The Beatles

[ElizabethB]

With all the hooha involved with George and his surgery I have not kept up. I should have posted this on the 9th - 49th anniversary of the Beatle's debut on Ed Sullivan. I was 11 years old. I remember sitting on the floor in front of the TV trying not to scream or cry. The next day the Nuns were undone trying to contain a classroom full of 11 year old girls with a serious case of Beatle Mania.

Looking back I can not think of another group or musician who impacted the world the way the Beatles did. They truly were iconic. One thing that always struck me about their music is that it matured and changed as they did. So many other groups of the era did the same thing over and over.

The Beatles were not exceptionally tallented musicians or singers. There were many other artist during that era with much more talent. They did have a gift for song writing. Paul especially had an awareness and knowledge of classical music. He was also a perfectionist. When you look at the group John and Paul were so full of themselves that it is amazing that they stayed together as long as they did. George was just out there and just plain wierd (hmm maybe that is why I liked him so much) Then there is Ringo. He always seemed to have the most fun both then and now.

The parts were nothing special but the sum of the parts was spectacular.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoZ18rO1Rj0

I watched this and found myself trying not to scream or cry. Since I am now a very grown woman and do not have to worry about anyone's disapproval I allowed myself to both scream and cry.

Enjoy and let the memories live for you.

[Bobberman]

I run a trivia 10 questions every day with about 10 players and the music questions have a topic about all the beetle songs! It is suprising how many songs they have written that are really good!

[Jardin du Fort]

I believe that I heard that Paul McCartney is the most prolific song writer in history. And he writes some pretty darn good stuff!

[tomf]

I think the Beatles were very good musicians. Many musicians I know feel the Beatles were not only amazing and innovative song writers but fantastic players and musicians as well. One of my friends, who is a doctor of music and has conducted symphonies all over the world, always talks very highly of the Beatles and their ability to play and write. He works with some of the best musicians in the world so I feel his opinion is worth listing to. When the Beatles first started they were average players who had some songs people liked, but they got quite good over time. The innovations in music they created were a major game changer. There is not much that is simple in most of the Beatles later music. At first a number of people used to say that they were not that good because their music was basic, but that was the nature of that kind of music then. Later some people said they did not know what they were doing because they would play notes that were out of key, this is part of their innovation in that they were doing non diatonic progressions in a new way. If you listen too much of the music that followed the Beatles you will find this going on all the time, the right out of key note at the right time can make a song interesting.
When I read printed music I always look at it with a music theory point of view, what key or keys is it in, what notes are not in the parent key, what mode should be played over where. Did the people who wrote it understand what they were doing or just playing what they felt like, and did they have an idea of what notes should be played are often questions I think of. When I look at the Beatles music I see so many things I would never have though of that just work and sound so good. The number of melodys they came up with is incredible to say the least, lots of talent there. The wide range of songs and styles the Beatles incorporated into their music tells me that they were indeed very talented, just look how different each album is.

I always find it funny that some people hold on to the idea that in order to be popular one should be the best player. Many of the most technical players play stuff that is too complicated for most people to understand. For the most part it is more important to be a solid player rather than playing tons of riffs that may over whelm people, or things that are so complicated they are hard for most people to hear.

Now for a joke that sums it up.
Q; How many guitar players does it take to change a light bulb?
A; One, and five to say “I could do it betterâ€

[Bobberman]

I noticed that one word they used in most of the songs was the word people There sounds and change of sounds were very creative!

[shadylane]

Beatle fan here, it puzzles me that Ringo had a hard time being a "true" Beatle after all those years of being part of the group. Any one have an answer to that.

[Charlie MV]

Beatle fan here, it puzzles me that Ringo had a hard time being a "true" Beatle after all those years of being part of the group. Any one have an answer to that.

I guess I don't understand the question. After the Beatles broke up, there were no Beatles. Ringo was a Beatle for as long as the group existed. He and Paul are currently ex-Beatles. George and John are deceased Beatles.

John, Paul and George were talented enough writers and singers to have had successful careers after the group split. Ringo was a mediocre back up singer and good drummer. Talent will tell. I think Ringo is a really good person, roll model and even inspirational but he didn't have the talent for writing and singing that the others did.

[Charlie MV]

[quote="tomf"]I think the Beatles were very good musicians. Many musicians I know feel the Beatles were not only amazing and innovative song writers but fantastic players and musicians as well. One of my friends, who is a doctor of music and has conducted symphonies all over the world, always talks very highly of the Beatles and their ability to play and write. He works with some of the best musicians in the world so I feel his opinion is worth listing to. When the Beatles first started they were average players who had some songs people liked, but they got quite good over time. The innovations in music they created were a major game changer. There is not much that is simple in most of the Beatles later music. At first a number of people used to say that they were not that good because their music was basic, but that was the nature of that kind of music then. Later some people said they did not know what they were doing because they would play notes that were out of key, this is part of their innovation in that they were doing non diatonic progressions in a new way. If you listen too much of the music that followed the Beatles you will find this going on all the time, the right out of key note at the right time can make a song interesting.
When I read printed music I always look at it with a music theory point of view, what key or keys is it in, what notes are not in the parent key, what mode should be played over where. Did the people who wrote it understand what they were doing or just playing what they felt like, and did they have an idea of what notes should be played are often questions I think of. When I look at the Beatles music I see so many things I would never have though of that just work and sound so good. The number of melodys they came up with is incredible to say the least, lots of talent there. The wide range of songs and styles the Beatles incorporated into their music tells me that they were indeed very talented, just look how different each album is.

I always find it funny that some people hold on to the idea that in order to be popular one should be the best player. Many of the most technical players play stuff that is too complicated for most people to understand. For the most part it is more important to be a solid player rather than playing tons of riffs that may over whelm people, or things that are so complicated they are hard for most people to hear.

Now for a joke that sums it up.
Q; How many guitar players does it take to change a light bulb?
A; One, and five to say “I could do it betterâ€

[tomf]

They may mean something to them, but I think your right, to me they are just silly. There are so many songs by lots of bands that I have no idea what they are talking about. Sometimes I think it is kind of like just painting a picture with words and some of the paintings are abstract.

[Charlie MV]

Maybe they were Ringo songs?

[shadylane]

Definitely not Ringo songs...did a little back check on that question I gave earlier, and have found that, the only answer to the queston was Ringo never contributed to the group with writing songs and music. He only played the drums, bongos, keyboard and backup vocals.

Pete Best was the first drummer of the Beatles til they (John and Paul) heard Ringo playing and thought him a better player...they gave Pete the sack.

It wasn't til in the mid 70's, after the group broke up that Ringo came out with his single which I can't remember at this time. Something " all you need is a photograph" all that I recall.

[Charlie MV]

Whoosh!

[DoubleDogFarm]

O-bla-di

[DoubleDogFarm]

o-bla-da, life goes on

brah!...

[Charlie MV]

Coo Coo kachooo. And God Bless us every one.

[DoubleDogFarm]

[tomf]

I think they got real stoned real often.

[lily51]

They may mean something to them, but I think your right, to me they are just silly. There are so many songs by lots of bands that I have no idea what they are talking about. Sometimes I think it is kind of like just painting a picture with words and some of the paintings are abstract.

Yes, I saw an interview with John Lennon and he said this, that they liked to play with words and images.
I loved those Liverpool Lads. Another word used extensively in their songs was "love"
A bit more trivia... they always wanted Frank Sinatra to sing one of their songs. Thought it would be a great honor. He wasn't interested until he heard their (which he called one of the greatest love songs ever written) "Something in the Way She Moves" by George Harrison.

I was fortunate to see Paul McCartney in concert. Unbelievable.

[shadylane]

Interesting about Frank Sinatra, last I heard Paul is still giving concerts while sitting behind a piano..talented person

I think everyone was stoned back in the days..

[Jardin du Fort]

I think everyone was stoned back in the days..

I can verify that fact, having been the only one around that wasn't stoned. Oh, wait. That means not EVERYone....

[Charlie MV]

I was stoned back then after I got out of the navy. Pretty typical Vietnam vet...I will be stoned again if my state ever legalizes reefer. I'll just bake with it and eat organic when I get the munchies.

[ElizabethB]

I have not been back since my original post. Glad to see that it generated some interest. I always have and always will love the the Beatles. I wish I had the dolls, posters and albums that I had growing up. Mom still has 2 albums. They are not in the best condition but I want to frame them and display them. It is hard to explain the impact those 4 mop headed boys had on the world of music. They were iconic. The whole was much greater than the individual parts. Magic happened when they performed. I cried for days when John was killed. I was at my Navy Reserve Center for drill when George died. Only 3 other people knew who he was or who the Beatles were. I cried again. This time for those young people who had missed the Beatles and for myself because it made me feel incredibly old. I do not think there is another group or individual musician that had as much impact as the Beatles did. One of the impressive things about their music is that changed and matured as they did. Their music was never stagnant.

Beatle Mania is alive and well.

[lukeout007]

I've loved The Beatles since I was a teenager. I have to say however that the first 3-4 years they were together they made absolutely awful music. I can't stand most of the poppy "eight days a week" type stuff.

[lily51]

I loved the Beatles then, I love them now. I love their different "eras" of music, some of the lyrics were so meaningful, some were just word play and for fun.
They expressed what was going on in the world, they changed the world. They were meant to be there in that space and time.
As I said, I was fortunate to see Paul McCartneys tour 12 years ago and it was an out of body experience for me!