When Paul McCartney ventured into classical music in the early 1990s, it raised more than a few eyebrows.

A global pop icon and one of the most successful songwriters of all time, McCartney was synonymous with melodic brilliance—but not necessarily with symphonic form, operatic structure, or choral grandeur. Yet, rather than treat classical music as a vanity project, McCartney approached it with humility, curiosity, and a genuine desire to grow as a composer.

Unlike some of his rock peers, who dabbled in orchestral textures for dramatic flair, McCartney dove headfirst into the language of classical music. He studied scores, worked alongside seasoned composers and conductors, and embraced the rigours of writing extended works without the familiar support of verse-chorus structure or a rhythm section. The result has been a series of ambitious, heartfelt, and occasionally uneven works that offer a fascinating window into his evolving creative world.

These compositions, spanning oratorios, orchestral poems, and ballet scores, reflect McCartney’s lifelong love of melody, his openness to collaboration, and his instinct for emotional storytelling. They also reveal the challenges of crossing genres: critical reception has ranged from respectful admiration to polite dismissal. But whether deeply personal (Ecce Cor Meum), narrative-driven (Liverpool Oratorio), or abstract and meditative (Standing Stone), McCartney’s classical pieces show an artist unafraid to explore new terrain—even decades into an already legendary career.

Source: classical-music.com/Steve Wright

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Music icon Paul McCartney made a sweet gesture to legendary pop group Sparks after he impersonated one of the members, Ron Mael, in his 1980 video for his song Coming Up. The star ensured the group had a very special memento of the occasion. Paul played all the instruments on the track and the video saw him singing the song on stage as he and wife Linda adopted a range of disguises to make up the members of the fictional band The Plastic Macs including an homage to Ron, whose toothbrush moustache and slicked back hair created an instantly memorable visual when Sparks broke though in 1974.

The group comprised of brothers Russell and Ron Mael, are huge Beatles fans but despite Paul paying tribute to songwriter Ron they still haven't met him. However they revealed they have a very special signed photo of the star dressed as Ron hanging in their studio.

"We never met, Paul McCartney but we know the guitar player Paul has in his band now. And he we were talking to him one day, and there was a poster of, I think it was a Linda McCartney photo of Paul dressed as Ron in that video.

"So we asked our friend who's in the band 'I wonder if you could get Paul to sign this'. So we do have a signed Paul McCartney taken by Linda McCartney photo in our studio," Russell revealed.

Asked how he felt about Paul impersonating him Ron said: "He performs a lot of different other people. And I was honoured just to be imitated, the keyboard player imitated for that video."

Alongside Ron in the clip Paul also paid tribute to many other influential musicians including Buddy Holly, Andy Mackay of Roxy Music and even the Beatle-mania version of himself.

Source: express.co.uk/Fran Winston

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When talking about The Beatles, it’s always John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Not Ringo, George, John, and Paul. Since the band’s origins, Ringo Starr has always taken a back seat in The Beatles and never received the extensive limelight the other three did. Though that wasn’t just the masses who helped shape that narrative. As a matter of fact, at a certain point during The Beatles’ time together, Starr felt that McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison were neglecting him as a friend and bandmate.

Ringo Starr was, in fact, a later addition to The Beatles. And unlike the other three, he was not a childhood friend of theirs. That being said, it seems John, Paul, and George had a special connection that did not include Ringo Starr, and it became clear when they recorded their White Album in 1968. It was so clear, that Ringo Starr actually temporarily left The Beatles during the recording process.
Ringo Starr Felt Ostracized and Unimportant

Being left out and disconnected from your peers is arguably one of the worst sensations a human being can endure. After all, we are social creatures, and nobody wants to be lonely. Ringo Starr is no different from the rest of us; hence, when he felt this was way in the group, he put his foot down and simply left.

“I only went out because I did feel like we’d done ‘[Sgt.] Pepper’, and that was fine, and we were trying to be a band again, which I loved,” Starr recalled on The Howard Stern Show. “And then I’m there in the studio, and it’s like I don’t feel good. I don’t feel part of it.”

Source: americansongwriter.com/Peter Burditt

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Every single album The Beatles released was revolutionary in its own right. However, when it comes to cultural influence and trend-setting, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is arguably the most revolutionary. This is primarily due to the fact that with the album, The Beatles helped further introduce psychedelic rock to the mainstream.

Yes, Jimi Hendrix was already doing his thing at the time of the album’s release, and The Doors were one of the most integral groups of the 1960s scene. But on May 26, 1967, The Beatles arguably made the biggest contribution to the subgenre and counterculture movement with the release of this album.

The Beatles’ iconic album did not come easily. Rather, the band recorded the 13-track album over 129 days. They began in December of 1966 and finished it before its release in May of 1967. Furthermore, the inspiration behind the album came from the desire to stray away from their prototypical sound. Or, rather, the prototypical sound that created the monster that “Beatlemania” was. That being said, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, and John Lennon wanted to climb out of their skin and crawl into something new. Needless to say, they did so gloriously with Sgt. Pepper.

Following the release of the album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band peaked at no. 1 on the Billboard 200 and remained there for 15 consecutive weeks. In addition to garnering the top spot on the Billboard 200, the album also won Album of the Year at the 10th annual Grammy Awards. More importantly, the body of work inspired generations of musicians and changed the trajectory of late ’60s and early 70s rock and roll.

Regarding the lasting impact of the album, Roger Waters of Pink Floyd stated that the album helped the group create their magnum opus, The Dark Side Of The Moon.

Source: americansongwriter.com/Peter Burditt

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John Lennon‘s sister Julia Baird has spoken to NME about the launch of a new London exhibition space that features a recreation of the icon’s childhood bedroom, as well as opening up about her issues with the upcoming Beatles biopics. Check out footage from the launch and our interview with Baird below.

Having launched this week at Camden’s Stables, Live Odyssey has been previously described as “a celebration of the rich tapestry of British music, offering a unique experience for music lovers of all ages” through “a groundbreaking tribute to the sounds that shaped Britain”.

The attraction – which combines live music, an exhibition museum, and a hologram performance from The Libertines – will take fans through six decades of music via a two-and-a-half-hour adventure that captures the evolution of British pop, from the early anthems of the ’60s and ’70s to the Britpop explosion of the ’90s and today.

This week saw Baird will unveil a multi-sensory immersive exhibit dedicated to the late Lennon which “details the early years that shaped Lennon through to a life of stratospheric fame with The Beatles” through artefacts, paintings, drawings, writings, moving photographs, provided by James Wilkinson.

This includes a recreation of Lennon’s childhood bedroom, which Baird described as “very moving”.

“If you’re a Beatles fan you’ve either been to Mendips or seen a picture of John’s childhood home, where he had what is known as ‘the box room’,” Baird told NME. “You couldn’t fit much in there. You had six inches to move everywhere. It’s very true to life: the bed, the red quilt, the lot. It’s a good imitation of what his room was like. He was in there writing all the time and doing his cartoons.”

Source: nme.com/Andrew Trendell

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Ringo Starr is one of the most iconic artists of our time, and whether you grew up during the time of The Beatles or not, it's hard to deny what an influence he's had on music over the decades.

At 84 years old, he's still very much in the limelight and has been playing solo tours for years. He and his All Star Band have another tour kicking off this June, with the first show scheduled for June 12 in Bridgeport, Connecticut.

Starr recently sat down with the AP for an interview, and he mentioned a photo of his feet that went viral after he shared it on social media. I think we can all agree what he said is just classic Ringo.

"Did you see that I put on my toes... with peace and love?"

"Not the dogs, Ringo!" LOL. So many people are cracking up over that comment!

He continued, "They all have something to say, you know, and a lot of it is peace and love, but some of them like to s--t on me."

Starr also went on to say he doesn't let negative comments get to him. "Not going to spoil my day."

People who watched the clip couldn't help but weigh in. One fan said, "Who's bullying Ringo? We need to talk!"

Another added, "'Not going to spoil MY day' was so sassy. I love him."

Someone else said, "How can anybody give him slack? He's a total legend ✌️☮️❤️"

And another summed it up with, "He’s Ringo Starr. Those people that try and troll him are just annoying like a gnat or a fly."

In case you were curious, here's the infamous "dogs" photo.

I mean... what do you expect from a dude in his 80s? To be honest, his toes could be a heck of a lot worse. Just sayin'.

Source: parade.com/Mary Hawkins