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Paul Mccartney

Books on the Beatles

by admin on January 12, 2010

I haven’t read every book on The Beatles but being the big Beatles fan that I am, I have read many of them. I’ve read books that are primarily about their biography and books that are primarily about their music. I’ve read books on The Beatles that are really great and I’ve read some that are not so great. In this article I focus on the good ones that I do recommend reading.
Revolution In The Head – This is a book that I love a “love/hate” relationship with. I strongly disagree with many of the opinions shared in this book but I still find it to be a really good read. One that makes me want to listen to The Beatles songs again to hear things from this author’s perspective. It takes a close look at each of the songs The Beatles recorded during the 1960s (originals and covers. ) Although it contains many opinions, it also contains a lot of facts that make it a good resource.
The Beatles As Musicians – This is actually a two book set that is sold separately. One edition covers all of the music The Beatles recorded from their beginnings up through 1965’s Rubber Soul and the other edition covers their music from 1966’s Revolver through the break up of the band in 1970. This books is really aimed at students of The Beatles music. It largely bypasses the biographical stuff (which is fine, because so many other books cover that stuff) and instead focuses in great detail on the musical construction of their songs. This book is probably over the head of many readers because of it’s focus on music theory. But for those really interested in the musicianship and songwriting of the band, there is no better resource.
Lennon Revealed – This is a “revealing” biography of John Lennon (hence the name!) I have read a few books on Lennon and I think this is the best of them. It does a good job of making you feel like you’re getting to know the real John Lennon rather than just the “icon. ”
Many Years From Now – Tells The Beatles story from Paul McCartney’s perspective. Includes many direct quotes from Paul. This is an extremely informative book.
Here, There, & Everywhere: My Life Recording The Beatles – This book was written by Beatles engineer Geoff Emerick and it tells The Beatles story from his very interesting perspective. I don’t think any other book had me feeling like I was really there for the recording of their albums as much as this one. It includes some interesting technical details on how the music was recorded. I very highly recommend this book!
The Beatles Anthology – The “official Beatles story. ” I think this is an obvious “must have” for any Beatles fan. It’s the perfect companion to the Anthology documentary film (which is available on DVD of course. )
The Beatles Complete Scores – The music (including guitar & drum tabs) for every song the band officially released during their active career (ie: no Anthology songs are included. )

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The Remastered Beatles: Stereo

by admin on December 31, 2009

The Beatles entered the world of compact disc in the late 1980s when their entire catalog was released on the (new at the time) medium.
Unfortunately there were a couple of big issues with the way their music was released on CD. The first was that it wasn’t mastered particularly well (some would say that’s an understatement. ) The second was that only the stereo mixes for most of their albums were released on CD, leaving the mono mixes that were the standard for most of The Beatles career on the shelf.
Both of these issues have been corrected in 2009 with the release of new Beatles remasters. Digital mastering has come a long way since the ’80s and while that hasn’t all been progress (look into the “loudness wars”) the technological advances did wonders for these remasters because those that did them had the taste not to over compress and squeeze the life out of the music.
And with the release of The Beatles in Mono Box Set, the original mono mixes that most Beatles fans listened to in the 1960s are finally available on CD.
While The Beatles in Mono was the most exciting new Beatles release for real hardcore Beatles purists, the most popular box set has definitely been The Beatles in Stereo. And that’s for a lot of very good reasons. For one it includes The Beatles entire 1960s discography (unlike the mono box set which is missing the last few albums) and for another it sounds absolutely delicious! While it’s a real treat to hear the mono mixes for the first time, I must say that it’s the stereo mixes that stay in my CD player the most because they just sound so great.
Compared to the old CDs, these new remastered stereo discs really pop. In particular I find that Paul McCartney’s wonderful bass lines (and in my opinion, he’s the best bassist in pop music history) really punch through the mix like never before. But Ringo’s drums and the beautiful harmony vocals are close runner ups as they both seem to be more clear in the mix than before.
If I had to choose just one song as an example of how much better these new stereo mixes sound I would point to “Long Long Long” which sounds like it’s under a pile of blankets on the old CD. There are bits in this song that were nearly inaudible before, that now really jump into the ear and make themselves known. It’s a revelatory experience listening to this wonderful under appreciated George Harrison written gem.
As great as the stereo box set is, there are still some “purists” who feel strongly that The Beatles in Mono is really the way to go if you want to hear The Beatles as they were originally meant to be heard. The reason they believe this is because back in the 1960s almost all of The Beatles fans actually listened to their music on mono playback systems. And John, Paul, George, & Ringo themselves grew up listening to mono.
Because of this they put almost all of their energy into making sure the mono mixes were as good as they could be. On the other hand up until around 1968 the band and it’s producers didn’t put nearly as much thought into their stereo mixes. They were usually “thrown together” after they worked out the mono mix.
Often times they would try experimental approaches such as having all of the vocals on one side and all of the drums on the other. Because of this many people find many of the stereo mixes unsettling to listen to on headphones.
These two box sets are not the only remastered Beatles compilations released in 2009. The third is The Beatles USB “Apple” flash drive which is a digital version of The Beatles in Stereo. It includes the same elements (both sound & vision) except on a USB instead of on a set of CDs.
The really cool thing about it to me is that you can essential hold The Beatles entire career in your hand. I think that’s fantastic. It’s also very cool that this USB contains “better than CD” audiophile 24bit FLAC versions of all of their stereo remasters. Of course it also includes the first official release of The Beatles in the mp3 format, and they do it right with high quality 320 mp3 files.
All three of these of these groovy products makes 2009 the year of the Remastered Beatles.

Mike Jensy recommends you collect ‘em all: (1) Remastered Beatles in Stereo Box Set. (2) Remastered Beatles in Mono Box Set (3) Remastered Beatles USB (MP3 & FLAC)

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While Paul McCartney was the most well known member of the band to indulge in seemingly ethereal song concepts, John Lennon was also from time to time given to contribute his own musical visions. With Across The Universe Beatles fans were treated to a glimpse into Lennon’s creative process. In 1967, Lennon was inspired during an argument he had with his wife. While listening to her talking at him, rather than to him, the first line of ‘Across The Universe’ kept repeating in his mind: ‘words are flowing out like endless rain into a paper cup’. Whether this indicated the state of Lennon’s feelings regarding his marriage or was truly a transcendental moment the world will never know, but the line persisted in Lennon’s imagination and he began to search for music and verses to accompany it.

At the time, the Beatles were in their Indian guru / meditation phase, which accounts for the inclusion of the ‘Jai guru deva om’ mantra, spoken in Sanskrit in the chorus of the song. The song was somewhat hastily recorded prior to a trip to India, and Lennon was not satisfied with the results. It was shelved, and other tracks were released to tide the public over until the group could return from their vacation. He later groused that he felt McCartney had tried to steamroll the song through the studio, a glimpse of the impending breakup of the band due to constant inner squabbling. The song was remixed in order to be part of a charity release before it was properly packaged onto the ‘Let It Be’ album. It was one of the few contributions Lennon made during the recording sessions for that album.

Interestingly, the song has had a lasting impact on world culture long after its original release. In a film named Across The Universe Beatles songs and themes were used to tie together a rather loose plot. The film was more of a visual and musical exploration than a proper narrative. ‘Across The Universe’ also had the honor of being broadcast into space on X band radio raves by NASA in 2008. It was only the second time that a piece of music had been intentionally transmitted into deep space, although radio waves from all over the planet routinely bridge the gap between the stars. This was done in celebration of the 50th anniversary of NASA, and hopefully anyone out there on the receiving end will be converted into a Beatles fan.

 

Classic-Rock-Music. com is the mystical rehersal studio for rockers DEMON TWEAK. Listen as they prepare for battle with the evil trickster Loki by playing home brewed classic rock direct from Ragnarok. Also read articles on your favorite classic rock band written by resident historian VIRGIL THE STORYTELLER

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The Beatles Yesterday Tugs at Heart Strings

by admin on December 13, 2009

The Beatles Yesterday is one of the most persistent songs in their entire catalog.   Over 3000 different versions of this track have been recorded by a huge variety of artists.   The song had humble beginnings inside the mind of Paul McCartney – more specifically, inside a dream he had one night.   With a fair number of McCartney’s musical compositions resulting from dreams, this shouldn’t be much of a surprise.   Perhaps due to the otherworldly manner in which the song had appeared to him, after his initial demo recording of the song he became paranoid that it was actually the property of some other songwriter.   He feared that he had merely heard it somewhere else and had the suggestion of its tune planted in his subconscious.   Gradually, over a period of several weeks, and through the assurances of everyone he played it for that it was indeed original, McCartney set out to complete the song and lyric.

The words to the piece were quite difficult to pin down for the talented songwriter.   He had given the song the temporary title of ‘Scrambled Eggs’, and it became an ongoing joke in the band.   After the filming of ‘Help!’ in 1965, McCartney took a vacation in Portugal and in transit he managed to come up with almost the entire rhyming scheme for the track, as well as the final title.

In the studio recording of The Beatles Yesterday, only one member of the band is actually playing an instrument.   Paul decided to accompany himself using only an acoustic guitar, although producer George Martin fleshed out the rather bare arrangement with a string section before the track was released.   Rather bizarrely for a band that would develop such a reputation for experimentation, the three other members of the band fought McCartney tooth and nail when he proposed releasing ‘Yesterday’ as a single.   Their argument was that the song represented too great of a departure from the band’s current sound and style.   Eventually, the American market got to have ‘Yesterday’ backed with Ringo Starr’s cover of country song ‘Act Naturally’ on the B-side, as it was hoped that Starr’s popularity in that country would carry the day.   McCartney, of course, had the last laugh, and the song performed very well on both the American and later the British charts.   Sometimes, even when you are part of a band as successful as the Beatles it is important to go against the grain and listen to the passionate arguments of the lone dissenting member.

Classic-Rock-Music. com is the mystical rehersal studio for rockers DEMON TWEAK. Listen as they prepare for battle with the evil trickster Loki by playing home brewed classic rock direct from Ragnarok. Also read articles on your favorite classic rock band written by resident historian VIRGIL THE STORYTELLER

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When you talk about classic rock, surely you will be associated with the Beatles. The Beatles is one of the best and biggest pop rock bands that the world produced. John Lennon, James Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Richard Starkey (also known as Ringo Starr) were born during the 1940s in Liverpool, England. During the post war period, Liverpool was a dirty depressed town and money was rarely to meet. Two decades later, these four men would shock the world with their musical breakthrough. Their music contribution is beyond question. Beatlemania, the fanatic fan of beatles, are spread in entire world, even until today. One their best masterpieces, yesterday, is considered as one of the best classic rock song ever produced. It was McCartney’s masterpiece that he recorded on June 14, 1965.

This is probably Paul’s most successful song, as Yesterday has been recorded more than 2500 times by other artists over the years, being the most recorded song in music history! The tune for Yesterday came to him during the night. As he awoke, he went straight to the piano and played the complete tune. So easy this was, Paul feared that the tune must be from another song or belonged to another. No one had heard it before and consequently, yesterday was born. When Yesterday was initially released, it received some critics and controversies from the press, when they learned that it was a purely McCartney recording, without the other three Beatles’, yet released under the name of The Beatles. People feared at the time that this was McCartney’s break into a solo career, but this was not true, not at least for another five years. Yesterday was still be part of the Beatles’s history instead of merely McCartney’s masterpiece.

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The Beatles – Who Were They?

by admin on November 25, 2009

This is the first of a series of articles which will be trying to delve a little deeper into the life and times of the Beatles.
We will be looking at their history, their time in Hamburg, their time at the Cavern Club, their time in America, and the time they spent in the Studio, together with other fascinating little known facts that have come to light over the years.
Without doubt the Beatles are an iconic group, a one off, and although it is getting on for 40 years now since they broke up, their fame and influence is still as strong now as it was back in the 1960’s and early 70’s.
I grew up during the Beatles era, and everywhere that I have travelled around the world they are known, and loved. I remember being in a small nightclub in Thailand where there was a Chinese Beatles tribute band playing, and although I personally did not appreciate the sound that they produced, particularly the singing, they were immensely popular with the locals.
On another occasion I was on holiday in Peru, and half way up a mountain I came across a bunch of Peruvians playing their type of music, on pipes, but the song they were playing was Love Me Do.
So, who were The Beatles?
Well let me begin by telling you the basics, something which many of you reading this will know, but to many of our younger readers this basic information may be something which they have never got a handle on.
The Beatles were a pop group ( as they were called in those days) and they came from a city in the north of England known as Liverpool.
The group consisted of John Lennon who played rhythm guitar and vocals, Paul McCartney who played bass guitar and vocals, George Harrison who played lead guitar and vocals, and Ringo Starr who played drums and vocals.
Two other names were former members – Pete Best, drums, and Stuart Sutcliffe, bass.
I think if you had asked The Beatles what was their style of music in the early days they would probably have told you that they were strongly influenced by rock and roll, and skiffle. Later on this style did change quite a bit, but that was their early influence.
Now it is true to say that not only were they influenced by many earlier groups and styles of music, but they were quite an influence on many groups that came after them.
Their music, the clothes they wore, the things they did and said, all had an enormous influence on the young people of the day, 1n the 1960’s.
When eventually the group broke up in 1970, John, Paul, George and Ringo all pursued their own solo careers, and we will be looking at those careers in more details in forthcoming articles.
If you would like to be kept updated on future articles then please go to my website and near the bottom of the page you will find my email address. You simply need to email me and ask to be kept updated.

John Charles is a guitarist who has met all The Beatles. Please visit my website at http://www. GuitarPlayingMadeEasy. com to be kept updated.

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The Beatles She Loves You was their first real break in the market for American music. The year was 1963 and the Beatles had already scored big time in their native England with the million-selling hit "I Want To Hold Your Hand." The release of 'She Loves You "granted to the group with the same level of success, and today, Capitol Records, headquartered on the other side of the Atlantic began to take note of this phenomenon is place in England. They exercised their option to release tracks by the group in the United States, and "She Loves You 'was their first choice. Accordingly, the Beatles She Loves You "is for many Americans one of the first songs they ever heard of the band. While the previous version by the band to make it Stateside hit a meager number 116 on the cards before being unceremoniously dumped on the radio, "She Loves You 'has found a rather tortuous way to the top was made in September but did not find much success until the group also released "I Want To Hold Your Hand 'in the United States a few months later. Already the biggest selling single of all time in the United Kingdom, (ironically just passed 14 years later by a song recorded by Paul McCartney's post-Beatles group Wings), The Beatles She Loves You would soon find occupies a unique place in the history of American music as well. In the first week of April 1964, "She Loves You 'was one of the Beatles songs claiming the top 5 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 charts – a feat never since duplicated. Having been republished on the Swan label, the track spent over 15 weeks in the American charts. The Beatles She Loves You ", with" I Want To Hold Your Hand "and their appearances on the Ed Sullivan Show helped largely to cement their popularity among American youth. The group finally offered a viable option for packaged crooners teenager who had been imposed by the record company in the mainstream music for much of the early 60s. The Beatles helped to legitimize the rock and roll as a cultural phenomenon, not just pap released by major labels to satisfy the youth market. With so many teenagers screaming for more, the group opened the doors to the wave of British bands invading the United States in coming years.

Classic Rock-Music. com is the mystical rehearsal studio for rockers DEMON TWEAK. Listen as they prepare for battle with the evil Trickster Loki by playing home brewed classic rock direct from Ragnarok. Also read articles on your favorite classic rock band written by resident historian VIRGIL The Storyteller

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An Award Winning Beatles Love

by admin on October 20, 2009

Beatles Love is a song over who won a Grammy Award. This is a compilation soundtrack album, which is certainly a favorite of many. The music was recorded by the Beatles and he was released in 2006. The album was a huge success and was produced by George Martin. The Beatles are a musical sensation of all time with their history of song and entertainment spanning several years. To work on the love of the Beatles, George Martin had to get permission of the members of the Beatles. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr are the surviving members of The Beatles and others have joined them to replace the deceased. They include Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison. John Lennon and George Harrison are the party members of The Beatles. To do this Beatles Love, the group met again in a meeting. For more information about publishing information, you will find the Internet useful. You will also have the chance to sample some of the terms of reception. People have enjoyed this meeting very much and he is one of the largest meetings ever done. You'll also see some of the track element with respect to the album. It's pretty exciting to know how the song keeled. Greater achievements won a Grammy, it is certainly worth hearing. The Internet will also give you details not only Chart in the United States but all over the world. The graphics are very vital because they reflect the mood of the society regarding the song. This is the best guide to help identify some of the songs above. If you're the kind of person who is born after the Beatles, and have no idea who they are, take time and go through their timeless recordings, which you can sizzle. Their music will live as they seek to attract fans around the world. Their style is misleading and there are those who can not do without. They have the heart and soul of love as they seek to entertain and inform about the various emotions of love. It is essential to have some tracks that may remind you of the merits of love. If you have not yet found love, you need to get it. This is because their sounds are in that specific purpose, which will make you look for your self-esteem. If you have a family member who is crazy about The Beatles and more their album The Beatles LOVE, why not occupied and, surprise them with a good record of the Beatles. There is no doubt that you have not heard the last of them. They are dedicated to keep the world rocking with songs of love. Try to give them audience, and you will not be disappointed. For more history on the Beatles, go online and see that their success was due to their incredible talent that continues to seduce. Music on their lives as we look forward to what they will get to the next as a group. This is bearing in mind they went on their own to individual careers. Age has made their sound even better. We welcome the Beatles.

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The Beatles Worst Three Studio Albums

by admin on October 11, 2009

I am a big fan of the Beatles and wrote many articles about how The Beatles are great. I have written about their greatest albums (The White Album, Revolver, Abbey Road, Sgt Pepper, etc.) but today I decided to do something a little different. What about The Beatles' worst album! I decided to consider only their official UK studio albums to make it more difficult (or I could choose a compilation made by the terrible record company at one time or another).
  # 1 Yellow Submarine
  The Yellow Submarine album contained only six songs of the Beatles true Instrumentals (the rest was rather boring created by their producer George Martin.) And these two songs ( "Yellow Submarine" and "All You Need Is Love") had already been released. This means that there were only four new songs on the album.
  Two of these were songs by George Harrison ( "It's All Too Much" and "Only A Northern Song.") One was by Paul McCartney ( "All Together Now") and one by John Lennon ( " ; Hey Bulldog. ") I actually think" Hey Bulldog "and" It's All Too Much "to rescue the album from being a total loss of time. These are two of the coolest and least known songs of the Beatles. "All Together Now" and "Only A Northern Song" is a bit subpar standards Beatles, I suppose, but I like them.
  Usually I classify this album so low because he has so little new to him, not that new hardware is not good (even if it is not as great as it was normally.) What is cool is that even with the worst Beatles album there were gems that deserve to be listened to (at least before it reaches those who are instrumental a bit of a snooze fest.)
  # 2 With The Beatles
  The second Beatles album lacks the energy and punch of their first album, Please Me Please. It is much too heavy on the covers (and for the most part, the blankets are not particularly well done) and new songs are not particularly fantastic (except for "All My Loving" of course.) That said, I 'still love the album pretty well. I like their cover of "You've Really Got A Hold On Me" by Smokey Robinson. This album is actually ranked # 420 on the magazine Rolling Stone's 500 best albums of all time, which is either proof of the greatness The Beatles were even when they were not so important or evidence that may may be they are a bit overrated.
  # 3 Please Please Me
  The first Beatles album was among the worst in my opinion. Historically, it is obviously very important and I'm listening to it for these reasons. It also includes a start of some great songs like "Please Please Me" and "I Saw Her Standing There" with one of their greatest covers "Twist & Shout".
  But Rolling Stone this class as the best album of all time as the 39th and big fan of the Beatles as I am, I must say that is ridiculous. They rank above actually Night A Hard Day's? They rank above Let it Be? They rank above Magical Mystery Tour? And your help!? I'm not really a serious manner. I'd love listening instead to one of these albums as I Please Please. Yes, it was their first album and yes it has an energy "certain" to him as 10 of the 14 songs were recorded in one day (the other 4 had already been released on singles), but it's just not very good.
  Dishonorable mention: Beatles For Sale. You probably expect to see Beatles For Sale on this list because it is probably the most maligned on this side of the Beatles album Yellow Submarine and if I had a 4th slot, I would have understood there. But I find most pleasing to hear that one of these three albums. Songs like "I'll Follow The Sun", "I" m A Loser, "&" Every Little Thing "certainly do makeup for me and for the covers (I do not want about 75 % of early Beatles cover songs.)

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The beatles – can’t buy me love (live)

by beatles_records on October 6, 2009

The beatles - can\'t buy me love (live)
“Can’t Buy Me Love” is a song composed by Paul McCartney (credited to Lennon/McCartney) and released by The Beatles on the A side of their sixth British single, “Can’t Buy Me Love/You Can’t Do That.”…

[click to continue…]

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