Surnames of the Beatles. History of the British rock band The Beatles

The Beatles made a great contribution to the development of rock music and became a striking phenomenon in the world culture of the sixties of the twentieth century. In this article, we will learn not only the history of the emergence of the Beatles. The biography of each participant after the collapse of the legendary team will also be considered.

Beginning (1956-1960)

When did the Beatles form? Biography and interest for several generations of fans. The history of the emergence of the group can begin with the formation of the musical tastes of the participants.

In the spring of 1956, the leader of the future star team, John Lennon, first heard one of Elvis Presley's songs. And this song, Heartbreak Hotel, turned the whole life of a young man upside down. Lennon played the banjo and harmonica, but new music made him take up the guitar.

The biography of the Beatles in Russian usually begins with the first group organized by Lennon. With school friends, he created the Quarryman team, named after their educational institution. The teenagers played skiffle, a form of amateur British rock and roll.

At one of the group's performances, Lennon met Paul McCartney, who surprised the guy with his knowledge of the chords of the latest songs and high musical development. And in the spring of 1958, George Harrison, Paul's friend, joined them. The Trinity became the backbone of the group. They were invited to play at parties and weddings, but it never came to real concerts.

Inspired by the pioneers of rock and roll, Eddie Cochran and Paul and John decided to write their own songs and play the guitars. They wrote the texts together and gave them double authorship.

In 1959, a new member appeared in the group - Stuart Sutcliffe, a friend of Lennon. was almost formed: Sutcliffe (bass guitar), Harrison (lead guitar), McCartney (vocals, guitar, piano), Lennon (vocals, rhythm guitar). The only thing missing was a drummer.

Name

It is difficult to talk briefly about the Beatles group, even the history of the emergence of such a simple and short name of the group is captivating. When the group began to integrate into the concert life of their native city, they needed a new name, because they no longer had any relation to the school. In addition, the group began to perform at various talent competitions.

For example, at the 1959 television competition, the team performed under the name Johnny and the Moondogs (“Johnny and the Moon Dogs”). And the name The Beatles appeared a few months later, in early 1960. Who exactly came up with it is unknown, most likely Sutcliffe and Lennon, who wanted to take a word that has several meanings.

When pronounced, the name sounds like beetles, that is, beetles. And when writing, the root of beat is visible - as beat music, a fashionable direction of rock and roll that arose in the 1960s. However, the promoters believed that this name was not catchy and too short, so the guys were called on the posters as Long John and The Silver Beetles ("Long John and the Silver Beetles").

Hamburg (1960-1962)

The skill of the musicians grew, but they remained just one of the many musical groups of their hometown. The biography of the Beatles, a summary of which you began to read, continues with the move of the team to Hamburg.

The fact that numerous Hamburg clubs needed English-speaking bands played into the hands of young musicians, and several teams from Liverpool proved themselves well. In the summer of 1960, the Beatles received an invitation to come to Hamburg. It was already serious work, so the quartet had to urgently look for a drummer. So Pete Best appeared in the group.

The first concert took place the next day after arrival. For several months, the musicians honed their skills in Hamburg clubs. They had to play music of different styles and directions for a long time - rock and roll, blues, rhythm and blues, sing pop and folk songs. It can be said that largely thanks to the experience gained in Hamburg, the Beatles group took place. The biography of the team was experiencing its dawn.

In just two years, the Beatles gave about 800 concerts in Hamburg and raised their skills from amateurs to professionals. The Beatles did not perform their own songs, concentrating on the compositions of famous artists.

In Hamburg, the musicians met with students of the local art college. One of the students, Astrid Kircher, began dating Sutcliffe and became actively involved in the band's life. This girl offered the guys new hairstyles - hair combed over the forehead and ears, and later characteristic jackets without lapels and collars.

Returning to Liverpool, the Beatles were no longer amateurs, they became on a par with the most popular groups. It was then that they met Ringo Starr, the drummer for a rival band.

After returning to Hamburg, the first professional recording of the band took place. The musicians accompanied rock and roll singer Tony Sheridan. The quartet also recorded several of their own songs. This time their name was The Beat Brothers, not The Beatles.

The short biography of Sutcliffe continued with the exit from the team. At the end of the tour, he refused to return to Liverpool, choosing to stay with his girlfriend in Hamburg. A year later, Sutcliffe died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

First success (1962-1963)

The group returned to England and began to play in Liverpool clubs. On July 27, 1961, the first significant concert in the hall took place, which became a major success. In November, the group got a manager - Brian Epstein.

He met with a major label producer who showed interest in the band. He was not entirely satisfied with the demos, but young people fascinated him live. The first contract was signed.

However, both the producer and the band's manager were unhappy with Pete Best. They believed that he did not reach the general level, in addition, the musician refused to do his signature hairstyle, maintain the general style of the band, and often clashed with other members. Despite the fact that Best was popular with fans, it was decided to replace him. The drummer was replaced by Ringo Starr.

Ironically, it was with this drummer that the band recorded an amateur record at their own expense in Hamburg. Walking around the city, the guys met Ringo (Pete Best was not with them) and went to one of the street studios to record some songs just for fun.

In September 1962 the band recorded their first single, Love Me Do, which became very popular. The manager's cunning also played a big role here - Epstein bought ten thousand records at his own expense, which increased sales and aroused interest.

In October, the first television performance took place - the broadcast of one of the concerts in Manchester. Soon the second single Please Please Me was recorded, and in February 1963 the self-titled album was recorded in 13 hours, which included cover versions of popular songs and own compositions. In November of the same year, sales of the second album With The Beatles started.

Thus began the period of frenzied popularity that the Beatles experienced. Biography, a brief history of the beginning team, is over. The history of the legendary band begins.

The birthday of the term "Beatlemania" is considered to be October 13, 1963. In London, in the Palladium Hall, a concert of the group took place, which was broadcast throughout the country. But thousands of fans chose to gather around the concert hall hoping to see the musicians. The Beatles had to make their way to the car with the help of the police.

The height of "Beatlemania" (1963-1964)

In Britain, the quartet was wildly popular, but in America the group's singles were not published, since usually English groups did not have much success. The manager managed to sign a contract with a small firm, but the records were not noticed.

How did the Beatles get on the big American stage? The (short) biography of the band says that everything changed when a music critic of a well-known newspaper listened to the single I Want To Hold Your Hand, already very popular in England, and called the musicians "the greatest composers since Beethoven". The following month, the group was at the top of the charts.

"Beatlemania" stepped over the ocean. On the band's first visit to America, the musicians were greeted at the airport by several thousand fans. The Beatles gave 3 big concerts and performed on a TV show. All of America was watching them.

In March 1964, the quartet began creating a new album, A Hard Day "s Night, and a musical film of the same name. And the single Can't Buy Me Love / You Can't Do That, which appeared this month, set a world record for the number of pre-orders.

On August 19, 1964, a full-fledged tour of North America started. The group gave 31 concerts in 24 cities. It was originally planned to visit 23 cities, but the owner of the basketball club from Casas City offered the musicians $150,000 for a half-hour concert (usually the ensemble received $25,000-30,000).

The tour was hard for the musicians. They were like in a prison, completely isolated from the outside world. The places where the Beatles stayed were besieged around the clock by crowds of fans in the hope of seeing their idols.

The concert venues were huge, the equipment was of poor quality. The musicians did not hear each other and even themselves, they often got lost, but the audience did not hear this and practically did not see anything, since the stage was set very far for safety reasons. I had to perform according to a clear program, there was no question of any improvisation and experiments on stage.

Yesterday and Lost Recordings (1964-1965)

After returning to London, work began on the Beatles For Sale album, which included borrowed and own songs. A week after the publication, he soared to the top of the charts.

In July 1965, the second film, Help!, was released, followed by an album of the same name in August. It was this album that included the most famous song of the collective Yesterday, which became a classic of popular music. Today, more than two thousand interpretations of this composition are known.

The author of the famous melody was Paul McCartney. He composed the music at the beginning of the year, the words appeared later. He called the composition Scrambled Egg, because, composing it, he sang Scrambled egg, how I love a scrambled egg ... ("Scrambled eggs, how I love scrambled eggs"). The song was recorded to the accompaniment of a string quartet, with only Paul participating from the group members.

On the second American tour, which started in August, an event took place that still haunts music lovers around the world. What did the Beatles do? The biography briefly describes that the musicians visited Elvis Presley himself. The stars not only talked, but also played several songs together, which were recorded on a tape recorder.

The recordings were never released, and music agents from all over the world failed to locate them. The value of these recordings cannot be estimated today.

New Directions (1965-1966)

In 1965, many groups entered the big stage, which made a worthy competition to the Beatles. The band started to create a new album Rubber Soul. This record marked a new era in rock music. Elements of surrealism and mysticism, which the Beatles are known for, began to appear in the songs.

The biography (short) tells that at the same time scandals began to arise around the musicians. In July 1966, the band members refused an official reception, which caused a conflict with the first lady. Outraged by this fact, the Filipinos almost tore the musicians apart, they had to literally run away. The tour administrator was badly beaten, the quartet was pushed and almost pushed to the plane.

The second big scandal erupted when John Lennon said in one of his interviews that Christianity was dying and that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus today. Protests swept across the United States, the group's records were burned. The leader of the team, under pressure, apologized for his words.

Despite the troubles, 1966 saw the release of Revolver, one of the band's best albums. Its distinguishing feature is that the musical compositions were complex and did not involve live performance. The Beatles are now a studio band. Exhausted by the tour, the musicians gave up concert activities. In the same year, the last concerts were held. Music critics called the album brilliant and were sure that the quartet would no longer be able to create something as perfect.

However, in early 1967, the single Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane was recorded. The recording of this record lasted 129 days (compared with the 13-hour recording of the first album), the studio worked literally around the clock. The single was extremely complex musically and was a resounding success, being at the top of the charts for 88 weeks.

White Album (1967-1968)

The performance of the Beatles was broadcast to the whole world. 400 million people could see it. A television version of the song All You Need Is Love was recorded. After this triumph, the team's affairs began to decline. The role in this was played by the death of the "fifth Beatle", the band's manager Brian Epstein, as a result of an overdose of sleeping pills. He was only 32. Epstein was an important member of the Beatles. The biography of the group after his death has undergone major changes.

For the first time, the band received the first negative reviews regarding the new Magical Mystery Tour movie. A lot of complaints were caused by the fact that the tape was released only in color, while most people had only black and white TVs. The soundtrack was released as an EP.

In 1968, Apple was responsible for releasing albums, as the Beatles announced, whose biography continued. In January 1969, the Yellow Submarine cartoon and its soundtrack were released. In August - single Hey Jude, one of the best in the history of the group. And in 1968 the famous album The Beatles, better known as the white album, was released. It got its name because its cover was snow-white, with a simple imprint of the title. The fans received it well, but the critics no longer shared the enthusiasm.

This record marked the beginning of the group's breakup. Ringo Starr left the band for a while, several songs were recorded without him. The drums were played by McCartney. Harrison has been busy with solo work. The situation was also tense because of Yoko Ono, who was present in the studio constantly and annoyed the band members in order.

Breakup (1969-1970)

At the beginning of 1969, the musicians had many plans. They were going to release an album, a film about their studio work, and a book. Paul McCartney wrote the song Get Back ("Come back"), which gave the name to the whole project. The Beatles, whose biography began so naturally, was approaching disintegration.

The band members wanted to show the atmosphere of fun and ease that reigned at the performances in Hamburg, but this did not work out. Many songs were recorded, but only five were selected, a lot of video material was filmed. The last recording was to be filming an impromptu concert on the rooftop of the recording studio. It was interrupted by the police, who were called by the locals. This concert was the last performance of the group.

On February 3, 1969, the team got a new manager, Allen Klein. McCartney was strongly opposed, as he believed that his future father-in-law, John Eastman, would be the best candidate for the role. Paul began legal proceedings against the rest of the group. Thus, the Beatles group, whose biography is described in this article, began to experience a serious conflict.

Work on an ambitious project was abandoned, but the group still released the Abbey Road album, which included George Harrison's brilliant composition Something. The musician worked on it for a long time, recorded about 40 ready-made options. The song is put on a par with Yesterday.

On January 8, 1970, the last album, Let It Be, was released, a reworking of material from the failed Get Back project by American producer Phil Spector. On May 20, a documentary about the band was released, which had already broken up by the time of the premiere. Thus ended the biography of the Beatles. In Russian, the title of the film sounds like "Let it be so."

After the collapse. John Lennon

The era of the Beatles is over. The biography of the participants continues with solo projects. At the time of the breakup of the group, all members were already engaged in independent work. In 1968, two years before the breakup, John Lennon released a joint album with his wife Yoko Ono. It was recorded in one night and at the same time contained not music, but a set of various sounds, noises, screams. On the cover, the couple appeared in the nude. Two more records of the same plan and a live recording followed in 1969. From the 70th to the 75th year, 4 music albums were released. After that, the musician stopped appearing in public, devoting himself to raising his son.

In 1980, Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy, was released and was well received by critics. A few weeks after the album's release, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot several times in the back. In 1984, the musician's posthumous album Milk and Honey was released.

After the collapse. Paul McCartney

After McCartney left the Beatles, the musician's biography took on a new twist. The break with the group took a heavy toll on McCartney. At first he retired to a remote farm, where he experienced depression, but in March 1970 he returned with material for a solo album by McCartney, and soon released a second - Ram.

However, without the group, Paul felt insecure. He organized the Wings team, which included his wife Linda. The group lasted until 1980 and released 7 albums. As part of his solo career, the musician has released 19 albums, the last of which was released in 2013.

After the collapse. George Harrison

George Harrison even before the breakup of the Beatles released 2 solo albums - Wonderwall Music in 1968 and Electronic Sound in 1969. These records were experimental and did not have much success. The third album, All Things Must Pass, included songs written during the Beatles period and rejected by other band members. This is the musician's most successful solo album.

Throughout his solo career, after Harrison left the Beatles, the musician's biography was enriched by 12 albums and more than 20 singles. He was actively involved in philanthropy and made a significant contribution to the popularization of Indian music and converted to Hinduism himself. Harrison died on November 29, 2001.

After the collapse. Ringo Star

Ringo's solo album, which he began working on as part of the Beatles, was released in 1970, but was declared a failure. However, in the future, he released more successful albums, largely due to his collaboration with George Harrison. In total, the musician has released 18 studio albums, as well as several live recordings and collections. The last album was released in 2015.

Trying to write an article about the Fab Four is a lousy business. There is enough material for a multi-volume book, and it is extremely difficult to throw out words from a song. But still, we decided to collect a few facts from the history of the British "bugs", which you may not have known.

1. John Lennon's father worked on a merchant ship, Paul McCartney's father was an employee, George Harrison's dad was a sailor, and Ringo Starr was a baker.

2. The Beatles founder John Lennon formed his first band called The Quarrymen in 1956. The team included his friends from the QuarryBank school.

3. The name The Beatles was coined when new members came to Lennon's group - Paul McCartney, and after - George Harrison. They had nothing to do with the Quarry school.

Popular

4. The Beatles is a play on words, a mixture of the words "bugs" (beetle) and "bit" (beat).

5. At the time of joining the group, George Harrison was only 16 years old.

6. John Lennon and Paul McCartney became close not only because of their love for music, but also because of a common tragedy: in 1956, Paul's mother died of cancer, and two years later, Lennon lost his mother in a car accident.

7. The composition of the legendary four changed five times. In January 1960, Lennon, McCartney and Harrison were joined by John's art college classmate Stuart Sutcliffe, who became bassist. Later that year, The Beatles were invited to play their first overseas concert in Hamburg. Under the contract, the group needed a drummer, who urgently became Pete Best, the son of the owner of the Liverpool nightclub, where The Beatles often performed.

8. In 1961, during the band's second tour of Hamburg, Stuart Sutcliffe fell in love with a young artist and photographer, Astrid Kirchherr. It was she who came up with the legendary Beatle haircuts and suggested that the guys wear Pierre Cardin-style jackets instead of frayed leather jackets - without collars. She also held the first professional photo shoot of The Beatles in a new image. Sutcliffe made the decision to leave the group and stay in Hamburg with Astrid.

9. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Pete Best - in this composition, The Beatles came to their first success.

10. Stuart Sutcliffe died in Hamburg from a cerebral hemorrhage in 1962. Despite the fact that Stewart was in the group for a very short time, he influenced all members of The Beatles. He was posthumously given the nickname of the Fifth of the Four. The 1994 film The Beatles: 4+1 (The Fifth of the Four) chronicles this period in the band's history.

11. Kurt Raymond Jones - the first Beatleman in history to influence the development of the group. On October 28, 1961, in a music store, he asked for a record with the song My Bonnie by the little-known band The Beatles. The seller did not know anything about the team, but on the advice of the buyer he asked.
This seller was the legendary Brian Epstein, the permanent manager of the group, who achieved the first professional recordings for the guys and organized concert activities for them.
Epstein died on August 27, 1967, and his functions were partially taken over by Paul McCartney.

12. In 1962, before the first contract, Epstein replaced drummer Pete Best, who did not reach the general level, with Ringo Starr, a longtime friend of the musicians. So the final composition of The Beatles was established, but in 1964, before touring Scandinavia, Starr came down with a cold, and was replaced by Jimmy Nichol.

13. Ringo Starr's real name is Richard Starkey.

14. Love Me Do and Please, Please Me became the first hits of the Liverpool Four.

15. The Beatles' first album was called Please, Please Me (1963), the last was Let It Be (1970). In total, the group released 13 albums.

16. In 1965, The Beatles were awarded the Order of the British Empire, but in 1969, John Lennon returned his order in protest against England's support for US aggression in Vietnam.

17. On June 25, 1967, The Beatles became the first band to have a performance broadcast worldwide by the BBC via satellite.

18. The Beatles released three comedies: Hard Day’s Night, Help! and Magical Mystery Tour. Soundtracks have been released for all three films as independent albums.

19. The film Hard Day's Night at the age of 13 starred the future star and leader of the Genesis band Phil Collins - he plays one of the fans. The film was twice nominated for an Oscar, a Grammy and a BAFTA award.

20. Steven Spielberg learned editing on Magical Mystery Tour. This tape was filmed by The Beatles on their own and was utterly smashed by critics.

21. The Beatles created some of the first music videos in television history. This was done because the guys did not have time to participate in the show and filming due to the tight schedule.

22. Long before Steve Jobs was born, Paul McCartney and John Lennon founded Apple to release music and movies.

23. John Lennon met artist Yoko Ono at an exhibition in 1966. John was married, and Yoko, wanting to draw attention to herself, sat for hours on his porch, sending threatening letters.

24. In September 1969, several American students claimed to have figured out the Beatles' clues leading to Paul McCartney's death in a car accident in 1966 and his replacement with a doppelgänger. The Beatles gave secret clues in their songs, but the most famous clues are the album covers of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Magical Mystery Tour, Abbey Road and Let It Be.

The album cover of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band seems to depict a funeral procession over a fresh grave, where the Beatles are lined with flowers, "Paul?" Sutcliffe, and writer Stephen Crane holds his hand over McCartney's head. On the Magical Mystery Tour album cover, McCartney is the only one wearing black. The photo on the cover of Abbey Road symbolizes the funeral procession: McCartney walks barefoot, eyes closed, out of step with the others. Lennon, in a white suit, symbolizes God, Starr, in black and white, is a priest, and Harrison, who brings up the rear, is the undertaker. On the Let It Be album cover, Paul is depicted in front of a red background, with the rest of the band looking away from him. These and many other signs in the group's images and lyrics became the "Paul is dead" hoax, one of the most celebrated legends of the 20th century. Many fans think that this is just a series of coincidences, although some are sure that the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bcreating the legend belonged to Brian Epstein or the musicians themselves.

The magnificent Liverpool Four in the early 60s raised the whole world to the ears, but no noisy fame can be compared with the real test of time: at first the Beatles showed that their success was not a short-term phenomenon at all, and then ... they simply changed the world of music and rock culture, becoming one of the most significant and influential groups of the 20th century.

History of creation

In 1956, a simple Liverpool guy named John Lennon heard the song "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley and instantly fell ill with modern music. Along with the king of rock and roll, other pioneers of the genre, American singers of the 50s Bill Haley and Buddy Holly, also got into his favorites. The 16-year-old energetic young man simply needed to throw out his energy somewhere - in the same year, with his school friends, he organized the skiffle group "The Quarrymen" (that is, "the guys from the Quarry Bank school").

In the images of the then popular teddy fights, they performed at parties for a year, and in July 1957, at one of the concerts, Lennon met Paul McCartney. The skinny, shy guy just amazed John with his knowledge of guitar skills - he not only played well, but knew the chords and could tune the guitar! For the self-taught Lennon, who played the banjo, harmonica and guitar rather weakly, it was almost like the art of the gods. He even doubted whether such a strong musician would take away his leadership, but two weeks later he invited Paul to the role of rhythm guitarist in The Quarrymen.

By nature, Paul and John were like mirror images of each other: the first is an excellent student and a good boy from a prosperous family, the second is a local bully and truant, who was abandoned by his mother in early childhood and then raised by his aunt.

Perhaps largely due to their dissimilarity, the guys were able to make one of the most successful musical duets in the world. From the very beginning of cooperation, they became both partners and rivals. And if Paul began to compose music from the moment he took up the guitar, then for John this activity initially became a challenge from his talented partner.

In 1958, guitarist George Harrison, who at that time was only 15 years old, joined the band. Later, Lennon's classmate Stuart Sutcliffe also entered the group - initially this quartet was the main line-up of the group, while John's school friends soon forgot about their musical passion.

After changing from a dozen different names, in the end, the Liverpool people settled on The Beatles - John Lennon wanted the word to be ambiguous and contain some game. And if in Russia it was first of all translated as “Beetles” (although another spelling is correct in English - “beetles”), then for the band members the name also referred to the Buddy Holly group The Crickets (“Crickets”) that influenced them and the word “the beat", that is, "rhythm".

The main stages of creativity

For a while, the Beatles imitated their American idols, increasingly acquiring an international sound. Having written more than 100 compositions in two years, they have accumulated material for several years to come. It was then that McCartney and Lennon agreed to indicate the dual authorship of songs, regardless of who contributed what to the work.

It's funny that until the summer of 1960, the Beatles did not have a permanent drummer - and sometimes there were problems with the equipment and installations for performances. Everything was decided by an invitation to perform in Hamburg, which the guys received, one might say, by a lucky chance. Then they urgently invited drummer Paul Best, who plays in another band. After an exhausting tour, where the Beatles played only covers or improvised right on stage, they returned to England as more experienced, “mature” musicians.

Meeting with Brian Epstein and George Martin

The success of The Beatles was made up of all the main components necessary for popularity, where, in addition to talent, perseverance and charisma, one cannot do without competent production and promotion. It can even be said that at the beginning of their career, the Beatles became the first pop group on a global scale, although the principles of promotion at that time were in many respects different from modern ones.

The fate of the Beatles' popularity was decided by the owner of the record store, a true enthusiast of his business, Brian Epstein, who in 1962 became the official manager of the group. If before Epstein the Beatles performed on stage shaggy and even, as he said, “dirty”, then under the leadership of Brian they changed into their famous suits, put on ties and made trendy haircuts “under the pot”. After working on the image, quite a natural work on the musical material followed.

Epstein sent a demo of their first songs to George Martin of the recording studio Parlophone - at a meeting with the Beatles that followed soon after, Martin praised them but advised them to change drummers. Soon everyone unanimously (Epstein and Martin always consulted with the group) chose the charming and energetic Ringo Starr from the then popular band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes for this role.

Crazy Success: The Beatles World Tour

In September 1962, the "seizure of the world" began: the Beatles released their first single "Love me Do", which instantly became the leader of the British charts. Soon all the members of the group moved to London and in February 1963 in one day (!) Completely recorded their first album Please, Please me with groovy hits She Loves You, I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout.

The Beatles

The record was overflowing with joy, lyricism and, of course, rhythmic rock and roll, and the charming members of the Beatles became the personification of youth and sincerity for fans around the world. Success was cemented by the album With the Beatles that followed the same year. "Beetles" were one of the first musicians to simply and a little naively sing about love, relationships and true romance.

It was then that the concept of "Beatlemania" arose - first it swept the UK, and then stepped into other countries and across the ocean. At Beatles concerts, fans went into a frenzy just seeing their pretty idols. The girls squealed so that the musicians sometimes did not even hear what they were singing. Their success in America in 1963-1966 could be compared to a triumphal procession. Footage of The Beatles performing on the then-popular Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 became legendary: frenzied screams, imperturbable musicians, voiceovers.

The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show (1964)

The albums A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965) not only contained beautiful and already truly "Beatle" songs, but were also presented to the audience with parallel musical films that became gifts for real fans. , then to "Help!" an artistic plot was already invented, and the Beatles tried on new comical images.

The legendary song “Yesterday” by Paul McCartney from the album “Help!”, according to the official version, was first recorded without the participation of other Beatles, but with the help of a string quartet. This composition, along with "Michelle" and "Girl", entered the collection of the group's best lyrical songs and is known to everyone who has never even closely acquainted with the work of the Liverpool Four.

After exhausting world tours (sometimes concerts were given every day), the musicians moved on to studio work in the famous Abbey Road Studios. At the same time, the sound of The Beatles began to change more and more. For example, the album Rubber Soul (1965) featured the first sitar, played by George Harrison for the song "Norwegian Wood". By the way, by this time the band members had already become virtuoso multi-instrumentalists.

The Revolver (1966) and Magical Mystery Tour (1967) LPs with the songs "Eleanor Rigby", "Yellow Submarine" and "All You Need Is Love" provided an exquisite bridge to the grandiose "Sgt. Pepper "s Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967), which finally lifted the group to a new level. The Beatles not only became the standard in the world of music, but "sneaked" into the just emerging world of psychedelic and progressive rock, once again reflecting and simultaneously creating In fact, the Beatles became a symbol of the hippie era with their anti-war protests, experiments with drugs and propaganda of free love to some extent.

The Beatles

At that time, the Beatles had already completely transformed from a group that collects stadiums into a chamber group recording half experimental, half acoustic albums. At Wembley Stadium in 1966, the Beatles said goodbye to their past: loud fans included. This decision helped to continue developing musically, without being distracted by any hype or promotions.

Breakup of the Beatles

At the same time, contradictions within the band grew more and more - George Harrison and Ringo Starr literally had to write to the table: most of their compositions, according to them, were simply not accepted for consideration by Paul and John. In August 1967, 32-year-old Brian Epstein, who, along with George Martin, was the “fifth Beatle” in the group, died suddenly from an overdose of sleeping pills.

More and more factors separating musicians appeared. At the beginning of 1968, they decided to spend time together in India with the Maharishi meditation teacher - this experience affected everyone in different ways, but the Beatles returned to England without having established mutual understanding with each other.

Having released the double-sided disc “The White Album” in 1968, the group continued their experiments - the record contained diverse compositions, in some of them the musicians continued to work on the sound. At that time, in the Abbey Road studio, the Beatles were always accompanied by the future wife of John Lennon, the artist Yoko Ono, who terribly annoyed all the musicians with her antics - the atmosphere was getting more and more tense.

Despite all the controversy, the group was able to get together in the studio to release three more albums - "Yellow Submarine" (1968) with music for a psychedelic cartoon, "Abbey Road" and "Let it Be" (1970). "Abbey Road" with the legendary cover, where the four cross the street of the same name, was recognized by critics as one of the quartet's most perfect records. At that time, George and John had already recorded their first albums, and the recording of some songs was not carried out by the group in full force. In 1970, Paul McCartney, without waiting for the release of "Let it Be", released his debut disc and published an official letter about the breakup of the group, which caused a flurry of indignation among fans.

Scandals

On June 12, 1965, many members of the Order of the British Empire were dissatisfied with the presentation of an honorary award to The Beatles "for their contribution to the development of British culture and its popularization around the world." Prior to this, no pop musician had received an award from the Queen. True, four years later, John Lennon refused the award - thus he opposed British intervention in the outcome of the Civil War in Nigeria.

The Beatles are more popular than Jesus

After the scandal on tour in the Philippines in 1966 (the group came into conflict with the very first lady), America was outraged by John Lennon's words that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus" and the recognition that the musician had become disillusioned with Christianity because his "stupid and ordinary" followers. None of the band members could have expected that these words would cause mass burning of Beatles records in the southern states and even protests by the Ku Klux Klan. Then Brian Epstein had to cancel the planned tour in the United States, and Lennon had to make a public apology.

Discography

• "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 (also known as the White Album) (1968)
• "Yellow Submarine" (1968)
• Abbey Road (1969)
• "Let It Be" (1970)

Films about the Beatles

• "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)
• Help! (1965)
• "Yellow Submarine" (1968)
• "Let It Be" (1970)
• "Imagine: John Lennon" (1988)
• "Becoming John Lennon" (2009)
• "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" (2011)
• "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week" (2016)

Solo projects of The Beatles members

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney released his first solo album before the breakup of The Beatles, modestly calling it "McCartney" (1970). Despite the fact that the gap between the members of the legendary group at that time was already obvious, for McCartney this became a source of serious feelings. After some seclusion, the musician released the album "Ram" (1971), the composition of which was awarded the Grammy. At the same time, Paul's early creations were smashed by both critics and his former partner, John Lennon.

Feeling insecure about being a soloist, McCartney created The Wings, with whom he released 7 albums from 1971 to 1979. Solo Sir Paul recorded 16 studio albums, many of which went platinum. The last record of the ex-Beatle at the moment is “New” in 2013. World stars, such as Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp, have repeatedly starred in McCartney's videos.

John Lennon

Perhaps the most striking and at the same time transient among the former members of the Beatles was the solo career of John Lennon. It seems that it could not be otherwise - John has always been distinguished not only by a complex character, but also by the desire to create something categorically new and sometimes avant-garde. No less significant for him was the expression of a political position through creativity. Together with his second wife, Yoko Ono, he staged various performances, the most famous of which was the "bed interview" Give Peace a Chance (Give this world a chance) in 1969.

For a conditional 10 years of a solo career (Lennon was shot dead on December 8, 1980 at the entrance to his house), the legendary Beatle released 9 studio albums, many of which were recorded in collaboration with Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Phil Spector and Yoko Ono. After the tragic death of the musician, through the efforts of his relatives, several more discs with previously unreleased songs were published.

John Lennon – Imagine

Lennon's work had a huge impact on culture, music, people's views both during his lifetime and after the death of the musician. His most successful records are Imagine (1971) and Double Fantasy (1980).

Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr, like George Harrison, during the existence of the Beatles, of course, was in the shadow of Paul and John. Although he, like the rest of the members, composed a lot of music, his compositions were practically not involved in the group's repertoire. Not everyone also knew that it was Ringo who sang the most popular song Yellow Submarine. However, after the breakup of the group, Starr immediately continued his solo career.

By 2018, Ringo had already released 19 records, many of which went platinum. Throughout his career, Starr has continued to collaborate with ex-Beatles, for example, Paul McCartney took part in the recording of his latest album “Give More Love” (2017).

In 2012, Ringo Starr was named the richest drummer in the world - his fortune at that time was already about $ 300 million.

George Harrison

Low-profile guitarist George Harrison didn't often get the green light to use his compositions in the band either, but he was credited with some of the best songs of their late work "While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Something" and "Here Comes the Sun" .

In Harrison's solo work, no one could slow down: for example, he recorded 10 studio albums in total, the best of which is the triple disc "All Things Must Pass" (1970), among the compositions of which the song of the same name and the song "My Sweet Lord" are especially noted. Harrison, who converted to Hinduism in the late 60s, was strongly influenced by Indian sacred music and religious texts in his work. The musician died of lung cancer in November 2001.

The Beatles (MFA: [ðə ˈbiː.tlz]; separately, the members of the ensemble are called the "Beatles", they are also called the "Magnificent Four" [eng. Fab Four] and the "Liverpool Four") - a British rock band from Liverpool, founded in 1960 year, which included John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, Ringo Starr. Also at various times in the group were Pete Best, Stuart Sutcliffe and Jimmy Nichol. Most of The Beatles' compositions were co-authored and signed with the names of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. The band's discography includes 12 official studio albums, released from 1963-1970, and 211 songs.

Starting by emulating the classics of American rock and roll of the 1950s, The Beatles came to their own style and sound. The Beatles had a significant impact on rock music and are recognized by experts as one of the most successful bands of the 20th century, both in a creative and commercial sense. Many famous rock musicians admit that they became such under the influence of the songs of The Beatles. Since the release of the single "Please Please Me / Ask Me Why" in 1963, the group began their ascent to success, giving rise to a global phenomenon with their work - Beatlemania. The four were the first British band to hit the US charts and top the charts, and began the worldwide recognition of British bands and the Merseybeat sound of rock music. The musicians of the group and their producer and sound engineer George Martin own innovative developments in the field of sound recording, combining various styles, including symphonic and psychedelic music, as well as filming video clips.

Rolling Stone ranked The Beatles #1 on their list of the greatest artists of all time. On the Rolling Stone 500 list, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. The group has won ten Grammy awards. All four, in recognition of their services to the country, were awarded MBE orders. As of 2001, over 163 million of the group's CDs have been sold in the US alone. The total sales of media content units (discs and cassettes) associated with the group have so far exceeded one billion copies.

The Beatles stopped working together in 1970, although Paul and John had been running their own projects since at least 1967. After the breakup, each of the musicians continued their solo careers. John Lennon was assassinated near his home in 1980, and George Harrison died of cancer in 2001. Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr continue to be creative and write music.

Main participants:
John Lennon
Paul McCartney
George Harrison
Ringo Starr

Others:
Stuart Sutcliffe
Pete Best
Jimmy Nichol

The band's official discography:
1. "Please Please Me" (1963)
2. "With the Beatles" (1963)
3. "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)
4. Beatles For Sale (1964)
5. "Help!" (1965)
6. "Rubber Soul" (1965)
7. "Revolver" (1966)
8. Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967)
9. "The Beatles (White Album)" (1968)
10. "Yellow Submarine" (1969)
11 Abbey Road (1969)
12. "Let It Be" (1970)

The Beatles are a phenomenal group without which modern music would be completely different. Every second musician today claims that he was influenced by the work of the Beatles, regardless of which country he lives in. The group's total sales of records, cassettes and discs exceeded 1 billion copies. The Beatles' style cannot be confused with anyone else - you can not listen to them, but it is impossible not to know them.

History of creation and composition

The history of the group began in Britain in the 50s, during the era of the general boom of musical groups. Anyone who could play the guitar, drums or banjo at least a little, aspired to get into the "band".

When school was left behind and it was necessary to decide what to do next, all three chose music without hesitation. The members agreed that the band needed a new name. There were a lot of options: "Rainbows", "Johnny and the Moon Dogs", "Beetles" - The Beetles. The latter option formed the basis of the original name.

There is a legend that Lennon saw the word beatles in a dream - supposedly a man in flames appeared to him and dictated the name of the band. According to a simpler version, the word was chosen because it had the root beat, meaning a rhythmic beat or drum beat.

In January 1960, Stuart Sutcliffe joined the musicians, becoming a bass player, although he had to learn to play literally “on the go”. At this time, the group performed in their native Liverpool and occasionally toured the UK. In the summer, the Beatles were invited to concerts in Hamburg. To accept the invitation and appear on stage as a classic beat band, they had to urgently find a drummer. They became Pete Best, who had previously performed in the Liverpool ensemble The Blackjacks.

The first foreign tours took place in conditions close to extreme: they had to work a lot, the pay was low, there were problems with documents, because of which, as a result, the musicians were deported from the country. Despite this, a year later, the Beatles soloists, having received a second invitation to Hamburg, agreed, and this time everything went much calmer.

In Germany, the musicians met Astrid Kirchherr, an art student who began an affair with Sutcliffe. It was she who organized the first professional photo session for the group and came up with an original image for them: new hairstyles, instead of the previous concert leather jackets - jackets without collars and lapels.

Hairstyles and costumes of The Beatles

The Beatles returned home as a quartet: the bass player decided to stay in Germany with Astrid. There Stuart became famous as a talented artist, but his creative biography turned out to be very short: at the age of 21, the young man died of a brain hemorrhage.

For the next 2 years, the musicians regularly performed in their hometown, at the Cavern Club. During 1961-1963 they played 262 concerts there. The group's popularity grew, although at that time their repertoire consisted mainly of other people's musical works. The author's duet of Paul and John created new songs, but preferred to put them "on the table", not hoping for success. The works saw the light only when the Beatles found a producer - Brian Epstein.

Prior to this, Epstein had no professional experience in promoting: before meeting the musicians, he traded records, but the work of the young Beatles seemed promising to Brian. Most labels did not share his enthusiasm, but he managed to get a contract with EMI on the condition that the guys write at least 4 more singles.

“He spelled out in the most accurate way what we were supposed to do, and it all seemed more real,” Lennon recalled. “Until Brian showed up, we were living in a dream.”

Before recording the first album, Pete Best left the band. The girl's favorite and the most attractive member, he could not cope with the studio work, which turned out to be much more difficult than the live one, and was forced to leave the group. On August 16, 1962, he joined The Beatles.

Music

In 1963, the Beatles' debut album, Please Please Me, was released. The material was collected at an accelerated pace and managed in almost a day. In addition to other people's hits, it included author's songs by Lennon and McCartney. The musicians agreed in advance that they would sign the compositions with exactly two names, and kept this tradition to the end, even though the last songs were written separately.

Love Me Do by The Beatles

In the same year, the Beatles' discography was replenished with the second album With the Beatles, which became the beginning of the "Beatlemania" in the homeland of the musicians. The scale of the hobby, dubbed “national hysteria” by the media, turned out to be extraordinary: whole crowds came to the performances, the audience densely packed not only the halls, but also the surrounding streets, they were ready to stand on the street for hours to hear at least echoes of the concert. Applause and enthusiasm sometimes became so stormy that the musicians at the performance did not hear themselves.

She Loves You by The Beatles

In 1964, the Beatlemania epidemic took over the United States. For the next 2 years, the musicians live according to a schedule scheduled to the minute: tours, concerts, work from the studio, TV appearances, radio broadcasts and filming did not give the slightest respite. During this time, the British rock band from Liverpool recorded 5 albums and 2 videos - Paperback Writer and Rain.

Despite the crazy work schedule, the musicians found time for their personal lives, trying, however, to hide it from fans. John Lennon was the first to marry in 1962. The marriage, in which the son Julian was soon born, lasted 6 years and broke up when the musician met. An extravagant Japanese woman changed Lennon's whole life and actively interfered in the affairs of the group, for which the rest of the musicians disliked her. It was to her that Lennon dedicated the ballad Don't Let Me Down.

Don't Let Me Down by The Beatles

Ringo Starr was the second to marry - they lived with Maureen Cox for 10 years and gave birth to three children. George Harrison married Patti Boyd in 1966, but in 1974 his wife left him for. Paul McCartney married Linda Eastman in 1968, with whom he lived until the end of her life.

In 1965, the group received the Order of the British Empire for their contribution to the development of culture, which caused a big scandal. Previously, there were no musicians among the owners of such a high award, and some gentlemen declared their unwillingness to stand in the same row with pop idols. 4 years later, Lennon protested against the British intervention in the Biafro-Nigerian war and returned the Order.

Movie

For the first time, the Liverpool Four acted in films in 1964. A Hard Day's Evening was created in the feature film genre and produced in just 8 weeks. The musicians did not need any special acting work: it was a movie about the daily life of the group - concerts, fans, tours. The film was a success among fans and was twice nominated for an Oscar, and the soundtrack was released as a separate album.

Song Yesterday by The Beatles

The following year, the tape "Help!" featuring the Beatles. For the first time, the famous Yesterday appeared on the record with music for it, which entered the Guinness Book of Records in terms of the number of arrangements and interpretations (today more than 2 thousand are known)

Yellow Submarine song by The Beatles

In 1968, the musicians became the heroes of the Yellow Submarine cartoon. Prior to this, the band members tried to create their own movie, but the picture Magical Mystery Tour received rather low ratings from both the public and critics.

Decay

In 1966, the group ceased to give "live" concerts and went headlong into studio work. A year later, the album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, which many consider the best in the history of the band. Meanwhile, the musicians' relationship is cracking. The Beatles, tired of fame, announced their desire to do personal projects.

Song Come Together by The Beatles

In 1967, Brian Epstein suddenly died of an overdose of sleeping pills. They couldn’t find a full-fledged replacement for him, but, having joined forces, the Beatles recorded 3 more records: The White Album (1968), Abbey Road (1968) and Let it be (1970), as well as the single Come Together (1969).

Soon after, Paul McCartney's first solo album was released. In an interview, he actually draws a line under the history of The Beatles. The last photo of the band in full force was taken on August 22, 1969, near the estate of John Lennon, in Tittenhurst Park.

After the collapse, a series of lawsuits began over copyrights to the notes, lyrics and the band's emblem, the results of which are still conflicting on the Web.

10 years later, the musicians began to think about the revival, but these plans were not destined to come true. In 1980, John Lennon was killed by a mentally unstable fan. Together with his death, the hope for the restoration of the group also died. So the great Beatles finally became a thing of the past.

George Harrison died in 2001 from a brain tumor.

The Beatles now

Ringo Starr and Paul McCartney remain on stage. In January 2014, they received an honorary Grammy Award for their contribution to the development of the music of the 20th century.

The career of former drummer Pete Best was not easy. He changed several bands and tried to do solo work, but unsuccessfully.

In 1968, he decided to quit music and entered the civil service, but 20 years later he began to appear in public again and created his own group, The Pete Best Band, which now regularly performs with concerts in the United States.

Discography

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

Clips

• 1963 – Please Please Me
• 1964 - I Should Have Known Better
• 1996 – I Wanna Hold Your Hand
• 1967 – Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds
• 1969 - Don't Let Me Down
• 1969 - Get Back
• 1968 - Glass Onion
• 1968 – All Together Now
• 1968 - Lady Madonna
• 1970 - The Long And Winding Road
• 1973 - You "ve Got To Hide Your Love Away