Beatles News
Pamela Adlon’s semi-autobiographical FX series Better Things follows the story of Sam Fox, a Los Angeles single mom struggling thanklessly to raise three daughters. But Better Things is not your average family sitcom. Episodes of Sam’s life appear through unconventional, often dreamy, interludes that unflinchingly examine off-beat topics, like menopause or the truly torturous attitudes of teenage girls. The Fox family relationships are both cruel and beautiful, a balance that’s reflected acutely in Better Things’ special theme song: “Mother” by John Lennon.
Most fans of the Beatles know that John Lennon’s free-spirited mother, Julia Lennon, deeply influenced her son’s songwriting. Julia’s premature death in 1958 (she was hit by a car) traumatized the teenage John, who was just beginning to know Paul McCartney and explore the rock ‘n’ roll scene of Liverpool.
Source: Emily Mack/rare.us
An unassuming artist's studio where Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club taught the band to play is for sale.
Originally built in 1902, London's Chelsea Manor Studio 4 was owned in the 1960s by celebrity photographer Michael Cooper, who assembled the Beatles together for one night and ended up producing one of the most iconic photo sessions in pop music history: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr dressed as Edwardian-era musicians standing before a constructed background collage of 66 cardboard and wax figures.
Source: Peter Mikelbank/finance.yahoo.com
In the twilight of the most harrowing year in recent memory, Paul McCartney chose to release the third and likely final installment in his self-titled album series. The former Beatle requires no introduction, but perhaps the “McCartney” albums do.
After John Lennon informed his bandmates that he wanted a divorce in September of 1969, McCartney withdrew from the public eye to his farm in Scotland, devastated. After a difficult two months, his wife Linda urged him to begin work on his first solo project.
Returning to London, McCartney recorded the album almost entirely in his home in St. John’s Wood on a fourtrack tape recorder without a mixing desk. He performed all the instrumentals and vocals on the record. A week after the official breakup of the Fab Four in April of 1970, Paul began his stellar solo career with the release of “McCartney.”
The album spent three weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard before losing its spot to “Let It Be” – ironically the Beatles’ 12th and final studio album – and offered one of the finest hits by an ex-Beatle in “Maybe I’m Amazed.”
Source: Cody Mello-Klein/alextimes.com
The impending release of the expanded John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band has been delayed again but we finally have a date for the announcement of a release date. Lennon fans will now find out all the details of the new 159 track box on 4 March 2021.The Plastic Ono Band site has confirmed that there will be 159 new mixes on the album. That may include repeat tracks such as both audio and Blu-Ray versions of the same tracks. It is also expected to include Yoko’s companion ‘Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band’ album, released the same day as John’s album on 11 December 1970.
Source: Paul Cashmere/noise11.com
Maybe the Beatles' all-consuming fame was such that they began to crave a certain anonymity. Maybe they were trying to avoid hassles relating to label affiliations. Or maybe they were just being silly.
Regardless of the circumstance, as the below list of Top 10 Secret Beatles Collaborations shows, history eventually revealed a series of initially anonymous credits while producing, writing and playing sessions under made-up names.
Their choices could be quite inventive, as when Paul McCartney transformed into Apollo C. Vermouth in order to produce the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band. But on other occasions, the Beatles made little pretense about hiding their true identities: George Harrison called himself "Harry Georgeson," "Son of Harry" and, while sitting in on Billy Preston's 1971 album I Wrote a Simple Song, simply "George H."
Source: ultimateclassicrock.com
THE BEATLES' final album Let It Be, included a collection of wondrous songs that have gone down in history as some of the band's best work - but one of the songs was originally supposed to be given to Tom Jones, until his record label rejected it, in favour of another song.
Sir Paul McCartney worked hard to fill out The Beatles’ last album, and even used songs that he was originally supposed to give away. One of these tracks was the legendary The Long and Winding Road. The star, who claimed he wrote the song in the same style as Ray Charles, first wanted to gift the song to Sir Tom Jones - on one big condition.
McCartney was, at the time, on very good terms with Jones, and were both extremely famous around the world.
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
“You just got to love Bob,” Starr told Far Out Magazine in the UK. “My old-time favourite lately is ‘When The Deal Goes Down,’ and it’s just a beautiful love song. It’s this beautiful love song, he’s very romantic in a lot of songs, everyone listens to his wacky dream stuff, which is great. He moves me on that record.
“That’s why I like it. If it moves me, it’s the sentiment of the record and how he says it. But no one else can say it like that. We met him in the ’60s in New York. We just sort of bumped into him ever since. He’s just an incredible artist that is well-placed in the musical history of American music and world music, so I put Bob down because of all of that. You couldn’t do a list without mentioning Bob.”
Source: Paul Cashmere/noise11.com
The Beatles are the Breaking Bad of rock bands — challenged by a couple of close contenders but generally considered to be the all-time best. Not only have they been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame; all four members have since been inducted individually. Between 1960 and 1970, the magical chemistry shared by the Fab Four resulted in some of the greatest music ever produced, with dozens of timeless classics and a few masterpieces that can be compared to Beethoven in terms of influence.
Unfortunately, all of this means it’s really expensive to license one of their songs to use a movie. But it’s usually worth the price-tag because the indistinguishable sound of the Beatles invariably evokes strong emotions in a given scene.
10 “Baby, You’re A Rich Man” In The Social Network
Thanks to Aaron Sorkin’s razor-sharp script and some incredible performances, David Fincher’s The Social Network took a really dry story and turned it into captivating, cinematic drama.
For the most part, the movie has an original score by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, but it also features a few licensed tracks, like the aptly placed Beatles song “Baby, You’re A Rich Man.”
Source: Ben Sherlock/screenrant.com
Jimi Hendrix and The Beatles got to know each other from the start of Hendrix’s solo career. During Hendrix’s first months in London, John Lennon and Paul McCartney began turning up backstage at the small clubs where Hendrix’s Experience started playing in late ’66.
In Hendrix: Setting the Record Straight (1992), Hendrix manager Chas Chandler spoke about that welcome support for the band. “We got a tremendous amount of help from people like Mick Jagger, Paul, McCartney, and John Lennon,” Chandler said. “They would rave about Hendrix.”
Indeed, the Beatles connection directly led to Hendrix’s appearance at Monterey Pop, which represented his big break in America. McCartney personally recommended Hendrix to festival organizers, and they took the Beatle’s word when they booked the Experience.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Hitmaking producer David Foster was once fired from working on a Ringo Starr album.
Foster joined the likes of Bruce Springsteen, Rod Stewart, Alicia Keys, John Legend, and Dionne Warwick for the all-star celebration, which Davis used to highlight what he considered to be the top live performances from over the years.
After playing a clip of The Beatles in concert, Davis welcomed Foster to the party as the multi-Grammy winner recalled his experiences of working with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo on their solo projects decades ago.
However, he admitted his stint with Ringo didn't last long, as he was promptly dismissed by producer Richard Perry.
"Richard fired me from the album. He didn't like the way I played," Foster shared. "It was a great 'a-ha' moment where you take it in and say, 'I can do better' or you fold and go home."
Source: msn.com
