h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

- Were you either too young, or too old, to care?

Too young I reckon. The first music I remember, as a child, was T.Rex, Slade and The Sweet.


- Did you ever meet or even play with a Beatle?

Yeah right. How about torment by solar magnification of ants?



- Do you subscribe to the 'favourite Beatle' theory. Or was their genius a combination of all four parts?

Paul's still the odd one. Couldn't tell George or Ringo from a bar of soap. I imagine that leaves John.



- Is there a Beatles song that you couldn't contemplate living without?

No. But Hey Jude walks it as their best work. Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds second. After that it's all a bit beige. What else did they write




- How would they have sounded without Sir George Martin producing them?

What does this mean? Perhaps they'd have sounded like Kylie if Stock-Aitken-Waterman had been at the helm. Then again, they'd have been a load of Barry White if I'd been on the graphic equalizer desk.

But my colleague writes: "anyway what with one thing and another and George Martin's enormous ego being what it is making it available, once more, I splashed out and got the Beatles Mono Box Set...of course I didn't realise you had to order the bloody thing months ago as only 600 were being sent down under from Messrs EMI Hayes...luckily the Japanese were making their own and I scored one of theirs...authentic an' all...after all this time it's good to hear Sgt Peppers in Mono again...the vinyl I had would be worth an absolute motza nowadays - I think I sold it for food...bought the other three albums (Abbey Road, Yellow Submarine and Let It Be) to make the set but they are only in stereo..."

He sounds enthusiastic enough.



- Did you see them play live?

No. Sisters of Mercy was my first proper gig.




- Is there a band which is cruelly underappreciated because the Beatles stole their limelight?

The Monkees (notably also mis-spelled fauna) you mean? Or the Kinks?

Thanks Trout
Indeed Hey Jude as to be one of my own faves, though as stated, I think I was born just the 'right' side of the 60s to rememeber them as part of my childhood. In fact I think as a child it was apparent how skilled they were at writing for all ages. Yellow Submarine is a simply wonderful children's song.
GF