Tag Archives: John Lennon

Filmore East

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On June 27, 1971, rock venue “Fillmore East” was closed. Rock promoter Bill Graham opened “Fillmore East” on Second Avenue near East 6th Street in the East Village, in New York City, on March 8, 1968. In its three years of existence, some of the biggest acts in rock music performed in this venue. The “Fillmore East” was a companion to Graham’s “Fillmore Auditorium”, and its successor, the “Fillmore West”, in San Francisco.

Big number of live albums by famous artists was recorded in “Fillmore East”, including:

  • The Allman Brothers Band– At Fillmore East (1971)
  • The Allman Brothers Band– Fillmore East, February 1970 (released 1997) on Grateful Dead Records
  • The Allman Brothers Band- The 1971 Fillmore East Recordings six CD set of both early and late shows from March 12 and 13, 1971, and the complete closing show from June 27, 1971. released by The Island Def Jam Music Group, 2014
  • The Chambers Brothers– Love, Peace and Happiness, a double album with one studio disc and one live disc recorded at Bill Graham’s Fillmore East
  • Joe Cocker– Mad Dogs and Englishmen – The Complete Fillmore East Concerts – March 27–28, 1970 (released 2006)
  • Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young- 4 Way Street (1971)
  • Miles Davis– Live at the Fillmore East, March 7, 1970: It’s About That Time (2001); recorded March 7, 1970, in a rare live recording of Davis’s so-called ‘”lost quintet”
  • Miles Davis– Miles Davis at Fillmore: Live at the Fillmore East (1970); recorded June 17–20, 1970
  • Miles Davis- Miles At The Fillmore – Miles Davis 1970: The Bootleg Series Vol.3, four CD set of the complete shows from June 17, 18, 19 & 20, 1970 plus three bonus tracks from April 11, 1970 at Fillmore West. (released 2014, Columbia – Legacy)
  • Derek and the Dominos– In Concert; recorded October 23–24, 1970 (released 1973)
  • Derek and the Dominos– Live at the Fillmore ; recorded October 23–24, 1970 (released 1994)
  • Flying Burrito Brothers– Authorized Bootleg: Fillmore East, N.Y., N.Y. Late Show, Nov. 7, 1970 (CD, Feb-2011, Hip-O Select)
  • The Fugs– Golden Filth – Alive at the Fillmore East ; recorded June 1, 1968 (released on LP 1970, on CD as part of the Rhino Handmade 3-CD set, Electromagnetic Steamboat 2003)
  • Grateful Dead– Ladies and Gentlemen… The Grateful Dead: Fillmore East – April 1971 (2000) ; a four-disc set taken from their five-night stint at the Fillmore East in April 1971
  • Grateful Dead– Live at the Fillmore East 2-11-69 (1997)
  • Grateful Dead– History of the Grateful Dead, Volume One (Bear’s Choice) (February 13–14, 1970) (1973)
  • Grateful Dead– Dick’s Picks Volume Four – Grateful Dead Fillmore East 2/13–14/70 (1996) ; a three-disc set released on Grateful Dead Records
  • Grateful Dead– Road Trips Volume 3 Number 3 Fillmore East 5-15-70 ; a three-disc set with a bonus fourth disc included with early orders of the set from dead.net; (released 2010)
  • Jimi Hendrix– Band of Gypsys (1970) and Live at the Fillmore East (1999)
  • Humble Pie– Performance Rockin’ the Fillmore (1971). Performance Rockin’ The Fillmore The Complete Recordings, a four disc CD set with the early and late shows from both 5/28/71 and 5/29/71 (released by Omnivore Recordings 2013)
  • Incredible String Band- Live At The Fillmore 1968 ; recorded June 5, 1968; released by Hux Records Ltd, 2013.
  • Iron Butterfly- Fillmore East 1968 ; a two disc set recorded on April 26 & 27, 1968; released by Rhino Entertainment 2011.
  • Jefferson Airplane– Bless Its Pointed Little Head (1969)  ; this album was split between the Fillmore East and Fillmore West.
  • Jefferson Airplane– Live at the Fillmore East (recorded 1968; released 1998)
  • Jefferson Airplane– Sweeping Up the Spotlight: Jefferson Airplane Live at the Fillmore East 1969 (released 2007)
  • King Crimson– Epitaph – two-disc set with three tracks recorded at Fillmore East Nov. 21, 1969
  • King Crimson– Live at Fillmore East – one disc with both Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, 1969 partial sets (released in 2004 on The King Crimson Club label as Club 25)
  • Al Kooper& Mike Bloomfield – Fillmore East: The Lost Concert Tapes ; recorded Dec. 13–14, 1968 (released 2003)
  • Love– Studio / Live – live tracks recorded at Fillmore East (released on LP 1982, on CD 1991)
  • John Lennon and Yoko Ono – Live Jam – Side Two of this live album, which was included as a bonus album in Lennon & Ono’s Some Time in New York City (released: 1972), was recorded at the Fillmore East on June 6, 1971.
  • Taj Mahal– The Real Thing ; recorded Feb. 13, 1971 (remaster with one more track, released 2000)
  • Mountain– Flowers Of Evil – Side 2 recorded at Fillmore East, December 26, 1970
  • John Mayall– The Turning Point (1969) (released on CD 1990, remaster with three more tracks released 2001)
  • The Nice– Live at the Fillmore East December 1969 ; recorded December 19–20, 1969 (released 2009)
  • Laura Nyro– Spread Your Wings and Fly: Live at the Fillmore East (released 2004)
  • Quicksilver Messenger Service– Happy Trails; live tracks recorded at both Fillmore East & Fillmore West (CD released 1994)
  • Ten Years After– Live at the Fillmore East 1970 ; recorded February 27–28, 1970 (released 2001)
  • Johnny Winter– Live Johnny Winter And; recorded at Fillmore East and Pirate’s World, Dania, Florida (released 1971)
  • Johnny Winter– Live at the Fillmore East 10/3/70 (released 2010)
  • Neil Young & Crazy Horse– Live at the Fillmore East recorded March 6–7, 1970 (released on CD and DVD 2006)
  • Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention– Freaks And Motherfu*#@%! ; recorded in 1970 (released 1991)
  • Frank Zappa’s Mothers– Fillmore East – June 1971 (released 1971)

Plastic Ono Band: Give Peace A Chance

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GPAC

On June 1, 1969, in room 1742, in “Queen Elizabeth Hotel”, in Montreal, Canada,  John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded the song “Give Peace A Chance”. The song was written by Lennon and recorded by André Perry, using a simple setup of four microphones and a four-track tape recorder. Lennon played acoustic guitar, accompanied by Tommy Smothers from the “Smothers Brothers”, also on acoustic guitar. The recording session was attended by number of journalists and celebrities, including Petula Clark, Timothy Leary, Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, Joseph Schwartz, Rosemary Woodruff Leary, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg, Murray the K and Derek Taylor. The song was released as a single by “Plastic Ono Band” on July 4, 1969 (UK), on “Apple” label. “Give peace a chance” became an anthem of the American anti-war movement during the 70’s.

Rolling Stone Magazine First Number

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RS

On November 9, 1967, the first issue of “Rolling Stone” magazine was published in San Francisco. The name of the magazine have been created from three sources: the Muddy Waters song, the first rock ‘n’ roll record by Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. The magazine was founded by Jann Wenner, who is still the magazine’s editor-in-chief, and music critic Ralph J. Gleason. The magazine became popular for its musical coverage and  for political reporting by Hunter S. Thompson. The first issue cover featured a photo of John Lennon, dressed in army fatigues from his recent movie “How I Won the War”.

The Beatles: Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

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12

On May 26, 1967, “Parlaphone” label released “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, the eighth Beatles (The) studio album. It was recorded 24 November 1966 – 21 April 1967, at “EMI Studios” and “Regent Sound Studio” in London, and was produced by George Martin. The album is regarded as the first concept and art album in popular music. “Time” magazine described it as “a historic departure in the progress of music” It was an immediate commercial and critical success, winning four “Grammy Awards” in 1968, including “Album of the Year”, becoming the first rock album to receive this award. “Rolling Stone” magazine ranked “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” at number one in its list of the “500 Greatest Albums of All Time”. “Oxford Encyclopedia of British Literature” (Professor Kevin J. Dettmar) described it as “the most important and influential rock and roll album ever recorded”.

Personnel:

  • John Lennon– lead, harmony and background vocals; rhythm, acoustic and lead guitars; Hammond organ and final piano E chord; harmonica, tape loops, sound effects, and comb and tissue paper; hand claps, tambourine, maracas
  • Paul McCartney– lead, harmony and background vocals; bass and lead guitars; electric and acoustic pianos, Lowrey and Hammond organs; hand claps; vocalisations, tape loops, sound effects, comb, tissue paper
  • George Harrison– lead, harmony and background vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, sitar; tambourine, harmonica, kazoo, hand claps, maracas
  • Ringo Starr– lead vocals, drums, congas, tambourine, maracas, handclaps and tubular bells, harmonica; final piano E chord
  • Sounds Incorporated– the saxophone sextet on “Good morning, good morning”
  • Neil Aspinall– tamboura, harmonica
  • Geoff Emerick– audio engineering; tape loops and sound effects
  • Mal Evans– counting, harmonica, alarm clock, final piano E chord
  • George Martin– tape loops, sound effects, harpsichord , harmonium, Lowrey organ, glockenspiel, Hammond organ , piano , final harmonium chord
  • Four French horns on “Sgt. Pep per’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”: Neill Sanders, James W. Buck, John Burden, Tony Randall,  arranged and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney,
  • String section and harp on “She’s leaving home”, arranged by Mike Leander and conducted by George Martin
  • Tabla, dilrubas, tamboura and swarmandalon “Within you without you”, played by members of the Asian Music Circle, with eight violins and four cellos arranged and conducted by George Harrison and George Martin
  • Clarinet trio on “When I’m Sixty-Four”: Robert Burns, Henry MacKenzie, Frank Reidy, arranged and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney
  • Saxophones on “Good morning, good morning”, arranged and conducted by George Martin and John Lennon
  • Forty-piece orchestra, including strings,  brass,  woodwinds, percussion; arranged by George Martin, John Lennon and Paul McCartney and conducted by George Martin and Paul McCartney.

Track listing

All tracks by John Lennon and Paul McCartney except where noted.

  1. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
  2. With a Little Help From My Friends
  3. Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds
  4. Getting Better
  5. Fixing a Hole
  6. She’s Leaving Home
  7. Being for the Benefit of Kite
  8. Within You Without You – George Harrison
  9. When I’m Sixty Four
  10. Lovely Rita
  11. Good Morning Good Morning
  12. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band – reprise
  13. A Day in the Life