From Songs to Recordings

Overview

Until this point, we have focused almost entirely on American music. Beginning in this lesson, however, we will see the tremendous influence that British musicians began to exert on rock during the 1960s. The explosion of British music in general, and the Beatles in particular, is called the British Invasion. After the Beatles appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964, the British presence in rock and roll was firmly established.

Objectives

Recall the origins and early career of the Beatles, focusing on their career until about 1966
Recall the stylistic, personnel, and management changes of the Beatles before settling into the image of the Fab Four in matching suits
Describe the musical style of the Beatles from this early period and how they recorded their albums.

From Songs to Recordings

Paul McCartney

The Beatles and George Martin usually finished their recordings in a couple of intense studio sessions. That process began to change in the middle of the 1960s, as the members of the Beatles became more and more interested in record production. They stopped touring in 1966, and their later music focuses on the recording studio rather than a live performance. Instead of following roughly the same formula for each song (verse-chorus form with instrumental solos and catchy vocal hooks), the members of the Beatles began experimenting with studio effects, unusual forms and structures, new instruments, and unusual timbres.

During that time, John Lennon said, "We don’t write songs anymore, we write recordings." By the release of Rubber Soul in late 1965 and Revolver in 1966, the Beatles’ style had changed drastically in form, production style, and instrumentation. These changes will be discussed in a later lesson in the context of psychedelic music.

Personal, professional, and financial conflicts plagued the Beatles in the late 1960s, and in 1970, Paul McCartney filed suit to dissolve the Beatles’ contractual partnership. Each of the four members released a solo album almost immediately after the dissolution, and each member’s solo album featured at least one other ex-Beatle. McCartney had a particularly successful solo career after the breakup of the Beatles. It was not until after John Lennon’s murder in 1980, however, that the three remaining Beatles worked together again. They recorded a new version of "All Those Years Ago ♫" in Lennon’s honor. Today, the Beatles are still the best-selling band in history.

John Lennon

“From one generation to the next, The Beatles will remain the most important rock band of all time.”

-Dave Grohl

“The Beatles' story is all of our stories. It is about how the youth culture emerged, the drug culture emerged, how politics rose to the fore as a universal debate. It's about rebellion, it's about the growth of the British entertainment system, the growth of the rock n' roll entertainment system.”

-Bob Spitz

"In 2006, George Martin and his son Giles, produced the music for the Cirque du Soleil Las Vegas production Love, which is based on The Beatles music. Martin went back to the master tapes and used pieces of about 130 songs to create 26 tracks for the soundtrack. The project was approved by McCartney and Starr, as well as the estates of Harrison and Lennon."

Songfacts