Beatles News
The Beatles all considered Elvis Presley to be one of their rock idols. Much of their love for the genre comes from listening to early records by the king of rock. Paul McCartney said The Beatles tried to utilize some of Elvis’ techniques in their own work, and one song perfected what he called the “Elvis echo.”
One Elvis Presley song that profoundly impacted Paul McCartney was “Heartbreak Hotel”. McCartney was in awe of the Memphis singer’s vocals, but he also was fascinated by the blaring echo that gave the track a distinct sound. The Beatles wanted to replicate that echo, and McCartney said one song that perfected it was “A Day in the Life” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
“Elvis is a truly great vocalist, and you can hear why on Heartbreak Hotel,” McCartney said in 2005 (via Guitar World). “It’s a perfect example of a singer being in command of the song. Musically it’s perfect, too. The double bass and the walk-in piano create this incredibly haunting atmosphere.
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com
Somewhere in the back of my mind, I always knew I had taken some pictures in the 1960s. At first, I couldn’t pinpoint the year, but I was certain we were quite young, just when the Beatles were really taking off. I never tried to find this collection – consciously, that is – but I kind of thought that it would just surface at the right time. There’s often a certain amount of serendipity involved. And while we were preparing for an exhibition of my late wife Linda’s photographs in 2020, I learned that my own had been preserved in my archives. When I first saw them after so many decades, I was delighted that these images and contact sheets had been finally located.
Source: Paul McCartney/theguardian.com
The Beatles released their penultimate album, Abbey Road, in 1969, and it has widely been recognised as one of their best works.
Included in the record - aside from such classics as Come Together and Here Comes The Sun - was Something, one of George Harrison's best-loved songs.
The tender track was written as a love letter to Harrison's first wife, Pattie Boyd. But its origins come directly from another song from American star James Taylor.
He remembered recording his own album while the Fab Four were very close: "I was making my first album at Trident Studios in London, just as the Beatles were recording the White Album nearby. I realised how lucky I was to be listening to the Beatles playbacks and watching their process in the studio, but at the same time that I was surrounded by this holy host of my absolute idols, I missed my home in North Carolina."
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
The Beatles rocketed to international superstardom soon after they dumped drummer Pete Best. Ringo Starr entered the fray, the band sent its first album, Please Please Me, to the top of the charts in England, and the rest is history. John Lennon’s last words to Best in 1962 were fitting — a boring and simple sendoff to a band member about to lose his job.
Being remembered as the person who lost his job before the band found fame doesn’t show it, but Pete Best was instrumental to the early success of The Beatles.
His mother, Mona Best, owned Liverpool’s Casbah Club, a venue they frequently played in the early years. She also managed them briefly. The Beatles’ first drummer performed with them during their extended residencies in Hamburg, Germany. Best’s friend, Neil Aspinall, drove the group to gigs.
Source: Jason Rossi/cheatsheet.com
An apology note The Beatles wrote to a schoolgirl back in 1963 has sold at auction in London.
According to The Mail, the band wrote the letter to a young girl named Diana after canceling a visit to see her on the Isle of Wight.
Diana’s aunt worked for Paul McCartney’s cousin Bette Robbins; the band had planned to visit Robbins after their April 1963 show in Southsea, Portsmouth, and Diana was supposed to get to meet them. Unfortunately, the band had to cancel to return to London for some TV and radio appearances.
Source: kslx.com
Paul McCartney said The Beatles’ “Nowhere Man” is “an anti-John song.” In addition, he revealed what he thought about it compared to other Beatles songs. John himself explained the origins of “Nowhere Man.”
In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul revealed John penned “Nowhere Man” after a night on the town. “When I came out to write with him the next day, he was kipping on the couch, very bleary-eyed,” he remembered.
“It was really an anti-John song, written by John,” Paul added. “He told me later, he didn’t tell me then, he said he’d written it about himself, feeling like he wasn’t going anywhere. I think actually it was about the state of his marriage.” For context, John was still married to his first wife, Cynthia Lennon, at the time.
“It was in a period where he was a bit dissatisfied with what was going on; however, it led to a very good song,” Paul added. “He treated it as a third-person song, but he was clever enough to say, Isn’t he a bit like you and me?’
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
Lead Beatles guitarist George Harrison passed away after a battle with lung cancer in November 2001.Paul McCartney has again shared a photo of one of his Beatles bandmates as he gears up to release a huge photo collection to the public. Pictures snapped by Paul, using his own camera between December 1963 and February 1964, will be displayed at The National Portrait Gallery this summer.Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes of the Storm will run from 28 June to 1 October as one of two major exhibitions to relaunch the gallery after three years of refurbishments. The never-before-seen photographs were taken by Sir Paul McCartney during the height of Beatlemania when the Fab Four were propelled from being the most popular band in Britain to an international cultural phenomenon.
Source: Kian Rains/liverpoolworld.uk
The Beatles George Harrison was devastated upon seeing Elvis Presley's drastic transformation during their last meeting.
Like many other musicians, The Beatles chose Presley as their inspiration in the music industry. The band members had been open about their love and admiration for the King of Rock and Roll, but they also felt devastated when they noticed massive changes in the singer.
The Beatles lost its second member when Harrison died on Nov. 29, 2001 - decades after John Lennon was murdered. Before his passing, he appeared in an interview and shared what their last meeting with Presley looked like.
"It was a bit sad really, because he had all those squawking singers and trumpet players and that stuff," he said, per Express. "But he had a great rhythm section - James Burton and all that gang - and I just wanted to say to him: 'Just get your jeans on and get your guitar and do [the song] that's alright with me mama and b***er all that other c**p."
Source: Angeline Sicily/musictimes.com
George Harrison, former Beatle, and solo artist, was nothing if not idealistic. For an example of this, look no further than his 1973 song “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” a song that was also a success, hitting No. 1 in the U.S.
The sound, which plays as if it was born on an island vacation, is driven by acoustic guitars, nostalgic guitars, and Harrison’s loving voice. In the song, Harrison expresses his desire for a loving, peaceful life. What else could be better?
Let’s dive into the song’s meaning and history below.
The song opens with Harrison wishing for an existence seemingly outside of the human form. He sings, Give me love, give me love, give me peace on earth / Give me light, give me life, keep me free from birth.
Give me hope
Help me cope with this heavy load
Trying to touch and reach you with
Heart and soul
Source: Jacob Uitti/americansongwriter.com
The Beatles, a band that needs no introduction, has left an indelible mark on the world of music. With numerous albums under their belt, the Fab Four have shaped the sound of modern music and continue to be a source of inspiration for musicians today.
From the early days of rock and roll with Please, Please Me to the experimental sounds of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, there is a Beatles album for every mood and milestone. It’s no wonder their music continues to captivate audiences more than half a century after their debut.
So with great excitement, let’s dive into the list of 10 of the best Beatles albums of all time and see which ones have earned the honor of being considered a top Beatles masterpiece.
1. Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Source: hellomusictheory.com
