The Beatles

Brian Epstein Bob Wooler and My Bonnie by the Beatles Pride in his ability Decca, Brian Poole and the Tremeloes Stu Sutcliffe dies

George Martin and the Parlophone June 1962, Beatles audition Pete Best Richard Starkey and Ringo

The Heroes of Liverpool Radio, television and tour appearances

Beatlemania—American Style Real Rock ‘n’ Roll was not exclusively American music Ed Sullivan

I Want to Hold Your Hand Recorded in October 1963 Opening a compendium of 50s Rock and Roll First two musical phrases demonstrate this

Beatlemania—American Style Mass popularity in America Top 5 April 4, 1964 International popularity Lifestyle Drugs Third tour to the United States

The Middle Period: Experimentation

Yesterday Written January 1964 but recorded June 1965 Pre-rock pop song Melody develops from a short, simple riff Six sections in AABABA pattern 32-measure AABA form

Yesterday McCartney’s singing Simple acoustic guitar accompaniment outlines a delicate eight-beat rhythm String accompaniment updated Gone is the nuclear rock band of 2 guitars, bass and drums Stronger connection between words and music

Rubber Soul Drive My Car

Cinematic Sexual tension Humorous possibility Accompaniment shows collaboration McCartney, all the details in place

Rubber Soul Drive My Car Otis Redding’s Respect No rhythm guitar Only chorus has solid chords (heard on piano) Sounds like soul music

Yesterday and Today

Revolver Eleanor Rigby

Unprecedented topic Broke sharply with pop song conventions Detached delivery Time passes, without apparent purpose

Revolver Eleanor Rigby Musical setting as bleak as the words String octet (four violins, two violas, two cellos) String sound is sparse

Revolver Eleanor Rigby Chord progressions emulate rock accompaniment Static melody and harmony Repetitive rhythm of accompaniment

Revolver Eleanor Rigby Pop becoming Art? Classical-style string accompaniment Comparable to Schubert’s art songs

Penny Lane and Strawberry Fields

The Later Beatles: Revolution

Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Verse creates dreamy state Lyrics contain numerous psychedelic images (marmalade skies) Music floats in waltz time

Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds Impression of a person in the middle of an acid trip Chorus is straight-ahead Rock and Roll Conveys normalcy

A Day in the Life Mundane vs. elevated consciousness Music with words vs. instrumental

A Day in the Life Four Scenes 1.Lennon’s response to a man who dies in his car while, Lennon suspects, he was tripping 2.Lennon attending a film 3.Lennon in modern life—work is mundane and competitive 4.Lennon’s commentary on counting potholes

A Day in the Life Starts with soloist and guitar Other instruments layer Juxtaposed to massive orchestral block of sound Echoes of Pendercki’s Threnody for Victims of Hiroshima (1960)

A Day in the Life Well-known vs. obscure music Tasteful drumming: inventive bass lines Doubling of the tempo in the “Woke up” section Trills on “Laugh” and “photograph” Transition to the acid trip

A Day in the Life Melodic leap followed by trill blends seamlessly into orchestral texture Final chord An “OM” Striking ending

The White Album

Abbey Road

The “Death” of Paul and the Beatles Break-Up Back masking The Paul-is-Dead hoax By 1970, it was clear that the Beatles were each going separate ways

Summary Their influence on the music is undeniable Other influences Hard mainstream rock, avant-garde rock, psychedelic rock, symphonic rock, and light-hearted rock

Summary No longer was Rock simply fun music; it was serious Four directions John Lennon in the 1970s Superstitions Beatlemania end?