Tag Archives: Paul McCartney

September 20, 2015 · 12:18 pm

Book Review: “Son of a Beach Boy” by Scott Wilson

Me and Scott Wilson at MANCIt’s really a shame that Son of a Beach Boy is so poorly written, because the stories within are just amazing.  This is Scott Wilson‘s story of growing up as the son of Beach Boy Dennis Wilson.  It’s his story that was adapted into this book by an acquaintance of his.  Despite it’s less than stellar writing, it’s well worth picking up to read.

I had the pleasure of meeting Scott Wilson this past weekend at the Mid-Atlantic Nostalgia Convention where he was appearing and signing his book.  His friend Mitch was standing in front of my table where I was selling Beatles books.  Mitch and I started talking and next thing I know, he says, I’m here with the son of a Beach Boy.  He called Scott over, told me about his book, so I made a point to get a copy (and a picture with him…he’s really good looking!).

Scott pours his heart out in this book and at one point brought tears to my eyes when he tells of being sent away to a school in Guatemala.  I actually had to put the book down and go distract myself for a while before going to bed.  The stories are so engaging, and the book is not very long, that I was able to finish it the next morning.

Once you get past the fact that this is written on the level of a high school report, you won’t be able to put it down.  And if you ever get the chance to meet Scott, you’ll be as enamored with him as I was and still am.  And though he doesn’t mention them in this book, he does have stories of his dad hanging out with Paul McCartney.

Scott’s led a roller coaster ride of a life as the son of one of the greatest American bands that ever graced this earth and his story deserves to be heard.  I can only hope that this book falls into the right hands and a publisher take him under his wings and turns this book into the book that is deserving of such a great story.

Unfortunately, due to the writing….

I rate this book: 3 out of 4 Beetles!

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September 6, 2015 · 7:00 am

Book Review: “The New Norm: Lessons from a look-alike” by Mike Oltersdorf

book

The New Norm by Mike and Dan Oltersdorf came up on Amazon as a suggested read while I was looking at another book.  What attracted me to this book, besides the fact that this guy looks like my favorite Beatle, is that he has Parkinson’s disease.  I spent many years working in nursing homes as a nurses aid and I’ve seen the devastation that Parkinson’s can reek on someone’s body.  Trust me folks, Alzheimer’s has nothing on Parkinson’s.  My heart goes out to Mike.

Mike Oltersdorf didn’t always look like Paul McCartney.  It wasn’t until his late 40’s after gaining 40 pounds that people started to tell him his resembled the cute Beatle.  This lead to many years of him working as a celebrity look-alike and winning the Beatles Look-alike contest 12 times at Beatles Fest.  But nothing could prepare him for the Parkinson’s diagnosis that made him feel as if his exciting career was over.  Or was it?

This book is Mike’s (and his son Dan) story of how he managed to spin a new take on his life and how he found enlightenment from the lyrics of two Beatles songs.  And through these lyrics, he passes his gift on to the world to teach us all how to live the new norm everyday.

This book is just 80 pages, but packs a punch and ends with a worksheet to help you find your gift to share with the world.  Proceeds from each book benefit the National Parkinson Foundation, so even if you just buy the $0.99 Kindle version, you can know you’ve helped others, but I think you’ll enjoy Mike’s message.

You can order Mike’s book in paperback or for Kindle at Amazon.

I rate this book: 3 out of 4 Beetles!

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August 11, 2015 · 7:00 am

Tea for Tuesday: Review of Mrs. McCartney’s Golden Slumbers Herbal Green Tea

Mrs. Angie McCartney’s Organic Teas

Golden Slumbers Herbal Green Tea

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Tea(s) From: China
Region(s): Zhejiang Province
Antioxidant Level: Medium
Caffeine Content: Low

 

There are days when I look forward to sitting down in the evening and relaxing with a cup of tea while sitting on my screened in back porch, so I was really looking forward to Golden Slumbers Herbal Green Tea long before I had to sit down and write this review.  I chose to go the traditional American route and have this with a slice of apple pie.

As soon as I opened the bag to get out a tea bag, I was met with the sweet smell of oranges…my absolute favorite fruit!  But it’s kinda interesting that the ingredients make no mention of orange being in this tea.  Unfortunately, that’s going to be as good as this review gets.  This is the first tea that I can say I was truly disappointed in.  Despite my very best efforts to steep and stir the tea bag, this tea would just never get strong enough.  I don’t believe it’s just my taste for strong tea that was the problem.  There was barely a tint to the water after 7 minutes of steeping in the pot.  I think if I didn’t add to lumps of sugar, I would have never finished it.

I’m afraid to say, but this one needs to be kicked up a notch, Angie.  At least the pie was good….

 

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July 26, 2015 · 7:00 am

Book Review: “Wings Over New Orleans” by John Taylor

It was a hot time down in New Orleans last weekend…and I mean that literally and figuratively!  My husband, blogger CigarCraig, and I were in New Orleans for the Cigar and Pipe Retailers convention, but that didn’t stop me from finding a way to fit a little Beatles into our trip!

On Sunday morning, Craig and I had the pleasure of meeting up with John and Janet Taylor of Slidell, LA at the Market Café in the French Market.  We had a great time chatting over coffee, bread pudding and grits with a great jazz band playing in the background.  It felt like we were meeting up with old friends as we looked at photos from when John met Paul and Linda McCartney in 1975.  (John is also a part time actor and has had uncredited roles in movies like Dallas Buyers Club and Django Unchained!)

Now, back to my review…

John Taylor is the author of the new book Wings Over New Orleans: Unseen Photos of Paul and Linda McCartney, 1975.  This book is his account and photos of when Paul and Linda McCartney, along with their band Wings, came to New Orleans in the winter of 1975 to record their album Venus and Mars.  Though only 88 pages long, this book was published by Pelican Publishing (ISBN 9781455620340) of New Orleans and contains countless photos and stories by John and several of the other groupies and fans that hung out outside of Sea-Saint Studios for 3 months talking and talking pictures of the McCartneys during their three month stay in the Big Easy.

After 35 years in storage, John finally brought his photos out of their box in hopes that other fans might like to read and see his story of meeting his idol (John used to play bass in a Beatles tribute band called the Blue Meanies!).

This book is definitely a must have for all McCartney and Wings fans for their collection.

I rate this book: 4 out of 4 Beetles!

You can order Wings Over New Orleans at Barnes & Noble or Amazon.  You can also find Wings Over New Orleans in bookstores.

You can find John Taylor on Facebook

Jennifer w/ author John Taylor in New Orleans (July 2015)

Jennifer w/ author John Taylor in New Orleans (July 2015)

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June 28, 2015 · 7:30 am

Book Review: “Angie McCartney: My Long and Winding Road”

Angie McCartney bookPhew!  That Angie McCartney can talk…and talk…and talk…and talk!  But, ya know, it works for her and this book.  And she does stop to catch her breathe on pages 156-157.

Angie McCartney has the distinction of being the step-mother of Sir Paul McCartney.  This is a role she took on in November 1964, at the height of Beatlemania, when she married Paul’s dad Jim.  My Long and Winding Road is Angie’s story.  From her humble beginnings, up until present day, Angie tells of her roller-coaster ride of a life and her travels around the world with her daughter (and best friend) Ruth by her side.

Some Beatles fans may be disappointed that at about midway through this book, after Jim’s death, Paul McCartney is rarely mentioned.  I personally had no problem with this since Angie and Ruth’s adventures make this book a joy to read, and in the end, you find yourself rooting for both of them.

Angie does spend a great deal of time thanking the VIPs that she has met in her 82.9 years, but not in a bragging type of way.  With each celebrity that she writes about meeting, she includes a wonderful story of how they met or a funny story to go along with their continued friendship.

Kindle users can download a copy of this book for just $6.99: Angie McCartney: My Long and Winding Road

For those more dedicated fans, you buy a signed copy direct from Angie’s website for $30.

Or for those of you who may be a wee-bit off your rockers, you can buy a used copy of this book on Amazon for about $75!

I rate this book: 4 out of 4 Beetles!

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***Note: Don’t miss my new feature starting Tuesday, June 30, when I begin my weekly summer series called ‘Tea for Tuesday‘.  Every Tuesday through July and August, I will post a review of one of the nine flavors of Mrs. Angie McCartney’s Organic and Fair-Trade Teas.  My hope is that this will help some of my readers in their own process of selecting their own favorite flavor.  Or maybe you’ll just buy them all!  See you Tuesday…

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June 5, 2015 · 8:27 am

Book Review: “Can’t Buy Me Love” by Dan McNeil

I discovered this book after the author Dan McNeil followed me on Twitter.  There is a picture of the book-cover in his Twitter banner.  After looking up the synopsis on Amazon, I thought it sounded interesting enough to download the eBook and give it a read.

This story is based in early 1964, just as the Beatles were about to invade America.  It follows the premise that there were no crimes committed in New York City the night the Beatles appeared for the first time on the Ed Sullivan show on February 7, 1964.

The main characters in this book are four adorable, lovable and awkward ex-bank robbers that will keep you entertained throughout this book.  McNeil takes you step by step through their plans to pull off one more bank robbery, while injecting humor, sex and touching moments into his story.  And though this is one more Fab Four fan fiction book, he stays pretty damn true to the story of John, Paul, George and Ringo’s appearance on the Ed Sullivan show while still mixing them into the antics.

You will laugh.  You will have a tears in your eyes.  You will enjoy this light read.

Available for $2.99 as an ebook at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

 

I rate this book: 3 out of 4 Beetles!

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August 26, 2014 · 10:12 am

Book Review: ‘Confessions of a Beatlemaniac’ by Dee Elias

'Confessions of a Beatlemaniac' by Dee Elias

‘Confessions of a Beatlemaniac’ by Dee Elias

‘Confessions of a Beatlemaniac’ by Dee Elias

I had the pleasure of meeting Dee Elias at the Fest for Beatles Fans in Chicago and finding out about her book ‘Confessions of a Beatlemaniac: A true story of a fan who broke all the rules to meet the Beatles!‘  Without even reading a word, I got the impression that Dee’s story is going to become huge among other Beatles fans.

Though this book is currently listed on Amazon.com as being for ages 10 – 18, it’s definitely a multi-generational read.  Taken from the pages of Dee’s diary when she was 14-16 years old, this book tells of the extent to which Dee, her friends and many other Beatlemaniacs would go to just to get close to the Beatles.   This is the story of how she honed her technique by managing to meet other stars like Sonny & Cher and Simon & Garfunkel.

Why did she wait so long to tell her story?  When I spoke with her at the fest, she said not only did she think no one would be interested, she also was still keeping her antics a secret from her parents 50 years later!

If you’re looking for a fun book directly from the heart of a true Beatle fan who was THERE, you’ll enjoy this quick (168 page) read.  (And you absolutely won’t want to miss the story of Dee’s encounter with Billy J. Kramer!)

This book is available for Kindle at Amazon.com.  Paperbacks are available exclusively through Dee’s website: www.ConfessionsOfABeatleManiac.com.

You can follow Dee on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/Confessionsofabeatlemaniac 

 

I rate this book: 4 out of 4 Beetles

 

 

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January 5, 2014 · 11:16 am

Johnny come lately, the new kid in town…

PSU Beatles

“Everybody’s talking
There’s a new kid in town
People started walking
There’s a new kid in town” – Eagles

With the approach of the 50th Anniversary of the Beatles coming to the United States, it seems that new events, festivals and conferences are popping up everywhere to celebrate the occasion.  And though the Fest for Beatles Fans is the biggest fest around, some of the others aren’t to shabby!

One of the biggest events will be at Penn State University in Altoona, PA on the weekend of February 7-9, 2014 and is called ‘It was 50 Years Ago Today: An International Beatles Celebration.’  This three day event isn’t a festival.  It’s a conference.  According to their website, “In addition to panels and presentations, the conference will include film screenings, musical performances, art and photography exhibits, and keynote addresses by leading Beatles critics and musicologists.”

The director of this event is Dr. Kenneth Womack, the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at PSU Altoona, and the author of: Long and Winding Roads: The Evolving Artistry of the Beatles, The Cambridge Companion to the Beatles, Reading the Beatles: Cultural Studies, Literary Criticism, And the Fab Four and the soon to be released The Beatles Encyclopedia [2 volumes]: Everything Fab Four.

A few of the respected 50+ experts set to appear at this conference are:

Mark Lewisohn – regarded as  one of the world’s leading Beatles authorities, Mark is the author of the NY Times bestseller Tune In: The Beatles: All These Years, Volume 1.

Andy Babiuk – the foremost authority on the equipment used to create the Beatles’ music and the author of Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four’s Instruments from Stage to Studio.  Andy is also a staff consultant to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, OH.

Walter Everett – the author of the Beatles As Musicians book series, Mr. Everett is also a member of the School of Music faculty at the University of Michigan and the author of The Foundations of Rock.

Jude Southerland Kessler – a Beatles expert, author and host of her own radio show, Ms. Kessler is the author of the John Lennon Series.  She has spent nearly 30 years researching John Lennon and the Beatles for her 9 book series., making her a leading expert on the topic of the Fab Four.

Dr. Kit O’Toole – For over 19 years, Dr. O’Toole has written music, concert, and book reviews, interviews, popular culture essays, and technology “how to” articles.  Her work has appeared at: Blogcritics.org, Something Else Reviews, Blinded by Sound, Cinema Sentries, Seattle PI and Beatlefan magazine.

This is definitely set to be one of the most intellectual of all the Beatles events to be held in 2014!  And what’s cool about their registration is that you not only can you sign up for which days you would like to attend, you can add your meals and accommodations to your package as you like!

For more information on this conference, along with a schedule of events & presenters, and registration, check out their website: http://www.altoona.psu.edu/beatles.

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August 29, 2013 · 9:31 am

New festival for Fab Four fans: Beatles At The Ridge

Beatles At The Ridge, Walnut Ridge, AR: Sept 20-21It’s been way too long since I’ve posted a review or opinion on this blog, but when I heard about Beatles At The Ridge, I knew I just had to spread the good word!

Beatles At The Ridge is a two day festival in Walnut Ridge, Arkansas created by Charles Snapp in 2011.  It is now in its third year running.  Last year, the crowd size was estimated at over 10,000, but I have a feeling that this fest is going to put the best of all Beatles festivals on guard!  This fest has the potential to become a new mecca for the most diehard fans.

So what connection does Walnut Ridge have to the Beatles?  I’m glad you asked…because Walnut Ridge can boast about their Beatles encounter.  From their website: “A quiet night in 1964 was interrupted by the unusual sound of an airliner approaching Walnut Ridge Airport. Its arrival sparked enough interest that three local teens went to investigate, only to discover John, Paul, Ringo, and George walking from the plane. The Beatles, the biggest rock band in the world, had arrived at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.”  You can read the rest of the story and see pictures here.

This year’s fest will have over 100 vendors (the number is still growing as word gets out about BATR).  Admission is free, parking is free and all entertainment is free.  I don’t think I’ve heard of another Beatles festival that can say that (but I could be wrong).

The entertainment for this two day, three stage event is also growing by the day.  Scheduled to appear this year are: Stan Perkins (son of Carl Perkins), Beatles tribute band – BritBeat, Ringo Starr tribute artist – Ringer Star,  Beatles expert & author – Jude Southerland Kessler, Danny Donuts Yellow Submarine Parade and many more!  There will also be a Beatles costume contest with prizes!  A full list of events can be found here.

In 2012, Beatles at the Ridge won the “Top new Festival” award from the Arkansas Festival and Events Association.

 Beatles At The Ridge will run from Friday, September 20th thru Saturday, September 21st.  For more information, go to: www.BeatlesAtTheRidge.com. 
I have a feeling this party is truly going to rock and it’s going to put a scare into the owner of many a Beatles fest.  If you go, please check in here and let us know your opinion!

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June 21, 2012 · 1:26 pm

CD Review: Beatlesque Four by Alan Bernhoft

Looks like Alan Bernhoft has done it again with his latest release, Beatlesque Four!

My last review of Beatleseque Three, Alan had begun to recover from a what I thought was a very disappointing Beatlesque Too album.  I think I can safely say, this album is the best of the bunch.

The CD starts out with a catchy, little head-bobbing, Lennon-esque title track, Love Everyone.  This is one of those songs you can imagine every mom wanting to play for their young children.

Another memorable tune is track 9 – My Rolls Royce…a song you can imagine Ringo singing.  Everything from the limited vocal range to the silly lyrics just screams Ringo!

Track 11, I Fly is an amazing tune that really and truly highlights the talents of Alan Bernhoft.  It’s just beautiful with it’s whisp of Beatles influence but not overdone.

Included in this album are three spoken word tracks from the writings of T.S. Dorglesnout.  They’re amusing little ditties fit perfectly in amongst the songs.  Who’s T.S. Dorglesnout?  When you find out, please let me know too!  🙂

This album ends with the song, Captain Anaujiram.  Though me and the good Captain would never share company, they song is amusing!

I don’t want to leave out that Mr. Bernhoft has included a holiday tune on this album called Imagine Christmas.  I must say I’m a fan of it already since I’ve personally had enough of the same-old, same-old holiday tunes every year.  I’d love to see the song distributed to radio stations across the country and be the next big holiday song!

I’m very impressed with this album and enjoyed getting an early copy of it.  The official release date is Saturday, June 23, 2012.  You can sample and buy a digital copy on Amazon.

I rate this CD: 4 out of 4 Beetles

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