For a time, John Lennon was the clear frontman of The Beatles. His bandmates looked to him with admiration and media outlets established him as the group’s leader. According to a Beatles associate, this was a position Lennon wanted but could not hold. He grew too lazy as the 1960s wore on.
John Lennon was initially the clear leader of The Beatles
Peter Brown, the personal assistant to Beatles manager Brian Epstein, had a close working relationship with the band for years. While he said he did not play favorites, he primarily communicated with Paul McCartney. McCartney was more invested in the group than his bandmates.
“I could communicate with Paul. I suppose I was closer to him, but I was always enamored of John’s enigmatic personality,” Brown told Rolling Stone. “Paul was the thorough one, the workaholic, and John was lazy.”
John Lennon | Max Scheler – K & K...
John Lennon was initially the clear leader of The Beatles
Peter Brown, the personal assistant to Beatles manager Brian Epstein, had a close working relationship with the band for years. While he said he did not play favorites, he primarily communicated with Paul McCartney. McCartney was more invested in the group than his bandmates.
“I could communicate with Paul. I suppose I was closer to him, but I was always enamored of John’s enigmatic personality,” Brown told Rolling Stone. “Paul was the thorough one, the workaholic, and John was lazy.”
John Lennon | Max Scheler – K & K...
- 5/16/2024
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Bob Dylan is a phenomenal songwriter who doesn’t need much help from other artists to write great music. He did collaborate with other artists, such as George Harrison and Tom Petty, but he has had a fantastic career as a solo singer. One artist who rose to fame around the same time as him was Paul Simon, who did write a song for Bob Dylan, but the folk-rock singer turned it down.
Bob Dylan never capitalized on a song Paul Simon wrote for him
Paul Simon rose to fame in the 1960s, around the same time as Bob Dylan. Simon was the second half of the Simon & Garfunkel duo that he started with Art Garfunkel. The pair had several essential songs from the decade, including “Mrs. Robinson” and “The Sound of Silence”. In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, Simon admitted he didn’t like coming in number two to...
Bob Dylan never capitalized on a song Paul Simon wrote for him
Paul Simon rose to fame in the 1960s, around the same time as Bob Dylan. Simon was the second half of the Simon & Garfunkel duo that he started with Art Garfunkel. The pair had several essential songs from the decade, including “Mrs. Robinson” and “The Sound of Silence”. In a 2011 interview with Rolling Stone, Simon admitted he didn’t like coming in number two to...
- 7/7/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Critics often drew comparisons between Paul Simon and Bob Dylan, something neither artist likely appreciated. Dylan felt that too many musicians were copying his style, and Simon didn’t particularly like Dylan as a person. While he spoke about his prickly feelings for Dylan in interviews, he also included them in his lyrics. In the song “A Simple Desultory Philippic (or How I Was Robert McNamara’d into Submission),” Simon mimicked Dylan’s vocal and lyrical styles. He also fit a few stinging insults into the song.
Bob Dylan and Paul Simon | Express Newspapers/Getty Images; George Rose/Getty Images Paul Simon wrote a song that parodied Bob Dylan
“A Simple Desultory Philippic” originally appeared on the 1965 album The Paul Simon Songbook. He also recorded it with Art Garfunkel for Simon & Garfunkel’s album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. It is a relatively clear parody of Dylan, from the title,...
Bob Dylan and Paul Simon | Express Newspapers/Getty Images; George Rose/Getty Images Paul Simon wrote a song that parodied Bob Dylan
“A Simple Desultory Philippic” originally appeared on the 1965 album The Paul Simon Songbook. He also recorded it with Art Garfunkel for Simon & Garfunkel’s album Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. It is a relatively clear parody of Dylan, from the title,...
- 6/11/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Paul McCartney and John Lennon had a fraught relationship after The Beatles broke up, but they eventually got back on friendly terms as the years passed. Still, McCartney admitted that their relationship wasn’t perfect. He said that Lennon became extremely jealous toward the end of his life. An element of jealousy had always existed in their relationship, but not to this degree.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney | Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Paul McCartney and John Lennon repaired their relationship
After The Beatles broke up, McCartney sued the band in order to wrest control from their manager, Allen Klein. This caused the inner disagreements between band members to boil over publicly, particularly between Lennon and McCartney.
As the 1970s wore on, the relationship between McCartney and Lennon became less acrimonious. McCartney spoke to Lennon about returning to Yoko Ono during their period of separation, and he visited...
John Lennon and Paul McCartney | Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Paul McCartney and John Lennon repaired their relationship
After The Beatles broke up, McCartney sued the band in order to wrest control from their manager, Allen Klein. This caused the inner disagreements between band members to boil over publicly, particularly between Lennon and McCartney.
As the 1970s wore on, the relationship between McCartney and Lennon became less acrimonious. McCartney spoke to Lennon about returning to Yoko Ono during their period of separation, and he visited...
- 3/31/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
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The year was 1975. Elton John, backed by a barrage of No. 1 albums and hit singles, hit Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for back-to-back sold-out shows.
The concerts became legendary in pre-viral times, thanks to an electric set from John, then 28, who tickled the ivories and roared into the microphone while dressed in a shimmering Bob Mackie-designed Dodgers uniform, blue sequined baseball cap and oversized white glasses. John was the first act to perform at the stadium since the Beatles in 1966, and a superstar was born. “In October, 1975, no one was bigger than Elton John. He was like Elvis at the height of his career,” once explained Terry O’Neill, the photographer responsible for the iconic images of the Dodger Stadium shows. “Elton still is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met and he gave his all at those concerts.”
Elton...
The year was 1975. Elton John, backed by a barrage of No. 1 albums and hit singles, hit Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles for back-to-back sold-out shows.
The concerts became legendary in pre-viral times, thanks to an electric set from John, then 28, who tickled the ivories and roared into the microphone while dressed in a shimmering Bob Mackie-designed Dodgers uniform, blue sequined baseball cap and oversized white glasses. John was the first act to perform at the stadium since the Beatles in 1966, and a superstar was born. “In October, 1975, no one was bigger than Elton John. He was like Elvis at the height of his career,” once explained Terry O’Neill, the photographer responsible for the iconic images of the Dodger Stadium shows. “Elton still is one of the most talented people I’ve ever met and he gave his all at those concerts.”
Elton...
- 11/21/2022
- by Chris Gardner
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The Los Angeles Dodgers made a 1 million donation to the Elton John AIDS Foundation last night during the penultimate show of his final North American tour.
John was the attraction for three sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium, concluding tonight and supposedly ending the 75-year-old’s touring days in North America.
John gave a heartfelt thank-you to Los Angeles on Saturday night. He acknowledged that his career took off in Los Angeles, thanks to a magical night at the Troubadour. He thanked former Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn for chronicling that show, and also mentioned his iconic 1975 date at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles as one of the reasons he wanted to conclude his run in Los Angeles at the same venue.
“I am thrilled to play my three final shows of my Farewell Yellow...
John was the attraction for three sold-out shows at Dodger Stadium, concluding tonight and supposedly ending the 75-year-old’s touring days in North America.
John gave a heartfelt thank-you to Los Angeles on Saturday night. He acknowledged that his career took off in Los Angeles, thanks to a magical night at the Troubadour. He thanked former Los Angeles Times music critic Robert Hilburn for chronicling that show, and also mentioned his iconic 1975 date at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles as one of the reasons he wanted to conclude his run in Los Angeles at the same venue.
“I am thrilled to play my three final shows of my Farewell Yellow...
- 11/20/2022
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
If you look up controversial Grammy Album of the Year winners, one of the most common you’ll find referenced is Steely Dan’s “Two Against Nature.” The band’s eighth album proved to resonate with Grammy voters, taking home multiple awards including the top prize. But many weren’t as enthusiastic as the Recording Academy, arguing that there were better and more impactful records in the lineup. So let’s take a look at the win, how it happened, and why it might not have been that surprising at all.
Steely Dan weren’t strangers to the Grammys prior to their 2001 win. The group had gotten six noms from 1975 to 1982, including Album of the Year nominations for “Aja” and “Gaucho.” However, the group never actually won a Grammy, and went into a two decade hiatus after “Gaucho.” So when news came that the group was coming back after 20 years,...
Steely Dan weren’t strangers to the Grammys prior to their 2001 win. The group had gotten six noms from 1975 to 1982, including Album of the Year nominations for “Aja” and “Gaucho.” However, the group never actually won a Grammy, and went into a two decade hiatus after “Gaucho.” So when news came that the group was coming back after 20 years,...
- 10/7/2022
- by Jaime Rodriguez
- Gold Derby
If you think of iconic ’90s albums, a few may come to mind. Perhaps you’re a rap fan and go for Biggie’s “Ready to Die” or Nas’s “Illmatic.” If you’re more of a heavy rocker, there’s Nirvana’s “Nevermind,” and if you’re into more alternative records then Radiohead’s “Ok Computer” and Fiona Apple’s “Tidal” are probably on your list. However, much like records like “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill” or Oasis‘s “(What’s the Story) Morning Glory,” one answer that you might hear coming from any avid consumer regardless of genre preference is Alanis Morissette’s “Jagged Little Pill.” The pop-rock record is widely hailed as one of the best of the ’90s and, sometimes, ever. Among its many honors, it won Album of the Year at the 1996 Grammys.
SEEWhy Bad Bunny’s ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ could win Grammy for Album of the Year,...
SEEWhy Bad Bunny’s ‘Un Verano Sin Ti’ could win Grammy for Album of the Year,...
- 9/14/2022
- by Jaime Rodriguez
- Gold Derby
Five decades later, she can still remember the high points, like meeting a few Beatles, encountering Mick Jagger or a very young Michael Jackson in the studio, or sharing a bill with Tina Turner. And she can also recall the precise moment when she decided to shut it all down, at least for a long while.
It was the summer of 1971, and Kate Taylor — along with her siblings, especially her older brother James — was having a moment. Earlier that year, Atlantic Records had released her first album, Sister Kate. The...
It was the summer of 1971, and Kate Taylor — along with her siblings, especially her older brother James — was having a moment. Earlier that year, Atlantic Records had released her first album, Sister Kate. The...
- 4/1/2021
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Rock & roll was in full creative bloom, the film version of the Woodstock festival was about to open in theaters, and Led Zeppelin had overtaken the Beatles as favorite rock band in a U.K. poll. But 50 years ago, on February 28th, 1970, the song that would hit Number One and remain there for six weeks wasn’t a rocker but a ballad, and, it turned out, the ballad the country seemed to need at the moment as the tumultuous Sixties ended.
Musically, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water...
Musically, Simon and Garfunkel’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water...
- 2/28/2020
- by David Browne
- Rollingstone.com
Now that moviegoers are finally getting to see “Rocketman,” casual Elton John fans may wonder which key moments are fiction. That’s not easy in a film staged more as a movie musical than traditional biopic. Is the “Tiny Dancer” singer’s story riddled with tiny fibs, or should we be surprised by what it gets right? Put on your levitatin’ shoes as we dig in and separate fact from fancy.
John headed out of a concert and straight into rehab dressed as a horned demon.
True. He was so hopped up on cocaine at the time, he believed he was going to a “Fantasia” party, hence the full “Night on Bald Mountain” regalia.
When Elton was a lad, he and the other members of his family retreated to separate rooms to sing about how lonely they were, trading verses on “I Want Love.”
False. “I Want Love” would not be written for another 45 years,...
John headed out of a concert and straight into rehab dressed as a horned demon.
True. He was so hopped up on cocaine at the time, he believed he was going to a “Fantasia” party, hence the full “Night on Bald Mountain” regalia.
When Elton was a lad, he and the other members of his family retreated to separate rooms to sing about how lonely they were, trading verses on “I Want Love.”
False. “I Want Love” would not be written for another 45 years,...
- 6/3/2019
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
“It was like a ball of fire hit the Troubadour. When he got to ‘Take Me to the Pilot,’ the place levitated,” Linda Ronstadt said of the first night of Elton John’s 1970 residency at the Troubadour in West Hollywood. And as that show is depicted in the Elton John biopic “Rocketman,” the crowd in the audience does the same, soaring off their feet in a moment of musical magic.
Of course, Ronstadt and director Dexter Fletcher are embellishing a little bit – we’re quite sure no one literally defied the laws of gravity when John took the stage on that night on Aug. 25, 1970. Though for people who were there, it no doubt felt that way. Just look at this iconic photo of John sideways at his piano as he quite literally turned heads among those lucky few in the crowd.
Elton John performs at the Troubadour on Aug. 25, 1970. pic.
Of course, Ronstadt and director Dexter Fletcher are embellishing a little bit – we’re quite sure no one literally defied the laws of gravity when John took the stage on that night on Aug. 25, 1970. Though for people who were there, it no doubt felt that way. Just look at this iconic photo of John sideways at his piano as he quite literally turned heads among those lucky few in the crowd.
Elton John performs at the Troubadour on Aug. 25, 1970. pic.
- 5/30/2019
- by Brian Welk
- The Wrap
He’s a receiver — Neil Diamond, that is, who’s already been handed trophies like the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award (earlier this year), a Kennedy Center Honor (2011), membership in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (also 2011) and induction into the Songwriters Hall of Fame (1984). That latter organization decided it’d been long enough since their last salute, so on June 14 in New York they’ll be presenting him with their ultimate honor, the Johnny Mercer Award.
He’s a good match for that prize’s namesake. Mercer had “Days of Wine and Roses”; Diamond has “Red Red Wine.” The elder writer experienced “Blues in the Night” while the king of ‘70s pop sang a “Song Sung Blue.” Mercer’s “Laura” and “Desiree” had nothing on “Sweet Caroline.” One difference is in the length of their songwriting careers: Mercer’s 40-year run was cut short by death in 1976 while Diamond...
He’s a good match for that prize’s namesake. Mercer had “Days of Wine and Roses”; Diamond has “Red Red Wine.” The elder writer experienced “Blues in the Night” while the king of ‘70s pop sang a “Song Sung Blue.” Mercer’s “Laura” and “Desiree” had nothing on “Sweet Caroline.” One difference is in the length of their songwriting careers: Mercer’s 40-year run was cut short by death in 1976 while Diamond...
- 6/14/2018
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
In the mid-1970s, Paul Simon was worried about his image becoming too, too serious, so he welcomed the chance to host one of the very first episodes of “Saturday Night Live,” as Robert Hilburn’s new biography of the singer recalls. And for a few moments early in his show Tuesday night at the Hollywood Bowl — the first of three “Farewell Tour” gigs at the venue — he put on the turkey suit, figuratively speaking, and did some solemnity-dispelling shtick.
“It was a cold winter night when Paul Simon began his farewell tour in Los Angeles,” he quipped, addressing the unseasonal chill in the air. And then: “So, the thing about a farewell is… well, I’ve changed my mind. What it is is that it’s not so much a final tour that I like as I like raising the ticket prices to the level…”
Like any practiced standup,...
“It was a cold winter night when Paul Simon began his farewell tour in Los Angeles,” he quipped, addressing the unseasonal chill in the air. And then: “So, the thing about a farewell is… well, I’ve changed my mind. What it is is that it’s not so much a final tour that I like as I like raising the ticket prices to the level…”
Like any practiced standup,...
- 5/24/2018
- by Chris Willman
- Variety Film + TV
In David Bowie’s expansive career, “The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars” stands as the groundbreaking album that blew out minds, that made the English rocker become the special man, the concept album that gave us the captivating narrative of Bowie’s alien rock god persona — a spaceman who descends onto Earth to save it but discovers rock and roll instead. Bowie, who died at age 69 on Sunday, reinvented himself time and again, and he toured as Ziggy Stardust for a relatively short period: from February 1972, when he debuted the character in small London pub Toby Jug, to July 1973, when he retired the character at a sold-out concert at London’s Hammersmith Odeon Theatre. Even though the flamboyant, androgynous starman rocked Earth’s concert halls for only 18 months, the persona has become forever intwined with Bowie himself. The immortality of Ziggy and the iconic...
- 1/12/2016
- by Emily Rome
- Hitfix
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