Beatles News
The Beatles have won their eighth competitive Grammy award thanks to a little help from artificial intelligence. The 2023 track “Now and Then” — which Billboard reports is the first song knowingly created with AI assistance to earn a Grammy nomination — was awarded Best Rock Performance on Sunday, beating out competition from Green Day, Pearl Jam, The Black Keys, Idles, and St. Vincent.
The track was pieced together using a demo that John Lennon recorded in the late 1970s, with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison later providing their own contributions in the mid-‘90s, with the aim of including the final song in The Beatles Anthology project. “Now and Then” wasn’t released, however, due to technical limitations at the time preventing Lennon’s vocals and piano from being separated from the original lo-fi demo.
McCartney and Starr later managed to complete the song in 2021 with help from filmmaker Peter Jackson and his sound team, who developed machine-learning technology (a type of AI that uses algorithms to learn from data) capable of isolating and cleaning up different components of Lennon’s recording. This greatly differs from generative AI tech that can be used to create music that mimics an artist’s style and vocals, but confusion around AI terminology led to some backlash online when the track was released.
“To be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real and we all play on it,” McCartney said in 2023, addressing speculation about AI’s role in development. “We cleaned up some existing recordings — a process which has gone on for years.”
Source: theverge.com/Jess Weatherbed
Japanese-New Zealand actress Anna Sawai is reportedly being considered to portray Yoko Ono in Sam Mendes’ highly anticipated four-part Beatles biopic project. The news has sparked excitement and discussion among fans, given Sawai’s rising prominence in Hollywood and the significance of Yoko Ono in John Lennon’s life and the Beatles’ history.
Director Sam Mendes, best known for 1917 and Skyfall, is embarking on an unprecedented cinematic journey by telling The Beatles’ story through four separate but interconnected films—one dedicated to each band member. This innovative storytelling approach is a first for a major motion picture, providing an in-depth and multifaceted view of the band’s legendary rise, relationships, conflicts, and ultimate breakup.
The films have received full cooperation from Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison, ensuring an authentic and authorized portrayal of the iconic group. With major casting decisions underway, the addition of Anna Sawai as Yoko Ono could add a new layer of depth to the narrative, particularly regarding John Lennon’s later years.
Anna Sawai has been gaining widespread recognition for her talent and versatility. Recently, she captivated audiences in FX’s ShÅgun, a historical epic set in feudal Japan. Her previous credits include Pachinko, Fast & Furious 9, and Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, proving her ability to take on complex roles in a variety of genres.
Source: yahoo.com/Diana Wilson
Left-handed guitarists have never had it easy, especially in the early years of the instrument's U.S. popularity. Reportedly, Jimi Hendrix’s father forced him to play right-handed when he was a youngster out of belief that left-handedness was a sign of the devil. Jimi accommodated his dad when he was around and then flipped the guitar for left-handed playing when he was gone.
Paul McCartney had it somewhat easier. A southpaw, his dad didn't force him to play right handed, but like other lefty guitarists he had to tweak his Zenith acoustic guitar by switching the string order and making homemade fixes to the nut. Even so, over time he managed to learn how to play guitar right-handed given that much of the time he was among right-handed guitarists with no suitable instrument in sight.
“I can play right-handed guitar a bit, just enough for at parties,” he confirmed to Guitar Player in 1990. “Hopefully, by that point everyone is drunk when I pick it up, because otherwise they're going to catch me. But I could do that."
He explained that it would have made little sense to ask if he could re-string someone's guitar. "And at a party, you only want to play it for 15 or 30 minutes or so, and by the time you've goofed up their guitar and you hand it back to them, they've got to string it back again, and it's silly. So I had to learn upside down.”
Source: guitarplayer.com/Elizabeth Swann
Fans of The Beatles never imagined they'd see the day when the group released their final song, let alone earn a couple of Grammy nominations for it.
However, while it's incredible that the over 60-year-old band is seeing a resurgence of love and recognition for their last tune, Now and Then, some fans can't help but notice that not all of its band members are being honored technically.
Deceased Beatles John Lennon and George Harrison are not listed on the band's Grammy nomination for Now and Then, despite being featured on the track.
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The Beatles' Now and Then, is up for Record of the Year and Best Rock Performance, but only the two living Beatles — Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr — are nominated for those awards.
Lennon, who died in 1980, and Harrison, who died in 2001, are not eligible due to Grammy rules for “new recordings” and cannot earn an award for “material that has been recorded within five years of the release date.”
So, if The Beatles win in either category, only McCartney and Starr will walk away with awards, instead of the entire group, which would've included Harrison's widow Olivia Harrison and son Dhani Harrison and Lennon's widow Yoko Ono and sons Julian and Sean Lennon.
This has happened before, according to Billboard.
For instance, Nat “King” Cole was not nominated when his daughter Natalie Cole won Record of the Year and Best Traditional Pop Performance in 1992 for their studio-created duet Unforgettable. He had died in 1965.
Source: the-express.com/Hannah Furnell
The record of the year category for the 2025 Grammys is full of zesty pop hits from young female acts such as Chappell Roan, Charli XCX and Sabrina Carpenter.
There’s also Kendrick Lamar’s operatically vicious “Not Like Us” and some poignant, expansive work from Beyoncé (“Texas Hold ’Em”) and Billie Eilish (“Birds of a Feather”).
Then there’s the Beatles’ “Now and Then”. The quartet is back on the Grammy leaderboard a full six decades after winning their first statuette.
“Now and Then”, salvaged from a famously muddy demo from John Lennon, was made possible with the AI-driven, instrument-isolating mix technology first showcased in the documentary series The Beatles: Get Back.
Not even the deaths of Lennon and George Harrison could stand in the way of the most tantalising prospect in rock – a new and final Beatles single, featuring all four members together.
The Recording Academy lauded the single with record and rock performance nominations. The music industry saw the achievements of “Now and Then” as a major feat of production technology and songcraft.
But the academy has also set hard rules around where AI can aid in making music and where it is disqualifying.
“Now and Then” is perhaps the best-case scenario for AI’s place in music.
It’s a pearl of music history, made possible through subtle technology that illuminates, rather than generates. But will its Grammy success open the floodgates for more veteran artists to access and alter old recordings?
“I think AI is a bit like nuclear power. It can split the atom – is that a good idea? Yes if you’re creating energy, but no if it’s a bomb,” said Giles Martin, producer of “Now and Then” and son of long-time Beatles’ producer George Martin.
“For me, when I listen to John’s voice, without fabrication, I felt like I was with him. That’s almost the opposite of AI.”
In 2023, the Recording Academy laid ground rules for how music can incorporate artificial intelligence and still be eligible for awards. The rules say that “only human creators” can win Grammys, and that “the human authorship component of the work submitted must be meaningful”.
Source: scmp.com
When news broke of Marianne Faithfull's death on Thursday (January 30), those close to the beloved singer took to social media to pay tribute. Paul McCartney mourned the death of his "life-long friend" in an Instagram post. What sad news that Marianne Faithfull has passed away," he captioned an old photo of himself and Faithfull. "She came into my life in the Sixties and was a beautiful, sweet 17 year old who radiated innocent joy. Then through the years I was lucky enough to run into her and to become a life-long friend."
"It’s very sad to think that I won’t be meeting her again but my memories of our encounters over the years will always bring me joy," McCartney reflected. "May god bless you Marianne and guide you in the next steps of your journey."
Mick Jagger, who dated Faithfull from 1966-1970, also shared an emotional tribute. "I am so saddened to hear of the death of Marianne Faithfull. She was so much part of my life for so long," he captioned an Instagram post showcasing photos of himself and Faithfull. "She was a wonderful friend, a beautiful singer and a great actress. She will always be remembered."
Faithfull was one of the most popular female artists in the British Invasion and is widely considered a muse for Jagger and The Rolling Stones. It's speculated that some of the band's most famous songs, including "Wild Horses" and "You Can’t Always Get What You Want," are about her. She released her debut single, "As Tears Go By," in 1964. It was the first song ever written by Jagger and Keith Richards and shot up the UK Top 10, peaking at No 9. The Stones released their own version a year later. After a turbulent decade fighting drug addiction, Faithfull's critically acclaimed album Broken English came out in 1979. Faithfull is also known for collaborating with Metallica on their 1997 hit "The Memory Remains."
Faithfull passed away on January 30 at the age of 78. "Marianne passed away peacefully in London today, in the company of her loving family," a statement from her spokesperson said.
Source: iheart.com
You don’t amass worldwide fame and not fall victim to a little conjecture. The Beatles certainly were on the bad end of a few rumors. Check out three of the strangest, below. 3 of the Strangest Rumors About the Beatles....
1. Paul is Dead
We have to start this list at the natural point: Paul is Dead. It’s one of the most famous rumors about the Fab Four–and possibly the most unbelievable. As the story goes, Paul McCartney died and was replaced by a convincing double. Theorists have pointed to the album cover for Abbey Road–in which the band members’ clothing is reminiscent of a burial–and backwards messages to support their claims. McCartney has denied this rumor, of course. But, then again, can you expect a body double to just come out and tell us the truth…Guess we can’t completely file this one under debunked.
2. John Lennon and the Devil
Countless rock stars have been accused of having a commune with the Devil. That idea was also leveled at John Lennon once upon a time. Those that believe this rumor think Lennon bargained his soul with Satan to garner fame on an unprecedented level. As a result of this, he suffered his tragic fate in 1980. Those that believe, think the Devil came to collect…While we put little stock in this theory, the fame the Beatles enjoyed did seem other worldly. You can hardly blame people for trying to come up with an explanation–no matter how outlandish.
3. John Lennon and the Number Nine
We’re ending our list with a second, more substantiated, Lennon rumor. Lennon found that the number nine popped up in his life often–too often to be coincidence. He wrote songs that included the number, he was born on October 9, he was apart of the band for nine years, he died on Ninth Avenue…Needless to say there is an all but confirmed connection between this number and Lennon. That fact has mystified fans for years.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Alex Hopper
During the 1970s, John Lennon’s final decade, the former Beatles star lived in the US and focused on his solo career.
Now, for the first time, his only full-length concert after leaving the Fab Four has seen its film footage restored.
Announced today by Dogwoof: “One to One: John and Yoko delivers an immersive cinematic experience that brings to life electrifying, never-before-seen material and newly restored footage of Lennon's only full-length, post-Beatles concert.
“With mind-blowing remastered audio overseen by their son, Sean Ono Lennon, the film is both compelling and bittersweet, challenging pre-existing notions of the iconic couple.
“On August 30, 1972, in New York City, John Lennon played his only full-length show after leaving The Beatles, the One to One benefit concert at Madison Square Garden, a rollicking, dazzling performance from him and Yoko Ono.”
Source: express.co.uk/George Simpson
Babygirl star Harris Dickinson responds to rumors he will play John Lennon in the four planned Beatles biopic movies. The Fab Four are finally getting the musical biopic treatment, as Sam Mendes and Sony are developing a quartet of Beatles movies, each centered on a different member of the chart-topping group. Barry Keoghan has already been confirmed as Ringo Starr, but the other three Beatles are yet to be officially cast, as the rumor mill keeps churning out potential names.
Lennon is arguably the prize Beatles catch from an acting standpoint, and last summer it was rumored that Babygirl’s Dickinson would be the one to nab that particular role, but the star is staying mum about whether the rumor has any substance. Dickinson just addressed his name being connected to Mendes’ four-film biopic, and gave only a brief response (via THR):
“OK, my comment is that I think it would be a brilliant opportunity to play John Lennon, and to work with Sam and everyone else mentioned. Yeah, I don’t know. It would be splendid.”
Banshees of Inisherin star Keoghan was confirmed last year to be cast as Starr after the Beatles drummer let the secret out of the bag. The other three main roles remain open, at least publicly, though it’s possible all have been cast and Sony is just waiting for the right time to announce the news.
Source: screenrant.com/Dan Zinski
With the Super Bowl just around the corner, Paul McCartney, who headlined the halftime show in 2005, has shared his thoughts on what he calls American football, and it turns out he’s a fan.
In a new Q&A on his website, the rocker was asked how he first got into watching the sport, and it seems his wife Linda is responsible.
“Well, being married to Linda meant I was in America quite a bit. We spent a lot of time there with her family and American Football was always on the television,” he explains. “I would watch it with everyone but not really know what was going on!”
McCartney says he didn’t understand the game until Linda clued him in to keep his eye on the quarterback, telling him, “All the action comes from him.”
“So, once I had that clue, I found it much easier to follow,” he says.
“I watched a lot of it and grew to really like it, because it’s quite a complicated and strategic game – and obviously very athletic,” Sir Paul says, joking, “In Britain we used to laugh at it, saying, ‘They wear all those pads and protective gear. We don’t, we’ve got rugby, a proper sport!"”
“But I got over all that, and found I really liked it,” he adds. “So yeah, I’m a big fan of football, American-style.”
Source: everettpost.com/ABC News
