Author: DOuG pRATt

Capitol-ism: from Bozo to The Beatles – 1

One of the the most controversial figures, and frustrating subjects, in the history of the Beatles is Dave Dexter, Jr. (1915-1990). Dexter hated the Beatles, both personally and professionally — as you’ll hear for yourself later — and yet he was in charge of their American releases on Capitol Records until the Yesterday and Today album, which was “prepared by Bill Miller” and was originally released with the infamous “butcher cover.”

Before I say anything more about Dave Dexter, Jr., listen to the recording on the player below. “The Chase” is exclusive to Dexter’s American version of “HELP!”, and it’s a noteworthy recording to be found on a Beatles record, but it isn’t by the Beatles.

“The Chase” is credited to Ken Thorne, who scored the soundtrack to “HELP!”, but it was performed by Pandit Shiv Dayal Batish (1914-2006). Click here to read his account of the recording session, and his subsequent involvement with George Harrison.

A splash of color

When the Boston Globe started printing its daily comics in color, there were complaints from some readers, claiming to be comic-strip purists, but my only complaint is when the color is printed off-register.

Here is Arlo and Janis from a few days ago, as it appeared in the Metrowest Daily News. Do the mouse-over thing to see how it appeared in the Boston Globe. The color adds a lot to the mood, don’t you think?

How much longer will there be printed newspapers? Ten years? Five?

Prue in the tub with a hat

“Prue, in the tub, with a hat” sounds like a solution to the board game ‘Clue’, but I couldn’t think of what else to call this post other than what it is — a picture of Prue Bury (when she was Prue Hooper) wearing a Halston straw Derby hat, while sitting in a bathtub full of water!

Prue says of this unusual pose,

I have the photo in my scrap book. That was an uncomfortable shoot. A bath full of water and a suit which grew to be very heavy and cold! The hat looked great!

Thanks go to Martha B. at Nibs for having this scan from a 1968 issue of Look magazine.

Don’t they know, it’s the end of the world?

Hey, this is great! The world is ending in six months, so I can do whatever I want without worrying about the consequences!

Ominous reports are leaking past the BP Gulf salvage operation news blackout that the disaster unfolding in the Gulf of Mexico may be about to reach biblical [sic] proportions.

http://www.helium.com/items/1882339-doomsday-how-bp-gulf-disaster-may-have-triggered-a-world-killing-event

But there are, of course, naysayers, who deny the possibility of a Methane Doomsday in 2010.

http://io9.com/5585294/methane-bubble-doomsday-story-debunked

Didn’t the Mayans say we’re OK until 2012? Darn. ‘Guess that means we’re stuck carrying on with business as usual for a while longer.

Losing my Addiction?

Ever so carefully, I’m getting back to the sort of running schedule that will lead to doing some road races again. My biggest problem now is with, to my surprise, blisters. For years I wore New Balance running shoes, but then I switched to Brooks. Being a bad over-pronator, I’ve been wearing the Addiction 8, and now the Addiction 9 is out.

The problem with motion control shoes is they’re heavy, stiff, and the mid-sole can feel like a block of wood. That is certainly true of the Brooks Beast, which is like the Addiction shoes on steroids. I wore a few pairs of the Beast, but they were just too much. And now the Addiction is also feeling like it’s too much.

There’s an anti-shoe movement among the running community, favoring minimal shoes, or even barefoot running. As you would expect, there’s a product catering to this group. It’s called Vibram Five Fingers. The alleged science that’s claimed for these products reminds me of Earth Shoes, back in the 70’s.

The thing is, I’m starting to wonder if the barefoot running proponents have a point. All of my injuries have happened while wearing the “right” shoes and not letting them get worn down before getting a new pair. Last Sunday a new blister, caused by my orthotic insert, hurt so much I had to stop a mile from home and couldn’t even walk in my shoes. So I took them off and ran the last mile in my socks.

At first it felt like I was trying to cross the parking lot at the beach, but after a while I settled into it. Then I felt a distinct sensation in the weak spots in my right leg. It wasn’t pain, it was more like relief, as if they were being allowed to work. The effect was contrary to everything I’ve been told about correcting for my low arches and protecting my feet. I woke up the next morning expecting my legs to hurt, but they felt fine.

So will I try a pair of Five Fingers? Uh, no. They look ridiculous! If they were a solid color and the toes weren’t emphasized so much, maybe I would. Maybe I’ll just try a lighter, less protective shoe, like I used to wear in college.

Three deceased Greats

The 2010 San Diego Comic-Con is coming up soon. Over on Comic-Convention Memories, there are batches of photos taken at the San Diego con in 1974.

Here’s a pic of MAD cartoonist Sergio Aragonés. No! Wait! That’s not Sergio, it’s Peanuts animator Bill Melendez.

And here’s his de facto boss, Sparky Schulz, when he was — yikes! — a couple of years younger than I am now!

With special guest star, director Frank Capra! Frank Capra?? He attended a comic-book convention in 1974??? That was several years after his autobiography, The Name Above the Title, and ten years before She’s a Wonderful Wife — er, I mean It’s a Wonderful Life — was rescued from public domain abuse and rightly hailed as one of the all-time great movies.