Beatles News

Revolver, released in America on August 8, 1966, is seen by many today as the Beatles’ big-bang moment. Over the course of 14 tracks, they consolidated everything they’d mastered even while hinting at most of the experiments still to come from principal songwriters John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison.

Not that they necessarily sensed this breakthrough moment, as the Beatles gathered at Abbey Road Studios with George Martin earlier that spring.

“That’s kind of difficult to say,” McCartney tells KGVO. “I mean, we knew we were having great success with the Beatles. Me and John were starting to really cook on our writing. So, we knew we were getting better and better from the first single, like ‘Love Me Do.’ You know, we knew we were now writing better songs. We knew we were playing better.”

Powered along by a double-sided No. 1 in “Eleanor Rigby / Yellow Submarine,” Revolver would top both the UK and American album charts, staying at Billboard’s No. 1 for six weeks.

If the project had little in common with the Beatles’ most recent release, 1965’s more folk-leaning Rubber Soul, that was also in keeping wit details

The rare snapshots of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison while taken on summer vacation in Los Angeles, California were taken by Bob Bonis, their tour manager from 1964-1966 The band was in town for their August 23 historic show at Hollywood Bowl The Ambassador Hotel cancelled their room reservation for fear they would be swarmed with crazy fans so they stayed at the Bel Air mansion of British Actor Reginald Owen.

They were renowned for their playfulness. And these photographs, revealed for the first time, show The Beatles at their cheeky best, giggling and playing with a beach ball by the pool in Los Angeles, California. It is 1964, and John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison are in town for their historic show at the Hollywood Bowl, which was recorded and later released as a hit live album. 

Had everything gone to plan, they would be confined to their suite in The Ambassador Hotel preparing for the gig. But at the last minute their reservation was cancelled because management could not cope with the scale of swarming fans. 

Luckily for The Beatles, Reginald Owen offered up his Bel Air mansion for just $1,000. It meant for a rare break from the fa details

According to Keith Richards’s tell-all autobiography, on the night of the 1967 Redlands drug bust, the guitarist had taken so much LSD that as the police arrived at his Sussex country mansion, he genuinely thought they were uniformed dwarves and welcomed them in with open arms. You’d assume that a man known for his acid-inducted exploits would be partial to the trippy sensibilities of Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, an album so littered with drug references that tracks like Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds and A Day in the Life were banned by the BBC.

As it turns out, however, Keef has little patience for the record once described by Time magazine as “a historic departure in the progress of music – any music”.

As it turns out, however, Keef has little patience for the record once described by Time magazine as “a historic departure in the progress of music – any music”. “Some people think it’s a genius album,” Richards recently told Esquire, “but I think it’s a mishmash of rubbish”.

He’s not the first artist to assassinate the Beatles record. In 2007, Billy Childish told the Guardian of his hatred for the al details

East Hampton Historical Society's newest exhibition will send guests on a walk down memory lane as they admire photographs taken by Susan Wood during the 70s. Some of the more iconic images in the exhibit feature The Beatles' John Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono.

The exhibit, titled "Right On! The Lennon Years, Photographs by Susan Wood 1968 - 1978," will debut during an opening reception on Saturday, August 8th from 4 to 7 p.m.

"I came of age in Ireland looking at images of New York in the 1970s: the mood, the clothes, the films, and TV series," Deirdre Brennan, the curator of the exhibit, said. "In curating Susan's work, I wanted to show the breadth of the subject matter Susan has covered, and of course to include the years that she photographed John and Yoko — the Lennon years." She noted that Wood's work is synonymous with the 1970s.

The photographer's work captures different art icons of the time, as well as fashions and cultures that we still appreciate today. Through the photographs, exhibit visitors will take away a taste of the times and a feel for this decade in history. "Right On! The Lennon Years, Photographs by Susan Wood 1968 - 1978" marks the first time that this collection of photograp details

Music publisher Sony/ATV and Beatles company Apple Corps have both asked a New York federal court to dismiss litigation relating to a dispute over a documentary about the fab four. The producer of said documentary wants its lawsuit to be ‘administratively closed’, so taken off the agenda for now, but with the option to resume proceedings later.

As previously reported, in 2013 a company called Ace Arts went legal against the Sony publisher and Apple Corps over a documentary it was making featuring footage of The Beatles’ first ever US concert in Washington in 1964.

Ace Arts claimed that Sony/ATV had originally agreed to licence the publishing rights it controls in the various Beatles songs that appear in the concert recording, but later bailed on that agreement citing a clause stating that it was always subject to Apple Corps approval. The claimants alleged that the change of heart was because Sony/ATV and Apple Corps had decided to collaborate on a similar project about the Washington gig, and that that breached American competition laws. 

Ace Arts originally filed a complaint in California, though then moved its lawsuit to New York. But Sony/ATV, aside from disputing most of the f details

From January 2012

A discarded piece of The Beatles' 1969 hit is found in Abbey Road studios.

The guitar solo from The Beatles' 1969 hit single 'Here Comes The Sun' has been discovered after 43 years.

The solo, which failed to make the final cut of George Harrison's major contribution to The Beatles' 11th studio album 'Abbey Road', was found by Harrison's son Dhani, Beatles' producer George Martin and his son Giles during a visit to the studio which gave its name to the album. 

In a video, which you can see by scrolling down to the bottom of the page and clicking, the three men are sat at the mixing desk playing the original master tapes of 'Here Comes The Sun' when they stumble upon the solo, which Dhani Harrison admits he had no idea existed.

'Here Comes The Sun' has been covered by numerous artists since its release in 1969, with soul singer Nina Simone, singer Pete Tosh, folk star Richie Havens and Swedish doom metallers Ghost among those to create new versions of the single. 

By: Jules Grant

Source: NME

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After the one-two punch of the “Instant Karma” single and the galvanizing Plastic Ono Band album, it appeared that John Lennon was beginning to believe his own press. The man who had also given his generation a pair of embraceable slogans, “All You Need is Love” and “Give Peace a Chance,” began 1971 with a slice of illogically hollow rhetoric, “Power to the People.”

Then came “Imagine,” a pretty, optimistic ballad praying for world peace. Fair enough. In years to come, it would be brought to the world’s attention that the sensitive ex-Beatle who so sweetly sang “imagine no possessions” was, in this period, extremely wealthy and something of a pack rat – and more than happy to be coddled and treated, in private and in public, like a demi-god. In fact, this very incongruousness was one of the reason that idiot would shoot him in the back in 1980.

Back to ’71. John Lennon clearly loved being perceived as “the voice of the people.” Every utterance was treated in the rock press as if it were of biblical proportions. Certainly he was a smart man, and blessed with genuine and one-of-a-kind artistic ability. But he was details

Keith Richards gets no satisfaction from one of the greatest rock records of all time — in fact, he thinks it’s a "load of s---."

The outspoken Rolling Stones guitarist ripped The Beatles' classic work, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," in a recent eye-opening interview for Esquire's September issue.

"Some people think it's a genius album, but I think it's a mishmash of rubbish, kind of like 'Their Satanic Majesties,'" Richards revealed, referring to the Stones’ own psychedelic 1967 LP, “Their Satanic Majesties Request,” which was released months after the Beatles’ effort. "If you can make a load of s---, so can we."

The wrinkly rocker — who still tours regularly with his mates and even has a solo album coming out — said his Beatle bashing wasn’t limited to the Fab Four’s music, but also their stamina.

"Chicks wore those guys out. They stopped touring in 1966 — they were done already," said Richards, who also recently admitted that he likes to wake up with a daily joint. "There's not a lot of roots in that music. I think they got carried away."

The Beatles released three more legendary albums after 1966: "The Beatles details

Steve Gorman, the groove machine that purred behind the kit for the Black Crowes, is the latest drummer to pay tribute this week to Ringo Starr as he tells why the Beatles icon is his favourite player.

Not just that, but also why when it comes to Ringo, Steve is on the same page as Levon Helm.

"With music and musicians, there is no 'best', really. It's all subjective. So what we have, ultimately, are our favourites. Ringo Starr has always been, and will always be, my favourite.

"In 1971, when I was five years old, my brother, Tom, gave me three of his old Beatles albums – Meet The Beatles, Help, and Rubber Soul. I played Help first - I thought the gatefold was cool. When Ticket to Ride kicked in, I started air drumming. I didn't even know what air drumming was, but suddenly I was doing it.

"I kept on listening to those three albums. Over and over and over. And I kept on air drumming. Within two or three years I had acquired the rest of the Beatles catalogue - no small trick for a kid making 25 cents a week allowance. And I air drummed them all.

"My clearest memories of childhood are of listening to records in my basement. And for the first few years, I listened exclusively to Beatle details

One of the most influential figures of the 20th century, John Lennon evolved from sharp-talking pop-rocker to cynical idealist in his time growing up in the public eye. With such a resonating presence, both with and without the Beatles, filmmakers have been portraying Lennon on screen since the late 1960s. We look at some of the more notable times Lennon has been portrayed.

Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Nowhere Boy

A chronicling of Lennon’s teenage life, his first band The Quarrymen, and his relationship with his Aunt Mimi, who raised him. Johnson plays the role understated, though the lack of any real insight makes the entire experience less than remarkable. The 2009 period piece also strived for accuracy, as it brought in both Paul McCartney & Yoko Ono to help punch up the accuracies of the script who both requested Lennon’s aunt be portrayed as more loving & supportive, as she was in real life.

Paul Rudd, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

With only a brief cameo in Judd Apatow’s satirical take on dramatized musical biographies, Rudd manages to capture the whimsical spirit that was associated with the ‘67-era Beatles, but never really existed. Rudd and this co-stars were te details

What a week for Paul McCartney! He wowed the crowd at Lollapalooza with one of his three hour shows replete with Beatles and Wings hits on Friday. He even performed a proper version of the hit he wrote for Rihanna, “Four Five Seconds,” on acoustic guitar. What a treat!

So what to do for an encore? On Sunday night, McCartney and wife Nancy staged a Beatles reunion at an intimate dinner in West Hollywood. They joined brothers in law Ringo Starr and Joe Walsh, who are married to sisters Barbara and Marjorie Bach, for a sumptuous repast at Craig’s on Melrose.

It was the perfect place for Paul and Ringo since owner Craig Susser, who entertained Sylvester Stallone last night with wife Jennifer, as well as Nikki Haskell and Leba–Mrs. Neil-Sedaka, features a vegan menu as well as one for carnivores.

But wait– there’s more. Craig’s regulars Jane Fonda and Richard Perry showed up by accident and quickly joined in at the next table. It was a big reunion for Perry, who produced Starr’s classic “Ringo” album and its follow up “Goodnight Vienna” in the early 70s. Ringo and Perry scored a bunch of hits including “Photograph” and “ details

From July 2014

And these aren’t the only revelations arising from a first listen to the Fabs’ mono vinyl remasters.

Mojo is doubting its own ears. We’re sitting in Abbey Road Studio 3, listening to a Beatles song we’ve heard hundreds of times, a Beatles song we’re not even especially fond of, and we’re tuning into things we’re sure we’ve never heard before; the hum of the acoustic guitar’s steel strings, a frail clarity to McCartney’s voice and an odd sort of reverb that acts as a bridge between vocals and strings. Yesterday has never sounded this good.

We’re here for Universal and Apple’s first official unveiling of “The Beatles’ original mono studio albums on vinyl”. The more canny of you will realize that the Beatles’ original studio albums are already available on vinyl, but time and entropy hasn’t been kind to the versions released between 1963 and 1968. So, on September 8 (September 9 in the US), The Beatles’ nine UK albums, plus the American-compiled Magical Mystery Tour, and the Mono Masters collection of non-album tracks will be released in newly mastered mono versions on 180-gram vinyl LP details

49 years ago today John's "The Beatles are more popular than Jesus Christ" comment was widely reported in North American papers sparking controversy in the middle of their 1966 tour.

The following is an article from Nov. 2008.

More than 40 years after Christians were infuriated by the Beatles' claim that they were "more popular than Jesus", the Roman Catholic Church has made peace with the Fab Four.

Saturday's edition of the Vatican's official newspaper absolves John Lennon of his notorious remark, saying that "after so many years it sounds merely like the boasting of an English working-class lad struggling to cope with unexpected success".

In a lengthy editorial marking the 40th anniversary of the Beatles' famous White Album, L'Osservatore Romano heaps lavish praise on the British band.

"The talent of Lennon and the other Beatles gave us some of the best pages in modern pop music," said the newspaper, which has recently tried to shake off its stuffy image by covering popular culture events such as the Oscars and inviting articles from Muslim and Jewish contributors.

By: Nick Squires

Source: The Telegraph

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On a hot and muggy evening 50 years ago this month, four mop-haired young men walked across the top of New York City's Pan Am Building and boarded a waiting helicopter. A few minutes later, the aircraft carrying the Beatles_John, Paul, George and Ringo_approached Shea Stadium at Flushing Meadows, Queens. There, 55,600 screaming fans, the largest crowd in show business history, waited in frenzied anticipation of their arrival.

The undisputed leaders of the British Invasion were about to launch their second sortie onto American soil, one year after their initial 1964 tour. The Shea Stadium concert was the first stop in an 18-day, 11-city tour that showcased the Beatles in front of a total of 300,000 adoring fans. The Shea concert generated the biggest crowd and biggest hype during the trip, and the event helped cement The Beatles as music's most influential rock & roll band. Moreover, the tour itself became important in other ways. First, it reflected The Beatles at the apex of their career together. In his 2005 memoir, "John, Paul, George, Ringo and Me," Beatles press agent Tony Barrow wrote of the significance of the 1965 concerts. "This was the group's brightly-shining summer solstice, after which all the Beatles' details

From April 2014

Beatles-in-the-studio experts Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan rank the works of Fab in terms of their groundbreaking sonic innovations.

The Beatles' stellar songwriting skills and world-class charm are the staples of pop culture commentary. Less often mentioned are the groundbreaking production tricks and ideas that made their records the benchmark for creative recording in the last century, and beyond.

The group’s remarkable thirst for newness, allied with the ingenuity of their producers and engineers at EMI’s Abbey Road Studios, gave rise to cutting-edge sonics and daring studio exploration – now often taken for granted.

The following ten tracks showcase The Beatles at their most technically innovative: applying production ideas stunning for their age to make music that sounds as current and powerful today as it ever did. In fact, given the fairly safe standards of today’s pop, it’s arguable that in 2014 we’re still far behind the Beatles’ trailblazing 40-year-old lead…

So, enjoy these 10 Beatle greats from a whole new angle....

By: Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan

Source: Mojo

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