1+ - part five

The second DVD in this collection - the + in the title 1+ - brings together a number of alternate promotional films and videos that were made by the group (not all of them, however, which was a criticism by some fans at the time of its release).  Also on display on this disc are some other promos made over the years to coincide with the release of various compilations, and even one associated with the soundtrack of the Las Vegas show Love.

Twist and Shout - This stark black and white videotape from the Granada/ITV program Scene at 6:30 was shot in August of 1963.  Most of it simply goes back and forth from one close up of John delivering his solo lines to another of Paul and George singing their answering phrases.  Ringo is seen in the background either brightly lit from below or as a large shadow on the back wall of the set.  They wear black turtlenecks as they mime to their original recording from the album Please Please Me.

Baby It's You - This promo was made for the 1995 release of the single and EP of Baby It's You following the success of the compilation Live at the BBC.  It uses many of the still photos from that collection's booklet, as well as some stock footage of fans camped out waiting for a show and surging crowds being held back by bobbies.  Best of all is the 8mm color film of the boys goofing around outside the BBC Paris Theatre shot by Kevin Neill of the Karl Denver Trio in April of 1963.  And there are a few shots of  Neil Aspinall's rundown van, which transported the group all around the UK for years before they became world famous.

Words of Love - This piece was put together to promote the collection On Air - Live at the BBC in 2013.  It uses some of the same footage from outside the BBC Paris Theatre as the previous entry, plus shots of the group in a studio's control room, at an airport with masses of fans, and even a few bits from A Hard Day's Night.  There is some animation interspersed here and there, including a bit about the time Mal Evans punched out the cracked windscreen of Neil's van.  The accompanying audio is from a performance of the Buddy Holly tune from an episode of Pop Go the Beatles in 1963.

Please Please Me - This great song, which I continue to believe should always have been on the original collection 1, is finally represented by a clip from the Ed Sullivan Show.  This performance is from the group's third appearance on the program, broadcast on January 23rd, 1964, but actually shot first on the afternoon of January 9th before their historic live appearance later that evening.  This black and white videotape features the typical shots of screaming fans in the audience and shows the band in their usual positions, with John a little bit forward in his signature bow-legged stance.  The delivery of the song, by the way, is flawless.

I Feel Fine - At some point during the long day at Twickenham Film Studios in November of 1965, while shooting ten different promotional videos, some fish and chips were delivered and put on the floor of the set.  As the boys gathered around, eating with their fingers, their guitars still strapped on, the cameras kept rolling and playback of this song began.  John looks up, surprised, as the opening feedback is heard, mimes singing a little in between bites, then his attention drifts to a story in the greasy newspaper.  During the guitar solo, George hops onto the exercise bicycle and pedals a bit.  Ringo merely continues eating throughout.  Manager Brian Epstein was not amused by any of this.  Of all the promos shot on this date, this is the only one not to be distributed for broadcast.  Fortunately, we are allowed to see it on this collection.  It was stored away for years, labelled by some wag as "I Feel Fried."

1+ - part four

In 1969 and 1970, the Beatles shifted their promotional model once again.  Some of their final number one singles merely used Michael Lindsey-Hogg's footage from the Get Back sessions in January of '69.  Another was comprised of found footage from John and Yoko's recent exploits.  Only one required new footage specifically shot for the occasion, yet the four members of the group shot their contributions separately.  Still, as with the more unified efforts from the previous years, these new forms proved to be influential for decades to come.

Get Back - The world probably got its first glimpse of the famous rooftop concert with the release of this promotional film, which combines Michael Lindsey-Hogg's footage from all three performances of this song during that historic event.  The action does not always match up perfectly with the recording made a few days earlier in the basement studio of the Apple building, but it is glorious nonetheless, including a few shots of the bobbies grouped behind Billy Preston, waiting to shut the whole thing down.

The Ballad of John and Yoko - There's a lot to unpack in this one, which is nicely put together.  John and Yoko are seen in the back of his white Rolls-Royce, in black and white footage from their Amsterdam bed-in, and sitting in a bag at a press conference in Vienna.  Apple executive Peter Brown is seen on the phone when he is mentioned in the lyrics.  All of this is interspersed with a good deal of Michael Lindsey-Hogg's footage of all four Beatles during the early days of the Get Back project at Twickenham Film Studios, giving the impression that this recording is a group effort, even though only John and Paul play on the record.  The cleverest bit occurs when a lone devotee of Krishna is seen sitting in a corner at Twickenham on the line "you don't take nothing with you but your soul."

Something - While the four Beatles could not be bothered to get together to shoot a promotional film for George Harrison's only A-side, they did agree to be seen with their wives, which actually makes for a rather nice piece to accompany this great love song.  Longtime assistant Neil Aspinall shot George and Pattie in Esher, John and Yoko at Tittenhurst, and Ringo and Maureen near their home.  Paul and Linda provided their own footage from Scotland, including some shots of themselves frolicking with sheepdog Martha.

Come Together - This is an animated film that was created for the original release of the album 1 and the launch of the group's website in 2000.  The figures of the Beatles are clothed as on the cover of Abbey Road.  They are seen floating with umbrellas, riding go carts and sitting in large teacups like those at amusement parks.  At times, they are also seen with guitars and Ringo wearing a big marching band bass drum.  Near the end of the song, they march across a giant spiraling keyboard resembling the zebra crossing on the famous album cover.

Let it Be - Michael Lindsey-Hogg's footage from January 31st in the Apple basement studio accompanies the single version of McCartney's great hymn.  Thus, though we see George playing a guitar solo on film, what we hear is his overdubbed solo from April of 1969.  While there are no shots of Billy Preston, we do see Yoko sitting on the floor beside John.

The Long and Winding Road - For this clip of their final American single, we hear the actual sound from January 31st instead of Phil Spector's orchestra and choir.  This is, in fact, an entirely different take shot on that day.  We thus get some vocal variations from Paul, including alternate words at times.  Billy Preston is seen here, playing a nice solo in place of the huge orchestration we are used to hearing.  Curiously, the final shot is the exact same one we just saw at the end of Let it Be, showing Glyn Johns and part of the film crew off to the side of the grand piano.