“In The Crow’s Nest”
By Mandy Johnson
“We were all on this ship in the sixties, our generation, a ship going to discover the New World. And the Beatles were in the crow’s nest of that ship.” - John Lennon
Saturday, January 27th, 2007. It’s a cold, cold, New York City night with crowds forming outside Carnegie Hall to either buy the few tickets left or fight the mob and actually get in to see tonight’s time capsule of musical history. Never before in New York or anywhere else have I been so significantly aware of the presence of scalpers mixing with fans actually approaching those going in and asking if they had extra tickets to sell. Such is the social significance of this performance! The “with-outs” are by now looking desperate and depressed while those of us with tickets are beginning to feel guilty beating them to the punch. And reason for all the commotion in this usually conservative setting? It is the seventh, yes the SEVENTH performance at this historic venue by “1964 The Tribute”, the ultimate Beatles revival! I say this with total confidence because I heard, watched and breathed The Beatles at The Cavern, The Liverpool Philharmonic, The Royal Albert Hall, The London Palladium, and any other place I could get tickets from them as a Liverpool teeny bopper more years ago than I care to remember. Not that I consider myself as an authority on the Beatles, but like many of my Liverpool peers of that particular period, I have a discerning ear and a decided distaste for poor imitation which is perhaps what makes the difference between “1964 The Tribute” and others of the genre.
So much more than talented musicians who play Beatle songs, Gary Grimes as Paul McCartney, Mark Benson as John Lennon, Tom Work as George Harrison and Terry Manfredi as Ringo Starr actually recreate the 1964 Beatle invasion of America. No bad apple, this show has all the magic of The Beatles – No imagination is necessary.
For twenty-three years Mark and Gary, joined again by Tom and Terry after a hiatus of several years, have perfected their art. From painstakingly restoring vintage equipment ensuring the exact sound, to researching and creating authentic costumes and studying intricate speech patterns, which in itself is a minor miracle, as the guttural Liverpool accent is not easy to replicate. They immersed themselves in the early Beatles subculture for accurate onstage presentation, Gary Grimes who is right-handed going as far as to learn to play the bass guitar left-handed to remain authentic to the style of Paul McCartney. As a further test of their genius they have even taken their show back to England, earning the respect of very hard to please audiences at Liverpool’s Cavern Club.
I was astounded to hear their accents “vanish in the haze” the first time I met them backstage after a performance a few years ago – I thought they were ‘Scousers’ (Liverpudlians) and was thrilled that my landsmen had conquered the Colonies yet again. Then I found out they were American! Even Bill Harry, founder and publisher of “Mersey Beat”, the authoritative magazine on the Liverpool Sound, was awed at the accuracy of their performance.
“1964 The Tribute” is a Master Class! Musically it’s always a stellar performance but more importantly they have the unique ability to keep some of the greatest popular music written this century alive while preserving the integrity of the original performances.
This year’s show opened with promoter Mark Johnson, who has produced their high profile shows throughout the country, setting the mood by extending thanks to WPLJ Radio and New York Magazine. He graciously thanked the scores of fans who not only came from all over the United States but from overseas as well, notably Jean Catharell of Liverpool Beatlescene (the only Beatle information service in Liverpool).
The lights dimmed and to thunderous applause “1964 The Tribute” took the stage. Three bars of introduction and a very forceful Liverpudlian sounding “Oh yeah I, tell you something” on the fourth bar blasted through the speakers and the crowd went absolutely wild! “I Want To Hold Your Hand” was quickly followed by the early Lennon and McCartney composition “Please, Please Me and their super hit “From Me To You”. “Thank You Girl” and “Do You Want to Know A Secret” had the crowd begging for more. Trivia buffs might note that Lennon wrote “Secret” when he found out that Cynthia was pregnant with Julian. “1964’s” Tom Work as George Harrison sings it as beautifully as it was written.
The pace slowed down with “This Boy” and once again I was impressed with Mark Benson’s brilliant vocal similitude to John Lennon. The mournful, heartbreaking wail in the line beginning “Oooh, and this boy, would be happy” had this seasoned writer standing up and screaming, to the horror of those sitting in the box with me. I add that my scream was nonetheless as loud as it was decades ago when I first heard the song thousands of miles away. To my delight, I was not alone. Much younger women were screaming their approval from the next box.
Terry Manfredi’s rendition of “Act Naturally” would have made Ringo, and Buck Owens who penned the song, both very proud. When the John/Paul duo broke into “Eight Days A Week” under Benson/Lennon’s “ease of use” instructions for clapping on the middle eight, the audience was lapping up his brashness.
With “And I Love Her” Gary Grimes honored Paul McCartney by yet another flawless performance. It could have only been improved by (Sir) Paul McCartney himself coming on stage and joining in (which is my own personal fantasy). The crowd roared their approval. Mark Benson’s “It’s Only Love” was followed by the hard, fast early Beatle rocker “I Saw Her Standing There”, priming the audience for “Twist and Shout” which was rapidly becoming “Les Liaison Dangereuses” from the dancing in the theater box perspective. In the front row a few separatists had been tripping the light fantastic all evening, but by the time “Twist and Shout” evolved into “Roll Over Beethoven” and “I Feel Fine” there was no holding anyone back.
The emotions changed again when Robert Miller and Orchestra took the stage for a dazzling accompaniment to “Eleanor Rigby”, “For No One” and my favorite “In My Life”. I looked around at those in the theater boxes along side me and watched fans unashamedly wiping away tears.
The band announced to the deafening applause of some 2,300 people that they would be back at Carnegie Hall next year on January 12th. After an intermission, several hundred fans surrounded the stage to join in with “Taxman”. “Paperback Writer”, “Rain”, “Yesterday” and the Ringo special “Yellow Submarine” all inspired maximum audience participation.
Until the closing “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” of “She Loves You” Gary Grimes, Mark Benson, Tom Work, and Terry Manfredi enthralled their audience, weaving their musical magic while transcending age and time. It is a thrilling show to see, recalling a generation of love, peace and flowers – it was all ours and the sheer genius of “1964 The Tribute”, now keepers of the flame, are giving it back to the world.
Marilyn “Mandy” Johnson