John and his Cursed Ciggies

All the Beatles smoked. But then, who didn't have a ciggie 'tween their fingers in those days? Keith Richards of The Stones was simply incapable of playing guitar without a cigarette dangling from his lips. But John Lennon obviously cursed his cigarette habit. In two of his Beatles' songs he makes references to the evil cancer sticks.

Continue Reading John and his Cursed Ciggies

The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones: Some Sound Opinions, 50 Years On

"My brother's back at home with his Beatles and his Stones; we never got it off on that revolution stuff." So lamented Mott the Hoople in their 1972 "All The Young Dudes," a David Bowie-penned anthem about aimless glam-rockers and their disdain for the values of the past. Oh, those boogaloo boys in their eyeliner, glitter and platform shoes! I've enjoyed glam-rock as much as many other genres, from punk to bluegrass. But no matter how many musical roads I've traveled, I always end up "back at home, with my Beatles and my Stones." This summer, my two favorite bands celebrated 50th anniversaries.

Continue Reading The Beatles vs The Rolling Stones: Some Sound Opinions, 50 Years On

From Bullfrog to Bulldog: A Beatles Gem From Their Post-Pepper End Days

"Hey Bullfrog."  That was the original working title of the piano-driven Beatles song that ended up being called "Hey Bulldog" when Paul, for some unknown reason, began barking during the recording. This video shows one of the last times the fab four came together in the studio and really rocked as a unit.

Continue Reading From Bullfrog to Bulldog: A Beatles Gem From Their Post-Pepper End Days

She Loves Them. Yeah, yeah, yeah!

Every family has its folk tales -- those sometimes sweet, often cringe-inducing stories we're forced to endure at every holiday gathering. Like the time my grandfather decided to forgo dental expenses by removing his own teeth with the help of Canadian Club whiskey and a pair of pliers. Or that day back in 1960 when my prankster dad deposited a piece of fake rubber vomit on my aunt's expensive new sofa. Ah, but not all of my family's folk tales are gauche, mind you. In fact, at many gatherings the most anticipated and charming story of all involves the evening of February 9, 1964, when little Dana discovered the Beatles at age four. How my mom loves to spin the tale of the birth of her rockaholic daughter's lifelong obsession!

Continue Reading She Loves Them. Yeah, yeah, yeah!

All you Need is Litigation: Apple versus Apple

I must say Iʼm disappointed that my two favorite Apples have been engaged in legal haggling for the past 25 years. Apple Corps has been battling Apple Computer over the use of the Apple logo since 1981. In 1991 the two entities reached an agreement in which each side agreed not to enter the otherʼs field of business business. Apple Computer paid the Beatlesʼ company $26.5 million in an out-of-court settlement, and in return received “a considerably expanded field of use.” In the latest litigation, Apple Corps filed a suit against the computer company, claiming that the iTunes Music Store violated the 1991 agreement by using the logo to sell music.

Continue Reading All you Need is Litigation: Apple versus Apple