Back on November 11th, 2011, I featured the promo video for one side of the double A-sided Strawberry Fields Forever c/w Penny Lane single. I decided to follow that up this week with the other side.

The promo clip for Paul McCartney’s “Penny Lane” was shot at a few locations on the 5th and 7th of February, 1967, in preparation for the upcoming mid-February single release (specifically the 13th in the U.S. and 17th in the U.K.).

Although there were a few sequences shot in Liverpool’s Penny Lane (the subject of the song), The Beatles never traveled there to make the video. The footage, where The Beatles are in the city, was shot at a district of London called Angel Lane. This includes the scene where they are riding horseback through the streets (I’ve always wondered if it was a coincidence that George Harrison rode the “dark horse”). These scenes are interspersed with footage of the “real” Penny Lane in Liverpool, which show the #46 bus, the “shelter in the middle of the roundabout,” the barber’s pole, the fireman on the white horse, etc.

The banquet scene at the end, where Beatles assistant Mal Evans serves the band guitars instead of food, was shot at Knole Park, in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, U.K., where the “Strawberry Fields Forever” promo had been shot less than a week earlier.

As was the case with the “Strawberry Fields Forever” promo clip, the video was directed by Peter Goldman, who was given the position as a result of a recommendation by long-time Beatles friend Klaus Voormann, whom The Beatles had met back in their pre-fame days in Hamburg, Germany.

Click the image above to play the video.

Extra info: “Penny Lane,” along with “Strawberry Fields Forever,” was originally intended to be part of the Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band LP, but since it was already early 1967 and the band had not put a single out since the previous August’s “Yellow Submarine” c/w “Eleanor Rigby,” it was decided to release it as a single ahead of time. Since singles tracks did not typically end up on albums in the U.K., neither song was included on Pepper. Both songs were later included on the U.S. Magical Mystery Tour LP; however the British double EP package of the same name included only the songs that were in the Magical Mystery Tour film.

Here are some Amazon links to read more on, or purchase, some music related to this post:

1) Magical Mystery Tour (Remastered) – 2009 stereo remaster of original 1967 album, including “Penny Lane”.

2) 1967-1970 (Blue) Remastered – 2-CD 2010 stereo remaster of original 1973 Beatles hits compilation, including “Penny Lane”.

3) 1 – 2011 remaster of Beatles No. 1′s, including “Penny Lane”.

4) More Amazon links for any of your favorite Beatles-related music: The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
Visit www.thebeatlesrarity.com for a new Beatles rarity each week, plus lots more!

Related posts:

1. Beatles Rarity Of The Week (Penny Lane/Spot The Oddity, Pt. 5) This will be the last week of the Spot the...
2. Strawberry Fields Forever (original 1967 promo video) This week’s video feature acknowledges this month as the 45th...
3. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – Penny Lane (mono mix RM10) Welcome to the Beatles Rarity of the Week. Back in...

Welcome to the Beatles Rarity of the Week. I’ve decided to let this post be in celebration of my trip to Nashville, TN to see Sir Paul tonight. Since he hasn’t been to Nashville since 1974, when he recorded Junior’s Farm and Sally G there with Wings, I was even hoping he might modify his set list, and at least throw Junior’s Farm in for the occasion (it’s such a good rocker). We’ll see…but hey! I’m getting off track here.

On June 1, 2008, Liverpool, UK had one of it’s greatest concerts in history when Paul showed up in celebration for his birth-city’s year as the European Capital of Culture. The pre-show music was from his obscure UK Twin Freaks album and also some remixes of the Memory Almost Full track, Nod Your Head. Then Paul and band hit the stage and surprised everyone by opening with something he hasn’t performed live in nearly 50 years – The Hippy Hippy Shake. The Beatles used to cover this little rocker when they played in Hamburg Germany from 1960-1962.

The Hippy Hippy Shake was written by Chan Romero but The Beatles were probably more familiar with the version by Italian rocker Little Tony, because that is the version that made it big in the UK around 1959. The Beatles can be heard on some of the releases of the Hamburg, Star Club recordings, covering the song. The Beatles also performed it 5 times for the BBC radio programs in the early 60′s and one of these recordings (from July 10, 1963) is on the Live At The BBC Beatles release on Apple. Paul sang lead on all accounts, as he does with equal energy here.

So if the set list was modified for Liverpool, might it be for Nashville too? Again, we’ll see…

Paul McCartney & Brian Ray on stage, Liverpool, 2008

Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? If so, I will do my best to deliver, so let me hear from you. To browse for ideas, check out this search-able listing of thousands of Beatle-related recordings to choose from. Then let me hear from you here.

Visit www.thebeatlesrarity.com for a new Beatles rarity each week, plus lots more!

Related posts:

1. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – I Saw Her Standing There (Live for Saturday Club) Welcome to the Beatles Rarity of the Week. Plans for...

On June 1, 2008 Paul McCartney made a historical homecoming performance at Liverpool UK’s Anfield Stadium. This clip show the first of 3 songs where he was joined onstage by Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Foo Fighters fame. Here he plays guitar and contributes backing vocals. On the following two songs (Back In The USSR and I Saw Her Standing There), Dave plays drums.

Also, I have the site listed on BeatleLinks.net now so if you’d like to rate this site and maybe even give a review, the link is here. Kind words will make an even happier Nat.
Visit www.thebeatlesrarity.com for a new Beatles rarity each week, plus lots more!

No related posts.

This week’s video could have also been a BROW (i.e. Beatles Rarity Of The Week) but I decided since there was video available for it, that I should use it. Not much is known about this charming little track from Paul, about his early Liverpool memories. A recording of it never saw an official release, though one source I have on hand, has it published as early as 1973. The recording itself is likely from sometime between 1988 and 1992 and the lyrics appeared in Paul’s 2001 volume of poems and lyrics titled Blackbird Singing. Paul performed the song at the Liverpool homecoming event at Anfield Stadium on June 1, 2008. This recording consists only of Paul’s voice and acoustic guitar but there is a magical quality to this tune, at least for me, that just makes me want to hear it over again. By the second listen, I was really hooked…

Related posts:

1. Band On The Run – Paul McCartney w/Dave Grohl in Liverpool, 2008 On June 1, 2008 Paul McCartney made a historical homecoming...

On last week’s BROW I featured Paul McCartney performing a medley of A Day In The Life and Give Peace A Chance in Liverpool in honor of John Lennon. In the post I mentioned another Lennon-medley from my collection performed by Paul during his 1989/90 world tour. Since then I’ve had several requests to post it, and so now I have. This live performance from June 28, 1990 was also recorded in Liverpool and includes Strawberry Fields Forever, Help! and Give Peace A Chance. It is not a bootleg but was released officially on a CD single which also featured live versions of All My Trials (as the A side) and C Moon. Another version of the single replaced the Lennon-medley with Mull Of Kintyre. All of these tracks were recorded live during Paul’s 1989/90 world tour and released on December 3, 1990 but since they were not released in the US at all and have been out of print for many years, I considered them to qualify as a rarity. Paul also performed this medley on other shows during the 1989/90 world tour including the Knebworth ’90 charity event (part of which was televised on MTV). Paul’s entire performance at Knebworth has been widely bootlegged and therefore the account of this medley from that show should be relatively easy to find.

CD single All My Trials released December 1990 in the UK.

Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? Then let me hear from you. Read about more Beatles rarities and suggest one for me to post. You can begin by searching for different versions of specific tracks right here.
Visit www.thebeatlesrarity.com for a new Beatles rarity each week, plus lots more!

Related posts:

1. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – Happy Birthday BROW! This week’s Beatles Rarity Of The Week is special because...
2. Let It Be – trailer, 1970 Apple has still not ruled out the possibility that in...
3. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance (Liverpool homecoming) The work week is rapidly coming to a close which...

The work week is rapidly coming to a close which means it’s time for the BROW. In 2008, Liverpool UK is being recognized as the European Capital of Culture and for that reason both Paul and Ringo gave homecoming performances there, the place of their births, earlier this year. During Paul’s Liverpool gig on June 1, he performed a Lennon medley in honor of John that included A Day In The Life. As most of you realize, originally in 1967 John sang the verses of this song while Paul contributed vocals on the middle section (beginning with Woke up, fell out of bed….). It’s ironic that Paul’s own middle section of the song is the very part where he had a slight lyrical flub-up when he left out the found my coat, grabbed my hat line making him have to repeat the made the bus in seconds flat line. Otherwise, it’s not a bad performance although hearing it just makes me wish John could have been there to sing his part himself. In any event, that performance marked the first time A Day In The Life had ever been performed live by any member of The Beatles. Instead of going into the final verse, he goes into Give Peace A Chance at the break. I have another Lennon medley performed by Paul as a b-side to a UK CD single which features Strawberry Fields Forever, Help! and Give Peace A Chance and it was also recorded in Liverpool back in 1990. I may feature this soon too if I hear that any readers out there would like to hear it.

Paul McCartney in Liverpool, UK, June 1, 2008

Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? Then let me hear from you. Read about more Beatles rarities and suggest one for me to post. You can begin by searching for different versions of specific tracks right here.
Visit www.thebeatlesrarity.com for a new Beatles rarity each week, plus lots more!

Related posts:

1. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – Strawberry Fields Forever/Help!/Give Peace A Chance (Lennon medley by Paul) On last week’s BROW I featured Paul McCartney performing a...
2. In Liverpool This week’s video could have also been a BROW (i.e....
3. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – I Call Your Name (Ringo at Lennon tribute) 0savesSave Although the other Beatles have been featured as solo...

Although the other Beatles have been featured as solo artists on the BROW, I have yet to feature Ringo Starr. This just isn’t right, so here is a Ringo rarity:

In May of 1990, Ringo performed at a John Lennon Tribute Concert with 23 other artists. It was held in Liverpool. Elton John, U2, Cyndi Lauper and others were also in attendance. Ringo performed this classic previously sung by John with The Beatles in 1964. Ringo also has a few words to say about his former friend and bandmate before he kicks in with the song. This show was officially released in 1991, but only on VHS (remember those?) and is now long out of print.

Ringo Starr

Want to make a suggestion for a future Beatles Rarity of the Week? Then let me hear from you. Read about more Beatles rarities and suggest one for me to post. You can begin by searching for different versions of specific tracks right here.
Visit www.thebeatlesrarity.com for a new Beatles rarity each week, plus lots more!

Related posts:

1. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – Strawberry Fields Forever/Help!/Give Peace A Chance (Lennon medley by Paul) On last week’s BROW I featured Paul McCartney performing a...
2. I Call Your Name (Ringo at Lennon tribute) On March 8, 2008, I presented a BROW that featured...
3. Beatles Rarity Of The Week – A Day In The Life/Give Peace A Chance (Liverpool homecoming) The work week is rapidly coming to a close which...