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John Lennon was a perfectionist of sorts, both as a solo artist and as a part of The Beatles. Like anyone with a perfectionist bone in their body, he outright criticized and slandered a few of his own songs, as well as Paul McCartney’s contributions. Sometimes, that criticism was well-placed. Other times, it definitely was not. Let’s look at just a few songs that John Lennon famously hated, and why I personally think he was wrong to be so harsh about them.

1. “It’s Only Love”

This track from Help! took quite a few takes to make it to the record. Even then, it never got a proper single release and only made it to American audiences via the US version of Rubber Soul.

“That’s the one song I really hate of mine,” Lennon said of “It’s Only Love”. “Terrible lyric.”

I really don’t agree with that. I don’t think Lennon was some otherworldly god that couldn’t produce bad music or anything. But, he definitely penned worse tracks than “It’s Only Love”. (“Run For Your Life” is just one example, and Lennon also hated that one as well.)
2. “Paperback Writer”

John Lennon’s Power to the People live EP debuts in the top 10 on three U.K. charts, earning the ... More rock, Yoko Ono and The Plastic Ono Band new smashes. 16th August 1966: John Lennon (1940 - 1980) of the Beatles, after making a formal apology for his controversial statement that the group were 'more popular than Jesus'. 

Decades after his death, John Lennon is still collecting hit singles in the United Kingdom. If he’s still doing so to this day, after so many decades have passed, he may never stop scoring new wins.

The musician created an enormous amount of material during his lifetime, both on his own and as part of The Beatles… not to mention his many collaborations with his wife, Yoko Ono. That wealth of recordings – studio, live, demo, and otherwise — has turned into a near-bottomless well of releases that continue to attract interest from devoted fans and collectors. And with the help of repackagings, remasterings, and a steady flow of special releases, Lennon seems to reach the U.K. rankings with something “new” with real regularity.
John Lennon’s Latest Hit Is a Record Store Day Exclusive

Lennon, alongside Ono and the Plastic Ono B details

Fans of The Beatles’ soundtrack album, A Hard Day’s Night, say the lack of a Ringo Starr-led song is disappointing.

Though George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and John Lennon each received at least one song with lead vocal work on A Hard Day’s Night, Starr did not have any. A post to the r/Beatles subreddit saw fans share their thoughts on why Starr may not have been given any work to do on the album. One user shared: “It’s a shame that Ringo didn’t get a lead vocal song in A Hard Day’s Night. I recently noticed that while John, Paul, and George have lead vocals in a lot of the tracks, only Ringo didn’t have any. I wonder why.”

Fans are now speculating on why Starr had not been given a lead vocal role on The Beatles‘ 1964 album. One suggested that while it may be disappointing he did not receive any vocal work on the album, his work on the film led to him becoming the main star of the follow-up film. The user wrote: “Ringo did get a scene that was so well received he became the focal point for the film Help!”

Another added: “The camera definitely loved Ringo the most. John always had the good lines and Paul is Paul, but Ringo is a details

Brian Epstein had served as the Beatles’ manager for longer than the band had even been popular in the public eye. The band had initially caught Epstein’s attention in 1961, as they had begun to garner more attention in Liverpool’s local markets. After catching a local show, Epstein, who was new to the music management business, drew up a contract and signed on as the Beatles’ manager. Epstein was responsible for a number of different decisions regarding the band’s direction in their early years, including the shaping of their overall image, and he (reluctantly) played a key part in the dismissal of the Beatles’ original drummer, Pete Best in 1962, when he was replaced by Starr.

Throughout the life of the band, Epstein often served as the North Star for business decisions, and was a key mediator in managing conflicts and egos within the band. Most notably, Epstein was responsible for the Apple Corps venture that put all four band members in a legal partnership as a tax shelter. However, in 1967, Epstein died unexpectedly of a drug overdose, leaving the Beatles, who were not very business-minded, at a loss for what to do next.

Less than a year after Epstein’s death, The F details

A new exhibit of photographs taken by Beatles legend Paul McCartney in late 19963 and early ’64 will open this Friday, April 25, at the Gagosian gallery in Beverly Hills, California. The exhibition, titled “Paul McCartney: Rearview Mirror: Photographs, December 1963–February 1964,” includes 36 images snapped by McCartney during and shortly before The Beatles’ historic first visit to the U.S.

A video feature capturing McCartney signing prints of various photos from the exhibit and chatting with Joshua Chuang, the gallery’s director of photography, about the images, has been posted on the Gagosian’s YouTube channel. The presentation was filmed during a recent visit Sir Paul paid to the Griffin Editions fine-art photography destination in Brooklyn, New York.

At one point during the video, McCartney is shown looking at photos he took of John Lennon, and he shared some emotional reflections about his late former bandmate.

“He was a great guy,” Paul said. “And I’m so proud and happy to have known him, to have worked with him, and to have done all that stuff with him, you know? So it’s a huge thing in my life.”  Many of the pics details

Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote the majority of The Beatles' hit songs, with Paul penning Let It Be after experiencing a heartbreaking family tragedy.   Let It Be is still thought of as one of the best songs by The Beatles, but there's a heartbreaking story behind its creation.

The song was written and sung by Paul McCartney and ended up being the band's final single before Paul announced his departure. Years later, Paul opened up about the meaning behind Let It Be and explained how it had been inspired by his mom's death.

Paul's mother Mary Patricia McCartney sadly died of an embolism as a complication of surgery for breast cancer when her son was just 14 years old. Speaking to James Corden on his segment of Carpool Karaoke, Paul explained, "I had a dream in the 60s where my mum who died came to me in a dream and was reassuring me, saying, 'It's gonna be OK. Just let it be...'"

With Paul's mother being called Mary, it's often believed she is the inspiration for the "Mother Mary" lyric in the song. However, there is another version of the story.  Mal Evans was a road manager and personal assistant employed by The Beatles. He worked closely with Neil Aspinall as the band's general go-t details

Beatles fans are only just realising why Ringo Starr is always seen wearing dark glasses.

Starr, who gained international fame as the drummer for the legendary band, is known for sporting dark glasses or sunglasses. However, the reason behind this is not very well-known.

A lot of fans assume the glasses are just part of Starr’s look but this isn’t the case. Charlie Brown, a user on Quora, the American social question and answer website, has shed some light.

In his answer to the question ‘Why is Ringo Starr always wearing sunglasses?’ Charlie said: “According to numerous sources over the decades that have addressed this popular fan question about the celebrated drummer of The Beatles…

"Sir Ringo is usually seen in dark glasses (or ‘sunglasses’) because his eyes have an acute sensitivity to light - and he has occasionally cited that reason himself when asked about it. I’ve never heard an official reason for that to have developed as Ringo has aged (he’s now 81), but given the serious illnesses he lived through as a child - the light sensitivity his eyes developed as he matured might be related to his childhood health challenges.”

Steven Soderbergh is out to the town with an untitled feature doc, centered on the final interview of John Lennon, multiple sources tell Deadline.

This is the first doc in many years for Soderbergh, who released And Everything Is Going Fine — on the life of multi-hyphenate artist Spalding Gray — through Sundance Selects in 2010. We’re told Soderbergh is in production now, and the search for a distributor is on, with the film to be completed by end of year.

EPs on the project include Soderbergh, Michael Sugar and David Hillman of Sugar23, and Nancy Saslow and David Hudson of Mishpookah Entertainment Group.

Lennon’s final in-depth interview took place alongside wife and creative collaborator Yoko Ono on the fateful day of December 8, 1980 — the only radio interview granted around the release of their album, Double Fantasy. That afternoon, the pair met a team of three from RKO Radio at their Dakota apartment. The conversation was extraordinary and wide-ranging, reflecting the duo’s open and reflective moods. John had just turned 40 and emerged from a five-year hiatus from the music industry to care for his son, Sean. The future seemed limitless.

Source: deadline.c details

The Beatles are well-known for their iconic hits including Eleanor Rigby and Hey Jude.

However, they also had moments in which they broke away from pop music conventions. Paul McCartney pointed to one obscure B-side, You Know My Name (Look Up The Number), as a prime example of this unconventional approach.

Created over numerous sessions from 1967 to 1969, You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) marked a departure from the band's typical output. Dubbed "insane" by Paul, the song is recognized for its surrealistic humor. You Know My Name (Look Up The Number) was first worked on in May 1967, but was set aside for close to two years.

When The Beatles resumed work on the song in 1969, they opted for radical change. Turning their backs on their signature style, the musicians created a mix of musical interludes and spoken word sections.

Even by the unusual standards of the late Beatles, the song broke away from conventional structures. It takes listeners on a ride through genres like lounge jazz, ska, cabaret and even includes comedic voice-overs from Paul and John Lennon.

Reflecting on the song years later, Paul remarked, "People are only just discovering the B-sides of Beatles singles. They're o details

Balancing work and family life can prove difficult for folks in just about any occupation. Now imagine trying to do it when you’re a famous rock star, facing constant travel and professional obligations to sustain your career. The Beatles’ own Macca always seemed to handle those pressures with grace. Understandably, his kids would occasionally find their way into the songs he wrote. “Waterfalls”, a song Paul McCartney released in 1980, gives out some charming fatherly advice in the lyrics.

When Paul McCartney started making the album that would become McCartney II, he did it in part because he needed a break from Wings. The band he started in the aftermath of The Beatles’ breakup had undergone many lineup changes and had come to a bit of a creative crossroads at the end of the decade.

As a result, McCartney wanted to switch things up with a solo album that wasn’t afraid to get a little experimental. He initially planned that the album would have nothing but freshly-written material. But he knew enough not to be so rigid about those guidelines.

After writing a bunch of new songs, McCartney decided to go against his earlier edict. He dusted off a song that he had worked details

Despite their famously tumultuous breakup, the Beatles‘ music was more or less a group effort. They all wrote songs–some more than others, but nevertheless. They collaborated in the studio, working to make their tracks as rich as they could be. So when a member was absent from the recording process, there was a very specific circumstance behind it. Find out why individual Beatles members refused to record the three songs, below.

McCartney’s momentary absence in the studio was the result of a row with John Lennon. McCartney was infamously controlling in the studio–at least according to the opinion of his bandmates. He had a very specific vision for the Beatles songs he penned, leading to lengthy, nitpicking studio sessions. However, he took his hands off the wheel with one song in particular: “She Said She Said.” According to McCartney, this is the only Beatles track he had zero to do with.

“I’m not sure, but I think it was one of the only Beatle records I never played on.” McCartney once said. “I think we’d had a barney or something and I said, ‘Oh, fu** you!’ and they said, ‘Well, we’ll do it.’ I think George played details

The Beatles stars John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney wrote a host of hits together, but the pair disagreed over how much input they both had over one popular hit.  John Lennon was said to be left “insulted” by a request from Sir Paul McCartney as the pair wrote one of The Beatles biggest hits.

Paul is said to have penned the first verse to the incredibly popular Eleanor Rigby before putting it on the back burner. However, at a dinner party hosted by John and his then wife Cynthia, Paul is understood to have played the song for friends of the band, and asked for suggestions on how to finish it.

According to the book John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs, businessman Pete Shotton, a friend of John, suggested that the Eleanor character could die in the third verse, leaving Father Mackenzie, the priest in the lyrics, to conduct her funeral.

He claims John dismissed the idea out of hand, saying: “I don’t think you understand what we’re trying to get at, Pete.”

According to author Ian Leslie, John gave a similar, albeit slightly different account to how Eleanor Rigby was written, including a moment he was left feeling “insulted” by fellow songwriter P details

It’s all love between the Lennon brothers. Sean Ono Lennon reposted a message on his Instagram Stories Monday that seemingly shut down rumors of tension between Sean, 49, and his half-brother Julian Lennon, 62.

The message, shared by the fan account “ceoofjohnlennon,” read, “Here, we do not accept comparisons and erroneous creations of fights about two people that John Lennon loved the most: his children :).”

Julian was born in 1963 to John and Cynthia Lennon. The former couple divorced five years later. Cynthia died in 2015 at age 75.

Meanwhile, Sean’s mom is John’s second wife, Yoko Ono. John and Yoko, 92, were married until the Beatles legend’s death in 1980.

The brothers are both musicians like their dad. Julian has released seven studio albums, while Sean has been in several bands including his parents’ group, Plastic Ono Band.

Source: nypost.com/Eric Todisco

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Many factors go into what it takes to write a fantastic song. One underrated aspect of it all: timing. When is the perfect time to sit down and create, relative to the events that might have inspired the song you’re planning to write? One day in 1965, Paul McCartney needed to immediately get something off his chest following a romantic argument. He quickly spewed forth with the bulk of “We Can Work It Out”, one of The Beatles’ most beloved singles.

For much of the time when The Beatles were at their most popular, Paul McCartney was involved in a romantic relationship with British actress Jane Asher. This relationship endured its share of ups and downs. Check out the volatility of the songs about love that McCartney wrote during that stretch.

Some, such as “Here, There And Everywhere”, clearly came from periods where the young couple’s future seemed infinite. And others, like “You Won’t See Me”, showed simmering tension coming to the surface.

“We Can Work It Out” by The Beatles sort of splits the middle between those two extremes. While McCartney wrote it after an argument, he takes a hopeful tone that they can rectify the situation details

A band as culturally influential as The Beatles was bound to attract its share of wild theories, urban legends, and even bizarre-but-true stories.  Formed in Liverpool in 1960 and made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, The Beatles are often regarded as the most eminent band of all time.

Their music evolved dramatically over the decade following their formation – from catchy pop hits like I Want to Hold Your Hand to groundbreaking albums such as Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band and The White Album – and their cultural position changed along with their sound.

As psychedelia, mysticism, and countercultural movements swept the UK and US, The Beatles’ reputation became somewhat edgier and more shrouded in intrigue.  As a result, rumours swirled around the band, some of which have persisted and become part of legend.

Here are five of the craziest theories – and an honest estimation of whether there’s any truth to them.

The original drummer in The Beatles was fired for being better-looking than Paul McCartney. It’s long been believed that Pete was cut from the band for being ‘too good looking’.& details

We should be prepared for a journey through time and space when viewing the documentary "One to One: John and Yoko: A Year of Love & Transformation." Superbly directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Kevin MacDonald, along with Sam R. Williams, this extraordinary documentary places us back in 1972.

John and Yoko settled in a small apartment in the West Village, where an extraordinary array of musicians/artists, following in the paths of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and others in West Village bistros. If you haven't already done so, see "A Complete Unknown. In fact, you might find it even more engaging if you check it out again.)

This era enhanced our entry into a period of history wherein the "forces" for peace were in the process of dislodging the powers that wanted to continue making war.Hence, the amplification (throughout society) of Lennon's song, "All we are saying is give Peace a Chance."

"One to One" is focused on a benefit concert that John and Yoko organized for special youngsters at Willow Brook, in nearby upstate New York. The exceptional audio mastering/editing was done by their son, Sean Ono Lennon.

Iconic figures of the time, such as Beat poet Allen Ginsberg (author of "Howl") and Yippee c details

Sir Paul McCartney "insulted" John Lennon with one request.

John Lennon reportedly felt "insulted" by a suggestion from bandmate Sir Paul McCartney during the creation of one of The Beatles' greatest tracks. Paul is understood to have written the first verse of the incredibly popular Eleanor Rigby before putting the song on the back burner.

However, at a dinner party hosted by John and his ex-wife Cynthia, Paul is said to have played his version of the song for friends, asking for suggestions how to finish it. According to the book John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs, businessman Pete Shotton, a friend of John, suggested that the Eleanor character could die in the third verse, leaving Father Mackenzie, the priest in the lyrics, to conduct her funeral, reports the Mirror US.

Source: express.co.uk/Matt Jackson

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While Paul McCartney and John Lennon are best known for their iconic songs written for The Beatles, their songwriting genius extended beyond their own band.

In the early part of the 1960s, The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein used John and Paul's talents to boost the careers of other artists under his management. This involved commissioning new songs from the duo or repurposing existing ones for artists like Cilla Black and Billy J. Kramer with his band The Dakotas.  Interestingly, John and Paul were also behind The Rolling Stones first hit I Wanna Be Your Man, and they generously gave away A World Without Love to Peter and Gordon.

Peter and Gordon reaped significant benefits from John and Paul's work.

Paul had written A World Without Love at just 16 years old. When he moved in with then-girlfriend Jane Asher in 1963, her brother Peter Asher (of Peter and Gordon) heard the song and requested it.

Source: the-express.com/Dan Haygarth, Scarlett 

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A Beatles fan who bought 84 envelopes which once contained fan mail sent to Ringo Starr is attempting to contact the letters' original authors.

Joseph O'Donnell, from Tynemouth, bought the envelopes dated between 1965 and 1966 in an online auction in January.

They had been collected by Starr's former employee who had kept them for the international stamps, he said.  Mr O'Donnell has written to the return addresses listed on about 50 of the envelopes, which were sent from as far away as Brazil and Australia, in the hope of finding the original fan letters as well as any potential responses from the drummer.

Mr O'Donnell, who describes himself as a "huge Beatles fan", sent letters and return envelopes to about 50 addresses last week.

"The chances are if there are 50 of these return addresses, I'm going to get at least one letter back," he said.

Joseph O'Donnell Back of an envelope with lots of Beatles-related scribbles such as "Beatles are Immortal" and "Beatles 4-Ever" and "Ringo". There is a Hallmark logo in the middle. Joseph O'Donnell

A number of the envelopes included return addresses, said Mr O'Donnell.  Mr O'Donnell only has the envelopes and not the original fan le details

When The Beatles parted ways in 1970, it was a sad ending, but also the start of four wildly different, wildly brilliant solo journeys. From protest anthems to dreamy ballads and synth-driven adventures, each Beatle proved they still had something to say. These ten albums—one from each member and a few standouts—show how their post-Beatles careers weren’t just footnotes, but essential chapters in rock history.

George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
The quiet Beatle came out swinging with a triple album full of soul, spirituality, and slide guitar. “My Sweet Lord” was the hit, but the deep cuts—“Wah-Wah,” “Isn’t It a Pity,” “Beware of Darkness”—are where George’s songwriting soars. It was the first solo album to truly eclipse the shadow of The Beatles. Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production made it massive, but it’s George’s vision that made it timeless.

John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band
Raw, brutal, and unfiltered, this was John with no safety net. Inspired by primal scream therapy, the album strips away the myth and leaves the man. “Mother,” “Working Class Hero,&rdquo details

The Beatles weren't just a rock and roll sensation but a cultural phenomenon. Their rapid ascent began in 1963, captivating audiences across the UK and Europe.

Come February 1964, they blazed through the United States, dominating the airwaves with the smash hit I Want To Hold Your Hand and capturing over 73 million viewers on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their stellar rise from Liverpool's Cavern Club saw them become global superstars in mere years, with the frenzy of Beatlemania quickly becoming a profitable venture.

It didn't take long for the Fab Four to venture into cinema. Just one month after their American breakthrough, they commenced production on A Hard Day's Night, their first movie. It comes after Paul McCartney revealed he was 'blown away' by one Beatles cover.

A Hard Day's Night director Richard Lester helmed the quartet—Paul, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon—who played whimsical versions of themselves in this comedic flick, which followed two zany days leading up to a TV show appearance.
The Beatles pose for a portrait on the roof of the Palace Court Hotel in Bournemouth in August 1963.

Source: themirror.com/Dan Haygarth

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Although they reshaped music as we know it, the Beatles never shied away from their influences. Their earliest albums included covers of songs by some of their favorite American artists, including Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and groups from the Motown stable.

Those influences were rooted deep in their music sensibilities. George Harrison’s eye-catching Futurama guitar was bought so he could mimic his hero Holly at a time when Fender Stratocasters hadn’t yet made it to the U.K. Paul McCartney often doffed his hat to his forebearers, whether by channeling Little Richard's singing style or drawing Motown stylings into “Got to Get You into My Life.”

But perhaps the most obvious tribute to a fellow group was "Back in the U.S.S.R.," a McCartney composition from the 1968 White Album that was recorded with all the trimmings of a classic Beach Boys tune. And indeed, the Beatles were Beach Boys fans. John Lennon and McCartney were both heavily influenced by Brian Wilson's songs, arrangements and recordings on Pet Sounds, and they considered the group's multilayered harmonies as good as their own.

So how did "Back in the U.S.S.R." become a Beach Boys tribute? It got some help f details

Freed of the pressure of leading a band, Paul McCartney decided to let his experimental flag fly in his 1980 album McCartney II. That relaxed spirit made its way into the lyrics, which occasionally revel in their silliness.

But for the least song on the album, McCartney went back to more traditional songwriting strengths: a pretty tune and heartfelt lyrics. “One Of These Days”, a prime deep cut from his catalog, emerged from that process.

Paul McCartney started to grow weary of fronting a band as the 70s ended. After all, they had been fulfilling that role for the better part of two decades. Barely a year had elapsed after The Beatles announced their break when McCartney started up Wings, who carried him through the majority of the 70s.

In 1980, Paul McCartney took the opportunity to record a DIY solo album. He played all the instruments on McCartney II, including synthesizers, which provided the dominant sound of the record. Aside from the ear-candy single “Coming Up”, much of the album was given over to offbeat tracks like “Temporary Secretary” and “Bogey Music”.

McCartney did go a more familiar route for the closing track. As he explained in an details

One of the most controversial moments of The Beatles’ career has to be when John Lennon said in an interview that the Fab Four were “bigger than Jesus” back in 1966. It was a huge debacle that angered a lot of conservative Christian Americans. It led to a pretty unpleasant North American tour for the band that year. Despite Lennon’s attempt to clarify his comments, the damage had already been done. Some concerts were full-on unsafe for The Beatles because of that statement being massively blown out of proportion. Just as well, the controversy was likely a contributing factor to the band calling it quits on touring later that year.

Decades later in 2010, the Catholic Church officially published an article in its newspaper, the L’Osservatore Romano, written by Giuseppe Fiorentino and Gaetano Vallini. In the article, the Vatican declared that it had officially forgiven John Lennon for his remarks comparing The Beatles to Jesus.

Some saw the article as an agreeable farewell to the whole debacle that never really disappeared from the Fab Four’s legacy. However, Ringo Starr was not happy about the Catholic Church’s “forgiveness” of his late friend and bandmate.
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Although they reshaped music as we know it, the Beatles never shied away from their influences. Their earliest albums included covers of songs by some of their favorite American artists, including Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and groups from the Motown stable.

Those influences were rooted deep in their music sensibilities. George Harrison’s eye-catching Futurama guitar was bought so he could mimic his hero Holly at a time when Fender Stratocasters hadn’t yet made it to the U.K. Paul McCartney often doffed his hat to his forebearers, whether by channeling Little Richard's singing style or drawing Motown stylings into “Got to Get You into My Life.”

But perhaps the most obvious tribute to a fellow group was "Back in the U.S.S.R.," a McCartney composition from the 1968 White Album that was recorded with all the trimmings of a classic Beach Boys tune. And indeed, the Beatles were Beach Boys fans. John Lennon and McCartney were both heavily influenced by Brian Wilson's songs, arrangements and recordings on Pet Sounds, and they considered the group's multilayered harmonies as good as their own.

So how did "Back in the U.S.S.R." become a Beach Boys tribute? It got some help f details