Latest news with #SgtPepper
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'But seriously, you know the truth': Stevie Wonder addresses conspiracy theory that he isn't actually blind
When you buy through links on our articles, Future and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Stevie Wonder has just completed a short UK tour and at one of the dates – at Cardiff Blackweir Fields – he addressed the long standing conspiracy theory that he isn't, in fact, blind. Yes, it case you don't regularly frequent the more out-there crevices of the Internet, there are, in fact, people who believe that for the past 60-odd years Stevie has been having us all on, that he's merely pretending to be blind, presumably to illicit sympathy and throw a more positive light upon his music. As if his astounding run of albums in the 1970s weren't incredible enough achievements in themselves. Some people will believe anything. But let's not blame it all on the Internet – the equally ridiculous 'Paul is dead' myth that alleged that Paul McCartney had died in 1966 and an imposter had somehow stood in for him to write and record large swathes of Sgt Pepper, the White Album and Abbey Road – arose many years before the first email was sent. Anyway, Stevie addressed the conspiracy theory at Cardiff saying: 'I must say to all of you, something that I was thinking, 'When did I want to let the world know this?' But I wanted to say it right now, you know there have been rumours about me seeing and all that,' he said, to much chuckling from the crowd. 'But seriously, you know the truth.' 'Truth is, shortly after my birth, I became blind,' he explained. 'Now, that was a blessing because it's allowed me to see the world in the vision of truth, of sight. See people in the spirit of them, not how they look. Not what colour they are, but what colour is their spirit?' It's not the first time Wonder has talked about the conspiracy. In 2017, he joked with reporters from TMZ that he was going to 'reveal the truth about his sight' in that year. The 75-year-old singer, for whom the phrase 'living legend' is, for once, apposite, wrapped up the UK leg of his Love, Light and Song tour in Hyde Park over the weekend. New material from the singer has been thin on the ground in recent years – it's now twenty years since he released a new album, 2005's A Time To Love, although he did put out a one-off single last year, Can We Fix Our Nation's Broken Heart? Solve the daily Crossword
Spectator
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Spectator
The greatest tribute to Brian Wilson is to listen to his music
The late Brian Wilson, who has died aged 82, once had his songs, which included modern-day classics such as 'God Only Knows' and 'Good Vibrations', described as 'pocket symphonies to God'. For just about any other artist, such a description would be grandiloquent tosh. Yet in the case of Wilson, who struggled with personal demons that all but consumed him after a brief, brilliant flourish of early success, such praise is entirely justified. It is little wonder that his friend and rival Paul McCartney was inspired to write Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band after hearing the Beach Boys' masterpiece Pet Sounds for the first time. That album was thrillingly alive to the possibilities of what pop music could be and transformed American culture forever. The Beach Boys' harmonies are glorious to listen to It is the central tragedy of Wilson's life, however, that he was both blessed and cursed with genius that eventually overwhelmed him. He became part of the Beach Boys in 1961, who were originally intended to be a light-hearted surf rock band, managed by Wilson's father, Murry. Wilson arrived at his zenith of artistic achievement with Pet Sounds in 1966, but its success and acclaim overwhelmed him. Its follow-up, Smile, from which 'Good Vibrations' emerged, was never released, and he sank into a quagmire of alcohol and drug abuse from which he never managed to truly recover. He continued to record and release music, but during the Seventies, especially, it is doubtful that he had any clear idea what was going on most of the time. He was rescued, if that's the right word to use, by the psychologist Eugene Landy, who kind of took coercive control of Wilson in the late Eighties. Landy turned Wilson into the iteration of himself that would last, with minor variations, until the end of his life. By the early 2000s, Wilson, who had spent most of the previous decade mired in litigation with his former bandmates, was persuaded to perform his best-known albums live once again. Although acclaimed to the skies by eager fans at the time, I remember seeing him perform Smile in London in 2004 and feeling a sense of unease that this clearly deeply unwell and confused man had been persuaded – or coerced – into taking to the stage once again. He was a shambling, barking figure, with his once-beautiful voice ravaged by age and lifestyle; only his superb band managed to keep matters together. Alexis Petridis nailed it in a negative review of one of his many comeback albums when he wrote in the Guardian that: Wilson's face now seems to arrange itself naturally into an expression of horrified bewilderment – suggesting he isn't entirely sure what is going on, but is pretty certain he doesn't like it. The word 'mad' is often bandied around lightly, but Wilson's mental health meant that the veteran performer was a sad, near-pathetic shadow of the genius boy who he was in the Sixties. Yet his achievements during that brief, brilliant summer of his career have seldom been matched by anyone. The Beach Boys' harmonies, with the complexity of their arrangements and orchestration and, most of all, the thrill they bring as some of the most indelibly brilliant songs ever written are glorious to listen to. It suggests that, if Wilson made a Faustian pact to have this brief period of glory followed by decades of trouble and sorrow, then he at least made the most out of his halcyon period. If there is a greater, more affecting love song than 'God Only Knows' – complete with the attention-grabbing opening 'I may not always love you, but as long as there are stars above you, you never need to doubt it' – then I would like to hear it. A long period of personal trouble now comes to an end with Wilson's death. The greatest tribute to him is to listen to his peerless songs once again and rhapsodise in the work of an authentic genius.
The Advertiser
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Advertiser
Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dies at age 82
Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as Good Vibrations and God Only Knows in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82. "We are at a loss for words right now," Wilson's family said on the singer's website. "We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world." The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship. Starting in 1961, the Beach Boys put out a string of sunny hits celebrating the touchstones of California youth culture - surfing, cars and romance. But what made the songs special was the ethereal harmonies that Wilson arranged and that would become the band's trademark. Wilson formed the band with younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine in their home town, the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. They went on to have 36 top 40 hits, with Wilson writing and composing most of the early works. Songs such as Little Deuce Coupe, Surfin' USA., California Girls, Fun, Fun, Fun and Help Me, Rhonda remain instantly recognisable and eminently danceable. But there were plenty of bad vibrations in Wilson's life: an abusive father, a cornucopia of drugs, a series of mental breakdowns, long periods of seclusion and depression and voices in his head that, even when he was on stage, told him he was no good. "I've lived a very, very difficult, haunted life," Wilson told the Washington Post in 2007. In May 2024, a judge ruled the 81-year-old Wilson should be put under a conservatorship after two longtime associates had petitioned the court at his family's request, saying he could not care for himself following the death of his wife, Melinda. By 1966 touring had already become an ordeal for Wilson, who suffered what would be his first mental breakdown. He remained the Beach Boys' mastermind but retreated to the studio to work, usually without his band mates, on Pet Sounds, a symphonic reflection on the loss of innocence. The landmark Good Vibrations was recorded during those sessions, though it did not make it on to the album. Though Pet Sounds included hits such as Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and God Only Knows, it was not an immediate commercial success in the United States. Pet Sounds, which was released in 1966, later would come to be recognised as Wilson's magnum opus. Paul McCartney said it was an influence on the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "No one's musical education is complete until they've heard Pet Sounds," McCartney said. In 2012 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it second only to Sgt Pepper on its list of the 500 greatest rock albums. Released as a single that same year, Good Vibrations drew similar plaudits. On hearing the song, which would become the Beach Boys' greatest hit, Art Garfunkel called his musical partner Paul Simon to say: "I think I just heard the greatest, most creative record of them all." The Beach Boys sold more than 100 million records. Wilson's career would be derailed, though, as his use of LSD, cocaine and alcohol became untenable and his mental state, which would eventually be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder with auditory hallucinations, grew shakier. He became a recluse, lying in bed for days, abandoning hygiene, growing obese and sometimes venturing out in a bathrobe and slippers. He had a sandbox installed in his dining room and put his piano there. He also heard voices and was afraid that the lyrics of one of his songs were responsible for a series of fires in Los Angeles. Born in June 1942, Brian Wilson, whose life was the subject of the 2014 movie Love & Mercy, had two controlling men in his life. The first was his father, Murry Wilson, a part-time songwriter who recognised his son's musical talent early. He became the Beach Boys' manager and producer in their early years but also was physically and verbally abusive toward them. The band fired him in 1964. About a decade later, as Wilson floundered, his then-wife, Marilyn, hired psychotherapist Eugene Landy to help him. Landy spent 14 months with Wilson, using unusual methods such as promising him a cheeseburger if he wrote a song, before being dismissed. Landy was rehired in 1983 after Wilson went through another period of disturbing behaviour that included overdosing, living in a city park and running up substantial debt. Landy used a 24-hour-a-day technique, which involved prescribing psychotropic drugs and padlocking the refrigerator, and eventually held sway over all aspects of Wilson's life, including serving as producer and co-writer of his music when he made a comeback with a 1988 solo album. Wilson's family went to court to end his relationship with Landy in 1992. Wilson said Landy had saved his life but also would later call him manipulative. California medical regulators accused Landy, who died in 2006, of improper involvement with a patient's affairs. He gave up his psychology licence after admitting to unlawfully prescribing drugs. Wilson's return to music was spotty. He appeared frail, tentative and shaky and none of the post-comeback work brought anything close to the acclaim of his earlier catalogue. Wilson's brothers had both died by the time of the Beach Boys' 50th reunion tour in 2012 but he joined Love, who became the band's controlling force, for several shows. At the end, Wilson said he felt as if he had been fired but Love denied it. Wilson last performed live in 2022. Wilson and his first wife, Marilyn, had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who had hits in the 1990s as part of the group Wilson Phillips. He and second wife Melinda, whom he met when she sold him a car, had five children. Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as Good Vibrations and God Only Knows in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82. "We are at a loss for words right now," Wilson's family said on the singer's website. "We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world." The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship. Starting in 1961, the Beach Boys put out a string of sunny hits celebrating the touchstones of California youth culture - surfing, cars and romance. But what made the songs special was the ethereal harmonies that Wilson arranged and that would become the band's trademark. Wilson formed the band with younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine in their home town, the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. They went on to have 36 top 40 hits, with Wilson writing and composing most of the early works. Songs such as Little Deuce Coupe, Surfin' USA., California Girls, Fun, Fun, Fun and Help Me, Rhonda remain instantly recognisable and eminently danceable. But there were plenty of bad vibrations in Wilson's life: an abusive father, a cornucopia of drugs, a series of mental breakdowns, long periods of seclusion and depression and voices in his head that, even when he was on stage, told him he was no good. "I've lived a very, very difficult, haunted life," Wilson told the Washington Post in 2007. In May 2024, a judge ruled the 81-year-old Wilson should be put under a conservatorship after two longtime associates had petitioned the court at his family's request, saying he could not care for himself following the death of his wife, Melinda. By 1966 touring had already become an ordeal for Wilson, who suffered what would be his first mental breakdown. He remained the Beach Boys' mastermind but retreated to the studio to work, usually without his band mates, on Pet Sounds, a symphonic reflection on the loss of innocence. The landmark Good Vibrations was recorded during those sessions, though it did not make it on to the album. Though Pet Sounds included hits such as Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and God Only Knows, it was not an immediate commercial success in the United States. Pet Sounds, which was released in 1966, later would come to be recognised as Wilson's magnum opus. Paul McCartney said it was an influence on the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "No one's musical education is complete until they've heard Pet Sounds," McCartney said. In 2012 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it second only to Sgt Pepper on its list of the 500 greatest rock albums. Released as a single that same year, Good Vibrations drew similar plaudits. On hearing the song, which would become the Beach Boys' greatest hit, Art Garfunkel called his musical partner Paul Simon to say: "I think I just heard the greatest, most creative record of them all." The Beach Boys sold more than 100 million records. Wilson's career would be derailed, though, as his use of LSD, cocaine and alcohol became untenable and his mental state, which would eventually be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder with auditory hallucinations, grew shakier. He became a recluse, lying in bed for days, abandoning hygiene, growing obese and sometimes venturing out in a bathrobe and slippers. He had a sandbox installed in his dining room and put his piano there. He also heard voices and was afraid that the lyrics of one of his songs were responsible for a series of fires in Los Angeles. Born in June 1942, Brian Wilson, whose life was the subject of the 2014 movie Love & Mercy, had two controlling men in his life. The first was his father, Murry Wilson, a part-time songwriter who recognised his son's musical talent early. He became the Beach Boys' manager and producer in their early years but also was physically and verbally abusive toward them. The band fired him in 1964. About a decade later, as Wilson floundered, his then-wife, Marilyn, hired psychotherapist Eugene Landy to help him. Landy spent 14 months with Wilson, using unusual methods such as promising him a cheeseburger if he wrote a song, before being dismissed. Landy was rehired in 1983 after Wilson went through another period of disturbing behaviour that included overdosing, living in a city park and running up substantial debt. Landy used a 24-hour-a-day technique, which involved prescribing psychotropic drugs and padlocking the refrigerator, and eventually held sway over all aspects of Wilson's life, including serving as producer and co-writer of his music when he made a comeback with a 1988 solo album. Wilson's family went to court to end his relationship with Landy in 1992. Wilson said Landy had saved his life but also would later call him manipulative. California medical regulators accused Landy, who died in 2006, of improper involvement with a patient's affairs. He gave up his psychology licence after admitting to unlawfully prescribing drugs. Wilson's return to music was spotty. He appeared frail, tentative and shaky and none of the post-comeback work brought anything close to the acclaim of his earlier catalogue. Wilson's brothers had both died by the time of the Beach Boys' 50th reunion tour in 2012 but he joined Love, who became the band's controlling force, for several shows. At the end, Wilson said he felt as if he had been fired but Love denied it. Wilson last performed live in 2022. Wilson and his first wife, Marilyn, had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who had hits in the 1990s as part of the group Wilson Phillips. He and second wife Melinda, whom he met when she sold him a car, had five children. Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as Good Vibrations and God Only Knows in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82. "We are at a loss for words right now," Wilson's family said on the singer's website. "We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world." The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship. Starting in 1961, the Beach Boys put out a string of sunny hits celebrating the touchstones of California youth culture - surfing, cars and romance. But what made the songs special was the ethereal harmonies that Wilson arranged and that would become the band's trademark. Wilson formed the band with younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine in their home town, the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. They went on to have 36 top 40 hits, with Wilson writing and composing most of the early works. Songs such as Little Deuce Coupe, Surfin' USA., California Girls, Fun, Fun, Fun and Help Me, Rhonda remain instantly recognisable and eminently danceable. But there were plenty of bad vibrations in Wilson's life: an abusive father, a cornucopia of drugs, a series of mental breakdowns, long periods of seclusion and depression and voices in his head that, even when he was on stage, told him he was no good. "I've lived a very, very difficult, haunted life," Wilson told the Washington Post in 2007. In May 2024, a judge ruled the 81-year-old Wilson should be put under a conservatorship after two longtime associates had petitioned the court at his family's request, saying he could not care for himself following the death of his wife, Melinda. By 1966 touring had already become an ordeal for Wilson, who suffered what would be his first mental breakdown. He remained the Beach Boys' mastermind but retreated to the studio to work, usually without his band mates, on Pet Sounds, a symphonic reflection on the loss of innocence. The landmark Good Vibrations was recorded during those sessions, though it did not make it on to the album. Though Pet Sounds included hits such as Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and God Only Knows, it was not an immediate commercial success in the United States. Pet Sounds, which was released in 1966, later would come to be recognised as Wilson's magnum opus. Paul McCartney said it was an influence on the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "No one's musical education is complete until they've heard Pet Sounds," McCartney said. In 2012 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it second only to Sgt Pepper on its list of the 500 greatest rock albums. Released as a single that same year, Good Vibrations drew similar plaudits. On hearing the song, which would become the Beach Boys' greatest hit, Art Garfunkel called his musical partner Paul Simon to say: "I think I just heard the greatest, most creative record of them all." The Beach Boys sold more than 100 million records. Wilson's career would be derailed, though, as his use of LSD, cocaine and alcohol became untenable and his mental state, which would eventually be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder with auditory hallucinations, grew shakier. He became a recluse, lying in bed for days, abandoning hygiene, growing obese and sometimes venturing out in a bathrobe and slippers. He had a sandbox installed in his dining room and put his piano there. He also heard voices and was afraid that the lyrics of one of his songs were responsible for a series of fires in Los Angeles. Born in June 1942, Brian Wilson, whose life was the subject of the 2014 movie Love & Mercy, had two controlling men in his life. The first was his father, Murry Wilson, a part-time songwriter who recognised his son's musical talent early. He became the Beach Boys' manager and producer in their early years but also was physically and verbally abusive toward them. The band fired him in 1964. About a decade later, as Wilson floundered, his then-wife, Marilyn, hired psychotherapist Eugene Landy to help him. Landy spent 14 months with Wilson, using unusual methods such as promising him a cheeseburger if he wrote a song, before being dismissed. Landy was rehired in 1983 after Wilson went through another period of disturbing behaviour that included overdosing, living in a city park and running up substantial debt. Landy used a 24-hour-a-day technique, which involved prescribing psychotropic drugs and padlocking the refrigerator, and eventually held sway over all aspects of Wilson's life, including serving as producer and co-writer of his music when he made a comeback with a 1988 solo album. Wilson's family went to court to end his relationship with Landy in 1992. Wilson said Landy had saved his life but also would later call him manipulative. California medical regulators accused Landy, who died in 2006, of improper involvement with a patient's affairs. He gave up his psychology licence after admitting to unlawfully prescribing drugs. Wilson's return to music was spotty. He appeared frail, tentative and shaky and none of the post-comeback work brought anything close to the acclaim of his earlier catalogue. Wilson's brothers had both died by the time of the Beach Boys' 50th reunion tour in 2012 but he joined Love, who became the band's controlling force, for several shows. At the end, Wilson said he felt as if he had been fired but Love denied it. Wilson last performed live in 2022. Wilson and his first wife, Marilyn, had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who had hits in the 1990s as part of the group Wilson Phillips. He and second wife Melinda, whom he met when she sold him a car, had five children. Beach Boys co-founder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock's most enduring songs such as Good Vibrations and God Only Knows in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82. "We are at a loss for words right now," Wilson's family said on the singer's website. "We realise that we are sharing our grief with the world." The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship. Starting in 1961, the Beach Boys put out a string of sunny hits celebrating the touchstones of California youth culture - surfing, cars and romance. But what made the songs special was the ethereal harmonies that Wilson arranged and that would become the band's trademark. Wilson formed the band with younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine in their home town, the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. They went on to have 36 top 40 hits, with Wilson writing and composing most of the early works. Songs such as Little Deuce Coupe, Surfin' USA., California Girls, Fun, Fun, Fun and Help Me, Rhonda remain instantly recognisable and eminently danceable. But there were plenty of bad vibrations in Wilson's life: an abusive father, a cornucopia of drugs, a series of mental breakdowns, long periods of seclusion and depression and voices in his head that, even when he was on stage, told him he was no good. "I've lived a very, very difficult, haunted life," Wilson told the Washington Post in 2007. In May 2024, a judge ruled the 81-year-old Wilson should be put under a conservatorship after two longtime associates had petitioned the court at his family's request, saying he could not care for himself following the death of his wife, Melinda. By 1966 touring had already become an ordeal for Wilson, who suffered what would be his first mental breakdown. He remained the Beach Boys' mastermind but retreated to the studio to work, usually without his band mates, on Pet Sounds, a symphonic reflection on the loss of innocence. The landmark Good Vibrations was recorded during those sessions, though it did not make it on to the album. Though Pet Sounds included hits such as Wouldn't It Be Nice, Sloop John B and God Only Knows, it was not an immediate commercial success in the United States. Pet Sounds, which was released in 1966, later would come to be recognised as Wilson's magnum opus. Paul McCartney said it was an influence on the Beatles' Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. "No one's musical education is complete until they've heard Pet Sounds," McCartney said. In 2012 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it second only to Sgt Pepper on its list of the 500 greatest rock albums. Released as a single that same year, Good Vibrations drew similar plaudits. On hearing the song, which would become the Beach Boys' greatest hit, Art Garfunkel called his musical partner Paul Simon to say: "I think I just heard the greatest, most creative record of them all." The Beach Boys sold more than 100 million records. Wilson's career would be derailed, though, as his use of LSD, cocaine and alcohol became untenable and his mental state, which would eventually be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder with auditory hallucinations, grew shakier. He became a recluse, lying in bed for days, abandoning hygiene, growing obese and sometimes venturing out in a bathrobe and slippers. He had a sandbox installed in his dining room and put his piano there. He also heard voices and was afraid that the lyrics of one of his songs were responsible for a series of fires in Los Angeles. Born in June 1942, Brian Wilson, whose life was the subject of the 2014 movie Love & Mercy, had two controlling men in his life. The first was his father, Murry Wilson, a part-time songwriter who recognised his son's musical talent early. He became the Beach Boys' manager and producer in their early years but also was physically and verbally abusive toward them. The band fired him in 1964. About a decade later, as Wilson floundered, his then-wife, Marilyn, hired psychotherapist Eugene Landy to help him. Landy spent 14 months with Wilson, using unusual methods such as promising him a cheeseburger if he wrote a song, before being dismissed. Landy was rehired in 1983 after Wilson went through another period of disturbing behaviour that included overdosing, living in a city park and running up substantial debt. Landy used a 24-hour-a-day technique, which involved prescribing psychotropic drugs and padlocking the refrigerator, and eventually held sway over all aspects of Wilson's life, including serving as producer and co-writer of his music when he made a comeback with a 1988 solo album. Wilson's family went to court to end his relationship with Landy in 1992. Wilson said Landy had saved his life but also would later call him manipulative. California medical regulators accused Landy, who died in 2006, of improper involvement with a patient's affairs. He gave up his psychology licence after admitting to unlawfully prescribing drugs. Wilson's return to music was spotty. He appeared frail, tentative and shaky and none of the post-comeback work brought anything close to the acclaim of his earlier catalogue. Wilson's brothers had both died by the time of the Beach Boys' 50th reunion tour in 2012 but he joined Love, who became the band's controlling force, for several shows. At the end, Wilson said he felt as if he had been fired but Love denied it. Wilson last performed live in 2022. Wilson and his first wife, Marilyn, had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who had hits in the 1990s as part of the group Wilson Phillips. He and second wife Melinda, whom he met when she sold him a car, had five children.
South Wales Argus
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South Wales Argus
Mersey Beatles set for Newport Riverfront Theatre gig
On Thursday, June 5, the band will perform at the Riverfront Theatre, celebrating the 60th anniversary of the iconic Shea Stadium concert. With a history spanning 25 years, The Mersey Beatles have delighted audiences worldwide, and this show promises to be their biggest UK tour yet. The performance will feature an array of classic hits from 1965, including beloved tracks from the albums Help! and Rubber Soul. Fans can also expect a journey through the psychedelic sounds of Sgt Pepper, a stroll down Abbey Road, and an homage to later masterpieces like Revolution, Get Back, and Hey Jude. Hailing from Liverpool, The Mersey Beatles were the resident tribute band at the famous Cavern Club for a decade, performing over 600 times at the venue where The Beatles first made their mark. (Image: DAVE NELSON) The current lineup includes Mark Bloor as John, Steven Howard as Paul, Craig McGown as George, and Brian Ambrose as Ringo. Looking ahead to the Newport show, Mr Howard said, "We cannot wait to take to the stage at the Riverfront Theatre. "We always have an amazing night in South Wales – the audiences are always up for a good night – so this will be an amazing night." Tickets for The Mersey Beatles at Riverfront Theatre are on sale now, available from the Newport Live website.
Extra.ie
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Extra.ie
This week in 1967: The Beatles released Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Although their previous studio album, Revolver, is now the more acclaimed, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is arguably The Beatles' most famous work and the one that had the most influence on the music and society of its time. It had no track breaks, a message in the run-off groove and was developed loosely from Paul McCartney's concept of an album by a fictitious band. The lyrics were printed on a lavish gatefold sleeve, with its famous front cover by Peter Blake, reflecting the tenor of the time and opening doors of both perception and excess. Having retired from touring, the band was free to use the recording studio to the ultimate, with no time or financial restrictions and limited only by their own creativity. From the suite-like 'A Day In The Life', with that long thunderous chord coaxed from a bewildered orchestra, to the alleged-and-denied drug references in 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds', the beautiful 'She's Leaving Home', the sentimentality of 'When I'm Sixty Four' and George Harrison's mystical wig-out 'Within You Without You', it sparked argument and amazement in equal measure. Originally, the album was to include 'Penny Lane' and 'Strawberry Fields Forever', but that didn't stop it from becoming a benchmark; the term 'their Sgt Pepper' later applied across the board to any band's supreme lifetime achievement.
