Beatles jukeboxes are being produced in the U.K. under a license agreement between Apple Corps and Lordsvale Sales Ltd. They'll be marketed under the popular Sound Leisure brand and introduced in Liverpool in August 2008.
The "Bag One" catalogue, signed by John and Yoko, was given to journalist Sandra Shevey in 1972, after she spent 12 hours interviewing them at their home in New York. Shevey converted the interview into the book The Other Side Of John Lennon, which was published after John's death.
A British antiques dealer living in Spain was the high bidder.
Beatles jukeboxes are being produced in the U.K. under a license agreement between Apple Corps and Lordsvale Sales Ltd. They'll be marketed under the popular Sound Leisure brand and introduced in Liverpool in August 2008.
The 70-CD full-sized jukeboxes will be available in either "Yellow Submarine" or Beatles-cartoon-show motifs.
Once again, Paul McCartney officiated at the graduation ceremonies at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts. Sir Paul is the main patron of LIPA, which opened in 1996.
John Hurt, Cathy Dennis, Nitin Sawhney, Trevor Horn and Lea Anderson were among those dubbed Companions of LIPA at the ceremony. Hurt, you'll recall, played the "important impresario" in Paul McCartney's "Take It Away" video in 1982.
Magical Mystery Tour Memories, a DVD recounting the Beatles' 1967 psychedelic TV film project, will be released September 2nd, 2008.
Neil Innes, Tony Barrow, Mike McCartney, Spencer Davis, Tony Bramwell, Freda Kelly and Victor Spinetti are among those sharing memories of the filming and production of the holiday TV film Magical Mystery Tour.
The film, which was broadcast in black and white despite its dependence on psychedelic color imagery, was panned by the critics but produced a soundtrack which was nominated for a best-album Grammy in 1968.
Spinetti, a friend of the Beatles, had previously appeared in A Hard Day's Night and Help! Neil Innes, who performed "Death Cab For Cutie" with Vivian Stanshall and the Bonzo Dog Band in Mystery Tour, went on to become Dirk Nasty of the Rutles.
Innes is the main attraction at this year's Beatlefest in Chicago.
Beatles Basement, a two-hour weekly show hosted by former KQMT/Denver personality Archer, will debut on 114 radio stations worldwide the weekend of August 2nd, 2008.
Archer hosted KQMT's Breakfast With The Beatles and the station's daily morning show from 2002 to 2008. He and his wife Valerie have co-hosted the underground-vinyl-era show, Far Out! on 70-90 specialty-format stations for 15 years.
July 18th-20th, 2008 was a busy weekend for Paul McCartney.
First, he showed up as a surprise guest of Billy Joel's at Shea Stadium during a concert marking the end of live music at the venue before it's demolished. The Beatles were the first musical act to play Shea in 1965. Paul sang "Piano Man" with Joel and closed the "Last Play At Shea" show with "Let It Be." Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Tony Bennett also turned up for the event.
Then it was off to the Plains Of Abraham for Quebec's 400th anniversary celebration. Some politicos had criticized bringing in a British act because the Plains were the site of the 1759 battle which led to Great Britain's conquest of New France. But over 200,000 fans put the past behind them and enjoyed a show full of Beatles, Wings and solo tunes.
Earlier, Paul had told Radio Canada it was "time to smoke the pipes of peace."
"Hey, I'm friendly with German people," Macca said, "and by that argument, I should never go to Germany or they should never come here."
Bloomingdale's may be the first to sell the new digital mixes of Beatles songs — on a special limited-edition iPod. Bloomie's will use the iPods to publicize a Beatles-branded clothing line they're introducing for the 2008 Christmas shopping season. Unfortunately, only 100 units will be sold nationwide, making them the big Beatles collectible item this season.
The iPods will contain every song in the Beatles' catalogue, hinting that Beatles iTunes downloads are ready to go. Some pundits suggest the existence of the iPod means the Beatles will be on iTunes in time for the holidays, but neither of the Apples involved will comment.
For those who aren't lucky or rich enough to obtain one of the 100 players, Bloomingdale's will also be selling boxed CD sets of the new digital mixes. No retail prices have been announced.
The "Beatles at Bloomingdale's" promotion will kick off at their flagship New York store in mid-November with a "surprise" live performance during the unveiling of Bloomie's holiday window.
The current Beatles catalogue — available on CD only — was digitized from analog masters in the late '80s, long before most of the major advancements in digital audio restoration.
Fashion Week Daily says Bloomingdale's Beatles-themed apparel is being created by designers Marc Jacobs, Theory, Converse by John Varvatos and Outpost Trading Company, among others.
Producer George Martin has been honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at a special Grammy Foundation dinner and concert in Los Angeles.
"Yoko and Olivia are here tonight. Paul and Ringo can't be here because they're doing their own tour. They're workaholics. I can't understand why, but they are," said the man who signed the Beatles to Parlophone Records in 1962 and went on to produce 12 of their albums.
"I've been so lucky to work with so many wonderful people and great talent all my life."
Tom Jones, Jeff Beck and Burt Bacharach — who've all recorded at some point with Sir George behind the glass window — were among those who performed the music tribute. Martin shared his table with his wife, Judy Lockhart-Smith, and their son, Giles.
Sir George, who says he's "hard of hearing now," has personally earned six Grammys over the years. He and Giles shared the last two for their mash-up of Beatles songs for the soundtrack to Cirque du Soleil's LOVE show in Vegas. In addition to his personal Grammys, Martin has been associated with two dozen recordings that snagged awards for various artists and composers.
At age 82, George Martin has not retired. He's the co-creator and producer of a multi-part documentary which spans the era of human sound recordings. On Record: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives premieres on PBS in the fall of 2010.
Sir George had more in common with the Beatles than most realized. He'd taught himself to play piano as a child and came from a working class background. His "proper" Londonian accent developed during officer training in the British Fleet Air Force, in which he rose to lieutenant in the mid-'40s.
Following his service stint, he studied classical orchestration and composing at Guildhall School of Music, then took a job coordinating orchestras and making arrangements for BBC radio in 1950. Later that year, he became the assistant to the head of Parlophone Records, a novelty-genre division of EMI. He was named to the top job when his boss retired in 1955. After Beatlemania, he produced three albums with Paul McCartney and won a Grammy for his arrangement of Paul's "Live And Let Die" single. He has an unmatched thirty UK number one songs to his credit.
"I miss so many people who have died on me," said Sir George. "God knows I'm old enough, but younger people have left the scene and I miss them as you do. Great people. John and George particularly."
July 10th, 2008 was Liverpool's first official "Beatles Day" holiday.
The benefit event included a Beatles-themed parade, thousands of Liverpudlians wearing moptop wigs and tribute bands serenading passengers on the ferry across the Mersey.
Pacemaker Gerry Marsden was among the sons of Liverpool to perform at a tribute concert, while the all-girl Beatelles performed a rooftop concert at BBC Merseyside.
Beatles Day was the brainchild of actor Ricky Tomlinson, who chose July 10th because, "it was the date the Beatles returned to the 'Pool after conquering America."
More Paul McCartney concerts are being planned. Without giving details, Tel Aviv media reports that Macca is planning shows in Georgia, Turkey and Israel in August and September.
The bass drum skin central to the Sgt. Pepper cover has sold at Christie's auction house in London $1,080,000. Christie's had expected it would fetch $300,000.
John Lennon's handwritten lyrics to "Give Peace A Chance" sold for $841,000 — $241,000 over Christie's estimate.
A Chicago band called the Pond Hawks are finding themselves getting airplay in London for their original song which appears to refer to Paul McCartney's ex.
"Crying Hyena" has become so popular, the UK tabloids have taken to calling Heather Mills just that.
The Pond Hawks do original music that's highly influenced by the Beatles and Wings, but the McCartney connection doesn't stop there. Bandmember Jorie Gracen is the photographer behind the popular Paulie picture book I Saw Him Standing There and runs MaccaReport.com.
"Crying Hyena" was written by Pond Hawks frontman Mario Novelli.
Ringo Starr tells Access Hollywood that he wants "peace and love" for his 2008 birthday.
"It would be really cool if everyone, everywhere, wherever they are, at noon on July 7th, would make the peace sign and say 'peace and love,'" Ringo said.
Ringo's turning 68.
Archer, the 6-year former host of weekday mornings and Breakfast With The Beatles on KQMT/Denver-Boulder, will celebrate his 40th anniversary in radio with the launch of Beatles Basement, an internationally-syndicated 2-hour weekly radio show which will run on stations in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Asia and Australia.
Hailed by local and international critics as one of the best fab-four shows on the airwaves, Archer's version of Breakfast With The Beatles ran three hours each Sunday morning and generated thousands of e-mails a week from Colorado fans and online listeners throughout the world.
In addition to using a vast music library with extreme rarities, presenting live performances of Beatle covers and interviewing guests ranging from Paul and Ringo to May Pang and Yoko Ono, Archer based much of the show on listener-suggested theme sets.
"The new show will be in the same vein, but won't be limited to breakfast or brunch," says Archer. "Stations can run it whenever — morning, afternoon, night — or even eight days a week."
Archer's trademark presentation is limited talk and maximum music, with clips of the Beatles themselves replacing host pontification.
"The secret is that with an exclusive archive of music and short interview clips you can keep the show totally interesting for hard-core and casual Beatle fans alike," says Archer. "Why drone on and on and on about dates and facts, when Beatle people or the Beatles themselves can utter an amusing comment regarding a song?"
"Of course, I still need a day job," says Archer, "so where I wind up on the airwaves in Denver may dictate which station will carry it here."
After years of low-power broadcasting from his basement as a kid, Archer's first professional radio appearance was on WWON in Woonsocket, Rhode Island on August 3rd, 1968.
Paul McCartney will perform his first live show in Canada since 2005 when he will headline the city of Québec's 400th anniversary on the July 20th, 2008. The free concert will take place on the Plains Of Abraham, a park on the site of many clashes between the French and British empires in the 18th century.
"I have a feeling it’s going to be a great night. Music is a fantastic way to celebrate this event," says Sir Paul. "We are looking forward to helping Québec City celebrate this anniversary.”
Daniel Gélinas, CEO of the organizers, the Société du 400e, says, "“Paul McCartney is giving us a fabulous present and we are thrilled and proud to welcome him to Québec City.”
It'll be Paul’s first visit to the capital. He first played in Canada when the Beatles appeared at the Montréal Forum in 1964. Since then, Paul has toured in Canada on numerous occasions but has never performed in Québec.
Macca's fans are anxiously awaiting the announcement of a world tour.
Paul McCartney has launched a 4-million-dollar fundraising campaign for ParalympicsGB, to support British athletes heading to the Beijing Games, as well as to invest in the future of sports for the disabled.
"I met leading Paralympic dressage rider Sophie Christiansen and was completely blown away by her skill, dedication and the fact that she had won a gold medal for Britain, so I felt I had to do something," says Paul.
"My suggestion was simple. Why not create an ad that would highlight the work of ParalympicsGB and call on the British Public to donate much needed money? It was the start of a truly amazing effort from all those involved — most of whom gave their time for free."
The public service announcement, which debuted on BBC-TV's Location! Location! Location!, can be viewed at www.bt.com/paralympicsGB.
Abbey Road On The River returns to Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania's Woodlands Inn and Resort on Labor Day 2008.
Abbey Road On The River's annual Memorial Day weekend in Louisville, Kentucky, has become the world's most popular Beatles music festival. The second annual northeast Pennsylvania satellite event and runs 11 hours — from noon 'til 11PM. The benefit features 16 bands and closes with a 40th-anniversary live recreation of the entire Beatles' "White Album."
"For all you east-coasters who can't make it to Louisville, or all you Louisville fans who cannot get enough of the fun, we have the perfect ticket to ride," says founder Gary Jacob.
Abbey Road On The River's Canada Beatles Festival takes place August 1st through 3rd in Bellville, Ontario. Next spring's main festival in Louisville is scheduled for May 21st-25th, 2009.
The BBC has unearthed a nine-minute interview with John Lennon and Paul McCartney that has been stored in a South London garage since the '60s.
The 1964 film's audio has been digitally restored for broadcast on BBC4 Radio.
In the interview, John and Paul talk about how they met on July 6, 1957 at the annual St. Peter's Woolton Parish Church Garden Fete outside of Liverpool.
Over 200,000 people braved torrential rain to see Paul McCartney perform at Kiev, Ukraine's Independence Square Concert.
The free event — part of a wealthy businessman's efforts to reopen cultural channels since Ukraine's 1991 independence — marked Macca's first concert in the former Soviet republic. It was broadcast live Ukraine-wide on TV.
Despite a heavy downpour, nearby lightning strikes and loud thunder, the crowd cheered, waved and danced with abandon as Sir Paul opened with "Drive My Car" and took them on a musical tour of Beatles and McCartney classics. The severe thunderstorm was no challenge for the flashes and pyrotechnics unleashed as Paul performed "Live And Let Die," which drew a deafening 130-decibel roar from the crowd.
Macca, who's on the verge of announcing a world tour, headlined the Liverpool Sound Concert on June 1st, 2008. He turns 66 on the 18th. An insider has suggested to TheBeatlesPages.com that Macca is considering retiring from the road after the next tour.
For photos of the events leading up to his Liverpool concert, click here.
Comedian Peter Kay introduced Paul McCartney to 36,000 fans in Liverpool's Ansfield Stadium as "a local lad who's done very well for himself in the music game."
"I was born just down the road and I lived not far from here," announced Macca, proclaiming Liverpool the "world capital of pop."
The Liverpool Sound Concert was the highlight of the 'Pool's 2008 designation as European Capital Of Culture.
Paul opened the show with a rousing rendition "Hippy Hippy Shake," a hit for fellow Liverpudlians the Swingin' Blue Jeans and a tune the young Beatles performed on BBC radio in 1963. The song was originally released by Chan Romero in 1959 and was popular among the Liverpool bands of the early '60s.
In a little over 100 minutes, Paul performed a variety of songs that spanned his 45-year career, including the Beatles' "Hey Jude" and "Drive My Car," Wings' "Jet" and "Live And Let Die" plus more recent solo fare like "Calico Skies" and "Dance Tonight."
Surprise guest Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters played guitar on "Band on The Run" and drums on "Live And Let Die" and the show's closer, "I Saw Her Standing There."
As Yoko Ono enjoyed the performance from the audience, Paul and his band performed "A Day In The Life" and "Give Peace A Chance" in remembrance of John Lennon. As a nod to George Harrison, Paul performed "Something" on George's ukelele.
A crowd nearly 10 times the size of the Liverpool event is expected to attend Paul's free concert in Kiev, Ukraine on June 14th, 2008. Macca turns 66 on the 18th.
Here's the setlist provided by Macca:
Paul McCartney was in Connecticut shortly before his Liverpool concert as Yale University presented him with an honorary Doctorate of Music.
As the university band played "Hey Jude," Macca accepted the degree without giving a speech.
"From the energy of 'I Want to Hold Your Hand' to the melancholy of 'Yesterday,' to the spirituality of 'Let It Be,' you have played every chord, touched every emotion," announced Yale president Richard Levin. "We admire your musical genius and your generous support of worthy causes."
All Together Now will open the Silverdocs film festival in Silver Spring, Maryland on June 16th, 2008. The feature shows the surviving Beatles and Beatle widows planning the Vegas LOVE show with Guy Laliberte and Cirque du Soleil. The annual event is co-produced by the American Film Institute and the Discovery Channel.
The 84-minute film will be released by EMI video on June 24th. The DVD, produced by the late Neil Aspinall, includes three bonus features, including Changing The Music, a 22-minute behind-the-scenes look at the audio work of LOVE producers George and Giles Martin and engineer Paul Hicks.
Phil Spector will be back in court on September 29th, 2008.
Spector — the producer of the Beatles' Let It Be LP and several solo releases fom George and John — is accused of murder in the handgun death of starlet Lana Clarkson in the foyer of his Hollywood mansion.
The first trial, which ended in September 2007 with a jury deadlocked 10-2 in favor of conviction, was declared a mistrial.
The excitement builds as Liverpool gets ready to celebrate its 2008 Europe Capital Of Culture designation, headlined by a Paul McCartney concert at Anfield Stadium on June 1st.
Paul's fashion mogul daughter, Stella, will show her '08 collection at a catwalk show at the Liverpool Institute For Performing Arts on the day of the concert.
Meanwhile, the largest single collection of John Lennon art has gone on display in the lobby of Liverpool's Daily Post and Echo building. The exhibitions runs through June 2nd.
The British paper The Telegraph has named John Lennon as England's greatest songwriter of all time, saying, "He was a revolutionary artist who traveled far beyond the dream of rock & roll stardom."
Paul McCartney came in fourth on the top-50 list, which was generated by the paper in an article leading up to the Ivor Novello Awards, England's equivalent to the Grammys.
George Harrison placed 36th and the man honored in name by the awards, World-War-I-era actor/musician Ivor Novello, came in at #50.
The remastered version of Diana Ross's Everything Is Everything album will include a previously-unreleased cover of George Harrison's Beatles hit "Something."
The CD, out June 17th, 2008, will also feature a remixed version of Ross' cover of "Come Together."
A London High Court judge has pronounced a "decree nisi" in the divorce case of Paul and Heather, ending their marriage on the grounds they have been separated for two years.
Heather is now set to receive a 49-million-dollar divorce settlement. Under law, the formal ending to a marriage takes place six weeks after a decree nisi, when a "decree absolute" is issued.
Roberta Flack's next album — her first in over a decade — will consist of interpretations of Beatles songs.
Flack — who lives across the hall from Yoko at the Dakota — tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer she hasn't played any of the album for Yoko yet, saying, "She knows I'm doing this, but I'm not pushing anything."
The album will contain renditions of "In My Life," "Here, There And Everywhere," "Here Comes The Sun" and a version of "Come Together" adapted for a children's singalong.
Ringo's son, Zak Starkey, and Oasis are parting ways, according to Gigwise.
Zak's been the band's unofficial drummer since 2004. Gigwise quotes a source as saying Zak and Oasis' Noel Gallagher have not been seeing eye-to-eye. Zak drummed on most of the tracks of the band's next album.
The Chelsea Flower Show — billed as the world's biggest — will feature a garden dedicated to George Harrison, who was a frequent visitor to the gardens at Royal Hospital where the event is held.
The flower show exhibit is co-designed by Olivia and depicts George's life in four stages: childhood, the Beatles era, his older self and his spiritual life.
The Chelsea Flower Show takes place May 20th through the 24th, 2008. It has been held in Chelsea since 1913 and began as "The Great Spring Show" in Kensington in 1862.
Paul McCartney is planning to release a coffee table book dedicated to Linda.
The book will contain Linda's world-acclaimed photography and intimate recollections from Paul & Linda's 30-year relationship.
In late April, Paul opened an exhibition of Linda's photography at the James Hyman Gallery in London, marking the 10th anniversary of Linda's passing.
A DVD celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Beatles' "red album" will be released May 13th, 2008.
The Beatles 1962-1966 was the first authorized post-Beatles compilation. It was accompanied by the "blue album," The Beatles 1967-1970. Unlike the CD versions issued by Apple in 1993, the original vinyl releases used varying versions of songs in the U.S. and England because George Martin felt Americans would be more comfortable with the U.S. mixes of some of the tracks, such as the heavily-reverberated "I Feel Fine."
Billed as "an authoritative critical review," the The Beatles: The Red Album contains insight, comments and analysis from Merseybeat founder Bill Harry and others. The 59-minute DVD features highlights from "She Loves You," "Please Please Me," "From Me To You," "I Want To Hold Your Hand," "All My Loving," "I Feel Fine," "A Hard Day's Night" and "Ticket To Ride."
Dhani Harrison and Oli Hecks will be taking their band, thenewno2, on the road in the fall of 2008.
Not being one to seek attention, Dhani tells Virgin Media that the band will probably be performing in small venues in the U.S.
A full-length album, You Are Here, is being finalized for release. So far, thenewno2 has only issued a limited-edition 4-song CD sampler.
Dhani performed on his father's last album, Brainwashed. He played with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers at the Concert For George and the ceremony inducting George into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame. In 2001, he and his dad co-wrote and performed "Horse To The Water" for Jools Holland's all-star project Small World, Big Band. That track, with a publishing credit to "R.I.P. Limited," was recorded a month before George's death. Recently, Dhani and Jakob Dylan covered John Lennon's "Give Me Some Truth" on Amnesty International's Instant Karma benefit CD set.
John Lennon's hand-written lyrics for "Give Peace A Chance" will go up for auction at Christie's in London on July 10th, 2008.
John gave the lyric sheet to then-16-year-old Gail Renard, who now writes comedy for British television. She befriended John & Yoko during the eight-day Bed-In For Peace at the Queens Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, where the single was recorded. She met the Lennon-Onos after slipping past security to give Kyoko a present.
When John gave the sheet to Renard in June of 1969, he told her it would be worth something someday — and he was right. Christie's estimates the lyrics will sell for a half-million dollars.
Paul McCartney told The Liverpool Echo that the Liverpool premiere of Ecce Cor Meum was his "revenge" concert.
The choral work was staged by the Liverpool Royal Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir — which rejected Paul's application to sing with them when he was 11.
"I got turned down, so this is my revenge trip," Paul told the Echo.
Macca's first classical work, Liverpool Oratorio, had its world premiere at the Liverpool Cathedral in 1991 to mark the Philharmonic’s 150th anniversary.
Paul performs a tribute-to-Liverpool concert at Anfield Stadium on June 1st, 2008.
Hear Now, gone tomorrow: Starbucks is pulling out of the music business.
The prolific coffee shop chain had signed the likes of Paul McCartney and Joni Mitchell to its CD label. Hear Now's artists will now be handled by the label's distributor, Concord Music Group.
Paul McCartney praised his late wife Linda as an artist with a special vision at the opening of an exhibition of her photography at London's prestigous James Hyman Gallery.
"She could see beauty in changing a baby's nappy," said Paul. "Linda was clever, she was intuitive, and a great artist, and I'm delighted that this exhibition gives people a chance to see that."
The exhibiton was curated by Macca and his photographer daughter, Mary, and timed to coincide with the 10th anniversary of her passing in 1998.
James Hyman's exclusive video interview with Paul about the exhibition may be viewed at LindaRemembered.com.
New interviews are part of the DVD documentary on the making of the John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band album to be released April 29th, 2008 by Eagle Rock Entertainment.
In addition to trying to unlock the emotions behind John's "painful masterpiece," the video takes viewers through the recording process by breaking down tracks from the master tapes of the album.
John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band was John's first post-Beatles solo release. John & Yoko had been undergoing primal scream therapy before recording JL/POB and Yoko's companion album, Yoko Ono/Plastic Ono Band, and both LPs were deeply influenced by their therapy.
Yoko, Ringo, and the album's bassist, Klaus Voorman, are among those interviewed for the DVD.
Paul McCartney's gonna be back in the former USSR. Macca will hold a free concert in Independence Square in Kiev on June 14th, 2008, just 13 days after he appears at Liverpool's Anfield Stadium.
The concert at Independence Square is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of people. It will be telecast live on Ukrain National Television.
Yoko Ono is suing the makers of Ben Stein's movie Expelled for using a snippet of John Lennon's recording of "Imagine" without permission.
Expelled is a documentary-style movie about scientists who've been discriminated against for supporting the theory of intelligent design. The producers' attorney claims the snippet was fair use and "part of a social commentary in the exercise of free speech and freedom of inquiry."
The suit by Yoko, Sean, Julian and EMI Blackwood Music says the film's credits deceptively make it look like Yoko approved use of the song. The suit also notes that Yoko has been flooded with complaints of "selling out" since Expelled hit the big screen.
The Grammy Foundation will honor Beatles producer George Martin at "Starry Night" — its annual gala dinner to be held July 12th, 2008 at the University of Southern California.
If anyone deserves the nickname "fifth Beatle" it's Sir George, who, as head of EMI's novelty label, Parlophone, signed the Beatles to their first record deal in 1962.
He had more in common with the Beatles than most realized. He'd taught himself to play piano as a child and came from a working class background. His "proper" Londonian accent developed during officer training in the British Fleet Air Force, in which he rose to lieutenant in the mid-'40s.
Following his service stint, he studied classical orchestration and composing at Guildhall School of Music, then took a job coordinating orchestras and making arrangements for BBC radio in 1950. Later that year, he became the assistant to the head of Parlophone Records. He was named to the top job when his boss retired in 1955.
In addition to the Beatles, Martin has worked with artists as diverse as Peter Sellers, Judy Garland, Jeff Beck, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, Gerry & The Pacemakers, America, Sting, Peter Gabriel, Peter Ustinov, Johnny Dankworth, Edwards-Hand, American Flyer, the Mahavishnu Orchestra, Cleo Laine, Billy J. Kramer & The Dakotas, Carly Simon, Jim Carrey, Phil Collins, Stan Getz and Elton John.
Sir George is a Grammy Trustees Award recipient, six-time Grammy Award winner and one of music's most successful and influential producers. He and son Giles won two Grammys each in 2008 for the Beatles' LOVE album.
One-time Beatles publicist Tony Barrow is assembling a collection of rare Beatles photos for a book he's writing.
Among the photos in his collection are a series capturing the Beatles at play in Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset in 1963, just weeks before they achieved world fame.
The unknown photographer who took the color snapshots was persuaded to turn over the copyright to the band by Barrow, who was the Beatles' publicist from 1962-1968.
"The biggest change anyone could make in their own lifestyle would be to become vegetarian," Paul McCartney tells People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in a "veggie testimonial" at PETA.org.
Macca says many of today's activists miss the fact that the amount of land and water used to maintain the meat industry makes it a major contributor to global warming.
"It’s very surprising that most major environmental organizations are leaving the option of going vegetarian off their lists of top ways to curtail global warming," he said. "I would urge everyone to think about taking this simple step to help our precious environment and save it for the children of the future."
A 2006 United Nations report found that cattle-rearing generated more greenhouse gasses than transportation.
"Home is a place to return to, set off from, tell
your tales to, air your grievances in, share your joy in," says Paul McCartney, in the foreword to a new book called UK At Home: A Celebration of Where We Live and Love.
Conceived by A Day In The Life and America 24/7 creators Rick Smolan and Jennifer Erwitt, UK At Home was compiled over seven days in September 2007 by a creative internet collaboration of professional and amateur photographers, journalists, writers, bloggers and information researchers. Paul's daughter Mary was among the 50 top UK photographers to participate.
Co-creator Rick Smolan says, "The idea of Home is as universal and deeply ingrained as that of 'mother' or 'father'. Ask people to describe what the word 'home' means to them and their answers tap into a deep pool of emotions and memories," says Smolan.
"Featuring more than 250 images, the books brings to life how we interact with friends, family and pets as we transform our dwellings into our own special space," says Duncan Baird Publishers. Book purchasers can create a custom cover depicting their own home at the UK At Home Website.
"(Home) means different things to each one of us," writes Paul, "but for me the warmth and strength of my home is always foremost no matter where I roam."
Apple and Cirque du Soleil are releasing a documentary on the making of the LOVE show and album which includes footage of Paul, Ringo, George, Olivia and Yoko — along with George and Giles Martin — in the planning stages of the hit Las Vegas production and its audio soundtrack.
The 84-minute All Together Now will be released by EMI video on June 24th, 2008.
"All Together Now faithfully recounts how the LOVE project evolved from the personal friendship between George Harrison and Cirque du Soleil founder Guy Laliberte," says EMI. "George saw how the twin talents of Cirque's artistry and the Beatles' music could be fused into something new and totally original."
The DVD, produced by the late Neil Aspinall, includes three bonus features — Changing The Music, a 22-minute behind-the-scenes look at the work of George and Giles Martin and audio engineer Paul Hicks, Music In The Theatre, a feature on the LOVE show's audio design, plus Making 'LOVE', a backstage peak at the production and its elements.
The 40th anniversary of the Beatles' trip to India is being observed with an exhibition of Paul Saltzman's famous photos at Henry Diltz' Morrison Hotel gallery in New York.
The exhibit, presented by the Indo-American Arts Council, runs through April 30th, 2008.
In 1968, the Beatles traveled to India to practice transcendental meditation at Maharishi Mahesh's ashram. Saltzman was a young backpack-traveler who happened to be there at the same time to capture the magic of the Beatles' stay in India.
The Belfast Telegraph says Paul McCartney is planning a huge outdoor concert in Ireland for the fall of 2008.
"Sunday Life understands that dates in Ireland, Liverpool, Glasgow and London have been penciled in as part of Sir Paul's first tour since his messy public divorce," says the paper.
If the appearance in Ireland pans out, it'll be Macca's first live appearance there in 44 years.
A pristine copy of the Beatles' Yesterday And Today butcher cover is among the memorabilia on the block at the Pop Culture Auction in Oceanside, New York on April 26th, 2008. Described as "a mint condition Beatles first state butcher cover," it's expected to fetch between $8,000-$12,000. The cover, according to the auctioneer Philip Weiss, "has no visible flaws, no splits in the spine and with a near mint record album with original inner sleeve."
Other Beatles items include a collection of concert tickets, stubs and concert programs from the US tours, picture sleeves from Beatles singles, fan club Christmas flexidiscs, a 1964 Beatles handbag and a super-rare Beatles LP acetate used to listen to the Something New album prior to pressing.
Autographs include a picture signed by John, Paul and Ringo, a note written to a 9-year-old from John and posters signed by Ringo and Paul.
Online bidding takes place at the Philip Weiss Auctions website.
Echo-Fuego Music Group has been enjoined from releasing eight Beatles recordings made at the Star Club in Germany just after Ringo officially joined the band in 1962.
EFMG's parent company, Fiego Entertainiment, has been ordered to halt its promotion of the release and to remove references to the tracks on its website.
The injunction remains in effect until a lawsuit against Fuego by Apple Corps is resolved. Apple is seeking 15 million dollars from Fuego and a British promoter who'd announced in January 2008 that the tracks would be released. The Beatles' camp contends the recordings were made without the band's permission.
Ringo's latest collaborator does a career-spanning, in-depth interview with him in an HBO special.
In front of an audience of fans and fellow musicians, Ringo comments to producer-musician-songwriter Dave Stewart on the events surrounding Beatlemania — including a demonstration of some his classic Beatles drum riffs — and discusses his less-than-vertical solo touring years.
Ringo Starr: Off The Record debuts on HBO May 2nd, 2008.
A Beatles statue is going up in Mongolia.
The nation's prime minister says the statue, to be erected in the city of Ulaanbaatar, will celebrate the Beatles' use of music to achieve cultural globalization.
Mariah Carey has beaten Elvis Presley's record for #1 U.S. hits and is moving in on the Beatles.
"Touch My Body" has become her 18th Billboard #1, besting the Presley record of 17, which spanned 1957 to 2002. That positions Mariah as the only active recording artist with the potential to surpass the Beatles' all-time high of 20 #1s.
Mariah's albums, singles and videos have sold over 160-million units worldwide, making her history's top-selling female recording artist.
Hollywood's Mods & Rockers Film Festival honored the 30th anniversary of The Rutles — All You Need Is Cash on March 30th, 2008.
Original Rutles Neil Innes, Eric Idle, Ricky Fataar and John Halsey were the guests of honor as the festival screened a digitally-restored version of Cash, which premiered on NBC-TV March 22nd, 1978. The cast of the film included George Harrison, Michael Palin, Dan Aykroyd, Bill Murray, Al Franken, John Belushi, Gilda Radner, Mick Jagger, Ron Wood and Paul Simon.
The Rutles did a Q&A after the film with Mods & Rockers co-founder/host Martin Lewis, who produced the Rutles second album, Archaeology, in 1996.
The Mods Rockers Film Festival was launched in 1999 and has become America's largest annual festival of rock-culture films, screening over 300 films since 1999.
NME.com reports that a computer game based on Paul McCartney's divorce proceedings has been posted online.
Internet gamers play the part of Heather and score points with such outbursts as pouring water over Sir Paul and his lawyer — parodying her showering of Paul's attorney during the actual hearings. Huffily moisten a judge, however, and you lose points.
The game is called "Mucka Chucka."
Ever heard of the Beatles' song "Why Did It Die?"
It's actually an early version of "For No One," as captured on one of seven Beatles lyric sheets which are on display through April 18th, 2008 at the Northwestern University Music Library in Chicago.
Lyrics for "The Word," in John's handwriting with ornamental drawings by Paul, are also part of the display.
A long-time Hong Kong DJ is expected to get over $33,000 for a magazine autographed by all four Beatles in 1964.
Ray Codeiro got the band to sign a copy of Fabulous magazine when he interviewed John, Paul, George and Ringo. Paul and John not only complied, but sifted through the mag and signed their names on all the photos of themselves inside.
It goes up for auction at Christie's in London in July 2008.
The long-time "keeper of the Beatles," Neil Aspinall, has died at age 66. He was suffering from lung cancer.
Paul McCartney visited Neil at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City shortly before his death.
Neil first met Paul & George in the '50s as a fellow student at Liverpool Institute Grammar School. He became friends with the Beatles after becoming a boarder at drummer Pete Best's house. That led to a relationship with Best's mother, Mona, which yielded a stepbrother for Pete. Eventually, he and Mal Evans became the Beatles' road managers, driving them to gigs and setting up their equipment.
Despite his close ties with the Bests, when the band hit the big time and Pete was ejected, Neil stayed on as the Beatles' personal assistant. Later, as chief of the Beatles' Apple Corps, he vigorously defended their music, images and copyrights and saw to it that they retained as much ownership of their work as possible after the break-up. That included leading Apple's legal battles with Apple Computers, the stage show Beatlemania! and EMI. He was executive producer of The Beatles Live At The BBC and the Beatles Anthology audio and video collections. It was Neil who tapped radio personality Archer to produce Beeb Beeb Yeah and The Beatles Chronicles radio documentaries to promote them.
"It was often suggested to Neil Aspinall that the Anthology CDs would increase Beatle-fan interest in bootlegs," says Archer. "But he knew it would have the opposite effect. By making the collection so complete, it satisfied a majority of fans' cravings for known unreleased tracks like 'How Do You Do It' and the acoustic 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' and curbed the bootleg trade an estimated 80 per cent. And the video documentary gave the band the chance to tell their own story, well outselling any previous unauthorized video biography."
Neil also was the executive producer behind the Yellow Submarine Songtrack remasters, the LOVE album and the biggest-selling greatest-hits CD of all time, 1. He's credited with with the sale of at least 70 million Beatles albums since their break-up. In addition to his duties at Apple, Neil headed Standby Films, which produced a number of music-themed projects, including 1999's Jimi Hendrix: Band Of Gypsies.
He retired last year without publicly disclosing his illness. Paul, Ringo, Yoko and Olivia released the official statement on Neil's passing, praising "his trusting stewardship and guidance."
"All his friends and loved ones will greatly miss him but will always retain the fondest memories of a great man," they said in the statement issued by Aspinall family spokesman Geoff Baker.
"I've known Neil many years and he was a good friend," says Ringo. "We were blessed to have him in our lives and he will be missed."
"Neil takes with him the love and history of his extended family," Olivia and Dhani Harrison said in a separate statement. "He was our constant and avuncular caretaker for so many years; there is no way to measure how much he will be missed."
Baker says Neil always resisted writing a tell-all autobiography. "He joked it would have to be published after he died," says Baker. "But he never persued it."
Neil Aspinall is survived by his wife, Suzy, sons Roag Best and Julian, plus daughters Mandy, Dhara and Gayla.
Heather Mills has been awarded less than a fifth of the amount she was seeking in her divorce from Paul McCartney.
Heather will receive a lump sum of $33,000,000 and assets of $15,600,000. She had been seeking $250,000,000. The lump sum is divided into $28,000,000 for Heather and $5,000,000 to buy a house in London.
Sir Paul will also pay $70,000 a year to their four-year-old daughter Beatrice and cover schooling and nanny costs.
Click here to read the official statement from the court.
Ringo Starr has finalized his 2008 summer tour plans, adding 19 dates to the 10 previously announced.
"My live shows are a peace-and-love fest," says Ringo. "That's my main promotion, really." Ringo's 2008 All-Starr Band will include Colin Hay, Billy Squier, Hamish Stuart, Edgar Winter, Gary Wright and Gregg Bissonette. Rehearsals will take place in early June in Ontario in preparation of two opening dates at Niagara Falls' Fallsview Casino.
Here are the tour dates:
Beatles producer George Martin says he's excited that PBS will carry a new series he's hosting which examines how the music recordings of the 20th century marked the emergence of pop culture worldwide. It's titled On Record: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives.
Sir George says it's "a project intrinsically dear to my heart and one that I have been developing with Wildheart Entertainment for over five years. I am just thrilled that PBS has joined us as our primetime broadcaster. On Record affords me the opportunity to work again with so many of the artists I have worked with throughout my life and to tell a story that has never been told in such a comprehensive way."
On Record: The Soundtrack Of Our Lives, will debut in the fall of 2010. Kevin Spacey will serve as narrator.
"Music is the only common thread and universal language that binds us together, regardless of race, nationality, age or income," says Martin. "Recorded music is how we experience it and what makes it accessible."
Beatles audio engineer Norman Smith has died at age 85.
He had served as George Martin's engineer while the Beatles recorded at EMI from 1962-1965. In 1966, he became a producer and signed Pink Floyd to the label.
Under the name Hurricane Smith, he released two successful singles, "Don't Let It Die" in 1971 and "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?" in 1972.
"Norman Smith was a legendary figure in the history of EMI and British music," says an EMI spokesperson. "We were very saddened to hear of his passing away and our thoughts and condolences go out to his family at this time."
Ringo 5.1, a new Audio DVD release from Koch Entertainment, contains surround-sound mixes of choice cuts from Ringo Starr's Ringo Rama and Choose Love albums.
Ringo personally chose the tracks and supervised the 5.1 mixes.
A "Deluxe Collector's Edition" contains 2 discs — an audio-only DVD designed for multi-channel play along with a stereo CD compatible with any CD player.
The 5.1 disc is a DVD audio/video hybrid with audio mixed in high-resolution 5.1 surround sound.
Ringo 5.1 track list:
Ken Westover has completed his 12-volume series of books about the music of the Beatles.
Unobstructed by photos or illustrations, the Songs Of The Beatles books meticulously collect previously scattered information on the Beatles' songs from their Parlophone/EMI recording career, which ran from 1962 through 1969.
"Their output consisted of 214 songs spread over 48 UK releases — 22 singles, 13 EPs, and 13 LPs," says Ken. "To organize my study of the Beatles, I divided the Beatles' career into 12 periods corresponding to their 12 original LPs.
"The first period started with the Beatles' first recording session at EMI — their artist test — and ended with the last note recorded for their first LP, Please Please Me. Thereafter, the end of one period marks the start of the next, each ending with the last note recorded for that LP."
The extremely limited run of Songs Of The Beatles books is available exclusively through Cliff Canyon Publishing.
A Rolling Stones album with a sleeve autographed by John Lennon, Yoko Ono, Paul & Linda McCartney, George Harrison, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and Ron Wood has sold at auction for £4,000.
The seller, who remained anonymous, bought the Black And Blue LP from a box of assorted used records at a garage sale — for £2.
Dave Clark Five lead singer/keyboardist Mike Smith has died at age 64.
Smith died from pneumonia, complicated by a 2003 spinal cord injury which left him paralyzed below the ribs.
After four years of hospitalization, Smith had moved to a specially-equipped home in December 2007 and had attended a concert as Bruce Springsteen's guest.
Springsteen, Steve Van Zandt, Peter Noone and other rock luminaries helped Smith and his wife Charlie defray the horrific medical expenses which ensued after Smith injured himself climbing over a 7-foot gate at his former home in Spain.
In 2005, Paul Shaffer organized a benefit concert in New York featuring many of Smith's fellow British Invasion stars, including the Zombies and Peter & Gordon. The concert will air on VH1 Classic on March 1st, 2008 and a DVD will be released later in March.
The Dave Clark Five, whose hits included "Glad All Over," "Bits and Pieces" and "Because," were one of the first British bands to find major success in the United States after the Beatles. They chalked up 11 major hits before disbanding in 1970 and sold over 50 million albums by the end of 2007.
The band's lineup included Dave Clark on drums, Lenny Davidson on lead guitar, Rick Huxley on bass and saxophonist/guitarist/harmonica player Dennis Payton, who died of cancer in 2006.
At the time of Smith's death, plans were being made to transport him to New York for the DC5's induction into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame on March 10th.
Just when you couldn't take hearing Beatles music in diaper commercials anymore — Fox-TV's American Idol has been granted permission to allow contestants to sing Lennon-McCartney songs.
Ryan Seacrest and Idol producer Nigel Lythgoe announced the agreement with Sony/ATV music on Seacrest's L.A. radio show.
"It's something we've waited for for seven seasons now," said Lythgoe.
The judge making the final financial settlement in the Paul McCartney/Heather Mills divorce case will announce his decision on St. Patrick's Day.
"Mr. Justice Bennet will hand down his ruling on 17 March 2008," said a statement from the High Court's Judicial Communications Office. "He will at that time decide whether or not to make the judgment public in whole or in part."
The couple failed to reach an agreement in closed-door hearings, leaving the judge to decide how much of Sir Paul's fortune Mills would receive.
Paul and Heather married in June 2002 and separated in 2006; they share a 4-year-old daughter, Beatrice.
Sean Lennon is writing the score for an upcoming vampire movie from writer/director Jordan Galland.
Rozencrantz And Guilderstern Are Undead will star Dustin Hoffman's son, Jake.
The 150-year-old brass ensemble called the Black Dyke Band will perform a piece composed by Paul McCartney which has never been previously heard by the public.
The piece was originally composed by Paul as a tribute to his late wife Linda while he was assembling the Ecce Cor Meum oratorio project. It will be performed at Derby Cathedral on February 23rd, 2008, as part of a benefit for the Derby Salvation Army.
The Black Dyke Band, when it was billed "John Foster & Sons Ltd Black Dyke Mills Band," released a McCartney original, "Thingumybob," backed by a cover of "Yellow Submarine" on one of the first Apple single releases in 1968. The band has also done projects with several classical performers and rock artists like Tori Amos and Peter Gabriel.
The Beatles' LOVE album snagged Grammy awards for both its nominated categories.
Ringo Starr and producers George and Giles Martin accepted the award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media — a category which included the soundtrack to Across The Universe. LOVE also won for Best Surround Sound Album.
Justin Timberlake took the Best Pop Vocal award for which Paul McCartney's "Dance Tonight" was nominated. Bruce Springsteen took the Grammy for Rock Solo Vocal — Paul's "Only Mama Knows" was in contention. Amy Winehouse's Back To Black album grabbed the Best Pop Vocal Album Award over Macca's Memory Almost Full.
Ringo also presented the award for Best Country Album to Vince Gill, who commented to multiple-winner Kanye West, "I just got an award given to me by a Beatle. Have you had that happen yet, Kanye?"
Nitin Swahney says his new album will contain a song about Paul McCartney's rocky relationship with Heather Mills — co-written by Paul himself.
"Paul has done a track about how he feels about Heather and what was going on with the paparazzi because no one has heard his side of it at all," says Swahney, whose London Undersound CD will be released later in 2008. "This will be the first time anyone hears a song relating to that subject. It's very emotional and a very powerful song — not like anything that people are used to Paul McCartney doing."
The transmission over NASA's Deep Space Network commemorated the 40th anniversary of the day the Beatles recorded the song, as well as the 50th anniversary of NASA's founding. Two other anniversaries also are being honored: the launch 50 years ago of U.S. satellite Explorer 1 and the founding 45 years ago of the Deep Space Network, an international network of antennas that supports missions to explore the universe.
The transmission was aimed at the North Star, Polaris, which is 431 light years away from Earth. The song travels across the universe at a speed of 186,000 miles per second.
Paul McCartney expressed excitement that the tune, which was principally written by fellow Beatle John Lennon, was being beamed into the cosmos.
"Amazing! Well done, NASA!" McCartney said in a message to the agency. "Send my love to the aliens. All the best, Paul."
Yoko Ono characterized the song's transmission as a significant event.
"I see that this is the beginning of the new age in which we will communicate with billions of planets across the universe," she said.
It's not the first time Beatles music has been used by NASA; in November 2005, Sir Paul performed "Good Day Sunshine" during a concert that was transmitted to the International Space Station. "Here Comes the Sun," "Ticket to Ride" and "A Hard Day's Night" are among other Beatles' songs that have been played to wake astronaut crews in orbit.
"I've been a Beatles fan for 45 years, as long as the Deep Space Network has been around," said Dr. Barry Geldzahler, the network's program executive at NASA in Washington. "What a joy, especially considering that 'Across The Universe' is my personal favorite Beatles song."
| Audio: Dana Cain | |
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The Imagine Peace Paint-In this October in Denver. |
When organizer Dana Cain ran the idea past Yoko Ono, she received a nearly-immediate reply.
"Right now, there are many people who are trying to do something with Imagine Peace — make their own posters, own buttons, and pass it around in their own schools, etc.," Yoko wrote Dana. "I think it will be very good to see Denver doing it in style — an event in the Park!"
For information and updates on the event, visit Paint-In.org.