The DJ who sings 'Revolution' to the counter-insurgents

Outside, the air is punctuated by the echo of gunfire and distant thud of ordnance. US Army lieutenant-colonel Gregory Baine emerges from a bulletproof vehicle in body armour and helmet. He is not expecting to be greeted by an Iraqi wielding a guitar and singing 'Baby You Can Drive My Car'. Mohammed Ahmed is the Baghdad Beatle. He says he learnt English by listening to Lennon and McCartney rather than his teacher. As a child prodigy in 1970, he performed 'Love Me Do' on Iraqi national TV. He is now station manager and DJ at Peace 106 FM Baghdad and plays the Beatles - and sometimes sings them too. Ahmed's work also has a profoundly serious side in the world's most dangerous country for journalists. The 42-year-old has received death threats for hosting a talk show that gives Iraqis a platform to debate politics and air their daily concerns. [...more...]

THE PAUL IS DEAD HOAX

If the Beatles are the undisputed titans of pop music, then this is the Titanic of rock myths. In 1969, Beatlemaniacs -- and who in the world wasn't one, by then? -- were buzzing with the bizarre rumor that Paul McCartney had been dead since 1966, the victim of a car crash in his Aston-Martin on a rainy night following a recording session at Abbey Road. The surviving band members, distraught, were said to have scrambled to find an impersonator. Then they began the slow process of dropping hints about the incident: "Here's another clue for you all," John Lennon sang on "Glass Onion." "The walrus was Paul." The walrus was said to be an ancient symbol of death in several cultures (Roman, Arctic). During the eerie outro of "Strawberry Fields," a muffled voice can be heard apparently saying "I buried Paul." And on the cover of Abbey Road, Paul is barefoot (the corpse), John is in white (the angel), Ringo in black (the clergyman) and George in denim (the gravedigger). The dead man has since gone on to record dozens of solo records, compose symphonies, be knighted . . . and get busted for pot. Three more pages covering all aspects of the hoax © beatlesnumber9

John Lennon. Political and rare songs

"CheLennon": a unique concept album of John Lennon's political and rare songs and interviews brilliantly performed in post-punk by The OZ from St. Petersburg, Russia! It's not a cover album!!! Post-Beatles John Lennon revolutionary interviews (like 'Red Mole' Tariq Ali interview) and songs (like never arranged 'Serve yourself' among others) are performed in this album with a deep and very special feeling! It is not a cover -- it is a different philosophical interpretation of John Lennon music, views and life created by five young Russians! Nice 'Punk-Opera: CheLennon' DG-pack CD with a hand drawn libretto-booklet in style of John Lennon Anthology is already available to order from many online stores like Amazon in the US and Europe. For all the online stores and more information click here: www.ilemusic.com
For the best tracks and music-videos of the album click here: www.myspace.com/dotheozrussia

Check it out now!!! Entertain yourself and friends with such a unique interpretation of John Lennon's music and thoughts performed in an absolutely new and 'OZsome' way: with a lot of love and passion coming from the very heart of the true underground of St. Petersburg -- Russia's cultural and revolutionary capitol!

David Holmes of Beatlesnumber9 says: "This is the best music I've heard recently. The music industry is in dire need for a new format, and The Oz is it. There isn't a word or label invented yet that describes their sound, but they're good. I recommend to every serious fan of Rock 'N' Roll to give this album a listen to, you will love it as much as I did!"

'Imagine' that! Beatlemania and the symphony

George, Paul, John, Ringo. They played at Carnegie Hall but were anything but a classical quartet. Yet ironically, Carnegie -- that icon of classical music performance venues -- was an appropriate hall for the Beatles' 1964 American debut. As the group matured, their music became more sonically complex, more orchestral, more classical. That soaring piccolo trumpet obbligato in ''Penny Lane,'' the string quartet behind the vocals in ''Eleanor Rigby,'' are just two examples of their groundbreaking musical legacy. Pop and classical worlds will merge again next Saturday at Allentown Symphony Hall, when members of the Beatles tribute band Beatlemania join the Allentown Symphony Orchestra in ''Classical Mystery Tour,'' a program featuring note-for-note recreations of some of the Beatles' greatest hits. [...more...]

I choked when I saw pic of John - Yoko Ono

YOKO Ono visited the exhibition of her late husband John Lennon’s drawings on display in the ECHO’s Old Hall Street atrium. The artist said she felt “choked” when she arrived yesterday and saw a giant image of the former Beatle. The display, on show until Monday, is the biggest of its type ever seen in the UK. Yoko said: “The building is incredible and has beautiful natural light. I’m so glad they selected this place to show the exhibition. [...more...]

Promoter Sid Bernstein, 90, still has a thing for Fab Four

Sid Bernstein is the man who brought the Beatles to America. Before Ed Sullivan even knew they existed, he booked the Fab Four's 1964 American debut at Carnegie Hall, and followed that up with their Shea Stadium concerts, the first major rock stadium acts. For any concert promoter, this would have been enough of a legacy. But not for Sid Bernstein. Bernstein, who will be 90 years old in August, is in fact responsible for most of the British Invasion of the '60s and '70s. He discovered the Rolling Stones -- and promoted their first five concerts. He followed the Beatles with the Dave Clark 5, Herman's Hermits, the Kinks, Manfred Mann, and many others. He promoted Tony Bennett's first Carnegie Hall appearance, briefly headed the Newport Jazz Festival, brought the Bay City Rollers to America and the Rascals to England. [...more...]

Peace messenger travels West Coast

"I've been thinking about that line all morning," Art Brown said about a Beatles lyric from the 1970 song "Let It Be." He was talking about the verse, "And when the night is cloudy, there is still a light that shines on me, shine until tomorrow, let it be." Brown, 48, heard a 10-year-old boy play the classic song on the piano while staying at the DeMartin Redwood Youth Hostel near Klamath this week and it made him think about being in a positive light. Brown is on a four-month journey on foot from San Diego to Seattle—for peace, he said. "My hope is not to change the course of the world, but if I change the mind of one person it might ricochet off into the world," Brown said Friday. [...more...]

Sir Paul McCartney loves bringing his family together over food

“Oh most wonderful father,” intones Sir Paul McCartney, his hands clasped in front of him like a Victorian patriarch delivering grace. “Almost wonderful father,” his daughter Mary sings back. “Who we really revere...Who we really fear...Who really makes us tick... Who really makes us sick...” Thirty years on, it’s a rare glimpse into the private world of Paul McCartney, a playful two-hander that he and his late wife Linda shared with the children before meals at their Peasmarsh estate in Sussex, or on the family farm in Scotland. “Can you believe it, Dad,” says Mary, “I’ve got my kids saying this now.” So a family ritual passes down from one generation to another. But it also shows how Paul’s legendary insistence on shielding his young family from his fame was a two-way street. He had capped his success with the Beatles and was performing with Wings, but he got no favours at home. “It was just our way of making Dad not feel too special,” Mary remembers. “You can always rely on kids to bring you back down to reality.” [...more...]

Ono looks forward to McCartney show

Yoko Ono has said she was "looking forward" to watching a special show headlined by Sir Paul McCartney this weekend. John Lennon's widow, who is visiting Liverpool for the weekend, also said she would attend Stella McCartney's unveiling of her latest fashion range on Sunday. Speaking about the Liverpool Sound event at Liverpool FC's Anfield stadium where Sir Paul will perform, she said: "Of course I am going to be there. I'm looking forward to it." Ono, who was speaking at an exhibition of artwork by Lennon being held at Liverpool City Exchange, said she would also be going to see Stella McCartney's fashion show at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts (LIPA). "It's a very special weekend," Ono added. [...more...]

The Beatles: Two days in the life

When Honey magazine commissioned photojournalist Michael Ward to follow and photograph an up-and-coming music group called The Beatles in February 1963, he had never heard of the Liverpool-based rock band. And he was not impressed when he heard The Beatles play: "I thought, Oh my God. How awful. What terrible noise they¹re making. There¹s no syncopation. They're playing all on the beat," he says. What Ward considered just another job was actually the capturing of a pivotal time in the Beatles career. Ward's images of the Beatles on the streets of Liverpool and performing in a basement bar came as the Fab Four learned their song "Please, Please Me," would be their first number 1 hit. The humble photographer said after the shoot he put the images in a drawer and did not think much about them. [...more...]

MCCARTNEY DENIES STARR REUNION

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has denied he will reunite with his former BEATLE bandmate RINGO STARR at an upcoming homecoming gig. The pair was rumoured to be reuniting during MCCartney's performance at the Capital of Culture concert in their native Liverpool this Saturday (31May08). But MCCartney insists Starr will not be joining him onstage, saying, "That was never going to be on the cards." Instead, MCCartney will reportedly collaborate with the Foo Fighters' Dave Grohl. Other bands due to play at the event include the Kaiser Chiefs and the Zutons. SOURCE

Is this the 50 greatest drummers of all time?

Another day, another list – this time it’s Gigwise.com’s 50 greatest drummers of all time. Apart from being ‘great’, it’s unclear what the criteria are. It’s no real surprise to see Bonham and Moon take the top spots but with Ringo Starr only just scraping in at number 43, you have to wonder...[...more...]

Beatle fan celebrates life at Paul's

BEATLES fan John Halliday, live-in custodian of 20 Forthlin Road, Allerton - Paul McCartney's childhood home, is celebrating his own anniversary in his dream job. He's been there longer than his favourite ex-Beatle - an amazing 10 years this week. Back in 1998 I reported that John, who lived in Lowton, had left his job as a machine fitter and accepted the job of looking after and showing visitors around the small terraced house where Paul grew up, after it was bought by the National Trust in 1995. And John, who bears an eerie resemblance to the star, still stays in the house which is renovated in the 50's style the family lived in between 1955 and 1964, for five days - though he says it sometimes seems like eight days a week - when masses turn up from all over the world. [...more...]

MCCARTNEY SHOWS OFF SHEVELL

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has made his relationship with American heiress NANCY SHEVELL official after attending their first public event together. The former Beatle was accompanied by the 47-year-old socialite as he received an honorary degree from Connecticut's Yale University on Monday (26May08). MCCartney and Shevell were first pictured together last November (07) enjoying a passionate embrace in the singer's car. They were also photographed holidaying together in the Caribbean in April (08). MCCartney's divorce from Heather Mills was officially granted earlier this month (May08). They have a four-year-old daughter, named Beatrice. SOURCE

Paul McCartney 'tempted' to produce The Wombats

Paul McCartney has revealed he would like to produce The Wombats. Admitting he hasn't produced much recently, the former Beatle suggested that the fellow Scousers may not want to work with him. Speaking to BBC 6Music, McCartney said: "I don't do much production now but it might be very tempting [to work with The Wombats]. I'm not sure they would want me. I had one of the guys out The Wombats in one of my classes. It was great. Now years later they're doing great." [...more...]

Sir Paul McCartney: I’ve got a few surprises up my sleeve for Sunday’s Anfield show

SIR PAUL McCartney is promising a “great evening” with some surprises when he takes to the stage at Anfield this weekend. The Beatle legend is headlining the Liverpool Sound concert as his gift to Capital of Culture year. More than 35,000 people will descend on the Liverpool FC stadium on Sunday evening to watch Macca and his band along with city favourites The Zutons and Leeds indie rockers The Kaiser Chiefs. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters is also due to appear alongside the 65-year-old legend and his band. This weekend’s gig was originally due to have had a waterfront venue, with a plan to drain the water from Salthouse Dock and erect a stage and seating inside. The idea was abandoned after a feasibility study suggested it would cost millions of pounds to stage. [...more...]

Loved-up Paul McCartney goes back to the psychedelic era with flower-power shirt

A day after going public with his new love for the first time Paul McCartney appeared to be heading back the Psychedelic era as he was pictured in London with a multi-coloured floral shirt. The 65-year-old looked to have raided his seventies wardrobe as he stepped out in the flamboyant ensemble which was matched with sunglasses and jeans. The solo outing follows the former Beatle's public appearance with girlfriend Nancy Shevell just two weeks after his six year marriage to Heather Mills was officially ended. [...more...]

Company Forced To Refund Tickets for Sir Paul McCartney Concert

The Liverpool Culture Company has said it will offer refunds to around 10% of ticket holders for Sir Paul McCartney’s homecoming show in Liverpool. The move comes after people who purchased top-price £75 tickets complained that they would be seated in the same area as cheaper ticket holders. [...more...]

Colton fan putting John Lennon Beatles memorabilia up for sale

Dressing room scribblings by Beatle John Lennon will provide a nice pay day for a Colton woman. Betty Westwood, 58, has entered a treasured piece of memorabilia in a London auction. Lot no. 301 at Bonhams sale in Knightsbridge on June 18 is a publicity photograph signed by Lennon and includes sketches of a record cover for the album Beatles For Sale. Bonhams have estimated the sale price at £3,000 to £5,000 but the picture could go for much more. [...more...]

Homage to Lennon - with a twist

It took 224 Rubik's Cubes and a month of twisting and turning for artist Keith Lewis to form the face of John Lennon using the iconic puzzle. "Towards the end I was getting better and faster at putting the colours in the right places," said Lewis, 37, of Papamoa. The pop-art will be among about 20 pieces from Bay and national artists on display today at Hayley Brown Gallery in Tauranga. [...more...]

Litherland links with the Beatles celebrated in mural

ARTISTS from both sides of Northern Ireland’s political divide have united to celebrate Litherland’s links with the Beatles.‘With a little help from their friends’ in Liverpool, the artists have painted an iconic mural on the side of a terraced house in Croxteth Avenue, just down the road from where the Beatles played at Litherland Town Hall and the Lathom. Belfast Loyalist Mark Ervine and Republican Danny Devenny joined forces to create the striking mural, commissioned by Riverside Housing Group to mark its 80th birthday. [...more...]

Beatles gold-plated ukulele up for auction

A ukulele formerly owned by The Beatles' George Harrison and 1950s star George Formby is being auctioned in London. The gold-plated Dallas E Banjolele was bought by Harrison at auction and sold back to the Formby family well after the music hall star's death in 1961. The instrument is being sold with two other instruments owned by Formby, including a Dallas C Banjolele and an Abbott 'Monarch' - also known as a 'Little Strad' - which Formby used on his most famous tune 'When I'm Cleaning Windows'. [...more...]

All My Lovin': Paul McCartney finally goes public with girlfriend Nancy

After 18 months locked in one of the bitterest divorce battles in showbiz, Sir Paul McCartney could be forgiven for steering clear of relationships altogether. But just two weeks after his six year marriage to Heather Mills was officially ended, he looks to be putting his heartbreak behind him by stepping out in public for the first time with girlfriend Nancy Shevell. As Miss Mills sunned herself in the Canary Islands, the former Beatle took the multi-millionaire heiress and socialite to a ceremony at one of America's top universities where he was awarded an honorary doctorate in music. [...more...]

Lennon Talks About Taking LSD

Sir Paul McCartney to back Stella as she unveils collection at LIPA catwalk spectacular

STELLA McCARTNEY last night spoke of her excitement at unveiling her autumn/ winter 08 collection in Liverpool, in a one-off catwalk show this weekend. The acclaimed fashion designer will mark the city’s year as Europe's Capital of Culture with a special event at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. She said: "If it was not for that city, I would not be here. [...more...]

Heather Mills: "I Still Love Paul's Money"

The recently divorced wife of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney last night blamed the lawyers for her recent separation from his bank account. Speaking on American talkshow TV show Good Morning Montana, she told her host Jesse Springer, "The money and I used to have a great relationship. I never wanted to lose the money. It was only the lawyers who got in between me and Macca's wallet." Heather went on to add, "Every single day I wake up in the morning and mourn the loss of Paul's bank account, I feel bereaved and distraught at the mere thought of what has happened, the sheer loss is immeasurable and I may have to start proceedings again due to the immense pain I have been made to feel at the loss of access to his huge bank account." [...more...]

Swinging '60s Voted the Ultimate Style Decade

The swinging '60s, birth place of the mini skirt, kinky boots, The Beatles, Mini Cooper and Twiggy, has been voted the decade that gave Europeans the most timeless styles, according to a survey conducted by LG Electronics. Of the 1,000 people from the UK who participated in the pan-European survey*, 23% agreed that the '60's delivered the most lasting and impactful fashion trends - that are as relevant today as they were 40 years ago - when compared to all other decades. It is a decade that brought many great firsts: The first man on the moon, the touch-tone phone, Arpanet (the prototype internet) and colour TVs - it is a decade marked by style and originality. [...more...]

MACCA'S VEG LIMO

Vegetarian Paul McCartney has ripped the leather interior out of his new eco-friendly £64,000 limo and had it replaced with cloth. The former Beatle, 65, demanded that no animal products were used in the Lexus motor - a gift from the Japanese makers. Instead, the LS600H hybrid car has been fitted with hand-stitched green weave cloth. A source said: "Sir Paul was very particular about his order and made it clear he was not prepared to sit in a car surrounded by dead animals." Leather was also removed from seat trims, the gear stick, sunroof and armrests. Meanwhile, Macca yesterday received an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale - one of America's best universities. He sang along to hymns during the hourlong ceremony in New Haven, Connecticut. SOURCE

Yoko Ono asks us to 'Come Together'

Love her or hate her, Yoko Ono has survived lifetimes of controversies, including the latest over footage of the late John Lennon smoking pot, penning songs and discussing putting LSD in President Nixon’s tea. She is the one pivotal force continuing to nurture our connections to Lennon, missed yet still present in his songs and art. Ono brings Come Together, the largest collection of Lennon’s artworks on paper, to Annapolis on Friday, May 30, for the first time in the traveling exhibit’s 15-year history. [...more...]

Paul McCartney: Anfield Liverpool Sound gig will be great

SIR PAUL McCartney is promising a “great evening” with some surprises when he takes to the stage at Anfield this weekend. The Beatle legend is headlining the Liverpool Sound concert as his gift to Capital of Culture year. More than 35,000 people will descend on the Liverpool FC stadium on Sunday evening to watch Macca and his band along with city favourites The Zutons and Leeds indie rockers The Kaiser Chiefs. Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters is also due to appear. [...more...]

The Revolutionary Artist: John Lennon's Radical Years

What new materials could possibly be out there be when it comes to a subject like John Lennon? The answer is apparently quite a lot when it comes to The Revolutionary Artist, a new book that takes a look at the period where John actively promoted peace and wrote some of his best music. Here are some of the highlights: [...more...]

I Met The Walrus Video

Dispatch from deepest Pepperland…

My husband, the hoplessly besotted Beatlemaniac came home from work the other day to discover a gigantic UPS package on our front porch. “That must be my new Beatles book” he gleefully exclaimed. (I was guessing loveseat or small picnic table.) “I ordered this like a year ago and completely forgot about it,” he said. He then dragged it in the house and began to unwrap Recording the Beatles: The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used to Record Their Classic Albums as if it were the Holy Grail, which, apparently, it is … at least this year’s version. A few days later his head emerged from its 500 pages for a brief moment to simply say “wow”. Perhaps I’ll let him elaborate: [...more...]

Rock of ages

British journalist Tony Palmer's 1970s documentary series, "All You Need Is Love," has now been resurrected as a compelling five-disc DVD set. Apparently, John Lennon first suggested to Palmer that he document the "story of popular music." Lennon chose wisely.The result - spread over 17 episodes containing almost 15 hours of often-vital footage - is an astute, fine-tooth-combing through popular music in all its hues and ages. From ragtime to rock 'n' roll, Palmer rebuffs myths, such as jazz being invented in New Orleans, pointing out that jazz, like the blues, came from Africa. He adds, deadpan, a footnote comment: "The black man, in order to get recognition, has always had to compromise . . . to the detriment of his music." There's rare footage of two who perhaps didn't: Charlie Parker and Miles Davis (above) playing together in New York in 1952. [...more...]

Paul McCartney Among Yale's Honorary Degree Recipients

The band played "Hey Jude" as ex-Beatle Paul McCartney stepped on stage Monday to accept an honorary Doctor of Music degree from Yale University. In a short tribute, Yale President Richard Levin evoked some of the songwriter's most memorable lines. "There is no one compares with you," Levin told McCartney, riffing on the Beatles classic, "In My Life." "Your songs awakened a generation, giving a fresh sound to rock, roll, rhythm and blues." "Here, there, and everywhere," Levin continued, citing another McCartney hit. "You have pushed the boundaries of the familiar to create new classics. We admire your musical genius and your generous support of worthy causes." [...more...]

Sir Paul McCartney has 'sexiest smile'

Sir Paul McCartney has topped a new 'Sexiest Smile' poll in a Senior Celebrities category. The legend came out on top of a survey compiled by organisers of National Smile Month. The Rolling Stones' singer Mick Jagger came last in the poll. In the Senior Celebrities category actress Helen Mirren came behind the former Beatle, while Camilla Parker Bowles came third. [...more...]

New ice cream flavor promoting world peace launching in NYC

Who says eating ice cream in bed can't bring about world peace? Dairy delight maker Ben & Jerry's and The Lennon Estate are expected to introduce a new ice cream flavor Tuesday called "Imagine Whirled Peace" _ while re-enacting the "Peace Bed-Ins" staged by John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969. The couple organized the week-long bed-ins to preach about world peace, conducting interviews with reporters. Actress Maggie Gyllenhaal and Ben & Jerry's co-founder Jerry Greenfield are expected to reprise the roles. Efforts for spreading world peace and ice cream will most likely be announced. [...more...]

INTERVIEW WITH MAE BRUSSELL ON THE ASSASSINATION OF JOHN ONO LENNON

A short while ago we had the pleasure of talking to noted assassination/conspiracy researcher Mae Brussell at her home in Carmel, California. Mae was kind enough to share some of her thoughts on the murder of John Lennon last December 8, 1980 in New York City. She is just starting her 11th year of broadcasting on radio KLRB, Carmel, CA. [...more...]

My two-year roller-coaster ride through pop history...

SAM Leach sits in the back room of the pub he shared with his four friends 45 years ago, regaling tourists with tales of days gone by. John, Paul, George and Ringo may no longer pop into The Grapes for a pint, but day after day Sam recalls their adventures in the Mathew Street pub for Beatles enthusiasts. For the lucky few he’ll even sign a picture of himself with his old mates. He was The Beatles’ first major promoter – they played for him on 49 occasions – and his connection with Liverpool’s most famous sons is now allowing him to help some of the world’s poorest children. Sam was inspired by the Osmond Family on a recent Children's Miracle Network event at Disney World Orlando. [...more...]

Paul McCartney To Receive Honorary Degree At Yale

Paul McCartney will receive an honorary degree Monday morning during commencenment ceremonies at Yale University, according to the Yale Daily News. On Sunday, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair spoke to graduates for Class Day. Blair complimented the graduates on their accomplishments and shared his own stories of success and failure. "Be prepared to fail as well as to succeed because it is failure, not success, that defines character," he said. Blair's son Euan is a graduate student at Yale and Blair will teach at the university next year. [...more...]

Paul McCartney declares love for Nancy

Sir Paul McCartney has told friends that he is "in love" with new girlfriend Nancy Shevell. The music legend became closer to US socialite Nancy after he helped her to cope with the death of her brother Jon Lawrence. "Paul is telling everyone she is definitely his girlfriend," a friend told the Sunday Mirror. Macca, who is now officially divorced from Heather Mills, has said that he plans to invite Nancy to his gig in Liverpool next Sunday, one of the highlights of the city's European Capital of Culture celebrations. [...more...]

Heather Mills Spends Fortune On 'Divorce Holiday'

Heather Mills is blowing a quarter of a million pounds on a ‘divorce holiday’ for friends and family. The former model will be joined by 25 of her friends and family at Richard Branson's £24,000 a night Caribbean resort Necker Island, as a thank you for their support following her acrimonious divorce battle with Sir Paul McCartney. [...more...]

Paul McCartney Biography

The second youngest in the group, James Paul McCartney was born on June 18, 1942 to Jim McCartney, a cotton salesman, former jazz musician, and volunteer fireman and Mary McCartney, a nurse. For some reason in his family, they went by the kid's middle names. He had a quiet and cheerful home life until his Mum died from breast cancer when he was 14. He is infamously known for asking, "What are we going to do for money?" after he found out his mother had died, similar in nature to his reaction to John's death ("It's a drag"). To distract himself from the loss he took up the guitar, which he would, according to his dad, spend hours practicing on. By the time he met John Lennon later that year at a Church festival in which Lennon's band the Quarrymen performed, Paul had already composed his first song, I've Lost My Little Girl. Paul joined the Quarrymen, as did George Harrison at Paul's insistence. John thought George was too young, being two years younger than him and one year younger than Paul. © beatlesnumber9 [...more...]

Art's Happening: Yoko Ono

This is the last week to see Yoko Ono’s Touch Me, which closes May 31, 2008 at Galerie Lelong in Manhattan. This multi-dimensional fluxus artist focuses on the female experience in this exhibition through sculpture, painting, interactive installation and includes a film of her 1964 performance of Cut Piece. [...more...]

Fans Come Together For World's Largest Beatles Convention

The world's biggest Beatles festival is under way and continues through Memorial Day on the Belvedere. Abbey Road on the River kicked off Thursday with a rooftop concert in downtown Louisville, re-creating the Beatles' last concert, which was held on the rooftop of the Apple building in London in 1969. The festival is a five-day event bringing together more than 20,000 Beatle fans from around the world to buy, sell and trade music, movies and memorabilia. More than 70 acts are scheduled to perform, along with several special guests, such as original Beatles drummer Pete Best and Hollies front man Terry Sylvester, paying tribute to the Beatles. [...more...]

Beatles memorabilia to play a part in Coronation Street

There'll be a blast from the past soon when a rare piece of Beatles memorabilia turns up in Coronation Street. It's a pamphlet produced in 1963 when the Fab Four were booked to appear at the Urmston Show in the Manchester area. By the time they appeared at the show, the Beatles were on the verge of superstardom, and the pamphlet is now worth around £400. The original is now kept in Trafford Library, and Corrie producers borrowed it for some filming. It will appear in a plot where a character finds it and thinks it's worth a lot of money. Who will that be, I wonder? Ashley and Claire could certainly use a bit of extra cash. But the Websters are shortly going to be clearing out their attic. Who knows what might have been squirreled away at number 13? [...more...]

George Harrison in Kashmir: Within you Without you

Lennon had been making comments on Christ and Christianity; and George was taking a keen interest in all things India. These were tough times for the Beetle: there were even talks of retirement. In July 1966, The Fab Four arrived at Delhi on what was to be the band’s first visit to India; it was a brief visit, and Harrison famously bought a Sitar from a music store in Cannaught Circus, Delhi (now better known as Cannaught Place or just CP, and the shop was Rikhi Ram and Sons.). In September, seeking Sitar lessons from maestro Ravi Shankar, George Harrison returned to India on a six-week trip along with his wife Pattie Harrison (who later married Eric Clapton). He stayed at Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay (now Mumbai) and commenced taking lessons from Ravi Shankar; but soon realized that he was too famous even in India: when mobs of Indian Beatles fan started descending to the Hotel, he decided it was time to move to a place that offered anonymity and peace. Kashmir with its natural beauty and general inaccessibility proved to be the perfect place. [...more...]

Judge sets new Spector trial for September

A Los Angeles judge on Thursday set a September date for pioneering rock producer Phil Spector’s second trial on charges that he murdered actress Lana Clarkson in the foyer of his mock castle in 2003. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Fidler ordered Spector to stand trial beginning on September 29 in the high-profile case. The jury in Spector’s first trial deadlocked 10-2 in favor of a guilty verdict in September 2007, forcing Fidler to declare a mistrial, but prosecutors immediately said they would bring the case again. [...more...]

BEST HOPES FOR MCCARTNEY REUNION

THE BEATLES original drummer PETE BEST hopes to reunite with his former bandmate PAUL MCCARTNEY - as he hasn't seen the star for over 40 years. The 66-year-old musician was part of the Fab Four from 1960 to 1962, before Ringo Starr was drafted into the band to take his place. Best insists he was good friends with the rest of the band before his departure - and hopes that he and MCCartney will one day be able to revive their relationship. He says, "I would like to see Paul one more time in my life, just to catch up. Talk about our kids and grandkids, compare notes on where we've been and where we're going. "It was Paul who actually talked the others into letting me into the band because he thought I was a good fit - and they couldn't find another decent drummer at the time. "You know, as old friends go, people move in their own directions and you lose touch. We were kids back when we really hung out." SOURCE

A John Lennon Tribute - his history and early years

John Winston Ono Lennon has been exhumed in print more than any other popular musical figure, including the late Elvis Presley, of whom Lennon said that he "died when he went into the army". Such was the cutting wit of a deeply loved and sadly missed giant of the twentieth century. As a member of the world's most successful group ever, he changed lives, mostly for the better. Following the painful collapse of the Beatles, he came out a wiser but angrier person. Together with his wife Yoko Ono, he attempted to transform the world through non-musical means. To many they appeared as naive crackpots; Ono in particular has been victim of some appalling insults in the press. One example shown in the film Imagine depicts the cartoonist Al Capp being both hostile and dangerously abusive. Their bed-in in Amsterdam and Montreal, their black bag appearances on stage, their innocent flirting with political activists and radicals, all received massive media attention. These events were in search of world peace, which regrettably was unachievable. What Lennon did achieve, however, was to educate us all to the idea of world peace. From Beatlesnumber9 © [...more...]

Hendrix, Beatles, Elvis memorabilia to be auctioned

A massive collection of music memorabilia is set to be auctioned off for Music Rising in New York City later this month. The charity, which was co-founded by U2 guitarist The Edge, will raise money for the Central Gulf region of the US after hurricanes caused immense damage. This is the second ‘Icons Of Music’ auction, and features an impressive array of items including a toaster given to Elton John as a wedding gift, hats worn by Elvis Presley and Bono and a wooden spoon signed by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. [...more...]

I read the Web today, Oh boy...

The only difficult part of having a son in love with the Beatles is figuring out whether Paul is dead. The rumors go back to my high school days. Oh, the fun we had checking out all the clues! That 28IF license plate on the cover of Abbey Road? Of course, it was because Paul would have been 28 IF he had lived! The walrus cover of "Magical Mystery Tour"? Wasn't the Walrus an ancient symbol of death in Liverpool? And then there were all those records to play backwards and those John lyrics that didn't make any sense unless you - WAIT! Paul is not dead! He's on tour! He's in the news! He's paying alimony! How could anyone - Herein lies the beauty of the Internet. Sure, the rest of the world may have dismissed the story as a 40-year-old hoax, something that was sort of fun in high school. Sure, all of us oldies thought John was the one who was dead. And later George. [...more...]

Zutons to join Paul McCartney 08 gig

Liverpool’s top bands are the latest star name to be added to the city’s biggest concert this year. Sir Paul McCartney is heading a star-studded list of performers at the Liverpool Sound spectacular, billed as one of the showpieces of Capital of Culture. And the ECHO can today reveal indie stars The Zutons as the latest top name on the bill for the Anfield gig. The five-piece will join the former Beatle at the event on June 1, which will take place in front of nearly 36,000 fans at LFC’s world-famous stadium. The Zutons shot to fame with debut album Who Killed the Zutons in 2004 and built up their fanbase with Tired of Hanging Around in 2006. [...more...]

Lost Elvis photos going on display at Graceland

Recently rediscovered photos of Elvis Presley performing in New York City in 1972 are going on display at Graceland. Managers of the Graceland tourist complex at Presley's former Memphis residence say they are putting the photos on display beginning Friday at their Sincerely Elvis Museum. George Kalinsky, a photographer for Madison Square Garden for 40 years, said he discovered the pictures while working on a billboard project called "Great Moments in New York." The pictures, taken by Kalinsky, show Presley performing in a white jumpsuit and cape. Graceland managers say 20 of the photos will be displayed for the first time in public as part of an exhibit called "Elvis Jumpsuits: All Access." SOURCE

Ringo Starr tickets: more dates added

Ringo Starr & His All Starrs have filled in the remainder of dates for this summer's tour of the U.S. and Canada with 32 more shows in 31 cities, starting June 19 in Niagra Falls, ON. The tour will conclude in Los Angeles, CA on August 2. This summer's outing, Starr's 10th "All Starr" tour, will include returning performers Colin Hay, Billy Squier, Hamish Stuart and Edgar Winter, and first timers Gary Wright and Gregg Bissonette. "My live shows are a peace-and-love fest," Starr, who last toured in 2006, said in a statement. "That's my main promotion, really." Starr's latest album, "Liverpool 8," was released on CD, digital download and USB wristband in January by Capitol/EMI, and was co-produced and co-written with Dave Stewart. [...more...]

ONO WINS FIGHT TO KEEP LENNON TAPES PRIVATE

JOHN LENNON's widow YOKO ONO has won a legal bid to stop a video company from airing footage of the late Beatle smoking marijuana. The nine-hour film - owned by Massachusetts-based World Wide Video - also shows Lennon discussing putting the hallucinogenic drug LSD in former U.S. President Richard Nixon's tea. The company claims 24 raw tapes showing three days in Lennon's life in February 1970 - weeks prior to the Beatles' breakup - do not belong to Ono and attempted to sue her for copyright infringement. [...more...]

The impact of the Beatles

The impact of the Beatles - not only on rock & roll but on all of Western culture - is simply incalculable. As musicians, the Beatles proved that rock & roll could embrace a limitless variety of harmonies, structures, and sounds; virtually every rock experiment has some precedent on Beatles records. As a unit the Beatles were a musically synergistic combination: Paul McCartney's melodic bass lines, Ringo Starr's slaphappy no-rolls drumming, George Harrison's rockabilly-style guitar leads, John Lennon's assertive rhythm guitar - and their four fervent voices. One of the first rock groups to write most of its own material, the Beatles inaugurated the era of self-contained bands and forever centralized pop. [...more...]

Yoko Ono scores in feud over rare Lennon footage

John Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, made big strides on Wednesday in a legal feud over footage of the former Beatle smoking pot, writing songs and discussing putting the hallucinogenic drug LSD in President Richard Nixon's tea. Ono is in a legal dispute to stop World Wide Video, a New England consortium of Beatles collectors, from releasing the black-and-white footage as a two-hour film titled "3 days in the life" about Lennon during a pivotal and turbulent time for the most celebrated band of the 1960s. U.S. District Court Judge Rya Zobel in Boston ruled in favor of Ono in two counts in a case involving videotapes that Rolling Stone magazine has described as "awesome John Lennon footage you might never see." [...more...]

MILLS ORDERED TO REMOVE TENT FROM GARDEN

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's ex-wife HEATHER MILLS has reportedly been ordered to remove a large white marquee from her back garden - following a series of complaints from her neighbours.
The former glamour model is believed to have erected the tent at her $6.4 million (GBP3.2 million) home in East Sussex, England, for her 40th birthday party in January (08). [...more...]

ASHLEE WEDS AS BLACKBIRD PLAYS

Pop star ASHLEE SIMPSON walked down the aisle to the tune of the BEATLES' BLACKBIRD when she wed PETE WENTZ on Saturday (17May08). The couple's first dance as man and wife was to a song written for them by Wentz's Fall Out Boy bandmates. One wedding guest tells Life + Style magazine, "It was beautiful and so sincere." SOURCE

The Complete Collection of Works by John Lennon in Liverpool

Liverpool will celebrate being awarded European Capital of Culture this year with artwork by one of its most famous sons being shown in the capital. The exhibition will feature the Complete Collection of John Lennon’s artwork for the first time in their entirety in Liverpool. The exhibition runs at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo building from 23 May until 2 June, before embarking on a museum tour of Germany. Jonathan Poole, exhibition organiser, comments: “It is very exciting to have the Complete Collection of Lennon’s work, and fitting that it should be showcased in his home city, during a year highlighting Liverpool’s cultural position in Europe. I began my career exhibiting works by John Lennon and, personally, I am a huge fan of his works. This exhibition gives people the chance to see a different side of John in terms of his artistry and also his unique personality.” [...more...]

Quick verdict promised on Ono suit

A judge has promised a fast decision in a lawsuit brought by Yoko Ono to remove the song Imagine from a movie challenging the concept of Darwinian evolution. A lawyer for the film's distributors has warned the litigation could wreck the movie's political message. US District Judge Sidney Stein said he will rule quickly in the case after both sides described the issues surrounding the song and movie in harsh terms during arguments. Lawyer Anthony T. Falzone said the movie, Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, was set to open in Canada on June 6 and DVD rights needed to be finalised by the end of May for distribution in October. The movie is currently being shown in about 200 cinemas in the United States. [...more...]

John Lennon: The Complete Collection of Artworks

From YOKO ONO MySpace Blog: Liverpool will celebrate being awarded European Capital of Culture this year with artwork by one of its most famous sons being shown in the capital. The exhibition will feature the Complete Collection of John Lennon's artwork for the first time in their entirety in Liverpool. The exhibition runs at the Liverpool Daily Post and Echo building from 23 May until 2 June, before embarking on a museum tour of Germany. Jonathan Poole, exhibition organiser, comments: "It is very exciting to have the Complete Collection of Lennon's work, and fitting that it should be showcased in his home city, during a year highlighting Liverpool's cultural position in Europe. I began my career exhibiting works by John Lennon and, personally, I am a huge fan of his works. This exhibition gives people the chance to see a different side of John in terms of his artistry and also his unique personality."

Although best known as a musician, art was also a huge part of John's life and he attended the Liverpool School of Art from 1957-1960, before becoming part of one of the most famous bands of all time. The collection features works by Lennon dating from 1968 until his untimely death in 1980 and features fifteen original drawings. This exhibition has been organised in conjunction with Yoko Ono's company, Bag One and demonstrates the various styles used by John Lennon to express his imaginative artistic style.


Exhibition details:
The Liverpool Daily Post and Echo offices
Old Hall Street, Liverpool, L69 3EB, UK (Map here).
23 May 2008 - 2 June 2008.
Monday- Friday, 12:00am – 8:00pm.
Admission is free.
YOKO ONO MySpace Blog

MCCARTNEY'S DAUGHTER JUDGED NEW SONG

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY relied on his four-year-old daughter BEATRICE to get a reaction to songs for his 2007 album MEMORY ALMOST FULL. The former Beatle was writing songs for the LP when he played the youngster - his only child with ex-wife Heather Mills - a preliminary version of the LP's first single Dance Tonight. And the star was convinced the song would be a hit after the tot joined in and danced along to the tune. He says, "At home, I started stomping around the kitchen, playing this little instrument (a mandolin), just enjoying myself. I sang, 'Everybody gonna dance tonight' "And my little girl came running in and started dancing, so I fell in love with the song." SOURCE

Ringo Starr: Off the Record

I've watched Ringo's HBO special twice now. The best part is when Ringo sits down at the kit and plays the drum parts of 'Ticket to Ride', 'Back of Boogaloo' and 'Come Together'. He discusses how he came up with the bits and demonstrates. Being naturally left-handed, he shows how he sometimes would drum backwards (going from the floor tom to tom-tom instead of the other way around), and the unique pause in 'Ticket' beat that was an influence of listening to and playing swing music. But it astonishes me how he, like Patty Boyd in her recent bio, repeats the same stories we've heard a million times. [...more...]

The Ballad of John And Yoko

"Songs should be like newspapers," Lennon said in 1970. It was around 1968 that John Lennon began getting more Zenish about his craft such that the main thing for him was immediate inspiration to be quickly followed by recording the idea as simply as possible. One of the early translations of this was the "White Album" in which studio gimmicks were kept to a minimum and songs, particularly John's, needed to come out as is, "Revoution #9" being an exception. Such was the mind-set of John Lennon on April 14, 1969. On that morning, John called Paul McCartney and asked him to help record a tune he had literally just written the previous night. 10 weeks had passed since the end of the "Get Back" sessions so tempers had cooled down somewhat. Sessions for what would become "Abbey Road" were already underway but John wanted this song to be done right then and there as a stand along single. Paul agreed and furthermore called Geoff Emerick to help out by engineering the session. Geoff agreed and the three converged down at EMI studios at Abbey Road and started recording this great little song. [...more...]

Branding Peace, John Lennon For Sale

How many of you were unlucky enough to hear the award winning seven hour radio show, Dreaming of the Past (more aptly named Living in the past) which commemorated the 25th anniversary of Lennon’s assassination when it aired last year? It was pretty hard to avoid at least even hearing about it, unless you completely shut off the radio and stopped reading magazines and papers, which isn’t always a bad thing. Especially in a case like this. To make sure everyone in the universe was aware of this historic broadcast they bombarded the airwaves for over two months prior to the event with sixty second commercials disguised as programs called, A Minute of Lennon. [...more...]

MCCARTNEY WANTS A LIGHT-HEARTED FUNERAL

Former BEATLE SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY wants people to celebrate when he dies - because there is nothing worse than a "glum" funeral. The 65-year-old singer has already made plans for his funeral as he wants it to be a light-hearted affair - preferring the service to include jokes and not serious tributes about his life. And MCCartney admits he got the inspiration for an uplifting memorial service after witnessing a "celebratory" ceremony in Ireland.
He says, "I like the Irish approach, where it's celebratory. I remember an Irish woman once wished me well by saying, 'I wish you a good death.' And I said, 'Say what?' "It's actually a great thing to wish someone. I thought, 'Well what would I like?' Jokes, a wake, music, rather than everyone sitting around looking glum." SOURCE

Assault conviction against Mills is reversed

A photographer convicted of assaulting Heather Mills won an appeal Tuesday because Mills didn't attend a court hearing. Jay Kaycappa had been sentenced to 140 hours of community service for allegedly grabbing Mills by her shoulder and taking her photograph in 2006. A prosecutor told the court in Lewes that Mills, the estranged wife of ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, wasn't available for the hearing, and that he believed she was somewhere in the U.S. However, Judge Richard Brown said he had received a document from a doctor saying Mills was suffering from stress. [...more...]

Ringo checks out floral George Harrison tribute at Chelsea Flower Show

The VIP preview of the Chelsea Flower Show this week brought green-fingered celebs out in their droves - all eager to check out the huge array of gardens on display at the UK's premiere horticultural event. And there was one extra special guest at this year's show - as former Beatle Ringo Starr turned out to admire a garden designed in memory of his late band mate George Harrison. The floral tribute was designed by George's widow Olivia, and tells the story of his life - from his beginnings in Liverpool in 1943 to his post-Beatle years. "He never felt more at peace (than in the garden)," says 59-year-old Olivia, who was also joined by former Beatles manager Sir George Martin. And the music mogul was clearly impressed by what he saw, saying: "I think it's fantastic. It's completely George - it's wonderful!". [...more...]

PENNY Lane one of Liverpool’s top tourist attractions today.

But few visitors, or even Liverpudlians for that matter, know that the suburban thoroughfare has been haunted by a poltergeist for over a century. The earliest reports of this invisible nuisance date back to the 1890s, when numerous people saw a globe of white light, surrounded by a blue aura, hovering over a cottage on Greenbank Road. The eerie luminous sphere drifted towards Penny Lane and vanished behind trees. The local Unitarian reverend was informed, but considered it to be a meteorological phenomenon. As the week wore on, a number of bizarre things took place on the lane. An open carriage heading for Elm Hall shuddered and as much as the horses tried, they could not pull the landau up Penny Lane for a full half hour. [...more...]

Yoga and the Beatles in Rishikesh

A combination of too many years in London, a lack of proper responsibilities and an unhealthy admiration for Michael Palin have led Nick Claxton to spend a year travelling the globe. A terminally-disorganised 24-year-old taking on the world - solo. He will be sharing his experiences from India and Nepal, south-east Asia, New Zealand and South America. This month he is reporting from India and Nepal. Here is his seventh blog entry: Rishikesh is renowned for two main things. It is the self-proclaimed capital of yoga and it broke into mainstream consciousness when the Beatles stayed here back in 1968. [...more...]

'My poultry settlement' by Heather

Heather Mills shows she knows no end of ways to fowl up her public image now her court battles with Sir Paul McCartney are over. The former model, unhappy with a £24.3million divorce award from the Beatles legend, is pictured with a giant duck mascot at a charity do. Mills, 40, was hosting the weekend event in aid of animal protection group Farm Sanctuary at Cipriani restaurant in New York's Wall Street. Her marriage will end in another five weeks with a decree absolute. Meanwhile, she's updated website heathermills.org with "tips on staying happy". What about knowing when to duck out of the limelight? SOURCE

'British Invasion' serves up a wealth of classic pop hits

If you screamed every time you saw the Beatles, or remember a young Mick Jagger strutting across the stage singing how he "can't get no satisfaction," or wore out your "Tommy" LP, then you need to see the American Music Theatre's new original show "The British Invasion." No one outside Branson, Mo., or Myrtle Beach, S.C., stages a musical extravaganza the way the AMT does, and in "The British Invasion," directors Brad Moranz and Jennifer Hammond Moranz, as well as the AMT's stellar cast, are in top form. The show opens in dramatic fashion. The curtain rises, as do two banks of lights, while smoke curls across the stage. [...more...]

Sean Lennon Live on David Lennon

VIDEO

Breaking News, Abbey Road On The River

Due to overwhelming demand, Courier-Journal.com Abbey Road on the River is extending the offer to admit 21 and under fans to enter the festival free when accompanied by a regular ticket holder. The promotion was originally set to end yesterday, May 18. All tickets purchased through Monday, May 26, 2008, online or at the box office, will include one free admission for Beatles fans 21 years or under. “We introduced the 21 and under free offer in October to introduce more young people to enjoy with their parents the music of The Beatles, but now with many households feeling the pinch of a very tight economy, we believe extending it serves both purposes.” says event producer Gary Jacob. “Over 2,500 families have taken advantage of the offer so far, we hope 20,000 more do. With great, warm weather on the horizon, the 7 year old festival is anticipating its best year ever. The overwhelming participation for this offer is a testament to the fact that this ain’t just your mom and dad’s rock and roll festival! We are still processing orders from the weekend."

PAUL MCCARTNEY SIGNED VOX AMP TO BE AUCTIONED

A VOX amp signed by Paul McCartney is to be auctioned on trading website eBay from next month, to raise money for the No More Landmines charity. The legendary VOX amplifier company, used throughout the Beatles' career, have been making equipment for over 50 years, with the latest being a hand-wired VOX AC15H1TV with tweaked tone shaping controls. VOX user McCartney has signed the new guitar amp and asked that all proceeds to go to UK based charity No More Landmines. The unique auction will go live on June 9, 2008. [...more...]

A magical mystery garden in memory of Beatle George

Chelsea Flower Show became a place of nostalgic reflection today as George Harrison's widow Olivia posed by her garden devoted to the memory of the late Beatle alongside Sir Paul McCartney's daughter Mary. As Mrs Harrison put the finishing touches to her creation, Mary, a professional photographer, took pictures of the garden entitled From Life To Life. Designed with Yvonne Innes, it recalls Harrison's life from his birth in Liverpool to his post-Beatle years in Henley. Another Beatle, Ringo Starr, was expected to visit the garden at Chelsea which this year is putting on its greenest show ever, with show gardens being recycled for the first time and ecologicallyinspired exhibits. They include a Wind In The Willows garden highlighting the plight of "Ratty" the water vole, an organic agrarian garden and an environmentally-friendly urban plot for families. [...more...]

The Fab Three: Topiary Beatles missing drummer Ringo after it's removed for repairs following vandalism

A foliage sculpture of ex-Beatle Ringo Starr which was beheaded by vandals has been taken away to be repaired leaving the Fab Four looking more like the Fab Three. The figure, which took 18 months to cultivate as part of a topiary tribute to the Fab Four, was unveiled at Liverpool's South Parkway train station in March this year. But Ringo's figure was targeted by vandals soon after the unveiling of the artwork. The vandalism was blamed on the 67-year-old drummer being derided in Liverpool after he made disparaging comments on a Jonathan Ross' chat show saying that he "missed nothing" about the city. [...more...]

McCartney asked to prevent kangaroo cull

Animal activists say they have asked Sir Paul McCartney to help pay for relocating hundreds of kangaroos destined for culling in Canberra. The former Beatle is a member of British animal rights group Viva!, which has condemned the planned cull of more than 400 kangaroos on Defence Department land. Defence contractors are preparing to cull the animals after the federal government refused to cover the estimated $3.5 million cost of relocating them. Animal activists argue it could cost as little as $750,000 to move the kangaroos elsewhere. National Kangaroo Protection Coalition spokesman Pat O'Brien said "efforts" had been made to contact McCartney, as well as other people, seeking a contribution to the cost. [...more...]

John Lennon’s Guitars Part Thirteen: 1961 Fender Stratocaster

In the first half of 1965, The Beatles were working on their fifth UK studio album, Help! One day, John Lennon and George Harrison sent roadie Mal Evans out to procure a pair of Fender Stratocasters to mess around with. Evans returned with matching 1961 models in a pale blue colour. Supposedly manager Brian Epstein, ever conscious of the band’s image, had agreed to pay for the guitars on the condition that the colours matched. John’s Stratocaster was first featured on a released take later in 1965, to record Nowhere Man. He continued to make some use of it for at least two years, through the end of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band in 1967. The guitar’s location since then is unknown, though John used a similar Stratocaster in 1971 on his second solo album, Imagine. [...more...]

Thirty New Beatle Grooves On Double Disc Album

by MAL EVANS: The final recording sessions took place as recently as the second week of October--which meant that The Beatles' self-imposed deadline date to complete all the tracks for their double-disc November LP album was missed by something like 13 days! But not to worry. A lot of people at Apple have been racing against the clock to make sure the set of two records will be ready on time to go into the shops. If you want to check the actual running order of all the recordings take a look at this month's BEATLE NEWS page. Instead of showing them in that order I've listed everything in recording date sequence. [...more...]

Seeds of Peace Award Ceremony - YOKO ONO

Seeds of Peace, indeed. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the "Acorns for Peace" event by John and I. So I cherished being given an award from an organization called Seeds of Peace. They are doing very important work - bringing kids from different, warring countries to a beautiful summer camp to let them get to know each other. It's working! At the Seeds of Peace ceremony, I heard so many kids speak about how they think differently now about people from so-called enemy territories. The concept of Seeds of Peace fits right into the ideals and beliefs John and I shared for the world. Through the camp, boundaries and differences melt away, and these children become one. I am very, very impressed.
[...more...]

Four look fab in rare colour photoshoot

Rare colour images of The Beatles at their peak in 1968, described by Christie's as the finest of the era, go on show at the end of this month, juxtaposed with grainy images of a fresh-faced band in the Cavern Club taken five years earlier. The 23-photograph set was taken by the now veteran photographer Tom Murray, and have only appeared together in this country for one night, at a special exhibition in 1999. [...more...]

Now and Then- John Lennon- Demo

This is the original Lennon demo considered for a Beatles reunion song.Harrison vetoed it for inclusion in the Anthology project, though. McCartney is rumoured to be interested in working on this song for a future release. [...video...]

John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band

John Lennon sure knew how make a statement. The Beatles had – mere months prior – officially and acrimoniously disbanded as the public held his wife, Yoko Ono, most responsible for their fate. His vociferous political views and social activism garnered as much derision as they did praise. And as his public image suffered, so too did his psyche. In late 1970, during a time of intense self-discovery, Lennon exorcised his pent-up anguish, rage, and frustration on his first proper solo LP, John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. The album’s predominant theme and, moreover, its message, lay in one cryptic line: “The dream is over.” [...more...]

She's leaving home (again) ...The woman who inspired a Beatles classic

In a fit of what seemed to be adolescent pique, Melanie Coe, aged 17, ran away from home in 1967 - and became part of pop music legend. It was her story of sneaking out of her parents' comfortable North London home, which made front page news in those days, that inspired Paul McCartney and John Lennon to write one of their most beautiful ballads - She's Leaving Home... Wednesday morning at five o'clock as the day begins Silently closing her bedroom door Leaving the note that she hoped would say more... Four decades on, Melanie, now 58, is on the move again, and this time it's not by choice. [...more...]

Beatles Break Up - a short history of the break up of the greatest band on earth

Though the common census is that Yoko Ono and to a lesser degree Linda Eastman, killed the Beatles, there is a bit more to it than that. John, Paul and George met in their late teens in the late 1950s and performed together for the next ten or so years. They also saw each other nearly every day for ten years straight. "Ringo" Richard Starsky came onto the scene in the early sixties, just as the Beatles were starting to gather a following. Ringo was also the only Beatle that consistently managed to stay on good terms with the three other ex-bandmates, in the post-Beatles era. [...more...]

John Lennon on Belief in God

“I believe in God, but not as one thing, not as an old man in the sky. I believe that what people call God is something in all of us. I believe that what Jesus and Mohammed and Buddha and all the rest said was right. It’s just that the translations have gone wrong” - John Lennon

The Beatles

Welcome to Liverpool, the European City of Culture for 2008. The banners are everywhere and Liverpudlians are rejoicing in their new cultural status. Listen, they've always had culture, but there's culture and culture. The Merseyside culture is widely known and it's called Beatles culture. Mention Liverpool and everyone thinks John, Paul, George and Ringo …"He loves me , yeah, yeah, yeah…" So here we were, four Australian and one South African journalist invited to sample the cultural delights of Liverpool. What's more, we were the first "normal" guests, we were told by the lass behind the counter, to check into spanking new Hard Days Night Hotel that had opened two weeks before. [...more...]

Under the Influence

Pattie Boyd; Drug Use in Antiquity - Pattie Boyd was a young model in London when she met and married George Harrison. Eric Clapton courted her while she was still married to Harrison, and both of them wrote songs for her. She's just published her story, called "Wonderful Tonight" and tells Steve Paulson about it. David Hillman almost lost his chance for a PhD when his doctoral committee questioned the part of his dissertation on recreational drug use in antiquity. He took it out, but revived it for his book "The Chemical Muse." He tells Jim Fleming that drug use was common in Greco-Roman times, and that the ancients thought it helped them get closer to the gods. [...more...]

Hail Hail Rock & Roll

In 1986 Keith Richards invited a roster of musicians to honor Chuck Berry for an evening of music to commemorate his 60th birthday. It was captured by filmaker Taylor Hackford in the 1986 documentary "Hail! Hail! Rock & Roll. The concert was held at the famed Fox Theater in St. Louis. The unforgettable life and music of pioneering legend Chuck Berry are celebrated in this landmark feature film capturing a once-in-a-lifetime gathering of rock and roll's finest! including performances by Eric Clapton Robert Cray Linda Rondstadt Etta James and Julian Lennon along with footage of an unforgettable duet by Chuck and John Lennon! [...more...]

Symbol of peace still a beacon of hope

As emblems go, the peace symbol is arguably one of the modern world's most iconic, as powerfully ideographic now as the day it debuted on the world stage 50 years ago. And while many assume the ubiquitous little logo just appeared in the 1960s on the side of some hippie's rickety Day-Glo Volkswagen bus in the Haight-Ashbury district, it's actually a British import, with a far more complex provenance. Though subject to debate, it is widely accepted that the peace symbol was designed by Gerald Holtom, a British artist and Second World War conscientious objector, who created the logo as a nuclear disarmament statement. [...more...]

Music To The Rescue

Coming of age in the 1960s - that age of peace, love and dreams that the world could be a better place if we only did what the Beatles told us - I was greatly influenced by U.S. President John F. Kennedy's stirring words: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." So the Peace Corps and its Canadian version, CUSO - Canadian University Students Overseas - lured me. I could earn bragging rights for the rest of my life about how "I did my part to save the world way back then, so don't bug me now about recycling." So what a downer it was, or perhaps a copout, to realise the utter futility of taking your pitiful classical Western music skills to countries where they could teach me more about music's true meaning on instruments I had never seen, and I would end up standing around feeling pretty useless. Then George Harrison and Ravi Shankar produced the Concert for Bangladesh in Madison Square Gardens in 1971. [...more...]

The Beatles' Apple Records: 40 Years Later

As part of NPR's occasional series, Echoes of 1968, we look back at that year's long-term impact. It was 40 years ago today that The Beatles launched Apple Records. The label's trademark green Apple logo appeared on albums by The Beatles and other artists the band helped discover. It didn't take the group long to show that it was better at making music than running a business, but Apple did hint at what was to come. The Beatles introduced Apple Records at a press conference in New York City on May 14, 1968. [...more/audio...]

Crosby artist's poster charts heyday of the Beatles

THE Beatles conquered the world with their music and a Crosby artist has charted how they did it in a poster released to celebrate Capital of Culture year. The ‘Fab Four’ are pictured in a variety of places, and poses, in the poster that follows their rise to global stardom with tours running from 1963 to 1966. Included in the poster are sketches of the band parachuting into Paris in 1964, making films in the USA in 1966 and even Paul as an angel playing the guitar sat on a cloud. [...more...]

Lennon's killer's tale goes nowhere slowly

Jared Leto put on some 60 pounds to play John Lennon assassin M--k C----n, a feat that some have likened to Robert De Niro's transformative weight gain for "Raging Bull." Well, there's nothing raging about "Chapter 27." The feature debut from writer-director Jarrett Schaefer is a lethargic, ponderous slog that feels much longer than its brief running time. Schaefer relies too heavily on voiceover to convey C----n's inner state, but he provides little insight. We know C----n was obsessed with J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye" and even went so far as to believe he was the book's protagonist, Holden Caulfield. But over the three days in December 1980 when C-----n stands outside the Dakota apartment building in New York, waiting for Lennon to emerge so he can shoot him, he thinks clunky, literal thoughts about the fact that -- you guessed it! -- he believes he's Holden and wants to kill John Lennon. [...more...]

Beatles helped bring down communism in the Soviet Union

The Beatles helped bring about the downfall of Soviet Communism, according to a documentary to be screened in the United States.The two-hour film, entitled The Beatles Revolution, explores the phenomenon of the Fab Four, featuring interviews with President Bill Clinton, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards and Salman Rushdie.Milos Forman, director of Academy Award winning One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest said: “It sounds ridiculous but I’m convinced The Beatles are partly responsible for the fall of Communism.”His claim is backed up by Dr Yury Pelyoshonok, a Canadian based Doctor of Soviet Studies, who grew up in the former USSR in the 1960s.”The Beatles had this tremendous impact on Soviet kids. The Soviet authorities thought of The Beatles as a secret Cold War weapon,” he said. [...more...]

Heather Mills Voted 'Most Hated Personality In The United Kingdom'

Heather Mills has been voted the host hated personality in the United Kingdom, in a new survey. In the poll, which asked 1100 adults to pick their favourite and least favourite from twenty different categories, Ms Mill received 28.3% of the vote. In contrast, Ms Mills former husband Sir Paul McCartney was voted most loved. Amy Winehouse was the second most hated personality with 11.4% of the vote, with Victoria Beckham coming in third with 10.2%. [...more...]

Expert says The Beatles’ full story still to be told

THEIR impact was felt way beyond the musical world. For that reason alone, there has probably been more written about the Beatles than any other group. But renowned Beatles expert and professional historian Mark Lewisohn believes the full story of the four guys from Liverpool has still yet to be told. Last night, he told an audience at the city’s first Beatles literary festival how he has undertaken a mammoth 17-year project to tell the definitive history of the group and of the times in which they lived. Mr Lewisohn is currently hard at work on the first of what will eventually be a three-volume biography of the Fab Four, the first time any pop or rock group has been subjected to such in-depth scholarly treatment. [...more...]

'John never thought this would happen'

Fourteen of John Lennon's “Bag One” lithographs are now a part of the permanent collection in New York's Museum of Modern Art. An original set of the same 14 lithographs, which came out in a limited edition of 300 and sold for $1,200 when first exhibited in 1970, commands up to $80,000. But when the former Beatle tried to get more of his artwork shown in galleries just a few years later, he was met with indifference or even scorn. “John was not very successful because most galleries thought it was just the dabblings of a 'pop star.' It was very humiliating,” recalled his widow, Yoko Ono. [...more...]

Elvis' Medicine Bottle And Elton's Toaster To Be Auctioned

An empty medicine bottle from Elvis’ Graceland home and a toaster belonging to Sir Elton John are among the bizarre celebrity artifacts up for auction to raise money for charity. Items including a Christmas card from Sir Paul McCartney to Adam Ant, a wooden spoon signed by late Beatle John Lennon and Yoko Ono in 1969, will go under the hammer in New York in aid of the Music Rising organization. The charity, which was co-founded up by U2 guitarist the Edge, aims to help musicians in New Orleans affected by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina. The auction takes place on May 31st. SOURCE

Have Oasis Stolen Robbie Williams' Drummer?

Oasis have stolen Robbie Williams' drummer. The band's previous percussionist Zak Starkey - son of former Beatle Ringo Starr - reportedly quit this week, but Oasis have wasted no time in finding a replacement in Chris Sharrock. Liam and Noel Gallagher's decision to hire Chris, who has allegedly fallen out with the 'Angels' singer over his decision to take a break from music, is sure to anger Robbie who they have a bitter rivalry with. A source said: "As everyone knows Oasis and Robbie are far from friends, and this move is sure to infuriate Robbie. Chris is just desperate to play and at least now he will get some action with Oasis." [...more...]

John Lennon show is a winner

THE custodian of John Lennon’s childhood home has won a radio award. Colin Hall was a researcher and contributor for Radio 2 DJ Bob Harris’s programme The Day John Met Paul. The programme about the meeting of Lennon and Paul McCartney at Woolton church fete was inspired by Harris’s visit to Mendips in 2006, and won silver in the Music Special Award category at the Sonys held in London. Mr Hall said: “It was great to be part of his team – and I’d like to thank Bob for involving me with both the programme research, and setting up interviews with Paul McCartney and the Quarrymen. [...more...]

The Doors, Plastic Ono Band

Ono is particularly difficult here, spending much of her time on screen insinuating that Lennon was being held back by the Beatles, and more specifically by his loyalty to the other members and what she says was his reluctance to spoil their success in the interest of his own artistic fullfilment. While allegations like that may make for a tabloid-like viewing experience, what is missing is the other side of the story, and that holds true with much of what is here—such as the claim that co-producer Phil Spector didn’t actually do any production on the album. Which is a pity, because this could have been an interesting look inside an album that was a struggle for Lennon to make in the shadow of his past—as he tried to escape from that shadow, in fact. The DVD ends up coming across as little more than the recollections of those involved with the album, along with statements by a few who weren’t. It’s too bad that the program doesn’t spend more time in the studio, as has been the custom with the Classic Albums series, taking the songs apart and building them up again piece by piece, providing some audible evidence of just what the album is made of. There are a few of those moments to be found here—Lennon’s solo vocal track of impassioned screams at the end of “Mother” is one of them—but not enough to offset the hearsay nature of the rest of the episode. [...more...]

BUY: Classic Album: Plastic Ono Band


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Brain Epstein: Double Life, Double Fantasy

Brian Epstein, certainly led an interesting life. Born during the depression in the 1930's, he was at an advantage being that his parents owned a furniture store. At the age of sixteen Brian started working with them and soon realized he was born to sell. His father promoted him to managing the record department, as the family business, named "NEMS" expanded. In July of 1961 Brian was selling a music publication called "Mersey Beat", and this is when he realized his interest in music.He decided he was confident enough to ask Bill Harry if he could write a record column in Mersey Beat. On August 3rd 1961 his column appeared in the third issue. The Whitechapel NEMS store, where Brian worked had a policy that they could obtain any record that had been released. It was October of 1961, when one of the stores regular customers came in looking for "My Bonnie" by the Beatles. This was the beginning of Brian's interest in the "Beatles." As more and more kids came in inquiring about the band , Brian's interest piqued and he discovered that they were performing at a local spot called the "Cavern Club" which was located down the street from the NEMS store. The Cavern was a seedy, dark and dingy club where the new bands would book gigs to perform. Wanting to persue his curiousity, he decided to pay the club a visit and was completly charged from the energy and excitement going on around him. The Beatles performance was raw and full of energy, and Brian took advantage of the opportunity and approached them with a request offering to manage them. [...more...]

Paul McCartney's £20 autograph

SIR Paul McCartney signed a £20 note for a fan after she confused him with her mother’s neighbour. The ECHO revealed last week how Sir Paul made a shopping trip to Lewis’s to pick up a couple of £11.99 ties ahead of his classical concert in the city. Today it was revealed the former Beatle left his mark on a note more normally associated with the Queen. Teaching assistant student Lyndsay Jordan told the ECHO of her joy at getting Macca’s signature, and said he held her young son and shared his chocolate buttons. But the mother-of-three, of Prescot, did not recognise Sir Paul at first. [...more...]

Heather Mills cheats handicapped Russian

Heather Mills has been accused of breaking a promise to provide new artificial legs for a disabled Russian woman. The former wife of Sir Paul McCartney first met Maria Rybkina, who was left disabled following a train accident, at her flat in Moscow four years ago. After hearing the 28-year-old's story, the former model pledged 20,000 dollars to help but it is claimed that she never handed over the cash, despite repeated promises to do so. This has forced Rybkina to take to the streets of Moscow to beg for money, reports Contactmusic. Maria has received support from British couple Robin and Inna Barratt for the past few years. She is finally able to walk again after the pair held numerous fundraising events. However, the Barratts said that they are furious with Mills' false promises. [...more...]

MILLS SETTLES CLAIM WITH U.K. NEWSPAPERS

HEATHER MILLS has settled a long-running privacy claim against a British newspaper, after she launched action against the publication for leaking details of her divorce to SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY. The former model filed the claim against Britain's Daily Mail newspaper in 2006 after it published the private details. Mills also filed claims of libel against two other British newspapers - London's Evening Standard and The Sun. According to an agreed statement between Mills' legal team and three U.K. publications, the claims have now been settled "on terms satisfactory to the parties". The statement adds, "The terms of the settlement remain confidential and the parties, along with Sir Paul MCCartney, will be making no further public statement." MCCartney and Mills reached a divorce settlement in March (08) when a London court awarded Mills $48.6 million (GBP24.3 million). The marriage was noted as officially over on Monday (12May08) when a judge at the High Court in London granted a decree nisi. The pair began their divorce proceedings in 2006 after they split in May of the same year (06). They have joint-custody of their four-year-old daughter, Beatrice. SOURCE

How Marianne Faithfull's nipples became a work of art

The shiny silver torso is a pure, beautiful, mysterious homage to the famous muse who inspired it. Abstract and geometric, it looks barely human. For years, the artist kept his model's identity secret. Only the nipples, cast directly from source, give any clues. But decades would pass before they were revealed as belonging to the rock diva Marianne Faithfull. The sculptor Clive Barker is known for his witty chrome and bronze replicas of household objects and pop-culture icons, from fridges and cakes to Mickey Mouse and Homer Simpson. A former Vauxhall factory worker from Luton, Barker is an unassuming 67-year-old who makes no grandiose claims for his work. [...more...]

IMAGINE: JOHN LENNON

Lennon inspired series

“You doing anything useful these days?” These were the words that inspired documentary director Tony Palmer to spend two years of his life, travelling all over the world, to make All You Need Is Love, a 17-part series on the history of popular music that’s only now arriving on DVD this week, 30 years after it first aired on television. The words were spoken by John Lennon, an old friend of Palmer’s. “I can still hear his voice saying that,” he says over the telephone, recalling the struggles to make the series. Palmer — a veteran director who’s made films about classical music in addition to 200 Motels, the cult classic feature starring Frank Zappa — ended up capturing dozens of musical giants at their most candid, painting a first-hand eyewitness account of the evolution of jazz, blues and pop music over the course of a long century only three-quarters finished. [...more...]

Paul McCartney 'horrified' as his eco car is flown 7,000 miles from Japan

The Lexus LS600H, which costs £84,000, was a gift from Lexus to the 65-year-old former Beatle, who helped promote the hybrid vehicle. But instead of arriving by boat as expected, the car was flown to Britain on a Korean Air flight, creating a carbon footprint almost 100 times bigger than if it had come by sea. Sir Paul is a vocal advocate of vegetarianism and has long been a poster child for environmental activism. [...more...]

'Roger Waters doing 'Dark Side Of The Moon' is like Ringo doing 'Sgt Pepper's'

Death Cab For Cutie have rubbished Roger Waters recent sets playing his old band Pink Floyd's most revered album. The bassist and his band have been performing 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' in its entirety, recently performing it at the Coachella festival, which the US indie band also played (April 25-27). Talking about Waters' live recreation of the classic record, Death Cab For Cutie told Spin Magazine that the bassist, who wrote a lot of the songs on the album, playing the record was inappropriate because guitarist David Gilmour contributed all the best bits. [...more...]

Sir Paul McCartney Completely Rid Of Heather Mills

Sir Paul McCartney has finally shaken off the dead weight that is Heather Mills after a High Court judge officially declared their marriage over yesterday. A private hearing was held at the London Court lasting just 30 seconds. Mr Justice Hugh Bennett, who also presided over their lengthy divorce proceedings, declared a decree nisi meaning that the divorce is absolute. The uncontested ruling, based on the fact that the pair have been living separately for two years, means that Mills or McCartney are free to marry again in six weeks time should they so wish. [...more...]

'I'll see George on the other side'

George Harrison's widow Olivia has spoken of her hope that she will see the ex-Beatle again "on the other side". Olivia, 59, has been creating a special garden at the Chelsea Flower Show in her late husband's memory. Harrison, who died almost six-and-a-half years ago, was a regular at the show, and would return home every year with a list of plants he wanted to buy. [...more...]

Flash floods bring chaos to Merseyside

A MAN was killed on the M57, homes were inundated, and John Lennon Airport had to be partially evacuated yesterday as flash flooding hit Merseyside. The northbound carriageway of the M57 was temporarily closed between junctions two and four at about 4.40pm after the collision between a skip lorry and a saloon car close to Junction Three. [...more...]