Beatles "Live at the Hollywood Bowl" out on CD 9/9/16, Vinyl on 11/18/16 *

By the end of the 70's, the Beatles all grew up and were ready for their own lives. This was inevitable. They'd been at it for a decade. This is what happens with a great many bands. In some other reality, say the twilight zone , they might have played together again but Mark David Chapman wrecked the reality zone.

 

Apples/oranges. Though I agree that the personal relationships didn't really start to sour until 1968 or so, being able to get along during recording sessions and being able to get along while on tour are 2 totally different things.

In the studio, they'd only have to see each other for a few hours each day and they could go home.

On the road, they're trapped together - especially back in 1964-66 when they weren't exactly traveling 1st class.

Today musicians who dislike each other can tour because they barely have to deal with each other, but that wasn't the case in the mid-60s...

 

I think they were very much travelling first class in 1964-66, particularly with Epstein, who only wanted the best for his boys. at the helm.

Unless you don't count the George V in Paris or the Plaza in New York as first class...

 

Slight aside :
It still chokes me out when I go back to the idea John was making plans to tour in 1981.
Heard this many times... and just read a new Jack Douglas interview where he spoke as
if it was going to happen for certain.

I love the various Hollywood Bowl live concerts, in all there differing permutations...
Enjoy the original 1977 LP, the Dr E's, Purple C, etc, etc..
I particularly love the rare early preliminary 1976 completely different Sterling acetate I own.
I know the current owner of the original H.B. acetates that were originally Brian Epstein's.
I completely concur with Maccafan .. he pretty much nails it on the head.

 

They stayed at some nice hotels - and they stayed at some not-so-great hotels.

They also had to travel to concerts in the back of armored cars!

Seriously, if you've not read "Some Fun Tonight", you should - it's an insightful look at the touring years and how grueling they were...

 

The Beatles themselves have said between them those years were great!

Ringo has said many times how tight they were as friends.

It was all of the outside pressures, after awhile that would grate on anyone.

On the forum, titled Did The Beatles Break Up At The Right Time I posted...

I think they should have taken a long break from the whole music scene, and from each other.

Maybe a long 4 to 6 month vacation from it all, maybe write some songs but that's it.

Come back rested and fresh, with those new songs.

 

Travelling in armoured cars has got nothing to do with the quality of the hotels they were booked into.

World leaders travel in armoured cars but they don't spend the night in anything less than five-star luxury.

 

And the Fabs 1963 schedule was grueling, grueling. They worked very hard. By '66 the dream was over.

 

Well, there are armored cars and there are armored cars. There can be quite a difference.

 

Why was a tour necessary? How about 3-4 shows...

 

Exactly. The Fabs were in literal Brinks trucks. They weren't in reinforced vehicles - they rode in the back like they were piles of cash.

Bobcat, read the book and you'll have a much better idea of how stressful the Beatles' existence was on the road. You can choose to believe it was all mani-pedis and long massages if you want, but it really was grueling...

 

Well, that is EXACTLY the kind of thing they were thinking about in late 1968 and early 1969.
I believe that Lewisohn has reported that there was an announcement to the press that The Beatles would be performing 3 concerts at the Roundhouse in London in December 1968. That never came to pass, but then turned into the Let It Be sessions, which were to conclude with a major concert of all new material. But of course that ended up just being the rooftop session.

 

World leaders are not expected to save the world the way the Beatles were.

 

Yeah, that's what I was getting at. Not a 40 city tour, but 10-12 dates spread out so as not to squeeze too much in. And you don;t have to play to screamers either. Leave of the She Loves You and Twist and Shout for the encore, if at all.

And Press Conferences... Zeppelin hardly ever did them and sold out venues right nicely.

You only need to do press conferences when you think you're going to change the world and have to get your political message out there....

Fact is, they were The Beatles, and they could have called the shots.

 

i feel the same they should have gone to martin and said after our contract is up we are taking time off for ourselves. make solo records and in a year if we feel like it we will get back together time away from each other would have done them wonders

 

to bad they did not use the whole intrduction

 

ok, my favourite fantasy again - A week of filmed concerts in London with various guests (Shankar, The Who, Cream, Hendrix...) playing their own stuff as well participating on the Beatles songs in late 1967. RnR Circus or That's the Way It Is ahead of Stones or Elvis.

 

I think it's hard for people to imagine when The Beatles were touring like this, they were literally pioneers of the big stadium rock shows. It literally had never been done before. Things were not the big glamorous set ups that we see celebrities enjoying today. No, it was very spartan, shockingly so by today's standards. Nobody knew how big this rock show thing could get, or what luxuries would become the norm. And even though they were the absolute biggest act in the world, the luxuries just weren't there when they toured.

 

Dug out and played the remastered CD this morning for the first time in about 6 months and I still like it. I still wish the bonus tracks were "fit in" the running order, but otherwise to finally have this on CD is a joy. This will also go with me to the Hyatt Ohare next weekend to my suite at Beatlefest!

 

I placed the four bonus tracks, in order, into the main set's running order right after "She's A Woman." They seem to fit very well there...

 

They were not in a Brinks truck when they left the Boston Garden concert in September 1964. They were in a rather large limo. I know this because I saw them in it. They were driven in that limo to the Hanscom Field Air Force Base in Bedford. I lived there at the time. They flew into Massachusetts and out from the air base. The limo was rather sizable. Maybe they did drive in some bad situations but not this time.

 

Just use your memory and track sequence how you want it. Just trying to help......

 

Traveling in armored cars isn't what most people would consider "very much first class", either.

 

Depends what kind of armoured cars, doesn't it?

POTUS and the Queen of England travel in armoured cars.

Do you think they don't travel "first class"?

 

There is an eyewitness - Teag of this parish - who saw them in a large limo rather than a 'literal' Brinks truck....