Beatles fans slam use of song in Blackberry ad

Beatles fans have reacted angrily to the use of the band's hippie anthem "All You Need Is Love" to promote a range of £300 consumer gadgets. BlackBerry, the US technology company, is likely to have paid millions for the right to play a cover version of the 1967 "flower power" song in a series of TV adverts for its smartphones. One online critic wrote: "The idea of using this song to sell a product is distasteful enough, but BlackBerry uses a cover version with a whiny vocal that is so annoying that the song actually elicits hatred." Another complained: "It sounds horrible. It's disgusting that companies are trying to make money off the Beatles just because of the new release of their albums." "People should stop using Beatles songs (and bad covers at that) to commercialise their stupid products," said another. [read more]

Music Mogul Burn Dies

British record mogul COLIN BURN, who worked with the ROLLING STONES, THE BEATLES, THE SUPREMES and THE BEACH BOYS, has died at the age of 76. Burn enjoyed a 25-year career with EMI, peaking as General Manager of its pop division, during which time he worked with the label's biggest named acts. After quitting EMI in the early 1980s, Burn landed a job working with the Rolling Stones, before retiring from the music business. Confirming his death, friend and former colleague Paul Watts tells Music Week, "Sadly, I have to report the death on October 19 of Colin Burn at the age of 76. [read more]

Groupie lifts the lid on Beatles, Rolling Stones' hedonistic lifestyles

Chris O''Dell, who had a chance to take a close peek at the lives of the Fab four, the Rolling Stones and Bob Dylan has written about their excesses in her book tilted ''Miss O''Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved''. O''Dell worked as a personal assistant in the music industry during the 1960s and 1970s. [read more]

Head to http://beatlesnumber9.com homepage to see Book of the Moment for ordering info

John Oates Reunited with Mustache After 20 Years

Pop singer John Oates has re-grown his world famous mustache after a two-decade hiatus. Oates, part of the super group Hall and Oates, debuted his new lip hair today in St. Louis where he'll headline tonight's "Stache Bash" party presented by the American Mustache Institute. Oates tells Daily RFT he vividly recalls the day he shaved off the mustache he had worn throughout his meteoric rise up the pop charts in the 1980s. ​"We were playing a concert in Tokyo in 1989 that Yoko Ono had arranged to commemorate the anniversary of John Lennon's death," says Oates. "I was going through a lot of personal stuff then, and after the show I was back in the hotel and just looking at myself in the bathroom mirror. I looked down toward the sink and there was a razor sitting there, and with that I shaved off the mustache and haven't look back." Until now. [read more]

Behind The Scenes at the Rock N Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert

For a fan of Rock N Roll … it just doesn’t get bigger than this! This is the kind of show line up that you could only dream of making up, just for fun — and it is unfolding at Madison Square Garden for The Rock N Roll Hall of Fame 25th Anniversary Concert in a massive 2 day event. The shows, feature Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band, U2, Paul Simon, Metallica, Jeff Beck Band, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Friends, Simon and Garfunkel and more. Each band, has it’s own A-List of performers who will join them up on stage to perform it’s set. Last night , Stevie Wonder, jammed with Smokey Robinson, John Legend, and Sting. At one point, Stevie Wonder busted out a tribute to Michael Jackson and played “The Way You Make Me Feel” … the place went nuts. [read more]

In step with the Beatles

Here I am, one bright but blustery Tuesday morning, inside the wrought-iron Victorian shell of London's Marylebone Station surrounded by Beatles fans – mostly Americans, two Canadians, three young Australians and a sprinkling of Europeans. In their midst stands spry but diminutive Richard Porter. If you can warble a "Yeah, yeah, yeah" while shaking your mop top, then listen up. For the modest sum of £7 ($12.55), Porter will share with you his Beatle-facts and obsessions. [read more]

The Prisoner Inspires Dhani Harrison’s Thenewno2 Experiment

Websites are kind of useless,” said Harrison (pictured) while sitting in a blue, futuristic pod chair inspired by the influential psy-fi series The Prisoner. “There’s so much great web content and design out there, but the ways in which they are being experienced are not being maximized.” The innovative new website of thenewno2, the group Harrison formed in 2001 with friend and filmmaker Oli Hecks, relaunched this week ahead of the band’s first North American tour, which starts Thursday in Dallas. (Thenewno2 is on the road with Aussie headbangers Wolfmother.) [read more/watch video]

Yoko Gives Blessing To Lennon Song In Film

Debutant film director Sam Taylor-Wood has revealed how Yoko Ono gave her blessing to a film about the teenage years of John Lennon by allowing her to use one of his most famous solo tracks. The widow of the murdered Beatles star gave her permission for the song Mother to be used in the film Nowhere Boy. The film looks at the difficult teenage years of the music icon after he was abandoned by his mother Julia at the age of five and brought up by his aunt Mimi. As a teenager Lennon, who was shot dead in New York in 1980, rebuilt his relationship with his mother only for her to die in a car accident when he was 16. The song was released by Lennon on his first solo album John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band in 1970 and records his loss at losing her twice. [read more]

Quotes from others about Bob Dylan

George Harrison: “Dylan is so brilliant. To me, he makes William Shakespeare look like Billy Joel.” Bono: “I think he is a very tenacious character. I think underneath all the so-called eccentricity, which I think is just a mask, there’s a very true person. He’s a good father — I’ve seen him with his children — with a moral compass, and who can get lost at sea like everybody. But I think he’s very strong.” Johnny Cash: “I love Bob Dylan, I really do. I love his early work, I love the first time he plugged in electrically, I love his Christian albums, I love his other albums.” [read more]

Tricky time as rock hall turns 25

Reporting from New York City - Tonight and Friday, Bruce Springsteen, U2, Simon & Garfunkel, Metallica and other acts that started their careers in the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s will perform at Madison Square Garden here to celebrate the silver anniversary of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The landmark events, which are expected to run 4 1/2 hours each and will air on HBO on Nov. 29, come at a tricky time for rock and for the rock hall itself. These days, Guitar Hero is a video game, Rockstar is an energy drink and ring tones routinely outsell albums. [read more]

Popstar Britney Spears prefers Beatles over Elvis

Britney Spears has revealed that she prefers rocking to the tunes of the Beatles rather than those of Elvis Presley. The pop princess was asked in an interview via email who would she choose between the two music legends. “Beatles, they are just so iconic,” the Herald Sun quoted her as saying. The singer, who will soon begin her Australian tour in Perth, was also quizzed about the frequently played song on her iPod. She said: “Right now its Beyonce's Halo. It just puts me in a trance, it's so well written and she is so intense singing it. ANI

Macca's film inspiration for song

Paul McCartney has revealed that he felt inspired to write his new single after watching a film. The Beatles musician wrote (I Want To) Come Home hours after he attended an early screening of Everybody's Fine, which stars Robert De Niro, Drew Barrymore and Kate Beckinsale, he said in a statement. Paul connected with the drama about a widower (Robert De Niro) who embarks on a road trip to reconnect with his grown-up children, as he said: "I could definitely identify with Robert De Niro's character because I have grown-up kids who have their own families." TPA

Official Trailer For John Lennon Biopic ‘Nowhere Boy’ Revealed

The official trailer for ‘Nowhere Boy’ has hit the web. The directorial debut of Sam Taylor-Wood, ‘Nowhere Boy’ is based on the book ‘Imagine This: Growing Up With My Brother John Lennon’ by Julia Baird about her half-brother’s pre-Beatles life including when he first met Paul McCartney. The film focuses on the years in which John Lennon was raised by his aunt, Mimi Smith, and later reacquainted with his biological mother, Julia. Lennon’s mother was tragically killed in an auto accident when John was just starting to get to know her in his late teens. [read more/watch trailer]

ONE-OF-A-KIND BEATLES LPS DISCOVERED

What’s inside that storage carton in the back corner of your crawl space? Imagine if it was a one-of-a-kind original pressing of a Beatles record. NOW imagine if there were four of them. You don’t have to be a music expert to know that this is a momentous discovery. But Akim Boldireff and Aaron Keele ARE music experts – known as The Record Guys www.therecordguys.com across the world – and they uncovered this singular stash earlier this year. “I knew right away when I saw these that they were special,” says Boldireff.

These items were obtained from a former Capitol Records record-pressing plant employee, who worked for the company from the late 1970s until the mid 1980s. He had access to the music, the machines and the brilliantly coloured vinyl discs. When his shift was over, he’d sometimes experiment, testing techniques of mixing colour and creating patterns. Thankfully, his favourite band was The Beatles, and he took the opportunity to create what are now totally unique in the world of Beatles collectibles.

Among the items is a breathtaking electric-blue vinyl disc with The Beatles “Revolver” side A pressed on one side and John Lennon’s solo debut album “Plastic Ono Band” side B on the flipside. Another gem is a pressing of the seminal “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” album done on a stunning blue marble vinyl.

“And,” he adds, “there are no other copies anywhere in the world. These are the only known copies.”

This remarkable collection isn’t just rare – it's so exceptional the experts hesitate to even place a monetary value on it. You can also view the collection and read about it on Boldireff and Keele’s website, http://www.therecordguys.com. The top items in the one-of-a-kind Beatles rarities collection discovered by The Record Guys:

1 Side 1 - Beatles Revolver Side A (ST-2576)

Side 2 - Plastic Ono Band Side B (SW-3372)

Blue vinyl

Both sides have ’67-’70 labels

2 Beatles Sgt. Pepper's (SEAV 11840) on blue swirl vinyl

3 Beatles Love Songs (SEBX 11844) on gold splatter/splash vinyl (2nd LP black)

4 Beatles ’67-’70 (SEBX 3-11343) on blue swirl vinyl (2nd LP black)

5 Beatles Rubber Soul (ST 2442) - one-sided mother record

About Akim Boldireff and Aaron Keele

Akim Boldireff and Aaron Keele are internationally respected music specialists. Between them, they’ve examined, analyzed and assessed millions of records, applying their knowledge and assiduous research to determine the provenance and value of music and music-related items. They travel the world to buy and sell all forms of collectible music – no collection is too big or too small. The Record Guys are well-known to Canadian audiences from their appearances on television, radio and print, and their bi-annual record shows. Visit their website at http://www.therecordguys.com.

Come and see Aaron & Akim at the Toronto Downtown Record Show on Sunday, November 8 at the Estonian House Banquet Hall ( 958 Broadview Avenue ). Hours: 11:00 am-4:00 pm. Admission is $5.

Beatle drug bust papers to be auctioned

Arrest papers detailing drug busts involving late Beatles legends John Lennon and George Harrison in the 1960s are to be sold at auction. Lennon's London flat was raided in 1968 by officer D.S. Pilcher, who was famed for targeting rock musicians, including Mick Jagger and Eric Clapton, over their wild lifestyles. Cops discovered a quantity of cannabis resin at the home Lennon shared with Yoko Ono. The singer subsequently pleaded guilty to a charge of unauthorized possession and was fined $240. A year later Pilcher, who was later convicted of corruption and jailed, raided Harrison's home while he was attending Sir Paul McCartney's wedding to first wife Linda. He was later arrested and fined. Both arrest documents were acquired by a fingerprint specialist, who has since died. The papers will be auctioned off online on Thursday. Copyright WENN.co

Finally we're saying oh yes to Ono

There is a story about John Lennon hearing the B-52s' 1978 song Rock Lobster at a disco in the Bahamas. Struck by the vocal similarities to his wife Yoko Ono's music, he was inspired to go back into the studio for the first time since 1974, and the duo recorded Double Fantasy just before Lennon's death in 1980. "The story goes that he calls up Yoko and says 'Get the axe out - they're ready for us again,'' B-52s guitarist Keith Strickland told Q magazine in 1992. [read more]

Lennon's art shines on

The "We All Shine On" exhibition, a traveling collection of more than 100 visual art pieces created by Lennon from 1968 until his death in 1980, will make its first stop in Greenwich, Conn., from Friday to Sunday. Donations from the show benefit that town's Neighbor to Neighbor branch, which provides clothing and emergency-food services to needy regional residents, including those who live in Port Chester. As someone who studied art at Sarah Lawrence College, Ono couldn't be prouder, saying Lennon would have been "very, very happy" not only about the touring success of the paintings and sketches he always wanted to showcase, but also the charities the tour has helped over the [read more]

"This Is It" first stage of Michael Jackson's afterlife

It was only a matter of time before Michael Jackson's estate started hyping unreleased material in the wake of the singer's death. And sure enough, 109 days after the King of Pop's passing, his new song "This Is It" appeared online. Were Jackson still alive, "This Is It" — the song, not the movie that screens tonight — would be a B-side at best. With throwback vocals by Jackson's brothers and a soul guitar reminiscent of Jackson's hit "Human Nature," the catchy "This Is It" relies more on nostalgia than musicality. Jackson was a notorious control freak when it came to his music, and it's hard to imagine this subpar ballad making his final cut. [read more]

Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison

THERE’S been a lot of fuss about the recent release of the Beatles catalogue in remastered editions ... and rightly so for the boys of Liverpool really were the greatest and most influential rock group ever. Almost slipping under the radar is this excellent compilation of the solo work of the quiet yet much-loved George Harrison. While John Lennon and Paul McCartney were the principal songwriters of the Beatles, there’s no doubt that all four members went on to produce worthwhile material in their solo careers ... doubters should acquaint themselves with Ringo Starr’s splendid solo compilation Photograph. [read more]

BUY: Let It Roll: Songs by George Harrison


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Beatles cartoonist features work here

As Ron Campbell drew a cartoon image of the Beatles for one of his customers, he told them of his life in the land of submarines.And he admitted he never met any of the Beatles except for a brief interaction with Ringo Starr when his wife bought one of Mr. Campbell's portraits of one of the legendary band members. "The Beatles should be proud to meet me," he said with a laugh, obvious that he was honored to play a role in making the band a legend in the cartoon world. [read more]

JOHN LENNON´s ORIGINAL QUARRYMEN - DVD- and new CD-Release

The Quarrymen Live in Dahme (Germany) - Interviews - how the Beatles really originated - newly discovered photos - the day John Lennon first met Paul McCartney - the first new Quarrymen-Single since 1958 - and much more...In conjunction with Horst Fascher, founder of Hamburg's celebrated Star-Club, the German media company Garrelt Danker Medienproduktion, brings music legends into the limelight, especially those from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s. What better subject for this first episode of Star-Club TV than the fascinating story of the early days of the most famous music group of all time! Featured in the film "THE QUARRYMEN - THE BAND THAT STARTED THE BEATLES" are live footage of a modern-day concert by The Quarrymen (recorded in the German Baltic coast resort of Dahme), detailed interviews with Colin Hanton, Len Garry and Rod Davis, three original members of the “Pre-Beatles” (John Lennon’s 1950s group to which Paul McCartney and George Harrison both belonged), their first new single after 50 years and much more...International shop: www.GaryLand.de. [read more/press release]

John Lennon’s ex wife calls McCartney ‘stupid’ over Mills divorce

The first wife of John Lennon, Cynthia, has criticised Paul McCartney for divorcing Heather Mills, calling him “stupid”. Cynthia, 70, whose son Julian was six when the Beatle dumped her for Yoko Ono in 1968, spoke for the first time about the much publicised 24.3 million pound divorce. “She (Heather) became the she-devil and he was stupid,” the Daily Express quoted her as telling The Lady magazine. “Like me, I think he should have given it more time. He got married and it was fabulous and then the chemistry wasn’t right. But you have to be living with somebody long enough to know that the chemistry is right or not,” she added. ANI

Terry Gilliam on Monty Python, 'The Imaginarium of Dr. Parnassus'

Forty years ago, as the Beatles were ending their dominance of a musical era, another British troupe was emerging and would ultimately change the history of comedy. This band of merry men – five Brits and one American – formed Monty Python and slapstick comedy was never the same again. These six men were American animator (and later director) Terry Gilliam and British comedians John Cleese, Eric Idle, Michael Palin, Terry Jones and Graham Chapman, who died in 1989 from throat cancer. The survivors recently joined forces in an epic documentary, "Monty Python: Almost the Truth (The Lawyers Cut)," which was co-directed by Terry Jones' son Bill and Ben Timlett. "Thirteen years after 1969 we called it a day and have been living off it ever since. [read more - ABC News]

Yoko Ono's life of love, war and Lennon

Yoko Ono was thinking ahead. That was the only way she could think. Like an art-shark — not one of this elaborate theoriser’s metaphors, but it could be — she has to move forward at all times. To think about the past would mean thinking about her upper-class, conservative upbringing and eventual disowning by a family with rarefied banking and imperial connections; about Hiroshima and Nagasaki, whose destruction happened when she was a 12-year-old in Japan; the firebombing of Tokyo by the Americans, which she actually lived through. “I’m sure that’s part of me, of course,” the artist and musician says when asked if the horrors of the Second World War are reflected in her work. [read more - Times Online]

Fab Faux carries the weight of re-creating Beatles studio sound

They don’t don wigs or Sgt. Pepper uniforms. What the Fab Faux do wear on their sleeves is a musical obsession with the world’s most famous band. “I would never go see a tribute band,’’ singer and drummer Rich Pagano admits in an interview ostensibly aimed at explaining why people should go see his Beatles tribute band tomorrow at the Wang Theatre. But the Fab Faux, he insists, is different. Its five members are Beatle obsessives with regular (well-paid) day jobs who can devote themselves to re-creating on stage the band’s studio gems as accurately and legitimately as possible. Saturday night, the group will play all of the music from a pair of Beatles albums, “Abbey Road’’ and “Let It Be.’’ [read more]

Students come together over John Lennon Educational Tour Bus

The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus rolled its way onto campus Oct. 19 to combine the talents of several students from the School of Music and the School of Journalism. Since 1998, this non-profit outreach program has sought to fulfill a simple mission of "providing students with increased access to music, audio, video and broadcast technologies." Keith Politte, manager of the Technology Testing Center at the Reynolds Journalism Institute, represented the School of Journalism at the event. "This is a rare opportunity for students to get hands-on experience with cutting edge equipment," he said. "It brings the schools together." [read more]

Handmade Films plans new kids' productions

Handmade Plc, which runs British movie company Handmade Films, plans to raise 17 million pounds ($28 million) to pay off debts and fund a new production unit that will make programing for children. The company, which was set up by ex-Beatle George Harrison in the 1970s to finance Monty Python's 'Life of Brian', is planning to invest $5.6 million in a joint venture with National Geographic and up to $12 million in buying a U.S. animation firm. In a move that contrasts with its anti-establishment roots, it has also bought the rights to books written by Sarah Ferguson, the Duchess of York, and plans a documentary series on women explorers, to be presented by Ferguson. [read more]

Rock And Roll Hall of Fame 25th anniversary 3-disc DVD set out Nov 3rd

This Fall, Time Life commemorates the 25th anniversary of the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame with an unprecedented, comprehensive collection of performances compiled from a quarter century of induction celebrations. The ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE 3-DVD collection boasts 44 remarkable performances by the most influential and significant figures in rock music history, as well as the speeches, toasts and roasts by which these members of rock royalty salute each others’ accomplishments. History is made when legendary artists such as Mick Jagger and Tina Turner, Bruce Springsteen and Bono, Crosby, Stills & Nash and Tom Petty, take the stage for once-in-a-lifetime collaborations. The ROCK AND ROLL HALL OF FAME LIVE set includes three DVDs featuring an assortment of performances spanning more than two decades of ceremonies, as well as induction and acceptance speeches, and never-before-seen backstage and rehearsal footage. [read more]

Paul Mccartney's Christmas Concert

Sir Paul McCartney is to play his first arena show in London in over six years. Sir Paul McCartney is to play a one-off Christmas show in London. The former Beatle will end a seven-date European tour, his first in five years, with a concert at The O2 arena on December 22. The performance will be 46 years to the day since The Beatles played their first Christmas show at Liverpool's Empire Theatre and it will be McCartney's first arena show in London for over six years. [read more]

Could the Beatles conquer the Taliban?

A New York Times reporter was kidnapped and held in a tribal area in Pakistan, reminded daily by his viciously anti-American captors that he could be killed at any time. The reporter, David Rohde, eventually escaped. And now, in a touching anecdote, he described how much his kidnappers loved certain American songs - and one in particular. "The Beatles song, 'She Loves You,' which popped into my head soon after I received my wife's letter from the Red Cross, was the most popular," Rohde wrote in a series now running in the New York Times. "For reasons that baffled me, the guards relished singing it with me. I began by singing its first verse. My three Taliban guards … joined me in the chorus. 'She loves you - yeah yeah yeah,' we sang, with Klashnikovs lying on the floor around us." [read more]

Ravi Shankar Given George Harrison Humanitarian Award

Sitar legend Ravi Shankar has been awarded the inaugural George Harrison Humanitarian Award. The award is given for work saving the lives of children and comes from the US Fund for UNICEF and the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF. Shankar was presented with the award after his concert on November 10 at Carnegie Hall in New York. “George Harrison and Ravi Shankar have been stalwart advocates on behalf of the world's children their entire careers,” said Caryl Stern, President and CEO, U.S. Fund for UNICEF in a press release. “Every day 24,000 children die of preventable causes. We are pleased to honor Ravi Shankar with the George Harrison Humanitarian Award for his commitment to reducing that number and believing in zero.” [read more]

Sir George recovers after surgery

Beatles producer Sir George Martin, is recovering after undergoing "routine surgery", his manager has confirmed. "George Martin had routine surgery earlier this week. He spent one night in hospital and is now back at home," Adam Sharp said. He did not disclose what the 83-year-old, sometimes dubbed the fifth Beatle, had been treated for. Sir George is credited with helping to shape the quartet's sound throughout almost their entire recording career. The Beatles auditioned for him in 1962 at the infamous Abbey Road studios. Their first recording together was How Do You Do It. SOURCE: BBC NEWS

Lennon Kissed Lewis' Feet

JERRY LEE LEWIS was stunned when he met JOHN LENNON in the 1970s - because the BEATLES star dropped to his knees and kissed the rock legend's feet. Lennon credited piano great Lewis with paving the way for bands like the Fab Four, and insisted on thanking his idol when they met backstage at iconic Los Angeles concert venue The Roxy during the Beatles' heyday. In a new interview with GQ magazine, Lewis recalls, "He kissed my feet. I had no idea he was going to do that. My boy was there, Junior. He said, 'Dad, dad, is that John Lennon?' "I said, 'Yes it is John Lennon.' He done (sic) it, and he said, 'I just wanted you to know you are the man who made it possible for me to be a star in rock 'n' roll music.' "I just kind of froze. Nobody has ever done that." SOURCE - Contactmusic News

A Sneak Peek at the John Lennon Biopic, Nowhere Boy

Nowhere Boy has finally released pictures of Aaron Johnson’s depiction of a young John Lennon. The film, which is the feature directorial debut of Sam Taylor Wood, tracks the years a young John Lennon is raised by his Aunt Mimi Smith, play by Kristen Scott Thomas. Lennon is reacquainted with his biological mother, Julia (played by Ann Marie Duff), shortly before she is killed in an automobile accident in John’s late teens. John turns to music and art with a young Paul McCartney to escape the loss of his mother. The film is set for release in the UK on December 25th this year, but it will be the opening film on November 13th at the Turin Film Festival. The first stills from the set after the jump. [read more/see pics]

Bush not welcome in Montreal

George W. Bush will meet anti-war protestors at Montreal’s historic Queen Elizabeth Hotel when he arrives this week. The hotel is where John Lennon and Yoko Ono staged their famous bed-in for peace during the height of the Vietnam War and recorded the iconic single Give Peace a Chance. Bush was invited by the Board of Trade of Metropolis Montreal, reports the Canadian Press. The board has been selling tickets for the event for between $200 and $400 each. Bush will talk about his time in the White House and also about his future plans and the challenges that currently face the world. [read more]

Even at 76, Yoko Ono says she loves wearing hot pants

Japanese/American artist Yoko Ono has revealed that she loves wearing hot pants. Ono is 76-year-old, but she still wears high heels and mini skirts as they make her feel young. I love wearing high heels, I love wearing silk stockings and I love wearing hot pants, the Daily Express quoted her as saying. In those three, I feel like a Thirties tough girl. If I didnt look in the mirror, I might just mistake myself for Rita Hayworth or Marlene Dietrich. How great is that' she added. - ANI

Are baby boomers turning into outsiders?

These are baby boomers we're talking about. By our sheer numbers alone, we transformed every phase of life we passed through: questioning authority, breaking barriers and generally sending furniture flying in all directions. Our sphere of influence -- from music to TV to fashion -- made us a coveted demographic and the most scrutinized and self-involved generation in history. But clearly, the folks running the show these days didn't read all our press clippings. Because it feels like we're turning into -- could it be? -- outsiders. Oh, the irony. The generation that coined the phrase "don't trust anyone over 30" is now being clobbered by their own stereotypes. [read more]

George Bush to appear where John Lennon held bed-in

The clamour of anti-war protest will once again surround the Montreal hotel where John Lennon and Yoko Ono held a bed-in that helped define the peace movement of a generation. But this time Ono won't be at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel, where 40 years ago she and Lennon recorded the anti-war anthem "Give Peace a Chance." There won't be any ex-Beatles present, either. Instead, George W. Bush will be holding court this week inside the downtown building. The former U.S. president will reminisce Thursday about his time in the White House and discuss challenges the world will face in the future. [read more]

Does cherry-picking songs take them out of context?

Neil Aspinall appreciated the value of the long-playing record album. Aspinall, a trusted friend of the Beatles since their art school days in Liverpool, ran Apple Corps, the group's business empire. He did so for decades after the group's breakup. A stalwart guardian of the Beatles legacy, he never allowed one of their songs to be included on any "I Love the '60s!"-style compilations. Yanking a song out of its context would cheapen the music, he maintained. Aspinall, who died last year, respected the cohesiveness of the record album, the unique sonic atmosphere created by the precise sequencing of songs. So does Angus Young, guitarist for brutish Aussie thrashers AC/DC. When their album "Black Ice" was released last year, Young refused to break up the record by making individual tracks available for download. [read more]

Starting Tonight: Python-athon!

Just 45 episodes were made of "Monty Python's Flying Circus" from 1969 to 1974. The crazy collection of absurdist comedy sketches, insurrectionist humor, bits of weird animation found a loyal audience first in England where it was produced and then on American public television, where it earned enough of a fan base to influence whole generations of comedy that came, from "Saturday Night Live" to contemporary digital shorts of YouTube. More people than you can imagine have set to memory the banter of "The Ministry of Silly Walks," "Dead Parrot" and "The Lumberjack Song." The comedy team lasted long enough to make a handful of popular and cutting edge films, launch a handful of solo careers, and briefly reunite from time to time for events such as the Broadway adaptation "Spamalot." [read more]

Wirral's Dean finishes lost George Harrison song (From Wirral Globe)

WIRRAL musician Dean Johnson made himself the envy of Beatles fans when he was asked to complete a song written by George Harrison. The Oxton-based singer/songwriter was invited to put the finishing touches to a fragment of Silence (Is Its Own Reply), written by the late guitarist at the height of the band's fame in the 1960s. The original ten lines were given to the Fab Four's biographer Hunter Davies by Harrison for inclusion in a biography [read more]

The Beatles - Unseen pics from 1962

Never did I imagine when I coined the term Beatlemania for the Daily Mirror in 1963 that, 46 years later, there would still be so much excitement surrounding the worlds greatest band. For me, these wonderful images from the archives of the Mirror evoke many magical moments in a life that I shared with them as a showbusiness reporter. Shortly after their headline-grabbing appearance on the Sunday Night At The London Palladium TV show on October 13, 1963, I covered a Beatles concert in sedate Cheltenham. Read More from mirror.co.uk

Monty Python-a-thon on IFC

It may seem like overkill to some, but as far as I’m concerned, if “The Beatles Anthology” TV documentary ran six hours, it’s only fair that a documentary of the comedy troupe Monty Python’s Flying Circus run the same length. I’ve always thought Python were The Beatles of comedy, taking it to a place it hadn’t gone previously and setting a standard impossible for almost anyone – even themselves – to follow. (The only shows I think have come close to Python in the comedy sketch genre have been the second season of “Chappelle’s Show.”) So on IFC – Independent Film Channel – starting Sunday night, a six-part documentary on Python begins, an hour a night. Deceased member Graham Chapman will be represented via film clips, and the remaining Pythons are alive and participate. [read more]

Last Waltz Ensemble celebrates greatest music performance of all time

Perhaps the single greatest night of music of all time was The Last Waltz, a concert held by Canadian rock group The Band, which featured an array of special guests, including Bob Dylan, one of the greatest songwriters in music history. The Last Waltz concert was filmed by Martin Scorsese and was turned into a documentary that included guest appearances by Van Morrison, Neil Young, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, and several other musicians. One band that continues to bring to life this legacy of greatness today is The Last Waltz Ensemble, a tribute band to Bob Dylan and The Band. [read more]

Chris O'Dell recounts her life with Beatles and other music legends

"They felt fresh," says O'Dell from her Arizona home. "They still do. My son was playing some old Beatles album in his truck recently, and I said, 'Oh my gosh, that reminds me why it was so exciting.' There was definitely an English sound, so different than anything we were hearing at that time. I was into R&B and Motown and everything. But suddenly there's this freshness and this innocence." A native Oklahoman, O'Dell in 1964 fell in love with the Beatles in front of her TV set. Through a series of lucky breaks, notably meeting Beatles publicist Derek Taylor in Los Angeles in 1968, at the age of 20 she found herself in the Beatles' inner circle. [read more]

This is a really good book, buy it here: Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights with The Beatles, The Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved


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Julian Lennon 'Breaks Off Engagement'

JULIAN LENNON has reportedly called off his engagement to his girlfriend. According to May Pang, who once dated Julian's Beatle icon dad John Lennon, the singer has separated from his partner Lucy Bayliss. The couple had been together for more than 10 years but Lennon, 46, ended their relationship several months ago, according to Britain's Daily Telegraph, SOURCE

John Fogerty’s memories

I always find it interesting when musicians decide to record albums of other peoples’ material, especially when the artists have established themselves as legendary songwriters. David Bowie, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello - they’ve all recorded “covers” albums of varying quality. Rosanne Cash has just put one out - “The List”- but I want to discuss John Forgerty’s “The Blue Ridge Rangers Rides Again.” (Yeah, that’s the right title - “Rides.”) Fogerty’s career maddens me in the way McCartney’s and Costello’s do. [read more]

Mccartney Named Top Songwriter

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has landed another high honour - he was named Songwriter of The Year at the 29th Annual ASCAP Awards in London on Wednesday (14Oct09). Coldplay's Viva La Vida picked up Song of the Year honours and The Ting Tings and Calvin Harris were handed special awards at the music industry gala. The awards presentation honoured songwriters and publishers of the most performed works in the U.S. during 2008. Other big winners at the event included Phil Collins, who collected his 11th award for his hit In The Air Tonight and songwriter Steve Booker was honoured for his Duffy hit Mercy. Longtime Ozzy Osbourne collaborator Bob Daisley collected an award for Crazy Train, while Jim MCCarty and Paul Samwell-Smith of blues-rock supergroup the Yardbirds were honoured for their contributions to The Pussycat Dolls' When I Grow Up. Eurythmics stars Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart were also recognised, as was singer/songwriter Dido. SOURCE

Emitt Rhodes, At Last

Funny how things circle around and back again. I bought and liked Emitt Rhodes‘ debut album when it first came out, but somehow I didn’t catch the insatiable bug for his music that so many other power pop lovers seem to have caught. Besides, I’m in New York City and I’m being bombarded with all kinds of sounds as the music of the 60s come crashing to a halt and FM radio finally cuts the umbilical cord to AM radio. Rock stars were dying, The Beatles were defunct, psych and garage and prog and glam and metal and a hundred other things were coming at me at warp speed. Can’t blame me for not following every single tangent. And by the time this one hit the wall, I didn’t even notice. [read more]

Sir Paul Mccartney and The Beatles Join Twitter

Never thought I’d be saying this but Sir Paul Mccartney and the Beatles are now on Twitter and verified. Sadly both seem to be tweeting in third party form, which means some PR company is handling the accounts on their behalf. There’s no fun in that. Nevertheless, with a bit of luck, we might see Sir Paul recognise the value in being personal and say hello. [read more]

Is God dead?

In his 1971 anthem “Imagine,” John Lennon advocated a world without boundaries — a utopian society where we all could just get along. Though he never actually said the words “imagine no religion,” it was a centerpiece of the song’s theme. And now, intrepid Wayne State students can see those exact words splayed across multiple billboards around town.
The billboards, some which also feature phrases like “Praise Darwin: Evolve Beyond Belief”, are an effort by the Freedom From Religion Foundation in “an attempt at balancing the media messages of religion.” I support the signs. [read more]

Queen could get own Rock Band title

Hot off of the success of The Beatles Rock Band, it could be that this is a preview of what could be the arrival of other artist-centric titles, much in the way that Guitar Hero has done with Aerosmith, Metallica and the latest arrival, Van Halen. Sources tell us that ongoing discussions appear to be taking place with Queen about a future Rock Band exclusive installment. While our sources say that it would be a dedicated Queen Rock Band title in the near future, but it is still a bit from a done deal. [read more]

Festival internazionale del Film di Roma

RAY PAUL & EMITT RHODES made a rare performance together at the POPTOPIA FESTIVAL in Los Angeles, CA in February 1997 (available on DVD thru www.permanentpress.net/raypaul.htm ) and recorded a new single together ("SOME SING, SOME DANCE") that was released in May 2000 and added to 60 stations and peaked on the Hot Adult Contemporary charts in radio trade magazine FMQB at #43 (available on "THE CHARLES BEAT" CD at www.permanentpress.net/raypaul.htm ) . RHODES also co-produced and engineered the "Oh Woman, Oh Why" track recorded by RAY PAUL for the PAUL McCARTNEY tribute CD "COMING UP", released on Oglio Records in October 2001. Before leaving to live in Boston in 1976, RAY PAUL performed in Rochester groups such as RAGAMUFFIN, THE RAILE and NASTY TONE and as a solo artist in 1969-1970 appearing regularly at the very popular club The Alley on West Ridge Road and local venues & colleges. Since 2006, RAY PAUL has been performing as a member of the group 28IF, a labor-of-love side project performing The Beatles, British Invasion and the Best of the Sixties around the western NY area.

Also included in the cast of the film are KEITH OLSEN, MICHAEL PENN, THE BANGLES, JOEL LARSON, ALLISON ANDERS, MATT MALLEY (Counting Crows), JANICE FORTIER, MATT MALLEY (ex-Counting Crows), DAN MAYER and JIM ROLFE. The film, which is in the running for best documentary in the festival, includes several songs which will be on the forthcoming CD performed live in the studio by the new EMITT RHODES BAND. English narration is currently being put together for the release in the USA.

More Information Here

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Klaatu echoes similar sounds and sentiments as the Beatles

After The Beatles released their final studio album in 1970, rumors were rampant that the Fab Four had secretly reunited to put out another album under the guise of Klaatu. Obviously this wasn’t the case, but this didn’t stop the band from achieving a huge underground following before drifting off into undeserving obscurity. It’s easy to spot The Beatles’ influences in certain groups but hard to imagine an ensemble that could be confused with the quartet. Throw on Klaatu’s 1976 debut album “3:47 EST” though, and the confusion becomes immediately excusable. The album’s first track, “Calling Occupants (of Interplanetary Craft),” sets up the band’s science-fiction theme and psychedelic tone that continues throughout the record. With harmonization you would expect from John and Paul, the use of Mellotron (the magnetic tape-based keyboard used in tracks like “Strawberry Fields Forever”), and songs about going to far-off places, this album is a must-have for fans of the later works of The Beatles.
[read more]

The Beatles still trump rock — and time!

Can someone tell me where the summer went? I felt like I was settling in for some hot weather, rolled over and it’s October. Is it possible that the long, long, long-awaited re-release of the Beatles’ catalog was already almost a month ago? Time doesn’t just start to fly when you’re chasing around your fantastic 2-year-old son, it takes off like Steve McQueen hitting the gas in a classic Ford Mustang. [read more]

Savannah native paints a different view of The Beatles

Hanging on the very back wall of the Art Haus gallery—viewed by art critics, musicians, hippies, children and sunblock-lathered tourists who are here to see Savannah native Kristine Medina’s “Layers” exhibit in Daytona Beach, Fla.—is a large, unframed oil painting of The Beatles. “Four Boys from Liverpool” is formatted in the same manner as The Beatles’ cover for their album “Let It Be.” The piece is composed of four (two on top and two on the bottom) 15” by 20” inch canvases displaying a close-up portrait of a band member. Each depiction is created by small, thin, curvy strokes of shades of blue and taupe, each contrasted against solid, off-white backgrounds. Every band member looks expressionless, on the verge of dour. Their eyebrows are slanted, their eyes beady. Their closed mouths are motionless. There is no movement, making each band member look artificial, somewhat taxidermic. [read more]

Clapton and Harrison’s muse - Pattie Boyd

The model Pattie Boyd was the inspirational force behind two of the greatest modern musicians, “quiet Beatle” George Harrison and the legendary Eric Clapton. Both her former husbands – also very close friends – immortalised her in some of their most famous songs and popular ballads. Now on display in Prague’s Old Town is a collection of Pattie’s private photographs from the inside of that triangular love story, the unintended moral of which is that behind every great man – or two - is a great woman. “Layla” herself was in Prague to share her memories as well, and she told me about how her life’s fortunes started taking shape around the age of 20. [read more]

Julian Lennon makes single to fight Lupus

Singer James Scott Cook says he and Julian Lennon, son of the Beatles' John Lennon, have created a digital single to raise money to fight Lupus. A news release from Lennon's record company, theRevolution, LLC, said Cook and Lennon were inspired to create "LUCY" in memory of Lucy Vodden, one of the late Lennon's childhood friends who inspired the Beatles' hit "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds." Vodden died in September and the Lennon/Cook duet will be released in her memory. "I am honored to be a part of a song that might help people remember Lucy Vodden, bring some attention to Lupus and hopefully add a chapter to the unique story of inspiration that Lucy came to represent," Cook said in the news release. Lupus is an autoimmune connective tissue disease that can be fatal. There is no cure. An official release date for the single was not given, but theRevolution said both Lennon and Cook will be releasing new albums in early 2010. UPI.com

Listen, Do You Want To Know A Secret? - 13 under-appreciated Beatles songs

The coverage and discussion of The Beatles‘ re-issues this September carried with it the associated feeling that it marks the death of the CD-age in the same way the band helped to usher it in. Coupled with the sense that there’s very little that can be written about the greatest and most popular music of the 20th Century in the 21st, we decided to shine a light on a few of the Fab Four’s fabbest moments that don’t typically find their way onto compilations.‘There’s A Place’ from Please Please Me (1963)It’s well known that final track recorded in the marathon session at Abbey Road on 11th February 1963 was the closer ‘Twist and Shout’, the song leading in to it was the first committed to tape. With the technological limits of the day meaning that there was only so much prominence that bass could have without it causing the stylus to jump this as near as the band and George Martin got to capturing their live rawness with the ramshackle nature of the harmonies, [read more]

The Vals of Belfast, Ireland named Artist of the Month for October

I-BFD.com is proud to announce their latest choice for Artist of the Month – The Vals from Belfast, Ireland. Members of the band include: Paul Doherty, Owen Duffy, Marty Malone, Ronnie Cartwright and Matt Rice. Their ability to put a Beatlesque sound into original and unique pop tunes is what won them this honor. I already connected with this group at their myspace website www.myspace.com/thevalsmyspace and I really was impressed with their talent (go there to check out some videos). They're doing a good job of self promotion, (something I always felt was the record industries' job). There are thousands of talented people going unnoticed to most of us. Don't let The Vals pass you by. Go over there and see what the fuss is all about. They've even caught Yoko's attention: In August 2008, Paul Doherty of the Vals received a letter from Yoko Ono expressing her admiration for a festival he organized in Belfast called Valfest - A festival of Music, Peace and Love. Yoko wrote: Hi, Paul Doherty! Now that you are doing the Peace and Love Festival you are connected to all of us of family of Peace of the world. Good for you. Lots of love, yoko ... ~ Dave Holmes #9

From Guitar Hero to The Beatles: Music Games at War

The first half of the year was not kind to the makers of music games, according to Anita Frazier of research firm NPD Group. "Of all genres, the music/dance genre has suffered the greatest declines this year, with nearly $390 million less revenues than the same time period last year." Shrinking sales mean that the publishers of these two franchises will have to fight hard for market share. The battle started this week, with MTV Games' release of The Beatles: Rock Band. It's competing against Activision Blizzard's Guitar Hero 5, the latest installment in the franchise that first made plastic axes cool. Both companies share a common goal: To appeal beyond their base and reach a more mainstream "casual" audience. In Guitar Hero 5, along with the usual finger-numbing songs for expert shredders, there is a musical jukebox mode and social challenges that players of any skill level will enjoy. And with The Beatles: Rock Band, is expected to attract fans of the Fab 4 who may never have touched a video game. [read more]

Corn flakes with John Lennon

Hilburn lived a very un-rock and roll lifestyle, as he didn’t smoke, drink, or take drugs. His bond with these idols, then, stemmed from a shared dedication to music, causing them to reveal things to him that few else could have uncovered. Years after writing the review that ignited Elton John’s career, John, at the height of his fame, confessed to the writer that he had attempted suicide. Talking to Lennon at the Dakota in 1980 for the Beatle’s first newspaper interview in five years, Lennon revealed how much he missed Paul McCartney, a shock considering the pair’s public bitterness. [read more]

Beatles to Bowie: swinging sixties on show at National Portrait Gallery

Beatles to Bowie: the 60s Exposed which opens at the National Portrait Gallery in London on Thursday, features iconic pictures of Sixties stars by leading photographers including Cecil Beaton, Norman Parkinson, David Bailey and Terry O'Neill. The show includes more than 100 pictures exhibited for the first time, including photographs of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks and The Who. Early portraits of David Bowie, Cliff Richard, Marianne Faithfull will be also be on display alongside 150 items of pop memorabilia. [read more]

"Imagine" This: What If John Lennon Were Still With Us?

Today marks what would have been John Lennon's 69th birthday. Just let that sink in for a moment. He was only 40 when he passed away, but in those four decades he did enough to change the world and its inhabitants for pretty much the rest of natural human history - not just in music but also in forward progressive thinking. Rocks Off mourns Lennon anytime he hears a Beatles song on the radio or whenever he throws John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band on his turntable. There's really no way to adequately express how much Lennon means to the rock world and to mankind in general. No one else has been able to bring people together the way he has. Michael Jackson, maybe, but Jackson will never hold as much weight as Lennon holds to this day. [read more]

We All Shine On - Happy Birthday John Lennon

Today would have been John Lennon's 69th birthday. Musician, artist, peace activist - his legacy and message continues to resonate. For the next three days, Montclair is host to a wonderful exhibition of Lennon's artwork "We All Shine On," co-sponsored by Montclair BID and Yoko Ono's Legacy Fine Art & Productions. I visited the show yesterday with Production Manager, Bob Pratt. The collection includes framed and unframed limited edition lithographs, serigraphs, and copper etchings reproduced from the original drawings. The exhibition is presented in three parts: rare, Bag One lithographs, signed and numbered by Lennon; "Real Love" - kids pieces drawn for son Sean during Lennon's house-husband years and colored by Yoko Ono; and pieces selected by Yoko - for a limited print run of 1,000. Pratt showed me a few pieces which are nearly sold out, down to the last four or five reproductions. [read more]

Former Tour Manager Writes About Inner-Circle Access to Music Legends

Chris O'Dell spent years assisting and touring with legends of the music industry: the Rolling Stones, the Beatles, Eric Clapton and Bob Dylan. The dream job, she said, came about totally by accident. O'Dell, who had full access to the homes, recording studios and personal lives of some of the greatest names in rock 'n' roll history, is breaking her silence about the experiences in her new memoir, "Miss O'Dell: My Hard Days and Long Nights With the Beatles, the Stones, Bob Dylan, Eric Clapton, and the Women They Loved." [read more]

The Beatles Remasters Remastered Pt 2

After Geoff Emericks approval, I wondered if this process could work on other recordings. I tried everything I could think of. The Beach Boys, Frank Sinatra, Go West. This process caused the dynamics of the recordings to appear. I found that it worked on most everything. I would stay in the studio until 3:00am sometimes just pulling tracks out of my CD collection just to hear what the songs sounded like. I was like a kid on Christmas morning tearing into the coolest presents one could imagine. For the first time in years, I just wanted to sit and listen to the craftwork of some of the most amazing musicians and engineers. You don’t know what it is like to listen to Love & Marriage and have it sound like Frank Sinatra is standing right in front of you. Simply Amazing. [read more]

John Lennon Peace Crater

The Lunar Geographic Society's Board of Governors has voted unanimously to name a crater on the Moon in honor of John Lennon. The designation of the John Lennon Peace Crater, located in the Moon's Lacus Somniorum (Lake Of Dreams), becomes effective on 9 October 2009, which would have been John's 69th birthday. The crater may be viewed from Earth using any conventional consumer-grade telescope.

Monty Python's 40th anniversary celebrated with two documentaries

They thought about calling their show "The Toad Elevating Moment" or "Owl Stretching Time." Sillier heads prevailed, however, and the British comedy series that premiered 40 years ago this month found its properly preposterous title, "Monty Python's Flying Circus." If you're the type who starts giggling at the very idea of flying sheep, knights who say "ni" and a ministry specializing in silly walks, this anniversary is cause for great comic celebration. So strike up "The Lumberjack Song," open a can of Spam and start practicing your Fish Slapping Dance. It's time to contemplate the meaning of Python, a rule-busting team that reshaped the comedy landscape on both sides of the Atlantic. [read more]

Yoko Ono’s Imagine Peace Tower due to burst into life in Iceland

The world famous artist, musician, and peace advocate Yoko Ono is currently in Iceland for the annual lighting of the Imagine Peace Tower, a work of art that she dedicated to the memory of her late husband John Lennon, and also as a beacon for world peace. The Imagine Peace Tower is situated on the small island of Videy in Kollafjordur Bay near Iceland’s capital city, Reykjavik. The tower is a huge beam of light projected from a white stone monument in the form of a wishing well that has the words ‘Imagine Peace’ carved into it in 24 different languages. [read more]

You Never Give Me Your Money: the Battle for the Soul of the Beatles

By now all of us should have recovered from our latest dose of Beatlemania, occasioned by the release of the Beatles' remastered back catalogue on the ninth day of the ninth month of 2009. The number nine had recurred in works by the band and its members - in Lennon's single "No 9 Dream", George Harrison's album Cloud Nine and, most memorably, in "Revolution 9", the rebarbative sound collage on 1968's The Beatles. But were the people in charge of the band's legacy - now Paul McCartney and Richard "Ringo Starr" Starkey, plus the widows of John and George, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison - simply perpetuating Beatles mythology for commercial gain by choosing this date? And even if they weren't, can music lovers cope with the idea that mysticism and money were always happy bedfellows for the Beatles? [read more]

Coming together for John Lennon: The White Album Ensemble celebrate the cerebral Beatle's birthday

Friday is a national holiday -- if you consider Pepperland and Strawberry Fields a nation. That day is the birthday of John Lennon, the martyred former Beatle whose name still evokes a mixture of reverence and pain to baby boomers everywhere. The popular Santa Cruz band the White Album Ensemble is marking the occasion with a whole new show devoted to Lennon's music, which takes place Friday night at the Rio Theatre. For more than five years, the ensemble has been raising money for school music programs with grand, full-band concerts featuring the landmark albums of the Beatles' catalog beginning with the 1968 double-album popularly referred to as the "White Album." Now, after tackling "Rubber Soul," "Revolver," "Sgt. Pepper's," "Abbey Road" and other Beatles material, the band is going outside the Beatles' neighborhood, if only just barely. [read more]

If you don't think Ringo Starr was a good drummer, you don't listen to the Beatles

I’m ashamed I once took for granted that the wacky Beatle’s drum parts were simple, moronic, and possibly redone in the studio by a dissatisfied Paul McCartney. To me it seemed that Ringo did essentially the same beat for the entire first half of the Beatles’ career. But his latter day drum patterns are in fact the exact opposite--often sophisticated, and always idiosyncratic. Nobody has ever been able to sound quite like Ringo, in the same way that nobody has ever been able to emulate Keith Moon of The Who. But whereas Keith Moon drove songs with endless fills and A.D.D.-inspired rhythmic romps, Ringo’s beats were carefully calculated, unpretentious and passionately delivered. Perhaps where the confusion lay is that what makes Ringo’s drumming so inimitable is not skill. Anybody can be good at the drums with a little talent and a lot of practice. What makes a good drummer is creativity, originality, and the ability to interpret song structure. [read more]

U2 Starts to Think "Me Too" to Rock Band

If The Beatles can get their own version of MTV and Harmonix' Rock Band, then why not you, too? Oh, sorry. I mean, "why not U2?" That seems to be the recurring mindset among Bono, Edge, Larry Adam, and Adam Clayton, who bowed out earlier this year from talks with the developers to have their likenesses and songs featured in a special-themed version of the musical video game. But it seems that The Beatles' blast from the past may be just what is needed in order to change their minds. [read more]

Record Company Gives Elvis Presley's Grandson Multimillion Dollar Deal

Banking that rock and roll is in the DNA (or more likely a name), Universal has decided to offer the grandson of Elvis Presley a recording contract worth five million dollars. The deal locks in Benjamin Presley Keough for five albums, and, given that he's only seventeen, could put Universal in a bind when he's atop the recording industry. If Julian Lennon's career has taught us anything, it's that having a famous bloodline makes an artist a tremendously safe bet. SOURCE/PIC

Yoko Ono's insecurity

October 6, 2009: YOKO ONO grew up so insecure about her looks, husband JOHN LENNON had to constantly reassure her about her beauty. The Japanese performer claims she inherited her father's bone structure and always felt she had more masculine than feminine features. She reveals, 'All my life my mother told me that I had strong jaws like a guy. It was not womanly. Well, I got them from my father, I think. So yes, I won’t say I am particularly feminine.' [read more]

Students Sign On For Beatles Degree

Students pondering their future have another degree to think about: a Master of the Arts in Beatles Studies. Liverpool Hope University is offering the masters programs, and students there told Associated Press reporters they think the degree will be a great experience. "I'm going to have a totally different perspective now on delivering that and first hand knowledge of what it was like to be here and live here and experience the people, the culture and the music scene, so I know I'm going to be a way better teacher for having this particular MA under my belt," said Mary-Lu Zahalan, Canadian music teacher and Beatles MA student. Students can take the required classes on either a full-time or part-time basis, the AP reported. Professors told reporters that, while the focus is on the Beatles -- the course will also offer insight into popular music in general and its effect on society in the 1960s. AP

John Lennon, Popular Icon and Revolutionary

On the 9th of this month, the late John Lennon would have celebrated his 69th birthday. A deranged assassin’s bullet in 1980, of course, forever sealed him into a certain age, place and time. The John Lennon of 1980 was a husband and a father and a quite touchable New Yorker who’d just released his first record album in several years. Those who knew him said he was staring down a long, positive road ahead, planning a world tour with Yoko and watching his latest single race up the charts. But none of us who lived through December that year shall forget where we were when we learned of his passing. The loss was not only of a popular icon or a rock star, but also of a man who’d struggled against injustice, war and Nixon and lived to tell the tale. The imprint of John Lennon the revolutionary is also sealed forever in our minds and our hearts. [read more]

Lenny Bruce's Estate To Hold Online Auction

The estate of the legendary comic Lenny Bruce is set to hold an auction of his rare memorabilia. The sale, overseen by his daughter Kitty Bruce, aims to raise funds for Lenny's House, a non-profit recovery house for women recovering from drug and alcohol addictions. Included in the auction are Bruce family photos, personal letters, typewriter, his bedroom set, and one of his trademark trench coats. Besides items from his estate, some of his celebrity friends and supporters also contributed to the auction. Stars such as Yoko Ono, Hugh Hefner, Elizabeth Taylor, Jay Leno, and Chris Rock and more provided personal items for the sale. [read more]

Heather Mills goes back to blonde as she hands out her vegan food for free

Heather Mills showed off a dramatic new red-headed hairstyle last month - but it didn't last long. It seems the former wife of Sir Paul McCartney has realised blondes have more fun after all, as she yesterday sported her original hair colour on the streets of New York. Hiding her cropped locks under a boyish cap, and wearing a bright T shirt promoting her new range, she handed out food from her vegan food brand to kids. [read more]

Commemorate a Beatles' Birth with these John Lennon Quotes

As a constant pursuer of peace, an inspiring musician, and our greatest advocate for hope, we lost a friend when John Lennon's life was cut tragically short with a bullet that cold December day. We deserved more of his talent and relentless pursuit of peace and love. So, in celebration of this hero's October 9th birth, let's revisit some of my favorite John Lennon quotes. [read more]

Beatles Story Taken To The Stage

The story of THE BEATLES' rise to fame will be told in a new theatre production. Director Iain Softley has adapted his 1994 movie Backbeat, about the band's early days gigging in Hamburg, Germany, for the stage. The film chronicled the relationship of original Beatles bassist Stuart Sutcliffe and a local photographer, Astrid Kirchherr - and Softley has picked Glasgow's Citizens Theatre in Sutcliffe's native Scotland to debut the play. He says, "I am so delighted that, after all these years, we can bring Backbeat to the theatre, and to debut in Scotland where Stu was born." Backbeat is slated to begin in February (10). [SOURCE]

Icons of Rock: Brian Epstein

Being labeled as “the fifth Beatle” is a heavy statement. Rarely was anyone able to crack into the group during their career high in the 60’s. They were a band so volatile at times that if anyone were to speak to them (let alone offer advice) during a recording session, they were thrown out of the studio. That went for everyone; that is, except for the one man who discovered and built the band, not to mention held it together. The Beatles, for all their talent, power, and influence, owe a lot to that singular force. Brian Epstein was probably the luckiest manager alive the day he decided to work with them. [read more]

Know the girls behind the music

Last week, Lucy Vodden died after a long battle with lupus. Because I am fascinated with arcane trivia, I find her story to be interesting. Most of us believed the explanation the Beatles' "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" was a veiled reference to the drug LSD. It seems Lucy Vodden was the Lucy in the song. John Lennon wrote it as the result of a picture his son Julian had drawn of her when she was a classmate of his. And remember Buddy Holly's "Peggy Sue?" The song "Peggy Sue" was originally titled "Cindy Lou," named for his niece. But Holly's drummer Jerry Allison and his girlfriend Peggy Sue Gerron temporarily broke up. Holly renamed the song "Peggy Sue," the couple reunited and got married. And Holly had a hit. [read more]

Hotel California

This is why I'm only able to listen to old songs from the 60s and 70s: musicians like Jimi Hendrix, Santana, The Beatles, Eric Clapton, and others. In terms of artistic content, this kind of music was it. One of my all-time favourites is The Eagles' Hotel California. It has a great guitar solo and lyrics that can be interpreted in so many ways. I guess that this is where this ranting post is going. I want to discuss on this post two popular interpretations for this song. One theory explains that the song is a criticism society's growing addiction to both drugs and materialism. [read more]

The Ultimate Beatles Collection

I have had several people call me to ask me about the authenticity of the Sgt. Pepper album cover because they have never seen it before. Here is the deal. The album cover is AUTHENTIC. In 1967, Capitol made this VERY RARE variation of the Sgt. Pepper album cover strictly for their sales reps and executives. It is believed that there were less than 100 of these manufactured. So far only three have surfaced with mine naturally, being in the best condition of the three by far (mine is sealed and in TRUE NEAR MINT condition while the others are open and are only in Very Good or so condition). I have just recently added this INCREDIBLY VERY RARE album to the collection. Of course, this is just ONLY ONE of hundreds of TRULY RARE and VERY RARE Beatles records and picture sleeves that are in TRUE MUSEUM QUALITY CONDITION which make up THE ULTIMATE AMERICAN BEATLES RECORD COLLECTION! FAB INDEED!!!! [read more]

Beatle Cruise To Set Sail March 28th

Picture yourself in a boat on a river... celebrating the Beatles on a fab Royal Caribbean cruise! The-Beatles-History.com and May Pang are hosting a 6-night Caribbean cruise on Royal Caribbean’s newest and most luxurious ship, The Independence of the Seas. We set sail from Ft. Lauderdale on 3/28/10 and will be visiting Belize, Cozumel and Costa Maya – but the real party is onboard with a live Beatle band and very special guests and events.
Joining the festivities are: John Lennon’s former girlfriend and production assistant, May Pang (author of Instamatic Karma); Ringo Starr’s fiancée Nancy Lee Andrews (author of A Dose of Rock ‘N’ Roll); Paul McCartney photographer Jorie Gracen (author of I Saw Him Standing There); photographer Paul Saltzman (author of The Beatles In India); and world renowned Beatles artist Shannon. Live Beatle music provided by BritBeat.

Special events include:

· Opening Night/Open Bar “Meet and Greet” Party with our special guests

· Beatles Trivia Contest with some GREAT Beatles prizes

· “In The Studio” Karaoke Sessions

· Q&A, picture/autograph sessions

· Exclusive photographs, artwork and book available for purchase

All Royal Carribean amenities are available: 5-Star White Glove “All-You-Can-Eat” Dining; 24-hour buffet; private meals at Chops Steakhouse or Portofino Italian Restaurant; Johnny Rockets, Ben and Jerry’s and a pizza parlor. Unlike any “conventional” Beatles convention… A splendid time is guaranteed for all! To book your cruise and for more info: http://www.BeatlesTributeCruise.com

Mccartney Signs With Major Label

BEATLES legend SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has agreed a deal with Mercury Records to release his new live album. The superstar has shunned major labels since ending his four-decade long deal with Parlophone, choosing instead to release tracks through coffee shop chain Starbucks' label and independent company One Little Indian. But MCCartney has struck a new deal with Universal-owned Mercury Records for the U.K. release of Good Evening New York, recorded over three nights at New York's Citi Field baseball stadium earlier this year (09). The stadium replaced Shea Stadium, where the Beatles famously rocked out back in 1965. MCCartney admits the three shows were very special: "It was three great nights for the band, and for me personally it was very exciting to be back opening a new stadium on the site of the old Shea Stadium, where we had played 44 years previously. Even more exciting because this time round you could hear us!" [read more]

An Interview with Author David Comfort on The Rock & Roll Book Of The Dead

Well, take Lennon, for example. People want to know, "What was John Lennon really like?" There's no black or white answer to that, there's no black or white answer to any of these seven people. They had very volatile, changeable personalities. I mean, what John Lennon was like depended on whatever moment you met him, you know? He went to a shrink once, and the shrink said, "Even with your wealth, you couldn't possibly afford me because I'd have to charge you for each of your personalities." There's no simple answer to who John Lennon was. Sure, he was a great leader and a peacenik; on the other hand, he was an incredibly violent, narcissistic guy. That was the other side of him, and people just don't want to hear that. [read more]

"There's one for you, nineteen for me"

So sang George Harrison of the Beatles in his 1966 song, “Taxman”, bemoaning the punitive 95%+ marginal tax rates of the time. As an example of how tax regimes change over the years, it is therefore surprising that the overall results still remain similar. A fascinating article in a recent “MoneyWeek” magazine applied “Tax Freedom Day” as calculated by the Adam Smith Institute. The basic idea of the day is to calculate the individual’s entire yearly tax bill as if paid up front, to come up with a day when the earnings of the individual are his or her own (presumably around Boxing Day for George Harrison in the 1960s). This found that in 2009 the date was 14th May. When Brown became Chancellor in 1997, it was 25th May. As Margaret Thatcher became Prime Minister in 1979 it was 29 May, as indeed it was 40 years prior in the days of Harold Wilson. In other words, the date actually changes very little. [read more]

20 things you didn’t know about Sgt. Pepper

This could very well be the Beatle anniversary to end all Beatle anniversaries. Everyone has a favorite Beatle moment, but to me this is the epoch, the big one. If we were to pick which one to observe, this would be the holiest of holy days. The height of The Beatles’ studio mastery, the height of psychedlia, the summation of an era. You may not agree that Pepper’s was their greatest master work. You may not reach for this album the most out of all the Beatles’ cannon. You do have to admit that there is this little bug in your head that goes, “damn…” each and every time that you hear the wild cresecendo of “A Day in the Life.” [read more]

Beatles box set well worth the wait

Sure to be high on the list of many holiday wish lists, as well as the recording industry's hope to get shoppers back into stores to buy CDs, The Beatles catalogue has finally hit the shelves. It is offered as individual stereo CDs, a stereo and mono box set in remastered form, replacing their frigid 1987 predecessors. Without question, the band is still as relevant today as it was back in August, 1969, when they recorded their last note as a band. The band's contribution to music in all of its forms as we know it today is incomparable. That being realized, are the new remasters worth investing in? That answer is pretty complicated. If you're simply going to import the CDs on your MP3 player and listen to it on little mousey earbuds or tinny speakers, don't waste your money. If you're going to listen on anything… and I mean anything else, these are a must. [read more]

Sean Lennon: 'There's No Pressure Being A Beatle Offspring'

JOHN LENNON's musician son SEAN feels no pressure forging a career in the late legend's shadow, insisting no one can compete with THE BEATLES. The 33 year old is currently performing with his mother Yoko Ono's newly reformed Plastic Ono Band, as well as his own solo career. Although he is often compared to his dad, Sean insists he has never felt compelled to measure himself against his father's achievements. During an appearance on U.S. TV talk show The View - which included a performance his mother Yoko Ono - Lennon Jr. said, "I know when (people) see me, they see my father. I can't help (that) I look like him, I look like her (Ono). "But honestly I don't play music in terms of trying to compete with my dad because I don't think I could play if I did that. But I take comfort in knowing I'm not the only (musician) who will never be as successful as the Beatles." SOURCE

Paul McCartney Releasing New York Concert DVD

Paul McCartney was the first artist to play Citi Field, new home of the New York Mets in Flushing, Queens, with three sold-out nights there this summer. The footage from these shows, shot on 15 HD cameras and 75 flipcams given out to audience members over three nights, will make up the forthcoming three disc (two CD, one DVD) set titled Good Evening New York City. It's out Nov. 17 through Starbucks' Hear Music imprint. The package will feature each night's 33-song, three-hour set that includes a wide variety of songs, including McCartney's solo hits, new tracks and music from Wings, The Beatles and his The Fireman side project. [read more]

Seacoast filmmaker, a former Rye resident, suing over spiking of John Lennon film

A Seacoast filmmaker and his production company are seeking $6.3 million in damages after they were barred from showing a never-before-seen John Lennon documentary at Berwick Academy in 2007. On Tuesday, The Associated Press reported a lawyer for Lawrence, Mass.-based World Wide Video asked a federal judge in Boston to award the company the $6.3 million sum based on an estimation of the film's worth. The film, edited by Ray Thomas — formerly a Rye resident — was titled "3 Days in the Life" and featured rare footage of Lennon at his England estate in February 1970, shortly before he separated from the Beatles. Lennon was reportedly shown [read more]