The Beatles By Chad Koch At Isnare.com Ezine Articles

BLACK AND WHITE

Are the Beatles still relevant these days? After decades of varying music, does the fab four still wield influence and power? True modern music has taken many forms that didn’t readily exist when the Beatles were in their prime, but it doesn’t take much to look at today’s indie rock scene to seen where their mark has remained strong. Take in obvious Beatle-influenced acts like Blur or Oasis or even listen to the garage revved sounds of bands like The Hives, The Strokes, Elastica, The White Stripes and the Darkness and then revisit the White Album and you may be surprised at how little things have really changed.

MAINSTAY

Of all time, the Beatles place third in top album sales with a total combination of 39 gold and platinum albums. By comparison, Barbara Streisand has 46 and Elvis was way out in front with 80.

MARKET SHARE

While Elvis may have had more albums go platinum or gold, it still doesn’t mean he sold more albums than the Beatles. For example, in recent history, The Beatles ‘1’ album has sold around 23 million copies, while ‘Elvis 30 #1 Hits’ has only garnered 9 million sales. Norah Jones did about that much with her ‘Come Away with Me’ album. It just goes to show you that the Beatles have a fanbase with staying power. Their music has withstood the test of time better than any other band in history.

CALL/RESPONSE

Asides for solid musical talent and song writing, the Beatles stellar success can be attributed to the band possessing three very strong voices. This fact allowed them to build strong harmonies, often with call/response and alternating viewpoints.

THE QUIET BEATLE

George Harrison has often been referred to as the “quiet Beatle”, but he was the first to leave his mark after the Beatles disbanded. He released a hit single in 1970 called, “My Sweet Lord” which went to Number One. However the success was overshadowed six years later when a court ruling found Harrison guilty of “subconscious plagiarism”. The song in question was the Chiffons’ song, “He’s So Fine”.

I’M HAPPY JUST TO DANCE WITH YOU

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ELEANOR RIGBY

A truly sad and lonely song, the song Eleanor Rigby relates the tale of a woman who cleans a church and Father Mackenzie who gives sermons there. Fittingly so, the story conveys Eleanor’s tale as she cleans up after a wedding, a ceremony she could only wish to be a participant in. Each night she gets dressed but has no place to go. She longs for the embrace of the man she spends her days with, Father Mackenzie. He meanwhile suffers the plight that no one is moved by his words, despite is status. Even though they share a special unifying bond, Eleanor and Father Mackenzie are locked away from each other due to convention and formality. The institution of their situation which binds them simultaneously and eternally keeps them apart. Somberly, Eleanor’s tale ends with her death and she is laid to rest ‘with her name’ in the church. She dies alone, leaving no lineage behind her.

SALVATION

“Strawberry Fields” was named for a real place, Strawberry Field, a children’s home run by the Salvation Army in Liverpool, in John Lennon’s childhood neighborhood. The original Victorian building was demolished in the late 60’s, but the site is still a Salvation Army Children’s Home and still carries the name Strawberry Field. John sent a large donation to them before his death and in return there is a building there called “Lennon Hall”. Yoko Ono continues to send them donations.

STRAWBERRY FIELDS FOREVER

The famed Strawberry Fields in New York’s Central Park was given that name in 1981, following John Lennon’s untimely death. The 2.5 acre section of park is sited at 72nd street, directly across Central Park West from the Dakota Building where John and Yoko lived. John Lennon was gunned down by Mark Chapman, a man who had lingered for days around Lennon’s apartment. Chapman had just hours earlier asked Lennon for his autograph and confessed he heard voices in his head telling him to kill the beloved musician. John Lennon was 40 years old when he died on the night of December 8th, 1980.

BORN TO BE WILD

Their music was grew out of need. The world was looking for it and the Beatles responded. The youth of America made rock and roll what it is today.

“America had teenagers and everywhere else just had people” – John Lennon

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