Tag Archives: The Beatles Let It Be

Paul McCartney Turns 72!

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My entire life has been one amazing Paul McCartney song after another. It started obviously, with The Beatles, followed by Wings and his solo career. Paul McCartney is a living legend in the music industry and continues to be so.

Paul McCartney and The Beatles with Rhode Island Wedding DJ & Rhode Island Rock DJ

The Paul McCartney Story

Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE (born 18 June 1942) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer. With John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr, he gained worldwide fame as a member of the Beatles, and hiscollaboration with Lennon is one of the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of the 20th century. After the band’s break-up, he pursued a solo career, later forming Wings with his first wife, Linda, and singer-songwriter Denny Laine.

Paul McCartney & The Beatles First Visit to The USA

Guinness World Records described McCartney as the “most successful composer and recording artist of all time”, with 60 gold discs and sales of over 100 million albums and 100 million singles, and as the “most successful songwriter” in United Kingdom chart history. More than 2,200 artists have covered his Beatles song “Yesterday“, more than any other song in history. Wings’ 1977 release “Mull of Kintyre” is one of the all-time best-selling singles in the UK. Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a solo artist in March 1999, McCartney has written, or co-written 32 songs that have reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100, and as of 2013 he has sold over 15.5 million RIAA-certified units in the United States.

Paul McCartney & Wings Jet Live

McCartney has released an extensive catalogue of songs as a solo artist and has composed classical and electronic music. He has taken part in projects to promote international charities related to such subjects as animal rights, seal hunting, landmines, vegetarianism, poverty, and music education. McCartney has married three times and is the father of five children.

Paul McCartney: Hurricane Sandy Relief Concert Nineteen Hundred Eighty-Five

Paul McCartney Dominates Bonnaroo

For anyone born in the last quarter century who wondered whether Paul McCartney’s allotted two-and-a-half-hour set would be “too much” for the 70-year-old Beatle was justly put to shame Friday night when Macca delivered a truly legendary, 24-song set that, by the way, lasted almost three hours.

Paul McCartney at Bannaroo with Rhode Island Wedding DJ

Every year, Bonnaroo’s Friday-night, headlining artist is the impetus for many to splurge on the festival ticket. McCartney’s main-stage act was no exception, considering its cross-generational, grin-inducing appeal to, well, everyone. Not one to settle for the expected, McCartney played more than his back-catalogue staples (which, for the record, would have been completely acceptable). Among the lovingly off-kilter setlist selections were “Your Mother Should Know,” “All Together Now” and “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da,” all of which were met with equal affinity as the “Let it Be’s” and the “Hey Jude’s” of the night.

It was the greatest, most sincere sing-along that has ever been conceived. To witness McCartney perform “Something” on ukulele in tribute to George Harrison, moments before a cannon-blazing rendition of “Live and Let Die” and a suitably zealous “Helter Skelter,” was as fantastical as it was fierce. It was the perfect environment for Bonnaroo’s Dropping Point — the point at which Bonnaroo gently lifts you and then not-so-gently drops you into the festival, typically spearheaded by the Friday night, headlining act. Arcade Fire and Radiohead occupied the spot in 2011 and 2012, respectively, and McCartney passed the torch as if “Love Me Do” were released yesterday. It will be arduous to top someone whose song book is so collectively enamored, but if there is a festival in which we can instill faith, it’s Bonnaroo (they brought us a Beatle).

Paul McCartney in Brooklyn

Happy Birthday Paul McCartney!

McCartney said he had the idea of “Let It Be” after he had a dream about his mother during the tense period surrounding the sessions for The Beatles (the “White Album”). McCartney explained that his mother—who died of cancer when McCartney was fourteen—was the inspiration for the “Mother Mary” lyric. He later said, “It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing ‘Let It Be’.” He also said in a later interview about the dream that his mother had told him “It will be all right, just let it be.”

Paul McCartney & The Beatles Let It Be Live in Studio

What is your favorite Paul McCartney Song or memory?

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & Boston DJ

973.908.8147

 

 

Let It Be. Is it Still Not Time Yet?

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Due to the recent events locally and globally of violence and more violence, I keep coming back to “Let It Be”, The Beatles Classic song. I know it can be overused but that does not take away from its value and profoundness. “Let It Be” was written by Paul McCartney but credited to Lennon-McCartney, as were other Beatles songs written by either Paul McCartney or John Lennon.

The Single version includes orchestration and backing vocals overdubbed on 4 January 1970—under the supervision of Martin and McCartney—with backing vocals that included the only known contribution by Linda McCartney to a Beatles song. There was the album version for the album of the same name Let It Be, the Single version, the Anthology Version and The Naked Version of the song.

 Paul’s mother had told him “It will be all right, just let it be.”

The song came to Paul McCartney during the very intense period around the recording of The White Album. Paul claims that he was thinking of his mother often then. His mother, Mary, died when Paul was fourteen. He was referring to her and felt like he connected with her when he references “Mother Mary”. He later said, “It was great to visit with her again. I felt very blessed to have that dream. So that got me writing ‘Let It Be’.” He also said in a later interview about the dream that his mother had told him “It will be all right, just let it be.”

 

“Let It Be” was the last song released as a single before Paul’s announcement to leave The Beatles. John Lennon had already done so before this time. The song, “The Long and Winding Road” was actually released as a single after Paul’s decision to leave the band.

 

“Let It Be” reached number one on The Billboard Hot 100 Charts for two weeks in The USA but only number two in The U.K. It is interesting to note how many songs have achieved such greater success commercially but few over time as “Let It Be”.

The Beatles Let It Be Music Video

Personally, there are only a handful of songs that touch and effect me as “Let It Be”. It is one of the songs that I reach for when needing inspiration, hope, direction and connection.

The Betles Icon Let It Be Rhode Island Wedding DJ

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ

Engineer With Pink Floyd and The Beatles Born Today: Alan Parsons

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Alan Parsons, studio audio engineer, musician, and record producer was involved with the production of The Beatles’ Abbey Road and Let It Be, and Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon.  He was born today, December 20th 1948. As a music listener and professional DJ in the industry, the idea of working on two of Rock’s greatest achievements is quite a resume to attach to your name.  It is interesting that his participation in these monumental projects still has not brought him the public recognition that one wold assume would come with such great accomplishments.

 

Alan Parsons was only nineteen when he was hired to work at Abbey Road Studios. Soon after that, The Beatles were in the studio recording the album Abbey Road.

 

“But working with The Beatles was an amazing experience. And working with producer George Martin and engineer Geoff Emerick gave me a great deal to learn from, and that experience too was amazing. The album Abbey Road was actually recorded very quickly, it was done in about eight weeks which for The Beatles was pretty fast. But I enjoyed every second of it. And I was getting paid to work with the greatest pop band of all time!” Alan Parsons Interview with Joe Matera from Ultimate-Guitar.

 

Alan was a main ingredient in the most successful Rock album in the history of Billboard’s Top 200 album charts.  He engineered its highly technical production with only sixteen tracks in analog.  They did not have digital technology yet.

 

He has been nominated for ten Grammys, which seven were for his critically acclaimed Alan Parsons Project work. Additionally one more for his solo work as Alan Parsons.

Alan Parsons Pink Floyd Dark Side of The Moon

 

DJ Mystical Michael Rhode Island DJ & NY DJ