Beatles News
George Harrison landed at #1 with the song “My Sweet Lord,” which went on to spend four weeks in the top spot.
The chart-topper, produced by Harrison and Phil Spector, made Harrison the first former member of The Beatles to score a solo #1 in the U.S. The track, which was released as a double A-side single with “Isn’t It a Pity,” also went to #1 in several other countries, including the U.K. and Australia.
“My Sweet Lord” was featured on Harrison’s album All Things Must Pass, which was his first solo album following the Beatles’ breakup. He later released an updated version of the tune, “My Sweet Lord (2000),” for the 30th anniversary reissue of the album.
Source: deltaplexnews.com
After releasing several singles in the U.S. earlier in the year—”Please Please Me” and “From Me to You” (under Vee-Jay Records) and “She Loves You” (Swan Records)—Capitol finally signed the Beatles after Ed Sullivan agreed to let the band perform on his show in February 1964. The day after Christmas, 1963, the Beatles released their first single under the label, and what would become their first No. 1 in the United States, “I Want To Hold Your Hand,” and its B-side “I Saw Her Standing There.”
By early 1964, “I Want to Hold Your Hand” went to No. 1 internationally, including in the UK and the U.S., making them an overnight sensation in America. When they heard they had topped the chart in the U.S., the Beatles were in Paris playing a three-week, 18-show residency at the Olympia Theatre before heading to the U.S.
“We were playing in Paris, an engagement at the Olympia Theatre, a famous old theater Edith Piaf played at, and we got a telegram — as you did in those days — saying, ‘Congratulations, No. 1 in U.S. charts,” recalled Paul McCartney. “We jumped on each other’s backs. It was late at night after a show, and we just partied. That was the record that allowed us to come to America.”
Source: americansongwriter.com/Tina Benitez-Eves
The formal separation of the Beatles is 50 years old this Sunday, a painful moment preceded by "many tensions" due to personal differences, creative conflicts, and the death in 1967 of their manager.
Although they initialed their dissolution in a document on December 29, 1974, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr had stopped working together between 1969 and 1970.
"They discovered that they were individualities and not just members of the band," Peter Doggett, author of the book "You Never Give Me Your Money: The Battle for the Soul of The Beatles," published in 2009 and focusing on the band's breakup, tells AFP.
That document, known as "The Beatles Agreement," has the date December 29, 1974, handwritten on it, with the signatures of the four band members. It allowed the quartet to structure their rights to song ownership and legal matters related to the breakup.
"The legal separation in December 1974 included an agreement whereby, under the terms of the original partnership, all of that money was divided equally among the four of them," adds Doggett.
Source: aldianews.com
Former Journey frontman Steve Perry recently signed a new record deal with Dark Horse Records, the label founded by late Beatles guitarist George Harrison. Perry’s first release on Dark Horse was The Season 3, an expanded version of his 2021 holiday album The Season.
Perry recently was interviewed about The Season 3 on an episode of “Dark Horse Radio,” a Harrison-themed radio show that airs on SiriusXM’s The Beatles Channel. During his appearance, Steve also discussed some of his favorite Harrison songs and recordings, both with The Beatles and as a solo artist.
Among the tunes Perry singles out were the Beatles songs “I Need You” and “Here Comes the Sun,” and the Harrison solo tune “Beware of Darkness.”
About “I Need You” and Perry’s Own Version of the Song
Perry began with “I Need You,” a 1965 Beatles song from the Help soundtrack that was written and sung by Harrison. Steve covered the tune on his 2018 solo album, Traces. For his version, Perry put a mellow, R&B-flavored spin on the tune.
Source: Matt Friedlander/americansongwriter.com
"Rubbish", "boring" and "appalling": just three of the word used to describe the Fab Four's self-produced TV movie, which aired on Boxing Day 1967. But why did the film get that sort of reaction?
The Daily Mirror called it "rubbish". The Daily Express said it was "boring". The Daily Mail's TV critic said it was "appalling". This was The Beatles' Magical Mystery Tour - a one-hour film made for television that went out on Boxing Day 1967, a mere six moths after the Fab Four had stunned the world with their masterful album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.
These days, Paul McCartney, who was the main driving force behind the production, claims it was a huge influence on film students and the whole "road movie" genre. At the time, Magical Mystery Tour - which was released in the immediate aftermath of the death of Beatles manager Brian Epstein - was a new experience for the group. It was a rare misfire.
The Beatles in costume for for the I Am The Walrus segment of Magical Mystery Tour. Paul is the hippo, George is the rabbit, Ringo is the parrot and John, of course, is the walrus.
The Beatles in costume for for the I Am The Walrus segment of Magical Mystery Tour. Paul is the hippo, George is the rabbit, Ringo is the parrot and John, of course, is the walrus. Picture: Alamy
Source: Martin O'Gorman/radiox.co.uk
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr of the Beatles started out in Liverpool, England, but it wasn’t long before the band took the entire world by storm. As the group ascended to superstardom, the famed foursome expanded their horizons and put down roots around the UK and beyond.
The group’s 1964 song “I’ll Follow the Sun” is “a ‘Leaving of Liverpool’ song,” McCartney explained in his 2021 book The Lyrics. “I’m leaving this rainy northern town for someplace where more is happening.” The Beatles’ rise to fame is explored in the new documentary Beatles ’64 (streaming now on Disney+), featuring never-before-seen footage of the group and its legions of fans during the frenzy of Beatlemania. Of course, it wasn’t all massive crowds and wild concerts; the four led quieter lives in their time at home, where they wrote some of their greatest hits. To provide a peek behind the curtain into their private worlds, we rounded up some domestic snapshots of the iconic musicians below.
Source: Michael Gioia/architecturaldigest.com
Sir Paul McCartney has big plans for 2025.
On Saturday, Dec. 21, the Beatles musician, 82, answered a series of fan questions on his website, including what his New Year's resolution is — to "finish an album."
"I’ve been working on a lot of songs, and have had to put it to the side because of the tour," McCartney wrote. "So, I’m hoping to get back into that and finish up a lot of these songs."
He added: "So, how’s about that? ‘My New Year’s resolution is to finish a new album!’"
McCartney also revealed his holiday plans following his Got Back tour dates involved a "well-deserved rest."
"It’s Christmas, so it’s family time for me," he wrote. "We’ve got the decorations up already actually. And I’m one of those guys that loves to overdo decorations, so I need a minute to sit back, relax and enjoy them."
McCartney released his last solo album, McCartney III, in 2020 and represents the third part of a musical trilogy that began with his 1970 solo album McCartney and was later followed by McCartney II in 1980.
In December 2020, the "Maybe I'm Amazed" performer revealed on The Howard Stern Show that Taylor Swift decided to move the release date of her album Evermore so that it wouldn't conflict with McCartney's own LP.
"I did the Rolling Stone cover with Taylor Swift, and she just emailed me recently, and she said, 'I wasn't telling anyone, but I've got another album,' " he recalled. "And she said, 'So I was going to put it out my birthday.' And then she said, 'But I found out you were going to put [your album] out on the 10th. So I moved it to the 18th.' "
Source: Ilana Kaplan/people.com
Imagine you’re in the midst of a period of personal tumult, you’ve overextended yourself with activities to the point it’s wearing on your very physical being, and you have to pull it all together to write and record an album of new material. On top of all that, you used to be a Beatle, meaning that pretty much the whole world is focused on your every musical utterance.
That’s where George Harrison was when he made his 1974 album, Dark Horse, released 50 years ago this month. Unsurprisingly, it’s a little rough-and-tumble at times. But it also provides a fascinating glimpse at what Harrison might have been had he chosen a confessional singer/songwriting post-Beatles career, instead of burrowing into his cosmic mysteries.
Keep It Dark
George Harrison earned a reputation as a recluse of sorts in his post-Beatles days, someone who wanted none of the spotlight his immense talent afforded him. That view of him doesn’t square with the Harrison who was a dynamo of activity for the first five years of his solo career.
Even by the frantic standard he set during that time period, the year 1974 was extremely excessive. Harrison took on a producer’s role on albums by both his old friend Ravi Shankar and the British duo Splinter. Those duties dovetailed with the new record label he was starting, as he shed his ties to The Beatles’ Apple label.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
It was a monumental year for The Beatles, as they celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first time they arrived in the U.S.
In February 1964 The Beatles — Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr — made their first visit to the U.S. to play The Ed Sullivan Show, which was seen by a then-record 73 million viewers, a moment that launched Beatlemania in America.
The moment in history was highlighted in 2024 with the documentary Beatles ’64, directed by David Tedeschi and produced by Martin Scorsese, which debuted on Disney+ in November. It featured never-before-seen footage of the legendary group and their fans during the height of Beatlemania.
The anniversary was one of many Beatles-related highlights of 2024. Among the others:
Sam Mendes announced he’ll be directing four movies about The Beatles, each one told from the point of view of a different band member. So far no casting has officially been announced, but Ringo let it slip that Saltburn’s Barry Keoghan would be playing him.
McCartney’s original backing track for “Blackbird” was used for Beyoncé‘s interpretation of the song, retitled “Blackbiird,” which appeared on her album Cowboy Carter. He called it a “killer version” of the song.
Source: kslx.com
The Beatles knew how to produce hit after hit throughout their career like it was easy. And quite a few of those hits were heartwrenching ballads. Let’s take a look at a few of The Beatles’ best ballads worth revisiting! Just keep in mind that this list is far from exhaustive. The Fab Four put out far too many memorable ballads to include on such a short list!
1. “And I Love Her”
This ballad from A Hard Day’s Night came from a period of The Beatles’ career when John Lennon and Paul McCartney were interested in penning soft, delicate tracks. And they definitely succeeded in that with “And I Love Her”.
Written by McCartney, this song is a dramatic ballad and an ode to falling in love with that special person. Even though McCartney should get the most credit for this track, we can’t help but applaud George Harrison for his guitar riff contribution to “And I Love Her”.
2. “Blackbird”
Some would say “Blackbird” is the very best out of all of The Beatles’ ballads. We can certainly understand why many fans would agree with that sentiment. This standout track from The White Album was McCartney’s attempt to write a soothing anthem of sorts for African-American women who were struggling during the Civil Rights movement in the United States at the time.
Source:americansongwriter.com/Em Casalena
