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Location: St. Louis Mo. | I was wondering if anyone out there knew what type of Ovations Paul McCartney used back in his days with Wings and I saw a photo of John Lennon from his last studio session playing what looks like a Legend model. Thanks for the feedback(no pun intended) on my guitar repair question. |
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Location: Australia | I know Paul played a Custom Legend in the mid seventies, a present from Linda I believe. You can see it on the concert video "Rockshow". The boys in Wings also used Ovations including an Adamas in the late seventies (Goodnight Tonight video).
John played an Ovation toward the end of his life and I read that it had become his favorite guitar at the time.
There are shots of him playing it on holiday in 1980 and I believe he used it to write and record demo's for the "Double Fantasy" album. |
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Location: Tennessee | I read somewhere that a couple of the original and rare Adamas slotheads were given to Wings ... ummm ... Paul's "other" band.
I've also seen some photos of John playing an Ovation in studio, believe they were from around the "Pussycats" sessions in LA circa 1974.
I also found these photos of John and his Ovation from around 1980.
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/JLBERM1.jpg
http://www.ovationfanclub.com/gallery/JLBERM2.jpg |
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Location: SoCal | If you search the threads for McCartney and slothead on this website, you should find a whole string talking about this. |
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Location: NJ | "according to the records . . "
Samova's #57 (1689-8) went to "Wings" as did #51 (1687-7), both on 12/3/76. |
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Location: Phoenix AZ | In the recent McCartney "Back In The USA" DVD his keyboard player (sorry, I don't recall his name) is seem on one number playing a shallow bowl 12-string in the background. McCartney plays a Martin on the DVD. I also saw a special about Lennon's last recording session the evening he was killed and he is seen playing a deep bowl Legend. Dave |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | You can see # 57 in one of my pics in the gallary.Its the pic with all the adamas' in it...I would love to see a pic or video of Paul or wings using my guitar........anybody? |
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Location: ma. | i don't know about the rest of you but seeing John Lennon playing an "O" makes me proud to own one. we all know what a genious he was, if he knew there was a certain something about these guitars, it makes me feel good knowing i realized the same thing. now if i could only write songs like he did. dude's definitely my hero. |
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Location: Houston, TX | imagine there's no Taylor
it's easy if you try
no guild below us
above us only helicopters... |
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Posts: 33
Location: Pittsburgh PA | Paul's keybord player is named "Wicks". I saw him playing an accoustic on the Back in the USA DVD, but I guess I didn't recognize the Ovation. I'll have to give it a good look tonight.
--Mike |
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Location: St. Louis Mo. | Thanks everyone for the info on the those Liverpool lads. I love those pictures of Lennon playing his Ovation. Very cool. |
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Location: Australia | Samova,
There's a blueburst Adamas in the Wings "Goodnight Tonight" video, perhaps that's the guitar you're refering to.
Wings also used a beigeburst Adamas on the 79' UK tour.
I've also seen a number of pictures of Denny Laine playing one at the time but their other guitarist Laurence Juber was never an Ovation fan. |
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Location: Atlanta,Ga. | Richardd,any idea how i can obtain acopy of that video? I would love to see the guitar . |
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Location: Houston, TX | If I'm not mistaken, about 3 or 4 months ago there were Wings' Ovations for sale on eBay, along with a lefty Les Paul. Anybody remember? |
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Location: Pittsburgh PA | Thanks for the pictures of Lennon playing the ovations. I thought I knew just about everything regarding the boys - I knew Paul played Ovations - - but I never knew John Played one. I wonder if George ever had one?
Have any of you seen the book "Beatles Gear"? I came out a little over a year ago. It is a book that covers all the Beatles's guitars, amps, keyboards, drums etc. they played from the beginning through Abby Road. There were no Ovations as they came along late in the Beatle's career - but it is a really great book! Lots of photos of guitars etc. I enjoyed seeing John's Epiphone Casino as I have one just like it. I hear that John's is in a museum in Japan (Yoko yesterdays birthday girl has it on display there) - it should be at the R&R Hall of Fame here in the good old USA!
--Mike |
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Location: NJ | Late one night (or should I say EARLY one morning) last week after a gig, I was a bit "wired" and couldn't go to sleep just yet. I decided to do something that I hadn't done in a L-O-N-G time and that was to break out my AKG headphones, sit down in a dark room and actually LISTEN to an album (CD).
My choice was George Harrison's latest (last) album "Brainwashed". I've been a LONG time Harrison fan and naturally bought the CD the day it was released. The first couple listens (in my office) left me marginally impressed. ". . . not his BEST work . . ." I thought, ". . . but it IS his last album . . ." and if I'd bought it for the sheer "posterity" of it, so be it. Subsequent/repeated playings warmed me up to it a bit more. Most have probably heard the single "Stuck Inside a Cloud" as it gets moderate (if not posthumous) airplay. There are better cuts on the CD.
The album was finished/produced by Jeff Lynne and Harrison's son Dhani from the mountains of tape and written instructions that George had left them with. Above all and anything else, this is a GUITAR album!! Harrison states in an interview that's on an accompanying DVD in the "deluxe" package:
". . . There really isn't anything high-tech about this . . .it's not rap, or disco, or techno, or whatever, . . . it's just acoustic guitars played by real people into microphones onto tape . . . " The end result Lynne admits is a bit more "posh" than George had originally intended, but was done so to do the songs the justice they deserve. I've always felt that Harrison was always a very, very underrated guitarist (especially slide guitarist). He was never, ever a flashy or particularly showy guitarist, but could play with a style where his tone and choice of notes could convey whatever "color" or emotion he was trying to evoke.
Listening to this CD intently through 'phones, brings it all brilliantly clear - this guy plays GUITAR! His tones almost paint pictures! His use of overdubbed guitars (both acoustic and electric) are done so tastefully that each one compliments the others so well that in some instances, it's like a "guitar orchestra". This album also contains (IMHO) some of the best slide work in Harrison's career. Instead of leaving behind a last legacy of bits & pieces and crude demo versions, George made a concerted effort to make his last work some of his best work. Sadly, he never saw it make it to it's completed state - but perhaps that was not his intention as well.
If you EVER respected Harrison's guitar work, you owe it to yourself to give this CD an intent listening.
Tuesday the 25th is George's 60th birthday (the day after my 47th). If you ever had the inkling to "thank" the guy for so many memorable riffs - go out and buy his CD, pour a glass of your favorite, sit back in a quiet dark room (preferrably with headphones), set aside the guy's religious/philosophical views and listen to the fuckin' guy PLAY! You won't be disappointed.
Cheers, George!!
Well done! |
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Location: ma. | i just read that paul is going to release a dvd of a session with him ringo and george. gotta see that. too bad john wasn't there to make it official. i hope chapman burns in hell. |
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Location: Ct./ USA | Just the other night I sent Steve Landes an e-mail concerning John Lennons Ovation. Steve plays John Lennon in the band RAIN, A Beatle copy Band in Nevada at the Eldorado April 3-July 27 in the production "YEA! YEA! YEA!"I asked Steve if he knew about John's Ovation. So far I have learned more at this site than anywere! Thanks Mates! Steve, you have all copies of John's gutiars, now you need an Ovation. |
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Posts: 8307
Location: Tennessee | Rain does a great show and Beatles fans are well served to see them. But alas, no Ovations are played during any of their numbers! But the Casino gets a lot of action, at least at the shows I've seen.
Cliff, I'm right there with you on Brainwashed. My kids gave it to me for Christmas, and it's not overly inspiring when played in the background ... albeit it is classic George with Lynne's deft production ala Cloud Nine. But critically listened to, it is an awesome piece of work and clearly shows why George could be the most underrated guitarist of his time. By the way, I read/saw somewhere that George recorded nearly all the tracks on a computer in his home using ProTools, which Dhani and Jeff then took, along with all George's written notes and instructions, and finished the album in Lynne's house in L.A. |
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Posts: 56
Location: Alabama | Great to see so many Beatles fans among the Ovation fans. I guess for many people my age (48) The Beatles were the fist music we took notice of. I have vivid memories of the news reports of their landing at NYC in 1964 and lying on the floor glued to the TV for the Ed Sullivan appearances. Aside from impacting the culture and popular music as no one before or since, they wrote the sound track to my youth. I'm always amazed at how many young people comment on my Beatles T-shirts. "Oh, I loved A Hard Days Night" or, "Rubber Soul is my favorite CD"! There are shots of Paul playing an Ovation in the Wings over America package, but I never knew John played one. Thanks for sharing the pics Stonebobo. |
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Posts: 14842
Location: NJ | I read/saw somewhere (perhaps it was here) that John was using that Ovation during an extended family vacation in Bermuda where he was working on new material (for which album, I don't know - possibly "Double Fantasy"?). Really woulda' been nice if Ovation was the Beatles' acoustic of choice "back in the day", wouldn't it?
btw: There's a very interesting article in the current issue of Rolling Stone regarding the resurgence of the lost "Get Back" tapes and the ironically documented break-up of the band during the "Let It Be" album (which is supposedly due to be re-released this fall - remastered without all of the Phil Spector puke all over it). Should be interesting. |
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Location: Pittsburgh PA | Cliff,
I also heard that Let It Be was being remastered for release. I'd also love to have the movie on DVD.
Ringo has a new CD out next month. I heard a bit of one song that was a tribute to George. Eric Clapton plays lead guitar on it. It sounded very good.
Speaking of Eric Clapton, I was in a guitar store recently and played the Eric Clapton signature Martin. The action was terrible. It was a real bear to play. It was some unreasonable price of $2,500 or $3,000. Who ever buys that had better get some adjustments made to it.
Has anyone ever seen Clapton playing an Ovation?
--Mike |
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Location: Las Cruces, NM | I've seen a lot of Clapton on TV, and I've never seen him with an Ovation. I suspect he was playing solid bodies when Ovations were hot as his acoustic phase is fairly recent as far as I know. I would like to hear him playing one, I'm sure it would be good.
Also, as to the remarks about Harrison's work on his album, I'd like to comment that the Beatles were all excellent musicians as they had played many types of music before they became superstars. One of the tragedies of superstardom is that they are cut off from just playing good music as they try to do what it was that made them wealthy. When they "retire" then they can sit back and play some music, that explains why groups like the Beatles break up. |
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Location: Australia | As far as Clapton playing Ovations, I've never seen one in his hands but I have an old Ovation owners manual from the early seventies that lists him as a user. |
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Location: 6 String Ranch | Paul had many Big O's and paid for all of them. Lennon must have bought his in NY. George, who knows.
Clapton has used them off and on over the years. Played one alot when he was a side man on the Roger Waters tour.
Lawrence Juber is a great guitarist and used ovulations when with wings. Since then he has been using a Collings and one of those poxy T guitars, Maybe he's over that by now. |
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Location: Australia | Laurence Juber now has a signature model Martin. |
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Location: Scotland | Clapton was an Ovation endorsee according to some early '70's catalogs. |
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Beatle Ovations
