Beatles song based on Bach?
None of The Beatles had a background in classical music.
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Why was early Dylan a key influence?
Always intensely competitive, The Beatles monitored the output of their rivals closely. None came close to matching their commercial success, but they did consider Bob Dylan an artistic peer Why Dylan loomed large The two most influential pop acts of the 1960s were initially wary of each other. As the world was going Beatles-mad, Bob told pals he had no time for 'bubblegum music'. Paul, for his part, dismissed the 'folk crap' he had not actually heard. Meanwhile, the rivals were busy checking each other out. McCartney has said that he first came across a physical copy of Freewheelin' (1963) during a radio interview. This then mysteriously ended up back at The Beatles' hotel suite, where they famously 'wore it out'. Meanwhile, Bob was grasping that these British guys weren't going anywhere soon. He began listening more closely. The Beatles' record sales dwarfed those of Bob Dylan. In terms of musical influence, the relationship was inverse. Paul M...
Who was 'Mean Mr Mustard?
John Lennon was later embarrassed about the source of one of his contributions to the Abbey Road medley. It was based on a newspaper story he read early in 1967.
First pop single sample?
On 29 September, I967, John Lennon worked with George Martin and the Abbey Road sound engineers on a potential new Beatles single.
Christmas 1960
In December 1960 The Beatles returned to Liverpool from Hamburg, where they had built a reputation as a live act. This earned them a prestigious new date for 27 December 1960 as the headliners at the Litherland Town Hall Ballroom. This was arranged by the influential local DJ, Bob Wooler — months later the victim of an infamous assault by John Lennon. Wooler announced them on stage in typically hyperbolic fashion: Direct from Hamburg — the sensational BEATLES The performers on stage were dressed in black leathers and drainpipe trousers. They had American guitars and amps and seemed from another more exotic world. Some in the crowd were amazed that these strange Germans spoke to the audience in fluent Scouse speakers, . To a roar from the packed hall, Paul launched into Little Richard's Long Tall Sally.
Which Beatle was 'late but very keen?
Outside Paul's family home in the early 1960s Soon after first seeing them at the Cavern, Brian Epstein invited The Beatles for a formal meeting at his office. This was arranged for the afternoon of Sunday 3rd December 1961 at 4.30. Epstein wanted to manage the band but had doubts about their reliability and professionalism. The Beatles for their part had achieved success in Hamburg and Liverpool but had no record deal or national profile John, George and Pete took the bus to the meeting. They arrived on time - but after forty five minutes there was still no sign of Paul. A call was made to the McCartney family home. This revealed that Paul had just got up and was having a bath. Epstein exploded, "How can he be so late for such and important meeting?" To which Harrison famously replied, "He may be late but he's very clean". A frosty silence melted into laughter. Why was Paul so late? On one level Paul's lateness was symptomatic of what Epstein...
How did Brian Epstein become The Beatles manager
"I heard about them through a lad who was asking for a record by them in one of my stores, or my family’s stores in October 1961," Brian Epstein, 1964 Always diligent, Brian Epstein tracked down the record My Bonnie by Tony Sheridan and The Beatles, recorded in Hamburg. Staff informed him The Beatles, he learned were a local band who regularly played in a local club, close to the shop. Epstein decided to check them out Brian Epstein first saw The Beatles at the Cavern on November 9, 1961. He came backstage and then attended more gigs over the next few weeks. Then he told his brother he wanted to manage them. It was an extraordinary decision but Epstein's CV had followed an unusual trajectory. Before agreeing to manage the family business he had trained as an actor at RADA and his musical preferences were classical. Epstein was also homosexual at a time when it was still illegal. This was not uncommon in the entertainment business but Brian appeared to court danger by hav...
Worst Lennon song?
"one of the Beatles most dispensable items". [8] Run for Your Life’, I always hated ... because it was a song I just knocked off Lennon Remembers Few would argue with this assessment. Thomas Ward diplomatically suggests that it is one of the Beatles most dispensable items".[8] while Ian MacDonald is characteristically forthright ('a dismal track'). 'Run for Life' was the first song recorded for what would become Rubber Soul. It was 'knocked off' during a break between the filming of Help and their return to Abbey Road in October 1965. Words One reason Lennon was later embarrassed by the song was what MacDonald calls its 'lazily sexist lyric'. Even allowing for the different social climate, 'you better run for your life ... or that's the end' has an unpleasant menacing edge. The words and the sentiment came from the old Elvis song 'Baby, Let's Play House'. There was a line on it; I used to like specific lines from...