Beatles News

Never-before-seen footage of The Beatles “mucking around” in a make-up studio ahead of a television performance, shot more than half a century ago, was released by Australia’s national film and sound archive Tuesday.

The 49-second black-and-white silent film clip — which the national archive described as “really rare” — was shot with an 8mm camera belonging to Australian dancer and make-up artist Dawn Swane, who was working at Granada TV in Manchester, Britain, at that time.

The previously unreleased footage, from November 1, 1965, shows the four members of the legendary band having fun in front of the camera as their make-up is applied.

“I was in the make-up room. And so we were having some champagne,” Swane, now 83, said in a statement released by the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia (NFSA).

“And anyway, I don’t know if it was John (Lennon) or if it was Ringo (Starr) but they took the camera off me and said, ‘This is no way to use a camera,’ and they sort of jiggled it upside down and inside out a bit, and everybody was just mucking around.

“But that was great. I mean they were a nice group o details

THE familiar faces of Beatle Ringo Starr and actor Peter Sellers caused quite a stir at Southampton Docks almost fifty years ago, back in May 1969, when the pair were among 570 passengers boarding the second voyage of the QE2 at Southampton.

The pair were going to the United States to complete a new Commonwealth United film called “The Magic Christian,” the screen version of Terry Southern’s novel.

“The Magic Christian” was described in the Echo reports of the time as a “deeply rational satire teaming with way-out ideas about modern materialistic times”.

Clutching a bag marked with the words: “Sink the Magic Christian”, an excited Ringo told the Echo that his trip to New York on the QE2 was his first sea voyage since he served in the Merchant Navy.

He worked in 1957 as a waiter on a pleasure steamer which ran in the summer from Liverpool to North Wales. “I earned £3 10s a week then and usually made more in tips than in wages,” he said. “I’m going by sea this time because it’s a nice way to travel. This ship is just like a rather splendid hotel...better than you get in Scunthorpe.” Ringo also explained details

Long past the heyday of The Beatles, Paul McCartney offered a lift one day to a young film-maker, telling him to throw a sackful of letters on the front seat into the back of the car. ‘Go ahead and read one,’ he told David Litchfield. ‘They’re all the same.’ Litchfield leafed through the letters with growing disbelief. Every single one was from a woman who claimed she’d slept with McCartney — and had subsequently given birth to his child. ‘Some of [the letters] are really impressive,’ McCartney told Litchfield. ‘They come with lawyers’ letters and exact details of when and where — and I start racking my brains and thinking to myself: “Maybe I did once have sex with her.”’

The year was 1983. The ex-Beatle had by then been happily married for 14 years — yet still the claims were pouring in. Even the historical ones could prove troublesome. That very year, a woman called Erika Hubers had gone before a Berlin judge, claiming that McCartney had fathered her daughter, Bettina, during The Beatles’ visits to Hamburg in the early Sixties. The former waitress wanted £1.75 million — but a blood test proved that he coul details

The Hairy Bikers ride into Liverpool this evening to enjoy a special pub crawl. Raising a glass to the city’s Swinging 60s legacy, Si King and Dave Myers will be seen visiting Mathew Street, joining a Beatles tour - and enjoying a drink with two of John Lennon’s old friends in Ye Cracke on Rice Street. The Hairy Bikers’ Pubs That Built Britain (BBC2, 6.30pm) will celebrate The Dissenters – John’s “other band (which never played a note)”.

Bill Harry, founder of the hugely popular and influential Mersey Beat newspaper, joined the bikers, alongside fellow former Dissenter Rod Murray. He told the ECHO: “The Dissenters were formed in June 1960 by John Lennon, Stuart Sutcliffe, Rod Murray and myself. We’d been to see Beat poet Royston Ellis at Liverpool University and later went to Ye Cracke to discuss it. We felt that the Beat poets were basically American and that we were literally swamped by American culture in films, music, comics and poetry.

“We believed Liverpool was bursting in talent and we all made a vow – to make Liverpool famous! John would do it with his music, Stuart and Rod with their painting and me with my writing. John surpassed any exp details

A recent photo of Ringo Starr, the drummer from the Beatles, and his 48-year-old son has gone viral. The reason why is because Ringo, 75, looks younger, or as young, as his son, Jason Starkey. They stepped out in Chelsea on Wednesday when the photos were taken, MailOnline reported. Ringo, who was born Richard Starkey Jr., flashed the peace sign as he was walking.

He celebrated his 75th birthday last July. Speaking recently with the Times of London, he admitted to having developed a serious drinking problem after the Beatles broke up in 1970. He finally entered rehab in 1988.

“For 20 years. I had breaks in between of not being … Some of those years are absolutely gone,” he told the paper.

“It got progressively worse, and the blackouts got worse, and I didn’t know where I’d been, what I’d done,” he said. “I knew I had the problem for years. But it plays tricks with your head. Very cunning and baffling is alcohol.”

“Now along the way I got lost in a haze of alcohol and drugs,” he added to Rolling Stone in a 2011 interview. “But thank God I’m still here, coming out of it now a day at a rime (sic). And now I’m f details

Queen Elizabeth II turned 90 on Thursday (April 21). It's a landmark occasion for the queen of the United Kingdom, though since her 1952 accession, she's seen her share of protesters -- often smart-mouthed British punks with bitter hot takes on constitutional monarchy. The Smiths had The Queen Is Dead. The Sex Pistols had "God Save the Queen" ... and then tried to crash her Silver Jubilee while playing their venomous 1977 single sailing along the River Thames. It didn't pan out well, but still, it's the thought that counts.

The Beatles, on the other hand, were much more diplomatic. Despite her detractors, Queen Elizabeth did do considerable work to honor musicians, and John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr got their due over the years, even at the very beginning. She honored them, they honored her, and at times, the Beatles spoke their minds. Here are the five most memorable times Queen Elizabeth II and the members of the Beatles crossed paths:

1. “Just Rattle Your Jewelry”

The Beatles’ first big moment with the Queen came in Nov. 1963 -- three months prior to their legendary first trip to New York -- when they performed at one of Britain’s most prestigious details

Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and Eric Clapton are among the major pop and rock stars who have contributed signed and/or worn neck ties and other fashion accessories to an online auction to benefit Cahonas Scotland, a U.K. charity that raises awareness about cancers that specifically affect men.

The Loosen Up! auction, which promotes Testicular Cancer Awareness Month, runs through this Sunday, April 24, and the items are up for bid now at eBay.co.uk. Among the many other music artists contributing items to the sale are Rod Stewart, Queen guitarist Brian May, Barry Manilow, Tom Jones, Annie Lennox, The Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennent and Elvis Costello.

McCartney has donated a yellow scarf he wore in conjunction with promoting the 1984 animated film Rupert and the Frog Song.

According to Cahonas Scotland, the ties, scarves and other items donated to the sale are meant to encourage men to “loosen up” and not be “tongue tied” about discussing male cancers such as testicular, prostate and breast cancer.

Source: ABC News Radio

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A music mogul’s assistant from Runcorn nicknamed ‘Mr Fixit’ by Paul McCartney has been honoured with a blue heritage plaque at The Brindley theatre.

Alistair Taylor charmed Brian Epstein in a job interview and joined him on his musical adventures and was with him when he first saw The Beatles perform before signing them.

A biography on the blue plaque revealed that James Alistair Taylor was born on Curzon Street in 1935 and completed his National Service with the RAF before meeting Epstein in 1960.

Alistair also worked with acts including Cream, James Taylor, Cilla Black and The Bee Gees. The blue plaques of Runcorn heritage crusader Stuart Allen, who with help from Runcorn And District Historical Society, has fixed a trail of the mementoes around the town to honour its characters and buildings of note.

Stuart said: “Alistair was instrumental in the rise and rise of The Beatles. “He was greatly respected and much loved in the music business by both the artists he worked with and by fans.

“Together with writer Hall Caine and pianist Martin Roscoe, he is one of the most important figures connected with the Arts that Runcorn has produced.”

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Fans of the Fab Four have a treat in store.

Thurnham author Neil Nixon has written a book on the world’s most famous band.

The Beatles: Myths and Legends exams the wealth of strange stories and little known “facts” that have sprouted up around the pop legends.

Mr Nixon said: “We’ve all heard the story about Paul dying in a road accident and being replaced by an imposter, but when I looked into the range of myths and legends around even I was amazed!”

The book includes a list of records that are widely - if wrongly - believed to feature The Beatles; one of which even fooled Yoko Ono into believing she was listening to her dead husband. It also identifies the true identity of a man, who did resemble Paul McCartney, and the details of the real road accident that gave rise to the McCartney death rumours in the Sixties

Mr Nixon, 56, is a self-confessed “music obsessive” and also a lecturer in professional writing at the North Kent College in Dartford. He has 25 books under his belt, including two novels written as Stanley Manly.

By: Alan Smith

Source: Kent Online

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For his new album, James McCartney – son of Beatle Paul McCartney – was looking for the songs to be “eclectic” and “a bit more raw.” He ended up turning to renowned engineer Steve Albini, whom James admired for his work with PJ Harvey, Pixies and Nirvana. The end result was “The Blackberry Train,” out May 6 on Kobalt Label Services.

Things don’t get more raw than a song called “Waterfall,” which was inspired by memories of the singer-songwriter’s mother, photographer and animal-rights activist Linda McCartney, who died of cancer in 1998. “It’s just a song that was trying to summarize that time after she died, so that kind of grieving process,” says James.

James cites bands like Nirvana, the Cure and the Stone Roses as influences for “The Blackberry Train,” but prefers to emphasize the fact that he’s “trying to be unique and just myself, really.”

The musician will be touring the U.S. this summer in support of “The Blackberry Train,” kicking things off in San Juan Capistrano, California, May 10, and wrapping the shows up in Lincoln, Nebraska, on June 27.

By: Sarene Lee details