The London townhouse where the Beatles recorded Let It Be, and, on the rooftop, performed their last concert, will open to the public next year as a museum. Among the promised attractions are a recreation of the Let It Be studio, rotating exhibitions, and a bevy of archival material spread across seven stories. Paul McCartney, who is preparing to release his album The Boys of Dungeon Lane this month, recently returned to the venue. “It was such a trip,” he said in a press release. “There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop. The team have put together some really impressive plans and I’m excited for people to see it when it’s ready.”

Though several unlicensed Beatles archives exist around the United Kingdom—including in the band’s Liverpool hometown—the new one, formally named The Beatles at 3 Savile Row, is the first to be officially ordained by the band and its label, Apple Corps. The building, in London’s Mayfair district, is already a tourist destination, Tom Greene, the label’s CEO, added in the press release. “Every single day, fans are taking pictures of the outside of 3 Savile Row—but next year they can go in and explore all seven floors of the iconic building, including the rooftop where even the railings remain the same from that famous day in 1969,” he said.

Source: pitchfork.com/Jazz Monroe

As The Beatles’ career progressed, the once innocuous band became politically, if not culturally, aware. To varying degrees, The Beatles started to take on more serious topics and develop a worldview that wasn’t always popular. John Lennon was one of the band’s strongest voices in that department.

Towards the end of the band’s tenure and into his solo career, Lennon protested many things, speaking out against world leaders, religion, and war. That change of heart and attitude eventually led him to return one of the most prestigious awards given to an English musician: an OBE, a.k.a Officer of the Order of the British Empire.

Not many people return their OBE once they get it. To many English artists, earning that mark of approval from the monarchy is something to celebrate. At one point, Lennon also thought so.

“I had no problem with it—none of us had any problems with it in the beginning,” Lennon once said. “We all thought it was really thrilling. We’re going to meet the Queen, and she’s going to give us a badge. I thought, ‘This is cool!’” 

But as time went on and Lennon’s view of England and the monarchy started to turn sour, that OBE rested heavily on his mind. He reportedly felt pretty passionate about returning it to the monarchy. “I must get rid of it,” he once said.

The reason Lennon returned his OBE will come as no surprise to anyone who has listened to his solo music. Lennon didn’t want to be associated with a country involved in war and violence.

Source: americansongwriter.com/Alex Hopper

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As The Beatles’ career progressed, the once innocuous band became politically, if not culturally, aware. To varying degrees, The Beatles started to take on more serious topics and develop a worldview that wasn’t always popular. John Lennon was one of the band’s strongest voices in that department.

 Towards the end of the band’s tenure and into his solo career, Lennon protested many things, speaking out against world leaders, religion, and war. That change of heart and attitude eventually led him to return one of the most prestigious awards given to an English musician: an OBE, a.k.a Officer of the Order of the British Empire.  

Not many people return their OBE once they get it. To many English artists, earning that mark of approval from the monarchy is something to celebrate. At one point, Lennon also thought so.

“I had no problem with it—none of us had any problems with it in the beginning,” Lennon once said. “We all thought it was really thrilling. We’re going to meet the Queen, and she’s going to give us a badge. I thought, ‘This is cool!’”

But as time went on and Lennon’s view of England and the monarchy started to turn sour, that OBE rested heavily on his mind. He reportedly felt pretty passionate about returning it to the monarchy. “I must get rid of it,” he once said.
Why John Lennon Returned His OBE

The reason Lennon returned his OBE will come as no surprise to anyone who has listened to his solo music. Lennon didn’t want to be associated with a country involved in war and violence.

“[I’m returning the OBE] as a protest against violence and war, especially Britain’s involvement in Biafra, which most of the British public are unaware of,” Lennon once said. “I began being ashamed of being British, and I’m a patriotic nationalist. That’s the truth, Yoko can vouch for that.”

Source: americansongwriter.com/Alex Hopper

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Discover the story behind the collaboration and why Beatles fans are calling it a special moment.

Two surviving members of The Beatles have reunited once again, as Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney join forces on the newly released duet “Home to Us.” The track marks another rare collaboration between the legendary musicians and has already sparked excitement among Beatles fans around the world.

“Home to Us” blends warm acoustic instrumentation with reflective songwriting, capturing the nostalgic chemistry that has defined the pair’s musical relationship for decades. While both artists have collaborated several times since The Beatles split in 1970, each reunion still carries enormous emotional weight for listeners who grew up with their music.

The song reportedly began as a solo idea before evolving into a collaborative recording featuring contributions from both Starr and McCartney. Fans have praised the track’s intimate feel, with many highlighting the contrast between McCartney’s melodic bass work and Starr’s instantly recognisable drumming style. Lyrically, the song centres around themes of friendship, memory, and finding comfort in familiar places — themes that naturally resonate given the duo’s shared history.

Source: routenote.com

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If you’re even a casual Beatles fan, you can probably reel off the names of some of the songs sung by Ringo Starr without any trouble. But songs that were actually written by Starr (at least partially) are much fewer and farther between.

In 1965, Starr finally received a songwriting credit on the song “What Goes On”. Even on that one, his contributions were likely on the minimal side. 

When Ringo Starr joined The Beatles in 1962, he proved a perfect fit with his exquisite musical timing and affable personality. He could also step out in front and sing when asked. The group gladly utilized that latter skill when they played live.

In addition, they made sure that Starr would also get a chance to provide at least one lead vocal on each of their studio albums. Often, they chose cover songs for him to sing. Occasionally, John Lennon and Paul McCartney would work up an original like “I Wanna Be Your Man” for him.

But Starr didn’t write his own material in those early days. Since he didn’t have much facility on guitar and piano, it was difficult for him to get it done in a musical sense. And, as George Harrison also discovered in the early years of the group’s recording career, Starr struggled to find his footing when Lennon and McCartney had already established themselves as unparalleled writers.
Say “What”

Source: americansongwriter.com/Jim Beviglia

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Sir Paul said the idea to move back in was proposed by Tom Greene, who became CEO of Apple Corps in 2025, after previously working on the Harry Potter franchise.

"He's a live wire and he's bringing a lot of energy into looking at what the Beatles mean, and what people want these days from us," said Sir Paul.

In a statement, Sir Ringo Starr said revisiting the property recently was "like coming home". Sir Paul called it "such a trip".

"There are so many special memories within the walls, not to mention the rooftop. The team have put together some really impressive plans and I'm excited for people to see it when it's ready."

Fans can already see Beatles memorabilia at Liverpool's Beatles Museum and the nearby Beatles Story - but neither are officially licensed by the band.

People also flock to Sir Paul's childhood home in Allerton, Strawberry Fields and the house where George Harrison was born in Wavertree.

The locations are so popular that, last week, a code of conduct was introduced for tour guides and visitors, in order to protect local residents.

Meanwhile, both Sir Paul and Sir Ringo are releasing new music.

Source: bbc.com/Mark Savage