Beatles News
In early June 1966, The Rolling Stones ruled the airwaves on both sides of the Atlantic with “Paint It Black.” That track, which hit No. 1 on the Billboard and UK charts, featured a driving rhythm and a sitar part played by Brian Jones.
But The Beatles weren’t looking to their purported rivals for inspiration as they recorded Revolver in April-June ’66. A year earlier, George Harrison wrote a song that reflected the influence of The Byrds (“If I Needed Someone”) for Rubber Soul. (George played sitar on that ’65 album as well.)
Meanwhile, Paul McCartney was hitting a peak during the Revolver sessions with ballads like “For No One” and “Here, There and Everywhere.” And on “Good Day Sunshine, the album’s bounciest song, Paul looked to another American band for inspiration.
On that short and sweet track, Paul said he had The Lovin’ Spoonful in mind. But Paul didn’t play the barroom-style piano on “Good Day Sunshine.” Those honors went to the best pianist in the studio that day.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Compared to other Beatles records, The White Album was a bona fide avalanche of material. With four sides and over 93 minutes of music and effects, it was over three times as long as A Hard Day’s Night and nearly an hour longer than Revolver.
Speaking not long after its release, George Harrison said it was so long it could be overwhelming. “It’s too big for people to really get into it,” George commented. “For the reviewers and also [fans].”
But fans of John Lennon couldn’t help but celebrate. On the double-record release, you get 11 tracks featuring John’s writing and 10 with him on lead vocal. And from “Dear Prudence” on Side One to “Revolution 1” on Side Four, it was John at or near his best.
Among John’s tracks were Ringo’s favorite from the album (“Yer Blues”) and one both George and Paul McCartney greatly admired (“Happiness Is a Warm Gun”). With “Happiness Is a Warm Gun,” we got a song only John Lennon could have written — and one he called “a history of rock ‘n’ roll.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
You know when someone asks your thoughts on something, like getting bangs or starting a podcast, and it sounds like they shouldn’t do it but you don’t have the heart to tell them? That’s how Paul McCartney felt when screenwriter Richard Curtis first approached him about the movie Yesterday, which posits a world in which the Beatles never existed. (We can’t blame him!) In a new interview with Billboard, McCartney says, “Richard Curtis, who [directed] Love Actually, wrote to me with the idea. And I thought, This is a terrible idea, but I couldn’t tell him so I said, ‘Well, that sounds interesting — good luck.’ I didn’t think anything more of it.” Then, when McCartney found out Danny Boyle was tied to the project, he thought, They must think they can pull it off.
Source: Justin Curto/vulture.com
Over the years, it has become common for people to think Ringo Starr isn’t talented. To legitimize this viewpoint, many have pointed to the time John Lennon was allegedly told Ringo was the best drummer in the world. According to Snopes.com, John supposedly responded “The best drummer in the world? Ringo wasn’t even the best drummer in the Beatles!” Did John actually make this callous remark?The alleged quote would not have become popular if didn’t reinforce people’s preconceived notions of Ringo. It is true Beatles records rarely featured songwriting from the band’s drummer. Some of the only Beatles tracks written by Ringo are the forgotten instrumental song “Flying” and the cutesy children’s song “Octopus’s Garden.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
The Beatles crown the Top 125 Artists of All Time chart, thanks to their unrivaled dominance on the Hot 100 and Billboard 200 since their U.S. breakthrough in 1964.
On the occasion of Billboard's 125th anniversary, our charts team created an equally monumental ranking: Billboard's Top 125 Artists of All Time.
Using a formula blending all titles tallied on both the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart (since its inception on Aug. 4, 1958) and the Billboard 200 albums chart (since it became a combined stereo/mono survey on Aug. 17, 1963), we assembled a list of music's all-time top artists. (Due to changes in chart methodology and title turnover rates, certain periods for each chart recap were weighted differently to ensure as equal a representation as possible among all eras.)
The result: a group of truly iconic acts whose achievements prove that the history of Billboard mirrors the history of pop music itself.
Source: Trevor Anderson, Gary Trust / Billboard
Here are seven things you need to know about the three-LP, newly remixed—by Giles Martin and Sam Okell—and remastered version of Abbey Road, all of said re-ing done in honor of the album's 50th anniversary:
1) According to Universal, the remix was done from the original eight-track master tape, not from digital files made from that tape; inscriptions on the lead-out areas of all six sides suggest that these new LPs are the product of half-speed mastering. All surfaces on my review copy were noiseless.
2) Listening to these new mixes, the dominant impression is one of increased articulation. The equalization isn't drastically different from that of the original mix.
Source: Art Dudley/stereophile.com
e’ve always seen him through the lens of peace and love. But ask Ringo Starr to describe what life looks like through his eyes, he has another word.
“Beautiful," said Starr. "The people in my life, the life I’m leading. I get to do what I love, play drums, and while I’m doing that, I take photos.”
The legendary Beatles drummer takes photos, and creates books like his third one, Another Day in the Life, not just to document, but to change the world.
One hundred percent of proceeds from his work goes straight to his non-profit, The Lotus Foundation, which funds and promotes projects to advance social welfare.
“We go from Doctors Across Borders to battered women to kids with cancer, but we have the one I always support is Water Aid. If you have nothing else you should have water. Makes me emotional to think about those poor kids,” said Starr, holding back tears.
Source: spectrumnews1.com
When you look at the tracklist for the Beatles’ White Album (1968), you can see why the band’s producer thought it should have been trimmed down. In fact, George Martin believed it ought to go out as one “really super album” rather than a two-record set.
Between a solo improvisation by Paul McCartney (“Wild Honey Pie”), a song about chocolates (“Savoy Truffle“), and a seven-minute sound experiment (“Revolution 9”), we’d have a hard time arguing it was all essential Beatles material.
The crazy thing is, The Beatles actually did scrap two songs during the White Album sessions. If you’ve ever heard John Lennon’s wild “What’s the New Mary Jane,” you probably understand why that one got cut.
However, regarding the second — George’s “Not Guilty” — you can’t make the same case. And it gets even harder when you learn the Fab Four took over 100 stabs at the song.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Part of John Lennon’s tooth is going on show in Bristol to raise awareness of oral cancer.
People will have the opportunity to wear the tooth round their neck and have their photo taken with it.
The tooth necklace is on a UK tour in a bid to raise awareness of oral cancer. Over the next few weeks, it is visiting 16 dental practices to highlight National Mouth Cancer Month. It will be accompanied by free mouth screenings, promotions and fundraising events at every dental practice.
Mouth cancer is the sixth most common cancer in the world. NHS guidance says that early detection can boost chances of survival from 50% to 90%.
Lennon gave the tooth to his former housekeeper, Dot Jarlett, between 1964 and 1968 thinking she would dispose of it. Instead, she gave it to her daughter - a massive fan of the Beatles - who guessed it would be worth something one day. She sold the tooth recently in order to pay for a family member's operation.
Source: itv.com
By October 1968, The Beatles probably considered it a miracle that they were almost finished The White Album. Since they began work on the double record at the end of May, they’d experienced just about every problem a band could have.
Geoff Emerick, the Beatles’ Grammy-winning engineer, also gave up on the band during these contentious sessions. And George Harrison thought about doing the same. (An assist by Eric Clapton might have kept him in the band.)
When Paul McCartney led the band through one of his self-described “fruity” songs late in the White Album sessions, the mood seemed to be, “Let’s get this done.” And the lineup on “Honey Pie” reflected that.
Rock and roll band “The Beatles” pose for a portrait circa 1967. | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
It might have been the change of scenery that had the Fab Four in the mood early that October. For the week in question, the band worked at Trident Studios rather than at Abbey Road. “I like this hot kind of music!” Paul said, getting ready at the start of the session.
Source: cheatsheet.com
