Beatles News
Though they both wrote songs for the Beatles, Paul McCartney and George Harrison rarely teamed up as a duo. Nevertheless, they once hopped into the writer’s room together for their skiffle band, The Quarrymen. Learn more about this McCartney–Harrison joint venture, below.
Back before the Beatles skyrocketed to fame, McCartney and Harrison were apart of a smaller venture called The Quarrymen. While in that group, they wrote a song titled “In Spite of All The Danger.” It’s one of the only songs credited to McCartney–Harrison, making it novel in the Fab Four’s catalog.
In spite of all the danger
In spite of all that may be
I’ll do anything for you
Anything you want me to
If you’ll be true to me
Though the Beatles would later come to be finite in their copyrights and songwriting credits, The Quarrymen didn’t quite understand how to fairly distribute those credits–at least according to McCartney.
Though this song is credited to both members, Macca once said that he penned the song and Harrison just played the guitar solo.
“It says on the label that it was me and George but I think it was actually written by me, and George played the guitar solo,” McCartney once said. “We were mates and nobody was into copyrights and publishing, nobody understood – we actually used to think when we came down to London that songs belonged to everyone. I’ve said this a few times but it’s true, we really thought they just were in the air, and that you couldn’t actually own one. So you can imagine the publishers saw us coming!”
Source: Alex Hopper/americansongwriter.com
The event on Saturday, Aug. 3 celebrates the 60th anniversary of two performances by The Beatles at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.
INDIANAPOLIS — On Global Beatles Day, the Indiana State Fair has announced an upcoming daylong event to celebrate all things "Fab Four."
"Celebrating The Beatles at the Indiana State Fair" on Saturday, Aug. 3 will mark the 60th anniversary of two performances by The Beatles at the Indiana State Fairgrounds. Those sold-out shows, featuring John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison, took place Sept. 3, 1964.
According to a press release from the Indiana State Fair, the Aug. 3 events include:
A tribute to The Beatles by "A Hard Day's Night" performing a concert at 2 p.m., where the exact setlist from the 1964 Indianapolis shows will be performed on the Hoosier Lottery Free Stage. A display of artifacts from the Jim Irsay collection, including three guitars used by The Beatles in the early years. Beatles-themed movies played at the fairground's outdoor theater. An evening concert at 7 p.m. of "Live and Let Die: The Music of Paul McCartney," featuring Tony Kishman.
There will also be additional celebrations onsite at various times throughout the day:
6 a.m.: Beatles-themed hot air balloon
10 a.m.: Beatlemania Brunch, featuring special themed food and drink selections
Noon: Liverpool Lunch
4 p.m.: Fab Afternoon Tea
Throughout the day, there will be impersonators of the Fab Four, themed photo and selfie stations, and music played throughout the fairgrounds.
Special food and drink options will include:
Hard Days Flight
Coo Coo Ka Choo on this Turkey Leg
Strawberry Fried Green Salad
Yellow Submarine Sandwich
Here Comes the Sun Punch Drink
According to the state fair, Aug. 3 will begin a monthlong celebration of The Beatles. Additional details will be announced that morning at 10 a.m. at a special press event.
Source:wthr.com
On This Day, June 25, 1966 …
The Beatles topped the Billboard singles chart with “Paperback Writer,” which spent two nonconsecutive weeks at #1. The song also topped the chart in the U.K., Ireland, West Germany, Australia, New Zealand and Norway.
McCartney wrote most of the song’s lyrics. He said he was inspired to write it after his aunt complained that he wrote too many love songs and asked why he didn’t write about a “horse or the summit conference or something interesting.”
“Paperback Writer” was released as a single with “Rain” as its B-side, and later appeared on the 1970 compilation album Hey Jude in the U.S. and Canada.
The tune is known for its boosted bass guitar sound, which Lennon reportedly wanted after wondering why Wilson Pickett’s record had more bass than any Beatles album.
The track was the only new song The Beatles performed during their final 1966 tour.
Source: kslx.com
Sir Paul McCartney was seen walking with a limp as he attended London's Eras Tour gig at Wembley Stadium with his family
Sir Paul McCartney was being 'supported by his family' as he was pictured walking with a limp while attending the Taylor Swift concert.
The 82-year-old singer was one of the many stars at Taylor's third London gig at Wembley Arena. In new snaps, he was pictured wearing black trousers, and a navy shirt. His daughter, fashion designer Stella was seen with her arms around his shoulder as he placed his hand on the small of her back.
Meanwhile, his wife Nancy Shevell was also spotted with the McCartney family. At one point, he raised his arms in the air as he acknowledged the fans in the stadium. One fan shared a video on X, formerly Twitter, of the star waving at attendees as he walked towards the VIP tent.
Fans were over the moon over the fact Paul was one of the famous guests, with one fan writing: "OH MY GOD!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Another fan posted: "GTFO," and another pointed out that Jon Bon Jovi was there. They shared: "And Bon Jovi wtf." Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner also joined in on the fun.
Source: Zara Woodcock/mirror.co.uk
After nearly two decades on the Las Vegas Strip, the cast and crew from The Beatles LOVE by Cirque du Soleil are getting ready for their final bow.
The show's last public performance will be on July 6 and a final private performance is set for July 7, which is Ringo Starr's 84th birthday.
The show is closing due to The Mirage undergoing construction and renovations over the next three years as the property transforms into the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino and Guitar Hotel Las Vegas.
How did we get here?
The idea for the show actually came from former Beatle George Harrison, who became friends with Cirque du Soleil co-founder Guy Lalibertè. The two met because of their love of Formula 1 racing.
Serious discussions about a Cirque show featuring Beatles music began around 2000.
"I was really involved in the beginning because I nurtured and developed that project with George," Lalibertè said in All Together Now, a Cirque du Soleil documentary about the creation of the show, which was released in 2008. "For him, this project was not only doing a show. It was an opportunity to bring the Beatles members, who were alive, together to work on a creative project again."
Source: Jarah Wright/ktnv.com
The market for rare Beatles memorabilia shows no sign of slowing down, with a rare early single by the 1960s pop group expected to sell for up to £9,000 ($11,3900) at auction on Monday.
The BBC reports that the demo record contains the early hit song Love Me Do with its accompanying track PS I Love You, and is one of only 250 ever printed on vinyl, pressed and distributed to music TV and radio stations prior to the record’s release in October 1962.
The BBC quotes vinyl specialist Rob Smee explaining the value of the record lies in Paul McCartney’s name being misspelt as “McArtney.” He said:
“Being one of only 250 it is of particular interest to Beatles’ collectors and the misspelling of Paul McCartney’s name is both authentic and interesting in itself.”
The record will go up for auction at Stacey’s Auctioneer’s Sale in Chelmsford, Essex, UK on Monday. The auction house reports that the sale has attracted the interest of buyers from across the world.
Source: Caroline Frost/deadline.com
The Beatles are often, rightfully, credited as being the first rock n' roll band to fully explore and embrace all that the recording studio had to offer. And certainly, the producer of most of their records, George Martin, played a major part in the band reaching outside the box of what most pop and rock artists were doing at the time on their studio recordings.
During an interview on the Booked on Rock Podcast, the author of the book "The Beatles' Recording Techniques," Jerry Hammack, explored this subject. And even gave a specific example concerning one of the Fab Four's biggest hits (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar).
Source: Ultimate Guitar
One of the most well-known and successful musicians in the world stops to pose for a photo with one of his biggest fans.
Paul Goresh would spend hours outside the New York apartment building of John Lennon in the hope of catching a glimpse of the former Beatle turned solo artist.
The two even developed a friendship, so it was no surprise Lennon agreed to pose for the photo on November 17, 1980.
Exactly three weeks later, Lennon was dead, having been shot on the very footpath where the two posed for what would be one of the last ever photos of the musician.
Even more eerie was the fact Goresh had photographed Lennon with his killer just hours before he was gunned him down.
On that day, December 8, 1980, 21-year-old Lennon fan Paul Goresh and 25-year-old Mark David Chapman were waiting for Lennon outside his apartment building. Goresh later recalled to nj.com that he first encountered Chapman on the sidewalk.
"Chapman comes up to me and he says, 'Do you want to take my photo?' And he's holding the Double Fantasy album in his left arm and he's smiling," he said.
"And I said, 'What do I want to take your picture for?' I'm here for John."
Source:Merryn Porter/celebrity.nine.com.au
The Beatles‘ The White Album is one of the most famous records of all time. Despite this, few seem to remember that The White Album includes the best birthday song ever. John Lennon wasn’t satisfied with the tune in question. When asked about it, he said it was derived from a big hit from the 1950s.
The Beatles’ ‘The White Album’ includes a birthday song and every other genre
The joy of The White Album is how it wildly careers from genre to genre. The record includes rock ‘n’ roll, pop, folk, blues, ska, a protest song or two, avant-garde music, children’s songs, vaudeville, and early heavy metal. One of the hard-rock numbers from The White Album is an underappreciated tune called “Birthday.”
The tune has a great opening riff. While the Fab Four had become more experimental by the release of “Birthday” in 1968, the track retains some...
Source: imdb.com
Sam Taylor-Wood's "Nowhere Boy" is a passable look at the early life of John Lennon when he was estranged from his mother and raised by his aunt. Fans hoping to discover more about the source of the prickly Beatle's creativity will not find it here.
Strong performances by Kristin Scott Thomas as the stern Aunt Mimi, who raised the future Beatle from the age of 5, and Anne-Marie Duff as his troubled mother heighten the dramatic appeal of what otherwise is quite a dull film.
"Nowhere," the closing-night film at the London Film Festival, will open December 25 in the U.K.; the Weinstein Co. has U.S. rights. Denied any Beatles songs because of the time frame and clearly unable to clear rights to the big rock tracks of the day, the film's box-office chances look iffy.
A noted British artist, Taylor-Wood offers a surprisingly cosy look at Lennon's early life. Matt Greenhalgh's screenplay covers the ground but opts too easily for harmony where in real life clearly there must have been serious conflict.
Aaron Johnson ("Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging") makes a decent stab at the young Lennon, though he lacks the original's insolent sneer and remarkable bite, and Thomas Brodie Sangster ("Nanny McPhee") offers a very callow 15-year-old Paul McCartney. There's very little sense that they soon will emerge as the Beatles.
Also, the film lacks any vital sense of Britain in the mid-1950s, particularly the music that was then fuelling youthful ambition, and has no distinct feel for Liverpool. Aunt Mimi raised Lennon in middle-class surroundings, and they did not have the thick Scouse accents of working-class McCartney or George Harrison (Sam Bell), who shows up briefly late in the picture. Still, their speech should echo life in Liverpool, but Taylor-Wood appears tone-deaf in respect to the sound of the place.
Source: reuters.com
