A Service of Kilgore Trout University
    
Beatle's Last Hit     Jean-Claude & Christo
Today –The Beatles’  “The Long and Winding Road” became the last of the Fab Four’s 20 songs to hit Number One on Billboard Magazine’s top selling 100 single hits in the US – 41 years ago today!  Written and sung by Paul McCartney the 1970 ballad played a major role in the break-up of  one of the legendary group of popular performers and composers.  Angered by American record producer Phil “Wall of Sound” Spector’s unauthorized  addition of a full orchestra and choir to “fill out” what had been a simple song  of regret for what might have been, McCartney sought – and won – a court ordered dissolution of the singing group. 
Click below to hear the dramatic difference between the two versions:
McCartney version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nC9Vt1xQ5Kw
Spector remix:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cUaO1P2mfo

Birthday Girl - Jeanne-Claude  Denat de Guillebon was born 76 years ago today in Casablanca (before Bogart made it famous), the French woman gained global recognition with her Bulgarian  husband Christo as an “environmental” artist --  creating controversial works by altering landscapes ranging from islands in South Florida’s Biscayne Bay to  New York’s Central Park. Notorious for her explosion of dyed crash orange red hair and constant cigarette, Jean Claude once explained, “Our art has absolutely no purpose except to be a work of art.” Jean Claude died of a brain aneurysm in 2009 while the couple were preparing to hang fabric panels over  a river in Colorado.
Biscayne Bay as Art