for those who never gave up their turntables
DONOVAN CAME ON FAST in 1965 with three Top 10 hits in the UK: “Catch the Wind,” “Colours,” and “The Universal Soldier.” None of these came close to duplicating that success in the US. That didn’t prevent many from labeling him a “Dylan imitator” for both his music and his adoption of working man’s clothing. [Read more] “donovan knows a beach where it never ends”
ONCE UPON A TIME IN 2013, I became aware of Mr. Rutherford Chang and his “We Buy White Albums” project. It seems Chang had been collecting used, neglected, and even abused copies of The Beatles (lovingly known by one and all as The White Album) and had turned his “collection” into an art presentation at a gallery in New York City. [Read more] “getting back to roots and things (beatles ’68 part 4)”
“WE’RE OFF TO SEE THE MAHARISHI, the wonderful Maharishi of Oz!” On February 16, 1968, John and Cynthia Lennon and George and Pattie Harrison arrived in Delhi, later joined by Ringo and Maureen Starr and Paul McCartney and longtime girlfriend Jane Asher. They were there for a prolonged stay at the Rishikesh ashram of the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi for special courses in Transcendental Meditation. [Read more] “unplugging the white album (beatles ’68 part 3)”
THE BEATLES AS A GROUP—as a rock & roll-based pop band—are an example of a gestalt, as the abilities and the accomplishments of the group far outstrip what could be expected of the four members knowing their individual skills and talents. This is not belittling their skills, which are many, but as their solo careers made too evident, each on his own wasn’t even close to what he had been as a Beatle. [Read more] “sgt. pepper on blue jay way (beatles ’68 part 1)”
MAHARISHI MAHESH YOGI played an important role in the Beatles career, one that has been shoved aside by fans and historians. If you were of age and paying attention in 1968, the Maharishi was the Big Poobah in the Fab Four’s lives, at least for a while. [Read more] “in search of the lost mentor (beatles ’68 part 2)”