It was John Lennon who was the inspirational force behind the formation of The Beatles. Beginning his musical career in a band called The Black Jacks, which played a combination of folk, jazz and blues popular in the late 1950s. Lennon quickly decided on a new direction – Rock ‘n’ Roll. He changed the band’s name to The Quarry Men and recruited a young guitarist, Paul McCartney, to its ranks. Shortly thereafter, Paul’s former classmate, George Harrison also joined, after which The Quarry Men recorded a demo including the 1st Lennon/McCartney collaboration, In Spite of all the Danger.
Early in 1959 The Quarry Men split but Lennon and McCartney continuing to write together. After a Quarry Men reunion at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool, the duo, along with Harrison, formed a new band called Johnny & The Moondogs. The name, along with others, was short-lived however, with the band, which by then also included drummer Pete Best and bassist Stu Sutcliffe, finally settling on The Beatles in 1960.
The Early Years
The Beatles initially tasted success outside of England, with three tours of the Hamburg club scene in Germany between 1960 and 1962. Shortly thereafter Sutcliffe left the band to continue his art studies, while the rest of the band continued to grow in popularity whilst playing at venues in Liverpool.
In June 1962, The Beatles auditioned for Parlophone Records, impressing producer George Martin with their fresh sound and clean-cut image. Pete Best was identified as a weak link by Martin however and was asked to leave, which paved the way for another young drummer, Richard Starkey, to replace him. Starkey is known worldwide as Ringo Starr. The Fab Four had found each other.
The Beatles’ first UK release, Love Me Do, was released in September 1962 and reached no. 17 on the UK charts.
Beatlemania
After a visit to the UK, American TV show host Ed Sullivan invited The Beatles to appear on his show. This was the break that The Beatles needed, and thanks to the appearance and a publicity campaign by Capitol Records and Sullivan himself, they found themselves at the centre of an American music revolution.
Their faces appeared in Newsweek, Time and Life magazines and suddenly The Beatles had become household names. Major companies like Nike began promoting them through books, wigs and T-shirts with massive crowds turning out to watch their concerts. The Beatles are still widely regarded as the founders of the live concert concept with an estimated 55,000 fans turning out to see them at their first New York City event.
Screaming and fainting teenage girls typified The Beatles’ public appearances, later prompting John Lennon’s controversial comment that the band was more popular than Jesus Christ. Before the arrival of The Beatles in America, chart appearances from UK artists had been few and far between but this changed as at one stage, in 1964, they occupied the top 5 positions on the American Billboard Singles Chart.
The Beatles paved the way for further British successes in the US, with The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Animals and The Dave Clark Five, among others, following them into the Billboard Charts. Their films, A Hard Day’s Night and Help! were smash hits in America and the Liverpool Quartet were firmly entrenched on the top rung of World music’s ladder. Music had gone through very quick metamorphosis and four young men from Liverpool were at the forefront. There was still more for them to achieve though, along with experiencing a breakup that would shock the World. That, however, is another story for another time.
Warren Potter - I am a 42 year old South African who has been writing since time began - it feels like it anyway. My freelance exploits have taken me to ...
