9 BEATLES CLIPS IN HONOR OF 09 09 09

Curated by Don Rose

Yes, 09 09 09 is upon us. Upwards of 100 radio stations nationwide are planning Beatle-related programming and events on September 9 - including LA's own K-Earth 101 at the Grove from 5 to 10am, and Amoeba in Hollywood hosting trivia contests, an auction, and tunes spun by Chris Carter - host of America's longest running Beatle show, "Breakfast with the Beatles" (which airs 8-11am Sundays on KLOS here in Los Angeles). Many stores across the land are getting into the act, opening early and planning events around the new Beatles product being released on the 9th. Yep, it seems Beatlemania is back, for a new generation -- as well as for those who woke up at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius and don't mind buying their favorite reel-to-reel/album/45/cassette/CD again. (But rest assured, it will sound much better, and the CD booklets are upgraded with more content, and early buyers get a free mini "making-of" documentary with each new disc.)

In honor of 9-9-09, I've collected 9 Beatle videos, presented below. The first two give an overview of what fans can expect product-wise (newly remastered albums, 2 new boxsets, and the first-ever Beatles video game featuring 45 songs -- 1 of which is a mystery!), then come some other rare and/or fun clips from various phases of the band's career. (I even threw in a couple of short, um, "creative edit" tunes.) Enjoy!

THE BEATLES REMASTERED 2009 PROMO
Title says it all. Okay, here's more: "On September 9, 2009, after a nearly 22-year wait, digitally remastered versions of all of the Beatles studio albums will be released... Each album will feature the track listings and artwork as it was originally released in the U.K. and come with expanded booklets including original and newly written liner notes and rare photos. For a limited time, each of the Fab Fours 12 proper albums will be embedded with a brief documentary about its making. The re-releases will include the Beatles 12 studio albums and Magical Mystery Tour as well as Past Masters Vol. I and II, which will be packaged as one collection. All 14 discs will be available with a DVD of the documentaries in a stereo box set, and a set titled The Beatles in Mono featuring 10 discs will also be released."
Full Article by Rolling Stone: http://bit.ly/r6t0J.   
The clip below gives a quick overview of what's coming album-wise on 09 09 09,
plus snippets of 3 Beatles "music videos": Help, Hello Goodbye, Get Back.


THE BEATLES: ROCK BAND INTRO (Cinematic Trailer) HD
Visually creative and stunning graphics, especially as the trailer progresses.
I got goosebumps. Watch in HD for maximum trippiness.


THE BEATLES ON SWEDISH TV
Love, love, LOVE this one. VERY good sound - you can actually hear the vocals clearly. Those Swedes are so polite, they only scream during the breaks - how nice! Video quality is good as well. The setting even looks a little like the Cavern Club. The YouTube poster's notes say: 'Footage of a concert filmed for Sweden television in 1963. Songs are, "I Saw Her Standing There" and "Long Tall Sally".' One of the best early-Beatles clips I've ever seen.


THE BEATLES "EXTREMELY RARE FOOTAGE"
I love this collection. Simply gear. Stitches together rare clips of the Fabs with VERY good sound, and mostly decent video quality. Yes, you can actually HEAR the band's vocals on the song clips presented. There is also a nice press conference clip around the middle of this compilation, and it ends with "Let It Be"-era rehearsal footage of the Beatles working out "Get Back" and "Love You Blue". Must see! (Note: there's also a "Part 2" to this -- also fun, but not quite as good as Part 1.)


"I AM THE WALRUS" HD - PROMO VIDEO
Arguably the most avant-garde Beatles song ever (certainly in the top five). YouTube description: 'The Beatles sent this and the "Hello Goodbye" promo to the Ed Sullivan Show in 1967. It was also released as a B-side Single for "Hello Goodbye" in 1967. If You Choose to watch this video in high quality you will be watching it in 1080p HD with High Definition Sound As Well.' True, true: the sound and visuals are superb. Turn it up, blow it up, play on HQ. By the way, it says this was posted by "AppleCorpLtd" so, for once, it appears we are getting a clip straight from Beatle HQ.


"LADY MADONNA" HD - PROMO VIDEO
Lennon muttonchops period! YouTube description: "The Beatles released this Lennon/McCartney Song as an A-Side Single in 1968. This is the official video converted to 1080p HD if you choose to watch in high quality." Once again, "AppleCorpLtd" posted this, so I gotta believe it is the real deal. Play it on HQ and blow it up; looks and sounds excellent. Lots of quick cuts, funny shots, weird angles. MTV 13 years before MTV!


GEORGE HARRISON: "I'M THE MAN"
This quickie makes me laugh. What can I say. Love what the person who posted it says: "This George Harrison composition was left off the Revolver album as the lyrics were considered narcissistic by the other band members." Love you too, ProTools!


FORGOTTEN SINGLE: "I DON'T LIKE YOU"
Look, certain things get to me. Once again, this was an LOL experience (okay, LMFAO) when I played this one and then read the description: "One of the Fabs' less successful efforts, this ditty stalled at number 22 in the UK charts."


"REAL LOVE" (BEATLES ANTHOLOGY VIDEO)
This last one made me cry a bit when I first saw it. Wonderful clip-montage video. I loved when someone (Paul?) bends over to hug George. This song has the distinction of being the last official Beatles single. And the two words in the title truly sum up what we loved about the band - they were always real, and all about love.