Beatles News
When you write as many songs as Paul McCartney has, it’s understandable if you might have forgotten a few of them. It’s even more understandable if they’re Beatles’ songs, since he was often collaborating with John Lennon on them.
In the case of “What You’re Doing,” a hidden gem from The Beatles‘ 1964 UK album Beatles for Sale, McCartney has said that he didn’t really remember too much about its creation. But all evidence points toward it being one of his, and a sneakily great one at that, even if he didn’t think too much of it.
Beatles for Sale, the second album released by the Fab Four in the UK in 1964 and their fourth overall, found the band scrambling for material. Their schedule, always intense, reached a fever pitch in 1964, what with their usual recording and touring augmented by the creation of their first movie, A Hard Day’s Night.
On the A Hard Day’s Night album, John Lennon and Paul McCartney had written every song, marking the first time the band would release an album without any covers. They weren’t quite able to pull that off on Beatles for Sale. And maybe the busy nature of the time explains why McCartney didn’t remember much about the origins of “What You’re Doing,” as he explained in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now:
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
To celebrate what would have been John Lennon’s 84th birthday, a box set has been shared containing “meditation mixes” of his 1973 song ‘Mind Games’.
Details of the box set were first shared back in August, when the late musician’s son Sean Ono Lennon announced the project. Initially, the mindful remixes of the hit were shared on the app Lumeate, before being confirmed as being given both a digital and limited-edition physical release.
Today’s release of the digital version (October 9) coincides with both John’s and Sean’s birthdays. The 3LP physical edition is set to arrive on Friday (October 11) via Capitol/UMe. Stream the digital version below, and pre-order the vinyl here.
The mixes feature nine reworkings of ‘Mind Games’ which were created in a bid to help listeners relax and guide them into deeper states of consciousness. Titled ‘Mind Games – The Meditation Mixes’, numerous sound design techniques and processes to the original multitrack recordings, and it was mixed and engineered by Sam Gannon.
In some cases, the tracks have been enhanced with additional instrumentation from Sean, and additional recording engineering has come from Scott Holingsworth.
As for the physical copies, the LPs are pressed on 180-gram crystal clear vinyl and arrive packaged in a triple gatefold mirror board sleeve. The ‘Side B’ of the third vinyl in the set includes nine unique 1.8 second mantras, which play continually in the vinyl’s run-out grooves to create infinite loops.
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According to a new press release, the new mixes “forge their own space while maintaining firm, authentic roots in John Lennon’s original recording of the original song.”
Each of the nine has been altered, slowed down and extended, and some now run upwards of 33 minutes. According to a new description, four of the tracks are presented as “Binaural versions that each focus on different types of brain waves: Beta, Delta, Gamma, and Theta.”
Source: Liberty Dunworth/nme.com
Sir Paul McCartney made a big statement at a gig in Argentina this week as he dropped a huge part of his show amid renewed tensions over the future of the Falkland Islands. The legendary Beatle is currently traveling the world for his Got Back tour, playing hits from his incredible 60-year career.
'Macca', as he is affectionately known, is currently on the South American leg and played two shows at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. However, he ditched a segment where he would fly a Union Flag, presumably amid fears it would offend the crowd, reports the Daily Mail.
Sir Paul, 82, usually flies three flags at the end of his shows. As well as the nation he is playing in, he will also wave a Union Flag and LGBTQ flag.
But the red, white and blue was noticeably absent in the Argentine capital on October 5 and 6. According to reports, it had been flown as usual at his gig in Uruguay on October 1. The tour will continue in Chile on October 11 after a break.
Sir Paul's representatives refused to comment, according to the Mail, but the gig came days after Argentina vowed to 'recapture' the Falklands. The South American country claims sovereignty over the island chain, which it calls Malvinas.
Support for remaining under British rule is almost total on the Falklands but the issue raised its head after Britain handed the Chagos Islands to Mauritius last week. In the aftermath, Argentina’s foreign minister, Diana Mondino promised "concrete action" to ensure that the Falklands are handed to Buenos Aires.
In 1982, 255 British service personnel died in the successful defence of the islands following an attack by Argentine forces. Islanders were granted full British citizenship after the war. British claims of sovereignty date from 1690 when forces first landed in the islands, which were briefly under Argentine control in the 1830s before Britain re-asserted sovereignty in 1833.
Source: Douglas Dickie/scottishdailyexpress.co.uk
He catapulted into fame following his role as Eddie Munson in the fourth season of Stranger Things.
And now, Joseph Quinn is reportedly set to take to screens as George Harrison in a series of Beatles biopics.
The actor, 30, will be undertaking a role that is worlds away from the eccentric Hawkins High School student, as he steps into the shoes of the legendary guitarist for four films.
According to The Sun, the quartet of films will tell the story of the Liverpool-based band from each member's perspective - and Joseph has been handpicked by director Sam Mendes to appear in all of them. A source told the publication: 'Joe is an incredible actor. It's a massive role, but Sam is delighted to have him on board.' Joseph Quinn is reportedly set to take to screens as George Harrison in a series of Beatles biopics.
The monumental film series will be the first time Apple Corps Ltd, The Beatles, and the families of John Lennon and George, have all agreed to hand over full life-story and music rights for a scripted movie. George died in November 2001 at the age of 58 following a battle with cancer.
It comes after another source said: 'Sam has a mammoth task on his hands, but Paul and Ringo trust him to do them justice.
'The films will all be inter-connecting and will tell the story of the band from each of the group's perspectives.' 'It's likely Sam will find four British rising stars to step into their shoes. But people are already talking about actors such as Barry Keoghan and Will Sharpe.'
Source: Madison Burgess/dailymail.co.uk
Of all the members of the Fab Four, drummer Ringo Starr seemed to be the most easygoing of the bunch. But Starr had an interesting vantage point from his place behind the kit. Indeed, just because he was the least forward-facing Beatle doesn’t mean he didn’t have strong opinions, including which Beatles album was his favorite.
In a 1977 appearance on the Inner-view radio show, Starr revealed what he believed to be the best Beatles album of all-time—and the album he never really cared for.
During Ringo Starr’s appearance on the Inner-view radio show, the Beatle and show host Elliot Mintz discussed which Fab Four album had sold the most copies at the time of their August 1977 interview at Starr’s Hollywood Hills home. “Well, if there’s any sense in the world, it’d be Abbey Road,” Starr mused. (By the time he and Mintz sat down to chat, the Beatles had sold over five million copies of the iconic record.)
“It should be [the best-selling album],” Starr continued. “The second side of Abbey Road is my favorite. I love it. “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window” and all those bits that weren’t songs. I mean, they were just all the bits that John and Paul had around that we roped together.”
“I never really liked Sgt. Pepper,” the then-ex-Beatle admitted, “I mean, I think it’s a fine album. All the work we do is fine. But I think I felt like a session man on it. We put so much on it—strings and brass—and you’d sit ‘round the studio for days, you know, while they’re overdubbing other things. It is a fine album, but just for me, emotionally, I prefer Abbey Road.”
A New Drum Kit Helped Seal The Deal
In December 2019, Ringo Starr visited Today Show Australia to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his former band’s historic record, Abbey Road. All those decades later, Starr said his strongest memories of that album was playing with his bandmates…and a particularly cool drum kit.
“One of the self-centered memories,” Star added, “[was] I had this new kit. The maple kit, it was called, because it was maple. It had calf heads. Never had calf heads before. In all those years, it was always plastic. The depth of them blew me away. So, if you listen to that album, every track has tom tom boogie,” Star explained, mimicking the booming sounds of his calf-head tom drums.
Source: Melanie Davis/americansongwriter.com
Many of George Harrison‘s songs were famously denied by his fellow Beatles. Harrison felt their consistent denial of his songwriting caustic enough for him to consider leaving the band. In the end, he got the last word. He released many of the songs the Beatles passed on during his solo career. Find four of the best, below.
1. “All Things Must Pass”
The odd, warbly instrumentation in “All Things Must Pass” would’ve fit perfectly in the Beatles’ catalog. Nevertheless, it never ended up on a Beatles album. The song was too good to completely fall by the wayside. He ended up recording it for a 1970 album of the same name.
Sunrise doesn’t last all morning
A cloudburst doesn’t last all day
Seems my love is up
And has left you with no warning
It’s not always gonna be this grey
All things must pass
All things must pass away
2. “Isn’t It a Pity”
“Isn’t It a Pity” is a slow-burning ballad that erupts into an impressive trill of instrumentation. It’s one of Harrison’s most impressive bouts of songwriting. Harrison reminds the listener of the beauty all around them in this track about heartbreak and missed connections.
Isn’t it a pity?
Now isn’t it a shame
How we break each other’s hearts
And cause each other pain?
3. “Let It Down”
While the Beatles pleaded to their lover to not let them down, Harrison asks his lover to “Let It Down.” In this tale of all encompassing love, Harrison wants to be enveloped by his partner. Let it all down / Let your love flow and astound me, he sings.
Source: Alex Hopper/americansongwriter.com
Musical taste is subjective, as in subject to the whims and personal predilections of the individual listener. Since that’s the case, it stands to reason that two people can hear the same song quite differently, even if the two people are in the same band, and even if that band is The Beatles.
Such was the case with “Yes It Is,” a 1965 B-side by the band. John Lennon wrote it, but later dismissed it. His songwriting partner, Paul McCartney, has gone on record with his opinion that it’s a fine effort. We tend to agree with Paul, which is why we want to take a deeper dive into this unheralded track. “That’s me trying a rewrite of ‘This Boy,’ but it didn’t work.”
That’s the succinct description of “Yes It Is” John Lennon gave to interviewer David Sheff in 1980. For those who might not know, Lennon had also been the chief writer of the song “This Boy,” and there are indeed plenty of similarities between the two songs. They include the plentiful vocal harmonies and the big vocal flourish by Lennon in the middle eight of each song.
When Paul McCartney assessed the same song in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years from Now, he held a much more positive outlook: “I was there writing it with John, but it was his inspiration that I helped him finish off. ‘Yes It Is’ is a very fine song of John’s, a ballad, unusual for John. He wrote some beautiful ballads but I’m known generally as the balladeer.”
What you have to take into account when you consider the above quotes is Lennon tended to be harsher on the work of The Beatles in retrospect than McCartney. When the group first disbanded, Lennon was particularly critical, in part because he was trying to consciously leave the group behind. His views softened a bit as the years passed, but he was still quick to call out the songs he thought were weak, even his own.
In this case of “Yes It Is,” maybe he didn’t like that he was repeating himself somewhat in the format of the song. But taken on its own, it’s a lovely track, one that benefits from the group’s incredible vocal blend. And George Harrison gave the recording something special with the volume pedal effects he created on his guitar, making the notes seem as if they appeared without being plucked.
Exploring the Lyrics to “Yes It Is”
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
John Lennon’s ‘Walls and Bridges’ album clocked up its 50th anniversary this week. ‘Walls and Bridges’ was released on 4 October 1974 in the UK and a week earlier in the USA.
Work on ‘Walls and Bridges’ began in June 1974 at Record Plant East New York at 321 W 44th St. It was the same studio Bruce Springsteen recorded ‘Born To Run’, Eagles made ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Fleetwood Mac recorded ‘Rumours’.
The core players for ‘Walls and Bridges’ with John were included Jim Keltner on drums, Klaus Voormann on bass guitar, Jesse Ed Davison guitar and Arthur Jenkins on percussion.
The first single off the album was Lennon’s now classic ‘Whatever Gets You Thru The Night’, featuring Elton John on piano and harmony vocals. The second and final single off the album ‘#9 Dream’ features John’s personal assistant and girlfriend during the 18 month break-up with Yoko called The Long Weekend, May Pang on backing vocals.
Harry Nilsson is credited as Backing Vocals and co-writers on ‘Old Dirt Road’.
There has not been an announcement of the anniversary release at this point. However, multiple outtakes surfaced on both the ‘Menlove Avenue’ 1986 and ‘John Lennon Anthology’ (1998). Between the two albums you can compile a playlist of almost a complete alternate version of ‘Walls and Bridges’ minus ‘Beef Jerky’ and ‘Ya Ya’.
Source: Paul Cashmere/noise11.com
At the 2024 Grammy Awards, Taylor Swift made history—in more ways than one. The singer-songwriter’s single “Anti-Hero” competed for Song of the Year, and though it didn’t win, the nod was enough to make it a special bit of recognition for the superstar.
With one more chance to win the prize awarded to the “best” written song of the year, Swift broke out of a tie with several other musicians for the most nominations ever in that vertical. The chart-topper currently stands alone thanks to that feat, but that may not be the case for very long.
Before “Anti-Hero,” Swift was matched with both Paul McCartney and Lionel Richie for the most Song of the Year nominations, with six apiece. Both male songwriters have won the award once—McCartney for “Michelle” by the Beatles and Richie for “We Are the World”—while Swift is still waiting to earn the honor, even though she now claims the most nods of all time.
McCartney is a possible nominee once again this year. The Beatles’ comeback and “final” single “Now and Then” is eligible for prizes at the 2025 Grammys, including Song of the Year. While nothing is certain, it’s entirely possible that Recording Academy voters won’t want to miss out on another chance to reward the most successful and beloved band of all time.
“Now and Then” could very well earn McCartney his seventh Song of the Year nomination. That should be enough for him to reform his tie with Swift…though she’s also a very probable candidate for one of the eight available slots.
Swift has several singles that are eligible for Grammy love, and voters have shown themselves to be huge fans her as well. Her most likely submission will be “Fortnight,” the lead single from her latest full-length The Tortured Poets Department. The tune, which features Post Malone, soared straight to No. 1 on the Hot 100, and so it’s probably what she’ll lead with.
Source: Hugh McIntyre/forbes.com
The artist Yoko Ono, the widow of the late former Beatle John Lennon, was admitted to a New York City hospital on Friday after complaining of severe flu-like symptoms, her West Coast-based spokesman said.
Spokesman Elliot Mintz denied U.S. media reports that Ono, 83, had suffered a possible stroke or heart attack, and said he understood she would be released from the hospital on Saturday.
Ono had called her doctor, who said her symptoms sounded like the flu, and advised her to go to the hospital as a precaution, Mintz said. He did not know if she admitted herself or was taken by ambulance.
Her career as an artist has spanned more than five decades. Last year, the Museum of Modern Art in New York marked her achievements with an exhibition of her early works showing how her ideas influenced the development of art in the city in the 1960s.
Ono, also an experimental musician and film-maker, was once described by Lennon as "the world's most famous unknown artist: everybody knows her name but nobody knows what she does."
She and Lennon were married on March 20, 1969, and their son, Sean, was born in 1975. Lennon was shot to death on Dec. 8, 1980, outside the famed Dakota apartment building just west of New York's Central Park.
Source: Victoria Cavaliere/aol.com
