Evolution of The Beatles

The Evolution of The Beatles

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Many observers have said that understanding the success of The Beatles and their music begins with an appreciation for the ways in which they (especially Lennon and McCartney) blended their voices as instruments.

The role of producer George Martin is often cited as a crucial element in the success of The Beatles. He used his experience to bring out the potential in the group, recognising and nurturing their creativity rather than imposing his views.

Their demands to create new sounds with every recording, personal experiments with psychedelic drugs and the studio expertise of EMI staff engineers including Norman Smith, Ken Townshend and Geoff Emerick all played significant parts in the innovative qualities of the albums Rubber Soul (1965), Revolver (1966) and Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).

While most recording artists of the time were satisfied with using two, three or four tracks in the studio, The Beatles began to use linked pairs of four-track decks, and ping-ponging tracks two and three times became common. (EMI delayed the introduction of eight-track recording, already becoming common in American studios, until 1968 at Abbey Road.) Along with studio tricks such as sound effects, unconventional microphone placements, automatic double tracking and vari-speed recording, The Beatles began augmenting their recordings using instruments considered unconventional for pop music at the time, including string and brass ensembles, Indian instruments such as the sitar and the swarmandel, tape loops and early electronic instruments, including John Lennon's Mellotron .

The group gradually took greater charge of their own productions and McCartney's growing dominance in this role, especially after the death of Epstein, played a part in the eventual split of the group. Internal divisions within the band had been a small but growing problem during their earlier career; most notably, this was reflected in the difficulty that George Harrison experienced in getting his own songs onto Beatles albums, and in the growing artistic and personal estrangement between Lennon and McCartney.

Drug use, personal factors and, above all, the unrelenting pressures and demands of their worldwide fame inevitably intensified these stresses. By the time of the sessions for The Beatles (The White Album), released in late 1968, the once close-knit members were clearly drifting apart both musically and personally. Several tracks were cut as de facto solo recordings by the principal composer, with the other band members more or less relegated to the role of session musician. This isolation is probably most notable on Revolution 9, a wildly experimental John Lennon/Yoko Ono concoction of tape loops, "found sounds," and other studio trickery that the other Beatles reportedly despised and tried to keep off the album. However, it was McCartney who had the strongest interest in the music of Karlheinz Stockhausen, whose Hymnen was heavily influential on Revolution 9. Early Beatles use of "tape loops" on Tomorrow Never Knows were assembled primarily by McCartney.

Harrison's While My Guitar Gently Weeps even featured an outside musician (his friend Eric Clapton) performing the guitar solo; Clapton was reportedly brought in as the result of a bitter dispute between Harrison and Lennon that drove Starr to take a two-week hiatus. During this time McCartney played drums on some of the tracks on the album, including Back in the USSR, on which he also overdubbed most of the lead guitar parts. McCartney had played lead guitar solos on selected songs as far as 1966's Taxman (ironically, a Harrison composition). The rapidly deteriorating relationships marred the troubled Get Back sessions in January 1969 — Lennon later denounced them as being the worst recordings of their career — and the project was made even more stressful by the presence of a film crew hired to capture the proceedings for a planned movie (which eventually became the Let It Be documentary).

By this time another very significant factor had emerged — Lennon's passionate affair with Japanese artist Yoko Ono. The couple quickly became inseparable and Lennon further alienated the other Beatles by bringing Ono to almost every recording session, breaking the band's long-standing rule against outsiders at sessions. Ono came to be singled out as "the woman who broke up The Beatles" - although after Lennon's death, the surviving three Beatles denied Ono's presence had been a major influence in the breakup.

However, the band's differences were more or less put aside later in the year for the recording of what became their valedictory album, Abbey Road, which the group later recalled as being among the most enjoyable of their career.

While "The White Album" and the original "Get Back" sessions emphasised a return to basic pop-rock song structures, Abbey Road took a step back in the direction of glossy production, although this time primarily consisting of instrumental backing produced by the classically-trained George Martin to help mold together disparate song fragments into a unified, orchestral suite in the tradition of classical compositions.

Abbey Road featured considerable use of synthesisers, but usually in more conventional musical contexts rather than as a source for bizarre and unusual sound effects.

By the end of 1969 both Lennon and McCartney had effectively left the band and the only piece of unfinished business was the as-yet unreleased "Get Back" project. The Beatles had been very unhappy with the original tapes from the "Get Back" sessions (produced as usual by George Martin), and for some time it looked as if the material would be scrapped altogether. After a delay of several months, American producer Phil Spector was brought in to edit, remix and overdub the tapes, and his heavily-orchestrated "Wall of Sound" production characterised the eventual release of the Let It Be album, released in early 1970 nearly a year after the group had ceased to function on an active basis.

By this time, Lennon and Harrison had effectively decided to leave the band. McCartney made the move official at the start of 1970 when he began legal proceedings to dissolve the band's business partnership.

Each Beatle went on to successful solo careers.

The Beatles in Film

The Beatles had a largely successful film career, beginning with A Hard Day's Night (1964), a loosely scripted comic farce, sometimes compared to the Marx Brothers in style. It focused on Beatlemania and their hectic touring lifestyle, and was directed in a quasi-documentary style in black-and-white by an up-and-coming Richard Lester, who was known for having directed a television version of the successful BBC radio series The Goon Show as well as the offbeat short film The Running, Jumping and Standing Still Film.

In 1965 came Help!, an Eastmancolor extravaganza, also directed by Lester, shot in exotic locations (such as Salisbury Plain, with Stonehenge visible in the background; the Bahamas; and Salzburg and the Tyrol region of the Austrian Alps) in the style of a James Bond spoof along with even more Marx Brothers-style zaniness: For example, the film is dedicated "to Elias Howe, who in 1846 invented the sewing machine."

In 1966, Lennon "went solo" as a supporting character in a film called How I Won the War, again directed by Lester, a satire of World War II movies. The dry, ironic British humour of this film may have been a bit over the heads of the American audience in pre-Monty Python times, as it was well received.

The Magical Mystery Tour film was essentially Paul McCartney's idea, outlined as he returned from a trip to the US in the late spring of 1967 and loosely inspired by press coverage McCartney had read about Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters' LSD-fuelled American bus odyssey. McCartney envisaged taking this idea and blending it with the peculiarly English working class tradition of charabanc mystery tours. The film was critically panned when it aired on the BBC's premier television network, BBC-1, on Boxing Day — a day primarily for traditional cosy family entertainment. The film appeared radically avant-garde by those standards, and instead of showcasing the lovable moptops The Beatles had been up until recently, it showed them as part of the hippie counterculture of 1967 that was at odds with the British establishment of the era. Compounding this culture clash was the fact that BBC-1 at that time still only transmitted programmes in black & white, while Tour was in colour. The film was repeated a few days later on the BBC's secondary channel (BBC-2) in colour, receiving more appreciation, but the initial media reaction is what is most remembered.

The animated Yellow Submarine followed in 1968, but had little direct input from The Beatles, save for a live-action epilogue and the contribution of four new songs (including one holdover from the Sgt. Pepper sessions, Only A Northern Song). It was acclaimed for its boldly innovative graphic style and clever humour, along with the soundtrack. The Beatles are said to have been pleased with the result and attended its highly publicised London premiere.

In 1969 Ringo Starr took second billing to Peter Sellers in the satirical comedy The Magic Christian, in a part which had been written for him. Starr proved to be a reasonable comic actor and later embarked on an irregular career in comedy films through the early 1980's. His interest in the subject led him to be the most active of the group in the film division of Apple Corp.

Let It Be was an ill-fated documentary of the band shot over a four-week period in January 1969. The documentary — which was originally intended to be simply a chronicle of the evolution of an album and the band's possible return to live performance — instead captured the prevailing tensions between the band members. In this respect it unwittingly became a document of the beginning of their break-up. The band initially shelved both the film and the album, instead recording and issuing Abbey Road. But with so much money spent on the project, it was decided to finish and release the film and album (the latter with considerable post-production by Phil Spector) in the spring of 1970. When the film finally appeared, it was after the break-up had been announced, and it was viewed by disappointed fans through the prism of that recent news.

The Beatles Influences

As youths, the members of The Beatles were enthusiastic followers of Elvis Presley. They recorded a number of Presley covers at "Abbey Road" studios, and although these were not released officially until after the group split, bootleg copies have existed since the late 1960s. In interviews over the years, one or the other of The Beatles has stated that if there had not been Elvis Presley, there probably would not have been The Beatles.

Many of the band's influences were American in origin, especially the music of Chuck Berry. They recorded covers of Berry songs Roll Over Beethoven and Rock and Roll Music on their early albums, and also performed many other of his classics in their live repertoire. Chuck Berry's influence is also heard (in altered form) on later recordings such as Everybody's Got Something to Hide Except Me and My Monkey (1968) and Come Together (1969). After Come Together was released, music publisher Morris Levy sued John Lennon for copyright infringement of his song You Can't Catch Me, ultimately resulting in Lennon agreeing to record covers of Levy's songs for his solo album Rock 'n' Roll so that Levy could receive royalties.

British rock-and-rollers, notably Cliff Richard and The Shadows, were an obvious early influence, especially the trend of adopting a band "look." In their early days as performers, the band took some cues from local Liverpool favourites Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, who Starr had played with prior to joining The Beatles.

George Harrison had a fondness for American rockabilly music, particularly that of Eddie Cochran and Carl Perkins. The band's early stage shows featured several Perkins tunes; some of these (notably Honey Don't, featuring an early Starr vocal) they eventually recorded for their albums. Harrison's guitar work remained highly influenced by rockabilly styles throughout the band's tenure.

The Beatles' distinctive vocal harmonies were also influenced by those of early Motown artists in America. Early Beatles staples included faithful versions of Barrett Strong's Motown recording of Money (That's What I Want) and The Marvelettes' hit Please Mr. Postman.

While many of these American influences drew from the blues music form, The Beatles, unlike their contemporaries The Rolling Stones, were seldom directly influenced by the blues. Drawing inspiration from an eclectic variety of sources, their home idiom was closer to pop music (during their early fame they were sometimes referred to as a "mod" band, a label they seem to have resisted).

The Beatles were also fond of Little Richard and some of their songs (especially in their early repertoire) featured falsetto calls similar to his, most notably on McCartney's rendition of his song Long Tall Sally. In 1962 Richard socialised with The Beatles around Hamburg and they performed together at the Star Club. Long Tall Sally became a permanent fixture in The Beatles' concert performances.

Apart from the up-beat, optimistic rock and roll sound of Little Richard and others, McCartney's influences include ragtime and music hall, owing much to his father's musical interests. Their impact is apparent in songs like When I'm Sixty-Four (composed during The Quarrymen period), Honey Pie, and Maxwell's Silver Hammer. Of their early single, From Me to You, McCartney said, "It could be done as an old ragtime tune... especially the middle-eight. And so we're not writing the tunes in any particular idiom." His songwriting was also influenced in part by Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys, who was in turn spurred on by The Beatles' work. Wilson acknowledged that the American version of Rubber Soul challenged him to make Pet Sounds, an album which then inspired McCartney's vision of Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band.

The Everly Brothers were another influence. Lennon and McCartney consciously copied Don and Phil Everly's distinctive two-part harmonies. Their vocals on Love Me Do and Please Please Me were inspired by the Everlys' powerful vocal innovation on Cathy's Clown (1960), the first recording to ever reach number one simultaneously in the USA and England. Two of Us, the opening track on Let It Be is overtly composed in the Everly style and McCartney acknowledges this in the recording with a spoken Take it Phil. McCartney later namechecked 'Phil and Don' in his solo track, Let Em In.

The song-writing of Gerry Goffin and Carole King was yet another influence. Some say that one of The Beatles' many achievements was to marry the relative sophistication of Goffin and King's songs (which used major-seventh chords, for example) with the straightforwardness of Buddy Holly, Berry and the early rock-and-roll performers.

John Lennon's early style has clear relationships to Buddy Holly and Roy Orbison (Misery from 1963 and Please Please Me from 1963). Holly's That'll Be the Day was the first song Lennon learned to play and sing accurately and the first song the proto-Beatles ever put to vinyl. The naming of The Beatles was Lennon's tribute to Buddy Holly's band, The Crickets. The Beatles covered Holly's Words of Love on their album Beatles for Sale.

With You've Got to Hide Your Love Away (Help!) and Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown) (Rubber Soul) from 1965, Lennon began to show a heavy Bob Dylan influence. Lennon is said to have been stunned by Subterranean Homesick Blues, and wondered how he could ever outdo it. He started exploring more complex topics and lyrics and incorporated "folkier" musical styles in some of his songs. And perhaps as a sign of respect, Lennon stopped playing harmonica when Dylan became iconically associated with the instrument. The growing complexity of the group's lyrics after 1965 owe much to Dylan.

Lennon is conventionally portrayed as having played the major role in steering The Beatles towards psychedelia (Rain and Tomorrow Never Knows from 1966, and Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds, Strawberry Fields Forever and I Am the Walrus from 1967). Again following the lead set by Bob Dylan, Lennon renewed his interest in rootsy forms towards the close of The Beatles' career (e.g. Yer Blues from 1968 and Don't Let Me Down from 1969).

Paul McCartney is usually cast as the group's romantic balladeer, and he displays a singular ear for melody and an arguably unrivalled facility for writing classic pop songs in a wide range of genres, ranking alongside Irving Berlin, Cole Porter and the Gershwin brothers as one of the greatest popular song writers of the 20th century. However, in recent years since the deaths of Lennon and Harrison, he has insisted in a number of media interviews that he was far more involved in the London avant garde scene than was Lennon, and that he was in some respects the more "experimental" of the two.

Beginning with his evocative but understated use of a string quartet on Yesterday (1965), McCartney pioneered a modern form of art song, exemplified by the double-quartet string arrangement on Eleanor Rigby (1966), Here, There and Everywhere (1966) and She's Leaving Home (1967). He also created many of the tape loops used on Tomorrow Never Knows and experimented with musique concrete techniques and electronic instruments, as well as creating many experimental audiovisual works. His interest in the music of Bach led him to use a piccolo trumpet in his arrangement of Penny Lane and, although the Mellotron at the start of Strawberry Fields Forever belonged to Lennon, it was McCartney who played it.

McCartney retained his affection for the driving R&B of Little Richard in a series of songs Lennon dubbed "potboilers", from I Saw Her Standing There (1963) to Lady Madonna (1968). Helter Skelter (1968), arguably an early heavy metal song, is also a McCartney composition. McCartney's lyrical style evolved a more detached, literary stance than in the increasingly personal and confessional work of Lennon, and Lennon was reported to have become more critical of McCartney's writing in the mid-Sixties.

George Harrison derived his early guitar style from 1950s rockabilly figures such as Carl Perkins, Scotty Moore (who worked with Elvis Presley) and Duane Eddy, but his single biggest influence as a guitarist came from country guitar legend Chet Atkins. All My Loving (1963) and She's a Woman (1964) are prime examples of Harrison's early rockabilly-influenced guitar work.

In 1965 Harrison broke new ground in pop by playing an Indian sitar on Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). His long collaboration with Sri Ravi Shankar, a famous Hindustani Musician, influenced several of his compositions, some of which were based on Hindustani forms — most notably Love You To (1966), Within You Without You (1967) and The Inner Light (1968). Indian music and culture also influenced Lennon and McCartney, with the use of swirling tape loops, droning bass lines and mantra-like vocals on Tomorrow Never Knows (1966) and Dear Prudence (1968). Harrison's interest in Indian music was an important influence on the popularisation of the so-called world music genre in the years that followed.

Harrison retained Western musical forms in his later compositions, emerging as a significant pop composer in his own right, although occasionally reprising major themes indicating his relationship with Hindustani music and the Hindu god Krishna. His later guitar style, while not displaying the virtuosity of Jimi Hendrix or Eric Clapton, was distinctive with its use of clear melodic lines and subtle fills as in Something (1969) and Let It Be (1970), contrasting with the increasingly distorted riffs and rapid-fire guitar solo work of his contemporaries.

Ringo Starr rarely wrote songs, but he possessed a gentle, somewhat comic baritone; his best-known vocal performances are Yellow Submarine (1966), With A Little Help From My Friends (1967) and Octopus's Garden (1969). In addition to his skilled (and arguably underrated) drumming and his comical everyman image, he was also a considerable influence on Lennon's songwriting due to his quirky and often amusing turns of phrase. Three of these were immortalised in the songs A Hard Day's Night, Eight Days A Week and Tomorrow Never Knows. As evidenced by his Beatles vocal performance on Help! (their cover of Buck Owens' Act Naturally), Starr was a dedicated country music fan and was largely responsible for the group's occasional forays into the genre in songs such as What Goes On (1965) and Don't Pass Me By (1968).

Later Beatles material shifted away from dance music and the pace of the songs is often more moderate, with interest tending to come from melody and harmonic texture rather than the rhythm (Penny Lane from 1967 is an example). Throughout their career The Beatles' songs were rarely riff (or ostinato)-driven; Day Tripper (1965) and Hey Bulldog (1969, recorded 1968) are among the notable exceptions.

The decision to stop touring in 1966 caused an abrupt change in musical direction. Reportedly stung by criticism of Paperback Writer, The Beatles poured their creative energies into the recording studio. They had already shown a clear trend towards progressively greater complexity in technique and style but this accelerated noticeably in their Revolver album. The subject matter of the post-touring songs branched out as well, as all manner of subjects were introduced, from home repair and circuses to nonsense songs and others defying description.

The extreme complexity of Sgt. Pepper's reached its height on the Yellow Submarine soundtrack album, parts of which (for example It's All Too Much and Only a Northern Song) were left over from 1967 and were apparently used because The Beatles themselves weren't much interested in the animated film as a project and weren't inclined to exert themselves by producing much new material for it.

After the Revolver/Sgt. Pepper's phase, came the double LP The Beatles, known to most as The White Album because of its plain white sleeve. Partly written in India, it involved some simpler subjects (for example "Birthday"), and some of the songs (for example "Why Don't We Do It in the Road?" and "Wild Honey Pie") were far less complex than their material of just a year or two before. In 1969 the band became less united during sessions for the abortive Get Back project (which eventually emerged in 1970, much altered, as Let It Be). This had been intended as a return to more basic songs and an avoidance of thorough editing or otherwise "artificial" influences on the final output. Ironically Let It Be was heavily overdubbed and edited by producer Phil Spector in his wall of sound technique. With Get Back behind them, George Martin was asked to produce the last album The Beatles recorded, Abbey Road, representing a mature attempt to integrate what they knew and use recording studio techniques to improve the songs rather than experiment to see what happened.

For many, the group's musical appeal lay in the interaction of Lennon and McCartney's voices and musical styles. It is sometimes said they not only supplied missing bits and pieces for each other's songs, but shared a competitive edge that brought out the best in both. Harrison's lead guitar and vocals along with Starr's understated and faithful drumming contributed their own chemistry. Finally, The Beatles' stage presence and charm as a group kindled their live shows, as well as relationships with key people in their careers. After the group dissolved some critics cited their solo releases as a demonstration of how important this group collaboration had been.

They remain enormously popular. In 1995 and 1996, three Anthology collections of CDs were released, each containing 2 CDs of never-before-released Beatles material, based on the Anthology documentary series. 450,000 copies of Anthology 1 were sold in its first day of release, the highest volume of single-day sales ever for an album. In 2000, a compilation album named 1 was released, containing almost every number 1 single released by the band from 1962 to 1970. The collection sold 3.6 million copies in its first week and more than 12 million in three weeks worldwide, becoming the fastest-selling album of all time and the biggest-selling album of the year 2000. The collection also premiered at #1 in the United States and other countries.

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Further Information

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The BEATLES Blog - For everything FAB FOUR related

BEATLES - Day By Day - 10/5/63
Saturday, 5 October, 1963 The Beatles embark on a three date mini-tour of Scotland with a performance at the Concert Hall on Argyle Street in Glasgow.
BEATLES - Day By Day - 10/4/63
Friday, 4th October, 1963 The Beatles make their debut on the UK’s top rated TV pop program, Ready, Steady, Go! The show was transmitted live between 6:15pm and 7:00pm from the Associated-Rediffusion studios at Televsion House in London. Even though the show was live the groups mimed while surrounded by dancing teenagers. The Beatles performed Twist & [...]
BEATLES - Day By Day - 10/3/63
Thursday, 3rd October, 1963 The Beatles start the day at the EMI Abbey Road Studios in London without George. During the morning Ringo ovedubs vocals for I Wanna Be Your Man. George arrives back from his visit to the US around lunch time and the group moves over to the NEMS Enterprises London offices on Monmouth Street [...]
BEATLES - Day By Day - 10/2/63
Wednesday, 2nd October, 1963 John, Paul and Ringo return to the UK from their vacations.
Rare Unused Beatles Comics Cover
The San Diego Reader recently posted an extensive detailed piece on the story of Revolutionary Comics who produced a series of notorious unauthorized comic book “biographies” of various Rock groups. The Beatles were published in several issues. The blog post included this this unused cover art for “The Beatles Experience” #5 featuring the Fab Four and [...]
BEATLES - Day By Day - 9/16/63
Monday, 16 September, 1963 After almost nine months of continuous touring, TV and radio appearances, as well as recording sessions, the Beatles took a much needed vacation. John flew to Paris with his wife Cynthia, where they were joined by Brian Epstein. George and his brother Peter flew to the USA to visit their sister Louise. [...]
BEATLES - Day By Day - 9/15/63
Sunday, 15 September, 1963 The Beatles headlined a twelve act variety show at the Royal Albert Hall in London in aid of charity.
BEATLES - Day By Day - 9/14/63
Saturday, 14 September, 1963 The Beatles played a gig at the Memorial Hall in Northwich.
BEATLES - Day By Day - 9/13/63
Friday, 13 September, 1963 The Beatles perform a gig at the Public Hall in Preston. After the gig, Paul McCartney drives 25 miles to the Imperial Ballroom in Nelson to participate in judging for the “Imperial Miss 1963″ beauty pageant.
BEATLES - Day By Day - 9/12/63
Thursday, 12 September, 1963 Still at EMI Studio Two at Abbey Road, The Beatles started the day by recording four speech messages to be used on Australian radio to promote their upcoming tour there. Work then resumed on recording “With The Beatles,” with more takes of “Hold Me Tiger,” “Don’t Bother Me,” “Little Child,” and “I [...]

Beatles Music Blog
Beatles Music Blog

Paul McCartney is My Favorite Beatle

A Young Paul McCartney

I grew up with the Beatles. I was able to watch their first appearance in the US on the Ed Sullivan Show. I know I'm showing my age but thats OK. Paul McCartney was my favorite Beatle since the first time I laid eyes on him. As a young girl I used to dream some day we would marry. I would listen to Beatle music all day, had huge posters in my room, Beatle cards (remember those) and of course all their albums.

Way back then he was dating Jane Asher and I was terribly envious. If I remember correctly, the relationship didn't last long. Fame got in the way and all the girls were throwing themselves at him.

The Beatles lyric in those days was full of melody and innocence. I remember that even my parents liked it. It was the hair cuts they couldn't get past, not to mention those little suits without lapels or collars.

My sisters favorite Beatle was John Lennon. I never really understood the attraction but could not deny his talent.

The Wives of the Beatles
I like the Beatles and I consider myself a fan of Beatles music. However, I?m not so keen on some of the wives of the Beatles members. For example I don?t much like Yoko Ono, the wife of the late John Lennon. Basically I think Yoko Ono is a phony. I hold her responsible for breaking up the Beatles, at least to some extent. Furthermore, I feel that Yoko Ono made her fortune from someone else?s talent. I dare say if John Lennon were still alive he would have divorced her years ago.
Despite the fact that I dislike Yoko Ono, I still don?t think that she is the worst Beatles wife. That title is reserved for Paul McCartney?s ex, Heather Mills. Over in England, Heather Mills is deeply unpopular. When the British public watched the infuriating speech she made following her divorce settlement, they wanted to lynch her. Heather Mills is perhaps the most obnoxious celebrity wife of the 21st century.
When I think about some of their wives, I actually feel a bit sorry for the lads from the Beatles. When you are that rich and famous, it must be difficult to ascertain whether the people you meet are genuinely interested in who you are as a person.

Beatles Music Can Inspire Interesting Conversations

I recently discovered that Beatles music can actually be a great conversation starter. I have just returned from a vacation Florida Keys with my husband and parents. One evening we were driving from Key West to our vacation home in Key Colony Beach when some Beatles music came on the radio. The song we heard was Eleanor Rigby, which comes from the 1966 album Revolver. Eleanor Rigby is a John Lennon and Paul McCartney classic. When we heard it that evening it reminded my father that he had once dated a girl called Eleanor. When he mentioned this, my mother said ?Eleanor fleabag? in a disdainful tone of voice that made me laugh out loud. It turns out my father?s ex-girlfriend Eleanor had been infested with fleas. My father only realized it when he came home from a date with her and noticed black specks in his red polo-neck sweater. I never imagined that hearing Beatles music on the radio would lead to a conversation that allowed me to discover more about my parents when they were young. The experience made me wonder what other conversations Beatles music has inspired over the years.

The Beatles Showcased at Yorshire Exhibition
It has almost been four decades since the Beatles went their separate ways but that has not extinguished their popularity in the least bit. People like me who were two generations past their hay day are still listening to their music and falling in love with their sound. This point can be hammered home with a new photo inspired exhibition at Doncaster in South Yorkshire, England that features an array of classic Beatles pictures.

All the money for the exhibition is going to the Bluebell Wood Hospice. While many of the people reading this probably won?t be able to make the journey over the pond to see the photos some will. Beatles music lives on for many of us. The famed photographer, Tom Murray has donated some limited edition photos for the charity. He was at the exhibition talking about his experiences photographing the Beatles back in the late 60?s. His copies have been auctioned off for millions showing how much the Beatles mean to some people. Hopefully more pictures from this exhibit will be available in galleries online.

Why I'll Always Respect The Beatles

John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr were just four ordinary lads from Liverpool. Before they got together to form the most legendary rock and role band of all time, I bet none of them had the faintest idea what the future had in store for them.
What was it about the Beatles that made them so successful? In my opinion, it wasn?t just about their excellent music. The Beatles succeeded because ordinary working class people could easily relate to them. When I look at early pictures of the Beetles, they look similar to the friendly faces I saw growing up in a working class area of northern England. They could easily be some of the lads I went to school with. It seems it would be easy to strike up a conversation with any of them without feeling intimidated. The great thing about the lads from the Beatles is that none of them ever forgot where they came from. Their success and wealth did not go to their heads and turn them into pretentious snobs. Instead they stayed true to their working class roots, and only a fool wouldn?t respect them for that.

Why Beatles Music is Relevant to the 21st Century

Even though their last album came out almost forty years ago, I still think that the Beatles music is relevant to the audiences of today. No, I'm not talking about aging Baby Boomers who put on a Beatles CD so they can relive their glory days. If you pay any attention at all to contemporary popular music, you'll hear a lot of covers of Beatles music, some of them strikingly different from the originals, but still featuring the lyrics written by Paul McCartney, John Lennon. John and and George may have joined the Choir Invisible, but Paul and Ringo are still touring and still thrilling audiences with their musical virtuosity. The reason why Beatles music is still relevant, in my opinion, is that these guys were excellent songwriters. They created music destined to be classic, to be played over and over again, and to last for centuries. In fact, I won't be surprised if we're hearing covers of Beatles music in the spaceport lounges of the future, or in the bars and cocktail lounges that will be appearing on the Moon as it gets colonized in the latter half of this century.

The Music Of John Lennon Lives On

I first became a fan of The Beatles when I was fourteen years old circa 1990, more than twenty-five years after the band first became popular. My fascination with The Beatles began when I watched a documentary all about them. I especially liked John Lennon because I felt that he had more charisma than the other Beatles, and a better singing voice. I knew then that the world had been robbed ten years before when John Lennon was shot dead in New York.
I can vaguely remember the death of John Lennon back in 1980, despite the fact that I was only four at the time. I think the event has remained etched in my memory because both of my parents were shocked and upset about it, as though their had been a death in the family.
John Lennon has been dead for almost twenty-eight years, but his legacy lives on through his music. Whenever you want to see or hear John Lennon perform, you can. Fortunately no maniac with a gun can ever take Beatles music away from us. The Beatles themselves are mortal and we have lost two already, but their music will always live on.

Ringo Starr Spreads Beatles Magic With His Summer '08 Tour

Beatles fans take note! One fourth of the Fab Four is on tour this summer. That's right, Ringo Starr, the most genial and relaxed of the famous quartet has taken his All-Starr Band on tour with a host of Ringo's own tunes on display, and a handful of old Beatles favorites. Backing up Ringo this time out are Colin Hay from Men Down Under, Gary Wright, Billy Squire, Hamish Stewart of the Average White Band, and finally, the great Albino rocker Edgar Winter. Although Ringo shot to fame as the Beatles drummer, on this tour he is only manning the drum kit some of the time. The rest of the time, he is out front, singing his hits, joking with the fans, and appearing to have a splendid time. Among the Beatles music Ringo is performing on this tour are "Yellow Submarine," "I Want to Be Your Man," and "With a Little Help From My Friends." Ringo is also paying tribute to his three old friends and bandmates with a new tune "Liverpool 8" from his latest album. At age 68 Ringo seems hale and healthy, but he's also not a workaholic, so for much of each set the Beatles drummer allows his sidemen to take center stage with some their hits, like "Take a Free Ride," "Dream Weaver," and "Lonely is the Night." Ringo's All-Starr Band began the 31-stop tour in June and will wrap it up on August 2nd.

Ringo Starr is Underrated
When I think about the renowned British rock band The Beatles, I automatically envision John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Even George Harrison springs to mind before Beatles drummer Ringo Starr. To be fair, Ringo Starr probably deserves far more recognition than he commonly receives. As the drummer in The Beatles, Starr initiated a fresh style of rhythm in pop music. If you listen to modern day rock bands, you can tell that many drummers have been heavily influenced by Ringo Starr. In truth, Ringo Starr is a talented, highly efficient and professional musician. His sound is so distinctive that if you were to listen to a Beatles song with every other instrument taken out except the drums, you would probably still recognize it.
Ringo is still active in the music business. He regularly performs at concerts. For example, to celebrate Liverpool's European Capital of Culture year, Ringo played to an audience of twenty-five thousand on January 8, 2008 at eight minutes past eight from the top of St. George?s Hall. He has also continued to make albums since the Beatles broke up in 1970. If you wish to hear some of Ringo Starr?s more recent work, purchase the album Ringo Rama or Choose Love.

Ringo Starr Kicks Off North American Tour
The Beatles may not have performed live for more than four decades but fans still can?t get enough of the music the remaining band members are still making. It has been a long time since Ringo Starr had a mop top but he is still performing with an all star crew he put together. Ringo doesn?t have enough fan support to fill monster arenas anymore but enough Beatles fans will come out to see in him in smaller venues such as the Mohegan Sun in a Connecticut Casino.

Ringo Starr has performed at this venue multiple times even before it was an actual 10,000 seat arena. He kept his music alive and supported the casino venue since it was nothing more than a tent outside of the gambling floor.

This is the tenth time Ringo?s band has gotten together to tour choosing the Mohegan Sun Arena as their second stop on a 31 city North American tour that may be stopping in a city near you over the summer. Ringo performs his own music, classic Beatles songs and some original band music.

Never Before Seen Portraits of Beatles Hit NYC Exhibition
The Beatles are still making headlines after intimate portraits of Ringo Starr and John Lennon went on display in a New York City exhibition yesterday. The portraits have never been released to the public, making them a great weekend activity for all the Beatles music lovers out in New York.

One of the coolest facts about the pictures is that Nancy Andrews, once Ringo Starr?s fianc�e, took some of the pictures. The ones not taken by Andrews are from May Pang who started as the band's personal assistant and became a long time friend of John Lennon. As you can tell, there is a lot of history behind these works.

The two photographers decided it was time to showcase their pictures and what better place to do that than New York City. If interested, each of the women have photo books on the market that document their experiences with the Beatles. Nancy Andrews has a new book call A Dose of Rock N? Roll that hits store shelves in August. Lennon may have passed away decades ago but his face is still recognizable all over the world.

Further Developments? You bet!
Well folks we've got more developments for you on the John Lennon Coffee Table book that I was writing about last go around, (see below) The book is in final stages of completion and we're now ready to start accepting orders! The official title is "Never Before and Never Again: The TV Booking of the Century" Each book will be numbered in a very limited release and earlier orders will garner lower numbers, They're just flying out the door like hot cakes! Promised to appreciate in value! Each book will be sold at the price of $125 plus shipping and handling, please be sure to allow for 3 to 6 weeks for delivery, Orders should be sent to krausstv1972@gmail(dot)com (my period button isn't working)

Keep on rockin! After all, everybody's got something to hide

except for me and my monkey
Mike Douglas Show with John Lennon and Yoko Ono
Attention Beatles lovers!

Do you remember those episodes on the Mike Douglas shows when John and Yoko cohosted? Well, I do and think I?ve hit the motherlode. I bumped into Michael Krauss, the original producer of the shows. It turns out he lives right here in my hometown! I was talking to him about the shows and he showed me some old relics from back in the day. I convinced him to put them together in a scrapbook containing everything.

The scrapbook will contain photos, old interviews, certificates of authenticity, a certificate from the Museum of Broadcast Communications certifying that he is indeed the producer, and a dvd from the man himself talking about the tumultuous time with John and Yoko.

He plans to release a limited amount of numbered scrapbooks but first wants to hold a focus group to discuss the product. If you?re in the Fairfield County or Westchester County area and have an interest, please email me. We?re looking to do this early next week (the first week in June) and we?d love to get as much input as possible.

This is really a once in a lifetime opportunity! You?ll get a chance to meet the producer, a man who worked personally with John and Yoko, as well as get a chance to see this fabulous book before anybody else. You?ll be offered a discount on the product for your input.

My email is jack.mckean@gmail.com. Please just give me a shout if you?re at all interested.

Paul McCartney is Still Rocking

I think one of the reasons that the Beatles have been enduringly popular from the 1960s until now is that ordinary people can relate to them. The Beatles come from working class roots, and none of them ever forgot where they came from. Paul McCartney has always kept it real. That?s why the latest news about him returning to his hometown, Liverpool, to play a show at Anfield stadium for 36,000 fans doesn?t surprise me at all.
The NME music website describes the June 1 event in full. Paul McCartney headlined the show which also included performances by Dave Grohl, Kaiser Chiefs and The Zutons. The show formed part of Liverpool?s celebrations at being voted the European Capital Of Culture for the year 2008.
Paul McCartney played a set of twenty-six songs from The Beatles, Wings and his work as a solo artist. He will be sixty-six years old later this month. How many men of Paul McCartney?s age would have the energy to play a set that long? I am glad that Paul McCartney is still performing for his fans and keeping the spirit of the Beatles alive.

The Sound Of Beatles Music Is Still Fantastic
I have enjoyed the sounds of Beatles music for as long as I can remember. The Beatles were at the height of their popularity when I was a young child, so I remember the Beatles music very well. These fabulous four young men, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr, were music idols that left a lasting impression on the generation that closely followed their unique and original style known as Beatles music. These artists were not only great musicians but also fun loving, enjoyable entertainers that could capture the attention of a crowd and keep them enthralled for the whole performance. It doesn't seem that there are many artists these days that have that same kind of appeal. Occasionally there are groups that come around that show some promise but for the most part Beatles music and Beatles entertainment remains in a class all of its own. I do have to say that recently I did watch a performance of a new band out of Las Vegas, known as Air Raid Anthem, and they put on an excellent stage show that was very entertaining and their music is original and high quality. So there may be some contenders for the role of superb entertainers out there in society after all.