BEATLES MAGAZINE

Monday, 29 June 2026

SEAN LENNON: " ‘I WANT YOU’ REALLY IMPACTED ME A LOT AS A KID"

(Image:Rick Beato/Youtube)

In a recent interview with Rick Beato, Sean Lennon discussed his artistic inclinations toward dark and dissonant musical compositions, tracing this affinity back to a seminal work by his father.

“I’ve always had a love of that and I think it’s because of I Want You (She’s So Heavy) – that really impacted me a lot as a kid. I've really wondered where it came from, you know. It's so unprecedented at that time. In a way I think of it like the first really heavy riff. It’s so sophisticated and unlike anything else he wrote otherwise.”

Sean Lennon further analyzed another Abbey Road classic, “Because,”: “I know where that one came from, because the famous story is that my mom was playing Moonlight Sonata, and he and my dad said, 'Wait, stop, can you play those chords backwards or maybe write them down for me?' And she did, and that was sort of the basis of Because... And that is true. I mean, according to my mom."

When Beato questioned the Beatles’ legendary creative output and how they managed such a prolific songwriting pace, Lennon expressed his own wonder: "Yeah, the amount of productivity is shocking, because it's two records a year, for eight years… Obviously it’s shocking and it’s unprecedented and inexplicable.” “But, I’ve thought about it a lot and you know, really, on some records my dad just wrote Walrus for Magical Mystery Tour. That’s one song in six months. Paul and he had each other and then George wrote a song so you know they could go in with three, four songs per record, so it's not like today where they had to write 10 songs and also today some records have 15, 20 songs because of CDs. They were shorter records – they were 30-minute records and they split up the songwriting.”

Regarding his eclectic musical tastes, Sean Lennon noted an appreciation that spans almost every genre. “I always felt like I liked something at least from every genre, because there’s always something amazing. I can’t even think of a genre that I really don’t like, maybe some obscure EDM genres that I’m not into.”

“I really like a lot of music from India, Turkey, from the Middle Ages… psyche bands from Greece from the 1970s. I have a lot of Ethiopian jazz. And I’m a bit prog fan.”

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Tuesday, 23 June 2026

ON THIS DAY ... JUNE 23

June 23

1940

Stuart Sutcliffe is born, in Edinburgh.

1963

10.31-11.30am. BBC's 'Easy Beat' broadcast (recorded 19 June 1963).

1964

Concert in Wellington, New Zealand.

1965

Broadcast of 'Londra Ultima Ora', Italian radio programme, with interview to the Beatles (recorded 18 June 1965).

Night. The Beatles arrive in Milan central starion, platform 3, on the Trans Europe Express from Lyon, France. A car takes them to the hotel.

1966

Flight to Munich, with Brian and Cliff Bennett and the Rebel Rousers, also included in the tour.

Opening night of the club Sibylla's, London.

1967

Studio 1. 8.00-11.00pm. Recording: 'All You Need Is Love'. Tape reduction take 10, takes 34-43 as overdub onto take 10. Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Geoff Emerick; 2nd Engineer: Richard Lush.
Orchestra overdub for 'All You Need Is Love'.

1982

Santa Barbara Sound studios, Santa Barbara, USA.

Mixing for 'Old Wave' [either of these: 'Alibi', 'I Keep Forgettin' ', 'Going Down'; 'Everybody's In A Hurry But Me'; 'In My Car']. Producer: Jim Nipar (assisted by Terry Nelson). Joe Walsh is in attendance.


1990: Paul McCartney live: SECC Arena, Glasgow

1992: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Jones Beach Theatre, Wantagh

2000: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: House Of Blues, West Hollywood

2006:
Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Cache Creek Casino Resort, Brooks



2011: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Clyde Auditorium, Glasgow

2012: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Circus Maximus Theater, Atlantic City

2015: Paul McCartney live: John Paul Jones Arena, Charlottesville

2016: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Fox Theatre, Detroit

2018: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Menora Mivtachim Arena, Tel Aviv

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Saturday, 20 June 2026

PETER ASHER: "I REJECT SOUNDLY ANY IMPLICATION THAT I WAS RESPONSIBLE FOR BREAKING UP THE BEATLES"

Peter Asher shared his memories in front of a live audience.

Photo: Peter Asher
In the new documentary Peter Asher: Everywhere Man, which chronicles the life and professional journey of the musician-turned-art-dealer-turned-legendary-producer, 82-year-old Peter Asher—famously one component of the 1960s musical pair Peter and Gordon—reflects on his lasting influence within the music industry. The documentary highlights his accomplishments, such as the chart-topping 1964 smash "A World Without Love," written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, and explores the significant role that the Indica bookstore—and, by association, the collective of Asher, Peter Dunbar, and Barry Miles—played in facilitating the meeting of one of rock history's most iconic couples.

"John Dunbar was made aware of this Japanese American artist who was Yoko Ono," Miles recalls in the documentary. "And he thought she sounded suitably interesting and wacky to be in our avant garde gallery." "And then, of course, famously, when we were hanging a show, that was one of the days that John Lennon showed up in is little wide wheelbase Mini with a chauffeur," Miles continues.

A clip is then shown of John Lennon and Yoko Ono making an appearance on British journalist David Frost's long-running talk show. In it, John Lennon describes the genesis of his connection with Ono.

"They were having a show at this gallery, and she had all these things, all these hammer nail things, Lennon says, recounting his first encounter with Ono. "There was this ladder on a thing on the ceiling. So I climbed the ladder, and on the ceiling it said 'Yes.' If it had said 'No,' then I would have carried on with my preconceived ideas about art and artists.... But it said 'Yes,' and that was enough, you know. That was how we met actually."

Following the footage being projected onto the screen while Asher recounts anecdotes before a live crowd, the attendees break into applause. Subsequently, Asher provides a comical concluding remark to Lennon’s reminiscence.

"Thank you," Asher says. "It's very interesting. That was a nice little round of applause. Sometimes it's a 'awww,' you know, like, what a great love story. But other times, it's a 'grrr.' "

He continues: "And the most dramatic one, which has only happened once, but it was quite startling when it did, was as soon as the clip was over, John said, 'and that's when we met,' some bloke in the audience jumped to his feet, pointed at me, and yelled at the top of his voice, 'It was you! You broke up the Beatles!' "

As the audience erupts in laughter, Asher adds, "I reject soundly any implication that I was responsible for breaking up the Beatles."

Peter Asher: Everywhere Man opens June 19 in New York and June 26 in L.A. and other cities.

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Thursday, 18 June 2026

PAUL McCARTNEY: "I GO TO THE GYM, DO A BIT OF PILATES. IT’s GOOD”


“When I wrote When I’m 64, I was thinking, ‘64? Oh, my God, that’s so old.’ And then I go, oh, I’m 64. Oh, now I’m 74 and now I’m going to be 84.”

Paul prioritizes his well-being by maintaining a vegetarian lifestyle and practicing Pilates, which he believes are the keys to his physical fitness

He said: “These days, I do a bit of exercise. You know, whereas at school, I hated physical education. Now I go to the gym, do a bit of Pilates. It’s good.”

With his latest release, The Boys of Dungeon Lane, the musician has achieved his 24th UK number one album; he expressed great delight regarding the enthusiastic response from his fanbase.

He said: “Yeah, we are well chuffed.

“If you do something, you want people to like it, and if people like it enough to send it to number one, you know they like it.”

Paul recently described himself as a 'playaholic,' noting that he doesn't view his music career as actual work.

Speaking to Zane Lowe in an interview for Apple Music, he said: “People say, ‘Oh you’re a workaholic’ and I say, ‘We don’t work music, we play it, so I’m a playaholic!

“I hate it when making music starts to feel like work.”

Zane then remarked that music producer Brian Eno had made an “almost identical” comment in a recent interview with him.

Paul said: “I saw your thing about Brian Eno and he says this, he says this thing about ‘playtime’ and I go ‘that’s… he’s nicked it, he’s heard me say it!’

“Because I’m always saying that! He’s taking all my lines, this guy!”


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Monday, 15 June 2026

ON THIS DAY JUNE 15 ...

June 15

1961 Performance at the Top Ten Club, Hamburg.

1962 The Beatles at Cavern Club, Liverpool (lunchtime and evening)

5.00-5.29pm. BBC's 'Here We Go' broadcast (recorded 11 June 1962).

Lunch and evening: Performance at the Cavern, with the Soiderman.

1963

'Please Please Me' LP number 1, 6th week (UK Record Retailer chart).

Performance at City Hall, Fisherton Street, Salisbury, Wiltshire.

1964

US single release: 'Nobody I Know', with Peter and Gordon.

A tape of the Beatles in concert is played on an Australian radio programme called 'Beatles Show' (recorded 12 June 1964, in Adelaide).

Two performances at the Festival Hall, Melbourne. Ringo is back on drums.

1965

Studio 2. 2.30-5.30pm. Recording: 'It's Only Love' (takes 1-6). Producer: George Martin; Engineer: Norman Smith; 2nd Engineer: Phil McDonald.

'Daily Mirror' headline: 'Two MBEs sent back because of Beatles'.

1966

'Rubber Soul', 28th week in the Top 10 (UK New Musical Express chart).
'Paperback Writer', 1st week in the ranking (UK New Musical Express chart)

US LP release: ''Yesterday'... And Today', with original butcher's cover.

1967

US gold certification: 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band'.

1968

John and Yoko appear on the 'National Sculpture Exhibition', at the Coventry Cathedral. Peace acorns are planted outside Coventry Cathedral.

1969

'The Ballad Of John And Yoko' number 1.

1971 Recording: Thrillington by Paul and Linda McCartney

1974

Wings rehearse in Nashville. Wings' Denny Seiwell is replaced by Geoff Britton on drums.

1979: Filming: Baby’s Request by Wings.

The shoot took place at Camber Sands in East Sussex, England, under the direction of Keith "Keef" McMillan.

During that same week, McMillan also filmed promotional videos for several other tracks from the Back To The Egg album.

1992 Ringo and his All-Stars band's concert at the Pine Knob Music Theater, Clarkston, Michigan.

1993

1995: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Sendai Sun Plaza, Sendai

2000: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Mountain Winery, Saratoga

2006: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Casino Rama, Rama

2009: Paul McCartney launches Meat Free Mondays campaign

2011: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Sala Kongresowa, Warsaw

2012: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Avalon Theatre, Niagara Falls

2014: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Providence Performing Arts Center, Providence

2016: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: St George Theatre, New York City

2018: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Rock i Lunden

2023: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: Greek Theatre, Los Angeles

2025: Ringo Starr and his All-Starr Band live: TD Pavilion at the Mann, Philadelphia

Paul's concert at the Blockbuster Pavillion, Charlotte, North Carolina ('The New World Tour', end of American tour). Televised live.

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