Category: Music

Petula Catch-Up

Let’s get caught up a bit with some of Petula Clark’s doings.

  • Petula’s interviews on radio and TV tend to be diplomatic about personal matters, but in print she can be quite frank and open about herself. What she reveals at this link is one such example.
  • Coming up on September 13 on PBS is “The 60’s Live!” Petula’s appearance can’t be truly live, as she will be performing in Manila that day.
  • On September 22 Pet will be back in New York, for the delayed appearance with Harry Belafonte at the Paley Center at the Museum of Television and Radio. Click here for more background about that.

For complete up-to-date information, check the American site PetulaClark.net, and in the UK, the Petula Blog.

The Beatles Shout!

Back in ’81 a biography of The Beatles by Phillip Norman, called Shout!, was released. If I ever knew why it was given that title, I’ve long since forgotten.

“Shout!” is also the name of a song by the Isley Brothers that the Beatles performed once on the English TV show Ready, Steady, Go!. With all of the Beatles-related sites, and the many videos posted on YouTube, I’m surprised that I can’t find a good transfer of that appearance. So I’ll provide one here, taken from an 8-inch Laserdisc.

[flv:http://www.dograt.com/Video/2008/AUG/BeatlesShout.flv 448 336]

Another Beatles bit of information is that they had some of the first Philips-Norelco Compact Cassette decks in England. Fifteen years later, John Lennon was holding cassettes when he was shot.

Music & Politics In Western Massachusetts

Last Sunday we were at Tanglewood, in Lenox, MA, where the Boston Symphony Orchestra plays every summer. It was an all Mozart program, and well attended, although the age of the audience skewed decidedly 40 and up.

While waiting in the “wine line” during intermission, I happened to stand next to political consultant and former presidential adviser David Gergen. I overheard him discussing — what else? — politics.

Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music” On 8-Track

Metal Machine Music 8-Track Tape

Here is the ultimate 8-Track cartridge listening experience. Lou Reed’s “Metal Machine Music” is ideally suited to this particular electronic audio medium. 8-Track tapes were notorious for leakage between channels, but in this case, if that were happening who could tell?

Panasonic 8 Track Stereo Deck

I suspect the tracks are identical, but again, who can tell? Nevertheless, here are all four of them, with the “click” between tracks left intact to simulate the 8-Track listening experience. (Four tracks in stereo, for a total of eight.)

8-track label for \"Metal Machine Music\"

Track A-1
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic1.mp3]

Track A-2
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic2.mp3]

Track A-3
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic3.mp3]

Track A-4
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2008/AUG/MetalMachineMusic4.mp3]

Meet Prudence Bury!

Thank you so much to a comment writer named Janis [Lia Pamina’s old online handle], for identifying the extraordinarily beautiful young woman who was with Pattie Boyd on the train with the Beatles in A Hard Day’s Night! She’s Prudence Bury-Fuchs, and here she is today, still very lovely.

Prudence Bury-Fuchs
Prudence Bury-Fuchs

That photo is from a French article, and if you click here you can read a Google translation of it. Here’s something in English, about a fund-raiser that Prue organized.

This is great! I’ve wondered for decades about the mystery girl on the train with Les Beatles, and now I know. Thanks again, Janis!