A "Sgt. Pepper" addendum

Just thought I'd mention this as a follow-up to my previous post....

I went to Borders yesterday seeing if I could get "Sgt. Pepper" on DVD for cheap. I couldn't find the musicals section, so I used their computer. When you select a movie on there, it brings up a paragraph summarizing the movie. Here's what got me - their 'summary' of THIS particular movie was basically, in quite a few more words, "This movie sucks, don't buy this. We're not even gonna describe the plot. It sucks that badly."

Geez people! Let it go!

"Sgt. Pepper" - the little musical that should've

Last night I finally stopped trying to resist the urge to dig out my worn, ancient VHS of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." (I'd like to upgrade to DVD someday - I heard the picture quality is vastly superior to the VHS versions.) I've lost count of how many times I've seen this movie, but unlike the rest of human civilization, I actually enjoy it. A lot. I can't necessarily explain why but... it's just such a great movie! I mean, it has the Bee Gees! Steve Martin! Peter Frampton! Singing robots! Disco Beatles! How can you go wrong?!

Well...

* There's no dialogue. Well, very little, at least - and all of it comes from George Burns. His narration pops up when you don't need it, and is nowhere to be found when you expect it. (Did you also notice that he tends to repeat himself in the same sentence? He'll say something once, then say it over again, slightly reworded.)

* There's characters named Billy Shears, Dr. Maxwell Edison, Strawberry Fields, Mr. Kite, Mr. Mustard, Lucy (lead singer of The Diamonds), the Hendersons... but hey, "Across The Universe" did it and no one complained, did they?

* Some scenes seem like particularly poor rehearsal footage - "Maxwell's Silver Hammer" especially. I'm assuming they didn't redo it because Steve Martin was only available briefly, but come on... that whole scene's one blooper after another!

* Despite the music being helmed by the Beatles' own George Martin, the arrangements stray quite a bit from the originals. "She's Leaving Home" is sung by robots.

But the hell with all the usual gripes, why is it GOOD?

* The new arrangements actually aren't that bad... "She's Leaving Home" isn't even entirely awful. Hell, I love the 10-minute disco version of "She's So Heavy"; shame it wasn't on the soundtrack like that.

* It's funny! The Bee Gees were known for their sense of humor, and it shows. Just a shame they didn't find the public's reaction to this movie particular funny...

* Billy Preston does the best version of "Get Back", ever. (I don't even care about the usual "why does Sgt. Pepper become a black guy?" gripe - it's not supposed to be the actual person, it's supposed to be the weather vane!)

* Just when you think they can't pack in more random celebrities... AEROSMITH!

* The ending is brilliant - the "Sgt. Pepper" LP cover reenacted with then-current celebrities. And tons of them. (But not including, as popular belief has it, Messrs. McCartney and Harrison.)

* Craterface from "Grease" is in it! Yeah, I know that doesn't make the movie better, but I just noticed that yesterday and was totally surprised. (He's one of the dancers in "Maxwell's Silver Hammer".)

* Peter Frampton! In a movie! No, he's not the greatest actor in the world, but how many times do you see Peter Frampton in a movie? "Almost Famous" is his only other acting credit, to my knowledge.

* It's better than the movies the Beatles were actually in... I mean, come on. "Magical Mystery Tour" was terrible. What the hell was that about? They're on a bus and then they're drunk and then... there's a stripper? Then they're in tuxedos? Huh. Not for me.

* The opening of the movie is just bad-ass. It opens in World War I (complete with period-friendly Paramount logo), and shows the progression of Sgt. Pepper's Band over several decades, with an appropriate rearrangement of the song to match. Then, when we get up to date, the new Sgt. Pepper's Band rocks the house!

* Steve Martin is in it being his regular goofy self. I know that's not so special nowadays, but back then, seeing Steve in a movie was rare. (Y'know, before he was making movies whose main joke was the word "hamburger.")

* It completely sums up rock music at that time. Frampton, the Bee Gees, funk, disco, Aerosmith, Earth Wind and Fire, Alice Cooper... all in one awkward bundle! Just a shame that... you know, the soundtrack album ended up being dumped in a landfill. *sigh*

Seriously, though, give "Sgt. Pepper" a chance. ESPECIALLY if you liked "Across The Universe." Like most things turn out to be (except the 1994 season of SNL), it's nowhere near as bad as legend would have it.

(D/L) The Rutles - a few tracks to download...

I got a request to post some of the trickier tracks to find from my DIY Rutles compilation, so here they are in one ZIP...

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=8OQZ6HQZ

* Cheese And Onions (Nasty live on SNL, 1977)
* Fallen Arch Angel ('Let It Rot' outtake, according to the "Last Tea Party Tapes" bootleg)
* I Must Be In Love (Dirk McQuickly live, 2000 - I forgot to add this to the tracklist, but I thought someone might want it)
* Shangri-La (single edit)
* The Rutles Movie Medley

Unfortunately, I only had these (except "Cheese and Onions") in MP3 quality, but they sound alright. I ripped C&O from the SNL Second Season boxed set.

The Compleat Rutles - the boxed set that wasn't (revised)

In the vein of the DIY Spinal Tap compilation I posted about a while back, I thought I'd share the tracklist for another DIY compilation... incidentally, also centered around a nonexistent band. :-)


To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the classic TV movie "The Rutles: All You Need Is Cash," the fictional story of England's OTHER legendary foursome, I was going to put together a boxed set called 'The Compleat Rutles,' compiling each and every existing track I could find, arranged in 'chronological order' based on information taken directly from their fictional backstory. I had just intended to circulate it as a trade-only thing, but unfortunately, people a little too close to the Neil Innes camp (Neil wrote all of the material, and sang much of it as well) caught wind of it and demanded that I stop working on it. So, before the 30th anniversary year ends in a couple weeks, I thought I'd release the tracklist for anyone interested in putting together their own copy. The first information after the track title is the fictional recording information about the track; the second information (if necessary) is real-life info about what exactly the track is so you can find it for yourself. So here we go...

DISC ONE: 1960-1964
------------------------
01) GOOSE STEP MAMA (the Silver Rutles demo sessions, 1960 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
02) GOOSE STEP MAMA (take 1 from the Decca audition, 1962 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
03) NOW SHE'S LEFT YOU (take 1 from the Decca audition, 1962 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
04) NOW SHE'S LEFT YOU (take 1, 1996 remix / from "Archaeology")
05) NUMBER ONE (take 1, 1962 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
06) NUMBER ONE (take 2, 1962 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
07) NUMBER ONE (released as a single, 1962 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
08) BABY LET ME BE (take 2, 1963 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
09) BABY LET ME BE (take 3, 1963 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
10) BABY LET ME BE ("Twist and Rut" EP, 1963 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
11) BLUE SUEDE SCHUBERT (take 1, 1963 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
12) HOLD MY HAND INTRO (from the BBC TV's "Rutland Sound", 1963 / from the LP version of "The Rutles" soundtrack)
13) WITH A GIRL LIKE YOU (Royal Variety Performance, 1963 / from the TV film)
14) HOLD MY HAND ("Meet The Rutles", 1963 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
15) BLUE SUEDE SCHUBERT ("Meet The Rutles", 1963 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
16) BABY S'IL VOUS PLAIT (take 1, 1964 / from the Japanese version of "Archaeology")
17) HOLD MY HAND (live on Ed Sullivan, 1964 / from the TV film)
18) I MUST BE IN LOVE (take 3, 1964 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
19) BETWEEN US (take 1, 1964 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
20) BETWEEN US (take 2, 1964 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)

DISC TWO: 1964-1967
--------------------------
01) I MUST BE IN LOVE (single, 1964 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
02) I MUST BE IN LOVE (raw mime track for "Rutland Night Out" TV show, 1964 / from the Japanese CD of the Idle/Innes "Rutland Weekend Songbook" album)
03) I MUST BE IN LOVE (live with mime track for "Rutland Night Out", 1964 / from the Idle/Innes "Rutland Weekend Songbook" album)
04) WITH A GIRL LIKE YOU ("A Hard Day's Rut", 1964 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
05) BETWEEN US ("A Hard Day's Rut", 1964 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
06) LIVING IN HOPE (take 2, 1964 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
07) LIVING IN HOPE ("Rutles For Sale", 1964 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
08) IT'S LOOKING GOOD (take 1, 1965 stereo mix / from the Japanese "Archaeology")
09) IT'S LOOKING GOOD (take 1, 1982 mono mix / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
10) OUCH! (single, 1965 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
11) IT'S LOOKING GOOD (live at Che Stadium, 1965 / from the TV film)
12) SONG O' THE CONTINUITY ANNOUNCERS (Dirk on BBC TV's "Not Also, But Only", 1965 / from the "Rutland Weekend Songbook" album)
13) IT'S LOOKING GOOD ("Rutle Soul", 1965 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
14) PLENTY OF TIME (take 1, 1966 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
15) TESTING ONE-TWO (1966 Christmas EP / from "Rutland Weekend Songbook")
16) DOUBLEBACK ALLEY (take 2, 1967 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
17) DOUBLEBACK ALLEY (single, 1967 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
18) GOOD TIMES ROLL (take 1, 1967 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
19) GOOD TIMES ROLL (remake attempt, 1967 / "The Children Of Rock 'N' Roll" from the "Rutland Weekend Songbook" album)
20) GOOD TIMES ROLL ("Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band", 1967 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
21) NEVERTHELESS ("Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band", 1967 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)

DISC THREE: 1967-1969
----------------------------
01) LOVE LIFE (take 1, 1967 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
02) LOVE LIFE (take 2, 1967 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
03) LOVE LIFE (live on the "Our World" telecast, 1967 / from the TV film)
04) LOVE LIFE (single, 1967 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
05) PIGGY IN THE MIDDLE (take 6, 1967 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
06) PIGGY IN THE MIDDLE (single, 1967 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
07) MY LITTLE UKELELE (1967 Christmas EP / from the Japanese "Archaeology")
08) CHEESE AND ONIONS (take 4 - film mix, 1968 / from the TV film)
09) WE'VE ARRIVED (take 1, 1968 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
10) WE'VE ARRIVED (take 2, 1968 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
11) WE'VE ARRIVED (take 1, 1996 remix / from "Archaeology")
12) WE'VE ARRIVED (take 2, 1996 remix / from "Archaeology")
13) ANOTHER DAY ("The Shite Album", 1968 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
14) CHEESE AND ONIONS ("Yellow Submarine Sandwich", 1969 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
15) FALLEN ARCH ANGEL (from the "Get Up And Go" sessions, 1969 / from the "Rutland Weekend Television" TV show)
16) GET UP AND GO (take 236, 1969 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
17) GET UP AND GO (take 237, 1969 / from the "Sweet Rutle Tracks" bootleg)
18) GET UP AND GO (live on the Rutle Corps rooftop, 1969 / from the TV film)
19) TODAY IS OUR WEDDING DAY (Dirk home demo, 1969 / from the TV film)
20) GET UP AND GO (single, 1969 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
21) LET'S BE NATURAL ("Shabby Road", 1969 / from "The Rutles" soundtrack)
22) LULLABY (Nasty home demo, 1969 / from the Japanese "Archaeology")

DISC FOUR: 1969-2007
---------------------------
01) MAJOR HAPPY'S UP AND COMING ONCE UPON A GOOD TIME BAND (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
02) RENDEZVOUS (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
03) QUESTIONNAIRE (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
04) LONELY-PHOBIA (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
05) HEY MISTER! (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
06) EASY LISTENING (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
07) THE KNICKER ELASTIC KING (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
08) I LOVE YOU (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
09) EINE KLEINE MIDDLE KLASSE MUSIK (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
10) JOE PUBLIC (the Rutles' unreleased 1969 album / "Archaeology")
11) CHEESE AND ONIONS (Nasty live on SNL, 1977 / "Saturday Night Live: The Complete Second Season" DVD set - the same episode also includes "Shangri-La", but it's the original Neil Innes version, as the Rutleized version was still years away)
12) UNFINISHED WORDS (unreleased Nasty track from c. 1978, completed in 1996 / "Archaeology")
13) GING GANG GOOLIE (Dirk and Stig single a-side, 1978 - this is actually real. The tracks have been bootlegged a few times; I recommend looking for the boot "Sgt. Rutter's Only Darts Club Band", where they appeared in great quality.)
14) MR. SHEENE (Dirk and Stig single b-side, 1978)
15) THE RUTLES MOVIE MEDLEY (single, 1982 / this one seems to pop up on Peer-to-Peer, but I'll post it on here if anyone needs it)
16) UNDER MY SKIN ("Archaeology" outtake, 1996 / from the 2007 reissue of "Archaeology")
17) SHANGRI-LA (edit from "Shangri-La" single, 1996)
18) SHANGRI-LA ("Archaeology", 1996)
19) DON'T KNOW WHY ("Archaeology", 1996)
20) BACK IN '64 ("Archaeology", 1996)
21) RUT-A-LOT (from the 2007 reissue of "Archaeology")

Phew! Hell of a lot of output for a Beatles parody! :-D