Of all the great Beatles' albums, The White Album is the most interesting and controversial by far. Officially titled The Beatles but always known as The White Album, it was the first album on the Apple label and sold more units in the U.S. than any other Beatles LP.

It's release, 40 years ago this coming Saturday, also marked the beginning of the end for the world's greatest band.

There were still two more albums to come and the infighting wasn't public yet -- we didn't know that Ringo Starr had actually walked out in the middle of The White Album sessions. The friction between the members of the Fab Four was evident, however, from the album's wild diversity of material.

There's the politics of Piggies and Revolution 1, the pure rock 'n' roll joy of Birthday and Back In the U.S.S.R, the avant garde madness of Revolution No. 9, the horror and blistered fingers of Helter Skelter, the conspiracy fuel of Glass Onion ("the Walrus was Paul"), the tortured soul of Yer Blues and I'm So Tired, the wanton recklessness of Why Don't We Do It In The Road and the silliness of Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da and The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill.

George Harrison came of age with the brilliance of While My Guitar Gently Weeps, the eeriness of Long, Long, Long and the gastronomic delight of Savoy Truffle. Paul McCartney found simple acoustic beauty in Blackbird, Mother Nature's Son and Rocky Raccoon. John Lennon got personal with Sexy Sadie, his bitter tirade against the maharishi, and Julia, the haunting ode to his mother.

Dear Prudence? Cry Baby Cry? We'll chalk those up as just two more Beatles' masterpieces.

So it's not an album to be taken lightly. It's important, especially to Beatles fans, such as Christopher Clause. The Hamilton singer-songwriter is a Beatles' nut (you can see it in the moustache).

He's also a lay minister at James Street Baptist Church. And he takes great delight in being able to combine his work at the church with his love for all things Beatle.

Last year, he filled the church two nights in a row to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. He and a small army of talented musical friends raised $5,000 for the church's Out Of The Cold program by performing the album in its entirety in the church's sanctuary.

So on tomorrow and Saturday, he's celebrating The White Album's 40th anniversary by bringing together more than 30 musicians and performing all 30 songs in their album order. Plus, they'll be adding the 1968 singles that came out of those sessions -- opening with Inner Light and Lady Madonna, closing, of course, with Hey Jude.

They'll have four lead guitarists jamming on While My Guitar Gently Weeps (it takes four to match the combined skills of Harrison and Eric Clapton). They've even got a mellotron for Bungalow Bill, and a guy who knows how to play it. Former Killjoy front man Mike Trebilcock has been putting huge amounts of time and tape into trying to build a sound collage to rival the original Revolution 9.

Clause warns fans, however, not to expect the live performances to be exact reproductions of The White Album songs. "The aim is to perform the album with the spirit and intention of the original."

Next year -- Abbey Road.

CBC Radio variety show Go (we had the name first) will be broadcasting live Saturday morning from Hamilton's The Pearl Company, the new club-theatre downtown on Steven Street. Guests on the 10 a.m. program include local musicians Kim Koren, Tiny Bill Cody and Tom G. Wilson (not to be confused with the other Wilson).

The theme of the show is If Hamilton Was A Country Song, and each of the three local artists have been asked to write a song in keeping with the theme.

"We like throwing places on a tilt," laughed associate producer Erin Noel when asked why a country theme was selected for The Hammer.

Doors open at The Pearl Company bright and early at 8 a.m., but if you haven't got a ticket, you'll have to listen at 10 a.m. for the broadcast. The show is sold out.

Also on the guest list is Toronto singer-songwriter Valery Gore. If you miss her on the radio, Gore will perform Saturday night at Pepper Jack Cafe.

grockingham@thespec.com

905-526-3331

Showtime

What: Alright! Two benefit concerts celebrating the 40th anniversary of the release of the Beatles (The White Album), with Christopher Clause, Mike Trebilcock, Alfie Smith, Bob Bryden, Kim and Frank Koren, Ginger St. James, Sonny Del Rio and more.

When: Friday and Saturday. Doors at 7:30 p.m., show at 8 p.m.

Where: James Street Baptist Church, 96 James St. S.

Admission: $10 per night, $15 for both nights. Reserve tickets by calling 905-522-9042.