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Right now, somewhere in the world, a Beatles song is currently being
listened to, a proof of their universal popularity long after the band's
retirement. The Beatles composed of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, Ringo
Starr, and George Harrison is still considered the most popular and
influential band of the twentieth century. They have solidified the
genre of rock and roll, and have created massive fan base that was
rivaled only by another rock legend Elvis Presley. Though still popular today, there are already many details that have been lost in history books and television specials. Here are some details of the Beatles that you may have just found out now: Ringo Starr was not the original drummer. The original drummer of the group was Colin Hanton who left the group in 1959, when they were still known as the Quarrymen. They found a replacement with Pete Best the following year and he was able to tour with them. However, because of Pete's drumming style and inability to conform with the look of the band, he was replaced by Ringo, before they become popular. There was the Fifth Beatle. The Beatles were known to be a four-man band, but there was a time that they had a separate bassist, Stuart Sutcliffe. Stuart was only able to join some of their performances in Hamburg, Germany, but he never came back to London because he was engaged with a German girl. When the group returned to Hamburg, they found out that Stuart had died due to brain hemorrhage, after having been beaten in a street confrontation. The first single was not a hit. Though it would have been easier to believe that they quickly became popular the first time they were heard on the radio, it was not always the case. The first single "Love Me Do" did not crack the top ten charts. Another song was "P. S. I love You", which was also a minimal hit. It was the third single ,"Please Please Me", that reached number two, and their next single "From Me to You" was their first chart-topping song in the United Kingdom. There was not a hard day at the box office. The Beatles were also seen in movie houses through the films that they starred in. The first film was A Hard Day's Night where the band members starred as themselves, showing how being in a band would be like. Other films followed such as Help, Magical Mystery Tour, and Let It Be. They were also featured in an animated movie called Yellow Submarine. Let's recall the Philippines Incident. According to local news, the Beatles reportedly snubbed an invitation by the First Lady of the Philippines to have lunch. The manager of the band had said that there were prior invitations made, and so he declined the request. This placed a bad taste in the mouth of the Philippine media, and the band had a hard time leaving the country. Lastly, most of us can remember learning about John Lennon's murder. While walking toward his apartment in New York City, John Lennon was shot by Mark David Chapman. He pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity but was still sentenced to twenty years of imprisonment. |