Deep Cuts: Instrumental

Nothing is better to enjoy that a cleverly perpetrated hoax - once it's revealed. Famous horror writer Stephen King once wrote a series of books under a pen name that later became best-sellers. The Beatles themselves, prior to their 1970 break-up, fostered the idea that Paul McCartney was killed in a car crash in 1966 and replaced by a look-a-like. Radio DJ Russell Gibb announced his own Paul Is Dead Theory on Detroit radio adding to the mystique - taking us all for a ride so to speak.

In 1970, the legal wrangling for the Beatles material was in Britain's High Court. Paul McCartney and his wife Linda began working on three new albums. The first was a solo album simply entitled McCartney (1970), the second was with his first band after The Beatles - Ram (1971) which - let's face it - was poorly received. The last album? This last album is a gem. It was an orchestral themed, instrumental record that was put together with Richard Hewson who had also arranged "Let It Be".

The result: Percy "Thrills" Thrillington (1977). It wasn't until 1989 at Los Angeles press conference that Paul revealed that he was Mr. Thrillington. The album tripled in value and became a collector's item when Paul and Linda confirmed it in the Spring 1995 issue of Club Sandwich. This record is so oddly compelling that it merits more than a footnote in music history. Right off the bat, the lead track "Too Many People", echoes Sgt. Pepper but with a dreamier context. "3 Legs" is the soundtrack for a the bad side of town - on Mars. This album only gets better with a rather formal version of "Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey" anchoring the record.

Original 1977 pressings are exceedingly hard to find but album was re-issued in 2004 and 2012.

Percy Thrillington - Uncle Albert

References:

• Wikipedia, Thrillington
• Wikipedia, Wings
• Good Day Sunshine Magazine, Thrillington

Deep Cuts: 60's Rock

The Dave Clark Five named after drummer Dave Clark, formed in England from 1957 to 1962. The DC5 incorporated the new genre of rock 'n roll with psychedelic and surf music into their own musical brand. The Dave Clark's Five monster debut album was enough to knock The Beatle's "I Want to Hold Your Hand" off the top of the UK singles charts in January 1964.

Forty Four years later, in March of 2008, The Dave Clark Five was officially inducted into The Rock 'n Roll Hall Of Fame. Singer and keyboard player Mike Smith, who'd been with the band since he was 18 years old, had died 11 days before the induction ceremony at the age of 64.

Dave Clark Five - On The Move

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Off The Shelf: The U.S. Versus John Lennon

John Lennon's anti-war community building activities make him an "enemy of the state" from 1968-1975.

David Leaf and John Scheinfeld, two directors who've made their careers by presenting the lives of entertainers like Elvis, Bette Midler, Sinatra and the Beach Boys, made a definitive documentary on the former Beatle that premiered at the Toronto Film Fest in 2006. This A+ documentary features interviews with those closest to Lennon and exhaustive research including reviewing John Lennon's F.B.I. file prepared by J. Edgar Hoover and sent to the Office Of The President Of The United States Richard "Tricky Dick" Nixson during the height of the Viet Nam War.

The U.S. vs John Lennon searches Lennon's sphere of influence by interviewing a startling amount of legendary and historical figures, lawyers, musicians and activists. This list features: Former New York Governor Mario Cuomo, Black Panther Party co-founder Bobby Seale, anchorman Walter Cronkite, John Lennon's immigration lawyer Leon Wildes, reporter Geraldo Rivera, Watergate burglar G. Gordon Liddy, excerpts from benefit concerts with activists Jerry Rubin and Abby Hoffman, with surprisingly warm-hearted narration from Yoko Ono and many more.

This out-standing documentary takes the many political struggles that Lennon chose to fight and follows the Nixon administration's covert efforts to silence the anti-war community that he and his followers had helped create and foster into political reality (26th Amendment, Freeing John Sinclair). Leaf and Scheinfeld present the whole of Lennon's trumped up deportation battle based on a marijuana conviction in England during his time as a Beatle.

Bob Dylan's letter sent during in 1972 to The U.S. Immigration And Naturalization Service stated: "John and Yoko add a great voice and drive to the country’s so-called art institution. They inspire and transcend and stimulate and by doing so, only help others to see pure light and in doing that, put an end to this dull taste of petty commercialism which is being passed off as Artist Art by the overpowering mass media. Hurray for John and Yoko. Let them stay and live here and breathe. The country’s got plenty of room and space."

After three years of hearings, Lennon won his American citizenship by saying "Time wounds all heels". The documentary ends with his assassination in front of his building, The Dakota, at One West 72nd Street in New York City on December 10th of 1980.

References:

• Wikipedia, The U.S. vs. John Lennon
• Wikipedia, Lennon Deportation Attempt
• IMDB, The U.S. vs John Lennon (2006)
• IMDB, David Leaf
• Lennon FBI Files, Bob Dylan's Letter
• Slide Share, Appeal Of Conviction November 1968