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The Beatles

The Beatles were a legendary British rock band that formed in Liverpool in 1960. The group consisted of four members: John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr.

Throughout the 1960s, The Beatles became one of the most influential and commercially successful bands in the history of popular music. They are widely regarded as pioneers of the "British Invasion" of the United States, and their impact on music and popular culture is still felt today.

The Beatles' music was characterized by catchy melodies, innovative arrangements, and clever lyrics that often touched on themes of love, social issues, and personal introspection. Their early sound was heavily influenced by American rock 'n' roll and R&B, but they quickly began to experiment with a wide range of musical styles, including folk, psychedelia, and Indian classical music.

Some of The Beatles' most iconic songs include "Hey Jude," "Let It Be," "Yesterday," "A Hard Day's Night," "Help!," and "Twist and Shout." They also released a number of groundbreaking albums, such as "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," "Revolver," and "Abbey Road."

The Beatles disbanded in 1970, but their music continues to be beloved by fans around the world. They are widely considered one of the most important and influential bands in the history of popular music, and their legacy continues to inspire new generations of musicians and music lovers.

The Quarry Men I (1957)

  • John Lennon - guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboards - b. John Winston Lennon, October 9, 1940, Liverpool, England; d. December 8, 1980, New York City, New York.
  • Pete Shotton - washboard

The Quarry Men II (1957)

  • John Lennon - guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboards
  • Pete Shotton - washboard
  • Nigel Whalley - bass
  • Ivan Vaughan - bass
  • Rod Davis - banjo
  • Eric Griffiths - guitar
  • Colin Hanton - drums

The Quarry Men III (1957)

  • John Lennon - guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboards
  • Pete Shotton - washboard
  • Len Garry - bass
  • Ivan Vaughan - bass
  • Rod Davis - banjo
  • Eric Griffiths - guitar
  • Colin Hanton - drums

The Quarry Men IV (1957)

  • John Lennon - guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboards
  • Paul McCartney - vocals/guitar/keyboards - b. James Paul McCartney, June 18, 1942, Liverpool, England.
  • Len Garry - bass
  • Ivan Vaughan - bass
  • Rod Davis - banjo
  • Eric Griffiths - guitar
  • Colin Hanton - drums

The Quarry Men V(1957 - 1958)

  • John Lennon - guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboards
  • Paul McCartney - vocals/guitar/keyboards
  • George Harrison - guitar/vocals - b. February 25, 1943, Liverpool, England - formerly in The Rebels (with brother Peter Harrison); d. November 29, 2001, Los Angeles, California, USA..
  • Len Garry - bass
  • Ivan Vaughan - bass
  • Colin Hanton - drums

Johnny and the Moondogs(1958 - 1960)

The Silver Beetles (1960 - August 1960)

  • John Lennon - guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboards
  • Paul McCartney - vocals/guitar/keyboards
  • George Harrison - guitar/vocals
  • Stu Sutcliffe - bass - b. Stuart Fergusson Victor Sutcliffe, June 23, 1940, Edinburgh, Scotland; d. April 10, 1962, Hamburg, Germany.
  • Tommy Moore - drums

The Beatles I (August 1960 - April 1961)

Stu Sutcliffe leaves, and Paul McCartney switches to bass.

The Beatles II (April 1961 - August 1962)

The Beatles III(August 1962 - April 1970)

  • John Lennon - guitar/vocals/harmonica/keyboards
  • Paul McCartney - bass/vocals/guitar/keyboards
  • George Harrison - guitar/vocals/sitar
  • Ringo Starr - drums/percussion/vocals - b. Richard Starkey, Jr., July 7, 1940, Liverpool, England.

Albums:

  1. "Please Please Me" (1963) - Singles: "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me", "I Saw Her Standing There", "Do You Want to Know a Secret", "Twist and Shout"
  2. "With The Beatles" ( 1963) - Singles: "All My Loving", "Roll Over Beethoven"
  3. "Introducing...The Beatles" (1963)
  4. "Meet The Beatles" (1964) - U.S. equivalent of "With The Beatles", with some track differences.
  5. "The Beatles' Second Album" (1964)
  6. "A Hard Day's Night" (1964) - Singles: "A Hard Day's Night", "I Should Have Known Better", "And I Love Her", "Can't Buy Me Love"
  7. "Something New" (1964)
  8. "The Beatles' Story" (1964)
  9. "Beatles For Sale" (1964) - Single: "Eight Days a Week"
  10. "Beatles '65" (1964)
  11. "The Early Beatles" (1965)
  12. "Beatles VI" (1965)
  13. "Help!" (1965) - Singles: "Help!", "Ticket to Ride", "Yesterday"
  14. "Rubber Soul" (1965) - Singles: "Nowhere Man", "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)", "Michelle"
  15. "Yesterday...and Today" (1966)
  16. "Revolver" (1966) - Singles: "Eleanor Rigby", "Yellow Submarine"
  17. "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" (1967) - Single: "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" - One of the most influential albums of all time.  If you don't have this in your collection, you have a big hole there...
  18. "Magical Mystery Tour" (1967) - Single: "I Am the Walrus"
  19. "Yellow Submarine" (1969)
  20. "The Beatles" (aka, "The White Album") (1968) - Single: "Rocky Raccoon"
  21. "Abbey Road" (1969) - Singles: "Come Together", "Something", "Here Comes the Sun"
  22. "Hey Jude" (1970)
  23. "Let It Be" (1970) - Singles: "Let It Be", "The Long and Winding Road", "Get Back"
  24. "Live at the Hollywood Bowl" (1977)
  25. "Live at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany, 1962" (1977)
  26. "Rarities" (1980)
  27. "Reel Music" (1982)
  28. "In the Beginning: The Early Tapes of The Beatles with Tony Sheridan" (1987)
  29. "Past Masters, Vol. 1" (1988)
  30. "Past Masters, Vol. 2" (1988)
  31. "Live at the BBC" (2-CDs) (1994)
  32. "Anthology 1" (2-CDs) (1995)
  33. "Anthology 2" (2-CDs) (1996)
  34. "Anthology 3" (2-CDs) (1996)
  35. "Let It Be...Naked" (2-CDs) (2003) - the "Let It Be" album stripped down (e.g., minus orchestration and studio overdubs).

Paul McCartney forms Wings (with wife Linda McCartney).

Compilations:

  1. "The Beatles 1962-1966" (aka, "Red Album") (1973)
  2. "The Beatles 1967-1970" (aka, "Blue Album") (1973)
  3. "Rock 'N' Roll Music" (1976)
  4. "Love Songs" (1977)
  5. "20 Greatest Hits" (1982)
  6. "The Beatles 1" (2000)
  7. "The Capitol Albums, Vol. 1" (4-CD box set) (2004)
  8. "Love" (2006)

DVDs and Videos:

  1. "The Beatles Anthology" (5-DVDs) (1996) - DVD - absolutely essential for Beatles fans.
  2. "A Hard Days Night" - DVD
  3. "Help!" - DVD
  4. "Magical Mystery Tour" - DVD

Hartman Recommends - You really can't go wrong with any of the classic Beatles albums.  There are so many great songs in their catalog that you can pretty much pick and choose what you want.  Personal favorites are "Revolver", "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band", "The Beatles" (aka, "The White Album"), and "Abbey Road".  "Past Masters, Vol. 1" and "Past Masters, Vol. 2" also contain lots of great stuff not found on their other albums.

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