'Breakfast With the Beatles': Live from Hollywood

“Breakfast With the Beatles,” the weekly celebration of all things John, Paul, George and Ringo on KLOS-FM (95.5), went out live Sunday morning from the Laugh Factory in Hollywood. Several dozen Fab Four enthusiasts were treated by host Chris Carter and the show’s sponsors to their morning meal while soaking up three hours of the group’s music as it went out over the airwaves both from the group’s own records and in live facsimile versions by the Fab Four tribute band.

The local Beatles community was represented with fans spanning elementary school to Social Security-eligible and pounced for autographs and happy snaps with this week’s celebrity guests. Among them: Jackie DeShannon, the singer and songwriter who is the show’s latest “Beatle News” segment host, and saxophonist Edgar Winter, who is on the road this summer with Ringo Starr’s latest All-Starr Band tour. KLOS program director Bob Buchmann and longtime on-air personality Cynthia Fox also turned out, and Carter got regular assists during the morning from his 8-year-old daughter, Nicole, and from his wife, Allyson.

Onlookers gnoshed on scones, jam and English breakfast tea as the Fab Four delivered several spot-on renditions of Beatles hits during breaks. I lucked into a seat near DeShannon, whose voice added a sweet dimension as she spontaneously harmonized along with “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away.” (The group noted its plans to play the "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" album in its entirety, with an orchestra, on Aug. 7 at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa during this year's Orange County Fair concert series.)

When I asked DeShannon when she’s performing next, she noted her scheduled appearance June 17 in New York for the Songwriters Hall of Fame induction ceremony. She’s been elected along with Leonard Cohen, Johnny Mandel, David Foster and the writing members of Earth, Wind & Fire.

De Shannon said she plans to sing “Put A Little Love In Your Heart,” her 1969 hit, and Kim Carnes is expected to reprise her 1981 hit version of “Bette Davis Eyes” (which DeShannon co-wrote) at the event. (I've always been partial to "When You Walk In the Room," the jangly 1964 single that preceded her first Top 10 hit, the Bacharach-David classic "What the World Needs Now is Love.")

Otherwise, her own concerts are few and far between these days. “I’m pretty particular about how the music sounds,” said DeShannon, 65. “The band has to be just right. I played with a group of guys in England recently, and they were like the Wondermints with Brian Wilson — they knew every lick. I was crying, they were crying — at one point I just had to stop myself and get on with the show. So I only play when I feel like it’s going to be special.”

Speaking of special, more than one of the attendees said "Breakfast With the Beatles" ought to go live more often. Here's a second to that emotion.

-- Randy Lewis 

Photo: Chris Carter. Credit: "Breakfast With the Beatles."

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Comments

[RichardKnox]

How about a story on the deserving Les Parry,host of Kcsns' 88.9 Sunday show Meet the Beatles.Three hours ,sometimes four ( are you listening General manager Karen?) of uninterrupted ,as in commercial free, Beatles music and rarities.Les is the consomme t host and his play lists are a marvel.You have never heard Beatles music "coming together" like Les does his song orders,sometime 10 to 15mins long . Its wonderful and a Sunday morning treat.
I even try to catch it when I'm traveling on my lap top.A real commercial free celebration of Beatles music .

[ExSinger]

What, no mention of Dierdre O'Donoghue, who hosted BBTB for years and years until she died? Shame on you guys.

[Tom Degan]

And speaking of the Beatles, I'm on my way to Abbey Road tonight!

http://tomdegan.blogspot.com/2010/05/were-off-to-abbey-road.html

All you need is love,

Tom Degan