The Beatles changed the world of music forever in the 1960s. John, Paul, George, and Ringo started as a club band in Liverpool but quickly became global icons. Their hairstyles and suits defined a generation of youth culture. Furthermore, they experimented with new sounds that no one had ever heard before. Even today, The Beatles remain the best-selling music act of all time. However, their journey included strange auditions, rejected movies, and weird smells. Prepare to twist and shout with the Fab Four.
The Beatles
Surprisingly, their concerts smelled heavily of urine. The teenage girls in the audience got so excited that they often wet themselves. Consequently, the band members complained about the distinct odor in the concert halls.
Paul McCartney originally named “Yesterday” as “Scrambled Eggs.” He woke up with the melody in his head but lacked lyrics. Therefore, he sang about eggs to remember the tune until he wrote the real words.
Disney refused to let The Beatles voice the vultures in The Jungle Book. The animators designed the birds to look like the band. However, John Lennon insulted the idea and told them to hire Elvis Presley instead.
Decca Records rejected them because they believed guitar groups were dying out. The executives famously told the band that they had no future in show business. Fortunately, this mistake became the biggest error in music history.
George Harrison lost his virginity while the other members watched. He slept with a girl in their shared room in Hamburg. Afterward, the band cheered and clapped for him when he finished.
Fans in the Soviet Union listened to their music on X-ray films. Because the government banned Western music, smugglers pressed records onto used hospital X-rays. People called this “bone music.”
John and George sang nursery rhymes in the background of “Paperback Writer.” If you listen closely, you can hear them singing “Frere Jacques.” They did this as a joke during the recording session.
The Beatles wanted to star in a Lord of the Rings movie. specifically, Paul wanted to play Frodo and John wanted to play Gollum. However, the author J.R.R. Tolkien rejected their request immediately.
“Martha My Dear” is actually about a sheepdog. Paul McCartney wrote the love song for his beloved pet, Martha. Thus, it is not about a romantic partner as many fans assumed.
A dentist secretly spiked their coffee with LSD. He wanted to see how the drug would affect John and George. Consequently, this event introduced the band to psychedelics and changed their sound forever.
The final chord of “A Day in the Life” required three pianos. Paul, John, Ringo, and their road manager hit the keys simultaneously. Then, they let the sound ring out for over forty seconds.
They invented the use of guitar feedback on pop records. The song “I Feel Fine” opens with a buzzing feedback note. John Lennon discovered the sound by accident and decided to keep it.
Astronomer Carl Sagan wanted to send “Here Comes the Sun” into space. He hoped to put the song on the Voyager Golden Record. Unfortunately, their record label refused to release the rights.
Thieves constantly stole the license plate from the Abbey Road album cover. The Volkswagen Beetle belonged to a resident living near the studio. Fans stole the plate repeatedly as a souvenir.
Finally, The Beatles officially broke up at a Disney World hotel. John Lennon signed the legal documents at the Polynesian Village Resort in 1974. Thus, the greatest band in history ended in a vacation paradise.
