Beatles News
The former Beatles member, 85, shared this information with USA TODAY in May 2023. Ringo named one of his longtime collaborators, Jim Keltner, for the honor. He and Jim first met in 1971 in London, where they were introduced by George Harrison, Ringo's former and late Beatles bandmate. In 1989, Ringo & His All-Starr Band launched and Jim was included as a member. The 83-year-old musician has participated as an occasional guest from 2006 to 2023 for the live rock supergroup created by producer David Fishof.
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Ringo told the outlet, "Jim is my all-time hero drummer, no one is as good as him − I love Jim, and that’s about it."
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He also took a moment to highlight Dave Grohl, former drummer of Nirvana and the founder of the rock band Foo Fighters, in the interview. Ringo said, "I've seen Dave Grohl play straight. He was doing backup at some party, and he was doing it straight. And I was like, OK, wow."
Jim, born James Lee Keltner, is known for his session work. He was dubbed "the leading session drummer in America" by Bob Dylan biographer Howard Sounes.
Jim has played drums for a plethora of legendary artists (whether for their albums and/or live performances) that include Carly Simon, the Bee Gees, Bob Dylan, Pink Floyd, Neil Young, and Elton John.
Along with working with Ringo and George, Jim also worked with other Beatles member, John Lennon. He did session work for John's solo albums and albums released by late singer's wife, Yoko Ono, and their band, Plastic Ono Band.
George also gushed about Jim in an interview with Anthony DeCurtis in 1987, that was in Ashley Kahn's George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters.
The Beatles lead guitarist also considered Jim to be a "great session drummer."
While speaking about the making of his album Cloud Nine, George shared how his "core band emerged" in response to Anthony's question. Both Ringo and Jim featured on Cloud Nine.
Source: Demetria Osei-Tutu/themirror.com
Sting is thankful to The Beatles for opening the "floodgates for songwriters to have an attempt at writing songs".
The Every Breath You Take singer's touring guitarist Dominic Miller has released a songbook of 14 of the Fab Four's tracks for classical guitar titled The Beatles arranged by Dominic Miller: Guitar Solo Songbook.
Miller has revealed that he and Sting, 74, have often discussed the music and career of The Beatles, and the former Police frontman believes that the compositions of Sir Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Sir Ringo Starr paved the way for British musicians who followed, like himself.
In an interview with Rick Beato on his YouTube channel, Miller said: "As Sting has often said, actually – and we talk about this sometimes – is that the Beatles, by doing those songs and coming up with those compositions, they kind of gave a license for everyone else to have a go.
“These guys from Liverpool, if they can do it, everyone should try, and so it opened the floodgates for a lot of songwriters to have an attempt at writing songs, which had never really happened before in England, like pop songs – verse, chorus, verse, chorus, bridge.”
From creating his songbook, Miller is convinced that The Beatles are one of the few acts whose music still sounds good when played badly.
He said: "So there's a neighbour of ours about three or four doors down who's probably a piano teacher, and they're teaching this kid to play Bach, but it's the most beautiful thing I could ever hear. So I look forward to that moment when they have their lesson, and I hear Bach played badly with no real tempo, but that's the most beautiful thing that you can hear.
“And I think it's the same for The Beatles. If someone were to play Michelle or Yesterday badly, the magic would still come through. So that was the biggest discovery for me – how indestructible this harmony is.
“Like Bach, I think the Beatles are one of the only composers that you can play badly, and it still sounds good.”
Source: yardbarker.com
The beauty—and arguably the secret ingredient—of The Beatles was the band’s ability to bring four distinct personalities and abilities together to create something cohesive, catchy, and fun to watch. Fans swooned over Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr as individual musicians. The Fab Four inherently implied all four musicians were notable and distinct. But as far as the behind-the-scenes operations were concerned, two people ran the show.
As founding members and the two musicians who had been playing together the longest, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the natural choice for any two songwriters of the four. Starr, for his part, seemed content to be the band’s backbone and throw in a novelty song every now and then. But for the band’s youngest member, George Harrison, this was a wall he would throw himself against time and time again before The Beatles’ final split in 1970.
According to an interview in Anthology, McCartney and Lennon discussed Harrison’s role in the group privately. “It was an option, you know, to include George in the songwriting team,” he said. Optional, sure. Wanted? Maybe not. Paul McCartney and John Lennon Discuss George Harrison at Woolton
Paul McCartney continued, “Without wanting to be too sort of mean to him, we had decided. I remember walking up through Woolton past Woolton Church with John one morning and, you know, going over these questions. ‘Should we? Should three of us write, or would it be better just to keep it simple? And we decided, ‘No, we’ll just keep the two of us. So, George [Harrison] used to write his own songs.”
For Harrison, songwriting was more of a novel pursuit than with McCartney and John Lennon. Just by age alone, Harrison hadn’t been playing guitar, let alone writing songs, for as long as his older bandmates. And as Harrison would later explain in Anthology, Lennon and McCartney had the advantage of already getting through their “bad song” phase. Harrison felt like he was coming in completely fresh, and considering he wasn’t a part of Lennon and McCartney’s songwriting team, he also lacked the advantage of ready assistance from his colleagues.
Interestingly, McCartney and Lennon’s meeting place of Woolton was also where the two musicians first met at the St. Peter’s Church Fete in July 1957.
Source: Melanie Davis/americansongwriter.com
Sir Paul McCartney needs no introduction as a former member of the Beatles, one of the most revered bands in music history, and as a successful solo artist in his own right. After nearly seven decades in the music industry, McCartney is still admired for his vocals, songwriting, and proficiency on multiple musical instruments by fans worldwide. It would therefore seem unlikely that the nineteen-time Grammy Award winner and veteran artist would have any issues performing, but according to McCartney, there is one song he struggles to play live because of a particular tragedy and his deep emotional connection to it. Why Paul McCartney Can't Perform "Here Today" Without Getting Emotional.
Eventually, McCartney's grief inspired him to pen the song "Here Today," which was written in 1981 but released the following year. During the same interview, McCartney recalled what the writing session was like or "Here Today", "I found a room and just sat on the wooden floor in a corner with my guitar and just started to play the opening chords to 'Here Today.'" One particular song lyric, McCartney explained, was the most profound for him: "'The night we cried,' that was to do with a time when we were in Key West, down in Florida...We got drunk and started to get kind of emotional...On the way to that, there was a lot of soul-searching. We told each other a few truths, you know, 'Well, I love you,' 'I love you man,' 'I love that you said that,' and we opened up." Due to the emotional nature of the song, McCartney has since revealed that it's difficult for him to play live without getting worked up, so he seldom plays it during live performances.
McCartney also once revealed that The Beach Boys' song, "God Only Knows", greatly impacted him. He told BBC Radio 1 in 2007, “‘God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it. It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian. I’ve actually performed it with him, and I’m afraid to say that during the sound check I broke down.” McCartney continued, referencing his 2002 performance of "God Only Knows" with Wilson, “I got to sing it with Brian once when we did a benefit [show] together. I was okay at the actual performance; I held it together. But at the rehearsal, at the soundcheck, I lost it, because it’s very emotional, this song, I find it… ‘Oh my god, I’m singing with Brian,’ it just got me, I couldn’t. So all it is, it’s little vibrations reaching your music, it’s only little vibrations, little words, and little things. There is this powerful effect, you know.”
Source: Karly B./collider.com
The recent Beatles Anthology updated series means there are no more secret recordings. Producer Giles Martin says no more secret Beatles tracks will ever be released.
The producer has spent a number of years going through the Fab Four’s archives for the Disney Plus revived Beatles’ Anthology series and remixed albums and tracks but he doesn’t believe there is anything new left to uncover.
According to The Sun newspaper, he said: “I don’t think there’s anything. I always say that then something turns up. “But I don’t think there’s anything. It’s incredible how much interest there still is over Beatles stuff.
“You do hear new things on this Anthology box set. There’s that first round of Helter Skelter, which for me is great because it’s really raw. It’s proper in your face music. “And then people go, ‘Well, how come we haven’t released the 20-minute long version of Helter Skelter?’ I think we’re done.”
Giles’ father, Sir George Martin – who died in 2016 – was known as “the fifth Beatle” for his work with the band and Giles has enjoyed going through his father’s work.
He said: “The Beatles are so powerful that it’s what people want to know about. “It’s really nice. I love my dad. We were incredibly close.
“Their music and what they did really makes people feel better about themselves. So to work on this material and to be close to my dad is a great thing.”
Giles curated the new Anthology 4 album and remastered the entire collection for the 2025 re-release of The Beatles’ Anthology series.
He is also working with director Sam Mendes on the four upcoming Beatles movies, which will each focus on a different member of the band; John Lennon, Sir Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Sir Ringo Starr.
Source: startsat60.com
The star of new movie Avatar: Fire and Ash mentioned the Fab Four more than once when she was given the Colbert Questionnaire on a recent episode of The Late Show With Stephen Colbert.
And, like everyone, she had a favorite. Hers was John Lennon — who, along with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, formed the British rock band that famously invaded America — before he was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment building on Dec. 8, 1980, at just 40.
She confessed to Colbert, who asked whether she's ever asked for a celebrity's autograph, that she'd once written Lennon a special message.
"I wrote a several-page letter on lavender stationery with purple ink,' Weaver said. "'Dear John.' It was like five pages front and back. And I folded it up. I put an envelope, and I dropped it off at this restaurant that I heard he went to."
She couldn't recall what she's written, but she didn't seem to want to.
"I hope they threw it away," Weaver said.
In the same interview, the three-time Oscar nominated star was asked about the first concert that she attended, which was of course the Beatles.
Weaver, who's 76, thought she might have been 12 when she saw the act at the Hollywood Bowl in 1961. Colbert reminded her, however, that the act landed stateside in 1964. What Weaver had no trouble recalling was the volume of the crowd.
"Girls screaming all around me," she said. "You couldn't hear [the Beatles] at all."
Her momentous night was captured in Ron Howard's documentary about the group, The Beatles: Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years. she noted. And Colbert showed a photo of Weaver, yes, trying to hear the "She Loves You" singers.
"The Hollywood Bowl went through all its archives, and I suddenly get an email about 10 years ago saying, 'We think this is you.' And there I am," Weaver said. "My hair is huge because I put it on beer cans all day, straightened it, and I'm wearing my one nice dress."
She admitted to letting out quiet screams every now and then because of the peer pressure she felt. On her way out of the concert, as Weaver walked in the street with someone she'd befriended at the concert, she had what just might have been the best moment of the experience.
A limo carrying the artists themselves rode by, and she got a wave from both Lennon and McCartney.
"I don't remember what the other two did, because we were so excited that we'd come close, like 10 feet away as the car went by," Weaver recalled. "Honestly, I think we both went home and just lay on our backs and looked at the ceiling for 24 hours."
At one point, Weaver did explain why Lennon had been her chosen favorite. "I read in a fan magazine that he used to work at the airport for VIPs," she said. "He made a plate of sandwiches and, just before he sent them out, he'd put his shoe in them and then put it back together and put it on the platter. I thought that was so cool."
Source: Raechal Shewfelt/ew.com
Ringo Starr is preparing to extend his late career love affair with country music, confirming that a new studio album is in development and pencilled in for release sometime in early 2026. The untitled project will again explore country and Americana territory and reunites the former Beatle with producer T Bone Burnett, the creative partnership that reshaped Starr’s recording direction with 2025’s Look Up.
Starr has completed his core recording work and is now navigating schedules around final production and label timelines. While no release date has been locked, February or March remains the most likely window, positioning the album as a direct continuation of the creative momentum that began last year.
The new record will once again see Starr working closely with Burnett, a producer whose résumé spans roots music, film soundtracks and heritage American songwriting. Burnett’s influence on Look Up was widely credited with giving Starr a grounded, authentic sound that aligned naturally with his long-standing affection for country music. That same sensibility is expected to guide the 2026 album.
Starr has also returned to songwriting with longtime collaborator Bruce Sugar, co-writing two new tracks for the project. Sugar has been a key behind-the-scenes figure in Starr’s studio output for more than a decade, helping translate ideas into finished recordings while preserving Starr’s unmistakable voice and rhythmic instincts.
Source: Paul Cashmere/noise11.com
On this day (January 2) in 1971, George Harrison topped the Billboard 200 with All Things Must Pass. The triple-album marked his first release since The Beatles officially parted ways in April 1970. Musicians on the album include Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Alan White, Pete Drake, and many more.
Harrison began working on All Things Must Pass at EMI Studios the month after The Beatles officially broke up. Co-produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, sessions for the album stretched into October. Finally, after months of work, Harrison released the three-LP collection on November 27.
Upon its initial release, All Things Must Pass consisted of three LPs. The first two contained the album’s 18 official tracks, many of which were passed over for inclusion on previous Beatles albums. The third LP contained a collection of five live studio jams.
George Harrison Won the Race to the Top of the Singles Chart.
Paul McCartney was the first member of the Fab Four to score a No. 1 album after the band broke up. His album, McCartney, reached the top of the Billboard 200 on May 23, 1970, and stayed there for three weeks. Interestingly, Let It Be dethroned McCartney’s solo release.
Harrison, on the other hand, was the first former Beatle to score a No. 1 single. His song “My Sweet Lord” reached the top of the Hot 100 the day after Christmas 1970. It retained the top spot for four consecutive weeks. The single was still at the top when All Things Must Pass reached No. 1.
While “My Sweet Lord” was Harrison’s debut single as a solo artist, All Things Must Pass was not his first solo LP. He released two solo albums during his final years with The Beatles. First, he released Wonderwall Music in 1968. The next year, he released Electric Sound the next year. Neither of those albums saw much chart success.
All Things Must Pass topped charts in Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Source: Clayton Edwards/americansongwriter.com
Amidst the cold studios and rising tensions of January 1969, the Fab Four managed to set aside their differences to record one last chart-topping legacy.
On the morning of January 2, 1969, four men walked into the drafty, cavernous Twickenham Film Studios in London. To any onlooker, they were the biggest stars on the planet. To themselves, they were a band on the brink of collapse. This was the beginning of what was intended to be a "return to roots" project for The Beatles, originally titled “Get Back”. It would eventually become their final released album, “Let It Be”.
The atmosphere that first morning was far from the polished magic fans heard on their records. The studio was freezing, the lighting was harsh, and the group was being trailed by film cameras capturing every rehearsal, every argument, and every yawn. Paul McCartney, acting as the de facto director of the group, wanted to strip away the complex studio tricks of their previous albums. His goal was simple: The Beatles playing live, together in a room, with no overdubs.
But the reality was complicated. After years of being the most famous people on earth, the individual Beatles were drifting apart. John Lennon was increasingly focused on his life with Yoko Ono, who sat by his side throughout the sessions. George Harrison was frustrated, feeling his songwriting was being sidelined by the dominant partnership of Lennon and McCartney. Ringo Starr, ever the professional, sat behind his drum kit, watching the friction build.
The tensions were caught in real-time. In footage that would later be famously restored for the 2021 docuseries “The Beatles: Get Back”, viewers see the moments of creative spark buried under layers of exhaustion. There is a famous scene where George and Paul argue over a guitar part, a moment that encapsulated the growing pains of a band that had outgrown its own frame. A few days into the sessions, George Harrison actually quit the band, walking out and telling the others, "See you ‘round the clubs."
It took a change of scenery and a new face to save the project. The band moved from the cold film studio to their own Apple Studios in the basement of their headquarters on Savile Row. They also invited keyboardist Billy Preston to join them. Preston’s presence acted as a "musical diplomat"; the band members were on their best behavior with a guest in the room, and his soulful electric piano gave the tracks the lift they needed.
Despite the internal heavy lifting, the music that emerged was legendary. During these weeks of January, songs like "Get Back," "Across the Universe," "The Long and Winding Road," and the title track, "Let It Be," took shape. The sessions culminated in the famous "Rooftop Concert" on January 30, 1969. Clad in heavy coats against the winter wind, The Beatles played their last public performance on top of their office building, bringing central London to a standstill until the police eventually shut them down.
Source: muskokaradio.com
Name a music industry record, and chances are the Beatles hold it. With the release of their 1963 debut album Please Please Me, a quartet of shaggy-haired musicians from Liverpool forever altered the listening experience of rock music enthusiasts. Comprised of George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Star, the Beatles remain the best-selling artists of all time more than five decades after their split. That’s perhaps what makes the events that occurred in North London on this day in 1962 all the more mystifying in hindsight.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon Differed on the Beatles’ Failed Decca Audition
“Guitar groups are on their way out, Mr. Epstein.” While former Decca Records head Dick Rowe denied ever uttering these words on Jan. 1, 1962, they have continued to endure in Fab Four lore as an example of monumentally poor judgment.
The way Rowe told it, he gave Decca A&R representative Mike Smith a choice between the Beatles and another “guitar group,” Brian Poole and the Tremeloes. Smith chose the latter mainly for logistical reasons—their hometown of Dagenham was closer to the West Hampstead studio than Liverpool.
Nonetheless, it was a pretty crushing blow for manager Brian Epstein and the Beatles, who had been working overtime to secure a record deal for the band. By this point, Columbia, His Master’s Voice, and other labels had already shot them down.
Along with original drummer Pete Best, Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney began their trek to London on New Year’s Eve 1961, with then-road manager Neil Aspinall behind the wheel. Aspinall got lost, resulting in a 10-hour trip.
The Beatles would go on to perform 15 songs, including “Searchin’”, “Three Cool Cats”, “The Sheik of Araby”, “Like Dreamers Do” and “Hello Little Girl.”
Beatles “Three Fantastic Cats” π·πΏπΌπΈ . π· . π· From the “Decca Audition” recording A cover of The Coasters with George Harrison’s lead vocals A well-known pre-debut sound source, one of the songs included on the official compilation “Anthology π· ” George’s singing voice at the age of π·πΎ at the time.
For his part, Paul McCartney could see their point after listening to the tapes. We weren’t that good, though there were some quite interesting and original things,” the iconic bassist has said. His primary songwriting partner, Lennon, disagreed. “I wouldn’t have turned us down on that. I think it sounded OK,” he said, adding, “I think Decca expected us to be all polished. We were just doing a demo. They should have seen our potential.”
Disheartened, an otherwise undeterred Epstein requested the audition tapes from Decca and continued his quest. And three months later, producer George Martin eventually signed the Beatles to EMI’s Parlophone Label.
Source: Erinn Callahan/americansongwriter.com
