Mathew Street: A tribute to John Lennon and The Beatles written by Chris Buckley and Mike Meade.
Mike and I were big Beatles fans, which I'm sure influenced our musical excursions; we would try to emulate the famous Beatles harmonies and had done covers of lesser known Beatles tracks.
In my room where we'd jam there was a poster of John Lennon with his trademark Rickenbacker guitar, which prompted a 'we should write a John Lennon song' moment. John was about to inspire us... 'Johnny's Smile' was the working title... the 'How I Miss You' chorus came quickly enough, however, the verses didn't quite happen... soon enough though the idea of a fans' pilgrimage to Liverpool emerged. It became 'Mathew Street' when the famous street, home of The Cavern and Mecca for Beatle fans, became the opening line.
The song was completed and ready to be demoed. This recording was made on 8-track in a little studio in Woking we'd hired for the day. We were joined by our friend Pat Acres who would play guitar on the track, adding some riffs and a neat solo.
'Mathew Street' became one of many songs we recorded; it was nice to have a Beatles tribute song in the bag. I must admit to singing it to myself as I wander down Mathew Street on visits to Liverpool. Outside of a few people, it's never been heard... gathering dust over the years, and now as part of my own little musical journey, was a natural choice, given its potential resonance, for putting out there...
Of course, YouTube didn't exist when the song was written. It's great that you can 'broadcast yourself', however you need to create something to look at too... There was no footage or photos from the recording session, so I embarked upon putting together a collage of photos -- focusing on the idea of fans visiting Beatle places, the vibrancy of Beatle Liverpool, the wonderful Mathew Street Festival which has grown and grown, whilst giving a flavour of the essence of Lennon and the Beatles, telling the story and giving people an idea of what the fuss was all about.
I had a collection of photos from the 'Boys Talk' days and the visits to Liverpool with Mike. Recently, aided by brother, Kevan, and his trusty camera, we toured Liverpool to take photos of Beatle places -- around Mathew Street, The Hard Day's Night Hotel, Penny Lane, Strawberry Fields, Mendips and inside the Cavern Walks shopping arcade (which is where the statues in the solo stand proud). I had had the idea of having pictures of fans visiting the sites as part of the video collage... As the video progressed, it became obvious that to tell the story of John and the Beatles, it would need to feature the Fab Four, so additional images have been sourced and are greatly appreciated.
It's been a labour of love... Hope you like it!
Thanks to: John, Paul, George and Ringo for the joy and inspiration; those that 'were there' who captured it all on film, and those who've lived to tell the tale and keep the flame burning... to Mike and Pat in the writing and recording process; the encouragement of Clive, the late Vic Black and Lynne around the time we did it. Kevan for the photos (the very last image is his young lad, Brandon, 'having a go'); 'The Barbers Liverpool' on Penny Lane for letting us take some pictures in his barber shop... and anyone else who feels the need to be thanked!
Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeah! Yeahhhhh!
Chris
Lyrics:
Mathew Street - Boys Talk
(Chris Buckley & Mike Meade)
Took a walk, took a walk, down Mathew Street
Kind of sad, kind of sad, the way I feel
I linger for a while, I hear those songs
(I remember) dancing to the yeah yeah yeahs
We were young, didn't have a care
All that mattered was being there
The best of times somehow life is unfair
How I miss you, how I miss you
Now you're here beside me, I won't let you go again
How I miss you, how I miss you
Now you're right here with me, I won't let you go
Found myself, found myself in Penny Lane
Now my life, now my life it's not the same
I wonder in my mind to another place (just imagine)
Eyes open for the very first time
In our hearts, in our minds
Seeing things in a different light
You led the way, but what a sacrifice
How I miss you, how I miss you
Now you're here beside me, I won't let you go again
How I miss you, how I miss you
Now you're right here with me, I won't let you go
A song came on the radio (a song came on the radio)
I had to stop it moved me so
I wish we could be back in '63
I could have sworn I heard Johnny sing for me... yeah
Took a walk, took a walk, down Mathew Street
Kind of sad, kind of sad, the way I feel...
How I miss you -- yeah yeah yeah
How I miss you -- yeah yeah yeah
How I miss you -- yeah yeah yeah
How I miss you -- yeah yeah yeah... yeah!
© tinkersong 2010
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Mathew Street at Liverpool -2010/03/01by salyva347 views
Well... I never thought I woud come across this again, thought it had been lost in the annals of time! Pleased that it hasn't, though, as was quite pleased with the results at the time, and more so in hearing the final mix. That session was the ast time I ever saw Vic, but I saw Thelma and Dean yesterday and they're just fine! Nice one, Chris. Pat.
gocat2000 10 months ago