Beatles News

The Beatles story is one of the most enduring, beguiling and seemingly never-ending of our modern age. What else is there to be said? Ian Leslie thinks he has an answer in exploring the relationship, inner workings and chemistry between John Lennon and Paul McCartney – the central axis of the phenomenon that was the Beatles.

This is a riveting, well-written account throwing new light on old stones – the band, John and Paul, songwriting and creativity, and the craft of some of their most critically acclaimed songs (and some lesser-known gems) – all told within a poignant narrative about male friendship, musical alchemy and loss.

There is a welcome revisionism in John & Paul. Leslie throws out the well-worn concept of completely distinct John and Paul songs – one of the central strands of numerous Beatleology studies. Instead, he sees John and Paul as creations of each other, demolishing the simplistic dichotomy of John the rocker and Paul the sentimental balladeer, John the visionary and Paul the champion of ‘granny music’. ‘There was no John without Paul, and vice-versa’ writes Leslie observing of who wrote what: ‘They were so far inside of each other&rsq details

John Lennon and Paul McCartney, the legendary duo behind The Beatles' hits, are celebrated as some of the most iconic songwriters in history.

In their salad days, Paul and John would collaborate at their childhood homes, but as time went on and their musical tastes evolved, they began crafting tunes separately before coming together to refine them. Every Beatles track penned by John and Paul was stamped with the Lennon-McCartney label, honoring a pact they made before skyrocketing to stardom. But it wasn't all smooth sailing. Post-Beatles, John didn't hold back his thoughts on Paul's compositions, openly critiquing his contributions to Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, and the hit single Let it Be.

Reflecting on Let it Be, John remarked in a 1980 interview: "That's Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with The Beatles. It could've been Wings. I don't know what he's thinking when he writes 'Let It Be'."

Not every song was a hit with the band either. Your Mother Should Know, penned by Paul at his London pad and inspired by a line from the 1961 British movie A Taste of Honey, didn't resonate with everyone.

Embracing the old-timey music hall vibe similar to When I'm Sixty details

John Lennon released a trio of experimental records before the dawn of the '70s, but his solo legacy really began after the Beatles split.

There would be just 10 short years before an assassin's bullets cut short his life and solo career. Fewer than 10 proper songs emerged after that awful day, first on 1984's gold-certified Milk and Honey and then on posthumous collections like 1986's Menlove Ave. and 1998's Anthology.

So, the balance of his 72-song solo career happened in an incredibly short amount of time. Lennon released six albums over five years through 1975, beginning with 1970's Plastic Ono Band, but 1975's Rock 'n' Roll didn't include any new songs. Double Fantasy arrived just weeks before Lennon was gunned down in 1980.

His best-selling album, 1971's multi-platinum Imagine, was followed by the gold-selling Mind Games in 1973 and Walls and Bridges in 1974. Only 1972's newsy, overtly political Some Time in New York City sold fewer than a half million copies in the U.S. – and it still nearly broke the Top 10 in Lennon's native U.K.

We surveyed it all in the following list, which ranks all 72 John Lennon solo songs. The only tracks that have been left aside are covers, meandering Fran details

The Beatles biopics just announced the actors cast to play the Fab Four, and people aren’t quite ready to “Let It Be.”

Last year, Sony Pictures dropped the news that Sam Mendes would direct four different but intertwining biopics about the rise of the Beatles, one movie for each band member: Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. After a year-long search, the cast for The Beatles biopics has finally “Come Together.”

Paul Mescal (Normal People) will play Paul McCartney, Harris Dickinson (Babygirl) will play John Lennon, Joseph Quinn (A Quiet Place) will play George Harrison, and Barry Keoghan (Saltburn) will play Ringo Starr.

Together, these four men represent the best and the most in-demand talent that the UK and Ireland have to offer, each rising to the status of “internet boyfriend” in recent years due to their performances in hugely successful films. But this time, the internet seems less willing to shower their praise on the boys, uncertain over whether they really make sense for a Beatles biopic.

Some Beatles fans are angry that the film went with stereotypically “hot” famous actors rather than casting unknown acto details

The Beatles haven’t released a new album in more than half a century, but even that fact isn’t keeping the rockers from regularly occupying space on the charts dedicated to the most popular full-lengths all around the world. The legendary group is performing especially well in the United Kingdom this week, where its catalog is once again on the rise.

Two of the Fab Four’s most beloved compilations appear on the charts — and not just one ranking, but two apiece. Even more impressive is the fact that both of them are climbing, thanks to continued popularity and consumption.

This week, both 1962–1966 and 1967–1970 are on the rise. The two collections have long been favorites among diehard Beatles aficionados and casual listeners alike, as they feature most of the band’s most familiar and successful songs.

Between the two titles, 1967–1970 — often referred to as the Blue Album — comes out ahead. The compilation pushes from No. 55 to No. 48 on the Official Albums Streaming chart. At the same time, it lifts from No. 63 to No. 56 on the Official Albums chart, which blends sales and streams to identify the top performers each week.
Mile details

The Beatles were of course talented enough to hold their own and create their own music. However, it never hurt to get a little help from their friends, and they did so on numerous occasions. In addition to collaborating with musicians such as Eric Clapton and Billy Preston, they had one other major player play on several of their early tracks, and that was their producer and friend, George Martin.

Given the production quality of The Beatles’ music, Martin’s role as the lead producer was as integral as any of the four members. However, the man didn’t just control the sticks; he also tickled the ivories on several of The Beatles’ most iconic early tracks. That being so, here are three early Beatles songs that feature George Martin on the piano.
“Not a Second Time”

Released in 1963, The Beatles single “Not a Second Time” is the quintessential tune of the group’s teenie-bop era. However, amidst the boyish harmonies is a George Martin piano solo that nobody expected nor thought could fit into the song. However, George Martin did, and he executed it to near perfection.

Following its release, “Not a Second Time” didn’t receive much ch details

One name many music fans know around the world is Ringo Starr, but not everyone knows what it means.

The musician, now 84, claimed worldwide fame as the drummer in the Beatles, and their music is still adored by millions today. Even though the band have been in people's lives since the '60s, not all fans know the significance of his name.

In fact, the topic recently came up on Reddit when fans were discussing what he prefers to be called. One social media user wrote: "Does Ringo prefer to be called Ringo Starr or Richard Starkey?

"I just started reading 'You Never Give Me Your Money', and the author calls him Starkey throughout, because of the 2009 ad where he said 'don't call me by my stage name'. Is that accurate? Does he prefer to be called by his birth name?"

It's fair to say fans had all sorts of thoughts, with several offering various suggestions. One simply replied: "Richy/Richard is reserved for his friends and family, and Ringo is for the rest of us."

Another wrote: "I've always called him Ringo Starr, or just Ringo, since I'm not always going to use his last name. I've called him by his stage name since I first knew The Beatles, before I even considered myself a fan of them, and details

In 2028, the world will experience a musical and cinematic event that's never really happened before. Three years from now, in April, Sony Pictures will release four separate (but connected) movies about the Beatles, all directed by Sam Mendes. The four actors playing each Beatle have been revealed, but one person has some thoughts about the other historical figures in the movie. Namely, herself.

George Harrison's first wife, Pattie Boyd, recently took to X and fired off a tweet about how the movie would handle her role in the story of the biggest rock band of all time. "I wonder who will be cast to play me?" she said. "That's assuming that I get to feature in any of the movies..."

An international model in the 1960s, Boyd married Beatles guitarist George Harrison in 1966. They later divorced in 1977. Boyd then married famed guitarist Eric Clapton, a friend of Harrison's. In fact, the famous Clapton song, "Layla," was based on Clapton's romantic feelings for Boyd, while she was still married to Harrison. Clapton and Harrison remained friends, despite the fact that Boyd left Harrison for a different guitarist. To this day, Boyd points out that Harrison frequently cheated on her, which is why she formally left him details

Over the past several years, Paul McCartney has been reintroducing music lovers to his former group, Wings. While the band may not be as iconic as The Beatles, or even quite as talked about as McCartney’s solo efforts, its discography is full of gems that fans have loved since they were new, decades ago.

Wings has been celebrated throughout the past several years with multiple re-releases, deluxe editions, and other special projects that highlight the great material it recorded. The band’s Venus and Mars is enjoying a brand new life across the pond as it returns to the charts, and even manages to debut on several tallies.

Venus and Mars shows up on three charts in the U.K. The album debuts on two of those rankings, marking a real comeback for a title that first dropped almost exactly 50 years ago.

The release opens at No. 6 on the Official Vinyl Albums chart, which ranks the bestselling vinyl releases in the country. The same collection also lands at No. 18 on the Official Albums Sales ranking. That tally measures the top-selling full-lengths across all formats, not just vinyl.

While Wings has appeared on the Official Vinyl Albums chart before, top 10 success is stil details

Mendes was nominated for four Academy Awards and won Best Director in 2000 for his work on American Beauty. More recently, he received critical acclaim for 1917, which earned him his other three Oscar nominations.

Of course, the Beatles are still considered one of the most influential bands in all of music history. They became one of the leading figures in the 1960s counterculture movement and pushed in the "British Invasion" of the US pop market. They racked up 25 Grammy nominations and won eight, including Best New Artist in 1964. From songs like "Here Comes the Sun" to "Come Together" to "Let It Be," the words "music" and "the Beatles" are practically synonymous.

According to the Hollywood Reporter, the films are being made with the blessings of Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and the families of John Lennon and George Harrison, who are all offering up the "full life stories and music rights" for the scripted films. Apple Corps, the group's notably selective label, also signed off on the movies.

Source: buzzfeed.com/Nora Dominick

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Sam Mendes confirmed that his long-threatened Beatles biopic quadrilogy would be released in its entirety in April 2028. That’s right, all four Beatles movies want to hold their hands, so Sony is releasing them helter-skelter in theaters in the same month. Based on the logline (“Each man has his own story, but together they are legendary”), we believe the plan is still to do a movie for each Beatle to combine into an interlocking cinematic Voltron.

Sony also made its cast official, too, with Harris Dickinson as John Lennon, Paul Mescal as Paul McCartney, Barry Keoghan as Ringo Starr, and Joseph Quinn as George Harrison. All this raises more questions, such as who’s playing Brian Epstein and George Martin? How many years will it cover? Will the Blue Meanies be involved? We simply do not know. All we know is that each man has his own story, but together they are legendary.

Source: yahoo.com/Matt Schimkowitz

Paul McCartney and John Lennon were not only the dynamic duo behind The Beatles' hits, but they also penned tunes for other big names in the 60s, with McCartney also providing the inspiration for the name of an iconic rock band.

The ECHO has delved into how the pair - whose tense relationship is often cited as one of the reasons why the band split up - crafted The Rolling Stones' first smash 'I Wanna Be Your Man,' as well as supplying chart-toppers to groups like Badfinger with 'Come and Get It' and Peter and Gordon with 'A World Without Love.'

Beatles manager Brian Epstein was well aware of the goldmine he had in John and Paul's songwriting genius, with McCartney once writing 'a huge' song for the Beatles but then giving it to another band. He often tasked them with creating hits or passed on their compositions to other acts under his wing.

One such beneficiary was Bootle's own Billy J. Kramer and his band, The Dakotas. Billy soared to stardom in the swinging sixties, thanks to a series of chart-busters from the Lennon-McCartney team, including 'Bad to Me,' which hit the top spot in the UK charts in 1963, reports the Liverpool Echo.

The origins of 'Bad to Me' are somewhat muddled. Billy claimed details

Fans of the legendary songwriter Paul McCartney are calling his work on a movie soundtrack one of the most underrated albums in his discography.

Give My Regards to Broad Street, the film which stars McCartney, along with fellow Beatles member Ringo Starr, was praised by fans who say it is one of the best albums in the Wings frontman’s discography. Though the film did not do much at the box office or for critics at the time, fans of McCartney are suggesting it is one of his most underrated pieces of work and that there are several “great” songs on the album. One user took to the r/PaulMcCartney subreddit and wrote: “The most underrated Macca album is Give My Regards to Broad Street. And I’m not kidding.

“The album is usually maligned more than any other McCartney record (together with Driving Rain and Wild Life). Most songs/versions in Give My Regards to Broad Street are good, and several are just great.” Other users agreed with their assessment of the 1984 album and movie release, but also tipped the Fireman albums as the truly underrated pieces from McCartney’s backlog.

One user wrote: “Technically it’s a Fireman album, but Electric Arguments i details

As the spring season blossoms across the northern hemisphere, music enthusiasts are revisiting legendary compositions, including an extraordinary Beatles gem. George Harrison, often dubbed “the quiet Beatle,” created musical magic with a song written in just three minutes that continues to captivate audiences even in spring 2025.  The three-minute miracle: “It’s all too much”

While George Harrison crafted numerous masterpieces during his career, “It’s All Too Much” stands as the remarkable composition he reportedly wrote in just three minutes. This psychedelic anthem, released on the “Yellow Submarine” album, emerged from a moment of pure inspiration in 1967. Unlike his more celebrated works like Something or Here Comes The Sun, this rapid creation showcases Harrison’s ability to channel spontaneous creativity.

“George had this incredible ability to capture complex emotions in simple melodies. ‘It’s All Too Much’ came to him almost fully formed – a brilliant example of his songwriting efficiency,” notes Dr. Emily Richardson, Professor of Music History at Berkeley School of Music.

As we enjoy the ref details

The music world lost a giant of a talent when George Harrison passed away at the age of 58 in 2001. Even then, Harrison wasn’t finished bestowing his musical grace upon us, thanks to the release of the posthumous Brainwashed album a year later.

For the most part, the album steers clear of details about the health problems that Harrison was enduring. “Stuck Inside A Cloud”, however, stands out as a brave and touching evocation of a man in physical, mental, and emotional distress.

George Harrison scrambled to put together his final album once he received a terminal diagnosis. Luckily, the record was in progress well before that time. Harrison had been compiling material for a while in preparation for a return to his solo career.

It became clear that he might not live to see the album completed. So, Harrison entrusted some musical confidants with a blueprint to finish whatever was still in progress. They included his son Dhani, longtime collaborator and former ELO mastermind Jeff Lynne, and session drummer Jim Keltner. Keltner had worked with Harrison all the way back to All Things Must Pass.

Because the song seems to refer to Harrison’s health issues, you might assume that & details