About the Beatles

The Beatles was a rock band formed in Liverpool, England in 1960. The band members were John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

The Band evolved from Lennon’s previous band ‘The Quarryman’. Lennon, McCartney and Harrison were together since 1958, and Ringo joined them as the band drummer, replacing Pete Best (the Beatles’ previous drummer).

The band’s manager was Brian Epstein, and their producer was George Martin.

The Beatles are known as the most influential band of all times.

Who Where the Beatles?

John (Winston Ono) Lennon

Born October 1940, Lennon was one of the primary songwriters (with McCartney), the rhythm guitarist and the founder of the band. Other than his music career, he was a Peace activist. Lennon was shot 1980, at the age of 40.

(Sir James) Paul McCartney

Born June 1942, McCartney was one of the primary songwriters (with Lennon), he mainly was the bands’ bassist, but he also played other instruments, including the keyboard, guitars, and drums. After the Beatles separated, McCartney formed the band ‘Wings’, with Linda Louise McCartney (his first wife) and Denny Laine.

George Harrison

Born February 1943, Harrison was the lead guitarist of the band. Harrison was interested in Indian culture, which influenced some of the Beatles’ music.  After the Beatles separated, Harrison had a solo career, in which he wrote his most successful hit single: “My Sweet Lord”. He died of cancer in 2001, at the age of 58.

Ringo Starr (Sir Richard Starkey)

Born July 1940, Starr was the drummer of the band, and was the last member to join. After the Beatles separated, Ringo had a solo career, and appeared in films and in television series.

A Little About Pete & Stuart

Randolph Peter Best

Peter Best was born on November 1941, he was the Beatles’ drummer from 1960 to 1962.

In 1962 he was dismissed and was replaced by Ringo, this was right before The Beatles became known worldwide.

He is one of the people that are known as ‘the fifth Beatle’.

Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe

Born June 1940, Sutcliffe was a Scottish painter and musician. He was the original bass guitarist of the Beatles.

In July 1961 Sutcliffe left the band to focus on his painting career. He died April 1962, after suffering from intense headaches. He also, is one of the people that are known as ‘the fifth Beatle’.

How They met

Lennon on meeting McCartney (beginning – 01:09)

On July 1957, Lennon’s group (The Quarrymen) performed at the St. Peter’s Parish Church Garden fete in Woolton, Liverpool. McCartney was there and was impressed with Lennon’s performance. After the performance McCartney was introduced to Lennon by a mutual friend of theirs. They sat together behind the stage, and McCartney played the guitar.

Lennon was impressed with McCartney and asked him to join his group, McCartney agreed.

On February of 1958, George Harrison joined the group as suggested by McCartney. At around the same time the original band members began to leave the group, leaving the group with Lennon, McCartney, and Harrison.

1960, Stuart Sutcliffe, who studied art in college with Lennon, joined the band as a bass player. The four of them, still without a permanent drummer, performed around.

At around that time they changed their name to “The Beetles”

Later that year, they auditioned Pete Best to be the drummer of the band, and he joined.

Meanwhile, Ringo Starr was a member of another Liverpool group, Rory Storm and the Hurricanes.

The Beatles were displeased with Pete Best’s playing, and in August of 1962 Pete Best was fired, and was replaced by Ringo.

Ringo on joining the Beatles 

Albums and Songs

The Beatles’ discography is a bit complicated, they wrote many songs and released many albums, but different versions of their albums were released differently in different countries.

They also have Live albums and Compilation albums. Some of their songs weren’t released when recorded, and were later released as a compilation albums: ‘Anthology 1-4’.

According to Wikipedia:

They released 12 studio albums (17 in the US), 5 live albums, 51 compilation albums, 36 extended plays (EPs), 63 singles, 17 box sets, 22 video albums and 53 music videos.

The best known official albums are:

• Please Please Me (1963)
• With the Beatles (1963)
• A Hard Day’s Night (1964)
• Beatles for Sale (1964)
• Help! (1965)
• Rubber Soul (1965)
• Revolver (1966)
• Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)
• Magical Mystery Tour (1967)
• The Beatles (“The White Album”, 1968)
• Yellow Submarine (1969)
• Abbey Road (1969)
• Let It Be (1970)

Between 1962 and 1970 the Beatles released 213 songs, 188 of them were originals and 25 were covers. After the Beatles separated, more than 100 songs that weren’t released when they were still together, were released.

The total number of The Beatles songs all in all is over 300.

On November 2000 ‘1’ was released – a compilation album of the bands’ number-one singles from 1962 to 1970:

The Beatles are the biggest selling band of all time selling over 500 million records.

Films

Between 1964 and 1970, the Beatles appeared in five major motion pictures:

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

Help! (1965)

Magical Mystery Tour (1967)

Yellow Submarine (1968)

Let It Be (1970)

Other than their own films, there were many films about or inspired by them.

One of them which I liked was ‘Yesterday‘, a musical romantic comedy that was released in 2019. The movie tells a story about a struggling musician that finds himself as the only one that remembers The Beatles.

Many of The Beatles’ songs appear throughout the movie:

Cirque du Soleil – Love

‘Cirque du Soleil‘ is an international entertainment group that specializes in circus arts shows.

One of their famous shows is called ‘Love‘, that combines the Beatles’ music with an circus-based artistic and athletic stage performance:

Now and Then

Short film

Their last song together

“The Last Beatles Song”

November 2023 “Now and Then” was released, and is described as their (The Beatles’) final new song together.

It was first recorded by Lennon as a demo at around 1977, but was left unfinished.

The demo that was recorded was given to McCartney by Yoko (John’s partner) for them to complete, but the band struggled to so because the recording of Lennon’s vocals.

In a 2012 documentary McCartney says about the song: “That one’s still lingering around, So I’m going to nick in with Jeff and do it, finish it, one of these days.” 

With the use of AI technology, it was possible to isolate Lennon’s vocal from the demo. McCartney and Ringo (the two band members that are still alive) recorded new parts for the release of the song, and Harrison’s part was added from a recording of him on the guitar from 1995.

On using AI:

According to the Rolling Stone magazine:

The song is possible because of the sound-separation technology that Peter Jackson and his audio team used for the Get Back documentary in 2021. Just as the movie did with the murkily recorded dialogue, “Now and Then” separates John’s voice from the tape hiss and background noise. “There’s no AI re-creating the vocals,” Martin says. “It’s the old-school approach for us. I think it’s about deliberately trying not to try — it’s much easier to just let people be themselves. That’s what gives the song its heart, in a way.”

From Wikipedia:

McCartney clarified in June 2023 that “nothing has been artificially or synthetically created. It’s all real and we all play on it. We cleaned up some existing recordings – a process which has gone on for years.”

Lets finish the book with some of the Beatles songs that refer to other Beatles songs 🙂

Songs that refer to other songs #1

Glass Onion

00:04 – Strawberry Fields Forever

00:33 – I Am The Walrus

00:52 – Lady Madonna

01:22 – The Fool on the Hill

01:39 – Fixing a Hole

I told you about Strawberry Fields
You know the place where nothing is real
Well, here’s another place you can go
Where everything flows

Looking through the bent back tulips
To see how the other half lives
Looking through a glass onion

I told you about the walrus and me, man
You know that we’re as close as can be, man
Well, here’s another clue for you all
The walrus was Paul

Standing on the cast iron shore, yeah
Lady Madonna trying to make ends meet, yeah
Looking through a glass onion

Oh yeah, oh yeah, oh yeah
Looking through a glass onion

I told you about the fool on the hill
I tell you, man, he’s living there still
Well, here’s another place you can be
Listen to me

Fixing a hole in the ocean
Trying to make a dovetail joint, yeah
Looking through a glass onion

Songs that refer to other songs #2

I am the Walrus

01:14 – Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds

Songs that refer to other songs #3

Savoy Truffle

02:07 – Ob-la-di Ob-la-da

Creme tangerine and montelimat
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart
A coffee dessert, yes, you know it’s good news
But you’ll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle

Cool cherry cream and a nice apple tart
I feel your taste all the time we’re apart
Coconut fudge really blows down those blues
But you’ll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle

You might not feel it now
When the pain cuts through, you’re going to know and how
The sweat is going to fill your head
When it becomes too much, you’ll shout aloud

But you’ll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle

You know that what you eat you are
But what is sweet now, turns so sour
We all know ob-la-di-bla-da
But can you show me, where you are?

Creme tangerine and montelimat
A ginger sling with a pineapple heart
A coffee dessert, yes you know its good news
But you’ll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle

Yes, you’ll have to have them all pulled out
After the Savoy truffle

❤

All you need is love

❤