When doing the reading for this weeks class I was struck by a quote form a deleted scene of my favorite movie, Pulp Fiction. Consequently, I went back to my Pulp Fiction DVD and watched this deleted scene. The quote is “there’s only two kinds of people in the world: ‘Beatles people’ and ‘Elvis people’. Now Beatles people can like Elvis, and Elvis people can like the Beatles...but nobody likes them equally. Somewhere you have to make a choice, and that choice tells you who you are.”
- Mia Wallace. I never really thought about this statement. However, I disagree with it. The Schmatzy reading reveled to me that one can love Elvis equally as much as one loves the Beatles, with the recognition that Elvis was one of the larger influences on the Beatles. Throughout my life I have grown up to believe that the Beatles were one of the most influential and innovative artists of the 20th Centuries. However, I find it to be extremely motivating that they, The Beatles themselves, were once students of great musicians. Artists that I have never listened to before were inspirations to The Beatles and that is appealing in that it gives hope to each artist that he/she can develop himself and learn from others. Chuck Berry is one musician who was unknown to be before reading about him in the Szchmatsy. One does wonder why The Beatles never recorded any of Elvis’ music. Maybe that is the reason why people believe that one cannot love Elvis and The Beatles equally, because The Beatles themselves did not wish to be loved like Elvis.
The artists who influenced The Beatles were mainly American artists, which is a thought-provoking fact. Why were so many great artists from America and/or influenced by Americans? This fact leads me to believe that much of the great music that was formed was based on the strife and conflict that was ripe in the United States between Black and White individuals. It is amazing how it took music to really bring these two cultures together and how the recording medium allowed for musicians to remain “colorless” for a while; provoking the race question even further.
Journal #2: Beaseme Mucho!
"Bésame Mucho" is a Spanish language song written in 1940 by Mexican Consuelo Velázquez before her sixteenth birthday. However, The Beatles recorded this song for their Deka adutions record and the result blew me away.
The Beatles are known, respectively, as the fathers of modern pop music. After their first #1 hit “Please Please Me” was released in 1963 the Beatles were set in motion to become one of the most influential groups of musicians to ever rock our world. With over forty-nine records, 37 #1’s, and thirty- four number one albums (the highest amount of any band in history), there is no denying that they made a monumental ripple in the musical world. John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr surprisingly all come from humble beginnings in a town that, until their superstardom, was barely noticed on the map. Liverpool, being kn...
Joe Cocker’s cover of a not as well known song by a mega popular band (popularity and well known status of the Beatles), combined with the timing of the world (counterculture, experimentation, not so rigid roles) and his own talent and personal twist on “With a Little Help from My Friends” (everything he changed about the song), helped Joe Cocker rise to success that he might otherwise not have found without the indirect help from the Beatles.
The Beatles were best known for there 1950’s Rock and Roll. Later on, they experimented in several music styles; ranging from pop ballads, Indian music, psychedelia, and finally hard rock. The Beatles consisted of four men, John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The hippie movement and the use of drugs heavily influenced The Beatles, creating a deeper meaning to their songs. McCartney and Lennon found inspiration for the song “Blackbird” when they were exploring India in 1968. An accusation about the song “Blackbird” was simply that they had heard a blackbird singing; however, while being on LSD, a psychedelic drug, they borrowed the music of a blackbird and turned it into a symbol of the hardships African American women faced during the Civil Rights Movement. Other influences such as classical components helped further The Beatles’ music career to new heights. The Beatles were known to write complex songs with deep meanings. Songs off the White Album could be interpreted to have a surface level or metaphorical meaning. “Blackbird” was about discrimination and misfortune the African American women faced during the Civil Rights Movement.
Culturally, I was taught that bands like the Beatles stole songs and style from African American artists of their time. In response to these accusations, John Lennon wrote, “We didn’t sing our own songs in the early days – they weren’t good enough; the one thing we always did was to make it known that there were black originals, we loved the music and wanted to spread it in any way we could.” In what I learned, he was right, because at the time they couldn’t spread their own music very far. Besides this, my experience with the Beatles before studying abroad was with some of their songs featured in movies and store soundtracks. When I worked at WAWA, I’d love to hear “The Yellow Submarine."
The Beatles are a band that has made a huge impact into our world. The impact of the Beatles influenced many things. Such things would be types of music, the people, and a world movement.
The Beatles had become one of the most famous band ever of all ages, and their songs have influenced many people in writing songs and living a better life. John Lennon’s song “Imagine” had became one of the most well-known single ever; the song expressed Lennon’s feeling of wanting a better world. After his death, John Lennon and the Beatles became a major milestone in
Led Zeppelin was one of the giants of the 1970’s in hard rock. They were also one of the greatest success stories that ever played hard rock music. The group was one the more popular hard rock groups that performed in the seventies, and even had some hits in the 1960’s.
The Beatles were the most influential popular music group of the rock era. They affected the post-war baby boom generation of Britain, the United States and many other countries during the 1960s. Certainly they are the most popular group in rock history, with global sales exceeding 1.1 billion records. While they were originally famous for merseybeat, or what some labelled light-weight pop music which provoked complete hysteria in young women. Their later works achieved a combination of popular and critical attention. They were more than recording artists, influencing fashion and culture and branching out into film and sometimes political activism. They achieved an iconic status with far reaching effects. The classic Beatles lineup consisted of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr Liverpool, England. Beatlemania began in Britain on October 13, 1963 with a televised appearance at the London Palladium, and then exploded in the United States following the appearances of the Beatles on The Ed Sullivan Show in 1964.
During the 1960’s, a very famous band came about, they were called The Beatles, they became the best known group in popular music (Ebsco Host). In the beginning of The Beatles career, they were called “The Quarrymen”. “The Quarrymen”, originated at John Lennon’s high school, when he became entertained by rock and roll in the mid-50’s. In 1960, “The Quarrymen” changed their name to “The Silver Beatles”. However, soon after they dropped the “Silver” and became just “The Beatles”. (All Music) In “The Beatles” career, they had much success, it was believed that this success came from their creative lyrics, their harmonic vocals, and their friendly personality. It also helped that they were one of the first groups to include more original music on their records than covers of songs written by other people. (All Music)
John Lennon had reached remarkable success and fame as a member of The Beatles. He, along with McCartney had written some of the most popular songs of their generation; “All My Loving”, I Want to Hold Your Hand” “We Can Work it Out” and “Come Together” are just a small...
America’s defenses were breached and hysteria gripped the nation. The invasion had begun. However, the sounds of sirens did not fill the streets to warn against nuclear attacks, nor were there warnings to stay indoors. Instead the youth of America rushed into the streets of New York and welcomed the invaders with loud screams and insane fanaticism. The invaders were The Beatles and the members were Paul McCartney, John Lennon, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. One of the biggest and influential bands to change the face of music as we know it took the world by storm by introducing new sound, new fashion, and a new way of approaching music. The Beatles have etched a name for themselves and stand in history as one of the greatest bands of all time. However there is a reason why they are regarded so highly and have become the big name that they are today. I never once listened to The Beatles and I didn’t get into music until I was twelve years old, yet at the age of nine I knew who they were. The Beatles are almost a household name in western cultures and that is because of the profound effect they brought upon society at the time. With help from their musical influences, experiences, and being present at the right place at the right time, The Beatles ascended into fame. It is because of factors like their influences, their experiences as a band, their management, and their arrival at the right time that made their takeover that much more successful and influential.
The Beatles wrote hundreds of songs throughout their long career and many of which had the same main ideas in them. Those two ideas seem to standout in most of their songs, and they are the ideas of peace and love. They were so passionate about these two ideas especially world peace, that they became avid participants and leaders in the anti-war movement, against the War in Vietnam. It seemed strange ...
As much as The Beatles were talented and controversial in similar measure, it is my
When people think about the 60’s the majority of them all think about the Beatles. The Beatles is a band that made Rock and Roll a totally, different type of music. Even though The Beatles were such a hit, as time went on they started to fall apart. Over 50 years later, the Beatles are still classified as one of the best band of all time.
The popularity of the Beatles proves time and time again to be nothing short of eternal. Like any great works of art, the Beatles’ records carried and still do carry an ageless brilliance that continues to captivate new generations of listeners. Their records are still heard heavily today on the radio, continue to sell in immense quantities, and are forever remembered through the covers done by pop and rock artists in present day.