Beatles News

More than their guitar playing, bass playing, or drumming, The Beatles were known for their songwriting. Their lyrics, storytelling, and the way they keyed into the collective consciousness with their ideas. It’s how they articulated the world that made the same world fall in love with them over the few short years the band was together.

Here below, we wanted to explore three examples of what made them so good as a group. How lyricism helped an audience get to know the group and their music instantly. Indeed, these are three of the best opening lines from songs by The Beatles.

A melodic song of loneliness. And an especially interesting song coming from perhaps the most famous musician on the planet at the time of its writing. What did Paul McCartney know about loneliness? Well, it turns out a lot. He composed an exquisite song that is both lovely to listen to and deep to think about. And he gets you from the top of the track, as he sings,

Ah, look at all the lonely people
Ah, look at all the lonely people

Eleanor Rigby

Picks up the rice in the church where a wedding has been
“Across the Universe” from No One’s Gonna Change Our World (1969)

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Performing at the Cavern Club carries extra meaning for Zak Starkey. The 59-year-old drummer, who is Ringo Starr's oldest son, has played some of the world's biggest stages with The Who and Oasis but this weekend he made his debut at the club that was made famous by his dad's band.

Zak, who has also been part of Liverpool bands the Lightning Seeds and the Icicle Works, brought his supergroup Mantra of the Cosmos to Liverpool for two gigs at the Cavern on Sunday. Made up of Shaun Ryder (Happy Mondays), Zak, Andy Bell (Oasis, Ride) and Bez (Happy Mondays), the band's new single 'Domino Bones (Gets Dangerous)', which features Noel Gallagher, was released exclusively at the Cavern.

The Beatles played at the Mathew Street venue 292 times between 1961 and 1963. Ringo joined the band in August 1962, replacing Pete Best, and photographs of the Dingle-born drummer adorn many of the Cavern's walls.

Saturday night saw Zak perform there for the first time, playing with the Icicle Works' Chris Sharrock, at its live lounge before his band's gigs yesterday. The weight of the occasion and the club's Beatles history had played on his mind beforehand, but a text message from famed Beatles fan Noel Gallagher put him at eas details

You might think that one half of the songwriting team that rapidly created some of popular music’s most important songs at a rate that has largely been unmatched by any other artist would have something to say about discipline in songwriting. In actual fact, Paul McCartney’s attitude has always been to let intuition guide, as opposed to following a rigid process, when birthing new tracks.

When interviewed about his songwriting workflow with NPR’s All Songs +1 podcast in 2016, Paul opened up about the fact his songs can be triggered by a variety of starting points. “If I was to sit down and write a song, now, I'd use my usual method: I'd either sit down with a guitar or at the piano and just look for melodies, chord shapes, musical phrases, some words, a thought just to get started with,” said Paul. “Then I just sit with it to work it out, like I'm writing an essay or doing a crossword puzzle.”

Later, in the same interview, Paul stated that he had long been a ‘student of the instinctive’, and that once he’s hit on a cool idea, he’ll try a range of approaches to build it into a full song, but it doesn’t always work out; “I just fiddle ar details

The track was described as 'the greatest love song of the last fifty years' by Frank Sinatra

The vast majority of The Beatles' songs were written by Paul McCartney and John Lennon, with them jointly credited to Lennon-McCartney. Paul and John's writing partnership was legendary, with their contrasting moods and approaches often meeting in a very happy medium.

About that partnership, Music and Musicians magazine's Wilfred Mellors wrote in 1972: "Opposite poles generate electricity: between John and Paul the sparks flew. John's fiery iconoclasm was tempered by Paul's lyrical grace, while Paul's wide-eyed charm was toughened by John's resilience."

However they were not the only talented songwriters in the group. George Harrison wrote a number of The Beatles' finest songs, including 'Here Comes the Sun', 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and ‘Within You Without You’.

At times George had to fight to make his voice heard, with Paul and John assuming creative control of the band as the principal songwriters. The Wavertree-born star had written some songs that The Beatles recorded and was given a quota but he grew frustrated with the supporting role he had to play on 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts details

Ringo Starr recently approved of a book that imagines John Lennon living a long life before The Beatles reunite. Interestingly, the book was written by a noted country musician.

After The Beatles broke up, fans immediately wanted them to get back together. Ringo Starr recently approved of a book that imagines John Lennon living a long life before The Beatles reunite. Interestingly, a noted country musician wrote the book.
A new book focuses on John Lennon getting to perform at 1 last Beatles concert

Gary Burr is a songwriter known for his work in country music, including penning Patty Loveless’ “I Try to Think About Elvis” (which mentions The Beatles in passing). He also penned songs for Ringo. In a 2024 interview with The Tennessean, Burr said he wrote a book called Reunion that provides an alternate history of the Fab Four.

“[The story] starts with a rainy night in Hawaii and there’s a traffic accident and a young man in the back of the car is killed,” Burr said. “The man is [John’s killer] Mark David Chapman. So that means that in my world, my reality, he never did get to New York, he never did kill John. And 20 years later, for the reason tha details

Inspiration for a rock ‘n’ roll song can come from strange places, from newspaper clippings to the advice of a car dealer—for the Beatles’ psychedelic classic “A Day in the Life,” John Lennon used both. The closing track from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band is a true testament to the Beatles’ deep dive into strange and unusual musical experimentation.

The song travels through multiple sections, from Lennon’s melancholy melodies to McCartney’s bouncy interlude to an absolute cacophony of noise directed by Ringo Starr’s steady beat buried in the mix. It’s an eccentric Frankenstein of a song, all of its pieces sewn together by musical motifs and the sheer determination of the Fab Four.

…and the newspaper and luxury car dealer, of course.

When John Lennon began writing the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band closer, “A Day in the Life,” he had a copy of Daily Mail propped up on the music stand of his piano. “I noticed two stories,” Lennon recalled in Anthology. “One was about the Guinness heir who killed himself in a car. That was the main headline story. He died in London details

John Lennon and Yoko Ono separated in 1973. He went to LA without her and seemed happy about it.

She told him that she had begun to feel suffocated by their constant togetherness, and asked him to move out. At first, Lennon appeared thrilled. He was single for the first time in his adult life.

Amid growing tension in their marriage, Ono told Lennon that she wanted a break. She suggested that he move to Los Angeles to give them some much-needed space. Ono asked the couple’s friend, Elliot Mintz, to keep an eye on her estranged husband. At first, however, Lennon seemed perfectly fine to Mintz.

“For the first few months, John appeared entirely content in Los Angeles — one might even say gleeful,” Mintz wrote in his book We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me. “He seemed to consider his expulsion from the Dakota and banishment to the West Coast as something of a bachelor’s holiday.”  Mintz believed that Lennon was excited to experience what it was like to be single for the first time in his adult life.

“Remember, he was twenty-one when he married Cynthia; he was twenty-eight when he married Yoko. Now, at the cusp of thirty-three, for the first time i details

The Beatles were never scared to try something new and experiment with different sounds. The Fab Four revolutionised popular music in the second half of the 1960s, evolving from their early rock and roll stylings to create an innovative, psychedelic and avant-garde new sound.

1965's 'Rubber Soul' is credited with beginning that journey in earnest, as the band looked more closely at what they could achieve with an album and how they could push the boundaries lyrically and musically. The 1966 album 'Revolver' is viewed as the start of The Beatles' psychedelic era, influenced by their time in India and use of LSD.

The following year saw 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' reinvent what could be done with an album - using new studio techniques, capturing the zeitgeist of the so-called 'summer of love' and changing music forever. Though The Beatles' experimental music in this period was adored by critics and fans, it didn't always lead to harmony within the band.

The ECHO has recently looked at John Lennon's dislike of 'Sgt Pepper', his worry that Paul McCartney was trying to sabotage his work on 'Strawberry Fields Forever' and his disdain for the song 'Let it Be'. We've also looked into how the recording details

Snoop Dogg and Paul McCartney might not be the first musical duo one thinks of when considering kindred creative spirits, but stranger things have certainly happened. After a fortuitous meeting of the two musical icons backstage at a charity concert, it seems likelier than ever. (Okay, well, maybe it’s just in our heads at this point. But what’s the harm in dreaming?)

The touching moment between the California rapper and former Beatle showed not only the mutual admiration and respect each musician had for the other. But it also highlights the diverse musical interests each artist has outside of the genre for which they became famous.
Snoop Dogg Meets Paul McCartney

During a January 2025 appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, Snoop Dogg recalled meeting the legendary Sir Paul McCartney for the first time. The California rapper was backstage at a fundraiser concert when someone from McCartney’s team reached out to him. “They was like, ‘Sir Paul would like to meet you,’” Snoop said, putting on a fake British accent. “I’m like, ‘For real?’” The rapper told McCartney’s team to bring him over, and the two hit it off instantly. “[The con details

As years pass and time goes by taste and talent change immensely. There are hoards of different factors that redefine somebody’s artistic palette and these very factors do not discriminate whatsoever. Hence, they even touch the most incredible minds, including the ever so great, Paul McCartney.

Paul McCartney has been very candid about the songs he likes, dislikes, and absolutely detests. That being so, he’s not one to bite his tongue for the sake of pride, and he proved that to be more than true when discussing The Beatles classic, “When I’m Sixty-Four.”
Paul McCartney Made an Ageist Mistake

“When I’m Sixty-Four” was released on The Beatles’ 1967 album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. In a holistic sense, both the album and the song marked a major transition in The Beatles’ career. Prior to the release of the album, McCartney and The Beatles had been more than busy, but for McCartney, there was still ground to be broken. Thus, their psychedelic masterpiece was born and so was “When I’m Sixty-Four.”

However, when Paul McCartney spoke with the Los Angeles Times he divulged his grievance with the song. He told t details

On This Day, Jan. 16, 1988 …

George Harrison hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with “Got My Mind Set On You,” a cover of a 1962 track originally recorded by James Ray.

The recording was produced by ELO’s Jeff Lynne, who also played bass and keyboards on the song. It appeared on Harrison’s 11th studio album, Cloud Nine, which was the final solo album to be released during Harrison’s lifetime.

“Got My Mind Set On You” would be Harrison’s third and final #1 solo single. It also marked the last time a member of The Beatles hit #1 in both the U.S. and the U.K.

The song hit #1 just one week before The Beatles were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.

Source: Everett Post

John Lennon and Phil Spector had a series of drunken recording sessions together. Lennon's friend said it was a wonder nobody was hurt.

In 1973, John Lennon threw fuel on his already-chaotic Lost Weekend when he started recording with producer Phil Spector. While some of their recording sessions were productive, many others devolved into drunken arguments and violence. Lennon’s friend, Elliot Mintz, expressed shock that no one wound up seriously hurt.
John Lennon’s friend said the recording sessions with Phil Spector were dangerous

Lennon and Spector began working on the album Rock ‘n’ Roll together. Their studio sessions often collapsed into utter chaos.

“The Spector Sessions, as they came to be known, were among the most notorious jams in rock ‘n’ roll history,” Mintz wrote in his book We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me. “I ended up spending about half a dozen all-nighters at these riotous, drug- and alcohol-fueled bacchanals, occasionally finding myself in the unenviable position of having to tidy up some of the messes afterward.”

Source: cheatsheet.com/Emma McKee

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Paul McCartney wouldn’t describe himself as a risk taker. In fact, the musician feels his career has been pretty tame–despite the oodles of success he has amassed. However, there is one massive risk McCartney is glad he took. Find out what that is, below.

The Beatles were a tough act to follow. The fervor around the band was unprecedented. They became emblematic of a new age where musicians didn’t have passive listeners, but active, life-centering fans. When they decided to hang up their hats, there was a few million fans out there who’s dreams were dashed.

But, life must go on. A musician must play music. But, the question of how to go about that could’ve proved disastrous. Truthfully, it did for a moment in McCartney’s career. His follow up band to the Beatles, Wings, wasn’t popular upon their debut. Listeners still had the golden age of the Beatles to compare everything to. Wings didn’t seem to measure up.

Eventually, McCartney’s second leg proved profitable. Wings earned a fanbase in their own right, producing a host of beloved hits. According to McCartney, the decision to start Wings was his riskiest professional move–one that ultimately pa details

On the heels of his new country album Look Up, the former Beatles drummer will play the Nashville institution in February.

Nashville is reaching peak Ringo. On the heels of his new country album, Look Up, Ringo Starr will make his Grand Ole Opry debut next month. The former Beatles drummer was invited to perform on the long-running country-music radio show by Emmylou Harris, herself an Opry member.

Harris popped the question to Starr onstage at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium, the onetime home of the Opry, during the first of Starr’s two-night stand at the hallowed theater. “I’d love to,” Starr replied. “It’s an honor and a pleasure. Thank you.” Starr’s Opry appearance is slated for Feb. 21, part of the Opry’s 100th anniversary celebration.

Harris is one of many guests performing with Starr at the Ryman for the recording of a CBS special to air on a later date. Jack White, Rodney Crowell, Sheryl Crow, Mickey Guyton, Jamey Johnson, and the War and Treaty are among the other artists collaborating with Starr or singing their own versions of his songs. Molly Tuttle, Billy Strings, and Larkin Poe, who all perform on Look Up, are on the bill too. (The se details

In celebration of the 50th anniversary of George Harrison’s fourth solo album, 1973 album, Living in the Material World made available in two configurations, a 2-CD collection and a Super Deluxe Edition box set, each culling new mixes and previously unreleased material numbering outtakes and alternative versions.

Leading the charge on the sonic front is renowned Grammy-Award-winning engineer and long-time family friend Paul Hicks, who had previously worked on archival projects by The Beatles, Harrison and John Lennon. With Living In The Material World, Paul was responsible for remixing the original album and uncovering a flurry of revelatory outtakes. We spoke with Paul, who served as our guide behind this seminal release.

Rock Cellar: Paul, you worked on George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass, and then you moved onto this record, Living in the Material World. They’re two entirely different records. Sonically, Living in the Material World is a much more stripped-down and intimate record.

Paul Hicks: Yes, absolutely, you’ve hit the nail on the head. Obviously, every project is different and this album was a totally different beast to All Things Must Pass. The way we do it is I get details