1、The BeatlesThe impact ofthe Beatlesupon popular music cannot be overstated; they revolutionized the music industry and touched the lives of all who heard them in deep and fundamental ways. Landing on these shores on February 7, 1964, they literally stood the world of pop culture on its head, setting
2、 the musical agenda for the remainder of the decade. The Beatles buoyant melodies, playful personalities and mop-topped charisma were just the tonic needed by a nation left reeling by the senseless assassination of its young president, John F. Kennedy, barely two months earlier. Even adults typicall
3、y given to scorning rock and roll as worthless kids stuff were forced to concede that there was substance in their music and quick-witted cleverness in their repartee. Without exaggeration, they transfixed and transformed the world as we knew it, ushering in a demographic shift in which youth cultur
4、e assertively took over from its stodgy Eisenhower-era forbears.The long journey resulting in the mob scene that greetedthe Beatles arrival at Kennedy Airport began in Liverpool back in 1958. A series of groups, including the Quarrymen and the Johnny and the Moondogs, variously included Liverpool na
5、tivesJohn Lennon,Paul McCartneyandGeorge Harrison. With a rhythm section consisting of bassist Stu Sutcliffe (an art student with great looks and scant musical ability) and drummer Pete Best, the group assumed the name the Beatles. The group became a fixture on the rough-and-tumble bar scene in Hamb
6、urg, Germany, where their five-set-a-night marathons helped mold them into a tight performing unit. Their early repertoire consisted of well-chosen rock and roll and rhythm & blues covers, running the gamut fromChuck BerrytoLittle Richard. In April 1961, Sutcliffe left and McCartney switched from gu
7、itar to bass. On the local scene in their hometown of Liverpool, the group landed a lunchtime residency at a club called the Cavern, where they were discovered by a local record merchant and entrepreneur, Brian Epstein, who became their manager in December 1961.Epstein helped polish the groups appea
8、rance, dressing them in dapper collarless gray suits and making them appear more friendly than menacing. After being rejected by Decca Records following a January 1962 audition,the Beatlessigned with EMI-Parlophone that April, having impressed producerGeorge Martin. In August, Ringo Starr (born Rich
9、ard Starkey), whod been drumming with Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, was brought into replace Pete Best. The groups first single, Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You, briefly dented the U.K. Top Twenty in October 1962, but their next 45, Please Please Me, formally ignited Beatlemania in their homeland, reach
10、ing the Number Two spot. It was followed by four consecutive chart-topping British singles, issued throughout 1963: From Me to You, She Loves You, I Want to Hold Your Hand, Cant Buy Me Love. They conquered the U.K., even inducing a classical music critic from the London Sunday Times to declare them
11、the greatest composers since Beethoven. The groups success was based around the Lennon/McCartney songwriting partnership, Harrisons guitar-playing prowess, and Starrs amiable disposition and artful simplicity as a drummer. The Beatles conquest of America early in 1964 launched the British Invasion,
12、as a torrent of rock and roll bands from Britain overtook the pop charts. The Fab Fours first Number One single in the U.S. was I Want to Hold Your Hand, released on Capitol Records, EMIs American counterpart. This exuberant track was followed by 45 more Top Forty hits over the next half-dozen years
13、. During the week of April 4, 1964,the Beatlesset a record that is likely never to be broken when they occupied all five of the top positions on Billboards Top Pop Singles chart, with Cant Buy Me Love ensconced at Number One. Their popularity soared still further with the release of their playfully
14、anarchic documentary film, A Hard Days Night, in August 1964. When all was said and done,the Beatlescharted 20 Number One singles in the States - a number even greater than runner-upElvis Presleys 17 chart-toppers. For such feats of sales and airplay alone,the Beatlescan unassailably be regarded as
15、the top group in rock and roll history. Yet their significance as a band extends beyond numbers to encompass their innovations in the recording studio. The Beatles legacy as a concert attraction, during their harried passage from nightclubs to baseball stadiums, is distinguished primarily by the dea
16、fening screams of female fans overcome by the groups very appearance. Consequently,the Beatlesbegan to indulge their creative energies in the studio, layering sounds and crafting songs in a way no one had attempted before. The results included such musically expansive and lyrically sophisticated alb
17、ums as Rubber Soul (1965) and Revolver (1966). For various reasons, ranging from safety concerns to frustration that no one could hear or was listening,the Beatlesretired from touring after a San Francisco concert on August 29, 1966. Ten months later, they released Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Ba
18、nd, an album that has almost universally been cited as the creative apotheosis of rock and roll, a watershed event in which rock became serious art without losing its sense of humor (or sense of the absurd). Realizing the band members collective ambitions took four months and all the technical wiles
19、 of producerGeorge Martin. A completely self-contained album meant to be played and experienced from start to finish, Sgt. Pepper broke the mold in that no singles were released from it. The albums heady artistic reach further cemented the notion of a viable counterculture in the minds of youthful d
20、ropouts everywhere. Anyone who was alive in the summer of 1967 can remember the pleasant shock of hearing it and the reverberations it sent outward into the world of rock and roll and beyond. In the wake of Sgt. Pepper,the Beatlesbegan to splinter in ways that were, at first, subtle but that gradual
21、ly grew more pronounced. Subsequent events included the death of manager Epstein due to an overdose of sleeping pills; the release of the TV film Magical Mystery Tour, which earnedthe Beatlessome of their first negative reviews; a trip to India to meditate with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, about whom Lenn
22、on wrote the scabrous putdown Sexy Sadie; and the launching in January 1968 of Apple Corps, Ltd., a disastrously mismanaged entertainment empire that helped bring downthe Beatlesamid a tangled maze of money matters. Through all the chaotic events of the late Sixties,the Beatlesmanaged to retain thei
23、r integrity and focus as recording artists. Released in August 1968, the single Hey Jude/Revolution became their most popular single. The Beatles (1968), a double-LP popularly referred to as the White Album, was like a prism that found the group refracting into four individual and highly estimable t
24、alents. The album and film Let It Be, recorded in 1969 but shelved until 1970, essentially documentedthe Beatles dissolution and breakup amid internal squabbles and the presence ofJohn Lennons new mate, Yoko Ono. Yetthe Beatlescame together and exited on a high note, uniting in the summer of 1969 to
25、 record their swan song, Abbey Road. On April 10, 1970,Paul McCartneyannounced his departure fromthe Beatles, and the group quietly came to an end. Throughout the Seventies, fans hoped for an eventual reunion, while the group members pursued solo careers with varying degrees of artistic and commerci
26、al success. Those hopes were forever dashed by the murder ofJohn Lennonin New York City on December 8, 1980. July 7, 1940Ringo Starr was born.October 9, 1940John Lennonis born at Oxford Street Maternity Hospital in Liverpool, England, to Julia Stanley and Alfred Lennon.June 18, 1942JamesPaul McCartn
27、eyis born in Liverpool, England. February 25, 1943George Harrisonwas born.1956Julia,John Lennons mother, bought him his first guitar through a mail order ad. His incessant playing prompts Johns Aunt Mimi to say, The guitars all very well as a hobby, John, but youll never make a living out of it. Joh
28、n forms his first group, the Quarrymen.July 6, 1957John LennonmeetsPaul McCartneyat the Woolton Parish Church in Liverpool during a performance by Johns group the Quarrymen. Impressed by Pauls ability to tune a guitar and by his knowledge of song lyrics, John asks him to join the group. February 1,
29、1958Paul McCartneyintroducesGeorge Harrisonto the Quarrymen at a basement teen club called the Morgue. George joins the group. August 1, 1960The Beatles make their debut in Hamburg, West Germany, with Stu Sutcliffe on bass and Pete Best on drums.January 1, 1961The Beatles make their debut at the Cav
30、ern Club in Liverpool.November 1, 1961Local record store manager Brian Epstein is introduced tothe Beatles. He soon signs a contract to manage them.March 7, 1962The Beatles make their radio debut performing three songs, includingRoy Orbisons Dream Baby, on the BBC. April 10, 1962Stu Sutcliffe dies o
31、f a brain hemorrhage.June 1, 1962The Beatles audition forGeorge Martinat Parlophone/EMI Records. He agrees to sign the group, but insists that Pete Best be replaced. Within months, Richard Ringo Starkey joins the group.SEPTEMBER 4-11, 1962The Beatles record their first sessions at EMI Studios in Lon
32、don, withGeorge Martinas producer.December 1, 1963I Want to Hold Your Hand,the Beatles first American single, is released by Capitol Records.January 26, 1964I Want To Hold Your Hand (The Beatles) was a hit.February 7, 1964The Beatles arrive in AmericaFebruary 9, 1964The Beatles make their first appe
33、arance on The Ed Sullivan Show.February 11, 1964The Beatles begin their first U.S. tour at the Coliseum in Washington, D.C.March 15, 1964She Loves You (The Beatles) was a hit.March 29, 1964Cant Buy Me Love (The Beatles) was a hit.April 4, 1964The top five slots on the Billboard chart are held bythe
34、Beatles, a feat never before or since matched.May 24, 1964Love Me Do (The Beatles) was a hit.July 6, 1964The world premiere of The Beatles A Hard Days Night takes place in London.July 26, 1964A Hard Days Night (The Beatles) was a hit.August 14, 1964The Beatles cutLittle Willie Johns Leave My Kitten
35、Alone at EMI Studios in London. Intended for album Beatles For Sale (Beatles 65 in the US), it was left off and remained unreleased until Anthology 1 in 1995.1964The Beatles release This Boy from their first American album Meetthe Beatles.December 20, 1964I Feel Fine (The Beatles) was a hit.March 7,
36、 1965Eight Days a Week (The Beatles) was a hit.1965The Beatles release Yes It Is.April 1, 1965John Lennoncomposes Help! the title song for the Beatles second film. He later confides that the lyrics are a cry for help and a clue to the confusion and despondency he feels. May 16, 1965Ticket to Ride (T
37、he Beatles) was a hit.July 29, 1965The Beatles release their second film, Help!.August 15, 1965The Beatles play in front of almost 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City. August 27, 1965The Beatles spend the evening talking and playing music withElvis Presleyat his Bel air home. August 29, 196
38、5Help! (The Beatles) was a hit.October 3, 1965Yesterday (The Beatles) was a hit.October 9, 1965The Beatles reach #1 with Yesterday.October 26, 1965The Beatles are awarded Englands prestigious MBE (Members of the Order of the British Empire). John comments, I thought you had to drive tanks and win wa
39、rs to get the MBE.January 2, 1966We Can Work It Out (The Beatles) was a hit.March 1, 1966Londons Evening Standard publishes an interview withJohn Lennonin which he states thatthe Beatlesare more popular than Jesus now. The comment provokes several protests, including the burning of Beatles records.J
40、une 19, 1966Paperback Writer (The Beatles) was a hit.July 31, 1966John Lennons comments on the state of Christianity ?made in March, but only lately picked up in the U.S. - spark protests and record burnings on the eve ofthe Beatles 1966 American tour.August 29, 1966After their concert at San Franci
41、scos Candlestick Park,the Beatlesdeclare this to be their final concert tour.SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 1966John Lennonmakes his first appearance away fromthe Beatlesin the role of Private Gripweed in Richard Lesters film How I Won the War. He writes Strawberry Fields Forever during the filming.March 12, 196
42、7Penny Lane (The Beatles) was a hit.March 18, 1967The Beatles reach #1 with Penny Lane.June 1, 1967Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band is released in Britain.August 1, 1967BeatleGeorge Harrisonand his wife, Patti, stroll through the streets of Haight-Ashbury, bringing more international attention t
43、o the scene.August 13, 1967All You Need Is Love (The Beatles) was a hit.August 19, 1967The Beatles reach #1 with All You Need Is Love.September 1, 1967John Lennonwrites I Am the Walrus while under the influence of LSD. He also anonymously sponsors Yoko Onos Half a Wind Show (subtitled Yoko Plus Me)
44、at Londons Lisson Gallery.December 24, 1967Hello Goodbye (The Beatles) was a hit.December 30, 1967The Beatles reach #1 with Hello Goodbye.February 15, 1968The Beatles depart for Rishikesh, India, for an advanced course in transcendental meditation.May 1, 1968Apple Corps, Ltd. begins operating in Lon
45、don. It isthe Beatles attempt to take control of their own creative and economic destiny. Later that month, John invites Yoko to his house in Weybridge. They make experimental tapes all night.September 22, 1968Hey Jude (The Beatles) was a hit.September 28, 1968The Beatles reach #1 with Hey Jude.Janu
46、ary 30, 1969The Beatles make their last performance as a group on the roof of the Apple building during the filming of Let It Be. May 18, 1969Get Back (The Beatles) was a hit.May 24, 1969The Beatles reach #1 with Get Back.November 23, 1969Come Together (The Beatles) was a hit.November 29, 1969The Be
47、atles reach #1 with Come Together.April 5, 1970Let It Be (The Beatles) was a hit.April 10, 1970Paul McCartneyannounces that he is leavingthe Beatlesdue to personal, business and musical differences.June 7, 1970The Long and Winding Road (The Beatles) was a hit.January 2, 1975John and Yoko are reunite
48、d. The Beatles final dissolution takes place in London.December 8, 1980John Lennonis shot by a deranged assailant as he and Yoko return to the Dakota after a recording session. He is pronounced dead at Roosevelt Hospital.1988The Beatles inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.November 19, 1995F
49、ree as a Bird, the first new Beatles single in 25 years, is premiered on the televised Beatles Anthology. The song, a 1977 demo byJohn Lennoncompleted in 1995 by the three surviving Beatles, reaches #6 on the singles chart in early 1996.March 23, 1996Real Love, a 1979John Lennondemo finished in 1995
50、 by the other Beatles, becomes the second new Beatles single to chart in less than three months. Released as part of The Beatles Anthology recordings and TV special, it reaches #11 ?not bad for a band that broke up in 1970.November 29, 2001George Harrisondies at the age of 58 after a long battle with cancer.
