Jack Hazan and David Mingay's Rude Boy is now showing exclusively on Mubi in most countries—including the United Kingdom, Brazil, India, Turkey, and Ireland—in the series Rediscovered.London, 1978: Ray Gange, a purposeless punk, shuffles from the unemployment benefit office to his beer-money job at a porno bookstore, selling dirty magazines to shifty-looking customers. Meanwhile, young fascists storm the streets, hurling abuse and waving banners in their fight against “communism in the classroom” and “race-mix propaganda.” Margaret Thatcher is on the cusp of seizing power and the National Front is at the height of its popularity. Racist graffiti, large-scale unemployment, run-down social housing, and right-wing riots: in five minutes flat, Rude Boy (1980) tells you everything you need to know about Britain at the dark end of the 1970s.As much a gritty social-realist document of a country in transition as a charged concert film of the pioneering punk band the Clash,...
- 8/29/2023
- MUBI
Many musicians have praised John Lennon for shaping their careers, but Todd Rundgren is not among them. After Rundgren made some less-than-flattering remarks about the former Beatle in an interview, Lennon lashed out. In a scathingly hilarious open letter, Lennon addressed Rundgren’s problems with him.
John Lennon wrote an open letter to Todd Rundgren
In 1974, Rundgren met Lennon at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. Lennon was in the middle of his drunken “lost weekend” — the 18-month period during which he was separated from Yoko Ono — and did not make the best impression. Several months later, Rundgren addressed their meeting and the lingering bad feeling it left him in an interview with Melody Maker.
“John Lennon ain’t no revolutionary,” Rundgren said, per the book The John Lennon Letters. “He’s a f***ing idiot.”
It didn’t take long for Lennon to discover the interview and respond to Rundgren.
John Lennon wrote an open letter to Todd Rundgren
In 1974, Rundgren met Lennon at the Troubadour Club in Los Angeles. Lennon was in the middle of his drunken “lost weekend” — the 18-month period during which he was separated from Yoko Ono — and did not make the best impression. Several months later, Rundgren addressed their meeting and the lingering bad feeling it left him in an interview with Melody Maker.
“John Lennon ain’t no revolutionary,” Rundgren said, per the book The John Lennon Letters. “He’s a f***ing idiot.”
It didn’t take long for Lennon to discover the interview and respond to Rundgren.
- 8/23/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Immediately after The Beatles broke up, Paul McCartney and John Lennon made it clear that they were not on good terms. They wrote about each other in songs, insulted each other in interviews, and even penned angry open responses to one another. One comment that drew Lennon’s public ire came from an interview with McCartney. He said Lennon and Yoko Ono were not cool in the way they were approaching their career. Despite Lennon’s anger, McCartney had a point.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney | Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Paul McCartney said John Lennon was ‘not cool’ in an interview
After The Beatles broke up, each former member could finally perform concerts again. The band stopped touring in 1966 because it had gotten too hectic; they could barely hear themselves onstage and faced danger from overexcited fans. McCartney missed live performances and wanted to find a way to put them on again.
John Lennon and Paul McCartney | Don Paulsen/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images Paul McCartney said John Lennon was ‘not cool’ in an interview
After The Beatles broke up, each former member could finally perform concerts again. The band stopped touring in 1966 because it had gotten too hectic; they could barely hear themselves onstage and faced danger from overexcited fans. McCartney missed live performances and wanted to find a way to put them on again.
- 4/29/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
Several years after The Beatles stopped touring, Paul McCartney pitched a new idea for concerts to John Lennon. Touring had become a near impossibility for the band; they were too popular to even feel safe on stage. Because of this, McCartney devised a way for them to fly under the radar. When he pitched the idea to Lennon, though, his bandmate laughed in his face. This might have signaled the end of the band.
Paul McCartney and John Lennon | David Redfern/Redferns John Lennon rolled his eyes at a concert idea from Paul McCartney
The Beatles stopped touring in 1966 after several chaotic years on the road. A few years after that, McCartney admittedly missed live performances. He wanted to find a way to do it, even though he knew it was impossible to tour as The Beatles.
“Before John was leaving the Beatles, I was lying in bed at home...
Paul McCartney and John Lennon | David Redfern/Redferns John Lennon rolled his eyes at a concert idea from Paul McCartney
The Beatles stopped touring in 1966 after several chaotic years on the road. A few years after that, McCartney admittedly missed live performances. He wanted to find a way to do it, even though he knew it was impossible to tour as The Beatles.
“Before John was leaving the Beatles, I was lying in bed at home...
- 4/29/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
George Harrison became known as the “dark horse” of The Beatles after surprising many listeners with his solo career. However, this was no surprise to long-time Beatles producer George Martin who had a theory on why Harrison had an easier time transitioning into a solo career than Paul McCartney and John Lennon.
George Martin said George Harrison benefitted in his solo career from being a ‘loner’ George Harrison | Steve Morley/Redferns
George Harrison contributed plenty to The Beatles with his stellar guitar skills, but he had limited opportunities to write songs that proved his knack for songwriting. Mainly because Paul McCartney and John Lennon took on most of the songwriting duties for the band. They also didn’t collaborate with Harrison, who wrote most of his songs by himself.
In a 1971 interview with Melody Maker, Martin said he had an easier time transitioning to being solo because he learned so...
George Martin said George Harrison benefitted in his solo career from being a ‘loner’ George Harrison | Steve Morley/Redferns
George Harrison contributed plenty to The Beatles with his stellar guitar skills, but he had limited opportunities to write songs that proved his knack for songwriting. Mainly because Paul McCartney and John Lennon took on most of the songwriting duties for the band. They also didn’t collaborate with Harrison, who wrote most of his songs by himself.
In a 1971 interview with Melody Maker, Martin said he had an easier time transitioning to being solo because he learned so...
- 4/1/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
The Monkees may have started their music careers as a television show band. However, the prefab four quickly morphed into one of the most beloved groups of musicians of the 1960s. Micky Dolenz, Mike Nesmith, Peter Tork, and Davy Jones broke records and became radio mainstays during that decade. However, some of their best songs never made the Billboard top 10. Here are 5 Monkees songs that should have been hits.
Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith cranked out dozens of hits, but some fan favorites never topped the charts | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images 1. ‘Porpoise Song’ (1968)
In the late 1960s, The Monkees were on a downturn. Their eponymous television show ended. Peter Tork was exiting the band.
However, one bright song crafted for the band appeared in their feature film Head. Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, “Porpoise Song” is a beloved tune that occurs at the...
Davy Jones, Micky Dolenz, Peter Tork, and Mike Nesmith cranked out dozens of hits, but some fan favorites never topped the charts | Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images 1. ‘Porpoise Song’ (1968)
In the late 1960s, The Monkees were on a downturn. Their eponymous television show ended. Peter Tork was exiting the band.
However, one bright song crafted for the band appeared in their feature film Head. Written by Carole King and Gerry Goffin, “Porpoise Song” is a beloved tune that occurs at the...
- 3/29/2023
- by Lucille Barilla
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
While many refer to The Beatles as the fab four, producer George Martin was an essential fifth member. He might not have played any instruments, but he was vital in ensuring every Beatles song and album sounded as good as it did. Martin had a role in every one of The Beatles’ albums. However, there was one album Martin wasn’t thrilled about, even though it’s one of the band’s most popular records.
‘The White Album’ is the longest album by The Beatles George Martin | Rob Verhorst/Redferns
1968’s The White Album is a double album consisting of 30 songs. 19 songs were written during The Beatles’ trip to India for a Transcendental Meditation course. The album came after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a concept album where the band worked together closely on the story and concept. The White Album consisted of many different sounds and styles,...
‘The White Album’ is the longest album by The Beatles George Martin | Rob Verhorst/Redferns
1968’s The White Album is a double album consisting of 30 songs. 19 songs were written during The Beatles’ trip to India for a Transcendental Meditation course. The album came after Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, a concept album where the band worked together closely on the story and concept. The White Album consisted of many different sounds and styles,...
- 3/21/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In 1973, Paul McCartney and his group Wings recorded a concert that would serve as the conclusion for his TV special, James Paul McCartney. The reaction to the special was chilly at best. McCartney might have been able to predict this because, on March 18, 1973, he had to re-record the finale concert. The initial audience reaction was so lukewarm that they did not want to include it in the special.
Linda McCartney and Paul McCartney | Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Paul McCartney recorded a concert for a television special
On Feb. 19, 1973, McCartney began recording the TV special James Paul McCartney, his first since The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour in 1967. The special featured a number of musical performances, including music-video style shoots, performances in front of a live audience, and an acoustic medley during a photography session. Altogether, it featured 11 segments.
For the finale of the special, McCartney and Wings recorded a...
Linda McCartney and Paul McCartney | Evening Standard/Hulton Archive/Getty Images Paul McCartney recorded a concert for a television special
On Feb. 19, 1973, McCartney began recording the TV special James Paul McCartney, his first since The Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour in 1967. The special featured a number of musical performances, including music-video style shoots, performances in front of a live audience, and an acoustic medley during a photography session. Altogether, it featured 11 segments.
For the finale of the special, McCartney and Wings recorded a...
- 3/18/2023
- by Emma McKee
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
In the early days of The Beatles, the band was looking to release hit singles that would put them on the map. “Please Please Me” was their second hit, proving that the fab four were not a one-hit-wonder. The song was a risky move for The Beatles as they turned down another song which ended up being a hit for a different act.
The Beatles needed another hit song after ‘Love Me Do’ The Beatles | Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
“Love Me Do” was The Beatles’ debut single in the U.K. While it was a hit, it only reached No. 17 in the U.K. in 1962. It later became a No. 1 hit in the U.S., but not until 1964. In an interview with Melody Maker, The Beatles’ long-time producer George Martin said he knew the band needed another hit single, but they didn’t have anything else to work with.
The Beatles needed another hit song after ‘Love Me Do’ The Beatles | Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images
“Love Me Do” was The Beatles’ debut single in the U.K. While it was a hit, it only reached No. 17 in the U.K. in 1962. It later became a No. 1 hit in the U.S., but not until 1964. In an interview with Melody Maker, The Beatles’ long-time producer George Martin said he knew the band needed another hit single, but they didn’t have anything else to work with.
- 3/17/2023
- by Ross Tanenbaum
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
On April 14, years after first hinting they were coming, Neil Young is finally releasing two Seventies concert bootlegs. The first one, High Flyin’, is a series of recordings from his 1977 under-the-radar Santa Monica, California summer club tour with the Ducks, a supergroup of sorts featuring bassist Bob Mosley from Moby Grape, guitarist Jeff Blackburn, and drummer Johnny Craviotto. Check out a preview of “Little Wing” right here.
The Ducks never played outside Santa Cruz, and all four members took turns singing lead. Their sets only featured a handful of Young originals,...
The Ducks never played outside Santa Cruz, and all four members took turns singing lead. Their sets only featured a handful of Young originals,...
- 3/3/2023
- by Andy Greene
- Rollingstone.com
George Harrison said it didn’t matter if the press and fans constantly changed their opinions of The Beatles. He grew sick of the back and forth. The Beatles made their music completely ignorant of the thoughts of others.
George Harrison and The Beatles | Chris Walter/Getty Images George Harrison said it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles
In 1987, George told Anthony DeCurtis (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters) that it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles.
DeCurtis said he thought the press spared The Beatles of harsh ridicule. He asked George if he saw it differently. George said the fans and press ridiculed The Beatles in many ways.
“We were loved for one period at a time, and then they hated us, and then they loved us, and then they hated us,...
George Harrison and The Beatles | Chris Walter/Getty Images George Harrison said it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles
In 1987, George told Anthony DeCurtis (per George Harrison on George Harrison: Interviews and Encounters) that it didn’t matter if fans and the press changed their opinions about The Beatles.
DeCurtis said he thought the press spared The Beatles of harsh ridicule. He asked George if he saw it differently. George said the fans and press ridiculed The Beatles in many ways.
“We were loved for one period at a time, and then they hated us, and then they loved us, and then they hated us,...
- 1/29/2023
- by Hannah Wigandt
- Showbiz Cheat Sheet
When The Byrds arrived in the UK for the first time in August 1965, they were hyped as the spearhead of an American Invasion. “The US Beatles!” headlines screamed as their lush cover of Bob Dylan’s “Mr Tambourine Man” topped the charts and their similarly titled debut album broke big on both sides of the pond.
Witnesses of their rammed half-hour show of multi-harmonied folk pop at London’s Flamingo Club were left unimpressed – “Flopsville!” declared Melody Maker – but in the end, the hype won out. Within two years The Byrds would stamp their mark on pop history, laying the foundations for folk rock with their renowned cover of Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and their third album Fifth Dimension’s psychedelic mainstay “Eight Miles High”. And they contained at least one future musical icon in their midst. The writer of the vulnerable yet cynical “Everybody’s Been Burned...
Witnesses of their rammed half-hour show of multi-harmonied folk pop at London’s Flamingo Club were left unimpressed – “Flopsville!” declared Melody Maker – but in the end, the hype won out. Within two years The Byrds would stamp their mark on pop history, laying the foundations for folk rock with their renowned cover of Pete Seeger’s “Turn! Turn! Turn!” and their third album Fifth Dimension’s psychedelic mainstay “Eight Miles High”. And they contained at least one future musical icon in their midst. The writer of the vulnerable yet cynical “Everybody’s Been Burned...
- 1/20/2023
- by Mark Beaumont
- The Independent - Music
Every year we hear the same Christmas songs again and again and again, the playlist seldom changing.
While the supermarkets might stick rigidly to Slade and Wizzard, and the high street coffee shops prefer the gingerbread-and-eggnog stylings of Michael Buble, Norah Jones or the Rat Pack, variation is minimal and certain tracks just will not go away.
You might wonder how much cash the writers of the more ubiquitous seasonal standards squirrel away every year and whether it’s really possible to live on the royalties.
In Nick Hornby’s novel About a Boy (1998), Will Freeman does precisely that, living an agreeably idle bachelor life on the proceeds of a festive single written by his late father.
The truth is, it’s hard to say for sure precisely how much The Pogues or Mariah Carey have coined from their work as the Performing Right Society (Prs) does not reveal the...
While the supermarkets might stick rigidly to Slade and Wizzard, and the high street coffee shops prefer the gingerbread-and-eggnog stylings of Michael Buble, Norah Jones or the Rat Pack, variation is minimal and certain tracks just will not go away.
You might wonder how much cash the writers of the more ubiquitous seasonal standards squirrel away every year and whether it’s really possible to live on the royalties.
In Nick Hornby’s novel About a Boy (1998), Will Freeman does precisely that, living an agreeably idle bachelor life on the proceeds of a festive single written by his late father.
The truth is, it’s hard to say for sure precisely how much The Pogues or Mariah Carey have coined from their work as the Performing Right Society (Prs) does not reveal the...
- 12/13/2022
- by Joe Sommerlad
- The Independent - Music
A scathing letter that John Lennon wrote to Paul McCartney in the aftermath of the Beatles’ breakup is set to hit the auction block.
The 1971 typewritten and hand-notated letter, offered through auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll, was penned by Lennon in response to McCartney’s then-recent interview with Melody Maker. In the article, McCartney openly discussed the dissolution of the Beatles’ partnership as well as his thoughts on Lennon and Yoko Ono (or the singular “Johnandyoko,” as Lennon himself calls the couple in the letter.)
Much of the...
The 1971 typewritten and hand-notated letter, offered through auction house Gotta Have Rock and Roll, was penned by Lennon in response to McCartney’s then-recent interview with Melody Maker. In the article, McCartney openly discussed the dissolution of the Beatles’ partnership as well as his thoughts on Lennon and Yoko Ono (or the singular “Johnandyoko,” as Lennon himself calls the couple in the letter.)
Much of the...
- 8/5/2022
- by Daniel Kreps
- Rollingstone.com
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