Beatles News

In 1964, the Beatles arrived in Seattle on Aug. 21 to play the Seattle Coliseum. Most hotels wouldn't house the moptops because they couldn't protect them from their ever-present hysterial fans, but the Edgewater Hotel did. Half a century on, the waterfront hotel marks its moment in the Bealemania spotlight with a Fab Four World Tour package for anyone who wants to relive the Beatles era.

"Beatlemania so consumed Seattle that the Edgewater had to install cyclone fencingaround the hotel to keep the screaming fans at bay," the hotel's website says. "Some fans even tried swimming across Elliott Bay to reach the Fab Four." The package starts with a night in the Beatles Suite, a 750-square-foot space in the refurbished Room 272 where they stayed. It has panoramic views of the bay, a living room, a dining area, a library and an in-room photo gallery of the group. Pictures include images of the lads fishing from the window of the room details

He wants to remove 300 lorry loads of timber a year for the next few years from his Scottish hideaway on the peninsula of Kintyre. But residents say the increase in the number of heavy lorries using a single-track road would be dangerous. They already cope with trucks going to a nearby quarry and say the road is at saturation point.

Neighbour William Taverner said: “I have three young children and I am concerned about road safety. It is busy enough with quarry lorries. ­Timber lorries would be too much.” Another resident said the narrow road had blind corners, potholes and limited passing places Colin Chrystie said: “This timber could easily be taken out by another road on the estate. I’m not sure Mr McCartney is even aware of this ­proposal. I think if he knew, he would see sense.” The trees are being removed from the former Beatle’s 600-acre High Park Farm as part of a maintenance programme. Last year Sir Paul, 72 – who had a No1 hit in 1977 with his band Wings’ song Mull Of Kin details

Canongate will publish facsimile editions of John Lennon's two books, In His Own Write and A Spaniard in the Works this December. First published in 1964 and 1965 respectively, the books combine drawing, poetry, and stories. In His Own Write was one of the biggest books of the 1960s, selling 600,000 copies in the UK alone.

An auction of original art and poetry from the books at Sotheby's in New York earlier this month saw the pieces selling from $2.9m. Publisher Jamie Byng said: "Fifty years on, these two books by Lennon remain wonderfully fresh and memorable and distinctive and it is a great honour to be publishing new editions of them which do justice to the original drawings. Lennon was an exceptional artist and there is a growing appreciation of this which is borne out by the recent, record-breaking sale at Sotheby’s." The new hardback ed details

On Sunday, Mark Katz, the chairman of UNC-Chapel Hill's music department, helped secure a Carolina-blue mortarboard to the head of the man who sang “Yellow Submarine.” Ringo Starr, in town to play a show that evening at DPAC with his All-Starr Band, arrived on campus to accept a proclamation from the music department in recognition of his contributions to music, culture and life at large.

The idea of issuing such academic proclamations originated with the music department’s entrepreneur-in-residence, Ken Weiss, a music business veteran who Katz appointed to the position he created in 2010. Weiss sought to make meaningful connections between the university and notable musicians performing in the region. Having once worked with the former Beatle, Weiss contacted him, and Starr warmed to the idea.  “When we agreed to meet, he said, ‘Bring me one of those graduation hats,'" offers Katz. "And it was very Ringo-esque, in that we put it on backward and we were fumbling around and final details

When they visited Los Angeles for the first time in the summer of 1964, the Beatles went to the Whiskey A Go Go, where George Harrison hurled a glass full of water at an annoying photographer and instead soaked actress Mamie Van Doren, who happened to be walking by. They attended a party in their honor at the Brentwood home of the mother-in-law of then-Capitol Records head Alan Livingston, where well-heeled parents paid $25 a pop (the money went to charity) to have their kids meet the lads, and where stars like John Forsythe, Edward G. Robinson, Groucho Marx, Rock Hudson, and Jack Benny joined the mop-top madness.

But the single most important event of their stay in LA—the one that leaps off the tip of every music-obsessed tongue whenever that time and place and tho details

The uniquely discordant strum of a guitar introduces the now-iconic image of the Fab Four careening down a London-as-Liverpool street, chased by a horde of screaming young fans. George attempts to sneak a glance behind him, then loses his balance and careens to the ground, bringing poor Ringo down with him. John looks back to witness the instantaneous mayhem and continues running elated with laughter.

This wasn’t a moment of acting or planning or choreography, but a purely spontaneous interaction between members of the most famous band in the world captured on film. The contrivance of the scene produced a “mistake” which then inspired a genuine, unpremeditated moment between the bandmates, a real glimpse at John’s interaction with (and affection for) his colleagues outside the trappings of unprecedented fame and millions of dollars in royalties. Throughout A Hard Day’s Night, director Richard Lester toys with the obvious contrivances of filmmaking, a façade made details

The annual music festival, one of the most popular dates in the British music calendar, kicks off properly on Friday and has a varied and diverse line-up of artists including Dolly Parton, Metallica and Arcade Fire. Yoko will also be there to entertain the crowds, and it marks her first foray into the famous event.

"Never," she admitted to British magazine NME about attending the festival. "But this year Sean, my son, said to me that I had to do it. So I thought, 'OK.’ Once I'd said yes I started saying to myself, 'Are you crazy?' But I'm doing it." At 81, Yoko isn't fa details

Niagara Gazette — Greatest Tuesday in the Park show ever? It’s up for debate, but making the case for Ringo and his 12th All Starr Band as the greatest show in the 40-year history of Artpark is not a difficult task by any means.

When Artpark announced that Ringo Starr was coming to Lewiston earlier this year, the region was blanketed by one of the worst winters in recent memory. The thought of Ringo Starr, a Beatle, coming to Artpark, warmed many souls. Tonight’s show could have been a disaster. I assume I was not the only person keeping a close eye on the weather, and dreading the possibility that, what was arguably the most anticipated Tuesday show of all time, could have been a rainout. Around the scheduled 7:45 p.m start, the rain came, and people tried to find shelter. It looked like the prospect of a rainout was a distinct possibility as crews scrambled to cover the equipment. I was luck enough to be scooted to a small shelter in the backstage area where the video guy had the radar pulled up. He assured me the storm would pass.

-Doreen Speight met the future Beatle at a Butlin's holiday camp when he was with his old band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes Love letters from Ringo Starr to a teenage girlfriend sold today for £16,250.

Doreen Speight met the future Beatles drummer on a Butlin’s holiday in Pwllheli, North Wales, in 1961, when she was 16 and he was with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes. Ringo wrote to her later in October 1962: “I got a phone call asking me would I join the Beatles and I said yes and I left Rory. “I am doing very well with the new group, we have a record out I hope you have herd (sic) it it is on (Radio) Luxembourg every night (also don’t forget to buy it).” Doreen, of Bredbury, Stockport, rediscovered the letters in a drawer. They were sold at a Bonhams auction in London to an anonyous UK collector. “He was known as Richard Starkey back then and we ended up spending the whole week together, having barbeques and beach parties after they had practised. “We would sit in Rory’s car and Ringo would ho details

Explore the dynamic decade of the 1960s at “ground zero for peace and love,” the historic site of the 1969 Woodstock festival. Bethel Woods Center for the Arts and National Council for the Social Studies present workshops that focus on in-depth exploration of the Beatles and ways to apply the decade in engaging ways within your community.

Workshops include:

• How the Beatles Became the Beatles!
• John Lennon and Racial Politics
• Deconstructing the Beatles: Strawberry Fields by Scott Frieman
• Many more to choose from! 

Additional components include:

• Behind-the-scenes tour of The Museum at Bethel Woods
• Current technology for bringing the 1960s to life! 

Series Description:

Arts- and history-based workshops connect teachers with subject area experts in these fields and combine content exploration with pedagogy and ideas for classroom implementation. Previous history workshops have been offered in association with Nat details

Paul McCartney has added another date to summer's hottest ticket: The 'Out There' world tour will touch down at the Greensboro Coliseum in Greensboro, North Carolina—marking Paul’s historic first ever performance in the city of Greensboro.
 
Paul recently took a quick break from rehearsals for the tour, which resumes July 5 in Albany, NY, to film a special video message to his fans which can be seen below: The 'Out There' tour, as always, features music from the most beloved catalog in popular music, as Paul performs songs spanning his entire career - as a solo artist, member of Wings and of course as a Beatle. The set list will also include material from Paul's most recent studio album NEW, a global hit upon its release last year. The McCartney live experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity; in just three hours some of the greatest moments from the last 50 years of music are relived; music which for many has shaped the very soundtrack of their lives. The&nbs details

A MICROPHONE used by The Beatles when they played live in Hull in 1964 has been sold for £7,500. An imitation tortoiseshell plectrum used by John Lennon at the same concert fetched £4,000. The Reslosound Ltd RBT/L ribbon microphone was owned and used by The Beatles in the early 1960s. It was given to a fan after their show at the ABC Theatre in Hull city centre on October 16,1964. 

Auctioneers Christie's said: "The vendor attended the Beatles concert in Hull and, following the show, he struck up a conversation with one of the band's technicians. "The vendor was keen to start his own band so the technician with whom he was speaking gave him the microphone, telling him that John Lennon thought it wasn't working properly any more so the band had no use for it. "Reslo microphones such as this example were used predominantly at the Cavern Club in the early 1960s and there are many photographs of The Beatles on stage at The Cavern using an identical microphone to the one in the auction." At the same Christie's auction, an imitation details

Paul McCartney uploaded a video to his YouTube page this afternoon (June 24th) with an update on how he’s feeling and details on rescheduled tour dates. 

After being hospitalized for a viral infection last month, which forced him to postpone a string of European and North American tour dates, we now know Paul McCartney is on the mend and “getting ready to rock” again. This all coming from his former Beatle-mate Ringo Starr, who gave an update on Paul’s health during an exclusive talk with Access Hollywood. Access Hollywood caught up with Ringo during a showing of his latest artwork at New York’s Soho Contemporary Art Gallery. He tells them that he checked in with Paul after learning about his illness, and says he’s doing much better after resting. “I spoke to him actually while he was in the hospital,” he said with a laugh. “Not knowing the time, I just sort of dialed and – hello? He picked up and we said hi and he said he’s doing okay.” He added that since tal details

It’s hard not to go into a show like The Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger without just a little bit of apprehension and a whole lot of awe.  The apprehension comes from the fact that this might be some kind of vapid vanity project, considering the two members are Sean Lennon, son of one of the most revered people in the history of people (John Lennon); the other is Charlotte Kemp Muhl, a model and Lennon’s girlfriend.  And the awe comes from the fact that you’re standing in the room with (only the slightest bit of hyperbole) “royal blood”. 

However, it doesn’t take long for the apprehension to disappear, in fact it happens somewhere around point that the first chord is strummed; and just like that the trepidation is gone, like the ghost of said elusive Saber Tooth Tiger.  And quickly the awe becomes the music that’s being made in front of you. Backed-up by the members of The Invisible Familiar, Sean, who bears an uncanny resemblance to his father in both visual aesthetic and vocal acumen, is truly a charismatic force on details