One of the Beautiful People

[Asharella]

Q: "Have you a tribute that you would like to pay to Mr. Epstein?"
JOHN: "Well you know... We don't know what to say. We loved him and he was one of us."
Sunday, August 27, 1967

Monday, August 28 1967, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Richard Starkey met with various support people that morning to discuss their plans. By late in the afternoon they knew and they released an announcement, read to the press by Peter Brown.

"'Brian Epstein was more than our manager. He was our friend, our guiding light, and one of us. He was one of the beautiful people. There would be no Beatles without him and there is no Beatles, now, without him. There is only John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. But the Beatles are done. We will keep making music with each other and without. But not as the Beatles. Signed: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.'"

Peter looked like he was going to cry. "For now the Beatles still have one obligation. A film. This will be their last project, including new music not heard before. The live action will be filmed in the next few weeks and put together with animated work already in process. I will take questions."

"The Beatles are done?"

"The Beatles have ceased to be the Beatles. There are more songs that will be recorded by the four for this film, but the attribution for any newly recorded music will be to the ones performing it."

"What about Lennon-McCartney."

"If John writes a song it will be credited to him. If Paul writes a song it will be credited to him. If they collaborate it will be credited to Lennon-McCartney."

"Is this some kind of gimmick?"

"No. Once they wrap up this obligation, they will move ahead in four separate ways that may intersect or may not."

"Why?"

"They explained it in what I read you. The Beatles always were more than the whole. If one of the four died, the three remaining Beatles obviously could not go on as the Beatles. You understand that. What you don't understand is that Brian was as much an integral part of the Beatles as the other four. It's not the Beatles without him and they aren't going to pretend they can go on as the Beatles no longer held together by Brian's management. They will not fade away or worse, become bitter and alienated, only to break up in a few months, or at best years, and destroy their love for each other. They will not try to continue the business side on their own when they know they don't know how to do it. This is how John put it- 'The Dream Is Over.' But perhaps new dreams can replace it."

"What will they do now?"

"In a few weeks they will start filming with Richard Lester. But for now they are in mourning. So am I."

 

[cortz#9]

Interesting. Subscribed.

 

[Asharella]

The Beatles had been playing with the idea of making a television special centered on a bus tour. Paul had even written a song for the idea. They had the idea that the film would be a spontaneous event made up as they went along based on a few ideas.

Now that the Beatles were no more, the former members used some of the ideas of that for more structured filming of live action events to be inserted into the animated feature film that already was in process. One of the things they had decided in the meeting of August 28 was to do this and to use Richard Lester to direct it. They had not been happy with Help! as they felt it was too sappy. But they wanted this to be done quickly and they knew Lester. Phone calls were made to Lester and to Joe D'Angelo, the producer of the already in process animated Beatles film tentatively titled after it's focus on a story based on the existing song of "Yellow Submarine." D'Angelo jumped at the chance to add more live action scenes as the production schedule on the animation was a task never done before in an animated feature- to create it in less than a year.

While the former Beatles were in mourning, Lester and D'Angelo met and using the notes the former Beatles had made, crafted the live action scenes for the film and wrote the script. The idea they came up with was that some of the new music in the film that had not been released before would be live action and the old music would be animated. It was also decided to jettison the voice actors who'd been expected to voice the four and have the actual former Beatles voice themselves.

The new songs and the scripts for them were:

Magical Mystery Tour: The opening live action scene of the film where Paul, John, George, and Ringo join a bus tour.

The Fool On The Hill: A dream sequence of Paul, where he is the fool wandering around a surreal landscape.

Blue Jay Way: A dream sequence of George sitting cross legged in fog mixed with him busking on the street.

I Am The Walrus: A dream sequence of John, where he and the others transform into animals and chase after the mysterious tour bus that has suddenly reappeared.

Flying: A dream sequence of Ringo where he literally is flying through a surreal psychedelic landscape.

You're Mother Should Know: A dream sequence of the animated Old Fred who dreams about his friends singing and dancing in a nightclub.

All Together Now: The ending live action scene of the four performing after they broke the fourth wall and talked to the audience, which included thanking the fans and saying goodbye.

These live action scenes were woven into the animated story of Blue Meanies attacking Pepperland, imprisoning Sgt. Pepper's band, and Old Fred using the Yellow Submarine to go to England to find the four to get their help. He finds them on their bus tour and then they join him in the submarine.

The completed film, now titled "Yellow Submarine" with "A Magical Mystery Tour" as subtitle, was released in June of 1968. No where in the film, including the title and promotional material, was the term "The Beatles" used. An LP was released with the film that had all the never before released music. Besides the live action filmed songs this included Only a Northern Song and It's All Too Much. Three previously released songs used in the film were all included on the LP: Yellow Submarine, since it was the title song, Baby You're a Rich Man, and All You Need Is Love, as they had never been released on an LP.

The work on the film and recording of the last material together by the former Beatles was completed by the middle of October 1967. The four men would not all work together again as a foursome until late 1969.

 

[Loulou]

View attachment 448981

The Beatles had been playing with the idea of making a television special centered on a bus tour. Paul had even written a song for the idea. They had the idea that the film would be a spontaneous even made up as they went along based on a few ideas.

Now that the Beatles were no more, the former members used some of the ideas of that for more structured filming of live action events to be inserted into the animated feature film that already was in process. One of the things they had decided in the meeting of August 28 was to do this and to use Richard Lester to direct it. They had not been happy with Help! as they felt it was too sappy. But they wanted this to be done quickly and they knew Lester. Phone calls were made to Lester and to Joe D'Angelo, the producer of the already in process animated Beatles film tentatively titled after it's focus on a story based on the existing song of "Yellow Submarine." D'Angelo jumped at the chance to add more live action scenes as the production schedule on the animation was a task never done before in an animated feature- to create it in less than a year.

While the former Beatles were in mourning, Lester and D'Angelo met and using the notes the former Beatles had made, crafted the live action scenes for the film and wrote the script. The idea they came up with was that some of the new music in the film that had not been released before would be live action and the old music would be animated. It was also decided to jettison the voice actors who'd been expected to voice the four and have the actual former Beatles voice themselves.

The new songs and the scripts for them were:

Magical Mystery Tour: The opening live action scene of the film where Paul, John, George, and Ringo join a bus tour.

The Fool On The Hill: A dream sequence of Paul, where he is the fool wandering around a surreal landscape.

Blue Jay Way: A dream sequence of George sitting cross legged in fog mixed with him busking on the street.

I Am The Walrus: A dream sequence of John, where he and the other transform into animals and chase after the mysterious tour bus that has suddenly reappeared.

Flying: A dream sequence of Ringo where he literally is flying through a surreal psychedelic landscape.

You're Mother Should Know: A dream sequence of the animated Old Fred who dreams about his friends singing and dancing in a nightclub.

All Together Now: The ending live action scene of the four performing after they broke the fourth wall and talked to the audience, which included thanking the fans and saying goodbye.

These live action scenes were woven into the animated story of Blue Meanies attacking Pepperland, imprisoning Sgt. Pepper's band, and Old Fred using the Yellow Submarine to go to England to find the four to get their help. He finds them on their bus tour and then they join him in the submarine.

The completed film, now titled "Yellow Submarine" with "A Magical Mystery Tour" as subtitle, was released in June of 1968. No where in the film, including the title and promotional material, was the term "The Beatles" used. An LP was released with the film that had all the never before released music. Besides the live action filmed songs this included Only a Northern Song and It's All Too Much. Three previously released songs used in the film were all included on the LP: Yellow Submarine, since it was the title song, Baby You're a Rich Man, and All You Need Is Love, as they had never been released on an LP.

The work on the film and recording of the last material together by the former Beatles was completed by the middle of October 1967. The four men would not all work together again as a foursome until late 1969.

I'm guessing Victor Spinelli's playing Old Fred?

 

[Asharella]

I'm guessing Victor Spinelli's playing Old Fred?

Well, he of course was in the film, but not as Old Fred. Old Fred is only animated. It seems to me the perfect casting for Old Fred if he was part of the live action would be Wilfrid Brambell.

The live action scene that has Paul become the fool also had Paul interact with the military and Spinetti is a General just like in OTL.

 

[cortz#9]

So Only a Northern Song and It's All Too Much are not in the film live or animated?

 

[Asharella]

So Only a Northern Song and It's All Too Much are not in the film live or animated?

No, they are in the animated part, just like in OTL. The decision was to do some unreleased music as live action. This was in addition to the existing plans, which is why ONS and IATM remain animated. I had them expand the end live action to do a performance of All Together Now during the credits.

 

[cortz#9]

No, they are in the animated part, just like in OTL. The decision was to do some unreleased music as live action. This was in addition to the existing plans, which is why ONS and IATM remain animated. I had them expand the end live action to do a performance of All Together Now during the credits.

Cool, those are two of my favorite scenes in Y.S. Does the "I am the Walrus" scene feature some animation? You mentioned the Beatles morphing into animals, sounds like something that would look cool animated.

 

[Asharella]

Cool, those are two of my favorite scenes in Y.S. Does the "I am the Walrus" scene feature some animation? You mentioned the Beatles morphing into animals, sounds like something that would look cool animated.

It would be cool, yes, going from the live action of them to the furry suits versions of them.

 

[Asharella]

Hello, Goodbye

When John, Paul, George, and Ringo met on Monday morning following the death of Brian, one of them argued for continuing as the Beatles, one came up with the idea of stopping being the Beatles to honor Brian, one liked the idea of stopping being the Beatles for other reasons, and one was ready to go either way. In the end Paul, who didn't want the band to stop, agreed to do what John wanted and stop being the Beatles with the promise that that didn't mean they wouldn't work together. George kept to himself that what he wanted was to move on precisely for the opposite reason; he wanted to work with others to record his own back catalog. Ringo ended up going along with the others.

Brian's death hit John very hard and he was depressed over it. He was also depressed over his marriage and that he didn't have the same inspiration to create music as his song writing partner Paul had had for the last two years. For John the decision to stop being the Beatles reduced his depression. He said, "This means I won't have to do stupid shit like this film bit anymore once we've done that, we can do exactly and only what we want."

For Paul it was the opposite. First he'd lost Brian and now he'd lost being a Beatle. He threw himself into the live action work for Yellow Submarine and the recording of the last few songs needed for it. But it didn't help with the growing depression. He too wasn't happy with his relationship with Jane Asher anymore than John was with his marriage. Work drove away the blues; but then work was done for the day and they'd hit him square in the face.

Like the other former Beatles, he also hoped that Transcendental Meditation would help. He committed himself to it, but it didn't. Then came the big shocker.

As they finished the final work for Yellow Submarine, Paul tried to recruit the other three to work with him on his latest song. He was thinking that it would be released as a song by the four of them and share the single with John's "I Am The Walrus." They were still in the studio having wrapped up the recording of "I Am The Walrus" on September 29th.

John explained to him, "We don't do that anymore. If I put out a single it's by me and both sides are by me. If you put out a single it's by you and both sides are by you. Doesn't mean we don't work together."

"So shall we schedule the studio time?" His mind was already thinking he'd use "Fool On The Hill" as the other side of the single.

"I would love to work with you when I like the song. I just don't really like that one." John frowned, "Sorry, mate, I'm saying goodbye not hello on 'Hello, Goodbye.' Maybe next time?"

George didn't say anything either way. He just said, "Well, I'll see you all around," and left.

Ringo smiled, "I like it."

"Hello, Goodbye" was released on November 24, 1967 as a single credited to "Paul McCartney with Ringo Starr." The B-side, "Fool On The Hill," was credited as "Paul McCartney with John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr." It was the first thing released by any of the former Beatles and went to number one immediately. Writing credits were just for Paul on "Hello, Goodbye" while "Fool On The Hill" was credited to Lennon-McCartney, it having been written during the Pepper sessions.

A promotional video, shown on The Ed Sullivan Show in the USA and Top of the Pops in the UK, was mostly of Paul playing the piano and singing with Ringo on drums behind him, both of them in Sgt. Pepper band outfits. At the end the two of them wave at each other from different sides of a room, both dressed in regular street clothes.

John was asked what he thought of it. He said, "I really like the end. You know the Aloha. I like that."

By the time the single was released, Paul had broken up with Jane Asher and moved back to Liverpool to live with his dad while he figured out what to do next. His depression increased significantly. When he didn't get out of bed on Boxing Day, his dad called up John, who arrived at Liverpool the next day. He and Paul just visited together, played guitars together, and talked about working together in the studio. "I've got an idea for a song and I'd like you to record it with me. It's called 'Hey Bull Frog.'"

That's when Paul's depression began to lift.

 

[Asharella]

"Hello, Goodbye" personnel:

• Paul McCartney– double-tracked lead vocal, backing vocal, piano, Hammond organ, lead guitar, bass, bongos, conga
• Ringo Starr – drums, maracas, tambourine, backing vocal (over coda)

Additional musicians and production

• Kenneth Essex – viola
• Leo Birnbaum – viola
• George Martin – producer
• Geoff Emerick – sound engineer
• Ken Scott – sound engineer

 

[Unknown]

This is interesting; waiting for more, of course...

 

[danmartin73]

This is interesting; waiting for more, of course...

Same. This idea looks really fascinating. On one hand they get to have more control on what they personally want to write and record themselves. However, due to having this freedom, they're more willing to spend time with one another now and then. Glad they still get along here! Can't wait for more!

 

[Asharella]

This is interesting; waiting for more, of course...

Same. This idea looks really fascinating. On one hand they get to have more control on what they personally want to write and record themselves. However, due to having this freedom, they're more willing to spend time with one another now and then. Glad they still get along here! Can't wait for more!

Thanks!

In OTL they did still get along until after India. The real question always has been what caused that. Yoko? Heroin? India itself? Or musical divergence? Or was it Apple?

Let's see what happens in TTL.

 

[Unknown]

If Apple isn't formed, does this butterfly away Badfinger (and the bad fates of Pete Ham and Tom Evans, who live longer ITTL)?

If you look up the history of the band Badfinger...God, talk about tragic...

 

[Asharella]

Tracks of Yellow Submarine: A Magical Mystery Tour:

Side One

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

 

[Asharella]

6.

Side Two

1.

2.

3.

4.

 

[Asharella]

5.

6.

The songs for the most part were in the same order as they were in the film except:

• In the film Magical Mystery Tour comes first and Yellow Submarine is second. They were switched for the LP since Yellow Submarine is the title track.
• All Together Now is used twice, once inside the film and then at the end. Here it is placed at the end.
• Flying and All You Need Is Love were reversed in order so the latter could be the first track on side two.

 

[Asharella]

OCC: I did the above three posts so you can experience TTL LP if you wish.

Of course I had to use OTL videos, so you'll have to excuse the OTL LP pictures, instead of TTL's LP picture.

 

[perdu42]

This is interesting; waiting for more, of course...

Same. This idea looks really fascinating.
<snip>
Can't wait for more!

What they said.