Beatles News
It's widely agreed that The Beatles were the most influential, and to many, simply the best, rock band of all time. However, what tends to be overlooked is the fact that they were also one of the most daring rock bands, especially when you realize how much they changed both musically and visually from 1964 through 1970. Also, how they started out as a pop band, and ended up taking on a variety of styles and utilizing an increasing amount of experimentation.
In the 2020 book, "John Winston Ono Lennon," Beatles expert Brian Kehew, who was the co-author of the exhaustive "Recording The Beatles" book, discussed the member of the band who was undoubtedly the most daring when it came to experimental music, John Lennon, and when and how he came to embrace that side of his artistry.
"The experimentalism is a thread that has certainly been around for a few decades in the underground," Kehew said. "And those were not pop-y records. I don't know if he expected lots of people to buy 'Life with the Lions,' as much as he just wanted to do it. And in a way – because he was such an aggressive, pushy, 'I know what's good' person – he put it out, expecting people would listen to it and maybe be offended...like how an album cover offends people. They knew how to do that, too."
Source: Ultimate Guitar
Spoon-bending performer and self-proclaimed mystic Uri Geller has told the BBC he is the buyer of a pair of glasses given by John Lennon to a man from Surrey. The iconic blue-tinted round sold for £40,000 in an auction on Wednesday held at Farleigh Golf Club, in Surrey.
Mr Geller, who plans to display the glasses prominently in his museum in Tel Aviv, Israel, said he was "elated" with his purchase.
He said: "John Lennon and I were very good friends while we were living in New York in the 1970s." The glasses were given by the former Beatle to a man from Surrey as a birthday present more than 55 years ago.
Catherine Southon Auctions said the singer gifted them to their seller - identified only as Michael - at Abbey Road Studios in 1968.
On putting in the highest bid, Mr Geller said: "I knew I had to buy these glasses whatever. I would have gone up to £500,000.
"Glasses are a passage into our soul, into our psyche." He said he had a “really close” friendship with John Lennon, “because we had an amazing connection”. The showman, now in his 70s, added: "John changed my life as that's where I learned about spirituality.
"He believed in UFOs and I believed in UFOs and he was fascinated by my alien collection.
"He gave me an alien egg."
Source: Stuart Maisner/bbc.com
Sir Paul McCartney confirmed Thursday that he was hacked by the British press, but doesn't have details. He said police will brief him when he returns to London.
McCartney held a wide-ranging press conference via satellite from Cincinnati in conjunction with his upcoming Showtime doc, "The Love You Make," about the benefit concert he put on after 9/11. But McCartney didn't bat off questions about his storied career, talking about how "Yesterday" and "Let it Be" came to him in dreams, the fact that he's about to marry his second NYC woman, why he was wearing a collarless jacket and how he loves ESPN and shopping networks. "Where do you think I got this jacket?" he said.
He also said that he's doing more Beatles songs than ever. "I try to give the audiences what they want," he said. Too bad he couldn't give Minnesotans what we want: A McCartney concert at Target Field. A proposed concert there fell through earlier this summer.
You can get more of his quips and reflections at my twitter site: @nealjustin
The Showtime special airs Sept. 10.
Source: nealjustin/startribune.com
THE Beatles, who rose to prominence in the 1960s captured the entire world with their brand of music.
By far, The Beatles have influenced generations through their music and connected people from across the globe through their massive hits.
But were all four members of The Beatles able to read or write sheet music? Ever wondered if they weren’t able to do so?
Is this true?
THE Beatles, who rose to prominence in the 1960s captured the entire world with their brand of music.
By far, The Beatles have influenced generations through their music and connected people from across the globe through their massive hits.
But were all four members of The Beatles able to read or write sheet music? Ever wondered if they weren’t able to do so?
Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
The Beatles, who are John Lennon (the late), Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, could not read music.
In a 1980 interview with Playboy magazine, John Lennon was quoted saying: "None of us could read music, none of us could write it.
"But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) are as good as anybody," said Lennon.
McCartney on the other hand was quoted as saying, "Because I don’t read music, I didn’t know what the melody that went with it was."
He explained his music limitations in an interview in the latest iHeart Podcast series titled; McCartney: A Life In Lyrics, The Beatles’ where he explained the root of the song Golden Slumbers. "I always look in a piano bench seat because people always have sheet music in there – they always used to, definitely," McCartney was quoted in the podcast interview.
"Now, sometimes they can be empty, but I always look to see. This time it was either in the piano seat or it might have been up on the music stand, it was this song "Golden Slumbers."
THE Beatles, who rose to prominence in the 1960s captured the entire world with their brand of music.
By far, The Beatles have influenced generations through their music and connected people from across the globe through their massive hits.
But were all four members of The Beatles able to read or write sheet music? Ever wondered if they weren’t able to do so?
Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
The Beatles, who are John Lennon (the late), Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, could not read music.
In a 1980 interview with Playboy magazine, John Lennon was quoted saying: "None of us could read music, none of us could write it.
"But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) are as good as anybody," said Lennon.
McCartney on the other hand was quoted as saying, "Because I don’t read music, I didn’t know what the melody that went with it was."
He explained his music limitations in an interview in the latest iHeart Podcast series titled; McCartney: A Life In Lyrics, The Beatles’ where he explained the root of the song Golden Slumbers.
"I always look in a piano bench seat because people always have sheet music in there – they always used to, definitely," McCartney was quoted in the podcast interview.
"Now, sometimes they can be empty, but I always look to see. This time it was either in the piano seat or it might have been up on the music stand, it was this song "Golden Slumbers."
THE Beatles, who rose to prominence in the 1960s captured the entire world with their brand of music.
By far, The Beatles have influenced generations through their music and connected people from across the globe through their massive hits.
But were all four members of The Beatles able to read or write sheet music? Ever wondered if they weren’t able to do so?
Is this true?
Verdict:
TRUE
The Beatles, who are John Lennon (the late), Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, could not read music.
In a 1980 interview with Playboy magazine, John Lennon was quoted saying: "None of us could read music, none of us could write it.
"But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they (Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr) are as good as anybody," said Lennon.
McCartney on the other hand was quoted as saying, "Because I don’t read music, I didn’t know what the melody that went with it was."
He explained his music limitations in an interview in the latest iHeart Podcast series titled; McCartney: A Life In Lyrics, The Beatles’ where he explained the root of the song Golden Slumbers.
"I always look in a piano bench seat because people always have sheet music in there – they always used to, definitely," McCartney was quoted in the podcast interview.
"Now, sometimes they can be empty, but I always look to see. This time it was either in the piano seat or it might have been up on the music stand, it was this song "Golden Slumbers."
In a 1980 interview with Playboy magazine, John Lennon was quoted saying: "None of us could read music, none of us could write it.
Source: CECILIA VICTOR/thestar.com.my
Houston has a wealth of arts organizations, offering performances of everything from avant garde theatre to classical music to multiple genres of dance. Even the most art-obsessed Houstonians may feel overwhelmed at deciding which performances to attend, especially if they're on a budget.
Thankfully, a popular program helps newbie arts lovers and longtime patrons alike. Houston Theater Week 2024 offers buy-one-get-one-free deals for more than 250 performing arts programs for the upcoming 2024-2025 arts season. Sponsored by the Houston First Corporation, the event, which runs from August 12 to 18, is a chance for Houstonians to explore performances by 22 professional performing arts organizations.
“Houston’s annual Theater Week is making a difference for both patrons and our arts organizations," Theater District Houtson's Hillary Hart said in a statement. "Not only does the revenue generated through ticket sales keep artists and other creative professionals working, it strengthens our already vibrant theater scene and exposes new audiences to a range of cultural performances by some of the best talent in the world at a discount."
Among the organizations participating this year are 4th Wall Theatre Co., Alley Theatre, Apollo Chamber Players, Chamber Music Houston, DaCamera, Dirt Dogs Theatre Co., Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera, Houston Symphony, Jazz Houston, Kinetic Ensemble, Main Street Theater, Mercury Chamber Orchestra, Performing Arts Houston, Rec Room Arts, ROCO, Stages, the Hobby Center for the Performing Arts, TUTS, and more.
Source: Jef Rouner/houston.culturemap.com
"I didn't know what to do with myself, and trying something new was really risky," said the legendary singer. Paul McCartney is opening up about life after The Beatles.
The 80-year-old icon was a member of the 7-time Grammy-winning group with John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr until it disbanded in 1970. McCartney then ventured out into a successful solo career.
On his website, the "Coming Up" singer answered a question that a fan asked via Twitter on the biggest risk he's taken in his decades-long career.
"The main question I had was whether to keep going after The Beatles," he wrote in the post published on Tuesday, "because it was a hard act — some might say, an impossible act — to follow."
Praising the group's talent, McCartney added, "The ingredients in the Beatles were so unique. You had John right there, who could have made any group brilliant. Then you had George's talent, and Ringo's, and then me."
McCartney confessed that once the members went their separate ways, "I didn't know what to do with myself, and trying something new was really risky."
Source: Charmaine Patterson/ca.news.yahoo.com
In the late 1950s, John Lennon formed a skiffle group called the Quarrymen, named after his school. The line-up featured John on guitar with Paul McCartney and George Harrison, John 'Duff' Lowe on piano, and Colin Hanton on drums.
After rehearsing at McCartney's house, they booked a recording session at Percy Phillips' studio at 38 Kensington, Liverpool, in July 1958 and recorded In Spite Of All The Danger, a song credited to McCartney and Harrison. They could afford only one copy of the 10in disc, so they agreed to share it, with each member keeping it for a week. Lowe ended up keeping it for 23 years.
When he rediscovered it in 1981, he contacted McCartney, who bought it from him for an undisclosed fee. It was eventually released on The Beatles Anthology 1 in 1995.
After several changes in their line-up, the Quarrymen evolved into The Beatles. Over recent years, McCartney has played In Spite Of All The Danger on concert dates, much to the delight of his fans.
Source: MSN
The Beatles have nothing left to prove as a musical entity. They have ranked as one of the most commercially successful and impactful names in the industry since they first broke out in the early ‘60s. Decades later–and long after they split–the band is still hitting new highs and improving their legacy.
This week, The Beatles’ 1 reaches a very special milestone. The compilation has now lived on the Billboard 200 for 550 weeks.
1 is The Beatles’ longest-charting title on the Billboard 200, Billboard’s weekly ranking of the most-consumed albums in the U.S. It’s their first release to make it to 550 frames on the tally, and it likely won’t be matched for some time.
The Beatles’ second-longest-running win on the Billboard 200 remains Abbey Road. That album is nearing 500 weeks on the list, as it’s already up to 491 stays on the roster. While it may be close to that sizable figure, Abbey Road doesn’t often appear on the Billboard 200–unlike 1.
The compilation rises just two spots this frame. Last week, it sat at No. 197; now it’s up to No. 195. The singles collection is barely hanging on, as the roster only features 200 spaces, but it’s performing just well enough to continue to add to its historic total.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
Every day Curt Gunther, drawing deeply on a cigarette, his wise and cunning eyes boring into mine, would say: "Derek, we gotta have some special pictures, something original."' - Derek Taylor
Although Brian Epstein had decided that no journalists would travel with The Beatles on the tour, Derek Taylor, Press Officer and friend to The Beatles, persuaded Epstein to allow Curt Gunther to join the tour party. With unparalleled access, Gunther's lens reveals candid moments, electric performances, and the whirlwind of Beatlemania that swept across North America.
From the excitement of their arrival in San Francisco to the fervent crowds at their concerts across the United States and Canada, each photograph encapsulates the essence of a cultural phenomenon. Mania Days features over 350 images, many of which have never been seen before, showcasing The Beatles both on and off stage. Readers are treated to behind-the-scenes glimpses of John, Paul, George, and Ringo's camaraderie, their interactions with fans, and their responses to the burgeoning fame that defined an era.
Source: genesis-publications.com
Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy looked serene and care-free on Monday as they headed home from a day at the beach in the Hamptons.
The Beatles legend, 82, put on a casual display for their outing, sporting a plain T-shirt and swimming trunks with a boat pattern.
But Paul showed he's kept up to date with fashion, as he added a pair of black sliders, resembling the trendy Yeezy style shoes.
The singer-songwriter also made sure to keep himself shielded from the sun with a baseball cap and dark shades.
Sir Paul McCartney and his wife Nancy looked serene and care-free on Monday as they headed home from a day at the beach in the Hamptons. The Beatles legend, 82, put on a casual display for their outing, sporting a plain T-shirt and swimming trunks with a boat pattern
But Paul showed he's kept up to date with fashion, as he added a pair of black sliders, resembling the trendy Yeezy style shoes. Showing off her impeccable sense of style, she teamed it with a pair of woven sliders and a cream bucket hat. The mother-of-one added a couple of layered necklaces and a pair of oversized sunglasses, while toting a small striped bag.
The couple have been married for almost 13 years, having tied the knot in October 2011 in a small civil ceremony at Marylebone Town Hall.
Source: Milly Veitch/dailymail.co.uk
