Beatles News
The Beatles’ Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is considering one of the greatest albums of all time. But did you know that one track by Paul McCartney was specifically written for Frank Sinatra? Well it turns out it was When I’m Sixty-Four.
According to The Beatles’ Anthology, Paul said: “When I wrote When I’m Sixty Four I thought I was writing a song for Sinatra.
“I wrote [that] when I was sixteen. It was rather tongue-in-cheek and I never forgot it.
“I wrote When I’m Sixty Four vaguely thinking it would come in handy in a musical comedy or something.”
While Sinatra never sang When I’m Sixty Four, he did cover McCartney’s famous track Yesterday.
Source: George Simpson/express.co.uk
It was Paul McCartney's 22nd birthday. Sydney Stadium was the venue. About 20, 000 wildly ecstatic fans made it his night - and turned the Beatles' performance into a deafening celebration.
Birthday presents rained on Paul McCartney throughout the Beatles' two Sydney Stadium concerts last night. About 20, 000 wildly ecstatic fans made it Paul's night – yesterday was his 22nd birthday – and turned the performances into a deafening celebration.As the stadium filled with the pulsing sound of Beatles music and a fanatical chorus of teenage squeals, young girls ran down aisles to toss birthday gifts at Paul's feet. Jelly baby sweets rained from the ringside. A bouquet of roses and several single flowers joined the presents, which included a toy koala, a boomerang and a large wrapped box.
Source: smh.com.au
While Paul McCartney will no longer be performing in Italy this year amid the coronavirus pandemic, he’s using his voice to speak out and ensure that ticketholders will receive refunds.
Originally, McCartney was scheduled to perform in Naples and Lucca this week, however, last month, the gigs were called-off due to safety concerns. Although the gigs were cancelled, promoter Assomusica only offered ticketholders vouchers, rather than refunds. This sparked outrage online, as fans called on the promoter – as well as McCartney – to do something.
According to Variety, McCartney released a statement in Italian on his Facebook page, noting that it is “outrageous that those who have paid for their tickets are not getting their money back.”
Source: Olivia Perreault/ticketnews.com
A road sign for Penny Lane, made famous by The Beatles, after it was vandalized following perceived links with slave trader James Penny, in Liverpool, England.Peter Byrne/PA via AP
The UK street that inspired The Beatles hit “Penny Lane” may be forced to change its name — over fears it was a tribute to a notorious slave trader, local officials admitted Monday.
Protesters had already vandalized signs for the Liverpool street — changing it to “Racist Lane” — over unproven theories that it was named after 18th-century slave merchant James Penny, Sky News says.
Source: Lee Brown/nypost.com
The family of legendary sound engineer Geoff Emerick is going to court with Universal Music Group over ownership of a recording of one of The Beatles' first-ever studio sessions.
The early "Love Me Do" session from June 6, 1962, predates drummer Ringo Starr's inclusion in the band. The recording, however, was deemed by record company EMI to not be good enough.
Emerick — a teenager at the time he engineered the session — was ordered to destroy the tape. Instead, he kept it up until his death in 2018.
The tape is believed to be worth over $6 million.
UMG, which took over EMI in 2012, want the tape returned to their possession. Arguments are set to begin on Tuesday, reports The Sun.
Source: hauraki.co.nz
Eric Clapton was married to Pattie Boyd for some time, though their marriage was filled with Clapton’s infidelities and abuse, both of which he has admitted. Before their time together, however, Boyd was with another famous guitarist – George Harrison of the Beatles.
George Harrison met young model Pattie Boyd in 1964 when Boyd was cast as a schoolgirl, aged 19, in the movie A Hard Day’s Night, one of the Beatles films.
The pair married on January 21, 1966, with Sir Paul McCartney serving as best man.
Boyd accompanied Harrison on his early trips to India, as the guests of Ravi Shankar, and soon the couple made regular returns to India as Harrison became interested in Transcendental Meditation.
Source: Jenny Desborough/express.co.uk
If you tried to rank every album by The Beatles, you’d find the most agreement at the top of the list. When fans, critics, musicians, and Paul McCartney himself weighed in on the Fab Four’s best work in the past, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967) has often claimed the top spot.
That choice makes sense for a number of reasons. For starters, it’s the album with “A Day in the Life,” a consensus pick for greatest Beatles song. Meanwhile, Sgt. Pepper’s topped the list of “500 Greatest Albums” when Rolling Stone polled musicians, experts, and industry types on the subject.
But in 2011 Rolling Stone tried it a different way: They simply asked readers to name their favorite Beatles album. And in that poll Sgt. Pepper’s didn’t make the same splash. (It landed in fourth place.) Both Abbey Road (1969) and The White Album (1968) came in ahead of Pepper.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Sometimes artists write songs that are inspired by other songs. More rarely, artists write songs with the intent of replacing other songs. John Lennon was one of the most famous musicians to fall in the latter category and “Give Peace a Chance” was designed as a replacement for another song.
“Give Peace a Chance” remains one of John’s most stirring anthems. Though it’s often associated with the Vietnam War, it’s message continues to resonate with people today. We wouldn’t have “Give Peace a Chance” unless John got bored with a different song.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Each week, I'll present a new album for your consideration—a means for passing these uncertain times in musical bliss. For some readers, hearing about the latest selection might offer a chance reacquaintance with an old friend. For others, the series might provide an unexpected avenue for making a new one.
When it comes to rock's greatest comeback stories, Paul McCartney and Wings' "Band on the Run" looms large. In his post-Beatles years, McCartney had enjoyed accolades for his first two solo albums. But when it came to his formation of Wings, with wife Linda sitting in on keyboards, the critics were merciless. While "Wild Life" (1971) and "Red Rose Speedway" (1973) had enjoyed respectable sales, the Cute Beatle had been ragged and tagged as a purveyor of mindless bubblegum music.
Source: salon.com
Back in June 1962, The Beatles performed at Abbey Road Studios for the first time. A demo of their performance was recorded by EMI, but the label told their employee – sound engineer Geoff Emerick – to destroy it since it was of poor quality. The footage includes the song Love Me Do and was shot before Ringo Starr joined The Beatles as drummer.
However, Emerick secretly kept a hold of the demo in its original box in his safe at home in Los Angeles.
The sound engineer died aged 72 in 2018 and the piece of Beatles history was unearthed by his estate.
Now a court battle worth millions is set to take place in California on Tuesday between Universal Music Group – who acquired EMI in 2012 – and Emerick’s estate.
A source told The Sun: “It’s an amazing find.”
Source: George Simpson/express.co.uk
