107.9 The River » The Beatles

The Beatles' 'Help!' Coming to Blu-ray

Michael Gallucci — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:25:22 +0000

TheÂ Beatles‘ 1965 movie ‘Help!’ is finally coming to Blu-ray. The remastered disc will be available on June 25 with a beefed-up soundtrack and more than an hour’s worth of bonus material. ‘Help!’ followed the Beatles’ first film, 1964′s ‘A Hard Day’s Night,’ into theaters at the height of Beatlemania. Directed by Richard Lester, who also [...]

Yoko Ono Says Being a Beatle's Wife is a 'Difficult' Life

Will Harris — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:49:12 +0000

As part of Yoko Ono's UK press blitz for her efforts as curator of the 2013 Meltdown Festival in London, the 80-year-old artist/activist acknowledged the pressures inherent in her marriage to the late John Lennon, describing being married to a Beatle as "the most difficult thing to be."

45 Years Ago: John Lennon and Paul McCartney Appear on 'The Tonight Show'

Dave Lifton — Wed, 15 May 2013 00:01:45 +0000

After their February 1968 trip to Rishikesh, India failed to provide the spiritual enlightenment they sought, the Beatles turned in the opposite direction, towards business matters. A few months later, the company they decided to form in the wake of manager Brian Epstein's death was ready to launch. In mid-May, John Lennon and Paul McCartney flew to New York to promote Apple Corps.

Beatles-Focused Show Coming to Broadway

Nick DeRiso — Thu, 09 May 2013 23:02:28 +0000

The Beatles anthology production ‘Let It Be’ is making the leap from London’s West End to the St. James Theatre on Broadway. Rather than focus on the Fab’s bitter-end finale, however, the show includes songs from throughout their career. Billboard reports that the show combines performances by live musicians with new projection technology, ‘Let It [...]

43 Years Ago: The Beatles' 'Let It Be' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Wed, 08 May 2013 15:00:50 +0000

‘Let It Be’ was supposed to be the album that would bring the Beatles back together. After an increasingly fractious couple of years that culminated in 1968’s self-titled (‘White’) album, which was basically four solo records for the price of a double LP, the four Beatles holed themselves up in London’s Twickenham Film Studios, and then at Apple Studios, during the first month of 1969 to re-spark their dying flame. No outside visitors, no BS -- just four guys hanging around playing music. Just like the old days. They called it ‘Get Back.’

The Beatles Inducted into the Ultimate Classic Rock Hall of Fame

Dave Lifton — Wed, 01 May 2013 23:41:05 +0000

By an overwhelming margin of nearly three to one, the Beatles have beaten the Doors to become the second inductees into the 100% fan-voted Ultimate Classic Rock Hall of Fame.

The Beatles Revived by Greg Kihn in New Novel

Jeff Giles — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 18:49:34 +0000

For most music fans, Greg Kihn will always be known as the guy behind hits like ‘Jeopardy’ and ‘The Breakup Song (They Don’t Write ‘Em).’ But he’s also an established writer and all set to publish his fifth novel, the Beatles-inspired ‘Rubber Soul.’ “I asked where the Beatles got their records,” Kihn explained in a [...]

Beatles Top List of Artists Used to Help Students Learn English

Jeff Giles — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:05:34 +0000

English is a tricky language, and no one method is universally accepted as the best way to learn it — but quite a few teachers have found that playing their students Beatles songs can help. A recent study conducted by Kaplan International Colleges surveyed more than 500 English as a Second Language (ESL) teachers from [...]

Paul McCartney Spokesman Shoots Down Rumors of Upcoming Nirvana Collaboration

Nick DeRiso — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 23:34:25 +0000

It looks like Paul McCartney's not collaborating with the surviving members of Nirvana again, after all. A report from earlier this week, citing an unnamed source at McCartney's label, has been quickly debunked by the former Beatle's spokesman.

Paul McCartney's 'Wings Over America' Reissue to Kick Off With Theatrical 'Rockshow' Viewing

Billy Dukes — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 18:28:58 +0000

Paul McCartney and Wings will reissue 'Wings Over America' on May 28 in a number of different formats with a cornucopia of bonus features. However, the most intriguing prospect may be the May 15 theatrical release of 'Rockshow,' a live concert film shot in 1975 and 1976 during the Wings Over the World Tour.

The Beatles Add 'Let It Be . . . Naked' to iTunes

Mary Ouellette — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 00:41:30 +0000

The majority of the Beatles archive finally made its debut on iTunes back in November of 2010, but not without a few holes. Among the missing was â€˜Let It Beâ€¦Naked,â€™ the no-frills remixed and remastered release that pays homage to their 1970 album â€˜Let it Be.â€™ First heard in 2003, â€˜Let It Beâ€¦Nakedâ€™ proved to [...]

40 Years Ago: The Beatles' 'Red' and 'Blue' Albums Released

Michael Gallucci — Tue, 02 Apr 2013 13:00:39 +0000

The Beatles were broken up for a little more than three years when the â€˜1962-1966â€™ and â€˜1967-1970â€™ compilations were released in April 1973. The two-disc sets â€“ known as the â€˜Redâ€™ and â€˜Blueâ€™ albums, respectively â€“ were neither supplements to nor replacements for the bandâ€™s other records. They were merely what they appeared to be: [...]

Signed Copy of The Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper' Sells for Nearly $300,000

Jeff Giles — Mon, 01 Apr 2013 16:23:55 +0000

What would you be willing to pay for a signed copy of the Beatles‘ 1967 masterpiece ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’? According to Heritage Auctions, the firm that handled the bids for a recent sale that included a ‘Sgt. Pepper’s’ signed by all four members of the band, the most the seller could expect [...]

Derek Watkins, Trumpet Player for the Beatles, Eric Clapton, James Bond + More, Dead at 68

Billy Dukes — Tue, 26 Mar 2013 00:50:52 +0000

If you've seen any of the 23 James Bond movies, you're familiar with British trumpet player Derek Watkins. The session player also sat in with Eric Clapton, the Beatles, Elton John and more during a nearly 50-year career. Watkins died on Friday (March 22) after a two year battle with cancer.

Early Bids for Signed Copy of the Beatles' 'Sgt. Pepper' Album Shoot Past $110,000

Nick DeRiso — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:48:37 +0000

Money, as the Beatles famously opined, can’t buy you love. What it can get you, however, is a signed edition of ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ — though, alas, the price is skyrocketing. It seems this special copy of the iconic 1967 art-rock project has created a frenzy of activity for Dallas, Texas-based Heritage [...]

40 Years Ago: John Lennon Ordered to Leave the US by Immigration Authorities

Dave Swanson — Mon, 25 Mar 2013 15:31:17 +0000

On March 23, 1973, John Lennon was issued an order by US immigration authorities to leave the United States. He was given 60 days to do so. The reason given for the deportation stemmed from his conviction in 1968 in England for possession of marijuana; however, as we now know, it had more to do with the Nixon administration's general fear of Lennon, his political views and his influence. Lennon's wife, Yoko Ono, was, however, granted permanent residence at the time.

50 Years Ago: The Beatles' 'Please Please Me' Album Released

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 22 Mar 2013 16:20:40 +0000

How confident were the Beatles in what they had and how they played it when they entered EMI Studios in February 1963 to record their now 50-year-old debut album, ‘Please Please Me?’ So much so that they recorded almost all of the songs for it in one marathon session that didnâ€™t even last 12 hours. [...]

45 Years Ago: The Beatles 'Lady Madonna' Video Premieres

Dave Swanson — Thu, 14 Mar 2013 17:57:22 +0000

On March 14, 1968, BBC1′s ‘Top Of The Pops’ programÂ premiered a new video clip from the BeatlesÂ for their then-new single, ‘Lady Madonna.’ Long before MTV-style music videos were the norm, the concept had already gained ground with the Beatles in 1965 and 1966. “Out of convenience we decided we we’re just not going to go [...]

Metallica and the Beatles Combined on Beatallica's 'Abbey Load' Album

Nick DeRiso — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:02:18 +0000

The Milwaukee-based Beatallica’s latest assault on the delicate sensibilities of Beatles fans arrives with their hilarious new Metallica-meets-the-Fab-Four mash-up ‘Abbey Load.’ This latest effort, which combines Metallica’s lyrics, riffs and a James Hetfield-esque growl with the Beatles’ studio swan song, follows bruising earlier combinations like “The Thing That Should Not Let It Be,” “Fuel on [...]

25 Years Ago: The Beatles' 'Past Masters' Albums Released

Michael Gallucci — Fri, 08 Mar 2013 17:03:33 +0000

EMI’s decision to overhaul the Beatles catalog in 1987, spurred by the CD revolution, was a long time coming. For more than 20 years the worldâ€™s most popular bandâ€™s albums were known one way to U.S. fans and another way to fans in Europe. The Beatlesâ€™ original U.K. output of LPs consisted of 12 albums; [...]