Beatles News

In 1962, The Beatles had the opportunity to work with the highly talented and revered music producer George Martin. At first, Martin didn’t view the collaboration as particularly promising. However, that would of course change, as The Beatles were the most successful and lucrative band George Martin ever produced. Regardless, what seemingly took the wind out of Martin’s sails was The Beatles’ drumming roster. At first, he didn’t like Pete Best, and when The Beatles replaced him with Ringo Starr, well… Martin didn’t like him either.

When Martin requested that The Beatles replace Pete Best and find a replacement, he had already gone and booked session drummer Andy White, in case they couldn’t come up with a sufficient replacement in time. Subsequently, The Beatles discovered Ringo Starr, and they wanted him to play drums on the recording of “Love Me Do”. However, unsatisfied with Starr’s drumming, Martin insisted that he sit out and let White sit in. With no surprise, this decision would ultimately lead to a lengthy feud between George Martin and Ringo Starr.

Nobody ever wants to get benched. In sports, music, and any endeavor, getting replaced by details

John Lennon had a spiky relationship with Paul McCartney after The Beatles broke up(Image: Popperfoto via Getty Images)

Paul McCartney and John Lennon weren't exactly fans of every tune they churned out for The Beatles, with John openly dissing some of Paul's tunes post-breakup.‌ John laid into Paul's efforts on the 'Abbey Road' medley and the '67 hit album 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band', even poking at 'Let it Be'. On 'Let it Be', John dropped this in a 1980 talk: "That's Paul. What can you say? Nothing to do with The Beatles. It could've been Wings. I don't know what he's thinking when he writes 'Let It Be'."

Even his own tracks weren’t safe from his barbs – like 'It's Only Love', which had John regretting its creation, slamming it by saying: "That's the one song I really hate of mine. Terrible lyrics."

Paul wasn't shy about knocking some of his ditties either, calling out 'Little Child' from their sophomore album 'With The Beatles'.
READ MORE: Paul McCartney makes emotional confession about John Lennon as he reflects on The BeatlesREAD MORE: The Beatles' 'most underrated' song hailed as 'ahead of its time' by fans. Paul spilled the beans that the down-in-the-dumps li details

Paul McCartney has revealed his three favourite albums from other artists, as he explained how music brings back memories of John Lennon and George Harrison. The Beatles legend, who this month celebrated his 83rd birthday, frequently speaks to fans through question and answer sessions on his website.

In recent editions of the series, called 'You Gave Me The Answer', Paul has been asked about the 50th anniversary re-release of the 1975 Wings album 'Venus and Mars'. He subsequently recalled happy days as a child buying records at lost Liverpool institution Lewis's. In this month's offering, published today, Paul was asked about his favourite music and how certain songs can bring back memories. ‌

Paul was asked by fan Alex: "My partner and I have recently been discussing the albums and songs that have soundtracked our lives.‌

"Are there any albums that take you back to certain periods in your life? And does performing your own music evoke similar memories?"

He responded: "Yeah, definitely. My favourite albums by other people tend to be: 'Music from Big Pink' by The Band, 'Pet Sounds' by the Beach Boys, and 'Harvest' by Neil Young.

"They are the three classics that I love to li details

Zak Starkey, son of Ringo Starr, has some advice for actor Barry Keoghan, who will be portraying Starr in an upcoming biopic.

"Get a big rubber nose," Starkey recently told NME. "I don't know what else to say. He doesn't look anything like my dad, does he? You can fix anything, can't you? You can certainly give someone a big rubber nose. The thing about my dad is his personality. He sold the Beatles to America, he's the one with the charisma. Pulling that off will be hard. He's just himself."

In preparation for his role, Keoghan has said that he's met with Starr himself to watch his technique in action.

"I met him at his house and he played the drums for me," Keoghan told Jimmy Kimmel last month. "He asked me to play but I wasn't playing the drums for Ringo. ... My job is to observe and take in the mannerisms and study him. But I want to humanize him and bring feelings to it, not just imitate."

As far as Starkey is concerned though, Keoghan probably won't be able to nail the musicality part.

"That's fucking impossible. Nobody can play like my dad," he said. "Good luck to him, but he'll be the first guy who can pull it off. My dad's unique – the greatest rock 'n' roll drummer in the details

In the United Kingdom — where The Beatles got off to a fantastic start before taking over the world — the group’s presence can always be felt on the charts via a handful of compilations. Those collections have become the focus for millions of listeners, especially on streaming platforms, which largely keep those titles alive.

In the United States, things are a bit different. Fans of The Beatles often gravitate toward traditional albums, and more often than not, it's Abbey Road that comes out on top. Thanks to a sizable sales bump, the masterpiece is a hit once again in America.
Abbey Road Lives on Multiple Billboard Charts

Abbey Road can currently be found on two Billboard charts in the U.S. The set rises highest on the Vinyl Albums tally, the list of the bestselling full-lengths and EPs offered on wax. On that ranking, the classic jumps from No. 25 to No. 16. If Abbey Road can hold onto a spot on the list for a little more than two months – which seems almost certain at this point – it will reach 500 weeks as one of the top-selling vinyl releases in the country. 

Over on the Top Album Sales chart, Abbey Road returns, helping the group double its wins this frame. T details

The donation was described as an "extraordinary endorsement"

Yoko Ono has made a "generous" donation to ensure the continuation of a free concert series in Liverpool. Yoko made a donation via Spirit Foundation to the Tung Auditorium’s lunchtime concert series at the University of Liverpool's Yoko Ono Lennon Centre.

Spirit Foundations is the charitable foundation established by Yoko and John Lennon and the donation ensures the continuation of the popular free concert programme for the next three years. The series will now be known as the Yoko Ono Lennon Lunchtime Concert Series in honour of her contribution.   A spokesperson from Spirit Foundations said: “It gives us great pleasure to know the popular lunchtime concert series will continue. Music has power — it can heal, connect, and uplift.

‌"By supporting this series, it is our hope that audiences from all backgrounds will continue to experience the joy, inspiration and sense of unity that live music brings. The fact that these concerts remain free and accessible makes this support especially meaningful."

Yoko is an honorary graduate and long-standing philanthropic supporter of the university. The newly renamed s details

John Lennon had a distinctively droll sense of humor, a wealth of insights from a career defined by unfathomable success and public scrutiny, and, yes, a charmingly rough handwriting style. If a letter from the musician showed up in your mailbox, you could probably figure out the source without even glancing at the return address. And for most aspiring folk artists, receiving such a note would have been life-changing—that is, if it was even delivered.

That scenario is now forever linked to Steve Tilston, a British singer-songwriter who shared his experience in 2010. It all dates back to an interview with underground music magazine ZigZag from 1971, conducted shortly after the release of his debut LP, An Acoustic Confusion. As Tilston recalled to the BBC in 2010, the ZigZag interviewer asked the 21-year-old artist "whether, if I received untold wealth and fortune, it would have a detrimental effect on my songwriting." He added, "I thought it was bound to, but obviously John Lennon disagreed, and he wrote to me to point out the error of my ways."

The letter itself, which included the former Beatle’s phone number, is both thoughtful and gently snarky—classic Lennon. "Being rich doesn't change your details

In one of his final interviews before his death, John Lennon explained the true meaning behind one of The Beatles' most enduring and debated lyrics - 'the Walrus was Paul'

John Lennon once opened up about The Beatles' enigmatic lyric "the Walrus was Paul" from their 1967 hit Glass Onion.

‌The phrase had sparked wild speculation and conspiracy theories among fans about clandestine messages in Beatles tunes. Yet for Lennon, the truth was simpler. "That's me, just doing a throwaway song, à la 'Walrus', à la everything I've ever written," Lennon confided to Playboy's David Sheff in 1980. "I threw the line in – 'the Walrus was Paul' – just to confuse everybody a bit more."

This revelation came years after devotees started poring over Beatles lyrics for concealed clues, especially amid the notorious "Paul is dead" hoax.

Lennon often penned enigmatic verses that left admirers pondering their actual significance. However, when quizzed on the notable Glass Onion line, he clarified it wasn't meant for deep analysis.  "I thought Walrus has now become me, meaning 'I am the one,'" he continued. "Only it didn't mean that in this song. It could have been 'the fox terrier is Paul,' y details

When you’ve led a life as storied as Paul McCartney’s, it must be tempting to write every song about the experiences that you’ve had. Although Macca has occasionally dipped into nostalgia in his songs, he mostly keeps that tendency in check.

Interestingly enough, his occasional reminiscences in song often go flying right past his Beatles days. On his 2007 track, “That Was Me”, he looks back with incredulity to his pre-fame youth.  

Paul McCartney’s 2007 album Memory Almost Full took a while to reach fruition. McCartney started compiling the songs for it four years earlier, recording bits of it with his touring band. But he shelved the project for a bit to work with producer Nigel Godrich. Those sessions became the acclaimed 2005 album Chaos And Creation In The Backyard.

Coming off that success, McCartney didn’t take too long to dive back into Memory Almost Full. He touched up some of the songs that the band had finished. In addition, he wrote new material to fill out the running order.

Despite the disjointed creative process, he stumbled into one of his most thematically cohesive albums. As the title suggests, many of the songs look back and try details

TODAY is Global Beatles Day, and we’re remembering the band that changed the face of music forever.

The day, also known as World Beatles Day, honours and celebrates the ideals of The Beatles. The date, June 25, was chosen to commemorate the day the band participated in the BBC show Our World in 1967, performing “All You Need Is Love” for an international audience.

The event was inaugurated in 2009 by Beatles fan Faith Cohen, who calls it “a thank you or love letter to The Beatles”.

It is celebrated with music and a variety of events celebrating peace and harmony.
The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960. The core lineup comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. (we know you know that Beatles Fans)

They are widely regarded as the most influential band in Western popular music and were integral to the development of 1960s counterculture and the recognition of popular music as an art form.

Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock ‘n’ roll, their sound incorporated elements of classical music and traditional pop in innovative ways. The band also explored music styles ranging from folk and India details

The Beatles turned the studio into a lethal weapon on their 1966 album Revolver. Producer George Martin and the four men in the group went to great lengths to create sounds that broke down the boundaries of pop music.

The music from Revolver is endlessly surprising and compelling. So too are some of the stories behind the making of this legendary LP by the Fab Four.

John Lennon gained a reputation as someone who loved his shuteye. He wrote about it on Revolver in the song “I’m Only Sleeping”, which defended his right to sleep away even his waking hours. His penchant for sawing logs also inadvertently led to one of the most momentous songs on the record. Paul McCartney arrived at Lennon’s abode one day to start a writing session. But he had to wait a bit for his pal, because Lennon was still sleeping in when Paul arrived. To make the most of the time, McCartney settled out near the swimming pool. By the time Lennon awoke, Macca had pretty much written the gorgeous ballad “Here, There And Everywhere” while waiting. 

We tend to think of “Yellow Submarine” as the ultimate kids’ song. The fact that it was turned into a well-regarded animated movie cer details

In October 1980, in one of his last interviews, John Lennon was asked what he thought about Paul McCartney‘s recent projects with Wings and whether he was ever surprised by his former bandmate’s creative output. His reply was telling. “No, he never surprised me. Like, can you be surprised by your brother? From aged 15 on?”

And he was right. Lennon and McCartney were so tight-knit that they were practically blood-related - and John recognized that their sibling-like relationship was still very much in existence, even a decade after The Beatles had split, with all four members going their separate ways. ll

From the thousands of books and biographies that have been written about them, Paul’s relationship with John was not especially complex - they admired each other, respected each other - despite the slight age difference, and having different personalities. In some ways they shared a similar background, growing up in the south end of post-war Liverpool just as an exciting new brand of music, rock ‘n’ roll, started seeping in from the United States. They both got the bug at the same time.

They had a mutual understanding - one glance, one raised eyebrow, a smil details

The Beatles used a performing trick to stand them apart from other acts.  Music icon Paul McCartney said The Beatles found ways to stand out from their peers, including using one performance trick that boosted their gigs.

‌For decades since The Beatles took music by storm in the early 1960s, fans, scholars, authors, journalists, scientists, religious leaders, and even haters have wondered what made the Fab Four special.

Everything about them has been documented repeatedly in virtually every single form of media, and while some have come close to encapsulating the reason for their greatness, no one other than them can truly explain their own phenomenon. McCartney, who has never shied away from talking about The Beatles' history, including what made them tick, once tried to explain what The Beatles did to distinguish themselves from their competition.

Along with their own specific skills in the recording studio, he revealed that the band was highly proficient when it came to performing for their fans. However, one trick truly set them above the bar: playing certain covers.

From their early days, McCartney explained, The Beatles made themselves unique by writing their own songs, but t details

The Beatles' rise to fame was as quick as it was dramatic. After becoming Liverpool's biggest band in 1962, they took the UK by storm in 1963, scoring their first official number one single with 'From Me to You' before their debut album 'Please Please Me' topped the charts after its March release.

By 1964 they were world famous. The Fab Four were on a 19-date concert residency in Paris on January 25, 1964 of that year when manager Brian Epstein told them they had achieved their first number one in America when 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' topped the US's Cashbox charts.

‌The song hit number one on the USA's main chart - the Billboard Hot 100 - by February 1 and stayed there for seven weeks. From that point, Brian decided they needed to make the most of international markets.

‌As The Beatles had been big hits in the clubs of Hamburg in their very early days, Berlin-based Odeon Records told Brian and producer George Martin that singing in German would allow the band to sell more records in West Germany. As such, The Beatles were sent into the Pathé Marconi studio in Paris on January 29 to sing in a foreign language.

Translations of 'She Loves You' and 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' were details

After the Fab Four called it quits for good in 1970, fans around the world were anxiously waiting for the announcement of a proper reunion. Before the sad passing of John Lennon in 1980 and George Harrison in 2001, fans were hoping that at least some semblance of a reunion would happen. It never really did.

However, in the 1970s, a Beatles reunion was apparently on the table. And we can thank George Harrison (not exclusively, but partially) for it not actually taking off. Whether that’s a good or a bad thing, I’ll leave up to the diehard fans. Still, it’s an interesting story if nothing else.

Shortly after The Beatles broke up in the early 1970s, the possibility of a reunion was not even considered. The Fab Four were beefing with each other, there were lawsuits being thrown around, and Paul McCartney and John Lennon had taken to writing a few beef tracks about each other. It was a mess.

Eventually, things died down, and each member of the former band went on to produce excellent solo works. As things settled further, rumors of a potential reunion began to circulate. However, they would never come to fruition. And guitarist George Harrison was pretty dead set on a reunion never happening details