Return to Transcripts main page
CNN Larry King Live
The Beatles' Legacy
Aired October 08, 2010 - 21:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
LARRY KING, HOST: Good evening. Saturday would have been John Lennon's 70th birthday. Tonight, we want to mark the occasion by celebrating the group that he helped form. We hope you enjoy this look back at our show with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, and Olivia Harrison. Ladies and gentlemen, the Beatles.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Here they are, the Beatles.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEO CLIP)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
KING: Tonight, Paul, Ringo, Yoko, Olivia, next on LARRY KING LIVE.
(MUSIC)
What a night. We're at the Mirage Hotel. We're in the Revolution Lounge, an incredible, even historic night for LARRY KING LIVE as we meet the Beatles, the two living Beatles, and the widows of the two who departed. It's the one year anniversary of "The Beatles Love," this unprecedented Cirque de Soleil production embracing the musical legacy and spirit and passion of the Beatles.
We begin with Yoko Ono Lennon, the artist and activist, the widow of the former Beatle John Lennon who was killed on December 8, 1980. My God, 27 years already. John Lennon's solo songbook is the centerpiece for the benefit album project, Instant Karma, the Amnesty International Campaign to save Darfur. The proceeds go to support Amnesty International. There you see its cover.
And Olivia Harrison, the widow of the former Beatle George Harrison, who succumbed to cancer on November 29th, 2001. She's executive producer of the re-issue of the Traveling Wilburys Collection. That debuted number 9 on the Billboard 200 list. The Traveling Wilburys group was made up of George Harrison, Bob Dylan. Roy Orbison, Tom Petty and Jeff Lynn. What's this night like for you, Yoko?
YOKO ONO, JOHN LENNON'S WIDOW: Well, it's very emotional, actually. And I was thinking that after a year or so, that the show might go down a little. But no, it's much, much more exciting now. I was so surprised that they made it into such an incredibly exciting show now.
KING: This was -- was this your baby, Olivia?
OLIVIA HARRISON, GEORGE HARRISON'S WIDOW: Actually it was George's vision. George and Guy Laliberte had a friendship. And they had this creative spark of a moment. And, you know, George was around just long enough to transmit that to all of us. And through everyone's effort, it came through -- I think it's been seven years.
KING: What do you think George would have thought of it?
HARRISON: He would have loved it. I just know he would have. I know that he loved Cirque. You know, Cirque is a very romantic thing. He was a romantic person. And I know he would have enjoyed it.
KING: What would John have thought, Yoko?
ONO: Well, I think that in the beginning I was a little bit worried about what John would have thought. And now I really know that John would be very happy with this, yeah.
KING: Do you feel their presence? You've never remarried, right?
ONO: Well, we were talking about that. Yeah, we feel so strongly about our husbands that sometimes it's hard for us, isn't it?
HARRISON: It is hard. You know, I mean, their presence is very powerful and very strong, but the incredible thing about them is that they -- everything they left the world and left us is uplifting and joyful.
ONO: That's true.
HARRISON: There wasn't anything that they left that was negative or, you know, ideas that made you think and love and great melodies. So that's pretty unique.
KING: Paul and Ringo will be coming aboard. We've got quite a show for you tonight. We're also going to meet Guy, the founder of Cirque de Soleil. Earlier today, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko and Olivia had a ceremony honoring John and George. And we wanted to share some of the sights and sounds of that event. It happened about an hour and a half ago. Watch.
RINGO STARR, BEATLE: George was a great musician. He was a dear friend. I love him and I miss him, and God bless him. And I'm sure wherever he is, he's smiling right now.
PAUL MCCARTNEY, BEATLE: It is great to be unveiling this, because the guys aren't here. And the show has been such a great success, and encapsulates our music, all the stuff we did together. They were great times. They were magnificent men. And it is an honor to unveil this plaque to them. One, two, one, two three, four.
OKO: John would be very happy and glad that this show is such a success, and also that another magnificent man here introduced him. And I'm very thankful to him.
HARRISON: I don't think George would be surprised at the success of this collaboration. He knew it was going to be good in so many ways. And I'm just thankful to be a part of it. Happy anniversary.
STARR: Peace and love for everyone.
(APPLAUSE)
KING: And again, we'll be meeting Paul and Ringo in a little while. And then at the end, they'll all be with us, kind of a reunion of the Beatles. Do you feel, Yoko, that the Beatles have kind of surrounded you, that you're forever identified as a Beatle?
OKO: Well, it's a family. It's a family. The Beatle family is a very, very strong family. And we're all part of it, I feel, yeah.
KING: Even though there were breakups and ups and downs?
OKO: Well, most families do have some breakups and arguments, don't you think?
KING: Yes, Olivia, how do you handle this? They see you, they think Beatle?
HARRISON: Yes, well, I mean, it's a real privilege, isn't it? You know, I mean, to be involved, you know, with such a great legacy. It's a real privilege.
KING: So you don't look at any way as it -- there's a down to it?
HARRISON: No, I don't. There isn't any downside to it. And you know, they've been a great support, they're great friends, our kids are all friends. It really is an extended family.
KING: Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will join us shortly. When we come back, more talk with Yoko and Olivia, who loved and lost John and George. You'll meet the founder of Cirque de Soleil. Don't go away.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC) KING: A great song of all time. Yoko Ono-Lennon and Olivia Harrison remain with us. We're joined now by the genius, Guy Laliberte. He is the founder of Cirque de Soleil. What does that song mean to you, Olivia, by the way?
HARRISON: Well, it's just an expression of love really, isn't it? I mean--
KING: One of the great love songs.
HARRISON: It is. Yes, it is.
KING: Beautiful melody and lyric. Did every one of the Beatles like that song, Yoko?
OKO: Oh, yes, definitely. Especially John loved it. And he was saying that that has to be a single.
KING: It worked out, too.
OKO: Yes, yes.
HARRISON: I didn't know.
KING: You didn't know that?
HARRISON: No, I didn't know that.
OKO: You didn't know that?
HARRISON: No, I didn't know that.
OKO: Oh, really?
HARRISON: No.
OKO: I can't believe it.
HARRISON: No.
OKO: He's the one who told Alan that it has to be a single.
KING: Guy, how did this come all together?
GUY LALIBERTE, FOUNDER, CIRQUE DE SOLEIL: Oh, my God, actually, a true -- special night in Montreal in June of 2000, George and I share -- I guess some a lot of things. One in common, we were passionate of racing.
So for many years, we met each other at a racing track Formula One, but one year, it came in Montreal. And annually, I organize a party there. I don't play golf, so I invite all my business people, friends on a special night on a Sunday night. And it goes on all night. And George was invited by a common friend that we had. And he arrived at the place there. And it was my magical garden. And he was supposed to come only for 30 minutes, say hello, pay a polite visit, and visit to us. In the end, he stayed with us all night and jammed with the musicians there.
KING: And did he come up with this idea?
LALIBERTE: Well, actually, when he left, he said I would like to talk with you again. And I said, listen, I just want to be very careful about not engaging in too much conversation. Then we had a conversation over the phone. And he said, listen, I really enjoyed the feeling I had at your place. It made me -- reminded me of my own magical garden, which was your house.
KING: Did the process begin--
LALIBERTE: Here.
KING: -- and was it underway when George passed away?
LALIBERTE: Yes, totally. Totally. You now, there was two moments. First when he came to visit my house, and then invited me to visit his house. And he showed me -- remember that day? I spent an entire day visiting. He showed me all this property. And there what happened, basically, is we dreamed together. It was not about having a precise vision initially. It was by defining an emotion that we were looking to maybe achieve in the encounter of Cirque de Soleil and the Beatles. And this is what has been the driving force since the beginning.
KING: Now Yoko, you had to sign off on this, didn't you?
OKO: Yes, of course. But I was nervous first, and then I thought well, it's a good idea anyway, so.
KING: When we come back, Paul and Ringo. Don't go away.
(MUSIC)
(END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
(MUSIC)
KING: That was nuts. Anyway, we're celebrating the one-year anniversary of "Love," the Cirque de Soleil presentation of the Beatles here at the Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas.
Joining us now, Paul McCartney, the former Beatle. His latest album is "Memory Almost Full." I love that title. It's holding at number three on Billboard 200 list. And he's gotten some tremendous reviews. And Ringo Starr, the other former living Beatle. Ringo's EMI catalog goes into global digital release August 28th, a career spanning collection of Ringo's best solo recordings photograph, the very best of Ringo Starr will be released on the same date. The only two men who could say -- living that could say I was a Beatle. Do you guys keep in touch? STARR: Yeah.
KING: Talk often?
STARR: All the time.
MCCARTNEY: We go on the LARRY KING SHOW and things like this.
KING: What do you make of this? What do you make of this whole thing?
STARR: Well, this whole thing--
MCCARTNEY: What this?
KING: Yes.
MCCARTNEY: It's fantastic. It's really beautiful. It's a great show. So we come out and see a show together. That's great, with the girls.
STARR: I mean, we've supported the show from the start. And you know, a year later--
KING: Were you surprised?
MCCARTNEY: --and the dedication of the plaque. So--
KING: When you first saw this show, the Beatles and Cirque de Soleil, what did you think?
MCCARTNEY: When we first saw it or when we first heard about the collaboration?
KING: When you first heard?
MCCARTNEY: When we first heard about it, I think we loved Cirque de Soleil anyway. We'd seen a few of their shows. Actually, George brought me here years ago to see "O." He was so in love with what they did. And so I felt in love with what it, too.
And then the idea came about that we might do a show together. And the thing was yes, okay, the two things sound good together, but what are we going to do? What's it going to be? I kept saying it's like we're going to be had seen a few of their shows. Actually George brought me here years ago to see "o." he was so in love with what they did. So I felt in love with it, too. Then the idea came about that we might do a show together. And the thing was, yeah, okay, the two things sound good together, but what are we going to do? What's it going to be? I kept saying it's like we'll be in a film with Spielberg, Beatles with Spielberg, that's great, but what's the script? And you know, the French guys are sort of saying -- French- Canadian guys are saying--
STARR: It's in black and white.
MCCARTNEY: It will be good. It's going to be good. But pretty soon they came up with some sensational ideas.
KING: Did you like it right away, Ringo?
STARR: I did. I did. You know, I mean, it had its process to go through. I loved the way the -- where the music was going. You know, we had all that, and the 5.1. And then, you know, we saw the show. And it was so exciting. You know, it was really exciting. I haven't seen it since, but the ladies went last night. I mean, we're going tonight, but the ladies went and said it's changed, so it will be very exciting.
KING: Do you guys, frankly, pinch yourselves? I mean, do you get up in the morning and say, sheesh?
MCCARTNEY: I pinch him.
STARR: Yeah.
KING: No, I mean, you know what I mean.
MCCARTNEY: In the morning.
STARR: And I pinch him.
MCCARTNEY: And he pinches me.
KING: It's getting risky.
MCCARTNEY: Yes, well, we're kind of risky kind of guys--
STARR: Anyway, no.
MCCARTNEY: --even on national television. We just don't care. Come on. Pinch.
KING: You know what I mean.
STARR: I have (INAUDIBLE) once a day, otherwise he gets--
MCCARTNEY: That's my pinch.
STARR: Tell him. He wants to know.
MCCARTNEY: Well, Larry, you know what? It is true, of course we do.
KING: Come on, you changed the world.
MCCARTNEY: We were just kids from Liverpool.
KING: Yes.
MCCARTNEY: And yeah, it is quite amazing. Because as time goes on, it becomes more and more of a phenomenon.
KING: It grows. MCCARTNEY: And the young kids, you know, talk about it like as if it's history, which it is.
STARR: I think the most exciting thing is that, you know, you expect people our age to know the music, but actually a lot of the kids know the music. And if anything is left, we have left really good music. And that's the important part. Not the mop tops or whatever.
KING: You joined them after they were--
STARR: Nothing--
KING: You made them?
STARR: We were nothing.
MCCARTNEY: We were nothing 'til they joined us.
STARR: And then I joined, and they got this record deal. And look what happened.
MCCARTNEY: Yes.
STARR: Everybody feels that that they were--
MCCARTNEY: No, we were good. You wanted to join us. You begged to join us.
STARR: Begged?
MCCARTNEY: You were really good.
STARR: Yeah, yeah, sure.
KING: Were all of you friendly? I mean--
MCCARTNEY: We, I tell you, okay, I can tell you this. We loved him. We were in Hamburg, and we were a good little group.
KING: Big in Germany.
MCCARTNEY: Yeah.
STARR: In Hamburg.
MCCARTNEY: In Hamburg, not Germany, just Hamburg.
KING: Okay.
MCCARTNEY: But Ringo was in this other group call Rory Stone and the Hurricanes. And we just thought he was the very best drummer we'd ever seen. And we wanted him in the group. It was kind of like that. So we were big fans of his.
STARR: And I was big fans of theirs. That's how it went. KING: Did you thing the Beatles would make it, make it?
STARR: We thought we'd be really big in Liverpool.
KING: No--
STARR: Yeah, really.
KING: Big at home.
STARR: And then, we were sort of big in London, you know, England. And then Sweden and Denmark. I mean, we didn't just do it overnight. We had to go on a lot of planes.
KING: When it took off, and you -- that first trip to the United States, what was that like?
MCCARTNEY: That was something, I must say. We didn't know that that crowd and that pandemonium was going to be at the airport. We took off. And we knew it was going to be good. And we were -- you know, the thing is we were pretty sure of ourselves. You had to be, you know, to do what we did. So we knew we were good. We had a degree of success, but we didn't know that was going to greet us.
STARR: No, we didn't know it'd be that big.
MCCARTNEY: We came down the stairs--
STARR: But to backtrack a bit, George had actually come on holiday to America. We were used to in Europe the big crowds and the adulation. And he came back, and -- because he was going into record stores, saying have you got the Beatles? They'd say never heard of them. And he came back and said, oh, it's going to be really hard, they don't know us over there. But by the time we arrived, it was great.
KING: And what a story. Where were you when John passed?
MCCARTNEY: When John passed, I was in Sussex, in my home in Sussex. That's where I was.
KING: Somebody call you?
MCCARTNEY: Yeah, my manager at the time called me. And it was just a shot of all shocks, you know.
KING: George, where were you?
STARR: George?
MCCARTNEY: No, this is Ringo.
KING: Ringo, where were you?
STARR: I was in the Bahamas.
KING: I was getting to it--
STARR: I was in--
MCCARTNEY: No, you weren't, Larry, you got your name wrong.
STARR: It's my turn.
MCCARTNEY: I know, but he got your name wrong.
STARR: I know. Give him a break.
MCCARTNEY: We can't cut it. It's live.
STARR: Anyway, I was in the Bahamas. And the kids called. And they said we've heard something like John's been hurt. Like what? And then, we got a call that John had actually been seriously hurt. And we just got on a plane to New York, said hello to Yoko. You know, you don't know what to do. I mean, it's so weird. And then it was so crazy there. And I didn't think we were helping the situation, because there was another fab in town, that then we went back to L.A. But I was in the Bahamas.
KING: Was George's passing expected?
STARR: Yeah.
KING: Because you knew how sick he was?
STARR: Yeah.
MCCARTNEY: Yeah, we all knew, and he knew. But it was great. You know, in all these -- well, actually in John's case, I was going to say in these tragedies, in George's case, in that tragedy, there were some good things about it. In John's case, there weren't.
But with George, I got to see him--
KING: Oh, you did?
MCCARTNEY: --a short time before he died. And it was just the best, because we just sat like this, if you don't mind. We sat, and just stroking hands like this. And this is a guy, you know, I had known since he was a little kid. And you don't stroke hands with guys, like that. You know, it was just beautiful.
STARR: Not unless they're secure.
MCCARTNEY: We just spent a couple hours. And it was really lovely. It was like favorite memory of mine.
KING: We'll be right back on this auspicious, wonderful occasion, back with more of Paul and Ringo. Don't go away.
(MUSIC) (END VIDEOTAPE)
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: That's what I have written. It says here.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Wing it, Larry.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
LARRY KING, HOST: We're back with Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and a mandolin.
(MUSIC)
RINGO STARR, BEATLES DRUMMER: Great.
KING: That commercial for that record, with you in kind of a cartoon figure walking, was that your idea?
PAUL MCCARTNEY, BEATLES VOCALIST/BASS PLAYER: No, it was their idea. They're very clever people.
KING: So it -- they really is?
MCCARTNEY: Yes.
KING: A great spot. And the album is doing great, right?
MCCARTNEY: It's doing great. Thank you, yes.
KING: You couldn't drum with him on that, huh?
STARR: I couldn't drum with him on that because he was in another country.
(LAUGHTER)
KING: You would have used him, though?
MCCARTNEY: Yes, I'd use him. All the time.
KING: Let's get up to something --
STARR: Is the orchestra ready?
KING: Let's get to something current. How are you doing, Ringo?
STARR: Really well. Thank you.
KING: Is life treating you well?
STARR: You know, life is great.
KING: Everything good? The wife good? Everything?
STARR: The wife is great.
KING: The wife is gorgeous, too.
STARR: She's gorgeous and she's great.
KING: And you live in California, right?
STARR: No, I live in Monte Carlo. I have a home in California. I have a home in England, of course, but that's where we live.
KING: With the swells. And Paul, how are you adjusting to what was tumultuous times?
MCCARTNEY: I'm OK, thank you, Larry. Thank you for asking. I'm doing surprisingly well.
KING: I mean that had to be rough.
MCCARTNEY: It is currently rough.
KING: Still rough.
MCCARTNEY: Yes. It is very rough, yes. But I don't talk about it, and that helps.
KING: That's fair enough. But life -- aside from that.
MCCARTNEY: Life is good. Life is good. Life is wonderful, and with friends like these, who needs life?
KING: Musically, neither of you has to keep on going, correct? I mean you don't need it financially.
STARR: It will reverse that.
KING: What do you mean?
STARR: You don't need to do it, either. But this is what we do. You know I mean --
(CROSSTALK)
KING: I love what I do.
STARR: I'm still playing. Yes, that's what I do. That's what he does.
MCCARTNEY: It's true.
STARR: You know?
MCCARTNEY: True. We do it because we love it. You know, it's something that we just love to do. And you know what? The audiences still like it so while they like it -- STARR: We'll do it.
KING: So the drive is not for how much the record sells? It's how well do they like the record?
MCCARTNEY: It's how much you like it.
STARR: Yes.
MCCARTNEY: For me it's a self-satisfaction things. Playing music is something that I like. I think if you don't like it, people aren't going to like it. So --
STARR: I think it's the thrill that a lot of people like the records, but you make it for yourself and, you know, that's -- that's what you do. You're not just -- they'll love this, they'll love that.
KING: Do you still get a kick hearing the music of the Beatles?
STARR: Yes.
MCCARTNEY: Oh, yes.
KING: Like when we come back with the --
STARR: I love all that.
KING: All that shots.
MCCARTNEY: Good group.
STARR: I love it.
KING: Good -- they were good group.
MCCARTNEY: Good group, man.
STARR: And all the clips are so great.
KING: So when you watch this show tonight and that music comes on, you're watching the dancer and the gymnasts, you still get a kick out of hearing it?
STARR: Yes.
MCCARTNEY: Oh, yes. Yes. It really is fantastic. When we were at the premiere of it, we were getting quite emotional because, you know, it transports you back to actually making it, and the music in this show is so clear that, for instance, Ringo's drums, which were like the central glue in the whole band, you hear them so clear. It's like a miracle, you know.
STARR: Actually raised them up a bit which is good.
MCCARTNEY: We would often buried -- often buried in mixes, and you just realize just how good we were. KING: Central glue? Wait a minute, the drums are the key to the Beatles?
STARR: Oh, yes.
MCCARTNEY: Yes, I think so. I think the bass, too.
(CROSSTALK)
MCCARTNEY: The bass was really good as well.
(LAUGHTER)
STARR: The bass was brilliant.
MCCARTNEY: I thought so.
STARR: And he is still the melodic bass player on the planet.
KING: What does that mean?
STARR: It means he's melodic.
(LAUGHTER)
STARR: No, he plays really cool bass, and he plays under lines and all the lines over the basic rhythm that a bass would usually play.
KING: What do you think you've meant in this -- you came through in the '60s. The world changed. Do you feel the Beatles were part of the impact of that change?
MCCARTNEY: Yes, I think part of it. Yes. We weren't it all, but we were kind of spokesmen for it. I mean it's really gratifying now for people to stop you in the street and go, thanks for the music. You know, you saved my life. And you hear so much of that, that it is just a privilege to have been --
STARR: Part of it.
MCCARTNEY: Part of those four guys. You know, we were two of those four guys.
(CROSSTALK)
STARR: It's underlying all of that, as lads, which we were. I mean for me personally I'm an only child, and then I had three brothers, who you know supported me, pointed out I was going mad or, you know, pointed out the joy of life when it was a down day.
You know? And so I've always loved that -- that, you know, the human contact amongst us was so great. No one else could talk to us --
MCCARTNEY: Can I stroke you now? (LAUGHTER)
KING: You know, I can't tell --
(CROSSTALK)
KING: We'll take a break and bring all four on, the widows --
STARR: Yes, yes.
KING: And the living.
STARR: The widow cranky (ph).
KING: I want to -- and in all seriousness, I don't get emotional.
STARR: OK.
KING: This is really incredible.
STARR: Yes?
KING: Sitting around you guys. You changed the world.
MCCARTNEY: You know it's --
KING: Incredible.
MCCARTNEY: It's something we're very proud of.
KING: You ought to be.
MCCARTNEY: It's true. Like you say, you pinch yourself.
KING: We'll be right back.
STARR: Yes.
KING: All four of them. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
MCCARTNEY: I think it's just fun. You know, I'm not a great one for that, you know, maybe it was too many of that. It was great, it sold. It's the bloody Beatles' "White" album. Shut up.
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
KING: And we're in the revolution lounge.
MCCARTNEY: Yes.
KING: Here in Las Vegas, with Ringo and Paul. I said that they'll all be gathering together in the next break, but we wanted to show you a little package first and get their reaction to it.
The Cirque de Soleil's production of the Beatles is a unique entertainment experience, but behind the mind-blowing onstage magic is a lot of dedicated creative energy. Watch.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The potential of this show is so great. The talent of these guys is already at a great, great level, but you know we can (INAUDIBLE). Like the Beatles did, they pushed the boundaries of their own music, so we want to push this show for the best.
KING: What makes the way these songs are done so special?
GILES MARTIN, MUSIC DIRECTOR, "LOVE": Well, it's a new take. It gives people a chance to peel back the layers of dust that's gathered in 40 years. It's like listening as if they're playing in the room. They were in their 20s when they're playing. Here in this studio, having to play, they're still in their 20s.
KING: Everything that happens has to fit the song that's playing.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes. So normally we build our show and the music would follow in support. Now we had to work on the music. So basically what we've done, I went to London working with George Martin and Giles, Martin's son.
MARTIN: What we did was took all the masters, we digitized them, brought them out to Vegas, and produced the music for the show in a way where we are replicating everything we heard and we wrote. So what we have on the computer is the master tapes.
KING: Can we hear a little something?
MARTIN: Yes. Let's show you what we did for the beginning. This is the very beginning mix. The drums you're hearing here are actually from another song -- from the end of "Abbey Road." And what you'll get is "Get Back" and the song starts underneath it. So these are two songs.
KING: Let's listen.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We decided to bring the rollerblades on stage for a very amazing acrobatic moment based on the "Help" song where the Beatles are so glorious but still like looking for somewhere to escape.
KING: See you tonight.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: So I decided to bring the walrus into this universe as the free mind who would turn this sad world into a colorful world.
KING: What is that called?
(END OF VIDEO CLIP)
MCCARTNEY: He looks just like you, Larry.
KING: We could be twin brothers.
MCCARTNEY: I know. I just listened.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: That behind the scenes stuff.
MCCARTNEY: It's great. Yes, we've seen a lot of it, you know, because we've been to visit them and encourage them and stuff.
KING: When music is re-mastered, as they were showing us, Mr. Martin, what does that mean as a musician?
STARR: Well, actually that was not only re-mastered, that was put into a system that made it 5.1, which made it surround sound. When we made a lot of that music, it was just mono, which went to stereo, and now it's gone to the surround sound 5.1.
But the incredible thing when you hear this, is that, you know, Paul and I went to listen to the music in 5.1 and we're going, listen to that, you know, you can hear everything now, things that were buried a lot, it's all very clear, so it's really great to hear it.
KING: So it's improving it?
STARR: Yes.
MCCARTNEY: It's improving it, yes. You know, we always say that, like, you know, most historic stuff goes down with age, you know, Winston Churchill's old papers go brown and crinkly, but our music gets brighter and shinier.
KING: Modern.
STARR: How do they do it?
KING: How do they do it? We don't know.
MCCARTNEY: How do they do it?
STARR: What's next? It will be 10.1.
KING: We'll be back with Paul, Ringo, Yoko, Olivia, and Guy. All next. Don't go away.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: You know this is historic, they're all together. Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono, Olivia Harrison, and Guy Laliberte, the founder of Cirque de Soleil.
A couple of questions as we swing around for each. Is it hard, Olivia, to look at George?
OLIVIA HARRISON, GEORGE HARRISON'S WIDOW: Well, you know, the nature of duality, it's great to look at him and of course it's -- you know, it's very emotional, too.
KING: So it's -- mixed emotions?
HARRISON: You know, I was trying to avoid that word, bittersweet, you know. But it is like that.
KING: Yoko? What's it like to look at John?
YOKO ONO, JOHN LENNON'S WIDOW: Well, it's -- I mean it's very difficult sometimes. I feel that I got used to sort of just watching these movies and all that, but when I saw the stage yesterday, at one point suddenly I just felt choked up. I don't know why, but --
KING: Do you get nervous about every performance, Guy?
GUY LALIBERTE, FOUNDER, CIRQUE DE SOLEIL: No.
KING: You go what? How many Cirque de Soleil's going now?
LALIBERTE: About 13. About over 1,000 artists.
KING: I mean, like do you sit up there and all you can think of, he's going to fall?
LALIBERTE: You know where things are at risky more than other place. And of course there's always that little moment of tension, but I have great confidence in the people working for me.
KING: Ringo, do you have to play drums a lot? Do you have to keep in shape?
STARR: No. In a word.
(LAUGHTER)
STARR: I've never been able to like sit around on my own and play drums, you know like practice in a back room. Never been able to. I've always played with other musicians.
ONO: That's unique, isn't it? Yes.
STARR: It's how I play. There's no joy for me just to be on my own, bashing away. I need a bass player, piano, guitar, whatever, and now I can play.
KING: And when you're drumming --
STARR: That's right.
KING: Do you know how good they're singing?
STARR: Well, I play with the singer. And if you listen to the Beatles songs, the tracks.
KING: You play for the singer.
STARR: I play for the singer because if he's singing there's no good me boogying all over the kit. You know what I mean? So just stay out all the time. If it needs to be raised, you raise it, bring it down.
You know, and in the band we're talking about, we had a lot of good singing.
KING: What made the Beatles, Paul, musically special? What did they do that people weren't doing?
MCCARTNEY: That's a good question. I don't really think I know. We were just very good. I think individually we were kind of talented people, but when we came together, something special happened.
When I started writing with John, it was a sort of magical thing that grew. We developed, and not everyone developed quite as much as we did.
KING: You can't plan that, though, can you?
MCCARTNEY: No, not really. We were also very sure of ourselves. I wouldn't call it conceited, but we just knew we were good, and we knew we were going to do well. We didn't know how it was going to happen, but we knew -- people would say at the time, do you think your stuff's going to be standards, like Sinatra's stuff? And I'll go, yes. And they say, oh. I'd say, no, it's true. You just felt it.
I think one of the things that we probably are proudest of, I certainly am, is that the message was always love. In any form we portrayed it, and that's something to be really proud of.
KING: Did George miss the group?
HARRISON: Yes, I think he did, you know? I mean, you know all of them had their own time apart, but yes, I think he did. I think he always liked to have -- he used to say sometimes, I wish you played the saxophone or, you know --
(LAUGHTER)
HARRISON: Wish you were a drummer.
KING: Did John miss them, Yoko?
ONO: Well, you know, I must say that the first time I met them, so to speak, I was pretty surprised that they have a sense of humor. And that was a big thing. Because, you know, all the composers that I used to meet up or do things together, they were very serious people. Composers were serious.
KING: These guys were just --
ONO: And these guys were, hey, you know. There was a fun element.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: We're running close in time. Because we've got a big finale coming up. We got a production.
(CROSSTALK)
KING: Production finale. We're all going to go out. We're going to be next to the theater, the show is going to begin.
By the way, we had a quick vote on our Web site, CNN.com/Larryking. We asked you to pick your favorite Beatles album. What won?
MCCARTNEY: What won?
KING: "Abbey Road" won. Followed by "Sergeant Pepper" and the "White" album came in third.
(COMMERCIAL BREAK)
KING: Well, we're back stage, the whole crew is here, right? It's the cast for Cirque de Soleil and the Beatles Love show. What we're going to do now, oh, my gosh, it's almost show time.
We're going to walk into the theater. I'll sort of lead the way. We all go in together. Come.
What a night. "AC 360" with Anderson Cooper is next.
