This Year's End

    There's only two weeks left on a year that has got to be one of the memorable ones, but for all the wrong reasons.

    The year we're still in feels like a lengthy thriller TV series stretched into 12 seasons (for the 12 months), complete with different conflicts for each month and with the main storyline that is the global pandemic. This is not to romanticize the negative effects of whatever that has happened to everyone globally which would include, but not be limited to health and economical disruptions.

    However, one good thing we can all hold on to are the very words that kicked off a triple album for George Harrison immediately after being a Beatle: All Things Must Pass. All things, whether good or bad, will ultimately breathe its final breath and bid farewell to the world. The only distinguishing factor between the two will have to depend on whether the send off will bring relief or separation anxiety.

Which one would you choose if you were to know when your time's going to be?

    Nah, don't think about it because in reality, nobody can really tell when our own clocks will tick their final tocks. What's certain is that time will always be running ahead of us. Tick-tock, tick-tock.

    Another takeaway that we call all embrace, since we are now in the final chapter of this year, let's recognize the fact that we won't last longer than a season without being strong and keeping our minds sane. That's a reason more than enough to call for an extended Thanksgiving and recognition of all necessary efforts and adjustments.

    As this year takes its final days, year-end countdowns will surely come our way. This leads me to my final note for this entry:

    You've come this far, don't let this year end turning you into a last-minute entry for the countdowns.

The Greatest Love Song of All Time

Love, this one's for you to read. Give the song a listen.

Love has been the subject of different songs from different genres. Still, for me, one song has stood out over that crowded room of love songs for the people that we love.

"Something" by, arguably, the greatest band of all time, The Beatles, was written by guitarist George Harrison. This song was featured on the group 1969 album, Abbey Road. (By the way, congratulations to the Beatles! And to Beatles fans also. The anniversary release of Abbey Road has been #1 on the charts! For a band that has broken up decades ago, that's something!)  Although the title could sound vague, it could be a reflection that love could be really vague, and uncertain, but still be love.

George Harrison from The Beatles' promo video for "Something" from beatlesebooks.com

Regarded by some as George Harrison's song to his wife during that era, Pattie Boyd. However, Harrison claimed in interviews during that '70s that the inspiration was just love in general.

The song starts by saying that there is something in the way she moves that attracts him like no other. For a lot of us, love starts when we start to be attracted to someone in whatever form we can be. We do not know the reason, nor do we know how it happened; but the thing is, we are being pulled deep into the attraction. And as lovers, we want it.

The second stanza opens up and implies that there is an existing interaction. The smile, as implied by the line "That I don't need no other lover", says that the woman is secured enough to know that the lover may be contented, faithful, and at least, happy being with her and seeing that something in her smile.

However, we are given a sort of a little tension in the interaction of the two, the relationship. Just as most lovers do, the characters in the song also experienced the struggle of being with another person - the adjustments, the compromises, and the drive to keep the smile on each others faces.

"You're asking me will my love grow

I don't know, I don't know

You stick around and it may show

I don't know, I don't know"

In terms of love, we do not really have a vision of what will happen between us and our lovers. The best that we can have is a projection of what can happen, of what we want to be the reflection of our love. Will my love grow? I don't know. Will I ever grow as a person, as one-half of this relationship? I don't know. Despite all that, I hope you will still stick around.

The last stanza drives us back to the reality that love is still having its effect on love. Love is sure that love is more than enough. Going back to the stanzas, the way that she woos, her style, and the things that she shows - these are enough for her lover to go head over heels for her.

"I don't want to leave her now,
You know I believe and how"

That is really something, and that is called love.

Rocking with The Beatles After the Break-up

I have listened to The Beatles since I was a six-year-old boy. Over the years, I have listened to every little thing that has been connected to The Beatles. I have been an avid listener for more than half of my lifetime.

Still, take this with a grain of salt. I'm just basing this writing on my observations as a fan who lived not on the era of the Beatlemania, but rather on the era of the Internet, YouTube and social media.

So, here are some of those whom I think are very lucky, or even blessed, to have the chance of playing, recording, or performing with all former Beatles after the group broke up in 1970. There could be more, but here are three of those I have noticed.

1. Elton John

Sir Elton recorded a single with John Lennon in 1974. The single was called "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night" and peaked at number 1. Lennon and Sir Elton played the song with other Beatles hits on a Thanksgiving concert that Sir Elton had in Madison Square Garden on November 28, 1974.

Vinyl copy of the concert's live recording with Elton John (left) and John Lennon (right) from discogs.com

Elton John played with two ex-Beatles at the Prince's Trust Rock Gala in 1987. George Harrison played "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" and "Here Comes the Sun" alongside Sir Elton John (piano), Phil Collins (drums), Ringo Starr (drums), and Eric Clapton (guitar) among many other performers. Ringo Starr sang "With a Little Help from my Friends", accompanied by all performers, at the end of the concert, which was a very fitting end for a benefit concert such as that.

George Harrison (left) and Elton John (right) at the Prince's Trust Rock Gala from gettyimages.it

Ringo Starr (left) and George Harrison from pinterest.com

Elton John performed at the 1997 Music for Montserrat wherein Paul Mccartney was also a performer. Elton John joined Paul McCartney for a stanza in the Beatles hit "Hey Jude".

From left to right: Sting, Elton John, Mark Knofler, Paul McCartney, and Eric Clapton at the Music for Montserrat benefit concert from eltonjohnspics.blogspot.com

2. Ray Cooper

Ray Cooper has been a percussionist for different musical acts. He has played for Elton John, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and all-star bands playing at benefit concerts. With that, he was also at the Thanksgiving concert in MSG where John Lennon and Elton John had performed "Whatever Gets You Thru the Night."

Ray Cooper also played percussions for George Harrison for his 1991 tour in Japan. Cooper was also present in the 2002 Concert for George held at the Royal Albert Hall to commemorate Harrison's passing in 2001. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr were both performers in the Concert for George. 

Ray Cooper at the Concert for George from concertforgeorge.com

Ray Cooper was also at the Music for Montserrat benefit concert and played percussions.

3. Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton was probably the luckiest in this list. He was able to record a song with the Beatles in 1968 via White Album's "While my Guitar Gently Weeps" and that only made his friendship and connection with the group even more solid.

Clapton was in a one-time band with John Lennon, The Dirty Mac. He was also at Lennon's 1969 concert performance in Toronto, Canada.

From left to right: Eric Clapton, Yoko Ono, and John Lennon performing in 1969 from YouTube.com

Clapton, being very dear friends with George Harrison, was in almost all concerts that Harrison was a part of. When Harrison organized the Concert for Bangladesh, Clapton was one of the performers. Harrison's performances for a Carl Perkins special during the mid-'80s also had him and Clapton playing with Carl Perkins. The pair was also a part of the 1987 Prince's Trust Rock Gala. Additionally, all three aforementioned concerts also had Ringo Starr playing the drums. 

George Harrison (left) and Eric Clapton (right) playing "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" from guitarworld.com

From left to right: Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, and Dhani Harrison at the Concert for George from dallasnews.com

Clapton was also the one who encouraged Harrison to tour Japan in the early '90s. They went on to do the tour and released an album consisting of the live recordings of the tour.

Clapton performed on the Music for Montserrat with Paul McCartney in 1997. He played some of the guitar licks in the Beatle's "The End" which McCartney played as part of the Abbey Road Medley. The two also performed the song "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" with McCartney on piano and Clapton on guitar as a tribute to George Harrison after his passing in 2001.

Eric Clapton (left) and Paul McCartney (right) at the Conceert for George from societyofrock.com

Top Five Moments from Sir Paul McCartney's Free NYC Show

Because I enjoyed every bit of Sir Paul McCartney's live-streamed NYC concert, I watched it repeatedly, to be honest, I made a list of moments that I mostly enjoyed.

Paul McCartney and the band from YouTube.com

1. I've Got A Feeling
If you have watched most of Sir Paul's concert films and some of his recent performances, you would know that on the first time that he will switch to his Les Paul, he would play "Let Me Roll It". Surprisingly, he played "I've Got A Feeling". Nothing big here, just a fun twisting of details that most fans would surely notice.

2. Mini Stories
Sir Paul has been doing interviews over the years about his entire life, but the short stories he shared before starting songs were incomparable. An example of this was when he shared the story of how he got to sing the vocals on "Love Me Do". Another one was the story of the line, "Life goes on, bra!" in "Ob-la-di, ob-la-da".

3. Classic My Valentine
As a dedication to his wife, Sir Paul played his 2012 single "My Valentine" through a megaphone for a nostalgic effect. That made the song sound like a song that has passed the test of time. This was indeed a classic one.

4. Raw Blackbird
Sir Paul has played Blackbird multiple times, even when he was still with Wings, but never in the center of his audience which actually made him forget some of the song’s lyrics.

5. From Me To You/Love Me Do
These songs were the first Number 1 singles that the Beatles had. "Love Me Do" first and then "From Me To You" came surging in next. After the Beatles' early tours, "From Me To You" has never been played live again. Not until Sir Paul did it in NYC.

Paul is Live. Paul is Really LIVE.

Being an average Filipino, especially in times of the rising cost of commodities, is hard if you are idolizing artists. Take for example if you are a Beatles fan. 

Imagine how much a single ticket to watch the remaining Beatles perform costs.

Aside from that, consider what happened back in 1966 here in the Philippines when the Beatles came to perform two concerts. They all hated the Philippines. In a similar scenario, they had problems also when they toured Japan earlier that same year. However, Paul McCartney has already returned to Japan and toured it repeatedly. Former Eraserheads frontman, Ely Buendia, tried to lure Ringo Starr back to the Philippines through Starr's project "Postcards from Paradise" but it was not successful.

With that, I say that the only way to ever watch them is via YouTube or any online live streaming services. I cannot say in words, nor express completely how grateful I am for the Internet today.

Last September 2018, Sir Paul McCartney made this happen. For the first time, as far as I know, he played a surprise concert in New York City and live streamed it on YouTube! Yes, people from around the planet were able to witness him and his band play live. We were watching with millions of people.

The free concert was part of the promotions for his latest album, "Egypt Station". Among the songs played in the free concert were "A Hard Day's Night," "Blackbird," "Let It Be," and "My Valentine". "Come On To Me," "I Don't Know," and "Fuh You" could be heard in the album.

Thumbnail from YouTube

Weeks after that free concert, Sir McCartney was again featured on a live-streamed show in YouTube for the Austin City Limits Music Fest. He played again an almost-3-hour set.

My screenshot of the concert as I was watching it

What a living legend Sir Paul really is.

The King Versus the Fab Four

Most of us here in the Philippines have one plan on November 1 every year. That is to remember and celebrate the lives of our loved ones who passed away.

We pray for them to be peaceful eternally.

However, some have other things in mind aside from visiting and offering peace for their departed loved ones.

There is another group of Filipinos that awaits November 1 for another thing, which is the battle that will settle it all, hopefully: Elvis versus The Beatles.

Promotion of the show grabbed from RJ Society of Music Facebook page

DZRJ 100.3 offers the entertainment of having fans give out reasons and the power of their votes for their chosen party. Some would go for Elvis, some would go for the Fab Four. 

Ramon 'RJ' Jacinto, the main man of the show and the radio network is a musician himself and a very musically-inclined musician. He has his own radio network, recording studio, and brand of guitar, and other musical instruments for him and his band to use, which he also shares to people via his music shop, RJ Guitar Center, all throughout the country.

Since I was a child, my family and I have been tuning into DZRJ every Sunday morning for his show wherein he plays requests that our parents, and probably, your parents also, love to hear. In that show, I saw that he was quite a Beatles fan too. He'd play Beatles hits often, although there's a chance that the requests were just to have Beatles' songs always.

It was always good listening to and watching his show, and up until now, we still do.

Going back to the battle of the greats, I could remember that Elvis won on the first time that I heard about it. However, the Beatles got it in the next year, and the next year, and the next year. If my memory played it rightly. 

There was even a running joke in the show about the reason why Elvis is being beaten in the tally of votes by The Beatles by the start of the program in the morning. RJ said that it was because Elvis fans were either still visiting in the cemetery, or already resting in the cemetery for good ( Do correct me if this memory was wrong again, thanks!) Anyway, that was a joke that I found funny since I was a very avid Beatles listener during my childhood. We were raised listening to the Beatles music. Our music knowledge sort of evolved with the Beatles as the beginning. In the show, RJ would alternately play their songs, hits after hits after hits. Just imagine the bliss it brought to us back then.

I could remember that Elvis fans would catch up by noon, however, by afternoon everything you could hear would just be Beatles' songs, which means they have already won the battle for that day.

Yesterday, November 1, 2018, I tuned in to their station in the radio and in the television and found out no battle anymore. Apparently, the battle has stopped for a couple of years now.

It's sad that as we grew, the show had also grown fond of the battle. It's maybe because the fans have grown older and older, or maybe the technology now is more reliable back then, all we need is one click to see Elvis and the Beatles play and hear their songs.

The memory will live on though. Just like the legacy of two of the greatest, if not the greatest, music acts of all time, Elvis and The Beatles.

Only the Good Die Young

These men of the music industry have proven that those who are so damn good in their crafts might not have the chance of fully enjoying it. They may not be remembered for the longevity of their music career; however, they will still be remembered because they are simply great that anyone may forget to cross their names off.

1. Chester Bennington, 41

This man was the latest reason why the world has come to unite again for mourning his loss. The man that gave voices to the songs that surfaced the genre "Rap/Electronic Rock" to the music scene took his life on the birthday of his good friend, Chris Cornell, who is also on this list.

Chester Bennington as Linkin Park frontman

2. Kurt Cobain, 27

Nirvana frontman, Kurt Cobain, was found dead with a shotgun and a suicide note, suggesting that he took his own life. Before the suicide of Cobain, he was put in rehab because of suicidal tendencies.

Kurt Cobain

3. Bob Marley, 36

Like everyone here in this list, this man also poured out his all in his craft. Think about reggae and the Rastafarian culture and you'd definitely think of Bob Marley. Cancer which developed under his toe nail was his tragedy.

Bob Marley

4. Chris Cornell, 52

Chris Cornell also excelled in his musical path and was on the top with Chester Bennington. Among his works was the critically-acclaimed Bond theme song "You Know My Name".

Like his friend, Cornell also committed suicide due to depression and substance abuse issues.

Chris Cornell

5. John Lennon, 40

There can be no one greater than John Lennon. Just as he was starting to make his comeback in the music scene via Double Fantasy, he was shot by a fan named Mark David Chapman after giving Chapman an autograph. The tragic incident ended all hopes for a Beatles reunion in the 1985 Live Aid (where only Paul McCartney showed up and played a piano-only version of "Let It Be").

John Lennon

*Photos are grabbed from the Internet and all thanks are for those who own it. For sharing purposes only. Thank you.