David P. Hill
04-01-2004, 11:01 AM
Why was "Long Tall Sally" song left out in the Anthology and "The Beatles "First U.S. Visit"? Here is the answer. :confused: :confused:
"The Beatles In Washington, D.C." DVD:
* Roll Over Beethoven
* From Me To You
* I Saw Her Standing There
* I Wanna Be Your Man
* Please Please Me
* Till There Was You
* She Loves You
* I Want To Hold Your Hand
excerpt from http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/fabnews.htm
Update (4/1/04)
From Matt Hurwitz:
Hi, Steve--
I've got a little bit of an explanation for you regarding the missing "Long Tall Sally." As described in an article I've written for an upcoming issue of "Videography" Magazine, Brian Epstein had arranged for the show to be *videotaped* (not filmed) for future closed-circuit video screening. The taping was done by National General Cinema Corp., who hired the local CBS affiliate, the only folks at the time nearby with a mobile truck, to do the job.
Epstein had several 16mm "kinescope" transfers made, for reference. A kinescope is a device which is capable of making a transfer to film of a video image - remember, this was recorded on 2" videotape - there weren't any handy VHS cassette machines in those days. It was much easier to view a 16mm film than to arrange a video screening.
Over the years, it was one of those kinescopes which surfaced occasionally for viewing. In the early 70s, Beatles historian Ron Furmanek acquired one of those kinescopes, and, in 1989, when the re-edit of "First U.S. Visit" was taking place in Albert Maysles' studio, Ron provided that to Apple/Maysles for inclusion in the film.
The Maysles Brothers had, as Albert Maysles describes in "First U.S. Visit," snuck their camera in and filmed several songs, "She Loves You" and two others, from far up in the stands, using a zoom lens. That footage appeared in his original film, "What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A." "She Loves You" was also used in the "First U.S. Visit" version, along with other footage from the kinescope.
Ron Furmanek explained to me that the reason "Long Tall Sally" has been missing all these years is very simple, though unfortunate. The concert ran just over 30 minutes. The reel of film used to make the kinescope transfer was 1200 feet - 30 minutes in length. When the reel ran out at the 30 minute mark, the outfit making the transfer assumed the program was over and didn't spool up a second reel, missing "Long Tall Sally" and the group's exit from the Coliseum.
In 1993, Ron was able to finally locate the original 2" videotape reel, which he provided to Apple, who was, at the time, assembling "The Beatles Anthology." It is that videotape footage that we see intercut in the Coliuseum "Anthology" section. Apple does now have "Long Tall Sally," though, as Ron explains, no one outside of Apple has ever really seen it. The tape was, of course, found four years after "First U.S. Visit" was re-edited, so none of that material is seen in that release (nor its recent reissue, which was not changed in any way)..
Hope that explains it. If you'd like to read more about the making of "First U.S. Visit," I'll let you know when the "Videography" article is out and the link is available for viewing.
"The Beatles In Washington, D.C." DVD:
* Roll Over Beethoven
* From Me To You
* I Saw Her Standing There
* I Wanna Be Your Man
* Please Please Me
* Till There Was You
* She Loves You
* I Want To Hold Your Hand
excerpt from http://abbeyrd.best.vwh.net/fabnews.htm
Update (4/1/04)
From Matt Hurwitz:
Hi, Steve--
I've got a little bit of an explanation for you regarding the missing "Long Tall Sally." As described in an article I've written for an upcoming issue of "Videography" Magazine, Brian Epstein had arranged for the show to be *videotaped* (not filmed) for future closed-circuit video screening. The taping was done by National General Cinema Corp., who hired the local CBS affiliate, the only folks at the time nearby with a mobile truck, to do the job.
Epstein had several 16mm "kinescope" transfers made, for reference. A kinescope is a device which is capable of making a transfer to film of a video image - remember, this was recorded on 2" videotape - there weren't any handy VHS cassette machines in those days. It was much easier to view a 16mm film than to arrange a video screening.
Over the years, it was one of those kinescopes which surfaced occasionally for viewing. In the early 70s, Beatles historian Ron Furmanek acquired one of those kinescopes, and, in 1989, when the re-edit of "First U.S. Visit" was taking place in Albert Maysles' studio, Ron provided that to Apple/Maysles for inclusion in the film.
The Maysles Brothers had, as Albert Maysles describes in "First U.S. Visit," snuck their camera in and filmed several songs, "She Loves You" and two others, from far up in the stands, using a zoom lens. That footage appeared in his original film, "What's Happening! The Beatles in the U.S.A." "She Loves You" was also used in the "First U.S. Visit" version, along with other footage from the kinescope.
Ron Furmanek explained to me that the reason "Long Tall Sally" has been missing all these years is very simple, though unfortunate. The concert ran just over 30 minutes. The reel of film used to make the kinescope transfer was 1200 feet - 30 minutes in length. When the reel ran out at the 30 minute mark, the outfit making the transfer assumed the program was over and didn't spool up a second reel, missing "Long Tall Sally" and the group's exit from the Coliseum.
In 1993, Ron was able to finally locate the original 2" videotape reel, which he provided to Apple, who was, at the time, assembling "The Beatles Anthology." It is that videotape footage that we see intercut in the Coliuseum "Anthology" section. Apple does now have "Long Tall Sally," though, as Ron explains, no one outside of Apple has ever really seen it. The tape was, of course, found four years after "First U.S. Visit" was re-edited, so none of that material is seen in that release (nor its recent reissue, which was not changed in any way)..
Hope that explains it. If you'd like to read more about the making of "First U.S. Visit," I'll let you know when the "Videography" article is out and the link is available for viewing.