Beatles Pictures Fetch Loads of Money at Auction

Beatles memorabilia is fetching high prices around the world.

Yesterday 61 black & white pictures of The Beatles at Shea Stadium on 15 August 1965 were sold for 35,000 euro at an auction.

The pictures were taken by an amateur photographer, Marc Weinstein, who had talked his way backstage by using a fake press card.

At the same auction a further collection of 65 unpublished colour slides of The Beatles (taken by physicist Dr Robert "Bob" Beck in 1964) sold for 32,000 euro

First National Exposure for The Beatles

In February 1963 the Evening Star published an article about The Beatles. This was the first time they received national exposure.

The article was written by Maureen Cleave who would become one of the most influential rock journalists, famous for her interviews with The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and of course The Beatles.

It was Maureen Cleave who published in 1966 the interview with John Lennon where he claimed "the Beatles were bigger than Jesus".

Some people also think that Maureen Cleave was the inspiration for Norwegian Wood, although John Lennon says he doesn't remember about whom he wrote it.

Evening Standard published the first national article about The Beatles

Is was Saturday February 2, 1963, exactly 50 years ago, when the Evening Standard published an article about the Beatles.

Written by Maureen Cleave, it was called "Why The Beatles Create All That Frenzy" and it tried to explain why a group from Liverpool was taking the nation by storm.

It was a well-written article that seemed to imply that The Beatles were big because of their loyal Liverpool fanbase, and because of the professional way Epstein was managing them.

I especially liked the way she described the different Beatles:

"John Lennon has an upper lip which is brutal in a devastating way. George Harrison is handsome, whimsical and untidy. Paul McCartney has a round baby face, while Ringo Starr is ugly but cute. (He’s called Ringo because he wears two on each hand.)"
 

 It's great to read about The Beatles in hindsight. But Maureen Cleave was right about one thing:

"It takes you back, doesn’t it? To the early days of rock ‘n’ roll."

Sir Paul McCartney receives the Legion of Honour

Great news from Paris, France today when Sir Paul McCartney received the highest honour a foreigner can receive: The "Légion d'Honneur" or Legion of Honour.

Macca received this honour because of his contributions to music from the hands of the French President, mr. François Hollande.

Other famous people who received this award are Clint Eastwood, Liza Minelli and Barbra Streisand.