I Feel Fine

Yes, I still do. 50 years ago today (on Thursday 10 Dec) 'I Feel Fine' replaced the Stones' one-week number one 'Little Red Rooster' at the top of the Christmas charts and stayed there for five weeks. It was like the party would never stop.

Another significant date is December 12 1965, the night the Beatles played their last ever live concert gig in mainland Britain- at the Capital Cinema Cardiff.

Hear Brian Matthews of Radio 2's Sounds of the Sixties trail the celebration show created by guitarist John William and I , 'It Was 50 Years Ago Today':

https://soundcloud.com/gaz29-1/brian-matthews-trails-it-was-50-years-ago-today-on-r2

And if that whets your appetite, hear John and I performing the whole show live and on air at http://www.folkspot.co.uk/, -  here


The show and the novel imagines Factory Girl Cindy meeting her Beatle Prince backstage at this final concert, escaping a blind alley with her real-life boyfriend. It's magical mystery realism.

Here's the Christmas 1964 section of Beat music, the novel, narrated by Cindy's little brother James Spectre:

"Dad is home. A Labour Party report on a proposed Open University of the Air, designed to extend Higher Education to lower income groups, a three pipe problem solved in full by Harold Wilson on the back of some election posters between church and lunch on Easter Sunday 1963, and done up in crimson ribbon, is trailing in the silver jet-stream behind Santa’s sleigh. Stepmother magicks back into Mother Mary and brings all her gift-wrapped summer of loving down from the always winter loft. Both parents are as wide-eyed and excited as their children, and everything is lying before us like an unopened gift. And, away from ‘Wanger’ Wheeler’s football field, where I’m always at the back, in goal, I’m John at Christmas Number 1, miming electric razor feedback on Pop of the Tops, airing George n John lead guitar on Fairy godmother Mary’s laundry-slat wand and being Ringo. I FEEL FINE."