Beatles FAQ

"one of the Beatles most dispensable items". [8] Run for Your Life’, I always hated ... because it was a song I just knocked off Lennon Remembers Few would argue with this assessment. Thomas Ward diplomatically suggests that it is one of the Beatles most dispensable items".[8] while Ian MacDonald is characteristically forthright ('a dismal track'). 'Run for Life' was the first song recorded for what would become Rubber Soul. It was 'knocked off' during a break between the filming of Help and their return to Abbey Road in October 1965. Words One reason Lennon was later embarrassed by the song was what MacDonald calls its 'lazily sexist lyric'. Even allowing for the different social climate, 'you better run for your life ... or that's the end' has an unpleasant menacing edge. The words and the sentiment came from the old Elvis song 'Baby, Let's Play House'. There was a line on it; I used to like specific lines from...

The Beatles cheerfully sang 'Roll Over Beethoven' in their pre-fame stage show. The Chuck Berry anthem also appears on their second album. But if Ludwig was not safely out of copyright, his legal team would most likely have a solid royalties claim. In one of his last interviews, John Lennon revealed how the great German composer provided direct inspiration: I was lying on the sofa in our house, listening to Yoko play Beethoven's - Moonlight Sonata, on the piano. Suddenly I said, 'can you play those chords backwards'. The Beatles version retains the key and key change, plus the pattern of arpeggios. Lennon also added some bass notes and of course and a lyric which he claimed was ' clear, no bullshit, no imagery, no obscure references.' You won't find that kind of language in Fidelio but there is arguably a similarity of intent across the centuries. .

People always ask us how we sit down and write a song. Well, first we sit down. Then we write a song. 

Tabla - traditional Indian instrument

Beatles final meeting? The last time we can be certain that all four Beatles met together was for the final recording sessions for  Abbey Road. This   took place between on Wednesday 20 August, when various tracks were finished, including 'Here Comes the Sun' and, fittingly 'The End'.  Two days later they completed their final final official engagement together - a photoshoot which was held at the new Lennon-Ono residence Tittenhurst Park in Ascot - see here .   At the end, they wandered away in different directions.  The Meeting With recording duties completed, they were pretty much done. Only a final round of business meetings forced them them to meet again.  The key one was on September 20. This was when Alan Klein, now representing John, Paul and Ringo presented the new contract he had negotiated with Capitol Records.  George was absent. Despite the smiling publicity shot, the atmosphere was tense. At one point John announced that he was leavi...

The Beatles famously brought LSD to public attention. Less well known is that George Harrison became rapidly disillusioned about the effects of the drug on young people exposed to it. His last LSD trip was in the late summer of 1967. In Anthology , George confirms Derek Taylor's earlier revelation it that was a trip of the legal type that  changed his perspective.  In August 1967 he made an impromptu personal visit to Haight Ashbury, San Francisco. This was the epicentre of the supposed cultural revolution but what greeted was sordid and threatening.  We were expecting Haight-Ashbury to be special, a creative and artistic place, filled with Beautiful People, but it was horrible - full of ghastly drop-outs, bums and spotty youths, all out of their brains .    Source With the crowd building, Taylor began to fear for their physical safety: Read full story - 3 minute free read on Medium

  Despite their local success in Liverpool and Hamburg — and Brian Epstein’s best efforts — The Beatles struggled to get their first recording contract.

The last time The Beatles played together for an audience was in the famous rooftop performance in January 1969. This was not, however, a concert in the conventional sense, with tickets available to the public.  August 29th, 1966 — Candlestick Park in San Francisco The Beatles’ last ever US date proved a downbeat occasion. It was held in the Giants stadium, a particularly unsuitable venue. A huge fence separated the crowd from the band and there were chaotic dressing room arrangements. Despite the continuing popularity of the band, only 25,000 of the 42,000 seats were sold — partly because of high prices. The disconnect between young fans and now forbiddingly remote idols is made apparent by concert’s compere ‘Emperor’ Gene Nelson: Candlestick Park in August, at night, was cold, foggy and windy. …The Beatles were taking their time to get out. I was trying to entertain a crowd that was shouting, ‘Beatles, Beatles, Beatles.’ The dressing room was chaos. There were loads of people the...

Nam Ngô Composition has always been  an instinctive process for Paul McCartney, with inspiration coming from unlikely sources: