Beatles News

The Beatles have a complicated history. Their time together was plagued by turmoil, which dampened their legacy. However, there are tender moments in the band’s collective history that remind us that they were once kids who forged a friendship with music as the groundwork. One such moment is Paul McCartney‘s “Little Willow.” 

Several decades after the Beatles broke up, McCartney decided to pen a song in honor of Ringo Starr’s late wife, Maureen Starkey. Attempting to comfort her children, “Little Willow” is a sonic explanation of life’s unpreparable changes. Wind’s going to blow you hard and cold tonight / Life, as it happens / Nobody warns you, willow, hold on tight, the lyrics read.

Though the band had been broken up (and ended on a sour note), McCartney thought a lot of Starkey and didn’t think twice about honoring her in this way.

“I wanted to somehow convey how much I thought of her,” McCartney once said. “For her and her kids…It certainly is heartfelt, and I hope it will help a bit.”

Even though Starkey inspired this song, McCartney did what he does best and “conjured” up a larger-tha details

Starr, who celebrated his 85th birthday on Monday, July 7, was in a reflective mood as he looked back on his 37 years of sobriety.

The former Beatle was speaking to reporters at his annual “Peace & Love” birthday celebration in Beverly Hills when he made the announcement and shared how his life changed after giving up alcohol.

Surrounded by his musician friends, including Jackson Browne, John Desmond of The Doors and Colin Hay (Men At Work), Starr shared his sobriety journey.

“Well, I ended up in a rehab because I was not treating myself or anyone around me with any respect,” he said, as reported in People magazine.

“It was all about me, and I came out, and I haven’t had a drink since. Thank the Lord.”

In 1986 both he and his second wife, former Bond girl and actress Barbara Bach, entered treatment together to deal with their substance and alcohol addictions.

Starr has previously discussed his difficulties with addiction before, and in 2015 told the Times of London, he could not remember much of the 1970s or 1980s.

“I look in the mirror and I’m 24. I never got older than 24.”

The Liverpool-born drummer details

Yoko Ono was not a factor in the break-up of The Beatles despite being blamed for decades, a ­historian claims. Martin Lewis points to Apple TV’s recent Get Back series as evidence her presence in the Beatles studio did not cause the tension between John Lennon and his ­bandmates many insist was behind the demise.

Yoko being at the 1969 Let it Be album recordings has gone down in music folklore as the beginning of the end for the Fab Four. But Martin, who has worked with both her and Paul McCartney in recent years, said: “The fans wanted a villain. The media likes a villain. We all do. That’s natural, but not reality.”

‌Speaking about the Apple TV series, he added: “They are in the studio. Yoko’s there, which was unusual. They didn’t normally have wives or girlfriends in the studio. Who does John relate to through the whole eight hours? He looks at Yoko once in a blue moon. His eyes are on Paul. He’s with his buddy of the last 13 years. It’s all about John and Paul.

‌“Yoko was there, she wants to be there. He’s not rude. He’s just not interested. He’s working with his mate and having fun. The whole film gives details

I never really was familiar with the original Beatles US album releases. I just knew they were different. I had seen some of the covers and just assumed they were some weird compilation albums.

I started getting into music as a teen from junior high through college 1979-1989 and my first Beatles pruchases were the so called red and blue compilation albums. A great introduction that covered the big hits across their entire history. Later I got 1 and Past Masters and Anthology even later. But I never bothered with the original albums much.

Then I got streaming and just assumed the albums as presented on apple music was what everyone knew. It was only later that I found out that those were the UK versions of those albums (with the exception of Magical Mystery Tour). But anyway I learned what their catalogue was from those albums.

So this is kind of a shock to me to see graphically how those albums were compiled and I did a deep dive into some of why.

I'l follow up with more but basically:
- the Beatles first couple of singles flopped in the US and EMI licensed away the Beatles rights to the songs on their first UK record to Vee-Jay records which was struggling financially, faced bankruptcy and details

The Beatles' vast back catalogue of songs came together in many different ways. The vast majority were written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon and in the early days they would sit together at Paul's childhood home on Forthlin Road in Allerton and write in tandem.

However, as artistic differences within the band emerged in the later years, John and Paul would increasingly do their own thing - writing alone before bringing a piece of work to the other for tweaks and changes. Every song the two wrote for the band had a joint writing composition credit - even through sometimes they were completely independent efforts.

‌And in some cases, the two would write their own full sections and combine them into one song. This was the case with 'A Day in the Life', which featured on the seminal 1967 album 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.

‌John wrote the first half of the track in January 1967, inspired by a number of articles he had read in newspapers. He then played Paul the song and Paul then added the middle-eight section, which drew on his Liverpool upbringing.

Lyrically, John drew on the news of the death of the Guinness brewery heir Tara Brown and a Daily Mail report about potholes in details

A book of Beatles -era photographs taken by George Harrison, many of them never published, will be released next year.

Random House announced Thursday that ''The Third Eye,'' which includes more than 250 black and white and color images, is scheduled for Fall 2026. Harrison's widow, Olivia Harrison, compiled and curated the book, which covers the years 1963-69 and includes photos of the Beatles everywhere from their native Liverpool to India to Shea Stadium.

''I want to show people, from George's unique photographic perspective during the Beatles' early years, the moments when the whole of your life is ahead of you with unknowable possibilities," Olivia Harrison said of her late husband, who died in 2001, in a statement released by Random House.

"His images in ‘The Third Eye' capture that spirit.''

The Harrison book features essays by Olivia Harrison and by two celebrated literary authors: Irish novelist Colm Tóibín (a former chancellor of the University of Liverpool) wrote the introduction, and American short story writer George Saunders contributed an epilogue. ''The Third Eye'' also includes George Harrison's words alongside his pictures.

Fellow Beatles Paul McCartn details

While giving an interview to Playboy in 1980, John Lennon shut down criticisms that Yoko Ono was “controlling” him. It had been a long-standing rumor from critics who felt that Ono’s influence had broken up The Beatles, and Lennon and Ono were often frustrated with the negativity and insult.

Lennon began by sharing his disdain for how they were portrayed in the media. They had stopped giving interviews for a period of time, but he found that they were still constantly reported on.

“The gossip items never stopped,” he said. “We never stopped being in the press, but there seemed to be more written about us when we weren’t talking to the press than when we were.”

Some of that publicity centered on Ono’s influence over Lennon. However, the two rejected the gossip, finding it insulting, hurtful, and just plain ridiculous. When asked about the negative press, John Lennon shared some vulnerable truths.

“We are both sensitive people and we were hurt a lot by it,” he admitted. “I mean, we couldn’t understand it. When you’re in love, when somebody says something like, ‘How can you be with that woman?’ you say, & details

Stranger Things actor Joseph Quinn has opened up about getting to play rock legend George Harrison in director Sam Mendes’ upcoming films about The Beatles.

According to The Standard, Quinn spoke to the PA news agency on the red carpet for the U.K. premiere of his film The Fantastic Four: First Steps. He said being in the Beatles film is something he never could have dreamed of.

“It feels exciting, it feels a little daunting,” Quinn shared. “I’m definitely inspired by the three men that I’m working with, and Sam, who’s directing it.”

Quinn’s co-stars include Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

“We’ve been doing a few weeks of rehearsals that I’ve really been enjoying,” he added. “It’s beyond my wildest dreams. I can’t believe I’m able to participate in a film and a project like this.”

Mendes’ Beatles films, titled The Beatles – A Four-Film Cinematic Event, will be released in April 2028. Each film will be told from a different band member’s point of view.

The Sony films will mark the first time Ap details

Some of the best stories, both fiction and non-fiction, often end abruptly on a cliffhanger and or in a big ball of fire. Endings such as these aren’t necessarily cathartic, as they are not fully fleshed out. However, what they are is mystical and mythical, as they incite the question of “What if?” This is the exact type of story The Beatles‘ breakup equates to, as their legendary legacy only grew with their razor-sharp split. They didn’t trickle into old age and maybe a mediocre career. No, they soared off into the sunset like a phoenix, and the myth surrounding them benefited from it, and John Lennon agrees.

Many of the finest bands have shot themself in the foot by holding on for too long. In reality, they should have called it quits in their prime, as their legacy has been tarnished by beating a dead horse for too long. The Beatles, seemingly not on purpose, did not do this in the slightest. Did they have a lot more years left in them upon their breakup? Certainly, however, what would they have become? Quite possibly an animatronic four-piece band regurgitating their biggest hits, as we’ve seen so many classic bands become. That being so, we Beatles fans should be grateful for the details

Between November 1966 and March 1967 the Beatles recorded Sergeant Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at the Abbey Road studios. This album, which sold one and a half million copies in its first two weeks of release in the United States, became an electronic bible for the emerging drug generation, then the editor of International Times, London’s first underground newspaper, and currently the editor of London’s Time Out magazine, went to the recording sessions at the invitation of Paul McCartney. In the following behind-the-scenes account he tells you what it was like to be there.

I remember it well. “The Return of the Son of Monster Magnet,” the last track on the Mothers of Invention’s Freak Out album, came to an end and Paul McCartney strolled across his huge living room to take the record off. In one corner a BBC color-TV monitor was mistimed to give a flickering abstract pattern; two René Magritte paintings glowed on the wall in the pale afternoon winter sun; and Martha, Paul’s Old English sheepdog, lay content in front of a crackling log fire. I sat by the French windows enjoying a cup of tea. Paul returned and picked up the conversation where we’d left off. &ldqu details

Ringo Starr celebrated his 85th birthday in Beverly Hills Monday with his annual Peace & Love event, but the big day was also marked in a very special way in his home city of Liverpool, England.

According to the U.K.’s The Independent, the city where The Beatles were founded unveiled the “Peace and Love Sculpture” in honor of Ringo. The silver statue, revealed by the city’s Beatles Story museum, features a hand making the peace sign and was created using a casting of Starr’s right hand. A similar statue is currently on display in Beverly Hills.

The unveiling was attended by locals, as well as students from Ringo’s primary school, St. Silas CE.

Ringo is known for spreading peace and love. In fact, on every birthday he asks fans to spread the message at 12 p.m. PT. This year the message was shared in over 38 countries and was also beamed from mission control in Houston to the International Space Station.

Source: everettpost.com/ABC News

When Carl Perkins joined Paul McCartney in the studio, the plan was to work on one of McCartney's songs for his upcoming album. The Beatles covered several of his songs, so McCartney was very excited about the collaboration. However, while he was working with the former Beatle, he decided to show him a song he'd been working on to get his input. Little did he know, he was about to trigger an incredibly painful memory. The song was "My Old Friend," and one particular line absolutely devastated the bassist.

When Perkins sang the line, “Think about me every now and then, old friend,” McCartney couldn't handle it and broke down in tears, immediately stepping out of the room. Perkins was bewildered and worried he'd done something wrong, but Linda McCartney quickly reassured him and explained what had happened. Years later, Perkins cleared the mystery in an interview.

"Paul was crying, tears were rolling down his pretty cheeks, and Linda said, 'Carl, thank you so much.' I said, 'Linda, I'm sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry.' She said, 'But he’s crying, and he needed to. He hasn’t been able to really break down since that happened to John.'" 

Paul McCartney believes this on details

The Beatles were not always proud of the work they produced. In particular, John Lennon was happy to take aim at some of the band's output he wasn't fond of.

He shared his disdain for the 1967 album 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' and Paul McCartney's work on the 'Let it Be' single and the closing medley on 'Abbey Road'. It wasn't just Paul's work that John criticised. He notably said he wished he had not written 'It's Only Love'. About it, he said: "That's the one song I really hate of mine. Terrible lyrics."

‌And as The Beatles rose to fame, they had to work on more than just music. John did not particularly love having to star in films and admitted he didn't enjoy working on the film 'Help!'. The 1965 film followed the success of their 1964 movie debut 'A Hard Day's Night' but it was widely viewed not to have hit the heights of its predecessor. ‌

A New York Times review of the film said: "It's a fiasco of farcical whimseys that are thrown together in this film – a clutter of mechanical gimmicks and madcap chases... Funny? Exciting? Different?

"Well, there's nothing in "Help!" to compare with that wild ballet of The Beatles racing across a playground in 'A Hard Day's details

After The Beatles broke up in 1970, all four of them launched their solo careers. George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and Paul McCartney all tried out different sounds. However, towards the start, you could still hear elements of The Beatles in their music. However, that was not the case for John Lennon, as he seemingly plagued every part of The Beatles’ influence and sound out of his very being. As a result, he created works that many people, particularly Beatles fanatics, weren’t fans of. Including John Lennon’s contemporary, Paul Simon.

John Lennon and Paul Simon never really saw eye to eye. Concerning his favorite member of The Beatles, Simon divulged that it was Paul McCartney. In addition to declaring his favorite member of the Beatles, another moment that planted a wedge between the two musicians was when they clashed in the studio during one of their collaborations.

Needless to say, Simon and Lennon were not fans of one another. And that frustration was not just a personal one, as Paul Simon was also not a fan of John Lennon’s work following The Beatles’ breakup. Paul Simon Said Lennon Never Did Anything “Interesting or Innovative”

As stated previously, Le details

John Lennon gave one of his final interviews to Playboy in September 1980, where he spoke about making new music with his wife Yoko Ono, along with many other aspects of their life together. Some interesting moments include the fact that he had settled into being a house-husband. This involved spending his days baking bread and taking care of his son, Sean.

By this time, word had spread that Lennon and Ono were making music again after retreating from the public eye in 1975. When asked what he’d been up to, Lennon shared surprisingly freely.

“I’ve been baking bread and looking after the baby,” he said. When asked what else he’d been doing, he replied, “That’s like what everyone else who has asked me that question over the last few years says. ‘But what else have you been doing?’ To which I say, ‘Are you kidding?’”

Lennon continued, “Because bread and babies, as every housewife knows, is a full-time job. After I made the loaves, I felt like I had conquered something. But as I watched the bread being eaten, I thought, Well, Jesus, don’t I get a gold record or knighted or nothing?”
John Lennon Revealed That He Owe details