The Beatles- Tell Me What You See

by Peter Checksfield

  06-06-87 – ‘The Princes Trust Concert’, Wembley Arena, London (UK)

  Stand By Me [Performed by Ben E. King] / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Here Comes The Sun / With A Little Help From My Friends [Performed by Ringo Starr]

  Almost a year after Paul starred in this annual charity event, George and Ringo did the same. With an all-star band that includes Eric Clapton, Elton John, Jeff Lynne, Phil Collins, Ben E. King, Midge Ure and Mark King, George and Ringo join Ben E. King to assist on his classic (also a hit for John), then, with Ringo on drums, he performs 2 Beatles classics, and finally, Ringo runs to the microphone to perform his song. George sounds wonderful, and Ringo sounds rusty vocally, but everyone seems to enjoy the experience. The show was broadcast on 20-06-87, unfortunately with ‘Here Comes The Sun’ omitted, but that was rectified when an extended version of the show was released on VHS the following year.

  00-10-87 – Promo Video #1

  Got My Mind Set On You

  Thanks largely to the encouragement and production skills of Jeff Lynne, in the late ‘80s George became more successful than he’d been at any other time since 1971. The album ‘Cloud Nine’ was a UK No. 10 and US No. 8, while ‘Got My Mind Set On You’, the first and biggest hit from the album, reached No. 2 in the UK and topped the charts in the USA. Not bad for a man who’d all but quit the music business a few years earlier! 2 completely different videos were made, with this first one featuring a young man and woman in an amusement arcade, and George being seen performing the song on a screen. This is on ‘The Dark Horse Years 1976 – 1992’, though it also circulates as ‘raw’ footage, featuring just George and the band.

  00-10-87 – Promo Video #2

  Got My Mind Set On You

  Perhaps not entirely happy with the 1st video, a 2nd one was made, featuring George sitting in an armchair, in a room where all sorts of weird and wonderful things go on. Available in 2 different edits, this was shown on ‘Top Of The Pops’ on 05-11-87 and 26-11-87, and is on ‘The Dark Horse Years 1976 – 1992’.

  20-01-88 – ‘The Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame’, The Waldorf-Astoria, New York (USA)

  Twist and Shout / All Along The Watchtower / I Saw Her Standing There / Stand By Me / Stop! In The Name Of Love / Medley: Whole Lotta Shaking Going On - Hound Dog - Hi Ho Silver / Born On The Bayou / Like A Rolling Stone / (I Can't Get No) Satisfaction [Songs feature Ringo Starr, Mick Jagger, The Beach Boys, Ben E. King, John Fogerty and others]

  Starting in 1986, ‘The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ became an annual event, where notable musicians from the past are inducted, and usually perform afterwards. This year, The Beatles were inducted, and although Paul declined to attend, George and Ringo were there, along with Yoko, Julian and Sean. Afterwards there was a loose, messy but fun jam, at times featuring George and Ringo, along with the other inductees.

  0-02-88 – Promo Video

  When We Was Fab [with Ringo Starr]

  Taped on 18-12-87, this combines the wit of George’s best ‘70s videos with late ‘80s technology and surreal ‘60s visuals, making something very memorable and unique. George wears his ‘Sgt. Pepper’ suit for the 3rd time in a music video (the others being ‘Hello Goodbye’ and ‘Ding Dong, Ding Dong’), while Ringo makes an appearance, as does ‘the walrus’, playing bass (George later joked that it was indeed Paul in the costume, but Paul insisted that it wasn’t). The video is probably better than the song, but it still got to No. 25 in the UK and No. 23 in the USA, and can be found on ‘The Dark Horse Years 1976 – 1992’.

  00-06-88 – Promo Video

  This Is Love

  Although lacking the zaniness of the other recent videos, this one, filmed outdoors in Hawaii, is still extremely good. A UK No. 55 hit, the video is on ‘The Dark Horse Years 1976 – 1992’.

  00-10-88 – Promo Video – THE TRAVELING WILBURYS

  Handle With Care

  Instead of following up a big selling album with another one, George’s next move was more surprising: the forming of a supergroup. Featuring George along with Bob Dylan, Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne and Roy Orbison, their 1st and best single was ‘Handle With Care’. A UK No. 21 and US No. 2, the album ‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 1’ did even better in the UK, reaching No. 1, as well as No. 3 in the USA. The video, of which there a couple of different edits, is on the 2007 ‘The Traveling Wilburys Collection’ DVD, albeit cropped to 16:9 format.

  08-01-89 – ‘The Movie Life Of George’ (UK)

  Honey Don’t / That’s Alright Mama [with Carl Perkins]

  The highlight of this documentary was 2 songs taped at a private party in Shepperton Studios on 01-10-88, featuring Carl Perkins with George and Joe Brown.

  00-02-89 – Promo Video – THE TRAVELING WILBURYS

  End Of The Line

  Just 4 days before the taping for this video on 10-12-88, Roy Orbison suddenly passed away, so, rather than cancel the shoot, they simply showed his guitar in an empty chair as a tribute. Only getting to No. 52 in the UK but No. 2 in the USA, the video, set in a railway carriage, is on ‘The Traveling Wilburys Collection’.

  00-04-89 – Promo Video – TOM PETTY

  I Won’t Back Down [with Ringo Starr]

  Taped on 22/23-03-89, Tom Petty is joined by both George and Ringo on this video. Unfortunately Ringo couldn’t make the 2nd day of shooting, so a look-a-like was used for some distant shots, much to George’s annoyance. The single reached No. 28 in the UK and No. 12 in the USA.

  00-06-90 – Promo Video – THE TRAVELING WILBURYS

  Nobody’s Child

  Released as a charity single to aid Romanian orphans, this video features cartoons, intercut with footage of the orphans, and no footage of the band themselves. A No. 44 UK hit, this video wasn’t included on ‘The Traveling Wilburys Collection’, unlike all their other singles.

  00-06-90 – Promo Video – JEFF LYNNE

  Every Little Thing

  With a similar sound to The Traveling Wilburys and Tom Petty singles, George and Tom make the briefest of cameos in this semi-animated video.

  00-06-90 – Promo Video – JEFF LYNNE

  Lift Me Up

  In a semi-animated video similar to the previous one, George again makes a brief appearance, this time dressed as a devil!

  00-11-90 – Promo Video #1 – THE TRAVELING WILBURYS

  She’s My Baby

  Carrying on as a 4-piece rather than replacing Roy, ‘She’s My Baby’ only got to No. 79 in the UK, but just missed the top spot at No. 2 in the USA, while the band’s 2nd and last album, jokingly entitled ‘Traveling Wilburys Vol. 3’, got to No. 14 in the UK and No. 11 in the USA. More or less a straight performance video, there are 2, quite different, edits for this. One of them is on ‘The Traveling Wilburys Collection’.

  00-10-90 – Promo Video – THE TRAVELING WILBURYS

  Inside Out

  Another straight performance video, again, a rather different edit of this No. 16 US hit was included on ‘The Traveling Wilburys Collection’.

  00-03-91 – Promo Video – THE TRAVELING WILBURYS

  Wilbury Twist

  Taped on 18-01-91, like all the songs from the 2nd album, this is available in more than 1 edit, this time at least 3 of them. A US No. 46 hit, this is on ‘The Traveling Wilburys Collection’.

  00-12-91 – The Tokyo Dome, Tokyo (Japan)

  Taxman / Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) / Cloud 9 / Cheer Down / Devil's Radio

  If forming a supergroup was surprising, George’s next move was even more so, a tour of Japan, which lasted from 01-12-91 to 17-12-91. There was a full ‘Live In Japan’ official album, and it’s well worth checking out, but the above are the only professionally filmed songs to so far be shown publicly. Taped at one of the Tokyo shows on either the 14th, 15th or 17th (no-one can quite agree which), ‘Taxman’, ‘Cloud 9’, ‘Cheer Down’ and ‘Devil’s Radio’ were released on ‘The Dark Horse Years 1976 – 1992’ DVD, and ‘Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)’ is on ‘The Apple Years’ DVD. Fans eagerly awa
it the release of a full show. Apart from this tour and the earlier 1974 USA tour, George was to play just one more full length show, and that was in London’s Royal Albert Hall on 06-04-92. In aid of The Natural Law Party, he performed a set similar to the Japanese shows, and was joined for the encore by Ringo. A historic and unique occasion, but sadly this wasn’t professionally filmed.

  06-06-92 – ‘Mr Roadrunner’ (UK)

  Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea

  Playing a ukulele, and backed by a band that includes Jools Holland and Joe Brown, this is a lovely version of an old jazz standard. It would later be released on the posthumous ‘Brainwashed’ album.

  16-10-92 – ‘Columbia Records Celebrates The Music Of Bob Dylan’, Madison Square Garden, New York (USA)

  If Not For You / Absolutely Sweet Marie / My Back Pages [with Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Eric Clapton] / Knocking On Heaven’s Door [finale, with Bob Dylan, Roger McGuinn, Tom Petty, Neil Young and Eric Clapton and entire cast]

  Backed by Booker T. and The M.G.’s, George was the highlight of this lengthy tribute concert. Looking much the same as he did in 1967, he’d never sounded better, with ‘Absolutely Sweet Marie’ being particularly impressive. It was the last time he ever played on a concert stage.

  A top selling album, a supergroup, a Japanese tour… whatever will he do next, reform The Beatles?

  23-06-94 – Friar Park, Henley-on-Thames (UK) – THE THREETLES

  See the PAUL McCARTNEY section for more details!

  00-04-95 – Promo Video – GARY WRIGHT

  Don’t Try To Own Me

  Just as he’d done on ‘The Dick Cavett Show’ in 1971, George greatly enhanced a song by Gary Wright. This time though, he sang, almost as a duet, and can be both heard and seen in this video, taped around 3 years earlier circa 1992.

  24-07-97 – ‘George & Ravi – Yin & Yang’ (USA)

  All Things Must Pass / Prahbujee [with Ravi Shankar] / Any Road / If You Belonged To Me

  On 14-05-97, George joined his old friend Ravi Shankar and Ravi’s wife Sukanya, primarily to promote Ravi’s album ‘Chants Of India’, which George produced. During the interview George played 4 songs, listed above. ‘All Things Must Pass’ and ‘Prahbujee’ (from Ravi’s album) were broadcast on 24-07-97, but ‘Any Road’ (later on ‘Brainwashed’) and The Traveling Wilburys’ ‘If You Belonged To Me’ were not broadcast until after George’s death. Incidentally, after the taping, George wrote to the show, requesting that the songs weren’t shown. They declined his request.

  23-01-98 – Carl Perkins’ Funeral, R.E. Womack Memorial Chapel, Jackson, TN (USA)

  Your True Love

  How poignant that George, such a fan of Carl Perkins that he’d briefly called himself ‘Carl Harrison’ in The Beatles’ pre-fame days, should do his last public performance at his hero’s memorial service.

  George Harrison died on 29-11-01.

  2003/2001 – Promo Video

  Any Road

  The posthumous ‘Brainwashed’ album, released in November 2002, had been a very long time coming, with George working on it, on and off, from 1988 until his death in 2001, with it then completed by his son Dhani and Jeff Lynne. The oldest song on the album was ‘Any Road’, and this was released as a single in May 2003, along with a video featuring footage from throughout his whole career. The single didn’t chart, but the well-received ‘Brainwashed’ did get to No. 29 in the UK and No. 18 in the USA.

  2006/1973 – Promo Video

  Living In The Material World

  This specially made video is 1 of 3 that was released on the ‘Living In The Material World’ deluxe CD/DVD, but unlike the other 2, isn’t on any other release.

  2006/1973 – Promo Video

  Miss O’Dell

  Compiled from still images, this is ‘The Apple Years’ DVD.

  2006/1973 – Promo Video

  Sue Me Sue You Blues

  Made for a previously unreleased demo of the song, this is a mixture of animation and lyrics. Again, it can be found on ‘The Apple Years’ DVD.

  2014/1970 – Promo Video

  What Is Life

  From the ‘All Things Must Pass’ album, this features a storyline of a boy and girl dancing outdoors before meeting. Not the greatest of videos, despite the undoubted quality of the song.

  RINGO STARR

  06-02-68 – ‘Cilla!’ (UK) – MISSING/LOST

  Nellie Dean / Do You Like Me? [both songs are with Cilla Black]

  Of all The Beatles, it is Ringo who has always been the most unthreatening, family-friendly, entertainer, with he being a natural for good old fashioned pre-rock ‘n’ roll show business. Here Ringo does a couple of entertaining duets with host Cilla Black, performing two songs that date from the early part of the 20th Century. Unfortunately the footage is long lost, but an audio still survives.

  24-12-69 – ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’ (UK) – MISSING/LOST

  Octopus’s Garden

  During 1968 – 1970, the line between The Beatles’ group and solo careers often blurred, and that was never more so than here. On 08-12-69, Ringo went into Abbey Road studios to overdub a new lead vocal onto The Beatles’ version of ‘Octopus’s Garden’, with anonymous session musicians overdubbing new piano, guitar and bass. The reason for this new Beatles/solo mix was for Ringo to mime on ‘With A Little Help From My Friends’, a TV special honouring George Martin that was taped on 14-12-69.

  00-03-70 – Promo Video

  Sentimental Journey

  Ringo’s solo debut, ‘Sentimental Journey’, was an album of standards, and although no singles were released, an elaborate video was made for the title track. Taped at London’s Talk Of The Town on 15-03-70, a short-haired Ringo, wearing a tuxedo and pink bow tie, mimes to a new alternate vocal, while backed by an orchestra and the vocal trio of Marsha Hunt, Madeline Bell and Doris Troy. The video was shown in the UK on ‘Frost On Sunday’ on 29-03-70 and on ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ on 17-05-70, and is also on ‘Photograph: The Best of Ringo Starr’, the frustratingly short 6-song bonus DVD for the CD of the same name, though with the alternate audio replaced by the studio recording. The ‘Sentimental Journey’ album sold well, getting to No. 7 in the UK and No. 22 in the USA. He followed this with the fine Nashville-recorded country album ‘Beaucoups Of Blues’, which got to No. 87 in the USA, with the single of the same name getting to No. 65, though none of them were hits in the UK, and nor were any promo videos made.

  13-02-71 – ‘Cilla!’ (UK) – MISSING/LOST

  Act Naturally [with Cilla Black]

  Taped on 01-10-70 and backed by an orchestra, Ringo and Cilla duet on The Beatles and Buck Owens’ classic song.

  00-04-71 – Promo Video #1

  It Don’t Come Easy

  Ringo’s 1st UK solo single and one of his best, ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ got to No. 4 in both the UK and USA. For this song, 2 completely different videos were made. This first one is compiled from Ringo’s home movies, from various locations and dates, some of them dating back as far as 1968. Broadcast on ‘Top Of The Pops’ on 22-04-71, this is also on ‘Photograph: The Best of Ringo Starr’.

  00-04-71 – Promo Video #2

  It Don’t Come Easy

  Taped in Norway on 27-04-71, where Ringo was also taping a TV appearance with Cilla Black, this video features Ringo playing piano in the snow, and was broadcast just 2 days later on ‘Top Of The Pops’. 2 different edits survive, but none are on the official DVD.

  01-08-71 – ‘The Concert For Bangladesh’, Madison Square Garden, New York – SOUNDCHECK (USA)

  If Not For You [Performed by Bob Dylan with George Harrison on harmony vocals] / Come On In My Kitchen [Performed by Leon Russell]

  These songs were featured as bonus material on the 2005 DVD issue.

  01-08-71 – ‘The Concert For Bangladesh’, Evening Show, Madison Square Garden, New York (USA)

  Wah Wah / My Sweet Lord / Awaiting On You All / That's The Way God Planned It
[Performed by Billy Preston] / It Don't Come Easy [Performed by Ringo Starr] / Beware Of Darkness [with Leon Russell] / While My Guitar Gently Weeps / Medley: Jumpin’ Jack Flash – Youngblood [Performed by Leon Russell] / Here Comes The Sun / A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall [Performed by Bob Dylan] / It Takes A Lot To Laugh, It Takes A Train To Cry [Performed by Bob Dylan] / Blowin' In The Wind [Performed by Bob Dylan] / Just Like A Woman [Performed by Bob Dylan] / Something / Bangla Desh [ALL songs feature both George Harrison and Ringo Starr, amongst many others]

  See the GEORGE HARRISON section for more details!

  27-11-71 – ‘Cilla In Scandinavia’ (UK)

  It Don’t Come Easy / The Snowman Song [with Cilla Black and Basil Brush]

  Taped in Norway on 27-04-71, Ringo performs ‘It Don’t Come Easy’ (specially pre-recorded with an orchestra) on a snow-covered mountain, and then, still in the snow, performs the unique ‘The Snowman Song’ with Cilla Black and fox puppet Basil Brush. Only the latter song currently circulates (thanks to a ‘TOTP2’ rebroadcast), but the entire show survives in the BBC archives.

  00-03-72 – Promo Video

  Back Off Boogaloo

  ‘Back Off Boogaloo’ is not only Ringo’s finest single, but it’s also one of the best singles of the Glam Rock era, deservedly getting to No. 2 in the UK and No. 9 in the USA. Taped on 20-03-72 in the grounds of John’s home in Tittenhurst Park, Ascot (which Ringo would eventually purchase), the video features Ringo meeting a Frankenstein monster, after which they, rather bizarrely, have a picnic together. 2 similar edits exist for this video, of which one of them is on ‘Photograph: The Best of Ringo Starr’. Also surviving are some brief outtakes, featuring Ringo and the monster walking along holding hand while Ringo carries a bunch of daffodils (Ringo actually looks a little like ‘Odd Bod Junior’ throughout this video, the young monster featured in the cult 1966 comedy movie ‘Carry On Screaming’).