Beatles News
George Harrison Invited Paul and Ringo to Join Him in a Rare Tribute to John Lennon
When George Harrison first wrote the first version of his classic song "All Those Years Ago" in 1980, he had no idea the meaning it would end up taking. He had initially written a piece for his friend Ringo Starr to sing on his own record, but the song didn't quite fit Starr's style, so after they recorded it, it seemed the song would be shelved. But then, the music world changed forever. John Lennon was ambushed by a crazed fan while walking into his apartment and was murdered in December 1980, and nothing was the same for his former bandmates after that.
Harrison was in the middle of putting together his 1981 album, Somewhere in England, when the tragedy happened, and in his grief, he was inspired to give "All Those Years Ago" a new life. He changed the lyrics to pay tribute to his late friend, and shared details about their relationship that he had never admitted before.
beatles-band-members-john-paul-george-ringo
The Beatles Song That Reunited John, Paul, George, and Ringo. One song helped The Beatles rekindle their magic when they were at their lowest. "Living with good and bad - I always looked up to you," he opened up in his song. He also praised Lennon for his musicianship and, seemingly, for his political activism, claiming that "You were the one who imagined it all - All those years ago."
You, said it all, though not many had ears
All those years ago
You, had control of our smiles and our tears
All those years ago
Paul McCartney's Song for John Lennon
Harrison wasn't the only one of The Beatles to honor John Lennon in song. Everyone knows that Paul McCartney's relationship with Lennon was very special. Their friendship was anything but simple. They went from being inseparable in their youth to becoming the most successful songwriting partnership in history, and then, for a few years, in the early '70s, they had a very public falling out. They fought each other in their songs, threw blame at each other, and had fans and friends take sides. But they never stopped caring about each other.
Source: collider.com/Val Barone
On This Day, July 23, 1989: Ringo Starr launches his first-ever tour with an All-Starr Band - Deltaplex News
Ringo Starr launched his first tour since his days with The Beatles, backed by an All-Starr Band that included Billy Preston, the Eagles’ Joe Walsh and E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons.
Starr has continued to tour with a similar setup, with members of the All-Starr Band revolving over the years.
Each show features Ringo performing both solo and Beatles songs, along with All-Starr Band members performing selections of their hits.
Over the years, All-Starr Band members included such artists as E Street Band’s Nils Lofgren, Todd Rundgren, Bad Company’s Simon Kirke, Peter Frampton, Levon Helm and Randy Bachman.
The next leg of Ringo’s tour with his latest All-Starr Band kicks off Sept. 10 in Chicago, with dates confirmed through Sept. 27 in Las Vegas. It includes a headlining spot at the Bourbon & Beyond festival on Sept. 13 in Louisville, Kentucky.
The current All-Starr Band lineup includes Toto’s Steve Lukather, Men At Work’s Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bissonette and Buck Johnson.
Source: deltaplexnews.com/ABC News
It’s one thing to write a cutting song about your bandmate after you’ve broken up, which the Beatles did a lot of. It’s entirely another to do it right in front of their face. George Harrison once mocked Paul McCartney with a Beatles song, airing his grievances in front of his bandmate. It’s not the most well-known Beatles song, but it does highlight the cracks that were forming between “The Quiet Beatle” and his decisive counterpart.
When Harrison left the band before their breakup, there was no mistaking the cause. His voice was all but forgotten in the studio. No matter how his songwriting shone, it was always eclipsed by the force of the Lennon/McCartney partnership. Though Lennon isn’t absolved from blame, it was McCartney that Harrison was most agrieved with. He found Macca to be a bulldozer, unable to see anything past his creative pursuits.
“At that point in time, Paul couldn’t see beyond himself,” Harrison once said. “He was on a roll, but… in his mind, everything that was going on around him was just there to accompany him. He wasn’t sensitive to stepping on other people’s egos or feelings.”
On one hand, McCartney was an expert songwriter. His talents had been proven time and time again with top Beatles hits. On the other hand, his style took a turn his bandmates would often label “silly” towards the end of their career. The Lennon-labeled “Granny Music” was starting to irk his fellow Beatles. Harrison decided to push back.
Harrison’s Chance to Get Back at McCartney
In response to McCartney’s strong-arming in the studio, Harrison penned “Savory Truffle.” The most damning lines in this track read, You know that what you eat you are / But what is sweet now turns so sour / We all know Ob-La-Di-Bla-Da / But can you show me where you are?
Source: americansongwriter.com/Alex Hopper
By 1971, Paul McCartney had traded Abbey Road for his Scottish farm, swapped Ringo for Linda, and swapped global adulation for domestic bliss and critical confusion. Ram, his only album credited to Paul and Linda McCartney, was a patchwork of pastoral charm, baroque pop, and passive-aggressive digs—an album that baffled critics at the time but later found its flock. The vibes were sun-drenched, the melodies pristine, and the drama delicious. It’s no wonder Ram has grown into one of McCartney’s most beloved solo works. Here are five curious facts you might not know about this gloriously weird masterpiece.
1. The thunder on “Uncle Albert/Admiral Halsey” came from a film reel
Norwegian engineer Eirik Wangberg stitched the thunder sounds together using a monaural movie clip. He doubled it onto two tracks to create a fake stereo effect—and it worked. Paul gave him total freedom to mix and sequence the album as he pleased.
2. Linda wasn’t just on backing vocals—she helped choose the band
Linda McCartney may not have had musical training, but she picked guitarist David Spinozza during attic auditions in New York. She later sang co-lead on “Long Haired Lady” and harmonized on nearly every track. Their daughter Heather even chimed in on “Monkberry Moon Delight.”
3. One session yielded 20+ songs—and McCartney couldn’t decide what to cut
From “Another Day” to “Big Barn Bed,” Ram’s sessions produced a trove of unreleased gems. Jim Guercio cancelled his honeymoon to help finish the album, but left after Paul refused to trim the tracklist. In the end, engineer Wangberg helped whittle it down.
4. “Too Many People” was aimed at Lennon—but more subtle than you’d think
While McCartney later admitted “preaching practices” and “you took your lucky break and broke it in two” were pointed jabs, the original lyric said “Yoko” by name. He rewrote it before recording—but the message still landed loud and clear.
Source: thatericalper.com/Eric Alper
Sue Mautner left school at 16 in 1962 and, through chutzpah and serendipity, found herself rubbing shoulders with the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and many more 60s legends while still in her teens. Mautner went from a Ready, Steady Go! TV dancer to an accidental music journalist and then a record company executive, becoming a front-row witness to pop’s first golden age.
Here she talks about her time with the Fab Four...
Oh my God, I’ve never known a group like them. The four of them fed off one another. It was absolutely unique. John was my favourite. I just thought he was my type of person because he had this cynicism and there was a real edge to what he said. He didn’t suffer fools gladly and could cut you down with two words. But sometimes I’d get a bit worried if I knew I was going to see them and I’d be a bit, oh, is he going to be okay? What side of the bed did he wake up on this morning? Is he going to be in a good mood? Or is he going to cut me to the quick? You know, if I say something wrong, or say something that he thinks isn’t very intelligent – he’d only answer intelligent questions. You had to have your wits about you with John. But he could be lovely too. One night when we’d got back from the Beatles playing on [ITV show] Thank Your Lucky Stars in the Midlands, I remember standing with John at the tea and pie stall at Chelsea Bridge having a cup of tea and talking for what felt like hours. He was very funny all the time and loyal.
I was due to go on the German tour to cover it for the NME and my publisher told me to stand down as he was going instead. I trotted off to Top Of The Pops with the Beatles and as I was leaving the dressing room afterwards, John said, “See you in Germany.” I explained I wasn’t going because the publisher wanted to cover it. And John said, “I’ll see you in Germany.” I didn’t really think anything of it, but talk about working quickly! The next morning, the publisher called me into his office and said, “Oh, a change of plan. I’m just going to cover the first night in Munich and you’ll be doing the rest of it.” I was so happy. Obviously John said something. It all happened so quickly. He must have told the PR, “Sue’s on the tour, make it happen.”
Paul was always very happy go lucky. He was the PR man of the group, everybody had to have a good image. Everybody had to think well of them. He was always affable, always ready to do the interviews where no one else could be bothered. George was a deep thinker, and a good conversationalist and Ringo was Ringo, always affable and happy.
Source: express.co.uk/Garry Bushell
When The Beatles went to India, it was with the purpose of learning Transcendental Meditation with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi in his ashram. George Harrison, in particular, was very interested in learning about the discipline, but the other Beatles, while curious, used their time away to write. John Lennon and Paul McCartney went back to writing together and comparing notes as they used to at the beginning of their songwriting partnership, and according to Lennon, “Regardless of what I was supposed to be doing, I did write some of my best songs there.”
One of those songs, many fans would say, was "Dear Prudence," a sweet, innocent, but still groundbreaking ballad dedicated to one of The Beatles' companions in the retreat, actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow. Among all the Maharishi's disciples, she was one of the most keen on learning about meditation. Because of that, she spent a lot of time locked in her room, sometimes worrying her "course-buddies", as she called them. In his song, Lennon calls for her and urges her to go outside and join the rest of their friends.
Dear Prudence, won't you come out to play?
Dear Prudence, greet the brand new day
The sun is up, the sky is blue
It's beautiful and so are you
"As I was acoustic all my life, I was playing guitar constantly, and John looked at me and said, ‘How do you do that guitar pickin’?’ So I taught John," Donovan explained. The song "Dear Prudence" meant a lot to him because of that, and he named it among one of his favorites of all time.
“With the guitar style and John’s caring attitude to Prudence, it was very touching.”
Prudence Farrow Finally Spoke About the Beatles' "Dear Prudence"
Prudence Farrow was a Beatles fan when she went on the retreat, so she was thrilled to find out they would be in the same group. But admittedly, because she grew up in Hollywood, she was a little apprehensive, since she'd met a lot of celebrities and been disappointed by them. But they pleasantly surprised her.
"The Beatles were all very nice, humble, modest, kind, and down-to-earth people. This actually shocked me since other celebrities I had met before disappointed me and did not live up to my expectations," she explained.
"Dear Prudence" is an absolute fan favorite, with simple but moving lyrics, and a complex but peaceful arpeggio that hypnotizes the listener and draws them into the world Lennon was writing about. Truly, a timeless masterpiece.
Source: collider.com/Val Barone
Billy Joel has shared his thoughts on The Beatles’ 1968 self-titled ninth studio album, commonly referred to as the White Album, and they aren’t positive.
During his appearance on Bill Maher’s Club Random podcast, Joel and Maher were discussing classic double albums when Maher mentioned The Beatles’ record.
“I’m not a big fan of the White Album, but some people love it,” Joel said. “I hear it as a collection of half-a**** songs they didn’t finish writing because they were too stoned, or they didn’t care anymore.”
He adds, “I think they had fragments and they put them on the album.”
Joel also suggested that John Lennon “was disassociated” during the recording of the record, and Paul McCartney was “carrying the weight.”
While The Beatles officially broke up in 1970, Joel said he has a theory that the Fab Four “almost broke up a couple of times, just like a marriage.” He added, “They had their ups and downs and sometimes they were more prolific and sometimes they weren’t and I hear that in some of those things.”
Source: lakesmedianetwork.com
Paul McCartney Reveals the Billy Joel Song He Wishes He'd Written originally appeared on Parade.
Paul McCartney has penned some pretty iconic songs over the course of his storied career, from "Let It Be" to "All My Loving." But there's one tune that took the music world by storm in 1997 that the legendary Beatle, 83, wishes he'd written: Billy Joel's "Just the Way You Are."
"When I first heard Billy, it was like 'Oh, wait a minute. He's good. Who's this?'," McCartney recalled in the new HBO Max documentary, Billy Joel: And So It Goes. "You know, like you do, your ears prick up. The song that really made me know that that was happening was 'Just the Way You Are.' And where I get asked, 'Is there a song that you wish you'd written?' And I always ... that's the one I always say."
The song almost didn't make it on Joel's album The Stranger, though.
"[Producer] Phil Ramone was the one who was pushing to have that song. But it just didn't feel right to me," the 76-year-old singer admitted in the doc. "It was too mushy."
The band workshopped the song in the recording studio, and Joel started to come around to it.
"I heard the playback and went, 'Okay, it's a nice recording, well-written," he said. "But I don't think it should be on the album. So Phil, he brings in a couple of people and they're listening to it and they're looking at each other like ... 'That's one of the best songs we've ever heard.'"
Still, the Piano Man had his reservations. "I said, 'I don't really want to put it on the album,'" he shared. "[And they said,] 'You're crazy. That's got to be on this album. It's a big hit.' I said, 'It is?'"
It was. In 1979, Joel went on to win two Grammy awards for "Just the Way You Are," including Song of the Year and Record of the Year.
Source: yahoo.com/Kaitlyn Monteiro
This story was originally reported by Parade on Jul 21, 2025, where it first appeared.
The Beatles released some of the catchiest, most accessible and melodic songs in the history of music.
In the early days there were hits like 'She Loves You', 'Yesterday' and 'Help!'. Even as they developed, you had songs like 'Revolution', 'Something' and 'Let It Be'.
'Carnival of Light': The mysterious Beatles recording that still hasn't been released. But The Beatles were never afraid to experiment.
With the help of the genius that was Fifth Beatle George Martin, even on their first records they pushed the technology available to its limits, marrying new techniques with their own unique style of songwriting.
But it was after they quit touring in 1966 that they really took advantage of the time and space available in the studio to get a little strange. George Harrison jokingly dismissed some experimental music as... "Avant garde? Avant garde a clue!" , but he certainly got in on the act himself.
'The Inner Light' and 'Within You Without You' were a then-experimental fusion of Indian music with western pop sensibilities. 'It's All Too Much' is a glorious racket of cascading sounds.
For John Lennon and Paul McCartney, after the backwards sounds on 'Rain', there was also the strange 'Tomorrow Never Knows', 'Wild Honey Pie' 'Sun King', 'A Day in the Life' and, unreleased for years, glorious freak-out jam versions of 'Helter Skelter' and 'Revolution'.
Most experimental – and divisive – of all though, there was 'Revolution 9'. But do you know who wrote the song, who plays on it, how it came about, and why it's actually a bona fide Beatles classic?
The Beatles had already stretched their quirky limbs with Revolver and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band, but it was over the four sides of The Beatles (also known as The White Album) that they really went wild.
it was on The White Album where John, Paul, George and Ringo would occasionally go off and do their own thing, before it was all patched together in one album under The Beatles banner.
That's why John Lennon didn't appear on 'Martha My Dear', 'Blackbird', 'Why Don't We Do It in the Road?', 'Mother Nature's Son' or 'Wild Honey Pie', for example.
Source: goldradio.com/Mayer Nissim
John Lennon found success during both his time in The Beatles as well as his solo endevors - but it has taken fans over four decades to agree on what was his 'best' album
Its fair to say John Lennon thrived both in a band and by himself and fans have managed to agree on what his most successful solo album was. The late musican, who founded The Beatles in 1960 alongwith Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, ventured out alomg when the band, who found successes world wide, decided to go their separate ways.
Lennon released several solo albums and also produced the likes of Harry Nilsson after leaving the Fab Four in 1970. Lennon, alongside Yoko Ono, would go on to write the likes of Imagine, Walls and Bridges, and Mind Games after leaving the era-defining group.
A post to the r/JohnLennon subreddit has sparked the debate on what could be Lennon’s most “influential” work after he ventured out on his solo endevors. John Lennon ventured out into a solo career after The Beatles split(Image: Vinnie Zuffante, Getty Images)
A fan asked, “What is his best solo album?” While responses were mixed, many have agreed that the Ono-featuring Plastic Ono Band was his most influential solo album.
One user replied, “Plastic Ono Band was such an influential album for me as a youth. Then, it was my interest in Sometime in NYC that caused my older brothers to call me a hippie. I have such good memories attached to John’s albums as I grew into the teenage years. To pick a best, for me, would have to include his partner, Move Over Mrs. L. and without question, Milk & Honey was their best music and timeless.”
Source: themirror.com/Ellie Hook
