionary trip to include Buddy's musical progeny Bobby Fuller and Roky Erickson, you find more tragedy...and great music.

And one more thought:

No Buddy... No Beatles.

Not bad for a career that lasted a year and a half.

I see a lot more threat in the Tapes. I see a mad vision of a forthcoming apocalypse. Lo And Behold and This Wheel's On Fire, in particular, point to this. Even Clothes Line Saga, his reply/reflection to Bobbie Gentry's Ode To Billie Joe, has an air of spooky menace.

Right on. Love the "Clothes Line Saga"


"Have you heard the news?" he said, with a grin,
"The Vice-President's gone mad"
"Where?" "Downtown."
"When?" "Last night."
"Hmm, say, that's too bad!"
"Well, there's nothin' we can do about it," said the neighbor,
"It's just somethin' we're gonna have to forget...."

Ominous indeed....

My favourite basement tapes song, not on the official album, is ironically enough a song called 'The French Girl'.  Think it was originally by some people called Ian and Sylvia?  A very evocative song.

Yup. Ian Tyson also wrote "Four Strong Winds", the Folkie Canadian National Anthem.

There's a nice cover of "The French Girl" by Gene Clark, produced by Curt Boettcher.

Delia, oh, Delia, Delia all my life
If I hadn't have shot poor Delia I'd have had her for my wife

Ten years ago, on a cold dark night
Someone was killed 'neath the town hall light

Now I taught the weeping willow how to cry,
And I showed the clouds how to cover up a clear blue sky.

Love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring.

The First Annual International Rock Awards show, 1989, AKA the "Elvis Awards". (I mean, like, "The envelope please. And the Elvis goes to...") Totally lame-ass show biz award show dripping with fake "rock 'n' roll attitude" emanating from posers who wouldn't know real rock and roll if it bit them on the ass.

So, somehow, on wander the Replacements. They were supposed to do their current single ("I'll Be You"), but they did "Talent Show" instead. Over the opening chords, Paul Westerberg says into the mic, "What the hell are we doing here?" And during a pause in the song, PW just looks incredulously into the camera and says, "the Elvis?!?!".

And censorship. The rather innocuous line "Feeling good from the pills we took" got bleeped. So at the end of the song, where on record Paul sings "it's too late to turn back, here we go" over and over, instead he sang "it's too late to take pills, here we go." Over and over.

Now that's rock and roll!

When Things Were Rotten- obscure 70's sitcom.

Damn, great call! And when is that coming out on DVD?

The Courtship of Eddie's Father
"Love is All Around" from the Mary Tyler Moore Show. Written by Cricket Sonny Curtis, who also wrote "I Fought The Law."
"Those Were The Days" from All in the Family.
Spider-Man! (From the Bakshi cartoon series).

Am I dating myself sufficiently?  

Bill Monroe - "Highway of Sorrow" and "The Little Girl and the Dreadful Snake"

Gene Pitney - "It Hurts To Be In Love"

The idea that anything concerning the Beatles is underrated seems kind of silly.


Except Ringo's drumming, of course.

Good call on the Chi-Lites, but how about some more Philly soul. Like Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, "The Love I Lost" and especially "If You Don't Know Me By Now."

And some Kentucky soul, the Everly Brothers- "Crying in the Rain."

"Always on My Mind" - Elvis
"Hot Burrito #1" - Flying Burrito Brothers

And for a different kind of heartache, Warren Zevon, "Keep Me in Your Heart":

"If I leave you, it doesn't mean I love you any less, keep me in your heart for a while." Gets me every time.

And finally RICHARD THOMPSON!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Doesn't anyone realise that this man is the greatest guitarist on the planet, a great song-writer and has made more good albums than almost anyone who started off in the 60's - he's certainly the only one still making really good albums almost every year.

Yes, yes, yes... I agree on every point! How could I forget RT?

I saw him live again a few months ago, and he's still the greatest guitarist on the planet.

Michael Nesmith - And the Hits Just Keep On Coming Blows away most of the seventies sensitive singer-songwriter stuff that actually sold. (Not underestimated around these parts, of course.)

Shane MacGowan - The Snake Shane rouses himself from his drunken stupor long enough to remind us that he is one of the finest songwriters of his generation. Most editions also include a version of the stunning "Haunted" (not as good as the Sid and Nancy version, though).

The Kit Kats - It's Just a Matter of Time 1967 album from the amazing Philadelphia baroque rock/sunshine pop/doo wop band. Virtually unknown outside the Philly tri-state area.

Iron Butterfly In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida

Electric Prunes Mass in F Minor

Fantasy World Songs:

Ruby Baby   Helen Reddy
Jackie Blue   Ozark Mountain Daredevils
Imaginary Lover  ARS
Playground in My Mind  Clint Holmes

And the most exquisite fantasy world song of all:

Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me) - The Temptations

[The Doors]

For regular rock bio-picks I agree with the vote for slected scenes from The Doors

Loved Crispin Glover as Andy Warhol.

One thought: the seventies were the decade when Lou Reed scored a Top 40 AM hit, and Steely Dan scored multiple Top 40 AM hits. 'Nuff said?

Here's a few more:

Death:
"Wildfire"-Michael Martin Murphy
"Fire And Rain" - James Taylor
"Shannon" - Henry Gross

Sadness:
"Smile A Little Smile For Me"-Flying Machine
"Can't Get It Out of My Head" - ELO

Cannibalism:
"Timothy"-Bouys

Sleazy Sex:
"Me and Mrs. Jones"-Billy Paul
"The Way I Want to Touch You"-Captain and Tennille

Transvestitism:
"Lola"-The Kinks

Transvestitism, Prostitution, Drug Abuse:
"Walk on the Wild Side" -Lou Reed

Prostitution:
"Lady Marmalade" - LaBelle
"Island Girl" - Elton John

Toddler Sing-Alongs about Substance Abuse
"No No Song" - Ringo Starr

Why, Yes, I've Wasted My Entire Life
"Cat's in the Cradle" - Harry Chapin
"Taxi" - Harry Chapin
"Lyin' Eyes" - Eagles

Crime and Violence
"The Night Chicago Died" - Paper Lace
"Barroom Blitz" - Sweet
"Kung Fu Fighting" - Carl Douglas

Imprisonment
"Tie a Yellow Ribbon" - Tony Orlando and Dawn

Anonymous Sex
"Chevy Van" - Sammy Johns
"Knock Three Times" - Tony Orlando and Dawn
"December 1963" - The Four Seasons

Animal Sex
"Muskrat Love" - Captain and Tennille

Perhaps opening a can of worms here, but...

How about Kurt Russell's Elvis. Haven't seen it in years, but I recall it as not too bad.

I saw the Lennon and McCartney made for TV thing, Two of Us, not long ago, and, while it has its cringy moments, on the whole it was pretty good. Directed by Michael Lindsay-Hogg, who did Let It Be, so was not completely clueless about the subject.

The Hours and Times was pretty groovy as well. I think these last two work because they are up-front about being pure speculation, and they cover a very limited time period (one day and a weekend, respectively) rather than trying to cram a whole lifetime into two hours and a neat storyline.

Too obvious maybe, but I still think Elvis's narration on "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is brilliant.

"Big Joe and Phantom 309"--Tom Waits' cover of the Red Sovine tune.

"Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend"--T Bone Burnett

All time fave: "Gotta Get A Message to You." Shimmeringly beautiful pop song about a guy who's about to be executed--how can you not love it?

"Nights on Broadway" Love the ballad section in the middle, which could have been an entirely different great song in its own right.

The classic mid-period heartbreakers "How Can You Mend..." and "Run to Me."

"To Love Somebody" might be their best song, but the Bee Gees own version is only my third or fourth fav version.

But I have to say the Bee Gees song I find myself singing to myself most often is, for some reason, "The Lord" from Cucumber Castle. The boys from Oz pull off some authentic  Appalachian sheetkicking!

Ever seen the Beatles First American Visit video? There's a scene in a hotel room in 1964 where Lennon is tootling around on a melodica (a kid's toy instrument) and starts playing what would become the intro to "Strawberry Fields Forever"!

Some musical ideas take a long time to gestate....