Beatles News

The connection between rock ‘n’ roll and backward messaging has been discussed ad nauseam. Countless rockers have been accused of hiding little tidbits in their recordings, hoping to catch the ear of particularly observant fans. While not all the theories these “backward messages” have sparked have stood the test of time, there is one that we can’t seem to shake: the notion that John Lennon admitted to Paul McCartney’s death and replacement by a clone on “Strawberry Fields Forever.”

The “Paul is Dead” theory is another highly debated topic. While McCartney himself has denied the rumors for decades now, the “proof” is irrefutable in some fans’ minds. One piece of evidence is Lennon’s mumbled lyric at the end of “Strawberry Fields Forever.”
John Lennon’s Mumbled Lyric at the End of “Strawberry Fields Forever” That Fed Into the “Paul Is Dead” Conspiracy

“I am alive and well and concerned about the rumors of my death,” McCartney once said, nodding to the “Paul is Dead” theory. “But if I were dead, I would be the last to know.”

The “Paul i details

While many joined McCartney in wishing the drummer a happy birthday, others were stunned to learn his real name.

One fan commented: "HIS NAME IS RICHARD?" with another responding: "Lol his real name is Richard Starkey." Another sarcastically commented: "Beatles 'Fan'" while someone else explained: "Yes. Ringo is a nickname because he wore a lot of rings."

Another shared: "This is so cute. I love their friendship," with a sixth commenting: "Happy birthday Ringo!!!!" "Happy birthday dear Ringo," another wrote. One more added: "Ugh you two are the best happy birthday Ringo." (sic)

Other areas of social media are also awash with Beatles fans sending birthday messages to the iconic musicians. McCartney often sparks frenzy among fans with his posts, and in February was branded "crazy" after announcing he'd be surprising fans in New York with an unscheduled gig.

The Liverpudlian announced the impromptu gig on Wednesday, February 12, and tickets sold out in just 30 minutes.

In the end, 575 lucky fans were treated to an intimate performance by the music legend, with the singer addressing the spontaneous nature of the show. "So, here we are. Some little gig. New York. Why not?" details

The Beatles' "biggest fear" was being asked to read music.

The Love Me Do hitmakers may have written and performed some of the biggest songs in the world, but all four members - Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Ringo Starr, and the late George Harrison and John Lennon - were afraid their shortcomings would be revealed if they had to carry out tests to be part of a musicians' union.

Ringo told the New York Times newspaper: “The biggest fear, a long time ago, was that the union was going to make us all read music. Because none of us — John, Paul, George and Ringo — none of us read music. I thought, well, I’ll go play tambourine then.”

Ringo was the last member of the group to start writing songs, but his efforts often reduced his bandmates to laughter with his unintentional mimicry.

He said: “It’s hard to come to the front when you’ve got John and Paul.

“I’d say, ‘I’ve got this song.’ And halfway through they’d all be laying on the floor laughing, because I wasn’t writing new songs. I was writing new words to old songs.”

Paul confirmed: “We’d say, 'Yeah, that’s a great one. That& details

Indeed, Ringo didn’t have a flashy style. His drumming in the band was the perfect backdrop for the sweet melodies that John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison were putting forward. Ringo’s talent lies in complementing the parts of the song that were at the focus, which were more often than not lyrics that told a story. The narrative focus meant the rhythm could sit tightly as a supporting figure, giving melodies the perfect platform to shine, which they wouldn’t have done had they been overshadowed. This isn’t to say that this was a default for Ringo. The drummer showed incredible flair in his creative decision for the beat of “Come Together.” Ringo played a drum line that was very unusual for the time, quickly making the song a revolutionary anthem. He treated the drum kit almost as a melodic instrument throughout the verses, filling the sonic field in a way that had never been done before.

Ringo’s other contribution, “Don’t Pass Me By”, sounds lighthearted and cheeky, almost circus-like, in its musicality. But the song is anything but that. Ringo sings in worry about losing the one he loves in a series of events, singing “Don’t pass me b details

Every great band has an early era. For The Beatles, the most famous rock band of the 20th century, those early years involved a little band called The Quarrymen. This skiffle group was formed by John Lennon in 1956. Paul McCartney would join shortly after meeting John Lennon on July 6, 1957. The Quarrymen, in just a few short years, would evolve into The Beatles.

John Lennon and Paul McCartney first met on this day in 1957, when they were both music-loving teenagers in Liverpool, England. According to lore, the two future superstars met for the very first time at an auditorium at a local church. Just seven years later, they would form the final lineup of The Beatles with George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

It was inevitable. The two future famous songwriters lived in the same town and ran in similar circles. However, on a warm Saturday that fell on July 6, a mutual friend of theirs chose to introduce the two to each other. John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s First Meeting Was About as Casual as You Could Get.

Lennon and McCartney had a lot in common from the start. They lived in different neighborhoods and attended different primary schools, but they were close in age (just two years apart) and love details

Despite what the media said about it (for better or worse), the Beatles weren’t exactly the soothsayers or cultural gurus-slash-corrupters they were often painted to be—in fact, John Lennon was the first to admit that he didn’t truly understand what he was singing about in one of the Fab Four’s most iconic anthems that seemingly wrapped up the band’s ethos in five short words.

“All you need is love,” the Beatles repeated emphatically in their 1967 non-album single. The song became the foundation for the flower power, “peace and love” movement of the late 1960s. But it wasn’t until 1969 that Lennon realized he actually had no idea what he had been talking about. Yet.  The Beatles released “All You Need Is Love” as the A-side to “Baby, You’re a Rich Man” in 1967. The song was part of a massive global television link and served as an affable contribution to the multi-satellite production. How could one argue with the song? All you need is love, love, love is all you need. Songwriting credit went to both John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But years later, Lennon would admit that, in hindsight, he realized he didn’t actuall details

Complete normalcy and greatness rarely ever walk hand in hand. Rather, the finest minds to grace any field typically have something “off” about them. “Off” given that they see something we don’t, and consequently, their perspective influences their “abnormal” actions. One exceptional talent and thinker who certainly falls under this category is Bob Dylan.

Many famous artists have attested to Bob Dylan’s eccentric personality. David Crosby once stated that Dylan was as “crazy as a f—ing fruit fly,” per the LA Times. Furthermore, Dolly Parton also attested to that fact, as she told the Daily Mail, “I love his music but he’s a weird buckaroo.”

Given those testimonies, it seems some of the music industry’s biggest acts share a mutual perception about Bob Dylan. One other person who agreed with that notion was Dylan’s friend and collaborator, George Harrison.  Harrison Admired Bob Dylan’s Eccentric Personality.

Bob Dylan and George Harrison climbed to the top at the same time, but in different genres of music. However, by the end of the 80s, their paths converged as the infamous supergroup, the Trav details

Years after the first three members of the Beatles bonded over their love of rock ‘n’ roll, the addition of the final Fab Four member would introduce the Liverpudlians to a new type of music they had previously overlooked: country. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison spent their earliest years together trying to emulate the sounds of Elvis Presley and Chuck Berry.

But when Sir Richard Starkey, known professionally as Ringo Starr, entered the picture in 1962, the band began diving into a different style of popular American music with a little less electric guitar and a lot more twang. Paul McCartney famously played American rock ‘n’ roller Eddie Cochran’s “Twenty Flight Rock” during his impromptu “audition” for John Lennon. George Harrison played “Raunchy,” an instrumental by another rock icon from the States, Bill Justis. Together, all three Liverpudlian musicians pored over records by Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and Chuck Berry. They might have gotten their start playing skiffle, but their hearts belonged to rock ‘n’ roll.

When Ringo Starr first joined the Beatles in 1962, he brought along a different musical backgro details

Ringo Starr has strong opinions about how he’ll be portrayed in the four upcoming Beatles biopics. The musician, 84, told The New York Times on Wednesday, July 2, that he spent two days with the director, Sam Mendes, and offered “extensive notes” on the script.

Starr noted that he had feedback surrounding his first wife, Maureen Starkey Tigrett, explaining that the original script didn’t necessarily showcase how they acted in reality. "He had a writer — very good writer, great reputation, and he wrote it great, but it had nothing to do with Maureen and I," Starr told the outlet. "That’s not how we were. I’d say, 'We would never do that.'"

The former couple married in 1965 and had three children together — Zak, 59, Jason, 57, and Lee, 54, — before divorcing in 1975.

According to The New York Times, Starr is now content with the way he’ll be portrayed on screen after going through the script line by line and sharing his feedback with Mendes. In March, it was officially confirmed that actors Paul Mescal, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson and Joseph Quinn are on board to portray the four members of The Beatles in Mendes’ quartet o details

There was shock when legendary music producer George Martin – known as the 'Fifth Beatle' – died in 2016 and left just £1million in his will.

His eldest daughter Alexis Stratfold said at the time that it was a 'joke' for her to get £68,000 in a bequest (alongside his chauffeur and secretary) when her father's wealth had been estimated at between £250-400 million.  But she was lucky. Her brother Greg – Martin's eldest son – was cut out altogether.

And it can be revealed that Greg is consulting lawyers because he believes his half-brother Giles may have benefited from a house and a £3.5million legacy. These, Greg claims, were separate from the will and were 'always meant to be his'.  Alexis and Greg are George Martin's children by his first wife, Sheena Chisholm. But their father left her for Judy Lockhart-Smith, a secretary at the Beatles label Parlophone, in 1962, and they had two children: Giles and Lucie.

The older children were largely excluded from Martin's successful later life. Alexis was bitterly hurt when invitations to their father's memorial did not include their names. Greg did not even attend. The actor, writer and produ details

There are 17 ticket stubs going under the hammer at Richard Winterton auctioneers. Ticket stubs for 1960s gigs by The Beatles that cost pennies at the time are among a collection expected to fetch up to £500 at auction.

The 17-stub archive includes two for The Beatles and Roy Orbison at Birmingham Town Hall in June 1963, costing fans eight shillings and sixpence. The Liverpool band was originally second on the bill, but were bumped up to co-headline as Beatlemania grew and ended up closing the set.

Richard Winterton Auctioneers described the "rare and nostalgic collection", which spans performances between 1962 and 1964, as a "wonderful piece of music history".

Of the 17 tickets, 16 are for performances in Birmingham and also include The Beatles' first outing at the city's Odeon, on 11 October 1964. There are additional stubs for The Cliff Richard Show at the Hippodrome, The Searchers at the Odeon, and Brenda Lee at the Town Hall.

One stub reveals the owner snagged a balcony seat for an unnamed performance, at the Royal Shakespeare Theatre in Stratford-upon-Avon, for just 7 shillings.

In addition, there is a complete ticket for Jazz 1963 at Birmingham Town Hall, prese details

Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr’s friendship has survived decades. The only surviving members of The Beatles, the two men, now both well into their 80s, have a special bond.

“With John [Lennon] and George [Harrison] not here, I think we realize nothing lasts forever,” McCartney told The New York Times of himself and Starr.

The Beatles and their fans certainly know that to be true. Lennon was assassinated in 1980 when he was 40. Harrison died in 2001 after a cancer battle. He was 58. With those tragedies in mind, McCartney said, he and Starr “grasp onto what we have now because we realize that it’s very special.” “It’s something hardly anyone else has. In fact, in our case, it’s something no one else has,” he continued. “There’s only me and Ringo, and we’re the only people who can share those memories.”

When McCartney, Lennon, and Harrison crossed paths with Starr in 1962 and invited him to join their group, it was a consequential move.

“He was a fantastic drummer,” McCartney recalled. “We asked him if he would be in our band, and luckily for us he agreed.” Starr wasn’t t details

They had the whole music world waiting for what they’d do next. Yet amidst those myriad expectations, it’s safe to say that The Beatles’ release of the single “Strawberry Fields Forever”/”Penny Lane” in 1967 was something that no one saw, or heard, coming.

These two songs represented just how far the band was pushing the limits in the studio, since they no longer had to worry about touring. And it was just the first taste of the incredible music that the group was about to foist upon the world in that magical year.

The Beatles’ momentous decision to quit touring shook up their fandom. Was it a sign that they were considering breaking up? Even George Harrison wondered about their future as the band left their final gig in San Francisco in August 1966.

Once the shock of the decision wore off, and they had taken some time away, The Beatles filed back into Abbey Road studios in November 1966 to get back to work. They had some vague ideas about what they wanted to do once they started. And they had written a few songs that they wanted to try.

There was some talk about doing an album where all the songs would be based on the childhood experiences of the g details

On this day (July 1), the Beatles’ eighth studio album, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band went to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart. It would retain the top spot for 15 consecutive weeks, making it the Fab Four’s most successful album in the United States. More than a massive chart success, the album introduced the world to a new incarnation of the iconic band and became the soundtrack to the rising hippie culture.

The mid-1960s saw the Beatles drifting away from the sound and image that made throngs of teenagers scream until they fainted. They were aging and, more importantly, maturing as musicians. As a result, they wanted to expand their musical horizons. This made playing their new material, specifically songs from Revolver, almost impossible. After a lackluster world tour, Liverpool’s favorite sons chose to retire from touring and spend some time apart.

According to a Billboard feature on the album, members of the Beatles took a three-month break. George Harrison traveled to India on a spiritual retreat, John Lennon dipped his toes into the world of film, and Paul McCartney took a trip to Africa. When they came back together, they were refreshed and full of new ideas.

Near the end of John Lennon‘s life, all signs pointed to him never playing a Beatles song live again. He wasn’t frequently on the road as a general rule. The likelihood that he would revisit his old material amid one of his rare appearances was close to zero. Luckily for Beatles fans, Lennon did manage to sneak in one final live performance of a Beatles classic before he was murdered. Find out which Beatles song bookended Lennon’s career below.

One of Lennon’s last performances saw him play alongside Elton John at Madison Square Garden. It seems that only the consequences of a bet (more on that later) could bring Lennon back on stage after so many reclusive years.

Amid the set, Lennon and John decided to play a rendition of “I Saw Her Standing There.” This early Beatles cut is among their most beloved songs. It is indicative of the writing style of Lennon and Paul McCartney. It was one of the first songs they penned together.

“I wrote it with John in the front parlour of my house in 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton,” McCartney once said. “We sagged off school and wrote it on guitars and a little bit on the piano that I had there.”

“We we details