By Bob Berry

This is just genius. No other word.

The Beatles are preparing to re-release a remastered and expanded version of the “1” album, which was the first compilation of all the group’s #1 songs when it was originally released 15 years ago.

And as a teaser, the group have released a video, with stunning restored audio, of the closing song of Sgt. Pepper, “A Day In The Life“. And it’s not just the audio that will blow you away, it’s the video. Clips of “the boys” messing with pals Keith Richards and Mick Jagger, cross-cut with shots of an orchestra preparing to lay for an early session on the album.

The intro, the first few notes of the acoustic guitar, plus the piano, brought tears to my eyes.

A note on digital remastering. At the time of the “1” album’s original release, digital technology allowed certain improvements, the most prominent of which was tape noise reduction. But much like you and I moving from a desktop to a hand-held device, digital audio tools have allowed…not so much a complete re-do, but rather an enhancement of the original recording, bringing us as close as we have been to being with the band, in Studio B at Abbey Road.

Thank goodness for the standards in the audio recording process by the “men in white coats” at Abbey Road.

By Bob Berry

A quickie here, something I found on line that’s so cool.

A drummer by the name of Kye Smith, drums his way through The Beatles’ catalog of hits, in five minutes! A few seconds here, a few seconds there, a few pauses for songs like “Yesterday”.

It’s a mesmerizing video (nice touch with the rooftop), and apparently not the first outing for Mr. Smith, who has also done the same “trick” for Blink 182 and Green Day.

Here’s the list of song, in chronological order, with thanks to my old pals at 101.1 WCBS-FM.

By Bob Berry

October 5, 1962. The Beatles released their first single in the U.K., “Love Me Do“.

Surprisingly, if only in retrospect, it didn’t sell all that well, peaking at #17 on the charts, and it wasn’t released in the U.S. until 1964! And yet within the next year or so, the world would know that the release of “Love Me Do” was a turning point for The Beatles, and in our lives, too.

Ringo, who played tambourine, not drums on the single, said it best:

“….That first piece of plastic. You can’t believe how great that was. It was so wonderful. We were on a record!”

And to think “P.S. I Love You” was only good enough to be the flip side!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JaIQfmE_LCQ

By Bob Berry

51 years later, it’s astounding.

A recording by the greatest group of all-time, with perhaps the most recognizable chorus of all-time, that ultimately went to Number One and was #64 on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs Of All Time.

And their record label didn’t want it, radio barely played it and it sold about 1,000 copies!

Such was the fate of The Beatles’ “She Loves You“, released-not by Capitol Records, but by Philly’s Swan Records (Palisades Park) 51 years ago today, September 16, 1963!

Astounding?

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!

By Bob Berry

It started on September 8, 1965, with an ad in The Hollywood Reporter for “4 insane boys” for acting roles in a new TV series.

In a year, history would be made, and The Monkees were born.

Sure, we had seen something like it already, The Beatles in “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Help!”.

But The Beatles didn’t live in cool Malibu pad, nor drive one of the coolest cars ever. And as for the songs, nothing touches The Beatles catalog; but the combined efforts of Boyce and Hart, Neil Diamond, Carole King and Gerry Goffin, plus LA’s Wrecking Crew made the Monkees’ music pop perfect.

And for 3 short years, Mickey, Davy, Mike and Peter ruled TV and Radio. The concerts, the record sales, the merchandising, were a phenomenon. And then it died, done in by the poorly received movie “Head“, changing tastes and well, time.  The Monkees soon had a new “first name”, “whateverhapppenedto”.

Then 1986 happened. The Monkee Marathon on MTV, followed by the 20th anniversary reunion tour, with the Keener Generation, now mostly in their mid-30’s, was primed for a blowout with their idols. Mickey was still goofy cool. Davy was still “OMG”, according to my then-girlfriend Mary, when we and 15,000 friends saw them in concert (and sang all the words!) outdoors in Grand Haven, Michigan.

And now, it’s 50 years later. Davy is gone, sadly missed. Mike, still the reluctant one. Peter, and especially Mickey, the Monkees heartbeat, carrying on the flame. And we are about to find out if history will be repeated. Rhino has announced the entire remastered TV series, plus the movie “Head”, the 1969 TV special and TONS of bonus material will be released on January 28th, 2016, and only on sale through the Monkees’ website. All the details are here.

The Monkee Mania, is here.

By Bob Berry

Labor Day Weekend is here, the official end of Michigan’s all-too-short summer.

Labor Day also coincides with the opening of college football season, and the buzz over the re-build in Ann Arbor, and the re-load in East Lansing. Plus, the kids will (finally?) head back to school-and won’t Tuesday morning be fun!

Of course, Labor Day celebrates The American Worker. So for this week’s Friday Songs, here’s a Keener Countdown of the Top 5 songs about work. Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

#5. Jersey Boys checking in, this Four Seasons song from 1966, was later a hit for The Spinners in ’79.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sfpm2I0dev8

#4. The great Sam Cooke, with a song he wrote that went all the way to #2, in time for Labor Day, 1960.

#3. Tommy James was just “makin a livin’..”, he wrote it, produced it, and you made it Top 5 on Keener in 1971.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qmS_arelR-M

#2. The Beatles, who could have been a Top 5 on the own! We picked a favorite, the title song to their first movie!

#1. Lee Dorsey, top 10 in the summer of ’66. Because somewhere along the line, over Labor Day weekend, you’ll be kickin’ back, lovin’ life and need a groove. And there a few grooves better than a New Orleans groove!

By Bob Berry

It was 50 years ago this weekend. The Beatles changed, like they changed a lot of things, the live concert experience.

The Beatles played Shea Stadium in Queens, New York.

Oh, sure, there would still be shows at the Masonic Temple, or the Fox Theatre. But for the really big groups, August 15, 1965 showed the way to new venues, opportunities and riches.

Play baseball stadiums when you can. Make major arenas, seating 14-17,000 the norm. And while it is true that it took a few years for the sound and light capability to catch up and properly showcase the artist, there was no waiting, and no turning back. Not from the moment that Ed Sullivan said those words..”here are The Beatles!”

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xodm5p_the-beatles-live-at-shea-stadium_shortfilms

There’s an interesting side note to the ’65 show. On July 16 and 18, 2008, Billy Joel played two concerts before the legendary Shea Stadium met the wrecking ball. The first of the two Last Play At Shea concerts closed with Paul McCartney joining Billy on stage, and how Paul got to the show, and who he met before going on stage; is nearly as compelling at Sir Paul and Billy knocking “I Saw Her standing There” out of the park!

By Bob Berry

A Heads-up for McCartney Fans: Save the date!

Sir Paul will re-release two of his notable solo albums, Tug Of War and Pipes Of Peace on October 2nd. Both albums are being re-mixed and re-masterd and will be available in multiple formats on digital audio and video discs, digital downloads and 2-LP vinyl.

Tug of War, released in 1982, was a world-wide smash, hitting # 1 in the U.S. and the U.K. The first McCartney project after the breakup of Wings, it featured Linda McCartney, “Wings-man” Denny Laine and Ringo Starr, plus Motown’s own Stevie Wonder, on “Ebony and Ivory”, which was #1 for seven weeks!

Pipes of Peace, released a year later, also featured Linda, Denny and Ringo, though it was a relatively less successful album, hitting Top 5 in the U.K, but only #15 in the U.S. This, in spite of two songs featuring Michael Jackson, including the #1 world-wide single “Say, Say, Say”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QC2Grms55Fw

You know, it’s never too early to start writing down the Christmas Wish List.

By Bob Berry

Today is the anniversary of The Beatles album Yesterday and Today starting 5 weeks at Number One in the U.S. back in 1966.

And in celebration of the LP that gave us “Nowhere Man”, “We Can Work It Out”, “Yesterday” and 7 other great tunes, I wanted to share an amazing website with you: “Inside Abbey Road“, presented by Google.

It’s an extraordinary, interactive website, with layer upon layer of photos, videos and anecdotes of perhaps the greatest-certainly the most famous, recording studio in the world.The place where The Beatles and so many others (The Hollies, Pink Floyd, The London Symphony Orchestra) made music history.

Here’s the preview, click the link above, or here, to go “Inside Abbey Road”.

By Bob Berry

One of our good friends of Keener13.com, Jeff Smith, found this video on Facebook this morning, and it’s fantastic.

Paul, George and Ringo Starr jamming on Bill Monroe’s bluegrass classic (and Elvis’ first hit), “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” at George’s studio at his Friar Park mansion in Henley-on-Thames, England on June 23, 1994.

It’s so interesting to watch Paul messing with a chord, then George getting the right one. The two of them working out a harmony. And Ringo jumping in with a basic beat, plus giving a nod at the end, before they finish the song with a flourish.

When people wonder why we find The Beatles so fascinating, here’s another of the million reasons why!

By Bob Berry

Can you believe it? Ringo Starr celebrates his 75th birthday today! How did he celebrate? By holding his annual “Peace and Love” celebration at the home of The Beatles in America, The Capitol Records Tower.

How do we at Keener 13.com celebrate?  By sharing favorite Ringo/Beatles video!  And let’s kick it off, with Paul’s surprise appearance at Ringo’s 70th birthday party.  And what a moment when they share a hug after the song!

Next up, a drummer’s all-star salute to Ringo, specially produced for his recent induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. (Caution: Some adult language, not suitable for office viewing)

And last but not least, Live on the BBC and in all it’s 52 year-old glory, Ringo’s take on The Shirelles’ smash “Boys”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27-q6TmJZA4

A final thought. The Beatles’ producer Sir George Martin is quoted as having said “I didn’t need a drum machine, I had Ringo”.

Happy Birthday, Peace and Love.