McCartney rolls back years as Glastonbury enters final day

LONDON -- US rapper Kendrick Lamar will bring the curtain down on Britain's Glastonbury Festival on Sunday, after Paul McCartney ran through a set of Beatles classics, helped out by Bruce Springsteen and Dave Grohl.

McCartney, who turned 80 last week, on Saturday became the oldest main stage headliner of all time, and was joined by Springsteen for "I Wanna Be Your Man," while former Nirvana man Grohl came on for "I Saw Her Standing There."

The 100,000 strong crowd at the dairy farm in southwest England serenaded McCartney onto the stage with "Happy Birthday," and were treated to timeless classics including "Can't Buy Me Love," "Love Me Do," "Blackbird," "Helter Skelter," "Let It Be," and "Hey Jude."

The Sunday Telegraph called it "one of the most thrilling, uplifting, banger-filled" Glastonbury performances, giving it five stars.

"A huge crowd of all ages spread in front of the mystically glowing Pyramid stage. Flags waved, flares blazed, voices were raised in song. The world hasn't exactly been a vision of peace and love lately, but here was the Fab One to put things right," it said.

In a four-star review, the Observer said that "the occasional lulls" in the first part of the three-hour set "rather potentiates what happens afterwards, when McCartney starts to pull out all the stops."

"There's something incredibly charming about seeing the puppyish delight on the face of Springsteen... as he and McCartney trade lines," it added.

Zelensky appears

The singer-songwriter also performed a duet with his late musical partner John Lennon, whose image was projected on a giant screen, on a version of "I Got A Feeling."

The coronavirus pandemic forced organizers to cancel the last two years' events, and those going this year battled three days of major rail strikes across the country to get there.

Doors opened at Worthy Farm in Somerset, southwest England, on Wednesday, with US pop star Billie Eilish, 20, on Friday becoming the youngest ever main stage headline act.

Other big-name performers on the bill include soul legend Diana Ross, Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde and electro-pop duo Pet Shop Boys.

Meanwhile, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky put in an appearance on Friday, urging revelers by big screen to band together to try to stop the conflict with Russia.

Dairy farmer Michael Eavis first organized the festival in 1970, the day after Jimi Hendrix died, and fans who came to see acts including Marc Bolan and Al Stewart paid £1 each for entry and received free milk from the farm.

The festival was held intermittently in the 1970s and it wasn't until the 1990s that it really began to acquire its current status.

Glastonbury was due to celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2020, but those plans were put on hold by the pandemic.

Integral to the festival's development was the late Arabella Churchill, granddaughter of Winston Churchill, who set up and then ran the Theatre and Circus fields.

As a result, the festival developed a diverse reputation and the 360-hectare site now encompasses various thematic areas.

Agence France-Press

Paul McCartney to release new lockdown album

LONDON, United Kingdom - British pop legend Paul McCartney revealed Wednesday he will release the third in a trilogy of self-titled solo albums this year, after resurrecting unfinished music during the coronavirus lockdown.

The former Beatle's latest record "McCartney III", which will be unveiled on December 11, follows months of work at his home studio in Sussex in southern England on previously started and new songs.

It has all been written, produced and performed by McCartney, who said he hadn't been planning to release an album in 2020 until the pandemic forced him to stay at home for months.

"I had some stuff I'd worked on over the years but sometimes time would run out and it would be left half-finished so I started thinking about what I had," McCartney said, in comments published by Britain's Press Association news agency.

"Each day I'd start recording with the instrument I wrote the song on and then gradually layer it all up, it was a lot of fun," the 78-year-old McCartney added.

"It was about making music for yourself rather than making music that has to do a job. So, I just did stuff I fancied doing. I had no idea this would end up as an album."

Its release coincides with the 50th anniversary of his first self-titled solo endeavour, released as the "Fab Four" went their separate ways in 1970. A follow-up, "McCartney II", came a decade later.

The latest collection of tracks was mostly built from live takes of McCartney on vocals and guitar or piano, before overdubbing with his bass playing and drumming, according to PA.

It said McCartney had returned to an unreleased track from the early 1990s, "When Winter Comes", which was co-produced by The Beatles' late producer George Martin.

Pictures for the album were shot by McCartney's daughter, the photographer Mary McCartney, with additional images by his nephew Sonny McCartney and some that he took himself on his phone.

Keeping the photography in the family mirrors how the pop icon illustrated earlier solo albums, with his late wife Linda McCartney shooting the artwork for "McCartney II".

Linda also took many of the photos displayed on the gatefold cover of the original 1970 "McCartney" album.

Agence France Presse

Who's Who of pop culture unites for 'One World' coronavirus special

Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, Beyonce and Oprah Winfrey on Saturday headlined a special broadcast of music, comedy and personal stories celebrating those around the world on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic.

The two-hour “One World:Together at Home” event, broadcast across multiple television channels in the United States and overseas, featured a Who’s Who of pop culture in the biggest celebrity gathering so far to mark the effects of the virus.

Contributions, all filmed in their homes, also came from Elton John, Jennifer Lopez, Stevie Wonder, British soccer star David Beckham, former U.S. first ladies Michelle Obama and Laura Bush, Andrea Bocelli, Celine Dion, Billie Eilish, Bill Gates and dozens of others.

“I’m so grateful for the healthcare workers, the medical workers, all the grocery store workers and delivery people, the postal workers, all the other nonprofits that are working so hard,” said Gaga, who helped organize the event.

“This is really a true love letter to all of you all over the world, and I hope a reminder of the kindness that’s occurring right now,” she added.

The event, led by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the nonprofit group Global Citizen, told the personal stories of teachers and healthcare, grocery, delivery, postal and other workers.

It showed social media postings and news clips of doctors and nurses being applauded by communities around the world, deserted world landmarks, families greeting each other through windows, and acts of kindness in support of those who are isolated and frail.

“We aren’t asking for money tonight,” said Stephen Colbert who hosted the broadcast alongside his U.S. late night television rivals Jimmy Kimmel and Jimmy Fallon.

Instead of seeking public funds, the event encouraged philanthropists and companies to contribute to the WHO’s COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund. Corporate and other donors have already contributed some $150 million, organizers said.

“What I’d like tonight, if I can, is to give you the permission for the moment to... ‘Smile’,” said Gaga, kicking off the evening by launching into a version of the ballad made famous by Nat King Cole.

Beyonce did not perform but sent a video message in which she noted the disproportionately high death rates from COVID-19 in the black community.

“This virus is killing black people at an alarming rate in America,” she said, urging viewers to protect themselves.

Swift, on piano, gave an emotional rendition of her ballad “Soon You’ll Get Better,” which was originally written during her mother’s battle with cancer.

The Rolling Stones, filmed in four separate locations, sang “You Can’t Always Get What You Want,” with Mick Jagger and Keith Richards playing acoustic guitars.

“We all appreciate the healthcare workers but never like now,” Winfrey said in a video message. “They truly are the best of us... We need to ensure that governments step up now and provide healthcare workers with the equipment and the funds they need.”

Wonder played the late Bill Wither’s classic “Lean on Me,” while McCartney, recalling that his mother was a nurse and midwife, sang “Lady Madonna.”

“You know the coronavirus is trouble when a Beatle gets involved,” quipped Kimmel.

Earlier on Saturday, pop, classical and rap musicians from the United States, Asia and the Middle East took part in a six-hour livestream that featured Latin star Luis Fonsi, R&B singer Jennifer Hudson, Hong Kong singer Eason Chan, India’s Vishal Mishra and Emirati musician Hussain Al Jassmi.

Celebrities called on people to stay at home, wash their hands regularly, practice social distancing and put pressure on their political leaders to introduce widespread testing for the disease.

-reuters-

Handwritten 'Hey Jude' lyrics sell for $910,000

LOS ANGELES, United States - A sheet of paper bearing Paul McCartney's handwritten lyrics to "Hey Jude" sold for $910,000 in an online auction held Friday to mark the 50th anniversary of the Beatles' historic split.

The document penned by McCartney and used during the 1968 London recording of the classic song at Trident Studios was sold for more than five times its pre-sale estimate.

California-based Julien's Auctions shifted its sale of some 250 Beatles memorabilia online due to the coronavirus pandemic, with fans around the world bidding for guitars, rare vinyl and autographed items.

Friday marks exactly half a century since an interview given by McCartney sealed the acrimonious end of the "Fab Four," widely considered one of the most influential bands in history.

Asked if he foresaw a time when his prolific songwriting partnership with fellow Beatle John Lennon would restart, his blunt reply -- "no" -- spoke for itself.

McCartney wrote "Hey Jude" after an earlier split -- Lennon's divorce from first wife Cynthia following his affair with Japanese artist Yoko Ono.

The song was composed to comfort Lennon's son Julian during his parents' break-up, and was initially titled "Hey Jules."

The handwritten document sold Friday contains partial lyrics along with annotations including the word "break" used to aid the song's recording.

Other items included a drumhead with the Beatles' logo used during their first US tour gig in 1964, sold for $200,000, and a handwritten shooting script page for the "Hello, Goodbye" music video in 1967, fetching $83,200.

A brass ashtray used by Ringo Starr at the Abbey Road recordings in the 1960s earned $32,500.

Agence France Presse

Love Mud Do: McCartney to headline 50th Glastonbury Festival

LONDON (Reuters) - Former Beatle Paul McCartney will headline Glastonbury Festival, the pinnacle of Britain’s pop music calendar, for its 50th anniversary next year, organisers said on Monday.

The 77-year-old last played the festival’s famous Pyramid Stage in 2004.

“Having Paul McCartney coming back to headline the Pyramid next year is an absolute dream come true. There really was no one that we wanted more for the 50th anniversary,” said Glastonbury co-organiser Emily Eavis.

McCartney, who will play the Saturday night slot on June 27, said he was excited to be part of the anniversary celebrations.

“See ya next summer!” he tweeted.

Famed for its left-wing ethos and often mud-soaked surroundings, Glastonbury Festival started in 1970, the same year the Beatles split up.

Founder Michael Eavis has said one of his biggest regrets was turning down another ex-Beatle, guitarist George Harrison, when he had the chance to book him for Glastonbury a few years before he died in 2001.

Tickets for the 2020 event went on sale in October and were sold out in just over half an hour, according to the festival’s website https://cdn.glastonburyfestivals.co.uk.

Glastonbury Festival was founded by dairy farmer Eavis, 83, and his late wife Jean in 1970, after they were inspired by the Bath Festival of Blues. Marc Bolan played the first event, which had an entry charge of 1 pound with free milk included.

Reporting by Andy Bruce; Editing by Giles Elgood

Paul McCartney returns to Beatles' Liverpool club for surprise gig

LIVERPOOL - Paul McCartney surprised and delighted fans on Thursday with a small free gig at The Cavern Club, returning to the cellar venue in Liverpool where The Beatles made their name more than 50 years ago.

In scenes reminiscent of the 1960s, the 76-year-old, was greeted by cheering and some screaming fans as he arrived at the club by car. Many had waited for hours to get a limited number of tickets after the singer and musician had posted a Tweet hours earlier announcing the gig.

McCartney, whose latest album "Egypt Station" comes out in September, played a wide-ranging set list including Beatles hits "Magical Mystery Tour" and "I Saw Her Standing There", which got the loudest cheers from the audience.

"Hello Liverpool. Cavern," he told the cheering crowd as he came on stage.

The Beatles first played at the Cavern - a cramped cellar bar in the northern English port city - in 1961. The band went on to become a global phenomenon before splitting up in 1970.

Surrounded by Beatles pictures and murals, McCartney, who usually plays to vast arenas, sang and chatted to the audience during the two-hour gig at the packed club, which has a capacity for 350 standing people. They sang along with him.

"Imagine this for me...All those years ago we came here and played. We didn't know if we'd ever have any future but we did okay," he said. "Coming back here with all of our guys, all of our crew it's pretty pretty amazing for me."

The original Cavern Club closed in 1973 and was eventually knocked down. But the bricks were saved and used to build the venue that now stands in its place and draws Beatles fans from around the world.

McCartney gave a concert at the venue in 1999 when he played a range of his songs and covers.

He earlier said on Twitter he would perform at 2 p.m. (1300 GMT), with tickets being handed out for free from 10 a.m. "on a first come, first served basis".

"It's a dream isn't it. My dream is to go back in time to the 60s and see them at the Cavern," fan Lottie Ryan, 27, said as she waiting to get into the venue. "This is the closest I'm ever going to get. I'm so excited."

On Wednesday, McCartney attended a Q&A session at the Liverpool Institute of Performing Arts, where he was asked which musicians he had worked with he admired the most. His answer began with fellow Beatles John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.

"Having worked with John so one on one, I got to see his brilliance before the world did," he said. 

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Paul McCartney sues to take back Beatles catalog

Paul McCartney on Wednesday filed a lawsuit to secure the copyright to the Beatles back catalog in a case that could have wide ramifications for the music industry.

The complicated dispute centers around the US Copyright Act of 1976 which aimed to address pop music's checkered history with artists by ensuring long-term rights for songwriters and their heirs.

Under the law, artists could reclaim copyright for songs 35 years after they gave them away -- or 56 years for tracks from before 1978.

But in a startling win for publishers, a British court in December refused to grant Duran Duran the US rights to the pop group's early hits -- such as "Rio" and the James Bond theme "A View to a Kill" -- on the grounds that the US act did not apply in Britain.

McCartney filed the lawsuit in a federal court in New York against Sony ATV Music Publishing, which was also involved in the Duran Duran case, in a bid to guarantee the transfer of copyright.

Next year will mark 56 years, the timeframe spelled out in the US Copyright Act, since the Beatles released their first single, "Love Me Do," in 1962.

The lawsuit said that the CEO of Sony ATV encountered McCartney's lawyer at a concert shortly before the Duran Duran decision and hinted that the publisher would fight harder in light of the British case.

The lawsuit said that McCartney had asked Sony ATV to make clear that it recognized the former Beatle's notices that he planned to terminate publishing contracts under the US law.

"Defendants have refused to provide such confirmation," the lawsuit said, voicing worry that Sony ATV would instead declare McCartney -- who wrote much of the Beatles catalog with the late John Lennon -- to be in breach of contract.

The case could have wide effects on the future of payments in the music industry. Publishers collect and distribute royalties to songwriters -- an especially lucrative area for classic tunes.

Sony ATV has rights to millions of songs including those by other top names in rock history including Michael Jackson, Marvin Gaye and Bob Dylan.

Ironically, Jackson bought rights to Beatles songs after a leisurely chat with McCartney who explained the importance of music publishing.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Beatles, wedding attract big TV audience to Grammys

LOS ANGELES -- Beatles, robots and a mass wedding drew 28.5 million viewers to the Grammy awards television broadcast on Sunday night, the show's second-largest audience in two decades, CBS Corp's broadcast network CBS said on Monday.

French electronic-music duo Daft Punk, known for their robot-inspired outfits, took home four awards including album and record of the year, and New Zealand's 17-year-old newcomer Lorde won two, including song of the year.

Viewership was up from last year's Grammys, when 28.1 million viewers tuned into the show, and is the second-largest audience for the Grammy telecast since 1993.

The 2012 show attracted 39.9 million viewers, the second-largest Grammy TV audience ever, thanks largely to British singer Adele's six wins and performance comeback after throat surgery and the drowning death of singer Whitney Houston in a bathtub in a Beverly Hills hotel the night before show.

On Sunday night's show, Seattle-based rapper-producer duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis was named best new artist among four wins. The pair presided over the night's most dramatic moment when 33 same-sex and heterosexual couples were married live on air during a performance of their gay rights ode "Same Love." They were joined by Madonna and Queen Latifah on stage.

The 56th annual Grammys also saw a rare performance by the two surviving members of The Beatles, as Paul McCartney on piano and Ringo Starr on drums came together to sing the new song "Queenie Eye."

The reunion came ahead of the Recording Academy's tribute to the 50th anniversary of The Beatles appearing on "The Ed Sullivan Show" in February 1964, credited with launching rock music's British Invasion.

The three-and-a-half-hour show was a hot topic on social media, with 15.2 million Tweets about the Grammys during the East Coast broadcast, a Twitter spokesman said

The most-Tweeted about performance came midway through the show, when alt-rock group Imagine Dragons and rapper Kendrick Lamar came together for a high-octane mash-up of their songs, garnering more than 172,000 Tweets per minute.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Paul McCartney, Penelope Cruz join 'Arctic sanctuary' drive

RIO DE JANEIRO - Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney, actress Penelope Cruz and director Robert Redford have joined a campaign for a "global sanctuary" around the North Pole, Greenpeace announced Thursday.

They are among the first 100 names on a planned million-signature scroll that the green group wants to place on the seabed beneath Earth's northernmost point.

The spot will be marked with a "Flag for the Future" designed by children in a global competition organized by the movie star-Girl Guide movement.

Its goal is to counter nationalist claims on the North Pole and preserve the heart of the Arctic Ocean from a carve-up for resources.

Greenpeace International executive director Kumi Naidoo said the aim would be to push for a UN resolution demanding a global sanctuary around and under the Pole.

"The Arctic is coming under assault and needs people from around the world to stand up and demand action to protect it," he said at the launch of the campaign at the UN sustainable development summit, or Rio+20.

"A ban on offshore oil drilling and unsustainable fishing would be a huge victory against the forces ranged against this precious region and the four million people who live there.

"And a sanctuary in the uninhabited area around the pole would in a stroke stop the polluters colonizing the top of the world without infringing on the rights of indigenous communities."

British tycoon Richard Branson and "Warrior Princess" actress Lucy Lawless, who took part in an occupation of a Shell Arctic oil rig, added a celebrity sprinkle to the launch.

Branson described his trip to the Arctic on a dog sleigh, calling the region "one of the most spectacularly beautiful parts of the world" and gravely at risk.

The first 100 signatories include "Slumdog Millionaire" star Dev Patel, actors Hugh Grant and Emily Blunt as well as musicians Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Thom Yorke, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, boy band One Direction and China's Xiao Wei.

The shrinkage of Arctic ice through global warming has led to jostling over sea routes and access to the sea bed, which is believed to be rich in hydrocarbons and minerals.

Countries that border the Arctic are Russia, Canada and the United States, as well as Norway and Denmark, through Greenland.

In 2007, Russian explorer Artur Chilingarov planted a Russian flag on the seabed under the North Pole, saying he claimed it for Russia.

The claim was orchestrated by the Kremlin and has no legal validity, according to critics.

source: interaksyon.com

Ex-Beatle Paul McCartney says 'I Do' for third time

LONDON - Paul McCartney married for the third time on Sunday, exchanging vows with American heiress Nancy Shevell at the same London register office where the former Beatle wed his first wife Linda in 1969.

The beaming couple emerged from the grey-stone Old Marylebone Town Hall to confetti and cheers from dozens of fans who had waited hours to catch a glimpse of the music legend and his new wife.

Brunette Shevell, 51, wore a knee-length, long-sleeved white dress which reports said was designed by McCartney's fashion designer daughter Stella.

The bride also had a white flower in her hair and carried a small posy of roses, while "Hey Jude" singer McCartney wore a dark suit and light blue tie. One newspaper had a headline saying: "Yes-today", in a reference to the famous Beatles song.

Despite his huge wealth as a key songwriter and frontman for the world's most successful pop band, 69-year-old McCartney chose a modest civil ceremony before a small group of family and friends.

Ringo Starr, the only other surviving member of the "Fab Four", and his wife Barbara Bach were among the guests at the wedding. Ex-Beatle John Lennon, who was assassinated in New York in 1980, would have been 71 on the day of the wedding.

After the ceremony, which lasted just over an hour, the newlyweds returned to McCartney's home in St. John's Wood for an evening reception.

The property in the upmarket area of north London is just a few streets away from the Abbey Road Studios where the Beatles recorded many of their most famous songs.

Asked how he felt after marrying for a third time, he told reporters: "Terrific, thank you. I feel married. I feel absolutely wonderful."

Sweet serenade

Rock'n'roll royalty including Starr, Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood and guitarist Jeff Beck attended the reception, as did model Twiggy and artist Tracey Emin.

Late Beatle George Harrison's widow Olivia turned up to the soiree, which was also designed to be a low-key affair.

McCartney's spokesman declined to divulge any details of the wedding day, but celebrity-hungry tabloids in Britain, where the affectionately named "Macca" is hugely popular, have been poring over every detail.

According to reports, McCartney composed a song for Shevell especially for their big day.

He was also expected to perform "Let it Be", which he sang to Shevell on one of their first holidays together three years ago, and her favorite "Let Me Roll It", the Sunday Mirror said.

McCartney was married for 29 years to American photographer Linda until her death from breast cancer in 1998. He said at the time that he and Linda had spent just 11 nights apart during their marriage.

McCartney's marriage to former model and charity campaigner Heather Mills was less happy.

The couple wedded in 2002 in a lavish ceremony at Castle Leslie in Ireland estimated by celebrity magazines to have cost around $3.2 million.

But four years later they confirmed they had separated, blaming media intrusion into their private lives, and in 2008 the couple divorced.

A judge had to rule on the size of the divorce settlement after the couple failed to reach agreement themselves, and Mills was awarded 24.3 million pounds ($38 million), ending one of the most acrimonious breakups in showbusiness history.

She had claimed 125 million pounds and said McCartney was worth 800 million pounds, although a judge found his fortune was worth half that amount.

McCartney has a son, two daughters and a stepdaughter from his marriage to Linda, and a daughter from his marriage to Mills.

The independently-wealthy Shevell, who was married to an attorney for more than 20 years and serves on the board of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, has a son. - Reuters

Source: gmanews.tv