Beatles News
John Lennon and The Beatles’ music is teaming with hopeless romantic tropes. “Girl,” “Here, There and Everywhere,” “Something,” and “In My Life” are just a few of the notable ones that come to mind. However, there are hoards of other ones that exist in the Beatles’ expansive and decorated catalog.
John Lennon was always an artist in every sense of the word, thus, he seemingly always liked to place himself in the very setting of his songs. That being so, when Lennon sat down to write the Beatles’ 1964 single, “If I Fell,” he made sure to write it on a dramatically appropriate piece of paper—A Valentine’s Day Card.
John Lennon and The £7,800 Valentine’s Day Card
It is unclear where and when John Lennon wrote the lyrics for “If I Fell” on the back of a Valentine’s Day Card, though, both Lennon and Paul McCartney have spoken candidly about the song’s meaning and context. Regarding the latter, “If I Fell” appeared in the Beatles’ film A Hard Day’s Night. In the scene, Lennon comedically mimes the song to Ringo Starr. Although, that still doesn’t explain the subject matter behind the song’s lines.
In the book, All We Are Saying, Lennon stated, “That’s my first attempt to write a ballad proper. That was the precursor to ‘In My Life.’” “And it’s semi-autobiographical, but not consciously. It shows that I wrote sentimental love ballads, silly love songs, way back when.”
McCartney, who helped Lennon write the song, chimed in by saying, “People tend to forget that John wrote some pretty nice ballads. People tend to think of him as an acerbic wit and aggressive and abrasive, but he did have a very warm side to him really which he didn’t like to show too much in case he got rejected.” “We wrote ‘If I Fell’ together but with the emphasis on John because he sang it. It was a nice harmony number, very much a ballad,” concluded McCartney in the book, Many Years From Now.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Peter Burditt
Paul McCartney is treating New Yorkers to a third surprise concert, Friday, February 14—truly proving that he is a gift that keeps on giving. McCartney announced the Valentine's Day performance on his Instagram this afternoon. Tickets are on sale right now.
The third performance comes after giving about 600 people a show to remember Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
The lucky audience members happened to get over to the Bowery Ballroom box office first on Tuesday and many of those who got tickets for the Wednesday night show were already camping out in hopes another concert would be announced. Apparently, actors Emma Stone, Anne Hathaway and supermodel Karlie Kloss managed to attend on Wednesday night. And likewise, people were already lining up outside the venue on Thursday hours before the third concert announcement went live.
Tickets from third party vendors are not being honored to weed out fake tickets, so tickets must be gotten in person.
Source: timeout.com/Shaye Weaver
Over half a decade after the international superstars broke up, 44 years after the death of John Lennon and 23 years after the passing of George Harrison, The Beatles released their 2025 Grammy-winning song, “Now And Then.”
During the recent Grammy Awards ceremony on Feb. 2, The Beatles won their eighth Grammy Award, receiving nominations for record of the year and best rock performance, winning the latter of the two. Because of the death of half of the members of the mid-20th century pop group, the recording of the new Grammy-nominated record was unlike any other.
The origin of the song is derived from an unreleased demo that the late Lennon made three years before his assassination in 1980. In 1994, the three living members at that time came together to work on three previous demos: “Free as a Bird,” “Real Love,” as well as “Now and Then,” releasing the first two in 1995 and “Now And Then” in November 2023.
“Free as a Bird” was quite successful, winning best music video, short form, as well as best pop performance by a duo or group with vocal at the 1997 Grammy Awards. In addition, the single peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart and number six on the US Billboard Hot 100.
This newest song, however, was made differently from “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” While the earlier songs were really just continuations of the early demos, “Now and Then” was almost completely remade and reworked using McCartney and Starr’s current work as well as some help from artificial intelligence to smooth out Lennon’s vocals throughout the song.
Due to the subpar recording quality of Lennon’s demo, pulling the vocals out of the mix was not an easy task, especially with the technology that was available when the band initially revisited the demo in the mid-1990s.
Source: alleghenycampus.com/Evan Belkin
In terms of legacy-making months, February has always been good to The Beatles. The band’s triumphant 1964 appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" will always resound in the history of popular music, to be sure. Then there’s the group’s first full-length concert at the Washington Coliseum a few days later. And these Fab Februarys have never truly ebbed, with Paul McCartney staging a series of intimate, pop-up concerts in Brooklyn this very week.
Which brings us to the latest Beatles book to hit the shelves. Robert Rodriguez and Jerry Hammack, the authors of "Ribbons of Rust: The Beatles’ Recording History in Context," are undertaking one of the most ambitious new projects in Beatles studies. In a painstaking effort to account for the band’s origins and influences, Rodriguez and Hammack contextualize the bandmates’ lives and work in terms of their historical and sociocultural moment. The book series draws its name, by the way, from the recording tape upon which the group imprinted their masterworks, those “ribbons of rust”—iron oxide bonded to polyethylene terephthalate.
The first volume in the series traces the fertile and transformative era from July 1954 through January 1963, when the Beatles were poised to conquer Great Britain with the chart-topping “Please Please Me” single. Rodriguez and Hammack are ideally situated to undertake this multivolume work. Rodriguez is the author behind one of Beatles criticism’s seminal books, "Revolver: How the Beatles Reimagined Rock ‘n’ Roll," and the host of the popular "Something about the Beatles" podcast. For his part, Hammack is the author of "The Beatles Recording Reference Manual" series.
Source: salon.com
“Hey, that was a Beatles scream!” Paul McCartney said, responding to a female audience member’s shriek midway through his exuberant surprise concert at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on Tuesday night. “Okay girls, let’s get it over with,” he mock-sighed. “Let’s hear your Beatles screams.”
A huge percentage of the audience complied, producing a credible impersonation of the shrieks that shook the world in 1964 while McCartney listened, then nodded in approval and said, “OK that’s enough.” While some would have basked in the moment, Sir Paul has probably heard enough screaming in his 83 years to burst a thousand eardrums.
But for the lucky people in the room, it was a night worth screaming over: Seeing Paul McCartney and his ace band play a 575-capacity venue that later in the month is hosting shows by such artists as Bartees Strange, Willow Avalon and Jesse Welles. The show was announced suddenly at noon, with no advance warning:
And at 6:44 p.m. on the nose, the band — led by McCartney — walked down the narrow stairs leading from the Bowery dressing room to the stage and launched straight into “A Hard Day’s Night,” soaring through a tight but relaxed career-spanning set that featured lots of banter, much of it in direct response to comments shouted by audience members.
There was plenty to shout about: Although McCartney said they’d had just one rehearsal the day before, this band — guitarist Rusty Anderson, guitarist-bassist Brian Ray, keyboardist Paul “Wix” Wickens and powerhouse drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., accompanied on some songs by a three-piece horn section — has been together for a dozen-plus years and has toured nearly every one of them (and just wrapped a 23-date European jaunt last Dec. 19), so it’s safe to say they’re tour-tight even after one rehearsal.
And the show, with a tightened version of that tour’s two-plus hour setlist, spanned McCartney’s entire recorded career, from 1963 (“From Me to You”) to his 1970s solo hits and even last year’s “final” Beatles song, “Now and Then.” In between, of course, was nearly every song you’d need to hear: big crowd singalongs on “Hey Jude” and “Ob-la-di Ob-la-da,” romps through “Get Back,” “Jet” and “Got to Get You Into My Life”; deeper cuts like “Letting Go,” “Let Me Roll It” and “Mrs. Vandebilt”; a pair of 21st-century tracks (“My Valentine,” “Come on to Me”); acoustic songs like “I’ve Just Seen a Face” and a solo “Blackbird.”
Source: variety.com/Jem Aswad
On This Day, Feb. 11, 1964 …
The Beatles played their first show in the U.S. at the Washington Coliseum, performing 12 songs, including “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You” an “Twist and Shout.”
Thousands of screaming fans showed up for the concert, which resulted in over 350 police being dispatched to the show.
The Beatles played their show in the round and wound up pausing the concert several times to turn Ringo Starr’s drum riser so everyone in the audience got a chance to see him.
The concert, held two days after the band made their TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, was filmed and telecast in U.S. theaters that March.
Source: wxhc.com/Jill Lances
The Beatles had a lot riding on their debut single in the early 1960s. Would the band make a decent first impression or be doomed to be nothing more than a house band for dark, dank clubs across Europe? The music they recorded at EMI Studios had the potential to elevate them from local Liverpudlian heroes to international stars. Of course, plenty of bands have successfully come back from a poorly received debut. But would such a comeback be possible for a relatively unknown band from northern England?
Even with their countless hours of stage time under their belt, the Beatles were facing an obstacle they had never before encountered. Unsurprisingly, the band had strong feelings about which songs did—and didn’t—meet their necessary criteria for a successful debut single.
In the early 1960s, shopping for songs in Tin Pan Alley was a far more common practice than bands releasing original material. But as history would show time and time again, the Beatles were anything but ordinary. The songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney was well underway. And that’s what the band wanted to highlight with their first singles. So, the band voted for an original they felt had some real weight behind it: “Love Me Do.” Their producer, George Martin, disagreed.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis
John Lennon, born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, was a legendary singer, songwriter, and peace activist who co-founded the iconic rock band, The Beatles. He was a pivotal figure in the music industry and became one of the most influential and celebrated musicians of the 20th century.
In the early 1960s, along with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, John Lennon formed The Beatles, a band that would revolutionize popular music and become a cultural phenomenon. As the primary songwriter and co-lead vocalist of the group, Lennon’s creative contributions were instrumental in shaping their sound and style.
The Beatles’ massive success and unprecedented fame brought Beatlemania to the world, influencing an entire generation and changing the landscape of popular music forever. Some of Lennon’s most iconic compositions for The Beatles include “Imagine,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “A Day in the Life,” and “Let It Be.”
In 1969, John Lennon married artist and musician Yoko Ono, and the couple became known for their activism and advocacy for peace. Their “Bed-In” events, peace protests, and iconic song “Give Peace a Chance” demonstrated Lennon’s commitment to promoting non-violence and social harmony.
In 1970, The Beatles disbanded, and John Lennon pursued a successful solo career. He released several acclaimed albums, including “Imagine,” which remains one of his most beloved and critically acclaimed works. His solo music often carried powerful messages of peace, love, and self-reflection.
Tragically, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment building by a deranged fan. His untimely death shocked the world and led to an outpouring of grief and tributes from fans and fellow musicians worldwide.
John Lennon’s impact on music, art, and culture is immeasurable. His honest and introspective songwriting, combined with his activism and pursuit of a more peaceful world, left an enduring legacy. He continues to inspire and influence generations of musicians and remains an icon of artistic expression and social consciousness. “Imagine,” his timeless anthem for a better world, remains a powerful reminder of his vision and enduring impact on humanity.
1. Imagine
2. Strawberry Fields Forever
3. Instant Karma!
4. Give Peace a Chance
5. Starting Over
6. Jealous Guy
7. Woman
8. Watching the Wheels
9. Love
10. Mind Games
Source: singersroom.com/Edward Tomlin
Laraine Newman still remembers the moment she realized “Saturday Night Live” had staying power.
In the earliest days of the show, she “had no idea who was watching” the sketch comedy series, Newman said during a visit to the 3rd hour of TODAY on Feb. 10.
However, one chance celebrity encounter in the lobby of 30 Rock, where the show is filmed in New York City, completely changed that.
“Out of my peripheral vision I see these forms, and they come into focus and it’s John (Lennon) and Yoko (Ono),” she said.
“And as John’s passing he goes, ‘Hi, Laraine,’” she added, using a British accent for effect.
“Not ‘hi,’” she emphasized. “‘Hi, Laraine.’”
That name-check was "an inkling” of the show’s success, she said.
Newman, 72, was one of the original “SNL” cast members who launched the show in 1975, along with comedy legends such as Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner.
Some of her most memorable characters on the show include the teenaged Connie Conehead and public access TV host Christie Christina.
When “SNL” first started, Newman said she “had no idea” it was going to be a hit and described the show as “just the redheaded stepchild of NBC.” She also said when she visited the show years later for the 40th anniversary, she was amazed at how much the costume department had grown since the early days.
“Our wardrobe was one room with a bedsheet that separated the women from the men, and with a sign just for Danny that said, ‘Must wear underwear,’” she said. Newman was an original member of the Groundlings, a Los Angeles-based improv group with dozens of notable alumni, including Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig. Former “SNL” cast member Will Forte was also a member of the Groundlings, and he appeared via video message on the 3rd hour of TODAY to ask Newman a question.
“How did your training at the Groundlings prepare you most for ‘SNL’?” he said. “Also, would you please answer in your Celine Dion voice?”
Newman didn’t miss a beat. “OK, well, you know, the structure of the show was exactly the same,” she said in a pitch-perfect Celine Dion accent. “You are onstage in a costume, offstage you change, you come back.”
This week, “SNL” alumni from all eras of the show will appear daily on TODAY leading up to the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special on Feb. 16.
Source: today.com/Lindsay Lowe
The Beatles put out some of the best music of the 20th century. However, even the Fab Four were capable of having a few musical and technical hiccups. Let’s dive into a few Beatles songs that feature hidden mistakes that you may have never noticed before!
1. “I’m Looking Through You”
By the time Rubber Soul rolled around, The Beatles had refined their recording techniques and performance ability. However, there is still a mistake in “I’m Looking Through You” that made it to the final cut. In fact, there are a few mistakes.
There’s a bit of guitar feedback at the 1 minute 18 seconds mark, as well as a guitar part that is out of tune at 1 minute 53 seconds. Ringo Starr missed a couple of drum hits at 1 minute 57 seconds, too. For an otherwise polished album, “I’m Looking Through You” is a pretty messy song when you really listen to it.
2. “Hey Jude”
“Hey Jude” is an incredibly beautiful song. However, it does make it to our list of Beatles songs with hidden mistakes for one particularly glaring reason: There’s a naughty word hidden in the mix.
It’s not clear who shouted “F***ing hell!” into the microphone around three minutes in. And even though it is buried, you can definitely hear it. Some fans believe that John Lennon was the one to curse, but McCartney later said that it was likely his mistake after missing a chord on the piano.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
