MUS144G

August 2014

Michael de Alwis | 5948597

MUS144G | Turning Points in Western Music

Assignment One: The Beatles in the 60s

Formed in Liverpool, 1960, the Beatles, comprised of John Lennon, Paul McCartney,
George Harrison and Ringo Starr, are arguably the most influential band of all time.
While staying at the forefront of popular music, by 1968, the Beatles had progressed
from light entertainment pop, to musically sophisticated and serious adult rock. With
unmatchable experience, and the influence of wealth, drugs, and a vast array of
musical styles, it was the Beatles constant reinvention and innovation that allowed
them to progress further and faster than the rest.

Shortly after their formation, the Beatles relocated to Hamburg, Germany. While
their initial stay lasted only three months, the band would amass hundreds of hours
of playing time often playing over six hours a night. Writing on Hamburg, Lennon
recalled:
Every song lasted 20 minutes and had 20 solos in it. That's what improved
the playing. There was nobody to copy from. We played what we liked best
and the Germans liked it as long as it was loud." (John Lennon, The Beatles
Anthology)
The Beatles returned to Liverpool with a look and sound nobody had seen before
and experience no other band could match.

By the 1960s in the United States, popular music had lost many of its biggest
names. Following the period widely regarded as The Death of Rock n Roll,

MUS144G

August 2014

Michael de Alwis | 5948597

American popular music was dominated by surf rock, the Motown sound, and
various other pop acts but there was seldom major rock n roll artists. In
November 1963, the nation was hit with tragedy when President Kennedy was
assassinated. The Beatles arrived in America shortly afterwards, and it seemed as
though they had brought rock n roll back to the US at a time when they most
needed it.

The Beatles were pioneers of a generation of musicians who had grown up on rock
n roll. Taking inspiration from American styles and mixing with this their unique
use of the guitar and drums, the presence of classically trained producer George
Martin, and their Liverpudlian accents, allowed the Beatles to quickly capture the
attention of American audiences and set them apart from others. With songs such as
I Saw Her Standing There (1963, Please Please Me), and She Loves You (1963) the
band brought a new wave of positivity and joy at a time of tragedy in the United
States, and set the tone for pop music of the early 1960s.

The success of the Brill Building meant that American popular music had been
dominated by songwriters and manufactured artists. The Beatles were far from this
Lennon and McCartney wrote the songs and audiences responded to their
virtuosity. Unlike house bands from major labels, John, Paul, George and Ringo
were individual personalities who were not interchangeable. There was a Beatle for
everybody, and no clear leader. Their attitude and charisma appealed to audiences
of every age, especially teenagers. Popular music in the United States was

MUS144G

August 2014

Michael de Alwis | 5948597

dominated by images of wholesome, sensible artists; but the Beatles would drink,
smoke, and misbehave. From the moment they arrived it was apparent that the
Beatles werent like the others.

Rather than sticking to the style that brought them into prominence, the Beatles
continued to innovate as they progressed. The complexity and depth of Bob Dylans
lyricism inspired the Beatles to adopt a more sophisticated sound. With the release
of Beatles For Sale (1965), the band was beginning to phase out the themes of
young love, focusing more on autobiographical, folk-inspired lyricism. This was not
an opportunity afforded to those who didnt write their own music. Songs such as
Lennons Im A Loser (1965) were indicative of their shift to more mature and
emotionally driven themes. Meanwhile, groups like the Monkees would emerge as
Beatles replicas, and continue to make the same upbeat, youthful pop while
audiences grew out if it.

Their 1965 album, Rubber Soul, was a breakthrough for the band as it marked their
complete transition away from youth-oriented pop. Money had become a major
factor in the Beatles evolving style. Their wealth allowed them access to inspiration
and resources that other bands simply could not match, and travel was not only an
opportunity, but also a necessity as their popularity spread globally. They would
begin to use rare instruments and cultural sounds, such as the Indian sitar that
appears in songs such as Norwegian Wood. The lyrics were vastly more personal

MUS144G

August 2014

Michael de Alwis | 5948597

and explored themes highly uncommon in pop music at the time, such as in Eleanor
Rigby (1966), which deals with death and isolation.

Not only is Rubber Soul an example of how the Beatles were assimilating styles that
other musicians didnt and couldnt but its also the first album in which we hear
the impact of cannabis and LSD on their music. Drug use had always played a part in
the progression of the Beatles Starr even attributes the use of Preludin as the only
way they could continue to play for so long in Hamburg but it was when the band
began to experiment with marijuana and acid that their music and imagery began to
transform rapidly. Drugs helped the Beatles evolve from the suits and ties of Please
Please Me to the psychedelic, colourful imagery of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club
Band (1967). The music of the Beatles became resonant with hippie culture and
the music was the perfect soundtrack for social revolution in the midst of the
Vietnam War.

By late 1966 the Beatles, exhausted from the constant touring, had made the
decision to become a studio band exclusively. Because of this, they were endorsed
the opportunity to explore and experiment even more with their musical style. They
could make complex music that only studio bands were able to make, as audiences
would hear in Revolver (1966) widely considered the Beatles best album and the
height of their progress as musicians. Despite no longer touring, the invested
interest that audiences had in The Beatles did not diminish as audiences always

MUS144G

August 2014

Michael de Alwis | 5948597

wanted to know just what they would do next. They were unpredictable and always
inventive.

The Beatles managed to stay on top by continually exploring uncommon and

innovative sounds, themes and imagery; refusing to restrict themselves to the
conventions and expectations of pop music at the time. As songwriters, they had
the freedom to explore more emotional and sophisticated ideas as they progressed,
and as their earnings increased so too did their resources and inspiration. Teenagers
struck by Beatlemania in 63 were becoming young adults by 68, and the music of
the Beatles reflected this, allowing them to always stand out, and always maintain
the attention of their fan base.

MUS144G

August 2014

Michael de Alwis | 5948597

Bibliography
Im A Loser | The Beatles Bible. (n.d.). The Beatles Bible. Retrieved August 12, 2014, from
http://www.beatlesbible.com/songs/im-a-loser/

Lennon, J., McCartney, P., Harrison, G., & Starr, R. (2000). The Beatles anthology. San
Francisco: Chronicle Books.

The Beatles and drugs | The Beatles Bible. (n.d.). The Beatles Bible. Retrieved August 12,
2014, from http://www.beatlesbible.com/features/drugs/

Reid, G. (2008, September 8). THE BEATLES IN PRINT: HAMBURG DAYS; Before the
whirlwind (2002). Elsewhere by Graham Reid. Retrieved August 12, 2014, from
http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/absoluteelsewhere/450/the-beatles-in-print-hamburg-daysbefore-the-whirlwind-2002/

Reid, G. (2009, August 31). The Beatles: Rubber Soul (1965). Elsewhere by Graham Reid.
Retrieved August 12, 2014, from http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/essentialelsewhere/2483/thebeatles-rubber-soul-1965/

Reid, G. (2014, July 2). The Beatles: Twist and Shout/Mr Moonlight (1962). Elsewhere by
Graham Reid. Retrieved August 12, 2014, from
http://www.elsewhere.co.nz/fromthevaults/3807/the-beatles-twist-and-shout-mr-moonlight1962/

Shephard, S. (2012, September 24). Bob Dylan and John Lennon's Weird, One-Sided
Relationship. The Atlantic. Retrieved August 12, 2014, from
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/09/bob-dylan-and-john-lennonsweird-one-sided-relationship/262680/