Beatles FAQ

The Beatles cheerfully sang 'Roll Over Beethoven'. But if Ludwig were not safely out of copyright, his legal team might have had a plausible claim for royalties. In one of his last interviews, John Lennon revealed how the great German composer provided direct inspiration for Because: I was lying on the sofa in our house, listening to Yoko play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on the piano. Suddenly I said, 'Can you play those chords backwards?' Structure The Beatles version retains the key (and key change, as well as the arpeggio pattern) - see here . Lennon also added some bass notes and, of course, a lyric which he claimed was ' clear, no bullshit, no imagery, no obscure references.' You won't find that kind of language in Fidelio, but there is arguably a similarity of intent across the centuries.

Two months after their first US public appearance, The Beatles held all the top five positions in the Billboard Hot 100.

Though John Lennon has described a very difficult childhood in emotional terms, he was more materially affluent than the others. Ringo, in contrast, has frequently paid tribute to his mother (Elsie) and his stepfather (Harry) for creating a very happy home. He nonetheless experienced 'Dickensian misfortune' that made the others count their blessings. Dingle The young Richard Starkey never made it to Mendips at this time - he first met the other Beatles much later in Hamburg. Had he done so, Aunt Mimi would no doubt have 'hidden the spoons', such was the notorious reputation of 'the Dingle', the area he came from.   Mimi would also have been startled by the young Starkey's physical appearance, which showed clear signs of his impoverishment and severe ill-health   Growing up in one of the roughest areas of the city meant that Ringo quickly developed survival skills.  'You learned to keep your eyes down but still watch what was going on,' he would late...

George Harrison and Paul McCartney first met while at secondary school.

Pete Best was sacked from The Beatles in August 1962. Because he did not write any of their material, he has never received royalties. For thirty-three years, he  received no income for the recordings he made with The Beatles 

George Martin wanted The Beatles first single to be  How Do You Do It, a Tin Pan Alley song which he felt had commercial potential.

  "Nobody wanted to play bass in those days."

The Beatles were legally dissolved in court on December 29th, 1974. But they had effectively ended on April 10, 1970, when Paul issued a press release announcing he was no longer working with the group.

Ringo: not a happy bunny in 1968

I am like a chameleon, influenced by whatever is going on. If Elvis can do it, I can do it. If the Everly Brothers can do it, me and Paul can. Same with Dylan. John Lennon I could feel myself climbing a spiral walkway as I was talking to Dylan. I felt like I was figuring it all out, the meaning of life.”  Paul McCartney In their early lyrics, Lennon and McCartney broadly stuck to the Tin Pan Alley  format: essentially,  "I love you/please love me too ."   There were some exceptions. Paul's When I'm Sixty Four, for example, shows the influence of music hall and takes a very unusual perspective for a teenage songwriter.  Generally, though,  the words circled back to the trials and tribulations of romantic love: I Want to Hold Your Hand, From Me to You, etc. Along Came Bob Two factors disrupted this approach. One was practical - there are only so many ways to say 'I love you' and The Beatles' success demanded the rapid production of new material. The...