In 1965, The Beatles visited Elvis Presley at his home in California. The band could hardly contain their excitement; they had idolized Elvis for years and finally had the chance to meet him. Though the visit was a bit awkward at first, each of The Beatles walked away from it happy they had met Elvis. The same could not be said for their press officer, Tony Barrows, who found the meeting quite dull.
The Beatles visited Elvis Presley in 1965
In 1965, after several years of trying, The Beatles had the opportunity to meet with Elvis.
“We met Elvis Presley at the end of our stay in LA,” Paul McCartney said in The Beatles Anthology. “We’d tried for years to, but we could never get to him. We used to think we were a bit of a threat to him and Colonel Tom Parker, which ultimately we were. So although we tried many times,...
The Beatles visited Elvis Presley in 1965
In 1965, after several years of trying, The Beatles had the opportunity to meet with Elvis.
“We met Elvis Presley at the end of our stay in LA,” Paul McCartney said in The Beatles Anthology. “We’d tried for years to, but we could never get to him. We used to think we were a bit of a threat to him and Colonel Tom Parker, which ultimately we were. So although we tried many times,...
- 12/2/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Of all The Beatles, John Lennon had the most caustic personality. He frequently got into arguments and had little issue with speaking badly about his group or his bandmates. Because of this, Beatles press officer Tony Barrow had to be careful about the interviews he scheduled for Lennon. He knew that if he didn’t pick the right kind of reporter, Lennon might turn on them.
The Beatles’ press officer had to be careful when sending John Lennon to interviews
Barrow knew that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr came across as charming and likable. George Harrison, while less chatty with the press, was always polite. Lennon was a different story. He could be outright rude to people he didn’t like, making Barrow worry about introducing him to strangers.
“I was sometimes nervous of what impression he would make upon third parties, rather in the same way one sent home...
The Beatles’ press officer had to be careful when sending John Lennon to interviews
Barrow knew that Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr came across as charming and likable. George Harrison, while less chatty with the press, was always polite. Lennon was a different story. He could be outright rude to people he didn’t like, making Barrow worry about introducing him to strangers.
“I was sometimes nervous of what impression he would make upon third parties, rather in the same way one sent home...
- 9/20/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles caused a bit of controversy when they first rose to prominence, but their public image was much cleaner than many of the bands that came after them. They wore neat suits and charmed the press with their humor. Behind the scenes, though, they lived a more rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle than some might expect. According to Ringo Starr’s temporary replacement drummer Jimmy Nicol, The Beatles spent many of their nights in a haze of women and alcohol.
A temporary drummer said The Beatles’ behavior didn’t align with their public images
In order to appeal to a wide array of people, Beatles manager Brian Epstein wanted to make them seem friendly and approachable. The image fit them well, but certain details of their private lives might have surprised fans, according to Nicol. He joined the band on tour while Starr had tonsillitis.
“Paul is not the clean...
A temporary drummer said The Beatles’ behavior didn’t align with their public images
In order to appeal to a wide array of people, Beatles manager Brian Epstein wanted to make them seem friendly and approachable. The image fit them well, but certain details of their private lives might have surprised fans, according to Nicol. He joined the band on tour while Starr had tonsillitis.
“Paul is not the clean...
- 6/23/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles were massively successful and beloved worldwide, but John Lennon said he liked it when people criticized the band. He even took this position himself after the band broke up. For the most part, much of what the group did was well-received. This helped The Beatles become the biggest band in the world. While Lennon appreciated his success, he thought it would be boring if people didn’t criticize them.
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images John Lennon said he liked it when people criticized The Beatles
By 1964, The Beatles had become the biggest band in the world. Beatlemania swept through countries. Despite their across-the-board success, Lennon said he liked it when people disliked the band.
“I don’t mind people putting us down, because if everybody really liked us, it would be a bore,” Lennon said, per The Beatles Anthology. “You...
Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, George Harrison, John Lennon | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images John Lennon said he liked it when people criticized The Beatles
By 1964, The Beatles had become the biggest band in the world. Beatlemania swept through countries. Despite their across-the-board success, Lennon said he liked it when people disliked the band.
“I don’t mind people putting us down, because if everybody really liked us, it would be a bore,” Lennon said, per The Beatles Anthology. “You...
- 6/3/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney has heard it all during his career. There has been tons of praise — with The Beatles, Wings, and solo — but also detractors. One musician called Paul and John Lennon idiots but covered one of their songs anyway. Sometimes the criticism came from those closest to him. Beatles press officer Tony Barrow said Paul craved constant approval and was “long on promises, short on performance” in his efforts to satisfy fans.
Paul McCartney | kpa/United Archives via Getty Images Paul McCartney craved public approval and was ‘long on promises, short on performance’ when he tried to get it
Fans called Paul the cute Beatle. The bassist seemed to smile perpetually. It made him seem like the most approachable and fun-loving member of the group.
According to Barrow, it was by design.
In his book 150 Glimpses of The Beatles, author Craig Brown quotes Barrow comparing John and Paul. Lennon was the dominant big personality.
Paul McCartney | kpa/United Archives via Getty Images Paul McCartney craved public approval and was ‘long on promises, short on performance’ when he tried to get it
Fans called Paul the cute Beatle. The bassist seemed to smile perpetually. It made him seem like the most approachable and fun-loving member of the group.
According to Barrow, it was by design.
In his book 150 Glimpses of The Beatles, author Craig Brown quotes Barrow comparing John and Paul. Lennon was the dominant big personality.
- 5/26/2023
- by Jason Rossi
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were competitors during the 1960s, but it was mainly friendly, and the two often cooperated. If one released an album or single, the other would avoid doing so simultaneously. The two bands dominated the charts then and almost formed a business merger to develop a recording studio.
Rumors emerged that The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were going to enter a business merger Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger | KMazur/WireImage
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones never published any music together, but they did have a solid working relationship. The Beatles actually helped their fellow band by giving them “I Wanna Be Your Man”, one of their first significant hits. In 1967, A Melody Maker article containing rumors of a potential business merger between the two bands was released.
‘It’s highly possible that the two groups will get together for fresh business ventures, but...
Rumors emerged that The Beatles and The Rolling Stones were going to enter a business merger Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger | KMazur/WireImage
The Beatles and The Rolling Stones never published any music together, but they did have a solid working relationship. The Beatles actually helped their fellow band by giving them “I Wanna Be Your Man”, one of their first significant hits. In 1967, A Melody Maker article containing rumors of a potential business merger between the two bands was released.
‘It’s highly possible that the two groups will get together for fresh business ventures, but...
- 4/26/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In the frenzied days of Beatlemania, the Beatles had a reputation for being cute, funny, and approachable. While some worried that they were a bad influence on young people, they were, for the most part, clean-cut. The band’s road manager, Neil Aspinall, said they weren’t actually how their reputation made them seem, though.
The Beatles | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images Brian Epstein didn’t want to fabricate any part of The Beatles’ reputation
The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, found himself in a comfortable position during Beatlemania. He no longer had to promote the band to the press; they came to him looking for stories. He did not want to invent anything about the band. Instead, he believed that every story should promote their already existing attributes.
“In all our handouts and in all our press dealings, Brian only stressed what was good about them,” press officer Tony Barrow said,...
The Beatles | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images Brian Epstein didn’t want to fabricate any part of The Beatles’ reputation
The Beatles’ manager, Brian Epstein, found himself in a comfortable position during Beatlemania. He no longer had to promote the band to the press; they came to him looking for stories. He did not want to invent anything about the band. Instead, he believed that every story should promote their already existing attributes.
“In all our handouts and in all our press dealings, Brian only stressed what was good about them,” press officer Tony Barrow said,...
- 3/19/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1964, The Beatles traveled to America for the first time, making Beatlemania a nationwide phenomenon. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr had been successful in England, but they quickly became the most famous people in the world. Immediately before this unprecedented success, though, the band worried that their popularity was fizzling out. Critics thought they were a passing fad, which worried the band.
The Beatles | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images The Beatles were a success in England before America
In Oct. 1963, The Beatles went from a success story in England to a widespread phenomenon. They had reached the top of the charts, and everywhere they went, screaming packs of fans followed. Soon, they were the subject of nearly every news story in the country.
“From that day on, everything changed,” the band’s press officer, Tony Barrow, said, per the book The Beatles: The Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies.
The Beatles | CBS Photo Archive/Getty Images The Beatles were a success in England before America
In Oct. 1963, The Beatles went from a success story in England to a widespread phenomenon. They had reached the top of the charts, and everywhere they went, screaming packs of fans followed. Soon, they were the subject of nearly every news story in the country.
“From that day on, everything changed,” the band’s press officer, Tony Barrow, said, per the book The Beatles: The Authorized Biography by Hunter Davies.
- 2/9/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Part of the reason The Beatles were so beloved by their fans, outside of their music, was that they came across as funny and charming. They joked around in interviews and onstage, their personalities only serving to fuel Beatlemania even more. While the band’s manager, Brian Epstein, said he never had to invent positive characteristics for the group, just emphasize their existing ones, John Lennon didn’t entirely agree. He noted that much of the band’s humor in interviews was part of the image they had invented with the press.
The Beatles | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Brian Epstein said he didn’t want to invent any characteristics for the band
When The Beatles began reaching massive levels of fame in 1963, stories about them ran practically daily. Epstein wanted to push stories that highlighted the four member’s actual positive attributes. He didn’t want to invent anything for the media.
The Beatles | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Brian Epstein said he didn’t want to invent any characteristics for the band
When The Beatles began reaching massive levels of fame in 1963, stories about them ran practically daily. Epstein wanted to push stories that highlighted the four member’s actual positive attributes. He didn’t want to invent anything for the media.
- 1/26/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
It’s standard rock-history practice not to rank the Beatles, as a live band, at the level of more obvious titans like the Who, Cream, the Jimi Hendrix Experience or Dylan once he paired with the Band. Their symbiotic relationship with the studio perhaps dulls what ought to be a clear point: When the Fab Four were invested in tearing it up live, you were gonna get torn up too, in a good way. They could cook, and to paraphrase John Lennon in the Anthology, there was no one to...
- 1/30/2019
- by Colin Fleming
- Rollingstone.com
Tony Sokol Dec 24, 2018
Crimble comes at the end of every year and The Beatles made it maybe. George Martin biographer chimes in.
The Beatles Christmas messages began as a personal show of holiday gratitude to the band’s fan club, but grew into an annual tradition as important as any evergreen chestnut for a generation. Growing up, the silly off-key carols meant Christmas. They were exciting. They were fun. They were funny. I never in my life worried about offending someone by saying Merry or Happy Christmas because, due to these recordings, I would forever mangle greetings like “Hare Kringle” and “very new jeers.” Inviting Krishna devotees and insult comics into the happy proceedings.
Christmas was never a religious holiday at our house. It rocked. And it all started when radio stations started playing the crimbly greetings. Long after the Beatles broke up, prog and oldies stations alike would keep up the tradition.
Crimble comes at the end of every year and The Beatles made it maybe. George Martin biographer chimes in.
The Beatles Christmas messages began as a personal show of holiday gratitude to the band’s fan club, but grew into an annual tradition as important as any evergreen chestnut for a generation. Growing up, the silly off-key carols meant Christmas. They were exciting. They were fun. They were funny. I never in my life worried about offending someone by saying Merry or Happy Christmas because, due to these recordings, I would forever mangle greetings like “Hare Kringle” and “very new jeers.” Inviting Krishna devotees and insult comics into the happy proceedings.
Christmas was never a religious holiday at our house. It rocked. And it all started when radio stations started playing the crimbly greetings. Long after the Beatles broke up, prog and oldies stations alike would keep up the tradition.
- 12/20/2017
- Den of Geek
For those of us who weren’t lucky enough to attend a Beatles concert in the 1960s, Ron Howard’s Eight Days a Week just might be the next best thing. The 2016 documentary traces the band’s rise from a cramped and dank cellar in Liverpool to record breaking television appearances, jam packed stadiums, and—ultimately—rock immortality. Lovingly assembled through rare and often unseen fan home movie footage, Howard’s film also draws on more familiar material—restored to the highest echelons of HD— and new interviews with Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr. All told, it’s a joyous...
- 11/21/2017
- by Jordan Runtagh
- PEOPLE.com
As a 17-year-old Freda Kelly was the envy of thousands of teenage girls: she was secretary to the Fab Four and ran their fan club. Now, in a new documentary about her role, she has finally decided to open up
These days, Freda Kelly leads an uncomplicated life. Every morning, she drives from her home in the Wirral to a legal firm in Birkenhead, where she is secretary to one of the senior partners. She starts her working day at 9am, dealing with legal files, setting up appointments, liaising with mental health tribunals and typing up letters at a steady speed of 50wpm. On her desk, the stapler is labelled with her name in case anyone should be tempted to claim it as their own. She has been working here for 21 years.
Of late, Freda, 68, has found herself at the centre of some unexpected attention. She finds this baffling. "I mean,...
These days, Freda Kelly leads an uncomplicated life. Every morning, she drives from her home in the Wirral to a legal firm in Birkenhead, where she is secretary to one of the senior partners. She starts her working day at 9am, dealing with legal files, setting up appointments, liaising with mental health tribunals and typing up letters at a steady speed of 50wpm. On her desk, the stapler is labelled with her name in case anyone should be tempted to claim it as their own. She has been working here for 21 years.
Of late, Freda, 68, has found herself at the centre of some unexpected attention. She finds this baffling. "I mean,...
- 11/18/2013
- by Elizabeth Day
- The Guardian - Film News
Directed by: Ryan White
Featuring: Freda Kelly, Tony Barrow, Ringo Starr
In the early 1960s, Freda Kelly became one of the most envied women in the world, and I bet you've never even heard of her.
The subject of Good Ol' Freda, a new documentary that premiered at SXSW 2013, Ms. Kelly shot to the top of the "right place, right time" list overnight when, almost by accident, she became a member of the Beatles' inner circle, known to the Fab Four and fans round the world as "Good Ol' Freda."
Kelly was an average Liverpool teenager who'd finished high school and gone to work as a typist when she discovered a hip new band called the Beatles playing at a local club. She quickly became a regular at their lunchtime shows and eventually got to know them a bit, never daring to imagine where this chance meeting would take her.
Featuring: Freda Kelly, Tony Barrow, Ringo Starr
In the early 1960s, Freda Kelly became one of the most envied women in the world, and I bet you've never even heard of her.
The subject of Good Ol' Freda, a new documentary that premiered at SXSW 2013, Ms. Kelly shot to the top of the "right place, right time" list overnight when, almost by accident, she became a member of the Beatles' inner circle, known to the Fab Four and fans round the world as "Good Ol' Freda."
Kelly was an average Liverpool teenager who'd finished high school and gone to work as a typist when she discovered a hip new band called the Beatles playing at a local club. She quickly became a regular at their lunchtime shows and eventually got to know them a bit, never daring to imagine where this chance meeting would take her.
- 3/25/2013
- by Theron
- Planet Fury
DVD Playhouse—May 2010
By
Allen Gardner
Avatar (20th Century Fox) James Cameron beat his own title as box office champ, set with Titanic over a decade ago, with this eye-popping sci-fi epic about a paraplegic Marine name Sully (Sam Worthington), who takes the form of an “avatar,” or virtual being, to go undercover on the planet Pandora, attempting to infiltrate the native Na’vi to gather intelligence that will aid a joint corporate and military operation to rape the planet of its natural resources, destroying its indigenous population in the process. When Sully suddenly “goes native,” he locks horns with the company CEO (Giovanni Ribisi) and his gung-ho commanding officer (Stephen Lang, in a wonderful, scenery-chewing turn from a long-underrated actor). Thought of by many scholars and film buffs as a “game-changer” as much as the first Star Wars film was—and they may be right. While Cameron’s politically-correct...
By
Allen Gardner
Avatar (20th Century Fox) James Cameron beat his own title as box office champ, set with Titanic over a decade ago, with this eye-popping sci-fi epic about a paraplegic Marine name Sully (Sam Worthington), who takes the form of an “avatar,” or virtual being, to go undercover on the planet Pandora, attempting to infiltrate the native Na’vi to gather intelligence that will aid a joint corporate and military operation to rape the planet of its natural resources, destroying its indigenous population in the process. When Sully suddenly “goes native,” he locks horns with the company CEO (Giovanni Ribisi) and his gung-ho commanding officer (Stephen Lang, in a wonderful, scenery-chewing turn from a long-underrated actor). Thought of by many scholars and film buffs as a “game-changer” as much as the first Star Wars film was—and they may be right. While Cameron’s politically-correct...
- 5/18/2010
- by The Hollywood Interview.com
- The Hollywood Interview
Wienerworld and Mvd Visual report that the North American DVD release of John Lennon "Rare and Unseen" will be May 18.
The next title of the "Rare and Unseen" series takes an inside look at the rock musician, singer-songwriter, author and peace activist who became one of the world's most successful solo artists after his departure from the Beatles in 1969.
"...From his musical/songwriting input with the Beatles (especially his partnership with McCartney) to his astronomical solo career, Lennon has written some of the most popular music in rock and roll history. After the Beatles, Lennon enjoyed a successful solo career with such acclaimed albums as 'Imagine' and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". His final album, 'Double Fantasy' was released less than a month before his death. This brand new DVD release is a collection of rare footage featuring original rare film and videos of the singer,...
The next title of the "Rare and Unseen" series takes an inside look at the rock musician, singer-songwriter, author and peace activist who became one of the world's most successful solo artists after his departure from the Beatles in 1969.
"...From his musical/songwriting input with the Beatles (especially his partnership with McCartney) to his astronomical solo career, Lennon has written some of the most popular music in rock and roll history. After the Beatles, Lennon enjoyed a successful solo career with such acclaimed albums as 'Imagine' and iconic songs such as "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine". His final album, 'Double Fantasy' was released less than a month before his death. This brand new DVD release is a collection of rare footage featuring original rare film and videos of the singer,...
- 3/31/2010
- by Michael Stevens
- SneakPeek
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