The Beatles

Added Aug 27, 2008

The long and winding road began in 1957 When John Lennon and his skiffle group, The Quarrymen, were performing at a church picnic when he met Paul McCartney and asked him to join his group; soon they were writing songs together, one such song was "One After 909". By the years end Paul had convinced John to let George Harrison in the group. In 1958 they changed the name of the group to Johnny and the Moondogs In 1960, now called the Silver Beetles, added bassist Stu Sutcliffe whom they say couldn't play a note. A few months later the Silver was dropped and the spelling of Beetles was changed to Beatles. In August drummer Tommy Moore was replaced by Peter Best.

The group began playing in Hamburg Germany, but in December George was deported for being underage and not having a work permit, they were playing 30 sets a week in local beerhouses while honing their repertoire of Chuck Berry, Carl Perkins, Little Richard and Buddy Holly. On February 21 1961 they debut at the Cavern club in Liverpool and played nearly 300 performances there over the next two years.

April 1961 Stu Sutcliffe (the first of the Beatles to wear his hair in the long, shaggy style that came to be known as the Beatle haircut) left the group to become a painter. Paul moved from rhythm guitar to bass. Less than a year later Stu died of a brain hemorrhage in Hamburg. November 9, Brian Epstein sees them perform at the Cavern club for the first time and within two months he was their manager.Epstein changed their image from black leather jackets, tight pants and pompadours to collarless gray Pierre Cardin suits and more modest haircuts.

Epstein tried landing the Beatles a record contract but was rejected by nearly every label in Germany. In May 1962 producer George Martin saw something in them and signed them to EMI's Parlophone subsidiary. Pete Best, then considered the groups undisputed sex symbol, got the boot on August 6, 1962 and was replaced by Ringo Starr, drummer of the popular London group Rory Storm and the Hurricanes, just in time for their first recording session.

That's how the Beatles got together. Here are some more things you may not know about the Fab Four: The inspiration for the song "Good Morning" was a 1967 Kellogg's Corn Flakes ad.

Rick' Picks:1. I'm Only Sleeping    Revolver Album 1966