Hamburg, Germany will be the site of a new Beatles Square that will occupy part of the Reeperbahn.  Work started on it this past May and the official opening of it will be on September 11.  The Beatles Platz, located near the famous Star Club where The Beatles played, will feature a 90ft. diameter granite “record” as well as a statue of the band.  70 Beatles song titles are engraved in the granite slabs while lights in the ground make it seem as though the turntable is revolving.  Cool!

Half the cost of the nearly million dollar project was funded by the city of Hamburg with the rest of the donations coming in from around the world.  The opening of The Beatles Platz will be the culmination of a seven year campaign to honor the Fab Four.

What a wonderful way for the city of Hamburg to pay homage to John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.   They brought so much recognition to that city and this is such a fitting tribute to them.

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As reported before, Paul McCartney will perform in Israel on September 25, 2008. Here is the official announcement posted on his website:

Paul McCartney Puts ‘Friendship First’ In Israel

Music Icon Set To Rock Israel 43 Years After Ban Historic ‘Friendship First’ Concert Announced
Hayarkon Park, Tel Aviv, Israel, 25th September 2008

43 years after being banned by the Israeli government, Paul McCartney today announces his ‘Friendship First’ concert in Israel. Following months of feverish speculation the wait is finally over as music’s most revered star announces that he will be playing in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Thursday 25th September 2008, for the first time ever. This is in keeping with a series of special one-off unique shows that Paul has performed this year in places he has never visited before. Israel will finally get the chance to experience a night of music and history Macca-style; the night they have been waiting decades for.

Paul McCartney holds true the key principals of friendship – loyalty and respect – and the ‘Friendship First’ concert is an opportunity for people to celebrate these values whilst having a memorable night of fun and rock n’ roll.

Looking ahead to his first trip to Tel Aviv, Paul Said, “I’ve heard so many great things about Tel Aviv and Israel, but hearing is one thing and experiencing it for yourself is another. We are planning to have a great time and a great evening. We can’t wait to get out there and rock.”

Paul McCartney has nearly visited Israel on two previous occasions. The first was with The Beatles at the height of Beatlemania in the mid 60s, however at the time because Israel was short of foreign currency the promoter was unable to raise sufficient funds. After applying to a government committee for help the promoter’s appeal was declined as it was thought The Beatles might corrupt their youth. Some even believed that artistically The Beatles were not of a high enough standard! The second miss was with Wings in the late 70s, when the shows were cancelled after problems with the venue.

Earlier this year, Israel’s ambassador to Britain, Ron Prosor, apologised to The Beatles during a trip to Liverpool for the ‘misunderstanding’. In a letter he wrote: “There is no doubt that it was a great missed opportunity to prevent people like you, who shaped the minds of the generation, to come to Israel and perform.”

2008 has already seen Paul McCartney play a number of special one off concerts, whilst making international headlines and taking him to places he’s never been before. In June he received a hero’s welcome as he rocked the city of Liverpool when he played at Anfield Stadium as part of the city’s celebrations for the European Capital Of Culture. A couple of weeks later and Paul performed a spectacular free show, the ‘Independence Concert’, to over 350,000 people in Kiev’s Independence Square which was the largest outdoor music event in the history of the Ukraine. July then took Paul to the city of Quebec for yet another huge headline-making event as he performed to 300,000 people in the city’s national park, The Plains Of Abraham, to help celebrate Quebec’s 400th anniversary. Paul also found the time (only just though!) to join Billy Joel on stage for the ‘Last Play At Shea’ show in July, marking the last show ever at New York’s famous Shea Stadium. The Beatles were the first band to perform at Shea Stadium in 1965, which went down in history as the first ever stadium rock show. Speaking after his appearance at Shea, Paul commented, “It was great to complete the circle, starting there with The Beatles and then finishing this time round with ‘Let It Be’.”

If you add the attendance figures of the last 3 special shows together, Paul has performed to well over 650,000 people which is the equivalent of filling London’s O2 Arena over 36 times.

This Blog Meanie will attend the historic show. Make sure to check back here for a full report!

This is shocking news! Led Zeppelin rockers: Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, and Jason Bonham have reportedly returned to the studio to work on new music without lead singer Robert Plant. Jason Bonham, son of drummer John Bonham revealed that the new songs could be part of a new Led Zeppelin album and that Plant wasn’t part of it. He said:

“At the moment, all I know is I have the great pleasure to go and jam with the two guys and start work on some material. When I get there (in the studio) I never ask any questions. If I get a phone call to go and play, I enjoy every moment of it. Whatever it ends up as, to ever get a chance to jam with two people like that, it is a phenomenal thing for me. It’s my life. It’s what I’ve dreamed about doing.”

Bonham added:

“Lots of politics (would need to) get ironed out (before an album could be made).”

Jimmy Page recently performed at the closing ceremony for the Beijing 2008 Olympics with singer Leona Lewis doing “Whole Lotta Love” which was absolutely awful with the pop star singing it.

Source, Photo Source: PR Photos

Apparently, many people (not only me) often misunderstand lyrics to well known songs. An online survey of music fans by hearing aid manufacturer Amlifon has found the top ‘misheard lyric’ honor goes to The Police’s ‘When The World Is Running Down’.

Actual lyric: ‘You make the best of what’s still around’

Misheard lyric:’You make the best homemade stew around’

Other top vote getters:

David Bowie’s ‘Changes’-

Actual lyric: ‘Strange fascination fascinating me’

Misheard lyric: ‘Strange vaccinations are killing me’

The Beatles’ ‘Michelle’-

Actual lyric:’ Michelle ma belle, sont des mots qui vont tres bien ensemble, tres bien ensemble’

Misheard lyric: ‘Michelle ma belle, some say monkeys play piano well, play piano well’

U2 ‘Mysterious Ways’-

Actual lyric: ‘She moves in mysterious ways’

Misheard lyric: ‘Shamu the mysterious whale’

Bee Gee’s ‘Stayin’ Alive’-

Actual lyric: ‘It’s alright, it’s OK, you may move the other way’

Misheard lyric: ‘It’s alright, it’s OK, you make love the other way’

In ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, I always thought The Beatles were singing ‘It’s just a feeling that , my love,

‘I get high, I get high, I get high’

rather than

“I can’t hide, I can’t hide, I can’t hide’

Care to share your favorite misheard lyrics ?

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It has just been reported that Paul McCartney will perform in Israel on September 25th. He will perform in Park Hayarkon.  This will be Paul’s first ever show in Israel!

UPDATE: it is rumored that there will be some reserved seating. Tickets go on sale on Tuesday at midnight

Source, Photo Source: PR Photos

As written previously in Blogmeanies, Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page will perform with pop singer and Simon Cowell protege Leona Lewis on Sun. Aug. 24 at the closing ceremonies of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. London will host the Summer Games in 2012. This will be part of the ceremony that will signify the handing over of the Games to London.

I am mentioning this again only because I’m so shocked to hear the song that Page and pop princess Lewis will perform : ‘Whole Lotta Love’. This must be a mistake. I just can’t see Leona Lewis singing ‘Whole Lotta Love”!

UPDATE: After seeing the performance, I can say that it SUCKED!!!! They should have not let Leona Lewis  sing a Led Zeppelin song!!!!

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Danny Goldberg, music mogul and ex-publicist for the legendary Led Zeppelin, has written a new book, Bumping Into Geniuses, about his life inside the music industry. In the book, Goldberg refers to John Bonham, the late drummer for the band, as an ‘angry, mean drunk’. Goldberg writes of an incident involving a music critic who came face to face with Bonzo after criticizing his long drum solos. He writes:

“Bonham grabbed the reviewer’s lapels and yelled, ‘Look, I’ve had about enough of you people!’”

I’d guess there’s more about Bonham in the book, as well as other ‘inside info’ about other well-known rockers. The book is due out next month.

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It looks like Sir Paul McCartney will have some company when he hits the road for his next tour. Macca had such a great time with girlfriend Nancy Shevell that he has invited her to accompany him on his tour of the UK, America, Canada, and Australia later this year or early next year. A source told Britain’s Daily Express newspaper:

“Paul is excited about going on tour. Initially he wanted to go it alone with just his band and road crew with family flying out every now and again but now he wants Nancy to be with him all the way.”

“He says he had the time of his life on the road trip with Nancy. I think it really sealed things for him. He enjoys her company so much.”

This should come as no surprise, as Paul is known for having the need for female companionship in a big way. And now that he has Nancy, that need is fulfilled, and he will have her by his side on his upcoming tour. Good for Paul! he deserves to be happy after what that ex-wife bitch put him through.

Source, Photo Credit: PR Photos

Mojo Magazine recently got its hands on some never before seen clips of John Lennon, writing some pretty strange lyrics to songs on The White Album.  If you wanna see the clip, go here.   This is so friggin cool!

Source, Photo:  PR Photos

A portrait of George Harrison, painted by artist Tony Brown, will go on display at St. George’s in Liverpool from August 20 until the 28.  The portrait of George, which is the last one painted of The Beatles, will appear alongside portraits of the other three lads, Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr, as part of an exhibition featuring 100 Merseysiders who had made a great contribution  to life in Liverpool.

Tony chose to add the Beatles to the collection because they had the biggest influence on his life.  He was a huge fan of George, and he wanted to express what he felt about him through the portrait.

“I would like people to see that he was the equal of Paul and John the other two, though in The Beatles he was often overshadowed and presented as the quiet one or the shy one,” he says.

“But I think he had every inch of the talent of Paul and John. You have to remember that, after The Beatles, he had his own life as a solo artist, a gardener, a husband and a father. There was also his spiritual side – his quest for inner peace.

Tony also goes on to say that he was reading George’s book “I, Me, Mine” during the painting process and that while reading it, he gained appreciation for how witty and eccentric George was.

This BlogMeanie will be in Liverpool for this exhibition and I’m hoping to visit it.  Watch this space for my review in a few weeks!

Source, Photo:  PR Photos