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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

One of the most interesting things about Beatrice McCartney, the youngest child of famous musician Sir Paul McCartney, is that she lives a very quiet and private life. Beatrice actually lives a very normal, everyday life and never seems to be in the public eye, even though she was born to arguably the most important musician in the history of popular music.

Beatrice comes from a family with an unmatched musical history. Her father loved music, and her mother Heather Mills was an advocate. We will learn more about Beatrice McCartney’s life in the next article, which will focus on her childhood, her ties to The Beatles’ legacy, and what the future may hold for her.

Beatrice Milly McCartney was born on October 28, 2003, in London, England. She is the daughter of Sir Paul McCartney, famous as the bass player and songwriter for the rock band The Beatles, and Heather Mills, formerly a model and activist. She is the youngest of Sir Paul McCartney’s five children and his only daughter. She is from a creative and generous family with great feats attached to their names.

Source: explosion.com/explosion.com

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Paul McCartney has returned to his home city through the years for numerous appearances and projects - but on one particularly visit to Liverpool, he had to keep a "closely guarded secret." In more recent years, the former Beatle has been spotted back in his hometown for a graduation ceremony at the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA), to perform at the Philharmonic pub and more.

But back in the 1980s, many will remember when Sir Paul made a rare television appearance on BBC sitcom Bread, alongside his late wife, Linda. Loved by millions since it first aired in 1986, Bread was a massive hit, reaching 21 million viewers at its peak.

Written by Carla Lane, the series followed the lives of the the close knit families from Dingle and filmed on the steep Victorian terraced Bread streets, which went on to become some of the most well known streets in Liverpool. Among them was Elswick Street, which the ECHO recently visited - and residents living on the street told us how the sitcom life isn’t too far from the truth.

Now nearly 40 years on from when Bread first aired, we've delved into the archives to uncover a number of behind the scenes photos from the set of the hit BBC series. Courtesy of o details

The Beatles never reunited before John Lennon's death. During his lifetime, though, he thought a band reunion was possible.

John Lennon said he lost interest in The Beatles when he met Yoko Ono. He remained in the band until 1969 when he told Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr that he wanted to move on. The band’s split was acrimonious, with the former Beatles insulting each other in interviews and songs. By the early 1970s, though, Lennon told a friend that he believed in the possibility of a reunion.
John Lennon was optimistic about a Beatles reunion by the early 1970s

In 1973, Lennon sat down with his friend, Elliot Mintz, for an interview. Mintz noted in his book, We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me, that he asked the question that was on everyone’s mind at the time.

“After carefully pulling out of the McDonald’s lot, I cautiously navigated to a surprisingly desolate stretch of beach near the Malibu pier, where the camera crew taped John and me talking about everything from his new album to his memories of Beatlemania to the ultimate question on everybody’s mind — and the one John had been asked at least a thousand times before: the possibility o details

The musician often called the Quiet Beatle sat in the background during the initial years of the Lennon & McCartney partnership, slowly building a voice of his own as a songwriter. The band’s latter years witness George Harrison coming to the forefront, writing music that is easily the equal of his illustrious peers.

A new generation seem to be agreeing. The top Beatles track on Spotify is ‘Here Comes The Sun’ – penned by George Harrison for their ‘Abbey Road’ album, it receives over 687,000 plays on the platform every single day.

George has just broken a new record, too. ‘My Sweet Lord’ – the gospel-drenched yearning for meaning that appears on his classic solo album ‘All Things Must Pass’ – has become the most streamed song by a solo Beatle daily on Spotify.

The song edges out Paul McCartney’s ‘FourFiveSeconds’ and receives 449,000 plays on Spotify every single day.

Source: Robin Murray/clashmusic.com

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Sir Ringo Starr just realized the voice he always wanted.

The 84-year-old The Beatles legend, rose to fame after lending his drumming skills to the iconic band alongside the late John Lennon, George Harrison, and Sir Paul McCartney. While he certainly can "hold a tune", he reached the epiphany of how everything "worked out" for them because of the songwriting talent each member possessed.

In a conversation with The Sunday Times, he stated, "Well, I always wanted to be someone else. Like Jerry Lee [Lewis] or someone! I mean, I can hold a tune, as long as it’s in my key.” "And it just worked out with the Beatles because John and Paul were great writers,” Starr added.

The iconic musician continued, "That’s what made us. And I’d get one song. And a couple of them were really good, you know, With a Little Help from My Friends and Yellow Submarine. They’re still huge and I still do them on tour. They wrote me a lot of really nice songs."

With the release of his latest music album, Look Up and is touring with his band, Ringo Starr and Friends, he admitted that it is still "fun."

"The band sounds great. We have a fun time and we just do it,” Starr told th details

John Lennon liked a goofy Paul McCartney song from the early 1980s. It’s not clear which version of the track John liked.

John Lennon didn’t always like Paul McCartney’s songs, but he praised one of Paul’s solo hits from the early 1980s. Sadly, the track John liked sounds like it was performed by Kermit the Frog. Listeners loved the song anyway. John Lennon didn’t care about Paul McCartney’s solo songs.

During a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John discussed Paul’s post-Beatles work. “Somebody asked me what I thought of Paul’s last album [McCartney II] and I made some remark like I thought he was depressed and sad,” he said. “But then I realized I hadn’t listened to the whole damn thing. I heard one track — the hit, ‘Coming Up,’ which I thought was a good piece of work. Then I heard something else that sounded like he was depressed.

“But I don’t follow their work,” he added. “I don’t follow Wings, you know. I don’t give a s*** what Wings are doing, or what George’s new album is doing or what Ringo is doi details

When The Beatles broke up, John Lennon publicly aired his grievances with the band and his former bandmates. He made it clear that he was ready to move on and did not share the warm opinion of the band that so many did. Within a few years, though, Lennon said he had let go of these bad feelings. He claimed that his memories of The Beatles were fond, despite what he may have said in the past.

In the early 1970s, each of the former Beatles constantly fielded questions about whether or not the band would reunite. Lennon, who broke up the band, said a reunion was a possibility. His friend, Elliot Mintz wrote about it in his book We All Shine On: John Yoko and Me.

“‘It’s quite possible, yes,’ [John] said as we sat on the sand. ‘I don’t know why the hell we’d do it, but it’s possible.’” He’d spoken publicly about his problems with the band, but he claimed he’d moved past them. By 1973, he said he didn’t harbor any bad feelings about the band.

Source: Showbiz CheatSheet

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50 years ago this month, music superstar Paul McCartney, his wife Linda and his band Wings flew into New Orleans to record songs for the album “Venus and Mars” at Allen Toussaint and Marshall Sehorn’s Sea-Saint Recording Studio in Gentilly.

News of the former Beatle’s visit made the front page of the Jan. 8, 1975, States-Item, with reporter Jack Davis writing that McCartney had received a temporary visa to stay in the city until March 1. Davis explained that the visa “will not allow McCartney to do any work other than the recording, meaning that performances by the 31-year-old rock star and songwriter are not permitted.” But fans did get glimpses of him coming and going from the studio on Clematis Street in Gentilly, where the couple’s three children also joined them.

About a month later, during a press conference aboard the excursion boat Voyageur, Paul McCartney said New Orleans was selected as a recording site because “it’s warm and it’s a musical city,” according to Millie Ball’s Feb. 14, 1975, story in The Times-Picayune. Music legends Lloyd Price, Earl King, Dr. John and Professor Longhair dropped by the sessions which also featured To details

George Harrison had a handful of hit songs after The Beatles broke up, but his best one didn’t hit No. 1. Interestingly, the tune in question was supposed to sound a bit like The Beatles’ “Penny Lane.” George’s best song might have hit No. 1 if he hadn’t made a particular decision.  George had three No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100: “My Sweet Lord”/”Isn’t It a Pity,” “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth),” and “Got My Mind Set on You.” Those are all good songs, but they aren’t George’s best. The pinnacle of his career was “What Is Life.”

The tune combines George’s rock ‘n’ roll tendencies with his spiritual outlook and producer Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound technique. The lyrics are clever, as they could be interpreted as being about loving a partner or loving God. It’s hard to listen to it without feeling some uplift, whether you are spiritual or not.

During a 2001 interview with Billboard, George discussed the origin of “What Is Love.” “When we were going through all the tapes, I just found this version that was like a rough mix [at Trident details

The Beatles were set to get back together in the mid-1970s, but drummer Ringo Starr has shared the reason the band said no – despite being offered nearly £41million for one just performance.

Legendary rock group The Beatles had a chance to reunite for a lot of money but turned it down for just one reason. Ringo Starr, the band's drummer, shared the group were offered $50million in 1976 – the equivalent of £200million today – to get back together for a one-off performance.

It seemed a tempting deal for the Fab Four but they eventually turned the offer down. Starr and fellow surviving Beatles member Paul McCartney briefly reunited at the Wings frontman's show in London late last year. But a full Beatles reunion never came to be after their break-up in 1970.

Their final live performance took place from the Abbey Road Studios' rooftop, where new songs like 'Don't Let Me Down' and 'Get Back' were performed. With Starr and McCartney reuniting on stage to play Helter Skelter and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, some fans remembered the massive offer presented to the band in 1976.

While the band's members would go on to work with one another on some of their solo proje details

The song is a fixture of Paul's live performances and was in the setlist for last year's 'Got Back' tour

During the break up of The Beatles, Paul McCartney spent a lot of his time at his farm in Campbeltown, Scotland. When John Lennon told his bandmates he wanted a "divorce" from The Beatles in September 1969, a devastated Paul retreated to Scotland to write what became his first solo album - 'McCartney'.

The release of that album in April 1970 confirmed Paul's departure from The Beatles and saw him receive much of the blame for the band coming to an end - as John's 1969 decision to quit had not been made public. After the release of 'McCartney', Paul continued to spend plenty of time at his Scottish farm and he decided to write a song about the quiet life there.

Paul bought the 183-acre site on the Kintyre Peninsula in 1966 and it became a sanctuary for him away from the pressures of fame. He wrote plenty of Beatles songs there, as well as Wings and solo hits.

In 1974, Paul recorded 'Junior's Farm', a song about life on the farm. Taking inspiration from Bob Dylan's 'Maggie's Farm', Paul came up with a character called Junior who had escaped the city for a new rural life.

It represented P details

The late former President Jimmy Carter reportedly held the 1971 John Lennon hit "Imagine" as his favorite tune. But its use as a song at his state funeral ceremony has set a firestorm on social media from critics saying it wasn't fit for use in what in a memorial service in a Christian church.

On Thursday, the tune was performed by fellow Georgian Trisha Yearwood and her husband Garth Brooks during Carter's Washington National Cathedral funeral service. One year earlier, Brooks and Yearwood performed it at former first lady Rosalynn Carter’s wake, as well. The country star couple previously worked with Carter on several Habitat for Humanity home projects, according to reports.

Social media lit up later Thursday, calling into question the performance of the song, given its lyrical rejection of religion.

"Imagine there's no heaven / It's easy if you try / No Hell below us / Above us, only sky," the first line goes.

On X, several observers, including top conservative figures, questioned the use of the song, while others differed.

"Having Joe Biden lecture us about what a strong Christian Jimmy Carter was before the crowd sits through ‘Imagine’ with the lyrics ‘Imagine details

Don Bradman, the greatest cricketer of all time, was once asked if he reckoned he could have maintained his batting average of 99.94 against the fearsome West Indian bowling attack of the time. Oh no, he said. Not a chance. He’d probably be hitting in the 50s, like the very best batsmen of the time. But then again, he added, he was in his late 60s so it was unrealistic to expect better.

That’s the position Paul McCartney occupies in the world of pop. No, at 82 years old he is not going to make a new Revolver or Abbey Road. And no, he can’t do the Little Richard scream like he used to 60 years ago. But he is still, as they say in sport, the Goat. The undisputed champion of the world. One of the four men who invented the concept of the guitar band as we now know it, writer of dozens of the best-loved songs in the world.

Consider this: McCartney played for the best part of three hours on the last night of his Got Back tour, and these were among the songs he either wrote or had a large part in writing that he did not play: ‘Yesterday’, ‘Eleanor Rigby’, ‘I Saw Her Standing There’, ‘Can’t Buy Me Love’, ‘The Night Before’, ‘Paperb details

John Lennon and Paul McCartney had one of the most prolific and influential songwriting partnerships of modern musical history, but it didn’t come without its pitfalls. As the duo—along with George Harrison and Ringo Starr—progressed further in their tenure as the Beatles, differences in approach, style, and preference began to arise. By Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, virtually everyone had some sort of grievance about another, whether on a musical or personal level.

Although there are many ways to illustrate the differences between Lennon and McCartney, one of the most succinct examples is “Lovely Rita,” the third track on the B-side of Sgt. Pepper’s.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s Musical Differences, Put Plainly

Even before learning who wrote the Sgt. Pepper’s B-side, anyone vaguely familiar with the Beatles’ repertoire could likely guess that Paul McCartney was the man behind “Lovely Rita.” From its character-driven narrative to its fantastical expansion of reality, everything about the song screams “McCartney.” Lovely Rita, meter maid, nothing can come between us, McCartney croons in his love song to a parking details