Following on from the
must-have Paris Left Breathless (3CD+2DVD) featuring a 1965 Paris
concert, the M. Claudel label releases a new release capturing the
band's 1964 French tour. The Beatles' true global fame began with the
news that "I Want to Hold Your Hand" reached number one in the US during
this Paris performance, followed by the success of their first American
tour. While large-scale concerts became the norm thereafter due to
capacity constraints, until this French tour, the band's name was
limited to the UK and a small part of Europe. This release captures the
1964 French tour, just before they made their international debut.
This
French tour was a grueling one, spanning a short period from January
15th to February 4th, 1964, with two shows per day every night, except
for two dates on January 21st and January 28th. The schedule felt like
an extension of their time as local stars, before they achieved
popularity. While the setlist for this French tour is still unclear, and
audio and video recordings are limited, I hope that the materials
included on this album will help shed light on this historic page. One
theory suggests that this year's French tour not only featured different
sets for each day, but also different setlists for day and night. This
likely represented rehearsals for the band's upcoming first American
performance. I hope that this album will inspire those who pick up this
album to delve deeper into their own research and unravel the mystery. I
believe this 1964 French tour is well worth the effort.
Only
the first day of the tour took place in Versailles, with all subsequent
performances taking place at the Olympia Theatre in Paris. Since
Versailles was the first day, recordings and filming were reportedly
conducted there, but the audio and video recordings have rarely been
available until now. This album not only includes never-before-seen
fragments, but also includes color footage from the Olympia Theatre in
Paris and never-before-seen footage, providing a comprehensive look at
the tour.
Let's
start with the audio recordings. Opening the set is a performance in
Versailles on January 15, 1964. This is, of course, a first-time
recording. It features recordings of Torini Lopez and Silvie Vartan, who
opened for The Beatles. Sylvie Vartan's "Love Shock" is a familiar
song, even released as a single in Japan. The Beatles only performed one
song on the first night in Versailles, "From Me To You." At the end,
you can clearly hear him strumming his guitar and saying "Thank You."
It's rare to see such an MC over the song.
Next
is a recording from the Paris Olympia concert on January 16. This is
the first recording unearthed in the last decade or so to be recorded
with accurate pitch and closer to the master recording. Paul excels in
"I Saw Her Standing There," pushing his voice to its limits and varying
the vocal technique to create a rare, passionate performance. Both
"Twist and Shout" and "Long Tall Sally" end with "From Me To You,"
played as the curtain falls at the end of the show. These two songs
likely served as the endings for both the daytime and evening shows. The
different endings suggest that various setlists were being experimented
with during that year's France tour. Since "Long Tall Sally" begins
with vocals, the intro features a guitar countdown similar to that
featured on "AROUND THE BEATLES."
Next
is the recording from the Paris Olympia concert on January 19th. This
includes one opening song by TORINI LOPEZ, a different song from the
Versailles concert. Finally, the Beatles include five songs plus the
ending "From Me To You." While these tracks have been familiar since the
vinyl era, the CD era has seen such a significant improvement in
quality, making it astonishing considering how much they've improved
since then. Also included is recordings from the Paris Olympia concert
on January 22nd. These include "This Boy," which plays in the background
while the narrator speaks, and "Long Tall Sally" and "Twist and Shout,"
which are recorded midway through the tour. While these are fragments,
they are all previously unreleased.
While
numerous recordings of the 1964 Paris concert have been released, many
have had iffy dates or jumbled track listings. Of course, this is
understandable, considering the tour's exact setlist and even the songs
played are unknown. However, this release meticulously examines these
recordings and presents the most accurate dates and track order
possible. The latter half of the disc also features interviews.
Next
is the video DVD. As always, the groundbreaking feature of the M.
Claudel label's Live Chronicle series is its ability to unearth footage.
Many fans look forward to never-before-seen and high-quality footage
each time. This release, featuring footage from the 1964 France tour,
does not disappoint. First up is footage from the January 15th
Versailles concert. The curtain rises to begin the concert, and George's
presence at the front reveals that the opening song was "Roll Over
Beethoven." We also see John and Paul singing "I Saw Her Standing There"
side by side, and the three of them standing at the microphone for
"This Boy." The most surprising footage is the close-up footage, almost
as if it were filmed onstage. It includes close-ups of Paul singing
"From Me To You," Paul strumming his bass, Ringo smiling as he drums,
and even a shot of John directly to the side onstage, from behind. The
most striking feature is the perfect synchronization of the video and
audio. Of course, the audio from the Paris Olympia concert is used where
there's no audio, but the performance is nearly identical, making it
seamless and, above all, almost like a silent film brought to life.
All
of the footage from the Paris Olympia concert is from the January 16th
show. The opening curtain opens to George's "Roll Over Beethoven," but
it's in color. Vivid color footage from a 1964 concert in France! It's
amazing that something like this even exists. It's like a moving
photograph, like the Beatles in their suits from the black-and-white
era. Considering that even color photographs of stage performances from
this era are rare, this footage is truly priceless. Other footage,
edited from previously black-and-white footage, recreates the Paris
Olympia concert as closely as possible. There's also a scene at the end
where Paul leaps back to his post, and a scene where he desperately
delivers a MC in French. Also, while a scene from the Melbourne concert,
John, impersonating a disabled person to rouse the audience, was
featured in "Anthology," this footage from Paris also includes a similar
scene. It's surprising to learn that John had been performing these
tasteless jokes for so long. Again, the audio is perfectly synchronized
with the video, allowing for seamless concert viewing. In addition to
the performance scenes, the DVD also includes extensive footage from the
time, including reels of footage of the Beatles strolling the streets
of Paris and scenes inside and outside the venue. Shot as news footage
from the time, the footage is shot from a journalistic perspective,
showcasing not only the concert itself, but also the Beatles' personal
lives, their fans, and their immense popularity in France. The tour
documentary follows the tour chronologically, following the Beatles'
departure from London's Heathrow Airport, their arrival at a French
airport, their journey to their hotel, and their return to London after
the tour.
This
is the latest installment in M. Claudel's Live Chronicle series, a
culmination of the 1964 French tour. This complete set includes
never-before-seen audio and video. It also includes never-before-seen
footage of Versailles and color footage of Paris. And what's more, it's
of this quality. Be sure to get this along with "PARIS LEFT BREATHLESS"
(3CD+2DVD), which features the 1965 Paris concert. This meticulous
recording of the Beatles' early years before they ventured out into the
world shows that their first tour of France that year must have been a
special one for them. This is a beautifully pressed, permanently
preserved edition with a beautiful picture disc.
CD DISC
Cinema Cyrano Versailles
January 15, 1964
TORINI LOPEZ
01. Green Green
SILVIE VARTAN
02. Si je chante
THE BEATLES
03. From Me To You
Olympia Theater Paris
January 16, 1964
THE BEATLES
04. From Me To You
05. I Saw Her Standing There
06. This Boy
07. Twist And Shout - From Me To You
08. Long Tall Sally - From Me To You
Olympia Theater Paris
January 19, 1964
TORINI LOPEZ
09. If I Had A Hammer
THE BEATLES
10. From Me To You
11. She Loves You
12. This Boy
13.I Want To Hold Your Hand
14. Twist And Shout - From Me To you
Olympia Theater Paris
January 22, 1964
15. This Boy
16. Long Tall Sally - From Me To You
17. Twist And Shout - From Me To You
January 14, 1964
18. The Beatles Interview Le Bourget Airport
January 24, 1964
19. The Beatles Interview by Michel Lemaire Olympia Theater Paris
20. Sylvie Vartan Interview by Michel Lemaire Olympia Theater Paris
21. The Beatles Interview “WEEKEND WORLD”
February 5, 1964
22. The Beatles Interview WINS Radio, NYC
23. The Beatles Interview London Airport
DVD DISC
CONCERT FILM
01. Cinema Cyrano Versailles Janua
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