Beatles News

This week, Ringo Starr announced his return to country music with a brand-new album, Look Up, produced by T Bone Burnett. Following the release of his latest single, "Time on My Hands," Starr has shared several teasers on social media, including images from the album art photoshoot.

In a true meeting of Genesis authors, the concept for the album was born at the Sunset Marquis book launch for Olivia Harrison's Came the Lightening: Twenty Poems for George, where Starr met Burnett. There, they discussed their shared love of country music and agreed to collaborate on the project.

"I thought Ringo was deserving of a serious album... Occasionally, you catch a glimpse of what somebody can mean now who had an illustrious past, and something that doesn't have to do with the charts and all that stuff, but just has to do with the timelessness of who they are." - T Bone Burnett

Featuring the talents of Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Larkin Poe, Lucius, and Alison Krauss, these artists are said to bring fresh and exciting energy to the eleven tracks, making substantial contributions to the album's overall sound.

Now shipping worldwide, below you can learn more about the new signed prints in Ringo Starr's Photog details

Luther Vandross’ Cover of The Beatles’ “Michelle” Released: “Another Classic Song Has Been Lutherized!”

The release coincides with the documentary 'Luther: Never Too Much,' which opens in select cities on Nov. 1. The 'Never Too Much: Greatest Hits' album is out on Dec. 13.
  

Luther Vandross passed away in 2005, but unreleased music from the R&B icon was made available Friday — a cover of The Beatles’ ‘60s hit “Michelle.”

Vandross’ close friend and vocal collaborator, Fonzi Thornton, discovered the tape following the singer’s death when he visited his family to look through his music archives, unseen videos, cassette tapes, personal effects, stage costumes and more. He then moved the archives to a room in his apartment for safekeeping.

“I found two cassettes labeled ‘Michelle’ in his handwriting — [I had] no idea what it was [and then I] played it! I realized it was a beautiful rendition of the Beatles classic that had been vocally and musically Lutherized,” Thornton tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I played Luther’s version for Jeff James, A&R at Sony and D details

The album was signed at Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel in 1965. A rare album signed by The Beatles almost 60 years ago has fetched £10,000 at auction.

The 1965 LP Help! is thought to be one of fewer than 100 albums signed by all four members still in circulation.  It was sold by Annie Newby, from Durham, whose late husband owned the record for more than a quarter of a century.

She said she felt it was important the record found "a loving home".  Anderson & Garland Auction Annie Newby with the signed record of Help! by The BeatlesAnderson & Garland Auction.  Annie Newby remembers how much joy the album gave her late husband

It was originally bought by music enthusiast Bob Todd in September 1989, who passed it on to his friend, Max Newby, before he died.

Mr Newby owned the record until his death in 2016, and it has been in his wife's possession since.  She said she recently decided "it's time to pass this special piece of music history on to another fan who will appreciate it as much as Max and Bob did".

Mrs Newby said: "The signed album brought Max and Bob immense joy. I still remember the day Bob bought it, he was so excited to show it to Max.

"He brou details

It’s been one of the more enduring celebrity death hoaxes, long before social media.
But on October 24 1969, two Life magazine reporters found Paul McCartney to reveal he hadn’t actually died in a car crash.
Benjamin Jackson looks back at how the rumour gained traction in 1969 and what breadcrumbs The Beatles left to tell the world “Paul is dead”.

Legend has it that on October 24 1969, Life magazine reporters Dorothy "Dot" Jenkins and Timothy Harper visited a farm in Scotland to interview former Beatle Paul McCartney.

That sounds run-of-the-mill, with McCartney at this point in time married to the late Linda McCartney and wanting to have a quieter family life with his two children. But it would be during this interview, that was subsequently published on November 7 1969, that Paul addressed a rumour that had blown up that year.

"Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated. However, if I were dead, I'm sure I'd be the last to know."

It would spell an end to the long standing suggestion that Sir Paul McCartney had died supposedly of a car accident back in 1966, and that the McCartney that was with the band between the releases from Revolver to Abbey Road wa details

Sometimes, the stories heard about the making of iconic albums seem as though that famous Las Vegas expression should be applied: What happens in the studio, stays in the studio. But for better or worse, word gets out about the fateful recording of albums like The Beatles' "Let it Be," for example, or Kendrick Lamar's "Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City." These stories range from inspirational to entertaining to worrisome—but all have the behind-the-music essence fans thrive on.

Stacker compiled a list of 25 classic albums ra​​nging from folk rock to hip hop, along with the stories from the studios that produced these albums. For that, sources like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Genius were tapped. The resulting albums are instant classics representing the best, or sometimes the worst, of these iconic bands and artists.

Studio recording is a pressure cooker, with passionate people trying to combine their sometimes disparate ideas of what their band should do next. For artists like Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, and Led Zeppelin, looming breakups have helped to animate some of their most iconic music, drawing artistic passion from real-life fights and splits. For others, like The Who or Bob Dylan, trying to shake things up details

Paul McCartney wrote quite a few songs about John Lennon and vice-versa. It makes sense why. The famed Beatles songwriters had a complicated relationship that teetered between brotherly and contentious all the way until Lennon’s death in 1980. McCartney wrote more than three songs about Lennon, but we think these three specific tracks are worth revisiting.

1. “Here Today”

Out of all the songs that Paul McCartney wrote about John Lennon, “Here Today” has to be the most painfully obvious. Luckily, this one isn’t a negative song or a diss track; McCartney actually puts his admiration for Lennon front and center on “Here Today”.

McCartney penned this track after the death of Lennon as a tribute. It’s a pretty heartbreaking song when you really listen to it. McCartney poses a number of questions and answers them as if Lennon were the one speaking. This has got to be one of McCartney’s most painful songs, but one can’t deny that it’s a beautiful tribute.

2. “Man We Was Lonely”

The Beatles’ ultimate breakup wasn’t exactly a friendly one. By the time the band called it quits, each member of details

The 50th anniversary of George Harrison’s solo album Living in the Material World is being celebrated with a series of new reissues, including a super deluxe edition featuring 12 previously unreleased recordings. Released in May 1973, Living in the Material World was Harrison’s second solo album of original material, and his second solo album to hit #1.

Harrison’s wife, Olivia, and son, Dhani, oversaw the project, with Olivia sharing, “I hope you revisit Living in the Material World or discover it for the first time, and as you listen, share George’s wish for himself and mankind.”

The first preview of those recordings is “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (Take 18),” an early acoustic version of Harrison’s second solo #1, available now via digital outlets. Other unearthed songs include a recording of “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond),” featuring the Band’s Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Rick Danko, as well as Ringo Starr. That comes on a separate 7″ single in the super deluxe edition.

The super deluxe edition will be limited to only 5,000 copies, and will include two LPs and two CDs, featuring the n details

On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Paul McCartney’s son James posted a photo of himsef and his sister Stella McCartney with Dhani Harrison, the son of late Beatles guitarist George Harrison, after watching him perform in London.

“Great gig last night in London watching @DhaniHarrison!” James, 47, wrote in the caption to the photo posted on X (formerly Twitter).

“Please support his music here https://dhaniharrison.com/musici 🎶❤️,” he added.  In the snap, which appeared to have been taken

Dhani is the only son of late Beatles member George and his second wife Olivia Harrison. The musician died at age 58 of lung cancer on Nov. 29, 2001.

The McCartneys have remained supportive friends of Dhani’s over the years. In August 2016, Dhani performed at Stella’s collection showcase in Los Angeles and he has also been seen cheering her on in the front row at her fashion shows.

Dhani told Daily Mail in 2012, “Of all of them, I think I’m most similar to Stella and Mary [McCartney],” speaking of all the Beatles children. “I really relate to the way they’ve dealt with their circumstances — they’re like big sisters to me."

details

Raymond Schillinger of You Can’t Unhear This looked back at the history of “Here Comes the Sun”, a seminal song by The Beatles that was both perfect and unusual in so many different ways.

Here Comes The Sun has become one of the most popular and treasured Beatles songs, a gateway into their music for many new fans. This 3-minute gem of unforgettable songwriting is also packed with intriguing anomalies, production quirks and even a mystery.

The song was written entirely by George Harrison in 1969, rather than John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Harrison, who wasn’t yet known for his incredible song writing skills, took the reins that summer, both musically and lyrically, by adding new and innovative instruments like the Moog synthesizer, running his guitar through a rotating Leslie speaker made for keyboards, and adding vari-speed pitch control to the final song.

With just days to go before the album was set to be mixed, George felt that his song needed one final ingredient: the fabulous and otherworldly sounds created by a new electronic instrument called the Moog.…With all of the pieces finally in place on the packed 8-track tape, the beautifully layered recording of Here Come details

John Lennon and Yoko Ono visited "one of the best palm readers in Greece," where they received a grim warning – that the Beatle would be killed on an island.

The claim was made by their close friend Elliot Mintz. The former Los Angeles radio and TV announcer, who met the couple in the early ‘70s, has written a new memoir, "We All Shine On: John, Yoko, & Me," with the blessing of their son, Sean Lennon.

"The palm reader was very emphatic about the fact that John would be killed on an island," Mintz told Fox News Digital. "When I think of islands, I think of the obvious places surrounded by water, and I was raised in New York. I just never thought of it as an island."

"But Yoko had relationships with psychics, tarot readers, astrologers, and others in what I called the ‘paranormal world,’" he shared. "She consulted with these people for years on an almost daily basis… There were very few decisions Yoko made without first getting clearance or guidance from these people."

Despite the reader’s concerning message, the couple didn’t seem fazed. In his book, Mintz noted how Lennon felt he didn’t need bodyguards because "I’m just a rock ‘n&r details

The legendary recording console used on The Beatles' Abbey Road is going up for sale on gear marketplace Reverb.

Custom-built for Abbey Road Studios (then known as EMI Studios) in 1968, the EMI TG 12345 MK1 was installed in Abbey Road's Studio 2 control room and used by George Martin and Geoff Emerick to record The Beatles' final album the following year, before being utilized on solo projects from all four members of the band, including John Lennon's John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band and Paul McCartney's McCartney.

The console was so beloved by the Fab Four that Harrison is said to have asked EMI if he could buy his own, a request that was denied out of fear that the console would be replicated and sold to competitors.

A team of engineers and technicians assembled by MJQ Ltd, who will be selling the console through their Reverb store, has spent four years restoring the desk under the watchful eye of former EMI engineer and Beatles collaborator Brian Gibson. The console now contains 70% of its original parts, with the remainder made up of painstakingly recreated replacements that have been custom-built to mirror the sound of the original unit, using the same materials and processes as the original components. details

The Beatles changed the face of music within a decade of time. But even generations later, their influence and legacy continues to grow, and one way to prove that is through their streaming numbers.

At the time of this writing, the Beatles are ranked the 103rd most listened to artist in the world on Spotify and have over 36 million monthly listeners. Compared to contemporary artists — Taylor Swift for example, who was the single most listened to artist on Spotify in 2023 – these may not seem like very impressive numbers. But when one considers that the Beatles predated the streaming era by several decades and broke up over 50 ago, it's impossible to dismiss this feat.

But what if we break it down even further? Which Beatles songs have been streamed the most? Below, we're counting down the 20 most-streamed Fab Four songs. The below data concerns Spotify numbers specifically, the most popular music streaming service globally, and is of course, subject fo fluctuations. But at of the time of this writing (Oct. 18, 2024), here's where things stand.

20. "All You Need Is Love"
From: 1967 Single
Number of Streams: 207,147,492

Even people who know very little about the Beatles and th details

So many celebrities have appeared on "The Simpsons," that 36 seasons later, the cameos have become a crutch for the show. Worse, the guests have gone from voicing characters (take Dustin Hoffman's uncredited appearance in "Lisa's Substitute") to just appearing as themselves.

The cracks were already showing in the show's golden age. Season 7's "Lisa The Vegetarian" features Paul and Linda McCartney showing up at the end to reassure Lisa she's made the correct choice of vegetarianism. The McCartneys are depicted as friends of fellow vegetarian Apu Nahasapeemapetilon (Hank Azaria), who tend to his secret garden on the roof of the Kwik-E-Mart. After Lisa and the meat-loving Homer reconcile at the end, McCartney's "Maybe I'm Amazed" closes the episode out.

Paul McCartney was the last surviving Beatle to cameo on "The Simpsons" (Ringo Starr beat him to the punch in season 2's "Brush with Greatness", followed by the late George Harrison in season 5's "Homer's Barbershop Quartet"), and he's far from the most loathsome Englishman to appear on the show (that'd be former Prime Minister Tony Blair). But this cameo came with a demand that had series-long ramifications: Mr. and Mrs. McCartney wanted Lisa to remain a vegetaria details

Ringo Starr is giving his two cents on the "Swiftie effect."

The former drummer for The Beatles recently weighed in on the craze surrounding music superstar Taylor Swift, and he made a bold comparison to the days of Beatlemania.  While sitting down for an interview with American Songwriter, Starr was asked if he believes the "Bejeweled" singer can hold a candle to the amount of cultural influence that The Beatles had.

Of course, he replied, "I do."

"Taylor is 'the now' one," Starr, 84, told the outlet, while quipping that he and the rest of his Beatles bandmates are the "still now" ones.

Starr also mentioned other famous artists, like Madonna, who have certainly had their moments of taking over popular culture, but he seemed to imply that Swift is the dominant influential force for this generation.

During the interview, Starr went on to further sing Swift's praises, stating, "I think Taylor Swift is great anyway."

"She’s pulling them in, you know," he continued, before telling a personal anecdote about his experience meeting the "Anti-Hero" singer.

"When we talk about her, I always have to mention that the first time I met her, she was 14. She was at the Grammys details

Tracked at Abbey Road Studios in February 1968 during a promotional video shoot for Lady Madonna, which was the A-side of the upcoming single, Hey Bulldog tends to fly under the radar of most casual fans, but it actually represents a critical point in the history of The Beatles: it was one of the last sessions tracked as a band before internal tensions drove the team apart.

“Hey Bulldog turned out so well there was some campaigning from John Lennon for it to serve as the A-side of the single instead of Lady Madonna,” said producer Geoff Emerick in Mark Lewisohn’s 1998 book, The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions.

Source: Brian Fox/guitarworld.com