Beatles News
The Beatles' final song "Now and Then" was released in November 2023. George Harrison disliked and stopped working on "Now and Then" in 1995. The completion and release of "Now and Then" was made possible by Peter Jackson's collaboration with The Beatles and innovative AI software.
Music legends The Beatles released their final song, "Now and Then", in November 2023 to critical and commercial success. Marketed as the last project that all four Beatles contributed to, "Now and Then" evoked a range of emotions among fans both young and old.
Originally a demo John Lennon recorded in the late 1970s, surviving Beatles members first came together to work on the track in 1995 for their Anthology series of albums. During the sessions, George Harrison took a particular dislike to the track for a unique reason. Harrison's influence caused the remaining Beatles to stop working on it.
Why Did George Harrison Dislike And Stop "Now And Then" From Getting Released In 1995?
Source: Michael Connor/thethings.com
The Beatles may be perhaps the most successful musical act in the history of the Billboard charts, but there are still new heights for the band to reach, even after all they’ve done. This week, the band hits No. 1 on a ranking for the first time, and in doing so, they earn their first leader on a specific type of tally in half a century.
This week, The Beatles reach the No. 1 spot on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart, Billboard’s ranking of the top-performing tracks at radio stations that focus on this specific style of rock music. Typically, adult alternative outlets cater to older, more mature audiences, so it makes sense that the band would perform especially well on this list.
The Beatles see their new single “Now and Then” rise to the peak spot, stepping up from No. 2. The tune was released in November to much fanfare, as it marked the first new offering from the group in decades. Now, it’s become a massive radio hit in the rock world and brought the Fab Four back to the peak position on one of these important lists.
Amazingly, it’s been more than 50 years since The Beatles last hit No. 1 on any of Billboard’s radio charts. The company notes that the last time they ruled over one of the many radio-focused lists was back in 1970. That year, “Let It Be” controlled the Adult Contemporary ranking.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
My friend Michael is a musicologist whose speciality is Johann Sebastian Bach. An author and lecturer, he speaks to erudite groups in many countries about, for example, Bach’s Mass in B minor.
Michael doesn’t think much of most popular music.
But last weekend he walked into a Manhattan dinner party where the early Beatles played on the sound system. As Can’t Buy Me Love began, Michael was nodding along.
“It’s just,” he said with a smile, “so good.”
That same weekend, across New York state in a Buffalo suburb, my friend Lauri overheard some kids of middle-school age chattering about music they were discovering on TikTok: “Did you hear that one, ‘I heard some news today oh boy’?”
The Beatles endure. They transcend time, geography, demographics and personal taste.
That will be proven once again on Friday, yet another anniversary of John Lennon’s murder outside his home at the Dakota apartments on the Upper West Side of Manhattan.
Forty-three years have passed, but that won’t discourage the crowd that I am certain will be gathering about a quarter of a mile away in Central Park.
Source: Margaret Sullivan/The Guardian
Paul McCartney has issued a statement paying tribute to Denny Laine, the co-founder of Wings, who died today (Dec. 5) at age 79.
McCartney began his statement, “I am very saddened to hear that my ex-bandmate, Denny Laine, has died. I have many fond memories of my time with Denny: from the early days when The Beatles toured with the Moody Blues. Our two bands had a lot of respect for each other and a lot of fun together.”
Macca continued, “Denny joined Wings at the outset. He was an outstanding vocalist and guitar player. His most famous performance is probably ‘Go Now’ an old Bessie Banks song, which he would sing brilliantly. He and I wrote some songs together the most successful being ‘Mull of Kintyre,’ which was a big hit in the Seventies. We had drifted apart but, in recent years, managed to reestablish our friendship and share memories of our times together.”
Source: Erica Banas // Rock Music Reporter/wmmr.com
Directed by Pixar alumnus Dave Mullins with help from Jackson's WetaFX, the short, 'War Is Over! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko,' has had an Oscar-qualifying run and is seeking distribution. The song "just felt like it deserved some kind of piece to help get it out there for another generation," Lennon says.In 2021, Sean Ono Lennon was looking for a way to make a music video for one of his parents’ signature songs and feeling creatively stuck—until he had a meeting with former Pixar animator Dave Mullins. The song, 1971’s Happy Xmas (War Is Over), is probably the most popular piece of music John Lennon and Yoko Ono wrote as a couple. But beyond appearing reliably on playlists around the world every Christmas, Happy Xmas (War Is Over) is also a peace anthem, and Sean wanted to reintroduce the song’s message. The song “just felt like it deserved some kind of piece to help get it out there for another generation,” Lennon says. The only problem was that every music video idea seemed to trivialize it. “It almost felt goofy,” Lennon says. “Like a Hallmark kind of thing. What are we going to show, a family sitting around a fire? It needed an actual narrative.”
Source: Rebecca Keegan/hollywoodreporter.com
The Beatles thrived on four different personalities. At their peak, they were truly unified, making music cheek-to-cheek, spending long hours – and long nights – in the studio together. Often thought of as being a caustic, rebellious rocker, John Lennon had a tender side – and he gifted one lullaby to Ringo Starr.
Initially penned for his son Julian, ‘Good Night’ shows a different aspect to his personality. Tender and true, initial demos featured Ringo Starr on drums, George Harrison on guitar, and John himself on vocals.
When it came to recording the song, however, ‘Good Night’ had shifted. Inviting producer George Martin to create a lush orchestral part, John Lennon felt the track had evolved into something different entirely.
The final song on ‘The White Album’, ‘Good Night’ became a showcase for Ringo Starr’s vocals – simple and unaffected, he’s the only Beatle that appears on the final released version.
Speaking in 1968, Ringo commented: “Everybody thinks Paul wrote ‘Goodnight’ for me to sing, but it was John who wrote it for me. He’s got a lot of soul, John has.”
Paul McCartney once mused on the track, discussing it with author Barry Miles in Many Years From Now: “I think John felt it might not be good for his image for him to sing it, but it was fabulous to hear him do it, he sang it great…”
Source: Robin Murray/clashmusic.com
While it's one of the most innovative songs of the 1960s, Ringo Starr declined to play The Beatles' "Helter Skelter" for years. He discussed performing the track with Paul McCartney.
While it’s one of the most innovative songs of the 1960s, Ringo Starr declined to play The Beatles’ “Helter Skelter” for a shockingly long amount of time. He discussed performing the track live with Paul McCartney in the 2010s. The song “Helter Skelter” has a disturbing history. John Lennon had a dismissive attitude toward that history.
Ringo played “Helter Skelter” with Paul McCartney in July 2019. During a 2020 interview with Rolling Stone, Ringo was asked if he played the song since she came out in 1968. “No, I did listen to it once before [the performance], but why would I play it?” he said.
“I love playing with Paul,” Ringo continued. “And he’s great. You know, if he’s in L.A., and I’m making a record, he’s on a track. He’s still for me, the finest, most melodic bass player in the world, and I love what he does. But, you see, this is when you realize I’ve said that for 40 years. I’m still saying the same line!”
Source: Matthew Trzcinski/cheatsheet.com
Ringo Starr is opening up about being a Beatle.
During a recent interview with AARP, The Magazine, Starr looked back on his time as a member of The Beatles, and what he's been up to since. While Beatlemania was in full swing in England, the band was virtually unknown in America until their performance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964. The appearance drew in 73 million viewers and sent them into a new stratosphere of fame.
"We all went mad at different times. You can’t imagine what it was like, being in the Beatles. It got bigger and crazier," he told AARP. "We were playing clubs, and then we made a record, ‘Love Me Do.’ My God, there’s nothing bigger than that, our first vinyl
Source: Lori Bashian/foxnews.com
Denny Laine, co-founder of Wings with Paul McCartney, died Tuesday after battling lung disease, his wife, Elizabeth Hines, confirmed to Fox News Digital. He was 79.
Laine was involved in the formation of two of the biggest rock bands of all time — The Moody Blues and McCartney's Wings.
"My darling husband passed away peacefully early this morning. I was at his bedside, holding his hand as I played his favorite Christmas songs for him," Elizabeth Hines shared on social media. "He’s been singing Christmas songs the past few weeks and I continued to play Christmas songs while he’s been in ICU on a ventilator this past week.
Source: Tracy Wright/Fox News
December 5 marks 50 years of Paul McCartney & Wings’ classic album Band on the Run, and McCartney is celebrating the occasion with a new 50th anniversary expanded edition of the album.
In addition to the release of a half-speed remastered single LP vinyl, the milestone celebration will be marked with a special two-LP vinyl set compromising the half-speed remastered original album and an additional LP, Underdubbed Mixes Edition, featuring the album’s nine songs without any orchestral overdubs.
The set also comes with two Linda McCartney Polaroid posters and a two-CD version of the release, featuring the original album and Underdubbed.
“This is Band on the Run in a way you’ve never heard before,” McCartney shares. “When you are making a song and putting on additional parts, like an extra guitar, that’s an overdub. Well, this version of the album is the opposite, underdubbed.”
Underdubbed will also be released digitally, while Band on the Run will get its first digital release in Dolby Atmos, newly mixed by Giles Martin and Steve Orchard.
Source: kslx.com
