Beatles News
This July, you’re invited to celebrate as The Beatles Story calls on fans to mark Ringo Starr’s 85th birthday and help share his timeless message of Peace and Love with the world.
Each year on his birthday since 2008, Ringo invites people everywhere to pause at 12 noon local time to say, think, or post “Peace and Love” as a collective moment of global unity. This heartfelt tradition is now recognised worldwide as a simple yet powerful gesture of kindness and hope.
At The Beatles Story in Liverpool, fans and visitors are encouraged to take part in this uplifting initiative. Attendees are invited to gather outside the museum entrance at The Royal Albert Dock – and, together, a special “Peace and Love” moment will be filmed to be shared on Ringo’s official Facebook page as part of the international celebration.
In honour of Ringo’s milestone birthday and lifelong advocacy for peace, The Beatles Story is proud to be unveiling a Ringo Starr Peace and Love Sculpture – a lasting tribute to his message.
The sculpture, created using an original casting of Ringo’s right hand, symbolically and quite literally shows that Ringo had a hand in spreading peace. Each piece is handcrafted by seasoned artisans, blending artistic craftsmanship with heartfelt meaning to create a lasting emblem of positivity.
This limited-edition sculpture is part of an exclusive initiative by the Ringo Starr organisation, with a select number made available to institutions and cultural spaces around the world. The Beatles Story is honoured to have one of these iconic works on display here in Liverpool.
The Beatles Story hopes that the inclusion of this statue in its exhibition will offer visitors a moment of reflection and a tangible connection to Ringo’s personal message of Peace and Love here in the city where his story began.
The statue will be on display outside The Beatles Story during the Peace and Love event on 7th July, offering attendees a chance to view it up close as part of the celebration.
Gary Astridge, from Ringo’s Peace and Love Initiative, said: “We are pleased to be partnering with the Beatles Story in showcasing Ringo’s Peace & Love statue in his hometown of Liverpool, creating opportunities for reflection, and events based on the Peace & Love Initiative.”
The celebration, which will mark Ringo Starr’s milestone 85th birthday, are being held by The Beatles Story with the objective to raise awareness of Ringo Starr’s charitable organisation, The Lotus Foundation – which he established with wife Barbara. The Lotus Foundation reflects the compassion and values that Ringo and Barbara have championed for decades, supporting causes close to their hearts such as providing support to domestic violence survivors, cancer patients, and animals in need.
Source: cultureliverpool.co.uk/Sophie Brereton
Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will soon be teaming up once again. The two are working together on the upcoming animated film High in the Clouds, which is based on the children's book McCartney published in 2005. McCartney is one of the driving forces behind the project, and he's also slated to write — and possibly perform — original songs.
Starr, meanwhile, will voice a character in the movie. While it's not confirmed, McCartney could lend his vocal talents as well. No release date for the film has been announced yet, but fans of McCartney, Starr, and of course, The Beatles, are thrilled about the reunion.
Every time former bandmates from the most successful group of all time come together, it’s a momentous occasion. McCartney and Starr have a long track record of supporting each other's work, even after they split from one another professionally.
McCartney showed up in a big way to help Starr with his self-titled solo album Ringo. He played multiple instruments and sang backing vocals on the tune “Six O’Clock,” one of the standout tracks from the full-length. The song was released in 1973, only a few years after The Beatles split, highlighting how quickly the two reconnected.
Give My Regards to Broad Street
About a decade later, Starr returned the favor. McCartney was developing a film based on a fictionalized version of his own life titled Give My Regards to Broad Street, and he incorporated both new music and Beatles classics. Starr stepped in to play drums on several of the band’s most iconic tunes, such as “Yesterday” and “Eleanor Rigby,” which were featured in the movie.
McCartney once again reached out to Starr for help on his solo album Flaming Pie. The track “Beautiful Night” is a gorgeous, orchestra-backed ballad that benefits greatly from Starr’s drumming — and his presence brought added star power to the cut.
Source: forbes.com/Hugh McIntyre
As the creative masterminds of The Beatles, Paul McCartney and John Lennon took the helm with songwriting duties. They created most of the iconic hits attributed to the Lennon-McCartney partnership, whether as individual efforts or collaborations, despite the duo's strained relationship, which culminated in a bitter feud.
Wilfred Mellors remarked on their synergy in 1972: "Opposite poles generate electricity: between John and Paul the sparks flew. John's fiery iconoclasm was tempered by Paul's lyrical grace, while Paul's wide-eyed charm was toughened by John's resilience."
Despite George Harrison's songwriting prowess, he often found himself in the shadows of John and Paul's dominant roles in the band. The Liverpool-born musician did contribute tracks to The Beatles' albums, having a set number of songs allocated per record, before he left the band, leaving with a four word statement.
George's discontent became palpable post-touring era, specifically during studio work for 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and 'The White Album', where his input was limited, reports the Liverpool Echo.
While 'Sgt Pepper' showcased George's 'Within You Without You', another piece he penned during the early 1967 sessions didn't make the final cut for the album.
The song in question is 'Only a Northern Song', a title that nods to George's Northern roots and the band's publishing company, Northern Songs. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the majority shareholders of this company, each holding 15%, while George and Ringo Starr had a mere 0.8% each.
In 1979, George explained the track saying: "(It) was a joke relating to Liverpool, the Holy City in the North of England. In addition, the song was copyrighted Northern Songs Ltd., which I don't own, so: (quoting the lyrics) 'It doesn't really matter what chords I play ... as it's only a Northern Song'."
George further clarified his feelings about the situation in a 1999 interview with Billboard. He stated: "I realized Dick James (Northern Songs managing director) had conned me out of the copyrights for my own songs by offering to become my publisher.
"As an 18 or 19-year-old kid, I thought, 'Great, somebody's gonna publish my songs!'".
Source: themirror.com/John O'Sullivan, Dan Haygarth
The legendary singer shared a photo of the two icons together working on a song for her new album.
Love is in the air as Barbra Streisand is teasing “My Valentine,” her duet with Paul McCartney, which will be released on Friday, May 16.
Streisand took to Instagram on May 14 to share a photo of the iconic pair in the studio together along with the caption, “What a joy it was to record “My Valentine” with @paulmccartney. To share time with him in the studio was truly special! “My Valentine” is out this Friday.”
Both are dressed sharply in all black in the photo with Streisand wearing a matching hat and glasses as the two study the lyrics to the song they’re recording.
It’s the first track that will be released from Streisand’s upcoming album, The Secret of Life: Partners, Volume Two, which features a wide array of stars alongside Streisand and McCartney. Others dueting with Babs on the album include Hozier, Sam Smith, Bob Dylan, Laufey, Mariah Carey, Ariana Grande, Tim McGraw, James Taylor, Sting, Josh Groban and Seal. The album is set for release on June 27.
Fans loved the photo of Streisand and McCartney, responding in the comments.
“When the term -- ICON is attached to so many musicians or film stars - a photo of Streisand and the cutest Beatle immediately becomes an iconic pairing for the ages. Sixty plus years of music !! Together for the first time !!” wrote one.
“And beautiful Barbra I’m sure Sir Paul felt the same ♥️♥️,” another one wrote.
“Omg!!! My beautiful Barbra!!! I cannot wait for that!!! Thank you so much!! This is going to be such a lovely album!!!💕🌸,” another fan posted.
“Finally! I was wondering if these two would ever record together!❤️,” yet another one wrote.
Source: parade.com/Craig Rosen
When it was announced that The Beatles were going their separate ways, the world was heartbroken. While it wasn't necessarily a dramatic split, the band, which consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, was embroiled in a bitter year-long battle riddled with passive aggression and jibes. It was fought in sly remarks, pointed lyrics, petty walkouts, and then the occasional bigger moment, like when Harrison, known as the "Quiet Beatle," walked out on January 10th, 1969. He recounted the pivotal moment in his dairy at the time, penning: "Got up, went to Twickenham, rehearsed until lunch time – left the Beatles – went home."
Harrison, who was 26 years old at the time, appeared to handle his walk out with little to no emotion. He even added other details into his diary entry, like what he had for dinner: "... and in the evening did King of Fuh at Trident Studio — had chips later at Klaus and Christines went home." But even in the moment when Harrison delivered the news to the rest of the band, he was calm and seemingly unaffected.
During the Get Back sessions, when the band was trying to write an album quickly to perform it, planning to make a movie of the process, director Michael Lindsay-Hogg had essentially bugged the whole studio.
He did this with the hope of capturing something juicy and dramatic and efforts somewhat paid off. At one point, Harrison was heard calmly telling John Lennon, "I’m leaving the band now," to which Lennon replied, “When?” “Now," Harrison answered.
Director Michael spoke out about the moment, recalling: "We’d finished the first course when George arrived to stand at the end of the table. We looked at him as he stood silent for a moment. ‘See you ’round the clubs,’ he said.
Source: themirror.com/Ellie Hook
These days, when it comes to sales and streaming charts, The Beatles are more successful with albums. That’s common among legacy acts, as fans tend to focus their attention on the full-lengths that originally propelled the musical icons to superstardom, as well as compilations that assemble their most familiar singles. The Fab Four regularly appears on multiple album rankings in the United Kingdom, where the rock legends remain most popular.
While the focus is usually on albums, interest in several Beatles cuts grew last week. The band manages to push a number of tunes back onto different lists, scoring multiple bestsellers long after most music fron the rockers was released.
“I Want to Hold Your Hand” is a Bestseller Again
The Beatles currently appear inside the top 40 on two separate sales rankings in the U.K. One of the group’s oldest tunes, “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” is a true bestseller once again. The track reenters the Official Vinyl Singles chart at No. 23. It lands just one spot lower, at No. 24, on the Official Physical Singles chart, which includes not only vinyl purchases, but also CDs and cassettes. On that roster, The Beatles don't merely bounce back — they soar from second-to-last place (No. 99) into the top 40.
The band fills a pair of spaces on the Official Physical Singles chart this frame. “I Want to Hold Your Hand” jumps more than 70 positions, while “Now and Then” returns at No. 56. That comeback tune, marketed as the final release by The Beatles, was completed with the help of artificial intelligence and dropped in late 2023.
“Now and Then” was a quick No. 1 on seemingly every ranking it touched, including the Official Physical Singles chart. “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” however, has never managed to conquer either of the tallies on which it appears. It has come close, peaking at No. 2 in the several months it has been present on these rosters — which didn’t exist when The Beatles first shared the song more than half a century ago.
Source: forbes.com/Hugh McIntyre
John Lennon was just 40-years-old when he was murdered outside the Dakota in New York City.
The Beatles' singer-songwriter was shot twice in the back and twice in the shoulder by Mark David Chapman as he returned to the building with Yoko Ono following a recording session. John was rushed to hospital, but was sadly pronounced dead on arrival.
In the months that followed his death, Beatles expert David Stark met with John's aunt, Mimi Smith. John lived with his aunt for most of his childhood and the pair remained close throughout his life, with John even calling Mimi every week until his death.
Recalling his meeting with Mimi, Stark exclusively told The Mirror US, "I really got on with her." He explained how they'd been introduced by a mutual friend who was visiting Mimi at the time. Stark said, "This American girl said, 'Come down and meet Mimi and maybe try and cheer her up', because that was in the summer of '81 and John being killed in December 1980s."
The Beatles expert explained how he had never met Mimi before traveling to meet her for a weekend in 1981. "I didn't stay with her, but I was in the bungalow over the weekend and just chatting," he explained.
Stark continued, "I just think it was like therapy for her just to talk really. And she kind of came out of herself a bit."
Source: themirror.com/Scarlett O'Toole
At times while in The Beatles, George Harrison had to fight to make his voice heard. With John Lennon and Paul McCartney assuming creative control of the band as their primary songwriters, George's writing did not always take centre stage.
The Wavertree-born star had written some songs that The Beatles recorded on their early records - he was given a quota of compositions for each album. When the band retired from touring in 1966 and focused on recording innovative music in the studio, George grew frustrated with the supporting role he had to play on 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and 'The White Album'.
This came to a head in January 1969, as The Beatles began work on what would become their final album 'Let it Be'. George walked out of the band temporarily, fed up with the mood and the way he was being treated. The bad mood that marked the recording of 'Let it Be' had its roots in the 1968 sessions for 'The White Album', which had been notoriously tempestuous. Ringo Starr departed the band for a period during the recording of 'Back in the USSR' and it seems George was also affected by that time.
The sessions for 'The White Album' came after The Beatles' retreat in India. George had led the band's interest in the culture of India and meditation. However the trip to Asia did not end well - the band had a fall out with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who they had studied under. Ringo and Paul left early anyway, heading back to England to focus on their new business interests at Apple Corps.
John and George then left after hearing accusations about the Maharishi relating to a female member of the party. George stayed in India rather than going home with John, instead he went to meet his mentor in Chennai.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth
If you are a man, you know what it’s like to have a conversation at a set of urinals. It’s awkward, weird, and most men seemingly try to avoid it, as the mutual understanding is that you don’t talk to another person when you’re using the restroom. However, that rule has to be broken every so often, and Steven Tyler broke it when he met Paul McCartney for the very first time.
Everybody knows Steven Tyler as a free-spirited musician who is no stranger to ambitious and intense rock and roll antics. As we all know, he is quite the animated character. That being said, it isn’t all that surprising to learn that Steven Tyler first met Paul McCartney during a stop in the restroom at a urinal. Frankly, it is arguably the perfect setting for this type of interaction. It’s memorable, comical, and just downright hilarious. Regardless, here is how Steven Tyler first met Paul McCartney at a urinal.
While at the Hammersmith Odeon theater in London, Steven Tyler needed to do what everybody needs to do: Use the restroom. However, what was seemingly intended to be a routine visit turned into a once-in-a-lifetime interaction. And Steve Tyler recollected the one-of-a-kind moment in an exclusive interview with Blabbermouth in 2007.
“My first meeting with Paul McCartney was certainly memorable,” Steven Tyler told the publication. “I was in a backstage urinal at the Hammersmith Odeon. McCartney walked in, started doing what people do in urinals. For the record, I did not check his size out.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Peter Burditt
Fans of the legendary musician Sir Paul McCartney are still hoping his "sequel" to a Beatles album will be released.
Though there is no indication his follow-up to one of the Fab Four's biggest records will receive an official release, fans remain hopeful of having it out there for people to listen to.
Return to Pepperland was the name given to an unfinished recording project by McCartney and American record producer Phil Ramone. It was produced as a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the 1967 Beatles album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
A post to the r/PaulMcCartney Reddit page has seen fans share their reasons for the album not yet releasing, as some suggest it may never be published. Those who have heard the album on a bootleg tape, however, say it is one of McCartney's best.
One user who has heard the release called it a "great album" with a "fantastic" title track that is in need of an official release.
The album itself is one of McCartney's most bootlegged albums, meaning dedicated fans have pieced together official recording tapes to assemble what could have been the tracklist to his unreleased follow-up to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
While you can listen to Return to Pepperland, McCartney's proposed follow-up to the psychedelic classic which defined The Beatles' image in the mid-1960s, fans are holding out hope for an official release.
One fan asked: "Why hasn't Return to Pepperland been released? It’s a great album and the title song is fantastic. Cuts have been released but not the whole album. So why not?"
A multitude of reasons could be given for why the album has not yet released, with recordings taking place through the 1980s. One fan suggested there are "albums worth" of material in McCartney's archive which may never see the light of day.
They wrote: "Basically, I don't think this is really something we fans can answer. He took 50 years to release One Hand Clapping as an album. Why?
Source: express.co.uk/Ewan Gleadow
