MCCARTNEY SCRAPS TOUR PLANS FOR DAUGHTER

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY reportedly scrapped plans for a 2009 world tour - because he couldn't bear to be parted from his five-year-old daughter BEATRICE. The former Beatle is currently promoting his latest album Electric Arguments, which was released under his alter-ego, The Fireman, last year (08). And MCCartney is said to have planned a series of live dates across the globe in connection with the LP, but subsequently put the idea on hold so as not to disrupt his everyday routine with his youngest daughter, from his relationship with ex-wife Heather Mills. A source tells British newspaper the Daily Express, "Paul and Beatrice have a real routine going, there's no way he'll disrupt that. Paul has enjoyed touring in the past but right now the priority is definitely Beatrice. He couldn't bear the thought of being away from her for any stretch of time so a full-length tour is out. He much prefers doing one-off shows." MCCartney was recently announced as the headline act for the upcoming Coachella festival in California in April (09). SOURCE

Anoushka Shankar on Her Father, and Guru, Ravi Shankar

Anoushka Shankar may be the less famous of sitar icon Ravi Shankar’s musical daughters — her half-sister is Norah Jones. But she remains a star in her own right, bringing a fresh approach to her father’s many-stringed instrument. Tomorrow night at Carnegie Hall, she plays the world premiere of the first piece for sitar and orchestra that her father wrote specifically for her, accompanied by the famously conductorless Orpheus Chamber Orchestra. She spoke to us about being an apprentice to her father and hanging with George Harrison. [more]

Why Buddy Holly will never fade away

On the basis of simply counting heads, rock music surpasses even film as the 20th century's most influential art form. By that reckoning, there is a case for calling Buddy Holly, who died in a plane crash 50 years ago next Tuesday, the century's most influential musician. Holly and Elvis Presley are the two seminal figures of 1950s rock 'n' roll, the place where modern rock culture began. Virtually everything we hear on CD or see on film or the concert stage can be traced back to those twin towering icons – Elvis with his drape jacket and swivelling hips and Buddy in big black glasses, brooding over the fretboard of his Fender Stratocaster guitar. [more]

MCCARTNEY TO HEADLINE U.S. MUSIC FESTIVAL

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY will make his first-ever U.S. music festival appearance headlining this year's (09) Coachella. The former Beatle has received top billing at the three-day fest, and will be joined by rockers The Killers and Amy Winehouse, who are scheduled to kick off the event's second night. Winehouse has not played a show in the U.S. for more than a year after suffering numerous health problems throughout 2008, which included a stint in rehab and several prolonged stays in hospital. Other artists scheduled to perform include Morrissey, Public Enemy, Franz Ferdinand and The Cure - who will headline the third and final night. The 10th Annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival is scheduled for 17-19 April (09) in Indio, California. SOURCE

Beatlemania! Readers share their love for the Fab Four

Forty years ago today, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison and John Lennon performed live atop the band's Apple Building in London for the very last time. To celebrate the Beatles' final live show and the band's huge musical, cultural and historical impact, we asked readers to share their memories and thoughts about the famed Brits. One reader, an enamored teen in 1966, braved a 101-degree fever to see the lads from Liverpool in concert. Another reader listened to the band while still in her mother's womb. And a 15-year-old who became a Beatles fan at just 3, proves the band has an undying and expansive influence. Read what fans had to say about the Fab Four. [more]

Macca praises Beatles’ offspring

Sir Paul McCartney has nothing but praise for the children of his fellow Beatles who are pursuing their own music careers. Sir Paul publicly lauded the efforts made by Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey, the late John Lennon’s Julian and Sean and George Harrison’s Dhani, who all he believed had inherited the melodic genes. “It’s like children of famous actors - they’re born with the gene. You either say, ‘No, I can’t top that’ and move into another field or you just go with it,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying. The 66-year-old had previously announced he was recording an album with his 31-year-old son James, and further added other Beatles offspring amongst great musicians. He said: “You’ve had Julian, Sean, Dhani and my son James, who is a great musician. “I’m doing an album with him. And Ringo’s kids are all great drummers.” (ANI)

Paul McCartney Finally Asked Sensible Questions

Kristine McKenna from the LA Weekly was a refreshing change to Colbert`s wasted opportunity with Paul McCartney this week. She asked McCartney smart questions. In the McKenna interview, we learned a bit about McCartney the person as opposed to Colbert’s complete crap-fest earlier this week. McCartney talked about the importance of music and social change “We Shall Overcome” and “Give Peace a Chance” are two examples, and there are thousands of less obvious examples. “We Shall Overcome” is inextricably bound up with the civil rights movement, and “Give Peace a Chance” equals Vietnam. Those are two huge events, and that music was hugely important to them”. She asked him about the biggest problem money creates. “The biggest problem are the kinds of people who have license plates like one I saw in East Hampton: It read ‘rich 1.’ The kind of people who actually believe they’re cool because they’ve got money — I can‘t begin to describe the symptoms of that, but you know what I’m talking about,” he answered. [more]

John Lennon's Son Rubbished Rumors About Performing With His Brother

John Lennon's son Julian Lennon has rubbished rumors that he and his half-brother, Sean, will perform together at a United Nations event next month. The speculation about the duo performance started on Thursday when Fox News columnist Roger Friedman reported that the two would take the stage at the UN Millennium Goal Awards on February 26. The brothers have never performed together in public. However, the junior Lennon has lashed out at Friedman on his MySpace blog saying that the "news today about Sean & I playing together at the UN Awards came directly out of Roger Friedman's ass!" [...more...]

Lennon's Sons to Perform Together

Julian Lennon and Sean Lennon, the sons of John Lennon, are finally going to perform together in public. Sources tell me that the Lennon boys have agreed to appear at a United Nations event here in New York on February 26th called the UN-Millenium Goal Awards. Other artists tentatively scheduled to appear include Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora, as well as possibly Akon and Macy Gray. The show is the brainchild of Rhodesian Sacha Stone, founder in 1999 of the Humanitad Foundation. Stone, who lives in the UK now, is said to have relationships with all involved and convinced the Lennons to come aboard. [more]

MCCARTNEY'S SADNESS OVER LINDA

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY still wakes up every morning feeling a "tinge of sadness" at the death of his first wife LINDA. The Beatles legend is currently dating American socialite Nancy Shevell following a messy public divorce with second wife Heather Mills in 2008. But MCCartney still misses Linda, who died in 1998 after losing her battle with cancer. He says, "I don't wake up every day with a hole in my heart, but there's a tinge of sadness. I mean, how do you cope with losing those close to you? I've lost both my parents, lost George (Harrison), lost John (Lennon), lost Linda. All I tend to do is remember the great stuff and that helps." SOURCE

‘If you don’t want my peaches, honey, don’t shake my tree’

I had to chuckle as I listened to some of my dusty, scratched Beatles albums that I’ve had since the ’60s – “Something New,” “Help,” “Rubber Soul,” “The Beatles ’65.” As much as had been written and said about the Beatles, listening to their music, I’m still intrigued by the group – which rightfully has been called a “musical phenomenon.” Take the album “Something New,” which includes a song called “Matchbox.” I’m not sure why Ringo Starr was chosen to be the lead vocalist for this remake of a Carl Perkins’ song about a “lovelorn poor boy,” but it has some odd lyrics: “If you don’t want my peaches, honey, don’t shake my tree.” It seems like a lot of old Beatles’ songs were about being lovelorn. The peaches bit – which has been attributed to Irving Berlin – might be a figure of speech meaning, if you don’t want my opinion, don’t ask me. [...more...]

Sir Paul McCartney: Divorce has been so dark

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has spoken out on his bitter divorce from HEATHER MILLS, saying: “I’ve been through a dark place.” Macca, 66, gave his most honest account of his love-split pain and made a thinly-veiled attack on his ex-wife. He also said he is “a man who needs love” — as he is tipped to wed US heiress Nancy Shevell, 49. The BEATLES legend said his emotions over the break-up came out when recording latest album Electric Arguments as part of duo The Fireman. He said: “Love and light is mentioned a lot on the album. Parts of it are dark and edgy. [...more...]

Would The Beatles Have Sounded The Same If Theyd Never Taken Drugs

COULD A drug-free mind ever imagine sailing the oceans in a yellow submarine, or talking to a girl with kaleidoscope eyes? That was the question asked by a Scottish scientist who spoke at Liverpool's famous Cavern Club last week in an attempt to divine whether The Beatles would have been as good if they had not indulged in illegal substances. Professor Judith Pratt, of the Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy and Biomedical Sciences, examined the effects drugs have on the way individuals perceive the world before relating it back to The Beatles's evolution from innocent boy band to spaced-out hippies, a trip that saw their music evolve from pop to Technicolor psychedelia and eventually into heroin-influenced blues. The event was not a normal scientific symposium: after her talk, the audience stood up and sang along to Hey Jude. [...more...]

Sir Paul's boy goes solo at last

As a budding musician, life in the shadow of one of the 20th century's greatest singer-songwriters has not always been easy for Sir Paul McCartney's reclusive son James. Unlike his older sisters who have soared to great heights in their respective careers - Stella as a fashion designer and Mary as a photographer, like their late mother Linda - the burden of the McCartney name has often been a struggle for James, 31. At one stage, he refused to take an allowance from his father's fortune, preferring instead to earn a living as a waiter. [...more...]

McCartney to perform at Grammys

Sir Paul McCartney, Justin Timberlake and Radiohead will perform at the 51st annual Grammy Awards, which are being held in Los Angeles in February. Sir Paul, who is up for two awards, will be backed by Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl on drums. Jay-Z and Kanye West, who have both been nominated for six prizes, will sing with rappers TI and Lil Wayne. They join previously announced performers including Coldplay, Katy Perry and Jennifer Hudson. [...more...]

Beatles’ abandoned amplifier found in Liverpool shed

AN AMPLIFIER discovered in a Liverpool shed was almost certainly used by The Beatles. It was found a few streets away from George Harrison’s old home in Woolton. A relative of Beatles memorabilia collector Stan Cargill was asked to clear the shed. To his amazement, the amp was a Vox AC30, as used by The Beatles to get their distinctive sound. With it were a silver microphone, leads stamped West Germany and pictures and Beatles’ autographs. Sam Leach, who promoted the band between 1961 and 1962 is certain the amp is one used by the Fab Four. [...more...]

Paul McCartney's yoga show

Sir Paul McCartney is going to headline a concert to raise money for yogic flying. Renowned film director David Lynch is organising the "global benefit" in New York on April 4 - which will also star Moby, Sheryl Crow, Pearl Jam guitarist Eddie Vedder and Donovan - and is determined to raise enough money to teach the meditative technique to school children. David believes the world will change "overnight" if enough kids learn transcendental meditation, adding if one per cent decided to practice in groups they will bring about world peace. He hopes to get 200,000 children in every continent learning it. [...more...]

Paul McCartney Rep Rips Wedding Rumors

When it comes to Paul McCartney wedding rumors, the British tabs won't let it be. A rep for the former Beatle is smacking down a pair of newspaper stories that he is looking to get hitched with ladylove Nancy Shevell now that her divorce has become official. "[There's] no truth to it," says publicist Paul Freundlich. Both the Sunday Mirror and Sunday Telegraph reported that McCartney sought and received the all-clear from his four adult children, including fashion designer Stella, to marry the New York native. The newspapers claimed that the New York State Supreme Court had granted Shevell a divorce from Bruce Blakeman on Dec. 9, ending a 23-year union. However, neither publication cited any public legal documents, and and none have surfaced so far. [...more...]

Sir Paul McCartney to wed again? Let it be, say kids

Sir Paul may be singing, "I do" soon. Paul McCartney is telling friends that he is planning to marry Hamptons gal pal Nancy Shevell, British newspapers report. Shevell, a 49-year-old MTA board member, finalized her divorce last month, leaving her free to marry Macca. They even have the blessing of his daughter Stella, who famously despised her daddy's ex, Heather Mills. "Getting Stella's seal of approval was very important for Paul," a McCartney confidant told the Sunday Mirror. All Paul's children had massive reservations about Heather - but it was Stella who was the most vociferous." Shevell reportedly divorced Port Authority Commissioner Bruce Blakeman after being legally separated for a year and 60 days. [more]

At the intersection of music and visual art

If you happen to be a Beastie Boys fanatic (of which there seems to be no shortage), stepping inside Gallery 1988, a small streetfront art gallery where Melrose Avenue meets La Brea, could be a surreal experience. Beasties lyrics are everywhere written out on slabs of canvas and sheets of paper, typed out as the titles of numerous works, or given glorious, fully fledged life as paintings, drawings, or sculptures. "I'll Stir Fry You in My Wok," by Andrew Wilson, has the "Intergalactic"-era Beastie Boys (from which this pungent lyric is taken) waving off an enormous, multiple-tentacled octopus, all drawn on a Chipotle menu. Meanwhile Dan Goodsell's piece of the same name features anthropomorphized veggies jumping playfully into a skillet. [...more...]

Macca praises Beatles’ offspring

London, January 25 (ANI): Sir Paul McCartney has nothing but praise for the children of his fellow Beatles who are pursuing their own music careers. Sir Paul publicly lauded the efforts made by Ringo Starr’s son Zak Starkey, the late John Lennon’s Julian and Sean and George Harrison’s Dhani, who all he believed had inherited the melodic genes. “It’s like children of famous actors – they’re born with the gene. You either say, ‘No, I can’t top that’ and move into another field or you just go with it,” the Daily Express quoted him as saying. The 66-year-old had previously announced he was recording an album with his 31-year-old son James, and further added other Beatles offspring amongst great musicians. He said: “You’ve had Julian, Sean, Dhani and my son James, who is a great musician. I’m doing an album with him. And Ringo’s kids are all great drummers.” (ANI)

Third time lucky? Macca plans to wed new girlfriend Nancy Shevell

Following his notorious divorce from Heather Mills last year, Sir Paul McCartney has told friends he plans to wed his new girlfriend Nancy Shevell. She would become Sir Paul's third wife, after his notorious divorce from Heather Mills and sad loss of his first wife Linda.
He said: 'We are blissfully happy together.' Friends and family are also delighted with the match, even daughter Stella, who was against his troublesome second marriage. [...more...]

MILLS CHARGING BIG BUCKS FOR AFTER-DINNER SPEECHES

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's ex-wife HEATHER MILLS is charging up to $102,000 (GBP75,000) a time as an after-dinner speaker - despite receiving a hefty pay out in her divorce from the ex-Beatle. The former glamour model won $36.3 million (GBP25 million) in her divorce settlement from MCCartney last year (08), but is still looking to earn some extra cash on the party circuit. Mills is on the books of CMM Speakers Bureau, and charges a minimum of $6,800 (GBP5,000). A spokesperson says, "She personally approves prices for her engagements and sometimes charges up to $16,400 (GBP12,000) for 15 minutes." The agency, which also has comedienne Ruby Wax on the books, lists Mills as an "inspirational former model and philanthropist". Her biography says, "With countless television shows and literature publications featuring her worldwide, Heather is the best example of turning the most negative of situations into the most productive." SOURCE

Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain and America

Finally, what the world has been crying out for: a book about the Beatles. This is forgivable sarcasm when you consider that there are more than 500 of them already. I must have about a dozen of them myself, and have read a dozen more. These range from the indispensable - Ian MacDonald's Revolution in the Head, Bob Spitz's The Beatles, the Hunter Davies and Philip Norman works and, for my money the most fascinating of them all, Devin McKinney's inspirational, insanely ambitious Magic Circles - to some of the shoddiest and most opportunistic verbiage you will encounter in the course of a reading life. Anyone with any sense of professional pride now writing about the group must feel like a treasure hunter going over ground that has been thoroughly ransacked by hundreds of people, some armed with pretty sophisticated detection equipment. [...more...]

MILLS' DATING SUCCESS

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY's ex-wife HEATHER MILLS loves life in New York - because she attracts a steady stream of potential suitors. The former glamour model won $36.3 million (GBP25 million) in her divorce settlement from MCCartney last year (08), and is now said to be dating personal trainer Jamie Walker. And Mills, who is rumoured to be buying a house in the Hamptons area of Long Island, New York, admits she is never short of male attention when she is in Manhattan. She tells the New York Post's PageSix Magazine, "I've got so many stunning girlfriends who can't get a boyfriend. But when I go out here, I get asked out all the time, and my girlfriends - who are better looking than me - say, 'How the hell does that happen?!' Maybe it's because I'm comfortable with myself." SOURCE

Be the life of the party, knowing about the life of Lennon

John Lennon's famous ode Imagine is the theme of the Living Arts & Science Center's annual fund-raising bash, H'Artful of Fun. This weekend's event will offer a chance for patrons to walk down “Penny Lane” on their way to the main festivities and groove to Eight Days a Week, a Beatles tribute band. Imagine how surprised your friends in attendance will be when you impress them with some little-known nuggets about the oft-examined life of Lennon. There should be plenty of time for chit-chat about the bespectacled Beatle between live and silent auctions of original artwork and other items; tastings of Kentucky bourbons, beers, and local and imported wines; and sampling dozens of decadent desserts and savory foods created and served by chefs from area restaurants. Here's a quiz to get you up to speed on Lennon. [...more...]

Paul McCartney: A Fireman Interviewed

I imagine you know who Paul McCartney is, but here are some recent data: He’s 66 years old, single and financially secure. He recently released Electric Arguments, the third album by Fireman, an ongoing McCartney side project that represents the former Beatle's foray into trance and dance music. Composed of McCartney and British producer/deejay Youth, Fireman opens its third full-length release with “Nothing Too Much Just Out of Sight,” a tune that features the most bone-rattling vocal McCartney’s delivered since “Helter Skelter.” The first time I heard it on the radio, I thought it was Jack White. Not bad for a 66-year-old. On the occasion of the album’s release, McCartney agreed to a short chat. [...more...]

Hey, hey it's a Monkee: Davy Jones says Beatles were developed, not manufactured

Former Monkee Davy Jones wants it made very clear he would never insult the Beatles. "I would never ever in a million years," he says on the phone from Florida "I was trying to set an image of professional presentation. I never really said they weren't real." In an article dated Jan. 2, the New York Post quoted Jones talking about the Beatles first appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show" on Feb. 9, 1964. "Brian Epstein bought the place out. Instead of insurance salesman and their wives, he put fourteen-year-old girls in there. The Beatles were dressed in the same suits, had the Capezio boots on, the same haircut. If you wanna talk manufactured, you're talking Beatles [...more...]

Another year over, but the wars continue

Forty years ago, John Lennon and wife Yoko Ono launched a powerful campaign to end the bloodshed in Vietnam. They rented billboards in a dozen cities, from New York to Athens, declaring: “War is over! (If you want it.)” The protracted conflict grew increasingly unpopular, thanks in part to their efforts. Within six years the Americans had withdrawn and the killing had stopped. But John and Yoko’s wider goal - of a world at peace with itself - is still a distant dream. In more than a dozen countries, mostly in Africa and the Middle East, struggles over resources and power claim scores of lives daily. Survivors often have their homes destroyed and lives permanently ruined. [...more...]

George Harrison

He was the diffident Beatle, a quiet and unassuming figure beside the towering egos of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. But, after his innate creativity was allowed to flourish, George Harrison made his own mark as a great songwriter, with works such as Here Comes The Sun, While My Guitar Gently Weeps holding their own beside those of his colleagues. And Something was hailed by Frank Sinatra as "the greatest love song ever written." The son of a bus driver, George Harrison was born in the Hunts Cross area of Liverpool on 25 February 1943. [...more...]

Yusuf Islam Ropes In Paul McCartney, Among Others For His New Album

Muslim pop star Yusuf Islam has roped in Paul McCartney, Dolly Parton and Michelle Branch for his forthcoming album. This is Islam's second album since his comeback in 2006 when he gained fame under his name "Cat Stevens." The as-yet-untitled album is due in late spring from Universal. It will be a follow up 2006's An Other Cup, his first secular album in 28 years. The single from the album "Boots & Sand" features Paul McCartney and Dolly Parton, with a video shot by Jesse Dylan, son of Bob shot in the California desert, Contactmusic reports. While Michelle Branch and Gunnar Nelson assist on the track "To Be What You Must." As Cat Stevens, he sold over 60 million albums around the world since the late 1960s. [...more...]

Mccartney Makes The View CRY

The frontman of the Scottish band is a huge fan of the Beatles legend and admits he was overwhelmed when he finally met his idol. He told BANG Showbiz: "When I met Paul McCartney, I had to run to the toilet and just burst into tears. I was a bit p***ed but I was just in tears going 'What am I doing? I'm blowing the chance', it was really f***ed up."
Kyle eventually composed himself - but got into an argument with another band who also wanted to speak to the 66-year-old musician. He added: "When I came back, the guys from The Feeling were butting in while I was talking to him and I was like, 'What are you doing? You're blowing my chances, get to f**k'. [...more...]

Snoop calls in the big guns

Snoop Dogg has begged Sir Paul McCartney and Madonna to help him get into the UK. The rap star - who has also called on soccer ace David Beckham to back his cause - wants his A-list friends to write to UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown to insist he is granted a visa. Snoop was arrested at London's Heathrow airport in April 2006 after his entourage vandalised a whiskey shop and attacked seven police officers when they were turned away from the first class lounge. Snoop said: "I love London and I'm desperate to come back. I've called David Beckham, Sir Paul McCartney - hell, I want to get the whole of the Beatles to help me get back in.
[...more...]

John Lennon film is tribute to mum

A BIG name Merseyside-born star could play a role in a new movie about John Lennon’s early life. Producers are keeping the actor’s name under wraps but told the ECHO they are keen to cast local actors for the remaining roles. The film, Nowhere Boy, is based on a book by the former Beatle’s half-sister, Julia Baird, and is due to be shot in and around the city from March. [...more...]

It’s 2009 and I feel fine, says ‘cheerful’ Ringo Starr

London, Jan 20 (ANI): Former Beatle Ringo Starr, who infamously vowed on the internet that he won’t sign autograph again, is now back on his website saying that he’s had a change of heart with the New Year. The 68-year-old musician found himself at the centre of a controversy in October last year when he declared angrily on his official website that he would no longer be signing merchandise. And since then he had refused to appear on the site. [...more...]

BEATLES FANS DUPED BY FAKE MEMORABILIA

Fans of pop legends THE BEATLES have been duped by a plague of forged memorabilia. Even high profile devotees have fallen victim; Tom Hanks' wife Rita Wilson is battling a dealer over a forged poster she bought for her movie star husband - and a leading expert warns 90 per cent of Fab Four memorabilia is fake. Frank Caiazzo, the resident Beatles expert at auctioneer Christie's, tells the New York Post, "This is a growing heartbreak that's turning up more every day. There's a never-ending supply of non-authentic signed material. "Ninety per cent of the Beatles material out there is fake." A top collector, meanwhile, urges fans to check the authenticity of items before they buy. Brian San Souci adds, "If a dealer refuses to tell you who owned a piece, and when it was signed and under what circumstances, it's highly suspicious." SOURCE

Paul Mccartney Says Obama Has Brought Hope Back To The World

Paul McCartney gave a surprisingly candid interview to LA Weekly in which he gave a shout out to president-elect Barack Obama. McCartney was asked about the most historical event that he's ever witnessed, to which the former Beatle replied, "The death of John Kennedy. He was our hope and he got wiped out, and we hadn't realized that hope could get wiped out quite so easily. But now Obama's brought it back. I love it." McCartney went on to say that the biggest obstacle he's overcome in his life was the death of first wife Linda McCartney; he felt that he became an adult upon the birth of his and Linda's first child Mary in 1969, and that emotionally he still feels like he's 25. [...more...]

Art picks: Of Lennon, McCartney and Scooby Doo

For a few good years last century, the Beatles weren’t just a band of musical legends. They were cartoon characters. The oh-so-1968 look of “Yellow Submarine,” with its pastel colors and rough animation, is hard to forget. The same — though a little less — counts for the Saturday morning cartoon, which for three seasons made the Beatles look out of this world. You can’t credit Ron Campbell for dreaming it all up. But he definitely had a hand in those programs’ creation. Campbell was a director of some of the morning show’s episodes and did some animation for “Yellow Submarine.” His also worked on cartoon favorites such as the Smurfs, Rugrats, Heathcliff and Scooby Doo. OK, so that doesn’t make him the biggest of screen legends. But his work is familiar and, more importantly, memorable. [...more...]

Pop Music Mystery Solved

The opening chord to “A Hard Day’s Night” has reached an almost mythical status. For years, no one knew what it actually was. People would come close, through trial and error, watching Ed Sullivan performances, and studying advanced music theory, but no attempts ever quite captured the exact chord. Enter Dr. Jason Brown, from Dalhousie University in Canada. An avid Beatles fan and amateur musician, Brown had tried for years to play that chord, but it never seemed quite right. “It sounds outlandish,” said Dr. Brown, “that someone could create a mystery around a chord from a time when artists used such simple recording techniques.” [...more...]

Lennon's sister hits out at Bono, Geldof

London (ANI): Late musician John Lennon's sister Julia Baird has hit out at the peace duo Bono and Bob Geldof for not promoting world peace adequately. Julia has gone to the length of saying that her brother would have done much more for world peace, if he were alive. She insists that the two musicians have only been able to hog the limelight as global campaigners due to Lennon's absence. "People like Bono and Geldof have only been able to take centre stage as they have because John's not here," the Daily Express quoted Julia, as saying. "John's hero was Gandhi, which not a lot of people know and he would have been heading in that direction," Julia added. [...more...]

Hanging out with Paul McCartney: Pretty Awesome

There are good days (you make the train on time, your hair cooperates, and ooh, look! someone left donut holes in the breakroom!), and then there are the days when you get a phone call saying that the world's most famous-amazing-ridiculously-iconic living musician will be waiting for you in an office lobby in midtown Manhattan in one hour. Wednesday was the second kind of day for me. nHow to describe meeting Sir Paul McCartney? Well for one, he is obscenely nice. Like, smile-and-shake-hands-and-be-gracious-to-every-dingbat-who-tells-him-the-Beatles-are-a-really-good-band nice (Elizabeth Hasselback, who let you off the ranch?). [...more...]

George Harrison's son's rock band set to make TV debut

English rock guitarist George Harrison's son Dhani's rock band is all set to make its debut on television, after agreeing to appear on the American show Late Night With Conan O'Brien next month. Dhani, 30, and his band thenewno2 were keen to maintain a low profile ever since they formed in 2006, and only performed small gigs in the US and on the Internet. "Dhani doesn't crave the spotlight and his group has remained low-key," the Daily Express quoted a band insider as saying. [...more...]

Murder riddle over the 60s model who caught John and Yoko's eye

A former British model and actress who once rubbed shoulders with John Lennon is missing, feared murdered - because of her love of animals. For 12 years Eva Rhodes has cared for abandoned cats and dogs at a sanctuary in Hungary funded partly by donations from animal lovers in England and a gift from Yoko Ono, with whom she made a film in the 1960s. But four months ago the 65-year-old grandmother, who had been the target of a hate campaign and had clashed with local police, vanished and her family believe she has been killed. [...more...]

Hungarian police backtrack over missing Lennon model

Hungarian police have finally agreed to investigate the disappearance of a British animal rights activist and former model who vanished four months ago after her family in Austria started a campaign accusing them of negligence. Eva Rhodes, 65, who was a friend of John Lennon and Yoko Ono, was a passionate animal rights activist and used her life savings to set up the Puss in Boots Animal Trust in Hungary 12 years ago. She took in stray and abused cats and dogs but also campaigned tirelessly for better treatment for animals and an end to Hungarian puppy farms - a move that meant she clashed frequently with local police over their lack of interest in cases of animal cruelty. [...more...]

Macca Wants Ringo

Paul McCartney has admitted he would "love" to reunite with Ringo Starr onstage in the near future. The two surviving members of The Beatles last played live together in the '90s and also worked alongside George Harrison on the "Anthology" collection. Appearing on US TV this week, Sir Macca said the pair were eager to hook-up again soon, if their schedules allow. "Yeah I would love to. We do things from time to time together - it doesn't always come up", he told "The View". Sometimes he'll be on tour when I'm not. But we don't rule it out, it'd be great. He's a great drummer and we're used to each other." McCartney also told the audience he thought the drummer was "ballsy" for refusing to sign anymore Fab Four memorabilia. SOURCE

MCCARTNEY'S ALTER EGOS

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY is living a double life - the former Beatles legend has secret public and private personas. The Hey Jude hitmaker is one of the most famous faces on the planet, and admits the only way he can cope with the level of his celebrity is by becoming a 'normal person' behind closed doors. The 64-year-old rocker explains, "I separate the real me from the famous me. It's a bit schizo... He does the shows and he's famous. And I go home and watch TV."
But MCCartney sometimes manages to escape his celebrity when out with fashion designer daughter Stella - because she's almost as famous as him now. He adds, "When I meet young girls, they're not interested in me. They want to meet Stella. I tell them, 'I'm famous too.'" SOURCE

Cat Stevens and Klaus Voormann Record George Harrison Songs

Cat Stevens (aka Yusuf Islam) has been recording George Harrison songs in London with bass player Klaus Voormann. Voormann has long ties to The Beatles. The cover of their 1966 classic ‘Revolver’ is his artwork. He also designed the covers for the Anthology albums. Klaus Voorman has played on solo albums for all four Beatles. Yusuf and Klaus have recorded two of George’s old songs to help raise money for the people of Gaza. The songs are ‘The Day The World Gets Round’, originally from George’s ‘Living In The Material World’, and the title track from the ‘All Things Must Pass’ album. [...more...]

MCCARTNEY WRITES NEW ALBUM WITH SON

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY is writing a new album with his musician son JAMES. After years living as a recluse, 31-year-old James is attempting to follow in his superstar father's footsteps.
And he is getting plenty of help from the former Beatle. Speaking on U.S. TV talk show The View on Wednesday (14Jan09), MCCartney reveals, "My son James plays guitar. We're making a new album with him." It's not the first time father and son have collaborated. James has co-written a number of his dad's solo songs, and joined him on tour back in 2005. James also performed on his late mother Linda MCCartney's solo album Wide Prairie, which was released after her death in 1998. SOURCE

MCCARTNEY PRAISES 'BALLSY' STARR

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has dubbed former BEATLES bandmate RINGO STARR "ballsy" for refusing to sign autographs and returning fanmail. The drummer sparked outrage amongst his supporters last year (08) when he posted a video on the site asking them to stop sending requests for signatures. But MCCartney insists Starr has earned the right to choose how he spends his time.
The rocker says, "I love him, he's so ballsy. If he doesn't want to spend his day writing to people, he's allowed. I love you Ringo." SOURCE

MCCARTNEY'S SECURITY FEARS AFTER LENNON'S MURDER

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY hired a bodyguard because he feared he would be assassinated after his BEATLES bandmate JOHN LENNON was murdered. MCCartney was horrified by Lennon's death in New York in December 1980, at the hands of crazed Mark Chapman. He was so scared copycats would make a similar attempt on his own life that he hired a personal minder - but sacked him after a month because he hated living like a recluse. He says, "It was horrific. Suddenly your best friend is snatched away. "And it was scary. Not just for the guys (The Beatles). Everyone in entertainment suddenly thought 'Woah - we'd better get security'. Which I did for about a week, and then I thought, 'I can't live like this.'" SOURCE

The Beatles LOVE

LOVE is the Cirque Du Soleil production of a musical journey through the life and times of The Beatles. Born from the personal friendship and mutual admiration between Cirque founder Guy Laliberté, and the late great Beatle, Gearge Harrison, the exclusive engagement at The Mirage in Las Vegas is the first time The Beatles company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. An innovative celebration of The Beatles' musical legacy, LOVE explores the content of the songs in a fashion that can be only Cirque du Soleil. Over 60 international artists perform in a custom built 360° seating style theatre. [...more/video...]

CHEAP TRICK PLAN BEATLES TRIBUTE IN LAS VEGAS

Classic rockers CHEAP TRICK are in negotiations to stage a massive BEATLES symphonic show in Las Vegas. The Surrender hitmakers staged a tribute to the Fab Four at the Hollywood Bowl in August 2007 - to mark the 40th anniversary of the group's Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band album - and now the Las Vegas Review-Journal newspaper reports the quartet is close to finalising a headlining slot with the Las Vegas Hilton. The proposed show would feature Cheap Trick performing the classic album with a full orchestra. Rumours suggest the Hilton residency could begin this spring (09) and stretch throughout the year. SOURCE

Vote For Peace

Dear Friends, Hi. This is yoko ono. I fully support the idea of voting for a DEPARTMENT OF PEACE. Please read the following instructions and VOTE! VOTE for a Department of Peace. Make sure the BLUE VOTE BUTTON next to the title has turned to a RED VOTED BUTTON in order for your vote to be counted. Vote HERE. VOTE to appoint a Secretary of Peace in a Department of Peace and Non-Violence. Stephen Zendt , a senior citizen of Walnut Creek, California, wrote: Our planet, our media, our social interactions, our homes all suffer from the epidemic of inter-personal violence and warfare that plagues America. With the establishment of a Department of Peace and Non-Violence, with a respected Secretary of Peace in the President’s Cabinet, and a program to reduce violence in cities, nations, and even in our homes, we will all benefit from the growth of a culture of peace. [...more...]

Paul McCartney to appear on THE VIEW

Barbara Walters and the other ladies of ABC's television show, The View, announced on Monday's show (1-12-09) that Paul McCartney would be appearing on The View this Wednesday, January 14 (11 AM EST). They said that he would be performing as well. As of this writing, the View's official website has not been updated showing McCartney as a guest for Wednesday. With the current critical acclaim that McCartney's new album, Electric Arguments by The Fireman, is receiving, it seems likely that he will perform songs to promote that album. Another interesting fact is that Barbara Walters is second cousins with Paul McCartney's girlfriend, Nancy Shevell. Barbara Walters last interviewed Paul McCartney when he was married to Heather Mills. SOURCE

War Child Heroes Album

Music heroes including Sir Paul McCartney and Bob Dylan were asked to pick their favourite track from their own songwriting canon and nominate a new generation musician to perform it. McCartney has chosen Duffy to cover Live And Let Die, while Dylan asked Beck to cover his classic Leopard-Silk Pill-Box Hat and Stevie Wonder chose Estelle to cover Superstition. War Child says the album Heroes, to be released on February 16, is being produced in support of the real heroes – children who live with the brutal affects of war. [...more...]

Yoko Ono - is her art any good?

Yoko Ono has a good claim to being the most despised woman of modern times. For decades, she has been caricatured as the wicked witch of rock and roll who broke up the Beatles and stole away John Lennon. Today, at 75, she still lives in the splendid Upper West Side apartment that they shared in New York's gothic Dakota Building, outside of which Lennon was shot in 1980. But, long before she met the most gifted member of the Fab Four in London's Indica Gallery in 1966, Ono was an artist in New York, fraternising with avant-garde creative types such as the composer John Cage (she was part of the Fluxus movement of artists), and hosting concerts attended by the likes of Robert Rauschenberg, Jasper Johns and Marcel Duchamp in her loft in downtown Manhattan. [...more...]

Lennon biography an exercise in seaminess and deception

Spiteful and selfish, miserly and misogynistic, Lennon abused his friends, cheated on his women and quarreled with almost everyone he knew. His politics were phony and his public persona a pose, the working-class hero who never labored a day in his life. (Personal motto: ‘‘Death before work.”) Even such details as his all-macrobiotic diet were hippie spinmastering; Norman recounts a horrified host discovering Lennon and Yoko Ono ransacking his refrigerator for bologna. ‘‘John Lennon: The Life’’ started out as a semi-authorized biography, with Norman - the author of ‘‘Shout! The Beatles in Their Generation,’’ a well-regarded history of the group’s complicated and ultimately disastrous business dealings - getting full access to Ono and her family for three years’ worth of interviews. But when Ono got a look at an early version of the manuscript, she told Norman he had been ‘‘mean to John’’ and cut him off. ‘‘I hope that in time she may revise this judgment for I do not think any other reader will share it,’’ he writes. Oh yes, they will. [...more...]

Ringo Starr's Web Silence/Ringo's response

Former Beatle Ringo Starr has further angered his fans by abandoning the regular video updates on his website - following his controversial decision not to sign any more autographs. The drummer sparked outrage amongst his supporters last year (08) when he posted a video on the site asking them to stop sending requests for signatures. Starr later backed down, insisting he was only addressing opportunists attempting to sell signed items on the internet. [...more...]

Free CD of John Lennon's greatest hits inside next weekend's Mail on Sunday

He was the rock legend whose songs - from Imagine to Give Peace A Chance - gave voice to a generation and whose shocking death reverberated around the world. Next week The Mail on Sunday presents a unique John Lennon CD featuring 12 tracks representing his dynamic career. Don't miss this exclusive musical first...your John Lennon CD is FREE inside next week's The Mail On Sunday.As The Mail on Sunday launches this unique CD, John Lennon's son Sean gives a rare and bittersweet interview recalling their life together and the terrible night his father died... [...more...]

John Lennon was cool... but the Queen is cooler

It was admirably succinct, the note John Lennon wrote to the Queen in 1969, a cameo that captured the mood of a decade in two sentences. "Your Majesty, I am returning my MBE as a protest against Britain's involvement in the Nigeria-Biafra thing, against our support of America in Vietnam and against Cold Turkey slipping down the charts. With love, John Lennon." A few days ago, the note was found in a royal vault, along with the returned medal. I didn't need to be reminded of the exact wording. As one who spent more time reading books about the Beatles than revising for O-levels, I knew it by heart. Such insouciance. Such economy. Such wit. [...more...]

Cornish actress to star as Lennon's aunt

ONE of Cornwall's best known actresses has landed a part in a film about Beatles' star John Lennon. Redruth-born Kristin Scott Thomas is most famous for playing glacial beauties, posh debutantes and even French criminals. But her next role will be as a tough Scouser, after being cast as Lennon's famously formidable Aunt Mimi. The film, provisionally called Nowhere Boy, tells the imagined story of Lennon's difficult childhood in the back streets of Liverpool.
He lived with his Aunt Mimi – the older sister of his mother Julia - most of his childhood and she claimed to have bought him his first guitar. [...more...]

Happy Birthday, David Bowie, Rock Star

David Bowie is one of the most iconic rock musicians of the 20th century. Releasing chart-topping solo tracks as well as successfully collaborating with Lou Reed, Queen and John Lennon, Bowie has reinvented himself and his music a number of times throughout the last five decades. His performance career began with saxophone lessons at age 13 and continues today, with additional artistic experiments in mime, acting and producing. [...more...]

John Lennon: The Essential Interviews

John Lennon: The Essential Interviews collects the pop music legend's most candid and inspirational interactions with the media. Available for advanced order and immediate delivery from Rock Reader Books here: this exciting new book – which is also now available for download – will be formally released March 3, 2009 through traditional and online book retailers. Beginning in the sensational heyday of the Beatles, The Essential Interviews traces Lennon's personal and creative evolution over the span of the next fifteen years up until his tragic murder in December 1980. [...more...]

The Original Drummer of the Beatles: Best, Not Bitter

Fired by the Beatles when they were on the brink of mega-stardom, Pete Best became a footnote in musical history. It took a long time, but today he’s okay with that, and he’s carving out his own success with his own band that bears his name. Best turned 67 in November of 2008. He still lives in Liverpool, and still speaks in that adenoidal, throaty Northern accent called Scouse. His hair is whiter than it was when last the music world heard from him—if record producer Sir George Martin is to be given credence, Best is a much better drummer today, as he plies his trade with another trio of Liverpudlians, than he was when Martin, then a staff producer for Parlophone, told the Beatles he didn’t like Best’s playing. Today the Pete Best Band travels the world promoting their new CD, Haymans Green, released in September 2008, which Best calls a musical story of his life. [...more...]

Roger Daltrey Says Zak Starkey Is As Close To Keith Moon As You Can Get

Roger Daltrey says that the Who's decade-long run with drummer Zak Starkey has provided the band with the same power and ingenuity as their days with the late Keith Moon. Daltrey sang the praises of the 43-year-old Starkey, who is the son of Ringo Starr, explaining to ultimate-guitar.com that "Zak is Keith Moon-trained; Keith bought Zak his first drum kit and Zak was taught by Keith. So, you know, it's totally organic, so it's almost like Keith is still there. Some nights it's eerie. Zak's now been in the band long enough, we can now throw things at him like we used to with Keith and he comes back with something like Keith would have come back with. Which is kinda even getting more scary." After Moon's death in 1978, former Faces drummer Kenney Jones held down the drummer spot for nearly a decade before Daltrey forced him out of the band: "(Kenney's) a fantastic drummer, but he's a fantastic drummer for the Faces. [...more...]

John Lennon fled Hamburg brothel reveals old Liverpool rival

The Beatles' hard-partying days in Hamburg are legendary but former pal Gerry Marsden says that John Lennon's exploits enjoying the red light district were short-lived. Stories are rife that the young Lennon along with George Harrison, Paul McCartney, bass player Stuart Sutcliffe and drummer Pete Best took full advantage of the seedy brothels of offer in the German city. But despite arrests for arson and George Harrison being deported - the Fab Four's levels of hedonism have been called into question by old pal Gerry Marsden. [...more...]

Norway's NRK pulls downloadable Beatles podcasts

Norway's public broadcaster has stopped offering a downloadable podcast with songs from the Beatles, citing a licensing issue. The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) said on Tuesday it thought its licensing arrangement with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) allowed it to podcast a 212-episode series called "Our Daily Beatles." The series features a few minutes of commentary in Norwegian about a Beatles song before playing the full track. NRK's podcast plan received wide press coverage as it was thought to be the first time Beatles songs were legally put online and free. [...more...]

BEATLES - FREE BEATLES PODCASTS GO ONLINE

A large portion of the BEATLES' back catalogue is to made available for downloading for the first time, thanks to a collection of Norwegian journalists. Podcasts from 2001 documentary Var daglige Beatles (Our Daily Beatles) are to be made available as free downloads online.
The shows featured top Norwegian journalists talking about their favourite Beatles tracks, and then playing them. Both the comments and the tracks will be available to download. Plans to give iTunes the rights to offer the Beatles back catalogue as legal downloads fell through late last year (08) when talks between Sir Paul MCCartney and his Apple Corps bosses and EMI Records stalled. SOURCE

International Beatles Freak Day And Beatles-A-Rama!!! Come Together For 36 Hour by International Beatles Freak Day

The excitement and anticipation for this year’s International Beatles Freak Day celebration is already brewing, as January 14th quickly approaches. The day when ‘Beatles Freaks’ from all over the world can come together to celebrate the greatest band that ever was (and ever will be!) along with their Fab Four-loving friends. This year, I-BFD is thrilled to announce it has teamed-up with web-based Beatles radio show Beatles-A-Rama!!! for a rockin’ and rollin’ 36-hour online celebration of the holiday. Beginning at 9 pm EST on January 13th, Beatles Freaks and fans alike from all over the globe will be able to log into I-BFD.com or Beatlesarama.com to bask in all the Beatle-loving glory of the day.

The online broadcast will be jam-packed with Beatles music (band and solo), Beatles podcasts from Ray Whitaker’s “Just Four Guys” show, not to mention pre-recorded interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr from “Breakfast with the Beatles with Andre Gardner”. Talk about a Beatles Freak’s dream! Beatles-A-Rama founder Pat Matthews described his excitement on becoming the Official web radio station of International Beatles Freak day, “Beatles-A-Rama is proud to be a part of the greatest celebration of Beatle-kind to ever grace cyberspace! International Beatles Freak Day is a day for all Beatle People!”

Schedules of the day’s events will be available on the I-BFD website for each time zone beginning on January 12th. So however you plan to celebrate International Beatles Freak Day, be sure to tune-in.

Robert Plant CBE

Robert Plant has been appointed a CBE (Commander of the British Empire) on the Queen's New Years Honors list, marking the second time that a member of Led Zeppelin has received an official accolade from Queen Elizabeth. Jimmy Page, Led Zeppelin founding member and guitarist, was awarded an OBE (Officer of the British Empire) in June 2005. The tradition stretches nack to 1917. Honors are handed out twice a year, in June and at the New Year, and are awarded to people for all types of service, including the performing arts. The Queen's Honors "are bestowed in the name of Queen Elizabeth II and are recommended by a panel that considers suggestions from government departments and political parties as well as from members of the public." [...more...]

Jackson wants to end feud with McCartney

According to mirror.co.uk, McCartney was upset with Jackson when he outbid him in 1985 to win the ownership of the 350 million-pound publishing rights for the whole Lennon-McCartney songbook. But Jackson who is reportedly struggling with a serious genetic lung disease wants to make peace. He has drawn up a new will where McCartney will get control of the Beatles songbook when Jackson dies. [...more...]

Liverpool Beatles fans call on Buckingham Palace to release Lennon MBE

The MBE medal that Beatle legend John Lennon famously rejected has been unearthed in a royal vault. Now - 40 years after Lennon sent the award back to The Queen - Beatles historians are calling for it to be dusted off and put on public display. The Fab Four were invested as Members of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours in 1965, after topping record charts around the world. But later Lennon decided that he had sold out to the Establishment and returned his MBE to Her Majesty 25th November 1969 as part of ongoing peace protests masterminded with Yoko Ono. [...more...]

MILLS MOVING TO MCCARTNEY'S NEIGHBOURHOOD

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY could be seeing more of ex-wife HEATHER MILLS - the former model is planning to buy a luxury New York mansion less than three miles from the former BEATLE. Mills - now dating personal trainer Jamie Walker - is eyeing up the opulent $2.5 million (GBP1.71 million) estate in the exclusive Hamptons area of Long Island, New York, including 20 acres of land and a swimming pool. Yet an insider tells British tabloid The People that Mills' move could be stifling for MCCartney and his relationship with businesswoman Nancy Shevell. [...more...]

Jackson wants to end feud with McCartney

Pop star Michael Jackson wants to end an almost 24-year-long feud with legend Sir Paul McCartney by leaving his share of the Beatles back catalogue to him in his will. According to mirror.co.uk, McCartney was upset with Jackson when he outbid him in 1985 to win the ownership of the 350 million-pound publishing rights for the whole Lennon-McCartney songbook. But Jackson who is reportedly struggling with a serious genetic lung disease wants to make peace. He has drawn up a new will where McCartney will get control of the Beatles songbook when Jackson dies. [...more...]

Still essential after 40 years

Albums by the Beatles, Stones, Jimi, Janis, Aretha, Marvin, Otis, Sly, Miles, and Zappa were among the 1968 releases getting major play and press last year. Fortieth anniversary sets reminded us of a time when imaginative artistry ruled the pop charts, revealing numerous creative influences that still permeate our culture. The music business has changed dramatically in 40 years, but 1968 and 2008 bear comparison. Both were turbulent years with watershed presidential elections, unpopular foreign wars, and major upheaval - social then, financial now. 1968 saw the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., racial tensions, and the ensuing riots; in 2008 we voted our first African-American president into office. [...more...]

Happy birthday, Sir George Martin!

A little birthday appreciation for Sir George Martin, who turns 83 today (Jan. 3). George Martin first came to work at Abbey Road studios in 1950. He had hopes of being a classical pianist, but abandoned those plans soon after to try and help build up the Parlophone label. It was shortly after joining the label that he met the woman soon to be his wife, the former Judith Lockhart-Smith, who was working as a secretary there. [...more...]

Lennon Doesn’t Need Forgiving

How well I remember that horrible cold morning in early December 1980 when I turned on the radio to hear that John Lennon had been shot the night before. Lennon was my hero. His musical contributions to the Beatles were among my favorites. Whether he was commenting on the apathy of the masses (“Day in the life”), the latest religious cult (“Sexy Sadie”), the proliferation of guns (“Happiness is a Warm Gun”) or the counterculture (“Revolution”), Lennon spoke to my own dissatisfaction with the status quo or the “establishment,” as we called it back then. [...more...]