Beatles News
Every evening at 6pm, a gin and tonic was brought to him.
High on a mountainside on the Caribbean island of Montserrat, overlooking a valley leading down to the ocean, stood a recording studio. George Martin, who’d built it, liked to let his hair down when he made albums there. Within reason, that is.
The famously suave producer, renowned for his cut‑glass accent, had a well‑known distaste for rock ’n’ roll excess. His routine at AIR Montserrat was much more civilised: every evening at 6pm, a gin and tonic was brought to him by a butler in a white jacket. Martin, an immaculate dresser himself, would relax in shorts and flip‑flops.
“You could walk out of the studio, take three steps and you’d be in a swimming pool,” says Midge Ure, who recorded at AIR Montserrat in the ’80s. “It was a glamorous, luxurious environment. It was your place; nobody else went there. Very chilled, very British in its weird little way.” Gold and platinum discs rolled in.
Ure’s band Ultravox had persuaded Martin to produce their 1982 album Quartet. The 56‑year‑old “Fifth Beatle” wasn’t used to synthesiser bands, but he surprised them with his knowledge of new technology. Ure: “I remember him timing the gaps between snare hits on a LinnDrum and saying, ‘If we delayed it by 15 milliseconds, it would have a slightly more human feel.’ Nothing fazed him.”
Prior to Ultravox, Martin had worked on Montserrat with Cheap Trick and the heavy metal band UFO. In the ’70s he’d produced Cleo Laine, the Mahavishnu Orchestra and Jeff Beck. On paper, his CV since his Abbey Road heyday looked eccentric – and was notable for its sparseness of ex‑Beatle solo projects – but then, out of the blue, Paul McCartney reached out to his old mentor and invited him to produce Tug Of War (1982).
Source: David Cavanagh/uncut.co.uk
Long before the days of vulnerable tracks like “I’m a Loser” and “Help!” (and even further from the raw emotions of “Cold Turkey” and “Mother”), John Lennon was hiding his sentimentality in plain sight. The songs he wrote for The Beatles didn’t always reference his past personal life. But there were a few glimpses to be had, if one knew where to look.
One such window into Lennon’s childhood came in the form of “Do You Want To Know A Secret”, an early single from the band’s U.K. and U.S. debuts, Please Please Me and Introducing… The Beatles, respectively. In a testament to his initial subversiveness, Lennon didn’t perform lead vocals on the song, despite being the one who wrote it.
Instead, George Harrison sang lead—a creative decision Lennon would later cite as a matter of practicality, not humility. In any case, a No. 2 placement on the Billboard Hot 100 proved this choice to be a positive one.
How Julia Lennon Helped Inspire “Do You Want to Know a Secret”
John Lennon had an incredibly turbulent childhood, experiencing emotional strain and trauma that no child should ever have to endure. His father was a seaman who was often absent. During one particularly long absence, Lennon’s mother, Julia, became pregnant with another man’s child. When Lennon’s father returned, the couple separated. Julia’s eldest sister, Mimi, deemed the recently single mother’s life “immoral” and complained to the local authorities multiple times until, eventually, she received full custody of Lennon.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis
Actors Paul Mescal and Barry Keoghan have been spotted in Liverpool as filming for a new Beatles biopic is under way.
A series of roads across the city and landmarks including Crosby Plaza Cinema have had a 1950s and 60s makeover for the shooting of the production, directed by Sir Sam Mendes. Four films are planned for simultaneous release in 2028, with each telling the story of the individual Fab Four band members.
Mescal is set to star as Sir Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. Actor Paul Mescal in character as Paul McCartney riding a bike with a guitar on his back past a brick wall
Filming has taken place at a number of locations across the city. Classic cars, buses and film posters from the 1950s alongside people dressed in fashions of the era have been spotted across the city in recent days.
Mescal has been photographed in character at various locations in south Liverpool including McCartney's famous childhood home on Forthlin Road and Lennon's on Menlove Avenue.
Cara D Photography Classic cars typical of the late 1950s and early 1960s are parked on the road in front of terraced housesCara D Photography
Rodney Street in Liverpool has also been given a period makeover. Cara D Photography A dark green retro car with the registration GAS 348 is parked on Rodney Street in LiverpoolCara D Photography. Vehicles typical of the 1950s and 1960s have appeared in the city.
The project marks the first time Apple Corps Ltd and The Beatles – McCartney, Starr, and the families of Lennon and Harrison – have granted full rights for a scripted film.
Ron Walker, who has lived in Forthlin Road for 34 years, said that while residents were used to seeing filming in the road over the years this was "another level". "This has been a scale I've not seen before," he said. "I thought it's basically going to be another documentary drama film but I was mistaken.
"When the wagons turned up ahead of filming I thought 'wow, this has got serious Hollywood bucks backing it'."
Source: bbc.com/Jenny Coleman
Since The Beatles were the most popular and famous band in the world during their heyday, you’d think they would have one at least one Grammy for Song of the Year… and they did. In 1967, at the ninth annual Grammy Awards ceremony, the Fab Four took home the prestigious trophy for the ballad “Michelle.”
As a songwriters honor, the trophy was presented to Paul McCartney and John Lennon. “Michelle” beat out “The Impossible Dream,” from the musical Man Of La Mancha; the Frank Sinatra classic “Strangers In The Night”; “Farewell My Love (Lara’s Theme),” from the film Dr. Zhivago; and the title theme to the movie Born Free.
That was the only time a Beatles composition won the Song of the Year prize, but it wasn’t the only time the band was nominated. From 1965 through 1971, four other Beatles tunes composed by Lennon and McCartney were in the running for the honor, but they lost every time.
Here’s a look at the Fab Four’s other Song of the Year contenders:
“A Hard Day’s Night” (1965)
At the 1965 Grammy ceremony, The Beatles were honored as the Best New Artist, while their song “A Hard Day’s Night” also won in the Best Performance by a Vocal Group category.
Meanwhile, Lennon and McCartney received a Song of the Year nomination for “A Hard Day’s Night.” The song was the title tune to the soundtrack of the band’s 1964 debut film.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Matt Friedlander
The Beatles will be the subjects of four pioneering movies in 2028 focusing on each of the Fab Four.
But it's one of the supporting cast who's getting their own play much sooner, with Tom Wright's new play Please Please Me taking a closer look at the life of Brian Epstein, the band's manager.
Meet the Beatles: The Fab Four are cast in new Brian Epstein movie Midas Man. Who is the Fifth Beatle? George Martin, Brian Epstein, Pete Best and more.
The full cast and creative team has been announced for the production, which has also extended its booking thanks to high demand. It will run from April 16 to May 29 at the Kiln Theatre in Kilburn, London. Tickets are available now.
Please Please Me is directed by Kiln Artistic Director Amit Sharma and stars Calam Lynch (Brian), Noah Ritter (John), William Robinson (Peter/Mike), Arthur Wilson (Geoffrey/Harry), and Eleanor Worthington-Cox (Cynthia/Cilla).
"I couldn't be more thrilled to bring this extraordinary cast together for Please Please Me," Wright said.
"Each of them walked into the audition room and gave me that unmistakable tingle - surprising me and revealing new depths in their characters.
"I’m delighted audiences are eager to meet Brian and hear his story and can’t wait to share our production with them.”
Sharma added: "Brian was a captivating person, and I’m incredibly excited to be working with this company of actors on Tom's beautiful play.
"I hope audiences will be blown away by their brilliance. I'm equally delighted to be collaborating with our wonderful creative and production team. I'm so excited to get started!"
The blurb for the play reads:
"When Brian Epstein steps into the Cavern Club, he finds more than just a band – he finds his life’s calling. Captivated by the charismatic frontman, John Lennon, Brian sets out to make the Fab Four the most famous group on earth. But beyond the spotlight, he wrestles with secrets, longing, and love.
Please Please Me is the electrifying story of the hidden struggles of Brian Epstein – the unsung, gay legend and ‘Fifth Beatle'."
Brian Epstein was recently the subject of 2024 biopic Midas Man and before that was played by Corrie's Andrew Lancel in Epstein: The Man Who Made The Beatles in Liverpool in 2013 and the West End the following year.
Source: Mayer Nissim
“Live and Let Die,” the explosive theme for the 1973 James Bond film “Live and Let Die,” announced to the world that Paul McCartney was not content to live in anyone’s shadow. Performed with Wings, the band McCartney formed after the breakup of the Beatles, the song was more than a franchise anthem; It was emblematic of McCartney’s reinvention of himself as an artist. Grand, cinematic, and bold, it signaled his determination to move forward rather than linger in the nostalgia of the former greatness of the Beatles.
Director Morgan Neville’s documentary “Man on the Run” follows McCartney as he steps out from the immense shadow of his past and attempts to redefine himself on his own terms. This film reveals not only the pressures of legacy, but McCartney’s journey to finding himself without “a little help from his friends.”
Through unprecedented access to previously unseen footage, rare archival materials, and deeply personal interviews, the documentary captures a transformative era marked by reinvention, family unity, artistic risk-taking, and the iconic Wings years.
The film begins at the breakup of the Beatles, highlighting the rift between John Lennon and McCartney at the end of their collaboration. What’s unique about this introduction is that it offers the audience a new perspective, not as an outside observer, but through the lens of the group’s lead singer. From this, viewers gain access to behind-the-scenes conversations and the personal impact that the Beatles’ collapse had on McCartney.
Source: Ian Morrison/The Daily
Len Garry, who was best known for playing with The Quarrymen and bandmates Paul McCartney and John Lennon, died at the age of 84.
According to report, Garry, who had been diagnosed with dementia in 2024, was recently rushed to hospital with a chest infection.
Jane Garry, his daughter, announced his death on social media Monday.
“My dad ‘Len Garry’ passed away at home in the early hours this morning,” she posted. “The doctor told us he had hours to live and I said straight away ‘he has to come home.’ Which the doctor allowed. I travelled with dad in the ambulance and got him home. My mum, my sister, my brother in law and myself stayed by Dad’s bed holding his hand, talking to him and telling him how much we love him and how proud we are of him as he was passing away and taking his last breaths. I love you Dad and I will miss you Dad for the rest of my life. I’m beyond devastated. Dad believed in God and we believe he is in heaven now.”
Len Garry was a part of The Quarrymen in the 1950s. Roughly a decade later after Garry left the group, the band became the Beatles in 1960.
He reunited with the surviving non-Beatles members of The Quarrymen in 1994 and the group released three albums — “Together” in 1997, “Songs We Remember” in 2004 and “Grey Album” in 2012.
He was also the frontman for a rock gospel group called “Come Together” later in life.
Source: al.com/Mark Heim
Ringo Starr will release a new album on April 24.
Long Long Road marks the former Beatle's second collaboration with producer T Bone Burnett, following 2025's successful Look Up, his first country album in more than 50 years.
Listen to the album's first single, "It's Been Too Long," below.
Hear Ringo Starr's 'It's Been Too Long'
The 10-track Long Long Road, like its predecessor, is a country record that features songs by a list of high-profile artists.
Billy Strings, Sheryl Crow, St. Vincent, and, on "It's Been Too Long," Molly Tuttle and Sarah Jarosz join Starr.
"I'm blessed to have T Bone in my life right now and working with me on these records," Starr noted in a press release announcing Long Long Road. "After we did the last record, which I love listening to, this one just sort of happened.
"I like to say sometimes I make the right moves, like you can go left or right at any point, and one of the right moves was hooking up with T Bone for Look Up, and now for this one, which I'm calling Long Long Road, because I've been on a long long road."
What's on Ringo Starr's New Album?
Source: ultimateclassicrock.com/Michael Gallucci
John Lennon and Paul McCartney, renowned for their work with The Beatles and as solo artists, also wrote for a variety of musicians over the decades. Their songwriting genius shines through multiple genres, with their signature style leaving a recognizable imprint on the songs they gave to others.
Liverpool natives Lennon and McCartney performed with The Quarrymen in the late 1950s before they brought in George Harrison and Ringo Starr to form The Beatles in 1962. Together, the friends-turned-bandmates were responsible for some of the most beloved Beatles tracks, including "I Want to Hold Your Hand," "She Loves You," "Eleanor Rigby," and "In My Life," to name only a few hits. When The Beatles broke up in 1970, Lennon and McCartney frequently found themselves at odds, but rekindled their friendship in the years leading up to Lennon's tragic passing in 1980.
While their own releases are cemented in music history, many of the hit songs they wrote for other artists remain relatively obscure as Lennon-McCartney compositions.
Listen closely, and you’ll hear their distinct voices echoing throughout each of these seven songs, regardless of who’s on the mic.
"FAME" (DAVID BOWIE)
"SAY SAY SAY" (MICHAEL JACKSON)
"I WANNA BE YOUR MAN" (THE ROLLING STONES)
"COME AND GET IT" (BADFINGER)
"A WORLD WITHOUT LOVE" (PETER AND GORDON)
"VERONICA" (ELVIS COSTELLO)
"ONLY ONE" (KANYE WEST)
To the untrained ear, it might not be so obvious who wrote this track with David Bowie, but Beatles fans know. Lennon not only helped pen the tune, but he was featured as both a vocalist and guitarist. "Fame" was released in the mid-1970s as the lead single on Bowie's Young Americans album. Lennon and Bowie always held each other in high regard; Lennon praised Bowie’s talent, and Bowie admired Lennon’s exceptional songwriting.
"Fame" was Bowie's first single to top the Billboard Hot 100, and it remains a favorite among fans. "SAY SAY SAY" (MICHAEL JACKSON)
Paul McCartney wrote "Say Say Say” with Michael Jackson, two years before their dispute over The Beatles' catalog began. The track, featured on McCartney's Pipes of Peace in 1983, was accompanied by a short film where the duo acted as "Mac and Jac." The collaboration between the two industry greats remained at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for six weeks.
Source: mentalfloss.com/Logan DeLoye
You’ll have no problem finding various lists containing folks’ opinions on The Beatles’ best songs. That’s not our intention here. Instead, we’re trying to pinpoint the four songs that did the most to cement their legacy as the consensus greatest band in music history.
In other words, without these four songs, they still would have been great, but maybe not quite as monumental. See if you agree.
“I Want To Hold Your Hand”
In terms of their recorded output, “I Want To Hold Your Hand” represented a somewhat natural progression in complexity and songwriting acumen. You could reasonably argue that “Please Please Me” and “She Loves You”, both of which preceded it as singles, were of better quality. But “I Want To Hold Your Hand” proved to be the right song at the right time. It broke The Beatles in America. They crossed a threshold that no previous British artist had managed. And it sent their worldwide superstardom to unprecedented levels. We’ll never know if any of their other early songs might have done the same had they been released in the same time frame. But we can say for sure that “I Want To Hold Your Hand” got the job done.
“Yesterday”
“Yesterday” was by no means the first Beatles ballad. And we wouldn’t even say that it was the best Beatles slow song to that point in their career. (“If I Fell” certainly gives it a run for its money.) But several factors come to the fore when it comes to its impact on The Beatles’ legacy. The use of strings stood out at the time, as most beat groups had previously stuck to traditional rock instrumentation. Soon after “Yesterday”, rock artists were falling over themselves to include baroque touches in their songs. On top of that, the song represented the first time that a mostly solo performance counted as a group effort. That opened the door for other groups, free from having to follow any formulas, to expand the palette of rock and pop music.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Jim Beviglia
