GMVW # 7: "A Declaration"

Gem Music Video of the Week # 7: A Declaration

Song: All You Need is Love by The Beatles

(Songwriters: John Lennon and Paul McCartney)

February 21, 2008

In 1967 a program was broadcast worldwide called 'Our World'.  It was the first satellite broadcast ever and the first viewed by millions.  The premise was to showcase a diversity of world cultures.  While other countries focused on more traditional activities (knitting in Canada, clog dancing in Venezuela, etc), Britain had the amazing insight to turn to the Beatles. 

'All You Need is Love', Gem Music Video of the Week, never appeared on an original Beatles studio album.  However, the song/video has a studio feel to it.  The Beatles aren't posing on a stage like you would expect in a live broadcast.  They are mixed in with the crowd (which included Clapton, Jagger, Keith Moon) and orchestra....a statement that reflects the times.  John Lennon, who wrote the song, looks unusually uplifted (as opposed to his more typical sarcastic veneer).

Britain, of all countries, was telling the rest of the world to lighten up!

In 1987, Rolling Stone Magazine hosted a prime time show which focused on the then 20 year history of the magazine (I've got the video if anyone wants to borrow it).  The show included great interviews with many musicians including George Harrison.  Beatle George discussed the 'All You Need is Love' event 20 years earlier, and brought up another interview he had not long before with a reporter who asked him cynically, 'Do you still believe that all you need is love'. George's response.... 'Absolutely!'.

So, here's a video to  honor the days when kids were streaking across Dean Junior College campus and thru the Franklin High School cafeteria, and others who were sticking flower stems into the gun barrels pointed in their direction.

Gem Music Video: All You Need is Love

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTF_wJW7N4g&NR=1

- Pete

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About the video: Explained in the text above

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Best Feedback:  Jack

Hi Pete:

Amazing they could sing this while chewing gum.  Also note I think there are a total of 4 songs reference in that piece.  The opening is long live the Queen or some such, then there's All You Need, then you hear a british musical piece played by the orchestra when they repeat "Love is all you need", of course followed by "She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah"!  Great piece!!

-Jack