Beatles News

A demo version of the John Lennon song Imagine has left fans wondering if the former Beatle knew he “had a hit on his hands”.

The title track of Lennon’s 1971 album would be released to critical acclaim from the press and public. Imagine would make it to third on the Billboard 100, and while it would never top the charts in the UK or US, it would become one of Lennon’s best-known solo songs. Fans believe Lennon knew he “had a hit on his hands” because of how well-formed the song is during its demo phase. Others have praised the early version of Lennon’s much-loved song as a “wonderful listening” experience that highlights the “beauty” of the song.

One comment underneath the YouTube upload of the Imagine demo reads: “He obviously knew he had a ‘hit’ on his hands. It’s so perfect and fully formed: the lyrics, the melody, the chords. He really delivered a masterpiece.”

Another agreed, adding: “There is always something wonderful listening to demos. Often they capture the rawness and beauty of the melody and lyrics. As this does…” Other listeners were full of praise for the early years of a song details

The Beatles have never completely vacated the charts in the United Kingdom — at least not for long. Whether as a band or via the solo work of its members, the impact of the biggest band of all time can always be felt. Reissues, vinyl exclusives, and one-off special surges in popularity keep the music of all four artists coming back. This frame, it’s John Lennon who returns to a pair of tallies with one of his most direct and politically-charged solo statements.  “Power to the People” Is Back

“Power to the People,” credited to John Lennon, Yoko Ono – as simply John & Yoko – and the Plastic Ono Band, is back on two U.K. singles rankings. The track returns at No. 29 on the Official Vinyl Singles chart and at No. 36 on the Official Physical Singles list. A top 40 comeback more than half a century after the tune’s drop is the kind of surge any artist hopes for.  A Late Arrival to the Charts

 Though “Power to the People” was first issued in 1971, it didn’t become a charting hit in the U.K. until April 2025. It debuted that month on both the Official Vinyl Singles and Official Physical Singles charts, and even found roo details

During her 70-year reign, it would be easier to ask which celebrities Queen Elizabeth didn't meet. She rubbed shoulders with everyone from Elton John to Lady Gaga at events like the Royal Variety Performance, movie premieres and charity galas. She also presented plenty of honors during royal investitures, and in 1965, she awarded the members of The Beatles with their MBE (Member of the Order of the British Empire). According to Craig Brown's biography Q: A Voyage Around The Queen, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison—who were in their early twenties at the time—had quite the crush on Queen Elizabeth before their trip to Buckingham Palace.

The late Queen was just 27 during her 1953 coronation, and Brown wrote that the four Beatles "had entertained lustful thoughts about the young Princess Elizabeth" when they were teenagers. In 2017, Paul McCartney reflected on their feelings about the monarch during an interview with 60 Minutes Australia, sharing, "They were very formative teenage years, and The Queen was, sort of, 24 or something, so, to us, she was a babe."

"We were like, 'Phowar!'" he continued, adding "there was a certain lustfulness in us teenagers" when it came to Elizab details

Both Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney are doing something they've never done when it comes to the new biopics that are in the works, and that's not only backing the project but actively getting involved. They are both promoting the films on their social media, and Starr, in particular, has had several meetings with the cast and crew. Recently, while he was interviewed during a show in celebration of his 85th birthday, he opened up about his feelings regarding Barry Keoghan being cast to play him in the biopic. He said he doesn't know exactly how he will choose to play the part, but that he has "spent time with him" and was reassured that the Irish actor "knows what he's doing."

"He's fabulous. He has a great love of The Beatles."

Ringo Starr's involvement in the upcoming movies extends beyond just meetings with the cast. He's also been working closely with the writers and has spoken candidly whenever he disagrees with their decisions. In a recent interview with Variety, he revealed that Sam Mendes had given him the chance to read the four scripts and had asked for his thoughts. Some things, Starr admitted, were not up to his standards. Especially the characterization of him and his family. “He had a writer & details

The Mets will honor the 60th anniversary of the Fab Four's performance at Shea Stadium, where they will host the Mariners on Aug. 15 for The Beatles Night at Citi Field.

The 1965 performance was a milestone because The Beatles became the first rock band to perform a major stadium concert. A 50-minute documentary titled "The Beatles at Shea Stadium" captured the show. At the time, the multipurpose stadium was home to the Mets and New York Jets.

The celebration will begin with a performance by 1964 the Tribute in front of Shea Bridge at 6:15 p.m. ET. The first 15,000 fans to enter Citi Field will receive an exclusive Shea Stadium replica.

The first pitch will be thrown by members of the game-day staff who worked the famous concert. A themed fireworks show will be held after the game.

Source: espn.com/Jesse Rogers

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‘Grow Old With Me’: A Look Back at the Song That Brought John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr Back Together Again

During the making of Ringo Starr’s 2019 album What’s My Name, his producer Jack Douglas brought up the Bermuda Tapes: had he heard the message John Lennon had left for him on them?

These tapes were demos recorded in the summer of 1980 that went unreleased by John, who died in December of that year. In them, he enthusiastically states that one of the songs would be “great!” for Ringo.

The message seemed to have come out of nowhere but would act as a major inspiration almost forty years later.

“That’s why I love life,” Ringo says. “Things just arrive!”

He says the song he heard following the message was beautiful. Why it was left unfinished, they will never know — but Ringo was up for the task.

In the studio, he recorded vocals and piano. And when his friend and fellow Beatle Paul McCartney came into town, he asked him to come and work on it with him. Over the years, the two had continued to collaborate, and asking Paul to join in on this track just made sense.

“He can only enhan details

Cultivating just the right environment for the studio is not always an easy task, considering all the external distractions, sicknesses, and general mindlessness that can cause a recording session to turn sour. Fortunately for Tom Petty, George Harrison was on hand while the Florida rocker was tracking what would become one of his most iconic and inspiring hits, “I Won’t Back Down.”

The context in which Petty wrote the song already added a significant layer of emotional distraction. The Full Moon Fever single was Petty’s direct response to a harrowing attack he and his family endured at their California home, which made revisiting the song as cathartic as it was uncomfortable. Moreover, Petty was incredibly sick the day that they were going to lay down the vocal track. Enter George with the ginger.
Save any obvious exceptions, like major trauma and injury, one of the worst things that can happen to a singer on the day of a recording session is to get a head cold. Singers’ instruments are their bodies: the lungs, diaphragm, larynx, sinuses. If mucus or inflammation affects any of these elements of the vocal passageway too strongly, it won’t just ruin a take. It can make it to details

What more can be said about The Beatles? In many ways, the Liverpool, England-born group symbolized the 1960s. They came around in a big way around the time when the decade began, and they departed as a group when the decade concluded. They evolved over that short time from a bubblegum pop band to a psychedelic, cerebral group.

But perhaps what distinguishes The Beatles most of all is that they wrote so many songs that people like to sing along to. Below, that’s exactly what we wanted to dive into. We wanted to highlight three of those catchy songs. Indeed, these are three Beatles songs we just can’t stop singing along to in our spare time.
“Yesterday” (Single, 1965)

The song that came to Paul McCartney in a dream, “Yesterday” has since become one of the Fab Four’s fan favorite tracks. On it, McCartney sings over a strummed acoustic, remembering and lamenting the loss of love. In the past, things seemed so much easier and clearer. But today—it’s just so difficult. That’s the message he croons in this straightforward but sublimely catchy song that the band released right there in the middle of the 1960s. Today, we all know the words.
“I W details

Why Did The Beatles Leave Out "If You’ve Got Trouble"?

As many know, Starr was the band’s drummer and was not much of a singer. But for every project and album they released, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison wanted Starr to shine on at least one song for experimental reasons. But when it was time to record “If You’ve Got Trouble,” many issues arose. Why “If You’ve Got Trouble” was scrapped from Help! was pretty simple. The song did not make much sense, and the lyrics were all over the place. Compared to the songs on the album, such as “Help!” and “Yesterday,” “If You’ve Got Trouble” fell short. It was of poor quality, and it left the band with no choice but to reject it from the album.
"Act Naturally" Replaced "If You’ve Got Trouble" on The Beatles' Help! AlbumThe-Beatles-Eight-Days-a-Week-The-Touring-Years

Instead of releasing “If You’ve Got Trouble,” they released a cover of “Act Naturally” for the UK version of Help!, which was first performed by Buck Owens and the Buckaroos in 1963. It was recorded months after they scrapped “If You’ve Got Trouble&rdqu details

On a sultry summer night in 1965, 55,600 people took part in a historic musical and cultural event. It was Aug. 15, the day The Beatles played the very first major stadium concert at Shea Stadium in Queens. This week marks its 60th anniversary.

The Beatles had already become popular at home in England, although “popular” is perhaps an understatement. Young people were screaming, crying and fainting in the band’s presence, and it seemed that mass hysteria followed everywhere they went. One British tabloid, the Daily Mail, coined a name for the phenomenon: Beatlemania.

Beatlemania first hit U.S. shores when the four lads from Liverpool arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Feb. 7, 1964, just two months after the assassination of the 35th president prompted a name change for the facility. The band would be exposed to a wider audience through their performance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” two nights later.

The sold-out performance at Shea Stadium the following year, which set world records both for attendance and for revenue, was the peak of Beatlemania. According to concert promoter Sid Bernstein’s 2002 memoir “It’s Sid Bernstein Calling,” Joh details

Paul McCartney has always been generous in giving credit where it’s due. Throughout his legendary career, he has openly acknowledged the artists who inspired him, but one musician stands out above the rest — Brian Wilson. Wilson’s masterpiece, “God Only Knows,” is a song McCartney once described as “brilliantly done.”

In a 2007 interview with BBC Radio 1, McCartney opened up about why this Beach Boys classic holds such a special place in his heart.

“It’s one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it,” McCartney confessed. “It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian.”

Coming from the man who penned “Yesterday,” “Let It Be” and “The Long and Winding Road,” this wasn’t just casual praise — it was the greatest tribute.

McCartney’s admiration for Wilson’s composition went far beyond words. The track directly inspired some of the Beatles’ most beloved songs. “God Only Knows” served as the blueprint for McCartney’s own “Silly Love Songs,” which incorporated the sa details

1969 was a bit of a heavy time for Paul McCartney. He was desperately trying to keep The Beatles together via a project that would force them to play together once again. Maybe it was only natural that his mind would wander off to more innocent days.

It was around that time that McCartney started writing the teenage-themed “The Back Seat Of My Car”. Although he’d never record it with The Beatles, he and his wife Linda would eventually make it the closing track of their 1971 album Ram.
Taking a “Back Seat”

On The Beatles’ 1968 double LP The White Album, individual members often went their separate ways in the studio to record songs without input from the others. With the Get Back/Let It Be project that began in early 1969, Paul McCartney sought to bring everyone back together into a tight musical unit.

He did this via an album that they planned to build from scratch in rehearsals, all while being filmed. As we know, the project ended up exposing more rifts than repairing them. After the rooftop concert at the end of January, the album/documentary was put on ice for over a year, by which time the band had broken up.

Band members were encouraged to bring what details

The Beatles released their fifth studio album Help!, which was the soundtrack to their film of the same name.

The album produced three #1 singles, including the title track, “Yesterday” and “Ticket to Ride.”

Help! was a critical success, and hit #1 on the Billboard Albums chart, spending nine weeks in the top spot. It was also nominated for album of the year at the Grammys, marking The Beatles’ first Grammy nomination in that category.

Help! was the second film to star The Beatles, following 1964’s A Hard Days Night. It had the band trying to protect drummer Ringo Starr, who’s the target of a sinister cult and mad scientists trying to obtain a sacrificial ring he received as a gift from a fan.

Source: everettpost.com

John Lennon and Yoko Ono’s friend and confidant Elliot Mintz was the guest on the latest episode of Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan’s interview podcast The Magnificent Others. Mintz, who was Lennon and Ono’s publicist during their years living at the Dakota building in Manhattan, recently published a memoir about his experiences with the legendary couple titled We All Shine On: John, Yoko, and Me.

During his conversation with Corgan, Mintz discussed being a witness to what he believes was the final time Lennon and fellow Beatles legend Paul McCartney ever spent time together.

According to Mintz, the get-together happened around Christmas time in 1978. He told Corgan that John and Yoko had invited him over to the Dakota, and while he was sitting in their living room, some other guests arrived at the building.

As Mintz recalled, “[T]here’s a knock on the door … and [John] opens it, and Paul and Linda McCartney walk in, and they greet each other.”

Elliot noted that this was the first time he’d ever met McCartney. Continuing his story, Mintz said. “And [Paul and Linda] come in, and John just said, ‘This is our friend Elliot.&rs details

Even During Their Feud, Paul McCartney and John Lennon Still Defended Each Other

When the other three Beatles signed with Klein, Paul McCartney was forced to take drastic measures that would affect their relationship forever. In an effort to dissolve the band's partnership so he wouldn't be tied to Klein, the bassist took his former bandmates to court. McCartney, to this day, acknowledges that his decision was a big part of what led to the feud, but at the same time, it was inevitable.

After Lennon left England, he and McCartney stopped seeing each other for a while, but they were certainly still thinking and talking about each other. More importantly, even though their songwriting partnership had effectively ended with The Beatles (except for "Give Peace a Chance," but that's a different story), they were still influencing each other's writing. They were both writing songs about each other, mostly to attack each other, and that, apparently, made people think that they could get on their good side by badmouthing the other to them. But according to Alice Cooper, who was friendly with Lennon in the '70s, they quickly learned that wasn't the way to go.

"When they were after each other’s throats, when details