Beatles News

In the penultimate song on the Beatles’ album Abbey Road, the Fab Four sing “And in the end, the love you take, is equal to the love you make.” The song was called “The End” and although Let It Be was released later, the fact is that Abbey Road was the last album the band recorded and, as Beatles lore has told us for the past five decades, it was consciously designed to be the last Beatles album ever.Except, maybe it wasn’t? A historian has unearthed a lost interview tape featuring a conversation that seems to indicate that the Beatles were at one point considering recording an album to be released after both Let It Be and Abbey Road. It’s a kooky, alternate 1970s fever dream, that might have almost happened. On Wednesday, the Guardian published a story in which music historian Mark Lewisohn says a long-forgotten recording of Beatles chatter proves John Lennon and Paul McCartney were kicking around the idea of another album beyond Abbey Road.

Source: Ryan Britt/yahoo.com

As British Prime Minister Boris Johnson struggles to remove Britain from the European Union -- which Brits voted for in June 2016 -- it's interesting to note that the famous Brit and Beatles drummer Ringo Starr strongly supports Brexit because the people voted for it, he says, and "it's a great move" to be "in control of your own country."

In a BBC Newsnight interview from 2017, which resurfaced on social media this week, Starr is asked why he supports Brexit.

“The people voted and, you know, they have to get on with it," said Starr. "Suddenly it’s like, ‘oh well, we don’t like that vote.'"

"What do you mean you don’t like that vote?" he said. "You had the vote, this is what won, let’s get on with it."

The BBC then asked Starr, who now lives in the United States, whether he would have voted for Brext it in 2016.

Starr answered, "I would have voted for Brexit. Yeah, I would have voted to get out. But don’t tell Bob Geldof!”

Bob Geldof, born in Ireland, is a left-wing activist and musician, most famous for starring in the 1982 film "Pink Floyd -- The Wall." Geldof thinks the arts will suffer if Britain leaves the European Union.

While The Beatles were laid-back about a lot of things, they kept their recording sessions off-limits to outsiders for most of the ’60s. That’s why the arrival of Yoko Ono came as such a shock to any band member not named John Lennon.

However, by 1968, the Fab Four had bigger problems than the occasional comment from Yoko. During the White Album sessions, Paul McCartney worked by himself so frequently that the others wondered if they were in a band together.

Meanwhile, Ringo got so fed up that summer he walked out on the group while recording “Back in the U.S.S.R.” And, during all the turbulence, just about everyone was ignoring a brilliant song George Harrison had written for the record.

That track, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” eventually got recorded with a guitar solo by Eric Clapton. But it was so small feat for George to convince a nervous Clapton to join him and the Beatles at Abbey Road studios.

Source: cheatsheet.com

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If ever there was a moment for someone to wish to be the proverbial fly on the wall, it would no doubt have been at about 10 p.m. in Los Angeles on August 27, 1965 — when, in the midst of their North America tour, The Beatles paid a visit on Elvis Presley.

Elvis, of course, had been one of the principal rock ‘n’ rollers to have inspired The Beatles in the first place so, for them, it was quite the honor. It’s unknown what the King felt in regards to the Fab Four, although rumors were that he admired their talent. At the same time, there was no doubt that their impact on music had truly shaken things up for him, and what had been considered hip had somehow become a little less so in comparison. Things weren’t helped by the fact that Elvis’ career had fallen into a rut of sorts as epitomized by a string of less-than-impressive films with just as lackluster soundtracks — though things would decidedly turn around in 1968 when Elvis, never looking or sounding better, launched his much-heralded comeback tour).

Source: closerweekly.com

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Acclaimed Beatles historian, Kenneth Womack, is on the verge of releasing what has been described as his “most definitive account yet” in the exploration of the writing, recording, mixing, and reception of Abbey Road.

In his new book, ‘Solid State’ which details ‘The Story of “Abbey Road” and the End of the Beatles’, Womack steps back in time to February 1969 when the Beatles began working on what became their final album together. Abbey Road, the group’s 11th studio album, introduced a number of new techniques and technologies to develop the band’s style but also marked the final time in which all four members worked together in the studio.

In his book, Womack focuses on the relationships between John, Paul, George, Ringo, and producer George Martin and his team of engineers as clear fractions begin to develop. Here, in this exclusive extract handed over exclusively to Far Out Magazine, Womack details a significant moment in which guitarist George Harrison made his biggest songwriting breakthrough and, in the process, shaking up the established band dynamics.

Source: Lee Thomas-Mason/faroutmagazine.co.uk

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If you asked someone who played lead guitar in The Beatles, the simple answer would be George Harrison. However, that didn’t mean John Lennon (the rhythm guitarist) wouldn’t take a solo now and then. John had done so in the early days on tracks like “Long Tall Sally” and “You Can’t Do That.”

By the time the Fab Four got to the White Album sessions (1968), the every-man-for-himself situation meant more solos for John. On that double album, you’ll find him taking the lead on “Yer Blues,” “Happiness Is a Warm Gun,” and even Paul McCartney’s “Honey Pie.”

Over the years, only a handful of tracks with guitar solos by John went out on Beatles singles, and they were usually B sides. That happened in the White Album era as well, when Paul’s “Hey Jude” had the heavy version of “Revolution” (with a solo by John) on the B side.

Source: cheatsheet.com

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Paul McCartney has responded to reports that he could headline Glastonbury next year – and it’s looking pretty positive.

The Beatles icon has been tipped for a headline slot as the iconic festival celebrates its 50th anniversary in 2020. He’s also the bookies favourite to take top billing – alongside the likes of Fleetwood Mac, Foals and Elton John.

Appearing on Zoe Ball’s BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show this morning (September 5), McCartney did little to quell the speculation when asked if a Pyramid Stage appearance was in order.

“I mean people are saying that it would be good if I did it, so I’m starting to think about whether I can or whether it would be a good thing. My kids are saying ‘Dad we’ve got to talk about Glastonbury’ and I think I know what they mean,” he said.

“So they go every year, like a lot of people these days, and it is a great festival and we played there quite a long time ago so, maybe it is time to go back, I don’t know, I’d have to put a few things in place and try and do that but it’s starting to become some sort of remote possibility. (ZB: fingers crossed) I mean it’s definitely n details

Sir Paul McCartney may be a world-famous rock star, but to his grandchildren he is known as the ‘Grandude’.

The affectionate term birthed the idea behind the former Beatles star first children’s book, out today.

‘Hey Grandude’, a play on the title of The Beatles’ famous song ‘Hey Jude’, is based on McCartney’s own experiences of being a grandfather.

READ MORE: Stella McCartney doesn’t always clean her clothes

The 77-year-old said the idea for his book was inspired by his grandchildren’s nickname for him.

“One of my grandkids - who used to call me Grandad - just happened one day to say ‘Grandude’ and it kind of stuck,” he said in an interview with The Times. “So the other kids started calling me ‘Grandude.’”

Source: Jessica Morgan/news.yahoo.com

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From his days as a teenager in Liverpool, John Lennon was a rock ‘n’ roller at heart. And, after over a decade with The Beatles, he hadn’t really changed. Thinking of his favorite songs with the Fab Four, John put “Come Together,” the rocking track that opened Abbey Road, at the top of his list.

Other than “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” and the other songs that made up the first side of that album, John didn’t think too highly of Abbey Road. His chief complaint was “that sort of pop opera” that closed out the record. (John flatly called the medley “junk.”)

Looking back on his career with The Beatles a few years after the breakup, John spoke of what he loved about the band. Unlike his bandmates (as well as legions of fans and critics), John didn’t point to Sgt. Pepper’s or Abbey Road as the band’s high points.

For him, the rawer music on the self-titled, double-album release of 1968 — later known as The White Album — represented the band at its best.

Source: cheatsheet.com

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The Beatles’ 1968 trip to India marked a clear dividing line for the group. When they arrived back in England, they would begin The White Album and begin disintegrating as a band. John Lennon would tell his bandmates he was quitting the following year.

But by early ’68, the Beatles still had a lot left in the tank. First up was The White Album, which was the group’s longest record by far. Though Paul McCartney worked on his own for several tracks and Ringo quit the band for weeks during the sessions, it stands as a masterpiece.

Most of the material for that record came from songs they wrote in India. During the weeks they were there studying with the Maharishi, John and Paul wrote several White Album tracks in between meditation sessions and hanging out with Donovan and the Beach Boys’ Mike Love (among others).

Source: cheatsheet.com

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Everyone loves Ringo Starr. Not only was he the drummer in one of the biggest, most influential bands of the 20th century, but he’s also one of the most positive and upbeat Twitter users ever, sending out no less than 10 emojis with each tweet and flashing peace signs in every photo. Last year, Ringo Starr was knighted by The Duke of Cambridge, and he continues to tour with his All-Starr band.

On this day in 1977, Starr spoke in an interview about his sixth solo album, Ringo the 4th, as well as The Beatles era, his work with T. Rex’s Marc Bolan and how he chose the name Ringo Starr. During this interview, you can briefly hear a thunderstorm blaring and Ringo eating. It’s a candid, jovial chat from one quarter of the iconic Fab Four.

Source: Ellen Johnson/pastemagazine.com

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At the 2004 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony, an all-star band was put together to celebrate George Harrison's induction. Tom Petty, Jeff Lynne, Steve Winwood, Dhani Harrison, and Prince were among the artists making up the band. Performing The Beatles classic ,"While My Guitar Gently Weeps," Prince's guitar solo at the end of the song spans three minutes and represents some of his finest work.

Rumor has it that Prince utilized the national stage to show off his guitar chops after not being named to Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest guitarists of all time. While this has never been confirmed, you could reasonably see how this would be the case with the emotion he played with.
The New York Times published a fascinating account of how it all came together back in 2016. Essentially, Joel Gallen (producer and director of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony) thought of the idea of bringing everyone up on stage to perform the track with Prince taking the solos. Prince was inducted into the Hall of Fame that year, which is how Gallen got the idea.

Source: Marty Rosenbaum/wxrt.radio.com

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Summer can elicit a range of emotions from excitement to fear of missing out, and Beach Boys’ frontman Mike Love addresses each one on his latest solo album “12 Sides of Summer.”

Among original material, revamped band classics and covers, listeners will find a poignant reimagining of The Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun,” written by Love’s late friend, George Harrison.

“There was something very special about singing ‘Here Comes the Sun’ — a song that was so meaningful to me and millions of other people — on the album,” says Love, who plans to perform the track in tribute to Harrison with The Beach Boys in Saratoga on Sunday. “Doing it with the traditional harmonies that we’re known for was a beautiful and mystical experience.”

Love’s friendship with Harrison, dating back to the 1960s, was strengthened after The Beach Boys singer (and songwriter of classics “I Get Around,” “Help Me, Rhonda,” “Dance, Dance, Dance,” “California Girls” and “Wouldn’t It Be Nice”) traveled with The Beatles to Rishikesh, India in 1968 to study under Maharishi Mahesh details

In 1964 the Beatles invaded the United States, performing on “The Ed Sullivan Show” for an audience of 73 million people. The Beatles went on to dominate the U.S. pop charts for years.

Now, more than five decades later, the Fab Four continue to be the most celebrated musical group in rock history and Beatlemania is alive and well.

“Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson recently announced he is going to be putting together a new film featuring footage from the Beatles’ 1969 “Let it Be” sessions, and Capitol Records is re-releasing the Beatles’ “Abbey Road” album at the end of September.

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the release of the Beatles’ classic animated film, “Yellow Submarine” (released in the United States on Nov. 13, 1968).

Source: centraljersey.com

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For a Beatles fan, attending a recreation of the Beatles last public rooftop concert from atop of a building in Liverpool is dream come true, and the recent Monday night concert last week on August 26 with perfect sunny weather was a once in a lifetime experience.

Jon Keats, Cavern City Tours Director and performer, led the audience in shouting "Hello Liverpool, We Love the Beatles" from the rooftop was sheer joy, along with taking in the fabulous performances by three different bands that started at 6:30 pm and ended sharply at the 10 pm curfew.

A picture tells a thousand words and the International BeatleWeek Rooftop concert from the top of the Shankly Hotel in downtown Liverpool says it all, with the landmark Royal Liver building in the background.

Source: Katie Hickox, Beatles News Liverpool correspondent

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