The Beatles

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The Beatles, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr and George Harrison made music history. The English pop group were essentially from Liverpool. They are credited with being one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed musicians in the world of music.

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The Number One English group, Beatles, have most singles and albums that have enjoyed the number one position than any other artist. They are associated with whooping sales of up to over one billion records worldwide, in a single year! The Beatles are internationally acclaimed the ‘Greatest Artists of All Time’ and their innovative music and impact on youth culture is evident even today. With the musical British Invasion they established a musical style that was a perfect blend of rock and roll, skiffle and contemporary group explored genres. The youth aped everything the Beatles did; their clothes, their hair dos, their styles and even their gestures. Their musically extended trend-setting pattern of social awareness in turn, in a way influenced the cultural revolutions around the world.

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In 1957 John Lennon’s skiffle group called Quarrymen took on the expertise of guitarist Paul McCartney. Another young guitarist, George Harrison was invited to join the group amidst hesitation that came up because of his young age. The group adopted other names, including ‘Johnny and the Moondogs’ and ‘Long John and the Beatles’. The name Beatles came from the admiration for Buddy Holly and The Crickets. Lennon came up with the band name Beatles at the Renshaw Hall Bar, over a couple of beers. However, down the years both John Lennon and Paul McCartney claim credit for the name Beatles with an ‘A. The group was very often without a drummer and experimented with Tommy Moore and Norman Chapman and Pete Best. In 1960, George Harrison was deported for bluffing his age to the German authorities, while Best and McCartney were arrested and deported, charged with ‘arson’. Lennon found a romantic interest in Hamburg, Astrid Kirchherr.

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In Hamburg, the group reunited and were recruited by singer Sheridan. A Polydor contract released ‘Mein Herz ist bei dir nur’ or ‘My Bonnie’ recorded by the group, under the name of Tony Sheridan and the Beat Brothers. The Beatles went on to sign a five-year contract with Epstein, in their quest for a British recording contract. However, the North End Music Store and even the Decca Records turned the group down, stating that guitar groups were considered on the way out! Recording engineer Jim Foy referred the group to Sid Coleman, who subsequently directed them towards George Martin. The group finally bagged an EMI one-year renewable contract. In 1962, the group asked Richard Starkey or Ringo Starr to join them and the rest is history!

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The Beatles' hits included Love Me Do, Please Please Me, Till There Was You, I Want To Hold Your Hand, Not A Secod Time, From Me To You and She Loves You. The fame of the band spread internationally and this was the onset of Beatlemania. Serious music critics dubbed them as ‘fresh and euphonious’ for their ability to switch from C major to A flat major. Several radio stations like WMCA, WINS and WABC cashed in on the positive response to the Beatles’ singles. Fans, photographers and journalists, everyone took to the Beatles and the result was hysteria. The Beatles received MBEs at none other than the Buckingham Palace!

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In July 1966, when The Beatles declined an official invitation from the House of the Marcos, the 'snub' resulted in a backlash against the group from conservatives in the United States. Lennon’s statement that the group were more popular than Jesus, had rural churches revolting. Revolver, the most ambitious Beatles album to date, recorded in 1966, is on record as the best sample of a perfect blend of ballad, R&B and soul. The Beatles performed their last concert in San Francisco, in August 1966. The group broke up due to a number of deep divisions between the members and the media hyped the causes of dissension as Lennon's girlfriend and McCartney’s dominating nature. Their final song was Harrison's ‘I,Me,Mine’, recorded without Lennon. Lennon was shot in 1980, and the three surviving Beatles reunited to produce a few of Lennon's home recordings in 1994.