Two great album cover designers– Marc Bessant {Peter Gabriel and Chick’s Latest} (right), and Marc’s hero, Sgt. Pepper’s designer, Peter Blake (left)
A cool thing happened on that tour. I overheard Béla and my friends talking avidly and deeply about the Beatles. I was kind of out of it since I never really delved into the Beatles’ music too deeply - my interest was elsewhere in the 60’s. But they were really having at it and it got me interested. I thought I ought to know more about what was obviously a musical phenomenon. So Béla offered me a crash course on the Beatles since we had a five-hour drive coming up (a flight got cancelled and we had to quickly rent some cars to scoot to a gig that night in Grand Rapids). He had a lot of Beatles music on his computer and so gave me a two-and-a-half hour chronological journey through their recordings.
And. . .well. . . I was blown away! Their creativity and high-toned spirit really captured my imagination. More to come on that - I’m still listening and looking. Oh yeah - then, two nights ago in London, I met renown artist Peter Blake, the renowned cover artist for the Beatles’ Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. It was meant to be.
4 responses so far ↓
1 sammcn // Sep 22, 2007 at 4:50 am
Chick - it’s really interesting that you “missed” The Beatles in the 60’s cause you were into other areas of music and study. I feel, as a musician equally driven by the greatness of great pop music absolutely as much as great “jazz” (and a few other genres too for that matter) that…. The Beatles’ greatness is much more apparent now, than even 10-15 years ago. Perhaps Harrison’s passing in 2001 had something to do with it. It would be incredibly interesting to hear you interpret an Eleanor Rigby or something of that stature. It’s really pleasing that you dig The Beatles anyway.
It seems, from a distance, that you, the incredibly unique artist that you are … are becoming more able to integrate if that’s the right term, to other things, other artists, as time goes on. It’s wonderful. Love, Sam McNally.
2 Alberto // Oct 31, 2007 at 6:21 am
Chick , I advice you to listen to Beatles records.
The melodic sense in their music is atonishing and outstanding , it has nothing to do with styles or genres. There´s something pure and authentic about their music.
3 Alberto // Oct 31, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Really there are so many great music out there .American Music, English Music, Spanish Music, etc.
Listen to Yes records too , what a band !
4 Alberto // Oct 31, 2007 at 3:36 pm
A great book about the Beatles is “Revolution in the head” by Ian McDonald .
There is a curious story about what George Martin, the Beatles producer , said to Alan Parsons who was assistant engineer of the Abbey Road album:
when there is a beatle in the studio is allright
when there are two it begins to get serious
when there are three something special happens
when the four beatles are together something unexplainable happens and take care that you are
not overwhelmed by it.
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