Sir Paul McCartney Says It Was A "Blessing" The Beatles Never Reformed

The musician – who quit the Fab Four in 1970 – admits the possibility of him, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr reuniting was often discussed but never happened, and Paul thinks it was for the best. He said: “There was a bit of talk of The Beatles at certain points. What used to happen was three of us would fancy it and then maybe George or John or I wouldn’t. In a way it was a blessing. We’d done it, why spoil it? Whether it’s god given or not those four people was a pretty good mix.” Paul, 67, also admits he is a better writer of emotional material as opposed to his late bandmate John whose music became politicised after The Beatles split. He added in an interview Q magazine: “You can’t have it all, I’ve written songs more about emotions. Like ‘Eleanor Rigby’ is about loneliness. Love songs like ‘Maybe I’m Amazed’. That’s my forte. I‘d love to write more protest songs, but I don’t think I have the knack for it that other people do. I’ve complained about situations but they’re not necessarily my better songs.” Source

Lennon signed-guestbook fetches €12,000 at auction

THE man behind a Dublin bistro has become the proud owner of a John Lennon-inscribed guestbook from one of the capital's bygone restaurants. The Jammet's Restaurant guestbook, dating from 1945-1967 and counting the name of the late, great Beatle as one of its celebrity signatures, went under the hammer yesterday and eventually fetched €11,933. The new owner is Barry Canny of Peploe's Wine Bistro in St Stephen's Green after becoming the successful bidder at the quarterly auction at Sheppards Auction House in Durrow, Co Laois. [read more]

Audtions For 'The Beatles Sessions' (re-staging the legendary recording sessions at Abbey Road Studios)

"THE BEATLES SESSIONS" is a LIVE NON-EQUITY re-staging of the legendary Beatles recording sessions from Studio Two of London's Abbey Road Studios being produced by Geoff Emerick and Stig Edgren. Rehearsals will begin in Los Angeles in mid-August towards a 1st preview of October 1st, opening on October io" and closing at the end of November (with a possible extension). Pay: approximately $1S00-$2000/wk, plus travel and housing.

SEEKING: [THE BEATLES] male; 18 to 33; looking for SOUND-A-LiKE voices of the four Beatles (not look-a-likes); guitar skills a plus. Auditions by appointment ONLY will be held in New York on May 6th
.
Submit photo and resume to:
cindirushsubmissions@gmail.com
Please put "The Beatles Sessions" in the subject line

Unseen Beatles Photos Go On Show

A collection of never-before-seen photos of THE BEATLES just before they made it big is to go on display - after languishing in an attic for almost 50 years. The 37 shots of the Fab Four on a U.K. tour with Helen Shapiro in 1963 were unearthed by photographer/journalist Paul Berriff at his home in north England. He took the pictures after the band gave him unlimited access on tour when he was a teenage snapper - just months before Beatlemania gripped the world, leading to a security clampdown and a new set of rules which limited the photographers who were allowed to work with the band. Berriff had stored the negatives at his home, along with hundreds of other images of British musicians in the 1960s. [read more]

Macca: I'm no good at demos

SONGWRITING genius SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY wants to pen more PROTEST anthems - but admits he is not much cop at them. The ex-BEATLE, 67, revealed: "I don't think I have the knack for it that other people do." He confessed his stabs in the past - such as Give Ireland Back To The Irish - were "not necessarily my better songs." Read more: The Sun ShowbizBizarre

Paul McCartney Sells Out Mexican Stadium Gig In Minutes, Breaks Record

Paul McCartney clearly has some fans in Mexico. Tickets for McCartney’s forthcoming show at the 60,000 capacity Foro Sol Stadium sold out in a matter of minutes after being released for sale. The speed of which the tickets sold set a new record for Ticketmaster Mexico, with sources claiming that tickets would have sold out in seconds had it not been for the overwhelming demand slowing down servers. Bruce Moran at Live Nation, the promoter behind the forthcoming show, and Memo Parra at OCESA said about the speed of sales, “Paul McCartney has made history once again! His upcoming Mexico City show is the fastest sellout in the history of the venue, Foro Sol. [read more]

The Beatles Rarity Of The Week

It's time for this week's BROW. As you likely know, it was fairly customary for John Lennon and Paul McCartney to pen a song together, for Ringo to sing, on whatever album they happened to be working on at the time. During the Revolver sessions of 1966, John had a verse melody in mind for the "Ringo" song to put with a chorus melody of Paul's. I'm not sure whose idea it was to write fairy tale-type lyrics, but it fit perfectly with this time of psychedelic influence. It could have even been Donovan, who has no official composition credit but, I understand, did come up with some of the words. Of course, the song is Yellow Submarine. [read more]

Decca Records Snubs The Beatles

On January 1, 1962, Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Pete Best attended a one-hour audition at Decca Studios in West Hampstead, London. After performing a 15-song set selected by their manager, Brian Epstein, The Beatles were told that they would hear the label’s decision within a few weeks. A short while after that, to the dismay of the Beatles' members, Decca Records rejected the band on the notion that they believed four-piece guitar groups were finished. And The Beatles were not alone. Future British heavyweights The Yardbirds and Manfred Mann suffered the same fate after their Decca tryouts. [read more]

Ringo Starr Defends Lennon Lyric

Ringo Starr thinks it would be "weird" if anyone else wrote a song referencing John Lennon. The former Beatles drummer insists his new track 'Peace Dream' - which features the lyrics 'Can you imagine this coming true/ It's really up to all of us to do/ Just like John Lennon said/ In Amsterdam from his bed' - is a fitting tribute to his former bandmate, who was murdered in 1980. He said: "For me to write that was a normal thing to do. I knew the man. And I really believe that if anyone else had written it, it would've been weird. I was around when he did all those bed-ins calling for peace. Everybody thinks that the big thing was in Canada, but actually the first one was in Amsterdam. I also wrote a song for George Harrison, 'Never Without You in 2003, so it's just part of it for me, they're been my friends for so long." Ringo is joined on the track by former Beatles star Paul McCartney and the musician admits he was delighted his former bandmate agreed to be involved. He added: "Paul came to my house with his bass, which was a good sign. Then I played him 'Peace Dream', and he said, 'Sure, I'll play on it.' It had the John Lennon line so it was natural." Source

Rolling Stone Wood Picked Up Guitar Tips From The Beatles

ROLLING STONE RONNIE WOOD learned the guitar listening to his band's sixties rivals THE BEATLES. Wood, who joined the Stones in 1976, admits he picked up tips tuning into a live jam radio session the Beatles recorded in the 1960s, when he was just starting out with his first band The Birds. The rocker reveals, "They had their own radio show. They were like a bunch of kids let loose in the studio, shouting and hollering. "I used to tune in every week and kop (steal) some riffs off them. When I was in my first band, we used to get inspired listening to their madness and the live tracks they would play." source

Thurston Moore to Release Yoko Ono Book That Doubles as Kite

Last year, we reported that Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore was planning to launch Ecstatic Peace Library, a publishing company to keep him busy between running his record label of the same name and, you know, fronting Sonic Youth. Ecstatic Peace Library came into the world in early January and already it’s loosed page-turners from Kim Gordon, Moore himself, James Hamilton, director Dave Markey, poet Charles Plymell, and, coming soon, Yoko Ono. [read more]

NEWS ONO RULES OUT LENNON 'DUET'

JOHN LENNON's widow YOKO ONO has ruled out using modern technology to per form a beyond-the-grave "duet" with the late BEATLES legend. Janet Jackson wowed the audience at the MTV Video Music Awards last Sep tember (09) by using a screen projection of her late brother Michael to s ing a song with him. But Ono has dismissed suggestions she could do the same with a Lennon t rack - insisting it would sully his legend. In an interview with the Indie Rock Cafe website, she says, "I respect too much John's music to do something like that." source

McCartney Takes Catalog From EMI to Concord Music

Paul McCartney struck a deal with independent record label Concord Music Group that takes his solo work away from the Beatles’ longtime label, EMI Group Ltd. McCartney and Concord will reissue the album “Band on the Run” that he made with Wings as the first release under the global arrangement, according to a statement. Financial terms weren’t disclosed. McCartney joins artists including Radiohead and the Rolling Stones who have left EMI in recent years. The London-based label was acquired by private equity firm Terra Firma Capital Partners Ltd. for 4 billion pounds ($6.2 billion) in 2007 and is now trying to raise money to meet debt obligations. Pink Floyd and Queen also have met with rival companies about leaving, people familiar with the talks said last month. [read more]

Beatlemania thrives after 46 years

On February 7, 1964, a plane touched down at John F. Kennedy airport in New York City. The plane was carrying four young men from Liverpool, England – only one of which had ever been to America before. The four men were The Beatles, and their arrival stateside was the beginning of Beatlemania, a craze that would change the world and Birmingham forever. Forty six years later, it seems like America is experiencing a recurrence of that Beatle-centered phenomenon. With the concurrent release of The Beatles: Rock Band video game and remasters of all the bands’ albums on September 9 of last year, a new generation of fans was introduced to a group that has been called the best of all time. [read more]

Beatles introduced to Ravi Shankar's music at LSD party, Byrds singer reveals

The collaboration between the Indian composer and the British pop band went inspired psychedelia, the 1960s movement that blended mind-altering drugs with experimental beat music that was one of the dominant cultural influences of the decade. It took The Beatles to India to meet the Maharishi, inspired George Harrison to take sitar lessons from Pandit Ravi Shankar, and had a deep influence on albums including Rubber Soul, Revolver and Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Sitar sounds later featured on The Rolling Stones hit Paint it Black and Stevie Wonder's "Signed, Sealed, Delivered, I'm Yours". [read more]

John Lennon's lost LSD found

Builders digging up the garden at John Lennon's former Weymouth home, Kenwood, have found a leather holdall containing what fans are saying is a long-lost stash of LSD. Lennon is said to have buried the stash – contained in a series of glass bottles – just before The Beatles' transcendental meditation trips to India in 1967, in a bid to renounce drugs. Upon returning from the country, Lennon reportedly changed his mind and set about recovering the holdall – but he was unable to find it. Despite the find, it's unlikely that any proof of the drug will be confirmed, as only one bottle from the holdall remained intact and that had a cracked cork (The Sun).

Events and displays planned at Bradford Playhouse

Beatles memorabilia including autographs and a letter from George Harrison’s mother will feature in a two-week festival in Bradford looking back on the Fab Four’s concerts in the city. Organiser Jean McEwan gathered the memorabilia from Beatles fans following an appeal in the Telegraph & Argus. Her festival, PS I Love You, combines Beatles-themed visual art and live music. It includes a re-enactment of John and Yoko’s Bed Peace, a drag queen singing Beatles hits, a classical Indian concert of ragas and melodies that inspired the Beatles, storytelling, quizzes, a screening of A Hard Day’s Night and a performance by the Karaoke Beatles, giving an audience member chance to ‘be Ringo’ for the night. [read more]

Psychedelic Art Posters of the 1960s are Great Investments

In 1966, San Francisco led the world in modern art with concert posters pushing the boundaries of style and substance, a new form of advertising, yet also wall decoration sold in poster stores and art shops. The difference in first printing from a poster store variation is the difference in value too. Philip Weiss Auctions in conjunction with expert appraiser Gary Sohmers will be selling rock ‘n’ roll memorabilia at auction April 25, 2010 at his gallery and online including original first printings of some very rare posters by some of the greatest artists of the twentieth century such as Rick Griffin and Stanley Mouse. [read more]

Clothing made from hemp catching on with major designers and retailers

It's durable. It's versatile. And when it's used in textiles, it's easier on the environment than, say, cotton. Yet its cannabis connection has slowed its widespread use. We're talking about hemp, and, by extension, hemp fashion — a concept that seems like an oxymoron but is quietly being embraced by the mainstream as major designers and clothing retailers take on the material that has long been equated with burlap and granola-munching hippies. Stella McCartney, Giorgio Armani and Calvin Klein are among the designers who've seen through the smoke and incorporated hemp textiles into their lines. And Whole Foods, Urban Outfitters, American Rag and Fred Segal are some of the better-known stores selling fashion-forward hemp brands, such as Livity Outernational, Jung Maven, Satori and Hemp Hoodlamb, all of which exploit hemp's various attributes in chic items that run the gamut from technical outerwear to dresses that would hardly be the first choice of the dreadlocks-and-doobie crowd. [read more]

Lawyer faces suspension over sale of John Lennon tapes

A local attorney implicated in the controversial sale of video footage of the late Beatles band member John Lennon faces suspension from the Massachusetts Bar Association. Thursday, a Board of Bar Overseers committee recommended that John K. Buck be suspended indefinitely for his alleged involvement in what the committee wrote was a fraudulent scheme to sell 10 hours of raw videotape of Lennon and his family. Buck, who has offices at 375 Common St. in Lawrence, is accused of forging and notarizing the signatures of two businessmen with ties to the city in order to sell the footage and its copyright to Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono. Buck also is accused of making false statements under oath. [read more]

Bid from Almorah for film company started by Beatle George Harrison

HandMade, the production company that made comedy classic Life Of Brian and student favourite Withnail & I has received a rescue bid approach from Almorah Services. The holding company for HandMade Films - set up by Beatle George Harrison in 1972 - had been in turmoil after its shares were suspended in January for the third time in three years, due to doubts about its financial position. The group - valued at around £22m - has since secured £2m of interim financing to give it breathing space to perform a root-and-branch review of its finances. Read more: Click Here

Weekend Of 100 Rock Stars

"ROCK CON, the first annual Weekend Of 100 Rock Stars" is set to take place at the Sheraton Meadowlands Hotel & Conference Center in East Rutherford, NJ on the weekend of July 30 - August 1 (Friday, Saturday and Sunday), 2010. Produced by Charles F. Rosenay!!! and Liverpool Productions, this "fan-oriented rock & roll celebrity show" is like no other. Usually, at a celebrity show, the special guests appearing number 5-10 or 20-50 at the most - never 100 stars all at the same time! ROCK CON models itself after Nashville's Country Music "original fan fairs" several days each year consisting of fan-driven concerts, autograph signings, photos, product giveaways and meet-and-greets.

In a similar fashion, fans attending the "Weekend Of a 100 Rock Stars" will be able to talk directly to, obtain signed autographs from and meet some of their favorite rock and media personalities on common ground. Those attending the three-day event can also browse through the world's largest rock & roll music and memorabilia marketplace - over 50 years of rock history. Thousands of fans of all ages are expected to attend, and there will be many special guests linked to The Beatles history, with a special themed "Lennon Legacy" list of guests.

According to producers, "an event of this magnitude is long-overdue. Country artists have their FanFair, there's ComicCon and baseball players and actors all have shows where they could meet their fans, but this will be the first time Rock & Rollers and music people will get together in such a unique environment."

Although the "Weekend Of A 100 Rock Stars" is months away, some very special guests of honor confirmed to appear include current and former members of such famed rock bands as:
The Hollies (2010 Rock HOF inductees), The Animals (1994 Rock HOF inductees), The Rascals (1997 Rock HOF inductees), The Yardbirds (1992 Rock HOF inductees), Jefferson Starship (1996 Rock HOF inductees)/Starship, The Cars, The Go-Gos, Tommy James & The Shondells, Vanilla Fudge, Bay City Rollers, The Toys, The Angels, Jay & The Americans, The 1910 Fruitgum Company, Elephant's Memory, Tuff Darts, The Stories, The Archies, Spanky & Our Gang, The Rip-Chords, The Fifth Estate, Utopia, Cactus, The Strawbs, Blues Magoos, Human Beinz, The Smithereens, The Go-Gos, Styx, The Soul Survivors, and many others.

Also, expect to see radio and TV music personalities including legendary television DJ/MC Clay Cole, the only host to have had both The Beatles and the Rolling Stones on the same broadcast.

Producers are quick to point out that the planning has only just begun and "it's already having a snowball effect - musicians, composers and rock stars have started calling us to be part of the weekend celebration."

A comprehensive listing of all the "100 special guests" will be announced shortly.

Tickets go on sale today through the website http://www.nationalrockcon.com

A fitting tribute to the Beatles

1964 The Tribute, which has been re-creating the early Beatles concert experience (pre-“Sgt. Pepper’s”) for a few decades now and has earned a solid reputation worldwide. 1964 played at Stambaugh Auditorium on Sunday. The Beatles and Elvis Presley are probably the two most impersonated acts of all time, and for good reason. Each one stirred up a cultural change that transcended pop music, and their impact is still felt today. Elvis (before the rhinestone-jumpsuit era that has unfortunately become his enduring image) was the swivel-hipped “Hound Dog” sex symbol. And the Beatles are practically the founding fathers of the Modern Rock era. [read more]

Today In Music History: The Beatles' "The Ballad Of John And Yoko" Recorded On April 14, 1969

The tune was released as a single on May 30, 1969 in the U.K., but faced huge protests when it came out June 4 in the United States. Some radio stations banned the song due to Lennon's "Christ, you know it ain't easy; you know how hard it can be/The way things are going, they're gonna crucify me" lyrical couplet. Regardless of the ban, it was still successful on the charts, hitting #8 in the U.S. and #1 in the U.K. It was to become The Beatles' final #1 single. [read more/watch video]

Nova Scotia Taxpayers Forced to Foot $600,000 Bill for Paul McCartney Concert

Man, we don’t even want to make a “Taxman” joke with this one: word has got out that Paul McCartney’s one-off gig in Halifax, Nova Scotia, last July was partially funded by Nova Scotia taxpayers without their knowledge. To help cover McCartney’s, uh, $3.5 million fee, taxpayers provided $600,000 for various costs, such as concert marketing and a loan guarantee, Nova Scotia Premier Darrell Dexter announced on Tuesday (April 13), reports CBC. The Halifax Department of Tourism doled out the $600,000, which the department and the promoter Harold MacKay of Power Promotions, didn’t tell the public about at the time. The NDP were handed the concert deal from the Conservatives when they won the election in June 2009. Part of Nova Scotia’s contribution, reports CBC, was a $300,000 loan, which was to be repaid if ticket sales hit a certain undisclosed number, which they didn’t. (Strange, because recession-era concerts that cost $136 usually do dynamite sales.) [read more]

Pink Floyd's Roger Waters Announces The Wall Tour

Three decades after Pink Floyd's epic double-album head trip, The Wall, blew a generation's mind, the band's co-founder Roger Waters will perform the entire rock opera in concert again on an upcoming tour. Waters left Pink Floyd in 1984 but has continued to perform his iconic songs as a solo artist for years. The Wall tour will mark the 30th anniversary of the British psychedelic rockers' debut of the now legendary stage show for the ambitious album about isolation and madness. On the tour, Rogers has promised to perform an updated version of the original stage show, which included the construction of a massive white brick wall between the audience and performers during the course of the show. [read more]

Vatican forgives Beatles for 'Satanic' messages

At a time when they surely have bigger things to think about, the Vatican's official newspaper has published a glowing appraisal of the Beatles, calling their music "beautiful" and dismissing their years of drug use and excessive living. On the front page of the L'Osservatore Romano, the paper admits that the band once "said they were bigger than Jesus and put out mysterious messages, that were possibly even Satanic", but also asks: "what would pop music have been like without the Beatles?" The article comes four decades after John Lennon enraged the Catholic church by saying the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus" and suggesting that Christianity was a dying institution. The newspaper eventually offered its forgiveness for these comments in a 2008 article, when it ascribed Lennon's remarks to "showing off, bragging by a young English working-class musician who had grown up in the age of Elvis Presley and rock and roll and had enjoyed unexpected success". [read more]

The Concert for George

Filmed on November 29, 2002 - one year to the day after Harrison's death - at Royal Albert Hall in London, the event features a bevy of A-list musicians. Among the notables: musical director Clapton, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers (who do a tremendous version of 'Taxman'), ace session drummer Jim Keltner and organist/singer Billy Preston (one of two people on the planet to record with both the Beatles and the Rolling Stones). The performances are uniformly excellent. You can see the participants' reasons for being there, especially in Preston's renditions of 'My Sweet Lord' and 'Isn't It a Pity', where his soulful finger work and rich singing carry the songs to a higher level. Clapton - finally putting down that blasted acoustic guitar for a minute - sounds reborn on countless songs. He proves again why he is, and always will be, a rock star. Read More At Filmcritic.com Review

BUY THIS DVD NOW A Concert for George


.

The Beatles

Let's get one thing straight: It wasn't Yoko. The most famous — and arguably the best — band in rock 'n' roll history suffered from creative rivalries, bad business decisions, and egos that were easily bruised. After the Beatles stopped touring in 1966, the tight-knit, insular group — they even dressed alike, for crying out loud — became increasingly divisive as each Beatle explored his own interests. Lennon and Yoko dabbled with bed-ins and avant-garde art, McCartney pushed his pop melodies, Harrison tried to explore more of his songwriting talent, and Ringo — well, he was stuck being Ringo. Click to Read more

Should the Beatles have worked it out?

Seven years and seven months. That’s how long the world officially knew the Beatles as a recording act, spanning from the date they released their first single in England to the day their breakup was announced on April 10, 1970. Looking back after 40 years, that seems like a ridiculously short lifespan for such an important band. The time frame seems ever tinier considering the longevity of other popular bands of their era, like the Rolling Stones, the Who and the Kinks, or bands that came later, like Bon Jovi and U2. Did the Fab Four call it quits too soon? The answer might seem to be yes, considering interest in the band never really faded. Sales were massive for both the “Anthology” series from the mid-1990s and last year’s CD remasters. Rolling Stone reported in December the surprising fact that the Beatles had the biggest selling album of the last decade with “1,” and that they were second only to Eminem as the top selling artists of the decade. [read more]

Ravi Shankar At 90: The Man And His Music

Shankar, who almost singlehandedly brought Indian music to the West, turns 90 Wednesday. Hear Shankar, in conversation, as he reminisces on his life and explains the basics of Indian classical music with help from his daughter Anoushka and radio host Fred Child. Ravi Shankar turns 90 Wednesday. For more than 50 years, Shankar has been the man responsible for bringing Indian classical music to the West. He's collaborated with a stunning array of musicians, from The Beatles' George Harrison to jazz saxophonist Bud Shank; from violinist Yehudi Menuhin to composer Philip Glass. [read more]

How The Beatles' meditation technique could cure depression

Transcendental meditation, the technique of achieving a state of "restful alertness" popularised by The Beatles 40 years ago, may be an effective treatment for depression in older people, scientists have found. Two studies of more than 100 patients at risk of heart disease showed that those who practised the technique experienced a reduction in depressive symptoms of up to 48 per cent. Depression increases the risk of a heart attack even at moderate levels. [read more]

Ringo Starr (from CNN.com)

He's the English singer-songwriter that was part of one of the most famous music groups of all time and Ringo Starr is still knocking out the hits. The 69-year-old gained worldwide stardom for his role as the drummer of the Beatles after replacing Pete Best in 1962. Starr was also a driving force behind many of the group's most well known hits - singing the lead in songs such as "Yellow Submarine" and "With a Little Help from my Friends". While known for his musical ability, Starr also made a name for himself in the acting world. He's the most acclaimed actor from the group - appearing in a number of Beatles films as well as other television programs. read more/What would you ask Ringo Starr?

Hey Jude, they covered Beatles

Beatles songs have the uncanny quality of sounding perennially fresh. Forty years after the band's active era ended, whenever its catalog is popped open, there's a surprising amount of fizz. Those sophisticated melodies and slyly syncopated beats help even stolid interpreters get on their feet, and the truly creative -- Earth, Wind & Fire, Elliott Smith -- can ride that effervescence to a new place. So it was a smart decision to revive the old theme of Beatles Week (well, Lennon-McCartney Night) for our beleaguered survivors on this year's "Idol" island, who, though certainly an individualistic bunch, have trouble being original during their performances. As we advance toward the point in the season when we should feel like this is really a competition, too many finalists still seem underconfident and artistically stuck. Could the Fabs' gold-plated songbook make for moments of real discovery, as it had for Season 7's friendly rivals, Davids Archuleta and Cook? [read more]

Beatlemania brings out the worst in some Paul McCartney fans

OK, I’ve been known to rail at concert fans for not knowing when to sit down or when to stand up (community standards, people…look around!), but the immature behavior of some fans in the very best seats for McCartney’s Saturday show at Sun Life Stadium eclipsed that tired debate. The prime floor seats for Saturday’s show went for $249, an investment that put some lucky folks within about 60 feet from the rock icon. Shockingly, that wasn’t good enough for some fans, who rushed to stand at the barricades in front of the stage to be, well, 50 feet away from the rock icon. That move didn’t go over so well with the people who were content just to watch the show from their expensive seats. Pretty soon all the aisles were clogged with people. Enter stadium security, along with at least three Miami-Dade police officers, to escort people back to their seats. With more fans still streaming into the throng, that process went about as efficiently as attempting to drain Lake Eola with a spoon. [read more]

Mccartney's Tour Is Meat-Free

SIR PAUL MCCARTNEY has banned meat from his latest tour - he's serving vegetarian meals to all his crewmembers. The Beatles star is taking his Up and Coming Tour through the U.S., South America and Europe, and the staunch animal rights activist is making sure all his employees give up meat for the duration of the trek. A spokesman for the veteran rocker tells Britain's Sunday Express newspaper, "We will serve some 480 vegetarian meals a day to keep the crew going." British singer Leona Lewis is also taking steps to make her upcoming tour meat-free - she's wiped animal products from the menu when she hits the road in May (10). [source]

Fresh plan to save EMI from bank takeover

Last week EMI abandoned a plan to bring in about £400m by selling the distribution rights to some of its North American back catalogue, which includes tracks by Blondie and The Beatles. But it emerged over the weekend that rival Sony is now reportedly prepared to strike a deal over North and South American distribution rights to songs by British artists. Former ITV boss Charles Allen, who is now executive chairman of EMI, is expected to present a fresh business plan to Terra Firma within the next fortnight. It is believed that he will pledge further cost savings and improvements in profitability. [read more]

Up for sale: Gandhi items -- and his ideals

The Beatles removed Mahatma Gandhi's picture from the 1967 album cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band in case it upset Indians, but such restraint is now a thing of the past. Today, Gandhi memorabilia is auctioned off in New York and London with his scant personal possessions attracting sky high prices, while his image is used on pens, billboards and souvenirs. "People want to buy every piece of history associated with the great man," Tushar Gandhi, the great-grandson of India's independence leader, told AFP. "Anything that comes with a 'Gandhi' tag sells, and India has not been able to protect the items belonging to the father of the nation." The auction in the United States last year of Gandhi's glasses, leather sandals, pocket watch, metal plate and bowl triggered a major public debate over exploitation of his memory. The Indian government first tried to prevent the auction and then seemed ready to buy the items itself, before Indian industrialist and liquor baron Vijay Mallaya stepped in with a winning bid of 1.8 million dollars. [read more]

The Top 10 Surprisingly Hip Paul McCartney Projects of the Last 10 Years

Paul McCartney's appearance this Saturday at the Sun Life Stadium marks the last of just four North American shows in his current, cheekily named "Up and Coming" tour. And while fans should, of course, expect him to perform any number of megahits by the Beatles and even Wings, hardcore Macca followers know that's not all that will be on offer. McCartney has, refreshingly, never settled into an old-timers' nostalgia routine, continuing to work on new, even avant-garde artistic projects with some surprising collaborators. Saturday's set list should include a healthy sampling of it all. Here's a list of the top 10 hippest, most unexpected McCartney offerings of the past decade. [read more]

Lady Gaga's Liverpool Anthem

Lady Gaga said she wrote ''the greatest music I've ever written'', which she said will be the first single off her next album, when she was in Liverpool. Lady Gaga said she wrote "the anthem for our generation" when she was in Liverpool. The 'Telephone' singer was so inspired by the English city - which is where pop legends The Beatles hail from -when she visited during the recent UK leg of her 'The Fame Monster' tour she wrote what she is planning to be the first single from her next album. Gaga wrote on fan site Gagadaily.com: "I've already written the first single for the [read more]

Yoko Ono designated as first global autism ambassador

Japanese artist and widow of Beatles legend John Lennon, Yoko Ono has been appointed as the first global ambassador for autism. The 77-year-old artist was honoured by Autism Speaks, a major autism advocacy group yesterday, Kyodo news reported. "I have long believed that art is a great way to raise global awareness," Ono said. Last year at the United Nations, Ono presented a 2.1-meter-high jigsaw-like mural called `Promise` with 67 pieces to represent the estimated 67 million who are suffering from autism around the world and raised more than USD 60,000 by auctioning off the pieces. "As an artist the concept of distance means nothing to me, you can bring the whole world together with a song, a painting or a single word and that is what I have tried to achieve with `Promise` and I hope it has been able to make a difference," she said. [read more]

10 Best Ringo Starr Songs

Forty years ago, when the Beatles split up, some people may have doubted there would ever be a list of the best Ringo Starr songs. Although widely praised for his creative drumming on some of rock's most enduring tracks, Ringo was usually considered the least talented member of the Fab Four. Then again, when your competition is John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison, that's hardly an insult. Indeed, Ringo quickly established himself as a successful solo artist in the early '70s with a series of hit singles and albums, and continues to record and tour to this day. As voted by AOL Radio listeners, here are the 10 Best Ringo Starr songs. [read more]

Heather Mills 'refused to pay for nanny's breast op'

McCartney's ex-wife, alleging unfair dismissal and sex discrimination. Ms Mills said they were "very close" but the relationship soured when she refused to give her £4,000 for surgery. Ms Trumble's solicitor accused Ms Mills of telling a "very unpleasant lie". Ms Mills, from Robertsbridge, East Sussex, was cross-examined by solicitor Nick Fairweather on the third day of the hearing in Ashford, Kent. He accused Ms Mills of making up the issue of cosmetic surgery as a way of explaining why Ms Trumble turned against her. [read more]