"THE BEATLES AT CANDLESTICK PARK" NEW IN DVD!

On August 29, 1966, 15-year-old Barry Hood rode 450 miles on a Greyhound bus to San Francisco, California. His journey wasn't to visit friends or relatives, but to see the Beatles play in what turned out to be their last public performance at Candlestick Park. Little did he realize this would be their last show ever. And what proved even more amazing was that the Kodachrome motion picture film he shot of the event would be the only color movie film of The Beatles Last Concert!

Now, 38 years later, Hood has released a special collector's edition of the event. But only the first 250 copies will be signed and numbered for Beatles collectors, and only this version will contain 2 different documentaries of The Beatles in San Francisco, both featuring the only existing footage of the Candlestick Park last concert event.

In 1986, during the 20th anniversary of the show, together with The San Francisco Giants' "Giantsvision Television," Hood released a 50-minute video, "One Last Time." This was marketed in VHS format through fan clubs and magazines. This was a limited edition in 1987.

Later, in 1991, when San Francisco radio station KYA, the Candlestick show's sponsor, held a big celebration at the Hard Rock Cafe, Hood decided to use the event to release some new footage he had uncovered of the Candlestick show. Working in cooperation with KYA he created a new 60-minute VHS documentary, "The Beatles Live In San Francisco."

Both of the documentaries are very different. This year, Hood decided to give Beatles Fans an extra bonus by putting both limited edition documentaries on one DVD, and limit this special release to 250 copies which he has hand-signed and numbered.

The 1986 and 1987 videos were carefully transferred to digital format using the most modern equipment. "It's everything you wanted to know about The Beatles in San Francisco," Hood says. "But it's more than just their last concert. We look at The Beatles and their effect on the San Francisco music scene, as well as the psychedelic San Francisco and its effect on the Beatles."

Hood continues, "I knew that the DVD format was coming and so I decided to assemble both of these films directly from the master using digital technology to create something really special for my collector friends. I've even seen the older VHS documentaries turn up in the bootleg market, and decided that real fans deserve something better." I am a collector myself, and we all know what those bootlegs floating around out there look like. You can get "Shea" or "Let It Be" five generations from the
original source on eBay for $20, but true Beatles collectors, like myself, deserve something much better."

The programs both include rare footage of The Beatles early days in 1964 and 1965 at the San Francisco Cow Palace. There is rare footage of Ringo's stopover at the airport when he rejoined the band in Australia after coming down with tonsillitis. There is even rare color footage of Paul's girlfriend, Jane Asher in her role as Juliet in the Bristol Old Vic Company's performance at San Francisco's Curran Theatre in 1967.

In 1964 watch the girls attempting to slip past the police as The Beatles limos approach the Cow Palace. Then there's that famous San Francisco Press Conference, which was carefully edited from three sources to recreate the event in its entirety. Watch the fans quite literally attack the stage and the ensuing total chaotic mob scene, as The Fabs play the relatively small Cow Palace arena.

1966 was a completely different story. This time the foursome itself was being attacked by the press due to John's statement about Jesus Christ. At every city, the press had a field day, and the headlines reflected a tired and somewhat bewildered group. It's no wonder that they flew in and out, and rode around in armored cars. Their only official meeting with the press at San Francisco was a brief stop at the airport.

Barry Hood arrived at Candlestick Park early that day at about two in the afternoon. The fog was just lifting, and he openly began to film as the stage was being erected on second base. Two sets of chain-link fence surrounded the plywood stage. Fans had also gathered early in the afternoon to put up posters around the infield.

As The Beatles bus arrived at the ballpark, Hood ran to that end of the stadium to see what all the commotion was about. Just then, The Beatles' bus rolled directly under him, as George raised his own camera to shoot a picture of Barry Hood! John was seated immediately behind George. The group was quickly hustled downstairs where the Giants locker room became their dressing room, and they met some teen press members, a few ph8/08/06>
Finally, after the warm-up acts, The Beatles emerged from the Giants dugout to take the stage. "They walked out right in front of me, as my camera was rolling. I was seated in the box seats and probably was the closest person filming the event," Hood says. "At that time there was absolutely nobody concerned about a 15-year-old with a movie camera. I was probably the most fortunate kid there."

The video shows footage and photos of the concert from 5 sources. "I really could actually hear the concert," Hood added. "I was seated about 20 feet from the park's P.A. system. Most of the kids weren't nearly as lucky. In less than a half-hour, it was all over. They got into an armored car and were gone."

"For The Beatles, this is what touring had become," Hood says. "And seeing this DVD, you will be left with no question why they stopped touring forever."

Hood had almost decided to retire the earlier production, "One Last Time." But luckily for Beatles fans, Hood has decided to release the footage onto this special DVD. 250 copies are being numbered and autographed by him, and the production is called "The Beatles At Candlestick Park." This is the only time you will see both of these early productions in one place, signed and numbered, and with good quality. "Some Beatles Fans would give anything just to have an autograph of one of The Beatles," Hood says. But for me, I would give anything to have a copy of that photo George shot of me filming him that day in 1966." As the bus rolls under the stadium, you can clearly see a smiling George Harrison shooting the picture.

The DVD is available for $39.95 (USA) plus $5 shipping in the USA and $10 elsewhere. It comes in a box with a great quality color print of the famous psychedelic San Francisco poster on the front. On the reverse are the 8 kinds of tickets which were sold for admission to the Candlestick show. It is available by mail order from: TeleVideos, P.O. Box 1118, Cottage Grove, OR 97424, USA. Or you may call their toll-free number: 1-800-2-VIDEOS.

Thank You Kindly,
Beatles-4-Ever!

Barry

Barry Hood
TeleVideos
Box 1118 Cottage Grove
OR 97424   USA

27.10.03
                       

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