The Beatles

Considered the most influential and arguably the best band in the history of music, The Beatles’ beginnings can be traced back to a village fete in Woolton at which Paul McCartney saw John Lennon’s group the Quarrymen perform before being introduced. McCartney soon joined the group as a guitarist and eventually encouraged Lennon to allow his younger school friend George Harrison to join the group.

The group which also featured Colin Hanton and John Duff Lowe eventually disbanded in 1959 following a drunken set at the Woolton Village Club but Lennon and McCartney continued to write together. Lennon, McCartney, Harrison and bassist Stuart Sutcliffe continued to play together under a number of names before eventually settling on The Beatles. Drummer, Pete Best completed the line-up in August 1960 just before their infamous Hamburg residency.This Beatles line-up flitted between the German city and their native Liverpool winning a number of plaudits.

The line-up changed in 1961 when Sutcliffe decided to stay in Germany with his fiancé, this saw The Beatles become a four piece with McCartney switching to bass. The group signed with their manager Brian Epstein in January 1962 and he touted the band to various record labels with limited success before the group were eventually signed to EMI working under producer George Martin. Martin however was not happy with Best’s drumming and the group eventually drafted in Ringo Starr someone they knew well from their Hamburg days.

History was made in September 1962 when they recorded their first single Love Me Do. Subsequent singles such as Please Please Me saw the group rise to fame and soon released their debut album of the same name in 1963. Despite featuring massive hits such as the title track, I Saw Her Standing There and Twist and Shout it was a slightly rushed effort being recorded in just one day. Nevertheless it was hugely popular only being knocked off of the number one spot by its improved follow up With The Beatles.

Such success meant a huge following as the country became embroiled in Beatlemania. This was best captured as the group moved into film the following year with the classic movie (and soundtrack) A Hard Day’s Night which showed the group being chased through the streets by their fans.

Having had more success with fourth album Beatles for Sale the group released its second film and soundtrack with the more off-the-wall effort Help in 1965. This was to be the year that the group were taken seriously as an albums band when they released their first truly classic album Rubber Soul. Being so much more than a collection of songs, the album saw the group embrace a number of influences and even featured the first use of a sitar on the track, Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown). There next album in 1966, Revolver pushed the boundaries further still with tracks such as the string-laden Eleanor Rigby and the tape loops of Tomorrow Never Knows. Such elaborate production seemed to increase as the group’s love of touring declined, particularly after the swift exit that had to be made from their tour of The Philippines. They finally called a halt to touring in August 1966.

1967 saw The Beatles record the album that has topped greatest ever lists ever since, the much heralded Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Far removed from their day long recording of Please Please Me, the album is estimated to have taken nearly 700 hours in the studio. From the Indian influences of Within You Without You to the psychedelic Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds to the closing crescendo of A Day in the Life the time was not wasted as the group put together one of the most varied yet cohesive albums to date.

With the high of the album came the low of the death of their manager Brian Epstein due to an accidental overdose. Seeking a new guru the group decamped to India where they spent time with the Maharishi Yogi and composed many of the tracks that would later feature on The White Album. The release was the first album to appear on their own label Apple Corps, and although the sessions were fraught (due to a decline in band relations) it contains some of their best work such as Helter Skelter, Back in the USSR and While My Guitar Gently Weeps.

1969 saw the release of yet another classic album, Abbey Road. Despite the band drawing to the end (this was their last album to be recorded) the tracks, particularly those of George Harrison have been hailed as some of their best work, it featured Here Comes the Sun, Something and Come Together. T

he Beatles finally bowed out with the previously recorded album Let it Be and their legendary performance on the roof of Apple Corps on the 30th January 1969. The group finally announced their split in 1970.