Welcome to November, folks!
I am always glad when a newsletter can coincide with the release of a new episode, and in this edition, we have the conversation with Ron Griffiths of The Iveys (313). To underscore a point made various ways elsewhere: the first “Badfinger” hit, the McCartney-penned “Come and Get It” is, in reality, a recording by The Iveys, issued under the Badfinger name, as was the parent album, the personnel being Pete Ham, Ron Griffiths, Mike Gibbins and Tommy Evans. That song and the two others recorded expressly for the Magic Christian film starring Ringo with Peter Sellers were tracked in the second half of 1969, just before Ron departed the group. “Come and Get It” introduced the world to Badfinger, but Ron’s playing and singing are heard all over the subsequent Magic Christian Music album.
If you want to see exactly what set the recording of CAGI by these guys in motion, see page 16.
L-R: Ron - Mike - Pete - Tommy
The playlist I put together for the episode includes the both Christmas-themed Iveys recordings discussed (although in real time, as you can tell, Ron thought I was referencing the "politically incorrect” 1966 one when I actually meant the 1968 one, which more closely resembles the 1963-64 Beatles model. The 1966 one merely proves that The Beatles weren’t the only British youths susceptible to channeling Goons Show humour). If you check it out, you’ll see the Apple studio promo for “Maybe Tomorrow” as well as the Picadilly one, plus the Dutch amusement park one for “And Her Daddy’s A Millionaire,” all featuring Ron. Sadly, The Iveys’ footage from their Lulu appearance alongside Jimi Hendrix is still lost but the latter’s performance is in the playlist, as is The Kinks’ promo for “Dead End Street” (featuring the casket that Mike Gibbins took a spin in). The playlist also includes a 1969 recording I didn’t discuss with Ron in the call, “Permissive Paradise,” credited to “The Pleasure Garden.” This little known track was not a recording for Apple; rather it was a work-for-hire job done in 1969 by The Iveys and featuring Ron on lead vocals, meant as a promotional tool for a photo book called Young London: Permissive Paradise by Frank Habicht. (Copies in decent shape go for several hundred dollars nowadays.)
NEWS
Not sure why this was hot news this past week, since it was discussed here a couple of newsletters ago, but there was a lot of press this past week about the female lead casting in the Sam Mendes four-pack of films coming up, this being typical. Maybe they’re just now talking to the media. But for anyone curious and who isn’t already familiar with him, Harris Dickinson, slated to play John, has been doing a round of interviews to promote his directorial debut, Urchin. Given the film’s subject, it would appear that Harris has the requisite familiarity with the character he’s been tasked to play.
Speaking of John, just when you thought this kind of stuff was all played out, here it comes again. Other news: do you remember reading (in her books) or hearing (from our conversations) or seeing (in her documentary) about the house in Montauk, Long Island, that John was poised to buy, as described by May Pang? They’d reached the point in their time together when a more permanent home was the next step, and to that end, they found a place near where Mick Jagger also had a home, but before this next committed move could be made, John was summoned back to the Dakota for a smoking cure and that was that. In any event, the house was just recently sold again (to a “foreign national,” it says here; come to think of it, wouldn’t that have been John’s status at the time?). May got to visit the place for the first time in fifty years, and this article shows us the inside of what might have been for them.
May in Montauk
Last on John: if you haven’t already seen the One To One film, it’s coming to HBO/Max (or whatever they call themselves these days) on November 14.
Morgan Neville’s doc on Wings, Paul McCartney: Man on the Run is getting press, plus a trailer. It’s coming in February 2026.
The newly-published Ringo bio is likewise getting some press. I would very much like to get this guy on the show.
And from the “Apple is losing money every week… If it carries on like this, all of us will be broke in six months” Department, this.
No new releases or obits to report this week…..🤞
HISTORY
“November 2” is a date that looms large in The Beatles’ legend: it was when albums were issued by Ringo (Ringo, 1973), George (Cloud Nine, 1987), Paul (All The Best!, also 1987) and John (Mind Games, also 1973). But one collective effort now fosters their current-day legend: on this day in 2023, “Now and Then” was released as “the last Beatles song.”
After years of wondering if we would ever hear it, followed by months of speculation when its imminent release was announced, the world received this last word from The Beatles: an unfinished demo from the 1970s started (but never finished) by John, supported by some guitar from George in 1995, and then, new production with instrumental and vocal contributions from the two surviving Beatles in the 21st century, abetted by technology pioneered by director Peter Jackson, himself an uber-fan.
This video set the table for what came, detailing the work that went into making what was clearly Paul’s dream - a final collaboration with John - a reality. The event, with such support (behind the scenes video, plus evocative music video from a master filmmaker) did exactly what it was meant to do: elicit a worldwide wave of emotion as The Beatles themselves apparently waved goodbye.
We live in an inherently cynical age, where the reflexive reaction to most anything new at all is to criticize it and project a “I’m not falling for your BS” attitude. A pretty joyless, nihilistic attitude if you ask me, especially in the face of an artistic entity that has given the world far more joy than ever should’ve reasonably been expected. So opinion was divided: a pathetic cash grab from a corporate entity that should’ve left the stage long ago, versus a warm and much-needed hug from those most reliable of positivity practitioners that have never let us down. At the time, I solicited real-time impressions from an array (21) of Beatle folks, ranging from some who knew them and worked with them to musicians whose life path was impacted by them to every demographic of fan from 1st-gen to Gen Z. Consider it a party where you talk to different people as you go from room to room.
(I looked into it:
An estimated 2.7 billion people alive today were born before 1970.
Approximately 5.9 billion people alive today were born after 1970
This means that the majority of the world didn’t get to experience a “new” Beatles single on its day of release. That is, until the 1990s with “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” and now two years ago with “Now and Then.” That’s worth something.)
The release also featured the newly-AI retooled mix of the “Ringo take” of “Love Me Do.” This creaky, inferior performance (compared to the more familiar Andy White one) was dusted off and re-worked as the novelty it is, giving perhaps a sense of closure to the one living ex-Beatle that it would matter to the most.
But maybe the biggest takeaway from the release SHOULD be that decades after they first entered our consciousness, The Beatles once again demonstrated their ability to unite cultures around the globe in a spirit of uplift that celebrated their relationship with their fans and with each other. If the end of the Peter Jackson video didn’t underscore this enough, maybe the reaction to this release should’ve. No one is claiming that “Now and Then” will be judged as one of their greatest, most classic compositions. But if producing it made them happy and its release made fans happy, if only for the moment, what’s there to be cynical about? (Or as a wise man once asked, “What’s wrong with that?”)
SATB
Coming next: a discussion of the pending Anthology 4 release with a couple of guys who know a thing or two, Doug Sulpy (Drugs, Divorce, and a Slipping Image, among other titles) and Chip Madinger (Eight Arms To Hold You and Lennonology; both titles now available as searchable PDFs and discounted at https://lennonology.com/order/).
One of the great joys of my life since doing the stuff I do is getting to meet so many extraordinary people from every walk of life, connected to me through their Beatles fandom. One such individual is comics artist Stephan DeStefano. We met at the Magical Mystery Camp and have stayed in touch since. Just this week, I accepted an invitation to have a conversation with Stephan on his fab YouTube series of conversations. (Call it a podcast if you will; he does not and in any event, maybe “videocast” is more suitable.)
Now what exactly would I be doing on this platform, seemingly geared to other creatives in the comic industry? Simply this - accent on “creative” and Stephen thought I made the cut legitimately. So our talk wasn’t as fish-out-of-water as you might think: really just a Beatle-skewing pop culture conversation between friends that happened to encompass everything from The Monkees to comics in whatever form. It will be coming this Wednesday, so if you have any interest, just subscribe to Stephan’s channel - I’m sure I’ll link to it anyway once it’s live.
Stephan and I, in the Catskills
A related tangent: recall occasional guest and dear friend Carol Tyler? She is also what’s known as a comics artist (I foresee an intersection here…) and graphic novelist; she came my way with the publication of her fabulous Fab 4 Mania memoir and has been featured on several shows. Her latest work is just now out: The Ephemerata: Shaping the Exquisite Nature of Grief. This just in: the work received this write-up in the New York Times. Congratulations to Carol on another stellar installment in her body of work shining light on some of life’s most overwhelming and difficult to process experiences.
Last word: this week will be the first Everything Fab Four conference in Asbury Park, NJ. It begins on Thursday November 6 and runs through the evening of Saturday November 8. My slot will be on Friday at 10:30am but know now that it’s no big thing as far as I am concerned: I’ve been given a time slot (alongside other presenters) of around 20 minutes, so nothing grandiose from me (although the title is: Was It Just A Dream? “Yesterday” and the Butterfly Effect - sounds elegant, does it not?). We’ll see what we can cover in 1/3rd of an hour, but mostly I go because I have friends there who will make it worth your while if you are so inclined. I know I’ll figure out how to have a good time. If you do come and are moved to say “hi,” by all means. I am (mostly) not unapproachable, despite what Jerry says…
All best,
RR
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