THE RAY SHASHO SHOW

 WELCOMES LEGENDARY FILM DIRECTOR AND AUTHOR

TONY PALMER

Tony Palmer is a British film director and author. His work includes over 100 films, ranging from early works with The Beatles, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, Rory Gallagher (Irish Tour '74) and Frank Zappa (200 Motels), to his classical portraits which include profiles of Maria Callas, Margot Fonteyn, John Osborne, Igor Stravinsky, Richard Wagner, Yehudi Menuhin, Carl Orff, Benjamin Britten and Ralph Vaughan Williams. He is also a stage director of theatre and opera.

Palmer’s latest project is a legendary musical tribute “The Beatles and WWII” issued on CD/DVD by Gonzo Multimedia UK .Take a group of some of the most famous solo artists of the 70’s – Elton John, Tina Turner, The Four Seasons, The Bee Gees, Peter Gabriel, Bryan Ferry, Rod Stewart, Leo Sayer, Keith Moon, Helen Reddy, Jeff Lynne & Frankie Valli – get them to sing cover versions of some of the most famous Beatles songs ever written. Add a considerable dollop of authentic documentary footage of the Second World War telling the story of that epic encounter…and what do you have? 

Music sung by:

Elton John, The Bee Gees, Bryan Ferry, Jeff Lynne, Leo Sayer, Keith Moon, Rod Stewart, David Essex, Tina Turner, Helen Reddy, The Four Seasons, Lynsey De Paul, The Brothers Johnson, Richard Cocciante, Henry Gross, Status Quo, Peter Gabriel, and Frankie Vallii

 “The Beatles and WWII”!!! 

Sound crazy? It is. But enormously entertaining, and occasionally very chilling. A unique blend of music and film like no other. Of that much we can be absolutely certain. 

 “The best collection of Beatles covers in a film EVER” 

In an article written by Ronnie Dannelley editor of Ear Candy Magazine: “The old 1976 film was the strangest mix of cinema and rock ‘n’ roll, combining World War II images (newsreels and Hollywood films made at that time) with the music of The Beatles (not The Beatles original recordings, but by various artists). The old movie combined a pastiche of World War II-themed film segments (both period films and post-war action films) with the backdrop of the music of The Beatles (NOT the original songs, but cover versions by various artists). Strange concept huh? A long story, but the end result was disastrous. The original distributor junked the film so completely that no copies survived, and the film took on its iconic status.” 

Says legendary director Tony Palmer of his new film, “Although the original 1976 film had disappeared, thanks to the indifference and stupidity of the original distributor, instinctively I felt the central idea, and the material, and of course the music, were just too good to be lost forever.

 “So for those fans who have had to rely on a few very poor quality extracts on YouTube, the 2016 film is a completely new experience, much of it in HD. Yes, we have used some of the original tracks, but added a lot of new archive footage, some never seen before. In addition, I have often used totally different music. The film starts with Vaughan Williams, and ends with Shostakovich, taking in Rachmaninoff en route and including many of the famous 2nd World War speeches by Roosevelt, Churchill, Montgomery, Chamberlain, Joe Kennedy and Hitler.  And the film makes reference to war-torn Syria and the massive problem of immigration along the way. 

“It is a far more complex film than the original, and I hope will give everyone pause for thought about the troubled world in which we live.”

Produced by Sandy Lieberson           Directed & Edited by Tony Palmer

“The Beatles and WWII”

Tracks:DVD

Greensleeves - arr. Vaughan Williams

The Fool on the Hill - Helen Reddy

Yesterday - David Essex 

The Long and Winding Road - Leo Sayer

I Am the Walrus - Leo Sayer

Come Together - Tina Turner

Shostakovich 11th Symphony

I Am the Walrus - Leo Sayer

Maxwell's Silver Hammer - Frankie Laine

Shes Leaving Home - Bryan Ferry 

Let It Be - Leo Sayer

Getting Better - Status Quo

Help! - Henry Gross

Nowhere Man - Jeff Lynne

With a Little Help from My Friends - Jeff Lynne

'Army Air Corps' song - Robert MacArthur Crawford

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds - Elton John

She Came In Through the Bathroom Window - Bee Gees

With a Little Help from My Friends - Jeff Lynne

Because - Lynsey de Paul

Get Back - Rod Stewart

Nowhere Man - Jeff Lynne

We Can Work It Out - The Four Seasons

'Oche Nash' from St John Chrysostom Liturgy, Rachmaninoff

Shostakovich 11th Symphony 

A Day In The Life - Frankie Valli

Michelle - Richard Cocciante

The Long and Winding Road - Leo Sayer

Victory March - Sousa

The End - Will Malone

When I'm Sixty-Four - Keith Moon

Golden Slumbers - The Bee Gees

Strawberry Fields Forever - Peter Gabriel

Hey Jude - The Brothers Johnson - 1:30 Shostakovich 4th Symphony

Fool on the Hill - John Williams (arr. Brouwer)



CD One

The Fool on The Hill - Helen Reddy Yesterday - David Essex 

The Long & Winding Road - Leo Sayer 

I Am The Walrus - Leo Sayer

Come Together - Tina Turner Maxwell's Silver Hammer - Frankie Laine

She's Leaving Home - Bryan Ferry 

Let It Be - Leo Sayer 

Getting Better - Status Quo 

Help! - Henry Gross Nowhere Man - Jeff Lynne 

Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds - Elton John

CD Two 

With A Little Help From My Friends - Jeff Lynne 

Because - Lynsey De Paul Get Back - Rod Stewart 

We Can Work It Out - Four Seasons A Day In The Life - Frankie Valli 

Michelle - Richard Cocciante When I'm Sixty Four - Keith Moon 

Golden Slumbers/Carry That Weight - The Bee Gees 

Strawberry Fields - Peter Gabriel 

Hey Jude - The Brothers Johnson Lennon speaks 

The Fool on the Hill - John Williams​