We all shine on: the enduring resonance of John Lennon  |
On December 8th, First Avenue will host the 29th Annual John Lennon Tribute, performed by locally renowned musician, Curtiss A and his exceptional supporting band. Rather than impersonating the original records, they inhabit the spirit, bringing forth the music's vitality with conviction and abandon. [more...]
Source: The Examiner |
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| Grammy Museum tuning up for Hollywood opening |
The Grammy Museum in Hollywood which opens to the public Saturday, will include a display of the 1967 Grammy award for the Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Situated on the second, third and fourth floors in the L.A. Live complex, the museum dedicates each level to a different aspect of recorded music. [more...]
Source: Variety |
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| Rare Beatles US gold disc valued at $4,500 |
A rare gold Beatles disc valued at £3,000 was one of the items brought along to a pop memorabilia valuation day in Carlisle, England. In its original frame and box, the 1965 disc, which commemorates the sale of one million copies of the single We Can Work It Out/Day Tripper, is owned by David Young, of Stanwix. [more...]
Source: News and Star, UK |
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| Classic side of Beatles with strings attached |
In the Classical Mystery Tour show, Los Angeles conductor Martin Herman and four Beatle sound-alikes from the much heralded Beatlemania have developed a production that shows off the sophisticated and ground-breaking use of atypical instrumentation in Beatles music. It will be performed this Wednesday in Vancouver. [more...]
Source: Canada.com |
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| Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in NYC is fun for all |
The newly opened Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Annex NYC at 76 Mercer St. in SoHo is not solely about New York's music scene. But it pays special attention to it with locator maps of local music landmarks. In its 25,000 square feet, it highlights significant moments in music. [more...]
Source: Washington Post |
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| Brits Prefer Tunes on Phones |
Mobile phones are more popular than CD players when it comes to listening to music, says the Entertainment Retailers Association. According to the ERA in the past two years, 44 million mobile phones that feature MP3 capability have been sold, compared to just 8 million CD players in the same period. [more...]
Source: PC World |
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| Blog: Lennon piano inspires songs of peace |
"New World Waking - Songs on the Road to Peace" was developed thanks to a piano owned by John Lennon and used to compose "Imagine." The upright Steinway, complete with the ex-Beatle's cigarette burns, is now owned by George Michael, who had been transporting the piano to places where acts of violence had occurred. [more...]
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| Saturday, November 29, 2008 |
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| Interview: Remembering George Harrison |
Paul Cashmere says the highlight of his media career was definitely having the chance to interview George Harrison. George was funny, informative and up for a chat. Today marks the 7th anniversary of what we all called "the Quiet Beatle". Undercover presents a candid chat with Beatle George. [more...]
Source: Undercover, Australia |
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| Rare early Rolling Stones photos go on sale |
Rare photographs of The Rolling Stones in their early days have gone on sale. Some of the black-and-white images, which were taken by Philip Townsend, who also took pictures of The Beatles, were used to secure the Stones' first-ever recording contract on the Decca label. The limited edition collection went on sale on Friday. [more...]
Source: Kent News, UK |
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| Friday, November 28, 2008 |
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| Oasis digging into Beatles riffs again |
OK, let's all admit that Oasis appropriates ideas from giant hitmakers of the past, most notably the Beatles, and turns them into new anthems for a generation that doesn't know or doesn't care whom Noel and Liam Gallagher are ripping off. It's once again the Beatles who resurface on nearly every song on "Dig Out Your Soul." [more...]
Source: Chicago Tribune |
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| Beatles artist to aid charity |
A one-off original canvas by the artist who created the Beatles' album cover Revolver is being auctioned for charity. Fab Four friend Klaus Voormann, who drew the 1966 Beatles album cover, created the canvas especially for the Willow Foundation. His work will appear alongside another Beatles album cover artist, Sir Peter Blake. [more...]
Source: Liverpool Echo |
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| Suburban Kansas City man sells Beatles film |
A suburban Kansas City man is $6,500 richer after uncovering an old Beatles film in a desk drawer. He was 15 when he filmed the Beatles with his dad's new camera. The film contains a few seconds of the opening acts and 51 seconds of the Beatles, the only known color footage of that Beatles performance. [more...]
Source: KWCH, Wichita |
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| Paul McCartney Defends Ringo Starr |
Paul McCartney has defended former bandmate Ringo Starr's recent outburst against eager fans, insisting the Beatles drummer should be praised for his honesty. Starr upset fans when he asked them to stop sending him requests for autographs, announcing he was too busy. McCartney claims Starr's only fault was his honesty. [more...]
Source: Starpulse News |
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| Eleanor Rigby document fetches $177,000 |
A 97-year-old document that contains clues to the identity of Eleanor Rigby, the subject of one of the Beatles' best-loved songs, sold for 115,000 pounds ($177,000) at auction on Thursday, even though Paul McCartney has denied its authenticity. The total fell well short of high estimates of around 500,000 pounds for the piece of Beatles memorabilia. [more...]
Source: Reuters, UK |
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| Blog: Tribute band looking for new Wingmen |
Have you ever been dreamed of producing a tribute band? If so, Mario Proulx in Québec wants to hear from you! He wants to form a Paul McCartney tribute band called London Town, and take it on a world tour. Mario says, "My goal would be to give people the impression that they really are in presence of Sir Paul." [more...]
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| Thursday, November 27, 2008 |
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| New website created to spread the Word of the Beatles |
More than any other band, The Beatles stood for love and peace. Today, Dave Haber, creator of the Internet Beatles Album, announces a new website called Fixing A Hole.org, who's purpose is to remind Beatles fans that by spreading peace and love, we can all come together to make this world a better place. [more...]
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| White Album focus of Beatles tribute |
In Marshall, Michigan, the weekend after Thanksgiving has become an opportunity for Beatles fans to celebrate the songwriting of the Fab Four at The Franke Center. For the center's third annual Beatles tribute show, five local musicians will present an acoustic version of The Beatles' White Album. [more...]
Source: MLive |
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| Mystery Eleanor Rigby document goes to auction today |
Eleanor Rigby: fact or fiction? That question, which has bedeviled Beatles' fans for decades, may be answered in part by a 1911 hospital payroll sheet to be auctioned in London on Thursday. The document contains the signature of a scullery maid named "E. Rigby" who worked in a Liverpool hospital. [more...]
Source: Gloucester Times, UK |
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| Wednesday, November 26, 2008 |
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| Opinion: Paul is Dead and Elvis is Alive |
The legend of Faust has existed for hundreds of years. But now, Joseph Niezgoda, whose new book on John Lennon, The Lennon Prophecy, asserts that twenty-year-old John Lennon sold his soul to the Devil in 1960 in exchange for success. I feel compelled to rebut this flimsy "theory," this latest rock 'n' roll oddity. [more...]
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| Paul McCartney's guitar to be auctioned |
A handmade guitar owned by Paul McCartney was due to go under the hammer for charity in London last night. The black acoustic/electric guitar was made especially by Takamine Guitars and has his name inscribed in mother of pearl on the fret board. A pair of the guitars were presented to Paul after a tour 10 years ago. [more...]
Source: Look To The Stars |
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| Beatles gifts to Spike Milligan auctioned off |
At an auction in London, a collection of Christmas cards sent to Spike Milligan by George Harrison sold for 7,200 pounds ($11,000) after being estimated at just 500 to 700 pounds, while a poem by Paul McCartney fetched 6,000 pounds ($9,200), way above its top estimate of 2,000 pounds. [more...]
Source: Reuters, UK |
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| Author says The Beatles were a spiritual force |
When John Lennon said that the Beatles were then "more popular" his comments prompted outrage in the U.S. This weekend the Vatican's newspaper paid tribute to the band. Steve Turner, author "The Gospel According To The Beatles," talks about the controversy that helped to end the Beatles' touring career. [more...]
Source: CNN |
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| UK Musicians urge copyright change |
A video message on behalf of 38,000 UK musicians has been sent to Great Britain Prime Minister Gordon Brown urging him to back an extension of their copyright protection. Under current copyright laws, royalties will soon dry up for session musicians who played on classic tracks released in the 1960s. [more...]
Source: BBC News |
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| Tuesday, November 25, 2008 |
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| The Beatles and iTunes: A question of money? |
Last we checked, the full catalog of Beatles songs was supposed to be available for sale on the iTunes Store before the end of 2008. Well, it's not happening this year. A year ago, McCartney told Billboard.com, "It's down to fine-tuning." Translation into American English: Paul wants more money. [more...]
Source: CNN Money |
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| McCartney to serenade Michelle Obama? |
Sir Paul McCartney has offered to sing Beatles hit 'Michelle' to Barack Obama's wife, who shares the same name. The serenade would be in celebration of the recent victory at the polls for the US President-elect. According to The Sun, Paul said, "If I got asked I could sing 'Michelle' to Obama's wife." [more...]
Source: Digital Spy |
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| McCartney finds spark as Fireman |
Paul McCartney has found a new lease of creative life on his third album as The Fireman, a collaboration with producer Youth. Raw, experimental and partly improvised, each song was written and recorded in a day, with Paul building lyrics around words from poetry books, adopting alter-egos, and mining old blues records for inspiration. [more...]
Source: BBC News |
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| Album Review: The Fireman's Electric Arguments |
The third outing from Paul McCartney's duo project with Killing Joke-Orb producer Youth moves this project, which had mostly been instrumental exercise, ahead by developing full-fledged songs built around McCartney's ever magical voice. In several of the songs, that voice is employed almost as just another sonic texture. It's a worthwhile effort. [more...]
Source: Los Angeles Times |
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| EMI admits to deadlock with the Beatles over iTunes |
Record label EMI has admitted that negotiations to make The Beatles back catalogue available on iTunes have reached a deadlock. A company source said various parties have been unable to reach an agreement "but we really hope everyone can progress soon." [more...]
Source: Gigwise |
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| Blog: New Beatles DVD available today |
A new DVD, Composing the Beatles Songbook, is available today. Subtitled "Lennon and McCartney, 1966-1970," this independent documentary gives in-depth analysis of John and Paul's prime songwriting period and incorporates rare footage, classic performances, and interviews with friends of the pair as well as with Beatles historians. [more...]
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