Beatles News
Nearly 59 years after the Beatles’ historic 1968 visit to the iconic Chaurasi Kutia in Rishikesh in Uttarakhand, the popular Beatles Ashram is all set to feature in an ambitious four-film project on the legendary band, directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes.
An international film production delegation on Sunday met Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to discuss the proposed February 2027 shoot for The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, being made by Neal Street Productions for Sony Pictures Entertainment in collaboration with Apple Corps.
The production is expected to bring more than 100 international crew members and around 150 Indian professionals to the state. Local arrangements are being coordinated by On The Road India, with opportunities expected for local technicians and service providers.
The four films will tell the individual stories of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. The cast includes Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Paul Mescal as McCartney, Joseph Quinn as Harrison and Barry Keoghan as Starr. A simultaneous global theatrical release is planned for April 2028.
The Beatles visited Rishikesh in February 1968 to study transcendental meditation under Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Their stay became a landmark chapter in the band’s history, with several songs written during the period later appearing on their albums.
Source: prashantnews.com
Some biographies give you a glimpse into music history. Others make you feel like you’ve stumbled into a private family album belonging to the greatest band that ever lived.
There are Beatles fans, and then there are Beatles obsessives. You know the type. The ones who can tell you which version of a song appeared on which release, who played what on a particular recording, and why a seemingly insignificant moment in a documentary deserves an entire afternoon of discussion. The ones who have spent years devouring every photograph, interview, bootleg and scrap of Beatles history they can get their hands on, convinced there must still be something out there they haven’t seen.
Enter THE THIRD EYE: Early Photographs, a remarkable collection of George Harrison’s personal photography, published by Penguin Random House, and quite possibly one of the most exciting things to land in the hands of a Beatles tragic in some time.
We’ve seen the Beatles from just about every conceivable angle. We’ve watched the documentaries, read the biographies, studied the album sleeves and pored over countless photographs of four lads from Liverpool who somehow changed the world. But there’s something genuinely mind-blowing about seeing these moments through George’s own lens, particularly when so many of the photographs have never been collected in a book like this before.
Spanning the years 1963 to 1969, THE THIRD EYE brings together more than 200 photographs and 8mm film stills, capturing the Beatles at work, at play and in those rare moments when the machinery of Beatlemania momentarily loosened its grip. From their earliest adventures in America to Australia, Paris, India and beyond, this is history from the inside. Not another photographer positioned outside the barricades, but George Harrison himself, camera in hand, documenting the extraordinary world he was living in.
Source: fortemagazine.com.au/Tammy Walters
How should you listen to the Beatles? However you like, and as often you can. But faced with all that material, how – to coin a phrase – do you do it? In the aim of offering something like a benign, George Martin-style guiding hand, we’ve put together this series to put Beatles songs in your weekly calendar – hopefully bringing some fresh takes on their music, and on the hectic nature of their lives and creative development along the way.
The week of October 19th contains many of the different colours in the Beatle spectrum. In 1966, this is the week that George Harrison returns from India, where he has been taking a sitar course with Ravi Shankar. Today in 1968 is the day that John and Yoko are in court after a drugs bust. At the start of the career, however, the autumn is a time for harder work: a date at the Pavilion Gardens, Buxton (October 19th, 1963), and in 1964, where they enter the Scottish phase of their UK tour, with dates in Edinburgh, Dundee and Glasgow.
In Dundee they are interviewed for Scottish TV. “Where are we now?” someone asks. In the face of weariness, John Lennon enters the mildly surreal by way of reply.
“Cake,” he says.
Even the interviewer is puzzled.
“I Saw Her Standing There”
October 20th, 1963. It’s a Sunday morning three months after “She Loves You” came out and a BBC Beatles session recorded in front of a studio audience four days earlier is blasting out of your transistor radio. First up? The opening track of their debut album.
It’s now almost exactly a year since The Beatles became a chart phenomenon. In a couple of weeks’ time, they will release a stop gap 7” EP – or “extended play” – called No 1 whose title (we think, though no one makes the reason completely clear) commemorates that anniversary, and bridges the unbearably long wait for fans hungry for new material.
“I Saw Her Standing There” (presumably because it deserves to be recognised as more than just an album track) will be the lead-off track of the new EP, and this succinct Beatles show in fact is almost like an EP itself, comprising this track, followed by a run-through of the group’s story so far: “Love Me Do”, “Please Please Me”, “From Me To You” and “She Loves You”.
There would be more BBC radio sessions to follow but those hoping to witness The Beatles live in a small London theatre as part of a BBC studio audience were soon dashed. Brian Epstein had concerns for the Beatles’ safety in such a small space, and decreed that this would be their last such show – a booking for December 4th was cancelled.
“How Do You Do It?”
The Beatles had kindred spirits on Merseyside, and on October 21st 1961, they combined to play with one of them. By this time veterans of both Hamburg rock ‘n’ roll clubs and the Merseyside beat scene, The Beatles were happy to combine informally with Gerry and the Pacemakers for a date at Litherland Town Hall, a venue which the Beatles played more than any other excepting the Cavern and Aintree Institute. The name of this supergroup? The Beatmakers!
Source: uncut.co.uk/John Robinson
A Lincolnshire holiday camp played a little-known but crucial part in the birth of The Beatles.
A young, bearded Ringo Starr was playing drums with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes at the Butlins in Skegness in the summer 1962 when Paul McCartney and John Lennon arrived to try and recruit him to the band. Bobby Thomson, who was bassist in the Hurricanes, recalls the duo arriving early one morning after driving all night from Liverpool. "I think that was the whole idea, to invite him to join the Beatles," he said.
"Because I was with Ringo they didn't come out with it. They could have, it wouldn't have bothered me." He said that a few weeks later in mid August the band were having breakfast when an announcement over the speaker system asked Starr to report to reception.
He asked Thomson to come with him and the pair arrived to find a phone call from Beatles manager Brian Epstein asking if Starr would like to join the group. Keystone via Getty Images Black and white photograph of the five members of Rory Storm and the Hurricanes with the group wearing matching dark suits Bobby Thomson stands on the far left and Ringo Starr is far rightKeystone via Getty Images
Bobby Thompson (second left) played bass for Rory Storm and the Hurricanes alongside a young Ringo Starr (far right)
Starr later recalled the conversation in an interview. "The boys would like you to join The Beatles. What do you say?
"I said, 'no, I'd love to, when?' And he said, 'oh, tonight'. I said, 'I can't', this was Wednesday, 'I can't come tonight. I'm in a band, I'll come Saturday'."
Thomson said that during the call with Epstein the drummer was told to lose his facial hair.
"He didn't want to shave his beard off," Thomson said laughing.
"So the beard came off and he got the haircut to match."
Madeline Morrison, who worked as a Redcoat at the Clacton camp, said people were surprised when the rumours of Starr joining The Beatles soon started to spread throughout Butlin's.
"Rory Storm was a big, big name," she said.
"I've got playbills where Rory Storm and the Hurricanes were above The Beatles."
She added people said he had been taken to the hairdresser: "He's got the Beatle haircut, he's joining them.
"You know, all this sort of stuff would jump round all the camps because we were all villages."
Source: bbc.com/Karl Bird
As Beatles fans are transported back to Abbey Road for Sam Mendes‘ upcoming biopic, Paul McCartney has some thoughts on the casting.
The Beatles alum said he was concerned that Paul Mescal looks “markedly shorter” compared to his co-stars, and he even reached out to Mendes about it, but doesn’t know how the director is “gonna deal with it” in the four-film cinematic event.
“Yeah, and guess what? He’s smaller than the guy who’s playing John [Lennon],” explained McCartney on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast. “Sam Mendes is making the film. I heard Sam Mendes is making the film. I said, ‘Sam, I’ve got just one thing that I need to say to you. Paul’s a bit smaller.'”
After the movies’ cast re-created the iconic Abbey Road (1969) album cover while filming in London back in August, McCartney said his concerns worsened.
“So, I don’t know how Sam’s gonna deal with it, but he sent me a picture, a still from the filming they were doing,” he recalled. “They were crossing the Abbey Road crossing, and the Paul character is markedly smaller.”
McCartney continued, “So, I texted him, ‘Sam! Smaller! Don’t do this! You said you wouldn’t do it.’ He said, ‘No, it’s ok. It’s just the stride.’ And he sent me another one where they were equal.”
Last February, Deadline exclusively revealed that Mendes is set to direct each installment of The Beatles — A Four-Film Cinematic Event, through his Neal Street Productions and Sony Pictures Entertainment. Each film will connect, telling the band’s story from each member’s point of view.
The film has since cast Mescal as Paul McCartney, Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr and Harris Dickinson as John Lennon.
Source: deadline.com/Glenn Garner
George Martin helped steward each Beatles album. His steady, experienced hand and a willingness to explore musical boundaries with the band’s four members made a huge difference. Throughout their catalog, his musical genius is a subtle constant.
But Martin nearly wasn’t a part of Abbey Road, the last album that the group ever recorded together. It took some last-minute convincing. Only then did he come aboard and offer his expertise on that monumental record.
George’s Anger
The Let It Be project, initially titled Get Back, did more damage to The Beatles than it was probably worth in the end. Among the casualties was George Martin’s ego. He was largely sidelined by the Fab Four during the sessions at the Twickenham film studio, which were being filmed for a documentary.
Martin later helped the band by convincing EMI to lend portable studios to the group when they decided to relocate the sessions to their Apple home base. But Martin disliked the chaotic nature of the recording process and the fact that the group wasn’t seeking his input as they had in the past.
When the sessions ended following the group’s rooftop concert in 1969, Martin truly thought that he was done with the Fab Four. He didn’t think they’d be able to patch up their personal relationships long enough to record another album together anyway. Martin was happily proven wrong on both counts. A Fateful Phone Call.
In the spring of 1969, Martin received a call from a familiar, yet somewhat timid-sounding voice on the other end of the line. Paul McCartney was phoning, hat in hand, asking if Martin would return to produce another record for The Beatles.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Jim Beviglia
A community tourist attraction celebrating the Beatles has been put up for sale after closing its doors.
The Penny Lane Community Trust in Liverpool shut on New Year's Eve after struggling with rising costs and declining visitor numbers.
Former Lord Mayor and Penny Lane councillor, Richard Kemp, said: "It is disgraceful that this has taken so long and it will be well over a year before a successful bidder can start to use the building for the local community."
Liverpool City Council said it was "working with the liquidators and their representatives to explore future options for the building and secure the best possible outcome for the local community".
The site became a popular stop for tourists visiting Penny Lane and nearby Strawberry Fields, housing a visitor centre filled with Beatles memorabilia. The successful bidder must demonstrate financial viability and compliance with the building's permitted use.
The council owns the freehold of the Penny Lane Development Centre site, of which a lease was granted to Penny Lane Development Trust.
The property is held under a 99-year lease, granted by the council in 2009 at a peppercorn rent of £1 a year.
Source: David Humphreys/bbc.com
Sir Paul McCartney revealed the surprising crush the late monarch, Queen Elizabeth II, had on him when he was part of The Beatles with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
The 84-year-old sat down on the Good Hang with Amy Poehler podcast on Tuesday, and had an answer ready when he was asked if any famous person he'd met had ever blown him away.
"The Queen," he replied. "And that's an autograph you're not going to get. She's great. I love the Queen."
Elizabeth, who passed away in September 2022, met Paul on several occasions throughout his life, including when she knighted him in 1997. Did Queen Elizabeth have a crush on Paul McCartney?
"She was a babe," the singer said. "We all used to think, 'Wow, this is amazing.' You know, like, having a king, he's got this girl. This babe. So, we kind of liked her in other ways than we shouldn't have liked her."
"So meeting her was special," he added. Paul was nine years old when the Queen ascended to the throne in 1952, and said he was around 21 when they met in person for the first time.
Source: hellomagazine.com/Faye James
Paul McCartney wasn't informed by the rest of the Beatles that "Let It Be" would feature more than they'd planned together.
John Lennon and George Harrison brought in producer Phil Spector to work on the tapes in March 1970, and he added an orchestra to the sound palette.
Lennon later stated he'd hoped a rough, unglamorous release would poke holes in the band's all-encompassing myth. Spector's avenue of approach was to create a wall of sound. How Phil Spector Overdubbed "The Long and Winding Road" in One Day
Phil Spector recorded orchestral and choral overdubs for three songs at Abbey Road in one day, ironically on April 1. The tracks in question were "I Me Mine", "Across the Universe", and "The Long and Winding Road".
He didn't economize - the Paul McCartney Project lists eighteen violins, four cellos, four violas, three trombones, three trumpets, a harp, two guitarists, and fourteen singers for "The Long and Winding Road" alone.
The orchestral parts for "The Long and Winding Road" were scored by conductor Richard Hewson, who was paid £40 for the night of work. Ringo Starr was the only member of the Beatles attending the session, and he drummed along when needed.
Spector reduced the eight-track tape to five to free up tracks, merging Ringo's drums, Billy Preston's electric piano, and George Harrison's guitar into one.
As engineer Peter Bown recalled, the orchestra walked out when Spector handed over extra parts with no mention of extra pay. The session later resumed, and the musicians got their extra payment. How Paul McCartney and George Martin Reacted to Spector's 'Let It Be' Overdubs.
Paul McCartney was handed the result on a pre-release record, with a note from Allen Klein saying the changes were necessary. He would later state, "No one had asked me what I thought." He listened to the tracks and found some issues.
He wrote to Klein on April 14, asking for the strings, horns, and voices to be turned down. He also wanted the closing harp removed, and the original vocal and Beatle instrumentation to be turned up. He ended his letter with "Don't ever do it again." Klein cared little for his request.
George Martin, always a part of the Beatles' craft, said he knew nothing either, would later state the work happened "behind our backs." He told EMI the credit should read "produced by George Martin, over-produced by Phil Spector." The request, understandably, wasn't accepted. 'The Long and Winding Road' Became Part of McCartney's Lawsuit Against the Beatles.
On December 31, 1970, Paul McCartney sued to dissolve the Beatles' partnership. Allen Klein's actions were included as one of the complaints at the High Court hearing, where Macca stated that ABKCO, Klein's company, had arranged for "The Long and Winding Road" to be altered without consulting or informing him.
Justice Stamp dissolved the partnership on March 12, 1971, though the reported findings centered on Klein's appointment and commissions. Phil Spector would remain unrepentant, once stating:
"Paul had no problem picking up the Academy Award for the 'Let It Be' movie soundtrack, nor did he have any problem in using my arrangement of the string and horn and choir parts when he performed it during 25 years of touring on his own."
"If Paul wants to get into a pissing contest about it, he's got me mixed up with someone who gives a s**t."
"Let It Be… Naked" and McCartney's Reconciliation With Richard Hewson
Macca didn't speak to Richard Hewson for a year after the original's release, but they reconciled and worked together on "Thrillington" and "My Love."
In November 2003, the former Beatle finally got his preferred version when "Let It Be… Naked" was released without the orchestra and choir, with "Don't Let Me Down" added.
It was different from the version fans were used to after so many years, but it was music Paul McCartney believed in.
Source: Ultimate Guitar
Sean Ono Lennon took to X over the weekend to clarify how his late father, John Lennon, provided for him and his half brother Julian Lennon before the former Beatles’ tragic murder in 1980.
Replying to a post on Sunday (Oct. 11) in which someone presumed, “One guy inherited most of the estate, the other largely cut out and forced to engaged in decades-long litigation in pursuit of a comparatively small share of it. Unbearably painful and enraging for the one, surely pretty darn awkward for the other. That they remain friends (and largely always were) is testimony to the redemptive power of being a chill dude with broad implications for the wider world.”
The comment was tied to a post from Sean a day earlier of the Lennon brothers enjoying a nice day out in nature to celebrate his 51st birthday and, according to Sean, the commenter got it all wrong.
“Julian and I inherited the same amount from our dad,” he wrote. “Our trusts were equal. Although his was slightly more, but negligibly so.”
Sean is the adult son of John and wife Yoko Ono and Julian, 63, is Lennon’s eldest, from his six-year marriage to his first wife, Cynthia Lennon. The men appear to have developed a close relationship and often share pictures together on their socials, including posing together at the 2021 Los Angeles premiere of the Peter Jackson’s Beatles miniseries Get Back (see above).
Both men are musicians, with Julian scoring a pair of top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits from his 1984 debut album, Valotte, “Too Late For Goodbyes” (No. 5) and the title track (No. 9) and releasing six more albums in the years since, including 2022’s Jude, whose title is a reference to the Beatles’ “Hey Jude,” famously written by Paul McCartney in 1968 to comfort a young Julian during his parents’ divorce.
Sean Ono Lennon has had a long, eclectic music career as a member of a number of bands, including the Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger, Cibo Matto, the Claypool Lennon Delirium and the Plastic Ono Band. He’s released three solo albums to date, 1998’s Into the Sun, 2006’s Friendly Fire and 2024’s Asterisms.
Source: billboard.com/Gil Kaufman
