Beatles News

Yoko Ono has penned an open letter to Elbow after they name-checked her in their new song ‘New York Morning’. The Elbow lyric goes “Oh, my giddy aunt, New York can talk / It’s the modern Rome and folk are nice to Yoko”. The line has motivated Yoko to ponder about the relationship she and the late John Lennon has and had with NYC.

In a posting on her website she writes: “Dear Guy, Craig, Mark, Pete and Richard, Yes. New York has been kind to me as your song says. Thank you. For John, he always wanted to come and live in this city, ever since he saw Bob Dylan on the famous album cover ['The Freewheelin Bob Dylan']. And I played the catalyst to make his dream come true”. She added: “But in sleepless nights, I am still living in the memory of my sweet husband, who was virtually kicked out of his own country that he loved so dearly and learned to live in this bleak port city just so his woman and he could live in peace. Two sides of the coin. Life is. Have a great time in New York. We loved it. Love, Yoko”.

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On Thursday Beatles Help! Piano To Be Auctioned was a top story. Here is the recap: (hennemusic) A piano that was used by John Lennon and Paul McCartney during the filming of The Beatles' 1965 film, "Help!", is going up for auction this month in Liverpool.

The 1907 Bechstein Concert Grand piano, which is expected to sell for over £50,000, is part of an auction of over 200 lots of rare Beatles memorabilia and vinyl records to be hosted by Omega Auctions on March 20 at the Adelphi Hotel in Liverpool; the event coincides with the 50th anniversary of the release of The Beatles number one hit, "Can't Buy Me Love". Currently owned by the film's director, Richard Lester, the piano was used by the songwriting legends to write the movie's title song. "When the film was being written under the imaginative working title 'Beatles Two', the writers and I wanted to call it 'Help'," explained Lester. "Unfortunately, we were informed by copyright lawyers that someone else had registered that title, so Ringo helpfully offered 'Eight Arms to Hold You' (relating to th details

It’s already been a jet-setting start to the year for Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy Shevell who have ticked off France and America as destinations. And on Thursday the couple added to their list of trips as they were spotted getting ready to board a flight from LA back to London.

Not surprisingly the pair have honed the skill of dressing for travelling, looking very sharp as they made their way through the airport. Paul, 71, looked much younger than his years wearing a well-fitted black suit with a white shirt – unbuttoned at the top. Keeping cosy she wore a gold padded jacket, while she wrapped a chiffon scarf around her neck. Her brunette locks, which were particularly shiny, fell loose around her shoulders and she wore simple make-up. On Sunday evening the couple raised eyebrows when they chose to shun the Oscars in favour of a double date with Dave Grohl and his pregnant wife Jordyn Blum. Paul and Dave, 45, had teamed up with Ringo Starr and the other surviving members of Nirvana, bassist Krist Novoselic and to details

A groovy Swinging Sixties exhibition is taking place at Lichfield Museum at St Mary’s in the Market Square. The exhibition features memorabilia from the 1960s – the decade associated with The Beatles, mini skirts and beehive hairstyles.

On show at the museum are records, a collection of psychedelic clothes and nostalgic photographs. The majority of objects that are on display have been loaned by people from Lichfield and are from various parts of the UK. There also some items of clothing from London – the focus of fashion at the time. Peter Griffiths, volunteer at Lichfield Museum said: “The 1960s was such an iconic decade and we are excited to launch this exhibition to show the designs and fashion of the swinging sixties.” The exhibition started on March 3 and will run through until June 30, Monday to Friday from 9.30am to 3.30pm. The display itself is free, but normal entry prices to the museum apply.

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It's 50 years since Australia was rocked by the music phenomenon that was Beatlemania. Now the Fab Four are being celebrated in a Melbourne exhibition, to celebrate the anniversary of their Australian tour.nIt's taken half a century but the spirit of the Beatles is back in all the mop-topped glory.

From newspaper clippings to old records and clothing, an exhibition at the Melbourne Arts Centre seeks to recapture the Beatles revolution, the Fab Four Fever of 1964 when the band spent 13 days touring Australia. At the time there was hysteria on city streets as people were swept away by Beatlemania. Virginia Boon was 16 when the band arrived in Melbourne. "It was an explosion in our lives when they first came, they were just so different to everything else that we'd seen." The boys from Liverpool captured her heart, and together with her older sister Patty, the pair attended a concert. "[It was] crazy, crazy, electric. All the girls screaming." "Everyone tried to rush up and give Paul a great big hug, or John a great big hug." Rock historian Glenn A. Baker says the Beatles u details

As legendary as Paul McCartney is, he's not above picking up the phone and personally thanking a radio programmer for playing songs from his latest album, "New."

Upon calling Jill Weindorf, senior VP of promotion for McCartney's label, Hear Music/Concord Music Group, he learned that McCartney was in Los Angeles shooting a video for "New" track "Early Days" the day before and spent the evening with "friends at dinner," according to Weindorf. Those friends regaled McCartney with stories about KCSN and how it has played cuts from "New," including the title track and second single "Queenie Eye." Impressed by the station's support, McCartney then called the label and asked how he could contact KCSN to say thanks. From there, McCartney and Daniels chatted for more than an hour. Paul's call was so thoughtful, I found myself fighting back tears," Daniels says. "He told us of how his friends all loved the station, and [that] they told him that KCSN was playing a number of songs from 'New' and he simply wanted to say thanks."

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On Friday, April 4th, The Nutopians, the award-winning seven-piece musical ensemble, will celebrate the artistry and genius of the late John Lennon with a special performance at the YMCA Boulton Center for the Performing Arts, 37 West Main Street, Bay Shore NY 11706.

The band will feature songs from their newest CD “Lennon Re-Imagined,” (listen/tracks) a 16-song compilation of originally-performed Lennon-composed masterpieces from his Beatles and solo careers, as well as from their debut “Imagined: Celebrating the Songs of John Lennon,” which won the prestigious Vox Populi Independent Music Award for best tribute album in 2011. Created and led by Elektra and RCA recording artist Rex Fowler of Aztec Two Step and Atlantic recording artist Tom Dean of Devonsquare, the Nutopians were given their name by Lennon’s widow Yoko Ono. “Nutopians” is derived from the couple’s conceptual country, “Nutopia” where John was cleverly seeking diplomatic immunity as its ambassador in 1973 after be details

Paul features on the cover of this week's NME Magazine. The current issue takes the reader behind-the-scenes at the publication's recent awards night where Paul was presented with the 'Songwriters' Songwriter'.

Fans can watch a video of Paul receiving his award. The cover shot, taken by Dean Chalkley, also features Blur's Damon Albarn, punk poet John Cooper Clarke and Alex Turner from Arctic Monkeys.

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We are pleased to announce ‘The Sound of Abbey Road Studios’, unique talks taking place in April and May featuring special guest former Abbey Road Studios Engineer Ken Scott.

The talks mark a new opportunity to visit Abbey Road Studios’ world famous Studio Two, where many iconic artists have recorded including The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Kate Bush, Elton John, Oasis and Adele.Event hosts Brian Kehew and Kevin Ryan, authors of critically acclaimed book Recording the Beatles, return for the third instalment of this fascinating talks series with a brand new lecture exploring the evolution of recording techniques and equipment, many of which were pioneered at Abbey Road Studios. In addition to the informative and entertaining stories behind these techniques, the lectures will include demonstrations using both new and vintage equipment, some of which has been used on many landmark recordings over the studios’ 82 year history. For the first time in the series, Brian and Kevin welcome a special guest. Renowned former Abbey Road engineer Ken Scott will be return details

Ringo Starr is at work on his first studio project since the aptly named Ringo 2012, with Steve Lukather again at his side. The Toto guitarist, a current member of the All Starr Band, tells us he wrote a song for the as-yet-unnamed album. 

Lukather says he will also be touring again with Starr this summer, continuing a relationship that began in the summer of 2012. This lineup, the 12th for Ringo’s All Starr amalgams, also includes Gregg Rolie, Todd Rundgren and Richard Page of Mr. Mister fame. Lukather also sat in with Starr for the recent 50th anniversary-related concerts with Paul McCartney. All of this Beatles-related activity comes as Lukather is also completing a pair of new projects with Toto, beginning with a new live DVD set for release in April 2014 via Eagle Rock. Next comes a new studio effort, Toto’sinitial disc since 2006′s Falling in Between. Lukather says they are five songs into the record, which is being produced by CJ Vanston and features new drummer Keit details

It was a night when all the big names in Hollywood were at the Dolby Theatre… except for two. Sir Paul McCartney and Dave Grohl decided against joining the Oscars' festivities to enjoy an evening out with their wives at a vegan restaurant on Melrose Avenue.

With Nancy Shevell and pregnant Jordyn Blum on their arms, the musicians no doubt took a chance to celebrate (again) their Grammy win for Best Rock Song.  McCartney, 71, and Grohl, 45, had teamed up with Ringo Starr and the other surviving members of Nirvana, bassist Krist Novoselic and touring guitarist Pat Smear, to form Sirvana and were awarded at the music ceremony for their track Cut Me Some Slack. ‘This song was two hours in my studio,’ Dave said during his Grammy acceptance speech, ‘I called up Paul and said, “Hey, man, do you want to come jam with some friends of mine?” He came over, we knocked this out in a couple of hours, and to me, that’s what rock'n'roll is all about.’

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The year 1964 was one of the busiest and most creative in the history of the Beatles. In July of that year, they released A Hard Day’s Night, a movie that has been called one of the 100 best films ever made.  For Beatles fans, the film represented a rare insider’s look into the lives and personalities of John, Paul, George and Ringo.

Pattie Boyd was, at the time, a popular model in London, who was hired to play a small role in the movie and met George Harrison, who immediately asked her out for a date.  Although she at first impulsively rebuffed him, the two were soon engaged in a red-hot love affair and were married a short time later.  Her view into the personal lives of each of the Beatles during the ensuing years of their success is unrivaled. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the London premiere of A Hard Day’s Night, the Catalina Island Museum will have a screening of the film in the Avalon Casino Theater.  Pattie Boyd has agreed to a live interview just after the film, in which she will discuss her memorie details

Some people like The Beatles. Some people love The Beatles. Some people have a room full of Beatles memorabilia. Jim Cushman falls into that last category. Cushman, a Mattapoisett resident and native of Middleboro, has an extensive Beatles collection that includes a pair of John Lennon’s long johns , a locket of Paul McCartney’s hair, Ringo Starr’s drumsticks and a t-shirt that belonged to George Harrison.

“They’re a part of me now. They’re in me, just like my wife and my sons and my granddaughter,” said Cushman of the band. “They’re an important part of me. They made me who I am.” Cushman, 59, began to accumulate Fab Four artifacts almost 30 years ago. But Beatlemania first gripped him as a 9-year-old when he tuned in with about 73 million people across the country to watch The Beatles perform for the first time on the Ed Sullivan Show. When The Beatles took the stage on February 9, 1964, 50 years ago, they became an instant phenomenon in the U.S. “Nothing’s ever been the same,” said Cushm details

Three of Britain’s biggest rock stars – Sir Paul McCartney, Brian May and Sir Bob Geldof - are backing the third Rock Against Cancer concert in All Cannings. The legends are helping to promote the concert at The Kings Arms in All Cannings, near Devizes, on Saturday, May 31.

Sir Paul and Queen guitarist Brian May are leading a social media campaign to raise awareness of the cancer charity event. Live Aid leader Sir Bob is fronting the reformed Boomtown Rats to headline the Concert at the Kings show in the village that has a population of only 630. They launched the annual event two years ago. Artists including Jeff Beck, Brian May, Roger Taylor, Mike & the Mechanics, Midge Ure and Tom Robinson have performed and help raise more than £35,000 for cancer charities. This year the organisers are aiming to raise the profile of the gig by asking stars to help a social media campaign by posing in Rock Against Cancer T-shirts - and first to respond were Sir Paul, Brian May and actress-singer Kerry Ellis, star of The Queen musical We Will Rock You’

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Ever wanted to take your picture at a landmark, but you've been at a loss for anybody to help you? That's no longer the case on one of Britain's most photographed streets, but it will cost you for the privilege.

A man has taken to standing at the corner of Abbey Road, London, next to the zebra crossing made famous by The Beatles album of the same name, which bears the iconic picture of the fab four crossing the street. The man will help you take a picture of you and your friends or family on the zebra crossing for a small charge of £4 a go. The enterprising man seems to help the tourists who flock to the popular crossing outside of the Abbey Road studios where many of the Beatles' albums and EPs were recorded. Tourists are charged £4 to have the man use their phones or cameras to take their photos, many of whom make the classic 'crossing the road' pose that made the album cover so famous. While he is not thought to be in breach of any laws, Westminster Council said it sounded as if he was acting as a street trader - f details