Beatles News
The Fab Four were the biggest band of the 1960s, if not the entirety of the 20th century. They pushed through their career as a band for seven years (give or take) before ultimately calling it quits (officially) in 1974, though the band was done with long before that year. Many would say that The Beatles had gone through their breakup by 1970.
So, what caused The Beatles to break up? Surely the Fab Four could have enjoyed another few decades of fame, considering their insanely massive popularity. Lesser bands have lasted longer. What happened?
Well, it’s complicated. Live performances for The Beatles were very different from live performances for other bands. Beatlemania was a certified global phenomenon. Though, by 1965, the band started to see it as more of a pandemic.
George Harrison was allegedly the first to want to stop touring, but Paul McCartney was dead-set on maintaining an ongoing tour schedule. Eventually, the other two were sick of it too, and McCartney couldn’t help but agree: Live performances were exhausting and had become, at times, straight-up dangerous. After their 1966 tour of the US, they decided to retire from touring for good.
Source: Em Casalena/americansongwriter.com
It’s natural to get excited when your favorite artist puts out a new album, but on occasion that excitement turns to disappointment when the album isn’t as great as you’d hoped it would be.
Rolling Stone is examining that very subject with its just-released list of the 50 most disappointing albums of all time.
The mag notes that albums on the list aren’t necessarily bad, but were considered disappointing when they came out. Also, some disappointing albums are only disappointing because of the artist who released them, with the mag noting they could be “seen as a masterpiece if almost anyone else” recorded them.
Topping the list is John Lennon’s 1972 release, Some Time in New York City, calling the protest songs on the album “half-a****, at best,” and noting they “seemed dated almost instantly.”
The mag adds, “Some Time in New York City is as disposable as the newspapers on the cover,” referring to the album’s artwork, which featured a fake newspaper front page.
Coming in at #2 is The Rolling Stones’ Their Satanic Majesties Request, followed by Bob Dylan’s Self Portrait at #3, David Bowie’s Tonight at #4 and Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy at #5.
Source: mikeeves@wxhc.com/wxhc.com
George Harrison didn't make any music in 1977. He shared why his step away began to feel embarrassing to him.
For a good portion of his time with The Beatles, George Harrison fought to have his bandmates take his music seriously. He wanted to be a songwriter and contribute to the band’s albums like John Lennon and Paul McCartney did. When the band broke up, Harrison finally had the chance to showcase his music in the ways he’d always wanted. After less than a decade, though, he tired of the music industry altogether. He admitted he went a full year without making any music, a fact that eventually embarrassed him out of his semi-retirement.
After nearly two decades in the music industry, Harrison completely stepped away from music in 1977. He said he didn’t so much as write a song.
“Well, all of 1977 I didn’t write a song, I didn’t do anything; I was not working at all really, so I decided I’d better start doing something,” he told Rolling Stone. “I’d just turned off from the music business altogether.”
George Harrison plays guitar during the Concert for Bangladesh.
Source:Emma McKee/cheatsheet.com
Today, Disney+ announced that Beatles ’64, an all-new documentary from producer Martin Scorsese and director David Tedeschi, will stream exclusively on Disney+ beginning November 29, 2024. The film captures the electrifying moment of The Beatles’ first visit to America. Featuring never-before-seen footage of the band and the legions of young fans who helped fuel their ascendance, the film gives a rare glimpse into when The Beatles became the most influential and beloved band of all time.
On February 7, 1964, The Beatles arrived in New York City to unprecedented excitement and hysteria. From the instant they landed at Kennedy Airport, met by thousands of fans, Beatlemania swept New York and the entire country. Their thrilling debut performance on The Ed Sullivan Show captivated more than 73 million viewers, the most watched television event of its time. Beatles ’64 presents the spectacle, but also tells a more intimate behind the scenes story, capturing the camaraderie of John, Paul, George, and Ringo as they experienced unimaginable fame.
The film includes rare footage filmed by pioneering documentarians Albert and David Maysles, beautifully restored in 4K by Park Road Post in New Zealand. The live performances from The Beatles first American concert at the Washington, DC Coliseum and their Ed Sullivan appearances were demixed by WingNut Films and remixed by Giles Martin. Spotlighting this singular cultural moment and its continued resonance today, the music and footage are augmented by newly filmed interviews with Paul and Ringo, as well as fans whose lives were transformed by The Beatles.
Source:thebeatles.com/
All four of The Beatles took on various acting roles throughout their careers. Some of those roles were small and cheeky, while others were actually quite serious and impressive. Let’s take a look at just four times the members of The Beatles stepped outside of music and took on acting roles!
1. George Harrison in ‘Life Of Brian’
Out of all of The Beatles’ acting roles in their respective filmographies, this is probably the smallest one. George Harrison only plays a minor background role in Monty Python’s Life Of Brian, but his role in the film as a whole is much larger than his brief appearance as Mr. Papadopoulos. Few might know that Harrison had his own film production company called HandMade Films, which produced the entire film.
2. John Lennon in ‘How I Won The War’
This 1967 film stars none other than John Lennon. How I Won The War is a British dark comedy movie that explores the similarities between war and games, and features John Lennon in the role of Gripweed. Out of all of the Beatles, Lennon took on acting the least number of times. Gripweed was his only non-musical role as an actor.
Source: Em Casalena/americansongwriter.com
In the years after The Beatles’ split, George Harrison dealt with a number of lawsuits. Perhaps most significantly, Paul McCartney sued his three former bandmates. He wanted to regain control of their music from manager Allen Klein. The former Beatles spent several tense years battling over this. Harrison also dealt with a lawsuit over plagiarism. He believed he should begin to fight back and start filing suits of his own.
George Harrison wondered if The Beatles should have been more litigious. In the years after The Beatles, a number of projects about them, or using their music, cropped up. Harrison said the band should put a stop to that.
“There’s not much more we [the Beatles] can be sued for, but we can sue a lot of other people,” he told Rolling Stone. “Being split and diversified over the years has made it difficult to consolidate certain Beatles interests. For example,...
Source: Emma McKee/Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Sir Paul McCartney helped a couple get engaged on stage during a soundcheck ahead of a sold-out show in Chile.
Sir Paul, 82, spotted Chilean couple Yamil Alamo and Leonora Pereira dressed as 1970s versions of himself and his late wife Linda McCartney holding a sign that said: “Paul: Give us a handshake and we’ll get married.”
The Beatles star invited the couple up on stage in Santiago during Friday’s soundcheck where, in front of Sir Paul, Mr Alamo got down on one knee and proposed to his girlfriend of six years.
Chilean couple Yamil Álamo and Leonora Pereira got engaged in front of Sir Paul McCartney during a soundcheck as The Beatles star is currently on his Got Back tour.
Mr Alamo said: “This was a very special moment for us because for many years we have tried to meet him and today is the day! I don’t have words to describe the experience.”
Source:Kerri Ann-Roper/standard.co.uk
In late September, Starr's team announced on Instagram: "Today Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band announced that unfortunately, they have to cancel their upcoming last two shows including tonight's performance at TD Pavilion at The Mann in Philadelphia, PA and tomorrow at Radio City Music Hall in New York City due to illness.
"Ringo has come down with a cold and after consulting a doctor he was advised to cancel these two remaining shows and get rest." Despite his recent illness, Starr, 84, has been known for his health-conscious lifestyle.
A source told Closer magazine: “He's still keeping up with the all-organic vegan diet and hasn't touched a drop of alcohol in 36 years, but even an obsession with health and avoiding germs isn't enough to keep the flu bug away, at least not anymore.
“For a guy who never got the sniffles, this is worrying.”
Before kicking off his tour, The Beatles icon revealed his secret to staying healthy and gave credit to being "vegetarian for the last 25 years" as well as having a personal trainer.
Source: Lauren McIver/radaronline.com
Harrison’s advice also included how to navigate the fraught relationships that develop when working with many talented egos, such as in Monty Python.
“I was moaning about the others one evening in Tunisia and George said to me, ‘What do you think it’s like for me trying to get a look-in with Lennon and McCartney?’,” Idle said.
However, the most important lesson for the Spamalot star was how to deal with death which Idle believes is something we all need to talk about more. “I was with George when he died and it was beautiful. He wasn’t frightened or angry, he was very calm about the process,” Idle said.
“It was a lovely death to go through and we should talk about these things more because it’s there for all of us.” The Meaning of Life star faced his own health challenge recently, undergoing surgery after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in 2019, and was thankful the disease was caught early as he now enjoys “every moment” of his life.
“Oh, I shouldn’t be alive. I’m a lucky bastard and I enjoy every moment,” he said. The Monty Python star initially thought his doctor was joking when he broke the news of his diagnosis.
“I had been working on a project called Death: The Musical and I asked my doctor which type of cancer I could use to finish off one of my characters. He said, ‘Pancreatic cancer, it can finish people off in three weeks,'” he said.
Ten years later, Idle had routine tests with the same doctor and queried an ominous-looking blood result. The comic added, “He said, ‘Pancreatic cancer’ and I burst out laughing because I thought he must be joking.”
Source: Nicole Keramos/startsat60.com
Happy Days' Henry Winkler has said he called Paul McCartney dozens of times after the Beatle gave him his number, but the musician never answered.
The actor, 78, said he once bumped into the music legend in New York and that Macca ended up giving him his number, suggesting they get in contact. Though Winkler called the number repeatedly for an entire day, he never managed to get ahold of McCartney.
Winkler made the comment on the October 1 episode of the Fake Doctors, Real Friends With Zach and Donald podcast, where he also asked McCartney to call him back if he was listening.
The actor—who found fame as Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli on the sitcom Happy Days—told the hosts he had met most of the Beatles during his career. "I met every Beatle except for George [Harrison]," he said.
Winkler added: "I was walking on the street in New York City with my wife, and coming the other direction was Paul McCartney, and he went, 'The Fonz!'
"We stood talking. A woman came out of a store, gave us each a rose. Another woman came up and said, 'Hey do you mind if I just stand here?' He said, 'We're in the middle of a conversation.'"
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