Yesterday was a special day in Bootleg City. Every September 10 — or “One After 909,” as some folks call it — we celebrate Beatle Day, which kicks off early in the morning with one of the fabled creatures emerging from beneath a stack of old records to poke his head into the sunlight. (”Good day, sunshine,” the Beatle always says. It’s so freakin’ adorable.) If he doesn’t see his shadow, his group’s music will finally be made available online. The problem is, he always sees his shadow. Bootleg City could really use some overcast days this time of the year.
The loss of that online income has to be taking its toll on the two surviving Beatles, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, especially in this economy, which is why I extended an invitation to both of them to stay on my couch until the global recession is over. Each one responded by sending me a $10,000 couch. Spending money you don’t have — it’s a real sickness. And where the hell am I going to put these gigantic couches in my one-bedroom apartment?
The following tracks come from the bootleg “Rarer Than Rare,” with information about recording dates, concert locations, and other assorted Beatlemania minutiae included in the comments section of each MP3 file. Audio quality varies from track to track, but it’s the Beatles — what have you ever done for them?
More to the point, what have you ever done for me? Oh, by the way, I’ve got a couple of couches I need to unload. Each one costs $20,000. (You heard me …) And don’t say you can’t afford it, because those credit-card companies wouldn’t send you all those offers if they didn’t want you to use their money. Think about it. I haven’t.
Some Other Guy
Things We Said Today
From Us to You
I Should Have Known Better
If I Fell
Kansas City/Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey
I’ll Follow the Sun
Help!
I’m Down
Magical Mystery Tour
It’s All Too Much
The Fool on the Hill
I Am the Walrus
Piggies
Maxwell’s Silver Hammer
The Walk
You Never Give Me Your Money
Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight
Oh! Darling
Step Inside Love (Paul McCartney)
Blackbird (Paul McCartney with Donovan)
Act Naturally (Cilla Black and Ringo Starr)
Slippin’ and Slidin’ (John Lennon)
Stand by Me (John Lennon)
Imagine (John Lennon)
Bye Bye Love (Paul Simon and George Harrison)
“My Sweet Lord, He’s So Fine” [George Harrison interview]
“Farewell to Miami” [radio interview]
The Concert for Bangladesh radio ad
Band on the Run radio ad
“Decade: 1964-1974″ radio ad
In August of ‘07 Ringo was interviewed by the Associated Press while promoting his new best-of compilation, Photograph: The Very Best of Ringo Starr. The Beatles’ music has lost none of its charm in the past 45 years, and neither has its drummer’s sense of humor.
AP: So, Ringo, you’re 67 this summer.
Starr: You’ll have to speak up (laughs).
Tags: Cilla Black, Donovan, George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Paul Simon, Ringo Starr, The Beatles
