Beatles News
Olivia Harrison opens “Came the Lightening: Twenty Poems for George” with a Pablo Neruda epigraph.
What Harrison seems to have found in this work, being published two decades after the death of her husband, Beatle George Harrison, is a thoughtful, meditative peace. While some of her poems explore the pain and confusion involved in grieving, many more celebrate her 23-year union with a partner who seems the definition of a soulmate.
In his forward to “Came the Lightening,” film director Martin Scorsese dubs Harrison's book a work of “poetic autobiography.” Indeed, Harrison includes a poem about both her childhood and her husband's, recounts the early days of their relationship moving into their Friar Park estate and considers time spent parenting, gardening, visiting with famous friends and being surrounded by music. The poems about coming to terms with being a widow prove just as compelling, looking clear-eyed at loss and building something new on the foundation of what was.
Source: John Young/post-gazette.com
John Lennon revealed the sexual meaning behind one of the lyrics from The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus.”
John discussed the role of sex in music.
“I Am the Walrus” became a minor hit in the United States.
John Lennon once corrected a journalist who misheard a lyric from The Beatles’ “I Am the Walrus.” He said a line from the song was about sex rather than marijuana. Subsequently, John ruminated on the role of sex in music in general.
Source: cheatsheet.com
John Lennon once revealed his suspicion that his son Julian Lennon would have preferred to have Paul McCartney as a father, but he “unfortunately” ended up with him instead. What relationship did the father and son have before the former Beatle’s tragic death? And how close was Julian to McCartney?According to Julian Lennon, John Lennon was only sometimes present in his life following his parents’ divorce and his father’s marriage to Yoko Ono. “[My] relationship with dad was very few [and] far between, really,” he revealed in an interview with BBC (transcribed by Rock and Roll and Garage.) He added, “There are fond flashes of memories.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
In the mid-1960s, George Harrison found spirituality. Taking LSD opened a door for him. Then his musical and spiritual guru, Ravi Shankar, opened the flood gates. However, when he started playing sitar, reading about Hinduism, chanting, and incorporating more religious themes in his music, some people doubted whether he was genuine about his spirituality. They thought it was only a passing phase.
It wasn’t. George remained religious for the rest of his life. People might have doubted him, but he also doubted another fellow rock star’s spirituality.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Stephen Marks reveals The Beatles unique genius by stripping down their music to their one most overlooked component; Their melodies, which Marks contends to be superior to any melodies written by anyone of any genre in music history.
This CD is certain to have massive universal appeal to all Beatle fans worldwide. Even those unfamiliar with their music will believe that they are listening to Beethoven or one of the great classical composers.
Marks' uniquely elegant style of playing is perfect for these melodies, and this CD will emotionally move every listener, just as The Beatles did.
Source: Marks Music/prnewswire.com
George Harrison and his wife, Olivia, welcomed their only son, Dhani, in 1978. They named him after two Indian musical notes. George strived to raise Dhani out of the spotlight and away from his fame. However, that doesn’t mean George shielded him away from anything. The former Beatle didn’t hold back from telling Dhani things and treated him like an adult.Shortly after Dhani was born, George and Olivia decided to keep him as much away from the spotlight as possible. George already wanted to stay away from people, so it wasn’t that hard. George said it was unfortunate that John Lennon’s kids had grown up in the height of publicity and hadn’t gotten a chance to be kids. He didn’t want Dhani to go through a similar thing.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Paul McCartney’s planned new musical wouldn’t be the first time an actual Beatle created something original for Broadway. But it would be wonderful.
Three years ago, McCartney announced he was writing his first musical – a stage adaptation of Frank Capra’s 1946 movie “It’s a Wonderful Life,” a holiday evergreen in which Jimmy Stewart plays a man disappointed with his life who gets to see what the world would be like had he never been born.
The show seemed likely to wind up on Broadway, considering the credentials of his collaborators: book writer and co-lyricist Lee Hall (Tony winner for “Billy Elliot”; Network); producer Bill Kenwright (Tony-winner for “A Doll’s House” revival; “Passing Strange.”) There was even talk at the time of opening around Christmas, 2020.
Source: newyorktheater.me
The Beatles‘ “Eleanor Rigby” is one of the Fab Four’s most famous ballads. During the songwriting process, Paul McCartney asked John Lennon and a pair of others to work on the lyrics of the song. John explained why Paul’s actions offended him.John said Paul didn’t directly encourage him to work on “Eleanor Rigby.” “But by that time he didn’t want to ask for my help, and we were sitting around with [The Beatles’ personal assistant] Mal Evans and [music industry executive] Neil Aspinall, so he said to us, ‘Hey, you guys, finish up the lyrics.'” John was incensed by Paul’s actions. “Now I was there with Mal, a telephone installer who was our road manager, and Neil, who was a student accountant, and I was insulted and hurt that Paul had just thrown it out in the air,” he said.
Source: cheatsheet.com
George Harrison and Eric Clapton had an interesting relationship. In the early 1970s, Clapton fell in love with George’s first wife, Pattie Boyd. She eventually left the former Beatle and married Clapton. However, this drama did nothing to the pair’s friendship.
While in The Beatles, George envied Clapton’s autonomy, but there was never any competition between them. There might have been if George toured more throughout his career, though.
In 1991, George announced that he was going on a tour of Japan with Clapton. It was his first tour since his first solo tour of the U.S. in 1974. George had played various gigs over the years, but nothing like this. He didn’t like touring very much. He once said he’d rather jam with his friends at a remote Holiday Inn somewhere. However, touring with Clapton made him feel better about it.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Drug song? Psychedelic whimsy? Or is it just about a submersible vehicle painted in a bright colour? Let’s delve into the mind of Paul McCartney…
53 years ago, The Beatles premiered their psychedelic full-length cartoon feature Yellow Submarine in London. A star-studded affair at The London Pavilion on Wednesday 17 July 1968, The Fab Four took time out from recording "The White Album" to see the film, joined by stars like Rolling Stone Keith Richards, model Twiggy and the first public appearance of Yoko Ono with John Lennon.
But why had The Beatles recorded such a child-like song in the first place? And what were they doing making cartoons anyway?
Source: Radio X
