UkeTubes

As today would have been George Harrison’s seventieth birthday, here’s a video from his final album Brainwashed where he’s ukeing with a few pals on the Harold Arlen & Ted Koehle number Between The Devil & The Deep Blue Sea:

 

Uke Player Of The Week – Christian Jahl

We recently featured The Beatles Complete On Ukulele as a member’s choice (actually my own webmaster’s choice on my birthday!) and were delighted when German musician, Christian Jahl, agreed to write us this guest article about his experience working on the project and his music. Jeanette

Christian Jahl – Publicity Photo From Artist’s Website christianjahl.de; Photo Credit: Bruno Amarel http://www.ba-photographisme.com/

How did you get involved with The Beatles Complete On Ukulele?

I joined the project in 2009 after listening to a radio show about David Barratt´s idea of producing each Beatles track newly with the uke as lead instrument. That sounded so weird to me that I got in touch with David via mail. After he had heard my music, we got on well together and so I started recording Wenn Du Jemanden Brauchst. That version from the video footage was recorded in my hometown Düsseldorf, which you might know as the city where the German pop avant-garde band Kraftwerk comes from, and New York. David got my tracks with guitars, Wurlitzer and vocals and he and Roger [Greenawalt] added uke, bass and some of the effects. So, that’s what I call a real long distance production. I played all instrumental tracks and sung all vocal tracks.

Listen to Wenn Du Jemanden Brauchst / If I Needed Someone – Christian Jahl’s Myspace

Why did you pick If I Needed Someone? Was it a particular favourite song?

George Harrison has always been such an inspiration to me, his character and his way of seeing things in general. So I picked up one of his beautiful songs, with a melody that is really catchy and in some strange way “endless”. I listened endlessly to If I Needed Someone when I was a teen. Everybody used to ask me why I was listening to that “old crap”. Harrison was also the one who led me to the ukulele. Once he said, he always had a uke on him to be able to play wherever he was. That sounded reasonable to me. This instrument is like a little orchestra in your pocket, wow!! I always enjoy playing it and am happy about the renaissance it has experienced lately.

 

PLUC Member’s Choice – The Beatles Complete On Ukulele

As they are my favourite group, one of the first things I wanted to do when starting the ukulele was to play Beatle numbers on it. Fortunately, there are plenty of sites on-line with arrangements (some better than others!) & a variety of books for uke or guitar containing the chords.

I was delighted when I came across The Beatles Complete on Ukulele project around this time last year, when one of the mailing lists to which I subscribed posted a link to Gerald Ross’ rendition of Penny Lane:

 

Talk Like A Pirate Day – September 19th

International Talk Like A Pirate Day – Sep 19th

Ahoy me hearties! Blisterin’ barnacles, it be International Talk Like A Pirate Day.

PLUC (Pirates of Lewisham’s Ukulele Crew) be strummin’ a few sea-shanties, dancin’ the hornpipe & drinkin’ plenty o’ grog. Any lily-livered land-lubbers who be askin’ us if we play follickin’ George Formby will be made ter walk the plank.

‘Ere be a coupla songs to get ye into the mood:

 

International Left-Handers’ Day

In celebration of International Left-Handers’ Day, here’s a tuneful ditty by a little-known left-handed uke player:

Of course, all the best people are left-handers!

Jeanette