Fab Four

George Harrison-my favorite John Lennon Paul McCartney Ringo Starr

"It was magical, some really loving caring moments between four people. A hotel room here and there...a really amazing closeness...just...four guys that really loved each other... was pretty sensational." - Ringo Starr

When we look at the beginning, it had already started 1956, when John Lennon started the group, The Quarrymen. In 1957 the friend Paul McCartney came into the group. John and Paul started working together as composers and a couple of years later, George Harrison completed the group. During that autumn they used the name, Johnny and the Moondogs. They played often in Liverpool and the people began to like them..

In 1959 their name changed to The Silver Beetles. But there was a big problem. They had no one to play the drums. George Harrison said that he remembered a guy from a club. It was Pete Best and they asked him to join the band. They then went to Hamburg, Germany because it was easy to get gigs there. When they first inquired about performing in the U.S., they were told that they had to be a five piece band. So they went back to Liverpool and asked a friend if he wanted to play the bass. The guy was Stuart Sutcliffe and he said yes. It was now 1961 and they are playing often in Hamburg. During a tour there they met a singer, Tony Sheridan, who wanted to make a record but he didn't have a band. The Silver Beatles said he could join them, and so it became. Sheridan´s producer gave them a new name, The Beat Brothers, just for this occasion. The record was My Bonnie.

The Beatles in Hanover 1961

However, Pete Best didn't feel comfortable in the band and in 1962 Ringo Starr (Richard Starkey) replaced him. Prior to that Ringo played in a group called Rory Storm and The Hurricanes. That same year, Sutcliffe died in Hamburg and Paul McCartney said that he could play the bass. They simplified their name to The Beatles.

One of their first public gigs as the "Beatles" was at a Liverpool club, The Cavern. One of the spectators was Brian Epstein, who had a record store in the town and knew the boys. He was impressed by their gig and wanted to be their manager. They couldn't said no to a offer like that! In October 1962 their first single, Love Me Do, came out and it was more or less a hit. By that time they were touring the whole country, and with the new song, Please Please Me they achieved first place on the European hit list. More early songs that rose to first place were She Loves You and From Me To You. Now the real ´Beatlemania´ broke out. That same year they visited Sweden for the first time. The U.S. waited for them. Brian Epstein and their producer George Martin wanted to come to the U.S. But The Beatles said: "We're not going to America until we've got a number one there!" So instead, they went to France, and after a show they received a telegram at the hotel: "Capitol Records congratulates you, number one in US charts." So after France they went to the U.S., where they were a great success.

After a big tour in America they went back to England, where they started to make their first movie, A Hard Day's Night. The year was 1965 and by now The Beatles were touring around the world. They each received a medal from the Queen of England. 'Help' was the name of the new record and their second movie. It was a million seller. In the end of 1965 they played at The Shea Stadium in New York, in front of a record audience of 55 000 people. Nobody had played for such a large audience before.

The music started to be more varied and George Harrison was inspired by Indian music. Examples of this can be heard on the Rubber Soul album. They were now touring in Asia with new songs like Paperback Writer. They went to the Philippines, but they were not happy. It was too much, the ´Beatlemania´ everywhere, and they were tired. In the end of 1966 they played at Candlestick Park in San Francisco. It was their last official gig ever.

Now they had more time to make records and in 1967 they made Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and the singles, All You Need Is Love and Penny Lane / Strawberry Fields Forever. They said: "The records are now our performance". Those records contributed to being some of The Beatles Greatest. Later they self-produced the TV-film Magical Mystery Tour (also a record). In 1968 they made "The white album". In 1969 they did Let It Be. They all were burned out, and they thought that the recording of Let It Be would be the last. But they thought that Let It Be was too sad and that's why they did Abbey Road (first-released). Their last gig was on the roof of the Apple-building in London. In April 1970 The Beatles were declared dead with their parting of the way, each taking a separate path. The members continued to make music on their own. Their records are still selling......

The Beatles were, are, and maybe, remain the most popular musical group ever!

The 19 American albums