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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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