Beatles News
We should be prepared for a journey through time and space when viewing the documentary "One to One: John and Yoko: A Year of Love & Transformation." Superbly directed by Oscar winning filmmaker Kevin MacDonald, along with Sam R. Williams, this extraordinary documentary places us back in 1972.
John and Yoko settled in a small apartment in the West Village, where an extraordinary array of musicians/artists, following in the paths of Bob Dylan, Joan Baez, and others in West Village bistros. If you haven't already done so, see "A Complete Unknown. In fact, you might find it even more engaging if you check it out again.)
This era enhanced our entry into a period of history wherein the "forces" for peace were in the process of dislodging the powers that wanted to continue making war.Hence, the amplification (throughout society) of Lennon's song, "All we are saying is give Peace a Chance."
"One to One" is focused on a benefit concert that John and Yoko organized for special youngsters at Willow Brook, in nearby upstate New York. The exceptional audio mastering/editing was done by their son, Sean Ono Lennon.
Iconic figures of the time, such as Beat poet Allen Ginsberg (author of "Howl") and Yippee co-founder Jerry Rubin (author of "Do It!") make appearances in the film's dizzying pastiche of prominent figures of previous eras. As you're likely to guess, they were both friends with John and Yoko.
Source: ithaca.com/David Burak
Sir Paul McCartney "insulted" John Lennon with one request.
John Lennon reportedly felt "insulted" by a suggestion from bandmate Sir Paul McCartney during the creation of one of The Beatles' greatest tracks. Paul is understood to have written the first verse of the incredibly popular Eleanor Rigby before putting the song on the back burner.
However, at a dinner party hosted by John and his ex-wife Cynthia, Paul is said to have played his version of the song for friends, asking for suggestions how to finish it. According to the book John and Paul: A Love Story in Songs, businessman Pete Shotton, a friend of John, suggested that the Eleanor character could die in the third verse, leaving Father Mackenzie, the priest in the lyrics, to conduct her funeral, reports the Mirror US.
Source: express.co.uk/Matt Jackson
While Paul McCartney and John Lennon are best known for their iconic songs written for The Beatles, their songwriting genius extended beyond their own band.
In the early part of the 1960s, The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein used John and Paul's talents to boost the careers of other artists under his management. This involved commissioning new songs from the duo or repurposing existing ones for artists like Cilla Black and Billy J. Kramer with his band The Dakotas. Interestingly, John and Paul were also behind The Rolling Stones first hit I Wanna Be Your Man, and they generously gave away A World Without Love to Peter and Gordon.
Peter and Gordon reaped significant benefits from John and Paul's work.
Paul had written A World Without Love at just 16 years old. When he moved in with then-girlfriend Jane Asher in 1963, her brother Peter Asher (of Peter and Gordon) heard the song and requested it.
Source: the-express.com/Dan Haygarth, Scarlett
A Beatles fan who bought 84 envelopes which once contained fan mail sent to Ringo Starr is attempting to contact the letters' original authors.
Joseph O'Donnell, from Tynemouth, bought the envelopes dated between 1965 and 1966 in an online auction in January.
They had been collected by Starr's former employee who had kept them for the international stamps, he said. Mr O'Donnell has written to the return addresses listed on about 50 of the envelopes, which were sent from as far away as Brazil and Australia, in the hope of finding the original fan letters as well as any potential responses from the drummer.
Mr O'Donnell, who describes himself as a "huge Beatles fan", sent letters and return envelopes to about 50 addresses last week.
"The chances are if there are 50 of these return addresses, I'm going to get at least one letter back," he said.
Joseph O'Donnell Back of an envelope with lots of Beatles-related scribbles such as "Beatles are Immortal" and "Beatles 4-Ever" and "Ringo". There is a Hallmark logo in the middle. Joseph O'Donnell
A number of the envelopes included return addresses, said Mr O'Donnell. Mr O'Donnell only has the envelopes and not the original fan letters they contained.
The envelopes had been collected by Starr's one-time employee Roger Hopkins.
Source: bbc.com/Jason Arunn Murugesu
When The Beatles parted ways in 1970, it was a sad ending, but also the start of four wildly different, wildly brilliant solo journeys. From protest anthems to dreamy ballads and synth-driven adventures, each Beatle proved they still had something to say. These ten albums—one from each member and a few standouts—show how their post-Beatles careers weren’t just footnotes, but essential chapters in rock history.
George Harrison – All Things Must Pass
The quiet Beatle came out swinging with a triple album full of soul, spirituality, and slide guitar. “My Sweet Lord” was the hit, but the deep cuts—“Wah-Wah,” “Isn’t It a Pity,” “Beware of Darkness”—are where George’s songwriting soars. It was the first solo album to truly eclipse the shadow of The Beatles. Phil Spector’s Wall of Sound production made it massive, but it’s George’s vision that made it timeless.
John Lennon – Plastic Ono Band
Raw, brutal, and unfiltered, this was John with no safety net. Inspired by primal scream therapy, the album strips away the myth and leaves the man. “Mother,” “Working Class Hero,” and “God” weren’t made for easy listening—but they were made for truth.
Source:thatericalper.com/Eric Alper
The Beatles weren't just a rock and roll sensation but a cultural phenomenon. Their rapid ascent began in 1963, captivating audiences across the UK and Europe.
Come February 1964, they blazed through the United States, dominating the airwaves with the smash hit I Want To Hold Your Hand and capturing over 73 million viewers on The Ed Sullivan Show. Their stellar rise from Liverpool's Cavern Club saw them become global superstars in mere years, with the frenzy of Beatlemania quickly becoming a profitable venture.
It didn't take long for the Fab Four to venture into cinema. Just one month after their American breakthrough, they commenced production on A Hard Day's Night, their first movie. It comes after Paul McCartney revealed he was 'blown away' by one Beatles cover.
A Hard Day's Night director Richard Lester helmed the quartet—Paul, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon—who played whimsical versions of themselves in this comedic flick, which followed two zany days leading up to a TV show appearance.
The Beatles pose for a portrait on the roof of the Palace Court Hotel in Bournemouth in August 1963.
Source: themirror.com/Dan Haygarth
Although they reshaped music as we know it, the Beatles never shied away from their influences. Their earliest albums included covers of songs by some of their favorite American artists, including Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and groups from the Motown stable.
Those influences were rooted deep in their music sensibilities. George Harrison’s eye-catching Futurama guitar was bought so he could mimic his hero Holly at a time when Fender Stratocasters hadn’t yet made it to the U.K. Paul McCartney often doffed his hat to his forebearers, whether by channeling Little Richard's singing style or drawing Motown stylings into “Got to Get You into My Life.”
But perhaps the most obvious tribute to a fellow group was "Back in the U.S.S.R.," a McCartney composition from the 1968 White Album that was recorded with all the trimmings of a classic Beach Boys tune. And indeed, the Beatles were Beach Boys fans. John Lennon and McCartney were both heavily influenced by Brian Wilson's songs, arrangements and recordings on Pet Sounds, and they considered the group's multilayered harmonies as good as their own.
So how did "Back in the U.S.S.R." become a Beach Boys tribute? It got some help from a Beach Boy: Mike Love.
The Beatles met Love in February 1968, when they all went to study Transcendental Meditation in Rishikesh, India, with guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Lennon, McCartney and Harrison wrote a huge portion of the White Album while there, including "Back in the U.S.S.R."
Source: yahoo.com/Phil Weller
Freed of the pressure of leading a band, Paul McCartney decided to let his experimental flag fly in his 1980 album McCartney II. That relaxed spirit made its way into the lyrics, which occasionally revel in their silliness.
But for the least song on the album, McCartney went back to more traditional songwriting strengths: a pretty tune and heartfelt lyrics. “One Of These Days”, a prime deep cut from his catalog, emerged from that process.
Paul McCartney started to grow weary of fronting a band as the 70s ended. After all, they had been fulfilling that role for the better part of two decades. Barely a year had elapsed after The Beatles announced their break when McCartney started up Wings, who carried him through the majority of the 70s.
In 1980, Paul McCartney took the opportunity to record a DIY solo album. He played all the instruments on McCartney II, including synthesizers, which provided the dominant sound of the record. Aside from the ear-candy single “Coming Up”, much of the album was given over to offbeat tracks like “Temporary Secretary” and “Bogey Music”.
McCartney did go a more familiar route for the closing track. As he explained in an interview (as quoted by Beatles Bible), an unexpected visitor caused the change in direction.
“‘One Of These Days’ all happened when a Hare Krishna bloke came round to see me,” said McCartney. “He was a nice fellow, very sort of gentle. After he left, I went to the studio, and the vibe carried through a bit. I started writing something a bit more gentle that particular day. The song seemed right as a very simple thing, and it basically just says, ‘One of these days I’ll do what I’ve been meaning to do the rest of my life.’ I think it’s something a lot of people can identify with.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Jim Beviglia
One of the most controversial moments of The Beatles’ career has to be when John Lennon said in an interview that the Fab Four were “bigger than Jesus” back in 1966. It was a huge debacle that angered a lot of conservative Christian Americans. It led to a pretty unpleasant North American tour for the band that year. Despite Lennon’s attempt to clarify his comments, the damage had already been done. Some concerts were full-on unsafe for The Beatles because of that statement being massively blown out of proportion. Just as well, the controversy was likely a contributing factor to the band calling it quits on touring later that year.
Decades later in 2010, the Catholic Church officially published an article in its newspaper, the L’Osservatore Romano, written by Giuseppe Fiorentino and Gaetano Vallini. In the article, the Vatican declared that it had officially forgiven John Lennon for his remarks comparing The Beatles to Jesus.
Some saw the article as an agreeable farewell to the whole debacle that never really disappeared from the Fab Four’s legacy. However, Ringo Starr was not happy about the Catholic Church’s “forgiveness” of his late friend and bandmate.
Source: americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
Although they reshaped music as we know it, the Beatles never shied away from their influences. Their earliest albums included covers of songs by some of their favorite American artists, including Buddy Holly, Little Richard, Carl Perkins and groups from the Motown stable.
Those influences were rooted deep in their music sensibilities. George Harrison’s eye-catching Futurama guitar was bought so he could mimic his hero Holly at a time when Fender Stratocasters hadn’t yet made it to the U.K. Paul McCartney often doffed his hat to his forebearers, whether by channeling Little Richard's singing style or drawing Motown stylings into “Got to Get You into My Life.”
But perhaps the most obvious tribute to a fellow group was "Back in the U.S.S.R.," a McCartney composition from the 1968 White Album that was recorded with all the trimmings of a classic Beach Boys tune. And indeed, the Beatles were Beach Boys fans. John Lennon and McCartney were both heavily influenced by Brian Wilson's songs, arrangements and recordings on Pet Sounds, and they considered the group's multilayered harmonies as good as their own.
So how did "Back in the U.S.S.R." become a Beach Boys tribute? It got some help from a Beach Boy: Mike Love.
Source: guitarplayer.com/Phil Weller
