Beatles News
Paul McCartney looked back at how he became the “instigator” in the Beatles, saying the pattern emerged in his friendships with John Lennon and George Harrison before they were bandmates.
McCartney’s apparent control over the band has been cited as one of the reasons tensions flared in its later years. But in a new interview with The New York Times Magazine, he argued that the situation took form before his musical career.
“I was thinking the other day of my hitchhiking bursts,” he said. “This was before the Beatles. I suddenly was keen on hitchhiking, so I sold this idea to George and then John. ... What I was thinking about was – it’s interesting how I was the instigator. Neither of them came to me and said, ‘Should we go hitchhiking?’ It was me, like, ‘I’ve got this great idea.’”
Source: ultimateclassicrock.com
The stark beauty found on the cover of the Beatles' 1968 self-titled album has captivated many fans, but artist Rutherford Chang likes it when the LP's famous all-white design takes on some wear and tear.
Chang has been acquiring copies of the White Album from all over the world, in any condition, for years. He prefers first-edition copies - later pressings removed the serial number and the embossed "The Beatles" on the cover - and those that aren't in mint condition. For Chang, the more owners have decorated the bare white cover with their own artwork, the better. Various stains are okay, too.
“I was interested in the different ways that the covers aged,” he told The New York Times. “Being an all-white cover, the changes are apparent. The serial numbers made collecting them seem natural, and the more I got, the more interesting it became. As you see, many of them are written on, and each has a story. The accumulation of the stories is part of it. But it’s also about how the physical object — the record — just doesn’t exist anymore.”
Source: ultimateclassicrock.com
Christmas is coming, and nothing says joy and love like the Beatles, rocking live in your living room! After ten consecutive years of holiday concerts, Abbey Road - A Tribute to the Beatles plan to deliver the joys of the season even if it means pivoting for the pandemic.
The award-winning band will bring their beloved Christmas with the Beatles show by way of a livestream event that you can tune into from the safety and comfort of your own home. LIVE from the legendary Belly Up stage in San Diego, California, see the band perform on Friday, December 18, featuring mash-ups of Christmas classics and Beatles faves. Livestream tickets are only $12.
"COVID can't steal Christmas concerts," said Doug Couture, who plays "George" in Abbey Road.
"We took this show online to hopefully help people put the ugliness of 2020 behind them."
Source: broadwayworld.com
John and Yoko were staying together at Ringo’s house in March of 1969. It’s there that John wrote “Because,” inspired by Beethoven, as played by his wife.
“Yoko was playing `Moonlight Sonata’ on the piano,” Lennon said to Peter Scheff. “She was classically trained. I said, ‘Can you play those chords backward?’ and wrote ‘Because’ around them. The lyrics speak for themselves; they’re clear. No bullshit. No imagery, no obscure references.”
When I interviewed Yoko in 1992, I asked her about her memories of the origins of “Because.”
“When you really listen to it, ” she said, “you see that he did play the chords backwards at one point but I think eventually it cleaned up a bit into a pop format. So he didn’t use all the chords. But that was the initial inspiration.”
Source: americansongwriter.com
19-years-ago on November 29, 2001, George Harrison died. The Beatles star suffered with lung cancer, and after numerous treatments, was confined to his home in Hollywood Hills. The star died at 9.30pm, surrounded by his wife, Olivia Harrison, son, Dhani Harrison, and friends including Ravi Shankar. The star was cremated the same day, and had his ashes scattered in the Ganges River, in India, as per his Hindu tradition dictated.
Just 17 days before Harrison’s death, he with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr in a hotel room in Manhattan.
On November 12, 2001, the three Beatles got together to reminisce about old times, and say their goodbyes to one another.
Harrison’s doctor, Gil Lederman, also attended the meeting to monitor the star’s health. He later revealed what happened in the final, fateful meeting between the three Beatles.
Gil explained: “ There were some tears - but there was more laughter than anything else.”
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
With a net worth of $1.2 billion, McCartney can afford to splurge a little, but apparently, he watches his expenses like a hawk.
Paul McCartney knows money can't buy him love. The famous ex-Beatle knows this because money is practically no object to him with his $1.2 billion net worth. Or is it?
McCartney has done a lot of different things to get that enormous net worth. His career as a Beatle and beyond has been one of the most successful of all time, and he's accomplished so much in his sixty years in the business. He's raised five kids who have turned out successful themselves and has kept pushing boundaries and holding records into his late '70s.
But is McCartney cheap? Some fans think so. He might be wary of spending his billions, but that could be because he was burned in the past.
Source: Hannah Wigandt/thethings.com
Paul McCartney has shared an excerpt of a new song called "The Kiss Of Venus" via a trailer for his forthcoming "McCartney III" album, which is now set to hit stores on December 18th.
The album's released was pushed back a week due to "unforeseeable production delays," according to the Beatles legend's camp. It was originally set to hit stores on December 11th.
The record will be released digitally, on CD, and on LP manufactured by Third Man Pressing. "Vinyl configurations will range from standard 180g to a Third Man Edition of 3,000 hand-numbered red vinyl copies, a U.S. indie retail exclusive pressing of 4,000 hand-numbered white vinyl LPs, and more." Watch the trailer below:
Source: antimusic.com
The Beatles are widely heralded as one of the greatest, and quite possibly the most influential, bands in history. They wonderfully encapsulated the spirit of the 1960s, transitioning from goodie boy band singing about holding hands to transcendental hippies singing about spiritual freedom and experimenting with advanced studio effects.
Even to this day, their music remains a revelation. Movie producers certainly know this, and The Beatles' music has appeared in numerous movies and TV shows throughout the years. Their incorporation may also prove particularly inspired, benefitting the excellent music on display.
10 Mad Men (2007-15)
Don listens to Tomorrow Never Knows
It's fitting that "Tomorrow Never Knows" appeared in Mad Men, as that show also encapsulates the growing trends and changing times of the 1960s. Season five's Lady Lazarus concerns Don Draper feeling particularly out of tune with the youth and counterculture. His wife, Megan, buys Revolver and tells Don to put on "Tomorrow Never Knows". He does so and sits down with a drink to listen to, but he only makes it a minute into the song before standing and turning it off. "The '60s" have arrived, and Don isn't ready for it.
9 Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
Ferris sings Twist and Shout
Source: Nathan Sharp/screenrant.com
Luther actor Idris Elba is set to interview former Beatle Paul McCartney for a 60-minute BBC One holiday special.
Produced by The Graham Norton Show outfit So Television, Idris Elba Meets Paul McCartney will be filmed in London over the coming weeks in line with local Covid-19 rules.
Elba, who moonlights as a musician and DJ, will interview McCartney about his career as one of the most successful musicians and composers in pop music history.
Elba said: “When I was asked if I wanted to speak to Paul McCartney, after I realised it wasn’t a joke, I immediately said yes… who wouldn’t?!
“His work has inspired and driven me as a musician, and once I get through the shock of sharing the stage with him, I’m excited to talk about his music and craft. What an honour!”
The special was ordered by chief content officer Charlotte Moore, Jan Younghusband, and Kate Phillips. The executive producers are Graham Stuart, Andy Rowe and Dylan Jones.
Source: sports.yahoo.com
The 50th anniversary of George Harrison’s seminal solo album All Things Must Pass is marked today (November 27) by the release of a new 2020 stereo mix of its title track.
The George Harrison Estate has announced the mix, which was overseen by the Grammy-winner Paul Hicks. He’s recognized for his work with the estate as well as with The Beatles and major album repackages in 2020 by the Rolling Stones (the extended Goats Head Soup) and John Lennon’s GIMME SOME TRUTH. The Ultimate Mixes compilation.
“The new stereo mix of the album’s title track is just a taste of more things to come in 2021 as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of my father’s legendary All Things Must Pass album,” says George’s son Dhani Harrison. “We’ve been digging through mountains of tapes, and they just kept coming – boxes and boxes of them.
“Making this album sound clearer was always one of my dad’s greatest wishes and it was something we were working on together right up until he passed. But with the help of new technology and the work of Paul Hicks on this project, we are now able to make that happen. We can’t wait for you all to hear everything we’ve been working on and your patience will be rewarded next year.”
Source: Paul Sexton/udiscovermusic.com
