Lost Footage of Music Legends Comes to Cinema Arts Centre

Master music archivist Bill Shelley first brought his work to the Cinema Arts Centre last July. Shelley has gone back to his seemingly endless vault as he returns with a third program of rare concerts and promotional clips of The Beatles on Tuesday.

"The establishment of the program itself was unexpected, but it really is a chance for music lovers to learn about who the bands really were," said Shelley of the program which has covered artists including not only The Beatles, but also The Who, Bob Dylan, Elvis, Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, The Rolling Stones, The Greatful Dead and most recently The Beach Boys.

Shelley said he is both happy and excited to be able to share the vintage footage of so many well-known bands with other music lovers like himself.

"I found all this footage when I was working in a sound studio as a teenager," Shelley explained. "I never knew how valuable it would be to the music world. The footage gives fans a unique insight about what the Beach Boys, or any other band, were about."

The Beach Boys viewing, which took place on July 21, included mostly black and white home movies, television appearances, music videos, and concerts, was also paired with a question and answer segment with Shelley for fans interested in the history behind the footage. Following the question and answer period was a reception in which the more than 75 in attendance could discuss the viewing with their peers.

"This was my first time at anything like this, and I didn't expect the videos to be so informative," said Frank Ametti, a resident of Hicksville as well as a self-proclaimed Beach Boys fanatic. "I was ecstatic to learn about the group as a whole, instead of just individually. I'll absolutely be returning to the next showing."

Tuesday's presentation will be the third such show pertaining to The Beatles, who were the focus of Shelley's inaugural show at the Cinema Arts Centre on July 21, 2009, titled "The Beatles Vol.1: Rare Film Clips, 1963-1970," and his second, "The Beatles Vol.2: More Rare Film Clips, 1962-1970" on January 2010.

Dylan Skolnick, the co-director at the Cinema Arts Centre, said he hopes a program like this will help unite music lovers and allow them to converse about bands they love.

"The program makes people happy," Skolnick said. "We have this amazing community resource that allows people see the extensive collection that [Bill Shelley] has. The Beach Boys were a perfect choice for July. We wanted to do something fun for summer!"

Some of the highlights of the Tuesday show will include "Sergeant Pepper," "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "All My Loving," "Money," "I Saw Her Standing There," "It Won't Be Long," "Nowhere Man," "Kansas City," and many more. There will be additional footage from the famous rooftop concert that didn't make it into "Let It Be," as well as an assortment of live international performances, including performances from the New Music Express Awards, Hollywood Bowl, Washington D.C., Shea Stadium, Paris, Japan, Australia, and Germany, plus eye-opening rehearsal footage.

"So whether you have seen one of Bill's first two Beatles' shows, or are coming for the first time, join us in celebrating the music of The Beatles in time for the 45th anniversary of their legendary Shea Stadium concert," Skolnick said.

"The Beatles Vol. 3: Going Back to the Vault, 1962-1970s" starts at 7:30 p.m. at the Cinema Arts Center on Tuesday. The show is 90 minutes. Tickets are $9 for CAC members, $13 for the public and includes a reception after the show. Active membership will be checked. Tickets can also be purchased at the box office during theatre hours or by calling Brown Paper Tickets toll free at 1-800-838-3006. No refunds.