(Estimated reading time: 11 minutes)
Ask a GenZ about who The Beatles are, and you'll probably get that dead, blank, "OK boomer!" kind of a stare-down. But yes, most of us probably heard of “Hey, Jude!”, “Let It Be”, “Black Bird”, “Penny Lane”, “Come Together”, “Eleanor Rigby”, or “Yellow Submarine.” The Beatles, a.k.a. the Fab Four, who popularized those songs, have a very much publicized life. The phenomenal “Beatlemania” began when John Lennon (John Winston Ono Lennon), Paul McCartney (Sir James Paul McCartney), George Harrison (that’s his name, alright), and Ringo Starr (Sir Richard Starkey) banded together to form the foremost influential band that made their fans frenzied all over their performance. Hell, the girls would pee on the spot as they go gaga even before they hear the strumming and banging! The charisma of those then-young boys is almost incomparable to any of the bands during and even after their time.
At first, one can’t tell which genre they have. They combined different styles: old pop forms, classical music, Indian music, psychedelic beats, and hard rock, with unconventional recording techniques that revolutionized the music world forever. Their stardom began in 1962 and lasted until the band’s breakup in 1970. Two of the surviving members are Sir Paul McCartney and Sir Ringo Starr (both were knighted). John Lennon was murdered and George Harrison died of lung cancer.
One of the most significant bands of our time, they are also one of the most controversial. Here is a list of some interesting and controversial facts about The Beatles that you probably haven't heard of:
1. Origin of the band’s name
Ever wonder where they get their name? They surely got the ‘beat,’ but how they got the name is not as clear as their music for many of us. Lennon, McCartney, with some of Lennon’s schoolfriends first call themselves the Blackjacks, then later changed it into the Quarrymen when they learned that other groups have the same name (it came from a line in their school song, Quarry Bank High School, which they attended). Stuart Sutcliffe, Lennon’s art school friend, is the one who suggested changing the name to ‘Beatals’ when he joined the band in January 1960. He did so as a tribute to a rock and roll band The Crickets. Come May they call themselves the Silver Beetles, changing it to Silver Beatles (toying with the word “beat” to emphasize their purpose), and shortening the name into The Beatles by the middle of August of the same year. (See more from the web source; Also see The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four: The Beatles (Name); The Beatals; The Silver Beetles)
2. The band’s influence
Bohemianism and activism, unconventional living and counter-culture, that powered women’s liberation, gay rights movements, and even environmentalism owe everything to the band’s unorthodox style. Their compositions even became subjects of scrutiny by some members of the academe as they seek to decipher the meaning behind the songs. Who would not fall under the spell of the experimental sound of “A Day in the Life”, or would anyone escape the entangling lyrics of “I am the Walrus?” Baby boomers will remember the hippie hype while lucid dreaming to the tune of “All We Need is Love” or “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds.” (See more for this web source)
3. The “quiet” Beatle
George Harrison has at least two or three songs on every album, and his songwriting expertise didn’t much materialize when he was in the band and not until the time before the band’s break-up. Due to the songwriting pact between Lennon and McCartney, Harrison had a limited compositional presence on the albums, frustrating him and eventually leading to the group's disbandment. (See more from this web source)
4. The fiasco in the Philippines
Who would snub the Iron Butterfly Imelda Marcos, the then First Lady of the Philippines? The Beatles are the ones who can only do that, though they paid for it at a high price. Though, it is not entirely their fault. Unbeknownst to them, the local promoter promised the power couple of the Philippines (President Ferdinand Marcos and Imelda Marcos) that the band would see them. But manager Brian Epstein told the promoter that the band would not attend, as the Beatles would never meddle with politics. They got to perform two shows, but when they were about to leave the country, the whole country virtually turned against them. The band’s police protection was removed, porters won’t help them with their stuff, and even the road manager was beaten. Everything is thanks to the media, who fueled the people's anger with false information. The band vowed never to return to the country again. (See more for this web source; Also see The Beatles Encyclopedia: Everything Fab Four: Tour of Germany and Japan)
5. “We’re more popular than Jesus now….”
Many consider this one of the most controversial statement by the band. Well, not actually the whole band but Lennon, though he is considered to be the frontrunner of the group. Who among the devotees in Christendom would not get shookt and blow a fuse after hearing that kind of remark? Lennon has an inclination to Eastern faiths, and the band even traveled to India for guidance from Maharishis’ ashram (Maharishi is a Hindu spiritual man or yogi and an ashram is a spiritual monastery in the Indian religions.) Although after the split, Lennon continued to go against organized religion and rejects religious dogmas and doctrines, he never claimed to be an atheist (he believes in the concept of God but not according to the interpretations of mainstream religions). The subsequent quoted remark is attributed to Lennon, but we should put it in context. The real comment was “Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue about that; I'm right and I'll be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first – rock 'n roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me.” He is surely disappointed by the hypocrisy of those self-professed faithful ones considering the word he uttered. Unfortunately, that remark also causes his untimely death from a fanatic born-again Christian Mark David Chapman, though the man is considered to be somewhat a lunatic/psychotic. (See more for this web archive source)
6. Paul is dead!
Though not a fact, this conspiracy theory spread and endured in the consciousness of many fans and even became an international phenomenon. It is even fueled by a seeming confession from Lennon when garbled words at the end of Strawberry fields can be heard and sounds like “I buried Paul” when he later claimed that what he said is “cranberry sauce.” McCartney was purportedly killed in a car crash after driving angrily because of an argument with his bandmates. He is said to be replaced by a winner of a McCartney look-alike contest to spare the public from grief. But it remained in the media and the entertainment industry for so long, and many advocated it to be true that it has a lasting effect on pop culture. Efforts were made to dispute the rumor but many holds on to this theory about McCartney’s death. Paul showed up in magazines, interviews, and press conferences just to prove that he is still alive and well with his family. Though I personally believe that the Paul we have today is just a decoy. (See more for this web source)
7. Who is Mother Mary?
No, it was not Virgin Mary up in the heavens, the Mother of Jesus, nor is she a nun or mother superior in an abbey or a church. The mysterious mother who has spoken the words of wisdom “Let it be” is none other than Mrs. Mary McCartney, Paul’s mom. When Paul and his brother fight with each other, Mrs. McCartney would stop the fighting by saying to them, “Let it be, boys.” During those times when The Beatles were having a bumpy ride, Paul remembered those eternal words and put them into lyrics, somehow in an effort to pacify and reunite the band members. (See more for this web source )
8. Why did Mark David Chapman kill John Lennon?
Chapman is an avid fan. But what fueled his resolve to kill the rock superstar was his religious conviction. A known conservative Christian, he turned against his idol after the controversial remarks by Lennon saying the band is more popular than Jesus. After three months of deliberate planning and brooding of this perceived ‘heresy,’ he executed his plans by shooting Lennon in the archway entrance of the Dakota apartment building with a .38 special revolver loaded with five hollow-point bullets, four of which hit Lennon at the back and shoulder, creating fatal wounds that lead to the death of the Beatles superstar. Crazy how Chapman even got to sign a copy of Lennon’s album Double Fantasy just six hours before the murder. (see more from this web archive source)
9. The one who is absent from The Beatles ‘sexcapade’
Exploring manhood with each other is not very surprising with young male friends whose life has become closely knitted with one another. I think it’s the very first example of a bromance between bandmates. Lennon masturbated with McCartney and some other friends at his house. One night, McCartney once had a threesome with two hookers just to have the experience and for the thrill of it. After Harrison lost his virginity, the other bandmates all huddled together and cheered for him after they silently observed the scene. Back then, they shared barracks with two bunks and a bed, where the bed was given to someone who brought a girl home. And Ringo? There is conspicuously no explicit story of a sexual encounter involving him even during the night when Harrison blossomed into a ‘full male,’ he is not around because it happened before the Beatlemania when Pete was still the drummer. No wonder someone calls him "the only good Beatle" over the internet. (see more from this web source)
10. The (Sad) Split
So, what really contributed to the band’s breakup? First, there was Brian Epstein's death, the band’s manager, and the one who made efforts to hold the band together. McCartney tried to seek projects for the group after Epstein’s demise, leading to the perturbance of the other three Beatles about his growing domination in the group’s ventures. There was also the growing career of Harrison as a composer/songwriter. Lennon and McCartney assumed the primary role in compositions and vocals, and as Harrison’s compositions started to mature, they rejected many of his ideas, which made Harrison feel alienated from the band. Later on, in their career, individual differences in style became more apparent, like McCartney maintained to do pop music trends, Lennon was more introspective and experimental, Harrison uses more Indian beat and sound in his songs, and Ringo became, well, Ringo. Then, there was Yoko Ono. It was such a mess, and many other factors contributed to the band's dissolution. They finally decided that they can never (legally) “Get Back” on 9 January 1975. (see more from this and this web source)
Bonus:
The "fifth Beatle"
Before Ringo Starr, there was Pete Best. He is said to be the most good-looking among the group and the most popular with the girls. He was invited to join the band in 1960 before their series of performances in Hamburg, Germany. He was The Beatles' first drummer until Ringo Starr replaced him in 1962. The reason? He was seen as the oddball. His humor and style never fit with that of the band. Harrison remarked that Pete was unreliable. It is also said that Paul was even jealous of his good looks. The other three members quietly told Epstein that he had to go, and saw that Ringo was even a better drummer. The fretted manager dismissed Pete without any explanation. Six months later, the Beatlemania erupted. Pete tried to commit suicide in 1968 but was talked out of it by his mother and brother. He denied suffering from depression because of the firing that drove him to try suicide. Initially colluding with some bands but with little success, he declined any involvement in the music scene for twenty years, working as a civil servant until 1988, when he started the Pete Best Band. (see more from this web source)
Not really is their music that gets us hooked, but the colorful lives of each of The Beatles made us love them, with the fusses and all.
Pop Culture: 10 Interesting and Controversial Bits about The Beatles by Leandro Angelo Castro is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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