Showing posts with label John Lennon. Show all posts
Showing posts with label John Lennon. Show all posts

Tuesday, 28 February 2012

*The Early Beatles


There’s a fascination about the early Beatles Photos and Music. What gave them that ‘magic’ – was it how they bounced off each other – how much did George Harrison (the quiet one) add. In the early days all three were front men and Lennon wanted the best in the band. 

At sixteen Lennon started his skiffle band The Quarrymen in 1957. They changed their name to The Beatles and played over in Hamburg Germany in 1960. It wasn't until 1962 that the band picked up attention for their gigs at the Cavern Club in Liverpool. After Decca Records rejected the band in early February 1962 with the comment "Guitar groups are on the way out, Mr. Epstein", George Martin signed the group to EMI's Parlophone label in May.  

I’ve been having fun looking through early Beatles images.

At a time when mods and rockers walked the streets of London, and when British youth was fascinated by the American blues records sold in back street shops and when pop music really took off here. It was fresh and exciting times for pop art culture, Mary Quant fashion, Twiggy, mini skirts and young music. 
Then it was all about the song and the instruments before the advent of the music video. (and oddly the Beatles were the first ones to make music videos, as they were so long at the number one spot they simply couldn't be on Top of the Pops every week!) 

Recommmend Life Magazine 'George Harrison Remembered'. Here's a link you might enjoy.  http://thehamburgbeatles.blogspot.com/

Todays generation is the 'fast' generation they want everything yesterday. They want to be The Beatles 1966 right away... rather than the Beatles 1957.  It took the Beatles 5 years of graft to get anywhere....

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Saturday, 11 June 2011

*The Beatles

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My best friends brother had all the Beatles vinyl albums and they used to come in those lovely sleeves when we could enjoy the art work as we listened to the latest one.  I also remember those times singing intimate harmonies to their songs back in my twenties..... it always worked perfectly. 

There was some magic thing going on there between them all. Some special 'synergy.' 

McCartney's 'Let It Be' is a totally life-affirming love song. Paul's piano melodies are the heart of his work, even without the words - but then the words sit on top as if they arrived at the same time. He clearly 'feels' in music. My piano lifts us up..

Lennon on the other hand had more energy and thought outward. 'Imagine' about our shared humanity is perhaps the best song ever written about love. Lennon's words ring very true.  
My words might heal...

Harrison, the often overlooked Beatle, wrote some of the most loved Beatles songs - 'Something' and 'Here Comes the Sun'. His guitar playing was highly expressive and admired by other guitarists. He added more to the Beatles sound than many realized.
And my guitar gently weeps.....

My Favourite Beatles songs in no particular order -  Let It Be, Strawberry Fields, Another Day, A Day in the Life, If I Fell, The long and Winding Road, If I Needed Someone, Things We Said,  You Wont' See Me, Because, Two of Us, Carry That Weight, Penny Lane, Eleanor Rigby, News Today, Day Tripper, Lucy in the Sky, Here Comes The Sun, Something,
... The Beatles prove that genius can come from anywhere, perhaps that is the key thing. And it doesn't have to be complicated.     

Ok have to admit to loving McCartney's' songs -  The Long and Winding Road (except for Phil Spector's dreadful plonking OTT production) and Let It Be. Here's the real natural version of The Long and Winding Road. 

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