Bass Strings – The Great Debate
So you want your bass to sound just like McCartney’s? I sure do. And when the man himself was asked from time to time what strings he used, Paul’s usual reply was, “Long shiny ones.” The overwhelming consensus is that Paul used the strings that were installed at the factory when he purchased his first…
Lost Beatles Songs – It’s All Too Much
Thought it would be a fun idea to talk about Beatle songs that got “lost in the sauce”, so to speak. There are many to choose from, and I’ll eventually get to all of them, but since I was talking about “Sgt. Pepper”, let’s visit with a strange little contribution from George Harrison; “It’s All Too…
Is Magical Mystery Tour Next?
As significant as The Beatles catalogue is, and how well it has withstood the test of time, for me the most remarkable aspect is that they achieved it all within seven years. Record an entire album (“Please, Please Me”), in one day? No problem! Release five U. S. albums of all new materiel in 1964,…
Sgt. Pepper’s 50th Redux-n-Review
The reviews are in on Sgt. Pepper’s 50th Anniversary Edition, and mostly positive, though there weren’t many aspects of the release that I hadn’t already known. Lennon’s early takes on “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” show a slightly more monotone approach, and that he did not sing the chorus at all (surprise, it’s McCartney double…
The BASSMAN Sticker Mystery
In the movie “Let It Be”, Beatles nuts and bass players in particular noticed a small rectangular sticker on Paul McCartney’s Höfner. Like many other Höfner and McCartney devotees, I had already removed my pickguards when Paul did so in 1966. But now we wondered just what was up with that new addition to Paul’s…
John Fotiadis – The Songwriter Architect
Meet my good friend and fellow NJ denizen, John aka Yanni Fotiadis. He’s an architect by day, singer songwriter by night. Besides being a swell fellow and a guy who always makes me laugh, Yanni is always creating – either new songs or a new building. Over the last 15+ years he’s written and recorded…