No love for Pepper

Monday was definately an exciting day of Beatles news. Hope you all didn't miss it.

Here is something I didn't notice until "Beatles Examiner" Steve pointed it out...it was also the anniversary of Sgt. Pepper. Granted it was the 42nd and not something special like the 30th, 50th or something.

Still that got lost in all this confusion. So kudos to ROCK BAND for generating so much excitement that it overshadows the great Sgt. Pepper!

100

Apparently my next episode will be the 100th episode......technically.

We actually passed the 100 mark sometime ago, but when I started achieving the show in July 2006 (when it officially "returned"), the numbering in feed started at 1. Going by that numbering, episode 99 was just released yesterday.

Go figure.

It's going to be a long summer

Wow. This is going to be really awesome.

I already pre-ordered mine. This is also going to help all these youngins appreciate the Beatles too. New Beatle fans!

Would you look at those graphics? The thing that amazes me is the accuracy in the "Get Back" sequence.

I must play this now!

Beatles Examiner

At one early point in this blog's evolution I wanted to make this a hardcore Beatles news blog. I don't have the time to keep it up (as some of you can see with the way the podcast comes out).

Another reason why I abandoned that idea is because it's already being done and it's being done better than I could ever do it.

You guys should know Steve as he's been a great friend to the podcast and an occasional co-host.

Check out his Beatles Examiner website and his original Beatles news website. Nobody does it better.

Reading

I've had a few people ask me about the Beatles books I've read over the years and if I could list them.

While this isn't a complete list right now (I'll be adding more over the week) here are some highlights (and lowlights) on a new section of the website!

I am chocolate?

I saw this for the first time about a year or so ago.

It gets weirder....according to WIKI

"The 'Bertie Beetle Bonanza' was created to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Bertie Beetle in 2003"

Woah.

I have never heard of this candy bar or the "Bonanza" until last year. Could it have been subconscious? I doubt it. Like I said, "Bonanza" was the suggestion of another DJ otherwise the show would've been called "Bertone Beatle Bash". Perhaps she was subconciously influenced......hmmmm.

May/Nancy, Roadtrip, Atlanta and That's 70's Show.....SLIDESHOW EDITION!

Check out the podcast version of this trip here!

This entry is one of the reasons this blog is a good idea. I am able to capture some stuff that just doesn't come through on the podcast. For example...if you think I was full of hot air about some of the May Pang/Nancy Andrews stuff, I have some photos...

Now share my advanced version of a road trip sideshow!



Here is Highway 41...the middle of nowhere. It's Wednesday and I am starting my trek to Georgia!





I've crossed the state line! I feel so accomplished. I've never driven to another state by myself before.....maybe I should find other things to get excited about. By the way, I pulled over for the pictures, I'm not driving off the road!



Here is my hotel room. I didn't spend much time there, but it was a place to rest my head during all the fun.



The next day I went to the Hagerdorn Gallery a bit early. I wanted to pick up some copies of the book. I got to see Nancy Andrews and May Pang, as well as a sneak preview of the exhibit! Nancy even signed a copy of her book early!



This is the (iconic) picture of Ringo which greeted people when they walked in.



I'm a comic book lover, and I missed new comic book day the previous day. It was interesting going to a different store in a different state to catch up on my books. I told you I was weird!



I went to the mall and saw this odd arrangement in the parking garage. You can't see the full picture...but the sign is saying to go right while on the right we are told "do not enter".

HUH!



Now I'm inside the mall enjoying my lunch and devouring Nancy Andrews book....this is the part she signed!



On my way back to the gallery, two things happened. I got stuck in Atlanta traffic (which is apparently famous) and got lost...which was half of the point in me scoping it out earlier in the day!



I made it, and here are the stuff being sold and signed. You could bet I bought everything on that table and got it signed. May and Nancy were troopers signing until the wee hours of the night.



This was one of the most amazing pieces. The original camera Nancy took the pictures in during the 70's and the original copies. THE ORIGINAL COPIES.



The stars of the show...John Lennon's former girlfriend May Pang and Ringo Starr's ex-fiancee Nancy Andrews. Old friends from the 70's reunited.



Nancy mingling with fans of her photos.




May also made the rounds answering every question she could.



Nancy's introduction which ran across the stairs.



The reception was 3 hours long on a Thursday night and it still had many people coming, some staying until after the official closing!







I had May Pang take the picture of Nancy and I, and Nancy take the picture of May and I. This way I would have an "Andrews original" and a "Pang original" portrait of myself and a Beatle muse! We then had our friends at the gallery take some of all three of us together. I love how May's shot gives Nancy the Ringo POPE hat!



May signing a book for a fan who turned out to be a photographer of 70's rockers herself! You can hear her story and a Captain Planet singalong on the podcast! She and May sat in a corner calling old mutual friends.



Where I told Nancy Andrews I was going to see Star Trek (it was premiering in a few hours), we both attempted to do the hand sign. She was better than I was.



I'm at the theater seeing Star Trek. It was good. I've always been a Star Wars guy but I enjoyed myself. I felt stupid for not realizing Spock was Sylar from HEROES (my new obsession).





The next day (last Friday) I drove back down to Florida. A few miles from the state line, I saw some signs for a used book store. It said "all books under 4 dollars" so I decided to check it out. I got a nice Beatles book, an Elvis one and some reality show fiction thriller.





Crossing the state line back to Florida! Once again I am not driving off the road, I'm pulled over.

I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did. This has gone down as one my best Bertone Beatle Bonanza memories. This is right up there with the Pete Best Band back stage access from 2006...maybe even better! I look forward to more like this!

Here are some useful links to check out!

May Pang on Twitter.
May Pang's official website.
May Pang on Facebook.
May Pang on Myspace.
Instamatic Karma website.
Nancy Andrews on Facebook.
Nancy Andrews official site.
Nancy Andrews on Iconic Photos.
Hagerdon Gallery
Bertone Beatle Bonanza interview with May Pang
Bertone Beatle Bonanza interview with Nancy Andrews

Roadtrip!

I'm in Georgia right now enjoying myself.

This will be a very memorable episode of "Bertone Beatle Bonanza". I've already met May Pang and Nancy Andrews in person. I'll be getting my books signed and doing interviews. I'll even be giving away a copy of "Instamatic Karma" in a contest on the podcast!

I'm taking pictures and will post them on this blog (I knew it was good for something) when I get back!

Road trip!

We need new "Bertone Beatle Bonanza" podcast.

At least I should update the blog.

Actually there is a big episode and blog entry coming up.

Georgia road trip tomorrow to see May Pang and Nancy Andrews art show. I'll take pictures and record different things. Should be fun!

New Layout

Thanks APPLE (my friend from "The Batman Universe" podcast) for pimping out my blog.

I suppose it'll be worth it to update this thing more now. I suppose I should update the podcast again soon.

I actually do have another interview done last month, just is undergoing some heavy editing. Happy April!

We're Back!

Back from the break and a new episode has been posted with returning guest, Beatles Examiner Steve!

Hope you all enjoy!

It's good to be back.

Check this blog space out because my Batman friend Apple will be doing some crazy edits with the layout!

On a break

Bertone and Bertone Beatle Bonanza have been super busy and are on a break. Be back soon!

More NEW Beatles

Every now and then we have the media annouce something as "the new Beatles". It never turns out to be.

TWITTER is the latest "Beatles".

In other news I ran out of disk space today. I cleared some of it up but it's only temporary and not alot. Tons of podcasts I've done backed up on here as well as Beatles related mp3's. It was only a matter of time. I will be putting some non-important stuff on discs and jump drives and eventually get a secondary hard drive.

RAM on

A tribute to RAM is coming out.

I approve. I more than approve.

RAM is one of my favorite McCartney albums. Whenever I'm on a roadtrip, it's always one of the albums I'll play to make the drive go by quicker. In fact I just repeated this tactic weeks ago.

We don't know how much of the album and lyrics were actually about the other Beatles, but it's fun to speculate. You can just feel how liberated Paul is letting all the feelings out on the album. The climax of the album with the fadeout of "Back Seat Of My Car" is an album conclusion that is hard to be topped in my book.

In other news, this is our 50th blog entry!

We all live

I started blogging last night when my computer had a power outage. Wasn't too happy about that.

I figure it's time for a normal episode of "Bertone Beatle Bonanza" again. All these interviews, specials, Wings Wednesdays and Monday Reports are cool, but I realize J-Term was our last STRAIGHT NORMAL episode. I will try and get one out this weekend.

Dhani Harrison is starting to become the official Beatles spokesperson. We've learned two interesting items from him as discussed on the podcast

1) The Beatles: Rock Band will contain unreleased songs and

2) The Beatles may decide to digitally sell their music through the website since iTunes isn't working out.

Selling it through their website exclusively is interesting. I do hope we can get on track with iTunes though...

In other podcast news my co-host and I are also on a show called Couch Potatoes where we jabber about TV.

I found a used book store in Tampa this last weekend that had some CHEAP out of print Beatles books. I could have easily spent over 50 dollars there but I controlled myself and only spent a few bucks. Can't wait to read some of them and to go back when I have more money!!

I also bought two books specifically on the making of the YELLOW SUBMARINE film. As I've said before I enjoy the Beatles books when they are more focused on paritcular aspects. This way they bring something more to the table than the other ones do. Now I can become a YELLOW SUBMARINE movie expert.

Not much activity on this blog lately, but plenty of activity elsewhere.

I just posted the first three episodes of the Beatles cartoon up on the website! Be sure to check it out.

The Pete Best Band has annouced that they will not be touring the US this year which saddens me somewhat. They put on a great show and they haven't been to Florida since 2006, so I was looking forward to seeing them again.

Still they will be touring different parts of the world and seeing new sites so I can't fault them for wanting to do that.

Beatles video game news

A release date for the Beatles video game has been annouced. The key word is "number nine" (I wonder if that song will figure in...)

9/9/09

Oh yeah. I thought we were going to have to wait until Christmas so this is awesome!!

I am getting a copy. I'll even be TRYING to get an early press review copy.

It has a website now but isn't much. For all the fuss they were making about how this game will not be a "Rock Band" spinoff, they are now calling it BEATLES ROCK BAND. I hope the name is changed but if it isn't I can live with it.

This is the REASON I own an Xbox360!!! (gamertag bertonebeatle by the way).

It's March

Hope all is well! The podcast and the webpage have been doing alot of growing last month. We did nine shows in one month which is a record for us!

Maybe we'll break it this month...

We also did lots of interviews. My one with Nancy Andrews will air this weekend!

Obama

This article claims that Obama is now bigger than The Beatles. I'd take it seriously if it's reasoning wasn't flawed. It also wants us to believe Obama is bigger than God.

I've seen many articles over the years claiming that everyone from "Wings", "Hannah Montana" "Nsync" "Batman" to "Twilight The Movie" as "bigger than the Beatles".

First of all, when you claim to be "bigger than the Beatles", that is just showing how big the Beatles are in the first place. The statement itself is a contradiction. If you are bigger than the Beatles, prove it.

Decades later we still have thousands of books being published by associates of them, albums being released with their music being recorded in different genres.

Can we say this about any other phenomenons?

Obama might wind up being "bigger than the Beatles" though. Whether you agree or disagree with his politics, it's hard to argue the presence of Obamamania.

Bigger than the Beatles? Let's see what people are saying in a few decades...

Laurence Juber interview

The interview with former Wings member Laurence Juber is now posted. The breakup with Wings was always very ambiguous and I was always very curious about what went down. Laurence helped clear up some myths. Also turns out he is Sherwood Schwartz's son-in-law. I also find out about an unmade Wings movie that I had never heard of.

This interview had some issues. For one I had a sore throat, and the recording program kept malfunctioning. When I went to edit the sound stuff it turned out the interview was deleted from my computer! I was horrified but luckily I was able to recover it. Laurence was great to have on and his body of work is awesome. I hope you all enjoy the interview.