Beatles News

How George Harrison (subconsciously) borrowed a love song from The Chiffons to make something spiritual.

While he always had his fans, it's fair to say that as a singer and songwriter, George Harrison was somewhat overshadowed in The Beatles by Paul McCartney and John Lennon.  Despite writing some of the best songs of the decade, poor George only squeezed 22 songs into the Beatles back catalogue, compared to over 160 by the Lennon-McCartney partnership.

How George Harrison saved Monty Python's Life of Brian film from being axed. How The Beatles' George Harrison coined "grotty" and deconstructed influencer culture in 1964.  He made up for that in the immediate aftermath of the split, releasing the TRIPLE album All Things Must Pass in late 1970.

That album was trailed by the single 'My Sweet Lord', which has remained one of the biggest post-Beatles song by any of the band, 55 years after the break-up. But do you know what track George "subconsciously" borrowed from for the song, or where it got in the charts? Read on for everything you need to know about 'My Sweet Lord'. Who wrote and played on 'My Sweet Lord'?

He started writing the song in December 1969 in wonderful, wonderful Copenhage details

Many uncertainties marked The Beatles‘ career. Though, there was one thing that was rarely, if ever, uncertain, and that was where they were going to record. For a devout music fan, it is common knowledge that The Beatles’ home base was EMI Studios on Abbey Road in London. The Beatles did, in fact, record some of their music elsewhere. However, the majority of it was recorded and produced at the iconic studio. Well, on this day, June 6, 1962, The Beatles found their home as they recorded at Abbey Road for the very first time.

Abbey Road is a renowned studio and has been used by musicians such as Sturgill Simpson, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, and many more. However, its acclaim and majesty would not be known if it weren’t for The Beatles. The studio is synonymous with the Fab Four’s illustrious career. And consequently, it is both a monument and a sacred space. However, that would not be the case if it weren’t for Brian Epstein’s tenacity and George Martin’s willingness to give The Beatles a shot at success.
The Day The Beatles Found Their Home

In 1962, The Beatles were on the cusp of success. That being said, their manager, Brian Epstein, had pitched the band to every maj details

Micky Dolenz and Paul McCartney came together in the ’60s.

The Monkees drummer, 80, is looking back at the first time he met the Beatle, 82, decades ago.

“The first Beatle I met was Paul [McCartney], the night before at dinner at his house,” Dolenz told People in an interview published Wednesday. “I’d gone over to England to do a press junket, just myself. As it turned out, a publicist got involved and made it a ‘Monkee Meets Beatle’ thing at Paul’s house for dinner. Just me, him and Martha the sheepdog.”

From what transpired next, it seems like the fellow musicians quickly formed a friendship.

“He invited me to Abbey Road [studios] the next day,” recalled Dolenz. “I don’t even know if he told me the name at the time, but they were working on ‘Sgt. Pepper.’ I just about peed in my pants, but I’m trying to be cool. I got all dressed up thinking … I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“I guess I thought it was gonna be some sort of Beatlemania fun-fest freakout psycho-jello happening thing,” the singer confessed. “So I got dressed up in paisley bell bottoms and t details

The Beatles Song That Reunited John, Paul, George, and Ringo

Then, John Lennon brought in a song that changed the game. Happiness Is a Warm Gun forced the members to work together and rekindle the magic that made them great in the first place. The complexity of the song made it difficult to get through, but the Fab Four came out of it with their enthusiasm renewed. It was one of Paul McCartney's favorite songs, and every fan has a soft spot for it.

When they got back from India, the Beatles set to work on their eponymous double album, commonly known as the White Album, but despite their productivity, their relationship only got progressively worse as the sessions went on. On his return from India, John Lennon officially left his first wife, Cynthia, and got into a relationship with Yoko Ono. As fans know, the couple became inseparable, with Lennon bringing her over to the recording sessions with him, which no other member of the band did with their partners. Ono's presence in the studio was uncomfortable for all the other Beatles, and they frequently got into arguments about it.
The Beatles_ Eight Days a Week - The Touring Years - 2016

Paul McCartney believes this one John Lennon song he details

Ringo Starr has insisted he got by with help from his friends when it comes to drumming. The Beatle says he didn’t become a top drummer through practice, but simply by constant performing with pals. The Fab Four beat man described prepping moves at his home alone as “boring" and never took lessons.‌

Ringo, 84, admitted that his work behind the kit improved because he just went out and played shows. And at that started as a teenager working in a school equipment factory playing with pals to workers during lunch breaks. Asked whether he spent hours in his bedroom or having lessons to become so good behind the kit, Ringo confessed: “I didn't. I hate practicing.

‌“I hated sitting there. I tried it when I first got the kit upstairs in the back room like in all those movies that were made. And it was the most boring thing ever.  "I did all my learning with other musicians, other bands. I was lucky because there were a lot of us around and we weren't all great players. We were all learning.

 “So I learned everything with everyone else at that time in Liverpool."   Ringo got lucky by having pals who loved to do jam sessions during lunchtimes at their lo details

The origin of a song doesn’t matter quite as much as the finished product. John Lennon proved that in “Come Together”. It’s a song that veered off from its initial intent into a wildly different location.

The Beatles ended up with a No. 1 single in the US with the track, Lennon’s most significant contribution to Abbey Road. “Come Together” proved that his way with words was often too elusive and potent to be cooped up once it got started.
Lennon and Leary

John Lennon missed a good chunk of the Abbey Road sessions due to injuries he suffered in a car accident. Who knows if he would have even been able to contribute something as substantial as “Come Together” if the song hadn’t already been in the works for another purpose?

During his bed-ins for peace that he held in 1969 with his wife Yoko Ono, Lennon crossed paths with noted LSD enthusiast Timothy Leary. Leary was considering the possibility of running for governor in California. Who better to write a theme song than John Lennon?

Lennon agreed to do it, but, as he explained to David Sheff, things got away from him a bit:

“It’s gobbledygook,” Lennon said. & details

John Lennon insulted Paul McCartney on a number of occasions, calling his songwriting “granny music”. Despite the juvenile connotation of that insult, it likely cut McCartney deeply. Many of McCartney’s most famous songs fall into this Lennon-defined category. He made his name off of wearing his heart on his sleeve and never shying away from the fanciful.

His fans love him for this, but there are times when he took it too far. No one’s track record is perfect–not even a Beatle’s. Below, find three McCartney songs that are confusing listens, even for Macca superfans.

McCartney has many songs about domestic bliss, but few are as odd and on-the-nose as “Cook Of The House.” In this off-kilter rock anthem, Linda McCartney sings about her household duties. Ground rice, sugar, vinegar, Seco salt / Macaroni too, she sings, with some heavy vocal editing. This song feels like the kind of thing you’d hear in a dream or a children’s show you’d shut off quickly. We can never knock McCartney for trying new things. That’s a large part of his charm. But songs like “Cook Of The House” make it hard to deem all his experiments success stories.

Paul McCartney continues to champion aspiring musicians, dedicating his time to the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts (LIPA).

The 82-year-old singer-songwriter — who rose to fame with the Beatles in the 1960s, thanks to their iconic hits including “Help!” and “Come Together” — regularly visits the institution to support graduating students.

David Stark, a colleague at LIPA, attested to McCartney’s motivating commitment.

“For the last 20 years I’ve been involved with LIPA, which Paul is the patron of, and he was instrumental in getting that off the ground in the early 90s,” Stark told The Mirror US. “They have the graduation day every year in July and I give out the SongLink Prizes every year. And Paul’s always there. So he makes a big effort.”  McCartney reportedly also dedicates time to teaching and mentoring songwriting students prior to their graduation.

“He’ll sit down with each of them for half an hour or so to talk about their songs. He’s great. He really is,” Stark said. “He makes a big effort and I’m very proud to work with him.”

Source: yahoo.com/Conn details

Ringo Starr has revealed the real story behind his famous catchphrase.  The legendary drummer is well known for frequently signing off with the words, “Peace and love.” Many fans have long believed the 84-year-old legend came up with the phrase during the Beatles’ spiritual trip to India in 1968 - but this isn't the case.

Speaking to the Associated Press, Ringo finally set the record straight – and the roots of his mantra lie not in the East, but on the West Coast of America. “It actually came, for me, from San Francisco, where the hippies were,” Starr said. “They were, of course, great peace and lovers, and then it changed. But I found a picture the other day of the four of us [giving the peace sign]... I didn’t invent it, I just picked it up. John was a big proponent of peace and love, and it just came to me.”

Decades later, Ringo admits the message is still important today, saying, “I think it’s important every day — and right now the world is going through a madness. Maybe it’ll help."

The Beatles drummer was flung into the spotlight after joining the Beatles in 1962, and has since faced the highs details

Few things are more exciting than getting to go on the road with your band, let alone a world tour, but in early June 1964, Beatles drummer Ringo Starr had to wait a little while longer to join in on the fun. Indeed, as exciting as embarking on a tour can be, it can be equally devastating when you find out that circumstances beyond your control will be keeping you from following through with your plans.

Beatlemania was in full swing as the Beatles set off for what would be their first world tour in early June 1964. The band began in Denmark on June 4, and from there, they traveled to the Netherlands, then-British Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, England, Sweden, and back home again to England. It was a massive trek for the Liverpudlian band, lasting from June 4 to August 16. But for the first six performances, they were notably missing a member of the Fab Four: Ringo Starr.

The morning before the Beatles left for Denmark (it’s always the morning before, right?), the drummer fainted during a photoshoot. After team members rushed him to the hospital, doctors diagnosed Starr with acute tonsillitis and pharyngitis. He had a notable fever, and other likely symptoms included a very sore throat, headache, body details

Years before the Beatles sold hundreds of millions of albums themselves, they were looking for a record deal that would save them from playing racy Hamburg venues, only to be given an uncredited performance opportunity on an album they didn’t even like that much. As the old adage goes, beggars can’t be choosers, right?

The recording process might not have been everything the band dreamed of. Still, it was an interesting precursor to a life they would soon become well-acquainted with: that of an original recording artist. But before that could happen, the lads had to pay their dues.

As is so often the case in the music industry, the Beatles got their start as a backing band, not the original band we know and love today. The group cut their teeth across Europe, performing for hours on end for solo performers, entertaining nightclub attendees into the wee hours of the morning, and other kinds of “jukebox” gigs that make playing music feel like, well, a real job. Countless green performers will “pay their dues” in this way in the hopes that these backing gigs will lead to something bigger for themselves, and the Beatles were no exception.

When solo performer Tony Sheridan details

He's known for this three-word mantra.

When the average person hears the name Ringo Starr, a few things might come to mind: The Beatles. Drums. "Yellow Submarine." Thomas and Friends. And, of course, there's always the musician's iconic catchphrase: "Peace and love."

It's long been assumed by many that Starr, 84, came up with his motto after visiting India with the other Beatles — John Lennon, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison — in 1968. But as he recently told the Associated Press, Starr was actually inspired to coin the phrase after spending time in a particular American city.

“It actually came, for me, from San Francisco, where the hippies were,” Starr said. “They were, of course, great peace and lovers, and then it changed. But I found a picture the other day of the four of us [giving the peace sign]...I didn’t invent it, I just picked it up. Johnwas a big proponent of peace and love, and it just came to me.”

In the years since, however, Starr has come to appreciate the true value of his message, which the world might need to hear now more than ever.

“I think it’s important every day — and right now the world is going throu details

Some Beatles critics were quick to blame the Fab Four for the rise of drug culture, particularly psychedelics and marijuana, in the late 1960s, but George Harrison had a different idea about who was really responsible for the public’s interest in LSD and weed. While it’s true that much of the Beatles’ later work was heavily influenced by this psychedelic drug and the mental and visual revelations they had while taking it, the band didn’t feel it was their obligation to lie about it.

 When someone asked about their recreational drug use, they were honest. And as Harrison once argued during a 1971 appearance on the Dick Cavett Show, that was the real problem.  George Harrison Says Beatles Weren’t Responsible For Drug Culture

To pin the rise of drug use and counterculture solely on the Beatles would be wholly overestimating their cultural influence as a singular musical group. The Beatles were massive, certainly, but hardly big enough to inform an entire generation of global citizens without any extra help. The Beatles were one thread in a larger tapestry of societal change. They didn’t invent LSD. They were merely one of the thousands of people who started trying it re details

If you’re under 60, you prob­a­bly heard the line “I read the news today, oh boy” before encoun­ter­ing the song it opens. Even after you dis­cov­ered the work of the Bea­t­les, it may have tak­en you some time to under­stand what, exact­ly, it was that John Lennon read in the news. The “lucky man who made the grade” and “blew his mind out in a car” turn out to have been inspired by the young Guin­ness heir Tara Browne, who’d fatal­ly wiped out in his Lotus Elan. The fig­ure of 4,000 holes in the roads of Black­burn came from anoth­er page of the same edi­tion of the Dai­ly Mail. These are just two of the mem­o­rable images in “A Day in the Life,” which son­i­cal­ly recon­structs the fab­ric of the nine­teen-six­ties as the Bea­t­les knew it.

In his new video below, Evan Puschak, bet­ter known as the Nerd­writer, calls “A Day in the Life” “arguably the Bea­t­les’ best song.” Crit­ic Ian Mac­Don­ald is rather less ambigu­ous in his book Rev­o­lu­tion in the Head: The Bea­ details

The Beatles' split was famously acrimonious and left them on bad terms with one another. Factors including John Lennon's relationship with Yoko Ono, emerging creative differences and a disagreement over the appointment of Allen Klein at their label Apple Records are all cited for the break up of the world's biggest band.

However, it seems the troubles really began during the recording sessions of the band's 1968 record 'The White Album', which were notoriously feisty. Ringo Starr left the band for a period, fed up with the mood, as The Beatles clashed.

‌About that period of recording, Paul McCartney said: "There was a lot of friction during that album. We were just about to break up, and that was tense in itself". John later added: "The break-up of The Beatles can be heard on that album."

‌‌In September 1969, after the band had recorded the majority of what became 'Let it Be' (the 'Get Back' sessions) and 'Abbey Road', John told Paul, George Harrison and Ringo that he wanted a "divorce" from The Beatles. Paul went away to work on his first solo album 'McCartney', believing it was all over for the group.

Paul has said he told his bandmates in advance that he would release 'McCartney details