It was 50 years ago today - The Beatles

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 12:46 pm

held their first gig in the Cavern Club in Liverpool

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-12396322

Jessica North · Post by **Jessica North** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 3:46 pm

Great article! Thanks for posting Susan. I wasn't around 50 years ago, but they still have had a HUGE influence on me. Mainly because by mother (British) was a huge fan and I heard them constantly growing up.

I remember asking her why they didn't spell their name "Beetle's" and she said "because they had the "BEAT" that everyone wanted".

I did get to see Paul McCartney twice in concert. Fantastic shows. He played Beatles, Wings, and solo stuff. Played for several hours and there wasn't a song I didn't know every word to. I would go again for sure if the opportunity ever arises.

Hugs,
Jessica

Post by **DonnaT** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 4:29 pm

The original group was called "The Quarrymen", then they changed to "The Beetles" as a tribute to Buddy Holly and The Crickets, and they became "The Beatals" for a few months.

After trying other names including "Johnny and the Moondogs", "Long John and The Beetles" and "The Silver Beatles", the band finally became "The Beatles".

Anita · Post by **Anita** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 7:20 pm

Donna wrote:

After trying other names including "Johnny and the Moondogs", "Long John and The Beetles" and "The Silver Beatles", the band finally became "The Beatles".

This brings up the question: Who was going to be Johnny? Who was Long John? "Johnny" Lennon? I don't think Paul's ego could have handled that.

Oh, well, the Walrus was Paul. Thank you, Susan. I had little interest in them when they first came out. Jangly guitars didn't do it for me. When I heard the Kinks do "You Really Got Me," then guitars made sense.

Paula G · Post by **Paula G** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 8:02 pm

"Long John Baldry"?

Post by **DonnaT** » Wed Feb 09, 2011 11:43 pm

Today, in 1964, was their first appearance on American television, The Ed Sullivan Show.

Anita · Post by **Anita** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 12:34 am

The Ed Sullivan appearance was what I thought Susan's original post was going to be about, because I remembered that it was in February. I was watching on our old black-and-white TV in the front room, where the TV lived.
Like my other post said, I didn't get inspired to run out and form a rock and roll band.

It was three years exactly from the Cavern Club to Ed Sullivan? That was a busy three years for "the lads," including at least one or two stints in Hamburg, Germany.

Gillian · Post by **Gillian** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 9:38 am

I still remember the Beatles on Ed Sulivan. That first time and every time after that they were on TV was not going to miss short of being dead. I still think that the Beatles were the best band ever.

Susan · Post by **Susan** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 12:52 pm

We got married in the same church John and Cynthia Lennon did. Our marriage is still going strong and lasted longer than theirs

Lydia · Post by **Lydia** » Thu Feb 10, 2011 3:28 pm

It is truly amazing that four scruffy kids, with minimal musical talents, would cause all the bobby soxers of the era to scream and swoon like they did for the early Sinatra, and succumb to the pure hype of the day. What that gang of four managed to accomplish was to set back the progress of pop music by a century. The curious thing is that some of their tunes, when performed musically are actually very pleasant and lyrical.

I guess my generation gap is showing - - - - -

Hugs,
Lydia

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 9:37 am

Although their early stuff was very simple quasi R&B dance stuff, a lot of their later songs were musically quite interesting. Looking at them in my jazz fake books they have interesting chord changes and the lyrics are far more thoughtful than those of most pop music in any era.

Sure you can say She Loves You Yeah Yeah Yeah is silly with only 3 chords (the same 3 chord progression found in In The Mood) but then you have to consider songs like Elenor Rigby, Yesterday, or Fool On The Hill.

Lydia · Post by **Lydia** » Fri Feb 11, 2011 12:45 pm

There is no shame in just three chords. Some great music was written with just the tonic, subdominant and dominant. I agree that their later (less popular) songs were musically richer, but their initial fame was based on pretty shoddy stuff - but great hype.

Sinatra's fame had a similar progression, and I don't think that either Frank or the Beatles would have lasted as long as they did without shifting to some higher level of musicality.

Hugs,

Lydia

Paula G · Post by **Paula G** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 6:41 am

I'm no beatles fan, but when listening to thier early stuff, it's worth remembering what else was around at the time. what was special about the Beatles right from the start was thier energy, enthusiasm, relivance to youth. As far as talent goes, I think the fact that they are still listened to and discussed 50 years later is testanent to that, conpare "Freddy & the Dreaers", and other bands of the time. Sure the guitar based skifle invlunced sound is a bit bare compared to either swing, or modern highly produced numbers, but thatwas part of the apeal, they were fresh!

I have a live album of them playing in Germany and you can hear the fun!

Absaroka · Post by **Absaroka** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 11:38 am

Lydia I agree completely, some incredibly great music has been written with just I, IV. and V. My favorite example is Ellington's Koko. Wynton Marsalis says he thinks it has the best shout chorus ever written, although that's of course a matter of opinion.

Early Beatles were basically a good bar band. Lots of fun to listen to and dance to when you didn't want to pay attention too closely. Later on they changed.

Every now and then I listen to Ella or Sinatra sing Mack The Knife. There's a tremendous disconnect between the music and words. The Kurt Weill version was extremely cynical. The later versions were inappropriately happy. I was asked to play this along with a singer at a church dinner a couple of years ago and flat out refused. It's wierd what happens in popular music sometimes.

April Rose · Post by **April Rose** » Sat Feb 12, 2011 1:23 pm

Paula, You are dead on about the relevance to youth idea. My son is an active member of the Boston area D.I.Y. music scene. There is music going on all over the city on a nightly basis,completely unsanctioned and unpermitted. Posters go up in a neighborhood, hand drawn,(some surprisingly good art) with a time, but no street address: only a monicker like, "The Ledge" or "Pizza Mountain" and an Email address. The ones who don't already know that "Pizza Mountain' is a Tenement in Allston send an email or text to get directions. This to keep the police from showing up to shut down the show. They tend to frown on 50 or 100 kids jammed into an apartment house basement. The bands play for free or if they're a touring band, pass the hat for gas and food money. Often , a half dozen bands will play at one venue.

The music is loud and aggressive,and the kids are writing and playing the music, producing the shows,and recording and touring without any reference to a "recording industry" at all.

Last year my son's band did a 20 show, month long tour of the U.S. They made more than enough to cover their expenses. All of it arranged by word of mouth and mobile devices.