Beatles News

In the summer of love, on a hot July day, John Lennon was sitting by a lake in central Greece. The Beatles were on their way to Delphi, via the mountain village of Arachova. Lennon, who was splayed across the grass next to his first wife, Cynthia, and their young son, Julian, appeared to be lost in thought.

The rest of the band were lapping up the rays, knocking back beers and splashing about in the lake. Labis Tsirigotakis, then a cub reporter on the Greek daily, To Vima, realised this was his big chance. Sensing a scoop, he moved closer. “John, can I ask you a few questions?” he asked.

“No problem, I’m happy to meet you,” came the response as Lennon, looking up from his Orwell novel, contemplated Tsirigotakis’ next question on his “impressions of Greece”.

What followed was an outburst so impassioned it took the reporter aback: “Unfortunately the social inequalities in England are so big it wounds me psychologically. Greece is a wonderful country, fantastic climate, great people … and that’s why we are seriously thinking of buying a small Greek island and setting up our own hippy commune where we could live undisturbed for half of the year.”

Source: Helena Smith/theguardian.com

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here are rock stars, and then there is Ringo Starr — drummer for the Beatles, award-winning soloist, photographer, narrator, actor, activist. To call him prolific would almost shortchange his accomplishments. But it also feels right.

“Rewind Forward,” out October 13, is his fourth extended play release in three years.

“I’ve loved EPs since they first came out in the ’60s,” he says of the format. “And then I heard the kids are making EPs and thought, ‘That’s good!’”

The title is a classic “Ringoism,”

as John Lennon used to refer to his malapropisms, an unusual phrase ripped from the same mind that came up with “A Hard Day’s Night” and “Tomorrow Never Knows.”

Assigning profundity to it came later. “I think it means that, you know, you’re sitting still for a while. You rewind and you find out ‘I was a much better person then,’ or ‘this was working for me better then,’ he says.

Source: MARIA SHERMAN/apnews.com

Peter Frampton recently appeared on VRP Rocks to share how he was invited to play in late George Harrison’s ‘All Things Must Pass.’ During the interview, the guitarist recalled recording for Dorris Troy and shared his experience with meeting Harrison for the first time.

After Frampton was invited to Harrison’s studio session, Harrison asked him whether or not he would like to play guitar for Troy’s ‘Ain’t That Cute.’ After sharing that he accepted the offer, he went on to explain what happened in the studio:

“So I’m just playing very quiet rhythm because this is the Beatles lead guitar player here and there is Stephen Stills. So I think I had to just sort of be in the background here, and then halfway through, George stops, and he goes, ‘Pete, no! Man, I want you to play the lead licks.’ and so I said, ‘Oh my god, this is too good to be true.’

So anyways, if you listen to ‘Ain’t That Cute,’ which is the lead track of the album, Dorris Troy’s album, I’m playing the intro, and the lick keeps coming back every time, and then George did a little slide solo on it afterwards.”

Source: Deniz Kivilcim/rockcelebrities.net

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The Beatles star was stabbed multiple times by an intruder at his home in 1999, and now his widow Olivia has revealed George's obsessions prevented fatal wound

When George Harrison was the victim of a frenzied knife attack, he was saved by some paper with song lyrics on, his wife Olivia says.

She said the notes, which were in a pocket in front of his heart, were folded thick enough to protect the organ during the stabbing. The couple were attacked at their home in Henley-on-Thames, Oxon, in 1999 by intruder Michael Abram. Beatles legend George was stabbed dozens of times including to the chest.
Olivia tells a Radio 3 show being aired on Sunday: “He had notes in a pocket right over his heart and he had them folded. You can only fold paper so many times. He had them folded and stuck in the pocket and it’s what saved him... Gardening notes and lyrics were his passions and they saved his life.”

Source: Mark Jefferies/mirror.co.uk

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Earlier this year, Beatles fans all over the world got incredibly excited when Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr made the shock announcement of a final song from the Fab Four.

The surviving members of the band confirmed that the song – the final ever new track from the band – has been pieced together using original recorded material from John Lennon, who was murdered in 1980, and George Harrison, who died in 2001.

Will the final Beatles song feature an 'AI John Lennon'? Paul McCartney explains
New Beatles song 'Now and Then': The 'final' Beatles track with John Lennon explained
Listen to the Gold 60s Live Playlist on Global Player

It's not been officially confirmed what the song is called, but it's widely believed to be 'Now and Then'.

That was one of the demos given to Paul, George and Ringo by Yoko Ono when the group reconvened for the Anthology project.

Source: Mayer Nissim/goldradiouk.com

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John Lennon and Paul McCartney possessed a remarkable talent for crafting hit songs that featured memorable introductions, infectious choruses, unexpected bridges, and thrilling conclusions. If there’s one song that perfectly showcases all these techniques, it’s the iconic track that catapulted the Beatles to stardom in the United States: “I Want to Hold Your Hand.”

“I Want to Hold Your Hand” stands as one of the most pivotal songs in the history of popular music, marking a significant turning point in the Beatles’ career. This track was penned by John Lennon and Paul McCartney in late 1963 at a time when Beatlemania had exploded across their native England. Yet, the band had yet to break through in the United States. That would change with the release of “I Want To Hold Your Hand.”

The songwriting process for “I Want to Hold Your Hand” was a collaborative effort between Lennon and McCartney. The song was recorded in October 1963 at Abbey Road Studios in London, with legendary producer George Martin at the helm. The Beatles delivered a polished and energetic performance that perfectly captured the essence of youthful infatuation.

Source: Scott Freiman/culturesonar.com

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Paul McCartney's exit from The Beatles caused serious tension behind the scenes and in court.

Paul McCartney sued The Beatles and their manager, Allen Klein, in 1970, in an attempt to protect their creative freedom and prevent their earnings from going into a shared pot.
Despite being blamed for breaking up The Beatles, McCartney claims he filed the lawsuit to save the band and their music from falling into the hands of Allen Klein.
Manager Allen Klein later sued The Beatles for $19 million after they decided not to renew his contract. The lawsuit was settled in 1977, with Apple paying Klein $5 million and Klein paying out $800,000.

All these years later, Paul McCartney isn't quitting on music, the artist is still going strong into his 80s. He still has big plans for a final Beatles song, and he plans to use John Lennon's voice as well.

Source: Alex Passa/thethings.com

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On This Day, September 28, 1968…

The Beatles’ non-album single “Hey Jude” began a nine-week run at #1 on the Billboard Hot 10. It was the longest run at #1 for any Beatles single.

With a run time of seven minutes and 11 seconds, “Hey Jude” also set a new record for the longest song to top the chart.

Paul McCartney famously wrote “Hey Jude” for John Lennon’s son Julian, during John’s separation from his first wife, Cynthia.

The song, which was the first release on the band’s new Apple Records label, also topped the chart in several other countries, including the U.K., Australia and Canada.

It was inducted into the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences Grammy Hall of Fame in 2001.

Source: abcnews/deltaplexnews.com

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Poet Paul Muldoon has had enviable access to Paul McCartney, as the two collaborated on a book about lyrics, so their podcast is delightful and detailed. McCartney proves he’s one hell of a storyteller as he describes the characters he’s created, revealing that the US audience thought Penny Lane was about selling puppies. With a huge back catalogue, there’s plenty more to come, from Back in the USSR to Eleanor Rigby and Live and Let Die.

Source: Alexi Duggins/theguardian.com

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