Beatles News
The pressure on Paul McCartney to deliver some kind of statement in song summing up his feelings about John Lennon’s death must have been immense. How easily he could have misjudged the task and come up with something Lennon himself likely would have criticized as sappy.
McCartney managed to sidestep all of that by taking an honest look at his relationship with his ex-partner in the 1982 song “Here Today.” In so doing, he ended up delivering perhaps the most touching tribute of all to Lennon.
How could a songwriter possibly address a situation as tragic as the sudden, senseless death of John Lennon? Many did, and some did so quite admirably. (Elton John/Bernie Taupin, Paul Simon, and another Beatle, George Harrison, come to mind.) But expecting Paul McCartney to do it was another story.
Of course, McCartney is one of the finest songwriters of any era, so his skill was never the question. But because the whole world knew him as one half of the greatest writing team of all time—with Lennon being the other half—it was never going to be easy to put all that into words. And the public also knew well the two men weren’t always on the best of terms, especially after The Beatles broke up.
Source: Jim Beviglia/americansongwriter.com
This week, Ringo Starr announced his return to country music with a brand-new album, Look Up, produced by T Bone Burnett. Following the release of his latest single, "Time on My Hands," Starr has shared several teasers on social media, including images from the album art photoshoot.
In a true meeting of Genesis authors, the concept for the album was born at the Sunset Marquis book launch for Olivia Harrison's Came the Lightening: Twenty Poems for George, where Starr met Burnett. There, they discussed their shared love of country music and agreed to collaborate on the project.
"I thought Ringo was deserving of a serious album... Occasionally, you catch a glimpse of what somebody can mean now who had an illustrious past, and something that doesn't have to do with the charts and all that stuff, but just has to do with the timelessness of who they are." - T Bone Burnett
Featuring the talents of Billy Strings, Molly Tuttle, Larkin Poe, Lucius, and Alison Krauss, these artists are said to bring fresh and exciting energy to the eleven tracks, making substantial contributions to the album's overall sound.
Now shipping worldwide, below you can learn more about the new signed prints in Ringo Starr's Photograph Portfolio 2024, also available and shipping now is Olivia Harrison's Came the Lightening. Lastly, shipping in January 2025 is Buddy Holly: Words of Love in which T Bone Burnett was recently announced as a new contributor.
Source: genesis-publications.com
Luther Vandross’ Cover of The Beatles’ “Michelle” Released: “Another Classic Song Has Been Lutherized!”
The release coincides with the documentary 'Luther: Never Too Much,' which opens in select cities on Nov. 1. The 'Never Too Much: Greatest Hits' album is out on Dec. 13.
Luther Vandross passed away in 2005, but unreleased music from the R&B icon was made available Friday — a cover of The Beatles’ ‘60s hit “Michelle.”
Vandross’ close friend and vocal collaborator, Fonzi Thornton, discovered the tape following the singer’s death when he visited his family to look through his music archives, unseen videos, cassette tapes, personal effects, stage costumes and more. He then moved the archives to a room in his apartment for safekeeping.
“I found two cassettes labeled ‘Michelle’ in his handwriting — [I had] no idea what it was [and then I] played it! I realized it was a beautiful rendition of the Beatles classic that had been vocally and musically Lutherized,” Thornton tells The Hollywood Reporter. “I played Luther’s version for Jeff James, A&R at Sony and Dave Gottlieb, manager of the Vandross Estate, and we agreed it was such a find. We decided to save it until the right time — which is now.
Source: Mesfin Fekadu/hollywoodreporter.com
The album was signed at Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel in 1965. A rare album signed by The Beatles almost 60 years ago has fetched £10,000 at auction.
The 1965 LP Help! is thought to be one of fewer than 100 albums signed by all four members still in circulation. It was sold by Annie Newby, from Durham, whose late husband owned the record for more than a quarter of a century.
She said she felt it was important the record found "a loving home". Anderson & Garland Auction Annie Newby with the signed record of Help! by The BeatlesAnderson & Garland Auction. Annie Newby remembers how much joy the album gave her late husband
It was originally bought by music enthusiast Bob Todd in September 1989, who passed it on to his friend, Max Newby, before he died.
Mr Newby owned the record until his death in 2016, and it has been in his wife's possession since. She said she recently decided "it's time to pass this special piece of music history on to another fan who will appreciate it as much as Max and Bob did".
Mrs Newby said: "The signed album brought Max and Bob immense joy. I still remember the day Bob bought it, he was so excited to show it to Max.
"He brought it straight to our house and they spent hours talking about The Beatles, their history, and what it must have been like at The Cavern Club in the early 1960s.
"They stayed up until two in the morning, just staring at the album and feeling where the pen had indented the album."
Anderson & Garland Auction The signed record, a letter from the original owner, and an invoice of sale.Anderson & Garland Auction
The autographs were sold with a letter of provenance and sale history. A letter from the item's original owner, Jeff Conner, confirm it was signed by the band at Liverpool's Adelphi Hotel in 1965. It states their close friend Paddy Delaine - former doorman of The Cavern Club - introduced the "shy" Mr Conner to The Fab Four.
"I was very shy in asking George for his signature, as he was in deep conversation with someone but as he put pen to cover he completed one of my dreams at the time, to obtain The Beatles autographs," the letter continued.
"John and Ringo signed above themselves, Paul and George below." The Beatles performed in Liverpool for the last time in December 1965, at the Liverpool Empire Theatre.
Source: Luke Jarmyn/bbc.com
It’s been one of the more enduring celebrity death hoaxes, long before social media.
But on October 24 1969, two Life magazine reporters found Paul McCartney to reveal he hadn’t actually died in a car crash.
Benjamin Jackson looks back at how the rumour gained traction in 1969 and what breadcrumbs The Beatles left to tell the world “Paul is dead”.
Legend has it that on October 24 1969, Life magazine reporters Dorothy "Dot" Jenkins and Timothy Harper visited a farm in Scotland to interview former Beatle Paul McCartney.
That sounds run-of-the-mill, with McCartney at this point in time married to the late Linda McCartney and wanting to have a quieter family life with his two children. But it would be during this interview, that was subsequently published on November 7 1969, that Paul addressed a rumour that had blown up that year.
"Rumours of my death have been greatly exaggerated. However, if I were dead, I'm sure I'd be the last to know."
It would spell an end to the long standing suggestion that Sir Paul McCartney had died supposedly of a car accident back in 1966, and that the McCartney that was with the band between the releases from Revolver to Abbey Road was a replacement.
Those album releases didn’t stave off the rumours and in fact became breadcrumbs with many who believed in the death hoax pointing to hidden messages and meanings throughout the height of the “Paul is dead” craze.
Ahead of McCartney’s Get Back tour, set to take place at Manchester’s Co-op Live on December 14 and 15, and then London’s The O2 on December 18 and 19, let’s find out (those of us of a much younger age) how the rumours began and, of course, what “clues” were hidden by the Beatles to let us know that Paul was, in fact, dead.
How did the “Paul is dead” rumour begin in the first place?
Even in 2024, it would appear Sir Paul McCartney cannot dodge the "Paul is dead" hoaxes.Even in 2024, it would appear Sir Paul McCartney cannot dodge the "Paul is dead" hoaxes. There had always been rumours about either McCartney’s demise or him going solo dating back to 1966, when media outlets called then Beatles press officer, Tony Barrow, to enquire whether the musician was experiencing ill health or if he had in fact died.
Source: Benjamin Jackson/yorkshirepost.co.uk
Sometimes, the stories heard about the making of iconic albums seem as though that famous Las Vegas expression should be applied: What happens in the studio, stays in the studio. But for better or worse, word gets out about the fateful recording of albums like The Beatles' "Let it Be," for example, or Kendrick Lamar's "Good Kid, m.A.A.d. City." These stories range from inspirational to entertaining to worrisome—but all have the behind-the-music essence fans thrive on.
Stacker compiled a list of 25 classic albums ranging from folk rock to hip hop, along with the stories from the studios that produced these albums. For that, sources like Rolling Stone, Pitchfork, and Genius were tapped. The resulting albums are instant classics representing the best, or sometimes the worst, of these iconic bands and artists.
Studio recording is a pressure cooker, with passionate people trying to combine their sometimes disparate ideas of what their band should do next. For artists like Fleetwood Mac, the Eagles, and Led Zeppelin, looming breakups have helped to animate some of their most iconic music, drawing artistic passion from real-life fights and splits. For others, like The Who or Bob Dylan, trying to shake things up led to true artistic brilliance.
Was it passion, good timing, or something else that makes these albums iconic? There's only one way to find out.
Source: Caroline Delbert/MSN
Paul McCartney wrote quite a few songs about John Lennon and vice-versa. It makes sense why. The famed Beatles songwriters had a complicated relationship that teetered between brotherly and contentious all the way until Lennon’s death in 1980. McCartney wrote more than three songs about Lennon, but we think these three specific tracks are worth revisiting.
1. “Here Today”
Out of all the songs that Paul McCartney wrote about John Lennon, “Here Today” has to be the most painfully obvious. Luckily, this one isn’t a negative song or a diss track; McCartney actually puts his admiration for Lennon front and center on “Here Today”.
McCartney penned this track after the death of Lennon as a tribute. It’s a pretty heartbreaking song when you really listen to it. McCartney poses a number of questions and answers them as if Lennon were the one speaking. This has got to be one of McCartney’s most painful songs, but one can’t deny that it’s a beautiful tribute.
2. “Man We Was Lonely”
The Beatles’ ultimate breakup wasn’t exactly a friendly one. By the time the band called it quits, each member of the Fab Four had their share of issues with one another. McCartney had quite famously become a bit controlling after the death of the band’s manager in order to keep the band functioning, and that control caused some serious riffs with the other band members.
McCartney wrote “Man We Was Lonely” while still with The Beatles but didn’t release it until his solo career took off with McCartney. This track sounds like McCartney’s personal diary as he revisits the tension and stress of being in The Beatles and the difficulties he had with Lennon, in particular.
Source: Em Casalena/americansongwriter.com
The 50th anniversary of George Harrison’s solo album Living in the Material World is being celebrated with a series of new reissues, including a super deluxe edition featuring 12 previously unreleased recordings. Released in May 1973, Living in the Material World was Harrison’s second solo album of original material, and his second solo album to hit #1.
Harrison’s wife, Olivia, and son, Dhani, oversaw the project, with Olivia sharing, “I hope you revisit Living in the Material World or discover it for the first time, and as you listen, share George’s wish for himself and mankind.”
The first preview of those recordings is “Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth) (Take 18),” an early acoustic version of Harrison’s second solo #1, available now via digital outlets. Other unearthed songs include a recording of “Sunshine Life for Me (Sail Away Raymond),” featuring the Band’s Robbie Robertson, Levon Helm, Garth Hudson, and Rick Danko, as well as Ringo Starr. That comes on a separate 7″ single in the super deluxe edition.
The super deluxe edition will be limited to only 5,000 copies, and will include two LPs and two CDs, featuring the newly remixed album, plus a separate disc with previously unreleased early editions of each song on the album. In addition to the super deluxe edition, there will be two-LP and two-CD deluxe editions that include the session outtakes. It will also be released as a single CD and LP, with limited-edition color vinyl variants available at various retailers, including a purple color vinyl from the Harrison online store.
Source: steamboatradio.com
On Tuesday, Oct. 22, Paul McCartney’s son James posted a photo of himsef and his sister Stella McCartney with Dhani Harrison, the son of late Beatles guitarist George Harrison, after watching him perform in London.
“Great gig last night in London watching @DhaniHarrison!” James, 47, wrote in the caption to the photo posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“Please support his music here https://dhaniharrison.com/musici 🎶❤️,” he added. In the snap, which appeared to have been taken
Dhani is the only son of late Beatles member George and his second wife Olivia Harrison. The musician died at age 58 of lung cancer on Nov. 29, 2001.
The McCartneys have remained supportive friends of Dhani’s over the years. In August 2016, Dhani performed at Stella’s collection showcase in Los Angeles and he has also been seen cheering her on in the front row at her fashion shows.
Dhani told Daily Mail in 2012, “Of all of them, I think I’m most similar to Stella and Mary [McCartney],” speaking of all the Beatles children. “I really relate to the way they’ve dealt with their circumstances — they’re like big sisters to me."
In 2009, Dhani and his mother Olivia, 76, were also supported by former Beatles member Paul, 82, as George was honored with a star at The Hollywood Walk of Fame ceremony. Eric Idol, Paul McCartney, Olivia Harrison, Tom Hanks and Dhani at the ceremony honoring the late George Harrison with a star on The Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009.
Dhani studied physics in college and worked as an aerodynamicist before he eventually decided to follow in his dad’s footsteps of pursuing a career in music in 2001. “He taught me how to make records from an early age,” he told the Daily Mail. “I grew up in a recording studio.”
Source: Escher Walcott/people.com
Raymond Schillinger of You Can’t Unhear This looked back at the history of “Here Comes the Sun”, a seminal song by The Beatles that was both perfect and unusual in so many different ways.
Here Comes The Sun has become one of the most popular and treasured Beatles songs, a gateway into their music for many new fans. This 3-minute gem of unforgettable songwriting is also packed with intriguing anomalies, production quirks and even a mystery.
The song was written entirely by George Harrison in 1969, rather than John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Harrison, who wasn’t yet known for his incredible song writing skills, took the reins that summer, both musically and lyrically, by adding new and innovative instruments like the Moog synthesizer, running his guitar through a rotating Leslie speaker made for keyboards, and adding vari-speed pitch control to the final song.
With just days to go before the album was set to be mixed, George felt that his song needed one final ingredient: the fabulous and otherworldly sounds created by a new electronic instrument called the Moog.…With all of the pieces finally in place on the packed 8-track tape, the beautifully layered recording of Here Comes the Sun was finally ready to be mixed…where of course the anomalies continued… This intentional adjustment, often called vari-speed, was occasionally used by The Beatles to lend a special texture to their studio recordings.
Source: MSN
