The Adventurers Club

Paul McCartney - The Christmas Song

After thirty plus years, Paul McCartney comes back with another Christmas song and it's our Holiday Record of the Week.

In a play on his Kisses on the Bottom album, the single itself is titled Christmas Kisses. It's not all new though, you get Wonderful Christmastime on the back, which readers may be aware is not exactly my favorite holiday tune. 

This vinyl release seems to be somewhat of an afterthough with a very non-Christmas photo taken from Kisses on the Bottom on the sleeve. Oh well, at least the A-Side is a new recording of Mel Torme's classic The Christmas Song.

 

Paul McCartney - Christmas Kisses - Picture Sleeve

 

Paul McCartney - Christmas Kisses

 

Paul McCartney - Christmas Kisses - Red Vinyl

 

Paul McCartney - Christmas Kisses - Red Vinyl

 

Paul recording The Christmas Song

'til Paul writes a new Christmas song

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

Related articles

A Blackheart Christmas

Beatles - Love Me Do - 50th Anniversary

This week there was a beautiful reissue of the Beatles first single on Parlophone. In honor of this amazing milestone we make Love Me Do our Record of the Week.

 

Beatles - Love Me Do - 50th Anniversary Reissue

 

Beatles - PS I Love You - 50th Anniversary Reissue

 

Beatles - Love Me Do Vinyl - 50th Anniversary Reissue

 

Beatles - PS I Love You Vinyl - 50th Anniversary Reissue

 

'til ALL of the Beatles 45's get this treatment

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

Heart - A Tribute to John Lennon

Shortly after John Lennon's death Ann and Nancy Wilson paid for this ad in honor of John.

It was one of the few ads of this type appearing in the December 20th issue of Billboard. Others would follow in the ensuing issues, but I think it says a lot that Ann and Nancy were one of the first to say goodbye.

Ann and Nancy Wilson - A tribute to John Lennon

'til more people make music like John

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

Paul McCartney - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae

Our last Christmas Record of the Week for the season.

Paul McCartney's Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae.

Yeah, I know, Rudolph is the B-side, but really, is there a worse Beatles' single than Wonderful Christmastime? I know it's been deemed a "classic", and they play it a gazillion times during the holidays, but it really is a pretty weak song.

If I have to listen to it, I actually prefer one of the covers. The one by Hilary Duff is a good example of how to punch it up and make it interesting.

Before anyone writes in, I love the Beatles and I'm a bigger McCartney fan than you are. No one is saying that Hilary, or anyone else, is better than Paul, but I am saying his recording of Wonderful Christmastime is a rushed mess. It's just not a good recording. If you like it, good for you. I don't care for it.

Anyway, here we are with the sleeve and vinyl for Wonderful Christmastime.

Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime - Picture Sleeve

 

Paul McCartney - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae - Picture Sleeve

 

Paul McCartney - Wonderful Christmastime - Vinyl

 

Paul McCartney - Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae - Vinyl

 

Paul McCartney plays Rudolph the Red Nosed Reggae

 

 Hilary Duff sings Wonderful Christmastime

 

Paul sings Wonderful Christmastime

 

'til Paul writes a great Christmas song

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

George Harrison - Bangladesh

In honor of Thanksgiving we thought that a charity single, or two, should be the highlight of our Record of the Week.

George Harrison's Bangladesh single, concert, and film may not be the biggest of the rock charity events, but it set the precedent for everything that followed.

Inspired by his friend Ravi Shankar, George set out to bring some relief to the people of Bangladesh through a pair of concerts and this record. Ultimately there was also an album and a film, but because George was an entertainer, and not an expert on legal matters, millions of dollars were tied up in the courts for a decade or more before they could finally be released.

The Bangladesh single wasn't a huge hit, peaking at 23, but it has become one of George's more popular songs. The concert album peaked at number 2.

George Harrison - Bangladesh - Single - Picture Sleeve

 

George Harrison - Bangladesh - Single - Picture Sleeve Back

 

George Harrison Bangladesh - Vinyl Single

 

George Harrison Deep Blue - Vinyl Single

 

George Harrison - Bangladesh - Trade Advertisement

 

George Harrison - Bangladesh - Single -  Spotlight

 

George Harrison - Bangladesh - Single -  Predicts

 

'til the world doesn't need a charity single to take care of all it's people

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

The Beatles - By Royal Command EP

Another Record of the Week and this time it's The Beatles

This is one of my favorite pieces of vinyl. This particular EP is courtesy of Joe Pope's Beatles Fanzine, "Strawberry Fields Forever".

Strawberry Fields Forever was probably the greatest fanzine of all time, and Joe Pope was probably the greatest of the Beatles fans. During the eighties Joe released a bunch of Beatles rarities on colored vinyl 45's, and they were all of outstanding quality. More on the rest of them later.

Not only does this vinyl look great, it has an amazing recording of the Beatles performance for the Queen, and it's uncut. If you're a Beatles fan I recommend you track this down if you can get it. Not only is it a great record, but it reminds us how great Joe Pope and Strawberry Fields Forever really were.

The Beatles By Royal Command Picture Sleeve - Front

The Beatles By Royal Command Picture Sleeve - Back

The Beatles By Royal Command Record - A-Side

The Beatles By Royal Command Record - B-Side

'til Joe Pope gets his due

Keep the Adventure Alive,

@Adventuretom

Beatles on iTunes!

It's about time.

Nuff said.

'til they add everything they're missing. Live at the Hollywood Bowl ...

Keep the Adventure Alive,

Adventuretom

The Beatles Get Tricked

During all the coverage of the remastered Beatles reissues one thing has gotten mostly overlooked.

Cheap Trick officially released the outstanding recording of their 2007 performance, "Sgt Pepper Live."

A tribute concert for prostate Cancer, Sgt Pepper Live gives us an idea of what this album might have sounded like if the Beatles had decided to perform these songs in concert.

 

Of course, as most people know, by the time Sgt Pepper was released the Beatles had given up live performances. The official reason was that the songs were too complicated to play live, but behind the scenes the Beatles were just sick of touring. The whole fiasco with Imelda Marcos in the Philippines didn't help either, so we of course never got to see what the Beatles might have done with this album on stage.

 

 

Cheap Trick have always been huge Beatles fans and their performance is top notch. What this concert shows me is that had the Beatles been interested, not only could they have pulled it off, but it would have been a concert for the ages.

I imagine people would be still talking about it today. Instead of Woodstock or Monterrey being listed as the concerts of their generation, it would have been the Beatles performing Sgt Pepper.

Of course it never happened and we will never know what they might have done.

 

Still, we have this amazing recording.

Buy it, listen to it, and enjoy what might have been.

And, it's for a good cause.

'til Cheap Trick does Abbey Road

Keep the Adventure Alive,

AT

Give Peace a Chance

We Miss You John.

I have never been a Yoko fan, but in many ways she has kept John and his ideals alive, and I thank her for that.

Visit Imagine Peace

'til War is not the Answer

Keep the Adventure Alive,

Adventuretom

Apple Meets Apple and they Dance Tonight

Life is once again good in the music world.

Two Beatles in the top ten (George and Paul) and Sir Paul is starring in the latest Apple Commercial. The Beatles and Steve Job's Apple playing together? You would think maybe hell had frozen over.

My how things have changed ...

Paul McCartney in an Apple Commercial!

Paul and George (The Traveling Wilburys) back on top (no Idols in sight)

Paul McCartney Dance Tonight iPod Commercial (long version)

'til Sgt Pepper turns forty (it did!)

Keep the Adventure Alive,

AT

Now He's Sixty Four - Happy Birthday Paul.

A quick Happy Birthday to Paul McCartney.

'til I'm 64

Keep the Adventure Alive,

AT