Beatles News
Paul McCartney has announced plans to re-release standard versions of the first eight installments of his Archive Collection — the series of remastered reissues of his post-Beatles albums — on November 17.
The titles — 1970’s McCartney, 1971’s Ram, 1973’s Band on the Run, 1975’s Venus and Mars, 1976’s At the Speed of Sound, 1980’s McCartney II, 1982’s Tug of War and 1983’s Pipes of Peace — will be available as single-CD digipaks, 180-gram black vinyl LPs and limited-edition colored vinyl discs, with each of the latter vinyl releases coming in a different color.
The new vinyl releases feature restored artwork and come packaged with download cards that give fans access to digital versions of the albums’ tracks. Sir Paul oversees all aspects of each installment of the Paul McCartney Archive Collection, which launched in 2010 with the reissue of Paul McCartney and Wings‘ Band on the Run.
Source: Columbus News Team
It's hard to imagine a time when the Beatles weren't world famous, but in November of 1963, they were still on the cusp of international stardom. They had gained notoriety in the UK, but were still months away from their iconic appearance on the Ed Sullivan show in the States, and the British foursome was invited to play the Queen's annual Royal Variety Performance.Little did George, Paul, and Ringo know that near the end of their four-song set, John Lennon would utter a phrase that would go down in the annals of pop history. Queen Elizabeth II, a lifetime patron of the Royal Variety Charity, couldn't attend the concert as she was pregnant with Prince Edward, but in her place, the Queen Mother and Princess Margaret would represent the monarchy. From the beginning, there was concern over the newly cleaned up mop tops playing for the royal family.
Source: Caroline Hallemann
Beatles stars Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr have paid tribute to the late Tom Petty.
Rock icon Petty suffered a cardiac arrest at his home in California on Sunday (October 1) and died in hospital yesterday (October 2) at the age of 66.
The Tom Petty NME obituary: 1950 – 2017
As tributes to pour in from Petty’s musical contemporaries, McCartney and Starr have both sent messages of condolence via Twitter.
“Sending love to Tom Petty and his family at this difficult time,” McCartney wrote, before adding: “so sad to hear of his passing. What a lovely, intelligent and talented man he was.”
Starr, meanwhile, wrote: “God bless Tom Petty, peace and love to his family”. He added: “I’m sure going to miss you Tom”. See those tweets below.
Source: Luke Morgan Britton
Alan Parsons has been the major influence behind some of the most successful albums in history
He is the go-to producer for established artists who crave his authentic, warm and detailed sound on their recordings.
This is no surprise given that he learned his trade under the tutelage of the late, great Sir George Martin.
He is famous for his deft influence on the sound of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon and The Beatles' Abbey Road and Let It Be albums.
Parsons and his songwriting partner Eric Woolfson achieved major success in the own right with The Alan Parsons Project, selling more than 60 million albums.
Source: Express.com
The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony often brings together once-in-a-lifetime combinations of musicians — and the 2004 iteration was no different. Late rockers Tom Petty and Prince joined forces with Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne, and more to perform George Harrison’s beloved Beatles anthem “While My Guitar Gently Weeps.”
Petty, who died Monday at 66, had a close relationship with Harrison. The two collaborated, along with Lynne, Roy Orbison, and Bob Dylan, in the popular act the Traveling Wilburys, in the late ’80s and early ’90s.
Source: Eric Renner Brown
A sitar owned and played by George Harrison has been sold for $62,500 (£46,581) in the United States.
The instrument, purchased from a shop on London's Oxford Street in 1965, was used by Harrison during the recording of the Beatles song Norwegian Wood.
The Indian string instrument, crafted by a well-known music shop in Kolkata, was later gifted to a friend of Harrison's first wife, Patti Boyd.
The name of the successful bidder has not been disclosed by the auctioneers.
Bidding for the sitar began on 28 September at $50,000 (£37,327).
Harrison had discovered the sitar in 1965, on the set of the Beatles' second film, Help.
Source:BBC
Longtime Beatles' producer George Martin's scores for several of the group's films will be among the tracks on George Martin: The Film Scores and Original Orchestra Compositions, a posthumous compilation due out November 10.
The set, recorded by the Berlin Music Ensemble conducted by Craig Leon, who also produced the album, will include Martin's instrumental pieces from the Beatles' Yellow Submarine, as well as scores for "Live and Let Die," "Pulp" and more along with some unreleased works.
A five-and-a-half minute trailer for the album has been posted online showing Leon and the orchestra working on the material.
Leon says that the album grew out of another "unnamed" project he was working on that gave him access to the manuscripts of Martin's scores.
Source: Erica Banas
Ringo Starr, famous for being a quarter of the Beatles and one of two still living, released his 19th studio album on Sept. 15 after a two year hiatus. For being such a legendary musician, Starr honestly let me down with this new album, “Give More Love."
I had hope for a promising, fruitful album upon listening to the first track, “We’re on the Road Again,” with its triumphant guitars and catchy sound. The lyrics are symbolic of his return to music and touring with this latest release. Former Beatles bandmate Paul McCartney and Eagles’ guitarist Joe Walsh collaborated on this song, which provides all the explanation for why it is arguably one of the album’s best. Yet, the song set up a false pretense that the rest of the album would be as good as the opener.
Source:Ysabella Ramirez
PBS today announced the U.S. broadcast premiere of Academy Award®-winner Ron Howard's authorized and highly acclaimed Emmy® Award and GRAMMY Award®-winning documentary film about The Beatles' phenomenal early career. THE BEATLES: EIGHT DAYS A WEEK - THE TOURING YEARS premieres Saturday, November 25, 8:00-10:30 pm ET (check local listings ) on PBS. The film will be followed by an encore broadcast of SGT. PEPPER'S MUSICAL REVOLUTION, 10:30-Midnight ET on PBS, which continues the story beyond The Beatles' touring years, during the months the band spent creating Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, a groundbreaking masterwork that became popular music's most universally acclaimed album.
Source: Broadway World
Leslie Cavendish was the Beatles' hairdresser for nine years at the height of their fame
Fifty years on he can still vividly remember the moment his life changed for ever.
It was an ordinary Saturday in October 1966 and Leslie had just finished styling actress Jane Asher’s hair at the Vidal Sassoon salon in London where he worked.
As he removed the gown from her shoulders she asked whether Leslie was free later that day to do a house visit “as my boyfriend needs a haircut”.
Her boyfriend was of course McCartney.
Source: Sadie Nicholas
