Beatles News
George Harrison and Eric Clapton first crossed paths when their bands, The Beatles and The Yardbirds, were on the same bill in the early 1960s. The guitarists crossed paths again at a Lovin’ Spoonful concert. George thought Clapton looked lonely, but that’s just how he was; a lone wolf.
Clapton had already become a blues missionary and was confident in his own guitar playing, so George didn’t intimidate him. The Beatle wasn’t scared of the lone wolf either. They recognized they were each others’ equals and started a life-long friendship.
Initially, Clapton was suspicious of The Beatles. It was like they were one person; it was a strange phenomenon he couldn’t figure out. However, he realized that each member had their own talents, especially George.
Source: Hannah Wigandt/cheatsheet.com
George Harrison said there was a misconception about who was the most successful Beatle. When the press and the fans saw one of the Fab Four releasing music and being present in the public eye, they thought they were the most successful Beatle. However, being present didn’t constitute success. George never pursued a solo career. However, after The Beatles split, he had a stockpile of songs he’d hoarded throughout his time in the band. He’d only got about two songs on each album. George had to release the songs, or else he couldn’t move forward with his life. So, he unleashed a triple album, All Things Must Pass, which had a track called “My Sweet Lord,” the first No. 1 single by an ex-Beatle.
Source: Hannah Wigandt/cheatsheet.com
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Monkees put out psychedelic albums in 1967. Keith Richards said The Rolling Stones weren’t initially trying to be ambitious at the time. Two of the three albums reached No. 1 in the United States.
The Beatles’ Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, John Lennon, and George Harrison standing in a row
During the same year, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and The Monkees all embraced psychedelic rock music. Subsequently, Keith Richards discussed whether The Rolling Stones’ psychedelic album was inspired by The Beatles. Notably, one of the groups’ psychedelic albums was far more popular than the others.1967 saw the release of The Beatles’ psychedelic album Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Subsequently, The Monkees embraced the genre with Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn & Jones Ltd as did The Rolling Stones with Their Satanic Majesties Request, while the Fab Four made Magical Mystery Tour, another album in the same vein.
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
Paul McCartney and John Lennon were in a songwriting partnership for years and considered each other close friends, but their public images are markedly different. McCartney is often seen as an affable family man, while Lennon is thought of as angrier, with more politically-minded songs. According to McCartney, they were different personality-wise but had far more in common than people may realize.
A black and white picture of Paul McCartney and John Lennon sitting at a dinner table together.
Part of the reason people assume Lennon and McCartney are so different is the long-running public feud they engaged in when The Beatles broke up. After one interview by McCartney, Lennon wrote a furious letter to his former bandmate.
“It’s all very well playing ‘simple, honest ole’ human Paul’ in Melody Maker,” Lennon wrote, per the New York Post, “[but] if you’re not the aggressor (as you claim), who the hell took us to court and s*** all over us in public?”
Source: Emma McKee/cheatsheet.com
It might not be a coincidence that The Beatles found fame once Ringo Starr joined the band. He once said he knew he was no good as a drummer, but very few people shared that opinion. The Fab Four shot to the top of the charts soon after adding Ringo, and they stayed there until breaking up in 1970. Ringo once described how The Beatles handled their fame, which differed from the way Elvis Presley handled his and saved them from ending up like him.The Beatles maintained a hectic touring schedule in their early days. They crisscrossed England between playing long-term residencies in Hamburg, Germany. The Fab Four cultivated a dedicated fan base in Europe, but Ringo said it took a lucky break to get booked for their career-changing appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
Source: Jason Rossi/cheatsheet.com
Paul McCartney said a “military-looking” woman influenced The Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper. Paul didn’t like disparaging the woman’s looks in a book he wrote. Sgt. Pepper was more popular in the United States than in the United Kingdom.
Paul McCartney said one song from The Beatles‘ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was inspired by a woman he did not find attractive. He felt bad discussing the woman’s looks in a book he wrote. Subsequently, he said the track displayed his ability to paint a picture.In his 2021 book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul discussed his view of parking attendants. “Nobody liked parking attendants, or meter maids, as they were known in that benighted era,” he wrote. “So, to write a song about being in love with a meter maid — someone nobody else liked — was amusing in itself.” The song in question was “Lovely Rita.”
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
John Lennon said The Beatles‘ “I Saw Her Standing There” was a potboiler. In addition, he discussed what he thought about Paul McCartney’s work on the song. In a 2021 book, Paul talked about the effect “I Saw Her Standing There” had on audiences.“That’s Paul doing his usual good job of producing what George Martin used to call a ‘potboiler,'” he replied. “I helped with a couple of the lyrics.” For context, a potboiler is a work of dubious merit that is made to generate money. In his 2021 book The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul discussed his relationship to dancing. “There’s no denying it; I really enjoy dancing. If I’m at a party and some spirited music comes on, I like to dance,” he wrote. “It’s something my wife Nancy and I are particularly keen on. After a show, when the band and crew get together for a drink, we’re always the first ones on the dance floor.”
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
The Beatles seemed to do almost everything together. They shared hotel rooms even when they made it big, did press conferences together, got high with Bob Dylan together, and took over the world as a unified quartet. Yet that unified front looked different when Paul McCartney and John Lennon made it into one musical hall of fame and left George Harrison and Ringo Starr behind.
The Fab Four seemed to spend every waking moment together in the 1960s, but that wasn’t quite the case.
Manager Brian Epstein split the quartet for their vacations. On at least one occasion, Paul and Ringo vacationed together (along with their significant others) while John and George did the same. Separating John and Paul helped keep the friction between them to a minimum. They probably needed time apart since they bunked together and worked together so frequently.
Source: Jason Rossi/cheatsheet.com
George Harrison didn’t enjoy American TV because it wasn’t nearly as good as British TV. The former Beatle also didn’t enjoy American films.
During a 1971 interview on The Dick Cavett Show (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters), George explained that he didn’t enjoy American TV after accidentally cursed on the program.
George said, “[Bleeped comment.] … Bleep!” Cavett added, “George! Uh, [chuckles] television in America isn’t as mature as it is in England. You can’t say certain things.”
George responded, “No. It’s very good in England. I can’t watch TV in America, to tell you the truth. It’s such a load of rubbish. Yeah. Terrible. Not ‘The Dick Cavett Show,’ of course.”
George disliked bleeping on American TV. However, he disliked something else about American TV more.
Source: Hannah Wigandt/cheatsheet.com
Sir Paul McCartney’s lookalike son has been spotted out and about in London and catching up with a friend for coffee.
James McCartney, 45, was dressed casually and carrying a guitar case as he walked along the street before joining his companion at an outdoor table.
The singer-songwriter is the only son of The Beatles legend and his late wife Linda, and brother of Heather, 59, Mary, 52, and designer Stella, 50.
He also has a half-sister, Beatrice, who is the daughter of Sir Paul and Heather Mills, who were married from 2002 until 2008.
He initially shunned the limelight, but later followed in his father’s footsteps and began working in the music industry.
Source: Bronte Coy/news.com.au
