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Today In History: The Beatles' 'Abbey Road' Was Released In 1969

Posted 9/26/11 11:25 am EST by in anniversary, Music


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Though Let It Be was their final release before officially disbanding, Abbey Road was the final proper record from the Beatles, and today is its 42nd birthday!

John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Paul McCartney and George Harrison recorded the bulk of Let It Be prior to beginning Abbey Road and it was a disaster. The tensions within the Beatles, which had long existed but began to boil over during the sessions for The Beatles (aka The White Album), had taken a toll on the band and they were unhappy with the results of the Let It Be sessions and temporality shelved the songs they recorded in January 1969.

Sensing that the band was on the verge of collapse, Paul McCartney contacted producer and composer George Martin – who is sometimes referred to as the "fifth Beatle" – to suggest that the group reconvene to record one last album free of the drama that had plagued the group. And that's exactly what they did, setting aside their personal problems to hit the studio in the late spring of 1969 to assemble the record Rolling Stone would later dub the 19th greatest album ever.

It's cover image, of Lennon, Starr, McCartney and Harrison crossing the street in front of EMI Studios on Abbey Road, has become one of the most iconic images in all of music. You know you had it on your dorm room wall too!

Love Abbey Road? Tell us about it in the comments.

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Beatles Film To Be Adapted Into The Latest Rock And Roll Musical

Posted 8/3/11 2:30 pm EST by in Broadway, Music


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By Zachary Swickey

The 1994 film “Backbeat” – a British drama depicting the early days of The Beatles – is getting the musical treatment at London’s Duke of York Theatre this coming October.

The film starred Stephen Dorff and included several rebellious musicians (Henry Rollins, Dave Grohl, Thurston Moore) playing other “punk acts” since that’s how the Beatles were perceived at the time. It traced the bands formative years and focused on the relationship between John Lennon and original bassist Stuart Sutcliffe. Classic vintage rock songs to appear in the musical include “Twist & Shout,” “Please Mr. Postman,” “Money” and “Rock & Roll Music.”

The Glasgow Citizen’s Theatre premiered the stage version, which was co-written by the film’s director Iain Softley, last year, and five-time Tony Award nominee David Leveaux will direct the West End production, which will open October 10.

How does “Backbeat” compare to the many other rock and roll musicals that have recently swept through London and New York? Read on to find out. Read More...

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LeBron James Wants You To Meet 'The Heatles'

Posted 1/5/11 2:30 pm EST by in Music


Over the summer, when the Miami Heat were in the process of bringing together one of the greatest trios in NBA history in LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, a big argument erupted surrounding the league's new superpower. It wasn't over the size of their contracts or the effect on the city of Cleveland (whose team James was leaving behind). Rather, it was about a nickname. Now that the three had gotten together, what would we call this new team?

A number of ideas were kicked around, though just about all of them were terrible. "The Big Three" seemed way too generic, while "Miami Thrice" had both cultural relevance and grammar problems. "The Superfriends" was a little more on the ball, but it still felt strangely generic. All transcendent basketball teams need a great nickname, and it would be a crime if the Heat won the NBA championship without one.

But apparently James wants to solve the problem himself. In an interview with Fox Sports after the team's game in Charlotte on Monday night (January 3), James said that he calls his little group "The Heatles," comparing his arena-filling team to the Beatles.

While the Beatles were certainly gigantic (and able to fill arenas all across the country, just like the Heat), they were never quite as polarizing as this basketball team. Still, the personalities of the individual players do match up relatively well.

LeBron James is Paul McCartney
Like Paul, LeBron is the group's most popular member and generally responsible for their crowd-pleasing hugeness. Also, on a long enough timeline, LeBron would probably write "Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time."

Chris Bosh is John Lennon
While Bosh has never quite had the kind of adoration enjoyed by James and Wade, he is still capable of greatness. He's not unlike a post-Beatles Lennon, who was not quite as successful as McCartney but had a handful of truly transcendent moments. He also seems most likely to marry a woman who would completely change the course of his career.

Dwayne Wade is George Harrison
Like Harrison, Wade is the very picture of consistency. Though he is no longer the go-to guy in Miami, Wade continues to put up solid numbers and create for the players around him. Harrison rarely got the opportunity to shine in the Beatles, but when he did punch through, it was usually jaw-dropping.

Juwan Howard is Ringo Starr
Because seriously, what is that guy even doing back there? Howard is also going through Starr's career in reverse, as the Fab Five might as well have been his All-Starr Band.

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John Lennon's Death Still Raises Questions 30 Years Later

Posted 12/8/10 10:00 am EST by in Music


Of all the rock stars who died tragically before their time (including the likes of Jimi Hendrix, Kurt Cobain, Janis Joplin and Elliott Smith), the one that still seems to cut the deepest is John Lennon, who was killed by Mark David Chapman 30 years ago today. Lennon was 40 years old when he died, which made him slightly older than a lot of musicians who have an early exit, but in a way that makes it all the more heartbreaking. Lennon was right on the cusp of huge musical and personal transitions, and his death robbed the world of what could have been an amazing twilight to his career.

Though it's impossible to know exactly what would have become of Lennon's work and art, there are some inklings about what it probably wouldn't have been. The latter day Lennon probably wouldn't have ended up like Paul McCartney, making trifles of albums and trotting out old tunes for tours every few years. Nor would he have ended up like bandmate Ringo Starr, who puts together wacky revues with his All Starr Band. Considering his commitment to charity and his esoteric latter-day music, George Harrison probably would have ended up being a reasonable model for Lennon's life.

However, Lennon would have almost certainly been a singularity. His music likely would have been a mix of folk and the experimental art-noise preferred by wife Yoko Ono, and he almost certainly would have put politics and charity before any type of music project (he probably would have been Bono before Bono was Bono). Sadly, this is all just speculation, as we were robbed of a great talent and an inspirational figure far too early. In memory of a great artist and a great man, check out this video for "Nobody Told Me" (from Lennon's posthumous 1984 album Milk and Honey). It's a loving tribute that brings together everything that Lennon was: An artist, an activist, a cut-up, a lover and an all-around inspiration to millions.


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The Beatles Now Face The Scrutiny Of iTunes User Reviews

Posted 11/18/10 2:00 pm EST by in Music


Now that the Beatles have finally made their entry into the digital age (in an official capacity, at least), the band is enjoying a bit of a renaissance (one they seem to enjoy once every few years or so; the last one came during the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" in 2009). Several of their albums shot right to the top of the iTunes sales chart, and you can expect at least one or two to make a major impact on next week's Billboard album sales chart (which now incorporates older titles into the new stuff). Any excuse to re-discover the Beatles is usually a good one, as they are the rare band with the work that actually backs up their lofty reputation (which is no small feat, considering that reputation is "greatest band ever") and their songs always seem to be revealing subtle twists and turns even five decades later.

Of course, not everybody is a universal fan, and now that the Beatles are on iTunes, they have subjected themselves to iTunes user reviews. The reviews, submitted by real music fans and generally unfiltered, are always a treat to read, and they only really operate in extremes (just about everything — from Led Zeppelin albums to the "Angry Birds" game — gets either one or five stars) and the dismissals can be alarming. For example, when reviewing Abbey Road, user gina simply wrote "So lame and overrated." Another user named Jacob (Oh Ya) specifically wanted to dismiss "Come Together," calling it "the dumbest song ever." And then there's Philip Meyer, who simply wrote, "The Beatles are crap. Get some metal."

Other reviews are just as blunt. In evaluating Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, user Chubby C. wrote "Pet Sounds is better. This album is over hyped and boring." Promethea added, "Horrible album! Everything sounds so old." And in addressing Let It Be, Shalabi simply wrote, "I thought their earlier stuff was better."

There's no shortage of positive hyperbole in the user reviews in regards to these albums, but it's so rare to hear a discouraging word about John, Paul, George and Ringo that all the negative words seem particularly jarring. But the great thing about the Beatles is that there is probably something for everyone. So if "Love Me Do" doesn't get you going, there's always "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."

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With The Beatles Now Available, What Bands Still Aren't On iTunes?

Posted 11/16/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


The digital music world got a big break early on Tuesday (November 16), as Apple announced that more than seven years after the establishment of the iTunes Store (the premier digital music outpost on the Internet, responsible for over 10 billion songs sold), the Beatles are finally available for purchase. The legendary band's entire remastered catalog is now live on iTunes, with the bonus addition of an iTunes-specific box set that features all of the group's albums plus a ton of bonus content (including making-of footage and extended liner notes).

For the longest time, the Beatles were the major holdout on iTunes, as most other legendary bands made themselves fully available via the sales service. Led Zeppelin famously held out but eventually made their stuff available a few years back, and despite the fact that digital music has always made them nervous, you can get the entire Metallica collection on iTunes as well.

But what bands are still holding out? It's an interesting combination of artists.

AC/DC
The Australian hard rockers have always been extremely protective of their back catalog. They steadfastly refuse to put together a greatest hits album, and it has paid off, as their old albums (especially 1980's Back in Black) are constants in the charts. They have never made their music available through iTunes, and the only digital deal they've ever signed was with Verizon (where you could purchase their songs via Verizon phones).

Tool
Strangely, you can get just about any of the Tool side projects (including A Perfect Circle and Puscifer), but the band itself is nowhere to be found.

Mid-period Prince
Most of the important Prince albums (1999, Purple Rain, Batman) can be bought via iTunes, but a bunch of the mid-period albums (including Musicology and The Rainbow Children) aren't available.
Read More...

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Spotted: Chris Brown Celebrates The Beatles On Broadway

Posted 10/27/10 1:00 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

With shows like "Rock of Ages" and Green Day's "American Idiot" making Broadway a friendly place for rock and roll, it was only a matter of time before the Beatles conquered the New York stage. On Tuesday night (October 26), "RAIN — A Tribute to the Beatles" opened up at the Neil Simon Theater in New York. The show is essentially a concert full of lushly-staged Beatles tunes, though there are certainly worse reasons to buy a ticket to the theater. A number of stars showed up to celebrate its official opening, including Broadway legend Chita Rivera and pop star Chris Brown (fresh off the big premiere of his latest single and video "Yeah 3X").

Brown wasn't the only star in the mix, as Ne-Yo shook hands with some fans at a record store in Japan and Take That began the promotion for their big reunion tour at BBC Radio 1 in London. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Lady Gaga, Justin Bieber, Katy Perry, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Jay-Z, Miley Cyrus, Eminem, the Jonas Brothers, Rihanna, the Black Eyed Peas and Taylor Swift!

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Kanye West, 'Glee' And The Beatles: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 10/8/10 5:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


We have come to the end of yet another week, and whether your are watching a friend get married, celebrating your own engagement or just heading out to a screening of "My Soul to Take" looking for the right person, you deserve to enjoy yourself this weekend. Go ahead — you've earned it! You worked hard all week, put your nose to the grindstone and gave 110 percent of yourself to work, school or playing "World of Warcraft" (however you choose to fill your time during the week). Now it's time to head out to the cinema, watch some college football, maybe try to sneak in the last barbecue of the season or just attend New York Comic Con. But before you do any of that, check out all the fun and madness you might have missed on the MTV Newsroom Blog this week. As the links below prove, a certain rapper and interior design enthusiast from Chicago was particularly popular over the past few days.

» Kanye West had a massive week, and we're still a few weeks away from the release of his new album. First, he turned in one of the best performances in the history of "Saturday Night Live."

» Later in the week, he announced that his new album will officially be called My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy. That's a mouthful, so we suggested some alternatives.

» Then, West unveiled the entirety of his new short film "Runaway," which draws from both Michael Jackson and Matisse.

» West didn't have a monopoly on the news this week, however. He placed well in the poll deciding which album is the season's most anticipated, but the voters are far more excited about My Chemical Romance's Danger Days.

» Using the power of Britney Spears, the cast of "Glee" passed the Beatles on a very silly list that means nothing at all.
Read More...

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Why The 'Glee' Cast's Eclipsing The Beatles Doesn't Mean Anything

Posted 10/7/10 12:30 pm EST by in Music


There has been an awful lot of hand-wringing in the past 24 hours about a particular piece of trivia that seems a lot more significant that it actually is. On Wednesday, people came to the realization that the cast of "Glee" has now sent more singles into the Hot 100 (75) than the Beatles (71). That puts them third on the all-time list, within reasonable striking distance of both James Brown and Elvis Presley (the latter of whom had a whopping 108 singles show up in the chart). Rock purists immediately panicked at the idea that a collection of actors could eclipse the hallowed Beatles in just about anything, but just like most statistics in baseball, the idea that the "Glee" cast has more charting singles than the biggest and most influential rock band of all time is completely, utterly meaningless.

Why? There are plenty of reasons. First, the science of chart-tracking has changed profoundly since the days when the Beatles were churning out product. Today, it's extremely easy to come up with hard data about digital downloads and radio and Internet airplay, the pieces of criteria that all go into the Billboard Hot 100 rankings. But prior to digital tracking (and even before the invention of SoundScan, the system that tracks album and single sales), the numbers on the Hot 100 were based on an inexact science at best (and total blind guessing at worst). The songs from "Glee" benefit because their download and streaming numbers are accurately tracked. If that kind of science was around in '67, it's likely that every single song the Beatles ever put out would have charted somewhere in the Hot 100. That's just how gigantic they were.

Obviously, the "Glee" cast has the benefit of the songs themselves as well. All of the tracks that are scoring chart appearances have already been hits, so it's not surprising that their revival of said hits would resonate. And they've got the benefit of decades worth of pop history at their disposal, which allows them to shift from '70s AM rock hits to modern day pop twist-ups without much fuss.

As they have proven time and again (and as the huge ratings for their Britney Spears-themed episode backed up), the cast and producers of "Glee" have turned the show from a wacky gimmick into a genuine television phenomenon. Considering their rate of chart-related success, they should be eclipsing Elvis' record before this season is out. Will it mean that "Glee" is better than the King? Not in the slightest. If "Glee" manages to swing something as big as Presley's "'68 Comeback Special" or a live simulcast from Hawaii, then we can start talking about immortality. Until then, it's merely a good way to kill some time on a Tuesday night.

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Lady Gaga, Prince And LeBron James' Big Decision: This Week's Deep Cuts

Posted 7/9/10 5:30 pm EST by in Deep Cuts


The long weekend created a short week here in the MTV Newsroom, but that doesn't mean there was any less action going down in this space. Despite the oppressive heat, we managed to sweat through an extremely busy week that featured some high-profile performances, a captivating legal decision and the decision that changed the fortunes of a handful of American cities all at once. Before you get ready for the last matches of the 2010 FIFA World Cup, head to the movies to see "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" (again) or experiment with the best recipe for a Michelada, be sure to check out everything you might have missed.

» Lady Gaga had an extremely busy week. She began with a headlining gig at Madison Square Garden.

» Gaga didn't stop there, though, as she attracted more than 20,000 people to the set of "Today" for a rain-soaked set that made us think about Elton John and Billy Joel.

» Of course, Gaga wasn't the only star grabbing headlines this week. Basketball phenom LeBron James took up an awful lot of bandwidth and airtime this week, but he finally announced he will join Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami with the Heat.

» James' decision threw Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert into quite a tizzy. So now whenever a band breaks up acrimoniously, the remaining members are free to "pull a Gilbert."

» The MTV World Cup of Rock concludes this weekend, so make sure you vote for your favorite in the final match to determine whether Germany or South Korea truly rocks harder.

» For the first time in a while, Prince grabbed a number of headlines when he announced that he thought the Internet is "over."
Read More...

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