Beatles News
In a touching tribute to mark their 13th wedding anniversary, Sir Paul McCartney has shared a rare and intimate photo of his wife, Nancy Shevell.
Known for keeping much of their personal life private, the 82-year-old Beatles star delighted fans by offering a glimpse into the couple's lives with the photo, which captured a tender moment between them.
Paul accompanied the post with a heartfelt caption, expressing his gratitude for their time together: "Wishing a fabulous anniversary to my beautiful missus [heart emoji]…
Hollywood actress and friend Rita Wilson was quick to reply, writing: "Happy happy anniversary love birds!." Leslie Mann added: "Cutest couple, Happy anniversary!" Kate Hudson stated: "Love you guys!!! Happy Anniversary."
The pair first met in 2007 and quickly became inseparable, with Paul finding love again after the loss of his first wife, Linda McCartney, and the end of his second marriage with Heather Mills. Their wedding took place in an intimate ceremony at Old Marylebone Town Hall in London on 9 October 2011.
Last year, Paul revealed how he keeps the romance alive with the businesswoman in a post on his website. Opening up, Sir Paul explained how he tries to be a "considerate and romantic" husband and loves pulling out all the stops, especially when it comes to special occasions like Valentine's Day and Christmas.
"If there's an excuse to have some fun, I overdo it! At Christmas, I go crazy with the tree lights and fairy lights - totally overdo it," he revealed.
"I try to be helpful as a husband too. If there's a problem, I like to be the guy that will lend some strength to it. I'm always very happy to be the person Nancy relies on, and to be her strength when she goes through tough times."
Source: hellomagazine.com
Who, exactly, is the ‘Fifth Beatle’? Many have had that title bestowed upon them, deemed the essential but just-out-of-frame counterpart to Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. There’s producer George Martin, who worked extensively with the band in the studio, or road manager Neil Aspinall, and press officer Derek Taylor. But one of the top contenders for that title has always been Brian Epstein – the man who discovered the Fab Four in Liverpool, helped usher them into the spotlight, and died at the tender age of 32. Now, his story – and a slice of music history – is being told in biopic Midas Man, starring The Queen’s Gambit’s Jacob Fortune-Lloyd as Epstein.
Empire has been working eight days a week to bring you an exclusive first-look clip from the film – featuring not just one but two ‘Fifth Beatles’, depicting a pivotal point in Beatles history: the moment in which Epstein fires original drummer Pete Best (played here by Adam Lawrence), who would go on to be replaced by Ringo Starr. Watch it here:
Here’s the official Midas Man synopsis: “Meet Brian Epstein, a man who lived a thousand lives in a few short years, a visionary who transformed music history. From running a Liverpool record store to shaping the sound of a generation, Epstein's journey is a rollercoaster of ambition, passion, and relentless pursuit of greatness. Jacob Fortune-Lloyd stars as the mastermind behind The Beatles’ meteoric rise, navigating a whirlwind of unprecedented fame, cultural revolution, and personal demons. But behind the glitz and glamour lies a man seeking acceptance and love in a world not ready. Midas Man peels back the curtain on the swinging ‘60s, revealing the triumphs, heartbreaks, and secrets of the man who changed the face of music forever. Step into Brian’s world, where every touch turns to gold, but the most precious treasure remains just out of reach.”
Source: Ben Travis/empireonline.com
BBC One show Fake Or Fortune? is appealing for help to prove a piano owned by 1990s pop star Chesney Hawkes once belonged to John Lennon.
In Thursday night’s episode presenters Fiona Bruce and Philip Mould investigate the baby grand piano, which was acquired by Hawkes’ father Len Hawkes, who played in 1960s group The Tremeloes, when he was recording at Tittenhurst Park, a Grade II-listed country house Lennon once owned in the early 1970s. Lennon and Yoko Ono left the house for New York in 1971 and sold the property and its recording studio to Ringo Starr, who moved in in 1973. During the show the Fake Or Fortune? team were unable to prove the piano belonged to Lennon.
During the episode Hawkes explains that his family story goes that the Broadwood piano had been left on the lawn and that “it was John’s and Ringo didn’t want it”, so Starr gave it to his father. Although the show’s team make a number of discoveries during the episode, they cannot prove it belonged to the Beatles star.
Without provenance it is estimated to be worth a few thousand pounds, but with evidence it was once Lennon’s, the piano could be worth hundreds of thousands. Hawkes learned to play piano on the instrument and is hoping someone will be able to provide evidence it belonged to Lennon, although he does not plan to sell it.
He said: “My family still has a lot of love for this piano and it will carry on being loved in the Hawkes family for years to come.”
It's all about provenance - working to prove that a musical demi-god touched and used the musical instrument in question. It often involves rigorous research, but the rewards can be enormous
Bruce added: “We had such high hopes, it was so exciting, we’ve not looked into something like this before, but we couldn’t just, quite, clinch it.
“If someone’s watching, and you remember John Lennon playing this piano or you’ve got any photographic evidence, get in touch.” Mould added that the music memorabilia market is “fascinating” but provenance is key.
Source: Casey Cooper-Fiske/standard.co.uk
The Beatles’ Abbey Road, released on September 26, 1969, is one of the most iconic albums in music history. Its influence has made generations continue to pick up (or stream) the album, so here are five intriguing tidbits about Abbey Road that you may not have known!
1. The Iconic Zebra Crossing Almost Didn’t Happen
The famous album cover, showing the Beatles walking across a zebra crossing outside of Abbey Road Studios, is one of the most recognizable images in pop culture. However, the concept for the cover came about rather spontaneously. Paul McCartney sketched out the idea, and photographer Iain Macmillan had just ten minutes to capture the image. The Beatles were almost photographed at Mount Everest, but due to time constraints, they opted for the nearby zebra crossing outside their studio instead.
2. The Moog Synthesizer Made Its Debut
Abbey Road was the first Beatles album to prominently feature the Moog synthesizer, which added an innovative and futuristic sound to tracks like “Here Comes the Sun” and “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer.” George Harrison, fascinated by new technologies, had purchased the Moog in 1968 and used it creatively throughout the album. The synthesizer was used not just as a background instrument, but as a driving force on some tracks, helping to create the album’s distinct sound.
3. Paul McCartney Wanted to Cut ‘Her Majesty’
The quirky 23-second song “Her Majesty,” which closes the album, was never meant to be part of the final tracklist. After recording the song, McCartney decided it didn’t fit with the rest of the medley and asked for it to be cut. Fortunately, the studio engineer John Kurlander saved it by tacking it onto the end of the master tape. When the band heard it later, they decided to leave it on the album, making “Her Majesty” one of rock’s earliest examples of a hidden track. “Her Majesty” opens with the final, crashing chord of “Mean Mr. Mustard”, while the final note remained buried in the mix of “Polythene Pam”, as a result of being snipped off the reel during a rough mix of the medley. Brilliant.
4. Ringo Starr’s Only Drum Solo
Source: thatericalper.com
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
