I haven’t liked much of Paul McCartney’s output since The Beatles split. In fact, I don’t particularly like the man. However, the fact that he was in The Beatles means I have a reverence towards him that is bordering on religious. Because The Beatles were, in fact, bigger than Jesus.

McCartney has recently given a couple of interviews with some interesting revelations in. And that’s the thing – love him or hate him, McCartney is a man who was in the biggest pop group ever, is one of the richest entertainers in the world, and is famous absolutely everywhere. Which means …read more

The inspiration behind the classic Beatles hit, Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds, has died at the tender age of just 46 after losing a long fight with Lupus. And there was me thinking that the song was all about LSD and the effects of a trip on the hallucinogenic drug. I guess I was wrong.

The story goes that Lucy Vodden was a childhood friend of John Lennon’s son Julian. In 1966, he returned home from nursery school with a picture of Lucy with diamond-shaped eyes and when asked explained it was Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds.
A year later …read more

The Beatles officially split up in 1970 after recording the Let It Be album. Paul McCartney was the first to go but it’s thought all four members knew the band’s time was coming to an end anyway. They left a legacy and back catalog of music that is still felt and heard to this day. Especially with the release of remastered albums and The Beatles: Rock Band video game.

However, it appears it could have all been so different, as Paul McCartney has revealed to Entertainment Tonight that the band seriously discussed a reunion. In the decade after The Beatles split …read more

This week is a big one for The Beatles, with the re-release of all 12 of their studio albums plus Magical Mystery Tour, and the release of The Beatles: Rock Band. It’s fair to say that The Beatles are back in a big way, hopefully being discovered by a new generation as a result.

There is, however, one thing missing from this resurgence of The Beatles: a way of legally downloading their back catalog. The Beatles have so far refused all requests to put their albums online, rejecting selling them on Apple iTunes, and streaming them on services such as Spotify.

This past weekend saw the 40th anniversary of the day the classic cover of The Beatles’ Abbey Road album was shot. The occasion was commemorated by hundreds of fans who converged on the zebra crossing in order to recreate the famous pose and pay their respects to the greatest band the world has ever seen.

Rather unsurprisingly, the zebra crossing is located next to the Abbey Road studios in north London where The Beatles recorded the LP which would end up being their penultimate album. It’s a very ordinary street in a very ordinary part of London, but its place in …read more

Anyone who plays video games on a regular basis will be aware of the Guitar Hero/Rock Band phenomenon. Who would have thought that picking up little plastic instruments and pretending you’re a real musician could be so fun? But it is, immensely so, which is why the Guitar Hero and Rock Band franchises are so huge.

But as cool as Rock Band is, there is a way to make it better – make a special edition featuring The Beatles and only The Beatles. Which is exactly what is happening. The new video game, ingeniously titled The Beatles: Rock Band, features 45 …read more

Paul McCartney may now be 66 but he can still rock out with the best of them. Which is why he was booked to close the first night of the 2009 Coachella Festival. He played a set in excess of two hours and remembered all those people in his life who have passed away.

McCartney’s set on Friday night spanned the whole of his career, with song from his days in The Beatles and Wings sitting comfortably alongside those from his later solo career and his alter-ego The Fireman.
McCartney played alongside his four-piece band for the duration although did sing alone …read more

The UK has produced an inordinate number of talented songwriters over the past 50 years, especially when you consider the small size of the population. But who are the best of the best? Who are the people whose songs have shaped and defined Britain through music?
Artists come and go all the time, one bad album and that can be it. But the ones that endure, either staying together for years (Oasis, Rolling Stones) or whose music lives on for generations (The Beatles) are the ones who are capable of pumping out magical song after magical song.
Songwriting is a special talent …read more

40 years ago today, the four members of The Beatles, plus guest keyboardist Billy Preston, played a concert on the roof of the Apple building in Saville Row, London. Although it was cut short, it’s still regarded as a momentous moment in music history.
By this time in their career, The Beatles weren’t getting on, with tensions producing some of the band’s best music in the studio, but putting paid to the notion of performing in public. This therefore ended up being the last gig the four played in public together.
The gig on the roof is now an iconic moment, but …read more

2009 has arrived so I’m actually overdue in rounding up my best of Brit Music Scene from 2008. Here we finally make it to the end of 2008 with the biggest stories and talking points between the months of October and December
October
The month began with Rick Astley unbelievably being named Best Act Ever by MTV. Meanwhile, Led Zeppelin were threatening to tour with a new lead singer in place of Robert Plant, and Pete Kay beat Leon Jackson in the charts.
There were rumors that The long-awaited Smiths reunion could finally be happening, but it still hasn’t yet. The Ting Tings …read more