Beatles News | Page 190 | Fab Forum | The Beatles Bible

Working link to the article AG posted.

David Sheff has his connections to the subject, and it’ll likely be an interesting read, but “definitive”? We’ll have to wait and see. Every biography is trailed as being the “definitive”. No one’s gonna talk up their product by saying it’s alright or better than average, it’s always gonna be definitive.

The Guardian report that several letters written to Astrid Kirchherr by members of the Beatles will be auctioned by Bonhams on 5 May (catalogue not yet available, so I’ll post a link when available).

One of the most moving letters is one from John in October 1962, after Stuart’s death, which opens with a typical “Yes, it’s me – John Winston.” before movingly telling her:

I’m really sorry you are so sad and uncertain about yourself. You must know that Cyn, I and the other Beatles will always feel the same about you. You will always be Stuart’s Astrid to us.

It’ll be interesting to see the letters once the catalogue is published, though a couple are included in the article.

@AppleScruffJunior said

meanmistermustard said

Unseen letters John, Paul and George sent to Astrid are going up for auction as are other items they sent to Astrid. Unrelated photos from their time in Germany are also up for sale in the same auction.

I wonder what relative/friend of Astrid’s is selling them. She’s barely cold and they’re up for auction already.

I believe they are letters she sold privately in the 80s/90s to a collector on condition they would not be made public or resold until after her death.

The Royal Mail in the UK have announced they are honouring Paul with a set of twelve stamps to be issued on 28 May.

Eight of the stamps will depict album covers:

while a mini sheet of stamps will feature shots of Paul in the studio:

Paul becomes the third solo artist to have a dedicated set of stamps (following David Bowie in 2017 and Elton John in 2019).

The Beatles had a dedicated set of 10 stamps in 2007:

(Only the second set of stamps to feature living people after the Royal Mail changed its rules in 2005 which prevented the depiction of any living person other than the Monarch or members of the Royal Family, the first set commemorating the England cricket teams victory in the 2005 Ashes.)

This puts Paul in the unique position of having a set of dedicated stamps to commemorate his career as a member of a band and another set to mark his solo career.

David Gold from the Royal Mail said:

Paul McCartney remains a vital figure at the centre of rock and pop – an artist whose legacy is immense, but whose work continues to generate popular attention and critical acclaim. This dedicated stamp issue is a fitting tribute to one of the UK’s much loved and revered musical icons.

They will be issued in multiple versions, from sheets of stamps to first day covers, from presentation packs to framed editions.

Abbey Road Studios are doing an Open House event between 9-15 August, as part of their 90th anniversary celebrations. Covid-secure tours will be given of Studios One, Two and Three, along with their control rooms and Studio Two’s Echo Chamber. Historic recording consoles and instruments from their equipment store will also be on display.

Focusing on the history of the studio, The Beatles are bound to loom large, and while they do open their doors to the public occasionally, this is the first time a tour will take in all three original studios (all of which The Beatles recorded in).

Ticket prices are hefty, £100 plus fees, but gives unprecedented access to where so many of The Beatles songs were recorded.

A Ringo Pro-Ject turntable is being released to mark 30 years of the All-Starr Band.

The Ringo Starr Peace & Love – 30 Year-Anniversary for Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band

This collaboration between Pro-Ject Audio Systems and the Universal Music Group celebrates the 30th anniversary of Ringo Starr & His All-Starr Band. This incredible live rock-supergroup has now been consistently touring for three decades and sees Ringo Starr collaborating with handpicked artists and friends to put on a show unlike anything else. Much in the same way, this special turntable was also „handpicked“ by Ringo.

At its base lies an Essential III, upgraded with an acryl platter, right out of the box. It features high quality and audiophile components, such as an Ortofon OM10 cartridge, a precision diamond cut aluminium pulley, top notch MDF chassis and a built in motor control for optimal speed stability. The acryl platter is not just a sound enhancement that makes the turntable sound richer and more natural by eliminating unwanted resonances caused by the platter, it also allows you to view the underlying, stunning artwork.

The artwork itself is designed by Ringo Starr and was carefully created and developed by him over the course of many years. It has grown with him and shows his dedication to love, togetherness and care. Those values have always been with him, they are reflected in his All-Star Band and this turntable continues to be another statement of exactly that. The turntable comes with a dust cover and a high-quality Connect it E phono-RCA cable. It allows you to connect the turntable to an external phono preamp of your choice. External preamps can provide a better audio experience than the ones that are often built-in into the turntable chassis itself. This way you can match this incredible sounding turntable with an equally stunning phono stage and not miss any of the detailed nuances and intricacies of your favourite vinyl records.

I wonder how many turntables you’d have now if you’d bought all their Beatles-connected turntables up to now?

There’s something coming from Ringo on Thursday:

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