Nicholas Bate

Why We Love The Beatles: 90 of 100

And Ringo? Ringo Starkey? Ringo Starr? What happened to him once the lads split up? Ringo probably came out of it least scathed; he had always been a pragmatist, always aware he was along on the greatest of rides. And now he had the money to do as he wished. Which he did: writing, singing, playing and touring. And although not as consistently successful on his own as the others were to be, he showed he could do it solo and soon gained a loyal following. His contributions? Great distinctive drumming with many innovative styles without which so many of the tracks wouldn't have been the perfections they are, some cool linguistic contributions and the loyalty the four lads showed to each other 99% of the time.

Oh, and Ringo is still around. Still touring.

That's another reason we Love The Beatles.

Why We Love The Beatles: 89 of 100

Er, so what did they actually do? The Beatles? You mean apart from change the social fabric and help us grow up? Teach us about love, philosophy, money and marketing. And make the world a better place? A few decent tunes, too: Across The Universe, All You Need Is Love, Act Naturally, A Day in The Life, A Hard Days Night, A Taste of Honey, All My Loving, All I've Got To Do, And I love Her, And Your Bird Can Sing, Anna, Another Girl, Any Time At All, All Together Now, Ask Me Why....fast forward...approx 200 other titles.....Yellow Submarine, Yer Blues, Yes It Is, Yesterday, You Can't Do That, You Know My Name, You Never Give Me Your Money, Your Really Got A Hold Of Me, Your Mother Should Know, You've Got To Hide Your Love Away, You Won't See Me.  How many are on your iPod?

That's Another Reason We Love The Beatles.

Why We Love The Beatles: 88 of 100

Wow, he’s good. That’s a good band there.

Paul McCartney on John Lennon.

I half thought, he’s as good as me.

John Lennon on Paul Mccartney.

You wouldn’t catch many aspiring bands doing a gig at a church fete these days.  But then, it was such a different world. A world which still lurked in black and white in so many senses, a world where fast was next day postal delivery and scientists used slide-rules.

In 1957. At St. Peter's Church Fete. In July. On Saturday 6^th.  Around 5/6pm after John and his band (The Quarry Men) had played, the two young lads met . The time-space continuum warped a bit as it does on very special occasions. What had John played on his flat-bed truck performance platform? “It was the first time I did ‘Be-Bob-A-Lulu’ live on stage”. And what did Paul play for John at that later meeting?  Twenty Flight Rock and a selection of Little Richard numbers including Long Tall Sally. So that track was there at the start and it was there at the end of their live audience playing.  

Wow: it sure was The Long and Winding Road.

That's another reason We Love The Beatles.

Why We Love The Beatles: 87 of 100

It was 1968. January: George records Wonderwall; February: all go to India to learn to meditate; May: John & Yoko produce Two Virgins; July: Yellow Submarine film opens; September: Hey Jude becomes biggest selling US single; November: The Beatles is out; December: John & Yoko start 'happenings'.

Elsewhere. April: Martin Luther King assassinated, UK currency goes decimal; June: Bobby Kennedy assassinated; November: Richard Nixon elected; December: Man lands on the moon.

That's another reason we love The Beatles

Why We Love The Beatles: 86 of 100

They stopped and there was no more from the greatest band on the planet. And had circumstances allowed them to do so, they would never have got it together again as a touring nor studio band-at best the odd charity gig, perhaps. Because they knew what they had experienced. They knew it had been the journey: from fame hungry post-war teenagers to Sixties philosophers. They knew that it was over and for whatever the final bickering which always happens between those who have a deep love and respect for each other, they were played out.  They were totally different people. Still creative, still fun, still musicians. But no longer Beatles. No; whatever, the opus is there. It is unfair of us to play 'what if?' games.

There were solo careers to start and evolution continued. Ob La Di Ob La Da, Life Goes On.

That's another reason we Love the Beatles.

Why We Love The Beatles 85 of 100

You’ve got the magisterial classics: Hey Jude, Let it Be and Yesterday. You’ve got the awesome B sides such as Rain.  You’ve got those wonderful early ones such as Love Me Do. And then there’s: Got To Get You Into My Life. Surprisingly easy to forget about and never get around to on your iPod... which would be a shame as it just reminds you: there’s nothing not worth listing to in the Beatles Opus.A taut, stonking number it-like all Beatles music grounds you and connects you. And as with so many of Paul’s and John’s lyrics, listening to the words carefully  gives us the gentlest of nudges we need to play Life fully: I was alone, I took a ride, I didn't know what I would find there….Another road where maybe I could see another kind of mind there. The whole of Life is in The Beatles Portfolio, but you’ve got to listen to them all and more than once, too. After all you wouldn’t want to miss any of the clues to the mysteries hidden Across the Universe?

That's another reason we love The Beatles.

Why We Love The Beatles: 84 of 100

The Evolving Lyric. When you listen to a popular song, it might be in background. Or in the car or through your head-phones. You might just be enjoying the feeling it gives you. Or you might actually be listening to the words. The words in a Beatles song are always magnificent; always a story; sometimes a simple Boy meets Girl (Love, Love Me Do) sometimes a whole city-scape (Penny Lane), sometimes a philosophy (Across the Universe). But even within the story, there are variants of the story. Those lyrics just evolve. Let it Be is just not the same song when you fist heard it; It's evolved as only a fine wine or novel or loving relationship can do. Jumping Jack Flash by that great band-of course-the Rolling Stones is an awesome, awesome track. But it is reliably static: fixed in evocation. How do the Beatles do that evolving lyric stuff? As their former rivals would say: God Only Knows. But thankfully they did and they do.

That's another reason we love the Beatles. 

Bonus: Spookily, Sir Paul touches on this very subject in a recent NYT article.

Why We Love The Beatles: 83 of 100

It was 1967

January: recording Sgt. Pepper; April: planning starts for Magical Mystery Tour; June: All You Need is Love recorded; August: Meditation course in Wales, Epstein found dead; December: Apple shop opens London.

Meanwhile: January: Campbell dies in Bluebird speed trials; March: Thalidomide goes on trial in Germany; June: race riots in Boston; July: homosexuality legalised in UK; August: pirate radio stations close; November: de Gaulle stops British entry to Common Market.

" The only reason that Strawberry Fields Forever and Penny Lane didn't go on the new album was a feeling that if we issued a single it shouldn't go on an album. That was a crazy idea and I am afraid I am partly responsible." George Martin, The Anthology.

Why We Love The Beatles: 82 of 100

The Beatles Number 1's: Love Me Do; From Me To You; She Loves You; I Want To Hold Your Hand; Can't Buy Me Love; A Hard Day's Night; I Feel Fine; Eight Days A Week; Ticket To Ride; Help!; Day Tripper; We Can Work It Out; Paperback Writer; Eleanor Rigby; Yellow Submarine; All You Need is Love; Hello Goodbye; Lady Madonna; Hey Jude; Get Back; Ballad of John and Yoko; Something; Come Together; Let it Be; Long and Winding Road. For so many bands their musical evolution rapidly hits a plateau: what they are good at. And why not? Their greatest hits are variants on a theme. Or possibly a band's evolution is a series of plateaus and dips: they boldly experiment but somehow, somehow we just prefer their original stuff. The Beatles though: it's an ascending curve. One of those exponential curves from Math's class; the return on the listening just gets better, better, better....oohh. Love Me Do is amazing. Day Tripper is a real ride. But by Let it Be. Yep, a special group: always more band for your buck.

That's another reason we love The Beatles.

Bonus 1: Paul & Ringo together on stage

Bonus 2: Beatles Re-mastered

Bonus 3: Beatles101

Why We Love The Beatles: 81 of 100

" She forced me to become avant-garde and take my clothes off, when all I wanted was to become Tom Jones"

John Lennon, The Anthology.

That's another reason we love The Beatles.