In 1969, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr recorded The Beatles song “Get Back.” In 1972, Ringo Starr released a solo song that had some strikingly similar elements to The Beatles’ hit. He admitted he copied part of the song.
Ringo Starr took inspiration from a Beatles song in his career as a solo artist
Much of The Beatles’ experience recording Let It Be was agonizing. Beatles producer George Martin said the album was such an “unhappy” one that he was surprised the band reunited to record Abbey Road (per The Beatles Anthology). Still, there were some bright spots in the recording process. Starr said they enjoyed working together when they felt they were recording a good track.
“‘Get Back’ was a good track. I felt, ‘This is a kick-a** track.’ ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ also,” Starr said. “They were two fine tracks. Quite simple and raw — back to basics.
Ringo Starr took inspiration from a Beatles song in his career as a solo artist
Much of The Beatles’ experience recording Let It Be was agonizing. Beatles producer George Martin said the album was such an “unhappy” one that he was surprised the band reunited to record Abbey Road (per The Beatles Anthology). Still, there were some bright spots in the recording process. Starr said they enjoyed working together when they felt they were recording a good track.
“‘Get Back’ was a good track. I felt, ‘This is a kick-a** track.’ ‘Don’t Let Me Down’ also,” Starr said. “They were two fine tracks. Quite simple and raw — back to basics.
- 4/25/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Decades after their fathers last collaborated, John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s sons have put out a new song. James McCartney and Sean Ono Lennon have brought back the famous Lennon-McCartney songwriting credit on “Primrose Hill,” their new single. Here’s what James McCartney — and his father — have said about the song.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s sons have a new song
In 2024, James McCartney released “Primrose Hill,” a song he co-wrote with Sean Ono Lennon.
“I had a vision as a child in Scotland, on what was a lovely summer’s day,” he wrote in a post on Instagram. “Letting go, I saw my true love and saviour in my mind’s eye. ‘Primrose Hill’ is about getting the ball rolling with me & finding this person.”
James McCartney and Paul McCartney | Donna Ward/Getty Images
Both Sean and James have worked as solo artists for years, but “Primrose Hill” is their first collaboration.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s sons have a new song
In 2024, James McCartney released “Primrose Hill,” a song he co-wrote with Sean Ono Lennon.
“I had a vision as a child in Scotland, on what was a lovely summer’s day,” he wrote in a post on Instagram. “Letting go, I saw my true love and saviour in my mind’s eye. ‘Primrose Hill’ is about getting the ball rolling with me & finding this person.”
James McCartney and Paul McCartney | Donna Ward/Getty Images
Both Sean and James have worked as solo artists for years, but “Primrose Hill” is their first collaboration.
- 4/17/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The second track on Cowboy Carter — Beyoncé’s country album on the cover of which the singer wears red, white, and blue, and carries an American flag — is a take on a song by notoriously British band, The Beatles. At first glance, the cover of “Blackbird,” while beautiful, may seem like an outlier. Other artists featured on the album include country icons like Dolly Parton, Linda Martell, and Willie Nelson. The Beatles’ song makes more sense on the album than it may initially seem, though.
Beyoncé covers The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ on ‘Cowboy Carter’
Cowboy Carter features a luminous, true-to-the-original cover of “Blackbird.” Beyoncé sings the song, accompanied by the harmonies of Black country artists Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Brittney Spencer, and Reyna Roberts. The folky, White Album classic is an unexpected addition to the country album. It’s also a crucial one.
Paul McCartney, who wrote the song in 1968, explained his inspiration for “Blackbird.
Beyoncé covers The Beatles’ ‘Blackbird’ on ‘Cowboy Carter’
Cowboy Carter features a luminous, true-to-the-original cover of “Blackbird.” Beyoncé sings the song, accompanied by the harmonies of Black country artists Tanner Adell, Tiera Kennedy, Brittney Spencer, and Reyna Roberts. The folky, White Album classic is an unexpected addition to the country album. It’s also a crucial one.
Paul McCartney, who wrote the song in 1968, explained his inspiration for “Blackbird.
- 3/29/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Beyoncé has so many audacious culture-clash triumphs all over Cowboy Carter. But one of the most stunning moments is also one of the simplest: her version of the Beatles classic “Blackbird.” Paul McCartney wrote the song in the summer of 1968, inspired by the American civil rights movement. All that history is right there in Beyoncé’s version. She keeps the folkie Paul guitar, complete with the squeaks, but adds her heavenly gospel-soul harmonies. What she does with the word “arise” is incredible in itself.
It’s a stroke of Beyoncé...
It’s a stroke of Beyoncé...
- 3/29/2024
- by Rob Sheffield
- Rollingstone.com
Over the course of their time in The Beatles, Paul McCartney’s bandmates grew increasingly frustrated with him. To them, McCartney’s perfectionism and insistence on controlling many aspects of the recording process was highly annoying. McCartney himself admitted that he could be a bit bossy to his bandmates. Still, he claimed that he tried to take a step back on Abbey Road but his bandmates didn’t want him to.
Paul McCartney said his bandmates wanted him to exert control over ‘Abbey Road’
Though it was not the last album the band released, the final time The Beatles got into the studio together was to record Abbey Road. The band fought bitterly while recording the White Album and Let It Be. As a result, McCartney vowed to be less overbearing with his bandmates on the latest album.
“Again the feeling that I mustn’t be dominating was plaguing me,...
Paul McCartney said his bandmates wanted him to exert control over ‘Abbey Road’
Though it was not the last album the band released, the final time The Beatles got into the studio together was to record Abbey Road. The band fought bitterly while recording the White Album and Let It Be. As a result, McCartney vowed to be less overbearing with his bandmates on the latest album.
“Again the feeling that I mustn’t be dominating was plaguing me,...
- 3/10/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ringo Starr rarely wrote or sang Beatles songs. He preferred to play the drums and support his bandmates. Even after The Beatles broke up, his bandmates often wrote him songs for his solo albums. Still, he had several writing credits with the band. John Lennon insinuated that Starr got his first solo writing credit with the band because he was bored.
John Lennon shared how Ringo Starr wrote his first Beatles song
In 1968, Starr received his first solo writing credit with The Beatles with “Don’t Pass Me By.” The song appeared on the White Album. Starr said he wrote it while lazing around his house.
“I wrote ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ when I was sitting round at home,” Starr said in The Beatles Anthology. “I only play three chords on the guitar and three on the piano. I was fiddling with the piano — I just bang away — and...
John Lennon shared how Ringo Starr wrote his first Beatles song
In 1968, Starr received his first solo writing credit with The Beatles with “Don’t Pass Me By.” The song appeared on the White Album. Starr said he wrote it while lazing around his house.
“I wrote ‘Don’t Pass Me By’ when I was sitting round at home,” Starr said in The Beatles Anthology. “I only play three chords on the guitar and three on the piano. I was fiddling with the piano — I just bang away — and...
- 3/8/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney wrote a large portion of The Beatles’ songs based on a variety of his personal experiences. “Let It Be” came to him after having a dream about his mother and he wrote “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window” after a fan did just that. Beatles associate Alistair Taylor believed McCartney wrote a different Beatles song after a seemingly paranormal experience.
Paul McCartney wrote a Beatles song after a strange experience
In 1967, McCartney and Taylor were walking McCartney’s dog Martha in the morning. As they turned to look for Martha, they realized a man was behind them.
“We turned round to go and suddenly there he was standing behind us,” Taylor said, per the book A Hard Day’s Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song by Steve Turner. “He was a middle-aged man, very respectably dressed in a belted raincoat. Nothing in that, you may think,...
Paul McCartney wrote a Beatles song after a strange experience
In 1967, McCartney and Taylor were walking McCartney’s dog Martha in the morning. As they turned to look for Martha, they realized a man was behind them.
“We turned round to go and suddenly there he was standing behind us,” Taylor said, per the book A Hard Day’s Write: The Stories Behind Every Beatles Song by Steve Turner. “He was a middle-aged man, very respectably dressed in a belted raincoat. Nothing in that, you may think,...
- 2/28/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1967, Paul McCartney admitted that The Beatles had taken LSD. This, of course, sparked major controversy and brought criticism to the band. Each of McCartney’s bandmates had taken LSD more than him, but they’d avoided speaking about it publicly. They weren’t happy with McCartney for breaking the news to the media.
Paul McCartney irritated the other Beatles by talking about LSD
In 1967, McCartney gave an interview in which he admitted to having taken drugs.
“I remember a couple of men from ITN showed up, and then the newscaster arrived: ‘Is it true you’ve had drugs?’” he said in The Beatles Anthology. “They were at my door — I couldn’t tell them to go away — so I thought, ‘Well, I’m either going to try to bluff this, or I’m going to tell him the truth.’ I made a lightning decision: ‘Sod it. I’ll give them the truth.
Paul McCartney irritated the other Beatles by talking about LSD
In 1967, McCartney gave an interview in which he admitted to having taken drugs.
“I remember a couple of men from ITN showed up, and then the newscaster arrived: ‘Is it true you’ve had drugs?’” he said in The Beatles Anthology. “They were at my door — I couldn’t tell them to go away — so I thought, ‘Well, I’m either going to try to bluff this, or I’m going to tell him the truth.’ I made a lightning decision: ‘Sod it. I’ll give them the truth.
- 1/21/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When The Beatles told producer George Martin that they wanted to get back into the studio to record an album after Let It Be, he could hardly believe his ears. He assumed the band would break up. Recording Let It Be had been a miserable experience for all involved and he didn’t see a future for The Beatles.
George Martin said making The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ was a terrible experience
In early 1969, The Beatles gathered to begin working on Let It Be. Tensions among the band members were at an all-time high. Their recording sessions for the White Album had also been challenging, and Let It Be was no different.
“This was a very difficult period,” Paul McCartney said in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “John was with Yoko full-time, and our relationship was beginning to crumble: John and I were going through a very tense period.
George Martin said making The Beatles’ ‘Let It Be’ was a terrible experience
In early 1969, The Beatles gathered to begin working on Let It Be. Tensions among the band members were at an all-time high. Their recording sessions for the White Album had also been challenging, and Let It Be was no different.
“This was a very difficult period,” Paul McCartney said in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “John was with Yoko full-time, and our relationship was beginning to crumble: John and I were going through a very tense period.
- 12/17/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
While all of The Beatles wrote at least one song for the group, Ringo Starr did not write much of what he sang. Instead, his bandmates wrote songs they thought would suit the drummer. Even to this day, Starr has a strong association with songs like “Yellow Submarine,” which he did not write. Starr joked that his bandmates ruined his career by writing such enduring songs for him.
Ringo Starr joked that the other Beatles ‘ruined’ his music career
Over six decades after he joined The Beatles, Starr is still touring and performing to large crowds. He plays with his All-Starr Band, but his audiences expect to hear Beatles hits when they see him. Starr said that the songs his bandmates wrote for him changed the trajectory of his career.
“John [Lennon] wrote several songs for me over the years, and George [Harrison] too,” Starr told AARP in 2023. “I used to be a rock drummer,...
Ringo Starr joked that the other Beatles ‘ruined’ his music career
Over six decades after he joined The Beatles, Starr is still touring and performing to large crowds. He plays with his All-Starr Band, but his audiences expect to hear Beatles hits when they see him. Starr said that the songs his bandmates wrote for him changed the trajectory of his career.
“John [Lennon] wrote several songs for me over the years, and George [Harrison] too,” Starr told AARP in 2023. “I used to be a rock drummer,...
- 12/6/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Shortly into his relationship with Linda McCartney, Paul McCartney asked her to visit him in Los Angeles. She agreed, though she didn’t tell McCartney. Therefore, when he walked through the door of his rented bungalow, he was surprised to see her there. She found him with an array of guests, which, according to Beatles associate Tony Bramwell, seemed to embarrass him.
Paul McCartney hadn’t anticipated a visit by Linda McCartney
Before heading to LA for a sales convention, McCartney called Linda and asked if she wanted to fly out to visit him. She wasn’t home, though, so he left her a message and got on the plane without knowing if she was going to join him.
McCartney stayed at a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel with Bramwell and his old friend, Ivan Vaughn. The three men were also, according to Philip Norman in the book Paul McCartney: The Life,...
Paul McCartney hadn’t anticipated a visit by Linda McCartney
Before heading to LA for a sales convention, McCartney called Linda and asked if she wanted to fly out to visit him. She wasn’t home, though, so he left her a message and got on the plane without knowing if she was going to join him.
McCartney stayed at a bungalow at the Beverly Hills Hotel with Bramwell and his old friend, Ivan Vaughn. The three men were also, according to Philip Norman in the book Paul McCartney: The Life,...
- 11/27/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When Linda McCartney first met Paul McCartney, his house was such a disaster that to call it a mess would be kind. According to Beatles associate Tony Bramwell, McCartney’s house had fallen into disarray after his breakup with longtime girlfriend Jane Asher. His relationship with Linda helped him reorganize his life and living situation.
Linda McCartney helped pull Paul McCartney together
After McCartney and Asher broke up, he lived in a house with a rotating group of women.
“There were several semi-clad girls walking about the house,” writer Barry Miles recalled in his book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. “‘It’s terrible,’ he said, gesturing. ‘The birds are always quarreling about something. There’s three living here at the moment.’ The jostling for position must have been something to see.”
Paul and Linda McCartney | Msi/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
The house was also a mess. Bramwell could...
Linda McCartney helped pull Paul McCartney together
After McCartney and Asher broke up, he lived in a house with a rotating group of women.
“There were several semi-clad girls walking about the house,” writer Barry Miles recalled in his book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now. “‘It’s terrible,’ he said, gesturing. ‘The birds are always quarreling about something. There’s three living here at the moment.’ The jostling for position must have been something to see.”
Paul and Linda McCartney | Msi/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
The house was also a mess. Bramwell could...
- 11/23/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When Paul McCartney began a relationship with Linda McCartney, all three other Beatles were married. Once people learned about their relationship, Linda began dealing with Beatles fans just as the other Beatles’ wives had. Fans gathered outside of McCartney’s London home every day and shouted at Linda when she walked past. Once, McCartney felt fans had gone too far. When he scolded them, though, they were completely unapologetic.
Paul McCartney was not happy to hear of how fans treated Linda McCartney
When McCartney began dating Linda, his most dedicated fans turned their ire on her. Fans waited outside his home and shouted at her. They left hateful graffiti on the fence and, on one occasion, threw dessert at her.
Linda returned to the house, and when she walked past the fans, someone threw a frozen chocolate dessert at her. Shortly afterward, McCartney came out of the house.
Paul and...
Paul McCartney was not happy to hear of how fans treated Linda McCartney
When McCartney began dating Linda, his most dedicated fans turned their ire on her. Fans waited outside his home and shouted at her. They left hateful graffiti on the fence and, on one occasion, threw dessert at her.
Linda returned to the house, and when she walked past the fans, someone threw a frozen chocolate dessert at her. Shortly afterward, McCartney came out of the house.
Paul and...
- 11/20/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon gave countless interviews in his lifetime and admitted that he sometimes lied to journalists. Some of his lies served to amuse himself, and others distracted from persistent lines of questioning. Journalists constantly asked him about the process of writing songs with Paul McCartney. Lennon grew sick of this, so he began to spread the mistruth that he had never really written with McCartney.
John Lennon revealed that he lied about his writing process
During The Beatles’ early years, Lennon and McCartney sat in a room together in close collaboration on songs. As their years in the band wore on, their partnership grew more fraught. Because of this, Lennon began lying and telling people they had never actually written together.
“I said that, but I was lying. [Laughs],” Lennon said in the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview With John Lennon and Yoko Ono by David Sheff.
John Lennon revealed that he lied about his writing process
During The Beatles’ early years, Lennon and McCartney sat in a room together in close collaboration on songs. As their years in the band wore on, their partnership grew more fraught. Because of this, Lennon began lying and telling people they had never actually written together.
“I said that, but I was lying. [Laughs],” Lennon said in the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview With John Lennon and Yoko Ono by David Sheff.
- 11/18/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1969, Paul and Linda McCartney married at the Marylebone Register Office. McCartney was the final Beatle to wed, and his marriage lasted the longest. The couple had a uniquely close and loving relationship, particularly for the entertainment industry. According to Beatles associate Tony Bramwell, the couple had a once-in-a-lifetime connection that appeared to develop over the course of a conversation.
Paul and Linda McCartney seemed to fall in love during a single conversation
McCartney had met Linda several times when he asked her to meet him in Los Angeles. Though they were really only acquaintances at this point, Linda agreed. McCartney had offered to buy her a plane ticket, but she purchased her own, surprising him when he walked through the front door and found her sitting amongst the other women staying in the house.
“She was waiting for [Paul] radiantly, totally spaced out,” Bramwell said in the book Paul McCartney: The Life by Philip Norman.
Paul and Linda McCartney seemed to fall in love during a single conversation
McCartney had met Linda several times when he asked her to meet him in Los Angeles. Though they were really only acquaintances at this point, Linda agreed. McCartney had offered to buy her a plane ticket, but she purchased her own, surprising him when he walked through the front door and found her sitting amongst the other women staying in the house.
“She was waiting for [Paul] radiantly, totally spaced out,” Bramwell said in the book Paul McCartney: The Life by Philip Norman.
- 11/15/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Following the death of their manager, The Beatles hired Allen Klein, a move that Mick Jagger warned John Lennon against. Klein had worked with The Rolling Stones as well, and Jagger felt that it would be a terrible idea for The Beatles to hire him. He called Lennon to try to warn him, but Lennon wouldn’t listen. Several years later, though, he realized Jagger had been right.
Mick Jagger told John Lennon not to work with Allen Klein
The Rolling Stones worked with Klein before The Beatles hired him, and their working relationship did not end well. The band alleged that Klein had pocketed their royalty payments, failed to pay their taxes, and stolen their publishing rights. Jagger was especially suspicious of Klein, and the band ultimately hired a law firm to look into the way he’d handled their affairs.
As this was happening, Lennon campaigned for Klein...
Mick Jagger told John Lennon not to work with Allen Klein
The Rolling Stones worked with Klein before The Beatles hired him, and their working relationship did not end well. The band alleged that Klein had pocketed their royalty payments, failed to pay their taxes, and stolen their publishing rights. Jagger was especially suspicious of Klein, and the band ultimately hired a law firm to look into the way he’d handled their affairs.
As this was happening, Lennon campaigned for Klein...
- 11/4/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Decades after The Beatles broke up, Mick Jagger is still captivating audiences as the lead singer of The Rolling Stones. The Stones have been performing together for 60 years and are still releasing music. While they’ve taken a short break before, they’ve never announced a permanent split like The Beatles did. Jagger once said that if The Rolling Stones did break up, they wouldn’t do it as dramatically as The Beatles had.
Mick Jagger said a Rolling Stones breakup wouldn’t look like The Beatles’ split
In 1969, John Lennon told his bandmates he no longer wanted to be in The Beatles, effectively breaking up the band. Paul McCartney broke the news to the public in 1970, and from there, the former bandmates began airing their dirty laundry.
They spoke negatively about one another in interviews and wrote songs about one another. McCartney even sued his former bandmates to ensure...
Mick Jagger said a Rolling Stones breakup wouldn’t look like The Beatles’ split
In 1969, John Lennon told his bandmates he no longer wanted to be in The Beatles, effectively breaking up the band. Paul McCartney broke the news to the public in 1970, and from there, the former bandmates began airing their dirty laundry.
They spoke negatively about one another in interviews and wrote songs about one another. McCartney even sued his former bandmates to ensure...
- 11/1/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney have known each other for the vast majority of their lives. They worked together closely in The Beatles, but they’ve collaborated, on and off, in the decades since the band broke up. Most recently, McCartney wrote Starr a song for his EP Rewind Forward. He even recorded a version for Starr that featured himself singing and playing the instruments, including drums. Starr joked that McCartney’s drumming was not up to his standards.
Ringo Starr joked about the quality of Paul McCartney’s drumming on a song he wrote
Starr’s 2023 EP Rewind Forward features the song “Feeling the Sunlight,” which McCartney wrote. For years, Starr has trusted McCartney to write him songs.
“Well, he’d written me a couple of good songs, you know, like ‘Yellow Submarine,'” Starr told Billboard. “I thought, ‘He can do this.'”
Starr explained that McCartney went...
Ringo Starr joked about the quality of Paul McCartney’s drumming on a song he wrote
Starr’s 2023 EP Rewind Forward features the song “Feeling the Sunlight,” which McCartney wrote. For years, Starr has trusted McCartney to write him songs.
“Well, he’d written me a couple of good songs, you know, like ‘Yellow Submarine,'” Starr told Billboard. “I thought, ‘He can do this.'”
Starr explained that McCartney went...
- 10/19/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
After the success of A Hard Day’s Night and Help!, The Beatles released a film so widely despised that Paul McCartney apologized for it. Neither critics nor audiences liked it, making it The Beatles’ first real flop. Looking back, though, McCartney didn’t need to apologize. He liked the film and thought it had at least one significant positive to it.
Paul McCartney doesn’t think a Beatles project deserved the hate it got
On Boxing Day, 1967, The Beatles released Magical Mystery Tour, their third film. The film was a visual feast but premiered in black and white. This didn’t help the ratings, but audiences took bigger issue with the lack of narrative. Critics ripped the film in reviews, and audiences hated it so much that broadcasters in the United States opted not to air it.
Not long after, McCartney gave both an apology and a defense of the film in an interview.
Paul McCartney doesn’t think a Beatles project deserved the hate it got
On Boxing Day, 1967, The Beatles released Magical Mystery Tour, their third film. The film was a visual feast but premiered in black and white. This didn’t help the ratings, but audiences took bigger issue with the lack of narrative. Critics ripped the film in reviews, and audiences hated it so much that broadcasters in the United States opted not to air it.
Not long after, McCartney gave both an apology and a defense of the film in an interview.
- 10/7/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In the late 1960s, George Martin, Paul McCartney, and George Harrison, among others, began voicing their concerns about someone working with The Beatles. “Magic” Alex Mardas was one of Apple Corps’ earliest employees and a friend of John Lennon. He promised them unique electronic decorations and improved recording equipment. The band enlisted him to build them a shiny new studio, a project Harrison later described as a complete disaster.
George Harrison said Magic Alex Mardas was a disaster in the studio for The Beatles
As an Apple employee, Mardas grew familiar with The Beatles’ recording equipment and told them it was terribly out of date. Per the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, Mardas began telling them he could design a seventy-two-track studio that would be more advanced than any existing studio.
John Lennon, Alex Mardas, Paul McCartney, and Les Anthony | Mirrorpix via Getty Images
This was nowhere near the truth.
George Harrison said Magic Alex Mardas was a disaster in the studio for The Beatles
As an Apple employee, Mardas grew familiar with The Beatles’ recording equipment and told them it was terribly out of date. Per the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles, Mardas began telling them he could design a seventy-two-track studio that would be more advanced than any existing studio.
John Lennon, Alex Mardas, Paul McCartney, and Les Anthony | Mirrorpix via Getty Images
This was nowhere near the truth.
- 10/4/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Cilla Black landed The Beatles’ Brian Epstein as her manager after urging from John Lennon. He believed she was a talented artist and championed her to Epstein. Before this, Lennon scared Black to a point where she dreaded being alone with him. She once admitted this to him. Here’s how Lennon reacted.
Cilla Black was initially scared of John Lennon
Black first encountered The Beatles at Liverpool’s Cavern Club. She was a singer, and Lennon invited her to join the band onstage.
“I played truant from Anfield Commercial College to see the Beatles at lunchtime sessions,” she said, per the book Lennon: The Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman. “At that time I was singing with some of the local bands, billed as ‘Swingin’ Cilla,’ on a semi-professional basis. But this was the first time I had my chance to sing with the Beatles.”
Pattie Boyd, George Harrison, Cilla Black,...
Cilla Black was initially scared of John Lennon
Black first encountered The Beatles at Liverpool’s Cavern Club. She was a singer, and Lennon invited her to join the band onstage.
“I played truant from Anfield Commercial College to see the Beatles at lunchtime sessions,” she said, per the book Lennon: The Definitive Biography by Ray Coleman. “At that time I was singing with some of the local bands, billed as ‘Swingin’ Cilla,’ on a semi-professional basis. But this was the first time I had my chance to sing with the Beatles.”
Pattie Boyd, George Harrison, Cilla Black,...
- 9/23/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles were the most successful band of their time, but they still found themselves mired in financial problems. By the late 1960s, the band dealt with constant infighting, which was not helped by their money problems. After the last of three higher-ups at Apple Corps quit, the band received a warning about their finances. Stephen Maltz, an accountant and financial adviser for the band, stepped away from his position after he warned the band they were in danger.
The Beatles faced financial trouble in the late 1960s
In the 1960s, the tax laws in the United Kingdom had The Beatles paying 90% of their earnings to the government. This meant that despite the vast amount of money the band brought in, they weren’t necessarily in a good financial position. It didn’t help that their accountants began quitting in droves at the end of the decade.
One of their...
The Beatles faced financial trouble in the late 1960s
In the 1960s, the tax laws in the United Kingdom had The Beatles paying 90% of their earnings to the government. This meant that despite the vast amount of money the band brought in, they weren’t necessarily in a good financial position. It didn’t help that their accountants began quitting in droves at the end of the decade.
One of their...
- 9/22/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon was the first Beatle to get married, and Paul McCartney was the last. Though McCartney was in a relationship with Jane Asher for most of the 1960s, he felt their dynamic was more relaxed than it would have been if they were married. He said that Lennon also recognized this and was jealous of it.
Paul McCartney Said John Lennon was jealous of his relationship
In 1963, McCartney and Asher, a London-based actor, began dating. McCartney moved into her family’s home later that year, and they continued dating until 1968. Though McCartney and Asher lived together for most of their relationship, he felt a great deal of freedom. He continued to date around while they were together.
“Living in the Asher house gave me the base and the freedom and the independence,” McCartney said in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “That, alongside all the other things,...
Paul McCartney Said John Lennon was jealous of his relationship
In 1963, McCartney and Asher, a London-based actor, began dating. McCartney moved into her family’s home later that year, and they continued dating until 1968. Though McCartney and Asher lived together for most of their relationship, he felt a great deal of freedom. He continued to date around while they were together.
“Living in the Asher house gave me the base and the freedom and the independence,” McCartney said in the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “That, alongside all the other things,...
- 9/18/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
One of George Harrison’s biggest problems with being in The Beatles was that John Lennon and Paul McCartney didn’t take his songwriting seriously. They poured focus and effort into their songs but were reluctant to pay Harrison’s music the same respect. In 1969, though, Lennon seemed to show a little guilt about his treatment of Harrison. McCartney didn’t feel the same way.
John Lennon acknowledged the way he and Paul McCartney treated George Harrison
In the first half of the 1960s, Lennon and McCartney wrote nearly all of The Beatles’ songs. Harrison admitted that he wasn’t all that interested in songwriting in the band’s early years. By the second half of the decade, though, he was more interested in contributing songs to their albums. Lennon and McCartney weren’t all that enthusiastic about this, which Lennon acknowledged in 1969.
“We always carved the singles up between us,...
John Lennon acknowledged the way he and Paul McCartney treated George Harrison
In the first half of the 1960s, Lennon and McCartney wrote nearly all of The Beatles’ songs. Harrison admitted that he wasn’t all that interested in songwriting in the band’s early years. By the second half of the decade, though, he was more interested in contributing songs to their albums. Lennon and McCartney weren’t all that enthusiastic about this, which Lennon acknowledged in 1969.
“We always carved the singles up between us,...
- 8/28/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney wrote many hit songs for The Beatles but also penned tunes that he intended to give out to other artists. These occasionally made their way onto Beatles records, even if McCartney and John Lennon wrote them with other musicians in mind. One such song was “Misery,” a ballad intended for musician Helen Shapiro. McCartney shared why writing the song was hacky of them.
Paul McCartney said a song he wrote with John Lennon was a hack job
Early in their years as a band, McCartney and Lennon wrote together and wanted to do whatever they could to get their songs play time. This included writing songs for other artists. The Beatles were touring with Shapiro, and they felt she could boost their career by singing a song they wrote. So, they penned “Misery” with her in mind.
“We wrote it for Helen Shapiro because we were going on tour with her and,...
Paul McCartney said a song he wrote with John Lennon was a hack job
Early in their years as a band, McCartney and Lennon wrote together and wanted to do whatever they could to get their songs play time. This included writing songs for other artists. The Beatles were touring with Shapiro, and they felt she could boost their career by singing a song they wrote. So, they penned “Misery” with her in mind.
“We wrote it for Helen Shapiro because we were going on tour with her and,...
- 8/27/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon had a problem with more than one Beatles album. He discussed it openly in the studio and, when the band broke up, in interviews. While he didn’t have as much of a problem with Let It Be, he admitted that the album wasn’t quite finished. He didn’t think this was a detriment to the album, though.
John Lennon said a Beatles album was never finished
By the time The Beatles broke up, their dynamic had chilled considerably. Lennon said that working together was painful.
“It’s torture every time we have to produce anything,” he said, per the book Lennon On Lennon: Conversations With John Lennon. “Any artist, poet, anything, whatever you call yourselves, listening know what it’s like. Well, the Beatles haven’t got any magic you haven’t got. We suffer like hell every time we make anything … And we’ve got each other to contend with.
John Lennon said a Beatles album was never finished
By the time The Beatles broke up, their dynamic had chilled considerably. Lennon said that working together was painful.
“It’s torture every time we have to produce anything,” he said, per the book Lennon On Lennon: Conversations With John Lennon. “Any artist, poet, anything, whatever you call yourselves, listening know what it’s like. Well, the Beatles haven’t got any magic you haven’t got. We suffer like hell every time we make anything … And we’ve got each other to contend with.
- 8/21/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney has successfully maintained his fame for six decades. He has been a beloved celebrity since his early 20s and is still widely adored in his 80s. While he struggled with the trappings of fame alongside his Beatles bandmates, he enjoyed celebrity more than them. According to a friend of the band, McCartney was the only one to let fame inflate his ego.
Paul McCartney enjoyed fame more than the other Beatles
The Beatles’ rise to success was relatively quick and it lifted them to astronomical heights. They became the most famous people in the world, unable to go anywhere without fans swarming them. While they were happy for their success, each of The Beatles struggled with this level of celebrity. They had completely lost their ability to live normal lives, and, at least in the early 1960s, their fame eclipsed their music.
According to a friend of the band,...
Paul McCartney enjoyed fame more than the other Beatles
The Beatles’ rise to success was relatively quick and it lifted them to astronomical heights. They became the most famous people in the world, unable to go anywhere without fans swarming them. While they were happy for their success, each of The Beatles struggled with this level of celebrity. They had completely lost their ability to live normal lives, and, at least in the early 1960s, their fame eclipsed their music.
According to a friend of the band,...
- 8/1/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles spent hours in recording sessions, and they had pent-up energy when they got out. They found it fun to speed around in their cars, racing and using microphones to call out to one another. While this was entertaining to the musicians, it was less so for the residents of the towns they drove through.
The Beatles raced cars through villages after recording sessions
Once John Lennon got a driver’s license, he outfitted his Rolls-Royce with oversized ashtrays, a record player, a custom horn, and a microphone system with speakers in the wheel wells. He used the microphone frequently.
“You could ask people to cross the road a bit faster which scared the daylights out of them,” Beatles associate Tony King said, per Rolling Stone.
Lennon encouraged his bandmates to race him in their cars. The Beatles did this after recording sessions, despite the fact that it was often past midnight.
The Beatles raced cars through villages after recording sessions
Once John Lennon got a driver’s license, he outfitted his Rolls-Royce with oversized ashtrays, a record player, a custom horn, and a microphone system with speakers in the wheel wells. He used the microphone frequently.
“You could ask people to cross the road a bit faster which scared the daylights out of them,” Beatles associate Tony King said, per Rolling Stone.
Lennon encouraged his bandmates to race him in their cars. The Beatles did this after recording sessions, despite the fact that it was often past midnight.
- 7/21/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1967, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr took out a full-page ad in the Times about drugs. The Beatles believed Britain should legalize marijuana, so they financed an ad advocating for this and signed their names. It immediately caused a stir. In the House of Commons, the Minister of State gave a lengthy speech in which she quoted McCartney. She intended to show, based on his words, the dangers of drug use.
The House of Commons used a Paul McCartney quote about drugs
In 1967, all four Beatles helped finance a full-page advertisement advocating the legalization of marijuana. While they were among the 64 signatories supporting legalization on the ad, McCartney worried about negative publicity if people found out they paid for it. Word quickly got out, though, and caused an uproar.
The day the ad appeared in the Sunday Times, the House of Commons debated it. According to...
The House of Commons used a Paul McCartney quote about drugs
In 1967, all four Beatles helped finance a full-page advertisement advocating the legalization of marijuana. While they were among the 64 signatories supporting legalization on the ad, McCartney worried about negative publicity if people found out they paid for it. Word quickly got out, though, and caused an uproar.
The day the ad appeared in the Sunday Times, the House of Commons debated it. According to...
- 7/15/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney has been famous for the vast majority of his life, but he still sometimes feels a jolt when he thinks about his legacy. He spent his 20s with The Beatles and has continued to work on music ever since. He said he still thinks of himself as a kid from Liverpool, even though he has not been this in years. McCartney admitted that remembering his level of fame can feel overwhelming.
Paul McCartney said he sometimes freaks out when he remembers who he is
McCartney draws a distinct line between himself as a performer and himself in his personal life.
“I’ve always had this thing of him and me; he goes on stage, he’s famous, and then me; I’m just some kid from Liverpool,” he said, per the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “At fifty-four this little being inside me...
Paul McCartney said he sometimes freaks out when he remembers who he is
McCartney draws a distinct line between himself as a performer and himself in his personal life.
“I’ve always had this thing of him and me; he goes on stage, he’s famous, and then me; I’m just some kid from Liverpool,” he said, per the book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now by Barry Miles. “At fifty-four this little being inside me...
- 7/15/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles were still together as a band when John Lennon released his Two Virgins album with Yoko Ono. The album was experimental, so it was a tough sell to even the most dedicated Beatles fans. It didn’t help that Lennon and Ono posed fully nude on the cover. While Paul McCartney wrote album notes for Two Virgins, he reportedly was not a fan of the cover photo. Neither were George Harrison and Ringo Starr. Here’s why the band was so concerned about the controversial album cover.
The Beatles did not like John Lennon’s album cover for ‘Two Virgins’
In 1968, Lennon and Ono released Two Virgins, the first of three experimental albums. While many listeners didn’t like the album’s contents, the bigger source of controversy, by far, was the cover. It features full frontal nudity from both Lennon and Ono. Many record stores refused to sell it altogether,...
The Beatles did not like John Lennon’s album cover for ‘Two Virgins’
In 1968, Lennon and Ono released Two Virgins, the first of three experimental albums. While many listeners didn’t like the album’s contents, the bigger source of controversy, by far, was the cover. It features full frontal nudity from both Lennon and Ono. Many record stores refused to sell it altogether,...
- 7/13/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Elton John has announced his retirement several different times, but Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr took a different approach when they wanted The Beatles to stop live performances. Rather than announcing it, they simply stopped. McCartney said he never wanted to do a grand farewell tour or even break up The Beatles when he got sick of them. He believed there was always a chance of reunion. McCartney specifically said that he didn’t want to take John’s approach.
Paul McCartney didn’t want The Beatles to approach a farewell tour like Elton John did
After playing a show in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park in 1966, The Beatles never toured again. They continued to make music together for the next several years, though. McCartney said they brought up the possibility of breaking up before they officially split, but he tended to push back against it.
Paul McCartney didn’t want The Beatles to approach a farewell tour like Elton John did
After playing a show in San Francisco’s Candlestick Park in 1966, The Beatles never toured again. They continued to make music together for the next several years, though. McCartney said they brought up the possibility of breaking up before they officially split, but he tended to push back against it.
- 7/11/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
A majority of The Beatles’ songs were relatively short because that’s what fits better for radio play. Besides ‘Hey Jude’, most of their hits were three or four minutes. In one of his more experimental modes, Paul McCartney developed a 15-minute song that he got The Beatles to play with him. It’s still never been released, but the former Beatle said it could see the light someday.
Paul McCartney made a 15-minute song with The Beatles called ‘Carnival of Light’ Paul McCartney | G Greenwell and A MacDonald /Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
There are many rumored, unreleased songs from The Beatles that fans have been scouring for. One of these mythical tracks is “Carnival of Light”, an “avant-garde” 15-minute instrumental track created by McCartney. The song emerged when David Vaughan, a friend of McCartney’s, asked him to record music for an event called The Million Volt...
Paul McCartney made a 15-minute song with The Beatles called ‘Carnival of Light’ Paul McCartney | G Greenwell and A MacDonald /Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix via Getty Images
There are many rumored, unreleased songs from The Beatles that fans have been scouring for. One of these mythical tracks is “Carnival of Light”, an “avant-garde” 15-minute instrumental track created by McCartney. The song emerged when David Vaughan, a friend of McCartney’s, asked him to record music for an event called The Million Volt...
- 6/9/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney has publicly expressed his love of marijuana. While it has gotten him into legal trouble in the past, he continues to support the drug’s legalization worldwide. He has also professed his love for the drug in several songs, even if the pot references were subtle. Here are all the songs where Paul McCartney expresses his love for pot.
‘Magical Mystery Tour’ Paul McCartney | Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“Magical Mystery Tour” is the title track of the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same name. The soundtrack portrayed The Beatles at the height of their psychedelic era in the late 1960s. Paul McCartney wanted to give this song a psychedelic vibe and included the repetitive phrase, “roll up for the mystery tour,” multiple times in the track. The “Let It Be” singer admitted this is a not-so-subtle reference to rolling a joint.
“It...
‘Magical Mystery Tour’ Paul McCartney | Sepia Times/Universal Images Group via Getty Images
“Magical Mystery Tour” is the title track of the soundtrack to the 1967 television film of the same name. The soundtrack portrayed The Beatles at the height of their psychedelic era in the late 1960s. Paul McCartney wanted to give this song a psychedelic vibe and included the repetitive phrase, “roll up for the mystery tour,” multiple times in the track. The “Let It Be” singer admitted this is a not-so-subtle reference to rolling a joint.
“It...
- 5/21/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Tl;Dr:
Paul McCartney used the word “pataphysical” in The Beatles’ Abbey Road because he likes surrealism. He learned about the word through a friend who was a notable writer. The Beatles’ Abbey Road was a huge hit in the United States and the United Kingdom. Paul McCartney | Keystone-France / Contributor
Paul McCartney put the word “pataphysical” in a song from The Beatles’ Abbey Road. Notably, the phrase has comedic origins. Subsequently, Paul explained why he used the word.
Paul McCartney used a word in The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ because he loves surrealism
In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul discussed his friendship with countercultural author Barry Miles. Miles was interested in a surrealist movement called Pataphysics, a spoof of science.
“Miles and I often used to talk about the ‘Pataphysical Society,” he said. “So I put that in one of the Beatles songs, ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer:’ ‘Joan was quizzical,...
Paul McCartney used the word “pataphysical” in The Beatles’ Abbey Road because he likes surrealism. He learned about the word through a friend who was a notable writer. The Beatles’ Abbey Road was a huge hit in the United States and the United Kingdom. Paul McCartney | Keystone-France / Contributor
Paul McCartney put the word “pataphysical” in a song from The Beatles’ Abbey Road. Notably, the phrase has comedic origins. Subsequently, Paul explained why he used the word.
Paul McCartney used a word in The Beatles’ ‘Abbey Road’ because he loves surrealism
In the 1997 book Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now, Paul discussed his friendship with countercultural author Barry Miles. Miles was interested in a surrealist movement called Pataphysics, a spoof of science.
“Miles and I often used to talk about the ‘Pataphysical Society,” he said. “So I put that in one of the Beatles songs, ‘Maxwell’s Silver Hammer:’ ‘Joan was quizzical,...
- 5/13/2023
- by Matthew Trzcinski
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney made his living as an artist, but he brought a blue-collar approach to The Beatles. That mentality extended beyond the Fab Four, too. Paul once rolled up his sleeves and cheerfully did a bunch of blue-collar jobs for his friend, Peter Asher. Paul said some Beatles songs came from moments of inspiration while others, such as “I Don’t Want to Spoil the Party,” came from grinding out tunes as part of the job. His work helping Asher proved he had no problem grinding away doing physical labor.
(l-r) Paul McCartney; Peter Asher | Fiona Adams/Redferns; Hulton-Deutsch/Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images Paul McCartney did a series of blue-collar jobs to help Peter Asher launch his business
Paul once said The Beatles were for the working people. The bassist said the stuffy establishment types would never come around to their music. Instead, they penned tunes for the...
(l-r) Paul McCartney; Peter Asher | Fiona Adams/Redferns; Hulton-Deutsch/Hulton-Deutsch Collection/Corbis via Getty Images Paul McCartney did a series of blue-collar jobs to help Peter Asher launch his business
Paul once said The Beatles were for the working people. The bassist said the stuffy establishment types would never come around to their music. Instead, they penned tunes for the...
- 4/28/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles wrote many songs that were love letters to various things and locations in the U.K. “Strawberry Fields Forever” and “Penny Lane” are both dedicated to locations they visited in Liverpool. Paul McCartney and John Lennon wrote one song in the early days of The Beatles as a “tribute to British rail.”
‘One After 909’ is one of the Beatles’ earliest songs The Beatles | Keystone Features/Getty Images
The Beatles first recorded “One After 909” in 1963 on the same day as “From Me to You.” However, The Beatles did perform it live earlier as The Quarrymen in 1960 and at the Cavern Club in 1962. The recorded version of the song wasn’t released until 1970’s Let it Be, the band’s final album. In a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, John Lennon said he wrote the song around the age of 17 and claims it was primarily a solo job.
“I wrote it...
‘One After 909’ is one of the Beatles’ earliest songs The Beatles | Keystone Features/Getty Images
The Beatles first recorded “One After 909” in 1963 on the same day as “From Me to You.” However, The Beatles did perform it live earlier as The Quarrymen in 1960 and at the Cavern Club in 1962. The recorded version of the song wasn’t released until 1970’s Let it Be, the band’s final album. In a 1970 interview with Rolling Stone, John Lennon said he wrote the song around the age of 17 and claims it was primarily a solo job.
“I wrote it...
- 4/22/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles members rarely performed songs by themselves, but there were times when they recorded solo tracks. While there was primarily only one lead vocalist on each song, the other members were usually in the background, rocking out on their instruments. However, there are a few songs by Paul McCartney that he sang and played the instruments on without any other members. Here are four Beatles songs featuring only Paul McCartney.
‘Blackbird’ Paul McCartney | CBS via Getty Images
“Blackbird” is a 1968 song from The White Album. The track addresses the racial tensions during the U.S. Civil Rights movement. After witnessing the Little Rock Nine, a group of students escorted into a recently desegregated school in Arkansas, he was inspired to write a song. In Many Years From Now, McCartney said the title refers to a black woman and is written from her perspective.
Those were the days of the civil rights movement,...
‘Blackbird’ Paul McCartney | CBS via Getty Images
“Blackbird” is a 1968 song from The White Album. The track addresses the racial tensions during the U.S. Civil Rights movement. After witnessing the Little Rock Nine, a group of students escorted into a recently desegregated school in Arkansas, he was inspired to write a song. In Many Years From Now, McCartney said the title refers to a black woman and is written from her perspective.
Those were the days of the civil rights movement,...
- 4/9/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Ringo Starr joined The Beatles significantly later than his bandmates, so he didn’t live through some of their earliest experiences as a group. He also wasn’t on all the songs they recorded, though this continued to happen after he joined the band. For various reasons, Starr was not the drummer on five Beatles songs.
Ringo Starr | Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images Ringo Starr plays a different instrument on The Beatles song ‘P.S. I Love You’
Soon after joining the band, Starr joined them in the studio to record “Love Me Do.” He struggled with timekeeping, though, much to the frustration of producer George Martin. Ultimately, Starr’s version of “Love Me Do” made it on the album, but he wasn’t so lucky with another song.
“They started ‘Ps I Love You.’ The other bloke played the drums and I was given the maracas,” Starr said in the...
Ringo Starr | Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images Ringo Starr plays a different instrument on The Beatles song ‘P.S. I Love You’
Soon after joining the band, Starr joined them in the studio to record “Love Me Do.” He struggled with timekeeping, though, much to the frustration of producer George Martin. Ultimately, Starr’s version of “Love Me Do” made it on the album, but he wasn’t so lucky with another song.
“They started ‘Ps I Love You.’ The other bloke played the drums and I was given the maracas,” Starr said in the...
- 4/5/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
By the time The Beatles broke up, the band had grown tired of working together, but Ringo Starr managed to avoid much of his bandmates’ irritation. Starr did not escape the infighting between the former band members, but he was rarely the target of frustration. Here are four instances that prove Starr was the most widely liked Beatle by his bandmates.
The Beatles | Bettmann/Contributor via Getty The Beatles sent Ringo Starr to make a request of Paul McCartney
In 1970, when The Beatles were still technically together, Paul McCartney planned to release his solo album ahead of Let It Be. The band didn’t think this would be good for their album, and they wanted McCartney to push back his release date. Knowing that this request wouldn’t go over well with McCartney, they sent Starr to ask him.
Huge congrats Sir Ringo! Sir Richard Starkey has a nice ring to it.
The Beatles | Bettmann/Contributor via Getty The Beatles sent Ringo Starr to make a request of Paul McCartney
In 1970, when The Beatles were still technically together, Paul McCartney planned to release his solo album ahead of Let It Be. The band didn’t think this would be good for their album, and they wanted McCartney to push back his release date. Knowing that this request wouldn’t go over well with McCartney, they sent Starr to ask him.
Huge congrats Sir Ringo! Sir Richard Starkey has a nice ring to it.
- 3/24/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
John Lennon wasn’t afraid to publicly bash Beatles songs, no matter if he or Paul McCartney wrote them. The two were a dynamic songwriting duo, but Lennon sometimes called out McCartney’s Beatles songs he felt were weak. However, Lennon praised several of McCartney’s songs, showing he appreciated his songwriting partner.
Here are 5 of Paul McCartney’s Beatles songs that John Lennon liked ‘All My Loving’ John Lennon and Paul McCartney | Fox Photos/Getty Images
“All My Loving” was released in 1963 on The Beatles’ second album With The Beatles. In Many Years From Now, McCartney told Barry Miles that it was the first song he had written the words to before the music. In the 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon said he wished he had written this song as it’s a “damn good piece of work,” and he complimented his own guitar-playing on the song.
‘Why Don’t We...
Here are 5 of Paul McCartney’s Beatles songs that John Lennon liked ‘All My Loving’ John Lennon and Paul McCartney | Fox Photos/Getty Images
“All My Loving” was released in 1963 on The Beatles’ second album With The Beatles. In Many Years From Now, McCartney told Barry Miles that it was the first song he had written the words to before the music. In the 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon said he wished he had written this song as it’s a “damn good piece of work,” and he complimented his own guitar-playing on the song.
‘Why Don’t We...
- 3/22/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles’ psychedelic pop masterpiece Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band remains an iconic album from the era. Pink Floyd’s debut record, The Piper at the Gates of Dawn, is another. Paul McCartney was a guiding force behind Sgt. Pepper’s, including coming up with the title, but he took time to “pass the mantle” to Pink Floyd. McCartney’s prediction about Floyd’s potential (which came with some reassuring words) was 100% right.
(l-r) Paul McCartney; Pink Floyd members Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, and Rick Wright in 1967 | Watford/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images; Doug McKenzie/Getty Images The Beatles met Pink Floyd while both recorded at Abbey Road Studios
The Fab Four practically lived at Abbey Road studios in the 1960s. They recorded several singles and albums in the famed London studio. If the Beatles were seasoned vets in 1967, then Pink Floyd were the recording rookies.
(l-r) Paul McCartney; Pink Floyd members Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett, and Rick Wright in 1967 | Watford/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images; Doug McKenzie/Getty Images The Beatles met Pink Floyd while both recorded at Abbey Road Studios
The Fab Four practically lived at Abbey Road studios in the 1960s. They recorded several singles and albums in the famed London studio. If the Beatles were seasoned vets in 1967, then Pink Floyd were the recording rookies.
- 3/8/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney loves writing optimistic songs, but he loves it even more when he can write a song that makes him hopeful, not just fans. Here are five songs that made Paul optimistic.
Paul McCartney | Ian Dickson/Getty Images 5. ‘Great Day’
In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul wrote that his song “Great Day” made him feel optimistic following The Beatles’ split. After the group’s split, Paul would often sit around in a rut. It was a dark time for him. However, he found the track’s chords while sitting in his kitchen with his children.
“I liked the idea of a song saying that help is coming and there’s a bright light on the horizon,” Paul wrote. “I’ve got absolutely no evidence for this, but I like to believe it. It helps to lift my spirits, to move me forward, and hopefully it might help other people move forward too.
Paul McCartney | Ian Dickson/Getty Images 5. ‘Great Day’
In The Lyrics: 1956 to the Present, Paul wrote that his song “Great Day” made him feel optimistic following The Beatles’ split. After the group’s split, Paul would often sit around in a rut. It was a dark time for him. However, he found the track’s chords while sitting in his kitchen with his children.
“I liked the idea of a song saying that help is coming and there’s a bright light on the horizon,” Paul wrote. “I’ve got absolutely no evidence for this, but I like to believe it. It helps to lift my spirits, to move me forward, and hopefully it might help other people move forward too.
- 2/26/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
George Harrison said the press tainted the word “guru.” They and their readers didn’t understand spirituality. However, it didn’t help that there were some posers in all religious communities.
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi | C. Maher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images George Harrison had many gurus in his life
A couple of things catapulted George into spirituality. First, he took LSD, which opened his mind to God-consciousness. Next, he heard Ravi Shankar’s music. Then, he met Shankar and started learning about Indian music and reading spiritual texts.
Once George started learning more, he didn’t look back. Shankar taught him that God is sound and that if he played the right notes, he’d connect with the almighty. He became George’s musical guru, but he was also instrumental in the Beatle’s spiritual journey.
Then, in the late 1960s,...
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, John Lennon, and the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi | C. Maher/Daily Express/Hulton Archive/Getty Images George Harrison had many gurus in his life
A couple of things catapulted George into spirituality. First, he took LSD, which opened his mind to God-consciousness. Next, he heard Ravi Shankar’s music. Then, he met Shankar and started learning about Indian music and reading spiritual texts.
Once George started learning more, he didn’t look back. Shankar taught him that God is sound and that if he played the right notes, he’d connect with the almighty. He became George’s musical guru, but he was also instrumental in the Beatle’s spiritual journey.
Then, in the late 1960s,...
- 2/20/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Allen Ginsberg initially thought The Beatles were naive when he first met them. However, he soon learned that they were innovators and artists like him.
The Beatles | Central Press/Getty Images Allen Ginsberg thought The Beatles were naive when he first met them
In Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary No Direction Home (per Ginsberg’s website), Ginsberg explained the first time he met The Beatles. He said he’d just been kicked out of Cuba “for talking privately about Castro’s persecution of gay people.” Then, he went to Czechoslovakia but they also kicked him out a week later. They deported him to London around the time of Bob Dylan’s concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.
There was a “very exciting scene back in the hotel,” and Dylan was down the hall with The Beatles. Ginsberg said he received a message that he should come down the hall to meet them all.
The Beatles | Central Press/Getty Images Allen Ginsberg thought The Beatles were naive when he first met them
In Martin Scorsese’s 2005 documentary No Direction Home (per Ginsberg’s website), Ginsberg explained the first time he met The Beatles. He said he’d just been kicked out of Cuba “for talking privately about Castro’s persecution of gay people.” Then, he went to Czechoslovakia but they also kicked him out a week later. They deported him to London around the time of Bob Dylan’s concerts at the Royal Albert Hall.
There was a “very exciting scene back in the hotel,” and Dylan was down the hall with The Beatles. Ginsberg said he received a message that he should come down the hall to meet them all.
- 2/12/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles are still remembered as one of the greatest bands (if not the greatest) in rock music history. Sixty years after the Fab Four led the British invasion in America, songs created by John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr are still considered by many to be a musical gold standard that stands the test of time.
But while their music endures, there may be some things about the Beatles that you didn’t know (or that you forgot about). To catch you up on your Beatles trivia, here are 15 things you probably didn’t know about this legendary band.
George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, The Beatles | Bettmann/Getty Images 15. The Beatles’ song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ is named after a real place
John Lennon lived with his aunt and uncle, Mimi and George Smith, in Woolton, England, from the time that he was five years old.
But while their music endures, there may be some things about the Beatles that you didn’t know (or that you forgot about). To catch you up on your Beatles trivia, here are 15 things you probably didn’t know about this legendary band.
George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr, The Beatles | Bettmann/Getty Images 15. The Beatles’ song ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ is named after a real place
John Lennon lived with his aunt and uncle, Mimi and George Smith, in Woolton, England, from the time that he was five years old.
- 2/11/2023
- by Perry Carpenter
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney was a fan of Bob Dylan’s music, and he felt that meeting the American musician marked a turning point in The Beatles’ career. Dylan has also expressed his appreciation for McCartney’s music, even joking that he wished the former Beatle would retire because of his talent. He reportedly didn’t always feel this way about McCartney, though. According to filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker, who worked with Dylan several times, Dylan didn’t even like being in the same room with McCartney when he played music.
Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney | Express Newspapers/Getty Images; Express/Express/Getty Images The American musician met The Beatles in 1964
Dylan met The Beatles in 1964 at New York’s Delmonico Hotel. Here, he introduced the band to marijuana.
“George Harrison, John [Lennon], and I were sitting in the main room of the suite, the lounge, drinking,” McCartney explained, per the book Paul McCartney:...
Bob Dylan and Paul McCartney | Express Newspapers/Getty Images; Express/Express/Getty Images The American musician met The Beatles in 1964
Dylan met The Beatles in 1964 at New York’s Delmonico Hotel. Here, he introduced the band to marijuana.
“George Harrison, John [Lennon], and I were sitting in the main room of the suite, the lounge, drinking,” McCartney explained, per the book Paul McCartney:...
- 2/1/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney drew inspiration from many different sources as a songwriter. It is a technique he still employs over 60 years after starting his music career. However, the ideas for some of Paul’s songs came from unlikely origins, including a 1789 poem published by Elizabethan poet Thomas Dekker that he used to write a climactic Abbey Road song.
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon | Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Paul McCartney is a very pragmatic songwriter
Of all The Beatles, Paul takes a very pragmatic approach to songwriting. He viewed it as a job, a means to an end to a new song. It was an approach he used when first writing songs with John Lennon.
“If I were to sit down and write a song, now, I’d use my usual method: I’d either sit down with a guitar or at the piano and just look for melodies,...
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and John Lennon | Keystone-France/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images Paul McCartney is a very pragmatic songwriter
Of all The Beatles, Paul takes a very pragmatic approach to songwriting. He viewed it as a job, a means to an end to a new song. It was an approach he used when first writing songs with John Lennon.
“If I were to sit down and write a song, now, I’d use my usual method: I’d either sit down with a guitar or at the piano and just look for melodies,...
- 1/26/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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