What is unique about The Beatles? Why are they considered the best band of all time? The Beatles group: a brief biography, the composition of The Beatles, the history of the Beatles rock group.

The most popular musical group of all times and peoples - The Beatles. Today it seems that The Beatles have always been around. Their unusual style cannot be confused with any other band. You can not love and not listen to them, but you cannot not know them.

The Guinness Book of Records claims that the world-famous song "Yesterday" has the largest number of cover versions in the history of recording. And how many times it has been performed since the time of its writing, it is difficult to calculate at all. None of the compiled lists of "songs of all times and peoples" is complete without the compositions of The Beatles. In addition, every second musician admits that his work was influenced by the Liverpool Four and its songs. It is impossible to imagine the musical world without the Beatles.

And if you remember all the awards and titles received by the group for almost 10 years of existence, the list will turn out to be long and impressive. However, The Beatles are not the first and not the best. They are unique. In this article, we will tell The history of the Beatles and about how the Liverpool four went to success.

Simple Music of the Yards

The history of the Beatles began in those days when England was literally engulfed in an epidemic of the creation of musical groups. In the late 1950s, skiffle was the most popular and widely accessible style - a bizarre combination of jazz, English folk and American country. In order to get into the group, you had to play the banjo, guitar or harmonica. Well, or in extreme cases - on a washboard, which often replaced drums for musicians. he was able to do all this. However, his real idol was the Great Elvis, and it was the king of rock and roll who inspired " difficult teenager'for music lessons. So in 1956, John and his school friends created his first brainchild - The Quarrymen. Of course, they also played skiffle. And at one of the parties, friends introduced them to Paul McCartney. This left-handed guy not only played rock and roll guitar well, but he also knew how to tune it! And he, like Lennon, tried to compose.

Two weeks later, a new acquaintance was invited to the group, and he agreed. Thus was born the unsurpassed author's duo Lennon - McCartney, who was destined to shake the world. However, this happened a little later. Despite the fact that one was a bully and the other a "good boy", they got along well and spent a lot of time together. And soon they were joined by a friend of Paul - George Harrison, who did not just play the guitar. He played it very well. Meanwhile, the “school ensemble” has remained in the past, and it is time to choose a future life path. All three chose music without hesitation. And they began to look for a new name and a drummer, without which there could be no real group.

In search of gold

The name was searched for a long time. It even happened that it changed the very next evening. It was difficult to please the producers: sometimes it turned out too long (for example, "Johnny and the Moondogs"), then too short - "Rainbows". And in 1960, they finally find the final version: The Beatles. At the same time, a fourth member appeared in the group. It was Stuart Sutcliffe. By the way, he was not going to be a musician at all, but he not only had to buy a bass guitar, but also learn how to play it.

The group performed quite successfully in Liverpool, toured the United Kingdom a little, but so far nothing foreshadowed world fame. The first "foreign trip" was an invitation to go to Hamburg, where English rock and roll was in high demand. To do this, urgently had to find a drummer. So Pete Best joined the Beatles. The first tour took place in truly extreme conditions: many hours of work, domestic disorder and, in the end, deportation from the country.

But, despite this, a year later The Beatles again went to Hamburg. This time everything was much better, but they returned to their homeland already as a quartet - Sutcliffe, for personal reasons, preferred to stay in Germany. The next "forge of excellence" for the musicians was the Liverpool club Cavern, on the stage of which they performed 262 times in two years (1961-1963).

Meanwhile, the popularity of The Beatles grew. However, the group during this period performs mostly other people's hits, from rock and roll to folk songs, and the joint work of John and Paul is still accumulating "on the table." The situation changed only when the group finally got their own producer - Brian Epstein.

Beatlemania as an epidemic

Before meeting The Beatles, Epstein was a record dealer. But one day, wondering new group, he suddenly decided to take up its promotion. It was love at first sight. However, the owners of record companies did not share the producer's hopes for the success of his Liverpool protégés. And yet, in 1962, EMI agreed to sign a contract with The Beatles on the condition that they release at least four singles. The serious level of studio work forced the band to change drummers. So in the history of the Beatles ensemble entered and remained forever Ringo Starr.

A year later, the group released their debut album Please Please Me (1963). The material was recorded at the studio in almost one day, and in the list of tracks, along with "foreign" hits, there were songs signed "Lennon - McCartney". By the way, the agreement on a double signature under the created songs was adopted at the very beginning of cooperation and lasted until the very breakup of the group, despite the fact that latest songs Lennon and McCartney no longer co-wrote.

In 1963, the Beatles released their second album, With the Beatles, and found themselves in the epicenter of fame. Again performance on radio and TV, tours and work in the studio. The British Isles were swept by "Beatlemania", which evil tongues began to call only "national hysteria". Crowds of fans filled the concert halls, stadiums and even the streets adjacent to the venue. Those who did not have the opportunity to get to the group's performance were ready to stand for hours just to see the idols at least with one eye.

At concerts, sometimes there was such a noise that the musicians could not hear themselves. But curbing this flurry proved impossible. It remained to wait for the wave to go down on its own. In 1964, the "epidemic" spread across the ocean - The Beatles conquered America.

The next two years passed in a very intense rhythm - dense tour schedule, the release of albums (as many as 5 were recorded from 1964 to 1966!), Filming in films and the search for new forms and sounds. At some point, it became clear that things could not continue like this and that something had to be changed.

Family album

The image of the group was thought out impeccably: costumes, hairstyles, temperament and habits - the embodied ideal. And of course, thousands of women around the world were crazy about these guys! On stage, in photographs, in films - always together. Meanwhile, their personal lives were hidden from the eyes of fans as much as possible. However, there were no reasons for scandals and conjectures here, rather everything looked like a quiet feat. It is rather difficult to imagine that with a crazy amount of work, the “bit” had enough time for a family.

John Lennon was the first of the quartet to marry. It happened in 1962, and in April 1963 his son Julian was born. However, this marriage, alas, ended in divorce in 1968. By this time, Lennon was madly in love with the extravagant Japanese woman Yoko Ono, who was destined to become the most famous of the Beatles' wives (in some way she influenced the history of the development of the Beatles group).

They got married in 1969, and after another 6 years their son Sean was born. For the sake of his upbringing, John left the stage for 5 years, but, by the way, that's another story - after The Beatles.

The second "married idol" was Ringo Starr. His marriage to Maureen Cox was a happy one. She bore him three children, but here, unfortunately, 10 years later there was a divorce. The drummer's second attempt to find love was also unsuccessful.

George Harrison and Patti Boyd became husband and wife in January 1966. Here, at first, everything was fine, too, but this couple was destined to part. In 1974, Patti left her husband for his friend - no less famous musician Eric Clapton. George remarried in 1979 to his secretary Olivia Aries, and the marriage was a happy one.

When, in 1967, Paul McCartney and Jane Asher finally announced their engagement to the world, no one expected that in six months the engagement would be canceled at the initiative of the groom. However, a year later, Paul married American Linda Eastman, with whom he lived happily ever after, until death separated them in 1999.

By the way, biographers write that Linda, like Yoko, was not loved by the rest of the Beatles. And all because these women considered it possible to interfere in the affairs of the group, which, according to the musicians, should not have been done at all.

A walk to the movies

The first "feature" film featuring The Beatles was filmed in just 8 weeks and was called A Hard Day's Evening (1964). In fact, the legendary four did not have to invent or play anything - the plot of the film looks like a "peeped episode from life." The tour, going on stage, annoying fans, a little humor and a little bit of philosophy - everything is like in life. However, the film was a success and was even nominated for an Oscar twice.

The following year, it was decided to repeat the experience, and the second film with the participation of superstars, “Help!”, saw the light of day. (1965). As with the first film, a soundtrack album of the same name was released almost immediately that same year. The third experiment of the Beatles in the cinema was drawn - the legendary four became the heroes of a kind, albeit somewhat psychedelic cartoon Yellow Submarine (1968). And by tradition, the soundtrack was released as a separate album, however, a year later.

It was also in the history of the Beatles that they tried to make films on their own, and so the film Magical Mystery Journey (1967) was born. But he did not gain much success with the viewer, however, as well as with criticism.

Hard day's Night

Album Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" ("Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"), released in 1967, is considered by critics to be the pinnacle of creativity in the history of The Beatles. By this time, the group, tired of concerts and tours, completely switched to studio work - the last "live" concert in England was played in April 1966. The group was in crisis. The Beatles wanted individual projects, a search for something new and, most likely, a break from the burden of fame. The first blow was the sudden death of Brian Epstein in August 1967. It turned out to be impossible to find an equivalent replacement for him, and the group's affairs were getting worse. However, by united efforts, the group still managed to record three more albums: "White Album" (1968), "Abbey Road" (1968) and "Let it be" (1970).

In April 1970, McCartney released his first solo album and immediately after that gave an interview that became in fact a manifesto about the end of history of The Beatles. And after almost 10 years, the musicians again began to think about how to revive their famous group. However, this was not destined to happen - on December 8, 1980, an American psycho shot John Lennon. Together with him, the hope that the history of the Beatles would continue, and the team would again sing on the same stage, was dying. The Greatest Group of all times and peoples has become a legend. None of those who tried to repeat their success, did not succeed.

Secret dossier: the history of the Beatles of the Russian spill

Entry into the USSR "Beatles" was closed. But their incendiary songs leaked even beyond " iron curtain"". The Beatles listened at night, writing on X-ray film and reel-to-reel tape recorders. English was taught from their texts. And at the very beginning of the 80s, in one St. Petersburg university (LGITMiK), a “group of comrades” suddenly appeared that wanted to be like The Beatles. By the fall of 1982, they decide on the name - "Secret", and begin to look for a drummer (a small but curious coincidence). The group's birthday is April 20, 1983. Then the "main team" was determined - Maxim Leonidov, Nikolai Fomenko, Andrei Zabludovsky and Alexei Murashov. Like the Beatles, everyone in the band sings except for the drummer.

The development of the beat quartet took place in the Soviet flavor - at that time, most informal musicians, in addition to playing music, certainly had to study or work. So, Leonidov and Fomenko were closely involved in educational performances, Murashov studied at the geofaculty, and Zabludovsky worked at the factory. Immediately there was a place for a feat - novice rockers rehearsed in the morning from 7 to 9 and at lunchtime. In the summer of 1993, "The Secret" joins the Leningrad Rock Club, and ... everything is postponed, because half of the group is taken to the army. Success came to the group on its own - in the form of Leonidov's invitation to LenTV as the host of the "Disks are spinning" program. At this time, a whole "pack" of hits was written: "Sarah Baraboo", "Your dad was right." "My love is on the fifth floor." Of course, they immediately try to call the team "Soviet battles", but this label is only part of the truth. The group is not a "tracing paper" of the famous The Beatles. This is not blind imitation or plagiarism. What “The Secret” does on stage is more like a subtle stylization of the Liverpool Four, an elegant acting game. Yes, there is something in common, and just as simple and melodic are the songs written for all the same " eternal themes". But still, the beat quartet "Secret" succeeds not because of this "common with the greats." They, like the Beatles, are independent and very recognizable.

1985 was a fruitful year for the band. In the summer, as part of the Festival of Youth and Students, a Secret concert took place, and it suddenly became clear that the group was terribly popular. Almost immediately after that, the beat quartet took part in the filming of the first Soviet video film How to Become a Star, and by the autumn there was an unprecedented surge in concert activity. In 1986, fans of the beat quartet were among the first in the country to create an official fan club. For the next five years, the group is at the peak of popularity - albums are being recorded: "Secret" (1987) - the disc became double platinum !; "Leningrad time" (1989), "Orchestra on the way" (1991). In 1990, the composition of the quartet was undergoing changes - Maxim Leonidov left for Israel. But for some time the group does not give up positions. However, it gradually changes under the influence of time and circumstances. And at the same time, “playing the Beatles” is coming to naught. However, even if the group has changed or ceased to exist, the songs written and sung always remain. They are unchanged, and the romantic atmosphere of the 60s is perfectly preserved in them.

• It is said that John Lennon saw the future name in a dream. As if a man appeared to him, engulfed in flames, and ordered to change the letters in the name - The Beetles ("Beetles"), to get The Beatles.
• There is a fairly large group of fans who believe that Paul McCartney died in a car accident in November 1966. And the person who pretends to be a Beatle is his doppelgänger. The proof of their correctness takes more than one page of text - amateur mystics analyze in detail the words, songs and album covers and point to countless "secret signs" indicating that at the time of the release of Paul's albums, Paul was no longer alive, and The Beatles are carefully concealed. Sir McCartney himself refuses to comment on this grandiose hoax.
• In 2008, the Israeli authorities admitted that in the 60s they did not let The Beatles into the country, fearing their "corrupting influence on young people."
• In June 1965 years The Beatles were awarded the Order of the British Empire "For their contribution to the development of British culture and its popularization around the world." No other musician has ever received such high award and it caused a scandal. Many of the cavaliers wished to return their award in order to "not stand on a par with pop idols." After 4 years, Lennon returned his order in protest against British policy during the Vietnam War.
• took place on August 22, 1969 in Tittenhurst Park, in the place where the estate of John Lennon was located.

The Beatles made a great contribution to the development of rock music and became a striking phenomenon in the world culture of the sixties of the twentieth century. In this article, we will learn not only the history of the emergence of the Beatles. The biography of each participant after the collapse of the legendary team will also be considered.

Beginning (1956-1960)

When did the Beatles form? Biography and interest for several generations of fans. The history of the emergence of the group can begin with the formation of the musical tastes of the participants.

In the spring of 1956, the leader of the future star team, John Lennon, first heard one of Elvis Presley's songs. And this song, Heartbreak Hotel, turned my whole life upside down young man. Lennon played the banjo and harmonica, but new music made him take up the guitar.

The biography of the Beatles in Russian usually begins with the first group organized by Lennon. With school friends, he created the Quarryman team, named after them. educational institution. The teenagers played skiffle, a form of amateur British rock and roll.

At one of the group's performances, Lennon met Paul McCartney, who surprised the guy with his knowledge of the chords of the most latest songs and high musical development. And in the spring of 1958, George Harrison, Paul's friend, joined them. The Trinity became the backbone of the group. They were invited to play at parties and weddings, but it never came to real concerts.

Inspired by the example of rock and roll pioneers, Eddie Cochran and Paul and John decided to write songs and play guitars themselves. They wrote the texts together and gave them double authorship.

In 1959, the group appeared new member- Stuart Sutcliffe, Lennon's friend. was almost formed: Sutcliffe (bass guitar), Harrison (lead guitar), McCartney (vocals, guitar, piano), Lennon (vocals, rhythm guitar). The only thing missing was a drummer.

Name

It is difficult to talk briefly about the Beatles group, even the history of the emergence of such a simple and short name of the group is captivating. When the band began to integrate into the concert life hometown, they needed a new name, because they no longer had a relationship with the school. In addition, the group began to perform at various talent competitions.

For example, at the 1959 television competition, the team performed under the name Johnny and the Moondogs ("Johnny and the Moon Dogs"). A title The The Beatles appeared a few months later, in early 1960. Who exactly came up with it is unknown, most likely Sutcliffe and Lennon, who wanted to take a word that has several meanings.

When pronounced, the name sounds like beetles, that is, beetles. And when writing, the root of beat is visible - as beat music, a fashionable direction of rock and roll that arose in the 1960s. However, the promoters believed that this name was not catchy and too short, so the guys were called on the posters as Long John and The Silver Beetles ("Long John and the Silver Beetles").

Hamburg (1960-1962)

The skill of the musicians grew, but they remained just one of the many musical groups of their hometown. The biography of the Beatles, a summary of which you began to read, continues with the move of the team to Hamburg.

The fact that numerous Hamburg clubs needed English-speaking bands played into the hands of young musicians, and several teams from Liverpool proved themselves well. In the summer of 1960, the Beatles received an invitation to come to Hamburg. It was already serious work, so the quartet had to urgently look for a drummer. So Pete Best appeared in the group.

The first concert took place the next day after arrival. For several months, the musicians honed their skills in Hamburg clubs. They had to play music for a long time different styles and directions - rock and roll, blues, rhythm and blues, sing pop and folk songs. It can be said that largely thanks to the experience gained in Hamburg, the Beatles group took place. The biography of the team was experiencing its dawn.

In just two years, the Beatles gave about 800 concerts in Hamburg and raised their skills from amateurs to professionals. The Beatles did not perform their own songs, concentrating on the compositions of famous artists.

In Hamburg, the musicians met with students of the local art college. One of the students, Astrid Kircher, began dating Sutcliffe and became actively involved in the band's life. This girl offered the guys new hairstyles - hair combed over the forehead and ears, and later characteristic jackets without lapels and collars.

The Beatles who returned to Liverpool were no longer amateurs, they became on a par with the most popular bands. It was then that they met Ringo Starr, the drummer for a rival band.

After returning to Hamburg, the first professional recording of the band took place. The musicians accompanied rock and roll singer Tony Sheridan. The quartet also recorded several of their own songs. This time their name was The Beat Brothers, not The Beatles.

The short biography of Sutcliffe continued with the exit from the team. At the end of the tour, he refused to return to Liverpool, choosing to stay with his girlfriend in Hamburg. A year later, Sutcliffe died of a cerebral hemorrhage.

First success (1962-1963)

The group returned to England and began to play in Liverpool clubs. On July 27, 1961, the first significant concert in the hall took place, which became a major success. In November, the group got a manager - Brian Epstein.

He met with a major label producer who showed interest in the band. He was not entirely satisfied with the demos, but young people fascinated him live. The first contract was signed.

However, both the producer and the band's manager were unhappy with Pete Best. They believed that he did not reach the general level, in addition, the musician refused to do his signature hairstyle, maintain the general style of the band, and often clashed with other members. Despite the fact that Best was popular with fans, it was decided to replace him. The drummer was replaced by Ringo Starr.

Ironically, it was with this drummer that the band recorded an amateur record at their own expense in Hamburg. Walking around the city, the guys met Ringo (Pete Best was not with them) and went to one of the street studios to record some songs just for fun.

In September 1962 the band recorded their first single, Love Me Do, which became very popular. The manager's cunning also played a big role here - Epstein bought ten thousand records at his own expense, which increased sales and aroused interest.

In October, the first television performance took place - the broadcast of one of the concerts in Manchester. Soon the second single Please Please Me was recorded, and in February 1963 the self-titled album was recorded in 13 hours, which included cover versions of popular songs and own compositions. In November of the same year, sales of the second album With The Beatles started.

Thus began the period of frenzied popularity that the Beatles experienced. Biography, a brief history of the beginning team, is over. The history of the legendary band begins.

The birthday of the term "Beatlemania" is considered to be October 13, 1963. In London, in the Palladium Hall, a concert of the group took place, which was broadcast throughout the country. But thousands of fans chose to gather around the concert hall hoping to see the musicians. The Beatles had to make their way to the car with the help of the police.

The height of "Beatlemania" (1963-1964)

In Britain, the quartet was wildly popular, but in America the group's singles were not published, since usually English groups did not have much success. The manager managed to sign a contract with a small firm, but the records were not noticed.

How did the Beatles get on the big American stage? The band's (short) biography tells that everything changed when a music critic of a well-known newspaper listened to the single I Want To Hold Your Hand, already very popular in England, and called the musicians "the greatest composers since Beethoven". The following month, the group was at the top of the charts.

"Beatlemania" stepped over the ocean. On the band's first visit to America, the musicians were greeted at the airport by several thousand fans. The Beatles gave 3 big concerts and performed on a TV show. All of America was watching them.

In March 1964, the quartet began creating a new album, A Hard Day "s Night, and a musical film of the same name. And the single Can't Buy Me Love / You Can't Do That, which appeared this month, set a world record for the number of pre-orders.

On August 19, 1964, a full-fledged tour of North America started. The group gave 31 concerts in 24 cities. It was originally planned to visit 23 cities, but the owner of the basketball club from Casas City offered the musicians $150,000 for a half-hour concert (usually the ensemble received $25,000-30,000).

The tour was hard for the musicians. They were like in a prison, completely isolated from outside world. The places where the Beatles stayed were besieged around the clock by crowds of fans in the hope of seeing their idols.

The concert venues were huge, the equipment was of poor quality. The musicians did not hear each other and even themselves, they often got lost, but the audience did not hear this and practically did not see anything, since the stage was set very far for safety reasons. I had to perform according to a clear program, there was no question of any improvisation and experiments on stage.

Yesterday and Lost Recordings (1964-1965)

After returning to London, work began on the Beatles For Sale album, which included borrowed and own songs. A week after the publication, he soared to the top of the charts.

In July 1965, the second film, Help!, was released, followed by an album of the same name in August. It was in this album that the most famous song collective Yesterday, which has become a classic of popular music. Today, more than two thousand interpretations of this composition are known.

The author of the famous melody was Paul McCartney. He composed the music at the beginning of the year, the words appeared later. He called the composition Scrambled Egg, because, composing it, he sang Scrambled egg, how I love a scrambled egg ... ("Scrambled eggs, how I love scrambled eggs"). The song was recorded with accompaniment string quartet, of the group members, only Paul participated.

On the second American tour, which started in August, an event took place that still haunts music lovers around the world. What did the Beatles do? The biography briefly describes that the musicians visited Elvis Presley himself. The stars not only talked, but also played several songs together, which were recorded on a tape recorder.

The recordings were never released, and music agents from all over the world failed to locate them. The value of these recordings cannot be estimated today.

New Directions (1965-1966)

In 1965, many groups entered the big stage, which made a worthy competition to the Beatles. The band started to create a new album Rubber Soul. This record marked new era in rock music. Elements of surrealism and mysticism, which the Beatles are known for, began to appear in the songs.

The biography (short) tells that at the same time scandals began to arise around the musicians. In July 1966, the band members refused an official reception, which caused a conflict with the first lady. Outraged by this fact, the Filipinos almost tore the musicians apart, they had to literally run away. The tour administrator was badly beaten, the quartet was pushed and almost pushed to the plane.

The second big scandal erupted when John Lennon said in one of his interviews that Christianity was dying and that the Beatles were more popular than Jesus today. Protests swept across the United States, the group's records were burned. The leader of the team, under pressure, apologized for his words.

Despite the troubles, 1966 saw the release of Revolver, one of the band's best albums. His distinguishing feature in that musical compositions were complex and did not involve performing live. The Beatles are now a studio band. Exhausted by the tour, the musicians gave up concert activities. In the same year, the last concerts were held. Music critics called the album brilliant and were sure that the quartet would no longer be able to create something as perfect.

However, in early 1967, the single Strawberry Fields Forever/Penny Lane was recorded. The recording of this record lasted 129 days (compared with the 13-hour recording of the first album), the studio worked literally around the clock. The single was extremely complex musically and was a resounding success, being at the top of the charts for 88 weeks.

White Album (1967-1968)

The performance of the Beatles was broadcast to the whole world. 400 million people could see it. A television version of the song All You Need Is Love was recorded. After this triumph, the team's affairs began to decline. The role in this was played by the death of the "fifth Beatle", the band's manager Brian Epstein, as a result of an overdose of sleeping pills. He was only 32. Epstein was an important member of the Beatles. The biography of the group after his death has undergone major changes.

For the first time, the band received the first negative reviews regarding the new Magical Mystery Tour movie. A lot of complaints were caused by the fact that the tape was released only in color, while most people had only black and white TVs. The soundtrack was released as an EP.

In 1968, Apple was responsible for releasing albums, as the Beatles announced, whose biography continued. In January 1969, the Yellow Submarine cartoon and its soundtrack were released. In August - single Hey Jude, one of the best in the history of the group. And in 1968 the famous album The Beatles, better known as the white album, was released. It got its name because its cover was snow-white, with a simple imprint of the title. The fans received it well, but the critics no longer shared the enthusiasm.

This record marked the beginning of the group's breakup. Ringo Starr left the band for a while, several songs were recorded without him. The drums were played by McCartney. Harrison has been busy with solo work. The situation was also tense because of Yoko Ono, who was present in the studio constantly and annoyed the band members in order.

Breakup (1969-1970)

At the beginning of 1969, the musicians had many plans. They were going to release an album, a film about their studio work, and a book. Paul McCartney wrote the song Get Back ("Come back"), which gave the name to the whole project. The Beatles, whose biography began so naturally, was approaching disintegration.

The band members wanted to show the atmosphere of fun and ease that reigned at the performances in Hamburg, but this did not work out. Many songs were recorded, but only five were selected, a lot of video material was filmed. The last recording was to be filming an impromptu concert on the rooftop of the recording studio. It was interrupted by the police, who were called locals. This concert was last performance groups.

On February 3, 1969, the team got a new manager, Allen Klein. McCartney was strongly opposed, as he believed that his future father-in-law, John Eastman, would be the best candidate for the role. Paul began legal proceedings against the rest of the group. Thus, the Beatles group, whose biography is described in this article, began to experience a serious conflict.

Work on an ambitious project was abandoned, but the group still released the Abbey Road album, which included George Harrison's brilliant composition Something. The musician worked on it for a long time, recorded about 40 ready-made options. The song is put on a par with Yesterday.

On January 8, 1970, the last album, Let It Be, was released, a reworking of material from the failed Get Back project by American producer Phil Spector. On May 20, a documentary about the band was released, which had already broken up by the time of the premiere. Thus ended the biography of the Beatles. In Russian, the title of the film sounds like "Let it be so."

After the collapse. John Lennon

The era of the Beatles is over. The biography of the participants continues with solo projects. At the time of the breakup of the group, all members were already engaged independent work. In 1968, two years before the breakup, John Lennon released a joint album with his wife Yoko Ono. It was recorded in one night and at the same time contained not music, but a set of various sounds, noises, screams. On the cover, the couple appeared in the nude. Two more records of the same plan and a live recording followed in 1969. From the 70th to the 75th year, 4 music albums were released. After that, the musician stopped appearing in public, devoting himself to raising his son.

In 1980, Lennon's last album, Double Fantasy, was released and was well received by critics. A few weeks after the album's release, on December 8, 1980, John Lennon was shot several times in the back. In 1984, the musician's posthumous album Milk and Honey was released.

After the collapse. Paul McCartney

After McCartney left the Beatles, the musician's biography took on a new twist. The break with the group took a heavy toll on McCartney. At first he retired to a remote farm, where he experienced depression, but in March 1970 he returned with material for a solo album by McCartney, and soon released a second - Ram.

However, without the group, Paul felt insecure. He organized the Wings team, which included his wife Linda. The group lasted until 1980 and released 7 albums. As part of his solo career, the musician has released 19 albums, the last of which was released in 2013.

After the collapse. George Harrison

George Harrison even before the breakup of the Beatles released 2 solo albums - Wonderwall Music in 1968 and Electronic Sound in 1969. These records were experimental and did not have much success. The third album, All Things Must Pass, included songs written during the Beatles period and rejected by other band members. This is the musician's most successful solo album.

Throughout his solo career, after Harrison left the Beatles, the musician's biography was enriched by 12 albums and more than 20 singles. He was actively involved in philanthropy and made a significant contribution to the popularization of Indian music and converted to Hinduism himself. Harrison died on November 29, 2001.

After the collapse. Ringo Star

Ringo's solo album, which he began working on as part of the Beatles, was released in 1970, but was declared a failure. However, in the future, he released more successful albums, largely due to his collaboration with George Harrison. In total, the musician has released 18 studio albums, as well as several live recordings and collections. The last album was released in 2015.

50 years ago, on October 5, 1962, the Beatles' first record, Love Me Do, went on sale.

The Beatles ("The Beatles") - a British rock band that has made a huge contribution to the development and popularization of both rock music and rock culture in general. The ensemble became one of the brightest phenomena of the world culture of the 60s of the XX century.

On June 20, 2004, as part of the European tour 04 Summer Tour, Paul McCartney's only concert took place in St. Petersburg on Palace Square.

On April 4, 2009, former Beatles members Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr performed in New York City. The concert featured both solo songs by the musicians and several Beatles' hits. The money from their joint concert was used to promote spiritual values ​​among young people.

They last performed together at the 2002 George Harrison Tribute Concert.

In February 2012, it became known that at home in Liverpool, where members of the legendary Beatles John Lennon and Paul McCartney spent their childhood,. Organization for protection historical monuments, attractions and scenic spots previously restored both buildings so that they look the same as in the days of the musicians' childhood.

Since 2001, according to the decision of UNESCO, January 16 is celebrated annually as the World Day of The Beatles. Music lovers around the world are celebrating the best band of the past 20th century.

In the USSR, from 1964 to 1992, the Krugozor magazine and the Melodiya Firm released records in the form of flexible gramophone records, including music by Western musicians, so during 1974 five The Beatles records were released.

The material was prepared on the basis of information from RIA Novosti and open sources

The magnificent Liverpool Four in the early 60s raised the whole world to the ears, but no noisy fame can be compared with the real test of time: at first the Beatles showed that their success was not a short-term phenomenon at all, and then ... they simply changed the world of music and rock culture, becoming one of the most significant and influential groups of the 20th century.

History of creation

In 1956, a simple Liverpool guy named John Lennon heard the song "Heartbreak Hotel" by Elvis Presley and instantly fell ill with modern music. Along with the king of rock and roll, other pioneers of the genre, American singers of the 50s Bill Haley and Buddy Holly, also got into his favorites. The 16-year-old energetic young man simply needed to throw out his energy somewhere - in the same year, with his school friends, he organized the skiffle group "The Quarrymen" (that is, "the guys from the Quarry Bank school").

In the images of the then popular teddy fights, they performed at parties for a year, and in July 1957, at one of the concerts, Lennon met Paul McCartney. The skinny, shy guy just amazed John with his knowledge of guitar skills - he not only played well, but knew the chords and could tune the guitar! For the self-taught Lennon, who played the banjo, harmonica and guitar rather weakly, it was almost like the art of the gods. He even doubted whether such a strong musician would take away his leadership, but two weeks later he invited Paul to the role of rhythm guitarist in The Quarrymen.

By nature, Paul and John were like mirror images of each other: the first is an excellent student and a good boy from a prosperous family, the second is a local hooligan and a truant who early childhood abandoned by her mother, and then raised by her aunt.

Perhaps largely due to their dissimilarity, the guys were able to make one of the most successful musical duets in the world. From the very beginning of cooperation, they became both partners and rivals. And if Paul began to compose music from the moment he took up the guitar, then for John this activity initially became a challenge from his talented partner.

In 1958, guitarist George Harrison, who at that time was only 15 years old, joined the band. Later, Lennon's classmate Stuart Sutcliffe also entered the group - initially this quartet was the main line-up of the group, while John's school friends soon forgot about their musical passion.

After changing from a dozen different names, in the end, the Liverpool people settled on The Beatles - John Lennon wanted the word to be ambiguous and contain some game. And if in Russia it was first of all translated as “Beetles” (although another spelling is correct in English - “beetles”), then for the band members the name also referred to the Buddy Holly group The Crickets (“Crickets”) that influenced them and the word “the beat", that is, "rhythm".

The main stages of creativity

For a while, the Beatles imitated their American idols, increasingly acquiring an international sound. Having written more than 100 compositions in two years, they have accumulated material for several years to come. It was then that McCartney and Lennon agreed to indicate the dual authorship of songs, regardless of who contributed what to the work.

It's funny that until the summer of 1960, the Beatles did not have a permanent drummer - and sometimes there were problems with the equipment and installations for performances. Everything was decided by an invitation to perform in Hamburg, which the guys received, one might say, by a lucky chance. Then they urgently invited drummer Paul Best, who plays in another band. After an exhausting tour, where the Beatles played so far only covers or improvised right on stage, they returned to England as more experienced, “mature” musicians.

Meeting with Brian Epstein and George Martin

The success of The Beatles was made up of all the main components necessary for popularity, where, in addition to talent, perseverance and charisma, one cannot do without competent production and promotion. It can even be said that at the beginning of their career, the Beatles became the first pop group on a global scale, although the principles of promotion at that time were in many respects different from modern ones.

The fate of the Beatles' popularity was decided by the owner of the record store, a true enthusiast of his business, Brian Epstein, who in 1962 became the official manager of the group. If before Epstein the Beatles performed on stage shaggy and even, as he said, “dirty”, then under the leadership of Brian they changed into their famous suits, put on ties and made trendy haircuts “under the pot”. After working on the image, quite a natural work on the musical material followed.

Epstein sent a demo of their first songs to George Martin of recording studio Parlophone - At a meeting with the Beatles that followed soon after, Martin praised them but advised them to change drummers. Soon everyone unanimously (Epstein and Martin always consulted with the group) chose the charming and energetic Ringo Starr from the then popular band Rory Storm and the Hurricanes for this role.

Crazy Success: The Beatles World Tour

In September 1962, the "seizure of the world" began: the Beatles released their first single "Love me Do", which instantly became the leader of the British charts. Soon all the members of the group moved to London and in February 1963 in one day (!) Completely recorded their first album Please, Please me with groovy hits She Loves You, I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout.

The Beatles

The record was overflowing with joy, lyricism and, of course, rhythmic rock and roll, and the charming members of the Beatles became the personification of youth and sincerity for fans around the world. Success was cemented by the album With the Beatles that followed the same year. "Beetles" were one of the first musicians to simply and a little naively sing about love, relationships and true romance.

It was then that the concept of "Beatlemania" arose - first it swept the UK, and then stepped into other countries and across the ocean. At Beatles concerts, fans went into a frenzy just seeing their pretty idols. The girls squealed so that the musicians sometimes did not even hear what they were singing. Their success in America in 1963-1966 could be compared to a triumphal procession. Footage of The Beatles performing on the then-popular Ed Sullivan Show in 1964 became legendary: frenzied screams, imperturbable musicians, voiceovers.

The Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show (1964)

The albums A Hard Day's Night (1964) and Help! (1965) not only contained wonderful and already truly "Beatle" songs, but were also presented to the audience with parallel musical films that became gifts for real fans. And if in the first picture the band members played the role of guest stars , then to "Help!" an artistic plot was already invented, and the Beatles tried on new comical images.

The legendary song "Yesterday" by Paul McCartney from the album "Help!" official version, was first recorded without the participation of other Beatles, but with the help of a string quartet. This composition, along with "Michelle" and "Girl", entered the treasury of the best lyrical songs group and is known to everyone who has never even closely acquainted with the work of the Liverpool Four.

After exhausting world tours (sometimes concerts were given every day), the musicians moved on to studio work in the famous Abbey Road Studios. At the same time, the sound of The Beatles began to change more and more. For example, the album Rubber Soul (1965) featured the first sitar, played by George Harrison for the song "Norwegian Wood". By the way, by this time the band members had already become virtuoso multi-instrumentalists.

The Revolver (1966) and Magical Mystery Tour (1967) records, with the songs "Eleanor Rigby", "Yellow Submarine" and "All You Need Is Love", provided an exquisite bridge to the grandiose "Sgt. Pepper "s Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967), which finally lifted the group to a new level. The Beatles not only became the standard in the world of music, but "sneaked" into the just emerging world of psychedelic and progressive rock, once again reflecting and simultaneously creating a whole epoch with its creativity, in fact, a symbol of the hippie era with their anti-war protests, experiments with drugs and propaganda free love became to some extent and the Beatles.

The Beatles

At that time, the Beatles had already completely transformed from a group that collects stadiums into a chamber group recording half experimental, half acoustic albums. At Wembley Stadium in 1966, the Beatles said goodbye to their past: loud fans included. This decision helped to continue developing musically, without being distracted by any hype or promotions.

Breakup of the Beatles

At the same time, contradictions within the team were growing more and more - George Harrison and Ringo Starr literally had to write to the table: most of their compositions, according to them, were simply not accepted for consideration by Paul and John. In August 1967, 32-year-old Brian Epstein, who, along with George Martin, was the “fifth Beatle” in the group, died suddenly from an overdose of sleeping pills.

More and more factors separating musicians appeared. At the beginning of 1968, they decided to spend time together in India with the Maharishi meditation teacher - this experience affected everyone in different ways, but the Beatles returned to England without having established mutual understanding with each other.

Having released the double-sided disc “The White Album” in 1968, the group continued their experiments - the record contained diverse compositions, in some of them the musicians continued to work on the sound. At that time, in the Abbey Road studio, the Beatles were always accompanied by the future wife of John Lennon, the artist Yoko Ono, who terribly annoyed all the musicians with her antics - the atmosphere was getting more and more tense.

Despite all the controversy, the group was able to get together in the studio to release three more albums - "Yellow Submarine" (1968) with music for a psychedelic cartoon, "Abbey Road" and "Let it Be" (1970). "Abbey Road" with the legendary cover, where the four cross the street of the same name, was recognized by critics as one of the quartet's most perfect records. At that time, George and John had already recorded their first albums, and the recording of some songs was carried out by the group outside in full force. In 1970, Paul McCartney, without waiting for the release of "Let it Be", released his debut disc and published an official letter about the breakup of the group, which caused a flurry of indignation among fans.

Scandals

On June 12, 1965, many members of the Order of the British Empire were dissatisfied with the presentation of an honorary award to The Beatles "for their contribution to the development of British culture and its popularization around the world." Prior to this, no pop musician had received an award from the Queen. True, four years later, John Lennon refused the award - thus he opposed British intervention in the outcome of the Civil War in Nigeria.

The Beatles are more popular than Jesus

After the scandal on tour in the Philippines in 1966 (the group came into conflict with the very first lady), America was outraged by John Lennon's words that the Beatles were "more popular than Jesus" and the recognition that the musician had become disillusioned with Christianity because his "stupid and ordinary" followers. None of the band members could have expected that these words would cause mass burning of Beatles records in the southern states and even protests by the Ku Klux Klan. Then Brian Epstein had to cancel the planned tour in the United States, and Lennon had to make a public apology.

Discography

• "Please Please Me" (1963)
• "With The Beatles" (1963)
• "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)
• Beatles For Sale (1964)
• Help! (1965)
• "Rubber Soul" (1965)
• "Revolver" (1966)
• "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967)
• "Magical Mystery Tour" (1967)
• The Beatles (also known as the White Album) (1968)
• "Yellow Submarine" (1968)
• Abbey Road (1969)
• "Let It Be" (1970)

Films about the Beatles

• "A Hard Day's Night" (1964)
• Help! (1965)
• "Yellow Submarine" (1968)
• "Let It Be" (1970)
• "Imagine: John Lennon" (1988)
• "Becoming John Lennon" (2009)
• "George Harrison: Living in the Material World" (2011)
• "The Beatles: Eight Days a Week" (2016)

Solo projects of The Beatles members

Paul McCartney

Paul McCartney released his first solo album before the breakup of The Beatles, modestly calling it "McCartney" (1970). Despite the fact that the gap between the members of the legendary group at that time was already obvious, for McCartney this became a source of serious feelings. After some seclusion, the musician released the album "Ram" (1971), the composition of which was awarded the Grammy. At the same time, Paul's early creations were smashed by both critics and his former partner, John Lennon.

Feeling insecure about being a soloist, McCartney created The Wings, with whom he released 7 albums from 1971 to 1979. Solo Sir Paul recorded 16 studio albums, many of which went platinum. The last record of the ex-Beatle at the moment is “New” in 2013. World stars, such as Natalie Portman and Johnny Depp, have repeatedly starred in McCartney's videos.

John Lennon

Perhaps the most striking and at the same time transient among the former members of the Beatles was the solo career of John Lennon. It seems that it could not be otherwise - John has always been different not only complex nature, but also the desire to create something categorically new and sometimes avant-garde. No less significant for him was the expression political position through creativity. Together with his second wife, Yoko Ono, he staged various performances, the most famous of which was the "bed interview" Give Peace a Chance (Give this world a chance) in 1969.

For a conditional 10 years of a solo career (Lennon was shot dead on December 8, 1980 at the entrance to his house), the legendary Beatle released 9 studio albums, many of which were recorded in collaboration with Ringo Starr, George Harrison, Phil Spector and Yoko Ono. After the tragic death of the musician, through the efforts of his relatives, several more discs with previously unreleased songs were released.

John Lennon – Imagine

Lennon's work had a huge impact on culture, music, people's views both during his lifetime and after the death of the musician. His most successful records are Imagine (1971) and Double Fantasy (1980).

Ringo Starr

Ringo Starr, like George Harrison, during the existence of the Beatles, of course, was in the shadow of Paul and John. Although he, like the rest of the members, composed a lot of music, his compositions were practically not involved in the group's repertoire. Not everyone also knew that it was Ringo who sang the most popular song Yellow Submarine. However, after the breakup of the group, Starr immediately continued his solo career.

By 2018, Ringo had already released 19 records, many of which went platinum. Throughout his career, Starr has continued to collaborate with ex-Beatles, for example, Paul McCartney took part in the recording of his latest album “Give More Love” (2017).

In 2012, Ringo Starr was named the richest drummer in the world - his fortune at that time was already about $ 300 million.

George Harrison

Guitarist George Harrison, who was inconspicuous in the group, also did not often receive " White light” to use his compositions in the group, but he owns some of the best songs of their late creativity"While My Guitar Gently Weeps", "Something", and "Here Comes the Sun".

In Harrison's solo work, no one could slow down: for example, he recorded 10 studio albums in total, the best of which is the triple disc "All Things Must Pass" (1970), among the compositions of which the song of the same name and the song "My Sweet Lord" are especially noted. Harrison, who converted to Hinduism in the late 60s, was strongly influenced by Indian sacred music and religious texts in his work. The musician died of lung cancer in November 2001.

Biography of the Beatles - young years.
The legendary Beatles were born in 1959 in the UK, in the city of Liverpool. The very first line-up of the group included Paul McCartney (bass guitar, guitar, vocals), John Lennon (guitar, vocals), George Harrison (guitar, vocals), Stuart Sutcliffe (bass guitar), Pete Best (drums).
At first, the group was known only in Liverpool, then, when the musicians left for Germany in 1960, they were noticed by Tony Sheridan, who at that time was very famous performer rock and roll. With the Beatles, Sheridan recorded studio album"Tony Sheridan and the Beatles". It was then in creative biography The Beatles made their first major international debut.
After joint project with Sheridan, Brian Epstein, owner of a record store, became interested in the group. From the autumn of 1961 he became their manager. When Stuart Sutcliffe left the group in December 1961, the Beatles became a quartet. Then the composition of the group underwent another change: the record company with which Epstein was negotiating, for their agreement to cooperate with the Beatles, demanded to change drummer Pete Best.
The first author's single of the Beatles, called "Love me do", was recorded at the then little-known recording studio "Parlofon" in December 1962. Brian Epstein, in an effort to arouse public interest in the group's new hit, took a rather risky step - he bought the first ten thousand copies himself. This commercial ruse was a success - interest in the instantly scattered record attracted a lot of buyers. The first independent album in the Beatles' biography was released in early 1963. By 1964, the whole world was crazy about the Beatles.
The official "birthday" of the "Beatlemania" phenomenon is considered to be the day the Beatles performed at the London Palladium on October 13, 1963. Their concert was televised and attracted about fifteen million viewers. At the same time, thousands of the group's fans, instead of watching a TV show, preferred to gather near the concert hall building, hoping to see their idols in real life.
On November 4 of that year, the Beatles performed at the Prince of Wales Theatre. Their performance became the highlight of the program of the Royal Variety Show. The Queen Mother herself expressed admiration for the song "Till There Was You" performed by the Beatles.
Soon the Beatles' second album, With The Beatles, was released, breaking all existing records for the number of pre-purchase requests. By 1965, over one million copies of the album had been sold.
In 1963-1964, the Beatles conquered America. They became the first English group, which had such a resounding success "overseas". Moreover, the Parlofon company did not dare to release the group's singles in the USA, precisely because of the short-lived popularity in the States of almost all musicians from Great Britain. Brian Epstein tried to attract the attention of the American public by releasing the singles "Please Please Me" and "From Me To You" and the album "Introducing The Beatles", but they were not successful.

Popularity came after the release in the United States at the end of 1963 of the single "I Want To Hold Your Hand". One of the famous music critics after this song called Lennon and McCartney "the greatest composers since Beethoven". In January 1964, the album "Meet the Beatles!" was released in the United States, which in February received the status of "gold".
The quartet went on tour in the United States, where they gave three concerts, and also twice became participants in the popular television program The Ed Sullivan Show. The Beatles brought together forty percent of the US population in front of television screens - that's about seventy-three million people. This fact of the Beatles' biography is one of the most significant: such a number of television audiences was recorded for the first time in the history of television.
This was the height of the "Beatlemania": their next creative project, the musical film "A Hard Day's Evening" and the album of the same name, received three million pre-orders, foreign tours were a triumph. The Beatles were called "the best songwriters since Schubert ".
However, the quartet soon had to put an end to concert performances: the public was ready to tear apart their idols, the fans did not let the musicians pass, so the Beatles were practically isolated from the whole world. In 1965, world popularity showed its reverse side: protests began against the Beatles, their records, portraits, and clothes were burned. The careless statements of the members of the group led to scandals on a national scale. In addition, the stage limited their creative development - day after day they performed the same songs, under the terms of the contract they did not have the right to deviate from the program. The stage biography of the Beatles ended, and the musicians decided to devote themselves entirely to studio work. On August 5, 1966, one of the best albums The Beatles - "Revolver" The album was distinguished primarily by the fact that most of its songs did not involve stage performance - the studio effects used here are so complex.
In 1967, the Beatles recorded a monumental and innovative album called Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club. It was a real revolution in the world of rock music: the album was the first impetus to the new musical directions that subsequently appeared, such as art rock, hard rock and psychedelia.
Biography of the Beatles - mature years.
In June 1967, the Beatles concert was broadcast around the world. They also became the first in this - about four hundred million people saw their performance, no other musical ensemble has ever achieved such a grandiose success. During the performance, a video version of the song "All You Need Is Love" was recorded. Shortly after this triumphant success, tragic death"fifth Beatle" band manager Brian Epstein. The group's business went into decline.
In 1968, the band released a double album, which would become known among the band's fans as the "white album" due to the cover artwork. The album was very popular, but it was during the work on it that the first signs of a subsequent collapse appeared in the group. The atmosphere began to heat up, between the musicians from time to time there were scandals. contributed to the improvement of the group.
In 1969, the group released one of their best songs, "Hey Jude". The single reached the top of the charts around the world and sold six million copies.
In February 1969, relations in the group finally went wrong due to disagreements over a new manager. McCartney sued his own group. However, later the group released another masterpiece of their work - the album "Abbey Road", which is considered their last collaboration (the album "Let It Be", released in 1970, included old recordings of the group).
In April 1970, at the same time as the release of the solo disc, Paul McCartney officially announced that the Beatles were no more. The world's greatest rock band has broken up. In 1979, McCartney made attempts to reunite the group in the same lineup. But this was never destined to happen - a year later, John Lennon was killed.