Key personnel:
George Harrison: vocals, guitars, percussion, sitar, tambura, swarmandal
John Lennon: vocals, guitars, keyboards, percussion
Paul McCartney: vocals, bass, guitars, keyboards, percussion
Ringo Starr: drums, percussion
History
Formed in Liverpool, England, in 1960, their name was inspired by Buddy Holly’s backing group The Crickets, with a letter changed to emphasise ‘beat’. Turned down by several record companies, they were eventually signed to EMI’s novelty-record label Parlophone, run by producer George Martin. Original drummer Pete Best was replaced by Richard Starkey – alias Ringo Starr – during recording of their first single, ‘Love Me Do’, which reached a respectable number 17 in the UK. The follow-up, ‘Please Please Me’, hit number 2, while the third release ‘From Me to You’ started a string of eleven number 1s and the spread of Beatlemania across the world. Regarded as the most influential pop/rock band of all time, they are also the best selling music act ever, with estimated worldwide record sales of 600,000,000. They broke up in 1970.
Key releases in 1967
‘Penny Lane’ / ‘Strawberry Fields Forever’ (Single)
Both songs by Lennon/McCartney
Double A-side single
Label: Parlophone (UK), Capitol (US)
Release date: 13 February 1967
Charts: UK: 2; US: 8; Australia: 1; Netherlands: 1; Norway: 1; Sweden: 1
Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Album)
All songs by Lennon/McCartney except as noted.
Label: Parlophone (UK), Capitol (US)
Release date: 1 June 1967 (UK), 2 June 1967 (US)
Charts: UK: 1; US: 1 (and many, many other countries)
Side 1: 1.‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ 2.‘With a Little Help From My Friends’ 3. ‘Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds’ 4. ‘Getting Better’ 5. ‘Fixing a Hole’ 6. ‘She’s Leaving Home’ 7. ‘Being for the Benefit of Mr Kite’.
Side 2: 1. ‘Within You Without You (George Harrison)’ 2. ‘When I’m Sixty-Four’ 3. ‘Lovely Rita’ 4. ‘Good Morning Good Morning’ 5. ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (Reprise)’ 6. ‘A Day in the Life’.<