Beatles News
The Beatles are still enjoyed around the world to this day, even scooping up a Grammy as recently as last year.
It's hard to believe founder John Lennon was shockingly killed way back in 1980, and Thursday, Jan. 22 marks exactly 45 years since the last portrait of him and Yoko Ono was released to the masses.
On this day in 1981, newsstands were welcomed with Rolling Stone's new issue paying tribute to the couple, particularly the late Lennon, who had died a month and a half earlier at just 40 years of age. On the cover of the coveted magazine was an image of a naked Lennon in a fetal embrace of his clothed wife, now 92.
Famed photographer Annie Leibovitz's portrait became a defining picture of arguably the most photographed married couple in the history of music, according to HISTORY.com.
"You've captured our relationship exactly," Lennon had said to Leibovitz, 76, according to the caption of the Instagram post above from the late musician's official account.
"The '80s were not a romantic time and I asked [John and Yoko] to crawl up together," Leibovitz later said in May 2014 regarding the iconic photo, per the caption above. "I wanted them both to be naked, but Yoko wouldn't take off her pants so I said, 'why don't you keep everything on?' In those days, you pull a Polaroid and the three of us knew right away it was good. I was sent to get John for the cover, not Yoko, because there was still a lot of resentment [towards her]. But when I got there, John said he wanted Yoko on the cover... When he was killed, I went to Rolling Stone and they were mocking up the film. I told them the story and so they put that photo on the cover."
While the Rolling Stone image is sometimes called the final photograph of Lennon, it's actually just the final portrait of him and Yoko together. The final photo of John was taken a few hours after Leibovitz's by a fan, HISTORY.com also reports.
Source: Will Sayre/yahoo.com
A judge in America has raised a provocative hypothetical during legal arguments around President Donald Trump’s use of an 18th-century wartime statute to deport Venezuelan gang members: ‘Could a president deport The Beatles?’
Jennifer Walker Elrod, chief judge of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, asked whether the same law could be deployed against a "British invasion" deemed to be corrupting young minds.
She described her reference to the 1960s moral panic surrounding The Beatles and other British bands as "fanciful". However, a government attorney responded unequivocally that the president possessed such power, and the courts would be unable to prevent its exercise.
“These sort of questions of foreign affairs and the security of the nation are specifically political issues,” said Drew Ensign, an assistant attorney general who was arguing the administration’s case before the full 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. Ensign said it would be up to Congress to check the president in that scenario.
The unexpected exchange came in the administration's appeal of a ruling by a three-judge panel of the 5th Circuit, one of the most conservative courts in the country, that found Trump inappropriately used the Alien Enemies Act of 1798 when he targeted the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua last year.
The act has only been invoked three other times in American history, during the War of 1812 and both world wars. A majority of the three-judge panel agreed in last year's ruling with multiple lower court judges and immigration lawyers who brought the case that it cannot be deployed against a gang rather than a belligerent foreign power.
The administration appealed to the full 5th Circuit, and all 17 judges on the court were present for the arguments in New Orleans on Thursday. “Tren de Aragua is committing ordinary crimes that are being dealt with by law enforcement,” Lee Gelernt, an attorney for the ACLU, told the judges. “The Alien Enemies Act is about wartime and it's about the military.”
Several of the judges were concerned about second-guessing the president's determination of a threat to the country. Ensign noted the law allows it to be invoked in attempts of “invasion” or “predatory incursion” and argued that courts should accept a president's declaration that that is happening.
“A predatory incursion is less than an invasion,” Ensign said, arguing that cases involving other laws have determined it happens when foreign fishing boats enter U.S. waters. He also noted that Trump alleged the gang was acting at the behest of recently ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro's government — an assertion that has been challenged by some law enforcement analysts.
Source: Nicholas Riccardi/the-independent.com
Every Beatle had their influence and hero, and for Paul McCartney, that artist happened to be Frank Sinatra. At 14 years old, years before his days in The Beatles, McCartney wrote a song called “Suicide”, taking inspiration from Sinatra, who was best known for “Come Fly With Me” and “My Way.” When an opportunity arose, and McCartney got in touch with Sinatra, the former Beatle sent “Suicide” to him. Ultimately, the song was rejected. Paul McCartney and Frank Sinatra Crossed Paths After The Beatles Disbanded.
It was not until Sinatra covered “Something” by The Beatles (written by George Harrison) that he viewed The Beatles favorably. The cover was the only time Sinatra crossed paths with the Beatles before he called the “Blackbird” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer” songwriter for a song after The Beatles’ disbandment, which McCartney enthusiastically accepted. Speaking on Sinatra’s influence on his songwriting to the McCartney Archive Collection, he said, “I had my Dad’s old piano at home that I used to tinker about on when there was no one in the house. And my feelings were, then, that if you were ever going to be a songwriter, the height of it all was Sinatra.
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Why Sinatra rejected “Suicide” was simple: he found the song too dark for his style, despite the song being a flashy cabaret track. In fact, when McCartney sent the song to him, he thought it was a joke. As McCartney detailed, “He thought I was taking the piss. ‘Is this guy kidding?’” You know, sending Sinatra a song called ‘Suicide’. He did not get it! But I did think, ‘Oh God, maybe I should have changed it a bit to send it to him.’”
“Suicide” was not the only song McCartney had written with him in mind. “When I’m Sixty Four,” from the critically acclaimed album Sgt Pepper, was also written for Sinatra, though Sinatra would never receive the demo. The Fab Four recorded the song for the album instead, despite the disapproval of John Lennon.
Source: Teguan Harris/collider.com
Rock legend Ringo Starr is working with Sam Mendes and his team on the director's ambitious four-biopic project about the Beatles – and RadarOnline.com can reveal the 85-year-old drummer is being an uptight micromanager about certain aspects of his life story, including his party-hearty days.
The upcoming movies – set for simultaneous release in April 2028 – are being touted as a "cinematic event" that examines the Fab Four's meteoric rise to fame from the perspective of its individual members.
In January 2025, RadarOnline.com reported Starr would be portrayed by Barry Keoghan and Paul McCartney by Paul Mescal – with late legends John Lennon and George Harrison played by Harris Dickinson and Joseph Quinn.
Now, an insider shared: "Some early concepts around what exactly the Ringo-focused movie would cover leaned into his hard partying during the height of the Beatles' success.
"He loved being famous more than the other three guys – that's a matter of historical record. Even with the casting of Barry, you see a perfect fit with that kind of 'wild man' rock star portrayal.
"But with the real Ringo's considerable input, the ideas have evolved, and they're trying to unearth stories and moments from his years in the band that fans haven't heard a million times before."
Sources said Barry Keoghan's casting as Ringo Starr is tied to efforts to avoid a gimmicky portrayal.
The source explained the now sober No No Song chart-topper has been "generous with his own time" when it comes to the project – in a way that McCartney, 83, hasn't been able to do because he's been carrying a heavy workload himself.
Source Aaron Johnson/radaronline.com
The Beatles drew from a wide variety of influences when making their music. While they borrowed from Elvis, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry, they had their ears open to many different genres. Don’t forget that the four men grew up in an era when rock and roll didn’t exist.
Even country music made an impact on them, enough so that they released their share of songs that could pass for country. Here are four original Beatles songs that sound as much like Nashville as they do Liverpool. “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party”
The Beatles’ fourth album, Beatles For Sale, came at a point in their career when they were run a bit ragged by demands on their time. That’s why it’s not so surprising that some of the songs came out sounding a bit bluesy and introspective. “I Don’t Want To Spoil The Party”, written primarily by John Lennon, comes from the perspective of a jilted lover. This guy would rather abandon the scene than see the source of his pain. It comes replete with George Harrison’s Carl Perkins-style rockabilly riffs and close vocal harmonies borrowed from the Everly Brothers. It’s the first time that the group nodded to country music so overtly. The fact that Roseanne Cash released a hit cover version of the song only enhances its country cred.
“I’ve Just Seen A Face”
As had been the case with A Hard Day’s Night, The Beatles recorded a full album’s worth of songs for Help!. But not all of them would be used in the film. For the ones that didn’t make the film cut, they often tried out some different ideas that might have been a tad off the beaten path compared to their normal approach. In the case of “I’ve Just Seen A Face”, Paul McCartney wrote the song as a clear-cut country and western number. When the band recorded it in the studio, they sped up the pace and relied on acoustic guitars. That took the song more in the direction of one of country’s direct offshoots, bluegrass. In any case, there’s more than a little twang involved here.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
Of the four Beatles, John Lennon was always somewhat the antagonist, the one not worried to ruffle some feathers, and ultimately, the one who would always speak his piece, even if it wasn’t deemed appropriate or polite. This was one of the many factors that added to Lennon’s charisma and mystique, and one incredibly notable time he did just this was in front of the British royal family in 1963.
In 1963, The Beatles were the band in the United Kingdom. They were on the brink of infiltrating the United States market and, consequently, on their way to becoming the biggest band in the world. That being said, they had a platform, a platform John Lennon comically but also intellectually utilized when they performed in front of members of the British royal family at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London.
Typically called the Royal Command Performance, The Beatles took to the Prince of Wales Theatre to entertain both members of the royal family and other aristocrats in the audience. While it is unclear if there were any members of the working class in attendance, Lennon still made a clear, comical remark about class divide that would forever stick with his legacy.
That evening, the royal family members in attendance included Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Princess Margaret, and several others. Per those high-dollar individuals as well as others, Lennon stated before their final number, “For our last number, I’d like to ask your help, the people in the cheaper seats clap your hands, and the rest of you, if you’d just rattle your jewelry. We’d like to sing a song called ‘Twist and Shout’,” via The Beatles Anthology.
Source: Peter Burditt/americansongwriter.com
In 1968, The Beatles were working on one of their most groundbreaking records, their self-titled album, better known as the White Album. They were coming off a psychedelic trend with Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, and the White Album was a sharp turn back to rock 'n' roll. But of course, The Beatles were no ordinary band, and even when they were going back to basics, they still made history. One of the greatest songs included on this extensive double album is "Helter Skelter." This song was initiated by Paul McCartney, inspired by his competitive spirit, and ended up changing rock music forever. Sadly, shortly after the song was released, a tragedy overshadowed it and darkened the memory of the song for McCartney for years.
"Pete Townshend had been talking in the music press about how The Who had just recorded the loudest, the dirtiest, the rockiest thing ever," McCartney shared in his book, The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present. His response to Townshend's claim was the song "Helter Skelter."
"I came into the studio and said to the guys, 'Let's just see how loud we can get and how raucous. Let's try to make the meter peak.'"
Surrounded by press, The Beatles wave at fans as they arrive in New York City in 1964.
“Well, that put me off doing it forever. I thought, I’m not doing [‘Helter Skelter’], you know, because it was too close to that event, and immediately it would have seemed like I was, either I didn’t care about all the carnage that had gone on or whatever, so I kept away from it for a long time."
Source: Val Barone/collider.com
There are so many reasons why The Beatles became so big in the 1960s. First and foremost, their music was amazing. They had the boy band look and a fine mix of personalities that resonated with young listeners at the time. They had two legendary songwriters in the mix and four excellent musicians who could put all the pieces of a hit song together beautifully. And, according to Ringo Starr, there was another factor that was very important in the Fab Four’s massive success as the biggest band of the 20th century.
Back in 2018, the famed Beatles drummer sat down for an interview with AXS TV to talk about his own career and the glory days of the Fab Four. He talked about how each of the band members, including himself, often didn’t “get along” and would have “rows” at times. Fans of The Beatles likely know that this was particularly true of the band toward the end of their tenure together, which resulted in numerous fights and even lawsuits.
However, it’s clear that the members were friends; how could they not be after years together? On top of that notion, Starr noted that the key to keeping the band together and putting out as much music as they did came down to the work ethic and leadership of one Paul McCartney. Ringo Starr Said That Paul McCartney’s Drive and Work Ethic Resulted in The Beatles’ Success.
In the interview embedded above, Dan Rather mentioned that there were many stories in the media about The Beatles not getting along and not liking each other. Surprisingly, Starr seemed to agree.
“No, no, we didn’t get along,” Starr said matter-of-factly. “We were four guys, we had rows. It never got in the way of the music, no matter how bad the row was. Once the count-in happened, we all gave our best. Suddenly, we’ve got lives, and I’ve got children, and, you know, the effort that we put in because we worked really hard was starting to pale a little, and we always thank Paul to this day.”
Source: Em Casalena/americansongwriter.com
Besides being the most underrated songwriter in The Beatles, George Harrison was also an incredible guitar player who was fundamental to the band’s sound. He inspired countless guitarists around the world, many of whom, like him, became influential and carved their names in Rock history. Unlike his bandmate Paul McCartney, who gave thousands of interviews during his career, George didn’t talk to the press that much and spoke even less about other artists. However, he did share his opinions on some of them, including The Rolling Stones’ guitarist Keith Richards. What was George Harrison’s opinion on Keith Richards?
George Harrison was called “the quiet Beatle” by the media and fans during his career and he was always modest when it came to talking about his own guitar playing. When asked in an interview about ELO’s Jeff Lynne calling him a “great guitar player” and pointing out that Harrison always played it down when praised, he mentioned Keith Richards as one of the greatest Rock and Roll rhythm guitar players, but also said that the Rolling Stones member was not very good as a lead guitarist.
“I’m not playing it down. I’m just not playing it up! I think Keith (Richards) is one of the best rock ’n’ roll rhythm guitar players. I don’t think he’s very good at lead. But this is what I feel about myself too: What we do is make records, and the records have some good guitar parts on them. I like Keith enormously, I think he’s great, but he’s not Albert or B.B. King. Anyway, the main thing about him is that he has the confidence,” George smiles. “So even if it’s not perfect he doesn’t care,” George Harrison told Musician magazine in 1990.
Source: Rafael Polcaro/rockandrollgarage.com
After the death of John Lennon, the focus on whatever Paul McCartney released next intensified. Macca came up big in 1982 with Tug Of War, an album that reunited him with producer George Martin and gave his solo career (he had recently scuttled Wings) excellent momentum.
The album proved to be a critical and commercial hit. Here are some of the stories behind the songs on that record, a special one in the McCartney catalog. The Last Gasps of Wings.
McCartney hadn’t committed to putting an end to Wings when he first began the process of making Tug Of War. That was in July 1980, as he assembled the remnants of the band (Denny Laine, Lawrence Juber, and Steve Holley) for some sessions. Of the songs that they tried, “Ballroom Dancing” was one that made it onto Tug Of War. And Laine would end up playing on a few other tracks as well. But McCartney felt that the sessions were disappointing, which eventually helped him pull the plug on Wings once and for all.
Two Albums’ Worth
Once McCartney committed to making it a solo record, he found that the songs started flowing very quickly. George Martin insisted on excellence in the material, pushing McCartney to really work the songs into excellent shape. When Paul started to assess, he realized that he had way too many songs in the hopper for a single album. He decided to arrange them thematically. Songs, like the title track, detailing the struggle between opposing forces, landed on Tug Of War. The remainder were earmarked for the more hopeful follow-up album Pipes Of Peace.
Another key element of McCartney’s approach to Tug Of War was his decision to look for the very best players. This was a new strategy for him, and it produced excellent results. “Take It Away”, a hit single from the record, displays the evidence. Old Beatle buddy Ringo Starr was joined by session legend Steve Gadd on drums, giving the song a polyrhythmic flavor. And the airy backing vocals were partly performed and arranged by Eric Stewart, known for his work in the British band 10cc.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
