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A History Of The Beatles Essay, Research Paper

Probably the most popular, influential and enduring rock

group of all time, the Beatles almost single-handedly reshaped

rock ‘n’ roll from a genre of throwaway singles by faceless stars to

an artistic medium with memorable images and idols. The Beatles

placed the emphasis on a group, rather than a single individual,

like Frank Sinatra or Elvis. They also set an example for all rock n

roll bands to follow with their strong sense of self-determination,

going against their record company and management on many

issues, even refusing to tour at the height of their popularity. Of

course, their countless hit singles have become modern-day folk

songs, covered by hundreds of individuals and groups and inspiring

countless more, and have sold more copies than those of any other

band in history.

The roots of the Beatles date back to Liverpool, England

in the late 1950s. Inspired by the growing skiffle craze, John

Lennon bought a guitar in March 1957 and formed a skiffle group

called the Quarrymen, named after his high school, Quarry Bank.

The lineup changed frequently, but by October 1959 it consisted of

Lennon, his younger classmate Paul McCartney, George Harrison

and drummer Colin Hanton. By March of 1960, Lennon’s art school

classmate Stuart Sutcliffe joined the band on bass and suggested

the name the Beetles, a play on Buddy Holly’s group the Crickets.

By that summer they were the Silver Beatles, settling on the

Beatles in August. That month the Beatles left for Hamburg, West

Germany, with their new drummer Pete Best, to try to establish

themselves in Europe. The band became a popular local act,

performing at various clubs until they were expelled from the

country in November because George Harrison was underage.

The Beatles returned to Germany in early 1961 to record as a

backup band for singer Tony Sheridan; these sessions were later

released during the mid-’60s as “new” Beatles material, taking

advantage of unsuspecting fans. Meanwhile Sutcliffe had left the

band to pursue his art career and relationship with German

photographer Astrid Kircherr. Paul took over on bass. Ironically,

Stu died of a brain hemorrhage the following year, right before the

Beatle s third Hamburg visit.

Throughout 1961 the Beatles played clubs in Britain,

becoming an underground sensation; they were particularly

famous at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. Though they played mostly

covers, Lennon and McCartney began writing original songs

together, agreeing to forever share songwriting credits, even

though they only co-wrote a handful of tunes during their entire

career as the Beatles. By the end of the year, Liverpool record

store owner Brian Epstein had become the band’s manager, and

quickly began trying to find them a record contract. On January 1,

1962 the Beatles auditioned for Decca Records, performing 12

covers and three originals for A&R assistant Mike Smith. The group

was rejected, however, and told that “guitar groups are on the way

out.” Undaunted, Epstein got the group an audition at Parlophone,

an EMI subsidiary, with producer George Martin, who signed the

Beatles on May 9, 1962. After one recording session, Martin

suggested that drummer Pete Best be replaced, and the Beatles

brought in Ringo Starr (born Richard Starkey), a well-known local

drummer, as his replacement. By October 1962 their first single,

Love Me Do” b/w “P.S. I Love You, was a U.K. Top 20 hit, allegedly

because Epstein bought 10,000 copies himself to ensure that it

would chart. The band became regular guests on the BBC,

performing over fifty times between 1962 and 1964.

In February of 1963 the Beatles returned to the studio to

record 10 songs (in one day!) for their first album, Please Please

Me, which was released the following month. It became an instant

hit, staying at No. 1 in Britain for 30 weeks and by October, female

fans were screaming at their performances , the start of

“Beatlemania.” Following an early November performance before

the royal family, Parlophone released a second Beatles album,

With The Beatles. By the end of the year the group had sold over

2.5 million albums in Britain, and had a string of million-selling

singles.

Naturally, word about this amazing new act soon spread to

America. Yet, ignoring the British success of the Fab Four, EMI’s

U.S. partner, Capitol, refused to issue the first few Beatles singles,

which were instead picked up by the Chicago-based indie label

Vee Jay Records. Vee Jay packaged the early singles as

Introducing the Beatles, their first U.S. LP. During the second half of

1963 it was the only Beatles material available in America, and sold

incredibly well; by 1964 a court awarded the rights to all Beatles

recordings to EMI/Capitol, and the record went out of print, only to

become one of the most counterfeited albums in music history.

In January of 1964 Capitol released their first U.S. Beatles LP,

Meet the Beatles, containing remixed material from their two

British albums. Following a landmark three weekend stint on the Ed

Sullivan show in February of 1964 (viewed by over 73 million

people), the Beatles were the biggest band in America,

“Beatlemania” had taken hold of the U.S.,

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