Beatles News
Hey Jude was a huge hit for the Beatles, a classic song that has become part of the very fabric of pop culture.
However, for Julian Lennon, this track sometimes brings more annoyance than comfort. Julian, the son of John Lennon and his first wife Cynthia, has confessed that despite the song's heartfelt message, listening to the 1968 chart-topper isn't always a pleasant experience.
Hey Jude was written by Paul McCartney following the collapse of John and Cynthia's marriage. "It was 'Hey Jules' at first, but that didn't quite sit well rhythmically," Julian recounted of the song. "'Hey Jude' was a better interpretation."
In a candid chat with Esquire in 2023, Julian delved into his complex feelings about Hey Jude. He revealed, "Paul wrote it to console Mum, and also to console me."
Paul, who maintained a close bond with Cynthia and Julian during those turbulent times, confirmed that the song was written as a supportive gesture for a young Julien whose domestic life was upended by his father's romance with Yoko Ono.
Despite the fact that countless fans have found solace and inspiration in the uplifting lyrics, Julian concedes that its presence everywhere — on the radio, at weddings, restaurants and on TV — can sometimes be overwhelming.
"It's a beautiful sentiment, no question about that, and I'm very thankful - but I've also been driven up the wall by it," he remarked. "I love the fact that he wrote a song about me and for Mum, but depending on what side of the bed one woke up on, and where you're hearing it, it can be a good or a slightly frustrating thing."
Source: irishstar.com/Maria Leticia Gomes, Scarlett O'Toole
Paul McCartney and John Lennon were the driving creative force behind The Beatles. The majority of the band's songs were written by the two and credited to Lennon-McCartney, irrespective of how collaborative the writing process was.
In the early days, John and Paul wrote together. But as the 1960s went on and creative differences between them came to the fore, they often wrote independently before presenting songs to one another for final tweaks. They began writing together after meeting at a Woolton church fete in 1957. Their first works were composed at Paul's childhood home on Forthlin Road in Allerton and at John's aunt Mimi's house on Menlove Avenue. They wrote hit after hit until The Beatles went their separate ways in 1970.
Every song written by John and Paul for The Beatles received that joint credit.
About their partnership, Music and Musicians magazine's Wilfred Mellors wrote in 1972: "Opposite poles generate electricity: between John and Paul the sparks flew. John's fiery iconoclasm was tempered by Paul's lyrical grace, while Paul's wide-eyed charm was toughened by John's resilience."
In a 1980 interview with Playboy, John said about working with Paul: "(He) provided a lightness, an optimism, while I would always go for the sadness, the discords, the bluesy notes. There was a period when I thought I didn't write melodies, that Paul wrote those and I just wrote straight, shouting rock 'n' roll.
"But, of course, when I think of some of my own songs - 'In My Life', or some of the early stuff, 'This Boy' - I was writing melody with the best of them."
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth
George Harrison's childhood home has been transformed into an Airbnb rental and a house museum.
The Beatles star's former family home in Liverpool was recently acquired at auction by Ken Lambert and he's now turning the property into a destination for fans of the band. Lambert, 48 - who is in the business of commercial construction - told the New York Post newspaper: "Once I realised I was the winner, it was pretty shocking.
"I really started to think about what I was going to do with the property. I’m not a wealthy individual. It’s not like I go around buying up properties. I’m a Beatles fan, yes, but I am a big George Harrison fan specifically."
Lambert bought the property for £171 000 (R3.32 million) and is only the third person to have owned the home since the Harrison family.
Here is the property as it was marketed by Omega Auctions: The property owner ultimately decided to transform the landmark into an Airbnb and a house museum for weekly tours. Lambert took the decision after observing the success of house museums dedicated to John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney.
"I think it was a shame that George’s house had no relevance to millions of Beatles fans, but they’re waiting in line to walk into John Lennon’s house. "George is my favourite Beatle. I want to respect his legacy."
Lambert walked through the property after he managed to buy it at auction, and he can still vividly remember the experience.
He shared: "It was pretty insane when I was able to walk through the house. I was there by myself. I kind of walked through it after I owned it. "It was a very surreal experience, it was a remarkable feeling."
Source; capeargus.co.za/Bang Showbiz
One song from the renowned Beatles repertoire is now being praised by fans as an overlooked masterpiece.
There's no denying that the illustrious foursome, consisting of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, crafted a plethora of timeless hits. Nonetheless, ardent fans concur that a particular tune seems to have slipped under the radar.
On the Reddit platform, specifically within the r/Beatles community, fans collectively agree that the White Album, launched in 1968, houses the Beatles' most underappreciated gem. This iconic album boasts an array of Fab Four classics, including While My Guitar Gently Weeps, Back in the U.S.S.R., and Dear Prudence.
However, fans have lavished praise on a lesser-known track, hailing it as the group's "most underrated" creation. Devotees have drawn parallels between this song and an "indie folk" track, deeming it "ahead of its time" and invoking parallels with the likes of Bob Dylan, Phoebe Bridgers and Big Thief.
Source; irishstar.com/Ellie Hook
In 1962, The Beatles had the opportunity to work with the highly talented and revered music producer George Martin. At first, Martin didn’t view the collaboration as particularly promising. However, that would of course change, as The Beatles were the most successful and lucrative band George Martin ever produced. Regardless, what seemingly took the wind out of Martin’s sails was The Beatles’ drumming roster. At first, he didn’t like Pete Best, and when The Beatles replaced him with Ringo Starr, well… Martin didn’t like him either.
When Martin requested that The Beatles replace Pete Best and find a replacement, he had already gone and booked session drummer Andy White, in case they couldn’t come up with a sufficient replacement in time. Subsequently, The Beatles discovered Ringo Starr, and they wanted him to play drums on the recording of “Love Me Do”. However, unsatisfied with Starr’s drumming, Martin insisted that he sit out and let White sit in. With no surprise, this decision would ultimately lead to a lengthy feud between George Martin and Ringo Starr.
Nobody ever wants to get benched. In sports, music, and any endeavor, getting replaced by someone else is one of the most insulting and degrading things that can transpire. This is what happened to Starr, and consequently, he held a lot of disdain for George Martin in the years following that decision.
Concerning Martin’s decision, Starr recalled in The Beatles Anthology, “I was devastated that George Martin had his doubts about me.” “I came ready to roll and heard, ‘We’ve got a professional drummer.’ [White] has apologised several times since, has old George, but it was devastating — I hated the bugger for years; I still don’t let him off the hook,” added Ringo Starr.
Source: Peter Burditt/americansongwriter.com
John Lennon had a spiky relationship with Paul McCartney after The Beatles broke up(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)
Paul McCartney and John Lennon weren't exactly fans of every tune they churned out for The Beatles, with John openly dissing some of Paul's tunes post-breakup. John laid into Paul's efforts on the 'Abbey Road' medley and the '67 hit album 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', even poking at 'Let it Be'. On 'Let it Be', John dropped this in a 1980 talk: "That's Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with The Beatles. It could've been Wings. I don't know what he's thinking when he writes 'Let It Be'."
Even his own tracks weren’t safe from his barbs – like 'It's Only Love', which had John regretting its creation, slamming it by saying: "That's the one song I really hate of mine. Terrible lyrics."
Paul wasn't shy about knocking some of his ditties either, calling out 'Little Child' from their sophomore album 'With The Beatles'.
READ MORE: Paul McCartney makes emotional confession about John Lennon as he reflects on The BeatlesREAD MORE: The Beatles' 'most underrated' song hailed as 'ahead of its time' by fans. Paul spilled the beans that the down-in-the-dumps line "I'm so sad and lonely" was a nod to Elton Hayes' 'Whistle My Love', and admitted 'Little Child' was just a filler track. Reflecting on it, he confessed: "'Little Child' was a work job.", reports the Liverpool Echo.
Source: irishstar.com/Alex Wellman, Dan Haygarth
Paul McCartney has revealed his three favourite albums from other artists, as he explained how music brings back memories of John Lennon and George Harrison. The Beatles legend, who this month celebrated his 83rd birthday, frequently speaks to fans through question and answer sessions on his website.
In recent editions of the series, called 'You Gave Me The Answer', Paul has been asked about the 50th anniversary re-release of the 1975 Wings album 'Venus and Mars'. He subsequently recalled happy days as a child buying records at lost Liverpool institution Lewis's. In this month's offering, published today, Paul was asked about his favourite music and how certain songs can bring back memories.
Paul was asked by fan Alex: "My partner and I have recently been discussing the albums and songs that have soundtracked our lives.
"Are there any albums that take you back to certain periods in your life? And does performing your own music evoke similar memories?"
He responded: "Yeah, definitely. My favourite albums by other people tend to be: 'Music from Big Pink' by The Band, 'Pet Sounds' by the Beach Boys, and 'Harvest' by Neil Young.
"They are the three classics that I love to listen to, and they all remind me of certain times in my life. When I perform my own songs, the great thing is that they often bring back memories of recording them.
"That can often entail memories of John and George in the studio - sweet memories!" Paul has frequently spoken about his love for the Beach Boys, whose co-founder and chief songwriter Brian Wilson died earlier this month. He is particularly fond of the track 'God Only Knows', which featured on the aforementioned 1996 classic 'Pet Sounds'. About the song, Paul told BBC Radio 1 in 2007: "'God Only Knows’ is one of the few songs that reduces me to tears every time I hear it. It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done. It shows the genius of Brian.
Source: Dan Haygarth/liverpoolecho.co.uk
Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, has some advice for actor Barry Keoghan, who will be portraying Starr in an upcoming biopic.
"Get a big rubber nose," Starkey recently told NME. "I don't know what else to say. He doesn't look anything like my dad, does he? You can fix anything, can't you? You can certainly give someone a big rubber nose. The thing about my dad is his personality. He sold the Beatles to America, he's the one with the charisma. Pulling that off will be hard. He's just himself."
In preparation for his role, Keoghan has said that he's met with Starr himself to watch his technique in action.
"I met him at his house and he played the drums for me," Keoghan told Jimmy Kimmel last month. "He asked me to play but I wasn't playing the drums for Ringo. ... My job is to observe and take in the mannerisms and study him. But I want to humanize him and bring feelings to it, not just imitate."
As far as Starkey is concerned though, Keoghan probably won't be able to nail the musicality part.
"That's fucking impossible. Nobody can play like my dad," he said. "Good luck to him, but he'll be the first guy who can pull it off. My dad's unique – the greatest rock 'n' roll drummer in the world, still. He's better now than he was then."
When Will the Biopic Come Out?
Starr and his three Beatles bandmates will each be getting their own individual biopics, which will be released over the course of four weekends in April 2028. In addition to Keoghan, Harris Dickinson will play John Lennon, Paul Mescal will play Paul McCartney and Joseph Quinn will play George Harrison.
Source: ultimateclassicrock.com/Allison Rapp
In the United Kingdom — where The Beatles got off to a fantastic start before taking over the world — the group’s presence can always be felt on the charts via a handful of compilations. Those collections have become the focus for millions of listeners, especially on streaming platforms, which largely keep those titles alive.
In the United States, things are a bit different. Fans of The Beatles often gravitate toward traditional albums, and more often than not, it's Abbey Road that comes out on top. Thanks to a sizable sales bump, the masterpiece is a hit once again in America.
Abbey Road Lives on Multiple Billboard Charts
Abbey Road can currently be found on two Billboard charts in the U.S. The set rises highest on the Vinyl Albums tally, the list of the bestselling full-lengths and EPs offered on wax. On that ranking, the classic jumps from No. 25 to No. 16. If Abbey Road can hold onto a spot on the list for a little more than two months – which seems almost certain at this point – it will reach 500 weeks as one of the top-selling vinyl releases in the country.
Over on the Top Album Sales chart, Abbey Road returns, helping the group double its wins this frame. The bestselling project breaks back onto the list of the most-purchased releases in the U.S. at No. 45.
Source: forbes.com/Hugh McIntyre
The donation was described as an "extraordinary endorsement"
Yoko Ono has made a "generous" donation to ensure the continuation of a free concert series in Liverpool. Yoko made a donation via Spirit Foundation to the Tung Auditorium’s lunchtime concert series at the University of Liverpool's Yoko Ono Lennon Centre.
Spirit Foundations is the charitable foundation established by Yoko and John Lennon and the donation ensures the continuation of the popular free concert programme for the next three years. The series will now be known as the Yoko Ono Lennon Lunchtime Concert Series in honour of her contribution. A spokesperson from Spirit Foundations said: “It gives us great pleasure to know the popular lunchtime concert series will continue. Music has power — it can heal, connect, and uplift.
"By supporting this series, it is our hope that audiences from all backgrounds will continue to experience the joy, inspiration and sense of unity that live music brings. The fact that these concerts remain free and accessible makes this support especially meaningful."
Yoko is an honorary graduate and long-standing philanthropic supporter of the university. The newly renamed series will launch on September 24 with a performance by rising local artist Remée, presented in partnership with BlackFest.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth
