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THE BRITISH INVASION

REVOLUTION WITHIN A REVOLUTION• THE FRAGMENTATION CONTINUES….

• THE INDEPENDENT LABLES PROVIDED MORE AND MORE “ONE HIT WONDERS”.

• WHAT WAS ROCK & ROLL IN THE EARLY 60’S?• - ONE COULD GIVE MANY DIFFERENT VALID ANSWERS

SOCIETY CHANGES• THE EARLY 1960S BEGAN AS “THE KENNEDY YEARS”

• - A NEW KIND OF OPTIMISIM UNTIL ONE EVENT

THE DEATH OF JOHN F. KENNEDY (NOVEMBER 22, 1963)

THE BRITISH INVASION

• THIS LOW CREATED AN OPENING FOR A CULTURAL INVASION.

• THE BEATLES WOULD LEAD THAT INVASION AND BRING A NEW LEVEL OF SOPHISTICATION TO ROCK MUSIC.

THE EARLY BEATLES• JOHN LENNON –

• FIRST HEARD ELVIS IN 1956 AND WAS MESMERIZED.

• LISTENED TO AMERICAN ROCK & ROLL THROUGH “RADIO LUXEMBOURG” (INDEPENDENT STATION – BBC REFUSED TO PLAY ROCK)

• ORGANIZED A NEW GROUP – THE QUARRY MEN – A SKIFFLE GROUP.

• WAS INTRODUCED TO PAUL MCCARTNEY AT A GIG

THE EARLY BEATLES• PAUL MCCARTNEY

• WAS ALSO INFLUENCED BY THE SKIFFLE RAGE

• IMITATED THE VOCAL AND GUITAR STYLES OF PRESLEY, LITTLE RICHARD, AND THE EVERLY BROTHERS

• JOINED THE QUARRY MEN • COMPLETE OPPOSITE OF JOHN LENNON ( JOHN –

REBELLIOUS / PAUL – CLEAN CUT ).

• BECAME ON OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL SONGWRITING TEAMS AND ENTERTAINMENT ACTS IN MUSIC HISTORY

THE EARLY BEATLES• “THE SILVER BEATLES”

• THE SKIFFLE STYLE HAD RUN ITS COURSE – MOST OF THE GROUPS TRANSITIONED INTO ROCK & ROLL.

• GEORGE HARRISON (FRIEND OF PAUL) JOINED THE QUARRY MEN, EVEN THOUGH HE WAS JUST A BEGINNER

• STU SUTCLIFFE (FRIEND OF JOHN) ALSO JOINED THE GROUP AND SUGGESTED THE NAME “BEETLES” WHICH WAS CHANGED TO “BEATLES” – PLAY ON BEAT

A POOR START• IN MAY 1960, THE GROUP WAS NOT VERY GOOD!

• PAUL & JOHN’s strengths were their voices• GEORGE WAS A BEGINNER• STU COULD HARDLY PLAY AT ALL

• NO COORDINATED STAGE PRESENCE, NO IMAGE, NO SET ACT

• WASN’T UNTIL PETE BEST (DRUMMER) JOINED THE GROUP AND STU DROPPED OUT OF THE BAND THAT THEY GOT BETTER (PAUL MOVED TO BASS)

1ST COMMERCIAL RECORDINGS• “MY BONNIE LIES OVER THE OCEAN” – WITH TONY

SHERIDAN

• “WHEN THE SAINTS GO MARCHING IN” -

• “CRY FOR A SHADOW” (INSTRUMENTAL)

Brian Epstien• Radio DJ• Record Shop owner

• Began researching the Beatles when customers would keep requesting their Tony Sheridan recordings.

• Tracked them down and offered to be their manager.

PARLOPHONE CONTRACT• THE SHERIDAN RECORDING WAS RELEASED IN

GERMANY AND WAS A FAIR SUCCESS

• THEY STRUGGLED TO GET A RECORDING CONTRACT – NERVES, POOR AUDITIONS, ETC.

• SIGNED WITH PARLOPHONE RECORDS –• - ONE YEAR / 4 SONGS / 1 PENNY ROYALTY• - PETE BEST WAS DROPPED FROM THE GROUP (NOT

FITTING IN)• - REPLACED BY RINGO STARR

• “LOVE ME DO” -

• “P.S. I LOVE YOU” -

• “FROM ME TO YOU” -

• “SHE LOVES YOU” -

BEATLEMANIA – UK VERSION• LATE 1963

• - NEWSPAPER ARTICLES• - MARKETING• - PERFORMED FOR THE QUEEN AND PRINCESS MARGARET• HELD 7 OF THE TOP 20 SPOTS ON THE BRITISH CHARTS.

• 5TH SINGLE – “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND” -

BEATLEMANIA - USA• CAPITOL RECORDS WAS ORIGINALLY NOT

INTERESTED IN RELEASING A US BEATLES ALBUM -UK ACTS HAD ALL BOMBED IN THE US.

• HESITANTLY RELEASED – “I WANT TO HOLD YOUR HAND” IN THE USA

• ED SULLIVAN SHOW APPEARANCE – 70 MILLION PEOPLE (60% OF VIEWING AUDIENCE)

• STRING OF NUMBER 1 HITS

• SURPASSED ELVIS PRESLEY’S RECORD OF 9 SINGLES ON THE TOP 100.

• 60% OF THE SINGLES SOLD IN 1964 WERE BEATLES RECORDINGS

• TWO MOVIES – “A HARD DAYS NIGHT” & “HELP!”

The Middle Period: Experimentation• By late 1965, the Beatles were in a position enjoyed by

few stars in any field.• - They could do no wrong• - This freedom pushed the Beatles to experiment with their sound.• This caused some strife between McCartney and Lennon – Each

wanted to go a different direction.

“Yesterday”• Originated as a solo for McCartney accompanied by

acoustic guitar.• George Martin (CEO of Parlaphone) suggested that the

Beatles use a string quartet accompaniment.• Was released on “Help!” in the UK and as a single in the

USA. – Climbed to the No. 1 spot and has since been the most recorded Beatles song

• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2WQAl5nJWHs

• Is “Yesterday” Rock?• Naturally, John Lennon HATED “Yesterday”.• It kept the listening audience on notice that the Beatles

would not just stick to one style of music or formula.

The Experimentation Albums• “Rubber Soul” & “Revolver” would show gradual increase

in experimentation and the transition from their early period to their mature style.

The Beatles “Mature” Style• No more “Yeah, Yeah, Yeah” songs• John discovered the lyrics of Bob Dylan.• George had discovered the Sitar• Exposed to American Folk Rock• Recording Processes allowed them to experiment more

with four-track edits.• Approached music as a layered process.

Rubber Soul• “Norwegian Wood” -

• - Use of the Sitar -

• “Michelle” - - Using bilingual lyrics – French & English

Controversy• John Lennon was quoted “We’re more popular than Jesus

now”• Over 30 radio stations banned Beatles records, protests,

record burnings.• The US Tour was still a success but they soon tired of the

touring life.

Revolver• “Love You Too” –

• “Eleanor Rigby” –

• “Yellow Submarine” -

The Later Beatles: Revolution• Continued to push the limits of Rock and Roll.• Could get away with more due their status.• 1967 would be known as the decade’s most interesting

year for the Beatles.• - John Lennon met Yoko Ono at an art show• - Brian Epstein committed suicide. Felt he was no longer needed

among other personal issues.• - Without Epstein, their personal lives began to fall apart.

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band• The ultimate Classic Rock Album of the late-1960s• Stayed 168 weeks on the top 100 charts in the USA• The origin of a “Concept Album” tied from beginning to

end. • The album presented a series of “acts” in a psychedelic

concert atmosphere.• Begins with crowd noise, full of drug-oriented double

entendres.

• Important songs from the album:• - A Little Help from My Friends• - Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds (LSD)• - She’s Leaving Home• - Within You Without You• - When I’m Sixty-Four

Other Important Albums

• The Beatles (The White Album)• - The Most Important Beatles Album – A Double Album with 30

songs• People Love it or Hate it• Telegraphs the end of the Beatles – Sessions were characterized

by tension, resentment, egocentricity• Essentially a “Tug-of-war” between Lennon and McCartney

The End of the Beatles• The Rooftop Concert – January 30, 1969• Paul releases “Paul is Live”• 1969 – John and Yoko release “Give Peace a Chance”• Ringo released a solo album – “Sentimental Journey”• George joined Eric Clapton’s band on tour and prepared

his own solo album – “All Things Must Pass’• “Let It Be” was release after the breakup with an album by

Paul McCartney that included a public interview acknowledging the breakup.