#john lennon real love award

[krispyweiss]

Graham Nash is 2023 John Lennon Real Love Award Winner

- “This is a very special award,” Nash says

Graham Nash is the 2023 John Lennon Real Love award winner.

Nash will receive the honor and play his favorite Beatles/Lennon songs at the 43rd-annual John Lennon Tribute Dec. 2 in New York. Rosanne Cash, Rita Coolidge, Marc Cohn, Shawn Colvin, Judy Collins and Bettye LaVette are among the other scheduled performers.

“This is a very special award,” Nash said in a statement.

“I thank Yoko (Ono) and the Theatre Within for thinking of me. Over many years, I watched John and Yoko fight the good fight for many whose voices were not being heard, a fight that Yoko continues to this day. I’m proud to be associated with the many fine artists who were previously honored with the … award.”

Those artists include Cash, Joan Osborne, Ani DiFranco, Natalie Merchant, Donovan and others.

Proceeds from the event benefit Theatre Within’s programs for elementary and middle schools, youth in crisis and people affected by cancer.

“Theatre Within is furthering the vision that John and I shared for a better world,” Ono said in a statement.

7/11/23

[rhapsodynew]

#On this day

Awarding The Beatles with The Order of The British Empire

George: "Brian was not invited to the palace. In my opinion, we were only allowed to invite someone from our family. He must have been annoyed in his heart. But he didn't show it."

Cynthia: "One thing was disappointing: the Beatle families were not invited to the palace for the ceremony. However, the guys didn't want that either: they were so nervous themselves that they didn't have enough to worry about their loved ones. We, their wives and girlfriends, really wanted to go with them, but the guys decided that it was better without us, since a real pandemonium of hysterical fans was expected at the palace. We watched everything on TV and were incredibly proud of them."

Tony Barrow: "The Beatles went to Buckingham Palace in John's shiny Rolls Royce Phantom 5 ("exactly the same as Elvis, but my windows are tinted")."

Barry Miles: "The group arrived at Buckingham Palace at 11 a.m. for the award ceremony in the Great Throne Room. Outside, about four thousand fans chanted "yee-yee-yee" and pressed the police, who tried to restrain them, and therefore could not prevent them from climbing the gates and lampposts at the palace.

John: "We were instructed in advance by some big guy, a guardsman."

Paul: "He took us aside and explained what we should do: "Approach Her Majesty like this, do not take your eyes off her, and do not speak to her until she speaks to you." And all that. It was pretty funny."

Barry Miles: "On this day, 189 more people were awarded, including six who were knighted."

George: "We were standing in a long queue. There must have been hundreds of people there."

Paul: "We were the only band there. Everyone was friendly to us."

John: "We signed autographs for everyone who was waiting with us to receive their medals."

Paul: "None of them said, "This is for my daughter, even though I don't understand what she sees in you!"

Barry Miles: "The Lord Chamberlain of the Royal Household, Lord Cobbold, read out the names of the members of The Beatles."

Paul: "This dude shouted, "George Harrison, John Lennon, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr."

John: "When the names were read out and we got to Ringo Starr, we almost burst out laughing."

Paul: "The word "Starr" was a signal for us to step forward with our left foot, as instructed. It was like some kind of performance."

Ringo: "Then we bowed our heads and went to the Queen."

Barry Miles: "The Queen shook their hands, talked to each of them and attached an award."

John: "I really wanted to laugh. We were giggling like crazy all the time because we had just smoked a joint in the toilet at Buckingham Palace. We were very nervous."

George: "No, we didn't smoke marijuana before the ceremony. Just regular cigarettes. I have no doubt that years later John turned those cigarettes of ours into joints. What could be more terrible before meeting the Queen? Get high! But no, we didn't do that."

Ringo: "I was so worried that I won't remember anything anymore."

Tony Barrow: "After the ceremony, they were inspired, but nothing in their eyes, voices or other signs suggested that they were under the grass. I doubt they even took her to the palace, which was swarming with security forces of all levels."

John: "Although we didn't attach much importance to the royal family, you can't help but be impressed when you're in the palace, when you realize that you're standing in front of the queen. It was like a dream. Fine.

The music was playing, I looked at the ceiling – and it's not a bad ceiling. It was a historic moment. It's like you're in a museum."

Ringo: "The Queen was great. Of course, I'm a big fan of hers now. Obviously, she tried her best to make everyone feel calm and not nervous. When she handed me the order, she said: "I'm glad to give it to you," and I said, "Thank you."

John: "She was much more beautiful than in the photos."

Paul: "A charming woman. Cool! She was very friendly. She was like a mom to us."

John: "Just like Mom. She was so warm and sweet. She really calmed us down. I think the Queen really believes in all these things. I've always hated all these social events. All these wild events, all kinds of awards that we had to attend. It's all for show. You can see through everyone. I despise them. Maybe it's a class feeling? However, no. In fact, these people are fake."

Barry Miles: "The Beatles were awarded the Order of the British Empire, the lowest of the five categories of the order. His title ranks 120th out of 126 in the ranking system."

Ringo: "I was wondering if Brian was upset that he wasn't awarded this order. But he was always really happy for us. I think if he wanted to, he would even be knighted.

Barry Miles: "Immediately after the award ceremony, a press conference was organized in the bar of the Saville Theater, where the band members discussed their award and made comments about the protesting statements of the award recipients addressed to them."

Tony Barrow: "Brian Epstein was pleased with the Beatles' remarks that he deserved such an order."

George: "I brought the order home and put it in a drawer, and later put it on for shooting for Pepper's envelope, and Paul did the same. The order remained pinned to my Pepper coat for another year, and then I put it back in the box and put it in the closet."

John: "I keep the order in the smallest room of my house–in my office."

And closer to Christmas, John will give his order to Aunt Mimi.

What a pity that it was impossible to take pictures at Buckingham Palace!

[bondshotel]

July 6, 1964 - The Beatles' first feature film, A Hard Day's Night, had its première at the London Pavilion.

A Hard Day's Night is a 1964 British musical comedy film directed by Richard Lester and starring the Beatles—John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr—during the height of Beatlemania. It was written by Alun Owen and originally released by United Artists. The film portrays 36 hours in the lives of the group.

The film was a financial and critical success. Forty years after its release, Time magazine rated it as one of the all-time great 100 films. In 1997, British critic Leslie Halliwell described it as a "comic fantasia with music; an enormous commercial success with the director trying every cinematic gag in the book" and awarded it a full four stars.[The film is credited as being one of the most influential of all musical films, inspiring numerous spy films, the Monkees' television show and pop music videos. In 1999, the British Film Institute ranked it the 88th greatest British film of the 20th century.

The movie's strange title originated from something said by Ringo Starr, who described it this way in an interview with disc jockey Dave Hull in 1964: "We went to do a job, and we'd worked all day and we happened to work all night. I came up still thinking it was day I suppose, and I said, 'It's been a hard day ...' and I looked around and saw it was dark so I said, '... night!' So we came to A Hard Day's Night."

PLOT

Bound for a London show from Liverpool, the Beatles escape a horde of fans ("A Hard Day's Night"). Once they are aboard the train and trying to relax, various interruptions test their patience: after a dalliance with a female passenger, Paul's grandfather is confined to the guard's van and the four lads join him there to keep him company. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr play a card game, entertaining some schoolgirls before arriving at their desired destination ("I Should Have Known Better").

Upon arrival in London, the Beatles are driven to a hotel, only to feel trapped inside. They are tasked to answer numerous letters and fan mail in their hotel room but instead, they sneak out to party ("I Wanna Be Your Man", "Don't Bother Me", "All My Loving"). After being caught by their manager Norm (Norman Rossington), they return to find out that Paul's grandfather John (Wilfrid Brambell) went to the casino. After causing minor trouble at the casino, the group is taken to the theatre where their performance is to be televised. After rehearsals ("If I Fell"), the boys leave through a fire escape and dance around a field but are forced to leave by the owner of the property ("Can't Buy Me Love"). On their way back to the theatre, they are separated when a woman named Millie (Anna Quayle) recognizes John as someone famous but cannot recall who he is. George is also mistaken for an actor auditioning for a television show featuring a trendsetter hostess. The boys all return to rehearse another song ("And I Love Her") and after goofing around backstage, they play another song to impress the makeup artists ("I'm Happy Just to Dance with You").

While waiting to perform, Ringo is forced to look after Paul's grandfather and decides to spend some time alone reading a book. Paul's grandfather, a "villain, a real mixer", convinces him to go outside to experience life rather than reading books. Ringo goes off by himself ("This Boy" instrumental). He tries to have a quiet drink in a pub, takes pictures, walks alongside a canal, and rides a bicycle along a railway station platform. While the rest of the band frantically and unsuccessfully attempts to find Ringo, he is arrested for acting in a suspicious manner. Paul's grandfather joins him shortly after attempting to sell photographs wherein he forged the boys' signatures. Paul's grandfather eventually makes a run for it and tells the rest of the band where Ringo is. The boys all go to the station to rescue Ringo but end up running away from the police back to the theatre ("Can't Buy Me Love") and the concert goes ahead as planned. After the concert ("Tell Me Why", "If I Fell", "I Should Have Known Better", "She Loves You"), the band is taken away from the hordes of fans via helicopter.

From beatlesbible:

The première was attended by The Beatles and their wives and girlfriends, and a host of important guests including Princess Margaret and Lord Snowdon. Nearby Piccadilly Circus was closed to traffic as 12,000 fans jostled for a glimpse of the group.

“I remember Piccadilly being completely filled. We thought we would just show up in our limo, but it couldn't get through for all the people. It wasn't frightening - we never seemed to get worried by crowds. It always appeared to be a friendly crowd; there never seemed to be a violent face.”

~ Paul McCartney, Anthology

It was a charity event held in support of the Variety Club Heart Fund and the Docklands Settlements, and the most expensive tickets cost 15 guineas (£15.75).

After the screening The Beatles, the royal party and other guests including The Rolling Stones enjoyed a champagne supper party at the Dorchester Hotel, after which some of them adjourned to the Ad Lib Club until the early hours of the morning.

[meadow-dusk]

from the 43rd Annual John Lennon Tribute honoring Graham Nash with the "Real Love Award," 02 December 2023

[shefanispeculator]

10 Children of Famous Musicians Who Became Famous Musicians (americansongwriter.com)

10 Children of Famous Musicians Who Became Famous Musicians

By

Cillea Houghton

Updated: May 16, 2023 1:00 pm

Though not scientifically proven, it’s possible that music is passed down through generations, as evidenced by these famous musicians whose children also became artists.

For decades, icons like Elvis Presley, Lenny Kravitz and Eddie Van Halen have had children who followed in their footsteps to make a name for themselves in music. You’ll see two descendants of the Beatles on this list, along with a duo related to Motown Records’ Berry Gordy. Check out 10 children of famous musicians.

1. Miley Cyrus – Daughter of Billy Ray Cyrus

It’s all in the family when it comes to the Cyruses. Billy Ray Cyrus was a country superstar throughout the 1990s with hits like “Achy Breaky Heart” and “Could’ve Been Me.” This paved the way for his eldest daughter, Miley Cyrus, to become one of the biggest names in pop music. The father and daughter co-starred together in the hit Disney show, Hannah Montana before the younger Cyrus became a pop megastar who’s known to blend genres. Her hits range from “Party in the U.S.A.” and “The Climb” to “Wrecking Ball” and her most recent smash, “Flowers.”

2. Lisa Marie Presley – Daughter of Elvis Presley

As the only child of Elvis Presley, Lisa Marie Presley was born into stardom. She took her time going into the music industry though. Presley released her debut album, To Whom It May Concern, in 2003 at the age of 35. It debuted at No. 5 on the all-genre Billboard 200 and produced the single “Lights Out,” which made mention of her family, including her famous father. Presley released three studio albums before her untimely death in 2023 at the age of 54 from a heart attack.

3. Zoe Kravitz – Daughter of Lenny Kravitz

Zoe Kravitz is a descendant of Hollywood royalty as the daughter of rock star Lenny Kravitz and The Cosby Show star Lisa Bonet. The young Kravitz adopted both of her parents’ talents and blended them into a successful career as both a musician and actress. On the music side, Kravitz has released two studio albums and two EPs. She’s also been a guest vocalist on Drake’s song “Passionfruit” and co-writer and background singer on Taylor Swift’s hit, “Lavender Haze,” off Midnights.

4. Julian Lennon – Son of John Lennon

You know you come from music royalty when Paul McCartney writes you a song. This is true for John Lennon’s son, Julian Lennon, who was the subject of a comfort song called “Hey Jules” that McCartney wrote for him when his parents were going through a divorce. The song evolved into one of the Beatles’ biggest hits, “Hey Jude.”

Lennon later followed in the musical footsteps of his famous father, beginning with his debut studio album, Valotte, in 1984, four years after his father’s tragic murder. He’s since released seven total studio albums, the most recent being Jude in 2022. Over the years, he’s had a string of hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart including “Valoette,” “Stick Around” and “Now You’re in Heaven.”

5. Natalie Cole – Daughter of Nat King Cole

When you’re the daughter of one of the most poignant vocalists of all time, it’s nearly impossible not to carry on the tradition. With a voice as crisp as her father’s, Natalie Cole carved a career path of her own with hits including “This Will Be (An Everlasting Love)” and “Inseparable.” She made Grammy Award history by being the first Black artist to win Best New Artist in 1976 and the first Black woman to win Album of the Year for her tribute album to her father, Unforgettable… with Love, in 1992.

6. Lukas & Micah Nelson – Sons of Willie Nelson

Music is in the bloodline of the Nelson family. Country giant Willie Nelson passed his songwriting prowess on to his sons Lukas and Micah Nelson, both of whom are musicians. Lukas is the frontman of Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real that’s released eight studio albums. The band also stars as the backing band for Bradley Cooper’s character in the 2018 edition of A Star is Born, with Lukas also co-writing and co-producing songs for the film. Meanwhile, brother Micah goes by the stage name Particle Kid with the goal of presenting “music, visual art and curious quantum creations.”

7. Ziggy Marley – Son of Bob Marley

Bob Marley introduced reggae music to mainstream audiences, a tradition his son Ziggy Marley is carrying on. Marley’s son spent more than a decade as frontman of Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers, which included the Grammy-winning album, Conscious Party, one of three times the band won a Grammy. Marley departed the Melody Makers in 2002 and launched a solo career in 2003 with his debut solo album, Dragonfly. Marley has been a mainstay in the Best Reggae Album category at the Grammys, having won it a total of five times thus far.

8. LMFAO – Son and Grandson of Motown Records’ Founder Berry Gordy

Though Berry Gordy wasn’t a musician, he was a rock star in his own right. As founder of Motown Records, Gordy is responsible for introducing Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Gladys Knight and more to mass audiences. He passed this musical gene onto his youngest son, Stefan Kendal Gordy. Operating under the stage name Redfoo, he’s one half of the duo LMFAO alongside his nephew and Gordy’s grandson, Skyler Austen Gordy (aka Sky Blu). The duo rose to the top of the charts in the mid-2000s with hits like “Party Rock Anthem” and “Shots.” LMFAO went on an indefinite hiatus in 2012.

9. Wolfgang Van Halen – Son of Eddie Van Halen

Eddie Van Halen’s son Wolfgang Van Halen got his start in the way any aspiring rock star would dream: by being a guitarist for Van Halen. He spent four years as bassist for the legendary band before his father’s passing in 2020, which led to the band’s demise. Over the years, Wolfgang has played guitar for other artists including Tremonti and Clint Lowery. He released his solo debut album, Mammoth WVH, in 2021.

10. Zak Starkey – Son of Ringo Starr

Since the day he was born, Zak Starkey has been surrounded by rock and roll royalty. As the son of the Beatles’ drummer Ringo Starr, Starkey followed in his dad’s footsteps and became a drummer himself. He’s performed with The Who, Oasis and spent part of the 1990s touring in his father’s band. He’s also played on albums by The Who, Oasis, The Semantics, Broken English and many others.

Photo by Jaime Nogales/Medios y Media/Getty Images

[world-cinema-research]

The Beatles Touching Down on American Soil: A Hard Day's Night Short Essay

By: Jillian Arnold

“We know how to behave! We've had lessons.”

“A Hard Day’s Night” is a fun and slapstick humor movie that allows fans to have a deeper dive into the Beatles, more personal side rather than professional, and shows a different, boyish wonder side of them.

The plot of this movie consists of a routine event that the stars of the Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, deal with in their stardom. It shows the stars running away from their obsessive fans to play a live concert along with other side quests such as Ringo going to jail, John criticizing the TV Director, George being mistaken as an actor, and Paul McCartney taking care of his grandfather. It shows that the Beatles had good time management in their professional life in their personal life and it shows that the stars were human like their fans, but also made their fans laugh with their hilarious plot.

A trailer for the movie, A Hard Day’s Night. Just this trailer shows the highs and lows of fame; affecting thousands of your fans with music but also never getting time away from thousands of fans. This clip shows a compilation of the members of the Beatles, John Lennon, George Harrison, Paul McCartney, and Ringo Starr, running away from obsessed fans. 

 The film is well received by audience members and has earned an 89% acceptance rate in an audience score and a 98% with the Tomatometer on Rotten Tomatoes. Although it is not as well known as other classic films, it is an important one in our history and just shows that sometimes all we need is a little humor in our lives. The film was also loved by fans because it came out during the peak of the Beatles' careers when they had thousands upon thousands of fans. This movie has been nominated for three awards, which just shows how good and popular a movie it is.

Ironically, a huge event that happened the year the movie was released was when the Beatles came to America. On February 7th, 1964, the Beatles touched down on American soil before they made their live U.S. debut on the Ed Sullivan Show two days later. At the time, the Beatles were huge in the UK and were so famous, so then performing in America made them huge as well in the States. They were one of the first bands to have popular music in the States from other countries, which contributed to the Beatlemania happening in the UK and the States. 

Here is a scene from the movie, starring George Harrison. The scene is about George being mistaken as an actor auditioning for a TV show. The humor in the scene allows fans to connect with the scene and love the actor even more.

The film was shot using a cinéma vérité style, which is a French film movement of the 1960s that showed people in everyday situations with authentic dialogue and naturalness of action. I think this style of film shooting was done because they wanted the fans to see the authenticity of how the band acted and wanted them to see that they were real people just like them also since this film had some of the biggest music stars at the time in it, it brought popularity to the French film movement since so many many people watch the movie because of their favorite stars. 

This film is both conventional and unconventional. It is conventional because it stars the Beatles and their feature film debut when they were at their peak of fandom. It is unconventional due to the documentary style of filming and it being filmed in black-and-white since colored films were the norm in films at the time.

Here's a poster of the film. Its bright colors and fun letters attract people’s eyes to the movie, making people want to see it. It also shows the iconic faces and hair of the stars of the movie, which people also recognize and love.

This film allowed fans to connect even deeper with their favorite music stars, who will be forever known for all time. It also allowed the band to reach out to their fans by providing them with laughter and fun. Overall, it is a fun and classic movie that everyone should watch, especially huge fans of the Beatles.

"Now you'll like these. You'll really dig them. They're fab and all the other pimply hyperboles."

[independentartistbuzz]

 Award-Winning Songwriter-Singer Andrea England Releases Long-Awaited Ambient Americana EP, Evidence of Love

Every decade or so, award-winning songwriter-singer Andrea England, founder of the popular songwriter circle concert series Four Chords and the Truth, becomes singer-songwriter Andrea England. The Toronto-based musician, whose songs have been recorded by everyone from Meghan Patrick and Don Amero to ex-Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger, has released her long-awaited ambient Americana EP, Evidence of Love, produced by JUNO Award winner Hill Kourkoutis (Aysanabee, Digging Roots). Andrea is the primary songwriter, with co-write credits to Tenille Townes on “Stone” and Liz Rodrigues (Celine, Eminem) and James Bryan (Drake, Nelly Furtado) on “Cover to Cover”.

Award-winning Nova Scotia artist Carleton Stone can be heard in the ambivalent first single “Halifax” about the conflicted emotions that come from living away from home. “I started my life and artist career in Halifax, and my time there influenced a big part of who I am as a woman and songwriter,” Andrea explains. “It’s a nostalgic song about a lost love forever connected to a place and a time - and to write it, I drew upon my first real heartbreak – one that literally led me to leave a city I loved.”

As a whole, Evidence of Love is love in all its many complicated forms. It’s a lifetime of love. “I don't regret any of the hurt I've gone through because I've loved too much,” says Andrea. “If I was on my deathbed, would I have any regrets? Maybe a few, but I wouldn't regret loving.”

Andrea’s last body of work, 2012’s Hope and Other Sins, produced by Grammy winner Colin Linden, spent several weeks on Cashbox Canada’s top 50 folk chart and hit No. 1 on Galaxy’s folk roots radio channel. Her 2004 album, Lemonade, won a John Lennon Songwriting Contest, and her debut EP, 1999’s Heart Wide Open, included the very first song she wrote, “Eyes Wide Shut,” which hit No. 1 on the nationally syndicated East Coast Countdown. 

[chorusfm]

The Last Beatles Song

The Beatles will release “Now and Then” on November 2nd. The full press release can be found below. Together and apart, The Beatles have always had a talent for the unexpected. And now, 2023 brings one of the most anticipated releases of their long and endlessly eventful history. “Now And Then” is the last Beatles song – written and sung by John Lennon, developed and worked on by Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, and now finally finished by Paul and Ringo over four decades later.   “Now And Then” will be released worldwide at 2pm GMT / 10am EDT / 7am PDT on Thursday, November 2 by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe. The double A-side single pairs the last Beatles song with the first: the band’s 1962 debut UK single, “Love Me Do,” a truly fitting full-circle counterpart to “Now And Then.” Both songs are mixed in stereo and Dolby AtmosÒ, and the release features original cover art by renowned artist Ed Ruscha. The new music video for “Now And Then” will debut on Friday, November 3. More details including global premiere plans will be announced.   A 12-minute “Now And Then – The Last Beatles Song” documentary film, written and directed by Oliver Murray, will debut on November 1. The film’s global online premiere will be hosted on The Beatles’ YouTube channel at 7:30pm GMT / 3:30pm EDT / 12:30pm PDT. This poignant short film tells the story behind the last Beatles song, with exclusive footage and commentary from Paul, Ringo, George, Sean Ono Lennon and Peter Jackson. The trailer is available to watch now. On November 10, The Beatles’ 1962-1966 (‘The Red Album’) and 1967-1970 (‘The Blue Album’) collections will be released in 2023 Edition packages by Apple Corps Ltd./Capitol/UMe. Since their first incarnations appeared 50 years ago, these albums have introduced successive generations to The Beatles’ music. Now, both collections’ tracklists have been expanded, with all the songs mixed in stereo and Dolby Atmos. New 4CD and 180-gram 6LP vinyl collections pair ‘Red’ and ‘Blue’ in slipcased sets. The UK single version of “Love Me Do” now kicks off 1962-1966 (2023 Edition) and “Now And Then” is featured on 1967-1970 (2023 Edition) to complete the career-spanning collections. The story of “Now And Then” begins in the late 1970s, when John recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home in New York’s Dakota Building. In 1994, his wife, Yoko Ono Lennon, gave the recording to Paul, George and Ringo, along with John’s demos for “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love,” which were both completed as new Beatles songs and respectively released as singles in 1995 and 1996, as part of The Beatles Anthology project. At the same time, Paul, George and Ringo also recorded new parts and completed a rough mix for “Now And Then” with producer Jeff Lynne. At that point, technological limitations prevented John’s vocals and piano from being separated to achieve the clear, unclouded mix needed to finish the song. “Now And Then” was shelved, with a hope that one day it would be revisited.   Cut to 2021, and the release of “The Beatles: Get Back” docuseries, directed by Peter Jackson, which astonished viewers with its award-winning film and audio restoration. Using WingNut Films’ MAL audio technology, Jackson’s team had de-mixed the film’s mono soundtrack, managing to isolate instruments and vocals, and all the individual voices within The Beatles’ conversations. This achievement opened the way to 2022’s new mix of Revolver, sourced directly from the four-track master tapes. This led on to a question: what could now be done with the “Now And Then” demo? Peter Jackson and his sound team, led by Emile de la Rey, applied the same technique to John’s original home recording, preserving the clarity and integrity of his original vocal performance by separating it from the piano.   In 2022, Paul and Ringo set about completing the song. Besides John’s vocal, “Now And Then” includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by George, Ringo’s new drum part, and bass, guitar and piano from Paul,… https://chorus.fm/news/the-last-beatles-song/

[vintagesoul1975]

GIVE HIM HIS MOTHER FUCKING FLOWERS!!!

[krispyweiss]

Fighting Infection, Marc Cohn “Regrettably” Drops out of John Lennon Tribute

Marc Cohn will not be at the Dec. 2 John Lennon Tribute concert in New York, his management said, citing “an infection impacting (his) voice.”

“He will regrettably not be able to participate,” read a statement issued Dec. 1.

“Marc would like to congratulate Graham Nash, who will be receiving the 2023 John Lennon Real Love Award,” the statement read. “Nash will be joined by a stellar lineup that Marc will be sad to miss.”

Read Sound Bites’ coverage of Nash’s award here.

Cohn was to appear at the 43rd-annual event alongside Rosanne Cash, Judy Collins, Bettye LaVette, Willie Nile and others.

Cohn also missed his Nov. 30 tour-ending show with Shawn Colvin. He is scheduled to return to the stage Jan. 17, 2024, in Arizona.

12/1/23

[techdex]

Graham Nash to receive John Lennon Real Love Award

https://echoingwalls.com/blog/graham-nash-to-receive-john-lennon-real-love-award/

Graham Nash to receive John Lennon Real Love Award

Graham Nash feels “proud” to receive the honour. …

[ljblueteak]

Paul McCartney, Bertrand Russell, Vietnam and “Re-Writing History”

Okay, so I knew how quickly Beatle news could be sensationalized and clickbaited so that whatever was actually said could be distorted, but oh wow did I not realize that Paul discussing his meeting Bertrand Russell and talking about Vietnam had led to outlets scoffing at the idea that Paul had ever expressed a political thought in his life or could have, along with the rest of the Beatles, been interested in making political statements (and the way it’s discussed, like it would be beyond ridiculous to suggest he could *possibly* have been more aware of a particular issue before the others, is maddening. Yes, I see. Paul potentially drawing attention to a particular issue they all cared about erases everything any other Beatle may have said or done about the issue. If one of them’s more known for it, it’s obviously outrageous that any of the others had any thoughts about it on any level).  

Outlets like The Guardian and NME and so on in 2008 ran with quotes suggesting Paul said “I politicized the Beatles,” but those words don’t appear in the interview with Jonathan Power that created this “controversy” (what’s even more ridiculous is that what Paul told Power is basically the same thing he said in Many Years From Now in 1997). The Guardian is especially mocking: “Bono, meanwhile, was honoured in Paris this weekend, at the Peace Summit. ‘I am an over-awarded, over-rewarded rock star,’ Bono said after receiving the Man of Peace prize. ‘You are the people who do the real work.’Somewhere in England, Paul McCartney is squeaking: ‘Me too!’”

Here’s what Paul actually said:

POWER: In the 2007 film Across the Universe the director weaves a love story around Beatles music and, like quite a few other people, she seems to be saying that you somehow encapsulated this mood of the 1960s—you formed in 1960 after all—and you transmitted it like nobody else had been able to transmit it. Do you think that is true?

McCARTNEY: Maybe. But the nice thing about it was that we didn’t do it consciously. We sort of stumbled into things. For instance, Vietnam. Just when we were getting to be well-known someone said to me, “Bertrand Russell is living not far from here in Chelsea why don’t you go and see him?” and so I just took a taxi down there and knocked on the door. There was an American guy who was helping him and he came to the door and I said, “I’d like to meet Mr Russell, if possible.” I waited a little and then met the great man and he was fabulous. He told me about the Vietnam war—most of us didn’t know about it, it wasn’t yet in the papers—and also that it was a very bad war. I remember going back to the studio either that evening or the next day and telling the guys, particularly John [Lennon], about this meeting and saying what a bad war this was. We started to investigate and American pals who were visiting London would be talking about being drafted. Then we went to America, and I remember our publicist—he was a fat, cigar-chomping guy, saying, “Whatever you do, don’t talk about Vietnam.” Of course, that was the wrong thing to say to us. You don’t tell rebellious young men not to say something. So of course we talked about it the whole time and said it was a very bad war. Obviously, we backed the peace movement.

After this story blew up, Power wrote “It seems that the press has a mindset about the McCartney-John Lennon relationship that demands anything that Paul says be squeezed into a mould—even if the words don’t really fit at all” and went on to say “One report, and the world is given misleading information by editors too uncaring or unmotivated or just plain lazy to make a call to Prospect to ask for the original wording. Not one journalist called me.The fact is that the interview carries not a word of rivalry with John Lennon. Nor does it say anything about which Beatle discovered the Vietnam war first.”

The NME has a Times quote from Tariq Ali, who John seems to have first met in ‘71, saying that  “It was John Lennon who was concerned about the war. He never mentioned McCartney, and I never thought of asking him to join us.”

But an article by Tom Garner on historyanswers.co.uk seems to be the only one that bothered to explain why the John of ‘71 may not have talked about Paul’s views on Vietnam: “At the peak of Lennon’s 1970s peace protests, the Beatles had acrimoniously broken up and Lennon was often actively critical of McCartney so it is unlikely he would have given him credit as a political influence.” (There’s a line in that article about Paul crediting Russell that’s confusing because it’s not in Prospect but comes from a Radio Times interview)

Here’s the bit from MYFN because this post just isn’t long enough: 

“Bertrand Russell was then ninety-two years old but was still very active in the peace movement....

Paul: I sat around waiting, then went in and had a great little talk with him. Nothing earth-shattering. He just clued me in to the fact that Vietnam was a very bad war, it was an imperialist war and American vested interests were really all it was about. It was a bad war and we should be against it. That was all I needed. It was pretty good from the mouth of the great philosopher. ‘Slip it to me Bert.’ 

I reported back to John, ‘I met this Bertrand Russell guy, John,’ and I did all the big rap about the Vietnam and stuff and John really came in on it all. And then he did How I Won the War.” (125-126)

In Fab, Howard Sounes suggests that this meeting with Russell happened in 1966 and indirectly (possibly) explains why Paul may have brought up How I Won the War in MYFN by making the connection between Paul’s meeting with Russell and anti-war movies:

Paul and Jane were granted a meeting with the philosopher Bertrand Russell to gain the Nobel Laureate’s views on Vietnam and the Cold War, which Paul and Jane were both concerned about, half expecting Armageddon to come by way of nuclear strike from the East. ‘I think that made us more determined to enjoy ourselves and live for the moment,’ Jane has said. When Paul told the philosopher that the Beatles had a mind to make their next picture an anti-war film, Russell suggested Paul speak to his friend, the author Len Deighton, who was developing the First World War Musical Oh What a Lovely War as a picture.

Deighton invited Paul to dinner to discuss the movie....Paul expressed an interest in the Beatles starring in Oh What a Lovely War, the project falling down when it came to how they would use music in the picture, as Deighton recalls:

I couldn’t use Beatle music as the whole point of Oh What a Lovely War was that all the dialogue, words, and music were taken from those actually sung or spoken at the time of the war 1914-18. Paul explained that they wanted to be in a film with a more direct reference to modern war. Kindle location 2764/15190

It’s just amazing that parts of the press turned this into “Paul can’t possibly have been into politics because he didn’t do a bed-in and I’ve never paid attention to anything politics-related he’s said except to maybe sneer at it so he’s got to be lying, and while he’s at it, he’s obviously trying to take John’s mantle because there’s no way he could ever have possibly met with an anti-war person before John or have had any influence on him ever. I mean c’mon. He was known as The Cute One and wrote Frog Chorus and that’s all you need to know. Brb--have to photoshop Paul into all the bed-in photos because he’s obvi claiming he did more!”

[phoneybeatlemania-bit-the-dust]

The Beatles were actually created by Peter Sellers, who up to that point was the most well known patron of Abbey Road. He made absolutely the most drivel song he could think of, "Love Me Do". He hired four talentless but proficient lads from Liverpool to act as a front.

To his everlasting surprise people didn't laugh at the song he wrote to mock rock music, they liked it. Confused yet immensely talented he wrote more serious songs for this fake band.

The joke finally revealed itself in 1965 when Peter Sellers accepted the Grammy Award instead of the Beatles, and yet people so wanted to believe the Beatles were real they discounted this evidence that they weren't real.

When people compare The Beatles to The Monkees they're much closer to the truth than they realize. This all came to a head in 1980 when Peter died. Lennon, unstable, wanted to reveal the whole charade to the world. Yoko, who feared the consequences, arranged for John to be murdered.

But tipsy cant even tell if this is a joke or what

Cheers my luv

[only-johnny-deppp]

5 years ago, on May 24, 2016, the Hollywood Vampires kick off their their FIRST tour, the “Raise the Dead/2016 Summer Tour”rocking at the Turning Stone Resort Casino, in Verona, New York.

Following their electrifying performance on the 2016 Grammy Awards, the Vampires announced their first tour and 9 dates by surprise on April Fool’s Day, including a performance on 2016 Rock and Rio Lisboa and shows in Europe, but with the note “this is no April Fool’s joke.” Luckily, it was real!

The tour was also marked for being the first time Johnny played in a band after a long time and toured in North America and Europe for three months. It was also marked by level of complexity when it comes about schedule. They had to plan everything to match Johnny and his movie career, Joe Perry and the Aerosmith concerts, Alice Cooper’s own concerts, Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum of Guns N' Roses and their concerts and Robert DeLeo and the Stone Temple Pilots concerts.

The Vampires were so well accepted by the new fans that the 9 initial shows, soon became 21 shows that range through the entire summer of 2016. 

On this tour, the Hollywood Vampires performed with the first members, some of them are no longer on the group: 

Alice Cooper, Johnny Depp, Joe Perry and Tommy Henriksen Bruce Witkin [from Johnny’s old group “The Kids”] Robert DeLeo [Bassist from “Stone Temple Pilots”] Matt Sorum [Drummer from “Guns N' Roses” – at that time] Duff McKagan [Bassist from “Guns N’ Roses”] Ps. Matt and Duff played only in selected days and not the whole tour.

This first show was also marked for Joe Perry’s first surprising rock and roll performance and homage on the tour, as he smashed his guitar on stage during the performance of The Who’s “My Generation” and then threw some pieces to the crowd that went crazy. This tribute repeated several times throughout the tour as a homage to Pete Townshend, of “The Who”, who was the first guitar-smashing rock artist.

As usual Johnny rocked on his guitars as well backing up Cooper's vocals, who shared the mic with Joe Perry who sang “Stop Messin' Around” from the Fleetwood Mac and “Ace of Spades” from Motörhead that was sang by Matt Sorum.

The set list was comprised by 21 songs, including their 3 new originals songs.

 OFFICIAL SETLIST (Hollywood Vampires - Raise the Dead Tour, May 24, 2016)

1. Raise the Dead [Hollywood Vampires New Song] 2. I Got a Line on You [”Spirit” Cover] 3.  20th Century Boy [”T. Rex” Cover] 4. Pinball Wizard [”The Who”Cover]  5. My Generation [“The Who” Cover] 6.  Manic Depression [“Jimi Hendrix ” Cover] 7. Cold Turkey [“John Lennon” Cover] 8.  Come Together [“The Beatles” Cover] 9. 7 and 7 Is [“Love” Cover] 10. Whole Lotta Love [“Led Zeppelin” Cover] 11. Five to One/Break on Through [“The Doors” Cover] 12. Rebel Rebel [“David Bowie” Cover]  13. Suffragette City [“David Bowie” Cover] 14. As Bad As I Am [Hollywood Vampires New Song] 15. Stop Messin' Around [“Aerosmith” Cover] 16. Dead Drunk Friends [Hollywood Vampires New Song] 17. Ace of Spades [“Motörhead” Cover] 18. I'm Eighteen [“Alice Cooper” Cover] 19. Sweet Emotion [“Aerosmith” Cover] 20. Train Kept a Rollin' [“Aerosmith” Cover] 21. School's Out/ Another Brick in the Wall Pt. 2 [Mashup]  [“Alice Cooper” & “ Pink Floyd” Cover]

[gayenerd]

I just realized I didn’t post that 2007 Rolling Stone article I posted about here. 

Billie Joe Armstrong

The Green Day leader talks Bush, Britney and being a middle-aged punk for our 40th anniversary.

DAVID FRICKE

Posted Nov 01, 2007 8:19 AM

You have two young sons. What kind of America will they inherit?

This war has to finish before something new blossoms. There's no draft — that's why none of the kids give a shit. They'd rather watch videos on YouTube. It's hard to tell what's next — there is so much information out there with no power to it. Everything is in transition, including our government. Next year, it's someone else in the White House. There's no way to define anything. It's Generation Zero. But you gotta start at zero to get to something.

Is there anyone now running for president who gives you hope for the future?

Barack Obama, but it's a bit early to tell if this is the guy I like. I get sick of the religious-figure thing. People don't question their rulers, these political figures, just as they don't question their ministers and priests. They're not going to question George Bush, especially if he goes around talking about God — "I'm going to let God decide this for me. He's going to give me the answer." The fear of God keeps people silent.

When did you first vote in a presidential election?

In 1992. I was twenty. I voted for Clinton.

Did you feel like you made a difference?

Yeah. The Eighties sucked. There was so much bullshit that went along with that decade. I felt like Clinton was a fresh face with fresh ideas. There were times when he was dropping bombs, and I'm thinking, "What the fuck are you doing?" But he became a target. We have this puritanical vision of what a leader is supposed to be, and that's what makes us the biggest hypocrites in the world. We got so inside this guy's sexual habits. Now we have a president going around, killing in the name of what? In the name of nothing.

What did you accomplish with your 2004 anti-Bush album, "American Idiot"? He was re-elected anyway, and the war in Iraq is still going on.

I found a voice. There may have been people disenfranchised by it. People have a hard time with that kind of writing: "Why are you preaching to me?" It does sound preachy, a bit. I'm a musician, and I want to say positive things. If it's about self-indulgent depression or overthrowing the government, it's gotta come from my heart. And when you say "Fuck George W. Bush" in a packed arena in Texas, that's an accomplishment, because you're saying it to the unconverted.

Do you think selling nearly 6 million copies of that album might have an effect on the 2008 election? A kid who bought it at fifteen will be voting age next year.

I hope so. I made it to give people a reason to think for themselves. It was supposed to be a catalyst. Maybe that's one reason why it's difficult for me to write about politics now. A lot of things on that record are still relevant. It's like we have this monarchy in politics — the passing of the baton between the Clintons and the Bushes. That's frightening. What needs to happen is a complete change, a person coming from the outside with a new perspective on all the fucked-up problems we have.

How would you describe the state of pop culture?

People want blood. They want to see other people thrown to the lions. Do audiences want rock stars? I can't tell. You have information coming at you from so many areas — YouTube, the Internet, tabloids. Watching Britney Spears the other night [on the MTV Video Music Awards] was like watching a public execution. How could the people at MTV, the people around her, not know this girl was fucked up? People came in expecting a train wreck, and they got more than they bargained for.

She was a willing conspirator. She didn't say no.

She is a manufactured child. She has come up through this Disney perspective, thinking that all life is about is to be the most ridiculous star you could be. But it's also about what we look at as entertainment — watching somebody go through that.

How do you decide what your children can see on TV or the Internet? As a dad, even a punk-rock dad, that can make you conservative in your choices.

I want to protect them from garbage. It's not necessarily the sex and drugs. It's bad drugs and bad sex, the violence you see on television and in the news. I want to protect them from being desensitized. I want them to realize this is real life, not a video game.

The main thing I want them to have is a good education, because that's something I never had. Get smart. Educate yourself as much as you can, and get as much out of it, even if the teacher is an asshole.

Do you regret dropping out of high school?

Life in high school sucks. I bucked the system. I also got lucky. My wife has a degree in sociology, and there are conversations she has — I don't have a fucking clue what they're talking about. College — I could have learned from that.

But I was the last of six kids. At that point, my mother was fifty-eight, and she threw up her hands — "I'm through with this parenting thing." Also, I could not handle authority figures. But I wouldn't say I'm an authority figure for my kids. I provide guidelines, not rules.

What is it like being a middle-aged punk? Isn't that a contradiction in terms?

It's about the energy you bring with you, the pulse inside your head. I want to get older. I don't want to be twenty-one again. Screw that. My twenties were a difficult time — where my band was at, getting married, having a child. I remember walking out of a gig in Chicago, past these screaming kids. There were these punks, real ones, sitting outside our tour bus. One girl had a forty-ouncer, and she goes, "Billie Joe, come drink with us." I said, "I can't, I've got my family on the bus." She goes, "Well, fuck you then." I get on the bus, and my wife says, "Did that bitch just tell you to fuck off? I'm gonna kick her ass right now." I'm holding her back, while my child is naked, jumping on the couch: "Hi, Daddy!" That was my whole life right there — screaming kids, punks telling me to fuck off, my wife getting pissed, my naked son waiting to get into his pajamas.

There's nothing wrong with being twenty-one. It's the lessons you learn. At thirty, you think, "Why did I worry so much about this shit?" When I hit forty, I'll say the same thing: "Why did I worry about this shit in my thirties?"

What have you learned about yourself?

There is more to life than trying to find your way through self-destruction or throwing yourself into the fire all the time. Nihilism in punk rock can be a cliché. I need to give myself more room to breathe, to allow my thoughts to catch up with the rest of me.

Before Dookie, I wasn't married and I didn't have kids. I had a guitar, a bag of clothes and a four-track recorder. There are ways you don't want to change. You don't want to lose your spark. But I need silence more than I did before. I need to get away from the static and noise, whereas before, I thrived on it.

Are you ready for the end of the music business? The technology and its effect on sales have changed dramatically since Green Days' debut EP — on vinyl — in 1989.

Technology now and the way people put out records — everything comes at you so fast, you don't know what you're investigating. You can't identify with it — at least I can't. With American Idiot, we made a conscious effort to give people an experience they could remember for the rest of their lives. It wasn't just the content. It was the artwork, the three acts — the way you could read it all like someone's story.

Is music simply not important to young people now the way it was to you as a kid?

People get addicted to garbage they don't need. At shows, they gotta talk on their phones to their friend who's in the next aisle. I was watching this documentary on Jeff Tweedy of Wilco [Sunken Treasure]. He was playing acoustic, and he ends up screaming at the audience: "Your fucking conversation can wait. I'm up here singing a song — get involved." He wasn't being an asshole. He was like, "Leave your bullshit behind. Let's celebrate what's happening now."

We need music, and we need it good. I took it very seriously. There's a side of me where music will always send chills up my spine, make me cry, make me want to get up and do Pete Townshend windmills. In a lot of ways, I was in a minority when I was young. There are people who go, "Oh, that's a snappy tune." I listen to it and go, "That's the greatest fucking song ever. That is the song I want played at my funeral."

Now that you've brought it up, what song do you want played at your funeral?

It keeps changing. "Life on Mars?" by David Bowie. "In My Life," by the Beatles. "Love," by John Lennon.

Those are all reflective ballads, not punk.

I disagree. They are all honest in their reflection. The punk bands I liked were the ones who didn't fall into clichés — the Clash, the Ramones. The Ramones wrote beautiful love songs. They also invented punk rock. I'd have to add "Blitzkrieg Bop" to the list.

What is the future of punk rock? Will it still be a voice of rebellion in twenty years?

It's categorized in so many different ways. You've got the MySpace punks. But there is always the subculture of it — the rats in the walls, pounding the pavement and booking their own live shows. It comes down to the people who are willing to do something different from everybody else.

You are in a different, platinum-album world now. What makes you so sure that spirit survives?

I'm going on faith — because I was there. Gilman Street [the Berkeley, California, club where Green Day played early shows] is still around. And that's a hard task, because there is no bar — it's a nonprofit cooperative. It's like a commune — this feeling of bucking the system together, surviving and thriving on art. Punk, as an underground, pushes for the generation gap. As soon as you're twenty-five years old, there's a group of sixteen-year-olds coming to kick your ass. And you have to pass the torch on. It's a trip to have seen it happen so many times. It gives me goose bumps — punk is something that survives on its own.