Early
2005 Releases:
Paul McCartney - "Get Back" DVD - Lions Gate
Home Entertainment / Fox - January
18th
"Backbeat" DVD
- Universal Studios - January 25th
"Rutles 2: Can't Buy Me Lunch"
DVD - Warner Home Video - March
1st
"Willie And The Poor Boys"
DVD (with Ringo Starr) - Classic Pictures - March
8th
New Web Site Additions (01/01/05): My year
end
review and predictions for 2005 ; "Different
Sides Of Lennon" - John Lennon Releases in 2004 ; "The Beatles with Tony Sheridan - The
Beginning in Hamburg: A Documentary" ; Ringo Starr
& His All-Starr Band - Tour 2003 .
January 31, 2005 - As Paul McCartney rehearses for his
Super Bowl appearance next weekend, let's review what happened in the
past month:
On January 18th, Paul makes a
song available for download on iTunes to aid the Mandela Foundation.
The song "Whole Life" by Paul McCartney and David A Stewart is included
on the EP, "46664 - 1 Year On". This is the 1st time that a Beatles
related track (group or solo) was made available for official download.
After speculation that McCartney would appear in a Tsunami relief
benefit concert, he donates £1m to the Tsunami relief fund. Paul
is expected to announce plans for his 2005 US tour (expected to begin
in September) at his Super Bowl appearance on February 6th.
Previously available as an
expensive import, Paul McCartney's "Get Back" film is released on
January 18th,
as a Region 1 DVD. It has been colour corrected with enhanced audio and
is now available to North American collectors at a reasonable price.
The 1st Beatles related project of 2005 to be scrapped is the February
release of Paul McCartney's "Love Songs" compilation.
On January 25th, the "Backbeat"
1994 biofilm was reissued on DVD. The restoration and bonus features is
the same as the summer 2003 edition. The main additions are Dolby 5.1
audio and an audio interview with Astrid Kirchherr.
In mid January, the full casting
for the upcoming Lennon broadway play was announced.
Olivia Harrison was the subject
of an extensive review in the UK Telegraph. The article mentions that
Harrison's "Concert for Bangla Desh" is being prepared for reissue.
In the same month that Ringo
announces that he is seeking film projects to revive his acting career,
a partnership is formed between Ringo and Stan Lee (of Marvel Comics
fame). Ringo's persona will be developed into a superhero character
with potential TV, film and DVD projects. There is a DVD release
projected for early 2006.
In separate news items, Ringo
also commented that he has no plans to retire and complains that he
doesn't get enough recognition from his British fans.
Jim Capaldi, formerly of Traffic,
dies of stomach cancer. Capaldi has collaborated with George Harrison
and Eric Clapton and was a participant in the Concert for George.
On
January 29th, Eric Griffiths, who was an original Quarryman, dies at
age 64, of pancreatic cancer.
News Briefs:
San Francisco Chronicle: Most crucial
albums have been released on CD, so these days, rare CDs, not LPs, are
going for big bucks ; WhatGoesOn.com- Founding member of the
Quarrymen dies age 64 ; Scotland on Sunday - Skiffle king Donegan
left just £82,000 ;
Harmony Central: New Limited Edition
McCartney Texan Acoustics from Epiphone . Web
Links: AIR Studios: Adam Noble (note
the studio listing for Paul McCartney) ;
Extra Texture ~ A different look at George
Harrison ;
The
Beatles Number 9 Fansite - News, Information, and Merchandise .
January 29, 2005 - BoadwayWorld.com: Visit LENNON Online for a
Q&A with Director Don Scardino ;
The Trades - "Backbeat" Review ;
Rocky Mountain News: With tickets at $100
per hour, is U2 priceless? ;
icBirmingham - Nice man of rock Capaldi
dies at 60 ;
Prince George's Sentinel: Imagine . . .All
you need is love? Happiness is a warm gun ;
News Letter - Yoko Ono To Exhibit At Void ;
Telegraph: Mystery tour that is about to
lose its magic .
January 28, 2005 - Liverpool Echo - Lennon's college pal
spills the beans on Beatle's shoplifting sprees
;
Scotsman.com - 'Shoplifting Lennon Had
Catholic Tastes' ;
Hollywood Reporter: Reviews ("Backbeat" -
2nd item) ;
Telegraph: Stella gets her groove back ;
Contact Music: McCartney Misses Late Mother ; The Express-Times: Beatle trivia ;
New Age Media Concepts - Stan Lee to Make
Ringo Starr into a True Superhero ;
Aversion.com: Ringo Starr Becomes Animated
Superhero ;
BBC: Traffic band member Capaldi dies ;
ABC News: 'Traffic' Drummer Jim Capaldi
Dies of Cancer ;
Guardian Unlimited | Arts news | Traffic
founder Capaldi dies aged 60 .
January 27, 2005 - Billboard: McCartney Nailing Down North
American Tour ;
E! Online: The Adventures of Super Ringo ;
Chart Attack: Stan Lee Transforms Ringo
Starr Into An Animated Superhero ;
Gigwise.com: The Beatles Ringo To Become A
Super Hero!! ;
AP Wire: Former Beatle to Voice Animated
Superhero ;
The Washington Times: McCartney, Harrison
take back seat in 'Backbeat' ;
Yahoo! News (AP) - Veterans' Cast Set for
'Lennon' ;
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: The children's
'Visions' ;
Austin Business Journal: Beatles-related
school to seek talent in Austin ;
Soul Shine Magazine: Canadian Greg Sczebel
Wins in John Lennon Songwriting Contest .
January 26, 2005 -
Press Release: PR Newswire: Stan Lee and Ringo Starr
Team to Develop New Superhero Franchise
LOS ANGELES, CA USA 10/06/2004
IDT Entertainment Will Finance,
Produce and Distribute New Animation, That Will Transform Ringo Starr
Into Evil-Battling - Yet Reluctant - Superhero
LOS ANGELES, Jan. 26
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment (Pink Sheets:
POWN) has forged a joint venture partnership with Ringo Starr to create
and launch an original entertainment franchise.
Financed, produced and
distributed by IDT Entertainment, the new animation will transform
Ringo Starr into an evil-battling, earth-saving (though reluctant)
superhero with a great sense of rhythm. IDT Entertainment is a
subsidiary of IDT Corporation
(NYSE: IDT, IDT.C), an international telecom, entertainment and
technology company.
Legendary comic book creator Stan
Lee and his new company Stan Lee's POW! Entertainment will develop the
superhero project with Ringo and his entertainment company Rocca Bella
for television, home entertainment/DVD, publishing and all categories of
licensing and merchandising. Production on the animated series
will begin in 2005 with a planned DVD roll-out first quarter of
2006. Executive Producers for POW! Entertainment are Stan Lee and COO, Gill Champion.
Executive Producer for Rocca Bella is Marjorie Bach. IDT
Entertainment COO, John Hyde will supervise production.
Stan Lee, the creative force
responsible for such world-renowned comic book characters as Spiderman,
Fantastic Four, the X-Men and The Hulk, will base the superhero on
Ringo's famed persona. Ringo will lend his voice to his
animated superhero character.
"Ringo is beloved worldwide for
his commitment to people and his singular wit. Our Ringo
Superhero character will combine these qualities, along with Ringo's
secret powers which people generally didn't know about because he has kept them secret, until now,"
said Stan Lee, who also serves as POW's Chief Creative Officer.
"What a blast this'll be!
Ringo Starr is one of the most colorful, creative guys I know.
Between the two of us, we've cooked up enough wild ideas for music,
humor, action and superhero surprises in our new animated project,
featuring the rollicking, ringed and bearded Ringo, to keep the fans
happy and excited for years to come," Stan Lee added.
"This is going to be one of the
most exciting adventures I've had all day!!!," said Ringo. "What
a terrific opportunity to meet and work with the great Stan Lee.
I'm so excited to become a 'reluctant superhero'. How great to hang out with Stan and laugh,
laugh, laugh, as we're in the first stages of creating this soon to be
masterpiece. Adding music to this adventure is something I am
also looking forward to. See you in animation land -- soon!"
Steve Brown, Chairman of IDT
Entertainment added, "We all feel that Ringo is one of the great
personalities of our time. This is a wonderful opportunity and we
truly look forward to working with him on this exciting project."
Said Gill Champion, COO POW!
Entertainment: "The combination of these two global icons to create a
new form of animation utilizing the folklore of Ringo coupled with the
Superhero know-how of Stan Lee is a natural. We see this as
building a global business that combines great animation, clever story
telling, an original musical score, licensing and merchandising, as
well as the other ancillary opportunities to support the venture."
Marjorie Bach, executive producer
for Rocca Bella, said: "I am excited and honored to work with such
extraordinary talent. Ringo is not just a legendary drummer and
musician but also an extremely talented artist and storyteller. Stan
Lee invented the modern superhero, revived a dying industry and created
a mythology. What a team! This animated project will allow
us the freedom to create fantasy worlds based on Ringos' superhero
character that will delight and inspire everyone, from the children of
the 60's to the kids of today."
ABOUT STAN LEE'S POW!
ENTERTAINMENT:
Founded by world famous comic
book icon Stan Lee together with recognized entertainment and licensing
industry veterans Gill Champion and Arthur Lieberman, Stand Lee's POW!
(Purveyors of Wonder) Entertainment, Inc.
specialize in the development and
production of original franchises for animation and live-action feature
films, television, DVDs, video games, merchandising and ancillary
markets. Stan Lee, the Chief Creative Officer of
POW!, is the creator and inventor
of the modern superhero. A prolific author, Lee revolutionized
the comic book industry by creating compelling characters who, despite
extraordinary powers and talents, are nonetheless plagued by the same
doubts and difficulties experienced by ordinary people. Some of
his most enduring characters, like Spider-Man(R)(a), The Hulk(R)(a),
and X-Men(R)(a), have been spun off into television programs and
feature films that have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars at the
box office.
ABOUT IDT ENTERTAINMENT:
IDT Entertainment is the IDT
subsidiary focused on developing, acquiring, producing and distributing
computer-generated and traditionally animated productions and other
productions for the film, broadcast and
direct-to-consumer markets.
Statements in this press release
that are not statements of historical or current fact constitute
"forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking
statements involve known and
unknown risks, uncertainties and other unknown factors that could cause
the actual results of the Company to be materially different from the
historical results or from any future results expressed or
implied by such forward-looking
statements. In addition to statements which explicitly describe such
risks and uncertainties, readers are urged to consider statements
labeled with the terms "believes," "belief," "expects,"
"intends," "anticipates," "will,"
or "plans" to be uncertain and forward-looking. The
forward-looking statements contained herein are also subject generally
to other risks and uncertainties that are described from time to
time in the Company's reports and
registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission. (R) (a) These are the registered trademarks and
characters of Marvel Characters, Inc.
SOURCE POW! Entertainment; Rocca
Bella; IDT Entertainment
Web Site: http://www.powentertainment.com
Photo Notes: NewsCom:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20041006/LAW030LOGO
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org
PRN Photo Desk,
photodesk@prnewswire.com
Related Articles: Reuters/Hollywood Reporter: Ringo Starr to
Save the World in Cartoon Series ;
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Cartoonist sees
Ringo as superhero ;
Digital Silence - New Superheros From Stan
Lee and Ringo Starr Team .
News Briefs: Liverpool Echo - A hard day's fight for
Beatles hotel ;
Belfast Telegraph: The Beatles? No, thanks ;
PR Newswire: Liverpool Institute for
Performing Arts to Hold U.S. Auditions in Austin; Internationally
Acclaimed School Was Co-Founded By Paul McCartney .
Reviews: "Backbeat" DVD 'Collector's Edition': HoustonChronicle.com - Beatles biopic
'Backbeat' just won't let it be ;
Detroit Free Press: New DVD Releases: 'Sky Captain' soars, even
on a TV ;
U-Redlands Daily Facts - On DVD / Video .
January 25, 2005 - .
Contact Music: Starr's Drumming Pledge ;
Contact Music: McCartney To Go On Show ;
Belfast Telegraph: Why Lennon took time to
call Finaghy ;
Pittsburgh Tribune-Review: Couple's
'downsizing' puts treasures back on market .
January 24, 2005 - Telegraph:
'I will miss him until my dying day' - Olivia Harrison interview ;
nbc13.com: McCartney Ready To Rock Millions
At Halftime . According to Rocky
Mountain News, Paul is expected to announce his 2005 US tour at the
Super Bowl appearance.
January 23, 2005 - Scotsman.com - Ringo Feels Unloved in
Britain ;
USATODAY.com - NFL strives to ensure
superclean Super Bowl ;
Big News Network: Paul McCartney at Super
Bowl show ; The Sunday Mail: Paul promises clean show ;
First Coast News: Stage Crew Volunteers
Needed ;
The Daily Item: Beatles Fest 2005 to be
held Jan. 29 ;
Insomniac Mania: Backbeat : Collector's
Edition ;
Daily Post - Beatles' fans fight closure ; Philadelphia Inquirer: Mash-up music is
sounding good to many .
January 21, 2005 - Liverpool Echo - Backbeat out on DVD ;
Anchorage Daily News | Halftime headliner
won't please please me ;
Leeds Today: The signed of music is heading
our way .
January 20, 2005 - Daily Post - The Lennon letter that put
damper on reunion ;
The Village Broadsheet: Beatles
Undiscovered-The Metaphysics of 'Taxman' (also see links on the left
sidebar) ;
RollingStone.com: Yoko Ono : Ono, Pink
Spread the Love : News ;
Liverpool Echo - Internet plea ;
PR Newswire: NFL Bridges Generations in
Super Bowl XXXIX Pregame Show ;
Strat Collector News Desk: The
Stratocaster's 50th Anniversary ; New York Daily News - Entertainment - David
Hinckley's Critic at Large: Beatles rule, even if just a prefab 4
.
January 18, 2005 - Previously
available as an expensive
import, Paul McCartney's "Get
Back" is released today as a Region 1
DVD. It has been colour corrected with enhanced audio and is now
available to North American collectors at a reasonable price. News Briefs:
GIGWISE.com | Penny Lane To Become A
Beatles Visitor Centre ;
Contact Music: Beatles Fans Get A Penny
Lane Visitor Centre
;
Mirror.co.uk - 1,000 Number One Smash Hits .
January 17, 2005 - Times: Paul and me and the hate campaign ;
IOL: Heather Mills sick of being 'whipped
and lashed' ;
Periódico26: Paul McCartney's
Promise to Revisit Cuban City Recalled by Locals ;
Liverpool Echo - Our Strawberry Field
campaign .
John Lennon is featured on the February 2005 issue of Tracks
Magazine .
January 16, 2005 - NEWS.com.au | Inside the mind of a Beatles
fan ;
nbc13.com - Stars Come Out For Tsunami
Benefit ;
GIGWISE.com | Paul Weller Re-Records 'Come
Together' ;
PopMatters Music Review: The Beatles: The
Capitol Albums, Vol. 1 .
January 15, 2005 - Playbill News: Full Casting Announced for
Musical Lennon ;
Broadway World: Full Casting Announced for
Lennon ;
The London News Review: Strawberry Fields:
thereby hangs a tale ;
Contact Music: Tennant Influenced By Lennon ;
NME:
Glastonbury DVD set for release
;
Reuters.co.uk: Elvis set to be 1,000th No.1 .
January 14, 2005 -
BBC NEWS | Entertainment | Music | Lennon
'almost gave up on guitar' ;
The Independent: So who was Polythene Pam
and what made Sadie sexy? ;
San Fransisco Chronicle: Musical 'Lennon'
set for S.F. .
January 13, 2005 - The 1st
project of 2005 to be scrapped
is the February release of Paul McCartney's "Love Songs" compilation. Since
this was the 2nd cancellation of this project in 2 years, it may now be
on indefinite hold.
News Briefs: Sky Showbiz - Macca's £1m Tsunami
Boost ;
UPI News Service: Red Cross announces $1.9
million tsunami donation from Paul McCartney ;
FemaleFirst.co.uk: Sir Paul McCartney
donates £1M tsunami appeal ;
LiveDaily.com: Paul McCartney news:
Briefly: Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Green Day, Eminem ;
The Calcutta Telegraph: Mittal offers
million, at last ;
Scotsman.com - McCartneys' £1m for
tsunami aid ;
Billboard: Glastonbury Highlights Head To
DVD -
article includes the track listing ;
APP.COM - New mag has grand plans for
hipster grandparents ;
Scotsman.com - Beatles Recording Studio to
Host Film Festival ;
Daily Post - Strawberry Field Forever in
our hearts ;
GIGWISE.com: Post Split Beatles Track
Uncovered? ;
The Journal of Turkish Weekly: John Lennon
'Acoustic' (review; 2nd item) ;
Winnipeg Sun: Spotlight - Reaching for the
sky ;
Yahoo! News (Playbill) - Beaches to
Beatles: 'Good Vibrations'' Kimball Cast in Upcoming 'Lennon' .
The Official Website:
Lennon
the Musical .
Web Link:
"Save the World" by George Harrison .
January 12, 2005 - National Post: Paul McCartney gives almost
$2 million US to help tsunami victims ;
This is London: Macca donates £1m to
quake appeal ; Daily Post: Strawberry Field home to close
within weeks ;
USATODAY.com - Strawberry Fields orphanage,
immortalized in Beatles hit, to close ; Independent: 'Strawberry Fields forever'
proves an illusion as Lennon's favourite childhood playground closes ;
Times: Liverpool’s landmark is not forever ;
eFestivals.co.uk: Glastonbury to release
"Anthems DVD" .
January 10, 2005 - Daily
Post: Rumpus over 'lost' Beatles ballad ; New York Post: Wrong
Beatle ; MSNBC: Notes
from all over (3rd item) ;
Film Threat - The Bootleg File: "The
Beatles" - a critical reveiw of ABC TV's cartoon series ; ScottishFitba: Breaking News: Possible take
over bid by music legend!!! ; Football Team Matters: McCartney In Shock
Takeover Rumour .
January 9, 2005 - Detroit
Free Press: Let's skip the concert and send the cash ; The
Sydney Morning Herald: Beatles join your circus ; Edmonton
Sun: They won't let it be ; New York Post:
Lonely Planet ; Guardian
Unlimited | Columnists | Alexander Chancellor's guide to age .
January 8, 2005 - Broadway.com:
Terrence Mann & Julia Murney Join Cast for Upcoming Lennon Musical
; Palm
Beach Daily News: The classical crossover .
January 7, 2005 - Chester
Chronicle: Macca makes it the sale of the century for shop staff ; BBC:
McCartney song aids Mandela fund ; Contact
Music: McCartney Helps Mandela's Aids Fight ; Macworld
UK - Beatles' Macca offers exclusive track on iTunes ; BBC:
Lennon letter on sale for £13,350 ; Daily
Post: Working class Lennon worried about missing out on NHS care ; NME: Lennon letter expected
to fetch thousands ; New
Kerala: Bono, Macca join hands to alleviate poverty ; Contact
Music: George Harrsion - Music Muse Boyd Tours Famous Friends' Photos
; Mix:
Liverpool’s Cavern Club Adds Pair of Soundcraft Console ; First
Coast News: Super Bowl XXXIX: Be a Part of the Halftime Show ; The
Arizona Republic: This prize tops last year's halftime show ; Daily
Post: Beatles shrine planned ; Reuters:
Beatles Take to the Big Top ; The Inquirer: Bill
Gates captured in mad Vegas caper - Ringo's photo is used for CES
2005 display ; Courier-Journal.com:
'The Point' ; ABC
News: Phil Spector Admitted Shooting L.A. Actress-Police .
January 6, 2005 - From
paulmccartney.com:
46664 '1 YEAR ON' PRESS RELEASE -
'WHOLE LIFE' NOW AVAILABLE FOR DOWNLOAD
PAUL MCCARTNEY, QUEEN, DAVID A.
STEWART, JIMMY CLIFF AND STING
New Tracks Exclusive to iTunes
For Nelson Mandela's 46664 Campaign
A year after the historic 46664
concert in South Africa which launched the Nelson Mandela worldwide
HIV/AIDS campaign carrying his former prison number, new tracks
recorded to support the campaign featuring Paul McCartney, Queen, David
A Stewart, Jimmy Cliff, Sting and even Nelson Mandela himself are being
made available for the first time exclusively on iTunes.
The 46664 '1 Year On' EP offering
4 tracks specially written for Nelson Mandela's Global 46664 initiative
are now available for download throughout the world excluding Spain.
The USA will make
the tracks available from
January 18th.
The tracks feature unique one-off
collaborations that see Paul McCartney and David A Stewart working
together; Jimmy Cliff with Sting and Tony Rebel, and a new Queen track
featuring Nelson Mandela himself reading from his own writings, track
listed as follows:
1. Queen + Nelson Mandela
Invincible Hope
2. Whole Life Paul
McCartney/David A Stewart
3. People Jimmy Cliff
featuring Sting & Tony Rebel
4. Freedom's Coming - Da
Universal Playaz
Only the Queen track has been
previously heard, when the band performed the song during last year's
concert at Cape Town's Green Point Stadium, an event which saw artists
such as Anastacia, Beyoncé, Bono and the Edge, Eurythmics, Bob
Geldof, Annie Lennox, Ms. Dynamite, Dave Stewart, Zucchero, and a host
of South African artists perform in front of a live audience of 40,000
and a global television audience of over 2 billion.
Many of these artists have
recorded new material for 46664. These four tracks constitute the first
to be made available, further tracks will follow.
A donation in respect of each
download sold will be given to the Nelson Mandela Foundation to assist
the 46664 campaign in the ongoing fight against HIV/AIDS.
At the same time as these tracks
are being made available Former President Nelson Mandela has announced
plans for a second 46664 concert in South Africa on March 19. Queen are
due to return, working for the first time in concert with Free/Bad
Company singer and musician Paul Rodgers, together with a number of
other international artists. Details of the full line up will be
announced later this month.
For more information and to
download the 46664 '1 Year On' EP go to www.46664.com.
If you already have iTunes just go to the Music Store to find the EP.
If you do not have iTunes click here.
January 5, 2005 - Contact
Music: Starr Plans Movie Comeback ; Aversion.com:
Bid On Beatles' Toilet Paper ; BBC: Pricey
update to biog dictionary ; IHT:
An ex-Monkee takes the mike .
January 4, 2005 - WhatGoesOn.com-
Solving the BBC Crimble mystery - An update on the Beatles Christmas
Show story by Martin Lewis .
News Briefs: Daily
Mail: Is Macca under Heather's thumb? ; AP
Wire: George Harrison Added to Oxford Biography ; Daily
Post - Ex-Beatle Harrison added to list of society's great and good
; Reuters.co.uk:
Beatles' Harrison among new biography entries ; Guardian
Unlimited: Put-downs saved for posterity ; Scotsman.com:
Jim gets Slim footnote to history ; The
Sun: George top of the nobs ; Belfast
Telegraph: Diplomatic effort not to clip wings of McCartney's
alternative anthem ; Chicago
Sun-Times: What a relief! ; Contact
Music: Stars Come Together For Debt Appeal ; TheHawaiiChannel
- Actor Goes From Sexiest Man Alive To Sexiest Grandparent ; The
Cameron Herald - Guest Viewpoint: The little drummer boy must go .
January 3, 2005 - Contact
Music - McCartney's Musical Ignorance ; Contact
Music: Beatles - Toilet Roll Not Used By Beatles Up For Auction ; WholeNote:
Hamish Stuart's Highland Soul ; The
Saginaw News: Learning Japanese ; Scotsman.com:
Chat's the way to mark anniversary ; The Herald: Too
late to give peace a chance? .
January 2, 2005 - Sky
News - Concert For Victims - "
A huge fund-raising concert is being planned to tap into a massive wave
of compassion for the survivors of the devastating tsunami disaster. "
Although not stated in the article, Paul McCartney is reported to be
involved in the organization of this event. News Briefs: Springfield
News-Leader.com: 2005 edition of Guinness world records a real
eye-popper ; Springfield
News-Leader.com | Opinions | The year that was! And that will be? ;
MercuryNews.com:
Bad economy? On with the show .
January 1, 2005 - News
Briefs: Soundgenerator.com:
Stars set to Make Poverty History ; The
Seattle Times: Inspiring lives for those just beginning theirs ; The
Cleveland Plain Dealer: Yummy, Yummy (3rd item) ; Mirror.co.uk
- Unbrakeable .
The
very best in 2005 to everyone who visits this
web site.
As of January 1st, 2005, The
Beatles: From Abbey Road To Cyberspace
has merged with my Beatles News
site.
Beatles News
