The Beatles' split was famously acrimonious and left them on bad terms with one another. Factors including John Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono, emerging creative differences and a disagreement over the appointment of Allen Klein at their label Apple Records are all cited for the break up of the world's biggest band.

However, it seems the troubles really began during the recording sessions of the band's 1968 record 'The White Album', which were notoriously feisty. Ringo Starr left the band for a period, fed up with the mood, as The Beatles clashed.

‌About that period of recording, Paul McCartney said: "There was a lot of friction during that album. We were just about to break up, and that was tense in itself". John later added: "The break-up of The Beatles can be heard on that album."

‌‌In September 1969, after the band had recorded the majority of what became 'Let it Be' (the 'Get Back' sessions) and 'Abbey Road', John told Paul, George Harrison and Ringo that he wanted a "divorce" from The Beatles. Paul went away to work on his first solo album 'McCartney', believing it was all over for the group.

Paul has said he told his bandmates in advance that he would release 'McCartney' with a press release announcing his departure from The Beatles in April 1970. The Beatles had released 'Let it Be' as a single in March 1970, so the new album was renamed after it and they set a May 1970 release date for that album - following the film's premiere.

But with record label Apple wanting to avoid a clash and Paul not wanting to speak to them due to his disapproval of manager Klein, Ringo went to his home with a letter from himself, John and George asking him to move his release date. Paul and Ringo had a huge row and he threw the drummer out of his house.

Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth

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Years before the Beatles sold hundreds of millions of albums themselves, they were looking for a record deal that would save them from playing racy Hamburg venues, only to be given an uncredited performance opportunity on an album they didn’t even like that much. As the old adage goes, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

The recording process might not have been everything the band dreamed of. Still, it was an interesting precursor to a life they would soon become well-acquainted with: that of an original recording artist. But before that could happen, the lads had to pay their dues.
The Beatles’ Uncredited Album Gig From Early Hamburg Days

As is so often the case in the music industry, the Beatles got their start as a backing band, not the original band we know and love today. The group cut their teeth across Europe, performing for hours on end for solo performers, entertaining nightclub attendees into the wee hours of the morning, and other kinds of “jukebox” gigs that make playing music feel like, well, a real job. Countless green performers will “pay their dues” in this way in the hopes that these backing gigs will lead to something bigger for themselves, and the Beatles were no exception.

When solo performer Tony Sheridan needed a backing band to cut a few records in the studio, the Beatles obliged. But once they got there, they quickly realized that this wasn’t the “big break” they had been looking for. As George Harrison recalled in Anthology, “It was a bit disappointing because we’d been hoping to get a record deal ourselves.” Moreover, the band walked into the session with a great deal of confidence. “We thought it would be easy,” John Lennon added. “The Germans had such s***** records. Ours were bound to be better. We did five of our own numbers. But they didn’t like them.”

Instead, the band recorded covers with Sheridan providing lead vocals, including “My Bonnie.” When the time came to list the band on the singles, Bert Kaempfert, the band leader and producer, changed the Beatles’ name to the Beat Brothers. “This is more understandable for the German audience,” Paul McCartney recalled him telling the band. “We went along with it,” he said. “It was a record.”
It Didn’t Take Long For Those Tables To Turn

The Beatles might have left the German recording session with their tail between their legs. But that humility didn’t last long. It would only take a few years for the band—properly billed under their own name—to reach international stardom. What’s more, they managed to do so with their original music. This was still a novelty at a time when most music was written by songwriters, not by the performing artist. When Tony Sheridan first released his records with “the Beat Brothers” as his backing band, even songs where he wasn’t present, like “Ain’t She Sweet” and “Cry For a Shadow,” were still primarily billed to him, not the future Fab Four.

Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis

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 One of the world’s largest permanent Beatles collections is moving to downtown St. Pete.

Penny Lane, a not-for-profit museum dedicated to the legacy of the Beatles, will open in 2026 at 146 2nd Street North on the first floor of the Palais Royale office building. The new space will be more than four times the size of the current location and offer a more immersive experience for visitors. Founded in January 2017 by Dr. Robert Entel, a local radiologist, the museum began in a 500-square-foot storefront at 730 Broadway in Dunedin.

Over the past eight years, it has welcomed more than 10,000 visitors per year from around the world. Despite having over 1,500 items in the collection, only about 400 to 500 are currently on display due to space limitations. That will change with the move to a new 2,100-square-foot space in downtown St. Pete.

Penny Lane will occupy 2,100 square feet on the first floor of the Palais Royale office building in downtown ST. Pete

The expanded museum will allow for many never-before-seen pieces to be showcased, including large items like Beatles-themed jukeboxes, pinball machines, and gumball machines that couldn’t fit in the original location.

The new location will be designed and built by Pinellas Park-based Creative Arts Unlimited, which also created the Saigon Blonde bar in downtown St. Pete.  It will feature immersive lighting and sound effects that transport visitors back to the Beatles’ Liverpool roots. A timeline of the band’s evolution will guide guests through their journey from the Cavern Club to global superstardom.

Guests will find a wide range of memorabilia, such as autographed guitars, signed documents, Beatles toys, posters, pins, and even strands of the Beatles’ hair. A serape once owned by Ringo Starr is also part of the collection.  The museum was co-founded by Colin Bissett, a Liverpool native who went to school with Pete Best’s brother. Best was the Beatles’ original drummer before Ringo Starr joined the band.

Dr. Robert Entel, Founder of Penny Lane, the Ultimate Beatles Museum.  Dr. Entel began collecting Beatles memorabilia in 1982. Since then, he has built a one-of-a-kind collection that celebrates the music, fashion, culture, and impact of the Beatles.

“The Beatles weren’t just a band. They were a revolution,” said Entel in a conversation with St. Pete Rising. “They changed the way music was written, recorded, and experienced. We want to preserve that legacy for future generations.”

Source: stpeterising.com

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On June 1, 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono recorded the anti-war tune “Give Peace A Chance”. The song would be officially released a few days later, but the scenario surrounding the recording of the song is quite interesting. And if you’re a diehard Lennon fan, you probably know the story quite well.

Though the song itself is an uplifting tune against violence, some listeners found the song (as well as its recording process) to be in poor taste. The Story Behind the Recording of “Give Peace a Chance”

“Give Peace A Chance” was originally written by John Lennon alone, though it was credited to Lennon–McCartney. The tune was written while Lennon and his wife, Yoko Ono, staged their famous “bed-in” honeymoon in Montreal, Canada. This, specifically, is where the controversy comes in.

The title of the song came from a phrase that Lennon would say when asked by reporters what the purpose of the bed-in was: “Just give peace a chance.” Fans of Lennon thought that the stunt, which involved the pair simply sitting in bed on two separate occasions for about a week at a time, was a solid nonviolent protest against the Vietnam War. Many critics at the time called the song that came from the stunt “clever.”

Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena

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The 82-year-old singer-songwriter found fame in the 1960s and has gone on to release a number of hits including Live and Let Die and Let It Be. Now, Paul works as the lead patron of the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

In his role, the Wings frontman still visits the educational facility to support the students on their graduation day. Another person who works at LIPA is David Stark who shared with The Mirror US Paul's commitment to the students.

"For the last 20 years I've been involved with LIPA, which Paul is the patron of, and he was instrumental in getting that off the ground in the early 90s," Stark explained.  He continued, "They have the graduation day every year in July and I give out the same writing advice every year. And Paul's always there. So he makes a big effort."

‌Paul also holds one-on-one sessions with the songwriting students before their graduation, according to Stark. He explained, "He'll sit down with each of them for half an hour or so to talk about their songs. He's great. He really is."

He continued, "He makes a big effort and I'm very proud to work with him." Stark has met Paul several times and shared what he's really like when the cameras aren't on him.

"I met him many times and he's just a great guy," Stark told us. "And, you know, not all people realize that he does all this on the side and he makes a big effort."

 He continued, "He's very open. He'll talk. He's happy to talk to students or kids or anybody. He's very encouraging. He really is. And, you know, he's going to be 83 in June. That's amazing."

Paul isn't the only member of The Beatles Stark has connections to. Shortly after the death of John Lennon, he met the singer's aunt, Mimi Smith. Recalling his meeting with Mimi, Stark told us, "I really got on with her."

Source: themirror.com/Scarlett O'Toole

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He explained how they'd been introduced by a mutual friend who was visiting Mimi at the time. Stark remembered clearly what he and Mimi talked about, with John's aunt telling him everything about the musician's early life.

"She's telling me everything about John and his early life. You know, how he was wise and gabby when he was a kid," he explained. Mimi also showed Stark all of John's old school exercise books, as well as his school tie and cap.

Artwork from more than 100 records will be displayed at Lincoln Castle from Thursday 5 June to Sunday 24 August.

They will include The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Duran Duran's Rio, and Elvis Presley's eponymous debut album from 1956.

The exhibition, called Playback: Art of the Album Sleeve, will also include contributions from some of the designers behind the covers.

Malcolm Garrett, who created covers for Buzzcocks, Duran Duran and Peter Gabriel, and Mark Farrow, the man behind sleeves for the Pet Shop Boys, is among the artists who have taken part in a film about their inspirations.

Kimberley Vickers, the castle's general manager, said: "Album art is so much more than packaging – these iconic covers have become era-defining images that have shaped popular culture."

The exhibition, which will be on display in the Victorian prison at the castle, will be free for annual pass holders and included in the price of a day ticket.

Source: Paul Johnson/bbc.com

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