The Beatles, one of the famous British band which in the 1960s. The principal members were Paul McCartney (June 18, 1942), John Lennon (October 9, 1940), George Harrison (February 25, 1943- November 29, 2001) and Ringo Starr (July 7, 1940).
The Beatles, one of the famous British band which in the 1960s. The principal members were Paul McCartney (June 18, 1942), John Lennon (October 9, 1940), George Harrison (February 25, 1943- November 29, 2001) and Ringo Starr (July 7, 1940). Lennon and McCartney performed together in 1957 in Liverpool, the duo grew out of shared enthusiasm for American rock and roll. Further they made few changes in their band and by the end of 1957 Harrison, lead guitarist and in 1960 Sutcliffe, a promising painter who brought into the band the Bohemian style. After assuming several names for the band like the Quarrymen, the Silver Beetles they finally arrived to the name The Beatles.
In autumn 1961 Brian Epstein, a local Liverpool record store manager saw the band performing and fell in love with their work. Convinced with their work and commercial potential Epstein became their manager and preceded to the British music companies. Finally the band ended up winning a contract with Parlophone, a subsidiary of the giant EMI group of music labels. The man in charge of their career there in Parlophone in was George Martin who suggested to have a more polished drummer for their band and that’s how they chose Starr. George was a classically trained musician who from the very beginning put his stamp over the Beatles and suggested them the best to make their band the best.
Throughout the summer and in the winters of 1963, the Beatles continued to rise in their fame in England by playing classic American rock and roll on a variety of BBC programs. The band lately got a lot of success and criticism as well but every coin has two phases, in the same way with fame comes success, responsibility and criticism. In 1966 the Beatles announced their retirement from public performing. More than a band of musician, the Beatles personify the minds of millions of people especially of young listeners, the joys of new counter culture hedonism and uninhibited experimentation; with music and with new ways of life. The band members experimented with drugs and also with exotic forms of meditation and yoga’s technique taught to them by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, guru from India.
The Beatles reinvented the meaning of Rock and Roll in those years. The artists they admired were- Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Bob Dylan, Elvis Presley and Buddy Holly...they were widely recognised as a source of inspiration for the aspiring young rock musicians. The songs that Beatles wrote and recorded expanded the scope of genre they had inherited.
But there are few things that we probably know about The Beatles are,
- The band members officially broke up at the Disney World.
- They even planned to start their own utopian community on Greek island.
- The Beatles were the first to do the devil horn feature rock hand on an album cover
- The Beatles have been named, among the 20th century most influential people.
- The Beatles received 15 Ivor Novello Awards from British Academy of songwriters, composers and authors.
Hippie Culture and Beatles in 1962
In 1962, the United States was shocked by a counterculture influence that permeated the mainstream, influencing popular music of that time and demanding the attention of media. Known as, The Summer of Love marked the influence of hippie on America. The hippie movement evolved from the Beatnik counterculture of the previous decade. The Beatles who were also known as the hipsters retreated the mainstream via their music. Like that of the hippies who would follow, they emphasised the importance of consciousness through the use of drugs. The term ‘hippie’ originally ‘the beats’ derogatory term of the hippie became nationally recognised in 1960s.
The Beatles made an impact on history through their new style of music, remaining popular for so long. The Beatles were literally a turning point in history. All of their music from Abbey road to The White Album.
