Friday, February 28, 2014

The British Invasion

Man, this has been some winter (Polar Vortex be damned!). Thankfully, February is also the month of love, and there has been plenty of that to spare... as four wise men once sang, "love is all you need."

This month also marked the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' arrival on North American shores. Of course there were plenty of tributes and media attention, as there seem to be with every Fab Four milestone. I was thinking I would resist the temptation, but recent reports have actually taught me a thing or two about the four lads that I didn't know, and made me appreciate their influence all the more.


"The Fabs" were the first band I ever loved. Any music I have listened to (since becoming hooked at age ten) has been judged by that melodic template. I always find myself gravitating towards British pop/rock, but was surprised to learn that prior to the winter of 1964, acts from the UK were seen as some kind of novelty.

We attended a great lecture recently, given by Skidmore College Music Professor/Chair Gordon R. Thompson. An ethnomusicologist, Thompson is also a Beatles' scholar--teaching courses on the subject, and authoring such books as Please Please Me: British Pop, Inside Out. His illustrated/musical talk was conducted in various locations around the Capital Region, and we caught it at Schenectady's great public library on February 8 (the weekend that the Beatles made history on The Ed Sullivan Show). 

It was interesting to learn about how the band tried to release successful records here in the States before 1964, but they all flopped (Please Please Me and She Loves You included). It wasn't until American media learned of the phenomenon occurring across Europe-- in particular, 1963's Roayl Command Performance-- and began reporting about "Beatlemania." 

At the same time, as Thompson pointed out, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated. A high-profile story on the band was bumped from Walter Cronkite's nightly news, and the nation went into mourning. The lecture theorized that the Beatles music and energy acted as a welcome relief after the devastating news. I did not know that the band refused to visit America until they had a top hit, and that is exactly what they did-- they didn't tour here until "I Want To Hold Your Hand" reversed their fortunes.

Another thing I did not realize was that host Ed Sullivan had to wait on the tarmac of London's Heathrow Airport, while fans reacted to the Beatles' incoming flight arrival. That is what clued him into the band, and booked them on the show. Last summer Sarah and I caught a "Live at Letterman" taping at the former Ed Sullivan Theater, and I remember being amazed at how small the studio seemed-- this is where John, Paul, George, and Ringo were introduced to the U.S. on February 9, 1964.

On the night of this anniversary, they aired a Grammy tribute to the Beatles on CBS-TV. It was alright-- fun to see Paul and Ringo playing together again, but pretty obvious that, for the most part, the modern acts trying to cover their songs really lacked what made the band and their songs so special. Stevie Wonder was there, and did a pretty funky version of "We Can Work It Out"-- I expected as much, as he released a cool cover of that song back in 1970. Sadly, the recent tribute show might serve as a telling example of how much spontaneity, craft, and soul is lost in modern pop/rock. Paul and Ringo just blew everyone else away when they took the stage. 

Looking back, I just discovered another fantastic 1970s cover version of the Beatles: "I Want To Hold Your Hand", recorded by the Reverend Al Green-- I had never heard it before, but it has kept me smiling ever since:


Another idea that I hadn't really thought about was that the Beatles, when they were first starting, were basically giving back their own covers of popular American rock music-- Elvis, Chuck Berry, early Motown-- which they loved. Obviously they put their own Liverpudlian spin on it (I always get a kick out of hearing George Harrison's heavily accented singing in those days). 

Anyway, I thought I wasn't going to get sucked in, but so it goes... once again, eagerly devouring information about the Beatles and their lasting legacy. Beyond their music, it's interesting to learn about the cultural aspects-- a new generation defining their own times. "Mad Men" learning to coexist with the hippies. 1964 was an important year-- my parents got married-- so I can't help but find myself intrigued by the changes that were occurring at the time.

There have been countdowns in the last month, so here's one more: my attempt at a list of my all-time, favorite Beatles songs (with help from the excellent The Beatles: A Hard Day's Write to remember them all):

-"Please Please Me" / "From Me to You"
-"Twist and Shout" / "Misery"
-"I Want To Hold Your Hand"
-"Ticket To Ride"
-"You Can't Do That" 
"Nowhere Man"
-"We Can Work It Out"
-"I'm Looking Through You"
-"Eleanor Rigby"


-"I'm Only Sleeping"
-"A Day in the Life"
-"Lovely Rita" / "Good Morning Good Morning"
"All You Need Is Love"
"Hey Jude"
"All Together Now"
"Happiness Is a Warm Gun" / "I'm So Tired" / "Bungalow Bill"
"While My Guitar Gently Weeps"
"Across The Universe" rarities version
"Something"
"Here Comes The Sun"
"I Want You" 

It's all good, really. I'm not such a fan of the Let It Be album, but this past month I FINALLY watched the film. It gave me a new appreciation for the band's skill, even as they were disintegrating. The scenes of the four working out songs in the studio confirmed how skilled they were. I have been reading Malcolm Gladwell's book Outliers, and he mentions the Beatles as having one of the key elements of "genius"-- the idea that it takes about 10,000 hours of practicing to achieve mastery in a field. What I hadn't thought about was the Beatles were already experts by the time they hit our shores-- having played endless hours in the rough pubs of Hamburg, Germany.


It's hard to imagine another band coming along and achieving their lasting impact, but my early love of the Beatles (a generation removed) would manifest itself in a love for 80s and 90s Britpop, and plenty of exciting bands in the time since. 

Ten years ago I had my own "Ed Sullivan" moment, as I managed to land the first televised interview with the UK band, Keane here in the U.S. The band has just released a retrospective of their career (according to Q magazine they are taking a "hiatus," and singer Tom Chaplin is looking at a solo album). To commemorate, I recently posted my original, "uncut" Berkshire Soundstage interview with the lads. I plan to post similar interviews from my "really big shew" (as Sullivan would put it).


"In the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make..." The Beatles will no doubt continue to impress generations of fans and musicians to come, so... alright, keep those anniversary tributes coming.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Piece By Peace

The "Golden Rule" mosaic. UN Photo/Milton Grant.
www.unmultimedia.org
This week the United Nations Headquarters in New York held a rededication ceremony for their large mosaic based on Norman Rockwell's Golden RuleCreated by a group of artists in Venice, Italy, the mosaic was originally presented to the UN in 1985 as a gift from the U.S. by First Lady Nancy Reagan. Five years ago it was taken down for repairs, when it was discovered to contain large cracks that threatened its integrity. I have only been outside of the UN Secretariat Building (for a peace march during the 2010 NPT Review Conference), but several years ago my wife made it in with the League of Women Voters; she says that the mosaic is an impressive sight to behold.  

It is fun to point out that the original Rockwell painting, part of the permanent collection of Norman Rockwell Museum, actually started life as an idea to illustrate the United Nations' humanitarian efforts. Conceived in 1952 and created in 1953, the original drawing included 65 people, representing the nations of the world, standing hopeful behind three UN delegates (USSR, United Kingdom, and United States). Rockwell eventually abandoned this illustration because he felt it seemed pretentious, but eventually incorporated several of its multicultural group of figures into one of his finest works: Golden Rule appeared on the cover of The Saturday Evening Post on April 1, 1961—a colorful and dynamic composition with the inspiring words: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

The restoration for the mosaic was done by Williamstown Art Conservation Center, which has worked on several pieces from Norman Rockwell Museum's collection over the years, including (you guessed it) Rockwell's United Nations drawing. In 2009 I was asked to travel to Williamstown to create a video documenting how the Museum's fragile work was being repaired by conservators. The restoration process for the pencil on paper work included several fascinating steps, including being immersed in an aqueous water treatment (folks, don't try this at home!).

One of my favorite productions I have created for the Museum, here is the final video. It is currently on view at the Museum, along with the restored drawing and final Golden Rule painting.


Related Links: 


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Turn, Turn, Turn...

Getting through the last, bitterly cold week of January wasn't made any easier upon hearing the news that Pete Seeger had died. "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" "If I Had a Hammer," "We Shall Overcome": the legendary folk musician, who lived to age 94, touched generations with the warmth of his music and message.



Pete Seeger in Schenectady, May 2013.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe.
I must admit that Seeger wasn't really on my radar until after I met my wife, and Bruce Springsteen released his Seeger Sessions album in 2006. Unlike Sarah, I did not grow up with much of an awareness of folk music, apart from singing such songs as "Kumbaya" or "This Land Is Your Land" in school or church functions. She and I started attending folk concerts quite regularly, and I began to better appreciate the history, power and communal nature of the music.

In 2009 we trekked out to Rhode Island, to attend the 50th anniversary of the Newport Folk Festival. In addition to such acts as Billy Bragg, Fleet Foxes, and The Decemberists, I was excited to finally see Pete Seeger perform—it seemed fitting to have the man on the bill, since he was one of the festival's first performers and founders. It was truly a special moment when the man took the stage, leading the assembled in a spirited sing-along of such standards as "This Little Light of Mine" and "Guantanamera"—I think even the most jaded concert-goer let down their guard and joined in, feeling like they were transported back to their early school days by the end of his set.


Pete Seeger and grandson Tao Rodriguez-Seeger
teach the crowd to sing at the 50th anniversary of
Newport Folk Festival, August 1, 2009.
Photo by Jeremy Clowe.
Seeger seemed at once relentless, optimistic, and humble; he never stopped believing in the power of music to bring people together. Through his talent and idealism, he called attention to social justice, civil rights, and the environment. As someone with deep ties to New York's Hudson Valley, I appreciate what Seeger was able to achieve through his Hudson River Sloop Clearwater organization, helping to bring awareness to and restore much of the polluted river. I understand that he visited Norman Rockwell Museum back in 1996, the same year he was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, to perform during a benefit concert for the cleaning up of the nearby Housatonic River; as internationally known as he was, he found equal time to connect with the local stage. 

Sarah and I felt fortunate to see the artist perform one last time, during an intimate concert with his sister Peggy at Schenectady's Proctors Theater last year. Still nimble on the banjo and singing with conviction, he was a gentle and hopeful inspiration.


Pete and Peggy Seeger sharing the spirit of music at Proctors,
Schenectady, NY, May 12, 2013. Photo by Jeremy Clowe. 
When asked this past week to name my favorite Seeger song, I had to choose "Turn! Turn! Turn!" which he wrote back in the late 1950s. The lyrics were adapted from the Bible's Book of Ecclesiastes: "To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven," one of my grandmother's favorite scriptures. When she fell ill a few years ago, I remember singing the song to her at her bedside, unselfconscious of the nursing home setting. It seemed an appropriate way to further honor her at her memorial service once she passed—strumming my guitar, joined in song by my future wife, it was harder to get through than I imagined... but hopefully I managed to properly express the beautiful spirit of Pete's song.