Beatles News
Not known as a songwriter—instead, as one of the greatest drummers in music and for serenity and love—Ringo Starr was a major part of what’s considered likely the best band of all time: the Beatles.
He was the man behind the kit, more often than not providing an affable attitude amidst prideful turmoil with the other members. For evidence of this, check out the 2021 documentary: The Beatles: Get Back.
But while Starr (born Richard Starkey) wasn’t known as a songwriter on the level of his bandmates Paul McCartney or even guitarist George Harrison, he did write a couple of songs for the band and served as a co-writer on several others.
Surprised? These are six songs you didn’t know the now-82-year-old Ringo Starr wrote for the Beatles. (Spoiler alert: he didn’t write “Yellow Submarine,” that was John and Paul.)
Source: Jacob Uitti/americansongwriter.com
Ringo Starr got to know Yoko Ono well. She shared why she thinks his personality makes him a more influential Beatle than John Lennon.
Yoko Ono fell in love with John Lennon, but she once said that Ringo Starr was the most influential member of the Beatles. In the years since she met Lennon, Ono has gotten to know Starr well. She asserted her belief that his influence had little to do with the music he created in the Beatles or his solo career. Instead, she pointed to a quality Starr had that Lennon often preached about.
In 2015, Starr became the final member of The Beatles to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist. Ono, who has known Starr since the 1960s, attended the ceremony. She expressed her delight that the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame was finally honoring Starr’s solo career, telling Rolling Stone it meant “so much to all of us in the Beatle family.”
Source: Emma McKee/cheatsheet.com
Ringo Starr is doubling down about the authenticity of the vocals on the highly anticipated new Beatles song recently teased by former bandmate Paul McCartney.
Starr spoke with Rolling Stone for an upcoming podcast, in which he ensured that they would “never” fake the late John Lennon’s vocals for the new track, which instead uses AI to clean up previously recorded snippets.
The song will also feature the voice of the late George Harrison, Starr confirmed.
Paul McCartney says a 'final' Beatles song is coming
“This was beautiful,” he said, noting, “it’s the final track you’ll ever hear with the four lads. And that’s a fact.”
McCartney attempted to clarify last month how artificial intelligence is being used on what he said will be the “final” Beatles song.
“We’ve seen some confusion and speculation about it,” he wrote in a note posted on his verified Instagram story at the time. “Seems to be a lot of guess work out there.”
“Can’t say too much at this stage but to be clear, nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real and we all play on it,” he added. “We cleaned up some existing recordings – a process which has gone on for years.”
Source: Dan Heching/cnn.com
Ringo Starr is back touring and he wouldn’t have it any other way.
The two-time Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee recently spoke to CNN about his current tour with his All Star Band.
“We all have a lot of fun. I mean, I love to play, you know, as a drummer it’s pretty awkward to go out just on your stage on your own. You need a few guitars and I call up friends … I had to stop calling people, otherwise we’d been like an orchestra.”
The band is considered a rock supergroup, with a rotating lineup of Starr’s musician buddies that has featured everyone from its current members like Colin Hay to former members Joe Walsh and Billy Preston.
Last year, Starr had to pause his North American tour after testing positive for Covid-19. The tour, which is primarily taking part on the West Coast with dates in states like California, Arizona and Nevada, will wrap up on June 17.
One of Starr’s longest standing friendships is with his fellow Beatles bandmate, Paul McCartney.
“Paul called me the other day … We’re close, close friends. We’re brothers and you know, for me it was great because I’m an only child and suddenly I had three brothers that I could love, I could rely on, I could help out. You know, it was a great moment for me.”
Source: Chloe Melas/cnn.com
Beatles producer George Martin didn't want the band to reunite. He didn't think the band could call themselves The Beatles if they got back together.
Producer George Martin worked with The Beatles for years, seeing them at their highest and lowest points. Martin was well aware of fans wishing the band would reunite, and he would have benefited from a new Beatles album. Still, he didn’t think it was a good idea. He didn’t even think the reunited group could be considered The Beatles. Martin spoke about why he didn’t think the band should make more music.
Shortly after The Beatles broke up, fans began clamoring for a reunion. The band had left the door open for the possibility, noting in interviews that they thought they might get back together. Of course, while the individual members collaborated over the years, all four Beatles never played together again. Martin believed that this was for the best.
Source: Emma McKee/cheatsheet.com
Sir Paul McCartney has reflected on The Beatles’ first-ever trip to the US, which took place months after the assassination of president John F Kennedy, and said the band’s presence seemed to have “lifted” people.
In a discussion with American actor Stanley Tucci about his new photo exhibition, Paul McCartney Photographs 1963-64: Eyes Of The Storm, McCartney said people were still feeling the after-effects of Kennedy’s death when the band arrived in the US in February 1964.
He said: “That was one of the big things for us … we felt it like the whole world had felt it.
“We had really felt it, but then, it was a few months after that we went to America. We, without meaning to, lifted people.”
Kennedy was assassinated in November 1963 while he rode in a motorcade through Dallas, Texas.
After conducting some 25,000 interviews, the FBI concluded that Lee Harvey Oswald had shot the president and acted alone.
With his photographer daughter Mary McCartney in the crowd, at a talk given at the National Portrait Gallery, the singer also discussed what it was like to rediscover photos taken during the height of Beatlemania.
Speaking on his decision to document their trip, McCartney said: “The four of us got cameras and just started to enjoy taking pictures of what was going on around us.
Source: breakingnews.ie
In 1969, three years after The Beatles’ last tour, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr put on a historic show on the roof of Apple Records. The band hadn’t initially planned to put on the show on the roof. Up until the last minute, they weren’t even sure they wanted to go through with it. They decided it was worth it to perform but found it was so cold it was hard to play their instruments. Harrison even had to use a cigarette to keep his fingers warm.In Jan. 1969, The Beatles climbed up to the rooftop of Apple Records to perform an impromptu concert. Despite the chilly winter weather, they decided the show would be a good idea. When the band got onto the roof, the temperature was in the low 40s. It made playing their instrument more challenging, but Harrison found an innovative solution.
Source: Emma McKee/ cheatsheet.com
In 1968, The Beatles released Yellow Submarine, their fourth film. While they enjoyed the process of making their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night, working on Help! hadn’t been as enjoyable, and Magical Mystery Tour had been a disaster. They did not want to work on a new film, but their contract with United Artists required it. They saw the film as an annoyance, but they hardly had any involvement with it.The Beatles had a three-film contract with United Artists, meaning they had to produce a third film even if they didn’t feel like it. As a result, they put out an animated movie, fulfilling their deal without having to act on screen. They didn’t even voice their characters. The band appeared, unanimated, in one scene to fulfill their contractual obligation. Otherwise, actors voiced them.
Source: Emma McKee/Emma McKee
George Harrison's "All Those Years Ago" is a John Lennon tribute song with some confusing references to God. The tune was a big hit.
George Harrison’s “All Those Years Ago” says that John Lennon was controversial. The lyrics of “All Those Years Ago” are layered and confusing. The tune was a much bigger hit in the United States than it was in the United Kingdom.
George Harrison‘s “All Those Years Ago” is one of the most famous John Lennon tribute songs. Some of the references to John’s music in “All Those Years Ago” are pretty straightforward. On the other hand, some of the callbacks to John’s life are a little more ambiguous.“All Those Years Ago” quotes the title of one of the most famous songs John Lennon ever wrote: “All You Need Is Love.” In addition, George praises John’s imagination. This is a clear throwback to John’s “Imagine.”
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
John Lennon was famously shortsighted and in the early days of The Beatles didn’t wear his glasses in public out of vanity.
Sir Paul McCartney took photos of his collaborator in private, some of which are on display at his new photography exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery, which opened today in London.
During a conversation about one of these snaps with Conan O’Brien at a live recording of the comedian’s podcast, the 81-year-old shared a hilarious story of one time Lennon refused to wear his specs.
The tale took place back in Liverpool when Lennon and McCartney would meet up at each other’s houses to write songs together.
Macca recalled: “John was really shortsighted and he used to come down from his house which was a mile or two away from where I lived and we would write songs and have a little session.”
McCartney shared: “On this occasion it was Christmas. So John, after we’d finished, he would walk back in the dark to his place.
Source:George Simpson/express.co.uk
