By Bill Harlan, Rapid City Journal :: 6th February 2004
Tomorrow is the 40th anniversary of the first day of the Beatles' very first trip to America, and a performance in Rapid City will mark the occasion.
That's appropriate for two reasons: first, because Rapid City has its very own Beatles tribute band, Abbey Road, and second, because a Beatles ballad takes place in our very own Black Hills.
It also is appropriate that I should write the story about tomorrow's performance because I'm the only person in the newsroom to have seen the Beatles perform live - on Sept. 13, 1964, in Baltimore.
So I sat in on a recent Abbey Road rehearsal to see if these guys are any good.
I'd like to be able to tell you that Abbey Road sounds just like the Beatles did in concert. Unfortunately, I didn't actually hear the Beatles in concert. All I heard were 15,000 screaming teenage girls, one of whom I had brought in hopes that her strong feelings for Paul McCartney would somehow transfer to me. (They didn't.)
I can tell you, however, that Abbey Road plays Beatles songs so accurately you will swear they are cheating - lip synching and playing air guitar to records, which they aren't.
The members of Abbey Road are, in fact, rock 'n' roll veterans.
Founder Monte Madison, 49, has played with Ivory, Straw Dogs, Larry King and Madison Avenue (with his wife, who is named - no kidding - Rita).
Vintage guitar dealer Don Lerdal, 49, is best known for playing with the recently retired D.D. & the Fayrohs.
Fred Gondzar, 55, who works at KOTA-TV, played folk music in the 1960s until the Beatles arrived. Then he started talking with an English accent and playing rock 'n' roll.
Tony Johnson, 47, owns a pawn shop now, but he has performed rock 'n' roll all over the world, with many bands.
In short, tomorrow night's concert will be 1964 all over again.
Rats. I'll bring my own screaming "teenager," hoping once again that the magic will rub off. As usual, the band will get all the glory.
Musicians, musicians, musicians. Why can't writers have hysterical fans?
Then a thought hit me like a ton of yellow bricks. The Beatles wrote their own songs. I'm a writer. Why couldn't I do my own Beatles tribute? Yeah! (Yeah, yeah, yeah.)
The following lyrics contain everything you need to know about tomorrow night's concert - time, location, price and which musician plays which Beatle.
Feel free to sing along. Or, if you were a teenage girl in 1964, scream along.
It also occurred to me that those of you who don't know the tune to the complex ballad of "Rocky Raccoon" will find these lyrics difficult to follow, if not gibberish. So go buy the White Album.
And now, ladies and gentlemen, from the greatest rock 'n' roll writers of our time:
"Rocky Raccoon" By Paul McCartney, John Lennon, Bill Harlan
Now somewhere in
the Black Mountain Hills of Dakota
There lived a guy named Monte Madison.
And one day, Monte started up a Beatles band.
With three other music guys
And Monte liked that.
He said I'm gonna do a show.
So one day he walked into town
Booked himself a room in the local hotel.
Alex Johnson, has a big ball room.
Admission will be only five bills.
Monte will come, with Fenders and drums,
to play all the licks of his idols.
His three friends, it seems,
all had the same dreams,
to play Beatles tunes in tight pants-ee.
Their name's Abbey Road, Rapid City's their abode,
to play here they all are quite antsy.
Now Monte is Paul,
George is Don Lerdal
Fred Gondzar
is playing John Lennon.
Starr is not slim, Tony Johnson's him.
He says, "Luv ta droom," just like ol' Ringo.
Fred's accent is hot, and Don's, well, it's not,
And Monte's bass looks like a Hofner.
(D'da da da da etc.)
They play Saturday,
at seven thirtay,
Doing songs you played on a turntable
You'll go, "Monte your sound's a match,"
And Monte goes, "But without the scratch,
And we'll be better, we'll be better, Doc,
Than TV on cable."
Now the band Abbey Road, this gig up has sewed
They'll play while you're drinking a highball.
See Monte's band, on this Saturday night, to hear a great Beatles revival, aahh.
(D'do d'do d'do as needed)