Beatles News
An Antiques Roadshow visitor was utterly astounded by the jaw-dropping appraisal of a guitar that once belonged to George Harrison of The Beatles fame.
On the beloved UK version of the beloved PBS show, expert Jon Baddeley was visibly thrilled as he examined the remarkable piece, with an eager audience gathered to hear its tale.
Baddeley began his conversation with the guitar's current keeper and music aficionado Paul, remarking: "Now you've brought me in an exceptionally rare guitar with an even more interesting story behind it. But let's focus on the make first. It's a make I have rarely ever seen."
Paul shared that the guitar was a product of Bartell of California from the 1960s, describing it as a "very rare" fretless prototype.
He then unveiled the lore: "And the story goes that the company owner has always said he gave one to John Lennon and he gave one to Jimi Hendrix. This is the Lennon one." The spotlight then shifted to another guest, Ray, who recounted how this unique instrument came into his life.
Ray reminisced about his days as a session guitarist in the '70s and '80s, particularly his work for Handmade Films, the company founded by George Harrison. He recalled, "I was asked to play guitar, which was great, had lots of laughs and at the end of the session, George said 'I'm not sure what to do with this. You have a go.'
Ray ended up with the guitar, noting its peculiar nature: "And I just got handed the guitar. It's a strange old thing to play, because there are no frets. "But I played a few notes and he said 'You're definitely getting more out of it than I am.
"'It's doing better for you, why don't you have it.' Baddeley remarked: "Well that's not a bad accolade that you can play better than George Harrison!". The guest humbly responded: "At the time, this was quite rock n'roll as this. It's not the greatest of rock n'roll guitars unless you're going to play slide or something like that."
Turning his attention to a photo brought in by the guest, Baddeley called it the "icing on the cake".
"Because this is George Harrison in his house in Friar Park, and here's George standing at the back and just down here on the left hand side, is the guitar in question.
Source: the-express.com/Hayley Anderson, Hollie Beale
In a striking statement, George Harrison stood firm: he'd only play if John Lennon was there. He saw Lennon as The Beatles' big brother, making it plain he clicked better with John than Paul McCartney.
"I'd join a band with John Lennon any day, but I couldn't join a band with Paul McCartney, but that's nothing personal. It's just from a musical point of view," Harrison told The Mirror. Despite their differences, Harrison, Lennon, and McCartney collaborated to create many hits.
As kids, Lennon and McCartney faced hard times. Paul's mom died when he turned 14. Three years later, John lost his mother in a crash. This shared pain brought them close.
Writer Ian Leslie, who studied their work, said, "When they met, they were teenagers, both of them very emotionally intense and both of them had had difficult childhoods in different ways, but in one particular way. They both lost their mothers at a young age," he told The Mirror. He also said that music was a vital outlet for Lennon and McCartney, and it let them channel pain, loneliness, and joy into their songwriting.
The band split in 1970 after McCartney walked away. John wrote the biting "How Do You Sleep?," and Paul shot back with "Too Many People."
Back then, men kept quiet about their feelings, Leslie added. Neither star ever tried therapy or counseling to work through their issues.
Harrison's words hint at deep splits in the group's musical vision. "John has gone through his scene, but it feels to me like he's come around, and we're all at the point," he said of Lennon's direction.
Source: wmgk.com/Laura Adkins
If you were to make a list of the easiest Beatles’ songs for an amateur drummer to play, “Love Me Do”, the A-side to the band’s first single, would have to rank high on the list. It lopes along at a leisurely pace and doesn’t require too many fancy fills.
Why then did The Beatles use three different drummers on the three official studio versions of the song? It had nothing to do with difficulty. Instead, the somewhat chaotic circumstances surrounding The Beatles’ earliest recording sessions caused the rotating drummers.
The Beatles first took a crack at recording “Love Me Do” during their audition for EMI in June 1962. At that point, Pete Best was still their drummer, a role that he’d served for the previous couple of years. He joined the band during their time in Germany as they honed their live skills. And he helped them as they built a rabid following at The Cavern Club in Liverpool.
Unfortunately, George Martin didn’t think much of Best’s drumming skills. He agreed to sign The Beatles to the Parlophone label of EMI on one condition. Best would have to go. The Beatles had a choice to make if they wanted a record deal.
It might have been a tougher decision if the other three members of the group hadn’t been questioning Best’s ability for a while before that. On top of that, he was a bit of an outsider in the group. Luckily, the band had another option in mind once Best was sacked, a fellow by the name of Ringo Starr. Uh-Oh Ringo
Starr checked a lot of the boxes that Best didn’t. The Beatles knew him from occasions where he had filled in for an absent Best, so they realized how skillful he was. He also proved to be a good fit chemistry-wise. When the group headed back into EMI on September 4, they did so with Starr in tow.
The only problem was that nobody had notified George Martin of the switch. Already a bit wary following his experience with Best, he didn’t think Starr set the world on fire when the group ran through a version of “Love Me Do” that day.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Jim Beviglia
As a result, when The Beatles returned a week later to record again, a session drummer named Andy White was waiting to greet them. Martin had hired White as an insurance policy. That meant that Starr was relegated to playing the tambourine on the song that day, an insult that bugged him for years after the fact.
These days, like so many other legacy acts, The Beatles usually perform best on music charts around the world with albums, not singles. This is typically because the millions of people who continue to listen to the group focus on either classic full-lengths or compilations built around some of the band’s most famous tunes. The Beatles do occasionally collect a hit or two, especially in the U.K., where the act’s fame remains particularly impressive. This frame is a big one for the rockers on song rankings, as British listeners appear to be interested in both albums and singles at the moment.
The Beatles fill a trio of spaces on one songs tally in the U.K. this week thanks to a pair of holdovers and one returning smash. "From Me to You" reenters the Official Physical Singles chart at No. 93. It joins both "Now and Then" and "I Want to Hold Your Hand," which dip to Nos. 70 and 84, respectively.
Of the three, "Now and Then" is the biggest hit by the band — at least on the Official Physical Singles chart — though the other tracks are much older. "Now and Then," which was released in 2023 as the final track by The Beatles, has reached No. 1 in the past. Both "I Want to Hold Your Hand" and "From Me to You" have cracked the top 10, but neither has managed to rule the tally.
"Now and Then" has spent more time on the ranking than both of those tracks combined—twice over.
Somewhat surprisingly, The Beatles claim more hit songs in the U.K. this week than albums. That’s not usually the case – though this isn’t the first time the band has managed such a showing. Just two compilations by the group appear on the charts, and both manage to find space on a pair of tallies.
1967–1970 and 1962–1966 — two greatest-hits sets that were released at the same time decades ago — both find space on the Official Albums chart and the Official Albums Streaming ranking. Plays on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and other competitors of the band's most famous smashes are largely powering these two titles.
Source: forbes.com/Hugh McIntyre
The Beatles were over when Paul McCartney announced his decision to leave the band, but one expert has revealed there was more to their split.
Tensions had been rising between the bandmates long before Paul left and by April 1970, he decided he'd had enough and announced his decision to quit The Beatles. Fans were devastated, but author David Stark has explained it was actually John Lennon who sparked the end of the iconic group.
Stark, a lifelong Beatles fan, admitted he "wasn't surprised" when news of the split was made public. "It was obvious by the end of the 60s that things were changing," he told The Mirror US.
By this time, John was in a relationship with Yoko Ono and Paul had been working on his own things. The musician released his solo album in 1970 and went on to form the band Wings.
While it made headlines when Paul left the band, Stark told us, "In actuality, John had told them all that he was leaving in September 69 and he kept it quiet." However, there was one person John told his plans to.
"The only person he told from the press was a chap called Ray Connolly." John swore Ray to secrecy and Stark suggested a reason why the writer agreed. The expert said, "If Ray had published the story in 69, that would have been the end of his career."
Speaking about the end of The Beatles, Stark explained he chose to remain optimistic. "I was upset. But the on the upside was The Beatles splitting and they all made solo albums, so we had four times as many records to listen to," he joked.
Stark continued, "They all made some great records. And of course, all good things come to an end. And I'm still a fan today."
The Beatles have a lasting legacy and are still continuing to gain fans around the world. Stark tried to explain why the band has continued to achieve huge success as he told us, "The Beatles were so dominant.
"But every record they made, every single was different. Every album was a progression on the last." He concluded, "They put out these amazing songs and they're still mostly all stand up today."
Source: themirror.com/Scarlett O'Toole
Ringo Starr and his All Starr Band just dropped new tour dates for this fall.
The Beatles drummer, 84, and his current bandmates, Steve Lukather, Colin Hay, Warren Ham, Hamish Stuart, Gregg Bassinet, and Buck Johnson, were already scheduled for their summer tour taking place from June 12 to June 25.
Now, Starr and company will also be performing 11 shows in September, including a six-show residency at The Venetian Theatre in Las Vegas.
Concert goers can expect the setlist to be a mixed bag of Starr’s solo hits, Beatles classics, and standout tunes from each All Starr member’s catalog. Performances in the past have included songs like “It Don’t Come Easy,” “Photograph,” “Yellow Submarine,” “With a Little Help From My Friends,” “Rosanna,” “Down Under,” and “Pick Up the Pieces.”
Related: Willie Nelson, 92, and Bob Dylan, 83, Reunite for Legendary Performance
See the full list of tour dates below:
June 12 – Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater, Bridgeport, Connecticut
June 13 – Radio City Music Hall, New York City, New York
June 15 – TD Pavilion at The Mann, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 17 – Wolf Trap, Vienna, Virginia
June 18 – Tanger Center, Greensboro, North Carolina
June 20 – Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino, Hollywood, Florida
June 21 – The BayCare Sound, Clearwater, Florida
June 22 – The St. Augustine Amphitheater, St. Augustine, Florida
June 24 – Mercedes-Benz Amphitheater, Tuscaloosa, Alabama
June 25 – Ovens Auditorium, Charlotte, North Carolina
September 10 – The Chicago Theatre, Chicago, Illinois
September 12 – Miller High Life Theater, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
September 13 – Bourbon & Beyond, Louisville, Kentucky
September 17 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
September 18 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
September 20 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
September 21 – Ironstone Amphitheatre, Murphys, California
September 23 – To Be Announced
September 24 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
September 26 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
September 27 – The Venetian, Las Vegas, Nevada
Starr, born Richard Starkey, has been a staple of the music industry since joining the Beatles in August 1962. In 1970, the renowned drummer launched his successful solo career following the band's split.
To date, the father of three, who welcomed his children, Zak, Jason, and Lee, with his late ex-wife, Maureen Cox, has released over 20 studio albums.
Source: Melissa Copelton/parade.com
Music legend George Harrison had a rather unenthusiastic opinion when it came to one of his most popular Beatles hits.
Harrison began working on Something in September 1968, during the recording sessions for The White Album, but initially struggled with the melody, thinking it might have been subconsciously derived from another song.
According to Peter Jackson's documentary, The Beatles: Get Back, he continued to have difficulty with the lyrics into the Let It Be sessions.
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After completing the song, Harrison was uncertain about its potential success or even its inclusion on Abbey Road. This self-doubt was fueled by the constant dismissals from John Lennon and Sir Paul McCartney. He offered the song to Joe Cocker but eventually recorded it with The Beatles.
Weeks after the album's release, the song was released as a double A-side single with Come Together, marking the first time a Harrison song became a Beatles A-side. It topped the Billboard Hot 100 in the United States and received critical acclaim.
Despite this, Harrison remained unconvinced of its success.
From the start of his songwriting journey, Harrison grappled with a lack of enthusiasm and support from his bandmates. Lennon and McCartney, the primary songwriters, didn't encourage Harrison's contributions.
Over time, he had to fight for his songs to be included on albums. This experience negatively influenced how Harrison perceived his music.
After he penned Something, one of the most famous love songs ever, he doubted whether it would sell. In his book Here Comes The Sun: The Spiritual And Musical Journey Of George Harrison, Joshua M. Greene reveals that Harrison first played the song for his wife, Pattie Boyd, and friends in the Hare Krishna community.
"Do you think it'll sell?" he asked them. According to Greene, Boyd smiled, familiar with his self-doubt.
Greene noted: "As long as she had known him, he had been an enigma, sometimes exuding self-confidence, sometimes doubting whether he could do anything right."
Despite doubting its greatness, Something became a hit. Still, Harrison's insecurities later turned into something else. He had a blasé attitude toward the tune during a candid conversation with David Wigg for a BBC Radio One program in October 1969.
Source: newsbreak.com/Hannah Furnell
You may not be able to play guitar like Eric Clapton or George Harrison, but now you can own one of their former six strings.
An ultra-rare 1913 Gibson Style O Acoustic Archtop once played by the two virtuosos is now up for grabs via Reverb, an online marketplace for new and used musical instruments and other goods. The instrument, nicknamed Pattie, can be yours for a cool $949,999.
Of course, the guitar has quite the musical history. Clapton, who actually owned the instrument, and Harrison can be seen with the axe in a private songwriting session back in October 1968. (You can also catch a glimpse of the guitar in Life In 12 Bars, a documentary about Clapton’s life and career.) In the image, the Beatle is playing Pattie while the duo is bringing “Badge,” their first co-written composition, to life; it’s the only known image of the two working on the song. “Badge” went on to be recorded that week at Hollywood’s Heider Studios for Cream’s Goodbye, the group’s fourth and final album.
Thanks to that songwriting session, Pattie also has ties to one of the Beatles’ most popular hits. Inspired by the bridge on “Badge,” Harrison used similar compositional elements to create “Here Comes the Sun,” which was released in 1969, according to Reverb.
From there, the guitar landed in the hands of American singer and songwriter Delaney Bramlett in 1970. After his passing in 2008, his estate sold the collector’s item via Julien’s Auctions. Now, though, it’s part of the Victor Archives in Camden, New Jersey—until one lucky musician snaps it up, that is.
Plenty of instruments from these two music legends have popped u at auction over the years. Clapton’s 1974 000-28 Martin acoustic, which he used to composed “Wonderful Tonight,” was up for auction last May. Harrison’s Futurama guitar that he favored during the formative years of the Beatles, meanwhile, was up for grabs via Julien’s Auctions this past fall. That piece of music history hammered down for $1.27 million—so the $949,999 sticker price for the Gibson is looking pretty good.
Source: ca.news.yahoo.com/Nicole Hoey
Ever since The Beatles broke up, the masses have been trying to place a finger on what exactly it was that caused it. In reality, it probably isn’t all that complicated. Regardless, people have treated The Beatles’ breakup like a high-stakes conspiracy theory. One individual who has grounded this event back to reality is The Rolling Stones‘ lead singer, Mick Jagger.
The Rolling Stones and The Beatles were musical contemporaries. However, they weren’t the best of friends, thus, they didn’t know much about each other on a vulnerable and personal level. Nonetheless, Mick Jagger still has a theory about the group’s disbandment, and given his status, his opinion is far more valid than some fan boy’s from Nebraska. Jagger’s theory is not hyperbolic or ornate to a fault. Rather, it is incredibly plausible and logical. Mick Jagger Believes It Merely Was a Battle of Personalities
In a 1995 interview with Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger divulged the importance of his relationship with Keith Richards. Consequently, the interview pivoted in a direction Jagger seemingly didn’t see coming, as he was then asked about The Beatles’ breakup. Specifically, Jagger was asked about John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s roles in the breakup.
Concerning the question, Jagger stated that it was “hard to make even a stab at, because I don’t know John and Paul well enough.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Peter Burditt
John Lennon has continued to inspire millions of people with his music despite his death in 1980. However, what inspired him? Among various musicians, such as Elvis and Chuck Berry, Lennon was inspired by film. On several occasions, Lennon expressed his love for cinema and said that it often helped to form his own artistic vision, including his passion for the counterculture movement. However, one film in particular stood out for the singer-songwriter.
El Topo, a hallucinogenic interpretation of the Western genre directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, was a film to which Lennon and his wife Yoko Ono felt deeply connected. Oko descibed Jodorowsky as a "rare genius" and Lennon reached out to his manager and told him to offer $1 million to Jodorowsky for any new project he wanted to make.
The two, who were deeply spiritual, went to see multiple screenings of El Topo, a film Jodorowsky hoped would create an image that wouldstay with the viewer, while creating a hallucinogenic experience comparable to enlightenment that would be like being on "LSD without LSD". El Topo, released in 1970, was an avant garde surreal film about an outlaw that defies the Four Masters of the Desert due to the love of a woman.
A synopsis written by a fan reads: "It's sort of a twisted Western meets spiritual allegory. Each gunman symbolizes different religious or philosophical beliefs."
Source: Molly Toolan/express.co.uk
