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B Y: M I C H A E L A M A E I . RO S E T E

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WHO ARE THEY?

 The Beatles were an English rock band formed in Liverpool in 1960.

 With members John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and

Ringo Starr, they became widely regarded as the foremost and most
influential music band in history.
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H  Rooted in skiffle, beat and 1950s rock and roll, the Beatles later
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E experimented with several musical styles, ranging from pop ballads

B and Indian music to psychedelia and hard rock, often incorporating

E classical elements and unconventional recording techniques in
A innovative ways.
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L  In 1963, their enormous popularity first emerged as "Beatlemania"; as
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the group's music grew in sophistication, led by primary songwriters
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Lennon and McCartney, the band were integral to pop music's

M evolution into an art form and to the development of the counterculture

of the 1960s.
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L MEMBERS OF
THE BEATLES
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E JOHN LENNON
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GUITARS

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JOHN LENNON (1940-1980)

• An English musician, singer, performer, songwriter and co-songwriter. He was born and
raised in Liverpool, England. He rose to worldwide fame as a founder member of the rock
band The Beatles.
• When the Beatles disbanded in 1970, Lennon embarked on a solo career. Among his solo
T top billboard hits include, Imagine, Mind Games, Power to the People, Dream, Nobody
H told Me, Watching the Wheels, Woman, Whatever Gets You Through the Night, and
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E Instant Karma.

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• In 2002, according to BBC poll on the 100 Greatest Britons, John was voted in eighth
E place. In 2008, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him the “fifth-greatest singer of all time.”
A He was posthumously inducted into the songwriters Hall of Fame in 1987; and into the
T Rock and Roll Hall of Fame twice as a member of the Beatles in 1988 and as a solo artist
L in 1994.
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S • On the evening of Monday, 8 December 1980, Lennon was shot dead by Mark David
Chapman in the archway of the Dakota, his residence in New York City.

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E PAUL MCCARTNEY
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LEAD VOCALIST

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PAUL MCCARTNEY (1942- )

• Sir Paul McCartney is a key figure in contemporary culture as a singer, composer, poet,
writer, artist, humanitarian, entrepreneur, and holder of more than 3 thousand copyrights.
He is in the "Guinness Book of World Records" for most records sold, most #1s (shared),
most covered song, "Yesterday," largest paid audience for a solo concert (350,000+
people, in 1989, in Brazil). He is considered one of the most successful entertainers of all
T time.
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E • The Beatles disbanded in 1970, breaking fans' hearts worldwide. However, McCartney
had no intention of dropping out of the public eye. He was the first of the Beatles to
B release a solo album (McCartney, 1970), and though critics' reactions were mixed, the
E album was a hit with the public. Encouraged, McCartney went on to form Wings, a band
A that would remain popular throughout the '70s, winning two Grammy Awards and churning
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out multiple hit singles.
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E • The 1980s proved a trying time for McCartney. An arrest for marijuana possession in
S Japan in January put him in jail for nine days..

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E GEORGE HARRISON
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LEAD GUITARIST

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GEORGE HARRISON (1943- 2001)

• Born on February 25, 1943, in Liverpool, England, George Harrison formed a band with
schoolmates to play clubs around Liverpool and in Hamburg, Germany. The
Beatles became the biggest rock band in the world, and Harrison's diverse musical
interests took them in many directions. Post-Beatles, Harrison made acclaimed solo
records and started a film production company. He died of cancer in November 2001.
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H • Largely referred to as the "quiet Beatle" Harrison took a backseat to McCartney, Lennon
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E and, to a certain extent, Starr. Still, he could be quick-witted, even edgy. During the middle
of one American tour, the group members were asked how they slept at night with long
B hair. "How do you sleep with your arms and legs still attached?" Harrison fired back.
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A • All of which proved to be a great boon to Harrison. He immediately assembled a studio
T band consisting of Ringo Starr, guitarist Eric Clapton, keyboardist Billy Preston and others
L to record all of the songs that had never made it on to the Beatles catalog. The result was
E 1970's three-disc album, All Things Must Pass. While one of its signature songs, "My
S Sweet Lord," was later deemed too similar in style to the the Chiffons earlier hit "He's So
Fine," forcing the guitarist to cough up nearly $600,000, the album as a whole remains
M Harrison's most acclaimed record.
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E RINGO STARR
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DRUMMER

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RINGO STARR (1940- )

• Born Richard Starkey on July 7, 1940, in Liverpool, England, Ringo Starr, known for his
easygoing personality, rose to fame in the early 1960s as a member of the legendary rock
group the Beatles. PrimarIly a drummer, Starr also sang and occasionally wrote songs for
the group, singing "With a Little Help from My Friends" and writing "Octopus's Garden.“
• In 1962, he officially joined the Beatles, replacing Pete Best. After their first gig at the
Cavern Club in Liverpool, Best's fans were so angry about the switch that they gave Starr
T a black eye. The group's followers eventually came around, and Starr became a beloved
H member.
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• When Starr saw himself increasingly left out of recording sessions (such as "Why Don't
B We Do It In The Road," which McCartney recorded entirely on his own), he quit the band,
E becoming the first member to do so. His bandmates realized they had not been clear on
A how valuable he was to their efforts, and sent him telegrams calling him the best drummer
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in the world. When he returned to the studio, he found his drum kit covered in roses,
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spelling out "Welcome back Ringo." The band was back together, at least for a while.
S • After the Beatles broke up, Starr embarked on a solo career. His first album, Sentimental
Journey (1970), was a collection of Tin Pan Alley tunes, with arrangers including Quincy
M Jones, Maurice Gibb, Martin and McCartney. For his next effort, Starr went for country
with Beaucoup of Blues (1971).
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PAUL MCCARTNEY
AND JOHN LENNON
MA s C o m p o s e r s / S o n g w r i t e r s
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JOHN LENNON
AS A COMPOSER/SONGWRITER

Lennon formed a songwriting partnership with

Paul McCartney, which is considered as “one of
the most celebrated songwriting partnerships of
the 20th century”. Lennon’s hit compositions for
T the Beatles include
H • Strawberry Fields Forever
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• Help, In My Life
B • Tomorrow Never Knows
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A • Rain
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• Norwegian Road
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E • I am the Walrus
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• Come Together

M • You’ve Got to Hide Your Love Away; and

• Happiness is a Warm Gun
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SIR JAMES PAUL

MCCARTNEY
AS A COMPOSER/SONGWRITER

The songwriting partnership with Lennon

for the Beatles is one of the most
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H celebrated of the 20th century. McCartney
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E has been “recognized as one of the most

successful composers and performers of
B all time, with 60 gold discs and sales of
E over 100 million albums and 100 million
A singles of his work with the Beatles and as
T a solo artist”. It has been known that more
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than 2,200 artists have covered hid
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S Beatles song Yesterday, which is more
than any other copyrighted song in history.

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BAND
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EARLY HISTORY & HAMBURG RESIDENCY
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E Little did we know that the musical world was about to flip on its head when a 15 year-old Paul
S McCartney met a 16 year-old John Lennon in 1957. Lennon, in his skiffle band The Quarrymen,
invited McCartney to join the group on rhythm guitar, with the band later inviting George Harrison
M and original bass player Stuart Sutcliffe to join.
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E Following a string of concerts in Liverpool, The Beatles’ first manager Allan Williams (original
S owner of local venue The Jacaranda) arranged a residency in Hamburg for the band, which would
see original Beatles drummer Pete Best join the band. 1961 saw Sutcliffe leave the band – with
M McCartney replacing him on bass. Following criticism, Best would be also be replaced by a young
Ringo Starr a year later.
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UK POPULARITY & FIRST SINGLE
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E When The Beatles returned to the UK in 1961 after a number of performances in Hamburg, they
S were at the fore of the city’s ever-growing Merseybeat scene. Following a run of shows at The
Cavern Club, they were spotted by Brian Epstein, who would later go on to become the band’s
M official manager in 1962. Initially rejected by Decca Records, Epstein would then sign the band to
EMI’s Parlophone label and in June initiated their first recording session at Abbey Road Studios.
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E In October of the same year, The Beatles’ first single ‘Love Me Do’ peaked at Number 17 on the
S Record Retailer chart. The band would return to Hamburg for their fifth and final residency before
returning home with a new look and a promise to be more serious about their music. Serious they
M were, as they would go on to release 12 studio LPs in an eight year period.
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BEATLEMANIA
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In 1963, a sharp-suited Beatles would record their first LP Please Please Me, a roaring success in
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the UK, peaking at number 1 in the charts. Extensive European tours followed, with thousands of
fans filling the streets outside venues on a nightly occurrence. The reaction to the band was
dubbed Beatlemania. 1964 saw the ‘British Invasion’, with The Beatles hitting USA for the first
M time. The Ed Sullivan Show played host to their first US television performance, which was a
landmark for the band and was watched by approximately 73 million viewers in the States.
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E The Beatles’ rapid success and growing fanbase in America saw them hold the top five places in
A the Billboard Top 100, which is still a record to this day. Amongst tours, The Beatles found time to
T record with A Hard Day’s Night and Beatles For Sale released in the second half of 1964.
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E The Beatles would see continued success in America with the first live music concerts to be held at
S stadiums, including a show at Shea Stadium to a world record crowd of 55,600 on August 15th
1965. Playing live finally began to take its toll on the band after four years of constant recording,
M touring and over 1,400 live appearances, with their last performance to the public at Candlestick
Park, San Francisco in August 1966.
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THE STUDIO YEARS
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E With no plans for further shows, The Beatles took to the studio with a more experimental approach
S to their music. From late 1966-1970 The Beatles would go on to record and release a further six
studio LPs, starting with Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Following the death of Brian
M Epstein, cracks in the group’s unity began to show and recording sessions became difficult with
members occasionally quitting and returning.
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A Despite this, The Beatles still managed to occupy the top spot with four of their six releases during
T this period peaking at number 1 in the UK and five reaching number 1 in the US.
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Tensions continued to become apparent and their final performance was to be on the rooftops of
S Apple Corps on Savile Row, January 1969. The worldwide number 1 album Abbey
Road followed later in the year, just before The Beatles finally broke up in 1970.

M Following The Beatles’ break-up, their final studio LP Let It Be was released on May 8th 1970; now
regarded a poignant finale for the group which shook the world.
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OF THE BAND
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• The Beatles are the best-selling band in history, with estimated sales of over 800 million
physical and digital albums worldwide.
• They have had more number-one albums on the British charts and sold more singles in
the UK than any other act.
• They are also the best-selling music artists in the United States, with 178 million certified
units.
• In 2008, the group topped Billboard magazine's list of the all-time most successful artists;
T as of 2017, they hold the record for most number-one hits on the Hot 100 chart with
H twenty.
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• They have received seven Grammy Awards, an Academy Award for Best Original Song
B Score and fifteen Ivor Novello Awards.
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A • The group was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1988, and all four main
T members were inducted individually from 1994 to 2015.
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• They were also collectively included in Time magazine's compilation of the twentieth
S century's 100 most influential people.

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DISCOGRAPHY FILMOGRAPHY

• Please Please Me • Sgt. Pepper's • A Hard Day's Night Beatles

(1963) Lonely Hearts Club (1964) • The Beatles: The
T Band (1967) • Help! (1965)
• With the Beatles First U.S. Visit
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• Magical Mystery
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(1963) • Magical Mystery • The Beatles
Tour (1967)
• A Hard Day's Night Tour (1967) Anthology
B (1964) • The Beatles ("The
E • Yellow Submarine • All Together Now
• Beatles for Sale White Album",
A (1968) • Good Ol' Freda
T (1964) 1968)
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Documentaries (December 3, 2013)
• Help! (1965) • Yellow Submarine
E (1969) • The Beatles at • Let It Be
S • Rubber Soul (1965) Shea Stadium
• Abbey Road (1969) • The Beatles: Eight

M • Revolver (1966)
• Let It Be (1970)
• The Compleat Days a Week