Beatles News
McCartney explains the books premise. “More often than I can count, I’ve been asked if I would write an autobiography, but the time has never been right. The one thing I’ve always managed to do, whether at home or on the road, is to write new songs. I know that some people, when they get to a certain age, like to go to a diary to recall day-to-day events from the past, but I have no such notebooks. What I do have are my songs, hundreds of them, which I’ve learned serve much the same purpose. And these songs span my entire life.’From the announcement: In this extraordinary book, with unparalleled candor, Paul McCartney recounts his life and art through the prism of 154 songs from all stages of his career – from his earliest boyhood compositions through the legendary decade of The Beatles, to Wings and his solo albums to the present. Arranged alphabetically to provide a kaleidoscopic rather than chronological account, it establishes definitive texts of the songs’ lyrics for the first time and describes the circumstances in which they were written, the people and places that inspired them, and what he thinks of them now.
Source: Best Classic Bands Staff
Last week, we shared Rick Livingstone’s memories of his time singing lead in the 1990 supergroup the Best alongside John Entwistle, Joe Walsh, Keith Emerson, and Jeff “Skunk” Baxter. Their set mixed songs by the Who, the Eagles, Steely Dan, the Doobie Brothers, and Emerson, Lake, and Palmer, though the group dissolved after just four gigs in Japan and one in Hawaii. But thanks to a professionally filmed show at the Yokohama Arena and the magic of YouTube, they’ve had a long afterlife.
Reunions by the Eagles, ELP, and the Who ultimately doomed the Best, but it wasn’t the last time that Entwistle went out with a supergroup. He joined up with Ringo Starr’s All Starr Band in the summer of 1995 for a memorable run alongside Randy Bachman, Mark Farner, Billy Preston, and Felix Cavaliere. The Who kept him pretty busy between 1996 and 2000, but they took a year off in 2001 and he filled out the time by joining forces with Todd Rundgren, Alan Parsons, Ambrosia’s David Pack, and Heart’s Ann Wilson for a Beatles tribute show they called A Walk Down Abbey Road.
Source: Andy Greene/rollingstone.com
Fans of The Beatles will be able to study for a Masters degree in the Fab Four as the University of Liverpool opens applications for a new programme.
The MA, The Beatles: Music Industry and Heritage, is aimed at students from around the world with an interest in the music and creative industries, as well as those employed in museums and galleries, the arts, and tourism and leisure sectors.
Dr Holly Tessler, programme leader and Beatles expert, said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we are able to bring formal study of The Beatles to the University of Liverpool’s Department of Music and Institute of Popular Music – the world’s first specialist centre for the study of popular music.
This MA is as much about the wider study of Liverpool’s - and Britain’s - heritage, tourism and culture sectors as it is about the role The Beatles played in them
“What makes this MA unique is its focus on The Beatles in a future-facing way, considering the legacy’s influence on the music and creative industries, in popular culture and within heritage culture and tourism in the 21st century.
Source: Eleanor Barlow/standard.co.uk
Answering a fan's question on his official website, musician Paul McCartney affirms once again that he has "always been an optimistic person" despite whatever crisis is going on.
"I've always been an optimistic person, because I don’t like the alternative!," says the legendary ex-Beatle. "I find that even when you go through crisis after crisis, you still come out the other end, and no matter how bad you’re feeling it can often work out OK.
"Something I’ve learned is that life’s good, really, but we often screw it up. So I try to tell myself and other people that if we can just work on not screwing it up, it’s going to be better for us and everyone else.
"I always try and see the good side - the silver lining - and if you're lucky, it arrives."
Source: rte.ie
In 1966 The Beatles were at the height of their fame. The band had released more than 15 number-one selling albums and were world-famous. Throughout the 1960s the Fab Four had been touring consistently for most of the decade. After finishing a string of gigs in Asia earlier that year, the band set out on a North American tour through the summer of ’66. The Asian leg of the tour was particularly heated for the band, following a comment John Lennon made about the band being “bigger than Jesus”. George Harrison quipped on The Beatles Anthology: “We’re going to have a couple of weeks to recuperate before we go and get beaten up by the Americans.”
The American tour went on as planned, but by August the band were getting sick of being on a tourbus for most of the hours of the day.
Also speaking in The Anthology, Starr said: “In 1966 the road was getting pretty boring.
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
The iconic piece of The Beatles history has already outperformed its estimated price—and still has a week left under the hammer
Music collectors and Beatles aficionados will finally have the chance to own one of the most coveted pieces of Beatles history: the iconic Abbey Road street sign—home of the Abbey Road Studios—is officially hitting the auction block.
The authentic Abbey Road street sign is currently listed with Catherine Southon Auctioneers, and, according to a recent Hypebeast report, the famous sign is just one of many authentic road signages that is currently being sold by the Westminster City Council, with funds collected expected to go toward civil services in the area.
“This collection offers a unique opportunity to own part of our city's history,” deputy leader Melvyn Caplan said in a statement. “These are original signs which have been on the streets of London in recent years—through historic moments and cultural milestones.”
Source: Kaitlyn McInnis/hk.asiatatler.com
It all started in a car. I couldn’t tell you how old I was or where we were going, but I remember distinctly the first time I appreciated The Beatles the way I do now. My dad, now owner of a music publishing company based in Nashville, Tenn., has ingrained a comprehensive music education in me and my siblings — beginning with my bedtime lullaby, “My Girl” by The Temptations. In that car, on that day, I realized something that I will now gladly argue to anyone at any time: The Beatles are forever.
Since that moment, I have listened to every Beatles song in existence. I’ve had the life-changing opportunity to see Paul McCartney in concert twice and have unforgettable memories belting “Helter Skelter”, “Oh! Darling” and “Eleanor Rigby” with a 70-something-year-old Paul. My laptop, walls and Spotify Wrapped have been eternally overwhelmed by The Fab Four, and I can confidently say that nobody will ever take their place.
Source: The Michigan Daily
The 80-year-old’s feud with the Fab Four has been well-documented over the years. Sir Cliff didn’t rate his future “arch-rivals” after first hearing “some old cover” they performed but several years later U-turned on his damning verdict. In one account, Sir Cliff explained the part he played in The Beatles' first number one hit.
Prior to Beatlemania and their undeniable success across the pond, Sir Cliff admitted that he didn’t have much hope for the Liverpool band.
When asked whether he thought that would “be huge”, he replied: “Their name just sounds like something you tread on!”
Despite his cutting remark, Sir Cliff encouraged DJs to play their songs when asked about his favourite UK artist.
However, when The Beatles “broke America” after their 1964 appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show, Sir Cliff was furious.
He admitted to being “jealous” of their success and was upset that he had never experienced that same reception across the pond.
Source: Josh Saunders/express.co.uk
In 1964 The Beatles had conquered Liverpool and had set their eyes on London and the rest of the world. Before they made their transition to playing in America, the Fab Four were growing their popularity throughout the UK and Europe. The day before they played their first gig in London Paul McCartney visited the set of a Vincent Price film.
The 1964 film The Masque of the Red Death was a retelling of the Edgar Allan Poe short story of the same name.
The picture was directed by Corman and starred 18-year-old actor Jane Asher.
At the time Asher was dating McCartney and asked Corman if she could bring him along to the set.
Corman was recently interviewed and recalled: “Jane and I used to have lunch together in the studio commissary. And on a Thursday, she said a friend of hers was traveling through, on his way to London the next day. Would it be all right if he came and watched a shooting during the morning, and we could all have lunch together? And I said: ‘Sure, fine.’”
Source: Callum Crumlish
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In 1966 The Beatles were incredibly famous but had not hit their stride yet. The quartet had already released albums such as Help!, Rubber Soul and Revolver, but in the years to come the Fab Four would release The White Album, Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and Abbey Road. It is because of their fame that the band’s manager, Brian Epstein, asked Harrison to forgo a large wedding to his bride-to-be, Boyd.
Instead of a church wedding, Harrison arranged to get hitched to his first love at a registry office in Epsom, Surrey and to keep it as low-key as possible.
Harrison and Boyd didn’t tell many people and just brought a few close friends to the event.
Paul McCartney was Harrison’s best man and Epstein attended the nuptials as well.
The other half of The Beatles, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, did not attend the wedding.
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
