THE BEATLES
REVOLUTION WITHIN A REVOLUTION• THE FRAGMENTATION CONTINUES….
• THE INDEPENDENT LABLES PROVIDED MORE AND MORE “ONE HIT WONDERS”.
• WHAT WAS ROCK & ROLL IN THE EARLY 60’S?• - ONE COULD GIVE MANY DIFFERENT VALID ANSWERS
SOCIETY CHANGES• THE EARLY 1960S BEGAN AS “THE KENNEDY YEARS”
• - FOLK SINGERS SANG OF PEACE, RACIAL JUSTICE, AND LOVE FOR ALL
• - A NEW KIND OF OPTIMISIM
• “The Times They Are A-Changing” – Bob Dylan• https://youtu.be/JxvVk-r9ut8
THE DEATH OF JOHN F. KENNEDY STAGGERED THE HOPE, OPTIMISM, AND FAITH OF THAT YOUTH MOVEMENT. (NOVEMBER 22, 1963)
THE BRITISH INVASION
• THIS LOW CREATED AN OPENING FOR A CULTURAL INVASION.
• THE BEATLES WOULD LEAD THAT INVASION AND BRING A NEW LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION TO ROCK MUSIC.
THE EARLY BEATLES• JOHN LENNON –
• FIRST HEARD ELVIS IN 1956 AND WAS MESMERIZED.• LISTENED TO AMERICAN ROCK & ROLL THROUGH “RADIO
LUXEMBOURG” (INDEPENDENT STATION – BBC REFUSED TO PLAY ROCK)
• ORGANIZED A NEW GROUP – THE QUARRY MEN – A SKIFFLE GROUP. https://youtu.be/RuuOAA9ekbg?list=PLF25535B221E2E8A3
• WAS INTRODUCED TO PAUL MCCARTNEY AT A GIG
THE EARLY BEATLES• PAUL MCCARTNEY
• WAS ALSO INFLUENCED BY THE SKIFFLE RAGE
• IMITATED THE VOCAL AND GUITAR STYLES OF PRESLEY, LITTLE RICHARD, AND THE EVERLY BROTHERS
• JOINED THE QUARRY MEN AND BECAME CLOSE FRIENDS WITH JOHN LENNON EVEN THOUGH THEY WERE COMPLETE OPPOSITES ( JOHN – REBELLIOUS / PAUL – CLEAN CUT ).
• BECAME ON OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITING TEAMS AND ENTERTAINMENT ACTS IN MUSIC HISTORY
THE EARLY BEATLES• “THE SILVER BEATLES”
• THE SKIFFLE STYLE HAD RUN ITS COURSE – MOST OF THE GROUPS TRANSITIONED INTO ROCK & ROLL.
• GEORGE HARRISON (FRIEND OF PAUL) JOINED THE QUARRY MEN, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS JUST A BEGINNER
• STU SUTCLIFFE (FRIEND OF JOHN) ALSO JOINED THE GROUP AND SUGGESTED THE NAME “BEETLES” WHICH WAS CHANGED TO “BEATLES” – PLAY ON BEAT
A POOR START• IN MAY 1960, THE GROUP WAS NOT VERY GOOD!
• PAUL WAS CLEARLY THE MOST COMPETENT• JOHN PLAYED WELL ENOUGH• GEORGE WAS A BEGINNER• STU COULD HARDLY PLAY AT ALL
• NO COORDINATED STAGE PRESENCE, NO IMAGE, NO SET ACT
• WASN’T UNTIL PETE BEST (DRUMMER) JOINED THE GROUP AND STU DROPPED OUT OF THE BAND THAT THEY GOT BETTER (PAUL MOVED TO BASS)
1ST COMMERCIAL RECORDINGS• “MY BONNIE LIES OVER THE OCEAN” – WITH TONY
SHERIDAN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgkAgyQgEH4
• “WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN” -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvdutJhElnk
• “CRY FOR A SHADOW” (INSTRUMENTAL)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1VMr29eUeo
Brian Epstien• Radio DJ• Record Shop owner
• Began researching the Beatles when customers would keep requesting their Tony Sheridan recordings.
• Tracked them down and offered to be their manager.
PARLOPHONE CONTRACT• THE SHERIDAN RECORDING WAS RELEASED IN
GERMANY AND WAS A FAIR SUCCESS
• THEY STRUGGLED TO GET A RECORDING CONTRACT – NERVES, POOR AUDITIONS, ETC.
• SIGNED WITH PARLOPHONE RECORDS –• - ONE YEAR / 4 SONGS / 1 PENNY ROYALTY• - PETE BEST WAS DROPPED FROM THE GROUP (NOT
FITTING IN)• - REPLACED BY RINGO STARR
• “LOVE ME DO” -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jbt8oH5Lxto
• “P.S. I LOVE YOU” -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOk-YJjnsa8
• “FROM ME TO YOU” -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3FH7IIz24BQ
• “SHE LOVES YOU” -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0YifXhm-Zc
BEATLEMANIA – UK VERSION• LATE 1963
• - NEWSPAPER ARTICLES• - MARKETING• - PERFORMED FOR THE QUEEN AND PRINCESS MARGARET• HELD 7 OF THE TOP 20 SPOTS ON THE BRITISH CHARTS.
• 5TH SINGLE – “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND” -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipADNlW7yBM
BEATLEMANIA - USA• CAPITOL RECORDS WAS ORIGINALLY NOT
INTERESTED IN RELEASING A US BEATLES ALBUM -UK ACTS HAD ALL BOMBED IN THE US.
• HESITANTLY RELEASED – “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND” IN THE USA
• ED SULLIVAN SHOW APPEARANCE – 70 MILLION PEOPLE (60% OF VIEWING AUDIENCE)
• STRING OF NUMBER 1 HITS
• SURPASSED ELVIS PRESLEY’S RECORD OF 9 SINGLES ON THE TOP 100.
• 60% OF THE SINGLES SOLD IN 1964 WERE BEATLES RECORDINGS
• TWO MOVIES – “A HARD DAYS NIGHT” & “HELP!”
The Middle Period: Experimentation• By late 1965, the Beatles were in a position enjoyed by
few stars in any field.• - They could do no wrong• - This freedom pushed the Beatles to experiment with their sound.• This caused some strife between McCartney and Lennon – Each
wanted to go a different direction.
“Yesterday”• Originated as a solo for McCartney accompanied by
acoustic guitar.• George Martin (CEO of Parlaphone) suggested that the
Beatles use a string quartet accompaniment.• Was released on “Help!” in the UK and as a single in the
USA. – Climbed to the No. 1 spot and has since been the most recorded Beatles song
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WQAl5nJWHs
• Is “Yesterday” Rock?• Naturally, John Lennon HATED “Yesterday”.• It kept the listening audience on notice that the Beatles
would not just stick to one style of music or formula.
The Experimentation Albums• “Rubber Soul” & “Revolver” would show gradual increase
in experimentation and the transition from their early period to their mature style.
The Beatles “Mature” Style• No more “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” songs• John discovered the lyrics of Bob Dylan.• George had discovered the Sitar• Exposed to American Folk Rock• Recording Processes allowed them to experiment more
with four-track edits.• Approached music as a layered process.
Rubber Soul• “Norwegian Wood” -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY5i4-rWh44• - Use of the Sitar -
• “Michelle” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKvee-w0uBc• - Using bilingual lyrics – French & English
Controversy• John Lennon was quoted “We’re more popular than Jesus
now”• -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ETFKXMdjbkU
• Over 30 radio stations banned Beatles records, protests, record burnings.
• The US Tour was still a success but they soon tired of the touring life.
Revolver• “Love You Too” –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MF90rX43VpE• “Eleanor Rigby” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-
LOgMWbDGPA• “Yellow Submarine” -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e_cwWP5Qf1k
The Later Beatles: Revolution• Continued to push the limits of Rock and Roll.• Could get away with more due their status.• 1967 would be known as the decade’s most interesting
year for the Beatles.• - John Lennon met Yoko Ono at an art show• - Brian Epstein committed suicide. Felt he was no longer needed
among other personal issues.• - Without Epstein, their personal lives began to fall apart.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band• The ultimate Classic Rock Album of the late-1960s• Stayed 168 weeks on the top 100 charts in the USA• The origin of a “Concept Album” tied from beginning to
end. • The album presented a series of “acts” in a psychedelic
concert atmosphere.• Begins with crowd noise, full of drug-oriented double
entendres.
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1T5fqLBhZgo• Important songs from the album:
• - A Little Help from My Friends• - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (LSD)• - She’s Leaving Home• - Within You Without You• - When I’m Sixty-Four
Other Important Albums
• The Beatles (The White Album)• - The Most Important Beatles Album – A Double Album with 30
songs• People Love it or Hate it• Telegraphs the end of the Beatles – Sessions were characterized
by tension, resentment, egocentricity• Essentially a “Tug-of-war” between Lennon and McCartney
The End of the Beatles• The Rooftop Concert – January 30, 1969• Paul releases “Paul is Live”• 1969 – John and Yoko release “Give Peace a Chance”• Ringo released a solo album – “Sentimental Journey”• George joined Eric Clapton’s band on tour and prepared
his own solo album – “All Things Must Pass’• “Let It Be” was release after the breakup with an album by
Paul McCartney that included a public interview acknowledging the breakup.
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