Eric Clapton and George Harrison were friends for decades. Even though they traveled on vastly different paths throughout rock ‘n’ roll history, George and Clapton had much in common. They loved the guitar, had similar idols and influences, and even shared similar tastes in women.
Through the years, they became brothers. However, Clapton always had a hard time communicating his feelings toward George.
Clapton was with The Yardbirds when he first met George. They were on The Beatles Christmas show, and the pair hit it off immediately.
It’s understandable if George was ever envious of Clapton, who was mostly a free agent. George was stuck in The Beatles, where no one listened to the songs he put forth. So, it was probably comforting having Clapton around, showing George what life could be like outside the biggest band in the world.
Source: cheatsheet.com
detailsOn Sept. 15, 1964, Beatles superfans Janice Mitchell and Martha Schendel attended the band’s concert in their hometown of Cleveland, Ohio — then set in motion a plan that led to a trans-Atlantic manhunt, newspapers headlines on both sides of the pond and the attempted intervention of Paul McCartney.
Over the previous six months, the 16-year-olds had formulated a secret scheme to leave Cleveland after the gig and hop a flight to London. Their mission? Meeting the Fab Four.
Now, almost 60 years after the wild escapade, Mitchell (née Hawkins) has written a memoir, “My Ticket to Ride: How I Ran Away to England to Meet the Beatles and Got and Roll Banned in Cleveland” (Gray & Company), out now.
Source: Jane Ridley/nypost.com
detailsTo the Editor:
Re “We Can’t Work It Out: Why I Finally Broke Up With the Beatles,” by Josh Max (Opinion guest essay, Jan. 28):
I thoroughly enjoyed this piece, likely because I shared Mr. Max’s (overly?) keen interest in the greatest pop/rock band that ever existed (sorry, Stones).
My obsession began early in life (fourth grade, 1969-70). I still vividly recall a student teacher playing “Rocky Raccoon” for us. And the older regular teacher who took him into the hallway to admonish him for playing something so “risqué.” She particularly found the line “the doctor came in, stinking of gin” inappropriate for us kiddies.
That sealed the deal. Whenever I was bored in school in the following years, I would write out the song’s lyrics in their entirety. More time-killing and entertaining than scrawling “I hate school” over and over. Heck, I even wrote a short essay on some of my college applications “explaining” the Beatles’ greatness.
Source: nytimes.com
detailsAccording to Eric Clapton, Paul McCartney wasn’t all that comfortable during the rehearsals for Concert for George. Let’s just say it was a humbling experience. However, Paul walked away from the tribute concert with even more love for his “baby brother,” George Harrison.George died in 2001 from cancer. He left behind his wife, Olivia, their only son, Dhani, and countless friends that loved him like a brother. George had a profound effect on people. Everyone who knew him craved to be in his company. Not to mention, George had tons of fans.So, there had to be a celebration of George, one where the fans and all of George’s friends could come together and honor him and his music. Eric Clapton, one of George’s closest buddies, knew this.
Source: cheatsheet.com
detailsThe digital auction in Los Angeles was organised by Julian Lennon (Dave Thompson/PA)
The notes written by McCartney on the well-known song were sold for a total of £56,750 (76,800 USD), making it the highest-value item sold at the event.
As well as several guitars gifted to Mr Lennon by his father, other items listed up for auction include John Lennon’s Magical Mystery Afghan Coat and the black cape he wore in the film Help!
The items went for a combined total of £16,500 (22,400 USD), as did a 1959 Gibson Les Paul, which was more than five times its estimated value.
Part of the proceeds from the items, sold in partnership with Julien’s auction house and YellowHeart NFT, will go to Julian Lennon’s White Feather Foundation.
Source: Mike Bedigan/independent.ie
detailsTo date, The Beatles are the most successful music artists in the history of the world and remain as popular as ever over 60 years since they formed. Last night, Sir Paul McCartney was a talking head on BBC One’s The Queen: 70 Glorious Years, looking back at the band’s impact during the monarch’s reign, including the big changes in youth culture during the 1960s. And at one point the 79-year-old made a huge claim during the programme concerning the Fab Four’s formation.
McCartney was reflecting on the UK’s National Service, which had come into force in January 1949.
It meant that all physically fit young men aged between 17-21 had to serve in one of the British armed forces for 18 months.
Source: George Simpson/express.co.uk
detailsAfter not performing live since 1966, The Beatles are tasked with the impossible — they must write and rehearse 14 new songs in the span of three weeks. Whatever they create will be recorded as a studio album, played for a live audience and filmed for a TV special. The members have not written and recorded altogether in a while, and tensions are high as they try to work as a group in what would be their last year as a band.
Peter Jackson’s “The Beatles: Get Back” documentary is featured on Disney+ as a three episode series with a runtime of nearly eight hours. Jackson, with permission from the surviving band members and their families, spent nearly four years compiling this footage, trying to capture an accurate portrayal of the Fab Four’s musical process and dynamics as they prepare for their final live performance together.
Source: Anna Falk/ndsmcobserver.com
detailsIn June of 2022, Sir James Paul McCartney will celebrate his 80th birthday. It is hard to imagine a man who has had more of an impact on songwriting and beyond than the man affectionately known as “Macca”. His story is well known. He grew up in Liverpool to loving parents and then in his late teens he met another Liverpudlian called John Lennon. They realised that they worked well together at writing songs and eventually they formed a band with Paul’s friend George Harrison and, after a number of other drummers, Ringo Starr. And an iconic outfit called The Beatles began to set the world on fire.
This magnificent volume (900 pages across two hardcover books in a slipcase weighing in at 4 kgs) is the closest we are ever likely to get to an autobiography from the man himself. And what a way to tell his story.
Source: glamadelaide.com.au
detailsThe incredible memorabilia, found at a house in East Molesey, is set to be auctioned this month The Beatles memorabilia and signed photo coming up for auction Downsizing can often be a tiresome chore as we uncover many worthless, albeit with plenty of memories attached, items from years gone by that we never...
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Source: dailyadvent.com
detailsGeorge Harrison‘s son, Dhani Harrison, didn’t initially want to follow in his father’s footsteps, but somehow he did. However, he’s mostly put his music career on the back burner since George died in 2001. Dhani’s first project was finishing his father’s last album, Brainwashed, for which he earned a Grammy.
In between gigging with his band thenewno2 and making movie scores, Dhani’s full-time career for the past 17 or so years has been remastering George’s impressive catalog and safeguarding his legacy.
Dhani is finally focusing on his own career, though, and it’s not disappointing.
Source: cheatsheet.com
detailsGeorge Harrison's "My Sweet Lord" has been a beloved pop hymn for 50 years.
If someone were to ask which member of the Beatles was first to chart a No. 1 hit on the charts after the band's break-up, would you guess George Harrison? He was, with his song "My Sweet Lord" from his 1970 album "All Things Must Pass." It would be his biggest hit as a solo artist.
The song is a pop hymn of sorts, with two mantras from different religious traditions—"Hallelujah" from Christianity and "Hare Krishna" from Hinduism—alternating throughout. According to songfacts.com, Harrison wanted to convey that the two phrases were essentially the same, both calling out to God.
Source: Annie Reneau/upworthy.com
detailsWhen looking back at the discographies of deceased musicians, it's oftentimes interesting to listen to — or learn more — about the very last songs or albums they recorded. That's especially true when it comes to legendary artists who died at a young age, such as John Lennon, who was only 40 years old when he was murdered by Mark David Chapman on December 8, 1980.There's hardly any need to provide ample introduction to Lennon and his accomplishments with the Beatles — with Paul McCartney always sharing the credits regardless of his involvement (or lack thereof) in the songwriting process, he wrote some of the most memorable songs in popular music history. And just like the rest of the Fab Four following their 1970 breakup, Lennon kept on going as a solo artist, as songs such as "Imagine," "Jealous Guy," and "Instant Karma!" are still fondly remembered to this day.
Source: Lorenzo Tanos/grunge.com
detailsPaul McCartney knew he had to marry Linda Eastman after she bought him a white rabbit after one of their first dates. He loved the furry animal, and he found he was slowly falling in love with Eastman too. Paul McCartney met Linda Eastman in a London club in 1967.
In 1967, Paul and The Beatles were on top of the world. Meanwhile, Linda had just become a freelance photographer, steadily making friends in the British rock scene. It was only a matter of time before they officially met.
After celebrating the completion of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band at a party hosted by The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, Paul, and some friends headed down to the famous Soho club, Bag O’Nails.
On that May evening, Georgie Fame and the Blue Flames were playing, and Paul sat at his own table. Coincidentally, Bag O’Nails was also Linda’s destination that night. She arrived at the club with her friends, The Animals. She was in London to shoot photos for a book called Rock and Other Four-Letter Words (per Ultimate Classic Rock).
Source: cheatsheet.com
The new Super Deluxe edition of The Beatles’ final album Let It Be kicks off a bonanza of unseen and unheard material, including a new stereo mix of the original album, 27 previously unreleased session recordings, a four-track Let It Be EP, and the never released 14-track Get Back mix by engineer Glyn Johns from May 1969.
Alongside this treasure trove comes the three-part documentary The Beatles: Get Back, directed by Peter Jackson, and a tie-in hardback book.
Here, we pick 10 great previously unreleased moments from the box set that shed new light on the guitar music of the greatest band of all time.
1. Can You Dig It? (Jam)
On the original Let It Be album, we got a 51-second snippet of a Beatles jam called Dig It, more of an audio link than a song. This had been cut from a 15-minute improvisation which the band revisited later, presumably intending to develop it into something more.
Source: Tim Tucker/guitarworld.com
detailsTHE BEATLES grew up listening to Elvis Presley and adored his music in their youth, but when they kickstarted their own careers they were quick to criticise the King of Rock and Roll, with many of them pointing out they "didn't like" the star's new style.
In the early-1960s The Beatles had begun their worldwide takeover. By 1963 the band had released their debut album Please Please Me, catapulting them to the number one spot in the UK. Once their fame had made them a household name, they began making appearances on television shows, and on December 7, 1963, The Beatles featured on Juke Box Jury, a show that had stars giving their verdicts on new music. And this particular week Elvis Presley was in the crosshairs.
Source: Callum Crumlish/express.co.uk
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