50 years ago, a boy named Brian stole a copy of Life magazine from an Ohio library that sported a photo of The Beatles on its cover. But this week he decided to give the book back, along with an apology note: "Hello. I stole this magazine from the Parma Ridge Road library when I was a kid. I'm sorry I took it. I've enclosed a check for the late fee."
Over the decades he racked up more than $1,800 in late fees, according to AP. But fortunately, for Brian, the library puts a $100 cap on library fines, so that is the amount he left them.
The library, now called Cuyahoga County Public Library, wrote Brian back: “To the Beatles fan who "borrowed" this copy of Life magazine in 1968: Thank you for returning it this week and clearing your conscience.”
Via Daily Beast
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A German drummer named Sina has a popular YouTube channel about drumming. In this video she demonstrates why Ringo Starr was a great drummer.
Interestingly, because Sina couldn't use The Beatles original recordings for copyright reasons (YouTube's Content ID algorithm doesn't care about fair use) she used recordings from a Beatles' tribute band her father was in, "The Silver Beatles." (Fun fact: The Beatles were once called "The Silver Beatles.")
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From "The Beatles (White Album) Super Deluxe Edition" coming next month, this gorgeous early acoustic version of George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps."
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Funny how something that would have been wildly controversial just a few years ago is now merely the third-most amusing historical anecdote in a GQ interview.
"I mean, I think in the end this was one of the strengths of the Beatles, this enforced closeness which I always liken to army buddies. Because you're all in the same barracks. We were always very close and on top of each other, which meant you could totally read each other."
Previously. Read the rest
In 1969, The Beatles released Abbey Road. Its iconic cover showing all four Beatles strolling cross the real Abbey Road's crosswalk in London has been mimicked by tourists many times over the years. This time Paul McCartney did the honors of crossing the street, this time in shoes, some 49 years later.
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🎥@maryamccartney #PaulMcCartney #EgyptStation #AbbeyRoad
A post shared by Paul McCartney (@paulmccartney) on Jul 23, 2018 at 5:23am PDT
His daughter Mary captured this video as he walked back across. She captioned it, "Why did the Beatle cross the Abbey Road":
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Why did the Beatle cross the Abbey Road 🚶🏽♂️
A post shared by Mary McCartney (@marymccartney) on Jul 23, 2018 at 5:45am PDT
The answer: to perform a "secret show" at Abbey Road Studios of four new songs from his upcoming solo album Egypt Station (September 7).
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Also of interest, check out these "before" photos and these outtakes from the album cover's photo shoot.
Previously: Paul McCartney takes James Corden on a tour through Liverpool
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Paul McCartney took a very lucky James Corden on a terrific car tour of Liverpool, they sang Beatles songs, checked out Paul's old haunts (including his childhood home), and generally enjoyed themselves. Corden was so overcome at one point that he started crying. It concludes with a surprise performance at a pub.
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Most carillons are fixed in bell towers, but Chime Masters makes a mobile carillon, used here to play a lovely Beatles cover. Read the rest
Vinyl jukeboxes are making a comeback, and Sound Leisure built this incredible Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band vinyl jukebox to celebrate the album's 50th anniversary. Read the rest
This interesting morph is a whirlwind tour through the careers of each member of The Beatles, while together as a group and beyond. Read the rest
I've not see these videos of The Beatles' " Paperback Writer" and "Rain" before. The quality is great and I love both of these songs, especially Ringo's phenomenal drumming on "Rain."
(Thanks, Mark!) Read the rest
In celebration of next year's 50th anniversary of The Beatles: Yellow Submarine film, Titan Comics will publish an authorized comic adaptation of the movie. Bill Morrison, incoming editor for MAD Magazine, is writing and illustrating the comic.
(Hollywood Reporter)
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This gorgeous yellow beauty is the handiwork of The Painted Player Guitar Co., a crew of artists and luthiers located in the United Kingdom. This groovy bass guitar is, of course, based on the Beatles' 1968 animated feature, Yellow Submarine.
If custom guitars are your thing, be sure to take a look at their whole mind-blowing collection.
(Dangerous Minds) Read the rest
Thirty-one songs from the 6-disc deluxe reissue of The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club just came out on iTunes today. I have Apple Music so I started listening to the tracks this morning. I love the "Take 1" tracks of "Getting Better," "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds," "She's Leaving Home," and other songs which include the recorded comments and instructions from The Beatles and engineer George Martin in the studio. Especially good: "Within Without You," Take 1, which has no vocals. Read the rest
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band will turn 50 this year. To commemorate The Beatles' landmark album, the BBC has produced a video series about each of the 60+ people on the cover.
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🎜 "They're Princess Leia's stolen Death Star plans, she's got them and it's time to go..." 🎝
It's the work of Pallete Swap Ninja, who has a full album of it you can download free of charge. Read the rest
Neil Mendoza created this fantastic electromechanical band as part of the artist-in-residence program at Autodesk:
The rock band is composed of electromechanical instruments that make music with rocks by throwing them through the air, slapping them and making them vibrate. The song that they're playing, Here Comes the Sun, is biographical, describing the daily experience of a rock sitting on the ground. The rock band is made up of the following members...
Pinger - fires small rocks at aluminium keys using solenoids.
Spinner - launches magnetic rocks, Hematite, at pieces of marble. Rocks are launched by spinning magnets using Applied Motion stepper motors.
Slapper - slaps rocks with fake leather.
Buzzer - vibrates the plunger of a solenoid against a piece of marble.
The whole project is controlled by a computer running a MIDI player written in openFrameworks talking to a Teensy. The machines were designed using Autodesk Fusion 360 and Autodesk Inventor.
He posted plans to make your own mechanical xylophone at Instructables.
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These holiday messages, from 1963 and 1964, courtesy of the Fab Four are just great! Their voices always cheer me up.
I had never heard them, but driving the California coast this Christmas day and caught the tail end of one.
Fun! Read the rest
