Some 240 rediscovered drawings by John Lennon are being revealed to the public for the first time in Liverpool. The rare gems were made in the 1960s for an animated Beatles music video.

The trove of colorful drawings were produced in collaboration with artist Stephen Verona, and each feature a word from the Beatles’ 1964 hit “I Feel Fine.” Sequenced together, these cells were used to make a short, two-minute lyric video called “She Said So.” It has been described as the very first music video.

The drawings recently surfaced at auction in London, where they were discovered by Joseph Robert O’Donnell, a pop culture memorabilia expert who immediately grasped their significance. Today, they are unveiled as part of a temporary, three-month display at the Liverpool Beatles Museum.

Some six decades ago, the artworks emerged almost by accident. “We started doodling,” Verona once recalled, of the time he met Lennon in a London club and the pair spontaneously began drawing together, straight onto the paper tablecloth.

“I suggested making a film from them,” Verona recalled. Lennon later met the artist in New York, where they sat in his kitchen, smoked, and colored in cartoon images designed by Verona.

The resulting film would have a huge cultural impact, being screened at international film festivals and at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. It won several awards, including the CINE Golden Eagle. The original film reel is kept at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., but Verona held on to the drawings themselves.

Source: news.artnet.com/Jo Lawson-Tancred European News Reporter

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Sir Paul McCartney has been EVERYWHERE recently.

The 83 year old rock legend has been on a massive press run recently promoting his much anticipated album, “The Boys of Dungeon Lane,” which released on May 29th. The press run has seen McCartney all over the place, including SNL, The Late Show, various online interviews, and now a spot on the Zane Lowe Show on Apple Music.

In a brand new clip from his interview on the show, McCartney was taking some heated (and not very serious) shots at legendary musician and producer Brian Eno.

For those uninitiated, Eno is one of the most influential producers and musicians in music. I first became acquainted with Eno with his work on David Bowie’s album “Low,” which features some incredibly ahead of its time material that spawned post-rock. It was during these sessions that Eno would create one of his most important albums, “Ambient 1: Music for Airports,” wherein he coined the term “ambient music,” and pioneered the genre.

His impact on electronic music is similar to McCartney’s impact on rock and pop. He is a titan of music in his own regard, which is what makes this playful scuffle so amusing.

Source:Rylan Fischer/parade.com

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If George Harrison isn’t your favorite Beatle, you’ll likely want to rethink that after hearing the three songs below. These stunning Harrison offerings rival anything his bandmates have written. Moreover, they stand singular in classic rock history. If you want to be more acquainted with what Harrison had to offer, revisit these compelling tracks. They will make you fall in love with the “quietest” Beatle.
“For You Blue”

When many of us think of George Harrison, we think of solemn, often mystical, slow songs, but that’s not all that his songwriting encompassed. For a taste of his more playful side, check out “For You Blue.” This upbeat song, taken from Let It Be, isn’t something many would attribute to Harrison. Nevertheless, this is an offering from the “quiet” Beatle.

“I want you in the morning, girl, I love you / I want you at the moment, I feel blue / I’m living every moment, girl, for you,” the lyrics read. This is not only one of Harrison’s most fun tracks, but one of The Beatles’ most touching love songs.
“If I Needed Someone”

“If I Needed Someone” speaks to Harrison’s development as a songwriter. This track is largely recognized as one of his first, fully fledged album cuts. This song stood tall against anything John Lennon or Paul McCartney delivered on this album.

Source: americansongwriter.com/Alex Hopper

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Celebrated annually on 25th June!  Marking the anniversary of The Beatles’ BBC Our World performance of “All You Need Is Love”

Colourised video of the iconic performance set to be released online for the first time. Fans across the globe invited to take part in Global Beatles Day online or at in person events. Spreading The Beatles’ message of love and unity.

On 25th June, 1967, The Beatles walked into Studio One at Abbey Road Studios in London and sent a message to the world. Broadcast live as part of the BBC’s Our World, the first international satellite television broadcast of their song, “All You Need Is Love” reached an estimated 400 million people around the globe. For a few extraordinary minutes, the world was watching together.

Decades later in 2009 lifelong fan Faith Cohen decided this day deserved to be commemorated. From that belief, Global Beatles Day was born. A fan-made, fan-run celebration dedicated to the band, their music, and a message that continues to resonate across generations and around the world: love is all you need.

From tribute concerts in Tokyo to Beatles-themed exhibitions in New York City, singalongs in Buenos Aires, and fan gatherings in Liverpool, Global Beatles Day has continued to grow organically. Its growth has been built on an enduring love for John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr and their message, and evolved into an annual event embraced by fans spanning generations and continents.

Now, in a major milestone for the celebration, Apple Corps Ltd, the company founded by The Beatles to manage their creative and business ventures, has formally acknowledged Global Beatles Day.

On 25th June, alongside online and in-person events around the world that celebrate the band, The Beatles will also release a colourised version of their BBC Our World performance of “All You Need Is Love” for free on YouTube. The first time the iconic performance has been made available online, it will celebrate the iconic performance’s anniversary, mark Global Beatles Day, and give fans around the world the chance to relive that spectacular, global moment from 1967 and share their reaction in the live chat.

Writing to Faith Cohen this week, Apple Corps CEO Tom Greene praised the fan-led initiative, writing: “More than ever, the message of The Beatles, and of ‘All You Need Is Love’ speaks to something vital for community, connection, and the power of bringing people together. That is what makes Global Beatles Day so special. It asks nothing more than for people, wherever they are, to stop, listen, and share a little joy.”

Source: thebeatles.com

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In 1969, The Beatles were practically over. Especially after their disastrous sessions in January, which eventually became the album Let It Be. The sessions were filmed with the intent of making a TV show of their recording sessions. In a way, they were pioneering reality TV. But the addition of cameras, as evidenced by Peter Jackson's documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, only served to sour their already deteriorated relationship. John Lennon Asked for Paul McCartney's Help Despite Their Estrangement.

When John Lennon returned to England, newly married and with a new song, his fellow Beatles were scattered. Ringo Starr was on set filming The Magic Christian, and George Harrison was away on vacation. But his best friend and long-time songwriting partner was home, so, of course, Lennon took the song to Paul McCartney. The song was the retelling of his and Yoko Ono's complicated journey towards getting married and their unconventional honeymoon. He titled it "The Ballad of John and Yoko". "It’s a piece of journalism," Lennon described it. "It’s a folk song. That’s why I called it The Ballad Of."

Source: Collider/Val Barone

After his decade-long career as a member of the Beatles, George Harrison released several solo hits, like "Got My Mind Set on You," "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace on Earth)," and "Ding Dong, Ding Dong."

According to Far Out magazine, Harrison jotted down "Ding Dong, Ding Dong," off his 1974 album Dark Horse, in record time. The publication reported that Harrison discussed coming up with the tune while writing his memoir, I, Me, Mine, published in 1980. He explained his inspiration for the track was the inscriptions near his Victorian estate's fireplace and shed.

“‘Ding Dong, Ding Dong’ was the quickest one I ever wrote. It took me three minutes, except it took me four years of looking at the thing, which was written on the wall at my home, ‘Ring out the old, ring in the new. Ring out the false, ring in the truth,’ before I realised it was a hit song. It makes me laugh because it’s so simple. That song evaded me for four years," wrote Harrison, who died in 2001 at the age of 58.

“Instead of getting stuck in a rut, everybody should try ringing out the old and ringing in the new… [People] sing about it, but they never apply it to their lives,” shared Harrison.

Harrison shared some insight into the technical aspects of writing a song in a 1975 interview with Dave Herman. According to Harrison, "some tunes need an intro to establish a certain mood before you start singing," while others "can come right in."

Source: aol.com/Nicole Moore

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