May 2025 - Page 4 of 6 - Vintage Rock Times

The songs John Lennon “actively disliked” on The Beatles album ‘Sgt Pepper’

John Lennon was destined for superstardom even before leaving Liverpool. While he navigated his middle-class upbringing and sought his place in the world, his collaboration with Paul McCartney produced some of the most significant hits of the 1960s. The extensive repertoire covered by The Beatles has influenced generations of musicians. Despite their impact on an […]

George Harrison explains why The Beatles “had to end” in newly surfaced interview

Even the greatest band in the history of music couldn’t withstand the crashing waves of celebrity pressure forever. What began as a fun-filled project celebrating The Beatles‘ shared love of music soon transitioned into a global phenomenon that no one could escape from, especially the members themselves. Following Abbey Road, the foursome bid their final […]

The Beatles and the Civil Rights Movement: How the Fab Four fought racial segregation in 1964

It’s distressing and difficult to reconcile that even as recently as the 1960s, audiences in the US and the UK remained racially segregated. While the UK never officially enforced segregation, it also didn’t have laws that prohibited the practice until 1965. Meanwhile, in America, up until the signing of the 1964 Civil Rights Act, racial […]

Who sang lead vocals on the most songs by The Beatles?

The Beatles are the most famous and celebrated four-piece in pop history. Never has a group before or since put out a body of work that can compare to theirs. And none of the four could muster anything like the same output without the others, as their respective inconsistent solo careers proved. Yet the band […]

Before the breakup: The Beatles songs John Lennon described as Paul McCartney’s “last gasp”

As the 1960s came to an end, so too did The Beatles. Tensions between the band had been rising since the death of their manager, Brian Epstein, in 1967. The songwriting partnership at the centre of the band had been breaking down for years, as John Lennon began to prefer collaborating with Yoko Ono and […]

What was the first song The Beatles wrote together?

In the second half of 1962, The Beatles became one of the first British bands to release a debut single they had written themselves from scratch. The song ‘Love Me Do’ was one of John Lennon and Paul McCartney’s earliest joint songwriting efforts, worked out together by the two of them from a song idea […]

What was the final Beatles song recorded together by all four band members?

On August 20th, 1969, the four members of The Beatles gathered in Studio 2 of Abbey Road with producer George Martin. They were putting the finishing touches to a song as they often did, overdubbing harmonised backing vocals and instrumental takes the same way they’d done since their early singles. At the time, though some […]

What is John Lennon saying at the beginning of The Beatles album ‘Let It Be’?

The final album released by The Beatles wasn’t supposed to go out in the form it eventually did. It was almost entirely recorded before the one that preceded its release, Abbey Road, as an attempt to get the band back to where they once belonged, in the mood for making raw-edged rock and roll music. […]

Why The Beatles’ ‘Tomorrow Never Knows’ Confused John Lennon

John Lennon said he didn’t understand The Beatles’ “Tomorrow Never Knows” when he wrote it. Subsequently, he said it was up to others to analyze The Beatles’ songs. John put “Tomorrow Never Knows” in the same category as another Fab Four song which is very different. John Lennon didn’t understand The Beatles’ ‘I Am the […]

Why The Beatles’ ‘Please Please Me’ Was Originally Much Slower

Paul McCartney said The Beatles‘ “Please Please Me” was inspired by an American rock ‘n’ roll star. Paul said the song was originally slower to mimic that star’s style. Subsequently, The Beatles’ producer had a different vision for the track. The Beatles’ ‘Please Please Me’ was supposed to sound like a slow Roy Orbison song […]