The Beatles

The original Boy Band in the Global Village

Teaching Popular Music
By Professor Rob McMinn.

Yesterday

Post-war Britain

Food Rationing
Rationing started in 1940,
shortly after the start of WW2
Didnt end till 1954, when
meat finally came off the
ration
Sweets and sugar were
rationed until 1953

Girl

War Babies
The Beatles were all
War Babies (born in
Liverpool 1940-1943)

They grew up in
Austerity Britain
They were teenagers
(or nearly) when
rationing ended and
Elvis hit the airwaves

The Silver Beatles

Pauls friend George
Harrison joined the
group.
They were then
known as the Silver
Beatles
Later, just The Beatles
Something

Liverpool & Hamburg

These two seaports, in Britain
and Germany, were where The
Beatles learned their trade
In Hamburg, they would play 6
or more hours per night, often
warming up for strippers
They played a vast repertoire of
rock n roll, show tunes, and
even hits of the day (like
Motown records)

Brian Epstein
Manager of the NEMS
record store in Liverpool
Saw The Beatles playing
in the Cavern Club one
lunchtime

Became their manager in

November 1961
Often seen as The
Beatles Svengali

Suits
Epsteins first move was
to get the Beatles to
wear suits and ties on
stage
He tried to get them a
record contract in
London with little
success
Guitar groups, he was
told, were on the way
out.
With a Little Help from my Friends

Parlophone
Epstein finally got The Beatles
signed to EMIs subsidiary
Parlophone
Producer George Martin was
known for working with Charlie
Drake and The Goons, who
were popular on the radio in
the 1940s and 1950s.
Parlophone mainly released
comedy records, like Charlie
Drakes My Boomerang
Wont Come Back

Composers
The Beatles were delighted to work
with Martin, because they loved The
Goons.
Martin was surprised to find that two
of the group, Lennon and
McCartney could write their own
songs.
The first single, Love Me Do was
released in October 1962 and went
to #17, mainly on the strength of
sales in Liverpool.

First album
Recorded in one
session of about 12
hours
Released March 1963
Included 8 original
Lennon/McCartney
compositions and 6
covers
The Fool on the Hill

Second Album
Released 22 November
1963
Same formula, but also
includes the first George
Harrison song
On the same day,
President John F
Kennedy was
assassinated in Dallas,
Texas

1963

In 1963, The Beatles toured the

UK twice, and released two
albums of 14 songs each
They also released three
additional classic singles,
none of which were on any of
the albums
They also released a Christmas
record, and played the Royal
Variety Performance
By the end of the year, their UK
fan club had 80,000 members
Advance orders for I Want to
Hold Your Hand totalled
700,000

Dont let me down

America
The Beatles were the first British artists to make it big in
the USA
On February 1, 1964, I Wanna Hold Your Hand is #1 in
the US charts
On February 7, The Beatles arrive in the USA
On February 9, 73 million Americans watch them on The
Ed Sullivan Show no crimes are reported while The
Beatles are on TV. Its a HUGE media event
Somehow, they have succeeded in selling a distinctly
British mix of music hall, cheeky comedy, and rock n
roll to an America still mourning the death of JFK

US Chart Records
During the week of 4th
April, 1964, The Beatles
occupied the top five
spots in the Billboard
Hot 100 chart.
They had another seven
singles further down the
chart, making a total of
12 in the top 100 that
week!
All you need is Love

Second US Tour - August/September 1964

 Two More albums

Another film: Help!
Another US Tour,
including a concert at
Shea Stadium in New
York: 56,000 fans, and
the largest concert
attendance ever at
that time...
...and a Christmas
record

1966
Death threats, diplomatic incidents, and the
constant grind of travelling the world take their toll.
The Beatles think their music is suffering and
sometimes fear for their lives.
Controversy follows them everywhere and some
American fans organize Beatle bonfires when
John is quoted as saying that theyre bigger
than Jesus.
They play their final concert at Candlestick
Park, San Francisco, on August 29, 1966.
Revolver, released 5th August, is the beginning
of a new era of sophisticated studio albums.
Hey Jude

1967
After the double A side single
Strawberry Fields Forever
and Penny Lane, The Beatles
release Sgt. Peppers Lonely
Hearts Club Band.
Tracks like A Day in the Life
take popular music to a new
level

1967 - The Global Village

The Beatles take part in the
first global satellite
television broadcast on
June 25, 1967
Its another HUGE media
event!
They sing All You Need Is
Love to an audience of 400
million viewers in 24
countries
Brian Epstein dies 27
August

1968
Start their own record
label: Apple
Release The Beatles
(known as The White
Album), on which they
pastiche just about every
popular musical style
Also release singles
Lady Madonna and
Hey Jude/ Revolution
Get Back

1969
Ill-fated attempt to film themselves recording an album
results in on-camera arguments and misery
They finish the filming with a publicity stunt: a concert
on the roof of their offices in London the police are
called.
In July, record their last album together: Abbey Road,
named after their favorite studio
The group is finished by September, but they dont
announce it till the following year. Continue to issue
singles and albums till 1970
..They still release their annual fan club Christmas

1970

Let it Be, film and album,

are released
Beatles release solo
albums
In 8 years, The Beatles
released 13 albums, plus
countless singles and
EPs, as well as films
In todays music
business, The Beatles
level of output would take
around 25-30 years

Rooftop Concert - January 30th, 1969

Let it Be

What did The Beatles do for us?

Between them, The Beatles reinvented popular songwriting and
pioneered innovative recording techniques
Huge changes in British society are reflected in their image and
music. As a global phenomenon, they ushered in the era of the
so-called Global Village.
Because of The Beatles, most rock groups write their own songs and
fans expect artists to look and sound different from record to record
Because of George Martin, few artists have sounded as good
before or since. The Beatles are the Gold Standard of record
production.
The Beatles opened up the US market to British bands

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Text & Photos:

Teaching Popular Music - Rob McMinn.
Music: AAVM

August 21, 2010