The Beatles ♬
Four boys from Liverpool with exceptional hairstyles started a band. The Beatles not only revolutionized music but also the whole pop industry. Their manager claimed that they were the second largest, right behind Elvis.
Four boys from Liverpool
Most young people today would associate the city of Liverpool with its football team, but the city is also known for one of the world’s biggest rock bands – The Beatles. The band was made up of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They only played together as a band for ten years, but created music that will never be forgotten. These four friends completely changed the history of music forever.
Did you know…?
The Beatles had 17 number one songs in the United Kingdom as well as 20 top positions on the Billboard list in the US. To this day, this is still a record for any rock band.
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The Beatles ankommer USA, Kennedy Airport 1964
From mediocrity to breakthrough
The Beatles’ debut single, ‘Love me do’, was released in 1962. At the time, it wasn’t a huge hit, but it did show that the band had something special. It was with the song “Please Please Me” that they hit the charts in the UK in 1963. The great rock’n’roll star Little Richard became a big fan. He had never heard a sound quite like this from a British band. He actually said that if he hadn’t seen them, he would have thought that the band was African-American.
Did you know….?
“Please Please Me” was meant to be on the B-side of their debut single “Love Me Do.” If it had been such, it would probably never have become such a hit. Coincidence had it that it was released on its own as a single, and as a result, the band had a breakthrough song.
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Platespiller
A recipe for success
At first, the name The Beatles attracted some attention. After this, their sound did the same; their music was very unique, not something that sounded like they came from the industrial town of Liverpool. Then they came up with their distinctive Beatles hairstyle, dressed in suits and had an excellent manager in Brian Epstein.
They worked day and night creating their own music, turning it all into big business for themselves. To them, this wasn’t just a job, but rather a way of life. They would often play for ten hours in a row when recording their debut album.
«Please Please Me» fra 1963.
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The Beatles, Wellington flyplass i 1964
Beatlemania
In the summer of 1963, The Beatles played a gig in Merseyside, Liverpool. It was so hot there that you could have fried an egg! The heat of the music rose along with the temperature of the room. Girls fainted and were removed from the front row, and there was a lot of screaming and shouting. The medics had their hands full that evening, and in many ways it was hysteria. The boys in the band found it all a bit overwhelming, but were equally thankful to have become such an attraction.
Did you know…?
After the gig at Merseyside, the band drove to the nightclub The Blue Angel and were pulled over by the police. Even The Beatles need to keep to the speed limit!
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The Beatles ankommer Schiphol flyplass, 1964
The American Dream
With their song “I Want to Hold Your Hand” in 1964, The Beatles went straight to the top of the charts in the US. All across America they were welcomed as kings, and wherever they went, thousands of fans would flock around them.
When they needed to get on and off stage, the Beatles needed a police escort. Even when they were on stage, the police needed to remove hysterical fans. There was a lot of screaming and shouting. Both men and women copied the Beatles hairstyle and threw candy at them. They played on the Ed Sullivan Show in front of over 70 million viewers.
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The Beatles med Ed Sullivan, 1964
Music videos and revolution
The Beatles were not only about creating music. Their musical comedy film “A Hard Day’s Night” is about a typical day in the life of the band. “Help” is all about a ring that has magical powers. Musically, they were developing all the time, and they weren’t afraid of exploring new musical expressions.
With their legendary album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band”, they truly revolutionized pop music. It is a joyful mix of pop, Indian, and psychedelic music. Their aim was to lead their listeners into a form of musical intoxication.
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Sgt. Pepper's 50 års jubileum i London
The beginning of the end
The album “The Beatles”, from 1968, was the beginning of the end of the band. The album contains 30 songs, and really does not reflect a band in crisis. The album reflects so much musical creativity and joy. The musical imagination was perhaps at the expense of the record cover, and it’s called “The White Album” – because it is completely white.
One of the things that affected the band’s ability to work together was John Lennon’s girlfriend Yoko Ono. During previous studio recordings the band hadn’t allowed any friends, girlfriends or wives to be present. Yoko Ono was different. She was present during the recording of “The Beatles” and put a damper on the mood. She’d sit on Paul McCarney’s amplifier and get involved in the recording. This created a bad atmosphere amongst the band, and Ringo Starr eventually decided to leave.
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The Beatles, The white album
Abbey Road
In 1969, The Beatles made one of their very best albums, but it was now close to the end for the band. The record was meant to be called “Everest” with the album cover being a photo of the peak of Mount Everest, but they changed their minds. Instead, they took a picture at a crosswalk on Abbey Road outside their studio and named the album after the street. This album cover became rather legendary and created many discussions around its symbolic meaning.
On the front cover of the album, there is neither the name of the band nor the name of the album itself. John Lennon is dressed all in white, something that could indicate that he was a religious figure, at the front of a funeral procession? Paul McCartney is barefoot and smoking a cigarette. A white Volkswagen Beetle has a number plate that states 28IF, something that is meant to indicate that McCartney would have been 28 years old if he was still alive at this point. This album cover actually created a whole lot of speculation around whether Paul McCartney really was alive at this point!
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The Beatles Abbey Road
Let It Be
In January 1970, The Beatles played together for the final time in a studio, but it was without John Lennon. The album “Let It Be” was supposed to be a patchwork of previous recordings. The producer was Phil Spector who was a friend of John Lennon’s. Lennon said in an interview that Spector “was given the shittiest load of badly recorded shit with a lousy feeling to it ever, and he made something out of it. He did a great job”. McCartney wasn’t aware of this and was really angry. The album was viewed by the magazine New Musical Express to be a tombstone of paper. It was a sad ending to a wonderful adventure.
Platespiller
John Lennon
John Lennon’s personal goal in 1963 was to become rich and famous. He disliked people that weren’t smart but loved jelly. He played the guitar, the harmonica and the piano.
Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney’s professional goal was to make The Beatles’ sound popular. He disliked shaving and loved to watch TV. He played the bass, the drums, the piano and the banjo.
George Harrison
George Harrison’s personal goal was to design a guitar. He disliked getting haircuts and loved to drive a car. He played the guitar, the piano and the drums.
Ringo Starr
Ringo Starr’s real name was actually Richard Starkey, and his personal goal was to be happy. He did not like Donald Duck but loved fast cars. He played the drums.
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The Beatles med navn
Sources:
- Bergan, Jon Vidar; Forsgren, Arne: The Beatles i Store norske leksikon på snl.no.
Hentet 18. februar 2021 fra https://snl.no/The_Beatles
- Den komplette guiden til The Beatles (2020)
Orage Forlag AS
- Ultimate classic rock (01.09.2022): How Phil Spector turned The Beatles “get back” into “Let it be”
https://ultimateclassicrock.com/phil-spector-let-it-be-beatles/
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