Beatles News
On This Day, Feb. 11, 1964 …
The Beatles played their first show in the U.S. at the Washington Coliseum, performing 12 songs, including “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” “She Loves You” an “Twist and Shout.”
Thousands of screaming fans showed up for the concert, which resulted in over 350 police being dispatched to the show.
The Beatles played their show in the round and wound up pausing the concert several times to turn Ringo Starr’s drum riser so everyone in the audience got a chance to see him.
The concert, held two days after the band made their TV debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, was filmed and telecast in U.S. theaters that March.
Source: wxhc.com/Jill Lances
The Beatles had a lot riding on their debut single in the early 1960s. Would the band make a decent first impression or be doomed to be nothing more than a house band for dark, dank clubs across Europe? The music they recorded at EMI Studios had the potential to elevate them from local Liverpudlian heroes to international stars. Of course, plenty of bands have successfully come back from a poorly received debut. But would such a comeback be possible for a relatively unknown band from northern England?
Even with their countless hours of stage time under their belt, the Beatles were facing an obstacle they had never before encountered. Unsurprisingly, the band had strong feelings about which songs did—and didn’t—meet their necessary criteria for a successful debut single.
In the early 1960s, shopping for songs in Tin Pan Alley was a far more common practice than bands releasing original material. But as history would show time and time again, the Beatles were anything but ordinary. The songwriting partnership of John Lennon and Paul McCartney was well underway. And that’s what the band wanted to highlight with their first singles. So, the band voted for an original they felt had some real weight behind it: “Love Me Do.” Their producer, George Martin, disagreed.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Melanie Davis
John Lennon, born on October 9, 1940, in Liverpool, England, was a legendary singer, songwriter, and peace activist who co-founded the iconic rock band, The Beatles. He was a pivotal figure in the music industry and became one of the most influential and celebrated musicians of the 20th century.
In the early 1960s, along with Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, John Lennon formed The Beatles, a band that would revolutionize popular music and become a cultural phenomenon. As the primary songwriter and co-lead vocalist of the group, Lennon’s creative contributions were instrumental in shaping their sound and style.
The Beatles’ massive success and unprecedented fame brought Beatlemania to the world, influencing an entire generation and changing the landscape of popular music forever. Some of Lennon’s most iconic compositions for The Beatles include “Imagine,” “Strawberry Fields Forever,” “A Day in the Life,” and “Let It Be.”
In 1969, John Lennon married artist and musician Yoko Ono, and the couple became known for their activism and advocacy for peace. Their “Bed-In” events, peace protests, and iconic song “Give Peace a Chance” demonstrated Lennon’s commitment to promoting non-violence and social harmony.
In 1970, The Beatles disbanded, and John Lennon pursued a successful solo career. He released several acclaimed albums, including “Imagine,” which remains one of his most beloved and critically acclaimed works. His solo music often carried powerful messages of peace, love, and self-reflection.
Tragically, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot and killed outside his New York City apartment building by a deranged fan. His untimely death shocked the world and led to an outpouring of grief and tributes from fans and fellow musicians worldwide.
John Lennon’s impact on music, art, and culture is immeasurable. His honest and introspective songwriting, combined with his activism and pursuit of a more peaceful world, left an enduring legacy. He continues to inspire and influence generations of musicians and remains an icon of artistic expression and social consciousness. “Imagine,” his timeless anthem for a better world, remains a powerful reminder of his vision and enduring impact on humanity.
1. Imagine
2. Strawberry Fields Forever
3. Instant Karma!
4. Give Peace a Chance
5. Starting Over
6. Jealous Guy
7. Woman
8. Watching the Wheels
9. Love
10. Mind Games
Source: singersroom.com/Edward Tomlin
Laraine Newman still remembers the moment she realized “Saturday Night Live” had staying power.
In the earliest days of the show, she “had no idea who was watching” the sketch comedy series, Newman said during a visit to the 3rd hour of TODAY on Feb. 10.
However, one chance celebrity encounter in the lobby of 30 Rock, where the show is filmed in New York City, completely changed that.
“Out of my peripheral vision I see these forms, and they come into focus and it’s John (Lennon) and Yoko (Ono),” she said.
“And as John’s passing he goes, ‘Hi, Laraine,’” she added, using a British accent for effect.
“Not ‘hi,’” she emphasized. “‘Hi, Laraine.’”
That name-check was "an inkling” of the show’s success, she said.
Newman, 72, was one of the original “SNL” cast members who launched the show in 1975, along with comedy legends such as Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, Chevy Chase and Gilda Radner.
Some of her most memorable characters on the show include the teenaged Connie Conehead and public access TV host Christie Christina.
When “SNL” first started, Newman said she “had no idea” it was going to be a hit and described the show as “just the redheaded stepchild of NBC.” She also said when she visited the show years later for the 40th anniversary, she was amazed at how much the costume department had grown since the early days.
“Our wardrobe was one room with a bedsheet that separated the women from the men, and with a sign just for Danny that said, ‘Must wear underwear,’” she said. Newman was an original member of the Groundlings, a Los Angeles-based improv group with dozens of notable alumni, including Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph and Kristen Wiig. Former “SNL” cast member Will Forte was also a member of the Groundlings, and he appeared via video message on the 3rd hour of TODAY to ask Newman a question.
“How did your training at the Groundlings prepare you most for ‘SNL’?” he said. “Also, would you please answer in your Celine Dion voice?”
Newman didn’t miss a beat. “OK, well, you know, the structure of the show was exactly the same,” she said in a pitch-perfect Celine Dion accent. “You are onstage in a costume, offstage you change, you come back.”
This week, “SNL” alumni from all eras of the show will appear daily on TODAY leading up to the “Saturday Night Live” 50th anniversary special on Feb. 16.
Source: today.com/Lindsay Lowe
The Beatles put out some of the best music of the 20th century. However, even the Fab Four were capable of having a few musical and technical hiccups. Let’s dive into a few Beatles songs that feature hidden mistakes that you may have never noticed before!
1. “I’m Looking Through You”
By the time Rubber Soul rolled around, The Beatles had refined their recording techniques and performance ability. However, there is still a mistake in “I’m Looking Through You” that made it to the final cut. In fact, there are a few mistakes.
There’s a bit of guitar feedback at the 1 minute 18 seconds mark, as well as a guitar part that is out of tune at 1 minute 53 seconds. Ringo Starr missed a couple of drum hits at 1 minute 57 seconds, too. For an otherwise polished album, “I’m Looking Through You” is a pretty messy song when you really listen to it.
2. “Hey Jude”
“Hey Jude” is an incredibly beautiful song. However, it does make it to our list of Beatles songs with hidden mistakes for one particularly glaring reason: There’s a naughty word hidden in the mix.
It’s not clear who shouted “F***ing hell!” into the microphone around three minutes in. And even though it is buried, you can definitely hear it. Some fans believe that John Lennon was the one to curse, but McCartney later said that it was likely his mistake after missing a chord on the piano.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
Is 'Here Comes The Sun' the most popular Beatles song of modern times?
If you include 'Now and Then', The Beatles recorded a total of 213 different songs. 25 of them were covers of rock 'n' roll classics, pop standards and country hits. The bulk of the other 188 were compositions by the immortal songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.
Alongside a trio of curios with full band co-writes – namely Let It Be's 'Dig It' and 'Maggie Mae' and Magical Mystery Tour's 'Flying' – George Harrison wrote just 22 of the songs officially released by The Beatles.
But if you go on to Spotify and look up The Beatles and look at their top ranked songs, one track is way out in front of all the others.
'Here Comes The Sun' has racked up over 1.5 BILLION listens in the ten years since The Beatles belated came to the platform.
John Lennon's 'Come Together' is languishing in second place with a mere 811 million spins. Read on to find out how this not-even-a-single became such a hit. Who wrote 'Here Comes The Sun'?
We just made a big song and dance about the song being one of George Harrison's, but you do have to be careful with songwriting credits.
Some of the songs listed as Lennon-McCartney weren't exactly that. 'Yesterday' was entirely written by Paul McCartney while 'Please Please Please' me was one of John's solo efforts, for example.
Source: goldradio.com/Mayer Nissim
On Feb. 9, 1964, the Beatles made their first live American television appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show,” broadcast from New York on CBS. The quartet played five songs, including “She Loves You” and “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” to a crowd of screaming teenagers in person and more than 70 million viewers across the country.
Source: courant.com
About the track, Paul said: "It’s really just a love song, but it’s brilliantly done"
English musician and songwriter Paul McCartney of The Beatles attends a press conference to promote Leicester University's arts festival at the Royal Garden Hotel in London on 5th February 1968
Paul McCartney has written more than his fair share of classic songs. Alongside John Lennon, Paul, now 82, wrote the bulk of The Beatles' songbook and was the driving force behind beloved tracks like 'Let it Be', 'Yesterday', 'Hey Jude' and 'Penny Lane'.
About the Lennon-McCartney songwriting 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."
Paul and John set the standard for songwriting in the 1960s, inspiring many of their peers. About their 1964 arrival in the United States, Bob Dylan said: "They were doing things nobody was doing. Their chords were outrageous, just outrageous, and their harmonies made it all valid. But I just kept it to myself that I really dug them.
"Everybody else thought they were for the teeny-boppers, that they were gonna pass right away. But it was obvious to me that they had staying power. I knew they were pointing the direction of where music had to go."
It wasn't just Dylan who they inspired and led the way for. John and Paul even famously wrote the Rolling Stones' first hit single for them - 1963's 'I Wanna Be Your Man'.
Source: liverpoolecho.co.uk/Dan Haygarth
A legendary performance featuring John Lennon, Yoko Ono, and guitarist Chuck Berry has reignited discussions online.
Some hailed the live show from the trio, which has recently gone viral again on social media, while others couldn't help but chuckle at Ono's vocal outbursts.
Their rendition of iconic guitar tunes was peppered with Ono's unique contributions, leading to a divide among viewers: some applauding her artistry, whereas others resort to ridicule.
An edited video from the @historyrock account suggested that Ono "embarrassing" Beatles legend Lennon, alongside rock icon Berry, exacerbated discussions.
A fan pointed out that the viral clip was edited for comic effect, stating: "You should mention that this video has been digitally altered and edited for comedic effect. Yoko Ono is only heard for about three seconds in the actual performance."
Music enthusiasts jumped to Ono's defence, praising her historical influence. Despite clarifications, the debate persists as viewers either praise or disparage Ono.
One individual commented: "It was a miracle that Chuck Berry could even play with that rattling his ears. Thankfully a wise tech shut off her microphone."
Another reminisced: "Lennon must have been in love with her to let her sing. The first Plastic Ono Band album I bought was in a bargain bin for $2."
Source: express.co.uk/Ewan Gleadow
The Beatles penned hit after hit, all of which demonstrated their mastery of the songwriting form. But while they racked up classic songs for themselves beyond counting, they still found the time to write songs for other musicians.
Not everyone was aware that the song they were hearing on the radio had been written by John, Paul, George, or Ringo, especially if the song had been credited to a pseudonym. Here are some examples of songs that were recorded by other artists but dreamed up by the world’s favorite Liverpudlians.
1. "I Wanna Be Your Man" by The Rolling Stones
1963
Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, this song became one of The Rolling Stones' early hits. In fact, it was such a good tune that Lennon and McCartney borrowed it back so they could record their own version of it on their 1963 sophomore album, “With the Beatles.”
2. "Come and Get It" by Badfinger
1969
Written and produced by Paul McCartney, this song became a top 10 hit for Badfinger, a band signed to the Beatles’ Apple label. The band had several big hits of their own, so they didn’t necessarily need Macca to write material for them. But hey, when you’re signed to the Fab Four's label, it doesn’t hurt to ask if they have potential hits lying around that they’re not using.
3. "Bad to Me" by Billy J. Kramer With the Dakotas
1963
“Bad to Me” was written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney for British pop singer Billy J. Kramer. His recording of the song topped the U.K. charts. It was covered by other artists, most notably Graham Parker, but the Beatles themselves never took a crack at it. The only known Beatle-adjacent recording of "Bad to Me" emerged in 2013 on iTunes in the form of a John Lennon demo that was part of the compilation, “The Beatles Bootleg Recordings 1963.”
Source: Daniel Bukszpan/aol.com
