Stephen Stills Quotes

"One thing the blues ain't, is funny."

"David Crosby is an incredible musician. He's to the point now where he never makes mistakes."

"I ain't no Dylan, you know. I haven't got the gift of the language, I don't think."

Neil and I used to have guitar wars on stage that were really stupid. It was really funny."

"I abhorred hippies. That's fair and accurate."

"I'm a pretty private guy. I like having people over and having a meal at home."

"We moved around so much when I was a kid, the place I call home is New Orleans because at least I can remember the names of some of the streets there."

"I detest talking about myself. There is a reason why people pick up an instrument and put it between themselves and the rest of the world."

"I don't set out to write a political song. I am not one of those that feels compelled to write about what's going on."

"My first album would have been a number one record if George Harrison hadn't come out right behind me with All Things Must Pass."

Funny Beatles Movie Quotes

A HARD DAY'S NIGHT (1964)

Reporter: "How did you find America?" John: "Turn Left at Greenland."

John: "We know how to behave! We've had lessons."

Man On Train: "Don't take that tone with me, young man. I fought the war for your sort." Ringo: "I bet you're sorry you won."



Reporter: "What would you call that hairstyle you're wearing? George: "Arthur."

HELP! (1965)

Paul: "My skin's soaked right through to the skin!"

George: (Discovering a bomb) "Hey, It's a thingie! A fiendish thingie!"

Ringo: "What was it that first attracted you to me?" John: "Well, you're very polite, aren't you?"

John: (To Scotland Yard) "The Great Train Robbery, eh? How's that going?"

MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR (1967)

Ringo: "Would you stop with your sitting down!"

YELLOW SUBMARINE (1968)

Ringo: "Nothing ever happens to me. I'd jump in the river Mersey but it looks like rain."

Ringo: "Liverpool can be a lonely place on a Saturday night, and this is only Thursday morning."

LET IT BE (1970)

John: "I'd like to say thank you on behalf of the group and ourselves, and I hope we pass the audition."

Ten Defining Beatles Moments

1. Paul McCartney Meets John Lennon  July 6, 1957

2. Brian Epstein "discovers" the Beatles  November 9, 1961

3. The Beatles Meet George Martin

4. Ringo joins The Beatles

5. Beatles Royal Command Performance November 4, 1963. The Queen Mother and Princess Margaret are in attendance.

6. The release of I Want To Hold Your Hand in the U.S.  December 26, 1963. On January 16, 1964 the single reaches no. 1 on the Billboard charts.

7. The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show February 9 1964. The largest TV audience in history.

8. The release of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band Album: Considered by many to be the greatest album (and album cover) ever.

9. The Beatles perform on the Abbey Road studios rooftop January 30 1969: the last time they play live together.

10. The Beatles sign break up papers. John Lennon is the last to sign, officially ending the group, on December 29, 1974.

Famous Guitarists Who Named Their Guitar

B.B. King - Lucille: A black Gibson ES-355.

Edward Van Halen - Freankenstrat: Rebuilt stratocaster named after the Frankenstein monster, a creature made up from many different bodies.

George Harrison - Lucy: A Gibson Les Paul given to him by Eric Clapton.

Brian May - Red Special: Custom built, also called The Old Lady.


Eric Clapton - Blackie: Fender Stratocaster auctioned off in 2004 to raise money for his Crossroads addiction recovery center.

Billy Gibbons: 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

 Neil Young - Old Black: Gibson Les Paul.

Willie Nelson - Trigger: A Martin N-20 acoustic guitar.

Bo Diddley - Twang Machine: Custom built "cigar box" guitar. Later produced by Gretsch.

Prince - Cloud: Custom built guitar used during the Purple Rain era.

Keith Richards - Micawber: 1953 Fender Telecaster. Named after a character in Charles Dicken's David Copperfield.

Stevie Ray Vaughn - First Wife: 1963 Fender Stratocaster with a 1962 neck.

Tony Iommi - Monkey:  1965 Gibson SG.

Yngwie Malmsteen - Duck: 1971 Fender Stratocaster which had a Donald Duck sticker on it.

George Martin Quotes

"At the beginning, my speciality was the introductions and the endings, and any instrumental passages in the middle."

"If there is one person I would have to select as a living genius of pop music, it would be Brian Wilson."

"Ringo always got and still gets a unique sound out of his drums, a sound as distinctive as his voice."



"The turning point probably came with the song Yesterday. That was when, as I can see in retrospect, I started to leave my hallmark on the music."

"Imagine my delight when I discovered that the sound of a chicken clucking at the end of Good Morning was remarkably like the guitar sound at the beginning of Sgt. Pepper (reprise)."

"With iPods, mini-recorders and all the new technology, people can lie in their bath and make a rock record."

"Looking back on Pepper, it was quite an icon. It probably did change the face of recording so it became a different kind of art form."

"Gradually, things changed. The boys went into their little spheres and there was more of a rivalry brewing between John and Paul."

"A producer's role is still a mystery to most music listeners, isn't it?"

"You know the Beatles seem to find new audience each time another generation comes along."

More Quotes About The Beatles

Brian Wilson: "There's no outdoing The Beatles."

Noel Gallagher: "If I were in the Beatles, I'd be a good George Harrison."

Barry Gibb: "We were very influenced by The Beatles, no question."

Taylor Momsen: "The Beatles did everything first, and they did it the best."

Brian May: "I don't think anybody comes close to The Beatles, including Oasis."

Dave Grohl: "From one generation to the next, The Beatles will remain the most important rock band of all time."

Billy Preston: "The Beatles did treat me as a member of the group. And that was a great honor, you know?"

Alex Van Halen: "The Beatles will never get back together and David Lee Roth will never again sing with Van Halen."

Gene Simmons: "The Beatles weren't like any other band. Everybody in the band sang, which is why you knew everybody in the band."

Jerry Seinfeld: "The Beatles created something that never trailed off. What a gift that was to their fans. If you're into The Beatles, you loved them from beginning to end"

Great Quotes About Life

George Harrison: "If you don't know where you're going then any road will take you there."

Frank Zappa: "The most important thing to do in your life is to not interfere with somebody else's life."

Stevie Wonder: "You can't base your life on other people's expectations."

George Michael: "You'll never find peace of mind until you listen to your heart."

Cyndi Lauper: "On my darkest days, I wear my brightest colors."

Paul McCartney: "Why would I retire? Sit at home and watch TV? No thanks. I'd rather be out playing."



Bob Dylan: "A person is a success if they get up in the morning and gets to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do."

Diana Ross: "I really, deeply believe that dreams do come true. Often, they might not come when you want them. They come in their own time."

Joan Jett: "Girls see these defined roles they're supposed to follow in life, but when I was a young child, my parents told me I could be anything."

Tina Turner: "I didn't have anybody, really, no foundation in life, so I had to make my own way. Always, from the start. I had to go out in the world and become strong, to discover my mission in life."

John Lennon: "When I was five years old my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down 'happy'. They told me I didn't understand the assignment, and I told them they didn't understand life."

Billy Joel: "If you are not doing what you love, you are wasting your time."

Great Rock & Roll Guest Appearances

Edward Van Halen's guitar solo on Michael Jackson's 'Beat It' (1982).

Eric Clapton's guitar solo on the Beatles 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' (1968).

John Lennon playing guitar on David Bowie's 'Fame' (1975).

Mick Jagger singing back up on Carly Simon's 'You're So Vain' (1972).

David Bowie Singing a duet with Bing Crosby on 'Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy' (1982)
.
David Gilmour playing guitar on Paul McCartney's 'No More Lonely Nights' (1984).

Mick Jagger, Keith Richards & Keith Moon singing background vocals on the Beatles' 'All You Need Is Love' (1967).

Roy Harper singing lead vocals on Pink Floyd's 'Have A Cigar' 91975).

Jimmy Page's guitar solo on the Kink's 'You Really Got Me' (1964).

U2 performing on Robbie Robertson's 'Sweet Fire Of Love' (1987).

k.d. lang singing with Roy Orbison on 'Crying' (1984).

George Harrison playing rhythm guitar on Cream's 'Badge' (1968).

Famous Rock & Roll Muses

Marilyn Monroe: The subject of Elton John's "Candle In The Wind", later Elton re-wrote the lyrics as a tribute to princess Diana.

Patti Boyd: Both "Something" by the Beatles and "Layla" by Derek And The Dominos were written about her. Patti was caught in a romantic triangle between then husband George Harrison and Eric Clapton, who was in love with her. She eventually divorced George and married Eric.

Billy Jean King: Elton John and Bernie Taupin wrote "Philadelphia Freedom" about Billy Jean's tennis team.

Judy Collins: Crosby, Stills & Nash recorded "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes", a song about Still's girlfriend.

Rosanna Arquette: Toto's "Rosanna" and Peter Gabriel's "In Your Eyes" were both written for this actress.

Erin Everly: Erin is the daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Bros. The song "Sweet Child O' Mine" by Guns n Roses was written for her by then boyfriend Axel Rose

Movies Made About The Beatles

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1978): One of the first musicals built around the songs of the Beatles.

I Want To Hold Your Hand (1978): This movie is about a group of kids trying to get into the Ed Sullivan Show to see the Beatles first TV appearance. Produced by Steven Spielberg.

Birth Of The Beatles (1979): The only biopic about the early Beatles made while John Lennon was alive.

John And Yoko, A Love Story (1985): Docudrama about the romance between John Lennon And Yoko Ono.

The Hours And The Times (1991): This movie speculates on what might have happened between John Lennon and Brian Epstein during an actual vacation they took together in 1963.

Back Beat (1994): Another biopic about the early Beatles, this time with actor Stephan Dorff as Stuart Sutcliffe.

The Two Of Us (2000): Fictional afternoon visit between Paul McCartney and John Lennon in New York City 1976.

The Linda McCartney Story (2000): This biographical films covers the romance and marriage of Paul and Linda McCartney.

Across The Universe (2007): Musical that takes place during the Vietnam war era, based on Beatles songs.

Nowhere Boy (2009): This movie is about the teenage years of John Lennon.

Best Paul Is Dead Clues - Part 2: The Album Covers

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band: (1) The words "Beatles" are spelled
out in flowers on what looks like a grave with a left-handed guitar (bass?) designed in yellow flowers beside it. (2) there is a hand over Paul's head which in some eastern religions is the sign of death. (3) Paul's armband reads OPD, which some fans interpreted as "Officially Pronounced Dead". It actually reads OPP "Ontario Provincial Police". (4) On the back cover Paul's back is facing the camera.

Magical Mystery Tour: (1) Paul is dressed as a walrus, which is the symbol of death in some countries. (2) Paul's arms are spread wide like a crucifixion. (3) Paul is the only Beatle wearing a black carnation.

Yellow Submarine: John's hand is over Paul's head, symbol of death.

Abbey Road: (1) On the cover George, dressed in denim, represents the gravedigger. Paul, with bare feet and his eyes closed, is the corpse. Ringo, dressed in black, is the undertaker and John, dressed in white, represents the priest. (2) The Volkswagen Beetle in the background has the license plate "28IF" which fans interpreted as Paul would have been 28 if he was still alive.

Best Paul Is Dead Clues - Part 1: The Songs

Strawberry Fields Forever: John says "I buried Paul" at the end of the song (he actually says "cranberry sauce").

She's Leaving Home: The lyrics mention "Wednesday morning at 5 O' clock" which fans interpreted as the day and hour of Paul's death.

A Day In The Life: John sings "he blew his mind out in a car, he hadn't noticed that the lights had changed".

I Am The Walrus: Voices at the end of the song can be heard saying "oh, untimely death" and "bury my dead body".

Glass Onion: One of the Beatles' most famous lyric "here's another clue for you all, the walrus was Paul". The walrus is a symbol of death in some countries.

So Tired: At the end of the song John can be heard saying something that sounds like "Paul is dead, miss him, miss him".

Don't Pass Me By: Ringo sings "you were in a car crash and you lost your hair".

Revolution #9: The Beatles' strangest recording contains crashing sounds which fans thought was a clue that Paul had been in a car accident.

George Harrison's Best Beatle Songs

1. Something (1969) George's best song, one which Frank Sinatra described as "the greatest love song ever written." The first number one by the Beatles not written by John or Paul.

2. Here Comes The Sun (1969) From the album "Abbey Road". Peter Tosh and Richie Havens both had hit versions of this song.

3. While My Guitar Gently Weeps (1968) George's best song off  the white album. Some people might be surprised to know that it was Eric Clapton doing the guitar solo. Jeff Healey did a great Cover version.




4. Taxman (1966) George's protest song which appears on the album "Revolver". The guitar solo is actually played by Paul McCartney. Stevie Ray Vaughn, Franz Ferdinand and Power Station all did cover versions.

5. Within You Without You (1967) This song helped popularize world music. Featuring mostly Indian musicians, George is the only Beatle to perform on this track from "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band".

6. Old Brown Shoe (1969) Released as the B-side to "The Ballad Of John And Yoko". George plays both guitar and bass on this one.

7. I Need You (1965) From the movie and album "Help!". One of the first original compositions by George to appear on a Beatles record since 1963's "Don't Bother Me".

8 I Me Mine (1970) The last song recorded by the Beatles (without Lennon). Also the title of his autobiography.

9. For You Blue (1969) From the album "Let It Be". Released as the B-side to "The Long And Winding Road".

10 You Like Me Too Much (1965) From the album "Help!".

Famous Songs About Famous People

Going To California - Led Zepplin (1971): The lyric "...she plays guitar and cries and sings" is about Joni Mitchell.

Love Reign o'er Me - The Who (1973): Pete Townshend originally wrote this song about British singer Shirley Bassey, whom he had a crush on during his adolescence.

Killing Me Softly With His Song - Roberta Flack (1973): Supposedly inspired by a poem written by Lori Lieberman about singer Don McLean.


Shine On You Crazy Diamond - Pink Floyd (1975) This nine part song was inspired by former lead singer Syd Barrett, who ironically visited the studio while the group was recording. It took awhile to recognise him because no one had seen him for several years.

Hurricane - Bob Dylan (1975): A protest song about boxer Rubin "Hurricane" Carter, who Dylan felt was wrongly sent to prison in the late 60's.

Wonderful Tonight - Eric Clapton (1978): From the album "Slowhand", this song was written for George Harrison's ex-wife Pattie Boyd.

Empty Garden - Elton John (1982) Written and recorded after the death of John Lennon. The two artists were close friends, with Elton being named Sean Lennon's godfather.

Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses (1987): From their multi platinum selling album "Appetite For Destruction". Axl Rose co-wrote this song about his then girlfriend Erin Everly, daughter of Don Everly of the Everly Brothers.

Black Velvet - Alannah Myles (1989): This song is a tribute to Elvis Presley and hit number one on the U.S. Billboard charts.

More John Lennon Quotes

The wit and wisdom of John Lennon. Here are some of his best quotes.

On Elvis Presley: "Before Elvis, there was nothing."

On The Beatles: " we were a band who made it very, very big. That's all."

On Paul McCartney: " In 'We Can Work It Out', Paul did the first half, I did the middle-eight. But you've got Paul writing; 'we can work it out, we can work it out', real optimistic, you know, and me impatient; 'life is very short and there's no time for fussing and fighting my friend'."


On George Harrison: "George's relationship with me was one of young follower and older guy. He's three or four years younger than me. It's a love hate relationship and I think George still bears resentment toward me for being a daddy who left home."

On Ringo Starr: "He was always a good drummer. He's not technically good, but I think Ringo's drumming is underrated the same way Paul's bass playing is underrated."

On George Martin: "George made us what we were in the studio. He helped us develop a language to talk to other musicians."

On New York City: "If I'd lived in Roman times, I'd have lived in Rome. Where else? Today America is the Roman empire and New York is Rome itself."

On Yoko Ono: "It wasn't that she inspired the songs. She inspired me."

On The Sixties: "The thing the sixties did was to show us the possibilities and the responsibility that we all had. It wasn't the answer. It just gave us a glimpse of the possibility."

On Fame: "The postman wants an autograph. The cab driver wants a picture. The waitress wants a handshake. Everyone wants a piece of you."

On Himself: "I'm not going to change the way I look or the way I feel to conform to anything. I've always been a freak. So I've been a freak all my life and I have to live with that, you know. I'm one of those people."

Beatle Women

Cynthia Powell: She met John Lennon at the Liverpool college of art in 1957. They were married from 1962 to 1968 and had a son together, Julian. During the early days of Beatlemania they kept their marriage a secret.

Jane Asher: TV and movie actress who was Paul McCartney's girlfriend (and later fiance) from 1963 to 1968. Her brother is Peter Asher, who was a member of the singing duo Peter And Gordon (Paul wrote songs for them).

Maureen Cox: Ringo's wife from 1965 to 1975. They had three kids together, including Zak Starkey who grew up to play drums for the Who and Oasis.

Patti Boyd: Model and later author, who was married to George Harrison from 1966 to 1977. The two met on the set of the film A Hard Day's Night (1964). Later she married Eric Clapton, who had written the song Layla for her.

Yoko Ono: The most famous (or infamous) of all the Beatle women. An avant-garde artist and activist who was married to John Lennon from 1969 until his death in 1980. The two had a son together, Sean Ono Lennon.

Linda Eastman: Linda was a photographer, who photographed many famous musicians (Jimi Hendrix, Bob Dylan, Janis Joplin etc). Before meeting Paul her favourite Beatle was John. Linda and Paul were married from 1969 until her death in 1998. They had three kids together, including fashion designer Stella McCartney.

Barbara Bach: While making the movie Caveman (1981) Ringo Starr met former Bond girl Barbara Bach. They married a year later and have been together ever since.

Olivia Harrison: Olivia was a secretary at A&M records when George Harrison met her. They were married from 1978 until his death in 2001 and had a son, Dhani.

Each Beatle had flings with famous women (some possibly rumours)

John Lennon: Ronnie Spector.

Paul McCartney: Piggy Lipton, Rosanna Arquette, Christie Brinkley.

George Harrison: Joey Heatherton.

Ringo Starr: Shelley Duvall.

Biggest Selling Beatles Solo Albums

1. All Things Must Pass - George Harrison (1970): George's first post Beatles solo album is this sprawling three record set released in November of 1970. It is his magnum opus, and at six million sold, it is also the biggest selling album put out by any of the ex Beatles. Many famous musicians appear on this record, including Eric Clapton, Gary Wright, Klaus Voorman, Ringo Starr, Billy Preston, Alan White (Yes) and Ginger Baker. Singles include: My Sweet Lord (#1), What Is Life (#10).

2. Band On The Run - Paul McCartney & Wings (1973): Recorded in Nigeria, this album is Paul's biggest solo album both commercially (three million copies) and critically. There were only three members of Wings at this time, Paul, his wife Linda and Denny Laine (ex Moody Blues). Ginger Baker, formally of Cream, also appears on this record. Actors James Coburn and Christopher Lee (among other celebrities) appear on the album cover. Singles include: Band On The Run (#1), Jet (#7), Helen Wheels (#10).

3. Double Fantasy - John Lennon & Yoko Ono (1980): At three million copies sold this is John Lennon's biggest solo album. Unfortunately most of these copies sold after his murder three weeks after the record's release. This was John's first recording in five years and it won a Grammy for album of the year. Singles Include: Just Like Starting Over (#1), Woman (#2), Watching The Wheels (#30).

4. McCartney - Paul McCartney (1970): Paul's first solo album and the first proper solo album by any of the Beatles. Paul plays all the instruments making it a true "solo" effort. This album sold over two million copies and features the song Maybe I'm Amazed.

5. Imagine - John Lennon (1970): Selling two million copies, this was John's biggest album during his lifetime. Phil Spector produced the record and George Harrison plays guitar on several tracks. The recording of this album was filmed and released as a movie the following year (also called Imagine, later re-titled Gimme Some Truth). The most successful single off Imagine was the title track (#3).

George Harrison Quotes

"I'd rather be a musician than a rock star."

"The Beatles saved the world from boredom."

"The nicest thing is to open the newspapers and not to find yourself in them."

"The world used us as an excuse to go mad."

"If I play a song to Ringo I don't need to say to him, you know I want it to go like this, I just play it and he joins in. He's got a great feel."

"The biggest break in my career was getting into the Beatles in 1962. The second biggest break since then is getting out of them."

"I wanted to be successful, not famous."


"I had no ambition when I was a kid other than to play guitar and get in a rock & roll band. I don't really like to be the guy in the white suit at the front. Like in the Beatles, I was the one who kept quiet at the back and let the other egos be at the front."

"I believe I love my guitar more than the others love theirs. For John And Paul, songwriting is pretty important and guitar playing is a means to an end."

"I remember thinking I just want more. This isn't it. Fame is not the goal. Money is not the goal. To be able to know how to get peace of mind, how to be happy, is something you don't just stumble across. You've got to search for it."

"If you don't know where you're going then any road will take you there."

Beatles Quotes

John's Aunt Mimi: "That guitar is okay, but you'll never make a living with it."

Ringo Starr: "We thought that if we lasted for two to three years that would be fantastic."

John Lennon: "When I was twelve, I used to think I must be a genius, but nobody's noticed. If there is such a thing as a genius...I am one, and if there isn't, I don't care."



George Harrison: "As far as I'm concerned, there won't be a Beatles reunion as long as John Lennon remains dead."

John Lennon: "As usual, there is a great woman behind every idiot."

Paul McCartney: "There are only four people who knew what the Beatles were about anyway."

John Lennon: "It doesn't matter how long my hair is or what colour my skin is or whether I'm a woman or a man."

Ringo Starr: "So this is America. They must be out of their minds."

George Harrison: I wanted to be successful, not famous."

Yoko Ono: "what the Beatles did was something incredible, it was more than what a band could do. We have to give them respect."

John Lennon: "I don't believe in killing whatever the reason."

Ringo Starr: "I was the new boy. It was like joining a new class at school where everybody knows everybody else but me."

Paul McCartney: "I definitely did look up to John. We all looked up to John. He was older and he was very much the leader; he was the quickest wit and the smartest."

John Lennon: "We were all on this ship in the sixties, our generation, a ship going to discover the new world. And the Beatles were in the crow's nest of that ship."

George Harrison: "The Beatles will go on and on."