Meet people from all over the World
Please login or register.

Login with username, password and session length
Advanced search  

News:

Author Topic: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?  (Read 3179 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

alexis

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1860
Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« on: November 27, 2009, 03:27:21 PM »

You know, it just hit me this morning -- we have photos of the boys in the studio for the very first time, and second time (George's black eye), and moving pictures very artistically filmed of very early days (that clip of George Martin listening intently and bopping his head in the control room, with a "through-the-control-room-window" view behind him of the 3 singers around one mike - could have been framed by a professional filmographer/producer).

At the time, especially the 1st session or two, the "boys" were nothing on paper but an unknown band trying to make a hit. Was it policy that Abbey Road/EMI did all this picture taking and filming for everyone like that? Coincidence? Was it ... the hand of FATE  ;yes   (  ;sorry ) , that we would all be blessed with pics and film of their earliest recording moments?

Sorry, seriously though, how did all the photographers and filmers happen to be there at those times?  :-\

Thanks for any thoughts!  :)
Logged
I love John,
I love Paul,
And George and Ringo,
I love them all!

Alexis

Kevin

  • That Means a Lot
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 5543
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #1 on: November 27, 2009, 03:52:42 PM »

You having trouble sleeping or something? Well noticed.
Do we know exactly who was there? I quickly googled but couldn't find exact details but I'm sure someone knows. Could it have been someone like Mal Evans? But then if I'm looking at the right pictures (which I'm probably not - I'm not in my comfort zone) some are taken from way up, which is the control room (?) whence from a roadie would surely be barred.
Can you post a couple of examples for idiots like me. muchas gracias (I'm practising my Spanish. I've got a friend from Guatemala coming over)
Logged
don't follow leaders

alexis

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1860
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #2 on: November 27, 2009, 04:57:16 PM »

You having trouble sleeping or something? Well noticed.
Do we know exactly who was there? I quickly googled but couldn't find exact details but I'm sure someone knows. Could it have been someone like Mal Evans? But then if I'm looking at the right pictures (which I'm probably not - I'm not in my comfort zone) some are taken from way up, which is the control room (?) whence from a roadie would surely be barred.
Can you post a couple of examples for idiots like me. muchas gracias (I'm practising my Spanish. I've got a friend from Guatemala coming over)



Some here. http://www.beatlesource.com/savage/1962/62.09.04%20emi/62.09.04emi.html  This is a series of photos from 4 September 62, when they showed up to record Love Me Do the second time. Pete Best was sacked 16 August 62, and a few nights before this 4 September 62 photo/recording session, George was headbutted by a Pete Best fan - you can clearly see his blackened left eye in the photos. Those were the earliest days - but check out the credit on the beatlesource page - somebody paid for Dezo Hoffman to be there to take pics. Surely not the Beatles themselves? So did EMI routinely do this for a band without a single released or recorded song at that date?  

And here is a bunch of still photos in the studio from 5 March 63: before the release of From Me to You ( http://www.beatlesource.com/savage/1963/63.03.05%20EMI/63.03.05emi2.html ) !

Anyway, here are some more early pics, and even motion pictures taken in a very professional manner ...  

Here's the youtube of something IAmThePaulrus recently posted (and thanks to him!!! That was a great post!!!!):
The Beatles On Record (part 1)


0:48 - There's that artfully composed/framed shot of George Martin up in the control both, and the boys down below. The film quality, his appearance all give me the feeling of late '62/early '63?

1:29 - Ditto for this pic - looks like late '62/early '63? The blonde Vox amp should be helpful here, I just don't happen to know enough about there amp history though. [Addendum - looks like the same Love Me Do session from September 62]

The rest look like they might be from that 5 March 63 session, or ...

1:39 - John and George both singing on acoustic guitar - I can't figure out what song that would be?

3:05 - J/P vocals, J/G on acoustic. Could this be the Love Me Do recording?

3:16 - Ditto?

3:20 - Was this really Please Please Me? If so, they had one minor hit before this (Love Me Do) ... did everyone with a minor hit warrant a professional quality filmographer in EMI's eyes?

3:31 - 5 March '63?

****************************************************************
So, in the youtube, there are lots of pics, and even a movie/film, based on two singles. One of the singles was a #1 hit (PPM), so I can see EMI saying they'd allocate some money to visually record the session. But did they routinely pay for a professional cinematographer to be in attendance for 1-hit groups?

And more puzzling - there are multiple pics taken in Studio 2 by a professional photographer, Dezo Hoffman, before they had even recorded, much less released, a single (the black eye George photos...)?

So, did we Beatles fans just get lucky that Mr. Hoffman happened to be at Abbey Road for a cup of tea and decided to pop into Studio at just the "right" time? Or was this standard EMI procedure for a group without a record? Or did someone with a check book have a feeling these guys might be different ... ?

Inquiring minds want to know!

Signed,

Alexis
aka, the master of the trivially irrelevant  :)
« Last Edit: November 27, 2009, 05:43:10 PM by alexis »
Logged
I love John,
I love Paul,
And George and Ringo,
I love them all!

Alexis

Bobber

  • Guest
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #3 on: November 27, 2009, 07:42:12 PM »

Epstein had asked Dezo Hoffmann to follow the band somewhat in those days. I believe he took the pictures of this first session as well. He might as well filmed too.
Logged

Nelson_Wilbury

  • A Beginning
  • **
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 240
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #4 on: November 28, 2009, 01:32:34 AM »

I believe in the Epstein theory too. maybe they, after sign with EMI, need material and Brian or EMI paid for Hoffmann and a film camera
Logged
With our love we can save the world

Kevin

  • That Means a Lot
  • *****
  • Offline Offline
  • Gender: Male
  • Posts: 5543
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #5 on: November 28, 2009, 10:30:10 AM »

Found this on silverkgallery:
"In 1962, Dezo Hoffman received a letter from a fan sent to the Record Mirror, a publication  at which Dezo was a staff photographer, bitterly complaining that the press was ignoring the "fab" group in Liverpool called THE BEATLES
Consequently, he went to Liverpool and took his first pictures of the "smart but rather subdued" group of four young men."

Tis this true? Sounds all a bit Raymond Jonsey to me. Aren't his photos from London?
Again, forgive my ignorance if these are well known things.


 
Logged
don't follow leaders

Bobber

  • Guest
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #6 on: November 28, 2009, 01:39:05 PM »

I believe it was Epstein who asked Dezo Hoffmann to make pictures of his boys. Not the other way round.
Logged

alexis

  • A Thousand Pages
  • ****
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 1860
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #7 on: November 28, 2009, 02:50:59 PM »

So there it is ... thanks all! Looks like we have Brian Epstein to thank for images of Beatles from the earliest days in Studio 2.

Thank you Brian!
Logged
I love John,
I love Paul,
And George and Ringo,
I love them all!

Alexis

cutecub00

  • One And One Is Two
  • *
  • Offline Offline
  • Posts: 8
  • I AM BANNED FOR SPAMMING
Re: Did Abbey Road film every unknown band in 1962?
« Reply #8 on: December 16, 2009, 03:33:40 AM »

I believe it was Epstein who asked Dezo Hoffmann to make pictures of his boys. Not the other way round.


I think you are absolutely right. I also think like you. :-)
Watch Movies
« Last Edit: December 16, 2009, 08:08:21 AM by Bobber »
Logged
I AM BANNED FOR SPAMMING
 

Page created in 0.364 seconds with 58 queries.