Beatles News
Ringo Starr, the legendary drummer of The Beatles, has amassed an impressive net worth of approximately $350 million as of 2024, according to the best online sources.
This substantial wealth is a testament to his enduring success in the music industry, acting, narration ventures, and various investments. Starr’s financial achievements place him among the wealthiest musicians and celebrities in the world, solidifying his status as an icon in the entertainment industry. As the drummer for The Beatles, Ringo Starr played a crucial role in shaping the band’s distinctive sound and contributing to their unprecedented success.
The Beatles’ massive popularity and record sales have significantly impacted Starr’s net worth, as he continues to receive royalties and earnings from the band’s music sales and licensing. Starr’s unique drumming style and on-stage presence were integral to the band’s appeal, cementing his place in music history. Following the disbandment of The Beatles in 1970, Ringo Starr embarked on a successful solo career, releasing numerous hit singles and albums. Songs like “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Photograph,” and “You’re Sixteen” showcased Starr’s talent as a lead vocalist and songwriter, reaching the top of music charts around the world.
Source: newtraderu.com
The Beatles made their reputation on the strength of their sterling songwriting ability. But they also knew how to present a song, as the four members of the group, in conjunction with producer George Martin, understood that a memorable instrumental part to start a song could make a huge difference.
Here are five Beatles songs, all of which are undeniable classics, that start with an instrumental bang.
“A Hard Day’s Night”
Maybe The Beatles knew they needed something iconic here because they were starting off not just a song, but also an album and a movie. Perhaps that’s where that strangely wonderful chordal blast emanated. By the way, if you’re trying to find the exact chord that’s being played, you’re kind of barking up the wrong tree. There are actually a few instruments in the mix and they’re all playing something a little bit different. It all added up to the aural equivalent of a colorful starter’s pistol, one that propelled the Fab Four into cinema stardom.
“I Feel Fine”
Depending on who was interviewed when, the story for how The Beatles came to incorporate feedback at the beginning of this smash single varies. The general consensus is it was first an accident that was then harnessed, with the help of George Martin’s expertise, into a controllable bolt of lightning to kick off “I Feel Fine.” But that’s not all you get at the start. You also get John Lennon and George Harrison playing that choogling riff in tandem to create a double-tracked effect. By the time the lyrics begin, you’re way hooked.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
Paul McCartney Didn't Say 1 'Sensible Word' After Brian Epstein Die. In 1967, The Beatles’ longtime manager, Brian Epstein, died, leaving Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr to handle themselves. According to an associate of the band’s, David Puttnam, Epstein did a great deal to hold them together. After Epstein died, Puttnam said the band’s ability to make good decisions fell apart.
After Epstein’s unexpected death, The Beatles were left to manage themselves. Puttnam, who became a film producer, said the band lacked “stability” when they lost their manager.
“I remember the moment that Brian died,” Puttnam said in the book All You Need Is Love: The Beatles in Their Own Words by Steven Gaines and Peter Brown. “Oh God, they seemed to begin to be entirely self-destructive, entirely. From that moment onwards, I don’t remember hearing from Paul a sensible word, not one, single … I don’t remember a cohesive idea was followed through.”
Source: MSN
Paul McCartney and John Lennon were on decidedly bad terms after The Beatles broke up. McCartney sued his bandmates to take control of their catalog from their manager, Allen Klein. The other three Beatles resented him for this, and their interactions following the split were chilly. After a phone argument with Lennon, McCartney made a mistake that only made things worse.
Paul McCartney made an uncomfortable mistake after a fight with John Lennon
As the former members of The Beatles worked their way through the lawsuit, Lennon made it clear to them that he wanted indemnity. He reportedly had over $1 million in personal debts and wanted protection. McCartney spoke to his lawyer, John Eastman, then called Lennon to tell him he could have indemnity.
The conversation began friendly enough, but when McCartney began to talk about business, Lennon’s mood soured.
“John said, ‘F***ing indemnity. F***ing this, f***ing that.
Source: imdb.com
The best music producers are the unsung heroes behind some of the greatest songs and albums in music history. Their role goes far beyond simply pressing record; they are visionaries, collaborators, and sonic architects who shape and mold the raw materials of sound into works of art. These producers possess a keen ear for music, an innate understanding of rhythm and melody, and a mastery of studio technology that allows them to bring out the best in artists and elevate their music to new heights.
What sets the best music producers apart is their ability to translate an artist’s creative vision into a cohesive and compelling sonic experience. They work tirelessly behind the scenes, fine-tuning every aspect of a song or album to perfection, from the arrangement and instrumentation to the mixing and mastering. Their attention to detail and commitment to excellence ensure that every note and sound is precisely crafted and perfectly balanced.
From legendary producers like George Martin and Quincy Jones to modern-day innovators like Rick Rubin and Pharrell Williams, the best music producers leave an indelible mark on the music industry with their groundbreaking work. They are the unsung heroes whose contributions shape the sound of popular music and inspire generations of artists and listeners alike.
Source: Edward Tomlin/singersroom.com
“I’m Only Sleeping” stands as one of The Beatles’ songs that was a wee bit too weird for release as a single. But as an album cut on Revolver, it’s a perfect blend of instrumental experimentation and lyrical drollery.
What is the song about? How did it reflect the way that John Lennon liked to spend his free time? And what new recording technique gave the song a boost? Read on to find out all there is to know about “I’m Only Sleeping.”
By the time The Beatles settled in to make Revolver in 1966, their process in the studio had drastically changed. They were taking more and more time to make each record and were fearlessly trying new things. That evolution would really speed up once they quit touring after ’66, but they still tried a ton of new things on Revolver nonetheless.
On “I’m Only Sleeping,” The Beatles added backwards guitar by George Harrison as the key part of the instrumental break. In the book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, McCartney explained how the group came up with the idea to utilize what was a new technique at the time after a tape was accidentally threaded onto a player backward:
“It played backwards, and, ‘What the hell is going on?’ Those effects! Nobody knew how those sounded then. We said, ‘My God, that is fantastic! Can we do that for real?’… So that was what we did and that was where we discovered backwards guitar. It was a beautiful solo actually. It sounds like something you couldn’t play.”
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
John Lennon and Yoko Ono married in 1969 and, four years later, decided they needed a break from one another. They argued with a rising level of intensity and spent all of their time together. As Lennon spoke about how miserable he felt, Ono pitched a temporary separation. She shared how she brought this up to him.
Yoko Ono and John Lennon decided they needed some time apart. In 1973, Lennon and Ono’s situation became unbearable. They fought constantly and spent all of their time together. While they loved each other, they both reached breaking points. Ono said there wasn’t one big, blowout fight before they decided on a separation, though. She quietly suggested a separation when Lennon complained about feeling unhappy.
“One night John and I were lying in bed in the Dakota, and John kept saying how miserable he was, how he needed to get away,” Ono recalled...
Source: imdb.com
To promote his eighth album Stop And Smell The Roses, Ringo Starr released an 11-minute promotional film, The Cooler, featuring Paul McCartney and a small cast of characters. The film was created to showcase three of the tracks on the album, including two written by McCartney, and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in France on May 24, 1982.
Conceived by McCartney and produced by his company, MPL Communications, The Cooler was filmed in southwest London in mid-January 1981, and directed by ex-10cc and Godley & Creme bandmates Kevin Godley and Lol Creme. The short, set in a dystopian prison policed entirely by women, stars Starr, his wife Barbara Bach, and Paul and Linda McCartney.
Before The Cooler, Starr had already tested his acting skills in the 1968 film Candy, the 1969 comedy The Magic Christian, the surreal Frank Zappa-helmed 200 Motels in 1971, and Lisztomania about the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt.
Source: Tina Benitez-Eves/americansongwriter.com
While the Beatles’ “Across the Universe” evokes a nirvana-esque image of weightlessly floating through the cosmos, the song’s creation and final production was rife with conflict. As the song’s main composer, John Lennon, would later explain, he first had the idea for the iconic track after a lengthy argument with his first wife, Cynthia Lennon.
The Beatles originally released “Across the Universe” in 1969 as part of a charity compilation titled ‘No One’s Gonna Change Our World.’ One year later, producer Phil Spector encouraged the band to revisit the track for their final studio album, ‘Let It Be.’ Lennon, who likened the process of writing “Across the Universe” to a possession, never felt like the band allowed the song to live up to its full potential.
The Surprising Origins Of The Song’s First Verse
“Across the Universe” emphasizes a feeling of tumbling through zero gravity from the first line, both in lyrical content and meter. Words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup, the song begins. They slither wildly as they slip away across the universe. While it wouldn’t be unreasonable to assume Lennon was talking about something more transcendental, like meditation, he was actually referring to his wife.
According to Lennon, the idea came after Cynthia Lennon irritated John right before bed. “She must have been going on and on about something, and she’d gone to sleep, and I’d kept hearing these words over and over, flowing like an endless stream,” he explained to David Sheff in All We Are Saying (via Beatles Bible). “I went downstairs, and it turned into sort of a cosmic song rather than an irritated song; rather than a ‘Why are you always mouthing off at me?’ or whatever, right?”
Source: Melanie Davis/americansongwriter.com
George Harrison was born at 12 Arnold Grove on 25 February 1943. A blue plaque commemorating the life of Beatles legend George Harrison has been unveiled at his childhood home.
His widow Olivia Harrison, who revealed the tribute at the house in Arnold Grove, Liverpool, said it was "a source of family pride".
Harrison lived at the terraced house in the Wavertree district of the city until he was seven. The plaque is one of the first official English Heritage blue plaques to be put on a property outside London.
In his memoirs, Harrison, who was born in 1943, said: “To look at, it is just like Coronation Street: no garden, door straight on to the street. It was OK that house, very pleasant being little and it was always sunny in summer.”
Olivia said Harrison had fond memories of "very tight knit secure family life". "There was something about these small family places and how you learn to respect other people's space," she said. "He had a freedom where he could go run down the alley and visit his nan and then back home. That was a big deal for a little five-year-old kid.
"This was his cocoon, and out of that came such an incredible man with such vision and compassion and sensibility."
Often called “the quiet Beatle”, Harrison's song-writing credits include While My Guitar Gently Weeps and Here Comes the Sun. He was the first of the Fab Four to top the charts after their split with the single My Sweet Lord in 1970.
Deeply influenced by eastern traditions, the guitarist learned to play the sitar with legendary Indian musician Ravi Shankar and pioneered fundraising concerts with his 1971 Concert For Bangladesh.
Source: Rumeana Jahangir/bbc.com
