Beatles News

Paul McCartney has penned some words on how they shot the iconic cover for The Beatles‘ ‘Rubber Soul’ for the re-release of their classic 1965 album. Check them out exclusively on NME below.

The Fab Four’s landmark sixth album is currently heading to Number One in the UK charts, 60 years after its original release. Released last week (Friday October 2), the expanded edition comes presented in new stereo and Dolby Atmos mixes, and with a box-set alongside the original mono mix and the original Capitol US Album version mixed by producer Giles Martin and engineer Sam Okell.

As well as the original tracklist – which features fan-favourites including ‘Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)’, ‘Nowhere Man’, ‘Michelle’, and ‘In My Life’ – there is also be the contemporary double A-side single, ‘Day Tripper / We Can Work It Out’, and a selection of previously unreleased session recordings and home demos.

The Super Deluxe Special Edition Super comes as either a 5-LP box-set or a 4-CD box-set, with 68 tracks and an 88-page hardbound book featuring a brand new written introduction by McCartney, and a foreword compiled from details

Four months after returning with The Boys of Dungeon Lane, Paul McCartney, never short of songs, has pulled out a handful more. Three songs from Macca’s album sessions with Andrew Watt feature on a new expansion of the June LP, alongside a “flip mix” of “Home to Us,” the Ringo Starr duet from the record. (The new version reverses their parts.) Stream the full expanded album below or skip to track 15 for the new songs: “City Fox,” “One Night Stand,” and “Chelsea Boots.” 

Source: pitchfork.com/Jazz Monroe

On the surface, John Lennon might have been seen as the Beatle most likely to form a lasting bond with Bob Dylan, such were the often cynical and aloof parallels of their character traits. Yet, it was The Quiet One who became the lifelong pal, and who would persuade the American to be part of his second celebrated chart-topping group.

Bob had met all four Fabs at the same time, on their first visit to the US in 1964, infamously introducing them to the delight of marijuana during an all-night and well into the early hours pow-wow at New York’s Delmonico Hotel. Whenever Dylan subsequently played in the UK, at least one Beatle’s name would be on the guest list, and they made sure he was among the first to hear albums like Rubber Soul and Revolver, tacitly acknowledging the debt they felt their rapidly developing craft owed him.

In his 2026 book Where The Music Had To Go: How Bob Dylan And The Beatles Changed Each Other, author Jim Windolf suggests the demands of their respective careers were an obstacle in them ever getting especially close. He also argues that neither Lennon nor McCartney were in the frame to forge any kind of lasting friendship with their contemporary and admirer; John’s outlook details

Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote dozens of songs for the Beatles, most of which are credited to the iconic "Lennon-McCartney" and, on rare occasions, "McCartney-Lennon." As teenagers, the duo made a pact that both their names would appear on their songs, regardless of who wrote them. This partnership set the stage for one of music history’s most legendary songwriting collaborations.

Some of the Beatles’ fan favorites actually began as songs penned by a young Lennon and McCartney in Liverpool, both before and during their days with the Quarrymen. Whether written solo or as a team, these tracks foreshadow the artists’ creative genius; a genius that would one day set the tone for the musical landscape of the 1960s and 70s.

Here are four Beatles songs John Lennon and Paul McCartney wrote as teenagers.

"Hello Little Girl"
"One After 909"
"I'll Follow the Sun"
"Love Me Do"

"Hello Little Girl"

John Lennon wrote his first song, "Hello Little Girl," in 1957 when he was just 16. Inspired by a 1930s or ‘40s tune his mother used to sing to him, Lennon’s first musical endeavor is credited to Lennon-McCartney. The Beatles performed it during their 196 details

Through moving lyrics entwined with themes of peace, love and spirituality, George Harrison offered fans harmony at a time of intense political unrest—a message that has transcended his lifetime. Harrison and his bandmates transformed the world as we know it, leaving behind an immutable impact on society. The Beatles’ profound influence is now documented within the grooves of vinyls, silver bromide of film, and voices of older generations as they pass down those stories to their children.

While photographed and interviewed relentlessly throughout their career, Harrison was also simultaneously documenting himself and The Beatles in private, capturing moments that make these larger-than-life rock gods feel incredibly human. The images take us inside his mind and behind the scenes of the band; the intimacy between them palpable in a boyish smile, a sideways glance, or the dropping of that happy facade entirely. Harrison’s images bounce back and forth between highlighting the stars as they were perceived to be and the people they actually were. In The Third Eye: Early Photographs by George Harrison, Harrison’s archival photography is published alongside essays from Olivia Harrison, George Saunders an details

As production continues on Sam Mendes's The Beatles - A Four-Film Cinematic Event, Paul Mescal and Joseph Quinn have recreated an iconic Beatles moment in a newly released set photo.

With Mendes' four-film Beatles event slated for release all at once in April 2028, filming has been taking place in Liverpool and London since 2025. The cast includes Joseph Quinn as George Harrison, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson as John Lennon and Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr.

A new image from the upcoming biopic, shot in Liverpool, shows Mescal and Quinn in character as the production recreates the moment Barry Chang collected the band from Gambier Terrace, where John Lennon and Stuart Sutcliffe once lived.

The scene shows the Beatles leaving for Hamburg, where they would develop their live act. Morfydd Clark was also spotted on set playing Cynthia Lennon, John Lennon’s first wife.  In the new image, Quinn and Mescal can be seen atop a vehicle, seemingly packing their equipment as they prepare to set off on their journey.

As well as the famous foursome, Harry Lawtey is set to star as Stuart Sutcliffe, the original bass guitarist for The Beatles, who was a member of the band du details

High above London’s West End, a 45°F wind whipped across the fragile, pitched roof of 3 Savile Row.

This wasn’t the roaring, electrified mania of Shea Stadium. Rather, it was a cold, uncertain Thursday morning.

Fifteen minutes before showtime, the atmosphere was thick with hesitation. Ringo, complaining of the bitter chill, shivered in his wife’s red raincoat. George, ever the skeptic, muttered, “What’s the point? Why are we doing this?” Paul, acting as the band’s diplomatic engine, pleaded, “C’mon, guys, let’s do it. It’ll be fun. We need to do something.”

John settled it. “Fuck it, let’s do it.”

That line would change music history forever

On a roof reinforced with steel props just to keep them from crashing through the ceiling of the room below, the Beatles stepped into the wind. It was a universe away from the screaming crowds of their youth.

As the first notes of “Get Back” echoed through the chimney stacks, the West End stood still.

While director Michael Lindsay-Hogg envisioned a “social study” of the band’s final interaction with the establish details

The Beatles recorded most of the landmark album in four weeks to meet the Christmas market deadline
A new Oct. 2 special edition includes remixed tracks, home demos and previously unreleased session recordings
Giles Martin says the album’s darker lyrics and studio experimentation marked a major creative shift

Though their musical talents have been commented upon with some frequency, one under-appreciated aspect of the Beatles is their ability to hit a deadline.

They famously recorded the bulk of their first album in a single day. (And their second one took even longer.) So when John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr entered EMI Studios in October 1965 with just four weeks to produce a new LP — and single! — in time for the Christmas market, the schedule might almost have seemed leisurely to them.

What emerged from that compressed burst of creativity was Rubber Soul, one of the most dramatic evolutionary leaps of their career. Across 14 tracks, the band stretched beyond the straightforward love songs and rock ‘n’ roll arrangements that had made them a global phenomenon. Instead they embraced introspective lyrics, unfamiliar instruments and a details

During its 11-season run, Happy Days featured a large list of guest stars, but one of the biggest star sightings took place behind the scenes. Fifty-two years ago, John Lennon showed up on the Happy Days set—totally unplanned. The Beatles legend’s son, Julian, was a huge fan of the ABC sitcom, so the two snuck over during a tour of the Paramount lot.

In an interview on the Still Here Hollywood podcast posted on Oct. 5, Happy Days star Anson Williams shared details on the singer’s visit to Happy Days. “It was the first year of Happy Days, 1974,” Williams told host Steve Kmetko. “And it was a very cold morning. We’re on the set, you know, bored out of our mind, like kitchen scenes or something at the time. It was before we went live audience, so it was like a movie. And it’s just it was a guest star and the four of us and Jerry, our director.”

Williams added that he went over to get a cup of coffee and saw Lennon standing to the side.

“And there’s this guy with kind of cool glasses and a young kid,” he recalled “Walk back, go to go up to Donny [Most]. ‘Hey, Donny. This guy looks just like John Lennon with a kid.&r details

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr share a musical connection like none other. The two surviving Beatles have worked together for more than six decades across albums, breakups, animated appearances and various musical projects since the Beatles broke up.

Plus, you can usually count on Starr, 86, to show up and drum every so often with McCartney. But until this year, the two legendary British knights have never recorded a duet together.

'Home to Us' was inspired by Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney's working-class youths in Liverpool.

That changed this year with “Home to Us,” a McCartney/Starr duet on McCartney’s new album The Boys of Dungeon Lane, which dropped in May. The album leans heavily on looking back to McCartney’s early days, and the nostalgic song’s lyrics were inspired by their experiences growing up as working-class musicians in Liverpool.

On Jimmy Kimmel Live! on October 2, the 86-year-old McCartney explained the circuitous route that led to the new single, which never actually involved the two of them in the studio at the same time.

Ringo Starr laid down drumming tracks for producer Andrew Watt in hopes they'd be used in Paul McCartney's album.

details

It took George Harrison a few years into the Beatles’ recording career before he started to show a comfort level as a songwriter. Once he reached that point, his unique perspective on the world brought something indispensable to the group’s music.

It’s hard to imagine any of these four songs coming from any other member of the group besides George. His candor and point of view truly set these lyrics apart.
“Don’t Bother Me”

Partly because they got off to a much earlier start as writers, John Lennon and Paul McCartney did most of the composing on early Beatles records. In fact, from 1962 through 1964, Harrison managed just a single writing credit for the group. That came with “Don’t Bother Me”, released in 1963 on the group’s sophomore LP, With The Beatles. Harrison, under the weather one night in a hotel room, forced himself to write a song just to prove he could do it. “Don’t Bother Me” immediately established his fondness for somewhat unorthodox chord patterns. And its standoffish message represented a stark contrast from the typical Lennon/McCartney affability.
“You Like Me Too Much”

After “Don&rs details

Sixty-four years ago today, the Beatles released the record that started everything—and it hardly looked like the beginning of a global phenomenon. "Love Me Do," released in the U.K. on Oct. 5, 1962, was the band's first single, but it peaked at just No. 17, according to Official Charts.  That modest debut looks almost impossible in hindsight. The Beatles' official history of the song confirms that it eventually got a very different reception in America: "Love Me Do" reached No. 1 in the U.S. in 1964.

For the band, simply hearing their own record in public felt enormous. "First hearing 'Love Me Do' on the radio sent me shivery all over," George Harrison recalled, according to The Beatles Story. "It was the best buzz of all time."

Paul McCartney remembered its chart appearance as a dividing line. "If you want to know when we 'knew' we'd arrived, it was getting in the charts with 'Love Me Do'," he said. "That was the one. It gave us somewhere to go."

The breakthrough was particularly meaningful because the Beatles were still proving that audiences would accept their original material. "Love Me Do" was an early Lennon-McCartney composition, and the band had previously leaned heavily on cover details

Phil Collins has let go of his decades-old grudge against Paul McCartney.

During an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Friday, the famed musician detailed an encounter (one he’s told before) he had with the Beatle back in 2002 during the Queen’s Jubilee Concert at Buckingham Palace. During rehearsals the day before the show, Collins recalled, “I had a first edition Hunter Davis book [on The Beatles], which was a very, quite rare, first edition. I’d been given it by Jill, Lily’s mum.” He added, “And I took it to the rehearsal so Paul could sign it.”

While sitting on the side of the stage, Collins said that he asked McCartney to sign the book and he obliged. However, Collins added, that’s when McCartney remarked to his then-wife Heather Mills, “He’s a big Beatles fan, is our little Phil?'”

Collins said, “I thought, ‘You arsehole’. I couldn’t help it. That’s just what I thought. I probably made more of it than he meant, I did make more of it. But when I was writing the book, and I wanted to write how I felt about certain things.”

When promoting his memoir in 2016, Collins revealed his sto details

Paul McCartney will release a Special Edition of The Boys of Dungeon Lane in October 2026, expanding the album with four additional recordings. The new edition includes a “flip mix” of “Home To Us,” his duet with Ringo Starr, plus three previously unreleased songs: “City Fox,” “One Night Stand” and “Chelsea Boots.” The original album arrived in May and was McCartney’s first new solo album in more than five years.

The revised version of “Home To Us” swaps McCartney and Starr’s original parts in the song, giving the track a new vocal arrangement while retaining the pairing of the two former Beatles. The three additional songs were created during the same album sessions. The Special Edition will also be issued physically with cover artwork adapted from a silkscreened collage by Kate Gibb, using more than 100 images from McCartney’s personal collection. Formats include a limited-edition 2LP orange-and-blue marble vinyl with a zoetrope etching, with physical editions available for pre-order.

The Boys of Dungeon Lane became McCartney’s 24th UK No. 1 album across his solo career, Wings and The Beatles, and debuted in the Top details

The best Beatles album debate has raged for decades: "Sgt. Pepper," "Abbey Road" or "Revolver"? But is it time to consider "Rubber Soul"?

The often-underrated 1965 landmark, beloved by the faithful for its introspective and experimental songs and distorted Robert Freeman cover art, is getting the lavish reissue treatment on Oct. 2. Recording quickly in just a month to hit record stores in time for Christmas, the Beatles didn't consciously set out to make a masterpiece.

"They're writing internal songs about themselves. It's an album about breakup and rejection, a lot of it − the rejection of their fans. They didn't enjoy really playing live anymore," says Giles Martin (son of Beatles producer George Martin), who remixed the special edition with engineer Sam Okell. "It is the emergence of the Beatles out of the pupa into sort of psychedelic butterflies."

As the band soaked up Bob Dylan and Motown, "they took the world that was around them and stuck it back onto a 12-inch vinyl," he says.  The slyly titled "Rubber Soul" – a punny play on the record's R&B inspirations and rubber-sole shoes − became a statement about where the Beatles were musically.

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