YOU CAN'T DO THAT

Their impromptu rooftop gig...

Remember it well! I worked in Hanover Square, Mayfair, at that time. Too busy to go and see them play on the roof in Savile Row - regretted it ever since, as it was their final live performance together.

Here's another Beeb docu for you, Set.

Cool, Boss . . . thanks.

As the bull said to the cow . . . udderly fascinating.

I particularly enjoyed what the A&R man at Decca said:

"Guitar groups are on the way out . . . the Beatles have no future in the pop business."

This song, written for the soundtrack of A Hard Day's Night, really showcases Paul's mastery of music theory. It is especially effective for the changes from major to minor key and from ballad to standard rock song.

He was also the originator of the expletive "DOH!"

I watched several interviews with them from the 1960s last evening. They had admirable poise, and a good deal of patience with idiot questions--although by 1966, i think it was all starting to get on John's nerves. I have been reflecting on the source of their remarkable success, coming out of the welter of popular music groups in the English-speaking world in the 1960s, and in Liverpool alone. I came to the conclusion that it was a product of the marriage of their unique talents (Paul as a writer of music, John as a lyricist, George as a more than just competent guitarist and "Ringo" as a babe-magnet), and a really well-focused drive to succeed. In that hour-long documentary you linked, the engineer told how everyone employed at the Abbey Road studio went off for a typical lunch of the era--from one to two hours down at the local--and returned to find that in their absence, the boys had forgone lunch and had spent all of that time rehearsing. They really wanted that success, and they worked hard and intelligently to get it.

The Beatles were subjected to some very strange interview questions - the following is a good example of just how difficult it was for the stiff and formal British media to unbend sufficiently to adapt to the new wave of music and musicians.

Great thread...just reading and listening along.

I like this one - recorded in a Liverpool electrical goods shop in 1958, before they were famous. It shows their fledgling songwriting ability.

Perhaps that inspired this one . . .

Isn't that from their White Album? There are strong similarities.

I also like Bungalow Bill, from the White Album, don't hear it very often.

This was one sure sign that they'd made it...

Gosh, that takes me back! Seems like yesterday.

You're so right - you hadn't arrived until you'd appeared on Morecambe and Wise. Caught a glimpse of Mike and Bernie Winters' show at the beginning of the clip too - another 'must' for newcomers to be seen on. Why don't we get programmes like that any more? Those were the days when I used to watch television!!!

I'd never heard of any of those jokers, but here ya go . . .

Thanks for the memories, Set. I first heard Hold your hand early morning Jan 1, 1964. Those were the days.

It was after the Beatles listened to Dylan's Freewheelin' album that they started to write more complex lyrics.

I think John Lennon was heavily influenced by Bob Dylan on "I'm a loser".

Paul was the musical genius of the group (in the old sense of genius) and John was the lyrical genius. The engineer interviewed for that hour-long program that Lordy linked said as much--that Paul understood musical theory, and that John would make him write his lyrics over and over and over, until he "got it right."