Beatles News

The Beatles would never be considered “underrated” under any circumstances. They were the biggest band of the 20th century, and their legacy is still felt today. In fact, their releases in the 1960s continue to make fans out of young listeners. That being said, the band has released a few songs that are underrated when compared to their major chart-toppers. Just as well, some of their songs could be described as overrated, too. And both those things can be true when talking about the band’s psychedelic era in the mid-to-late 1960s. Let’s look at two underrated psychedelic gems and one somewhat overrated tune from the Fab Four, shall we?

3 New Wave Hits From 1981 That Every 80s Kid Can’t Stop Singing

Underrated: “Baby, You’re A Rich Man”

This jam was the B-side of “All You Need Is Love” in 1967. Apparently, the song was originally supposed to be part of the Yellow Submarine film but was instead released as a single. Everybody knows “All You Need Is Love”, but I feel like few know “Baby, You’re A Rich Man” quite as well. That’s a shame, because this is a genuinely fun psychedelic pop tune, born out of a true col details

Sir Paul McCartney says The Beatles "liked" seeing men in the crowd studying their musicianship.

The 83-year-old Hey Jude hitmaker has recalled the Fab Four's first trip to America, and the difference between the demographics in the audiences they were playing to.

Over the weekend, Sir Paul played a couple of intimate shows at the Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles, and he took the time to reflect on his early experiences in the US.

As reported by PEOPLE magazine, he told the fans: “We hadn’t really seen much, and we certainly hadn’t seen America, so it was pretty amazing.

“What we used to notice was that all the guys in the audience were looking at the chords you were playing, and they’d study it… and we kind of liked that. And all the girls weren’t.”

The fans started screaming at the reference to Beatlemania, and Sir Paul was happy to encourage it.

He quipped: "Yeah, the girls were screaming. Give us a Beatles scream!”

During the show, Sir Paul explained why fans weren't going to hear new single Days We Left Behind or other tracks from his new record The Boys of Dungeon Lane at the small gigs.

He explained that he details

On a weekend when millions of Americans took to the streets to say no to “kings,” an intimate, star-studded crowd in Hollywood showed up in support of a “Sir.”

Stevie Nicks, Taylor Swift, Margot Robbie, Billie Eilish and Ringo Starr were among those who gathered to hear Paul McCartney play the second of two shows at the historic Fonda Theatre on Saturday night.

Playing a set heavy with Beatles and Wings classics, McCartney largely avoided politics aside from poking fun at President Donald Trump’s dance moves — a moment that earned the mention of the president’s name boos from the crowd, who had surrendered their phones before the show.

For those who scored highly coveted tickets to the show at the cozy 1,200-person capacity theater, the music was a much-needed escape and salve.

“I just feel like art and community and any sort of gathering around something that’s going to uplift us or bring us closer to each other in our city, that’s the antidote to troubled times,” Derek Heath, a 39-year-old graphic designer, told CNN before the show. “I think that inherently this experience fits within the world of fighting back against tyra details

Sex Education star Aimee Lou Wood has said playing photographer Pattie Boyd in a Beatles biopic feels “quite intimidating”.

The actress, also known for playing Chelsea in the third series of The White Lotus, will portray George Harrison’s former wife in the upcoming films from Sir Sam Mendes, about the lives and careers of the Fab Four.

Filming has already begun with Wood yet to have her anticipated first “proper day” on set.

Speaking about taking on the role, Wood told The Standard: “With this one, everyone knows these people so it’s very different, and it’s quite intimidating.

“I’ve gone and done my fittings with my blonde hair and my blue eyes. I’m really stepping into a different person.

“We look like them… so it’s kind of trippy.” The 32-year old admitted the preparation for the role will be different from how she usually takes on characters and will require a level of “discipline”.

She added: “I can sometimes be like, ‘let’s just see how it goes, and throw paint at the wall and see’, which is great for certain things, but I actually can’t details

The Beatles left an impact on pop culture at large that long outlasted their actual time playing together. And it wasn’t just the fans who felt it. Other musicians couldn’t help but go back to the Fab Four for inspiration. In some cases, these artists even slyly referenced the group in their songs without technically mentioning them. Here are three songs where The Beatles low-key pop up within the lyrics.

The Monkees had to deal with Beatles comparisons more than any other artist. After all, they were molded by their creators in the image of John, Paul, George, and Ringo. Hence, their nickname of the “Prefab Four.” You might think that would have bred some resentment in them towards the Liverpudlians. In actuality, they got along just fine with The Beatles by all accounts. In fact, Mickey Dolenz recounted a meeting with the group on the song “Randy Scouse Git”, the closing track on the Monkees’ 1967 album Headquarters. The song actually feels like what you would expect from a Beatles’ album cut, a little bit silly and somewhat experimental. In the lyrics, Dolenz mentions that “The four kings of EMI are sitting stately on the floor.” He apparently had attended a details

Paul McCartney is back with his first new album since the end of 2020, and a new single that honors late former bandmate John Lennon.

The Beatles icon and former Wings frontman, 84, announced Thursday that on May 29 he’ll release “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” which a press release dubs his “most introspective album to date.”

“The album title, comes from a lyric in the track ‘Days We Left Behind,’” he said of the single and an excerpt of its music video, released along with the news. “I was thinking just that, about the days I left behind and I do often wonder if I’m just writing about the past but then I think how can you write about anything else?”

“The Boys of Dungeon Lane” offers “rare and revealing glimpses into memories never-before shared along with some newly inspired love songs,” according to the press release.

The 19-time Grammy winner and 83-time nominee described the track as being “very much a memory song for me,” weaving in “a lot of memories of Liverpool,” including a “bit in the middle about John and … the street I used to live in.”

Source details

Lou Gramm is proud of his songwriting as a solo performer. His 1987 solo hit "Midnight Blue" was a major success; it hit No. 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. And this year, he offers fans more great songwriting, with a solo album aptly titled Released. But it’s hard to top his work in Foreigner. Being the primary lyricist for Foreigner, his songwriter collaborations with guitarist Mick Jones produced classic rock staples like "Cold as Ice," "Hot Blooded," "Juke Box Hero" and "Urgent."

And as a lyricist, Lou Gramm cites The Beatles as the guiding light to writing catchy yet meaningful lyrics. In fact, there was one Beatles album that set him on his path as a songwriter. “I like Rubber Soul a lot for the melodies,” Gramm says simply, “and the way the lyrics fit the rhythm of the song.”

And it was a particular moment that ignited the flame in him. "It hit me seeing The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show," says the singer, "when I was 10 or 11 years old. Hearing those awesome songs just slightly over the screaming crowd and thinking about, I wonder how that would be? Although the screaming made it very exciting, the songs themselves were the part that I loved."

One of Gramm's favorite m details

Has there ever been a rock record more lush than The Beatles’ 1967 LP Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band? Putting the work on your vinyl record player feels as much like walking into a jungle of sound as it does listening to a recorded bit of music.

Combing through an album like that can be one of the most fun things to do, but whittling it down to its top three songs—now that’s a difficult task. But it’s one we here at American Songwriter took on! These are the three best songs from The Beatles’ 1967 LP Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

“With A Little Help From My Friends” (Track 2, 2:42)

Just about every album from The Beatles includes a song where drummer Ringo Starr sings. It provides an almost cartoonish respite as you meander through the modern art museum that is the rest of the album. But to pigeon hole Starr as some silly performer is way too shallow. He is your avatar in the band. To think you might have John Lennon’s, Paul McCartney’s, or George Harrison’s talent is absurd. But Ringo? He is you. So, be kind.

“Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” (Track 3, 3:28)

Only The Beatles can follow details

Sometimes a single side-by-side comparison can say more than a full timeline. That’s exactly what happened when two photos of John Lennon taken just one year apart started circulating online.

In a post on Reddit, fans pointed out how dramatically his appearance changed between 1966 and 1967—sparking a wider conversation about how quickly things were evolving during that era.  A Visual Shift That Feels Bigger Than One Year

At first glance, the difference between the two photos is striking. In one, Lennon appears polished and aligned with the clean-cut image associated with early Beatlemania. In the other, the look is noticeably more relaxed and experimental.

While it’s technically just a one-year gap, the contrast feels much larger. It captures a moment when not just his style, but the entire direction of the band, was beginning to shift.That’s what makes the comparison feel so significant.

Source: aol.com/Vinyl & Velvet

Read More<<<

Love triangles go along with Rock 'N' Roll. There have been many tangled romances throughout music history, and they often fuel emotions that create classic songs. But one famous love triangle was named the "messiest musician love triangle that rocked the music world."

According to Ranker, the #1 spot belongs to the love triangle among music legends Eric Clapton, George Harrison, and Pattie Boyd. "George Harrison, like the other members of the Beatles, was no stranger to romantic drama, much of which centered on his wife, Pattie Boyd, and his good friend and collaborator, Eric Clapton," Ranker wrote. The good news is that the twisted love story produced at least three iconic songs.

But what exactly went down?  Pattie Boyd Met George Harrison on a Film Shoot & He Proposed to Her Immediately.

People described Boyd as "the iconic fashion model whose style and beauty helped define an era." According to the magazine, she was married to both Harrison and Clapton; Harrison wrote "Something" with her in mind, and Clapton wrote both Layla and Wonderful Tonight about Boyd.

She told her side in a book of photos. According to People, she met Beatle Harrison on a film set, and he proposed to her details

The Beatles released a lot of music over the course of their career, and there’s no doubt some songs are better than others. So, which Beatles songs are the best?

Of course, the answer to that is subjective, but Collider has some thoughts, and it just came out with its choices for the 10 most “perfect” Beatles tunes, noting songs were chosen based on “songwriting, musical construction, overall influence, and the song's impact on the band's musical evolution.”

Topping the list is the 1968 classic "Hey Jude," which Paul McCartney wrote for Julian Lennon after John Lennon left his first wife, Cynthia Lennon.

"Whether it's tears of triumph or pain, 'Hey Jude" is a song meant to make you feel something," the mag writes. "It's what music is all about, after all."

Coming in at #2 is 1969’s "Come Together," followed by 1970’s "Let It Be" at #3, 1968’s "Blackbird" at #4 and 1964’s "A Hard Day’s Night" at #5.

Rounding out the top 10 are: "In My Life," "All You Need Is Love," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps," "Yesterday" and "I Want To Hold Your Hand."

Source: yahoo.com/Jill Lances

The Beatles’ songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney worked in several different ways. In the early days, they did indeed write some songs together in a room, line by line. Later, one would often bring a song more or less complete. The other then suggested changes.

On a few occasions, the two men were working on separate songs. And they combined these separate creations into a magnificent whole. Here are three hybrids delivered by Lennon and McCartney for The Beatles.  “A Day In The Life”

Many people consider “A Day In The Life” to be the pinnacle of the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership and the finest Beatles song ever. That such an achievement came from two unique songs sort of crammed together is a marvel in itself. John Lennon created the ethereal main part, based in part on his struggles to find much meaning in anything that daily life could offer him. Needing something to connect the sections of Lennon’s song, Paul McCartney suggested a number with a jumpy rhythm that he was concocting. McCartney’s lyrics touched on the hassles of the typical morning routine. Give credit to George Martin for helping the two songs not only seamless details

The Beatles legend, Sir Paul McCartney has shared that he mended his friendship with John Lennon, and their shared love of baking served as the catalyst to their friendship.

The pair's relationship became frosty around the time of The Beatles split in 1970 but Paul has now opened up about how the childhood friends grew close again in the years after the break-up, reports ‘Female First UK’.

Speaking in Audible's new Words + Music series The Man on the Run, Paul explained the pair started talking about fatherhood after John welcomed son Sean in 1975 and they went on to bond over bread.

He said, "Eventually we were actually able to talk to each other instead of (arguing). It was more chatting about what we were doing. John had Sean so he was now the father of a young baby so we would talk about kids and domestic things. I had started making bread and was getting pretty good you know and I started talking to him and he was like, 'Oh yeah I'm making bread'”.

“So the things we had in common were just the ordinary little domestic things. Somehow that was peaceful. It was nice that we had that in common. And we weren’t fighting anymore. So I would go and visit him and we had details

There was always a sense of friendly competition between Paul McCartney and John Lennon. The former songwriting partners always compared their writing, and their individual solo careers only exacerbated that. Once the pair parted ways, they penned songs about one another—some of which were pretty nasty. But, underneath any jealousy-induced squabbles was a deep-seated respect. That respect eventually allowed them to become friends again shortly before Lennon was murdered in New York.

That respect also reared its head after Lennon heard one particular McCartney solo effort. It was so good that, apparently, Lennon decided he needed to get into the studio after hearing it. Find out which McCartney song made his former partner want to start writing again below.

McCartney got a little weird on his 1980 solo track, “Coming Up.” This song saw the former Beatle use pitched-up vocals and an era-defining musicality. It marked a departure from the sound many expected from McCartney and went on to impress even the toughest of crowds: Lennon.

Source: americansongwriter.com/Alex Hopper

details

Paul McCartney’s new album will be called The Boys Of Dungeon Lane, according to his brother Mike McCartney.

In a grammatically loose post on ‘X’ (formerly Twitter) Mike said “Josh saw this teaser for r kids new album ‘The Boys of Dungeon Lane’ in Liverpool yestas. It was familiar to him as he had designed the Dungeon Lane(Speke) artwork for his Uncle”

Josh is Mike’s son, Paul’s nephew and “r kid” is an abbreviation of ‘Our Kid’ which is of course an affectionate term for a sibling, particularly a brother, in Liverpool. Dungeon Lane is a road in Speke, a suburb of Liverpool near what is now Liverpool John Lennon Airport, about a 15 minute drive from Paul’s old house in Forthlin Road. The postcode area is L24

A website has also been set up, with the URL theboysofdungeonlane.com which currently displays the artwork.

The title suggests Paul’s new album, at least in part, will have a nostalgic element to it, perhaps with references to The Beatles in their early days (‘Early Days’ was actually a song on 2013’s New). With Paul turning 84 on his next birthday (in June) it is hardly surprising details