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The Beatles
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The Beatles
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Beatles Tidbits
Beatle John Lennon witnessed
his mother's death when she was run over by a car.
Following his breakup with the Beatles in 1971, Paul McCartney
formed his group Wings. The group was nameless until McCartney, awaiting the birth of his daughter Stella about a month later,
prayed for her health. He came up with the group's name on the "wings of an angel."
According to Beatles producer George Martin, Neal Hefti's
catchycomposition of the 1960s "Batman" Emmy-winning theme song inspiredGeorge Harrison to write the hit song "Taxman."
In the early 1960s, opinionist William F. Buckley, Jr. wrote
the following about the Fab Four: "The Beatles are not merely awful, I would consider it sacrilegious to say anything less
than that they are godawful... They are so unbelievably horrible, so appallingly unmusical, so dogmatically insensitive to
the magic of the art, that they qualify as crowned heads of anti-music." Webmaster's Note,
and unapologetic bias: What would one expect from some intolerant, right-wing Republican clown like Buckley?
At the end of the Beatles' song "A
Day in the Life," an ultrasonicwhistle, audible only to dogs, was recorded by Paul McCartney for hisShetland sheepdog.
On December 26, 1963, after rejecting all previous Beatles
singles offered, Capitol Records released "I Want To Hold Your Hand," backed with "I Saw Her Standing There."
“America had teenagers and everywhere else just had
people” – John Lennon
Their music grew out of need. The world was looking for it
and the Beatles responded.
Are the Beatles still relevant these days? After decades of
varying music, does the fab four still wield influence and power? The Beatles have a fanbase with staying power. Their music
has withstood the test of time better than any other band in history.
Asides for solid musical talent and song writing, the Beatles
stellar success can be attributed to the band possessing three very strong voices. This fact allowed them to build strong
harmonies, often with call/response and alternating viewpoints.
ELEANOR RIGBY
A truly sad and lonely
song, the song Eleanor Rigby relates the tale of a woman who cleans a church and Father Mackenzie who gives sermons there.
Fittingly so, the story conveys Eleanor’s tale as she cleans up after a wedding, a ceremony she could only wish to be
a participant in. Each night she gets dressed but has no place to go. She longs for the embrace of the man she spends her
days with, Father Mackenzie. He meanwhile suffers the plight that no one is moved by his words, despite is status. Even though
they share a special unifying bond, Eleanor and Father Mackenzie are locked away from each other due to convention and formality.
The institution of their situation which binds them simultaneously and eternally keeps them apart. Somberly, Eleanor’s
tale ends with her death and she is laid to rest ‘with her name’ in the church. She dies alone, leaving no lineage
behind her.
STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER
“Strawberry
Fields” was named for a real place, Strawberry Field, a children’s home run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool,
in John Lennon’s childhood neighborhood. The original Victorian building was demolished in the late 60’s, but
the site is still a Salvation Army Children’s Home and still carries the name Strawberry Field. John sent a large donation
to them before his death and in return there is a building there called “Lennon Hall”.
The famed Strawberry Fields in New York’s Central Park
was given that name in 1981, following John Lennon’s untimely death. The 2.5 acre section of park is sited at 72nd street,
directly across Central Park West from the Dakota Building where John and Yoko lived. John Lennon was gunned down by Mark
Chapman, a man who had lingered for days around Lennon’s apartment. Chapman had just hours earlier asked Lennon for
his autograph and confessed he heard voices in his head telling him to kill the beloved musician. John Lennon was 40 years
old when he died on the night of December 8th, 1980.
George Harrison has often been referred to as the “quiet
Beatle”, but he was the first to leave his mark after the Beatles disbanded. He released a hit single in 1970 called,
“My Sweet Lord” which went to Number One. However the success was overshadowed six years later when a court ruling
found Harrison guilty of “subconscious plagiarism”. The song in question was the Chiffons’ song, “He’s
So Fine”.
In 1962, the Beatles auditioned for BBC producers looking
for bands with TV potential. They fail.
The Beatles
by Jennifer Rosenberg
Historical Importance: The
Beatles shaped not only music but also an entire generation. People mimicked all that they did, including haircuts, clothing,
and outlook. Their style and innovative music set the standard for all musicians to follow.
Dates: 1957 -- 1970
Members: John Lennon,
Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr (stage name of Richard Starkey
Also Known As: Quarry
Men, Johnny and the Moondogs, Silver Beetles, Beatals
Overview of the Beatles: John
Lennon and Paul McCartney first met on July 6, 1957 at a fete (fair) sponsored by St. Peter's Parish Church in Woolton (a
suburb of Liverpool), England. Though John was only 16, he had already formed a band called the Quarry Men, who were performing
at the fete. Mutual friends introduced them after the show and Paul, who had just turned 15, wowed John with his guitar playing
and ability to remember lyrics. Within a week of meeting, Paul had become part of the band.
In early 1958, Paul recognized talent in his friend George Harrison
and the band asked him to join them. However, since John, Paul, and George all played guitars, they were still looking for
someone to play bass guitar and/or the drums.
In 1959, Stu Sutcliffe, an art student who couldn't play a lick, filled
the position of bass guitarist and in 1960, Pete Best, who was popular with the girls, became the drummer. In the summer of
1960, the band was offered a two-month gig in Hamburg, Germany.
It was also
in 1960 that the Stu suggested a new name for the band. In honor of Buddy Holly's band, the Crickets, -- of whom Stu was a
huge fan -- he recommended the name of "The Beetles." John changed the spelling of the name to "Beatles" as a pun for "beat
music," another name for rock 'n' roll.
In 1961, back in Hamburg, Stu quit the band and went back to studying art,
so Paul took up the bass guitar. When the band (now only four members) returned to Liverpool, they had fans.
In the fall
of 1961, the Beatles signed a manager, Brian Epstein. Epstein succeeded in getting the band a record contract in March 1962.
After hearing a few sample songs, George Martin, the producer, decided he liked the music but was even more enchanted with
the boys' witty humor. Martin signed the band to a one-year record contract but recommended a studio drummer for all recordings.
John, Paul, and George used this as an excuse to fire Best and replace him with Ringo Starr.
In September 1962, the Beatles recorded their first single. On one
side of the record was the song "Love Me Do" and on the flip side, "P.S. I Love You." Their first single was a success but
it was their second, with the song "Please Please Me," that made them their first number-one hit. By early 1963, their fame
began to soar. After quickly recording a long album, the Beatles spent much of 1963 touring.
Though Beatlemania had overtaken Great Britain, the Beatles still had the
challenge of the United States. Though the Beatles had already achieved one number-one hit in the U.S. and had been greeted
by 5,000 screaming fans when they arrived at the New York airport, it was their February 9, 1963, appearance on The Ed
Sullivan Show that ensured Beatlemania in America.
By 1964, the Beatles were making movies. Their first film, A Hard Day's
Night portrayed an average day in the life of the Beatles, most of which was running from chasing girls. The Beatles followed
this with four additional movies: Help! (1965), Magical Mystery Tour (1967), Yellow Submarine (animated,
1968), and Let It Be (1970).
By 1966, the Beatles were growing weary of their popularity. Plus, John
caused an uproar when he was quoted as saying, "We're more popular than Jesus now." The group, tired and worn out, decided
to end their touring and solely record albums.
About this same time, the Beatles began to shift to psychedelic influences.
They started using marijuana and LSD and learning about Eastern thought. These influences shaped their Sgt. Pepper
album. In August 1967, the Beatles received the terrible news of the sudden death of their manager, Brian Epstein. The Beatles
never rebounded as a group after Epstein's death.
Many people blame John's obsession with Yoko Ono and/or Paul's new love,
Linda Eastman, as the reason for the band's break up. However, the band members had been growing apart for years. On August
20, 1969, the Beatles recorded together for the very last time and in 1970 the group officially dissolved.
John, Paul, George, and Ringo went their separate ways. Unfortunately,
John's life was cut short when a deranged fan shot him on December 8, 1980. George died in November 29, 2001 from a long battle
with throat cancer.
©2005 About, Inc., A part of the New York Times Company. All rights
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