Beatles News
The Beatles’ songwriters were John Lennon and Paul McCartney in the Lennon-McCartney partnership. This is well known, yet George Harrison and Ringo Starr also wanted some of the action as the band’s popularity grew. Sadly, it did not come, especially in the case of Sir Ringo, who barely had any tunes on The Beatles’ records.
One of the reasons, as Sir Paul McCartney has admitted to, is that the group did not take Sir Ringo’s songs very ‘seriously.’
Sir Paul and George Harrison grew up together, then joined up with John Lennon as teenagers, so there was a tight bond with them.
Sir Ringo joined the band later and has spoken of how he felt like an ‘outsider’ in the group.
He even left the band temporarily because of this feeling, later recalling in Anthology: “I left because I felt two things: I felt I wasn’t playing great, and I also felt that the other three were really happy and I was an outsider.
Source: Jenny Desborough/Jenny Desborough
The new issue of Uncut includes a candid interview with Klaus Voormann about his encounter with a 17-year-old George Harrison, during The Beatles’ formative residencies in Hamburg. The German artist and Plastic Ono Band member tells Graeme Thomson tales involving fish finger diets, late-night phone calls from “Herr Schnitzel”, and the making of George’s very own masterpiece…The thing to remember about George Harrison is that he was a Gemini. The twin sign. Yin and yang. On Revolver you have “Love You To” and “Taxman”. Two sides. He could be really living this spiritual life – into meditation and getting up at 5am to see the sun come up – and doing it very extensively. Then suddenly he would go crazy! He could swap from the one extreme to the other, and he could find ways to make himself believe that it was the good thing to do. He would talk himself into it. This is why he was always searching for something – because he knew himself well enough to know that he needed something to hold onto.
Source: Graeme Thomson/uncut.co.uk
On January 30, 1969, the iconic rock and roll outfit The Beatles took to the roof of Apple Records headquarters in London, England, and gave passersby a one-of-a-kind experience when they performed what would be their final live performance. What is now known as The Beatles’ Rooftop Concert has gone down as one of the most iconic moments of 20th Century pop culture more than 50 years later. This concert, however, is just a small part of the Peter Jackson documentary The Beatles: Get Back, a soon-to-be-released intimate look at the final days of the seminal rock and roll band.
But while there are countless diehard Beatles fans who have spent the past few years diving through everything related to to Get Back, others might not be entirely caught up to speed on what sounds like one of the most important rock and roll documentaries since release of The Last Waltz or Gimme Shelter. Here are quick things to know about The Beatles: Get Back.
Source: Philip Sledge/cinemablend.com
Noel Gallaher has revealed what happens when two of the biggest names in rock and roll history meet back stage at a gig – they end up talking about flowers.
The 53-year-old Brit Pop star has peeled back the curtains on the first time he ever met rock royalty, Sir Ringo Starr, of the Beatles fame.
Noel and his brother Liam were gobsmacked when the 80-year-old world famous drummer dropped backstage following a performance in their Oasis heyday.
Noel has explained that he was taken by surprise when Sir Ringo started to discuss the power of flowers when they engaged in a conversation.
The Sun quote Noel stating: “He was the only man to ever walk into an Oasis dressing room and get a standing ovation. We said, ‘What are you doing in London?’.
“And he said, ‘I’ve come to the Chelsea Flower Show’.”
Source: Seamus Duff/mirror.co.uk
Multi-instrumentalist, singer and composer Sananda Maitreya joined host Kenneth Womack to talk about his new album "Pandora's PlayHouse," how the Beatles were "ordained by God" and much more on "Everything Fab Four," a podcast co-produced by me and Womack (a music scholar who also writes about pop music for Salon) and distributed by Salon.
Maitreya (formerly known by the stage name Terence Trent D'Arby) had a string of hits in the late '80s from his album "Introducing the Hardline," including "Sign Your Name" and "Wishing Well." But as he tells Ken Womack, his musical journey actually began much earlier. As the son of singer Frances Howard, he was initially only allowed to listen to gospel music — that is, until the Beatles arrived in the U.S. in 1964.
"Songs like 'She Loves You' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' were so ubiquitous," he says. "I was spiritually awakened. I wanted to be a Beatle." He also explains to Womack that one of the reasons he wanted to guest on "Everything Fab Four" was to "unburden my great debt to them. I'm very, very grateful they showed up."
Source: salon.com
One of modern music history’s best-known accounts of what could have been, Pete Best was The Beatles‘ first drummer.
Best was dropped from the band by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison on the cusp of their spectacular fame in 1962. Once they hit it big, he remained firmly in their rear-view mirror, never sharing in or receiving any of the fortune The Beatles amassed from their music or merchandising.
That changed at the release of a recording by the band, when Best was awarded royalties many believe he had coming for years.
Lennon’s take on why Best was fired
Lennon, the band’s rhythm guitarist and founder, wasn’t one to mince words regardless of occasion or possible offense.
According to Starr biographer Michael Seth Starr (no relation) in Ringo Starr: With a Little Help, Lennon firmly made clear why Best was let go — and it had nothing to do with his looks.
Source: cheatsheet.com
When The Beatles were just starting out they were extremely popular. Although their fame had only taken hold of Great Britain during the early 1960s, they were still being chased down by their rabid fans. This meant that when the likes of Paul McCartney and John Lennon checked into hotels they were forced to use fake names to avoid any unwanted notice. It was one of these names that brought about one of the first punk rock bands of all time, the Ramones.
Each of the Ramones' members adopted the surname Ramone as a tribute to Paul.
One of the band's founding members, drummer Marky Ramone, recalled the story years later in an interview.
He said the inspiration came from the band's bassist, Dee Dee Ramone.
He revealed: "The Beatles used to tour … before they were The Beatles, they were called The Silver Beatles, and all the girls running after them, even the guys."
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
Sir Ringo Starr says The Beatles were the best band in the world because of their "psychic" connection.
The iconic Liverpool group's drummer has insisted no other act can top the 'Hey Jude' hitmakers - which was also made up of Sir Paul McCartney and the late John Lennon and George Harrison - because they shared a telepathic bond when performing live.
Speaking on SiriusXM, he said: "When we were playing together as a band, we were the best band in the land.
"I don't care what anyone says. We knew each other and it was like psychic.
"I would be playing drums with my eyes closed and the headphones on and would know John was going to go somewhere.
"I'd drum in that and hold it together while they went mad and then bring it back."
Ringo previously revealed he nearly missed out on being one of The Beatles because he'd planned to move to America.
Source: crowrivermedia.com
In the book titled Sound Pictures: The Life of Beatles Producer George Martin, written by Kenneth Womack, the author reveals a strategy behind Beatles records.
Martin and the band decided to have Ringo sing one song on every Beatles album. And it wasn't just to be nice to Ringo. In the first wave of Beatlemania, Ringo was the most popular Beatle.
Years ago, comedian Mitzi McCall and her husband Charlie Brill were a comedy team called McCall & Brill. They were a nightclub act that finally got a big break to be on the Ed Sullivan Show. But that big break happened on February 9th, 1964 - the historic night the Beatles also appeared.
The comedy team came on right before the Fab Four's second set that night, but they couldn't hear each other while performing their sketch because the 14-year-old fans were screaming for the Beatles.
Seventy-three million people watched that night. It was their big opportunity - and no one remembered McCall & Brill. Their agent didn't call them again for six months after that. They say they never watch the video of that night.
Source: CBC Radio
Legendary musician Paul McCartney has had an incredible career, and he's still writing and performing at the age of 78. That doesn't come naturally: There's a lot that goes into maintaining a healthy lifestyle that promotes longevity. Recently, McCartney discussed a strange exercise that he's been doing for years. Both Paul and his daughter, Mary McCartney, say this one technique has helped keep a key body part healthy over the years. There's even a video of Paul demonstrating the exercise on YouTube. Read on to find out what routine this music icon swears by.
Source: Allie Hogan/bestlifeonline.com
