"Love me do..."
THE BEATLES. It's impossible for me to say enough about them. The core Beatles (John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr) were in the band by 1962, after going through name and lineup changes and a mythical string of performances in Germany. They had fans throughout Britain when, in '64, they took America by storm and were solidified as the world's greatest band throughout the sixties. They led a youth revolution, in music, fashion, and politics. From popularizing the word "yeah" to telling the world that "all you need is love", the Beatles were the ultimate super stars. Like many others, they were swept up into the counter-cultural storm of sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll that was the sixties. The difference was, however, that the Beatles led the scene, and controlled the charts. There are several distinct Beatle music phases, ranging from rock 'n' roll to folk to psychedelic to "roots". All fits under the umbrella term "beatlesque". In 1969, though, things began to unravel. Each of the boys were married and got increasingly annoyed with one another, not to mention taking different musical directions. They broke up (officially) in 1970, but continued solo careers, John on a peace crusade, Paul defying and defining pop, George bringing spirituality to the masses, and Ringo to his own spotlight.
..."And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make."
(All photos are my scans from Eight Days A Week, 50 Fab Years, Beatles: Illustrated Biography, Remembering John Lennon, and Beatles: 100 Greatest Songs. PLEASE credit if you re-post!)
I think it's needless to say that the Beatles are my favorite band. It's something that has almost become an inseparable part of my personality. People automatically associate me with them, a token Beatle girl. I kinda like it. If you haven't heard to them yet (and if you're looking at my blog, chances are you are somewhat of a fan too) I strongly encourage you to pick up the compilation album 1 and have a listen.
