Michael’s Musical Musings:
The Beatles: the Big Bang of the Boomers and Beyond
Is Life predetermined or do we have free will? Are we subject to outer influences like planets and astrology? Is there an Age of Aquarius, and if so, is it impacting societal shifts, thought processes, and culture, especially the visual arts and music? We can all agree on the incredible impact the Beatles had (and continue to have) on music and modern culture. It’s hard to think of another single event that became such a catalyst for change. The aftermath of WWII, the Cuban Missile Crisis, and the assassination of JFK all spread seeds in sowing a new cultural revolution. The popularity of Elvis and the birth of Rock and Roll also conspired to create a new genre of music that youngsters enthusiastically embraced here and abroad. The Beatles were a gleaming jewel formed from the intense pressure of those events, and, ultimately, they stand at a crossroads between the war-weary Silent Generation and the optimistic Baby Boomers.
I’m not presenting anything radical here, just a distillation of what I see as an amazing story (fable?) of how four musicians formed to become a World Wide phenomenon, with indelible cultural influences. When one looks at the minutia of how young lads from an unknown British industrial city came together, met important handlers like Brian Epstein and George Martin, scored a recording contract, and conquered American hearts (and the World), one can see the delicate balance playing within the parameters of fate, serendipity, luck, hard work, courage, and raw determination (Lennon’s rallying cry to attain “the toppermost of the poppermost” comes to mind). When the group’s first live musical notes and black and white images hit the airwaves from the Ed Sullivan sound stage on February 9, 1964, nothing would ever be the same. The Beatles were not just the present but also the future…(cue Twilight Zone music).
If John and Paul had not met and didn’t become fast friends and songsmiths, they probably would have gravitated toward the music business eventually. Being part of the working class, Paul was under some expectation as a teenager to find a vocation or apprenticeship. John was a little better off socially and was attending art school, so he probably would have found a career as an artist, musician, or writer. However, the fact they did meet on a pivotal day in 1957 ensured a bond that was forged by loss, the nascent skill and determination to write original songs, and their shared love of music…accompanied by some knowledge of the transformative power inherent in melody and song.
What would an alternate reality look like without the Beatles? Without them, the US would have taken longer to heal from the horrific assassination of their beloved president. There would have been less experimentation in studio recording. Hairstyles would have remained static. (My high school yearbook would have a photo of me sporting a crew cut instead of semi-long hair). There would have been significantly fewer rock groups and probably no British Invasion. The Rolling Stones would not have been able to juxtapose their “bad boy” image against the cleaner Beatles image, and they may not have written their own material. The Byrds had been significantly inspired by the Beatles, especially by A Hard Day’s Night…so the Byrds would have come later or not at all. Brian Wilson would not have been inspired to write “Good Vibrations” or record Pet Sounds. There would be no Monkees, no Rolling Stone Magazine, no Woodstock or Altamont, no amazing Beatle songs! The Vietnam War would have stretched longer as would the Soviet Bloc. The top music entertainers would have been Englebert Humperdinck, Frank Sinatra, Elvis, Connie Francis, et al. Would Dylan have gone electric in 1965? Would Hendrix have gone psychedelic? Would anyone know or care about the city of Liverpool? Sgt Pepper would not have shaken up the year 1967. No San Francisco Love-Ins and Ravi Shankar would be well known only in India, along with gurus and meditation. Would Timothy Leary have taken LSD?
A world without the Beatles appears somewhat bleak and less colorful, perhaps transforming at a slower pace. So we can be grateful for all the small happenings that ensured the beatles would ultimately become The Beatles. First, we all know Paul attended a concert with John playing skiffle music in The Quarrymen. Next, Paul’s friend George joined shortly after as the lead guitarist. They ventured to Hamburg, where they learned to “Mach Schau” and consolidated their sound (they also met Ringo there). Once they had canned Pete Best and invited Ringo to join, their recording career took off. But their recording career had been in serious jeopardy from the very beginning.
Brian Epstein had famously approached Decca Records first as one of the leading London recording studios. Decca turned down The Beatles, saying “guitar bands” were on the way out. (The vocal group, The Tremeloes, was signed instead.) This was indeed a setback.…but sometimes setbacks are positive. If they had signed to Decca, there would not have been the critical collaboration with the so-called 5th Beatle, George Martin. One had to be patient back then for all the pieces of the puzzle to fall correctly into place. So they finally auditioned at EMI studios, where Martin worked. Was this the start of something special? Nope! EMI also turns them down as well…a complaint the group has no identifiable leader. So, how did they meet George Martin? Behind the scenes in 1962, EMI heads wanted the rights to a Lennon-McCartney song, “Like Dreamers Do”. If they could get the group back in to record it, they could secure the rights to the music. EMI chose George Martin, who headed their subsidiary label, Parlophone, to get the lads back into the studio and record that song in particular, and history was finally nearing a precipice.
Obviously, I’m leaving out a lot of the history. Apparently, after the Beatle's first foray in Hamburg, their tenure ended abruptly, and the lads were cast back to Liverpool, where they didn’t see each other for a few weeks. Paul even took a part-time job and thought the group was disbanded (did anyone have a phone back then?). Without the Hamburg experience, though, they would not have met Astrid Kirchherr, who encouraged them to change their hair styles and have a more artistic outlook. She took some early photos of them (see above). This chance encounter was small in a way, but helped the Beatles think about the “look” they were projecting and consider newer ideas to present themselves. Also, Stuart Sutcliffe, the original Beatles bass player, stayed in Germany to be with Astrid, forcing Paul to take up the bass. More pieces of the puzzle falling into place.
So the Beatles started recording with George Martin at Parlophone and the rest is history? Not quite. Capitol Records, EMI’s US affiliate, was uninterested in releasing Beatle’s records, denying them valuable American airplay. They still had to reach a stature where they would be appreciated in the “States” and score a high-profile gig, preferably televised. Serendipitously, Ed Sullivan was at London’s Heathrow Airport in the Fall of 1963 and witnessed a crowd of over 1500 fans waiting for the Beatles return from Sweden. Struck by this event, Ed became interested in booking them (typically, UK entertainers had little possibility of performing on his show). So the stage was set for “a really big shoe” to be broadcast in the new year; almost all the pieces had now fallen into place. Even Capitol started to finally release singles and albums on the cusp of the show.
I remember my father was adamant that “no child of his” would be watching the now-famous show. He didn’t realize he was attempting to hold back the future.…to stem the proverbial tide. The American press was exceedingly focused on the Beatles being a short-lived fad with funny hair and strange accents. Looking back to the early 60s, the media appeared vastly unintelligent, unable to peer beneath a book’s cover. In contrast, the Beatles (and Dylan) appeared smart, funny, and sometimes cynical…continually operating on a higher level than the journalists and reporters at chaotic press conferences. The Beatles won the day with their wit, humor, and willingness to self-deprecate. Ultimately, the music would find a way into our hearts, and we could embrace the future wholeheartedly.
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