It is a mystery that has puzzled Beatles fans for four decades. While Paul McCartney and George Harrison proudly sported their MBEs on the sleeve of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, John Lennon refused to be pictured with the award he would later return to Buckingham Palace. Instead, he wore five antique medals on his left breast. Until now, the truth about where those medals came from has eluded devotees of the band. In fact, they once belonged to Major Thomas Shaw, grandfather of the 'fifth Beatle', Pete Best. ...more...
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Revealed: The REAL Sergeant Pepper
It is a mystery that has puzzled Beatles fans for four decades. While Paul McCartney and George Harrison proudly sported their MBEs on the sleeve of Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, John Lennon refused to be pictured with the award he would later return to Buckingham Palace. Instead, he wore five antique medals on his left breast. Until now, the truth about where those medals came from has eluded devotees of the band. In fact, they once belonged to Major Thomas Shaw, grandfather of the 'fifth Beatle', Pete Best. ...more...
Some lessons in life from Manson and McCartney
I was surprised by two things last week. First, that Charlie Manson is still alive and, second, that he's now 72 years old. Which just goes to show you that bad things do sometimes happen to truly rotten swine. The shock of his continued existence brought me back to something I was telling a puzzled friend not long ago when he commented on the frenzy that still accompanies Paul McCartney. It was my contention that the former Beatle is likewise a rare apparition from the same strange time that somehow produced Manson. Who else is left? ...more...
‘Meeting Yoko was surreal’
PICTURED side by side for the first time in almost 40 years, this is the moment photographer Harry Goodwin and Yoko Ono reunited during an emotional day for the two old pals. The ace photographer from Whalley Range last saw Yoko on the set of Top of the Pops in 1970, when her famous pop-star husband John Lennon performed in front of the TOTP cameras for the last time. Harry, who was TOTP’S official photographer, met up with Yoko last week at John Lennon Airport, where he was unveiling a permanent exhibition of 1960s’ pop pictures and she was officially launching the first-ever flight from Liverpool to New York’s JFK Airport. ...more...
Getting better all the time
First of all, let me say this: “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” is an incredible album. The songwriting, the musicianship, the technical innovations —all of that and more render it a magnum opus that solidified the Beatles’ place on top of the rock ’n’ roll hierarchy. But is it the greatest album of all time, as so many critics have proclaimed? ...more...
Sgt. Pepper still earns its stripes
The Beatles were slipping. That was the buzz in the music industry in the first weeks of 1967, and there was plenty of evidence to support it. The group hadn't issued any new music in six months - a pop eternity at that time - and John, Paul, George and Ringo had been pursuing solo endeavors in England, Spain and India. The group's 1966 world tour had been marked by controversy, violence and less-than-capacity crowds. The Beatles' next recording project answered the doubters in no uncertain terms. Its first fruit was the February release of the pioneering "Strawberry Fields Forever"/"Penny Lane" single. Then, on June 1, came "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band." ...more...
Academics to discuss Beatles album
Four decades after its launch The Beatles' ground-breaking album Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band continues to cause a stir as academics prepare to discuss the cultural impact of the record, which celebrates its 40th anniversary on Friday. The album, released in the UK on June 1 1967, is regarded by critics and fans alike as the most influential album of all time. On June 19, experts from the US and the UK will gather at the University of Leeds to analyse the album. The event, which is open to the public, will examine the social and cultural impact of the album and question why it continues to hold a fascination for new audiences, four decades on after its release. The university already has a strong connection to the album. ...more...
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
The Traveling Wilburys Collection
Nearly twenty years after the creation of the band, and over a decade since the music was last available to fans, the music of The Traveling Wilburys will be reissued on June 12, 2007, in the U.S. and June 11, 2007, worldwide. The previously released albums Traveling Wilburys Volume 1 and Traveling Wilburys Volume 3 feature inarguably some of music's greatest singer- songwriters -- George Harrison, Jeff Lynne, Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Bob Dylan -- as the iconic band The Traveling Wilburys. Both CDs will be combined into one release, The Traveling Wilburys Collection, and will feature bonus tracks of rare and newly mixed previously unreleased music along with a bonus DVD featuring a 24-minute documentary showing unseen footage of the Wilburys and their five video clips.
Track Listing:
Disc One
TRAVELING WILBURYS VOL. 1
1. Handle With Care
2. Dirty World
3. Rattled
4. Last Night
5. Not Alone Any More
6. Congratulations
7. Heading For The Light
8. Margarita
9. Tweeter And The Monkey Man
10. End Of The Line
Bonus Tracks:
11. Maxine*
12. Like A Ship*
Disc Two
DVD - The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys
Music Videos:
1. Handle With Care
2. End Of The Line
3. Inside Out
4. She's My Baby
5. Wilbury Twist
Disc Three
TRAVELING WILBURYS VOL. 3
1. She's My Baby
2. Inside Out
3. If You Belonged To Me
4. The Devil's Been Busy
5. 7 Deadly Sins
6. Poor House
7. Where Were You Last Night?
8. Cool
Dry Place
9. New Blue Moon
10. You Took My Breath Away
11. Wilbury Twist
Bonus Tracks:
12. Runaway (B-side to "She's My Baby"
UK CD and 12.)
13. Nobody's Child (previously released on Nobody's Child: Romanian
Angel Appeal)
LISTEN Just Copy and Paste):
http://www.rhino.com/fun/listeningparties/167804_PartyPlayer.lasso
http://streamos.rhino.com/real/rhino/listeningparties/167804/167804_album.smi
http://streamos.rhino.com/wmedia/rhino/listeningparties/167804/167804_album_56.wax
http://streamos.rhino.com/wmedia/rhino/listeningparties/167804/167804_album_100.wax
Track Listing:
Disc One
TRAVELING WILBURYS VOL. 1
1. Handle With Care
2. Dirty World
3. Rattled
4. Last Night
5. Not Alone Any More
6. Congratulations
7. Heading For The Light
8. Margarita
9. Tweeter And The Monkey Man
10. End Of The Line
Bonus Tracks:
11. Maxine*
12. Like A Ship*
Disc Two
DVD - The True History Of The Traveling Wilburys
Music Videos:
1. Handle With Care
2. End Of The Line
3. Inside Out
4. She's My Baby
5. Wilbury Twist
Disc Three
TRAVELING WILBURYS VOL. 3
1. She's My Baby
2. Inside Out
3. If You Belonged To Me
4. The Devil's Been Busy
5. 7 Deadly Sins
6. Poor House
7. Where Were You Last Night?
8. Cool
Dry Place
9. New Blue Moon
10. You Took My Breath Away
11. Wilbury Twist
Bonus Tracks:
12. Runaway (B-side to "She's My Baby"
UK CD and 12.)
13. Nobody's Child (previously released on Nobody's Child: Romanian
Angel Appeal)
LISTEN Just Copy and Paste):
http://www.rhino.com/fun/listeningparties/167804_PartyPlayer.lasso
http://streamos.rhino.com/real/rhino/listeningparties/167804/167804_album.smi
http://streamos.rhino.com/wmedia/rhino/listeningparties/167804/167804_album_56.wax
http://streamos.rhino.com/wmedia/rhino/listeningparties/167804/167804_album_100.wax
DICKINSON WANTS McCARTNEY
Former supermodel JANICE DICKINSON is hoping to romance SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY, after branding his estranged wife HEATHER MILLS "a fool". DICkinson, who has romanced MCCartney's rock rival Sir Mick Jagger in the past, admits she has a huge crush on the former Beatle. She says, "I have my eye on Paul. He was my favourite Beatle - I fell for him years ago. "I've contacted him recently after seeing what he's gone through with Heather Mills. She's a fool."
Source
Source
Lennon's stamp collection on display in Stockholm
The late Beatle John Lennon's childhood stamp collection goes on display for the first time in Europe on Friday in an exhibition at the Stockholm Postal Museum, organisers said. "It is an interesting and important collection as it shows that so many interesting people collect stamps," Linda Edquist, curator at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington which owns the collection and who brought it to Stockholm, told AFP on Wednesday. The hardcover stamp album was given to Lennon by his cousin Stanley Parkes, who wanted to interest the 10-year-old John in stamp collecting. ...more...
Man eats dog with Yoko
A British artist has proven to be a man of his word after he followed through on his pledge to eat a corgi dog in support of a fox that was allegedly killed. Mark McGowan says that a hunting group, which included the Queen’s husband Prince Phillip, allegedly killed a fox earlier this year. Corgis are famous for being Queen Elizabeth II's favourite breed of dog. McGowan, who has previously eaten a swan as part of a performance art show, tucked into the dog alongside Yoko Ono, the widow of ex-Beatle John Lennon, live on a London radio station. ...more...
The U.S. vs John Lennon
John Lennon was a man who imagined peace and as a result was never to experience it in his own life. He was never given peace, not by the press who hounded him, nor by the public who surrendered one of their own to assassinate him. He became a symbol for a generation and used this power to save the world in a way that songs simply can’t. And when he died, the dreams of a generation died with him, even if the song lingered on. John Lennon was a man of many masks. He was a working class hero who could speak to princes and presidents, and was a messiah who predicted his own crucifixion in the last Beatles song ever recorded. From rock’n’roll rebel to pop phenomenon to peace activist, it seemed a seamless transition and that is what this film supposes. Written and directed by David Leaf and John Scheinfeld, "The U.S. vs John Lennon" recalls how in the fading days of the Vietnam War, Lennon fought the US government and the FBI who labelled him undesirable because of his allegedly revolutionary beliefs. ...more...
BUY: The U.S. vs. John Lennon
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War protester arrested at Beatles tribute festival
A woman protesting the Iraq war was arrested during a Beatles tribute festival that featured a 40-year anniversary celebration of the "summer of love." Carol Rawert Trainer, 60, of Louisville, was approached by an off-duty sheriff's department officer after she allegedly yelled at another person in the crowd, said Lt. Col. Carl Yates, a sheriff's department spokesman. Sgt. Ted Mitchell asked Trainer to follow him to try to defuse the situation but didn't intend to arrest her, Yates said. According to the report of Monday's arrest, Trainer, who had been holding a sign that said "End the War," punched Mitchell in the chest and continued to resist as she was yelling and cursing. ...more...
Sir Paul's flat white album
THE Beatles fan who doesn't mind the occasional Wings track does a double take as he orders his double-shot espresso at the local Starbucks. "Yes sir, that is Paul McCartney you are hearing on our stereo. Would you like to buy his new CD, Memory Almost Full? And what about a muffin?" Those who enjoy a Starbucks coffee won't be able to escape Macca on Monday when 10,000 stores in 29 countries will broadcast his latest studio album all day. ...more...
McCARTNEY WALES IS A THIRD-WORLD COUNTRY
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has prompted outrage by branding Wales "a Third World country". The former Beatle made the gaffe while joking with fellow musician, Kaiser Chiefs rocker Ricky Wilson. He told Wilson he is never recognised by fans in poorer countries and added, "Well, Wales is a Third World country. "We love Welsh people by the way...especially my Auntie Dilys." A spokesperson for the star insists, "It was only supposed to be a joke."
Source
Source
Beatles memorabilia put up for sale
A special Beatles menu signed by the "fab four" and other memorabilia of the group's June 1964 tour to New Zealand and Australia has been put up for auction by a Timaru family, who, for security reasons, wish to remain anonymous. The three sisters decided it was time to put the souvenir of their grandparents' plane ride with the group up for sale because it was too hard to decide which family member it should ultimately belong to. But the privilege of owning the package won't come cheap. Bids start at $20,000 and the auction is being run on Trademe. ...more...
Startbucks Pimps Paul McCartney to Home Shopping Network
Just when you think Sir Paul McCartney is actually almost sorta cool again, he has to go and do something like this (via hypebot). To push the June 5th release of Memory Almost Full on Hear Music, the former Beatle is scheduled (deep breath) to appear on the HSN. For those keeping score: making friends with Apple = very cool. Nabbing Natalie Portman for a Michel Gondry-helmed video that debuted on YouTube = also cool. Taking part in a 30-min. promotional program in a mind-numbing setting like this? Potentially lucrative, but… Totally. Not. Cool. ...more...
Tuesday, May 29, 2007
The influence of 'Sgt. Pepper' grows as time passes
The Summer of Love's soundtrack was issued on June 1, 1967. Within days, Jimi Hendrix was playing his own version of "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" onstage. The music poured endlessly from radios and flew out of record shops. "It really did kick off the Summer of Love. The timing was perfect," said the Denver DJ who goes by Archer, host of the weekly Breakfast with the Beatles show. ''With Sgt. Pepper, we were all blown away within the industry, both as a fan of the Beatles and someone who was producing music. I think the impact was greater now . . . than when it was first released," said Lou Adler, the influential producer whose Monterey International Pop Festival came less than three weeks after Sgt. Pepper was released. ...more...
Paul McCartney To Celebrate His Birthday With Heather Mills?
Music legend Paul McCartney will celebrate his landmark 65th birthday with estranged wife Heather Mills and their daughter Beatrice, according to reports. The former Beatle called a truce with Mills for the sake of their three-year-old daughter following their split a year ago. According to British magazine Hello!, Mills will not attend the official birthday party on June 18th but will mark the event with McCartney privately. A source says, "She's not going to his party, because she feels that is inappropriate and would cause too much ill feeling among the family." ...more...
Yoko Ono arrives in Moscow to unveil her art show
Yoko Ono, the widow of murdered Beatle John Lennon, arrived in Moscow Tuesday to unveil her latest visual art project. Ono's Odyssey of a Cockroach installation will be shown May 30 through June 24 at the TSUM department store near the Kremlin as part of Moscow's Second Contemporary Art Biennale. Speaking at a press conference in Moscow, the Japanese-born American artist said the exhibition was a more sophisticated version of the first two such displays, staged in London and New York City, adding that she always tried to incorporate elements of local culture into her shows and that the Odyssey's Russian leg would feature helmets worn by Red Army soldiers during WWII. The installation features billboard-size color photographs and towering sculptures, which are arranged into a phantasmagorical mise-en-scene to present modern urban life through the eyes of a cockroach. ...more...
STELLA McCARTNEYS SCUFFLE WITH FORD
STELLA MCCARTNEY has blasted designer TOM FORD for giving her unwanted beauty advice. The fashion designer was unimpressed when the fellow clothesmaker tried to give her a style overhaul - because gruelling cosmetic regimes aren't her thing. She says, "Tom Ford once told me that I should highlight my hair and do my eyebrows, and got all camp on me and I told him to go away. "I'm just not that kind of woman. I've nothing against that kind of woman, it's just not a priority and I don't have the time."Source
RINGO STARR FINE ART SHOW AND SALE TO DEBUT FOR FOUR DAYS ONLY
It was forty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play….In honor of the 40th anniversary of the release of the landmark Beatles album, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, WZLX (100.7 FM/Boston) and the Harvard Square Business Association will debut Ringo Starr's full collection of hand signed fine art pieces for the first time in the Boston/Cambridge area. The collection will also include "A Little Help from His Friends – John, Paul and George. This exclusive four-day show opens on Thursday, June 7 and runs through Sunday, June 10 at Brattle & Church (Sage Building) in Harvard Square, Cambridge. The show is open from 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. except Sunday (11:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.). The exhibit is free to the public and all works of art are available to purchase at special show prices. All of Ringo's proceeds from the sale of the artwork will be donated to the Lotus Foundation.*
The Ringo Starr Fine Art Show will also feature a collection of hand signed pieces from John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. This will be the largest collection of signed Beatles artwork ever assembled as The Ringo Starr Fine Art Show reunites the Beatles in art form. This gives art goers the chance to own signed art pieces from all four of the Beatles.
Speaking about his art work Ringo said, "I started in the late nineties with my computer art. While I was touring it gave me something to do in all those crazy hotels you have to stay in on the road." Adding, with his trademark wit, "most of the titles for my pieces arrived because on computer you have to call them something, so I have. The easy way to look at it is, if it has a hat on – it will probably be called Hat Man."
In addition to the fine art work, there will be never before seen videos from Ringo talking about his art as well as live music. To get a preview of Ringo's art, check out www.RingoStarrArt.com for full details on the show.
There will also be an opportunity to win a hand signed piece of Ringo's artwork with a purchase of a $5.00 raffle ticket. All raffle proceeds will be donated to the Brattle Film Foundation.
The four-day Ringo Starr Fine Art Show will reunite the Beatles through their art. The show opens Thursday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m. and continues through Sunday, June 10 at 6:00 p.m. at Brattle & Church (Sage Building) in Harvard Square, Cambridge. All pieces of art are available to purchase with all of Ringo's proceeds going to the Lotus Foundation. The show is made possible by 100.7 WZLX and the Harvard Square Business Association.
The Ringo Starr Fine Art Show will also feature a collection of hand signed pieces from John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison. This will be the largest collection of signed Beatles artwork ever assembled as The Ringo Starr Fine Art Show reunites the Beatles in art form. This gives art goers the chance to own signed art pieces from all four of the Beatles.
Speaking about his art work Ringo said, "I started in the late nineties with my computer art. While I was touring it gave me something to do in all those crazy hotels you have to stay in on the road." Adding, with his trademark wit, "most of the titles for my pieces arrived because on computer you have to call them something, so I have. The easy way to look at it is, if it has a hat on – it will probably be called Hat Man."
In addition to the fine art work, there will be never before seen videos from Ringo talking about his art as well as live music. To get a preview of Ringo's art, check out www.RingoStarrArt.com for full details on the show.
There will also be an opportunity to win a hand signed piece of Ringo's artwork with a purchase of a $5.00 raffle ticket. All raffle proceeds will be donated to the Brattle Film Foundation.
The four-day Ringo Starr Fine Art Show will reunite the Beatles through their art. The show opens Thursday, June 7 at 10:00 a.m. and continues through Sunday, June 10 at 6:00 p.m. at Brattle & Church (Sage Building) in Harvard Square, Cambridge. All pieces of art are available to purchase with all of Ringo's proceeds going to the Lotus Foundation. The show is made possible by 100.7 WZLX and the Harvard Square Business Association.
Yoko Ono Belives She Will Live Forever
Yoko Ono believes she will live forever. The Japanese artist, the widow of Beatles legend John Lennon, is convinced scientists will discover a cure for aging within 10 years and she will be able to regain her youth. She said: "I think finally we have come to a point where we can choose between living and dying."I had a rough life in the sense that there were times when I didn't treat my body right. But you can help your body to recover - that's what is important now. ...more...
Heather Mills Turns Vegan
Heather Mills has announced she’s turned vegan. Wonder where she got that idea from? In typical Mills fashion, the ex-model’s made a big song and dance about giving up dairy products, banging on about how becoming a vegan’s the greatest thing since sliced bread – or sliced tofu perhaps. She drones, “I'm a vegan now - a healthy diet which saves animals, something very important to me as I detest cruelty. Following a plant-based diet not only benefits your health massively but also makes a huge difference to the planet, to animals and to feeding the world. My hope is to continue to put the message out there." Whatever Heather. Pass the bacon sarnie. ...more...
End of Abbey Road
Marianne Winner spent the Summer of Love in Alaska, a 16-year-old girl waiting tables at a place called "Chilcoot Charlie's." But to see her yesterday, dancing in a haze of sunlight and nostalgia at Abbey Road on the River, it was easy to imagine her as a hippie, swaying and stepping to the music of the age. ...more...
George Michael Donates John Lennon Piano To Virginia Tech
British pop star George Michael has made a £1.45 million ($2.9 million) donation to the Virginia Tech University massacre victims - in the shape of a piano that once belonged to John Lennon. Michael bought the piano - on which the former Beatle composed his hit song Imagine - for £1.45 million a few years back. ...more...
New York museum recreates Summer of Love (minus the drugs)
Forty years after a generation of young Americans turned on, tuned in, and dropped out during the Summer of Love, a New York museum is hoping to recreate the psychedelic intensity of the period. The exhibition at the Whitney Museum features posters, artwork, light shows, trippy album covers and experimental film from a counter-cultural movement that brought together peace activists, musicians, hippies and artists. Curator Christoph Grunenberg said he hoped the exhibition would either provide a trip down memory lane or help recreate the 1960s for those who, for various reasons, couldn't remember them. ...more...
Monday, May 28, 2007
Yoko Ono lavishes praise on Heather Mills
One person firmly in Heather Mills' corner is John Lennon's widow Yoko Ono. Ono, who has for long been blamed by Beatles fans for breaking up the band, praised Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife for winning over the public in the US, if not in the UK, after appearing on the show 'Dancing with the Stars'. "That was so incredible. Making herself a heroine with that ballroom dancing stuff in America," the Mirror quoted Ono, as saying. And, what has really garnered Mills the respect of Ono, is the fact that she turned around the opinion people had of her on her own. ...more...
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Wave of interest greets eco-film at Cannes
A FILM produced by Julian Lennon and shot in Australia has been given a friendly reception in the Cannes Festival Market Place in France. Whaledreamers, described as an eco-feature, shows the relationship between whales and Aborigines. The film follows writer-director Kim Kindersley, who documented his relationship with Aborigines living on the southern coastline near the Nullarbor Plain. Lennon and Kindersley also gathered indigenous elders from all over the world near Byron Bay where they called on the whales to surface and communicate — a tradition said to date back centuries. ...more...
Mills wants McCartney back
Mills, 39, who stands to gain tens of millions of dollars from her high-profile divorce from McCartney, has told friends that his money can't buy her love. In a surprise confession, she said she would give up the cash for another chance to make a go of it with Sir Paul, 64. Her admission came in a heart-to-heart with a friend at the American Idol aftershow party in Los Angeles last week. It comes just a fortnight after the couple, who have been at war with each other for months, were photographed together having a friendly chat as Mills handed over their daughter Bea to McCartney. ...more...
Beatle's daughter opens U.S. show
The world's initial glimpse of Mary McCartney, first-born child of Paul and Linda McCartney, was in a casual snapshot of her perennially cute dad. With the ruddy light of a Scottish dusk streaking across his bearded face, Paul McCartney posed with his baby girl tucked deep inside the cocoon of his fur-collared jacket. That pastoral shot would grace the back cover of McCartney's first solo album, in 1970. ''It's a bit funny that it has become such an iconic shot and favorite photo for so many people, because it was just a casual family picture,'' says 37-year-old Mary McCartney, speaking by phone from London, where she lives. ``It was just natural that my father would zip me up in his jacket when they went on their horse rides together and my mom would take that quick photograph.'' ...more...
Heather Mills Regrets Macca Split
Heather, who willpocket millions following a high profile divorce from from Sir Paul has apparently told friends that his money can't replace love, confessing she would give it all up for another chance to make a go of it with McCartney. Her admission, came in a heart-to-heart with a close pal at the American Idol aftershow party in Los Angeles, the friend then revealed to the media that Mills had been devastated by the divorce and was become an emotional wreck, adding Heather doesn't care about the huge load of money coming her way prefering a happy marriage than wealth and lonliness. The loyal friend admitted Heather loved being married to Sir Paul and would gladly give back every penny for another shot at happiness with the mega star. ...more...
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Paul McCartney misses John Lennon
LIVERPOOL, England, May 26 (UPI) -- Former Beatle Paul McCartney says collaborating with other musicians will never live up to his time with fellow Briton John Lennon. The 64-year-old singer told BBC 6 Music he was "a little bit spoiled" by working with Lennon at the start of his career. "I'm a little bit wary of collaborating with other people because it doesn't happen as easily or as amazingly as it did with John," he said. McCartney and Lennon started their partnership when they were teenagers in Liverpool, England, and went on to be considered one of the most successful songwriting partnerships ever. McCartney has since worked with numerous other artists, including Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, but he said none of them lived up to Lennon's legacy. "It's a funny subject, the collaboration thing, because I collaborated with John and you're a little bit spoiled after that," he said. "That was one hell of a collaboration."
SOURCE
Jerry Hall 'furious' at thought of Mills getting huge fortune from divorce
(ANI): Supermodel/actress Jerry Hall has hit out at Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife Heather Mills at the thought of her getting huge sums of money from her divorce from the former Beatle. The supermodel insisted that she gets 'furious' reading about the whopping amount of money Mills might get as part of the divorce settlement. "I do get really furious when I read about Paul MCCartney and Heather and much money she is getting...23 years and four children!" Contactmusic quoted Mills, as saying. Tabloids claim that if the couple did eventually divorce, it could lead to the UK's biggest ever divorce settlement. Some estimate that Mills could receive 200 million dollars, that is a quarter of Paul McCartney's wealth. Hall was married to Mick Jagger and she received 20 million dollars and a 10million dollar apartment in London's Richmond after she split from 'The Rolling Stones' singer in 1999. (ANI)
BEATLES - FASCINATING FACT
Former BEATLES drummer PETE BEST, HELP! and A HARD DAYS NIGHT star VICTOR SPINETTI and ex-WINGS star DENNY LAINE are to celebrate the 50th anniversary of JOHN LENNON and SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's first meeting at a Las Vegas Fab Four convention in July 2007.
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Click for SOURCE
Heather Mills' dumped from 'The View' after snubbing Walters
Campaigner Heather Mills' name has been deleted from the week-long guest slot on the morning show 'The View', after she allegedly snubbed the programme's host Barbara Walters by not turning up for an interview. Former 'Beatle' Sir Paul McCartney's estranged wife was to appear on the show to talk about her time on the hit reality dancing show 'Dancing with the Stars'. However, she did not turn up for the interview, and became a subject of Walters' anger. A close fiend of Mills' said that she skipped the show because she had to look after her daughter Beatrice. But Walters was so angry about the snubbing at the hands of Mills that she decided not to work with her. ...more...
George Harrison: Brainwashed
His life as a famous foursome influenced him to look for deeper truths “on his knees.”
George Harrison has spoken from the other side, almost exactly a year after his death from cancer. Brainwashed is a final thesis on what is important in life, and what he had learned in the vortex of fame and music. Harrison was working on the album at the time of his death, and left explicit directions on how it should be finished with his son Dhani, who plays guitar and keyboards, and producer Jeff Lynne. Lynne, the ELO mastermind, had been a long-time collaborator, producing Harrison’s 1987 album Cloud Nine and the Beatles “reunion” singles “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” This music is laid back and reflective, featuring Harrison’s slide guitar and plaintive singing. The album starts off with Harrison saying, “Give me a little of that guitar.” He then launches into “Any Road.” The song talks about “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Harrison, the Eastern spiritual devotee, speaks of how people wander but God is right there with them: “…the way out is in.” This Eastern perspective is followed by “Part 2 Vatican Blues” on which the former Catholic speaks of loving the art inspired by the Church, but how the traditional prayers don’t seem to speak to him. He also alludes to his coming death by singing how he wishes that somebody would tell him that it’s a show and that he’ll confess in his “concrete tuxedo.” ...more...
BUY: Brainwashed
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George Harrison has spoken from the other side, almost exactly a year after his death from cancer. Brainwashed is a final thesis on what is important in life, and what he had learned in the vortex of fame and music. Harrison was working on the album at the time of his death, and left explicit directions on how it should be finished with his son Dhani, who plays guitar and keyboards, and producer Jeff Lynne. Lynne, the ELO mastermind, had been a long-time collaborator, producing Harrison’s 1987 album Cloud Nine and the Beatles “reunion” singles “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love.” This music is laid back and reflective, featuring Harrison’s slide guitar and plaintive singing. The album starts off with Harrison saying, “Give me a little of that guitar.” He then launches into “Any Road.” The song talks about “if you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.” Harrison, the Eastern spiritual devotee, speaks of how people wander but God is right there with them: “…the way out is in.” This Eastern perspective is followed by “Part 2 Vatican Blues” on which the former Catholic speaks of loving the art inspired by the Church, but how the traditional prayers don’t seem to speak to him. He also alludes to his coming death by singing how he wishes that somebody would tell him that it’s a show and that he’ll confess in his “concrete tuxedo.” ...more...
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Getting better all the time?
The Beatles were absolutely spent in late 1966, having barely survived the crushing demands of Beatlemania for three bone-jarring years. In retrospect, it's almost staggering to think about what they accomplished in those three years given the enormous pressures: They starred in two films; recorded "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver," two of the finest albums in rock 'n' roll history (not to mention four other albums); and released "Penny Lane/Strawberry Fields Forever," pop's perfect single. ...more...
Friday, May 25, 2007
Lock 3 season begins tonight
Akron's Lock 3 Park will open its 2007 season tonight -- more than a month earlier than last year, to give revelers more options for Memorial Day. From tonight through Sept. 1, each Friday evening at the downtown venue will feature a free Rock the Lock concert sponsored by WONE (97.5-FM), emphasizing classic rock tribute bands. Tonight features Motley Crue tribute band Wild Side and Ozzy Osbourne tribute band Crazy Train. The schedule diversifies with the inclusion of old school soul featuring blues and R&B on July 7 and the self-explanatory This Is My Country sponsored by WQMX (94.9-FM) on July 14, as well as ''superstarsofJazz Fusion'' featuring vibraphonist Roy Ayers and others on Aug. 11. ...more...
Yoko Ono opens health foundation
A centre named after John Lennon has been opened by his widow Yoko Ono at a children's hospital in his home city. Ono officially launched The John Lennon Child Health Foundation - set up to carry out pioneering research work at Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool. She is already a patron of the hospital's Imagine appeal, which is named after the famous Lennon song. Ono is also visiting John Lennon Airport for the inaugural flight of the Liverpool to New York service. ...more...
McCartney says Lennon 'was best'
Sir Paul McCartney has admitted working with other musicians is a let-down after his partnership with John Lennon. Speaking to BBC 6 Music, the 64-year-old singer said he was "a little bit spoiled" by starting his career with Lennon. "I'm a little bit wary of collaborating with other people because it doesn't happen as easily or as amazingly as it did with John," he added. The interview will be broadcast on BBC 6 Music on Sunday. ...more...
Bruce has Beatles bug
Hal Bruce is a one-man magical music machine. The Halifax, Nova Scotia, man has made a name for himself by perfectly playing 214 Beatles songs in a nonstop medley at Beatle fests throughout the world. It takes two hours to power through all the songs; at this weekend's courier-journal.com Abbey Road on the River, Bruce will be grooving through shorter selections from the Fab Four's catalog. Bruce is also the musical director of Sunday's musical re-creation of the "LOVE" show and Monday's Summer of Love anniversary celebration concert. We talked to the greatest Beatles fan from the Great White North about his beloved band. ...more...
John Lennon's Iconic 'Imagine' Piano to Be Photographed in Blacksburg, VA
WHAT: The famous piano on which John Lennon composed "Imagine" in 1971 is being sent to Blacksburg, Virginia, location of the Virginia Tech tragedy by musician George Michael and his partner Kenny Goss owner of Goss Gallery in Dallas and will be photographed to help promote peace in an increasingly violent world. The piano will be placed in the private garden of Virginia Tech Assistant Professor Charles Litchfield. "Kenny and George both believe by taking the piano to Blacksburg, they hope to honor those that lost their lives, those injured and those whose lives were impacted forever by this great tragedy," said director and producer Caroline True. "Their deepest wish is to imagine a world of peace, a world without violence."
Michael and Goss plan to have the piano photographed at significant locations in the United States and across the world where horrific acts of violence have taken place. The heartbeat of the project continues in creating the opportunity to take tragedy and turn it into victory, ultimately resulting in a more peaceful world. Michael and Goss want to further strengthen the project's peaceful message, by having "Imagine" performed on the piano at each stop. To date, photos have been taken at Dealy Plaza, site of President Kennedy's assassination, the Memphis site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, location of all of Texas' executions, the Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C., site of the death of Abraham Lincoln, the former Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX, the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and Texarkana, AR, site of the "Phantom Killings," and West Memphis, AR, outside the courthouse where the West Memphis Three were convicted. A documentary and a book are under development with plans to donate proceeds to charity. During the piano's stop in Olympia, WA at the home of Bill Clayton, a bi-sexual teen who committed suicide because of fear of hatred towards his sexuality, singer songwriter Steve Schalchlin played "Imagine", moving the crowd to tears.
"Being a part of this project is probably the greatest honor of my life," said Steve. "I felt honored by the sense of beauty and heartfelt community that we experienced that afternoon. The fact that we all brought forth the spirit of John Lennon, reminds us that a great man's work doesn't die just because he does."
To remember and honor the victims of the tragic events of April 16, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process. To donate, please visit http://www.vt.edu/fund/index.php or call 800-533-1144.
WHERE: Blacksburg, VA Private Residence of Virginia Tech Assistant Professor Charles Litchfield* *Address is available to media by contacting Director and Producer Caroline True. WHEN: Sunday, May 27 1:00pm Piano delivered and uncrated, moved to photo site 1:30pm Photo taken WHO: Caroline True, director and producer, Imagine Piano Peace Project BACKGROUND:
George Michael bought the piano on which John Lennon composed "Imagine", considered the most expensive piece of pop memorabilia, at an auction in October 2000. The piano is considered priceless. However, some experts have put its value at US$14 million. The song, "Imagine", was first released in 1971 and was already John Lennon's most famous post-Beatles song, but it took on a whole new life of its own following Lennon's murder in December 1980. When first released, "Imagine" reached No. 3 in America and No. 6 in Britain but after Lennon's death in December 1980, the song gave him a posthumous No. 1. Lennon bought the piano in December 1970, had it delivered to studios at his home in Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire, composed and recorded "Imagine" on it. The piano is a simple upright style instrument, not the white piano which graced the cover of the album. In 1992, it was bought by a private British collector who put it up for auction in October 2000.
Director and Producer, Caroline True: With a career that has spanned over two decades and crossed the Atlantic, Caroline True is an experienced and accomplished personality in the entertainment industry. Having worked extensively with acclaimed artists George Michael, The Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz and many others, True has served on both the creative and production sides of the music business, demonstrating an artistic talent along with strong business connections. Recently, she has extended her expertise into the art world through her work with George Michael and Kenny Goss on the IMAGINE Piano Peace Project.
Source: Goss Gallery
Michael and Goss plan to have the piano photographed at significant locations in the United States and across the world where horrific acts of violence have taken place. The heartbeat of the project continues in creating the opportunity to take tragedy and turn it into victory, ultimately resulting in a more peaceful world. Michael and Goss want to further strengthen the project's peaceful message, by having "Imagine" performed on the piano at each stop. To date, photos have been taken at Dealy Plaza, site of President Kennedy's assassination, the Memphis site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s death, the Texas State Penitentiary at Huntsville, location of all of Texas' executions, the Ford's Theatre in Washington D.C., site of the death of Abraham Lincoln, the former Branch Davidian compound in Waco, TX, the site of the Oklahoma City bombing and Texarkana, AR, site of the "Phantom Killings," and West Memphis, AR, outside the courthouse where the West Memphis Three were convicted. A documentary and a book are under development with plans to donate proceeds to charity. During the piano's stop in Olympia, WA at the home of Bill Clayton, a bi-sexual teen who committed suicide because of fear of hatred towards his sexuality, singer songwriter Steve Schalchlin played "Imagine", moving the crowd to tears.
"Being a part of this project is probably the greatest honor of my life," said Steve. "I felt honored by the sense of beauty and heartfelt community that we experienced that afternoon. The fact that we all brought forth the spirit of John Lennon, reminds us that a great man's work doesn't die just because he does."
To remember and honor the victims of the tragic events of April 16, the university has established the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund to aid in the healing process. To donate, please visit http://www.vt.edu/fund/index.php or call 800-533-1144.
WHERE: Blacksburg, VA Private Residence of Virginia Tech Assistant Professor Charles Litchfield* *Address is available to media by contacting Director and Producer Caroline True. WHEN: Sunday, May 27 1:00pm Piano delivered and uncrated, moved to photo site 1:30pm Photo taken WHO: Caroline True, director and producer, Imagine Piano Peace Project BACKGROUND:
George Michael bought the piano on which John Lennon composed "Imagine", considered the most expensive piece of pop memorabilia, at an auction in October 2000. The piano is considered priceless. However, some experts have put its value at US$14 million. The song, "Imagine", was first released in 1971 and was already John Lennon's most famous post-Beatles song, but it took on a whole new life of its own following Lennon's murder in December 1980. When first released, "Imagine" reached No. 3 in America and No. 6 in Britain but after Lennon's death in December 1980, the song gave him a posthumous No. 1. Lennon bought the piano in December 1970, had it delivered to studios at his home in Tittenhurst Park in Berkshire, composed and recorded "Imagine" on it. The piano is a simple upright style instrument, not the white piano which graced the cover of the album. In 1992, it was bought by a private British collector who put it up for auction in October 2000.
Director and Producer, Caroline True: With a career that has spanned over two decades and crossed the Atlantic, Caroline True is an experienced and accomplished personality in the entertainment industry. Having worked extensively with acclaimed artists George Michael, The Rolling Stones, Lenny Kravitz and many others, True has served on both the creative and production sides of the music business, demonstrating an artistic talent along with strong business connections. Recently, she has extended her expertise into the art world through her work with George Michael and Kenny Goss on the IMAGINE Piano Peace Project.
Source: Goss Gallery
All they needed was love
Like the final track on Sergeant Pepper, like the Beatles themselves, the end for EMI came with a sob and a sigh. At tea-time on Monday, the world’s oldest record company declared losses of £264 million and no hope of recovery. A sale was announced to Terra Firma, an equity firm which will strip the ship for early resale, probably to Hollywood rival, Warner. A century of record history and the heart of British music was tossed onto the auction block with no regard for public sentiment or the devastating cultural consequences that attend the destruction of tradition. ...more...
Thursday, May 24, 2007
When the Beatles were 'gods'
“I declare that the Beatles are mutants, prototypes of evolutionary agents sent by God, endowed with a mysterious power to create a new human species.” —Dr. Timothy Leary. The Sixties were much more than a time of hippies, music, drugs and free love. In fact, there were three distinct cultural streams that flavored the 1960s -— the Kennedy years, the Beatles and the Vietnam era -— each of which insisted on the primacy of youth. The Kennedys moved into the White House in 1961, full of youthful energy. Suddenly, the idea that older people had to listen to younger ones was in the air. “The Kennedys represented youth in a transitional way,” writes author Mary Gordon. “They were young, but they didn’t threaten their elders.” ...more...
Hip Brits still in love with hippies
BRITAIN may have embraced the free market over the last couple of decades, but free love remains strongly in the air, with 1960s hippie values still espoused by most people, a new poll said today. Some 46 per cent of Britons agree with the slogan "Make Love Not War!'' and over a third think there is never any excuse for war, according to a survey to mark the 40th anniversary of the 1967 "Summer of Love". Forty-seven per cent think there are too many rules in society, 30 per cent disagree with party politics, and 82 per cent believe in doing their bit to save the planet, according to the YouGov poll for Readers' Digest. ...more...
McCartney: 'Hey, I'm Stella's dad!'
Paul McCartney snagged Natalie Portman to star in his new music video -- thanks to his fashion designer-daughter, Stella. Portman, 25, makes a cameo as a ghost in the video for "Dance Tonight," a track from McCartney's new studio album, "Memory Almost Full." The video had its world premiere Wednesday on YouTube.com. "The connection with Natalie came from my daughter Stella, who makes non-leather shoes that Natalie buys, so I just thought, 'Well, I'll ring her up and just see if she'll do it.' So I rang her up and said, 'Hey, I'm Stella's dad!' " the 64-year-old former Beatle said in a statement posted on his Web site. Portman, whose screen credits include "Closer" and "V for Vendetta," plays a "futurist electronic ghost" who is summoned by the sound of McCartney's mandolin. Filmmaker Michel Gondry ("Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind") directed the video. "Memory Almost Full," McCartney's 21st solo album, will be released June 5 in the United States. It's his first release for Hear Music, Starbuck Corp.'s new record label. McCartney last released the acclaimed "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard," in 2005.
© CNN.com
© CNN.com
Paul McCartney: "Idol" Finale No-Show?
Paul McCartney is lashing back against rumors that he stood-up the "American Idol" finale last night (which was attended by his ex Heather Mills), after reports claim he screwed producers by backing out at the last minute. In an exclusive statement to TMZ, McCartney's rep slammed the idle chatter, claiming that "Paul was never scheduled or approached to appear on the Idol finale." The rep added, "Even if he were, he likely would've needed to decline as he is in the throes of promoting the June 5th release of his new album. With that in mind, it would likely make it difficult to refer to him as a no-show." Calls to "Idol" reps were not immediately returned. You heard the news today, oh boy.
Click for SOURCE
Click for SOURCE
Paul McCartney wants to revisit 9/11 anthem
Paul McCartney says that he'd like to include his post-9/11 anthem "Freedom" in future concerts. McCartney says he wished that people would hold onto his original intention in writing the song, which was premiered at 2001's The Concert For New York City. Macca told pitchforkmedia.com that, "I'd very much like it to come back, because to me it's a 'We Shall Overcome' (type-song). That's sort of how I wrote it. It's like, 'Hey, I've got freedom, I'm an immigrant coming to America, give me your huddled masses.' And that's what it means to me, is, 'I used to live in an oppressive regime... but now I'm an American, and don't try to take that away from me.'" He went on to say that in the months following the song's release, it fell victim to the nation's hawkish climate and was co-opted as symbolizing something much different than his original vision: "I thought it was a great sentiment, and immediately post-9/11, I thought it was the right sentiment. But it got hijacked. And it got a bit of a militaristic meaning attached itself to it, and you found Mr. Bush using that kind of idea rather a lot in (a way) I felt altered the meaning of the song." ...more...
Germany drops fraud inquiry that named Paul McCartney
Berlin public prosecutors said Thursday they are not taking any action on a woman's claim that she was Paul McCartney's daughter or that the former Beatle allegedly avoided a paternity test by a trick. Officials said the alleged fraud was so long ago that the law would not allow prosecution, even if the claim were true. The Berlin woman, 46, alleged McCartney, 64, appointed a double to take a paternity test in 1984. ...more...
Phil Spector: 'I Have Devils Inside'
From head to toe, Phil Spector is a decidedly odd-looking man -- from his ever-ever-evolving hair to his 3-inch Cuban heels. He is also an undisputed musical genius. And despite his strange appearance, he has viewed life from the top of the musical pinnacle. When Spector was 17 years old, he wrote the song "To Know Him Is to Love Him," a tribute to his father, who committed suicide when Spector was only 9 -- a family secret his mother told him he must always keep. The title came from the inscription on his father's tombstone, and by the time Spector turned 18, the record had sold 1 million copies. ...more...
New Paul McCartney Video for "Dance Tonight" Debuts on YouTube
Many of you loved Paul McCartney's latest digital single release "Ever Present Past." Now he has released a video for the song "Dance Tonight" on YouTube that's great fun to watch. Celebrated film director Michel Gondry put it together and Natalie Portman is among the actors cavorting about. Be sure to catch it, and for those of you who are long-term Paul McCartney and Beatles fans, you'll recognize the use of the coda at the end of the song. The album Memory Almost Full will be available June 5, 2007.Watch Dance Tonight
© Source - About.com
IMAGINE ALL THE PEOPLE
BEATLES fans have flooded a Highland village's website after it announced a festival in honour of John Lennon, who went there as a child. Durness, with a population of just 351, is now set to become a tourist mecca for fans of the late star. The Sutherland village's site, northhighlandsscotland.com, has had more than 130,000 hits since announcing the John Lennon Northern Lights festival on Saturday. The event from September 28-30 will feature music, poetry and art in celebration of the musician who was shot dead in 1980, aged 40. ...more...
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Paul (McCartney) Is Alive -- And His New Album's a Milestone
Paul McCartney's got a new album coming out -- and here's a word to those of you who just yawned: It's f**king great. Fact is, it's his best work since the days of that "beat combo" from Liverpool, the one that used to be so popular with the youngsters. And guess who isn't involved in this new release? A record company. Instead, it's being distributed via iTunes -- and at Starbucks. More about that later. The album's a stunner, and it's a new career milestone for Macca. Flowers in the Dirt drew some vibrant Beatlesque energy from the McCartney/Elvis Costello partnership, but that was twenty years ago, wasn't it? And this album's even stronger. In fact, people "of a certain age" may find that it speaks to their emotions as effectively as any record since those put out by McCartney's first band. ...more...
Apple Stiffed By McCartney?
Apple made such a big deal about Paul McCartney’s music coming to iTunes, they even went as far as issuing a press release to let everyone know about the deal. Now, it looks like Apple is the only company right now that doesn’t have his music. That has to be embarrassing. Makes you wonder about the upcoming Beatles catalog of music and how that will play out. On Tuesday, however, some or all of McCartney's backlist went live on Napster LLCs' Napster, RealNetworks Inc.'s Rhapsody, Viacom International Inc.'s Urge, and Microsoft Corp.'s Zune Marketplace. Rhapsody, a monthly subscription service, had all 25 McCartney albums on its site for real-time streaming, and was also selling tracks for its usual US$0.89 each.
SOURCE
SOURCE
HARRISON 'BEGGED' ORBISON TO JOIN BAND
Late Beatle GEORGE HARRISON got down on his knees and begged ROY ORBISON to join THE TRAVELING WILBURYS. Harrison and Jeff Lynne started the supergroup in the late 1980s and ended up inviting Orbison, Bob Dylan and Tom Petty to join. Orbison's widow Barbara recalls the moment Harrison offered the Oh, Pretty Woman hitmaker the chance to join the group after a concert. She says, "When Roy came off-stage, George got on his knees. He was really funny. "He then said, 'We want to have a band and we want to have you in it. Will you do it?' And Roy said yes."
PRESS RELEASE
PRESS RELEASE
The God Confusion
John Lennon, in his iconic song “Imagine,” invited us to dream about a world devoid of nationalism, war, greed, hunger and religion. If only these aspects of human life could be removed, Lennon mused, we might experience a world in which a true brotherhood of man could live as one and be at peace, “sharing all the world” and “living for today.” It’s a tantalizing notion, one that occupies the fertile minds of atheists as they argue against the existence of God and the value of religion. But while headline-grabbing titles from prominent atheists are hitting the bookshelves, exponents of belief in God, especially from among the ranks of scientists, have been just as vigorous and prolific in exposing what they view as the atheists’ vapid arguments. Although the debate is often framed as “science versus religion,” this is misleading. It isn’t even scientists versus theologians. It is more about atheistic scientists expressing their antireligious beliefs openly and stridently, with theistic scientists being just as vocal in defense of their faith. ...more...
'Amazing' response to Lennon festival at Durness
ORGANISERS of a new arts festival in the Far North held in honour of John Lennon have been staggered by the early public response to it. Within two days of its launch, the website for the event in Durness had over 132,000 hits. Tickets for the John Lennon Northern Lights Festival have been booked by people from the other end of mainland Britain, while there have been a number of enquiries from overseas. "The response has been amazing," said director Mike Merritt. "It's just building and building all the time. This is going to put Durness on the map internationally." The venue was chosen as Lennon used to have regular childhood holidays in the north-west Sutherland village and later made a return visit with Yoko Ono. ...more...
Paul McCartney snubs iTunes
Beatles songwriter Paul McCartney's solo material went live yesterday on Napster, RealNetworks' Rhapsody, Viacom International's Urge and Microsoft's Zune Marketplace. But Apple, which made a big deal earlier this month about adding Paul McCartney's 25-album catalogue to its iTunes music store, was the odd man out, with no McCartney material on offer. Rhapsody, a monthly subscription service, had all 25 of McCartney's albums on its site for real-time streaming, and was also selling tracks for its usual $0.89 each. ...more...
Paul McCartney Premieres Video on YouTube
PAUL McCARTNEY hangs with the Internet's "in" crowd, as he debuts his latest video, "Dance Tonight," on YouTube.com tonight, at 5 p.m. EST. The song is from the former BEATLE's upcoming album, Memory Almost Full, which drops stateside on June 5. Sir Paul appears in the vid, natch, along with actress NATALIE PORTMAN; the video was directed by acclaimed filmmaker MICHEL GONDRY ('Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind'). Natalie plays a "futuristic electronic ghost" in the clip, and since this is a Gondry creation, be sure to expect some fantastic smoke-and-mirror effects. ...more...
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
Ben Weisman, Who Wrote Songs For Elvis, Dies At 85
A classically trained pianist who helped write nearly 60 songs for Elvis Presley has died. Presley used to call Ben Weisman "the mad professor." Weisman wrote or co-wrote a string of gold- and platinum-selling songs for Presley, including "Follow That Dream" and "Fame and Fortune." His songs include "Wooden Heart" for the movie "G.I. Blues," "Rock-a-Hula Baby" for "Blue Hawaii" and "Crawfish" for "King Creole." He also wrote for other pop stars, including Barbra Streisand and the Beatles. Born in 1921 Rhode Island., Weisman was raised in Brooklyn. He studied classical piano as a teenager and at the Juilliard School of Music. Weisman suffered a stroke last month and died Sunday at a long-term care hospital in Los Angeles. He was 85 years old. Source: AP
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sir Paul McCartney calls a truce with Heather Mills
Sir Paul McCartney has decided to call a truce with his estranged wife Heather Mills, informs News of the World. The former Beatle attended a friendly meeting with Heather at a London bistro on Friday, where they managed to sort through many of their differences. It is believed that Mills has assured Paul that she will not move to America full-time once the divorce is finalised, easing his fears that she will take their daughter Bea to the States with her. Meanwhile, Paul has promised to come up with a divorce deal that will satisfy Heather. ...more...
McCARTNEY IS CLOSER TO CHILDREN SINCE MILLS SPLIT
Music legend SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has hailed his split with estranged wife HEATHER MILLS for bringing him closer to his children. The former Beatle - who is embroiled in a bitter court battle with his second wife - reveals divorce proceedings have improved relations between himself and his three elder children: Mary, Stella and James, from his marriage to Linda MCCartney. He says, "I'm going through great struggles, but I'm feeling pretty good. "I have a lot of good support, particularly from my family. In difficult moments like this, it's when a loving family shines through. "There is a tunnel and there is a light and I will get there. In the meantime I really enjoy my work and my family. I see people worse off than me, so I can put it in perspective."
SOURCE
SOURCE
Taking Friendly Fire with Sean Lennon (Interview)
Eight years after garnering critical acclaim for his debut Into the Sun, Sean Lennon returned with the ambitious and deeply personal Friendly Fire. Born from first-hand loss and unrequited reconciliation, the album is dedicated to his former best friend Max LeRoy, who had an affair with Lennon’s then-girlfriend Bijou Phillips. LeRoy subsequently crashed his motorcycle and died before Lennon had a chance to achieve closure, and a sense of horrific emptiness permeates the excruciatingly fragile record. The songs are very delicate, painfully precious, and dramatically insightful. A DVD of short films, one for each song, is packaged with the effort, and taken in full, it tells the story of his betrayal. Written by and starring Lennon, it chronicles this most personal of tragedies for all to see, and remarkably, it also features Bijou Phillips as the ham in his best-friend sandwich. Lindsay Lohan, Asia Argento, Jordana Brewster, Carrie Fisher, and Devon Aoki also appear in this glorious, David Lynch-like image-scape. Recently, Lennon sat down to answer a few questions about how this unique and groundbreaking endeavor came to be. ...more...
Paul McCartney Won't Tour Yet
Musical juggernaut Paul McCartney has told his fans they will have to wait for his divorce with 2nd wife Heather Mills is finalized before they will get a world tour. Macca told The Sunday Mirror, "I'm going to do bits and pieces to support the album, but it won't be a major tour until possibly next year, and that's down to personal circumstances." His album, 'Memory Almost Full' will be released around the world on June 4, just two years after his last acoustic album 'Chaos and Creation in the Backyard' and less than a year ago he released his fourth classical album 'Ecce Cor Meum'.
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The Seven Ages of Rock
If there is one figure from popular culture right now you don’t want to resemble it is Mark, the emotionally, socially and sexually inadequate one from Peep Show. But I felt like Mark, the thirtysomething whose life has taken such a detour from youth that he would prefer to read Roy Jenkins on Churchill than enter a nightclub, while watching Saturday’s opening instalment of The Seven Ages of Rock. What made it worse was that The Birth of Rock, which covered the 1960s, was “talkin bout my generation” – or the one just ahead of it – and I still couldn’t have felt more alienated, much more alienated, surely, than Roger Daltrey felt singing My Generation(his stage stutters didn’t fool me). As I watched footage of The Who smashing their guitars, heard Jack Bruce of Cream boast of his ambition to be the loudest bass player in the world and winced at Jimi Hendrix’s out-of-tune rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner, I wondered who would actually choose to play this stuff for pleasure. And then I remembered: almost everyone ...more...
Interview: Sir Paul McCartney
Sir Paul McCartney needs no introduction-- but those of us who have known him since we first heard "Yesterday" in the cradle often need a reminder not to take him for granted. His new release Memory Almost Full comes out June 5 on Hear Music, aka the Starbucks label, but it's the youngest-sounding record he's released in years. And, like his previous album, 2005's Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, it's a surprisingly revealing and nakedly melancholy turn for someone we'd think couldn't reveal anything more of himself to us.
At age 64, McCartney has regrets and grudges. He has a press corps in Britain that chases after any salacious rumor it can find about his recent divorce from his second wife, Heather Mills. And thanks to a new deal with iTunes, he's just now entering the digital music era. But he also has a sense of humor, and a veteran hippie's outlook on how groovy the world still is. ...more...
At age 64, McCartney has regrets and grudges. He has a press corps in Britain that chases after any salacious rumor it can find about his recent divorce from his second wife, Heather Mills. And thanks to a new deal with iTunes, he's just now entering the digital music era. But he also has a sense of humor, and a veteran hippie's outlook on how groovy the world still is. ...more...
Sunday, May 20, 2007
JOHN LENNON MEMORIAL FESTIVAL ANNOUNCED
A music festival in honour of JOHN LENNON will take place in the same remote Scottish village where the murdered BEATLES star used to spend his childhood summers. Musical sets, poetry recitals, film screenings and a huge dance event in an enormous sea cave will span three days of celebrations at Durness, Scotland in September (07). Lennon's cousin Stan Parkes says his famous relation would have been "delighted and surprised" to learn about the festival. The singer/songwriter spent five summers in the area as a youngster. SOURCE
McCartney: I don't read divorce coverage
LONDON - Paul McCartney avoids reading media coverage of his difficult divorce because he does not want to see the details of his private life on front pages, he said in an interview published Saturday. McCartney and his second wife, Heather Mills McCartney, are in the middle of divorce proceedings. The former Beatle told the Guardian's Weekend magazine that the situation has brought him closer to his grown children from his marriage to Linda McCartney. "I'm going through great struggles, but I'm feeling pretty good," McCartney was quoted as saying. "I have a lot of good support, particularly from my family. In difficult moments like this, it's when a loving family shines through." ...more...
McCartney and Heather Mills call truce for daughter's sake
(ANI): Warring couple Sir Paul McCartney and Heather Mills are finally putting their differences aside for the sake of their young daughter Beatrice. The estranged couple were spotted on Friday, May 18, at a London bistro where they chatted amicably while their daughter played nearby. Macca and Mills have apparently hammered out a truce because they are worried about the effect their nasty divorce battle is having on their three year old daughter. A source close to the two revealed that they had decided to call a truce because they were very worried about the emotional toll it was taking on Beatrice. "It's an amazing about-turn but they've both looked at their behavior and vowed to get along for Bea's sake," the News of the World quoted the source, as saying. They were becoming really worried that their rows and the tension between them would have an emotional effect on her," the source added. The cordial meeting at the bistro was in sharp contrast to their one in October last year when they barely spoke to each other at Beatrice's third birthday party. As for what has Macca and Mills on better terms, well it is not only the fact that he has promised to settle the divorce by next year, and is giving Heather a 1 million pounds interim payment, but also the fact that his estranged wife has promised not to set up house in the US. Paul has promised he'll settle the divorce by next spring and he's given her a £1 million interim payment. That's a huge relief for Heather who had debts to clear and was afraid that it would rumble on for years," the source said. He was worried she'd try to settle there and take Bea. But she's assured him she'll stay here," the source added. In fact, the two are even planning to “do a family thing” for Macca’s birthday.
"Now she wants to do a family thing for Paul's birthday with Bea. When this was suggested a few weeks ago, Paul had a really negative view on it. But he's chilled out about things now, and is considering it," the source revealed. He does feel that as a dad it would be the right thing to do for Bea," the insider added. (ANI)
"Now she wants to do a family thing for Paul's birthday with Bea. When this was suggested a few weeks ago, Paul had a really negative view on it. But he's chilled out about things now, and is considering it," the source revealed. He does feel that as a dad it would be the right thing to do for Bea," the insider added. (ANI)
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Those Were the Days, My Friend
We thought they’d never end. The fortieth anniversary of the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper” album is only days away. I was 21 at the time, and I was absolutely blown away. Everybody bought the “record” (an ancient term no longer in use) the day it was released. In the Wall Street Journal (subscription), Russ Smith has some far more extensive reflections: It’s possible for two reasonable adults, probably older than 45, to argue for hours about the most significant pop music event of the 1960s. My own vote would be cast in favor of the Beatles’ first appearance on “The Ed Sullivan Show” in February 1964, but a very close second is the release of their “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” the majestic album that will be 40 years old in early June. It’s not that “Sgt. Pepper” is my favorite record from that era — Bob Dylan’s “Blonde on Blonde” is — but there’s no denying the extraordinary influence that the Beatles’ most famous achievement had not only in the music industry but this country’s popular culture as well. ...more...
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McCartney says there is light at the end of the tunnel
Paul McCartney avoids media coverage of his difficult divorce because he does not want to see details of his private life splashed across newspaper front pages, he said in an interview published Saturday. McCartney and his second wife, Heather Mills McCartney, are in the middle of divorce proceedings. But the former Beatle told the Guardian's Weekend magazine that the situation has brought him closer to his grown children from his marriage to Linda McCartney. "I'm going through great struggles, but I'm feeling pretty good," McCartney was quoted as saying. "I have a lot of good support, particularly from my family. In difficult moments like this, it's when a loving family shines through." ...more...
McCARTNEYS THE SIX MILLION MAN
Bosses at SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's new coffee chain record label believe more than six million fans will flock to Starbucks around the globe for a first taste of the rocker's new album brew. Select coffee stores in 29 countries around the world will host listening parties for the album, Memory Almost Full, on 5 June (07). And Starbucks executives, who signed the former Beatle to their new Hear Music label, are confident that at least six million people will show up just to hear MCCartney's new tunes. Starbucks Entertainment president Ken Lombard says, "Customers from Taipei to Topeka have the opportunity to experience this extraordinary album all within a span of 24 hours." In total, 10,000 Starbucks coffee houses will be playing the album on 5 June (07) - the day it's released internationally.
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The Love Generation? More like the love me generation
Before we get misty-eyed about the right-on 60s, we shouldn't forget what a small jump it turned out to be from hippie to yuppie. In just over a fortnight, it will be 40 years since the release of The Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Teary-eyed baby boomers will presumably get out their vinyl copies for a Proustian spin, and perhaps wonder where all that peace, love and understanding went, a question that has been hanging around for almost as long as the record itself. Paul McCartney once related the tale of being cornered by a crestfallen hippie in 1972: "God, man, around the time of Sgt Pepper, we really thought it was going to change the world," he was told. "What happened?" ...more...
It Was 40 Years Ago Today
It's possible for two reasonable adults, probably older than 45, to argue for hours about the most significant pop music event of the 1960s. My own vote would be cast in favor of the Beatles' first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964, but a very close second is the release of their "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the majestic album that will be 40 years old in early June. It's not that "Sgt. Pepper" is my favorite record from that era -- Bob Dylan's "Blonde on Blonde" is -- but there's no denying the extraordinary influence that the Beatles' most famous achievement had not only in the music industry but this country's popular culture as well. "Sgt. Pepper," the group's first album that wasn't supported by a world-wide tour, captured, to use a word that didn't become a cliché for years afterward, the "zeitgeist" then, impeccably in sync with the "Summer of Love," "flower power," psychedelia and the youthful lifestyle of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll. That the Beatles, weary of avoiding hordes of fans and tabloid reporters, abandoned live concerts was in itself a radical shift of gears, but spending more than four months in a recording studio on a single project, and a "concept" album at that, was unheard of. Revisionists today, when critiquing the Beatles' discography, aren't quite as rapturous about "Sgt. Pepper" as millions of fans were in 1967, but the immediate impact of the album can't be overstated. ...more...
Friday, May 18, 2007
'There is a tunnel and there is light, and i will get there'
He is going through the most public and bitter divorce since Charles and Diana's, but Paul McCartney is determinedly upbeat. As he releases his most personal album yet, he talks to Simon Hattenstone about getting to grips with his troubles. The first thing you see on entering Paul McCartney's Soho office is a beautiful old Wurlitzer jukebox. Seven years ago, in this same room, McCartney was ecstatic, a middle-aged man flushed on love and flaunting his second youth. "Here, listen to this," he said to me at the time. "This is my favourite song - I'm In Love, I'm In Love, I'm in Love Again," and as he played the Fats Domino song he sang along to it. He had just got together with Heather Mills, and he wanted to shout about it. So much has happened since then. ...more...
McCartney under paternity investigation
Sir Paul McCartney is under investigation in Germany over allegations that a blood test in a paternity dispute was faked a quarter of a century ago. Bettina Huebers, 44, who says she is the illegitimate daughter of the former Beatle, claimed today that a stand-in took Sir Paul’s place when he was ordered by the German courts to give blood samples in 1983. Sir Paul, 64, has always denied being Ms Huebers’ father and when the blood test proved negative in 1983 her claims were dismissed. Ms Heubers, who once changed her name to Tina McCartney and embarked on an unsuccessful singing career, now claims she has uncovered evidence that Sir Paul used a double for the blood test and that a signature on legal documents from the time is not his. ...more...
DYLANS SYMPATHY FOR HARRISON
American rocker BOB DYLAN feels sorry for the late GEORGE HARRISON, because he believes the former Beatle was constantly overshadowed by bandmates JOHN LENNON and SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY. Dylan, 65, thinks the Got My Mind Set On You star struggled to gain recognition for his own singing and songwriting talents, and would have been as famous as Lennon and MCCartney if he had fronted his own band. He says, "George got stuck with being the Beatle who had to fight to get songs on records because of John Lennon and Paul MCCartney. "Well, who wouldn't get stuck? If George had his own group and was writing his own songs back then, he'd probably have been just as big as anybody."
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NEWS McCARTNEY: 'ELVIS INFLUENCED ALBUM'
SIR PAUL McCARTNEY has confessed THE BEATLES classic album SGT. PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND was heavily influenced by ELVIS PRESLEY. The music legend reveals The Beatles wrote the 1967 LP, using the concept of a band, so they would not have to go on tour - an idea they obtained from Presley. McCartney says, "We had this idea that we'd make a record, and the record itself would go on tour for us. "That came from a story we'd heard about Elvis' Cadillac going on tour. We though that was an amazing idea: He doesn't go on tour, he just sends his Cadillac out. Fantastic!"PRESS RELEASE
Macca accused of faking test
A German prosecutor says Sir Paul McCartney is being investigated for faking a paternity test he took over two decades ago to prove he was not the father of an illegitimate German girl. Bettina Hubers, 46, has always claimed Sir Paul is her father following an affair with her mother Erika, 64, in Hamburg back in the days when the Fab Four played in the port city's Starlight club. Erica, a waitress at a night club in Hamburg, claims she had a three-year affair with him and gave birth to Bettina in December 1962. ...more...
Thursday, May 17, 2007
McCartney Opens Up About Past, Future, Cultural Icon Nears 65th Birthday Next Month
There's been no shortage of news surrounding Paul McCartney lately. He has a new album ("Memory Almost Full"), a new record label (Starbucks' Hear Music) and a new platform (digital) for his post-Beatles output. Billboard's Paul Sexton spoke to Sir Paul about all that and more in an exclusive interview as the cultural icon nears his 65th birthday next month. Billboard: You must be aware that in current circumstances you're under greater scrutiny than ever with the lyrics on this album? ...more...
Ringo Star: '‘Sgt.Pepper’ Not Our Best Album'
Although Starr admitted that ‘Sgt. Pepper’ “served it’s purpose,” he has revealed that he prefers the other two albums. He said: “As a musician, I preferred 'Revolver', and I preferred 'The White Album', because we were back to being musicians. It was like everybody got the madness out on 'Sgt. Pepper', so it served that purpose." In an anniversary edition of Rolling Stone, Paul McCartney also spoke about The Beatles musical library - specifically, ‘Sgt. Pepper,’ which he attributed to Elvis. ...more...
Underwood isn't Romo's first sweetie, so quit worrying
A smoking hot edition of Yoko Ono has landed in Cowboysland, if public opinion is any indication. Beware of this Carrie Underwood character. Younger, blonder and crooning about exacting revenge on cheating boyfriends as opposed to peace-love-dope, Underwood apparently is as dangerous as Yoko because -- gasp -- she is dating Tony Romo. Yes, the Cowboys QB has a girlfriend, a good-looking (or so Mr. Hate informs me) and semi-famous girlfriend and, as a result, the local sports world as we know it is about to end. Can we please calm down with this Yoko-Romo talk for just a second? ...more...
Paul McCartney: 'Elvis influenced Sgt Pepper'
Paul McCartney has declared Elvis Presley as one of significant influences behind The Beatles 'Sgt Pepper' album. The 1967 record saw the band invention the concept album, allowing them to stay at home at tour, and McCartney explained they got the idea from The King. "We had this idea that we'd make a record, and the record itself would go on tour for us," McCartney told Rolling Stone. "That came from a story we'd heard about Elvis' Cadillac going on tour. We though that was an amazing idea: He doesn't go on tour, he just sends his Cadillac out. Fantastic!" The record has since been hailed as an influential classic, ...more...
Audience Get To See Yoko After All
It appears that the audience at tonight's Transmission gig at the Udderbelly will have a chance to see Yoko Ono after all. Last week we reported that organisers of the show, which will be filmed live for Channel 4, had denied rumours she would be appearing. However, it turns out that she will be interviewed live during the gig, which will also feature the Scissor Sisters, Beth Ditto, Cold War Kids and Bat For Lashes. ...more...
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
Sean Lennon: Brian Bell Has New Relationship While Mystery Swirls Around Weezer
Weezer aren't touring or officially recording, and have announced no concrete plans to do either, so guitarist Brian Bell is using the internet to post material from his side project, The Relationship. Bell debuted The Relationship last December in Salt Lake City, Utah. The band feature Bell on guitar and vocals, guitarist Nate Shaw, U.S. Bombs drummer Jamie Reidling and former Freewheelers member Luther Russell on backing vocals and bass. ...more...
Amazon to sell digital music free of copy curbs
Amazon.com Inc. said on Wednesday the company will launch a digital music store later in 2007 with millions of songs, free of copy protection technology that limits where consumers can play their music. The Seattle-based company said music company EMI Group, home to artists ranging from Coldplay to Norah Jones to Joss Stone to Pink Floyd, has licensed its digital catalog to Amazon, the second such deal in a month. Amazon, the world’s top online retailer of music on compact discs, is poised to move into the online download market now dominated by Apple Inc.’s iTunes store. ...more...
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Sean Lennon and model love Irina in tune at NY awards
The cool combination of fashion's hottest star of the moment and music royalty set flashbulbs popping recently as Irina Lazareanu and Sean Lennon helped honour Karl Lagerfeld at an awards gala in New York. Canadian drummer-turned-Chanel muse Irina and her beau made an elegant duo as they arrived at Monday's International Center of Photography's Infinity Awards fresh from a recording session in London. Love has blossomed for the pair after they teamed up together on a music project. Sean, the son of Yoko Ono and John Lennon, has been working with the 25-year-old beauty to record a cover of the Bob Dylan song Girl Of The North Country in the British capital. ...more...
Lennon Legend Book Contest
Congrats to Carol S and Russell H for winning The Beatles Anthology with the correct answer to the question 'What is the address of the Cavern Club?' Answer: 10 Mathew St. They were picked from over 300 entries. The only problem is about 50 did not completely fill out the form and several were tossed for entering more than once. The new book is Lennon Legend, a great interactive book. There's lots of artifact replicas such as the Quarrymen's first business card and lyrics to a few Lennon songs in his own hand writing, and much more. These books were donated to Beatlesnumber9 by Chronicle Books and everyone is eligible. Just go to Beatles' Book Contest and answer the new trivia question. You can also win the Yellow Submarine Journal just by playing Beatles Trivia, (books given away randomly regardless of score).
Music stars 'must keep copyright'
UK copyright laws should be extended to prevent musicians from missing out on royalties in later life, MPs have said. Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Cliff Richard are among the artists who will see the current 50-year limit on their early sound recordings expire soon. The House of Commons culture committee said people had a "moral right" to keep control of their creations while alive. ...more...
Bob Dylan talks of Beatles friendship
Bob Dylan has spoken in depth about his longstanding friendship with The Beatles and his particular bond with George Harrison. Talking to Rolling Stone magazine, Dylan talked freely about Harrison's struggle to find his voice within the songwriting collective of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. "George got stuck with being the Beatle that had to fight to get songs on records because of Lennon and McCartney. Well, who wouldn't get stuck?" he asked. ...MORE...
McCARTNEY SNUBS BEATLES ANNIVERSARY
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY will reportedly snub 40th anniversary celebrations for THE BEATLES' album SGT PEPPER'S LONELY HEARTS CLUB BAND - to promote his new solo album instead. The music legend would rather promote Memory Almost Full than appear on TV and radio to mark the anniversary of the famous album's release on 1 June (07), according to industry insiders. A source tells British newspaper the Daily Express, "While it would have been nice to see Paul and Ringo Starr do something to mark the occasion this time around, Sir Paul is simply going to be too busy promoting his new album to make a big deal out of it. "While he is obviously extremely proud of Sgt Pepper's, it's more rewarding for him to be concentrating on making sure his new album's a commercial success." Meanwhile, contemporary rockers Oasis and The Kaiser Chiefs are to record a new version of the song to mark the anniversary.
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Tuesday, May 15, 2007
Untold stories of the 'British Invasion'
For fans who weren't around yet, or who want to revisit a definitive chapter in rock history, an insider's look at the music scene during the heyday of the Beatles and the Rolling Stones - with a tour guide who helped define that era - is yours for the price of a ticket to "Behind the Scenes With Pete Bennett." Scheduled for June 30 at 8 p.m. at the Count Basie Theatre in Red Bank, "Behind the Scenes" is a look back at the music business hosted by the man who was promotional manager for the groups that led the British Invasion. ...more...
Ghanaians celebrate Bob Marley
Myth about Bob Marley remains in music and philosophy. Last friday marked the 26th anniversary of Bob Marley as one of the greatest music legends of all time. As a tradition, many radio and FM stations, night clubs and theatres have been running programmes to pay tribute to him. By all standards the late Bob Marley is comparable with other music mortals like Elvis Presley, Sam Cooke, John Lennon of Beatles fame and Jim Hendrix. ...more...
Yoko Ono 'Cockroach' art bugs to Moscow
MOSCOW, May 14: "Life through the eyes of a cockroach" is the theme of a Yoko Ono exhibition in Moscow that is part of the city's Second Contemporary Art Biennale. The "Odyssey of a Cockroach" exhibit by the widow of John Lennon is to run May 30-June 24, Russian curators told RIA Novosti Monday. The show's billboard-size color photographs and larger-than-life sculptures are arranged to present modern urban life through the eyes of a cockroach. Explaining the exhibit, Ono told RIA Novosti, "I have taken various pictures of the city's corners and presented them from a cockroach's point of view. Through the eyes of this other strong race, we may learn the true reality of what our dreams and nightmares have created."
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Sir Paul: Save Abbey Road
In 1897, a German-American inventor named Emile Berliner, inventor of the gramophone method of recording, founded the Gramophone Company in London. Five years later, Enrico Caruso recorded 10 songs for Berliner, transforming his company into a dominant force in the recording industry. In March 1931, Gramophone merged with the Columbia Graphophone [sic] Company to create Electric and Musical Industries Ltd, soon to be known as EMI. ...more...
Beatles "virtually settled" on iTunes
virtually settled." Paul McCartney -- one of the founding members of the Beatles and the world record holder for the most successful musician and composer in popular music history -- has laid plans to make all of the Beatles' tracks available on iTunes following the settlement of a trademark dispute between Apple Inc. and Apple Corps. iTunes won't likely see a significant boost to its bottom line as a result of adding the Beatles' music to its online shop, according to analysts cited by the Sacramento Business Journal, but Apple has historically profited from its market leading iPod music players while supporting sales of the portable devices with its integrated online store.
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Monday, May 14, 2007
Beatles music continues to influence others
One of my Niles readers, Steve Russell, sent me "Dark to Dawn," by his son, guitarist Jason Sapen. "One of the reasons I enjoy your articles is that you and I seem to share an interest in the same kind of music, particularly the Beatles. Since we like the same music I thought you might enjoy (this CD). You can possibly identify with this if you have kids, which is how proud I am that my kids have learned to love the same music I do. I am very grateful that my son is in a band which plays music I genuinely like. And in return they have enlightened me to some very good contemporary music to which I wouldn't ordinarily have been exposed." ...more...
Beatles Tribute Festival on It's Way to the Louisville Waterfront Again
For the last two years, Louisville has hosted the extremely anticipated Beatles fan-fest entitled Abbey Road on the River. The funtabulous festival that lasts for five days made Louisville it's local home two years ago when it debuted at The Galt House and on the Belvedere which is located in downtown Louisville. Abbey Road on the River is a celebratory experience which commemorates the 40th anniversay of the Summer of Love which includes tunes from the Beatles as well as known contemporaries such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin. ...more...
Lennon music education bus still rolling
Imagine a "dream machine" on wheels. It's easy if you try. But the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is no dream. A state-of-the-art multimedia studio packed in a bus, it's a vehicle for opening the minds of aspiring young musicians. "Swing open the door, step inside, take three short steps into the main cabin and look around," writes Mark Garvey in "Come Together: The Official John Lennon Educational Tour Bus Guide to Music and Video," a recently published history of the bus by Garvey and Yoko Ono Lennon. "You've entered a different world. And whether you're young or old, if you're a person who harbors music, video-editing or any related technical aspirations, you know you've just walked into a candy shop." ...more...
Psychedelic Art Grows Up - Yeah, Baby
Summer of Love: Art of the Psychedelic Era" could be a crowd-pleaser — luring children of the 1960s who aren't on a beach somewhere into a museum for a slightly hazy trip down memory lane. But the man behind the exhibition, which opens at the Whitney Museum of American Art on May 24, after originating at the Tate Liverpool and traveling to Germany and Austria, has a serious goal in mind. The director of the Tate Liverpool, Christoph Grunenberg, argues that psychedelic art has been unjustly ignored by art historians and wants to see it restored to its place in the story of late-20th-century artistic movements. ...more...
McCARTNEY BACK CATALOGUE TO GO ONLINE
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's entire back catalogue is heading online, prompting reports THE BEATLES' archive of hits will also be following in the singer's footsteps. The announcement today (14May07) by record label EMI means all of the former Beatle's solo albums, including releases with his rock group Wings, will now be made available for download via the internet. MCCartney's deal has led to increased speculation over when fans can expect The Beatles' back catalogue to hit online stores, with EMI boss Eric Nicoli recently (Apr07) saying the label was "working on it".
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Exhibition Of New Beatles Photos Confirmed
Never before seen photos of The Beatles are to be unveiled at an exhibition in Norwich, commencing June 1st. Taken at Abbey Road Studios in 1967, the photos include images of the fab four relaxing during the recording of, ‘With A little Help From My Friends,’ and eating lunch with producer George Martin. The photos, taken by Sunday Times photographer Frank Herrmann hours before the band posed for the cover of ‘Sgt. Pepper,’ were thought to have been lost but thanks to modern technology the candid shots have been restored from the original contact sheets. ...more...
Yoko Ono Moscow photo exhibition to spotlight concept art
A Yoko Ono exhibition will open in Moscow next month bringing to Russia the latest photographic project by the Japanese-born American artist, better known for her marriage to singer-songwriter John Lennon than her artwork. Yoko Ono's Odyssey of a Cockroach installation will be shown as part of Moscow's Second Contemporary Art Biennale in June, after being exhibited in London and New York City, Russian curators said Monday. ...more...
Sunday, May 13, 2007
FORMER McCARTNEY PUBLICIST MILLS IS TALENTLESS
The former publicist of SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has blasted the music legend's estranged wife HEATHER MILLS - branding her talentless. Geoff Baker acted as the former Beatles publicist for 15 years, but left in 2004 after a reported clash with Mills.. He says, "I don't like Heather. She knows that, although she was always pleasant enough to my face. "I'm sure she'll be a huge act in America. She doesn't have one particular talent but she doesn't need one. "Fame isn't predicated on talent anymore. "To some extent I do admire her. But I don't like her."
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - FORMER McCARTNEY PUBLICIST MILLS IS TALENTLESS
SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY - FORMER McCARTNEY PUBLICIST MILLS IS TALENTLESS
Pink Floyd - Meddle: A Classic Album Under Review
Meddle: A Classic Album Under Review is a fun hour, delving into the backstory behind the album that preceded Dark Side of the Moon, Pink Floyd’s Meddle. Now, this DVD is pretty much only of interest to people who are familiar with the album, if you like it, and want to learn more, it’s worth a look. The first half of the DVD delves into the early history of “the Floyd,” as they’re called by nearly all the talking heads on ...more...
BUY THIS DVD HERE: Pink Floyd: Meddle - A Classic Album Under Review
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Going back 40 years into amazing music
Has it really been 40 years since The Beatles released ''Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club'' in early June 1967? I was reminded of that as I casually perused the magazine rack at Hannaford’s last weekend and eyed the cover of the latest Guitar World, with John, Paul, George and Ringo playing on the cover. 'A Mind-Blowing Salute to The Beatles Sgt. Pepper's' was emblazoned over the top of the photo, with teasers for 'new interviews,' 'rare photos' and 'recording secrets revealed' below it. For me, 1967 was a biggie for many reasons. I graduated from what was then called Nashua Senior High School that June. Ten weeks later, I was at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, being ever so politely introduced to Staff Sgt. George Denton, who would be my basic training instructor for the next six weeks. ...more...
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