Thursday, April 1, 2010

“[Ads by Yahoo!] The Beatles” plus 3

“[Ads by Yahoo!] The <b>Beatles</b>” plus 3

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[Ads by Yahoo!] The <b>Beatles</b>

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<b>Beatles</b> promoter Sid Bernstein to speak in Lawrence

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 10:15 PM PDT

By JOAN GALLER
Staff Writer

LAWRENCE — Sid Bernstein, the entertainment promoter who introduced the Beatles to America — and much of the ensuing British Invasion — plus other great artists is coming to Mercer County.

The legendary show biz agent-turned-promoter, who also helped revitalize the careers of Judy Garland and Tony Bennett, will be discussing his career and signing copies of his autobiography this Saturday 2-5 p.m. at Candela's Family Restaurant, 22 Lawn Park Ave., Lawrenceville.

Berstein, now 91 and living on Manhattan's upper East Side, is coming at the invitation of his longtime friend, Lawrenceville resident, John Anthony, a former professional singer and now president of Banner Records USA.

Anthony will introduce his latest find, pop music singing "sensation" Angelina, a Philadelphia resident. He will also accept for assessment CDs of copyrighted pop songs, both music and lyrics, from musicians and composers. The music submitted "must be copyrighted," he stressed.

Interviewed by phone earlier this week, Bernstein said he's looking forward to touring in Central Jersey this weekend and in May and June. He is scheduled to appear at Rider University, PNC Bank and the Princeton Library.

Bernstein is working as a consultant to Anthony and Banner Records. But his personal dream is to promote "one more important concert, maybe at the end of this year" at a major venue, such as Shea Stadium, before he calls it a day.

In his book, "It's Sid Bernstein Calling..," the Harlem-born, Yiddish-speaking impressario takes credit for reaching out to the Beatles' agent, Brian Epstein, and arranging their phenomenal debut concert at Carnegie Hall and two blockbuster concerts at Shea Stadium.

He went on to promote the Young Rascals, ABBA, The Rolling Stones, Moody Blues, and other acts, and to rejuvenate the careers of Tony Bennett with a sell-out concert at Carnegie Hall and a similar gig in Haddonfield — of all places — for the legendary Judy Garland, at a time when her drinking was undermining her talent and performing credibility.

Bernstein says his last promotional effort was a few years back at a New York nightspot called the Cutting Room.

"I want to do it again for the pure joy of being around the music, greeting the people," he said.

And greet the people he did this past weekend during the three-day Beatlefest in Secaucus, where Bernstein spoke about his involvement with the Beatles and and "made a lot of money" pitching his book and Shea Stadium posters.

In his book, Bernstein traces his rise as a born entrepreneur with a fondness for eclairs and napoleons to a hot-shot agent and promoter, recalling the Beatles' 1964 arrival in New York and the hordes of screaming fans outside the famous Plaza Hotel. Heady stuff indeed, and much more followed.

Yet Bernstein also devotes a chapter to his worst mistakes as an agent — passing up the chance to represent Barbra Streisand, who came to him when he was "too busy" and later found she was being signed by another agent, Neil Diamond, who was "offended" when Bernstein mentioned the word "audition," and Simon and Garfunkle.

"But I have no regrets," he insists. "It was a busy time for me; my wife had six children in nine years. I was working like the Lone Ranger, very busy. I've had a marvelous life, an incredible wife, children and three grandchildren."

Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra and other major stars entered the picture in the years that Bernstein worked with former agent-turned-movie producer Jerry Weintraub, whose credits include George Clooney films.

Though Bernstein's book was first published in 2002, he says "it's selling better now than ever. Thousands of people showed up to hear me and other people connected to the Beatles lecturing and to buy all sorts of memorabilia."

Fans of the Beatles and other greats promoted or represented by Bernstein are invited to come listen and ask questions. Complimentary refreshments will be served.

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<b>Beatles</b> Day fun is in its eleventh fab year

Posted: 31 Mar 2010 08:01 AM PDT

More than 380 musicians have already signed up for the annual extravaganza, which showcases more than 10 hours of Beatles covers across two stages at the White Rock Theatre.

Now in its 11th year, Beatles Day started in December 2000 as a one-off f

undraising event for Macmillan Cancer Support.

From those humble beginnings at Pissarro's, it spread to the Marina Pavilion in St Leonards and then later to Hastings Pier in 2004.

After three years in the pier's ballroom, it moved to the White Rock Theatre, where it has remained.

And in little more than a decade, the event has raised more than £75,000 for charity and cemented its place as one of the most popular days on the Hastings calendar.

This year's event, which is on Sunday, April 11, will include 15-minute sets from more than 60 bands.

And included in the line-up alongside the regulars are a full orchestra, a dance troupe and a host of first-timers making their Beatles Day debuts.

One of those taking their Beatles Day bow is German rock legend Tobias Kuenzel, who is jetting in just for the show.

Other highlights include slots from Brooke Sharkey, Jenny Jayne and the Playboys, The Pre Fab Four who will be performing a Ruttles set, and Hastings very own mod phenomena The Teenbeats.

Organiser Pete Prescott is anticipating another good year.

He said: "We have a lot of different style acts confirmed and it promises to be one of the best Beatles Days yet.

"There will be a host of songs performed – not just the old favourites. There is even one band calling themselves the Beastie Beatles Boys (Russell and Alfie Field) which I am really looking forward to seeing.

"We try and make sure there is a good variety of songs. We even have some people doing Yoko Ono tracks and I wouldn't be surprised to hear the occasional tune drift into the Frog Song."

However, despite the variety on show, there is one particular song Mr Prescott would like to hear. "Nobody has ever done Don't Pass Me By. It was written by Ringo Starr and has some brilliant lyrics."

Beatles Day performers should consider the musical gauntlet well and truly dropped.

Entry on the day is £10 for adults and £5 for children under 14. Family tickets are available at £25 for two adults and three children.

For more information visit: www.hastingsbeatlesday.org.uk.


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'Rain' dances around the <b>Beatles</b>

Posted: 01 Apr 2010 04:29 AM PDT

"Rain" falls on some very uneven ground.

Not as far as the performers' commitment to replicating the sound of the music of the Beatles, that is, judging from Tuesday's performance at the Tulsa PAC — the first in a weeklong run of "Rain — A Tribute to the Beatles" presented by Celebrity Attractions.

Musicians Joey Curatolo, Joe Bithorn, Ralph Castelli and David Leon, with ample assistance from keyboardist Mark Beyer, do a more than commendable job of recreating about 30 of the Fab Four's classic songs (with a couple of songs from John Lennon's solo career added for good measure).

They nail the bright, driving, rockabilly-influenced pop of the early Beatles, the psychedelia of the "Sgt. Pepper" era, and the edgy, fractured feel of the group's music as the band was falling apart.

The earlier music, to our ears at least, sounded the best — played with great energy and razor-sharp precision from the vocal harmonies to Bithorn's lead guitar riffs.

But it was impressive to hear songs that the Beatles never performed outside of a recording studio done live (a claim made by a disembodied voice prior to the show).

These included "A Day in the Life," the finale of the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album, done with a sonic power that made the final crashing chord reverberate in one's chest; the cacophony of drums and guitars that is "The End"; and the multitracked madness of "I Am the Walrus."

Bithorn got to stretch out a bit with the extended

solos on "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and supplied a good portion of the string quartet effects in "Eleanor Rigby."

None of the band is able to mimic the individual voices of the individual Beatles in completely convincing fashion. Curatolo does the best job of sounding like Paul McCartney, but the others are close enough that one can almost suspend disbelief.

So, Job No. 1 — playing Beatles music the way the Beatles played it — was well-handled. It's as a show that "Rain" strays into oddly schizophrenic territory.

Unlike the band 1964 — another Beatles tribute act that Celebrity Attractions has presented annually in Tulsa for more than two decades — "Rain" doesn't present itself as the Beatles.

They wear the outfits, from black suits to the Day-Glo uniforms of "Sgt. Pepper," they don wigs and facial hair, they speak and sing in approximations of a Liverpudlian accent, they adopt some of the mannerisms of John, Paul, George and Ringo — but they still work to maintain an identity as a band called Rain.

Curatolo, for example, plays bass and guitar right-handed, so instantly the picture that the band presents is "wrong" if it is trying to pass itself off as the Beatles.

The visuals that accompanied the show sometimes re-created moments in the Beatles' history, but with Rain members — and the Rain logo — being welcomed by a very poor Ed Sullivan impersonator, or answering questions at a press conference, etc.

Each change of costume is covered by video and music montages of the 1960s, geared to the time period more or less covered by the songs to follow — with the exception of a stretch of early 1960s commercials that had the Flintstones as pitchmen for cigarettes, among ads for Prell shampoo and the prize inside boxes of detergent.

So there is an element almost of parody or pastiche to "Rain — A Tribute to the Beatles," as if the band is giving the audience a wink.

Its members know they're not the Beatles, and they know that the audience knows it. They just hope everybody plays along, and has a good time in the process. Tuesday night's crowd did just that.

CONCERT

"Rain — A Tribute to the Beatles" continues with performances 7:30 p.m. Thursday, 8 p.m. Friday, 2 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday. For tickets: 596-7111, tulsaworld.com/mytix.

James D. Watts Jr. 581-8478
james.watts@tulsaworld.com

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