Beatles News
George Harrison knew how to write a good love song. Although, it was often hard to tell if he was talking about his love for God, his first wife, Pattie Boyd, his second, Olivia, or just a woman in general. Either way, loving the women in his life took him one step closer to God.
George had a knack for describing romantic feelings without sounding too sappy. He did write one of the greatest love songs in music history, after all. Here are 15 of George’s most romantic love songs with a few honorable mentions.
15. ‘I Need You’
George’s “I Need You” from Help! is sad but no less sweet. It’s a good old fashion love song urging someone to come back. “You don’t realize how much I need you/ Love you all the time and never leave you/ Please come on back to me/ I’m lonely as can be/ I need you.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
The Beatles first performed on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964. The performance was the crowning moment in the group’s first tour of the U.S. It helped open the flood gates for the British Invasion and brought Beatlemania to its peak.
Now, Feb. 9 is like a holiday to some Beatle fans. They celebrate it by watching that record-smashing, historical performance each year. It became one of the most famous TV performances in the U.S. But how big of an impact did it have, at least in numbers? How many people tuned in to watch The Beatles that night in 1964?
Getting to play on The Ed Sullivan Show was a massive honor, especially for up-and-coming artists. However, The Beatles, who already had a No. 1 hit in America, didn’t come cheap.
According to Mental Floss, The Beatles “would only agree to appear if the show covered their travel expenses and paid them a $10,000 fee (which would be just under $90,000 in 2022 dollars). Sullivan and his producers agreed, but only if The Beatles would commit to making three appearances. They had a deal.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
John Lennon and Yoko Ono‘s son, Sean Ono Lennon, is a big fan of the songs from The Beatles’ Revolver. He compared listening to those tracks to reading J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. During an interview, Sean went so far as to say one of the songs from Revolver has the power to alter your consciousness.In a 2015 interview with The Guardian, Sean said he didn’t want to name a favorite Beatles song. Sean said he couldn’t understand why fans had favorite Fab Four songs any more than he could understand why people had favorite colors. He said the period of The Beatles’ career he enjoyed the most began with Revolver. Sean said this was because the band pushed “the limits of progressive songwriting” with that album.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Eric Clapton and George Harrison were friends for decades. Even though they traveled on vastly different paths throughout rock ‘n’ roll history, George and Clapton had much in common. They loved the guitar, had similar idols and influences, and even shared similar tastes in women.
Through the years, they became brothers. However, Clapton always had a hard time communicating his feelings toward George.
Clapton was with The Yardbirds when he first met George. They were on The Beatles Christmas show, and the pair hit it off immediately.
It’s understandable if George was ever envious of Clapton, who was mostly a free agent. George was stuck in The Beatles, where no one listened to the songs he put forth. So, it was probably comforting having Clapton around, showing George what life could be like outside the biggest band in the world.
Source: cheatsheet.com
On Sept. 15, 1964, Beatles superfans Janice Mitchell and Martha Schendel attended the band’s concert in their hometown of Cleveland, Ohio — then set in motion a plan that led to a trans-Atlantic manhunt, newspapers headlines on both sides of the pond and the attempted intervention of Paul McCartney.
Over the previous six months, the 16-year-olds had formulated a secret scheme to leave Cleveland after the gig and hop a flight to London. Their mission? Meeting the Fab Four.
Now, almost 60 years after the wild escapade, Mitchell (née Hawkins) has written a memoir, “My Ticket to Ride: How I Ran Away to England to Meet the Beatles and Got and Roll Banned in Cleveland” (Gray & Company), out now.
Source: Jane Ridley/nypost.com
To the Editor:
Re “We Can’t Work It Out: Why I Finally Broke Up With the Beatles,” by Josh Max (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 28):
I thoroughly enjoyed this piece, likely because I shared Mr. Max’s (overly?) keen interest in the greatest pop/rock band that ever existed (sorry, Stones).
My obsession began early in life (fourth grade, 1969-70). I still vividly recall a student teacher playing “Rocky Raccoon” for us. And the older regular teacher who took him into the hallway to admonish him for playing something so “risqué.” She particularly found the line “the doctor came in, stinking of gin” inappropriate for us kiddies.
That sealed the deal. Whenever I was bored in school in the following years, I would write out the song’s lyrics in their entirety. More time-killing and entertaining than scrawling “I hate school” over and over. Heck, I even wrote a short essay on some of my college applications “explaining” the Beatles’ greatness.
Source: nytimes.com
According to Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney wasn’t all that comfortable during the rehearsals for Concert for George. Let’s just say it was a humbling experience. However, Paul walked away from the tribute concert with even more love for his “baby brother,” George Harrison.George died in 2001 from cancer. He left behind his wife, Olivia, their only son, Dhani, and countless friends that loved him like a brother. George had a profound effect on people. Everyone who knew him craved to be in his company. Not to mention, George had tons of fans.So, there had to be a celebration of George, one where the fans and all of George’s friends could come together and honor him and his music. Eric Clapton, one of George’s closest buddies, knew this.
Source: cheatsheet.com
The digital auction in Los Angeles was organised by Julian Lennon (Dave Thompson/PA)
The notes written by McCartney on the well-known song were sold for a total of £56,750 (76,800 USD), making it the highest-value item sold at the event.
As well as several guitars gifted to Mr Lennon by his father, other items listed up for auction include John Lennon’s Magical Mystery Afghan Coat and the black cape he wore in the film Help!
The items went for a combined total of £16,500 (22,400 USD), as did a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, which was more than five times its estimated value.
Part of the proceeds from the items, sold in partnership with Julien’s auction house and YellowHeart NFT, will go to Julian Lennon’s White Feather Foundation.
Source: Mike Bedigan/independent.ie
To date, The Beatles are the most successful music artists in the history of the world and remain as popular as ever over 60 years since they formed. Last night, Sir Paul McCartney was a talking head on BBC One’s The Queen: 70 Glorious Years, looking back at the band’s impact during the monarch’s reign, including the big changes in youth culture during the 1960s. And at one point the 79-year-old made a huge claim during the programme concerning the Fab Four’s formation.
McCartney was reflecting on the UK’s National Service, which had come into force in January 1949.
It meant that all physically fit young men aged between 17-21 had to serve in one of the British armed forces for 18 months.
Source: George Simpson/express.co.uk
After not performing live since 1966, The Beatles are tasked with the impossible — they must write and rehearse 14 new songs in the span of three weeks. Whatever they create will be recorded as a studio album, played for a live audience and filmed for a TV special. The members have not written and recorded altogether in a while, and tensions are high as they try to work as a group in what would be their last year as a band.
Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary is featured on Disney+ as a three episode series with a runtime of nearly eight hours. Jackson, with permission from the surviving band members and their families, spent nearly four years compiling this footage, trying to capture an accurate portrayal of the Fab Four’s musical process and dynamics as they prepare for their final live performance together.
Source: Anna Falk/ndsmcobserver.com
