Beatles News
“My Sweet Lord” was Harrison’s first single as a solo artist, and it was a chart-topping hit across the globe. But the song wasn’t your typical pop chart fodder. Rather, “My Sweet Lord” is a folk rock gospel song heavily inspired by Harrison’s spiritual awakening.
In 1967, George Harrison and the rest of The Beatles traveled to Rishikesh, India. At the time, Harrison was in a pretty relatable but unpleasant spot. He was struggling with his identity as a musician as well as his purpose in life outside of being part of the Fab Four. A bit of spiritual guidance was all he really needed to go down a new path in life, helped in part by the teachings of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi.
The Spiritual Experience That Inspired “My Sweet Lord” by George Harrison
Much of the music Harrison wrote during and after that famed trek to India reflects a sort of enlightenment about his life. Plenty of people, including fans and those close to Harrison, saw it as just a phase. However, the inspiration that Harrison took back with him from India influenced him until the very end of his life. “My Sweet Lord” could be seen as a defining song of that life-changing experience.
Harrison started writing “My Sweet Lord” in 1969 in Denmark with the assistance of Eric Clapton and session musician Billy Preston. The Beatles weren’t officially broken up yet, but the writing was on the wall. Harrison found solace in his growing ability as a songwriter. One could see the lyrics of “My Sweet Lord” as Harrison pleading for guidance and comfort from a higher power.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
The Beatles are back on the music charts in the United Kingdom, where all four musicians, including those no longer with us, remain legends. The group never stays away for very long, and even when one album or hit song disappears for a short time, it either quickly returns, or is replaced by another popular release from the rockers.
1, a collection of the Beatles’ biggest smashes that was released more than two decades ago, now stands as the group's only charting album. The compilation reappears on a pair of rankings across the pond as it's become a huge win once more.
This frame, 1 launches highest on the Official Albums Streaming chart. On that tally, it lands smack dab in the middle, at No. 50.
The same title manages to once again appear on the Official Albums chart, the ranking of the most-consumed projects throughout the nation. 1 re-enters that competitive list at No. 64.
While 1 may sit lower on the main albums roster than on the streaming-only chart, it has actually performed better on the former. The Beatles’ singles-packed collection hit No. 1 without issue on the Official Albums list, and it has now racked up 467 stays somewhere on that ranking. The same release stalled at No. 6 on the Official Albums Streaming roster, and it's now held on for 418 non-consecutive stays.
Source: forbes.com/Hugh McIntyre
'In My Life' is not just one of The Beatles greatest songs, but one of THE greatest songs.
The Beatles released over 200 songs during their decade odd at the top of the pop world, and you could make a fair argument for any one of 50 odd to be their very best. In our own rankings, we put 'In My Life' in at number one, and we're not the first or the last. Back in 2000, Mojo magazine went even further, arguing that it was simply the best song of all time ever.
But do you know who wrote 'In My Life', or what year it finally made the charts (and where it placed when it got there)?
Do you know who the "dead" and "living" friends are being referred to in the lyrics, or what instrument George Martin plays on the song?
Who wrote 'In My Life'? This one should be easy, right? Not a cover, not one of George Harrison's 22 Beatles songs, not a quirky full-band co-write of one of Ringo Starr's pair of oddities.
So it's by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Yes, indeed, we've got the immortal Lennon-McCartney on the label.
But that's never the whole story.
Source: goldradio.com/Mayer Nissim
Good poetry often requires multiple readings to reveal its true message—a literary lesson that John Lennon learned the hard way after writing “I Am the Walrus.” The former Beatle wrote the Magical Mystery Tour track over several weeks, pulling inspiration from an appropriately eccentric list of resources, including LSD, Shakespearian BBC broadcasts, and plenty of social commentary. “I was writing obscurely, á la Dylan, those days,” Lennon later said of his distinctly odd composition in a 1980 Playboy interview.
But as it turns out, Lewis Carroll, one of Lennon’s literary inspirations, was also a fan of writing obscurely. Consequently, Lennon ended up basing “I Am the Walrus” on the wrong character in “The Walrus and the Carpenter.”
John Lennon Later Realized His Mistake On “I Am The Walrus”
Years before John Lennon would write one of the Beatles’ most psychedelic tracks, the musician dabbled in prose writing with his 1964 book, In His Own Write. Lennon and critics alike attributed his nonsensical dialect and sense of humor to the English author Lewis Carroll. Carroll, of course, penned iconic works like Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass. The latter book contains the poem “The Walrus and the Carpenter.” In the book, the characters Tweedledum and Tweedledee recite to the series’ titular character, Alice.
“The Walrus and the Carpenter” follows a sea creature and laborer walking down a beach when they find a bed of oysters. Both the walrus and the carpenter implore the oysters to walk with them down the shore.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis
John Lennon and Yoko Ono won album of the year at the 24th annual Grammy Awards, held in Los Angeles. The pair won the award for Double Fantasy, the final album Lennon recorded before his death in December 1980.
The Police took home two awards that evening, best rock vocal performance by a duo or group for “Don’t Stand So Close to Me” and best rock instrumental for “Behind the Camera.”
Other winners included Pat Benatar, for best female rock vocal performance for “Fire and Ice,” Rick Springfield, for best male rock vocal performance for “Jesse’s Girl” and the track “Bette Davis Eyes,” by Kim Carnes, which took home both song and record of the year.
Source: everettpost.com/ABC News
Sir Paul McCartney has revealed his favourite song and it’s one that many will be familiar with - but not one from The Beatles.
The song is a well known tune from the 1930s sung by Fred Astaire. In an interview, McCartney said: “One of my favourite songs because of its structure is Cheek To Cheek.” Penned by American songwriter Irving Berlin, the peppy melody has maintained its reputation over the years.
McCartney said on the podcast McCartney: A Life In Lyrics how the tune inspired the hit song Here, There and Everywhere. He said: “I liked it very much before it starts off, 'Heaven, I'm in heaven… then the middle eight, 'Will carry me through to… heaven…' It's just like, yes!
"The way it just resolves up its own tail I always found wonderful. And I think somebody said I do it in this.” During the 1960s, McCartney evolved rapidly as a songwriter - he was just 24-years-old when Revolver was released.
Talking about Here, There and Everywhere, McCartney adds: “I like the fact that we think that we're on a path on the Moors, and we think we're going for a walk and then suddenly we've arrived where we've started.
“It's not like we've gone around in a circle, it's more magical than that – we've come to another beginning of the path.” He then went further into the meaning of the song, loved by music fans across the globe. He said: “It's this trick where you're suddenly where you were but it's surprising – you're where you were, but you're not.
"Because you can see back where you came from and you're definitely not there. You're at a new place, but it's tricked you and it's got the same scenery again.” The influence of Cheek to Cheek is clearly seen in the song and while much of the Beatles’ music evolved into pop music over the years, it also has clear references to past times.
Source: express.co.uk/Alycia McNamara
Ringo Starr was joined by album collaborator Molly Tuttle for the performance at The Opry, where The Beatles legend shared tracks from his recent release, Look Up. Ringo Starr's appearance at a legendary venue had fans all say the same thing(Image: Getty Images)
The Beatles' legendary drummer and occasional songwriter Ringo Starr, has wowed fans with a stellar performance at the iconic Opry in Nashville, Tennessee. At 84 years old, Starr is currently touring his latest album, 'Look Up', which delves into country music for the first time since his 1970 release, 'Beaucoups of Blues'. His appearance at The Opry took many by surprise, but it was his vibrant energy that had everyone talking. A highlight of the show was his rendition of The Beatles' classic 'With a Little Help From My Friends', which was hailed as "amazing" by those who attended and viewers of an online clip.
Starr performed alongside Molly Tuttle, a collaborator on the album, delivering performances of 'Time On My Hands' and a cover of Johnny Russell's 'Act Naturally'. Social media users were stunned by a video posted with the caption: "Eighty-four-year-old Ringo Starr performing 'With a Little Help From My Friends' by The Beatles last night in Nashville." Comments poured in with one user remarking: "Ringo looks younger every time I see him lol."
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Ewan Gleadow
Imagine going through most of your life celebrating what you thought was your birthday, only to discover that you may have been blowing out candles on the wrong day that whole time.
For a brief moment in time, that seemed to be the reality for late Beatles guitarist, George Harrison. Or so a rumour would have us believe.
In the cold and early hours of 25th February 1943, the date stated on his birth certificate, George Harrison was born. A home birth, Harrison had entered the world in a tiny terraced home at 12 Arnold Grove, Liverpool.
In an article from 1964, it was reported that it was family tradition for Harrison’s mother to call him at 12:10 a.m., the 'precise time he was born'. So why then was there a sudden reason to think that date and time wasn't his real birthday?
A rumour begins
This is where things start to get confusing. Sometime in the 1980s, an alleged hospital document appeared out of nowhere. It apparently detailed that Harrison was born on the 24th February 1943, shortly before midnight. Only about 20 minutes before his original birth time but, nevertheless, a different day. The guitarist went on to announce the discovery of his new birthday to the world.
Source: rova.nz
A fan of The Beatles kept a piece of George Harrison's toast in a scrapbook after they acquired it in 1962.
A piece of The Belatles star George Harrison's toast dating back 72 years has been rediscovered and sold at auction. The breakfast food had been preserved on a scrapbook page alongside cigarette butts and John Lennon’s guitar-case fluff for decades.
In 1962 a 15-year-old Beatles fan named Sue Houghton befriended the Harrison family. During one visit to the family home she saw a leftover crust of unfinished toast on George’s plate and slipped it into her pocket.
Sticking it in her scrapbook she wrote:"Piece of George’s breakfast. 2-8-63". That was a significant date in Beatles' history as the group returned to Liverpool after a seven week absence to play at Merseyside’s Grafton Rooms.
The following day would be their last performance at The Cavern Club. Bob Wooler, the club’s compere has spoken about remembering Brian Epstein, The Beatles’ manager, promising they would be back one day, but due to their meteoric rise to fame it never happened.
A page from a scrapbook with a piece of toast stuck to it in a picture frame.
It first came up for auction in 1992, when Sue’s scrapbook collection, including the infamous toast, was auctioned at Christie’s for £1,300 to help fund her home renovations.
The scrapbook pages were subsequently split up and it recently came to the market again.
The latest owner, memorabilia dealer, Joseph O’Donnell, won't disclose how much he paid for the item but he has now framed it in museum grade, UV protected glass to preserve it for several more decades.
Source: Fran Winston/express.co.uk
It was a big commercial hit for the band. As The Beatles' primary songwriters, John Lennon and Paul McCartney were responsible for the majority of the band's hits. The two brought contrasting approaches to their music, often meeting in the middle to create magic.
About their partnership, Music and Musicians magazine's Wilfred Mellors wrote 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."
In the early days they would write together in Paul's childhood home on Forthlin Road in Allerton. But as they grew older and artistic differences emerged, they often would write independently before presenting their compositions to each other for finishing touches.
Regardless of how the songs were written, all of them composed by John and Paul during their time in The Beatles received the joint credit of Lennon-McCartney. This occasionally led to disagreements as to who was the primary creative force, as was the case on 'Eleanor Rigby', which the ECHO recently looked at.
This was also the case - but in a light-hearted manner - with the song that shared a double A-side single with 'Eleanor Rigby'. 'Yellow Submarine' was released alongside it, with the single hitting record store shelves on August 5, 1966.
Written as a children's song by John and Paul, it was sung by Ringo Starr. Both 'Eleanor Rigby' and 'Yellow Submarine' were departures from what had come before from The Beatles - in their own very different ways.
The idea for the track came to Paul while on holiday in Greece, where he enjoyed an iced dessert that was yellow or red, and was known in the area as a submarine. John also had the idea of living in a submarine during an acid trip.
The psychedelic idea became an almost nursery rhyme style song, sung by Ringo. It performed very well commercially.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth
