A Salute to the Beatles: Once upon a Time

Last updated

A Salute to the Beatles: Once upon a Time
StarringDavid Frost (narrator)
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr
George Martin
Derek Taylor
Mal Evans
Peter Brown
Country of originUnited Kingdom
United States
Production
Producer David Frost
Running time60 minutes (approx.)
Release
Original network ABC (US)
Original release21 May 1975 (1975-05-21)

A Salute to the Beatles: Once upon a Time (also known as David Frost Salutes the Beatles) [1] is a 1975 television special about the English rock band the Beatles. It was presented and produced by English TV presenter David Frost for the American Broadcasting Company (ABC) network, and aired as one of Frost's Wide World of Entertainment specials, on 21 May 1975. [2] The program documents the career of the Beatles from their popularity in Liverpool in the early 1960s, through the era of Beatlemania and unprecedented commercial success and cultural influence, to the band's demise amid the business problems surrounding their Apple Corps enterprise. [3] The film includes archival footage and latter-day interviews with Beatles associates such as George Martin, Derek Taylor and Mal Evans. [4] Commentary on the band's influence on popular music is provided by David Essex, Chuck Berry and Bobby Vinton. [5]

A Salute to the Beatles was one of the first television projects to explore the Beatles phenomenon in detail. [5] For American audiences, according to authors Chip Madinger and Mark Easter, the ABC special was "revelatory". [2] Among the scenes that had rarely been broadcast in the US, it includes footage of the Beatles performing "Some Other Guy" at the Cavern in Liverpool in August 1962 and the band's January 1965 appearance on the US show Shindig! [5] The program also includes clips of the former members in the "present". Among these are a portion of John Lennon's 1973 interview on Malibu Beach with Elliot Mintz, footage of Paul McCartney and his band Wings rehearsing their song "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" in London, [6] [2] and a scene showing Ringo Starr acting in the film That'll Be the Day . [4]

Author Robert Rodriguez recognises A Salute to the Beatles as a possible "blueprint" for the Rutles' 1978 pastiche of the Beatles' story, All You Need Is Cash , in which Eric Idle narrates in the clipped style of Frost. [7] While acknowledging its lack of precedence at the time, Rodriguez describes the ABC special as "staggeringly incomplete and almost naïve in its approach to its subjects". [8] The program was not officially released on video but has long circulated in bootlegged form. [2] [9]

Related Research Articles

<i>Back to the Egg</i> 1979 studio album by Wings

Back to the Egg is the seventh and final studio album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in June 1979 on Columbia Records in America, and on Parlophone in the UK. Co-produced by Chris Thomas, the album reflects band leader Paul McCartney's embracing of contemporary musical trends such as new wave and punk, and marked the arrival of new Wings members Laurence Juber and Steve Holley. Back to the Egg adopts a loose conceptual theme around the idea of a working band, and its creation coincided with a period of considerable activity for the group, which included making a return to touring and work on several television and film projects.

<i>George Harrison</i> (album) 1979 studio album by George Harrison

George Harrison is the eighth studio album by English rock musician George Harrison, released in February 1979. It was written and recorded through much of 1978, a period of domestic contentment for Harrison, during which he married Olivia Arias and became a father for the first time, to son Dhani. Harrison wrote several of the songs in Hawaii, while the track "Faster" reflected his year away from music-making, when he and Arias attended many of the races in the 1977 Formula 1 World Championship. The album also includes the hit single "Blow Away" and "Not Guilty", a song that Harrison originally recorded with the Beatles in 1968.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Things Must Pass (song)</span> 1970 song by George Harrison

"All Things Must Pass" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison, issued in November 1970 as the title track to his triple album of the same name. Billy Preston released the song originally – as "All Things (Must) Pass" – on his Apple Records album Encouraging Words (1970) after the Beatles had rehearsed the song in January 1969 but did not include it on their Let It Be album. The composition reflects the influence of the Band's sound and communal music-making on Harrison, after he had spent time with the group in Woodstock, New York, in late 1968. In his lyrics, Harrison drew inspiration from Timothy Leary's poem "All Things Pass", a psychedelic adaptation of the Tao Te Ching.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">It Don't Come Easy</span> 1971 single by Ringo Starr

"It Don't Come Easy" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in April 1971. It was produced by Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison, who also helped write the song, although only Starr is credited. Recording for the track took place in March 1970 at Trident Studios in London, with overdubs added in October. Starr and Harrison performed the song together in August 1971 at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in New York City, a recording from which was released on the live album of the same name. Starr has continued to perform it in subsequent decades with his All-Starr Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Photograph (Ringo Starr song)</span> 1973 single by Ringo Starr

"Photograph" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as the lead single from his 1973 album Ringo. Starr co-wrote it with George Harrison, his former bandmate from the Beatles. Although they collaborated on other songs, it is the only one officially credited to the pair. A signature tune for Starr as a solo artist, "Photograph" was an international hit, topping singles charts in the United States, Canada and Australia, and receiving gold disc certification for US sales of 1 million. Music critics have similarly received the song favourably; Stephen Thomas Erlewine of AllMusic considers it to be "among the very best post-Beatles songs by any of the Fab Four".

"I'm the Greatest" is a song written by English musician John Lennon that was released as the opening track of the 1973 album Ringo by Ringo Starr. With Starr, Lennon and George Harrison appearing on the track, it marks the only time that three former Beatles recorded together between the band's break-up in 1970 and Lennon's death in 1980. Lennon wrote the song in December 1970 as a wry comment on his rise to fame, and later tailored the lyrics for Starr to sing. Named after one of Muhammad Ali's catchphrases, the song partly evokes the stage-show concept of the Beatles' 1967 album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Back Seat of My Car</span> 1971 single by Paul and Linda McCartney

"The Back Seat of My Car" is a song written by Paul McCartney, released as the closing track of his and his wife Linda's 1971 album, Ram. Several months later, it was released as a single in the UK, peaking at number 39. The song modulates stylistically between a sweeping piano-and-orchestra ballad similar to McCartney's "The Long and Winding Road" and upbeat rock sections before ending in a raucous and passionate finale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Give Ireland Back to the Irish</span> 1972 single by Wings

"Give Ireland Back to the Irish" is the debut single by the British–American rock band Wings that was released in February 1972. It was written by Paul McCartney and his wife Linda in response to the events of Bloody Sunday, on 30 January that year, when British troops in Northern Ireland shot dead thirteen civil rights protestors. Keen to voice their outrage at the killings, Wings recorded the track two days later at Abbey Road Studios in London. It was the band's first song to include Northern Irish guitarist Henry McCullough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back Off Boogaloo</span> 1972 song by Ringo Starr

"Back Off Boogaloo" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr that was released as a non-album single in March 1972. Starr's former Beatles bandmate George Harrison produced the recording and helped Starr write the song, although he remained uncredited as a co-writer until 2017. Recording took place in London shortly after the pair had appeared together at Harrison's Concert for Bangladesh shows in August 1971. The single was a follow-up to Starr's 1971 hit song "It Don't Come Easy" and continued his successful run as a solo artist. "Back Off Boogaloo" peaked at number 2 in Britain and Canada, and number 9 on America's Billboard Hot 100. It remains Starr's highest-charting single in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cheer Down</span> 1989 single by George Harrison

"Cheer Down" is a song by English musician George Harrison that was first released in 1989. The track was his contribution to the soundtrack of the film Lethal Weapon 2 and was also issued as a single. Harrison wrote the song with Tom Petty and co-produced the recording with Jeff Lynne.

<i>Back to the Egg</i> (TV program)

The Back to the Egg TV special was a program containing music videos to promote the band Wings' 1979 album Back to the Egg. The program was first broadcast on US television stations in November 1979, but its UK airing, on BBC1, was delayed until June 1981, two months after the band disbanded. The locations used for filming include Lympne Castle and Camber Sands, both on the south-east coast of England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Faster (George Harrison song)</span> 1979 single by George Harrison

"Faster" is a song by English rock musician George Harrison from his self-titled 1979 studio album. The song was inspired by Harrison's year away from music-making in 1977, during which he travelled with the Formula 1 World Championship, and by his friendship with racing drivers such as Jackie Stewart and Niki Lauda. Although equally applicable to other professions, the lyrics address the difficulties of achieving and maintaining success in the field of motorsport, particularly Formula 1.

"Sunshine Life for Me " is a song by English musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by George Harrison, Starr's former bandmate in the Beatles, and was one of several contributions Harrison made to Ringo. Recording for the song took place in Los Angeles in March 1973, with Richard Perry as producer. In addition to Starr and Harrison, the musicians on the track include Levon Helm, Robbie Robertson, Rick Danko and Garth Hudson of the Band, and multi-instrumentalist David Bromberg.

<i>James Paul McCartney</i> (TV program) 1973 television special

James Paul McCartney is the title of a 1973 television special produced by ATV and starring English musician Paul McCartney and his then current rock group Wings. It was first broadcast on 16 April 1973 in the United States on the ABC network, and was later broadcast in the United Kingdom on 10 May 1973. It was issued on DVD as part of the super-deluxe Red Rose Speedway box set in December 2018.

Wings Over the World is a 1979 television documentary film featuring the rock band Wings. It consists of concert performances from their acclaimed 1975–76 world tour, together with behind-the-scenes footage. Also included is a short excerpt of Wings rehearsing at London's Institute of Contemporary Arts before their 1972 UK university tour. Problems with the audio from the 1976 live performances delayed the film's release until 16 March 1979 in the United States and 8 April 1979 in the United Kingdom, by which time, band members Jimmy McCulloch and Joe English had left the group and been replaced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hari's on Tour (Express)</span> 1974 instrumental by George Harrison

"Hari's on Tour (Express)" is an instrumental by English musician George Harrison, released as the opening track of his 1974 album Dark Horse. It was also the B-side of the album's second single – which was "Ding Dong, Ding Dong" in North America and most other territories, and "Dark Horse" in Britain and some European countries. Among Harrison's post-Beatles solo releases, the track is the first of only two genuine instrumentals he released from 1970 onwards – the other being the Grammy Award-winning "Marwa Blues", from his 2002 album Brainwashed.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Learning How to Love You</span> 1976 song by George Harrison

"Learning How to Love You" is a song by English musician George Harrison, released in 1976 as the closing track of his debut album on his Dark Horse record label, Thirty Three & 1/3. Harrison wrote the song for Herb Alpert, sometime singer and co-head of A&M Records, which at the time was the worldwide distributor for Dark Horse. Although the relationship with A&M soured due to Harrison's failure to deliver Thirty Three & 1/3 on schedule, resulting in litigation and a new distribution deal with Warner Bros. Records, Harrison still dedicated the song to Alpert in the album's liner notes.

"Six O'Clock" is a song by English rock musician Ringo Starr from his 1973 album Ringo. It was written by Starr's former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney and the latter's wife, Linda, who also participated in the recording of the song. It was the first time McCartney and Starr had worked together since the Beatles' break-up in 1970. Their collaboration reflected an easing of the tensions that had existed between the two musicians for much of that period.

"You and Me (Babe)" is a song by English musician Ringo Starr, released as the final track on his 1973 album Ringo. Starr's fellow ex-Beatle George Harrison wrote the song along with Mal Evans, the Beatles' longtime aide and a personal assistant to Starr during the making of Ringo. The track serves as a farewell from Starr to his audience in the manner of a show-closing finale, by lyrically referring to the completion of the album. During the extended fadeout, Starr delivers a spoken message in which he thanks the musicians and studio personnel who helped with the recording of Ringo – among them, Harrison, John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and his producer, Richard Perry.

Ring O' Records was a record label founded by former Beatle Ringo Starr in 1975. The label's formation coincided with the winding down of the Beatles' Apple Records and allowed Starr to continue supporting other artists' projects while maintaining his solo career. The label was shut down in 1978, having failed to achieve commercial success with a roster of artists that included David Hentschel, Bobby Keys, Graham Bonnet and Rab Noakes. Starr himself never recorded for Ring O' Records, although, following the expiration of his contract with Apple in January 1976, he signed with Polydor, which distributed his label throughout Europe. From 1977, Ring O' was distributed in some territories by Mercury Records.

References

  1. Badman 2001, pp. 64, 161.
  2. 1 2 3 4 Madinger & Easter 2000, p. 168.
  3. Rodriguez 2010, pp. 331–32.
  4. 1 2 Rodriguez 2010, p. 332.
  5. 1 2 3 Badman 2001, p. 161.
  6. Badman 2001, pp. 63–64, 161.
  7. Rodriguez 2010, p. 331.
  8. Rodriguez 2010, pp. 331, 333.
  9. Pieper 2012, p. 157.

Sources