Welcome to a musical tour of Britain
The Beatles were not only a musical phenomenon; they were a cultural one as well. From their more than humble roots in
working class in Liverpool to becoming the most recognizable people on the face of the earth. Before fame found the most
famous lineup of the Beatles: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr.
John Lennon formed a group, The Quarry Men, in March 1957. On July 6 that year, he met Paul McCartney and the two were soon
playing music together. Soon the young guitarist George Harrison joined the group, which played under a variety of names. Then
they travelled to Hamburg where they finally became the Beatles. The Beatles′ first session produced a minor UK hit “Love me
do”. This was quickly followed by the recording of their first album, “Please Please Me”, a mix of original songs by Lennon and
McCartney.
Beatlemania began in Britain with a televised appearance at London Palladium. Although the band was experiencing great
popularity on the record charts in England, Parlophone′s American counterpart, Capitol Records, refused to issue the singles Love
me do, Please Please Me and From Me To You in the United States.
In August of the same year the Swan label tried again with the Beatles′ “She loves you”, which again failed to receive airplay. A
testing of the song on his TV show American Bandstand resulted in laughter and scorn from American teenagers when they saw
the group′s unusual haircuts. Meanwhile, it is said that British airline stewardesses were bringing single copies of Beatles records
into the major US cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles to share with friends. In December, during the weeks immediately
following the Kennedy assassination, their music began slowly filling the American airwaves.
Some commentators have speculated that after the assassination of John F. Kennedy a depressed America was searching for a
way out of gloom and despair. So in effect, the Beatles were in the right place at the right time (with a unique combination of
talent and stage presence).
The Beatles performed their last concert in San Francisco. From this time until the group dissolved, the Beatles concentrated on
making some of the most remarkable recorded pop music of the 20th century.
Their final live performance was on the roof at the Apple studious in London. The band officially broke up and a few months later
Let It Be followed as their last commercial album release. Any hopes of a reunion were crushed when Lennon was assassinated.