Beatles News
It took the band 10 hours to travel to London for the audition.
The Beatles almost fell at the first hurdle on their journey to stardom. Having gained a name for themselves playing the clubs of Liverpool and Hamburg, the band were on the lookout for a record deal at the end of 1961.
Brian Epstein, their manager, was trying to secure meetings with labels in London but It was not going particularly well. He was rejected by Columbia, HMV, Pye, Philips and Oriole but did manage to book meetings with EMI and Decca.
Decca's Mike Smith then came to Liverpool to see John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Pete Best perform at the Cavern Club in December 1961, after which he invited them to audition in London on New Year's Day 1962.
It took the band 10 hours to drive down from Liverpool to the capital on New Year's Eve, getting lost in the process. Mr Smith himself was late to the audition, said to be a little worse for wear after the previous night's celebrations.
The band played and recorded 15 songs, selected by Brian, but they were rejected a month later.
According to Brian's autobiography, the band were told "guitar groups are on the way out" by Dick Rowe from the record label.
It is believed Decca's decision was influenced by the lower travel expenses the East London band would require. But Mr Rowe denied making the "guitar" comment to Brian for the rest of his life.
All hope was not lost for The Beatles as the ever-savvy Brian remained in negotiations with EMI throughout the process with Decca.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth
Manson used "Helter Skelter" as an anthem to justify the string of murders that took place in the summer of 1969, with some of the victims being actress Sharon Tate, socialite and coffee heiress Abigail Folger, Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, horse wrangler Donald Shea, and musician Gary Hinman. According to the cult leader during his trial, the reasoning behind those fatal attacks orchestrated by The Family (how Manson's cult was referred to) was directly tied to The Beatles, particularly the music that they were putting out.
Charles Manson's Odd Interpretation of The Beatles' Hit, "Helter Skelter"
The way Charles Manson lured new adepts to his cult was through playing his guitar and singing both authorial music and that of The Beatles. Although he wasn't the one to commit the murders, his followers did so through his direction and influence. At the trial that took place from 1970-1971, Mason shared that The Family knew what to do through the music they were listening to. In his mind, songs from the White Album, particularly "Helter Skelter", had a subliminal message that persuaded kids to "rise" and "kill".
The Beatles stepping off the plane and arriving in America in Beatles '64.
McCartney intended for "Helter Skelter" to function as a metaphor for life's ups and downs, which is far from what Manson believed the song referred to. The artist said in the podcast episode that he was drawn to the notion of shifting moods. "You know, you’re up, you get knocked down, you’re feeling euphoric, and you’re feeling miserable. Such is the nature of life,” he said. Given the aftermath of the Manson Family killings, McCartney refused to perform it for several years.
The Beatles performing
Paul McCartney believes this era-defining album is the best The Beatles ever did. "Helter Skelter" Was One of The Beatles' Heaviest, Most Influential Tunes
Although "Helter Skelter" became known for inspiring a cult, the song stemmed from McCartney's will to step outside his comfort zone and make a song in response to The Who's "I Can See For Miles". As ambiguous as The Beatles' lyricism might be depending on the song you listen to — no, "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" doesn't mean LSD— "Helter Skelter" was far from a revolutionary anthem. The song is instead a product of one of the band's most avant-garde tracks, highly regarded for its heavy metal elements before the genre was even established.
Source: collider.com/Isabella Soares
Liverpool residents have chained off the street where the former Beatle George Harrison omce lived in an attempt to stop disruption from day-trippers.
Access to Arnold Grove, the address of Harrison’s childhood home, was blocked on Monday morning as residents complained that Beatles fans would regularly peer through windows and doors on the street.
Chris Bennett, who lives on the street, told BBC Radio Merseyside that “you get people looking through the window, and if you leave your front door open, they look through the door”.
He also complained that his family “don’t get any peace” because of the traffic caused by private tours.
The area is a regular destination for guided Beatles tours of Liverpool, with the Magical Mystery tour run by the Cavern Club – the venue that hosted the first Beatles concerts – frequently stopping at the site.
Mr Bennet said: “Lately, there has been a lot more tours coming – private tours, taxis and minibuses – and unfortunately it is getting very busy down here.”
A spokesman for the Magical Mystery tour told The Telegraph that it had received no previous complaints about an increase in tourism, and claimed to have a “great relationship” with residents.
The spokesman also said that customers were reminded to respect the privacy of those living on Arnold Grove.
A blue plaque commemorating Harrison’s birth in the house, one of the first installed outside London, was unveiled last year. The unveiling was described as a “source of family pride” by Olivia, Harrison’s widow. Mr Bennett, the licensee of a nearby pub, claimed that the traffic “has been ridiculous” since the plaque was installed.
He said: “The first taxi could come at 9am and my wife will see another on the road when she gets home at 9.15pm ... the minibuses and taxis will come in and block the entrance of the grove.”
Other residents said that they had no part in installing the chain, and that the increase in tourism and traffic had not caused them any bother. “It doesn’t make a difference to me. People can do what they like on the road,” one told BBC Radio Merseyside.
Source:telegraph.co.uk/Wilf Vall
Paul McCartney isn’t known as the most well-versed of his peers when it comes to drugs. He and his Beatles bandmates did their fair share, but they didn’t end up with the same kind of reputation as their edgier counterparts. Drugs, for the Beatles, were seen as more of an artistic pursuit than an addiction. It completely changed their career trajectory. McCartney was the longest holdout on LSD. Eventually, though, he did join his bandmates in partaking in the hallucinogen. Below, learn more about the first time McCartney took the drug, in particular, how it affected his relationship with John Lennon. Paul McCartney: “It’s More Than Peer Pressure, It’s Fear Pressure”
Though fans aren’t sure of the exact date when McCartney took LSD for the first time, conversations from the Beatle himself pinpoint it to December of 1965. McCartney was more so into weed. McCartney had been trying to hold out on LSD, but eventually the “peer pressure” from Lennon and his other bandmates got to him.
“I was more ready for the drink or a little bit of pot or something,” McCartney once recalled. “I’d not wanted to do it, I’d held off like a lot of people were trying to, but there was massive peer pressure. And within a band, it’s more than peer pressure, it’s fear pressure.”
Source: Alex Hopper/americansongwriter.com
Joseph Quinn has confirmed the screen test for upcoming Beatles film is underway.
Helmed by Sam Mendes, the four separate Beatles biopics, starring Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, Harris Dickson as John Lennon and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison is now under development.
The announcement came unexpectedly during Quinn's appearance at the BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast show along Fantastic Four co-star Ebon Moss-Bachrach.
During the radio show, they played a game called "Sitting Down or Standing Up" where the A-lister star phone calls their famous celebrity friend asking them whether they are sitting or standing.
The Stranger Things actor ringed the Saltburn star. Once he attended the call, Quinn asked, "Are you standing up or are you sat down?"
Keoghan nervously replied, "I'm sat down," then quipped, "What's happening? Are you pregnant? What's happening?"
Quinn then explained where he was and the game that they were playing. When he was about to end the call, Keoghan said, "I'm on the radio. I wanna make most of this."
The Gladiator II star then asked The Batman actor if he was in the middle of a screen test.
"I'm doing the screen test," Keoghan confirmed. "It's great. I look amazing. I'm not even messing. I look amazing. I look more Ringo than Ringo looks Ringo."
Quinn agreed, joking, "I bet you do."
They concluded the phone call on Keoghan admitting to missing Quinn on the screen test set. Quinn replied that he "misses" him too and wished him luck hoping "the test goes well."
Source: thenews.com.pk
The four Beatles films are scheduled in cinemas for April 2028.
While former Beatles bassist Paul McCartney and drummer Ringo Starr have enjoyed lengthy careers well into the mid-2020s, six decades after they got their start together as half of the Fab Four, their bandmates have not been so lucky. John Lennon died by gun attack in 1980. George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Their deaths were pivotal moments in global musical history, without a doubt.
But even more than that, their deaths marked significant and tragic milestones in the lives of their former friends and colleagues. That emotion remains years later, as proven by Ringo Starr’s tearful testimony about George Harrison’s last words to him in the 2011 documentary, George Harrison: Living in the Material World, by Martin Scorsese.
Ringo Starr Recalls George Harrison’s Final Words
If one were to embark on the strange and macabre practice of comparing deaths, John Lennon’s was easily far swifter than George Harrison’s. Better? Impossible to say. But quicker? Yes. Lennon died after Mark David Chapman shot him multiple times mere steps from the musician’s front door of his apartment building, the Dakota, in New York City. He was pronounced dead by the time he got to the hospital. It was brutal and violent, but it was swift.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis
The Beatles first formed way back in 1960 in Liverpool. At the time, I doubt they knew just how big the band would become in just a few short years. Today, the Fab Four are known as some of the most influential musicians of the 20th century. And it will be centuries more before their legacy is truly forgotten.
It’s hard to say what the formula was for their success. They were talented and composed of excellent songwriters, sure. But those elements alone don’t lead to enormous international success. Perhaps it was a mix of factors, including smart management and production moves, coupled with the musical and cultural climate of the 1960s.
Though, it would take a few years for the band to truly blow up the way they did. Their beginnings were humble. Beatlemania wouldn’t be in full swing until around 1963. But before then, The Beatles were introduced to the world through their musical releases. And they also made minor waves with their very first television debut in 1962.
The Beatles Made Their TV Debut Back in October of 1962 on ‘People And Places’
The Beatles’ TV debut took place on October 17, 1962. The Fab Four appeared on a program called People And Places. Their slot aired in England at about 6:30 pm. The band played their now-famous debut single, “Love Me Do”.
The People And Places gig wouldn’t be the band’s breakout moment, but it was a factor among many that led to their breakthrough. It was the start of something enormous, and I can’t imagine any of the members knowing just how big of a deal they were going to be at the time.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
The Beatles penned hit after hit, all of which demonstrated their mastery of the songwriting form. But while they racked up classic songs for themselves beyond counting, they still found the time to write songs for other musicians.
Not everyone was aware that the song they were hearing on the radio had been written by John, Paul, George, or Ringo, especially if the song had been credited to a pseudonym. Here are some examples of songs that were recorded by other artists but dreamed up by the world’s favorite Liverpudlians.
1. "I Wanna Be Your Man" by The Rolling Stones
1963
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, this song became one of The Rolling Stones' early hits. In fact, it was such a good tune that Lennon and McCartney borrowed it back so they could record their own version of it on their 1963 sophomore album, “With the Beatles.”
2. "Come and Get It" by Badfinger
1969
Written and produced by Paul McCartney, this song became a top 10 hit for Badfinger, a band signed to the Beatles’ Apple label. The band had several big hits of their own, so they didn’t necessarily need Macca to write material for them. But hey, when you’re signed to the Fab Four's label, it doesn’t hurt to ask if they have potential hits lying around that they’re not using.
3. "Bad to Me" by Billy J. Kramer With the Dakotas
1963
“Bad to Me” was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for British pop singer Billy J. Kramer. His recording of the song topped the U.K. charts. It was covered by other artists, most notably Graham Parker, but the Beatles themselves never took a crack at it. The only known Beatle-adjacent recording of "Bad to Me" emerged in 2013 on iTunes in the form of a John Lennon demo that was part of the compilation, “The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963.”
4. "Love of the Loved" by Cilla Black
1963
"Love of the Loved" is a song credited to John Lennon and Paul McCartney and was recorded as part of their unsuccessful audition sessions for Decca Records. While that recording was never officially released by the Beatles, pop singer Cilla Black recorded the song and got a top 40 U.K. chart hit out of it.
5. "Step Inside Love" by Cilla Black
1968
Five years after “Love of the Loved,” Cilla Black’s career had progressed to the point where she had her own musical television show, simply called “Cilla.” For its theme, another Lennon-McCartney composition was used, “Step Inside Love.” The Beatles recorded the song during sessions for their 1968 self-titled album, but it didn’t see an official release until its inclusion on the “Anthology 3” compilation in 1996.
Source: aol.com/Daniel Bukszpan
Elvis Presley’s worn Omega wristwatch, gifted to him by Johnny Cash, sold for $103,700 this week.
Goldin, a leading sports and pop culture memorabilia auction house, sold the engraved timepiece as part of its inaugural music memorabilia auction, which closed Wednesday night. Other high-selling items included a D.A. Millings & Son custom suit worn by John Lennon in 1963 ($102,480), a signed copy of Led Zeppelin’s album “Presence” ($19,520) and George Harrison’s sunglasses ($47,590). Goldin also set a new sale record for a type 1 photo — or photo developed from an original negative within two years of when the picture was taken— of rapper Tupac Shakur, which sold for $10,370, according to the auction house.
Though sports and trading card auctions are Goldin’s “bread and butter,” the company is venturing more into pop culture, said head of revenue Dave Amerman. This transition is documented in Goldin’s Netflix show, “King of Collectibles: The Goldin Touch,” which premiered in 2023 and was just renewed for a third season.
“We realized that we get so many music items and we build them into our pop culture sales, we just want to separate it and make its own event out of it,” Amerman told The Times.
Source: latimes.com/Lauren Harvey
Listen! Do you want to know a secret? Screen tests for Sam Mendes' four separate Beatles biopics are officially underway.
Joseph Quinn, who will play George Harrison in the upcoming films, confirmed the development when speaking to his costar Barry Keoghan, who will star as Ringo Starr, during a game of “Sitting Down or Standing Up” with Ebon Moss-Bachrach on BBC Radio 1’s Breakfast show on Friday. As its name implies, the recurring segment sees A-listers attempt to predict whether or not their famous friends are sitting down or standing up before giving them a call and asking them live on air.
“Are you standing up or are you sat down?” Quinn asked, prompting Keoghan to nervously reply, “I’m sat down. What’s happening? Are you pregnant? What’s happening?”
“I’m on Radio 1 and we’re playing a game where I have to call you and we’re guessing,” Quinn began, to which Keoghan interrupted, “Oh! What’s happening, everyone in England, U.K.? What’s up?”
Host Greg James jumped in to explain that they’d decided to give Keoghan a ring-o to see how he was doing. “Is Joe pregnant? Can I be the godfather?” Keoghan asked. Quinn replied, “Yeah, of course. Thank God you were sat down.”
The Stranger Things alum then attempted to hang up, but the Saltburn actor wasn’t quite ready to say goodbye just yet. “I’m on the radio," he remarked. "I wanna make most of this.”
So, naturally, Quinn pivoted to ask if Keoghan was currently in the middle of a screen test for their upcoming Beatles films. In addition to Quinn and Keoghan playing Harrison and Starr, respectively, Paul Mescal and Harris Dickinson are set to round out the remaining members of the onscreen version of the Fab Four as Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
Source: ew.com/Emlyn Travis
