Beatles News
Paul McCartney is surprised that not everyone knows the backstory of The Beatles’ “Yesterday.” “Yesterday” was released as a single many years apart in the United States and the United Kingdom.
The tune became far more popular in the U.S. than it was in the U.K.
The Beatles‘ “Yesterday” has an interesting backstory. Paul McCartney said he’s surprised he’s had to tell that story repeatedly. In addition, he said he’s had to tell one anecdote about John Lennon again and again.In a 2021 Rolling Stone article, Paul and producer Rick Rubin interviewed each other. Rubin is a major producer known for working with artists such as Aerosmith, the Beastie Boys, Kanye West, Lana Del Rey, Lady Gaga, and numerous others. In the interview, Rubin discussed watching the documentary The Beatles Anthology.
Rubin said it was incredible how much footage of The Beatles existed, especially since the band predated camera phones. “There’s so much stuff out there,” Paul said. “But I think that’s one of the reasons The Beatles keep going — because you keep discovering another little thing.”
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
Paul McCartney’s most influential music came with The Beatles, but he never stopped writing songs. His ex-wife Heather Mills foolishly trolled Paul for working with Rihanna and Kanye West and totally missed the mark. His work beyond The Beatles has been nearly as successful. Let’s look at the five most successful Paul solo songs.
Note: We ranked Paul’s solo songs based on weeks atop the Billboard singles chart, not total weeks on the chart. Wings’ songs appear as Macca was the primary songwriter on those hits.
1. ‘Ebony and Ivory’
Macca’s 1982 collaboration with Stevie Wonder got banned in South Africa but became a rousing success in the United States. The tune spent seven weeks at No. 1 during its 19-week stay on the singles chart.
Paul’s solo tune about racial harmony nabbed three Grammy nominations for song of the year, record of the year, and best pop performance by a duo or group. “Ebony and Ivory” also achieved gold status from the Recording Industry Association of America.
Source: Jason Rossi/cheatsheet.com
Paul McCartney’s prowess as a songwriter is undisputed. He disliked some of his Beatles songs, but his hits overshadow his misfires. One part of Macca’s personal life was a major snafu, though — his marriage to Heather Mills. Their union ended in a bitter divorce. Ringo Starr, usually very pleasant in public, uncharacteristically called out Paul’s wife with three simple and vicious words.
Paul’s wedding to Linda in 1969 showed how far apart The Beatles had grown. Yet they enjoyed a decades-long marriage that saw them work as musical partners in Wings as they raised three children.
Macca moved on with Heather Mills after Linda died. Paul met Mills in 1999, a year after Linda’s death, and they became an official couple just a few months later. They married in 2002, but the partnership didn’t last.
Source: Jason Rossi/cheatsheet.com
George Harrison may not have been given enough of a chance to write and record many of his songs for The Beatles records, but the ones he did squeeze through have become all-time greats. Tracks like Here Comes the Sun, Something, I Me Mine and I Need You are just a few examples, but one of his best-known tracks appeared on The White Album, While My Guitar Gently Weeps. However, he almost didn't get it recorded until he started thinking outside the box.
Harrison wrote While My Guitar Gently Weeps and at his mother's house in the 1960s and instantly knew he had a hit.
When he took it to the recording studio in the following days, however, he found himself struggling to get the song laid down by the rest of the band.
"We tried to record it," Harrison recalled. "But John and Paul were so used to just cranking out their tunes that it was very difficult at times to get serious and record one of mine."
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
The Beatles‘ “She Loves You” remains one of the Fab Four’s most famous songs and one of the most famous songs of the whole decade. Notably, “She Loves You” was inspired by another hit that came out around the same time. The earlier track wasn’t as successful.
In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul discussed the origin of “She Loves You.” “We must have had a few hours before the show so we said, ‘Oh, great! Let’s have a ciggy and write a song!” he recalled.
“I remember for some reason thinking of Bobby Rydell; he must have had a hit that we were interested in,” Paul said. “I remember thinking of him and sitting on the bed in this hotel somewhere with John in the afternoon daylight.” For context, Rydell’s “Forget Him” was a hit at the time.
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
The Beatles wrote countless songs throughout their decade-long career - but not every one of them was a hit. There were a number of songs the band never released as singles, and - as the songwriters - the Fab Four were their own biggest critics. As a result, John Lennon confessed he hated a song from their sixth album, Rubber Soul, which hit store shelves in 1965.
Lennon opened up about his music in the book "All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono", which involved snippets of interviews from 1980, the year he was murdered.
In the chat, he spoke about the song Run For Your Life. The track is a jaunty blues track that, Lennon later confessed, was inspired by a song performed by Elvis Presley.
Lennon revealed: "Yeah, it has a line from an old Presley song: ‘I’d rather see you dead, little girl, than to be with another man’ is a line from an old blues song that Presley did once." The song in question was the King of Rock and Roll's 1955 song Baby, Let's Play House.
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
Paul McCartney discussed “Another Day” with a famous producer. He said he wrote the song because he’s a “voyeur.”
The song became a hit in the United States but John Lennon was not a fan of the song.
Paul McCartney‘s “Another Day” portrays a day in the life of a character. Paul once said he wrote the song because he’s a voyeur. Subsequently, John Lennon criticized the song.During a 2021 interview with Rolling Stone, Paul said he’s observant. “Well, I definitely am an observer,” he said. “I sometimes embarrass people because they say, ‘Oh my God, I didn’t think you noticed that.’ ‘Yeah, I did.'” Paul compared himself to George Martin, the musician who produced most of The Beatles’ songs and some of Wings’ material. “Funnily enough, just slightly tangential, George Martin was in the Fleet Air Arm, and he was on a plane, but he didn’t fly the plane — he was called the observer,” Paul recalled.
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
Are you a die-hard lover of The Beatles and their legendary music? Have you ever wished to follow in the footsteps of great band members? Have a look at George Harrison’s Liverpool property, which is now available to hire on Holiday Swap.
George Harrison is a great rock ‘n’ roll icon as one of The Beatles’ original members. His Liverpool home is a must-see for any Beatles fan, and you can now stay in this historic property and experience The Beatles’ enchantment for yourself.
This magnificent home in the heart of Liverpool has all the charm and character you’d expect from a superstar pad. It’s the ideal spot to unwind and soak up the spirit of this beautiful city, with three bedrooms, a fully furnished kitchen, and a huge living area.
Liverpool is a city that doesn’t need an introduction. It’s a cultural destination for music fans and history experts alike, and it’s known as the birthplace of The Beatles.
Source: Sikander Zaman/scoopearth.com
Paul McCartney is a titan in the music industry, but many would be surprised to learn about his impact on several movies. He has contributed a few original songs to movies and provided excellent soundtracks to films he did with The Beatles. McCartney has been nominated for three Academy Awards for his cinematic contributions and has won the coveted award once.
McCartney is a Tony Award away from being an EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony) winner. Fortunately, The Beatles helped him secure his Oscar back in 1971. The Beatles won the Academy Award for Best Original Song Score for Let it Be. The album accompanied the documentary of the same name, which featured behind-the-scenes footage of The Beatles recording the album.
The album featured several memorable songs, including “Let it Be,” “Across the Universe,” and “Two of Us.” While it received praise from critics, the documentary behind the music is a sour note in the history of The Beatles. The band disbanded in 1970, and the footage shows the rising tensions between the band members that eventually led to the split. It was a bittersweet accomplishment when Paul McCartney won the Academy Award, as the band was no longer together.
Source: Ross Tanenbaum/cheatsheet.com
Ringo Starr is probably responsible for more people taking up the drums than any other drummer in history. Yet for some reason, it’s been fashionable to dis his talent, abilities, and style. That’s all rubbish.
The universe needed a special kind of drummer to keep time in The Beatles. Lennon-McCartney-Harrison needed more than someone who could just thump in 4/4 time. Ringo was perfect. Go back through the entire Beatles catalogue and count the times he just laid down a simple backbeat. There aren’t many. Meanwhile, there are works of drummer genius like “Tomorrow Never Knows,” “Rain,” “A Day in the Life,” and “Come Together.” The inventiveness Ringo demonstrates is breathtaking.
Source: Alan Cross/ajournalofmusicalthings.com
