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Beatles News
UK music fans say the Beatles and Queen are the artists of whom they are most proud—at 71% each. The phone and internet provider Plusnet conducted the survey, in which Adele placed third with 48%, followed by Pink Floyd (46%) and Oasis (32%). Nearly two-thirds (64%) said they are proud of the UK’s musical heritage overall.
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Mersey Beat founder/editor Bill Harry says he’s revising his famous reference book, “The Beatles Encyclopedia”, first published in 1992, and revised in 2000. This third edition will be expanded to two volumes, of probably 900 pages each. Harry says, “With the vast amount of information I was collecting, it became obvious that it would have hundreds of thousands of additional words and could never fit into a single volume.” He adds, “I was the first person ever to write about the Beatles and have written more about them than anyone else in the world. Even I was surprised by the amount of new information I kept unearthing and I am confident that even the most devoted Beatles fans will find information they were completely unaware of.”
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The man looking to erect a George Harrison statue in Henley-on-Thames, near the Harrison estate, is ending his campaign after hearing from Olivia Harrison that she would prefer a community project undertaken in George’s memory. 42-yr old James Lambert , who admitted the statue might attract “unwanted fans” to the town, told the BBC: “Gauging the pulse in terms of Henley residents I think there was a lot of support. This petition wasn’t tapping into the Beatles fanfare worldwide, it was much more to recognize George’s contribution to Henley and the affection Henley had for him. It is slightly disappointing but you have to respect Olivia’s wishes as she still has a house in Henley…I think what she’s suggesting in terms of a community project will be great and it will be very exciting to see exactly how this transpires.”
A new mash-up successfully combines Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" with the Beatles' "Helter Skelter", in both audio and video form. The project, completed by someone known only as "Soundhog", utilizes material from The Beatles' Anthology and archival material from Led Zeppelin as well--so that Robert Plant's speaking voice is heard, in addition to Ringo's famous cry of "I've got blisters on my fingers!"
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Have you ever wondered what Paul McCartney’s backstage requirements are like these days? Thesmokinggun.com reports that the animal rights activist of course bans all leather, animal prints, meat or meat by-products backstage or in limousines in which he travels. The rider reportedly obtained by the site also gets very specific about furniture and flowers, reporting that Paul also requires natural wooden furniture in his backstage area because "nothing can be glass or lacquer", and bouquets of white lilies, white and pink roses, two arrangements of freesia, as well as weeping eucalyptus, loose gardenias, two gardenia pot plants and a bunch of wild flowers, as well as six floor plants which are at least six-foot high and two which are four-foot, suggesting venue bosses buy "palm, bamboo, peace lilies, etc. (but) no tree trunks.
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Unpublished early color photographs of The Beatles' first U.S. tour will be sold at a U.K. auction. The photos were taken during the rock band's 1964 visit to the U.S., when color film was expensive and most images of the group were in black and white. The collection of 65 slides contains many stage shots, including George Harrison with his legendary red Rickenbacker guitar and close-up portraits from a Las Vegas Sahara Hotel press conference and Las Vegas Convention Centre gig. The images were taken by Dr. Robert Beck, who died in 2002 and left them in an archive of photographs and slides in his Hollywood home. Omega Auctions said Sunday the images will be sold March 22 — exactly 50 years after The Beatles released their first album.
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According to Julian Lennon, U2's Bono's vision--which the singer/activist has said is the reason he wears his trademark shades--is worsening. The Irish Daily Star quotes Julian as saying: “Bono actually has a condition with his eyes. I don’t know the exact issue but the brightness of the sun hurts them and it’s a deteriorating issue.” And Julian said: “It’s part of his image so in some senses, it was lucky, but not really, of course. Maybe it’s part of his process now and without the sunglasses, he can’t be Bono.”
In 2005, Bono revealed that the sunglasses, which he started wearing as part of his "Fly" character on stage in 1991, are now medically helpful to him. He told Rolling Stone at the time: “If somebody takes my photograph, I will see the flash for the rest of the day. My right eye swells up...It’s part vanity, it’s part privacy and part sensitivity.”
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37 previously unseen photographs of the Beatles have been found after being forgotten for nearly half a century. Photographer Paul Berriff captured the photographs during a Beatles tour in 1963 and 1964 when he was just 16 years old, but the negatives ended up being forgotten for over 45 years along with 850 other negatives. The photographs were created using two film cameras: a Rolleiflex and a 35mm Nikon, the latter of which he still uses to this day. Berriff went on to photograph many of the most recognizable artists and groups in the music industry (i.e. The Rolling Stones and Queen), and won a BAFTA award as a documentary filmmaker. Berriff has set up a website called The Beatles Hidden Gallery where he is selling prints of the photographs. Only 49 prints of each photograph will be made. |
The Beatles’ “Yesterday” ranks fourth on the list of songs that have generated the most royalties, according to a new BBC 4 special, “The Richest Songs in the World.” “Happy Birthday to You” ranks number one. Three of the songs on the list are holiday favorites—“White Christmas” at No. 2, “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” at 7, and “The Christmas Song” at No. 10. Righteous Brothers recordings are represented twice, with “You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling” and “Unchained Melody” both making the top 10, as well as the Police and Roy Orbison.
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Stella McCartney is being honored by Queen Elizabeth with an OBE—being made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire—for her work as a fashion designer, especially creating the British team’s Olympic uniforms. Other honorees include all the British gold medalists from the 2012 Olympics, actor Ewan McGregor and singer Kate Bush. The Queen's Honours are given out twice a year on New Year's and in June on the Queen's official birthday. The majority of recipients are selected by government committees after a nomination process by officials and the public.
The OBE is a step above the MBE, Member of the Order of the British Empire, which Stella's father first received in 1965 as a member of The Beatles. The next highest honor is CBE, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, then followed by knighthood.
A rare copy of Please Please Me signed by all four Beatles has sold for the price rejected at auction in December. The BBC reports that brother and sister Chris Collins and Liz Chambers initially turned down a £12,000 bid for the album, which was given to their late father during a drinking session.
They had hoped to get £15,000 ($24,400 US), but the siblings have now accepted £12,000 ($19,500 US) from private buyers.
The album, sporting a black and gold label, was signed by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr after they used it as a drinks coaster during a card game in 1963.
The earliest copies had black and gold labels and are more valuable than the subsequent versions, featuring black and yellow ones.
Beatles fans can look forward to lots in the new year, including a book telling us 100 things to do before we die. Or to be precise, 100 Things Beatles Fans Should Know and Do Before They Die, a book due this June from author Gillian Garr. “It's actually a bit more like 126 'things,' because aside from the 100 listings there are 26 sidebars,” Garr says.
The book comes from Triumph Books, who have done books like this for sports fans, including ones for Chicago Cubs fans and Seattle Seahawks fans, but this is their first book on another pop culture subject. Look for it in June 2013, according to examiner.com.
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In a newly-released 1987 interview, Yoko Ono talks about the Beatles’ breakup—which she calls a “divorce”. She told Rolling Stone’s Joe Smith: "The Beatles were getting very independent. Each one of them [was] getting independent. John, in fact, was not the first who wanted to leave the Beatles. [We saw] Ringo one night with Maureen, and he came to John and me and said he wanted to leave. George was next, and then John. Paul was the only one trying to hold the Beatles together. But the other three thought Paul would hold the Beatles together as his band. They were getting to be like Paul's band, which they didn't like." Yoko also said she felt John missed his bandmates so much that it put pressure on her, because he "expected all that to be replaced by me." The interview, along with Smith’s interviews with Paul and George, can be heard on the Library of Congress website.
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The Justice Collective’s cover of the Hollies’ “He Ain’t Heavy, He’s My Brother” got to the coveted spot as the UK’s Christmas number one. The single features Paul McCartney, who has appeared on seven other Christmas number ones, as a Beatle, a Wing, and as part of Band Aid.
The Justice Collective is a group of artists, mainly but not entirely from Liverpool, gathered by producer Guy Chambers to raise funds for the legal battles still being fought by the families of 96 Liverpool Football Club fans killed in the infamous 1989 tragedy at Hillsborough Stadium in Sheffield. The track features also features Gerry Marsden (Gerry & the Pacemakers), Holly Johnson (Frankie Goes To Hollywood), Melanie Chisholm (Spice Girls), Peter Hooton (The Farm), John Power (Cast) and Rebecca Ferguson plus other notables including Robbie Williams, Paloma Faith, Glenn Tilbrook (Squeeze), Mick Jones (Clash, Big Audio Dynamite et al) and Beverley Knight.
Could the Beatles’ noses—and the rest of their faces-- soon be gracing ten bob notes? Reportedly the Fab Four are among 150 great Britons under consideration for the honor as the government prepares to print new currency next year.
Also on the Bank of England’s list: Sir Mick Jagger, the late Princess Diana, the late Queen Mother and World War II-era computer pioneer Alan Turning. Charles Darwin is on the current ten pound note.