Who paid for the Beatles? The Beatles: composition, history and photos
50 years ago, on October 5, 1962, the Beatles' first record, Love Me Do, went on sale.
The Beatles ("The Beatles") are a British rock band that made a huge contribution to the development and popularization of both rock music and rock culture in general. The ensemble became one of the brightest phenomena of world culture in the 60s of the 20th century.
On June 20, 2004, as part of the European tour 04 Summer Tour, Paul McCartney's only concert took place in St. Petersburg on Palace Square.
On April 4, 2009, a concert of former members took place in New York The group Beatles Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr A. The concert featured both solo songs by musicians and several Beatles hits. The money from their joint concert went to promote spiritual values among young people.
The last time they performed together was at the George Harrison Tribute Concert in 2002.
In February 2012, it became known that the houses in Liverpool where the participants spent their childhood legendary group The Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney, . The Organization for the Preservation of Historic Monuments, Landmarks and Scenic Sites previously carried out restoration of both buildings so that they looked the same as when the musicians were children.
Since 2001, according to the decision of UNESCO, January 16 is celebrated annually as World Beatles Day. Music lovers around the world are celebrating best group of the bygone 20th century.
In the USSR, from 1964 to 1992, the Krugozor magazine and the Melodiya Company released recordings in the form of flexible gramophone records, including music by Western musicians; during 1974, five Beatles records were released.
The material was prepared based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources
The Beatles are a British rock band. She is originally from Liverpool. The Beatles existed from 1960 to 1970. Its composition was not formed immediately; the name also changed several times. About all this, as well as about the success story of this world's greatest musical group we will explain in detail below.
The emergence of The Blackjack and The Quarrymen
John Lennon (1940-1980), having learned to play the guitar, founded a group with his comrades, which they called The Blackjack. A week later, however, the name changed to The Quarrymen(the school where the boys studied was called Quarry Bank). The group performed skiffle - a special British style of rock and roll.
Formation of The Quarrymen
John Lennon (pictured below) in the summer of 1957, after performing at a concert, met another future member of the band, Paul McCartney.
He surprised John with his knowledge of the words and chords of the latest innovations in the world of music. They were joined in the fall of 1958 by George Harrison, a friend of Paul's. George, Paul and John became the main members of the group, but for other members of The Quarrymen this group was only a temporary hobby, and they soon left the band. The musicians played in episodes at various events, weddings, parties, but it did not come to recordings and concerts.
The group broke up several times. George Harrison had his own group. And Paul McCartney and Lennon began writing songs, singing and playing together, inspired by Buddy Holly, who was his own producer and played his own songs. Stuart Sutcliffe joined the group at the end of 1959. John Lennon knew him in college. His playing was not particularly skillful, which often irritated Paul McCartney, a demanding musician. The group with this composition was practically formed: vocals and rhythm guitar - Lennon, vocals, rhythm guitar and piano - McCartney (his photo is presented below), lead guitar - George Harrison, bass guitar - Stuart Sutcliffe. However, the musicians' problem was the lack of a permanent drummer.
Some other band names
The Quarrymen actively tried to fit into the club and concert life of Liverpool. Talent competitions were held one after another, but the group had no luck. She needed to think about changing her name. No one had anything to do with Quarry Bank School anymore. At a local television competition held in December 1959, this group performed under a different name - Johnny and the Moondogs.
History of the name The Beatles
In 1960, in April, the participants came up with this name. Its authors, according to the recollections of the group members, are considered to be Stuart Sutcliffe and John Lennon. They dreamed of a name that had double meaning. For example, B. Holly's group was called The Crickets, that is, "crickets". However, for the British there is another meaning - “the game of cricket”. As John Lennon said, this name came to him during a dream. He saw a man engulfed in flames, who advised them to call the group Beetles (beetles). However, this word has only one meaning. Therefore, it was decided to replace the letter “e” with “a”. A second meaning appeared - “beat”, for example, in rock and roll music. This is how the Beatles were born. At first, the musicians were forced to slightly change the name, since the promoters considered it very short. At various times the group performed under such names as The Silver Beatles, Long John and The Beatles.
First tour
The musical skills of the band members grew very quickly. They were increasingly invited to perform in small clubs and pubs. The Beatles went on their first tour in April 1960. It was a tour of Scotland and they performed as a backing band. At this time they had not yet received much fame.
Band playing in Hamburg
The Beatles, whose lineup had not yet been finalized, were invited to play in Hamburg in mid-1960. Several professional rock and roll bands from Liverpool were already playing here at that time. Therefore, the musicians from the Beatles decided to urgently look for a drummer. The group needed to be replenished in order to comply with the contract and be at the level of professionals. They chose Pete Best, who played very well. The history of the Beatles continued with the fact that in 1960, on August 17, the first concert took place in Hamburg, at the Indra club. Here the band played until October under contract, and then, until the end of November, performed at the Kaiserkeller. The performance schedule was very strict; the participants had to be crammed into one room. A lot of material had to be played on stage besides rock and roll: rhythm and blues, blues, old jazz and pop numbers, folk songs. The Beatles had not yet performed their own songs, because they believed that the surrounding modern music had a lot of material suitable for them, and also did not have the necessary incentive for this. It was daily hard work and the ability to perform different styles of music, mixing them, that became one of the main factors in the formation of the group.
The Beatles become famous in Liverpool
The Beatles returned to Liverpool in December 1960. Here they turned out to be one of the most active groups, competing with each other in terms of the number of fans, repertoire and sound. The leaders among them were Rory Storm, who played best clubs Hamburg and Liverpool. At this time, musicians from the Beatles met and quickly became friends with the drummer of this group, R. Starr. The group will be replenished with him a little later.
Second tour in Hamburg
In April 1960, the group went back to Hamburg for a second tour. Now they were already playing in the Top Ten. It was in this city that The Beatles made their first professional recording, performing as an accompanying ensemble for singer T. Sheridan. The Beatles were also allowed to make several of their own compositions. At the end of the tour, Sutcliffe decided to leave the group and stay in Hamburg. Paul McCartney had to play bass. A year later, in 1962 (April 10), Sutcliffe (pictured below) died of a cerebral hemorrhage.
Performances in Liverpool in 1961
The Beatles began performing in the Liverpool club in August 1961 (the club's name is Cavern). They performed 262 times during the year. IN next year, July 27, the musicians gave their concert at Litherland Town Hall. The concert in this hall was big success, after which the press dubbed this group the best in Liverpool.
Meet George Martin
The Beatles' manager, Brian Epstein, met with George Martin, a producer from the Parlophone label. George became interested in the young group and wanted to see them perform at Abbey Road Studios (London). The band's recordings did not impress George Martin, but he fell in love with the musicians themselves, attractive, cheerful and somewhat arrogant guys. When J. Martin asked if they liked everything about the studio, Harrison replied that he didn't like Martin's tie. The producer appreciated this joke and invited the group to sign a contract. It was from the story of the tie that the direct, sharp and witty answers of the Beatles in interviews and press conferences became their signature style.
Ringo Starr becomes a drummer
Only Pete Best did not like George Martin. He believed that Best was not up to the level of the group, and suggested that Epstein replace the drummer. In addition, Pete defended his own individuality and did not want, like other members of the Beatles, to get a signature hairstyle to fit in. general style groups. As a result, in 1962, on August 16, Pete Best left the group, as officially announced by Brian Epstein. Starr (pictured below), who played in the band Rory Storm, is taken in his place without hesitation.
First singles and first album
Soon the Beatles began studio work. The first entry did not bring any results. The Beatles released their first single, Love Me Do, in October 1962, which reached number 17 on the charts. It was quite good result for the young Beatles. In the same year, on October 17, the first concert of this group took place on television in a Manchester broadcast (People and Places program). The Beatles then recorded a new single, Please Please Me, which topped the charts. In 1963, on March 22, the group finally released their first album with the same name. In just 12 hours, the material for it was created. This album topped the national charts for six months, bringing great success to the Beatles. The group's hits became popular throughout the country.
Resounding success
The birthday of Beatlemania is considered to be October 3, 1963. The group enjoyed deafening popularity. Its participants gave a concert at the Palladium in London, from where the Beatles were broadcast throughout the UK. The group's hits were listened to by approximately 15 million viewers. Many fans filled the streets near concert hall, eager to see the Beatles live. The group played a concert at the Prince of Wales Theater on November 4, 1963. The Queen herself, Lord Snowdon and Princess Margaret were present, with the Queen admiring the game. The Beatles released their second album, With The Beatles, on November 22. More than a million copies of this record were sold by 1965.
Brian Epstein signed a contract in the United States with Vee Jay, which released the singles From Me To You and Please Please Me, as well as the album Introducing The Beatles. However, they did not bring success in the United States and did not even make it into the regional charts. In the United States, the single I Want To Hold Your Hand appeared in late 1963, changing the situation. The very next year, on January 18, he was in first place in the table of the American magazine Cash Box and in third place in the table of the weekly magazine called Billboard. The US company Capitol released the album Meet the Beatles, which went gold on February 3.
Thus, Beatlemania crossed the ocean. In 1964, on February 7, the band members landed at the New York airport. They were greeted by about 4 thousand fans. The group played three concerts: one at the Coliseum (Washington) and two at Carnegie Hall (New York). The Beatles also appeared twice on television on The Ed Sullivan Show, which was watched by 73 million viewers - a record in television history! The Beatles in free time communicated with journalists and various musical groups. They returned home on February 22.
After a trip to the USA, the group began recording new songs, as well as filming their first musical film (A Hard Day’s Night). The single entitled Can’t Buy Me Love on March 20 collected many preliminary applications - about 3 million.
First major tour
On the first major tour through Holland, Denmark, Hong Kong, New Zealand and Australia the group left on June 4, 1964. The Beatles' tour was a resounding success. In Adelaide, for example, a crowd of 300 thousand met the musicians at the airport. On July 2, the Beatles returned to London. And three days later there was the premiere of A Hard Day’s Night, after which the album of the same name was released.
Difficulties the group had to face
The North American tour started on August 19 of the same year. The Beatles covered 36 thousand kilometers in 32 days and visited 24 cities, playing 31 concerts. They received about 30 thousand dollars (today the equivalent of about 300 thousand dollars) for one concert. However, the musicians were not worried about money, but about the fact that they had become prisoners, completely isolated from the rest of society. The hotels where the group stayed were besieged by crowds around the clock.
At that time, the equipment that musicians played in huge stadiums would not have satisfied even a seedy restaurant ensemble. Technology lagged behind the pace set by the Beatles for a long time. Due to the deafening roar of people in the stands, the musicians often did not hear themselves. They lost their rhythm, vocal parts they lost their tonality, but this was not noticed by the audience, who also heard practically nothing. Under such conditions, the Beatles could not progress and experiment on stage. Only behind the scenes in the studio could they create something new and develop.
Continued success
Returning to London on September 21, the musicians immediately began recording new album- Beatles For Sale. Many styles of music, ranging from rock and roll to country and western, were presented on this record. Already on December 4, 1964, on the first day of release, it sold 700 thousand copies and soon topped the English hit parade.
In 1965, on July 29, the premiere of the film Help! in London, and the album of the same name was released in August. The Beatles embarked on a tour of the United States on August 13. They visited Elvis Presley himself, where they not only talked, but also played, recording several songs on tape recorders. Unfortunately, these records were never published because they were not found, despite all efforts. Today their value is calculated in millions of dollars.
Rock and rock 'n' roll in mid-1965 were transforming from entertainment and dance music into serious art. Many groups appeared at that time, such as Rolling Stones and The Byrds, gave The Beatles serious competition. The Beatles began recording a new album, Rubber Soul, in October of the same year. He showed the whole world the Beatles growing up. Once again all competitors were left far behind. On the day its recording began, October 12, the musicians did not have a single finished song, and already on December 3, 1965, this album was on store shelves. Elements of surrealism and mysticism appeared in the songs, which were later included in many Beatles songs.
State awards
In 1965, on October 26, the members of the group were presented with state awards. They received the Order of the British Empire. Some other holders of this order, military heroes, were outraged by the presentation of the award to musicians. As a sign of protest, they returned the orders, since, in their opinion, they had become worthless. However, no one paid much attention to the protesters.
Conflicts and proceedings
The Beatles began to have serious problems in 1966. Due to a conflict with the First Lady of the Philippines during the tour, the musicians refused to come to the formal reception at the Presidential Palace. The angry crowd almost tore the Beatles to pieces; they barely managed to escape from this country. After the group returned to England, there was a big fuss in the US because of Lennon's remarks that the Beatles were now more popular than Jesus. In Great Britain they soon forgot about this, but in America there were protests against the musicians - their portraits and records on which Beatles songs were recorded were burned... The musicians themselves perceived this with humor. However, under pressure from the press, John Lennon was forced to publicly apologize for his statements. This happened in Chicago in 1966, on August 11th.
New breakthrough, cessation of concert activities
The musicians, despite these proceedings, released one of their best albums at that time, called Revolver. Since very complex studio effects were used, the Beatles' music was not intended for stage performance.
The Beatles became studio group. Tired of touring, the musicians decided to stop performing concerts. In 1966, on May 1, their last performance in the Wembley Stadium (London). Here they took part in a gala concert and appeared for only 15 minutes. The last tour took place in the United States in the same year, where the Beatles made their last appearance on stage in San Francisco on August 29. Meanwhile, Revolver was leading the world charts. It was praised by critics as the culmination of all the work of this group. Many newspapers believed that the group decided to stop on this high note, but this did not occur to the musicians themselves.
Latest albums
That same year, on November 24, they began recording another album. Recording it lasted 129 days, and it became the greatest album in the history of rock music. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band was released in 1967, on May 26. It was a phenomenal success and spent 88 weeks at the top of various charts.
In the same year, on December 8, the group released their 9th album called Magical Mystery Tour. In 1967, on June 25, the Beatles became the first group in history to have their performance broadcast worldwide. It was watched by 400 million people. However, despite this success, the Beatles' business began to decline. Brian Epstein died on August 27 from an overdose of sleeping pills. The Beatles began to receive negative reviews of their work at the end of 1967.
The group spent early 1968 in Rishikesh, where they studied meditation. McCartney and Lennon, after returning to the UK, announced the creation of a corporation called Apple. They started releasing records under this label. The Beatles released the film Yellow Submarine in January 1968. On August 30, the single Hey Jude went on sale, and by the end of the year, sales of the record reached 6 million. The White Album is a double album released in 1968, on November 22. Relations between the musicians deteriorated greatly during its recording. Ringo Starr left the group for a while. Because of this, McCartney played drums on several songs. Harrison (his photo is presented below) and Lennon, in addition, began releasing solo records. The inevitable disintegration of the group was approaching. Later came the albums Abbey Road and Let it be - the latter released in 1970.
Deaths of John Lennon and George Harrison
John Lennon was assassinated on December 8, 1980 by Mark Chapman, a US citizen, in New York. On the day of his death, he gave an interview to journalists, and then approached the house with his wife. Chapman fired 5 shots into his back. Mark Chapman is now in prison, serving a life sentence.
George Harrison died in 2001, on November 29, from a brain tumor. He was undergoing treatment for a long time, however, it was not possible to save the musician. Paul McCartney is still alive, he is currently 73 years old.
This ambitious project was possible thanks to the fact that Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr agreed to tell the story of their group specifically for this book. Together with Yoko Ono Lennon, they also participated in the creation of complete television and video versions of The Beatles Anthology (without any cuts). Meticulous work with everyone known sources helped bring the words of John Lennon into this wonderful edition. What's more, the Beatles were given permission to use their personal and shared archives, along with the amazing documents and memorabilia stored in their homes and offices, in the development of the book. The Beatles Anthology is an amazing book. Each page reflects personal impressions. The Beatles take turns talking about their childhood, how they became members of the group and became famous throughout the world as the legendary four - John, Paul, George and Ringo. Every now and then turning to the past, they told us the amazing life story of the Beatles: the first performances, the phenomenon of popularity, the musical and social changes that happened to them at the zenith of fame, all the way until the collapse of the group. The book "The Beatles Anthology" is unique collection facts from the history of the ensemble. Woven into the text are the memories of those people who at one time or another collaborated with the Beatles - administrator Neil Aspinall, producer George Martin, press agent Derek Taylor. This is truly an inside look, an inexhaustible storehouse of previously unpublished text materials. Created with the active participation of the musicians themselves, The Beatles Anthology is a kind of autobiography of the ensemble. Like their music played important role In the life of several generations, this autobiography is characterized by warmth, frankness, humor, causticity and courage. Finally released true story"The Beatles".
Anthology
Note from the editor
Many books have been written about the Beatles. This one differs from the others in that the Beatles themselves gave their version of events up to 1970.
Quotes from Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr, and additions from Neil Aspinall, Sir George Martin and Derek Taylor are taken in part from the interviews on which the television and video versions of The Beatles Anthology are based. In addition, the book includes important materials published for the first time. In-depth interviews with Paul, George and Ringo were conducted especially for the Anthology.
The text attributed to John Lennon is taken from extensive sources collected over several years around the world, again specifically for this book. These sources include printed materials and video recordings, private and public archives. Materials are located in chronological order and in such a way that the narrative is coherent. To help the reader perceive John's words in a period-specific manner, each quote is labeled with the date it was spoken, written, or first published. Years are indicated only by the last two digits: for example, 1970 is indicated in the text as (70). These dates apply to the entire text fragment, up to the specified date.
In only a few cases, quotations could not be dated accurately (despite the fact that they contain John's original words). They are included in the book without date.
To provide additional historical context, the actual words of Paul, George, Ringo and others, pre-1970, are included here. They are also indicated by the last two numbers, just like John's words.
While working on the Anthology, George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr made their personal archives available to the compilers. Moreover, unlimited access to photographs and documents from the archives of Apple and EMI was obtained.
This book was prepared for publication by the editorial staff of Genesis Publications for Apple with the active assistance of the late Derek Taylor, who advised the compilers until his death in 1997.
John Lennon
What can I tell you about myself that you don’t already know?
I wear glasses. Born on October 9, 1940, I was not the first of the Beatles. The first of us was born, Ringo, on July 7, 1940. However, he joined the Beatles later than the others, and before that he not only grew a beard, but also managed to work as a drummer at the Butlins campsite. He also did other nonsense until he finally realized what fate had in store for him.
Ninety percent of the inhabitants of our planet, especially in the West, were born thanks to a bottle of whiskey drunk on a Saturday night; No one intended to have such children. Ninety percent of us people were born by chance - I don’t know a single person who planned to have a child. We are all creatures of Saturday nights (80).
My mother was a housewife. She was also a comedian and singer - not professional, but she often performed in pubs and the like; She sang well and knew how to imitate Kay Starr. She often sang one song when I was one or two years old. This is a tune from a Disney movie: “Do you want me to tell you a secret? But do not tell anyone. You are standing next to a wishing well” (80).
My parents separated when I was four years old and I lived with Aunt Mimi (71).
Mimi explained that my parents had fallen out of love with each other. She never accused them of anything. Soon I forgot my father. It's like he died. But I constantly remembered my mother, my love for her will never die.
I often thought about her, but for a long time I did not realize that she lived only five or ten miles away from me (67).
My family consisted of five women. Five strong, smart, beautiful women, five sisters. One of them was my mother. Life was not easy for mom. She was the youngest, could not raise me alone, and so I settled with her older sister.
These were amazing women. Perhaps someday I will write something like “The Forsyte Saga” about them, because they were the ones who ruled the family (80).
The men remained invisible. I have always been surrounded by women. I often listened to them talk about men and life, they were always aware of everything. But the men never knew anything. This is how I received my first feminist education (80).
The most painful thing is to be unwanted, to realize that your parents do not need you as much as you need them. As a child, I had moments when I stubbornly did not notice this ugliness, I did not want to see that I was unwanted. This lack of love poured into my eyes and into my mind.
I never really needed anyone. I became a star only because I held back my feelings. Nothing would have helped me get through all this if I were “normal” (71).
Most people spend their entire lives under the influence of others. Some people just can't understand that their parents continue to torment them even when their children are in their forties or fifties. Their still strangle, control their thoughts and minds. I was never afraid of this and never groveled before my parents (80).
Penny Lane is the area where I lived with my mother, father (however, my father was a sailor and spent almost all his time at sea) and grandfather. We lived on Newcastle Road (80).
This is the first house I remember. A good start: red brick walls, a living room that has never been used, drawn curtains, a painting of a horse and carriage on the wall. There were only three bedrooms upstairs; the windows of one looked out onto the street, the second into the courtyard, and between them there was another tiny room (79).
When I left Penny Lane, I moved in with my aunt, who also lived in the suburbs, in a semi-out-of-the-way house with a small garden. Doctors, lawyers and other people of that sort lived in the neighborhood, so the suburb did not resemble a slum at all. I was a good-looking, clean-cut boy from the suburbs, growing up in a higher class environment than Paul, George and Ringo, who lived in council houses. We had our own house, our own garden, but they had nothing like that. Compared to them, I was lucky. Only Ringo was a real city boy. He grew up in the crappiest neighborhood. But he didn't care; he probably had more fun there (64).
Actually, the first thing I remember is nightmare (79).
I see colorful dreams, always surreal. The world of my dreams is similar to the paintings of Hieronymus Bosch and Dali. I like him, I look forward to him every evening (74).
One of the recurring dreams that I have had throughout my life is flying. I
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Exactly 44 years ago, The Beatles took their famous photo for the cover of the Abbey Road album.
For almost half a century, the legendary Fab Four have remained the most popular and respected group. The musicians, who worked together for only 8 years, managed to record 13 full-length albums and had a huge impact on the development of music.
Abbey Road is considered one of the most significant albums. It was she who became the last joint project all four members of the ensemble, containing all the best that they managed to create during the time of The Beatles. The cover, which shows the Beatles crossing Abbey Road, became widely known. Photographer Ian MacMillan had ten minutes to take a photo: this section of the street was specially blocked by the police, since even at that time Abbey Road was one of the busiest in London. McMillan filmed the group from the stairs and took six photographs, one of which ended up on the cover. It was subsequently recognized as one of the most recognizable covers in the world.
On this day website I've collected the best for you Interesting Facts about The Beatles and offers to look at photographs of the group that changed the world.
Abbey Road cover
[Theory of McCartney's death]
● The cover provided plenty of fodder for those pursuing the "Paul McCartney is Dead" theory. According to her, Paul died in 1966 and was replaced by a double. At the same time, the other three members of the group inserted hints of the “truth” into the lyrics and covers. So it is here: Paul McCartney is for some reason barefoot (in some cultures it is customary to bury barefoot), he holds a cigarette in right hand, and not left, although he is left-handed. Also, it is in the direction of Paul that a car is driving, which can be seen in the distance. The theory is that he died in a car accident.
Musicians in 1957
John Lennon - 16 years old, George Harrison and Paul McCartney - 15 years old
[Childhood]
● It must be said that the relatives of the musicians were initially skeptical about their work. For example, John's aunt, Mimi, always repeated the phrase: “Guitar - good tool. However, it is not suitable for making money." Having become rich, John bought his aunt a villa, which had a marble wall with the above quote.
● None of the band members ever learned the basics of musical notation.
Photo shoot with champagne, 1965
[The emergence of The Beatles and their first contract]
● At the beginning of their existence, the musicians changed the name of the group more than once: Beatals, Silver Beats, Silver Beetles, Silver Beatles and, finally, The Beatles appeared in April 1960. According to the recollections of the band members, the authors of the neologism are considered to be Sutcliffe and Lennon, who were keen on the idea of coming up with a name that had both different meanings.
● The beginning of The Beatles' serious career is usually associated with the name of the group's manager, Brian Epstein. It was he who saw the potential in the group and arranged for them all possible auditions at record labels. Using his connections in the world of show business, Epstein secured an audition with Decca Records, which was scheduled for January 1, 1962. On the morning of New Year's Day, the foursome and Epstein arrived in London for recording and auditions. I had to wait more than a month for the result and it turned out to be negative. The company's management showed no interest in the material. Epstein received a refusal with the wording: “guitar groups are going out of fashion.” A year later, having recorded on another label, the group will lead the national hit parade.
Paul McCartney gives an autograph to a lucky fan
[Worldwide success]
● In October 1962, the group’s first single (“Love Me Do”) was released, and in March 1963 - debut album(“Please Please Me”), which topped the national charts for six months and marked the beginning of the insane popularity of the musicians. While touring in America, The Beatles twice appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show, attracting a record number of viewers in television history - 73 million (40% of the US population at that time). This record has also not yet been broken by anyone.
● The autograph of the famous “Beatle” Paul McCartney has “increased” nine times in price compared to 1997 and is valued at $2,370.
The Beatles during the filming of Help! in the Bahamas, 1965
[God's providence]
● John Lennon once said at the peak of his fame that The Beatles were more popular than Jesus Christ. Outraged by this statement, the KLUE radio station from a small Texas town held a public burning of records and other symbols of The Beatles, in which many of its listeners took part. The next day, the radio station building was struck by lightning, after which the equipment was disabled and the announcer fainted.
The Beatles rehearsing while on vacation in Miami Beach, 1964
[The Truth About the Song Yesterday]
● When Paul McCartney recorded the song Yesterday, professional musicians from accompanying him string quartet they called the composition a “seven-beat non-square structure” and said that music is not written like that. After the recording, other band members doubted whether it should be included on the album at all, and insisted that the song not be released separately. As a result, it entered the British charts performed by singer Metta Monroe, who released his version of the hit. In other countries, the song was released as a single and flew to the top of the charts almost everywhere.
Ringo Star during a concert, 1964
[Ringo Star]
● The desk where Ringo Starr once studied is today one of the objects of pilgrimage. You can even sit at it for a while, although you'll have to fork out five pounds. But once upon a time, everyone put an end to the abilities of a sickly boy who had studied at school for only two years.
Paul McCartney talking to his future wife Linda Eastman, 1967
[Women]
● Women played a special role in the lives of the group members. At one time, all four, being British, married American women. The appearance of Yoko Ono at the band's rehearsals provoked protest from the rest of the Beatles. Because of this, the musicians felt discomfort, and tension within the group increased. At the same time, John and Yoko were engaged in joint creativity. Yoko took part in the recording of some The songs Beatles.
Photo for the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, 1967
[Influence of drugs]
● When The Beatles recorded the song Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, John Lennon explained the origin of the name of the song by saying that his son Julian named his drawing that way. However, many saw in this name a hint of the drug LSD, because this is the abbreviation made up of its first letters, and the BBC completely banned the song from rotation. Paul McCartney later said that the influence of LSD on this song is quite obvious.
The Beatles in London, 1968
[Royal Reception]
● During the Beatles' performance at the Royal Variety Show, their audience was joined by the royal family. The audience, feeling the “highest” presence, behaved rather constrained and even applauded with an eye to the royal box. Noticing this, John said after performing one of the songs: “The audience is in the cheap seats, don’t be shy, clap! And the rest of you, too, join in - shake your jewelry!” The Queen was not at all offended by the joker (that's it, good feeling English humor!) and even gave Lennon an expensive ring.
John Lennon on the set of The Magical Mystery Journey
[Experiments with creativity]
● While recording one of albums The Beatles, part of the song Yellow Submarine Lennon sang into a microphone with a condom on. At first, John wanted to record underwater to create a presence in the submarine. But since this was impossible, he took a bottle of water and stuck a microphone in it. And to protect the microphone from short-circuiting, he took a condom and put it on the microphone. Otherwise, John might just explode because 240 volts are passing through the microphone. This was part of the lead vocal, but it was never used.
● It is believed that the Beatles were the first to use a kind of sound effect called signal triggering or feedback. The characteristic sound of this effect can be heard at the beginning of a song called I Feel Fine, recorded in 1964.
Police struggle to contain crowds of fans outside Buckingham Palace
Fans of The Beatles in New York
[ Beatlemania]
● Many of the Beatles' jokes were taken seriously by their fans. Paul once told reporters that he really loved chocolate candies, but he eats them extremely rarely - George confiscates all his sweets. After this, Beatlemania grew into chocolate mania: the Apple studio was filled with piles of chocolate, and many parcels arrived with the note: “This is not for George, but for Paul!” Fans threw candy at the musicians “live” during their performances.
● Fans of the legendary four wanted to keep at least some “artifact” as a keepsake of them. This especially amused McCartney, who loved to lean out of a hotel window and throw a half-smoked cigarette on the ground. Dozens of girls fought for the right to own a cigarette butt.
The last picture of The Beatles together, 1969
[Group breakup]
“We dreamed of changing something in this world... but everything remained the same. Still selling guns South Africa, and blacks are killed on the street. People still live in poverty and have rats running around. Only crowds of rich loafers walk around London in fashionable rags. I don't believe in the Beatles myth anymore. John Lennon
● Relations within The Beatles finally deteriorated in 1968. Lennon and Paul McCartney have accumulated many complaints against each other. Lennon, for example, was not happy with the fact that McCartney was pulling the blanket over himself, and he was dissatisfied with Lennon’s apathy and constant presence in the studio during Yoko Ono’s recordings. In addition, their creative collaboration practically ceased; Lennon leaned more and more towards psychedelic (“Strawberry Fields Forever”), acid rock (“I am the Walrus”) and avant-garde (“Revolution 9”).
John Lennon gives an autograph to his killer Mark David Chapman, 1980
[Assassination of John Lennon]
● On December 8, 1980, John Lennon was assassinated by US citizen Mark David Chapman. At 22:50, when Lennon and Yoko Ono were returning from the studio, Chapman, seeing Lennon, shouted after him, “Hey, Mr. Lennon!”, after which he shot him five times (Lennon was hit by four bullets). Then Chapman sat down on the asphalt under a street lamp and began reading a book. American writer D. D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye." Lennon was taken to hospital, where he died from severe blood loss. Death was pronounced at 11:15 p.m. Chapman did not try to escape from the crime scene and did not resist arrest. He applied for early release 7 times (last time in August 2012), but all of them were rejected.
The Beatles
● The Beatles had a significant influence on rock music and are recognized by experts as one of the most successful groups of the 20th century, both creatively and commercially. Many famous rock musicians admit that they became such under the influence of the songs of this group. Although former glory musicians are long gone, fan concerts are regularly held all over the world.
● The Beatles have sold over a billion records and have more albums sold in the United States than any other artist.
