Beatles Posters.
Click for more Beatles Posters
Were did the Beatles get their name?
The group’s name had numerous inspirations. Stuart Sutcliffe noted that a motorcycle gang in the film, “The Wild One,” was called ‘The Beetles,’ and John Lennon reportedly had a dream in which a man appeared “on a flaming pie,” saying, “You will be Beatles with an ‘a’.” The band members were also influenced by the name of Buddy Holly’s band, the Crickets.
Penny Lane
After Paul Mccartney’s song, “Penny Lane” became a Beatles hit, the street signs of the actual Penny Lane in Liverpool were stolen by fans with such regularity (as also happened on the real Abbey Road), that the Liverpool reverted to simply painting ‘Penny Lane’ on the buildings, rather than have street signs.
Click for more Beatles Posters
Strawberry Fields
“Strawberry Fields” was named after a real place, Strawberry Field, a children’s home run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool. Its location was near John’s childhood home. The original Victorian building was beyond repair and was demolished in the late 1960′s. Land at the back of the property was sold off to help pay for the new buildings. It is still called “Strawberry Field” and the original walls and gates are there, and it’s still a Salvation Army Children’s Home. John sent Strawberry Field a large donation before his death and in his honour Strawberry Field named one of it’s buildings “Lennon Hall”. Yoko still sends donations of cash.
Who was the Real Eleanor Rigby?
Though there was a woman named Eleanor Rigby in Liverpool, she was not the inspiration for the song. Paul simply made up the name. The Father McKenzie in “Eleanor Rigby,” was almost called Father McCartney, when Paul first composed the lyrics. However, a search in the phone book yielded the more general name McKenzie.
Not LSD
Contrary to popular belief, the title for “Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds” was prompted by 4-year-old Julian Lennon’s description of a painting he brought home from school, not the drug, LSD. John Lennon was said to prefer Elton John’s rendition of the song, and played background guitar and backup vocals on John’s version, credited as “Dr. Winston O’Boogie and his Reggae Guitars.”
Jude was?
Paul McCartney wrote “Hey Jude” for Julian Lennon, John’s son.
Click for more Beatles Posters
Ed Sullivan and the Beatles
Though the Beatles were still largely unknown in the U.S. in October 1963, Ed Sullivan got his first glimpse of Beatlemania on Halloween of that year. His plane at Heathrow Airport outside London was delayed due to hordes of screaming Beatles fans welcoming the boys back from an overseas concert. When he was notified about the cause of the delay, Ed Sullivan said, “Who the hell are the Beatles?” That experience prompted him to book them on his show in 1964. (The Beatles, for their part, had not previously heard of Ed Sullivan).
Though “The Ed Sullivan Show” was the first TV program in America to host the Beatles, (February 9, 1964), ABC and CBS shot concert footage of the band in November 1963 as Beatlemania swept England. On December 7, 1963, “The CBS Evening News with Walter Cronkite” featured footage of Beatles fans at a concert. On Friday, January 3, 1964, Jack Paar’s show was the first to broadcast footage of them on a major U.S. show, when Paar played a clip of the Beatles performing “She Loves You.” At that point Paar was not a fan, and he disparaged their haircuts on air.
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band
Among the people on the cover of “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” are Stuart Sutcliffe (one of the Beatles’ early band members), Laurel and Hardy, Marilyn Monroe, Karl Marx, boxer Sonny Liston, Bob Dylan, Lenny Bruce and Shirley Temple. Shirley had visited the Beatles in their dressing room backstage at a San Francisco concert in 1964. It is said when the Beatles requested her permission to use her image on the cover of the album, she was the only celebrity who insisted upon hearing the disc before granting permission.
John Lennon’s Aunt
Though she bought him his first guitar, John’s Aunt Mimi discouraged him from a career in music, saying, according to John: “The guitar’s all right as a hobby, but it won’t earn you any money.” Years later, John gave her a silver plaque with that quote engraved upon it.
In 1970 the world famous and world loved Beatles separated. Everybody was hoping to see the Beatles come back together. That hope ended when the peace loving John Lennon was killed outside his New York City apartment by 25 year old Mark David Chapman.
The Beatles were unusual because most rock was strong beat with no melody. The Beatles added melody to rock. The Beatles also added strong and meaningful lyrics. John Lennon wrote a book called “In His Own Write.” The Beatles started a new era of music. They wore their hair long and shaggy. This haircut was known as the Beatles haircut.
Beatles Posters
Beatles Posters
