Latest news with #HeyJude
South Wales Argus
4 days ago
- 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.
Cision Canada
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Cision Canada
Julien's Auctions Announces Blockbuster "Music Icons" Auction Live from Hard Rock Cafe Times Square
NEW YORK, May 21, 2025 /CNW/ -- Julien's Auctions, the world-record-breaking auction house known for its landmark sales of music memorabilia, has announced the return of its acclaimed MUSIC ICONS auction, taking place live May 30 and 31 at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square, New York. The auction will offer over 700 lots of stage-played instruments, iconic performance fashion, handwritten lyrics, and personal relics from the most legendary names in music, including Kurt Cobain, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, Nirvana, U2, Elvis Presley, Taylor Swift, Freddie Mercury, and The Beatles. At the heart of this year's sale is the Julian Lennon Collection, a curated offering of rare Beatles and John Lennon artifacts. Highlights include RIAA Gold record awards for "Hey Jude" & "Revolver" as well as lyrics, animation cels from Yellow Submarine, and more. A portion of proceeds will benefit The White Feather Foundation. Also featured are: Kurt Cobain's 1989 Takamine acoustic-electric guitar used during Nirvana's 1991 Hilversum Sessions Dave Grohl's session-played Remo Acousticon Quadra drum kit Krist Novoselic's Warwick Dolphin Pro bass Iconic guitars from Eddie Van Halen, Jack White, Noel Gallagher, Ronnie Wood, and Joe Perry Performance-worn looks by Cher (Bob Mackie designs), Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga, Dolly Parton, and Amy Winehouse Julien's will host a free public exhibition of the collection at Hard Rock Cafe New York from May 21–31, open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. ET. "This year's Music Icons sale is a celebration of the unforgettable artistry that shaped generations," said Martin Nolan, Executive Director of Julien's Auctions. "From Kurt Cobain's guitar to Julian Lennon's Beatles treasures, this is a landmark moment in cultural history." To view the catalog and register to bid, visit
Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
The Beatles head to London's West End - plans 'under wraps for months'
Exclusive: The Beatles' songs will feature in a new stage version of the film hit Yesterday which is being turned into a musical The Beatles ' songs are heading to the West End after film supremos Danny Boyle and Richard Curtis decided to turn box office hit Yesterday into a musical. The duo held an event this week in front of major investors, including Sir Cameron Mackintosh and Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber, as they seek a theatre for the new show. An insider revealed: 'This has been kept under wraps for months but it is a huge opportunity, and the prospect of a Beatles musical is too big to miss. 'It's easy to imagine that it could play for years and years. 'There was a performance this week to show the basics of what the production will be, and all the big players in London's theatre world came along. It's a no-brainer that any theatre will want to host it so there is likely to be a bit of a bidding war to secure it. These are the most famous songs of all time, so it could run and run.' The musical will be a repurposed version of the 2019 film, written by Curtis and directed by Boyle. It starred Himesh Patel as a struggling musician who recovers from being hit by a bus, only to find he is the sole person who has ever heard of The Fab Four. It will mean The Beatles' extraordinary back catalogue will be performed on stage, with tracks including The Long And Winding Road, All You Need Is Love and Hey Jude all included, following in the footsteps of hugely successful theatre productions about similarly timeless megastars including Queen and Michael film also featured Lily James. Speaking previously, Curtis said they would not have been able to make the film without the rights to the Beatles' music. He said: "I don't think so. It's been wonderful watching these 50 years of progress, and the way that their music has still lasted, and the way that when you go see school plays – you know, at the end of it, if it's about the environment, everyone will sing 'Here Comes the Sun' or 'Octopus's Garden' or something. "My kid was in a school play about the Battle of Hastings, and at the end, William the Conqueror held Harold the King of England's hand, and they both sang 'We Can Work It Out'. "I think The Beatles are more embedded in culture than anybody else – even though, personally, I couldn't bear a world without Kate Bush. But I don't think it's the same film." On whether it was tough getting the rights to the songs and if he'd spoken to Paul McCartney or Ringo Starr, Richard explained: "No. We dealt a lot with Sony and with Apple. "I think if they'd have said no, it would have been impossible. If we were doing a film about a serial killer who loves The Beatles, they might have said no, but it clearly is quite a pro-Beatles thing."
Daily Mail
09-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Trombone player on one of the most famous pop songs of all time leaves behind just £1,000 in his will after his death aged 79
A respected orchestra musician who played trombone on one of the most famous songs in pop music history left £1,000 in his will after dying aged 79, it has emerged. Peter Bassano was among the performers on The Beatles ' 1968 hit single Hey Jude that topped the charts worldwide and sold an estimated 8million copies. Mr Bassano, who also worked as a conductor, lecturer and author, spoke in the past about how his involvement in the Fab Four track earned him more than anything else. Tributes were paid after his death on February 1 this year, and now details of the legacy he left have been revealed. Documents show the estate he bequeathed was worth £1,000, to be shared equally between his children, the Sun reported. Mr Bassano, who was a member and fellow of the Royal College of Music, previously wrote of being inspired to pursue music after watching the late Queen Elizabeth II 's coronation in 1953. And he was intrigued by the trombone when seeing Salvation Army bands marching by during his childhood in Southend, Essex. His posts during his career included being music director of the Oxford University Sinfonietta, performing in the London Symphony Orchestra for 27 years and serving as head of brass at the Royal College of Music between 1993 and 2004. He was married to renowned viola player Kathryn Bassano, a former member of the Academy of St Martins in the Fields and who played on soundtracks for Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings films. The couple told in 2014 of being declared bankrupt and forced to leave their six-bedroom house in the Chilterns where they had lived for 16 years. Mr Bassano said his troubles began when he had to borrow heavily after becoming embroiled in a legal battle over the cost of an extension to the house in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire. He told the Mail on Sunday at the time: 'The extension was intended to increase the value of the house but once we got involved in litigation, it was difficult to withdraw without incurring further costs. 'I don't blame anyone else for our financial predicament. But we were hit by a perfect storm of the banking crisis, my earnings dropping and a huge fall in the value of the house.' As well as his performing and conducting activities, Mr Bassano also published several books - including a memoir called Before The Music Stopped that covered his work with rock bands including The Beatles and the Bee Gees. Recording sessions for Hey Jude - which would be The Beatles' first release on their newly founded record label Apple - took place in London in July 1968. While the band initially rehearsed the song and taped demo tracks at their usual base of EMI Studios at Abbey Road in St John's Wood, north-west London, the main recordings including a orchestra were carried out at Trident Studios in Soho. Mr Bassano not only played trombone as part of the orchestral backing, he was also among those singing along to its 'Na, na, na, na-na-na-na' chorus outro. He spoke about the experience in a podcast interview in 2022, recalling: 'I turned up with my trombone and producer George Martin said, "All I want you to do is play four notes consecutively". 'We did that - that was straightforward. Then he said he wanted us to sing. 'We learnt it all and sang away. I thought, this sounds awful, it won't get anywhere. 'John Lennon brought out a crate of beer with him and it became a party. My critical appraisal was proven to be totally incorrect.' Hey Jude, with B-side Revolution, was released on August 30 1968 in Britain, along with three other launch releases by Apple Records - Mary Hopkin's Those Were The Days, Sour Milk Sea by Jackie Lomax and the Black Dyke Mills Band's Thingumybob. Copies of each were sent in gift-wrapped boxes to the Queen and other members of the royal family, as well as then-Prime Minister Harold Wilson. The Beatles also publicised the release of Hey Jude by performing it on ITV show Frost On Sunday in September that year - with the programme's presenter David Frost introduced them as 'the greatest tearoom orchestra in the world'. In his reminiscences about being involved in the song's recording, and its royalties, Mr Bassano said: 'Over the years, that single easy and enjoyable session has earned me more money than anything else I have ever done.' Hey Jude remains a staple of the live sets performed by Sir Paul McCartney, now 83, including at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park in July 2005 and the London 2012 OIympics opening ceremony seven years later. Tributes shared following Mr Bassano's death in February this year included a quote from Finnish composer and conductor Esa-Pekka Salonen, who said: 'Few musicians possess this type of intellectual curiosity and knowledge.' Mr Bassano's career involved performing in the orchestras for West End musicals while he also founded a brass quintet called Equale Brass, conducted at the Royal Albert Hall during the Proms and adjudicated for the BBC Young Musician of the Year.
Scottish Sun
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Scottish Sun
Musician who played on one of most famous songs of all time leaves just £1k in his will
He shared his estate equally among his four children TRAGIC PASSING Musician who played on one of most famous songs of all time leaves just £1k in his will THE trombone player on Beatles track Hey Jude left just £1,000 in his will — despite admitting it made him more money than anything else. Peter Bassano, who was also part of the chorus that sang the 'Na, na, na, na, na, na, na' refrain at the end of the 1968 song, died aged 79 in February. 2 The trombone player on hit Beatles track Hey Jude left just £1,000 in his will Credit: Getty He also worked with the Bee Gees and later became a lecturer at the Royal College of Music. Documents show Mr Bassano left £1,000 in his estate, sharing it equally among his four children. He told a podcast in 2022: 'I turned up with my trombone and producer George Martin said, 'All I want you to do is play four notes consecutively'. 'We did that, that was straightforward. READ MORE ON THE BEATLES CAST CONFIRMED Two Oscar nominees and huge rising star Brit to play Beatles in new films 'Then he said he wanted us to sing. "We learnt it all and sang away. "I thought, this sounds awful, it won't get anywhere. 'John Lennon brought out a crate of beer with him, and it became a party. 'My critical appraisal was proven to be totally incorrect.' He added: 'Over the years, that single, easy and enjoyable session has earned me more money than anything else I have ever done.' Chesney Hawkes starts a rendition of Hey Jude at Box Park
