Once upon a time, while interviewing an up-and-coming band in the smoky confines of a pub smoking area, I got talking to them about a specific piano sequence they introduced in the reprise of a song… It was equal parts fun and hypnotic, almost like you were trapped on an endless fairground ride. I asked […]
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What’s the moment you regret most in your life? For the people of Dingwall, it was the time they decided not to go and see The Beatles. Without wanting to insult any natives, the historic Highland market town isn’t exactly famed for much: its Viking roots, a museum, and Ross County FC, at best. It’s […]
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The Beatles were responsible for a number of major studio innovations in the 1960s. Whether it was pioneering the use of backward guitar on ‘I’m Only Sleeping’ or splicing together two different takes of ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ to create one seamless final product, The Beatles were experimenting on levels that were nearly unheard of at […]
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WHEN THE SONS WALKED IN THEIR FATHERS’ SHADOWS Yesterday in London, a quietly remarkable moment unfolded — one that felt less like a tribute and more like history folding back on itself. Outside Abbey Road Studios, five familiar names crossed the iconic zebra crossing: Julian Lennon, Sean Lennon, Dhani Harrison, Zak Starkey, and James McCartney. […]
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It’s unclear whether any of The Beatles understood in the moment, but their iconic show at Shea Stadium would stand as the apex of their global conquering. Across barely two years, The Beatles had been pulled from the Merseybeat clubs of their Liverpool hometown to unprecedented levels of world hysteria, dominating the charts on both […]
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During the peaks of their psychedelic revelry, a family-run fish and chips shop in Taunton nearly found themselves brief stars of The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour film venture. It wasn’t the first time the Fab Four had passed through the old Somerset market town. Way before Beatlemania had rocked the world’s charts and counting only […]
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There aren’t many missed opportunities in the world of Paul McCartney. He is one of the most celebrated songwriters of all time, having seemingly completed everything there was to achieve in music before he reached his third decade on the planet, as the rest of The Beatles dominated the pop landscape and pushed their sound […]
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Anyone would have given their left arm to see any of The Beatles get together again back in the 1970s. The early months of 1970 cast a dark shadow over the Fab Four once Paul McCartney announced that the band was done, but even when they were at their nastiest towards each other, everyone was […]
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As the hippie era dawned in the mid-1960s, the world became aware of the mind-exploding benefits of the hallucinogenic drug. The Beatles were introduced to the wonders of LSD, courtesy of London dentist John Riley, halfway through the decade and, whether they liked it or not, became the narcotic’s poster boys for the mainstream. While […]
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For a long time, it was hard for Beatles fans to look back on Let It Be without a little bit of a sour taste in their mouths. The band were fracturing as far as everyone could tell, and seeing them stitch together the remnants of an album as their swansong made it look like […]
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