Beatles News

Dhani Harrison and his band, thenewo2, may not be familiar to all the attendees at this weekend’s KAABOO Del Mar festival. But the son of former Beatle George Harrison is no stranger to San Diego or to big outdoor events, having made his festival debut with thenewwho2 at the 2009 edition of Coachella.

We spoke recently with the Los Angeles-based Harrison, whop performs with the latest edition of his band today, Saturday, at 2 p.m. at the Zuma Stage. 

Q: You first performed at Coachella in 2009, and played a warm-up show at the Casbah in San Diego. What do you remember about those two gigs? 

Harrison: Coachella was fun. I’ve done that festival a couple of times, with mixed results. Sometimes it’s too hot, sometimes it's perfect. I haven't been to the Casbah for awhile, but I love San Diego. I was just down there to watch the Rolling Stones at Petco Park (in May), and that was pretty crazy.

Q: KAABOO is being held at the Del Mar Racetrack and fairgrounds. Ever been there? 

Harrison: I’ve been past the racetrack, but I’ve never been there for a big event. San Diego and Encinitas have good spots for skateboarding, so I spent a lot of time down details

Charlie Schwartz says it was “the only time I ever cut school in my life.” He was with his best buddy Matt Blender in the student lounge at Fair Lawn High School in Bergen County, New Jersey, when a couple of other guys said, “The Beatles are coming in to JFK. Let’s go find them!”

It was February 1964, and the so-called “Fab Four” were in the United States for the first time as a group for what became an historic appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show. A total of six kids spontaneously piled into a 1961 Chevy Impala convertible to go to the airport – four male seniors, and two female juniors – and were quite surprised when they managed to intersect a motorcade of limousines. They pulled up next to one of them on the Van Wyck Expressway, going about 60 miles an hour.

The window rolled down, and in the back seat of the limo was Ringo Starr. The kids waved and Ringo waved back, trying to carry on a conversation. Then Ringo picked up his ever-present camera and shot a couple pictures.

“A day after this whole thing happened,” Schwartz told the Index-Tribune recently, “it was history, I forgot about it.” He went about his life – mo details

Only the last few Beatles albums were originally mixed in stereo, leading some bedrock fans to fetishize the early mono sound. Certainly, it’s what they grew up with, and then became reacquainted with when mono mixes of the Beatles catalog were released on disc in 2009 and on vinyl in 2014. But, are they better?

There has been much made lately about the superiority of the mono mixes of Beatles albums over their stereo counterparts.

Stereo LPs are suddenly viewed as suspect, as if stereo sound was an inferior way to present this group’s music. Magazine ads urge buyers to purchase the mono mixes of Beatle albums, “the way the music was meant to be heard.”

But show me a published interview where John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, or their record producer George Martin indicate a preference for the Beatles’ recordings in monaural sound — other than in the case of false American stereo releases of the earliest Beatles recordings, which Martin disdained.

Show me a quote by any of the only five people on the planet who matter on this subject, where a member of the band complains about stereo being an artificial aural trick that was forced onto details

Sir Paul McCartney has said he's glad he didn't listen to critics of his music after The Beatles, because he "might have given up".

Sir Paul is re-mastering his albums Tug of War and Pipes of Peace, and spoke about being "proud of his music in retrospect" with BBC Radio 2's Dermot O'Leary.

"I do yeah, in fact one of the things was Wings were getting a bad rap at that time because it was post Beatles, and anything you did or I did that was solo was stood up against The Beatles," he said.

"So you tend to go along with that, and I went along with a bit of that thinking 'well it's never gonna be that good but I'll do it because I love doing it'."

"And then you listen to it back and think 'this is better than I thought it was'. So that's great to do, to really listen back and think 'I'm glad I did that, glad I kept going', because you know if I listened to the critics I might have given up."

He also spoke frankly about the day Beatles star John Lennon was killed. Lennon was shot in New York in December 1980 by Mark David Chapman.

By: Ian Marland

Source: Herald Scotland

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Researchers claim to have discovered the first World War grave of the grandfather of former Beatle George Harrison in northern France. Pte Henry Harrison, who had seven children, died on September 25th, 1915, the first day of the Battle of Loos.

The centenary of the battle occurs later this month.

Harrison had Irish roots on his mother’s side. His maternal grandfather John French was born in Co Wexford.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) archive manager Andrew Fetherston described the discovery as a “complete surprise”. Though the life stories of The Beatles have been very well documented, it is the first time that it has been confirmed where and when Harrison’s grandfather was killed in the war.

Mr Fetherston said the discovery was proof that even after 100 years “ there is always something new to learn”.

The first day of the Battle of Loos was the worst day of the war for the British army - aside from the first day of the Battle of the Somme.

The CWGC, which is responsible for tending to all the British and Commonwealth War graves, records some 10,200 British war dead from that day, including 8,500 who fell in Loos itself.

By: R details

It might look like a typical Georgian townhouse, but the Abbey Road Studios have been a hive of creativity and source of world-class recording for more than 80 years.

Thousands of music fans from far and wide visit the street each year to walk across the iconic zebra crossing outside the recording studio and sign their name on the road sign, which is repainted every three months.

The Beatles, who made their first demo at the studio in June 1962, are possibly the most famous band to have used the building. 

And now scores of devotees from across the country will be able to have a fly-on-the-wall intimate experience of the magic that happened behind closed doors during the rock band's recording sessions.

A live re-staging of the moments songs such as Please Please Me, Help! and Yellow Submarine were created will make its way to the Capital FM Arena as part of a 12-date tour on May 4, 2016.

The access-all-areas musical documentary will be set in a state-of-the-art reproduction of the iconic building's Studio 2 and will feature live renditions of the timeless albums recorded there by The Beatles.

No fewer than 45 people will take to the stage, which is set in the round, to ensure details

Rockaway Records announces the acquisition of the “Peace To Monterey” Drawing, a one-of-a-kind, Beatles memorabilia, and its availability for sale at the Rockaway Records’ store and online.

When The Beatles declined to perform at the 1967 Monterey Pop Festival, they sent their regards in the form of a hand-drawn page of psychedelic artwork rendered by none other than John Lennon and Paul McCartney themselves. The original drawing, which appeared in the festival’s program, was done as a favor for their friend and former publicist Derek Taylor and is now in Rockaway Records' possession.

World-renowned Beatles handwriting expert, Frank Caiazzo, has authenticated this rare Beatles collectible and it is now on sale for $200,000. Serious buyers can view the drawing in person at the Rockaway Records store located in the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles. The drawing, along with a detailed description, can also be viewed online at rockaway.com/beatles/hand-drawn-monterey-pop-festival-poster.

Using colored pencils, felt tip markers and ballpoint pen, both Paul and John created this unique piece that was then reproduced and placed in the full-color festival program. In addition to all details

Six years earlier, he had appeared on stage in Cambridge in the trademark Fab Four smart dark suit and zipped black boots.

Now it is 1969, and John Lennon, bearded, bespectacled, and be-denimed, is back in the city.

These remarkable pictures from the News archive show him not at The Regal, where the band wowed screaming fans in 1963, but in the academic surroundings of Cambridge University's Lady Mitchell Hall.

Also there is Yoko Ono, performing alongside him in what was the first live show by any individual Beatle away from the group. 

The event, called Natural Music, took place in March of that year, and it was witnessed by an audience of 500. It was promoted by poet and percussionist Anthony Barnett, who had invited Yoko Ono to attend, and was no doubt delighted when she brought Lennon along too.

The Beatles were at the height of their pop fame. Only a couple of weeks earlier, the Yellow Submarine album had been released, and they were working on their next, Abbey Road, due for release in September. But inspired by Ono, Lennon had branched off in a project called Unfinished Music, which was all about experimentation.

Lennon remained towards the back of the stage, coaxing a details

This week in 1969—September 13, 1969, to be exact—John Lennon performed at Varsity Stadium in Toronto, Canada, with a hastily assembled backing band.

The band, which performed under the "Plastic Ono Band" moniker, included Eric Clapton on lead guitar, Klaus Voorman on bass and future Yes member Alan White on drums. Oh, right; Yoko Ono was there too ...

The band rehearsed twice—once during the flight from London to Toronto and once shortly before their performance.

Their eight-song set consisted of Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes" followed by two vintage tunes the Beatles had covered in 1964 and '65, respectively—"Money (That's What I Want)" and "Dizzy Miss Lizzy." Then they launched into a true screamer from the Beatles' White Album, "Yer Blues," which Clapton had performed with Lennon in 1968 at the Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus; followed by Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" and "Cold Turkey" (the latter of which features Clapton on the studio recording).

Oh, right; they also performed two Yoko Ono songs.

Below, you can check out "Yer Blues," which is arguably the highlight of the short-lived band's short-lived set. That said, you'll probably notice two irritat details

THE BEATLES’ 1 collection is set to be reissued in a new package that brings the band’s hit songs together with their short films for the first time, as 1+.

The deluxe edition will be released on November 6 and will include 50 promotional films and videos, alongside the Fab Four’s 27 chart-topping singles. You can watch a trailer for the collection below…

The new set follows extensive research and restoration of the band’s original promo films by Apple Corp., and features classic television appearances and other carefully selected videos that span the group’s history. Various packages of 1+ are available on both DVD and Blu-Ray formats, featuring new stereo and surround sound mixes of the films, alongside a CD featuring featuring those all-important hit singles.

“These videos and films are spectacular reminders of the era we lived in,” says Paul McCartney of the films. “They also rock!” Fellow Beatle Ringo Starr also welcomed the new edition, explaining that thanks to his band’s proto-music videos he gained some unlikely skills, explaining: “I think it’s really interesting to see the videos we made, some of them incredible and details

It’s time for George Harrison to be immortalized in the world of comic books, as StormFront Comics has announced a new biography about the famed Beatle.

Orbit: George Harrison will debut this week as part of the company’s popular Orbit series, with writer Carols Pagola Morales at the helm. Morales will explore Harrison’s life from his teens until his death in 2001, touching on the musician’s religious beliefs (his conversions to Hinduism) as well as the ups and downs of his career prior to and after his fame with the Beatles.

“No one could begin to estimate the contribution Harrison and the Beatles have given us,” Darren G. Davis, president of StormFront Comics, said in a press statement. “George Harrison is the perfect choice for our Orbit series. He was so much more than just a rock star. He is a respected musician, film producer, and humanitarian, I consider him a standard-bearer of peace and spirituality.” Prior subjects in StormFront’s Orbit series have included Stephen King, Howard Stern, Keith Richards, Jerry Garcia, Metallica, Alice Cooper, Bono, Bon Jovi and Ozzy Osborne.

The 32-page book will be available in both print and across digital pla details

With every single LP, the Beatles shed some creative skin. Decades later, it's still difficult to process their two-year leap from Revolver to Sgt. Pepper's to the White Album. The members also continuously expanded their own roles in the band: It's surprising how many classic Beatles songs feature Paul McCartney behind the drum kit, or John Lennon on lead guitar.

These small details are crucial in the Beatles' evolution: McCartney's one-man-band performance on White Album gem "Martha My Dear"; Lennon experimenting with an obscure keyboard, the Mellotron, on psychedelic daydream "Strawberry Fields Forever." (Without his introduction of that crucial instrument, who's to say King Crimson would have cemented the prog-rock movement on In the Court of the Crimson King?)

To honor the Fab Four's enduring free spirit, let's look back at 10 of the band's most intriguing instrumental switch-ups. 

"Back in the U.S.S.R."

The White Album sessions were tense and scattered overall: Yoko Ono's presence in the studio became a distraction for everyone not named John; meanwhile, longtime engineer Geoff Emerick, frustrated by the band's squabbling, quit midway through. But the recording of McCartney's Beach Boy details

The Dublin Beatles Festival will return for its third consecutive year this November. The festival was originally staged in 2013 to celebrate 50 years since the Fab Four played Ireland - but it has proven such a success that it has returned for repeated outings.

This year's event will take place from November 6th - 8th across various venues in Dublin. There will be film, theatre, a number of free events, a table quiz, a memorabilia exhibition, a public interview and more on offer this year. There will also be plenty of music, of course - including a set by Cavern Club resident band The Rockits, who will play a set on November 7th at The Workman's Club that will entail he biggest hits from the 1960s as well as a set of Beatles songs.

Irish acts including Vyvienne Long, The Newspaper Taxi Men, Biggles Flys Again, Pearse McGloughlin, Duncan Maitland and more will also play gigs.

Freda Kelly - secretary for the band from their early days, and subject of the recent 'Good Ol' Freda' documentary - will take part in a public interview with Tom Dunne after a screening of the documentary.

In other Beatles-related news, the short play 'John Lennon's Last Day' - written by festival founder Stephen Kennedy - details

Live in the Beatles' former Apple Boutique with velvet carpets and a waterproof TV.

Beatles fans take note: a swish apartment in the band's former Baker Street headquarters in London is available to rent.

A two-bedroom flat in the historic building, which was once home to the Apple Boutique, the Beatles' first shop, and also housed Apple Corp, which was the parent company of the Beatles' businesses, will set you back £1,350 per week on a long let.

The Apple Boutique, selling Beatles' memorabilia, was opened in 1967 by John Lennon, George Harrison, Eric Clapton, Cilla Black and Jack Bruce. The Apple Corps was the parent company of Apple Records and set up in 1968 to handle the band's growing business empire. Both were based in this building, which is now known as the Apple Apartments, W1.

Aside from its musical heritage, the now-five-dwelling secured complex was famous for its psychedelic mural on the front of the building. It has a lift servicing the flats and an open plan living room with a high-spec Italian kicthen. The master bedroom has a velvet carpet and the bathroom boasts a waterproof television.

The Apple Corps building is on the corner of Paddington Street and Baker Stree details

The official website of The Beatles has been teasing a big announcement since Saturday (Sept 12).

As you can watch below, a video shows a countdown from ’10’ to ‘1’. 1 is the name of the Fab Four’s best-selling hits collection.

Originally released in November, 2000, it has sold more than 30m copies. The official Twitter account for the estate of George Harrison retweeted the countdown video over the weekend, teasing “a major announcement!”. Beatles fans on Twitter and YouTube have begun speculating what could be coming; guesses range from a video clip collection on DVD to newly-unearthed material.

But why, then, link the announcement to 1 so specifically? With the official hashtag #thebeatles1?

Perhaps because the album will be the first step onto streaming services for the band, whose music hasn’t appeared on the likes of Spotify, Apple Music and Google Play to date.

In August, Showbiz411, suggested that a deal had been struck between rights-holders of the Beatles’ music – which include band members and their estates, as well as Apple Corp and Universal Music Group – and streaming services.

A fellow long-term strea details