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Beatles News
Lennon’s lawyer tells the story of his near-forgotten rights battles with mobster Morris Levy
There have been scads of books about The Beatles in general and John Lennon specifically. Paul McCartney carries the Beatles legacy forward, playing stadia across America, dinging nostalgia bells in a live context, and, to a somewhat lesser extent, so does Ringo Starr, with his All-Starr Band tours, where I always think, “C’mon, Ringo, more Beatles, fewer long-ago hits by your B-level rock pals.”
But it’s Lennon–well, those who write about Lennon–who rules the bookshelves. This, obviously, owes to the fact that there was an endpoint to his career, a very bloody endpoint in December 1980 which needs no further exploration here. And the ever-lingering question of “What if?” which hovers around any artist taken away too soon.
Source: Jim Sullivan/bookandfilmglobe.com
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Over the course of his long career in music, David Bowie collaborated with a host of prodigiously talented musicians ranging from Nile Rodgers to Trent Reznor. The man had a knack for finding interesting cohorts to work with, including the jazz quartet heard on Blackstar and Brian Eno, with whom he collaborated on a trio of beloved records. There’s another name that stands out in the annals of Bowie collaborators: John Lennon, who worked with Bowie on 1975’s “Fame.”
That wasn’t his only time working with Bowie, however. The two also worked on a cover of The Beatles’ “Across the Universe,” which — like “Fame” — appeared on the album Young Americans. According to Bowie’s account of the recording process, covering a Beatles song with a Beatle along for the ride had its own challenges.
Source: Tobias Carroll/insidehook.com
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John Lennon said Paul McCartney had the inspiration for The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine.” John said a rock star who wasn’t a member of The Beatles helped pen the song. Ringo Starr added a joke to “Yellow Submarine.”
"Yellow Submarine" era John Lennon, George Harrison, and Paul McCartney near microphones. John Lennon felt The Beatles’ “Yellow Submarine” was Paul McCartney’s “baby.” Despite this, he said another 1960s rock star helped Paul write the lyrics. In a book, Paul discussed the rock star’s role in creating the song.John recalled another rock star helped Paul write the song. “Donovan helped with the lyrics,” he said. “I helped with the lyrics, too. We virtually made the track come alive in the studio, but based on Paul’s inspiration.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
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In 1988, George Harrison accidentally formed The Traveling Wilburys. Somehow, he wrangled four of the best singer-songwriters, Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Roy Orbison, and Jeff Lynne, into the recording studio. George and Lynne were there to record a new song. All five of them ended up recording “Handle With Care.”
It was a spontaneous thing. Soon after, George officially formed The Traveling Wilburys, and they went on to record two albums. The ex-Beatle claimed that the supergroup wouldn’t have happened if they’d planned it.
In 1988, shortly after he released his 1987 album Cloud Nine, George was in a bit of a pickle. He told Count Down in 1990 that the international sector of his record company wanted an extra song for a 12-inch single.
So, he had to record a new song quickly. That night, he told the story to Lynne and Orbison. George asked Lynne for help, but Lynne didn’t know where to get a studio and engineer so quickly. Orbison told the guys to call him when they found a recording studio. He wanted to watch them.
Source: cheatsheet.com
John Lennon said one of The Beatles’ songs was ahead of its time. He said it wouldn’t be the same without marijuana.
The song became a hit single.
John Lennon felt one of The Beatles’ songs was groundbreaking. In addition, he joked the “god of marijuana” helped him create the song. Interestingly, the song became a hit in the United States but not the United Kingdom.
“That’s me again — with the first backwards tape on any record anywhere,” John replied. “Before [Jimi] Hendrix, before The Who, before any f*****. Maybe there was that record about ‘They’re coming to take me away, ha-ha’ maybe that came out before “Rain,” but it’s not the same thing.” The singer was referring to the B side of “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” by Napoleon XIV, which is just “They’re Coming to Take Me Away, Ha-Haaa!” played backwards.
Source: cheatsheet.com
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Music historian Gary Wenstrup delivered an in-depth and nuanced portrait of the start, development, growth and breakup of the Beatles at the Tuesday, April 26 Levy Lecture to an online crowd of nearly 300 people. He bolstered his slides and narration with video clips of interviews with and about the band, in addition to excerpts of songs. It was a ’60s lovefest from start to finish.The Fab Four – Paul McCartney on bass guitar, John Lennon on rhythm guitar, George Harrison as lead guitar and Ringo Starr on drums – got their start in Liverpool, England, and their musical influences from American rhythm and blues bands. Wenstrup is an unabashed fan of the Beatles. He considers them to be total originals and cited some of the ways they were, and are, unique.
Source: Wendi Kromash/evanstonroundtable.com
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Even though The Beatles are one of the world’s best-known rock bands, Ringo Starr confirmed that America and England were the group’s ‘biggest part’ of their world. Here’s what he said in the Disney+ special The Beatles: Get Back.
Even years after the “Get Back” group disbanded, fans got new Beatles content. Several hours of unseen footage was finally released thanks to the Disney+ original documentary series The Beatles: Get Back.
John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr wrote and rehearsed music for their upcoming live performance in this production. That included new tracks “Get Back,” “I’ve Got A Feeling,” “One After 909,” and “Dig a Pony.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
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In the late 1980s, George Harrison put together The Traveling Wilburys, a band that included Tom Petty, Bob Dylan, Jeff Lynne, and Roy Orbison. The famous artists wanted a chance to make music for fun. After recording their first album, Orbison died. The band mourned the loss, but Harrison also shared some dark words with Petty.
Petty became a musician because of The Beatles, so Harrison’s offer to play in The Traveling Wilburys thrilled him. To Petty’s surprise, the two men also became fast friends.
“I was surprised he liked me that much,” he told Rolling Stone in 2014. “He was immediately a hangout pal. That was awkward. I’d tell him, ‘How do we deal with this? You’re a Beatle.’ He’d be like, ‘Yeah, whatever. That was a long time ago.'”
Petty said that he hadn’t realized how much he needed a figure like Harrison in his life.
Source: cheatsheet.com
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"I am thankful to Paul [McCartney] for writing it and putting some hope behind what was to come," Julian Lennon said of The Beatles' 1968 hit on a recent episode of the SiriusXM radio show Debatable
On a recent episode of the SiriusXM Volume radio show Debatable, the 59-year-old singer-songwriter spoke in-depth about The Beatles' 1970 hit — written for him at five years old by Paul McCartney amid his parents John and Cynthia Lennon's separation — and how it inspired his new album, Jude.
Source: Jack Irvin /people.com
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In hindsight, it's incredible that Paul McCartney actually finished his third solo album, "Tug of War." He was in the middle of recording it at the George Martin-founded AIR Studios London in December 1980 when his former Beatles bandmate John Lennon was killed in New York City. After (understandably) taking a recording break, he finished "Tug of War" in 1981, moving locations to AIR Studios Montserrat for more privacy.
Surprisingly, McCartney ended up heading to the studio in London in the direct aftermath of the terrible news about Lennon's death. That day, he worked on "Rainclouds," which ended up as the b-side of "Ebony And Ivory." The December session wasn't necessarily productive, although it provided a refuge from press and offered familiarity at a time of great grief.
For McCartney, recording music had long represented solace in times of great turmoil.
Source: Annie Zaleski/salon.com
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According to Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney was more than just a great songwriter. The Beatles’ drummer mentioned that he could watch McCartney play the piano for an hour, saying that his bandmate was “great” at the instrument.
As one of the biggest rock bands of all time, The Beatles were a four-piece band from England comprised of John Lennon, McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.
McCartney appeared as a songwriter, vocalist, bass player, and even pianist for this band. His piano-playing skills were highlighted in behind-the-scenes footage released on Disney’s streaming platform.
Source: cheatsheet.com
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Paul McCartney recalled writing Beatles songs with John Lennon in his bedroom. At the time, Paul didn’t analyze the meaning of one of The Beatles’ songs. Subsequently, Paul wondered if John may have written the song about his mother.In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul said he and John used to spend time together in John’s bedroom. They used to listen to Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, and Jerry Lee Lewis songs together. Paul said these memories make him nostalgic.“It’s a lovely thought to think of a friend’s bedroom then,” Paul said. “A young boy’s bedroom is such a comfortable place, like my son’s bedroom is now; he’s got all his stuff that he needs: a candle, guitar, a book.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
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John Lennon had an interesting time during The Beatles‘ trip to India in 1968, but he missed Yoko Ono. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the leader of the Transcendental Meditation movement, invited the group to his annual retreat reserved for Westerners at his ashram in Rishikesh.
When John wasn’t meditating for days on end, writing countless songs, and taking helicopter rides with Maharishi, hoping he’d slip him “the answer,” John was constantly going to and from the post office hoping to find the latest letter from Yoko Ono.
It’s a good thing John decided not to bring his wife, Cynthia, and Yoko.
Source: cheatsheet.com
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Paul McCartney revealed John Lennon created the intro of The Beatles’ “I Feel Fine” by accident when he hit something with his guitar.
Paul explained why the guitar was named after The Everly Brothers.“I Feel Fine” became an international hit.
The Beatles‘ classic hit “I Feel Fine” opens with an unusual sound. In a book, Paul McCartney revealed John Lennon created that sound by accident when his guitar hit something. Subsequently, The Beatles had a strong reaction to the sound. In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul recalled John used a “semi-acoustic Gibson guitar.” “John and George both had them; we used to call them ‘Everly Brothers’ because they were very similar to the ones The Everly Brothers had used and we liked the Everlys a lot,” Paul recalled.
Source: cheatsheet.com
Paul McCartney said Ringo Starr inspired the title of The Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night.
The title of the film was chosen for a specific reason. The film’s title song became a huge hit.
Ringo Starr said something after a concert that blew Paul McCartney and John Lennon away. Subsequently, his words inspired The Beatles’ movie A Hard Day’s Night and its title song. The song became a chart phenomenon.In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul discussed Ringo. “Ringo would do these little malapropisms, he would say things slightly wrong, like people do, but his were always wonderful, very lyrical, very Lewis Carroll, lovely,” Paul said. “They were sort of magic even though he was just getting it wrong.”
Source: cheatsheet.com
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