Welcome to rec.music.beatles

Post: 4875 of 4876
From: dmac@math.ucla.edu (saki)
Newsgroups: rec.music.beatles
Subject: Welcome to rec.music.beatles
Date: 30 Sep 1993 16:22:22 GMT
Organization: UCLA Mathematics Department
Lines: 230
Distribution: world
Reply-To: dmac@math.ucla.edu
NNTP-Posting-Host: risc.agsm.ucla.edu
Summary: A guide to available FAQs

You're here---the most intense collection of Beatlemaniacs anywhere
in Usenet-land.

You don't have to be rabid yourself to enjoy the proceedings. An
elementary interest will do. For newcomers and others, we offer a
few guidelines, explanations, and suggestions.

WHAT WE DISCUSS

Simple---the Beatles, also known as the Fab Four, the Fabs (to use
George Harrison's sardonic phraseology), and the Boys (used by some
particularly besotted fans. :-) But any group relating to the 
Beatles is also fair game. You're welcome to bring into the 
discussion any British Invasion band (Rolling Stones, Animals, 
etc.) or any contemporary American band (Beach Boys, Turtles, 
etc.); and especially any of the Beatles' antecedents (Chuck Berry, 
Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly et al), as long as there's some 
reasonable or perfunctory Beatles connection.
For modern rock *only* (anything post-1970), try rec.music.misc. 
For fifties or sixties rock, try alt.rock-n-roll.oldies.

Rec.music.beatles is a forum for exchange of information and 
opinions. You'll find that it's easy to get around without a 
map...but some background information will serve you well. Knowing 
the basic album releases (now available on CD) will help; so will a 
passing familiarity with the Beatles' film output. "A Hard Day's 
Night", "Help!", "Magical Mystery Tour" are all recommended; "Let 
It Be" is currently out of print but may be available in some video 
parlors; and the documentary "The Compleat Beatles" is well worth 
the time.

R.m.b tends to be rather text- and sourcebook-based. You'll see 
people refer to various references to settle discussions. A book 
list is also available for your perusal but a brief list would 
include prime Beatles scholar Mark Lewisohn's "The Beatles: A 
Recording History" (called The Book by many r.m.b. regulars), and 
his new release, "The Complete Beatles Chronicle", William 
Dowlding's "Beatlessongs", a compendium of knowledge about each 
official musical release, and any of the reasonably well researched 
biographies of the Fabs (all have their flaws but the most 
dependable are Ray Coleman's "Lennon", Philip Norman's "Shout!" and 
Hunter Davies' "The Beatles".)
It's recommended that you avoid reference works written by people
whose scholarship is suspect or who are out mainly for gossip and
innuendo (Fred Seamans, Albert Goldman), unless you're prepared
to keep it in perspective.

Very commonly-asked questions may already have been covered in the
frequently-asked-questions-and-topics note (called NEMS):
        -How did the Beatles get their name?
        -Who was the fifth Beatle?
        -Are the remaining Beatles getting back together?
        -...and so on.
Ask for this note (or any other from the list below) if you wonder
whether your query is appropriate for the net. You may also be
well served by reading r.m.b. for several weeks before sailing in
with your question. Some topics never seem to die. :-) (The "Paul
Is Dead" myth, for instance...ask for the CLUES or PID note to
find out all about this.)

If you have a question about lyrics, go ahead and ask, but there
are several good lyric books out, notably Campbell and Murphy's
"Things We Said Today" and Alan Aldridge's "Illustrated Lyrics".

In recent years, some unauthorized Beatles recordings have emerged
on the bootleg market, and these often receive much attention on
the net. Please remember that these are illegal recordings; U.S.
law prohibits selling, trading, broadcasting, and possibly purchase
of these items. Discussion goes on nevertheless, but it's 
considered a breach of net etiquette to ask someone publicly to 
reveal where they purchase bootlegs, if they admit to doing so. 
Likewise you may work for a government agency or an 
institution/university which may disapprove of your discussing 
contraband in public. Please keep this in mind and act accordingly, 
with utmost tact, before plunging into the bootleg discussion 
yourself.

We are a polite bunch of people; flame wars are almost unknown
in rec.music.beatles, and we ask your cooperation in keeping it
that way. If you must get antagonistic with someone, please do
it via email.

Many books about the Beatles are available through an organization
in New Jersey called Beatlefest. They sponsor yearly Beatles
conventions in Newark, NJ (March), Chicago (August) and Los Angeles
(November). For information or a catalogue, call 1-800-BEATLES. 
Don't be surprised, but your local university or public library may 
also have a good collection of sourcebooks. Check the on-line or 
card catalog.
--------
AVAILABLE NOTES:

- Are you new to this newsgroup, or new to the entire Usenet world? 
Ask for "Introduction to rec.music.beatles", wherein you can learn 
how this newsgroup works, guidelines on how to post, etc. (INTRO). 
Last update:
  1 October 1993.

- Where's your area of interest? New or old releases? Collectibles?
  Current availability of books, music, videos? Ask for the FAQs to
  see if your question has been asked. These Frequently-Asked-
  Questions may answer your query. Nems I is for starters. And if
  you're ready for the graduate-level Frequently Asked Questions,
  ask for Nems II. (Specify NEMS I or NEMS II). Last update: 1 
  September 1993.

- The Compleat Book List...well, as complete as we can get it. 
  Updates and emmendations welcome. Compiled by Steve Carter and 
  saki. Ask for ALLBOOKS. Last update: 1 July 1993.

- A smaller booklist for those just starting out, or those wishing 
  to peruse a few titles at a time (ask for SOMEBOOKS). Last 
  update: 1 January 1993.

- 25 succinct and relevant "Paul is Dead" clues (ask for CLUES).
  Last Update: N/A (the clues don't change with time! :-)

- A considerably longer treatise on the "Paul Is Dead" myth (PID),
  with new information on possible origins of the hoax!
  Last update: 29 September 1993.

- Doug Sulpy's excellent and studious intro to the best bootlegs
  as they appeared to him in 1990. (ask for RARE). Last editorial
  update: 1 March 1993.

- Scott Galuska's reknowned list of Beatles songs covered by other
  artists; ask for COVERS. Last update: 15 June 1993.

- Harold Somers' Guide to Britishisms/Americanisms in the Beatles'
  music; ask for BRITGUIDE. Last update: 1 July 1993.

- A traveler's guide to Beatles sights and sites in Liverpool and
  London; ask for TRIP. Last update: 1 July 1993.

- Beatles Novelty Records, compiled by moko. Ask for NOVELTY.
  Last update: 31 May 1993.

- Video Beatles, a guide to available appearance of the Boys in
  film and television appearances, written by Ed Chen. Ask for
  VIDEO. Last update: 1 September 1993.

- A long reference---in alphabetical order, no less---of British
  musical groups, from the early 1950's to the British Invasion;
  ask for BRITPOP. Last update: July 1992.

- What Goes On---a comprehensive compendium of recording anomalies,
  oddities, mistakes, misapprehensions, melodic curios. Ask for
  ANOMALIES. Last update: April 1993.

These notes can be sent to you via email. Send your request to:

dmac@math.ucla.edu (saki)

and indicate in your message which notes you'd like. I'll send them
to you by return email as quickly as I can manage.

If you prefer to use FTP (file transfer protocol) to download these
notes to your system, without the bother of email, please read the
following. If you are unfamiliar with FTP, read your on-line MAN
pages for "ftp" or ask your system operator for help. Not all sites
have FTP capability, and please remember that Dr. Pollack's "Notes
On..." series are available *only* via FTP, not via email.

NOTE:   Alan Pollack's "Notes On ..." series is archived at the
        FTP site bobcat.bbn.com (or, numerically, 128.89.2.103).
        Administrator is clements@bbn.com.

        You can get the Notes from this machine, *not via email*.
        Also available are the articles above, if you prefer FTP.

        Use "ftp" as follows:
        ftp bobcat.bbn.com
        (user name) anonymous
        (password) your-name    [please? Not just "guest", etc.]
                cd beatles
                cd noteson 
                [for Alan's notes]
                or cd welcome 
                [ for saki's]
                dir
                get Also in the "noteson" directory are:
                i) Alan's "README" file describing the series,

                ii) The file notestar.z which is a compressed "tar" 
file of all the notes so far.

        Also in the "welcome" directory are:
                i) A "README" file describing the various files,

                ii) The file introtar.z which is a compressed "tar" 
file of all the "welcome" files.
        Cautions:

                i) Be patient.  The file transfers may be slow.

                ii) Please respect all copyrights on these files.

                iii) The "Notes on..." series is not available
                       via email. Please don't ask.

                iv) The files "notestar.z" and "introtar.z" 
mentioned above are only useful if you have Unix- compatible 
"uncompress" and "tar" utilities. If you do fetch these files, use 
"binary" mode in your FTP program.

        FOR LYRICS/GUITAR CHORD FANS:
------------------------
Lyrics are not archived at bobcat.bbn.com because
of copyright restrictions. There is, however, one
site where the administrators seem not to care
about preserving such sanctities, and if you wish
you can search for Beatles lyrics there at cs.uwp.edu
(in directory pub/music/lyrics); chords to Fabs'
songs may be at ftp.nevada.edu (in directory
pub/guitar/Beatles). Not all songs will be
available at all sites. These files aren't maintained
by anyone in r.m.b., so please don't ask us for help.
------------------------
And one more thing: now that you've read everything and are ready
to post, do try to remember several points of netiquette:

1. Please edit your Subject line if it needs it.

2. Please don't quote a previous article in its entirety.

3. Please keep your .sig shorter than your article.

4. Please don't shout...UNLESS YOU MUST! :-)
--------------------------------------------
saki (dmac@math.ucla.edu)
--------------------------------------------
--
"Musically authoritative and physically magnetic, THE BEATLES
are rhythmic revolutionaries with an act which is a succession
of climaxes."
------------------------------------ saki (dmac@math.ucla.edu)