Going To a Beatles Convention

This weekend I'm going to the annual Beatles convention in Secaucus, New Jersey, which is why I've listened to the entire Fab Four catalog over the past month; it's a time-honored tradition of mine. This year will feature guests such as Beatles photographer Robert Freeman, movie producer Denis O'Dell (he produced The Magic Christian, which featured Ringo Starr), and - I am not making this up - Donovan. Yes, the same Donovan who perofrmed "Mellow Yellow" (which included Paul McCartney). Oh, well, I like "Sunshine Superman" anyway. Just as long as Donovan doesn't perform "I Love My Shirt" at the convention.

This Beatles convention produced by a New Jersey family, the Lapidos family, every year, and it's always a great deal of fun. I love taking in the lectures (especially the talks from Beatles authors), loooking at the artwork, and browsing in the record flea market as well. I'm still - still - looking for The Songs Lennon and McCartney Gave Away, an album of Lennon and McCartney tunes given to other artists like Cilla Black and Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas instead of recording for a Beatles album, after all these years. Who knows, this could be the year. They don't just sell Beatles records there, either; the dealers who participate also have rare stuff like Rolling Stones imports, the original Monkees albums, and records from more obscure artists - I bought my copy of Family's Fearless there, by the way. Maybe this year I'll find some albums from Streetwalkers, the group Roger Chapman and Charlie Whitney formed after disbanding Family, or some Roger Chapman solo albums! You never know! :-)