“Well, I must admit that since the curfew, Peckham has been more boring than usual.”

And with that sterling line of dialogue, time to buzz around the campy cult fun of “Invasion Of The Bee Girls!”

This 1973 camp classic has a simple plot: A powerful cosmic force is turning Earth women into queen bees who kill men by wearing them out sexually!

Here is the incredible trailer for the film, including some very funny uses of graphics to cover what they call “Naughty Bits”! –

Thanks to “The Odeon” for posting this on YouTube!

As you can see from this movie still, they use what is called a “hivemaker” – you can only imagine the scientific research that went into the making of this classic!

Drive-In Movie Culture Lives!

“Invasion of the Bee Girls” is a classic example of a “drive-in movie”. These softcore, “R”-rated films were shown mostly in drive-in movie theaters across America in the 70’s – movies that offered a bit of nudity, mostly hinted at sexual situations and lots of goofy, campy horror…and dialogue like this!

Dr. Susan Harris: Well, I must admit that since the curfew, Peckham has been more boring than usual.

The trend in the 70’s was to offer a “sexy” look at all sorts of women’s professions, such as Cheerleaders:

Rah! Rah! Rah!

There were a string of these silly sex comedies in the 70’s and 80’s, and you can see them all here:

Cheerleaders! Pom Pom Girls! David Hasselhoff As “Boner!” Cult Classics – Rah Rah Rah!

The great David Hasselhoff even starred in one – how can you resist?

Greedy Movie Producers also managed to exploit another profession as well:

“Coffee, Tea Or Me?”

A book by that name was a huge bestseller in the late 60’s, hinting at the wild sex lives of Stewardesses – so of course movies jumped on the bandwagon as well!

Check out these high-flying sex comedies here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/05/30/naughty-stewardesses-swinging-cheerleaders-centerfold-girls-classic-70s-exploitation/

As I said, these movies mostly played drive-in movie theaters…if you miss the drive-in era, there is a great documentary that brings it back to life!

This terrific documentary looks at the past, present and future of the drive-in, as many groups have banded together to save the last remaining one from extinction! You can see that effort here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/04/02/the-drive-in-monster-rama-lives-scary-movies-in-your-car/

Finally, there is a great website that keeps cult films poster like this one alive:

The Rio Theater has a ton of classic exploitation movie posters, and you can see more of them here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/12/22/classic-cult-movie-posters-the-rios-grindhouse-exploitation-art-sexy-double-bills/

Let me know your favorite drive-in movie – leave a comment!

“That’s Sexploitation” – Cinema’s Greatest Genre Is “Docu”-mented!

Fans of cult movies have a reason to rejoice – the “Godfather of Grindhouse Documentaries” is here!

Yes, even THIS “Psycho Cat” is happy about it!

First, check out this trailer – safe for work – yet also full of what makes “sexploitation” one of the most hilarious genres ever committed to celluloid!

There are so many scenes in that trailer that showcase what an “anything goes” genre of film “sexploitation” was!

Here is how the terrific website “Mondo Digital” describes the company behind this amazing documentary “That’s Sexploitation!”:

“You’d be hard pressed to find a company more responsible for creating exploitation video addicts than Something Weird Video, which started off as a grassroots VHS seller in the ‘80s but exploded into an incredible resource for sexy, scary gems either absent from movie screen for years or, in many cases, never seen at all!”

Yes, the terrific cult video distribution company “Something Weird Video” rescued films like “The Defilers” from obscurity. The review goes on:

“From there the company started racking up the catalogs of names like Harry Novak and Doris Wishman, not to mention the remaining H.G. Lewis titles, while also churning out countless volumes of loops (sexy short films) ranging from nudie cuties to vintage hardcore.”

Movies like “Forbidden Love” were classic “grind house” films – movies that played the grungiest theaters in America, like these on New York’s 42nd street:

I’ve posted many stories about these legendarily seedy movie theaters from the early 70’s, and you can read more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/11/23/sex-violence-grindhouse-have-a-purient-holiday-an-exploitation-gift-guide/

When Something Weird announced they were doing a documentary about this time in film, I knew it would be great!

Frank Henenlotter is the director of the cult classic “Basket Case” – another film that was part of the Something Weird brand – and “Frankenhooker”, a modern homage to “grind house” cinema. As Mondo Digital reports:

“His involvement with the company and friendship with the Vraney family included the beloved line of “Frank Henenlotter’s Sexy Shockers from the Vault” series, one of the company’s high points in its VHS prime, in addition to solidifying its voice by writing the vast majority of the incredibly witty and catchy copy for their releases.”

Henenlotter directed “That’s Sexploitation!”, and he had total access to the Something Weird catalog…this amazing new documentary also has a ton of extras! Here’s the product description from Amazon:

“From director Frank Henenlotter (BASKET CASE, BRAIN DAMAGE) and co-producer Mike Vraney (the late founder of Something Weird Video) comes the epic documentary critics call fascinating (Video Watchdog), titillating (Time Out Los Angeles) and jaw-dropping (Seattle Weekly): Henenlotter and legendary exploitation monarch David F. Friedman in his final film appearance are your hosts for this eye-popping expedition through the world of pre-code peekaboos, stags, sex-hygiene films, goona-goonas, nudie-cuties, roughies, druggies, white-coaters and more, featuring thousands of spicy clips from the SWV archives. And if that’s not enough. the Bonus Features include an additional 3+ hours of rare loops and shorts from five decades of Sexploitation history!”

Special Features on the Blu-Ray include:
Over 3 1/2 Hours of Sexploitation Shorts From The Something Weird Archives
Audio Commentary With Director Frank Henenlotter And Something Weird’s Lisa Petrucci
Trailer

I have mine pre-ordered so I can dig into this movie the day it comes out!

You can read Mondo Digital’s whole writeup of this incredible documentary here:

http://www.mondo-digital.com/sexploitation.html

And bravo to “Something Weird” for their passion for great cult films!

Sadly, SWV Founder Mike Vraney passed away two years ago, and I posted an homage to him here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/01/07/something-weird-wild-wild-cinema-celebrating-a-weird-genius-rip-mike-vraney/

I have also posted many stories about the “sexploitation” genre, films with provocative titles like this:

How can you go wrong with a movie title like that? Here is a look at some of the wildest movies of the genre:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/02/21/an-exploitation-primer-your-guide-to-the-world-of-classic-cult-spoitation-genres-cult-movies-to-make-you-blush/

There are so many great examples, it’s hard to cover them all – but as you see, they left almost nothing “covered!”

Here are some of the more “pandering” examples of the genre!

https://johnrieber.com/2015/07/20/sexy-bored-housewives-loves-agony-how-to-make-a-bed-classic-ecstasy/

Let me know what you think of this incredible new documentary!

Plenty O’Toole: “Hi, I’m Plenty.”
James Bond: “But of course you are.”
Plenty O’Toole: “Plenty O’Toole.”
James Bond: “Named after your father perhaps?”

Time to look at one of the most beautiful “Bond Girls” who was also a member of Hollywood Royalty!

Lana Wood Was More Than “Plenty O’ Toole!”

Sex kitten Lana Wood wowed 007 fans with her portrayal of “Bond Girl” Plenty O’Toole in “Diamonds Are Forever” – without a doubt one of the more outrageous monikers in the series…

Lana Wood was a hugely successful Actress in the 60’s and 70’s, but she would perhaps be unfairly overshadowed by the superstardom of her older sister, Natalie Wood…

Lana had early stardom thanks to her role in the classic soap “Peyton Place.” A classic Hollywood sex kitten, she was approached by Hugh Hefner in 1970 to pose for Playboy.

Introducing “Plenty O’Toole!”

Those photos appeared in the April 1971 issue, along with Wood’s poetry. She was then cast as a Bond girl, “Plenty O’Toole”, in the James Bond film, “Diamonds Are Forever.”

The film introduced her with a hilarious double entendre, carried off with perfect timing by Sean Connery:

Plenty O’Toole: “Hi, I’m Plenty.”
James Bond: “But of course you are.”
Plenty O’Toole: “Plenty O’Toole.”
James Bond: “Named after your father perhaps?”

“I Didn’t Know There Was A Pool Down There…”

One of the most memorable scenes in “Diamonds Are Forever” comes when 007 is surprised by mobsters while in his room with her. She is “escorted” semi-nude from the room – in an unusual exit that includes one of the best one-liners in the entire Bond series!

Here is that memorable scene from “Diamonds Are Forever”:

Here is some great trivia: while filming the scene where Plenty O´Toole is found drowned, Wood actually had her feet loosely tied to a cement block on the bottom. Film crew members held a rope across the pool for her, with which she could lift her face out of the water to breathe between takes. The pool’s sloping bottom made the block slip into deeper water with each take. Eventually, she was submerged but was noticed by on-lookers and rescued before drowning for real. Wood, being a certified diver, took some water but remained calm during the ordeal, although she later admitted to a few “very uncomfortable moments and quite some struggling until they pulled me out.”

Over the course of her career, Wood appeared in more than twenty movies and over three hundred television shows – everything from “Bonanza” to “Mission: Impossible”, “Starsky and Hutch” to “Fantasy Island.”

Lana Wood retired from acting in 1982 to concentrate on a Producing career, but has since returned to acting in a number of low-budget films since 2008.

Wood wrote a memoir, “Natalie, A Memoir by Her Sister” in 1984. Her many memorable Hollywood moments have been unfairly neglected because of the tragedy surrounding her sister, but for me, she will always be one of the most beautiful Bond girls of all time!

The James Bond series is full of classic “Bond girls”, including the first – Ursula Andress!

Ursula “Undress!”

yes, that was her nickname! Read more about the first-ever Bond girl who set a very high standard here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/03/28/ursula-andress-or-undress-007s-first-bond-girl-60s-sex-kitten-frolicked-with-nature/

Sean Connery certainly had some of the most beautiful family co-stars of all:

Claudine Auger was the Bond girl in “Thunderball”, and she went on to star in a series of great Italian thrillers…see more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/12/18/sexiest-bond-girl-ever-sex-kitten-claudine-auger-james-bond-and-giallo-horror/

Let me know who your favorite Bond girl was!

“I think most bands on tour are on the run.”

With these words, Paul McCartney sets the stage for perhaps his greatest album ever – “Band On The Run” – a brilliant album that was as dramatic behind the scenes as the cover suggests!

In 2005, Paul McCartney released his album “Chaos & Creation In The Backyard”, but it was more than 40 years earlier that he released an album that was ALL chaos in the midst of its creation!

First, let’s set the stage for “Band On The Run”:

McCartney’s self-titled solo debut marked the end of The Beatles…here are stories behind the release of this album:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/03/23/paul-mccartneys-simple-classic-mccartney-pauls-solo-masterpiece-rises-from-the-ashes-of-the-beatles/

Next up for McCartney was the only album credited to both him and Linda:

This was a period of heavy fighting between the Fab Four, especially Paul and John Lennon – here are those stories:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/08/20/macca-ram-on-paul-mccartneys-masterpiece-john-lennons-fury-a-beatles-c-c-c-catfight/

Paul then decided to form a new band, Wings:

Their first release was roundly panned by critics and many fans – here is the story of “Wild Life”:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/02/13/paul-mccartneys-wild-life-the-disastrous-debut-of-wings-mccartneys-plea-to-john-lennon/

Paul and his band spent a lot of time on the road, and then released this album:

Many of the songs from “Red Rose Speedway” were actually recorded during the “RAM” sessions…read about that here:

Paul McCartney’s Brilliant “RAM 2!” Wings Soar With “Red Rose Speedway!”

The album included the smash single “My Love”, and the band seemed poised for greatness…until some “chaos” interrupted the “creation”…

As you can see from the back cover, Wings had shrunk – and there is where the amazing story of “Band On The Run” begins…

“Wings” Over Nigeria!

As Wings prepared to record their third album tougher, McCartney asked his record label EMI for a list of all their international recording studios. He selected Nigeria – thinking Africa would be an exotic place to make music. The band began rehearsals in Scotland – Wings were McCartney and Linda, ex-Moody Blues guitarist and pianist Denny Laine, Henry McCullough on lead guitar, and Denny Seiwell on drums.

Unfortunately, things weren’t going well and during one rehearsal, McCullough and McCartney argued, and McCullough quit. Then, Seiwell left a week later, the night before the band was set to fly to Nigeria.

Wings were no more!

Paul’s “Solo” Wings Album!

At that point, things were dire. As McCartney told Word magazine in 2005:

“I was on drums and guitar a lot, mainly because the drummer decided to leave the group the night before and one of the guitar players decided not to come! So we got that solo element into an otherwise ‘produced’ album.”

This left just the core of the band – Paul, Linda and Denny Laine – to record in Lagos, assisted by former Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick. McCartney assumed that Lagos, Nigeria would be a glamorous location where he and the band could lounge on the beach all day and record at night – but boy was he wrong!

McCartney discovered that the studio was awful, and Nigeria was incredibly dangerous and unstable – in fact, Paul and Linda were robbed at knife-point, and a bag with unfinished song lyrics and demo tapes was taken! Talk about chaos!

Still, Paul maintained his positive approach – in fact, look at this original promotional video that McCartney later included on the deluxe remastered album:

The Chaos That Created “Band On The Run!”

So the recording of the album was dangerous, the band was in disarray, and “Band On The Run” is more of a solo album that team effort, which leads to this question: just HOW good is this album?

Shortly after the album was released, McCartney told Melody Maker:

“The basic idea about the band on the run is a kind of prison escape. At the beginning of the album the guy is stuck inside four walls, and eventually breaks out. There is a thread, but it’s not a concept album.”

Asked if this was a reference to Wings escaping from The Beatles, he replied: “Sort of – yeah. I think most bands on tour are on the run.”

Here is the pop masterpiece that is “Band On The Run”.

Here are a newly formed Wings performing the title track live from their 1976 tour:

The title track is one of rock’s all-time greatest songs, and then Paul launches into one of his greatest crowd-pleasing rockers:

“Jet”

Here is a fun promotional video for the song:

The gorgeous ballad “Bluebird” is next, then the fun, upbeat pop song “Mrs. Vandebilt” – so far, side one of “Band On The Run” is flawless, and the last song is no different:

“Let Me Roll It” was considered McCartney’s answer back to John Lennon’s caustic “How Do You Sleep?” – but in an interview with Clash magazine in 2010, McCartney cleared that up:

“‘Let Me Roll It’ wasn’t to John, it was just in the style that we did with The Beatles that John was particularly known for. It was really actually the use of the echo. It was one of those: ‘You’re not going to use echo just cos John used it?’ I don’t think so. To tell you the truth, that was more [about] rolling a joint. That was the double meaning there: ‘let me roll it to you.’ That was more at the back of mind than anything else. ‘Dear Friend,’ that was very much ‘let’s be friends’ to John.”

Here is a great live version of the song, with a much older McCartney still playing great guitar:

Side two continues to deliver great songs:

“Mamunia” is a gentle, upbeat pop song, with a vibe that could feel a bit “African” – then next is the mid-tempo pop song turned mini-rocker “No Words” – McCartney’s songwriting is top notch!

Bring On “Helen Wheels!”

The party rocker “Helen Wheels” was next, the hardest rocking song on the album – with a “Get Back” vibe – but at that time the song was only included on the US release!

Here is the band’s fun promotional video – with Paul playing almost all of the instruments!

“Picasso’s Last Words (Drink to Me)” was next, and then the album climaxed with one of Paul’s greatest rock songs:

“Nineteen Hundred and Eighty-Five” is the final track, which build to a Beatles-like crescendo before completing a 360 turn back to the title track…here’s the promotional video that was included in the album’s special edition:

So, from start to finish, “Band On The Run” is a masterpiece.

And of course, so is the album cover:

The album cover shows Paul, Linda and Denny plus six other well-known people dressed as convicts caught in the spotlight of a prison searchlight. Here is whose on the cover: Michael Parkinson, British Talk Show Host; British Actor and Comedian Kenny Lynch; the great Actor James Coburn; British Politician Clement Freud; Legendary Actor Christopher Lee, and John Conteh, a boxer who later became World Light-Heavyweight champion.

“Band On The Run” was nominated for Album Of The Year, and won Grammys for Engineering by Geoff Emerick, and best pop performance for duo or group….

“Band On The Run” Gets Even Better!

In 2000, Q magazine placed it at number 75 in its list of the “100 Greatest British Albums Ever”. In 2012, Band on the Run was voted 418th on Rolling Stone’s revised list of “The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time”.

A contemporary review by Jon Landau in Rolling Stone described the album as “with the possible exception of John Lennon’s Plastic Ono Band, the finest record yet released by any of the four musicians who were once called the Beatles”.

The great McCartney collection of reissues gives fans a ton of great extras, including live versions of the songs, promotional videos, and a few extra cuts as well!

Let me know what you love best about McCartney’s chaotic masterpiece!

Time For Some “Truth!”

I love documentaries. They can be deadly serious or comically absurd – they can be lurid, spiritual, political and everything in between – here are ten examples of great documentaries you need to see!

“Roger and Me”!

With the recent water events in Flint, Michigan, Michael Moore’s first documentary is even more prescient. He looks at the decline of his hometown, a decline that helped lead to the current crisis that exists today.

Here is the trailer for what many consider to be “The Godfather” of modern docus, “Roger And Me”:

Wow, time flies – it was more than 25 years ago when this “in your face” documentary was considered radical! Moore told the story of the decline of his hometown Flint, Michigan – and his attempts to meet with Ford’s Chairman Roger Smith.

What he did was usher in a new era of non-fictional storytelling, leading to some of these I want to share!

Workingman’s Death!

Some of the world’s most dangerous jobs are highlighted in this compelling documentary. These professions are virtually unknown to most people – like sulfur mining…

The filmmaker’s style allows us a voyeuristic look at the lives of these workers…like these miners who risk their lives to slide back into abandoned crevices where small chunks of leftover coal may still cling to the abandoned walls…

This is an incredible work of art, and the late Documentary filmmaker Michael Glawogger also made a film that looked at the world of prostitution:

You can read more about these compelling films by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/11/22/searing-expose-docs-workingmans-death-whores-glory-brilliant-documentaries-showcase-life-on-the-edge/

Sometimes, an interesting story turns into something much bigger as the filmmaker rolls the camera:

“My Kid Could Paint That!”

This heartbreaking documentary is about a child prodigy – or not. The filmmakers began the project when they heard about a four-year-old girl with special artistic abilities…but then it turned into a much more troubling story.

This story is so compelling – and so many questions are still unanswered – that is the power of the documentary – to reveal truths – and yet so sad…you can read more about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/03/25/killer-fish-kids-who-paint-and-mid-west-horror-best-documentaries-pt-1/

Now, to something that you would think is amazingly harsh, yet is in fact so “Happy!”

Celebrating The Harsh World Of “Happy People!”

Director Werner Herzog, who has made a number of terrific documentaries like “Grizzly Man”, took a long-form Russian TV documentary and turned it into a compelling two-hour journey to Siberia!

It is some of the most unforgiving land on earth, but the people there are happy! See more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/07/18/into-the-wild-siberias-happy-people-werner-herzogs-new-documentary/

And if you want to bring a smile to your face, have I got a joke for you…

America’s Funniest People Tell The World’s Filthiest Joke! Meet “The Aristocrats!”

The history of the world’s filthiest joke is hilariously profane, and amazingly insightful! Penn and Teller allow some of the world’s greatest comics to tell one joke – a legendary joke in the world of comedy – and each re-telling gets more and more obscene – which is the point of the joke!

The Aristocrats – 2005

Comedy veterans and Magicians Penn and Teller, along with Comedian Paul Provenza capitalize on their insider status and invite over 100 of their closest friends–who happen to be some of the biggest names in entertainment, from George Carlin, Whoopi Goldberg and Drew Carey to Gilbert Gottfried, Bob Saget, Paul Reiser and Sarah Silverman–to reminisce, analyze, deconstruct and deliver their own versions of the world’s dirtiest joke, an old burlesque too extreme to be performed in public, called “The Aristocrats.”

George Carlin: The joke leads me down one path and then it switches the path on me suddenly and hits me with a hammer. It’s just, “Here we go folks.”

The terrific website IMDB has some interesting trivia about the joke: “This joke has been used by comedians for years as a mental stretching exercise. They would tell the joke to each other as a warm up for their acts. While the setup and punchline remain the same throughout, the middle section, describing the actual family act, is always varied to get the juices going by throwing in the most they can and keeping it funny. There are stories of parties where performers will jam and keep it going for almost an hour.”

The late Robin Williams does a variation of the joke in the film, as does Princess Leia, whose Mom is Debbie Reynolds…who isn’t sacred for the sake of the joke…

Carrie Fisher: “My mother was a golden shower queen.”

According to his biography, “I’m Chevy Chase and You’re Not”, Chevy Chase filmed a version of the joke as well. However, at the last second he decided not to sign the release form as he was afraid of what his daughters would think of the joke’s content.

The highlight is when the film ends with Bob Saget’s version of the joke – the most obscene, rambling and hilarious take on it imaginable…hilarious, profane, and insightful – how can you argue that?

And if profane is your thing…

Shed Some Clothes And Get Down With Some “American Swing!”

New York in the 70’s was a time of sex, drugs and swingers, and for awhile, there was actually a club that allowed casual sex among its members!

If you’ve never heard of “Plato’s Retreat”, it’s exactly the kind of place that Ted Cruz was railing against – and it was legal!

“American Swing” is a fascinating document of a long-lost time – as told by the people who partied there…see it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/04/06/how-can-i-offend-you-best-documentaries-pt-2/

Of course, the subject of sex is always a big seller – and here is an amazing look at the sexiest moments in cinema history:

“That’s Sexploitation” is a wild romp through the annals of grind house cinema, courtesy of Something Weird Video…read more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/04/20/thats-sexploitation-terrific-documentary-captures-the-seedy-majesty-of-grindhouse-cinema/

I know, you are getting a bit worked up right now…if you want a mellow change of pace, dig into the story of one of the greatest bands in the world:

Not Such A “Peaceful Easy Feeling!” It’s The History Of The Eagles!

A “warts and all” documentary, made all the more powerful because the members of the band – old and new – took part. Their brutal honesty, along with amazing archival material the band collected from day one, gives viewers a riveting inside look at one of America’s most beloved bands.

Fans were stunned by the recent death of Glenn Frey, who comes across as a very driven member of the band…this documentary lasts over four hours and digs into all the professional and personal conflicts in the band…

You can read more about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/10/04/eagles-no-peaceful-easy-feeling-here-just-heartache-tonight/

While we are on the subject of music, have you met’s rock’s craziest drummer?

“Beware” Of Rock’s Wildest Drummer!

Ginger Baker was the drummer in Cream, and has had one of the craziest lives imaginable, and one movie captures it all!

“Beware” is right, and if you want to know why, click here!

https://johnrieber.com/2015/01/13/beware-of-mr-baker-brilliant-ginger-baker-documentary-creams-drummer-throws-down/

As someone who loves to travel, I find the climate change debate sad – politics shouldn’t enter into the discussion, when there are entire countries at risk…

A Rising Political Tide! “The Island President!”

As the ocean levels rise, entire nations are at risk. Here is the inspiring story of a President who wouldn’t let his country drown due to inaction…

These islands will be underwater within our lifetime – unless something is done…and one courageous President allowed cameras to follow him as he tries to tell the world what lies ahead…

This is one of my favorite documentaries of all, read more here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/05/07/the-island-president-a-tragic-compelling-documentary-a-nation-underwater/

There you have it – some of my favorite documentaries…leave a note to tell me your favorite!

Meet Jill St. John – America’s First “Bond Girl”!

One of the many interesting aspects of the James Bond series is the “Bond Girl” – a beautiful co-star who gets involved with 007 in many different ways:

Of course, James Bond has always been irresistible, that’s just part of the “retro” charm of the series…in 1971, Bond got his first American “Bond Girl”, Tiffany Case!

Jill St. John was a very successful Actress in the 60’s and 70’s, but is perhaps best known for her role as Bond girl Tiffany Case in “Diamonds Are Forever.”

Some Jill St. John Trivia!

Let’s get to know America’s first Bond Girl a bit better. As a young girl, St. John was a member of the Children’s Ballet Company – and one of her fellow dancers was Natalie Wood!

In 1957, at age 16, Universal Pictures signed St. John to a contract. She made dozens of films throughout the 60’s, and received a Best Actress Golden Globe nomination for “Come Blow Your Horn” opposite Frank Sinatra.

St. John’s most famous role was as “Bond Girl” Tiffany Case in the 1971 James Bond film “Diamonds Are Forever”, here she starred opposite Sean Connery.

America’s First Bond Girl!

As with many Bond girls before, St. John was outfitted in a variety of skimpy outfits, but the big difference between her and the other is that she was the first American to play a Bond girl!

Jill’s Unique “Natalie Wood” Connection!

The other “Bond Girl” in “Diamonds” was Lana Wood, who played “Plenty O’ Toole” in the film…

Jill St. John is now married to Robert Wagner, who had previously been married to the late Natalie Wood – yes, Lana’s sister! Natalie was also a member of St. John’s Children’s Ballet Company when they were growing up…talk about coincidences!

If you want to read more about Lana Wood, you can click here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/04/28/007s-sexy-bond-girl-plenty-otoole-lana-wood-natalies-sister-hollywood-sex-kitten-bares-all/

Jill St. John brought a much-needed level of goofiness to her role as Tiffany Case, with more depth and character than usual for a “Bond girl”…especially when she tried to help 007…although as you can see, her aim wasn’t so good!

After her Bond role, St. John acted in a number of movies and TV shows, and also posed for a variety of provocative pictures…

Eventually, St. John tired of the business…and moved into an interesting area – Orchids!

St. John left Hollywood in the late 80’s and developed a handmade Angora sweater business, and became interested in orchid growing, skiing, hiking, river rafting, camping, and gardening! In 1987, she said:

“I’m a mountain gal now. I love the outdoors and I love harvesting and using fresh vegetables and herbs.”

Jill St. John’s “Yada Yada” Moment!

Jill wasn’t done being in the cultural zeitgeist, however. Avid “Seinfeld” fans will remember her and Wagner as Mickey’s parents in the classic “Yada Yada” episode of the series!

Let me know what you think of America’s first “Bond Girl!”

Tommy Smothers “Beds” John And Yoko!”

There is a story behind this iconic photo: Comedian Tommy Smothers is one of many celebrities lying in a bed with John Lennon and Yoko Ono…how he got there, and what Lennon said to him, was explained to me by this Smothers Brother one night in Detroit!

“The Smothers Brothers!” The Hippest Show On TV!

Here is the set up:

Tom and Dick Smothers were successful standup comedians/songwriters, gaining fame throughout the 1960’s for classic albums like “Mom Always Liked You Best!”

Based on their success, they got their own TV show on CBS, which was a big hit! However, it ran for only two years, from 1967-69. More on that in a moment. It was a classic “variety” show: comedy sketches, musical guests, standup comedy – both Director Rob Reiner and up-and-coming Comedian Steve Martin worked on the show – and Martin got the chance to do standup on the show!

What CBS never anticipated, however, was the Vietnam War, which raged on in the late 60’s and divided the country. Tommy Smothers in particular was quite vocal about many of the country’s social issues, and the show became more political, leading to the brothers being censored by CBS…and that’s where The Beatles stepped in!

George Harrison Shows Beatles Solidarity!

The show was censored on several occasions, including when Singer Harry Belafonte sang his “Carnival” song over footage of student protests against the war…the network forced the show to cut the sequence.

The following week, the show opened with a surprise appearance by George Harrison! George has a bit of fun at first, talking about films The Beatles had given the show to air, including “Hey Jude”.

The Beatles Speak Out Against Censorship!

Suddenly, the appearance gets serious, as Tommy jokes about what you can’t say on american TV, a veiled reference to CBS pulling the Belafonte segment from the show.

Here is a clip from the show when “the quiet Beatle” stopped by to give the brothers some support in the midst of their fight with CBS. As you can see, this clip is from an E! airing:

The Beatles also used The Smothers Brothers Show to premiere their new music film, “Revolution.” This video uses a mashup of both versions from “The White Album”, the song having a hard-rock edge PLUS the “doo wop” harmonies from the slower album version.

This great film can also be found on the new Beatles blu-ray, which includes a treasure trove of rare and un-released films from the 60’s. Read more about this incredible collection here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/09/18/the-beatles-exclusive-new-release-incredible-beatles-music-videos-the-beatles-1-is-here/

How do I know all this? Because when I was at E!, E! President Jarl Mohn was smart enough to buy the rights to re-air the original episodes of “The Smothers Brothers Show” – and as part of that project, we filmed all new wraparound elements with the brothers – and we interviewed many of the original show guests!

My Tommy Smothers “John Lennon Bed-In” Story!

As we were finalizing the plans for the show, I flew with my team to Detroit, where the Brothers were performing. One night, our head Writer, the legendary James “Big Boy” Medlin, took Dick Smothers and the team out for dinner, while Tommy and I sat in his hotel room to discuss our plans. He was concerned that the vintage episodes wouldn’t hold up, but I explained that the show’s incredible musical elements needed to be seen again.

The shows were full of great musical moments with The Doors, The Who, and many others…and of course, The Beatles!

Tommy’s “Bed-In” With A Beatle!

Here is the story he told me about John Lennon, because Tommy was part of the incredible live recording of “Give Peace A Chance” during John & Yoko’s “bed-in for peace” in Toronto in 1969!

A Controversial “Bed-In!”

It may sound like no big deal now, but in 1969 this was incendiary stuff! John and Yoko were spending a week in bed in Toronto to promote peace, and they recorded “Give Peace A Chance” in the room…the couple invited many journalists in as well, and some were very combative towards John and Yoko…

This was a very polarizing time for Lennon. After the press events, John gathered all of the musicians, including Tommy, and they began rehearsing a new song – “Give Peace A Chance.” Tommy wanted to impress the Beatle by showing some innovative guitar work…

I told Tommy how incredible it was that he was performing with John Lennon. But Tommy explained to me what happened next.

He said that after his virtuoso guitar work, John abruptly stopped him, and said to him in his uniquely Lennon Liverpool accent:

“Just play it the way I wrote it, Tommy. If I wanted you to play it another way I would have written it like that”

Oops! Tommy told me he felt foolish, but John was nice about it, just adamant that EVERYONE in the room perform the song exactly as he wrote it!

Here is a clip of John’s famous “bed-in for peace”: – you can see Tommy Smothers playing Guitar at the end of the clip:

It was a pleasure to work with Tom and Dick Smothers, and these classic shows helped put E! on the map. Everyone involved with the original CBS shows were eager to be part of this updated version, because The Smothers Brothers were beloved…and of course, they showed classic Beatles material AND had George stop by to give them verbal support!

It was a few years later when John Lennon would run into The Smothers Brothers again – during the infamous 18-month “long weekend” binge with Harry Nilsson and others in Los Angeles!

One of the legendary stories about John and Harry involved being thrown out of a Smothers Brothers performance at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. Here’s a great article with the entire story from the terrific “Ultimate Classic Rock” website:

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/john-lennon-harry-nilsson-troubadour/

It was one of John’s darker moments, and overshadowed some creative spark he showed at the time. It was during this period that Lennon produced the Harry Nilsson “Pussycats” album, which you can see here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/05/29/lime-in-the-coconut-harry-nilssons-musical-madness-john-lennon-shenanigans/

At this time in the post-Beatles world, John was living his “long weekend”, and Paul was getting Wings up to speed…

John and Paul were, without a doubt, music’s greatest duo, and look what I found: Paul singing “A Day In The Life” live in Liverpool, then segueing into “Give Peace A Chance” – with Yoko in the audience smiling broadly!

I am NOT a “Paul V. John” person – they were both brilliant in their own way, and I love that Paul played John’s iconic song…and let’s not forget Ringo, as we head back to The Smothers Brothers show!

Ringo also stopped by the show as well, and performed his “No No Song” with the brothers….

Ringo’s still making music, and touring all around the world with his “All-Starr” band…here’s a look at the latest lineup, including my favorite, Todd Rundgren:

Here is a look at some of the great music he will be making in 2016:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/12/16/ringos-all-starr-band-rocks-on-todd-rundgrens-2016-tease-the-beatles-tour-on/

There is a great new book at looks at Ringo’s life – and Ringo himself released an incredible memento for fans as well!

These are replicas of the post cards that Paul, John and George sent Ringo from the road when he was in the hospital! See more about this here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/06/16/ringo-starr-great-rock-biography-postcards-from-the-beatles/

Leave me a message and let me know what you think of Tommy Smothers and John Lennon!

“Paul McCartney and John Lennon Have A Song For You…Please Hold.”

Can you imagine getting THAT call? Well, it happened a number of times in the 60’s and 70’s – John Lennon and Paul McCartney routinely wrote songs The Beatles gave away to others!

When A “Beatles” Song ISN’T A Beatles Song!

Wikipedia has an entire entry about songs that were written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for other Artists..here is how they categorized them:

1 – Recordings by the Beatles of Lennon–McCartney songs that the group ultimately decided not to release.
2 – Lennon–McCartney songs that the Beatles deemed unsuitable for the group at the outset and did not even attempt to record themselves.
3 – Songs that had been intentionally written for other artists.

“The Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away!”

Because EVERYTHING The Fab Four has done has been extensively documented, these songs exist for fans to enjoy.

This compilation album containing the original artist recordings of songs composed by John Lennon and Paul McCartney was released in the UK in 1979! Here is a look at the lineup:

The first song on the compilation album is actually the last song that was given to others. “I’m the Greatest” was recorded by Ringo Starr for his “Ringo” album – and written specifically for him by John Lennon in 1973 – the rest of these songs were released as singles during the active Beatles years in the 1960s.

Ringo’s Classic “Ringo!”

All of the other Beatles gave Ringo a song for his classic solo album, which was a huge smash thanks to songs like “Photograph”.

Here is the video for John’s “cheeky” song “I’m The Greatest!”

Paul and George also gave songs to Ringo, but this Lennon tune is the best – and John included his version of it on his Lennon box set, playfully rehearsing the song to the others in the studio:

John was on his “lost weekend” at the time, in LA hanging out with Harry Nilsson…read about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/05/29/lime-in-the-coconut-harry-nilssons-musical-madness-john-lennon-shenanigans/

One of the greatest songs written for others was thanks to Paul McCartney, and it also had a Ringo connection!

Ringo’s Hilarious Movie! The “Come And Get It” Theme!

Paul also wrote a classic song for Ringo, except in this case, it was the theme song for Ringo’s movie “The Magic Christian.”

Check out the trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/05/02/ringo-starr-the-fab-fours-magic-christian-madness-raquel-welch-dominatrix-great-solo-music/

You must check out this movie…the theme song was a big hit for Badfinger, who recorded on The Beatles’ Apple label. Here is Paul’s demo of the song:

“If you want it, here it is
Come and get it m-m-m!
Make your mind up fast

If you want it anytime I can give it
But you better hurry ’cause it may not last”

McCartney recorded a solo demo of the song on July 24, 1969, when he arrived early for an Abbey Road session. He sang the double-tracked lead vocal and played all the instruments: he sang and played piano on the first take, sang again and played maracas on the first overdub, drums came third and bass guitar was added last. It took less than an hour to finish. It was officially released in 1996 on “The Beatles Anthology 3” and issued under The Beatles’ name, even though McCartney did the entire song by himself…

Here is an amazing montage of the songs that John and Paul wrote for others, thanks to the internet!

“SgtPepperChannel” on youtube posted this – bravo! As you can see, John and Paul did a ton of music for others, as they were amazingly prolific….

“It’s For You!”

You heard a snipped of this in the montage – “It’s for You” was written by John and Paul for popular singer Cilla Black – and it was a UK Top Ten hit in 1964.

Here she is performing the show on UK TV, with a cameo appearance by Paul and John at the end:

Singer Cilla Black recorded the song at Abbey Road Studios in July 1964, with George Martin producing the session. Can you imagine the creatively that was going on at the time?

Cilla Black recalled the recording session years later:

“That was some session…John and Paul joined me and George Martin. We made one track and then everyone had a go at suggesting how they thought it should be recorded. George said it should be one way, John and Paul another and I just added my suggestions while they were thinking of what else they could do with the composition.”

Macca’s “Penina!”

In the late 60’s, Paul was very prolific, and he wrote the song “Penina” at the Hotel Penina in December 1968, when he was vacationing in the Portuguese region of the Algarve.

Here is the song as recorded by the Portuguese singer Carlos Mendes:

George Writes With Eric Clapton!

The Beatles were so prolific as a group that they had more than enough hits of their own – and George got into the action as well!

George wrote “Badge” with Eric Clapton for his group Cream. The song was originally an untitled track. According to wikipedia:

“during the production transfer for the album Goodbye, the original music sheet was used to produce the liner notes and track listing. The only discernible word on the page was “bridge” (indicating the song’s bridge section). Due to Harrison’s handwriting, however, Clapton misread it as “badge” — and the song was titled soon thereafter.”

Ha! Here’s an audio only version:

Now back to that “bad handwriting” story – Harrison remembered the story differently:

“I helped Eric write “Badge” you know. Each of them had to come up with a song for that Goodbye Cream album and Eric didn’t have his written. We were working across from each other and I was writing the lyrics down and we came to the middle part so I wrote ‘Bridge.’ Eric read it upside down and cracked up laughing– ‘What’s BADGE?’ he said. After that, Ringo [Starr] walked in drunk and gave us that line about the swans living in the park.”

So there you have it, a drunk Ringo contributed as well! The Beatles were amazingly prolific, and left us with an unbelievable catalog of music to love.

However, their songs were sometimes used in some VERY questionable ways – like these two films!

“All The And World War WHAT!?!?!?!?”

If you haven’t seen this movie, you are lucky! It’s a documentary about World War 2, full of war images, death and destruction, with a Beatles soundtrack! See the unbelievably wrong trailer here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/06/20/the-beatles-worlds-best-music-worst-movie-choices/

And here is an image you will never be able to burn out of your skull:

Yes, The Bee Gees are dancing in “Sgt. Peppers” outfits along with Peter Frampton and George Burns!

This movie is embarrassing for all concerned: stick with a Beatles classic like this instead:

Here is a look at the legendary “Let It Be” documentary, which includes lots of strife between he band members, and the incredible rooftop performance in London:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/04/06/let-it-be-the-beatles-lost-documentary-londons-live-beatles-rooftop-concert/

Leave me a note on your favorite Beatles anecdotes!

Paul McCartney’s Outer Space “Rock Show!”

Here’s the former Beatle holding two planets…and here’s why – Paul’s late wife Linda was an amazing photographer, and she was capturing Macca with his “Venus And Mars” album cover prototypes: two circular orbs that represent our planetary neighbors:

“Venus And Mars Are Alright Tonight!”

Time to take a look at Paul McCartney’s followup to his greatest achievement of all time…yes, this is the album that Wings released after Macca’s masterpiece “Band On The Run”…

After a rocky start to Wings, the band hit their stride when they released this worldwide smash hit…see some great videos from the album here:

“Band On The Run!” Paul McCartney’s Triumph Over Adversity! Classic “Chaos & Creation!”

So how to follow up? Well, McCartney took the band right back into the studio and began working on new material…

“Venus & Mars”

“Band on the Run” overcame band defections, leaving only Paul, wife Linda and guitarist Denny Laine in the lineup. McCartney added Jimmy McCulloch on lead guitar and Geoff Britton on drums to the Wings line-up in 1974. Joe English also played drums on the album and the tour, and ended up in Wings for awhile…

“Venus And <ars / Rock Show" –

The album gets off to a raucous start, as Paul writes a song about the fans – who are off to see a rock show…

Here is the band performing "Venus And Mars / Rock Show" From "Wings Fly South" 1975 – a classic Macca performance!

“The Lights Go Down – They’re Back In Town O.K.
Behind The Stacks You Glimpse An Axe
The Tension Mounts You Score An Ounce Ole!
Temperatures Rise As You See The White Of Their Eyes

If There’s Rock Show
At The Concertgebow
You’re Got Long Hair
At The Madison Square
They’ve Got Rock And Roll
At The Hollywood Bowl,
We’ll Be There . . . Oo Yeah . . .”

What a great start to the album, and Paul was very happy with the band…

As Paul remembers:

“I felt really comfortable with that band. I had written Venus And Mars songs in Jamaica – we were getting around a bit in those days! – and had the album pretty much mapped out. Even though we didn’t use the style of New Orleans on the album, it influenced the way we felt about the music and added to the spirit.”

“Venus and Mars / Rock Show” was followed by a beautiful ballad “Love In Song”, then one of McCartney’s old style ditties, “You Gave Me The Answer”…

“Magneto and Titanium Man”

Next up was a fun, mid tempo rocker written by Paul – who was a Marvel comics fan – having fun with the Marvel characters Magneto, Titanium Man and the Crimson Dynamo The legendary Stan Lee, who co-created all three characters, said he thought the song was “terrific”.

Here is a spirited live performance from 1975.

“Letting Go”

Next up is a bluesy rocker from Paul, in the vein of “Let Me Roll It”…

Here is the great live version from the Wings 1976 world tour:

Side two begins with a short “Venus and Mars Reprise”, then a couple of mid-tempo rockers:
“Spirits Of Ancient Egypt” and “Medicine Jar”…

“Call Me Back Again”

Next up is a classic McCartney song, a soulful wail of a song as he pleas the love of his life to call him back again….check out this great video:

“Listen To What The Man Said”

Next up is a classic McCartney single: catchy, upbeat and fun….here is a video covered with great movies of Paul and Linda – look for Linda making a Wings logo out of carrots!

Thanks to “TheMusicalSteve” for posting on YouTube….and the video part was made by “mralan1969uk”!

“Treat Her Gently – Lonely Old People” is a great mashup of two soft ballads, with perfect Macca vocals…and “Crossroads” is a very short instrumental that wraps up a terrific album…

But There’s More!

A couple of years ago, Paul released “Venus & Mars” in a beautiful expanded package…in addition to the original CD, you get a bonus CD full of great songs, including the classic “non-album” track “Junior’s Farm”…here is “take 16” from Paul and the gang in 1974:

Here’s the lineup on the bonus CD:

1. Junior’s Farm
2. Sally G
3. Walking In The Park With Eloise
4. Bridge On The River Suite
5. My Carnival
6. Going To New Orleans (My Carnival)
7. Hey Diddle [Ernie Winfrey Mix]
8. Let’s Love
9. Soily [from One Hand Clapping]
10. Baby Face [from One Hand Clapping]
11. Lunch Box/Odd Sox
12. 4th Of July
13. Rock Show [Old Version]
14. Letting Go [Single Edit]

Almost A Lennon – McCartney Reunion!

Here’s some great trivia about John and Paul. According to wikipedia – John Lennon, in a nostalgic mood during his Lost Weekend period of the time, had told May Pang (his then girlfriend) that they would visit the McCartneys during the recording sessions for Venus and Mars, and considered writing with him again. Lennon’s planned visit never happened due to his reunion with Yoko Ono!

Well, that’s a shame, but Macca was flying high without him…here’s the promotional film explaining what is being offered on the remaster album!

“Venus And Mars” Soars!

Venus and Mars rocketed to the top of the music charts in the US, the UK and other countries around the world – and while many feel it’s not quite as good as “Band On The Run” – well, what could be?

The band headed out on the road for their classic “Wings Across America” tour – see some of the performances here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/07/12/paul-mccartney-wings-over-seattle-the-kingdome-implosion-seattle-sports-history/

Paul was on a creative roll during this period of the 70’s…and that included writing the greatest James Bond theme song of all time!

Here is my list of the best and worst Bond themes of all time:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/11/05/rock-on-007-the-best-and-worst-james-bond-theme-songs/

Let me know your favorite song from “Venus And Mars!”

Paul McCartney’s Emotional “Freedom” Tribute!

One of Paul’s most memorable moments took place in 2001, when he wrote a stirring tribute to the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attack…it’s a dramatic end to what was conceived as a “Beatles style album”…

Paul McCartney’s Two Weeks Of “Driving Rain!”

Later Paul McCartney albums are interesting to me…Macca tried a number of things, not always successful, and also reverted at times to his straightforward “pop” sound. For his 2001 release “Driving Rain”, he tried something else – a Beatles recording style!

It all started on his previous album, “Run Devil Run.”

“During some of the interviews I’d done around Run Devil Run, I’d been talking about the old way we used to record with The Beatles around the time of the early albums … The band for that album had said to me, ‘Can we learn up what songs we’re going to do, like a week before we go into the studio?’ And I’d said, ‘No, no homework.’ So we did it the same way with this new album, following the same technique.”

Beatlesbible.com has this great quote, which continues:

“We came in on Monday morning, I’d show them a song and we’d start doing it. We didn’t know what was going to happen and it was a little bit into the unknown for all of us. The band on this album is a new band who I’d never worked with before, never even met before. It was into the unknown too for David Kahne and consequently it started to be a little bit different than what any of us would have done. All of us were having to think on our feet, and that process led us into something different from what we normally do. So for me, that’s what I mean by this album is not necessarily what you expect from me, because it’s not what I was expecting. But by going into the recording freely, not dictating, things just evolved.”

On September 11 2001, McCartney was sitting on a plane in New York City when the terrorist attacks occurred and was able to witness the events from his seat. As wikipedia reports, “incensed at the tragedy and determined to respond, he composed “Freedom” and helped organise (alongside Harvey Weinstein) The Concert for New York City, a massive all star show at Madison Square Garden on 20 October where “Freedom” was performed”.

The cover of the album featured a photograph taken with a Casio wristwatch that had a built-in camera.

“Lonely Road” starts the album, then the first single: “From a Lover to a Friend”

Here is the song performed live at The Concert For New York City after 9/11:

“She’s Given Up Talking” and the title track “Driving Rain” are next:

Here is Paul performing the song live on his 2002 tour:

“I Do” and “Tiny Bubble” follow, then a great pop song: “Magic”

Here is a terrific fan video put together on YouTube by “StrawberryLennon9’s channel”

“Your Way” and “Spinning on an Axis” are next…”Spinning” and “Back In The Sunshine Again” were co-written with his son James.

“The lyrics on the album are kind of quite simple; there’s nothing deeply deep. I’m not trying too hard, I’m just spinning them out, not worried if I’ve heard a phrase before and just gone for it. There’s a couple of songs on this where I’ve just put two songs, or fragments of songs, together. I just thought, ‘That will go with that.’ It meant at times that instead of getting a 4/4, four beats to the bar, in slamming them together you’d get a 5/4, but I thought that’s OK, I’d fix it later. But when I played it to the band and to the producer, they loved those little odd bars.”

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

“About You” – His “Heather Mills” Song…

I am among those who do NOT like Heather Mills…from the moment she stated she never listened to The Beatles, I was turned off to her, and ultimately, she and Paul divorced.

However, the next song on the album,”About You” was written for her, as Paul thanked her for helping him get over the death of Linda…

“You give me power to get out of bed
When in the morning I’m feeling dead
Living and loving, there’s a lot to be said, it’s true

Gonna say it about you
Say it about you”

Here is a great youtube video from “piggies1”:

“Heather” and “Back in the Sunshine Again” are next – “Sunshine” was also written with his son James…

“Your Loving Flame” was written on the 36th floor of the Carlyle Hotel in New York…as Paul explains, a creative spark can come from anywhere:

‘Driving Rain’ was written in Los Angeles – there was a lot of rain and so on our day off we went off for a drive in this little corvette that I hired, we drove up the Pacific Coast Highway and went up to Malibu and had a bit of lunch. In the evening, feeling great after a nice day out, I was sitting around at the piano and I just started writing something half based on that day out. People say ‘how do you get your creativity’ and I think the answer is you just have to be open to stuff.”

“Riding into Jaipur” and “Rinse the Raindrops” are next, with “Raindrops” turning into a 10-minute jam…very much in Paul’s “Fireman” mode…

“Rinse the raindrops
From your head
Wipe your eyes
Go back to bed
In the morning
Skies’ll clear
And I’ll be here

See the sunlight
Break the ice
For the birds of paradise
Listen to the song they sing
Awakening”

A special fan video posted by “mccrabapple’s channel” on youtube:

McCartney’s Indian holiday had affected his voice during the sessions, as he later recalled:

“When I was in India, a carpet salesman ripped me off. He told me that this carpet was the rarest thing ever but when I got to the next town I found another 20 of them. So I rang him and during the argument, and not helped by the weather, I started to lose my voice. The following day it went totally. I couldn’t talk. With only a week to the recording sessions, I still couldn’t get the high notes. So I came to LA with my voice in quite a rough shape and decided to do the easy songs first, just to get the tracks down. But then I ended up just letting loose on one track, this monster 10-minute song called Rinse The Raindrops, where I really ripped it, and it all came good. It’s a nice quality if you can get it, a rawness. My voice has never been trained, so I just cross my fingers and go for it. I just wing it every time, like I always have done.”

Thank to “Beatlesbible.com” for the McCartney quotes!

Paul’s Stirring “Freedom” Tribute To The Victims of 9/11:

As mentioned, Paul was on a plane waiting to take off when the tragic events of 9/11 unfolded. He wrote a heartfelt tribute to those who lost their lives that day, and premiered it at “The Concert For New York City”:

Due to the last minute addition of “Freedom” to the album, it isn’t listed on the early releases…

“Freedom” was recorded live during The Concert for New York City with later studio overdubs. There are some copies of the CD that were issued with an outerbox and a different cover and the tracklistings featured “Freedom” as an official track.

Reviewing the album for Uncut magazine, Ian MacDonald noted McCartney’s spontaneous approach to its recording, such that,

“In parts (for example, the lengthy closer ‘Rinse The Raindrops’), the results are almost ferocious, coming as close to a McCartney-esque Tin Machine as one could reasonably imagine.” MacDonald considered the more “polished and produced” tracks to be “the most successful”, however, and concluded: “Possibly a grower, this album is certainly better than anything Macca’s done for some while, if not the late masterpiece some of us have been hoping for.”

Impulsively, McCartney halted the pressing of Driving Rain so that “Freedom” could appear as a hidden track (since the artwork had already been printed).

Beginning in April 2002, the Driving USA tour – a significant success which would lead to worldwide tour extensions – was launched.

According to wikipedia, McCartney said in 2007 there are those who ascribe “militant” connotations to “Freedom” and, because of this, he had decided to remove the song from his setlist. About the song, McCartney added:

“I thought it was a great sentiment, and immediately post 9/11, I thought it was the right sentiment. But it got hijacked. And it got a bit of a militaristic meaning attached itself to it, and you found Mr. Bush using that kind of idea rather a lot, in a way I felt altered the meaning of the song.”

Some elements of the album are experimental, just as this album was:

Read all about his terrific “McCartney II” here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/11/28/mccartney-ii-paul-mccartneys-experimental-masterpiece-the-secret-stories-of-mccartney-ii/

Let me know what you think of “Driving Rain!”

Caroline Munro – from Vincent Price’s Dead Wife to 007’s Bond Girl!

Time to celebrate another 007 “Bond Girl”…while that sounds derogatory, this is a description that has been used since the series premiered in 1963…with this legendary “Bond Girl”:

Ursula Andress was also known as “Ursula UNDRESS!” See why here:

Ursula Andress – Or “UNDRESS!” 007’s First “Bond Girl”! Honey Ryder Was 60’s Sex Kitten!

There are a number of unique Bond Girls as well, which leads us to Caroline Munro:

Munro got her start as a Vogue model when she was seventeen, and quickly began showing up in bit parts in films such as the 1967 James Bond spoof, “Casino Royale.” In the pic above, she is the third woman from the left…

Some don’t consider this James Bond spoof a real 007 film, but I say we celebrate Munro’s role…just as we did for this Bond Girl as well:

Barbara Bouchet was also in “Casino Royale”, and you see more of her here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/04/29/classic-sex-kitten-james-bonds-sexy-co-star-barbara-bouchet/

Now, back to Munro: after her small role in the Bond film, Caroline’s first big role was in 1971, opposite Horror legend Vincent Price in “The Abominable Dr. Phibes” – playing the deceased Mrs. Victoria Regina Phibes.

Here is what she said about working on the film – as a dead woman next to a living legend!

“The most challenging scenes involved lying in the coffin with Vincent. You see, I’m allergic to feathers and I was attired in this beautiful negligee – but it was covered with feathers! It took a great deal of willpower not to sneeze or sniffle. On occasion, I would simply have to sneeze and this would result in having to do another take.”

You can see my story about going to see this film at a midnight madness event in Seattle by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/10/22/drunken-dr-phibes-horrors-abominable-midnight-madness/

Now, back to Munro:

She reprised the role in the 1972 sequel as well, then went on to sign a deal with legendary British horror studio Hammer.

Munro starred alongside Christopher Lee in “Dracula AD 1972”, then went on to star in the classic “Captain Kronos, Vampire Hunter”!

Munro was on a roll, showing up next in the Ray Harryhausen effects spectacular “The Golden Voyage Of Sinbad.”

As you can see, the camera LOVED Munro, and she never had an issue with her wardrobe being ill-fitting…

Munro’s “Real” Bond Film!

In 1977, Caroline got her biggest role ever when she became an official “Bond Girl” in “The Spy Who Loved Me.”

“Spy” was one of the best Bond films ever, with Roger Moore at the height of his popularity as 007. The film also introduced a classic bad guy, the late Richard Kiel as “Jaws.”

Of course, every “Bond girl” gets a chance to wear a bikini, and Munro was no different – but she also exuded a sense of fun and playfulness that made her one of the more memorable Bond actresses.

From 007 To Crazed “Maniac!”

The Bond film was Munro’s career highlight, and after that, while working regularly, the films weren’t quite as big. Some of Munro’s later movies include cult B-movies like “Starcrash” – and she literally lost her head in the cult horror classic “Maniac!”

Caroline Munro ‘The Golden Voyage of Sinbad’ Gallery theblackboxclub.com

Her roles dwindled over time, but Munro left behind a lot of cult classics to remember her by, and a ton of bikini photos as well!

Leave a comment and let me know your favorite Caroline Munro movie!

This Paul McCartney album was hailed as:

“The ex-Beatle’s headiest music in years!”

The album being referenced captured Macca in a very artistic mood, as a series of photo shoots revealed:

“Electric Arguments” Electrifies The Critics!

It was, of course, NOT a McCartney solo album – but another “not so secret this time” collaboration with the music Producer Youth! And it got McCartney some of his best reviews ever!

“The Fireman takes your hand and leads you through the blaze to places you didn’t know you wanted to go.”
—Paul McCartney

The third “Fireman” album in 2008 was the first one that revealed who the “Firemen” were – a trio of unique Paul McCartney recording sessions with Youth…the first released in 1993:

“The original idea of The Fireman was to feel completely free in a studio atmosphere and this is something I’ve been interested in since Sgt Pepper, where we gave ourselves alter egos to achieve the same effect. It gives you the feeling that anything is possible and stops you being too serious.”

The duo released “Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest” in 1993, then “Rushes” in 1998 – but McCartney and Youth were never mentioned as being part of the projects!

These “secret” recordings were released with no mention of McCartney or Youth, and the first two were experimental instrumental albums…only becoming known to fans over the years….

Macca’s Experimental Phase…

Paul McCartney may be known for this pop/rock hits, but he has always been an adventurous musician.

McCartney’s first solo album, released in 1970, was very experimental for the time, with instrumentals, song fragments AND classic songs such as “Maybe I’m Amazed” and “Every Night”…you can see those videos here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/03/23/paul-mccartneys-simple-classic-mccartney-pauls-solo-masterpiece-rises-from-the-ashes-of-the-beatles/

A decade later, Macca returned with his second solo album, also full of instrumental experimentation:

“McCartney II” included “Temporary Secretary” and “Coming Up”, which you can read more about here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/11/28/mccartney-ii-paul-mccartneys-experimental-masterpiece-the-secret-stories-of-mccartney-ii/

There hasn’t been a “McCartney III” – or was there? Here’s a look at an album that was in the same experimental vein as his first two solo albums!

“Electric Arguments” is the third album by The Fireman, and it was released in late 2008. It was the first Fireman release to be publicly acknowledged by McCartney…and the first to have vocals! This was a project of intense experimentation, with each of the songs recorded in a single day – the album was completed in only thirteen recording days, spread over the course of a year.

Experience These “Arguments!”

The title “Electric Arguments” came from the poem “Kansas City to St. Louis” by Allen Ginsberg. In Wired magazine, McCartney stated this was because he’d been looking at the beauty of word combinations rather than their meaning.

Here’s also what Paul said:

“We had a ball making this album, and it was a great departure because it seemed more like improv theatre. In the improv spirit, there are William Burroughs-type cut-ups in the lyrics. I came to “Sing the Changes,” as well as all the other songs in the album, with absolutely no concept of what the melody or lyrics would be about. So it was like writing on the spot, which I think lent an electricity to the whole sound.”

All of the songs were written by Paul McCartney. First, here is a fun promotional video from the studio:

Here are some of the highlights of “Electric Arguments”:

“Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight”

The opening harmonica leads into a blistering guitar and some of the roughest McCartney vocals since “Helter Skelter.” It announced right out of the gate that this “Fireman” album would have vocals – raucous ones at that!

Here is a great fan video of the song from BeatlesFans Club on youtube:

“Sing the Changes”

This is one of the most well-known songs on the album, which one Writer called “one of the best McCartney songs in the last decade. With a bright, catchy hook and exuberant lyrics about looking at life with “a sense of childlike wonder.”

Here is the official music video:

“Travelling Light”

Here is a video I found on youtube – thanks to Andy Mark Bell for posting!

“Highway”

Here is the great music video for the song:

“Sun Is Shining”

This is probably the biggest hit from the album, and a surefire Macca single. It’s fun, upbeat and inspiring…

Here is a video using older footage of McCartney from the “Spies Like Us” video…

“Dance ‘Til We’re High”

here’s an example of how much fun McCartney and Youth were having when they were making this album.

Here is the official music video for the song:

“Lifelong Passion”

One Writer said this: “with its Indian influences, this meditative song wouldn’t be out of place on Sgt. Pepper beside “Within You Without You.” Yet it’s electronic elements place it squarely in the present.”

“Lovers in a Dream”

A Critic raved about this song: “The chant-like vocals are pushed to the background while a swirling collage of sound transports the listener to another world. It may not be advisable to listen to this one while driving or operating heavy machinery; it may put you in a trance.”

Did Paul Slam Heather Mills?

The last track, “Don’t Stop Running”, runs 10:31 – by far the longest song on the album. However, the song ends at 5:54. A bonus track titled “Road Trip” begins at 7:57.

After the album’s release, a spokesman for Paul McCartney denied suggestions by some bloggers that the “Electric Arguments” album has a hidden message directed at Heather Mills. “Click Liverpool” reported the album’s final track, “Don’t Stop Running,” ends with a strange vocal noise, which played backwards, it says, features a Paul whispering:

“Warmer than the sun, cooler than the air.”

Paul McCartney and Heather Mills at the Century Plaza Hotel in Century City, California (Photo by Gregg DeGuire/WireImage)

The blog says some fans have interpreted this as meant for Heather Mills and meaning “I have a big, warm loving heart and you are colder than ice.” Here is what the McCartney spokesman said:

“The official stance on this is that there are no hidden messages within The Fireman album. People always find messages in his music. If their desire is strong enough, they will be able to find something out of nothing to attach meaning to. It has been going on since The Beatles and we always get asked about hidden messages – but there are none.”

Whether there was a Heather “dis” or not, the album was hailed as one of McCartney’s best.

AllMusic’s Stephen Thomas Erlewine wrote that “there are more twists and turns, more textures, than on any other McCartney album in the last 20 years…”

Will Hermes of Rolling Stone called the album “the ex-Beatle’s headiest music in years!”

Was “Electric Arguments” Meant To Be “McCartney 3?”

One last question is this, which also circulated on the internet – did Paul regret not putting “Electric Arguments” out as a McCartney album? The Daily Express quotes an anonymous source as saying this:

“Paul has been rather taken aback by the initial very positive response and now regrets the album’s getting a rather low-key release under his Fireman pseudonym. With the benefit of hindsight, he would have put it out as an official Paul McCartney album.”

So there you have it, an “anonymous” source…that said, this would have been an amazing “McCartney III” album: full of experimental music, great songs and great McCartney hooks…so I look at it as the “unofficial McCartney III” – you can decide for yourself!

Looking back at all of Paul’s great music is fun – especially when you add the “what if?” element to it…here’s a great example:

“Still The Greatest” is a terrific book that imagines all of the Beatles albums of the 70’s – because they never broke up!

That’s right, this book takes all of the Fab four’s post-Beatles work and lays out the next series of Beatles albums…fascinating! See it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/03/exclusive-the-lost-beatles-album-the-fab-fours-solo-songs-remixed/

Let me know what you think of “McCartney III!”

The Musical Revolution Is Here!

Let’s go back to August, 1966 – when The Beatles released a masterpiece that pushed pop/rock music into a whole new dimension…

50 years ago this month, a new Beatles album arrived, and with it, the musical revolution they started took another amazingly creative turn – time to celebrate the revolutionary “Revolver!”

“Revolver” was the seventh studio album by The Beatles. It was released in August 1966 and was, as usual, an immediately #1 worldwide smash hit.

I wanted to share some great trivia about the album, showcase the unique recording innovations that were introduced, and share some videos of the greatest songs from the album – although virtually EVERY Beatles song was great!

Here are the tracks on “Revolver”:

George leads off with the acidic “Taxman” – the band discovering just how much of their money was going to the government…

“Let me tell you how it will be
There’s one for you, nineteen for me
Cos I’m the taxman, yeah, I’m the taxman

Should five per cent appear too small
Be thankful I don’t take it all
Cos I’m the taxman, yeah I’m the taxman

If you drive a car, I’ll tax the street
If you try to sit, I’ll tax your seat
If you get too cold I’ll tax the heat
If you take a walk, I’ll tax your feet”

Macca’s Greatest Hits!

Next up is one of Paul McCartney’s early masterpieces, the story of a lonely young woman in England:

“Eleanor Rigby”

“Eleanor Rigby picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
Lives in a dream
Waits at the window, wearing the face that she keeps in a jar by the door
Who is it for?

All the lonely people
Where do they all come from?
All the lonely people
Where do they all belong?”

Here is Paul performing the song for the movie “Give My Regards To Broad Street”:

John Lennon follows with one of his more cynical songs, “I’m Only Sleeping” , followed by Harrison’s “Love You To”…

“Here, There and Everywhere”

Here is Paul performing it in the studio in 1984:

“Yellow Submarine”

Up next is one of the album’s most enduring classics, as the band always gave Ringo a song to sing, and this was a classic that almost killed John lennon!

Yes, “Yellow Submarine” almost killed John Lennon!

Here is the story from Rolling Stone magazine:

On Wednesday, June 1st, 1966, the Beatles, with a coterie of fellow madcaps including Marianne Faithful, Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones and George Harrison’s wife, Pattie, gathered in Abbey Road’s Studio Two to outfit “Yellow Submarine” with sound effects.
Zaniness had always been a special interest of John Lennon’s, going back to his passion for The Goon Show. Getting into nautical mode, Lennon pressed Revolver engineer Geoff Emerick to record him singing underwater, after having first attempted to sing while gargling.
“While George Martin worked at dissuading him,” Emerick later wrote, “I began thinking of an alternative. Might we have John sing into a mic that was immersed in water?”
A mic was duly wrapped in a condom for protection, prompting the Lennon wisecrack, “We don’t want the microphone getting in the family way,” and dropped in a milk carton.
The signal was distant and the gambit was abandoned, but no one at the time was aware how lucky Lennon had been. “It wasn’t until many years later,” Emerick concluded, “that I realized with horror that the microphone we were using was phantom-powered – meaning that it actually was a live electrical object. In conjunction with the 240-volt system used in England, any of us, including Lennon, could easily have been electrocuted, and I would have gone down in history as the first recording engineer to kill a client in the studio.”

A great anecdote, one of fifteen about the making of “Revolver” that you can find here, thanks to Rolling Stone:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/features/beatles-revolver-15-things-you-didnt-know-w432446

Side one finishes with Lennon’s catchy “She Said She Said”, then side two kicks in with another McCartney classic:”Good Day Sunshine” followed by Lennon’s terrific
“And Your Bird Can Sing” – here is a great stripped down version from their rehearsals, with terrific Lennon vocals:

McCartney’s ballad “For No One” is next, followed by Lennon’s expose of his
“Doctor Robert”, then George offers up his catchy “I Want to Tell You” before Paul gives us another masterpiece:

“Got to Get You into My Life”

McCartney’s writing is at its peak on “Revolver”, with another instantly iconic song:

“I was alone, I took a ride
I didn’t know what I would find there”

Here is Paul performing this classic in 2011:

“Tomorrow Never Knows” is the album’s finale, and as wikipedia notes:

“marks a progression from the group’s 1965 release “Rubber Soul” in terms of style and experimentation, and heralded the band’s arrival as studio innovators. The album’s sounds include the incorporation of tape loops and backwards recordings on the psychedelic “Tomorrow Never Knows”, the use of a classical string octet on “Eleanor Rigby”, and the Indian-music backing of “Love You To”. Aside from methods such as varispeeding, reversed tapes, and close audio miking, the sessions for the album resulted in the invention of automatic double tracking (ADT), a technique that was invented by engineers at Abbey Road studios, and was soon adopted throughout the recording industry.”

So there you have it, an album that was incredibly experimental at the time, and has stood the test of time as well.

There were some promotional movies created for the songs, which you can find here:

See all of the incredible music videos from The Beatles here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/09/18/the-beatles-exclusive-new-release-incredible-beatles-music-videos-the-beatles-1-is-here/

“Paperback Writer” was another song recorded during the “Revolver” sessions, but released just as a single…but that’s nothing, some of the band’s best music was written for others!

See some of the great songs they gave away to other artists here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/06/01/forgotten-beatles-songs-classic-lennon-mccartney-hits-for-others-the-songs-the-beatles-gave-away/

If you want to read more about “Revolver”, here is a great article from “The Daily Beast”:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/08/05/is-the-beatles-revolver-the-best-rock-record-ever.html

And I had the chance to see a special 50th celebration of The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl:

You can see my review, with performance clips, here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/08/24/the-beatles-at-the-hollywood-bowl-amazing-50th-anniversary-celebration/

Finally, McCartney just gave an interview to Q magazine about his last recording with the surviving members of the band:

You can see what he said about the spirit of John being with them as they recorded “Free As A Bird” in my story here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/08/03/paul-mccartney-on-the-beatles-last-song-playing-with-nirvana-kanye-maccas-greatest-hits/

“Revolver” at 50 is still going strong!

Simon Cowell’s “The Shining!”

Wh-wh-WHAT?!?!??!!?

Yes, Simon Cowell was part of the creative team on Stanley Kubrick’s horror masterpiece! It’s just one of my favorite pieces of movie trivia.

Here is more great trivia:

Robert DeNiro IS Sonny Corleone!

That’s right, before he was cast as Don Corleone in “The Godfather Part II”, DeNiro auditioned for the role of hot-headed Sonny…

Great “Godfather” Movie Trivia!

James Caan was brilliant as Sonny – and Marlon Brando not only won the Best Actor Oscar for his role as “The Godfather”, behind the scenes he was brilliant as well!

Brando was a notorious practical joker – read all of his behind-the-scenes gags here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/07/19/the-godfather-screen-tests-robert-deniro-is-sonny-corleone-godfather-trivia/

There is so much more great “Godfather” trivia as well, like this:

The Horse Head Was Real!

That’s right: the shocked reaction you see onscreen is real, as that was an actual horse head in the bed! Read all about this classic piece of movie trivia here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/03/20/brandos-cue-cards-real-horse-heads-the-godfathers-best-stories/

Here is another piece of movie trivia I love, courtesy of “Star Wars”:

Sam Jones As “Han Solo!”

Sam Jones was “Flash Gordon”, but did you know that Han Solo is directly a result of this film? George Lucas tells you how “Star Wars” came from “Flash Gordon” – read it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/04/05/how-flash-gordon-created-star-wars-sam-jones-the-original-han-solo/

And finally, who would’ve thought THIS?

Simon Cowell Worked On “The Shining!”

Yes, Simon Cowell was on the same set as Stanley Kubrick and Jack Nicholson! Read all about that movie trivia – and more – by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2015/01/04/simon-cowell-was-shining-debra-winger-is-e-t-wildest-movie-facts/

Let me know what your favorite movie trivia is!

These Birds Will “Shock” You!

I love movies. ALL KINDS OF MOVIES. Therefore, I LOVE “BIRDEMIC!”

Let me explain, in case you haven’t seen this movie. Someone made this. They are now officially a “film maker.” And You are not. So, credit must go where credit must go!

Have You Seen The Brilliant “Birdemic: Shock And Terror?”

Before I share some details, take a look at this trailer. Note the acting, the special effects, and the action again because it’s just that good!

Thanks to Vice, you can now experience “Birdemic” in a whole new way – as they look into the making of this masterpiece of bad cinema!

“Vice” has a great mini-documentary from Evan Husney that looks at the making of this film…here is what you need to know:

In January 2009, software salesman James Nguyen traveled to the Sundance Film Festival to self-promote his low-budget independent horror film “Birdemic: Shock and Terror.”

When the film was rejected by the Sundance Film Festival, according to IMDB:

“James Nguyen promoted his film by putting banners, fake blood, and fake birds all over his van. He would drive around to advertise until it caught the attention of Severin Films, which then distributed this film – and cinema history was made!”

Thanks to Severin films, you can own this to enjoy night after night after night!

If you want to see the “Vice” documentary, check out this story from the great website “Action A Go Go”, which includes the link

http://actionagogo.com/2016/08/09/one-man-one-dream-one-birdemic/

Of course, Nguyen isn’t alone in his quest to become a movie Director – remember Tommy Wiseau?

“The Room” is widely considered the worst film ever made…but the fact is, he made it!

Actor Greg Sestero starred in “The Room”, and had a fascinating friendship with the Director as well, which is being turned into a movie with James Franco! Read all about it here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/10/27/tommy-wiseaus-classic-the-room-now-a-book-tommys-secrets-revealed/

Finally, who are we to judge what a Director intends? For example, there was a Director who intended THIS:

That’s right, a severed flying skull that kills! You can see this, plus five of the worst films ever made, by clicking here:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/05/03/from-the-beatles-to-flying-severed-heads-five-mesmerizingly-bad-films/

Let me know what you think of “Birdemic!”

“They are bad people. They should suffer.”

I am in the middle of a marathon of films by a visionary new Director, Ben Wheatley…and his second film just blew me away!

The Sign Of Horror!

WOW! I don’t have words to describe how amazing Ben Wheatley’s film “Kill List” is! It’s a British thriller that evolves into a horrific journey into the “heart of darkness.”

Here is the plot: you meet Jay and his wife Shel as they welcome their friend Gal and his new girlfriend for dinner. Over lots of drinking, you find out that Jay hasn’t worked for months…

I don’t want to share too much of the plot, but know that Jay and Gal have a “working” relationship that comes out in the course of the movie – in some very funny, dark, and horrifically violent ways!

Here is the trailer for the film:

There’s no other way to say it: “Kill List” will blow your mind! It’s a ROUGH ROUGH ROUGH movie in a couple of scenes, but it’s also a hypnotic fever dream that is darkly funny and human for a “hit man” film – in fact, it turns the genre completely on its head!

It’s just another amazing film from a visionary Director!

Meet Ben Wheatley!

If you don’t know this Director’s work, you are missing some terrific films.
In May 2009, he directed “Down Terrace” in eight days; it won the Next Wave prize at Fantastic Fest in Austin and Best UK Feature at Raindance in London.

“Kill List” Followed in 2010. I just watched it on Amazon Prime.

Wheatley’s third film was “Sightseers”, released in 2012. Wheatley’s fourth film was this haunting black-n-white psychological horror film:

“A Field in England” takes place entirely in a field – soldiers fighting a battle are trapped, and slowly go mad…here is the trailer:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/08/20/a-field-in-england-new-modern-horror-master-ben-wheatley/

Wheatley’s most successful film was released this year:

“High Rise” is adaptation of the J.G. Ballard novel, and Wheatley has a well known cast, including Tom Huddleston, Sienna Miller and Jeremy Irons.

This film is now out ondemand and I plan to watch it next!

Speaking of new horror Directors, check out the Soska Sisters! Read about this inventive duo here:

https://johnrieber.com/2013/06/07/modern-horror-twin-directors-the-soska-sisters-american-mary-dead-hooker-in-a-trunk/

Finally, if you want to see some more “mind-blowing” cinema, here is a place to dive in:

I posted a story about this brilliant film, “Enter The Void”, and have included several other films as well:

https://johnrieber.com/2014/11/01/audacious-mind-blowing-cinema-enter-the-void-vanishing-waves-and-holy-motors/

Bravo to Ben Wheatley – let me know how many of these you have seen!

“My Grandma Saw You At Candlestick Park!”

That is just one of the funny moments on this dynamite concert DVD from 2006 – Paul having fun with signs he sees in the crowd!

I watched this again last night and was surprised by the set list – a terrific collection of Beatles album tracks and neglected solo songs.

“The Space Within US” captured his fall 2005 ‘US’ Tour in the United States, as he was supporting the release of “Chaos And Creation In The Back Yard.”

This DVD is full of candid backstage material, inspiring moments with fans, lots of candid moments, interviews with people like former President Bill Clinton – it’s clearly a love fest for Paul, and lots of lots of Beatles songs getting their due live!

Here’s a look at what’s on this terrific concert DVD: first, a fun “Intro” sets the tour up as he gives a shout out to Astronauts in space:

Here is the clip of that intro, which leads into “Magical Mystery Tour”, then Paul goes right into a raucous version of one of his title tracks:

“Flaming Pie”

This is a great song, and they really bring it to life in this live version – here is the filmed intro plus the first two songs!

The band serves up a scorching version of “Let Me Roll It” next, then Paul goes back into the Beatles library:

“Drive My Car”

Here’s a great live performance from his tour in Quebec, and he gives a shout out to the audience in french:

Paul follows with three Beatles songs in a row, two obscure gems that he rarely performs:

“Till There Was You”
“I’ll Get You”
“Eleanor Rigby”

“Maybe I’m Amazed” follows, another masterful live version:

“Got to Get You into My Life”

The Beatles songs are back, and this is just one of the most upbeat, joyful songs he ever wrote – and the documentary spends a lot of time showing the happiness of the crowd – of all ages: singing along and enjoying the performance.

Paul then tells a great anecdote about falling into a hole in the stage on the second night of the tour – and then they show it! I couldn’t find a clip or image online, but it is great that he tells the story, they show the footage, and he laughs the whole thing off!

“Fine Line”, “I Will”. “I’ll Follow the Sun” and “Good Day Sunshine” are next: songs not performed a lot in the past, which is why this show is so memorable…and they point out that “Sunshine” was played in the morning for the Astronauts….you can see the footage of their return to earth at the beginning of the song:

Then he brings the Astronauts onstage! It’s just a great celebration of the United States, and moments like this are captured beautifully, along with lots of candid behind-the-scenes footage of him and the band, saying hello to fans, and being greeted by lots of celebrities…

Next up, Paul talks about trying to stay focused the music while he sees the signs waving in the crowd…

“My Grandma Saw You At Candlestick Park!”

Yes, he jokes about that sign, then kicks into another Beatles album track:

“For No One”

Then there is more behind-the-scenes footage as Paul surprises a family who is going to the show! This BTS material is fantastic, and of course leads into one of his most iconic songs, “Hey Jude” – but in this case they just show the end of the song to keep the flow of the concert, then Paul brings out another obscure Beatles treat!

“Fixing a Hole” is next, of course from “Sgt. Peppers”, but in previous tours he focused on performing the famous title track – so it’s great to see him play this song, leading into another Beatles classic:

“Penny Lane”

Here is Paul performing this Beatles gem:

Next up is an interesting moment: Paul says the next song is for Wings fans, and you see a ton of Wings hands in the air…

“Too Many People” / “She Came in Through the Bathroom Window”

He then launches into “Too Many People”, which is from RAM, the album credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, NOT Wings…but the version is flawless, and goes right into “Bathroom Window”:

“Too Many People” was a pointed jab at John and Yoko, and he jabbed back…you can read about that feud here:

https://johnrieber.com/2012/08/20/macca-ram-on-paul-mccartneys-masterpiece-john-lennons-fury-a-beatles-c-c-c-catfight/

And of course, Paul formed Wings right after RAM, and released their first album with a call to John:

The album track “Dear Friend” was written to John…read alls bout that here:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/02/13/paul-mccartneys-wild-life-the-disastrous-debut-of-wings-mccartneys-plea-to-john-lennon/

The rest of the concert are these Beatles and solo songs….some big hits, others more obscure, but his performance is flawless for all:

“Let It Be”
“English Tea”
“I’ve Got a Feeling”
“Follow Me”
“Jenny Wren”
“Helter Skelter”
“Yesterday”
“Get Back”
“Please Please Me”

This DVD is terrific: lots of fun, candid behind-the-scenes moments PLUS some great live performances of songs not usually played live…let me know what you think!

Here is also a look at one of Paul’s more neglected solo efforts, the terrific “Off The Ground!” Click on my story to see some great videos:

https://johnrieber.com/2016/01/24/paul-mccartneys-submerged-off-the-ground-a-neglected-macca-gem/

Let me know your favorite McCartney music!