At this stage of my life I discovered The Beatles

Rocker

I spent all my gigging time playing American and Irish Country, old time waltzes, jives and ballads.  And accompanying trad Irish music.  A lot of music did not alert itself to me.  There are a number of reasons for this: gigging paid smallish money so I played what the punters wanted.  I depped with a number of local pub bands and they all played the same type of music.  Our national radio station in ROI played very little 'pop' music and as I could not afford to buy many chart records, I got no chance to hear what was happening on the scene.

Fast forward to today.  Our family music get togethers has been a regular session for several years now.  I am always on the lookout for new songs, songs that everyone would know, to keep the sessions fresh.  My brother-in-law suggested a couple of John Lennon songs.  This prompted me to check out what music the Beatles produced with the hope that some songs would fit the bill.

I was never a Beatles fan.  Over the years I picked up a number of Beatles CDs in charity shops.  I sort of knew some of the songs but the music did not light my fire as they say.  Over twenty years ago at the IGF in Bath, one of my fellow students/participants showed me a few Beatles riffs.  I expect that everyone here knows them all very well as they probably are some of the first riffs to be learned on the guitar.

So, 'Paperback Writer', 'I feel fine', 'Day Tripper' and 'Ticket to Ride' have been added as possible songs for the next family music session.  Better late than never.

thecolourbox

I can't imagine hearing the Beatles for the first time, I think as an adult it would overwhelm me personally but then I'm a bit over dramatic.

Keep enjoying the journey I say

Habanero

I don’t suppose you’ve seen the film ‘Yesterday’ either?

Rocker

Habanero said:

I don’t suppose you’ve seen the film ‘Yesterday’ either?

TBH I am not sure if I did.  I do remember seeing a film [in a cinema] close on fifty years ago - the film showed the Beatles playing on the roof of a building and if my memory serves me right, footage of the group in the studio.  At that time I thought it idiotic for the group to play so high up from the street, hard to understand how anyone could hear what was going on.

A couple of years later, one of the bands I depped with had Yellow Submarine on it's setlist.  The lead singer had 'modified' the lyrics somewhat:

'We all live in a Yellow Submarine
In a Yellow Submarine
On bread and margarine
In a Yellow Submarine....'

Or something like that.  Of course at that time I had never heard the original as performed by the Beatles, I learned the song as played by that band.  Thinking back on those days, our effort was more inspired by the Beatles than a cover of a Beatles song.

ICBM

Rocker said:

Habanero said:

I don’t suppose you’ve seen the film ‘Yesterday’ either?

TBH I am not sure if I did.  I do remember seeing a film [in a cinema] close on fifty years ago - the film showed the Beatles playing on the roof of a building and if my memory serves me right, footage of the group in the studio.  At that time I thought it idiotic for the group to play so high up from the street, hard to understand how anyone could hear what was going on.

That's unfortunate... that film shows them at their worst, rather unfairly given the content in the new Peter Jackson restored (8 hour!) version of the same material which has just been released on Disney+. The rooftop gig was never really about playing to the public, although it's regarded as a classic performance.

'Yesterday' is an amusing fictional modern film (from 2019) featuring the *music* of the Beatles in an imaginary world where they never existed. Quite a clever concept, and if you've never 'liked' the Beatles, it might be worth a watch - two people I know who didn't like them have, and both really enjoyed it.

Philtre

TBH, the Beatles didn't really have much influence in the music world. If you want to listen to some real talent from Liverpool check out Ken Dodd.

Shrews

The music of The Beatles was seen as a bit 'square' when growing up in the post punk/new wave/Mod/Ska era.  Then in 1982 I went on a trip to Germany and a kid in the year below brought along a cassette player with a Queen 'Greatest Hits' tape and some Beatles tapes. They became the theme music of the holiday.

I've been a fan ever since, 40 years or so now, and to me the music is timeless. 

We won't ever see their like again. 

Danny1969

It's always a good idea to know a lot of Beatles songs for family singalongs .... the early stuff is all guitar based and relies on simple chord changes so comes across well at a singalong. 

I started getting heavily into music in the early eighties and the Beatles were still considered cool at my school. I still listen to them all the time now, just genius song writing. 

Jalapeno

Only really took music seriously after they split up - I was 11 then, so their music was always around so I was aware of them, but older people (trendy teachers) held them (and Dylan) is so much reverence that it was hard to take them as relevant when you had Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Hawkwind, Black Sabbath, Genesis (with Gabriel), Marc Bolan and David Bowie going on !

I still have the Beatles Complete songbook form learning guitar, and have always been impressed how prolific Lennon & McCartney in particular were.

CountryDave

Habanero said:

I don’t suppose you’ve seen the film ‘Yesterday’ either?

Just reading this thread with that film playing. Quite a good watch so far. 

My first record purchase as a kid was the red album, which was a few weeks after my uncle gave me the blue album. Played them on repeat to the point that if one of the hits comes on the radio now, I'm waiting for the next track to start. 

Many years later I ended up in a band with my (slightly older) mate Al who grew up opposite McCartney in Liverpool.

notanon

Philtre said:

TBH, the Beatles didn't really have much influence in the music world. If you want to listen to some real talent from Liverpool check out Ken Dodd.

Ah Ken. In the beginning was Ken. Ken was good and the word was with Ken. 

Philtre

notanon said:

Philtre said:

TBH, the Beatles didn't really have much influence in the music world. If you want to listen to some real talent from Liverpool check out Ken Dodd.

Ah Ken. In the beginning was Ken. Ken was good and the word was with Ken. 

Obi Wan Kenobi

adamino

The White Album,Sgt Pepper,Abbey Road changed my life in 1991 when I was in LA at GIT.I started to focus on songwriting and veered away from shredding and totally changed my concept of guitar playing and MI.
I remember listening to all the songs,all the way to Vegas.by car with my portable cassete player accompanied by a beautiful Argentinian girl I was dating at the time.
I was 21.