Beatles News

Sometimes who you know can open a door, but, without talent, that door may slam in your face faster than expected. Musician Brian Ray, despite working 14 years with Etta James in his younger years, never dreamed he would become a member of Paul McCartney’s band. For that matter, he was not positive when he was hired. For the past 13 years, McCartney has toured and recorded with the same musicians: Ray, alternating between rhythm and bass guitars; Abe Laboriel Jr., drums; Rusty Anderson, lead guitar; and Paul “Wix” Wickens, keyboards. Ray’s first appearance with McCartney was at the 2002 Super Bowl. The New England Patriots slipped past the St. Louis Rams that day, 20-17 — which is not what Ray remembers most. Rather, this was the first Super Bowl pushed into February, an NFL championship affected by the first terrorist attacks on American soil on Sept. 11, 2001.

Ray said, “A lot of people forget that Paul was sitting on the tarmac at JFK (John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York) that day. Obviously, he would not be details

Did you know that Linda wrote 'Cook of the House' for At The Speed Of Sound while in Australia? The song is, in-part, based around a plaque she and Paul bought whilst in Niagara Falls which hung in their kitchen and read, "No matter where I serve my guests. They seem to like the kitchen best.” In celebration of the forthcoming Wings reissues, Venus and Mars and At The Speed Of Sound, we have created a new interactive microsite telling the story of Wings; its members, their influences and of course – the music! We've collected together a selection of facts and anecdotes to take you behind-the-scenes of both albums and how they were conceived. We also give you an insight into each of the individual band members and the roles they played.  Explore the band  You’ll discover that Paul played Bill Black's bass on ‘Cook of the House’ (Black had used the same instrument on Elvis Presley's ‘Heartbreak Hotel’).

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Featuring poignant vocals by Lennon backed by a hypnotic Brazilian rhythm by Flavio Pimenta and the students of Meninos do Morumbi, the track includes Lennon’s longtime friend, co-writer & guitarist, Justin Clayton, with additional percussion provided by Meninos do Morumbi alumnus Julio Santos. Grammy Award winning producer John Jones, who is featured on bass, guitars and keyboards, first conceived the project. Jones has worked with Paul McCartney, Celine Dion, Sir George Martin, and Fleetwood Mac, among others. “I don’t know how we could have had a better singer or human being to share this song with,” said Jones. “His great voice, and his natural empathy for the plight of children, made him a perfect fit.” Julian Lennon, who embraces both environmental and humanitarian issues, launched his career with 1984’s Valotte, produced by Phil Ramone, earning him a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist in 1985 and spawning two top ten hits, title track “Valotte” and “Too Late for Goodbyes.&rdquo details

The iconic Strawberry Field gates are to return to their rightful home in South Liverpool. The wrought-iron gates which were put in storage for safe keeping by the Salvation Army which owns the Beaconsfield Road site, are to be put on permanent public display in the grounds if city planners give approval next week. The site was immortalised by the Beatles’ hit Strawberry Fields Forever, but are no longer in place, having been replaced with a replica. The charity wants to transform the building into a centre for people with learning difficulties, where they can learn everything from gardening to catering. As part of the plans to go before next week’s planning committee, the 1970s buildings which were put up following the demolition of the original children’s home that captured John Lennon’s imagination, are to be demolished. As well as the new state-of-the-art facility, Beatles’ fans who visit the site every year will be able to go into the cafe and grounds and view a heritage exhibit which will explore the history of both The ‘Sally Army’ an details

Ed Sheeran sought life advice from Sir Paul McCartney. The 'Sing' hitmaker spoke to the music legend at an Oscars after-party and the Beatles singer encouraged the flame-haired star to take note of how other big names, such as Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohland Justin Timberlake, interact with people. He said: ''[Paul] was chatting to my cousin for ages, and the last time I'd seen him, he was being lovely to my dad. ''I asked why he takes time to speak to everyone, and he said, 'If you look at every big star in the world, from Beyonce to Dave Grohl to Justin Timberlake, they are lovely because they're all comfortable in their own space.' ''It is easier when you are comfortable with yourself and what you've achieved - you don't have to put up a front. And it's a better way of living, being happier and not bitter.''

While the 23-year-old star w details

WhatSellsBest.com - A bidding-war is underway for a scarce fully-signed Beatles album on eBay. Where the price has been pushed to $25,000 with 5-days remaining in the auction. The record, Please Please Me, is listed as a mint-condition (PSA 9) example, and described by the seller as "an artifact worthy of the finest museum-grade collections." The upper-back-side of the sleeve has a signatures from each member of the group (George Harrison, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, and Ringo Starr). Why's It Valuable? At this time... when it comes to memorabilia. You can't do much better than early Beatles items. They're an iconic group with millions of loyal fans worldwide. Even fifty-years-later their music continues to have a demand. When you consider their huge fan base and small amount of early memorabilia available.

Finding a fully-signed record in mint condition (fifty-years later) is exceptionally rare. Extraordinary. Taking all of this into consideration... you have makings of a perfect-storm that's bound to capture the attention of th details

Wings have unveiled a new lyric video for single 'Call Me Back Again', which somewhat surprisingly features Paul McCartney's actual phone number. Set to feature on the forthcoming reissue of Venus and Mars on 3 November, the video plays around the single's telephone-related lyrical content, with the number of McCartney's childhood home featuring heavily throughout the clip alongside other archive material from his formative years.

Fans expecting to get hold of The Beatle will naturally be disappointed as the number is no longer in use: he's not Banks after all. 

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On Sept. 26, 1969, 45 years ago today, the Beatles' Abbey Road entered the world and closed the recording career of rock's most celebrated band. The existence of Abbey Road is practically a miracle -- when the Beatles emerged from the Let It Be sessions, the group was fraught with tensions and on the verge of breaking up. They were arguing not only over music -- their unhappiness with the mixing of Let It Be held up its release until eight months after Abbey Road came out -- but business as well. Their Apple Records label was proving to be a professional time suck, and the group was bitterly torn over who to hire as their new business manager. But by most accounts, the recording of Abbey Road was relatively painless and drama-free -- perhaps because the Fab Four knew it would be their last album together. "Nobody then was sure it was going to be the last one, but it felt like it was," producer George Martin recalled in The Beatle details