'...SpinalCracker
'Thank you for inviting me to contribute to your 'biography' section. As far as the recording session at Abbey Road of 'GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE' on May 18th 1966 is concerned my comments and observations are well documented in Mark Lewinsohn's book 'The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions' on page 79. That tells of my unexpected appearance at the session. Unexpected by me, that is, as I knew nothing about it until an hour before it started! What it doesn't relate is the following:- ...'
'We, the musicians who were to augment the four Beatles, were surprised to to find that there were no written parts for us to play. Paul and George (Harrison - not Martin) rattled out some phrases on the studio piano and an acoustic guitar and although we had cans to hear the underlying track they had already recorded, the prospects of a successful overdub from the jazzier guests seemed a trifle remote. Enter George Martin. (I believe, in retrospect, that the experienced George Martin knew that a bunch of hard nosed jazzers could prolong the session for the sake of extra cash by running beyond the booked playing time) He said, and I paraphrase, "Listen Fellers, I know it's not easy but as far as your fee is concerned we'll call it a double session. OK?"...'
'Galvanised into action Alan Branscombe, the other Tenor Sax player, asked for blank manuscipt paper and the producer managed to find some. Alan sketched out notes for the rest of us to play which relied heavily on verbal directions rather than written ones and after several takes John Lennon signalled his satisfaction. We had completed our work well within the allotted one session time but, as promised, George Martin gave us each a cheque for double fee - and that is where I made my biggest mistake. I cashed the cheque!!! I have wondered many times since what an uncashed cheque from the Beatles would fetch at auction and I suspect considerably more than it's face value. ...'
'Then there is the anecdote about Paul McCartney, me, Colin Green, Francois Hardie and a few drinks - But that's another story. ...'
Peter Coe
Of course, SpinalCracker pressed and got that other story as well... :)
"On 3rd April 1966, a month before the recording of 'GOT TO GET YOU INTO MY LIFE' a huge charity concert took place in London to which the Recording stars of the day were invited to perform for no monies whatsoever. We were each given instead a plaque thanking us for our services and mine headed 'The Blue Flames' is in front of me now.(I was with Georgie Fame for over three years) Over the years this memento has tarnished somewhat but I can still remember parts of the event.
"We were asked to arrive early as a photograph was to be taken of the entire package which included The Beatles', 'The Rolling Stones', Gerry and the Pacemakers', 'Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames, Francois Hardie, the very attractive singer from France, and others. There were so many artists that some had to sit on the stage front edge so that the photographer could get everyone in. I sat next to Brian Epstein I remember. Now I would like a copy of that photograph and if I tell you that the Charity was for the Spastics - The Spastics Society of Great Britain, I believe, maybe, just maybe, a visitor to your site may know where one can be obtained. The four Beatles were standing behind their ex-producer and me. (Note from SpinalCracker - anyone out there with a picture, please E-mail me at onespinalcracker@yahoo.com)
"After the concert four of us piled into a taxi and set off for London's West End. The four were Paul McCartney, Colin Green (the Blue Flame's guitarist), me and the French vocalist Francois Hardie. We went to a club called the Scotch of St. James if I remember rightly and ordered drinks several times as we chatted about this and that. Francois was very much the centre of attraction and her knowledge of the English language extremely good.
"Having a plane to catch that would take her back to Paris our French visitor eventually rose to leave. She said, and I paraphrase, "I heff to leaff for the airport, and I heff enjoy your company, so I weel pay the beel. Thank you". With that she kissed us each on the cheek, paid the flunkey (sic) at the bar and left.
"The musicians she left behind were by no means broke, in fact it could be said that we were all living fairly high on the hog - especially Paul, but none of us attempted to dissuade her from paying the bill. We just sat there in silence. She was, as I say, a very pretty girl and possibly well heeled being the top singer in her country, so we'll put it down to shell shock rather than ungentlemanly bad manners."
